INDICATORS AND DIAGNOSTICS OF INDEPENDENT WORK CULTURE FORMATION IN FUTURE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

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Олена Соя

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The article highlights the results of research of formation the culture of independent work of future mathematics teachers, indicating the effectiveness of selected theoretically grounded and practically implemented pedagogical conditions of its formation. Its semantic components that are interconnected and interdependent unity of cognitive, procedural, technological and motivational components were singled out on the basis of definition of independent work culture of future mathematics teachers. The system of indicators, which assessed the degree of mastering by students the culture of independent work by value-orientation, content-effective, reflective, constructive and operationally-activity criteria is reviewed.

Combination of culture-independent and culture-dependent molecular methods for the determination of bacterial community of iru, a fermented Parkia biglobosa seeds.

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Gbenga Adedeji Adewumi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, bacterial composition of iru produced by natural, uncontrolled fermentation of Parkia biglobosa seeds was assessed using culture-independent method in combination with culture-based genotypic typing techniques. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE revealed similarity in DNA fragments with the two DNA extraction methods used and confirmed bacterial diversity in the sixteen iru samples from different production regions. DNA sequencing of the highly variable V3 region of the 16S rRNA genes obtained from PCR-DGGE identified species related to Bacillus subtilis as consistent bacterial species in the fermented samples, while other major bands were identified as close relatives of Staphylococcus vitulinus, Morganella morganii, B. thuringiensis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Tetragenococcus halophilus, Ureibacillus thermosphaericus, Brevibacillus parabrevis, Salinicoccus jeotgali, Brevibacterium sp. and Uncultured bacteria clones. Bacillus species were cultured as potential starter cultures and clonal relationship of different isolates determined using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA combined with 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS PCR amplification, restriction analysis (ITS-PCR-RFLP and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR. This further discriminated Bacillus subtilis and its variants from food-borne pathogens such as Bacillus cereus and suggested the need for development of controlled fermentation processes and good manufacturing practices (GMP for iru production to achieve product consistency, safety quality and improved shelf life.

Analysis of culture-dependent versus culture-independent techniques for identification of bacteria in clinically obtained bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

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Dickson, Robert P; Erb-Downward, John R; Prescott, Hallie C; Martinez, Fernando J; Curtis, Jeffrey L; Lama, Vibha N; Huffnagle, Gary B

2014-10-01

The diagnosis and management of pneumonia are limited by the use of culture-based techniques of microbial identification, which may fail to identify unculturable, fastidious, and metabolically active viable but unculturable bacteria. Novel high-throughput culture-independent techniques hold promise but have not been systematically compared to conventional culture. We analyzed 46 clinically obtained bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid specimens from symptomatic and asymptomatic lung transplant recipients both by culture (using a clinical microbiology laboratory protocol) and by bacterial 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Bacteria were identified in 44 of 46 (95.7%) BAL fluid specimens by culture-independent sequencing, significantly more than the number of specimens in which bacteria were detected (37 of 46, 80.4%, P ≤ 0.05) or "pathogen" species reported (18 of 46, 39.1%, P ≤ 0.0001) via culture. Identification of bacteria by culture was positively associated with culture-independent indices of infection (total bacterial DNA burden and low bacterial community diversity) (P ≤ 0.01). In BAL fluid specimens with no culture growth, the amount of bacterial DNA was greater than that in reagent and rinse controls, and communities were markedly dominated by select Gammaproteobacteria, notably Escherichia species and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Culture growth above the threshold of 10(4) CFU/ml was correlated with increased bacterial DNA burden (P Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Diversity of endophytic bacteria of Dendrobium officinale based on culture-dependent and culture-independent methods

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Cong Pei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Culture-dependent and culture-independent methods were compared and evaluated in the study of the endophytic diversity of Dendrobium officinale. Culture-independent methods consisted of polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE and metagenome methods. According to the results, differences were found between the three methods. Three phyla, namely Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, were detected using the culture-dependent method, and two phyla, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, were detected by the DGGE method. Using the metagenome method, four major phyla were determined, including Proteobacteria (76.54%, Actinobacteria (18.56%, Firmicutes (2.27%, and Bacteroidetes (1.56%. A distinct trend was obtained at the genus level in terms of the method and the corresponding number of genera determined. There were 449 genera and 16 genera obtained from the metagenome and DGGE methods, respectively, and only 7 genera were obtained through the culture-dependent method. By comparison, all the genera from the culture-dependent and DGGE methods were contained in the members determined using the metagenome method. Overall, culture-dependent methods are limited to ‘finding’ endophytic bacteria in plants. DGGE is an alternative to investigating primary diversity patterns; however, the metagenome method is still the best choice for determining the endophytic profile in plants. It is essential to use multiphasic approaches to study cultured and uncultured microbes.

Cultural orientations, parental beliefs and practices, and latino adolescents' autonomy and independence.

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Roche, Kathleen M; Caughy, Margaret O; Schuster, Mark A; Bogart, Laura M; Dittus, Patricia J; Franzini, Luisa

2014-08-01

Despite the salience of behavioral autonomy and independence to parent-child interactions during middle adolescence, little is known about parenting processes pertinent to youth autonomy development for Latino families. Among a diverse sample of 684 Latino-origin parent-adolescent dyads in Houston, Texas, this study examines how parents' cultural orientations are associated directly and indirectly, through parental beliefs, with parenting practices giving youth behavioral autonomy and independence. Informed by social domain theory, the study's parenting constructs pertain to youth behaviors in an "ambiguously personal" domain-activities that adolescents believe are up to youth to decide, but which parents might argue require parents' supervision, knowledge, and/or decision-making. Results for latent profile analyses of parents' cultural identity across various facets of acculturation indicate considerable cultural heterogeneity among Latino parents. Although 43% of parents have a Latino cultural orientation, others represent Spanish-speaking/bicultural (21%), bilingual/bicultural (15%), English-speaking/bicultural (15%), or US (6%) cultural orientations. Structural equation modeling results indicate that bilingual/bicultural, English-speaking/bicultural, and US-oriented parents report less emphasis on the legitimacy of parental authority and younger age expectations for youth to engage in independent behaviors than do Latino-oriented parents. Parental beliefs endorsing youth's behavioral independence and autonomy, in turn, are associated with less stringent parental rules (parental report), less parental supervision (parental and youth report), and more youth autonomy in decision-making (parental and youth report). Evidence thus supports the idea that the diverse cultural orientations of Latino parents in the US may result in considerable variations in parenting processes pertinent to Latino adolescents' development.

Use of a culture independent method to analyze the diversity of soil fungi surrounding Chroogomphus rutilus in the Beijing region of China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Yu; Wang, Shouxian; Yin, Yonggang

2012-01-01

habitat to facilitate its large-scale cultivation. A culture-independent molecular approach—a powerful technology for microbiological ecology studies—was used to investigate the diversity of soil fungal communities in samples surrounding C. rutilus from the Beijing region of China. Metagenomic DNA...... was isolated from soil samples collected around C. rutilus, and an internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene library was constructed. Subsequently, polymerase chain reaction products were digested with HinfI, HaeIII, MspI, TaqI, or MboI. Clones were selected and sequenced based on their restriction fragment...... length polymorphisms. The diversity of the fungi represented by their ITS sequences was analyzed. Our results indicate the presence of numerous fungi in the C. rutilus habitat. This study is the first demonstration of the fungal ecology surrounding C. rutilus using a culture independent method...

Culture-independent discovery of natural products from soil metagenomes.

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Katz, Micah; Hover, Bradley M; Brady, Sean F

2016-03-01

Bacterial natural products have proven to be invaluable starting points in the development of many currently used therapeutic agents. Unfortunately, traditional culture-based methods for natural product discovery have been deemphasized by pharmaceutical companies due in large part to high rediscovery rates. Culture-independent, or "metagenomic," methods, which rely on the heterologous expression of DNA extracted directly from environmental samples (eDNA), have the potential to provide access to metabolites encoded by a large fraction of the earth's microbial biosynthetic diversity. As soil is both ubiquitous and rich in bacterial diversity, it is an appealing starting point for culture-independent natural product discovery efforts. This review provides an overview of the history of soil metagenome-driven natural product discovery studies and elaborates on the recent development of new tools for sequence-based, high-throughput profiling of environmental samples used in discovering novel natural product biosynthetic gene clusters. We conclude with several examples of these new tools being employed to facilitate the recovery of novel secondary metabolite encoding gene clusters from soil metagenomes and the subsequent heterologous expression of these clusters to produce bioactive small molecules.

Culture-dependent and -independent investigations of microbial diversity on urinary catheters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Yijuan; Moser, Claus Ernst; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed

2012-01-01

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria, which ascend the catheter along its external or internal surface to the bladder and subsequently develop into biofilms on the catheter and uroepithelium. Antibiotic-treated bacteria and bacteria residing in biofilm can be difficult...... to culture. In this study we used culture-based and 16S rRNA gene-based culture-independent methods (fingerprinting, cloning, and pyrosequencing) to determine the microbial diversity of biofilms on 24 urinary catheters. Most of the patients were catheterized for...

Evidence for a Cultural Influence on Field-Independence in Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Koh, Hwan Cui; Milne, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

Field-independence, or weak central coherence, is a recognised phenotype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is also evidence of cultural variation in this perceptual style, as neurotypical individuals from Western nations are more field-independent than neurotypical individuals from East-Asian nations. The majority of research on perceptual…

Molecular profiling of fungal communities in moisture damaged buildings before and after remediation--a comparison of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitkäranta, Miia; Meklin, Teija; Hyvärinen, Anne; Nevalainen, Aino; Paulin, Lars; Auvinen, Petri; Lignell, Ulla; Rintala, Helena

2011-10-21

Indoor microbial contamination due to excess moisture is an important contributor to human illness in both residential and occupational settings. However, the census of microorganisms in the indoor environment is limited by the use of selective, culture-based detection techniques. By using clone library sequencing of full-length internal transcribed spacer region combined with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for 69 fungal species or assay groups and cultivation, we have been able to generate a more comprehensive description of the total indoor mycoflora. Using this suite of methods, we assessed the impact of moisture damage on the fungal community composition of settled dust and building material samples (n = 8 and 16, correspondingly). Water-damaged buildings (n = 2) were examined pre- and post- remediation, and compared with undamaged reference buildings (n = 2). Culture-dependent and independent methods were consistent in the dominant fungal taxa in dust, but sequencing revealed a five to ten times higher diversity at the genus level than culture or qPCR. Previously unknown, verified fungal phylotypes were detected in dust, accounting for 12% of all diversity. Fungal diversity, especially within classes Dothideomycetes and Agaricomycetes tended to be higher in the water damaged buildings. Fungal phylotypes detected in building materials were present in dust samples, but their proportion of total fungi was similar for damaged and reference buildings. The quantitative correlation between clone library phylotype frequencies and qPCR counts was moderate (r = 0.59, p environments. However, making conclusions concerning the effect of building conditions on building mycobiota using this methodology was complicated by the wide natural diversity in the dust samples, the incomplete knowledge of material-associated fungi fungi and the semiquantitative nature of sequencing based methods.

Development of the KINS Safety Culture Maturity Model for Self and Independent Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheen, C.; Choi, Y.S.

2016-01-01

Safety culture of an organization is cultivated and affected not only by societal and regulatory environment of the organization, but by its philosophies, policies, events and activities experienced in the process of accomplishing its mission. The safety culture would be continuously changed by the interactions between its members along with time as an organic entity. In order to perform a systematic self- or independent assessment of safety culture, a safety culture assessment model (SCAM) properly reflecting cultural characteristics should be necessary. In addition, a SCAM should be helpful not only to establish correct directions, goals, and strategies for safety culture development, but should anticipating obstacles against safety culture development in the implementation process derived from the assessment. In practical terms, a SCAM should be useful for deriving effective guidelines and implementing of corrective action programs for the evaluated organization. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) performed a research project for six years to develop a SCAM satisfying the above prerequisites for self- and independent assessment. The KINS SCAM was developed based on the five stage safety culture maturity model proposed by Professor Patrick Hudson and was modified into four stages to reflect existing safety culture assessment experiences at Korean nuclear power plants. In order to define the change mechanism of safety culture for development and reversion, the change model proposed by Prochaska and DiClemente was introduced into KINS SCAM and developed into the Spiral Change Model.

Revisiting bovine pyometra-New insights into the disease using a culture-independent deep sequencing approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Lif Rødtness Vesterby; Karstrup, Cecilia Christensen; Pedersen, Hanne Gervi

2015-01-01

-independent studies have demonstrated that the bacterial diversity in most environments is underestimated in culture-based studies. Consequently, fastidious pyometra-associated pathogens may have been overlooked. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate the diversity of bacteria in the uterus......The bacteria present in the uterus during pyometra have previously been studied using bacteriological culturing. These studies identified Fusobacterium necrophorum and Trueperella pyogenes as the major contributors to the pathogenesis of pyometra. However, an increasing number of culture...... of cows with pyometra by using culture-independent 16S rRNA PCR combined with next generation sequencing. We investigated the microbial composition in the uterus of 21 cows with pyometra, which were obtained from a Danish slaughterhouse. Similar to the observations from the culture studies...

Identity and quantity of microorganisms in necrotising fasciitis determined by culture and molecular methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rudkjøbing, Vibeke Børsholt; Thomsen, Trine Rolighed; Nielsen, Per Halkjær

communities were more common by molecular methods than culture. Correspondence between findings by culture and molecular methods indicates that the latter may be an appropriate method. The advantages of using molecular methods are: 1) identification of the pathogen(s) even when antibiotics have been...... involved in the disease may add to the knowledge of NF pathogenesis and influence the administration of antibiotics, thereby potentially improving the outcome for the patients. In this study the aim was to investigate the applicability of different molecular methods as compared to standard culture......-based methods. We investigated the microbial communities in 21 samples obtained during debridement of NF patients (n=8). Samples were examined by standard bacteriological examination (culture and microscopy) at Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen, Denmark) and a range of molecular methods. The best DNA extraction...

Bacterial diversity associated with the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis sp. complex determined by culture-dependent and -independent methods.

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Ishino, Ryota; Iehata, Shunpei; Nakano, Miyo; Tanaka, Reiji; Yoshimatsu, Takao; Maeda, Hiroto

2012-03-01

The bacterial communities associated with rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis sp. complex) and their culture water were determined using culture-dependent and -independent methods (16S rRNA gene clone library). The bacterial communities determined by the culture-independent method were more diverse than those determined by the culture-dependent method. Although the culture-dependent method indicated the bacterial community of rotifers was relatively similar to that of the culture water, 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses revealed a great difference between the two microbiotas. Our results suggest that most bacteria associated with rotifers are not easily cultured using conventional methods, and that the microbiota of rotifers do not correspond with that of the culture water completely.

Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome.

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Zapka, C; Leff, J; Henley, J; Tittl, J; De Nardo, E; Butler, M; Griggs, R; Fierer, N; Edmonds-Wilson, S

2017-03-28

Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one's own body, between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water). We compared results among culture plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but had less diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples ( P hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies, we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome research. IMPORTANCE The hand microbiome is a critical area of research for diverse fields, such as public health and forensics. The suitability of culture-independent methods for assessing effects of hygiene products on microbiota has not been demonstrated. This is the first controlled laboratory clinical hand study to have compared traditional hand hygiene test methods with newer culture-independent characterization methods typically used by skin microbiologists. This study resulted in recommendations for hand hygiene product testing, development of methods, and future hand skin microbiome research. It also demonstrated the importance of inclusion of skin physiological metadata in

The dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) moderates cultural difference in independent versus interdependent social orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitayama, Shinobu; King, Anthony; Yoon, Carolyn; Tompson, Steve; Huff, Sarah; Liberzon, Israel

2014-06-01

Prior research suggests that cultural groups vary on an overarching dimension of independent versus interdependent social orientation, with European Americans being more independent, or less interdependent, than Asians. Drawing on recent evidence suggesting that the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) plays a role in modulating cultural learning, we predicted that carriers of DRD4 polymorphisms linked to increased dopamine signaling (7- or 2-repeat alleles) would show higher levels of culturally dominant social orientations, compared with noncarriers. European Americans and Asian-born Asians (total N = 398) reported their social orientation on multiple scales. They were also genotyped for DRD4. As in earlier work, European Americans were more independent, and Asian-born Asians more interdependent. This cultural difference was significantly more pronounced for carriers of the 7- or 2-repeat alleles than for noncarriers. Indeed, no cultural difference was apparent among the noncarriers. Implications for potential coevolution of genes and culture are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

ADSA Foundation Scholar Award: Trends in culture-independent methods for assessing dairy food quality and safety: emerging metagenomic tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Marie

2012-12-01

Enhancing the quality and safety of dairy food is critical to maintaining the competitiveness of dairy products in the food and beverage market and in reinforcing consumer confidence in the dairy industry. Raw milk quality has a significant effect on finished product quality. Several microbial groups found in raw milk have been shown to adversely affect the shelf life of pasteurized milk. Current microbiological criteria used to define milk quality are based primarily on culture-dependent methods, some of which are perceived to lack the desired sensitivity and specificity. To supplement traditional methods, culture-independent methods are increasingly being used to identify specific species or microbial groups, and to detect indicator genes or proteins in raw milk or dairy products. Some molecular subtyping techniques have been developed to track the transmission of microbes in dairy environments. The burgeoning "-omics" technologies offer new and exciting opportunities to enhance our understanding of food quality and safety in relation to microbes. Metagenomics has the potential to characterize microbial diversity, detect nonculturable microbes, and identify unique sequences or other factors associated with dairy product quality and safety. In this review, fluid milk will be used as the primary example to examine the adequacy and validity of conventional methods, the current trend of culture-independent methods, and the potential applications of metagenomics in dairy food research. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Towards a culturally independent participatory design method: Fusing game elements into the design process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mika Yasuoka; Nakatani, Momoko; Ohno, Takehiko

2013-01-01

Historically, Participatory Design (PD) was introduced and applied in the Scandinavian and American context as a practical design method for collective creativity and stakeholder involvement. In this paper, by fusing game elements into PD, we suggest a first step towards a culturally independent ...... imply that the introduction of game elements allows PD to be effectively utilized in culturally diverse settings.......Historically, Participatory Design (PD) was introduced and applied in the Scandinavian and American context as a practical design method for collective creativity and stakeholder involvement. In this paper, by fusing game elements into PD, we suggest a first step towards a culturally independent PD...... method called the ICT Service Design Game to ease the prevailing concern that PD has limited applicability in other cultural settings. We conduct four experiments on ICT Service Design Game in Scandinavia and Asia to evaluate its feasibility. The experiments identify some differences in the PD process...

Healing in Herero culture and Namibian African independent churches

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Selaelo T. Kgatla

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The current phenomenon of Namibian African Independent Churches (NAICs draws attention from various people in civil society in Namibia. Although the ministries of NAICs are engaged with activities which are unusual for Christian churches, such as healing the people, fighting against evil spirits and power, performing certain rituals, prophesying and leading the worship services with African Traditional Religion (ATR as a frame of reference in 21st century, they do have a very big influence on various aspects of society in Namibia, which cannot be ignored. This is because those activities are familiar to the everyday lives of Africans and in touch with their culture. With regards to this, this article focuses on the causes of integration or harmony between the Herero culture and the NAICs.

Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods Capture Different Microbial Community Fractions in Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils

OpenAIRE

Stefani, Franck O. P.; Bell, Terrence H.; Marchand, Charlotte; de la Providencia, Ivan E.; El Yassimi, Abdel; St-Arnaud, Marc; Hijri, Mohamed

2015-01-01

Bioremediation is a cost-effective and sustainable approach for treating polluted soils, but our ability to improve on current bioremediation strategies depends on our ability to isolate microorganisms from these soils. Although culturing is widely used in bioremediation research and applications, it is unknown whether the composition of cultured isolates closely mirrors the indigenous microbial community from contaminated soils. To assess this, we paired culture-independent (454-pyrosequenci...

Molecular profiling of fungal communities in moisture damaged buildings before and after remediation - a comparison of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Auvinen Petri

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Indoor microbial contamination due to excess moisture is an important contributor to human illness in both residential and occupational settings. However, the census of microorganisms in the indoor environment is limited by the use of selective, culture-based detection techniques. By using clone library sequencing of full-length internal transcribed spacer region combined with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR for 69 fungal species or assay groups and cultivation, we have been able to generate a more comprehensive description of the total indoor mycoflora. Using this suite of methods, we assessed the impact of moisture damage on the fungal community composition of settled dust and building material samples (n = 8 and 16, correspondingly. Water-damaged buildings (n = 2 were examined pre- and post- remediation, and compared with undamaged reference buildings (n = 2. Results Culture-dependent and independent methods were consistent in the dominant fungal taxa in dust, but sequencing revealed a five to ten times higher diversity at the genus level than culture or qPCR. Previously unknown, verified fungal phylotypes were detected in dust, accounting for 12% of all diversity. Fungal diversity, especially within classes Dothideomycetes and Agaricomycetes tended to be higher in the water damaged buildings. Fungal phylotypes detected in building materials were present in dust samples, but their proportion of total fungi was similar for damaged and reference buildings. The quantitative correlation between clone library phylotype frequencies and qPCR counts was moderate (r = 0.59, p Conclusions We examined a small number of target buildings and found indications of elevated fungal diversity associated with water damage. Some of the fungi in dust were attributable to building growth, but more information on the material-associated communities is needed in order to understand the dynamics of microbial communities between

Ethos of independence across regions in the United States: the production-adoption model of cultural change.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitayama, Shinobu; Conway, Lucian Gideon; Pietromonaco, Paula R; Park, Hyekyung; Plaut, Victoria C

2010-09-01

Contemporary U.S. culture has a highly individualistic ethos. Nevertheless, exactly how this ethos was historically fostered remains unanalyzed. A new model of dynamic cultural change maintains that sparsely populated, novel environments that impose major threats to survival, such as the Western frontier in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries, breed strong values of independence, which in turn guide the production of new practices that encourage self-promotion and focused, competitive work. Faced with few significant threats to survival, residents in traditional areas are likely to seek social prestige by adopting existing practices of other, higher status groups. Because of both the massive economic success of the frontier and the official endorsement of the frontier by the federal government, eastern residents of the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries may have actively adopted the frontier practices of independence, thus incorporating the frontier ethos of independence to form the contemporary U.S. national culture. Available evidence is reviewed, and implications for further research on cultural change are suggested. Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Novel co-culture plate enables growth dynamic-based assessment of contact-independent microbial interactions.

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Thomas J Moutinho

Full Text Available Interactions between microbes are central to the dynamics of microbial communities. Understanding these interactions is essential for the characterization of communities, yet challenging to accomplish in practice. There are limited available tools for characterizing diffusion-mediated, contact-independent microbial interactions. A practical and widely implemented technique in such characterization involves the simultaneous co-culture of distinct bacterial species and subsequent analysis of relative abundance in the total population. However, distinguishing between species can be logistically challenging. In this paper, we present a low-cost, vertical membrane, co-culture plate to quantify contact-independent interactions between distinct bacterial populations in co-culture via real-time optical density measurements. These measurements can be used to facilitate the analysis of the interaction between microbes that are physically separated by a semipermeable membrane yet able to exchange diffusible molecules. We show that diffusion across the membrane occurs at a sufficient rate to enable effective interaction between physically separate cultures. Two bacterial species commonly found in the cystic fibrotic lung, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cenocepacia, were co-cultured to demonstrate how this plate may be implemented to study microbial interactions. We have demonstrated that this novel co-culture device is able to reliably generate real-time measurements of optical density data that can be used to characterize interactions between microbial species.

Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods Capture Different Microbial Community Fractions in Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franck O P Stefani

Full Text Available Bioremediation is a cost-effective and sustainable approach for treating polluted soils, but our ability to improve on current bioremediation strategies depends on our ability to isolate microorganisms from these soils. Although culturing is widely used in bioremediation research and applications, it is unknown whether the composition of cultured isolates closely mirrors the indigenous microbial community from contaminated soils. To assess this, we paired culture-independent (454-pyrosequencing of total soil DNA with culture-dependent (isolation using seven different growth media techniques to analyse the bacterial and fungal communities from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. Although bacterial and fungal rarefaction curves were saturated for both methods, only 2.4% and 8.2% of the bacterial and fungal OTUs, respectively, were shared between datasets. Isolated taxa increased the total recovered species richness by only 2% for bacteria and 5% for fungi. Interestingly, none of the bacteria that we isolated were representative of the major bacterial OTUs recovered by 454-pyrosequencing. Isolation of fungi was moderately more effective at capturing the dominant OTUs observed by culture-independent analysis, as 3 of 31 cultured fungal strains ranked among the 20 most abundant fungal OTUs in the 454-pyrosequencing dataset. This study is one of the most comprehensive comparisons of microbial communities from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils using both isolation and high-throughput sequencing methods.

Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods Capture Different Microbial Community Fractions in Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefani, Franck O P; Bell, Terrence H; Marchand, Charlotte; de la Providencia, Ivan E; El Yassimi, Abdel; St-Arnaud, Marc; Hijri, Mohamed

2015-01-01

Bioremediation is a cost-effective and sustainable approach for treating polluted soils, but our ability to improve on current bioremediation strategies depends on our ability to isolate microorganisms from these soils. Although culturing is widely used in bioremediation research and applications, it is unknown whether the composition of cultured isolates closely mirrors the indigenous microbial community from contaminated soils. To assess this, we paired culture-independent (454-pyrosequencing of total soil DNA) with culture-dependent (isolation using seven different growth media) techniques to analyse the bacterial and fungal communities from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. Although bacterial and fungal rarefaction curves were saturated for both methods, only 2.4% and 8.2% of the bacterial and fungal OTUs, respectively, were shared between datasets. Isolated taxa increased the total recovered species richness by only 2% for bacteria and 5% for fungi. Interestingly, none of the bacteria that we isolated were representative of the major bacterial OTUs recovered by 454-pyrosequencing. Isolation of fungi was moderately more effective at capturing the dominant OTUs observed by culture-independent analysis, as 3 of 31 cultured fungal strains ranked among the 20 most abundant fungal OTUs in the 454-pyrosequencing dataset. This study is one of the most comprehensive comparisons of microbial communities from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils using both isolation and high-throughput sequencing methods.

The comparison of pyrosequencing molecular Gram stain, culture, and conventional Gram stain for diagnosing orthopaedic infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Naomi; Bauer, Thomas W; Tuohy, Marion J; Lieberman, Isador H; Krebs, Viktor; Togawa, Daisuke; Fujishiro, Takaaki; Procop, Gary W

2006-08-01

We have developed a combined real-time PCR and pyrosequencing assay that successfully differentiated the vast majority of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria when bacterial isolates were tested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this assay on clinical specimens obtained from orthopedic surgeries, and to prospectively compare the results of "molecular Gram stain" with culture and conventional direct Gram stain. Forty-five surgical specimens were obtained from patients who underwent orthopedic surgery procedures. The DNA was extracted and a set of broad-range PCR primers that targeted a part of the 16S rDNA gene was used for pan-bacterial PCR. The amplicons were submitted for pyrosequencing and the resulting molecular Gram stain characteristics were recorded. Culture and direct Gram staining were performed using standard methods for all cases. Surgical specimens were reviewed histologically for all cases that had a discrepancy between culture and molecular results. There was an 86.7% (39/45) agreement between the traditional and molecular methods. In 12/14 (85.7%) culture-proven cases of bacterial infection, molecular Gram stain characteristics were in agreement with the culture results, while the conventional Gram stain result was in agreement only for five cases (35.7%). In the 31 culture negative cases, 27 cases were also PCR negative, whereas 4 were PCR positive. Three of these were characterized as gram negative and one as gram positive by this molecular method. Molecular determination of the Gram stain characteristics of bacteria that cause orthopedic infections may be achieved, in most instances, by this method. Further studies are necessary to understand the clinical importance of PCR-positive/culture-negative results.

On the number of independent cultural traits carried by individuals and populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, Laurent; Aoki, Kenichi; Feldman, Marcus W

2011-02-12

In species subject to individual and social learning, each individual is likely to express a certain number of different cultural traits acquired during its lifetime. If the process of trait innovation and transmission reaches a steady state in the population, the number of different cultural traits carried by an individual converges to some stationary distribution. We call this the trait-number distribution. In this paper, we derive the trait-number distributions for both individuals and populations when cultural traits are independent of each other. Our results suggest that as the number of cultural traits becomes large, the trait-number distributions approach Poisson distributions so that their means characterize cultural diversity in the population. We then analyse how the mean trait number varies at both the individual and population levels as a function of various demographic features, such as population size and subdivision, and social learning rules, such as conformism and anti-conformism. Diversity at the individual and population levels, as well as at the level of cultural homogeneity within groups, depends critically on the details of population demography and the individual and social learning rules.

Culture and Healthy Eating: The Role of Independence and Interdependence in the U.S. and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Cynthia S.; Miyamoto, Yuri; Markus, Hazel Rose; Rigotti, Attilio; Boylan, Jennifer Morozink; Park, Jiyoung; Kitayama, Shinobu; Karasawa, Mayumi; Kawakami, Norito; Coe, Christopher L.; Love, Gayle D.; Ryff, Carol D.

2016-01-01

Healthy eating is important for physical health. Using large probability samples of middle-aged adults in the U.S. and Japan, we show that fitting with the culturally normative way of being predicts healthy eating. In the U.S, a culture that prioritizes and emphasizes independence, being independent predicts eating a healthy diet (an index of fish, protein, fruit, vegetables, reverse-coded sugared beverages, and reverse-coded high fat meat consumption; Study 1) and not using food as a way to cope with stress (Study 2a). In Japan, a culture that prioritizes and emphasizes interdependence, being interdependent predicts eating a healthy diet (Studies 1 and 2b). Further, reflecting the types of agency that are prevalent in each context, these relationships are mediated by autonomy in the U.S. and positive relations with others in Japan. These findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural differences in shaping healthy behavior and have implications for designing health-promoting interventions. PMID:27516421

Molecular characterization of some lignicolous species from fungal culture collection

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Stević Nevena

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Culture collections of microorganisms, including fungi, are strain deposits recognised as Biological Resource Centers (BRCs with a great importance in science, industry and education. Their objective is to preserve the purity, viability and genomic integrity of every single strain as a member of such collection. Since improvement of molecular methods nowadays brought many novel approaches in manipulation with strains of microorganisms, they can also be useful for characterization of existing stored strains. ITS1 region in nuclear DNA is preferred barcoding marker for taxon identification, which can be explained by its great inter-species variability. This paper presents results from analysing ITS1 region sequences (17 obtained from fungal DNA of culture collection of autochthonous, lignicolous genera Piptoporus, Pleurotus, Ganoderma and Schizophyllum cultured on malt agar plates for 14 days at 25°C. BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool was used for comparison with online databases, while alignment of sequences was made with MEGA 5.10 software. Morphological determination of species or genus was confirmed for 13 cultures, while the others were disproved. The resulting alignment indicated small intra-species variability of ITS1 region and pointed to it as an ideal marker for verification of fungal culture collections' authenticity. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III43002 and by the Provincial Secretariat for Science and Technological Development, Vojvodina, Serbia APV 114-4513592/2013-03: Molecular and phenotypic diversity of taxa of economical and epidemiological importance, and endangered and endemic species in Europe

Effects of transfer of embryos independently cultured in essential and sequential culture media on pregnancy rates in assisted reproduction cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Geber, Selmo; Bossi, Renata; Guimarães, Fernando; Valle, Marcello; Sampaio, Marcos

2012-10-01

Several culture media are available to be used in ART. However it is uncertain whether embryos would preferably benefit from one type of medium or the association of different media. We performed this study to evaluate the impact of simultaneous transfer of embryos independently cultured in two distinct culture media, on pregnancy outcome. A total of 722 couples who underwent infertility treatment were sequentially allocated into three groups: those who had half of the embryos individually cultured in MEM and the other half cultured in sequential media (MEM + Seq Group) (n = 243); those who had all embryos cultured only in sequential medium (Seq Group) (n = 239); and those who had all embryos cultured only in MEM (MEM Group) (n = 240). The pregnancy rate was higher in the MEM + Seq group (51.8 %) than the Seq group (36.7 %) (p < 0.001). However the pregnancy rate observed in the MEM group was similar to the others (44.2 %). When a logistic regression test was applied it demonstrated that the number of transferred embryos did not interfere in the pregnancy rates. Our results suggests that offering different culture conditions for sibling embryos with subsequent transfer of embryos that were kept in distinct culture media, might increase pregnancy rates in assisted reproduction cycles.

Culture and Healthy Eating: The Role of Independence and Interdependence in the United States and Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Cynthia S; Miyamoto, Yuri; Markus, Hazel Rose; Rigotti, Attilio; Boylan, Jennifer Morozink; Park, Jiyoung; Kitayama, Shinobu; Karasawa, Mayumi; Kawakami, Norito; Coe, Christopher L; Love, Gayle D; Ryff, Carol D

2016-10-01

Healthy eating is important for physical health. Using large probability samples of middle-aged adults in the United States and Japan, we show that fitting with the culturally normative way of being predicts healthy eating. In the United States, a culture that prioritizes and emphasizes independence, being independent predicts eating a healthy diet (an index of fish, protein, fruit, vegetables, reverse-coded sugared beverages, and reverse-coded high fat meat consumption; Study 1) and not using nonmeat food as a way to cope with stress (Study 2a). In Japan, a culture that prioritizes and emphasizes interdependence, being interdependent predicts eating a healthy diet (Studies 1 and 2b). Furthermore, reflecting the types of agency that are prevalent in each context, these relationships are mediated by autonomy in the United States and positive relations with others in Japan. These findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural differences in shaping healthy behavior and have implications for designing health-promoting interventions. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Definition and dynamic control of a continuous chromatography process independent of cell culture titer and impurities.

Science.gov (United States)

Chmielowski, Rebecca A; Mathiasson, Linda; Blom, Hans; Go, Daniel; Ehring, Hanno; Khan, Heera; Li, Hong; Cutler, Collette; Lacki, Karol; Tugcu, Nihal; Roush, David

2017-12-01

Advances in cell culture technology have enabled the production of antibody titers upwards of 30g/L. These highly productive cell culture systems can potentially lead to productivity bottlenecks in downstream purification due to lower column loadings, especially in the primary capture chromatography step. Alternative chromatography solutions to help remedy this bottleneck include the utilization of continuous processing systems such as periodic counter-current chromatography (PCC). Recent studies have provided methods to optimize and improve the design of PCC for cell culture titers up to about 3g/L. This paper defines a continuous loading strategy for PCC that is independent of cell culture background and encompasses cell culture titers up to about 31g/L. Initial experimentation showed a challenge with determining a difference in change in UV280nm signal (ie. ΔUV) between cell culture feed and monoclonal antibody (mAb) concentration. Further investigation revealed UV280nm absorbance of the cell culture feedstock without antibody was outside of the linear range of detection for a given cell pathlength. Additional experimentation showed the difference in ΔUV for various cell culture feeds can be either theoretically predicted by Beer's Law given a known absorbance of the media background and impurities or experimentally determined using various UV280nm cell pathlengths. Based on these results, a 0.35mm pathlength at UV280nm was chosen for dynamic control to overcome the background signal. The pore diffusion model showed good agreement with the experimental frontal analysis data, which resulted in definition of a ΔUV setpoint range between 20 and 70% for 3C-PCC experiments. Product quality of the elution pools was acceptable between various cell culture feeds and titers up to about 41g/L. Results indicated the following ΔUV setpoints to achieve robust dynamic control and maintain 3C-PCC yield: ∼20-45% for titers greater than 10g/L depending on UV absorbance of

Serotonin regulates C. elegans fat and feeding through independent molecular mechanisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Srinivasan, Supriya; Sadegh, Leila; Elle, Ida C

2008-01-01

We investigated serotonin signaling in C. elegans as a paradigm for neural regulation of energy balance and found that serotonergic regulation of fat is molecularly distinct from feeding regulation. Serotonergic feeding regulation is mediated by receptors whose functions are not required for fat...... feeding behavior. These findings suggest that, as in mammals, C. elegans feeding behavior is regulated by extrinsic and intrinsic cues. Moreover, obesity and thinness are not solely determined by feeding behavior. Rather, feeding behavior and fat metabolism are coordinated but independent responses...

Sponge cell culture? A molecular identification method for sponge cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sipkema, D.; Heilig, G.H.J.; Akkermans, A.D.L.; Osinga, R.; Tramper, J.; Wijffels, R.H.

2003-01-01

Dissociated sponge cells are easily confused with unicellular organisms. This has been an obstacle in the development of sponge-cell lines. We developed a molecular detection method to identify cells of the sponge Dysidea avara in dissociated cell cultures. The 18S ribosomal RNA gene from a Dysidea

Metagenomics: The Next Culture-Independent Game Changer

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Jessica D. Forbes

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A trend towards the abandonment of obtaining pure culture isolates in frontline laboratories is at a crossroads with the ability of public health agencies to perform their basic mandate of foodborne disease surveillance and response. The implementation of culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs including nucleic acid and antigen-based assays for acute gastroenteritis is leaving public health agencies without laboratory evidence to link clinical cases to each other and to food or environmental substances. This limits the efficacy of public health epidemiology and surveillance as well as outbreak detection and investigation. Foodborne outbreaks have the potential to remain undetected or have insufficient evidence to support source attribution and may inadvertently increase the incidence of foodborne diseases. Next-generation sequencing of pure culture isolates in clinical microbiology laboratories has the potential to revolutionize the fields of food safety and public health. Metagenomics and other ‘omics’ disciplines could provide the solution to a cultureless future in clinical microbiology, food safety and public health. Data mining of information obtained from metagenomics assays can be particularly useful for the identification of clinical causative agents or foodborne contamination, detection of AMR and/or virulence factors, in addition to providing high-resolution subtyping data. Thus, metagenomics assays may provide a universal test for clinical diagnostics, foodborne pathogen detection, subtyping and investigation. This information has the potential to reform the field of enteric disease diagnostics and surveillance and also infectious diseases as a whole. The aim of this review will be to present the current state of CIDTs in diagnostic and public health laboratories as they relate to foodborne illness and food safety. Moreover, we will also discuss the diagnostic and subtyping utility and concomitant bias limitations of

Mixed-culture transcriptome analysis reveals the molecular basis of mixed-culture growth in Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sieuwerts, Sander; Molenaar, Douwe; van Hijum, Sacha A F T; Beerthuyzen, Marke; Stevens, Marc J A; Janssen, Patrick W M; Ingham, Colin J; de Bok, Frank A M; de Vos, Willem M; van Hylckama Vlieg, Johan E T

2010-12-01

Many food fermentations are performed using mixed cultures of lactic acid bacteria. Interactions between strains are of key importance for the performance of these fermentations. Yogurt fermentation by Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus (basonym, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) is one of the best-described mixed-culture fermentations. These species are believed to stimulate each other's growth by the exchange of metabolites such as folic acid and carbon dioxide. Recently, postgenomic studies revealed that an upregulation of biosynthesis pathways for nucleotides and sulfur-containing amino acids is part of the global physiological response to mixed-culture growth in S. thermophilus, but an in-depth molecular analysis of mixed-culture growth of both strains remains to be established. We report here the application of mixed-culture transcriptome profiling and a systematic analysis of the effect of interaction-related compounds on growth, which allowed us to unravel the molecular responses associated with batch mixed-culture growth in milk of S. thermophilus CNRZ1066 and L. bulgaricus ATCC BAA-365. The results indicate that interactions between these bacteria are primarily related to purine, amino acid, and long-chain fatty acid metabolism. The results support a model in which formic acid, folic acid, and fatty acids are provided by S. thermophilus. Proteolysis by L. bulgaricus supplies both strains with amino acids but is insufficient to meet the biosynthetic demands for sulfur and branched-chain amino acids, as becomes clear from the upregulation of genes associated with these amino acids in mixed culture. Moreover, genes involved in iron uptake in S. thermophilus are affected by mixed-culture growth, and genes coding for exopolysaccharide production were upregulated in both organisms in mixed culture compared to monocultures. The confirmation of previously identified responses in S. thermophilus using a different strain combination

Investigating the diversity of Pseudomonas spp. in soil using culture dependent and independent techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Lili; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed; Bergmark, Lasse

2013-01-01

Less than 1% of bacterial populations present in environmental samples are culturable, meaning that cultivation will lead to an underestimation of total cell counts and total diversity. However, it is less clear whether this is also true for specific well-defined groups of bacteria for which sele...... selective culture media is available. In this study, we use culture dependent and independent techniques to describe whether isolation of Pseudomonas spp. on selective nutrient-poor NAA 1: 100 agar-medium can reflect the full diversity, found by ...

Culture- and molecular-based detection of swine-adapted Salmonella shed by avian scavengers.

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Blanco, Guillermo; Díaz de Tuesta, Juan A

2018-04-13

Salmonella can play an important role as a disease agent in wildlife, which can then act as carriers and reservoirs of sanitary importance at the livestock-human interface. Transmission from livestock to avian scavengers can occur when these species consume contaminated carcasses and meat remains in supplementary feeding stations and rubbish dumps. We compared the performance of PCR-based detection with conventional culture-based methods to detect Salmonella in the faeces of red kites (Milvus milvus) and griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in central Spain. The occurrence of culturable Salmonella was intermediate in red kites (1.9%, n=52) and high in griffon vultures (26.3%, n=99). These proportions were clearly higher with PCR-based detection (13.5% and 40.4%, respectively). Confirmation cultures failed to grow Salmonella in all faecal samples positive by the molecular assay but negative by the initial conventional culture in both scavenger species, indicating the occurrence of false (non-culturable) positives by PCR-based detection. This suggests that the molecular assay is highly sensitive to detecting viable Salmonella in cultures, but also partial genomes and dead or unviable bacteria from past infections or contamination. Thus, the actual occurrence of Salmonella in a particular sampling time period can be underestimated when using only culture detection. The serovars found in the scavenger faeces were among the most frequently isolated in pigs from Spain and other EU countries, especially those generally recognized as swine-adapted monophasic variants of S. Typhimurium. Because the studied species obtain much of their food from pig carcasses, this livestock may be the primary source of Salmonella via direct ingestion of infected carcasses and indirectly via contamination due to the unsanitary conditions found in supplementary feeding stations established for scavenger conservation. Combining culture- and molecular-based detection is encouraged to understand the

Microbiological study of lactic acid bacteria in kefir grains by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hsi-Chia; Wang, Sheng-Yao; Chen, Ming-Ju

2008-05-01

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in different original kefir grains were first assessed using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) by a culture-dependent way, and were further confirmed by DNA sequencing techniques. Results indicated that a combined method of cultivation with PCR-DGGE and subsequent DNA sequencing could successfully identify four LAB strains from three kefir grains from Taiwan (named Hsinchu, Mongolia and Ilan). Lactobacillus kefiri accounted, in the three kefir grains, for at least half of the isolated colonies while Lb. kefiranofaciens was the second most frequently isolated species. Leuconostoc mesenteroides was less frequently found but still in the three kefir grains conversely to Lactococcus lactis which based on culture-dependent isolation was only found in two of the kefir grains. It was interesting to find that all three kefir grains contain similar LAB species. Furthermore, the DGGE as a culture-independent method was also applied to detect the LAB strains. Results indicated that Lb. kefiranofaciens was found in all three kefir grains, whereas Lb. kefiri was only observed in Hsinchu kefir grain and Lc. lactis was found in both Mongolia and Ilan samples. Two additional strains, Pseudomonas spp. and E. coli, were also detected in kefir grains.

Identifying the bacterial community on the surface of Intralox belting in a meat boning room by culture-dependent and culture-independent 16S rDNA sequence analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Brightwell, Gale; Boerema, Jackie; Mills, John; Mowat, Eilidh; Pulford, David

2006-05-25

We examined the bacterial community present on an Intralox conveyor belt system in an operating lamb boning room by sequencing the 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of bacteria extracted in the presence or absence of cultivation. RFLP patterns for 16S rDNA clone library and cultures were generated using HaeIII and MspI restriction endonucleases. 16S rDNA amplicons produced 8 distinct RFLP pattern groups. RFLP groups I-IV were represented in the clone library and RFLP groups I and V-VIII were represented amongst the cultured isolates. Partial DNA sequences from each RFLP group revealed that all group I, II and VIII representatives were Pseudomonas spp., group III were Sphingomonas spp., group IV clones were most similar to an uncultured alpha proteobacterium, group V was similar to a Serratia spp., group VI with an Alcaligenes spp., and group VII with Microbacterium spp. Sphingomonads were numerically dominant in the culture-independent clone library and along with the group IV alpha proteobacterium were not represented amongst the cultured isolates. Serratia, Alcaligenes and Microbacterium spp. were only represented with cultured isolates. Pseudomonads were detected by both culture-dependent (84% of isolates) and culture-independent (12.5% of clones) methods and their presence at high frequency does pose the risk of product spoilage if transferred onto meat stored under aerobic conditions. The detection of sphingomonads in large numbers by the culture-independent method demands further analysis because sphingomonads may represent a new source of meat spoilage that has not been previously recognised in the meat processing environment. The 16S rDNA collections generated by both methods were important at representing the diversity of the bacterial population associated with an Intralox conveyor belt system.

