Physiological and genetic description of dissimilatory perchlorate reduction by the novel marine bacterium Arcobacter sp. strain CAB.

A novel dissimilatory perchlorate-reducing bacterium (DPRB), Arcobacter sp. strain CAB, was isolated from a marina in Berkeley, CA. Phylogenetically, this halophile was most closely related to Arcobacter defluvii strain SW30-2 and Arcobacter ellisii.

Fe(II) oxidation is an innate capability of nitrate-reducing bacteria that involves abiotic and biotic reactions.

Phylogenetically diverse species of bacteria can catalyze the oxidation of ferrous iron [Fe(II)] coupled to nitrate (NO(3)(-)) reduction, often referred to as nitrate-dependent iron oxidation (NDFO). Very little is known about the biochemistry of NDFO, and though growth benefits have been observed, mineral encrustations and nitrite accumulation likely limit growth. Acidovorax ebreus, like other species in the Acidovorax genus, is proficient at catalyzing NDFO.

Natural organic matter as global antennae for primary production.

Humic substances (HS) are high-molecular-weight complex refractory organics that are ubiquitous in terrestrial and aquatic environments. While resistant to microbial degradation, these compounds nevertheless support microbial metabolism via oxidation or reduction of their (hydro)quinone moieties. As such, they are known to be important electron sinks for respiratory and fermentative bacteria and electron sources for denitrifying and perchlorate-reducing bacteria.

Surfaceomics and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of environmental microbes: matching cofactors with redox-active surface proteins.

Trypsin shaving is a targeted proteomic method for identifying cell-surface exposed proteins on bacterial cells. For the identification of redox-active cell-surface proteins, trypsin-shaving datasets can be matched with surface-enhanced Raman spectra of intact cells to identify the cofactors associated with the cell-surface proteins. Together, these approaches could help resolve questions about the presence of cell-surface electron transport components in environmental microorganisms, especially microbes that oxidize and reduce metals and metalloids as electron donors and acceptors.

Standardization of terminology for episodes of hematopoietic stem cell patient transplant care.

The nomenclature describing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has evolved, adding precision and definition in research and regulation. The lack of coordination and standardization in terminology has left some gaps in the definition of episodes of clinical care. These voids have caused particular problems in contracting for payment and billing for services rendered.

Does greater workload lead to reduced quality of preventive and curative care among community health workers in Bangladesh?

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) perform a range of important tasks; however, limited evidence is available regarding the association between their workload and the quality of care they provide.

Objective: To analyze the quality of preventive and curative care provided by two groups of CHWs with different workloads in southern Bangladesh.

Methods: One group of CHWs provided preventive care in addition to implementing community case management (CCM) of acute respiratory infection and diarrhea, and another group additionally treated severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

Negligible effect of perioperative epidural analgesia among patients undergoing elective gastric and pancreatic resections.

Background: There are conflicting data regarding improvements in postoperative outcomes with perioperative epidural analgesia. We sought to examine the effect of perioperative epidural analgesia vs. intravenous narcotic analgesia on perioperative outcomes including pain control, morbidity, and mortality in patients undergoing gastric and pancreatic resections.

Pharmacological Characterization of a Novel ENaCα siRNA (GSK2225745) With Potential for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis.

Lung pathology in cystic fibrosis is linked to dehydration of the airways epithelial surface which in part results from inappropriately raised sodium reabsorption through the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC). To identify a small-interfering RNA (siRNA) which selectively inhibits ENaC expression, chemically modified 21-mer siRNAs targeting human ENaCα were designed and screened. GSK2225745, was identified as a potent inhibitor of ENaCα mRNA (EC(50) (half maximal effective concentration) = 0.

A program needs-driven approach to selecting dietary assessment methods for decision-making in food fortification programs.

Background: Dietary assessment data are essential for designing, monitoring, and evaluating food fortification and other food-based nutrition programs. Planners and managers must understand the validity, usefulness, and cost tradeoffs of employing alternative dietary assessment methods, but little guidance exists.

Objective: To identify and apply criteria to assess the tradeoffs of using alternative dietary methods for meeting fortification programming needs.

Binaphthyl-anchored antibacterial tripeptide derivatives with hydrophobic C-terminal amino acid variations.

The facile synthesis of seven new dicationic tripeptide benzyl ester derivatives, with hydrophobic group variations in the C-terminal amino acid component, is described. Moderate to good activity was seen against Gram-positive bacteria in vitro. One cyclohexyl-substituted compound 2c was tested more widely and showed good potency (MIC values ranging from 2-4 μg/mL) against antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci (VRE, VSE), and against Staphylococcus epidermidis.

ARABIDILLO gene homologues in basal land plants: species-specific gene duplication and likely functional redundancy.

ARABIDILLO proteins regulate multicellular root development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Conserved ARABIDILLO homologues are present throughout land plants, even in early-evolving plants that do not possess complex root architecture, suggesting that ARABIDILLO genes have additional functions. Here, we have cloned and characterised ARABIDILLO gene homologues from two early-evolving land plants, the bryophyte Physcomitrella patens and the lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii.

Gold-phosphine binding to de novo designed coiled coil peptides.

