Effect of Atriplex Halimus with Mineral and Organic Fertilization on the Proportion of Proteins and Soluble Sugars of Potato Tuber in the Salt Stress

Abstract Context: In agricultural areas that suffer from an increase in salinity in the soil or irrigation water, the farmer complains of a lack of yield despite the use of improvement techniques such as fertilization. Therefore, we suggest using a biological method to reduce these forms in the cultivation of halophytic plants. Objective: This work aims to study the effect of Atriplex halimus on proteins and soluble sugars in potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) under salt stress. Methods: After water and soil analysis, we planted the A. halimus In each hole three to four plants of the age of two months in rows between the potatoes, after harvesting the tubers, we dried them, Four samples were taken from all untreated potato tubers Atriplex halimus ( a witness Organic fertilizers and mineral fertilizers (urea and phosphorus)) and treatment with Atriplex halimus ( a witness Organic fertilizers and mineral fertilizers (urea and phosphorus)), then measured the percentage of soluble sugars, based on the phenol method to read the spectrophotometer at the wavelength of 490 nm, also for proteins, first we prepared the reagents and then we measured the absorbance at 750 nm using a spectrophotometer. Resultants and conclusions: The results recorded showing a decrease in soluble sugars in the phosphorus and A. halimus interaction, compared to the other interactions: With regard to proteins, an increase was recorded in the interactions A. halimus urea, A. halimus phosphorus fertilizer, and A. halimus organic fertilizer compared to the other interactions, and this is due to the effect of the culture of A. halimus on the stres saline. Significance: The Atriplex halimus has a major role in reducing the salinity rate in the soil. Experience has proven that the cultured of Halophyte plante with potatoes and the addition of fertilizers, especially phosphorous and urée fertiliser, lead to improving the production observed from the lack of salt stress represented by the increase in proteins and the decrease in sugars in the potato tuber

“Fecal microbiome in epidemiologic studies” - Letter

We congratulate Sinha et al. on their recent report (1) comparing fecal sample collection methods for epidemiologic studies of the gut microbiome. These data contribute to the increasing body of literature describing robust methodological frameworks for specimen collection and processing (2, 3). However, their claim that fixation of stool using RNAlater® results in “considerable changes to the microbiome diversity” contrasts with previous findings (2, 3), including those from their earlier reports (4, 5). We have previously demonstrated that self-collected stool stabilized with RNAlater® or other fixatives yields high fidelity and reproducibility in compositional profiling of DNA and RNA from shotgun sequence data, compared to immediately-frozen specimens (3). Additionally, fixation offers several distinct advantages crucial for large-scale population-based studies: a straightforward self-collection procedure; sample stabilization without deep-freezing during shipping, receiving, and processing; and versatility for multiple molecular analyses. The authors’ finding that specimens preserved in RNAlater® had poor correlation with immediately frozen specimens (1) could be explained, for example, by improper fixation resulting from an excess of specimen relative to preservative volume (1–2 g:2.5 ml, compared to the manufacturer-recommended ratio of 1 g:5–10 ml; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA)

Shiga toxin 2 overexpression in Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains associated with severe human disease

Variation in disease severity among Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections may result from differential expression of Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2). Eleven strains belonging to four prominent phylogenetic clades, including clade 8 strains representative of the 2006 U.S. spinach outbreak, were examined for stx2 expression by real-time PCR and western blot analysis. Clade 8 strains were shown to overexpress stx2 basally, and following induction with ciprofloxacin when compared to strains from clades 1-3. Differences in stx2 expression generally correlated with Stx2 protein levels. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified in regions upstream of stx2AB in clade 8 strains were largely absent in non-clade 8 strains. This study concludes that stx2 overexpression is common to strains from clade 8 associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome, and describes SNPs which may affect stx2 expression and which could be useful in the genetic differentiation of highly-virulent strains.Microbiology and Molecular Genetic

“Fecal microbiome in epidemiologic studies” - Letter

We congratulate Sinha et al. on their recent report (1) comparing fecal sample collection methods for epidemiologic studies of the gut microbiome. These data contribute to the increasing body of literature describing robust methodological frameworks for specimen collection and processing (2, 3). However, their claim that fixation of stool using RNAlater® results in “considerable changes to the microbiome diversity” contrasts with previous findings (2, 3), including those from their earlier reports (4, 5). We have previously demonstrated that self-collected stool stabilized with RNAlater® or other fixatives yields high fidelity and reproducibility in compositional profiling of DNA and RNA from shotgun sequence data, compared to immediately-frozen specimens (3). Additionally, fixation offers several distinct advantages crucial for large-scale population-based studies: a straightforward self-collection procedure; sample stabilization without deep-freezing during shipping, receiving, and processing; and versatility for multiple molecular analyses. The authors’ finding that specimens preserved in RNAlater® had poor correlation with immediately frozen specimens (1) could be explained, for example, by improper fixation resulting from an excess of specimen relative to preservative volume (1–2 g:2.5 ml, compared to the manufacturer-recommended ratio of 1 g:5–10 ml; Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Waltham, MA)

