Search results for "EB"
showing 10 items of 15658 documents
Direct identification of microorganisms from thioglycolate broth by MALDI-TOF MS.
2017
We developed an easy MALDI-TOF MS-based assay to identify microorganisms directly from thioglycolate broth. A total of 101 positive thioglycolate broths inoculated with 15 different kinds of samples were evaluated. In 91 samples (90.1%), direct MALDI-TOF MS identifications were the same as those obtained after conventional laboratory procedures including subcultures. In 10 samples misidentified by direct processing, yeasts or mixed cultures grew in the thioglycolate subcultures, or high cellular debris hampered a correct analysis. This rapid method can provide a fast, clinically- relevant species-level identification without disturbing the daily workflow in clinical microbiology laboratorie…
Transcriptional Differences between Diapausing and Non-Diapausing D. montana Females Reared under the Same Photoperiod and Temperature
2016
Background A wide range of insects living at higher latitudes enter diapause at the end of the warm season, which increases their chances of survival through harsh winter conditions. In this study we used RNA sequencing to identify genes involved in adult reproductive diapause in a northern fly species, Drosophila montana. Both diapausing and non-diapausing flies were reared under a critical day length and temperature, where about half of the emerging females enter diapause enabling us to eliminate the effects of varying environmental conditions on gene expression patterns of the two types of female flies. Results RNA sequencing revealed large differences between gene expression patterns of…
Spike-wave discharges in absence epilepsy: segregation of electrographic components reveals distinct pathways of seizure activity.
2020
Key points The major electrophysiological hallmarks of absence seizures are spike and wave discharges (SWDs), consisting of a sharp spike component and a slow wave component. In a widely accepted scheme, these components are functionally coupled and reflect an iterative progression of neuronal excitation during the spike and post-excitatory silence during the wave. In a genetic rat model of absence epilepsy, local pharmacological inhibition of the centromedian thalamus (CM) selectively suppressed the spike component, leaving self-contained waves in epidural recordings. Thalamic inputs induced activity in cortical microcircuits underlying the spike component, while intracortical oscillations…
Circadian clock of Drosophila montana is adapted to high variation in summer day lengths and temperatures prevailing at high latitudes
2016
Photoperiodic regulation of the circadian rhythms in insect locomotor activity has been studied in several species, but seasonal entrainment of these rhythms is still poorly understood. We have traced the entrainment of activity rhythm of northern Drosophila montana flies in a climate chamber mimicking the photoperiods and day and night temperatures that the flies encounter in northern Finland during the summer. The experiment was started by transferring freshly emerged females into the chamber in early and late summer conditions to obtain both non-diapausing and diapausing females for the studies. The locomotor activity of the females and daily changes in the expression levels of two core …
The ascidian Styela plicata hemocytes as a potential biomarker of marine pollution: In vitro effects of seawater and organic mercury.
2017
Toxic metals, such as mercury, contribute substantially to anthropogenic pollution in many estuarine environments. Animals living in those environments, particularly invertebrate filter feeders like tunicates, can be used as bioindicators. In an attempt to identify cellular markers for revealing pollution, this study examined in vitro the effects of different concentrations of methyl mercury on Styela plicata hemocytes. The harvested hemocytes from S. plicata that were exposed to the metal had a significant mortality, cellular count and morphometric alterations. These findings provided evidence of MeHg immunotoxic effects on S. plicata, resulting in hemocyte death and morphological changes …
KnotGenome: a server to analyze entanglements of chromosomes.
2018
Abstract The KnotGenome server enables the topological analysis of chromosome model data using three-dimensional coordinate files of chromosomes as input. In particular, it detects prime and composite knots in single chromosomes, and links between chromosomes. The knotting complexity of the chromosome is presented in the form of a matrix diagram that reveals the knot type of the entire polynucleotide chain and of each of its subchains. Links are determined by means of the Gaussian linking integral and the HOMFLY-PT polynomial. Entangled chromosomes are presented graphically in an intuitive way. It is also possible to relax structure with short molecular dynamics runs before the analysis. Kn…
Mitochondrial DNA Replacement Techniques to Prevent Human Mitochondrial Diseases.
2021
Background: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diseases are a group of maternally inherited genetic disorders caused by a lack of energy production. Currently, mtDNA diseases have a poor prognosis and no known cure. The chance to have unaffected offspring with a genetic link is important for the affected families, and mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs) allow them to do so. MRTs consist of transferring the nuclear DNA from an oocyte with pathogenic mtDNA to an enucleated donor oocyte without pathogenic mtDNA. This paper aims to determine the efficacy, associated risks, and main ethical and legal issues related to MRTs. Methods: A bibliographic review was performed on the MEDLINE and Web of S…
Dynamic evolution of mitochondrial genomes in Trebouxiophyceae, including the first completely assembled mtDNA from a lichen-symbiont microalga (Treb…
2019
AbstractTrebouxiophyceae (Chlorophyta) is a species-rich class of green algae with a remarkable morphological and ecological diversity. Currently, there are a few completely sequenced mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) from diverse Trebouxiophyceae but none from lichen symbionts. Here, we report the mitochondrial genome sequence of Trebouxia sp. TR9 as the first complete mtDNA sequence available for a lichen-symbiont microalga. A comparative study of the mitochondrial genome of Trebouxia sp. TR9 with other chlorophytes showed important organizational changes, even between closely related taxa. The most remarkable change is the enlargement of the genome in certain Trebouxiophyceae, which is princ…
Release of copper-amended particles from micronized copper-pressure-treated wood during mechanical abrasion
2016
Background We investigated the particles released due to abrasion of wood surfaces pressure-treated with micronized copper azole (MCA) wood preservative and we gathered preliminary data on its in vitro cytotoxicity for lung cells. The data were compared with particles released after abrasion of untreated, water (0% MCA)-pressure-treated, chromated copper (CC)-pressure-treated wood, and varnished wood. Size, morphology, and composition of the released particles were analyzed. Results Our results indicate that the abrasion of MCA-pressure-treated wood does not cause an additional release of nanoparticles from the unreacted copper (Cu) carbonate nanoparticles from of the MCA formulation. Howev…
Ubiquitous giants: a plethora of giant viruses found in Brazil and Antarctica
2018
Background Since the discovery of giant viruses infecting amoebae in 2003, many dogmas of virology have been revised and the search for these viruses has been intensified. Over the last few years, several new groups of these viruses have been discovered in various types of samples and environments.In this work, we describe the isolation of 68 giant viruses of amoeba obtained from environmental samples from Brazil and Antarctica. Methods Isolated viruses were identified by hemacolor staining, PCR assays and electron microscopy (scanning and/or transmission). Results A total of 64 viruses belonging to the Mimiviridae family were isolated (26 from lineage A, 13 from lineage B, 2 from lineage C…