Effects of temperature on plant growth and arsenic removal efficiency of Pteris vittata in purifying arsenic-contaminated water in winter: A two-year year-round field study.

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative method for arsenic (As) contaminated water treatment. This study conducted a two-year year-round field study (cycle1 and cycle2) in a temperate area (Sendai, Japan) using small As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata seedlings to reduce pre-cultivation time and associated costs. The number of seedlings was changed from 256 in the cycle1 period to 165 in the cycle2 period to evaluate the As removal efficiency of P.

Grazing resistance developed in Escherichia coli K-12 during coexistence with a bacterivorous protist.

A development of grazing resistance in Escherichia coli K-12 was examined in the presence of a bacterivorous protist, Spumella sp. TGKK2. Two transformants were generated from E.

Degradation of DDT by γ-hexachlorocyclohexane dehydrochlorinase LinA.

1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethane (DDT) is the first synthetic insecticide and one of the most widely used pesticides. The use of DDT has been banned, but it remains one of the most notorious environmental pollutants around the world. In this study, we found that γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) dehydrochlorinase LinA from a γ-HCH-degrading bacterium, Sphingobium japonicum UT26, converts DDT to 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (DDE).

Whole-Genome Sequence of an Arsenite-Oxidizing Bacterium, sp. Strain NE5, Isolated from the Rhizosphere of the Arsenic Hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata.

sp. strain NE5, an arsenite-oxidizing bacterium, was isolated from the rhizosphere of an arsenic hyperaccumulator fern (Pteris vittate). Here, the genome sequence of sp.

Arsenic uptake by Pteris vittata in a subarctic arsenic-contaminated agricultural field in Japan: An 8-year study.

In this study, the phytoremediation potential of tropical and subtropical arsenic (As) hyperaccumulating fern Pteris vittata in an As contaminated farmland field near an abandoned goldmine was investigated. The tested field is located in a subarctic area of northeast Japan. This study was aimed at decreasing the risk of As in the soil (water-soluble As) with nurturing the soil and respecting the plant life cycle for the sustainable phytoremediation for 8 years.

New evidence of arsenic translocation and accumulation in Pteris vittata from real-time imaging using positron-emitting As tracer.

Pteris vittata is an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator plant that accumulates a large amount of As into fronds and rhizomes (around 16,000 mg/kg in both after 16 weeks hydroponic cultivation with 30 mg/L arsenate). However, the sequence of long-distance transport of As in this hyperaccumulator plant is unclear. In this study, we used a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS) for the first time to obtain noninvasive serial images of As behavior in living plants with positron-emitting As-labeled tracer.

Identification of A Novel Arsenic Resistance Transposon Nested in A Mercury Resistance Transposon of sp. MB24.

A novel Tn1-like transposon designated as Tn1 was identified from mercury resistant isolated from Minamata Bay sediment. Two adjacent operon-like gene clusters, and , flanked by a pair of 78-bp inverted repeat sequences, which resulted in a 13.8-kbp transposon-like fragment, were found to be sandwiched between two transposable genes of the Tn1-like transposon of a mercury resistant bacterium, sp.

Comparative geochemical evaluation of toxic metals pollution and bacterial communities of industrial effluent tributary and a receiving estuary in Nigeria.

Toxic metals/metalloid contaminations of estuarine sediments due to compromised tributaries arouse significant interest in studying bacterial community that triggers natural attenuation processes. Geo-accumulation index (I), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and Hakanson potential ecological risk index (RI) as a sum of risk factors (Er) were used to quantify toxic metal/metalloid-pollution status of Lagos Lagoon (2W) and 'Iya-Alaro' tributary (4W) sediments in comparison with pristine 'Lekki Conservation Centre' sediment (L1-B). Bacteriology of the ecosystems was based on culture-independent analyses using pyrosequencing.

Bio-oxidation of elemental mercury during growth of mercury resistant yeasts in simulated hydrosphere.

