bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leeuwenhoekiella polynyae sp. nov., isolated from a polynya in western Antarctica
Authors: Si Ok-Ja , Kim So-Jeong , Jung Man-Young , Choi Seon-Bin , Kim Jong-Geol , Kim Song-Gun , Roh Seong Woon , Lee SangHoon , Rhee Sung-Keun
Published: March 2015

A Gram-stain-negative, motile by gliding, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated SOJ2014-1T was isolated from surface water of a polynya in the Antarctic Ocean. A comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain SOJ2014-1T belongs to the genus

Leeuwenhoekiella

and is most closely related to

Leeuwenhoekiella marinoflava

DSM 3653T (97.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain SOJ2014-1T was 38.8 mol%. Its predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (composed of C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G and summed feature 9 (composed of iso-C17 : 1ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16 : 0). DNA–DNA relatedness between strain SOJ2014-1T and close relatives,

L. marinoflava

DSM 3653T and

Leeuwenhoekiella aequorea

LMG 22550T, was below 49 %. The respiratory quinone was MK-6. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified lipids. The strain grew at 0–35 °C (optimum, 25 °C) with 0–14.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0–5.0 %). It was strictly aerobic and had different carbohydrate utilization traits compared with

L. marinoflava

DSM 3653T. Based on the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, strain SOJ2014-1T is proposed as a representative of a novel species, Leeuwenhoekiella polynyae. The type strain is SOJ2014-1T ( = KCTC 42185T = JCM 30387T).
Bifidobacterium lemurum sp. nov., from faeces of the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)
Authors: Modesto Monica , Michelini Samanta , Stefanini Ilaria , Sandri Camillo , Spiezio Caterina , Pisi Annamaria , Filippini Gianfranco , Biavati Bruno , Mattarelli Paola
Published: March 2015

Four Gram-positive-staining, microaerophilic, non-spore-forming, fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase-positive bacterial strains were isolated from a faecal sample of a 5-year-old ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta). The strains showed a peculiar morphology, resembling a small coiled snake, a ring shape, or forming a little ‘Y’ shape. The isolated strains appeared identical, and LMC 13T was chosen as a representative strain and characterized further. Strain LMC 13T showed an A3β peptidoglycan type, similar to that found in

Bifidobacterium longum

. The DNA base composition was 57.2 mol% G+C. Almost-complete 16S rRNA, hsp60, rpoB, dnaJ, dnaG, purF, clpC and rpoC gene sequences were obtained, and phylogenetic relationships were determined. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain LMC 13T showed the highest similarity to

B. longum subsp. suis

ATCC 27533T (96.65 %) and

Bifidobacterium saguini

DSM 23967T (96.64 %). Strain LMC 13T was located in an actinobacterial cluster and was more closely related to the genus

Bifidobacterium

than to other genera in the

Bifidobacteriaceae

. On the basis of these results, strain LMC 13T represents a novel species within the genus

Bifidobacterium

, for which the name Bifidobacterium lemurum sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is LMC 13T ( = DSM 28807T = JCM 30168T).
Revision of the taxonomic status of type strains of Mesorhizobium loti and reclassification of strain USDA 3471T as the type strain of Mesorhizobium
erdmanii sp. nov. and ATCC 33669T as the type strain of Mesorhizobium
jarvisii sp. nov.
Authors: Martínez-Hidalgo Pilar , Ramírez-Bahena Martha Helena , Flores-Félix José David , Rivas Raúl , Igual José M. , Mateos Pedro F. , Martínez-Molina Eustoquio , León-Barrios Milagros , Peix Álvaro , Velázquez Encarna
Published: March 2015

The species Mesorhizobim loti was isolated from nodules of Lotus corniculatus and its type strain deposited in several collections. Some of these type strains, such as those deposited in the USDA and ATCC collections before 1990, are not coincident with the original strain, NZP 2213T, deposited in the NZP culture collection. The analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that strains USDA 3471T and ATCC 33669T formed independent branches from that occupied by

Mesorhizobium loti

NZP 2213T and related to those occupied by

Mesorhizobium opportunistum

WSM2075T and

Mesorhizobium huakuii

IFO 15243T, respectively, with 99.9 % similarity in both cases. However, the analysis of concatenated recA, atpD and glnII genes with similarities lower than 96, 98 and 94 %, respectively, between strains USDA 3471T and

M. opportunistum

WSM2075T and between strains ATCC 33669T and

M. huakuii

IFO 15243T, indicated that the strains USDA 3471T and ATCC 33669T represent different species of the genus

Mesorhizobium

. These results were confirmed by DNA–DNA hybridization experiments and phenotypic characterization. Therefore, the two strains were reclassified as representatives of the two species Mesorhizobium erdmanii sp. nov. (type strain USDA 3471T = CECT 8631T = LMG 17826t2T) and Mesorhizobium jarvisii sp. nov. (type strain ATCC 33669T = CECT 8632T = LMG 28313T).
Stackebrandtia endophytica sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii
Authors: Xiong Zi-Jun , Miao Cui-Ping , Zheng You-Kun , Liu Kai , Li Wen-Jun , Liu Wei-Hong , Xu Li-Hua , Zhao Li-Xing
Published: March 2015

