Primary prevention of metabolic syndrome in the community using an evidence-based exercise program.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalleck, Lance C; Van Guilder, Gary P; Quinn, Esther M; Bredle, Don L

2013-10-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of a community-based exercise program to lower metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. MetS components were retrospectively analyzed in 332 adults (190 women, 142 men) before and after a 14-week supervised community exercise program between January 2007 and May 2012 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Except for total cholesterol, all health outcome variables, including the 5 MetS components, improved following community exercise. Individuals having MetS decreased from 22.3% before participation to 13.5% at end (pexercise program is an effective method to reduce cardiovascular risk in adults by substantially decreasing the prevalence of MetS and its components. Greater volumes of exercise may increase the likelihood of MetS risk factor elimination. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of community-based exercise intervention programme in obese adults with metabolic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shu-Hung; Chen, Miao-Chuan; Chien, Nai-Hui; Lin, Hsih-Fong

2016-09-01

The objective of this study was to change the anthropometric, clinical, biochemical indicators and the rate of metabolic syndrome among obese adults in community. Obesity is an indicator of metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic diseases. Obesity increases national health care expenditure in Taiwan. The high prevalence of obesity is not only a public health issue but also an economic problem. Changes in lifestyle can help to prevent metabolic syndrome for individuals with obesity. A randomised controlled trial was applied. In this randomised controlled trial by location, 136 metabolically abnormal obese individuals were included. The related indicators with metabolic syndrome were measured at baseline and after six months. The experimental group participated in a six-month community-based programme including provided exercise environments, exercise skills and volunteers' reminding. The control group was only provided environment and skills. One hundred and thirty-one participants completed this trail. In comparison with the baseline, the intervention group showed a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (2·34 mg/dl), and decrease in body weight (1·09 kg), waist circumference (3·63 cm), systolic blood pressure (10·52 mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (5·21 mmHg), fasting blood glucose (5·84 mg/dl) and body mass index (0·74 kg/m(2) ). In the control group, significant decrease in body mass index and waist circumference were discovered. Compared to the changes between the two groups, the results showed there were significant differences in waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The community-based intervention could help to improve high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, reduce body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting blood glucose in metabolically abnormal obese. This community-based programme helped metabolically abnormal

Phylogenetic and Functional Diversity of Total (DNA) and Expressed (RNA) Bacterial Communities in Urban Green Infrastructure Bioswale Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Aman S; Lee, Angela; McGuire, Krista L

2017-08-15

New York City (NYC) is pioneering green infrastructure with the use of bioswales and other engineered soil-based habitats to provide stormwater infiltration and other ecosystem functions. In addition to avoiding the environmental and financial costs of expanding traditional built infrastructure, green infrastructure is thought to generate cobenefits in the form of diverse ecological processes performed by its plant and microbial communities. Yet, although plant communities in these habitats are closely managed, we lack basic knowledge about how engineered ecosystems impact the distribution and functioning of soil bacteria. We sequenced amplicons of the 16S ribosomal subunit, as well as seven genes associated with functional pathways, generated from both total (DNA-based) and expressed (RNA) soil communities in the Bronx, NYC, NY, in order to test whether bioswale soils host characteristic bacterial communities with evidence for enriched microbial functioning, compared to nonengineered soils in park lawns and tree pits. Bioswales had distinct, phylogenetically diverse bacterial communities, including taxa associated with nutrient cycling and metabolism of hydrocarbons and other pollutants. Bioswale soils also had a significantly greater diversity of genes involved in several functional pathways, including carbon fixation ( cbbL-R [ cbbL gene, red-like subunit] and apsA ), nitrogen cycling ( noxZ and amoA ), and contaminant degradation ( bphA ); conversely, no functional genes were significantly more abundant in nonengineered soils. These results provide preliminary evidence that urban land management can shape the diversity and activity of soil communities, with positive consequences for genetic resources underlying valuable ecological functions, including biogeochemical cycling and degradation of common urban pollutants. IMPORTANCE Management of urban soil biodiversity by favoring taxa associated with decontamination or other microbial metabolic processes is a

Bedside Evaluation of Cerebral Energy Metabolism in Severe Community-Acquired Bacterial Meningitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rom Poulsen, Frantz; Schulz, Mette; Jacobsen, Anne

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Mortality and morbidity have remained high in bacterial meningitis. Impairment of cerebral energy metabolism probably contributes to unfavorable outcome. Intracerebral microdialysis is routinely used to monitor cerebral energy metabolism, and recent experimental studies indicate...... that this technique may separate ischemia and non-ischemic mitochondrial dysfunction. The present study is a retrospective interpretation of biochemical data obtained in a series of patients with severe community-acquired meningitis. METHODS: Cerebral energy metabolism was monitored in 15 patients with severe...... community-acquired meningitis utilizing intracerebral microdialysis and bedside biochemical analysis. According to previous studies, cerebral ischemia was defined as lactate/pyruvate (LP) ratio >30 with intracerebral pyruvate level

Role of community pharmacists in the prevention and management of the metabolic syndrome in Kuwait.

Science.gov (United States)

Katoue, Maram G; Awad, Abdelmoneim I; Kombian, Samuel B

2013-02-01

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors and its prevalence is alarmingly high in Kuwait, affecting nearly one third of the adult population. There is lack of information about the role of community pharmacists in the care of patients with the metabolic syndrome. To assess the awareness and opinions of community pharmacists about the metabolic syndrome and identify the services they provide for identification, management and monitoring of patients with the metabolic syndrome. Community pharmacies in Kuwait. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on a randomly selected sample of 225 community pharmacists. Data were collected via face-to-face structured interview of the pharmacists using a pre-tested questionnaire. Pharmacists' knowledge and views on the metabolic syndrome, monitoring services provided, self-reported practices and perceived effectiveness of the various management interventions for the metabolic syndrome. The response rate was 97.8 %. Nine pharmacists claimed to know about the metabolic syndrome, but only one pharmacist could identify the condition correctly. After being given a definition of the metabolic syndrome, 67.7 % of respondents strongly agreed that its prevalence was rising in Kuwait. Nearly two thirds of respondents reported providing height and weight measurement service while 82.7 and 59.5 % of pharmacies provided blood pressure and blood glucose measurements, respectively. Waist circumference and lipid profile measurements were the least provided services (1.8 %). Respondents claimed to be involved in counseling patients on lifestyle modifications including increased exercise (98.1 %) and weight reduction through diet (96.9 %). Most pharmacists were involved in encouraging patients' adherence with prescribed treatments (98.6 %) and perceived these as the most effective intervention for the management of the metabolic syndrome (95.0 %). Respondents were less involved in monitoring patients' response

Metaproteomics: extracting and mining proteome information to characterize metabolic activities in microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Paul E; Giannone, Richard J; Xiong, Weili; Hettich, Robert L

2014-06-17

Contemporary microbial ecology studies usually employ one or more "omics" approaches to investigate the structure and function of microbial communities. Among these, metaproteomics aims to characterize the metabolic activities of the microbial membership, providing a direct link between the genetic potential and functional metabolism. The successful deployment of metaproteomics research depends on the integration of high-quality experimental and bioinformatic techniques for uncovering the metabolic activities of a microbial community in a way that is complementary to other "meta-omic" approaches. The essential, quality-defining informatics steps in metaproteomics investigations are: (1) construction of the metagenome, (2) functional annotation of predicted protein-coding genes, (3) protein database searching, (4) protein inference, and (5) extraction of metabolic information. In this article, we provide an overview of current bioinformatic approaches and software implementations in metaproteome studies in order to highlight the key considerations needed for successful implementation of this powerful community-biology tool. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Soil-covered strategy for ecological restoration alters the bacterial community structure and predictive energy metabolic functions in mine tailings profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yang; Sun, Qingye; Zhan, Jing; Yang, Yang; Wang, Dan

2017-03-01

Native soil amendment has been widely used to stabilize mine tailings and speed up the development of soil biogeochemical functions before revegetation; however, it remains poorly understood about the response of microbial communities to ecological restoration of mine tailings with soil-covered strategy. In this study, microbial communities along a 60-cm profile were investigated in mine tailings during ecological restoration of two revegetation strategies (directly revegetation and native soil covered) with different plant species. The mine tailings were covered by native soils as thick as 40 cm for more than 10 years, and the total nitrogen, total organic carbon, water content, and heavy metal (Fe, Cu, and Zn) contents in the 0-40 cm intervals of profiles were changed. In addition, increased microbial diversity and changed microbial community structure were also found in the 10-40 cm intervals of profiles in soil-covered area. Soil-covered strategy rather than plant species and soil depth was the main factor influencing the bacterial community, which explained the largest portion (29.96%) of the observed variation. Compared directly to revegetation, soil-covered strategy exhibited the higher relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria and the lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria. PICRUSt analysis further demonstrated that soil-covered caused energy metabolic functional changes in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur metabolism. Given all these, the soil-covered strategy may be used to fast-track the establishment of native microbial communities and is conducive to the rehabilitation of biogeochemical processes for establishing native plant species.

Compartmentalized metabolic network reconstruction of microbial communities to determine the effect of agricultural intervention on soils

Science.gov (United States)

Álvarez-Yela, Astrid Catalina; Gómez-Cano, Fabio; Zambrano, María Mercedes; Husserl, Johana; Danies, Giovanna; Restrepo, Silvia; González-Barrios, Andrés Fernando

2017-01-01

Soil microbial communities are responsible for a wide range of ecological processes and have an important economic impact in agriculture. Determining the metabolic processes performed by microbial communities is crucial for understanding and managing ecosystem properties. Metagenomic approaches allow the elucidation of the main metabolic processes that determine the performance of microbial communities under different environmental conditions and perturbations. Here we present the first compartmentalized metabolic reconstruction at a metagenomics scale of a microbial ecosystem. This systematic approach conceives a meta-organism without boundaries between individual organisms and allows the in silico evaluation of the effect of agricultural intervention on soils at a metagenomics level. To characterize the microbial ecosystems, topological properties, taxonomic and metabolic profiles, as well as a Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) were considered. Furthermore, topological and optimization algorithms were implemented to carry out the curation of the models, to ensure the continuity of the fluxes between the metabolic pathways, and to confirm the metabolite exchange between subcellular compartments. The proposed models provide specific information about ecosystems that are generally overlooked in non-compartmentalized or non-curated networks, like the influence of transport reactions in the metabolic processes, especially the important effect on mitochondrial processes, as well as provide more accurate results of the fluxes used to optimize the metabolic processes within the microbial community. PMID:28767679

Compartmentalized metabolic network reconstruction of microbial communities to determine the effect of agricultural intervention on soils.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Camila Alvarez-Silva

Full Text Available Soil microbial communities are responsible for a wide range of ecological processes and have an important economic impact in agriculture. Determining the metabolic processes performed by microbial communities is crucial for understanding and managing ecosystem properties. Metagenomic approaches allow the elucidation of the main metabolic processes that determine the performance of microbial communities under different environmental conditions and perturbations. Here we present the first compartmentalized metabolic reconstruction at a metagenomics scale of a microbial ecosystem. This systematic approach conceives a meta-organism without boundaries between individual organisms and allows the in silico evaluation of the effect of agricultural intervention on soils at a metagenomics level. To characterize the microbial ecosystems, topological properties, taxonomic and metabolic profiles, as well as a Flux Balance Analysis (FBA were considered. Furthermore, topological and optimization algorithms were implemented to carry out the curation of the models, to ensure the continuity of the fluxes between the metabolic pathways, and to confirm the metabolite exchange between subcellular compartments. The proposed models provide specific information about ecosystems that are generally overlooked in non-compartmentalized or non-curated networks, like the influence of transport reactions in the metabolic processes, especially the important effect on mitochondrial processes, as well as provide more accurate results of the fluxes used to optimize the metabolic processes within the microbial community.

Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metcalf, J. L.; Xu, Z. Z.; Weiss, S.; Lax, S.; Van Treuren, W.; Hyde, E. R.; Song, S. J.; Amir, A.; Larsen, P.; Sangwan, N.; Haarmann, D.; Humphrey, G. C.; Ackermann, G.; Thompson, L. R.; Lauber, C.; Bibat, A.; Nicholas, C.; Gebert, M. J.; Petrosino, J. F.; Reed, S. C.; Gilbert, J. A.; Lynne, A. M.; Bucheli, S. R.; Carter, D. O.; Knight, R.

2015-12-10

Vertebrate corpse decomposition provides an important stage in nutrient cycling in most terrestrial habitats, yet microbially mediated processes are poorly understood. Here we combine deep microbial community characterization, community-level metabolic reconstruction, and soil biogeochemical assessment to understand the principles governing microbial community assembly during decomposition of mouse and human corpses on different soil substrates. We find a suite of bacterial and fungal groups that contribute to nitrogen cycling and a reproducible network of decomposers that emerge on predictable time scales. Our results show that this decomposer community is derived primarily from bulk soil, but key decomposers are ubiquitous in low abundance. Soil type was not a dominant factor driving community development, and the process of decomposition is sufficiently reproducible to offer new opportunities for forensic investigations.

Microbial community assembly and metabolic function during mammalian corpse decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Metcalf, Jessica L; Xu, Zhenjiang Zech; Weiss, Sophie; Lax, Simon; Van Treuren, Will; Hyde, Embriette R.; Song, Se Jin; Amir, Amnon; Larsen, Peter; Sangwan, Naseer; Haarmann, Daniel; Humphrey, Greg C; Ackermann, Gail; Thompson, Luke R; Lauber, Christian; Bibat, Alexander; Nicholas, Catherine; Gebert, Matthew J; Petrosino, Joseph F; Reed, Sasha C.; Gilbert, Jack A; Lynne, Aaron M; Bucheli, Sibyl R; Carter, David O; Knight, Rob

2016-01-01

Vertebrate corpse decomposition provides an important stage in nutrient cycling in most terrestrial habitats, yet microbially mediated processes are poorly understood. Here we combine deep microbial community characterization, community-level metabolic reconstruction, and soil biogeochemical assessment to understand the principles governing microbial community assembly during decomposition of mouse and human corpses on different soil substrates. We find a suite of bacterial and fungal groups that contribute to nitrogen cycling and a reproducible network of decomposers that emerge on predictable time scales. Our results show that this decomposer community is derived primarily from bulk soil, but key decomposers are ubiquitous in low abundance. Soil type was not a dominant factor driving community development, and the process of decomposition is sufficiently reproducible to offer new opportunities for forensic investigations.

Convergent evolution of modularity in metabolic networks through different community structures

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Zhou Wanding

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been reported that the modularity of metabolic networks of bacteria is closely related to the variability of their living habitats. However, given the dependency of the modularity score on the community structure, it remains unknown whether organisms achieve certain modularity via similar or different community structures. Results In this work, we studied the relationship between similarities in modularity scores and similarities in community structures of the metabolic networks of 1021 species. Both similarities are then compared against the genetic distances. We revisited the association between modularity and variability of the microbial living environments and extended the analysis to other aspects of their life style such as temperature and oxygen requirements. We also tested both topological and biological intuition of the community structures identified and investigated the extent of their conservation with respect to the taxomony. Conclusions We find that similar modularities are realized by different community structures. We find that such convergent evolution of modularity is closely associated with the number of (distinct enzymes in the organism’s metabolome, a consequence of different life styles of the species. We find that the order of modularity is the same as the order of the number of the enzymes under the classification based on the temperature preference but not on the oxygen requirement. Besides, inspection of modularity-based communities reveals that these communities are graph-theoretically meaningful yet not reflective of specific biological functions. From an evolutionary perspective, we find that the community structures are conserved only at the level of kingdoms. Our results call for more investigation into the interplay between evolution and modularity: how evolution shapes modularity, and how modularity affects evolution (mainly in terms of fitness and evolvability. Further, our results

Convergent evolution of modularity in metabolic networks through different community structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Wanding; Nakhleh, Luay

2012-09-14

It has been reported that the modularity of metabolic networks of bacteria is closely related to the variability of their living habitats. However, given the dependency of the modularity score on the community structure, it remains unknown whether organisms achieve certain modularity via similar or different community structures. In this work, we studied the relationship between similarities in modularity scores and similarities in community structures of the metabolic networks of 1021 species. Both similarities are then compared against the genetic distances. We revisited the association between modularity and variability of the microbial living environments and extended the analysis to other aspects of their life style such as temperature and oxygen requirements. We also tested both topological and biological intuition of the community structures identified and investigated the extent of their conservation with respect to the taxonomy. We find that similar modularities are realized by different community structures. We find that such convergent evolution of modularity is closely associated with the number of (distinct) enzymes in the organism's metabolome, a consequence of different life styles of the species. We find that the order of modularity is the same as the order of the number of the enzymes under the classification based on the temperature preference but not on the oxygen requirement. Besides, inspection of modularity-based communities reveals that these communities are graph-theoretically meaningful yet not reflective of specific biological functions. From an evolutionary perspective, we find that the community structures are conserved only at the level of kingdoms. Our results call for more investigation into the interplay between evolution and modularity: how evolution shapes modularity, and how modularity affects evolution (mainly in terms of fitness and evolvability). Further, our results call for exploring new measures of modularity and network

Comparing Metabolic Functionalities, Community Structures, and Dynamics of Herbicide-Degrading Communities Cultivated with Different Substrate Concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gözdereliler, Erkin; Boon, Nico; Aamand, Jens

2013-01-01

Two 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA)-degrading enrichment cultures selected from an aquifer on low (0.1 mg liter−1) or high (25 mg liter−1) MCPA concentrations were compared in terms of metabolic activity, community composition, population growth, and single cell physiology. Different...... community compositions and major shifts in community structure following exposure to different MCPA concentrations were observed using both 16S rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting and pyrosequencing. The communities also differed in their MCPA-mineralizing activities...... activity in cultures selected on low herbicide concentrations. This suggests that LNA bacteria may play a role in degradation of low herbicide concentrations in aquifers impacted by agriculture. This study shows that subpopulations of herbicide-degrading bacteria that are adapted to different pesticide...

Detection of Metabolism Function of Microbial Community of Corpses by Biolog-Eco Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, X Y; Wang, J F; Zhu, G H; Ma, M Y; Lai, Y; Zhou, H

2016-06-01

To detect the changes of microbial community functional diversity of corpses with different postmortem interval （PMI） and to evaluate forensic application value for estimating PMI. The cultivation of microbial community from the anal swabs of a Sus scrofa and a human corpse placed in field environment from 0 to 240 h after death was performed using the Biolog-Eco Microplate and the variations of the absorbance values were also monitored. Combined with the technology of forensic pathology and flies succession, the metabolic characteristics and changes of microbial community on the decomposed corpse under natural environment were also observed. The diversity of microbial metabolism function was found to be negatively correlated with the number of maggots in the corpses. The freezing processing had the greatest impact on average well color development value at 0 h and the impact almost disappeared after 48 h. The diversity of microbial metabolism of the samples became relatively unstable after 192 h. The principal component analysis showed that 31 carbon sources could be consolidated for 5 principal components （accumulative contribution ratio >90%）.The carbon source tsquare-analysis showed that N -acetyl- D -glucosamine and L -serine were the dominant carbon sources for estimating the PMI （0=240 h） of the Sus scrofa and human corpse. The Biolog-Eco method can be used to reveal the metabolic differences of the carbon resources utilization of the microbial community on the corpses during 0-240 h after death, which could provide a new basis for estimating the PMI. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

Dynamics of Panax ginseng Rhizospheric Soil Microbial Community and Their Metabolic Function

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Yong Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The bacterial communities of 1- to 6-year ginseng rhizosphere soils were characterized by culture-independent approaches, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD, and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA. Culture-dependent method (Biolog was used to investigate the metabolic function variance of microbe living in rhizosphere soil. Results showed that significant genetic and metabolic function variance were detected among soils, and, with the increasing of cultivating years, genetic diversity of bacterial communities in ginseng rhizosphere soil tended to be decreased. Also we found that Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominants in rhizosphere soils, but, with the increasing of cultivating years, plant disease prevention or plant growth promoting bacteria, such as Pseudomonas, Burkholderia, and Bacillus, tended to be rare.

Net Community Metabolism and Seawater Carbonate Chemistry Scale Non-intuitively with Coral Cover

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Heather N. Page

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Coral cover and reef health have been declining globally as reefs face local and global stressors including higher temperature and ocean acidification (OA. Ocean warming and acidification will alter rates of benthic reef metabolism (i.e., primary production, respiration, calcification, and CaCO3 dissolution, but our understanding of community and ecosystem level responses is limited in terms of functional, spatial, and temporal scales. Furthermore, dramatic changes in coral cover and benthic metabolism could alter seawater carbonate chemistry on coral reefs, locally alleviating or exacerbating OA. This study examines how benthic metabolic rates scale with changing coral cover (0–100%, and the subsequent influence of these coral communities on seawater carbonate chemistry based on mesocosm experiments in Bermuda and Hawaii. In Bermuda, no significant differences in benthic metabolism or seawater carbonate chemistry were observed for low (40% and high (80% coral cover due to large variability within treatments. In contrast, significant differences were detected between treatments in Hawaii with benthic metabolic rates increasing with increasing coral cover. Observed increases in daily net community calcification and nighttime net respiration scaled proportionally with coral cover. This was not true for daytime net community organic carbon production rates, which increased the most between 0 and 20% coral cover and then less so between 20 and 100%. Consequently, diel variability in seawater carbonate chemistry increased with increasing coral cover, but absolute values of pH, Ωa, and pCO2 were not significantly different during daytime. To place the results of the mesocosm experiments into a broader context, in situ seawater carbon dioxide (CO2 at three reef sites in Bermuda and Hawaii were also evaluated; reefs with higher coral cover experienced a greater range of diel CO2 levels, complementing the mesocosm results. The results from this study

Characterizing Urban Household Waste Generation and Metabolism Considering Community Stratification in a Rapid Urbanizing Area of China.

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Xiao, Lishan; Lin, Tao; Chen, Shaohua; Zhang, Guoqin; Ye, Zhilong; Yu, Zhaowu

2015-01-01

The relationship between social stratification and municipal solid waste generation remains uncertain under current rapid urbanization. Based on a multi-object spatial sampling technique, we selected 191 households in a rapidly urbanizing area of Xiamen, China. The selected communities were classified into three types: work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities in the context of housing policy reform in China. Field survey data were used to characterize household waste generation patterns considering community stratification. Our results revealed a disparity in waste generation profiles among different households. The three community types differed with respect to family income, living area, religious affiliation, and homeowner occupation. Income, family structure, and lifestyle caused significant differences in waste generation among work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities, respectively. Urban waste generation patterns are expected to evolve due to accelerating urbanization and associated community transition. A multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach was applied to waste metabolism linking it to particular socioeconomic conditions that influence material flows and their evolution. Waste metabolism, both pace and density, was highest for family structure driven patterns, followed by lifestyle and income driven. The results will guide community-specific management policies in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Metabolic biomarkers in community obese children: effect of obstructive sleep apnea and its treatment.

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Alonso-Álvarez, María Luz; Terán-Santos, Joaquin; Gonzalez Martinez, Mónica; Cordero-Guevara, José Aurelio; Jurado-Luque, María José; Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime; Duran-Cantolla, Joaquin; Ordax Carbajo, Estrella; MasaJimenez, Fernando; Kheirandish-Gozal, Leila; Gozal, David

2017-09-01

Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea in children have been associated with metabolic morbidities. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of metabolic alterations among obese children recruited from the community, with and without obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), and the impact of treatment of OSAS on metabolic profiles. A cross-sectional, prospective, multicenter study of Spanish children aged 3-14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile for age and sex were randomly selected in the first phase. Four groups emerged for follow-up: (1) no treatment; (2) dietary intervention; (3) surgical treatment of OSA; and (4) continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of OSA. Fasting blood tests were performed at baseline (T0) and approximately one year after the intervention (T1). A total of 113 obese children with a mean age of 11.3 ± 2.9 years completed T0 and T1 assessments. Their mean BMI z-score at T1 was 1.34 ± 0.59, and mean Respiratory Disturbance Index was 8.6 ± 13.0 at T0 and 3.3 ± 4.0/hour total sleep time at T1. Only glucose fasting levels differed among metabolic parameters in obese children with OSAS and without OSAS at baseline (T0) (p = 0.018). There were statistically significant differences between surgically treated OSAS (p = 0.002), and CPAP-treated OSAS (p = 0.024) versus the non-OSAS group in the glucose levels between baseline (T0) and follow-up (T1) after controlling for age and change in BMI. Significant univariate associations between BMI and C-reactive protein, insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance emerged at both T0 and T1. Concurrent obesity and OSAS could promote metabolic and inflammatory alterations, and the latter appeared to be sensitive to OSAS treatment outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01322763. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitrification-driven forms of nitrogen metabolism in microbial mat communities thriving along an ammonium-enriched subsurface geothermal stream

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Nishizawa, Manabu; Koba, Keisuke; Makabe, Akiko; Yoshida, Naohiro; Kaneko, Masanori; Hirao, Shingo; Ishibashi, Jun-ichiro; Yamanaka, Toshiro; Shibuya, Takazo; Kikuchi, Tohru; Hirai, Miho; Miyazaki, Junichi; Nunoura, Takuro; Takai, Ken

2013-07-01

We report here the concurrence and interaction among forms of nitrogen metabolism in thermophilic microbial mat communities that developed in an ammonium-abundant subsurface geothermal stream. First, the physical and chemical conditions of the stream water at several representative microbial mat habitats (including upper, middle and downstream sites) were characterized. A thermodynamic calculation using these physical and chemical conditions predicted that nitrification consisting of ammonia and nitrite oxidations would provide one of the largest energy yields of chemolithotrophic metabolisms. Second, near-complete prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene clone analysis was conducted for representative microbial mat communities at the upper, middle and downstream sites. The results indicated a dynamic shift in the 16S rRNA gene phylotype composition through physical and chemical variations of the stream water. The predominant prokaryotic components varied from phylotypes related to hydrogeno (H2)- and thio (S)-trophic Aquificales, thermophilic methanotrophs and putative ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) located upstream (72 °C) to the phylotypes affiliated with putative AOA and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) located at the middle and downstream sites (65 and 57 °C, respectively). In addition, the potential in situ metabolic activities of different forms of nitrogen metabolism were estimated through laboratory experiments using bulk microbial mat communities. Finally, the compositional and isotopic variation in nitrogen compounds was investigated in the stream water flowing over the microbial mats and in the interstitial water inside the mats. Although the stream water was characterized by a gradual decrease in the total ammonia concentration (ΣNH3: the sum of ammonia and ammonium concentrations) and a gradual increase in the total concentration of nitrite and nitrate (NO2- + NO3-), the total inorganic nitrogen concentration (TIN: the sum of ΣNH3, NO2- and NO3- concentrations

Assessment of community led total sanitation uptake in rural Kenya ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an innovative community led drive to set up pit latrines in rural Kenya with an aim of promoting sustainable sanitation through behaviour change. It's a behaviour change approach based on social capital that triggers households to build pit latrines without subsidy.

[Metabolic syndrome in adults from 20 to 40 years old in a rural Mexican community].

Science.gov (United States)

Echavarría-Pinto, Mauro; Hernández-Lomelí, Adrián; Alcocer-Gamba, Marco Antonio; Morales-Flores, Héctor; Vázquez-Mellado, Alberto

2006-01-01

Metabolic syndrome is the main health problem in Mexico. Its two principal complications (ischemic cardiopathy and type-2 diabetes) are the two main causes of death in Mexico since 2000. To describe the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in adults from 20 to 40 years old in a Mexican rural community (Senegal de Palomas, San Juan del Río, Querétaro) using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP III) definition. A descriptive study with a random sample was carried out. We present a univariate analysis with a 95% confidence interval. 73 cases were studied. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 45.2% slightly higher in men (48.4%) than in women (42.8%). The prevalence of hypertension was 27.3%. The prevalence of obesity was 26.1% using the definition of the WHO and this prevalence rises up to 49.4% using the definition of the Mexican Official Norm. 90.5% of women and 93.5% of men had low HDLc. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults from 20 to 40 years old in this Mexican rural community is much higher than the national mean for the same age cohort. The results show the necessity to increase the research of our rural communities in order to identify the possible causes to this problem and to create therapeutic programs for patients with metabolic syndrome.

Characterizing Urban Household Waste Generation and Metabolism Considering Community Stratification in a Rapid Urbanizing Area of China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lishan Xiao

Full Text Available The relationship between social stratification and municipal solid waste generation remains uncertain under current rapid urbanization. Based on a multi-object spatial sampling technique, we selected 191 households in a rapidly urbanizing area of Xiamen, China. The selected communities were classified into three types: work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities in the context of housing policy reform in China. Field survey data were used to characterize household waste generation patterns considering community stratification. Our results revealed a disparity in waste generation profiles among different households. The three community types differed with respect to family income, living area, religious affiliation, and homeowner occupation. Income, family structure, and lifestyle caused significant differences in waste generation among work-unit, transitional, and commercial communities, respectively. Urban waste generation patterns are expected to evolve due to accelerating urbanization and associated community transition. A multi-scale integrated analysis of societal and ecosystem metabolism approach was applied to waste metabolism linking it to particular socioeconomic conditions that influence material flows and their evolution. Waste metabolism, both pace and density, was highest for family structure driven patterns, followed by lifestyle and income driven. The results will guide community-specific management policies in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Metabolic Syndrome and 16-year Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Science.gov (United States)

McEvoy, Linda K.; Laughlin, Gail A.; Barrett-Connor, Elizabeth; Bergstrom, Jaclyn; Kritz-Silverstein, Donna; Der-Martirosian, Claudia; von Mühlen, Denise

2012-01-01

PURPOSE To determine whether metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS Longitudinal study of 993 adults (mean 66.8 ± 8.7 years) from the Rancho Bernardo Study. Metabolic syndrome components, defined by 2001 NCEP-ATP III criteria, were measured in 1984–87. Cognitive function was first assessed in 1988–92. Cognitive assessments were repeated approximately every four years, for a maximum 16-year follow-up. Mixed-effects models examined longitudinal rate of cognitive decline by metabolic syndrome status, controlling for factors plausibly associated with cognitive function (diabetes, inflammation). RESULTS Metabolic syndrome was more common in men than women (14% vs. 9%, p=0.01). In women, metabolic syndrome was associated with greater executive function and long term memory decline. These associations did not differ by inflammatory biomarker levels. Diabetes did not alter the association of metabolic syndrome with long-term recall but modified the association with executive function: metabolic syndrome was associated with accelerated executive function decline in diabetic women only. Metabolic syndrome was not related to rate of decline on any cognitive measure in men. CONCLUSIONS Metabolic syndrome was a risk factor for accelerated cognitive decline, but only in women. Prevention of metabolic syndrome may aid in maintenance of cognitive function with age. PMID:22285865

Joint association of physical activity in leisure and total sitting time with metabolic syndrome amongst 15,235 Danish adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Christina Bjørk; Nielsen, Asser Jon; Bauman, Adrian

2014-01-01

and total daily sitting time were assessed by self-report in 15,235 men and women in the Danish Health Examination Survey 2007-2008. Associations between leisure time physical activity, total sitting time and metabolic syndrome were investigated in logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Adjusted odds ratios......BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggest that physical inactivity as well as sitting time are associated with metabolic syndrome. Our aim was to examine joint associations of leisure time physical activity and total daily sitting time with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Leisure time physical activity...... (OR) for metabolic syndrome were 2.14 (95% CI: 1.88-2.43) amongst participants who were inactive in leisure time compared to the most active, and 1.42 (95% CI: 1.26-1.61) amongst those who sat for ≥10h/day compared to physical activity, sitting time...

Characterization of the microbial community composition and the distribution of Fe-metabolizing bacteria in a creek contaminated by acid mine drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Weimin; Xiao, Enzong; Krumins, Valdis; Dong, Yiran; Xiao, Tangfu; Ning, Zengping; Chen, Haiyan; Xiao, Qingxiang

2016-10-01

A small watershed heavily contaminated by long-term acid mine drainage (AMD) from an upstream abandoned coal mine was selected to study the microbial community developed in such extreme system. The watershed consists of AMD-contaminated creek, adjacent contaminated soils, and a small cascade aeration unit constructed downstream, which provide an excellent contaminated site to study the microbial response in diverse extreme AMD-polluted environments. The results showed that the innate microbial communities were dominated by acidophilic bacteria, especially acidophilic Fe-metabolizing bacteria, suggesting that Fe and pH are the primary environmental factors in governing the indigenous microbial communities. The distribution of Fe-metabolizing bacteria showed distinct site-specific patterns. A pronounced shift from diverse communities in the upstream to Proteobacteria-dominated communities in the downstream was observed in the ecosystem. This location-specific trend was more apparent at genus level. In the upstream samples (sampling sites just below the coal mining adit), a number of Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria such as Alicyclobacillus spp., Metallibacterium spp., and Acidithrix spp. were dominant, while Halomonas spp. were the major Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria observed in downstream samples. Additionally, Acidiphilium, an Fe(III)-reducing bacterium, was enriched in the upstream samples, while Shewanella spp. were the dominant Fe(III)-reducing bacteria in downstream samples. Further investigation using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering confirmed the difference of microbial communities between upstream and downstream samples. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and Spearman's rank correlation indicate that total organic carbon (TOC) content is the primary environmental parameter in structuring the indigenous microbial communities

Functional Gene Diversity and Metabolic Potential of the Microbial Community in an Estuary-Shelf Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Wang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Microbes play crucial roles in various biogeochemical processes in the ocean, including carbon (C, nitrogen (N, and phosphorus (P cycling. Functional gene diversity and the structure of the microbial community determines its metabolic potential and therefore its ecological function in the marine ecosystem. However, little is known about the functional gene composition and metabolic potential of bacterioplankton in estuary areas. The East China Sea (ECS is a dynamic marginal ecosystem in the western Pacific Ocean that is mainly affected by input from the Changjiang River and the Kuroshio Current. Here, using a high-throughput functional gene microarray (GeoChip, we analyzed the functional gene diversity, composition, structure, and metabolic potential of microbial assemblages in different ECS water masses. Four water masses determined by temperature and salinity relationship showed different patterns of functional gene diversity and composition. Generally, functional gene diversity [Shannon–Weaner’s H and reciprocal of Simpson’s 1/(1-D] in the surface water masses was higher than that in the bottom water masses. The different presence and proportion of functional genes involved in C, N, and P cycling among the bacteria of the different water masses showed different metabolic preferences of the microbial populations in the ECS. Genes involved in starch metabolism (amyA and nplT showed higher proportion in microbial communities of the surface water masses than of the bottom water masses. In contrast, a higher proportion of genes involved in chitin degradation was observed in microorganisms of the bottom water masses. Moreover, we found a higher proportion of nitrogen fixation (nifH, transformation of hydroxylamine to nitrite (hao and ammonification (gdh genes in the microbial communities of the bottom water masses compared with those of the surface water masses. The spatial variation of microbial functional genes was significantly correlated

Unusual metabolic diversity of hyperalkaliphilic microbial communities associated with subterranean serpentinization at The Cedars.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Shino; Ishii, Shun'ichi; Hoshino, Tatsuhiko; Rietze, Amanda; Tenney, Aaron; Morrill, Penny L; Inagaki, Fumio; Kuenen, J Gijs; Nealson, Kenneth H

2017-11-01

Water from The Cedars springs that discharge from serpentinized ultramafic rocks feature highly basic (pH=~12), highly reducing (E h serpentinizing system, was dominated by several bacterial taxa from the phyla OD1 ('Parcubacteria') and Chloroflexi. Members of the GPS1 community had, for the most part, the smallest genomes reported for their respective taxa, and encoded only archaeal (A-type) ATP synthases or no ATP synthases at all. Furthermore, none of the members encoded respiration-related genes and some of the members also did not encode key biosynthesis-related genes. In contrast, BS5, fed by shallow water, appears to have a community driven by hydrogen metabolism and was dominated by a diverse group of Proteobacteria similar to those seen in many terrestrial serpentinization sites. Our findings indicated that the harsh ultrabasic geological setting supported unexpectedly diverse microbial metabolic strategies and that the deep-water-fed springs supported a community that was remarkable in its unusual metagenomic and genomic constitution.

Coupling Spatiotemporal Community Assembly Processes to Changes in Microbial Metabolism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graham, Emily B.; Crump, Alex R.; Resch, Charles T.; Fansler, Sarah; Arntzen, Evan; Kennedy, David W.; Fredrickson, Jim K.; Stegen, James C.

2016-12-16

Community assembly processes govern shifts in species abundances in response to environmental change, yet our understanding of assembly remains largely decoupled from ecosystem function. Here, we test hypotheses regarding assembly and function across space and time using hyporheic microbial communities as a model system. We pair sampling of two habitat types through hydrologic fluctuation with null modeling and multivariate statistics. We demonstrate that dual selective pressures assimilate to generate compositional changes at distinct timescales among habitat types, resulting in contrasting associations of Betaproteobacteria and Thaumarchaeota with selection and with seasonal changes in aerobic metabolism. Our results culminate in a conceptual model in which selection from contrasting environments regulates taxon abundance and ecosystem function through time, with increases in function when oscillating selection opposes stable selective pressures. Our model is applicable within both macrobial and microbial ecology and presents an avenue for assimilating community assembly processes into predictions of ecosystem function.

Community metabolism and air-sea CO[sub 2] fluxes in a coral reef ecosystem (Moorea, French Polynesia)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gattuso, J P; Pichon, M; Delesalle, B; Frankignoulle, M [Observatory of European Oceanology (Monaco)

1993-06-01

Community metabolism (primary production, respiration and calcification) and air-sea CO[sub 2] fluxes of the 'Tiahura barrier reef' (Moorea, French Polynesia) were investigated in November and December 1991. Gross production and respiration were respectively 640.2 to 753 and 590.4 to 641.5 mmol (O[sub 2] or CO[sub 2]) m[sup 2] d[sup -1] (7.7 to 9.0 and 7.1 to 7.7 g C m)[sup 2] d[sup -1] and the reef displayed a slightly negative excess (net) production. The contribution of planktonic primary production to reef metabolism was negligible (0.15% of total gross production). Net calcification was positive both during the day and at night; its daily value was 243 mmol CaCO[sub 3] m[sup 2] d[sup -1] (24.3 g CaCO)[sub 3] m[sup -2] d[sup -1]. Reef metabolism decreased seawater total CO[sub 2] by 433.3 mmol m[sup 2] d[sup -1]. The air-sea CO[sub 2] fluxes were close to zero in the ocean but displayed a strong daily pattern at the reef front and the back reef. Fluxes were positive (CO[sub 2] evasion) at night, decreased as irradiance increased and were negative during the day (CO[sub 2] invasion). Integration of the fluxes measured during a 24 h experiment at the back reef showed that the reef was a source of CO[sub 2] to the atmosphere (1.5 mmol m[sup 2] d[sup -1]).

Total thyroidectomy: a clue to understanding the metabolic changes induced by subclinical hyperthyroidism?

Science.gov (United States)

Bel Lassen, Pierre; Kyrilli, Aglaia; Lytrivi, Maria; Ruiz Patino, Maria; Corvilain, Bernard

2017-02-01

The effects of endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism (eSCH) on heart and bone have been well documented. There are only limited data available regarding the impact of eSCH on weight regulation and lipid metabolism. Our aim was to evaluate the changes in body weight and metabolic parameters after total thyroidectomy in patients with pre-operative eSCH compared with pre-operative patients with euthyroid (EUT). A retrospective study of 505 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for benign multinodular goitre in an academic hospital in Brussels (Belgium) was performed. Two hundred and 25 patients were included (eSCH group: n = 74; EUT group: n = 151). The mean follow-up time was 26·1 ± 0·8 months and was similar in both groups. Absolute BMI gain was significantly greater in the eSCH group than in the EUT group (1·11 ± 0·17 vs 0·33 ± 0·13 kg/m 2 ; P = 0·003). A significant increase in LDL cholesterol was observed in the eSCH group (16·1 ± 3·8 mg/dl; P effect of eSCH on body weight regulation and lipid metabolism. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differential sensitivity of total and active soil microbial communities to drought and forest management.

Science.gov (United States)

Bastida, Felipe; Torres, Irene F; Andrés-Abellán, Manuela; Baldrian, Petr; López-Mondéjar, Rubén; Větrovský, Tomáš; Richnow, Hans H; Starke, Robert; Ondoño, Sara; García, Carlos; López-Serrano, Francisco R; Jehmlich, Nico

2017-10-01

Climate change will affect semiarid ecosystems through severe droughts that increase the competition for resources in plant and microbial communities. In these habitats, adaptations to climate change may consist of thinning-that reduces competition for resources through a decrease in tree density and the promotion of plant survival. We deciphered the functional and phylogenetic responses of the microbial community to 6 years of drought induced by rainfall exclusion and how forest management affects its resistance to drought, in a semiarid forest ecosystem dominated by Pinus halepensis Mill. A multiOMIC approach was applied to reveal novel, community-based strategies in the face of climate change. The diversity and the composition of the total and active soil microbiome were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene (bacteria) and ITS (fungal) sequencing, and by metaproteomics. The microbial biomass was analyzed by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), and the microbially mediated ecosystem multifunctionality was studied by the integration of soil enzyme activities related to the cycles of C, N, and P. The microbial biomass and ecosystem multifunctionality decreased in drought-plots, as a consequence of the lower soil moisture and poorer plant development, but this decrease was more notable in unthinned plots. The structure and diversity of the total bacterial community was unaffected by drought at phylum and order level, but did so at genus level, and was influenced by seasonality. However, the total fungal community and the active microbial community were more sensitive to drought and were related to ecosystem multifunctionality. Thinning in plots without drought increased the active diversity while the total diversity was not affected. Thinning promoted the resistance of ecosystem multifunctionality to drought through changes in the active microbial community. The integration of total and active microbiome analyses avoids misinterpretations of the links between the soil microbial

Metabolic syndrome correlates poorly with cognitive performance in stroke-free community-dwelling older adults: a population-based, cross-sectional study in rural Ecuador.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Brutto, Oscar H; Mera, Robertino M; Zambrano, Mauricio

2016-04-01

Studies investigating a possible correlation between metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline have been inconsistent. To determine whether metabolic syndrome or each of its components correlate with cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults in rural Ecuador. Stroke-free Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door survey. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Cognition was evaluated by the use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Multivariate logistic regression models estimated the association between metabolic syndrome and each of its components with cognitive performance. A total of 212 persons (mean age: 69.2 ± 7.2 years, 64 % women) were enrolled. Of these, 120 (57 %) had metabolic syndrome. Mean scores in the MoCA were 18.2 ± 4.6 for persons with and 19 ± 4.7 for those without metabolic syndrome. In fully adjusted logistic models, MoCA scores were not associated with metabolic syndrome (p = 0.101). After testing individual components of metabolic syndrome with the MoCA score, we found that only hypertriglyceridemia was independently associated with the MoCA score (p = 0.009). This population-based study showed a poor correlation of metabolic syndrome with cognitive performance after adjusting for relevant confounders. Of the individual components of metabolic syndrome, only hypertriglyceridemia correlated with worse cognitive performance.

Mechanistic links between gut microbial community dynamics, microbial functions and metabolic health

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Connie WY; Lam, Yan Y; Holmes, Andrew J

2014-01-01

Gut microbes comprise a high density, biologically active community that lies at the interface of an animal with its nutritional environment. Consequently their activity profoundly influences many aspects of the physiology and metabolism of the host animal. A range of microbial structural components and metabolites directly interact with host intestinal cells and tissues to influence nutrient uptake and epithelial health. Endocrine, neuronal and lymphoid cells in the gut also integrate signals from these microbial factors to influence systemic responses. Dysregulation of these host-microbe interactions is now recognised as a major risk factor in the development of metabolic dysfunction. This is a two-way process and understanding the factors that tip host-microbiome homeostasis over to dysbiosis requires greater appreciation of the host feedbacks that contribute to regulation of microbial community composition. To date, numerous studies have employed taxonomic profiling approaches to explore the links between microbial composition and host outcomes (especially obesity and its comorbidities), but inconsistent host-microbe associations have been reported. Available data indicates multiple factors have contributed to discrepancies between studies. These include the high level of functional redundancy in host-microbiome interactions combined with individual variation in microbiome composition; differences in study design, diet composition and host system between studies; and inherent limitations to the resolution of rRNA-based community profiling. Accounting for these factors allows for recognition of the common microbial and host factors driving community composition and development of dysbiosis on high fat diets. New therapeutic intervention options are now emerging. PMID:25469018

Effects of total solar eclipse on the behavioural and metabolic activities of tropical intertidal animals

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Parulekar, A.H.; Ansari, Z.A.; Verlecar, X.N.; Harkantra, S.N.

To study the effects of total solar eclipse of 16th Feb. 1980, on the behaviour and metabolic activities of intertidal invertebrates - nematodes, gastropods and bivalves - having different habitat preference a set of relevant observations, covering...

The effect of alterations in total coenzyme A on metabolic pathways in the liver and heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlosser, C.A.S.

1989-01-01

The first set of experiments involved in vitro experiments using primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. A range of conditions were developed which resulted in cell cultures with variations in total CoA over a range of 1.3 to 2.9 nmol/mg protein with identical hormonal activation which simulated metabolic stress. Elevations of total CoA levels above that of controls due to preincubation with cyanamide plus pantothenate were correlated with diminished rates of total ketone body production, 3-hydroxybutyrate production and ratios of 3 hydroxybutyrate/acetoactetate with palmitate as substrate. In contrast, cells with elevated total CoA levels had higher rates of [ 14 C] CO 2 production from radioactive palmitate which implied greater flux of acetyl CoA units into the TCA cycle and less to the pathway of ketogenesis. The second set of experiments were designed to alter total CoA levels in vivo by maintaining rats on a chronic ethanol diet with or without pantothenate-supplementation. The effect of alterations of CoA on mitochondrial metabolism was evaluated by measuring substrate oxidation rates in liver and heat mitochondria as well as ketone body production with palmitoyl-1-carnitine as substrate

Overlapping communities from dense disjoint and high total degree clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hongli; Gao, Yang; Zhang, Yue

2018-04-01

Community plays an important role in the field of sociology, biology and especially in domains of computer science, where systems are often represented as networks. And community detection is of great importance in the domains. A community is a dense subgraph of the whole graph with more links between its members than between its members to the outside nodes, and nodes in the same community probably share common properties or play similar roles in the graph. Communities overlap when nodes in a graph belong to multiple communities. A vast variety of overlapping community detection methods have been proposed in the literature, and the local expansion method is one of the most successful techniques dealing with large networks. The paper presents a density-based seeding method, in which dense disjoint local clusters are searched and selected as seeds. The proposed method selects a seed by the total degree and density of local clusters utilizing merely local structures of the network. Furthermore, this paper proposes a novel community refining phase via minimizing the conductance of each community, through which the quality of identified communities is largely improved in linear time. Experimental results in synthetic networks show that the proposed seeding method outperforms other seeding methods in the state of the art and the proposed refining method largely enhances the quality of the identified communities. Experimental results in real graphs with ground-truth communities show that the proposed approach outperforms other state of the art overlapping community detection algorithms, in particular, it is more than two orders of magnitude faster than the existing global algorithms with higher quality, and it obtains much more accurate community structure than the current local algorithms without any priori information.

Thermodynamics of the living organisms. Allometric relationship between the total metabolic energy, chemical energy and body temperature in mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Atanasov, Atanas Todorov

2017-11-01

The study present relationship between the total metabolic energy (ETME(c), J) derived as a function of body chemical energy (Gchem, J) and absolute temperature (Tb, K) in mammals: ETME(c) =Gchem (Tb/Tn). In formula the temperature Tn =2.73K appears normalization temperature. The calculated total metabolic energy ETME(c) differs negligible from the total metabolic energy ETME(J), received as a product between the basal metabolic rate (Pm, J/s) and the lifespan (Tls, s) of mammals: ETME = Pm×Tls. The physical nature and biological mean of the normalization temperature (Tn, K) is unclear. It is made the hypothesis that the kTn energy (where k= 1.3806×10-23 J/K -Boltzmann constant) presents energy of excitation states (modes) in biomolecules and body structures that could be in equilibrium with chemical energy accumulated in body. This means that the accumulated chemical energy allows trough all body molecules and structures to propagate excitations states with kTn energy with wavelength in the rage of width of biological membranes. The accumulated in biomolecules chemical energy maintains spread of the excited states through biomolecules without loss of energy.

The 24-month metabolic benefits of the healthy living partnerships to prevent diabetes: A community-based translational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedley, Carolyn F; Case, L Douglas; Blackwell, Caroline S; Katula, Jeffrey A; Vitolins, Mara Z

2018-05-01

Large-scale clinical trials and translational studies have demonstrated that weight loss achieved through diet and physical activity reduced the development of diabetes in overweight individuals with prediabetes. These interventions also reduced the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and risk factors linked to other chronic conditions including obesity-driven cancers and cardiovascular disease. The Healthy Living Partnerships to Prevent Diabetes (HELP PD) was a clinical trial in which participants were randomized to receive a community-based lifestyle intervention translated from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) or an enhanced usual care condition. The objective of this study is to compare the 12 and 24 month prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the two treatment arms of HELP PD. The intervention involved a group-based, behavioral weight-loss program led by community health workers monitored by personnel from a local diabetes education program. The enhanced usual care condition included dietary counseling and written materials. HELP PD included 301 overweight or obese participants (BMI 25-39.9kg/m 2 ) with elevated fasting glucose levels (95-125mg/dl). At 12 and 24 months of follow-up there were significant improvements in individual components of the metabolic syndrome: fasting blood glucose, waist circumference, HDL, triglycerides and blood pressure and the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome in the intervention group compared to the usual care group. This study demonstrates that a community diabetes prevention program in participants with prediabetes results in metabolic benefits and a reduction in the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome in the intervention group compared to the enhanced usual care group. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Paul L; Al-Khalidi, Hussein R; Friedman, Daniel J; Mulder, Hillary; Kucharska-Newton, Anna; Rosamond, Wayne R; Lopes, Renato D; Gersh, Bernard J; Mark, Daniel B; Curtis, Lesley H; Post, Wendy S; Prineas, Ronald J; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Al-Khatib, Sana M

2017-08-23

Prior studies have demonstrated a link between the metabolic syndrome and increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Whether the metabolic syndrome is associated with sudden cardiac death is uncertain. We characterized the relationship between sudden cardiac death and metabolic syndrome status among participants of the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study (1987-2012) free of prevalent coronary heart disease or heart failure. Among 13 168 participants, 357 (2.7%) sudden cardiac deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 23.6 years. Participants with the metabolic syndrome (n=4444) had a higher cumulative incidence of sudden cardiac death than those without it (n=8724) (4.1% versus 2.3%, P metabolic syndrome, the metabolic syndrome was independently associated with sudden cardiac death (hazard ratio, 1.70, 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.12, P metabolic syndrome criteria components. The risk of sudden cardiac death varied according to the number of metabolic syndrome components (hazard ratio 1.31 per additional component of the metabolic syndrome, 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.44, P metabolic syndrome was associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death irrespective of sex or race. The risk of sudden cardiac death was proportional to the number of metabolic syndrome components. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Comparison between cultivated and total bacterial communities associated with Cucurbita pepo using cultivation-dependent techniques and 454 pyrosequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Eevers, N; Beckers, B; Op de Beeck, M; White, J C; Vangronsveld, J; Weyens, N

2016-02-01

Endophytic bacteria often have beneficial effects on their host plants that can be exploited for bioremediation applications but, according to the literature, only 0.001-1% of all endophytic microbes should be cultivable. This study compared the cultivated endophytic communities of the roots and shoots of Cucurbita pepo with the total endophytic communities as determined by cultivation-dependent techniques and 454 pyrosequencing. The ten most abundant taxa of the total communities aligned well with the cultivated taxa; however, the abundance of these taxa in the two communities differed greatly. Enterobacter showed very low presence in the total communities, whereas they were dominantly present in the cultivated communities. Although Rhizobium dominated in total root and shoot communities, it was poorly cultivable and even then only in growth media containing plant extract. Since endophytes likely contribute to plant-growth promotion, cultivated bacterial strains were tested for their plant-growth promoting capabilities, and the results were correlated with their abundance in the total community. Bacillus and Pseudomonas showed promising results when considering cultivability, abundance in the total community and plant-growth promoting capability. This study demonstrated that, although a limited number of bacterial genera were cultivable, current cultivation-dependent techniques may be sufficient for further isolation and inoculation experiments that aim to improve phytoremediation efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Drivers shaping the diversity and biogeography of total and active bacterial communities in the South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yao; Zhao, Zihao; Dai, Minhan; Jiao, Nianzhi; Herndl, Gerhard J

2014-01-01

To test the hypothesis that different drivers shape the diversity and biogeography of the total and active bacterial community, we examined the bacterial community composition along two transects, one from the inner Pearl River estuary to the open waters of the South China Sea (SCS) and the other from the Luzon Strait to the SCS basin, using 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene (V1-3 regions) and thereby characterizing the active and total bacterial community, respectively. The diversity and biogeographic patterns differed substantially between the active and total bacterial communities. Although the composition of both the total and active bacterial community was strongly correlated with environmental factors and weakly correlated with geographic distance, the active bacterial community displayed higher environmental sensitivity than the total community and particularly a greater distance effect largely caused by the active assemblage from deep waters. The 16S rRNA vs. rDNA relationships indicated that the active bacteria were low in relative abundance in the SCS. This might be due to a high competition between active bacterial taxa as indicated by our community network models. Based on these analyses, we speculate that high competition could cause some dispersal limitation of the active bacterial community resulting in a distinct distance-decay relationship. Altogether, our results indicated that the biogeographic distribution of bacteria in the SCS is the result of both environmental control and distance decay. PMID:24684298

Metagenomic analysis of an ecological wastewater treatment plant's microbial communities and their potential to metabolize pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Balcom, Ian N; Driscoll, Heather; Vincent, James; Leduc, Meagan

2016-01-01

Pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants have been detected in drinking water, groundwater, surface water, and soil around the world. Even in locations where wastewater treatment is required, they can be found in drinking water wells, municipal water supplies, and agricultural soils. It is clear conventional wastewater treatment technologies are not meeting the challenge of the mounting pressures on global freshwater supplies. Cost-effective ecological wastewater treatment technologies have been developed in response. To determine whether the removal of micropollutants in ecological wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is promoted by the plant-microbe interactions, as has been reported for other recalcitrant xenobiotics, biofilm microbial communities growing on the surfaces of plant roots were profiled by whole metagenome sequencing and compared to the microbial communities residing in the wastewater. In this study, the concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) were quantified in each treatment tank of the ecological WWTP treating human wastewater at a highway rest stop and visitor center in Vermont. The concentrations of detected PPCPs were substantially greater than values reported for conventional WWTPs likely due to onsite recirculation of wastewater. The greatest reductions in PPCPs concentrations were observed in the anoxic treatment tank where Bacilli dominated the biofilm community. Benzoate degradation was the most abundant xenobiotic metabolic category identified throughout the system. Collectively, the microbial communities residing in the wastewater were taxonomically and metabolically more diverse than the immersed plant root biofilm. However, greater heterogeneity and higher relative abundances of xenobiotic metabolism genes was observed for the root biofilm.

Metabolic syndrome in breast cancer survivors with high carbohydrate consumption: The first report in community setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Boyoung; Kong, Sun-Young; Lee, Eun Kyung; Lee, Moo Hyun; Lee, Eun Sook

2017-10-01

This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of and lifestyle factors associated with the metabolic syndrome in breast cancer survivors and to compare those factors with controls without cancer in a community setting. This study included 584 female breast cancer survivors ≥3 years after the initial diagnosis and 2336 age-matched cancer-free female controls from 39 community health examination centers located in 14 urban areas in Korea. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is shown. Factors associated with the metabolic syndrome were analyzed as odds ratios (ORs) in cancer survivors and controls; differences between the two groups in the ORs of associated factors were evaluated by calculating p-heterogeneity values. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in breast cancer survivors and age-matched controls were 26.8% and 26.9%, respectively. Higher percentage of caloric intake from carbohydrates was associated with increased metabolic syndrome only in the breast cancer survivors (OR for the highest vs. lowest quartile for survivors = 2.48 [95% CI = 1.20-5.14]; OR for controls = 1.11 [95% CI = 0.81-1.51]; P-heterogeneity = 0.046). Sweat-inducing exercise for ≥150 min/week was associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome only in controls (controls: OR = 0.72 [95% CI = 0.58-0.89]; survivors: OR = 0.88 [95% CI = 0.57-1.36]). Older age, higher body mass index, and a lower education level (≤12 years) was associated with an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in both groups. Our results suggest that, in regions with excess carbohydrate intake, the association of the metabolic syndrome with percentage of caloric intake from carbohydrate might be more prominent than exercise in breast cancer survivors, compared with general population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Metatranscriptomic analysis of diverse microbial communities reveals core metabolic pathways and microbiome-specific functionality.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yue; Xiong, Xuejian; Danska, Jayne; Parkinson, John

2016-01-12

Metatranscriptomics is emerging as a powerful technology for the functional characterization of complex microbial communities (microbiomes). Use of unbiased RNA-sequencing can reveal both the taxonomic composition and active biochemical functions of a complex microbial community. However, the lack of established reference genomes, computational tools and pipelines make analysis and interpretation of these datasets challenging. Systematic studies that compare data across microbiomes are needed to demonstrate the ability of such pipelines to deliver biologically meaningful insights on microbiome function. Here, we apply a standardized analytical pipeline to perform a comparative analysis of metatranscriptomic data from diverse microbial communities derived from mouse large intestine, cow rumen, kimchi culture, deep-sea thermal vent and permafrost. Sequence similarity searches allowed annotation of 19 to 76% of putative messenger RNA (mRNA) reads, with the highest frequency in the kimchi dataset due to its relatively low complexity and availability of closely related reference genomes. Metatranscriptomic datasets exhibited distinct taxonomic and functional signatures. From a metabolic perspective, we identified a common core of enzymes involved in amino acid, energy and nucleotide metabolism and also identified microbiome-specific pathways such as phosphonate metabolism (deep sea) and glycan degradation pathways (cow rumen). Integrating taxonomic and functional annotations within a novel visualization framework revealed the contribution of different taxa to metabolic pathways, allowing the identification of taxa that contribute unique functions. The application of a single, standard pipeline confirms that the rich taxonomic and functional diversity observed across microbiomes is not simply an artefact of different analysis pipelines but instead reflects distinct environmental influences. At the same time, our findings show how microbiome complexity and availability of

A prospective study of monitoring practices for metabolic disease in antipsychotic-treated community psychiatric patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Watkinson Helen MO

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients with severe mental illness are at increased risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disease. A number of recent guidelines and consensus statements recommend stringent monitoring of metabolic function in individuals receiving antipsychotic drugs. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 106 community-treated psychiatric patients from across the diagnostic spectrum from the Northeast of England to investigate changes in metabolic status and monitoring practices for metabolic and cardiovascular disease. We undertook detailed anthropometric and metabolic assessment at baseline and follow-up, and examined clinical notes and hospital laboratory records to ascertain monitoring practices. Results A high prevalence of undiagnosed and untreated metabolic disease was present at baseline assessment. Mean follow-up time was 599.3 (SD ± 235.4 days. Body mass index (p 50% of subjects had neither blood glucose nor lipids monitored during the follow-up period. Conclusion This cohort has a high prevalence of metabolic disease and heightened cardiovascular risk. Despite the publication of a number of recommendations regarding physical health screening in this population, monitoring rates are poor, and physical health worsened during the follow-up period.

Xenobiotic Metabolism and Gut Microbiomes.

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Anubhav Das

Full Text Available Humans are exposed to numerous xenobiotics, a majority of which are in the form of pharmaceuticals. Apart from human enzymes, recent studies have indicated the role of the gut bacterial community (microbiome in metabolizing xenobiotics. However, little is known about the contribution of the plethora of gut microbiome in xenobiotic metabolism. The present study reports the results of analyses on xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in various human gut microbiomes. A total of 397 available gut metagenomes from individuals of varying age groups from 8 nationalities were analyzed. Based on the diversities and abundances of the xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, various bacterial taxa were classified into three groups, namely, least versatile, intermediately versatile and highly versatile xenobiotic metabolizers. Most interestingly, specific relationships were observed between the overall drug consumption profile and the abundance and diversity of the xenobiotic metabolizing repertoire in various geographies. The obtained differential abundance patterns of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and bacterial genera harboring them, suggest their links to pharmacokinetic variations among individuals. Additional analyses of a few well studied classes of drug modifying enzymes (DMEs also indicate geographic as well as age specific trends.

Succession of the functional microbial communities and the metabolic functions in maize straw composting process.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Huawei; Wang, Liuhong; Hassan, Muhammad; Xie, Bing

2018-05-01

Illumina MiSeq sequencing and phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) were applied to study the dynamic changes and effects of microbial community structures as well as the metabolic function of bacterial community in maize straw composting process. Results showed that humic acid contents in loosely combined humus (HA1) and stably combined humus (HA2) increased after composting and Staphylococcus, Cellulosimicrobium and Ochrobactrum possibly participated in the transformation of the process. The bacterial communities differed in different stages of the composting. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were reported the dominant phyla throughout the process and the relative abundance of the dominant phyla varied significantly (p composting. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prognostic implications of total hemispheric glucose metabolism ratio in cerebro-cerebellar diaschisis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Segtnan, Eivind Antonsen; Grupe, Peter; Jarden, Jens Ole

2017-01-01

and 9 women aged 35-77 years) with 10 single scans from healthy controls aged 43-75 years. Dedicated 3D-segmentation software was used to obtain total hemispheric glucose metabolic ratios (THGr) by dividing total hemispheric (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in each diaschitic hemisphere, i.......e., the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere (THGr(Ce)) and the contralateral cerebellar hemisphere (THGr(Cb)), to its respective contralateral side. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine optimal cut-offs for combinations of THGr(Ce) and THGr(Cb). Two independent observers obtained...... data for reproducibility analysis, and THGr values were compared with qualitative assessment of diaschisis performed by a PET neuroimaging specialist. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis confirmed cerebro-cerebellar diaschisis in all glioblastoma PET studies performed within one year of death. Healthy...

Population-based family case-control proband study on familial aggregation of metabolic syndrome: finding from Taiwanese people involved in Keelung community-based integrated screening (KCIS no. 5).

