Moreover, it is also demonstrated that strong polymer-filler interaction could modify the molecular configuration of the polymer chains in the vicinity of the filler to the formation of localized amorphous regions. This would inhibit and retard the crystalline development of the CS chains. It became more pronounced when the CDHA content exceeds 30 wt.%. However, the crystallinity of CDHA seems to be enhanced by the addition of

CS. The full-width at half maximum of the XRD peak of the CS-CDHA nanocomposites was observed to be lower than that of the pristine CDHA, thereby displaying sharper peak (better crystallinity). Thus, we suggest that the CS chains might induce the crystallinity of CDHA. Figure 2 shows the TEM images of the pristine CDHA (a), CS37 (b), CS55 (c), and CS73 (d) nanocomposites. The pristine CDHA exhibited ARS-1620 clinical trial needle-like structure of nanorods (5 to 20 nm in diameter and 50 to 100 nm in length). The CS-CDHA nanocomposites exhibited homogenously dispersed nanorods in the CS networks, especially in the CS73,

as illustrated in Figure 2b,c,d. The reason is that the electrostatic attraction between the NH3 + group (positive charge of the CS chains) and the PO4 3- group (negative charge of the CDHA nanorods) served as the stable force for the colloid suspension, favoring the dispersion of CDHA. Moreover, the structure of the CS-CDHA nanocomposites (CS73) became denser with the increase of the CS content due to the better compatibility www.selleckchem.com/products/lazertinib-yh25448-gns-1480.html and stable network of high molecular weight of CS. In contrast, CS55 and CS37 exhibited less dense morphologies. A comparison of the chemical binding energy Osimertinib nmr change of the pristine CDHA, pristine CS, and CS37 nanocomposites was shown in Telomerase the ESCA spectra. The ESCA analysis shows that the surface was mainly composed of N, Ca, and P atoms, which could represent the chemical structure and interaction of CS (N atom) and CDHA (Ca and P atoms). Figure 3a shows the ESCA data of N1s scan spectra in CS, CDHA, and CS37. The N1s peak in the pristine CS was found at 402.3 eV, implying the amino group of CS

(no peak existing in the pristine CDHA). However, the NH2 peak was shifted from 402.3 to 400.0 eV in the CS37, implying the complex formation of CS and CDHA. Two Ca2p peaks of the pristine CDHA were observed with the binding energy of 347.8 eV (2p 3/2) and 351.4 (2p 1/2), as indicated in Figure 3b. Two peaks (2p 3/2 348.0 eV and 2p3/2 351.6 eV) were exhibited in CS37 and displayed 0.2 eV chemical shift compared to the pristine CDHA, suggesting the formation of CDHA in the CS37 and some chemical interaction between CS and CDHA (no additional peak in the pristine CS). Similar with the ESCA spectrum of Ca2p , 0.8 eV (133.1-eV shift to 133.9 eV) chemical shifts were found between the pristine CDHA and CS37 in the P2p spectrum. These results indicate that the CDHA nanorods were grown in the CS matrix through in situ precipitated process.

However, these techniques require expensive devices and complicated procedures. Moreover, there have been few papers that describe simple post-treatments to further reduce the reflection from the material surface, although some post-treatment methods have been reported including oxygen treatments for improving the abrasion resistance of the coating [15], NH3-heat processes selleck screening library followed by a trimethylchlorosilane modification to enhance the scratch resistance and moisture resistance [16], and the effects of heat, laser, and ion post-treatments on HfO2 single layers [17]. Here, we present a hydrogen etching approach to fabricate pyramid-shaped Si nanostructures that exhibits a comparatively low reflectance

at the wavelength regions of ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis). The aspect ratio and two-dimensional spacing of Si nanostructures can be controlled by changing the etching condition. In addition, the reflectance was further reduced by depositing a Si-based polymer on the A-1210477 price fabricated Si nanostructures, which also induce more uniform www.selleckchem.com/products/iwr-1-endo.html reflectance behavior over UV and Vis regions. Methods The

