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At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Indirect effects of soluble nitrogen on growth of Ochlerotatus triseriatus larvae in container habitats.

We conducted experiments in laboratory microcosms to simulate input of stemflow nutrients and flushing of metabolites in the tree hole habitats of larval Ochlerotatus triseriatus (Say). In the first experiment, we simultaneously examined the effects of nutrient additions (nitrogen, phosphorus, glucose, or combination) and flushing (removal of one-half of water volume replaced by deionized water) on mosquito production. The combination of nutrients had the greatest positive effects on mosquito production, with nitrogen (N) likely accounting for most of the increase in adult emergence and adult mass. Dilution of the nutrient pool via simulated flushing reduced mosquito growth, suggesting that the primary effect of stemflow input was nutrient addition as opposed to dilution of any latent toxic metabolites. In a second experiment, N additions were crossed with larval presence or absence to examine effects on key microbial processes. N increased leaf decay rates, soluble carbohydrate concentrations, fungal biomass and leaf-associated carbohydrase activity, but it did not stimulate bacterial productivity. Leaf decay was enhanced and bacterial production on leaves and in the water column was depressed in the presence of larvae. We conclude that the inputs of soluble N stimulated fungal growth, which made more fungal biomass available because of both its absolute increase and via the softening of the leaf particulate matter that could allow direct ingestion by larvae.

Animals↗

Sequential anaerobic-aerobic biodegradation of PCBs in soil slurry microcosms.

Many industrial locations have identified the need for treatment of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) wastes and remediation of PCB-contaminated sites. Biodegradation of PCBs is a potentially effective technology for treatment of PCB-contaminated soils and sludges; however, a practicable remediation technology has not yet been demonstrated. In laboratory experiments, soil slurry microcosms inoculated with microorganisms extracted from PCB-contaminated Hudson River sediments have been used for anaerobic dechlorination of weathered Aroclor 1248 in contaminated soil with a low organic carbon content. Anaerobic incubation was then followed by exposure to air, addition of biphenyl, and inoculation with Pseudomonas sp. LB400, an aerobic PCB degrader. The sequential anaerobic-aerobic treatment constituted an improvement compared to anaerobic or aerobic treatment alone by reducing the total amount of PCBs remaining and decreasing the tendency for end products to accumulate in humans. A 70% reduction of PCBs was observed during sequential treatment with products containing fewer chlorines and having a shorter half-life in humans than the original PCBs. The aerobic treatment alone was also quite effective as a stand-alone treatment reducing the PCBs by 67%. The results represent a case in which anaerobic river sediment organisms have been successfully transferred to a matrix free of river or lake sediments.

Aerobiosis↗

Laboratory evidence of MTBE biodegradation in Borden aquifer material.

Mainly due to intrinsic biodegradation, monitored natural attenuation can be an effective and inexpensive remediation strategy at petroleum release sites. However, gasoline additives such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) can jeopardize this strategy because these compounds often degrade, if at all, at a slower rate than the collectively benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and the xylene (BTEX) compounds. Investigation of whether a compound degrades under certain conditions, and at what rate, is therefore important to the assessment of the intrinsic remediation potential of aquifers. A natural gradient experiment with dissolved MTBE-containing gasoline in the shallow, aerobic sand aquifer at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden (Ontario, Canada) from 1988 to 1996 suggested that biodegradation was the main cause of attenuation for MTBE within the aquifer. This laboratory study demonstrates biologically catalyzed MTBE degradation in Borden aquifer-like environments, and so supports the idea that attenuation due to biodegradation may have occurred in the natural gradient experiment. In an experiment with batch microcosms of aquifer material, three of the microcosms ultimately degraded MTBE to below detection, although this required more than 189 days (or >300 days in one case). Failure to detect the daughter product tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) in the field and the batch experiments could be because TBA was more readily degradable than MTBE under Borden conditions.

Bacteria, Aerobic↗

[Systemic thrombolysis using streptokinase. Experiences at the Civic Hospital of Lugano in the framework of the ISIS-2 study].

