High dissolved organic carbon release by benthic cyanobacterial mats in a Caribbean reef ecosystem.

Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are increasing in abundance on coral reefs worldwide. However, their impacts on biogeochemical cycling in the surrounding water and sediment are virtually unknown. By measuring chemical fluxes in benthic chambers placed over sediment covered by BCMs and sediment with BCMs removed on coral reefs in Curaçao, Southern Caribbean, we found that sediment covered by BCMs released 1.

Cigarette smoke mediates epigenetic repression of miR-217 during esophageal adenocarcinogenesis.

Although microRNAs (miRs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various human malignancies, limited information is available regarding mechanisms by which these noncoding RNAs contribute to initiation and progression of tobacco-induced esophageal cancers. In this study, array and quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR techniques were used to examine miR expression in immortalized esophageal epithelia (IEE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) cells cultured in normal media with or without cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). Under relevant exposure conditions, CSC significantly decreased miR-217 expression in these cells.

Hydrogen sulfide can inhibit and enhance oxygenic photosynthesis in a cyanobacterium from sulfidic springs.

We used microsensors to investigate the combinatory effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) and light on oxygenic photosynthesis in biofilms formed by a cyanobacterium from sulfidic springs. We found that photosynthesis was both positively and negatively affected by H2 S: (i) H2 S accelerated the recovery of photosynthesis after prolonged exposure to darkness and anoxia. We suggest that this is possibly due to regulatory effects of H2 S on photosystem I components and/or on the Calvin cycle.

Phosphorylation of FADD by the kinase CK1α promotes KRASG12D-induced lung cancer.

Genomic amplification of the gene encoding and phosphorylation of the protein FADD (Fas-associated death domain) is associated with poor clinical outcome in lung cancer and in head and neck cancer. Activating mutations in the guanosine triphosphatase RAS promotes cell proliferation in various cancers. Increased abundance of phosphorylated FADD in patient-derived tumor samples predicts poor clinical outcome.

Isolation of aspalathin and nothofagin from rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) using high-performance countercurrent chromatography: sample loading and compound stability considerations.

Aspalathin and nothofagin, the major dihydrochalcones in rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), are valuable bioactive compounds, but their bioactivity has not been fully elucidated. Isolation of these compounds using high-performance countercurrent chromatography (HPCCC), a gentle, support-free, up-scalable technique, offers an alternative to synthesis for obtaining sufficient amounts. An HPLC-DAD method was adapted to allow rapid (16 min from injection to injection) quantification of the four major compounds (aspalathin, nothofagin, isoorientin, orientin) during development of the isolation protocol.

The landscape of long noncoding RNAs in the human transcriptome.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of tissue physiology and disease processes including cancer. To delineate genome-wide lncRNA expression, we curated 7,256 RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries from tumors, normal tissues and cell lines comprising over 43 Tb of sequence from 25 independent studies. We applied ab initio assembly methodology to this data set, yielding a consensus human transcriptome of 91,013 expressed genes.

Direct inhibitors of InhA are active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

New chemotherapeutic agents are urgently required to combat the global spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The mycobacterial enoyl reductase InhA is one of the few clinically validated targets in tuberculosis drug discovery. We report the identification of a new class of direct InhA inhibitors, the 4-hydroxy-2-pyridones, using phenotypic high-throughput whole-cell screening.

Transcriptome meta-analysis of lung cancer reveals recurrent aberrations in NRG1 and Hippo pathway genes.

Lung cancer is emerging as a paradigm for disease molecular subtyping, facilitating targeted therapy based on driving somatic alterations. Here we perform transcriptome analysis of 153 samples representing lung adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, large cell lung cancer, adenoid cystic carcinomas and cell lines. By integrating our data with The Cancer Genome Atlas and published sources, we analyse 753 lung cancer samples for gene fusions and other transcriptomic alterations.

Calcium dynamics in microbialite-forming exopolymer-rich mats on the atoll of Kiritimati, Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific.

Microbialite-forming microbial mats in a hypersaline lake on the atoll of Kiritimati were investigated with respect to microgradients, bulk water chemistry, and microbial community composition. O2, H2S, and pH microgradients show patterns as commonly observed for phototrophic mats with cyanobacteria-dominated primary production in upper layers, an intermediate purple layer with sulfide oxidation, and anaerobic bottom layers with sulfate reduction. Ca(2+) profiles, however, measured in daylight showed an increase of Ca(2+) with depth in the oxic zone, followed by a sharp decline and low concentrations in anaerobic mat layers.

Expansion of CTCs from early stage lung cancer patients using a microfluidic co-culture model.

The potential utility of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to guide clinical care in oncology patients has gained momentum with emerging micro- and nanotechnologies. Establishing the role of CTCs in tumor progression and metastasis depends both on enumeration and on obtaining sufficient numbers of CTCs for downstream assays. The numbers of CTCs are few in early stages of cancer, limiting detailed molecular characterization.

Changes in microbial communities in coastal sediments along natural CO2 gradients at a volcanic vent in Papua New Guinea.

Natural CO2 venting systems can mimic conditions that resemble intermediate to high pCO2 levels as predicted for our future oceans. They represent ideal sites to investigate potential long-term effects of ocean acidification on marine life. To test whether microbes are affected by prolonged exposure to pCO2 levels, we examined the composition and diversity of microbial communities in oxic sandy sediments along a natural CO2 gradient.

