Bdellovibrio and the intestinal flora of vertebrates.

Bdellovibrio strain MS7 force-fed to fish and frogs via an intragastric tube did not become an integral component of the intestinal microflora. Strain MS7 fed to mice in drinking water was not recovered from the intestinal tract of mice. However, in vitro, the organism multiplied in intestinal contents of frogs and mice. Bdellovibrio inoculated into rabbit ileal loops was greatly reduced in number within 24 h. It was concluded that strains MS7 could be considered nonpathogenic to animals, at least when introduced into the digestive tract, and that it is not feasible at the present time to lyse pathogenic, gram-negative bacteria in the alimentary tract with Bdellovibrio.     

Bdellovibrio and the intestinal flora of vertebrates.

Bdellovibrio strain MS7 force-fed to fish and frogs via an intragastric tube did not become an integral component of the intestinal microflora. Strain MS7 fed to mice in drinking water was not recovered from the intestinal tract of mice. However, in vitro, the organism multiplied in intestinal contents of frogs and mice. Bdellovibrio inoculated into rabbit ileal loops was greatly reduced in number within 24 h. It was concluded that strains MS7 could be considered nonpathogenic to animals, at least when introduced into the digestive tract, and that it is not feasible at the present time to lyse pathogenic, gram-negative bacteria in the alimentary tract with Bdellovibrio.     

Microbial flora on doctors' white coats.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the level and type of microbial contamination present on the white coats of doctors in order to assess the risk of transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms by this route in a hospital setting. DESIGN--Cross sectional survey of the bacterial contamination of white coats in a general hospital. SETTING--East Birmingham Hospital, an urban general hospital with 800 beds. SUBJECTS--100 doctors of different grades and specialties. RESULTS--The cuffs and pockets of the coats were the most highly contaminated areas. The level of bacterial contamination did not vary with the length of time a coat had been in use, but it increased with the degree of usage by the individual doctor. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from a quarter of the coats examined, more commonly from those belonging to doctors in surgical specialties than medical specialties. Pathogenic Gram negative bacilli and other pathogenic bacteria were not isolated. CONCLUSIONS--White coats are a potential source of cross infection, especially in surgical areas. Scrupulous hand washing should be observed before and after attending patients and it may be advisable to remove the white coat and put on a plastic apron before examining wounds. There is little microbiological reason for recommending a more frequent change of white coat than once a week, nor for excluding the wearing of white coats in non-clinical areas.     

Effect of high-fiber and high-oil diets on the fecal flora of swine.

Six pairs of pigs were fed a basal diet, a high-fiber diet, and a diet high in corn oil in different sequences to minimize the carry-over effect of diet. After 2 months on each diet, a fecal specimen from each pig was cultured on nonselective medium in roll tubes. Fifty colonies were randomly selected from each fecal sample, and isolates were characterized to identify a representative cross section of the fecal flora. The bacterial composition of the fecal flora differed between basal and high-fiber diets (P = 0.002) and between high-fiber and high-oil diets (P = 0.015). However, the floras were not significantly different between the basal and the high-oil diets (P = 0.135), nor were the floras of the 12 individual pigs (each on all three diets) statistically different (P = 0.103). Only 14 of the 160 observed taxa have been detected in the human fecal flora, and only 159 of 1,871 total isolates (8.5%) were members of described species. The most common isolate was a Streptococcus species similar to that reported by Robinson et al. (I. M. Robinson, S. C. Whipp, J. A. Bucklin, and M. J. Allison, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 48:964-969, 1984), which was found in 34 of 36 samples and which represented 27.5% of all isolates. Lactobacillus, Fusobacterium, Eubacterium, Bacteroides, and Peptostreptococcus species were the next most common bacteria. Escherichia coli represented 1.7% of all fecal isolates, which is somewhat higher than the 0.1 to 0.6% observed in human feces cultured similarly with prereduced anaerobically sterilized media.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Notes on the Scottish flora

Background: Abernethy Forest, an area of native Caledonian Scots pine forest, includes areas of open or sparsely forested peatland, largely ombrotrophic, but locally influenced by water from mineral ground.