With a small group of Swiss hospitals we had an opportunity of participating in ISIS-2, the major study on thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction. Experience with our microcosm (Ospedale Civico Lugano) was compared with the macrocosm of the results of ISIS-2 in 17,187 randomized patients (in brackets). Mortality was 5.1% (7.8%) in our streptokinase group and 15.8% (12.8%) in our placebo group. In the ISIS-2 study the combination of thrombolytic therapy with streptokinase, and of antiplatelet therapy with aspirin, showed a reduction of approximately one third in acute mortality of myocardial infarction, stroke and reinfarction. Our experience confirms the reduced incidence of allergic side effects (3.5%), major bleeding (0.3%) and minor bleeding (2.9%) during or after thrombolytic therapy.

Administration, Oral↗

Soya lecithin effects on the aerobic biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls in an artificially contaminated soil.

The effects of the phytogenic surfactant soya lecithin (SL) on the aerobic biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) spiked into a synthetic soil were studied. Soil was spiked with both biphenyl (4 g/kg) and Fenclor 42 (1,000 mg/kg) and treated in aerobic batch slurry-phase microcosms (17.5% w/v). Microcosms were prepared either with or without the exogenous aerobic PCB-dechlorinating bacterial co-culture ECO3 (inoculum:10(8) CFU/mL). In some inoculated microcosms, SL was added at 15 or 30 g/kg. Indigenous bacteria having the capability of metabolizing biphenyl and 2-chlorobenzoic acid were found to develop in the microcosms during the experiment, and were responsible for the significant PCB biodegradation and dechlorination observed in the uninoculated controls. The addition of ECO3 bacteria resulted in only a slight PCB biodegradation increase. In the presence of SL, a higher availability of biphenyl- and chlorobenzoic acid-degrading bacteria and higher PCB biodegradation and dechlorination yields were observed; the effects increased proportionally with the concentration of the applied SL. A significant decrease of soil ecotoxicity was also revealed in SL-supplemented microcosms. At both concentrations, SL was found to be a good carbon source for both the indigenous and ECO3 bacteria, as well as a product capable of enhancing the PCB bioavailability in the microcosms.

Aerobiosis↗

Bacterial conjugation between Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp. donor and recipient cells in soil.

Experiments conducted in microcosms containing loam soil samples inoculated with either E. coli or Pseudomonas spp. donor and recipient cells showed that bacterial cells survived and conjugated over a 24-h incubation period. E. coli transconjugants were detected 6 h after donor and recipient strains were introduced into sterile soil samples. In non-sterile soil samples, transconjugants were detected between 8 and 24 h incubation. Pseudomonas transconjugants were recovered from sterile soil samples between 6 and 12 h after their introduction and as early as 2 h in non-sterile soil. The results show that genetic interactions occur in non-sterile soil in relatively short periods of time at relatively high transfer frequencies (10(-3) to 10(-4]. Studies on genetic interactions in soil are becoming necessary in risk assessment/environmental impact studies prior to the release of genetically engineered or modified organisms into uncontained environments.

Conjugation, Genetic↗

Environmental variation and the predator-specific responses of tropical stream insects: effects of temperature and predation on survival and development of Australian Chironomidae (Diptera).

The threat posed by predation varies among predator species and with environmental context, and prey species often adjust their responses accordingly. We investigated such effects within an insect assemblage from a tropical Australian stream. These systems are frequently subjected to catastrophic floods, often suggested to reduce the importance of predation in streams, and invertebrate faunas are characterised by relatively broad environmental tolerances. Impacts of the hunting predator Australopelopia prionoptera (Diptera: Chironomidae) and an undescribed ambush predator from the Polycentropodidae (Trichoptera) on survival and development of two species of tubicolous Chironomidae, Echinocladius martini (Orthocladiinae) and Polypedilum australotropicus (Chironominae), were assessed in laboratory microcosms. A further experiment investigated how impacts of Australopelopia varied over a broad range of temperatures, exceeding that experienced annually by the studied populations. Neither predator impacted survivorship for E. martini, but the presence of the polycentropodid caused E. martini to spend longer as larvae and reduced adult longevity, and adult females were smaller-sized and had smaller oocytes. In contrast, both predators reduced survivorship of P. australotropicus, but only Australopelopia affected its development, causing reductions in pupal duration and oocyte size. The observed non-lethal impacts of predation reflect the threat each predator is known to pose to each prey species in situ. Impacts of predation varied little with temperature, reflecting the broad thermal tolerances of all study species. The predator-specific responses of the prey species imply that predation is a significant selective force in tropical Australian streams, although fluctuation in intensity of predation associated with flooding may limit its importance for community structure and prey diversity at larger scales. Our results indicate a more limited scope for environmental modification of predator-prey relationships in faunas characterised by broad physiological tolerances.