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Yueh-Hsia; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Wang, Po-En; Chen, Yao-Der; Wang, Ting-Ting; Warwick, Jane; Chen, Tony Hsiu-Hsi

2007-03-01

A population-based case-control proband study was undertaken to elucidate familial aggregation, independent environmental factors, and the interaction between them. A total of 7308 metabolic syndrome (MET-S) cases were identified from the Keelung community-based integrated screening programme between 1999 and 2002. The study has a case-control/family sampling design. A total of 1417 case probands were randomly selected from 3225 metabolic syndrome cases and the corresponding 2458 controls selected from 16,519 subjects without metabolic syndrome by matching on sex, age (+/-3 years) and place of residence. The generalized estimation equation model was used to estimate odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. The risk for having metabolic syndrome among family members for cases versus control probands was 1.56-fold (1.29-1.89) after controlling for significant environmental factors. Higher risk of metabolic syndrome was found in parents than spouse. Low education against high education had 2.06-fold (1.36-3.13) risk for metabolic syndrome. Betel quid chewing was positively associated with the risk of MET-S, with 1.99-fold (1.13-3.53) risk for 1-9 pieces and 1.76-fold (0.96-3.23) risk for >or=10 pieces compared with non-chewer. Moderate and high intensity of non-occupational exercise led to 21.0% (OR=0.79 (0.63-0.98)) and 26.0% (OR=0.74 (0.59-0.94)) reduction in the risk for metabolic syndrome, respectively. The frequent consumption of vegetable reduced 24.0% (OR=0.76 (0.62-0.92)) risk for MET-S. The frequent consumption of coffee was associated the increased risk for metabolic syndrome (OR=1.32 (1.07-1.64)). The present study confirmed the risk of metabolic syndrome not only has the tendency towards familial aggregation but is affected by independent effect of environmental or individual correlates.

Temperature dependence of plankton community metabolism in the subtropical and tropical oceans

KAUST Repository

Garcia-Corral, Lara S.; Holding, Johnna M.; Carrillo-de-Albornoz, Paloma; Steckbauer, Alexandra; Pé rez-Lorenzo, Marí a; Navarro, Nuria; Serret, Pablo; Gasol, Josep M.; Moran, Xose Anxelu G.; Estrada, Marta; Fraile-Nuez, Eugenio; Bení tez-Barrios, Veró nica; Agusti, Susana; Duarte, Carlos M.

2017-01-01

Here we assess the temperature dependence of the metabolic rates (gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR), and the ratio GPP/CR) of oceanic plankton communities. We compile data from 133 stations of the Malaspina 2010 Expedition, distributed among the subtropical and tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. We used the in vitro technique to measured metabolic rates during 24 h incubations at three different sampled depths: surface, 20%, and 1% of the photosynthetically active radiation measured at surface. We also measured the % of ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) penetrating at surface waters. GPP and CR rates increased with warming, albeit different responses were observed for each sampled depth. The overall GPP/CR ratio declined with warming. Higher activation energies (E-a) were derived for both processes (GPP(Chla) = 0.97; CRChla = 1.26; CRHPA = 0.95 eV) compared to those previously reported. The Indian Ocean showed the highest E-a (GPP(Chla) = 1.70; CRChla = 1.48; CRHPA = 0.57 eV), while the Atlantic Ocean showed the lowest (GPP(Chla) = 0.86; CRChla = 0.77; CRHPA = -0.13 eV). We believe that the difference between previous assessments and the ones presented here can be explained by the overrepresentation of Atlantic communities in the previous data sets. We found that UVB radiation also affects the temperature dependence of surface GPP, which decreased rather than increased under high levels of UVB. Ocean warming, which causes stratification and oligotrophication of the subtropical and tropical oceans, may lead to reduced surface GPP as a result of increased penetration of UVB radiation.

Temperature dependence of plankton community metabolism in the subtropical and tropical oceans

KAUST Repository

Garcia-Corral, Lara S.

2017-06-22

Here we assess the temperature dependence of the metabolic rates (gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR), and the ratio GPP/CR) of oceanic plankton communities. We compile data from 133 stations of the Malaspina 2010 Expedition, distributed among the subtropical and tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. We used the in vitro technique to measured metabolic rates during 24 h incubations at three different sampled depths: surface, 20%, and 1% of the photosynthetically active radiation measured at surface. We also measured the % of ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) penetrating at surface waters. GPP and CR rates increased with warming, albeit different responses were observed for each sampled depth. The overall GPP/CR ratio declined with warming. Higher activation energies (E-a) were derived for both processes (GPP(Chla) = 0.97; CRChla = 1.26; CRHPA = 0.95 eV) compared to those previously reported. The Indian Ocean showed the highest E-a (GPP(Chla) = 1.70; CRChla = 1.48; CRHPA = 0.57 eV), while the Atlantic Ocean showed the lowest (GPP(Chla) = 0.86; CRChla = 0.77; CRHPA = -0.13 eV). We believe that the difference between previous assessments and the ones presented here can be explained by the overrepresentation of Atlantic communities in the previous data sets. We found that UVB radiation also affects the temperature dependence of surface GPP, which decreased rather than increased under high levels of UVB. Ocean warming, which causes stratification and oligotrophication of the subtropical and tropical oceans, may lead to reduced surface GPP as a result of increased penetration of UVB radiation.

Effects of Pheretima Guillelmi Cultivation Time on Microbial Community Diversity and Characteristics of Carbon Metabolism in Vegetable Soil

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ZHENG Xian-qing

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In order to study the effect of different biological tillage time (Pheretima guillelmi on soil microbial community metabolic functions in different soil depths, we set a location test in vegetable field at Chongming Island in Shanghai to analyze the changes of soil microbial community and carbon utilization abilities (Average well- color development, AWCD by using biolog eco-plate method. The three-year results showed that: Bio-tillage significantly improved microbial community activity, and with the increase of tillage years, biological tillage could make the average AWCD 3 to 7 times higher. The Simpson index and Shannon index of the biological tillage treatments were significantly higher than that of the control. The cumulative increase of 0~5 cm soil layer was 49 and 6.28 respectively, and the cumulative increase of 5~20 cm soil layer was 31 and 2.55 respectively. Earthworm bio-tillage significantly increased the soil microbial metabolic ability of 6 kinds of carbon sources, and increased the carbohydrate metabolism activity. In this study, earthworm bio-tillage is an effective way to increase the microbial activity of microbial soil.

Comparability of slack water and Lagrangian flow respirometry methods for community metabolic measurements.

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Emily C Shaw

Full Text Available Coral reef calcification is predicted to decline as a result of ocean acidification and other anthropogenic stressors. The majority of studies predicting declines based on in situ relationships between environmental parameters and net community calcification rate have been location-specific, preventing accurate predictions for coral reefs globally. In this study, net community calcification and production were measured on a coral reef flat at One Tree Island, Great Barrier Reef, using Lagrangian flow respirometry and slack water methods. Net community calcification, daytime net photosynthesis and nighttime respiration were higher under the flow respirometry method, likely due to increased water flow relative to the slack water method. The two methods also varied in the degrees to which they were influenced by potential measurement uncertainties. The difference in the results from these two commonly used methods implies that some of the location-specific differences in coral reef community metabolism may be due to differences in measurement methods.

In situ metabolism in halite endolithic microbial communities of the hyperarid Atacama Desert

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Alfonso F Davila

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is one of the driest regions on Earth, with areas that exclude plants and where soils have extremely low microbial biomass. However, in the driest parts of the desert there are microorganisms that colonize the interior of halite nodules in fossil continental evaporites, where they are sustained by condensation of atmospheric water triggered by the salt substrate. Using a combination of in situ observations of variable chlorophyll fluorescence and controlled laboratory experiments, we show that this endolithic community is capable of carbon fixation both through oxygenic photosynthesis and potentially ammonia oxidation. We also present evidence that photosynthetic activity is finely tuned to moisture availability and solar insolation and can be sustained for days, and perhaps longer, after a wetting event. This is the first demonstration of in situ active metabolism in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, and it provides the basis for proposing a self-contained, endolithic community that relies exclusively on non-rainfall sources of water. Our results contribute to an increasing body of evidence that even in hyperarid environments active metabolism, adaptation and growth can occur in highly specialized microhabitats.

Physiological community ecology: variation in metabolic activity of ecologically important rocky intertidal invertebrates along environmental gradients.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlhoff, Elizabeth P; Stillman, Jonathon H; Menge, Bruce A

2002-08-01

Rocky intertidal invertebrates live in heterogeneous habitats characterized by steep gradients in wave activity, tidal flux, temperature, food quality and food availability. These environmental factors impact metabolic activity via changes in energy input and stress-induced alteration of energetic demands. For keystone species, small environmentally induced shifts in metabolic activity may lead to disproportionately large impacts on community structure via changes in growth or survival of these key species. Here we use biochemical indicators to assess how natural differences in wave exposure, temperature and food availability may affect metabolic activity of mussels, barnacles, whelks and sea stars living at rocky intertidal sites with different physical and oceanographic characteristics. We show that oxygen consumption rate is correlated with the activity of key metabolic enzymes (e.g., citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase) for some intertidal species, and concentrations of these enzymes in certain tissues are lower for starved individuals than for those that are well fed. We also show that the ratio of RNA to DNA (an index of protein synthetic capacity) is highly variable in nature and correlates with short-term changes in food availability. We also observed striking patterns in enzyme activity and RNA/DNA in nature, which are related to differences in rocky intertidal community structure. Differences among species and habitats are most pronounced in summer and are linked to high nearshore productivity at sites favored by suspension feeders and to exposure to stressful low-tide air temperatures in areas of low wave splash. These studies illustrate the great promise of using biochemical indicators to test ecological models, which predict changes in community structure along environmental gradients. Our results also suggest that biochemical indices must be carefully validated with laboratory studies, so that the indicator selected is likely to respond to the

Transplant experiments uncover Baltic Sea basin-specific responses in bacterioplankton community composition and metabolic activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindh, Markus V; Figueroa, Daniela; Sjöstedt, Johanna; Baltar, Federico; Lundin, Daniel; Andersson, Agneta; Legrand, Catherine; Pinhassi, Jarone

2015-01-01

Anthropogenically induced changes in precipitation are projected to generate increased river runoff to semi-enclosed seas, increasing loads of terrestrial dissolved organic matter and decreasing salinity. To determine how bacterial community structure and functioning adjust to such changes, we designed microcosm transplant experiments with Baltic Proper (salinity 7.2) and Bothnian Sea (salinity 3.6) water. Baltic Proper bacteria generally reached higher abundances than Bothnian Sea bacteria in both Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea water, indicating higher adaptability. Moreover, Baltic Proper bacteria growing in Bothnian Sea water consistently showed highest bacterial production and beta-glucosidase activity. These metabolic responses were accompanied by basin-specific changes in bacterial community structure. For example, Baltic Proper Pseudomonas and Limnobacter populations increased markedly in relative abundance in Bothnian Sea water, indicating a replacement effect. In contrast, Roseobacter and Rheinheimera populations were stable or increased in abundance when challenged by either of the waters, indicating an adjustment effect. Transplants to Bothnian Sea water triggered the initial emergence of particular Burkholderiaceae populations, and transplants to Baltic Proper water triggered Alteromonadaceae populations. Notably, in the subsequent re-transplant experiment, a priming effect resulted in further increases to dominance of these populations. Correlated changes in community composition and metabolic activity were observed only in the transplant experiment and only at relatively high phylogenetic resolution. This suggested an importance of successional progression for interpreting relationships between bacterial community composition and functioning. We infer that priming effects on bacterial community structure by natural episodic events or climate change induced forcing could translate into long-term changes in bacterial ecosystem process rates.

Bacterial communities associated with Shinkaia crosnieri from the Iheya North, Okinawa Trough: Microbial diversity and metabolic potentials

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jian; Zeng, Zhi-gang; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Li

2018-04-01

Shinkaia crosnieri is a galatheid crab endemic to the deep-sea hydrothermal systems in the Okinawa Trough. In this study, we systematically analyzed and compared the diversity and metabolic potentials of the microbial communities in different tissues (setae, gill, and intestine) of S. crosnieri by high-throughput sequencing technology and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Sequence analysis based on the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene obtained 408,079 taxon tags, which covered 15 phyla, 22 classes, 32 orders, 42 families, and 25 genera. Overall, the microbial communities in all tissues were dominated by Epsilonproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, of which Epsilonproteobacteria was the largest class and accounted for 85.24% of the taxon tags. In addition, 20 classes of bacteria were discovered for the first time to be associated with S. crosnieri and no archaea were detected. Comparative analysis showed that (i) bacteria from different tissues fell into different groups by β-diversity analysis, (ii) bacterial communities in intestine were similar to that in gill and much more diverse than that in setae, and the sulfur-oxidizing genus Sulfurovum was markedly enriched in intestine and gill. Furthermore, bacteria potentially involved in methane, nitrogen, and metal metabolisms were detected in all samples. The key genes of aprA/dsrA and pmoA involved in sulfate reducing and methane oxidization, respectively, were detected in the gill and gut communities for the first time, and pmoA was significantly more abundant in gill and setae than in intestine. These results provide the first comparative and relatively complete picture of the diversity and metabolic potentials of the bacteria in different tissues of S. crosnieri. These results also indicate that the composition of the microbial communities in hydrothermal fauna changes with time, suggesting the importance of environmental influence.

Investigation into the acute effects of total and partial energy restriction on postprandial metabolism among overweight/obese participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Antoni, Rona; Johnston, Kelly L; Collins, Adam L; Robertson, M Denise

2016-03-28

The intermittent energy restriction (IER) approach to weight loss involves short periods of substantial (75-100 %) energy restriction (ER) interspersed with normal eating. This study aimed to characterise the early metabolic response to these varying degrees of ER, which occurs acutely and prior to weight loss. Ten (three female) healthy, overweight/obese participants (36 (SEM 5) years; 29·0 (sem 1·1) kg/m2) took part in this acute three-way cross-over study. Participants completed three 1-d dietary interventions in a randomised order with a 1-week washout period: isoenergetic intake, partial 75 % ER and total 100 % ER. Fasting and postprandial (6-h) metabolic responses to a liquid test meal were assessed the following morning via serial blood sampling and indirect calorimetry. Food intake was also recorded for two subsequent days of ad libitum intake. Relative to the isoenergetic control, postprandial glucose responses were increased following total ER (+142 %; P=0·015) and to a lesser extent after partial ER (+76 %; P=0·051). There was also a delay in the glucose time to peak after total ER only (P=0·024). Both total and partial ER interventions produced comparable reductions in postprandial TAG responses (-75 and -59 %, respectively; both Pobese participants. Further investigations are required to establish how metabolism adapts over time to the repeated perturbations experienced during IER, as well as the implications for long-term health.

The investment in scent: time-resolved metabolic processes in developing volatile-producing Nigella sativa L. seeds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wentao Xue

Full Text Available The interplay of processes in central and specialized metabolisms during seed development of Nigella sativa L. was studied by using a high-throughput metabolomics technology and network-based analysis. Two major metabolic shifts were identified during seed development: the first was characterized by the accumulation of storage lipids (estimated as total fatty acids and N-compounds, and the second by the biosynthesis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs and a 30% average decrease in total fatty acids. Network-based analysis identified coordinated metabolic processes during development and demonstrated the presence of five network communities. Enrichment analysis indicated that different compound classes, such as sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids, are largely separated and over-represented in certain communities. One community displayed several terpenoids and the central metabolites, shikimate derived amino acids, raffinose, xylitol and glycerol-3-phosphate. The latter are related to precursors of the mevalonate-independent pathway for VOC production in the plastid; also plastidial fatty acid 18∶3n-3 abundant in "green" seeds grouped with several major terpenes. The findings highlight the interplay between the components of central metabolism and the VOCs. The developmental regulation of Nigella seed metabolism during seed maturation suggests a substantial re-allocation of carbon from the breakdown of fatty acids and from N-compounds, probably towards the biosynthesis of VOCs.

Genome-driven evolutionary game theory helps understand the rise of metabolic interdependencies in microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Zomorrodi, Ali R; Segrè, Daniel

2017-11-16

Metabolite exchanges in microbial communities give rise to ecological interactions that govern ecosystem diversity and stability. It is unclear, however, how the rise of these interactions varies across metabolites and organisms. Here we address this question by integrating genome-scale models of metabolism with evolutionary game theory. Specifically, we use microbial fitness values estimated by metabolic models to infer evolutionarily stable interactions in multi-species microbial "games". We first validate our approach using a well-characterized yeast cheater-cooperator system. We next perform over 80,000 in silico experiments to infer how metabolic interdependencies mediated by amino acid leakage in Escherichia coli vary across 189 amino acid pairs. While most pairs display shared patterns of inter-species interactions, multiple deviations are caused by pleiotropy and epistasis in metabolism. Furthermore, simulated invasion experiments reveal possible paths to obligate cross-feeding. Our study provides genomically driven insight into the rise of ecological interactions, with implications for microbiome research and synthetic ecology.

Genome-centric resolution of microbial diversity, metabolism and interactions in anaerobic digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanwonterghem, Inka; Jensen, Paul D; Rabaey, Korneel; Tyson, Gene W

2016-09-01

Our understanding of the complex interconnected processes performed by microbial communities is hindered by our inability to culture the vast majority of microorganisms. Metagenomics provides a way to bypass this cultivation bottleneck and recent advances in this field now allow us to recover a growing number of genomes representing previously uncultured populations from increasingly complex environments. In this study, a temporal genome-centric metagenomic analysis was performed of lab-scale anaerobic digesters that host complex microbial communities fulfilling a series of interlinked metabolic processes to enable the conversion of cellulose to methane. In total, 101 population genomes that were moderate to near-complete were recovered based primarily on differential coverage binning. These populations span 19 phyla, represent mostly novel species and expand the genomic coverage of several rare phyla. Classification into functional guilds based on their metabolic potential revealed metabolic networks with a high level of functional redundancy as well as niche specialization, and allowed us to identify potential roles such as hydrolytic specialists for several rare, uncultured populations. Genome-centric analyses of complex microbial communities across diverse environments provide the key to understanding the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of these interactive communities. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vigorous exercise is associated with superior metabolic profiles in polycystic ovary syndrome independent of total exercise expenditure.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood, Eleni A; Noel, Martha W; Kao, Chia-Ning; Shinkai, Kanade; Pasch, Lauri A; Cedars, Marcelle I; Huddleston, Heather G

2016-02-01

To characterize metabolic features of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by exercise behavior and determine relative health benefits of different exercise intensities. Cross-sectional study. Tertiary academic institution. Three hundred and twenty-six women aged 14-52 years-old with PCOS by Rotterdam criteria examined between 2006 and 2013. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) administered to classify patients into three groups based on Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Guidelines of vigorous, moderate, and inactive, along with physical examination and serum testing. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fasting lipids, fasting glucose and insulin, 2-hour 75-gram oral glucose tolerance, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The DHHS guidelines for adequate physical activity were met by 182 (56%) women. Compared with moderate exercisers and inactive women, the vigorous exercisers had lower BMI and lower HOMA-IR; higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and sex hormone-binding globulin; and a reduced prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis controlling for age, BMI, and total energy expenditure, every hour of vigorous exercise reduced a patient's odds of metabolic syndrome by 22% (odds ratio 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.62, 0.99). Women with PCOS who met DHHS guidelines for exercise demonstrated superior metabolic health parameters. Vigorous but not moderate activity is associated with reduced odds of the metabolic syndrome, independent of age, BMI, and total energy expenditure. PCOS patients should be encouraged to meet activity guidelines via vigorous physical activity. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prokaryotic communities and operating metabolisms in the surface and the permafrost of Deception Island (Antarctica)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blanco, Yolanda; Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Gómez, Manuel J.; Moreno-Paz, Mercedes; García-Villadangos, Miriam; Rodríguez-Manfredi, José Antonio; Cruz-Gil, Patricia; Sánchez-Román, Mónica; Rivas, Luis A.; Parro, Victor

In this study we examined the microbial community composition and operating metabolisms on the surface and in the permafrost of Deception Island, (Antarctica) with an on site antibody microarray biosensor. Samples (down to a depth of 4.2m) were analysed with LDChip300 (Life Detector Chip), an

Methanosarcina Play an Important Role in Anaerobic Co-Digestion of the Seaweed Ulva lactuca: Taxonomy and Predicted Metabolism of Functional Microbial Communities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie A FitzGerald

Full Text Available Macro-algae represent an ideal resource of third generation biofuels, but their use necessitates a refinement of commonly used anaerobic digestion processes. In a previous study, contrasting mixes of dairy slurry and the macro-alga Ulva lactuca were anaerobically digested in mesophilic continuously stirred tank reactors for 40 weeks. Higher proportions of U. lactuca in the feedstock led to inhibited digestion and rapid accumulation of volatile fatty acids, requiring a reduced organic loading rate. In this study, 16S pyrosequencing was employed to characterise the microbial communities of both the weakest (R1 and strongest (R6 performing reactors from the previous work as they developed over a 39 and 27-week period respectively. Comparing the reactor communities revealed clear differences in taxonomy, predicted metabolic orientation and mechanisms of inhibition, while constrained canonical analysis (CCA showed ammonia and biogas yield to be the strongest factors differentiating the two reactor communities. Significant biomarker taxa and predicted metabolic activities were identified for viable and failing anaerobic digestion of U. lactuca. Acetoclastic methanogens were inhibited early in R1 operation, followed by a gradual decline of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Near-total loss of methanogens led to an accumulation of acetic acid that reduced performance of R1, while a slow decline in biogas yield in R6 could be attributed to inhibition of acetogenic rather than methanogenic activity. The improved performance of R6 is likely to have been as a result of the large Methanosarcina population, which enabled rapid removal of acetic acid, providing favourable conditions for substrate degradation.

Methanosarcina Play an Important Role in Anaerobic Co-Digestion of the Seaweed Ulva lactuca: Taxonomy and Predicted Metabolism of Functional Microbial Communities.

Science.gov (United States)

FitzGerald, Jamie A; Allen, Eoin; Wall, David M; Jackson, Stephen A; Murphy, Jerry D; Dobson, Alan D W

2015-01-01

Macro-algae represent an ideal resource of third generation biofuels, but their use necessitates a refinement of commonly used anaerobic digestion processes. In a previous study, contrasting mixes of dairy slurry and the macro-alga Ulva lactuca were anaerobically digested in mesophilic continuously stirred tank reactors for 40 weeks. Higher proportions of U. lactuca in the feedstock led to inhibited digestion and rapid accumulation of volatile fatty acids, requiring a reduced organic loading rate. In this study, 16S pyrosequencing was employed to characterise the microbial communities of both the weakest (R1) and strongest (R6) performing reactors from the previous work as they developed over a 39 and 27-week period respectively. Comparing the reactor communities revealed clear differences in taxonomy, predicted metabolic orientation and mechanisms of inhibition, while constrained canonical analysis (CCA) showed ammonia and biogas yield to be the strongest factors differentiating the two reactor communities. Significant biomarker taxa and predicted metabolic activities were identified for viable and failing anaerobic digestion of U. lactuca. Acetoclastic methanogens were inhibited early in R1 operation, followed by a gradual decline of hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Near-total loss of methanogens led to an accumulation of acetic acid that reduced performance of R1, while a slow decline in biogas yield in R6 could be attributed to inhibition of acetogenic rather than methanogenic activity. The improved performance of R6 is likely to have been as a result of the large Methanosarcina population, which enabled rapid removal of acetic acid, providing favourable conditions for substrate degradation.

Transplant experiments uncover Baltic Sea basin-specific responses in bacterioplankton community composition and metabolic activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus V Lindh

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Anthropogenically induced changes in precipitation are projected to generate increased river runoff to semi-enclosed seas, intensifying loads of terrestrial dissolved organic matter and decreasing salinity. To determine how bacterial community structure and functioning adjust to such changes, we designed microcosm transplant experiments with Baltic Proper (salinity 7.2 and Bothnian Sea (salinity 3.6 water. Baltic Proper bacteria generally reached higher abundance than Bothnian Sea bacteria in both Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea water, indicating a higher adaptability. Moreover, Baltic Proper bacteria growing in Bothnian Sea water consistently showed highest bacterial production and beta-glucosidase activity. These metabolic responses were accompanied by basin-specific changes in bacterial community structure. For example, Baltic Proper Pseudomonas and Limnobacter populations increased markedly in relative abundance in Bothnian Sea water, indicating replacement. In contrast, Roseobacter and Rheinheimera populations were stable or increased in abundance when challenged by either of the waters, indicating adjustment. Transplants to Bothnian Sea water triggered the initial emergence of particular Burkholderiaceae populations, and transplants to Baltic Proper water triggered Alteromonadaceae populations. Notably, in the subsequent re-transplant experiment, the original triggering, or priming effect, resulted in further increases to dominance of these populations. Correlated changes in community composition and metabolic activity were observed only in the transplant experiment, and only at relatively high phylogenetic resolution. This suggested an importance of successional progression for interpreting relationships between bacterial community composition and functioning. We infer that priming effects on bacterial community structure by natural episodic events or climate change induced forcing could translate into long-term changes in bacterial

Metabolic and microbial community dynamics during the hydrolytic and acidogenic fermentation in a leach-bed process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Straeuber, Heike; Kleinsteuber, Sabine [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Bioenergy; UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Microbiology; Schroeder, Martina [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig (Germany). Dept. of Bioenergy

2012-12-15

Biogas production from lignocellulosic feedstock not competing with food production can contribute to a sustainable bioenergy system. The hydrolysis is the rate-limiting step in the anaerobic digestion of solid substrates such as straw. Hence, a detailed understanding of the metabolic processes during the steps of hydrolysis and acidogenesis is required to improve process control strategies. The fermentation products formed during the acidogenic fermentation of maize silage as a model substrate in a leach-bed process were determined by gas and liquid chromatography. The bacterial community dynamics was monitored by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The community profiles were correlated with the process data using multivariate statistics. The batch process comprised three metabolic phases characterized by different fermentation products. The bacterial community dynamics correlated with the production of the respective metabolites. In phase 1, lactic and acetic acid fermentations dominated. Accordingly, bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus and Acetobacter were detected. In phase 2, the metabolic pathways shifted to butyric acid fermentation, accompanied by the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide and a dominance of the genus Clostridium. In phase 3, phylotypes affiliated with Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae prevailed, accompanied by the formation of caproic and acetic acids, and a high gas production rate. A clostridial butyric type of fermentation was predominant in the acidogenic fermentation of maize silage, whereas propionic-type fermentation was marginal. As the metabolite composition resulting from acidogenesis affects the subsequent methanogenic performance, process control should focus on hydrolysis/acidogenesis when solid substrates are digested. (orig.)

Studies on metabolism of total glucosides of paeony from Paeoniae Radix Alba in rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

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Cao, Wenli; Wang, Xinguo; Li, Haojie; Shi, Xuliang; Fan, Wencheng; Zhao, Shaohua; Liu, Minyan; Niu, Liying

2015-11-01

Total glucosides of paeony are the active constituents of Paeoniae Radix Alba. In this study, a novel strategy was proposed to find more metabolites and the differences between paeoniflorin, albiflorin and total glucosides of paeony (TGP). This strategy was characterized as follows: firstly, the animals were divided into three groups (paeoniflorin, albiflorin and TGP) to identify the source of TGP metabolites from paeoniflorin or albiflorin; secondly, a generic information-dependent acquisition scan for the low-level metabolites was triggered by the multiple mass defect filter and dynamic background subtraction; thirdly, the metabolites were identified with a combination of data-processing methods including mass defect filtering, neutral loss filtering and product ion filtering; finally, a comparative study was used in the metabolism of paeoniflorin, albiflorin and TGP. Based on the strategy, 18 metabolites of TGP, 10 metabolites of paeoniflorin and 13 metabolites of albiflorin were identified respectively. The results indicated that the hydrolysis, conjugation reaction and oxidization were the major metabolic pathways, and the metabolic sites were the glycosidic linkage, the ester bond and the benzene ring. This study is first to explore the metabolism of TGP, and these findings enhance our understanding of the metabolism and the interactions of paeoniflrin and albiflorin in TGP. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rumen microbial communities influence metabolic phenotypes in lambs

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Diego P. Morgavi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The rumen microbiota is an essential part of ruminants forging their nutrition and health. Despite its importance, it is not fully understood how various groups of rumen microbes affect host-microbe relationships and functions. The aim of the study was to simultaneously explore the rumen microbiota and the metabolic phenotype of lambs for identifying host-microbe associations and potential biomarkers of digestive functions. Twin lambs, separated in two groups after birth were exposed to practices (isolation and gavage with rumen fluid with protozoa or protozoa-depleted that differentially restricted the acquisition of microbes. Rumen microbiota, fermentation parameters, digestibility and growth were monitored for up to 31 weeks of age. Microbiota assembled in isolation from other ruminants lacked protozoa and had low bacterial and archaeal diversity whereas digestibility was not affected. Exposure to adult sheep microbiota increased bacterial and archaeal diversity independently of protozoa presence. For archaea, Methanomassiliicoccales displaced Methanosphaera. Notwithstanding, protozoa induced differences in functional traits such as digestibility and significantly shaped bacterial community structure, notably Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae lower up to 6 folds, Prevotellaceae lower by ~40%, and Clostridiaceae and Veillonellaceae higher up to 10 folds compared to microbiota without protozoa. An orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis of urinary metabolome matched differences in microbiota structure. Discriminant metabolites were mainly involved in amino acids and protein metabolic pathways while a negative interaction was observed between methylotrophic methanogens Methanomassiliicoccales and trimethylamine N-oxide. These results stress the influence of gut microbes on animal phenotype and show the potential of metabolomics for monitoring rumen microbial functions.

Community reintegration following a total joint replacement: a pilot study.

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Stergiou-Kita, Mary; Grigorovich, Alisa

2014-06-01

To examine community reintegration following a hip or knee total joint replacement (TJR) from the perspective of rehabilitation clients. A phenomenological frame of reference guided the present study. Ten participants who received inpatient rehabilitation completed semi-structured qualitative interviews to explore their experiences with reintegrating back into their chosen communities and the meanings that they ascribed to their reintegration. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Demographic data, and information regarding participants' living situation and supports were extracted from existing databases and used to characterize the sample. Participants revealed that reintegration after a TJR encompassed two key elements of meaning: i) engagement in meaningful activities; and ii) satisfaction levels. Additionally, the following five factors were identified as facilitators or barriers to community reintegration following a TJR: i) ongoing preparation and education; ii) confounding health issues; iii) driving and transportation; iv) personal facilitators; v) access to supports from professionals, family and friends, and community programmes. The present study highlights the significance of engaging in meaningful activities and being satisfied in one's level of engagement to achieving a sense of community reintegration following a TJR. This suggests that reintegration post-TJR has broader meanings than just improvements in functional abilities. Practitioners are encouraged to inquire about patients' meaningful activities, support their preparedness throughout the rehabilitation process, to identify confounding health issues that may limit reintegration, consider patients' fears and anxieties and establish supports to enhance their feelings of self-efficacy and abilities to cope following a TJR. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Establishment and metabolic analysis of a model microbial community for understanding trophic and electron accepting interactions of subsurface anaerobic environments

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Yang Zamin K

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Communities of microorganisms control the rates of key biogeochemical cycles, and are important for biotechnology, bioremediation, and industrial microbiological processes. For this reason, we constructed a model microbial community comprised of three species dependent on trophic interactions. The three species microbial community was comprised of Clostridium cellulolyticum, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, and Geobacter sulfurreducens and was grown under continuous culture conditions. Cellobiose served as the carbon and energy source for C. cellulolyticum, whereas D. vulgaris and G. sulfurreducens derived carbon and energy from the metabolic products of cellobiose fermentation and were provided with sulfate and fumarate respectively as electron acceptors. Results qPCR monitoring of the culture revealed C. cellulolyticum to be dominant as expected and confirmed the presence of D. vulgaris and G. sulfurreducens. Proposed metabolic modeling of carbon and electron flow of the three-species community indicated that the growth of C. cellulolyticum and D. vulgaris were electron donor limited whereas G. sulfurreducens was electron acceptor limited. Conclusions The results demonstrate that C. cellulolyticum, D. vulgaris, and G. sulfurreducens can be grown in coculture in a continuous culture system in which D. vulgaris and G. sulfurreducens are dependent upon the metabolic byproducts of C. cellulolyticum for nutrients. This represents a step towards developing a tractable model ecosystem comprised of members representing the functional groups of a trophic network.

Longitudinal changes in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue and metabolic syndrome: Results from the Multicultural Community Health Assessment Trial (M-CHAT).

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Tu, Andrew W; Humphries, Karin H; Lear, Scott A

2017-12-01

Few studies have examined whether longitudinal changes in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), independent of each other, are associated with the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal effects of VAT and SAT on MetS and metabolic risk factors in a multi-ethnic sample of Canadians followed for 5-years. In total, 598 adults of the Multicultural Community Health Assessment Trial (M-CHAT) were included in this study. Assessments of body composition using computed tomography (CT) and metabolic risk factors were conducted at baseline, 3-, and 5-years. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to model the longitudinal effects of VAT and SAT on MetS and metabolic risk factors. There were significant between-person (cross-sectional) effects such that for every 10cm 2 higher VAT, the odds of MetS, high-risk fasting glucose levels and high-risk HDL-C levels significantly increased by 16% (95% CI: 9-24%), 11% (3-20%), and 7% (0-14%) respectively. Significant within-person (longitudinal) effects were also found such that for every 10cm 2 increase in VAT the odds of MetS and high-risk triglyceride levels significantly increased by 23% (9-39%) and 30% (14-48%), respectively. Cross-sectional or longitudinal changes in SAT were not associated with MetS or metabolic risk factors. This study found a direct relationship between longitudinal change in VAT and MetS risk independent of changes in SAT. Clinical practice should focus on the reduction of VAT to improve cardiovascular health outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Wastewater Discharge on the Metabolic Potential of the Microbial Community in River Sediments.

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Li, Dong; Sharp, Jonathan O; Drewes, Jörg E

2016-01-01

To reveal the variation of microbial community functions during water filtration process in river sediments, which has been utilized widely in natural water treatment systems, this study investigates the influence of municipal wastewater discharge to streams on the phylotype and metabolic potential of the microbiome in upstream and particularly various depths of downstream river sediments. Cluster analyses based on both microbial phylogenetic and functional data collectively revealed that shallow upstream sediments grouped with those from deeper subsurface downstream regions. These sediment samples were distinct from those found in shallow downstream sediments. Functional genes associated with carbohydrate, xenobiotic, and certain amino acid metabolisms were overrepresented in upstream and deep downstream samples. In contrast, the more immediate contact with wastewater discharge in shallow downstream samples resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of genes associated with nitrogen, sulfur, purine and pyrimidine metabolisms, as well as restriction-modification systems. More diverse bacterial phyla were associated with upstream and deep downstream sediments, mainly including Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Firmicutes. In contrast, in shallow downstream sediments, genera affiliated with Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were enriched with putative functions that included ammonia and sulfur oxidation, polyphosphate accumulation, and methylotrophic bacteria. Collectively, these results highlight the enhanced capabilities of microbial communities residing in deeper stream sediments for the transformation of water contaminants and thus provide a foundation for better design of natural water treatment systems to further improve the removal of contaminants.

Influence of Wastewater Discharge on the Metabolic Potential of the Microbial Community in River Sediments

KAUST Repository

Li, Dong

2015-09-24

To reveal the variation of microbial community functions during water filtration process in river sediments, which has been utilized widely in natural water treatment systems, this study investigates the influence of municipal wastewater discharge to streams on the phylotype and metabolic potential of the microbiome in upstream and particularly various depths of downstream river sediments. Cluster analyses based on both microbial phylogenetic and functional data collectively revealed that shallow upstream sediments grouped with those from deeper subsurface downstream regions. These sediment samples were distinct from those found in shallow downstream sediments. Functional genes associated with carbohydrate, xenobiotic, and certain amino acid metabolisms were overrepresented in upstream and deep downstream samples. In contrast, the more immediate contact with wastewater discharge in shallow downstream samples resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of genes associated with nitrogen, sulfur, purine and pyrimidine metabolisms, as well as restriction–modification systems. More diverse bacterial phyla were associated with upstream and deep downstream sediments, mainly including Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Firmicutes. In contrast, in shallow downstream sediments, genera affiliated with Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were enriched with putative functions that included ammonia and sulfur oxidation, polyphosphate accumulation, and methylotrophic bacteria. Collectively, these results highlight the enhanced capabilities of microbial communities residing in deeper stream sediments for the transformation of water contaminants and thus provide a foundation for better design of natural water treatment systems to further improve the removal of contaminants. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Shifts in coastal sediment oxygenation cause pronounced changes in microbial community composition and associated metabolism.

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Broman, Elias; Sjöstedt, Johanna; Pinhassi, Jarone; Dopson, Mark

2017-08-09

A key characteristic of eutrophication in coastal seas is the expansion of hypoxic bottom waters, often referred to as 'dead zones'. One proposed remediation strategy for coastal dead zones in the Baltic Sea is to mix the water column using pump stations, circulating oxygenated water to the sea bottom. Although microbial metabolism in the sediment surface is recognized as key in regulating bulk chemical fluxes, it remains unknown how the microbial community and its metabolic processes are influenced by shifts in oxygen availability. Here, coastal Baltic Sea sediments sampled from oxic and anoxic sites, plus an intermediate area subjected to episodic oxygenation, were experimentally exposed to oxygen shifts. Chemical, 16S rRNA gene, metagenomic, and metatranscriptomic analyses were conducted to investigate changes in chemistry fluxes, microbial community structure, and metabolic functions in the sediment surface. Compared to anoxic controls, oxygenation of anoxic sediment resulted in a proliferation of bacterial populations in the facultative anaerobic genus Sulfurovum that are capable of oxidizing toxic sulfide. Furthermore, the oxygenated sediment had higher amounts of RNA transcripts annotated as sqr, fccB, and dsrA involved in sulfide oxidation. In addition, the importance of cryptic sulfur cycling was highlighted by the oxidative genes listed above as well as dsvA, ttrB, dmsA, and ddhAB that encode reductive processes being identified in anoxic and intermediate sediments turned oxic. In particular, the intermediate site sediments responded differently upon oxygenation compared to the anoxic and oxic site sediments. This included a microbial community composition with more habitat generalists, lower amounts of RNA transcripts attributed to methane oxidation, and a reduced rate of organic matter degradation. These novel data emphasize that genetic expression analyses has the power to identify key molecular mechanisms that regulate microbial community responses

Distance-dependent varieties of microbial community structure and metabolic functions in the rhizosphere of Sedum alfredii Hance during phytoextraction of a cadmium-contaminated soil.

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Yang, Wenhao; Zhang, Taoxiang; Lin, Sen; Ni, Wuzhong

2017-06-01

The recovery of microbial community and activities is crucial to the remediation of contaminated soils. Distance-dependent variations of microbial community composition and metabolic characteristics in the rhizospheric soil of hyperaccumulator during phytoextraction are poorly understood. A 12-month phytoextraction experiment with Sedum alfredii in a Cd-contaminated soil was conducted. A pre-stratified rhizobox was used for separating sub-layer rhizospheric (0-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-8, 8-10 mm from the root mat)/bulk soils. Soil microbial structure and function were analyzed by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and MicroResp™ methods. The concentrations of total and specified PLFA biomarkers and the utilization rates for the 14 substrates (organic carbon) in the 0-2-mm sub-layer rhizospheric soil were significantly increased, as well as decreased with the increase in the distance from the root mat. Microbial structure measured by the ratios of different groups of PLFAs such as fungal/bacterial, monounsaturated/saturated, ratios of Gram-positive to Gram-negative (GP/GN) bacterial, and cyclopropyl/monoenoic precursors and 19:0 cyclo/18:1ω7c were significantly changed in the 0-2-mm soil. The PLFA contents and substrate utilization rates were negatively correlated with pH and total, acid-soluble, and reducible fractions of Cd, while positively correlated with labile carbon. The dynamics of microbial community were likely due to root exudates and Cd uptake by S. alfredii. This study revealed the stimulations and gradient changes of rhizosphere microbial community through phytoextraction, as reduced Cd concentration, pH, and increased labile carbons are due to the microbial community responses.

Indoor Heating Drives Water Bacterial Growth and Community Metabolic Profile Changes in Building Tap Pipes during the Winter Season.

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Zhang, Hai-Han; Chen, Sheng-Nan; Huang, Ting-Lin; Shang, Pan-Lu; Yang, Xiao; Ma, Wei-Xing

2015-10-27

The growth of the bacterial community harbored in indoor drinking water taps is regulated by external environmental factors, such as indoor temperature. However, the effect of indoor heating on bacterial regrowth associated with indoor drinking water taps is poorly understood. In the present work, flow cytometry and community-level sole-carbon-source utilization techniques were combined to explore the effects of indoor heating on water bacterial cell concentrations and community carbon metabolic profiles in building tap pipes during the winter season. The results showed that the temperature of water stagnated overnight ("before") in the indoor water pipes was 15-17 °C, and the water temperature decreased to 4-6 °C after flushing for 10 min ("flushed"). The highest bacterial cell number was observed in water stagnated overnight, and was 5-11 times higher than that of flushed water. Meanwhile, a significantly higher bacterial community metabolic activity (AWCD590nm) was also found in overnight stagnation water samples. The significant "flushed" and "taps" values indicated that the AWCD590nm, and bacterial cell number varied among the taps within the flushed group (p heating periods.

COMMUNITY SCALE STREAM TAXA SENSITIVITIES TO DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS OF EXCESS TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS

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Model stream chronic dosing studies (42 d) were conducted with three total dissolved solids (TDS) recipes. The recipes differed in composition of major ions. Community scale emergence was compared with single-species responses conducted simultaneously using the whole effluent tox...

Nutrient uptake and community metabolism in streams draining harvested and old-growth watersheds: A preliminary assessment

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Brian H. Hill; Frank H. McCormick

2004-01-01

The effect of timber harvesting on streams is assessed using two measures of ecosystem function: nutrient spiraling and community metabolism. This research is being conducted in streams of the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas, the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, and the redwood forests of northern California, in order to...

Effect of elevated total CoA levels on metabolic pathways in cultured hepatocytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steffen, C.A.; Smith, C.M.

1987-01-01

Livers from fasted rats have 30% higher total CoA levels than fed rats. To determine whether this increase of total CoA influences metabolism, the rates of gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis were measured in hepatocytes with cyanamide (CYM) or pantothenate (PA) deficient medium used to vary total CoA levels independently of hormonal status. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were incubated 14 hrs with Bt 2 cAMP, dexamethasone + theophylline in PA deficient medium or with CYM (500 μM) + PA, rinsed and preincubated 0.5 hr to remove the CYM. Hepatocytes treated with CYM had total CoA levels 10-24% higher than PA deficient cells and lower rates of glucose production from lactate + pyruvate (L/P) or from alanine (0.23 +/- 0.05 and 0.089 +/- 0.02 μm/mg protein, respectively in CYM treated cells compared to 0.33 +/- 0.06 and 0.130 +/- 0.006 in PA deficient cells). This decrease was not due to CYM per se, as the direct addition of CYM stimulated glucose production from L/P. CYM treated cells with 15-40% higher total CoA and 30% higher fatty acyl-CoA levels had the same rates of [ 14 C]-palmitate oxidation as PA deficient cells. However, rates of ketogenesis were lower in CYM treated cells (163 +/- 11 nm/mg compared to 217 +/- 14 nm/mg protein). These results suggest that physiological alterations of hepatic total CoA levels are not necessary for fasting rates of gluconeogenesis, fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis

Metabolic Model-Based Integration of Microbiome Taxonomic and Metabolomic Profiles Elucidates Mechanistic Links between Ecological and Metabolic Variation

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Noecker, Cecilia; Eng, Alexander; Srinivasan, Sujatha; Theriot, Casey M.; Young, Vincent B.; Jansson, Janet K.; Fredricks, David N.; Borenstein, Elhanan; Sanchez, Laura M.

2015-12-22

Multiple molecular assays now enable high-throughput profiling of the ecology, metabolic capacity, and activity of the human microbiome. However, to date, analyses of such multi-omic data typically focus on statistical associations, often ignoring extensive prior knowledge of the mechanisms linking these various facets of the microbiome. Here, we introduce a comprehensive framework to systematically link variation in metabolomic data with community composition by utilizing taxonomic, genomic, and metabolic information. Specifically, we integrate available and inferred genomic data, metabolic network modeling, and a method for predicting community-wide metabolite turnover to estimate the biosynthetic and degradation potential of a given community. Our framework then compares variation in predicted metabolic potential with variation in measured metabolites’ abundances to evaluate whether community composition can explain observed shifts in the community metabolome, and to identify key taxa and genes contributing to the shifts. Focusing on two independent vaginal microbiome data sets, each pairing 16S community profiling with large-scale metabolomics, we demonstrate that our framework successfully recapitulates observed variation in 37% of metabolites. Well-predicted metabolite variation tends to result from disease-associated metabolism. We further identify several disease-enriched species that contribute significantly to these predictions. Interestingly, our analysis also detects metabolites for which the predicted variation negatively correlates with the measured variation, suggesting environmental control points of community metabolism. Applying this framework to gut microbiome data sets reveals similar trends, including prediction of bile acid metabolite shifts. This framework is an important first step toward a system-level multi-omic integration and an improved mechanistic understanding of the microbiome activity and dynamics in

Total physical activity volume, physical activity intensity, and metabolic syndrome: 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

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Churilla, James R; Fitzhugh, Eugene C

2012-02-01

This study examined the association of total physical activity volume (TPAV) and physical activity (PA) from three domains [leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), domestic, transportation] with metabolic syndrome. We also investigated the relationship between LTPA intensity and metabolic syndrome risk. Sample included adults who participated in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Physical activity measures were created for TPAV, LTPA, domestic PA, and transportational PA. For each, a six-level measure based upon no PA (level 1) and quintiles (levels 2-6) of metabolic equivalents (MET)·min·wk(-1) was created. A three-level variable associated with the current Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) PA recommendation was also created. SAS and SUDAAN were used for the statistical analysis. Adults reporting the greatest volume of TPAV and LTPA were found to be 36% [odds ratio (OR) 0.64; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.83] and 42% (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.43-0.77), respectively, less likely to have metabolic syndrome. Domestic and transportational PA provided no specific level of protection from metabolic syndrome. Those reporting a TPAV that met the DHHS PA recommendation were found to be 33% (OR 0.67; 95%; CI 0.55-0.83) less likely to have metabolic syndrome compared to their sedentary counterparts. Adults reporting engaging in only vigorous-intensity LTPA were found to be 37% (OR 0.63; 95 CI 0.42-0.96) to 56% (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.29-0.67) less likely to have metabolic syndrome. Volume, intensity, and domain of PA may all play important roles in reducing the prevalence and risk of metabolic syndrome.

Sulfur metabolizing microbes dominate microbial communities in Andesite-hosted shallow-sea hydrothermal systems.

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Yao Zhang

Full Text Available To determine microbial community composition, community spatial structure and possible key microbial processes in the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent systems off NE Taiwan's coast, we examined the bacterial and archaeal communities of four samples collected from the water column extending over a redoxocline gradient of a yellow and four from a white hydrothermal vent. Ribosomal tag pyrosequencing based on DNA and RNA showed statistically significant differences between the bacterial and archaeal communities of the different hydrothermal plumes. The bacterial and archaeal communities from the white hydrothermal plume were dominated by sulfur-reducing Nautilia and Thermococcus, whereas the yellow hydrothermal plume and the surface water were dominated by sulfide-oxidizing Thiomicrospira and Euryarchaeota Marine Group II, respectively. Canonical correspondence analyses indicate that methane (CH(4 concentration was the only statistically significant variable that explains all community cluster patterns. However, the results of pyrosequencing showed an essential absence of methanogens and methanotrophs at the two vent fields, suggesting that CH(4 was less tied to microbial processes in this shallow-sea hydrothermal system. We speculated that mixing between hydrothermal fluids and the sea or meteoric water leads to distinctly different CH(4 concentrations and redox niches between the yellow and white vents, consequently influencing the distribution patterns of the free-living Bacteria and Archaea. We concluded that sulfur-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs accounted for most of the primary biomass synthesis and that microbial sulfur metabolism fueled microbial energy flow and element cycling in the shallow hydrothermal systems off the coast of NE Taiwan.

Sulfur metabolizing microbes dominate microbial communities in Andesite-hosted shallow-sea hydrothermal systems.

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Zhang, Yao; Zhao, Zihao; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Tang, Kai; Su, Jianqiang; Jiao, Nianzhi

2012-01-01

To determine microbial community composition, community spatial structure and possible key microbial processes in the shallow-sea hydrothermal vent systems off NE Taiwan's coast, we examined the bacterial and archaeal communities of four samples collected from the water column extending over a redoxocline gradient of a yellow and four from a white hydrothermal vent. Ribosomal tag pyrosequencing based on DNA and RNA showed statistically significant differences between the bacterial and archaeal communities of the different hydrothermal plumes. The bacterial and archaeal communities from the white hydrothermal plume were dominated by sulfur-reducing Nautilia and Thermococcus, whereas the yellow hydrothermal plume and the surface water were dominated by sulfide-oxidizing Thiomicrospira and Euryarchaeota Marine Group II, respectively. Canonical correspondence analyses indicate that methane (CH(4)) concentration was the only statistically significant variable that explains all community cluster patterns. However, the results of pyrosequencing showed an essential absence of methanogens and methanotrophs at the two vent fields, suggesting that CH(4) was less tied to microbial processes in this shallow-sea hydrothermal system. We speculated that mixing between hydrothermal fluids and the sea or meteoric water leads to distinctly different CH(4) concentrations and redox niches between the yellow and white vents, consequently influencing the distribution patterns of the free-living Bacteria and Archaea. We concluded that sulfur-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs accounted for most of the primary biomass synthesis and that microbial sulfur metabolism fueled microbial energy flow and element cycling in the shallow hydrothermal systems off the coast of NE Taiwan.

Methane-metabolizing microbial communities in sediments of the Haima cold seep area, northwest slope of the South China Sea.

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Niu, Mingyang; Fan, Xibei; Zhuang, Guangchao; Liang, Qianyong; Wang, Fengping

2017-09-01

Cold seeps are widespread chemosynthetic ecosystems in the deep-sea environment, and cold seep microbial communities of the South China Sea are poorly constrained. Here we report on the archaeal communities, particularly those involved in methane metabolization, in sediments of a newly discovered cold seep (named 'Haima') on the northwest slope of the South China Sea. Archaeal diversity, abundance and distribution were investigated in two piston cores collected from a seep area (QDN-14B) and a non-seep control site (QDN-31B). Geochemical investigation of the QDN-14B core identified an estimated sulfate-methane transition zone (Estimated SMTZ) at 300-400 cm below sea floor (cmbsf), where a high abundance of anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) occurred, as revealed by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and the gene (mcrA) encoding the α-subunit of the key enzyme methyl-coenzyme M reductase. ANME-2a/b was predominant in the upper and middle layers of the estimated SMTZ, whereas ANME-1b outcompeted ANME-2 in the sulfate-depleted bottom layers of the estimated SMTZ and the methanogenic zone. Fine-scale phylogenetic analysis further divided the ANME-1b group into three subgroups with different distribution patterns: ANME-1bI, ANME-1bII and ANME-1bIII. Multivariate analyses indicated that dissolved inorganic carbon and sulfate may be important factors controlling the composition of the methane-metabolizing community. Our study on ANME niche separation and interactions with other archaeal groups improves our understanding of the metabolic diversity and flexibility of ANME, and the findings further suggest that ANME subgroups may have evolved diversified/specified metabolic capabilities other than syntrophic anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled with sulfate reduction in marine sediments. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparison of Metabolic and Hormonal Profiles of Women With and Without Premenstrual Syndrome: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study.

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Hashemi, Somayeh; Ramezani Tehrani, Fahimeh; Mohammadi, Nader; Rostami Dovom, Marzieh; Torkestani, Farahnaz; Simbar, Masumeh; Azizi, Fereidoun

2016-04-01

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is reported by up to 85% of women of reproductive age. Although several studies have focused on the hormone and lipid profiles of females with PMS, the results are controversial. This study was designed to investigate the association of hormonal and metabolic factors with PMS among Iranian women of reproductive age. This study was a community based cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters, and metabolic disorders were compared between 354 women with PMS and 302 healthy controls selected from among 1126 women of reproductive age who participated in the Iranian PCOS prevalence study. P values high density lipoprotein (HDL) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels were significantly less than they were in women without the syndrome (P rise in the probability of having metabolic syndrome (P = 0.033). There was a significant association between PMS scores and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Further studies are needed to confirm and validate the relationships between lipid profile abnormalities and metabolic disorders with PMS.

Microbial Communities and Their Predicted Metabolic Functions in Growth Laminae of a Unique Large Conical Mat from Lake Untersee, East Antarctica

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Hyunmin Koo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, we report the distribution of microbial taxa and their predicted metabolic functions observed in the top (U1, middle (U2, and inner (U3 decadal growth laminae of a unique large conical microbial mat from perennially ice-covered Lake Untersee of East Antarctica, using NextGen sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatics tools. The results showed that the U1 lamina was dominated by cyanobacteria, specifically Phormidium sp., Leptolyngbya sp., and Pseudanabaena sp. The U2 and U3 laminae had high abundances of Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Closely related taxa within each abundant bacterial taxon found in each lamina were further differentiated at the highest taxonomic resolution using the oligotyping method. PICRUSt analysis, which determines predicted KEGG functional categories from the gene contents and abundances among microbial communities, revealed a high number of sequences belonging to carbon fixation, energy metabolism, cyanophycin, chlorophyll, and photosynthesis proteins in the U1 lamina. The functional predictions of the microbial communities in U2 and U3 represented signal transduction, membrane transport, zinc transport and amino acid-, carbohydrate-, and arsenic- metabolisms. The Nearest Sequenced Taxon Index (NSTI values processed through PICRUSt were 0.10, 0.13, and 0.11 for U1, U2, and U3 laminae, respectively. These values indicated a close correspondence with the reference microbial genome database, implying high confidence in the predicted metabolic functions of the microbial communities in each lamina. The distribution of microbial taxa observed in each lamina and their predicted metabolic functions provides additional insight into the complex microbial ecosystem at Lake Untersee, and lays the foundation for studies that will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the formation of these unique mat structures and their evolutionary significance.

Microbial metabolism and community structure in response to bioelectrochemically enhanced remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.

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Lu, Lu; Huggins, Tyler; Jin, Song; Zuo, Yi; Ren, Zhiyong Jason

2014-04-01

This study demonstrates that electrodes in a bioelectrochemical system (BES) can potentially serve as a nonexhaustible electron acceptor for in situ bioremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil. The deployment of BES not only eliminates aeration or supplement of electron acceptors as in contemporary bioremediation but also significantly shortens the remediation period and produces sustainable electricity. More interestingly, the study reveals that microbial metabolism and community structure distinctively respond to the bioelectrochemically enhanced remediation. Tubular BESs with carbon cloth anode (CCA) or biochar anode (BCA) were inserted into raw water saturated soils containing petroleum hydrocarbons for enhancing in situ remediation. Results show that total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal rate almost doubled in soils close to the anode (63.5-78.7%) than that in the open circuit positive controls (37.6-43.4%) during a period of 64 days. The maximum current density from the BESs ranged from 73 to 86 mA/m(2). Comprehensive microbial and chemical characterizations and statistical analyses show that the residual TPH has a strongly positive correlation with hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms (HDM) numbers, dehydrogenase activity, and lipase activity and a negative correlation with soil pH, conductivity, and catalase activity. Distinctive microbial communities were identified at the anode, in soil with electrodes, and soil without electrodes. Uncommon electrochemically active bacteria capable of hydrocarbon degradation such as Comamonas testosteroni, Pseudomonas putida, and Ochrobactrum anthropi were selectively enriched on the anode, while hydrocarbon oxidizing bacteria were dominant in soil samples. Results from genus or phylum level characterizations well agree with the data from cluster analysis. Data from this study suggests that a unique constitution of microbial communities may play a key role in BES enhancement of petroleum hydrocarbons

Mineralogical controls on surface colonization by sulfur-metabolizing microbial communities

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, A. A.; Bennett, P.

2012-12-01

When characterizing microbial diversity and the microbial ecosystem of the shallow subsurface the mineral matrix is generally assumed to be homogenous and unreactive. We report here experimental evidence that microorganisms colonize rock surfaces according to the rock's chemistry and the organism's metabolic requirements and tolerances. We investigated this phenomenon using laboratory biofilm reactors with both a pure culture of sulfur-oxidizing Thiothrix unzii and a mixed environmental sulfur-metabolizing community from Lower Kane, Cave, WY, USA. Reactors contained rock and mineral chips (calcite, albite, microcline, quartz, chert, Madison Limestone (ML), Madison Dolostone (MD), and basalt) amended with one of the two inoculants. Biomass of attached microorganisms on each mineral surface was quantified. The 16S rRNA of attached microbial communities were compared using Roche FLX and Titanium 454 next generation pyrosequencing. A primary controlling factor on taxonomy of attached microorganisms in both pure and mixed culture experiments was mineral buffering capacity. In mixed culture experiments acid-buffering carbonates were preferentially colonized by neutrophilic sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms (~18% to ~27% of microorganisms), while acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms colonized non-buffering quartz exclusively (~46% of microorganisms). The nutrient content of the rock was a controlling factor on biomass accumulation, with neutrophilic organisms selecting between carbonate surfaces of equivalent buffer capacities according to the availability of phosphate. Dry biomass on ML was 17.8 ± 2.3 mg/cm2 and MD was 20.6 ± 6.8 mg/cm2; while nutrient poor calcite accumulated 2.4 ± 0.3 mg/cm2. Biomass accumulation was minimal on non-buffering nutrient-limited surfaces. These factors are countered by the competitive exclusion of some populations. A pure culture of T. unzii preferentially colonizes carbonates while a very closely related Thiothrix spp is excluded

Metabolic profiles of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in deep-sea sponge Neamphius huxleyi indicated by metagenomics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhi-Yong; Wang, Yue-Zhu; He, Li-Ming; Zheng, Hua-Jun

2014-01-01

The whole metabolism of a sponge holobiont and the respective contributions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts and their associations with the sponge host remain largely unclear. Meanwhile, compared with shallow water sponges, deep-sea sponges are rarely understood. Here we report the metagenomic exploration of deep-sea sponge Neamphius huxleyi at the whole community level. Metagenomic data showed phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes in Neamphius huxleyi. MEGAN and gene enrichment analyses indicated different metabolic potentials of prokaryotic symbionts from eukaryotic symbionts, especially in nitrogen and carbon metabolisms, and their molecular interactions with the sponge host. These results supported the hypothesis that prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts have different ecological roles and relationships with sponge host. Moreover, vigorous denitrification, and CO2 fixation by chemoautotrophic prokaryotes were suggested for this deep-sea sponge. The study provided novel insights into the respective potentials of prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts and their associations with deep-sea sponge Neamphius huxleyi. PMID:24463735

Metabolic profiles of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in deep-sea sponge Lamellomorpha sp. indicated by metagenomics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhi-Yong; Wang, Yue-Zhu; He, Li-Ming; Zheng, Hua-Jun

2014-01-01

The whole metabolism of a sponge holobiont and the respective contributions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts and their associations with the sponge host remain largely unclear. Meanwhile, compared with shallow water sponges, deep-sea sponges are rarely understood. Here we report the metagenomic exploration of deep-sea sponge Lamellomorpha sp. at the whole community level. Metagenomic data showed phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes in Lamellomorpha sp.. MEGAN and gene enrichment analyses indicated different metabolic potentials of prokaryotic symbionts from eukaryotic symbionts, especially in nitrogen and carbon metabolisms, and their molecular interactions with the sponge host. These results supported the hypothesis that prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts have different ecological roles and relationships with sponge host. Moreover, vigorous denitrification, and CO2 fixation by chemoautotrophic prokaryotes were suggested for this deep-sea sponge. The study provided novel insights into the respective potentials of prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts and their associations with deep-sea sponge Lamellomorpha sp..

A Critical Examination of the Use of Trained Health Coaches to Decrease the Metabolic Syndrome for Participants of a Community-Based Diabetes Prevention and Management Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucke-Wold, Brandon; Shawley, Samantha; Ingels, John Spencer; Stewart, Jonathan; Misra, Ranjita

2016-01-01

The epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the United States poses major challenge to the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Furthermore, when this is viewed in other components of the metabolic syndrome (i.e., the burden of high cholesterol and hypertension), the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome continues to rise in the USA continued challenge is how to deal with this epidemic from a medical and public health standpoint. Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a unique approach and offers a novel perspective for answering this challenge. A critical set of goals for CBPR is to address health disparities and social inequalities while getting community members engaged in all aspects of the research process. Utilizing the West Virginia Diabetes Prevention and Management Program and trained Health Coaches as a model, we discuss topics of consideration related to CBPR, involving trained health coaches, optimizing early adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors, and enhancing participation. Through careful project planning and design, questions regarding disparities increasing susceptibility and preventive efforts within the community can be addressed successfully. These topics are part of a broader integration of theories such as participatory research, community engagement, and outcomes measurement. The understanding of the pathophysiology and epidemiology of the metabolic syndrome can help frame an appropriate strategy for establishing long-term community-wide changes that promote health. In order to continue to improve investigations for preventing the metabolic syndrome, it will be necessary to have aggressive efforts at the individual and population level for developing culturally sensitive programs that start early and are sustainable in practical environments such as the workplace. In this comprehensive review, we will discuss practical considerations related to project design, implementation, and how to measure effectiveness in regards to

Metaproteome analysis to determine the metabolically active part of a thermophilic microbial community producing biogas from agricultural biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanreich, Angelika; Heyer, Robert; Benndorf, Dirk; Rapp, Erdmann; Pioch, Markus; Reichl, Udo; Klocke, Michael

2012-07-01

Complex consortia of microorganisms are responsible for biogas production. A lot of information about the taxonomic structure and enzymatic potential of such communities has been collected by a variety of gene-based approaches, yet little is known about which of all the assumable metabolic pathways are active throughout the process of biogas formation. To tackle this problem, we established a protocol for the metaproteomic analysis of samples taken from biogas reactors fed with agricultural biomass. In contrast to previous studies where an anaerobic digester was fed with synthetic wastewater, the complex matrix in this study required the extraction of proteins with liquid phenol and the application of paper bridge loading for 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Proteins were subjected to nanoHPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for characterization. Several housekeeping proteins as well as methanogenesis-related enzymes were identified by a MASCOT search and de novo sequencing, which proved the feasibility of our approach. The establishment of such an approach is the basis for further metaproteomic studies of biogas-producing communities. In particular, the apparent status of metabolic activities within the communities can be monitored. The knowledge collected from such experiments could lead to further improvements of biogas production.

Elevated CO2 shifts the functional structure and metabolic potentials of soil microbial communities in a C4 agroecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Jinbo; He, Zhili; Shi, Shengjing; Kent, Angela; Deng, Ye; Wu, Liyou; Van Nostrand, Joy D; Zhou, Jizhong

2015-03-20

Atmospheric CO2 concentration is continuously increasing, and previous studies have shown that elevated CO2 (eCO2) significantly impacts C3 plants and their soil microbial communities. However, little is known about effects of eCO2 on the compositional and functional structure, and metabolic potential of soil microbial communities under C4 plants. Here we showed that a C4 maize agroecosystem exposed to eCO2 for eight years shifted the functional and phylogenetic structure of soil microbial communities at both soil depths (0-5 cm and 5-15 cm) using EcoPlate and functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0) analyses. The abundances of key genes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling were significantly stimulated under eCO2 at both soil depths, although some differences in carbon utilization patterns were observed between the two soil depths. Consistently, CO2 was found to be the dominant factor explaining 11.9% of the structural variation of functional genes, while depth and the interaction of depth and CO2 explained 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively. This study implies that eCO2 has profound effects on the functional structure and metabolic potential/activity of soil microbial communities associated with C4 plants, possibly leading to changes in ecosystem functioning and feedbacks to global change in C4 agroecosystems.