A novel endophytic actinobacterium, designated strain YIM 64602T, was isolated from healthy stems of Tripterygium wilfordii. It grew at 15–40 °C, pH 6.0–9.0 and in the presence of 0–3 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain YIM 64602T belongs to the genus

Stackebrandtia

. Whole-cell hydrolysates of strain YIM 64602T contained the amino acid meso-diaminopimelic acid with the sugars mannose, rhamnose and glucose, and a trace of ribose. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine and phosphatidylethanolamine. MK-10(H6), MK-10(H4) and MK-11(H4) were the predominant components in the quinone system. The fatty-acid pattern was mainly composed of the saturated branched-chain acids iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0. The DNA G+C content was 72.4 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed the highest pairwise sequence identity (96.0–98.5 %) with the members of the genus

Stackebrandtia

. Strain YIM 64602T displayed a DNA–DNA relatedness of 43.9±0.4 % with the type strain

Stackebrandtia albiflava

YIM 45751T. Based on evidence from this polyphasic study, strain YIM 64602T ( = BCRC 16954T = DSM 45928T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus

Stackebrandtia

, for which the name Stackebrandtia endophytica is proposed.
Modeling Linkage Disequilibrium Increases Accuracy of Polygenic Risk Scores
Authors: Vilhjalmsson Bjarni , Yang Jian , Finucane Hilary Kiyo , Gusev Alexander , Lindstrom Sara , Ripke Stephan , Genovese Giulio , Loh Po-Ru , Bhatia Gaurav , Do Ron , Hayeck Tristian , Won Hong-Hee , Genomics Consortium Schizophrenia Working Group of the , Variants in Breast Cancer (DRIVE) study the Discovery, Biology, and Risk of , Kathiresan Sekar , Pato Michele , Pato Carlos , Tamimi Rulla , Stahl Eli , Zaitlen Noah , Pasaniuc Bogdan , Schierup Mikkel , De Jager Phillip , Patsopoulos Nikolaos , McCarroll Steven A , Daly Mark , Purcell Shaun , Chasman Daniel , Neale Benjamin , Goddard Mike , Visscher Peter M , Kraft Peter , Patterson Nick J , Price Alkes L
Published: March 2015

Polygenic risk scores have shown great promise in predicting complex disease risk, and will become more accurate as training sample sizes increase. The standard approach for calculating risk scores involves LD-pruning markers and applying a P-value threshold to association statistics, but this discards information and may reduce predictive accuracy. We introduce a new method, LDpred, which infers the posterior mean causal effect size of each marker using a prior on effect sizes and LD information from an external reference panel. Theory and simulations show that LDpred outperforms the pruning/thresholding approach, particularly at large sample sizes. Accordingly, prediction R2 increased from 20.1% to 25.3% in a large schizophrenia data set and from 9.8% to 12.0% in a large multiple sclerosis data set. A similar relative improvement in accuracy was observed for three additional large disease data sets and when predicting in non-European schizophrenia samples. The advantage of LDpred over existing methods will grow as sample sizes increase.
The interplay between DNA methylation and sequence divergence in recent human evolution
Authors: Hernando-Herraez Irene , Heyn Holger , Fernandez-Callejo Marcos , Vidal Enrique , Fernandez-Bellon Hugo , Prado-Martinez Javier , Sharp Andrew J , Esteller Manel , Marques-Bonet Tomas
Published: March 2015

DNA methylation is a key regulatory mechanism in mammalian genomes. Despite the increasing knowledge about this epigenetic modification, the understanding of human epigenome evolution is in its infancy. We used whole genome bisulfite sequencing to study DNA methylation and nucleotide divergence between human and great apes. We identified 360 and 210 differentially hypo- and hypermethylated regions (DMRs) in humans compared to non-human primates and estimated that 20% and 36% of these regions, respectively, were detectable throughout several human tissues. Human DMRs were enriched for specific histone modifications and contrary to expectations, the majority were located distal to transcription start sites, highlighting the importance of regions outside the direct regulatory context. We also found a significant excess of endogenous retrovirus elements in human-specific hypomethylated regions suggesting their association with local epigenetic changes.

We also reported for the first time a close interplay between inter-species genetic and epigenetic variation in regions of incomplete lineage sorting, transcription factor binding sites and human differentially hypermethylated regions. Specifically, we observed an excess of human-specific substitutions in transcription factor binding sites located within human DMRs, suggesting that alteration of regulatory motifs underlies some human-specific methylation patterns. We also found that the acquisition of DNA hypermethylation in the human lineage is frequently coupled with a rapid evolution at nucleotide level in the neighborhood of these CpG sites. Taken together, our results reveal new insights into the mechanistic basis of human-specific DNA methylation patterns and the interpretation of inter-species non-coding variation.