Salesperson Self-Regulation of Pride: Effects on Adaptability, Effort, and Citizenship Behaviors between Independent-Based and Interdependent-Based Cultures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bagozzi, R.P.; Belschak, F.; Verbeke, W.; Gavino, J.R.

2016-01-01

We investigate and compare how salespersons within an independent-based culture (the Netherlands) and an interdependent-based culture (the Philippines) experience and self-regulate pride that is evoked through praise and recognition by their managers. This self-regulation differentially influences

Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome

Science.gov (United States)

Leff, J.; Henley, J.; Tittl, J.; De Nardo, E.; Butler, M.; Griggs, R.; Fierer, N.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one’s own body, between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water). We compared results among culture plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) but had less diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples (P hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies, we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome research. PMID:28351915

Direct Detection and Identification of Enteroviruses from Faeces of Healthy Nigerian Children Using a Cell-Culture Independent RT-Seminested PCR Assay

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Temitope Oluwasegun Cephas Faleye

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, a cell-culture independent protocol for detection of enteroviruses from clinical specimen was recommended by the WHO for surveillance alongside the previously established protocols. Here, we investigated whether this new protocol will show the same enterovirus diversity landscape as the established cell-culture dependent protocols. Faecal samples were collected from sixty apparently healthy children in Ibadan, Nigeria. Samples were resuspended in phosphate buffered saline, RNA was extracted, and the VP1 gene was amplified using WHO recommended RT-snPCR protocol. Amplicons were sequenced and sequences subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Fifteen (25% of the 60 samples yielded the expected band size. Of the 15 amplicons sequenced, 12 were exploitable. The remaining 3 had electropherograms with multiple peaks and were unexploitable. Eleven of the 12 exploitable sequences were identified as Coxsackievirus A1 (CVA1, CVA3, CVA4, CVA8, CVA20, echovirus 32 (E32, enterovirus 71 (EV71, EVB80, and EVC99. Subsequently, the last exploitable sequence was identified as enterobacteriophage baseplate gene by nucleotide BLAST. The results of this study document the first description of molecular sequence data on CVA1, CVA8, and E32 strains present in Nigeria. The result further showed that species A enteroviruses were more commonly detected in the region when cell-culture bias is bypassed.

Culture-independent analysis of aerosol microbiology in a metropolitan subway system.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Charles E; Baumgartner, Laura K; Harris, J Kirk; Peterson, Kristen L; Stevens, Mark J; Frank, Daniel N; Pace, Norman R

2013-06-01

The goal of this study was to determine the composition and diversity of microorganisms associated with bioaerosols in a heavily trafficked metropolitan subway environment. We collected bioaerosols by fluid impingement on several New York City subway platforms and associated sites in three sampling sessions over a 1.5-year period. The types and quantities of aerosolized microorganisms were determined by culture-independent phylogenetic analysis of small-subunit rRNA gene sequences by using both Sanger (universal) and pyrosequencing (bacterial) technologies. Overall, the subway bacterial composition was relatively simple; only 26 taxonomic families made up ~75% of the sequences determined. The microbiology was more or less similar throughout the system and with time and was most similar to outdoor air, consistent with highly efficient air mixing in the system. Identifiable bacterial sequences indicated that the subway aerosol assemblage was composed of a mixture of genera and species characteristic of soil, environmental water, and human skin commensal bacteria. Eukaryotic diversity was mainly fungal, dominated by organisms of types associated with wood rot. Human skin bacterial species (at 99% rRNA sequence identity) included the Staphylococcus spp. Staphylococcus epidermidis (the most abundant and prevalent commensal of the human integument), S. hominis, S. cohnii, S. caprae, and S. haemolyticus, all well-documented human commensal bacteria. We encountered no organisms of public health concern. This study is the most extensive culture-independent survey of subway microbiota so far and puts in place pre-event information required for any bioterrorism surveillance activities or monitoring of the microbiological impact of recent subway flooding events.

DNA-based culture-independent analysis detects the presence of group a streptococcus in throat samples from healthy adults in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Tejaswini; Aikawa, Chihiro; Nozawa, Takashi; Murase, Kazunori; Maruyama, Fumito; Nakagawa, Ichiro

2016-10-11

Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) causes a range of mild to severe infections in humans. It can also colonize healthy persons asymptomatically. Therefore, it is important to study GAS carriage in healthy populations, as carriage of it might lead to subsequent disease manifestation, clonal spread in the community, and/or diversification of the organism. Throat swab culture is the gold standard method for GAS detection. Advanced culture-independent methods provide rapid and efficient detection of microorganisms directly from clinical samples. We investigated the presence of GAS in throat swab samples from healthy adults in Japan using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Two throat swab samples were collected from 148 healthy volunteers. One was cultured on selective medium, while total DNA extracted from the other was polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified with two GAS-specific primer pairs: one was a newly designed 16S rRNA-specific primer pair, the other a previously described V-Na + -ATPase primer pair. Although only 5 (3.4 %) of the 148 samples were GAS-positive by the culture-dependent method, 146 (98.6 %) were positive for the presence of GAS DNA by the culture-independent method. To obtain serotype information by emm typing, we performed nested PCR using newly designed emm primers. We detected the four different emm types in 25 (16.9 %) samples, and these differed from the common emm types associated with GAS associated diseases in Japan. The different emm types detected in the healthy volunteers indicate that the presence of unique emm types might be associated with GAS carriage. Our results suggest that culture-independent methods should be considered for profiling GAS in the healthy hosts, with a view to obtaining better understanding of these organisms. The GAS-specific primers (16S rRNA and V-Na + -ATPase) used in this study can be used to estimate the maximum potential GAS carriage in people.

Culture -independent Pathogenic Bacterial Communities in Bottled Mineral Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamdy A. Hassan

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Bottled mineral water (BMW is an alternative to mains water and consider it to be better and safer. Access to safe BMW from the bacteria involving potential health hazard is essential to health. Cultivation-independent technique PCR-based single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP for genetic profiling of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes was performed using Com primer set targeting the 16S rRNA genes for detection of pathogenic bacteria in bottled mineral water from the final product of six factories for bottled mineral drinking water in Wadi El-natron region- Egypt. These factories use often ozone technology to treat large quantities of water because of its effectiveness in purifying and conditioning water. A total of 27 single products were isolated from the profiles by PCR re-amplification and cloning. Sequence analysis of 27 SSCP bands revealed that the 16S rRNA sequences were clustered into seven operational taxonomic units (OTUs and the compositions of the communities of the six samples were all common. The results showed that most communities from phyla Alphaproteobacteria and certainly in the Sphingomonas sp. Culture-independent approaches produced complementary information, thus generating a more accurate view for the bacterial community in the BMW, particularly in the disinfection step, as it constitutes the final barrier before BMW distribution to the consumer

Microbial diversity and dynamics throughout manufacturing and ripening of surface ripened semi-hard Danish Danbo cheeses investigated by culture-independent techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryssel, Mia; Johansen, Pernille; Abu Al-Soud, Waleed

2015-01-01

) and pyrosequencing, using amplicons of 16S and 26S rRNA genes for prokaryotes and eukaryotes, respectively. With minor exceptions, the results from the culture-independent analyses correlated to the culture-dependent plating results. Even though the predominant microorganisms detected with the two culture...

Biodeterioration of epoxy resin: a microbial survey through culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Pangallo, Domenico; Bučková, Maria; Kraková, Lucia; Puškárová, Andrea; Šaková, Nikoleta; Grivalský, Tomaš; Chovanová, Katarina; Zemánková, Milina

2015-02-01

During the 20th century, synthetic polymers were greatly used in the field of art. In particular, the epoxy resins were used for both conservation and for creating sculptures. The biodeterioration of these polymers has not been adequately studied. The aim of this investigation was to examine the microflora responsible for the deterioration of an epoxy statue exposed to outdoor conditions. Fungal and bacterial microflora were isolated from the art object, clustered by fluorescence-ITS (internal transcribed spacer), identified by ITS and 16S rRNA sequencing and tested for their lipolytic abilities by three agar assays. Different algal, bacterial, cyanobacterial and fungal clone libraries were constructed. The surrounding airborne microflora was analyzed using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. The results indicated the presence, on the statue surface, of an interesting and differentiate microbial community composed of rock-inhabiting members, algal photobionts (Trebouxia spp., Chloroidium ellipsoideum and Chlorella angustoellipsoidea), Cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya sp., Phormidium sp., Cylindrospermum stagnale, Hassallia byssoidea and Geitlerinema sp.), black yeasts related to the species Friedmanniomyces endolithicus, Pseudotaeniolina globosa, Phaeococcomyces catenatus and Catenulostroma germanicum and several plant-associated fungi. This investigation provides new information on the potential microfloral inhabitants of epoxy resin discovering a new ecological niche, occupied mainly by several members of rock-colonizing microbial species. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Culture Media and Individual Hosts Affect the Recovery of Culturable Bacterial Diversity from Amphibian Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, Daniel; Walke, Jenifer B; Gajewski, Zachary; Becker, Matthew H; Swartwout, Meredith C; Belden, Lisa K

2017-01-01

One current challenge in microbial ecology is elucidating the functional roles of the large diversity of free-living and host-associated bacteria identified by culture-independent molecular methods. Importantly, the characterization of this immense bacterial diversity will likely require merging data from culture-independent approaches with work on bacterial isolates in culture. Amphibian skin bacterial communities have become a recent focus of work in host-associated microbial systems due to the potential role of these skin bacteria in host defense against the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which is associated with global amphibian population declines and extinctions. As there is evidence that some skin bacteria may inhibit growth of Bd and prevent infection in some cases, there is interest in using these bacteria as probiotic therapy for conservation of at-risk amphibians. In this study, we used skin swabs from American toads ( Anaxyrus americanus ) to: (1) assess the diversity and community structure of culturable amphibian skin bacteria grown on high and low nutrient culture media, (2) determine which culture media recover the highest proportion of the total skin bacterial community of individual toads relative to culture-independent data, and (3) assess whether the plated communities from the distinct media types vary in their ability to inhibit Bd growth in in-vitro assays. Overall, we found that culture media with low nutrient concentrations facilitated the growth of more diverse bacterial taxa and grew distinct communities relative to media with higher nutrient concentrations. Use of low nutrient media also resulted in culturing proportionally more of the bacterial diversity on individual toads relative to the overall community defined using culture-independent methods. However, while there were differences in diversity among media types, the variation among individual hosts was greater than variation among media types, suggesting

Application of culture dependent and cultural-independent techniques to investigate the dynamics of microorganisms during industrial cheese making of a Gouda type cheese

OpenAIRE

Perolari, Alessandra

2012-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the microbial dynamic in a Gouda type cheese applying a comparison between culture-dependent technique, plate count, and culture-independent technique as PCR-DGGE. The study was also focus on the analyse of the efficiency of the pasteurizer, and its cleaning steps. The study was conducted analysing 4 batches for each of the two days of production, Monday and Friday. Between batch 16 and 17 there was a quick cleaning, and between batch 32 and batch 1, of th...

Cellular Molecular Changes in Nerium oleander (L.) Cell Culture Under Gamma Radiation Stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salama, I.M.; Abd EL-Megid, M.H.M.

2017-01-01

This study was done to analyze the relationship between the various effects of five different doses of gamma ray treatments (control, 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 rad) on cell suspension culture of Nerium oleander belonging to the family Apocynaceae, Plant samples were collected from Egyptian flora. The five treatments of the plants were characterized by analyzing variability in frozen biomass cell suspension culture of N. oleander through SDS PAGE and peroxidase is ozymes. The electrophorogram showed a total of 36 bands of proteins with molecular weight ranging from 10 to 225 KDa. The protein diversity analysis was done based on the presence or the absence of bands trhus interpreting their relevance. The his togram analysis clearly showed a high degree of diversity a long these five treatments of the plant. The results of electrophoretic patterns of peroxidase is ozymes that was extracted from frozen biomass cell suspension cultures after receiving the different gamma doses revealed remarkable molecular changes in all treatments. These changes in peroxidase isozymes and protein bands indicate the effect of the different irradiation treatments on the gene expiration

Microbial diversity and dynamics throughout manufacturing and ripening of surface ripened semi-hard Danish Danbo cheeses investigated by culture-independent techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryssel, Mia; Johansen, Pernille; Al-Soud, Waleed Abu; Sørensen, Søren; Arneborg, Nils; Jespersen, Lene

2015-12-23

Microbial successions on the surface and in the interior of surface ripened semi-hard Danish Danbo cheeses were investigated by culture-dependent and -independent techniques. Culture-independent detection of microorganisms was obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and pyrosequencing, using amplicons of 16S and 26S rRNA genes for prokaryotes and eukaryotes, respectively. With minor exceptions, the results from the culture-independent analyses correlated to the culture-dependent plating results. Even though the predominant microorganisms detected with the two culture-independent techniques correlated, a higher number of genera were detected by pyrosequencing compared to DGGE. Additionally, minor parts of the microbiota, i.e. comprising surface and the interior of the cheeses diverged. During cheese production pyrosequencing determined Lactococcus as the dominating genus on cheese surfaces, representing on average 94.7%±2.1% of the OTUs. At day 6 Lactococcus spp. declined to 10.0% of the OTUs, whereas Staphylococcus spp. went from 0.0% during cheese production to 75.5% of the OTUs at smearing. During ripening, i.e. from 4 to 18 weeks, Corynebacterium was the dominant genus on the cheese surface (55.1%±9.8% of the OTUs), with Staphylococcus (17.9%±11.2% of the OTUs) and Brevibacterium (10.4%±8.3% of the OTUs) being the second and third most abundant genera. Other detected bacterial genera included Clostridiisalibacter (5.0%±4.0% of the OTUs), as well as Pseudoclavibacter, Alkalibacterium and Marinilactibacillus, which represented surface ripened semi-hard cheeses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microbial diversity of a Camembert-type cheese using freeze-dried Tibetan kefir coculture as starter culture by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun Mei

Full Text Available The biochemical changes occurring during cheese ripening are directly and indirectly dependent on the microbial associations of starter cultures. Freeze-dried Tibetan kefir coculture was used as a starter culture in the Camembert-type cheese production for the first time. Therefore, it's necessary to elucidate the stability, organization and identification of the dominant microbiota presented in the cheese. Bacteria and yeasts were subjected to culture-dependent on selective media and culture-independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE analysis and sequencing of dominant bands to assess the microbial structure and dynamics through ripening. In further studies, kefir grains were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM methods. A total of 147 bacteria and 129 yeasts were obtained from the cheese during ripening. Lactobacillus paracasei represents the most commonly identified lactic acid bacteria isolates, with 59 of a total of 147 isolates, followed by Lactococcus lactis (29 isolates. Meanwhile, Kazachstania servazzii (51 isolates represented the mainly identified yeast isolate, followed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (40 isolates. However, some lactic acid bacteria detected by sequence analysis of DGGE bands were not recovered by plating. The yeast S. cerevisiae and K. servazzii are described for the first time with kefir starter culture. SEM showed that the microbiota were dominated by a variety of lactobacilli (long and curved cells growing in close association with a few yeasts in the inner portion of the grain and the short lactobacilli were observed along with yeast cells on the exterior portion. Results indicated that conventional culture method and PCR-DGGE should be combined to describe in maximal detail the microbiological composition in the cheese during ripening. The data could help in the selection of appropriate commercial starters for Camembert-type cheese.

Microbial Diversity of a Camembert-Type Cheese Using Freeze-Dried Tibetan Kefir Coculture as Starter Culture by Culture-Dependent and Culture-Independent Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Jun; Guo, Qizhen; Wu, Yan; Li, Yunfei

2014-01-01

The biochemical changes occurring during cheese ripening are directly and indirectly dependent on the microbial associations of starter cultures. Freeze-dried Tibetan kefir coculture was used as a starter culture in the Camembert-type cheese production for the first time. Therefore, it's necessary to elucidate the stability, organization and identification of the dominant microbiota presented in the cheese. Bacteria and yeasts were subjected to culture-dependent on selective media and culture-independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and sequencing of dominant bands to assess the microbial structure and dynamics through ripening. In further studies, kefir grains were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. A total of 147 bacteria and 129 yeasts were obtained from the cheese during ripening. Lactobacillus paracasei represents the most commonly identified lactic acid bacteria isolates, with 59 of a total of 147 isolates, followed by Lactococcus lactis (29 isolates). Meanwhile, Kazachstania servazzii (51 isolates) represented the mainly identified yeast isolate, followed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (40 isolates). However, some lactic acid bacteria detected by sequence analysis of DGGE bands were not recovered by plating. The yeast S. cerevisiae and K. servazzii are described for the first time with kefir starter culture. SEM showed that the microbiota were dominated by a variety of lactobacilli (long and curved) cells growing in close association with a few yeasts in the inner portion of the grain and the short lactobacilli were observed along with yeast cells on the exterior portion. Results indicated that conventional culture method and PCR-DGGE should be combined to describe in maximal detail the microbiological composition in the cheese during ripening. The data could help in the selection of appropriate commercial starters for Camembert-type cheese. PMID:25360757

Microbial diversity of a Camembert-type cheese using freeze-dried Tibetan kefir coculture as starter culture by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Jun; Guo, Qizhen; Wu, Yan; Li, Yunfei

2014-01-01

The biochemical changes occurring during cheese ripening are directly and indirectly dependent on the microbial associations of starter cultures. Freeze-dried Tibetan kefir coculture was used as a starter culture in the Camembert-type cheese production for the first time. Therefore, it's necessary to elucidate the stability, organization and identification of the dominant microbiota presented in the cheese. Bacteria and yeasts were subjected to culture-dependent on selective media and culture-independent polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and sequencing of dominant bands to assess the microbial structure and dynamics through ripening. In further studies, kefir grains were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. A total of 147 bacteria and 129 yeasts were obtained from the cheese during ripening. Lactobacillus paracasei represents the most commonly identified lactic acid bacteria isolates, with 59 of a total of 147 isolates, followed by Lactococcus lactis (29 isolates). Meanwhile, Kazachstania servazzii (51 isolates) represented the mainly identified yeast isolate, followed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (40 isolates). However, some lactic acid bacteria detected by sequence analysis of DGGE bands were not recovered by plating. The yeast S. cerevisiae and K. servazzii are described for the first time with kefir starter culture. SEM showed that the microbiota were dominated by a variety of lactobacilli (long and curved) cells growing in close association with a few yeasts in the inner portion of the grain and the short lactobacilli were observed along with yeast cells on the exterior portion. Results indicated that conventional culture method and PCR-DGGE should be combined to describe in maximal detail the microbiological composition in the cheese during ripening. The data could help in the selection of appropriate commercial starters for Camembert-type cheese.

Why are price stability and statutory independence of central banks negatively correlated? : the role of culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jong, Eelke de

2001-01-01

This paper investigates whether in OECD-countries the negative relation between central bank independence and inflation is related to culture, in the sense of common values and norms. It appears that inflation is lower in countries where people dislike uncertainty. The tolerance in a society with

Is perceived emotional support beneficial? Well-being and health in independent and interdependent cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Uchida, Yukiko; Kitayama, Shinobu; Mesquita, Batja; Reyes, Jose Alberto S; Morling, Beth

2008-06-01

Previous studies show there is little or no association between perceived emotional support and well-being in European American culture. The authors hypothesized that this paradoxical absence of any benefit of perceived support is unique to cultural contexts that privilege independence rather than interdependence of the self. Study 1 tested college students and found, as predicted, that among Euro-Americans a positive effect of perceived emotional support on subjective well-being (positive affect) was weak and, moreover, it disappeared entirely once self-esteem was statistically controlled. In contrast, among Asians in Asia (Japanese and Filipinos) perceived emotional support positively predicted subjective well-being even after self-esteem was controlled. Study 2 extended Study 1 by testing both Japanese and American adults in midlife with respect to multiple indicators of well-being and physical health. Overall, the evidence underscores the central significance of culture as a moderator of the effectiveness of perceived emotional support.

Application of molecular techniques for the assessment of microorganism diversity on cultural heritage objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Otlewska, Anna; Adamiak, Justyna; Gutarowska, Beata

2014-01-01

As a result of their unpredictable ability to adapt to varying environmental conditions, microorganisms inhabit different types of biological niches on Earth. Owing to the key role of microorganisms in many biogeochemical processes, trends in modern microbiology emphasize the need to know and understand the structure and function of complex microbial communities. This is particularly important if the strategy relates to microbial communities that cause biodeterioration of materials that constitute our cultural heritage. Until recently, the detection and identification of microorganisms inhabiting objects of cultural value was based only on cultivation-dependent methods. In spite of many advantages, these methods provide limited information because they identify only viable organisms capable of growth under standard laboratory conditions. However, in order to carry out proper conservation and renovation, it is necessary to know the complete composition of microbial communities and their activity. This paper presents and characterizes modern techniques such as genetic fingerprinting and clone library construction for the assessment of microbial diversity based on molecular biology. Molecular methods represent a favourable alternative to culture-dependent methods and make it possible to assess the biodiversity of microorganisms inhabiting technical materials and cultural heritage objects.

Culture-dependent and culture-independent characterization of potentially functional biphenyl-degrading bacterial community in response to extracellular organic matter from Micrococcus luteus.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Xiao-Mei; Liu, Yin-Dong; Hashmi, Muhammad Zaffar; Ding, Lin-Xian; Shen, Chao-Feng

2015-05-01

Biphenyl (BP)-degrading bacteria were identified to degrade various polychlorinated BP (PCB) congers in long-term PCB-contaminated sites. Exploring BP-degrading capability of potentially useful bacteria was performed for enhancing PCB bioremediation. In the present study, the bacterial composition of the PCB-contaminated sediment sample was first investigated. Then extracellular organic matter (EOM) from Micrococcus luteus was used to enhance BP biodegradation. The effect of the EOM on the composition of bacterial community was investigated by combining with culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. The obtained results indicate that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were predominant community in the PCB-contaminated sediment. EOM from M. luteus could stimulate the activity of some potentially difficult-to-culture BP degraders, which contribute to significant enhancement of BP biodegradation. The potentially difficult-to-culture bacteria in response to EOM addition were mainly Rhodococcus and Pseudomonas belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria respectively. This study provides new insights into exploration of functional difficult-to-culture bacteria with EOM addition and points out broader BP/PCB degrading, which could be employed for enhancing PCB-bioremediation processes. © 2015 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Detection and identification of microbes in prosthetic joint infections by culture and molecular methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Yijuan; Schønheyder, Henrik Carl; Ehrlich, Garth

, indicating biofilm formation. In conclusion, this study indicated that to improve the microbiological diagnosis of prosthetic joint infections molecular methods may be useful supplements to routine cultures, and the current intraoperative sampling strategy needs to be optimized.......Bacterial biofilms have been observed in many device-related infections including orthopedic implants. This mode of growth makes the infection difficult to treat and constitutes a challenge to current sampling procedures and culture practices to obtain a reliable diagnosis. The aim of the study...... uncovered many more species including known pathogens and species not previously reported in orthopedic infections, and polymicrobial communities were commonly observed. Additionally the molecular findings suggested the bacterial composition and yield varied depending on the position and type of samples...

Culture-independent quantification of Salmonella enterica in carcass gauze swabs by flotation prior to real-time PCR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Löfström, Charlotta; Schelin, Jenny; Norling, Börje

2011-01-01

To facilitate quantitative risk assessment in the meat production chain, there is a need for culture-independent quantification methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of flotation, a non-destructive sample preparation method based on traditional buoyant density centrifugation...

Culture-dependent and culture-independent characterization of microbial assemblages associated with high-temperature petroleum reservoirs.

Science.gov (United States)

Orphan, V J; Taylor, L T; Hafenbradl, D; Delong, E F

2000-02-01

Recent investigations of oil reservoirs in a variety of locales have indicated that these habitats may harbor active thermophilic prokaryotic assemblages. In this study, we used both molecular and culture-based methods to characterize prokaryotic consortia associated with high-temperature, sulfur-rich oil reservoirs in California. Enrichment cultures designed for anaerobic thermophiles, both autotrophic and heterotrophic, were successful at temperatures ranging from 60 to 90 degrees C. Heterotrophic enrichments from all sites yielded sheathed rods (Thermotogales), pleomorphic rods resembling Thermoanaerobacter, and Thermococcus-like isolates. The predominant autotrophic microorganisms recovered from inorganic enrichments using H(2), acetate, and CO(2) as energy and carbon sources were methanogens, including isolates closely related to Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, and Methanoculleus species. Two 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) libraries were generated from total community DNA collected from production wellheads, using either archaeal or universal oligonucleotide primer sets. Sequence analysis of the universal library indicated that a large percentage of clones were highly similar to known bacterial and archaeal isolates recovered from similar habitats. Represented genera in rDNA clone libraries included Thermoanaerobacter, Thermococcus, Desulfothiovibrio, Aminobacterium, Acidaminococcus, Pseudomonas, Halomonas, Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, and Desulfomicrobium. The archaeal library was dominated by methanogen-like rDNAs, with a lower percentage of clones belonging to the Thermococcales. Our results strongly support the hypothesis that sulfur-utilizing and methane-producing thermophilic microorganisms have a widespread distribution in oil reservoirs and the potential to actively participate in the biogeochemical transformation of carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur in situ.

The impact of culture collections on molecular identification, taxonomy, and solving real problems

Science.gov (United States)

Among the fungi, Fusarium has stood out as a major focus for culture collection resource development over the last century. This has facilitated unprecedented molecular taxonomic advancements, which in turn has led to problem solving in plant pathology, mycotoxicology, medical mycology, and basic re...

Culture-Independent Identification of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis in Ovine Tissues: Comparison with Bacterial Culture and Histopathological Lesions

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Kamal R. Acharya

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Johne’s disease is a chronic debilitating enteropathy of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP. Current abattoir surveillance programs detect disease via examination of gross lesions and confirmation by histopathological and/or tissue culture, which is time-consuming and has relatively low sensitivity. This study aimed to investigate whether a high-throughput quantitative PCR (qPCR test is a viable alternative for tissue testing. Intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes were sourced from sheep experimentally infected with MAP and the DNA extracted using a protocol developed for tissues, comprised enzymatic digestion of the tissue homogenate, chemical and mechanical lysis, and magnetic bead-based DNA purification. The extracted DNA was tested by adapting a previously validated qPCR for fecal samples, and the results were compared with culture and histopathology results of the corresponding tissues. The MAP tissue qPCR confirmed infection in the majority of sheep with gross lesions on postmortem (37/38. Likewise, almost all tissue culture (61/64 or histopathology (52/58 positives were detected with good to moderate agreement (Cohen’s kappa statistic and no significant difference to the reference tests (McNemar’s Chi-square test. Higher MAP DNA quantities corresponded to animals with more severe histopathology (odds ratio: 1.82; 95% confidence interval: 1.60, 2.07. Culture-independent strain typing on tissue DNA was successfully performed. This MAP tissue qPCR method had a sensitivity equivalent to the reference tests and is thus a viable replacement for gross- and histopathological examination of tissue samples in abattoirs. In addition, the test could be validated for testing tissue samples intended for human consumption.

Validation of the prognostic gene portfolio, ClinicoMolecular Triad Classification, using an independent prospective breast cancer cohort and external patient populations

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Introduction Using genome-wide expression profiles of a prospective training cohort of breast cancer patients, ClinicoMolecular Triad Classification (CMTC) was recently developed to classify breast cancers into three clinically relevant groups to aid treatment decisions. CMTC was found to be both prognostic and predictive in a large external breast cancer cohort in that study. This study serves to validate the reproducibility of CMTC and its prognostic value using independent patient cohorts. Methods An independent internal cohort (n = 284) and a new external cohort (n = 2,181) were used to validate the association of CMTC between clinicopathological factors, 12 known gene signatures, two molecular subtype classifiers, and 19 oncogenic signalling pathway activities, and to reproduce the abilities of CMTC to predict clinical outcomes of breast cancer. In addition, we also updated the outcome data of the original training cohort (n = 147). Results The original training cohort reached a statistically significant difference (p risk groups. Conclusions Both prospective internal cohorts and the independent external cohorts reproduced the triad classification of CMTC and its prognostic significance. CMTC is an independent prognostic predictor, and it outperformed 12 other known prognostic gene signatures, molecular subtype classifications, and all other standard prognostic clinicopathological factors. Our results support further development of CMTC portfolio into a guide for personalized breast cancer treatments. PMID:24996446

A review of the public health management of shigellosis in Australia in the era of culture-independent diagnostic testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Alex Y C; Easton, Marion; Encena, Jess; Rotty, Jessica; Valcanis, Mary; Howden, Benjamin P; Slota-Kan, Simon; Gregory, Joy

2016-12-01

To review the national case definition for shigellosis following the introduction of culture independent diagnostic testing by clinical laboratories and provide evidence to reform jurisdictional public health practices for the management shigellosis., . A review of all Australian jurisdictional public health guidelines for shigellosis was conducted. Victorian 2014 shigellosis data were analysed: demographics and risk factors for cases identified by conventional culture or culture-independent diagnostic methods were described. There was considerable variation in reporting of cases to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) by the eight Australian jurisdictions, with an array of classifications based on diagnostic testing methodologies. Analysis of Victorian 2014 shigellosis data found that culture positive cases were more likely to have reported men who have sex with men (MSM) as a risk factor than PCR positive only cases (p<0.0001) and less likely to have reported overseas travel during their incubation period (p<0.0001). Over a 10-year period (2005 to 2014), only two of 86 cases who were employed in high-risk occupations had ongoing positive faecal cultures after appropriate treatment. The national surveillance case definition for shigellosis should be reviewed to facilitate standardised reporting across Australia. All jurisdictions must consider the public health significance of PCR positive only results in their surveillance risk assessments to inform management of shigellosis cases. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

Validation of the prognostic gene portfolio, ClinicoMolecular Triad Classification, using an independent prospective breast cancer cohort and external patient populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dong-Yu; Done, Susan J; Mc Cready, David R; Leong, Wey L

2014-07-04

Using genome-wide expression profiles of a prospective training cohort of breast cancer patients, ClinicoMolecular Triad Classification (CMTC) was recently developed to classify breast cancers into three clinically relevant groups to aid treatment decisions. CMTC was found to be both prognostic and predictive in a large external breast cancer cohort in that study. This study serves to validate the reproducibility of CMTC and its prognostic value using independent patient cohorts. An independent internal cohort (n = 284) and a new external cohort (n = 2,181) were used to validate the association of CMTC between clinicopathological factors, 12 known gene signatures, two molecular subtype classifiers, and 19 oncogenic signalling pathway activities, and to reproduce the abilities of CMTC to predict clinical outcomes of breast cancer. In addition, we also updated the outcome data of the original training cohort (n = 147). The original training cohort reached a statistically significant difference (p value of the triad classification was reproduced in the second independent internal cohort and the new external validation cohort. CMTC achieved even higher prognostic significance when all available patients were analyzed (n = 4,851). Oncogenic pathways Myc, E2F1, Ras and β-catenin were again implicated in the high-risk groups. Both prospective internal cohorts and the independent external cohorts reproduced the triad classification of CMTC and its prognostic significance. CMTC is an independent prognostic predictor, and it outperformed 12 other known prognostic gene signatures, molecular subtype classifications, and all other standard prognostic clinicopathological factors. Our results support further development of CMTC portfolio into a guide for personalized breast cancer treatments.

The effects of culture independent diagnostic testing on the diagnosis and reporting of enteric bacterial pathogens in Queensland, 2010 to 2014.

Science.gov (United States)

May, Fiona J; Stafford, Russell J; Carroll, Heidi; Robson, Jennifer Mb; Vohra, Renu; Nimmo, Graeme R; Bates, John; Kirk, Martyn D; Fearnley, Emily J; Polkinghorne, Benjamin G

2017-09-01

Changes in diagnostic laboratory testing procedures can impact on the number of cases notified and the public health surveillance of enteric pathogens. Culture independent diagnostic testing using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was introduced for the rapid detection of bacterial enteric pathogens in pathology laboratories in Queensland, Australia, from late 2013 onwards. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study using laboratory data to assess the impact of the introduction of PCR testing on four common enteric pathogens, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella and Yersinia, in Queensland between 2010 and 2014. The number of stool specimens tested and the proportion positive for each of the four pathogens increased in 2014 after the introduction of culture independent diagnostic testing. Among the specimens tested by both PCR and culture, 12% of Salmonella positive stools, 36% of Campylobacter positive stools, 74% of Shigella / enteroinvasive Escherichia coli positive stools and 65% of Yersinia positive stools were PCR positive only. Including those where culture was not performed, 19% of Salmonella positive stools, 44% of Campylobacter positive stools, 83% of Shigella positive stools and 79% of Yersinia positive stools had no cultured isolate available for further characterisation. The detection and tracking of foodborne and non-foodborne gastrointestinal outbreaks will become more difficult as culture independent diagnostic testing becomes more widespread. Until new techniques for characterisation of pathogens directly from clinical specimens have been developed, we recommend laboratories continue to culture specimens concurrently or reflexively with culture independent diagnostic tests. This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your

Storm loads of culturable and molecular fecal indicators in an inland urban stream.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Hehuan; Krometis, Leigh-Anne H; Cully Hession, W; Benitez, Romina; Sawyer, Richard; Schaberg, Erin; von Wagoner, Emily; Badgley, Brian D

2015-10-15

Elevated concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria in receiving waters during wet-weather flows are a considerable public health concern that is likely to be exacerbated by future climate change and urbanization. Knowledge of factors driving the fate and transport of fecal indicator bacteria in stormwater is limited, and even less is known about molecular fecal indicators, which may eventually supplant traditional culturable indicators. In this study, concentrations and loading rates of both culturable and molecular fecal indicators were quantified throughout six storm events in an instrumented inland urban stream. While both concentrations and loading rates of each fecal indicator increased rapidly during the rising limb of the storm hydrographs, it is the loading rates rather than instantaneous concentrations that provide a better estimate of transport through the stream during the entire storm. Concentrations of general fecal indicators (both culturable and molecular) correlated most highly with each other during storm events but not with the human-associated HF183 Bacteroides marker. Event loads of general fecal indicators most strongly correlated with total runoff volume, maximum discharge, and maximum turbidity, while event loads of HF183 most strongly correlated with the time to peak flow in a hydrograph. These observations suggest that collection of multiple samples during a storm event is critical for accurate predictions of fecal indicator loading rates and total loads during wet-weather flows, which are required for effective watershed management. In addition, existing predictive models based on general fecal indicators may not be sufficient to predict source-specific genetic markers of fecal contamination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Standard Culture-Based Method to Culture-Independent Method for Evaluation of Hygiene Effects on the Hand Microbiome

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C. Zapka

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Hands play a critical role in the transmission of microbiota on one’s own body, between individuals, and on environmental surfaces. Effectively measuring the composition of the hand microbiome is important to hand hygiene science, which has implications for human health. Hand hygiene products are evaluated using standard culture-based methods, but standard test methods for culture-independent microbiome characterization are lacking. We sampled the hands of 50 participants using swab-based and glove-based methods prior to and following four hand hygiene treatments (using a nonantimicrobial hand wash, alcohol-based hand sanitizer [ABHS], a 70% ethanol solution, or tap water. We compared results among culture plate counts, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted directly from hands, and sequencing of DNA extracted from culture plates. Glove-based sampling yielded higher numbers of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs but had less diversity in bacterial community composition than swab-based sampling. We detected treatment-induced changes in diversity only by using swab-based samples (P < 0.001; we were unable to detect changes with glove-based samples. Bacterial cell counts significantly decreased with use of the ABHS (P < 0.05 and ethanol control (P < 0.05. Skin hydration at baseline correlated with bacterial abundances, bacterial community composition, pH, and redness across subjects. The importance of the method choice was substantial. These findings are important to ensure improvement of hand hygiene industry methods and for future hand microbiome studies. On the basis of our results and previously published studies, we propose recommendations for best practices in hand microbiome research.

Has the use of molecular methods for the characterization of the human oral microbiome changed our understanding of the role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease?

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, William Geoffrey

2011-03-01

Only around half of oral bacteria can be grown in the laboratory using conventional culture methods. Molecular methods based on 16S rRNA gene sequence are now available and are being used to characterize the periodontal microbiota in its entirety. This review describes the cultural characterization of the oral and periodontal microbiotas and explores the influence of the additional data now available from culture-independent molecular analyses on current thinking on the role of bacteria in periodontitis. Culture-independent molecular analysis of the periodontal microbiota has shown it to be far more diverse than previously thought. A number of species including some that have yet to be cultured are as strongly associated with disease as those organisms traditionally regarded as periodontal pathogens. Sequencing of bacterial genomes has revealed a high degree of intra-specific genetic diversity. The use of molecular methods for the characterization of the periodontal microbiome has greatly expanded the range of bacterial species known to colonize this habitat. Understanding the interactions between the human host and its commensal bacterial community at the functional level is a priority. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Characterization of microbial communities in pest colonized books by molecular biology tools

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Franco Palla

2011-08-01

Full Text Available This work presents the identification of bacteria and fungi colonies in insect infesting books, by cultural-independent methodologies based on molecular biology techniques. Microbial genomic DNA extraction, in vitro amplification of specific target sequences by polymerase chain reactions (PCR, sequencing and sequence analysis were performed. These procedures minimized the samples amount, optimized the diagnostic studies on bacteria and fungi colonization and allowed the identification of many species also in complex microbial consortia. The molecular techniques for sure accomplish and integrate the microbiological standard methods (in vitro culture and morphological analyses (OM, SEM, CLSM, in order to understand the role of microorganisms in bio-deterioration of cultural assets. This monitoring is also indispensable to shed light on the risk for visitors and/or professionals to contract potential illnesses within indoor environments.

Spheroid Culture of Head and Neck Cancer Cells Reveals an Important Role of EGFR Signalling in Anchorage Independent Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Braunholz, Diana; Saki, Mohammad; Niehr, Franziska; Öztürk, Merve; Borràs Puértolas, Berta; Konschak, Robert; Budach, Volker; Tinhofer, Ingeborg

2016-01-01

In solid tumours millions of cells are shed into the blood circulation each day. Only a subset of these circulating tumour cells (CTCs) survive, many of them presumable because of their potential to form multi-cellular clusters also named spheroids. Tumour cells within these spheroids are protected from anoikis, which allows them to metastasize to distant organs or re-seed at the primary site. We used spheroid cultures of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines as a model for such CTC clusters for determining the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in cluster formation ability and cell survival after detachment from the extra-cellular matrix. The HNSCC cell lines FaDu, SCC-9 and UT-SCC-9 (UT-SCC-9P) as well as its cetuximab (CTX)-resistant sub-clone (UT-SCC-9R) were forced to grow in an anchorage-independent manner by coating culture dishes with the anti-adhesive polymer poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (poly-HEMA). The extent of apoptosis, clonogenic survival and EGFR signalling under such culture conditions was evaluated. The potential of spheroid formation in suspension culture was found to be positively correlated with the proliferation rate of HNSCC cell lines as well as their basal EGFR expression levels. CTX and gefitinib blocked, whereas the addition of EGFR ligands promoted anchorage-independent cell survival and spheroid formation. Increased spheroid formation and growth were associated with persistent activation of EGFR and its downstream signalling component (MAPK/ERK). Importantly, HNSCC cells derived from spheroid cultures retained their clonogenic potential in the absence of cell-matrix contact. Addition of CTX under these conditions strongly inhibited colony formation in CTX-sensitive cell lines but not their resistant subclones. Altogether, EGFR activation was identified as crucial factor for anchorage-independent survival of HNSCC cells. Targeting EGFR in CTC cluster formation might represent an attractive anti

Role of non-governmental organizations in formation of non-proliferation culture in new independent countries (NIC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sevchik, M.

2000-01-01

Purpose of the report is demonstrate the non-governmental organizations (NGO) role in formation of non-proliferation culture in former Soviet Union. Activity of Center of Non-proliferation Problems Investigation (CNPI) of Monterey Institute of International Investigations and its collaboration with existing in Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) non-governmental organizations is considered as example. Brief information about CNPI and reasons for it representatives opening of in Kazakhstan and in other CIS-countries, as well as cooperation of NGO in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine for creation on Central Asia zone free from nuclear weapon ia given. Some measures which could promote to formation of non-proliferation culture in region are suggested

Independent cellular effects of cold ischemia and reperfusion: experimental molecular study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lledó-García, E; Humanes-Sánchez, B; Mojena-Sánchez, M; Rodrígez, J C J; Hernández-Fernández, C; Tejedor-Jorge, A; Fernández, A L

2013-04-01

There is less information available on cell cultures on the exclusive effects of either duration of cold ischemia (CI) or rewarming-reperfusion in the kidney subjected to initial warm ischemia (WI). Therefore, the goals of our work were: (1) to evaluate the consequences on tubular cellular viability of different durations of CI on a kidney after an initial period of WI, and (2) to analyze the additional effect on tubular cell viability of rewarming of the same kidney. Sixteen mini-pig were used. All the animals were performed a right nephrectomy after 45-minute occlusion of the vascular pedicle. The kidneys were then divided into 2 groups (phase 1): cold storage in university of wisconsin (UW) solution for 3 hours (group A, n = 8) at 4°C, or cold storage in UW for 12 hours (group B, n = 8) at 4°C. Four organs of group A and four organs of group B were autotrasplanted (AT) and reperfused for 1 hour (phase 2). Nephrectomy was finally done. Biopsies were taken from all groups to perform cultures of proximal tubule epithelium cells. The biopsies were subjected to studies of cellular morphological viability (contrast phase microscopy [CPM]) and quantitative (confluence cell [CC]) parameters. Phase of pure CI effects (phase 1): Both CC rate and CPM parameters were significantly lower in group B compared with group A, where cell activity reached almost normal results. Phase of CI + AT (phase 2): At produced additional harmful effects in cell cultures compared with those obtained in phase 1, more evident in group B cells. The presence of cold storage followed by rewarming-reperfusion induces independent and cumulative detrimental effects in viability of renal proximal tubule cells. CI periods ≤ 3 hours may ameliorate the injuries secondary to reperfusion in comparison with longer CI periods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of classical and molecular techniques for the determination of microbial biodiversity in Mediterranean crop soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munoz, A.; Lopez-Pineiro, A.; Ramirez, M.

