Isolation & Characterization of Bacteria in the Built Environment: Measuring The Effect of Pharmaceuticals on Growth

This work reports the isolation and characterization of bacteria from the built environment at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA. Surfaces of a water fountain on campus were swabbed and serially streaked to isolate multiple bacteria on R2A agar. Following multiple rounds of growth, the unknown microbial candidates were narrowed to two visibly­distinct organisms. Morphological characterization and phylogenetic identification based on 16S rDNA sequencing revealed that the isolates were Chryseobactierum hispalense and Microbacterium maritypicum. We report synergistic biofilm formation between Chryseobactierum hispalense and Microbacterium maritypicum. The contamination of drinking water with varying levels of personal care products and pharmaceuticals (PCPPs) is well documented. Additionally, these environmental pollutants and their derivatives affect aquatic life, as illustrated with effect of the antidepressant fluoxetine on mudsnails. To determine if previously reported contaminants affect freshwater bacteria, we assessed both planktonic growth and biofilm formation following exposure to nalidixic acid (non­fluorinated quinolone antibiotic), diphenhydramine (over­the­counter drug Benadryl), and fluoxetine (Prozac)

Fusion to green fluorescent protein improves expression levels of Theileria parva sporozoite surface antigen p67 in insect cells

East Coast fever (ECF) is a fatal disease of cattle caused by the protozoan parasite Theileria parva. The development of a subunit vaccine, based on the sporozoite-specific surface antigen p67, has been hampered by difficulties in achieving high-level expression of recombinant p67 in a near-authentic form. Therefore two sets of recombinant baculovirus vectors were constructed. The first set, encoding various regions of p67, produced low levels of the corresponding p67 domains in High Five™ cells, despite the presence of large amounts of p67 RNA. The second, consisting of p67 domains fused to the carboxy-terminus of GFP expressed significantly higher levels of p67 protein. The GFP[ratio]p67 fusion proteins were recognized by a sporozoite-neutralizing monoclonal antibody (TpM12) raised against native p67 whereas non-fused full length p67 expressed in insect cells was not recognized. GFP-tagging therefore, appeared to enhance the stability of p67 and to conserve its folding. The high-level expression of p67 domains in a more authentic form is an important step towards the development of an effective subunit vaccine against ECF

Prophetic Economic Model and Global Economic Systems: A Critical Assessment

In recent times, debilitating economic crises had sought to cripple some of the developed nations of the world, especially across Europe and the United States. This has been in spite of the advancement in the frontiers of knowledge of economics from which evolved such basic systems as capitalism and socialism, with their various derivatives and manifestations, toward making not only individual life but corporate entities and governance as meaningful as they could possibly be. Against this background, the paper critically examines the principles and practice of the two broad contemporary economic systems vis-à-vis the economics enunciated by Prophet Muhammad. The paper concludes with the recommendation of the Prophetic model as the panacea for not only contemporary challenges but those which man has yet to envision. Keywords: capitalism. socialism. economic systems. prophetic panace

Feasibility of the physiological cost index as an outcome measure for the assessment of energy expenditure during walking

Objective: To determine if the Physiological Cost Index (PCI) can be recommended as an outcome measure in clinical trials. Design: Three assessments were performed, 2 with shoes, 1 without. The difference between walking with shoes and walking barefoot was used to study the ability of the PCI to detect a change in the criterion standard. Setting: A research department affiliated with a rehabilitation hospital in the Netherlands. Participants: Twelve children with cerebral palsy. Interventions: During the first and third assessments, the children walked with shoes. During the intermediate assessment, the children walked without shoes. Main Outcome Measures: Breath-by-breath oxygen uptake, heart rate (HR), and walking speed were measured at a self-selected comfortable speed. Oxygen cost (EO2) and the PCI were subsequently calculated offline. Feasibility judgments were made regarding the ability of the PCI to detect changes in a criterion standard and the statistical power of the outcome measure. Results: Pearson correlation coefficients were .66 and .62 for HRwalking-HRbaseline and HRwalking, respectively. The smallest detectable difference of the PCI and EO2 were 69% and 32%, respectively. A difference of at least 69% or 32% should be found before one can conclude a difference with a certainty of 95%. Conclusions: The reproducibility of the PCI and the ability to show small differences in EO2 were moderate. Subtracting HRbaseline when calculating the PCI is probably not useful because it only increased within-subject variability. With respect to statistical power of a new clinical trial, we recommend using EO2 instead of the PCI

