bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adaptation and validation of the VOICES (SF) questionnaire – for evaluation of end‐of‐life care in Sweden
Authors: O'Sullivan Anna , Öhlen Joakim , Alvariza Anette , Håkanson Cecilia 
Published: November 2017

ObjectivesInstruments for evaluating end‐of‐life care by voicing experiences of family members have previously been lacking in Sweden. The objective of this study was therefore to adapt and validate the VOICES (SF) questionnaire to evaluate quality of end‐of‐life care in Sweden. The VOICES (SF) [Views of Informal Carers – Evaluation of Services (Short form)] is a questionnaire about bereaved relatives' experiences of care in the last three months of life of a deceased family member.MethodsThis study was performed based on translation and back translation, cross‐cultural adaptation and content validation through cognitive interviewing and feedback from professional experts. For the cognitive interviews, a purposeful sample of 35 bereaved family members was recruited from home care, hospital wards and nursing homes. The participants were 13 men and 22 women (age ranged between 20 and 90+, mean age 66), who were relatives of persons who died from life‐limiting conditions. The bereaved family members' and the professional experts' concerns were summarised and analysed based on clarity, understanding, relevance, sensitivity and alternative response/wording.ResultsThe main concerns emerging from the content validation related to the understanding and clarity of some of the questionnaire items', and a few concerns regarding the relevance of different response alternatives or items. Only two of the family members found it emotional to complete the questionnaire, and they still deemed completing it to be important and manageable.Significance of resultsThe VOICES (SF) can be considered as feasible in the Swedish context, provided that cultural adaptation has been achieved, that is translation alone is not enough. The Swedish version will be available for healthcare professionals to use for quality monitoring of the care provided over the last three months in life, and for research, it enables national and cross‐national comparisons between different healthcare places and organisations.
Long‐term anesthetic protocol in rats: feasibility in electrophysiology studies in visual prosthesis
Authors: Barriga‐Rivera Alejandro , Tatarinoff Veronica , Lovell Nigel H. , Morley John W. , Suaning Gregg J. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractElectrical stimulation of excitable cells provides therapeutic benefits for a variety of medical conditions, including restoration of partial vision to those blinded via some types of retinal degeneration. To improve visual percepts elicited by the current technology, researchers are conducting acute electrophysiology experiments, mainly in cats. However, the rat can provide a model of a range of retinal diseases and possesses a sufficiently large eye to be used in this field. This article presents a long‐term anesthetic protocol to enable electrophysiology experiments to further the development of visual prostheses. Six Long‐Evans rats (aged between 14 and 16 weeks) were included in this study. Surgical anesthesia was maintained for more than 15 h by combining constant intravenous infusion of ketamine (24.0–34.5 mg/kg/h), xylazine (0.9–1.2 mg/kg/h), and inhaled isoflurane in oxygen (<0.5%). Overall heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature remained between 187–233 beats/min, 45–58 breaths/min, and 36–38 °C, respectively. Neural responses to 200‐ms light pulses were recorded from the superior colliculus using a 32‐channel neural probe at the beginning and before termination of the experiment. Robust responses were recorded from distinct functional types of retinal pathways. In addition, a platinum electrode was implanted in the retrobulbar space. The retina was electrically stimulated, and the activation threshold was determined to be 5.24 ± 0.24 μC/cm2. This protocol may be used not only in the field of visual prosthesis research, but in other research areas requiring longer term acute experiments.
Differential processing in modality‐specific Mauthner cell dendrites
Authors: Medan Violeta , Mäki‐Marttunen Tuomo , Sztarker Julieta , Preuss Thomas 
Published: November 2017

