Cognitive Tomography Reveals Complex,Task-Independent Mental Representations

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Nucleotide biosynthesis is critical for growth of bacteria in human blood

Proliferation of bacterial pathogens in blood represents one of the most dangerous stages of infection. Growth in blood serum depends on the ability of a pathogen to adjust metabolism to match the availability of nutrients. Although certain nutrients are scarce in blood and need to be de novo synthesized by proliferating bacteria, it is unclear which metabolic pathways are critical for bacterial growth in blood. In this study, we identified metabolic functions that are essential specifically for bacterial growth in the bloodstream. We used two principally different but complementing techniques to comprehensively identify genes that are required for the growth of Escherichia coli in human serum. A microarray-based and a dye-based mutant screening approach were independently used to screen a library of 3,985 single-gene deletion mutants in all non-essential genes of E. coli (Keio collection). A majority of the mutants identified consistently by both approaches carried a deletion of a gene involved in either the purine or pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway and showed a 20- to 1,000-fold drop in viable cell counts as compared to wild-type E. coli after 24 h of growth in human serum. This suggests that the scarcity of nucleotide precursors, but not other nutrients, is the key limitation for bacterial growth in serum. Inactivation of nucleotide biosynthesis genes in another gram-negative pathogen, Salmonella enterica, and in the gram-positive pathogen Bacillus anthracis, prevented their growth in human serum. The growth of the mutants could be rescued by genetic complementation or by addition of appropriate nucleotide bases to human serum. Furthermore, the virulence of the B. anthracis purE mutant, defective in purine biosynthesis, was dramatically attenuated in a murine model of bacteremia. Our data indicate that de novo nucleotide biosynthesis represents the single most critical metabolic function for bacterial growth in blood and reveal the corresponding enzymes as putative antibiotic targets for the treatment of bloodstream infections.     

Effects of Correct and Wrong Answers on ERPs Recorded under Conditions of the Continuous Performance Test in ADHD/Normal Participants

Parameters of event-related potentials (ERPs) regarding correct and wrong answers under conditions of the continuous performance test (CPT) were measured in 50 adult subjects characterized by different levels of sustained attention with the absence/presence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD). For ERP extraction, the average for each group of signals, which were time-locked to the onset of stimuli, was calculated; two ERP groups were considered separately for correct and wrong answers. In both groups, the P300 wave was clearly observed. The time dynamics of ERP components were investigated in six defined time blocks. At the peak of P300, a prominent component of brain activity could be observed. Some ERP morphological features (704 items) were extracted from these potentials. The results indicated that 11 of the obtained features showed a significant (P < 0.01) relation to the level of sustained attention. When comparing correct and wrong answers, 10 features in the normal group and 3 features in the ADHD group demonstrated significant differences (P < 0.05), which means that the participant’s response is reflected in the features of EEG signal. The results reveal a promising relation between CPT results and some parameters of brain signals, which can be used for further evaluations of the sustained attention level.     

Effects of the ADHD Syndrome on the Frequency Composition of ERPs Revealed by Independent Component Analysis

In this study, we investigated the frequency characteristics of independent components (ICs) of event-related potentials (ERPs) for persons suffering from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal adults while performing a continuous performance test (CPT). A group of 50 participants (10 ADHD subjects and 40 ones with no attention disorders) was examined. Independent component analysis was applied to the recorded signals. For ERP extraction, averages for each group of ICs, which were time-locked to the onset of stimuli, were calculated. Several frequency characteristics (704 items) were extracted from different ERPs in each IC. Eight features of the brain signals had a significant (P < 0.001) correlation with the participants’ clinical presentation, which is consistent with the results of previous studies. The revealed promising relation can be used for further evaluation of the sustained attention level.     

Study on Correlation of Maedi-Visna Virus (MVV) with Ovine Subclinical Mastitis in Iran

Maedi-Visna is an important slow viral disease of sheep leading to progressive pneumonia, encephalitis and mastitis. Udder is one of the organs affected by MVV. Despite the fact that in Iran Maedi-Visna is known since 2000, to the authors’ knowledge correlation of subclinical mastitis and infection with MVV has not been assayed. In this study 50 milk samples from 10 flocks in East Azerbaijan Province of Iran were tested. None of the animals exhibited any clinical signs of the disease. Forty samples were collected from CMT positive ewes and ten were taken from CMT negative ewes. Milk samples were analyzed using PCR targeting gag sequence. Presence of provirus DNA was detected in one sample from CMT negative and seven samples from CMT positive ewes. These data demonstrate that 16.5 % of sheep with subclinical mastitis were infected to MVV. Thus this virus can be considered one of the main pathogenic agents of mastitis and can be dramatically transmitted to lambs by milk.     

Dose-dependent therapeutic effects of topical 1,25 OH-vitamin D3 on corneal wound healing

Molecular Biology Reports - Conflicting results have been reported regarding the effects of 1,25 OH-vitamin D3 on corneal wound healing. Therefore, we undertook this study to determine whether the...     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi induced changes in rhizosphere,essential oil and mineral nutrients uptake in dill/common bean intercropping system

The fundamental aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of Funneliformis mosseae on nutrient uptake and distribution in solo cropping and intercropping of common bean Phaseolus vulgaris and dill Anethum graveolens in the field, using a factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors were seven cropping systems including (a) common bean sole cropping (40 plants m^?2), (b) dill sole cropping at different densities (25, 50 and 75 plants m^?2) and (c) the additive intercropping of dill/common bean (25/40, 50/40 and 75/40 plants m^?2), with (+AM) or without (?AM) arbuscular mycorrhiza colonisation. In all cropping systems, AM colonisation improved dry weight and P, K, Fe, Zn and Mn contents of dill plants. Cultivable bacterial community was also increased in the dill/common bean intercropping. Yield of essential oil in dill shoot was improved as a result of AM colonisation and intercropping.