Animals↗

Evolve III: a discrete events model of an evolutionary ecosystem.

Evolve III is a discrete events model of an evolutionary ecosystem. The model includes three levels of organization: population, organism and genetic structure. Each of these components was modeled independently, so that selective replacement of subsystems can be used to create families of models capable of testing alternative hypotheses about the real system. To demonstrate the use of the model we describe an experiment on the relationship between adaptability of populations and the variability of the environment. Populations cultured in a constant environment usually dominated those cultured in a variable environment when both were placed in a variable environment at an early stage of development, whereas the opposite is the case at later stages of development. This agrees with experiments on laboratory microcosms and lends credence to the potential predictive value of the model.

Biological Evolution↗

Analysis of the dynamics of fungal communities in soil via fungal-specific PCR of soil DNA followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

A molecular method for profiling of fungal communities in soil was applied in experiments in soil microcosms, with two objectives, (1) to assess the persistence of two selected fungal species in soil, and (2) to analyze the response of the natural fungal community to a spill of sulphurous petrol in the same soil. To achieve the aims, two soil DNA extraction methods, one originally designed for the direct extraction of bacterial community DNA and the other one aimed to obtain fungal DNA, were tested for their efficiency in recovering DNA of fungal origin from soil. Both methods allowed for the efficient extraction of DNA from introduced Trichoderma harzianum spores as well as Arthrobotrys oligospora mycelial fragments, at comparable rates. Several PCR amplification systems based on primers specific for fungal 18S ribosomal RNA genes were tested to design strategies for the assessment of fungal communities in soil. The PCR systems produced amplicons of expected size with DNA of most fungi studied, which included members of the Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, Zygomycetes and Chytridiomycetes. On the other hand, the 18S rRNA genes of Oomycetes (including key plant pathogens) were poorly amplified. Plant (Solanum tuberosum), nematode (Meloidogyne sp.) and bacterial DNA was not amplified. For studies of soil fungal communities, a nested PCR approach was selected, in which the first PCR provided the required specificity for fungi, whereas the second (nested) PCR served to produce amplicons separable on denaturing gradient gels. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) allowed the resolution of mixtures of PCR products of several different fungi, as well as products resulting from mixed-template amplifications, into distinct banding patterns. The persistence of fungal species in soil was assessed using T. harzianum spores and A. oligospora hyphal fragments added to silt loam soil microcosms. Using PCR-DGGE, these fungi were detectable for about 14 days and 2 months, respectively. Both singly-inoculated soils and soils that had received mixed inoculants revealed, next to bands resulting from indigenous fungi, the expected bands in the DGGE profiles. The A. oligospora specific amplicon, by virtue of its unique migration in the denaturing gradient, was well detectable, whereas the T. harzianum specific product comigrated with products from indigenous fungi. PCR-DGGE analysis of DNA obtained from the silt loam soil treated with dibenzothiophene-containing petrol showed the progressive selection of specific fungal bands over time, whereas this selection was not observed in untreated soil microcosms. Cloning of individual molecules from the selected bands and analysis of their sequences revealed a complex of targets which clustered with the 18S rDNA sequences of the closely-related species Nectria haematococca, N. ochroleuca and Fusarium solani. Fungal isolates obtained from the treated soil on PDA plates were identified as Trichoderma sp., whereas those on Comada agar fell into the Cylindrocarpon group (anamorph of Nectria spp).

Base Composition↗

Integrating observational and experimental approaches to demonstrate causation in stream biomonitoring studies.

