scholarly journals Mycological and palynological studies of early medieval cultural layers from strongholds in Pszczew and Santok (western Poland)

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Mazurkiewicz-Zapałowicz ◽  
Iwona Okuniewska-Nowaczyk
Keyword(s):  
Secale Cereale ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
Cultural Layers ◽  
Cereal Pollen ◽  
Significant Data

<p>Cultural layers from early medieval strongholds in Pszczew and Santok have been examined for the presence of pollen grains and spores as well as residues of fungi. The presence of the following remains has been recorded: fossil hyphopodia of <em>Gaeumannomyces</em>, teliospores of <em>Puccinia</em>, spores of <em>Bipolaris</em>, <em>Thecaphora</em> and <em>Tilletia</em>, teliospores of the genus <em>Urocystis</em>, <em>Ustilago</em> and <em>Uromyces</em>, ascocarps (perithecium) of the Ascomycota or the pycnidium of Sphaeropsidales. A greater diversity and abundance of fungi spores sensu lato was recorded in Santok, as compared to Pszczew. Both early medieval sites recorded a significant proportion of cereal pollen, including <em>Secale cereale</em>. It remains an undisputed fact that the grains and other plants collected in both strongholds were strongly infected with fungi. The analysis of the cultural layers for the presence of fungi remains provides significant data on the presence of certain species of plants and their growth conditions in natural environments and in agriculture.</p>

scholarly journals Screening of Highly Expressed Mycobacterial Genes Identifies Rv3615c as a Useful Differential Diagnostic Antigen for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex

2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (9) ◽  
pp. 3932-3939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Sidders ◽  
Chris Pirson ◽  
Philip J. Hogarth ◽  
R. Glyn Hewinson ◽  
Neil G. Stoker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Infected Cattle ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Mycobacterial Antigens ◽  
And Control ◽  
Differential Antigens

ABSTRACT Tuberculous infections caused by mycobacteria, especially tuberculosis of humans and cattle, are important both clinically and economically. Human populations can be vaccinated with Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and control measures for cattle involving vaccination are now being actively considered. However, diagnostic tests based on tuberculin cannot distinguish between genuine infection and vaccination with BCG. Therefore, identification of differential diagnostic antigens capable of making this distinction is required, and until now sequence-based approaches have been predominant. Here we explored the link between antigenicity and mRNA expression level, as well as the possibility that we may be able to detect differential antigens by analyzing quantified global transcriptional profiles. We generated a list of 14 candidate antigens that are highly expressed in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis under a variety of growth conditions. These candidates were screened in M. bovis-infected and naïve cattle for the ability to stimulate a gamma interferon (IFN-γ) response. We identified one antigen, Rv3615c, which stimulated IFN-γ responses in a significant proportion of M. bovis-infected cattle (11 of 30 cattle [37%] [P < 0.01]) but not in naïve or BCG-vaccinated animals. Importantly, the same antigen stimulated IFN-γ responses in a significant proportion of infected cattle that did not respond to the well-characterized mycobacterial antigens ESAT-6 and CFP-10. Therefore, use of the Rv3615c epitope in combination with previously described differential tests based on ESAT-6 and CFP-10 has the potential to significantly increase diagnostic sensitivity without reducing specificity in BCG-vaccinated populations.

Cell heterogeneity upon myogenic differentiation: down-regulation of MyoD and Myf-5 generates ‘reserve cells’

1998 ◽  
Vol 111 (6) ◽  
pp. 769-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Yoshida ◽  
S. Yoshida ◽  
K. Koishi ◽  
K. Masuda ◽  
Y. Nabeshima
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Myogenic Differentiation ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Ectopic Expression ◽  
Terminal Differentiation ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Down Regulation ◽  
Undifferentiated Cells ◽  
Myoblast Cells ◽  
Myod Expression

When a proliferating myoblast culture is induced to differentiate by deprivation of serum in the medium, a significant proportion of cells escape from terminal differentiation, while the rest of the cells differentiate. Using C2C12 mouse myoblast cells, this heterogeneity observed upon differentiation was investigated with an emphasis on the myogenic regulatory factors. The differentiating part of the cell population followed a series of well-described events, including expression of myogenin, p21(WAF1), and contractile proteins, permanent withdrawal from the cell cycle and cell fusion, whereas the rest of the cells did not initiate any of these events. Interestingly, the latter cells showed an undetectable or greatly reduced level of MyoD and Myf-5 expression, which had been originally expressed in the undifferentiated proliferating myoblasts. When these undifferentiated cells were isolated and returned to the growth conditions, they progressed through the cell cycle and regained MyoD expression. These cells demonstrated identical features with the original culture on the deprivation of serum. They produced both MyoD-positive differentiating and MyoD-negative undifferentiated populations once again. Thus the undifferentiated cells in the serum-deprived culture were designated ‘reserve cells’. Upon serum deprivation, MyoD expression rapidly decreased as a result of down-regulation in approximately 50% of the cells. After this heterogenization, MyoD positive cells expressed myogenin, which is the earliest known event of terminal differentiation and marks irreversible commitment to this, while MyoD-negative cells did not differentiate and became the reserve cells. We also demonstrated that ectopic expression of MyoD converted the reserve cells to differentiating cells, indicating that down-regulation of MyoD is a causal event in the formation of reserve cells.