Author summary

Human and great apes, their closest living relatives, differ in numerous morphological and cognitive aspects, however their protein sequences are highly similar. It has long been hypothesized that human specific traits may be explained by changes in regulatory elements rather than by changes in primary sequence. In this context, evolutionary biologists have identified regulatory regions based on nucleotide sequence acceleration or conservation. However, epigenetics adds an extra layer of information that cannot be detected when comparing DNA sequences. The current study provides one of the first genome-wide comparison of genetic and epigenetic variation among humans and our closest living relatives. We identify and describe hundreds of regions presenting a human-specific DNA methylation pattern compared to great apes. We also report a local interplay between DNA methylation changes and the underlying nucleotide sequence in regions of incomplete lineage sorting and in regions of transcription factor binding, suggesting that both phenomena are closely associated.
Phosphatidylinositol 4-Phosphate Negatively Regulates Chloroplast Division in Arabidopsis
Authors: Okazaki Kumiko , Miyagishima Shin-ya , Wada Hajime
Published: March 2015

Chloroplast division is performed by the constriction of envelope membranes at the division site. Although constriction of a ring-like protein complex has been shown to be involved in chloroplast division, it remains unknown how membrane lipids participate in the process. Here, we show that phosphoinositides with unknown function in envelope membranes are involved in the regulation of chloroplast division in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLASTID DIVISION1 (PDV1) and PDV2 proteins interacted specifically with phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P). Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase (PI4K) decreased the level of PI4P in chloroplasts and accelerated chloroplast division. Knockout of PI4Kβ2 expression or downregulation of PI4Kα1 expression resulted in decreased levels of PI4P in chloroplasts and increased chloroplast numbers. PI4Kα1 is the main contributor to PI4P synthesis in chloroplasts, and the effect of PI4K inhibition was largely abolished in the pdv1 mutant. Overexpression of DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN5B (DRP5B), another component of the chloroplast division machinery, which is recruited to chloroplasts by PDV1 and PDV2, enhanced the effect of PI4K inhibition, whereas overexpression of PDV1 and PDV2 had additive effects. The amount of DRP5B that associated with chloroplasts increased upon PI4K inhibition. These findings suggest that PI4P is a regulator of chloroplast division in a PDV1- and DRP5B-dependent manner.
The Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase CPK28 Regulates Development by Inducing Growth Phase-Specific, Spatially Restricted Alterations in Jasmonic Acid Levels Independent of Defense Responses in Arabidopsis
Authors: Matschi Susanne , Hake Katharina , Herde Marco , Hause Bettina , Romeis Tina
Published: March 2015

Phytohormones play an important role in development and stress adaptations in plants, and several interacting hormonal pathways have been suggested to accomplish fine-tuning of stress responses at the expense of growth. This work describes the role played by the CALCIUM-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE CPK28 in balancing phytohormone-mediated development in Arabidopsis thaliana, specifically during generative growth. cpk28 mutants exhibit growth reduction solely as adult plants, coinciding with altered balance of the phytohormones jasmonic acid (JA) and gibberellic acid (GA). JA-dependent gene expression and the levels of several JA metabolites were elevated in a growth phase-dependent manner in cpk28, and accumulation of JA metabolites was confined locally to the central rosette tissue. No elevated resistance toward herbivores or necrotrophic pathogens was detected for cpk28 plants, either on the whole-plant level or specifically within the tissue displaying elevated JA levels. Abolishment of JA biosynthesis or JA signaling led to a full reversion of the cpk28 growth phenotype, while modification of GA signaling did not. Our data identify CPK28 as a growth phase-dependent key negative regulator of distinct processes: While in seedlings, CPK28 regulates reactive oxygen species-mediated defense signaling; in adult plants, CPK28 confers developmental processes by the tissue-specific balance of JA and GA without affecting JA-mediated defense responses.
Management by objectives and corporate social responsibility disclosure
Authors: Mio Chiara , Venturelli Andrea , Leopizzi Rossella
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between remuneration for the achievement of objectives and sustainability, and – more specifically – the amount of attention that listed companies in Italy devote to defining, and consequently to communicating externally, sustainability as a criterion in establishing the wage levels of managers and directors.

Design/methodology/approach

– It was decided to ascertain whether the quality of information regarding sustainability provided in connection with the remuneration policies of listed companies tallies with the general quality of information regarding sustainability provided through companies’ main (obligatory and voluntary) reporting procedures.

Findings

– The results of this research show that the inconsistency between the information provided in voluntary and obligatory reports (between reports on sustainability and remuneration reports) extends to the levels of information provided in the two types of obligatory report (the reports on remuneration and on management); there is also a discrepancy between the levels of information provided in these reports and the evaluation of that information by an external assessor.

Research limitations/implications

– One of the limitations of this research is that as the data examined were gleaned from public documents, it is not necessarily an accurate reflection of all the information that firms have at their disposal on questions of sustainability and remuneration policies. The existence of internal documents containing other information, and therefore leading to different results, cannot be ruled out.

Originality/value

– This study is the first in Italy to examine the question of how limited companies report issues relating to management by objectives-corporate social responsibility. It does this through the introduction of a mixed system for ESG information, which counteracts the subjective limitations of the internal evaluation provided by the research group by adding in the authoritative evaluations of an external assessor.
Creating numbers: carbon and capital investment
Authors: Vesty Gillian Maree , Telgenkamp Abby , Roscoe Philip J
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to seek to illustrate the way in which carbon emissions are given calculative agency. The authors contribute to sociology of quantification with a specific focus on the performativity of the carbon number as it was introduced to the organization’s capital investment accounts. In following an intangible gas to a physical amount and then to a dollar value, the authors used categories from the sociology of quantification (Espeland and Stevens, 2008) to explore the persuasive attributes of the newly created number and the way it changed the work of actors, including the way they reacted and viewed authority.