Aims: To relate vegetation species-composition to the limit of ombrotrophy inferred from water chemistry.

Methods: Species composition was listed in 300 sample quadrats; chemical analyses of water samples were available from 200 of these. The vegetation data were classified using TWINSPAN. Relationships between vegetation and chemical results were analysed statistically using contingency tables.

Results: Eleven ‘vegetation types’ were recognised, five (189 samples) judged as primarily ombrotrophic-bog vegetation. The others showed evidence of flushing, or transition to forest. A previous analysis of major cations in the 200 water samples indicated that a limiting Ca/Mg ratio of 1.0 divided 61 samples showing telluric influence from 139 essentially ombrotrophic samples. Neither division was sharp. Contingency tables showed that the division based on vegetation types was strongly associated with the division of the water samples based on cation ratios.

Conclusions: Large areas of bog south and east of Loch Garten are unequivocally ombrotrophic; the main telluric-influenced sites occupy openings in the forest west of the loch. The limited ‘fen’ flora probably reflects the small size and isolation of the calcium-rich sites and the dominating influence of the ombrotrophic peats.     

Notes on the Scottish flora

Background: The degradation of alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has an impact on vegetation recruitment from seedlings and ramets.

Aims: Understanding the relative contribution of recruitment by seedling and ramet in alpine meadows is for the ecological restoration of degraded grasslands on the QTP.

Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate seedling and ramet densities, species composition and their relationships with standing vegetation in plots representative of non-degraded (ND), lightly (LD), moderately (MD) and severely degraded (SD) alpine meadows.

Results: With increasing degradation and the reduction in vegetation cover, the number of seedlings and ramets declined. The proportion of young plants arising from seedlings was low, with the majority of species reproducing clonally. The establishment of seedlings of forbs in SD meadows led to species-rich, forb-dominant vegetation in these areas.

Conclusions: LD and MD meadows appear to be able to be managed by reduced grazing for the restoration of grass- and sedge-dominated pastures. In contrast, restoration of SD meadows will require additional intervention, such as of seeding and weed eradication.     

Effect of intestinal flora on megaenteron of mice.

CF#1 germfree (GF) and conventional (CV) mice as well as offspring of conventionalized GF (GF-CV) mice were orally inoculated with Escherichia coli 0115a, c: K(B), a causative agent of megaenteron in mice. Although CV and GF mice showed no clinical signs and survived, all of the GF-CV mice died with diarrhea by day 14 after inoculation. Thickened wall of the large intestine, microscopically showing proliferation of crypt type cells, was seen in GF and GF-CV mice but not in CV mice. In addition, in GF-CV mice, hemorrhage and severe erosion with marked inflammatory reactions were observed. While the inoculated E. coli could not colonize in CV mice, a level of 10⁸ cells/g feces was maintained in GF mice from day 1 after inoculation to the end of examination (on day 28) and in GF-CV mice from day 5 to the time of death. Newly prepared germfree (GF-CV-GF) mice obtained hysterectomy from GF-CV mice showed a low sensitivity as comparable to that in GF mice. On the other hand, ex-germfree mice produced by oral administration of feces of GF-CV mice showed severe infection as comparable to that seen in GF-CV mice. These results suggest that the intestinal flora may play roles both on protecting from the infection of pathogenic E. coli and on enhancing the infection.     

Comparative study on the antimicrobial effects of Hexomedine and Betadine on the human skin flora.

Studies were carried out to detect the modifications, if any, on the peri-umbilical flora of six healthy volunteers after two or three daily applications of Hexomedine solution (HEX) and Betadine solution (PVI) repeated for five consecutive days. A standardized scrubbing method was used for bacterial sampling. Surviving bacteria were selected with both selective and non-selective media, and then identified by gas chromatographic fatty acid analysis. Both antiseptics were highly effective, showing both immediate and residual antimicrobial activities. The use of HEX led to a slight increase in Gram-positive cocci and a small decrease in coryneforms, but PVI produced a marked increase in Gram-positive cocci and a sharp decrease in coryneforms. The two antiseptics, however, caused no major alteration in the cutaneous microbial population. Indeed, neither the overgrowth of Gram-negative bacilli nor the emergence of resistant species was observed.     