Role of School Principals in Raising Political Awareness of Social Science Teachers in Arab High Schools within the Green Line and its Relationship with Organizational Citizenship Behavior دور مديري المدارس الثانوية في رفع الوعي السياسي لدى معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية في المدارس العربية داخل الخط الأخضر وعلاقته بسلوك المواطنة التنظيمية لديهم

Abstract: The study aimed to identify the role of school principals in raising political awareness among teachers of social sciences in Arab secondary schools and its relationship to organizational citizenship behavior in order to achieve the objectives of the study and to answer its questions. The correlational descriptive survey methodology was used. The study sample consisted of (351) teachers. The results showed that the role of school principals in raising political awareness from the viewpoint of social sciences teachers in Arab schools within the Green Line was moderate. The results also showed that the level of organizational citizenship behavior among social sciences teachers in Arab secondary schools within the green line were high, and the results showed that there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the role of school principals and the citizenship behavior of social sciences teachers in Arab secondary schools within the green line. ملخص: هدفت الدراسة الكشف عن دور مديري المدارس في رفع الوعي السياسيّ لدى معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية في المدارس الثانويّة العربيّة وعلاقته بسلوك المواطنة التنظيميّة لتحقيق أهداف الدراسة وللإجابة عن أسئلتها تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي المسحي الارتباطي، اشتملت العينة على (351) معلماً ومعلمة، أظهرت النتائج أن دور مديري المدارس في رفع الوعي السياسيّ من وجهة نظر معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية في المدارس العربيّة داخل الخط الأخضر كان متوسطا، كما أظهرت النتائج ان مستوى سلوك المواطنة التنظيميّة لدى معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية في المدارس الثانويّة العربيّة داخل الخط الأخضر كان كبيراً، كما تبين من النتائج وجود علاقة ارتباطية موجبة دالة إحصائياً بين دور مديري المدارس وسلوك المواطنة لدى معلمي الدراسات الاجتماعية في المدارس الثانويّة العربيّة داخل الخط الأخضر

Genomic diversity of pathogenic Escherichia coli of the EHEC 2 clonal complex

BACKGROUND: Evolutionary analyses of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) have identified two distantly related clonal groups: EHEC 1, including serotype O157:H7 and its inferred ancestor O55:H7; and EHEC 2, comprised of several serogroups (O26, O111, O118, etc.). These two clonal groups differ in their virulence and global distribution. Although several fully annotated genomic sequences exist for strains of serotype O157:H7, much less is known about the genomic composition of EHEC 2. In this study, we analyzed a set of 24 clinical EHEC 2 strains representing serotypes O26:H11, O111:H8/H11, O118:H16, O153:H11 and O15:H11 from humans and animals by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) on an oligoarray based on the O157:H7 Sakai genome. RESULTS: Backbone genes, defined as genes shared by Sakai and K-12, were highly conserved in EHEC 2. The proportion of Sakai phage genes in EHEC 2 was substantially greater than that of Sakai-specific bacterial (non-phage) genes. This proportion was inverted in O55:H7, reiterating that a subset of Sakai bacterial genes is specific to EHEC 1. Split decomposition analysis of gene content revealed that O111:H8 was more genetically uniform and distinct from other EHEC 2 strains, with respect to the Sakai O157:H7 gene distribution. Serotype O26:H11 was the most heterogeneous EHEC 2 subpopulation, comprised of strains with the highest as well as the lowest levels of Sakai gene content conservation. Of the 979 parsimoniously informative genes, 15% were found to be compatible and their distribution in EHEC 2 clustered O111:H8 and O118:H16 strains by serotype. CGH data suggested divergence of the LEE island from the LEE1 to the LEE4 operon, and also between animal and human isolates irrespective of serotype. No correlation was found between gene contents and geographic locations of EHEC 2 strains. CONCLUSION: The gene content variation of phage-related genes in EHEC 2 strains supports the hypothesis that extensive modular shuffling of mobile DNA elements has occurred among EHEC strains. These results suggest that EHEC 2 is a multiform pathogenic clonal complex, characterized by substantial intra-serotype genetic variation. The heterogeneous distribution of mobile elements has impacted the diversification of O26:H11 more than other EHEC 2 serotypes

