Correlates of prenatal care initiation among low -income Hispanic women

Because Hispanic women are even less likely than women of other ethnic groups to receive early prenatal care, the purpose of this study was to identify factors that may influence these women to initiate care. After giving consent, 300 Hispanic women (100 who initiated first trimester care, 100 who initiated second trimester care, and 100 who initiated third trimester care or received no care) were interviewed in the post partum unit of a local public hospital. The interview included recollection of events leading to the first prenatal appointment, including first physical indicators of pregnancy, confirmation of pregnancy, feelings about the pregnancy, appointment making behavior, and system barriers encountered. The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretical framework for determining psychosocial variables. Using this model, perceived susceptibility to problems during pregnancy, perceived seriousness of possible problems, perceived benefits of prenatal care, perceived barriers to care, and cues to action were assessed. Time of entry into prenatal care was assessed by interview.^ In this sample of low-income Hispanic women, a higher perception of barriers to care was associated with later initiation of care and non-use of care, higher perceived benefits of care for the baby were associated with earlier care, especially in women without a card to access hospital district services, and having a card to access hospital district services was associated with earlier care. Several barriers to care were mentioned by women on open-ended questioning including long waiting times, embarrassment, and lack of transportation.^ Recommendations for practice included decreasing the number of visits for low-risk women while increasing the time spent with the provider, decreasing the number of vaginal exams for low-risk women, increasing the use of midwives, training lay workers to do risk assessment, giving specific messages about benefits of care to baby, and increasing general health motivation through community intervention methods. More research on the psychosocial and cultural factors associated with initiation of care is needed. In the meantime, the recommendations for practice can be implemented now to increase the use of prenatal care by low-income Hispanic women. ^

A propósito de algunos epigramas atribuidos a Luciano

La Antología griega incluye entre sus poemas un conjunto de epigramas que suelen atribuirse a Luciano de Samosata, pero dicha atribución ha sido puesta en duda. Nuestro propósito es revisar algunos de esos epigramas, todos ellos del libro XI, en el que se concentran la mayor parte de epigramas de carácter burlesco dentro de la colección. Se trata de poemas relacionados con el ámbito del simposio, de la erudición y de la sofística, ya que son éstos motivos habituales sobre los que abunda la sátira mordaz del samosatense a lo largo de su obra.

A propósito de algunos epigramas atribuidos a Luciano

La Antología griega incluye entre sus poemas un conjunto de epigramas que suelen atribuirse a Luciano de Samosata, pero dicha atribución ha sido puesta en duda. Nuestro propósito es revisar algunos de esos epigramas, todos ellos del libro XI, en el que se concentran la mayor parte de epigramas de carácter burlesco dentro de la colección. Se trata de poemas relacionados con el ámbito del simposio, de la erudición y de la sofística, ya que son éstos motivos habituales sobre los que abunda la sátira mordaz del samosatense a lo largo de su obra.

A propósito de algunos epigramas atribuidos a Luciano

La Antología griega incluye entre sus poemas un conjunto de epigramas que suelen atribuirse a Luciano de Samosata, pero dicha atribución ha sido puesta en duda. Nuestro propósito es revisar algunos de esos epigramas, todos ellos del libro XI, en el que se concentran la mayor parte de epigramas de carácter burlesco dentro de la colección. Se trata de poemas relacionados con el ámbito del simposio, de la erudición y de la sofística, ya que son éstos motivos habituales sobre los que abunda la sátira mordaz del samosatense a lo largo de su obra.

Snow-pit measurements on Atka Bay landfast sea ice during ANT-Land 2012/2013 season

Up to now, snow cover on Antarctic sea ice and its impact on radar backscatter, particularly after the onset of freeze/thaw processes, are not well understood. Here we present a combined analysis of in situ observations of snow properties from the landfast sea ice in Atka Bay, Antarctica, and high-resolution TerraSAR-X backscatter data, for the transition from austral spring (November 2012) to summer (January 2013). The physical changes in the seasonal snow cover during that time are reflected in the evolution of TerraSAR-X backscatter. We are able to explain 76-93% of the spatio-temporal variability of the TerraSAR-X backscatter signal with up to four snowpack parameters with a root-mean-squared error of 0.87-1.62 dB, using a simple multiple linear model. Over the complete study, and especially after the onset of early-melt processes and freeze/thaw cycles, the majority of variability in the backscatter is influenced by changes in snow/ice interface temperature, snow depth and top-layer grain size. This suggests it may be possible to retrieve snow physical properties over Antarctic sea ice from X-band SAR backscatter.