A potential substitute for agar in routine cultural work on fungi and bacteria

Agar was first used by Fanny Eilshemius Hessc in 1881 (Hitchens and Leikind 1939) as a solidifying agent in the preparation of bacteriological culture media. Subsequently, agar has been used in Increasing quantities in microbiological laboratories all over the world. Agar is a gelatinous complex polsaccharide obtain from such marine algae as Gelidiella sp Gracilaria sp.................

Important Disease Problems of Kabuli Chickpea

Both types of chickpeas, kabuli and dcsi, arc affcctcd by thc samc rangc of pathogcns. Discascs that arc more important in thc kabuli chickpca-growing rcpions arc: ascochyta blight (Ascocltyta rabiei), botrytis gray mould (Borryris cinerea), fusarium and vcrticillium wilts (Fusarium atysponmt and Ve~ficillirlmo lbo-atnrnt), collar and root rots (Scleroriurn mljsii, Rhizocfottia hufuricolo, Fusaritor~ solani, Rltizocrottiu sokutti and Qrhilrtrt ~rlfirr~ror~), stunt (bcan lcaf roll virus) and ncmatodcs. Whilc foliar discascs such as ascochya blight and botrytis gray mould havc hccn rcsponsiblc for devastating crops in diffcrcnt countries in ccrtain years, soil-hornc discascs such as fuaarium wilt and collar and root rots havc causcd lcss spectacular I)ut consihtcnt d;tmagc. This papcr gives LI Ijricf itccount of thc important discascs of kabuli chickpca with spccial rcfcrcncc to cconomic importance, hiolom and cpidcmiology, and control. The prcscnt status on ~hcav ;tilahili~yo f sourccs of gcnctic rcsistancc to various discascs is discussed

A Case For Induced Mutation In Chickpea For Ascochyta Blight Resistance

Chickpea (Cicer aria tin at L.) is an important grain leguae grown in several coiaitries. Blight caused by Ascochyta rebiol (Pass] Labrousse Is widespread and results In considerable losses in several countries (2, 5, S, 8, 11, 12, 14, IS, 17, 19, 22, 26, 29, 30, 51, 33, 35, 36, 38, and 40). Extensive efforts have been aade by earlier workers to identify resistance sources and aaniadxe losses through the development of resistant/tolerant varieties (1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 16, 20 21, 23, 2S, 28, 34, 36, and 38). Host of the screening work has been carried out in fields, either in areas where natural epiphytotics occur or through artificial field inoculations in areas where the disease is not always severe (13, 16, 24, 25, 32, and 37)

Influence of sterility mosaic resistant pigeonpeas on multiplication of the mite vector

Pigeonpea lines resistant to the causal agent of sterility mosaic did not permit continued multiplication of its eriophyid mite vector, Aceria cajani. Resistance to the causal agent and lack -of continued multiplication of the mite vector on these lines are expected to provide greater stability of resistance to the disease...

Preliminary information on chickpea stunt

The name chickpea stunt is introduced for a disease of Cicer arietinum that is described from Andhra Pradesh, and occurs at various other places in India, and in Turkey and Iran. Attempts to transmit the causal agent through sap, graft and dodder failed, but it was repeatedly transmitted in the laboratory by the aphid Aphis craccivora Koch. After acquisition feeding periods of from 0.5 h to 4 days and inoculation feeding periods of 48 h, symptoms developed in test plants after 20-45 days, the success in transmission varying from 25 to 80%.ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT:A condition in chickpeas called 'wilt complex' and now named chickpea stunt, prevalent in central and N. India, caused fewer pods to develop/plant and a reduction in seed yield of up to 80%/infected plant. Possible causes of chickpea stunt are discussed; it can be transmitted by Aphis craccivor