Mycobacteria isolated from Chesapeake Bay fish

Mycobacteriosis in fish can result in ulcers, emaciation, and in some cases death. Mycobacteria have been previously isolated from a variety of Chesapeake Bay fish species, and the current study was designed to identify potential host specificity and location fidelity of mycobacterial isolates. Mycobacteria were isolated from wild fish of the Chesapeake Bay collected from the Upper Bay, the Choptank River, Herring Bay, the Chicamacomico River, the Pocomoke River and the Potomac River in 2003–2006. Mycobacterial isolates were recovered from striped bass, Morone saxatilis , Atlantic menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus , white perch, Morone americana , summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus , spot, Leiostomus xanthurus , largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides , channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus , common carp, Cyprinus carpio carpio , spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus , killifish, Fundulus sp., blueback herring, Alosa aestivalis , American gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum and American silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura . Twenty-nine well-defined mycobacterial groups resulted from gas chromatography dendrogram clustering of isolates. The majority of groups included more than one host species and more than one site of collection. However, four groups contained only striped bass isolates, three of which were similar to M. shottsii . Therefore, multiple Chesapeake Bay fish species are colonized with multiple mycobacterial isolates, of which few appear to be host or location specific.     

Fas-induced caspase denitrosylation

Only a few intracellular S-nitrosylated proteins have been identified, and it is unknown if protein S-nitrosylation/denitrosylation is a component of signal transduction cascades. Caspase-3 zymogens were found to be S-nitrosylated on their catalytic-site cysteine in unstimulated human cell lines and denitrosylated upon activation of the Fas apoptotic pathway. Decreased caspase-3 S-nitrosylation was associated with an increase in intracellular caspase activity. Fas therefore activates caspase-3 not only by inducing the cleavage of the caspase zymogen to its active subunits, but also by stimulating the denitrosylation of its active-site thiol. Protein S-nitrosylation/denitrosylation can thus serve as a regulatory process in signal transduction pathways.     

Equivalency of protein determination in feed on Bran & Luebbe Traacs 800 autoanalyzer with AOAC semiautomated method: minicollaborative study

A new generation of autoanalyzers was collaboratively studied for equivalency with instrumentation described in the AOAC method for crude protein in animal feeds. Twenty predigested samples were analyzed by 4 collaborators using standards that were provided. Means were comparable; the overall average difference was 0.07% protein. Analysis of variance indicated no evidence for an instrument difference. The method describing use of the Traacs 800 autoanalyzer as an alternative system has been adopted official first action.     

Interindividual variation in posture allocation: possible role in human obesity

Obesity occurs when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. Humans expend energy through purposeful exercise and through changes in posture and movement that are associated with the routines of daily life [called nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)]. To examine NEAT's role in obesity, we recruited 10 lean and 10 mildly obese sedentary volunteers and measured their body postures and movements every half-second for 10 days. Obese individuals were seated, on average, 2 hours longer per day than lean individuals. Posture allocation did not change when the obese individuals lost weight or when lean individuals gained weight, suggesting that it is biologically determined. If obese individuals adopted the NEAT-enhanced behaviors of their lean counterparts, they might expend an additional 350 calories (kcal) per day.     

Sensitivity of ring growth and carbon allocation to climatic variation vary within ponderosa pine trees

Most dendrochronological studies focus on cores sampled from standard positions (main stem, breast height), yet vertical gradients in hydraulic constraints and priorities for carbon allocation may contribute to different growth sensitivities with position. Using cores taken from five positions (coarse roots, breast height, base of live crown, mid-crown branch and treetop), we investigated how radial growth sensitivity to climate over the period of 1895-2008 varies by position within 36 large ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) in northern Arizona. The climate parameters investigated were Palmer Drought Severity Index, water year and monsoon precipitation, maximum annual temperature, minimum annual temperature and average annual temperature. For each study tree, we generated Pearson correlation coefficients between ring width indices from each position and six climate parameters. We also investigated whether the number of missing rings differed among positions and bole heights. We found that tree density did not significantly influence climatic sensitivity to any of the climate parameters investigated at any of the sample positions. Results from three types of analyses suggest that climatic sensitivity of tree growth varied with position height: (i) correlations of radial growth and climate variables consistently increased with height; (ii) model strength based on Akaike's information criterion increased with height, where treetop growth consistently had the highest sensitivity and coarse roots the lowest sensitivity to each climatic parameter; and (iii) the correlation between bole ring width indices decreased with distance between positions. We speculate that increased sensitivity to climate at higher positions is related to hydraulic limitation because higher positions experience greater xylem tensions due to gravitational effects that render these positions more sensitive to climatic stresses. The low sensitivity of root growth to all climatic variables measured suggests that tree carbon allocation to coarse roots is independent of annual climate variability. The greater number of missing rings in branches highlights the fact that canopy development is a low priority for carbon allocation during poor growing conditions.     

Cholestasis: lamellar structure of the abnormal human serum lipoprotein

An abnormal lipoprotein was visualized directly in serum by electron microscopy of preparations negatively stained with potassium phosphotungstate. It appears as a unique disk-shaped particle with major axis measuring 400 to 600 angstroms and minor axis measuring about 100 angstroms. Chemical analysis, viscosity measurements, and x-ray diffraction analysis of purified preparations indicate that the particle, consisting of a one-to-one molar mixture of cholesterol and choline phosphatides associated with a small amount of protein, is a flattened vesicle, the wall of which is a continuous lipid bilayer.