The coordination of the therapeutically interesting [AuCl(PEt(3))] to the de novo designed peptide, TRIL23C, under aqueous conditions, is reported here. TRIL23C represents an ideal model to investigate the binding of [AuCl(PEt(3))] to small proteins in an effort to develop novel gold(I) phosphine peptide adducts capable of mimicking biological recognition and targeting. This is due to the small size of TRIL23C (30 amino acids), yet stable secondary and tertiary fold, symmetric nature and the availability of only one thiol binding site.

Cost-effectiveness of the community-based management of severe acute malnutrition by community health workers in southern Bangladesh.

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of adding the community-based management of severe acute malnutrition (CMAM) to a community-based health and nutrition programme delivered by community health workers (CHWs) in southern Bangladesh. The cost-effectiveness of this model of treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) was compared with the cost-effectiveness of the 'standard of care' for SAM (i.e.

Small molecule inhibitors of the LEDGF site of human immunodeficiency virus integrase identified by fragment screening and structure based design.

A fragment-based screen against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) integrase led to a number of compounds that bound to the lens epithelium derived growth factor (LEDGF) binding site of the integrase catalytic core domain. We determined the crystallographic structures of complexes of the HIV integrase catalytic core domain for 10 of these compounds and quantitated the binding by surface plasmon resonance. We demonstrate that the compounds inhibit the interaction of LEDGF with HIV integrase in a proximity AlphaScreen assay, an assay for the LEDGF enhancement of HIV integrase strand transfer and in a cell based assay.

Influencing controlled substance prescribing: attending and resident physician use of a state prescription monitoring program.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of attending physician awareness and utilization of a state prescription monitoring program on resident physician behavior.

Design: Twenty-five attending physicians and 70 residents in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry completed an 11-item questionnaire assessing awareness and utilization of a state prescription drug monitoring program.

Results: Residents who used the system had, on average, a higher proportion of supervising attendings using the system; residents required to utilize the system had the highest proportion of attendings using the system.

RNF4, a SUMO-targeted ubiquitin E3 ligase, promotes DNA double-strand break repair.

Protein ubiquitylation and sumoylation play key roles in regulating cellular responses to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Here, we show that human RNF4, a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-targeted ubiquitin E3 ligase, is recruited to DSBs in a manner requiring its SUMO interaction motifs, the SUMO E3 ligases PIAS1 and PIAS4, and various DSB-responsive proteins. Furthermore, we reveal that RNF4 depletion impairs ubiquitin adduct formation at DSB sites and causes persistent histone H2AX phosphorylation (γH2AX) associated with defective DSB repair, hypersensitivity toward DSB-inducing agents, and delayed recovery from radiation-induced cell cycle arrest.

CDK targeting of NBS1 promotes DNA-end resection, replication restart and homologous recombination.

The conserved MRE11–RAD50–NBS1 (MRN) complex is an important sensor of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and facilitates DNA repair by homologous recombination (HR) and end joining. Here, we identify NBS1 as a target of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) phosphorylation. We show that NBS1 serine 432 phosphorylation occurs in the S, G2 and M phases of the cell cycle and requires CDK activity.

Degenerative myelopathy associated with a missense mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene progresses to peripheral neuropathy in Pembroke Welsh corgis and boxers.

Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is an adult-onset, fatal neurodegenerative disease with many similarities to an upper-motor-neuron-onset form of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), that results from mutations in the superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene. DM occurs in many dog breeds, including the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and Boxer. The initial upper motor neuron degeneration produces spastic paraparesis and affected dogs develop general proprioceptive ataxia in the pelvic limbs.

Complete genome sequence of the anaerobic perchlorate-reducing bacterium Azospira suillum strain PS.

Azospira suillum strain PS (formally Dechlorosoma suillum strain PS) is a metabolically versatile betaproteobacterium first identified for its ability to grow by dissimilatory reduction of perchlorate and chlorate [denoted (per)chlorate]. Together with Dechloromonas species, these two genera represent the dominant (per)chlorate-reducing bacteria in mesophilic freshwater environments. In addition to (per)chlorate reduction, A.

Quality of care for severe acute malnutrition delivered by community health workers in southern Bangladesh.

This study assessed the quality of care provided by community health workers (CHWs) in managing cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) according to a treatment algorithm. A mixed methods approach was employed to provide perspectives on different aspects of quality of care, including technical competence and acceptability to caretakers. CHWs screened children at community level using a mid-upper arm circumference measurement, and treated cases without medical complications.

Draft genome sequence of the anaerobic, nitrate-dependent, Fe(II)-oxidizing bacterium Pseudogulbenkiania ferrooxidans strain 2002.

Pseudogulbenkiania ferrooxidans strain 2002 was isolated as a lithoautotrophic, Fe(II)-oxidizing, nitrate-reducing bacterium. Phylogenetically, it is in a clade within the family Neisseriaceae in the order Nessieriales of the class Betaproteobacteria. It is anticipated that comparative genomic analysis of this strain with other nitrate-dependent, Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria will aid in the elucidation of the genetics and biochemistry underlying this critically important geochemical metabolism.