Design/methodology/approach

– An empirical case study in a large Australian water utility drawing on insights from the sociology of calculation.

Findings

– The authors present empirics on the calculative appeal of the carbon emissions number, how it came into being and its performative (or reactive) effects. The number disciplined behaviour and acted like a boundary object, while at the same time, enroled allies through its aesthetic appeal in management accounting system designs. In framing the empirics, the authors were able to highlight how the carbon number became a visible actor in the newly emergent and evolving carbon market.

Practical implications

– This paper provides an empirical framing that continues the project of writing the sociology of calculation into accounting.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the sociology of quantification in accounting with an empirical framing device to reveal the representational work of a number and how it expands as it becomes implicated in broader networks of calculation.
Our recovery journey: two stories of change within Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Authors: Skipper Lyn , Page Kirsty
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust's journey of developing more recovery-focused services from two perspectives: that of the Trust project lead for recovery and that of a Recovery College Student and Peer Support Worker.

Design/methodology/approach

– First person, narrative account from the Trust project lead for recovery and that of a Recovery College Student and Peer Support Worker.

Findings

– Reflective account describing process and progress made towards establishing a Recovery College and Peer Support Worker Posts in Clinical Teams.

Originality/value

– An original viewpoint on the process of developing more recovery-focused services.
Trichophyton tonsurans infection in Japan: Epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and infection control
Authors: Hiruma Junichiro , Ogawa Yumi , Hiruma Masataro
Published: March 2015

In this review, we summarize the status of Trichophyton tonsurans infection in Japan in terms of epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and infection control. Since approximately 2000, outbreaks of T. tonsurans infections among combat sports club members have been reported frequently, with the infection then spreading to their friends and family members. The most common clinical features of T. tonsurans infection are tinea corporis, which is difficult to differentiate from eczema, and tinea capitis. Tinea capitis is classified as the seborrheic form, kerion celsi form or “black dot” form, although 90% or more of patients are asymptomatic carriers. The diagnosis of symptomatic T. tonsurans infection is established by potassium hydroxide examination and fungal culture. However, because there are many asymptomatic carriers of T. tonsurans infection, tests using the hairbrush culture method are necessary. An increase in asymptomatic carriers of T. tonsurans makes assessment of the current prevalence of the infection challenging and underscores the importance of educational efforts and public awareness campaigns to prevent T. tonsurans epidemics.
Targeting Na+/K+‐translocating adenosine triphosphatase in cancer treatment
Authors: Durlacher Cameron T. , Chow Kevin , Chen Xiao‐Wu , He Zhi‐Xu , Zhang Xueji , Yang Tianxin , Zhou Shu‐Feng
Published: March 2015

The Na+/K+‐translocating adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) transports sodium and potassium across the plasma membrane and represents a potential target in cancer chemotherapy. Na+/K+‐ATPase belongs to the P‐type ATPase family (also known as E1–E2 ATPase), which is involved in transporting certain ions, metals, and lipids across the plasma membrane of mammalian cells. In humans, the Na+/K+‐ATPase is a binary complex of an α‐subunit that has four isoforms (α1–α4) and a β‐subunit that has three isoforms (β1–β3). This review aims to update our knowledge on the role of Na+/K+‐ATPase in cancer development and metastasis, as well as on how Na+/K+‐ATPase inhibitors kill tumour cells. The Na+/K+‐ATPase has been found to be associated with cancer initiation, growth, development, and metastasis. Cardiac glycosides have exhibited anticancer effects in cell‐based and mouse studies via inhibition of the Na+/K+‐ATPase and other mechanisms. Na+/K+‐ATPase inhibitors may kill cancer cells via induction of apoptosis and autophagy, radical oxygen species production, and cell cycle arrest. They also modulate multiple signalling pathways that regulate cancer cell survival and death, which contributes to their antiproliferative activities in cancer cells. The clinical evidence supporting the use of Na+/K+‐ATPase inhibitors as anticancer drugs is weak. Several phase I and phase II clinical trials with digoxin, Anvirzel, and huachansu (an intravenous formulated extract of the venom of the wild toad), either alone or more often in combination with other anticancer agents, have shown acceptable safety profiles but limited efficacy in cancer patients. Well‐designed randomized clinical trials with reasonable sample sizes are certainly warranted to confirm the efficacy and safety of cardiac glycosides for the treatment of cancer.
Economic growth and transport: On the road to sustainability
Authors: Sousa Cátia , Roseta‐Palma Catarina , Martins Luís Filipe
Published: March 2015