Metatranscriptome of human faecal microbial communities in a cohort of adult men

The gut microbiome is intimately related to human health, but it is not yet known which functional activities are driven by specific microorganisms\u27 ecological configurations or transcription. We report a large-scale investigation of 372 human faecal metatranscriptomes and 929 metagenomes from a subset of 308 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. We identified a metatranscriptomic \u27core\u27 universally transcribed over time and across participants, often by different microorganisms. In contrast to the housekeeping functions enriched in this core, a \u27variable\u27 metatranscriptome included specialized pathways that were differentially expressed both across participants and among microorganisms. Finally, longitudinal metagenomic profiles allowed ecological interaction network reconstruction, which remained stable over the six-month timespan, as did strain tracking within and between participants. These results provide an initial characterization of human faecal microbial ecology into core, subject-specific, microorganism-specific and temporally variable transcription, and they differentiate metagenomically versus metatranscriptomically informative aspects of the human faecal microbiome

Increased Adherence and Expression of Virulence Genes in a Lineage of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Commonly Associated with Human Infections

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7, a food and waterborne pathogen, can be classified into nine phylogenetically distinct lineages, as determined by single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. One lineage (clade 8) was found to be associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure and death in some cases, particularly young children. Another lineage (clade 2) differs considerably in gene content and is phylogenetically distinct from clade 8, but caused significantly fewer cases of HUS in a prior study. Little is known, however, about how these two lineages vary with regard to phenotypic traits important for disease pathogenesis and in the expression of shared virulence genes.Here, we quantified the level of adherence to and invasion of MAC-T bovine epithelial cells, and examined the transcriptomes of 24 EHEC O157:H7 strains with varying Shiga toxin profiles from two common lineages. Adherence to epithelial cells was >2-fold higher for EHEC O157:H7 strains belonging to clade 8 versus clade 2, while no difference in invasiveness was observed between the two lineages. Whole-genome 70-mer oligo microarrays, which probe for 6088 genes from O157:H7 Sakai, O157:H7 EDL 933, pO157, and K12 MG1655, detected significant differential expression between clades in 604 genes following co-incubation with epithelial cells for 30 min; 186 of the 604 genes had a >1.5 fold change difference. Relative to clade 2, clade 8 strains showed upregulation of major virulence genes, including 29 of the 41 locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island genes, which are critical for adherence, as well as Shiga toxin genes and pO157 plasmid-encoded virulence genes. Differences in expression of 16 genes that encode colonization factors, toxins, and regulators were confirmed by qRT-PCR, which revealed a greater magnitude of change than microarrays.These findings demonstrate that the EHEC O157:H7 lineage associated with HUS expresses higher levels of virulence genes and has an enhanced ability to attach to epithelial cells relative to another common lineage

Stability of the human faecal microbiome in a cohort of adult men

Characterizing the stability of the gut microbiome is important to exploit it as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker. We metagenomically and metatranscriptomically sequenced the faecal microbiomes of 308 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants provided four stool samples—one pair collected 24–72 h apart and a second pair ~6 months later. Within-person taxonomic and functional variation was consistently lower than between-person variation over time. In contrast, metatranscriptomic profiles were comparably variable within and between subjects due to higher within-subject longitudinal variation. Metagenomic instability accounted for ~74% of corresponding metatranscriptomic instability. The rest was probably attributable to sources such as regulation. Among the pathways that were differentially regulated, most were consistently over- or under-transcribed at each time point. Together, these results suggest that a single measurement of the faecal microbiome can provide long-term information regarding organismal composition and functional potential, but repeated or short-term measures may be necessary for dynamic features identified by metatranscriptomics

Faecal metabolome and its determinants in inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the intestine, comprising Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. By characterising metabolites in faeces, combined with faecal metagenomics, host genetics and clinical characteristics, we aimed to unravel metabolic alterations in IBD.DESIGN: We measured 1684 different faecal metabolites and 8 short-chain and branched-chain fatty acids in stool samples of 424 patients with IBD and 255 non-IBD controls. Regression analyses were used to compare concentrations of metabolites between cases and controls and determine the relationship between metabolites and each participant's lifestyle, clinical characteristics and gut microbiota composition. Moreover, genome-wide association analysis was conducted on faecal metabolite levels.RESULTS: We identified over 300 molecules that were differentially abundant in the faeces of patients with IBD. The ratio between a sphingolipid and L-urobilin could discriminate between IBD and non-IBD samples (AUC=0.85). We found changes in the bile acid pool in patients with dysbiotic microbial communities and a strong association between faecal metabolome and gut microbiota. For example, the abundance of Ruminococcus gnavus was positively associated with tryptamine levels. In addition, we found 158 associations between metabolites and dietary patterns, and polymorphisms near NAT2 strongly associated with coffee metabolism.CONCLUSION: In this large-scale analysis, we identified alterations in the metabolome of patients with IBD that are independent of commonly overlooked confounders such as diet and surgical history. Considering the influence of the microbiome on faecal metabolites, our results pave the way for future interventions targeting intestinal inflammation.</p