Molecular Identification of Candida Species in the Oral Microbiota of Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Case–Control Study

Mycopathologia - Candida species are common in the human oral microbiota and may cause oral candidiasis (OC) when the microbiota equilibrium is disturbed. Immunosuppressed individuals are...     

Comparative genetic analysis of grayling (Thymallus spp. Salmonidae) across the paleohydrologically dynamic river drainages of the Altai-Sayan mountain region

Hydrobiologia - A high number of grayling (Thymallus) species have been described from the Altai-Sayan mountain region, for which little to no genetic information is available. We investigated...     

Wearing Blue-Blockers in the Morning Could Improve Sleep of Workers on a Permanent Night Schedule: A Pilot Study

Night shiftworkers often complain of disturbed sleep during the day. This could be partly caused by morning sunlight exposure during the commute home, which tends to maintain the circadian clock on a daytime rhythm. The circadian clock is most sensitive to the blue portion of the visible spectrum, so our aim was to determine if blocking short wavelengths of light below 540 nm could improve daytime sleep quality and nighttime vigilance of night shiftworkers. Eight permanent night shiftworkers (32–56 yrs of age) of Quebec City's Canada Post distribution center were evaluated during summertime, and twenty others (24–55 yrs of age) during fall and winter. Timing, efficacy, and fragmentation of daytime sleep were analyzed over four weeks by a wrist activity monitor, and subjective vigilance was additionally assessed at the end of the night shift in the fall–winter group. The first two weeks served as baseline and the remaining two as experimental weeks when workers had to wear blue-blockers glasses, either just before leaving the workplace at the end of their shift (summer group) or 2 h before the end of the night shift (fall–winter group). They all had to wear the glasses when outside during the day until 16:00 h. When wearing the glasses, workers slept, on average ±SD, 32±29 and 34±60 more min/day, increased their sleep efficacy by 1.95±2.17% and 4.56±6.1%, and lowered their sleep fragmentation by 1.74±1.36% and 4.22±9.16% in the summer and fall–winter group, respectively. Subjective vigilance also generally improved on Fridays in the fall–winter group. Blue-blockers seem to improve daytime sleep of permanent night-shift workers.     

The effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria on the growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropped in southern Brazilian fields

Background and Aims

Several strains of rhizobacteria may be found in the rhizospheric soil, on the root surface or in association with rice plants. These bacteria are able to colonize plant root systems and promote plant growth and crop yield through a variety of mechanisms. The objectives of this study were to isolate, identify, and characterize putative plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) associated with rice cropped in different areas of southern Brazil.

Methods

Bacterial strains were selectively isolated based on their growth on three selective semi-solid nitrogen-free media. Bacteria were identified at the genus level by PCR-RFLP 16S rRNA gene analysis and partial sequencing methodologies. Bacterial isolates were evaluated for their ability to produce indolic compounds and siderophores and to solubilize phosphate. In vitro biological nitrogen fixation and the ability to produce 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase were evaluated for each bacterial isolate used in the inoculation experiments.

Results

In total, 336 bacterial strains were isolated representing 31 different bacterial genera. Strains belonging to the genera Agrobacterium, Burkholderia, Enterobacter, and Pseudomonas were the most prominent isolates. Siderophore and indolic compounds producers were widely found among isolates, but 101 isolates were able to solubilize phosphate. Under gnotobiotic conditions, eight isolates were able to stimulate the growth of rice plants. Five of these eight isolates were also field tested in rice plants subjected to different nitrogen fertilization rates.

Conclusions

The results showed that the condition of half-fertilization plus separate inoculation with the isolates AC32 (Herbaspirillum sp.), AG15 (Burkholderia sp.), CA21 (Pseudacidovorax sp.), and UR51 (Azospirillum sp.) achieved rice growth similar to those achieved by full-fertilization without inoculation, thus highlighting the potential of these strains for formulating new bioinoculants for rice crops.