Genomic comparison of Escherichia coli O104:H4 isolates from 2009 and 2011 reveals plasmid, and prophage heterogeneity, including shiga toxin encoding phage stx2.

In May of 2011, an enteroaggregative Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain that had acquired a Shiga toxin 2-converting phage caused a large outbreak of bloody diarrhea in Europe which was notable for its high prevalence of hemolytic uremic syndrome cases. Several studies have described the genomic inventory and phylogenies of strains associated with the outbreak and a collection of historical E. coli O104:H4 isolates using draft genome assemblies.

Complete genome sequences of Desulfosporosinus orientis DSM765T, Desulfosporosinus youngiae DSM17734T, Desulfosporosinus meridiei DSM13257T, and Desulfosporosinus acidiphilus DSM22704T.

Desulfosporosinus species are sulfate-reducing bacteria belonging to the Firmicutes. Their genomes will give insights into the genetic repertoire and evolution of sulfate reducers typically thriving in terrestrial environments and able to degrade toluene (Desulfosporosinus youngiae), to reduce Fe(III) (Desulfosporosinus meridiei, Desulfosporosinus orientis), and to grow under acidic conditions (Desulfosporosinus acidiphilus).

Complete genome sequence of the ethanol-producing Zymomonas mobilis subsp. mobilis centrotype ATCC 29191.

Zymomonas mobilis is an ethanologenic bacterium that has been studied for use in biofuel production. Of the sequenced Zymomonas strains, ATCC 29191 has been described as the phenotypic centrotype of Zymomonas mobilis subsp. mobilis, the taxon that harbors the highest ethanol-producing Z.

Improving genome assemblies by sequencing PCR products with PacBio.

Advances in sequencing technologies have dramatically reduced costs in producing high-quality draft genomes. However, there are still many contigs and possible misassembled regions in those draft genomes. Improving the quality of these genomes requires an efficient and economical means to close gaps and resequence some regions.

Relationship between Respiratory Load Perception and Perception of Nonrespiratory Sensory Modalities in Subjects with Life-Threatening Asthma.

Subjects with life-threatening asthma (LTA) have reported decreased sensitivity to inspiratory resistive (R) loads. It is unknown if decreased sensitivity is specific for inspiratory R loads, other types of respiratory loads, or a general deficit affecting sensory modalities. This study hypothesized that impairment is specific to respiratory stimuli.

Complete Genome Sequence of Clostridium clariflavum DSM 19732.

Clostridium clariflavum is a Cluster III Clostridium within the family Clostridiaceae isolated from thermophilic anaerobic sludge (Shiratori et al, 2009). This species is of interest because of its similarity to the model cellulolytic organism Clostridium thermocellum and for the ability of environmental isolates to break down cellulose and hemicellulose. Here we describe features of the 4,897,678 bp long genome and its annotation, consisting of 4,131 protein-coding and 98 RNA genes, for the type strain DSM 19732.

Pediatric malignancies: neuroblastoma, Wilm's tumor, hepatoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and sacroccygeal teratoma.

Common pediatric malignancies are reviewed: neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, hepatoblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and sacrococcygeal teratoma. Elements of presentation, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and longterm prognosis are discussed, with particular attention to surgical management.

Pediatric gastroesophageal reflux disease.

This article reviews the mechanisms responsible for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), available techniques for diagnosis, and current medical management. In addition, it extensively discusses the surgical treatment of GERD, emphasizing the use of minimally invasive techniques.

The effects of concussion legislation one year later--what have we learned: a descriptive pilot survey of youth soccer player associates.

Objective: To assess the knowledge of youth soccer athletes' parents, coaches, and soccer officials regarding concussion and return-to-play guidelines contained in the Lystedt Law in Washington State.

Design: Survey study.

Setting: Surveys were distributed via the youth soccer association monthly electronic newsletter in September and October 2010.

Experience with endoscopy and endoscopy-assisted management of pediatric surgical problems: results and lessons.

Minimally invasive surgical techniques are becoming increasingly popular within the pediatric population. Flexible endoscopy may enhance or replace existing techniques in the future. Many of the reported benefits of laparoscopy and thoracoscopy may apply to endoscopy and endoscopy-assisted procedures; however, no reports exist as to the application, results, and outcomes for these procedures in children.

Augmented environments for minimally invasive therapy: implementation barriers from technology to practice.

Augmented environments for medical applications have been explored and developed in an effort to enhance the clinician's view of anatomy and facilitate the performance of minimally invasive procedures. These environments must faithfully represent the real surgical field and require seamless integration of pre- and intra-operative imaging, surgical instrument tracking and display technology into a common framework centered around the patient. However, few image guidance environments have been successfully translated into clinical use.

Complete genome sequence of "Enterobacter lignolyticus" SCF1.