Quantitative HRMAS proton total correlation spectroscopy applied to cultured melanoma cells treated by chloroethyl nitrosourea: demonstration of phospholipid metabolism alterations.

Science.gov (United States)

Morvan, Daniel; Demidem, Aicha; Papon, Janine; Madelmont, Jean Claude

2003-02-01

Recent NMR spectroscopy developments, such as high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) probes and correlation-enhanced 2D sequences, now allow improved investigations of phospholipid (Plp) metabolism. Using these modalities we previously demonstrated that a mouse-bearing melanoma tumor responded to chloroethyl nitrosourea (CENU) treatment in vivo by altering its Plp metabolism. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether HRMAS proton total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY) could be used as a quantitative technique to probe Plp metabolism, and to determine the Plp metabolism response of cultured B16 melanoma cells to CENU treatment in vitro. The exploited TOCSY signals of Plp derivatives arose from scalar coupling among the protons of neighbor methylene groups within base headgroups (choline and ethanolamine). For strongly expressed Plp derivatives, TOCSY signals were compared to saturation recovery signals and demonstrated a linear relationship. HRMAS proton TOCSY was thus used to provide concentrations of Plp derivatives during long-term follow-up of CENU-treated cell cultures. Strong Plp metabolism alteration was observed in treated cultured cells in vitro involving a down-regulation of phosphocholine, and a dramatic and irreversible increase of phosphoethanolamine. These findings are discussed in relation to previous in vivo data, and to Plp metabolism enzymatic involvement. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Metabolic Engineering X Conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flach, Evan [American Institute of Chemical Engineers

2015-05-07

The International Metabolic Engineering Society (IMES) and the Society for Biological Engineering (SBE), both technological communities of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), hosted the Metabolic Engineering X Conference (ME-X) on June 15-19, 2014 at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, British Columbia. It attracted 395 metabolic engineers from academia, industry and government from around the globe.

Metabolic profiles of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities in deep-sea sponge Neamphius huxleyi [corrected]. indicated by metagenomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhi-Yong; Wang, Yue-Zhu; He, Li-Ming; Zheng, Hua-Jun

2014-01-27

The whole metabolism of a sponge holobiont and the respective contributions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts and their associations with the sponge host remain largely unclear. Meanwhile, compared with shallow water sponges, deep-sea sponges are rarely understood. Here we report the metagenomic exploration of deep-sea sponge Neamphius huxleyi [corrected] . at the whole community level. Metagenomic data showed phylogenetically diverse prokaryotes and eukaryotes in Neamphius huxleyi [corrected]. MEGAN and gene enrichment analyses indicated different metabolic potentials of prokaryotic symbionts from eukaryotic symbionts, especially in nitrogen and carbon metabolisms, and their molecular interactions with the sponge host. These results supported the hypothesis that prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts have different ecological roles and relationships with sponge host. Moreover, vigorous denitrification, and CO2 fixation by chemoautotrophic prokaryotes were suggested for this deep-sea sponge. The study provided novel insights into the respective potentials of prokaryotic and eukaryotic symbionts and their associations with deep-sea sponge Neamphius huxleyi [corrected].

Food insecurity and the metabolic syndrome among women from low income communities in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Shariff, Zalilah Mohd; Sulaiman, Norhasmah; Jalil, Rohana Abdul; Yen, Wong Chee; Yaw, Yong Heng; Taib, Mohd Nasir Mohd; Kandiah, Mirnalini; Lin, Khor Geok

2014-01-01

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between household food insecurity and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among reproductive-aged women (n=625) in low income communities. The Radimer/Cornell Hunger and Food Insecurity instrument was utilized to assess food insecurity. Anthropometry, diet diversity, blood pressure and fasting venous blood for lipid and glucose profile were also obtained. MetS was defined as having at least 3 risk factors and is in accordance with the Harmonized criteria. The prevalence of food insecurity and MetS was 78.4% (household food insecure, 26.7%; individual food insecure, 25.3%; child hunger, 26.4%) and 25.6%, respectively. While more food secure than food insecure women had elevated glucose (food secure, 54.8% vs food insecure, 37.3-46.1%), total cholesterol (food secure, 54.1% vs food insecure, 32.1-40.7%) and LDL-cholesterol (food secure, 63.7% vs food insecure, 40.6-48.7%), the percentage of women with overweight/ obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertension, high triglyceride, low HDL-cholesterol and MetS did not vary significantly by food insecurity status. However, after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic covariates, women in food insecure households were less likely to have MetS (individual food insecure and child hunger) (phealthy food choices and nutrition education that could reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases.

Measuring total mercury due to small-scale gold mining activities to determine community vulnerability in Cihonje, Central Java, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sari, Mega M; Inoue, Takanobu; Matsumoto, Yoshitaka; Yokota, Kuriko

2016-01-01

This research is comparative study of gold mining and non-gold mining areas, using four community vulnerability indicators. Vulnerability indicators are exposure degree, contamination rate, chronic, and acute toxicity. Each indicator used different samples, such as wastewater from gold mining process, river water from Tajum river, human hair samples, and health questionnaire. This research used cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry to determine total mercury concentration. The result showed that concentration of total mercury was 2,420 times than the maximum content of mercury permitted in wastewater based on the Indonesian regulation. Moreover, the mercury concentration in river water reached 685 ng/l, exceeding the quality threshold standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). The mercury concentration in hair samples obtained from the people living in the research location was considered to identify the health quality level of the people or as a chronic toxicity indicator. The highest mercury concentration--i.e. 17 ng/mg, was found in the gold mining respondents. Therefore, based on the total mercury concentration in the four indicators, the community in the gold mining area were more vulnerable to mercury than communities in non-gold mining areas. It was concluded that the community in gold mining area was more vulnerable to mercury contamination than the community in non-gold mining area.

Recovery of community genomes to assess subsurface metabolic potential: exploiting the capacity of next generation sequencing-based metagenomics

Science.gov (United States)

Wrighton, K. C.; Thomas, B.; Miller, C. S.; Sharon, I.; Wilkins, M. J.; VerBerkmoes, N. C.; Handley, K. M.; Lipton, M. S.; Hettich, R. L.; Williams, K. H.; Long, P. E.; Banfield, J. F.

2011-12-01

With the goal of developing a deterministic understanding of the microbiological and geochemical processes controlling subsurface environments, groundwater bacterial communities were collected from the Rifle Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site. Biomass from three temporal acetate-stimulated groundwater samples were collected during a period of dominant Fe(III)-reduction, in a region of the aquifer that had previously received acetate amendment the year prior. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a diverse Bacterial community, notably devoid of Archaea with 249 taxa from 9 Bacterial phyla including the dominance of uncultured candidate divisions, BD1-5, OD1, and OP11. We have reconstructed 86 partial to near-complete genomes and have performed a detailed characterization of the underlying metabolic potential of the ecosystem. We assessed the natural variation and redundancy in multi-heme c-type cytochromes, sulfite reductases, and central carbon metabolic pathways. Deep genomic sampling indicated the community contained various metabolic pathways: sulfur oxidation coupled to microaerophilic conditions, nitrate reduction with both acetate and inorganic compounds as donors, carbon and nitrogen fixation, antibiotic warfare, and heavy-metal detoxification. Proteomic investigations using predicted proteins from metagenomics corroborated that acetate oxidation is coupled to reduction of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and iron across the samples. Of particular interest was the detection of acetate oxidizing and sulfate reducing proteins from a Desulfotalea-like bacterium in all three time points, suggesting that aqueous sulfide produced by active sulfate-reducing bacteria could contribute to abiotic iron reduction during the dominant iron reduction phase. Additionally, proteogenomic analysis verified that a large portion of the community, including members of the uncultivated BD1-5, are obligate fermenters, characterized by the presence of hydrogen-evolving hydrogenases

Metabolic Requirements of Escherichia coli in Intracellular Bacterial Communities during Urinary Tract Infection Pathogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt S. Conover

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC is the primary etiological agent of over 85% of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs. Mouse models of infection have shown that UPEC can invade bladder epithelial cells in a type 1 pilus-dependent mechanism, avoid a TLR4-mediated exocytic process, and escape into the host cell cytoplasm. The internalized UPEC can clonally replicate into biofilm-like intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs of thousands of bacteria while avoiding many host clearance mechanisms. Importantly, IBCs have been documented in urine from women and children suffering acute UTI. To understand this protected bacterial niche, we elucidated the transcriptional profile of bacteria within IBCs using microarrays. We delineated the upregulation within the IBC of genes involved in iron acquisition, metabolism, and transport. Interestingly, lacZ was highly upregulated, suggesting that bacteria were sensing and/or utilizing a galactoside for metabolism in the IBC. A ΔlacZ strain displayed significantly smaller IBCs than the wild-type strain and was attenuated during competitive infection with a wild-type strain. Similarly, a galK mutant resulted in smaller IBCs and attenuated infection. Further, analysis of the highly upregulated gene yeaR revealed that this gene contributes to oxidative stress resistance and type 1 pilus production. These results suggest that bacteria within the IBC are under oxidative stress and, consistent with previous reports, utilize nonglucose carbon metabolites. Better understanding of the bacterial mechanisms used for IBC development and establishment of infection may give insights into development of novel anti-virulence strategies.

A phylogenetic analysis of basal metabolism, total evaporative water loss, and life-history among foxes from desert and mesic regions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Williams, JB; Munoz-Garcia, A; Ostrowski, S; Tieleman, BI

We measured basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) of species of foxes that exist on the Arabian Peninsula, Blanford's fox (Vulpes cana) and two subspecies of Red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Combining these data with that on other canids from the literature, we searched for

Community size and metabolic rates of psychrophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria in Arctic marine sediments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knoblauch, C.; Jørgensen, BB; Harder, J.

1999-01-01

The numbers of sulfate reducers in two Arctic sediments within situ temperatures of 2.6 and -1.7 degrees C were determined. Most-probable-number counts were higher at 10 degrees C than at 20 degrees C, indicating the predominance of a psychrophilic community. Mean specific sulfate reduction rates...... of 19 isolated psychrophiles were compared to corresponding rates of 9 marine, mesophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria. The results indicate that, as a physiological adaptation to the permanently cold Arctic environment, psychrophilic sulfate reducers have considerably higher specific metabolic rates than...... their mesophilic counterparts at similarly low temperatures....

Effects of temperature and fertilization on total vs. active bacterial communities exposed to crude and diesel oil pollution in NW Mediterranean Sea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez-Blanco, Arturo; Antoine, Virginie [UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7621, Laboratoire ARAGO, Avenue Fontaule, BP44, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer (France); CNRS, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d' Oceanographie Biologique de Banyuls, Avenue Fontaule, BP44, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer (France); Pelletier, Emilien [Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski (ISMER), Universite du Quebec a Rimouski, 310 allee des Ursulines, Rimouski, Canada G5L 3A1 (Canada); Delille, Daniel [UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7621, Laboratoire ARAGO, Avenue Fontaule, BP44, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer (France); CNRS, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d' Oceanographie Biologique de Banyuls, Avenue Fontaule, BP44, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer (France); Ghiglione, Jean-Francois, E-mail: ghiglione@obs-banyuls.f [UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7621, Laboratoire ARAGO, Avenue Fontaule, BP44, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer (France); CNRS, UMR 7621, Laboratoire d' Oceanographie Biologique de Banyuls, Avenue Fontaule, BP44, F-66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer (France)

2010-03-15

The dynamics of total and active microbial communities were studied in seawater microcosms amended with crude or diesel oil at different temperatures (25, 10 and 4 deg. C) in the presence/absence of organic fertilization (Inipol EAP 22). Total and hydrocarbon-degrading microbes were enumerated by fluorescence microscopy and Most Probable Number (MPN) method, respectively. Total (16S rDNA-based) vs. active (16S rRNA) bacterial community structure was monitored by Capillary-Electrophoresis Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism (CE-SSCP) fingerprinting. Hydrocarbons were analyzed after 12 weeks of incubation by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Total and hydrocarbon-degrading microbial counts were highly influenced by fertilization while no important differences were observed between temperatures. Higher biodegradation levels were observed in fertilized microcosms. Temperature and fertilization induced changes in structure of total bacterial communities. However, fertilization showed a more important effect on active bacterial structure. The calculation of Simpson's diversity index showed similar trends among temperatures whereas fertilization reduced diversity index of both total and active bacterial communities. - Nutrient availability was the most important factor influencing microbial oil biodegradation in coastal waters of the North-western Mediterranean Sea.

Bacillus licheniformis affects the microbial community and metabolic profile in the spontaneous fermentation of Daqu starter for Chinese liquor making.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Wu, Qun; Jiang, Xuejian; Wang, Zhiqiang; Tang, Jingli; Xu, Yan

2017-06-05

Chinese liquor is produced from spontaneous fermentation starter (Daqu) that provides the microbes, enzymes and flavors for liquor fermentation. To improve the flavor character of Daqu, we inoculated Bacillus licheniformis and studied the effect of this strain on the community structure and metabolic profile in Daqu fermentation. The microbial relative abundance changed after the inoculation, including the increase in Bacillus, Clavispora and Aspergillus, and the decrease in Pichia, Saccharomycopsis and some other genera. This variation was also confirmed by pure culture and coculture experiments. Seventy-three metabolites were identified during Daqu fermentation process. After inoculation, the average content of aromatic compounds were significantly enriched from 0.37mg/kg to 0.90mg/kg, and the average content of pyrazines significantly increased from 0.35mg/kg to 5.71mg/kg. The increase in pyrazines was positively associated with the metabolism of the inoculated Bacillus and the native genus Clavispora, because they produced much more pyrazines in their cocultures. Whereas the increase in aromatic compounds might be related to the change of in situ metabolic activity of several native genera, in particular, Aspergillus produced more aromatic compounds in cocultures with B. licheniformis. It indicated that the inoculation of B. licheniformis altered the flavor character of Daqu by both its own metabolic activity and the variation of in situ metabolic activity. Moreover, B. licheniformis inoculation influenced the enzyme activity of Daqu, including the significant increase in amylase activity (from 1.3gstarch/g/h to 1.7gstarch/g/h), and the significant decrease in glucoamylase activity (from 627.6mgglucose/g/h to 445.6mgglucose/g/h) and esterase activity (from 28.1mgethylcaproate/g/100h to 17.2mgethylcaproate/g/100h). These effects of inoculation were important factors for regulating the metabolism of microbial communities, hence for improving the flavor profile

High prevalence of metabolic syndrome in young Hispanic women: findings from the national Sister to Sister campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Fátima; Naderi, Sahar; Wang, Yun; Johnson, Caitlin E; Foody, JoAnne M

2013-04-01

Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population and have a higher prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors as compared with non-Hispanic whites. Further data suggests that Hispanics have undiagnosed complications of metabolic syndrome, namely diabetes mellitus, at an earlier age. We sought to better understand the epidemiology of metabolic syndrome in Hispanic women using data from a large, community-based health screening program. Using data from the Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation community health fairs from 2008 to 2009 held in 17 U.S. cities, we sought to characterize how cardiometabolic risk profiles vary across age for women by race and ethnicity. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) guidelines, which included three or more of the following: Waist circumference ≥35 inches, triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) <50 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure ≥130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥85 mmHg, or a fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL. A total of 6843 community women were included in the analyses. Metabolic syndrome had a prevalence of 35%. The risk-adjusted odds ratio for metabolic syndrome in Hispanic women versus white women was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.4, 2.0). Dyslipidemia was the strongest predictor of metabolic syndrome among Hispanic women. This disparity appeared most pronounced for younger women. Additional predictors of metabolic syndrome included black race, increasing age, and smoking. In a large, nationally representative sample of women, we found that metabolic syndrome was highly prevalent among young Hispanic women. Efforts specifically targeted to identifying these high-risk women are necessary to prevent the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with metabolic syndrome.

The influence of Glyceria maxima and nitrate input on the composition and nitrate metabolism of the dissimilatory nitrate-reducing bacterial community

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijburg, J.W.; Laanbroek, H.J.

1997-01-01

The influence of nitrate addition and the presence of Glyceria maxima (reed sweetgrass) on the composition and nitrate metabolism of the dissimilatory nitrate-reducing bacterial community was investigated. Anoxic freshwater sediment was incubated in pots with or without G. maxima and with or

Repeatability and individual correlates of basal metabolic rate and total evaporative water loss in birds : A case study in European stonechats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versteegh, Maaike A.; Heim, Barbara; Dingemanse, Niels J.; Tieleman, B. Irene

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) are thought to have evolved in conjunction with life history traits and are often assumed to be characteristic features of an animal. Physiological traits can show large intraindividual variation at short and long timescales, yet

Total Body Capacitance for Estimating Human Basal Metabolic Rate in an Egyptian Population

Science.gov (United States)

M. Abdel-Mageed, Samir; I. Mohamed, Ehab

2016-01-01

Determining basal metabolic rate (BMR) is important for estimating total energy needs in the human being yet, concerns have been raised regarding the suitability of sex-specific equations based on age and weight for its calculation on an individual or population basis. It has been shown that body cell mass (BCM) is the body compartment responsible for BMR. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationship between total body capacitance (TBC), which is considered as an expression for BCM, and BMR and to develop a formula for calculating BMR in comparison with widely used equations. Fifty healthy nonsmoking male volunteers [mean age (± SD): 24.93 ± 4.15 year and body mass index (BMI): 25.63 ± 3.59 kg/m2] and an equal number of healthy nonsmoking females matched for age and BMI were recruited for the study. TBC and BMR were measured for all participants using octopolar bioelectric impedance analysis and indirect calorimetry techniques, respectively. A significant regressing equation based on the covariates: sex, weight, and TBC for estimating BMR was derived (R=0.96, SEE=48.59 kcal, and P<0.0001), which will be useful for nutritional and health status assessment for both individuals and populations. PMID:27127453

Corn silage in dairy cow diets to reduce ruminal methanogenesis: effects on the rumen metabolically active microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lettat, A; Hassanat, F; Benchaar, C

2013-08-01

Methane produced by the methanogenic Archaea that inhabit the rumen is a potent greenhouse gas and represents an energy loss for the animal. Although several strategies have been proposed to mitigate enteric CH4 production, little is known about the effects of dietary changes on the microbial consortia involved in ruminal methanogenesis. Thus, the current study aimed to examine how the metabolically active microbes are affected when dairy cows were fed diets with increasing proportions of corn silage (CS). For this purpose, 9 ruminally cannulated lactating dairy cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design and fed a total mixed ration (60:40 forage:concentrate ratio on a dry matter basis) with the forage portion being either alfalfa silage (0% CS), corn silage (100% CS), or a 50:50 mixture (50% CS). Enteric CH4 production was determined using respiration chambers and total rumen content was sampled for the determination of fermentation characteristics and molecular biology analyses (cDNA-based length heterogeneity PCR, quantitative PCR). The cDNA-based length heterogeneity PCR targeting active microbes revealed similar bacterial communities in cows fed 0% CS and 50% CS diets, whereas important differences were observed between 0% CS and 100% CS diets, including a reduction in the bacterial richness and diversity in cows fed 100% CS diet. As revealed by quantitative PCR, feeding the 100% CS diet increased the number of total bacteria, Prevotella spp., Archaea, and methanogenic activity, though it reduced protozoal number. Meanwhile, increasing the CS proportion in the diet increased propionate concentration but decreased ruminal pH, CH4 production (L/kg of dry matter intake), and concentrations of acetate and butyrate. Based on these microbial and fermentation changes, and because CH4 production was reduced by feeding 100% CS diet, this study shows that the use of cDNA-based quantitative PCR to estimate archaeal growth and activity is not reliable

Community-Led Total Sanitation, Open Defecation Free Status, and Ebola Virus Disease in Lofa County, Liberia.

Science.gov (United States)

Capps, Jean Meyer; Njiru, Haron; deVries, Pieter

2017-01-01

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic entered Liberia through Lofa County in February 2014 and spread to two health districts where the nongovernmental organization Global Communities had been implementing community-led total sanitation (CLTS) since 2012. By December 2014 the county had 928 Ebola cases (422 of them confirmed) and 648 deaths. Before the epidemic, CLTS was triggered in 155 communities, and 98 communities were certified as Open Defecation Free (ODF). Using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods, we determined that no cases of EVD were found in ODF communities and in only one CLTS community that had not reached ODF status. No differences were found between EVD and non-EVD communities in tribe, religion, ethnic group, or major sources of Ebola information. Radio was the most common source of information for all communities, but health workers were the most trusted information sources. CLTS ODF communities attributed their avoidance of EVD to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene behaviors, especially hand washing with soap and disposal of feces that they learned from CLTS prior to the epidemic. Communities that got EVD blamed their strong initial resistance to Ebola response messages on their distrust that Ebola was real and their reliance on friends and family for advice. A strong inverse correlation between EVD and CLTS with or without ODF emerged from the regression analysis (R = -.6).

Structural and metabolic responses of microbial community to sewage-borne chlorpyrifos in constructed wetlands.

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Zhang, Dan; Wang, Chuan; Zhang, Liping; Xu, Dong; Liu, Biyun; Zhou, Qiaohong; Wu, Zhenbin

2016-06-01

Long-term use of chlorpyrifos poses a potential threat to the environment that cannot be ignored, yet little is known about the succession of substrate microbial communities in constructed wetlands (CWs) under chlorpyrifos stress. Six pilot-scale CW systems receiving artificial wastewater containing 1mg/L chlorpyrifos were established to investigate the effects of chlorpyrifos and wetland vegetation on the microbial metabolism pattern of carbon sources and community structure, using BIOLOG and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approaches. Based on our samples, BIOLOG showed that Shannon diversity (H') and richness (S) values distinctly increased after 30days when chlorpyrifos was added. At the same time, differences between the vegetated and the non-vegetated systems disappeared. DGGE profiles indicated that H' and S had no significant differences among four different treatments. The effect of chlorpyrifos on the microbial community was mainly reflected at the physiological level. Principal component analysis (PCA) of both BIOLOG and DGGE showed that added chlorpyrifos made a difference on test results. Meanwhile, there was no difference between the vegetation and no-vegetation treatments after addition of chlorpyrifos at the physiological level. Moreover, the vegetation had no significant effect on the microbial community at the genetic level. Comparisons were made between bacteria in this experiment and other known chlorpyrifos-degrading bacteria. The potential chlorpyrifos-degrading ability of bacteria in situ may be considerable. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Colonization Habitat Controls Biomass, Composition, and Metabolic Activity of Attached Microbial Communities in the Columbia River Hyporheic Corridor

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Stern, Noah; Ginder-Vogel, Matthew; Stegen, James C.; Arntzen, Evan; Kennedy, David W.; Larget, Bret R.; Roden, Eric E.; Kostka, Joel E.

2017-06-09

Hydrologic exchange plays a critical role in biogeochemical cycling within the hyporheic zone (the interface between river water and groundwater) of riverine ecosystems. Such exchange may set limits on the rates of microbial metabolism and impose deterministic selection on microbial communities that adapt to dynamically changing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) sources. This study examined the response of attached microbial communities (in situcolonized sand packs) from groundwater, hyporheic, and riverbed habitats within the Columbia River hyporheic corridor to “cross-feeding” with either groundwater, river water, or DOC-free artificial fluids. Our working hypothesis was that deterministic selection duringin situcolonization would dictate the response to cross-feeding, with communities displaying maximal biomass and respiration when supplied with their native fluid source. In contrast to expectations, the major observation was that the riverbed colonized sand had much higher biomass and respiratory activity, as well as a distinct community structure, compared with those of the hyporheic and groundwater colonized sands. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed a much higher proportion of certain heterotrophic taxa as well as significant numbers of eukaryotic algal chloroplasts in the riverbed colonized sand. Significant quantities of DOC were released from riverbed sediment and colonized sand, and separate experiments showed that the released DOC stimulated respiration in the groundwater and piezometer colonized sand. These results suggest that the accumulation and degradation of labile particulate organic carbon (POC) within the riverbed are likely to release DOC, which may enter the hyporheic corridor during hydrologic exchange, thereby stimulating microbial activity and imposing deterministic selective pressure on the microbial community composition.

IMPORTANCEThe influence of river water

The influence of Glyceria maxima and nitrate input on the composition and nitrate metabolism of the dissimilatory nitrate-reducing bacterial community

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijburg, J.W.; Laanbroek, H.J.

1997-01-01

The influence of nitrate addition and the presence of Glyceria maxima (reed sweetgrass) on the composition and nitrate metabolism of the dissimilatory nitrate-reducing bacterial community was investigated. Anoxic freshwater sediment was incubated in pots with or without G. maxima and with or without

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Associated Metabolic Risks of Hypertension in Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Community-Based Study

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Xiaoying Ding

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The mechanisms facilitating hypertension in diabetes still remain to be elucidated. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, which is a higher risk factor for insulin resistance, shares many predisposing factors with diabetes. However, little work has been performed on the pathogenesis of hypertension in type 2 diabetes (T2DM with NAFLD. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of hypertension in different glycemic statuses and to analyze relationships between NAFLD, metabolic risks, and hypertension within a large community-based population after informed written consent. A total of 9473 subjects aged over 45 years, including 1648 patients with T2DM, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Clinical and biochemical parameters of all participants were determined. The results suggested that the patients with prediabetes or T2DM were with higher risks to have hypertension. T2DM with NAFLD had significantly higher levels of blood pressure, triglyceride, uric acid, and HOMA-IR than those without NAFLD. Data analyses suggested that hypertriglyceridemia [OR = 1.773 (1.396, 2.251], NAFLD [OR = 2.344 (1.736, 3.165], hyperuricemia [OR = 1.474 (1.079, 2.012], and insulin resistance [OR = 1.948 (1.540, 2.465] were associated with the higher prevalence of hypertension independent of other metabolic risk factors in type 2 diabetes. Further studies are needed to focus on these associations.

Epidemiological predictors of metabolic syndrome in urban West Bengal, India.

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Chakraborty, Sasthi Narayan; Roy, Sunetra Kaviraj; Rahaman, Md Abdur

2015-01-01

Metabolic syndrome is one of the emerging health problems of the world. Its prevalence is high in urban areas. Though pathogenesis is complex, but the interaction of obesity, sedentary lifestyle, dietary, and genetic factors are known as contributing factors. Community-based studies were very few to find out the prevalence or predictors of the syndrome. To ascertain the prevalence and epidemiological predictors of metabolic syndrome. A total of 690 study subjects were chosen by 30 clusters random sampling method from 43 wards of Durgapur city. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 20 software and binary logistic regression was done to find out statistical significance of the predictors. Among 32.75% of the study population was diagnosed as metabolic syndrome according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition with a modification for Asia Pacific cut-off of waist circumference. Odds were more among females (2.43), upper social class (14.89), sedentary lifestyle (17.00), and positive family history. The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high in urban areas of Durgapur. Increased age, female gender, higher social status, sedentary lifestyle, positive family history, and higher education were the statistically significant predictors of metabolic syndrome.

Benthic metabolic feedbacks to carbonate chemistry on coral reefs:implications for ocean acidification

Science.gov (United States)

Price, N.; Rohwer, F. L.; Stuart, S. A.; Andersson, A.; Smith, J.

2012-12-01

The metabolic activity of resident organisms can cause spatio-temporal variability in carbonate chemistry within the benthic boundary layer, and thus potentially buffer the global impacts of ocean acidification. But, little is known about the capacity for particular species assemblages to contribute to natural daily variability in carbonate chemistry. We encapsulated replicate areas (~3m2) of reef across six Northern Line Islands in the central Pacific for 24 hrs to quantify feedbacks to carbonate chemistry within the benthic boundary layer from community metabolism. Underneath each 'tent', we quantified relative abundance and biomass of each species of corals and algae. We coupled high temporal resolution time series data on the natural diurnal variability in pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature (using autonomous sensors) with resident organisms' net community calcification and productivity rates (using change in total dissolved carbon and total alkalinity over time) to examine feedbacks from reef metabolism to boundary layer carbonate chemistry. These reefs experienced large ranges in pH (> 0.2 amplitude) each day, similar to the magnitude of 'acidification' expected over the next century. Daily benthic pH, pCO2, and aragonite saturation state (Ωaragonite) were contrasted with seasonal threshold values estimated from open ocean climatological data extrapolated at each island to determine relative inter-island feedbacks. Diurnal amplitude in pH, pCO2, and Ωaragonite at each island was dependent upon the resident species assemblage of the benthos and was particularly reliant upon the biomass, productivity, and calcification rate of Halimeda. Net primary productivity of fleshy algae (algal turfs and Lobophora spp.) predominated on degraded, inhabited islands where net community calcification was negligible. In contrast, the chemistry over reefs on 'pristine', uninhabited islands was driven largely by net calcification of calcareous algae and stony

Isotopomer distributions in amino acids from a highly expressed protein as a proxy for those from total protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaikh, Afshan; Shaikh, Afshan S.; Tang, Yinjie; Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila; Keasling, Jay D.

2008-06-27

{sup 13}C-based metabolic flux analysis provides valuable information about bacterial physiology. Though many biological processes rely on the synergistic functions of microbial communities, study of individual organisms in a mixed culture using existing flux analysis methods is difficult. Isotopomer-based flux analysis typically relies on hydrolyzed amino acids from a homogeneous biomass. Thus metabolic flux analysis of a given organism in a mixed culture requires its separation from the mixed culture. Swift and efficient cell separation is difficult and a major hurdle for isotopomer-based flux analysis of mixed cultures. Here we demonstrate the use of a single highly-expressed protein to analyze the isotopomer distribution of amino acids from one organism. Using the model organism E. coli expressing a plasmid-borne, his-tagged Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), we show that induction of GFP does not affect E. coli growth kinetics or the isotopomer distribution in nine key metabolites. Further, the isotopomer labeling patterns of amino acids derived from purified GFP and total cell protein are indistinguishable, indicating that amino acids from a purified protein can be used to infer metabolic fluxes of targeted organisms in a mixed culture. This study provides the foundation to extend isotopomer-based flux analysis to study metabolism of individual strains in microbial communities.

Metabolic and phylogenetic analysis of microbial communities during phytoremediation of soil contaminated with weathered hydrocarbons and heavy metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmroth, Marja R T; Koskinen, Perttu E P; Kaksonen, Anna H; Münster, Uwe; Pichtel, John; Puhakka, Jaakko A

2007-12-01

In the current study, the microbial ecology of weathered hydrocarbon and heavy metal contaminated soil undergoing phytoremediation was studied. The relationship of functional diversity, measured as carbon source utilisation in Biolog plates and extracellular enzymatic activities, and genetic diversity of bacteria was evaluated. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used for community analyses at the species level. Bulk soil and rhizosphere soil from pine and poplar plantations were analysed separately to determine if the plant rhizosphere impacted hydrocarbon degradation. Prevailing microbial communities in the field site were both genetically and metabolically diverse. Furthermore, both tree rhizosphere and fertilisation affected the compositions of these communities and increased activities of extracellular aminopeptidases. In addition, the abundance of alkane hydroxylase and naphthalene dioxygenase genes in the communities was low, but the prevalence of these genes was increased by the addition of bioavailable hydrocarbons. Tree rhizosphere communities had greater hydrocarbon degradation potential than those of bulk soil. Hydrocarbon utilising communities were dominated generally by the species Ralstonia eutropha and bacteria belonging to the genus Burkholderia. Despite the presence of viable hydrocarbon-degrading microbiota, decomposition of hydrocarbons from weathered hydrocarbon contaminated soil over four years, regardless of the presence of vegetation, was low in unfertilised soil. Compost addition enhanced the removal of hydrocarbons.

Tracing biofouling to the structure of the microbial community and its metabolic products: a study of the three-stage MBR process.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Dawen; Fu, Yuan; Ren, Nanqi

2013-11-01

The biofouling characteristics of a sequential anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) were analyzed during the three-stage process (fast-slow-fast transmembrane pressure (TMP) increasing). The results indicated: during the stage 1 (before day 1), the microbial communities in the activated sludge (AS), cake sludge (CS) and biofilm (BF) were similar to each other, and the adsorption of microbes and the metabolic products was the main factor that led to TMP increase; during the stage 2 (between day 1 and day 7), the cake layer begun to form and the TMP continued to rise gradually at a reduced rate compared to stage 1, at this point a characteristic microbial community colonized the CS with microorganisms such as Saprospiraceae and Comamonadaceae thriving on the membrane surface (BF) probably due to greater nutrient availability, and the predominance of these species in the microbial population led to the accumulation of biofouling metabolic products in the CS, which resulted in membrane fouling and the associated rise in TMP; during the final stage (after day 7), the biofilm had matured, and the activity of anaerobes stimulated cake compaction. The statistical analysis showed a correlation between the TMP changing rate and the carbonhydrates of soluble microbial products (SMPc) content in the CS. When the SMPc concentration rose slowly there was a low level of biofouling. However, when the SMPc accumulating rate was greater, it resulted in the more severe biofouling associated with the TMP jump. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient for the TMP increase and protein concentrations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSp) in the CS was highly significant. The cluster analysis suggested that the AS microbial community remained stable during the three TMP change stages, while the CS and BF community were changed accompanied with the TMP change. The interaction between the microbial communities and the metabolic products lead to the significant correlation

Pathways of carbon and energy metabolism of the epibiotic community associated with the deep-sea hydrothermal vent shrimp Rimicaris exoculata.

Science.gov (United States)

Hügler, Michael; Petersen, Jillian M; Dubilier, Nicole; Imhoff, Johannes F; Sievert, Stefan M

2011-01-07

The shrimp Rimicaris exoculata dominates the faunal biomass at many deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In its enlarged gill chamber it harbors a specialized epibiotic bacterial community for which a nutritional role has been proposed. We analyzed specimens from the Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge by complementing a 16S rRNA gene survey with the analysis of genes involved in carbon, sulfur and hydrogen metabolism. In addition to Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, the epibiotic community unexpectedly also consists of Deltaproteobacteria of a single phylotype, closely related to the genus Desulfocapsa. The association of these phylogenetic groups with the shrimp was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Based on functional gene analyses, we hypothesize that the Gamma- and Epsilonproteobacteria are capable of autotrophic growth by oxidizing reduced sulfur compounds, and that the Deltaproteobacteria are also involved in sulfur metabolism. In addition, the detection of proteobacterial hydrogenases indicates the potential for hydrogen oxidation in these communities. Interestingly, the frequency of these phylotypes in 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from the mouthparts differ from that of the inner lining of the gill chamber, indicating potential functional compartmentalization. Our data show the specific association of autotrophic bacteria with Rimicaris exoculata from the Snake Pit hydrothermal vent field, and suggest that autotrophic carbon fixation is contributing to the productivity of the epibiotic community with the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle as one important carbon fixation pathway. This has not been considered in previous studies of carbon fixation and stable carbon isotope composition of the shrimp and its epibionts. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of sulfur-oxidizing and sulfur-reducing epibionts raises the possibility that both may be involved in the syntrophic exchange of sulfur compounds

Association of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components with Knee Osteoarthritis

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Shahpoor Maddah

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The association of obesity and other metabolic conditions with osteoarthritis is under debate; however, a strong link between metabolic disturbances is suggested to contribute to increased incidences and progression of osteoarthritis. We examined the association of metabolic syndrome and its components with the incidence of knee osteoarthritis in Iranian population. A community-based study was conducted on a total of 625 Iranian volunteers with the complaint of knee pain. Weight-bearing and anteroposterior plain radiographs of both knees were taken on the day of admission. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the modified Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. Prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome were 22.5% in males and 11.6% in females (P=0.002. The prevalence rate of knee osteoarthritis was 20.0% in males and 43.8% of females (P<0.001. In both genders, osteoarthritis group had higher serum levels of triglyceride and systolic blood pressure in comparison with non-osteoarthritis group. Women with osteoarthritis had higher Body Mass Index (BMI, however, this association was not observed in men. In females, the presence of osteoarthritis was significantly associated with the presence of metabolic syndrome, with the risk of metabolic syndrome in the osteoarthritis group at 2.187 fold the risk in the non-osteoarthritis group. But, the presence of osteoarthritis was not associated with metabolic syndrome in males. Metabolic syndrome mainly through high BMI is associated with knee osteoarthritis in the Iranian women, but neither metabolic syndrome nor any related components are associated with knee osteoarthritis in men.

Analysis of behavioral change techniques in community-led total sanitation programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigler, Rachel; Mahmoudi, Lyana; Graham, Jay Paul

2015-03-01

The lack of sanitation facilitates the spread of diarrheal diseases-a leading cause of child deaths worldwide. As of 2012, an estimated 1 billion people still practiced open defecation (OD). To address this issue, one behavioral change approach used is community-led total sanitation (CLTS). It is now applied in an estimated 66 countries worldwide, and many countries have adopted this approach as their main strategy for scaling up rural sanitation coverage. While it appears that many of the activities used in CLTS-that target community-level changes in sanitation behaviors instead of household-level changes-have evolved out of existing behavior change frameworks and techniques, it is less clear how these activities are adapted by different organizations and applied in different country contexts. The aims of this study are to (i) show which behavior change frameworks and techniques are the most common in CLTS interventions; (ii) describe how activities are implemented in CLTS interventions by region and context; and (3) determine which activities program implementers considered the most valuable in achieving open defecation free (ODF) status and sustaining it. The results indicate that a wide range of activities are conducted across the different programs and often go beyond standard CLTS activities. CLTS practitioners ranked follow-up and monitoring activities as the most important activities for achieving an ODF community, yet only 1 of 10 organizations conducted monitoring and follow-up throughout their project. Empirical studies are needed to determine which specific behavioral change activities are most effective at ending OD and sustaining it. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Distribution, Community Composition, and Potential Metabolic Activity of Bacterioplankton in an Urbanized Mediterranean Sea Coastal Zone.

Science.gov (United States)

Richa, Kumari; Balestra, Cecilia; Piredda, Roberta; Benes, Vladimir; Borra, Marco; Passarelli, Augusto; Margiotta, Francesca; Saggiomo, Maria; Biffali, Elio; Sanges, Remo; Scanlan, David J; Casotti, Raffaella

2017-09-01

Bacterioplankton are fundamental components of marine ecosystems and influence the entire biosphere by contributing to the global biogeochemical cycles of key elements. Yet, there is a significant gap in knowledge about their diversity and specific activities, as well as environmental factors that shape their community composition and function. Here, the distribution and diversity of surface bacterioplankton along the coastline of the Gulf of Naples (GON; Italy) were investigated using flow cytometry coupled with high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Heterotrophic bacteria numerically dominated the bacterioplankton and comprised mainly Alphaproteobacteria , Gammaproteobacteria , and Bacteroidetes Distinct communities occupied river-influenced, coastal, and offshore sites, as indicated by Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, distance metric (UniFrac), linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), and multivariate analyses. The heterogeneity in diversity and community composition was mainly due to salinity and changes in environmental conditions across sites, as defined by nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations. Bacterioplankton communities were composed of a few dominant taxa and a large proportion (92%) of rare taxa (here defined as operational taxonomic units [OTUs] accounting for coastal zones is of critical importance, considering that these areas are highly productive and anthropogenically impacted. Their richness and evenness, as well as their potential activity, are very important to assess ecosystem health and functioning. Here, we investigated bacterial distribution, community composition, and potential metabolic activity in the GON, which is an ideal test site due to its heterogeneous environment characterized by a complex hydrodynamics and terrestrial inputs of varied quantities and quality. Our study demonstrates that bacterioplankton communities in this region are highly diverse and strongly regulated by a combination of different environmental

The prevalence of metabolic disorders in various phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome: a community based study in Southwest of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Tehrani, Fahimeh Ramezani; Rashidi, Homeira; Khomami, Mahnaz Bahri; Tohidi, Maryam; Azizi, Fereidoun

2014-09-16

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy, associated with metabolic abnormalities. Metabolic features of various phenotypes of this syndrome are still debatable. The aim of present study hence was to evaluate the metabolic and hormonal features of PCOS phenotypes in comparison to a group of healthy control. A total of 646 reproductive-aged women were randomly selected using the stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling method. The subjects were divided into five phenotypes: A (oligo/anovulation + hyperandrogenism + polycystic ovaries), B (oligo/anovulation + hyperandrogenism), C (hyperandrogenism + polycystic ovaries) and D (oligo/anovulation + polycystic ovaries). Hormonal and metabolic profiles and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among these groups were compared using ANCOVA adjusted for age and body mass index. Among women with PCOS (n = 85), those of groups A and C had higher serum levels of insulin and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), compared to PCOS women of group D. Serum concentrations of cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, triglycerides and glucose in group A were higher than in other phenotypes, whereas the metabolic syndrome was more prevalent among group B. Women who had all three components of the syndrome showed the highest level of metabolic disturbances indicating that metabolic screening of the severest phenotype of PCOS may be necessary.

Chronic condition as a mediator between metabolic syndrome and cognition among community-dwelling older adults: The moderating role of sex.

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Foong, Hui Foh; Hamid, Tengku Aizan; Ibrahim, Rahimah; Haron, Sharifah Azizah; Shahar, Suzana

2017-11-01

Metabolic syndrome and chronic conditions are significant predictors of cognition; however, few studies have examined how they work together in predicting cognition in old age. Therefore, the present study examines whether a chronic condition mediates the association between metabolic syndrome and cognition. In addition, it discusses the moderating role of sex in the relationships between metabolic syndrome, chronic conditions and cognition. Secondary analysis was carried out of data from the Malaysian national survey that involved 2322 community residents aged 60 years or older in Peninsular Malaysia. Cognition was measured by the digit symbol substitution test. Metabolic syndrome was assessed by five biomarkers: triglyceride, fasting blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol ratio and body mass index. Chronic conditions were assessed by self-reported medical history. The structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze the mediation and moderation tests. The number of chronic conditions partially mediated the association between metabolic syndrome and cognition. Men and women did not differ in the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cognition; however, the number of chronic conditions was found to be negatively associated with cognition in older women, but not in men. Metabolic syndrome might increase the likelihood of older adults to suffer from more chronic conditions; these responses might reduce their cognition. To prevent cognitive decline in old age, specific intervention to minimize the number of chronic conditions by reducing their vascular risk factors is warranted, especially among older women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1914-1920. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Epidemiological predictors of metabolic syndrome in urban West Bengal, India

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Sasthi Narayan Chakraborty

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is one of the emerging health problems of the world. Its prevalence is high in urban areas. Though pathogenesis is complex, but the interaction of obesity, sedentary lifestyle, dietary, and genetic factors are known as contributing factors. Community-based studies were very few to find out the prevalence or predictors of the syndrome. Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence and epidemiological predictors of metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: A total of 690 study subjects were chosen by 30 clusters random sampling method from 43 wards of Durgapur city. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 20 software and binary logistic regression was done to find out statistical significance of the predictors. Results: Among 32.75% of the study population was diagnosed as metabolic syndrome according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III definition with a modification for Asia Pacific cut-off of waist circumference. Odds were more among females (2.43, upper social class (14.89, sedentary lifestyle (17.00, and positive family history. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of metabolic syndrome was high in urban areas of Durgapur. Increased age, female gender, higher social status, sedentary lifestyle, positive family history, and higher education were the statistically significant predictors of metabolic syndrome.

[Effects of heavy metals pollution on soil microbial communities metabolism and soil enzyme activities in coal mining area of Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province of Northwest China].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xing-Liang; Gu, Jie; Chen, Zhi-Xue; Gao, Hua; Qin, Qing-Jun; Sun, Wei; Zhang, Wei-Juan

2012-03-01

This paper studied the metabolism of soil microbes, functions of soil microbial communities, and activities of soil enzymes in a coal mining area of Tongchuan. In the coal mining area, the concentrations of soil Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were significantly higher than those in the non-mining area, of which, Cd contributed most to the heavy metals pollution. By adopting Biolog method combining with principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, it was found that the metabolic characteristics of different soil microbial communities varied significantly with increasing soil heavy metals pollution, and the variation was mainly manifested in the metabolic patterns of carbon sources such as saccharides and amino acids. In slightly and moderately polluted soils, the utilization of carbon sources by soil microbial communities was activated; while in heavily polluted soils, the carbon sources utilization was inhibited. The activities of soil urease, protease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase all tended to decline with intensifying soil heavy metals pollution. The soil urease, protease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase activities in the coal mining area were 50.5%-65.1%, 19.1%-57.1%, 87.2%-97.5%, and 77.3%-86.0% higher than those in the non-mining area, respectively. The activities of soil sucrase and cellulase were activated in slightly and moderately polluted soils, but inhibited in heavily polluted soils.

Emergent biosynthetic capacity in simple microbial communities.

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Hsuan-Chao Chiu

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Microbes have an astonishing capacity to transform their environments. Yet, the metabolic capacity of a single species is limited and the vast majority of microorganisms form complex communities and join forces to exhibit capabilities far exceeding those achieved by any single species. Such enhanced metabolic capacities represent a promising route to many medical, environmental, and industrial applications and call for the development of a predictive, systems-level understanding of synergistic microbial capacity. Here we present a comprehensive computational framework, integrating high-quality metabolic models of multiple species, temporal dynamics, and flux variability analysis, to study the metabolic capacity and dynamics of simple two-species microbial ecosystems. We specifically focus on detecting emergent biosynthetic capacity--instances in which a community growing on some medium produces and secretes metabolites that are not secreted by any member species when growing in isolation on that same medium. Using this framework to model a large collection of two-species communities on multiple media, we demonstrate that emergent biosynthetic capacity is highly prevalent. We identify commonly observed emergent metabolites and metabolic reprogramming patterns, characterizing typical mechanisms of emergent capacity. We further find that emergent secretion tends to occur in two waves, the first as soon as the two organisms are introduced, and the second when the medium is depleted and nutrients become limited. Finally, aiming to identify global community determinants of emergent capacity, we find a marked association between the level of emergent biosynthetic capacity and the functional/phylogenetic distance between community members. Specifically, we demonstrate a "Goldilocks" principle, where high levels of emergent capacity are observed when the species comprising the community are functionally neither too close, nor too distant. Taken together

Total {sup 18}F-dopa PET tumour uptake reflects metabolic endocrine tumour activity in patients with a carcinoid tumour

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiebrich, Helle-Brit; Walenkamp, Annemiek M.; Vries, Elisabeth G.E. de [University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Medical Oncology, Groningen (Netherlands); Jong, Johan R. de; Koopmans, Klaas Pieter; Dierckx, Rudi A.J.O.; Brouwers, Adrienne H. [University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Groningen (Netherlands); Kema, Ido P. [University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Groningen (Netherlands); Sluiter, Wim; Links, Thera P. [University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Endocrinology, Groningen (Netherlands)

2011-10-15

Positron emission tomography (PET) using 6-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine ({sup 18}F-dopa) has an excellent sensitivity to detect carcinoid tumour lesions. {sup 18}F-dopa tumour uptake and the levels of biochemical tumour markers are mediated by tumour endocrine metabolic activity. We evaluated whether total {sup 18}F-dopa tumour uptake on PET, defined as whole-body metabolic tumour burden (WBMTB), reflects tumour load per patient, as measured with tumour markers. Seventy-seven consecutive carcinoid patients who underwent an {sup 18}F-dopa PET scan in two previously published studies were analysed. For all tumour lesions mean standardised uptake values (SUVs) at 40% of the maximal SUV and tumour volume on {sup 18}F-dopa PET were determined and multiplied to calculate a metabolic burden per lesion. WBMTB was the sum of the metabolic burden of all individual lesions per patient. The 24-h urinary serotonin, urine and plasma 5-hydroxindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), catecholamines (nor)epinephrine, dopamine and their metabolites, measured in urine and plasma, and serum chromogranin A served as tumour markers. All but 1 were evaluable for WBMTB; 74 patients had metastatic disease. {sup 18}F-dopa PET detected 979 lesions. SUV{sub max} on {sup 18}F-dopa PET varied up to 29-fold between individual lesions within the same patients. WBMTB correlated with urinary serotonin (r = 0.51) and urinary and plasma 5-HIAA (r = 0.78 and 0.66). WBMTB also correlated with urinary norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine and plasma dopamine, but not with serum chromogranin A. Tumour load per patient measured with {sup 18}F-dopa PET correlates with tumour markers of the serotonin and catecholamine pathway in urine and plasma in carcinoid patients, reflecting metabolic tumour activity. (orig.)

An investigation of total bacterial communities, culturable antibiotic-resistant bacterial communities and integrons in the river water environments of Taipei city.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chu-Wen; Chang, Yi-Tang; Chao, Wei-Liang; Shiung, Iau-Iun; Lin, Han-Sheng; Chen, Hsuan; Ho, Szu-Han; Lu, Min-Jheng; Lee, Pin-Hsuan; Fan, Shao-Ning

2014-07-30

The intensive use of antibiotics may accelerate the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). The global geographical distribution of environmental ARB has been indicated by many studies. However, the ARB in the water environments of Taiwan has not been extensively investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the communities of ARB in Huanghsi Stream, which presents a natural acidic (pH 4) water environment. Waishuanghsi Stream provides a neutral (pH 7) water environment and was thus also monitored to allow comparison. The plate counts of culturable bacteria in eight antibiotics indicate that the numbers of culturable carbenicillin- and vancomycin-resistant bacteria in both Huanghsi and Waishuanghsi Streams are greater than the numbers of culturable bacteria resistant to the other antibiotics tested. Using a 16S rDNA sequencing approach, both the antibiotic-resistant bacterial communities (culture-based) and the total bacterial communities (metagenome-based) in Waishuanghsi Stream exhibit a higher diversity than those in Huanghsi Stream were observed. Of the three classes of integron, only class I integrons were identified in Waishuanghsi Stream. Our results suggest that an acidic (pH 4) water environment may not only affect the community composition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria but also the horizontal gene transfer mediated by integrons. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of pollution induced community tolerance in a soil microbial community exposed to Cu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakelin, Steven; Gerard, Emily; Black, Amanda; Hamonts, Kelly; Condron, Leo; Yuan, Tong; Nostrand, Joy van; Zhou, Jizhong; O'Callaghan, Maureen

2014-01-01

Pollution induced community tolerance (PICT) to Cu 2+ , and co-tolerance to nanoparticulate Cu, ionic silver (Ag + ), and vancomycin were measured in field soils treated with Cu 2+ 15 years previously. EC 50 values were determined using substrate induced respiration and correlations made against soil physicochemical properties, microbial community structure, physiological status (qCO 2 ; metabolic quotient), and abundances of genes associated with metal and antibiotic resistance. Previous level of exposure to copper was directly (P  2+ , and also of nanoparticle Cu. However, Cu-exposed communities had no co-tolerance to Ag + and had increased susceptibly to vancomycin. Increased tolerance to both Cu correlated (P  + or vancomycin. • Tolerance not due to shifts in community composition or resistance genes. - Pollution induced community tolerance to Cu was linked with increased metabolic quotient but not changes in community composition or abundance of metal resistance genes in a field soil

Monitoring the bacterial community dynamics in a petroleum refinery wastewater membrane bioreactor fed with a high phenolic load.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Cynthia C; Viero, Aline F; Dias, Ana Carolina F; Andreote, Fernando D; Jesus, Ederson C; De Paula, Sergio O; Torres, Ana Paula R; Santiago, Vania M J; Oliveira, Valeria M

2010-01-01

The phenolic compounds are a major contaminant class often found in industrial wastewaters and the biological treatment is an alternative tool commonly employed for their removal. In this sense, monitoring microbial community dynamics is crucial for a successful wastewater treatment. This work aimed to monitor the structure and activity of the bacterial community during the operation of a laboratory-scale continuous submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR), using PCR and RT-PCR followed by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA libraries. Multivariate analyses carried out using DGGE profiles showed significant changes in the total and metabolically active dominant community members during the 4-week treatment period, explained mainly by phenol and ammonium input. Gene libraries were assembled using 16S rDNA and 16S rRNA PCR products from the fourth week of treatment. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of clones from 16S rDNA library revealed a high diversity of taxa for the total bacterial community, with predominance of Thauera genus (ca. 50%). On the other hand, a lower diversity was found for metabolically active bacteria, which were mostly represented by members of Betaproteobacteria (Thauera and Comamonas), suggesting that these groups have a relevant role in the phenol degradation during the final phase of the SMBR operation.

The Dark Side of the Mushroom Spring Microbial Mat: Life in the Shadow of Chlorophototrophs. II. Metabolic Functions of Abundant Community Members Predicted from Metagenomic Analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiel, Vera; Hügler, Michael; Ward, David M; Bryant, Donald A

2017-01-01

Microbial mat communities in the effluent channels of Octopus and Mushroom Springs within the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park have been extensively characterized. Previous studies have focused on the chlorophototrophic organisms of the phyla Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi . However, the diversity and metabolic functions of the other portion of the community in the microoxic/anoxic region of the mat are poorly understood. We recently described the diverse but extremely uneven microbial assemblage in the undermat of Mushroom Spring based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequences, which was dominated by Roseiflexus members, filamentous anoxygenic chlorophototrophs. In this study, we analyzed the orange-colored undermat portion of the community of Mushroom Spring mats in a genome-centric approach and discuss the metabolic potentials of the major members. Metagenome binning recovered partial genomes of all abundant community members, ranging in completeness from ~28 to 96%, and allowed affiliation of function with taxonomic identity even for representatives of novel and Candidate phyla. Less complete metagenomic bins correlated with high microdiversity. The undermat portion of the community was found to be a mixture of phototrophic and chemotrophic organisms, which use bicarbonate as well as organic carbon sources derived from different cell components and fermentation products. The presence of rhodopsin genes in many taxa strengthens the hypothesis that light energy is of major importance. Evidence for the usage of all four bacterial carbon fixation pathways was found in the metagenome. Nitrogen fixation appears to be limited to Synechococcus spp. in the upper mat layer and Thermodesulfovibrio sp. in the undermat, and nitrate/nitrite metabolism was limited. A closed sulfur cycle is indicated by biological sulfate reduction combined with the presence of genes for sulfide oxidation mainly in phototrophs. Finally, a variety of undermat microorganisms have genes for

The Dark Side of the Mushroom Spring Microbial Mat: Life in the Shadow of Chlorophototrophs. II. Metabolic Functions of Abundant Community Members Predicted from Metagenomic Analyses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera Thiel

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Microbial mat communities in the effluent channels of Octopus and Mushroom Springs within the Lower Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park have been extensively characterized. Previous studies have focused on the chlorophototrophic organisms of the phyla Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi. However, the diversity and metabolic functions of the other portion of the community in the microoxic/anoxic region of the mat are poorly understood. We recently described the diverse but extremely uneven microbial assemblage in the undermat of Mushroom Spring based on 16S rRNA amplicon sequences, which was dominated by Roseiflexus members, filamentous anoxygenic chlorophototrophs. In this study, we analyzed the orange-colored undermat portion of the community of Mushroom Spring mats in a genome-centric approach and discuss the metabolic potentials of the major members. Metagenome binning recovered partial genomes of all abundant community members, ranging in completeness from ~28 to 96%, and allowed affiliation of function with taxonomic identity even for representatives of novel and Candidate phyla. Less complete metagenomic bins correlated with high microdiversity. The undermat portion of the community was found to be a mixture of phototrophic and chemotrophic organisms, which use bicarbonate as well as organic carbon sources derived from different cell components and fermentation products. The presence of rhodopsin genes in many taxa strengthens the hypothesis that light energy is of major importance. Evidence for the usage of all four bacterial carbon fixation pathways was found in the metagenome. Nitrogen fixation appears to be limited to Synechococcus spp. in the upper mat layer and Thermodesulfovibrio sp. in the undermat, and nitrate/nitrite metabolism was limited. A closed sulfur cycle is indicated by biological sulfate reduction combined with the presence of genes for sulfide oxidation mainly in phototrophs. Finally, a variety of undermat

Microbial communities from different subsystems in biological heap leaching system play different roles in iron and sulfur metabolisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yunhua; Liu, Xueduan; Ma, Liyuan; Liang, Yili; Niu, Jiaojiao; Gu, Yabing; Zhang, Xian; Hao, Xiaodong; Dong, Weiling; She, Siyuan; Yin, Huaqun

2016-08-01

The microbial communities are important for minerals decomposition in biological heap leaching system. However, the differentiation and relationship of composition and function of microbial communities between leaching heap (LH) and leaching solution (LS) are still unclear. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to assess the microbial communities from the two subsystems in ZiJinShan copper mine (Fujian province, China). Results of PCoA and dissimilarity test showed that microbial communities in LH samples were significantly different from those in LS samples. The dominant genera of LH was Acidithiobacillus (57.2 ∼ 87.9 %), while Leptospirillum (48.6 ∼ 73.7 %) was predominant in LS. Environmental parameters (especially pH) were the major factors to influence the composition and structure of microbial community by analysis of Mantel tests. Results of functional test showed that microbial communities in LH utilized sodium thiosulfate more quickly and utilized ferrous sulfate more slowly than those in LS, which further indicated that the most sulfur-oxidizing processes of bioleaching took place in LH and the most iron-oxidizing processes were in LS. Further study found that microbial communities in LH had stronger pyrite leaching ability, and iron extraction efficiency was significantly positively correlated with Acidithiobacillus (dominated in LH), which suggested that higher abundance ratio of sulfur-oxidizing microbes might in favor of minerals decomposition. Finally, a conceptual model was designed through the above results to better exhibit the sulfur and iron metabolism in bioleaching systems.

Bone Metabolism after Total Hip Revision Surgery with Impacted Grafting: Evaluation using H215O and [18F]fluoride PET; A Pilot Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Temmerman, Olivier; Raijmakers, Pieter; Heyligers, Ide; Comans, Emile; Lubberink, Mark; Teule, Gerrit; Lammertsma, Adriaan

2008-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate bone blood flow and bone formation in patients after total hip revision surgery with impacted bone grafting using H2 15O and [18F]fluoride positron emission tomography (PET). Procedures: To asses bone blood flow and bone metabolism in bone allograft after impaction grafting,

Metabolic Effects of Berries with Structurally Diverse Anthocyanins

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John Overall

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Overconsumption of energy dense foods and sedentary lifestyle are considered as major causes of obesity-associated insulin resistance and abnormal glucose metabolism. Results from both cohort studies and randomized trials suggested that anthocyanins from berries may lower metabolic risks, however these reports are equivocal. The present study was designed to examine effects of six berries with structurally diverse anthocyanin profiles (normalized to 400 µg/g total anthocyanin content on development of metabolic risk factors in the C57BL/6 mouse model of polygenic obesity. Diets supplemented with blackberry (mono-glycosylated cyanidins, black raspberry (acylated mono-glycosylated cyanidins, blackcurrant (mono- and di-glycosylated cyanidins and delphinidins, maqui berry (di-glycosylated delphinidins, Concord grape (acylated mono-glycosylated delphinidins and petunidins, and blueberry (mono-glycosylated delphinidins, malvidins, and petunidins showed a prominent discrepancy between biological activities of delphinidin/malvidin-versus cyanidin-type anthocyanins that could be explained by differences in their structure and metabolism in the gut. Consumption of berries also resulted in a strong shift in the gastrointestinal bacterial communities towards obligate anaerobes that correlated with decrease in the gastrointestinal luminal oxygen and oxidative stress. Further work is needed to understand mechanisms that lead to nearly anoxic conditions in the gut lumens, including the relative contributions of host, diet and/or microbial oxidative activity, and their implication to human health.

Genome resolved analysis of a premature infant gut microbial community reveals a Varibaculum cambriense genome and a shift towards fermentation-based metabolism during the third week of life.

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Brown, Christopher T; Sharon, Itai; Thomas, Brian C; Castelle, Cindy J; Morowitz, Michael J; Banfield, Jillian F

2013-12-17

The premature infant gut has low individual but high inter-individual microbial diversity compared with adults. Based on prior 16S rRNA gene surveys, many species from this environment are expected to be similar to those previously detected in the human microbiota. However, the level of genomic novelty and metabolic variation of strains found in the infant gut remains relatively unexplored. To study the stability and function of early microbial colonizers of the premature infant gut, nine stool samples were taken during the third week of life of a premature male infant delivered via Caesarean section. Metagenomic sequences were assembled and binned into near-complete and partial genomes, enabling strain-level genomic analysis of the microbial community.We reconstructed eleven near-complete and six partial bacterial genomes representative of the key members of the microbial community. Twelve of these genomes share >90% putative ortholog amino acid identity with reference genomes. Manual curation of the assembly of one particularly novel genome resulted in the first essentially complete genome sequence (in three pieces, the order of which could not be determined due to a repeat) for Varibaculum cambriense (strain Dora), a medically relevant species that has been implicated in abscess formation.During the period studied, the microbial community undergoes a compositional shift, in which obligate anaerobes (fermenters) overtake Escherichia coli as the most abundant species. Other species remain stable, probably due to their ability to either respire anaerobically or grow by fermentation, and their capacity to tolerate fluctuating levels of oxygen. Metabolic predictions for V. cambriense suggest that, like other members of the microbial community, this organism is able to process various sugar substrates and make use of multiple different electron acceptors during anaerobic respiration. Genome comparisons within the family Actinomycetaceae reveal important differences

Similar microbial communities found on two distant seafloor basalts

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Esther eSinger

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The oceanic crust forms two thirds of the Earth’s surface and hosts a large phylogenetic and functional diversity of microorganisms. While advances have been made in the sedimentary realm, our understanding of the igneous rock portion as a microbial habitat has remained limited. We present the first comparative metagenomic microbial community analysis from ocean floor basalt environments at the Lō’ihi Seamount, Hawai’i, and the East Pacific Rise (EPR (9˚N. Phylogenetic analysis indicates the presence of a total of 43 bacterial and archaeal mono-phyletic groups, dominated by Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, as well as Thaumarchaeota. Functional gene analysis suggests that these Thaumarchaeota play an important role in ammonium oxidation on seafloor basalts. In addition to ammonium oxidation, the seafloor basalt habitat reveals a wide spectrum of other metabolic potentials, including CO2 fixation, denitrification, dissimilatory sulfate reduction, and sulfur oxidation. Basalt communities from Lō’ihi and the EPR show considerable metabolic and phylogenetic overlap down to the genus level despite geographic distance and slightly different seafloor basalt mineralogy.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae single-copy plasmids for auxotrophy compensation, multiple marker selection, and for designing metabolically cooperating communities [version 1; referees: 2 approved

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Michael Mülleder

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Auxotrophic markers are useful tools in cloning and genome editing, enable a large spectrum of genetic techniques, as well as facilitate the study of metabolite exchange interactions in microbial communities. If unused background auxotrophies are left uncomplemented however, yeast cells need to be grown in nutrient supplemented or rich growth media compositions, which precludes the analysis of biosynthetic metabolism, and which leads to a profound impact on physiology and gene expression. Here we present a series of 23 centromeric plasmids designed to restore prototrophy in typical Saccharomyces cerevisiae laboratory strains. The 23 single-copy plasmids complement for deficiencies in HIS3, LEU2, URA3, MET17 or LYS2 genes and in their combinations, to match the auxotrophic background of the popular functional-genomic yeast libraries that are based on the S288c strain. The plasmids are further suitable for designing self-establishing metabolically cooperating (SeMeCo communities, and possess a uniform multiple cloning site to exploit multiple parallel selection markers in protein expression experiments.