Routine biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems generally is performed with the intent of demonstrating a causal relationship between stressors and responses. However, because it is impossible to eliminate other potential explanations for observed spatiotemporal correlation between stressors and responses, demonstrating causal relationships is highly tenuous in descriptive studies. In this research we show how results of descriptive and experimental approaches can be integrated to demonstrate a causal relationship between heavy metals and benthic community responses in a Rocky Mountain stream (CO, USA). By using a stressor identification process, we show that effects and exposure data collected from a contaminated site (Arkansas River, CO, USA) can be integrated with experimental data to support causal arguments. Analysis of the spatial co-occurrence of metals and benthic community responses in the Arkansas River provided support for the hypothesis that metals caused alterations in benthic community structure. Exposure pathways were quantified by measuring metal bioaccumulation in caddisflies (Trichoptera) collected upstream and downstream from metal inputs. A long-term (10-year) monitoring study showed that reductions in metal concentrations corresponded with improvements in benthic communities. These results were supported by microcosm and field experiments that quantified concentration-response relationships between heavy metals and benthic community composition. Consistency of these responses was demonstrated by comparing results to a spatially extensive survey of metal-polluted streams in Colorado. Our study demonstrates the power of integrating descriptive and experimental approaches for developing causal arguments in ecological assessments.

Animals↗

Twenty-five years of residents: what and where are they now.

To evaluate the effectiveness of our program in meeting the subsequent career needs of our graduates and to describe their professional experiences as a microcosm of pediatrics, a survey was completed of the 419 pediatricians who had completed the Harriet Lane Residency Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between 1960 and 1984. Overall, the 326 respondents found the program to have been effective in the areas they deemed appropriate to be taught in residency years. In decreasing order, the chief resident, fellow house officers, and full-time faculty were rated to have had the greatest teaching effectiveness. The women respondents were less likely to be married (76% vs 89%), had fewer children on average (1.2 vs 2.31), missed more work, and were more likely to enter postresidency training (89% vs 78%) than the men. Of all respondents, 73% reported being certain of their career goals during residency and 77% of those reported a reasonable similarity with current positions. More than 93% reported being satisfied with their current careers, and 87% would still choose pediatrics. They are generally well reimbursed financially, with academician salaries matching those of private practitioners 10 years after completing residency and surpassing them, slightly, thereafter. This information provides much food for thought in preparing tomorrow's pediatricians.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Application of real-time PCR to study effects of ammonium on population size of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in soil.

Ammonium oxidation by autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) is a key process in agricultural and natural ecosystems and has a large global impact. In the past, the ecology and physiology of AOB were not well understood because these organisms are notoriously difficult to culture. Recent applications of molecular techniques have advanced our knowledge of AOB, but the necessity of using PCR-based techniques has made quantitative measurements difficult. A quantitative real-time PCR assay targeting part of the ammonia-monooxygenase gene (amoA) was developed to estimate AOB population size in soil. This assay has a detection limit of 1.3 x 10(5) cells/g of dry soil. The effect of the ammonium concentration on AOB population density was measured in soil microcosms by applying 0, 1.5, or 7.5 mM ammonium sulfate. AOB population size and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were monitored for 28 days after (NH4)2SO4 application. AOB populations in amended treatments increased from an initial density of approximately 4 x 10(6) cells/g of dry soil to peak values (day 7) of 35 x 10(6) and 66 x 10(6) cells/g of dry soil in the 1.5 and 7.5 mM treatments, respectively. The population size of total bacteria (quantified by real-time PCR with a universal bacterial probe) remained between 0.7 x 10(9) and 2.2 x 10(9) cells/g of soil, regardless of the ammonia concentration. A fertilization experiment was conducted in a tomato field plot to test whether the changes in AOB density observed in microcosms could also be detected in the field. AOB population size increased from 8.9 x 10(6) to 38.0 x 10(6) cells/g of soil by day 39. Generation times were 28 and 52 h in the 1.5 and 7.5 mM treatments, respectively, in the microcosm experiment and 373 h in the ammonium treatment in the field study. Estimated oxidation rates per cell ranged initially from 0.5 to 25.0 fmol of NH4+ h(-1) cell(-1) and decreased with time in both microcosms and the field. Growth yields were 5.6 x 10(6), 17.5 x 10(6), and 1.7 x 10(6) cells/mol of NH4+ in the 1.5 and 7.5 mM microcosm treatments and the field study, respectively. In a second field experiment, AOB population size was significantly greater in annually fertilized versus unfertilized soil, even though the last ammonium application occurred 8 months prior to measurement, suggesting a long-term effect of ammonium fertilization on AOB population size.

