scholarly journals Short-term microbial release during rain events from on-site sewers and cattle in a surface water source

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Åström ◽  
Thomas J. R. Pettersson ◽  
Georg H. Reischer ◽  
Malte Hermansson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Markers ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Parasitic Protozoa ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
Cattle Pasture ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Positive Correlations

The protection of drinking water from pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia requires an understanding of the short-term microbial release from faecal contamination sources in the catchment. Flow-weighted samples were collected during two rainfall events in a stream draining an area with on-site sewers and during two rainfall events in surface runoff from a bovine cattle pasture. Samples were analysed for human (BacH) and ruminant (BacR) Bacteroidales genetic markers through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and for sorbitol-fermenting bifidobacteria through culturing as a complement to traditional faecal indicator bacteria, somatic coliphages and the parasitic protozoa Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. analysed by standard methods. Significant positive correlations were observed between BacH, Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, sulphite-reducing Clostridia, turbidity, conductivity and UV254 in the stream contaminated by on-site sewers. For the cattle pasture, no correlation was found between any of the genetic markers and the other parameters. Although parasitic protozoa were not detected, the analysis for genetic markers provided baseline data on the short-term faecal contamination due to these potential sources of parasites. Background levels of BacH and BacR makers in soil emphasise the need to including soil reference samples in qPCR-based analyses for Bacteroidales genetic markers.

scholarly journals Early Confirmation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection by Two Short-Term Serologic IgM Examination

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Ha Eun Jeon ◽  
Hyun Mi Kang ◽  
Eun Ae Yang ◽  
Hye Young Han ◽  
Seung Beom Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Immunoglobulin M ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Serologic Tests ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Patient Selection Bias ◽  
Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Infection

The aim of the present study is to re-evaluate the clinical application of two-times serologic immunoglobulin M (IgM) tests using microparticle agglutination assay (MAA), an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection. A retrospective analysis of 62 children with MP pneumonia during a recent epidemic (2019–2020) was conducted. The MAA and ELISA immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG measurements were conducted twice at admission and around discharge, and MP PCR once at presentation. Diagnostic rates in each test were calculated at presentation and at discharge. The seroconverters were 39% (24/62) of patients tested by MAA and 29% (18/62) by ELISA. At presentation, the diagnostic positive rates of MAA, ELISA, and PCR tests were 61%, 71%, and 52%, respectively. After the second examination, the rates were 100% in both serologic tests. There were positive correlations between the titers of MAA and the IgM values of ELISA. The single serologic IgM or PCR tests had limitations to select patients infected with MP in the early stage. The short-term, paired IgM serologic tests during hospitalization can reduce patient-selection bias in MP infection studies.

Flood and rainfall mobilisation of E. coli and faecal source tracking markers from decomposing cowpats 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Devane ◽  
Brent Gilpin ◽  
Jennifer Webster-Brown ◽  
Louise Weaver ◽  
Pierre Dupont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Overland Flow ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Faecal Contamination ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Faecal Indicators

<p>The intensification of dairy farming on the agricultural landscape in New Zealand has raised concerns about pollution sources from dairy faecal runoff into waterways. The transport of faecal pollution from farms into waterways is facilitated by overland flow, which can result from rain and flood events, poorly designed irrigation practices and the washing down of milking sheds.</p><p>An important step for mitigation of pollution is the identification of the source(s) of faecal contamination. When elevated levels of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as <em>Escherichia coli </em>are identified in a waterway, faecal source tracking (FST) tools such as microbial source tracking (MST) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and faecal steroids (for example, cholesterol) provide information about the sources of faecal contamination. The understanding of the fate (degradation/persistence) and transport of these FST markers in the environment is recognised as an important requirement for the interpretation of water quality monitoring in aquatic environments.</p><p>This study investigated the effects of faecal decomposition on bovine faecal indicators (<em>E. coli </em>and FST markers: bovine-associated qPCR markers and ten faecal steroids) by monitoring the effect of flood and rainfall events on simulated cowpats over a five and a half month period under field conditions. Two separate spring/summer trials were conducted to evaluate: Trial 1) the mobilisation under simulated flood conditions of the faecal indicators from irrigated versus non-irrigated cowpats, Trial 2) the mobilisation of faecal indicators from non-irrigated cowpat flood runoff versus runoff after simulated rainfall onto non-irrigated cowpats.</p><p>The microbial community changes within the decomposing cowpat (as illustrated by amplicon-based metagenomic analysis) were expected to impact on the survival/persistence of the bacterial targets of the MST markers, and also alter the ratio between faecal sterols and their biodegradation products, the stanols. It was hypothesised, therefore, that there would be:</p><ul><li>Changes over time in the concentration of<em> E. coli </em>and the bovine-associated MST markers mobilised into the cowpat runoff</li> <li>Alterations in the FST ratio signature of the ten measured faecal steroids, resulting in a change from a bovine faecal steroid signature in fresh cowpat runoff to other animal faecal signatures in the runoff from decomposing cowpats</li> <li>A difference in the mobilisation decline rates of all FST and microbial markers within a treatment regime and between treatments.</li> </ul><p>Linear regression analysis was undertaken to establish mobilisation decline rates for each of the analytes in the mobilisable phase from the cowpat runoff treatments, with calculation of the time taken in days for reduction in 90% of the concentration (T<sub>90</sub>), and statistical comparison of the regression coefficients (slopes) of all analytes. The results will include a discussion of the impacts of the study’s observations on the interpretation of faecal indicator assessments for water quality monitoring in waterways influenced by sources of faecal contamination.</p>

