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PubMed2006

Microbial reductive dechlorination of weathered and exogenous co-planar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an anaerobic sediment of Venice Lagoon.

The occurrence of reductive dechlorination processes towards pre-existing PCBs and five exogenous coplanar PCBs were investigated in a contaminated sediment of Porto Marghera (Venice Lagoon, Italy) suspended, under strictly anaerobic conditions, in water collected from the same site. PCB dechlorination started after five months of incubation, when sulfate initially occurring in the microcosms was completely depleted and methanogenesis was in progress. It was ascribed to sulfate-reducing bacteria. Several pre-existing hexa-, penta- and tetra-chlorinated biphenyls were slowly bioconverted into tri- and di-, ortho-substituted PCBs from the 5th to the 16th month of experiment. Spiked coplanar PCBs, i.e., 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 3,3',4,4',5- and 2,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyls, 3,3',4,4',5,5'- and 2,3,3',4,4',5-hexachlorobiphenyls, were extensively transformed (by about 90%) into lower chlorinated congeners, such as 3,3',5,5'-/2,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 3,3',5-, 2,4,4'-, 2,3',4- and 2,3',5-trichlorobiphenyl, 3,4-/3,4'- and 3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl and 2-chlorobiphenyl. The reductive dechlorination of spiked PCBs did not influence significantly the biotransformation rate and extent of pre-existing PCBs.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2006

Bioavailability and degradation of phenanthrene in compost amended soils.

Bioavailability in soil of organic xenobiotics such as phenanthrene is limited by mechanisms of diffusion of the xenobiotics within soil micropores and organic matter. The agricultural utilization of compost may reduce the risk connected to organic xenobiotic contamination by means of: (i) a reduction of the bioavailable fraction through an increased adsorption and (ii) an enhanced degradation of the remaining bioavailable fraction through an inoculum of degrading microorganisms. Aim of this work is to test this hypothesis by assessing the effects of compost amendment on the bioavailability and degradation of phenanthrene in soil. Experiments were carried out in both sterilized and non-sterilized conditions, and chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out in order to determine the extent of degradation and bioavailability and to monitor the evolution of the soil micro flora in time. Bioavailability was assessed in sterilized microcosms, in order to assess the physical effects of compost on aging processes without the influence of microbial degradation. Results showed that bioavailability is significantly reduced in soils amended with compost, although no differences were found at the 2 doses of compost studied. In non-sterilized soils the amount of phenanthrene degraded was always higher in the amended soils than in the non-amended one. Microbiological analyses confirmed the presence of a higher number of phenanthrene degraders in the amended soils and in samples of compost alone. These results suggest that compost induces the degradation in soils of easily degradable compounds such as phenanthrene, when the proper bacteria are in the compost; more resistant xenobiotics may instead be trapped by the compost organic matter, thus becoming less available.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2004

The effect of spatial heterogeneity and parasites on the evolution of host diversity.

Both spatial heterogeneity and exploiters (parasites and predators) have been implicated as key ecological factors driving population diversification. However, it is unclear how these factors interact. We addressed this question using the common plant-colonizing bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, which has been shown to diversify rapidly into spatial niche-specialist genotypes when propagated in laboratory microcosms. Replicate populations were evolved in spatially homogeneous and heterogeneous environments (shaken and static microcosms, respectively) with and without viral parasites (bacteriophage) for approximately 60 bacterial generations. Consistent with previous findings, exploiters reduced diversity in heterogeneous environments by relaxing the intensity of resource competition. By contrast, exploiters increased diversity in homogeneous environments where there was little diversification through resource competition. Competition experiments revealed this increase in diversity to be the result of fitness trade-offs between exploiter resistance and competitive ability. In both environments, exploiters increased allopatric diversity, presumably as a result of divergent selection for resistance between populations. Phage increased total diversity in homogeneous environments, but had no net effect in heterogeneous environments. Such interactions between key ecological variables need to be considered when addressing diversification and coexistence in future studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Transport of Wild-Type and Recombinant Nucleopolyhedroviruses by Scavenging and Predatory Arthropods.

