scholarly journals Non-Obligate Pairwise Metabolite Cross-Feeding Suggests Ammensalic Interactions Between Bacillus and Aspergillus Species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Digar Singh ◽  
Sang Hee Lee ◽  
Choong Lee
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Mycelial Growth ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Aspergillus Species ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Metabolite Profiles ◽  
The Cross ◽  
And Control ◽  
Help Model

Abstract Metabolite trade-offs at bacterial-fungal interfaces determine their ecological interactions. We designed a non-obligate pairwise metabolite cross-feeding (MCF) between Bacillus and Aspergillus. Cross-feeding Aspergillus metabolites (MCF-1) affected higher growth and biofilm formation in Bacillus. LC-MS-based multivariate analyses (MVA) showed marked variations in the endogenous metabolite profiles between the cross-fed and control Bacillus. We observed and validated that Aspergillus-derived oxylipins were rapidly depleted in Bacillus cultures concomitant with lowered secretion of cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs). Conversely, Bacillus extracts cross-fed to Aspergillus (MCF-2) diminished its mycelial growth and conidiation. Fungistatic effects of Bacillus-derived cyclic surfactins were temporally reduced following their hydrolytic linearization. MVA highlighted disparity between the cross-fed (MCF-2) and control Aspergillus cultures with marked variations in the oxylipin levels. We conclude that the pairwise MCF selectively benefitted Bacillus while suppressing Aspergillus, which suggests their ammensalic interaction. Widening this experimental pipeline across tailored communities may help model and simulate BFIs in more complex microbiomes.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial and Immunomodulating Activities of Two Endemic Nepeta Species and Their Major Iridoids Isolated from Natural Sources

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 414
Author(s):  
Neda Aničić ◽  
Uroš Gašić ◽  
Feng Lu ◽  
Ana Ćirić ◽  
Marija Ivanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Balkan Peninsula ◽  
Antimicrobial Activities ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Food Borne ◽  
Metabolite Profiles ◽  
Aspergillus Sp ◽  
First Time

Two Balkan Peninsula endemics, Nepeta rtanjensis and N. argolica subsp. argolica, both characterized by specialized metabolite profiles predominated by iridoids and phenolics, are differentiated according to the stereochemistry of major iridoid aglycone nepetalactone (NL). For the first time, the present study provides a comparative analysis of antimicrobial and immunomodulating activities of the two Nepeta species and their major iridoids isolated from natural sources—cis,trans-NL, trans,cis-NL, and 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (1,5,9-eDLA), as well as of phenolic acid rosmarinic acid (RA). Methanol extracts and pure iridoids displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against eight strains of bacteria and seven strains of fungi. They were especially potent against food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp. Targeted iridoids were efficient agents in preventing biofilm formation of resistant P. aeruginosa strain, and they displayed additive antimicrobial interaction. Iridoids are, to a great extent, responsible for the prominent antimicrobial activities of the two Nepeta species, although are probably minor contributors to the moderate immunomodulatory effects. The analyzed iridoids and RA, individually or in mixtures, have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry as potent antimicrobials, and in the food industry to increase the shelf life and safety of food products.

scholarly journals Risk factors and biofilm formation analyses of hospital-acquired infection of Candida pelliculosa in a neonatal intensive care unit

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijie Zhang ◽  
Yu Cao ◽  
Yanjian Li ◽  
Xufang Chen ◽  
Chen Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Anti Fungal ◽  
Hospital Acquired ◽  
And Control

Abstract Background Candida pelliculosa is an ecological fungal species that can cause infections in immunocompromised individuals. Numerous studies globally have shown that C. pelliculosa infects neonates. An outbreak recently occurred in our neonatal intensive care unit; therefore, we aimed to evaluate the risk factors in this hospital-acquired fungal infection. Methods We performed a case-control study, analysing the potential risk factors for neonatal infections of C. pelliculosa so that infection prevention and control could be implemented in our units. Isolated strains were tested for drug resistance and biofilm formation, important factors for fungal transmission that give rise to hospital-acquired infections. Results The use of three or more broad-spectrum antimicrobials or long hospital stays were associated with higher likelihoods of infection with C. pelliculosa. The fungus was not identified on the hands of healthcare workers or in the environment. All fungal isolates were susceptible to anti-fungal medications, and after anti-fungal treatment, all infected patients recovered. Strict infection prevention and control procedures efficiently suppressed infection transmission. Intact adhesin-encoding genes, shown by genome analysis, indicated possible routes for fungal transmission. Conclusions The use of three or more broad-spectrum antimicrobials or a lengthy hospital stay is theoretically associated with the risk of infection with C. pelliculosa. Strains that we isolated are susceptible to anti-fungal medications, and these were eliminated by treating all patients with an antifungal. Transmission is likely via adhesion to the cell surface and biofilm formation.