Transformation of metallic mercury (Hg°) to mercuric ion (Hg) in hydrosphere is the entrance of mercury cycle in water environments and leads to toxicological impact of serious global concern. Two yeast strains of Yarrowia (Idd1 and Idd2) isolated from Hg-contaminated sediments were studied for their mediating role in Hg° dissolution and oxidation. Growth of the Yarrowia cells in Hg-free liquid medium, incubated for 5 d in closed air-tight systems containing Hg°, produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).

Serum lipid and bone metabolism effects of Toremifene vs. Letrozole as adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal early breast cancer patients: results of a multicenter open randomized study.

A prospective randomized phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the time course effects of toremifene (TOR) and letrozole (LET), as adjuvant hormone therapy, on serum lipid profiles and bone metabolism in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, postmenopausal breast cancer patients.Fifty-four postmenopausal breast cancer patients [ER positive, HER2 negative, T1-2, node metastases (n = 0-3), M0] who had undergone curative resection were enrolled. They were randomized to receive either TOR 40 mg/day or LET 2.

Mercury removal during growth of mercury tolerant and self-aggregating Yarrowia spp.

Ecotoxicological implications of mercury (Hg) pollution of hydrosphere require effective Hg-removal strategies as antidote to the environmental problems. Mercury-tolerant yeasts, Yarrowia spp. Idd1 and Idd2 strains, were studied for intracellular accumulation and extracellular micro-precipitation of Hg during growth stage of the yeast strains.

Body mass index and menopausal disorders during menopause affect vasomotor symptoms of postmenopausal Japanese breast cancer patients treated with anastrozole: a prospective multicenter cohort study of patient-reported outcomes.

Background: Adverse events related to endocrine therapies have a major impact not only on patients' quality of life but also on treatment discontinuation. Although vasomotor symptoms induced by aromatase inhibitors are frequently recognized, risk factors, especially for Japanese women, are not well reported. To identify risk factors for vasomotor symptoms of Japanese breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant anastrozole, we conducted a prospective cohort study based on patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

Extracellular mercury sequestration by exopolymeric substances produced by Yarrowia spp.: Thermodynamics, equilibria, and kinetics studies.

Exopolymeric substances (EPS) produced by highly mercury-resistant strains of the yeast Yarrowia spp. (Idd1 and Idd2) were isolated and studied for their mercury binding potential. Excellent yield (approximately 0.

Development of suitable hydroponics system for phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated water using an arsenic hyperaccumulator plant Pteris vittata.

In this study, we found that high-performance hydroponics of arsenic hyperaccumulator fern Pteris vittata is possible without any mechanical aeration system, if rhizomes of the ferns are kept over the water surface level. It was also found that very low-nutrition condition is better for root elongation of P. vittata that is an important factor of the arsenic removal from contaminated water.

Risk factors for joint symptoms in postmenopausal Japanese breast cancer patients treated with anastrozole: a prospective multicenter cohort study of patient-reported outcomes.

Background: Endocrine treatment-related adverse events have a strong impact on patients' quality of life and sometimes result in treatment discontinuation. Since joint symptoms are the most frequently recognized side effect of aromatase inhibitors, evaluation of associated risk factors may yield significant findings.

Patients And Methods: A total of 391 postmenopausal Japanese women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer and treated with adjuvant anastrozole were enrolled from 28 centers for assessment of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in this prospective cohort study (SAVS-JP, UMIN000002455).

Mercury bioremoval by Yarrowia strains isolated from sediments of mercury-polluted estuarine water.

Difference in mercuric ion removal by resting and growing cells of two mercury-resistant yeast strains, identified as Yarrowia spp. (strains Idd1 and Idd2), were studied. Resting cells of strain Idd2 exhibited high maximum Hg(2+) removal capacity (59 mg mercury per g dry cell weight [gdw(-1)]) by adsorption than those of resting cells of strain Idd1 (32 mg gdw(-1)).

Phase II study of S-1 in combination with trastuzumab for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Aim: We undertook a prospective phase II study to evaluate the efficacy of S-1 plus trastuzumab combination regimen for human epidermal-growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Patients And Methods: HER2-positive MBC patients received oral administration of S-1 (80 mg/m2/day, days 1 to 28, every 6 weeks) and intravenous weekly trastuzumab (2 mg/kg), according to the results of a prior Phase I trial of our group.