fabrication process of the Si nanostructures is displayed schematically in Figure 1. A polished (100) Si plate (10 × 10 mm2) (p-type; Namkang Hi-Tech Co., Sungnam, South Korea) was washed by isopropyl alcohol (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and dried using nitrogen Protein tyrosine phosphatase gas in order to remove impurities on the Si plate. After cleaning the Si plate, the hydrogen etching process was conducted using hydrogen (10%) and argon (90%) mixture gases under 1 × 10−2 Torr at different temperatures (1,350°C, 1,200°C, and 1,100°C). The holding time at the maximum annealing temperature was 30 min and the flow rate of mixture gases was 0.5 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) during the annealing process. Subsequently, a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) (viscosity 2,000,000 cSt) (Dow Corning, Jincheon, Chungbuk, South Korea) layer was deposited on the fabricated Si nanostructures through a doctor blade technique [18] to enhance the AR property. The thickness

of the PDMS layer was approximately 1 μm. The morphologies of the fabricated Si nanostructures were characterized using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM; Hitachi S-4800, Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan). The roughness of the PDMS surface on the Si nanostructures was measured using an atomic force microscope (AFM; XE-70, Park Systems, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA). The AR properties of the Si nanostructures were analyzed using a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation method and measured using the diffuse reflectance (DR) module of an UV–Vis spectrometer (SCINCO S-4100, SCINCO, Daejeon, South Korea). A xenon (Xe) lamp was used as the light source at wavelengths of 300 to 800 nm. The measurement error of the UV–Vis spectrometer was less than 0.

B To accommodate those isolates demonstrating better growth anaerobically all strains were incubated in anaerobe jars. Aerobic organisms survived equally well under either incubation

condition. Cultures were considered viable after 7 days if they were successfully subcultured to fresh GVA and blood agar plates. C All strains were tested for lipase production on egg yolk agar under aerobic and Go6983 cost anaerobic conditions; strains demonstrating growth aerobically yield identical lipase reaction when grown anaerobically. When strains did not grow aerobically on egg yolk

plates the reactions indicated are taken from anaerobic incubation. Lipase reactions using 4-methylumbelliferone-oleate are given in parentheses. D Some organisms demonstrated poor growth when incubated in air plus 6% CO2, these organisms all had excellent growth on GVA plates after anaerobic incubation. Lipase activity was detected in 21 of 31 strains tested (68%) using egg yolk agar but using the MUO spot test only 12 of 31 strains tested positive see more (39%) (Table 1). To assess the performance of the MUO based lipase test, the egg PAK5 yolk reactions were used as the true values in the statistical www.selleckchem.com/products/AZD8931.html comparison as described previously by Moncla et al. [20]. The values obtained for the MUO test were: sensitivity

(32%), specificity (33%), positive predictive value (54%) and negative predictive value (17%). The alternate method for lipase detection (see above, mixing equal volumes of buffer and liquid substrate) demonstrated a lack of reproducibility and the results from these assays are not presented. Sialidase was detected in one or more strains of biotypes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 but not in strains from biotype 3, (Table 1). Biotypes 6 and 8 were not found among the strains examined. Most of the strains studied were biotype 1 (32.2%), followed by biotypes 2, 7, 4, 5, and 3 (22.5%, 19.5%, 9.6%, 9.6%, 6.5% respectively). Overall, the 39% of the strains tested demonstrated sialidase activity. Discussion GVA provides an inexpensive alternative to the long term cultivation of G.

5. 2011. 25. Aziz RK, Bartels D, Best AA, DeJongh M, Disz T, Edwards RA, Formsma K, Gerdes S,

Glass EM, Kubal M, Meyer F, Olsen GJ, Olson R, Osterman AL, Overbeek RA, McNeil LK, Paarmann D, Paczian T, Parrello B, Pusch GD, Reich C, Stevens AZD0530 chemical structure R, Vassieva O, Vonstein V, Wilke A, Zagnitko O: The RAST Server: Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology. BMC Genomics 2008, 9:75.PubMedCrossRef Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions RBD and WLS designed the study. RBD performed the analyses and wrote the manuscript. Both RBD and WLS have approved the final manuscript.”
“Background From a Ganetespib cell line physiological point of view, metals fall into three main categories, namely essential and non-toxic (e.g. Ca2+ and Mg2+); essential, but harmful at high concentrations (e.g. Fe2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+ and Mo2+), and toxic (e.g. Hg2+ or Cd2+) [1]. However, at high concentrations, both essential and MAPK inhibitor nonessential metals can be harmful to the cell, damaging the cell membrane, the structure of DNA, or changing the specificity of enzymes [2–4]. The microorganisms have developed homeostasis systems in order to maintain

an optimal intracellular concentration of metals. This is achieved through controlling the processes of transport, intracellular trafficking, efflux and conservation, ensuring its bioavailability to cellular processes and preventing damage to cellular components

