Richer In Iron Research Articles

Expression of Genes Located on the Incompatibility Group FIB Plasmids at Transcription and Protein Levels in Iron-Modified Growth Conditions.

Salmonella enterica strains often harbor plasmids representing several incompatibility groups (Inc) including IncFIB, which have been previously associated with carrying antimicrobial resistance and virulence associated genes. To better understand the distribution of virulence genes on IncFIB plasmids, we analyzed 37 complete whole genome and plasmid sequences of different S. enterica isolates from multiple serovars. Many of the sequences analyzed carried multiple virulence-associated genes, including those associated with iron acquisition systems; thus we aimed to determine how iron-rich (IR) and various iron-depleted (ID) conditions affected the transcription of iron acquisition and virulence genes including sitA, iutA, iucA, and enolase at different time intervals. sitA, iutA, and enolase from S. enterica that were grown in Luria-Bertani broth (LB) ID (LBID) conditions were substantially upregulated when compared to LBIR conditions. For both S. enterica strains that were grown at various LBID conditions, addition of 200 μM bipyridyl in the growth medium yielded the highest transcription for all four genes, followed by the 100 μM concentration. An antibody using a peptide targeting aerobactin receptor gene iutA encoded by IncFIB was generated and used to examine the protein expression in the wild-type, recipient, and transconjugant strain in LB, LBID, and LBIR growth conditions using Western blot analyses. A 70 KDa protein band was detected in the wild-type and transconjugant that carried the IncFIB plasmid, while this band was not detected in the recipient strain that lacked this plasmid.

Mechanisms and risks of joint control of nitrogen and phosphorus through sediment capping technology in a pilot-scale study.

Purpose Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the key elements leading to eutrophication, and it is important to jointly control N and P release from sediments into the water column.MethodsDifferent mixed materials including P sorbent, natural organic carbon (C), and an oxidizing agent were applied in a 1-year pilot-scale experiment.ResultsThe addition of iron-rich (IR) clay and Phoslock agent promoted the formation of iron bound P (Fe(OOH)~P) and calcium bound P (CaCO3~P) in sediments, respectively. IR clay offered more advantages in immobilization of phosphorus as refractory P, and the Phoslock agent more effectively reduced the risk of P release into water, which was expressed as a low equilibrium P concentration (EPC0). Mixtures of sugarcane (SU) detritus and IR clay exhibited high carbohydrate (CHO) contents, which further fuelled both denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). This indicated that the SU dosage should be controlled to avoid DNRA over denitrification. Attention should be given to the fact that SU introduction significantly promoted the generation of an anaerobic state, leading to the desorption and release of Fe(OOH)~P, which could be alleviated by using Oxone. Multienzyme activity analysis showed that P and N transformation shifted from P desorption to organic P hydrolysis and from ammonification to denitrification and DNRA, respectively.ConclusionWe recommend the use of P sorbent and organic C combined with oxidizing agents as effective mixed materials for sediment remediation, which could enhance P adsorption and provide electron donors for denitrification, while also avoiding the generation of anoxia.

Global transcriptomic analyses of Salmonella enterica in Iron-depleted and Iron-rich growth conditions

BackgroundSalmonella enterica possess several iron acquisition systems, encoded on the chromosome and plasmids. Recently, we demonstrated that incompatibility group (Inc) FIB plasmid-encoded iron acquisition systems (Sit and aerobactin) likely play an important role in persistence of Salmonella in human intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2). In this study, we sought to determine global transcriptome analyses of S. enterica in iron-rich (IR) and iron-depleted (ID) growth conditions.ResultsThe number of differentially-expressed genes were substantially higher for recipient (SE819) (n = 966) and transconjugant (TC) (n = 945) compared to the wild type (WT) (SE163A) (n = 110) strain in ID as compared to IR growth conditions. Several virulence-associated factors including T3SS, flagellin, cold-shock protein (cspE), and regulatory genes were upregulated in TC in ID compared to IR conditions. Whereas, IS1 and acrR/tetR transposases located on the IncFIB plasmid, ferritin and several regulatory genes were downregulated in TC in ID conditions. Enterobactin transporter (entS), iron ABC transporter (fepCD), colicin transporter, IncFIB-encoded enolase, cyclic di-GMP regulator (cdgR) and other regulatory genes of the WT strain were upregulated in ID compared to IR conditions. Conversely, ferritin, ferrous iron transport protein A (feoA), IncFIB-encoded IS1 and acrR/tetR transposases and ArtA toxin of WT were downregulated in ID conditions. SDS-PAGE coupled with LC-MS/MS analyses revealed that siderophore receptor proteins such as chromosomally-encoded IroN and, IncFIB-encoded IutA were upregulated in WT and TC in ID growth conditions. Both chromosome and IncFIB plasmid-encoded SitA was overexpressed in WT, but not in TC or recipient in ID conditions. Increased expression of flagellin was detected in recipient and TC, but not in WT in ID conditions.ConclusionIron concentrations in growth media influenced differential gene expressions both at transcriptional and translational levels, including genes encoded on the IncFIB plasmid. Limited iron availability within the host may promote pathogenic Salmonella to differentially express subsets of genes encoded by chromosome and/or plasmids, facilitating establishment of successful infection.