Key points
The present study examines dendritic integrative processes that occur in many central neurons but have been challenging to study in vivo in the vertebrate brain. The Mauthner cell of goldfish receives auditory and visual information via two separate dendrites, providing a privileged scenario for in vivo examination of dendritic integration.
The results show differential attenuation properties in the Mauthner cell dendrites arising at least partly from differences in cable properties and the nonlinear behaviour of the respective dendritic membranes.
In addition to distinct modality‐dependent membrane specialization in neighbouring dendrites of the Mauthner cell, we report cross‐modal dendritic interactions via backpropagating postsynaptic potentials.
Broadly, the results of the present study provide an exceptional example for the processing power of single neurons.
AbstractAnimals process multimodal information for adaptive behavioural decisions. In fish, evasion of a diving bird that breaks the water surface depends on integrating visual and auditory stimuli with very different characteristics. How do neurons process such differential sensory inputs at the dendritic level? For that, we studied the Mauthner cells (M‐cells) in the goldfish startle circuit, which receive visual and auditory inputs via two separate dendrites, both accessible for in vivo recordings. We investigated whether electrophysiological membrane properties and dendrite morphology, studied in vivo, play a role in selective sensory processing in the M‐cell. The results obtained show that anatomical and electrophysiological differences between the dendrites combine to produce stronger attenuation of visually evoked postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) than to auditory evoked PSPs. Interestingly, our recordings showed also cross‐modal dendritic interaction because auditory evoked PSPs invade the ventral dendrite (VD), as well as the opposite where visual PSPs invade the lateral dendrite (LD). However, these interactions were asymmetrical, with auditory PSPs being more prominent in the VD than visual PSPs in the LD. Modelling experiments imply that this asymmetry is caused by active conductances expressed in the proximal segments of the VD. The results obtained in the present study suggest modality‐dependent membrane specialization in M‐cell dendrites suited for processing stimuli of different time domains and, more broadly, provide a compelling example of information processing in single neurons.
Linear Analysis of Converging Richtmyer–Meshkov Instability in the Presence of an Azimuthal Magnetic Field
Authors: Bakhsh Abeer , Samtaney Ravi 
Published: November 2017

Abstract
We investigate the linear stability of both positive and negative Atwood ratio interfaces accelerated either by a fast magnetosonic or hydrodynamic shock in cylindrical geometry. For the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) case, we examine the role of an initial seed azimuthal magnetic field on the growth rate of the perturbation. In the absence of a magnetic field, the Richtmyer–Meshkov growth is followed by an exponentially increasing growth associated with the Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI). In the MHD case, the growth rate of the instability reduces in proportion to the strength of the applied magnetic field. The suppression mechanism is associated with the interference of two waves running parallel and antiparallel to the interface that transport vorticity and cause the growth rate to oscillate in time with nearly a zero mean value.
Molecular Characterization of an Endozoicomonas-Like Organism Causing Infection in the King Scallop (Pecten maximus L.)
Authors: Cano Irene , van Aerle Ronny , Ross Stuart , Verner-Jeffreys David W. , Paley Richard K. , Rimmer Georgina S. E. , Ryder David , Hooper Patrick , Stone David , Feist Stephen W. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

One of the fastest growing fisheries in the UK is the king scallop (
Pecten maximus
L.), also currently rated as the second most valuable fishery. Mass mortality events in scallops have been reported worldwide, often with the causative agent(s) remaining uncharacterized. In May 2013 and 2014, two mass mortality events affecting king scallops were recorded in the Lyme Bay marine protected area (MPA) in Southwest England. Histopathological examination showed gill epithelial tissues infected with intracellular microcolonies (IMCs) of bacteria resembling
Rickettsia
-like organisms (RLOs), often with bacteria released in vascular spaces. Large colonies were associated with cellular and tissue disruption of the gills. Ultrastructural examination confirmed the intracellular location of these organisms in affected epithelial cells. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the putative IMCs obtained from infected king scallop gill samples, collected from both mortality events, were identical and had a 99.4% identity to 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from “
Candidatus
Endonucleobacter bathymodioli” and 95% with
Endozoicomonas
species.
In situ
hybridization assays using 16S rRNA gene probes confirmed the presence of the sequenced IMC gene in the gill tissues. Additional DNA sequences of the bacterium were obtained using high-throughput (Illumina) sequencing, and bioinformatic analysis identified over 1,000 genes with high similarity to protein sequences from
Endozoicomonas
spp. (ranging from 77 to 87% identity). Specific PCR assays were developed and applied to screen for the presence of IMC 16S rRNA gene sequences in king scallop gill tissues collected at the Lyme Bay MPA during 2015 and 2016. There was 100% prevalence of the IMCs in these gill tissues, and the 16S rRNA gene sequences identified were identical to the sequence found during the previous mortality event.