Wild-type and recombinant nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) were compared in their capability to be transported over limited distances by the predator Podisus maculiventris (Say) and scavengers Sarcophaga bullata (Parker) and Acheta domesticus (Linnaeus) in Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) larvae infesting collards in a greenhouse microcosm. Viruses tested were variants of Autographa californica (Speyer) NPV (AcNPV): wild-type virus (AcNPV.WT), AcNPV expressing a scorpion toxin (AcNPV.AaIT), and AcNPV expressing juvenile hormone esterase (AcJHE.SG). Podisus maculiventris transported AcNPV.WT and S. bullata transported AcNPV.WT and AcNPV.AaIT. Prevalence and transport of AcNPV.WT were greater than those of AcNPV.AaIT and AcJHE.SG, regardless of whether the nontarget organism carriers were present or absent. Podisus maculiventris and S. bullata transported recombinant and wild-type NPVs at a rate of up to 62.5 cm/day, and A. domesticus transported wild-type NPV at 125 cm/day. The infected host insects, T. ni, undoubtedly contributed to viral transport in the current research. In every experiment, both the wild-type and recombinant virus spread to some degree in the plots without predators or scavengers. The relative amounts of NPVs that accumulated in soil, as indicated by bioassay mortality percentages, generally exhibited spatial patterns similar to those of T. ni mortality due to NPV on the collards plants. Thus, the predator and scavengers in the current research demonstrated some capacity to transport wild-type as well as recombinant viruses at significant rates in a greenhouse microcosm.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Commentary: patient-centered care, the sine qua non of collaborative medicine.

Collaborative medicine requires practitioners and disciplines with varied training and philosophies to work together toward a common clinical goal. Distinct differences between the various practitioners and disciplines can serve as both opportunities for synergy and barriers to collaboration. There must be a clear and compelling reason that motivates different practitioners and disciplines to do the hard work needed to overcome barriers to collaboration. Patient-centered care is the compelling reason, the defining characteristic that must underlie all collaborative medicine efforts. The practical application of this principle is illustrated by the experience of a large health care system (Catholic Health Initiatives). From a complexity theory standpoint, patient-centered care and collaboration can be thought of as simple rules that guide desirable behaviors in a complex system. The application of these two simple rules is as relevant in the microcosm of collaborative medicine as it is in the larger macrocosm of health care.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMed2005

The use of terrestrial and aquatic microcosms and mesocosms for the ecological risk assessment of veterinary medicinal products.

In this paper, we investigate the applicability of experimental model ecosystems (microcosms and mesocosms) for the ecological risk assessment of veterinary medicinal products (VMPs). VMPs are used in large quantities, but the assessment of associated risks to the environment is limited, although they are continually infused into the environment via a number of routes. It is argued that the experience obtained by pesticide research largely can be used when evaluating VMPs, although there are several major differences between pesticides and pharmaceuticals (e.g., knowledge of their mechanisms of action on nontarget organisms). Also, because microorganisms are often the target organisms of VMPs, risk assessment should focus more on endpoints describing functional processes. This paper provides a review of the current risk assessment schemes of Europe and North America along with examples of experiments already performed with veterinary medicinal products in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem models. We suggest that some of the approaches developed for pesticide risk assessment can be used for VMPs and offer suggestions for the development of a framework for ecological risk assessment of VMPs.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Environmental colour affects aspects of single-species population dynamics.

Single-species populations of ciliates (Colpidium and Paramecium) experienced constant temperature or white or reddened temperature fluctuations in aquatic microcosms in order to test three hypotheses about how environmental colour influences population dynamics. (i) Models predict that the colour of population dynamics is tinged by the colour of the environmental variability. However, environmental colour had no effect on the colour of population dynamics. All population dynamics in this experiment were reddened, regardless of environmental colour. (ii) Models predict that populations will track reddened environmental variability more closely than white environmental variability and that populations with a higher intrinsic growth rate (r) will track environmental variability more closely than populations with a low r. The experimental populations behaved as predicted. (iii) Models predict that population variability is determined by interaction between r and the environmental variability. The experimental populations behaved as predicted. These results show that (i) reddened population dynamics may need no special explanation, such as reddened environments, spatial subdivision or interspecific interactions, and (ii) and (iii) that population dynamics are sensitive to environmental colour, in agreement with population models. Correct specification of the colour of the environmental variability in models is required for accurate predictions. Further work is needed to study the effects of environmental colour on communities and ecosystems.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Transfer of TN916-like elements in microcosm dental plaques.

