The Marine Microbial Eukaryote Transcriptome Sequencing Project (MMETSP): illuminating the functional diversity of eukaryotic life in the oceans through transcriptome sequencing

Current sampling of genomic sequence data from eukaryotes is relatively poor, biased, and inadequate to address important questions about their biology, evolution, and ecology; this Community Page describes a resource of 700 transcriptomes from marine microbial eukaryotes to help understand their role in the world's oceans.

Solid state molecular motion in sucrose octapalmitate as studied by deuterium NMR spectroscopy

Sucrose octapalmitate-d11, d24 and d248 have been synthesized. Using 2H NMR T1 and analyses of the temperature dependence of the lineshapes, a detailed description of the solid state molecular motional modes is presented. Activation energies for methyl and methylene group rotation in the fatty acyl chains have been determined. The sucrose moiety is found to be static on the solid state deuterium NMR timescale.

Distribution of Vibrio vulnificus phage in oyster tissues and other estuarine habitats

Phages lytic to Vibrio vulnificus were found in estuarine waters, sediments, plankton, crustacea, molluscan shellfish, and the intestines of finfish of the U.S. Gulf Coast, but no apparent relationship between densities of V. vulnificus and its phages was observed. Phage diversity and abundance in molluscan shellfish were much greater than in other habitats. V. vulnificus phages isolated from oysters did not lyse other mesophilic bacteria also isolated from oysters. Both V. vulnificus and its phages were found in a variety of oyster tissues and fluids with lowest densities in the hemolymph and mantle fluid. These findings suggest a close ecological relationship between V. vulnificus phages and molluscan shellfish.

Scanning electron microscopic and X-ray energy spectrographic analysis of the inner surface of human atherosclerotic carotid plaques

Forty specimens of carotid plaque from 30 patients who had suffered cerebrovascular accidents and 10 asymptomatic control patients were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM revealed the finely detailed surface characteristics of the plaque including cell deposits, endothelial damage, and exposed subendothelium. X-ray energy spectrography scans revealed that 7 specimens had calcium deposits. Presurgical treatment with dipyridamole and aspirin inhibited or substantially reduced thrombus formation.