Siderophores drive invasion dynamics in bacterial communities through their dual role as public good versus public bad

Microbial invasions can compromise ecosystem services and spur dysbiosis and disease in hosts. Nevertheless, the mechanisms determining invasion outcomes often remain unclear. Here, we examine the role of iron-scavenging siderophores in driving invasions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa into resident communities of environmental pseudomonads. Siderophores can be ‘public goods’ by delivering iron to individuals possessing matching receptors; but they can also be ‘public bads’ by withholding iron from competitors lacking these receptors. Accordingly, siderophores should either promote or impede invasion, depending on their effects on invader and resident growth. Using supernatant feeding and invasion assays, we show that invasion success indeed increased when the invader could use its siderophores to inhibit (public bad) rather than stimulate (public good) resident growth. Conversely, invasion success decreased the more the invader was inhibited by the residents’ siderophores. Our findings identify siderophores as a major driver of invasion dynamics in bacterial communities under iron-limited conditions.     

细菌群体感应“合作-欺骗”研究进展

细菌利用信号分子进行细胞间的交流即为群体感应.群体感应调控着生物膜形成、公共物质合成、基因水平转移等一系列社会性行为.在群体感应过程中,公共物质分泌后可以被群体中任何个体所使用即合作;亦可以被一些不分泌公共物质的个体所使用形成欺骗.群体感应合作-欺骗既可能在种群中稳定维持,也可能由于欺骗子的快速增长造成种群崩溃.欺骗子致种群崩溃为病原菌控制新策略研发带来了希望,是目前群体感应研究方面的前沿和热点.本文在介绍细菌群体感应合作及欺骗的基础上,分析了群体感应合作-欺骗生态关系形成和发展的影响因素,重点从亲缘选择、谨慎代谢、代谢限制(基因多效型)、群体感应监管等方面探讨了细菌群体感应合作-欺骗的稳定维持机制,并对细菌群体感应合作-欺骗的相关研究进行了问题总结和展望,以期为深入理解群体感应、微生物种群生态提供参考.     

Design of a 5' exonuclease-based real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of Bacillus licheniformis, members of the 'B. cereus group' and B. fumarioli in gelatine

AIMS: The design of a fast, sensitive and specific detection method for Bacillus licheniformis, members of the 'B. cereus group' and B. fumarioli in gelatine. METHODS AND RESULTS: Specific Taqman probes were designed and tested in a real-time PCR setting. A specific fluorescent signal could be obtained for all gelatine isolates attributed to these species in one single real-time PCR reaction. After sample preparation, a gelatine sample spiked with 1 CFU provided enough template DNA for a significant signal. CONCLUSION: The potential of a real-time PCR assay for simultaneous detection of B. licheniformis, members of the 'B. cereus group' and B. fumarioli in gelatine is demonstrated. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Implementation of the assay in gelatine producing plants may shorten delivery terms and inform on hazards to public health and suitable remediation procedures.     

“What Dr Venter did on his holidays”: exploration,hacking, entrepreneurship in the narratives of the Sorcerer II expedition

The Sorcerer II is the highly mediatized and spectacular Venter Institute's ship that circumnavigated the planet between 2003 and 2006 to collect and classify marine microbial genomes. We analyze Craig Venter's public communication activities and strategies especially focusing on the images of science and scientist he proposes: that of an eighteenth-century “savant” and nineteenth-century naturalist devoted to the exploration of new worlds, and that of the hacker, hero of informational capitalism. Emphasizing his independence from both academy and industry, but building strong alliances with both spheres and with the media, Craig Venter sails the oceans of the contemporary biotechnologies' market, interpreting a specific typology of the relationship between science and society, enterprises, universities.     

