Effect of hyperbaric air on endotoxin from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacteroides fragilis</Emphasis> strains

The aim of the project was to determine any effect of hyperbaric air on Bacteroides fragilis strains cultivated under hyperbaric conditions. Previously, it was hypothesized that there was a correlation between the presence of Bacteroides bacteria in patients preferring a meaty diet and cancer of the small intestine, and particularly of the large intestine and rectum. With respect to the fact that Bacteroides fragilis (BAFR) group are important producers of endotoxins, measurement and statistical evaluation of endotoxin production by individual strains of isolated Bacteroides species were used to compare bacteria isolated from various clinical samples from patients with colon and rectum cancer in comparison with strains isolated from other non-cancer diagnoses. Endotoxin production was proven by quantitative detection using the limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test in EU/mL. Production of endotoxins in these bacteria cultured under hyperbaric air conditions was higher than those strains cultured under normobaric anaerobic conditions. But these differences in endotoxin production were not statistically significant (t test with log-transformed data, p value = 0.0910). Based on a two-tier t test for lognormal data, it is possible to cautiously conclude that a statistically significant difference was found between endotoxin production by Bacteroides fragilis strains isolated from non-carcinoma diagnoses (strains (1–6) and strains isolated from colorectal carcinoma diagnoses (strains 7–8; Wilcoxon non-parametric test p = 0.0132; t test = 0.1110; t test with log-transformed data, p value = 0.0294).     

Impact of Oil-Spill Contamination on a Soil Bacterial Community: A 40-Year History of Rehabilitation in the Arava Valley

The present study evaluated the effect of crude oil contamination on a microbial community in hyper-arid soils. The Evrona Nature Reserve of Israel, situated in the Arava, was exposed twice in the last 40 years to petroleum-hydrocarbon-spill pollution. The first pollution event took place 40 years ago and was never treated, presenting a unique future time-point perspective to the second (2014) contamination event. Soil samples were collected after the second spill, and abiotic properties and bacterial diversity in the sampled soil were analyzed. The results showed that there is a significant decrease over time in the number of observed bacterial species in the contaminated samples, coupled together with bacterial species replacement toward species capable of using source oil as the sole carbon and energy source. The presence of petroleum in soil significantly changed the composition and functional diversity of a microbial community, and the Evrona Nature Reserve is still in the middle of a bioremediation process even 40 years after the crude oil contamination.     

A new species of the genus Theloderma Tschudi, 1838(Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Tay Nguyen Plateau,central Vietnam

A new species of small tree frog from a primary montane tropical forest of central Vietnam, Tay Nguyen Plateau, is described based on morphological,molecular, and acoustic evidence. The Golden Bug-Eyed Frog, Theloderma auratum sp. nov., is distinguishable from its congeners and other small rhacophorid species based on a combination of the following morphological attributes:(1) bony ridges on head absent;(2) smooth skin completely lacking calcified warts or asperities;(3) pointed elongated tapering snout;(4) vocal opening in males absent;(5) vomerine teeth absent;(6) males of small body size(SVL 21.8–26.4 mm);(7) head longer than wide;ED/SVL ratio 13%–15%; ESL/SVL ratio 16%–20%;(8)small tympanum(TD/EL ratio 50%–60%) with few tiny tubercles;(9) supratympanic fold absent;(10) ventral surfaces completely smooth;(11) webbing between fingers absent;(12) outer and inner metacarpal tubercles present, supernumerary metacarpal tubercle single, medial, oval in shape;(13) toes half-webbed:Ⅰ 2–2? Ⅱ 1?–2? Ⅲ 2–3? Ⅳ 3–1? Ⅴ;(14) inner metatarsal tubercle present, oval; outer metatarsal tubercle absent;(15) iris bicolored;(16) dorsal surfaces golden-yellow with sparse golden-orange speckling or reticulations and few small dark-brown spots;(17) lateral sides of head and body with wide dark reddish-brown to black lateral stripes, clearlyseparated from lighter dorsal coloration by straight contrasting edge;(18) ventral surfaces of body, throat,and chest greyish-blue with indistinct brown confluent blotches;(19) upper eyelids with few(3–5) very small flat reddish superciliary tubercles;(20) limbs dorsally reddish-brown, ventrally brown with small bluish-white speckles. The new species is also distinct from all congeners in 12 S rRNA to 16 S rRNA mitochondrial DNA fragment sequences(uncorrected genetic distance P8.9%). Advertisement call and tadpole morphology of the new species are described.Our molecular data showed Theloderma auratum sp. nov. to be a sister species of Th. palliatum from Langbian Plateau in southern Vietnam.     

