Research note: Yeast flora of Haitian rum distilleries

Summary In Haïtian rum distilleries, few modifications have been carried out on the working conditions for some time.Schizosaccharomyces is the main yeast genus which exists in such distilleries. In the distilleries of the French West-Indies, there is a predominance ofSaccharomyces yeasts.Schizosaccharomyces strains allow the production of a light rum which is in great demand.

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Resumen En las destilerias de ron de Haiti los métodos de producción se han mantenido practicamente invariables desde hace tiempo. El género de levaduras más abundante en dichas destilerias esSchizosaccharomyces. En las destilerias de la Guayana francesa las levaduras predominantes son del géneroSaccharomyces. Las cepasde Schizosaccharomyces son las que permiten la producción de ron claro para el que existe una gran demanda.

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Résumé Il y a déjà un certain temps que l'on n'effectue que peu de modifications aux conditions de travail dans les distilleries Haïtiennes de rhum.Schizosaccharomyces est le genre principal de levure qui existe dans ces distilleries. Dans les distilleries des Antilles françaises, il y a prédominance des levuresSaccharomyces. Les souches deSchizosaccharomyces permettent la production de rhum de variété light qui est fort demandé.

     

Distribution spatio-temporelle de la faune de phlébotomes en zones urbaine et périurbaine de Bamako,Mali

Au Mali la leishmaniose cutanée (LC) est bien décrite en milieu rural, mais sa transmission n’est pas encore établie en milieu urbain. L’objectif de l’étude était de décrire la faune phlébotomienne à Bamako et dans ses environs. Les pièges CDC et adhésifs servaient à collecter les phlébotomes en 2011 et 2012 à Bamako. Les pièges étaient placés dans le district de Bamako répartis en 30 zones (200 m × 200 m) à l’aide des images de satellite SPOT-5. La délimitation des zones était basée sur les facteurs écologiques (relief, hydrographie, couverture végétale) et anthropologiques (nature des maisons, dépôts d’ordure). Les pièges étaient placés en 2011 à Sotuba, zone périurbaine, puis à Donéguébougou et Banambani, deux villages environnants de Bamako. Au total 122 phlébotomes étaient collectés 27 (22,13 %) à Banambani, 12 (9,83 %) à Donéguébougou, 2 (1,63 %) à Sotuba et 81 (66,39 %) à Bamako. La densité des phlébotomes en novembre était plus élevée, avec 48 spécimens capturés (39,3 %), que celle d’avril, mai et décembre (p ≥ 0,001). A Bamako, les zones 6 et 28 étaient associées aux densités les plus élevées de phlébotomes respectivement 32 (26,22 %) et 23 (18,85 %) (p ≤ 0,005). Les résultats suggèrent que le genre Phlebotomus n’était pas présent à Bamako, et que la densité des vecteurs variait en fonction des zones et des mois.     

NMR investigations of protein-carbohydrate interactions: refined three- dimensional structure of the complex between hevein and methyl beta- chitobioside

The specific interaction of hevein with GlcNAc-containing oligosaccharides has been analyzed by1H-NMR spectroscopy. The association constants for the binding of hevein to a variety of ligands have been estimated from1H-NMR titration experiments. The association constants increase in the order GlcNAc-alpha(1-->6)-Man < GlcNAc < benzyl-beta-GlcNAc < p-nitrophenyl-beta-GlcNAc < chitobiose < p- nitrophenyl-beta-chitobioside < methyl-beta-chitobioside < chitotriose. Entropy and enthalpy of binding for different complexes have been obtained from van't Hoff analysis. The driving force for the binding process is provided by a negative DeltaH0which is partially compensated by negative DeltaS0. These negative signs indicate that hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces are the major interactions stabilizing the complex. NOESY NMR experiments in water solution provided 475 accurate protein proton-proton distance constraints after employing the MARDIGRAS program. In addition, 15 unambiguous protein/carbohydrate NOEs were detected. All the experimental constraints were used in a refinement protocol including restrained molecular dynamics in order to determine the highly refined solution conformation of this protein- carbohydrate complex. With regard to the NMR structure of the free protein, no important changes in the protein nOe's were observed, indicating that carbohydrate-induced conformational changes are small. The average backbone rmsd of the 20 refined structures was 0.055 nm, while the heavy atom rmsd was 0.116 nm. It can be deduced that both hydrogen bonds and van der Waals contacts confer stability to the complex. A comparison of the three-dimensional structure of hevein in solution to those reported for wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and hevein itself in the solid state has also been performed. The polypeptide conformation has also been compared to the NMR-derived structure of a smaller antifungical peptide, Ac-AMP2.      