scholarly journals Membrane Vesicles: an Overlooked Component of the Matrices of Biofilms

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (16) ◽  
pp. 5945-5957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Schooling ◽  
Terry J. Beveridge
Keyword(s):  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Bacterial Biofilms ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
The Matrix

ABSTRACT The matrix helps define the architecture and infrastructure of biofilms and also contributes to their resilient nature. Although many studies continue to define the properties of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial biofilms, there is still much to learn, especially about how structural characteristics help bridge the gap between the chemistry and physical aspects of the matrix. Here, we show that membrane vesicles (MVs), structures derived from the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, are a common particulate feature of the matrix of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Biofilms grown using different model systems and growth conditions were shown to contain MVs when thin sectioned for transmission electron microscopy, and mechanically disrupted biofilms revealed MVs in association with intercellular material. MVs were also isolated from biofilms by employing techniques for matrix isolation and a modified MV isolation protocol. Together these observations verified the presence and frequency of MVs and indicated that MVs were a definite component of the matrix. Characterization of planktonic and biofilm-derived MVs revealed quantitative and qualitative differences between the two and indicated functional roles, such as proteolytic activity and binding of antibiotics. The ubiquity of MVs was supported by observations of biofilms from a variety of natural environments outside the laboratory and established MVs as common biofilm constituents. MVs appear to be important and relatively unacknowledged particulate components of the matrix of gram-negative or mixed bacterial biofilms.

scholarly journals Predicting bacterial growth conditions from mRNA and protein abundances

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet U. Caglar ◽  
Adam J. Hockenberry ◽  
Claus O. Wilke
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Environmental Variable ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Natural Environments

AbstractCells respond to changing nutrient availability and external stresses by altering the expression of individual genes. Condition-specific gene expression patterns may provide a promising and low-cost route to quantifying the presence of various small molecules, toxins, or species-interactions in natural environments. However, whether gene expression signatures alone can predict individual environmental growth conditions remains an open question. Here, we used machine learning to predict 16 closely-related growth conditions using 155 datasets of E. coli transcript and protein abundances. We show that models are able to discriminate between different environmental features with a relatively high degree of accuracy. We observed a small but significant increase in model accuracy by combining transcriptome and proteome-level data, and we show that stationary phase conditions are typically more difficult to distinguish from one another than conditions under exponential growth. Nevertheless, with sufficient training data, gene expression measurements from a single species are capable of distinguishing between environmental conditions that are separated by a single environmental variable.

scholarly journals Natural environments of period of the formation of Dubno paleosoil in Halych-Dniester region

2011 ◽  
pp. 35-43
Author(s):  
A. Bogucki ◽  
R. Dmytruk ◽  
I. Dumas
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environments ◽  
Upper Palaeolithic ◽  
Cultural Layers

In the article have been suggested the analysis of main lithology-petrography characteristics of Dubno paleosoil complex in Halych-Dniester region. The natural environments of period of the formation of paleosoil have been reconstructed, based on mollusc fauna analysis. The analysis of correlation between the cultural layers Upper Palaeolithic and Dubno paleosoil complex and also solifluction layers complex has been provided. Key worlds: paleosoil, Halych-Dniester region, Palaeolithic, solifluction, molluscs fauna.

scholarly journals Preliminary results of the monitoring bio-ecological features of plants Fritillaria ruthenica Wikstr. in the model forest habitats of the Krasnosamarsky forest

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
Mariya Gennadevna Kotelnikova
Keyword(s):  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Shoot Length ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Good Growth ◽  
General Description ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Ecological Features