2009-07-01

Soil microbe ecology has lately become increasingly important in the study of soil microbe populations. direct extraction of soil bacteria DNA allows PCR and DGGE analyses for the microorganism identification of these complex samples, avoiding the need for time-consuming culture-dependent techniques. The aim of the present study was to compare the two techniques (culture-dependent and molecular culture-independent) in four different plots of maize (Zea mays L.) crop under irrigation in south-western Spain. (Author)

Fusarium diversity in soil using a specific molecular approach and a cultural approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Edel-Hermann, Véronique; Gautheron, Nadine; Mounier, Arnaud; Steinberg, Christian

2015-04-01

Fusarium species are ubiquitous in soil. They cause plant and human diseases and can produce mycotoxins. Surveys of Fusarium species diversity in environmental samples usually rely on laborious culture-based methods. In the present study, we have developed a molecular method to analyze Fusarium diversity directly from soil DNA. We designed primers targeting the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene and demonstrated their specificity toward Fusarium using a large collection of fungi. We used the specific primers to construct a clone library from three contrasting soils. Sequence analysis confirmed the specificity of the assay, with 750 clones identified as Fusarium and distributed among eight species or species complexes. The Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) was the most abundant one in the three soils, followed by the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC). We then compared our molecular approach results with those obtained by isolating Fusarium colonies on two culture media and identifying species by sequencing part of the EF-1α gene. The 750 isolates were distributed into eight species or species complexes, with the same dominant species as with the cloning method. Sequence diversity was much higher in the clone library than in the isolate collection. The molecular approach proved to be a valuable tool to assess Fusarium diversity in environmental samples. Combined with high throughput sequencing, it will allow for in-depth analysis of large numbers of samples. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The diagnosis of chronic endometritis in infertile asymptomatic women: a comparative study of histology, microbial cultures, hysteroscopy, and molecular microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Inmaculada; Cicinelli, Ettore; Garcia-Grau, Iolanda; Gonzalez-Monfort, Marta; Bau, Davide; Vilella, Felipe; De Ziegler, Dominique; Resta, Leonardo; Valbuena, Diana; Simon, Carlos

2018-06-01

Chronic endometritis is a persistent inflammation of the endometrial mucosa caused by bacterial pathogens such as Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma. Although chronic endometritis can be asymptomatic, it is found in up to 40% of infertile patients and is responsible for repeated implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage. Diagnosis of chronic endometritis is based on hysteroscopy of the uterine cavity, endometrial biopsy with plasma cells being identified histologically, while specific treatment is determined based on microbial culture. However, not all microorganisms implicated are easily or readily culturable needing a turnaround time of up to 1 week. We sought to develop a molecular diagnostic tool for chronic endometritis based on real-time polymerase chain reaction equivalent to using the 3 classic methods together, overcoming the bias of using any of them alone. Endometrial samples from patients assessed for chronic endometritis (n = 113) using at least 1 or several conventional diagnostic methods namely histology, hysteroscopy, and/or microbial culture, were blindly evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction for the presence of 9 chronic endometritis pathogens: Chlamydia trachomatis, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Gardnerella vaginalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. The sensitivity and specificity of the molecular analysis vs the classic diagnostic techniques were compared in the 65 patients assessed by all 3 recognized classic methods. The molecular method showed concordant results with histological diagnosis in 30 samples (14 double positive and 16 double negative) with a matching accuracy of 46.15%. Concordance of molecular and hysteroscopic diagnosis was observed in 38 samples (37 double positive and 1 double negative), with an accuracy of 58.46%. When the molecular method was compared to microbial culture

Alignment independent 3D-QSAR, quantum calculations and molecular docking of Mer specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors as anticancer drugs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fereshteh Shiri

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Mer receptor tyrosine kinase is a promising novel cancer therapeutic target in many human cancers, because abnormal activation of Mer has been implicated in survival signaling and chemoresistance. 3D-QSAR analyses based on alignment independent descriptors were performed on a series of 81 Mer specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The fractional factorial design (FFD and the enhanced replacement method (ERM were applied and tested as variable selection algorithms for the selection of optimal subsets of molecular descriptors from a much greater pool of such regression variables. The data set was split into 65 molecules as the training set and 16 compounds as the test set. All descriptors were generated by using the GRid INdependent descriptors (GRIND approach. After variable selection, GRIND were correlated with activity values (pIC50 by PLS regression. Of the two applied variable selection methods, ERM had a noticeable improvement on the statistical parameters of PLS model, and yielded a q2 value of 0.77, an rpred2 of 0.94, and a low RMSEP value of 0.25. The GRIND information contents influencing the affinity on Mer specific tyrosine kinase were also confirmed by docking studies. In a quantum calculation study, the energy difference between HOMO and LUMO (gap implied the high interaction of the most active molecule in the active site of the protein. In addition, the molecular electrostatic potential energy at DFT level confirmed results obtained from the molecular docking. The identified key features obtained from the molecular modeling, enabled us to design novel kinase inhibitors.

Alignment independent 3D-QSAR, quantum calculations and molecular docking of Mer specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors as anticancer drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiri, Fereshteh; Pirhadi, Somayeh; Ghasemi, Jahan B

2016-03-01

Mer receptor tyrosine kinase is a promising novel cancer therapeutic target in many human cancers, because abnormal activation of Mer has been implicated in survival signaling and chemoresistance. 3D-QSAR analyses based on alignment independent descriptors were performed on a series of 81 Mer specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The fractional factorial design (FFD) and the enhanced replacement method (ERM) were applied and tested as variable selection algorithms for the selection of optimal subsets of molecular descriptors from a much greater pool of such regression variables. The data set was split into 65 molecules as the training set and 16 compounds as the test set. All descriptors were generated by using the GRid INdependent descriptors (GRIND) approach. After variable selection, GRIND were correlated with activity values (pIC50) by PLS regression. Of the two applied variable selection methods, ERM had a noticeable improvement on the statistical parameters of PLS model, and yielded a q (2) value of 0.77, an [Formula: see text] of 0.94, and a low RMSEP value of 0.25. The GRIND information contents influencing the affinity on Mer specific tyrosine kinase were also confirmed by docking studies. In a quantum calculation study, the energy difference between HOMO and LUMO (gap) implied the high interaction of the most active molecule in the active site of the protein. In addition, the molecular electrostatic potential energy at DFT level confirmed results obtained from the molecular docking. The identified key features obtained from the molecular modeling, enabled us to design novel kinase inhibitors.

Development of molecular markers for zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicle growth assessment following in-vitro culture in cryopreservation studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Anil, Siji; Rawson, David; Zhang, Tiantian

2018-05-29

Development of in vitro culture protocol for early stage ovarian follicles of zebrafish is important since cryopreserved early stage ovarian follicles would need to be matured in vitro following cryopreservation before they can be fertilised. Development of molecular markers for zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian follicle growth assessment following in vitro culture of early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles in ovarian tissue fragments is reported here for the first time although some work has been reported for in vitro culture of isolated early stage zebrafish ovarian follicles. The main aim of the present study was to develop molecular markers in an optimised in vitro culture protocol for stage I and stage II zebrafish ovarian follicles in ovarian tissue fragments. The effect of concentration of the hormones human chorionic gonadotropin and follicle stimulating hormones, and additives such as Foetal Bovine Serum and Bovine Serum Albumin were studied. The results showed that early stage zebrafish ovarian fragments containing stage I and stage II follicles which are cultured in vitro for 24 h in 20% FBS and 100mIU/ml FSH in 90% L-15 medium at 28 °C can grow to the size of stage II and stage III ovarian follicles respectively. More importantly the follicle growth from stage I to stage II and from stage II to stage III were confirmed using molecular markers such as cyp19a1a (also known as P450aromA) and vtg1 genes respectively. However, no follicle growth was observed following cryopreservation and in vitro culture. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An in vitro, short-term culture method for mammalian haploid round spermatids amenable for molecular manipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehnugara, Tushna; Dhar, Surbhi; Rao, M R Satyanarayana

2012-01-01

Extensive chromatin remodeling is a characteristic feature of mammalian spermiogenesis. To date, methods for the molecular manipulation of haploid spermatids are not available as there is a lack of a well-established culture system. Biochemical experiments and knockout studies reveal only the final outcome; studying the incremental details of the intricate mechanisms involved is still a challenge. We have established an in vitro culture system for pure haploid round spermatids isolated from rat testes that can be maintained with good viability for up to 72 hr. Changes in cell morphology and flagellar growth were also studied in the cultured spermatids. Further, we have demonstrated that upon treatment of cells with specific histone deacetylase inhibitors, sodium butyrate and trichostatin A, there is an increase in the hyperacetylation status of histone H4, mimicking an important event characteristic of histone replacement process that occurs during later stages of spermiogenesis. We have also tried various methods for introducing DNA and protein into these round spermatids in culture, and report that while DNA transfection is still a challenging task, protein transfection could be achieved using Chariot™ peptide as a transfection reagent. Thus, the method described here sets a stage to study the molecular roles of spermatid-specific proteins and chromatin remodelers in the cellular context. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Variation of the Pseudomonas community structure on oak leaf lettuce during storage detected by culture-dependent and -independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Nübling, Simone; Schmidt, Herbert; Weiss, Agnes

2016-01-04

The genus Pseudomonas plays an important role in the lettuce leaf microbiota and certain species can induce spoilage. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and diversity of Pseudomonas spp. on oak leaf lettuce and to follow their community shift during a six day cold storage with culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. In total, 21 analysed partial Pseudomonas 16S rRNA gene sequences matched closely (> 98.3%) to the different reference strain sequences, which were distributed among 13 different phylogenetic groups or subgroups within the genus Pseudomonas. It could be shown that all detected Pseudomonas species belonged to the P. fluorescens lineage. In the culture-dependent analysis, 73% of the isolates at day 0 and 79% of the isolates at day 6 belonged to the P. fluorescens subgroup. The second most frequent group, with 12% of the isolates, was the P. koreensis subgroup. This subgroup was only detected at day 0. In the culture-independent analysis the P. fluorescens subgroup and P. extremaustralis could not be differentiated by RFLP. Both groups were most abundant and amounted to approximately 46% at day 0 and 79% at day 6. The phytopathogenic species P. salmonii, P. viridiflava and P. marginalis increased during storage. Both approaches identified the P. fluorescens group as the main phylogenetic group. The results of the present study suggest that pseudomonads found by plating methods indeed represent the most abundant part of the Pseudomonas community on oak leaf lettuce. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural validation of the Persian version of the Functional Independence Measure for patients with stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Naghdi, Soofia; Ansari, Noureddin Nakhostin; Raji, Parvin; Shamili, Aryan; Amini, Malek; Hasson, Scott

2016-01-01

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) into the Persian language and to test the reliability and validity of the Persian FIM (PFIM) in patients with stroke. In this cross-sectional study carried out in an outpatient stroke rehabilitation center, 40 patients with stroke (mean age 60 years) were participated. A standard forward-backward translation method and expert panel validation was followed to develop the PFIM. Two experienced occupational therapists (OTs) assessed the patients independently in all items of the PFIM in a single session for inter-rater reliability. One of the OTs reassessed the patients after 1 week for intra-rater reliability. There were no floor or ceiling effects for the PFIM. Excellent inter-rater and intra-rater reliability was noted for the PFIM total score, motor and cognitive subscales (ICC(agreement)0.88-0.98). According to the Bland-Altman agreement analysis, there was no systematic bias between raters and within raters. The internal consistency of the PFIM was with Cronbach's alpha from 0.70 to 0.96. The principal component analysis with varimax rotation indicated a three-factor structure: (1) self-care and mobility; (2) sphincter control and (3) cognitive that jointly accounted for 74.8% of the total variance. Construct validity was supported by a significant Pearson correlation between the PFIM and the Persian Barthel Index (r = 0.95; p Persian patients with stroke. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is an outcome measure for disability based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The FIM was cross-culturally adapted and validated into Persian language. The Persian version of the FIM (PFIM) is reliable and valid for assessing functional status of patients with stroke. The PFIM can be used in Persian speaking countries to assess the limitations in activities of daily living of patients with stroke.

Bringing the banjo back to life: The field of dutch independent folk music as participatory culture

OpenAIRE

Poecke, Niels; Michael, Janna

2016-01-01

textabstractIn this paper we investigate factors underlying the production of independent folk music (indie folk) in the Netherlands. By studying the creation, distribution and reception of indie folk music through in-depth interviewing, we argue that the social production of indie folk music is affected by a shift towards 'participatory culture' brought about by the rise of the Internet and Web 2.0. We note how Web 2.0 helps musicians to educate themselves and to develop careers in music. Se...

Molecular features contributing to virus-independent intracellular localization and dynamic behavior of the herpesvirus transport protein US9.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Pedrazzi

Full Text Available Reaching the right destination is of vital importance for molecules, proteins, organelles, and cargoes. Thus, intracellular traffic is continuously controlled and regulated by several proteins taking part in the process. Viruses exploit this machinery, and viral proteins regulating intracellular transport have been identified as they represent valuable tools to understand and possibly direct molecules targeting and delivery. Deciphering the molecular features of viral proteins contributing to (or determining this dynamic phenotype can eventually lead to a virus-independent approach to control cellular transport and delivery. From this virus-independent perspective we looked at US9, a virion component of Herpes Simplex Virus involved in anterograde transport of the virus inside neurons of the infected host. As the natural cargo of US9-related vesicles is the virus (or its parts, defining its autonomous, virus-independent role in vesicles transport represents a prerequisite to make US9 a valuable molecular tool to study and possibly direct cellular transport. To assess the extent of this autonomous role in vesicles transport, we analyzed US9 behavior in the absence of viral infection. Based on our studies, Us9 behavior appears similar in different cell types; however, as expected, the data we obtained in neurons best represent the virus-independent properties of US9. In these primary cells, transfected US9 mostly recapitulates the behavior of US9 expressed from the viral genome. Additionally, ablation of two major phosphorylation sites (i.e. Y32Y33 and S34ES36 have no effect on protein incorporation on vesicles and on its localization on both proximal and distal regions of the cells. These results support the idea that, while US9 post-translational modification may be important to regulate cargo loading and, consequently, virion export and delivery, no additional viral functions are required for US9 role in intracellular transport.

Microbiological characterization of traditional dough fermentation starter (Jiaozi) for steamed bread making by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhijian; Li, Haifeng; Bian, Ke

2016-10-03

In this study, the microbial composition of two types of Jiaozi (a dough fermentation starter in making steamed bread) was investigated using both culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-DGGE) methods. The numbers of the cultivable bacteria on MRS at 30°C and yeast on YPD at 28°C in the maize flour Jiaozi (MFJ) were 9.21±0.16 Log CFU/g and 9.18±0.05 Log CFU/g, respectively, which were higher than that in the rice flour Jiaozi (RFJ) (Pyeasts were isolated and identified on the basis of the sequences of their 16S rRNA gene and ITS region. The culture-dependent method showed that Acetobacter tropicalis and Enterococcus durans were the predominant bacteria strains in MFJ, and accounted for 45.7% and 25.7% of the bacteria, and Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus represented 12.8% and 8.6%. In the RFJ sample, the most prominent isolate was P. pentosaceus (38.6%), followed by L. plantarum (24.3%), A. tropicalis (22.8%), and E. durans (5.7%). P. pentosaceus and L. plantarum were also detected in both starters by PCR-DGGE, while some bacteria species such as A. tropicalis and E. durans, recovered as pure cultures, were not detected by direct PCR-DGGE. On the other hand, Lactobacillus brevis, Weissella sp. and Lactobacillus alimentarius detected by PCR-DGGE were not recovered in any of the media and conditions used. In the MFJ sample, the isolated main yeast species were identified as Wickerhamomyces anomalus (67.2%), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (27.9%) and Torulaspora delbrueckii (4.9%). In addition to S. cerevisiae (42.9%), W. anomalus (27.0%) and T. delbrueckii (7.9%), Saccharomycopsis fibuligera was also identified as the predominant isolate in RFJ samples and accounted for 22.2%. PCR-DGGE also indicated the presence of W. anomalus and S. cerevisiae in both MFJ and RFJ starters and S. fibuligera was also detected in RFJ, but T. delbrueckii was not detected in both samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Independent introduction of two lactase-persistence alleles into human populations reflects different history of adaptation to milk culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enattah, Nabil Sabri; Jensen, Tine G K; Boyd, Mette

2008-01-01

the same history, probably related to the same cattle domestication event. In contrast, the compound Arab allele shows a different, highly divergent ancestral haplotype, suggesting that these two major global LP alleles have arisen independently, the latter perhaps in response to camel milk consumption....... These results support the convergent evolution of the LP in diverse populations, most probably reflecting different histories of adaptation to milk culture....

Mechanistic insights into Mg2+-independent prenylation by CloQ from classical molecular mechanics and hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayse, Craig A; Merz, Kenneth M

2014-08-05

Understanding the mechanism of prenyltransferases is important to the design of engineered proteins capable of synthesizing derivatives of naturally occurring therapeutic agents. CloQ is a Mg(2+)-independent aromatic prenyltransferase (APTase) that transfers a dimethylallyl group to 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate in the biosynthetic pathway for clorobiocin. APTases consist of a common ABBA fold that defines a β-barrel containing the reaction cavity. Positively charged basic residues line the inside of the β-barrel of CloQ to activate the pyrophosphate leaving group to replace the function of the Mg(2+) cofactor in other APTases. Classical molecular dynamics simulations of CloQ, its E281G and F68S mutants, and the related NovQ were used to explore the binding of the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (4HPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate substrates in the reactive cavity and the role of various conserved residues. Hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics potential of mean force (PMF) calculations show that the effect of the replacement of the Mg(2+) cofactor with basic residues yields a similar activation barrier for prenylation to Mg(2+)-dependent APTases like NphB. The topology of the binding pocket for 4HPP is important for selective prenylation at the ortho position of the ring. Methylation at this position alters the conformation of the substrate for O-prenylation at the phenol group. Further, a two-dimensional PMF scan shows that a "reverse" prenylation product may be a possible target for protein engineering.

Characterization of microbial communities in pest colonized books by molecular biology tools

OpenAIRE

Franco Palla

2011-01-01

This work presents the identification of bacteria and fungi colonies in insect infesting books, by cultural-independent methodologies based on molecular biology techniques. Microbial genomic DNA extraction, in vitro amplification of specific target sequences by polymerase chain reactions (PCR), sequencing and sequence analysis were performed. These procedures minimized the samples amount, optimized the diagnostic studies on bacteria and fungi colonization and allowed the identification of man...

Metabolomics reveals distinct, antibody-independent, molecular signatures of MS, AQP4-antibody and MOG-antibody disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Jurynczyk, Maciej; Probert, Fay; Yeo, Tianrong; Tackley, George; Claridge, Tim D W; Cavey, Ana; Woodhall, Mark R; Arora, Siddharth; Winkler, Torsten; Schiffer, Eric; Vincent, Angela; DeLuca, Gabriele; Sibson, Nicola R; Isabel Leite, M; Waters, Patrick; Anthony, Daniel C; Palace, Jacqueline

2017-12-06

conditions are indeed different at a molecular level. The metabolites identified provide a molecular signature of each condition which is independent of antibody titre and EDSS, with potential use for disease monitoring and diagnosis.

Acid protease and formation of multiple forms of glucoamylase in batch and continuous cultures of Aspergillus niger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aalbæk, Thomas; Reeslev, Morten; Jensen, Bo

2002-01-01

with molecular weights of approx. 91 (GAI), 73 (GAII), and 59 kDa (GAIII). Data from batch fermentations with constant pH 3.0 and 5.0 showed a uniform distribution of extracellular GA forms throughout the fermentations and independent of culture growth phases. Furthermore, steady-state data from chemostat...

FEL induced molecular operation on cultured fibroblast and cholesterol ester

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awazu, Kunio; Ogino, Seiji; Nishimura, Eiichi; Tomimasu, Takio; Yasumoto, Masato.

1997-01-01

Free Electron Lasers can be used to molecular operation such as the delivery of a number of molecules into cells or the separation of cholesterol ester. First, cultured NIH3T3 cells are exposed to high-intensity short pulse Free Electron Laser (FEL). The FEL is tuned to an absorption maximum wavelength, 6.1 μm, which was measured by microscopic FTIR. A fluorescence dye in the cell suspension is more absorbed into the cell with the FEL exposure due to the FEL-induced mechanical stress to the cell membrane. A quantitative fluorescence microscopy is used to determine the efficiency of delivery. Second, as a compound in a lipid cell, cholesterol ester was exposed to 5.75 μm FEL. FTIR measurement was done to evaluate the modification of the cholesterol ester. The result showed that the fluorescence intensity of sample cells were higher than that of control cells, and there was significant difference between the control and the sample group. Blebbing and the colony formation of the cells were observed for cells with mechanical stress. As for the cholesterol ester, it can be modified by the FEL irradiation. These results showed that FEL can be used as a molecular operational tool by photo-chemical and photo-mechanical interaction. (author)

Low Fluid Shear Culture of Staphylococcus Aureus Represses hfq Expression and Induces an Attachment-Independent Biofilm Phenotype

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, C. Mark; Castro, S. L.; Nickerson, C. A.; Nelman-Gonzalez, M.

2011-01-01

Background: The opportunistic pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, experiences fluctuations in fluid shear during infection and colonization of a human host. Colonization frequently occurs at mucus membrane sites such as in the gastrointestinal tract where the bacterium may experience low levels of fluid shear. The response of S. aureus to low fluid shear remains unclear. Methods: S. aureus was cultured to stationary phase using Rotating-Wall Vessel (RWV) bioreactors which produce a physiologically relevant low fluid shear environment. The bacterial aggregates that developed in the RWV were evaluated by electron microscopy as well as for antibiotic resistance and other virulence-associated stressors. Genetic expression profiles for the low-shear cultured S. aureus were determined by microarray analysis and quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Planktonic S. aureus cultures in the low-shear environment formed aggregates completely encased in high amounts of extracellular polymeric substances. In addition, these aggregates demonstrated increased antibiotic resistance indicating attachment-independent biofilm formation. Carotenoid production in the low-shear cultured S. aureus was significantly decreased, and these cultures displayed an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and killing by whole blood. The hfq gene, associated with low-shear growth in Gram negative organisms, was also found to be down-regulated in S. aureus. Conclusions: Collectively, this data suggests that S. aureus decreases virulence characteristics in favor of a biofilm-dwelling colonization phenotype in response to a low fluid shear environment. Furthermore, the identification of an Hfq response to low-shear culture in S. aureus, in addition to the previously reported responses in Gram negative organisms, strongly suggests an evolutionarily conserved response to mechanical stimuli among structurally diverse prokaryotes.

Comparing culture and molecular methods for the identification of microorganisms involved in necrotizing soft tissue infections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rudkjøbing, Vibeke Børsholt; Thomsen, Trine Rolighed; Xu, Yijuan

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are a group of infections affecting all soft tissues. NSTI involves necrosis of the afflicted tissue and is potentially life threatening due to major and rapid destruction of tissue, which often leads to septic shock and organ failure. The gold...... to culture. Although the molecular methods generally gave concordant results, our results indicate that Microseq may misidentify or overlook microorganisms that can be detected by other molecular methods. Half of the patients were found to be infected with S. pyogenes, but several atypical findings were also...... that clinicians should be prepared to diagnose and treat any combination of microbial pathogens. Some of the tested molecular methods offer a faster turnaround time combined with a high specificity, which makes supplemental use of such methods attractive for identification of microorganisms, especially...

Identification and characterization of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts of PDO Tuscan bread sourdough by culture dependent and independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Palla, Michela; Cristani, Caterina; Giovannetti, Manuela; Agnolucci, Monica

2017-06-05

Sourdough fermentation has been increasingly used worldwide, in accordance with the demand of consumers for tasty, natural and healthy food. The high diversity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast species, detected in sourdoughs all over the world, may affect nutritional, organoleptic and technological traits of leavened baked goods. A wide regional variety of traditional sourdough breads, over 200 types, has been recorded in Italy, including special types selected as worthy of either Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) or Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), whose sourdough microbiota has been functionally and molecularly characterized. As, due to the very recent designation, the microbiota of Tuscan bread sourdough has not been investigated so far, the aim of the present work was to isolate and characterize the species composition of LAB and yeasts of PDO Tuscan bread sourdough by culture-independent and dependent methods. A total of 130 yeasts from WLN medium and 193 LAB from both mMRS and SDB media were isolated and maintained to constitute the germplasm bank of PDO Tuscan bread. Ninety six LAB from mMRS medium and 68 yeasts from WLN medium were randomly selected and molecularly identified by ARDRA (Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis) and PCR-RFLP analysis of the ITS region, respectively, and sequencing. The yeast identity was confirmed by 26S D1/D2 sequencing. All bacterial isolates showed 99% identity with Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, 65 yeast isolates were identified as Candida milleri, and 3 as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular characterization of PDO Tuscan bread sourdough by PCR-DGGE confirmed such data. The distinctive tripartite species association, detected as the microbiota characterizing the sourdough used to produce PDO Tuscan bread, encompassed a large number of L. sanfranciscensis and C. milleri strains, along with a few of S. cerevisiae. The relative composition and specific physiological characteristics of such microbiota

Molecular Phylogenetic Exploration of Bacterial Diversity in a Bakreshwar (India) Hot Spring and Culture of Shewanella-Related Thermophiles

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Dhritiman; Bal, Bijay; Kashyap, V. K.; Pal, Subrata

2003-01-01

The bacterial diversity of a hot spring in Bakreshwar, India, was investigated by a culture-independent approach. 16S ribosomal DNA clones derived from the sediment samples were found to be associated with gamma-Proteobacteria, cyanobacteria, and green nonsulfur and low-GC gram-positive bacteria. The first of the above phylotypes cobranches with Shewanella, a well-known iron reducer. This phylogenetic correlation has been exploited to develop culture conditions for thermophilic iron-reducing microorganisms. PMID:12839826

A Novel Microfluidic Cell Co-culture Platform for the Study of the Molecular Mechanisms of Parkinson's Disease and Other Synucleinopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, João T S; Chutna, Oldriska; Chu, Virginia; Conde, João P; Outeiro, Tiago F

2016-01-01

Although, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD) are still elusive, it is now known that spreading of alpha-synuclein (aSyn) pathology and neuroinflammation are important players in disease progression. Here, we developed a novel microfluidic cell-culture platform for studying the communication between two different cell populations, a process of critical importance not only in PD but also in many biological processes. The integration of micro-valves in the device enabled us to control fluid routing, cellular microenvironments, and to simulate paracrine signaling. As proof of concept, two sets of experiments were designed to show how this platform can be used to investigate specific molecular mechanisms associated with PD. In one experiment, naïve H4 neuroglioma cells were co-cultured with cells expressing aSyn tagged with GFP (aSyn-GFP), to study the release and spreading of the protein. In our experimental set up, we induced the release of the contents of aSyn-GFP producing cells to the medium and monitored the protein's diffusion. In another experiment, H4 cells were co-cultured with N9 microglial cells to assess the interplay between two cell lines in response to environmental stimuli. Here, we observed an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species in H4 cells cultured in the presence of activated N9 cells, confirming the cross talk between different cell populations. In summary, the platform developed in this study affords novel opportunities for the study of the molecular mechanisms involved in PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.

[Comparative characterization of cultured methane-oxidizing bacteria by serological and molecular methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Slobodova, N V; Kolganova, T V; Bulygina, E S; Kuznetsov, B B; Turova, T P; Kravchenko, I K

2006-01-01

Three stable methane-oxidizing enrichment cultures, SB26, SB31, and SB31A were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and by serological and molecular techniques. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of both type I and type II methanotrophs in SB31 and SB31A enrichments; only type II methanotrophs were found in SB26 enrichment. Methylosinus trichosporium was detected in all three enrichments by the application of species-specific antibodies. Additionally, Methylocystis echinoides was found in SB26 culture; Methylococcus capsulatus, in SB31 and SB31A; and Methylomonas methanica, in SB31. The analysis with pmoA and nifH gene sequences as phylogenetic markers revealed the presence of Methylosinus/Methylocystis group in all communities. Moreover, the analysis of pmoA sequences revealed the presence of Methylomonas in SB31. Methylocella was detected in SB31 and SB31A enrichments only by nifH analysis. It was concluded that the simultaneous application of different approaches reveals more reliable information on the diversity of methanotrophs.

Statistical adjustment of culture-independent diagnostic tests for trend analysis in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Weidong; Dutta, Vikrant; Patrick, Mary; Bruce, Beau B; Geissler, Aimee; Huang, Jennifer; Fitzgerald, Collette; Henao, Olga

2018-03-19

Culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) are increasingly used to diagnose Campylobacter infection in the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet). Because CIDTs have different performance characteristics compared with culture, which has been used historically and is still used to diagnose campylobacteriosis, adjustment of cases diagnosed by CIDT is needed to compare with culture-confirmed cases for monitoring incidence trends. We identified the necessary parameters for CIDT adjustment using culture as the gold standard, and derived formulas to calculate positive predictive values (PPVs). We conducted a literature review and meta-analysis to examine the variability in CIDT performance and Campylobacter prevalence applicable to FoodNet sites. We then developed a Monte Carlo method to estimate test-type and site-specific PPVs with their associated uncertainties. The uncertainty in our estimated PPVs was largely derived from uncertainty about the specificity of CIDTs and low prevalence of Campylobacter in tested samples. Stable CIDT-adjusted incidences of Campylobacter cases from 2012 to 2015 were observed compared with a decline in culture-confirmed incidence. We highlight the lack of data on the total numbers of tested samples as one of main limitations for CIDT adjustment. Our results demonstrate the importance of adjusting CIDTs for understanding trends in Campylobacter incidence in FoodNet.

Culture-independent investigation of the microbiome associated with the nematode Acrobeloides maximus.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Paul Baquiran

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Symbioses between metazoans and microbes are widespread and vital to many ecosystems. Recent work with several nematode species has suggested that strong associations with microbial symbionts may also be common among members of this phylu. In this work we explore possible symbiosis between bacteria and the free living soil bacteriovorous nematode Acrobeloides maximus. METHODOLOGY: We used a soil microcosm approach to expose A. maximus populations grown monoxenically on RFP labeled Escherichia coli in a soil slurry. Worms were recovered by density gradient separation and examined using both culture-independent and isolation methods. A 16S rRNA gene survey of the worm-associated bacteria was compared to the soil and to a similar analysis using Caenorhabditis elegans N2. Recovered A. maximus populations were maintained on cholesterol agar and sampled to examine the population dynamics of the microbiome. RESULTS: A consistent core microbiome was extracted from A. maximus that differed from those in the bulk soil or the C. elegans associated set. Three genera, Ochrobactrum, Pedobacter, and Chitinophaga, were identified at high levels only in the A. maximus populations, which were less diverse than the assemblage associated with C. elegans. Putative symbiont populations were maintained for at least 4 months post inoculation, although the levels decreased as the culture aged. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH using probes specific for Ochrobactrum and Pedobacter stained bacterial cells in formaldehyde fixed nematode guts. CONCLUSIONS: Three microorganisms were repeatedly observed in association with Acrobeloides maximus when recovered from soil microcosms. We isolated several Ochrobactrum sp. and Pedobacter sp., and demonstrated that they inhabit the nematode gut by FISH. Although their role in A. maximus is not resolved, we propose possible mutualistic roles for these bacteria in protection of the host against pathogens and

Evolutionary Mechanisms Involved in Emergence of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus (VHSV) into Cultured Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schönherz, Anna A.

virulence, causing extensive losses to the aquacultre industry. Cross-species transmission and subsequent adaptation to cultured raibow trout is observed occasionally. However, the biological background facilitationg VHSV emergense has yet to be identified. In the present PhD project potential mechanisms...... facilitation VHSV emergence into cultured raibow trout were explored. In vivo infection trials and in selico based molecular analysis were performed to independently investigate the first two steps of viral emergence, namely initial introduction to- and subsequent adaptation and establishment within the new...... of genetic variation, and that VHSV emergence into cultured rainbow torut was accompanied by rapid adaptive evolution within the viral glucoprotein...

Capture of cell culture-derived influenza virus by lectins: strain independent, but host cell dependent.

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Opitz, Lars; Zimmermann, Anke; Lehmann, Sylvia; Genzel, Yvonne; Lübben, Holger; Reichl, Udo; Wolff, Michael W

2008-12-01

Strategies to control influenza outbreaks are focused mainly on prophylactic vaccination. Human influenza vaccines are trivalent blends of different virus subtypes. Therefore and due to frequent antigenic drifts, strain independent manufacturing processes are required for vaccine production. This study verifies the strain independency of a capture method based on Euonymus europaeus lectin-affinity chromatography (EEL-AC) for downstream processing of influenza viruses under various culture conditions propagated in MDCK cells. A comprehensive lectin binding screening was conducted for two influenza virus types from the season 2007/2008 (A/Wisconsin/67/2005, B/Malaysia/2506/2004) including a comparison of virus-lectin interaction by surface plasmon resonance technology. EEL-AC resulted in a reproducible high product recovery rate and a high degree of contaminant removal in the case of both MDCK cell-derived influenza virus types demonstrating clearly the general applicability of EEL-AC. In addition, host cell dependency of EEL-AC was studied with two industrial relevant cell lines: Vero and MDCK cells. However, the choice of the host cell lines is known to lead to different product glycosylation profiles. Hence, altered lectin specificities have been observed between the two cell lines, requiring process adaptations between different influenza vaccine production systems.

Cultural pathways through universal development.

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Greenfield, Patricia M; Keller, Heidi; Fuligni, Andrew; Maynard, Ashley

2003-01-01

We focus our review on three universal tasks of human development: relationship formation, knowledge acquisition, and the balance between autonomy and relatedness at adolescence. We present evidence that each task can be addressed through two deeply different cultural pathways through development: the pathways of independence and interdependence. Whereas core theories in developmental psychology are universalistic in their intentions, they in fact presuppose the independent pathway of development. Because the independent pathway is therefore well-known in psychology, we focus a large part of our review on empirically documenting the alternative, interdependent pathway for each developmental task. We also present three theoretical approaches to culture and development: the ecocultural, the sociohistorical, and the cultural values approach. We argue that an understanding of cultural pathways through human development requires all three approaches. We review evidence linking values (cultural values approach), ecological conditions (ecocultural approach), and socialization practices (sociohistorical approach) to cultural pathways through universal developmental tasks.

Independence and Interdependence in Early Childhood Services

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Whitington, Victoria

2004-01-01

It is through culture that children make sense of their worlds (Trevarthen, 1998). Cross- cultural models show that families are likely to primarily foster either independence or interdependence in their children (Gonzalez-Mena, 1997; Greenfield, 1994). Young children are likely to pay the "price of acculturation" when they enter early…

Conceptions of ‘culture' in international communication - Limits to cultural explanations?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Froholdt, Lisa Loloma; Knudsen, Fabienne

2008-01-01

The paper addresses a critical approach to static, objective and context-independent concept of culture. Conceiving of another culture as objective, persistent, and evenly shared features within a nation may bring some basic order while facing an unknown culture, but it may also have unintentional...

Making Mavericks: Preparing Musicians for Independent Artistic Culture

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Canham, Nicole L.

2016-01-01

This essay explores the role that maverick qualities--"independent or unorthodox behaviour" ("The Oxford Dictionary," 2015)--play in developing and sustaining musician employability. Whilst career education for musicians often highlights new career models (Bridgstock, 2005), there is limited evidence of how these concepts work…

Culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses reveal no prokaryotic community shifts or recovery of Serratia marcescens in Acropora palmata with white pox disease.

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Lesser, Michael P; Jarett, Jessica K

2014-06-01

Recently, the etiological agent of white pox (WP) disease, also known as acroporid serratiosis, in the endangered coral Acropora palmata is the enteric bacterium Serratia marcescens with the source being localized sewage release onto coastal coral reef communities. Here, we show that both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches could not recover this bacterium from samples of tissue and mucus from A. palmata colonies affected by WP disease in the Bahamas, or seawater collected adjacent to A. palmata colonies. Additionally, a metagenetic 16S rRNA pyrosequencing study shows no significant difference in the bacterial communities of coral tissues with and without WP lesions. As recent studies have shown for other coral diseases, S. marcescens cannot be identified in all cases of WP disease in several geographically separated populations of A. palmata with the same set of signs. As a result, its identification as the etiological agent of WP disease, and cause of a reverse zoonosis, cannot be broadly supported. However, the prevalence of WP disease associated with S. marcescens does appear to be associated with proximity to population centers, and research efforts should be broadened to examine this association, and to identify other causes of this syndrome. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Genetic fallout in biocultural landscapes: molecular imperialism and the cultural politics of (not) seeing transgenes in Mexico.

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Christophe Bonneuil; Foyer, Jean; Wynne, Brian

2014-12-01

This article explores the trajectory of the global controversy over the introgression (or not) of transgenes from genetically modified maize into Mexican indigenous maize landraces. While a plurality of knowledge-making processes were deployed to render transgenes visible or invisible, we analyze how a particular in vitro based DNA-centered knowledge came to marginalize other forms of knowledge, thus obscuring other bio-cultural dimensions key to the understanding of gene flow and maize diversity. We show that dominant molecular norms of proof and standards of detection, which co-developed with the world of industrial monocropping and gene patenting, discarded and externalized non-compliant actors (i.e. complex maize genomes, human dimensions of gene flow). Operating in the name of high science, they hence obscured the complex biological and cultural processes that maintain crop diversity and enacted a cultural-political domination over the world of Mexican landraces and indigenous communities.

The IRIDICA BAC BSI Assay: Rapid, Sensitive and Culture-Independent Identification of Bacteria and Candida in Blood

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Rothman, Richard E.; Peterson, Stephen; Carroll, Karen C.; Zhang, Sean X.; Avornu, Gideon D.; Rounds, Megan A.; Carolan, Heather E.; Toleno, Donna M.; Moore, David; Hall, Thomas A.; Massire, Christian; Richmond, Gregory S.; Gutierrez, Jose R.; Sampath, Rangarajan; Ecker, David J.; Blyn, Lawrence B.

2016-01-01

Bloodstream infection (BSI) and sepsis are rising in incidence throughout the developed world. The spread of multi-drug resistant organisms presents increasing challenges to treatment. Surviving BSI is dependent on rapid and accurate identification of causal organisms, and timely application of appropriate antibiotics. Current culture-based methods used to detect and identify agents of BSI are often too slow to impact early therapy and may fail to detect relevant organisms in many positive cases. Existing methods for direct molecular detection of microbial DNA in blood are limited in either sensitivity (likely the result of small sample volumes) or in breadth of coverage, often because the PCR primers and probes used target only a few specific pathogens. There is a clear unmet need for a sensitive molecular assay capable of identifying the diverse bacteria and yeast associated with BSI directly from uncultured whole blood samples. We have developed a method of extracting DNA from larger volumes of whole blood (5 ml per sample), amplifying multiple widely conserved bacterial and fungal genes using a mismatch- and background-tolerant PCR chemistry, and identifying hundreds of diverse organisms from the amplified fragments on the basis of species-specific genetic signatures using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS). We describe the analytical characteristics of the IRIDICA BAC BSI Assay and compare its pre-clinical performance to current standard-of-care methods in a collection of prospectively collected blood specimens from patients with symptoms of sepsis. The assay generated matching results in 80% of culture-positive cases (86% when common contaminants were excluded from the analysis), and twice the total number of positive detections. The described method is capable of providing organism identifications directly from uncultured blood in less than 8 hours. Disclaimer: The IRIDICA BAC BSI Assay is not available in the United States. PMID:27384540

Influence of ionizing radiation on synthesis and molecular heterogeneity of catalase in tissue culture of Rauwolfia serpentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komov, V.P.; Bespalova, E.V.; Strelkova, M.A.

1998-01-01

Changes in activity and molecular heterogeneity of catalase in tissue culture of Rauwolfia serpentina following irradiation in early growth period at the doses of 8 and 50 Gy has been studied. Ionizing radiation accelerate the synthesis and degradation rates of catalase and total protein. A comparative study of changes in enzyme and protein turnover during growth on irradiated and non-irradiated medium has been made [ru

Many Forms of Culture

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Cohen, Adam B.

2009-01-01

Psychologists interested in culture have focused primarily on East-West differences in individualism-collectivism, or independent-interdependent self-construal. As important as this dimension is, there are many other forms of culture with many dimensions of cultural variability. Selecting from among the many understudied cultures in psychology,…

Cultural factors in collegiate eating disorder pathology: When family culture clashes with individual culture

OpenAIRE

Tomiyama, AJ; Mann, T

2008-01-01

The authors evaluated the validity of familial enmeshment (extreme proximity in family relationships) as a risk factor for eating disorders across cultural value orientations. They tested the hypothesis that although familial enmeshment may be a risk factor for eating disorder pathology for (1) participants of non-Asian descent or (2) culturally independent participants, enmeshment will not be a risk factor for (1) participants of Asian descent or (2) culturally interdependent participants. P...

Reversible gelling culture media for in-vitro cell culture in three-dimensional matrices

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An, Yuehuei H.; Mironov, Vladimir A.; Gutowska, Anna

2000-01-01

A gelling cell culture medium useful for forming a three dimensional matrix for cell culture in vitro is prepared by copolymerizing an acrylamide derivative with a hydrophilic comonomer to form a reversible (preferably thermally reversible) gelling linear random copolymer in the form of a plurality of linear chains having a plurality of molecular weights greater than or equal to a minimum gelling molecular weight cutoff, mixing the copolymer with an aqueous solvent to form a reversible gelling solution and adding a cell culture medium to the gelling solution to form the gelling cell culture medium. Cells such as chondrocytes or hepatocytes are added to the culture medium to form a seeded culture medium, and temperature of the medium is raised to gel the seeded culture medium and form a three dimensional matrix containing the cells. After propagating the cells in the matrix, the cells may be recovered by lowering the temperature to dissolve the matrix and centrifuging.

Molecular biological and immunohistological characterization of canine dermal papilla cells and the evaluation of culture conditions.

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Kobayashi, Tetsuro; Fujisawa, Akiko; Amagai, Masayuki; Iwasaki, Toshiroh; Ohyama, Manabu

2011-10-01

The dermal papilla (DP) plays pivotal roles in hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling. However, our understanding of the biology of the canine DP is extremely limited. The aim of this study was to elucidate molecular biological and immunohistochemical characteristics of canine DP cells and determine appropriate conditions for in vitro expansion. Histological investigation revealed that the canine DP expressed biomarkers of human and rodent DP, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and versican. When microdissected, canine DP, but not fibroblasts, strongly expressed the DP-related genes for alkaline phosphatase, Wnt inhibitory factor 1 and lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1, confirming successful isolation. The growth rate of isolated canine DP cells was moderate in conventional culture conditions for rodent and human DP; however, AmnioMAX-C100 complete medium allowed more efficient cultivation. Dermal papilla marker gene expression was maintained in early passage cultured DP cells, but gradually lost after the third passage. Approaches to mimic the in vivo DP environment in culture, such as supplementation of keratinocyte-conditioned medium or use of extracellular matrix-coated dishes, moderately ameliorated loss of DP gene expression in canine DP cells. It is possible that constituent factors in AmnioMAX may influence culture. These findings suggested that further refinements of culture conditions may enable DP cell expansion without impairing intrinsic properties and, importantly, demonstrated that AmnioMAX-cultured early passage canine DP cells partly maintained the biological characteristics of in vivo canine DP cells. This study provides crucial information necessary for further optimization of culture conditions of canine DP. © 2011 The Authors. Veterinary Dermatology. © 2011 ESVD and ACVD.

Diagnostic performance of automated liquid culture and molecular line probe assay in smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis.

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Kotwal, Aarti; Biswas, Debasis; Raghuvanshi, Shailendra; Sindhwani, Girish; Kakati, Barnali; Sharma, Shweta

2017-04-01

The diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is particularly challenging, and automated liquid culture and molecular line probe assays (LPA) may prove particularly useful. The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of automated liquid culture (ALC) technology and commercial LPA in sputum smear-negative PTB suspects. Spot sputum samples were collected from 145 chest-symptomatic smear-negative patients and subjected to ALC, direct drug susceptibility test (DST) testing and LPA, as per manufacturers' instructions. A diagnostic yield of 26.2% was observed among sputum smear-negative TB suspects with 47.4% of the culture isolates being either INH- and/or rifampicin-resistant. Complete agreement was observed between the results of ALC assay and LPA except for two isolates which demonstrated sensitivity to INH and rifampicin at direct DST but were rifampicin-resistant in LPA. Two novel mutations were also detected among the multidrug isolates by LPA. In view of the diagnostic challenges associated with the diagnosis of TB in sputum smear-negative patients, our study demonstrates the applicability of ALC and LPA in establishing diagnostic evidence of TB.

Bacterial community structure associated with white band disease in the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata determined using culture-independent 16S rRNA techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Pantos, Olga; Bythell, John C

2006-03-23

Culture-independent molecular (16S ribosomal RNA) techniques showed distinct differences in bacterial communities associated with white band disease (WBD) Type I and healthy elkhorn coral Acropora palmata. Differences were apparent at all levels, with a greater diversity present in tissues of diseased colonies. The bacterial community associated with remote, non-diseased coral was distinct from the apparently healthy tissues of infected corals several cm from the disease lesion. This demonstrates a whole-organism effect from what appears to be a localised disease lesion, an effect that has also been recently demonstrated in white plague-like disease in star coral Montastraea annularis. The pattern of bacterial community structure changes was similar to that recently demonstrated for white plague-like disease and black band disease. Some of the changes are likely to be explained by the colonisation of dead and degrading tissues by a micro-heterotroph community adapted to the decomposition of coral tissues. However, specific ribosomal types that are absent from healthy tissues appear consistently in all samples of each of the diseases. These ribotypes are closely related members of a group of alpha-proteobacteria that cause disease, notably juvenile oyster disease, in other marine organisms. It is clearly important that members of this group are isolated for challenge experiments to determine their role in the diseases.

