Multiplication of <i>ampC</i> upon Exposure to a Beta-Lactam Antibiotic Results in a Transferable Transposon in <i>Escherichia coli</i>

Plasmids play a crucial role in spreading antimicrobial resistance genes. Plasmids have many ways to incorporate various genes. By inducing amoxicillin resistance in Escherichia coli, followed by horizontal gene transfer experiments and sequencing, we show that the chromosomal beta-lactamase gene ampC is multiplied and results in an 8–13 kb contig. This contig is comparable to a transposon, showing similarities to variable regions found in environmental plasmids, and can be transferred between E. coli cells. As in eight out of nine replicate strains an almost completely identical transposon was isolated, we conclude that this process is under strict control by the cell. The single transposon that differed was shortened at both ends, but otherwise identical. The outcome of this study indicates that as a result of exposure to beta-lactam antibiotics, E. coli can form a transposon containing ampC that can subsequently be integrated into plasmids or genomes. This observation offers an explanation for the large diversity of genes in plasmids found in nature and proposes mechanisms by which the dynamics of plasmids are maintained

Preparation and ferroelectric properties of (124)-oriented SrBi4Ti4O15 ferroelectric thin film on (110)-oriented LaNiO3 electrode

A (124)-oriented SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBTi) ferroelectric thin film with high volume fraction of {\alpha}SBTi(124)=97% was obtained using a metal organic decomposition process on SiO2/Si substrate coated by (110)-oriented LaNiO3 (LNO) thin film. The remanent polarization and coercive field for (124)-oriented SBTi film are 12.1 {\mu}C/cm2 and 74 kV/cm, respectively. No evident fatigue of (124)-oriented SBTi thin film can be observed after 1{\times}10e9 switching cycles. Besides, the (124)-oriented SBTi film can be uniformly polarized over large areas using a piezoelectric-mode atomic force microscope. Considering that the annealing temperature was 650{\deg}C and the thickness of each deposited layer was merely 30 nm, a long-range epitaxial relationship between SBTi(124) and LNO(110) facets was proposed. The epitaxial relationship was demonstrated based on the crystal structures of SBTi and LNO.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, published in Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics (JMSE), 19 (2008), 1031-103

Zn and Fe concentration variations of grain and flag leaf and the Relationship with NAM-G1 Gene in Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. ssp. timopheevii

Grains of 12 accessions of Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. ssp. timopheevii (AAGG, 2n = 4x = 28) and one bread wheat cultivar Chinese Spring (CS) and one durum wheat cultivar Langdon (LDN) grown across two years were analyzed for grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations. All the 12 tested T. timopheevii ssp. timopheevii genotypes showed significantly higher concentration of grain Fe and Zn than CS and LDN. Aboundant genetic variability of both the Fe and Zn concentrations was observed among the T. timopheevii ssp. timopheevii accessions, averagely varied from 47.06 to 90.26 mg kg−1 and from 30.05 to 65.91 mg kg−1, respectively. Their grain Fe and Zn concentrations between years exhibited a significantly positive correlation with the correlation coefficients r = 0.895 and r = 0.891, respectively, indicating the highly genetic stability. Flag leaf possessed twice or three times higher concentrations for both Fe and Zn than grain, and a significantly high positive correlation appeared between the two organs with r = 0.648 for Fe and r = 0.957 for Zn concentrations, respectively, suggesting flag leaves might be indirectly used for evaluating grain Zn and Fe contents. Significant correlations occurred between grain Fe and Zn concentrations, and between grain Zn concentration and the two agronomic traits of plant height and number of spikelets per spike. Both the concentrations were not related to seed size or weight as well as NAM-G1 gene, implying the higher grain Fe and Zn concentrations of T. timopheevii ssp. timopheevii species are not ascribed to concentration effects of seed and the genetic control of NAM-G1 gene. There might be some other biological factors impacting the grain’s Zn and Fe concentrations. These results indicated T. timopheevii ssp. timopheevii species might be a promising genetic resource with high Fe and Zn concentrations for the biofortification of current wheat cultivars

Bone turnover markers to explain changes in lumbar spine BMD with abaloparatide and teriparatide: results from ACTIVE.

Summary Early PINP changes correlate with 18-month lumbar spine BMD changes and the correlation was greater with abaloparatide versus teriparatide. The uncoupling index was similar between the two agents. Introduction We evaluated the relationship between early PINP changes and subsequent changes in spine BMD following abaloparatide and teriparatide treatments. We also explored the use of an “uncoupling index” (UI), the balance between bone formation and bone resorption, which we hypothesised would be similar in response to these treatment groups. Methods Blood samples were taken for measurement of bone turnover markers (BTMs) s-PINP and s-CTX at baseline, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months from 189 abaloparatide patients and 227 teriparatide patients randomly selected from all participants who completed the study. BMD was measured by DXA at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. Correlations were calculated between log ratio of BTMs from baseline to 3 months and percent change from baseline in BMD at 18 months. A UI was calculated using log transformation and subtraction of the standard deviate for s-CTX from the standard deviate for s-PINP for each patient. Results Early BTM changes were associated with subsequent BMD changes for both treatments. Pearson correlations for the log ratio of PINP over baseline at 3 months and BMD percent change from baseline at 18 months were larger (P < 0.0001) with abaloparatide (r = 0.561) than teriparatide (r = 0.198). The mean UI at 1 month was greater for abaloparatide versus teriparatide (1.743 and 1.493, respectively; P = 0.03) but was similar at 3 months or later time points. Conclusions Early s-PINP changes correlate with percentage change in lumbar spine BMD 18 months after treatment with both abaloparatide and teriparatide, though the correlation with abaloparatide was greater. The UI was similar between abaloparatide and teriparatide suggesting that the balance between formation and resorption markers was similar

