Hafnia alvei, a Gram negative bacillus related to the Enterobacteriaceae family, is considered an opportunistic pathogen of several animal species and humans. In this communication, we describe
fimbrial-like structures from different strains of H. alvei that cannot be easily ascribed to any of the previously reported fimbrial types in this species (type I or type III). Polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) and immunofluorescence assays were carried out to study fimbriae and flagella in H. alvei strains isolated from different sources. No correlation between the results obtained by PCR and those obtained by phenotypic
methods were found, and the antibodies used gave cross or different recognition patterns of the surface structures present
in these strains. We report as well that strain and growth temperature influence fimbriation and expression of flagella in
human and animal isolates of H. alvei. This study also indicates that the absence of fimbriae have a significant positive influence on the initial adhesion of
H. alvei to human epithelial cells. 相似文献
Extracting biomedical information from large metabolomic datasets by multivariate data analysis is of considerable complexity. Common challenges include among others screening for differentially produced metabolites, estimation of fold changes, and sample classification. Prior to these analysis steps, it is important to minimize contributions from unwanted biases and experimental variance. This is the goal of data preprocessing. In this work, different data normalization methods were compared systematically employing two different datasets generated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. To this end, two different types of normalization methods were used, one aiming to remove unwanted sample-to-sample variation while the other adjusts the variance of the different metabolites by variable scaling and variance stabilization methods. The impact of all methods tested on sample classification was evaluated on urinary NMR fingerprints obtained from healthy volunteers and patients suffering from autosomal polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Performance in terms of screening for differentially produced metabolites was investigated on a dataset following a Latin-square design, where varied amounts of 8 different metabolites were spiked into a human urine matrix while keeping the total spike-in amount constant. In addition, specific tests were conducted to systematically investigate the influence of the different preprocessing methods on the structure of the analyzed data. In conclusion, preprocessing methods originally developed for DNA microarray analysis, in particular, Quantile and Cubic-Spline Normalization, performed best in reducing bias, accurately detecting fold changes, and classifying samples.
In order to discriminate between the ionic and osmotic components of salt stress, sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L. cv. Co 86032) calli were cultured on media containing NaCl or polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 that exerted the same osmotic
pressure (−0.7 MPa). PEG stress exposure for 15 days led to significant growth reduction and loss in water content than salt
stressed and control tissues. Osmotic adjustment (OA) was observed in callus tissues grown on salt, but was not evident in
callus grown on PEG. Oxidative damage to membranes, estimated in terms of accumulation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances-TBARS
and electrolytic leakage was significantly higher in both the stressed calli than the control however, the extent of damage
was more in the PEG stressed calli. The stressed callus tissues showed inhibition of ascorbate peroxidase activity, while
catalase activity was increased. These results indicate sensitivity of cells to PEG-mediated stress than salt stress and differences
in their OA to these two stress conditions. The sensitivity to the osmotic stress indicate that expression of the stress tolerance
response requires the coordinated action of different tissues in a plant and hence was not expressed at the cellular level. 相似文献
Major knowledge gaps exist with respect to light-quality regimes in the coastal-zone Strandzha Quercus frainetto (Q.f.) forest region adjoining the southern Bulgarian Black Sea. This paper presents preliminary results that help narrow these
gaps. In conjunction with leaf area index (LAI) field campaigns we undertook measurements with an array of 7 broad-band (ca
40 nm) sensors covering the range 0.40–0.94 μm, plus 1 sensor for UVB (0.297 μm peak) and 1 for photosynthetically active
radiation (PAR). Measurements focused on inside-forest shade conditions at sites 0 to ca 15 km from the Black Sea and at altitudes
up to ca 120 m above sea level. Some of the sites were also studied using a high-resolution spectroradiometer. A sequential
measuring strategy was necessary. This involves potentially large uncertainties, here addressed through estimations of the
variability around the sinusoidal course of daylight. Light-quality regimes were found to be in general support of earlier
studies of deciduous forests. Our data from the broad-band sensors and from the spectroradiometer are mutually supportive.
They indicate a stronger red-shift below Q.f. canopies than below canopies in enclaves dominated by Fagus orientalis and Pinus sylvestris. Transmission in the range 0.50–0.55 μm increases beneath the three types of canopies, most pronounced in the Q.f. case. Analysis of relationships between the inside-forest to open-field irradiance ratio and LAI supports the use of Beer’s
Law. We found a fairly strong relationship between the red (0.66 μm) to far-red (0.73 μm) irradiance ratios (R/FR) and LAI
for the Q.f. forest. In quantitative terms, the result is new for this Q.f. region, and suggests further research to explore whether a two-sensor approach (0.66 and 0.73 μm) might offer possibilities
for further low-cost mapping of the spatio-temporal patterns of R/FR and LAI in Strandzha. Such mapping would assist in further
studies of the region’s forest biogeochemistry and vitality. 相似文献
In the American lobster (Homarus americanus) the biogenic amines serotonin and octopamine appear to play important and opposite roles in the regulation of aggressive behavior, in the establishment and/or maintenance of dominant and subordinate behavioral states and in the modulation of the associated postural stances and escape responses. The octopamine-containing neurosecretory neurons in the thoracic regions of the lobster ventral nerve cord fall into two morphological subgroups, the root octopamine cells, a classical neurohemal group with release regions along second thoracic roots, and the claw octopamine cells, a group that selectively innervates the claws. Cells of both subgroups have additional sets of endings within neuropil regions of ganglia of the ventral nerve cord. Octopamine neurosecretory neurons generally are silent, but when spontaneously active or when activated, they show large overshooting action potentials with prominent after-hyperpolarizations. Autoinhibition after high-frequency firing, which is also seen in other crustacean neurosecretory cells, is readily apparent in these cells. The cells show no spontaneous synaptic activity, but appear to be excited by a unitary source. Stimulation of lateral or medial giant axons, which excite serotonergic cells yielded no response in octopaminergic neurosecretory cells and no evidence for direct interactions between pairs of octopamine neurons, or between the octopaminergic and the serotonergic sets of neurosecretory neurons was found. 相似文献
The microbial metabolism of organic matter (OM) in seagrass beds can create sulfidic conditions detrimental to seagrass growth;
iron (Fe) potentially has ameliorating effects through titration of the sulfides and the precipitation of iron-sulfide minerals
into the sediment. In this study, the biogeochemical effects of Fe availability and its interplay with sulfur and OM on sulfide
toxicity, phosphorous (P) availability, seagrass growth and community structure were tested. The availability of Fe and OM
was manipulated in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment arranged in a Latin square, with four replicates per treatment. The treatments
included the addition of Fe, the addition of OM, the addition of both Fe and OM as well as no addition. The experiment was
conducted in an oligotrophic, iron-deficient seagrass bed. Fe had an 84.5% retention efficiency in the sediments with the
concentration of Fe increasing in the seagrass leaves over the course of the experiment. Porewater chemistry was significantly
altered with a dramatic decrease in sulfide levels in Fe addition plots while sulfide levels increased in the OM addition
treatments. Phosphorus increased in seagrass leaves collected in the Fe addition plots. Decreased sulfide stress was evidenced
by heavier δ34S in leaves and rhizomes from plots to which Fe was added. The OM addition negatively affected seagrass growth but increased
P availability; the reduced sulfide stress in Fe added plots resulted in elevated productivity. Fe availability may be an
important determinant of the impact that OM has on seagrass vitality in carbonate sediments vegetated with seagrasses. 相似文献