Molecular and functional analysis of anchorage independent, treatment-evasive neuroblastoma tumorspheres with enhanced malignant properties: A possible explanation for radio-therapy resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou-Antoun, Tamara J; Nazarian, Javad; Ghanem, Anthony; Vukmanovic, Stanislav; Sandler, Anthony D

2018-01-01

Despite significant advances in cancer treatment and management, more than 60% of patients with neuroblastoma present with very poor prognosis in the form of metastatic and aggressive disease. Solid tumors including neuroblastoma are thought to be heterogeneous with a sub-population of stem-like cells that are treatment-evasive with highly malignant characteristics. We previously identified a phenomenon of reversible adaptive plasticity (RAP) between anchorage dependent (AD) cells and anchorage independent (AI) tumorspheres in neuroblastoma cell cultures. To expand our molecular characterization of the AI tumorspheres, we sought to define the comprehensive proteomic profile of murine AD and AI neuroblastoma cells. The proteomic profiles of the two phenotypic cell populations were compared to each other to determine the differential protein expression and molecular pathways of interest. We report exclusive or significant up-regulation of tumorigenic pathways expressed by the AI tumorspheres compared to the AD cancer cells. These pathways govern metastatic potential, enhanced malignancy and epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, radio-therapy induced significant up-regulation of specific tumorigenic and proliferative proteins, namely survivin, CDC2 and the enzyme Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1. Bio-functional characteristics of the AI tumorspheres were resistant to sutent inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) as well as to 2.5 Gy radio-therapy as assessed by cell survival, proliferation, apoptosis and migration. Interestingly, PDGF-BB stimulation of the PDGFRβ led to transactivation of EGFR and VEGFR in AI tumorspheres more potently than in AD cells. Sutent inhibition of PDGFRβ abrogated this transactivation in both cell types. In addition, 48 h sutent treatment significantly down-regulated the protein expression of PDGFRβ, MYCN, SOX2 and Survivin in the AI tumorspheres and inhibited tumorsphere self-renewal. Radio-sensitivity in AI

Design of a tablet computer app for facilitation of a molecular blood culture test in clinical microbiology and preliminary usability evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Lasse L.; Pape-Haugaard, Louise; Meltzer, Michelle C.

2016-01-01

through specialized applications (apps) while supporting the mobility of the users. The use of apps for mobile phones and tablet computers may support workflow of complex tasks, for example, molecular-based diagnostic tests in clinical microbiology. Multiplex Blood Culture Test (MuxBCT) is a molecular......-based diagnostic test used for rapid identification of pathogens in positive blood cultures. To facilitate the workflow of the MuxBCT, a specialized tablet computer app was developed as an accessory to the diagnostic test. The app aims to reduce the complexity of the test by step-by-step guidance of microscopy...... and to assist users in reaching an exact bacterial or fungal diagnosis based on blood specimen observations and controls. Additionally, the app allows for entry of test results, and communication thereof to the laboratory information system (LIS). OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to describe the design...

Bacterial diversity analysis of larvae and adult midgut microflora using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods in lab-reared and field-collected Anopheles stephensi-an Asian malarial vector

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Adak Tridibesh

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mosquitoes are intermediate hosts for numerous disease causing organisms. Vector control is one of the most investigated strategy for the suppression of mosquito-borne diseases. Anopheles stephensi is one of the vectors of malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. The parasite undergoes major developmental and maturation steps within the mosquito midgut and little is known about Anopheles-associated midgut microbiota. Identification and characterization of the mosquito midgut flora is likely to contribute towards better understanding of mosquito biology including longevity, reproduction and mosquito-pathogen interactions that are important to evolve strategies for vector control mechanisms. Results Lab-reared and field-collected A. stephensi male, female and larvae were screened by "culture-dependent and culture-independent" methods. Five 16S rRNA gene library were constructed form lab and field-caught A. stephensi mosquitoes and a total of 115 culturable isolates from both samples were analyzed further. Altogether, 68 genera were identified from midgut of adult and larval A. stephensi, 53 from field-caught and 15 from lab-reared mosquitoes. A total of 171 and 44 distinct phylotypes having 85 to 99% similarity with the closest database matches were detected among field and lab-reared A. stephensi midgut, respectively. These OTUs had a Shannon diversity index value of 1.74–2.14 for lab-reared and in the range of 2.75–3.49 for field-caught A. stephensi mosquitoes. The high species evenness values of 0.93 to 0.99 in field-collected adult and larvae midgut flora indicated the vastness of microbial diversity retrieved by these approaches. The dominant bacteria in field-caught adult male A. stephensi were uncultured Paenibacillaceae while in female and in larvae it was Serratia marcescens, on the other hand in lab-reared mosquitoes, Serratia marcescens and Cryseobacterium meninqosepticum bacteria were found to be abundant. Conclusion

Bacterial population in traditional sourdough evaluated by molecular methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Randazzo, C L; Heilig, H; Restuccia, C; Giudici, P; Caggia, C

2005-01-01

To study the microbial communities in artisanal sourdoughs, manufactured by traditional procedure in different areas of Sicily, and to evaluate the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population by classical and culture-independent approaches. Forty-five LAB isolates were identified both by phenotypic and molecular methods. The restriction fragment length polymorphism and 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequencing gave evidence of a variety of species with the dominance of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis and Lactobacillus pentosus, in all sourdoughs tested. Culture-independent method, such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the V6-V8 regions of the 16S rDNA, was applied for microbial community fingerprint. The DGGE profiles revealed the dominance of L. sanfranciscensis species. In addition, Lactobacillus-specific primers were used to amplify the V1-V3 regions of the 16S rDNA. DGGE profiles flourished the dominance of L. sanfranciscensis and Lactobacillus fermentum in the traditional sourdoughs, and revealed that the closely related species Lactobacillus kimchii and Lactobacillus alimentarius were not discriminated. Lactobacillus-specific PCR-DGGE analysis is a rapid tool for rapid detection of Lactobacillus species in artisanal sourdough. This study reports a characterization of Lactobacillus isolates from artisanal sourdoughs and highlights the value of DGGE approach to detect uncultivable Lactobacillus species.

Molecular Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae on Dried Blood Spots from Febrile Nigerian Children Compared to Culture.

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Pui-Ying Iroh Tam

Full Text Available Nigeria has one of the highest burdens of pneumococcal disease in the world, but accurate surveillance is lacking. Molecular detection of infectious pathogens in dried blood spots (DBS is an ideal method for surveillance of infections in resource-limited settings because of its low cost, minimal blood volumes involved, and ease of storage at ambient temperature. Our study aim was to evaluate a Streptococcus pneumoniae real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR assay on DBS from febrile Nigerian children on Whatman 903 and FTA filter papers, compared to the gold standard of culture.Between September 2011 to May 2015, blood was collected from children 5 years of age or under who presented to six hospital study sites throughout northern and central Nigeria with febrile illness, and inoculated into blood culture bottles or spotted onto Whatman 903 or FTA filter paper. Culture and rt-PCR were performed on all samples.A total of 537 DBS specimens from 535 children were included in the study, of which 15 were culture-positive for S. pneumoniae. The rt-PCR assay detected S. pneumoniae in 12 DBS specimens (2.2%. One positive rt-PCR result was identified in a culture-negative specimen from a high-risk subject, and two positive rt-PCR results were negative on repeat testing. Six culture-confirmed cases of S. pneumoniae bacteremia were missed. Compared to culture, the overall sensitivities of Whatman 903 and FTA DBS for detection of S. pneumoniae were 57.1% (95% CI 18.4-90.1% and 62.5% (95% CI 24.5-91.5%, respectively. Nonspecific amplification was noted in an additional 22 DBS (4.1%. Among these, six were positive for a non-S. pneumoniae pathogen on culture.Rt-PCR was able to detect S. pneumoniae from clinical DBS specimens, including from a culture-negative specimen. Our findings show promise of this approach as a surveillance diagnostic, but also raise important cautionary questions. Several DBS specimens were detected as S. pneumoniae by rt-PCR despite

Molecular Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae on Dried Blood Spots from Febrile Nigerian Children Compared to Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Iroh Tam, Pui-Ying; Hernandez-Alvarado, Nelmary; Schleiss, Mark R; Hassan-Hanga, Fatimah; Onuchukwu, Chuma; Umoru, Dominic; Obaro, Stephen K

2016-01-01

Nigeria has one of the highest burdens of pneumococcal disease in the world, but accurate surveillance is lacking. Molecular detection of infectious pathogens in dried blood spots (DBS) is an ideal method for surveillance of infections in resource-limited settings because of its low cost, minimal blood volumes involved, and ease of storage at ambient temperature. Our study aim was to evaluate a Streptococcus pneumoniae real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) assay on DBS from febrile Nigerian children on Whatman 903 and FTA filter papers, compared to the gold standard of culture. Between September 2011 to May 2015, blood was collected from children 5 years of age or under who presented to six hospital study sites throughout northern and central Nigeria with febrile illness, and inoculated into blood culture bottles or spotted onto Whatman 903 or FTA filter paper. Culture and rt-PCR were performed on all samples. A total of 537 DBS specimens from 535 children were included in the study, of which 15 were culture-positive for S. pneumoniae. The rt-PCR assay detected S. pneumoniae in 12 DBS specimens (2.2%). One positive rt-PCR result was identified in a culture-negative specimen from a high-risk subject, and two positive rt-PCR results were negative on repeat testing. Six culture-confirmed cases of S. pneumoniae bacteremia were missed. Compared to culture, the overall sensitivities of Whatman 903 and FTA DBS for detection of S. pneumoniae were 57.1% (95% CI 18.4-90.1%) and 62.5% (95% CI 24.5-91.5%), respectively. Nonspecific amplification was noted in an additional 22 DBS (4.1%). Among these, six were positive for a non-S. pneumoniae pathogen on culture. Rt-PCR was able to detect S. pneumoniae from clinical DBS specimens, including from a culture-negative specimen. Our findings show promise of this approach as a surveillance diagnostic, but also raise important cautionary questions. Several DBS specimens were detected as S. pneumoniae by rt-PCR despite growth of

Culture and molecular identification of fungal contaminants in edible bird nests.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jennifer Xiao Jing; Wong, Shew Fung; Lim, Patricia Kim Chooi; Mak, Joon Wah

2015-01-01

Widespread food poisoning due to microbial contamination has been a major concern for the food industry, consumers and governing authorities. This study is designed to determine the levels of fungal contamination in edible bird nests (EBNs) using culture and molecular techniques. Raw EBNs were collected from five house farms, and commercial EBNs were purchased from five Chinese traditional medicine shops (companies A-E) in Peninsular Malaysia. The fungal contents in the raw and commercial EBNs, and boiled and unboiled EBNs were determined. Culturable fungi were isolated and identified. In this study, the use of these methods revealed that all EBNs had fungal colony-forming units (CFUs) that exceeded the limit set by Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM) for yeast and moulds in EBNs. There was a significant difference (p 0.05). The types of fungi isolated from the unboiled raw EBNs were mainly soil, plant and environmental fungi, while the types of fungi isolated from the boiled raw EBNs, unboiled and boiled commercial EBNs were mainly environmental fungi. Aspergillus sp., Candida sp., Cladosporium sp., Neurospora sp. and Penicillum sp. were the most common fungi isolated from the unboiled and boiled raw and commercial EBNs. Some of these fungi are mycotoxin producers and cause opportunistic infections in humans. Further studies to determine the mycotoxin levels and methods to prevent or remove these contaminations from EBNs for safe consumption are necessary. The establishment and implementation of stringent regulations for the standards of EBNs should be regularly updated and monitored to improve the quality of the EBNs and consumer safety.

Difference of microbial community stressed in artificial pit muds for Luzhou-flavour liquor brewing revealed by multiphase culture-independent technology.

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Zhang, L; Zhou, R; Niu, M; Zheng, J; Wu, C

2015-11-01

Artificial pit muds (APMs) is produced by peats, aged pit muds, yellow and black clays etc. and is one of essential factors for Luzhou-flavour liquor production. The microbial community of APMs significantly influence the quality of Luzhou-flavour liquor. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in bacterial, archaeal and fungal community of APMs, starters and materials. Multiphase culture-independent technology were employed in this study, including nested PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (nested PCR-DGGE), phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), phospholipid ether lipids (PLEL) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Results suggested that the microbial diversity significantly changed under environmental stress and different culture patterns during APMs cultivation. The dominant bacteria in APMs mainly fell into Clostridiales, Lactobacillales, Bacteroidales and Rhizobiales, Archaea affiliated with Methanomicrobiales and Methanosarcinales, and fungi belonged to Saccharomycetales and Eurotiales. Furthermore, the microbial community structures of APMs cultured by ground pile pattern were more similar with that of aged pit muds, meanwhile, the relative bands intensities of microbes, which are the main contributors for liquor brewing, increased with the culture times. Not only the niche selection and biogeochemical properties of APMs, but also the mutual collaboration and constraint between different microbes may result in enriching different liquor-brewing microbes into APMs. APM cultivation technology was necessary to promote enriching functional liquor-brewing microbes into APMs. These results may facilitate understanding the microbial succession during APMs manufacture. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Detection of Candida spp. in the vagina of a cohort of nulliparous pregnant women by culture and molecular methods: Is there an association between maternal vaginal and infant oral colonisation?

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Matthew S; Cullinane, Meabh; Garland, Suzanne M; Tabrizi, Sepehr N; Donath, Susan M; Bennett, Catherine M; Amir, Lisa H

2016-04-01

Most studies describing vaginal Candida spp. in pregnancy focus on symptomatic vaginitis, rather than asymptomatic colonisation, and solely utilise microbiological culture. The extent to which asymptomatic vaginal carriage may represent a reservoir for infant oral colonisation has been highly debated. This study formed part of the Candida and Staphylococcus Transmission Longitudinal Evaluation (CASTLE) study, in Melbourne, Australia, from 2009 to 2011 and used culture and molecular methods to examine vaginal swabs collected late in the third trimester of pregnancy for Candida spp. Oral swabs from infants were also examined using culture methods. Overall, 80 of 356 (22%) women were positive for Candida spp; the majority being Candida albicans (83%). Candida glabrata and other Candida spp. were also identified, but in much lower numbers. Molecular analysis identified numerous positive samples not detected by culture, including 13 cases of C. albicans. In addition, some positive samples only recorded to genus level by culture were accurately identified as either C. albicans or C. glabrata following molecular analyses. Eighteen infants recorded positive Candida spp. cultures, predominantly C. albicans. However, there were only four (25%) mother/infant dyads where C. albicans was detected. This study provides valuable data on asymptomatic colonisation rates of Candida spp. within an asymptomatic population of women late in pregnancy. The utilisation of molecular methods improved the rate of detection and provided a more accurate means for identification of non-albicans Candida spp. The low mother/infant colonisation rate suggests that non-maternal sources are likely involved in determining infant oral colonisation status. © 2015 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Cell and molecular biology of the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias and little skate Leucoraja erinacea: insights from in vitro cultured cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, D W

2012-04-01

Two of the most commonly used elasmobranch experimental model species are the spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias and the little skate Leucoraja erinacea. Comparative biology and genomics with these species have provided useful information in physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, immunology, evolutionary developmental biology and genetics. A wealth of information has been obtained using in vitro approaches to study isolated cells and tissues from these organisms under circumstances in which the extracellular environment can be controlled. In addition to classical work with primary cell cultures, continuously proliferating cell lines have been derived recently, representing the first cell lines from cartilaginous fishes. These lines have proved to be valuable tools with which to explore functional genomic and biological questions and to test hypotheses at the molecular level. In genomic experiments, complementary (c)DNA libraries have been constructed, and c. 8000 unique transcripts identified, with over 3000 representing previously unknown gene sequences. A sub-set of messenger (m)RNAs has been detected for which the 3' untranslated regions show elements that are remarkably well conserved evolutionarily, representing novel, potentially regulatory gene sequences. The cell culture systems provide physiologically valid tools to study functional roles of these sequences and other aspects of elasmobranch molecular cell biology and physiology. Information derived from the use of in vitro cell cultures is valuable in revealing gene diversity and information for genomic sequence assembly, as well as for identification of new genes and molecular markers, construction of gene-array probes and acquisition of full-length cDNA sequences. © 2012 The Author. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Subtype-independent near full-length HIV-1 genome sequencing and assembly to be used in large molecular epidemiological studies and clinical management.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossmann, Sebastian; Nowak, Piotr; Neogi, Ujjwal

2015-01-01

HIV-1 near full-length genome (HIV-NFLG) sequencing from plasma is an attractive multidimensional tool to apply in large-scale population-based molecular epidemiological studies. It also enables genotypic resistance testing (GRT) for all drug target sites allowing effective intervention strategies for control and prevention in high-risk population groups. Thus, the main objective of this study was to develop a simplified subtype-independent, cost- and labour-efficient HIV-NFLG protocol that can be used in clinical management as well as in molecular epidemiological studies. Plasma samples (n=30) were obtained from HIV-1B (n=10), HIV-1C (n=10), CRF01_AE (n=5) and CRF01_AG (n=5) infected individuals with minimum viral load >1120 copies/ml. The amplification was performed with two large amplicons of 5.5 kb and 3.7 kb, sequenced with 17 primers to obtain HIV-NFLG. GRT was validated against ViroSeq™ HIV-1 Genotyping System. After excluding four plasma samples with low-quality RNA, a total of 26 samples were attempted. Among them, NFLG was obtained from 24 (92%) samples with the lowest viral load being 3000 copies/ml. High (>99%) concordance was observed between HIV-NFLG and ViroSeq™ when determining the drug resistance mutations (DRMs). The N384I connection mutation was additionally detected by NFLG in two samples. Our high efficiency subtype-independent HIV-NFLG is a simple and promising approach to be used in large-scale molecular epidemiological studies. It will facilitate the understanding of the HIV-1 pandemic population dynamics and outline effective intervention strategies. Furthermore, it can potentially be applicable in clinical management of drug resistance by evaluating DRMs against all available antiretrovirals in a single assay.

Identification of Viable Helicobacter pylori in Drinking Water Supplies by Cultural and Molecular Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Santiago, Paula; Moreno, Yolanda; Ferrús, M Antonía

2015-08-01

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common causes of chronic bacterial infection in humans, directly related to peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. It has been suggested that H. pylori can be acquired through different transmission routes, including water. In this study, culture and qPCR were used to detect and identify the presence of H. pylori in drinking water. Furthermore, the combined techniques PMA-qPCR and DVC-FISH were applied for detection of viable cells of H. pylori. Among 24 drinking water samples, 16 samples were positive for the presence of H. pylori, but viable cells were only detected in six samples. Characteristic colonies, covered by a mass of bacterial unspecific growth, were observed on selective agar plates from an only sample, after enrichment. The mixed culture was submitted to DVC-FISH and qPCR analysis, followed by sequencing of the amplicons. Molecular techniques confirmed the growth of H. pylori on the agar plate. Our results demonstrate for the first time that H. pylori can survive and be potentially infective in drinking water, showing that water distribution systems could be a potential route for H. pylori transmission. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Molecular predictors of 3D morphogenesis by breast cancer cell lines in 3D culture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ju Han

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Correlative analysis of molecular markers with phenotypic signatures is the simplest model for hypothesis generation. In this paper, a panel of 24 breast cell lines was grown in 3D culture, their morphology was imaged through phase contrast microscopy, and computational methods were developed to segment and represent each colony at multiple dimensions. Subsequently, subpopulations from these morphological responses were identified through consensus clustering to reveal three clusters of round, grape-like, and stellate phenotypes. In some cases, cell lines with particular pathobiological phenotypes clustered together (e.g., ERBB2 amplified cell lines sharing the same morphometric properties as the grape-like phenotype. Next, associations with molecular features were realized through (i differential analysis within each morphological cluster, and (ii regression analysis across the entire panel of cell lines. In both cases, the dominant genes that are predictive of the morphological signatures were identified. Specifically, PPARgamma has been associated with the invasive stellate morphological phenotype, which corresponds to triple-negative pathobiology. PPARgamma has been validated through two supporting biological assays.

Molecular Predictors of 3D Morphogenesis by Breast Cancer Cell Lines in 3D Culture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Ju; Chang, Hang; Giricz, Orsi; Lee, Genee; Baehner, Frederick; Gray, Joe; Bissell, Mina; Kenny, Paraic; Parvin, Bahram

2010-02-01

Correlative analysis of molecular markers with phenotypic signatures is the simplest model for hypothesis generation. In this paper, a panel of 24 breast cell lines was grown in 3D culture, their morphology was imaged through phase contrast microscopy, and computational methods were developed to segment and represent each colony at multiple dimensions. Subsequently, subpopulations from these morphological responses were identified through consensus clustering to reveal three clusters of round, grape-like, and stellate phenotypes. In some cases, cell lines with particular pathobiological phenotypes clustered together (e.g., ERBB2 amplified cell lines sharing the same morphometric properties as the grape-like phenotype). Next, associations with molecular features were realized through (i) differential analysis within each morphological cluster, and (ii) regression analysis across the entire panel of cell lines. In both cases, the dominant genes that are predictive of the morphological signatures were identified. Specifically, PPAR? has been associated with the invasive stellate morphological phenotype, which corresponds to triple-negative pathobiology. PPAR? has been validated through two supporting biological assays.

Anti-HCV effect of Lentinula edodes mycelia solid culture extracts and low-molecular-weight lignin.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuhisa, Koji; Yamane, Seiji; Okamoto, Toru; Watari, Akihiro; Kondoh, Masuo; Matsuura, Yoshiharu; Yagi, Kiyohito

2015-06-19

Lentinula edodes mycelia solid culture extract (MSCE) contains several bioactive molecules, including some polyphenolic compounds, which exert immunomodulatory, antitumor, and hepatoprotective effects. In this study, we examined the anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity of MSCE and low-molecular-weight lignin (LM-lignin), which is the active component responsible for the hepatoprotective effect of MSCE. Both MSCE and LM-lignin inhibited the entry of two HCV pseudovirus (HCVpv) types into Huh7.5.1 cells. LM-lignin inhibited HCVpv entry at a lower concentration than MSCE and inhibited the entry of HCV particles in cell culture (HCVcc). MSCE also inhibited HCV subgenome replication. LM-lignin had no effect on HCV replication, suggesting that MSCE contains additional active substances. We demonstrate here for the first time the anti-HCV effects of plant-derived LM-lignin and MSCE. The hepatoprotective effect of LM-lignin suggests that lignin derivatives, which can be produced in abundance from existing plant resources, may be effective in the treatment of HCV-related diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thinking through creativity and culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glaveanu, Vlad Petre

Creativity and culture are inherently linked. Society and culture are part and parcel of creativity’s process, outcome, and subjective experience.Equally, creativity does not reside in the individual independent of culture and society. Vlad Petre Glăveanu’s basic framework includes creators and c...

Microbial ecology of the skin in the era of metagenomics and molecular microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannigan, Geoffrey D; Grice, Elizabeth A

2013-12-01

The skin is the primary physical barrier between the body and the external environment and is also a substrate for the colonization of numerous microbes. Previously, dermatological microbiology research was dominated by culture-based techniques, but significant advances in genomic technologies have enabled the development of less-biased, culture-independent approaches to characterize skin microbial communities. These molecular microbiology approaches illustrate the great diversity of microbiota colonizing the skin and highlight unique features such as site specificity, temporal dynamics, and interpersonal variation. Disruptions in skin commensal microbiota are associated with the progression of many dermatological diseases. A greater understanding of how skin microbes interact with each other and with their host, and how we can therapeutically manipulate those interactions, will provide powerful tools for treating and preventing dermatological disease.

Cultural models, socialization goals, and parenting ethnotheories: A multicultural analysis

OpenAIRE

Keller, H; Lamm, B; Abels, M; Yovsi, R; Borke, J; Jensen, H; Papaligoura, Z; Holub, C; Lo, W; Tomiyama, AJ; Su, Y; Wang, Y; Chaudhary, N

2006-01-01

This study conceptualizes a cultural model of parenting. It is argued that cultural models are expressed in the degree of familism, which informs socialization goals that are embodied in parenting ethnotheories. Three cultural models were differentiated a priori: independent, interdependent, and autonomous-related. Samples were recruited that were expected to represent these cultural models: German, Euro-American, and Greek middle-class women representing the independent cultural model; Camer...

SEM: A Cultural Change Agent

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Bradley; Bourke, Brian

2015-01-01

The authors advance the concept that institutional culture is a purposeful framework by which to view SEM's utility, particularly as a cultural change agent. Through the connection of seemingly independent functions of performance and behavior, implications emerge that deepen the understanding of the influence of culture on performance outcomes…

The Optimization of Molecular Detection of Clinical Isolates of Brucella in Blood Cultures by eryD Transcriptase Gene for Confirmation of Culture-Negative Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabibnejad, Mahsa; Alikhani, Mohammad Yousef; Arjomandzadegan, Mohammad; Hashemi, Seyed Hamid; Naseri, Zahra

2016-04-01

Brucellosis is a zoonosis disease which is widespread across the world. The aim of the present study is the evaluation of culture-negative blood samples. A total of 100 patients with suspected brucellosis were included in this experimental study and given positive serological tests. Diagnosis was performed on patients with clinical symptoms of the disease, followed by the detection of a titer that was equal to or more than 1:160 (in endemic areas) by the standard tube agglutination method. Blood samples were cultured by a BACTEC 9050 system, and subsequently by Brucella agar. At the same time, DNA from all blood samples was extracted by Qiagen Kit Company (Qia Amp Mini Kit). A molecular assay of blood samples was carried out by detection of eryD transcriptase and bcsp 31 genes in specific double PCR reactions. The specificity of the primers was evaluated by DNA from pure and approved Brucella colonies found in the blood samples, by DNA from other bacteria, and by ordinary PCR. DNA extraction from the pure colonies was carried out by both Qiagen Kit and Chelex 100 methods; the two were compared. 39 cases (39%) had positive results when tested by the BACTEC system, and 61 cases (61%) became negative. 23 culture-positive blood samples were randomly selected for PCR reactions; all showed 491 bp for the eryD gene and 223 bp for the bcsp 31 gene. Interestingly, out of 14 culture-negative blood samples, 13 cases showed positive bonds in PCR. The specificity of the PCR method was equal to 100%. DNA extraction from pure cultures was done by both Chelex 100 and Qiagen Kit; these showed the same results for all samples. The results prove that the presented double PCR method could be used to detect positive cases from culture-negative blood samples. The Chelex 100 method is simpler and safer than the use of Qiagen Kit for DNA extraction.

Molecular cloning of the Coch gene of guinea pig inner ear and its expression analysis in cultured fibrocytes of the spiral ligament.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lishu; Ikezono, Tetsuo; Sekine, Kuwon; Shindo, Susumu; Matsumura, Tomohiro; Pawankar, Ruby; Ichimiya, Issei; Yagi, Toshiaki

2010-08-01

We have cloned guinea pig Coch cDNA and the sequence information will be useful for future molecular study combined with physiological experiments. Proper Coch gene expression appears to be dependent on the unique extracellular micro-environment of the inner ear in vivo. These results provide insight into the Coch gene expression and its regulation. To characterize the guinea pig Coch gene, we performed molecular cloning and expression analysis in the inner ear and cultured fibrocytes of the spiral ligament. The Coch cDNA was isolated using RACE. Cochlin isofoms were studied by Western blot using three different types of mammalian inner ear. The cochlear fibrocytes were cultured and characterized by immunostaining. Coch gene expression in the fibrocytes was investigated and the influence of cytokine stimulation was evaluated. The full-length 1991 bp Coch cDNA that encodes a 553 amino acid protein was isolated. The sequence had significant homology with other mammals, and the sizes of the Cochlin isoforms were identical. In the cultured fibrocytes, Coch mRNA was expressed in a very small amount and the isoform production was different, compared with the results in vivo. Cytokine stimulation did not alter the level of mRNA expression or isoform formation.

Beyond Blood Culture and Gram Stain Analysis: A Review of Molecular Techniques for the Early Detection of Bacteremia in Surgical Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Scerbo, Michelle H; Kaplan, Heidi B; Dua, Anahita; Litwin, Douglas B; Ambrose, Catherine G; Moore, Laura J; Murray, Col Clinton K; Wade, Charles E; Holcomb, John B

2016-06-01

Sepsis from bacteremia occurs in 250,000 cases annually in the United States, has a mortality rate as high as 60%, and is associated with a poorer prognosis than localized infection. Because of these high figures, empiric antibiotic administration for patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and suspected infection is the second most common indication for antibiotic administration in intensive care units (ICU)s. However, overuse of empiric antibiotics contributes to the development of opportunistic infections, antibiotic resistance, and the increase in multi-drug-resistant bacterial strains. The current method of diagnosing and ruling out bacteremia is via blood culture (BC) and Gram stain (GS) analysis. Conventional and molecular methods for diagnosing bacteremia were reviewed and compared. The clinical implications, use, and current clinical trials of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods to detect bacterial pathogens in the blood stream were detailed. BC/GS has several disadvantages. These include: some bacteria do not grow in culture media; others do not GS appropriately; and cultures can require up to 5 d to guide or discontinue antibiotic treatment. PCR-based methods can be potentially applied to detect rapidly, accurately, and directly microbes in human blood samples. Compared with the conventional BC/GS, particular advantages to molecular methods (specifically, PCR-based methods) include faster results, leading to possible improved antibiotic stewardship when bacteremia is not present.

Adaptation and Cultural Diffusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Ormrod, Richard K.

1992-01-01

Explores the role of adaptation in cultural diffusion. Explains that adaptation theory recognizes the lack of independence between innovations and their environmental settings. Discusses testing and selection, modification, motivation, and cognition. Suggests that adaptation effects are pervasive in cultural diffusion but require a broader, more…

Effects of Self-Construal Differences on Cognitive Dissonance Examined by Priming the Independent and Interdependent Self

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie Jia Yan Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Prior cross-cultural research on dissonance has relied on cultural stereotypes in assuming that individuals from Western cultures are individualistic and have independent self-construals whereas individuals from Asian cultures are collectivistic and have interdependent self-construals. The current research made use of priming to avoid relying on cultural stereotypes and examined how having an independent or interdependent self-construal accounted for differences in dissonance experienced. A total of 120 participants who were Singapore citizens or permanent residents were randomly assigned to one of four conditions. Participants received either an independent or interdependent prime, and rated and ranked CDs before and after they made a choice between closely valued alternatives either for oneself or a close other. Results indicated that independently primed participants demonstrated significant dissonance when they made choices for themselves and close others whereas interdependently primed participants demonstrated significant dissonance when they made choices for close others but not for themselves. The study’s findings suggest that having either self-construal accounted for differences in dissonance experienced.

Molecular screening for Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis among Danish Candida parapsilosis group blood culture isolates: proposal of a new RFLP profile for differentiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mirhendi, Hossein; Bruun, Brita; Schønheyder, Henrik Carl

2010-01-01

Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis are recently described species phenotypically indistinguishable from Candida parapsilosis . We evaluated phenotyping and molecular methods for the detection of these species among 79 unique blood culture isolates of the C. parapsilosis group obtained...

Microbial community dynamics in thermophilic undefined milk starter cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Parente, Eugenio; Guidone, Angela; Matera, Attilio; De Filippis, Francesca; Mauriello, Gianluigi; Ricciardi, Annamaria

2016-01-18

Model undefined thermophilic starter cultures were produced from raw milk of nine pasta-filata cheesemaking plants using a selective procedure based on pasteurization and incubation at high temperature with the objective of studying the microbial community dynamics and the variability in performances under repeated (7-13) reproduction cycles with backslopping. The traditional culture-dependent approach, based on random isolation and molecular characterization of isolates was coupled to the determination of pH and the evaluation of the ability to produce acid and fermentation metabolites. Moreover, a culture-independent approach based on amplicon-targeted next-generation sequencing was employed. The microbial diversity was evaluated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1-V3 regions), while the microdiversity of Streptococcus thermophilus populations was explored by using novel approach based on sequencing of partial amplicons of the phosphoserine phosphatase gene (serB). In addition, the occurrence of bacteriophages was evaluated by qPCR and by multiplex PCR. Although it was relatively easy to select for a community dominated by thermophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) within a single reproduction cycle, final pH, LAB populations and acid production activity fluctuated over reproduction cycles. Both culture-dependent and -independent methods showed that the cultures were dominated by either S. thermophilus or Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis or by both species. Nevertheless, subdominant mesophilic species, including lactococci and spoilage organisms, persisted at low levels. A limited number of serB sequence types (ST) were present in S. thermophilus populations. L. delbrueckii and Lactococcus lactis bacteriophages were below the detection limit of the method used and high titres of cos type S. thermophilus bacteriophages were detected in only two cases. In one case a high titre of bacteriophages was concurrent with a S. thermophilus biotype shift in the culture

Microbial diversity in an Armenian geothermal spring assessed by molecular and culture-based methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Panosyan, Hovik; Birkeland, Nils-Kåre

2014-11-01

The phylogenetic diversity of the prokaryotic community thriving in the Arzakan hot spring in Armenia was studied using molecular and culture-based methods. A sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries demonstrated the presence of a diversity of microorganisms belonging to the Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Epsilonproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes phyla, and Cyanobacteria. Proteobacteria was the dominant group, representing 52% of the bacterial clones. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments also indicated the abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria populations. Most of the sequences were most closely related to uncultivated microorganisms and shared less than 96% similarity with their closest matches in GenBank, indicating that this spring harbors a unique community of novel microbial species or genera. The majority of the sequences of an archaeal 16S rRNA gene library, generated from a methanogenic enrichment, were close relatives of members of the genus Methanoculleus. Aerobic endospore-forming bacteria mainly belonging to Bacillus and Geobacillus were detected only by culture-dependent methods. Three isolates were successfully obtained having 99, 96, and 96% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Arcobacter sp., Methylocaldum sp., and Methanoculleus sp., respectively. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Immobilization with Metal Hydroxides as a Means To Concentrate Food-Borne Bacteria for Detection by Cultural and Molecular Methods†

OpenAIRE

Lucore, Lisa A.; Cullison, Mark A.; Jaykus, Lee-Ann

2000-01-01

The application of nucleic acid amplification methods to the detection of food-borne pathogens could be facilitated by concentrating the organisms from the food matrix before detection. This study evaluated the utility of metal hydroxide immobilization for the concentration of bacterial cells from dairy foods prior to detection by cultural and molecular methods. Using reconstituted nonfat dry milk (NFDM) as a model, two food-borne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica sero...

Can we trust intraoperative culture results in nonunions?

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Michael P; Altman, Daniel T; Altman, Gregory T; Sewecke, Jeffrey J; Ehrlich, Garth D; Hu, Fen Z; Nistico, Laura; Melton-Kreft, Rachel; Gause, Trent M; Costerton, John W

2014-07-01

To identify the presence of bacterial biofilms in nonunions comparing molecular techniques (multiplex polymerase chain reaction and mass spectrometry, fluorescent in situ hybridization) with routine intraoperative cultures. Thirty-four patients with nonunions were scheduled for surgery and enrolled in this ongoing prospective study. Intraoperative specimens were collected from removed implants, surrounding tissue membrane, and local soft tissue followed by standard culture analysis, Ibis's second generation molecular diagnostics (Ibis Biosystems), and bacterial 16S rRNA-based fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Confocal microscopy was used to visualize the tissue specimens reacted with the FISH probes, which were chosen based on the Ibis analysis. Thirty-four patient encounters were analyzed. Eight were diagnosed as infected nonunions by positive intraoperative culture results. Ibis confirmed the presence of bacteria in all 8 samples. Ibis identified bacteria in a total of 30 of 34 encounters, and these data were confirmed by FISH. Twenty-two of 30 Ibis-positive samples were culture-negative. Four samples were negative by all methods of analysis. No samples were positive by culture, but negative by molecular techniques. Our preliminary data indicate that molecular diagnostics are more sensitive for identifying bacteria than cultures in cases of bony nonunion. This is likely because of the inability of cultures to detect biofilms and bacteria previously exposed to antibiotic therapy. Diagnostic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

International exploration by independents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertagne, R.G.

1992-01-01

Recent industry trends indicate that the smaller U.S. independents are looking at foreign exploration opportunities as one of the alternatives for growth in the new age of exploration. The problems of communications and logistics caused by different cultures and by geographic distances must be carefully evaluated. A mid-term to long-term strategy tailored to the goals and the financial capabilities of the company should be prepared and followed by a careful planning of the operations. This paper addresses some aspects of foreign exploration that should be considered before an independent venture into the foreign field. It also provides some guidelines for conducting successful overseas operations. When properly assessed, foreign exploration is well within the reach of smaller U.S. independents and presents no greater risk than domestic exploration; the rewards, however, can be much larger. Furthermore, the Oil and Gas Journal surveys of the 300 largest U.S. petroleum companies show that companies with a consistent foreign exploration policy have fared better financially during difficult times

Method to Increase Undergraduate Laboratory Student Confidence in Performing Independent Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colton E. Kempton

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The goal of an undergraduate laboratory course should be not only to introduce the students to biology methodologies and techniques, but also to teach them independent analytical thinking skills and proper experiment design.  This is especially true for advanced biology laboratory courses that undergraduate students typically take as a junior or senior in college.  Many courses achieve the goal of teaching techniques, but fail to approach the larger goal of teaching critical thinking, experimental design, and student independence.  Here we describe a study examining the application of the scaffolding instructional philosophy in which students are taught molecular techniques with decreasing guidance to force the development of analytical thinking skills and prepare undergraduate students for independent laboratory research. This method was applied to our advanced molecular biology laboratory class and resulted in an increase of confidence among the undergraduate students in their abilities to perform independent research.

Molecular detection and characterization of sustainable intracellular ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

3Centre for Biopolymer and Bio-Molecular Research, Athlone College of Technology, Republic of Ireland. ... cells was associated with the elongation of micro-villar extension that ... Keywords: Intracellular contaminants, cell cultures, bacteria culture, pre-clinical studies. ... production work involving culture technology.

Isotopic and molecular fractionation in combustion; three routes to molecular marker validation, including direct molecular 'dating' (GC/AMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, L. A.; Klouda, G. A.; Benner, B. A.; Garrity, K.; Eglinton, T. I.

The identification of unique isotopic, elemental, and molecular markers for sources of combustion aerosol has growing practical importance because of the potential effects of fine particle aerosol on health, visibility and global climate. It is urgent, therefore, that substantial efforts be directed toward the validation of assumptions involving the use of such tracers for source apportionment. We describe here three independent routes toward carbonaceous aerosol molecular marker identification and validation: (1) tracer regression and multivariate statistical techniques applied to field measurements of mixed source, carbonaceous aerosols; (2) a new development in aerosol 14C metrology: direct, pure compound accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) by off-line GC/AMS ('molecular dating'); and (3) direct observation of isotopic and molecular source emissions during controlled laboratory combustion of specific fuels. Findings from the combined studies include: independent support for benzo( ghi)perylene as a motor vehicle tracer from the first (statistical) and second (direct 'dating') studies; a new indication, from the third (controlled combustion) study, of a relation between 13C isotopic fractionation and PAH molecular fractionation, also linked with fuel and stage of combustion; and quantitative data showing the influence of both fuel type and combustion conditions on the yields of such species as elemental carbon and PAH, reinforcing the importance of exercising caution when applying presumed conservative elemental or organic tracers to fossil or biomass burning field data as in the first study.

Polymer friction Molecular Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sivebæk, Ion Marius; Samoilov, Vladimir N.; Persson, Bo N. J.

We present molecular dynamics friction calculations for confined hydrocarbon solids with molecular lengths from 20 to 1400 carbon atoms. Two cases are considered: a) polymer sliding against a hard substrate, and b) polymer sliding on polymer. In the first setup the shear stresses are relatively...... independent of molecular length. For polymer sliding on polymer the friction is significantly larger, and dependent on the molecular chain length. In both cases, the shear stresses are proportional to the squeezing pressure and finite at zero load, indicating an adhesional contribution to the friction force....

The Human Glioblastoma Cell Culture Resource: Validated Cell Models Representing All Molecular Subtypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Xie

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Glioblastoma (GBM is the most frequent and malignant form of primary brain tumor. GBM is essentially incurable and its resistance to therapy is attributed to a subpopulation of cells called glioma stem cells (GSCs. To meet the present shortage of relevant GBM cell (GC lines we developed a library of annotated and validated cell lines derived from surgical samples of GBM patients, maintained under conditions to preserve GSC characteristics. This collection, which we call the Human Glioblastoma Cell Culture (HGCC resource, consists of a biobank of 48 GC lines and an associated database containing high-resolution molecular data. We demonstrate that the HGCC lines are tumorigenic, harbor genomic lesions characteristic of GBMs, and represent all four transcriptional subtypes. The HGCC panel provides an open resource for in vitro and in vivo modeling of a large part of GBM diversity useful to both basic and translational GBM research.

Senescence-Associated Molecular and Epigenetic Alterations in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Cultures from Amniotic Fluid of Normal and Fetus-Affected Pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jūratė Savickienė

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Human amniotic-fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs are interesting for their multilineage differentiation potential and wide range of therapeutic applications due to the ease of culture expansion. However, MSCs undergo replicative senescence. So far, the molecular mechanisms that underlie fetal diseases and cell senescence are still poorly understood. Here, we analyzed senescence-associated morphologic, molecular, and epigenetic characteristics during propagation of MSCs derived from AF of normal and fetus-affected pregnancy. AF-MSCs cultures from both cell sources displayed quite similar morphology and expression of specific cell surface (CD44, CD90, and CD105 and stemness (Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, and Rex1 markers but had interindividual variability in proliferation capability and time to reach senescence. Within passages 4 and 8, senescent cultures exhibited typical morphological features, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, increased levels of p16, and decreased levels of miR-17 and miR-21 but showed differential expression of p21, p53, and ATM dependently on the onset of cell senescence. These differences correlated with changes in the level of chromatin modifiers (DNMT1 and HDAC1 and polycomb group proteins (EZH2, SUZ12, and BMI1 paralleling with changes in the expression of repressive histone marks (H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 and stemness markers (Oct4, Nanog, Sox2, and Rex1. Therefore epigenetic factors are important for AF-MSCs senescence process that may be related with individuality of donor or a fetus malignancy status.

Aragonite precipitation by "proto-polyps" in coral cell cultures.

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Tali Mass

Full Text Available The mechanisms of coral calcification at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels are poorly understood. In this study, we examine calcium carbonate precipitation using novel coral tissue cultures that aggregate to form "proto-polyps". Our goal is to establish an experimental system in which calcification is facilitated at the cellular level, while simultaneously allowing in vitro manipulations of the calcifying fluid. This novel coral culturing technique enables us to study the mechanisms of biomineralization and their implications for geochemical proxies. Viable cell cultures of the hermatypic, zooxanthellate coral, Stylophora pistillata, have been maintained for 6 to 8 weeks. Using an enriched seawater medium with aragonite saturation state similar to open ocean surface waters (Ω(arag~4, the primary cell cultures assemble into "proto-polyps" which form an extracellular organic matrix (ECM and precipitate aragonite crystals. These extracellular aragonite crystals, about 10 µm in length, are formed on the external face of the proto-polyps and are identified by their distinctive elongated crystallography and X-ray diffraction pattern. The precipitation of aragonite is independent of photosynthesis by the zooxanthellae, and does not occur in control experiments lacking coral cells or when the coral cells are poisoned with sodium azide. Our results demonstrate that proto-polyps, aggregated from primary coral tissue culture, function (from a biomineralization perspective similarly to whole corals. This approach provides a novel tool for investigating the biophysical mechanism of calcification in these organisms.

Microbial community composition of the ileum and cecum of broiler chickens as revealed by molecular and culture-based techniques.

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Bjerrum, L; Engberg, R M; Leser, T D; Jensen, B B; Finster, K; Pedersen, K

2006-07-01

The microbial communities of the ileum and cecum of broiler chickens from a conventional and an organic farm were investigated using conventional culture techniques as well as cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Eighty-five percent of the 557 cloned sequences were <97% related to known cultured species. The chicken ileum was dominated by lactobacilli, whereas the cecum harbored a more diverse microbial community. The cecum was dominated by a large group of bacteria with hitherto no close cultured relatives but most closely related to Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. Approximately 49 and 20% of the cecal clones belonged to this cluster in conventional and organic broiler chickens, respectively. We were, however, able to recover a number of these phylotypes by cultivation, and the isolates were shown to be butyric acid producers. The investigation was a descriptive rather than a comparative study of 2 different rearing systems; however, several differences were observed. For instance, Clostridium perfringens was found in significantly higher numbers in the birds from the organic farm compared with the conventional broilers, probably due to the addition of salinomycin to the conventional feed. In the ileum, the abundance of the different Lactobacillus species differed between the 2 broiler types. The culture-based and culture-independent techniques complemented each other well. Strengths and limitations of the different methods are discussed.

Concentration independent modulation of local micromechanics in a fibrin gel.