Characteristics of Acid Melts That Produced the Tephra of Pleistocene–Holocene Eruptions of Ichinsky Volcano, Kamchatka: Evidence from Melt Inclusions

The paper reports data on glassy melt inclusions in minerals of tephra that was produced by the most significant eruptions of Ichinsky volcano, Kamchatka, and marked the major evolutionary stages of the volcanic center in the Pleistocene–Holocene. The melts are of dacite–rhyodacite composition (68–77 wt % SiO2, 0.1–0.6 wt % MgO) and contain 2–4 wt % H2O (3.3 wt % on average). Most of the melts are potassic (3.8–4.8 wt % K2O), but some of them are less alkaline (2.5 wt % K2O) and richer in iron and calcium. The trace-element composition of the glasses also suggests the presence of melts of two types. The high-K melts are relatively deficient in Nb and HREE (Nb = 10–14 ppm, La/Yb = 10–20), whereas the low-K melts typically show more clearly pronounced Nb minima, are relatively depleted in LREE, and are enriched in HREE (Nb = 3–4 ppm, La/Yb = 3–5). The two melt types likely sampled a long-lived magmatic chamber and, perhaps, also one of the components of magmatic mixing, whose addition to the system may have provoked the beginning of a reactivation stage of the volcanic center.

Raman study of Yuan Qinghua porcelain: the highlighting of dendritic CoFe2O4crystals in blue decorations

Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) were used to analyze the decors of the Yuan blue and white porcelains (Qinghua porcelains). SEM-EDS carried out on the dark spots of the blue decors revealed the presence of dendritic crystals of a mix cobalt iron oxide. The Raman spectra of these crystals are close to the standard spectrum of cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4). Comparing the Fe/Co ratios obtained by EDS to the corresponding Raman spectra, we have identified two main types of spinel crystals: one type richer in iron and another type richer in cobalt. Both types of spinel cause the blackening of the blue decors. It is the first time that spinel crystals with a composition close to cobalt ferrite were observed as the main constituent of the dark spots in blue decors of Qinghua porcelains. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Using Total Material Requirement to Evaluate the Potential for Recyclability of Phosphorous in Steelmaking Dephosphorization Slag

SummaryUrban ores can be classified into two types—those made up of items that were in the possession of consumers, such as end‐of‐life home appliances, and those that were not, such as manufacturing wastes. The dephosphorization slag generated at some steelmaking plants is an example of a manufacturing waste. In this study, the potential for this slag to become a new phosphorous resource is evaluated in terms of total material requirement (TMR). To do this, we compare two types of TMR—natural ore TMR (NO‐TMR) and urban ore TMR (UO‐TMR)—defined respectively as the TMR to obtain or recycle 1 kilogram of phosphoric acid from natural phosphate ore or dephosphorization slag.In the dephosphorization slag process, the slag is magnetically separated into a phosphorous‐rich (PR) phase and an iron‐rich (IR) phase, and the phosphorous in the PR phase is subsequently converted to phosphoric acid. We included case studies that considered generation of potentially useful by‐products, such as phosphogypsum and the IR phase. The effect of declines in natural phosphate ore grade on the potential recyclability of phosphoric acid from dephosphorization slag was also explored. In addition, the effect of changes in the slag's contribution to the UO‐TMR of phosphoric acid was considered.We found that, in many scenarios, the UO‐TMR for phosphoric acid was lower than its NO‐TMR. This indicates that dephosphorization slag has the potential to be a new phosphorous resource. We also found that recycling of the IR phase by recharging it to the blast furnace plays an important role in improving the potential feasibility of slag as a new phosphorous resource. The value of the slag stream, relative to the value of the pig iron stream, is also a key parameter, with low relative values improving the potential for production of phosphoric acid. Evaluating the UO‐TMR of materials recovered from manufacturing waste streams promises to be a useful tool for assessing the potential of these waste streams to serve as urban ores.