In an effort to discover anaerobic bacteria capable of lignin degradation, we isolated "Enterobacter lignolyticus" SCF1 on minimal media with alkali lignin as the sole source of carbon. This organism was isolated anaerobically from tropical forest soils collected from the Short Cloud Forest site in the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, USA, part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Station. At this site, the soils experience strong fluctuations in redox potential and are net methane producers.

Complete genome sequence of Staphylothermus hellenicus P8.

Staphylothermus hellenicus belongs to the order Desulfurococcales within the archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota. Strain P8(T) is the type strain of the species and was isolated from a shallow hydrothermal vent system at Palaeochori Bay, Milos, Greece. It is a hyperthermophilic, anaerobic heterotroph.

Video. Diagnostic laparoscopy and preoperative planning in ischiopagus tripus conjoined twins: a surgical first, with detailed demonstration of the complex anatomical relationships.

Background: Diagnosis and management of conjoined twins are constantly evolving. New imaging techniques provide important anatomic details and help in planning the separation procedure. Despite these technological advances, however, the complex arrangement of conjoined organs is somewhat difficult to interpret, leaving unresolved questions at time of surgery.

Successful use of acarbose to manage post-prandial glycaemia in two patients with type 1 diabetes on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.

Post-prandial hyperglycaemia is a particular problem for some patients with diabetes despite administering continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) to deliver insulin flexibly. We describe two cases of patients on CSII with persistent post-prandial hyperglycaemia despite varying insulin doses and timing. Treatment with acarbose improved their glycaemic control.

Genome sequence of the ethanol-producing Zymomonas mobilis subsp. pomaceae lectotype strain ATCC 29192.

Zymomonas mobilis is an alphaproteobacterium studied for bioethanol production. Different strains of this organism have been hitherto sequenced; they all belong to the Z. mobilis subsp.

Complete genome sequences of Krokinobacter sp. strain 4H-3-7-5 and Lacinutrix sp. strain 5H-3-7-4, polysaccharide-degrading members of the family Flavobacteriaceae.

Two members of the family Flavobacteriaceae were isolated from subseafloor sediments using artificial seawater with cellulose, xylan, and chitin as the sole carbon and energy sources. Here, we present the complete genome sequences of Krokinobacter sp. strain 4H-3-7-5 and Lacinutrix sp.

Complete genome sequence of the marine cellulose- and xylan-degrading bacterium Glaciecola sp. strain 4H-3-7+YE-5.

Glaciecola sp. strain 4H-3-7+YE-5 was isolated from subseafloor sediments at Suruga Bay in Japan and is capable of efficiently hydrolyzing cellulose and xylan. The complete genome sequence of Glaciecola sp.

Genomics for key players in the N cycle from guinea pigs to the next frontier.

While sequencing methods were available in the late 1970s, it was not until the human genome project and a significant influx of funds for such research that this technology became high throughput. The fields of microbiology and microbial ecology, among many others, have been tremendously impacted over the years, to such an extent that the determination of complete microbial genome sequences is now commonplace. Given the lower costs of next-generation sequencing platforms, even small laboratories from around the world will be able to generate millions of base pairs of data, equivalent to entire genomes worth of sequence information.

Complete genome sequence of Desulfobulbus propionicus type strain (1pr3).

Desulfobulbus propionicus Widdel 1981 is the type species of the genus Desulfobulbus, which belongs to the family Desulfobulbaceae. The species is of interest because of its great implication in the sulfur cycle in aquatic sediments, its large substrate spectrum and a broad versatility in using various fermentation pathways. The species was the first example of a pure culture known to disproportionate elemental sulfur to sulfate and sulfide.

Complete genome sequence of the cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum DSM1313.

Clostridium thermocellum DSM1313 is a thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium with some of the highest rates of cellulose hydrolysis reported. The complete genome sequence reveals a suite of carbohydrate-active enzymes and demonstrates a level of diversity at the species level distinguishing it from the type strain ATCC 27405.

Genome sequence of the methanotrophic alphaproteobacterium Methylocystis sp. strain Rockwell (ATCC 49242).

Methylocystis sp. strain Rockwell (ATCC 49242) is an aerobic methane-oxidizing alphaproteobacterium isolated from an aquifer in southern California. Unlike most methanotrophs in the Methylocystaceae family, this strain has a single pmo operon encoding particulate methane monooxygenase but no evidence of the genes encoding soluble methane monooxygenase.

Genome sequence of Victivallis vadensis ATCC BAA-548, an anaerobic bacterium from the phylum Lentisphaerae, isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract.

Victivallis vadensis ATCC BAA-548 represents the first cultured representative from the novel phylum Lentisphaerae, a deep-branching bacterial lineage. Few cultured bacteria from this phylum are known, and V. vadensis therefore represents an important organism for evolutionary studies.