IMPORTANCE
Molluscan mass mortalities associated with IMCs have been reported worldwide for many years; however, apart from histological and ultrastructural characterization, characterization of the etiological agents is limited. In the present work, we provide detailed molecular characterization of an
Endozoicomonas
-like organism (ELO) associated with an important commercial scallop species.
Divalent Metal Cations Potentiate the Predatory Capacity of Amoeba for Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Fu Man Shun , Casadevall Arturo 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Among the best-studied interactions between soil phagocytic predators and a human-pathogenic fungus is that of
Acanthamoeba castellanii
and
Cryptococcus neoformans
. The experimental conditions used in amoeba-fungus confrontation assays can have major effects on whether the fungus or the protozoan is ascendant in the interaction. In the presence of Mg
2+
and Ca
2+
in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS),
C. neoformans
was consistently killed when incubated with
A. castellanii
.
A. castellanii
survived better in the presence of Mg
2+
and Ca
2+
, even when incubated with
C. neoformans
. In the absence of Mg
2+
and Ca
2+
,
C. neoformans
survived when incubated with
A. castellanii
, and the percentage of dead amoebae was higher than when incubated without yeast cells. These results show that the presence of Mg
2+
and Ca
2+
can make a decisive contribution toward tilting the outcome of the interaction in favor of the amoeba. Of the two metals, Mg
2+
had a stronger effect than Ca
2+
. The cations enhanced
A. castellanii
activity against
C. neoformans
via enhanced phagocytosis, which is the major mechanism by which amoebae kill fungal cells. We found no evidence that amoebae use extracellular killing mechanisms in their interactions with
C. neoformans
. In summary, the presence of Mg
2+
and Ca
2+
enhanced the cell adhesion on the surfaces and the motility of the amoeba, thus increasing the chance for contact with
C. neoformans
and the frequency of phagocytosis. Our findings imply that the divalent cation concentration in soils could be an important variable for whether amoebae can control
C. neoformans
in the environment.

IMPORTANCE
The grazing of soil organisms by phagocytic predators such as amoebae is thought to select for traits that enable some of them to acquire the capacity for virulence in animals. Consequently, knowledge about the interactions between amoebae and soil microbes, such as pathogenic fungi, is important for understanding how virulence can emerge. We show that the interaction between an amoeba and the pathogenic fungus
C. neoformans
is influenced by the presence in the assay of magnesium and calcium, which potentiate amoebae. The results may also have practical applications, since enriching soils with divalent cations may reduce
C. neoformans
numbers in contaminated soils.
Sinorhizobium meliloti Glutathione Reductase Is Required for both Redox Homeostasis and Symbiosis
Authors: Tang Guirong , Li Ningning , Liu Yumin , Yu Liangliang , Yan Junhui , Luo Li 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Glutathione (
l
-γ-glutamyl-
l
-cysteinylglycine) (GSH), one of the key antioxidants in
Sinorhizobium meliloti
, is required for the development of alfalfa (
Medicago sativa
) nitrogen-fixing nodules. Glutathione exists as either reduced glutathione (GSH) or oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and its content is regulated by two pathways in
S. meliloti
. The first pathway is the
de novo
synthesis of glutathione from its constituent amino acids, namely, Glu, Cys, and Gly, catalyzed by γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GshA) and glutathione synthetase (GshB). The second pathway is the recycling of GSSG via glutathione reductase (GR). However, whether the
S. meliloti
GR functions similarly to GshA and GshB1 during symbiotic interactions with alfalfa remains unknown. In this study, a plasmid insertion mutation of the
S. meliloti
gor
gene, which encodes GR, was constructed, and the mutant exhibited delayed alfalfa nodulation, with 75% reduction in nitrogen-fixing capacity. The
gor
mutant demonstrated increased accumulation of GSSG and a decreased GSH/GSSG ratio in cells. The mutant also showed defective growth in rich broth and minimal broth and was more sensitive to the oxidants H
2
O
2
and sodium nitroprusside. Interestingly, the expression of
gshA
,
gshB1
,
katA
, and
katB
was induced in the mutant. These findings reveal that the recycling of glutathione is important for
S. meliloti
to maintain redox homeostasis and to interact symbiotically with alfalfa.