Family Environment and the Metabolic Syndrome: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study (SCAS).

Science.gov (United States)

Penedo, Frank J; Brintz, Carrie E; LLabre, Maria M; Arguelles, William; Isasi, Carmen R; Arredondo, Elva M; Navas-Nacher, Elena L; Perreira, Krista M; González, Hector M; Rodriguez, Carlos J; Daviglus, Martha; Schneiderman, Neil; Gallo, Linda C

2015-12-01

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Very limited work has evaluated associations of sociocultural processes with prevalence of the MetS. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate associations between family environment (cohesion/conflict) and the MetS, in a multi-site sample of US Hispanics/Latinos. A total of 3278 participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos underwent a clinical exam and completed psychosocial measures including family environment (cohesion and conflict) as part of the Sociocultural Ancillary Study. The association between family environment and the MetS was moderated by sex. Among all women, higher family conflict was associated with MetS prevalence. Results by ancestry group showed that only among Cuban women, higher conflict was associated with the MetS, whereas only among Dominican men, greater cohesion was associated with the MetS. The family context may be a sociocultural protective or risk factor among Hispanics/Latinos in terms of MetS risk, but these associations may vary by sex and Hispanic background.

Long-term oil contamination causes similar changes in microbial communities of two distinct soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Jingqiu; Wang, Jie; Jiang, Dalin; Wang, Michael Cai; Huang, Yi

2015-12-01

Since total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) are toxic and persistent in environments, studying the impact of oil contamination on microbial communities in different soils is vital to oil production engineering, effective soil management and pollution control. This study analyzed the impact of oil contamination on the structure, activity and function in carbon metabolism of microbial communities of Chernozem soil from Daqing oil field and Cinnamon soil from Huabei oil field through both culture-dependent techniques and a culture-independent technique-pyrosequencing. Results revealed that pristine microbial communities in these two soils presented disparate patterns, where Cinnamon soil showed higher abundance of alkane, (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) PAHs and TPH degraders, number of cultivable microbes, bacterial richness, bacterial biodiversity, and stronger microbial activity and function in carbon metabolism than Chernozem soil. It suggested that complicated properties of microbes and soils resulted in the difference in soil microbial patterns. However, the changes of microbial communities caused by oil contamination were similar in respect of two dominant phenomena. Firstly, the microbial community structures were greatly changed, with higher abundance, higher bacterial biodiversity, occurrence of Candidate_division_BRC1 and TAO6, disappearance of BD1-5 and Candidate_division_OD1, dominance of Streptomyces, higher percentage of hydrocarbon-degrading groups, and lower percentage of nitrogen-transforming groups. Secondly, microbial activity and function in carbon metabolism were significantly enhanced. Based on the characteristics of microbial communities in the two soils, appropriate strategy for in situ bioremediation was provided for each oil field. This research underscored the usefulness of combination of culture-dependent techniques and next-generation sequencing techniques both to unravel the microbial patterns and understand the ecological impact of

Making metabolism accessible and meaningful: is the definition of a central metabolic dogma within reach?

Science.gov (United States)

LaRossa, Robert A

2015-04-01

Intermediary metabolism, a dominant research area before the emergence of molecular biology, is attracting renewed interest for fundamental and applied reasons as documented here. Nonetheless, the field may appear to be a thicket precluding entry to all but the most determined. Here we present a metabolic overview that makes this important and fascinating area accessible to a broad range of the molecular biological and biotechnological communities that are being attracted to biological problems crying out for metabolic solutions. This is accomplished by identifying seven key concepts, a so-called metabolic central dogma, that provide a core understanding analogous to the "Central Dogma of Molecular Biology" which focused upon maintenance and flow of genetic information.

Cultured gut microbiota from twins discordant for obesity modulate adiposity and metabolic phenotypes in mice

OpenAIRE

Ridaura, Vanessa K.; Faith, Jeremiah J.; Rey, Federico E.; Cheng, Jiye; Duncan, Alexis E.; Kau, Andrew L.; Griffin, Nicholas W.; Lombard, Vincent; Henrissat, Bernard; Bain, James R.; Muehlbauer, Michael J.; Ilkayeva, Olga; Semenkovich, Clay F.; Funai, Katsuhiko; Hayashi, David K.

2013-01-01

The role of specific gut microbes in shaping body composition remains unclear. We transplanted fecal microbiota from adult female twin pairs discordant for obesity into germ-free mice fed low-fat mouse chow, as well as diets representing different levels of saturated fat and fruit and vegetable consumption typical of the USA. Increased total body and fat mass, as well as obesity-associated metabolic phenotypes were transmissible with uncultured fecal communities, and with their corresponding ...

Quantification of patterns of regional cardiac metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lear, J.L.; Ackermann, R.F.

1990-01-01

To quantitatively map and compare patterns of regional cardiac metabolism with greater spatial resolution than is possible with positron emission tomography (PET), the authors developed autoradiographic techniques for use with combinations of radiolabeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), glucose (GLU), and acetate (ACE) and applied the techniques to normal rats. Kinetic models were developed to compare GLU-based oxidative glucose metabolism with FDG-based total glucose metabolism (oxidative plus anaerobic) and to compare ACE-based overall oxidative metabolism with FDG-based total glucose metabolism. GLU-based metabolism generally paralleled FDG-based metabolism, but divergence occurred in certain structures such as the papillary muscles, where FDG-based metabolism was much greater. ACE-based metabolism also generally paralleled FDG-based metabolism, but again, the papillary muscles had relatively greater FDG-based metabolism. These discrepancies between FDG-based metabolism and GLU- or ACE-based metabolism suggest the presence of high levels of anaerobic glycolysis. Thus, the study indicates that anaerobic glycolysis, in addition to occurring in ischemic or stunned myocardium (as has been shown in recent PET studies), occurs normally in specific cardiac regions, despite the presence of abundant oxygen

Metabolic diversity of the heterotrophic microorganisms and potential link to pollution of the Rouge River

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiquia, S.M.

2010-01-01

The heterotrophic microbial communities of the Rouge River were tracked using Biolog Ecoplates to understand the metabolic diversity at different temporal and spatial scales, and potential link to river pollution. Site less impacted by anthrophogenic sources (site 1), showed markedly lower metabolic diversity. The only substrates that were utilized in the water samples were carbohydrates. Sites more impacted by anthrophogenic sources (sites 8 and 9) showed higher metabolic diversity. Higher functional diversity was linked to the physico-chemical and biological properties of the water samples (i.e. higher concentrations of DO, DOC, chlorophyll, and bacterial density). Biolog analysis was found to be useful in differentiating metabolic diversity between microbial communities; in determining factors that most influence the separation of communities; and in identifying which substrates were most utilized by the communities. It can also be used as an effective ecological indicator of changes in river function attributable to urbanization and pollution. - BIOLOG differentiated metabolic diversity between microbial communities and can be used as ecological indicator of river function attributable to urbanization and pollution.

Metabolic diversity of the heterotrophic microorganisms and potential link to pollution of the Rouge River

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiquia, S.M., E-mail: smtiquia@umd.umich.ed [Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan, 115F Science Building, Dearborn, MI 48128 (United States)

2010-05-15

The heterotrophic microbial communities of the Rouge River were tracked using Biolog Ecoplates to understand the metabolic diversity at different temporal and spatial scales, and potential link to river pollution. Site less impacted by anthrophogenic sources (site 1), showed markedly lower metabolic diversity. The only substrates that were utilized in the water samples were carbohydrates. Sites more impacted by anthrophogenic sources (sites 8 and 9) showed higher metabolic diversity. Higher functional diversity was linked to the physico-chemical and biological properties of the water samples (i.e. higher concentrations of DO, DOC, chlorophyll, and bacterial density). Biolog analysis was found to be useful in differentiating metabolic diversity between microbial communities; in determining factors that most influence the separation of communities; and in identifying which substrates were most utilized by the communities. It can also be used as an effective ecological indicator of changes in river function attributable to urbanization and pollution. - BIOLOG differentiated metabolic diversity between microbial communities and can be used as ecological indicator of river function attributable to urbanization and pollution.

Association of total daily physical activity with disability in community-dwelling older persons: a prospective cohort study

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Shah Raj C

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Based on findings primarily using self-report measures, physical activity has been recommended to reduce disability in old age. Collecting objective measures of total daily physical activity in community-dwelling older adults is uncommon, but might enhance the understanding of the relationship of physical activity and disability. We examined whether greater total daily physical activity was associated with less report of disability in the elderly. Methods Data were from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal prospective cohort study of common, age-related, chronic conditions. Total daily physical activity was measured in community-dwelling participants with an average age of 82 using actigraphy for approximately 9 days. Disability was measured via self-reported basic activities of daily living (ADL. The odds ratio and 95% Confidence Interval (CI were determined for the baseline association of total daily physical activity and ADL disability using a logistic regression model adjusted for age, education level, gender and self-report physical activity. In participants without initial report of ADL disability, the hazard ratio and 95% CI were determined for the relationship of baseline total daily physical activity and the development of ADL disability using a discrete time Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for demographics and self-report physical activity. Results In 870 participants, the mean total daily physical activity was 2. 9 × 105 counts/day (range in 105 counts/day = 0.16, 13. 6 and the mean hours/week of self-reported physical activity was 3.2 (SD = 3.6. At baseline, 718 (82.5% participants reported being independent in all ADLs. At baseline, total daily physical activity was protective against disability (OR per 105 counts/day difference = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.47, 0.65. Of the participants without baseline disability, 584 were followed for 3.4 years on average. Each 105 counts/day additional total

Field assessment of bacterial communities and total trihalomethanes: Implications for drinking water networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya-Pachongo, Carolina; Douterelo, Isabel; Noakes, Catherine; Camargo-Valero, Miller Alonso; Sleigh, Andrew; Escobar-Rivera, Juan-Carlos; Torres-Lozada, Patricia

2018-03-01

Operation and maintenance (O&M) of drinking water distribution networks (DWDNs) in tropical countries simultaneously face the control of acute and chronic risks due to the presence of microorganisms and disinfection by-products, respectively. In this study, results from a detailed field characterization of microbiological, chemical and infrastructural parameters of a tropical-climate DWDN are presented. Water physicochemical parameters and the characteristics of the network were assessed to evaluate the relationship between abiotic and microbiological factors and their association with the presence of total trihalomethanes (TTHMs). Illumina sequencing of the bacterial 16s rRNA gene revealed significant differences in the composition of biofilm and planktonic communities. The highly diverse biofilm communities showed the presence of methylotrophic bacteria, which suggest the presence of methyl radicals such as THMs within this habitat. Microbiological parameters correlated with water age, pH, temperature and free residual chlorine. The results from this study are necessary to increase the awareness of O&M practices in DWDNs required to reduce biofilm formation and maintain appropriate microbiological and chemical water quality, in relation to biofilm detachment and DBP formation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reprint of Design of synthetic microbial communities for biotechnological production processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jagmann, Nina; Philipp, Bodo

2014-12-20

In their natural habitats microorganisms live in multi-species communities, in which the community members exhibit complex metabolic interactions. In contrast, biotechnological production processes catalyzed by microorganisms are usually carried out with single strains in pure cultures. A number of production processes, however, may be more efficiently catalyzed by the concerted action of microbial communities. This review will give an overview of organismic interactions between microbial cells and of biotechnological applications of microbial communities. It focuses on synthetic microbial communities that consist of microorganisms that have been genetically engineered. Design principles for such synthetic communities will be exemplified based on plausible scenarios for biotechnological production processes. These design principles comprise interspecific metabolic interactions via cross-feeding, regulation by interspecific signaling processes via metabolites and autoinducing signal molecules, and spatial structuring of synthetic microbial communities. In particular, the implementation of metabolic interdependencies, of positive feedback regulation and of inducible cell aggregation and biofilm formation will be outlined. Synthetic microbial communities constitute a viable extension of the biotechnological application of metabolically engineered single strains and enlarge the scope of microbial production processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbiology Meets Archaeology: Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC).

Science.gov (United States)

Margesin, Rosa; Siles, José A; Cajthaml, Tomas; Öhlinger, Birgit; Kistler, Erich

2017-05-01

Microbial ecology has been recognized as useful in archaeological studies. At Archaic Monte Iato in Western Sicily, a native (indigenous) building was discovered. The objective of this study was the first examination of soil microbial communities related to this building. Soil samples were collected from archaeological layers at a ritual deposit (food waste disposal) in the main room and above the fireplace in the annex. Microbial soil characterization included abundance (cellular phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), viable bacterial counts), activity (physiological profiles, enzyme activities of viable bacteria), diversity, and community structure (bacterial and fungal Illumina amplicon sequencing, identification of viable bacteria). PLFA-derived microbial abundance was lower in soils from the fireplace than in soils from the deposit; the opposite was observed with culturable bacteria. Microbial communities in soils from the fireplace had a higher ability to metabolize carboxylic and acetic acids, while those in soils from the deposit metabolized preferentially carbohydrates. The lower deposit layer was characterized by higher total microbial and bacterial abundance and bacterial richness and by a different carbohydrate metabolization profile compared to the upper deposit layer. Microbial community structures in the fireplace were similar and could be distinguished from those in the two deposit layers, which had different microbial communities. Our data confirmed our hypothesis that human consumption habits left traces on microbiota in the archaeological evidence; therefore, microbiological residues as part of the so-called ecofacts are, like artifacts, key indicators of consumer behavior in the past.

Short-term hypertension management in community is associated with long-term risk of stroke and total death in China: A community controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zengwu; Hao, Guang; Wang, Xin; Wang, Wen; Chen, Weiwei; Zhu, Manlu

2016-11-01

It is not fully clear whether the effect of short-term management in community can reduce the long-term risk of stroke OBJECTIVES:: To evaluate whether short-term hypertension management is associated with long-term incidence of stroke and total death in community health centers in China. Community controlled trail. Six community health centers (4 active, 2 control) in China, patients with hypertension. Patients were treated with normally therapy method. Patients were treated oriented by the Guideline for hypertension management. Two centers (Hebei and Zhejiang) from the Hypertension Control in Community (HCC) Project, which was conducted from 2005 to 2008, were randomly selected for this study. Four thousand hypertensive patients from these centers, who were under management for one year in the baseline, were followed up in 2013. The electronic health record system (2005-2008) was used to identify 2000 hypertensive patients, who were not included in HCC but lived in comparable community health center in the same province, as the control group. All baseline and follow-up data were collected using standardized questionnaires for stroke outcomes. Stroke. Of the 6000 participants, 3787 (63.1%) were eligible for analysis. At the time of follow-up, the average BP was kept in the lower level than that in baseline, and the control rate was 59.3%. After propensity-score matching, 110 strokes (2.0% vs 4.6%) and 141 deaths (1.4% vs 3.8%) were noted in the matched intervention and control groups (1078 pairs), respectively. Patients in the intervention group were less likely to experience a stroke or die than those in the control group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26-0.62, P stroke in hypertensive patients.

Effects of total vitamin A, vitamin C, and fruit intake on risk for metabolic syndrome in Korean women and men.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Sunmin; Ham, Jung-O; Lee, Byung-Kook

2015-01-01

The question of whether the consumption of antioxidants prevents and alleviates metabolic syndrome (MetS) by reducing insulin resistance remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess whether the intake of vitamin A (including β-carotene), vitamin C, fruits, or vegetables was negatively associated with MetS in Korean adults aged ≥ 20 y. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 27,656 adults ≥ 20 y of age who participated in the 2007-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Daily intake of vitamin A and vitamin C was assessed by 24-h recall, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables was determined using a food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) for MetS were calculated for log2-transformed vitamin A and C intake values and for the interaction of sex with vitamin A and C intake, after covariate adjustment. Interactions were seen between total vitamin A and C intake and sex for MetS. With a twofold increase in total vitamin A and C intake in women, the ORs (95% confidence intervals) for metabolic syndrome were 0.942 (0.901-0.985) and 0.933 (0.883-0.987), indicating decreases of 5.8% and 6.7% in MetS, respectively. There were no equivalent decreases in men. Women in the second and highest tertiles of fruit intake exhibited 17.5% and 21.8% lower incidences of MetS, respectively, compared with women in the lowest tertile. The intake of total vitamin A and C, as well as moderate and high fruit intake, may have alleviated MetS in women, but not in men, in a representative sample of the general South Korean population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metabolic syndrome and menopause

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Jouyandeh Zahra

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The metabolic syndrome is defined as an assemblage of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and menopause is associated with an increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among postmenopausal women in Tehran, Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study in menopause clinic in Tehran, 118 postmenopausal women were investigated. We used the adult treatment panel 3 (ATP3 criteria to classify subjects as having metabolic syndrome. Results Total prevalence of metabolic syndrome among our subjects was 30.1%. Waist circumference, HDL-cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, diastolic blood pressure ,Systolic blood pressure, and triglyceride were significantly higher among women with metabolic syndrome (P-value Conclusions Our study shows that postmenopausal status is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Therefore, to prevent cardiovascular disease there is a need to evaluate metabolic syndrome and its components from the time of the menopause.

Rumen microbial communities influence metabolic phenotypes in lambs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morgavi, Diego P.; Rahahao-Paris, Estelle; Popova, Milka

2015-01-01

and the metabolic phenotype of lambs for identifying host-microbe associations and potential biomarkers of digestive functions. Twin lambs, separated in two groups after birth were exposed to practices (isolation and gavage with rumen fluid with protozoa or protozoa-depleted) that differentially restricted...

From a Moment of Totality to a Lasting Community

Science.gov (United States)

Gay, Pamela; Murph, Susan; Astronomy Cast

2018-01-01

The 2017 Great American Eclipse provided a reason for people from around the world to come together in one place and share their passion for astronomy. The Astronomy Cast podcast provided an opportunity and organizational structure for 100 people from more than 10 nations to come together for 3 days. These people are all listeners of the Astronomy Cast podcast, or family members of listeners. The majority of attendees did not know one another prior to this event. In this poster, we look at what organizational structure was provided to attendees before, during, and after this event, and how important different factors have been in building a lasting community from this group of attendees.The primary goals in hosting the Astronomy Cast event was to build a lasting community of people willing to attend real-world learning opportunities, and to facilitate the formation of social relationships between attendees that would encourage continued engagement. In order to meet these goals, we needed to construct an event that both met attendee expectations for science lectures and events, and also facilitated communications between attendees. We recognized that attendees would largely be introverts, and that this would present challenges to community building. Our strategy for success included: building a Facebook group well in advance of the event and using regular communications to build excitement; providing a space for community building as well as food and board games to communicate around; and following up the event with opportunities for participants to share the photos, experiences, and ways to connect.This work includes analysis of attendee surveys and commentaries that are used to study which aspects of this program were most (and least successful), and to see what self-maintaining community has been created.

[Types of dislipidemia in children with metabolic syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Hromnats'ka, N M

2014-01-01

To study dyslipidemia types in children with metabolic syndrome. From 1520 children of total population 155 children aged from 9 to 18 years were selected, who formed 2 groups: 1 group--85 children with metabolic syndrome, 2 group--54 children with normal body mass. Anthropometry, blood pressure measurement, estimation of total cholesterol, low density cholesterol, very low density cholesterol, high density cholesterol, tryglicerides in blood were done. The total cholesterol level was 1,1 times higher (p = 0.001), low density cholesterol 1,4 times higher (p = 0.001), very low density cholesterol 1,1 times higher (p= 0.015), tryglicerides 1,1 times higher (p = 0.020) in children with metabolic syndrome than in children of control group. In children with metabolic syndrome sensitively more often IIa, IV dislipidemia types and isolated hypercholesterolemia and less often IIb, III dislipidemia types and high density cholesterol isolated decrease were diagnosed. So children with metabolic syndrome were characterized by atherogenic types of dislipidemias which determine early atherosclerosis development. Children with metabolic syndrome must be examined on the lipid metabolism violation with the aim of its prevention and correction.

Mechanisms of pollution induced community tolerance in a soil microbial community exposed to Cu.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakelin, Steven; Gerard, Emily; Black, Amanda; Hamonts, Kelly; Condron, Leo; Yuan, Tong; van Nostrand, Joy; Zhou, Jizhong; O'Callaghan, Maureen

2014-07-01

Pollution induced community tolerance (PICT) to Cu(2+), and co-tolerance to nanoparticulate Cu, ionic silver (Ag(+)), and vancomycin were measured in field soils treated with Cu(2+) 15 years previously. EC50 values were determined using substrate induced respiration and correlations made against soil physicochemical properties, microbial community structure, physiological status (qCO2; metabolic quotient), and abundances of genes associated with metal and antibiotic resistance. Previous level of exposure to copper was directly (P < 0.05) associated with tolerance to addition of new Cu(2+), and also of nanoparticle Cu. However, Cu-exposed communities had no co-tolerance to Ag(+) and had increased susceptibly to vancomycin. Increased tolerance to both Cu correlated (P < 0.05) with increased metabolic quotient, potentially indicating that the community directed more energy towards cellular maintenance rather than biomass production. Neither bacterial or fungal community composition nor changes in the abundance of genes involved with metal resistance were related to PICT or co-tolerance mechanisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metabolic network modeling of microbial interactions in natural and engineered environmental systems

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Octavio ePerez-Garcia

2016-05-01

Full Text Available We review approaches to characterize metabolic interactions within microbial communities using Stoichiometric Metabolic Network (SMN models for applications in environmental and industrial biotechnology. SMN models are computational tools used to evaluate the metabolic engineering potential of various organisms. They have successfully been applied to design and optimize the microbial production of antibiotics, alcohols and amino acids by single strains. To date however, such models have been rarely applied to analyze and control the metabolism of more complex microbial communities. This is largely attributed to the diversity of microbial community functions, metabolisms and interactions. Here, we firstly review different types of microbial interaction and describe their relevance for natural and engineered environmental processes. Next, we provide a general description of the essential methods of the SMN modeling workflow including the steps of network reconstruction, simulation through Flux Balance Analysis (FBA, experimental data gathering, and model calibration. Then we broadly describe and compare four approaches to model microbial interactions using metabolic networks, i.e. i lumped networks, ii compartment per guild networks, iii bi-level optimization simulations and iv dynamic-SMN methods. These approaches can be used to integrate and analyze diverse microbial physiology, ecology and molecular community data. All of them (except the lumped approach are suitable for incorporating species abundance data but so far they have been used only to model simple communities of two to eight different species. Interactions based on substrate exchange and competition can be directly modeled using the above approaches. However, interactions based on metabolic feedbacks, such as product inhibition and synthropy require extensions to current models, incorporating gene regulation and compounding accumulation mechanisms. SMN models of microbial

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation for 12 Weeks Increases Resting and Exercise Metabolic Rate in Healthy Community-Dwelling Older Females.

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Samantha L Logan

Full Text Available Critical among the changes that occur with aging are decreases in muscle mass and metabolic rate and an increase in fat mass. These changes may predispose older adults to chronic disease and functional impairment; ultimately resulting in a decrease in the quality of life. Research has suggested that long chain omega-3 fatty acids, found predominantly in fatty fish, may assist in reducing these changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fish oil (FO supplementation in a cohort of healthy, community-dwelling older females on 1 metabolic rate and substrate oxidation at rest and during exercise; 2 resting blood pressure and resting and exercise heart rates; 3 body composition; 4 strength and physical function, and; 5 blood measures of insulin, glucose, c-reactive protein, and triglycerides. Twenty-four females (66 ± 1 yr were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either 3g/d of EPA and DHA or a placebo (PL, olive oil for 12 wk. Exercise measurements were taken before and after 12 wk of supplementation and resting metabolic measures were made before and at 6 and 12 wk of supplementation. The results demonstrated that FO supplementation significantly increased resting metabolic rate by 14%, energy expenditure during exercise by 10%, and the rate of fat oxidation during rest by 19% and during exercise by 27%. In addition, FO consumption lowered triglyceride levels by 29% and increased lean mass by 4% and functional capacity by 7%, while no changes occurred in the PL group. In conclusion, FO may be a strategy to improve age-related physical and metabolic changes in healthy older females. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01734538.

Independent associations between a metabolic syndrome severity score and future diabetes by sex and race: the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study and Jackson Heart Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurka, Matthew J; Golden, Sherita H; Musani, Solomon K; Sims, Mario; Vishnu, Abhishek; Guo, Yi; Cardel, Michelle; Pearson, Thomas A; DeBoer, Mark D

2017-07-01

The study aimed to assess for an association between the degree of severity of the metabolic syndrome and risk of type 2 diabetes beyond that conferred by the individual components of the metabolic syndrome. We assessed HRs for an Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) metabolic syndrome score (ATP-III MetS) and a sex- and race-specific continuous metabolic syndrome severity z score related to incident diabetes over a median of 7.8 years of follow-up among participants of two observational cohorts, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (n = 10,957) and the Jackson Heart Study (n = 2137). The ATP-III MetS had an HR for incident diabetes of 4.36 (95% CI 3.83, 4.97), which was attenuated in models that included the individual metabolic syndrome components. By contrast, participants in the fourth quartile of metabolic syndrome severity (compared with the first quartile) had an HR of 17.4 (95% CI 12.6, 24.1) for future diabetes; in models that also included the individual metabolic syndrome components, this remained significant, with an HR of 3.69 (95% CI 2.42, 5.64). There was a race × metabolic syndrome interaction in these models such that HR was greater for black participants (5.30) than white participants (2.24). When the change in metabolic syndrome severity score was included in the hazard models, this conferred a further association, with changes in metabolic syndrome severity score of ≥0.5 having a HR of 2.66 compared with changes in metabolic syndrome severity score of ≤0. Use of a continuous sex- and race-specific metabolic syndrome severity z score provided an additional prediction of risk of diabetes beyond that of the individual metabolic syndrome components, suggesting an added risk conferred by the processes underlying the metabolic syndrome. Increases in this score over time were associated with further risk, supporting the potential clinical utility of following metabolic syndrome severity over time.

Cardiometabolic disease risk in metabolically healthy and unhealthy obesity: Stability of metabolic health status in adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Fangjian; Garvey, W Timothy

2016-02-01

To assess the stability of metabolic status and body mass index (BMI) status and their relative contribution to risk of diabetes, cardiovascular events, and mortality. A total of 14,685 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and 4,990 from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study were included. People with healthy obesity (HO) are defined as those meeting all three indices of blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids. People with unhealthy obesity crossed the risk threshold for all three criteria. In both healthy and unhealthy subgroups, risks for coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and mortality were comparable among BMI status during a mean 18.7-year follow-up. When compared with HO, hazard ratios were increased for diabetes (5.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.12-7.48), CHD (5.60, 95% CI 3.14-9.98), stroke (4.84, 95% CI 2.13-10.97), and mortality (2.6, 95% CI 1.88-3.61) in people with unhealthy obesity. BMI only moderately increased the risks for diabetes among healthy subjects. In the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study over 20 years, 17.5% of lean subjects and 67.3% of overweight subjects at baseline developed obesity during follow-up. Despite rising BMI, metabolic status remained relatively stable. Metabolic status is relatively stable despite rising BMI. HO had lower risks for diabetes, CHD, stroke, and mortality than unhealthy subjects but increased diabetes risks than healthy lean people. Cardiometabolic risk factors confer much higher risk than obesity per se. © 2015 The Obesity Society.

Type D personality is associated with increased metabolic syndrome prevalence and an unhealthy lifestyle in a cross-sectional Dutch community sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Mommersteeg, Paula M C; Kupper, Nina; Denollet, Johan

2010-11-19

People with Type D-Distressed-personality have a general tendency towards increased negative affectivity (NA), while at the same time inhibiting these emotions in social situations (SI). Type D personality is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. Whether Type D personality is a cardiovascular risk factor in healthy populations remains to be investigated. In the present study, the relations between Type D personality and classical cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. metabolic syndrome and lifestyle were investigated in a Dutch community sample. In a cross-sectional study 1592 participants were included, aged 20-80 years. Metabolic syndrome was defined by self-report, following the International Diabetes Federation-IDF-guidelines including an increased waist circumference, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. In addition lifestyle factors smoking, alcohol use, exercise and dietary habits were examined. Metabolic syndrome prevalence was stratified by Type D personality (a high score on both NA and SI), lifestyle and confounders age, gender, having a partner, higher education level, cardiac history, family history of cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome was more prevalent in persons with a Type D personality (13% vs. 6%). Persons with Type D personality made poorer lifestyle choices, adhered less to the physical activity norm (OR = 1.5, 95%CI = 1.1-2.0, p = .02), had a less varied diet (OR = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.40-0.70, p lifestyle factors and confounders. Type D personality is related to an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and unhealthy lifestyle, which suggests both behavioral and biological vulnerability for development of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.

UV sensitivity of planktonic net community production in ocean surface waters

Science.gov (United States)

Regaudie-de-Gioux, Aurore; Agustí, Susana; Duarte, Carlos M.

2014-05-01

The net plankton community metabolism of oceanic surface waters is particularly important as it more directly affects the partial pressure of CO2 in surface waters and thus the air-sea fluxes of CO2. Plankton communities in surface waters are exposed to high irradiance that includes significant ultraviolet blue (UVB, 280-315 nm) radiation. UVB radiation affects both photosynthetic and respiration rates, increase plankton mortality rates, and other metabolic and chemical processes. Here we test the sensitivity of net community production (NCP) to UVB of planktonic communities in surface waters across contrasting regions of the ocean. We observed here that UVB radiation affects net plankton community production at the ocean surface, imposing a shift in NCP by, on average, 50% relative to the values measured when excluding partly UVB. Our results show that under full solar radiation, the metabolic balance shows the prevalence of net heterotrophic community production. The demonstration of an important effect of UVB radiation on NCP in surface waters presented here is of particular relevance in relation to the increased UVB radiation derived from the erosion of the stratospheric ozone layer. Our results encourage design future research to further our understanding of UVB effects on the metabolic balance of plankton communities.

Type D personality is associated with increased metabolic syndrome prevalence and an unhealthy lifestyle in a cross-sectional Dutch community sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denollet Johan

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background People with Type D-Distressed-personality have a general tendency towards increased negative affectivity (NA, while at the same time inhibiting these emotions in social situations (SI. Type D personality is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease. Whether Type D personality is a cardiovascular risk factor in healthy populations remains to be investigated. In the present study, the relations between Type D personality and classical cardiovascular risk factors, i.e. metabolic syndrome and lifestyle were investigated in a Dutch community sample. Methods In a cross-sectional study 1592 participants were included, aged 20-80 years. Metabolic syndrome was defined by self-report, following the International Diabetes Federation-IDF-guidelines including an increased waist circumference, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. In addition lifestyle factors smoking, alcohol use, exercise and dietary habits were examined. Metabolic syndrome prevalence was stratified by Type D personality (a high score on both NA and SI, lifestyle and confounders age, gender, having a partner, higher education level, cardiac history, family history of cardiovascular disease. Results Metabolic syndrome was more prevalent in persons with a Type D personality (13% vs. 6%. Persons with Type D personality made poorer lifestyle choices, adhered less to the physical activity norm (OR = 1.5, 95%CI = 1.1-2.0, p = .02, had a less varied diet (OR = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.40-0.70, p p = .01. Type D personality was related to a twofold increased risk of metabolic syndrome (OR = 2.2, 95%CI = 1.2-4.0, p = .011, independent of lifestyle factors and confounders. Conclusions Type D personality is related to an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and unhealthy lifestyle, which suggests both behavioral and biological vulnerability for development of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.

Sediment bacterial community structures and their predicted functions implied the impacts from natural processes and anthropogenic activities in coastal area.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Zhiguo; Dai, Tianjiao; Tang, Yushi; Tao, Yile; Huang, Bei; Mu, Qinglin; Wen, Donghui

2018-06-01

Coastal ecosystem structures and functions are changing under natural and anthropogenic influences. In this study, surface sediment samples were collected from disturbed zone (DZ), near estuary zone (NEZ), and far estuary zone (FEZ) of Hangzhou Bay, one of the most seriously polluted bays in China. The bacterial community structures and predicted functions varied significantly in different zones. Firmicutes were found most abundantly in DZ, highlighting the impacts of anthropogenic activities. Sediment total phosphorus was most influential on the bacterial community structures. Predicted by PICRUSt analysis, DZ significantly exceeded FEZ and NEZ in the subcategory of Xenobiotics Biodegradation and Metabolism; and DZ enriched all the nitrate reduction related genes, except nrfA gene. Seawater salinity and inorganic nitrogen, respectively as the representative natural and anthropogenic factor, performed exact-oppositely in nitrogen metabolism functions. The changes of bacterial community compositions and predicted functions provide a new insight into human-induced pollution impacts on coastal ecosystem. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Boom clay pore water, home of a diverse microbial community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wouters, Katinka; Moors, Hugo; Leys, Natalie

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom Clay pore water (BCPW) has been studied in the framework of geological disposal of nuclear waste for over two decades, thereby mainly addressing its geochemical properties. A reference composition for synthetic clay water has been derived earlier by modelling and spatial calibration efforts, mainly based on interstitial water sampled from different layers within the Boom clay. However, since microbial activity is found in a range of extreme circumstances, the possibility of microbes interacting with future radioactive waste in a host formation like Boom Clay, cannot be ignored. In this respect, BCPW was sampled from different Boom Clay layers using the Morpheus piezometer and subsequently analysed by a complementary set of microbiological and molecular techniques, in search for overall shared and abundant microorganisms. Similar to the previous characterization of the 'average' BCPW chemical composition, the primary aim of this microbiological study is to determine a representative BCPW microbial community which can be used in laboratory studies. Secondly, the in situ activity and the metabolic properties of members of this community were addressed, aiming to assess their survival and proliferation chances in repository conditions. In a first approach, total microbial DNA of the community was extracted from the BCPW samples. This molecular approach allows a broad insight in the total microbial ecology of the BCPW samples. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the highly conserved 16S rRNA genes in this DNA pool and subsequent sequencing and bio-informatics analysis, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) could be assigned to the microbial community. The bacterial community was found to be quite diverse, with OTUs belonging to 8 different phyla (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Spirochetes, Chloroflexi and Deinococcus-Thermus). These results provide an overall view of the

Boom clay pore water, home of a diverse microbial community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wouters, Katinka; Moors, Hugo; Leys, Natalie [SCK.CEN, Environment, Health and Safety Institute, B-2400 Mol (Belgium)

2012-10-15

Document available in extended abstract form only. Boom Clay pore water (BCPW) has been studied in the framework of geological disposal of nuclear waste for over two decades, thereby mainly addressing its geochemical properties. A reference composition for synthetic clay water has been derived earlier by modelling and spatial calibration efforts, mainly based on interstitial water sampled from different layers within the Boom clay. However, since microbial activity is found in a range of extreme circumstances, the possibility of microbes interacting with future radioactive waste in a host formation like Boom Clay, cannot be ignored. In this respect, BCPW was sampled from different Boom Clay layers using the Morpheus piezometer and subsequently analysed by a complementary set of microbiological and molecular techniques, in search for overall shared and abundant microorganisms. Similar to the previous characterization of the 'average' BCPW chemical composition, the primary aim of this microbiological study is to determine a representative BCPW microbial community which can be used in laboratory studies. Secondly, the in situ activity and the metabolic properties of members of this community were addressed, aiming to assess their survival and proliferation chances in repository conditions. In a first approach, total microbial DNA of the community was extracted from the BCPW samples. This molecular approach allows a broad insight in the total microbial ecology of the BCPW samples. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the highly conserved 16S rRNA genes in this DNA pool and subsequent sequencing and bio-informatics analysis, operational taxonomic units (OTUs) could be assigned to the microbial community. The bacterial community was found to be quite diverse, with OTUs belonging to 8 different phyla (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Spirochetes, Chloroflexi and Deinococcus-Thermus). These results provide an overall view of the

Oligotrophication and Metabolic Slowing-Down of a NW Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susana Agusti

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Increased oligotrophication is expected for oligotrophic areas as a consequence of ocean warming, which reduces diffusive vertical nutrient supply due to strengthened stratification. Evidence of ocean oligotrophication has been, thus far, reported for the open ocean. Here we reported oligotrophication and associated changes in plankton community metabolism with warming in a pristine, oligotrophic Mediterranean coastal area (Cap Salines, Mallorca Island, Spain during a 10 years time series. As a temperate area, there were seasonal patterns associated to changes in the broad temperature range (12.0–28.4°C, with a primary phytoplankton bloom in late winter and a secondary one in the fall. Community respiration (R rates peaked during summers and showed higher rates relative to gross primary production (GPP with a prevalence of heterotrophic metabolism (2/3's of net community production (NCP estimates. Chlorophyll a concentration significantly decreased with increasing water temperature in the coastal site at a rate of 0.014 ± 0.003 μg Chla L−1 °C−1 (P < 0.0001. The study revealed a significant decrease with time in Chlorophyll a concentration and nutrients concentration, indicating oligotrophication during the last decade. Community productivity consistently decreased with time as both GPP and R showed a significant decline. Warming of the Mediterranean Sea is expected to increase plankton metabolic rates, but the results indicated that the associated oligotrophication must lead to a slowing down of the community metabolism.

Oligotrophication and Metabolic Slowing-Down of a NW Mediterranean Coastal Ecosystem

KAUST Repository

Agusti, Susana

2017-12-22

Increased oligotrophication is expected for oligotrophic areas as a consequence of ocean warming, which reduces diffusive vertical nutrient supply due to strengthened stratification. Evidence of ocean oligotrophication has been, thus far, reported for the open ocean. Here we reported oligotrophication and associated changes in plankton community metabolism with warming in a pristine, oligotrophic Mediterranean coastal area (Cap Salines, Mallorca Island, Spain) during a 10 years time series. As a temperate area, there were seasonal patterns associated to changes in the broad temperature range (12.0–28.4°C), with a primary phytoplankton bloom in late winter and a secondary one in the fall. Community respiration (R) rates peaked during summers and showed higher rates relative to gross primary production (GPP) with a prevalence of heterotrophic metabolism (2/3\\'s of net community production (NCP) estimates). Chlorophyll a concentration significantly decreased with increasing water temperature in the coastal site at a rate of 0.014 ± 0.003 μg Chla L−1 °C−1 (P < 0.0001). The study revealed a significant decrease with time in Chlorophyll a concentration and nutrients concentration, indicating oligotrophication during the last decade. Community productivity consistently decreased with time as both GPP and R showed a significant decline. Warming of the Mediterranean Sea is expected to increase plankton metabolic rates, but the results indicated that the associated oligotrophication must lead to a slowing down of the community metabolism.

Nanoscale zero-valent iron/persulfate enhanced upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for dye removal: Insight into microbial metabolism and microbial community

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Fei; Zhong, Xiaohan; Xia, Dongsheng; Yin, Xianze; Li, Fan; Zhao, Dongye; Ji, Haodong; Liu, Wen

2017-03-01

This study investigated the efficiency of nanoscale zero-valent iron combined with persulfate (NZVI/PS) for enhanced degradation of brilliant red X-3B in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, and examined the effects of NZVI/PS on anaerobic microbial communities during the treatment process. The addition of NZVI (0.5 g/L) greatly enhanced the decolourization rate of X-3B from 63.8% to 98.4%. The Biolog EcoPlateTM technique was utilized to examine microbial metabolism in the reactor, and the Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing revealed 22 phyla and 88 genera of the bacteria. The largest genera (Lactococcus) decreased from 33.03% to 7.94%, while the Akkermansia genera increased from 1.69% to 20.23% according to the abundance in the presence of 0.2 g/L NZVI during the biological treatment process. Meanwhile, three strains were isolated from the sludge in the UASB reactors and identified by 16 S rRNA analysis. The distribution of three strains was consistent with the results from the Illumina MiSeq high throughput sequencing. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that Fe(0) was transformed into Fe(II)/Fe(III) during the treatment process, which are beneficial for the microorganism growth, and thus promoting their metabolic processes and microbial community.

Nanoscale zero-valent iron/persulfate enhanced upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor for dye removal: Insight into microbial metabolism and microbial community

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Fei; Zhong, Xiaohan; Xia, Dongsheng; Yin, Xianze; Li, Fan; Zhao, Dongye; Ji, Haodong; Liu, Wen

2017-01-01

This study investigated the efficiency of nanoscale zero-valent iron combined with persulfate (NZVI/PS) for enhanced degradation of brilliant red X-3B in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, and examined the effects of NZVI/PS on anaerobic microbial communities during the treatment process. The addition of NZVI (0.5 g/L) greatly enhanced the decolourization rate of X-3B from 63.8% to 98.4%. The Biolog EcoPlateTM technique was utilized to examine microbial metabolism in the reactor, and the Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing revealed 22 phyla and 88 genera of the bacteria. The largest genera (Lactococcus) decreased from 33.03% to 7.94%, while the Akkermansia genera increased from 1.69% to 20.23% according to the abundance in the presence of 0.2 g/L NZVI during the biological treatment process. Meanwhile, three strains were isolated from the sludge in the UASB reactors and identified by 16 S rRNA analysis. The distribution of three strains was consistent with the results from the Illumina MiSeq high throughput sequencing. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that Fe(0) was transformed into Fe(II)/Fe(III) during the treatment process, which are beneficial for the microorganism growth, and thus promoting their metabolic processes and microbial community. PMID:28300176

Soil Parameters Drive the Structure, Diversity and Metabolic Potentials of the Bacterial Communities Across Temperate Beech Forest Soil Sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanbille, M; Buée, M; Bach, C; Cébron, A; Frey-Klett, P; Turpault, M P; Uroz, S

2016-02-01

Soil and climatic conditions as well as land cover and land management have been shown to strongly impact the structure and diversity of the soil bacterial communities. Here, we addressed under a same land cover the potential effect of the edaphic parameters on the soil bacterial communities, excluding potential confounding factors as climate. To do this, we characterized two natural soil sequences occurring in the Montiers experimental site. Spatially distant soil samples were collected below Fagus sylvatica tree stands to assess the effect of soil sequences on the edaphic parameters, as well as the structure and diversity of the bacterial communities. Soil analyses revealed that the two soil sequences were characterized by higher pH and calcium and magnesium contents in the lower plots. Metabolic assays based on Biolog Ecoplates highlighted higher intensity and richness in usable carbon substrates in the lower plots than in the middle and upper plots, although no significant differences occurred in the abundance of bacterial and fungal communities along the soil sequences as assessed using quantitative PCR. Pyrosequencing analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicons revealed that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the most abundantly represented phyla. Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria and Chlamydiae were significantly enriched in the most acidic and nutrient-poor soils compared to the Bacteroidetes, which were significantly enriched in the soils presenting the higher pH and nutrient contents. Interestingly, aluminium, nitrogen, calcium, nutrient availability and pH appeared to be the best predictors of the bacterial community structures along the soil sequences.

COMPARISON OF MEMBRANE FILTER, MULTIPLE-FERMENTATION-TUBE, AND PRESENCE-ABSENCE TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTING TOTAL COLIFORMS IN SMALL COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS

Science.gov (United States)

Methods for detecting total coliform bacteria in drinking water were compared using 1483 different drinking water samples from 15 small community water systems in Vermont and New Hampshire. The methods included the membrane filter (MF) technique, a ten tube fermentation tube tech...

The activity and community structure of total bacteria and denitrifying bacteria across soil depths and biological gradients in estuary ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-Hoon; Kang, Hojeong

2016-02-01

The distribution of soil microorganisms often shows variations along soil depth, and even in the same soil layer, each microbial group has a specific niche. In particular, the estuary soil is intermittently flooded, and the characteristics of the surface soil layer are different from those of other terrestrial soils. We investigated the microbial community structure and activity across soil depths and biological gradients composed of invasive and native plants in the shallow surface layer of an estuary ecosystem by using molecular approaches. Our results showed that the total and denitrifying bacterial community structures of the estuarine wetland soil differed according to the short depth gradient. In growing season, gene copy number of 16S rRNA were 1.52(±0.23) × 10(11), 1.10(±0.06) × 10(11), and 4.33(±0.16) × 10(10) g(-1) soil; nirS were 5.41(±1.25) × 10(8), 4.93(±0.94) × 10(8), and 2.61(±0.28) × 10(8) g(-1) soil; and nirK were 9.67(±2.37) × 10(6), 3.42(±0.55) × 10(6), and 2.12(±0.19) × 10(6) g(-1) soil in 0 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm depth layer, respectively. The depth-based difference was distinct in the vegetated sample and in the growing season, evidencing the important role of plants in structuring the microbial community. In comparison with other studies, we observed differences in the microbial community and functions even across very short depth gradients. In conclusion, our results suggested that (i) in the estuary ecosystem, the denitrifying bacterial community could maintain its abundance and function within shallow surface soil layers through facultative anaerobiosis, while the total bacterial community would be both quantitatively and qualitatively affected by the soil depth, (ii) the nirS gene community, rather than the nirK one, should be the first candidate used as an indicator of the microbial denitrification process in the estuary system, and (iii) as the microbial community is distributed and plays a certain niche role according to

Effects of Secondary Plant Metabolites on Microbial Populations: Changes in Community Structure and Metabolic Activity in Contaminated Environments

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Lucie Musilova

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Secondary plant metabolites (SPMEs play an important role in plant survival in the environment and serve to establish ecological relationships between plants and other organisms. Communication between plants and microorganisms via SPMEs contained in root exudates or derived from litter decomposition is an example of this phenomenon. In this review, the general aspects of rhizodeposition together with the significance of terpenes and phenolic compounds are discussed in detail. We focus specifically on the effect of SPMEs on microbial community structure and metabolic activity in environments contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs. Furthermore, a section is devoted to a complex effect of plants and/or their metabolites contained in litter on bioremediation of contaminated sites. New insights are introduced from a study evaluating the effects of SPMEs derived during decomposition of grapefruit peel, lemon peel, and pears on bacterial communities and their ability to degrade PCBs in a long-term contaminated soil. The presented review supports the “secondary compound hypothesis” and demonstrates the potential of SPMEs for increasing the effectiveness of bioremediation processes.

The relative influence of nutrients and habitat on stream metabolism in agricultural streams

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Frankforter, J.D.; Weyers, H.S.; Bales, J.D.; Moran, P.W.; Calhoun, D.L.

2010-01-01

Stream metabolism was measured in 33 streams across a gradient of nutrient concentrations in four agricultural areas of the USA to determine the relative influence of nutrient concentrations and habitat on primary production (GPP) and respiration (CR-24). In conjunction with the stream metabolism estimates, water quality and algal biomass samples were collected, as was an assessment of habitat in the sampling reach. When data for all study areas were combined, there were no statistically significant relations between gross primary production or community respiration and any of the independent variables. However, significant regression models were developed for three study areas for GPP (r 2 = 0.79-0.91) and CR-24 (r 2 = 0.76-0.77). Various forms of nutrients (total phosphorus and area-weighted total nitrogen loading) were significant for predicting GPP in two study areas, with habitat variables important in seven significant models. Important physical variables included light availability, precipitation, basin area, and in-stream habitat cover. Both benthic and seston chlorophyll were not found to be important explanatory variables in any of the models; however, benthic ash-free dry weight was important in two models for GPP. ?? 2009 The Author(s).

Metabolic study of paeoniflorin and total paeony glucosides from Paeoniae Radix Rubra in rats by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with sequential mass spectrometry.

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Zhu, Lijun; Sun, Shanshan; Hu, Yanxi; Liu, Yufeng

2018-04-01

A clear understanding of the metabolism of Traditional Chinese Medicines is extremely important in their rational clinical application and effective material foundation research. A novel and reliable strategy was performed to find more metabolites of paeoniflorin, determine the metabolites of total paeony glucosides (TPG) by means of determining those metabolites of paeoniflorin, and compare the metabolism differences between paeoniflorin and TPG by intragastric administration. This strategy was characterized as follows. Firstly, the rats were divided into two groups (the paeoniflorin group and the TPG group) to find differences in metabolism mechanisms between paeoniflorin and TPG. Secondly, UPLC-FT-ICR MS and UPLC-Q-TOF MS 2 were applied to obtain accurate molecular weight and structural information, respectively. Thirdly, the metabolites were tentatively identified by a combination of data-processing methods including mass defect screening, characteristic neutral loss screening and product ion screening. Finally, a comparative study was employed in the metabolism of paeoniflorin and TPG. Based on the strategy, 18 metabolites of paeoniflorin (including four new compounds) and 11 metabolites of TPG (including two new compounds) were identified. In all of the identified metabolites of paeoniflorin, two metabolites in rat plasma, four metabolites in rat urine and six metabolites in rat feces were found for the first time after paeoniflorin administration. The results indicate that hydrolyzation of the ester bond and glucosidic band and conjugation with glucuronide were the major metabolic pathways of paeoniflorin. The metabolites of paeoniflorin and TPG in rat plasma, urine and feces have been detected for the first time after intragastric administration. The results may contribute to a better understanding of the metabolism mechanism and provide a scientific rationale for researching the material basis of paeoniflorin and TPG in vivo. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley

Organic sulfur metabolisms in hydrothermal environments.

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Rogers, Karyn L; Schulte, Mitchell D

2012-07-01

Sulfur is central to the metabolisms of many organisms that inhabit extreme environments. While biotic and abiotic cycling of organic sulfur compounds has been well documented in low-temperature anaerobic environments, cycling of organic sulfur in hydrothermal environments has received less attention. Recently published thermodynamic data have been used to estimate aqueous alkyl thiol and sulfide activities in deep-sea hydrothermal systems. Here we use geochemical mixing models to predict fluid compositions that result from mixing end-member hydrothermal fluid from the East Pacific Rise with bottom seawater. These fluid compositions are combined with estimates of methanethiol and dimethylsulfide activities to evaluate energy yields for potential organic sulfur-based metabolisms under hydrothermal conditions. Aerobic respiration has the highest energy yields (over -240 kJ/mol e⁻) at lower temperature; however, oxygen is unlikely to persist at high temperatures, restricting aerobic respiration to mesophilic communities. Nitrite reduction to N₂ has the highest energy yields at higher temperatures (greater than ∼40 °C). Nitrate and nitrite reduction to ammonium also yield significant energy (up to -70 kJ/mol e⁻). Much lower, but still feasible energy yields are calculated for sulfate reduction, disproportionation, and reduction with H₂. Organic compound family and the activity of methanethiol and dimethylsulfide were less important than metabolic strategy in determining overall energy yields. All metabolic strategies considered were exergonic within some portion of the mixing regime suggesting that organic sulfur-based metabolisms may be prevalent within deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbial communities. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Phylogenetic, Metabolic, and Taxonomic Diversities Shape Mediterranean Fruit Fly Microbiotas during Ontogeny

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Aharon, Yael; Pasternak, Zohar; Ben Yosef, Michael; Behar, Adi; Lauzon, Carol; Yuval, Boaz

2013-01-01

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) (Ceratitis capitata) lays eggs in fruits, where larvae subsequently develop, causing large-scale agricultural damage. Within its digestive tract, the fly supports an extended bacterial community that is composed of multiple strains of a variety of enterobacterial species. Most of these bacteria appear to be functionally redundant, with most strains sustaining diazotrophy and/or pectinolysis. At least some of these bacteria were shown to be vertically inherited, but colonization, structural, and metabolic aspects of the community's dynamics have not been investigated. We used fluorescent in situ hybridization, metabolic profiling, plate cultures, and pyrosequencing to show that an initial, egg-borne, diverse community expands throughout the fly's life cycle. While keeping “core” diazotrophic and pectinolytic functions, it also harbors diverse and fluctuating populations that express varied metabolic capabilities. We suggest that the metabolic and compositional plasticity of the fly's microbiota provides potential adaptive advantages to the medfly host and that its acquisition and dynamics are affected by mixed processes that include stochastic effects, host behavior, and molecular barriers. PMID:23104413

Effects of microcystins contamination on soil enzyme activities and microbial community in two typical lakeside soils.

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Cao, Qing; Steinman, Alan D; Su, Xiaomei; Xie, Liqiang

2017-12-01

A 30-day indoor incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different concentrations of microcystin (1, 10, 100 and 1000 μg eq. MC-LR L -1 ) on soil enzyme activity, soil respiration, physiological profiles, potential nitrification, and microbial abundance (total bacteria, total fungi, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea) in two lakeside soils in China (Soil A from the lakeside of Lake Poyanghu at Jiujiang; Soil B from the lakeside of Lake Taihu at Suzhou). Of the enzymes tested, only phenol oxidase activity was negatively affected by microcystin application. In contrast, dehydrogenase activity was stimulated in the 1000 μg treatment, and a stimulatory effect also occurred with soil respiration in contaminated soil. The metabolic profiles of the microbial communities indicated that overall carbon metabolic activity in the soils treated with high microcystin concentrations was inhibited, and high concentrations of microcystin also led to different patterns of potential carbon utilization. High microcystin concentrations (100, 1000 μg eq. MC-LR L -1 in Soil A; 10, 100 1000 μg eq. MC-LR L -1 in Soil B) significantly decreased soil potential nitrification rate. Furthermore, the decrease in soil potential nitrification rate was positively correlated with the decrease of the amoA gene abundance, which corresponds to the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial community. We conclude that application of microcystin-enriched irrigation water can significantly impact soil microbial community structure and function. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Archaea and Bacteria Acclimate to High Total Ammonia in a Methanogenic Reactor Treating Swine Waste

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Sofia Esquivel-Elizondo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Inhibition by ammonium at concentrations above 1000 mgN/L is known to harm the methanogenesis phase of anaerobic digestion. We anaerobically digested swine waste and achieved steady state COD-removal efficiency of around 52% with no fatty-acid or H2 accumulation. As the anaerobic microbial community adapted to the gradual increase of total ammonia-N (NH3-N from 890±295 to 2040±30 mg/L, the Bacterial and Archaeal communities became less diverse. Phylotypes most closely related to hydrogenotrophic Methanoculleus (36.4% and Methanobrevibacter (11.6%, along with acetoclastic Methanosaeta (29.3%, became the most abundant Archaeal sequences during acclimation. This was accompanied by a sharp increase in the relative abundances of phylotypes most closely related to acetogens and fatty-acid producers (Clostridium, Coprococcus, and Sphaerochaeta and syntrophic fatty-acid Bacteria (Syntrophomonas, Clostridium, Clostridiaceae species, and Cloacamonaceae species that have metabolic capabilities for butyrate and propionate fermentation, as well as for reverse acetogenesis. Our results provide evidence countering a prevailing theory that acetoclastic methanogens are selectively inhibited when the total ammonia-N concentration is greater than ~1000 mgN/L. Instead, acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens coexisted in the presence of total ammonia-N of ~2000 mgN/L by establishing syntrophic relationships with fatty-acid fermenters, as well as homoacetogens able to carry out forward and reverse acetogenesis.

Consumption of Two Healthy Dietary Patterns Restored Microbiota Dysbiosis in Obese Patients with Metabolic Dysfunction.

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Haro, Carmen; García-Carpintero, Sonia; Rangel-Zúñiga, Oriol A; Alcalá-Díaz, Juan F; Landa, Blanca B; Clemente, José C; Pérez-Martínez, Pablo; López-Miranda, José; Pérez-Jiménez, Francisco; Camargo, Antonio

2017-12-01

The consumption of two healthy diets (Mediterranean (MED) and low-fat (LF) diets) may restore the gut microbiome dysbiosis in obese patients depending on the degree of metabolic dysfunction. The differences in bacterial community at baseline and after 2 years of dietary intervention of 106 subjects from the CORDIOPREV study were analyzed, 33 of whom were obese patients with severe metabolic disease (5 criteria for metabolic syndrome) (MetS-OB), 32 obese patients without metabolic dysfunction (2 or less criteria for metabolic syndrome) (NonMetS-OB) and 41 non-obese subjects (NonMetS-NonOB). Our study showed a marked dysbiosis in people with severe metabolic disease (Met-OB), compared with obese people without MetS (NonMetS-OB) and non-obese people (NonMetS-NonOB). This disbiotic pattern was reversed by consumption of both MED (35% of calories as fat (22% MUFA fat, 6% PUFA fat and <10% saturated fat) or LF (<30% total fat (<10% saturated fat, 12%-14% MUFA fat and 6-8% PUFA fat) diets, whereas no significant microbiota changes were observed in NonMetS-NonOB and NonMetS-OB groups. Our results suggest that the chronic intake of two healthy dietary patterns partially restores the gut microbiome dysbiosis in obese patients with coronary heart disease, depending on the degree of metabolic dysfunction. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Prognostic value of metabolic tumour volume and total lesion glycolysis in 18F-FDG PET/CT scans in locally advanced breast cancer staging.

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Jiménez-Ballvé, A; García García-Esquinas, M; Salsidua-Arroyo, O; Serrano-Palacio, A; García-Sáenz, J A; Ortega Candil, A; Fuentes Ferrer, M E; Rodríguez Rey, C; Román-Santamaría, J M; Moreno, F; Carreras-Delgado, J L

To determine whether metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) are able to predict recurrence risk in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients. Retrospective study of LABC patients who undertook neoadjuvant, local and adjuvant treatment and follow up. A 18 F-FDG PET/CT study for initial staging was performed analysing in this study different metabolic parameters (MTV, TLG, SUVmax and SUVmed) both in the primary tumour (T) as well as in axillary nodes (N) and whole-body (WB). Forty females were included between January 2010-2011; follow up until January 2015 was completed. The average follow-up was 46 months. Twenty percent presented recurrence: local disease (n=2) and distant metastasis (n=6); 3 patients died (38% of the patients which recurred and 7.5% from the total). SUVmax, MTV and TLG, in T, N and WB, were higher in those patients with recurrence. The MTV and TLG parameters in the tumour (T) were related to the recurrence rate (P=.020 and P=.028, respectively); whereas SUVmax in the lymph nodes (N) was significantly related (P=.008) to the recurrence rate. The best cut-off points to predict recurrence where: MTV T ≥19.3cm 3 , TLG T≥74.4g and SUVmax N≥13.8, being 10-12 times more likely to recidivate when these thresholds where exceeded. Tumour grade was the only clinical-pathological variable which was related to recurrence probability (p=.035). In this study of LABC patients the metabolic parameters which have a better relationship with recurrence rate are: MTV and TLG in the primary tumour, SUVmax in the regional lymph node disease and whole-body PET data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

Global Metabolic Reconstruction and Metabolic Gene Evolution in the Cattle Genome

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Kim, Woonsu; Park, Hyesun; Seo, Seongwon

2016-01-01

The sequence of cattle genome provided a valuable opportunity to systematically link genetic and metabolic traits of cattle. The objectives of this study were 1) to reconstruct genome-scale cattle-specific metabolic pathways based on the most recent and updated cattle genome build and 2) to identify duplicated metabolic genes in the cattle genome for better understanding of metabolic adaptations in cattle. A bioinformatic pipeline of an organism for amalgamating genomic annotations from multiple sources was updated. Using this, an amalgamated cattle genome database based on UMD_3.1, was created. The amalgamated cattle genome database is composed of a total of 33,292 genes: 19,123 consensus genes between NCBI and Ensembl databases, 8,410 and 5,493 genes only found in NCBI or Ensembl, respectively, and 266 genes from NCBI scaffolds. A metabolic reconstruction of the cattle genome and cattle pathway genome database (PGDB) was also developed using Pathway Tools, followed by an intensive manual curation. The manual curation filled or revised 68 pathway holes, deleted 36 metabolic pathways, and added 23 metabolic pathways. Consequently, the curated cattle PGDB contains 304 metabolic pathways, 2,460 reactions including 2,371 enzymatic reactions, and 4,012 enzymes. Furthermore, this study identified eight duplicated genes in 12 metabolic pathways in the cattle genome compared to human and mouse. Some of these duplicated genes are related with specific hormone biosynthesis and detoxifications. The updated genome-scale metabolic reconstruction is a useful tool for understanding biology and metabolic characteristics in cattle. There has been significant improvements in the quality of cattle genome annotations and the MetaCyc database. The duplicated metabolic genes in the cattle genome compared to human and mouse implies evolutionary changes in the cattle genome and provides a useful information for further research on understanding metabolic adaptations of cattle. PMID

Relationships between lipid profiles and metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and serum high molecular adiponectin in Japanese community-dwelling adults

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Takayama Shuzo

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There are few studies to demonstrate the associations between newly addressed lipid profiles and metabolic syndrome (MetS-associated variables. Methods Study participants without medications for hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia {614 men aged 58 ± 14 (mean ± standard deviation; range, 20-89 years and 779 women aged 60 ± 12 (range, 21-88 years} were randomly recruited from a single community at the time of their annual health examination. The association between lipid profiles (total cholesterol (T-C, triglycerides (TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, non-HDL-C, T-C/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and MetS, Insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, and serum HMW adiponectin were analyzed. Results In multiple linear regression analysis, TG/HDL-C and T-C/HDL-C ratios as well as TG showed significantly strong associations with all three MetS-associated variables in both men and women. In men, the ROC curve analyses showed that the best marker for these variables was TG/HDL-C ratio, with the AUC for presence of MetS (AUC, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.77-0.87, HOMA-IR (AUC, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.70-0.80, and serum HMW adiponectin (AUC, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.63-0.71, respectively. The T-C/HDL-C ratio, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, and non-HDL-C also discriminated these markers; however all their AUC estimates were lower than TG/HDL-C ratio. These results were similar in women. Conclusion In Japanese community-dwelling adults, lipid ratios of TG/HDL-C, T-C/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C as well as TG and HDL-C were consistently associated with MetS, insulin resistance and serum HMW adiponectin. Lipid ratios may be used as reliable markers.

Continous application of bioorganic fertilizer induced resilient culturable bacteria community associated with banana Fusarium wilt suppression

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Fu, Lin; Ruan, Yunze; Tao, Chengyuan; Li, Rong; Shen, Qirong

2016-06-01

Fusarium wilt of banana always drives farmers to find new land for banana cultivation due to the comeback of the disease after a few cropping years. A novel idea for solving this problem is the continuous application of bioorganic fertilizer (BIO), which should be practiced from the beginning of banana planting. In this study, BIO was applied in newly reclaimed fields to pre-control banana Fusarium wilt and the culturable rhizobacteria community were evaluated using Biolog Ecoplates and culture-dependent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (CD-DGGE). The results showed that BIO application significantly reduced disease incidences and increased crop yields, respectivly. And the stabilized general bacterial metabolic potential, especially for the utilization of carbohydrates, carboxylic acids and phenolic compounds, was induced by BIO application. DGGE profiles demonstrated that resilient community structure of culturable rhizobacteria with higher richness and diversity were observed in BIO treated soils. Morever, enriched culturable bacteria affiliated with Firmicutes, Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria were also detected. In total, continuous application of BIO effectively suppressed Fusarium wilt disease by stabilizing culturable bacterial metabolic potential and community structure. This study revealed a new method to control Fusarium wilt of banana for long term banana cultivation.