Microcosm dental plaques were grown from an inoculum of human saliva in a constant-depth film fermentor. The inoculum contained four tetracycline-resistant streptococcal species, each of which contained a Tn916-like element. This element was shown to transfer to other streptococci both in filter-mating experiments and within the biofilms in the fermentor.

Biofilms↗
PubMed2005

Dissipation of oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, tetracycline and doxycycline using HPLC-UV and LC/MS/MS under aquatic semi-field microcosm conditions.

A mixture of four tetracyclines; oxytetracycline (OTC), chlortetracycline (CTC), tetracycline (TC), and doxycycline (DC) was applied in fifteen 12000l outdoor microcosms at four treatment levels plus controls each with three replicates (n = 3). The dissipation times of parent compounds were monitored and half-lives (DT50) of 1-4 days, depending on treatment level were recorded. This is in accordance with half-lives from previous findings in bench-top experiments. Parent compound DT50, were determined using HPLC-UV. Furthermore, the samples were analyzed for ten different tetracycline products using LC/MS/MS. Two products were found for chlortetracycline; 4-epi-anh-chlortetracyline and the iso-chlortetracycline. Iso-forms were only found for CTC and only at the highest treatment (300 microg l(-1)). The half-lives, trajectories, and relative amounts of the products were analogous for all four tetracyclines. DT50 for products were less than 1.2 days. Formation of 4-epi-anh-tetracyclines, occurred at neutral to weak alkaline conditions.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1998

Factors affecting the resting pH of in vitro human microcosm dental plaque and Streptococcus mutans biofilms.

The aim was to examine factors that potentially control the resting pH, defined as the pH unaffected by meals, of microcosm dental plaques and Streptococcus mutans biofilms under standard conditions, and to examine the effect of supplying urea at concentrations found intraorally. Microcosm plaques were cultured from plaque bacteria-enriched saliva in an 'artificial mouth' with a continuous supply of a medium including 0.25% mucin [Basal Medium Mucin, (BMM), 3.6 ml/hr per plaque] and a periodic supply of sucrose. The steady-state resting pH was 6.4 (range +/- 0.1) in BMM containing no urea and supplied at the standard flowrate. This is a robust property of the ecosystem. In one experiment with a replicated (n = 9) set of measurements, the resting pH was approx. pH 6.3, 6.4, 6.7 and 7.3 with 0, 1, 5 and 20 mmol/l urea in the BMM. The magnitude of sucrose- and urea-induced pH responses was unaffected by elevating the resting pH to produce parallel pH curves. The sucrose-induced pH curves were analogous to those classically reported by Stephan that showed an association between caries activity and increasingly acidic plaque pH responses to glucose. Stopping the BMM flow caused a pH rise, indicating continuing net alkali generation from BMM components in the absence of a fluid flow. Step. mutans monoculture biofilms had an acidic resting pH of 5.0 to 5.3, which increased to 6.8 following an adventitious superinfection by Bacillus cereus. It was concluded that the resting pH in plaque results from a delicate balance between alkali and acid generation, which is in turn dependent both on the bacterial composition of the plaque and on the supply of substrates and buffers from, and metabolite clearance into, flowing oral fluid. In vivo the resting pH will vary with site-specific changing saliva flows. Urea continuously supplied at concentrations normal for saliva and gingival crevicular fluid can raise the resting pH of microcosm plaque by an amount tat in vivo would probably be significant in reducing dental caries.

Acids↗
PubMed1997

Effect of oligochaete bioturbation on sediment accumulation of 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl.

The influence of clay content, organic carbon, and bioturbation on sediment accumulation of 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB) was investigated in microcosms. Four types of sediments differing in porosity, density, organic carbon, and clay content were used in the study. The sediments, with or without oligochaete bioturbation, were exposed for 100 days to water with a constant concentration of 14C-labeled TCB, in a continuous-flow system. The hypothesis for the experiment was that bioturbation would enhance the accumulation rate of TCB by redistributing the sediment particles and/or by changing the physical properties, e.g., porosity of the sediment, in a way that would increase the diffusion rate. The highest accumulation was found in sediments of low organic carbon content. No effect of clay content was found. Contrary to the hypothesis, bioturbation did not increase sediment accumulation of TCB. Instead, the sediment accumulation could be explained by retarded diffusion, a combined effect of the processes of adsorption and diffusion.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2004

Growth substrate selection and biodegradation of PCP by New Zealand white-rot fungi.