IMPORTANCE
The antioxidant glutathione is regulated by its synthetase and reductase in cells. In the symbiotic bacterium
S. meliloti
, the
de novo
synthesis of glutathione is essential for alfalfa nodulation and nitrogen fixation. In this study, we observed that the recycling of glutathione from GSSG not only was required for redox homeostasis and oxidative stress protection in
S. meliloti
cells but also contributed to alfalfa nodule development and competition capacity. Our findings demonstrate that the recycling of glutathione plays a key role in nitrogen fixation symbiosis.
Multi-omics Reveals the Lifestyle of the Acidophilic, Mineral-Oxidizing Model Species Leptospirillum ferriphilum
T
Authors: Christel Stephan , Herold Malte , Bellenberg Sören , El Hajjami Mohamed , Buetti-Dinh Antoine , Pivkin Igor V. , Sand Wolfgang , Wilmes Paul , Poetsch Ansgar , Dopson Mark 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Leptospirillum ferriphilum
plays a major role in acidic, metal-rich environments, where it represents one of the most prevalent iron oxidizers. These milieus include acid rock and mine drainage as well as biomining operations. Despite its perceived importance, no complete genome sequence of the type strain of this model species is available, limiting the possibilities to investigate the strategies and adaptations that
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
DSM 14647
T
(here referred to as
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
T
) applies to survive and compete in its niche. This study presents a complete, circular genome of
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
T
obtained by PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) long-read sequencing for use as a high-quality reference. Analysis of the functionally annotated genome, mRNA transcripts, and protein concentrations revealed a previously undiscovered nitrogenase cluster for atmospheric nitrogen fixation and elucidated metabolic systems taking part in energy conservation, carbon fixation, pH homeostasis, heavy metal tolerance, the oxidative stress response, chemotaxis and motility, quorum sensing, and biofilm formation. Additionally, mRNA transcript counts and protein concentrations were compared between cells grown in continuous culture using ferrous iron as the substrate and those grown in bioleaching cultures containing chalcopyrite (CuFeS
2
). Adaptations of
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
T
to growth on chalcopyrite included the possibly enhanced production of reducing power, reduced carbon dioxide fixation, as well as elevated levels of RNA transcripts and proteins involved in heavy metal resistance, with special emphasis on copper efflux systems. Finally, the expression and translation of genes responsible for chemotaxis and motility were enhanced.

IMPORTANCE
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
is one of the most important iron oxidizers in the context of acidic and metal-rich environments during moderately thermophilic biomining. A high-quality circular genome of
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
T
coupled with functional omics data provides new insights into its metabolic properties, such as the novel identification of genes for atmospheric nitrogen fixation, and represents an essential step for further accurate proteomic and transcriptomic investigation of this acidophile model species in the future. Additionally, light is shed on adaptation strategies of
Leptospirillum ferriphilum
T
for growth on the copper mineral chalcopyrite. These data can be applied to deepen our understanding and optimization of bioleaching and biooxidation, techniques that present sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to many traditional methods for metal extraction.
The Swinholide Biosynthesis Gene Cluster from a Terrestrial Cyanobacterium, Nostoc sp. Strain UHCC 0450
Authors: Humisto Anu , Jokela Jouni , Liu Liwei , Wahlsten Matti , Wang Hao , Permi Perttu , Machado João Paulo , Antunes Agostinho , Fewer David P. , Sivonen Kaarina 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Swinholides are 42-carbon ring polyketides with a 2-fold axis of symmetry. They are potent cytotoxins that disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. Swinholides were discovered from the marine sponge
Theonella
sp. and were long suspected to be produced by symbiotic bacteria. Misakinolide, a structural variant of swinholide, was recently demonstrated to be the product of a symbiotic heterotrophic proteobacterium. Here, we report the production of swinholide A by an axenic strain of the terrestrial cyanobacterium
Nostoc
sp. strain UHCC 0450. We located the 85-kb
trans
-AT polyketide synthase (PKS) swinholide biosynthesis gene cluster from a draft genome of
Nostoc
sp. UHCC 0450. The swinholide and misakinolide biosynthesis gene clusters share an almost identical order of catalytic domains, with 85% nucleotide sequence identity, and they group together in phylogenetic analysis. Our results resolve speculation around the true producer of swinholides and demonstrate that bacteria belonging to two distantly related phyla both produce structural variants of the same natural product. In addition, we described a biosynthesis cluster from
Anabaena
sp. strain UHCC 0451 for the synthesis of the cytotoxic and antifungal scytophycin. All of these biosynthesis gene clusters were closely related to each other and created a group of cytotoxic macrolide compounds produced by
trans
-AT PKSs of cyanobacteria and proteobacteria.