Sex Bias in Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Neuroinflammation: Relevance for Dimethyl Fumarate Immunomodulatory/Anti-oxidant Action

In the present study, upon showing sexual dimorphism in dimethyl fumarate (DMF) efficacy to moderate the clinical severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Dark Agouti rats, cellular and molecular substrate of this dimorphism was explored. In rats of both sexes, DMF administration from the day of immunization attenuated EAE severity, but this effect was more prominent in males leading to loss of the sexual dimorphism observed in vehicle-administered controls. Consistently, in male rats, DMF was more efficient in diminishing the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes infiltrating spinal cord (SC) and their reactivation, the number of IL-17+ T lymphocytes and particularly cellularity of their highly pathogenic IFN-γ+GM-CSF+IL-17+ subset. This was linked with changes in SC CD11b+CD45+TCRαβ? microglia/proinflammatory monocyte progeny, substantiated in a more prominent increase in the frequency of anti-inflammatory phygocyting CD163+ cells and the cells expressing high surface levels of immunoregulatory CD83 molecule (associated with apoptotic cells phagocytosis and implicated in downregulation of CD4+ T lymphocyte reactivation) among CD11b+CD45+TCRαβ– cells in male rat SC. These changes were associated with greater increase in the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 expression in male rats administered with DMF. In accordance with the previous findings, DMF diminished reactive nitrogen and oxygen species generation and consistently, SC level of advanced oxidation protein products, to the greater extent in male rats. Overall, our study indicates sex-specificity in the sensitivity of DMF cellular and molecular targets and encourages sex-based clinical research to define significance of sex for action of therapeutic agents moderating autoimmune neuroinflammation-/oxidative stress-related nervous tissue damage.     

Dynamics of snow crab (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chionoecetes opilio</Emphasis>) movement and migration along the Newfoundland and Labrador and Eastern Barents Sea continental shelves

This study uses survey and tagging data and cluster analysis to interpret dynamics of ontogenetic movements and seasonal migrations in snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) along the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) continental shelves. Most historic literature from Atlantic Canada suggests snow crab undertake small-scale ontogenetic movements while observations of seasonal migrations had been near-exclusive to the inshore. Information on both types of movement in the most spatially expansive offshore region of Atlantic Canada, in NL, was lacking. We find that that both ontogenetic movements and seasonal migrations occur in most areas of the NL offshore, with ontogenetic movements generally down-slope and seasonal migrations generally up-slope. Conservative estimates of average ontogenetic movements range from 54 to 72 km for both males and females in the largest offshore regions while seasonal migrations are slightly smaller, with two independent studies on the Grand Bank producing average estimates of 43–46 km and an adjacent tagging study in a smaller inshore bay producing an average estimate of 25 km. Ontogenetic movements appear associated with a search for warm water while seasonal migrations appear associated with both mating and molting in shallow water. On average, morphometrically mature crab of both sexes move less vertical distance than morphometrically immature crab during seasonal migrations. We investigate plausible explanations for ontogenetic movements and spring migrations and detail how bottom temperature affects crab distribution and life history dynamics. We further document movement patterns from tagging studies on the burgeoning snow crab stock in the Eastern Barents Sea toward establishing consistencies in species behaviour on the global scale. Finally, we discuss explanations for historical disparities in the literature between scales of movement for snow crab in the Eastern Bering Sea of Alaska versus Atlantic Canada and advance perspectives on life history theory for the species.     