Ammonia↗

Plasmid Transfer Detection in Soil using the Inducible lPR System Fused to Eukaryotic Luciferase Genes.

We report a model system for plasmid transfer analysis using the regulated lambda phage right promoter, lPR, fused to luc and lucOR as reporter genes. We have demonstrated that the systems cI857-lPR::luc and cI857-lPR::lucOR are temperature-inducible in Escherichia coli but not in other Gram-negative bacteria analyzed, enabling detection of luminescence when plasmids were mobilized from E. coli to those Gram-negative backgrounds. Using light for the detection, we have observed plasmid transfer from E. coli harboring RK2 and R388 derived plasmids to Pseudomonas putida KT2440 (co-introduced with donors) and to indigenous microorganisms, in vitro and in nonsterile soil microcosms. The importance of nutrients for an efficient plasmid transfer in nonsterile soil microcosms has been confirmed. When plasmid transfer experiments were carried out into nonsterile soil microcosms, significant populations of indigenous transconjugants arose. This system provides efficient marker genes and avoids the use of antibiotics for the selection of transconjugants.

Journal Article↗

Influence of aquatic microbiota on the survival in water of the human and eel pathogen Vibrio vulnificus serovar E.

The eel and human pathogen Vibrio vulnificus serovar E (biotype 2) is seldom isolated from natural waters, although it can survive in sterilized artificial seawater microcosms for years. The main objective of the present study was to investigate whether aquatic microbiota can limit its survival and recovery from water samples. A set of preliminary experiments of survival in microcosms containing natural seawater and water from eel farms showed that the persistence of this pathogen was mainly controlled by grazing, and secondarily by bacterial competition. The bacterial competition was further analysed in artificial seawater microcosms co-inoculated with selected virulent serovar E (VSE) strains and potential competitors. Competitors included V. vulnificus biotype 1 isolates and strains of selected species that can grow on the selective media designed for V. vulnificus isolation from water samples. Evidences of bacterial competition that was detrimental for VSE recovery were recorded. Thus, some species produced a deleterious effect on VSE strains under starvation, and others were able to use the resources more efficiently under nutrient input. These results suggest that an overgrowth of more efficient competitor bacteria in conventional media used for isolation of V. vulnificus could mask the recovery of VSE strains and explain the scarcity of reports on the isolation of this human and eel pathogen from natural waters.

Animals↗

Effect of sorption and desorption resistance on aerobic trichloroethylene biodegradation in soils.

Biodegradation of trichloroethylene (TCE) by toluene-degrading bacteria was measured under aerobic conditions in aqueous and soil-slurry batch microcosms. For soil-phase experiments, a freshly contaminated soil and a soil containing only the desorption-resistant fraction of TCE were tested. In both cases, presence of soil resulted in biodegradation rates substantially lower than those determined in the absence of soil. In aqueous-phase experiments, an appreciable increase in the rate and extent of TCE biodegradation was observed in microcosms when toluene was added multiple times. The TCE degradation rates were clearly correlated with toluene dioxygenase (TOD) enzyme activity over time, thus providing an indication of the cometabolic pathway employed by the microbial population. In soil-slurry experiments containing freshly contaminated soil, a TCE degradation rate of approximately 150 microg TCE/kg/h was observed during the first 39-h period, and then the TCE degradation rate slowed considerably to 0.59 and 0.84 microg TCE/kg/h for microcosms receiving one and two additions of toluene, respectively. The TCE degradation rates in soil-slurry microcosms containing the desorption-resistant fraction of TCE-contaminated soil were approximately 0.27 and 0.32 microg TCE/kg/h in microcosms receiving one and two additions of toluene, respectively. It is clear from these results that mass transfer into the aqueous phase limited bioavailability of TCE in the contaminated soil.