IMPORTANCE
Many of the drugs in use today originate from natural products. New candidate compounds for drug development are needed due to increased drug resistance. An increased knowledge of the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds can be used to aid chemical synthesis to produce novel drugs. Here, we show that a terrestrial axenic culture of
Nostoc
cyanobacterium produces swinholides, which have been previously found only from marine sponge or samples related to them. Swinholides are polyketides with a 2-fold axis of symmetry, and they are potent cytotoxins that disrupt the actin cytoskeleton. We describe the biosynthesis gene clusters of swinholide from
Nostoc
cyanobacteria, as well as the related cytotoxic and antifungal scytophycin from
Anabaena
cyanobacteria, and we study the evolution of their
trans
-AT polyketide synthases. Interestingly, swinholide is closely related to misakinolide produced by a symbiotic heterotrophic proteobacterium, demonstrating that bacteria belonging to two distantly related phyla and different habitats can produce similar natural products.
Draft Genome Sequences of 23 Salmonella enterica Strains Isolated from Cattle in Ibadan, Nigeria, Representing 21
Salmonella
Serovars
Authors: Sanchez Leon Maria , Fashae Kayode , Kastanis George , Allard Marc 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

To provide a better understanding of the diversity of
Salmonella enterica
, we report the assembled genome sequences of 23
Salmonella enterica
strains isolated from fecal samples of cattle in Nigeria comprising 21 different
Salmonella
serovars.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Salmonella enterica subsp.
enterica
Serovar Typhimurium Strain UPM 260, Isolated from a Broiler Chicken in Perak, Malaysia
Authors: Roslan Najwa Syahirah , Jabeen Shagufta , Mat Isa Nurulfiza , Omar Abdul Rahman , Bejo Mohd Hair , Ideris Aini 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Salmonella enterica
subsp.
enterica
serovar Typhimurium is one of several well-categorized
Salmonella
serotypes recognized globally. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of
S
. Typhimurium strain UPM 260, isolated from a broiler chicken.
Draft Genome Sequence of Carbapenemase-Producing Serratia marcescens Isolated from a Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Lepuschitz Sarah , Sorschag Sieglinde , Springer Burkhard , Allerberger Franz , Ruppitsch Werner 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

The occurrence of multidrug-resistant
Serratia marcescens
strains producing metallo-β-lactamases or extended-spectrum β-lactamases represents a serious public health threat. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant carbapenemase-producing
Serratia marcescens
isolate recovered from the bronchoalveolar lavage specimen of a patient suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Complete Genome Sequence of Bacillus cereus C1L, a Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacterium from the Rhizosphere of Formosa Lily in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Chien-Jui , Zheng Po-Xing , Ou Jheng-Yang , Lin Yao-Cheng , Chen Chao-Ying 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACT

Bacillus cereus
C1L, a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, provides protection against fungal pathogens in monocot plants. To gain new insights into the biocontrol mechanisms used by this rhizobacterium, we determined the complete genome sequence of
B. cereus
C1L. One chromosome and three plasmids were identified with a total size of ~6.0 Mb.