Copper-Induced Changes in the Urea Uptake and Urease Activity in the Cyanobacteria Anabaena doliolum and Anacystis nidulans:Interaction With Sulphur Containing Amino Acids

Copper-induced changes in the urea uptake and urease activity have been investigated in the cyanobacteria Anabaena doliolum and Anacystis nidulans. Copper, at and above 5 μmol/L concentration, inhibited urea uptake and urease activity systems in both the cyanobacteria in a concentration dependent manner. However, the urea uptake and urease activity systems in A. nidulans appeared slightly more tolerant to copper than that of A.doliolum. The inhibitory effect of copper on urea uptake and urease activity was mitigated by sulphur containing amino acids (cystine and cysteine), however, methionine could not do so, indicating the involvement of sulfhydryl (-SH) groups in the assimilation of urea in cyanobacteria

Impact of Helicobacter pylori virulence markers on clinical outcomes in adult populations

BACKGROUND In recent years,associations between specific virulence markers of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)and gastrointestinal disorders have been suggested.AIM To investigate the presence of virulence factors including vacuolating cytotoxin A genotypes(s1m1,s1m2,s2m1,and s2m2),cytotoxin-associated gene A(CagA),and urease activity in H.pylori strains isolated from Arab and Jewish populations in northern Israel and to assess associations between these factors and patients’demographics and clinical outcomes.METHODS Patients(n=108)who underwent gastroscopy at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center,Poriya due to symptomatic gastroduodenal pathologies as part of H.pylori diagnosis were enrolled in the study.Gastric biopsy specimens were collected from the antrum of the stomach.Clinical condition was assessed by clinical pathology tests.Bacteria were isolated on modified BD Helicobacter Agar(BD Diagnostics,Sparks,MD,United States).Bacterial DNA was extracted,and PCR was performed to detect CagA and vacuolating cytotoxin A genes.Urease activity was assessed using a rapid urease test.RESULTS A significant correlation was found between disease severity and patient ethnicity(P=0.002).A significant correlation was found between CagA presence and the s1m1 genotype(P=0.02),which is considered the most virulent genotype.Further,a higher level of urease activity was associated with isolates originating from the Jewish population.Moreover,higher urease activity levels were measured among CagA-/s1m1 and CagA-/s2m2 isolates.CONCLUSION Our study highlights the importance of incorporating molecular methods for detection of virulence markers of H.pylori in order to tailor optimal treatments for each patient.Further investigation should be performed regarding associations between H.pylori virulence factors and ethnicity.

Garlic extract addition for soil improvement at various temperatures using enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) method

Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is an emerging technique to improve the soil and most studies are carried out at room temperature. However, considering some foundations are in high-temperature environments (>40 ℃), the higher urease activity at high temperature results in the solidification inhomogeneity, limiting the application of EICP. The higher urease activity at high temperature hampers the application of EICP because of solidification inhomogeneity. The garlic extract has been used as a type of urease inhibitor in medical science and food engineering. Here, we propose to use it to control urease activity for sand solidification at high temperature. The effects of garlic extract addition on urease activity and precipitation rates for calcium carbonate (CaCO_(3)) were studied. Extra tests were conducted to study the effect of garlic extract addition on the solidification homogeneity. The results showed that the garlic extract addition significantly decreased urease activity. To reduce the rate of CaCO3 precipitation at different temperatures, a suitable concentration of garlic extract was necessary to obtain a suitable urease activity. In the sand solidification test, garlic extract addition resulted in a smaller difference in sonic time values or CaCO_(3) contents at different parts of samples. The improved solidification homogeneity can achieve higher strength. The correlation between sonic time values and CaCO_(3) content was higher than that between CaCO3 content and strength. Appropriate concentrations of garlic extract were obtained at 35 ℃, 40℃, 45 ℃, 50 ℃, and 55 ℃. The proposed garlic extract addition method was significant to improve the homogeneity of solidified soil in practical engineering applications.