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Maxwell A Kotlarchyk

Full Text Available Methods for tuning extracellular matrix (ECM mechanics in 3D cell culture that rely on increasing the concentration of either protein or cross-linking molecules fail to control important parameters such as pore size, ligand density, and molecular diffusivity. Alternatively, ECM stiffness can be modulated independently from protein concentration by mechanically loading the ECM. We have developed a novel device for generating stiffness gradients in naturally derived ECMs, where stiffness is tuned by inducing strain, while local mechanical properties are directly determined by laser tweezers based active microrheology (AMR. Hydrogel substrates polymerized within 35 mm diameter Petri dishes are strained non-uniformly by the precise rotation of an embedded cylindrical post, and exhibit a position-dependent stiffness with little to no modulation of local mesh geometry. Here we present the device in the context of fibrin hydrogels. First AMR is used to directly measure local micromechanics in unstrained hydrogels of increasing fibrin concentration. Changes in stiffness are then mapped within our device, where fibrin concentration is held constant. Fluorescence confocal imaging and orbital particle tracking are used to quantify structural changes in fibrin on the micro and nano levels respectively. The micromechanical strain stiffening measured by microrheology is not accompanied by ECM microstructural changes under our applied loads, as measured by confocal microscopy. However, super-resolution orbital tracking reveals nanostructural straightening, lengthening, and reduced movement of fibrin fibers. Furthermore, we show that aortic smooth muscle cells cultured within our device are morphologically sensitive to the induced mechanical gradient. Our results demonstrate a powerful cell culture tool that can be used in the study of mechanical effects on cellular physiology in naturally derived 3D ECM tissues.

Design of a Tablet Computer App for Facilitation of a Molecular Blood Culture Test in Clinical Microbiology and Preliminary Usability Evaluation.

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Samson, Lasse L; Pape-Haugaard, Louise; Meltzer, Michelle C; Fuchs, Martin; Schønheyder, Henrik C; Hejlesen, Ole

2016-03-18

User mobility is an important aspect of the development of clinical information systems for health care professionals. Mobile phones and tablet computers have obtained widespread use by health care professionals, offering an opportunity for supporting the access to patient information through specialized applications (apps) while supporting the mobility of the users. The use of apps for mobile phones and tablet computers may support workflow of complex tasks, for example, molecular-based diagnostic tests in clinical microbiology. Multiplex Blood Culture Test (MuxBCT) is a molecular-based diagnostic test used for rapid identification of pathogens in positive blood cultures. To facilitate the workflow of the MuxBCT, a specialized tablet computer app was developed as an accessory to the diagnostic test. The app aims to reduce the complexity of the test by step-by-step guidance of microscopy and to assist users in reaching an exact bacterial or fungal diagnosis based on blood specimen observations and controls. Additionally, the app allows for entry of test results, and communication thereof to the laboratory information system (LIS). The objective of the study was to describe the design considerations of the MuxBCT app and the results of a preliminary usability evaluation. The MuxBCT tablet app was developed and set up for use in a clinical microbiology laboratory. A near-live simulation study was conducted in the clinical microbiology laboratory to evaluate the usability of the MuxBCT app. The study was designed to achieve a high degree of realism as participants carried out a scenario representing the context of use for the MuxBCT app. As the MuxBCT was under development, the scenario involved the use of molecular blood culture tests similar to the MuxBCT for identification of microorganisms from positive blood culture samples. The study participants were observed, and their interactions with the app were recorded. After the study, the participants were debriefed to

Beyond the 'east-west' dichotomy: Global variation in cultural models of selfhood.

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Vignoles, Vivian L; Owe, Ellinor; Becker, Maja; Smith, Peter B; Easterbrook, Matthew J; Brown, Rupert; González, Roberto; Didier, Nicolas; Carrasco, Diego; Cadena, Maria Paz; Lay, Siugmin; Schwartz, Seth J; Des Rosiers, Sabrina E; Villamar, Juan A; Gavreliuc, Alin; Zinkeng, Martina; Kreuzbauer, Robert; Baguma, Peter; Martin, Mariana; Tatarko, Alexander; Herman, Ginette; de Sauvage, Isabelle; Courtois, Marie; Garðarsdóttir, Ragna B; Harb, Charles; Schweiger Gallo, Inge; Prieto Gil, Paula; Lorente Clemares, Raquel; Campara, Gabriella; Nizharadze, George; Macapagal, Ma Elizabeth J; Jalal, Baland; Bourguignon, David; Zhang, Jianxin; Lv, Shaobo; Chybicka, Aneta; Yuki, Masaki; Zhang, Xiao; Espinosa, Agustín; Valk, Aune; Abuhamdeh, Sami; Amponsah, Benjamin; Özgen, Emre; Güner, E Ülkü; Yamakoğlu, Nil; Chobthamkit, Phatthanakit; Pyszczynski, Tom; Kesebir, Pelin; Vargas Trujillo, Elvia; Balanta, Paola; Cendales Ayala, Boris; Koller, Silvia H; Jaafar, Jas Laile; Gausel, Nicolay; Fischer, Ronald; Milfont, Taciano L; Kusdil, Ersin; Çağlar, Selinay; Aldhafri, Said; Ferreira, M Cristina; Mekonnen, Kassahun Habtamu; Wang, Qian; Fülöp, Márta; Torres, Ana; Camino, Leoncio; Lemos, Flávia Cristina Silveira; Fritsche, Immo; Möller, Bettina; Regalia, Camillo; Manzi, Claudia; Brambilla, Maria; Bond, Michael Harris

2016-08-01

Markus and Kitayama's (1991) theory of independent and interdependent self-construals had a major influence on social, personality, and developmental psychology by highlighting the role of culture in psychological processes. However, research has relied excessively on contrasts between North American and East Asian samples, and commonly used self-report measures of independence and interdependence frequently fail to show predicted cultural differences. We revisited the conceptualization and measurement of independent and interdependent self-construals in 2 large-scale multinational surveys, using improved methods for cross-cultural research. We developed (Study 1: N = 2924 students in 16 nations) and validated across cultures (Study 2: N = 7279 adults from 55 cultural groups in 33 nations) a new 7-dimensional model of self-reported ways of being independent or interdependent. Patterns of global variation support some of Markus and Kitayama's predictions, but a simple contrast between independence and interdependence does not adequately capture the diverse models of selfhood that prevail in different world regions. Cultural groups emphasize different ways of being both independent and interdependent, depending on individualism-collectivism, national socioeconomic development, and religious heritage. Our 7-dimensional model will allow future researchers to test more accurately the implications of cultural models of selfhood for psychological processes in diverse ecocultural contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural effects on mindreading.

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Perez-Zapata, Daniel; Slaughter, Virginia; Henry, Julie D

2016-01-01

People from other cultural backgrounds sometimes seem inscrutable. We identified a potential cause of this phenomenon in two experiments demonstrating that adults' mental state inferences are influenced by the cultural identity of the target. We adapted White, Hill, Happé, and Frith's (2009) Strange Stories to create matched intra-cultural and cross-cultural mindreading and control conditions. Experiment 1 showed that Australian participants were faster to respond and received higher scores in the intra-cultural mindreading condition relative to the cross-cultural mindreading condition, but performance in the control conditions was equivalent. Experiment 2 replicated this pattern in independent samples of Australian and Chilean participants. These findings have important implications for cross-cultural communication and understanding. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the number of independent cultural traits carried by individuals and populations

OpenAIRE

Lehmann, Laurent; Aoki, Kenichi; Feldman, Marcus W.

2011-01-01

In species subject to individual and social learning, each individual is likely to express a certain number of different cultural traits acquired during its lifetime. If the process of trait innovation and transmission reaches a steady state in the population, the number of different cultural traits carried by an individual converges to some stationary distribution. We call this the trait-number distribution. In this paper, we derive the trait-number distributions for both individuals and pop...

Paracrine interactions between LNCaP prostate cancer cells and bioengineered bone in 3D in vitro culture reflect molecular changes during bone metastasis.

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Sieh, Shirly; Taubenberger, Anna V; Lehman, Melanie L; Clements, Judith A; Nelson, Colleen C; Hutmacher, Dietmar W

2014-06-01

As microenvironmental factors such as three-dimensionality and cell-matrix interactions are increasingly being acknowledged by cancer biologists, more complex 3D in vitro models are being developed to study tumorigenesis and cancer progression. To better understand the pathophysiology of bone metastasis, we have established and validated a 3D indirect co-culture model to investigate the paracrine interactions between prostate cancer (PCa) cells and human osteoblasts. Co-culture of the human PCa, LNCaP cells embedded within polyethylene glycol hydrogels with human osteoblasts in the form of a tissue engineered bone construct (TEB), resulted in reduced proliferation of LNCaP cells. LNCaP cells in both monoculture and co-culture were responsive to the androgen analog, R1881, as indicated by an increase in the expression (mRNA and/or protein induction) of androgen-regulated genes including prostate specific antigen and fatty acid synthase. Microarray gene expression analysis further revealed an up-regulation of bone markers and other genes associated with skeletal and vasculature development and a significant activation of transforming growth factor β1 downstream genes in LNCaP cells after co-culture with TEB. LNCaP cells co-cultured with TEB also unexpectedly showed similar changes in classical androgen-responsive genes under androgen-deprived conditions not seen in LNCaP monocultures. The molecular changes of LNCaP cells after co-culturing with TEBs suggest that osteoblasts exert a paracrine effect that may promote osteomimicry and modulate the expression of androgen-responsive genes in LNCaP cells. Taken together, we have presented a novel 3D in vitro model that allows the study of cellular and molecular changes occurring in PCa cells and osteoblasts that are relevant to metastatic colonization of bone. This unique in vitro model could also facilitate cancer biologists to dissect specific biological hypotheses via extensive genomic or proteomic assessments to

Molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma

OpenAIRE

Northcott, Paul A; Dubuc, Adrian M; Pfister, Stefan; Taylor, Michael D

2012-01-01

Recent efforts at stratifying medulloblastomas based on their molecular features have revolutionized our understanding of this morbidity. Collective efforts by multiple independent groups have subdivided medulloblastoma from a single disease into four distinct molecular subgroups characterized by disparate transcriptional signatures, mutational spectra, copy number profiles and, most importantly, clinical features. We present a summary of recent studies that have contributed to our understand...

Stable expression of lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase in cultured preadipocytes impairs adipogenesis program independently of endogenous prostanoids

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Hossain, Mohammad Salim; Chowdhury, Abu Asad; Rahman, Mohammad Sharifur [Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504 (Japan); Nishimura, Kohji [Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics, Center for Integrated Research in Science, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504 (Japan); Jisaka, Mitsuo; Nagaya, Tsutomu [Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504 (Japan); Shono, Fumiaki [Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, 180 Yamashiro-cho, Tokushima-shi, Tokushima 770-8514 (Japan); Yokota, Kazushige, E-mail: yokotaka@life.shimane-u.ac.jp [Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shimane University, 1060 Nishikawatsu-cho, Matsue, Shimane 690-8504 (Japan)

2012-02-15

. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cultured preadipocytes were transfected with sense lipocalin-type PGD synthase. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The cloned transfectants had a higher ability to synthesize PGD{sub 2} and PGJ{sub 2} series. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The sustained expression of sense L-PGDS hampered the storage of fats. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adipogenesis program was suppressed independently of endogenous prostanoids.

Culture and Cognition in Information Technology Education

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Holvikivi, Jaana

2007-01-01

This paper aims at explaining the outcomes of information technology education for international students using anthropological theories of cultural schemas. Even though computer science and engineering are usually assumed to be culture-independent, the practice in classrooms seems to indicate that learning patterns depend on culture. The…

Calcium-independent phospholipase A₂, group VIA, is critical for RPE cell survival

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolko, Miriam; Vohra, Rupali; Westlund, Barbro S.

2014-01-01

PURPOSE: To investigate the significance of calcium-independent phospholipase A₂, group VIA (iPLA2-VIA), in RPE cell survival following responses to sodium iodate (SI) in cell cultures. METHODS: The human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell line (ARPE-19) cells and primary mouse-RPE cultures were...

Bacterial diversity determination using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods

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M. Ghiasian

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Mud volcanoes are taken into consideration by geologists and oil industry experts have given their association with oil and gas reserves and methane greenhouse gas production in hydrosphere and atmosphere. Gomishan mud volcano phenomenon in the southeastern edge of the Caspian Sea, given its oil and gas resources, has been studied by some geologists in terms of geology and tectonics but not in terms of microbiology. Accordingly, it seems necessary to study this phenomenon from the perspective of microbiology in order to identify prokaryotes living in this area. Prokaryotes diversity in Mud volcano has been studied by cultivation techniques, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified fragments of 16S rRNA genes. Total cell abundance in the mud volcano from 1×101-6×101per milliliter was determined by 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole direct count. The detectable proportion of Archaea to Bacteria in the community by FISH was one to five. High viable counts (1 – 3 × 106 were obtained in culture media. A total of 122 isolates were obtained, 46 colonies were selected based on primarily morphological and physiological traits, and their 16S rRNA sequences were determined. The isolated genera included Halomonas (20%, Arthrobacter (5%, Kocuria (5%, Thalassobacillus (5%, Marinobacter (20%, Paracoccus (5%, Roseovarius (5%, Jeotgalicoccus (5%, Bacillus (15%, and Staphylococcus (15%. Regarding DGGE analysis, selected bands were obtained from the gels, reamplified and sequenced. Overall, 75% of the bacterial sequences were related to Rahnella and 25% related to Serratia.

The consequences of "Culture's consequences"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Fabienne; Froholdt, Lisa Loloma

2009-01-01

  In this article, it is claimed that research on cross-cultural crews is dominated by one specific understanding of the concept of culture, which is static, evenly distributed and context-independent. Such a conception of culture may bring some basic order while facing an unknown culture...... review of the theory of Geert Hofstede, the most renowned representative of this theoretical approach. The practical consequences of using such a concept of culture is then analysed by means of a critical review of an article applying Hofstede to cross-cultural crews in seafaring. Finally, alternative...... views on culture are presented. The aim of the article is, rather than to promote any specific theory, to reflect about diverse perspectives of cultural sense-making in cross-cultural encounters. Udgivelsesdato: Oktober...

Analyses of Dynamics in Dairy Products and Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria Population by Molecular Methods

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Aytül Sofu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Lactic acid bacteria (LAB with different ecological niches are widely seen in fermented meat, vegetables, dairy products and cereals as well as in fermented beverages. Lactic acid bacteria are the most important group of bacteria in dairy industry due to their probiotic characteristics and fermentation agents as starter culture. In the taxonomy of the lactic acid bacteria; by means of rep-PCR, which is the analysis of repetitive sequences that are based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA gene sequence, it is possible to conduct structural microbial community analyses such as Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP analysis of DNA fragments of different sizes cut with enzymes, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD polymorphic DNA amplified randomly at low temperatures and Amplified Fragment-Length Polymorphism (AFLP-PCR of cut genomic DNA. Besides, in the recent years, non-culture-based molecular methods such as Pulse Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE, Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE, Thermal Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (TGGE, and Fluorescence In-situ Hybridization (FISH have replaced classical methods once used for the identification of LAB. Identification of lactic acid bacteria culture independent regardless of the method will be one of the most important methods used in the future pyrosequencing as a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS techniques. This paper reviews molecular-method based studies conducted on the identification of LAB species in dairy products.

The Influence of Cultural Individualism-Collectivism, Self Construals, and Individual Values on Communication Styles across Cultures.

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Gudykunst, William B.; And Others

1996-01-01

Shows that independent self-construals and individualistic values of college students mediate the influence of cultural individualism-collectivism on the use of low-context communication, and interdependent self-construals and collectivistic values mediate the influence of cultural individualism-collectivism on the use of high-context…

Audit of Trichomonas vaginalis test requesting by community referrers after a change from culture to molecular testing, including a cost analysis.

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Bissessor, Liselle; Wilson, Janet; McAuliffe, Gary; Upton, Arlo

2017-06-16

Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) prevalence varies among different communities and peoples. The availability of robust molecular platforms for the detection of TV has advanced diagnosis; however, molecular tests are more costly than phenotypic methodologies, and testing all urogenital samples is costly. We recently replaced culture methods with the Aptima Trichomonas vaginalis nucleic acid amplification test on specific request and as reflex testing by the laboratory, and have audited this change. Data were collected from August 2015 (microbroth culture and microscopy) and August 2016 (Aptima TV assay) including referrer, testing volumes, results and test cost estimates. In August 2015, 10,299 vaginal swabs, and in August 2016, 2,189 specimens (urogenital swabs and urines), were tested. The positivity rate went from 0.9% to 5.3%, and overall more TV infections were detected in 2016. The number needed to test and cost for one positive TV result respectively was 111 and $902.55 in 2015, and 19 and $368.92 in 2016. Request volumes and positivity rates differed among referrers. The methodology change was associated with higher overall detection of TV, and reductions in the numbers needed to test/cost for one TV diagnosis. Our audit suggests that there is room for improvement with TV test requesting in our community.

ART culture conditions change the probability of mouse embryo gestation through defined cellular and molecular responses.

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Schwarzer, Caroline; Esteves, Telma Cristina; Araúzo-Bravo, Marcos J; Le Gac, Séverine; Nordhoff, Verena; Schlatt, Stefan; Boiani, Michele

2012-09-01

Do different human ART culture protocols prepare embryos differently for post-implantation development? The type of ART culture protocol results in distinct cellular and molecular phenotypes in vitro at the blastocyst stage as well as subsequently during in vivo development. It has been reported that ART culture medium affects human development as measured by gestation rates and birthweights. However, due to individual variation across ART patients, it is not possible as yet to pinpoint a cause-effect relationship between choice of culture medium and developmental outcome. In a prospective study, 13 human ART culture protocols were compared two at a time against in vivo and in vitro controls. Superovulated mouse oocytes were fertilized in vivo using outbred and inbred mating schemes. Zygotes were cultured in medium or in the oviduct and scored for developmental parameters 96 h later. Blastocysts were either analyzed or transferred into fosters to measure implantation rates and fetal development. In total, 5735 fertilized mouse oocytes, 1732 blastocysts, 605 fetuses and 178 newborns were examined during the course of the study (December 2010-December 2011). Mice of the B6C3F1, C57Bl/6 and CD1 strains were used as oocyte donors, sperm donors and recipients for embryo transfer, respectively. In vivo fertilized B6C3F1 oocytes were allowed to cleave in 13 human ART culture protocols compared with mouse oviduct and optimized mouse medium (KSOM(aa)). Cell lineage composition of resultant blastocysts was analyzed by immunostaining and confocal microscopy (trophectoderm, Cdx2; primitive ectoderm, Nanog; primitive endoderm, Sox17), global gene expression by microarray analysis, and rates of development to midgestation and to term. Mouse zygotes show profound variation in blastocyst (49.9-91.9%) and fetal (15.7-62.0%) development rates across the 13 ART culture protocols tested (R(2)= 0.337). Two opposite protocols, human tubal fluid/multiblast (high fetal rate) and ISM1/ISM2

Individual- vs. Culture-Level Dimensions of Individualism and Collectivism: Effects on Preferred Conversational Styles.

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Kim, Min-Sun; And Others

1996-01-01

Develops and uses a mediation model to investigate the links between culture, individual values (independent and interdependent construals of self), and perceptions of conversational constraints. Finds culture-level individualism and collectivism systematically related to individual-level cultural orientations (independent and interdependent…

Independence and interdependence predict health and wellbeing: divergent patterns in the United States and Japan

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Shinobu Kitayama

2010-12-01

Full Text Available A cross-cultural survey was used to examine two hypotheses designed to link culture to well-being and health. The first hypothesis states that people are motivated toward prevalent cultural mandates of either independence (personal control in the United States or interdependence (relational harmony in Japan. As predicted, Americans with compromised personal control and Japanese with strained relationships reported high perceived constraint. The second hypothesis holds that people achieve well-being and health through actualizing the respective cultural mandates in their modes of being. As predicted, the strongest predictor of well-being and health was personal control in the United States, but the absence of relational strain in Japan. All analyses controlled for age, gender, and personality traits. The overall pattern of findings underscores culturally distinct pathways (independent versus interdependent in achieving these positive life outcomes.

Cultural Transfer and Creating Cultural Awareness in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language: A Sample from Gaziosmanpasa University Tömer

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Iscan, Adem; Karagöz, Beytullah; Konyar, Merve

2017-01-01

Culture and language are two phenomena that have existed by influencing each other for centuries. It is impossible to think independently of the culture on which the language is cultivated, nor on the language, which influences culture. One of the best signs of mastering a language is the ability to understand the cultural elements and the…

Detection of microbial diversity in endocarditis using cultivation-independent molecular techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wolff, Tine Y; Moser, Claus Ernst; Bundgaard, Henning

2011-01-01

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) could be improved using molecular tools in addition to standard microscopy and cultivation methods. Methods: Cultivation was performed on blood or tissue samples as recommended in the modified...

Marine Biotoxins: Laboratory Culture and Molecular Structure

Science.gov (United States)

1988-10-11

has been known for several years. has so far been isolated from toxic zoanthid corals. Palv~tha sp. Preliminary evidence suggests that the producer of...epiphyte of the zoanthid coral has not been realized. C. Purpose of Present Work The purposes of this work are the successful culture of G_. toxicus

[Independent and interdependent self-schema in Japanese adolescents and elders].

Science.gov (United States)

Takata, Toshitake

2007-12-01

The study investigated the functions of self-schema pertaining to independent and interdependent self-construal. Four groups of participants, who had (a) independent schema, (b) interdependent schema, (c) both schemata, or (d) neither schema (aschematic), were compared in cognitive performance on a schema-relevant information processing task. Study I, with college students, found that interdependent schemata were used in the task by the interdependent (b) and the both (c) group, but independent schemata were not used by the independent (a) and the both (c) group. Study II, with aged participants, found that not only the interdependent schemata were used by the interdependent (b) and the both (c) group, but also independent schemata were used by the independent (a) and the both (c) group. These findings provide evidence for Takata's (2004) hypotheses that the interdependent self is internalized in adolescence and the independent self develops after adulthood in Japanese culture.

Culture and identification of Borrelia spirochetes in human vaginal and seminal secretions [version 3; referees: 2 approved, 2 not approved

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Marianne J. Middelveen

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Recent reports indicate that more than 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed yearly in the USA. Preliminary clinical, epidemiological and immunological studies suggest that infection with the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb could be transferred from person to person via intimate human contact without a tick vector. Failure to detect viable Borrelia spirochetes in vaginal and seminal secretions would argue against this hypothesis. Methods: Patients with and without a history of Lyme disease were selected for the study after informed consent was obtained. Serological testing for Bb was performed on all subjects. Semen or vaginal secretions were inoculated into BSK-H medium and cultured for four weeks. Examination of genital cultures and culture concentrates for the presence of spirochetes was performed using light and darkfield microscopy, and spirochete concentrates were subjected to Dieterle silver staining, anti-Bb immunohistochemical staining, molecular hybridization and PCR analysis for further characterization. Immunohistochemical and molecular testing was performed in three independent laboratories in a blinded fashion. Positive and negative controls were included in all experiments. Results: Control subjects who were asymptomatic and seronegative for Bb had no detectable spirochetes in genital secretions by PCR analysis. In contrast, spirochetes were observed in cultures of genital secretions from 11 of 13 subjects diagnosed with Lyme disease, and motile spirochetes were detected in genital culture concentrates from 12 of 13 Lyme disease patients using light and darkfield microscopy. Morphological features of spirochetes were confirmed by Dieterle silver staining and immunohistochemical staining of culture concentrates. Molecular hybridization and PCR testing confirmed that the spirochetes isolated from semen and vaginal secretions were strains of Borrelia, and all cultures were negative for treponemal

Applicability of Baumrind's Parent Typology to Collective Cultures: Analysis of Cultural Explanations of Parent Socialization Effects

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Sorkhabi, Nadia

2005-01-01

This article reviews studies that have examined whether Baumrind's parenting styles are related to child outcomes similarly in cultures where independence is said to be emphasized versus cultures where interdependence is said to be emphasized. I present evidence showing that Baumrind's parenting styles have similar function in both collectivist…

Unseen disadvantage: how American universities' focus on independence undermines the academic performance of first-generation college students.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Nicole M; Fryberg, Stephanie A; Markus, Hazel Rose; Johnson, Camille S; Covarrubias, Rebecca

2012-06-01

American universities increasingly admit first-generation college students whose parents do not have 4-year degrees. Once admitted, these students tend to struggle academically, compared with continuing-generation students--students who have at least 1 parent with a 4-year degree. We propose a cultural mismatch theory that identifies 1 important source of this social class achievement gap. Four studies test the hypothesis that first-generation students underperform because interdependent norms from their mostly working-class backgrounds constitute a mismatch with middle-class independent norms prevalent in universities. First, assessing university cultural norms, surveys of university administrators revealed that American universities focus primarily on norms of independence. Second, identifying the hypothesized cultural mismatch, a longitudinal survey revealed that universities' focus on independence does not match first-generation students' relatively interdependent motives for attending college and that this cultural mismatch is associated with lower grades. Finally, 2 experiments at both private and public universities created a match or mismatch for first-generation students and examined the performance consequences. Together these studies revealed that representing the university culture in terms of independence (i.e., paving one's own paths) rendered academic tasks difficult and, thereby, undermined first-generation students' performance. Conversely, representing the university culture in terms of interdependence (i.e., being part of a community) reduced this sense of difficulty and eliminated the performance gap without adverse consequences for continuing-generation students. These studies address the urgent need to recognize cultural obstacles that contribute to the social class achievement gap and to develop interventions to address them. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Clinical Microbiology Laboratories' Adoption of Culture-Independent Diagnostic Tests Is a Threat to Foodborne-Disease Surveillance in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, Shari; Kubota, Kristy A; Maguire, Hugh; Gladbach, Stephen; Woron, Amy; Atkinson-Dunn, Robyn; Couturier, Marc Roger; Miller, Melissa B

2017-01-01

INTRODUCTIONIn November 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sent a letter to state and territorial epidemiologists, state and territorial public health laboratory directors, and state and territorial health officials. In this letter, culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) for detection of enteric pathogens were characterized as "a serious and current threat to public health surveillance, particularly for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella" The document says CDC and its public health partners are approaching this issue, in part, by "reviewing regulatory authority in public health agencies to require culture isolates or specimen submission if CIDTs are used." Large-scale foodborne outbreaks are a continuing threat to public health, and tracking these outbreaks is an important tool in shortening them and developing strategies to prevent them. It is clear that the use of CIDTs for enteric pathogen detection, including both antigen detection and multiplex nucleic acid amplification techniques, is becoming more widespread. Furthermore, some clinical microbiology laboratories will resist the mandate to require submission of culture isolates, since it will likely not improve patient outcomes but may add significant costs. Specimen submission would be less expensive and time-consuming for clinical laboratories; however, this approach would be burdensome for public health laboratories, since those laboratories would need to perform culture isolation prior to typing. Shari Shea and Kristy Kubota from the Association of Public Health Laboratories, along with state public health laboratory officials from Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah, will explain the public health laboratories' perspective on why having access to isolates of enteric pathogens is essential for public health surveillance, detection, and tracking of outbreaks and offer potential workable solutions which will allow them to do this. Marc Couturier of

Contextualising culture and social cognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogeley, Kai; Roepstorff, Andreas

2009-12-01

Cognitive neurosciencists have recently begun to study self-consiousness and intersubjectivity but have not yet taken into account adequately the influence of culture on these phenomena. Here, we argue against the naïve inclusion of 'culture' as an additional independent factor that can be empirically addressed adequately merely by considering mother tongue or nationality. Instead, we propose that culture needs to be considered as a dynamical system of individuals; that culture is in continous dialectic interaction and exchange with the individuals that constitute it; and that cultural classifications feed back into social practices and identity processes, hence exhibiting a 'looping effect'. These proposals have important implications for the development of cultural neuroscience.

Usability in a cultural context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Torkil; Yammiyavar, Pradeep; Ørngreen, Rikke

2010-01-01

This paper focuses on presenting and discussing the aim, context, challenges, results, and impact of the Cultural usability project named as CultUsab. This project was a four year international research effort from 2006 to 2009, which was supported by a grant for the Danish Research Councils...... for Independent Research in Culture and Communication. The project aimed at innovating processes in Information and Communication Technology development through an understanding of culturally sensitive aspects of usability evaluation methods....

Clinical identification of bacteria in human chronic wound infections: culturing vs. 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rhoads Daniel D

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic wounds affect millions of people and cost billions of dollars in the United States each year. These wounds harbor polymicrobial biofilm communities, which can be difficult to elucidate using culturing methods. Clinical molecular microbiological methods are increasingly being employed to investigate the microbiota of chronic infections, including wounds, as part of standard patient care. However, molecular testing is more sensitive than culturing, which results in markedly different results being reported to clinicians. This study compares the results of aerobic culturing and molecular testing (culture-free 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing, and it examines the relative abundance score that is generated by the molecular test and the usefulness of the relative abundance score in predicting the likelihood that the same organism would be detected by culture. Methods Parallel samples from 51 chronic wounds were studied using aerobic culturing and 16S DNA sequencing for the identification of bacteria. Results One hundred forty-five (145 unique genera were identified using molecular methods, and 68 of these genera were aerotolerant. Fourteen (14 unique genera were identified using aerobic culture methods. One-third (31/92 of the cultures were determined to be Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis with higher relative abundance scores were more likely to be detected by culture as demonstrated with regression modeling. Conclusion Discordance between molecular and culture testing is often observed. However, culture-free 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and its relative abundance score can provide clinicians with insight into which bacteria are most abundant in a sample and which are most likely to be detected by culture.

Efficacy of the FilmArray blood culture identification panel for direct molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases from samples other than blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Micó, Miquel; Navarro, Ferran; de Miniac, Daniela; González, Yésica; Brell, Albert; López, Cristina; Sánchez-Reus, Ferran; Mirelis, Beatriz; Coll, Pere

2015-12-01

Molecular-based techniques reduce the delay in diagnosing infectious diseases and therefore contribute to better patient outcomes. We assessed the FilmArray blood culture identification (BCID) panel (Biofire Diagnostics/bioMérieux) directly on clinical specimens other than blood: cerebrospinal, joint, pleural and ascitic fluids, bronchoscopy samples and abscesses. We compared the results from 88 samples obtained by culture-based techniques. The percentage of agreement between the two methods was 75 % with a Cohen κ value of 0.51. Global sensitivity and specificity using the FilmArray BCID panel were 71 and 97 %, respectively. Sensitivity was poorer in samples with a low bacterial load, such as ascitic and pleural fluids (25 %), whereas the sensitivity for abscess samples was high (89 %). These findings suggest that the FilmArray BCID panel could be useful to perform microbiological diagnosis directly from samples other than positive blood cultures, as it offers acceptable sensitivity and moderate agreement with conventional microbiological methods. Nevertheless, cost-benefit studies should be performed before introducing this method into algorithms for microbiological diagnostics.

Culture, gender, and self: a perspective from individualism-collectivism research.

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Kashima, Y; Yamaguchi, S; Kim, U; Choi, S C; Gelfand, M J; Yuki, M

1995-11-01

Individualism and collectivism are often equated with independent vs. interdependent, agentic vs. communal, and separate vs. relational self-construals. Although these same concepts have been used to characterize both cultural and gender differences, a perspective of cultural evolution suggests it is unlikely. A division of labor within society may produce gender differences, but this cannot explain cultural differences. A study of self-construal involving 5 cultures (Australia, the United States, Hawaii, Japan, and Korea) shows that differences between these cultures are captured mostly by the extent to which people see themselves as acting as independent agents, whereas gender differences are best summarized by the extent to which people regard themselves as emotionally related to others.

Culture-specific familiarity equally mediates action representations across cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Umla-Runge, Katja; Fu, Xiaolan; Wang, Lamei; Zimmer, Hubert D

2014-01-01

Previous studies have shown that we need to distinguish between means and end information about actions. It is unclear how these two subtypes of action information relate to each other with theoretical accounts postulating the superiority of end over means information and others linking separate means and end routes of processing to actions of differential meaningfulness. Action meaningfulness or familiarity differs between cultures. In a cross-cultural setting, we investigated how action familiarity influences recognition memory for means and end information. Object directed actions of differential familiarity were presented to Chinese and German participants. Action familiarity modulated the representation of means and end information in both cultures in the same way, although the effects were based on different stimulus sets. Our results suggest that, in the representation of actions in memory, end information is superordinate to means information. This effect is independent of culture whereas action familiarity is not.

Novel and unexpected bacterial diversity in an arsenic-rich ecosystem revealed by culture-dependent approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delavat François

2012-09-01

. The isolated bacteria may be part of the rare biosphere which remained previously undetected due to molecular biases. No matter their current ecological relevance, the exploration of the full diversity remains crucial to decipher the function and dynamic of any community. This work also underlines the importance to associate culture-dependent and -independent approaches to gain an integrative view of the community function. Reviewers This paper was reviewed by Sándor Pongor, Eugene V. Koonin and Brett Baker (nominated by Purificacion Lopez-Garcia.

"Cultural fit": individual and societal discrepancies in values, beliefs, and subjective well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Luo

2006-04-01

The author examined the relationship between cultural values, beliefs, and subjective well-being (SWB) in the context of the "cultural fit" proposition with 3 diverse Chinese samples from Taiwan and Mainland China (N = 581). The author found that beliefs regarding the independent self, the interdependent self, active control, and relationship harmony as forming individual-level culture were consistently related to SWB. Furthermore, the author found that the magnitude of cultural fit was associated with SWB for certain groups of the Chinese people. It is most interesting that the direction of cultural fit regarding independent self was also important for SWB. Specifically, people who endorsed higher independent self but expected lower societal endorsement of such views were better off in SWB than those of the opposite combination.

Flexible cultural repertoires

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindegaard, Marie Rosenkrantz; Zimmermann, Francisca

2017-01-01

Despite extensive studies of street culture and the risks of offending and victimization in urban marginalized areas, little is known about the role of cultural repertoires for variation in victimization risks among young men not involved in crime. Based on two ethnographic studies, conducted...... independently of the authors in neighbouring township areas of Cape Town, we offer insights into patterns of victimization among young men not involved in crime who live and attend school in the townships. Young men WHO perform decent cultural repertoires are highly exposed to victimization due to their moral...... rejection of crime-involved youth. Young men who perform flexible cultural repertoires, by incorporating and shifting between gang and decent repertoires, experience low victimization due to their adaptation to crime-involved youth. Findings emphasize the importance of detailed investigations of the way...

Considering the culture of disability in cultural competence education.

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Eddey, Gary E; Robey, Kenneth L

2005-07-01

Cultural competence extends beyond understanding those values, beliefs, and needs that are associated with patients' age or gender or with their racial, ethnic, or religious backgrounds. People hold many simultaneous cultural associations, and each have implications for the care process. The "culture of disability" is a pan-ethnic culture for which a set of physician competencies are required to ensure appropriate, culturally sensitive care to persons with congenital or acquired disabilities. Such competencies include communicating with patients who have deficits in verbal communication and avoidance of infantilizing speech; understanding the values and needs of persons with disabilities; the ability to encourage self-advocacy skills of patients and families; acknowledging the core values of disability culture including the emphasis on interdependence rather than independence; and feeling comfortable with patients with complex disabilities. Medical schools have developed programs to increase students' exposure to persons with disabilities and it is suggested that such programs are most effective when they are the result of collaboration with community-based facilities or organizations that serve persons with disabilities in the natural environment. Combining lecture-based instruction and structured experiences with the opportunity for students to interact with patients in their natural environments may facilitate development of competencies with respect to patients with disabilities. The culture of disability should be included as one of the many cultures addressed in cultural competence initiatives in medical school and residency curricula.

Bacterial diversity of Taxus rhizosphere: culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Da Cheng; Ge, Guang Bo; Yang, Ling

2008-07-01

The regional variability of Taxus rhizosphere bacterial community composition and diversity was studied by comparative analysis of three large 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from the Taxus rhizosphere in different regions of China (subtropical and temperate regions). One hundred and forty-six clones were screened for three libraries. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that the abundance of sequences affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria was higher in the library from the T. xmedia rhizosphere of the temperate region compared with the subtropical Taxus mairei rhizosphere. On the other hand, Acidobacteria was more abundant in libraries from the subtropical Taxus mairei rhizosphere. Richness estimates and diversity indices of three libraries revealed major differences, indicating a higher richness in the Taxus rhizosphere bacterial communities of the subtropical region and considerable variability in the bacterial community composition within this region. By enrichment culture, a novel Actinobacteria strain DICP16 was isolated from the T. xmedia rhizosphere of the temperate region and was identified as Leifsonia shinshuensis sp. via 16S rRNA gene and gyrase B sequence analyses. DICP16 was able to remove the xylosyl group from 7-xylosyl-10-deacetylbaccatin III and 7-xylosyl-10-deacetylpaclitaxel, thereby making the xylosyltaxanes available as sources of 10-deacetylbaccatin III and the anticancer drug paclitaxel. Taken together, the present studies provide, for the first time, the knowledge of the biodiversity of microorganisms populating Taxus rhizospheres.

Just How Many Different Forms of Culture Are There?

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Adam B.

2010-01-01

Responds to comments by H. Takooshian and J. K. Tebes on the current author's original article, "Many forms of culture". The current author argued that psychologists tend to focus on too narrow a set of cultures (ethnic and national cultures) and some dimensions of those cultures (individualism-collectivism, independence-interdependence). He then…

Cultural Capital and Teaching Ability Rating

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jæger, Mads Meier

do not possess cultural capital. This paper uses extremely rich longitudinal data that provides a better basis than previous studies for holding ‘everything else’ constant. In addition to children and parents’ cultural capital, I control for children’s actual academic ability, physical appearance......, health impairments, social behaviour, antenatal influences, and many family background characteristics. My analysis shows, first, that both children and parents’ cultural capital have independent effects on teacher ability ratings. Second, for oral ability I find that parents’ cultural capital ‘protects...

Infection with Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food and the Effect of Increasing Use of Culture-Independent Diagnostic Tests on Surveillance--Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 2012-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jennifer Y; Henao, Olga L; Griffin, Patricia M; Vugia, Duc J; Cronquist, Alicia B; Hurd, Sharon; Tobin-D'Angelo, Melissa; Ryan, Patricia; Smith, Kirk; Lathrop, Sarah; Zansky, Shelley; Cieslak, Paul R; Dunn, John; Holt, Kristin G; Wolpert, Beverly J; Patrick, Mary E

2016-04-15

To evaluate progress toward prevention of enteric and foodborne illnesses in the United States, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) monitors the incidence of laboratory-confirmed infections caused by nine pathogens transmitted commonly through food in 10 U.S. sites. This report summarizes preliminary 2015 data and describes trends since 2012. In 2015, FoodNet reported 20,107 confirmed cases (defined as culture-confirmed bacterial infections and laboratory-confirmed parasitic infections), 4,531 hospitalizations, and 77 deaths. FoodNet also received reports of 3,112 positive culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) without culture-confirmation, a number that has markedly increased since 2012. Diagnostic testing practices for enteric pathogens are rapidly moving away from culture-based methods. The continued shift from culture-based methods to CIDTs that do not produce the isolates needed to distinguish between strains and subtypes affects the interpretation of public health surveillance data and ability to monitor progress toward prevention efforts. Expanded case definitions and strategies for obtaining bacterial isolates are crucial during this transition period.

Long-term brain slice culturing in a microfluidic platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedarethinam, Indumathi; Avaliani, N.; Tønnesen, J.

2011-01-01

In this work, we present the development of a transparent poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) based microfluidic culture system for handling long-term brain slice cultures independent of an incubator. The different stages of system development have been validated by culturing GFP producing brain sli...

Culture in action

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murakami, Kyoko

2012-01-01

overview of the development of discourse analysis and discursive psychology and highlight key philosophical foundations and theoretical assumptions on which discursive psychology and practice of discourse analysis are based. As the examples of discourse analysis, I will demonstrate how culture can......The overall aim of this chapter is to discuss an approach to studying culture by drawing on the project of remembering and reconciliation from a discursive psychology perspective. I demonstrate discourse analysis from research using a case of the Anglo-Japanese reconciliation. I provide a brief...... be studied as a topic of members' concern. In this view, culture is not a matter of the researcher's concern to handle as a causal factor or independent variable. Discursive psychologists study culture as a resource for the participants. Finally, I will discuss the implication of the discursive approach...

Electronic structure of molecular Rydberg states of some small molecules and molecular ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Biao; Li Jiaming

1993-01-01

Based on an independent-particle-approximation (i.e. the multiple scattering self-consistent-field theory), the electronic structures of Rydberg states of the small diatomic molecules H 2 , He 2 and the He 2 + molecular ion were studied. The principal quantum number of the first state of the Rydberg series is determined from a convention of the limit of the molecular electronic configuration. The dynamics of the excited molecules and molecular ion has been elucidated. The theoretical results are in fair agreement with the existing experimental measurements, thus they can serve as a reliable basis for future refined treatment such as the configuration interaction calculation

Marine Biotoxins: Laboratory Culture and Molecular Structure

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-21

ciguateric carnivorous fishes in concentrations ranging from I to 10 ppb. Its molecular structure has been elucidated. It has been isolated from toxic...American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 1984, pp 217-329. 6. Med. J. Australia 1986, 145 (11/12), 558; 584-5M). 7. "Toxic Plants and Animals A Guide...isolated and grown in the laboratory. Lethality of crude acetone and methanol extracts were assa~ed by ip injection into mice. In vitro cytotoxicity and

Multicenter evaluation of molecular and culture-dependent diagnostics for Shigella species and Entero-invasive Escherichia coli in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

van den Beld, Maaike J C; Friedrich, Alexander W; van Zanten, Evert; Reubsaet, Frans A G; Kooistra-Smid, Mirjam A M D; Rossen, John W A

2016-12-01

An inter-laboratory collaborative trial for the evaluation of diagnostics for detection and identification of Shigella species and Entero-invasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) was performed. Sixteen Medical Microbiological Laboratories (MMLs) participated. MMLs were interviewed about their diagnostic methods and a sample panel, consisting of DNA-extracts and spiked stool samples with different concentrations of Shigella flexneri, was provided to each MML. The results of the trial showed an enormous variety in culture-dependent and molecular diagnostic techniques currently used among MMLs. Despite the various molecular procedures, 15 out of 16 MMLs were able to detect Shigella species or EIEC in all the samples provided, showing that the diversity of methods has no effect on the qualitative detection of Shigella flexneri. In contrast to semi quantitative analysis, the minimum and maximum values per sample differed by approximately five threshold cycles (Ct-value) between the MMLs included in the study. This indicates that defining a uniform Ct-value cut-off for notification to health authorities is not advisable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular-alignment dependence in the transfer excitation of H2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Y.D.; McGuire, J.H.; Weaver, O.L.; Corchs, S.E.; Rivarola, R.D.

1993-01-01

Molecular-alignment effects in the transfer excitation of H 2 by high-velocity heavy ions are studied using a two-step mechanism with amplitudes evaluated from first-order perturbation theory. Two-electron transfer excitation is treated as a result of two independent collision processes (excitation and electron transfer). Cross sections for each one-electron subprocess as well as the combined two-electron process are calculated as functions of the molecular-alignment angle. Within the independent-electron approximation, the dynamic roles of electron excitation and transfer in conjunction with molecular alignment are explored. While both excitation and transfer cross sections may strongly depend on molecular alignment, it is electron transfer that is largely responsible for the molecular-alignment dependence in the transfer excitation process. Interpretation of some experimental observations based on this model will also be discussed

Mental health service user participation in Chinese culture: a model of independence or interdependence?

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jessica Pui-Shan; Tse, Samson Shu-Ki; Davidson, Larry; Cheng, Patrick

2017-12-22

Current models of user participation in mental health services were developed within Western culture and thus may not be applicable to Chinese communities. To present a new model of user participation, which emerged from research within a Chinese community, for understanding the processes of and factors influencing user participation in a non-Western culture. Multiple qualitative methods, including focus groups, individual in-depth interviews, and photovoice, were applied within the framework of constructivist grounded theory and collaborative research. Diverging from conceptualizations of user participation with emphasis on civil rights and the individual as a central agent, participants in the study highlighted the interpersonal dynamics between service users and different players affecting the participation intensity and outcomes. They valued a reciprocal relationship with their caregivers in making treatment decisions, cooperated with staff to observe power hierarchies and social harmony, identified the importance of peer support in enabling service engagement and delivery, and emphasized professional facilitation in advancing involvement at the policy level. User participation in Chinese culture embeds dynamic interdependence. The proposed model adds this new dimension to the existing frameworks and calls for attention to the complex local ecology and cultural consistency in realizing user participation.