[5]. Studies support a role for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the evolution of metal homeostasis in Proteobacteria, along with the identification of putative genomic islands (GIs), with examples in Cupriavidus metallidurans, Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and Comamonas testosteroni S44 [6–9]. In fact, many microorganisms have genes located on chromosomes, plasmids, or transposons encoding specific traits conferring resistance to a variety of metal ions [3]. Efflux is one of the main approaches used by bacteria to control internal metal ion concentrations, and several efflux systems have been described in bacteria. The P-type ATPases use ATP hydrolysis to promote ion transport and have been identified in efflux of both mono- and divalent cations from the cytoplasm [10–13]. The Cation Diffusion Facilitator (CDF) are chemiosmotic ion/proton exchangers see more that present six transmembrane helices and are involved in the efflux of divalent metal cations [11, 14, 15]. In Gram-negative bacteria, the Resistance-Nodulation-Division superfamily (RND) includes systems that confer resistance to antibiotics and metals, and it is composed of a tripartite protein complex: an RND protein, located in the cytoplasmic membrane, a periplasmic membrane fusion protein (MFP) and an outer-membrane channel protein (OMP) [16–18]. These components form a channel that spans both membranes and the periplasmic space [18–21].

Along with the implementation of ACCESS at VH, the performance of AZ 628 solubility dmso cancer operations not requiring inpatient

admission (such as breast cancer and melanoma) was shifted click here to a nearby ambulatory-care centre. During the study period, CCO also mandated a shift in the treatment of select malignancies (particularly hepatobiliary and colorectal cancer) away from community hospitals to high-volume tertiary-care centres such as VH. Consequently, there was a significant change observed in the composition of cancer surgeries performed at VH after the implementation of ACCESS, with fewer breast and melanoma surgeries, and increased proportions of colorectal and hepatobiliary cases. Interestingly, we observed a significant change in the distribution of cancer cases by priority post-ACCESS,

for all surgeons (including general surgeons) at Victoria Hospital: the proportion of P2 and P3 cases declined, while the proportion of P4 cases increased significantly. Since the general surgeons participating in ACCESS also perform cancer surgeries during their elective practices, they may have been performing P2 and P3 cancer cases on standby during ACCESS time (when there was a paucity of emergency general surgery cases), thereby contributing to the decline find more in P2 and P3 cases electively. If this was the case, surgeons may have had more time during their elective OR time to operate on patients with P4 cancers. This possible change may also partially explain the significant reduction in the number of general surgery cancer cases that exceeded the wait-time targets. Alternatively, surgeons at VH may have become more conservative in assigning priority levels for cancer

patients in order to avoid missing wait-time targets and the associated penalties. This explanation may be more likely given the down-grading present across all surgical specialties at VH, although a case–control analysis of cancer patients may determine if this has been occurring since the implementation of the Wait Time Strategy. One of the limitations of this study was our inability to accurately determine the number of cancer surgeries performed during ACCESS time because standby cancer operations were usually reported as emergency cases rather than elective surgeries. With the recent integration of operative databases Orotidine 5′-phosphate decarboxylase for emergency and elective cases at our institution, however, future prospective analyses may provide this important information. Overall, there was no significant change in cancer surgery wait times pre- versus post-ACCESS. Therefore, the implementation of ACCESS, and the resultant reallocation of OR time from elective to emergency case loads, did not negatively impact wait times for elective cancer surgery. Additionally, wait-times remained unchanged despite the significant increase in the performance of hepatobiliary and colorectal surgeries post-ACCESS, which are typically longer and more complex than the breast cancer and melanoma cases that were moved off-site.