β-Cyclodextrin-modified AuBi metallic aerogels enable efficient peroxidase mimicking for colorimetric sensing of urease-positive pathogenic bacteria

The detection of pathogenic bacteria with improved accessibility,reduced analysis time,and increased sensitivity is of great importance for diagnosing the infected disease.Nanozymes have attracted rising attention in the bioassay field.Designing a model nanozyme needs the combined merit of sensible nanostructures and a large specific surface area to guarantee exceptional enzyme-mimic activity.Herein,aβ-cyclodextrin modified AuBi aerogel is prepared by a one-pot reduction strategy.The introduction ofβ-cyclodextrin(featured with a hydrophobic cavity and hydrophilic surface)enhances the catalytic activity of AuBi aerogels by engendering host-guest complex and improving dispersity/stability.Based on the specific urea hydrolysis,which could produce NH_(3)to raise pH by urease,the pH up-regulation would inhibit the peroxidase-mimicking performances ofβ-cyclodextrin/AuBi aerogels.Therefore,the sensitive colorimetric detection platform for urease activity could be constructed.Moreover,the sensing platform can detect straightforwardly urease-positive Proteus mirabilis in urine circumstances with a wide detection range and a low limit of detection(LOD)of 4 colony-forming unit(CFU)·mL^(-1).The reproducibility,stability,and specificity of this approach are verified to be satisfactory.Also,as an inhibitor of urease activity,the fluoride ion could be detected by the constructed sensing platform sensitively and specifically.Overall,this work provides a blueprint for designing an ideal nanozyme and paves a new roadway for detecting pathogenic bacteria.

Urease activity and urea hydrolysis rate under coupling effects of moisture content,temperature,and nitrogen application rate

The traditional qualitative analysis of the individual factors on the kinetic parameters cannot sufficiently reveal the mechanism underlying urea hydrolysis in soil.This study aimed at revealing the coupling effects of the three factors on urease activity(V_(0)),hydrolysis rate constant(K_(u)),and activation energy(Ea)and establishing the quantitative model for K_(u) under the coupling condition.Laboratory culture experiments were conducted under different temperatures(T)(15℃,20℃,25℃,and 35℃),moisture contents(θ)(60%,80%,and 100%of field capacities),and nitrogen application rates(F)(247 mg/kg,309 mg/kg,371 mg/kg,and 433 mg/kg).The urea content was measured daily.Results showed that the effects of moisture content,temperature,nitrogen application rate,and their interaction on V_(0) and K_(u) were in the descending order:T,F,T^(*)F,θ,T^(*)θ,F^(*)θ,T^(*)θ^(*)F.The effect of single factor and two-factor coupling on V_(0) was extremely significant(p<0.01),whereas the effect of the three-factor coupling on V_(0) was negligible.The effects of three factors and their interaction on K_(u) were extremely significant(p<0.01).The effects of moisture content,nitrogen application rate,and their interaction on Ea were in the descending order:F,θ,F^(*)θ.The effects of two factors and their interaction on Ea were not significant.The mean absolute percentage error(MAPE)values of the established K_(u-1)(θ,T,F)and K_(u-2)(θ,T,F)models were 3.14%and 4.60%,respectively.The MAPE of the traditional Arrhenius model K_(u-3)(T)was 6.75%.The accuracy of the proposed three-factor interaction model was superior to that of the traditional single factor model.The results supplemented the mechanism of urea hydrolysis and improved the prediction accuracy of K_(u).

