Comparative Analysis of Hindgut Microbiota Variation in Protaetia brevitarsis Larvae across Diverse Farms.

Protaetia brevitarsis larvae are farm-raised for food, are used in traditional East Asian medicine, and convert organic waste into biofertilizers. Here, the comparative analysis of the gut microbiota of third-instar larvae obtained from five different farms was investigated using 16S rRNA microbial profiling. Species richness, evenness, and diversity results using α-diversity analysis (observed species, Chao1, Shannon, Simpson) were similar between farms, except for those between the TO and KO farms. ß-diversity was significantly different in distribution and relative abundance between farms (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 13.20, p = 0.001). At the phylum level, Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Actinomycetota, and Pseudomonadota were the most dominant, accounting for 73-88% of the hindgut microbial community. At the genus level, Tuberibacillus, Proteiniphilum, Desulfovibrio, Luoshenia, and Thermoactinomyces were the most abundant. Although oak sawdust was the main feed component, there were large variations in distribution and relative abundance across farms at the phylum and genus levels. Venn diagram and linear discriminant analysis effect size analyses revealed large variations in the hindgut microbial communities of P. brevitarsis larvae between farms. These results suggest environmental factors were more important than feed ingredients or genetic predisposition for the establishment of the intestinal microbiota of P. brevitarsis larvae. These findings serve as reference data to understand the intestinal microbiota of P. brevitarsis larvae.

The distribution of phosphorus and its transformations during batch growth of Synechocystis.

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient that affects the growth and metabolism of microalgal biomass. Despite the obvious importance of P, the dynamics of how it is taken up and distributed in microalgae are largely undefined. In this study, we tracked the fate of P during batch growth of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. We determined the distribution of P in intracellular polymeric substances (IPS), extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and soluble microbial products (SMP) for three initial ortho-phosphate concentrations. Results show that the initial P concentration had no impact on the production of biomass, SMP, and EPS. While the initial P concentration affected the rate and the timing of how P was transformed among internal and external forms of inorganic P (IP) and organic P (OP), the trends were the same no matter the starting P concentration. Initially, IP in the bulk solution was rapidly and simultaneously adsorbed by EPS (IPEPS) and taken up as internal IP (IPint). As the bulk-solution's IP was depleted, desorption of IPEPS became the predominant source for IP that was taken up by the growing cells and converted into OPint. At the end of the 9-d batch experiments, almost all P was OP, and most of the OP was intracellular. Based on all of the results, we propose a set of transformation pathways for P during the growth of Synechocystis. Key is that EPS and intracellular P pool play important and distinct roles in the uptake and storage of P.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and dietary quality among US adults: findings from a nationally representative survey.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and diet quality among low-income adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined US nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010. The data were analyzed from October 7, 2013, to March 1, 2014. The analytic sample consisted of 4211 low-income adults aged 20 to 64 years, of whom 1830 participate in SNAP. We adhered to the National Cancer Institute method in calculating the Healthy Eating Index 2010 and other dietary indicators, such as empty calorie intake. Bivariate and multivariable regression was used to compare SNAP participants and income-eligible nonparticipants among the full sample and subsamples of age, sex, race/ethnicity, and food insecurity. RESULTS: Compared with low-income nonparticipants, adjusted analyses reveal that SNAP participants had lower dietary quality scores overall (42.58 vs 44.36, P≤.0001) and lower scores for fruits and vegetables, seafood and plant proteins (1.55 vs 1.77, P≤.0022), and empty calories (9.03 vs 9.90, P≤.0001), but they exhibited comparable scores on whole grain, refined grain, total dairy, total protein, fatty acid, and sodium intakes. The association between SNAP participation and lower dietary quality was statistically significant among women, Hispanics, young adults, and individuals who were food secure. CONCLUSION: Our analyses suggest that SNAP participants have lower dietary quality than their income-eligible nonparticipant counterparts. Although SNAP has an important role in providing nutrition assistance to eligible low-income individuals, interventions are warranted to improve the dietary quality of participants.

Membrane-based electrochemical nanobiosensor for the detection of virus.

A membrane-based electrochemical nanobiosensor sensitive toward whole viral particles is fabricated by forming a submicrometer thick nanoporous alumina membrane over a platinum disk electrode. Antibody probe molecules are physically adsorbed onto the walls of the membrane nanochannels. The sensing signal is based on the monitoring of the electrode's Faradaic current response toward ferrocenemethanol, which is extremely sensitive to the formation of immunocomplex within the nanoporous membrane. This nanobiosensor is demonstrated for the sensing of West Nile virus protein domain III (WNV-DIII) and the inactivated West Nile viral particle, using anti-WNV-DIII immunoglobulin M (IgM) as the biorecognition probe. The detection of the viral protein and the particle are logarithmically linear up to 53 pg mL(-1) (R(2) = 0.99) and 50 viral particles per 100 mL (R(2) = 0.93) in pH 7, with extremely low detection limits of 4 pg mL(-1) and ca. 2 viral particles per 100 mL, comparable to sensitivities of polymerase chain reaction techniques. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of whole viral particle detection in whole blood serum is 6.9%. In addition, the simple nanobiosensor construction procedure, minimal sample preparation, and short detection time of 30 min are highly attractive properties and demonstrate that the detection of a wide range of proteins and viruses can be achieved.