Application of meta-omics techniques to understand greenhouse gas emissions originating from ruminal metabolism.

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Wallace, Robert J; Snelling, Timothy J; McCartney, Christine A; Tapio, Ilma; Strozzi, Francesco

2017-01-16

Methane emissions from ruminal fermentation contribute significantly to total anthropological greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. New meta-omics technologies are beginning to revolutionise our understanding of the rumen microbial community structure, metabolic potential and metabolic activity. Here we explore these developments in relation to GHG emissions. Microbial rumen community analyses based on small subunit ribosomal RNA sequence analysis are not yet predictive of methane emissions from individual animals or treatments. Few metagenomics studies have been directly related to GHG emissions. In these studies, the main genes that differed in abundance between high and low methane emitters included archaeal genes involved in methanogenesis, with others that were not apparently related to methane metabolism. Unlike the taxonomic analysis up to now, the gene sets from metagenomes may have predictive value. Furthermore, metagenomic analysis predicts metabolic function better than only a taxonomic description, because different taxa share genes with the same function. Metatranscriptomics, the study of mRNA transcript abundance, should help to understand the dynamic of microbial activity rather than the gene abundance; to date, only one study has related the expression levels of methanogenic genes to methane emissions, where gene abundance failed to do so. Metaproteomics describes the proteins present in the ecosystem, and is therefore arguably a better indication of microbial metabolism. Both two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and shotgun peptide sequencing methods have been used for ruminal analysis. In our unpublished studies, both methods showed an abundance of archaeal methanogenic enzymes, but neither was able to discriminate high and low emitters. Metabolomics can take several forms that appear to have predictive value for methane emissions; ruminal metabolites, milk fatty acid profiles, faecal long-chain alcohols and urinary metabolites have all

Androgenic Hormones In Relation To Parameters of the Metabolic Syndrome in male patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shousha, M. A.; Soliman, S. E.; Semna, S. G.

2012-12-01

Back ground and aim of the work :The numerous deleterious effects of metabolic syndrome are being investigated throughout the medical community. Hypo-androgenomes in men is associated with features of the metabolic syndrome, even it may predict the metabolic syndrome, but the association with the metabolic syndrome it self using an accepted definition has not been described. A group 40 men defined as metabolic syndrome were assessed to investigate the relationship between androgenic hormones and parameters of the metabolic syndrome. (Author)

Microbial Community Profiles in Wastewaters from Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Technology.

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Łukasz Jałowiecki

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to determine the potential of community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs methodology as an assay for characterization of the metabolic diversity of wastewater samples and to link the metabolic diversity patterns to efficiency of select onsite biological wastewater facilities. Metabolic fingerprints obtained from the selected samples were used to understand functional diversity implied by the carbon substrate shifts. Three different biological facilities of onsite wastewater treatment were evaluated: fixed bed reactor (technology A, trickling filter/biofilter system (technology B, and aerated filter system (the fluidized bed reactor, technology C. High similarities of the microbial community functional structures were found among the samples from the three onsite wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs, as shown by the diversity indices. Principal components analysis (PCA showed that the diversity and CLPPs of microbial communities depended on the working efficiency of the wastewater treatment technologies. This study provided an overall picture of microbial community functional structures of investigated samples in WWTPs and discerned the linkages between microbial communities and technologies of onsite WWTPs used. The results obtained confirmed that metabolic profiles could be used to monitor treatment processes as valuable biological indicators of onsite wastewater treatment technologies efficiency. This is the first step toward understanding relations of technology types with microbial community patterns in raw and treated wastewaters.

Metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for total hip or knee replacement due to primary osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study (the HUNT study and the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register

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Hellevik AI

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Alf Inge Hellevik,1,2 Marianne Bakke Johnsen,3,4 Arnulf Langhammer,1 Valborg Baste,5 Ove Furnes,6,7 Kjersti Storheim,3,4 John Anker Zwart,3,4 Gunnar Birkeland Flugsrud,2 Lars Nordsletten2,4 1The HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, 2Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 3Research and Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Health, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, 4Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, 5Uni Research Health, Bergen, 6The Norwegian Arthroplasty Register, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, 7Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway Objective: Biochemical changes associated with obesity may accelerate osteoarthritis beyond the effect of mechanical factors. This study investigated whether metabolic syndrome and its components (visceral obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance were risk factors for subsequent total hip replacement (THR or total knee replacement (TKR due to primary osteoarthritis.Design: In this prospective cohort study, data from the second survey of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2 (HUNT2 were linked to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register for identification of the outcome of THR or TKR. The analyses were stratified by age (<50, 50–69.9 and ≥70 years and adjusted for gender, body mass index, smoking, physical activity and education.Results: Of the 62,661 participants, 12,593 (20.1% were identified as having metabolic syndrome, and we recorded 1,840 (2.9% THRs and 1,111 (1.8% TKRs during a mean follow-up time of 15.4 years. Cox regression analyses did not show any association between full metabolic syndrome and THR or TKR, except in persons <50 years with metabolic syndrome who had a decreased risk

Modeling microbial community structure and functional diversity across time and space.

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Larsen, Peter E; Gibbons, Sean M; Gilbert, Jack A

2012-07-01

Microbial communities exhibit exquisitely complex structure. Many aspects of this complexity, from the number of species to the total number of interactions, are currently very difficult to examine directly. However, extraordinary efforts are being made to make these systems accessible to scientific investigation. While recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have improved accessibility to the taxonomic and functional diversity of complex communities, monitoring the dynamics of these systems over time and space - using appropriate experimental design - is still expensive. Fortunately, modeling can be used as a lens to focus low-resolution observations of community dynamics to enable mathematical abstractions of functional and taxonomic dynamics across space and time. Here, we review the approaches for modeling bacterial diversity at both the very large and the very small scales at which microbial systems interact with their environments. We show that modeling can help to connect biogeochemical processes to specific microbial metabolic pathways. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plant assemblage composition and soil P concentration differentially affect communities of AM and total fungi in a semi-arid grassland.

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Klabi, Rim; Bell, Terrence H; Hamel, Chantal; Iwaasa, Alan; Schellenberg, Mike; Raies, Aly; St-Arnaud, Marc

2015-01-01

Adding inorganic P- and N-fixing legumes to semi-arid grasslands can increase forage yield, but soil nutrient concentrations and plant cover may also interact to modify soil fungal populations, impacting short- and long-term forage production. We tested the effect of plant assemblage (seven native grasses, seven native grasses + the domesticated N-fixing legume Medicago sativa, seven native grasses + the native N-fixing legume Dalea purpurea or the introduced grass Bromus biebersteinii + M. sativa) and soil P concentration (addition of 0 or 200 P2O5 kg ha(-1) at sowing) on the diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and total fungi over two consecutive years, using 454-pyrosequencing of 18S rDNA and ITS amplicons. Treatment effects were stronger in the wet year (2008) than the dry year (2009). The presence of an N-fixing legume with native grasses generally increased AM fungal diversity, while the interaction between soil P concentration and plant assemblage modified total fungal community structure in 2008. Excluding interannual variations, which are likely driven by moisture and plant productivity, AM fungal communities in semi-arid grasslands appear to be primarily affected by plant assemblage composition, while the composition of other fungi is more closely linked to soil P. © FEMS 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

SBOLme: a Repository of SBOL Parts for Metabolic Engineering

KAUST Repository

Kuwahara, Hiroyuki

2017-01-12

The Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) is a community-driven open language to promote standardization in synthetic biology. To support the use of SBOL in metabolic engineering, we developed SBOLme, the first open-access repository of SBOL 2-compliant biochemical parts for a wide range of metabolic engineering applications. The URL of our repository is http://www.cbrc.kaust.edu.sa/sbolme.

Metabolic correlates of general cognitive function in nondemented elderly subjects: an FDG PET study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Sang Soo; Kwak, Young Bin; Lee, Eun Ju; Ryu, Chang Hyung; Chey, Jean Yung; Kim, Sang Eun

2004-01-01

While many studies examined the neural correlates of individual cognitive functions, few made efforts to identify the neural networks associated with general cognitive function. General cognitive function decline in the elderly population is not infrequent. This study examined the brain areas associated with general cognitive function in the elderly subjects. Community-dwelling 116 elderly subjects without dementing illnesses (age, 71±5 y; 13 males and 103 females) participated. General cognitive ability was assessed with the Dementia Rating Scale (K-DRS), which is composed of five subtests of attention, initiation and perseveration, construction, conceptualization, and memory. The EVLT (Elderly Verbal Learning Test), a nine-word list learning test, was used for general memory assessment. Brain FDG PET scans were acquired in all subjects. Brain regions where metabolic levels are correlated with the total scores of K-DRS and EVLT were examined using SPM99. There was a significant positive correlation (P < 0.01 uncorrected, k=100) between the total score of K-DRS and glucose metabolism in the bilateral posterior cingulate gyri, bilateral inferior frontal gyri, left caudate, left inferior parietal lobule, right precuneus, bilateral unci, right parahippocampal gyrus, and right anterior cingulate gyrus. A significant positive correlation between the total score of EVLT and glucose metabolism was shown in the right precuneus, right posterior cingulate gyrus, left insula, bilateral inferior parietal lobules, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left caudate, right inferior frontal gyrus (P < 0.01 uncorrected, k=100). Our data showed the brain regions that are associated with general cognitive function in the elderly. Those regions may serve as the neural substrated of cognitive dysfunction associated with neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases in elderly subjects

Prevalence of high bloodpressure, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and their determinants in Ethiopia: Evidences from the National NCDs STEPS Survey, 2015.

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Yeweyenhareg Feleke Gebreyes

Full Text Available The prevalence of diabetes, dyslipidemias, and high blood pressure is increasing worldwide especially in low and middle income countries. World Health Organization has emphasized the importance of the assessment of the magnitude of the specific disease in each country. We determined the prevalence and determinant factors of high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemias and metabolic syndrome in Ethiopia. A community based survey was conducted from -April to June 2015 using WHO NCD STEPS instrument version 3.1. 2008. Multistage stratified systemic random sampling was used to select representative samples from 9 regions of the country. A total of 10,260 people aged 15-69 years participated in the study. Blood pressure (BP was measured for 9788 individuals. A total of 9141 people underwent metabolic screening. The prevalence of raised blood pressure (SBP ≥140 and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg was 15.8% (16.3% in females and 15.5% in males. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (FBS ≥ 126 mg /dl including those on medication was 3.2% (3.5% males and 3.0% females. The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 9.1% with ADA criteria and 3.8% with WHO criteria. Hypercholesterolemia was found in 5.2%, hypertriglyceridemia in 21.0%, high LDL cholesterol occurred in 14.1% and low HDL cholesterol occurred in 68.7%. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome using IDF definition was 4.8% (8.6% in females and vs. 1.8% in males. Advanced age, urban residence, lack of physical exercise, raised waist circumference, raised waist hip ratio, overweight or obesity, and total blood cholesterol were significantly associated with raised blood pressure (BP and diabetes mellitus. Increased waist- hip ratio was an independent predictor of raised blood pressure, hyperglycemia and raised total cholesterol. Our study showed significantly high prevalence of raised blood pressure, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in Ethiopia. Community based interventions are recommended to control these

Utility of Neck Circumference for Identifying Metabolic Syndrome by Different Definitions in Chinese Subjects over 50 Years Old: A Community-Based Study

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Shuo Lin

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. Whether neck circumference (NC could be used as a valuable tool for identifying metabolic syndrome (MS by different criteria in Chinese is still unclear. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional survey from October 2010 to January 2011 in Shipai community, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. A total of 1473 subjects aged over 50 years were investigated. We measured height, weight, NC, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipids in all subjects. MS was identified by criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III, Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS, and International Diabetes Federation (IDF. Results. Mean NC was 38.0 ± 2.7 cm in men and 34.2 ± 2.5 cm in women. By using receiver operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve (AUC of NC for identifying MS (IDF was 0.823 in men and 0.777 in women, while for identifying MS (CDS, it was 0.788 in men and 0.762 in women. The AUC of NC for diagnosing MS (ATP III was 0.776 in men and 0.752 in women. The optimal cut points of NC for MS were 38.5 cm by three definitions in men, while those were 34.2 cm, 33.4 cm, and 34.0 cm in women by IDF, ATP III, and CDS definitions, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the AUC of NC and BMI for diagnosing MS by using different criteria (all p>0.05. Conclusions. NC is associated with MS by different definitions in Chinese subjects over 50 years old. It may be a useful tool to identify MS in a community population.

Composition and Metabolic Activities of the Bacterial Community in Shrimp Sauce at the Flavor-Forming Stage of Fermentation As Revealed by Metatranscriptome and 16S rRNA Gene Sequencings.

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Duan, Shan; Hu, Xiaoxi; Li, Mengru; Miao, Jianyin; Du, Jinghe; Wu, Rongli

2016-03-30

The bacterial community and the metabolic activities involved at the flavor-forming stage during the fermentation of shrimp sauce were investigated using metatranscriptome and 16S rRNA gene sequencings. Results showed that the abundance of Tetragenococcus was 95.1%. Tetragenococcus halophilus was identified in 520 of 588 transcripts annotated in the Nr database. Activation of the citrate cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, along with the absence of lactate dehydrogenase gene expression, in T. halophilus suggests that T. halophilus probably underwent aerobic metabolism during shrimp sauce fermentation. The metabolism of amino acids, production of peptidase, and degradation of limonene and pinene were very active in T. halophilus. Carnobacterium, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Clostridium were also metabolically active, although present in very small populations. Enterococcus, Abiotrophia, Streptococcus, and Lactobacillus were detected in metatranscriptome sequencing, but not in 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Many minor taxa showed no gene expression, suggesting that they were in dormant status.

The association of metabolic syndrome with left ventricular mass and geometry in community-based hypertensive patients among Han Chinese

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Shuxia Wang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The association of metabolic syndrome (MS with left ventricular (LV hypertrophy is controversial. The objective of our study was to investigate the influence of MS on LV mass and geometry in community-based hypertensive patients among Han Chinese. Materials and Methods: This study included 1733 metabolic syndrome patients according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF definition and 2373 non-MS hypertension patients. LV hypertrophy was diagnosed by the criteria of LV mass ≥49.2 g/m 2.7 for men and 46.7 g/m 2.7 for women. LV geometric patterns (normal, concentric remodeling, concentric or eccentric hypertrophy were calculated according to LV hypertrophy and relative wall thickness. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine odds ratio (OR and 95% confidence interval (CI of MS for LV hypertrophy and LV geometry abnormality. Results: The LV mass and LV mass index were higher in the MS group than in the non-MS group. In multiple adjusted models. LV mass index, LV mass, interventricular septum, and post wall were raised with the increased number of MS disorders. MS was associated with increased LV hypertrophy risk (unadjusted OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.21-1.57; age, sex, and blood pressure (BP; adjusted OR 1.39; 95% CI 1.22-1.59. MS was also associated with increased risk of eccentric hypertrophy in male and female patients. MS was only associated with increased risk of concentric hypertrophy in female patients; and MS was not associated with concentric remodeling. Conclusion: LV mass and LV mass index were associated with the increased number of MS disorders in the Chinese community-based hypertensive population. MS was not only associated with increased LV hypertrophy risk, but also associated with concentric and eccentric LV geometry abnormality, especially in females.

Metabolic Syndrome in a Rural Nigerian Community: Is Central ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Alasia Datonye

ABSTRACT. Background. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is primarily the consequence of excess central adiposity but can also result from low grade systemic inflammation inducing insulin resistance. There is a global increase in the prevalence of MS; it is on this background that evaluation of the prevalence of MS in a poor rural ...

Obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in dogs: a comparison with human metabolic syndrome.

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Tvarijonaviciute, Asta; Ceron, Jose J; Holden, Shelley L; Cuthbertson, Daniel J; Biourge, Vincent; Morris, Penelope J; German, Alexander J

2012-08-28

Recently, metabolic syndrome (MS) has gained attention in human metabolic medicine given its associations with development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Canine obesity is associated with the development of insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and mild hypertension, but the authors are not aware of any existing studies examining the existence or prevalence of MS in obese dogs.Thirty-five obese dogs were assessed before and after weight loss (median percentage loss 29%, range 10-44%). The diagnostic criteria of the International Diabetes Federation were modified in order to define canine obesity-related metabolic dysfunction (ORMD), which included a measure of adiposity (using a 9-point body condition score [BCS]), systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma cholesterol, plasma triglyceride, and fasting plasma glucose. By way of comparison, total body fat mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, whilst total adiponectin, fasting insulin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured using validated assays. Systolic blood pressure (P = 0.008), cholesterol (P = 0.003), triglyceride (P = 0.018), and fasting insulin (P disease associations and outcomes of weight loss.

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome in developing countries.

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Misra, Anoop; Khurana, Lokesh

2008-11-01

Prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome is rapidly increasing in developing countries, leading to increased morbidity and mortality due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. Literature search was carried out using the terms obesity, insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, dyslipidemia, nutrition, physical activity, and developing countries, from PubMed from 1966 to June 2008 and from web sites and published documents of the World Health Organization and Food and Agricultural Organization. With improvement in economic situation in developing countries, increasing prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome is seen in adults and particularly in children. The main causes are increasing urbanization, nutrition transition, and reduced physical activity. Furthermore, aggressive community nutrition intervention programs for undernourished children may increase obesity. Some evidence suggests that widely prevalent perinatal undernutrition and childhood catch-up obesity may play a role in adult-onset metabolic syndrome and T2DM. The economic cost of obesity and related diseases in developing countries, having meager health budgets is enormous. To prevent increasing morbidity and mortality due to obesity-related T2DM and cardiovascular disease in developing countries, there is an urgent need to initiate large-scale community intervention programs focusing on increased physical activity and healthier food options, particularly for children. International health agencies and respective government should intensively focus on primordial and primary prevention programs for obesity and the metabolic syndrome in developing countries.

Metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for total hip or knee replacement due to primary osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study (the HUNT study and the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register).

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Hellevik, Alf Inge; Johnsen, Marianne Bakke; Langhammer, Arnulf; Baste, Valborg; Furnes, Ove; Storheim, Kjersti; Zwart, John Anker; Flugsrud, Gunnar Birkeland; Nordsletten, Lars

2018-01-01

Biochemical changes associated with obesity may accelerate osteoarthritis beyond the effect of mechanical factors. This study investigated whether metabolic syndrome and its components (visceral obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance) were risk factors for subsequent total hip replacement (THR) or total knee replacement (TKR) due to primary osteoarthritis. In this prospective cohort study, data from the second survey of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2 (HUNT2) were linked to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register for identification of the outcome of THR or TKR. The analyses were stratified by age (<50, 50-69.9 and ≥70 years) and adjusted for gender, body mass index, smoking, physical activity and education. Of the 62,661 participants, 12,593 (20.1%) were identified as having metabolic syndrome, and we recorded 1,840 (2.9%) THRs and 1,111 (1.8%) TKRs during a mean follow-up time of 15.4 years. Cox regression analyses did not show any association between full metabolic syndrome and THR or TKR, except in persons <50 years with metabolic syndrome who had a decreased risk of THR (hazard ratio [HR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.40-0.83). However, when including only participants whose exposure status did not change during follow-up, this protective association was no longer significant. Increased waist circumference was associated with increased risk of TKR in participants <50 years (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.10-2.39) and 50-69.9 years (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.14-1.80). Hypertension significantly increased the risk of TKR in participants <50 years (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.05-1.81), and this risk was greater for men. This study found an increased risk of TKR in men <50 years with hypertension and persons <70 years with increased waist circumference. Apart from this, neither metabolic syndrome nor its components were associated with increased risk of THR or TKR due to primary osteoarthritis.

Comparative Metagenomics of Freshwater Microbial Communities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hemme, Chris; Deng, Ye; Tu, Qichao; Fields, Matthew; Gentry, Terry; Wu, Liyou; Tringe, Susannah; Watson, David; He, Zhili; Hazen, Terry; Tiedje, James; Rubin, Eddy; Zhou, Jizhong

2010-01-01

Previous analyses of a microbial metagenome from uranium and nitric-acid contaminated groundwater (FW106) showed significant environmental effects resulting from the rapid introduction of multiple contaminants. Effects include a massive loss of species and strain biodiversity, accumulation of toxin resistant genes in the metagenome and lateral transfer of toxin resistance genes between community members. To better understand these results in an ecological context, a second metagenome from a pristine groundwater system located along the same geological strike was sequenced and analyzed (FW301). It is hypothesized that FW301 approximates the ancestral FW106 community based on phylogenetic profiles and common geological parameters; however, even if is not the case, the datasets still permit comparisons between healthy and stressed groundwater ecosystems. Complex carbohydrate metabolism has been almost entirely lost in the stressed ecosystem. In contrast, the pristine system encodes a wide diversity of complex carbohydrate metabolism systems, suggesting that carbon turnover is very rapid and less leaky in the healthy groundwater system. FW301 encodes many (∼160+) carbon monoxide dehydrogenase genes while FW106 encodes none. This result suggests that the community is frequently exposed to oxygen from aerated rainwater percolating into the subsurface, with a resulting high rate of carbon metabolism and CO production. When oxygen levels fall, the CO then serves as a major carbon source for the community. FW301 appears to be capable of CO2 fixation via the reductive carboxylase (reverse TCA) cycle and possibly acetogenesis, activities; these activities are lacking in the heterotrophic FW106 system which relies exclusively on respiration of nitrate and/or oxygen for energy production. FW301 encodes a complete set of B12 biosynthesis pathway at high abundance suggesting the use of sodium gradients for energy production in the healthy groundwater community. Overall

Effects of Arabinoxylan and Resistant Starch on Intestinal Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomised Crossover Study.

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Stine Hald

Full Text Available Recently, the intestinal microbiota has been emphasised as an important contributor to the development of metabolic syndrome. Dietary fibre may exert beneficial effects through modulation of the intestinal microbiota and metabolic end products. We investigated the effects of a diet enriched with two different dietary fibres, arabinoxylan and resistant starch type 2, on the gut microbiome and faecal short-chain fatty acids. Nineteen adults with metabolic syndrome completed this randomised crossover study with two 4-week interventions of a diet enriched with arabinoxylan and resistant starch and a low-fibre Western-style diet. Faecal samples were collected before and at the end of the interventions for fermentative end-product analysis and 16S ribosomal RNA bacterial gene amplification for identification of bacterial taxa. Faecal carbohydrate residues were used to verify compliance. The diet enriched with arabinoxylan and resistant starch resulted in significant reductions in the total species diversity of the faecal-associated intestinal microbiota but also increased the heterogeneity of bacterial communities both between and within subjects. The proportion of Bifidobacterium was increased by arabinoxylan and resistant starch consumption (P<0.001, whereas the proportions of certain bacterial genera associated with dysbiotic intestinal communities were reduced. Furthermore, the total short-chain fatty acids (P<0.01, acetate (P<0.01 and butyrate concentrations (P<0.01 were higher by the end of the diet enriched with arabinoxylan and resistant starch compared with those resulting from the Western-style diet. The concentrations of isobutyrate (P = 0.05 and isovalerate (P = 0.03 decreased in response to the arabinoxylan and resistant starch enriched diet, indicating reduced protein fermentation. In conclusion, arabinoxylan and resistant starch intake changes the microbiome and short-chain fatty acid compositions, with potential beneficial effects on

Biostimulation of indigenous microbial community for bioremediation of petroleum refinery sludge.

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Jayeeta Sarkar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Nutrient deficiency severely impairs the catabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms in hydrocarbon rich environments (HREs and limits the rate of intrinsic bioremediation. The present study aimed to characterize the microbial community in refinery waste and evaluate the scope for biostimulation based in situ bioremediation. Samples recovered from the wastewater lagoon of Guwahati refinery revealed a hydrocarbon enriched high total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH, oxygen-, moisture-limited, reducing environment. Intrinsic biodegradation ability of the indigenous microorganisms was enhanced significantly (>80% reduction in TPH by 90 days with nitrate amendment. Preferred utilization of both higher- (>C30 and middle- chain (C20-30 length hydrocarbons were evident from GC-MS analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE and community level physiological profiling (CLPP analyses indicated distinct shift in community’s composition and metabolic abilities following nitrogen (N amendment. High throughput deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene showed that the native community was mainly composed of hydrocarbon degrading, syntrophic, methanogenic, nitrate/iron/sulfur reducing facultative anaerobic bacteria and archaebacteria, affiliated to γ- and δ-Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota respectively. Genes for aerobic and anaerobic alkane metabolism (alkB and bssA, methanogenesis (mcrA, denitrification (nirS and narG and N2 fixation (nifH were detected. Concomitant to hydrocarbon degradation, lowering of dissolve O2 and increase in oxidation-reduction potential (ORP marked with an enrichment of N2 fixing, nitrate reducing aerobic/facultative anaerobic members e.g., Azovibrio, Pseudoxanthomonas and Commamonadaceae members was evident in N amended microcosm. This study highlighted that indigenous community of refinery sludge was intrinsically diverse, yet appreciable rate of in situ bioremediation could be achieved by supplying adequate N sources.

Biostimulation of Indigenous Microbial Community for Bioremediation of Petroleum Refinery Sludge

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Sarkar, Jayeeta; Kazy, Sufia K.; Gupta, Abhishek; Dutta, Avishek; Mohapatra, Balaram; Roy, Ajoy; Bera, Paramita; Mitra, Adinpunya; Sar, Pinaki

2016-01-01

Nutrient deficiency severely impairs the catabolic activity of indigenous microorganisms in hydrocarbon rich environments (HREs) and limits the rate of intrinsic bioremediation. The present study aimed to characterize the microbial community in refinery waste and evaluate the scope for biostimulation based in situ bioremediation. Samples recovered from the wastewater lagoon of Guwahati refinery revealed a hydrocarbon enriched [high total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH)], oxygen-, moisture-limited, reducing environment. Intrinsic biodegradation ability of the indigenous microorganisms was enhanced significantly (>80% reduction in TPH by 90 days) with nitrate amendment. Preferred utilization of both higher- (>C30) and middle- chain (C20-30) length hydrocarbons were evident from GC-MS analysis. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and community level physiological profiling analyses indicated distinct shift in community’s composition and metabolic abilities following nitrogen (N) amendment. High throughput deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene showed that the native community was mainly composed of hydrocarbon degrading, syntrophic, methanogenic, nitrate/iron/sulfur reducing facultative anaerobic bacteria and archaebacteria, affiliated to γ- and δ-Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota respectively. Genes for aerobic and anaerobic alkane metabolism (alkB and bssA), methanogenesis (mcrA), denitrification (nirS and narG) and N2 fixation (nifH) were detected. Concomitant to hydrocarbon degradation, lowering of dissolve O2 and increase in oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) marked with an enrichment of N2 fixing, nitrate reducing aerobic/facultative anaerobic members [e.g., Azovibrio, Pseudoxanthomonas and Comamonadaceae members] was evident in N amended microcosm. This study highlighted that indigenous community of refinery sludge was intrinsically diverse, yet appreciable rate of in situ bioremediation could be achieved by supplying adequate N sources. PMID:27708623

First Comparative Analysis of the Community Structures and Carbon Metabolic Pathways of the Bacteria Associated with Alvinocaris longirostris in a Hydrothermal Vent of Okinawa Trough.

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Sun, Qing-Lei; Zeng, Zhi-Gang; Chen, Shuai; Sun, Li

2016-01-01

Alvinocaris longirostris is a species of shrimp existing in the hydrothermal fields of Okinawa Trough. To date the structure and function of the microbial community associated with A. longirostris are essentially unknown. In this study, by employment of the techniques of high through-put sequencing and clone library construction and analysis, we compared for the first time the community structures and metabolic profiles of microbes associated with the gill and gut of A. longirostris in a hydrothermal field of Okinawa Trough. Fourteen phyla were detected in the gill and gut communities, of which 11 phyla were shared by both tissues. Proteobacteria made up a substantial proportion in both tissues, while Firmicutes was abundant only in gut. Although gill and gut communities were similar in bacterial diversities, the bacterial community structures in these two tissues were significantly different. Further, we discovered for the first time the existence in the gill and gut communities of A. longirostris the genes (cbbM and aclB) encoding the key enzymes of Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle and the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle, and that both cbbM and aclB were significantly more abundant in gill than in gut. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that at least two carbon fixation pathways are present in both the gill and the gut communities of A. longirostris, and that the communities in different tissues likely differ in autotrophic productivity.

First Comparative Analysis of the Community Structures and Carbon Metabolic Pathways of the Bacteria Associated with Alvinocaris longirostris in a Hydrothermal Vent of Okinawa Trough.

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Qing-Lei Sun

Full Text Available Alvinocaris longirostris is a species of shrimp existing in the hydrothermal fields of Okinawa Trough. To date the structure and function of the microbial community associated with A. longirostris are essentially unknown. In this study, by employment of the techniques of high through-put sequencing and clone library construction and analysis, we compared for the first time the community structures and metabolic profiles of microbes associated with the gill and gut of A. longirostris in a hydrothermal field of Okinawa Trough. Fourteen phyla were detected in the gill and gut communities, of which 11 phyla were shared by both tissues. Proteobacteria made up a substantial proportion in both tissues, while Firmicutes was abundant only in gut. Although gill and gut communities were similar in bacterial diversities, the bacterial community structures in these two tissues were significantly different. Further, we discovered for the first time the existence in the gill and gut communities of A. longirostris the genes (cbbM and aclB encoding the key enzymes of Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB cycle and the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA cycle, and that both cbbM and aclB were significantly more abundant in gill than in gut. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that at least two carbon fixation pathways are present in both the gill and the gut communities of A. longirostris, and that the communities in different tissues likely differ in autotrophic productivity.

Metatranscriptomics Reveals the Functions and Enzyme Profiles of the Microbial Community in Chinese Nong-Flavor Liquor Starter

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Yuhong Huang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Chinese liquor is one of the world's best-known distilled spirits and is the largest spirit category by sales. The unique and traditional solid-state fermentation technology used to produce Chinese liquor has been in continuous use for several thousand years. The diverse and dynamic microbial community in a liquor starter is the main contributor to liquor brewing. However, little is known about the ecological distribution and functional importance of these community members. In this study, metatranscriptomics was used to comprehensively explore the active microbial community members and key transcripts with significant functions in the liquor starter production process. Fungi were found to be the most abundant and active community members. A total of 932 carbohydrate-active enzymes, including highly expressed auxiliary activity family 9 and 10 proteins, were identified at 62°C under aerobic conditions. Some potential thermostable enzymes were identified at 50, 62, and 25°C (mature stage. Increased content and overexpressed key enzymes involved in glycolysis and starch, pyruvate and ethanol metabolism were detected at 50 and 62°C. The key enzymes of the citrate cycle were up-regulated at 62°C, and their abundant derivatives are crucial for flavor generation. Here, the metabolism and functional enzymes of the active microbial communities in NF liquor starter were studied, which could pave the way to initiate improvements in liquor quality and to discover microbes that produce novel enzymes or high-value added products.

A study of the seasonal dynamics of three phycoperiphytic communities, using nuclear track autoradiography. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pip, E.; Robinson, G.G.C.

1982-01-01

Net uptake of organic carbon, supplied as labelled glucose, fructose and sucrose, was examined for algal priphytic communities on Potamogeton richardsonii, P. praelongus and P. zosteriformis in a shallow lake. Nuclear track autoradiography was used to examine uptake for individual taxa comprising the communities. Net uptake rates per unit cell surface area were strongly correlated during the season for a few algal taxa in each community. The clusters of correlated taxa were different for each macrophyte. Principal component analysis of the species-time uptake matrix isolated 4 main components that accounted for > 99% of the seasonal variation on all 3 macrophytes. Multiple regression analysis of the rates of organic and inorganic uptake and log soluble host macrophyte carbohydrate showed highly significant relationships for these factors for some algae in some communities. Net productivity values with respect to total community cell surface area showed that the relative contribution of each taxon to community metabolism on a given macrophyte was similar in terms of both organic and inorganic carbon uptake. (orig.)

The prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome a suburban community in Pathum Thani province, Thailand

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Kornanong Yuenyongchaiwat

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigated prevalence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MetS in a suburban community in Pathum Thani province, Thailand. Anthropometric data, blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid levels were recorded from 222 participants, 35-65 years old. Identification of MetS was based on guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program III. The study found the prevalence of MetS was 36.49% with no significant differences between male and female participants. An advancing body mass index (BMI emerged as one of the most significant risk factors. Participants with BMI > 23 kg*m -2 had an increased risk of MetS (OR 3.17. Furthermore, participants in the age group 55-65 years had an increased risk of MetS (OR 2.28. Lack of exercise and high waist to height ratio were also important risk factors (OR 2.38 and 3.37, respectively. Therefore, increased physical activity or exercise and weight control are advised to reduce the prevalence of MetS.

Sequencing Batch Reactor and Bacterial Community in Aerobic Granular Sludge for Wastewater Treatment of Noodle-Manufacturing Sector

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Tang Thi Chinh

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The sequencing batch reactor (SBR has been increasingly applied in the control of high organic wastewater. In this study, SBR with aerobic granular sludge was used for wastewater treatment in a noodle-manufacturing village in Vietnam. The results showed that after two months of operation, the chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen and total phosphorous removal efficiency of aerobic granular SBR reached 92%, 83% and 75%, respectively. Bacterial diversity and bacterial community in wastewater treatment were examined using Illumina Miseq sequencing to amplify the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. A high diversity of bacteria was observed in the activated sludge, with more than 400 bacterial genera and 700 species. The predominant genus was Lactococcus (21.35% mainly containing Lactococcus chungangensis species. Predicted functional analysis showed a high representation of genes involved in membrane transport (12.217%, amino acid metabolism (10.067%, and carbohydrate metabolism (9.597%. Genes responsible for starch and sucrose metabolism accounted for 0.57% of the total reads and the composition of starch hydrolytic enzymes including α-amylase, starch phosphorylase, glucoamylase, pullulanase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, and 1,4-α-glucan branching enzyme. The presence of these enzymes in the SBR system may improve the removal of starch pollutants in wastewater.

Macrobenthic diversity and sediment-water exchanges of oxygen and ammonium: Example of two subtidal communities of the eastern English Channel

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Tous Rius, Armonie; Denis, Lionel; Dauvin, Jean-Claude; Spilmont, Nicolas

2018-06-01

In organic-rich shallow habitats, benthic macrofauna is known to play a major role in the geochemical functioning of surficial sediments through its metabolism, as well as its bioirrigation and/or bioturbation activity. In this paper, the effects of benthic macrofauna on metabolic fluxes at the sediment-water interface were studied at four dates, from winter to late summer, on two major macrobenthic communities of the eastern English Channel (macrotidal system): the fine sand Abra alba community (2 stations) and the sandy gravel Ophiothrix fragilis community (1 station). Oxygen and ammonium fluxes showed temporal changes that could be attributed to the variation of sea water temperature. Once the effect of temperature removed (using Q10 = 2.5), the average fauna mediated fluxes (FFauna) represented respectively 77% and 76% of average total fluxes. Considering the whole dataset, species number and biomass showed a significant correlation with fauna mediated fluxes of O2 and NH4+, while the relationships with abundance were not significant. The species composition of the community might influence ecosystem functioning, but in the present study, functional groups have a very poor relationship with FFauna (O2) and FFauna (NH4+). Despite the presence of engineer species, establishing general and simple rules to link macrofaunal parameters to functional attributes remains very difficult, suggesting that communities rather followed the idiosyncrasy and rivet hypothesis.

Microbial Metabolism in Serpentinite Fluids

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Crespo-Medina, M.; Brazelton, W. J.; Twing, K. I.; Kubo, M.; Hoehler, T. M.; Schrenk, M. O.

2013-12-01

Serpentinization is the process in which ultramafic rocks, characteristic of the upper mantle, react with water liberating mantle carbon and reducing power to potenially support chemosynthetic microbial communities. These communities may be important mediators of carbon and energy exchange between the deep Earth and the surface biosphere. Our work focuses on the Coast Range Ophiolite Microbial Observatory (CROMO) in Northern California where subsurface fluids are accessible through a series of wells. Preliminary analyses indicate that the highly basic fluids (pH 9-12) have low microbial diversity, but there is limited knowledge about the metabolic capabilities of these communties. Metagenomic data from similar serpentine environments [1] have identified Betaproteobacteria belonging to the order Burkholderiales and Gram-positive bacteria from the order Clostridiales as key components of the serpentine microbiome. In an effort to better characterize the microbial community, metabolism, and geochemistry at CROMO, fluids from two representative wells (N08B and CSWold) were sampled during recent field campaigns. Geochemical characterization of the fluids includes measurements of dissolved gases (H2, CO, CH4), dissolved inorganic and organic carbon, volatile fatty acids, and nutrients. The wells selected can be differentiated in that N08B had higher pH (10-11), lower dissolved oxygen, and cell counts ranging from 105-106 cells mL-1 of fluid, with an abundance of the betaproteobacterium Hydrogenophaga. In contrast, fluids from CSWold have slightly lower pH (9-9.5), DO, and conductivity, as well as higher TDN and TDP. CSWold fluid is also characterized for having lower cell counts (~103 cells mL-1) and an abundance of Dethiobacter, a taxon within the phylum Clostridiales. Microcosm experiments were conducted with the purpose of monitoring carbon fixation, methanotrophy and metabolism of small organic compounds, such as acetate and formate, while tracing changes in fluid

Metabolic patterns of bacterial communities in aerobic compost teas associated with potential biocontrol of soilborne plant diseases

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Catello PANE

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Aerated compost teas (ACTs are organic products obtained by forced aeration of composts suspended in liquid phase. These products may be biological control tools alternative to synthetic fungicides, because ACTs contain antagonistic microorganisms. In this study, soilborne disease suppressive ability of seven water ACTs, extracted from five horticultural residue-based composts, from an animal waste anaerobic solid digestate and from a commercial municipal waste compost, was assessed using in vitro and in vivo systems. All the ACTs inhibited in vitro growth of Verticillium dahliae, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia minor, Sclerotium rolfsii and Botrytis cinerea. Filter or thermal sterilization eliminated in vitro suppression, suggesting that microorganisms play key roles in pathogen inhibition. Drenching applications of raw ACTs have potential to reduced disease symptoms caused by R. solani on savoy cabbage, S. minor on lettuce and S. rolfsii on pepper, improved the biomass production and did not show any sign of phytotoxicity. Both in vitro and in vivo suppressiveness of ACTs may be explained by antagonistic  bacterial communities that provide general suppression activities. The metabolic BIOLOG GN and GP profiles reflected the functional potential of the numerically dominant members of the microbial communities used as inoculum. This study has demonstrated that useful resident microorganisms, including mainly Gram-positive and Gram-negative antagonistic bacteria, are likely to be responsible for biological control activity of ACTs.

Metabolic syndrome: The association of obesity and unhealthy lifestyle among Malaysian elderly people.

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Johari, Sa'ida Munira; Shahar, Suzana

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its predictors among Malaysian elderly. A total of 343 elderly aged ≥ 60 years residing low cost flats in an urban area in the central of Malaysia were invited to participate in health screening in community centers. Subjects were interviewed to obtain socio demography, health status and behavior data. Anthropometric measurements were also measured. A total of 30 ml fasting blood was taken to determine fasting serum lipid, glucose level and oxidative stress. MetS was classified according to The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. The prevalence of MetS was 43.4%. More women (48.1%) were affected than men (36.3%) (punhealthy lifestyle. It is essential to develop preventive and intervention strategies to curb undesirable consequences associated with MetS. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

2009 Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism & Function Gordon Research Conference - February 1- 6 ,2009

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kent D. Chapman

2009-02-06

The Gordon Research Conference on 'Plant Lipids: Structure, Metabolism and Function' has been instituted to accelerate research productivity in the field of plant lipids. This conference will facilitate wide dissemination of research breakthroughs, support recruitment of young scientists to the field of plant lipid metabolism and encourage broad participation of the plant lipid community in guiding future directions for research in plant lipids. This conference will build upon the strengths of the successful, previous biannual meetings of the National Plant Lipid Cooperative (www.plantlipids.org) that began in 1993, but will reflect a broader scope of topics to include the biochemistry, cell biology, metabolic regulation, and signaling functions of plant acyl lipids. Most importantly, this conference also will serve as a physical focal point for the interaction of the plant lipid research community. Applications to attend this conference will be open to all researchers interested in plant lipids and will provide a venue for the presentation of the latest research results, networking opportunities for young scientists, and a forum for the development and exchange of useful lipid resources and new ideas. By bringing together senior- and junior-level scientists involved in plant lipid metabolism, a broad range of insights will be shared and the community of plant lipid researchers will function more as a network of vested partners. This is important for the vitality of the research community and for the perceived value that will encourage conference attendance into the future.

Beliefs, Behaviors, and Perceptions of Community-Led Total Sanitation and Their Relation to Improved Sanitation in Rural Zambia

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph Lawrence, J.; Yeboah-Antwi, Kojo; Biemba, Godfrey; Ram, Pavani K.; Osbert, Nicolas; Sabin, Lora L.; Hamer, Davidson H.

2016-01-01

Inadequate hygiene and sanitation remain leading global contributors to morbidity and mortality in children and adults. One strategy for improving sanitation access is community-led total sanitation (CLTS), in which participants are guided into self-realization of the importance of sanitation through activities called “triggering.” This qualitative study explored community members' and stakeholders' sanitation, knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors during early CLTS implementation in Zambia. We conducted 67 in-depth interviews and 24 focus group discussions in six districts in Zambia 12–18 months after CLTS implementation. Triggering activities elicited strong emotions, including shame, disgust, and peer pressure, which persuaded individuals and families to build and use latrines and handwashing stations. New sanitation behaviors were also encouraged by the hierarchical influences of traditional leaders and sanitation action groups and by children's opinions. Poor soil conditions were identified as barriers to latrine construction. Taboos, including prohibition of different generations of family members, in-laws, and opposite genders from using the same toilet, were barriers for using sanitation facilities. CLTS, through community empowerment and ownership, produced powerful responses that encouraged construction and use of latrines and handwashing practices. These qualitative data suggest that CLTS is effective for improving sanitation beliefs and behaviors in Zambia. PMID:26787149

Functional tradeoffs underpin salinity-driven divergence in microbial community composition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris L Dupont

Full Text Available Bacterial community composition and functional potential change subtly across gradients in the surface ocean. In contrast, while there are significant phylogenetic divergences between communities from freshwater and marine habitats, the underlying mechanisms to this phylogenetic structuring yet remain unknown. We hypothesized that the functional potential of natural bacterial communities is linked to this striking divide between microbiomes. To test this hypothesis, metagenomic sequencing of microbial communities along a 1,800 km transect in the Baltic Sea area, encompassing a continuous natural salinity gradient from limnic to fully marine conditions, was explored. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that salinity is the main determinant of dramatic changes in microbial community composition, but also of large scale changes in core metabolic functions of bacteria. Strikingly, genetically and metabolically different pathways for key metabolic processes, such as respiration, biosynthesis of quinones and isoprenoids, glycolysis and osmolyte transport, were differentially abundant at high and low salinities. These shifts in functional capacities were observed at multiple taxonomic levels and within dominant bacterial phyla, while bacteria, such as SAR11, were able to adapt to the entire salinity gradient. We propose that the large differences in central metabolism required at high and low salinities dictate the striking divide between freshwater and marine microbiomes, and that the ability to inhabit different salinity regimes evolved early during bacterial phylogenetic differentiation. These findings significantly advance our understanding of microbial distributions and stress the need to incorporate salinity in future climate change models that predict increased levels of precipitation and a reduction in salinity.

Genotype by energy expenditure interaction with metabolic syndrome traits: the Portuguese healthy family study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel M V Santos

Full Text Available Moderate-to-high levels of physical activity are established as preventive factors in metabolic syndrome development. However, there is variability in the phenotypic expression of metabolic syndrome under distinct physical activity conditions. In the present study we applied a Genotype X Environment interaction method to examine the presence of GxEE interaction in the phenotypic expression of metabolic syndrome. A total of 958 subjects, from 294 families of The Portuguese Healthy Family study, were included in the analysis. Total daily energy expenditure was assessed using a 3 day physical activity diary. Six metabolic syndrome related traits, including waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides, were measured and adjusted for age and sex. GxEE examination was performed on SOLAR 4.3.1. All metabolic syndrome indicators were significantly heritable. The GxEE interaction model fitted the data better than the polygenic model (p<0.001 for waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides. For waist circumference, glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides, the significant GxEE interaction was due to rejection of the variance homogeneity hypothesis. For waist circumference and glucose, GxEE was also significant by the rejection of the genetic correlation hypothesis. The results showed that metabolic syndrome traits expression is significantly influenced by the interaction established between total daily energy expenditure and genotypes. Physical activity may be considered an environmental variable that promotes metabolic differences between individuals that are distinctively active.

Genomics:GTL Contractor-Grantee Workshop IV and Metabolic Engineering Working Group Inter-Agency Conference on Metabolic Engineering 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mansfield, Betty Kay [ORNL; Martin, Sheryl A [ORNL

2006-02-01

Welcome to the 2006 joint meeting of the fourth Genomics:GTL Contractor-Grantee Workshop and the six Metabolic Engineering Working Group Inter-Agency Conference. The vision and scope of the Genomics:GTL program continue to expand and encompass research and technology issues from diverse scientific disciplines, attracting broad interest and support from researchers at universities, DOE national laboratories, and industry. Metabolic engineering's vision is the targeted and purposeful alteration of metabolic pathways to improve the understanding and use of cellular pathways for chemical transformation, energy transduction, and supramolecular assembly. These two programs have much complementarity in both vision and technological approaches, as reflected in this joint workshop. GLT's challenge to the scientific community remains the further development and use of a broad array of innovative technologies and computational tools to systematically leverage the knowledge and capabilities brought to us by DNA sequencing projects. The goal is to seek a broad and predictive understanding of the functioning and control of complex systems--individual microbes, microbial communities, and plants. GTL's prominent position at the interface of the physical, computational, and biological sciences is both a strength and challenge. Microbes remain GTL's principal biological focus. In the complex 'simplicity' of microbes, they find capabilities needed by DOE and the nation for clean and secure energy, cleanup of environmental contamination, and sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming. An ongoing challenge for the entire GTL community is to demonstrate that the fundamental science conducted in each of your research projects brings us a step closer to biology-based solutions for these important national energy and environmental needs.

Exercise-induced hypertension in men with metabolic syndrome: anthropometric, metabolic, and hemodynamic features.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaudreault, Valérie; Després, Jean-Pierre; Rhéaume, Caroline; Alméras, Natalie; Bergeron, Jean; Tremblay, Angelo; Poirier, Paul

2013-02-01

Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased cardiac morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate exercise-induced hypertension (EIH) in men with metabolic syndrome and to explore potential associations with anthropometric and metabolic variables. A total of 179 normotensive men with metabolic syndrome underwent a maximal symptom-limited treadmill test. Blood pressure was measured at 5-min rest prior to exercise testing (anticipatory blood pressure), at every 3 min during the exercise, and during the recovery period. EIH was defined as maximum systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥220 mmHg and/or maximum diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥100 mmHg. Of the 179 men, 87 (47%) presented EIH. Resting blood pressure values at baseline were 127±10/83±6 mmHg in EIH and 119±9/80±6 mmHg (P=0.01 for both) in normal blood pressure responders to exercise. Anticipatory SBP and DPS were higher in the group with EIH (P=0.001). Subjects with EIH presented higher waist circumference (WC) (Pmetabolic syndrome showed EIH. These men are characterized by a worsened metabolic profile. Our data suggest that a treadmill exercise test may be helpful to identify a potentially higher risk metabolic syndrome subset of subjects.

Aerial and underwater carbon metabolism of a

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Clavier, J.; Chauvaud, L.; Carlier, A.; Amice, E.; van der Geest, M.; Labrosse, P.; Diagne, A.; Hily, H.

2011-01-01

Community respiration and primary production were measured in a dense intertidal Zostera noltii bed on the Banc d’Arguin, Mauritania (West Africa) under aerial and submerged conditions. Metabolism was studied in situ in dark and transparent benthic chambers. CO2 fluxes in the air were measured over

Genotype by energy expenditure interaction with metabolic syndrome traits: the Portuguese healthy family study.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Daniel M V; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Diego, Vincent P; Souza, Michele C; Chaves, Raquel N; Blangero, John; Maia, José A R

2013-01-01

Moderate-to-high levels of physical activity are established as preventive factors in metabolic syndrome development. However, there is variability in the phenotypic expression of metabolic syndrome under distinct physical activity conditions. In the present study we applied a Genotype X Environment interaction method to examine the presence of GxEE interaction in the phenotypic expression of metabolic syndrome. A total of 958 subjects, from 294 families of The Portuguese Healthy Family study, were included in the analysis. Total daily energy expenditure was assessed using a 3 day physical activity diary. Six metabolic syndrome related traits, including waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides, were measured and adjusted for age and sex. GxEE examination was performed on SOLAR 4.3.1. All metabolic syndrome indicators were significantly heritable. The GxEE interaction model fitted the data better than the polygenic model (pmetabolic syndrome traits expression is significantly influenced by the interaction established between total daily energy expenditure and genotypes. Physical activity may be considered an environmental variable that promotes metabolic differences between individuals that are distinctively active.

Ecosystem metabolism in a temporary Mediterranean marsh (Donana National Park, SW Spain)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Geertz-Hansen, O.; Montes, C.; Duarte, C.M.

2011-01-01

metabolic balance of the open waters supporting submerged macrophytes of the Donana marsh (SW Spain) was investigated in spring, when community production is highest. The marsh community (benthic + pelagic) was net autotrophic with net community production rates averaging 0.61 g C m(-2) d(-1......), and gross production rates exceeding community respiration rates by, on average, 43%. Net community production increased greatly with increasing irradiance, with the threshold irradiance for communities to become net autotrophic ranging from 42 to 255 mu E m(-2) s(-1), with net heterotrophic at lower...

A consensus yeast metabolic network reconstruction obtained from a community approach to systems biology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Herrgård, Markus J.; Swainston, Neil; Dobson, Paul; Dunn, Warwick B.; Arga, K. Yalçin; Arvas, Mikko; Blüthgen, Nils; Borger, Simon; Costenoble, Roeland; Heinemann, Matthias; Hucka, Michael; Novère, Nicolas Le; Li, Peter; Liebermeister, Wolfram; Mo, Monica L.; Oliveira, Ana Paula; Petranovic, Dina; Pettifer, Stephen; Simeonidis, Evangelos; Smallbone, Kieran; Spasić, Irena; Weichart, Dieter; Brent, Roger; Broomhead, David S.; Westerhoff, Hans V.; Kırdar, Betül; Penttilä, Merja; Klipp, Edda; Palsson, Bernhard Ø.; Sauer, Uwe; Oliver, Stephen G.; Mendes, Pedro; Nielsen, Jens; Kell, Douglas B.

2008-01-01

Genomic data allow the large-scale manual or semi-automated assembly of metabolic network reconstructions, which provide highly curated organism-specific knowledge bases. Although several genome-scale network reconstructions describe Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism, they differ in scope and

Metabolically healthy obesity and risk of mortality: does the definition of metabolic health matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Hinnouho, Guy-Marino; Czernichow, Sébastien; Dugravot, Aline; Batty, G David; Kivimaki, Mika; Singh-Manoux, Archana

2013-08-01

To assess the association of a "metabolically healthy obese" phenotype with mortality using five definitions of metabolic health. Adults (n = 5,269; 71.7% men) aged 39-62 years in 1991 through 1993 provided data on BMI and metabolic health, defined using data from the Adult Treatment Panel-III (ATP-III); criteria from two studies; and the Matsuda and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) indices. Cross-classification of BMI categories and metabolic status (healthy/unhealthy) created six groups. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze associations with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality during a median follow-up of 17.7 years. A total of 638 individuals (12.1% of the cohort) were obese, of whom 9-41% were metabolically healthy, depending on the definition. Regardless of the definition, compared with metabolically healthy, normal-weight individuals, both the metabolically healthy obese (hazard ratios [HRs] ranged from 1.81 [95% CI 1.16-2.84] for ATP-III to 2.30 [1.13-4.70] for the Matsuda index) and the metabolically abnormal obese (HRs ranged from 1.57 [1.08-2.28] for the Matsuda index to 2.05 [1.44-2.92] for criteria defined in a separate study) had an increased risk of mortality. The only exception was the lack of excess risk using the HOMA criterion for the metabolically healthy obese (1.08; 0.67-1.74). Among the obese, the risk of mortality did not vary as a function of metabolic health apart from when using the HOMA criterion (1.93; 1.15-3.22). Similar results were obtained for cardiovascular mortality. For most definitions of metabolic health, both metabolically healthy and unhealthy obese patients carry an elevated risk of mortality.

UV sensitivity of planktonic net community production in ocean surface waters

OpenAIRE

Regaudie de Gioux, Aurore; Agustí, Susana; Duarte, Carlos M.

2014-01-01

The net plankton community metabolism of oceanic surface waters is particularly important as it more directly affects the partial pressure of CO2 in surface waters and thus the air-sea fluxes of CO2. Plankton communities in surface waters are exposed to high irradiance that includes significant ultraviolet blue (UVB, 280-315 nm) radiation. UVB radiation affects both photosynthetic and respiration rates, increase plankton mortality rates, and other metabolic and chemical processes. Here we tes...

Functional characteristics and influence factors of microbial community in sewage sludge composting with inorganic bulking agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ke; Mao, Hailong; Li, Xiangkun

2018-02-01

The metabolic function of microbial community dominated organics and nutrients transformation in aerobic composting process. In this study, the metabolic characteristics of bacterial and fungal communities were evaluated in 60 days composting of sludge and pumice by using FUNGuild and PICRUSt, respectively. The results showed that microbial community structure and metabolic characteristics were distinctively different at four composting periods. Bacterial genes related to carbohydrate metabolisms decreased during the first 30 days, but bacterial sequences associated with oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acids synthesis were enhanced in curing phase. Most of fungal animal pathogen and plant pathogen disappeared after treatment, and the abundance of saprotroph fungi increased from 44.3% to 97.8%. Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) significantly increased from -28 to 175 mV through incubation. RDA analysis showed that ORP was a crucial factor on the succession of both bacterial and fungal communities in sludge composting system. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Metabolism-Based Synergy for Total Coumarin Extract of Radix Angelicae Dahuricae and Ligustrazine on Migraine Treatment in Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan Feng

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Radix Angelicae dahuricae, containing coumarins, which might affect cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP450 activity, has been co-administered with ligustrazine, a substrate of CYP450s, for the clinical treatment of migraine. However, whether a pharmacokinetic-based synergy exists between Radix Angelicae dahuricae and ligustrazine is still unknown. In this study, the total coumarin extract (TCE of Radix Angelicae dahuricae (50 mg/kg, orally reinforced the anti-migraine activity of ligustrazine by declining head scratching, plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide, and serum nitric oxide, as well as increasing plasma endothelin levels in rats (p < 0.05. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic study reflected that TCE potentiated the area under the concentration–time curve of ligustrazine and prolonged its mean retention time in rats (p < 0.05. Besides, the IC50 for TCE, imperatorin and isoimperatorin inhibiting ligustrazine metabolism were 5.0 ± 1.02, 1.35 ± 0.46, 4.81 ± 1.14 µg/mL in human liver microsomes, and 13.69 ± 1.11, 1.19 ± 1.09, 1.69 ± 1.17 µg/mL in rat liver microsomes, respectively. Moreover, imperatorin and isoimperatorin were CYP450s inhibitors with IC50 < 10 µM for CYP1A2, 2C9, 2D6, and 3A4. Therefore, this study concluded that Radix Angelicae dahuricae could increase ligustrazine plasma concentration and then reinforce its pharmacological effect by inhibiting its metabolism through interference with CYP450s. This could be one mechanism for the synergy between Radix Angelicae dahuricae and ligustrazine on migraine treatment.

The metabolic power and energetic demands of elite Gaelic football match play.

Science.gov (United States)

Malone, Shane; Solan, Barry; Collins, Kieran; Doran, Dominic

2017-05-01

Metabolic power has not yet been investigated within elite Gaelic football. The aim of the current investigation was to compare the metabolic power demands between positional groups and examine the temporal profile of elite Gaelic football match play. Global positional satellite system (GPS) data were collected from 50 elite Gaelic football players from 4 inter-county teams during 35 elite competitive matches over a three season period. A total of 351 complete match samples were obtained for final analysis. Players were categorized based on positional groups; full-back, half-back, midfield, half-forward and full-forward. Instantaneous raw velocity data was obtained from the GPS and exported to a customized spreadsheet which provided estimations of both speed based, derived metabolic power and energy expenditure variables (total distance, high speed distance, average metabolic power, high power distance and total energy expenditure). Match mean distance was 9222±1588 m, reflective of an average metabolic power of 9.5-12.5 W·kg-1, with an average energy expenditure of 58-70 Kj·kg-1 depending on position. There were significant differences between positional groups for both speed-based and metabolic power indices. Midfielders covered more total and high-speed distance, as well as greater average and overall energy expenditure compared to other positions (Ppower distance, as well as average metabolic power throughout the match (Ppower and traditional running based variables. The middle three positions (midfield, half-back and half-forward) possess greater activity profiles when compared to other positional groups. The reduction in metabolic power and traditional running based variables are comparable across match play. The current study demonstrates that metabolic power may contribute to our understanding of Gaelic football match-play.

Discharge modulates stream metabolism dependence on fine particulate organic carbon in a Mediterranean WWTP-influenced stream

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, J. D.; Bernal, S.; Meredith, W.; Schumer, R.; Martí Roca, E.

2017-12-01

Waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluents constitute point source inputs of fine sediment, nutrients, carbon, and microbes to stream ecosystems. A range of responses to these inputs may be observed in recipient streams, including increases in respiration rates, which augment CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Yet, little is known about which fractions of organic carbon (OC) contribute the most to stream metabolism in WWTP-influenced streams. Fine particulate OC (POC) represents ca. 40% of the total mass of OC in river networks, and is generally more labile than dissolved OC. Therefore, POC inputs from WWTPs could contribute disproportionately to higher rates of heterotrophic metabolism by stream microbial communities. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of POC inputs from a WWTP effluent on the metabolism of a Mediterranean stream over a wide range of hydrologic conditions. We hypothesized that POC inputs would have a positive effect on respiration rates, and that the response to POC availability would be larger during low flows when the dilution capacity of the recipient stream is negligible. We focused on the easily resuspended fine sediment near the sediment-water interface (top 3 cm), as this region is a known hot spot for biogeochemical processes. For one year, samples of resuspended sediment were collected bimonthly at 7 sites from 0 to 800 m downstream of the WWTP point source. We measured total POC, organic matter (OM) content (%), and the associated metabolic activity of the resuspended sediment using the resazurin-resorufin smart tracer system as a proxy for aerobic ecosystem respiration. Resuspended sediment showed no difference in total POC over the year, while the OM content increased with decreasing discharge. This result together with the decreasing trend of total POC observed downstream of the point source during autumn after a long dry period, suggests that the WWTP effluent was the main contributor to stream POC. Furthermore

Measurement of the carrying capacity of benthic habitats using a metabolic-rate based index.

Science.gov (United States)

Edgar, G J

1993-03-01

Carrying capacities of grazed habitats are typically expressed as numbers or biomass of animals per unit area; however, such parameters are appropriate only when the body size of animals is constant because consumption and other metabolic-rate based parameters such as respiration and production are proportional to body mass raised by a power of ≈0.75 rather than 0 or 1. Habitat carrying levels are therefore better expressed in the form of an index of total community consumption by summing the body masses of individual animals after they have been scaled using a biomass exponent of ≈0.75. A parameter scaled in this way,P 20 , varied in a predictable manner when calculated for the mobile epifaunal assemblages associated with rope fibre habitats placed at marine and estuarine sites;P 20 showed no significant difference between 17 shallow, clear-water sites worldwide, but declined consistently when photosynthesis was reduced.P 20 also did not vary significantly when calculated for the mobile epifaunal communities associated with fourAmphibolis antarctica seagrass habitats in Australia ([Formula: see text] = 100 µg ·g -1 · day -1 ), and reached but did not significantly exceed a ceiling of ≈280 μg · g -1 · day -1 forSargassum plants. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the production of shallow-water epifaunal communities of grazers is constrained by resource ceilings which can be quantified using metabolic-rate based indices. If this "production ceiling" hypothesis is correct then diffuse competition is generally more important than predation or environmental disturbance in restricting the growth of mobile epifaunal populations.

The positive association of branched-chain amino acids and metabolic dyslipidemia in Chinese Han population.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Panpan; Hu, Wen; Fu, Zhenzhen; Sun, Luning; Zhou, Ying; Gong, Yingyun; Yang, Tao; Zhou, Hongwen

2016-07-25

It has been suggested that serum branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are associated with the incident, progression and prognostic of type 2 diabetes. However, the role of BCAAs in metabolic dyslipidemia (raised triglycerides (TG) and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)) remains poorly understood. This study aims to investigate 1) the association of serum BCAAs with total cholesterol (TC), TG, HDL-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and 2) the association between serum BCAAs levels and risk of metabolic dyslipidemia in a community population with different glucose homeostasis. Demographics data and blood samples were collected from 2251 Chinese subjects from the Huaian Diabetes Protective Program (HADPP) study. After exclusion for cardiovascular disease (CVD), serious hepatic or nephritic diseases and others, 1320 subjects remained for analysis (789 subjects with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) > 5.7, 521 with HbA1c ≤ 5.7). Serum BCAAs level was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC MS/MS). The association of BCAAs with lipids or with the risk of metabolic dyslipidemia was analyzed. Elevated serum BCAAs (both total and individual BCAA) were positively associated with TG and inversely associated with HDL-C in the whole population. These correlations were still significant even after adjustment for confounding factors (r = 0.165, p dyslipidemia was 3.703 (2.261, 6.065) and 3.702 (1.877, 7.304), respectively (all p dyslipidemia. In addition, glucose homeostasis could play a certain role in BCAAs-related dyslipidemia.

Temporal dynamics and regulation of lake metabolism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stæhr, Peter Anton; Jensen, Kaj Sand

2007-01-01

and minima from fall to spring after broad-scale changes in irradiance, temperature, mixing depth, and biomass and growth rate of the algal community and concentrations of inorganic nutrients. Lake metabolism was annually balanced (mean GPP :R 1.04 in 2003 and 1.01 in 2004), with net autotrophy occurring...

