New ITS applications for metropolitan areas based on Floating Car Data

The paper describes a couple of FCD based vehicular traffic applications and services. This new method is especially beneficial for regions with a poor traffic monitoring infrastructure because the necessary monetary effort to establish such a system is very small in comparison to conventional systems and it is flexible and easily adaptable to other regions. Particularly, emerging markets like China with a fast-changing road network and a high penetration of lat-est information technologies on one side but with serious foreseeable traffic related problems on the other side can surely profit from this approach. The new data collection and analysing methods result in better performance of the services enhance the scope of the services and hopefully enlarge user acceptance. All of the proposed solutions are prototypes and not all of them have been extensively tested up to now. Certainly, specific data processing methods need further research, some refinements and calibrations. Additionally, some applications still suffer from insufficient data penetration. Nevertheless, the approach is very general and it is very likely that FCD availability will sharply increase in near future and will enhance the quality of services

Kytococcus aerolatus sp. nov., isolated from indoor air in a room colonized with moulds

A Gram-positive, coccoid bacterial isolate (02-St-019/1(T)), forming beige pigmented colonies was obtained from an indoor air sample. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies it was determined that this isolate 02-St-019/1(T) belonged to the genus Kytococcus, showing sequence similarties of 98.6% to Kytococcus schroeteri DSM 13884(T) and 98.3% to Kytococcus sedentarius DSM 20547(T), respectively. The diagnostic diaminoacid of the peptidoglycan was lysine, cell wall sugars were ribose and xylose. The major menaquinones detected were MK-7 and MK-8. The polar lipid profile consisted of the major phospholipids diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. Fatty acid patterns were composed of major amounts of the iso- and anteiso-branched fatty acids anteiso C(17:0), iso C(15:0) and iso C(17:0) and unsaturated fatty acids (C(17:1) omega8c, iso C(17:1) omega9c, and C(17:1) omega8c) with smaller amounts of the straight-chain fatty acids C(15:0), C(16:0) and C(17:0). The results of DNA-DNA hybridizations and physiological and biochemical tests clearly allowed a genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain 02-St-019/1(T) from the two described Kytococcus species. On the basis of these results a novel species to be named Kytococcus aerolatus sp. nov., is proposed, with the type strain 02-St-019/1(T) (=DSM 22179(T)=CCM 7639(T))

Orthotrichum (Orthotrichaceae, Bryopsida) in Pakistan

A first critical survey of the genus Orthotrichum in Pakistan is provided. The currently known geographical distributions of the species and their ecologies within Pakistan are discussed. The bryophyte collection from Pakistan contains eight species of the genus Orthotrichum. One of these, O. obtusifolium, is reported here for the first time from that country, whilst the occurrence of the other seven species is confirmed. Pseudoleskeella tectorum, associated with O. crenulatum, is also reported here from Pakistan for the first time. Comments on the specimens and a key to allow identification of all eleven species presently known from Pakistan are provided

Detection of Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula by quantitative Real-Time PCR

The thermophilic actinomycete species Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula has been associated with the exogen allergic alveolitis (EAA). EAA is caused by the inhalation of high amounts of airborne spores that can be found for example in environments of agricultural production, compost facilities, mushroom cultivation rooms, or rooms with technical air moistening. Because of the medical relevance of S. rectivirgula, a reliable detection system is needed. Therefore, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) primer system was designed, targeting the 16S rRNA gene of the type strain S. rectivirgula DSM 43747T and six other S. rectivirgula reference strains. Our investigation showed that S. rectivirgula presumably own four operons of the 16S rRNA gene, which has to be considered for estimation of cell equivalents. Furthermore, the DNA recovery efficiency from these strains was tested in combination with bioaerosol or material sample as well as the influence of non-target DNA to the recovery rate. Results showed a recovery DNA efficiency of 7–55%. The recovery rate of DNA in a mixture with non-target DNA resulted in ~87%. In summary, a high amplification efficiency using real-time PCR was found, for which estimated concentrations revealed cell numbers of 2.7 × 105 cells m-3 in bioaerosol and 2.8 × 106 cells g-1 fw-1 in material samples from a duck house. The specificity of the new developed quantification system was shown by generation of two clone libraries from bioarosol samples, from a duck house, and from a composting plant. Totally, the results clearly show the specificity and practicability of the established qPCR assay for detection of S. rectivirgula