scholarly journals Reading comprehension on the last grades of cicles I and II of elementary school

CoDAS ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 276-285
Author(s):  
Eliane Mi Chang ◽  
Clara Regina Brandão de Avila
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Good Readers ◽  
Spearman Coefficient ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
And Control

PURPOSE: To characterize students' performance in Cycle I and II of the Elementary School (EF), in decoding, reading comprehension and underlying skills of reading, and investigate correlations between these variables, in the absence and presence of reading comprehension deficits, identified by their teachers.METHODS: 125 students from ES were grouped according to Cycle and presence or absence of reading comprehension impairments. Two Control (good readers from both Cycles) and two Research groups (poor readers from both Cycles) were established. Assessment involved: fluency and reading comprehension; oral comprehension; working and short-term phonological memory; grammar closure. It was compared (Mann-Whitney test): in intragroup study, both Control and Research groups; in intergroup study, Control and Research from different cycles, and Control I and Research II. Spearman coefficient investigated correlations.RESULTS: Analyzing reading comprehension, we observed better performance of Control Groups in all tasks in comparison to the respective Research Groups, and better performance of Control II in comparison to Control I. Research Groups had similar results in most tests. Positive correlations have been observed between most of the variables.CONCLUSION: Students without reading comprehension impairments showed better performance in reading in both Cycles. Working memory and oral comprehension did not differentiate students with and without complaints in Cycle I, differently from what was observed in Cycle II. Research II presented similar or better performance than Research I and similar or worse performance than Control I. Underlying skills showed different profiles of correlation with reading comprehension capacity, according to the group.

scholarly journals Spatial structures and directionalities in Monsoonal precipitation over South Asia

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 371-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Malik ◽  
N. Marwan ◽  
J. Kurths
Keyword(s):  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Spatial Structures ◽  
Break Phase ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Monsoonal Precipitation ◽  
Rain Events

Abstract. Precipitation during the monsoon season over the Indian subcontinent occurs in form of enormously complex spatiotemporal patterns due to the underlying dynamics of atmospheric circulation and varying topography. Employing methods from nonlinear time series analysis, we study spatial structures of the rainfall field during the summer monsoon and identify principle regions where the dynamics of monsoonal rainfall is more coherent or homogenous. Moreover, we estimate the time delay patterns of rain events. Here we present an analysis of two separate high resolution gridded data sets of daily rainfall covering the Indian subcontinent. Using the method of event synchronization (ES), we estimate regions where heavy rain events during monsoon happen in some lag synchronised form. Further using the delay behaviour of rainfall events, we estimate the directionalities related to the progress of such type of rainfall events. The Active (break) phase of a monsoon is characterised by an increase(decrease) of rainfall over certain regions of the Indian subcontinent. We show that our method is able to identify regions of such coherent rainfall activity.

scholarly journals Functional Characterization and Diversity of Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms in Streams South of the Dabie Mountains, China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amjed Ginawi ◽  
Wang Lixiao ◽  
Huading Wang ◽  
Bingbing Yu ◽  
Yan Yunjun
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Physiological Adaptation ◽  
Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria ◽  
Dabie Mountains ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Microbial Structures ◽  
Ammonia Oxidizing Archaea ◽  
Positive Correlations

