Ocean deoxygenation and zooplankton: Very small oxygen differences matter.

Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), large midwater regions of very low oxygen, are expected to expand as a result of climate change. While oxygen is known to be important in structuring midwater ecosystems, a precise and mechanistic understanding of the effects of oxygen on zooplankton is lacking. Zooplankton are important components of midwater food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Here, we show that, in the eastern tropical North Pacific OMZ, previously undescribed submesoscale oxygen variability has a direct effect on the distribution of many major zooplankton groups. Despite extraordinary hypoxia tolerance, many zooplankton live near their physiological limits and respond to slight (≤1%) changes in oxygen. Ocean oxygen loss (deoxygenation) may, thus, elicit major unanticipated changes to midwater ecosystem structure and function.

The use of acute hemodilution in parturients undergoing cesarean section.

OBJECTIVE: Concern over transmissible disease has increased interest in methods of minimizing homologous blood transfusion during elective surgery. One method is acute hemodilution, a technique previously unreported in parturients. This study was designed to determine its feasibility and safety in women at risk of hemorrhage during cesarean section. STUDY DESIGN: This technique was performed on 38 parturients. Collected blood was retransfused at the end of surgery or earlier, if required. Hemoglobin was measured before hemodilution, after hemodilution, before transfusion, after transfusion, and 24 hours postoperatively. Neonatal assessment included umbilical blood gases and Apgar scores. RESULTS: All patients were hemodynamically stable and no fetal heart rate abnormalities were observed during the procedure. One patient received homologous blood and 14 received previously donated autologous blood. Umbilical blood gases were normal and 5-minute Apgar scores were > or = 7. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that acute hemodilution is well tolerated in parturients undergoing cesarean section. This may limit exposure to homologous blood transfusion.

Iron acquisition systems of Listeria monocytogenes.

The uptake of iron by Listeria monocytogenes was studied. The microorganism was found to bind both 59Fe(II) and [59Fe3+]citrate. In contrast, L. monocytogenes was unable to acquire iron from [59Fe3+]ferroxamine or [59Fe3+]EDTA or as 59FeCl3. The data suggest that iron is acquired principally as iron(II) and that a citrate-inducible iron uptake system is also operative.

Adherence of a virulent strain of Listeria monocytogenes to the surface of a hepatocarcinoma cell line via lectin-substrate interaction.

Listeria monocytogenes was examined for the presence of surface carbohydrates to ascertain whether surface sugars, if present, would interact with eucaryotic surface carbohydrate receptors. We found that a virulent, but not two avirulent strains had a surface alpha-D-galactose residue as determined by agglutination with Griffonia simplicifolia (GS-I) and other lectins. The virulent strain bound to a human hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2), which has a well characterized receptor for alpha-D-galactose. This interaction could be blocked by pretreatment of the HepG2 cells with either alpha-D-galactose or neuraminidase, the latter of which will render the galactose receptor functionally inactive. We propose that the attachment of the virulent Listeria to eucaryotic cells occurs as a result of the interaction of the microbial alpha-D-galactose with that of the eucaryotic galactose receptor. This surface carbohydrate may provide an explanation for the mechanism of attachment and penetration of virulent Listeria into host cells during infection. As such, this may allow for amplification of pathogenesis through intracellular multiplication in nonprofessional phagocytes prior to macrophage involvement.