Design and Control of Drones

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark W. Mueller ◽  
Seung Jae Lee ◽  
Raffaello D’Andrea
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Motion Planning ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Autonomous Systems ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Active Research ◽  
And Control

The design and control of drones remain areas of active research, and here we review recent progress in this field. In this article, we discuss the design objectives and related physical scaling laws, focusing on energy consumption, agility and speed, and survivability and robustness. We divide the control of such vehicles into low-level stabilization and higher-level planning such as motion planning, and we argue that a highly relevant problem is the integration of sensing with control and planning. Lastly, we describe some vehicle morphologies and the trade-offs that they represent. We specifically compare multicopters with winged designs and consider the effects of multivehicle teams. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems, Volume 5 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals Selection and niche trade-offs in biofilm-forming bacterial communities in experimental microcosms

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (7A) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robyn Jerdan ◽  
Scott Cameron ◽  
Emily Donaldson ◽  
Andrew Spiers
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Liquid Column ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Bet Hedging ◽  
Transfer Experiment ◽  
Serial Transfer ◽  
Fitness Advantage ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Cell Densities

Static microcosms are a well-established system used to study the adaptive radiation of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 and the adaptive biofilm-forming mutants known as the Wrinkly Spreaders (WS). We have developed this system to investigate selection within multi-species communities using a soil-wash inoculum dominated by biofilm-competent pseudomonads. Here we present community and isolate-level analyses of one serial-transfer experiment in which replicate populations were selected for over ten transfers and 60 days. Although no significant trends in improving community biofilm characteristics or total microcosm productivity were observed, a significant shift in biofilm-formation and microcosm growth by individual isolates recovered from the initial soil-wash inoculum and final transfers indicated that these communities were subject to selection for growth in these microcosms. Surprisingly, the fitness of the archetypal WS was poor when competing against community samples, and having compared the cell densities in the low-O2 region of liquid column below the biofilm, we suggest that part of the community’s fitness advantage comes from the ability to colonise this under-utilised niche as well as to compete at the A-L interface. Samples from the community biofilms and the low-O2 region were able to re-colonize both niches and many final transfer isolates grew throughout the liquid column as well as forming A-L interface biofilms. This suggests that there is a trade-off between fast growth under highly competitive conditions at the A-L interface and slower growth with less competition in the low-O2 region, with some isolates taking a bet-hedging approach a colonizing both niches in our microcosm system.

scholarly journals Analysis and Control of Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gioele Zardini ◽  
Nicolas Lanzetti ◽  
Marco Pavone ◽  
Emilio Frazzoli
Keyword(s):  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Demand Systems ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Autonomous Mobility ◽  
And Control

Challenged by urbanization and increasing travel needs, existing transportation systems need new mobility paradigms. In this article, we present the emerging concept of autonomous mobility-on-demand, whereby centrally orchestrated fleets of autonomous vehicles provide mobility service to customers. We provide a comprehensive review of methods and tools to model and solve problems related to autonomous mobility-on-demand systems. Specifically, we first identify problem settings for their analysis and control, from both operational and planning perspectives. We then review modeling aspects, including transportation networks, transportation demand, congestion, operational constraints, and interactions with existing infrastructure. Thereafter, we provide a systematic analysis of existing solution methods and performance metrics, highlighting trends and trade-offs. Finally, we present various directions for further research. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Control, Robotics, and Autonomous Systems, Volume 5 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Biofilm Formation and Control in a Simulated Spacecraft Water System: Interim Results

1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Schultz ◽  
Robert D. Taylor ◽  
David T. Flanagan ◽  
Randall E. Gibbons ◽  
Harlan D. Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Water System ◽  
And Control

scholarly journals The S-layer protein of a Clostridium difficile SLCT-11 strain displays a complex glycan required for normal cell growth and morphology

2018 ◽  
Vol 293 (47) ◽  
pp. 18123-18137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Richards ◽  
Laura Bouché ◽  
Maria Panico ◽  
Ana Arbeloa ◽  
Evgeny Vinogradov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Difficile ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Archaeal Species ◽  
Core Peptide ◽  
And Control ◽  
Protein Attachment ◽  
Complex Glycan

Clostridium difficile is a bacterial pathogen that causes major health challenges worldwide. It has a well-characterized surface (S)-layer, a para-crystalline proteinaceous layer surrounding the cell wall. In many bacterial and archaeal species, the S-layer is glycosylated, but no such modifications have been demonstrated in C. difficile. Here, we show that a C. difficile strain of S-layer cassette type 11, Ox247, has a complex glycan attached via an O-linkage to Thr-38 of the S-layer low-molecular-weight subunit. Using MS and NMR, we fully characterized this glycan. We present evidence that it is composed of three domains: (i) a core peptide–linked tetrasaccharide with the sequence -4-α-Rha-3-α-Rha-3-α-Rha-3-β-Gal-peptide; (ii) a repeating pentasaccharide with the sequence -4-β-Rha-4-α-Glc-3-β-Rha-4-(α-Rib-3-)β-Rha-; and (iii) a nonreducing end–terminal 2,3 cyclophosphoryl-rhamnose attached to a ribose-branched sub-terminal rhamnose residue. The Ox247 genome contains a 24-kb locus containing genes for synthesis and protein attachment of this glycan. Mutations in genes within this locus altered or completely abrogated formation of this glycan, and their phenotypes suggested that this S-layer modification may affect sporulation, cell length, and biofilm formation of C. difficile. In summary, our findings indicate that the S-layer protein of SLCT-11 strains displays a complex glycan and suggest that this glycan is required for C. difficile sporulation and control of cell shape, a discovery with implications for the development of antimicrobials targeting the S-layer.