Ammonia-oxidizing microorganism communities are abundant and functionally efficacious in nitrification. However, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) groups complicate this process in subtropical streams. This study investigates the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing communities south of the Dabie Mountains, China, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Clone libraries were utilized to analyze the abundance and microbial structures of AOA and AOB in sediments. Such analysis may provide strong evidence reflecting the links within the environment. The results show that AOB had a lower abundance of copies of the ammonia-oxidizing gene (amoA) than AOA. Interestingly, the AOA and AOB community compositions were correlated with ecological characteristics. The dissolved oxygen (DO) and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) had significant positive correlations, whereas the phosphorus within the structure had a negative correlation with the abundance of both groups. Our study shows that it might adopt some species related to Nitrosotalea clusters that can resist comparably higher pH (toward pH 6.5). Together, these results imply that the physiological adaptation of microbial guilds to environmental pressures in ammonia-oxidizing archaea might allow them to have a more substantial function of ammonia-oxidizing communities in natural habitats.

Triazine herbicide contamination of Tasmanian streams: Sources, concentrations and effects on biota

1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
PE Davies ◽  
LSJ Cook ◽  
JL Barton
Keyword(s):  
Surface Waters ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Invertebrate Drift ◽  
Triazine Herbicide ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Agricultural Catchments ◽  
Stream Communities ◽  
Forestry Industry ◽  
Forestry Plantations

Concentrations of the triazine herbicides atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, metribuzin and propazine were determined in streams draining forestry and agricultural catchments in Tasmania, Australia, between 1989 and 1992. Atrazine and simazine were used extensively by the forestry industry in a winter spraying programme, and applications of the other herbicides occurred in cropped agricultural catchments during spring and summer. Of 29 streams sampled intensively for triazines, 20 contained detectable residues. Median contaminations over all samples were 2.85, 1.05, <0.05, <0.05 and <0.05 �g L-1 for atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, metribuzin and propazine, respectively. All herbicide concentrations ranged over several orders of magnitude up to 53 mg L-1, with atrazine and simazine having significantly higher concentrations than the others. Atrazine concentrations were examined in streams draining forestry plantations for periods of up to two years. A decline in concentration was observed with time, but this was strongly influenced by rainfall events. Atrazine contamination from single spraying events persisted at a low level for up to 16 months. Contamination of Big Creek with atrazine to 22�g L-1 after aerial spraying led to an increase in stream invertebrate drift only on the day of spraying and to a short-term increase in movement of brown trout. On examination of biological effects of triazines in surface waters reported in the literature, it was concluded that the observed frequent contamination of Tasmanian streams with triazines may cause occasional minor short-term disturbance to stream communities.

scholarly journals Mineral leaching chemicals transport with runoff and sediment from severely eroded rare earth tailings in southern China

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huizhong Lu ◽  
Longxi Cao ◽  
Yin Liang ◽  
Jiuqin Yuan ◽  
Yayun Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Transport Distance ◽  
Sediment Deposits ◽  
Rare Earth Tailings ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Mineral Leaching

Abstract. Rare earth mining has led to severe soil erosion in southern China. Furthermore, the presence of the mineral leaching chemical ammonium sulfate in runoff and sediment poses a serious environmental threat to downstream water bodies. To study the transport characteristics of mineral leaching chemicals, soil on rare earth tailings was sampled in different positions, and runoff and sediment samples were collected along flow routes during three typical rainfall events. The results demonstrated that the NH4+ contents in the surface sediment deposits increased from the top of the heap (6.56 mg/kg) to the gully (8.23 mg/kg) and outside the tailing heap (13.03 mg/kg). The contents of SO42− in the different locations of the tailing heaps ranged from 27.71 to 40.33 mg/kg. During typical rainfall events, the absorbed NH4+ concentrations (2.05, 1.26 mg/L) in runoff were higher than the dissolved concentrations (0.93, 1.04 mg/L), while the absorbed SO42− concentrations (2.87, 1.92 mg/L) were lower than the dissolved concentrations (6.55, 7.51 mg/L). The dissolved NH4+ and SO42− concentrations in runoff displayed an exponentially decreasing tendency with increasing transport distance (Y=1.02*exp(-0.00312X), Y=3.34*exp(-0.0185X)). No clear trend with increasing distance was observed for the absorbed NH4+ and SO42− contents in transported sediment. The NH4+ and SO42− contents had positive correlations with the silt and clay ratio in transported sediment but negative correlations with the sand ratio. These results provide a better understanding of the transport processes and can be used to develop equations to predict the transport of mineral leaching chemicals in rare earth tailings.