Identification of an aminothiazole series of RORβ modulators

Crystallography has identified stearic acid, ALRT 1550 and ATRA as ligands that bind RORβ, however, none of these molecules represent good starting points to develop optimized small molecule modulators. Recently, Compound 1 was identified as a potent dual RORβ and RORγ inverse agonist with no activity towards RORα (Fig. 1). To our knowledge, this is one of only two small molecule RORβ inverse agonists identified in the primary literature from a tractable chemical series and represents an ideal starting point from which to design RORβ-selective modulators. Herein we describe our SAR optimization efforts that led to a series of potent neutral antagonists of RORβ.     

Life cycle assessment of chitosan production in India and Europe

Purpose

The aim of this article is to present the first life cycle assessment of chitosan production based on data from two real producers located in India and Europe. The goal of the life cycle assessment (LCA) was to understand the main hot spots in the two supply chains, which are substantially different in terms of raw materials and production locations.

Methods

The LCA is based on consequential modelling principles, whereby allocation is avoided by means of substitution, and market mixes include only flexible, i.e. non-constrained suppliers. The product system is cradle to gate and includes the production of raw materials, namely waste shells from snow crab and shrimp in Canada and India, respectively, the processing of these in China and India and the manufacture of chitosan in Europe and India. Primary data for chitin and chitosan production were obtained from the actual producers, whereas raw material acquisition as well as waste management activities were based on literature sources. The effects of indirect land use change (iLUC) were also included. Impact assessment was carried out at midpoint level by means of the recommended methods in the International Life Cycle Data (ILCD) handbook.

Results and discussion

In the Indian supply chain, the production of chemicals (HCl and NaOH) appears as an important hot spot. The use of shrimp shells as raw material affects the market for animal feed, resulting in a credit in many impact indicators, especially in water use. The use of protein waste as fertilizer is also an important source of greenhouse-gas and ammonia emissions. In the European supply chain, energy use is the key driver for environmental impacts, namely heat production based on coal in China and electricity production in China and Europe. The use of crab shells as raw material avoids the composting process they would be otherwise subject to, leading to a saving in composting emissions, especially ammonia. In the Indian supply chain, the effect of iLUC is relevant, whereas in the European one, it is negligible.

Conclusions

Even though we assessed two products from the same family, the results show that they have very different environmental profiles, reflecting their substantially different supply chains in terms of raw material (shrimp shells vs. crab shells), production locations (locally produced vs. a global supply chain involving three continents) and the different applications (general-purpose chitosan vs. chitosan for the medical sector).

     

Screening of plant growth promotion ability among bacteria isolated from field-grown sorghum under different managements in Brazilian drylands

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is a multipurpose grass cultivated in drylands due to its adaptation to drought. However the characteristics of sorghum-associated bacteria are not known in the Brazilian drylands. The aim of this study was to isolate and evaluate the plant growth promotion potential bacteria from field-grown sorghum under two irrigation and manure application levels in a Brazilian semi-arid reagion. Sorghum was irrigated with 3 or 1 mm day^?1 and fertilized or not with liquid goat manure. Bacteria were obtained from surface-disinfected roots applying two nitrogen-free semi-solid media. The bacteria were evaluated for the presence of nifH gene, 16S rRNA sequences, calcium-phosphate solubilization, production of auxins and siderophores and for sorghum growth promotion. We obtained 20 out of 24 positive bacteria for nifH. The isolates were classified as in six different genera. All isolates produced auxins “in vitro”, six bacteria produced siderophores and three Enterobacteriaceae solubilized calcium-phosphate. At least ten bacteria resulted in the increased total N content in the sorghum shoots, comparable to fertilization with 50 mg N plant^?1 week^?1 and to inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense Ab-V5. Enterobacter sp. ESA 57 was the best sorghum plant-growth promoting bacteria isolated in this study.