Relative abundances and microbial numbers of organisms from water sample station GeoB15704-2

Due to sampling difficulties, little is known about microbial communities associated with sinking marine snow in the twilight zone. A drifting sediment trap was equipped with a viscous cryogel and deployed to collect intact marine snow from depths of 100 and 400 m off Cape Blanc (Mauritania). Marine snow aggregates were fixed and washed in situ to prevent changes in microbial community composition and to enable subsequent analysis using catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). The attached microbial communities collected at 100 m were similar to the free-living community at the depth of the fluorescence maximum (20 m) but different from those at other depths (150, 400, 550, and 700 m). Therefore, the attached microbial community seemed to be "inherited" from that at the fluorescence maximum. The attached microbial community structure at 400 m differed from that of the attached community at 100 m and from that of any free-living community at the tested depths, except that collected near the sediment at 700 m. The differences between the particle-associated communities at 400 m and 100 m appeared to be due to internal changes in the attached microbial community rather than de novo colonization, detachment, or grazing during the sinking of marine snow. The new sampling method presented here will facilitate future investigations into the mechanisms that shape the bacterial community within sinking marine snow, leading to better understanding of the mechanisms which regulate biogeochemical cycling of settling organic matter.

Niche differentiation among mat-forming, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria in chemosynthetic ecosystems of the Nile Deep Sea Fan (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Sulfidic muds of cold seeps on the Nile Deep Sea Fan are populated by different types of mat-forming sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. The predominant sulfide oxidizers of three different mats were identified by microscopic and phylogenetic analyses as (i) Arcobacter species producing cotton-ball-like sulfur precipitates, (ii) large filamentous sulfur bacteria including Beggiatoa species, or (iii) single, spherical cells resembling Thiomargarita species. High resolution in situ microprofiles revealed different geochemical settings selecting for different mat types. Arcobacter mats occurred where oxygen and sulfide overlapped at the bottom water interface. Filamentous sulfide oxidizers were associated with non-overlapping, steep gradients of oxygen and sulfide. A dense population of Thiomargarita was favored by temporarily changing supplies of oxygen and sulfide. These results indicate that the decisive factors in selecting for different mat-forming bacteria within one deep-sea province are spatial or temporal variations in energy supply. Furthermore, the occurrence of Arcobacter spp.-related 16S rRNA genes in the sediments below all three types of mats, as well as on top of brine lakes of the Nile Deep Sea Fan, indicates that this group of sulfide oxidizers can switch between different life modes depending on the geobiochemical habitat setting.

Relative abundance of prokaryotic picoplankton populations in the Atlantic Ocean

Members of the prokaryotic picoplankton are the main drivers of the biogeochemical cycles over large areas of the world's oceans. In order to ascertain changes in picoplankton composition in the euphotic and twilight zones at an ocean basin scale we determined the distribution of 11 marine bacterial and archaeal phyla in three different water layers along a transect across the Atlantic Ocean from South Africa (32.9°S) to the UK (46.4°N) during boreal spring. Depth profiles down to 500 m at 65 stations were analysed by catalysed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) and automated epifluorescence microscopy. There was no obvious overall difference in microbial community composition between the surface water layer and the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) layer. There were, however, significant differences between the two photic water layers and the mesopelagic zone. SAR11 (35 ± 9%) and Prochlorococcus (12 ± 8%) together dominated the surface waters, whereas SAR11 and Crenarchaeota of the marine group I formed equal proportions of the picoplankton community below the DCM (both ~15%). However, due to their small cell sizes Crenarchaeota contributed distinctly less to total microbial biomass than SAR11 in this mesopelagic water layer. Bacteria from the uncultured Chloroflexi-related clade SAR202 occurred preferentially below the DCM (4-6%). Distinct latitudinal distribution patterns were found both in the photic zone and in the mesopelagic waters: in the photic zone, SAR11 was more abundant in the Northern Atlantic Ocean (up to 45%) than in the Southern Atlantic gyre (~25%), the biomass of Prochlorococcus peaked in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria bloomed in the nutrient-rich northern temperate waters and in the Benguela upwelling. In mesopelagic waters, higher proportions of SAR202 were present in both central gyre regions, whereas Crenarchaeota were clearly more abundant in the upwelling regions and in higher latitudes. Other phylogenetic groups such as the Planctomycetes, marine group II Euryarchaeota and the uncultured clades SAR406, SAR324 and SAR86 rarely exceeded more than 5% of relative abundance.