Effects of short-term rain events on mobile macrofauna living on seawalls

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1069-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Blockley ◽  
Victoria J. Cole ◽  
Julie People ◽  
M. Gabriela Palomo
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Sydney Harbour ◽  
Manipulative Experiments ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Artificial Rain ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Term Rain

The distribution and abundance of intertidal organisms can be affected by short-term events, such as rain. We compared the effects of rain on intertidal mobile invertebrates in four common microhabitats with differing amounts of shelter (namely beds of oysters, coralline turf, bare patches and crevices) on sea walls in Sydney Harbour. There was an effect of rain on some, but not all taxa, although this was not consistent between locations or times. Effects of rain were observed for some species of gastropods and crustaceans, but not for polychaetes. Manipulative experiments using artificial rain indicated that rain, without the presence of run-off and independent of potential temporal confounding from differences in weather conditions, has a negative effect on abundances of amphipods in coralline turf. Pulse responses by mobile organisms to short-term rain events should be considered when designing experiments looking at temporal variability and processes responsible for observed patterns of distribution of marine organisms.

Effects of intracerebroventricular infusions of ghrelin on secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone in peripubertal female sheep

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 2065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wójcik-Gładysz ◽  
Marta Wańkowska ◽  
Alina Gajewska ◽  
Tomasz Misztal ◽  
Marlena Zielińska-Górska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
In Situ Hybridisation ◽  
Pulse Amplitude ◽  
In Vivo Model ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Translational Activity ◽  
Acyl Ghrelin ◽  
Female Sheep

Reproduction depends on mechanisms responsible for the regulation of energy homeostasis and puberty is a developmental period when reproductive and somatic maturity are achieved. Ghrelin affects the activity of the hypothalamo–pituitary–gonadal axis under conditions of energy insufficiency. An in vivo model based on intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusions was used to determine whether centrally administered acyl ghrelin affects transcriptional and translational activity of FSH in peripubertal lambs and whether ghrelin administration mimics the effects of short-term fasting. Standard-fed lambs received either Ringer–Lock (R-L) solution (120 µL h–1) or ghrelin (120 µL h–1, 100 µg day–1). Animals experiencing a short-term (72 h) fast were treated only with R-L solution. In each experimental group, i.c.v. infusions occurred for 3 consecutive days. Immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridisation and real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses revealed that short-term fasting, as well as exogenous acyl ghrelin administration to standard-fed peripubertal lambs, augmented FSHβ mRNA expression and immunoreactive FSH accumulation. In addition to the effects of ghrelin on FSH synthesis in standard-fed animals, effects on gonadotrophin release were also observed. Acyl ghrelin increased the pulse amplitude for gonadotrophin release, which resulted in an elevation in mean serum FSH concentrations. In conclusion, the present data suggest that ghrelin participates in an endocrine network that modulates gonadotrophic activity in peripubertal female sheep.

The short- and long-term inhibitory effects of Fe (II) on anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) process

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 1860-1867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherh Yih Mak ◽  
Jih Gaw Lin ◽  
Wen Hsing Chen ◽  
Choon Aun Ng ◽  
Mohammed J. K. Bashir
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Substrate Inhibition ◽  
Optimum Concentration ◽  
Anammox Bacteria ◽  
Batch Test ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Anammox Activity ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Anammox Process

Abstract The application of the anammox process has great potential in treating nitrogen-rich wastewater. The presence of Fe (II) is expected to affect the growth and activity of anammox bacteria. Short-term (acute) and long-term effects (chronic) of Fe (II) on anammox activity were investigated. In the short-term study, results demonstrated that the optimum concentration of Fe (II) that could be added to anammox is 0.08 mM, at which specific anammox activity (SAA) improved by 60% compared to the control assay, 0.00 mM. The inhibition concentration, IC50, of Fe (II) was found to be 0.192 mM. Kinetics of anammox specific growth rate were estimated based on results of the batch test and evaluated with Han-Levenspiel's substrate inhibition kinetics model. The optimum concentration and IC50 of Fe (II) predicted by the Han-Levenspiel model was similar to the batch test, with values of 0.07 mM and 0.20 mM, respectively. The long-term effect of Fe (II) on the performance of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was evaluated. Results showed that an appropriate Fe (II) addition enhanced anammox activity, achieving 85% NH4+-N and 96% NO2−-N removal efficiency when 0.08 mM of Fe (II) was added. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was adopted to detect and identify the anammox bacteria.

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