Specific-heat study on successive magnetic transitions in α-Dy2S3 single crystals under magnetic fields

Specific heat measurements in magnetic fields have been performed on !-Dy2S3 single crystal that shows successive magnetic transitions at TN1 = 11.4 K and TN2 = 6.4 K. The specific heat in no magnetic field exhibits sharp peaks at both temperatures of TN1 and TN2.The change of magnetic entropy across each transition is estimated as Rln2/2 per mol-Dy,which suggests magnetic moments on only one Dy site between two crystallographically inequivalent Dy sites order at each transition temperature. When the magnetic field is applied along the b-axis of the orthorhombic system, two peaks of the specific heat shift toward lower temperatures. On the other hand, the magnetic field perpendicular to the b-axis shifts the peaks toward higher temperatures. The TN1 shifts to 9.6 K (H// b) and 12.5 K (H⊥b) under the magnetic field of 2 T. The peak of TN2 broadens gradually with increasing magnetic field for each direction, and the peak is consequently obscure under the field of 2 T

Genomic Analysis of Two Phylogenetically Distinct Nitrospira Species Reveals Their Genomic Plasticity and Functional Diversity

The genus Nitrospira represents a dominant group of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in natural and engineered ecosystems. This genus is phylogenetically divided into six lineages, for which vast phylogenetic and functional diversity has been revealed by recent molecular ecophysiological analyses. However, the genetic basis underlying these phenotypic differences remains largely unknown because of the lack of genome sequences representing their diversity. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of Nitrospira, we performed genomic comparisons between two Nitrospira strains (ND1 and NJ1 belonging to lineages I and II, respectively) previously isolated from activated sludge. In addition, the genomes of these strains were systematically compared with previously reported six Nitrospira genomes to reveal their similarity and presence/absence of several functional genes/operons. Comparisons of Nitrospira genomes indicated that their genomic diversity reflects phenotypic differences and versatile nitrogen metabolisms. Although most genes involved in key metabolic pathways were conserved between strains ND1 and NJ1, assimilatory nitrite reduction pathways of the two Nitrospira strains were different. In addition, the genomes of both strains contain a phylogenetically different urease locus and we confirmed their ureolytic activity. During gene annotation of strain NJ1, we found a gene cluster encoding a quorum-sensing system. From the enriched supernatant of strain NJ1, we successfully identified seven types of acyl-homoserine lactones with a range of C10–C14. In addition, the genome of strain NJ1 lacks genes relevant to flagella and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated genes) systems, whereas most nitrifying bacteria including strain ND1 possess these genomic elements. These findings enhance our understanding of genomic plasticity and functional diversity among members of the genus Nitrospira

Specific-heat study on successive magnetic transitions in α-Dy2S3 single crystals under magnetic fields

application/pdfSpecific heat measurements in magnetic fields have been performed on !-Dy2S3 single crystal that shows successive magnetic transitions at TN1 = 11.4 K and TN2 = 6.4 K. The specific heat in no magnetic field exhibits sharp peaks at both temperatures of TN1 and TN2.The change of magnetic entropy across each transition is estimated as Rln2/2 per mol-Dy,which suggests magnetic moments on only one Dy site between two crystallographically inequivalent Dy sites order at each transition temperature. When the magnetic field is applied along the b-axis of the orthorhombic system, two peaks of the specific heat shift toward lower temperatures. On the other hand, the magnetic field perpendicular to the b-axis shifts the peaks toward higher temperatures. The TN1 shifts to 9.6 K (H// b) and 12.5 K (H⊥b) under the magnetic field of 2 T. The peak of TN2 broadens gradually with increasing magnetic field for each direction, and the peak is consequently obscure under the field of 2 T

Clinical evaluation of a non-purified direct molecular assay for the detection of Clostridioides difficile toxin genes in stool specimens.

Recently, a new rapid assay for the detection of tcdB gene of Clostridioides difficile was developed using the GENECUBE. The assay can directly detect the tcdB gene from stool samples without a purification in approximately 35 minutes with a few minutes of preparation process. We performed a prospective comparative study of the performance of the assay at eight institutions in Japan. Fresh residual stool samples (Bristol stool scale ≥5) were used and comparisons were performed with the BD MAX Cdiff assay and toxigenic cultures. For the evaluation of 383 stool samples compared with the BD MAX Cdiff assay, the sensitivity, and specificity of the two assays was 99.0% (379/383), 98.1% (52/53), 99.1% (327/330), respectively. In the comparison with toxigenic culture, the total, sensitivity, and specificity were 96.6% (370/383), 85.0% (51/60), and 98.8% (319/323), respectively. The current investigation indicated the GENECUBE Clostridioides difficile assay has equivalent performance with the BD MAX Cdiff assay for the detection of tcdB gene of C. difficile