Differential Gene Expression Profiling of Enriched Human Spermatogonia after Short- and Long-Term Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabine Conrad

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to provide a molecular signature for enriched adult human stem/progenitor spermatogonia during short-term (<2 weeks and long-term culture (up to more than 14 months in comparison to human testicular fibroblasts and human embryonic stem cells. Human spermatogonia were isolated by CD49f magnetic activated cell sorting and collagen−/laminin+ matrix binding from primary testis cultures obtained from ten adult men. For transcriptomic analysis, single spermatogonia-like cells were collected based on their morphology and dimensions using a micromanipulation system from the enriched germ cell cultures. Immunocytochemical, RT-PCR and microarray analyses revealed that the analyzed populations of cells were distinct at the molecular level. The germ- and pluripotency-associated genes and genes of differentiation/spermatogenesis pathway were highly expressed in enriched short-term cultured spermatogonia. After long-term culture, a proportion of cells retained and aggravated the “spermatogonial” gene expression profile with the expression of germ and pluripotency-associated genes, while in the majority of long-term cultured cells this molecular profile, typical for the differentiation pathway, was reduced and more genes related to the extracellular matrix production and attachment were expressed. The approach we provide here to study the molecular status of in vitro cultured spermatogonia may be important to optimize the culture conditions and to evaluate the germ cell plasticity in the future.

Micropropagation, genetic engineering, and molecular biology of Populus

Science.gov (United States)

N. B. Klopfenstein; Y. W. Chun; M. -S. Kim; M. A. Ahuja; M. C. Dillon; R. C. Carman; L. G. Eskew

1997-01-01

Thirty-four Populus biotechnology chapters, written by 85 authors, are comprised in 5 sections: 1) in vitro culture (micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, protoplasts, somaclonal variation, and germplasm preservation); 2) transformation and foreign gene expression; 3) molecular biology (molecular/genetic characterization); 4) biotic and abiotic resistance (disease,...

Use of cultivation-dependent and -independent techniques to assess contamination of central venous catheters: a pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Høiby Niels

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Catheters are the most common cause of nosocomial infections and are associated with increased risk of mortality, length of hospital stay and cost. Prevention of infections and fast and correct diagnosis is highly important. Methods In this study traditional semiquantitative culture-dependent methods for diagnosis of bacteria involved in central venous catheter-related infections as described by Maki were compared with the following culture-independent molecular biological methods: Clone libraries, denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis, phylogeny and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results In accordance with previous studies, the cultivation of central venous catheters from 18 patients revealed that S. epidermidis and other coagulase-negative staphylococci were most abundant and that a few other microorganisms such as P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae occasionally were found on the catheters. The molecular analysis using clone libraries and sequencing, denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis and sequencing provided several important results. The species found by cultivation were confirmed by molecular methods. However, many other bacteria belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes were also found, stressing that only a minor portion of the species present were found by cultivation. Some of these bacteria are known to be pathogens, some have not before been described in relation to human health, and some were not closely related to known pathogens and may represent new pathogenic species. Furthermore, there was a clear difference between the bacterial species found in biofilm on the external (exluminal and internal (luminal side of the central venous catheter, which can not be detected by Maki's method. Polymicrobial biofilms were observed on most of the catheters and were much more common than the cultivation-dependent methods indicated. Conclusion The results show that diagnosis

Characterisation of prototype Nurmi cultures using culture-based microbiological techniques and PCR-DGGE.

Science.gov (United States)

Waters, Sinéad M; Murphy, Richard A; Power, Ronan F G

2006-08-01

Undefined Nurmi-type cultures (NTCs) have been used successfully to prevent salmonella colonisation in poultry for decades. Such cultures are derived from the caecal contents of specific-pathogen-free birds and are administered via drinking water or spray application onto eggs in the hatchery. These cultures consist of many non-culturable and obligately anaerobic bacteria. Due to their undefined nature it is difficult to obtain approval from regulatory agencies to use these preparations as direct fed microbials for poultry. In this study, 10 batches of prototype NTCs were produced using an identical protocol over a period of 2 years. Traditional microbiological techniques and a molecular culture-independent methodology, polymerase chain reaction combined with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), were applied to characterise these cultures and also to examine if the constituents of the NTCs were identical. Culture-dependent analysis of these cultures included plating on a variety of selective and semi-selective agars, examination of colony morphology, Gram-staining and a series of biochemical tests (API, BioMerieux, France). Two sets of PCR-DGGE studies were performed. These involved the amplification of universal and subsequently lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-specific hypervariable regions of a 16S rRNA gene by PCR. Resultant amplicons were subjected to DGGE. Sequence analysis was performed on subsequent bands present in resultant DGGE profiles using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Microbiological culturing techniques tended to isolate common probiotic bacterial species from the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Clostridium, Escherichia, Pediococcus and Enterobacterium as well as members of the genera, Actinomyces, Bacteroides, Propionibacterium, Capnocytophaga, Proteus, and Klebsiella. Bacteroides, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Brevibacterium, Klebsiella, Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Bacillus, Eubacterium

A review of gastrointestinal microbiology with special emphasis on molecular microbial ecology approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackie, R.I.; Cann, I.K.O.

2005-01-01

All animals, including humans, are adapted to life in a microbial world. Large populations of micro-organisms inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of all animals and form a closely integrated ecological unit with the host. This complex, mixed, microbial culture can be considered the most metabolically adaptable and rapidly renewable organ of the body, which plays a vital role in the normal nutritional, physiological, immunological and protective functions of the host animal. Bacteria have traditionally been classified mainly on the basis of phenotypic properties. Despite the vast amount of knowledge generated for ruminal and other intestinal ecosystems using traditional techniques, the basic requisites for ecological studies, namely, enumeration and identification of all community members, have limitations. The two major problems faced by microbial ecologists are bias introduced by culture-based enumeration and characterization techniques, and the lack of a phylogenetically-based classification scheme. Modem molecular ecology techniques based on sequence comparisons of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) can be used to provide molecular characterization while at the same time providing a classification scheme that predicts natural evolutionary relationships. These molecular methods provide results that are independent of growth conditions and media used. Also, using these techniques, bacteria can be classified and identified before they can be grown in pure culture. These nucleic acid-based techniques will enable gut microbiologists to answer the most difficult question in microbial ecology: namely, describing the exact role or function a specific bacterium plays in its natural environment and its quantitative contribution to the whole. However, rather than replacing the classical culture-based system, the new molecular-based techniques can be used in combination with the classical approach to improve cultivation, speciation and evaluation of diversity. The study of microbial

The influence of culture: holistic versus analytic perception.

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Nisbett, Richard E; Miyamoto, Yuri

2005-10-01

There is recent evidence that perceptual processes are influenced by culture. Westerners tend to engage in context-independent and analytic perceptual processes by focusing on a salient object independently of its context, whereas Asians tend to engage in context-dependent and holistic perceptual processes by attending to the relationship between the object and the context in which the object is located. Recent research has explored mechanisms underlying such cultural differences, which indicate that participating in different social practices leads to both chronic as well as temporary shifts in perception. These findings establish a dynamic relationship between the cultural context and perceptual processes. We suggest that perception can no longer be regarded as consisting of processes that are universal across all people at all times.

Test of a cultural framework of parenting with Latino families of young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Calzada, Esther J; Huang, Keng-Yen; Anicama, Catherine; Fernandez, Yenny; Brotman, Laurie Miller

2012-07-01

This study examined the mental health and academic functioning of 442 4- and 5-year old children of Mexican (MA) and Dominican (DA) immigrant mothers using a cultural framework of Latino parenting. Data were collected on mothers' self-reported acculturative status, parenting practices and cultural socialization, and on children's behavioral functioning (mother- and teacher-report) and school readiness (child test). Results provide partial support for the validity of the framework in which mothers' acculturative status and socialization of respeto (a Latino cultural value of respect) and independence (a U.S. American cultural value) predict parenting practices. For both groups, English language competence was related to less socialization of respeto, and other domains of acculturative status (i.e., U.S. American/ethnic identity, and U.S. American/ethnic cultural competence) were related to more socialization of respeto and independence. Socialization of respeto was related to the use of authoritarian practices and socialization of independence was related to the use of authoritative practices. Socialization of respeto was also related to lower school readiness for DA children, whereas socialization of independence was related to higher school readiness for MA children. Independence was also related to higher teacher-rated externalizing problems for MA children. For both groups, authoritarian parenting was associated with more parent-reported internalizing and externalizing problems. The discussion focuses on ethnic subgroup differences and similarities to further understanding of Latino parenting from a cultural perspective.

Test of a Cultural Framework of Parenting With Latino Families of Young Children

Science.gov (United States)

Calzada, Esther J.; Huang, Keng-Yen; Anicama, Catherine; Fernandez, Yenny; Brotman, Laurie Miller

2015-01-01

This study examined the mental health and academic functioning of 442 4- and 5-year old children of Mexican (MA) and Dominican (DA) immigrant mothers using a cultural framework of Latino parenting. Data were collected on mothers' self-reported acculturative status, parenting practices and cultural socialization, and on children's behavioral functioning (mother- and teacher-report) and school readiness (child test). Results provide partial support for the validity of the framework in which mothers' acculturative status and socialization of respeto (a Latino cultural value of respect) and independence (a U.S. American cultural value) predict parenting practices. For both groups, English language competence was related to less socialization of respeto, and other domains of acculturative status (i.e., U.S. American/ethnic identity, and U.S. American/ethnic cultural competence) were related to more socialization of respeto and independence. Socialization of respeto was related to the use of authoritarian practices and socialization of independence was related to the use of authoritative practices. Socialization of respeto was also related to lower school readiness for DA children, whereas socialization of independence was related to higher school readiness for MA children. Independence was also related to higher teacher-rated externalizing problems for MA children. For both groups, authoritarian parenting was associated with more parent-reported internalizing and externalizing problems. The discussion focuses on ethnic subgroup differences and similarities to further understanding of Latino parenting from a cultural perspective. PMID:22686147

Isolation and molecular characterization of phytase producing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Isolation and molecular characterization of phytase producing bacteria from Malaysia hot springs. ... The strains were further analyzed in broth culture using sodium phytate as substrate. Among them, strain L3 was selected as the best producer (0.16 U/ml after 72 h of culture). This phytase showed optimal activity at 37 °C ...

Semester-long inquiry-based molecular biology laboratory: Transcriptional regulation in yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Oelkers, Peter M

2017-03-04

A single semester molecular biology laboratory has been developed in which students design and execute a project examining transcriptional regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three weeks of planning are allocated to developing a hypothesis through literature searches and use of bioinformatics. Common experimental plans address a cell process and how three genes that encode for proteins involved in that process are transcriptionally regulated in response to changing environmental conditions. Planning includes designing oligonucleotides to amplify the putative promoters of the three genes of interest. After the PCR, each product is cloned proximal to β-galactosidase in a yeast reporter plasmid. Techniques used include agarose electrophoresis, extraction of DNA from agarose, plasmid purification from bacteria, restriction digestion, ligation, and bacterial transformation. This promoter/reporter plasmid is then transformed into yeast. Transformed yeast are cultured in conditions prescribed in the experimental design, lysed and β-galactosidase activity is measured. The course provides an independent research experience in a group setting. Notebooks are maintained on-line with regular feedback. Projects culminate with the presentation of a poster worth 60% of the grade. Over the last three years, about 65% of students met expectations for experimental design, data acquisition, and analysis. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):145-151, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Individual vs. combinatorial effect of elevated CO2 conditions and salinity stress on Arabidopsis thaliana liquid cultures: Comparing the early molecular response using time-series transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dutta Bhaskar

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this study, we investigated the individual and combinatorial effect of elevated CO2 conditions and salinity stress on the dynamics of both the transcriptional and metabolic physiology of Arabidopsis thaliana liquid hydroponic cultures over the first 30 hours of continuous treatment. Both perturbations are of particular interest in plant and agro-biotechnological applications. Moreover, within the timeframe of this experiment, they are expected to affect plant growth to opposite directions. Thus, a major objective was to investigate whether this expected "divergence" was valid for the individual perturbations and to study how it is manifested under the combined stress at two molecular levels of cellular function, using high-throughput analyses. Results We observed that a high salinity has stronger effect than elevated CO2 at both the transcriptional and metabolic levels, b the transcriptional responses to the salinity and combined stresses exhibit strong similarity, implying a robust transcriptional machinery acting to the salinity stress independent of the co-occurrence of elevated CO2, c the combinatorial effect of the two perturbations on the metabolic physiology is milder than of the salinity stress alone. Metabolomic analysis suggested that the beneficial role of elevated CO2 on salt-stressed plants within the timeframe of this study should be attributed to the provided additional resources; these allow the plants to respond to high salinity without having to forfeit other major metabolic functions, and d 9 h-12 h and 24 h of treatment coincide with significant changes in the metabolic physiology under any of the investigated stresses. Significant differences between the acute and longer term responses were observed at both molecular levels. Conclusions This study contributes large-scale dynamic omic data from two levels of cellular function for a plant system under various stresses. It provides an additional example

Trophic Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Chondrocyte Co-Cultures are Independent of Culture Conditions and Cell Sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, Ling; Prins, H.J.; Helder, M.; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; Karperien, Hermanus Bernardus Johannes

2012-01-01

Earlier, we have shown that the increased cartilage production in pellet co-cultures of chondrocytes and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) is due to a trophic role of the MSC in stimulating chondrocyte proliferation and matrix production rather than MSCs actively undergoing

Trophic effects of mesenchymal stem cells in chondrocyte co-cultures are independent of culture conditions and cell sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, L.; Prins, H.J.; Helder, M.N.; van Blitterswijk, C.A.; Karperien, M.

2012-01-01

Earlier, we have shown that the increased cartilage production in pellet co-cultures of chondrocytes and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) is due to a trophic role of the MSC in stimulating chondrocyte proliferation and matrix production rather than MSCs actively undergoing

Institutionalisation without internalisation. The cultural dimension of French-German conflicts on European Central Bank independence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Esch, F.A.W.J. van; Jong, E. de

2013-01-01

When accepting the Maastricht treaty, the members of the Euro-zone agreed on the establishment of a very independent European Central Bank (ECB). Over the years, however, French political leaders systematically brought forward proposals undermining the ECB’s independence, much to the dismay of their

Mapping axillary microbiota responsible for body odours using a culture-independent approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Troccaz, Myriam; Gaïa, Nadia; Beccucci, Sabine; Schrenzel, Jacques; Cayeux, Isabelle; Starkenmann, Christian; Lazarevic, Vladimir

2015-01-01

Human axillary odour is commonly attributed to the bacterial degradation of precursors in sweat secretions. To assess the role of bacterial communities in the formation of body odours, we used a culture-independent approach to study axillary skin microbiota and correlated these data with olfactory analysis. Twenty-four Caucasian male and female volunteers and four assessors showed that the underarms of non-antiperspirant (non-AP) users have significantly higher global sweat odour intensities and harboured on average about 50 times more bacteria than those of AP users. Global sweat odour and odour descriptors sulfury-cat urine and acid-spicy generally increased from the morning to the afternoon sessions. Among non-AP users, male underarm odours were judged higher in intensity with higher fatty and acid-spicy odours and higher bacterial loads. Although the content of odour precursors in underarm secretions varied widely among individuals, males had a higher acid: sulfur precursor ratio than females did. No direct correlations were found between measured precursor concentration and sweat odours. High-throughput sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA genes of underarm bacteria collected from 11 non-AP users (six females and five males) confirmed the strong dominance of the phyla Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, with 96% of sequences assigned to the genera Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium. The proportion of several bacterial taxa showed significant variation between males and females. The genera Anaerococcus and Peptoniphilus and the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from Staphylococcus haemolyticus and the genus Corynebacterium were more represented in males than in females. The genera Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium were correlated and anti-correlated, respectively, with body odours. Within the genus Staphylococcus, different OTUs were either positively or negatively correlated with axillary odour. The relative abundance of five OTUs (three

Optimized molecular resolution of cross-contamination alerts in clinical mycobacteriology laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

de Viedma Darío

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The phenomenon of misdiagnosing tuberculosis (TB by laboratory cross-contamination when culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB has been widely reported and it has an obvious clinical, therapeutic and social impact. The final confirmation of a cross-contamination event requires the molecular identification of the same MTB strain cultured from both the potential source of the contamination and from the false-positive candidate. The molecular tool usually applied in this context is IS6110-RFLP which takes a long time to provide an answer, usually longer than is acceptable for microbiologists and clinicians to make decisions. Our purpose in this study is to evaluate a novel PCR-based method, MIRU-VNTR as an alternative to assure a rapid and optimized analysis of cross-contamination alerts. Results MIRU-VNTR was prospectively compared with IS6110-RFLP for clarifying 19 alerts of false positivity from other laboratories. MIRU-VNTR highly correlated with IS6110-RFLP, reduced the response time by 27 days and clarified six alerts unresolved by RFLP. Additionally, MIRU-VNTR revealed complex situations such as contamination events involving polyclonal isolates and a false-positive case due to the simultaneous cross-contamination from two independent sources. Conclusion Unlike standard RFLP-based genotyping, MIRU-VNTR i could help reduce the impact of a false positive diagnosis of TB, ii increased the number of events that could be solved and iii revealed the complexity of some cross-contamination events that could not be dissected by IS6110-RFLP.

Adolescents Family Models : A Cross-Cultural Study

OpenAIRE

Mayer, Boris

2009-01-01

This study explores and compares the family models of adolescents across ten cultures using a typological and multilevel approach. Thereby, it aims to empirically contribute to Kagitcibasi s (2007) theory of family change. This theory postulates the existence of three ideal-typical family models across cultures: a family model of independence prevailing in Western societies, a family model of (total) interdependence prevailing in non-industrialized agrarian cultures, and as a synthesis of the...

Modelling the evolution and diversity of cumulative culture

Science.gov (United States)

Enquist, Magnus; Ghirlanda, Stefano; Eriksson, Kimmo

2011-01-01

Previous work on mathematical models of cultural evolution has mainly focused on the diffusion of simple cultural elements. However, a characteristic feature of human cultural evolution is the seemingly limitless appearance of new and increasingly complex cultural elements. Here, we develop a general modelling framework to study such cumulative processes, in which we assume that the appearance and disappearance of cultural elements are stochastic events that depend on the current state of culture. Five scenarios are explored: evolution of independent cultural elements, stepwise modification of elements, differentiation or combination of elements and systems of cultural elements. As one application of our framework, we study the evolution of cultural diversity (in time as well as between groups). PMID:21199845

An investigation of the relationship between innovation and cultural diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandler, Anne; Laland, Kevin N

2009-08-01

In this paper we apply reaction-diffusion models to explore the relationship between the rate of behavioural innovation and the level of cultural diversity. We investigate how both independent invention and the modification and refinement of established innovations impact on cultural dynamics and diversity. Further, we analyse these relationships in the presence of biases in cultural learning and find that the introduction of new variants typically increases cultural diversity substantially in the short term, but may decrease long-term diversity. Independent invention generally supports higher levels of cultural diversity than refinement. Repeated patterns of innovation through refinement generate characteristic oscillating trends in diversity, with increasing trends towards greater average diversity observed for medium but not low innovation rates. Conformity weakens the relationship between innovation and diversity. The level of cultural diversity, and pattern of temporal dynamics, potentially provide clues as to the underlying process, which can be used to interpret empirical data.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibits glioma cell growth independent of its enzymatic activity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Busek, P.; Stremeňová, J.; Sromová, L.; Hilser, M.; Balaziová, E.; Kosek, D.; Trylcová, J.; Strnad, Hynek; Křepela, E.; Šedo, A.

2012-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 5 (2012), s. 738-747 ISSN 1357-2725 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : protease * tumour suppression * primary cell cultures * astrocytoma Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 4.152, year: 2012

Molecular imaging in Libman-Sacks endocarditis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, Anders; Schaadt, Bente K; Santoni-Rugiu, Eric

2015-01-01

cardiothoracic surgery and pathologic examinations showed characteristic morphology of Libman-Sacks vegetations. All microbiological examinations including blood cultures, microscopy, culture and 16s PCR of the valve were negative and the diagnosis of Libman-Sacks endocarditis was convincing. It is difficult...... to distinguish Libman-Sacks endocarditis from culture-negative infective endocarditis (IE). Molecular imaging techniques are being used increasingly in cases of suspected IE but no studies have previously reported the use in patients with Libman-Sacks endocarditis. In the present case, (18)F-FDG-PET-CT clearly...

Culture-Independent Evaluation of the Appendix and Rectum Microbiomes in Children with and without Appendicitis

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Katherine P.; Fraser, Claire M.; Sandler, Anthony D.; Zeichner, Steven L.

2014-01-01

Purpose The function of the appendix is largely unknown, but its microbiota likely contributes to function. Alterations in microbiota may contribute to appendicitis, but conventional culture studies have not yielded conclusive information. We conducted a pilot, culture-independent 16S rRNA-based microbiota study of paired appendix and rectal samples. Methods We collected appendix and rectal swabs from 21 children undergoing appendectomy, six with normal appendices and fifteen with appendicitis (nine perforated). After DNA extraction, we amplified and sequenced 16S rRNA genes and analyzed sequences using CLoVR. We identified organisms differing in relative abundance using ANOVA (pappendicitis vs. normal), and disease severity (perforated vs. non-perforated). Results We identified 290 taxa in the study's samples. Three taxa were significantly increased in normal appendices vs. normal rectal samples: Fusibacter (p = 0.009), Selenomonas (p = 0.026), and Peptostreptococcus (p = 0.049). Five taxa were increased in abundance in normal vs. diseased appendices: Paenibacillaceae (p = 0.005), Acidobacteriaceae GP4 (p = 0.019), Pseudonocardinae (p = 0.019), Bergeyella (p = 0.019) and Rhizobium (p = 0.045). Twelve taxa were increased in the appendices of appendicitis patients vs. normal appendix: Peptostreptococcus (p = 0.0003), Bilophila (p = 0.0004), Bulleidia (p = 0.012), Fusobacterium (p = 0.018), Parvimonas (p = 0.003), Mogibacterium (p = 0.012), Aminobacterium (p = 0.019), Proteus (p = 0.028), Actinomycineae (p = 0.028), Anaerovorax (p = 0.041), Anaerofilum (p = 0.045), Porphyromonas (p = 0.010). Five taxa were increased in appendices in patients with perforated vs. nonperforated appendicitis: Bulleidia (p = 0.004), Fusibacter (p = 0.005), Prevotella (p = 0.021), Porphyromonas (p = 0.030), Dialister (p = 0.035). Three taxa were increased in rectum samples of patients with

Culture modulates brain activity during empathy with anger.

Science.gov (United States)

de Greck, Moritz; Shi, Zhenhao; Wang, Gang; Zuo, Xiangyu; Yang, Xuedong; Wang, Xiaoying; Northoff, Georg; Han, Shihui

2012-02-01

Interdependent cultures (such as the Chinese) and independent cultures (such as the German) differ in their attitude towards harmony that is more valued in interdependent cultures. Interdependent and independent cultures also differ in their appreciation of anger--an emotion that implies the disruption of harmony. The present study investigated if interdependent and independent cultures foster distinct brain activity associated with empathic processing of familiar angry, familiar neutral, and unfamiliar neutral faces. Using functional MRI, we scanned Chinese and German healthy subjects during an intentional empathy task, a control task (the evaluation of skin color), and a baseline condition. The subject groups were matched with regard to age, gender, and education. Behaviorally, Chinese subjects described themselves as significantly more interdependent compared to German subjects. The contrast 'intentional empathy for familiar angry'>'baseline' revealed several regions, including the left inferior frontal cortex, the left supplementary motor area, and the left insula, that showed comparable hemodynamic responses in both groups. However, the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex had stronger hemodynamic responses in Chinese subjects in the contrast 'intentional empathy for familiar angry'>'baseline'. Germans, in contrast, showed stronger hemodynamic responses in the right temporo-parietal junction, right inferior and superior temporal gyrus, and left middle insula for the same contrast. Hemodynamic responses in the latter three brain regions correlated with interdependences scores over all subjects. Our results suggest that enhanced emotion regulation during empathy with anger in the interdependent lifestyle is mediated by the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Increased tolerance towards the expression of anger in the independent lifestyle, in contrast, is associated with increased activity of the right inferior and superior temporal gyrus and the left middle

Are Independent Probes Truly Independent?

Science.gov (United States)

Camp, Gino; Pecher, Diane; Schmidt, Henk G.; Zeelenberg, Rene

2009-01-01

The independent cue technique has been developed to test traditional interference theories against inhibition theories of forgetting. In the present study, the authors tested the critical criterion for the independence of independent cues: Studied cues not presented during test (and unrelated to test cues) should not contribute to the retrieval…

An Integrated Approach Using Liquid Culture System Can it Make ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

These automated liquid culture systems, when combined with commercial molecular ... Culture System. Can it Make an Impact for Clinical Diagnosis of ... affected by this disease. .... Tuberculosis in non‑UK‑born persons, England and Wales ...

Molecular diagnostics: the changing culture of medical microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullman, Susan; Lucey, Brigid; Sleator, Roy D

2012-01-01

Diagnostic molecular biology is arguably the fastest growing area in current laboratory-based medicine. Growth of the so called 'omics' technologies has, over the last decade, led to a gradual migration away from the 'one test, one pathogen' paradigm, toward multiplex approaches to infectious disease diagnosis, which have led to significant improvements in clinical diagnostics and ultimately improved patient care.

Aging, culture, and memory for socially meaningful item-context associations: an East-West cross-cultural comparison study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lixia; Li, Juan; Spaniol, Julia; Hasher, Lynn; Wilkinson, Andrea J; Yu, Jing; Niu, Yanan

2013-01-01

Research suggests that people in Eastern interdependent cultures process information more holistically and attend more to contextual information than do people in Western independent cultures. The current study examined the effects of culture and age on memory for socially meaningful item-context associations in 71 Canadians of Western European descent (35 young and 36 older) and 72 native Chinese citizens (36 young and 36 older). All participants completed two blocks of context memory tasks. During encoding, participants rated pictures of familiar objects. In one block, objects were rated either for their meaningfulness in the independent living context or their typicality in daily life. In the other block, objects were rated for their meaningfulness in the context of fostering relationships with others or for their typicality in daily life. The encoding in each block was followed by a recognition test in which participants identified pictures and their associated contexts. The results showed that Chinese outperformed Canadians in context memory, though both culture groups showed similar age-related deficits in item and context memory. The results suggest that Chinese are at an advantage in memory for socially meaningful item-context associations, an advantage that continues from young adulthood into old age.

Molecular detection of Aeromonas hydrophila in the aquarium gold fish and cultured rainbow trout in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiary province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

firouz Fadaeifard

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Aeromonas hydrophilia   is the etiologic agent of motile aeromonas septicaemia, one of the most important bacterial diseases of fresh and marine water fishes. The aim of the present study was detection of A. hydrophilia in the aquarium goldfish and cultured rainbow trout in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiary province.  In this study 50 goldfish from aquarium fish shops and 60 rainbow trouts suspected of having the disease from 6 farms (10 fish in each farm were randomly collected. The average weight in goldfish and rainbow trout samples were 3-5 g and 10-20 g, respectively. Sampling was performed from kidney and liver, and inoculated into blood agar and incubated at 22°C for 24 hours. Pure colonies which are grown on the mediums were tested by catalase, oxidase and gram staining, then those of gram-negative, catalase and oxidase positive were diagnosed, and cultured on Shotts-Rimler medium (as selective medium for A. hydrophila. These mediums were incubated at 22 °C for 24-48 h. The typical colonies were tested by using oligonucleotide primers of lip gene by PCR method. In light of molecular analysis of all specimens, 9 and 6 isolates from rainbow trout and gold fishes were identified as A. hydrophila respectively. Due to the detection of A. hydrophila in both cultured rainbow trout and aquarium goldfish, the bacteria can lead to septicemia with mortality if the health management principles are not observed in fish farming.

Fungal diversity from various marine habitats deduced through culture-independent studies

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Manohar, C.S.; Raghukumar, C.

EBG (2009) Molecular systematics of the marine Dothideomycetes. Stud Mycol 64: 155–173. Thaler AD, Dover CLV & Vilgalys R (2012) Ascomycete phylotypes recovered from a Gulf of Mexico methane seep are identical to an uncultured deep-sea fungal clade..., Basidiomycota Singh et al., 2012 a‡ 8. Central Indian basin ( ~ 5100 m) SSU rRNA and ITS based clone library analysis Ascomycota,Basidiomycota Singh et al., 2012 b† 9. Gulf of Mexico (2400 m) based clone library analysis Ascomycota : DSF Group...

Learner Autonomy in Foreign Language Education and in Cultural Context

OpenAIRE

Ivanovska, Biljana

2015-01-01

The present paper is a brief review of the theoretical concepts about learner autonomy focusing on highlighting the main themes on learner autonomy in foreign language education and in cultural context as a globalized construct. These themes are based on the concepts of learner responsibility and independence, the importance of the autonomy in foreign language education in both the Western and Eastern style and the role of the culture in the concept of learner independence. The present study ...

Identification by culture, PCR, and immunohistochemistry of mycoplasmas and their molecular typing in sheep and lamb lungs with pneumonia in Eastern Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kılıc, Ayşe; Kalender, Hakan; Eroksuz, Hatice; Muz, Adile; Tasdemir, Bülent

2013-10-01

This study used cultures, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and immunoperoxidase to examine samples from 216 lungs from sheep and lambs with macroscopic pneumonia lesions for the presence of Mycoplasma species. DNA was extracted from lung tissue samples and broth cultures with the help of a DNA extraction kit and replicated using genus-specific and species-specific primers for mycoplasma. The lung samples were examined by the immunoperoxidase method using hyperimmune Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae serum. The randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) test was used for the molecular typing of M. ovipneumoniae isolates. Mycoplasma was isolated in the cultures of 80 (37.03 %) of a total of 216 lung samples. Genus-specific mycoplasma DNA was identified by PCR in 96 (44.44 %) samples in broth cultures and 36 (16.66 %) directly in the lung tissue. Of these 96 cases in which genus-specific identification was made, 57 (59.37 %) were positive for reaction with species-specific primers for M. ovipneumoniae and 31 (32.29 %) for Mycoplasma arginini. The DNA of neither of the latter two species could be identified in the remaining eight samples (8.33 %) where mycoplasma had been identified. As for the immunoperoxidase method, it identified M. ovipneumoniae in 61 of 216 lung samples (28 %). Positive staining was concentrated in the bronchial epithelium cell cytoplasm and cell surface. RAPD analysis resulted in 15 different profiles. Our results suggest that PCR methods could be successfully used in the diagnosis of mycoplasma infections as an alternative to culture method and identifying this agent at the species level.

Culture and the Self: Implications for Cognition, Emotion, and Motivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Markus, Hazel Rose; Kitayama, Shinobu

1991-01-01

It is suggested that perceptions of the self, of others, and of the relationship between self and others are very powerful and that this influence is clearly reflected in culture. The independent view of the self, represented in Western culture, is contrasted with the interdependent view in many other cultures. (SLD)

'It's a cultural expectation...' The pressure on medical trainees to work independently in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Tara J T; Regehr, Glenn; Baker, G Ross; Lingard, Lorelei A

2009-07-01

Medical trainees demonstrate a reluctance to ask for help unless they believe it is absolutely necessary, a situation which could impact on the safety of patients. This study aimed to develop a theoretical exploration of the pressure on medical trainees to be independent and to generate theory-based approaches to the implications for patient safety of this pressure towards independent working. In Phase 1, 88 teaching team members from internal and emergency medicine were observed during clinical activities (216 hours), and 65 participants completed brief interviews. In Phase 2, 36 in-depth interviews were conducted using video vignettes. Data collection and analysis employed grounded theory methodology. Participants conceived that the pressure towards independence in clinical work originated in trainees' desire to lay claim to the identity of a doctor (as a member of a group of autonomous high achievers), and in organisational issues such as heavy workloads and constant evaluations. The identity and organisational issues related to the pressure towards independence were explored through the lenses of established theories from education and psychology. Consideration of Lave and Wenger's situated learning theory suggests that giving attention to the 'independent doctor' ideal, through measures such as involving trainees when their supervisors ask for help, could impact the safety of teaching team practice. Amalberti et al.'s migration model explains how pressures to maximise productivity and individual gain may cause teaching teams to migrate beyond the boundaries of safe practice and suggests that managing triggers (such as workload and high-stakes evaluations) for violations of safe practice might improve safety. Implementation and evaluation of these theory-based approaches to the safety of teaching team practice would contribute to a better understanding of the links between trainee independence and patient safety.

Microbial ecology of artisanal italian cheese: Molecular microbial characterization by culture-independent method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colombo, E.; Scarpellini, M.; Franzatti, L.; Dioguardi, L.

2009-01-01

Present study will treat the next topics: ecology of the natural and man made environments and functional diversity of bacteria. The microbial communities in artisanal goat cheeses produced in mountain pastures (typical farms) in Piemonte mountain (North of Italy) change a lot during precessing and ripening time. Moreover cheese microbial ecosystems are different in each small dairy because adventitious microflora can come from the environment and contamination the milk before the cheese making process and the product during manufacture and ripening. (Author)

Microbial ecology of artisanal italian cheese: Molecular microbial characterization by culture-independent method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colombo, E.; Scarpellini, M.; Franzatti, L.; Dioguardi, L.

2009-07-01

Present study will treat the next topics: ecology of the natural and man made environments and functional diversity of bacteria. The microbial communities in artisanal goat cheeses produced in mountain pastures (typical farms) in Piemonte mountain (North of Italy) change a lot during precessing and ripening time. Moreover cheese microbial ecosystems are different in each small dairy because adventitious microflora can come from the environment and contamination the milk before the cheese making process and the product during manufacture and ripening. (Author)

Theoretical Concepts in Molecular Photodissociation Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Niels Engholm

1995-01-01

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Quantum Dynamics of Molecular Photofragmentation The Total Reaction Probability Final Product Distributions Time-Independent Approach, Stationary Scattering States Gaussian Wave Packet Dynamics Wigner Phase Space Representation The Diatomic...

Assessment of Flagellate Diversity at Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents Using the Combined Approach of Culture-Dependent and Culture-Independent Methods

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Atkins, Michael

2000-01-01

.... Molecular and ultrastructural evidence point to one of the isolates. Ancyromonas, as a plausible candidate for the closest relative to the common ancestor of Metazoans, Fungi, and Choanoglagellates...

International exploration by independents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertagne, R.G.

1991-01-01

Recent industry trends indicate that the smaller US independents are looking at foreign exploration opportunities as one of the alternatives for growth in the new age of exploration. It is usually accepted that foreign finding costs per barrel are substantially lower than domestic because of the large reserve potential of international plays. To get involved overseas requires, however, an adaptation to different cultural, financial, legal, operational, and political conditions. Generally foreign exploration proceeds at a slower pace than domestic because concessions are granted by the government, or are explored in partnership with the national oil company. First, a mid- to long-term strategy, tailored to the goals and the financial capabilities of the company, must be prepared; it must be followed by an ongoing evaluation of quality prospects in various sedimentary basins, and a careful planning and conduct of the operations. To successfully explore overseas also requires the presence on the team of a minimum number of explorationists and engineers thoroughly familiar with the various exploratory and operational aspects of foreign work, having had a considerable amount of onsite experience in various geographical and climatic environments. Independents that are best suited for foreign expansion are those that have been financially successful domestically, and have a good discovery track record. When properly approached foreign exploration is well within the reach of smaller US independents and presents essentially no greater risk than domestic exploration; the reward, however, can be much larger and can catapult the company into the big leagues

International exploration by independent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertragne, R.G.

1992-01-01

Recent industry trends indicate that the smaller U.S. independents are looking at foreign exploration opportunities as one of the alternatives for growth in the new age of exploration. Foreign finding costs per barrel usually are accepted to be substantially lower than domestic costs because of the large reserve potential of international plays. To get involved in overseas exploration, however, requires the explorationist to adapt to different cultural, financial, legal, operational, and political conditions. Generally, foreign exploration proceeds at a slower pace than domestic exploration because concessions are granted by a country's government, or are explored in partnership with a national oil company. First, the explorationist must prepare a mid- to long-term strategy, tailored to the goals and the financial capabilities of the company; next, is an ongoing evaluation of quality prospects in various sedimentary basins, and careful planning and conduct of the operations. To successfully explore overseas also requires the presence of a minimum number of explorationists and engineers thoroughly familiar with the various exploratory and operational aspects of foreign work. Ideally, these team members will have had a considerable amount of on-site experience in various countries and climates. Independents best suited for foreign expansion are those who have been financially successful in domestic exploration. When properly approached, foreign exploration is well within the reach of smaller U.S. independents, and presents essentially no greater risk than domestic exploration; however, the reward can be much larger and can catapult the company into the 'big leagues.'

Regulatory Oversight of Safety Culture — Korea’s Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, S.J.; Choi, Y.S.; Kim, J.T.

2016-01-01

In Korea, a regulatory oversight program of safety culture was launched in 2012 to establish regulatory measures against several events caused by weak safety culture in the nuclear industry. This paper is intended to introduce the preliminary regulatory oversight framework, development and validation of safety culture components, pilot safety culture inspection results and lessons learned. The safety culture model should be based on a sound understanding of the national culture and industry characteristics where the model will be applied. The nuclear safety culture oversight model is being developed and built on the Korean regulatory system to independently assess the nuclear power operating organizations’ safety culture.

Safety culture assessment developed by JANTI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamada, Jun

2009-01-01

Japan's JCO accident in September 1999 provided a real-life example of what can happen when insufficient attention is paid to safety culture. This accident brought to light the importance of safety culture and reinforced the movement to foster a safety culture. Despite this, accidents and inappropriate conduct have continued to occur. Therefore, there is a strong demand to instill a safety culture throughout the nuclear power industry. In this context, Japan's nuclear power regulator, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), decided to include in its safety inspections assessments of the safety culture found in power utilities' routine safety operations to get signs of deterioration in the organizational climate. In 2007, NISA constructed guidelines for their inspectors to carry out these assessments. At the same time, utilities have embarked on their own independent safety culture initiatives, such as revising their technical specifications and building effective PDCA cycle to promote safety culture. In concert with these developments, JANTI has also instituted safety culture assessments. (author)

Complex microbiota of a Chinese "Fen" liquor fermentation starter (Fen-Daqu), revealed by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zheng, X.; Zheng, Y.; Han, B.; Zwietering, M.H.; Samson, R.A.; Boekhout, T.; Nout, M.J.R.

2012-01-01

Daqu is a traditional fermentation starter that is used for Chinese liquor production. Although partly mechanized, its manufacturing process has remained traditional. We investigated the microbial diversity of Fen-Daqu, a starter for light-flavour liquor, using combined culture-dependent and

Mass culture and manipulation with consciousness

OpenAIRE

Simukanova Guldariga Serikovna

2015-01-01

The article gives the definition of such concepts as mass society, mass culture and mass consciousness. Specific examples indicate positive and negative effects of globalization on national culture. Particular attention is paid to the interest of independent states for the conservation, protection and development of national values in the context of globalization. The conclusion about the relevance of stability provision and protection of the state raised by globalization has been drawn.

Constitutional provisions on judicial independence and EU standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolaković-Bojović Milica

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Implementation of the 'Checks and balances' principle as one of the milestones in modern democracies, demonstrates its full complexity when it comes to balancing guaranties of judicial independence and the need to prevent misinterpretation or abuse of the rights. Additional issue in that process is determination of the border line between constitutional and guaranties of judicial independence prescribed by law. Raising that issue opens various questions which go beyond the legal framework itself. It actually tackles the historical, political and cultural country background. Furthermore, if analyzed from the prospective of the requirements defined in the accession negotiation process with the EU, constitutional guaranties of (nonapplication of the EU standards might demotivate candidate countries in their efforts to achieve substantial reform results.

The agony of choice in dermatophyte diagnostics-performance of different molecular tests and culture in the detection of Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigitale.

Science.gov (United States)

Kupsch, C; Ohst, T; Pankewitz, F; Nenoff, P; Uhrlaß, S; Winter, I; Gräser, Y

2016-08-01

Dermatophytosis caused by dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum belong to the most frequent mycoses worldwide. Molecular detection methods proved to be highly sensitive and enable rapid and accurate detection of dermatophyte species from clinical specimens. For the first time, we compare the performance of different molecular methods with each other and with conventional diagnostics in the detection of dermatophytoses caused by Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigitale in clinical specimens (nail, skin and hair). The compared molecular methods comprise two already published PCR-ELISAs, a published quantitative RT-PCR as well as a newly developed PCR-ELISA targeting the internal transcribed spacer region. We investigated the sensitivity of the assays by analysing 375 clinical samples. In 148 specimens (39.5%) a positive result was gained in at least one of the four molecular tests or by culture, but the number of detected agents differed significantly between some of the assays. The most sensitive assay, a PCR-ELISA targeting a microsatellite region, detected 81 T. rubrum infections followed by an internal transcribed spacer PCR-ELISA (60), quantitative RT-PCR (52) and a topoisomerase II PCR-ELISA (51), whereas cultivation resulted in T. rubrum identification in 37 samples. The pros and cons of all four tests in routine diagnostics are discussed. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Simple Closed-Form Expression for Penning Reaction Rate Coefficients for Cold Molecular Collisions by Non-Hermitian Time-Independent Adiabatic Scattering Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawlak, Mariusz; Ben-Asher, Anael; Moiseyev, Nimrod

2018-01-09

We present a simple expression and its derivation for reaction rate coefficients for cold anisotropic collision experiments based on adiabatic variational theory and time-independent non-Hermitian scattering theory. We demonstrate that only the eigenenergies of the resulting one-dimensional Schrödinger equation for different complex adiabats are required. The expression is applied to calculate the Penning ionization rate coefficients of an excited metastable helium atom with molecular hydrogen in an energy range spanning from hundreds of kelvins down to the millikelvin regime. Except for trivial quantities like the masses of the nuclei and the bond length of the diatomic molecule participating in the collision, one needs as input data only the complex potential energy surface (CPES). In calculations, we used recently obtained ab initio CPES by D. Bhattacharya et al. ( J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2017 , 13 , 1682 - 1690 ) without fitting parameters. The results show good accord with current measurements ( Nat. Phys. 2017 , 13 , 35 - 38 ).

Methods for plant molecular biology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Weissbach, Arthur; Weissbach, Herbert

1988-01-01

.... Current techniques to carry out plant cell culture and protoplast formation are described as are methods for gene and organelle transfer. The detection of DNA and RNA viruses by molecular probes or ELISA assays and the cloning and transcription of viral RNA complete the volume.

Journal of Cultural Studies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Journal of Cultural Studies was established in 1999 as an independent tool for research development in Africa. It is published by the Nigerian Group for the Study of African ... Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Case for Linguistic and Sexual Politics? EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ...

Traditional and Modern Cell Culture in Virus Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hematian, Ali; Sadeghifard, Nourkhoda; Mohebi, Reza; Taherikalani, Morovat; Nasrolahi, Abbas; Amraei, Mansour; Ghafourian, Sobhan

2016-04-01

Cell cultures are developed from tissue samples and then disaggregated by mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic methods to extract cells suitable for isolation of viruses. With the recent advances in technology, cell culture is considered a gold standard for virus isolation. This paper reviews the evolution of cell culture methods and demonstrates why cell culture is a preferred method for identification of viruses. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of both traditional and modern cell culture methods for diagnosis of each type of virus are discussed. Detection of viruses by the novel cell culture methods is considered more accurate and sensitive. However, there is a need to include some more accurate methods such as molecular methods in cell culture for precise identification of viruses.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Independent Effects of Growth Hormone on Growth Plate Chondrogenesis and Longitudinal Bone Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shufang; Yang, Wei; De Luca, Francesco

2015-07-01

GH stimulates growth plate chondrogenesis and longitudinal bone growth directly at the growth plate. However, it is not clear yet whether these effects are entirely mediated by the local expression and action of IGF-1 and IGF-2. To determine whether GH has any IGF-independent growth-promoting effects, we generated (TamCart)Igf1r(flox/flox) mice. The systemic injection of tamoxifen in these mice postnatally resulted in the excision of the IGF-1 receptor (Igf1r) gene exclusively in the growth plate. (TamCart)Igf1r(flox/flox) tamoxifen-treated mice [knockout (KO) mice] and their Igf1r(flox/flox) control littermates (C mice) were injected for 4 weeks with GH. At the end of the 4-week period, the tibial growth and growth plate height of GH-treated KO mice were greater than those of untreated C or untreated KO mice. The systemic injection of GH increased the phosphorylation of Janus kinase 2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5B in the tibial growth plate of the C and KO mice. In addition, GH increased the mRNA expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and the mRNA expression and protein phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB p65 in both C and KO mice. In cultured chondrocytes transfected with Igf1r small interfering RNA, the addition of GH in the culture medium significantly induced thymidine incorporation and collagen X mRNA expression. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that GH can promote growth plate chondrogenesis and longitudinal bone growth directly at the growth plate, even when the local effects of IGF-1 and IGF-2 are prevented. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the intracellular molecular mechanisms mediating the IGF-independent, growth-promoting GH effects.