Diversity among bacteria isolated from the deep subsurface

Culturable bacteria from the deep subsurface (179 m) at Cerro Negro, New Mexico were isolated and characterized. The average number of viable aerobic bacteria was estimated to be 5×10⁵g^–1 of sediment, but only about 0.1% of these could be recovered on agar medium when incubated under aerobic conditions. Of 158 strains isolated from this depth, 92 were characterized by cellular fatty acid profiles (FAME), 36 by analysis of partial 16S rDNA sequences, and 44 by rep-PCR genome fingerprint analysis using three different sets of oligonucleotide primers (REP, BOX, or ERIC). These analyses showed the majority of isolates (67%) were Gram-positive bacteria and primarily members of genera with a high %G+C DNA. The remaining isolates were -subdivisionProteobacteria (19%) and members of the flavobacteria group (14%). The diversity indices based on these different methods of characterization were very high suggesting this subsurface habitat harbors a highly diverse microbial community.     

Phylogenetic reconstruction of the Drosophila obscura group, on the basis of mitochondrial DNA

We have constructed restriction-site maps of the mtDNAs in 13 species and one subspecies of the Drosophila obscura group. The traditional division of this group into two subgroups (affinis and obscura) does not correspond to the phylogeny of the group, which shows two well- defined clusters (the Nearctic affinis and pseudoobscura subgroups) plus a very heterogeneous set of anciently diverged species (the Palearctic obscura subgroup). The mtDNA of Drosophila exhibits a tendency to evolve toward high A+T values. This leads to a "saturation" effect that (1) begets an apparent decrease in the rate of evolution as the time since the divergence of taxa increases and (2) reduces the value that mtDNA restriction analysis has for the phylogenetic reconstruction of Drosophila species that are not closely related.      

Interaction of alleles of therelA, relC andspoT genes inEscherichia coli: Analysis of the interconversion of GTP, ppGpp and pppGpp

Summary Mutants in thespoT gene have been isolated as stringent second site revertants of therelC mutation. These show varying degrees of the characteristics associated with thespoT1 gene,viz relative amount and absolute levels of both pppGpp and ppGpp and the decay rate of the latter. The entry of³H-guanosine into GTP and ppGpp pools inspoT ⁺ andspoT1 cells either growing exponentially or during amino acid starvation was determined, and the rate of ppGpp synthesis and its decay constant calculated. During exponential growth the ppGpp pool is 2-fold higher, its decay constant 10-fold lower, and its synthesis rate 5-fold lower inspoT ^- than inspoT ⁺ cells; during amino acid starvation the ppGpp pool is 2-fold higher, its decay constant 20-fold lower, and its synthesis rate 10-fold lower inspoT than inspoT ⁺ cells. In one of the “intermediate”spoT mutants the rate of entry of³H-guanosine into GTP, ppGpp and pppGpp was measured during amino acid starvation. The data form the basis of a model for the interconversion of the guanosine nucleotides in which the flow is:GDP→GTP→pppGpp→ppGpp→Y. Calculations of the rates of synthesis and conversion of pppGpp and ppGpp under various conditions in variousspoT ⁺ andspoT ^- strains indicate that the ppGpp concentration indirectly controls the rate of pppGpp synthesis. ThespoT1 allele was introduced into various relaxed mutants. It was shown that many phenomena associated with the relaxed response ofrelC and “intermediate”relA mutants were phenotypically suppressed when thespoT1 allele was introduced into these mutants. These double mutants exhibit ppGpp accumulation, rate of RNA accumulation, rate of β-galactosidase synthesis, and heat lability of β-galactosidase synthesized during amino acid starvation similar to the stringent wild-type. It is concluded that the relaxed response is due directly to the lack of ppGpp and that the stringest response is due directly to ppGpp.     