Transport sustainability is an essential driving force towards achieving sustainable development. In particular, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction policies cannot overlook the growing importance of the transport sector as economies expand. In this context, it is important to assess the relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the transport sector and economic growth, in order to design adequate transport policies. This paper tests the stated relationship for the Portuguese transport sector, using a non‐linear cointegration methodology for the first time in this field. The main conclusion is that gross domestic product (GDP) and CO2 emissions from transport exhibit an increasing monotonic relationship, indicating that economic growth per se will be insufficient to mitigate the emissions. Therefore, it is necessary to search for concrete public policies that can influence both passenger travel behaviour and freight mobility plans, so as to reduce CO2 emissions without compromising economic development.
Applicability of the ParaDNA® Screening System to Seminal Samples
Authors: Tribble Nicholas D. , Miller Jamie A.D. , Dawnay Nick , Duxbury Nicola J.
Published: March 2015

Seminal fluid represents a common biological material recovered from sexual assault crime scenes. Such samples can be prescreened using different techniques to determine cell type and relative amount before submitting for full STR profiling. The ParaDNA® Screening System is a novel forensic test which identifies the presence of DNA through amplification and detection of two common STR loci (D16S539 and TH01) and the Amelogenin marker. The detection of the Y allele in samples could provide a useful tool in the triage and submission of sexual assault samples by enforcement authorities. Male template material was detected on a range of common sexual assault evidence items including cotton pillow cases, condoms, swab heads and glass surfaces and shows a detection limit of 1 in 1000 dilution of neat semen. These data indicate this technology has the potential to be a useful tool for the detection of male donor DNA in sexual assault casework.
HISTORICAL CONTINGENCIES AND THE EVOLVING IMPORTANCE OF RACE, VIOLENT CRIME, AND REGION IN EXPLAINING MASS INCARCERATION IN THE UNITED STATES
Authors: CAMPBELL MICHAEL C. , VOGEL MATT , WILLIAMS JOSHUA
Published: March 2015

This article combines insights from historical research and quantitative analyses that have attempted to explain changes in incarceration rates in the United States. We use state‐level decennial data from 1970 to 2010 (N = 250) to test whether recent theoretical models derived from historical research that emphasize the importance of specific historical periods in shaping the relative importance of certain social and political factors explain imprisonment. Also drawing on historical work, we examine how these key determinants differed in Sunbelt states, that is, the states stretching across the nation's South from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific, from the rest of the nation. Our findings suggest that the relative contributions of violent crime, minority composition, political ideology, and partisanship to imprisonment vary over time. We also extend our analysis beyond mass incarceration's rise to analyze how factors associated with prison expansion can explain its stabilization and contraction in the early twenty‐first century. Our findings suggest that most of the factors that best explained state incarceration rates in the prison boom era lost power once imprisonment stabilized and declined. We find considerable support for the importance of historical contingencies in shaping state‐level imprisonment trends, and our findings highlight the enduring importance of race in explaining incarceration.
Characterization of wheat straw‐degrading anaerobic alkali‐tolerant mixed cultures from soda lake sediments by molecular and cultivation techniques
Authors: Porsch Katharina , Wirth Balázs , Tóth Erika M. , Schattenberg Florian , Nikolausz Marcell
Published: March 2015

Alkaline pretreatment has the potential to enhance the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass to biogas. However, the elevated pH of the substrate may require alkalitolerant microbial communities for an effective digestion. Three mixed anaerobic lignocellulolytic cultures were enriched from sediments from two soda lakes with wheat straw as substrate under alkaline (pH 9) mesophilic (37°C) and thermophilic (55°C) conditions. The gas production of the three cultures ceased after 4 to 5 weeks, and the produced gas was composed of carbon dioxide and methane. The main liquid intermediates were acetate and propionate. The physiological behavior of the cultures was stable even after several transfers. The enrichment process was also followed by molecular fingerprinting (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism) of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and of the mcrA/mrtA functional gene for methanogens. The main shift in the microbial community composition occurred between the sediment samples and the first enrichment, whereas the structure was stable in the following transfers. The bacterial communities mainly consisted of Sphingobacteriales, Clostridiales and Spirochaeta, but differed at genus level. Methanothermobacter and Methanosarcina genera and the order Methanomicrobiales were predominant methanogenes in the obtained cultures. Additionally, single cellulolytic microorganisms were isolated from enrichment cultures and identified as members of the alkaliphilic or alkalitolerant genera. The results show that anaerobic alkaline habitats harbor diverse microbial communities, which can degrade lignocellulose effectively and are therefore a potential resource for improving anaerobic digestion.
A DNA Barcoding system integrating multigene sequence data
Authors: Chesters Douglas , Zheng Wei‐Min , Zhu Chao‐Dong
Published: March 2015

A number of systems have been developed for taxonomic identification of DNA sequence data. However, in eukaryotes, these systems are largely based on single predefined genes, and thus are vulnerable to biases from limited character sampling, and are not able to identify most sequences of genomic origin.

We here demonstrate an implementation for multigene DNA barcoding. First, a reference framework is built of frequently sequenced loci. Query sequence data are then organized by excising sequences homologous to references and assigning species names where the level of sequence similarity between query and reference falls within the (gene‐appropriate) level of intraspecific variation usually observed. The approach is compared to some existing methods including ‘bagpipe_phylo’, a re‐implementation for taxonomic assignment on phylogenies.