Results: A total of 28 patients were enrolled and received a median of 3.

Association of body mass index with risk of luminal A but not luminal B estrogen receptor-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer for postmenopausal Japanese women.

Background: The impact of body mass index (BMI) on the risk of postmenopausal estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers has been well documented. However, the mechanism for the impact of BMI on the etiology of luminal A and luminal B subtypes has not yet been identified.

Methods: We analyzed associations between BMI and breast cancers stratified by immunohistochemically defined intrinsic subtypes, and 1,297 Japanese women (615 breast cancer patients and 682 healthy women from a breast cancer screening program) were enrolled in a case-control study.

Effectiveness of heat treatment to protect introduced denitrifying bacteria from eukaryotic predatory microorganisms in a pilot-scale bioreactor.

Bioaugmentation of bioreactor systems with pre-cultured bacteria has proven difficult because inoculated bacteria are easily eliminated by predatory eukaryotic-microorganisms. Here, we demonstrated an intermediate thermal treatment was effective for protecting introduced denitrifying bacteria from eukaryotic predators and consequently allowed the inoculated bacteria to survive longer in a denitrification reactor.

Community structure and population dynamics of ammonia oxidizers in composting processes of ammonia-rich livestock waste.

This study investigated the relationship between the population dynamics of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), and changes in the concentrations of nitrogenous compounds during ammonia-rich livestock waste-composting processes. The data showed that ammonia in beef and dairy cow livestock waste-composting piles was slowly oxidized to nitrite and nitrate after approximately 21-35 days under thermophilic or moderately thermophilic and mesophilic conditions. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays showed a relative abundance of betaproteobacterial AOB during ammonia oxidation but did not detect AOA in any composting stage.

Gene cluster and regulation system for 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) degradation in Janibacter sp. TYM3221.

A DDE-degrading bacterium, Janibacter sp. TYM3221, is able to grow on biphenyl and degrades 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) via a meta-ring cleavage pathway. The bphAa gene, encoding a biphenyl dioxygenase large subunit, was previously demonstrated to be involved in the degradation of DDE in TYM3221.

Characterization of nitrate and nitrite utilization system in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1.

A polychlorinated-biphenyl degrader, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, has the potential to be used in soil for the remediation of environmental contamination. It has been found that RHA1 genes, ro06365 (narK) and ro06366, encoding a nitrate/nitrite transporter and nitrite reductase, respectively, were highly upregulated during the growth in sterile soil. In this study, these genes and ro00862, a paralog of ro06366 were characterized to reveal the nitrate and nitrite utilization systems of RHA1.

Bioaugmentation of a wastewater bioreactor system with the nitrous oxide-reducing denitrifier Pseudomonas stutzeri strain TR2.

In bioaugmentation technology, survival of inoculant in the treatment system is prerequisite but remains to be a crucial hurdle. In this study, we bioaugmented the denitrification tank of a piggery wastewater treatment system with the denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri strain TR2 in two pilot-scale experiments, with the aim of reducing nitrous oxide (N(2)O), a gas of environmental concern. In the laboratory, strain TR2 grew well and survived with high concentrations of nitrite (5-10 mM) at a wide range of temperatures (28-40°C).

Specific gene responses of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 during growth in soil.

Transcriptome analysis of Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 during growth in sterilized soil was performed. A total of 165 soil-specific genes were identified by subtracting genes upregulated in late growth phases and on solid medium from 264 genes commonly upregulated during growth on biphenyl or pyruvate in sterilized soil. Classification of the 165 genes into functional categories indicated that this soil-specific group is rich in genes for the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, and nitrogen and relatively poor in those for cellular processes and signaling.

Survival of the aerobic denitrifier Pseudomonas stutzeri strain TR2 during co-culture with activated sludge under denitrifying conditions.

The aerobic denitrifier Pseudomonas stutzeri TR2 (strain TR2) has the potential to reduce nitrous oxide emissions during the wastewater treatment process. In this application, it is important to find the best competitive survival conditions for strain TR2 in complex ecosystems. To that end, we examined co-cultures of strain TR2 with activated sludge via five passage cultures in a medium derived from treated piggery wastewater that contained a high concentration of ammonium.