Adsorption↗

Visualizing rhizosphere chemistry of legumes with mid-infrared synchrotron radiation.

A bright synchrotron light source operated by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory served as an external source for infrared (IR) microscopy of plant root microcosms. Mid-IR light from synchrotrons is 2-3 orders of magnitude brighter than conventional sources, providing contrast based on the chemical information in the reflected signal at a spatial resolution near the diffraction-limit of 3-10 microm. In an experiment using plant root microcosms fitted with zinc selenide IR-transmissive windows (50 mm x 20 mm x 1 mm), we describe chemical differences and similarities within the root zone of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), grown with or without phosphorus, and revealed by reflectance spectromicroscopy. Comparative root and root-exudate profiles are described in sand/silt culture over the wavelength range of 2.5 to 16 pm (4.000 to 650 cm(-1) ) in the mid-IR. the spectral region most useful for the analytical identification of small organic molecules. Root epidermal tissue of plants grown with low phosphorus showed a greater lipid contribution and less lignin than nutrient-sufficient plants. In the zone 200 microm from the root axis, control plants were enriched with simple sugars and monomeric lignin precursors. In low-phosphorus plants, the rhizosphere possessed IR signatures from protein and sugars. Individual soil minerals could be easily discriminated from biological material. Synchrotron IR spectromicroscopy, therefore, complements existing root imaging techniques.

Fabaceae↗

Pseudomonas fluorescens DR54 Reduces Sclerotia Formation, Biomass Development, and Disease Incidence of Rhizoctonia solani Causing Damping-Off in Sugar Beet.

Effects of the biocontrol strain, Pseudomonas fluorescens DR54, on growth and disease development by Rhizoctonia solani causing damping-off in sugar beet were studied in soil microcosms and in pot experiments with natural, clay-type soil. In pot experiments with P. fluorescens DR54-treated seeds, significantly fewer Rhizoctonia-challenged seedlings showed damping-off symptoms than when not inoculated with the biocontrol agent. In the rhizosphere of P. fluorescens DR54 inoculated seeds, the bacterial inoculant was present in high numbers as shown by dilution plating and immunoblotting. By the ELISA antibody technique and direct microscopy of the fungal pathogen grown in soil microcosms, it was shown that the presence of P. fluorescens DR54 on the inoculated seeds had a strong inhibitory effect on development of both mycelium biomass and sclerotia formation by R. solani. In the field experiment, plant emergence was increased by treatment with P. fluorescens DR54 and the inoculant was found to be the dominating rhizosphere colonizing pseudomonad immediately after seedling emergence.

Journal Article↗

Bacterial community changes and enrichment of Burkholderia-like bacteria induced by chlorinated benzoates in a peat-forest soil-microcosm.

Bacterial community shifts in a peat-forest soil spiked with 3-chlorobenzoate (3CBA) or 2,5-dichlorobenzoate (2,5DCB) were monitored by PCR-amplification of the V6 to V8 regions of the 16S rRNA and rDNA, followed by separation of the amplicons by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. 3CBA disappeared to non-detectable levels after 15 days by a biologically mediated process, while 2,5DCB remained at the initial concentration values. The experiments were conducted under microcosms systems. Addition of the chlorinated benzoates to the soil resulted in a rapid decrease of the microbial diversity, as judged by a time-dependent reduction in the number of amplicons detected by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. Few amplicons specifically enriched in the spiked soils were cloned and characterised by sequence analysis. The identity of the cloned DNA and the corresponding soil amplicons was confirmed by hybridisation with a radioactively labelled V6-probe. Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences indicated that Burkholderia-related bacteria dominated the enriched soil populations under 3CBA stress. In addition, enrichment cultures growing on 3CBA as sole C-source were obtained from the respective spiked soil, which were found to contain bacteria with identical 16S rDNA sequences as those induced by 3CBA stress in soil.

Burkholderia↗