Seventy‐eight per cent of the species and 94% of the genera known to be present in arthropod test queries were correctly inferred by the proposed multigene system. Most critically, the rate of species identification was increased over using a COI‐only approach. Twenty‐four per cent of species in the queries were found only in non‐COI genes, with no clear reduction in the accuracy of species assignment at many of these other loci. Similarly, additional species assignments were made for a pooled metagenomic data set using non‐COI columns. On a smaller query data set of 273 bee sequences, the accuracy of species assignment using modified calculation of distances was indistinguishable from phylogeny‐based taxonomic identification.

Standardized single fragment DNA barcoding remains an invaluable tool in species identification for PCR‐generated sequence data. The approach developed here supplements the established species‐dense DNA barcode backbone with other genomic data, reducing error via integration of independent genetic loci and permitting additional identifications for non‐barcode fragments. The latter will be particularly relevant in monitoring of community genomics using next‐generation sequencing platforms.
Description of Advanced Practice Nurses Interventions Through the Nursing Interventions Classification in Different Care Settings for Older People: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Garcia‐Mayor Silvia , Morilla‐Herrera Juan Carlos , Cuevas‐Fernandez‐Gallego Magdalena , Villa‐Estrada Francisca , Porcel‐Galvez Ana María , Sastre‐Fullana Pedro , Morales‐Asencio José Miguel
Published: March 2015

Purpose

To identify the interventions provided by advanced practice nurses to older people in different contexts with standardized nursing language.

Data Source

This is a qualitative study. Content analysis was applied to the texts of experimental research papers about advanced practice nursing for older people. Deductive coding through the Nursing Intervention Classification was carried out.

Data Synthesis

Seventy‐three interventions codified with the Nursing Intervention Classification were extracted, mainly related to the behavioral and healthcare system domains, which could be explained due to the need for improving the psychosocial functioning and self‐care of these patients to preserve their quality of life.

Conclusion and Implication for Nursing Practice

Advanced practice nurses interventions can be better described, reported, and analyzed along different contexts with standardized languages.

Objetivo

Identificar las intervenciones realizadas por las enfermeras de práctica avanzada a personas mayores en diferentes contextos de atención con lenguajes estandarizados.

Fuente De Datos

Se trata de un estudio cualitativo. Se aplicó análisis de contenido a los textos de estudios experimentales sobre enfermería de práctica avanzada en población mayor y se llevó a cabo una codificación deductiva con las intervenciones de la Clasificación de Intervenciones de Enfermería.

Síntesis De Datos

Se extrajeron setenta y tres intervenciones codificadas con la Clasificación de Intervenciones de Enfermería, mayormente pertenecientes a los campos Conductual y Sistema Sanitario, lo que podría explicarse por la necesidad de mejorar el funcionamiento psicosocial y de auto‐cuidado de este tipo de pacientes, para preservar su calidad de vida.

Conclusión E Implicaciones Para La PráCtica De Enfermería

Las intervenciones de las enfermeras de práctica avanzada pueden ser descritas, referidas y analizadas en diferentes contextos con lenguajes estandarizados.
Systemic or Endoventricular Thrombolysis to Treat HeartWare Left Ventricle Assist Device Thrombosis: A Clinical Dilemma
Authors: Raffa Giuseppe M. , D'Ancona Giuseppe , Sciacca Sergio , Pietrosi Astrid , Hernandez Baravoglia Cesar M. , Turrisi Marco , Romano Giuseppe , Armaro Alessandro , Stringi Vincenzo , Clemenza Francesco , Pilato Michele
Published: March 2015

Endoventricular thrombolytic procedure (ETP) has been used to treat continuous‐flow left ventricle assist device (CF‐LVAD) thrombosis. The study aims to investigate the occurrence of complications after ETP. Data were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed in a series of patients who underwent CF‐LVAD followed by ETP. Since November 2010, 20 patients underwent HeartWare CF‐LVAD implantation at our institute. Four patients (20%) developed pump thrombosis and underwent a total of nine ETPs with tissue plasminogen activator infused into the left ventricle. The mean age was 60.2 ± 9 years. ETP was performed via either the femoral (n = 6) or radial artery (n = 3). Five ETPs (55.5%) were complicated by left and right radial artery occlusion, two by groin hematomas, and one by femoral artery false aneurysm. ETP carries a strong risk of vascular access complications that, in CF‐LVAD patients, may add to the already complex clinical profile and economic burden; thus, a less invasive treatment is advisable whenever required.
Medical Device Market in China
Authors: Boyer Philip , Morshed Bashir I. , Mussivand Tofy
Published: March 2015

With China's growing old‐age population and economic presence on the international stage, it has become important to evaluate its domestic and foreign market contribution to medical devices. Medical devices are instruments or apparatuses used in the prevention, rehabilitation, treatment, or knowledge generation with respect to disease or other abnormal conditions. This article provides information drawn from recent publications to describe the current state of the Chinese domestic market for medical devices and to define opportunities for foreign investment potential therein. Recent healthcare reforms implemented to meet rising demand due to an aging and migrating population are having a positive effect on market growth—a global market with a projected growth of 15% per year over the next decade.
Differentiation of functional constipation and constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome based on Rome III criteria: a population‐based study
Authors: Koloski N. A. , Jones M. , Young M. , Talley N. J.
Published: March 2015

Background

While the Rome III classification recognises functional constipation (FC) and constipation predominant IBS (IBS‐C) as distinct disorders, recent evidence has suggested that these disorders are difficult to separate in clinical practice.