Nine New Zealand native white-rot fungi were studied for their ability to grow and survive on different substrates formulated from bark, wheat straw, sawdust, apple pomace and maize products in order to identify their pentachlorophenol (PCP) biodegradation potential and to select a fungal carrier for bioaugmentation of polluted soils. Isolates were also evaluated to mineralize (14)C-PCP in liquid culture and in soil. The American fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium outgrew the native fungi on the substrates tested, but the high colonisation did not result in superior PCP dechlorination as measured by chloride release. Whilst Trametes versicolor inocula produced on wheat straw and SCS (sawdust-corn meal-starch-mix) gave the highest chloride release, colonization of these two substrates as measured by biological potential was lower compared to the pomace and pomace-sawdust-mix. Neither lignin peroxidase nor manganese peroxidase production were measured for New Zealand white-rot fungi during the experiments. Laccase was the only enzyme detected. In liquid culture, the mineralisation rate was higher for T. versicolor isolates compared to P. chyrysoporium. Very little to no pentachloroanisole (PCA) was captured in the volatile fraction of T. versicolor isolates, whereas 75% of the volatile fraction of P. chrysosporium consisted of PCA. The soil microcosms studies, using contaminated soil from a timber treatment site, clearly showed that the New Zealand T. versicolor isolates mineralized PCP. Degradation of PCP in non-sterile soil was higher in the presence of white-rot fungi than in soil without white-rot fungus. This demonstrates that viable white-rot fungus is necessary for significant PCP degradation and that T. versicolor isolates showed PCP remediation potential. Wheat straw and SCS could be suitable carriers for New Zealand native T. versicolor isolates for bioremediation of PCP polluted soil sites.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗
PubMed1997

Role of temperature on isoproturon bioaccumulation and effects on two freshwater rooted macrophytes: Elodea densa and Ludwigia natans.

The effects of temperature on the bioaccumulation of the phenylurea herbicide isoproturon (IPU) and on the growth inhibition induced on two freshwater rooted macrophytes--Elodea densa and Ludwigia natans--were investigated using indoor microcosms. The experimental protocol was based on five temperatures (12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 degrees C) and two contamination levels of the water column (30 and 60 micrograms IPU.liter-1), plus a control condition. Variations in temperature had little effect on the decrease in [IPU] in the water column during the 21-day experiment. The IPU concentration in the two macrophyte species was not significantly modified by the large range of temperatures when results were expressed using the concentration criterion. IPU burdens in the E. densa cuttings, on the other hand, increased significantly when the temperature rose from 12 to 28 degrees C; small differences were observed between the two exposure conditions, in relation to the antagonistic effects of IPU and temperature on the growth of the cuttings. Bioconcentration factors in the plants (stems + leaves) were close to 10 and 13 after exposure to 30 and 60 micrograms IPU.liter-1, respectively.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2003

Solubilization of inorganic phosphate and plant growth promotion by cold tolerant mutants of Pseudomonasfluorescens.

A study for screening and selection of cold tolerant mutants of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains GRS1, PRS9 and ATCC13525 based on 'P' solubilization ability and subsequent effect on plant growth promotion under in vitro and in situ conditions was conducted. Of all the mutants tested, two were selected, as there was a 21-fold increase in CRPF, (GRS, mutant) and a 10-fold decrease in CRPF7 (PRS9 mutant) over their respective wild types. Under in vitro conditions at 10 degrees C, these cold tolerant mutants exhibited increased plant growth indicating their functionality at low temperature. Subsequently, greenhouse trials using soil-plant microcosms were conducted which revealed that CRPF, (high 'P' solubilizer) was a good rhizosphere colonizer showing a significant increase in root (30 and 20%) and shoot length (20 and 24%) of mung bean, both in sterilized and unsterilized soil, respectively. On the contrary, CRPF, (low 'P' solubilizer) did not stimulate plant growth. Furthermore, sand experiments indicated that tricalcium phosphate served as better phosphorus source for CRPF2 treated mung bean seeds.