Increased ratio between anaerobic and aerobic metabolism in lymphocytes from hyperthyroid patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Valdemarsson, S; Monti, M

1994-03-01

While an increased oxygen consumption is accepted as one consequence of hyperthyroidism, only few data are available on the role of anaerobic processes for the increased metabolic activity in this disease. In this study we evaluated the relative importance of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism for the metabolic activity in lymphocytes from patients before and after treatment for hyperthyroidism. Total lymphocyte heat production rate (P), reflecting total cell metabolic activity, was determined in a plasma lymphocyte suspension using direct microcalorimetry. The contribution from aerobic metabolism (O2-P) was calculated from the product of the lymphocyte oxygen consumption rate and the enthalpy change for glucose combustion, and the anaerobic contribution as the difference between P and O2-P. The total lymphocyte heat production rate P was 3.37 +/- 0.25 (SEM) pW/cell (N = 11) before and 2.50 +/- 0.11 pW/cell (N = 10) after treatment for hyperthyroidism (p hyperthyroid state and to 73.7 +/- 3.2% after treatment (p metabolic activity demonstrated in lymphocytes from hyperthyroid patients cannot be explained by an increased oxygen-dependent consumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Vikodak--A Modular Framework for Inferring Functional Potential of Microbial Communities from 16S Metagenomic Datasets.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunil Nagpal

Full Text Available The overall metabolic/functional potential of any given environmental niche is a function of the sum total of genes/proteins/enzymes that are encoded and expressed by various interacting microbes residing in that niche. Consequently, prior (collated information pertaining to genes, enzymes encoded by the resident microbes can aid in indirectly (reconstructing/ inferring the metabolic/ functional potential of a given microbial community (given its taxonomic abundance profile. In this study, we present Vikodak--a multi-modular package that is based on the above assumption and automates inferring and/ or comparing the functional characteristics of an environment using taxonomic abundance generated from one or more environmental sample datasets. With the underlying assumptions of co-metabolism and independent contributions of different microbes in a community, a concerted effort has been made to accommodate microbial co-existence patterns in various modules incorporated in Vikodak.Validation experiments on over 1400 metagenomic samples have confirmed the utility of Vikodak in (a deciphering enzyme abundance profiles of any KEGG metabolic pathway, (b functional resolution of distinct metagenomic environments, (c inferring patterns of functional interaction between resident microbes, and (d automating statistical comparison of functional features of studied microbiomes. Novel features incorporated in Vikodak also facilitate automatic removal of false positives and spurious functional predictions.With novel provisions for comprehensive functional analysis, inclusion of microbial co-existence pattern based algorithms, automated inter-environment comparisons; in-depth analysis of individual metabolic pathways and greater flexibilities at the user end, Vikodak is expected to be an important value addition to the family of existing tools for 16S based function prediction.A web implementation of Vikodak can be publicly accessed at: http

Metabolic Syndrome among Undergraduate Students Attending ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methods: A total of 384 first-year students attending university medical clinics for obligatory medical ... Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, ..... requires the attention of all health professionals.

SBOLme: a Repository of SBOL Parts for Metabolic Engineering

KAUST Repository

Kuwahara, Hiroyuki; Cui, Xuefeng; Umarov, Ramzan; Grunberg, Raik; Myers, Chris J.; Gao, Xin

2017-01-01

The Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) is a community-driven open language to promote standardization in synthetic biology. To support the use of SBOL in metabolic engineering, we developed SBOLme, the first open-access repository of SBOL 2

Preliminary evaluation of Community-Led Total Sanitation for the control of Taenia solium cysticercosis in Katete District of Zambia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulaya, Carol; Mwape, Kabemba E; Michelo, Charles; Sikasunge, Chummy S; Makungu, Chitwambi; Gabriel, Sarah; Dorny, Pierre; Phiri, Isaac K

2015-01-30

Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis is a zoonotic disease endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. It is associated with poor sanitary practices, free-range pig husbandry and lack of disease awareness in endemic communities. A comparative research was conducted with pre and post-intervention assessments in nine villages to evaluate Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) as an intervention measure for the control of porcine cysticercosis in Katete District in the Eastern Province of Zambia. Blood samples were collected from pigs for circulating antigen detection and a questionnaire focused on the household was administered to a total of 153 respondents whose pigs were examined (64 pre-intervention, 89 post-intervention), in order to obtain information on general demographic characteristics, pig husbandry practices, sanitation practices and associated knowledge and awareness of T. solium infections. The first sampling was conducted prior to the implementation of the CLTS and second sampling eight months after triggering of CLTS in the selected villages. A total of 379 pig serum samples were examined using the B158/B60 Ag-ELISA to detect T. solium cysticercosis, 104 pre-intervention and 275 post-intervention, of which 14 (13.5%) and 45 (16.4%) were positive, respectively. Wald test p-values were computed to assess significant differences in the variables of interest mentioned above for the pre and post CLTS. The research revealed that CLTS as a control measure did not significantly improve T. solium infections in pigs. The research also revealed that the sanitation practices and awareness of cysticercosis did not change. It is recommended that a longer term evaluation be undertaken when the villages have been declared open defaecation free. In addition, the research recommends that health education, mass drug treatment and pig vaccination be incorporated, as an essential component of prevention and control programmes for T. solium infections. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B

Land-total and Ocean-total Precipitation and Evaporation from a Community Atmosphere Model version 5 Perturbed Parameter Ensemble

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Covey, Curt [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Lucas, Donald D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Trenberth, Kevin E. [National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States)

2016-03-02

This document presents the large scale water budget statistics of a perturbed input-parameter ensemble of atmospheric model runs. The model is Version 5.1.02 of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). These runs are the “C-Ensemble” described by Qian et al., “Parametric Sensitivity Analysis of Precipitation at Global and Local Scales in the Community Atmosphere Model CAM5” (Journal of Advances in Modeling the Earth System, 2015). As noted by Qian et al., the simulations are “AMIP type” with temperature and sea ice boundary conditions chosen to match surface observations for the five year period 2000-2004. There are 1100 ensemble members in addition to one run with default inputparameter values.

Impact of Hypoglycemia on Brain Metabolism During Diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehni, Ashish K; Dave, Kunjan R

2018-04-10

Diabetes is a metabolic disease afflicting millions of people worldwide. A substantial fraction of world's total healthcare expenditure is spent on treating diabetes. Hypoglycemia is a serious consequence of anti-diabetic drug therapy, because it induces metabolic alterations in the brain. Metabolic alterations are one of the central mechanisms mediating hypoglycemia-related functional changes in the brain. Acute, chronic, and/or recurrent hypoglycemia modulate multiple metabolic pathways, and exposure to hypoglycemia increases consumption of alternate respiratory substrates such as ketone bodies, glycogen, and monocarboxylates in the brain. The aim of this review is to discuss hypoglycemia-induced metabolic alterations in the brain in glucose counterregulation, uptake, utilization and metabolism, cellular respiration, amino acid and lipid metabolism, and the significance of other sources of energy. The present review summarizes information on hypoglycemia-induced metabolic changes in the brain of diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and the manner in which they may affect brain function.

Microbial diversity and metabolic networks in acid mine drainage habitats

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Celia eMendez-Garcia

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD emplacements are low-complexity natural systems. Low-pH conditions appear to be the main factor underlying the limited diversity of the microbial populations thriving in these environments, although temperature, ionic composition, total organic carbon and dissolved oxygen are also considered to significantly influence their microbial life. This natural reduction in diversity driven by extreme conditions was reflected in several studies on the microbial populations inhabiting the various micro-environments present in such ecosystems. Early studies based on the physiology of the autochthonous microbiota and the growing success of omics technologies have enabled a better understanding of microbial ecology and function in low-pH mine outflows; however, complementary omics-derived data should be included to completely describe their microbial ecology. Furthermore, recent updates on the distribution of eukaryotes and ultra-micro-archaea demand their inclusion in the microbial characterisation of AMD systems. In this review, we present a complete overview of the bacterial, archaeal (including ultra-micro-archaeal and eukaryotic diversity in these ecosystems and include a thorough depiction of the metabolism and element cycling in AMD habitats. We also review different metabolic network structures at the organismal level, which is necessary to disentangle the role of each member of the AMD communities described thus far.

Long-Term Consequences for Offspring of Paternal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

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Benigno Linares Segovia

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Recent studies have reported an increase in the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. However, few have focused how diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome together in parents can influence on obesity and metabolic disturbances in offspring. Objective. To know the risk obesity and metabolic disturbance in children, adolescents, and young adults whose parents have diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Methods. A comparative survey was made in healthy children of parents with diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome compared with offspring of healthy parents. We performed anthropometry and evaluated blood pressure, glucose, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides levels in plasma. We registered parent antecedents to diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome and investigated the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and metabolic disturbances in offspring. Results. We studied 259 subjects of 7 to 20 years of age. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 27% and 37%, respectively. The highest proportion of BMI >95th of the entire group was found in offspring with both diabetic parents. Glucose and total cholesterol levels were lower in the group with healthy parents compared with the group with diabetic mother and metabolic syndrome but with healthy father. HDL cholesterol was higher in the group with both healthy parents than in the group with diabetic mother and metabolic syndrome but healthy father. Conclusions. The offspring of parents with diabetes plus metabolic syndrome showed higher proportion of variables related to metabolic syndrome compared with healthy parents.

Effects of iron and calcium carbonate on contaminant removal efficiencies and microbial communities in integrated wastewater treatment systems.

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Zhao, Zhimiao; Song, Xinshan; Zhang, Yinjiang; Zhao, Yufeng; Wang, Bodi; Wang, Yuhui

2017-12-01

In the paper, we explored the influences of different dosages of iron and calcium carbonate on contaminant removal efficiencies and microbial communities in algal ponds combined with constructed wetlands. After 1-year operation of treatment systems, based on the high-throughput pyrosequencing analysis of microbial communities, the optimal operating conditions were obtained as follows: the ACW10 system with Fe 3+ (5.6 mg L -1 ), iron powder (2.8 mg L -1 ), and CaCO 3 powder (0.2 mg L -1 ) in influent as the adjusting agents, initial phosphorus source (PO 4 3- ) in influent, the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P) of 30 in influent, and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 day. Total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiency were improved significantly. The hydrolysis of CaCO 3 promoted the physicochemical precipitation in contaminant removal. Meanwhile, Fe 3+ and iron powder produced Fe 2+ , which improved contaminant removal. Iron ion improved the diversity, distribution, and metabolic functions of microbial communities in integrated treatment systems. In the treatment ACW10, the dominant phylum in the microbial community was PLANCTOMYCETES, which positively promoted nitrogen removal. After 5 consecutive treatments in ACW10, contaminant removal efficiencies for TN and TP respectively reached 80.6% and 57.3% and total iron concentration in effluent was 0.042 mg L -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metaproteomics analysis of the functional insights into microbial communities of combined hydrogen and methane production by anaerobic fermentation from reed straw.

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Xuan Jia

Full Text Available A metaproteomic approach was used to analyse the proteins expressed and provide functional evidence of key metabolic pathways in the combined production of hydrogen and methane by anaerobic fermentation (CHMP-AF for reed straw utilisation. The functions and structures of bacteria and archaea populations show significant succession in the CHMP-AF process. There are many kinds of bacterial functional proteins, mainly belonging to phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, that are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Ferredoxin-NADP reductase, present in bacteria in genus Azotobacter, is an important enzyme for NADH/NAD+ equilibrium regulation in hydrogen production. The archaeal functional proteins are mainly involved in methane metabolism in energy metabolism, such as acetyl-CoA decarboxylase, and methyl-coenzyme M reductase, and the acetic acid pathway exhibited the highest proportion of the total. The archaea of genus Methanosarcina in phylum Euryarchaeota can produce methane under the effect of multi-functional proteins through acetic acid, CO2 reduction, and methyl nutrient pathways. The study demonstrates metaproteomics as a new way of uncovering community functional and metabolic activity. The combined information was used to identify the metabolic pathways and organisms crucial for lignocellulosic biomass degradation and biogas production. This also regulates the process from its protein levels and improves the efficiency of biogas production using reed straw biomass.

Metaproteomics analysis of the functional insights into microbial communities of combined hydrogen and methane production by anaerobic fermentation from reed straw

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Yang, Yang; Wang, Yong

2017-01-01

A metaproteomic approach was used to analyse the proteins expressed and provide functional evidence of key metabolic pathways in the combined production of hydrogen and methane by anaerobic fermentation (CHMP-AF) for reed straw utilisation. The functions and structures of bacteria and archaea populations show significant succession in the CHMP-AF process. There are many kinds of bacterial functional proteins, mainly belonging to phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes, that are involved in carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Ferredoxin-NADP reductase, present in bacteria in genus Azotobacter, is an important enzyme for NADH/NAD+ equilibrium regulation in hydrogen production. The archaeal functional proteins are mainly involved in methane metabolism in energy metabolism, such as acetyl-CoA decarboxylase, and methyl-coenzyme M reductase, and the acetic acid pathway exhibited the highest proportion of the total. The archaea of genus Methanosarcina in phylum Euryarchaeota can produce methane under the effect of multi-functional proteins through acetic acid, CO2 reduction, and methyl nutrient pathways. The study demonstrates metaproteomics as a new way of uncovering community functional and metabolic activity. The combined information was used to identify the metabolic pathways and organisms crucial for lignocellulosic biomass degradation and biogas production. This also regulates the process from its protein levels and improves the efficiency of biogas production using reed straw biomass. PMID:28817657

Analysis of the functional gene structure and metabolic potential of microbial community in high arsenic groundwater.

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Li, Ping; Jiang, Zhou; Wang, Yanhong; Deng, Ye; Van Nostrand, Joy D; Yuan, Tong; Liu, Han; Wei, Dazhun; Zhou, Jizhong

2017-10-15

Microbial functional potential in high arsenic (As) groundwater ecosystems remains largely unknown. In this study, the microbial community functional composition of nineteen groundwater samples was investigated using a functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0). Samples were divided into low and high As groups based on the clustering analysis of geochemical parameters and microbial functional structures. The results showed that As related genes (arsC, arrA), sulfate related genes (dsrA and dsrB), nitrogen cycling related genes (ureC, amoA, and hzo) and methanogen genes (mcrA, hdrB) in groundwater samples were correlated with As, SO 4 2- , NH 4 + or CH 4 concentrations, respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results indicated that some geochemical parameters including As, total organic content, SO 4 2- , NH 4 + , oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and pH were important factors shaping the functional microbial community structures. Alkaline and reducing conditions with relatively low SO 4 2- , ORP, and high NH 4 + , as well as SO 4 2- and Fe reduction and ammonification involved in microbially-mediated geochemical processes could be associated with As enrichment in groundwater. This study provides an overall picture of functional microbial communities in high As groundwater aquifers, and also provides insights into the critical role of microorganisms in As biogeochemical cycling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final Scientific/Technical Report, DE-FG02-06ER64171, Integrated Nucleic Acid System for In-Field Monitoring of Microbial Community Dynamics and Metabolic Activity – Subproject to Co-PI Eric E. Roden

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Eric E. Roden

2009-07-08

This report summarizes research conducted in conjunction with a project entitled “Integrated Nucleic Acid System for In-Field Monitoring of Microbial Community Dynamics and Metabolic Activity”, which was funded through the Integrative Studies Element of the former NABIR Program (now the Environmental Remediation Sciences Program) within the Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Dr. Darrell Chandler (originally at Argonne National Laboratory, now with Akonni Biosystems) was the overall PI/PD for the project. The overall project goals were to (1) apply a model iron-reducer and sulfate-reducer microarray and instrumentation systems to sediment and groundwater samples from the Scheibe et al. FRC Area 2 field site, UMTRA sediments, and other DOE contaminated sites; (2) continue development and expansion of a 16S rRNA/rDNA¬-targeted probe suite for microbial community dynamics as new sequences are obtained from DOE-relevant sites; and (3) address the fundamental molecular biology and analytical chemistry associated with the extraction, purification and analysis of functional genes and mRNA in environmental samples. Work on the UW subproject focused on conducting detailed batch and semicontinuous culture reactor experiments with uranium-contaminated FRC Area 2 sediment. The reactor experiments were designed to provide coherent geochemical and microbiological data in support of microarray analyses of microbial communities in Area 2 sediments undergoing biostimulation with ethanol. A total of four major experiments were conducted (one batch and three semicontinuous culture), three of which (the batch and two semicontinuous culture) provided samples for DNA microarray analysis. A variety of other molecular analyses (clone libraries, 16S PhyloChip, RT-PCR, and T-RFLP) were conducted on parallel samples from the various experiments in order to provide independent information on microbial community response to biostimulation.

Inherited metabolic disorders in Thailand.

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Wasant, Pornswan; Svasti, Jisnuson; Srisomsap, Chantragan; Liammongkolkul, Somporn

2002-08-01

The study of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) in Thailand is in its infancy. The majority are clinically diagnosed since there are only a handful of clinicians and scientists with expertise in inherited metabolic disorders, shortage of well-equipped laboratory facilities and lack of governmental financial support. Genetic metabolic disorders are usually not considered a priority due to prevalence of infectious diseases and congenital infections. From a retrospective study at the Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Siriraj Hospital; estimated pediatrics patients with suspected IEM were approximately 2-3 per cent of the total pediatric admissions of over 5,000 annually. After more than 10 years of research and accumulated clinical experiences, a genetic metabolic center is being established in collaboration with expert laboratories both in Bangkok (Chulabhorn Research Institute) and abroad (Japan and the United States). Numerous inherited metabolic disorders were identified--carbohydrate, amino acids, organic acids, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, peroxisomal, mucopolysaccharidoses etc. This report includes the establishment of genetic metabolic center in Thailand, research and pilot studies in newborn screening in Thailand and a multicenter study from 5 institutions (Children's National Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Pramongkutklao Hospital, Ramathibodi and Siriraj Hospitals). Inherited metabolic disorders reported are fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase deficiency, phenylketonuria, homocystinuria, nonketotic hyperglycinemia, urea cycle defect (arginino succinate lyase deficiency, argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency), Menkes disease, propionic acidemia and mucopolysaccharidoses (Hurler, Hurler-Scheie).

Association of sleep quality components and wake time with metabolic syndrome: The Qazvin Metabolic Diseases Study (QMDS), Iran.

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Zohal, Mohammadali; Ghorbani, Azam; Esmailzadehha, Neda; Ziaee, Amir; Mohammadi, Zahrasadat

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine the association of sleep quality and sleep quantity with metabolic syndrome in Qazvin, Iran. this cross sectional study was conducted in 1079 residents of Qazvin selected by multistage cluster random sampling method in 2011. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria proposed by the national cholesterol education program third Adult treatment panel. Sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of sleep status and metabolic syndrome. Mean age was 40.08±10.33years. Of 1079, 578 (52.2%) were female, and 30.6% had metabolic syndrome. The total global PSQI score in the subjects with metabolic syndrome was significantly higher than subjects without metabolic syndrome (6.30±3.20 vs. 5.83±2.76, P=0.013). In logistic regression analysis, sleep disturbances was associated with 1.388 fold increased risk of metabolic syndrome after adjustment for age, gender, and body mass index. Sleep disturbances component was a predictor of metabolic syndrome in the present study. More longitudinal studies are necessary to understand the association of sleep quality and its components with metabolic syndrome. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Association of Arsenic Exposure and Arsenic Metabolism with the Metabolic Syndrome and its Individual Components: Prospective Evidence from the Strong Heart Family Study.

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Spratlen, Miranda J; Grau-Perez, Maria; Best, Lyle G; Yracheta, Joseph; Lazo, Mariana; Vaidya, Dhananjay; Balakrishnan, Poojitha; Gamble, Mary V; Francesconi, Kevin A; Goessler, Walter; Cole, Shelley A; Umans, Jason G; Howard, Barbara V; Navas-Acien, Ana

2018-03-15

Inorganic arsenic exposure is ubiquitous and both exposure and inter-individual differences in its metabolism have been associated with cardiometabolic risk. The association between arsenic exposure and arsenic metabolism with metabolic syndrome and its individual components, however, is relatively unknown. We used poisson regression with robust variance to evaluate the association between baseline arsenic exposure (urine arsenic levels) and metabolism (relative percentage of arsenic species over their sum) with incident metabolic syndrome and its individual components (elevated waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL, hypertension, elevated fasting plasma glucose) in 1,047 participants from the Strong Heart Family Study, a prospective family-based cohort in American Indian communities (baseline visits in 1998-1999 and 2001-2003, follow-up visits in 2001-2003 and 2006-2009). 32% of participants developed metabolic syndrome over follow-up. An IQR increase in arsenic exposure was associated with 1.19 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.41) greater risk for elevated fasting plasma glucose but not with other individual components or overall metabolic syndrome. Arsenic metabolism, specifically lower MMA% and higher DMA% was associated with higher risk of overall metabolic syndrome and elevated waist circumference, but not with any other component. These findings support there is a contrasting and independent association between arsenic exposure and arsenic metabolism with metabolic outcomes which may contribute to overall diabetes risk.

Semi-quantitative interpretation of the bone scan in metabolic bone disease

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Fogelman, I; Turner, J G; Hay, I D; Boyle, I T [Royal Infirmary, Glasgow (UK). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine; Citrin, D L [Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Human Oncology; Bessent, G R

1979-01-01

Certain easily recognisable features are commonly seen in the bone scans of patients with metabolic bone disorders. Seven such features have been numerically graded by three independent observers in the scans of 100 patients with metabolic bone disease and of 50 control subjects. The total score for each patient is defined as the metabolic index. The mean metabolic index for each group of patients with metabolic bone disease is significantly greater than that for the control group (P < 0.001). (orig.).

Balancing cellular redox metabolism in microbial electrosynthesis and electro fermentation - A chance for metabolic engineering.

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Kracke, Frauke; Lai, Bin; Yu, Shiqin; Krömer, Jens O

2018-01-01

More and more microbes are discovered that are capable of extracellular electron transfer, a process in which they use external electrodes as electron donors or acceptors for metabolic reactions. This feature can be used to overcome cellular redox limitations and thus optimizing microbial production. The technologies, termed microbial electrosynthesis and electro-fermentation, have the potential to open novel bio-electro production platforms from sustainable energy and carbon sources. However, the performance of reported systems is currently limited by low electron transport rates between microbes and electrodes and our limited ability for targeted engineering of these systems due to remaining knowledge gaps about the underlying fundamental processes. Metabolic engineering offers many opportunities to optimize these processes, for instance by genetic engineering of pathways for electron transfer on the one hand and target product synthesis on the other hand. With this review, we summarize the status quo of knowledge and engineering attempts around chemical production in bio-electrochemical systems from a microbe perspective. Challenges associated with the introduction or enhancement of extracellular electron transfer capabilities into production hosts versus the engineering of target compound synthesis pathways in natural exoelectrogens are discussed. Recent advances of the research community in both directions are examined critically. Further, systems biology approaches, for instance using metabolic modelling, are examined for their potential to provide insight into fundamental processes and to identify targets for metabolic engineering. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Viruses Compensate for Microbial Metabolism in Virus-Host Interactions.

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He, Tianliang; Li, Hongyun; Zhang, Xiaobo

2017-07-11

Viruses are believed to be responsible for the mortality of host organisms. However, some recent investigations reveal that viruses may be essential for host survival. To date, it remains unclear whether viruses are beneficial or harmful to their hosts. To reveal the roles of viruses in the virus-host interactions, viromes and microbiomes of sediment samples from three deep-sea hydrothermal vents were explored in this study. To exclude the influence of exogenous DNAs on viromes, the virus particles were purified with nuclease (DNase I and RNase A) treatments and cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation. The metagenomic analysis of viromes without exogenous DNA contamination and microbiomes of vent samples indicated that viruses had compensation effects on the metabolisms of their host microorganisms. Viral genes not only participated in most of the microbial metabolic pathways but also formed branched pathways in microbial metabolisms, including pyrimidine metabolism; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; nitrogen metabolism and assimilation pathways of the two-component system; selenocompound metabolism; aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; and amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism. As is well known, deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems exist in relatively isolated environments which are barely influenced by other ecosystems. The metabolic compensation of hosts mediated by viruses might represent a very important aspect of virus-host interactions. IMPORTANCE Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the oceans and have very important roles in regulating microbial community structure and biogeochemical cycles. The relationship between virus and host microbes is broadly thought to be that of predator and prey. Viruses can lyse host cells to control microbial population sizes and affect community structures of hosts by killing specific microbes. However, viruses also influence their hosts through manipulation of bacterial metabolism. We found

Obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in dogs: a comparison with human metabolic syndrome

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Tvarijonaviciute Asta

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recently, metabolic syndrome (MS has gained attention in human metabolic medicine given its associations with development of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Canine obesity is associated with the development of insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and mild hypertension, but the authors are not aware of any existing studies examining the existence or prevalence of MS in obese dogs. Thirty-five obese dogs were assessed before and after weight loss (median percentage loss 29%, range 10-44%. The diagnostic criteria of the International Diabetes Federation were modified in order to define canine obesity-related metabolic dysfunction (ORMD, which included a measure of adiposity (using a 9-point body condition score [BCS], systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma cholesterol, plasma triglyceride, and fasting plasma glucose. By way of comparison, total body fat mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, whilst total adiponectin, fasting insulin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP were measured using validated assays. Results Systolic blood pressure (P = 0.008, cholesterol (P = 0.003, triglyceride (P = 0.018, and fasting insulin (P P = 0.001. However, hsCRP did not change with weight loss. Prior to weight loss, 7 dogs were defined as having ORMD, and there was no difference in total fat mass between these dogs and those who did not meet the criteria for ORMD. However, plasma adiponectin concentration was less (P = 0.031, and plasma insulin concentration was greater (P = 0.030 in ORMD dogs. Conclusions In this study, approximately 20% of obese dogs suffer from ORMD, and this is characterized by hypoadiponectinaemia and hyperinsulinaemia. These studies can form the basis of further investigations to determine path genetic mechanisms and the health significance for dogs, in terms of disease associations and outcomes of weight loss.

Association of cortisol and the metabolic syndrome in Korean men and women.

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Park, Sat Byul; Blumenthal, James A; Lee, Soon Young; Georgiades, Anastasia

2011-07-01

Obesity and the metabolic syndrome are closely related and have become increasingly prevalent in Korea. The cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors comprising the metabolic syndrome have previously been associated with increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) activity, but the associations have not been extensively examined in non-Caucasian populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between cortisol, adiposity and the metabolic syndrome in a Korean population. A total of 1,881 adults participated in the study between January 2001 and February 2008. Sociodemographic data were assessed by questionnaires. Body composition, clinic blood pressures as well as metabolic variables including glucose, insulin, and lipid profile were assessed and analyzed in relation to cortisol levels. Mean age of the participants was 58.7 ± 10.8 yr. Higher levels of cortisol was associated with elevated blood pressure, fasting glucose and total cholesterol in men, and between cortisol and systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and total cholesterol in women. There was an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome associated with higher cortisol levels in both men (P cortisol levels are associated with several CVD risk factors and the metabolic syndrome, independent of overall of adiposity level, in Korean men and women.

Marked Response in Microbial Community and Metabolism in the Ileum and Cecum of Suckling Piglets After Early Antibiotics Exposure

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Miao Yu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In modern swine husbandry systems, antibiotics have been used as growth promoters for piglets during suckling or weaning period. However, while early colonization of intestinal microbiota has been regarded crucial for the host’s later life performance and well-being, little is known about the impact of antibiotics on intestinal microbiota in suckling piglets. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of early antibiotics exposure on gut microbiota and microbial metabolism of suckling piglets. Sixteen litters of suckling piglets were fed a creep feed diet with (Antibiotic or without (Control antibiotics from postnatal days 7–23 (n = 8. The ileal and cecal digesta were obtained for microbial composition and microbial metabolites analysis. The results showed that the antibiotics significantly altered the bacterial community composition by decreasing (P < 0.05 the diversity and richness in the ileum. The antibiotics significantly reduced the abundance of Lactobacillus in both the ileum and cecum, increased the abundance of Streptococcus, unclassified Enterococcaceae, unclassified Fusobacteriales, and Corynebacterium in the ileum, and the abundance of unclassified Ruminococcaceae and unclassified Erysipelotrichaceae in the cecum. The antibiotics decreased (P < 0.05 ileal lactate concentration and cecal concentration of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs. But the antibiotics enhanced protein fermentation (P < 0.05 in the ileum and cecum, as ileal concentrations of putrescine and cadaverine, and cecal concentrations of isobutyrate, isovalerate, putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, and spermidine were significantly increased (P < 0.05. These results indicated that early antibiotics exposure significantly altered the microbial composition of suckling piglets toward a vulnerable and unhealthy gut environment. The findings provide a new insight on the antibiotics impact on neonates and may provide new framework for designing alternatives to the

Diagnosis of In Situ Metabolic State and Rates of Microbial Metabolism During In Situ Uranium Bioremediation with Molecular Techniques

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Lovley, Derek R. [University of Massachusetts, Amherst

2012-11-28

The goal of these projects was to develop molecule tools to tract the metabolic activity and physiological status of microorganisms during in situ uranium bioremediation. Such information is important in able to design improved bioremediation strategies. As summarized below, the research was highly successful with new strategies developed for estimating in situ rates of metabolism and diagnosing the physiological status of the predominant subsurface microorganisms. This is a first not only for groundwater bioremediation studies, but also for subsurface microbiology in general. The tools and approaches developed in these studies should be applicable to the study of microbial communities in a diversity of soils and sediments.

Metabolic Concomitants of Obese and Nonobese Women With Features of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

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Boumosleh, Jocelyne Matar; Grundy, Scott M.; Phan, Jennifer; Neeland, Ian J.; Chang, Alice

2017-01-01

Context: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is often associated with obesity and diabetes. Objective: The present study measured body fat distribution and metabolic risk factors in women with features of PCOS. Design: Cross-sectional, multiethnic study of cardiovascular risks. Setting: General community. Study Participants: 145 PCOS and 344 non-PCOS women. Exposure Measures: Body composition by dual x-ray absorptiometry; abdominal fat masses measured by magnetic resonance imaging and hepatic triglyceride by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Outcomes Measures: Body composition, liver fat content, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), revised, and metabolic syndrome components. Results: PCOS women had a higher free androgen index compared with the non-PCOS women. Nonobese PCOS and non-PCOS women had a similar body fat content and distribution, HOMA-IR, and hepatic triglyceride content. Obese PCOS women had a similar total body fat percentage compared with their non-PCOS counterparts (41.4% and 41.4% respectively). Both obese groups had similar intraperitoneal fat (1.4% of total body mass in PCOS vs 1.4% in non-PCOS). However, obese PCOS women had a greater ratio of truncal/lower body fat (1.42 vs 1.27; P < 0.016). They also had greater insulin resistance (HOMA-IR: PCOS, 2.24% vs non-PCOS, 1.91%; P < 0.016), higher liver triglyceride content (6.96% in PCOS vs 4.44% in non-PCOS; P < 0.016), and a greater incidence of hypertension (33% vs 24%; P < 0.05). No differences were observed in other metabolic risk factors. Conclusions: Both obese and nonobese women with PCOS features had a greater free androgen index compared with non-PCOS women, but neither had greater intraperitoneal fat or abnormal lipid levels. Obese, but not nonobese, women with PCOS had a greater truncal/lower extremity fat ratio, HOMA-IR, and liver triglyceride content. PMID:29264465

The skin function: a factor of anti-metabolic syndrome

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Zhou Shi-Sheng

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract The body’s total antioxidant capacity represents a sum of the antioxidant capacity of various tissues/organs. A decrease in the body’s antioxidant capacity may induce oxidative stress and subsequent metabolic syndrome, a clustering of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The skin, the largest organ of the body, is one of the major components of the body’s total antioxidant defense system, primarily through its xenobiotic/drug biotransformation system, reactive oxygen species-scavenging system, and sweat glands- and sebaceous glands-mediated excretion system. Notably, unlike other contributors, the skin contribution is variable, depending on lifestyles and ambient temperature or seasonal variations. Emerging evidence suggests that decreased skin’s antioxidant and excretory functions (e.g., due to sedentary lifestyles and low ambient temperature may increase the risk for metabolic syndrome. This review focuses on the relationship between the variability of skin-mediated detoxification and elimination of exogenous and endogenous toxic substances and the development of metabolic syndrome. The potential role of sebum secretion in lipid and cholesterol homeostasis and its impact on metabolic syndrome, and the association between skin disorders (acanthosis nigricans, acne, and burn and metabolic syndrome are also discussed.

Partitioning the contributions of mega-, macro- and meiofauna to benthic metabolism on the upper continental slope of New Zealand: Potential links with environmental factors and trawling intensity

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Leduc, Daniel; Pilditch, Conrad A.; Nodder, Scott D.

2016-02-01

Understanding and predicting change in deep-sea benthic ecosystem function remains a major challenge. Here, we conducted analyses combining data on the abundance and biomass of benthic fauna and sediment community oxygen consumption (SCOC) on New Zealand's continental margin to estimate and compare the contributions of meio-, macro-, and megafauna to total benthic metabolism and identify potential links with environmental factors and trawling intensity. We focussed on two regions in close proximity-the high surface primary productivity Chatham Rise and low surface productivity Challenger Plateau. Mean megafauna biomass was twenty times greater on Chatham Rise than Challenger Plateau, likely reflecting differences in food supply between the two regions; this contrast in megafaunal biomass was mainly due to differences in mean body weight rather than abundance. Meio- and macrofauna made similar contributions to SCOC and together accounted for 12% of benthic metabolism on average. In contrast, the estimated contribution of megafauna never exceeded 1.5%. Significant positive correlations between faunal respiration and food availability indicate a link between food supply and benthic community function. Our analyses also show that fauna made a greater contribution to SCOC in conditions of high food availability, and that microorganisms (i.e., the proportion of SCOC not accounted for by the fauna) tended to be more dominant at sites with low food availability. These findings provide support for the concept that large organisms are more strongly affected by a reduction in food resources than small organisms, which in turn underlies one of the most widely described patterns in the deep-sea benthos, i.e., the reduction in organism body size with depth. Because metabolism in deep-sea sediments is typically dominated by microorganisms and small fauna, the absence of a relationship between bottom trawling intensity and the respiration of benthic fauna in the present study may

Metabolic syndrome and physical activity in southern Brazilian community-dwelling elders: a population-based, cross-sectional study

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Reichert César L

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background - The association between a sedentary lifestyle and obesity is well documented, and is linked to an increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS. There is some evidence that information regarding the health benefits of physical activity is beginning to impact on the elderly people and is beginning to change their behavior. We aimed to investigate the level of physical activity undertaken by elderly people with MS and those without this condition. Methods - We evaluated 362 community-dwelling elders of Novo Hamburgo, southern Brazil. Diagnosis of MS was based on the International Diabetes Federation criteria and the physical activity (PA level was estimated by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance was carried out to verify associations between MS risk factors and the level of PA. Logistic regression was used to estimate the MS odds ratio for each level of PA. Results - No significant association was found between MS and the level of physical activity, irrespective of sex. The odds ratio for the presence of MS adjusted for sex and age and using insufficiently active elderly people as reference was 1.04 (95% CI, 0.6 to 1.7 in sufficiently active elderly people and 1.15 (95% CI, 0.7 to 2.0 in very active elderly people. Conclusion - The elderly citizens of a southern Brazilian community who were diagnosed with MS presented the same levels of PA as the individuals who did not have this diagnosis. This may imply that information on the importance of physical activity has already reached this higher risk population.

Weight Management, Energy Metabolism, and Endocrine Hor¬mones- Review Article

OpenAIRE

Seyed-Ali MOSTAFAVI; Saeed HOSSEINI

2015-01-01

Energy expenditure is determined by basal metabolic rate, physical activity, and Thermic Effect of Foods (TEF). Some endocrine hormones have role in basal metabolism and hence in human energy expenditure. And some foods pose more thermic effects on the total body energy expenditure and therefore can influence body weight. This review was performed to discuss factors which may affect body metabolism and body weight. Latest medical databases and nutrition and metabolism books were reviewed. We ...

The metabolic regimes of flowing waters

Science.gov (United States)

Bernhardt, Emily S.; Heffernan, Jim B.; Grimm, Nancy B.; Stanley, Emily H.; Harvey, Judson; Arroita, M.; Appling, Alison; Cohen, M.J.; McDowell, William H.; Hall, R.O.; Read, Jordan S.; Roberts, B.J.; Stets, Edward; Yackulic, Charles B.

2018-01-01

The processes and biomass that characterize any ecosystem are fundamentally constrained by the total amount of energy that is either fixed within or delivered across its boundaries. Ultimately, ecosystems may be understood and classified by their rates of total and net productivity and by the seasonal patterns of photosynthesis and respiration. Such understanding is well developed for terrestrial and lentic ecosystems but our understanding of ecosystem phenology has lagged well behind for rivers. The proliferation of reliable and inexpensive sensors for monitoring dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide is underpinning a revolution in our understanding of the ecosystem energetics of rivers. Here, we synthesize our current understanding of the drivers and constraints on river metabolism, and set out a research agenda aimed at characterizing, classifying and modeling the current and future metabolic regimes of flowing waters.

Nutritional and Acquired Deficiencies in Inositol Bioavailability. Correlations with Metabolic Disorders

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Simona Dinicola

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Communities eating a western-like diet, rich in fat, sugar and significantly deprived of fibers, share a relevant increased risk of both metabolic and cancerous diseases. Even more remarkable is that a low-fiber diet lacks some key components—as phytates and inositols—for which a mechanistic link has been clearly established in the pathogenesis of both cancer and metabolic illness. Reduced bioavailability of inositol in living organisms could arise from reduced food supply or from metabolism deregulation. Inositol deregulation has been found in a number of conditions mechanistically and epidemiologically associated to high-glucose diets or altered glucose metabolism. Indeed, high glucose levels hinder inositol availability by increasing its degradation and by inhibiting both myo-Ins biosynthesis and absorption. These underappreciated mechanisms may likely account for acquired, metabolic deficiency in inositol bioavailability.

NIH Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers: the power of centralized phenotyping.

Science.gov (United States)

Laughlin, Maren R; Lloyd, K C Kent; Cline, Gary W; Wasserman, David H

2012-10-01

The Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Centers (MMPCs) were founded in 2001 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance biomedical research by providing the scientific community with standardized, high-quality phenotyping services for mouse models of diabetes, obesity, and their complications. The intent is to allow researchers to take optimum advantage of the many new mouse models produced in labs and in high-throughput public efforts. The six MMPCs are located at universities around the country and perform complex metabolic tests in intact mice and hormone and analyte assays in tissues on a fee-for-service basis. Testing is subsidized by the NIH in order to reduce the barriers for mouse researchers. Although data derived from these tests belong to the researcher submitting mice or tissues, these data are archived after publication in a public database run by the MMPC Coordinating and Bioinformatics Unit. It is hoped that data from experiments performed in many mouse models of metabolic diseases, using standard protocols, will be useful in understanding the nature of these complex disorders. The current areas of expertise include energy balance and body composition, insulin action and secretion, whole-body and tissue carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cardiovascular and renal function, and metabolic pathway kinetics. In addition to providing services, the MMPC staff provides expertise and advice to researchers, and works to develop and refine test protocols to best meet the community's needs in light of current scientific developments. Test technology is disseminated by publications and through annual courses.

VISCOSITY DICTATES METABOLIC ACTIVITY of Vibrio ruber

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Maja eBoric

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Little is known about metabolic activity of bacteria, when viscosity of their environment changes. In this work, bacterial metabolic activity in media with viscosity ranging from 0.8 to 29.4 mPas was studied. Viscosities up to 2.4 mPas did not affect metabolic activity of Vibrio ruber. On the other hand, at 29.4 mPas respiration rate and total dehydrogenase activity increased 8 and 4-fold, respectively. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase increased up to 13-fold at higher viscosities. However, intensified metabolic activity did not result in faster growth rate. Increased viscosity delayed the onset as well as the duration of biosynthesis of prodigiosin. As an adaptation to viscous environment V. ruber increased metabolic flux through the pentose phosphate pathway and reduced synthesis of a secondary metabolite. In addition, V. ruber was able to modify the viscosity of its environment.

Commentary on community-led total sanitation and human rights: should the right to community-wide health be won at the cost of individual rights?

Science.gov (United States)

Bartram, Jamie; Charles, Katrina; Evans, Barbara; O'Hanlon, Lucinda; Pedley, Steve

2012-12-01

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set out to halve the proportion of the population without access to basic sanitation between 1990 and 2015. The slow pace of progress has lead to a search for innovative responses, including social motivation approaches. One example of this type of approach is 'Community-led Total Sanitation' (CLTS). CLTS represents a major shift for sanitation projects and programmes in recognising the value of stopping open-defecation across the whole community, even when the individual toilets built are not necessarily wholly hygienic. However, recent publications on CLTS document a number of examples of practices which fail to meet basic ethical criteria and infringe human rights. There is a general theme in the CLTS literature encouraging the use of 'shame' or 'social stigma' as a tool for promoting behaviours. There are reported cases where monetary benefits to which individuals are otherwise entitled or the means to practice a livelihood are withheld to create pressures to conform. At the very extreme end of the scale, the investigation and punishment of violence has reportedly been denied if the crime occurred while defecating in the open, violating rights to a remedy and related access to justice. While social mobilisation in general, and CLTS in particular, have drastically and positively changed the way we think about sanitation, they neither need nor benefit from an association with any infringements of human rights.

Total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels and measures of glucose and lipid metabolism following pioglitazone treatment in a randomized placebo-controlled study in polycystic ovary syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glintborg, Dorte; Frystyk, Jan; Højlund, Kurt

2008-01-01

and controls and examined possible mechanisms for increased insulin sensitivity during pioglitazone treatment. STUDY SUBJECTS: Thirty PCOS patients randomized to pioglitazone, 30 mg/day, or placebo for 16 weeks and 14 weight-matched healthy females were studied. DESIGN: Total and HMW adiponectin levels were...... measured, and euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamps and indirect calorimetry were performed. Delta-values denoted changes during pioglitazone treatment (16 weeks--basal). RESULTS: Pretreatment adiponectin levels were decreased in PCOS patients vs. controls (P ...OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggested that the effect of adiponectin on insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism is mediated primarily by the high molecular weight (HMW) form of adiponectin. In the present study we evaluated total and HMW adiponectin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients...

Urinary and Serum Metabolomics Analyses Uncover That Total Glucosides of Paeony Protect Liver against Acute Injury Potentially via Reprogramming of Multiple Metabolic Pathways

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Haojie Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Total glucosides of paeony (TGP have been confirmed to be hepatoprotective. However, the underlying mechanism is largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the metabolic profiles of urine and serum in rats with carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4- induced experimental liver injury and TGP administration by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS. The vehicle or a single dose of TGP was intragastrically administered to Wistar rats once a day for 14 consecutive days. To induce ALI, 50% CCl4 was injected intraperitoneally into these rats 2 hours after the last time administration of saline of TGP at the 14th day. The results indicated that TGP administration could protect rats from CCl4-induced ALI and alanine aminotransferase (ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST elevation, as well as hepatocyte apoptosis and inflammation. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis showed that TGP treatment significantly attenuated CCl4-triggered deregulation of multiple metabolites in both urine and serum, including glycine, alanine, proline, and glutamine. Metabolite set enrichment and pathway analyses demonstrated that amino acid cycling and glutathione metabolism were two main pathways involved in CCl4-induced experimental liver injury and TGP administration. Taken together, these findings revealed that regulation of metabolites potentially plays a pivotal role in the protective effect of TGP on ALI.

Association between metabolic syndrome and mild cognitive impairment and its age difference in a Chinese community elderly population.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Miao; He, Yao; Jiang, Bin; Wu, Lei; Wang, Jianghua; Yang, Shanshan; Wang, Yiyan

2015-06-01

To examine associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its individual components with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among community elderly and explore the age difference. Cross-sectional study. About 2,102 aged 60 and older community residents in Beijing metropolitan area, China. Cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). MetS was defined by the 2009 harmonizing definition. Overnight-fasting blood samples were obtained to measure biochemistry indicators. The prevalence of MetS and MCI was 59·1% and 15·9%, respectively. After adjusting age, gender, other demographic factors, lifestyle variables and medication use, participants with MetS or its individual components are at significantly elevated risk for MCI. In terms of MMSE score, as the continuous dependent variable, the β (95% CI) of MetS was -0·68(-0·99, -0·37). For prevalence of MCI, as the dichotomy dependent variable, the odds ratio (OR) of Mets is 1·52 compared to control group (or baseline) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1·16 to 1·95. The multivariate association only showed significant results among participants aged less than 80 years old. MetS is associated with worse cognitive function among younger elderly. Managing MetS, as well as its components, may contribute to control cognitive decline and reduce related disease and social burden. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a standardized job description for healthcare managers of metabolic syndrome management programs in Korean community health centers.

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Lee, Youngjin; Choo, Jina; Cho, Jeonghyun; Kim, So-Nam; Lee, Hye-Eun; Yoon, Seok-Jun; Seomun, GyeongAe

2014-03-01

This study aimed to develop a job description for healthcare managers of metabolic syndrome management programs using task analysis. Exploratory research was performed by using the Developing a Curriculum method, the Intervention Wheel model, and focus group discussions. Subsequently, we conducted a survey of 215 healthcare workers from 25 community health centers to verify that the job description we created was accurate. We defined the role of healthcare managers. Next, we elucidated the tasks of healthcare managers and performed needs analysis to examine the frequency, importance, and difficulty of each of their duties. Finally, we verified that our job description was accurate. Based on the 8 duties, 30 tasks, and 44 task elements assigned to healthcare managers, we found that the healthcare managers functioned both as team coordinators responsible for providing multidisciplinary health services and nurse specialists providing health promotion services. In terms of importance and difficulty of tasks performed by the healthcare managers, which were measured using a determinant coefficient, the highest-ranked task was planning social marketing (15.4), while the lowest-ranked task was managing human resources (9.9). A job description for healthcare managers may provide basic data essential for the development of a job training program for healthcare managers working in community health promotion programs. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Metabolic Models of Protein Allocation Call for the Kinetome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nilsson, Avlant; Nielsen, Jens; Palsson, Bernhard

2017-01-01

The flux of metabolites in the living cell depend on enzyme activities. Recently, many metabolic phenotypes have been explained by computer models that incorporate enzyme activity data. To move further, the scientific community needs to measure the kinetics of all enzymes in a systematic way....

High taxonomic variability despite stable functional structure across microbial communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Louca, Stilianos; Jacques, Saulo M S; Pires, Aliny P F; Leal, Juliana S; Srivastava, Diane S; Parfrey, Laura Wegener; Farjalla, Vinicius F; Doebeli, Michael

2016-12-05

Understanding the processes that are driving variation of natural microbial communities across space or time is a major challenge for ecologists. Environmental conditions strongly shape the metabolic function of microbial communities; however, other processes such as biotic interactions, random demographic drift or dispersal limitation may also influence community dynamics. The relative importance of these processes and their effects on community function remain largely unknown. To address this uncertainty, here we examined bacterial and archaeal communities in replicate 'miniature' aquatic ecosystems contained within the foliage of wild bromeliads. We used marker gene sequencing to infer the taxonomic composition within nine metabolic functional groups, and shotgun environmental DNA sequencing to estimate the relative abundances of these groups. We found that all of the bromeliads exhibited remarkably similar functional community structures, but that the taxonomic composition within individual functional groups was highly variable. Furthermore, using statistical analyses, we found that non-neutral processes, including environmental filtering and potentially biotic interactions, at least partly shaped the composition within functional groups and were more important than spatial dispersal limitation and demographic drift. Hence both the functional structure and taxonomic composition within functional groups of natural microbial communities may be shaped by non-neutral and roughly separate processes.

Long-term monitoring reveals carbon-nitrogen metabolism key to microcystin production in eutrophic lakes

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Lucas J Beversdorf

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The environmental drivers contributing to cyanobacterial dominance in aquatic systems have been extensively studied. However, understanding of toxic versus non-toxic cyanobacterial population dynamics and the mechanisms regulating cyanotoxin production remain elusive, both physiologically and ecologically. One reason is the disconnect between laboratory and field-based studies. Here, we combined three years of temporal data, including microcystin (MC concentrations, 16 years of long-term ecological research, and 10 years of molecular data to investigate the potential factors leading to the selection of toxic Microcystis and MC production. Our analysis revealed that nitrogen (N speciation and inorganic carbon (C availability might be important drivers of Microcystis population dynamics and that an imbalance in cellular C: N ratios may trigger MC production. More specifically, precipitous declines in ammonium concentrations lead to a transitional period of N stress, even in the presence of high nitrate concentrations, that we call the toxic phase. Following the toxic phase, temperature and cyanobacterial abundance remained elevated but MC concentrations drastically declined. Increases in ammonium due to lake turnover may have led to down regulation of MC synthesis or a shift in the community from toxic to non-toxic species. While total phosphorus (P to total N ratios were relatively low over the time-series, MC concentrations were highest when total N to total P ratios were also highest. Similarly, high C: N ratios were also strongly correlated to the toxic phase. We propose a metabolic model that corroborates molecular studies and reflects our ecological observations that C and N metabolism may regulate MC production physiologically and ecologically. In particular, we hypothesize that an imbalance between 2-oxoglutarate and ammonium in the cell regulates MC synthesis in the environment.

Effect of UV on De-NOx performance and microbial community of a hybrid catalytic membrane biofilm reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhouyang; Huang, Zhensha; He, Yiming; Xiao, Xiaoliang; Wei, Zaishan

2018-02-01

The hybrid membrane catalytic biofilm reactor provides a new way of flue gas denitration. However, the effects of UV on denitrification performance, microbial community and microbial nitrogen metabolism are still unknown. In this study, the effects of UV on deNO x performance, nitrification and denitrification, microbial community and microbial nitrogen metabolism of a bench scale N-TiO2/PSF hybrid catalytic membrane biofilm reactor (HCMBR) were evaluated. The change from nature light to UV in the HCMBR leads to the fall of NO removal efficiency of HCMBR from 92.8% to 81.8%. UV affected the microbial community structure, but did not change microbial nitrogen metabolism, as shown by metagenomics sequencing method. Some dominant phyla, such as Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria, increased in abundance, whereas others, such as Proteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, decreased. There were nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, and organic nitrogen metabolism in the HCMBR.

A Urinary Metabolic Signature for Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gebregiworgis, Teklab; Nielsen, Helle H; Massilamany, Chandirasegaran

2016-01-01

a statistically distinct metabolic signature from healthy and NMO-SD controls. A total of 27 metabolites were differentially altered in the urine from MS and NMO-SD patients and were associated with synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, amino acids, propionate and pyruvate metabolism, tricarboxylic acid...

A workflow for mathematical modeling of subcellular metabolic pathways in leaf metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana

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Thomas eNägele

2013-12-01

Full Text Available During the last decade genome sequencing has experienced a rapid technological development resulting in numerous sequencing projects and applications in life science. In plant molecular biology, the availability of sequence data on whole genomes has enabled the reconstruction of metabolic networks. Enzymatic reactions are predicted by the sequence information. Pathways arise due to the participation of chemical compounds as substrates and products in these reactions. Although several of these comprehensive networks have been reconstructed for the genetic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the integration of experimental data is still challenging. Particularly the analysis of subcellular organization of plant cells limits the understanding of regulatory instances in these metabolic networks in vivo. In this study, we develop an approach for the functional integration of experimental high-throughput data into such large-scale networks. We present a subcellular metabolic network model comprising 524 metabolic intermediates and 548 metabolic interactions derived from a total of 2769 reactions. We demonstrate how to link the metabolite covariance matrix of different Arabidopsis thaliana accessions with the subcellular metabolic network model for the inverse calculation of the biochemical Jacobian, finally resulting in the calculation of a matrix which satisfies a Lyaponov equation involving a covariance matrix. In this way, differential strategies of metabolite compartmentation and involved reactions were identified in the accessions when exposed to low temperature.

Chitin Oligosaccharide Modulates Gut Microbiota and Attenuates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Mice

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Junping Zheng

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Gut microbiota has been proved to be an indispensable link between nutrient excess and metabolic syndrome, and chitin oligosaccharide (NACOS has displayed therapeutic effects on multiple diseases such as cancer and gastritis. In this study, we aim to confirm whether NACOS can ameliorate high-fat diet (HFD-induced metabolic syndrome by rebuilding the structure of the gut microbiota community. Male C57BL/6J mice fed with HFD were treated with NACOS (1 mg/mL in drinking water for five months. The results indicate that NACOS improved glucose metabolic disorder in HFD-fed mice and suppressed mRNA expression of the protein regulators related to lipogenesis, gluconeogenesis, adipocyte differentiation, and inflammation in adipose tissues. Additionally, NACOS inhibited the destruction of the gut barrier in HFD-treated mice. Furthermore, 16S ribosome RNA sequencing of fecal samples demonstrates that NACOS promoted the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria remarkably and decreased the abundance of inflammogenic taxa. In summary, NACOS partly rebuilt the microbial community and improved the metabolic syndrome of HFD-fed mice. These data confirm the preventive effects of NACOS on nutrient excess-related metabolic diseases.

Associated Factors for Metabolic Syndrome in the Older Adults with Chronic Virus Hepatitis in the Community.

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Yuan-Hung Kuo

Full Text Available This study was to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS and chronic virus hepatitis elders in the community. Those subjects with positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg and/or anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV screened in the community before were invited to this study and 451 responded. All participants underwent anthropometric measurements, blood tests, ultrasound and fibroscan examinations. The cut-off of liver stiffness measurement-liver cirrhosis (LSM-LC was 10 kPa for chronic hepatitis B (CHB patients and 12 kPa for chronic hepatitis C (CHC patients, respectively. Among 451 responders, 56 were excluded due to negative HBsAg or anti-HCV. Three hundreds and ninety-five subjects included 228 CHB patients, 156 CHC patients and 11 dual hepatitis patients, had a mean age of 62±12.6 years. Fifty-four (23.7% CHB patients coexisted with MetS whereas 40 (25.6% CHC patients also had MetS. Those patients with MetS had more LSM-LC cases than those without (20.4% vs 9.8%, p = 0.04 in CHB patients; 28.2% vs 13.5%, p = 0.037 in CHC patients, respectively. In multivariate logistic analysis, detectable viremia was reversely associated with MetS in CHB patients after adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (odds ratio (OR: 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI: 0.18-0.99; p = 0.047. Regarding CHC patients, higher LSM level was the only factor contributed to MetS (OR: 1.1; 95% CI: 1.02-1.19; p = 0.012. In conclusion, elder CHB patients coexisted with MetS might experience an inactive virus replication but have an advanced liver fibrosis. In elder CHC patients, only higher LSM level was associated with MetS.

METABOLIC SYNDROME AND DAILY AMBULATION IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND YOUNG ADULTS

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Andrew W.; Parker, Donald E.; Krishnan, Sowmya; Chalmers, Laura J.

2012-01-01

Purposes To compare daily ambulatory measures in children, adolescents, and young adults with and without metabolic syndrome, and to assess which metabolic syndrome components, demographic measures, and body composition measures are associated with daily ambulatory measures. Methods Two-hundred fifty subjects between the ages of 10 and 30 years were assessed on metabolic syndrome components, demographic and clinical measures, body fat percentage, and daily ambulatory strides, durations, and cadences during seven consecutive days. Forty-five of the 250 subjects had metabolic syndrome, as defined by the International Diabetes Federation. Results Subjects with metabolic syndrome ambulated at a slower daily average cadence than those without metabolic syndrome (13.6 ± 2.2 strides/min vs. 14.9 ± 3.2 strides/min; p=0.012), and they had slower cadences for continuous durations of 60 minutes (p=0.006), 30 minutes (p=0.005), 20 minutes (p=0.003), 5 minutes (p=0.002), and 1 minute (p=0.001). However, the total amount of time spent ambulating each day was not different (p=0.077). After adjustment for metabolic syndrome status, average cadence is linearly associated with body fat percentage (pmetabolic syndrome ambulate more slowly and take fewer strides throughout the day than those without metabolic syndrome, even though the total amount of time spent ambulating is not different. Furthermore, the detrimental influence of metabolic syndrome on ambulatory cadence is primarily a function of body fatness. PMID:22811038

Of monkeys and men: A metabolomic analysis of static and dynamic urinary metabolic phenotypes in two species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saccenti, E.; Tenori, L.; Verbruggen, P.; Timmerman, M.E.; Bouwman, J.; Greef, J. van der; Luchinat, C.; Smilde, A.K.

2014-01-01

Background: Metabolomics has attracted the interest of the medical community for its potential in predicting early derangements from a healthy to a diseased metabolic phenotype. One key issue is the diversity observed in metabolic profiles of different healthy individuals, commonly attributed to the

Of Monkeys and Men: A Metabolomic Analysis of Static and Dynamic Urinary Metabolic Phenotypes in Two Species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saccenti, E.; Tenori, L.; Verbruggen, P.; Timmerman, M.E.; Bouwman, J.; Greef, de J.; Luchinat, C.; Smilde, A.K.

2014-01-01

Background Metabolomics has attracted the interest of the medical community for its potential in predicting early derangements from a healthy to a diseased metabolic phenotype. One key issue is the diversity observed in metabolic profiles of different healthy individuals, commonly attributed to the

Of Monkeys and Men : A Metabolomic Analysis of Static and Dynamic Urinary Metabolic Phenotypes in Two Species

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saccenti, E.; Tenori, L.; Verbruggen, P.; Timmerman, Marieke; Bouwman, J.; van der Greef, J.; Luchinat, C.; Smilde, Age K.

2014-01-01

Background Metabolomics has attracted the interest of the medical community for its potential in predicting early derangements from a healthy to a diseased metabolic phenotype. One key issue is the diversity observed in metabolic profiles of different healthy individuals, commonly attributed to the

Study of collagen metabolism after β radiation injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Yinghui; Xulan; Wu Shiliang; Zhang Xueguang; Chen Liesong

2000-01-01

Objective: To investigate the change of collagen metabolism and it's regulation after β radiation. Method: The animal model of β radiation injury was established by the β radiation produced by the linear accelerator; and irradiated NIH 3T3 cells were studied. In the experiment the contents of total collagen, collagen type I and type III were measured. The activity of MMPs-1 was tested. The contents of TGF-β 1 , IL-6 were also detected. Results: After exposure to β radiation, little change was found in the content of total collagen, but the content of collagen I decreased and the content of collagen III, MMPs-1 activity increased; the expression of TGF-β 1 , IL-6 increased. Conclusion: The changes in the metabolism of collagen play an important role in the irradiated injury of the skin; TGF-β 1 and IL-6 may be essential in the regulation of the collagen metabolism

21 CFR 862.1470 - Lipid (total) test system.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases involving lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Lipid (total) test system. 862.1470 Section 862.1470 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED...

Metagenomic analysis of microbial communities and beyond

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schreiber, Lars

2014-01-01

From small clone libraries to large next-generation sequencing datasets – the field of community genomics or metagenomics has developed tremendously within the last years. This chapter will summarize some of these developments and will also highlight pitfalls of current metagenomic analyses...... heterologous expression of metagenomic DNA fragments to discover novel metabolic functions. Lastly, the chapter will shortly discuss the meta-analysis of gene expression of microbial communities, more precisely metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics....

Preliminary study of brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei-Ling; Fu, Chang; Xuan, Ang; Shi, Da-Peng; Gao, Yong-Ju; Zhang, Jie; Xu, Jun-Ling

2015-02-05

Cerebral glucose metabolism changes are always observed in patients suffering from malignant tumors. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types. One hundred and twenty patients with primary untreated lung cancer, who visited People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2012 to July 2013, were divided into three groups based on histological types confirmed by biopsy or surgical pathology, which included adenocarcinoma (52 cases), squamous cell carcinoma (43 cases), and small-cell carcinoma (25 cases). The whole body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) of these cases was retrospectively studied. The brain PET data of three groups were analyzed individually using statistical parametric maps (SPM) software, with 50 age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls for comparison. The brain resting glucose metabolism in all three lung cancer groups showed regional cerebral metabolic reduction. The hypo-metabolic cerebral regions were mainly distributed at the left superior and middle frontal, bilateral superior and middle temporal and inferior and middle temporal gyrus. Besides, the hypo-metabolic regions were also found in the right inferior parietal lobule and hippocampus in the small-cell carcinoma group. The area of the total hypo-metabolic cerebral regions in the small-cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 3255) was larger than those in the adenocarcinoma group (total voxel value 1217) and squamous cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 1292). The brain resting glucose metabolism in patients with lung cancer shows regional cerebral metabolic reduction and the brain hypo-metabolic changes are related to the histological types of lung cancer.

Preliminary Study of Brain Glucose Metabolism Changes in Patients with Lung Cancer of Different Histological Types

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Wei-Ling Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Cerebral glucose metabolism changes are always observed in patients suffering from malignant tumors. This preliminary study aimed to investigate the brain glucose metabolism changes in patients with lung cancer of different histological types. Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with primary untreated lung cancer, who visited People′s Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2012 to July 2013, were divided into three groups based on histological types confirmed by biopsy or surgical pathology, which included adenocarcinoma (52 cases, squamous cell carcinoma (43 cases, and small-cell carcinoma (25 cases. The whole body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET/computed tomography (CT of these cases was retrospectively studied. The brain PET data of three groups were analyzed individually using statistical parametric maps (SPM software, with 50 age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls for comparison. Results: The brain resting glucose metabolism in all three lung cancer groups showed regional cerebral metabolic reduction. The hypo-metabolic cerebral regions were mainly distributed at the left superior and middle frontal, bilateral superior and middle temporal and inferior and middle temporal gyrus. Besides, the hypo-metabolic regions were also found in the right inferior parietal lobule and hippocampus in the small-cell carcinoma group. The area of the total hypo-metabolic cerebral regions in the small-cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 3255 was larger than those in the adenocarcinoma group (total voxel value 1217 and squamous cell carcinoma group (total voxel value 1292. Conclusions: The brain resting glucose metabolism in patients with lung cancer shows regional cerebral metabolic reduction and the brain hypo-metabolic changes are related to the histological types of lung cancer.

Skeletal muscle metabolism in hypokinetic rats

Science.gov (United States)

Tischler, Marc E.

1993-01-01

This grant focused on the mechanisms of metabolic changes associated with unweighting atrophy and reduced growth of hind limb muscles of juvenile rats. Metabolic studies included a number of different areas. Amino acid metabolic studies placed particular emphasis on glutamine and branched-chain amino acid metabolism. These studies were an outgrowth of understanding stress effects and the role of glucocorticoids in these animals. Investigations on protein metabolism were largely concerned with selective loss of myofibrillar proteins and the role of muscle proteolysis. These investigations lead to finding important differences from denervation and atrophy and to define the roles of cytosolic versus lysosomal proteolysis in these atrophy models. A major outgrowth of these studies was demonstrating an ability to prevent atrophy of the unweighted muscle for at least 24 hours. A large amount of work concentrated on carbohydrate metabolism and its regulation by insulin and catecholamines. Measurements focused on glucose transport, glycogen metabolism, and glucose oxidation. The grant was used to develop an important new in situ approach for studying protein metabolism, glucose transport, and hormonal effects which involves intramuscular injection of various agents for up to 24 hours. Another important consequence of this project was the development and flight of Physiological-Anatomical Rodent Experiment-1 (PARE-1), which was launched aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in September 1991. Detailed descriptions of these studies can be found in the 30 peer-reviewed publications, 15 non-reviewed publications, 4 reviews and 33 abstracts (total 82 publications) which were or are scheduled to be published as a result of this project. A listing of these publications grouped by area (i.e. amino acid metabolism, protein metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and space flight studies) are included.