Aim

To identify whether clinical and lifestyle factors differentiate Rome III‐defined IBS‐C from FC based on gastrointestinal symptoms and lifestyle characteristics.

Method

3260 people randomly selected from the Australian population returned a postal survey. FC and IBS‐C were defined according to Rome III. The first model used logistic regression to differentiate IBS‐C from FC based on lifestyle, quality‐of‐life and psychological characteristics. The second approach was data‐driven employing latent class analysis (LCA) to identify naturally occurring clusters in the data considering all symptoms involved in the Rome III criteria for IBS‐C and FC.

Results

We found n = 206 (6.5%; 95% CI 5.7–7.4%) people met strict Rome III FC whereas n = 109 (3.5%; 95% CI 2.8–4.1%) met strict Rome III IBS‐C. The case–control approach indicated that FC patients reported an older age at onset of constipation, were less likely to exercise, had higher mental QoL and less health care seeking than IBS‐C. LCA yielded one latent class that was predominantly (75%) FC, while the other class was approximately half IBS‐C and half FC. The FC‐dominated latent class had clearly lower levels of symptoms used to classify IBS (pain‐related symptoms) and was more likely to be male (P = 0.046) but was otherwise similar in distribution of lifestyle factors to the mixed class.

Conclusion

The latent class analysis approach suggests a differentiation based more on symptom severity rather than the Rome III view.
Confucian Stakeholder Theory: An Exploration
Authors: Wu Jiyun , Wokutch Richard E.
Published: March 2015

Originated in the West, stakeholder theory is normatively anchored in Western value systems. Differences in value orientations and ethical systems in this global age call for culturally pertinent stakeholder theory. In this article, we argue that Confucianism forms an additional normative basis for stakeholder theory, appropriate for a Confucian context. We demonstrate it through application of Confucianism in major stakeholder relationships. The Confucian stakeholder theory provides a meaningful addition to the corpus of stakeholder literature.
Toward an Ethical Model of Effective Crisis Communication
Authors: Kim Young
Published: March 2015

The goal of this study was to develop and demonstrate a new ethical model for crisis communication. This article examined the crisis communication practices as well as literature and found essential elements—what, how, and when—for ethical and effective crisis communication. Based on these three variables, a new three‐part model, the TTR Test, was proposed, utilizing three principles: Transparency (what), Two‐way symmetrical communication (how), and Right time (when). To investigate how the test can be applied to the real world, this article examined BP's crisis communication during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
De novolipogenesis in the liver in health and disease: more than just a shunting yard for glucose
Authors: Sanders Francis W. B. , Griffin Julian L.
Published: March 2015

Hepaticde novolipogenesis (DNL) is the biochemical process of synthesising fatty acids from acetyl‐CoAsubunits that are produced from a number of different pathways within the cell, most commonly carbohydrate catabolism. In addition to glucose which most commonly supplies carbon units forDNL, fructose is also a profoundly lipogenic substrate that can driveDNL, important when considering the increasing use of fructose in corn syrup as a sweetener. In the context of disease,DNLis thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, a common condition often associated with the metabolic syndrome and consequent insulin resistance. WhetherDNLplays a significant role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance is yet to be fully elucidated, but it may be that the prevalent products of this synthetic process induce some aspect of hepatic insulin resistance.
Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE): A Potential Therapeutic Target to Treat Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Li Yong , Zhang Xiao‐xiao , Jiang Li‐juan , Yuan Li , Cao Ting‐ting , Li Xia , Dong Lin , Li Ying , Yin Shu‐Fan
Published: March 2015

A new series of icariin derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity. Most of the tested compounds exhibited high AChE inhibition and low toxicity, and among which compounds 1, 2, and 10 were the most potent (IC50 = 71.52 ± 22.43, 8.28 ± 1.45, 5.830 ± 1.78 nm, respectively).
T cell anergy and activation are associated with suboptimal humoral responses to measles revaccination in HIV-infected children on anti-retroviral therapy in Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Buechler M B , Newman L P , Chohan B H , Njoroge A , Wamalwa D , Farquhar C
Published: March 2015

HIV-infected children are less capable of mounting and maintaining protective humoral responses to vaccination against measles compared to HIV-uninfected children. This poses a public health challenge in countries with high HIV burdens. Administration of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and revaccinating children against measles is one approach to increase measles immunity in HIV-infected children, yet it is not effective in all cases. Immune anergy and activation during HIV infection are factors that could influence responses to measles revaccination. We utilized a flow cytometry-based approach to examine whether T cell anergy and activation were associated with the maintenance of measles-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies generated in response to measles revaccination in a cohort of HIV-infected children on ART in Nairobi, Kenya. Children who sustained measles-specific IgG for at least 1 year after revaccination displayed significantly lower programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) surface expression on CD8+ T cells on a per-cell basis and exhibited less activated CD4+ T cells compared to those unable to maintain detectable measles-specific antibodies. Children in both groups were similar in age and sex, CD4+ T cell frequency, duration of ART treatment and HIV viral load at enrolment. These data suggest that aberrant T cell anergy and activation are associated with the impaired ability to sustain an antibody response to measles revaccination in HIV-infected children on ART.
Metabolic profiling in Prader–Willi syndrome and nonsyndromic obesity: sex differences and the role of growth hormone
Authors: Irizarry Krystal A. , Bain James , Butler Merlin G. , Ilkayeva Olga , Muehlbauer Michael , Haqq Andrea M. , Freemark Michael
Published: March 2015

Objectives

To identify metabolic factors controlling appetite and insulin sensitivity in PWS and assess effects of GH treatment.