Cold Temperature↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of aqueous extracts from leaves and leaf litter on the abundance and diversity of soil gymnamoebae in laboratory microcosm cultures.

The distribution and abundance of microbiota in soil and litter may be significantly affected by the quality and quantity of localized patches of leaf organic matter. This study examined the relative effects of aqueous extracts of shed autumn leaves from American beech (Fagus grandifolia), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red oak (Quercus rubra), and white oak (Quercus alba) on the density and diversity of gymnamoebae in laboratory cultures. Overall, the beech leaf extract produced the most growth of gymnamoebae followed by white oak with leaf extracts from maple and red oak producing least growth. Cultures using natural leaf litter from beneath beech trees had higher densities and diversity of gymnamoebae than leaf-litter cultures from a maple-oak stand. Soil microcosms confirmed that beech leaf extracts produced a higher density of gymnamoeba growth when added to soil cultures compared with maple and oak leaf extracts. Protein content, CHN (carbon and nitrogen content), and pH of the leaf extracts were assayed, but these alone were not sufficiently different to account for the effects. A dilution experiment indicated that some other concentration-dependent factor in the extract may produce the effects.

Amoebida↗
PubMed1982

Interactions of bacterial and amoebal populations in soil microcosms with fluctuating moisture content.

Sterilized soil samples (20 g of soil per 50-ml flask), amended with 600 mug of glucose-carbon and 60 mug of NH(4)-N . g of dry soil, were inoculated with bacteria (Pseudomonas paucimobilis) alone or with bacteria and amoebae (Acanthamoeba polyphaga). We used wet-dry treatments, which involved air drying the samples to a moisture content of approximately 2% and remoistening the samples three times during the 83-day experiment. Control treatments were kept moist. In the absence of amoebae, bacterial populations were reduced by the first drying to about 60% of the moist control populations, but the third drying had no such effect. With amoebae present, bacterial numbers were not significantly affected by the dryings. Amoebal grazing reduced bacterial populations to 20 to 25% of the ungrazed bacterial populations in both moisture treatments. Encystment was an efficient survival mechanism for amoebae subjected to wet-dry cycles. The amoebal population was entirely encysted in dry soil, but the total number of amoebae was not affected by the three dryings. Growth efficiencies for amoebae feeding on bacteria were 0.33 and 0.39 for wet-dry and constantly moist treatments, respectively, results that compared well with those previously reported for Acanthamoeba spp.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Atrazine, Deethylatrazine, and Deisopropylatrazine Persistence Measured in Groundwater in Situ under Low-Oxygen Conditions.

The degradation of atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-triazine], deethylatrazine [DEA; 2-amino-4-chloro-6-(isopropylamino)-1,3,5-triazine], and deisopropylatrazine [DIA; 2-amino-4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine] was assessed under limited oxygen conditions using in situ microcosms. Denitrification was induced in a shallow sand and gravel aquifer to measure the potential for degradation of atrazine, DEA, and DIA under low-O(2) conditions. The dissolved oxygen content decreased from 7-8 mg/L to </=1 mg/L within 4 days and remained less, similar3 mg/L for the remainder of the 45-day experiment. Atrazine, DEA, and DIA concentrations (normalized to the bromide concentration at each sampling time to account for dilution) did not show a significant decrease with time, indicating that these compounds are relatively stable under the low-O(2) conditions induced in the aquifer. Although removal of one alkyl group has been proposed as the rate-limiting step in atrazine degradation, no transformation of either monodealkylated metabolite (DEA or DIA) was observed in this study.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Induction of the viable but non-culturable condition in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in liquid microcosms and sterile soil.

Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris was examined for the ability to enter the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) state. When nutrients were removed from a bacterial culture, the culturability dropped to undetectable levels within 6 weeks while the concentration of viable cells remained above 10(5) cells ml(-1). Addition of cupric sulfate facilitated this process. When bacteria were placed in autoclaved soil, culturability dropped by at least four logs within 5 days of the experiment while the concentration of viable cells remained at least two logs higher. These results indicate that the plant pathogen X. campestris can enter the VBNC condition in sterile soil and in liquid cultures and that cupric sulfate decreases the time for entry into the VBNC condition.

Journal Article↗