Urease activity and nitrogen dynamics in highly weathered soils with designer biochars under corn cultivation

The application of designer biochar has the potential to impact soil enzyme activity and soil nitrogen dynamics.However,very little is known about the mechanisms responsible for biochar-enzyme-nitrogen interaction in highly weathered soils.The objective of our 3-year(2016-2018)field experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of designer biochars(DB)in enhancing urease activity(UA),total nitrogen(TN),total inorganic nitrogen(TIN),and nitrogen uptake(NU)at different growth stages(GS)of corn in a highly weathered soil of southeastern Coastal Plain region,USA.Experimental treatments have consisted of the control,100%pine chips(100PC),100%poultry litter(100PL),2:1 blend of PC and PL(PCPL),100%raw switchgrass(Panicum vaginatum,L;100RSG),and 2:1 blend of PC and RSG(PCRSG).All the designer biochar treatments were applied at the rate of 30,000 kg ha^(−1)to a Goldsboro loamy sand in 2016.Urease activity,TN,TIN,and NU varied remarkably with DB(p≤0.0001)at different GS(p≤0.0001)of corn.Soils treated with 100PL had the greatest UA(28.18μg N g^(−1)h^(−1)),TN(0.087%),and TIN(14.53 mg kg^(−1))while the least UA,TN,and TIN of 20.55μg N g^(−1)h^(−1),0.063%,and 5.42 mg kg^(−1),respectively,were observed from the control.The three-year TN average increase over the control was in the order:100PL(36.8%)>100RSG(25.8%)>PCRSG(25.3%)>PCPL(23.9%)>100PC(7.1%).The greatest NU of corn of 140.4 kg N ha^(−1)was from soils treated with 100PL while the least amount of NU was from 100PC.Overall,our results showed promising significance for the treatment of highly weathered soils since the application of DB did enhance UA and improve TN and TIN in the soils.

A critical review of microbially induced carbonate precipitation for soil stabilization:The global experiences and future prospective

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is a new technology having the potential to induce soil stabilization and provide a green and sustainable comprehensive solution to some geotechnical engineering problems in the environment.The present article is dedicated to present a critical review of this technology and discuss its mechanisms of action and the key factors influencing its performance.The global experiences and national participation from Egypt are demonstrated,in addition to attempts for real life applications.This review provides an insight into the practical steps taken to mitigate some of the current limitations of MICP application and the identified gaps in analogous studies.It was concluded that integrating MICP with existing technologies would favor both engineering needs and market requirements.In addition,providing effective solutions to MICP limitations would highlight this technology as an eco-friendly and cost-effective option to several engineering obstacles.Finally,recommendations focused on encouraging global collaboration for knowledge transfer about this technology among different countries,as well as positive financial support from industrial entities to aid in the progress of scientific research and achieving large-scale applications in the near future,are provided.

Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Soil Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms Under Temperatures of 25 and 5℃

The excellent bactericidal performance of silver nanoparticles （Ag NPs） has led to their wide applications, resulting in increasing concerns about their potential environmental impacts. This study evaluated the influences of different concentrations of Ag NPs （0, 1, 10, and 100 μg g^-1 dry soil） on the ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms in soil at cultivation temperatures of 25 and 5 ℃ for 37 d. The results showed that 1μg g^-1 dry soil of Ag NPs had no acute effects on the ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms. However, 10 and 100μg g^-1 dry soil of Ag NPs levels were found to significantly inhibit the activities of soil nitrification, with a decrease of 69.89% and 94.55%, respectively, at 25 ℃ and 61.65% and 83.79%, respectively, at 5℃ compared to the control （0 μg g^-1 dry soil of Ag NPs）. These levels of Ag NPs also obviously decreased soil urease activity from about 380.47 ± 0.07 （at 5℃） and 529.76 ± 13.44 （at 25℃） mg N g^-1 dry soil d^-1 to 61.70 ± 2.97 and 68.29 ± 8.22 mg N g^-1 dry soil d^-1, respectively, after 37 d of cultivation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria. For the same exposure time, the effects of Ag NPs on the activities of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and urease decreased with decreasing temperature. The threshold concentration of Ag NPs that induced negative effects on ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms was higher at 5 -C than at 25 -C. Therefore, the temperature has a major impact on the toxicity of Ag NPs to ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and on the urease activity, with toxicity being reduced with decreasing temperature.