Methods

We compared amino acids, fatty acids and acylcarnitines in GH‐treated and untreated PWS children and obese and lean controls to identify biomarkers associated with ghrelin, peptide YY and markers of insulin sensitivity (adiponectin and HOMA‐IR).

Results

Compared with obese controls (OC), children with PWS had fasting hyperghrelinaemia, hyperadiponectinaemia, hypoinsulinaemia and increased ghrelin/PYY. Hyperghrelinaemia, hyperadiponectinaemia and hypoinsulinaemia were more striking in PWS females than males, and decreases in BCAA were detected only in PWS females. GH‐treated PWS subjects had lower leptin and higher IGF‐1 and adiponectin than untreated subjects; fasting ghrelin, PYY and insulin levels were comparable. Ghrelin correlated inversely with BCAA in PWS but not OC. Adiponectin correlated negatively with BMIz and HOMA‐IR in PWS; in contrast, adiponectin correlated more strongly with BCAA than BMIz or HOMA‐IR in OC.

Conclusions

BCAA levels were lower in PWS females than OC females and correlated inversely with ghrelin. Low BCAA in PWS females may promote hyperghrelinaemia and hyperphagia, while hyperadiponectinaemia may maintain insulin sensitivity despite excess weight gain. GH treatment may reduce leptin and increase adiponectin, but does not affect fasting ghrelin or PYY.
Mortality after acute primary mesenteric infarction: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Adaba F. , Askari A. , Dastur J. , Patel A. , Gabe S. M. , Vaizey C. J. , Faiz O. , Nightingale J. M. D. , Warusavitarne J.
Published: March 2015

Aim

The primary aim of this study was to determine whether the in‐hospital mortality for acute mesenteric infarction has reduced in the last decade. The secondary aim was to determine if there was a statistical difference in mortality between patients having acute primary mesenteric infarction due to different causes.

Method

A literature search was performed of PubMed, Ovid (Embase) and Google Scholar databases. Studies on acute mesenteric infarction of primary vascular pathology were included for pooled analyses while studies that had reported comparative mortality between arterial, venous and non‐occlusive mesenteric infarction (NOMI) were included in meta‐analyses. Their quality was assessed using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessment scale. Odds ratios (ORs) of mortality were calculated using a Mantel−Haenszel random effect model.

Results

The total number of patients was 4527 and the male/female ratio was 1912/2247. The pooled in‐hospital mortality was 63%. There was no significant reduction of in‐hospital mortality rate in the last decade (P = 0.78). There was a significant difference in in‐hospital mortality between acute arterial mesenteric infarction (73.9%) compared with acute venous mesenteric infarction (41.7%) [OR 3.47, confidence interval (CI) 2.43−4.96, P < 0.001] and NOMI (68.5%) compared with acute venous mesenteric infarction (44.2%) (OR 3.2, CI 1.83−5.6, P < 0.001). There was no difference in mortality between acute arterial mesenteric infarction and NOMI (OR 1.08, CI 0.57−2.03, P = 0.82).

Conclusion

In‐hospital mortality rate has not changed in the last decade. Patients with arterial mesenteric infarction or with NOMI are over three times more likely to die during the first hospital admission compared with those with venous mesenteric infarction.
Intravenous immunoglobulins and rituximab therapy for severe transplant glomerulopathy in chronic antibody‐mediated rejection: a pilot study
Authors: Bachelet Thomas , Nodimar Celine , Taupin Jean‐Luc , Lepreux Sebastien , Moreau Karine , Morel Delphine , Guidicelli Gwendaline , Couzi Lionel , Merville Pierre
Published: March 2015

Outcome of patients with transplant glomerulopathy (TG) is poor. Using B‐cell targeting molecules represent a rational strategy to treat TG during chronic antibody‐mediated rejection. In this pilot study, 21 patients with this diagnosis received four doses of intravenous immunoglobulins and two doses of rituximab (IVIG/RTX group). They were retrospectively compared with a untreated control group of 10 patients. At 24 months post‐biopsy, graft survival was similar and poor between the treated and the untreated group, 47% vs. 40%, respectively, p = 0.69. This absence of response of IVIG/RTX treatment was observed, regardless the phenotype of TG. Baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and decline in eGFR during the first six months after the treatment were risk factors associated with 24‐month graft survival. The IVIG/RTX therapy had a modest effect on the kinetics of donor‐specific alloantibodies at M24, compared to the untreated group, not associated with an improvement in graft survival. The mean number of adverse events per patient was higher in the IVIG/RTX group than in the control group (p = 0.03). Taken together, IVIG/RTX treatment for severe TG during chronic antibody‐mediated rejection does not seem to change the natural history of TG and is associated with a high incidence of adverse events.