Cairo: Urban Space, Surveillance and the State

2019 ◽  
pp. 31-72
Author(s):  
Yasmine Ramadan
Keyword(s):  
Cross Section ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Magical Realism ◽  
The State ◽  
The Fantastic ◽  
The Cross ◽  
And Control ◽  
The City ◽  
Literary Techniques

This chapter focuses on the representation of the urban space of Cairo. It examines Sonallah Ibrahim’s Tilka-l-raʾiha (The Smell of it, 1966), Gamal al-Ghitani’s Waqaʾiʿ harat al-Zaʿfarani (The Zafarani Files, 1976), Ibrahim Aslan’s Malik al-hazin (The Heron, 1981), and Radwa Ashour’s, Faraj (Blue Lorries, 2008) reading the novels in opposition to the realist narratives of earlier decades. The shift away from the realist depictions of the urban metropolis as the site of national struggle, or of the alley as the cross-section of Egyptian society, is accompanied by a new representational aesthetics. Through the presentation of the city as the space of incarceration, the reimagination of the alley as a fantastic space, and the turn towards the previously ignored neighborhood of Imbaba, these writers showcase new literary techniques; aspects of magical realism; elements of the fantastic; a turn to hyper-realism, in order to represent the transformation of the urban space of Cairo into one of surveillance and control.

scholarly journals Stability of Optimal Closed-Loop Cleaning Scheduling and Control with Application to Heat Exchanger Networks under Fouling

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1623
Author(s):  
Federico Lozano Santamaria ◽  
Sandro Macchietto
Keyword(s):  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Optimization Procedure ◽  
Loop Model ◽  
Loop Scheduling ◽  
Loop Optimization ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Heat Exchanger Networks ◽  
And Control

Heat exchanger networks subject to fouling are an important example of dynamic systems where performance deteriorates over time. To mitigate fouling and recover performance, cleanings of the exchangers are scheduled and control actions applied. Because of inaccuracy in the models, as well as uncertainty and variability in the operations, both schedule and controls often have to be revised to improve operations or just to ensure feasibility. A closed-loop nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) approach had been previously developed to simultaneously optimize the cleaning schedule and the flow distribution for refinery preheat trains under fouling, considering their variability. However, the closed-loop scheduling stability of the scheme has not been analyzed. For practical closed-loop (online) scheduling applications, a balance is usually desired between reactivity (ensuring a rapid response to changes in conditions) and stability (avoiding too many large or frequent schedule changes). In this paper, metrics to quantify closed-loop scheduling stability (e.g., changes in task allocation or starting time) are developed and then included in the online optimization procedure. Three alternative formulations to directly include stability considerations in the closed-loop optimization are proposed and applied to two case studies, an illustrative one and an industrial one based on a refinery preheat train. Results demonstrate the applicability of the stability metrics developed and the ability of the closed-loop optimization to exploit trade-offs between stability and performance. For the heat exchanger networks under fouling considered, it is shown that the approach proposed can improve closed-loop schedule stability without significantly compromising the operating cost. The approach presented offers the blueprint for a more general application to closed-loop, model-based optimization of scheduling and control in other processes.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Membrane Vesicles, Extracellular ATP and Biofilm Formation in Antarctic Gram-Negative Bacteria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Baeza ◽  
Elena Mercade
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Membrane Vesicles ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Extracellular Atp ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
And Control

Abstract Biofilms offer a safe environment that favors bacterial survival; for this reason, most pathogenic and environmental bacteria live integrated in biofilm communities. The development of biofilms is complex and involves many factors, which need to be studied in order to understand bacterial behavior and control biofilm formation when necessary. We used a collection of cold-adapted Antarctic Gram-negative bacteria to study whether their ability to form biofilms is associated with a capacity to produce membrane vesicles and secrete extracellular ATP. In most of the studied strains, no correlation was found between biofilm formation and these two factors. Only Shewanella vesiculosa M7T secreted high levels of extracellular ATP, and its membrane vesicles caused a significant increase in the speed and amount of biofilm formation. In this strain, an important portion of the exogenous ATP was contained in membrane vesicles, where it was protected from apyrase treatment. These results confirm that ATP influences biofilm formation. Although the role of extracellular ATP in prokaryotes is still not well understood, the metabolic cost of its production suggests it has an important function, such as a role in biofilm formation. Thus, the liberation of extracellular ATP through membrane vesicles and its function deserve further study.

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