The article presents some preliminary results of the monitoring of Fritillaria ruthenica Wikstr. plants (category of rare and endangered plant species, included in the Red Books of Russia and Samara Region). By summarizing the available sources of science literature we have compiled a general description of morphological and bio-ecological species characteristics. The results of the field study fulfilled in 2012-2014 in Krasnosamarsky forestry (Samara region) were used to determine morphometric parameters of Fritillaria ruthenica plants. The data also helped us to assess the variability level and to make a comparison with plant quantitative traits given in the literature. It was found that the shoot length of Fritillaria ruthenica plants from model biotope in Krasnosamarsky forest in 2012-2014 varied in the range of 20 ... 70 cm, in 2012 and 2013 individuals with long shoots about 50 cm dominated, in 2014 - with shoot length about 50 and 60 cm. The feature of the shoot length is characterized by plasticity, the highest level of variation was observed in 2013. The lengths of shoots are inside the range specified for the various parts of the area in the literature with a significant proportion of tall plants in the studied population. This may be a sign of good growth conditions for Fritillaria ruthenica that gives an opportunity to the plant conservation in natural communities in the absence of limited anthropogenic factors.

Certation between euploid and aneuploid pollen grains from a tertiary trisomic of rye, Secale cereale L.

Genome ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Janse
Keyword(s):  
Secale Cereale ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Transmission Rate ◽  
Extra Chromosome ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Secale Cereale L

Male transmission of the translocated extra chromosome 5R3R was studied in a tertiary trisomic of rye (Secale cereale L.) using two pollination densities. With abundant pollen, male transmission reached 4%. When a mean of four pollen grains were brought on every stigma (restricted pollination), a transmission rate of 20% was obtained. Seed set, mean seed weight, germination percentage, and the percentage of plants finally surviving were lower in the case of restricted pollination. It was concluded that certation between euploid and aneuploid pollen grains plays a decisive role in male transmission of the translocated chromosome. Although it was previously shown that aneuploid microspores have a delayed development, a large proportion must have reached maturity before anthesis. Therefore, genetic factors determining male transmission rate will primarily be expressed during pollen germination and tube growth rather than before anthesis. Key words: rye, tertiary trisomic, euploid pollen grains, aneuploid pollen grains, certation.

scholarly journals Notes on the self-pollination in Dendrobium biflorum (Orchidales, Dendrobiinae)

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka K. Kowalkowska ◽  
Hanna B. Margońska
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Society Islands ◽  
Self Pollination ◽  
Two Stages ◽  
Germination Of Pollen ◽  
First Time

The conditions favouring self-pollination are determined for a species of <em>Dendrobium </em>Sw. A survey of gynostemium micro­morphology in collected flowers of <em>Dendrobium biflorum </em>revealed two stages of a unique form of autogamy: on germination of pollen tetrads, pollen tubes reached the stigmatic region without the pollen being displaced from the anther locules. This is the first time for this type of autogamy to be reported in <em>Dendrobium biflorum</em>. Pollen grains germinated directly from the locules, bypassing the stigma or falling or sliding down onto the stigmatic surface. The pollen tubes were long and reached the stylar canal. On The Society Islands, differences in exposure of the habitats to weather conditions and altitude gradients influence both composition and form of the vegetation, as well as the occurrence of pollinators. The form of autogamy described here may be the usual method of pollination found on The Society Islands (and even the whole of French Polynesia), where suitable pollinators are absent and/or growth conditions stressful.

Burial and Status in the Early Medieval West

1989 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 23-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward James
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Visible Part ◽  
The Status ◽  
Medieval Archaeology ◽  
Written Sources

EARLY medieval archaeology can be said to have its origins with the investigation of burial: with Otto III's opening of Charlemagne's tomb in 1000; with medieval and early modern reports of the discoveries of the graves of kings or warriors; and, most notably, with the discovery at Tournai in 1653 of the grave of an early Frankish king, Childeric. And, until very recently, the study of burials dominated the subject. This is only natural. Graves are easily recognisable when discovered accidentally; often they were intended to be, and have remained, a very visible part of the landscape. Surviving royal burials are, of course, very rare. But there are over one hundred thousand excavated graves of lesser personages from the period betweenc. 450 andc. 1000: an astonishing mass of data which forms a significant proportion of the total available evidence for the early Middle Ages and which needs to be assessed and taken into count by any early medievalist interested in the totality of the period. And it can be argued that cemeteries offer rather more opportunity than the written sources to understand the world of those below the status of kings and bishops, and to do so without the ecclesiastical bias that the written sources have. We nevertheless have to remember that graves are not the unconscious waste products of society, like most of the data studied by an archaeologist: rubbish pits, building remains and so on. Bodies were deliberately and carefully placed in the ground, along with whatever accompanied them. Those responsible for the burial made a whole series of choices about the manner in which they carried out this action. A burial, like a written text, is a product of conscious mental activity, and subject to many of the problems of interpretation and analysis with which historians are familiar.

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