Benzophenone C- and O-glucosides from Cyclopia genistoides (Honeybush) inhibit mammalian α-glucosidase.

An enriched fraction of an aqueous extract prepared from the aerial parts of Cyclopia genistoides Vent. yielded a new benzophenone di-C,O-glucoside, 3-C-β-d-glucopyranosyl-4-O-β-d-glucopyranosyliriflophenone (1), together with small quantities of a known benzophenone C-glucoside, 3-C-β-d-glucopyranosylmaclurin (2). The isolated compounds showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity against an enzyme mixture extracted from rat intestinal acetone powder.

Antidiabetic effect of green rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) extract in cultured cells and type 2 diabetic model KK-A(y) mice.

Previous studies have demonstrated antidiabetic effects for rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and aspalathin (ASP), one of its main polyphenols. Rooibos, an endemic plant of South Africa, is well-known for its use as herbal tea. Green ('unfermented') rooibos has been shown to contain more ASP than 'fermented' rooibos tea, currently the major product.

Eruption of a deep-sea mud volcano triggers rapid sediment movement.

Submarine mud volcanoes are important sources of methane to the water column. However, the temporal variability of their mud and methane emissions is unknown. Methane emissions were previously proposed to result from a dynamic equilibrium between upward migration and consumption at the seabed by methane-consuming microbes.

Rapid recovery of cyanobacterial pigments in desiccated biological soil crusts following addition of water.

We examined soil surface colour change to green and hydrotaxis following addition of water to biological soil crusts using pigment extraction, hyperspectral imaging, microsensors and 13C labeling experiments coupled to matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALD-TOF MS). The topsoil colour turned green in less than 5 minutes following water addition. The concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chl a), scytonemin and echinenon rapidly increased in the top <1 mm layer while in the deeper layer, their concentrations remained low.

Sulfate reduction and sulfide oxidation in extremely steep salinity gradients formed by freshwater springs emerging into the Dead Sea.

Abundant microbial mats, recently discovered in underwater freshwater springs in the hypersaline Dead Sea, are mostly dominated by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. We investigated the source of sulfide and the activity of these communities. Isotopic analysis of sulfide and sulfate in the spring water showed a fractionation of 39-50‰ indicative of active sulfate reduction.

Chemometric analysis of chromatographic fingerprints shows potential of Cyclopia maculata (Andrews) Kies for production of standardized extracts with high xanthone content.

Cyclopia species are used for the production of honeybush tea and food ingredient extracts associated with many health benefits. A species-specific high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for Cyclopia maculata, developed and validated, allowed quantification of the major compounds in extracts from "unfermented" and fermented C. maculata.

Modeling of the total antioxidant capacity of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea infusions from chromatographic fingerprints and identification of potential antioxidant markers.

Models to predict the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of rooibos tea infusions from their chromatographic fingerprints and peak table data (content of individual phenolic compounds), obtained using HPLC with diode array detection, were developed in order to identify potential antioxidant markers. Peak table data included the content of 12 compounds, namely phenylpyruvic acid-2-O-glucoside, aspalathin, nothofagin, isoorientin, orientin, ferulic acid, quercetin-3-O-robinobioside, vitexin, hyperoside, rutin, isovitexin and isoquercitrin. The TAC values, measured using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and DPPH radical scavenging assays, could be predicted from the peak table data or the chromatographic fingerprints (prediction errors 9-12%) using partial least squares (PLS) regression.

Identifying initiation and elongation inhibitors of dengue virus RNA polymerase in a high-throughput lead-finding campaign.

Dengue virus (DENV) is the most significant mosquito-borne viral pathogen in the world and is the cause of dengue fever. The DENV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is conserved among the four viral serotypes and is an attractive target for antiviral drug development. During initiation of viral RNA synthesis, the polymerase switches from a "closed" to "open" conformation to accommodate the viral RNA template.

A cross sectional survey examining the association between therapeutic relationships and service user satisfaction in forensic mental health settings.

Background: This small-scale study examines an often neglected patient group (service users in forensic mental health settings). The research investigates their therapeutic relationship with staff and which therapeutic relationship factors are associated with their level of satisfaction with services.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was undertaken in two medium secure units in the UK with seventy seven participants completing self-report measures examining service user satisfaction with services and their therapeutic relationship with staff.

Oxygenic photosynthesis as a protection mechanism for cyanobacteria against iron-encrustation in environments with high Fe(2+) concentrations.

If O2 is available at circumneutral pH, Fe(2+) is rapidly oxidized to Fe(3+), which precipitates as FeO(OH). Neutrophilic iron oxidizing bacteria have evolved mechanisms to prevent self-encrustation in iron. Hitherto, no mechanism has been proposed for cyanobacteria from Fe(2+)-rich environments; these produce O2 but are seldom found encrusted in iron.

Effect of high electron donor supply on dissimilatory nitrate reduction pathways in a bioreactor for nitrate removal.

The possible shift of a bioreactor for NO3(-) removal from predominantly denitrification (DEN) to dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) by elevated electron donor supply was investigated. By increasing the C/NO3(-) ratio in one of two initially identical reactors, the production of high sulfide concentrations was induced. The response of the dissimilatory NO3(-) reduction processes to the increased availability of organic carbon and sulfide was monitored in a batch incubation system.