Thus, Equation (1) can be rewritten as (3) Applying Laplace transform, it yields (4) where a function with ‘∧’ denotes Laplace-transformed function in s domain. Performing inverse Laplace transform, the selleck kinase inhibitor viscoelastic equation of AFM-based indentation becomes (5) where Solution to AFM-based indentation equation It is observed from Figure 3 that the initial indentation force at t = 0 was measured to be 104.21 nN, then the force started to decrease and then remained constant at 38 nN after ~5,000 ms. The force decrease shown as red asterisks in Figure 3b fits qualatitatively well with the exponential function of Equation (5). E 1, E 2, and

η, corresponding to the mechanical property parameters in Figure 2(a), KU55933 in vitro can then be determined by fitting Equation (5) with the experimental data. From the indentation data, D0 is obtained to be 78.457 nm. The pull-off force, 2πwR, calculated by averaging the

pull-off forces of multiple indentations on the sample, is 16 nN. In comparison with the radius of the AFM tip, the surface of the sample can be treated as Selleck EPZ 6438 a flat plane. Hence, the nominal radius R = R tip  = 12 nm. By invoking the force values at t = 0, t = ∞, and any intermediate point into Equation (5), the elasticity and viscosity components can be determined to be E 1  = 32.0 MPa, E 2  = 21.3 MPa, and η = 12.4 GPa ms. The coefficient of determination R 2 of the viscoelastic equation and the experimental data is ~0.9639. Since the stress relaxation process is achieved by modeling a combination of the cantilever and the sample, the viscoelasticity of the sample can be obtained by subtracting the component of the cantilever from the results. The cantilever, acting as a spring, is in series with the sample, represented by a standard solid model. The schematic of the series organization

is shown in Figure 2(b). Thus the component of E 1 comprises of E 1s representing the elastic part from the sample and E 1c representing Histamine H2 receptor the elastic part from the cantilever. To clarify the sources of the components in the modified standard solid model, E 2, v 2, and η in Figure 2(a) are now respectively denoted by E 2s , v 2s , and η s in Figure 2(b), where the subscript ‘s’ denotes the sample. At the onset of indentation, only the spring with elastic modulus of E 1 takes the instantaneous step load; therefore, the elastic modulus of E 1s can be determined from the experimental data of zero-duration indentation. Applying the DMT model [46] with the force-displacement relationship of the cantilever, (6) we can obtain the elastic equation of AFM-based indentation (7) where k is the spring constant of the cantilever, which is 5 nN/nm based on Sader’s method [47] to calibrate k, δ cantilever is the cantilever deflection, and δ is recorded directly as the Z-piezo displacement by AFM.

4). The window of occurrence (see e.g., Fig. 3) of this effect is rather limited by kinetic and magnetic parameters (Jeschke and Matysik 2003; Daviso et al. 2008a),

however, it appears that the evolution remains confined on a small area of LY3009104 the infinite parameter landscape. Although a lucky coincidence cannot be ruled out, it appears that the this website solid-state photo-CIDNP effect is highly conserved in the evolution of photosynthetic organisms. Despite many efforts, in no artificial RC system, having generally low-quantum yield, the solid-state photo-CIDNP effect has been observed yet. Therefore, there seems to be a link between the conditions of occurrence of photo-CIDNP in RCs and the conditions of the unsurpassed efficient light-induced electron transfer in RCs. Such link also could allow using the strength of the solid-state photo-CIDNP effect as a heuristic guide to improve the functional properties of artificial RCs. Table 1 Systems in which the solid-state photo-CIDNP effect has been observed Species Reference 13C 15N Plants     Spinacia oleracea (Spinach): PS1 Alia et al. (2004) Diller et al. (2007b)     Spinacia oleracea

(Spinach): PS2 Matysik et al. (2000a) Diller et al. (2007b) Diller et al. (2005) Purple bacteria     Rhodobacter sphaeroides WT Schulten et al. (2002) Daviso et al. (2008c) Prakash et al. (2005a)     Rhodobacter sphaeroides R26 Zysmilich and McDermott (1996a) Zysmilich and McDermott (1994, (1996b) Matysik et al. (2000b) Prakash et al. (2005b) Prakash et al. (2006) Daviso et al. (2008c) H 89 molecular weight     Rhodopseudomonas acidophila Diller et al. (2008)   Gram positive bacteria     Heliobactrium mobilis Roy et al. (2008)   Green sulfur bacteria     Chlorobium tepidum Roy et al. (2007)   Fig. 4 Phylogenetic