Unexpected radial trend of the iron abundance in a sample of monometallic Galactic globular clusters

We study the relationship between the iron abundance (IA) in red giant branch (RGB) stars and their radial distribution (RD) in Galactic globular clusters (GCs). We relied on publicly available archival data on IA in red giants (RGs) of GCs. We built a sample of ten target GCs in which the number of these RGs exceeded one hundred stars. In each GC of the sample, we compared the RDs of two sub-samples of stars, more iron-rich (IR) and more iron-poor (IP) than the clusters' mean values of [Fe/H]. Their RDs turned out to be different at statistically significant confidence levels in NGC 104 (47 Tuc), NGC 1851, NGC 3201, and NGC 6752 in the sense that the IP RGs were more centrally concentrated than their IR counterparts. In 47 Tuc, the difference is significant at a higher confidence level within the PRAD of R = 8.0', where the IA increases by Delta[Fe/H] ~ 0.03 dex toward the cluster outskirts. In the latter three GCs, Delta[Fe/H] ~ 0.05 dex. Interestingly, the V magnitude of the RGB bump and the horizontal branch was recently shown to fade outward in 47 Tuc and was suggested to originate from a He abundance trend. The fading caused by the IA trend is similar to that observed for the RGB bump. Although the difference between the RDs of IP and IR RGs is statistically insignificant in other GCs, NGC 288 is the only GC of the sample, in which IR RGB stars are formally more centrally concentrated. Interestingly, three of the four GCs are highly concentrated. (Abridged)

Comparative Investigations of the Efficiency of Dredged Sedimentation Traps for the Elimination of Phosphorus and Suspended Matter in River Mouth Areas: A Case Study

Presented is a simple mass-balance approach to evaluate the efficiency of dredged sedimentation traps for the elimination of suspended matter and phosphorus (P). Sediment parameters inside and outside the traps were analysed from three river mouths in northern Germany. In the pits, a fine-grained sediment richer in iron, P, and organic content than the surrounding sediment was trapped. However, the sediment P fractionation carried out indicates that no increased release of P is expected, which is not different from those found in natural beds. Hence, these traps are a practicable measure of reducing riverine seston and P discharges to the interior coastal waters and consequently to the open Baltic. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY073 00003

MINERAL ORE CO-PRODUCT (IRON OXIDE) AS A GROWTH MEDIUM COMPONENT

The utility of Ironrich (IR), a tertiary mineral co-product from TiO2 production, as a growth medium component was investigated. All complementary bulking components (10 to 50% volume) gave reduced shoot fresh weights of tomato, impatiens or perennial ryegrass relative to Fairgrow (FG, co-composted solid waste and sewage sludge). Shoot fresh weights of impatiens and tomato grown in 50% IR with FG were similar to those grown in commercial peat-lites. When provided 200 mg N litre-1 daily, chard shoot fresh weights, beet root fresh weights, and tomato fruit fresh weights from plants grown in 50% IR plus 50% FG were not significantly different from those grown in 50% silt loam plus 50% FG. Tissue Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb concentrations from plants grown in 50% combinations of FG with IR or silt loam were below the limits of detection. IR plus FG with N-P-K fertilization provided a satisfactory greenhouse growth medium. We project that IR + FG will constitute a satisfactory synthetic topsoil.

Iron content and distribution in Japanese quail.

Determination of blood haematocrit and haemoglobin, plasma iron content, total iron binding capacity and phosphoprotein (vitellogenin), and the iron content of different organs (pectoral muscle, liver, spleen, intestine, femur bone marrow, blood, gonad and eggs, and feathers) were carried out in prelaying, onset of laying and full laying females, as well as in adult males. The whole iron content was also determined on incinerated specimens giving these results: 53.7 parts per million (p.p.m.) iron in the prelaying group, 54.5 p.p.m. iron at the onset of laying, 64.3 p.p.m. iron in full laying and 53.5 p.p.m. iron in males. The plumage represented 5-8% of the total body weight, and its iron content oscillated between 152-163 p.p.m. iron in males and non-laying females and 177.3 p.p.m. iron at full laying. The laying period induced important variations in plasma levels and in organ distribution, but not in haematological values. The first eggs laid were smaller (9.2 g) and richer in iron (427 micrograms iron) than those laid by older layers (11.8 g and 305 micrograms iron). The percentage distribution of the total iron content of organs was, in prelaying females: feathers, 21.9; blood, 56.6; pectoral muscle 8.1; liver, 9.7; intestine, 2.7. In laying females: 29.1; 46.6; 11.5; 7.4; 4.2. In males: 17.4; 59.6; 11.4; 7.9; 2.3. The increase in intestinal iron content in laying quails coincided with a double intake of food. This distribution differs from the mammalian model, as egg production (where each egg represented 2.5-5.5% of the total iron) and the great inert iron deposits in the plumage require an elaborate iron metabolism control system to cover all the iron needs in birds.