Influence of molecular weight on the fracture properties of aliphatic polyketone terpolymers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuiderduin, W.C.J.; Homminga, D.S.; Homminga, D.S.; Huetink, Han; Gaymans, R.J.

2003-01-01

The influence of polymer molecular weight on the mechanical properties of aliphatic polyketones was investigated. The molecular weight varied from 100,000 to 300,000 g mol21. The crystallinity was found to be independent of polymer molecular weight, as was the glass transition temperature. The yield

Commonwealth of the independent states - the new formof interethnic integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ф У Айбазова

2008-06-01

Full Text Available In clause on a concrete historical material the new independent sovereign states are analyzed which have been formed after disintegration of the USSR. Forms of their integration in economic, military, cultural and social integration are shown. Conclusions are done and the offers directed on the further efficiency of their cooperation are formulated.

Supervision of the safety culture in nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-11-01

This brochure issued by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI reports on safety culture aspects in nuclear facilities and ENSI’s activities as a supervisory instance. ENSI is the independent supervisory authority for the nuclear sector in Switzerland. A definition of safety culture is presented and the development of the concepts used in its monitoring are discussed. The main attributes of a good safety culture are discussed. Further, the conceptual basics and principles of such monitoring are looked at and the methods used for the supervision of safety culture in nuclear facilities are described

Beyond the 'East-West' dichotomy:global variation in cultural models of selfhood

OpenAIRE

Vignoles, Vivian L.; Owe, Ellinor; Becker, Maja; Smith, Peter B.; Easterbrook, Matthew J.; González, Roberto; Didier, Nicolas; Carrasco, Diego; Schwartz, Seth J.; Des Rosiers, Sabrina E.; Villamar, Juan A.; Gavreliuc, Alin; Zinkeng, Martina; Kreuzbauer, Robert; Baguma, Peter

2016-01-01

Markus and Kitayama’s (1991) theory of independent and interdependent self-construals had a major influence on social, personality and developmental psychology by highlighting the role of culture in psychological processes. However, research has relied excessively on contrasts between North American and East Asian samples, and commonly-used self-report measures of independence and interdependence frequently fail to show predicted cultural differences. We revisited the conceptualization and me...

Aging, Culture, and Memory for Socially Meaningful Item-Context Associations: An East-West Cross-Cultural Comparison Study

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lixia; Li, Juan; Spaniol, Julia; Hasher, Lynn; Wilkinson, Andrea J.; Yu, Jing; Niu, Yanan

2013-01-01

Research suggests that people in Eastern interdependent cultures process information more holistically and attend more to contextual information than do people in Western independent cultures. The current study examined the effects of culture and age on memory for socially meaningful item-context associations in 71 Canadians of Western European descent (35 young and 36 older) and 72 native Chinese citizens (36 young and 36 older). All participants completed two blocks of context memory tasks. During encoding, participants rated pictures of familiar objects. In one block, objects were rated either for their meaningfulness in the independent living context or their typicality in daily life. In the other block, objects were rated for their meaningfulness in the context of fostering relationships with others or for their typicality in daily life. The encoding in each block was followed by a recognition test in which participants identified pictures and their associated contexts. The results showed that Chinese outperformed Canadians in context memory, though both culture groups showed similar age-related deficits in item and context memory. The results suggest that Chinese are at an advantage in memory for socially meaningful item-context associations, an advantage that continues from young adulthood into old age. PMID:23593288

Aging, culture, and memory for socially meaningful item-context associations: an East-West cross-cultural comparison study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lixia Yang

Full Text Available Research suggests that people in Eastern interdependent cultures process information more holistically and attend more to contextual information than do people in Western independent cultures. The current study examined the effects of culture and age on memory for socially meaningful item-context associations in 71 Canadians of Western European descent (35 young and 36 older and 72 native Chinese citizens (36 young and 36 older. All participants completed two blocks of context memory tasks. During encoding, participants rated pictures of familiar objects. In one block, objects were rated either for their meaningfulness in the independent living context or their typicality in daily life. In the other block, objects were rated for their meaningfulness in the context of fostering relationships with others or for their typicality in daily life. The encoding in each block was followed by a recognition test in which participants identified pictures and their associated contexts. The results showed that Chinese outperformed Canadians in context memory, though both culture groups showed similar age-related deficits in item and context memory. The results suggest that Chinese are at an advantage in memory for socially meaningful item-context associations, an advantage that continues from young adulthood into old age.

Characterization of the Bacterial Community Naturally Present on Commercially Grown Basil Leaves: Evaluation of Sample Preparation Prior to Culture-Independent Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siele Ceuppens

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Fresh herbs such as basil constitute an important food commodity worldwide. Basil provides considerable culinary and health benefits, but has also been implicated in foodborne illnesses. The naturally occurring bacterial community on basil leaves is currently unknown, so the epiphytic bacterial community was investigated using the culture-independent techniques denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE and next-generation sequencing (NGS. Sample preparation had a major influence on the results from DGGE and NGS: Novosphingobium was the dominant genus for three different basil batches obtained by maceration of basil leaves, while washing of the leaves yielded lower numbers but more variable dominant bacterial genera including Klebsiella, Pantoea, Flavobacterium, Sphingobacterium and Pseudomonas. During storage of basil, bacterial growth and shifts in the bacterial community were observed with DGGE and NGS. Spoilage was not associated with specific bacterial groups and presumably caused by physiological tissue deterioration and visual defects, rather than by bacterial growth.

Transition from direct to inverted charge transport Marcus regions in molecular junctions via molecular orbital gating

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Li; Wang, Lejia; Garrigues, Alvar R.; Jiang, Li; Annadata, Harshini Venkata; Anguera Antonana, Marta; Barco, Enrique; Nijhuis, Christian A.

2018-04-01

Solid-state molecular tunnel junctions are often assumed to operate in the Landauer regime, which describes essentially activationless coherent tunnelling processes. In solution, on the other hand, charge transfer is described by Marcus theory, which accounts for thermally activated processes. In practice, however, thermally activated transport phenomena are frequently observed also in solid-state molecular junctions but remain poorly understood. Here, we show experimentally the transition from the Marcus to the inverted Marcus region in a solid-state molecular tunnel junction by means of intra-molecular orbital gating that can be tuned via the chemical structure of the molecule and applied bias. In the inverted Marcus region, charge transport is incoherent, yet virtually independent of temperature. Our experimental results fit well to a theoretical model that combines Landauer and Marcus theories and may have implications for the interpretation of temperature-dependent charge transport measurements in molecular junctions.

Conventional and molecular diagnostic strategies for prosthetic joint infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Esteban, Jaime; Sorlí, Luisa; Alentorn-Geli, Eduard; Puig, Lluís; Horcajada, Juan P

2014-01-01

An accurate diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is the mainstay for an optimized clinical management. This review analyzes different diagnostic strategies of PJI, with special emphasis on molecular diagnostic tools and their current and future applications. Until now, the culture of periprosthetic tissues has been considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of PJI. However, sonication of the implant increases the sensitivity of those cultures and is being increasingly adopted by many centers. Molecular diagnostic methods compared with intraoperative tissue culture, especially if combined with sonication, have a higher sensitivity, a faster turnaround time and are not influenced by previous antimicrobial therapy. However, they still lack a system for detection of antimicrobial susceptibility, which is crucial for an optimized and less toxic therapy of PJI. More studies are needed to assess the clinical value of these methods and their cost-effectiveness.

Birthweight distribution in ART singletons resulting from embryo culture in two different culture media compared with the national population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lemmen, Josephine Gabriela; Pinborg, Anja; Rasmussen, S

2014-01-01

IS KNOWN ALREADY: Studies on human ART singletons have reported a difference in birthweight in singletons following IVF culture in different culture media. However, other studies comparing different culture media have not shown any significant differences in birthweight. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION......: This study was a retrospective comparison of birthweights in IVF/ICSI singletons conceived after fresh embryo transfer following embryo culture in Cook or Medicult medium and in a national cohort of naturally conceived singletons in nulliparous women. The study compares four independent groups consisting...... of singletons in nulliparous women from Cook-d2: 2-day culture in Cook medium at Rigshospitalet (n = 974), Medicult-d2: 2-day culture in Medicult EmbryoAssist medium at Rigshospitalet (n = 147), Medicult-d3: 3-day culture in Medicult EmbryoAssist medium with and without added GM-CSF (n = 204), and DK...

Integrated molecular landscape of Parkinson's disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klemann, C.J.H.M.; Martens, G.J.; Sharma, M.; Martens, M.B.; Isacson, O.; Gasser, T.; Visser, J.E.; Poelmans, G.J.V.

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease is caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Although a number of independent molecular pathways and processes have been associated with familial Parkinson's disease, a common mechanism underlying especially sporadic Parkinson's disease is still largely

Prognostic breast cancer signature identified from 3D culture model accurately predicts clinical outcome across independent datasets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Katherine J.; Patrick, Denis R.; Bissell, Mina J.; Fournier, Marcia V.

2008-10-20

One of the major tenets in breast cancer research is that early detection is vital for patient survival by increasing treatment options. To that end, we have previously used a novel unsupervised approach to identify a set of genes whose expression predicts prognosis of breast cancer patients. The predictive genes were selected in a well-defined three dimensional (3D) cell culture model of non-malignant human mammary epithelial cell morphogenesis as down-regulated during breast epithelial cell acinar formation and cell cycle arrest. Here we examine the ability of this gene signature (3D-signature) to predict prognosis in three independent breast cancer microarray datasets having 295, 286, and 118 samples, respectively. Our results show that the 3D-signature accurately predicts prognosis in three unrelated patient datasets. At 10 years, the probability of positive outcome was 52, 51, and 47 percent in the group with a poor-prognosis signature and 91, 75, and 71 percent in the group with a good-prognosis signature for the three datasets, respectively (Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, p<0.05). Hazard ratios for poor outcome were 5.5 (95% CI 3.0 to 12.2, p<0.0001), 2.4 (95% CI 1.6 to 3.6, p<0.0001) and 1.9 (95% CI 1.1 to 3.2, p = 0.016) and remained significant for the two larger datasets when corrected for estrogen receptor (ER) status. Hence the 3D-signature accurately predicts breast cancer outcome in both ER-positive and ER-negative tumors, though individual genes differed in their prognostic ability in the two subtypes. Genes that were prognostic in ER+ patients are AURKA, CEP55, RRM2, EPHA2, FGFBP1, and VRK1, while genes prognostic in ER patients include ACTB, FOXM1 and SERPINE2 (Kaplan-Meier p<0.05). Multivariable Cox regression analysis in the largest dataset showed that the 3D-signature was a strong independent factor in predicting breast cancer outcome. The 3D-signature accurately predicts breast cancer outcome across multiple datasets and holds prognostic

Cotransporters as molecular water pumps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeuthen, Thomas; MacAulay, Nanna

2002-01-01

Molecular water pumps are membrane proteins of the cotransport type in which a flux of water is coupled to substrate fluxes by a mechanism within the protein. Free energy can be exchanged between the fluxes. Accordingly, the flux of water may be relatively independent of the external water chemical...

Molecular alterations of tropoelastin and proteoglycans induced by tobacco smoke extracts and ultraviolet A in cultured skin fibroblasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Lei; Morita, Akimichi; Tsuji, Takuo

2002-01-01

Functional integrity of normal skin is dependent on the balance between the biosynthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix, primarily composed of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans. In our previous studies, we found that tobacco smoke extracts decreased expressions of type I and III procollagen and induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 in the cultured skin fibroblasts. We here further investigated the effects of tobacco smoke extracts or ultraviolet A (UVA) treatments on the expression of tropoelastin (soluble elastin protein), and versican and decorin (proteoglycans) in cultured skin fibroblasts. The mRNA of tropoelastin increased by tobacco smoke extracts or UVA irradiation. Versican was markedly shown to decrease after these treatments by using western blotting and the mRNA of versican V0 also significantly decreased. UVA treatment did not show remarkable change in decorin protein, but resulted in marked decrease of decorin D1 mRNA. In contrast to UVA irradiation, the treatments of tobacco smoke extracts resulted in significant increase in decorin, while mRNA of decorin D1 decreased as compared to the control. MMP-7 increased after the treatment of tobacco smoke extracts or UVA. These results indicated that common molecular features might underlie the skin premature aging induced by tobacco smoke extracts and UVA, including abnormal regulation of extracellular matrix deposition through elevated MMPs, reduced collagen production, abnormal tropoelastin accumulation, and altered proteoglycans. (author)

Molecular alterations of tropoelastin and proteoglycans induced by tobacco smoke extracts and ultraviolet A in cultured skin fibroblasts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, Lei; Morita, Akimichi; Tsuji, Takuo [Nagoya City Univ. (Japan). Medical School

2002-02-01

Functional integrity of normal skin is dependent on the balance between the biosynthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix, primarily composed of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans. In our previous studies, we found that tobacco smoke extracts decreased expressions of type I and III procollagen and induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-3 in the cultured skin fibroblasts. We here further investigated the effects of tobacco smoke extracts or ultraviolet A (UVA) treatments on the expression of tropoelastin (soluble elastin protein), and versican and decorin (proteoglycans) in cultured skin fibroblasts. The mRNA of tropoelastin increased by tobacco smoke extracts or UVA irradiation. Versican was markedly shown to decrease after these treatments by using western blotting and the mRNA of versican V0 also significantly decreased. UVA treatment did not show remarkable change in decorin protein, but resulted in marked decrease of decorin D1 mRNA. In contrast to UVA irradiation, the treatments of tobacco smoke extracts resulted in significant increase in decorin, while mRNA of decorin D1 decreased as compared to the control. MMP-7 increased after the treatment of tobacco smoke extracts or UVA. These results indicated that common molecular features might underlie the skin premature aging induced by tobacco smoke extracts and UVA, including abnormal regulation of extracellular matrix deposition through elevated MMPs, reduced collagen production, abnormal tropoelastin accumulation, and altered proteoglycans. (author)

Basal gene expression by lung CD4+ T cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease identifies independent molecular correlates of airflow obstruction and emphysema extent.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine M Freeman

Full Text Available Lung CD4+ T cells accumulate as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD progresses, but their role in pathogenesis remains controversial. To address this controversy, we studied lung tissue from 53 subjects undergoing clinically-indicated resections, lung volume reduction, or transplant. Viable single-cell suspensions were analyzed by flow cytometry or underwent CD4+ T cell isolation, followed either by stimulation with anti-CD3 and cytokine/chemokine measurement, or by real-time PCR analysis. In lung CD4+ T cells of most COPD subjects, relative to lung CD4+ T cells in smokers with normal spirometry: (a stimulation induced minimal IFN-γ or other inflammatory mediators, but many subjects produced more CCL2; (b the T effector memory subset was less uniformly predominant, without correlation with decreased IFN-γ production. Analysis of unstimulated lung CD4+ T cells of all subjects identified a molecular phenotype, mainly in COPD, characterized by markedly reduced mRNA transcripts for the transcription factors controlling TH1, TH2, TH17 and FOXP3+ T regulatory subsets and their signature cytokines. This mRNA-defined CD4+ T cell phenotype did not result from global inability to elaborate mRNA; increased transcripts for inhibitory CD28 family members or markers of anergy; or reduced telomerase length. As a group, these subjects had significantly worse spirometry, but not DLCO, relative to subjects whose lung CD4+ T cells expressed a variety of transcripts. Analysis of mRNA transcripts of unstimulated lung CD4+ T cell among all subjects identified two distinct molecular correlates of classical COPD clinical phenotypes: basal IL-10 transcripts correlated independently and inversely with emphysema extent (but not spirometry; by contrast, unstimulated IFN-γ transcripts correlated independently and inversely with reduced spirometry (but not reduced DLCO or emphysema extent. Aberrant lung CD4+ T cells polarization appears to be common in advanced

Culture-dependent and -independent approaches establish the complexity of a PAH-degrading microbial consortium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinas, M.; Sabate, J.; Solanas, A.M. [Barcelona Univ., Barcelona (Spain). Dept. of Microbiology; Guasp, C.; Lalucat, J. [Illes Balears Univ., Palma de Mallorca (Spain). Dept. of Biology

2005-11-15

Microbial consortia are used in the decontamination of polluted environmental sites. A microbial consortium obtained by batch enrichment culture is a closed system with controlled conditions in which micro-organisms with a potentially high growth rate are selected and become dominant. The aim of this study was to identify the members of consortium AM, in which earlier batch enrichment work had shown high biodegradation rates of the aromatic fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). The AM consortium was obtained by sequential enrichment in liquid culture with a PAH mixture of 3- and 4- ringed PAHs as the sole source of carbon and energy. The consortium was examined using a triple approach method based on various cultivation strategies, denaturing gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) and the screening of 16S and 18S rRNA gene clone libraries. Eleven different sequences by culture-dependent techniques and 7 by both DGGE and clone libraries were obtained, yielding 19 different microbial components. Proteobacteria were the dominant group, representing 83 per cent of the total, while the Cytophaga-Flexibactor-Bacteroides group (CFB) was 11 per cent, and Ascomycota fungi were 6 per cent. It was determined that {beta}-Proteobacteria were predominant in the DGGE and clone library methods, whereas they were a minority in culturable strains. The highest diversity and number of noncoincident sequences was achieved by the cultivation method that showed members of the {alpha},{beta}, and {gamma}-Proteobacteria, CFB bacterial group, and Ascomycota fungi. Only 6 of the 11 strains isolated showed PAH-degrading capability. The bacterial strain (AMS7) and the fungal strain (AMF1) achieved the greatest PAH depletion. Results indicated that polyphasic assessment is necessary for a proper understanding of the composition of a microbial consortium. It was concluded that microbial consortia are more complex than previously realized. 54 refs., 3 tabs., 3 figs.

Molecular identification of the Sporothrix schenckii complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Manoel Marques Evangelista; Almeida-Paes, Rodrigo; Gutierrez-Galhardo, Maria Clara; Zancope-Oliveira, Rosely M

2014-01-01

Sporothrix schenckii, an ascomycetous dimorphic organism that for over a century was recognized as the sole agent of sporotrichosis, a subcutaneous mycosis with a worldwide distribution. However, it has been proposed, based on physiologic and molecular aspects, that S. schenckii is a complex of distinct species: Sporothrix brasiliensis, Sporothrix mexicana, Sporothrix globosa, S. schenckii sensu strictu, Sporothrix luriei, and Sporothrix albicans (formerly Sporothrix pallida). Human disease has a broad range of clinical manifestations and can be classified into fixed cutaneous, lymphocutaneous, disseminated cutaneous, and extracutaneous sporotrichosis. The gold standard for the diagnosis of sporotrichosis is the culture; however, serologic, histopathologic and molecular approaches have been recently adopted for the diagnosis of this mycosis. Few molecular methods have been applied to the diagnosis of sporotrichosis to detect S. schenckii DNA from clinical specimens, and to identify Sporothrix spp. in culture. Until now, Sporothrix is the unique clinically relevant dimorphic fungus without an elucidated genome sequence, thus limiting molecular knowledge about the cryptic species of this complex, and the sexual form of all S. schenckii complex species. In this review we shall focus on the current diagnosis of the sporotrichosis, and discuss the current molecular tools applied to the diagnosis and identification of the Sporothrix complex species. This manuscript is part of the series of works presented at the "V International Workshop: Molecular genetic approaches to the study of human pathogenic fungi" (Oaxaca, Mexico, 2012). Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

New Product Development, R&D, and Culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brem, Alexander; Kürzdörfer, Tamara

2016-01-01

Recent developments in the global economy indicate that new product development (NPD) activities are not limited to any single country; rather, they have spread across nations and cultures. This study aims to increase the understanding of NPD through an intercultural analysis by comparing...... innovation processes in Germany and China. Our study relates NPD and Hofstede's cultural dimensions by identifying culture-based patterns of similarities and differences between German and Chinese practices related to strategic, organisational, and operational factors. The research subjects are five...... international companies with research and development sites of the same business section in Germany and China. The findings reveal both culture-dependent and culture-independent factors. Most of the strategic and organisational factors in the two countries are relatively similar because of site...

Cross-cultural upbringing : A comparison of the "Third Culture Kids" framework and "Kaigai/Kikoku-shijo" studies

OpenAIRE

KANO PODOLSKY, Momo; 嘉納, もも

2004-01-01

This paper will look at two fields of study which, although dealing with a similar subject matter, have up until now grown quite independently from each other. American scholars who look at the phenomenon of "Third Culture Kids" and Japanese scholars in "Kaigai/Kikoku-shijo" studies are both interested in the impact of a cross-cultural overseas upbringing on a child's subsequent life experience. We will examine some of the main findings from the respective fields, and point out their common t...

Prion Replication Elicits Cytopathic Changes in Differentiated Neurosphere Cultures

Science.gov (United States)

Iwamaru, Yoshifumi; Takenouchi, Takato; Imamura, Morikazu; Shimizu, Yoshihisa; Miyazawa, Kohtaro; Mohri, Shirou; Yokoyama, Takashi

2013-01-01

The molecular mechanisms of prion-induced cytotoxicity remain largely obscure. Currently, only a few cell culture models have exhibited the cytopathic changes associated with prion infection. In this study, we introduced a cell culture model based on differentiated neurosphere cultures isolated from the brains of neonatal prion protein (PrP)-null mice and transgenic mice expressing murine PrP (dNP0 and dNP20 cultures). Upon exposure to mouse Chandler prions, dNP20 cultures supported the de novo formation of abnormal PrP and the resulting infectivity, as assessed by bioassays. Furthermore, this culture was susceptible to various prion strains, including mouse-adapted scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome prions. Importantly, a subset of the cells in the infected culture that was mainly composed of astrocyte lineage cells consistently displayed late-occurring, progressive signs of cytotoxicity as evidenced by morphological alterations, decreased cell viability, and increased lactate dehydrogenase release. These signs of cytotoxicity were not observed in infected dNP0 cultures, suggesting the requirement of endogenous PrP expression for prion-induced cytotoxicity. Degenerated cells positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein accumulated abnormal PrP and exhibited features of apoptotic death as assessed by active caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase nick-end staining. Furthermore, caspase inhibition provided partial protection from prion-mediated cell death. These results suggest that differentiated neurosphere cultures can provide an in vitro bioassay for mouse prions and permit the study of the molecular basis for prion-induced cytotoxicity at the cellular level. PMID:23740992

Independent determination of In and N concentrations in GaInNAs alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, W; Lim, J J; Bull, S; Andrianov, A V; Larkins, E C; Staddon, C; Foxon, C T; Sadeghi, M; Wang, S M; Larsson, A

2009-01-01

High-resolution x-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy were used to independently determine the In and N concentrations in GaInNAs alloys grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy (SSMBE). The lattice constant and bandgap energy can be expressed as two independent equations in terms of the In and N concentrations, respectively. The HRXRD measurement provided the lattice constant and the PR measurement extracted the bandgap energy. By simultaneously solving these two equations, we have determined the In and N concentrations with the error as small as 0.001

Exploring the sources of bacterial spoilers in beefsteaks by culture-independent high-throughput sequencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesca De Filippis

Full Text Available Microbial growth on meat to unacceptable levels contributes significantly to change meat structure, color and flavor and to cause meat spoilage. The types of microorganisms initially present in meat depend on several factors and multiple sources of contamination can be identified. The aims of this study were to evaluate the microbial diversity in beefsteaks before and after aerobic storage at 4°C and to investigate the sources of microbial contamination by examining the microbiota of carcasses wherefrom the steaks originated and of the processing environment where the beef was handled. Carcass, environmental (processing plant and meat samples were analyzed by culture-independent high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The microbiota of carcass swabs was very complex, including more than 600 operational taxonomic units (OTUs belonging to 15 different phyla. A significant association was found between beef microbiota and specific beef cuts (P<0.01 indicating that different cuts of the same carcass can influence the microbial contamination of beef. Despite the initially high complexity of the carcass microbiota, the steaks after aerobic storage at 4°C showed a dramatic decrease in microbial complexity. Pseudomonas sp. and Brochothrix thermosphacta were the main contaminants, and Acinetobacter, Psychrobacter and Enterobacteriaceae were also found. Comparing the relative abundance of OTUs in the different samples it was shown that abundant OTUs in beefsteaks after storage occurred in the corresponding carcass. However, the abundance of these same OTUs clearly increased in environmental samples taken in the processing plant suggesting that spoilage-associated microbial species originate from carcasses, they are carried to the processing environment where the meat is handled and there they become a resident microbiota. Such microbiota is then further spread on meat when it is handled and it represents the starting microbial association

Cross-cultural differences in preference for recovery of mobility among spinal cord injury rehabilitation professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ditunno, P L; Patrick, M; Stineman, M; Morganti, B; Townson, A F; Ditunno, J F

2006-09-01

Direct observation of a constrained consensus-building process in three culturally independent five-person panels of rehabilitation professionals from the US, Italy and Canada. To illustrate cultural differences in belief among rehabilitation professionals about the relative importance of alternative functional goals during spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Spinal Cord Injury Units in Philadelphia-USA, Rome-Italy and Vancouver-Canada. Each of the three panels came to independent consensus about recovery priorities in SCI utilizing the features resource trade-off game. The procedure involves trading imagined levels of independence (resources) across different functional items (features) assuming different stages of recovery. Sphincter management was of primary importance to all three groups. The Italian and Canadian rehabilitation professionals, however, showed preference for walking over wheelchair mobility at lower stages of assumed recovery, whereas the US professionals set wheelchair independence at a higher priority than walking. These preliminary results suggest cross-cultural recovery priority differences among SCI rehabilitation professionals. These dissimilarities in preference may reflect disparities in values, cultural expectations and health care policies.

A Decade of Development of Chromogenic Culture Media for Clinical Microbiology in an Era of Molecular Diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, John D

2017-04-01

In the last 25 years, chromogenic culture media have found widespread application in diagnostic clinical microbiology. In the last decade, the range of media available to clinical laboratories has expanded greatly, allowing specific detection of additional pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, group B streptococci, Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter spp., and Yersinia enterocolitica. New media have also been developed to screen for pathogens with acquired antimicrobial resistance, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp., and Enterobacteriaceae with extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases. This review seeks to explore the utility of chromogenic media in clinical microbiology, with particular attention given to media that have been commercialized in the last decade. The impact of laboratory automation and complementary technologies such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is also assessed. Finally, the review also seeks to demarcate the role of chromogenic media in an era of molecular diagnostics. © Crown copyright 2017.

Which Dimensions of Culture Matter for Long-Run Growth?

OpenAIRE

Yuriy Gorodnichenko; Gerard Roland

2011-01-01

We present empirical evidence that, among a variety of cultural dimensions, the individualism-collectivism dimension, based on Hofstede's (2001) data, is the most important and robustly significant effect of culture on long run growth. Other dimensions that have a significant effect, albeit less robust, are generally strongly correlated with individualism and convey similar information. We found no significant or robust effect on growth from cultural dimensions that are independent from the i...

Physiological and Molecular Characterization of Cephaleuros virescens Occurring in Mango Trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, Camila Vilela; Pereira, Fabíola Teodoro; Duarte, Elizabeth Amélia Alves; de Oliveira, Thiago Alves Santos; Peixoto, Nei; Carvalho, Daniel Diego Costa

2018-06-01

The objective of this work was to accomplish the isolation, molecular identification and characterizing the physiology of the causal agent of the algal spot in mango trees. For this purpose, the pathogen growth was assessed in different culture media, with subsequent observation and measurements of the filamentous cells. The molecular identification was made using mycelium obtained from leaf lesions and pure algae colonies grown in culture medium. Descriptions based on DNA sequencing indicated that the algae is Cephaleuros virescens . The algae must be isolated primarily in liquid medium for further pricking into agar medium. The highest mycelial growth average in Petri dishes occurred when the algae were grown in Trebouxia and BBM. Trebouxia enabled larger cells in the filamentous cells when compared to other culture media.

The evolution of primate general and cultural intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Reader, Simon M; Hager, Yfke; Laland, Kevin N

2011-04-12

There are consistent individual differences in human intelligence, attributable to a single 'general intelligence' factor, g. The evolutionary basis of g and its links to social learning and culture remain controversial. Conflicting hypotheses regard primate cognition as divided into specialized, independently evolving modules versus a single general process. To assess how processes underlying culture relate to one another and other cognitive capacities, we compiled ecologically relevant cognitive measures from multiple domains, namely reported incidences of behavioural innovation, social learning, tool use, extractive foraging and tactical deception, in 62 primate species. All exhibited strong positive associations in principal component and factor analyses, after statistically controlling for multiple potential confounds. This highly correlated composite of cognitive traits suggests social, technical and ecological abilities have coevolved in primates, indicative of an across-species general intelligence that includes elements of cultural intelligence. Our composite species-level measure of general intelligence, 'primate g(S)', covaried with both brain volume and captive learning performance measures. Our findings question the independence of cognitive traits and do not support 'massive modularity' in primate cognition, nor an exclusively social model of primate intelligence. High general intelligence has independently evolved at least four times, with convergent evolution in capuchins, baboons, macaques and great apes.

OpenMM 4: A Reusable, Extensible, Hardware Independent Library for High Performance Molecular Simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Eastman, Peter; Friedrichs, Mark S; Chodera, John D; Radmer, Randall J; Bruns, Christopher M; Ku, Joy P; Beauchamp, Kyle A; Lane, Thomas J; Wang, Lee-Ping; Shukla, Diwakar; Tye, Tony; Houston, Mike; Stich, Timo; Klein, Christoph; Shirts, Michael R; Pande, Vijay S

2013-01-08

OpenMM is a software toolkit for performing molecular simulations on a range of high performance computing architectures. It is based on a layered architecture: the lower layers function as a reusable library that can be invoked by any application, while the upper layers form a complete environment for running molecular simulations. The library API hides all hardware-specific dependencies and optimizations from the users and developers of simulation programs: they can be run without modification on any hardware on which the API has been implemented. The current implementations of OpenMM include support for graphics processing units using the OpenCL and CUDA frameworks. In addition, OpenMM was designed to be extensible, so new hardware architectures can be accommodated and new functionality (e.g., energy terms and integrators) can be easily added.

TransVisuality : The Cultural Dimension of Visuality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The Transvisuality Project In little more than a decade, visual culture has proven its status and commitment as an independent field of research, drawing on and continuing areas such as art history, cultural studies, semiotics and media research, as well as parts of visual sociology, visual...... for visual culture, transcending a number of disciplinary and geographical borders. The first volume, ‘Boundaries and Creative Openings’, explores the implications of a cultural dimension of ‘visuality’ when seen as a concept reflecting and challenging fundamental aspects of culture, from the arts to social...... anthropology and visual communication. Visual culture is now a well-established academic area of research and teaching, covering subjects in the humanities and social sciences. Readers and introductions have outlined the field, and research is mirrored in networks, journals and conferences on the national...

Impact of organisational culture and leadership style on quality of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Impact of organisational culture and leadership style on quality of work-life among employees in Nigera. ... African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues ... As hypothesized, the study reveals that organizational culture and leadership style independently and jointly significantly influence quality of work life ...

Perceived Social Support and Mental Health: Cultural Orientations as Moderators

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Andrew J.; Wang, Chiachih D. C.; Zhu, Wenzhen

2017-01-01

This study investigated unique and shared effects of social support and cultural orientation on mental health indicators (depressive and anxiety symptoms, stress, and life satisfaction) of 896 college students. Results indicated that perceived social support predicted mental health variables and that cultural orientation variables (independent and…

Are Independent Fiscal Institutions Really Independent?

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Slawomir Franek

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In the last decade the number of independent fiscal institutions (known also as fiscal councils has tripled. They play an important oversight role over fiscal policy-making in democratic societies, especially as they seek to restore public finance stability in the wake of the recent financial crisis. Although common functions of such institutions include a role in analysis of fiscal policy, forecasting, monitoring compliance with fiscal rules or costing of spending proposals, their roles, resources and structures vary considerably across countries. The aim of the article is to determine the degree of independence of such institutions based on the analysis of the independence index of independent fiscal institutions. The analysis of this index values may be useful to determine the relations between the degree of independence of fiscal councils and fiscal performance of particular countries. The data used to calculate the index values will be derived from European Commission and IMF, which collect sets of information about characteristics of activity of fiscal councils.

Management Technology of Students’ Independent Work

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Melis K. Asanaliev

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The researchers are convinced that for an intensification of educational process in higher education institution it is necessary development of essentially new approaches, forms and the methods of social and pedagogical interaction adequate to new requirements, new pedagogical thinking. Among them we can choose the methods of social and psychological training (SPT which received their development in experimental psychology by synthesis of wide practical experience educational, creative, administrative, and other types of interrelation between people. These methods conditionally divide on: debatable (group discussion, analysis of a situation of a moral choice, game methods (didactic, creative, role-playing games, sensitive training (training of interpersonal sensitivity which are formations of independent informative activity of students on the basis of modern technologies, as the mechanism of improvement of independent work. Researches are expressed in search and finding enough effective forms and means of activation of educational and informative process of preparation of young teachers of vocational training, theoretically and practically prepared in the field of the independent informative activity, use the modern technology of training and its further realization in work with students of technical secondary. It is offered the model of the organization and application in educational process of the complex of these methods in contents complex of training programs of systems of tasks as one of ways of formation of social and psychological culture of future teacher.

Cultural differences in risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Do-Yeong Kim

2010-08-01

Full Text Available We compared South Koreans with Australians in order to characterize cultural differences in attitudes and choices regarding risk, at both the individual and group levels. Our results showed that Australians, when assessed individually, consistently self-reported higher preference for risk than South Koreans, regardless of gender. The data revealed that South Koreans, regardless of gender composition, were willing to take greater risks when making decisions in group decision-making situations than when they were alone. This is a different pattern from that seen in the Australian sample, in which a risky shift was noted only among males. This difference was attributed to the influence of various cultural orientations (independent vs. interdependent relationship styles. This study also provides a discussion of the implications of these results in terms of cultural differences in attitudes and decisions regarding risk.

Affirming independence: Exploring mechanisms underlying a values affirmation intervention for first-generation students.

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbetts, Yoi; Harackiewicz, Judith M; Canning, Elizabeth A; Boston, Jilana S; Priniski, Stacy J; Hyde, Janet S

2016-05-01

First-generation college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year college degree) earn lower grades and worry more about whether they belong in college, compared with continuing-generation students (who have at least 1 parent with a 4-year college degree). We conducted a longitudinal follow-up of participants from a study in which a values-affirmation intervention improved performance in a biology course for first-generation college students, and found that the treatment effect on grades persisted 3 years later. First-generation students in the treatment condition obtained a GPA that was, on average, .18 points higher than first-generation students in the control condition, 3 years after values affirmation was implemented (Study 1A). We explored mechanisms by testing whether the values-affirmation effects were predicated on first-generation students reflecting on interdependent values (thus affirming their values that are consistent with working-class culture) or independent values (thus affirming their values that are consistent with the culture of higher education). We found that when first-generation students wrote about their independence, they obtained higher grades (both in the semester in which values affirmation was implemented and in subsequent semesters) and felt less concerned about their background. In a separate laboratory experiment (Study 2) we manipulated the extent to which participants wrote about independence and found that encouraging first-generation students to write more about their independence improved their performance on a math test. These studies highlight the potential of having FG students focus on their own independence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Stem Cell Heterogeneity of Mononucleated Cells from Murine Peripheral Blood: Molecular Analysis

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Muhammad Dain Yazid

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this paper was to determine the heterogeneity of primary isolated mononucleated cells that originated from the peripheral blood system by observing molecular markers. The isolated cells were cultured in complete medium for 4 to 7 days prior to the separation of different cell types, that is, adherent and suspension. Following a total culture time of 14 days, adherent cells activated the Cd105 gene while suspension cells activated the Sca-1 gene. Both progenitor markers, Cbfa-1 and Ostf-1, were inactivated in both suspension and adherent cells after 14-day culture compared to cells cultured 3 days in designated differentiation medium. In conclusion, molecular analyses showed that primary mononucleated cells are heterogeneous, consisting of hematopoietic stem cells (suspension and mesenchymal stem cells (adherent while both cells contained no progenitor cells.

The Multi-voicedness of Independence and Interdependence - The case of Cameroonian Nso

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keller, Heidi; Demuth, Carolin; Yovsi, Relindis D.

2008-01-01

It is often claimed that independence and interdependence are two dimensions that are part of any culture and the psychology of any human being. While previous studies have considered these two concepts merely as a matter of degree, this article argues that, in fact, they can be of different...

Cultural factors and the international space station

OpenAIRE

Ritsher, Jennifer Boyd

2005-01-01

The American and Russian/Soviet space programs independently uncovered psychosocial risks inherent in long-duration space missions. Now that these two countries are working together on the International Space Station (ISS), American-Russian cultural differences pose an additional set of risk factors. These may echo cultural differences that have been observed in the general population of the two countries and in space analogue settings, but little is known about how relevant these are to the ...

The effect of culture on perspective taking.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shali; Keysar, Boaz

2007-07-01

People consider the mental states of other people to understand their actions. We evaluated whether such perspective taking is culture dependent. People in collectivistic cultures (e.g., China) are said to have interdependent selves, whereas people in individualistic cultures (e.g., the United States) are said to have independent selves. To evaluate the effect of culture, we asked Chinese and American pairs to play a communication game that required perspective taking. Eye-gaze measures demonstrated that the Chinese participants were more tuned into their partner's perspective than were the American participants. Moreover, Americans often completely failed to take the perspective of their partner, whereas Chinese almost never did. We conclude that cultural patterns of interdependence focus attention on the other, causing Chinese to be better perspective takers than Americans. Although members of both cultures are able to distinguish between their perspective and another person's perspective, cultural patterns afford Chinese the effective use of this ability to interpret other people's actions.

How Does National Culture Impact on Consumers’ Decision-making Styles? A Cross Cultural Study in Brazil, the United States and Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan Yie Leng

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This empirical article investigates the relationship between national culture and consumer decision-making styles in the purchase of cell phones, a product category that appears to be required by consumers independent of their nationalities. To make the research measurable, we used Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions (power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity and Sproles and Kendall’s Consumer Style Inventory framework (quality conscious, brand conscious, innovative, recreation, price conscious, impulsive, confused and brand loyal, and tested nine hypotheses through MANOVA in a sample of 108 buyers of the product in Brazil, 104 in the USA, and 107 in Japan, countries ranked in the top ten of the world’s largest cell phone market. Factor Analysis via Principal Component Analysis was conducted to examine the suitability of the eight-factor model in observations from each country. The three nationalities and the eight decision making styles were treated as independent and dependent variables, respectively. Findings showed mixed evidence for the application of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to decision-making styles. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are presented to help understand the relationship between national culture and consumer decision-making styles.

Defined α-synuclein prion-like molecular assemblies spreading in cell culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Aulić, Suzana; Le, Tran Thanh Nhat; Moda, Fabio; Abounit, Saïda; Corvaglia, Stefania; Casalis, Loredana; Gustincich, Stefano; Zurzolo, Chiara; Tagliavini, Fabrizio; Legname, Giuseppe

2014-06-04

α-Synuclein (α-syn) plays a central role in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies, a group of neurodegenerative disorders that includes Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy. Several findings from cell culture and mouse experiments suggest intercellular α-syn transfer. Through a methodology used to obtain synthetic mammalian prions, we tested whether recombinant human α-syn amyloids can promote prion-like accumulation in neuronal cell lines in vitro. A single exposure to amyloid fibrils of human α-syn was sufficient to induce aggregation of endogenous α-syn in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Remarkably, endogenous wild-type α-syn was sufficient for the formation of these aggregates, and overexpression of the protein was not required. Our results provide compelling evidence that endogenous α-syn can accumulate in cell culture after a single exposure to exogenous α-syn short amyloid fibrils. Importantly, using α-syn short amyloid fibrils as seed, endogenous α-syn aggregates and accumulates over several passages in cell culture, providing an excellent tool for potential therapeutic screening of pathogenic α-syn aggregates.

Culture-independent bacterial community analysis of the salty-fermented fish paste products of Thailand and Laos

Science.gov (United States)

MARUI, Junichiro; BOULOM, Sayvisene; PANTHAVEE, Wanchai; MOMMA, Mari; KUSUMOTO, Ken-Ichi; NAKAHARA, Kazuhiko; SAITO, Masayoshi

2015-01-01

A bacterial community analysis, using a culture-independent method (polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), detected 17 species of bacteria including species of the genera Tetragenococcus, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Weissella Halanaerobium, Clostridium, and Sphingomonas in a traditional salty-fermented fish paste known as pla-ra or pa-daek in Thailand and Laos, which is used as a storage-stable multi-purpose seasoning. The representative genus of lactic acid bacteria seemed to vary in the 10 products collected from Thailand and Laos. Tetragenococci were common in products from central Thailand and Vientiane in Laos which had salinities of not less than 11% and pH values ranging from 5.6 to 6.1. However, lactobacilli were common in products from northern Thailand which had the lowest salinities (8.3–8.6%) and pH values (4.5–4.8) of all the samples examined. Two Lactobacillus and one Tetragenococcus species were detected in one product from northeastern Thailand containing 10% salt. These results suggest that salinity in pla-ra/pa-daek is an important determinant of the representative genus of lactic acid bacteria such as, Tetragenococcus or Lactobacillus. Additionally, differences in the acidity between these two groups seemed to be related to the production of d-/l-lactic acid in the lactic acid bacteria in each product. This is the first study to report a correlation between bacterial community structure and taste components in pla-ra/pa-daek products from various regions. This scientific work on a traditional fermented food will be useful in helping local producers meet differing consumer preferences in various regions. PMID:25918672

Bringing Planctomycetes into pure culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Maria Lage

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Planctomycetes have been known since the description of Planctomyces bekefii by Gimesi at the beginning of the twentieth century (1924, although the first axenic cultures were only obtained in the 1970s. Since then, eleven genera with fourteen species have been validly named and five candidatus genera belonging to the anaerobic ammonium oxidation, anammox bacteria have also been discovered. However, Planctomycetes diversity is much broader than these numbers indicate, as shown by environmental molecular studies. In recent years the authors have attempted to isolate and cultivate additional strains of Planctomycetes. This paper provides a summary of the isolation work that was carried out to obtain in pure culture Planctomycetes from several environmental sources. The following strains and planctomycetes have been successfully isolated: two freshwater strains from the sediments of an aquarium, which were described as a new genus and species, Aquisphaera giovannonii; several Rhodopirellula strains from the sediments of a water treatment recycling tank of a marine fish farm; and more than 140 planctomycetes from the biofilm community of macroalgae. This collection comprises several novel taxa that are being characterized and described. Improvements in the isolation methodology were made in order to optimize and enlarge the number of Planctomycetes isolated from the macroalgae. The existence of an intimate and an important relationship between planctomycetes and macroalgae reported before by molecular studies is therefore supported by culture dependent methods.

Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: a self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being.

Science.gov (United States)

Chirkov, Valery; Ryan, Richard M; Kim, Youngmee; Kaplan, Ulas

2003-01-01

On the basis of self-determination theory (R. M. Ryan & E. L. Deci, 2000) and cultural descriptions drawn from H. C. Triandis (1995), the authors hypothesized that (a) individuals from different cultures internalize different cultural practices; (b) despite these differences, the relative autonomy of individuals' motivation for those practices predicts well-being in all 4 cultures examined; and (c) horizontal practices are more readily internalized than vertical practices across all samples. Five hundred fifty-nine persons from South Korea, Russia, Turkey and the United States participated. Results supported the hypothesized relations between autonomy and well-being across cultures and gender. Results also suggested greater internalization of horizontal relative to vertical practices. Discussion focuses on the distinction between autonomy and individualism and the relative fit of cultural forms with basic psychological needs.

The Value of Art and Culture in Everyday Life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juncker, Beth; Balling, Gitte

2016-01-01

Ever since the earliest forms of mass media, the dichotomy of mass culture/popular arts and high culture/fine art has been a topic of debate. The discussion has focused on the value and use of different art forms and on different notions on and attitudes to the purpose of art. The concept...... of cultural democracy has developed as a way to acknowledge and support a variety of cultural activities. Despite attempts to develop a broader understanding of culture and to acknowledge different ways of participating in and experiencing and valuing art and culture, cultural policy still seems to reproduce...... the dichotomies between high and popular culture, and to value the first over the latter. Art and culture are rarely understood as an independent way to experiences, meaning creation and values in everyday life. In this article, we would argue for an expanded understanding of cultural democracy, which not only...

Host DNA synthesis-suppressing factor in culture fluid of tissue cultures infected with measles virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minagawa, T.; Nakaya, C.; Iida, H.