tree based on the small subunit RNA method. Groups containing (B)Chl-based photosynthetic organisms are encircled (from: Blankenship 2002). The solid-state photo-CIDNP effect has been observed in purple bacteria, green sulfur bacteria, gram positives and plants. Heliobacteria belong to the gram positive organisms Solid-state photo-CIDNP effect and efficient electron transfer Ergoloid The question occurs on the character of the assumed link between the solid-state photo-CIDNP effect and efficient electron transfer. The phenomenon of the solid-state photo-CIDNP effect is akin to a non-equilibrium phenomenon known in EPR which is called “observer spin”. In a spin triad formed by a spin-correlated radical pair, for example, a radical cation–radical anion pair [D+•A−•] and the observer spin R•, the observer spin may act as an electron spin catalyst facilitating the radical pair reaction (for review see Ivanov 2005). The observer spin may acquire significant non-Boltzmann electron polarization, and this CIDEP has been taken as an indication of its catalytic activity.

To date, no one has investigated the differences between fat-free and fat-YH25448 containing chocolate milk on strength performance in collegiate athletes. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the effects of ingesting two forms of chocolate milk (fat free vs. fat containing) immediately after resistance exercise over an 8-week period to determine its effects on muscular strength. Methods In a double-blinded manner, 16 female collegiate

softball players (18.4 ± 0.6 yrs; 167.1 ± 4.4 cm; 69.5 ± 9.4 kg) were randomized according to strength & bodyweight to ingest a fat free (300 kcals, 58g carbohydrate, 16g protein, 0g fat) or a fat-containing (380 kcals, 58g carbohydrate, find more 16g protein, 10g fat) chocolate milk beverage. The chocolate milk was ingested in a 16-ounce bottle & occurred immediately following all periodized resistance exercise training sessions for a duration of 8-weeks. Dependent variables included 1RM Bench Press and 1RM Leg Press which were assessed at baseline & following 8-weeks of a periodized resistance training program. Dependent variables were assessed as changes (delta scores) from

pre- to post-testing in each group via an independent samples t-test using IBM SPSS Statistics (v19). Results 1RM Bench Press at baseline and post-testing for the fat-free milk group was 87.5 ± 18.7 and 98.1 ± 22.8 lbs (an average improvement of 10.6 ± 8.6 pounds). For the fat-containing milk group, 1RM Bench Press at baseline and post-testing was 77.5 ± 11.0 and 90.6 ± 14 lbs (an average improvement of 13.1 ± 6.5 pounds). There were no significant differences in changes buy AZD6094 from baseline to post-testing between the two groups (p = 0.524). 1RM Leg Press at baseline and post-testing for the fat-free milk group was 285 ± 68.9 and 316.9 ± 94.5 lbs (an average improvement of 31.9 ± 28.3 pounds). For the fat-containing milk group, 1RM Leg Press at baseline and

post-testing was 277.5 ± 51.3 and 303.1 ± 51.3 lbs (an average improvement of 25.6 ± 10.5 pounds). There were no significant differences in changes from baseline to post-testing between the two groups (p = 0.567). Conclusions Based on these data, the ingestion of either fat-free chocolate milk or fat-containing chocolate milk will have similar effects in relation to upper and lower body strength changes when ingested immediately following resistance exercise over an 8-week period Suplatast tosilate in collegiate softball players.”
“Background Ingestion of caffeine is traditionally thought to acutely elevate both blood pressure and heart rate based on the stimulatory properties that it exerts on both the central and peripheral nervous systems, and this effect is primarily dependent on the dose as well as an individual’s sensitivity to caffeine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of the ingestion of a proprietary thermogenic dietary supplement, including the ingredients caffeine, green tea extract, raspberry ketones, and L-Carnitine on ECG and hemodynamic responses.

