Characterization of a filamentous biofilm community established in a cellulose-fed microbial fuel cell

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are devices that exploit microorganisms to generate electric power from organic matter. Despite the development of efficient MFC reactors, the microbiology of electricity generation remains to be sufficiently understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A laboratory-scale two-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was inoculated with rice paddy field soil and fed cellulose as the carbon and energy source. Electricity-generating microorganisms were enriched by subculturing biofilms that attached onto anode electrodes. An electric current of 0.2 mA was generated from the first enrichment culture, and ratios of the major metabolites (e.g., electric current, methane and acetate) became stable after the forth enrichment. In order to investigate the electrogenic microbial community in the anode biofilm, it was morphologically analyzed by electron microscopy, and community members were phylogenetically identified by 16S rRNA gene clone-library analyses. Electron microscopy revealed that filamentous cells and rod-shaped cells with prosthecae-like filamentous appendages were abundantly present in the biofilm. Filamentous cells and appendages were interconnected via thin filaments. The clone library analyses frequently detected phylotypes affiliated with <it>Clostridiales</it>, <it>Chloroflexi</it>, <it>Rhizobiales </it>and <it>Methanobacterium</it>. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization revealed that the <it>Rhizobiales </it>population represented rod-shaped cells with filamentous appendages and constituted over 30% of the total population.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bacteria affiliated with the <it>Rhizobiales </it>constituted the major population in the cellulose-fed MFC and exhibited unique morphology with filamentous appendages. They are considered to play important roles in the cellulose-degrading electrogenic community.</p

Azimuth Estimations From a Small Aperture Infrasonic Array: Test Observations at Stromboli Volcano, Italy

AbstractWe tested the performance of an infrasonic array consisting of three microphones with a 20‐m aperture at Stromboli volcano, Italy. There were four active vents separated by ∼10∘. We employed multiple signal classification (MUSIC) to estimate direction of arrival (DOA) of the detected signals. Using test signals of which the source vents were identified by visual observation, the resolution of DOA estimation of MUSIC is compared with those of Capon beamforming, grid search, and semblance. We confirmed that MUSIC and grid search gave better resolution of DOA than the other two methods. Also, MUSIC provided the best resolutions in time and frequency. It was shown that the DOA switched between different vents or fluctuated in short time scales and can vary with frequency, which indicate multiple active sources. Possible DOA estimation errors were evaluated. A small aperture infrasonic array combined with MUSIC will become a powerful tool for studying and monitoring active volcanoes

Effects of extended context discrimination training and context extinction on transfer of context dependency of conditioned flavor aversion

We trained rats in a context discrimination paradigm by pairing a sucrose solution with lithium chloride in one context (conditioning context) and simple exposure to the same fluid in a second (neutral) context to establish a context-dependent aversion to the conditioned fluid. We then investigated whether transfer of the context dependency to a test fluid (a sodium chloride solution) was affected by two post-discrimination training treatments, an extended context discrimination training, and non-reinforced exposure to the conditioning context (context extinction). We found that the context-dependent flavor aversion that had been specific to sucrose transferred to the test fluid after the extensive training (Experiment 1). Context extinction eliminated the transfer effect that had been observed immediately after the context discrimination training (Experiment 2). In addition, an aversion acquired by sucrose through a simple conditioning of sucrose-LiCl pairings did not generalize to the test fluid (Experiment 3). These results emphasize the importance of a Pavlovian excitatory association between the conditioning context and nausea as a primary source of transfer of the context dependency, rather than a generalization of aversion acquired by the conditioned fluid to the test fluid. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

JAK inhibition ameliorates bone destruction by simultaneously targeting mature osteoclasts and their precursors

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by chronic inflammation and resultant cartilage/bone destruction because of aberrantly activated osteoclasts. Recently, novel treatments with several Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been shown to successfully ameliorate arthritis-related inflammation and bone erosion, although their mechanisms of action for limiting bone destruction remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of a JAK inhibitor on mature osteoclasts and their precursors by intravital multiphoton imaging. Methods: Inflammatory bone destruction was induced by local injection of lipopolysaccharides into transgenic mice carrying reporters for mature osteoclasts or their precursors. Mice were treated with the JAK inhibitor, ABT-317, which selectively inhibits the activation of JAK1, and then subjected to intravital imaging with multiphoton microscopy. We also used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of the JAK inhibitor on osteoclasts. Results: The JAK inhibitor, ABT-317, suppressed bone resorption by blocking the function of mature osteoclasts and by targeting the migratory behaviors of osteoclast precursors to the bone surface. Further exhaustive RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that Ccr1 expression on osteoclast precursors was suppressed in the JAK inhibitor-treated mice; the CCR1 antagonist, J-113863, altered the migratory behaviors of osteoclast precursors, which led to the inhibition of bone destruction under inflammatory conditions. Conclusions: This is the first study to determine the pharmacological actions by which a JAK inhibitor blocks bone destruction under inflammatory conditions; this inhibition is beneficial because of its dual effects on both mature osteoclasts and immature osteoclast precursors.Yari S., Kikuta J., Shigyo H., et al. JAK inhibition ameliorates bone destruction by simultaneously targeting mature osteoclasts and their precursors. Inflammation and Regeneration 43, 18 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1186/s41232-023-00268-4

地域在住要支援・要介護高齢者を対象とした人間作業モデルに基づく作業同一性質問紙の内容妥当性と表面妥当性

Introduction: Participating in meaningful activities that reflect one’s identity promotes the wellbeing of elderly people. This study aimed to prepare a questionnaire draft to evaluate occupational identity of the elderly and to examine the content and face validity of the questionnaire. Methods: First, we generated questionnaire items to evaluate the occupational identity of elderly people. Second, a content validity study was conducted with experts, using three rounds of the Delphi method. Lastly, the face validity study was undertaken by elderly participants, who reported on whether they could understand the questionnaire. Results: The 50 original questionnaire items were reduced to 21 items with the Delphi method. The items showed item-level content validity index （I-CVI） ranging between 91.7% and 100%, and scale-level CVI with the universal average method （S-CVI/Ave） of 97.4%, which fulfilled the consensus criteria. In the result of the face validity, although none of the items were checked as “Difficult to understand,” there were four items checked as “Difficult to answer.” Accordingly, only one item was corrected. Conclusion: Results suggest that this assessment possesses content and face validity in a sample of elderly people. The questionnaire is likely to allow occupational therapists to gain information about elderly peoples’ occupational identity.東京都立大学学位論文甲第1150号　副論

Vilinska ljubav i licemjerje svijeta. Jean Giraudoux, Ondine, 56. dubrovačke ljetne igre

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Characterization of a filamentous biofilm community established in a cellulose-fed microbial fuel cell"</p><p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/8/6</p><p>BMC Microbiology 2008;8():6-6.</p><p>Published online 10 Jan 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2254626.</p><p></p>he anode chamber (mM); closed diamond, propionate in the anode chamber (mM); open triangle, methane in the anode chamber. Methane concentration was expressed as 'mM equivalent (eq.)' by supposing that all methane was present in the aqueous phase. Broken lines represent times when the anode electrode was transferred to new anode chambers, solid stars indicate times when cellulose (6 g l) was added to the anode chambers, while arrows indicate times when pH in the anode chamber was adjusted to 7.0. The arrowhead indicates the time when the cathode chamber was supplemented with potassium ferricyanide