Metagenomic insights into evolution of heavy metal-contaminated groundwater microbial community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hemme, C.L.; Deng, Y.; Gentry, T.J.; Fields, M.W.; Wu, L.; Barua, S.; Barry, K.; Green-Tringe, S.; Watson, D.B.; He, Z.; Hazen, T.C.; Tiedje, J.M.; Rubin, E.M.; Zhou, J.

2010-07-01

Understanding adaptation of biological communities to environmental change is a central issue in ecology and evolution. Metagenomic analysis of a stressed groundwater microbial community reveals that prolonged exposure to high concentrations of heavy metals, nitric acid and organic solvents ({approx}50 years) has resulted in a massive decrease in species and allelic diversity as well as a significant loss of metabolic diversity. Although the surviving microbial community possesses all metabolic pathways necessary for survival and growth in such an extreme environment, its structure is very simple, primarily composed of clonal denitrifying {gamma}- and {beta}-proteobacterial populations. The resulting community is overabundant in key genes conferring resistance to specific stresses including nitrate, heavy metals and acetone. Evolutionary analysis indicates that lateral gene transfer could have a key function in rapid response and adaptation to environmental contamination. The results presented in this study have important implications in understanding, assessing and predicting the impacts of human-induced activities on microbial communities ranging from human health to agriculture to environmental management, and their responses to environmental changes.

Spatial and body-size dependent response of marine pelagic communities to projected global climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefort, Stelly; Aumont, Olivier; Bopp, Laurent; Arsouze, Thomas; Gehlen, Marion; Maury, Olivier

2015-01-01

Temperature, oxygen, and food availability directly affect marine life. Climate models project a global warming of the ocean's surface (~+3 °C), a de-oxygenation of the ocean's interior (~-3%) and a decrease in total marine net primary production (~-8%) under the 'business as usual' climate change scenario (RCP8.5). We estimated the effects of these changes on biological communities using a coupled biogeochemical (PISCES)--ecosystems (APECOSM) model forced by the physical outputs of the last generation of the IPSL-CM Earth System Model. The APECOSM model is a size-structured bio-energetic model that simulates the 3D dynamical distributions of three interactive pelagic communities (epipelagic, mesopelagic, and migratory) under the effects of multiple environmental factors. The PISCES-APECOSM model ran from 1850 to 2100 under historical forcing followed by RCP8.5. Our RCP8.5 simulation highlights significant changes in the spatial distribution, biomass, and maximum body-size of the simulated pelagic communities. Biomass and maximum body-size increase at high latitude over the course of the century, reflecting the capacity of marine organisms to respond to new suitable environment. At low- and midlatitude, biomass and maximum body-size strongly decrease. In those regions, large organisms cannot maintain their high metabolic needs because of limited and declining food availability. This resource reduction enhances the competition and modifies the biomass distribution among and within the three communities: the proportion of small organisms increases in the three communities and the migrant community that initially comprised a higher proportion of small organisms is favored. The greater resilience of small body-size organisms resides in their capacity to fulfill their metabolic needs under reduced energy supply and is further favored by the release of predation pressure due to the decline of large organisms. These results suggest that small body-size organisms might be

SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF INDIVIDUAL BERG BALANCE ITEMS COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL SCORE TO PREDICT FALLS IN COMMUNITY DWELLING ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazel Denzil Dias

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Falls are a major problem in the elderly leading to increased morbidity and mortality in this population. Scores from objective clinical measures of balance have frequently been associated with falls in older adults. The Berg Balance Score (BBS which is a frequently used scale to test balance impairments in the elderly ,takes time to perform and has been found to have scoring inconsistencies. The purpose was to determine if individual items or a group of BBS items would have better accuracy than the total BBS in classifying community dwelling elderly individuals according to fall history. Method: 60 community dwelling elderly individuals were chosen based on a history of falls in this cross sectional study. Each BBS item was dichotomized at three points along the scoring scale of 0 – 4: between scores of 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4. Sensitivity (Sn, specificity (Sp, and positive (+LR and negative (-LR likelihood ratios were calculated for all items for each scoring dichotomy based on their accuracy in classifying subjects with a history of multiple falls. These findings were compared with the total BBS score where the cut-off score was derived from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: On analysing a combination of BBS items, B9 and B11 were found to have the best sensitivity and specificity when considered together. However the area under the curve of these items was 0.799 which did not match that of the total score (AUC= 0.837. A, combination of 4 BBS items - B9 B11 B12 and B13 also had good Sn and Sp but the AUC was 0.815. The combination with the AUC closest to that of the total score was a combination items B11 and B13. (AUC= 0.824. hence these two items can be used as the best predictor of falls with a cut off of 6.5 The ROC curve of the Total Berg balance Scale scores revealed a cut off score of 48.5. Conclusion: This study showed that combination of items B11 and B13 may be best predictors of falls in

SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF INDIVIDUAL BERG BALANCE ITEMS COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL SCORE TO PREDICT FALLS IN COMMUNITY DWELLING ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazel Denzil Dias

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Falls are a major problem in the elderly leading to increased morbidity and mortality in this population. Scores from objective clinical measures of balance have frequently been associated with falls in older adults. The Berg Balance Score (BBS which is a frequently used scale to test balance impairments in the elderly ,takes time to perform and has been found to have scoring inconsistencies. The purpose was to determine if individual items or a group of BBS items would have better accuracy than the total BBS in classifying community dwelling elderly individuals according to fall history. Method: 60 community dwelling elderly individuals were chosen based on a history of falls in this cross sectional study. Each BBS item was dichotomized at three points along the scoring scale of 0 – 4: between scores of 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4. Sensitivity (Sn, specificity (Sp, and positive (+LR and negative (-LR likelihood ratios were calculated for all items for each scoring dichotomy based on their accuracy in classifying subjects with a history of multiple falls. These findings were compared with the total BBS score where the cut-off score was derived from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: On analysing a combination of BBS items, B9 and B11 were found to have the best sensitivity and specificity when considered together. However the area under the curve of these items was 0.799 which did not match that of the total score (AUC= 0.837. A, combination of 4 BBS items - B9 B11 B12 and B13 also had good Sn and Sp but the AUC was 0.815. The combination with the AUC closest to that of the total score was a combination items B11 and B13. (AUC= 0.824. hence these two items can be used as the best predictor of falls with a cut off of 6.5 The ROC curve of the Total Berg balance Scale scores revealed a cut off score of 48.5. Conclusion: This study showed that combination of items B11 and B13 may be best predictors of falls in

Cyanobacterial life at low O(2): community genomics and function reveal metabolic versatility and extremely low diversity in a Great Lakes sinkhole mat.

Science.gov (United States)

Voorhies, A A; Biddanda, B A; Kendall, S T; Jain, S; Marcus, D N; Nold, S C; Sheldon, N D; Dick, G J

2012-05-01

Cyanobacteria are renowned as the mediators of Earth's oxygenation. However, little is known about the cyanobacterial communities that flourished under the low-O(2) conditions that characterized most of their evolutionary history. Microbial mats in the submerged Middle Island Sinkhole of Lake Huron provide opportunities to investigate cyanobacteria under such persistent low-O(2) conditions. Here, venting groundwater rich in sulfate and low in O(2) supports a unique benthic ecosystem of purple-colored cyanobacterial mats. Beneath the mat is a layer of carbonate that is enriched in calcite and to a lesser extent dolomite. In situ benthic metabolism chambers revealed that the mats are net sinks for O(2), suggesting primary production mechanisms other than oxygenic photosynthesis. Indeed, (14)C-bicarbonate uptake studies of autotrophic production show variable contributions from oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis and chemosynthesis, presumably because of supply of sulfide. These results suggest the presence of either facultatively anoxygenic cyanobacteria or a mix of oxygenic/anoxygenic types of cyanobacteria. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing revealed a remarkably low-diversity mat community dominated by just one genotype most closely related to the cyanobacterium Phormidium autumnale, for which an essentially complete genome was reconstructed. Also recovered were partial genomes from a second genotype of Phormidium and several Oscillatoria. Despite the taxonomic simplicity, diverse cyanobacterial genes putatively involved in sulfur oxidation were identified, suggesting a diversity of sulfide physiologies. The dominant Phormidium genome reflects versatile metabolism and physiology that is specialized for a communal lifestyle under fluctuating redox conditions and light availability. Overall, this study provides genomic and physiologic insights into low-O(2) cyanobacterial mat ecosystems that played crucial geobiological roles over long stretches of Earth history. �

Sedentary bout durations and metabolic syndrome among working adults: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Takanori; Chen, Sanmei; Yonemoto, Koji; Kishimoto, Hiro; Chen, Tao; Narazaki, Kenji; Haeuchi, Yuka; Kumagai, Shuzo

2016-08-26

This study aimed to examine the associations between time spent in prolonged and non-prolonged sedentary bouts and the development of metabolic syndrome. We used data from a prospective study of Japanese workers. Baseline examination was conducted between 2010 and 2011. A total of 430 office workers (58 women) aged 40-64 years without metabolic syndrome were followed up by annual health checkups until 2014. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having ≥ 3 out of 5 diagnostic criteria from the Joint Interim Statement 2009 definition. Sedentary time was assessed using a tri-axial accelerometer. Time spent in total, prolonged (accumulated ≥ 30 min) and non-prolonged sedentary bouts (accumulated metabolic syndrome. During a median follow-up of 3 years, 83 participants developed metabolic syndrome. After adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking, and family income, positive associations were observed between time spent in prolonged sedentary bouts and the development of metabolic syndrome. After additional adjustment for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, those in the three highest quartiles of time spent in prolonged sedentary bouts showed higher risk of metabolic syndrome compared to the lowest quartile group, with adjusted hazard ratios (95 % confidence intervals) of 2.72 (1.30 - 5.73), 2.42 (1.11 - 5.50), and 2.85 (1.31 - 6.18), respectively. No associations were seen for time spent in total and non-prolonged sedentary bouts. Sedentary behavior accumulated in a prolonged manner was associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. In devising public health recommendations for the prevention of metabolic disease, the avoidance of prolonged uninterrupted periods of sedentary behavior should be considered.

Homocysteine metabolism and risk of schizophrenia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muntjewerff, J.W.

2006-01-01

The one-carbon cycle hypothesis initiated research of schizophrenia risk in relation to sensitive markers of aberrant homocysteine metabolism, such as B-vitamin concentrations, plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations, and genetic determinants. We observed decreased plasma and elevated RBC

Transient changes in milk production efficiency and bacterial community composition resulting from near-total exchange of ruminal contents between high- and low-efficiency Holstein cows

Science.gov (United States)

The objectives of this study were to determine if milk production efficiency (MPE) is altered by near-total exchange of ruminal contents between high- (HE) and low-MPE (LE) cows and to characterize ruminal bacterial community composition (BCC) prior to exchange and over time post-exchange. Three pai...

Cerebral blood flow and metabolism during controlled hypotension with sodium-nitroprusside and general anaesthesia for total hip replacement a.m. Charnley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buenemann, L.; Jensen, K.; Thomsen, L.; Riisager, S.

1987-01-01

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRo 2 ) were studied during hypotension induced with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in 10 patients undergoing total hip replacement a.m. Charnley. Cerebral blood flow was measured using an injection of xenon-133 into an arm vein. The decay curve was detected by five scintillation counters placed over each hemisphere and analysed with the Novo 10a cerebrograph. Blood samples were drawn from the radial artery and the jugular venous bulb to calculate the CMRo 2 . In the gropu as a whole, there were significant decreases in mean arterial pressure and in cerebrovascular resistance. There were no significant changes, in either CBF or CMRo 2 in the gropu as a whole, but there were substantial individual differences. In conclusion, the use of SNP-induced hypotension for extracranial surgery should be used only in patients monitored closely. (author)

Metagenomic binning of a marine sponge microbiome reveals unity in defense but metabolic specialization.

Science.gov (United States)

Slaby, Beate M; Hackl, Thomas; Horn, Hannes; Bayer, Kristina; Hentschel, Ute

2017-11-01

Marine sponges are ancient metazoans that are populated by distinct and highly diverse microbial communities. In order to obtain deeper insights into the functional gene repertoire of the Mediterranean sponge Aplysina aerophoba, we combined Illumina short-read and PacBio long-read sequencing followed by un-targeted metagenomic binning. We identified a total of 37 high-quality bins representing 11 bacterial phyla and two candidate phyla. Statistical comparison of symbiont genomes with selected reference genomes revealed a significant enrichment of genes related to bacterial defense (restriction-modification systems, toxin-antitoxin systems) as well as genes involved in host colonization and extracellular matrix utilization in sponge symbionts. A within-symbionts genome comparison revealed a nutritional specialization of at least two symbiont guilds, where one appears to metabolize carnitine and the other sulfated polysaccharides, both of which are abundant molecules in the sponge extracellular matrix. A third guild of symbionts may be viewed as nutritional generalists that perform largely the same metabolic pathways but lack such extraordinary numbers of the relevant genes. This study characterizes the genomic repertoire of sponge symbionts at an unprecedented resolution and it provides greater insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial-sponge symbiosis.

Reduced Cortisol Metabolism during Critical Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Boonen, Eva; Vervenne, Hilke; Meersseman, Philippe; Andrew, Ruth; Mortier, Leen; Declercq, Peter E.; Vanwijngaerden, Yoo-Mee; Spriet, Isabel; Wouters, Pieter J.; Perre, Sarah Vander; Langouche, Lies; Vanhorebeek, Ilse; Walker, Brian R.; Van den Berghe, Greet

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Critical illness is often accompanied by hypercortisolemia, which has been attributed to stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. However, low corticotropin levels have also been reported in critically ill patients, which may be due to reduced cortisol metabolism. METHODS In a total of 158 patients in the intensive care unit and 64 matched controls, we tested five aspects of cortisol metabolism: daily levels of corticotropin and cortisol; plasma cortisol clearance, metabolism, and production during infusion of deuterium-labeled steroid hormones as tracers; plasma clearance of 100 mg of hydrocortisone; levels of urinary cortisol metabolites; and levels of messenger RNA and protein in liver and adipose tissue, to assess major cortisol-metabolizing enzymes. RESULTS Total and free circulating cortisol levels were consistently higher in the patients than in controls, whereas corticotropin levels were lower (PCortisol production was 83% higher in the patients (P=0.02). There was a reduction of more than 50% in cortisol clearance during tracer infusion and after the administration of 100 mg of hydrocortisone in the patients (P≤0.03 for both comparisons). All these factors accounted for an increase by a factor of 3.5 in plasma cortisol levels in the patients, as compared with controls (Pcortisol clearance also correlated with a lower cortisol response to corticotropin stimulation. Reduced cortisol metabolism was associated with reduced inactivation of cortisol in the liver and kidney, as suggested by urinary steroid ratios, tracer kinetics, and assessment of liver-biopsy samples (P≤0.004 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS During critical illness, reduced cortisol breakdown, related to suppressed expression and activity of cortisol-metabolizing enzymes, contributed to hypercortisolemia and hence corticotropin suppression. The diagnostic and therapeutic implications for critically ill patients are unknown. (Funded by the Belgian

Comprehensive insights into microcystin-LR effects on hepatic lipid metabolism using cross-omics technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zongyao; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Wu, Bing; Yin, Jinbao; Yu, Yunjiang; Yang, Liuyan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Use of cross-omics technologies to evaluate toxic effects of microcystin-LR. • Disturbance of hepatic lipid metabolism by oral exposure to microcystin-LR. • Crucial roles of gut microbial community shift in the metabolic disturbance induced by microcystin-LR. - Abstract: Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) can induce hepatic tissue damages and molecular toxicities, but its effects on lipid metabolism remain unknown. This study investigated the effects of MC-LR exposure on mice lipid metabolism and uncovered the underlying mechanism through metabonomic, transcriptomic and metagenomic analyses after administration of mice with MC-LR by gavage for 28 d. Increased liver weight and abdominal fat weight, and evident hepatic lipid vacuoles accumulation were observed in the mice fed with 0.2 mg/kg/d MC-LR. Serum nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that MC-LR treatment altered the levels of serum metabolites including triglyceride, unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and very low density lipoprotein. Digital Gene Expression technology was used to reveal differential expression of hepatic transcriptomes, demonstrating that MC-LR treatment disturbed hepatic UFA biosynthesis and activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways via Pparγ, Fabp1 and Fabp2 over-expression. Metagenomic analyses of gut microbiota revealed that MC-LR exposure also increased abundant ratio of Firmicutes vs. Bacteroidetes in gut and altered biosynthetic pathways of various microbial metabolic and pro-inflammatory molecules. In conclusion, oral MC-LR exposure can induce hepatic lipid metabolism disorder mediated by UFA biosynthesis and PPAR activation, and gut microbial community shift may play an important role in the metabolic disturbance.

Comprehensive insights into microcystin-LR effects on hepatic lipid metabolism using cross-omics technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Zongyao [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Center for Environmental Health Research, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, The Ministry of Environmental Protection of PRC, Guangzhou 510655 (China); Zhang, Xu-Xiang, E-mail: zhangxx@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Wu, Bing; Yin, Jinbao [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China); Yu, Yunjiang [Center for Environmental Health Research, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, The Ministry of Environmental Protection of PRC, Guangzhou 510655 (China); Yang, Liuyan, E-mail: yangly@nju.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023 (China)

2016-09-05

Highlights: • Use of cross-omics technologies to evaluate toxic effects of microcystin-LR. • Disturbance of hepatic lipid metabolism by oral exposure to microcystin-LR. • Crucial roles of gut microbial community shift in the metabolic disturbance induced by microcystin-LR. - Abstract: Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) can induce hepatic tissue damages and molecular toxicities, but its effects on lipid metabolism remain unknown. This study investigated the effects of MC-LR exposure on mice lipid metabolism and uncovered the underlying mechanism through metabonomic, transcriptomic and metagenomic analyses after administration of mice with MC-LR by gavage for 28 d. Increased liver weight and abdominal fat weight, and evident hepatic lipid vacuoles accumulation were observed in the mice fed with 0.2 mg/kg/d MC-LR. Serum nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that MC-LR treatment altered the levels of serum metabolites including triglyceride, unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and very low density lipoprotein. Digital Gene Expression technology was used to reveal differential expression of hepatic transcriptomes, demonstrating that MC-LR treatment disturbed hepatic UFA biosynthesis and activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways via Pparγ, Fabp1 and Fabp2 over-expression. Metagenomic analyses of gut microbiota revealed that MC-LR exposure also increased abundant ratio of Firmicutes vs. Bacteroidetes in gut and altered biosynthetic pathways of various microbial metabolic and pro-inflammatory molecules. In conclusion, oral MC-LR exposure can induce hepatic lipid metabolism disorder mediated by UFA biosynthesis and PPAR activation, and gut microbial community shift may play an important role in the metabolic disturbance.

Improvements in glucose metabolism early after gastric bypass surgery are not explained by increases in total bile acids and fibroblast growth factor 19 concentrations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Nils B; Dirksen, Carsten; Bojsen-Møller, Kirstine N

2015-01-01

Context: Bile acids and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) have been suggested as key mediators of the improvements in glucose metabolism after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Objective: To describe fasting and postprandial state total bile acid (TBA) and FGF19 concentrations before and after...... (T2D) patients and 12 normal glucose tolerant (NGT) subjects participated in the study. Intervention: A 4-hour liquid meal test was performed before and 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after RYGB. Main Outcome Measures: We measured fasting and postprandial TBA and FGF19 concentrations. Results: Fasting...... TBA concentrations decreased in NGT subjects (P TBA was decreased in NGT subjects 1 week after RYGB (before surgery, 567...

Predicting taxonomic and functional structure of microbial communities in acid mine drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuang, Jialiang; Huang, Linan; He, Zhili; Chen, Linxing; Hua, Zhengshuang; Jia, Pu; Li, Shengjin; Liu, Jun; Li, Jintian; Zhou, Jizhong; Shu, Wensheng

2016-06-01

Predicting the dynamics of community composition and functional attributes responding to environmental changes is an essential goal in community ecology but remains a major challenge, particularly in microbial ecology. Here, by targeting a model system with low species richness, we explore the spatial distribution of taxonomic and functional structure of 40 acid mine drainage (AMD) microbial communities across Southeast China profiled by 16S ribosomal RNA pyrosequencing and a comprehensive microarray (GeoChip). Similar environmentally dependent patterns of dominant microbial lineages and key functional genes were observed regardless of the large-scale geographical isolation. Functional and phylogenetic β-diversities were significantly correlated, whereas functional metabolic potentials were strongly influenced by environmental conditions and community taxonomic structure. Using advanced modeling approaches based on artificial neural networks, we successfully predicted the taxonomic and functional dynamics with significantly higher prediction accuracies of metabolic potentials (average Bray-Curtis similarity 87.8) as compared with relative microbial abundances (similarity 66.8), implying that natural AMD microbial assemblages may be better predicted at the functional genes level rather than at taxonomic level. Furthermore, relative metabolic potentials of genes involved in many key ecological functions (for example, nitrogen and phosphate utilization, metals resistance and stress response) were extrapolated to increase under more acidic and metal-rich conditions, indicating a critical strategy of stress adaptation in these extraordinary communities. Collectively, our findings indicate that natural selection rather than geographic distance has a more crucial role in shaping the taxonomic and functional patterns of AMD microbial community that readily predicted by modeling methods and suggest that the model-based approach is essential to better understand natural

Metabolic syndrome and metabolic risk profile according to polycystic ovary syndrome phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Bil, Enes; Dilbaz, Berna; Cirik, Derya Akdag; Ozelci, Runa; Ozkaya, Enis; Dilbaz, Serdar

2016-07-01

It is unknown which phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has a greater metabolic risk and how to detect this risk. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the incidence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and metabolic risk profile (MRP) for different phenotypes. A total of 100 consecutive newly diagnosed PCOS women in a tertiary referral hospital were recruited. Patients were classified into four phenotypes according to the Rotterdam criteria, on the presence of at least two of the three criteria hyperandrogenism (H), oligo/anovulation (O) and PCO appearance (P): phenotype A, H + O + P; phenotype B, H + O; phenotype C, H + P; phenotype D, O + P. Prevalence of MetS and MRP were compared among the four groups. Based on Natural Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III diagnostic criteria, MetS prevalence was higher in phenotypes A and B (29.6% and 34.5%) compared with the other phenotypes (10.0% and 8.3%; P 3.8 was significantly higher in androgenic PCOS phenotypes. After logistic regression analysis, visceral adiposity index (VAI) was the only independent predictor of MetS in PCOS (P = 0.002). VAI was also significantly higher in phenotype B, when compared with the others (P risk of MetS among the four phenotypes, and VAI may be a predictor of metabolic risk in PCOS women. © 2016 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Microbial communities and their potential for degradation of dissolved organic carbon in cryoconite hole environments of Himalaya and Antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanyal, Aritri; Antony, Runa; Samui, Gautami; Thamban, Meloth

2018-03-01

Cryoconite holes (cylindrical melt-holes on the glacier surface) are important hydrological and biological systems within glacial environments that support diverse microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. This study describes retrievable heterotrophic microbes in cryoconite hole water from three geographically distinct sites in Antarctica, and a Himalayan glacier, along with their potential to degrade organic compounds found in these environments. Microcosm experiments (22 days) show that 13-60% of the dissolved organic carbon in the water within cryoconite holes is bio-available to resident microbes. Biodegradation tests of organic compounds such as lactate, acetate, formate, propionate and oxalate that are present in cryoconite hole water show that microbes have good potential to metabolize the compounds tested. Substrate utilization tests on Biolog Ecoplate show that microbial communities in the Himalayan samples are able to oxidize a diverse array of organic substrates including carbohydrates, carboxylic acids, amino acids, amines/amides and polymers, while Antarctic communities generally utilized complex polymers. In addition, as determined by the extracellular enzyme activities, majority of the microbes (82%, total of 355) isolated in this study (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Basidiomycota) had ability to degrade a variety of compounds such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, cellulose and lignin that are documented to be present within cryoconite holes. Thus, microbial communities have good potential to metabolize organic compounds found in the cryoconite hole environment, thereby influencing the water chemistry in these holes. Moreover, microbes exported downstream during melting and flushing of cryoconite holes may participate in carbon cycling processes in recipient ecosystems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Microbial communities in riparian soils of a settling pond for mine drainage treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Miaochun; Lin, Yanbing; Huo, Haibo; Liu, Yang; Zhao, Liang; Wang, Entao; Chen, Weimin; Wei, Gehong

2016-06-01

Mine drainage leads to serious contamination of soil. To assess the effects of mine drainage on microbial communities in riparian soils, we used an Illumina MiSeq platform to explore the soil microbial composition and diversity along a settling pond used for mine drainage treatment. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis showed that the microbial communities differed significantly among the four sampling zones (influent, upstream, downstream and effluent), but not seasonally. Constrained analysis of principal coordinates indicated heavy metals (zinc, lead and copper), total sulphur, pH and available potassium significantly influenced the microbial community compositions. Heavy metals were the key determinants separating the influent zone from the other three zones. Lower diversity indices were observed in the influent zone. However, more potential indicator species, related to sulphur and organic matter metabolism were found there, such as the sulphur-oxidizing genera Acidiferrobacter, Thermithiobacillus, Limnobacter, Thioprofundum and Thiovirga, and the sulphur-reducing genera Desulfotomaculum and Desulfobulbus; the organic matter degrading genera, Porphyrobacter and Paucimonas, were also identified. The results indicated that more microorganisms related to sulphur- and carbon-cycles may exist in soils heavily contaminated by mine drainage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trajectories of BMI change impact glucose and insulin metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, E I; Shaw, J; Cherbuin, N

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to examine, in a community setting, whether trajectory of weight change over twelve years is associated with glucose and insulin metabolism at twelve years. Participants were 532 community-living middle-aged and elderly adults from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life study. They spanned the full weight range (underweight/normal/overweight/obese). Latent class analysis and multivariate generalised linear models were used to investigate the association of Body Mass Index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) trajectory over twelve years with plasma insulin (μlU/ml), plasma glucose (mmol/L), and HOMA2 insulin resistance and beta cell function at follow-up. All models were adjusted for age, gender, hypertension, pre-clinical diabetes status (normal fasting glucose or impaired fasting glucose) and physical activity. Four weight trajectories were extracted; constant normal (mean baseline BMI = 25; follow-up BMI = 25), constant high (mean baseline BMI = 36; follow-up BMI = 37), increase (mean baseline BMI = 26; follow-up BMI = 32) and decrease (mean baseline BMI = 34; follow-up BMI = 28). At any given current BMI, individuals in the constant high and increase trajectories had significantly higher plasma insulin, greater insulin resistance, and higher beta cell function than those in the constant normal trajectory. Individuals in the decrease trajectory did not differ from the constant normal trajectory. Current BMI significantly interacted with preceding BMI trajectory in its association with plasma insulin, insulin resistance, and beta cell function. The trajectory of preceding weight has an independent effect on blood glucose metabolism beyond body weight measured at any given point in time. Copyright © 2017 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier

Sedentary bout durations and metabolic syndrome among working adults: a prospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takanori Honda

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aimed to examine the associations between time spent in prolonged and non-prolonged sedentary bouts and the development of metabolic syndrome. Methods We used data from a prospective study of Japanese workers. Baseline examination was conducted between 2010 and 2011. A total of 430 office workers (58 women aged 40-64 years without metabolic syndrome were followed up by annual health checkups until 2014. Metabolic syndrome was defined as having ≥ 3 out of 5 diagnostic criteria from the Joint Interim Statement 2009 definition. Sedentary time was assessed using a tri-axial accelerometer. Time spent in total, prolonged (accumulated ≥ 30 min and non-prolonged sedentary bouts (accumulated < 30 min was calculated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Results During a median follow-up of 3 years, 83 participants developed metabolic syndrome. After adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking, and family income, positive associations were observed between time spent in prolonged sedentary bouts and the development of metabolic syndrome. After additional adjustment for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, those in the three highest quartiles of time spent in prolonged sedentary bouts showed higher risk of metabolic syndrome compared to the lowest quartile group, with adjusted hazard ratios (95 % confidence intervals of 2.72 (1.30 – 5.73, 2.42 (1.11 – 5.50, and 2.85 (1.31 – 6.18, respectively. No associations were seen for time spent in total and non-prolonged sedentary bouts. Conclusions Sedentary behavior accumulated in a prolonged manner was associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. In devising public health recommendations for the prevention of metabolic disease, the avoidance of prolonged uninterrupted periods of sedentary behavior should be considered.

Copepod community growth rates in relation to body size, temperature, and food availability in the East China Sea: a test of metabolic theory of ecology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Y. Lin

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Zooplankton play an essential role in marine food webs, and understanding how community-level growth rates of zooplankton vary in the field is critical for predicting how marine ecosystem function may vary in the face of environmental changes. Here, we used the artificial cohort method to examine the effects of temperature, body size, and chlorophyll concentration (a proxy for food on weight-specific growth rates for copepod communities in the East China Sea. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that copepod community growth rates can be described by the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE, linking spatio-temporal variation of copepod growth rate with temperature and their body size. Our results generally agree with predictions made by the MTE and demonstrate that weight-specific growth rates of copepod communities in our study area are positively related with temperature and negatively related to body size. However, the regression coefficients of body size do not approach the theoretical predictions. Furthermore, we find that the deviation from the MTE predictions may be partly attributed to the effect of food availability (which is not explicitly accounted for by the MTE. In addition, significant difference in the coefficients of temperature and body size exists among taxonomic groups. Our results suggest that considering the effects of food limitation and taxonomy is necessary to better understand copepod growth rates under in situ conditions, and such effects on the MTE-based predictions need further investigation.

Influence of dietary macronutrients on liver fat accumulation and metabolism

OpenAIRE

Parry, Siôn A; Hodson, Leanne

2017-01-01

The liver is a principal metabolic organ within the human body and has a major role in regulating carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. With increasing rates of obesity, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is growing. It remains unclear why NAFLD, which is now defined as the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, develops but lifestyle factors such as diet (ie, total calorie and specific nutrient intakes), appear to play a key role. Here we review the av...

Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanopoulos, Gregory

2012-11-16

Metabolic engineering emerged 20 years ago as the discipline occupied with the directed modification of metabolic pathways for the microbial synthesis of various products. As such, it deals with the engineering (design, construction, and optimization) of native as well as non-natural routes of product synthesis, aided in this task by the availability of synthetic DNA, the core enabling technology of synthetic biology. The two fields, however, only partially overlap in their interest in pathway engineering. While fabrication of biobricks, synthetic cells, genetic circuits, and nonlinear cell dynamics, along with pathway engineering, have occupied researchers in the field of synthetic biology, the sum total of these areas does not constitute a coherent definition of synthetic biology with a distinct intellectual foundation and well-defined areas of application. This paper reviews the origins of the two fields and advances two distinct paradigms for each of them: that of unit operations for metabolic engineering and electronic circuits for synthetic biology. In this context, metabolic engineering is about engineering cell factories for the biological manufacturing of chemical and pharmaceutical products, whereas the main focus of synthetic biology is fundamental biological research facilitated by the use of synthetic DNA and genetic circuits.

Metabolically healthy/unhealthy components may modify bone mineral density in obese people.

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Mirzababaei, Atieh; Mirzaei, Khadijeh; Khorrami-Nezhad, Leila; Maghbooli, Zhila; Keshavarz, Seyed Ali

2017-10-29

Link between obesity and bone health is controversial. It seems that maybe the difference in metabolic status leads to this difference. We studied relation between metabolically healthy/unhealthy components with bone mineral density. Results showed metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUHO) phenotypes have better bone status at hip site than metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). Also, component metabolic can effect on BMD in different sites. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare total BMD and L-L4 BMD in MHO and MUHO base on Karelis criteria. We enrolled 272 Iranian obese women and men (BMI ≥ 30). According to Karelis criteria, the participants were grouped base to MHO and MUHO. The body composition and BMD were assessed for all cases. Serum HDL-C, LDL-C, total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), fasting blood glucose, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were quantified by ELISA method. Our results demonstrate MUHO phenotype have high total BMD more than MHO (P = 0.01, CI = 0.12 to 0.21). Also, the results of logistic regression analysis showed MUHO have strongly associated with total BMD (β = -0.42, CI = - 0.31 to - 0.04, P = 0.009), but did not affected L2-L4 BMD (β = - 0.09, CI = - 0.14 to 0.08, P = 0.578); this represents that there was discordance in MUHO subjects. Our evidence implicated that HOMA-IR, high level serum TG, hs-CRP, and low level serum HDL had mediatory effect on relationship between obesity and high BMD at the hip region in MUHO subjects (P < 0.05). Present evidence indicates that, could be a novel link between difference in MUH phenotype and MH phenotype with bone status. Also, component metabolic can effect on BMD in different sites.

Role of ethylene metabolism in Amaranthus retroflexus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raskin, I.; Beyer, E. Jr.

1989-01-01

14 C-Ethylene was metabolized by etiolated pigweed seedlings (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) in the manner similar to that observed in other plants. The hormone was oxidized to 14 CO 2 and incorporated into 14 -tissue components. Selected cyclic olefins with differing abilities to block ethylene action were used to determine if ethylene metabolism in pigweed is necessary for ethylene action. 2,5-Norbornadiene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene were effective inhibitors of ethylene action at 800 and 6400 μ1/1, respectively, in the gas phase, while 1,4-cyclohexadiene and cyclohexene were not. However, all four cyclic olefins inhibited the incorporation and conversion of 14 C-ethylene to 14 CO 2 by 95% with I 50 values below 100 μ1/1. The results indicate that total ethylene metabolism does not directly correlate with changes in ethylene action. Additionally, the fact that inhibition of ethylene metabolism by the cyclic olefins did not result in a corresponding increase in ethylene evolution, indicates that ethylene metabolism does not serve to significantly reduce endogenous ethylene levels

Presence of metabolic syndrome in football linemen.

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Buell, Jackie L; Calland, Doug; Hanks, Fiona; Johnston, Bruce; Pester, Benjamin; Sweeney, Robert; Thorne, Robert

2008-01-01

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of symptoms associated with abdominal obesity that demonstrates a high risk for cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes mellitus. To evaluate football linemen in National Collegiate Athletic Association Divisions I, II, and III schools for the presence of metabolic syndrome according to the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute criteria as well as to document other related biomarkers. Cross-sectional descriptive study. Three university locations on the first full day of football camp in early morning. Of 76 football linemen, 70 were able to provide blood samples. Height, mass, blood pressure, upper-body skinfolds, and waist circumference were measured at various stations. Two small venous samples of blood were collected and analyzed in a hospital laboratory for fasting insulin, glucose, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and glycosylated hemoglobin. The last station was a verbal family history for cardiovascular disease and diabetes; also, athletes filled out a nutrition attitudes questionnaire. Of the 70 athletes, 34 were identified as having metabolic syndrome according to measures of blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. The mean total cholesterol-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio for the group was 4.95, with 32 participants displaying values higher than 5.0. Twelve volunteers had total cholesterol levels greater than 200 mmol/L, 15 had high levels of C-reactive protein, and 9 had slightly elevated levels of glycosylated hemoglobin. Although athletes might be assumed to be protected from risks of cardiovascular disease, we found a high incidence of metabolic syndrome and other associated adverse biomarkers for heart disease in collegiate football linemen. Early screening, awareness, and intervention may have favorable effects on the overall health outcomes of football linemen.

Metagenomic Insights into Evolution of a Heavy Metal-Contaminated Groundwater Microbial Community

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hemme, Christopher L.; Deng, Ye; Gentry, Terry J.; Fields, Matthew W.; Wu, Liyou; Barua, Soumitra; Barry, Kerrie; Tringe, Susannah G.; Watson, David B.; He, Zhili; Hazen, Terry C.; Tiedje, James M.; Rubin, Edward M.; Zhou, Jizhong

2010-02-15

Understanding adaptation of biological communities to environmental change is a central issue in ecology and evolution. Metagenomic analysis of a stressed groundwater microbial community reveals that prolonged exposure to high concentrations of heavy metals, nitric acid and organic solvents (~;;50 years) have resulted in a massive decrease in species and allelic diversity as well as a significant loss of metabolic diversity. Although the surviving microbial community possesses all metabolic pathways necessary for survival and growth in such an extreme environment, its structure is very simple, primarily composed of clonal denitrifying ?- and ?-proteobacterial populations. The resulting community is over-abundant in key genes conferring resistance to specific stresses including nitrate, heavy metals and acetone. Evolutionary analysis indicates that lateral gene transfer could be a key mechanism in rapidly responding and adapting to environmental contamination. The results presented in this study have important implications in understanding, assessing and predicting the impacts of human-induced activities on microbial communities ranging from human health to agriculture to environmental management, and their responses to environmental changes.

Genome-resolved metaproteomic characterization of preterm infant gut microbiota development reveals species-specific metabolic shifts and variabilities during early life.

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Xiong, Weili; Brown, Christopher T; Morowitz, Michael J; Banfield, Jillian F; Hettich, Robert L

2017-07-10

Establishment of the human gut microbiota begins at birth. This early-life microbiota development can impact host physiology during infancy and even across an entire life span. However, the functional stability and population structure of the gut microbiota during initial colonization remain poorly understood. Metaproteomics is an emerging technology for the large-scale characterization of metabolic functions in complex microbial communities (gut microbiota). We applied a metagenome-informed metaproteomic approach to study the temporal and inter-individual differences of metabolic functions during microbial colonization of preterm human infants' gut. By analyzing 30 individual fecal samples, we identified up to 12,568 protein groups for each of four infants, including both human and microbial proteins. With genome-resolved matched metagenomics, proteins were confidently identified at the species/strain level. The maximum percentage of the proteome detected for the abundant organisms was ~45%. A time-dependent increase in the relative abundance of microbial versus human proteins suggested increasing microbial colonization during the first few weeks of early life. We observed remarkable variations and temporal shifts in the relative protein abundances of each organism in these preterm gut communities. Given the dissimilarity of the communities, only 81 microbial EggNOG orthologous groups and 57 human proteins were observed across all samples. These conserved microbial proteins were involved in carbohydrate, energy, amino acid and nucleotide metabolism while conserved human proteins were related to immune response and mucosal maturation. We identified seven proteome clusters for the communities and showed infant gut proteome profiles were unstable across time and not individual-specific. Applying a gut-specific metabolic module (GMM) analysis, we found that gut communities varied primarily in the contribution of nutrient (carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids

Metabolic and inflammatory profiles of biomarkers in obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes in a Mediterranean population. DARIOS Inflammatory study.

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Fernández-Bergés, Daniel; Consuegra-Sánchez, Luciano; Peñafiel, Judith; Cabrera de León, Antonio; Vila, Joan; Félix-Redondo, Francisco Javier; Segura-Fragoso, Antonio; Lapetra, José; Guembe, María Jesús; Vega, Tomás; Fitó, Montse; Elosua, Roberto; Díaz, Oscar; Marrugat, Jaume

2014-08-01

There is a paucity of data regarding the differences in the biomarker profiles of patients with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus as compared to a healthy, normal weight population. We aimed to study the biomarker profile of the metabolic risk continuum defined by the transition from normal weight to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus. We performed a pooled analysis of data from 7 cross-sectional Spanish population-based surveys. An extensive panel comprising 20 biomarkers related to carbohydrate metabolism, lipids, inflammation, coagulation, oxidation, hemodynamics, and myocardial damage was analyzed. We employed age- and sex-adjusted multinomial logistic regression models for the identification of those biomarkers associated with the metabolic risk continuum phenotypes: obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus. A total of 2851 subjects were included for analyses. The mean age was 57.4 (8.8) years, 1269 were men (44.5%), and 464 participants were obese, 443 had metabolic syndrome, 473 had diabetes mellitus, and 1471 had a normal weight (healthy individuals). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, apolipoprotein B100, leptin, and insulin were positively associated with at least one of the phenotypes of interest. Apolipoprotein A1 and adiponectin were negatively associated. There are differences between the population with normal weight and that having metabolic syndrome or diabetes with respect to certain biomarkers related to the metabolic, inflammatory, and lipid profiles. The results of this study support the relevance of these mechanisms in the metabolic risk continuum. When metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus are compared, these differences are less marked. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Impact of metabolic syndrome on early recovery of continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

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Nishikawa, Masatomo; Watanabe, Hiromitsu; Kurahashi, Toshifumi

2017-09-01

To evaluate the impact of metabolic syndrome on the early recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. The present study included a total of 302 consecutive Japanese patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. In this study, postoperative urinary continence was defined as no leak or the use of a security pad. The continence status was assessed by interviews before and 1 and 3 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Metabolic syndrome was defined as follows: body mass index ≥25 kg/m 2 and two or more of the following: hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The effect of the presence of metabolic syndrome on the continence status of these patients was retrospectively examined. A total of 116 (38.4%) and 203 (67.2%) of the 302 patients were continent at 1 and 3 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, respectively. A total of 31 (10.3%) patients were judged to have metabolic syndrome. Despite the operative time being longer in patients with metabolic syndrome, no significant differences were observed in the remaining preoperative, intraoperative or postoperative variables between patients with or without metabolic syndrome. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, metabolic syndrome and the duration of hospitalization were significantly correlated with the 1-month continence status. Similarly, metabolic syndrome and estimated blood loss during surgery were independent predictors of continence rates at 3 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. These findings suggest that the presence of metabolic syndrome could have a significant impact on the early recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

Determining the Control Circuitry of Redox Metabolism at the Genome-Scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Federowicz, Stephen; Kim, Donghyuk; Ebrahim, Ali

2014-01-01

-scale metabolic model to show that ArcA and Fnr regulate >80% of total metabolic flux and 96% of differential gene expression across fermentative and nitrate respiratory conditions. Based on the data, we propose a feedforward with feedback trim regulatory scheme, given the extensive repression of catabolic genes...

Trend overtime of total haemoglobin, iron metabolism and trace minerals in veal calves fed high amounts of two different solid feeds

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Anna-Lisa Stefani

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Fifty Polish Friesian veal calves were administrated high amounts of two different solid feeds (maize grain and a mix diet containing 10% of straw and 8% of soy in addition to the traditional milk replacer diet. Compared to the mix diet, maize grain had a lower content of iron, copper and zinc and a minor fibre level. Effects of the two diets on calves’ blood haemoglobin, iron, iron metabolism parameters, copper and zinc concentrations were studied. Haemoglobin concentration resulted higher at the end of the fattening for calves fed the mix diet, as expected. Values remained, however, within ranges that allowed acceptable carcass paleness. Haematic iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC and total iron binding capacity (TIBC levels were not significantly different between the two solid feeds. Lower copper and zinc blood concentrations resulted for calves fed the mix diet were likely due to the feed fibre interfering with the bioavailability of the two minerals, according to what happens for iron.

Protein engineering for metabolic engineering: current and next-generation tools

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Marcheschi, Ryan J.; Gronenberg, Luisa S.; Liao, James C.

2014-01-01

Protein engineering in the context of metabolic engineering is increasingly important to the field of industrial biotechnology. As the demand for biologically-produced food, fuels, chemicals, food additives, and pharmaceuticals continues to grow, the ability to design and modify proteins to accomplish new functions will be required to meet the high productivity demands for the metabolism of engineered organisms. This article reviews advances of selecting, modeling, and engineering proteins to improve or alter their activity. Some of the methods have only recently been developed for general use and are just beginning to find greater application in the metabolic engineering community. We also discuss methods of generating random and targeted diversity in proteins to generate mutant libraries for analysis. Recent uses of these techniques to alter cofactor use, produce non-natural amino acids, alcohols, and carboxylic acids, and alter organism phenotypes are presented and discussed as examples of the successful engineering of proteins for metabolic engineering purposes. PMID:23589443

Metabolic profile in different cathegories of diary cowst

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Ulchar Igor

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Knowing the values of the metabolic profile is important for prevention of so-called "production diseases" which have significant negative impact on the milk production. The aim of these investigations was determination of the metabolic profile and its referent values in the diary cows in several farms. Investigations included four categories of diary cows: pregnant heifers, cows in early lactation, cows in late lactation and dry cows. Discussion explains both significant differences of values of some parameters (glucosis, total proteins, urea, creatinine, AST, GGT in different groups of animals which were investigated and significant correlations between some parameters (glucosis, total protein, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerids, AST, GGT within each of groups of animals. The values gained with our investigations were compared with the referent values. It was found that cows included in our investigations were good metabolic profile, although their values were in some degree different from the referent values. Cows which were in lactation, especially the early lactation, had disposition of development of energy-protein deficit, but the disposition to calcium deficit was low.

Methane Metabolizing Microbial Communities in the Cold Seep Areas in the Northern Continental Shelf of South China Sea

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Wang, F.; Liang, Q.

2016-12-01

Marine sediment contains large amount of methane, estimated approximately 500-2500 gigatonnes of dissolved and hydrated methane carbon stored therein, mainly in continental margins. In localized specific areas named cold seeps, hydrocarbon (mainly methane) containing fluids rise to the seafloor, and support oases of ecosystem composed of various microorganisms and faunal assemblages. South China Sea (SCS) is surrounded by passive continental margins in the west and north and convergent margins in the south and east. Thick organic-rich sediments have accumulated in the SCS since the late Mesozoic, which are continuing sources to form gas hydrates in the sediments of SCS. Here, Microbial ecosystems, particularly those involved in methane transformations were investigated in the cold seep areas (Qiongdongnan, Shenhu, and Dongsha) in the northern continental shelf of SCS. Multiple interdisciplinary analytic tools such as stable isotope probing, geochemical analysis, and molecular ecology, were applied for a comprehensive understanding of the microbe mediated methane transformation in this project. A variety of sediments cores have been collected, the geochemical profiles and the associated microbial distribution along the sediment cores were recorded. The major microbial groups involved in the methane transformation in these sediment cores were revealed, known methane producing and oxidizing archaea including Methanosarcinales, anaerobic methane oxidizing groups ANME-1, ANME-2 and their niche preference in the SCS sediments were found. In-depth comparative analysis revealed the presence of SCS-specific archaeal subtypes which probably reflected the evolution and adaptation of these methane metabolizing microbes to the SCS environmental conditions. Our work represents the first comprehensive analysis of the methane metabolizing microbial communities in the cold seep areas along the northern continental shelf of South China Sea, would provide new insight into the

ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC ABNORMALITIES AMONG MEXICAN AMERICANS: CORRELATIONS WITH DIABETES, OBESITY, AND THE METABOLIC SYNDROME.

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Queen, Saulette R; Smulevitz, Beverly; Rentfro, Anne R; Vatcheva, Kristina P; Kim, Hyunggun; McPherson, David D; Hanis, Craig L; Fisher-Hoch, Susan P; McCormick, Joseph B; Laing, Susan T

2012-04-01

Resting ischemic electrocardiographic abnormalities have been associated with cardiovascular mortality. Simple markers of abnormal autonomic tone have also been associated with diabetes, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome in some populations. Data on these electrocardiographic abnormalities and correlations with coronary risk factors are lacking among Mexican Americans wherein these conditions are prevalent. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalent resting electrocardiographic abnormalities among community-dwelling Mexican Americans, and correlate these findings with coronary risk factors, particularly diabetes, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome. Study subjects (n=1280) were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort comprised of community-dwelling Mexican Americans living in Brownsville, Texas at the United States-Mexico border. Ischemic electrocardiographic abnormalities were defined as presence of ST/T wave abnormalities suggestive of ischemia, abnormal Q waves, and left bundle branch block. Parameters that reflect autonomic tone, such as heart rate-corrected QT interval and resting heart rate, were also measured. Ischemic electrocardiographic abnormalities were more prevalent among older persons and those with hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome. Subjects in the highest quartiles of QTc interval and resting heart rate were also more likely to be diabetic, hypertensive, obese, or have the metabolic syndrome. Among Mexican Americans, persons with diabetes, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome were more likely to have ischemic electrocardiographic abnormalities, longer QTc intervals, and higher resting heart rates. A resting electrocardiogram can play a complementary role in the comprehensive evaluation of cardiovascular risk in this minority population.

Vascular affection in relation to oxidative DNA damage in metabolic syndrome.

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Abd El Aziz, Rokayaa; Fawzy, Mary Wadie; Khalil, Noha; Abdel Atty, Sahar; Sabra, Zainab

2018-02-01

Obesity has become an important issue affecting both males and females. Obesity is now regarded as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis-related diseases. Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk for development of cardiovascular disease. Urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine concentration has been used to express oxidation status. Twenty-seven obese patients with metabolic syndrome, 25 obese patients without metabolic syndrome and 31 healthy subjects were included in our study. They were subjected to full history and clinical examination; fasting blood sugar (FBS), 2 hour post prandial blood sugar (2HPP), lipid profile, urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine and carotid duplex, A/B index and tibial diameters were all assessed. There was a statistically significant difference ( p = 0.027) in diameter of the right anterior tibial artery among the studied groups, with decreased diameter of the right anterior tibial artery in obese patients with metabolic syndrome compared to those without metabolic syndrome; the ankle brachial index revealed a lower index in obese patients with metabolic syndrome compared to those without metabolic syndrome. There was a statistically insignificant difference ( p = 0.668) in the 8-oxodG in the studied groups. In obese patients with metabolic syndrome there was a positive correlation between 8-oxodG and total cholesterol and LDL. Urinary 8-oxodG is correlated to total cholesterol and LDL in obese patients with metabolic syndrome; signifying its role in the mechanism of dyslipidemia in those patients. Our study highlights the importance of anterior tibial artery diameter measurement and ankle brachial index as an early marker of atherosclerosis, and how it may be an earlier marker than carotid intima-media thickness.

Mechanistic drivers of flexibility in summit metabolic rates of small birds.

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David Swanson

Full Text Available Flexible metabolic phenotypes allow animals to adjust physiology to better fit ecological or environmental demands, thereby influencing fitness. Summit metabolic rate (Msum = maximal thermogenic capacity is one such flexible trait. Skeletal muscle and heart masses and myocyte metabolic intensity are potential drivers of Msum flexibility in birds. We examined correlations of skeletal muscle and heart masses and pectoralis muscle citrate synthase (CS activity (an indicator of cellular metabolic intensity with Msum in house sparrows (Passer domesticus and dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis to determine whether these traits are associated with Msum variation. Pectoralis mass was positively correlated with Msum for both species, but no significant correlation remained for either species after accounting for body mass (Mb variation. Combined flight and leg muscle masses were also not significantly correlated with Msum for either species. In contrast, heart mass was significantly positively correlated with Msum for juncos and nearly so (P = 0.054 for sparrows. Mass-specific and total pectoralis CS activities were significantly positively correlated with Msum for sparrows, but not for juncos. Thus, myocyte metabolic intensity influences Msum variation in house sparrows, although the stronger correlation of total (r = 0.495 than mass-specific (r = 0.378 CS activity with Msum suggests that both pectoralis mass and metabolic intensity impact Msum. In contrast, neither skeletal muscle masses nor pectoralis metabolic intensity varied with Msum in juncos. However, heart mass was associated with Msum variation in both species. These data suggest that drivers of metabolic flexibility are not uniform among bird species.

Genome-reconstruction for eukaryotes from complex natural microbial communities.

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West, Patrick T; Probst, Alexander J; Grigoriev, Igor V; Thomas, Brian C; Banfield, Jillian F

2018-04-01

Microbial eukaryotes are integral components of natural microbial communities, and their inclusion is critical for many ecosystem studies, yet the majority of published metagenome analyses ignore eukaryotes. In order to include eukaryotes in environmental studies, we propose a method to recover eukaryotic genomes from complex metagenomic samples. A key step for genome recovery is separation of eukaryotic and prokaryotic fragments. We developed a k -mer-based strategy, EukRep, for eukaryotic sequence identification and applied it to environmental samples to show that it enables genome recovery, genome completeness evaluation, and prediction of metabolic potential. We used this approach to test the effect of addition of organic carbon on a geyser-associated microbial community and detected a substantial change of the community metabolism, with selection against almost all candidate phyla bacteria and archaea and for eukaryotes. Near complete genomes were reconstructed for three fungi placed within the Eurotiomycetes and an arthropod. While carbon fixation and sulfur oxidation were important functions in the geyser community prior to carbon addition, the organic carbon-impacted community showed enrichment for secreted proteases, secreted lipases, cellulose targeting CAZymes, and methanol oxidation. We demonstrate the broader utility of EukRep by reconstructing and evaluating relatively high-quality fungal, protist, and rotifer genomes from complex environmental samples. This approach opens the way for cultivation-independent analyses of whole microbial communities. © 2018 West et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Niche differentiation in nitrogen metabolism among methanotrophs within an operational taxonomic unit.

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Hoefman, Sven; van der Ha, David; Boon, Nico; Vandamme, Peter; De Vos, Paul; Heylen, Kim

2014-04-04

The currently accepted thesis on nitrogenous fertilizer additions on methane oxidation activity assumes niche partitioning among methanotrophic species, with activity responses to changes in nitrogen content being dependent on the in situ methanotrophic community structure Unfortunately, widely applied tools for microbial community assessment only have a limited phylogenetic resolution mostly restricted to genus level diversity, and not to species level as often mistakenly assumed. As a consequence, intragenus or intraspecies metabolic versatility in nitrogen metabolism was never evaluated nor considered among methanotrophic bacteria as a source of differential responses of methane oxidation to nitrogen amendments. We demonstrated that fourteen genotypically different Methylomonas strains, thus distinct below the level at which most techniques assign operational taxonomic units (OTU), show a versatile physiology in their nitrogen metabolism. Differential responses, even among strains with identical 16S rRNA or pmoA gene sequences, were observed for production of nitrite and nitrous oxide from nitrate or ammonium, nitrogen fixation and tolerance to high levels of ammonium, nitrate, and hydroxylamine. Overall, reduction of nitrate to nitrite, nitrogen fixation, higher tolerance to ammonium than nitrate and tolerance and assimilation of nitrite were general features. Differential responses among closely related methanotrophic strains to overcome inhibition and toxicity from high nitrogen loads and assimilation of various nitrogen sources yield competitive fitness advantages to individual methane-oxidizing bacteria. Our observations proved that community structure at the deepest phylogenetic resolution potentially influences in situ functioning.

Hypothyroidism in metabolic syndrome

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Sunil Kumar Kota

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: Metabolic syndrome (MetS and hypothyroidism are well established forerunners of atherogenic cardiovascular disease. Considerable overlap occurs in the pathogenic mechanisms of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by metabolic syndrome and hypothyroidism. Insulin resistance has been studied as the basic pathogenic mechanism in metabolic syndrome. [1] This cross sectional study intended to assess thyroid function in patients with metabolic syndrome and to investigate the association between hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome. Materials and Methods: One hundred patients with metabolic syndrome who fulfilled the National Cholesterol Education Program- Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP III criteria [ 3 out of 5 criteria positive namely blood pressure ≥ 130/85 mm hg or on antihypertensive medications, fasting plasma glucose > 100 mg/dl or on anti-diabetic medications, fasting triglycerides > 150 mg/dl, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C 102 cms in men and 88 cms in women] were included in the study group. [2] Fifty patients who had no features of metabolic syndrome (0 out of 5 criteria for metabolic syndrome were included in the control group. Patients with liver disorders, renal disorders, congestive cardiac failure, pregnant women, patients on oral contraceptive pills, statins and other medications that alter thyroid functions and lipid levels and those who are under treatment for any thyroid related disorder were excluded from the study. Acutely ill patients were excluded taking into account sick euthyroid syndrome. Patients were subjected to anthropometry, evaluation of vital parameters, lipid and thyroid profile along with other routine laboratory parameters. Students t-test, Chi square test and linear regression, multiple logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Of the 100 patients in study group, 55 were females (55% and 45 were males (45%. Of the 50

Spatial changes in the prokaryotic community structure across a soil catena

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Semenov, Mikhail; Zhuravleva, Anna; Tkhakakhova, Azida

2017-04-01

Mesorelief is a complex biogeochemical factor regulating hydrothermal regimes of the surface soil layer, the type of plant cover, etc., and, therefore, influences on soil microbial community structure. A natural model of soil sequence across the slope is a soil catena. Soils forming on various mesorelief positions significantly differ in physicochemical and biological properties, leading to the changes in spatial distribution of various bacterial and archaeal taxa across the soil catena. The aim of this study was to determine soil microbial community structure of different ecosystems corresponding to three mesorelief positions within the soil catena. The catena was located at the right bank of the Oka River (Moscow region, Russian Federation). Soil samples were taken at depths of 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, and 40-60 cm from three sites within the transect of 960 m with elevation of 80 m, corresponding to the autonomous (AU), transitional (TR) (both Luvisols), and accumulative (AC) (Fluvisol Umbric) positions of the landscape. The dominant vegetation of studied sites were rootstock- and loose bunchgrasses of the fallow ecosystem (AU), a secondary small-leaved forest of the forest ecosystem (TR), and a meadow-bog association of the meadow-bog ecosystem (AC). The distances between the sites were 680 m (AU and TR), and 280 m (TR and AC). The soil samples were homogenized, and the total community DNA of three replicates was extracted using the FastDNA® SPIN kit for Soil. All DNA replicates were combined in a pooled sample and the DNA was used for PCR with specific primers for the 16S V3 and V4 regions. The products were purified and submitted to Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Obtained sequence data were evaluated using the MiSeq Reporter Metagenomics Workflow and QIIME. Quantification of the bacterial and archaeal metabolically active cells was quantified by the FISH-method. Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, Firmictutes and Actinobacteria were the major phyla in autonomous site

The functional potential of microbial communities in hydraulic fracturing source water and produced water from natural gas extraction characterized by metagenomic sequencing.

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Arvind Murali Mohan

Full Text Available Microbial activity in produced water from hydraulic fracturing operations can lead to undesired environmental impacts and increase gas production costs. However, the metabolic profile of these microbial communities is not well understood. Here, for the first time, we present results from a shotgun metagenome of microbial communities in both hydraulic fracturing source water and wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing. Taxonomic analyses showed an increase in anaerobic/facultative anaerobic classes related to Clostridia, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidia and Epsilonproteobacteria in produced water as compared to predominantly aerobic Alphaproteobacteria in the fracturing source water. The metabolic profile revealed a relative increase in genes responsible for carbohydrate metabolism, respiration, sporulation and dormancy, iron acquisition and metabolism, stress response and sulfur metabolism in the produced water samples. These results suggest that microbial communities in produced water have an increased genetic ability to handle stress, which has significant implications for produced water management, such as disinfection.

Impact of a community-based diabetes self-management program on key metabolic parameters

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Johnson C

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Characterize the impact of a pharmacist-led diabetes self-management program on three key metabolic parameters: glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP among employee health program participants. Methods: A self-insured company in the Kansas City metropolitan area began offering a pharmacist-led diabetes self-management program to eligible company employees and their dependents in 2008. A retrospective pre-post analysis was conducted to determine if the program affected key metabolic parameters in participants by determining mean change after one year of participation. Results: Among 183 program participants, 65 participants met inclusion criteria. All three key metabolic parameters were significantly reduced from baseline to one year of program participation: HbA1c decreased from 8.1% to 7.3% (p=0.007; LDL-C decreased from 108.3 mg/dL to 96.4 mg/dL (p=0.009; and MAP decreased from 96.1 to 92.3 mm Hg (p=0.005. Conclusions: The pharmacist-led diabetes self-management program demonstrated significant reductions in HbA1c, LDL-C, and MAP from baseline to one year of program participation. Improvements were statistically significant and clinically relevant for each parameter. Previous studies indicate these reductions may cause reduced overall healthcare costs.

Mesozooplankton respiration and community structure in a seamount region of the eastern South Pacific

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Frederick, Leissing; Escribano, Ruben; Morales, Carmen E.; Hormazabal, Samuel; Medellín-Mora, Johanna

2018-05-01

Seamounts in the Juan Fernandez Ridge, as well as in other seamount regions in the eastern South Pacific and in the world oceans, remain poorly studied ecosystems in terms of structure and functioning. Here, community respiration by epipelagic mesozooplankton in three seamounts of the Juan Fernandez Ridge, including the O`Higgins Seamount close to the coastal upwelling zone and two oceanic seamounts near the Juan Fernandez Archipelago ( 33°S-78°W), was assessed. Oxygen consumption by mixed assemblages was estimated using continuous measurements of dissolved oxygen concentration under controlled temperature during onboard, short-term incubations (2-4 h). Mesozooplankton composition was analyzed with a ZooScan device and expressed in terms of community normalized size spectra, and taxa and size diversity (Shannon-Wiener index). Carbon-specific community respiration rates in the upper 100 m layer were in the range of 0.3-1.9 mg O2 m-2 d-1, indicating that up to 3.1% of the mesozooplankton biomass can be respired on a daily basis. The mesozooplankton community was dominated by small-size copepods but the proportions of small copepods, large copepods, and gelatinous zooplankton (mostly salps) changed between the seamounts, in association with modifications in taxa composition, size diversity, and the slope of the size spectrum. Community respiration was significantly correlated to these community descriptors, suggesting the composition of the pelagic community has a direct impact on the total amount of respired-C. Connectivity between the coastal upwelling zone and the Juan Fernandez Ridge region mediated by mesoscale activity, interacting with the seamounts, is suggested as a most important process in controlling zooplankton community structure and in turn community metabolism.

Does iron inhibit cryptoendolithic microbial communities?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, C. G.; Vestal, J. R.; Friedmann, E. I. (Principal Investigator)

1988-01-01

Photosynthetic activity of three cryptoendolithic microbial communities was studied under controlled conditions in the laboratory. In two of these communities, the dominant organisms were lichens, collected from Linnaeus Terrace and from Battleship Promontory. The third community, dominated by cyanobacteria, was collected from Battleship Promontory. Both sites are in the ice-free valleys of southern Victoria Land. Previous efforts have shown how physical conditions can influence metabolic activity in endolithic communities (Kappen and Friedmann 1983; Kappen, Friedmann, and Garty 1981; Vestal, Federle, and Friedmann 1984). Biological activity can also be strongly influenced by the chemical environment. Inorganic nutrients such as nitrate, ammonia, and phosphate are often limiting factors, so their effects on photosynthetic carbon-14 bicarbonate incorporation were investigated. Iron and manganese are two metals present in Linnaeus Terrace and Battleship Promontory sandstones, and their effects on photosynthesis were also studied. The results may add to our understanding of biogeochemical interactions within this unique microbial community.