贡嘎山东坡植物区系的垂直分布格局

为了探讨贡嘎山植物区系的垂直分化特征及其与周边地区植物区系的联系,结合样带法与样方法,对贡嘎山东坡垂直植被带进行了调查,统计得出各垂直植被带的科、属的物种数量,分析了科、属、种级区系成分的构成及其沿海拔梯度的分布格局,并对各垂直植被带区系的相似性进行了聚类分析。结果表明：1)贡嘎山植物区系在整体上具有温带性质,但在干旱河谷地带,热带和温带区系成分的比例相当：热带成分的构成和分布反映古热带和古地中海区系的残遗性影响;2)东亚(含亚型)和东亚-北美成分对贡嘎山中部森林植物区系的影响最大,这些成分以温带古老性质为主;3)北温带成分是贡嘎山植物区系的主体之一,对青藏高原隆升以来贡嘎山植物区系进化类群和特有成分的发展有主要贡献,代表区系的年轻组分;4)中国特有种类型多样,占不同垂直植被带物种数量的40％-65％,其比例随海拔上升而增大。各类型比例的垂直变化突出反映了贡嘎山及横断山脉中海拔地段的植物区系与华中地区的联系,以及高海拔地段与青藏高原及东喜马拉雅的区系之间的联系。本文还就贡嘎山在生物地理分布上的意义以及贡嘎山和横断山脉植物区系特有性的性质进行了讨论。     

芍药的传粉生物学研究

对内蒙古赤峰市高格斯台罕乌拉自然保护区2个自然居群和内蒙古农校芍药园内2个栽培品种的芍药进行了连续2年的观察和研究表明,不同居群、不同品种的芍药花期相同,均为23~27d。芍药不存在无融合生殖,有微弱的自交性,不存在闭花授粉的现象。是以昆虫为媒介以异交为主要传粉方式的物种。不同花期的结实率之间没有显著差异(F=1.501)。芍药的结实率较低,野生居群平均只有23.27%的胚珠发育成种子。两个野生居群的传粉强度和传粉效率小于栽培品种单瓣花,结实率也低于栽培品种单瓣花。三个实验样地不同居群间的人工授粉结实率基本一致,且均高于其他组合。     

Observations on the diatom flora of Braunton Burrows,N. Devon

Summary The diatom flora has been analysed in 31 samples from the dune area at Braunton Burrows. Samples have been examined from (a) aquatic habitats, (b) soil, plants and mosses subject to seasonal flooding and (c) sand and mosses from dry dunes. The diatom flora of all these has been discussed and compared with data from elsewhere.Department of Botany, University of Bristol     

Bacterial flora in the digestive tract of cattle. I. Comparison of nonselective culture medium and changes in fecal bacterial flora with age.

Studies were made on nonselective culture medium and the method of culture for the investigation of the bacterial flora in the digestive tract of cattle. With their results, further studies were done to clarify changes in the fecal bacterial flora in eight calves less than 6 months of age with the lapse of time. Three roll-tube media were used in the gas jet method. They were modified VL agar (VL medium), rumen fluid glucose cellobiose agar (RGCA medium), and Medium 10 (M 10). Moreover, glucose liver blood agar (BL medium) was used in the anaerobic jar method. In this method the steel wool method was applied after the substitution of carbon dioxide. Of the four media used, VL medium was proved to be the most efficient. It was followed by RGCA medium and M 10. BL medium was much less efficient than any other medium. When the fecal bacterial flora was examined in calves for changes with the advance in age, the total bacterial count and the enteric bacterial count decreased in the second half of the experimental period. The lactobacillary group count remained almost at a constant level of 7 approximately 9 (logarithmic value) per gram in breast-fed calves, but decreased to a level of 5 (logarithmic value) per gram in bottle-fed calves at about 2 months of age or later. The streptococcal group count showed no particular tendency to change. When the organic acid contents of the feces were estimated in calves in every stage of growth, the amount of total organic acids and that of propionic acid were larger in bottle-fed than in breast-fed calves.