Analysis of Actinobacteria from mould-colonized water damaged building material

Mould-colonized water damaged building materials are frequently co-colonized by actinomycetes. Here, we report the results of the analyses of Actinobacteria on different wall materials from water damaged buildings obtained by both cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent methods. Actinobacteria were detected in all but one of the investigated materials by both methods. The detected concentrations of Actinobacteria ranged between 1.8 x 10(4) and 7.6 x 10(7) CFUg(-1) of investigated material. A total of 265 isolates from 17 materials could be assigned to 31 different genera of the class Actinobacteria on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. On the basis of the cultivation-independent approach, 16S rRNA gene inserts of 800 clones (50%) were assigned to 47 different genera. Representatives of the genera Streptomyces, Amycolatopsis, Nocardiopsis, Saccharopolyspora, Promicromonospora, and Pseudonocardia were found most frequently. The results derived from both methods indicated a high abundance and variety of Actinobacteria in water damaged buildings. Four bioaerosol samples were investigated by the cultivation-based approach in order to compare the communities of Actinobacteria in building material and associated air samples. A comparison of the detected genera of bioaerosol samples with those directly obtained from material samples resulted in a congruent finding of 9 of the overall 35 detected genera (25%), whereas four genera were only detected in bioaerosol samples

Citricoccus parietis sp. nov., isolated from a mould-colonized wall and emended description of Citricoccus alkalitolerans Li et al. 2005

A Gram-positive, coccoid-shaped organism (strain 02-Je-010T), forming yellow-pigmented colonies was isolated from the wall of an indoor environment. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies, it was shown that strain 02-Je-010T belongs to the genus Citricoccus with sequence similarities of 98.9?% to Citricoccus alkalitolerans DSM 15665T and 98.6?% to Citricoccus muralis DSM 14442T. Cell-wall sugars were mannose and glucose. The diagnostic diamino acid of the peptidoglycan was lysine. The major menaquinones detected were MK-9(H2) and MK-8(H2). The polar lipid profile consisted of the major lipids diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol and moderate amounts of two unknown phospholipids and two unknown glycolipids. The fatty acid profile comprised major amounts of anteiso-C15?:?0, anteiso-C17?:?0 and iso-C15?:?0. All these data supported the affiliation of strain 02-Je-010T to the genus Citricoccus. The results of DNA–DNA hybridization and physiological and biochemical tests allowed genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain 02-Je-010T from the two recognized Citricoccus species. For these reasons, strain 02-Je-010T represents a novel species, for which the name Citricoccus parietis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain 02-Je-010T (=CCUG 57388T=CCM 7609T)

Microlunatus parietis sp. nov., isolated from an indoor wall

A Gram-positive, coccoid, non-endospore-forming actinobacterium (strain 12-Be-011T) was isolated from indoor wall material. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, strain 12-Be-011T was clearly shown to belong to the genus Microlunatus and was most closely related to Microlunatus panaciterrae Gsoil 954T (95.7 %), Microlunatus soli CC-12602T (94.9 %), Microlunatus ginsengisoli Gsoil 633T (94.8 %), Microlunatus aurantiacus YIM 45721T (95.5 %) and Microlunatus phosphovorus DSM 10555T (94.7 %). The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained ll-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. Mycolic acids were absent. The major menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two unknown phospholipids and one unknown glycolipid. The major fatty acids of iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0 supported the affiliation of strain 12-Be-011T to the genus Microlunatus. Physiological and biochemical test results allowed a clear phenotypic differentiation of strain 12-Be-011T from all other species of the genus Microlunatus. Hence, strain 12-Be-011T can be regarded as a representative of a novel species, for which the name Microlunatus parietis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain 12-Be-011T (=DSM 22083T=CCM 7636T)