Enhancing community detection by using local structural information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiang, Ju; Bao, Mei-Hua; Tang, Liang; Li, Jian-Ming; Hu, Ke; Chen, Benyan; Hu, Jing-Bo; Zhang, Yan; Tang, Yan-Ni; Gao, Yuan-Yuan

2016-01-01

Many real-world networks, such as gene networks, protein–protein interaction networks and metabolic networks, exhibit community structures, meaning the existence of groups of densely connected vertices in the networks. Many local similarity measures in the networks are closely related to the concept of the community structures, and may have a positive effect on community detection in the networks. Here, various local similarity measures are used to extract local structural information, which is then applied to community detection in the networks by using the edge-reweighting strategy. The effect of the local similarity measures on community detection is carefully investigated and compared in various networks. The experimental results show that the local similarity measures are crucial for the improvement of community detection methods, while the positive effect of the local similarity measures is closely related to the networks under study and applied community detection methods. (paper: interdisciplinary statistical mechanics)

Effects of UVB radiation on net community production in the upper global ocean

KAUST Repository

Garcia-Corral, Lara S.; Holding, Johnna M.; Carrillo-de-Albornoz, Paloma; Steckbauer, Alexandra; Pé rez-Lorenzo, Marí a; Navarro, Nuria; Serret, Pablo; Duarte, Carlos M.; Agusti, Susana

2016-01-01

Our results suggest that earlier estimates of NCP for surface communities, which were hitherto derived using materials blocking UVB radiation were biased, with the direction and magnitude of this bias depending on the metabolic status of the communities and the underwater penetration of UVB radiation.

OBESITY AND METABOLIC SYNDROME IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A HEALTH RISK WE CANNOT AFFORD

OpenAIRE

Serge P. von Duvillard

2012-01-01

Ample observational and empirical evidence has been provided that indicates that childhood metabolic syndrome risk factors inevitably lead to significantly more profound health risk factors of developing potent adulthood metabolic syndrome. Much of these data has been provided from medical, nutritional, health, pediatric, physical education and associated communities. Perhaps the most visible and observable health risk factor among children (here referred to as youth) is the childhood obesit...

Genome-enabled Modeling of Microbial Biogeochemistry using a Trait-based Approach. Does Increasing Metabolic Complexity Increase Predictive Capabilities?

Science.gov (United States)

King, E.; Karaoz, U.; Molins, S.; Bouskill, N.; Anantharaman, K.; Beller, H. R.; Banfield, J. F.; Steefel, C. I.; Brodie, E.

2015-12-01

The biogeochemical functioning of ecosystems is shaped in part by genomic information stored in the subsurface microbiome. Cultivation-independent approaches allow us to extract this information through reconstruction of thousands of genomes from a microbial community. Analysis of these genomes, in turn, gives an indication of the organisms present and their functional roles. However, metagenomic analyses can currently deliver thousands of different genomes that range in abundance/importance, requiring the identification and assimilation of key physiologies and metabolisms to be represented as traits for successful simulation of subsurface processes. Here we focus on incorporating -omics information into BioCrunch, a genome-informed trait-based model that represents the diversity of microbial functional processes within a reactive transport framework. This approach models the rate of nutrient uptake and the thermodynamics of coupled electron donors and acceptors for a range of microbial metabolisms including heterotrophs and chemolithotrophs. Metabolism of exogenous substrates fuels catabolic and anabolic processes, with the proportion of energy used for cellular maintenance, respiration, biomass development, and enzyme production based upon dynamic intracellular and environmental conditions. This internal resource partitioning represents a trade-off against biomass formation and results in microbial community emergence across a fitness landscape. Biocrunch was used here in simulations that included organisms and metabolic pathways derived from a dataset of ~1200 non-redundant genomes reflecting a microbial community in a floodplain aquifer. Metagenomic data was directly used to parameterize trait values related to growth and to identify trait linkages associated with respiration, fermentation, and key enzymatic functions such as plant polymer degradation. Simulations spanned a range of metabolic complexities and highlight benefits originating from simulations

The gut microbiome in cardio-metabolic health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Tue Haldor; Gøbel, Rikke J; Hansen, Torben

2015-01-01

that the gut microbiota, as an environmental factor influencing the metabolic state of the host, is readily modifiable through a variety of interventions. In this review we provide an overview of the development of the gut microbiome and its compositional and functional changes in relation to cardio......With the prevalence of cardio-metabolic disorders reaching pandemic proportions, the search for modifiable causative factors has intensified. One such potential factor is the vast microbial community inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract, the gut microbiota. For the past decade evidence has...... accumulated showing the association of distinct changes in gut microbiota composition and function with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Although causality in humans and the pathophysiological mechanisms involved have yet to be decisively established, several studies have demonstrated...

Unique Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Pathway Features of Fermented Vegetables From Hainan, China

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Qiannan; Jiang, Shuaiming; Chen, Jieling; Ma, Chenchen; Huo, Dongxue; Shao, Yuyu; Zhang, Jiachao

2018-01-01

Fermented vegetables are typically traditional foods made of fresh vegetables and their juices, which are fermented by beneficial microorganisms. Herein, we applied high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent technology to describe the diversities of microbiota and identify core microbiota in fermented vegetables from different areas of Hainan Province, and abundant metabolic pathways in the fermented vegetables were simultaneously predicted. At the genus level, Lactobacillus bacteria were the most abundant. Lactobacillus plantarum was the most abundant species, followed by Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus pentosaceus, and Weissella cibaria. These species were present in each sample with average absolute content values greater than 1% and were thus defined as core microbiota. Analysis results based on the alpha and beta diversities of the microbial communities showed that the microbial profiles of the fermented vegetables differed significantly based on the regions and raw materials used, and the species of the vegetables had a greater effect on the microbial community structure than the region from where they were harvested. Regarding microbial functional metabolism, we observed an enrichment of metabolic pathways, including membrane transport, replication and repair and translation, which implied that the microbial metabolism in the fermented vegetables tended to be vigorous. In addition, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum were calculated to be major metabolic pathway contributors. Finally, we constructed a network to better explain correlations among the core microbiota and metabolic pathways. This study facilitates an understanding of the differences in microbial profiles and fermentation pathways involved in the production of fermented vegetables, establishes a basis for optimally selecting microorganisms to manufacture high-quality fermented vegetable products, and lays the foundation for better utilizing tropical microbial

Unique Microbial Diversity and Metabolic Pathway Features of Fermented Vegetables From Hainan, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiannan Peng

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Fermented vegetables are typically traditional foods made of fresh vegetables and their juices, which are fermented by beneficial microorganisms. Herein, we applied high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent technology to describe the diversities of microbiota and identify core microbiota in fermented vegetables from different areas of Hainan Province, and abundant metabolic pathways in the fermented vegetables were simultaneously predicted. At the genus level, Lactobacillus bacteria were the most abundant. Lactobacillus plantarum was the most abundant species, followed by Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus pentosaceus, and Weissella cibaria. These species were present in each sample with average absolute content values greater than 1% and were thus defined as core microbiota. Analysis results based on the alpha and beta diversities of the microbial communities showed that the microbial profiles of the fermented vegetables differed significantly based on the regions and raw materials used, and the species of the vegetables had a greater effect on the microbial community structure than the region from where they were harvested. Regarding microbial functional metabolism, we observed an enrichment of metabolic pathways, including membrane transport, replication and repair and translation, which implied that the microbial metabolism in the fermented vegetables tended to be vigorous. In addition, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum were calculated to be major metabolic pathway contributors. Finally, we constructed a network to better explain correlations among the core microbiota and metabolic pathways. This study facilitates an understanding of the differences in microbial profiles and fermentation pathways involved in the production of fermented vegetables, establishes a basis for optimally selecting microorganisms to manufacture high-quality fermented vegetable products, and lays the foundation for better utilizing

Psychosocial determinants of metabolic disorders in individuals with psychiatric disorders

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Urszula Łopuszańska

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Aim of the study: The analysis of metabolic disorders in people with mental disorders due to psychological factors, healthy and unhealthy behaviour as well as the material situation and employment status. Material and methods: Ninety-one adults diagnosed with a mental disorder who use community support centres, whose metabolic rates were examined with the use of the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR indicator, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and glucose concentration. Cognitive function examinations were performed by using various testing methods to assess general cognitive function, direct and delayed memory, verbal fluency (letter and semantic. Additionally, a test to determine the severity of depression, and also a sociodemographic survey were performed. Results: Cigarette smoking was associated with a decrease of cognitive functions (p < 0.01 and letter fluency (p < 0.04. Physically active people have lower WHR indicators (p < 0.008, decreased severity of depressive symptoms (p < 0.002 and a lower rate of hospitalisations (p < 0.001. They achieved better results in terms of short-term memory (p < 0.02 than physically inactive people. People employed in sheltered work conditions had lower rates of abdominal obesity WHR (p < 0.01, and achieved better results in the tests measuring their general cognitive functions – Short Test of Mental Status (p < 0.02. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking, low physical activity, and a lack of employment are associated with metabolic rate disorders, especially in relation to the indicators of overweight and obesity, as well as the general decrease in cognitive functions and the ability of learning and memorisation.

Phosphoinositide metabolism and metabolism-contraction coupling in rabbit aorta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coburn, R.F.; Baron, C.; Papadopoulos, M.T.

1988-01-01

The authors tested a hypothesis that metabolism-contraction coupling in vascular smooth muscle is controlled by the rate of delivery of energy to ATP-dependent reactions in the inositol phospholipid transduction system that generate second messengers exerting control on smooth muscle force. Rabbit aorta was contracted by norepinephrine (NOR) under conditions of normoxia and hypoxia, and changes in inositol phospholipid pool sizes and metabolic flux rates (J F ) were determined. J F was determined by labeling free cytosolic myo-inositol by incubation of unstimulated muscle with myo-[ 3 H]inositol and then measuring rates of incorporation of this isotope into inositol phospholipids and inositol phosphates when the muscle was activated by NOR. J F measured during maintenance of NOR-induced force was markedly inhibited during hypoxia to 40-50% of that determined during normoxia; rates of increases in inositol phosphate radioactivities were similarly depressed during NOR activation under hypoxia. The hypoxia-induced decrease in J F was associated with four- to fivefold increase in phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) total pool size, suggesting PIP kinase was inhibited and rate limiting. These data suggest that activation of inositol phospholipid metabolism, which generates inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and diacylglycerol, is blunted under conditions where aerobic energy production is inhibited. Data are consistent with rate-limiting effects of decreased ATP delivery, or decreased phosphate potential, on PIP kinase and reactions that control resynthesis of phosphatidylinositol

Seaweed supplements normalise metabolic, cardiovascular and liver responses in high-carbohydrate, high-fat fed rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Senthil Arun; Magnusson, Marie; Ward, Leigh C; Paul, Nicholas A; Brown, Lindsay

2015-02-02

Increased seaweed consumption may be linked to the lower incidence of metabolic syndrome in eastern Asia. This study investigated the responses to two tropical green seaweeds, Ulva ohnoi (UO) and Derbesia tenuissima (DT), in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome. Male Wistar rats (330-340 g) were fed either a corn starch-rich diet or a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with 25% fructose in drinking water, for 16 weeks. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats showed the signs of metabolic syndrome leading to abdominal obesity, cardiovascular remodelling and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food was supplemented with 5% dried UO or DT for the final 8 weeks only. UO lowered total final body fat mass by 24%, systolic blood pressure by 29 mmHg, and improved glucose utilisation and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, DT did not change total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides by 38% and total cholesterol by 17%. UO contained 18.1% soluble fibre as part of 40.9% total fibre, and increased magnesium, while DT contained 23.4% total fibre, essentially as insoluble fibre. UO was more effective in reducing metabolic syndrome than DT, possibly due to the increased intake of soluble fibre and magnesium.

Seaweed Supplements Normalise Metabolic, Cardiovascular and Liver Responses in High-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Fed Rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Senthil Arun Kumar

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Increased seaweed consumption may be linked to the lower incidence of metabolic syndrome in eastern Asia. This study investigated the responses to two tropical green seaweeds, Ulva ohnoi (UO and Derbesia tenuissima (DT, in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome. Male Wistar rats (330–340 g were fed either a corn starch-rich diet or a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with 25% fructose in drinking water, for 16 weeks. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats showed the signs of metabolic syndrome leading to abdominal obesity, cardiovascular remodelling and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food was supplemented with 5% dried UO or DT for the final 8 weeks only. UO lowered total final body fat mass by 24%, systolic blood pressure by 29 mmHg, and improved glucose utilisation and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, DT did not change total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides by 38% and total cholesterol by 17%. UO contained 18.1% soluble fibre as part of 40.9% total fibre, and increased magnesium, while DT contained 23.4% total fibre, essentially as insoluble fibre. UO was more effective in reducing metabolic syndrome than DT, possibly due to the increased intake of soluble fibre and magnesium.

Seaweed Supplements Normalise Metabolic, Cardiovascular and Liver Responses in High-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Fed Rats

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Senthil Arun; Magnusson, Marie; Ward, Leigh C.; Paul, Nicholas A.; Brown, Lindsay

2015-01-01

Increased seaweed consumption may be linked to the lower incidence of metabolic syndrome in eastern Asia. This study investigated the responses to two tropical green seaweeds, Ulva ohnoi (UO) and Derbesia tenuissima (DT), in a rat model of human metabolic syndrome. Male Wistar rats (330–340 g) were fed either a corn starch-rich diet or a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet with 25% fructose in drinking water, for 16 weeks. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diet-fed rats showed the signs of metabolic syndrome leading to abdominal obesity, cardiovascular remodelling and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Food was supplemented with 5% dried UO or DT for the final 8 weeks only. UO lowered total final body fat mass by 24%, systolic blood pressure by 29 mmHg, and improved glucose utilisation and insulin sensitivity. In contrast, DT did not change total body fat mass but decreased plasma triglycerides by 38% and total cholesterol by 17%. UO contained 18.1% soluble fibre as part of 40.9% total fibre, and increased magnesium, while DT contained 23.4% total fibre, essentially as insoluble fibre. UO was more effective in reducing metabolic syndrome than DT, possibly due to the increased intake of soluble fibre and magnesium. PMID:25648511

Microbial Community Dynamics from Permafrost Across the Pleistocene-Holocene Boundary and Response to Abrupt Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Hammad, A.; Mahony, M.; Froese, D. G.; Lanoil, B. D.

2014-12-01

Earth is currently undergoing rapid warming similar to that observed about 10,000 years ago at the end of the Pleistocene. We know a considerable amount about the adaptations and extinctions of mammals and plants at the Pleistocene/Holocene (P/H) boundary, but relatively little about changes at the microbial level. Due to permafrost soils' freezing anoxic conditions, they act as microbial diversity archives allowing us to determine how microbial communities adapted to the abrupt warming at the end of P. Since microbial community composition only helps differentiate viable and extant microorganisms in frozen permafrost, microbial activity in thawing permafrost must be investigated to provide a clear understanding of microbial response to climate change. Current increased temperatures will result in warming and potential thaw of permafrost and release of stored organic carbon, freeing it for microbial utilization; turning permafrost into a carbon source. Studying permafrost viable microbial communities' diversity and activity will provide a better understanding of how these microorganisms respond to soil edaphic variability due to climate change across the P/H boundary, providing insight into the changes that the soil community is currently undergoing in this modern era of rapid climate change. Modern soil, H and P permafrost cores were collected from Lucky Lady II site outside Dawson City, Yukon. 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing of permafrost DNA showed the same trends for total and viable community richness and diversity with both decreasing with permafrost depth and only the richness increasing in mid and early P. The modern, H and P soils had 50.9, 33.9, and 27.3% unique viable species and only 14% of the total number of viable species were shared by all soils. Gas flux measurements of thawed permafrost showed metabolic activity in modern and permafrost soils, aerobic CH­­4 consumption in modern, some H and P soils, and anaerobic CH­­4 production in one H

Response of microbial community and catabolic genes to simulated petroleum hydrocarbon spills in soils/sediments from different geographic locations.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Q; Tang, J; Liu, X; Song, B; Zhen, M; Ashbolt, N J

2017-10-01

Study the response of microbial communities and selected petroleum hydrocarbon (PH)-degrading genes on simulated PH spills in soils/sediments from different geographic locations. A microcosm experiment was conducted by spiking mixtures of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) to soils/sediments collected from four different regions of China, including the Dagang Oilfield (DG), Sand of Bohai Sea (SS), Northeast China (NE) and Xiamen (XM). Changes in bacterial community and the abundance of PH-degrading genes (alkB, nah and phe) were analysed by denaturing gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) and qPCR, respectively. Degradation of alkanes and PAHs in SS and NE materials were greater (P < 0·05) than those in DG and XM. Clay content was negatively correlated with the degradation of total alkanes by 112 days and PAHs by 56 days, while total organic carbon content was negatively correlated with initial degradation of total alkanes as well as PAHs. Abundances of alkB, nah and phe genes increased 10- to 100-fold and varied by soil type over the incubation period. DGGE fingerprints identified the dominance of α-, β- and γ-Proteobacteria (Gram -ve) and Actinobacteria (Gram +ve) bacteria associated with degradation of PHs in the materials studied. The geographic divergence resulting from the heterogeneity of physicochemical properties of soils/sediments appeared to influence the abundance of metabolic genes and community structure of microbes capable of degrading PHs. When developing practical in-situ bioremediation approaches for PHs contamination of soils/sediment, appropriate microbial community structures and the abundance of PH-degrading genes appear to be influenced by geographic location. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Windstorms as mediator of soil nematode community changes: Evidence from European spruce forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renčo M.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Nematode communities in a Norway spruce forest in High Tatra National Park, Slovakia were monitored for the period of several years (2006 and 2013. Unfortunately, in May 2014 natural windstorm damaged the forest. This disastrous event, together with preliminary obtained results allowed us to compare the direct impact of windstorm damage of forest habitat on soil nematode assemblages. The forest destruction by windstorm had a significant effect on the total nematode abundance, the abundance of omnivores and herbivores, as well as the nematode species diversity. The most dominant species, representing 55 % of the total nematode fauna, in the plot studied were Acrobeloides nanus followed by Malenchus exiguus, Filenchus vulgaris, Plectus communis, Plectus parvus and Tylencholaimus mirabilis. The abundance of bacterivorous signifi cantly increased after the windstorm, meanwhile the abundance of omnivores, fungivores, and herbivores ectoparasites and epidermal/root hair feeders showed an opposite trend. Of the evaluative indicators, Shannon species diversity (H’spp, maturity index (MI, maturity index 2-5 (MI2-5, sigma maturity index (ΣMI, enrichment index (EI and structure index (SI decreased significantly after windstorm. The EI and SI indexes characterized soil ecosystems before windstorm (2006 - 2013 as maturing with low or moderate disturbance, but soil ecosystems shortly after the windstorm (2014 were degraded and nutrient depleted. This also corresponded with graphical display of metabolic footprints characteristics of soil food web. Overall, the nematode communities differed significantly before and after forest damage. These results suggest the role of nematode communities as indicators of environment condition quality or its disruption.

Distribution of Metabolically Active Prokaryotes (Archaea and Bacteria) throughout the Profiles of Chernozem and Brown Semidesert Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Semenov, M. V.; Manucharova, N. A.; Stepanov, A. L.

2016-02-01

The distribution of metabolically active cells of archaea and bacteria in the profiles of typical chernozems (Voronezh oblast) and brown semidesert soils (Astrakhan oblast) of natural and agricultural ecosystems was studied using the method of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The studied soils differed sharply in the microbial biomass and in the numbers of metabolically active cells of archaea and bacteria. The number of active bacterial cells was 3.5-7.0 times greater than that of archaea. In the arable chernozem, the numbers of active cells of archaea and bacteria were 2.6 and 1.5 times, respectively, lower than those in the chernozem under the shelterbelt. The agricultural use of the brown semidesert soil had little effect on the abundances of bacteria and archaea. The soil organic carbon content was the major factor controlling the numbers of metabolically active cells of both domains. However, the dependence of the abundance of bacteria on the organic matter content was more pronounced. The decrease in the organic carbon and total nitrogen contents down the soil profiles was accompanied by the decrease in the bacteria: archaea ratio attesting to a better adaptation of archaea to the permanent deficiency of carbon and nitrogen. The bacteria: archaea ratio can serve as an ecotrophic indicator of the state of soil microbial communities.

The impact of metabolic syndrome on metabolic, pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic markers according to the presence of high blood pressure criterion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Juliana S; Drager, Luciano F; Guerra-Riccio, Grazia M; Mostarda, Cristiano; Irigoyen, Maria C; Costa-Hong, Valeria; Bortolotto, Luiz A; Egan, Brent M; Lopes, Heno F

2013-12-01

We explored whether high blood pressure is associated with metabolic, inflammatory and prothrombotic dysregulation in patients with metabolic syndrome. We evaluated 135 consecutive overweight/obese patients. From this group, we selected 75 patients who were not under the regular use of medications for metabolic syndrome as defined by the current Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults criteria. The patients were divided into metabolic syndrome with and without high blood pressure criteria (≥130/≥85 mmHg). Compared to the 45 metabolic syndrome patients without high blood pressure, the 30 patients with metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure had significantly higher glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and creatinine values; in contrast, these patients had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol values. Metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure also had significantly higher levels of retinol-binding protein 4, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, interleukin 6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and lower levels of adiponectin. Moreover, patients with metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure had increased surrogate markers of sympathetic activity and decreased baroreflex sensitivity. Logistic regression analysis showed that high-density lipoprotein, retinol-binding protein 4 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels were independently associated with metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure. There is a strong trend for an independent association between metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure and glucose levels. High blood pressure, which may be related to the autonomic dysfunction, is associated with metabolic, inflammatory and prothrombotic dysregulation in patients with metabolic syndrome.

The impact of metabolic syndrome on metabolic, pro-inflammatory and prothrombotic markers according to the presence of high blood pressure criterion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliana S. Gil

2013-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: We explored whether high blood pressure is associated with metabolic, inflammatory and prothrombotic dysregulation in patients with metabolic syndrome. METHODS: We evaluated 135 consecutive overweight/obese patients. From this group, we selected 75 patients who were not under the regular use of medications for metabolic syndrome as defined by the current Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults criteria. The patients were divided into metabolic syndrome with and without high blood pressure criteria (≥130/≥85 mmHg. RESULTS: Compared to the 45 metabolic syndrome patients without high blood pressure, the 30 patients with metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure had significantly higher glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid and creatinine values; in contrast, these patients had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol values. Metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure also had significantly higher levels of retinol-binding protein 4, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, interleukin 6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and lower levels of adiponectin. Moreover, patients with metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure had increased surrogate markers of sympathetic activity and decreased baroreflex sensitivity. Logistic regression analysis showed that high-density lipoprotein, retinol-binding protein 4 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels were independently associated with metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure. There is a strong trend for an independent association between metabolic syndrome patients with high blood pressure and glucose levels. CONCLUSIONS: High blood pressure, which may be related to the autonomic dysfunction, is associated with metabolic, inflammatory and prothrombotic dysregulation in patients with

Treatment, Therapy and Management of Metabolic Epilepsy: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa Lin Lin Lee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Metabolic epilepsy is a metabolic abnormality which is associated with an increased risk of epilepsy development in affected individuals. Commonly used antiepileptic drugs are typically ineffective against metabolic epilepsy as they do not address its root cause. Presently, there is no review available which summarizes all the treatment options for metabolic epilepsy. Thus, we systematically reviewed literature which reported on the treatment, therapy and management of metabolic epilepsy from four databases, namely PubMed, Springer, Scopus and ScienceDirect. After applying our inclusion and exclusion criteria as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed a total of 43 articles. Based on the reviewed articles, we summarized the methods used for the treatment, therapy and management of metabolic epilepsy. These methods were tailored to address the root causes of the metabolic disturbances rather than targeting the epilepsy phenotype alone. Diet modification and dietary supplementation, alone or in combination with antiepileptic drugs, are used in tackling the different types of metabolic epilepsy. Identification, treatment, therapy and management of the underlying metabolic derangements can improve behavior, cognitive function and reduce seizure frequency and/or severity in patients.

American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery estimation of metabolic and bariatric procedures performed in the United States in 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Wayne J; DeMaria, Eric J; Brethauer, Stacy A; Mattar, Samer G; Rosenthal, Raul J; Morton, John M

2018-03-01

Bariatric surgery, despite being the most successful long-lasting treatment for morbid obesity, remains underused as only approximately 1% of all patients who qualify for surgery actually undergo surgery. To determine if patients in need are receiving appropriate therapy, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery created a Numbers Taskforce to specify annual rate of use for obesity treatment interventions. The objective of this study was to determine metabolic and bariatric procedure trends since 2011 and to provide the best estimate of the number of procedures performed in the United States in 2016. United States. We reviewed data from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database, and Nationwide Inpatient Sample. In addition, data from industry and outpatient centers were used to estimate outpatient center activity. Data from 2016 were compared with the previous 5 years of data. Compared with 2015, the total number of metabolic and bariatric procedures performed in 2016 increased from approximately 196,000 to 216,000. The sleeve gastrectomy trend is increasing, and it continues to be the most common procedure. The gastric bypass and gastric band trends continued to decrease as seen in previous years. The percentage of revision procedures and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch procedures increased slightly. Finally, intragastric balloons placement emerged as a significant contributor to the cumulative total number of procedures performed. There is increasing use of metabolic and bariatric procedures performed in the United States from 2011 to 2016, with a nearly 10% increase noted from 2015 to 2016. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between C-reactive protein and features of the metabolic syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fröhlich, M; Imhof, A; Berg, Gabriele

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of circulating levels of C-reactive protein, a sensitive systemic marker of inflammation, with different components of the metabolic syndrome. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, BMI , and prevalence...... concentrations in subjects grouped according to the presence of 0-1, 2-3, and > or =4 features of the metabolic syndrome were 1.11, 1.27, and 2.16 mg/l, respectively, with a statistically highly significant trend (P metabolic syndrome...

Time related total lactic acid bacteria population diversity and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The total lactic acid bacterial community involved in the spontaneous fermentation of malted cowpea fortified cereal weaning food was investigated by phenotypically and cultivation independent method. A total of 74 out of the isolated 178 strains were Lactobacillus plantarum, 32 were Pediococcus acidilactici and over 60% ...

Total and high molecular weight adiponectin have similar utility for the identification of insulin resistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aguilar-Salinas Carlos A

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Insulin resistance (IR and related metabolic disturbances are characterized by low levels of adiponectin. High molecular weight adiponectin (HMWA is considered the active form of adiponectin and a better marker of IR than total adiponectin. The objective of this study is to compare the utility of total adiponectin, HMWA and the HMWA/total adiponectin index (SA index for the identification of IR and related metabolic conditions. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed in a group of ambulatory subjects, aged 20 to 70 years, in Mexico City. Areas under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC curve for total, HMWA and the SA index were plotted for the identification of metabolic disturbances. Sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for the identification of IR were calculated. Results The study included 101 men and 168 women. The areas under the ROC curve for total and HMWA for the identification of IR (0.664 vs. 0.669, P = 0.74, obesity (0.592 vs. 0.610, P = 0.32, hypertriglyceridemia (0.661 vs. 0.671, P = 0.50 and hypoalphalipoproteinemia (0.624 vs. 0.633, P = 0.58 were similar. A total adiponectin level of 8.03 μg/ml was associated with a sensitivity of 57.6%, a specificity of 65.9%, a positive predictive value of 50.0%, a negative predictive value of 72.4%, and an accuracy of 62.7% for the diagnosis of IR. The corresponding figures for a HMWA value of 4.25 μg/dl were 59.6%, 67.1%, 51.8%, 73.7% and 64.2%. The area under the ROC curve of the SA index for the identification of IR was 0.622 [95% CI 0.554-0.691], obesity 0.613 [95% CI 0.536-0.689], hypertriglyceridemia 0.616 [95% CI 0.549-0.683], and hypoalphalipoproteinemia 0.606 [95% CI 0.535-0.677]. Conclusions Total adiponectin, HMWA and the SA index had similar utility for the identification of IR and metabolic disturbances.

Basal Metabolic Rate and Energy Expenditure of Rural Farmers in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Measurement of basal metabolic rate (BMR) provides an important baseline for the determination of an individual's total energy requirement. The study sought to establish human energy expenditure of rural farmers in Magubike village in Tanzania, through determination of BMR, physical activity level (PAL) and total energy ...

Metatranscriptomes reveal functional variation in diatom communities from the Antarctic Peninsula

KAUST Repository

Pearson, Gareth A

2015-04-14

Functional genomics of diatom-dominated communities fromthe Antarctic Peninsula was studied using comparative metatranscriptomics. Samples obtained from diatom-rich communities in the Bransfield Strait, the western Weddell Sea and sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea/Wilkins Ice Shelf yielded more than 500K pyrosequencing reads that were combined to produce a global metatranscriptome assembly. Multi-gene phylogenies recovered three distinct communities, and diatom-assigned contigs further indicated little read-sharing between communities, validating an assembly-based annotation and analysis approach. Although functional analysis recovered a core of abundant shared annotations that were expressed across the three diatom communities, over 40% of annotations (but accounting for <10% of sequences) were community-specific. The two pelagic communities differed in their expression of N-metabolism and acquisition genes, which was almost absent in post-bloom conditions in the Weddell Sea community, while enrichment of transporters for ammonia and urea in Bransfield Strait diatoms suggests a physiological stance towards acquisition of reduced N-sources. The depletion of carbohydrate and energy metabolism pathways in sea ice relative to pelagic communities, together with increased light energy dissipation (via LHCSR proteins), photorespiration, and NO3 - uptake and utilization all pointed to irradiance stress and/or inorganic carbon limitation within sea ice. Ice-binding proteins and cold-shock transcription factors were also enriched in sea ice diatoms. Surprisingly, the abundance of gene transcripts for the translational machinery tracked decreasing environmental temperature across only a 4 °C range, possibly reflecting constraints on translational efficiency and protein production in cold environments. © 2015 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved.

Metatranscriptomes reveal functional variation in diatom communities from the Antarctic Peninsula

KAUST Repository

Pearson, Gareth A; Lago-Leston, Asuncion; Cá novas, Fernando; Cox, Cymon J; Verret, Frederic; Lasternas, Sebastian; Duarte, Carlos M.; Agusti, Susana; Serrã o, Ester A

2015-01-01

Functional genomics of diatom-dominated communities fromthe Antarctic Peninsula was studied using comparative metatranscriptomics. Samples obtained from diatom-rich communities in the Bransfield Strait, the western Weddell Sea and sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea/Wilkins Ice Shelf yielded more than 500K pyrosequencing reads that were combined to produce a global metatranscriptome assembly. Multi-gene phylogenies recovered three distinct communities, and diatom-assigned contigs further indicated little read-sharing between communities, validating an assembly-based annotation and analysis approach. Although functional analysis recovered a core of abundant shared annotations that were expressed across the three diatom communities, over 40% of annotations (but accounting for <10% of sequences) were community-specific. The two pelagic communities differed in their expression of N-metabolism and acquisition genes, which was almost absent in post-bloom conditions in the Weddell Sea community, while enrichment of transporters for ammonia and urea in Bransfield Strait diatoms suggests a physiological stance towards acquisition of reduced N-sources. The depletion of carbohydrate and energy metabolism pathways in sea ice relative to pelagic communities, together with increased light energy dissipation (via LHCSR proteins), photorespiration, and NO3 - uptake and utilization all pointed to irradiance stress and/or inorganic carbon limitation within sea ice. Ice-binding proteins and cold-shock transcription factors were also enriched in sea ice diatoms. Surprisingly, the abundance of gene transcripts for the translational machinery tracked decreasing environmental temperature across only a 4 °C range, possibly reflecting constraints on translational efficiency and protein production in cold environments. © 2015 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved.

Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome in a Community-Based Cohort of Korean Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Su Kang; Hong, Seung-Hee; Chung, Joo-Ho; Cho, Kyu Bong

2017-01-01

Background The relationship between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains controversial. This study investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and MetS components and prevalence. Material/Methods We analyzed 10 037 subjects (3076 MetS and 6961 non-MetS) in a community-based cohort. MetS was defined according to the ATP III Guidelines. Subjects were divided according to amount of alcohol consumption; non-drinker, very light (0.1–5.0 g/day), light (5.1–15.0 g/day), moderate (15.1–30.0 g/day), and heavy drinker (>30 g/day). Multiple logistic regression models were performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs). The analyses were performed in men and women separately. SPSS statistical software was used for analyses. Results The prevalence of MetS in both males and females was associated with alcohol drinking status (palcohol consumption (0.1–5.0 g/day) was significantly associated with lower prevalence of MetS in both genders compared to non-drinkers. Amount of alcohol consumption (>30.0 g/day) did not show a significant association with prevalence of MetS. However, alcohol consumption (>30.0 g/day) showed an association with glucose and HDL cholesterol among the components of MetS. Conclusions Our results indicate that alcohol drinking (0.1–5.0 g/day) contributed to decrease prevalence of MetS and components, including triglyceride and HDL cholesterol. PMID:28465500

Final Report for Award #0006731. Modeling, Patterning and Evolving Syntrophic Communities that Link Fermentation to Metal Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marx, Christopher J. [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

2015-07-17

This project has developed and combined mathematical models, multi-species consortia, and spatially structured environments as an approach for studying metabolic exchange in communities like the ones between fermenters and metal reducers. We have developed novel, broadly-applicable tools for following community dynamics, come to a better understanding of both sugar and lactate-utilization in S. oneidensis, the interactions between carbon and mineral availability, and have a methodology for cell printing to match with spatiotemporal models of consortia metabolism.

Prevalence and Predictors of Metabolic Syndrome in Young Asymptomatic Gujarati Population

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Sharad R. Jain

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors leading to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS and its predictors in young and apparently healthy Gujarati individuals. Methods. This population based cross-sectional study involved a total of 1500 healthy adults of 20–40 years of age. Demographic details and clinical data such as body mass index (BMI, waist circumference (WC, and blood pressure were measured along with the estimations of lipoprotein (a, total cholesterol (TC, triglyceride (TG, total lipid, LDL/HDL ratio, TC/HDL ratio, and fasting blood glucose (FBS. Results. Overall in young Gujarati population (20–40 years prevalence rates of MS were 16.0% (male: 21.5%; female: 10.8% where the metabolic abnormalities increased with advanced age as 9.56% of the young population (20–30 years had MS, in contrast to the 24.57% in the old (31–40 years. Odds ratio analysis had indicated BMI (1.120; 95% CI: 1.077–1.163; P<0.0001 as the strongest risk factor for MS closely followed by advancing age (1.100; 95% CI: 1.061–1.139; P<0.0001 levels. Conclusion. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in young Gujarati population reinforces the need for early life style intervention and awareness programs in this ethnic group.

Total mixed ration in exercising horse: digestibility and nitrogen metabolism

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L. Magni

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the apparent digestibility of a total mixed ration (TMR versus a traditional mixed hay/cereals diet. Four adult trained Standardbred geldings – BW = 478±37 kg - were used. The two diets consisted of 20 kg of a commercial TMR - corn silage, alfalfa hay, wet brewers’ grain, oat, apple pomace, molasses cane, soybean oil and mineral/vitamin supplement - (Diet 1 or 7 kg of meadow hay and 4.5 kg of cereal-mix - corn, oat, barley and protein/mineral/vitamin supplement - (Diet 2. The trial was conducted according to a Latin Square design (2x2. After an adaptation period of four weeks, total faeces and urine were collected for 6 days. Both feed and faeces samples were analysed for DM, OM, CP, EE, CF, NDF, ADF, cellulose, hemicellulose, ADL and GE. Data were analysed by ANOVA. The apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance of the two diets were compared. DM, OM, CP and GE apparent digestibility were significantly different between the diets, with higher values for unifeed diet than traditional diet. Energy requirement was satisfied by both diets (96.54 vs 95.55 MJ. Nitrogen balance showed negative values in both diets (- 61.67 vs - 9.05, but the hay/cereals supplemented diet showed the best protein utilisation.

Ophthalmologic Findings in Patients with Neuro-metabolic Disorders.

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Jafari, Narjes; Golnik, Karl; Shahriari, Mansoor; Karimzadeh, Parvaneh; Jabbehdari, Sayena

2018-01-01

We aimed to present the ophthalmic manifestations of neuro-metabolic disorders. Patients who were diagnosed with neuro-metabolic disorders in the Neurology Department of Mofid Pediatric Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between 2004 and 2014 were included in this study. Disorders were confirmed using clinical findings, neuroimaging, laboratory data, and genomic analyses. All enrolled patients were assessed for ophthalmological abnormalities. A total of 213 patients with 34 different neuro-metabolic disorders were included. Ophthalmological abnormalities were observed in 33.5% of patients. Abnormal findings in the anterior segment included Kayser-Fleischer rings, congenital or secondary cataracts, and lens dislocation into the anterior chamber. Posterior segment (i.e., retina, vitreous body, and optic nerve) evaluation revealed retinitis pigmentosa, cherry-red spots, and optic atrophy. In addition, strabismus, nystagmus, and lack of fixation were noted during external examination. Ophthalmological examination and assessment is essential in patients that may exhibit neuro-metabolic disorders.

Microbial communities and biogeochemistry in an area of Engraulis encrasicolus spawning in the Sicilian Channel

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Rosabruna La Ferla

2014-06-01

The rates of production, hydrolysis and degradation activities were quite low, in agreement with the general oligotrophy of the area and in agreement with this findings, picophytoplankton contribution to total production amounted to over than 65%. In terms of metabolic activities, different spatial distributions were observed between the autotrophic and heterotrophic components. In particular, heterotrophic metabolism showed high values in the layer located below the thermocline and above the DCM. Concerning the enzymatic activities, total leucine aminopeptidase activity showed the highest rates, followed by alkaline phosphatase and beta-Glucosidase (Caruso et al., 2014. Distribution of the dissolved enzymatic activities acting on proteins varied widely along the column, accounting for 5 to 90% of the total enzymatic activity and always prevailed on dissolved b-GLU. Total enzymatic activity rates were comparable to those obtained in the oligotrophic zones of Ionian and Mediterranean Sea (Zaccone et al., 2012, while the analysis of the dissolved fraction was the first report for the Mediterranean. In conclusion, the multidisciplinary scientific approach used in this study depicted a complex picture of the study area evidencing a high heterogeneity and dynamism of plankton communities, probably associated to peculiar hydrology of this ecosystem. On the whole, the study area appeared to be characterized by a relatively efficient microbial food web. However, low trophic conditions were stressed by all the biological and biochemical patterns, suggesting an important role of heterotrophic processes in this area in the examined summer period. Consequently, how and how much the microbial web sustains fish reproduction and larval survival need a more comprehensive analysis and will be focused in further research.

Microbial community assembly patterns under incipient conditions in a basaltic soil system

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Sengupta, A.; Stegen, J.; Alves Meira Neto, A.; Wang, Y.; Chorover, J.; Troch, P. A. A.; Maier, R. M.

2017-12-01

In sub-surface environments, the biotic components are critically linked to the abiotic processes. However, there is limited understanding of community establishment, functional associations, and community assembly processes of such microbes in sub-surface environments. This study presents the first analysis of microbial signatures in an incipient terrestrial basalt soil system conducted under controlled conditions. A sub-meter scale sampling of a soil mesocosm revealed the contrasting distribution patterns of simple soil parameters such as bulk density and electrical conductivity. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene indicated the presence of a total 40 bacterial and archaeal phyla, with high relative abundance of Actinobacteria on the surface and highest abundance of Proteobacteria throughout the system. Community diversity patterns were inferred to be dependent on depth profile and average water content in the system. Predicted functional gene analysis suggested mixotrophy lifestyles with both autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolisms, likelihood of a unique salt tolerant methanogenic pathway with links to novel Euryarchea, signatures of an incomplete nitrogen cycle, and predicted enzymes of extracellular iron (II) to iron (III) conversion followed by intracellular uptake, transport and regulation. Null modeling revealed microbial community assembly was predominantly governed by variable selection, but the influence of the variable selection did not show systematic spatial structure. The presence of significant heterogeneity in predicted functions and ecologically deterministic shifts in community composition in a homogeneous incipient basalt highlights the complexity exhibited by microorganisms even in the simplest of environmental systems. This presents an opportunity to further develop our understanding of how microbial communities establish, evolve, impact, and respond in sub-surface environments.

Metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents with phenylketonuria

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Viviane C. Kanufre

2015-02-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify markers of metabolic syndrome (MS in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study consisting of 58 PKU patients (ages of 4-15 years: 29 patients with excess weight, and 29 with normal weight. The biochemical variables assessed were phenylalanine (phe, total cholesterol, HDL-c, triglycerides, glucose, and basal insulin. The patients had Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA and waist circumference assessed. RESULTS: No inter-group difference was found for phe. Overweight patients had higher levels of triglycerides, basal insulin, and HOMA, but lower concentrations of HDL-cholesterol, when compared to the eutrophic patients. Total cholesterol/HDL-c was significantly higher in the overweight group. A positive correlation between basal insulin level and HOMA with waist circumference was found only in the overweight group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that patients with PKU and excess weight are potentially vulnerable to the development of metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct clinical and laboratory monitoring, aiming to prevent metabolic changes, as well as excessive weight gain and its consequences, particularly cardiovascular risk.

Metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents with phenylketonuria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanufre, Viviane C; Soares, Rosângelis D L; Alves, Michelle Rosa A; Aguiar, Marcos J B; Starling, Ana Lúcia P; Norton, Rocksane C

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify markers of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU). This was a cross-sectional study consisting of 58 PKU patients (ages of 4-15 years): 29 patients with excess weight, and 29 with normal weight. The biochemical variables assessed were phenylalanine (phe), total cholesterol, HDL-c, triglycerides, glucose, and basal insulin. The patients had Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) and waist circumference assessed. No inter-group difference was found for phe. Overweight patients had higher levels of triglycerides, basal insulin, and HOMA, but lower concentrations of HDL-cholesterol, when compared to the eutrophic patients. Total cholesterol/HDL-c was significantly higher in the overweight group. A positive correlation between basal insulin level and HOMA with waist circumference was found only in the overweight group. The results of this study suggest that patients with PKU and excess weight are potentially vulnerable to the development of metabolic syndrome. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct clinical and laboratory monitoring, aiming to prevent metabolic changes, as well as excessive weight gain and its consequences, particularly cardiovascular risk. Copyright © 2014 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Total knee arthroplasty in ochronosis

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Vaibhav G. Patel, MBBS

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Alkaptonuria is disorder of tyrosine metabolism due to deficiency of homogentisic oxidase characterized by excretion of homogentisic acid in urine, deposition of oxidized homogensitate pigments in connective tissues and articular cartilages (ochronosis. The result is dark pigmentation and weakening of the tissues resulting in chronic inflammation and osteoarthritis. Management of alkaptonuric ochronic osteoarthritis is usually symptomatic and replacements have comparable outcomes to osteoarthritis in patients without ochronosis. I report a case of a patient with ochronosis of knee treated with total knee replacement and report operative pearls for surgery in this rare disorder.

HOMA1-IR and HOMA2-IR indexes in identifying insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome - Brazilian Metabolic Syndrome Study (BRAMS)

OpenAIRE

Geloneze, B; Vasques, ACJ; Stabe, CFC; Pareja, JC; Rosado, LEFPD; de Queiroz, EC; Tambascia, MA

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate cut-off values for HOMA1-IR and HOMA2-IR to identify insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MS), and to assess the association of the indexes with components of the MS. Methods: Nondiabetic subjects from the Brazilian Metabolic Syndrome Study were studied (n = 1,203, 18 to 78 years). The cut-off values for IR were determined from the 9011 percentile in the healthy group (n = 297) and, for MS, a ROC curve was generated for the total sample. Results: In the he...

Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome Without Diabetes or Cardiovascular Disease: Usefulness of Metabolic Syndrome Severity Score.

Science.gov (United States)

Masson, Walter; Epstein, Teo; Huerín, Melina; Lobo, Lorenzo Martín; Molinero, Graciela; Angel, Adriana; Masson, Gerardo; Millán, Diana; De Francesca, Salvador; Vitagliano, Laura; Cafferata, Alberto; Losada, Pablo

2017-09-01

The estimated cardiovascular risk determined by the different risk scores, could be heterogeneous in patients with metabolic syndrome without diabetes or vascular disease. This risk stratification could be improved by detecting subclinical carotid atheromatosis. To estimate the cardiovascular risk measured by different scores in patients with metabolic syndrome and analyze its association with the presence of carotid plaque. Non-diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome (Adult Treatment Panel III definition) without cardiovascular disease were enrolled. The Framingham score, the Reynolds score, the new score proposed by the 2013 ACC/AHA Guidelines and the Metabolic Syndrome Severity Calculator were calculated. Prevalence of carotid plaque was determined by ultrasound examination. A Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis was performed. A total of 238 patients were enrolled. Most patients were stratified as "low risk" by Framingham score (64%) and Reynolds score (70.1%). Using the 2013 ACC/AHA score, 45.3% of the population had a risk ≥7.5%. A significant correlation was found between classic scores but the agreement (concordance) was moderate. The correlation between classical scores and the Metabolic Syndrome Severity Calculator was poor. Overall, the prevalence of carotid plaque was 28.2%. The continuous metabolic syndrome score used in our study showed a good predictive power to detect carotid plaque (area under the curve 0.752). In this population, the calculated cardiovascular risk was heterogenic. The prevalence of carotid plaque was high. The Metabolic Syndrome Severity Calculator showed a good predictive power to detect carotid plaque.

The metabolism of the Antartic crytoendolithic microbiota

Science.gov (United States)

Vestal, J. Robie

1989-01-01

The carbon metabolism of the cryptoendolithic microbiota in sandstones from the Ross Desert region of Antarctica was studied in situ and in vitro. Organic and inorganic compounds were metabolized by the microbiota, with bicarbonate being metabolized maximally in the light. There was a linear response of photosynthesis to light up to 200 to 300 micromole photons/sq m/s. The community photosynthetic response to temperature was a minimum at -5 C, two optima at +5 and +15 C and a maximum at +35 C. Photosynthetic metabolism occurred maximally in the presence of liquid water, but could occur in an environment of water vapor. Biomass of the cryptoendolithic microbiota was measured as the amount of lipid phosphate present. The in situ biomass ranged from 1.92 to 3.26 g carbon/sq m of rock and 2 orders of magnitude less than epilithic lichen microbiota from Antarctica in a location 7 degrees more north in latitude. With these data, it was possible to calculate primary production and carbon turnover in this simple microbiota. Production values ranged from 0.108 to 4.41 mg carbon/sq m/yr, while carbon turnover values ranged from 576 to 23,520 years. These values are the lowest and longest yet recorded for any ecosystem on Earth. If life did evolve on Mars to the level of prokaryotes or primitive eukaryotes, the possibility that the organisms retreated, to the protection of the inside of the rock so that metabolism could continue during planetary cooling, cannot be overlooked.

Overview of a surface-ripened cheese community functioning by meta-omics analyses.

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Eric Dugat-Bony

Full Text Available Cheese ripening is a complex biochemical process driven by microbial communities composed of both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Surface-ripened cheeses are widely consumed all over the world and are appreciated for their characteristic flavor. Microbial community composition has been studied for a long time on surface-ripened cheeses, but only limited knowledge has been acquired about its in situ metabolic activities. We applied metagenomic, metatranscriptomic and biochemical analyses to an experimental surface-ripened cheese composed of nine microbial species during four weeks of ripening. By combining all of the data, we were able to obtain an overview of the cheese maturation process and to better understand the metabolic activities of the different community members and their possible interactions. Furthermore, differential expression analysis was used to select a set of biomarker genes, providing a valuable tool that can be used to monitor the cheese-making process.

Obesogenic diets alter metabolism in mice.

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Megan R Showalter

Full Text Available Obesity and accompanying metabolic disease is negatively correlated with lung health yet the exact mechanisms by which obesity affects the lung are not well characterized. Since obesity is associated with lung diseases as chronic bronchitis and asthma, we designed a series of experiments to measure changes in lung metabolism in mice fed obesogenic diets. Mice were fed either control or high fat/sugar diet (45%kcal fat/17%kcal sucrose, or very high fat diet (60%kcal fat/7% sucrose for 150 days. We performed untargeted metabolomics by GC-TOFMS and HILIC-QTOFMS and lipidomics by RPLC-QTOFMS to reveal global changes in lung metabolism resulting from obesity and diet composition. From a total of 447 detected metabolites, we found 91 metabolite and lipid species significantly altered in mouse lung tissues upon dietary treatments. Significantly altered metabolites included complex lipids, free fatty acids, energy metabolites, amino acids and adenosine and NAD pathway members. While some metabolites were altered in both obese groups compared to control, others were different between obesogenic diet groups. Furthermore, a comparison of changes between lung, kidney and liver tissues indicated few metabolic changes were shared across organs, suggesting the lung is an independent metabolic organ. These results indicate obesity and diet composition have direct mechanistic effects on composition of the lung metabolome, which may contribute to disease progression by lung-specific pathways.

Obesogenic diets alter metabolism in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Showalter, Megan R; Nonnecke, Eric B; Linderholm, A L; Cajka, Tomas; Sa, Michael R; Lönnerdal, Bo; Kenyon, Nicholas J; Fiehn, Oliver

2018-01-01

Obesity and accompanying metabolic disease is negatively correlated with lung health yet the exact mechanisms by which obesity affects the lung are not well characterized. Since obesity is associated with lung diseases as chronic bronchitis and asthma, we designed a series of experiments to measure changes in lung metabolism in mice fed obesogenic diets. Mice were fed either control or high fat/sugar diet (45%kcal fat/17%kcal sucrose), or very high fat diet (60%kcal fat/7% sucrose) for 150 days. We performed untargeted metabolomics by GC-TOFMS and HILIC-QTOFMS and lipidomics by RPLC-QTOFMS to reveal global changes in lung metabolism resulting from obesity and diet composition. From a total of 447 detected metabolites, we found 91 metabolite and lipid species significantly altered in mouse lung tissues upon dietary treatments. Significantly altered metabolites included complex lipids, free fatty acids, energy metabolites, amino acids and adenosine and NAD pathway members. While some metabolites were altered in both obese groups compared to control, others were different between obesogenic diet groups. Furthermore, a comparison of changes between lung, kidney and liver tissues indicated few metabolic changes were shared across organs, suggesting the lung is an independent metabolic organ. These results indicate obesity and diet composition have direct mechanistic effects on composition of the lung metabolome, which may contribute to disease progression by lung-specific pathways.

Ammonia oxidizing bacteria community dynamics in a pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant.

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Xiaohui Wang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Chemoautotrophic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB have the metabolic ability to oxidize ammonia to nitrite aerobically. This metabolic feature has been widely used, in combination with denitrification, to remove nitrogen from wastewater in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs. However, the relative influence of specific deterministic environmental factors to AOB community dynamics in WWTP is uncertain. The ecological principles underlying AOB community dynamics and nitrification stability and how they are related are also poorly understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The community dynamics of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB in a pilot-scale WWTP were monitored over a one-year period by Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP. During the study period, the effluent ammonia concentrations were almost below 2 mg/L, except for the first 60 days, indicting stable nitrification. T-RFLP results showed that, during the test period with stable nitrification, the AOB community structures were not stable, and the average change rate (every 15 days of AOB community structures was 10% ± 8%. The correlations between T-RFLP profiles and 10 operational and environmental parameters were tested by Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA and Mantel test. The results indicated that the dynamics of AOB community correlated most strongly with Dissolved Oxygen (DO, effluent ammonia, effluent Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD and temperature. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study suggests that nitrification stability is not necessarily accompanied by a stable AOB community, and provides insight into parameters controlling the AOB community dynamics within bioreactors with stable nitrification.

Family-based risk reduction of obesity and metabolic syndrome: an overview and outcomes of the Idaho Partnership for Hispanic Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Rachel; Powell, Linda; Keifer, Matthew

2013-01-01

Mexican American women have the highest incidence of metabolic syndrome among all U.S. demographic groups. This paper details an innovative approach to reducing the risks for metabolic syndrome among Hispanic families in rural Idaho. Compañeros en Salud (CeS) is a promotora-led wellness program and community-based participatory research project from the Idaho Partnership for Hispanic Health. As behavior change is the first line of prevention and treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome, the program aimed to improve nutrition and physical activity behaviors as well as increase community support and infrastructure for healthy living. CeS has demonstrated substantial improvement in health outcomes, with statistically significant reductions in weight, BMI, metabolic syndrome risk, A1c, glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol, from pre-intervention to post-intervention and/or pre-intervention to one-year follow-up. These outcomes suggest the CeS model as a promising best practice for effecting individual and family-level physiologic and behavioral outcomes for obesity prevention.

Prediction of cardiovascular and total mortality in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients by the WHO definition for the metabolic syndrome.

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Ko, G T-C; So, W-Y; Chan, N N; Chan, W-B; Tong, P C-Y; Li, J; Yeung, V; Chow, C-C; Ozaki, R; Ma, R C-W; Cockram, C S; Chan, J C-N

2006-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MES) in type 2 diabetic patients and the predictive values of the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Cholesterol Education Programme (NCEP) definitions and the individual components of the MES on total and cardiovascular mortality. A prospective analysis of a consecutive cohort of 5202 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients recruited between July 1994 and April 2001. The prevalence of the MES was 49.2-58.1% depending on the use of various criteria. There were 189 deaths (men: 100 and women: 89) in these 5205 patients during a median (interquartile range) follow-up period of 2.1 (0.3-3.6 years). Of these, 164 (87%) were classified as cardiovascular deaths. Using the NCEP criterion, patients with MES had a death rate similar to those without (3.51 vs. 3.85%). By contrast, based on the WHO criteria, patients with MES had a higher mortality rate than those without (4.3 vs. 2.4%, p = 0.002). Compared to patients with neither NCEP- nor WHO-defined MES, only the group with MES defined by the WHO, but not NCEP, criterion had significantly higher mortality rate (2.6 vs. 6.8%, p hypertension, low BMI and albuminuria were the key predictors for these adverse events. In Chinese type 2 diabetic patients, the WHO criterion has a better discriminative power over the NCEP criterion for predicting death. Among the various components of the MES defined either by WHO or NCEP, hypertension, albuminuria and low BMI were the main predictors of cardiovascular and total mortality.

Metabolic Risk Profile and Cancer in Korean Men and Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Seulki; Yoon, Seok-Jun; Kim, Dongwoo; Kim, A-Rim; Kim, Eun-Jung; Seo, Hye-Young

2016-05-01

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Associations between metabolic syndrome and several types of cancer have recently been documented. We analyzed the sample cohort data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2002, with a follow-up period extending to 2013. The cohort data included 99 565 individuals who participated in the health examination program and whose data were therefore present in the cohort database. The metabolic risk profile of each participant was assessed based on obesity, high serum glucose and total cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. The occurrence of cancer was identified using Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age group, smoking status, alcohol intake, and regular exercise. A total of 5937 cases of cancer occurred during a mean follow-up period of 10.4 years. In men with a high-risk metabolic profile, the risk of colon cancer was elevated (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.71). In women, a high-risk metabolic profile was associated with a significantly increased risk of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.24 to 3.42). Non-significantly increased risks were observed in men for pharynx, larynx, rectum, and kidney cancer, and in women for colon, liver, breast, and ovarian cancer. The findings of this study support the previously suggested association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of several cancers. A high-risk metabolic profile may be an important risk factor for colon cancer in Korean men and gallbladder and biliary tract cancer in Korean women.

Risk factor assessment and counselling for 12 months reduces metabolic and cardiovascular risk in overweight or obese patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: The CRESSOB study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez-Rojas, Luis; Pulido, Susana; Azanza, Jose R; Bernardo, Miguel; Rojo, Luis; Mesa, Francisco J; Martínez-Ortega, Jose M

2016-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MS) and cardiovascular risk factors (CRF) have been associated with patients with schizophrenia. The main objective is to assess the evolution of CRF and prevalence of MS for 12 months in a cohort of overweight patients diagnosed with schizophrenia schizophreniform disorder or schizoaffective disorder in which the recommendations for the assessment and control of metabolic and cardiovascular risk were applied. The Control of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Schizophrenia and Overweight (CRESSOB) study is a 12-month, observational, prospective, open-label, multicentre, naturalistic study including 109 community mental health clinics of Spain. The study included a total of 403 patients, of whom we could collect all variables related to CRF and MS in 366 patients. Of these 366 patients, 286 completed the follow-up, (baseline, months 3, 6 and 12) where they underwent a complete physical examination and a blood test (glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides), they were asked about their health-related habits (smoking, diet and exercise) and they were given a series of recommendations to prevent cardiovascular risk and MS. A total of 403 patients were included, 63% men, mean age (mean; (SD)) 40.5 (10.5) years. After 12 months, the study showed statistically significant decrease in weight (prisk of heart disease at 10 years (p=0.0353). Overweight patients with schizophrenia who receive appropriate medical care, including CRF monitoring and control of health-related habits experience improvements with regard to most CRFs.

Plant metabolic modeling: achieving new insight into metabolism and metabolic engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Baghalian, Kambiz; Hajirezaei, Mohammad-Reza; Schreiber, Falk

2014-10-01

Models are used to represent aspects of the real world for specific purposes, and mathematical models have opened up new approaches in studying the behavior and complexity of biological systems. However, modeling is often time-consuming and requires significant computational resources for data development, data analysis, and simulation. Computational modeling has been successfully applied as an aid for metabolic engineering in microorganisms. But such model-based approaches have only recently been extended to plant metabolic engineering, mainly due to greater pathway complexity in plants and their highly compartmentalized cellular structure. Recent progress in plant systems biology and bioinformatics has begun to disentangle this complexity and facilitate the creation of efficient plant metabolic models. This review highlights several aspects of plant metabolic modeling in the context of understanding, predicting and modifying complex plant metabolism. We discuss opportunities for engineering photosynthetic carbon metabolism, sucrose synthesis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle in leaves and oil synthesis in seeds and the application of metabolic modeling to the study of plant acclimation to the environment. The aim of the review is to offer a current perspective for plant biologists without requiring specialized knowledge of bioinformatics or systems biology. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Metabolism of [14C]Cefmenoxime in normal subjects after intramuscular administration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machinist, J.M.; Bopp, B.A.; Quinn, D.

1984-01-01

The metabolism of cefmenoxime (SCE-1365) was studied in four healthy male volunteers after intramuscular administration of a single 500-mg dose of the 14C-labeled drug. Plasma levels of total radioactivity and cefmenoxime peaked at 0.5 and 1.0 h, corresponding to 16.5 micrograms eq/ml and 15.8 micrograms/ml, respectively. Thereafter, parent drug levels declined rapidly, with a terminal elimination half-life of ca. 1.5 h. No significant differences were noted between total radioactivity and parent drug levels up to 2 h after drug administration. After 3 h, low but persistent levels of radioactivity were significantly greater than parent drug levels, indicating metabolism or degradation of cefmenoxime. The terminal elimination half-life of total radioactivity was estimated to be ca. 40 h. The radioactive plasma metabolite(s) remaining at the end of the 5-day study represented only 1% of the administered dose. Urinary excretion was the major route of elimination of cefmenoxime, accounting for ca. 86% of the dose in 12 h. Analysis of cefmenoxime in urine by total radioactivity, high-pressure liquid chromatography, and a microbiological assay showed that 80 to 92% of the excreted dose was parent drug. Radioactivity was also excreted into the feces via the bile and represented ca. 11% of the dose after 5 days. Although extensive degradation of cefmenoxime was found in fecal samples, it was proposed that this may be due to the metabolic activity of the intestinal flora rather than in vivo biotransformation in the liver. This study supports the concept that cefmenoxime undergoes minimal metabolism in humans and is excreted largely as unchanged drug

Effects of a diet rich in arabinoxylan and resistant starch compared with a diet rich in refined carbohydrates on postprandial metabolism and features of the metabolic syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Schioldan, Anne Grethe; Gregersen, Søren; Hald, Stine; Bjørnshave, Ann; Bohl, Mette; Hartmann, Bolette; Holst, Jens Juul; Stødkilde-Jørgensen, Hans; Hermansen, Kjeld

2018-03-01

Low intake of dietary fibre is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. Dyslipidaemia plays a key role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Knowledge of the impact of dietary fibres on postprandial lipaemia is, however, sparse. This study aimed in subjects with metabolic syndrome to assess the impact on postprandial lipaemia and features of the metabolic syndrome of a healthy carbohydrate diet (HCD) rich in cereal fibre, arabinoxylan and resistant starch compared to a refined-carbohydrate western-style diet (WSD). Nineteen subjects completed the randomised, crossover study with HCD and WCD for 4-week. Postprandial metabolism was evaluated by a meal-challenge test and insulin sensitivity was assessed by HOMA-IR and Matsuda index. Furthermore, fasting cholesterols, serum-fructosamine, circulating inflammatory markers, ambulatory blood pressure and intrahepatic lipid content were measured. We found no diet effects on postprandial lipaemia. However, there was a significant diet × statin interaction on total cholesterol (P = 0.02) and LDL cholesterol (P = 0.002). HCD decreased total cholesterol (-0.72 mmol/l, 95% CI (-1.29; -0.14) P = 0.03) and LDL cholesterol (-0.61 mmol/l, 95% CI (-0.86; -0.36) P = 0.002) compared with WSD in subjects on but not without statin treatment. We detected no other significant diet effects. In subjects with metabolic syndrome on statins a 4-week diet rich in arabinoxylan and resistant starch improved fasting LDL and total cholesterol compared to subjects not being on statins. However, we observed no diet related impact on postprandial lipaemia or features of the metabolic syndrome. The dietary fibre x statin interaction deserves further elucidation.

Geochip-based analysis of microbial communities in alpine meadow soils in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuguang; Lu, Zhenmei; Liu, Shanshan; Yang, Yunfeng; He, Zhili; Ren, Zuohua; Zhou, Jizhong; Li, Diqiang

2013-03-29

GeoChip 3.0, a microbial functional gene array, containing ~28,000 oligonucleotide probes and targeting ~57,000 sequences from 292 functional gene families, provided a powerful tool for researching microbial community structure in natural environments. The alpine meadow is a dominant plant community in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, hence it is important to profile the unique geographical flora and assess the response of the microbial communities to environmental variables. In this study, Geochip 3.0 was employed to understand the microbial functional gene diversity and structure, and metabolic potential and the major environmental factors in shaping microbial communities structure of alpine meadow soil in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A total of 6143 microbial functional genes involved in carbon degradation, carbon fixation, methane oxidation and production, nitrogen cycling, phosphorus utilization, sulphur cycling, organic remediation, metal resistance, energy process and other category were detected in six soil samples and high diversity was observed. Interestingly, most of the detected genes associated with carbon degradation were derived from cultivated organisms. To identify major environmental factors in shaping microbial communities, Mantel test and CCA Statistical analyses were performed. The results indicated that altitude, C/N, pH and soil organic carbon were significantly (P the microbial functional structure and a total of 80.97% of the variation was significantly explained by altitude, C/N and pH. The C/N contributed 38.2% to microbial functional gene variation, which is in accordance with the hierarchical clustering of overall microbial functional genes. High overall functional genes and phylogenetic diversity of the alpine meadow soil microbial communities existed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Most of the genes involved in carbon degradation were derived from characterized microbial groups. Microbial composition and structures variation were

Effect of hemoglobin and immunization status on energy metabolism of weanling pigs.