Rapid microbial stabilization of unconsolidated sediment against wind erosion and dust generation

Purpose  

Mineral dust pollution is a concern for human health due to the reaction of mineral particles in the organism and their role as pathogen carriers. Human activity generates unconsolidated sediments that become a dust source. This study investigates the effect of microbial growth on dust stabilization through aggregation in order to help alleviate this problem.     

Widespread lateral gene transfer from intracellular bacteria to multicellular eukaryotes

Although common among bacteria, lateral gene transfer-the movement of genes between distantly related organisms-is thought to occur only rarely between bacteria and multicellular eukaryotes. However, the presence of endosymbionts, such as Wolbachia pipientis, within some eukaryotic germlines may facilitate bacterial gene transfers to eukaryotic host genomes. We therefore examined host genomes for evidence of gene transfer events from Wolbachia bacteria to their hosts. We found and confirmed transfers into the genomes of four insect and four nematode species that range from nearly the entire Wolbachia genome (>1 megabase) to short (<500 base pairs) insertions. Potential Wolbachia-to-host transfers were also detected computationally in three additional sequenced insect genomes. We also show that some of these inserted Wolbachia genes are transcribed within eukaryotic cells lacking endosymbionts. Therefore, heritable lateral gene transfer occurs into eukaryotic hosts from their prokaryote symbionts, potentially providing a mechanism for acquisition of new genes and functions.     

Human glomerular basement membrane: chemical alteration in diabetes mellitus

The human glomerular basement membrane belongs to the collagen family of proteins. It contains about 7 percent carbohydrate, half of which occurs as glucosylgalactose disaccharide units linked to hydroxylysine. Glomeruli from diabetics contain increased amounts of basement membrane material. In addition, these membranes show a distict chemical alteration c haracterized by a significant decrease in lysine, accoumpanied by an equivalent increase in hydroxylysine and hydroxylysine-linked disaccharide units.     

Hematuria and a complex congenital heart defect in a newborn foal

A 16-hour-old foal was referred for evaluation of hematuria. A pansystolic heart murmur and left thoracic thrill were detected; laboratory diagnostics and ultrasonography identified a complex congenital heart defect. The diagnosis was confirmed at postmortem.     

X-ray Absorption Spectroscopic Investigation of Sulfur Sites in Coal: Organic Sulfur Identification

High-resolution x-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to probe the chemical and structural environments of sulfur in coal. Measurement of the sulfur Kedge spectra down to 2472.0 electron volts under nonvacuum conditions was made possible in an all-helium path, and a Stern-Heald type ion chamber was used for fluorescence detection. For a number of selected sulfur-containing minerals and organic model compounds, results show that near-edge spectral features are diagnostic for sulfur in specific organic moieties such as thiols, disulfides, and various heterocyclics, as well as in mineral sulfide and sulfate phases. The spectrum of a model system containing 35 percent iron pyrite and 65 percent benzothiophene was found to match the observed spectral features of a bituminous coal from the eastern United States.