公立医院战略绩效管理体系概念框架研究

探讨了开展公立医院战略绩效管理的必要性,剖析了当前公立医院绩效管理的弊端及实质,结合对战略绩效管理理论和医院战略绩效内涵特征的分析,提出了集本质特征、功能定位和未来发展于一体的,包含了2个层面、4个模块和7个循环子系统的公立医院战略绩效管理体系概念框架。     

军队医院医务工作者潜在的心理问题及影响因素分析*

摘要目的：近年来医务人员工作压力过重而引起的心理疾病日益突出,引起社会各界的关注。本研究针对军队医院医务人员的 心理压力及工作满意度情况展开调查,分析影响该群体心理健康的因素,探讨改善心理环境的有效方法,为提升军队医院管理提 供参考。方法：对我院312 名医务人员的基本资料、心理应激及工作满意度情况进行问卷调查,分析影响军队医院医务人员心理 健康的危险因素。结果：医务人员的心理压力主要表现为焦虑、抑郁、敏感和偏执,工作中普遍不满的是工资福利、工作负荷、晋升 及人际关系。医务人员所处的岗位和职称等级不同,其心理压力与工作满意度也不同。临床医师与护理人员的心理压力均较高, 医技与行政人员的工作满意度较高(P<0.05);初级职称与中级职称医务人员的心理压力较高,副高级职称与高级职称人员的工作 满意度较高,组间数据比较差异显著(P<0.05)。结论：军队医院的管理人员应完善管理机制,创造良好的发展平台,改善军队医院 医务人员的心理环境,促进医院的发展。     

Genogroup distribution of F-specific coliphages in wastewater and river water in the Kofu basin in Japan

Aims: To determine the genogroup distribution of F‐specific coliphages in aquatic environments using the plaque isolation procedure combined with genogroup‐specific real‐time PCR. Methods and Results: Thirty water samples were collected from a wastewater treatment plant and a river in the Kofu basin in Japan on fine weather days. F‐specific coliphages were detected in all tested samples, 187 (82%) of 227 phage plaques isolated were classified into one of the 4 F‐specific RNA (F‐RNA) coliphage genogroups and 24 (11%) plaques were F‐specific DNA coliphages. Human genogroups II and III F‐RNA coliphages were more abundant in raw sewage than animal genogroups I and IV, excluding one sample that was suspected to be heavily contaminated with sporadic heavy animal faeces. The secondary‐treated sewage samples were highly contaminated with genogroup I F‐RNA coliphages, probably because of different behaviours among the coliphage genogroups during wastewater treatment. The river water samples were expected to be mainly contaminated with human faeces, independent of rainfall effects. Conclusions: A wide range of F‐specific coliphage genogroups were successfully identified in wastewater and river water samples. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results clearly show the usefulness of the genogroup‐specific real‐time PCR for determining the genogroups of F‐specific coliphages present in aquatic environments.     

构建公立医院有效监管体系策略探讨

通过对公立医院监管乏力、趋利行为失控、医疗服务失范等现象产生原因分析,提出应着力建立有效的公立医院监控体系框架,充分发挥政府的监管职能,建立和完善社会和行业监管职能,实施有效的监控措施,促进公立医院公益性回归,保证公立医院健康发展。     

Shape matters: Lifecycle of cooperative patches promotes cooperation in bulky populations

Natural cooperative systems take many forms, ranging from one‐dimensional cyanobacteria arrays to fractal‐like biofilms. We use in silico experimental systems to study a previously overlooked factor in the evolution of cooperation, physical shape of the population. We compare the emergence and maintenance of cooperation in populations of digital organisms that inhabit bulky (100 × 100 cells) or slender (4 × 2500) toroidal grids. Although more isolated subpopulations of secretors in a slender population could be expected to favor cooperation, we find the opposite: secretion evolves to higher levels in bulky populations. We identify the mechanistic explanation for the shape effect by analyzing the lifecycle and dynamics of cooperator patches, from their emergence and growth, to invasion by noncooperators and extinction. Because they are constrained by the population shape, the cooperator patches expand less in slender than in bulky populations, leading to fewer cooperators, less public good secretion, and generally lower cooperation. The patch dynamics and mechanisms of shape effect are robust across several digital cooperation systems and independent of the underlying basis for cooperation (public good secretion or a cooperation game). Our results urge for a greater consideration of population shape in the study of the evolution of cooperation across experimental and modeling systems.     

论新医改形势下大型公立医院可持续发展战略

新医改形势下大型公立医院要在保持公益性的前提下,实现自身的发展壮大,面临前所未有的压力和挑战。从科学发展观的视角,围绕机制创新、技术创新、管理创新、服务创新进行思考,提出实现机制、技术、学科、管理、服务五力合一的医院战略管理路径,以促进公立医院长期的、差异性的、可持续的发展。