First terrestrial occurrence of roedderite in volcanic ejecta of the Eifel, Germany

Idiomorphic crystals of roedderite occur in melt-coated cavities of xenoliths of contact-altered quartz-sillimanite and quartz-feldspar gneisses which were ejected with the tephritic lava of the Bellerberg volcano. Physical and chemical properties of three different sets of crystals agree generally with those of roedderites from meteorites, in which so far the mineral had been found exclusively. In detail, however, there are characteristic chemical differences amongst the Eifel roedderites with one set of crystals matching closely the ideal formula (Na,K)2Mg5 Si12O30, a second set containing excess alkalies according to the substitution Na+→0.5 Mg2+, and a third set richer in iron having an alkali deficiency following Fe3+→Fe2++Na+. The terrestrial roedderites are considered to be precipitates from highly alkaline, MgSi-rich, but Aldeficient gas phases that evolved through contact heating of the gneisses by the tephrite magma.

Unusual emission of iron nuclei from the sun

Sustained emission of low energy solar particles with a composition richer in iron than oxygen is observed in the time period 1974 May 7 to 17. Between 0.7 and 4 MeV/nucleon the relative abundances of C:O:Fe are 0.24:1:1.35. It was suggested that these observations provide indication for effects of heavy ion enrichment in the lower corona of the sun.

Garnets from Moldanubian garnet pyroxenites and associated pyriclasites, Bohemian Massif of Lower Austria, Austria

The garnet pyroxenites are closely related to upper mantle garnet peridotites. During the formation of the Moldanubian granulite facies complexes which have been metamorphosed under the conditions of the lower crust, lumps and fragments of the upper mantle material penetrated into the granulite facies complexes. The “primary” garnet pyroxenites have been reconstituted into granulite facies pyriclasites. Garnets from the upper mantle garnet pyroxenites are rich in pyrope and exhibit a homogeneous distribution of the elements and are therefore unzoned to a high degree. The garnets from the pyriclasites, on the other hand, are less homogeneous and frequently zoned. They are also poorer in pyrope and richer in iron, calcium and manganese. Their zonation patterns resemble to those known from granulite facies garnets.

The mineralogic distribution of iron in the upper mantle

Using the observed distribution of Fe 2+ between garnets and clinopyroxenes and olivines in rocks crystallizing under different geological conditions, for which the temperatures and pressures are assumed, a relative difference in enthalpy (≈3 to ≈6 kcal/mole) is inferred between almandine and pyrope. Using these and thermodynamic data for olivine and ringwoodite, the distribution of Fe 2+ between olivine and ringwoodite, and garnet, is calculated down to 620 km in the mantle, using several different temperature profiles. For an average olivine composition (Mg 0.9Fe 0.1) – SiO 4, the composition of the coexisting garnet (Fe x , Mg 1− x ) 3− Al 2Si 3O 12 has a composition corresponding to x = 0.3 to 0.6 at the top of the mantle. The value of x decrease to a minimum value of between 0.3 and 0.4 at ≈180 km, and then increases again with increasing depth until the olive to spinel transition is encountered. Although the calculations are less certain, the garnet in the spinel zone appears to be relatively less rich in Fe 2+ than in the olivine layer. Estimates of the self-diffusion of Fe 2+ for olivine in the upper mantle suggest that if the grain size and/or one-year convective motions are less than a fraction of a cm, the equilibrium distribution profiles are likely to be a permanent feature of the mantle. A series of theoretical velocity and density profiles for the upper mantle are constructed on the basis of the distribution coefficient calculations and the equation of state of olivines, pyroxenes, garnets and spinels, and compared to some recent seismic observations. It is found that an addition of some 20% garnet (which is necessary richer in iron than the olivine) results in reduction in seismic velocities which is comparable with an increase in iron content of ≈3% and ≈12%, respectively, in the olivine and spinel zone.

Petrochemical studies on trap rocks around tandur, Andhra Pradesh, India

The basalts of Tandur and adjoining areas in Andhra Pradesh are olivinefree tholeiites. Major element abundances in thirty samples indicate that these basalts are poorer in silica and richer in iron, magnesium, phosphorous and titanium relative to the normal basalts. The high Fe2O3/FeO ratio (1.07) could mean either that the traps were extruded under oxidising conditions or that the magma held excess amount of water. The relative enrichment of iron and depletion of silica in the Tandur basalts may have been controlled by the partial pressure of oxygen, presence of significant amounts of water, depth of generation of source magma etc.