Similarly with previous reported [11, 12], most genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis were repressed for both strains in this study. It is possible that the regulatory functions of the biosynthesis may not be significantly affected at transcriptional levels under the conditions of this study. The PDR gene group is a new set of genes examined for ethanol tolerance in this study. Many PDR genes function as transporters of ATP-binding cassette proteins and are encoded for plasma membrane proteins that mediate membrane translocation of ions and a wide range of substrates. It impacts lipid and cell wall compositions and major facilitator

superfamily proteins for cell detoxifications [60]. We previously found that PDR genes and regulatory elements played significant roles for tolerance and in situ detoxification of lignocellulose-derived inhibitors [61]. CA4P price Since plasma membrane and cell walls are major targets of ethanol damages, we anticipated the involvement of these genes for reconditioning and remodeling membrane

and cell walls in response to ethanol challenges. The significantly enriched background of transcriptional 4SC-202 molecular weight abundance and continuously increased Geneticin price expressions of several genes in this group for the ethanol tolerant yeast observed in this study support our hypothesis (Table 3). The expressions of PDR genes are mainly controlled by transcription factor Pdr1p and Pdr3p [62]. As demonstrated in our study, many genes share the common transcription protein binding motif of Pdr1p/Pdr3p. Expressions of PDR1 in the tolerant Y-50316 ID-8 was not significantly induced but constantly expressed at all time

points compared with the parental strain. It needs to be pointed out that unless it is repressed, PDR1 does not have to be greatly induced to allow potential Pdr1p functions as a regulator [32, 60]. We consider the ability of its expression under the stress is a tolerance response and suggest Pdr1p as a potential regulator involving the ethanol tolerance of Y-50316. As discussed above, genes able to express or recover to express normally under the stress are important to maintain gene interactions and cell functions. On the other hand, transcription factor genes MSN4, MSN2, YAP1 and HSF1 of the tolerant strains were highly abundance under the ethanol stress. Since many ethanol tolerance candidate genes sharing protein binding motifs of Msn4p/Msn2p, Yap1p and Hsf1p, these transcription factors are likely a core set of regulators for interactive expressions of ethanol tolerance. An HSF1-deletion mutant showed repressed expressions for its target genes usually induced by ethanol [63]. It has been demonstrated that Msn2p and Msn4p induces gene expression via a stress response element and triggers transcriptional response of the downstream genes [64, 65]. Condition-specific roles in gene expression regulation by these transcription factors were also suggested [66].

The urea channels are composed of different numbers of membrane-spanning helices (six for Helicobacter UreI, ten for Yersinia Yut), that in the case of Yut and UreT form two repeated Dasatinib ic50 domains linked by a large periplasmic loop. However, the most important difference between UreI and Yut is their response to acidic pH. While

Yut shows similar activity at a range of different pH [7], UreI shows a 6- to 10-fold activation at pH 5.0 compared to pH 7.5 [19]. The presence of protonable residues (histidines or carboxylates) in the periplasmic loops of UreI seems to be responsible for this activation, and the mechanism of proton-gating presumably is a conformational change in the membrane domains of UreI induced by a change in the

state of protonation of those residues [20]. Both nickel and urea transport systems are required in order to reach maximum levels of urease activity. The evidence presented here shows that the urease operon ure2 includes genes for the transport of urea and nickel, and that these genes Transmembrane Transporters modulator are expressed and active, contributing to urease activity and to resistance to the acidic conditions present in the oral route of infection. Results Evidence of transcription and redefinition of the ure2 operon of Brucella abortus 2308 We have previously reported that the Brucella urease operon ure2 did not contribute to the urease activity of the bacteria [1]. The ure2 operon of Brucella abortus

2308 was considered to be composed of eight genes ureABCEFGDT (BAB1_1376-1383). A Verteporfin in vitro re-evaluation of the chromosomal region suggested that some genes immediately downstream of ureT could be part of the same operon, because: 1) the distance between ureT and the contiguous gene nikM was only 26 bp, 2) there was a good ribosome binding site upstream the putative start codon of nikM, and 3) there was no obvious transcriptional terminator between the two genes. PCR amplification of reverse transcribed Brucella RNA using the pairs of primers indicated in Table 1 was conducted to assess the continuity of the transcript until we reached the first gene annotated on the opposite strand (BAB1_1389). Genomic DNA and total RNA were used as positive Fossariinae and negative controls, and the results are shown in Figure 1. Five additional genes (BAB1_1384-1388) were found to be cotranscribed with the first eight genes, and their functional gene annotation was performed using the SEED comparative genomics resource [21]. The proposed role of these genes (nikKMLQO) was to code for a nickel transport system belonging to the novel ECF class of modular transporters [12]. According to this classification, NikM would be the substrate-specific component, while NikQ and NikO would be the transmembrane and ATPase components, respectively, of the energizing module. NikK and NikL would be additional components.