A Mariner orbiter autopilot design

Mariner orbiter autopilot desig

Photomixotrophic growth of Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 on ferrous iron

This study investigates the role iron oxidation plays in the purple non-sulfur bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003. This organism is unable to grow photoautotrophically on unchelated ferrous iron [Fe(II)] despite its ability to oxidize chelated Fe(II). This apparent paradox was partly resolved by the discovery that SB1003 can grow photoheterotrophically on the photochemical breakdown products of certain ferric iron–ligand complexes, yet whether it could concomitantly benefit from the oxidation of Fe(II) to fix CO_2 was unknown. Here, we examine carbon fixation by stable isotope labeling of the inorganic carbon pool in cultures growing phototrophically on acetate with and without Fe(II). We show that R. capsulatus SB1003, an organism formally thought incapable of phototrophic growth on Fe(II), can actually harness the reducing power of this substrate and grow photomixotrophically, deriving carbon both from organic sources and from fixation of inorganic carbon. This suggests the possibility of a wider occurrence of photoferrotrophy than previously assumed

Geotechnical characterization of trench- and slope sediments off Southern Chile: preliminary results

To understand seismogenesis in shallow parts of subduction zones, it is vital to know about strength and frictional parameters of subducted sediment. For this purpose, PETROTEC, as part of the TIPTEQ-Project, gathers geotechnical data for sediments deposited on the incoming Nazca Plate, the trench and the slope off the southern Chilean coast during the last 5 Ma, and whose equivalents are now being underthrusted into the seismogenic zone beneath South America. Material comes from gravity cores collected during R/V SONNE Cruises SO181 (Flüh E. & Grevemeyer I (Editors) 2005), SO102 (Hebbeln D, Wefer G, et al. 1995) and SO156 (Hebbeln D, et al. 2001), as well as from ODP Leg 141 (Behrmann JH, et al. 1992) drill cores. Sediment strength and frictional properties are determined by triaxial testing, ring shear testing and direct shear testing...conferenc

Ligand-Enhanced Abiotic Iron Oxidation and the Effects of Chemical versus Biological Iron Cycling in Anoxic Environments

This study introduces a newly isolated, genetically tractable bacterium (Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain MAI-1) and explores the extent to which its nitrate-dependent iron-oxidation activity is directly biologically catalyzed. Specifically, we focused on the role of iron chelating ligands in promoting chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by nitrite under anoxic conditions. Strong organic ligands such as nitrilotriacetate and citrate can substantially enhance chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by nitrite at circumneutral pH. We show that strain MAI-1 exhibits unambiguous biological Fe(II) oxidation despite a significant contribution (~30–35%) from ligand-enhanced chemical oxidation. Our work with the model denitrifying strain Paracoccus denitrificans further shows that ligand-enhanced chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by microbially produced nitrite can be an important general side effect of biological denitrification. Our assessment of reaction rates derived from literature reports of anaerobic Fe(II) oxidation, both chemical and biological, highlights the potential competition and likely co-occurrence of chemical Fe(II) oxidation (mediated by microbial production of nitrite) and truly biological Fe(II) oxidation

Investigation of optimization of attitude control systems, volume ii

Attitude control system optimization - computer programs, listings and subroutine

Investigation of optimization of attitude control systems, volume i

Optimization of attitude control systems by development of mathematical model and computer program for space vehicle simulatio

Microbial community dynamics and coexistence in a sulfide-driven phototrophic bloom

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Bhatnagar, S., Cowley, E. S., Kopf, S. H., Pérez Castro, S., Kearney, S., Dawson, S. C., Hanselmann, K., & Ruff, S. E. Microbial community dynamics and coexistence in a sulfide-driven phototrophic bloom. Environmental Microbiome, 15(1),(2020): 3, doi:10.1186/s40793-019-0348-0.Background: Lagoons are common along coastlines worldwide and are important for biogeochemical element cycling, coastal biodiversity, coastal erosion protection and blue carbon sequestration. These ecosystems are frequently disturbed by weather, tides, and human activities. Here, we investigated a shallow lagoon in New England. The brackish ecosystem releases hydrogen sulfide particularly upon physical disturbance, causing blooms of anoxygenic sulfur-oxidizing phototrophs. To study the habitat, microbial community structure, assembly and function we carried out in situ experiments investigating the bloom dynamics over time. Results: Phototrophic microbial mats and permanently or seasonally stratified water columns commonly contain multiple phototrophic lineages that coexist based on their light, oxygen and nutrient preferences. We describe similar coexistence patterns and ecological niches in estuarine planktonic blooms of phototrophs. The water column showed steep gradients of oxygen, pH, sulfate, sulfide, and salinity. The upper part of the bloom was dominated by aerobic phototrophic Cyanobacteria, the middle and lower parts by anoxygenic purple sulfur bacteria (Chromatiales) and green sulfur bacteria (Chlorobiales), respectively. We show stable coexistence of phototrophic lineages from five bacterial phyla and present metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of two uncultured Chlorobaculum and Prosthecochloris species. In addition to genes involved in sulfur oxidation and photopigment biosynthesis the MAGs contained complete operons encoding for terminal oxidases. The metagenomes also contained numerous contigs affiliating with Microviridae viruses, potentially affecting Chlorobi. Our data suggest a short sulfur cycle within the bloom in which elemental sulfur produced by sulfide-oxidizing phototrophs is most likely reduced back to sulfide by Desulfuromonas sp. Conclusions: The release of sulfide creates a habitat selecting for anoxygenic sulfur-oxidizing phototrophs, which in turn create a niche for sulfur reducers. Strong syntrophism between these guilds apparently drives a short sulfur cycle that may explain the rapid development of the bloom. The fast growth and high biomass yield of Chlorobi-affiliated organisms implies that the studied lineages of green sulfur bacteria can thrive in hypoxic habitats. This oxygen tolerance is corroborated by oxidases found in MAGs of uncultured Chlorobi. The findings improve our understanding of the ecology and ecophysiology of anoxygenic phototrophs and their impact on the coupled biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and carbon.This work was carried out at the Microbial Diversity summer course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. The course was supported by grants from National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the US Department of Energy, the Simons Foundation, the Beckman Foundation, and the Agouron Institute. Additional funding for SER was provided by the Marine Biological Laboratory

Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Sputum Can Be Chemically Dynamic, Anoxic, and Extremely Reduced Due to Hydrogen Sulfide Formation

Severe and persistent bacterial lung infections characterize cystic fibrosis (CF). While several studies have documented the microbial diversity within CF lung mucus, we know much less about the inorganic chemistry that constrains microbial metabolic processes and their distribution. We hypothesized that sputum is chemically heterogeneous both within and between patients. To test this, we measured microprofiles of oxygen and sulfide concentrations as well as pH and oxidation-reduction potentials in 48 sputum samples from 22 pediatric patients with CF. Inorganic ions were measured in 20 samples from 12 patients. In all cases, oxygen was depleted within the first few millimeters below the sputum-air interface. Apart from this steep oxycline, anoxia dominated the sputum environment. Different sputum samples exhibited a broad range of redox conditions, with either oxidizing (16 mV to 355 mV) or reducing (−300 to −107 mV) potentials. The majority of reduced samples contained hydrogen sulfide and had a low pH (2.9 to 6.5). Sulfide concentrations increased at a rate of 0.30 µM H_2S/min. Nitrous oxide was detected in only one sample that also contained sulfide. Microenvironmental variability was observed both within a single patient over time and between patients. Modeling oxygen dynamics within CF mucus plugs indicates that anoxic zones vary as a function of bacterial load and mucus thickness and can occupy a significant portion of the mucus volume. Thus, aerobic respiration accounts only partially for pathogen survival in CF sputum, motivating research to identify mechanisms of survival under conditions that span fluctuating redox states, including sulfidic environments

Investigation of the Lightest Hybrid Meson Candidate with a Coupled-Channel Analysis of pˉp\bar{p}p-, π−p\pi^- p- and ππ\pi\pi-Data

Based on new insights from two recent coupled-channel analyses of $\bar{p}p$ annihilation together with $\pi\pi$-scattering data and of $\pi^- p$ data, this paper aims at a better understanding of the spin-exotic $\pi_1$ resonances in the light meson sector. The Crystal Barrel Collaboration observed the $\pi_1$-wave in $\bar{p}p$ annihilations in flight for the first time with the coupling to $\pi^0\eta$ in the reaction $\bar{p}p\,\rightarrow\,\pi^0\pi^0\eta$ with a sophisticated coupled-channel approach. Another refined coupled-channel analysis of the P- and D-waves in the $\pi\eta$ and $\pi\eta^\prime$ system based on data measured at COMPASS has been performed by the JPAC group. In that study the two spin-exotic signatures listed in the PDG, the $\pi_1(1400)$ and $\pi_1(1600)$, with a separate coupling to $\pi\eta$ and $\pi\eta^\prime$ can be described by a single pole. In this paper, both analyses, the one with the three $\bar{p}p$ annihilation channels into $\pi^0\pi^0\eta$, $\pi^0\eta\eta$ and $K^+K^-\pi^0$ and 11 different $\pi\pi$-scattering data sets and the one with the P- and D-wave data in the $\pi\eta$ and $\pi\eta^\prime$ systems measured at COMPASS, are subjected to a combined coupled channel analysis. By utilizing the K-matrix approach and realizing the analyticity via Chew-Mandelstam functions the $\pi_1$ wave can be well described by a single pole for both systems, $\pi\eta$ and $\pi\eta^\prime$. The mass and width of the $\pi_1$-pole are measured to be (1561.6 \, \pm \, 3.0 \, ^{+6.6}_{-2.6}\,)\, \mathrm{MeV/c}^2 and (388.1 \, \pm \, 5.4 \, ^{+0.2}_{-14.1}\,)\, \mathrm{MeV}.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Lack of IL‐6 augments inflammatory response but decreases vascular permeability in bacterial meningitis

Interleukin (IL)‐6 is a multifunctional cytokine with diverse actions and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many neurological and inflammatory disorders. In this study, we investigated the role of IL‐6 in pneumococcal meningitis. Cerebral infection in wild‐type (WT) mice caused an increase in vascular permeability and intracranial pressure (ICP), which were significantly reduced in IL‐6-/- mice. In contrast, meningitis in IL‐6-/- mice was associated with a significant increase in CSF white blood cell count compared with infected WT mice, indicating an enhanced inflammatory response. Analysis of mRNA expression in the brain showed an increase in tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, IL‐1β, and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 (MIP‐2) levels, but decreased expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony‐stimulating factor in infected IL‐6-/- mice compared with infected WT controls. Similar results were obtained when rats challenged with pneumococci were systemically treated with neutralizing anti‐IL‐6 antibodies, resulting in an increased pleocytosis but at the same time a reduction of vascular permeability, brain oedema formation, and ICP, which was not accompanied by a downregulation of matrix metalloproteinases. Our data indicate that IL‐6 plays an important anti‐inflammatory role in bacterial meningitis by reducing leukocyte infiltration but contributes to the rise in intracranial pressure by increasing blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. These findings suggest that the migration of leukocytes across the BBB and the increase in vascular permeability are two independent processes during bacterial meningiti