Environmental characteristics and gas composition of Lost Hammer, Canadian Arctic

We report the first microbiological characterization of a terrestrial methane seep in a cryo-environment in the form of an Arctic hypersaline (~24% salinity), subzero (-5 C), perennial spring, arising through thick permafrost in an area with an average annual air temperature of -15 C. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries indicated a relatively low diversity of phylotypes within the spring sediment (Shannon index values of 1.65 and 1.39, respectively). Bacterial phylotypes were related to microorganisms such as Loktanella, Gillisia, Halomonas and Marinobacter spp. previously recovered from cold, saline habitats. A proportion of the bacterial phylotypes were cultured, including Marinobacter and Halomonas, with all isolates capable of growth at the in situ temperature (-5 C). Archaeal phylotypes were related to signatures from hypersaline deep-sea methane-seep sediments and were dominated by the anaerobic methane group 1a (ANME-1a) clade of anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea. CARD-FISH analyses indicated that cells within the spring sediment consisted of ~84.0% bacterial and 3.8% archaeal cells with ANME-1 cells accounting for most of the archaeal cells. The major gas discharging from the spring was methane (~50%) with the low CH4/C2 + ratio and hydrogen and carbon isotope signatures consistent with a thermogenic origin of the methane. Overall, this hypersaline, subzero environment supports a viable microbial community capable of activity at in situ temperature and where methane may behave as an energy and carbon source for sustaining anaerobic oxidation of methane-based microbial metabolism. This site also provides a model of how a methane seep can form in a cryo-environment as well as a mechanism for the hypothesized Martian methane plumes.

Chemical analysis and Microbial community composition of surface water samples from the Southern Lagoon of Venice

The Lagoon of Venice is a large water basin that exchanges water with the Northern Adriatic Sea through three large inlets. We examined two adjacent sites within the Southern Basin and at the Chioggia inlet in autumn 2007 and summer 2008. A pilot study in June 2007 on a surface water sample from Chioggia with a rather high salinity of 36.9 PSU had revealed a conspicuous bloom of CF319a-positive cells likely affiliated with the Cytophaga /Flavobacteria cluster of Bacteroidetes. These flavobacterial abundances were one to two orders of magnitude higher than in other marine surface waters. DAPI-stained cells were identified as bacteria with the general bacterial probe mixture EUB338 I-III. CARD-FISH counts with group-specific probes confirmed the dominance of Bacteroidetes (CF319a), Alphaproteobacteria (ALF968), and Gammaproteobacteria (GAM42a). CARD-FISH showed thatBetaproteobacteria and Planctomycetes were minor components of the bacterioplankton in the Lagoon of Venice.

Development of bacterial and archaeal communities in erupted subsurface muds at the Håkon Mosby mud volcano

The microbial oxidation of methane controls the emission of the greenhouse gas methane from the ocean floor. However, some seabed structures such as mud volcanoes have leaky microbial methane filters and can be important sources of methane. We investigated the disturbance and recovery of a methanotrophic mud volcano microbiome (Håkon Mosby mud volcano, 1250 m water depth), to assess time scales of community succession and function in the natural deep-sea environment. We analyzed 10 surface and 5 subsurface sediment samples across HMMV mud flows from most recently discharged subsurface muds towards old consolidated muds as well as one reference site (REF) located approximately 0.5 km outside of the HMMV. Surface samples were obtained in 2003, 2009 and 2010. The surface of the new mud flows at the geographical center was sampled in 2009 and 2010. Around 100 m south of the center, we sampled more consolidated aged muds in 2003 and 2010. Old mud flows were sampled around 300 m southeast and 100 m north of the geographical center in 2003, 2009 and 2010. Surface sediment samples (0-20 cm) were recovered either by TV-guided Multicorer or by push cores using the remotely operated vehicle Quest (Marum, University Bremen). Subsurface sediments of all zones (>2 m below sea floor) were obtained in 2003 by gravity corer. After recovery, sediments were immediately subsampled in a refrigerated container (0°C) and further processed for biogeochemical analyses or preserved at -20°C for later DNA analyses. Our study show that freshly erupted muds hosted heterotrophic deep subsurface communities, which were replaced by surface communities within a few years of exposure. Aerobic methanotrophy was established at the top surface layer within less than a year, followed by anaerobic methanotrophy, sulfate reduction and finally thiotrophy. Our data indicate that it takes decades in cold environments before efficient methanotrophic communities establish to control methane emission. The observed succession provides insights to the response time of complex deep-sea communities to seafloor disturbances.