The classification of irreducible admissible mod p representations of a p-adic GL_n

Let F be a finite extension of Q_p. Using the mod p Satake transform, we define what it means for an irreducible admissible smooth representation of an F-split p-adic reductive group over \bar F_p to be supersingular. We then give the classification of irreducible admissible smooth GL_n(F)-representations over \bar F_p in terms of supersingular representations. As a consequence we deduce that supersingular is the same as supercuspidal. These results generalise the work of Barthel-Livne for n = 2. For general split reductive groups we obtain similar results under stronger hypotheses.Comment: 55 pages, to appear in Inventiones Mathematica

The K-theoretic Farrell-Jones Conjecture for hyperbolic groups

We prove the K-theoretic Farrell-Jones Conjecture for hyperbolic groups with (twisted) coefficients in any associative ring with unit.Comment: 33 pages; final version; to appear in Invent. Mat

A new fractional-order chaotic system with its analysis, synchronization, and circuit realization for secure communication applications

YesThis article presents a novel four-dimensional autonomous fractional-order chaotic system (FOCS) with multi-nonlinearity terms. Several dynamics, such as the chaotic attractors, equilibrium points, fractal dimension, Lyapunov exponent, and bifurcation diagrams of this new FOCS, are studied analytically and numerically. Adaptive control laws are derived based on Lyapunov theory to achieve chaos synchronization between two identical new FOCSs with an uncertain parameter. For these two identical FOCSs, one represents the master and the other is the slave. The uncertain parameter in the slave side was estimated corresponding to the equivalent master parameter. Next, this FOCS and its synchronization were realized by a feasible electronic circuit and tested using Multisim software. In addition, a microcontroller (Arduino Due) was used to implement the sug-gested system and the developed synchronization technique to demonstrate its digital applicability in real-world applications. Furthermore, based on the developed synchronization mechanism, a secure communication scheme was constructed. Finally, the security analysis metric tests were investigated through histograms and spectrograms analysis to confirm the security strength of the employed communication system. Numerical simulations demonstrate the validity and possibility of using this new FOCS in high-level security communication systems. Furthermore, the secure communication system is highly resistant to pirate attacks. A good agreement between simulation and experimental results is obtained, showing that the new FOCS can be used in real-world applications

Does accelerating universe indicates Brans-Dicke theory

The evolution of universe in Brans-Dicke (BD) theory is discussed in this paper. Considering a parameterized scenario for BD scalar field $\phi=\phi_{0}a^{\alpha}$ which plays the role of gravitational "constant" $G$, we apply the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to investigate a global constraints on BD theory with a self-interacting potential according to the current observational data: Union2 dataset of type supernovae Ia (SNIa), high-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) data, observational Hubble data (OHD), the cluster X-ray gas mass fraction, the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO), and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. It is shown that an expanded universe from deceleration to acceleration is given in this theory, and the constraint results of dimensionless matter density $\Omega_{0m}$ and parameter $\alpha$ are, $\Omega_{0m}=0.286^{+0.037+0.050}_{-0.039-0.047}$ and $\alpha=0.0046^{+0.0149+0.0171}_{-0.0171-0.0206}$ which is consistent with the result of current experiment exploration, $\mid\alpha\mid \leq 0.132124$. In addition, we use the geometrical diagnostic method, jerk parameter $j$, to distinguish the BD theory and cosmological constant model in Einstein's theory of general relativity.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure

Organic nitrate aerosol formation via NO³ + biogenic volatile organic compounds in the southeastern United States

Gas- and aerosol-phase measurements of oxidants, biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and organic nitrates made during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS campaign, Summer 2013) in central Alabama show that a nitrate radical (NO₃) reaction with monoterpenes leads to significant secondary aerosol formation. Cumulative losses of NO₃ to terpenes are correlated with increase in gasand aerosol-organic nitrate concentrations made during the campaign. Correlation of NO₃ radical consumption to organic nitrate aerosol formation as measured by aerosol mass spectrometry and thermal dissociation laser-induced fluorescence suggests a molar yield of aerosol-phase monoterpene nitrates of 23–44 %. Compounds observed via chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) are correlated to predicted nitrate loss to BVOCs and show C₁₀H₁₇NO₅, likely a hydroperoxy nitrate, is a major nitrate-oxidized terpene product being incorporated into aerosols. The comparable isoprene product C₅H₉NO₅ was observed to contribute less than 1% of the total organic nitrate in the aerosol phase and correlations show that it is principally a gas-phase product from nitrate oxidation of isoprene. Organic nitrates comprise between 30 and 45% of the NOy budget during SOAS. Inorganic nitrates were also monitored and showed that during incidents of increased coarse-mode mineral dust, HNO₃ uptake produced nitrate aerosol mass loading at a rate comparable to that of organic nitrate produced via NO₃ CBVOCs