Intracellular calcium buffering capacity in isolated squid axons

Changes in ionized calcium were studied in axons isolated from living squid by measuring absorbance of the Ca binding dye Arsenazo III using multiwavelength differential absorption spectroscopy. Absorption changes measured in situ were calibrated in vitro with media of ionic composition similar to axoplasm containing CaEGTA buffers. Calcium loads of 50-2,500 μmol/kg axoplasm were induced by microinjection, by stimulation in 112 mM Ca seawater, or by soaking in choline saline with 1-10 mM Ca. Over this range of calcium loading of intact axoplasm, the ionized calcium in the axoplasm rose about 0.6 nM/μM load. Similar loading in axons preteated with carbonyl cyanide 4- trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone (FCCP) to inhibit the mitochondrial proton gradient increased ionized calcium by 5-7 percent of the imposed load, i.e. 93-95 percent of the calcium load was buffered by a process insensitive to FCCP. This FCCP- insensitive buffer system was not saturated by the largest calcium loads imposed, indicating a capacity of at least several millimolar. Treatment of previously loaded axons with FCCP or apyrase plus cyanide produced rises in ionized calcium which could be correlated with the extent of the load. Analysis of results indicated that, whereas only 6 percent of the endogenous calcium in fresh axons is stored in the FCCP-sensitive (presumably mitochondrial) buffer system, about 30 percent of an imposed exogenous load in the range of 50-2,500 μM is taken up by this system.     

Amputation du gland lors de la circoncision: A propos de 19 cas

Purpose

To assess the clinical features and describe treatment difficulties associated with glandular amputation during circumcision in our daily urological practice in Senegal and to warn about the risks of this procedure, which remain underestimated in this country.

Patients and Methods

The authors report a retrospective series of 19 patients who suffered glandular amputation during circumcision and who were admitted to their urology unit. The medical charts of patients hospitalised during this period were studied.

Results

The mean age of these patients was 7.6 years. 84.2% of patients presented with complete glandular amputation. The mean time to consultation was 17.6 months generally in a context of urinary tract complications. Surgical treatment consisted of meatoplasty in 68.4% of cases. Four cases were treated by glandular reimplantation which unfortunately failed.

Conclusion

The severity of this complication and the difficulties of management in our regions must encourage prevention.     

Delayed Initiation but Not Gradual Advancement of Enteral Formula Feeding Reduces the Incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) in Preterm Pigs

Enteral formula feeding is a risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants, yet studies are conflicting regarding the safest timing for introduction and advancement of feeds. Our aim was to test the effects of early vs. late initiation and abrupt vs. gradual advancement of enteral feeding of an intact vs. hydrolyzed protein formula on NEC incidence and severity in preterm pigs. In Experiment 1, preterm pigs received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) at birth with abrupt initiation of enteral formula feeds (50% full intake) on d of life (DOL) 2 (EA) or 5 (LA) while PN continued. Pigs were also fed formula containing either intact or hydrolyzed protein. In Experiment 2, preterm pigs received TPN at birth with enteral, hydrolyzed-protein formula feeds introduced on DOL 2 either abruptly (EA; 50% full feeds) or gradually (EG; 10–50% full feeds over 5 d) while PN continued. NEC incidence and severity were assessed based on macroscopic and histological scoring. In Experiment 1, NEC incidence (41% vs. 70%, P<0.05) and severity were reduced in LA vs. EA groups and LA was associated with a higher survival rate, daily weight gain and jejunum villus height. Piglets fed hydrolyzed vs. intact protein formula had lower stomach content weights and similar NEC incidence. In Experiment 2, NEC incidence and severity were not different between pigs the EG vs. EA group. Proinflammatory gene expression (IL-1β, IL-6 and S100A9) in the ileum was lower in both LA and EG vs. EA groups. In conclusion, delayed initiation but not gradual advancement of enteral feeding is protective against NEC in preterm pigs. Feeding hydrolyzed vs. intact protein formula improved gastric transit without affecting the NEC incidence.