Chloroflexus spp. and Sulfurihydrogenibium spp. in microbial mats of the Nakabusa hot spring, Japan

Microbial mats develop in a wide range of aquatic habitats, such as geothermal hot springs, hypersaline ponds, marine cold seeps or hydrothermal vents. The Nakabusa hot spring is located in the Nagano Prefecture, Japan (36.3875N, 137.75E), dense olive-green microbial mats develop in regions where the slightly alkaline, sulfidic effluent has cooled to 65°C. The microbial community of such mats was analyzed by focusing on the diversity, as well as the in situ distribution and function of bacteria involved in sulfur cycling. Microbial mat samples were kept in sterile plastic tubes (for molecular analysis) or glass bottles completely filled with hot spring water to avoid oxidation. Samples were transferred to the laboratory on ice and used for physiological experiments within 8h. Quantification of cell biovolumes was carried out based on images of mat sections hybridized with Sulfurihydrogenibium- and Chloroflexi-specific probes, and stained with DAPI. In situ hybridizations (CARD-FISH) of thin matsections showed a heterogeneous vertical distribution of Sulfurihydrogenibium and Chloroflexus. Sulfurihydrogenibium dominated near the mat surface (50% of the total mat biovolume), while Chloroflexus dominated in deeper layers (up to 64% of the total mat biovolume).

Composition of bacterioplankton in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre

Subtropical oceanic gyres are the most extensive biomes on Earth where SAR11 and Prochlorococcus bacterioplankton numerically dominate the surface waters depleted in inorganic macronutrients as well as in dissolved organic matter. In such nutrient poor conditions bacterioplankton could become photoheterotrophic. We assessed the photoheterotrophy of the key microbial taxa in the North Atlantic oligotrophic gyre and adjacent regions. The experimental work was performed on board the Royal Research Ship James Cook (cruise no. JC53, October-November 2010) as part of the Atlantic Meridional Transect programme, and on board the Royal Research Ship Discovery (cruise no. D369, August-September 2011). At each station, samples were collected from 20m depth with a sampling rosette of 20-l Niskin bottles mounted on aconductivity-temperature-depth profiler. Samples were collected in 1 l thermos flasks (washed with10% v/v HCl) in the dark and processed immediately. Depth of 20m was chosen because it represents the mixed layer and it was the shallowest depth unaffected by the ship's movement, including thrusting, that could artificially affect microbial metabolism in nutrient-depleted stratified surfacewaters. Molecular identification of flow-sorted cells CARD-FISH was performed on flow-sorted cells to identify the groups for which uptake rates were measured. High nucleic acid-containing bacteria, based on SYBR Green DNA staining, that had virtually undetectable chlorophyll autofluorescence, were phylogenetically affiliated with Prochlorococcus,in agreement with our previously reported results (Zubkov et al., 2007; doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01324.x).

Verrucomicrobia in situ abundance and water chemistry in a humic lake during the year 2000

Members of the highly diverse bacterial phylum Verrucomicrobia are globally distributed in various terrestrial and aquatic habitats. They are key players in soils, but little is known about their role in aquatic systems. Thus, we applied newly designed 16S rRNA-targeted probe set for the identification of Verrucomicrobia and of clades within this phylum to a study concerning the seasonal abundance of Verrucomicrobia in waters of the humic lake Große Fuchskuhle (Germany) by catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization. The Lake Große Fuchskuhle is located in the large Mecklenburg-Brandenburg lake district near Berlin (53°10'N, 13°02'E). The lake was artificially divided into four basins (northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast). We chose the two most contrasting basins, the acidotrophic humic southwestern (SW) basin with a high influx of allochthonous dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and the more mesotrophic northeastern (NE) basin, to study abundance and seasonality of Verrucomicrobia. Lake water was collected from depths of 0.5 m (oxic) and 4.5 m (seasonally anoxic) approximately trimonthly in 2000 (March, June, September and December). The lake hosted diverse Verrucomicrobia clades in all seasons. Either Spartobacteria (up to 19%) or Opitutus spp. (up to 7%) dominated the communities, whereas Prosthecobacter spp. were omnipresent in low numbers (<1%). Verrucomicrobial abundance and community composition varied between the seasons, and between more and less humic basins, but were rather stable in oxic and seasonally anoxic waters.