1974-01-01

Host DNA synthesis is suppressed by the culture fluid of cell cultures infected with measles virus. This activity in the culture fluid is initiated somewhat later than the growth of infectious virus. Ninety percent of host DNA synthesis in HeLa cells is inhibited by culture fluid of 3-day-old cell cultures of Vero or HeLa cells infected with measles virus. This suppressing activity is not a property of the virion, but is due to nonvirion-associated componentnent which shows none of the activities of measles virus such as hemagglutination, hemolysis, or cell fusion nor does it have the antigenicity of measles virus as tested by complement-fixation or hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody blocking tests. Neutralization of the activity of this component is not attained with the pooled sera of convalescent measles patients. This component has molecular weights of about 45,000, 20,000, and 3,000 and appears to be a heat-stable protein. The production of host DNA suppressing factor (DSF) is blocked by cycloheximide. Neither uv-inactivated nor antiserum-neutralized measles virus produce DSF. Furthermore, such activity of nonvirion-associated component is not detected in the culture fluid of cultures infected with other RNA viruses such as poliovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus, or Sindbis virus. (auth)

Rethinking culture and self-construal: China as a middle land.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Han Z; Zhang, Zhi; Bhatt, Gira; Yum, Young-Ok

2006-10-01

Amid criticisms of current paper-and-pencil type questionnaires measuring self-construal across cultural groups, the authors used a graphic representation scale to examine whether Anglo Canadians (N = 220) were more independent than Mainland Chinese (N = 196) and Indians (N = 212) in construing their relationships with closest family member, family members, closest friend, friends, (other) relatives, colleagues, and neighbors. Data generated 5 intriguing findings: (a) Chinese were more interdependent than Canadians but less so than Indians, indicating that Chinese culture has become more individualistic. (b) Canadians were more independent than Chinese in 6 relationship dimensions but were as interdependent as Chinese in self-closest-friend connectedness, somewhat contradicting 1 assumption of theories of independent-interdependent self-construal and individualism-collectivism (I-C). (c) Canadians were more independent than Indians in all relationship dimensions, supporting theories of independent-interdependent self-construal and I-C. (d) Chinese were as interdependent as Indians in self-closest-family-member, self-close-family-members, and self-relatives connectedness but more independent than Indians in the other categories of self-other relationships. (e) Participants' age did not have strong correlations with variables measuring self-construal in any sample, indicating that a person's attachment style may not change greatly over a lifespan. The authors discussed theoretical and methodological implications.

The structure of cross-cultural musical diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Rzeszutek, Tom; Savage, Patrick E.; Brown, Steven

2012-01-01

Human cultural traits, such as languages, musics, rituals and material objects, vary widely across cultures. However, the majority of comparative analyses of human cultural diversity focus on between-culture variation without consideration for within-culture variation. In contrast, biological approaches to genetic diversity, such as the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) framework, partition genetic diversity into both within- and between-population components. We attempt here for the first time to quantify both components of cultural diversity by applying the AMOVA model to music. By employing this approach with 421 traditional songs from 16 Austronesian-speaking populations, we show that the vast majority of musical variability is due to differences within populations rather than differences between. This demonstrates a striking parallel to the structure of genetic diversity in humans. A neighbour-net analysis of pairwise population musical divergence shows a large amount of reticulation, indicating the pervasive occurrence of borrowing and/or convergent evolution of musical features across populations. PMID:22072606

The structure of cross-cultural musical diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Rzeszutek, Tom; Savage, Patrick E; Brown, Steven

2012-04-22

Human cultural traits, such as languages, musics, rituals and material objects, vary widely across cultures. However, the majority of comparative analyses of human cultural diversity focus on between-culture variation without consideration for within-culture variation. In contrast, biological approaches to genetic diversity, such as the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) framework, partition genetic diversity into both within- and between-population components. We attempt here for the first time to quantify both components of cultural diversity by applying the AMOVA model to music. By employing this approach with 421 traditional songs from 16 Austronesian-speaking populations, we show that the vast majority of musical variability is due to differences within populations rather than differences between. This demonstrates a striking parallel to the structure of genetic diversity in humans. A neighbour-net analysis of pairwise population musical divergence shows a large amount of reticulation, indicating the pervasive occurrence of borrowing and/or convergent evolution of musical features across populations.

A Molecular Host Response Assay to Discriminate Between Sepsis and Infection-Negative Systemic Inflammation in Critically Ill Patients: Discovery and Validation in Independent Cohorts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leo McHugh

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Systemic inflammation is a whole body reaction having an infection-positive (i.e., sepsis or infection-negative origin. It is important to distinguish between these two etiologies early and accurately because this has significant therapeutic implications for critically ill patients. We hypothesized that a molecular classifier based on peripheral blood RNAs could be discovered that would (1 determine which patients with systemic inflammation had sepsis, (2 be robust across independent patient cohorts, (3 be insensitive to disease severity, and (4 provide diagnostic utility. The goal of this study was to identify and validate such a molecular classifier.We conducted an observational, non-interventional study of adult patients recruited from tertiary intensive care units (ICUs. Biomarker discovery utilized an Australian cohort (n = 105 consisting of 74 cases (sepsis patients and 31 controls (post-surgical patients with infection-negative systemic inflammation recruited at five tertiary care settings in Brisbane, Australia, from June 3, 2008, to December 22, 2011. A four-gene classifier combining CEACAM4, LAMP1, PLA2G7, and PLAC8 RNA biomarkers was identified. This classifier, designated SeptiCyte Lab, was validated using reverse transcription quantitative PCR and receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis in five cohorts (n = 345 from the Netherlands. Patients for validation were selected from the Molecular Diagnosis and Risk Stratification of Sepsis study (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01905033, which recruited ICU patients from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and the University Medical Center Utrecht. Patients recruited from November 30, 2012, to August 5, 2013, were eligible for inclusion in the present study. Validation cohort 1 (n = 59 consisted entirely of unambiguous cases and controls; SeptiCyte Lab gave an area under curve (AUC of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91-1.00 in this cohort. ROC curve analysis of an independent, more heterogeneous

Functional Molecular Junctions Derived from Double Self-Assembled Monolayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Sohyeon; Hwang, Eunhee; Cho, Yunhee; Lee, Junghyun; Lee, Hyoyoung

2017-09-25

Information processing using molecular junctions is becoming more important as devices are miniaturized to the nanoscale. Herein, we report functional molecular junctions derived from double self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) intercalated between soft graphene electrodes. Newly assembled molecular junctions are fabricated by placing a molecular SAM/(top) electrode on another molecular SAM/(bottom) electrode by using a contact-assembly technique. Double SAMs can provide tunneling conjugation across the van der Waals gap between the terminals of each monolayer and exhibit new electrical functions. Robust contact-assembled molecular junctions can act as platforms for the development of equivalent contact molecular junctions between top and bottom electrodes, which can be applied independently to different kinds of molecules to enhance either the structural complexity or the assembly properties of molecules. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molecular Diagnosis of Tuberculosis.

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Nurwidya, Fariz; Handayani, Diah; Burhan, Erlina; Yunus, Faisal

2018-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of adult death in the Asia-Pacific Region, including Indonesia. As an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), TB remains a major public health issue especially in developing nations due to the lack of adequate diagnostic testing facilities. Diagnosis of TB has entered an era of molecular detection that provides faster and more cost-effective methods to diagnose and confirm drug resistance in TB cases, meanwhile, diagnosis by conventional culture systems requires several weeks. New advances in the molecular detection of TB, including the faster and simpler nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS), have resulted in a shorter time for diagnosis and, therefore, faster TB treatments. In this review, we explored the current findings on molecular diagnosis of TB and drug-resistant TB to see how this advancement could be integrated into public health systems in order to control TB.

Molecular analysis of the oral microbiota of dental diseases

OpenAIRE

Kanasi, Eleni

2008-01-01

Traditionally, bacterial culture has been used for bacterial detection, allowing study of living microorganisms. Molecular methods are rapid and allow simultaneous identification of numerous species and uncultivated phylotypes. The objective of this doctoral thesis was to investigate the role of the oral microbiota, including poorly characterized and uncultivated bacteria, in dental caries and periodontitis, by comprehensive molecular, clinical, and statistical methods. The microbiota of 275 ...

Colonization of the Tongue Surface in Japanese Independent Elders: A Preliminary Study

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Tomohisa Ohno

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Oral care is important to decrease oral bacteria, especially in the dependent elders. There have been some reports on oral microflora in the dependent elders. However, investigations involving healthy independent elders are limited. The purpose of this study was to obtain more information on the microflora in Japanese independent elders. One hundred Japanese independent elders aged 65 years or older participated in this study. Eighty-one independent elders (male: 44, female: 37, mean age: 72.7 ± 5.8 participated in this study. Their mean Barthel Index was 99.1 ± 3.1, and mean score of MMSE was 28.0 ± 2.3. The tongue bacterial flora was examinved to identify microorganisms by the culture method. The predominant aerobic organisms were Streptococcus spp. (detection rate: 100%, Neisseria spp. (96%, and Corynebacterium spp. (56%. Candida spp. was also isolated (32%. In this study, the oral microflora of the tongue in Japanese independent elders was clarified. The results of this investigation may contribute to research on oral bacteria in elder persons in the future.

Elevated Adenosine Induces Placental DNA Hypomethylation Independent of A2B Receptor Signaling in Preeclampsia.

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Huang, Aji; Wu, Hongyu; Iriyama, Takayuki; Zhang, Yujin; Sun, Kaiqi; Song, Anren; Liu, Hong; Peng, Zhangzhe; Tang, Lili; Lee, Minjung; Huang, Yun; Ni, Xin; Kellems, Rodney E; Xia, Yang

2017-07-01

Preeclampsia is a prevalent pregnancy hypertensive disease with both maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Emerging evidence indicates that global placental DNA hypomethylation is observed in patients with preeclampsia and is linked to altered gene expression and disease development. However, the molecular basis underlying placental epigenetic changes in preeclampsia remains unclear. Using 2 independent experimental models of preeclampsia, adenosine deaminase-deficient mice and a pathogenic autoantibody-induced mouse model of preeclampsia, we demonstrate that elevated placental adenosine not only induces hallmark features of preeclampsia but also causes placental DNA hypomethylation. The use of genetic approaches to express an adenosine deaminase minigene specifically in placentas, or adenosine deaminase enzyme replacement therapy, restored placental adenosine to normal levels, attenuated preeclampsia features, and abolished placental DNA hypomethylation in adenosine deaminase-deficient mice. Genetic deletion of CD73 (an ectonucleotidase that converts AMP to adenosine) prevented the elevation of placental adenosine in the autoantibody-induced preeclampsia mouse model and ameliorated preeclampsia features and placental DNA hypomethylation. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that elevated placental adenosine-mediated DNA hypomethylation predominantly occurs in spongiotrophoblasts and labyrinthine trophoblasts and that this effect is independent of A2B adenosine receptor activation in both preeclampsia models. Extending our mouse findings to humans, we used cultured human trophoblasts to demonstrate that adenosine functions intracellularly and induces DNA hypomethylation without A2B adenosine receptor activation. Altogether, both mouse and human studies reveal novel mechanisms underlying placental DNA hypomethylation and potential therapeutic approaches for preeclampsia. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Culture and the environment in Ghana

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Dyasi, Hubert M.

1985-03-01

The traditional culture of Ghana stressed a strong relationship with the environment, and a culturally acceptable environmental management resulted from strictures and taboos related to the land. Following its independence in 1957, Ghana has enacted laws that reflect an enlightened environmental policy. These are especially important because of the difficulties Ghana has had in its economic development using Western technology that has damaged the fragile tropical ecosystem. A key aspect of Ghana's policy is the attempt to marry scientific knowledge and traditional beliefs for environmentally sound management of Ghana's resources.

Outcomes in culture positive and culture negative ascitic fluid infection in patients with viral cirrhosis: cohort study

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Ali Ailia W

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ascitic fluid infection (AFI in cirrhotic patients has a high morbidity and mortality. It has two variants namely, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP and culture negative neutrocytic ascites (CNNA. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome in cirrhotic patients with culture positive (SBP and culture negative neutrocytic ascites. Methods We analyzed 675 consecutive hepatitis B and/or C related cirrhosis patients with ascites admitted in our hospital from November 2005 to December 2007. Of these, 187 patients had AFI; clinical and laboratory parameters of these patients including causes of cirrhosis, Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP score were recorded. Results Out of 187 patients with AFI, 44 (23.5% had SBP while 143 (76.4% had CNNA. Hepatitis C virus (HCV infection was the most common cause of cirrhosis in 139 (74.3% patients. Patients with SBP had high CTP score as compared to CNNA (12.52 ± 1.45 vs. 11.44 ± 1.66; p 9/L as compared to CNNA (132 ± 91 × 109/L, p = 0.005. We found a high creatinine (mg/dl (1.95 ± 1.0 vs. 1.44 ± 0.85, (p = 0.003 and high prothrombin time (PT in seconds (24.8 ± 6.6 vs. 22.4 ± 7.2 (p = 0.04 in SBP as compared to CNNA. More patients with SBP (14/44; 31.8% had blood culture positivity as compare to CNNA (14/143; 9.8%, p = 0.002. Escherichia. Coli was the commonest organism in blood culture in 15/28 (53.5% patients. SBP group had a higher mortality (11/44; 25% as compared to CNNA (12/143; 8.4%, p = 0.003. On multiple logistic regression analysis, creatinine >1.1 mg/dl and positive blood culture were the independent predictors of mortality in patients with SBP. Conclusion Patients with SBP have a higher mortality than CNNA. Independent predictors of mortality in SBP are raised serum creatinine and a positive blood culture.

Recent developments in pathogen detection arrays: implications for fungal plant pathogens and use in practica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lievens, B.; Thomma, B.P.H.J.

2005-01-01

The failure to adequately identify plant pathogens from culture-based morphological techniques has led to the development of culture-independent molecular approaches. Increasingly, diagnostic laboratories are pursuing fast routine methods that provide reliable identification, sensitive detection,

Maintaining Identity Political Culture In Indonesia

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Fauzi, AM; Sudrajat, A.; Affandi, A.; Raditya, A.

2018-01-01

This study investigates the portrayal of traditional political cultures in West Kalimantan Province, a growing of election process. Results showed that Political life in Indonesia leads to modern political culture after experiencing a change of paradigm of political life. Political life in Indonesia leads to modern political culture after experiencing a change of paradigm of political life. Beginning Indonesia’s independence in the Old Order Phase, the politics used using the ideological paradigm, subsequent to the New Order Period used the political paradigm of unification and simplification of political parties but in practice it became the strategy of the State’s rulers to facilitate subjugating its citizens. After entering the reform era, several phenomena of political culture are displayed, some are using modern paradigm by giving women the widest possible role in political parties, and so on. Besides that there is the opposite of displaying and practicing traditional political culture, this is as it runs in West Borneo Province. The change of political culture in the modern direction is different from the political culture of the citizens in terms of who will be chosen, most West Borneo Province residents determine their political choice by using traditional patterns.

Characteristics of human infant primary fibroblast cultures from Achilles tendons removed post-mortem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rohde, Marianne Cathrine; Corydon, Thomas Juhl; Hansen, Jakob

2014-01-01

Primary cell cultures were investigated as a tool for molecular diagnostics in a forensic setting. Fibroblast cultures had been established from human Achilles tendon resected at autopsies, from cases of sudden infant death syndrome and control infants who died in traumatic events (n=41). After...... established from post-mortem tissue are renewable sources of biological material; they can be the foundation for genetic, metabolic and other functional studies and thus constitute a valuable tool for molecular and pathophysiological investigations in biomedical and forensic sciences....

THE EFFECTS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON DIVERSITY

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Hakan Sezerel

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The success of diversity management practices relies on the combination of a series of variables properly. The relevant literature suggests that diversity management is highly depended on an adequate organizational culture. Thus, a research model that proposes that organizational culture has impact on diversity management perceptions of employees. There are two data sets in this research. The independent variable of the research is organizational culture and the dependent variable of the research is the level of diversity management perceptions. The research is adopted in quantitative method and the data collected via questionnaires. This research which is conducted in a hotel chain finds that the mission dimension of organizational culture impacts all three levels of diversity management.

Biomarkers and Molecular Analysis to Improve Bloodstream Infection Diagnostics in an Emergency Care Unit

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Loonen, Anne J. M.; de Jager, Cornelis P. C.; Tosserams, Janna; Kusters, Ron; Hilbink, Mirrian; Wever, Peter C.; van den Brule, Adriaan J. C.

2014-01-01

Molecular pathogen detection from blood is still expensive and the exact clinical value remains to be determined. The use of biomarkers may assist in preselecting patients for immediate molecular testing besides blood culture. In this study, 140 patients with ≥ 2 SIRS criteria and clinical signs of infection presenting at the emergency department of our hospital were included. C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio (NLCR), procalcitonin (PCT) and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels were determined. One ml EDTA blood was obtained and selective pathogen DNA isolation was performed with MolYsis (Molzym). DNA samples were analysed for the presence of pathogens, using both the MagicPlex Sepsis Test (Seegene) and SepsiTest (Molzym), and results were compared to blood cultures. Fifteen patients had to be excluded from the study, leaving 125 patients for further analysis. Of the 125 patient samples analysed, 27 presented with positive blood cultures of which 7 were considered to be contaminants. suPAR, PCT, and NLCR values were significantly higher in patients with positive blood cultures compared to patients without (p molecular assays perform poorly when one ml whole blood is used from emergency care unit patients. NLCR is a cheap, fast, easy to determine, and rapidly available biomarker, and therefore seems most promising in differentiating BSI from non-BSI patients for subsequent pathogen identification using molecular diagnostics. PMID:24475269

Junctional transfer in cultured vascular endothelium: II. Dye and nucleotide transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D.M.; Sheridan, J.D.

1985-01-01

Vascular endothelial cultures, derived from large vessels, retain many of the characteristics of their in vivo counterparts. However, the observed reduction in size and complexity of intercellular gap and tight junctions in these cultured cells suggests that important functions, thought to be mediated by these structures, may be altered in vitro. In continuing studies on intercellular communication in vessel wall cells, the authors have quantitated the extent of junctional transfer of small molecular tracers (the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow CH and tritiated uridine nucleotides) in confluent cultures of calf aortic (BAEC) and umbilical vein (BVEC) endothelium. Both BAEC and BVEC show extensive (and quantitatively equivalent) dye and nucleotide transfer. As an analogue of intimal endothelium, the authors have also tested dye transfer in freshly isolated sheets of endothelium. Transfer in BAEC and BVEC sheets was more rapid, extensive and homogeneous than in the cultured cells, implying a reduction in molecular coupling as endothelium adapts to culture conditions. In addition, they have documented heterocellular nucleotide transfer between cultured endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells, of particular interest considering the prevalence of ''myo-endothelial'' junctions in vivo. These data yield further information on junctional transfer in cultured vascular endothelium and have broad implications for the functional integration of the vessel wall in the physiology and pathophysiology of the vasculature

EDITORIAL: Molecular Imaging Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Asai, Keisuke; Okamoto, Koji

2006-06-01

'Molecular Imaging Technology' focuses on image-based techniques using nanoscale molecules as sensor probes to measure spatial variations of various species (molecular oxygen, singlet oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitric monoxide, etc) and physical properties (pressure, temperature, skin friction, velocity, mechanical stress, etc). This special feature, starting on page 1237, contains selected papers from The International Workshop on Molecular Imaging for Interdisciplinary Research, sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in Japan, which was held at the Sendai Mediatheque, Sendai, Japan, on 8 9 November 2004. The workshop was held as a sequel to the MOSAIC International Workshop that was held in Tokyo in 2003, to summarize the outcome of the 'MOSAIC Project', a five-year interdisciplinary project supported by Techno-Infrastructure Program, the Special Coordination Fund for Promotion of Science Technology to develop molecular sensor technology for aero-thermodynamic research. The workshop focused on molecular imaging technology and its applications to interdisciplinary research areas. More than 110 people attended this workshop from various research fields such as aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, radiotechnology, fluid dynamics, bio-science/engineering and medical engineering. The purpose of this workshop is to stimulate intermixing of these interdisciplinary fields for further development of molecular sensor and imaging technology. It is our pleasure to publish the seven papers selected from our workshop as a special feature in Measurement and Science Technology. We will be happy if this issue inspires people to explore the future direction of molecular imaging technology for interdisciplinary research.

Communication: Molecular gears

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burnell, E. Elliott, E-mail: elliott.burnell@ubc.ca [Chemistry Department, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1 (Canada); Lange, Cornelis A. de, E-mail: c.a.de.lange@vu.nl [Atomic, Molecular and Laser Physics, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Meerts, W. Leo, E-mail: leo.meerts@science.ru.nl [Atomic, Molecular and Laser Physics, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam (Netherlands); Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University Nijmegen, Heyendaalseweg 135, NL-6525 AJ Nijmegen (Netherlands)

2016-09-07

The {sup 1}H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of hexamethylbenzene orientationally ordered in the nematic liquid crystal ZLI-1132 is analysed using covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy. The spectrum contains over 350 000 lines with many overlapping transitions, from which four independent direct dipolar couplings are obtained. The rotations of the six methyl groups appear to be correlated due to mutual steric hindrance. Adjacent methyl groups show counter-rotating or geared motion. Hexamethylbenzene thus behaves as a molecular hexagonal gear.

A general SNP-based molecular barcode for Plasmodium falciparum identification and tracking

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Rosen David

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP genotyping provides the means to develop a practical, rapid, inexpensive assay that will uniquely identify any Plasmodium falciparum parasite using a small amount of DNA. Such an assay could be used to distinguish recrudescence from re-infection in drug trials, to monitor the frequency and distribution of specific parasites in a patient population undergoing drug treatment or vaccine challenge, or for tracking samples and determining purity of isolates in the laboratory during culture adaptation and sub-cloning, as well as routine passage. Methods A panel of twenty-four SNP markers has been identified that exhibit a high minor allele frequency (average MAF > 35%, for which robust TaqMan genotyping assays were constructed. All SNPs were identified through whole genome sequencing and MAF was estimated through Affymetrix array-based genotyping of a worldwide collection of parasites. These assays create a "molecular barcode" to uniquely identify a parasite genome. Results Using 24 such markers no two parasites known to be of independent origin have yet been found to have the same allele signature. The TaqMan genotyping assays can be performed on a variety of samples including cultured parasites, frozen whole blood, or whole blood spotted onto filter paper with a success rate > 99%. Less than 5 ng of parasite DNA is needed to complete a panel of 24 markers. The ability of this SNP panel to detect and identify parasites was compared to the standard molecular methods, MSP-1 and MSP-2 typing. Conclusion This work provides a facile field-deployable genotyping tool that can be used without special skills with standard lab equipment, and at reasonable cost that will unambiguously identify and track P. falciparum parasites both from patient samples and in the laboratory.

Generalized extended Navier-Stokes theory: multiscale spin relaxation in molecular fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, J S

2013-09-01

This paper studies the relaxation of the molecular spin angular velocity in the framework of generalized extended Navier-Stokes theory. Using molecular dynamics simulations, it is shown that for uncharged diatomic molecules the relaxation time decreases with increasing molecular moment of inertia per unit mass. In the regime of large moment of inertia the fast relaxation is wave-vector independent and dominated by the coupling between spin and the fluid streaming velocity, whereas for small inertia the relaxation is slow and spin diffusion plays a significant role. The fast wave-vector-independent relaxation is also observed for highly packed systems. The transverse and longitudinal spin modes have, to a good approximation, identical relaxation, indicating that the longitudinal and transverse spin viscosities have same value. The relaxation is also shown to be isomorphic invariant. Finally, the effect of the coupling in the zero frequency and wave-vector limit is quantified by a characteristic length scale; if the system dimension is comparable to this length the coupling must be included into the fluid dynamical description. It is found that the length scale is independent of moment of inertia but dependent on the state point.

Older women's perceptions of independence versus dependence in food-related work.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafsson, Kerstin; Andersson, Ingegerd; Andersson, Jenny; Fjellström, Christina; Sidenvall, Birgitta

2003-01-01

This qualitative study aims to explore the cultural meaning of accomplishing food-related work by older women, when disease has diminished their abilities and threatens to make them dependent. Seventy-two women with stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and Parkinson's disease, as well as women without those diseases, were interviewed. All were living at home. Results showed that older women valued independence and feared dependence when declining ability threatened performance of food-related work. They also had strong beliefs about living a "normal life," managing by oneself as long as possible, and becoming their own masters again. To remain independent, participants used three kinds of strategies: Public Health Service Support, self-managing, and adaptation. Their beliefs about dependence included not becoming a burden, retaining self-determination, and maintaining order in life. Implications for nursing include supporting independent cooking, developing care plans with the care recipient, and demonstrating respect for the women's self-determination.

DockingShop: A Tool for Interactive Molecular Docking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Ting-Cheng; Max, Nelson L.; Ding, Jinhui; Bethel, E. Wes; Crivelli, Silvia N.

2005-04-24

Given two independently determined molecular structures, the molecular docking problem predicts the bound association, or best fit between them, while allowing for conformational changes of the individual molecules during construction of a molecular complex. Docking Shop is an integrated environment that permits interactive molecular docking by navigating a ligand or protein to an estimated binding site of a receptor with real-time graphical feedback of scoring factors as visual guides. Our program can be used to create initial configurations for a protein docking prediction process. Its output--the structure of aprotein-ligand or protein-protein complex--may serve as an input for aprotein docking algorithm, or an optimization process. This tool provides molecular graphics interfaces for structure modeling, interactive manipulation, navigation, optimization, and dynamic visualization to aid users steer the prediction process using their biological knowledge.

Identification of molecular species of acylglycerols of Philippine wild edible mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum

Science.gov (United States)

Wild edible mushrooms are widely consumed in many countries. We successfully cultivated four edible, medicinal Philippine mushrooms in liquid culture. Recently, we identified the molecular species of acylglycerols in the lipid extract of mushroom G. lucidum NRRL66208. One hundred and three molecular...

Cross-Cultural Concept Mapping of Standardized Datasets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kano Glückstad, Fumiko

2012-01-01

This work compares four feature-based similarity measures derived from cognitive sciences. The purpose of the comparative analysis is to verify the potentially most effective model that can be applied for mapping independent ontologies in a culturally influenced domain [1]. Here, datasets based...

Steroidogenic activity of high molecular weight forms of ACTH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gasson, J.C.

1979-01-01

The relative steroidogenic potencies of high molecular weight forms of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were investigated using in vitro bioassays. In order to prepare pools of separated pro-ACTH/endorphin, ACTH biosynthetic intermediate and glycosylated ACTH (1-39), the protein present in serum-free tissue culture medium obtained from cultured AtT-20/D-16v mouse pituitary tumor cells was concentrated and fractionated by gel filtration. Based on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, over 97% of the immunoactive ACTH in each pool had the appropriate molecular weight. Suspensions of isolated rat and guinea pig adrenal cortical cells were prepared by enzymatic dissociation and mechanical dispersion. Cells were incubated in complete tissue culture medium overnight then used in a 2 hour steroid production assay. Synthetic hACTH(1-39) was used as a bioassay and immunoassay standard. The amounts of pro-ACTH/endorphin, ACTH biosynthetic intermediate and glycosylated ACTH(1-39) bioassayed were estimated by ACTH(17-24) radioimmunoassay. All three high molecular weight forms of ACTH were capable of stimulating the same maximal level of steroidogenesis, by both isolated rat and guinea pig adrenal cells, as hACTH(1-39). Glycosylated ACTH(1-39) was equipotent with hACTH(1-39); pro-ACTH/endorphin and ACTH biosynthetic intermediate were two orders of magnitude less potent than hACTH(1-39) in both bioassay systems

The influence of organizational culture on intellectual capital

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Maria Amalia Trillo

2007-07-01

Full Text Available This paper tries to analyse the connection between organizational culture and intellectual capital. Nowadays, the possibility of incorporating cultural capital as a factor that distinguishes the strategic–social concept of intellectual capital in the actual knowledge society is being studied. In order to this, the elements that form organizational culture in each one of the five capitals of the “Intellectus Model” have been selected. They constitute an independent capital called cultural capital. A suggestion for the future is the possibility of creating a new model. Its peculiarity is the cultural capital incorporation as a distinguishing component. This would allow relating the intangible assets elements and variables depending on the organizational culture context. It is necessary to consider than this proposal must take into account the culture as a key element, in which is based the internal logic of the model. It also provides it with the necessary dynamic structure in a competitive and changing society as ours is.

Short-peptide-based molecular hydrogels: novel gelation strategies and applications for tissue engineering and drug delivery

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Wang, Huaimin; Yang, Zhimou

2012-08-01

Molecular hydrogels hold big potential for tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery. Our lab focuses on short-peptide-based molecular hydrogels formed by biocompatible methods and their applications in tissue engineering (especially, 3D cell culture) and controlled drug delivery. This feature article firstly describes our recent progresses of the development of novel methods to form hydrogels, including the strategy of disulfide bond reduction and assistance with specific protein-peptide interactions. We then introduce the applications of our hydrogels in fields of controlled stem cell differentiation, cell culture, surface modifications of polyester materials by molecular self-assembly, and anti-degradation of recombinant complex proteins. A novel molecular hydrogel system of hydrophobic compounds that are only formed by hydrolysis processes was also included in this article. The hydrogels of hydrophobic compounds, especially those of hydrophobic therapeutic agents, may be developed into a carrier-free delivery system for long term delivery of therapeutic agents. With the efforts in this field, we believe that molecular hydrogels formed by short peptides and hydrophobic therapeutic agents can be practically applied for 3D cell culture and long term drug delivery in near future, respectively.

Culturally divergent responses to mortality salience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma-Kellams, Christine; Blascovich, Jim

2011-08-01

Two experiments compared the effects of death thoughts, or mortality salience, on European and Asian Americans. Research on terror management theory has demonstrated that in Western cultural groups, individuals typically employ self-protective strategies in the face of death-related thoughts. Given fundamental East-West differences in self-construal (i.e., the independent vs. interdependent self), we predicted that members of Eastern cultural groups would affirm other people, rather than defend and affirm the self, after encountering conditions of mortality salience. We primed European Americans and Asian Americans with either a death or a control prime and examined the effect of this manipulation on attitudes about a person who violates cultural norms (Study 1) and on attributions about the plight of an innocent victim (Study 2). Mortality salience promoted culturally divergent responses, leading European Americans to defend the self and Asian Americans to defend other people.

Molecular diagnostic methods for invasive fungal disease: the horizon draws nearer?

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Halliday, C L; Kidd, S E; Sorrell, T C; Chen, S C-A

2015-04-01

Rapid, accurate diagnostic laboratory tests are needed to improve clinical outcomes of invasive fungal disease (IFD). Traditional direct microscopy, culture and histological techniques constitute the 'gold standard' against which newer tests are judged. Molecular diagnostic methods, whether broad-range or fungal-specific, have great potential to enhance sensitivity and speed of IFD diagnosis, but have varying specificities. The use of PCR-based assays, DNA sequencing, and other molecular methods including those incorporating proteomic approaches such as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) have shown promising results. These are used mainly to complement conventional methods since they require standardisation before widespread implementation can be recommended. None are incorporated into diagnostic criteria for defining IFD. Commercial assays may assist standardisation. This review provides an update of molecular-based diagnostic approaches applicable to biological specimens and fungal cultures in microbiology laboratories. We focus on the most common pathogens, Candida and Aspergillus, and the mucormycetes. The position of molecular-based approaches in the detection of azole and echinocandin antifungal resistance is also discussed.

Culture-dependent bacteria in commercial fishes: Qualitative assessment and molecular identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing

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Nabeel M. Alikunhi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Fish contamination has been extensively investigated along the Saudi coasts, but studies pertaining to bacterial pathogens are scarce. We conducted qualitative assessment and molecular identification of culture-dependent bacteria in 13 fish species from three coastal sites and a local fish market in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Bacterial counts of gills, skin, gut and muscle were examined on agar plates of Macconkey’s (Mac, Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB and Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts (TCBS culture media. Bacterial counts significantly differed between species, sources and feeding habits of examined fishes. Mugil cephalus exhibited higher counts on TCBS (all body parts, Mac (gills, muscle and gut and EMB (gills and muscle. Fishes from Area I had higher bacterial loads, coinciding with those in seawater and sediment from the same site, indicating direct association between habitat conditions and the levels of bacterial contamination. By feeding habit, detritivorous fish harbored higher counts than herbivorous and carnivorous species. Bacterial counts of skin were higher in fish from market than field sites, and positively correlated with other body parts indicating the relation of surface bacterial load on the overall quality of fish. Rahnella aquatilis (Enterobacteriaceae and Photobacterium damselae (Vibrionaceae were among the dominant species from fish muscle based on 16S rRNA sequencing. These species are known human pathogens capable of causing foodborne illness with severe antibiotic resistance. Opportunistic pathogens, e.g. Hafnia sp. (Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas stutzeri (Pseudomonadaceae also occurred in fish muscle. The inclusion of bacterial contamination in future monitoring efforts is thus crucial.

Cultural mismatch and the education of Aboriginal youths: the interplay of cultural identities and teacher ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Fryberg, Stephanie A; Troop-Gordon, Wendy; D'Arrisso, Alexandra; Flores, Heidi; Ponizovskiy, Vladimir; Ranney, John D; Mandour, Tarek; Tootoosis, Curtis; Robinson, Sandy; Russo, Natalie; Burack, Jacob A

2013-01-01

In response to the enduring "deficit" approach to the educational attainment of Aboriginal students in North America, we hypothesized that academic underperformance is related to a cultural mismatch between Aboriginal students' cultural background, which emphasizes connectedness and interdependence, and the mainstream White model of education, which focuses on independence and assertiveness. The participants included virtually all the secondary students (N = 115) in the Naskapi community of Kawawachikamach, Quebec, Canada. We obtained self-reports of identification with Aboriginal and White culture, teacher reports of assertiveness, and official grades. We found that high identification with either Aboriginal or White culture was related to higher grades, regardless of whether the students were perceived as assertive by their teacher. Conversely, at low levels of cultural identification toward Aboriginal or White culture, being perceived as low in assertiveness by one's teacher predicted lower grades. This suggests that both high cultural identification and assertiveness can contribute to enhancing the educational outcomes of Aboriginal students, but that Aboriginal students with low levels of both cultural identification and assertiveness are at particular risk as they are mismatched with the culture of mainstream schools and do not benefit from the protective effects of identity. The relationships among identity, cultural values, and academic performance point to the need to reject the notion of an inherent deficit in education among Aboriginal youths in favor of a different framework in which success can be attained when alternative ways of being are fostered and nurtured in schools.

"Capitalizing on Sport": Sport, Physical Education and Multiple Capitals in Scottish Independent Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Horne, John; Lingard, Bob; Weiner, Gaby; Forbes, Joan

2011-01-01

This paper draws on a research study into the existence and use of different forms of capital--including social, cultural and physical capital--in three independent schools in Scotland. We were interested in understanding how these forms of capital work to produce and reproduce "advantage" and "privilege". Analysis is framed by…

Correlations between social-emotional feelings and anterior insula activity are independent from visceral states but influenced by culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Helen eImmordino-Yang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The anterior insula (AI maps visceral states and is active during emotional experiences, a functional confluence that is central to neurobiological accounts of feelings. Yet, it is unclear how AI activity correlates with feelings during social emotions, and whether this correlation may be influenced by culture, as studies correlating real-time AI activity with visceral states and feelings have focused on Western subjects feeling physical pain or basic disgust. Given psychological evidence that social-emotional feelings are cognitively constructed within cultural frames, we asked Chinese and American participants to report their feeling strength to admiration and compassion-inducing narratives during fMRI with simultaneous electrocardiogram recording. Trial-by-trial, cardiac arousal and feeling strength correlated with ventral and dorsal AI activity bilaterally but predicted different variance, suggesting that interoception and social-emotional feeling construction are concurrent but dissociable AI functions. Further, although the variance that correlated with cardiac arousal did not show cultural effects, the variance that correlated with feelings did. Feeling strength was especially associated with ventral AI activity (the autonomic modulatory sector in the Chinese group but with dorsal AI activity (the visceral-somatosensory/cognitive sector in an American group not of Asian descent. This cultural group difference held after controlling for posterior insula activity and was replicated. A bi-cultural East-Asian American group showed intermediate results. The findings help elucidate how the AI supports feelings and suggest that previous reports that dorsal AI activation reflects feeling strength are culture related. More broadly, the results suggest that the brain’s ability to construct conscious experiences of social emotion is less closely tied to visceral processes than neurobiological models predict and at least partly open to cultural

Molecular cloning of a Bangladeshi strain of very virulent infectious bursal disease virus of chickens and its adaptation in tissue culture by site-directed mutagenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, M.R.; Raue, R.; Mueller, H.

2005-01-01

Full-length cDNA of both genome segments of a Bangladeshi strain of very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (BD 3/99) were cloned in plasmid vectors along with the T7 promoter tagged to the 5'-ends. Mutations were introduced in the cloned cDNA to bring about two amino acid exchanges (Q253H and A284T) in the capsid protein VP2. Transfection of primary chicken embryo fibroblast cells with RNA transcribed in vitro from the full-length cDNA resulted in the formation of mutant infectious virus particles that grow in tissue culture. The pathogenicity of this molecularly-cloned, tissue-culture- adapted virus (BD-3tc) was tested in commercial chickens. The parental wild-type strain, BD 3/99, was included for comparison. The subclinical course of the disease and delayed bursal atrophy in BD-3tc-inoculated birds suggested that these amino acid substitutions made BD-3tc partially attenuated. (author)

High-Level Culturability of Epiphytic Bacteria and Frequency of Biosurfactant Producers on Leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Burch, Adrien Y.; Do, Paulina T.; Sbodio, Adrian; Suslow, Trevor V.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT To better characterize the bacterial community members capable of biosurfactant production on leaves, we distinguished culturable biosurfactant-producing bacteria from nonproducers and used community sequencing to compare the composition of these distinct cultured populations with that from DNA directly recovered from leaves. Communities on spinach, romaine, and head lettuce leaves were compared with communities from adjacent samples of soil and irrigation source water. Soil communities were poorly described by culturing, with recovery of cultured representatives from only 21% of the prevalent operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (>0.2% reads) identified. The dominant biosurfactant producers cultured from soil included bacilli and pseudomonads. In contrast, the cultured communities from leaves are highly representative of the culture-independent communities, with over 85% of the prevalent OTUs recovered. The dominant taxa of surfactant producers from leaves were pseudomonads as well as members of the infrequently studied genus Chryseobacterium. The proportions of bacteria cultured from head lettuce and romaine leaves that produce biosurfactants were directly correlated with the culture-independent proportion of pseudomonads in a given sample, whereas spinach harbored a wider diversity of biosurfactant producers. A subset of the culturable bacteria in irrigation water also became enriched on romaine leaves that were irrigated overhead. Although our study was designed to identify surfactant producers on plants, we also provide evidence that most bacteria in some habitats, such as agronomic plant surfaces, are culturable, and these communities can be readily investigated and described by more classical culturing methods. IMPORTANCE The importance of biosurfactant production to the bacteria that live on waxy leaf surfaces as well as their ability to be accurately assessed using culture-based methodologies was determined by interrogating epiphytic populations by

Impact of noise on molecular network inference.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radhakrishnan Nagarajan

Full Text Available Molecular entities work in concert as a system and mediate phenotypic outcomes and disease states. There has been recent interest in modelling the associations between molecular entities from their observed expression profiles as networks using a battery of algorithms. These networks have proven to be useful abstractions of the underlying pathways and signalling mechanisms. Noise is ubiquitous in molecular data and can have a pronounced effect on the inferred network. Noise can be an outcome of several factors including: inherent stochastic mechanisms at the molecular level, variation in the abundance of molecules, heterogeneity, sensitivity of the biological assay or measurement artefacts prevalent especially in high-throughput settings. The present study investigates the impact of discrepancies in noise variance on pair-wise dependencies, conditional dependencies and constraint-based Bayesian network structure learning algorithms that incorporate conditional independence tests as a part of the learning process. Popular network motifs and fundamental connections, namely: (a common-effect, (b three-chain, and (c coherent type-I feed-forward loop (FFL are investigated. The choice of these elementary networks can be attributed to their prevalence across more complex networks. Analytical expressions elucidating the impact of discrepancies in noise variance on pairwise dependencies and conditional dependencies for special cases of these motifs are presented. Subsequently, the impact of noise on two popular constraint-based Bayesian network structure learning algorithms such as Grow-Shrink (GS and Incremental Association Markov Blanket (IAMB that implicitly incorporate tests for conditional independence is investigated. Finally, the impact of noise on networks inferred from publicly available single cell molecular expression profiles is investigated. While discrepancies in noise variance are overlooked in routine molecular network inference, the

Culture, threat, and mental illness stigma: identifying culture-specific threat among Chinese-American groups.

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Yang, Lawrence H; Purdie-Vaughns, Valerie; Kotabe, Hiroki; Link, Bruce G; Saw, Anne; Wong, Gloria; Phelan, Jo C

2013-07-01

We incorporate anthropological insights into a stigma framework to elucidate the role of culture in threat perception and stigma among Chinese groups. Prior work suggests that genetic contamination that jeopardizes the extension of one's family lineage may comprise a culture-specific threat among Chinese groups. In Study 1, a national survey conducted from 2002 to 2003 assessed cultural differences in mental illness stigma and perceptions of threat in 56 Chinese-Americans and 589 European-Americans. Study 2 sought to empirically test this culture-specific threat of genetic contamination to lineage via a memory paradigm. Conducted from June to August 2010, 48 Chinese-American and 37 European-American university students in New York City read vignettes containing content referring to lineage or non-lineage concerns. Half the participants in each ethnic group were assigned to a condition in which the illness was likely to be inherited (genetic condition) and the rest read that the illness was unlikely to be inherited (non-genetic condition). Findings from Study 1 and 2 were convergent. In Study 1, culture-specific threat to lineage predicted cultural variation in stigma independently and after accounting for other forms of threat. In Study 2, Chinese-Americans in the genetic condition were more likely to accurately recall and recognize lineage content than the Chinese-Americans in the non-genetic condition, but that memorial pattern was not found for non-lineage content. The identification of this culture-specific threat among Chinese groups has direct implications for culturally-tailored anti-stigma interventions. Further, this framework might be implemented across other conditions and cultural groups to reduce stigma across cultures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Culture and attention: evidence from brain and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketay, Sarah; Aron, Arthur; Hedden, Trey

2009-01-01

Research has demonstrated that our experiences, including the culture in which we are raised, shape how we attend to and perceive the world. Behavioral studies have found that individuals raised in Western cultures tend toward analytic processing and prefer tasks emphasizing independent contexts rather than tasks emphasizing interdependent contexts. The opposite is true for individuals raised in East Asian cultures, who tend toward holistic processing and prefer tasks emphasizing interdependent contexts. Recently, cognitive neuroscientists have extended these behavioral findings to examine the brain activity of individuals from different cultures during the performance of cognitive tasks. Results from these initial studies indicate that culture may shape how the brain processes even very abstract stimuli and may influence the features of the environment to which individuals attend. The present chapter reviews evidence that culture influences attention and related systems, which, in turn, impact other cognitive and social processes and their neural correlates.

Culture-independent analysis of bacterial fuel contamination provides insight into the level of concordance with the standard industry practice of aerobis cultivation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, J.; Gilbert, J. A.; Hill, G.; Hill, E.; Huse, S. M.; Weightman, A. J.; Mahenthiralingam, E. (CLS-CI); (Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University); (ECHA Microbiology Ltd.); (Josephine Bay Paul Centre for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution)

2011-07-01

Bacterial diversity in contaminated fuels has not been systematically investigated using cultivation-independent methods. The fuel industry relies on phenotypic cultivation-based contaminant identification, which may lack accuracy and neglect difficult-to-culture taxa. By the use of industry practice aerobic cultivation, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and strain genotyping, a collection of 152 unique contaminant isolates from 54 fuel samples was assembled, and a dominance of Pseudomonas (21%), Burkholderia (7%), and Bacillus (7%) was demonstrated. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 15 samples revealed Proteobacteria and Firmicutes to be the most abundant phyla. When 16S rRNA V6 gene pyrosequencing of four selected fuel samples (indicated by 'JW') was performed, Betaproteobacteria (42.8%) and Gammaproteobacteria (30.6%) formed the largest proportion of reads; the most abundant genera were Marinobacter (15.4%; JW57), Achromobacter (41.6%; JW63), Burkholderia (80.7%; JW76), and Halomonas (66.2%; JW78), all of which were also observed by DGGE. However, the Clostridia (38.5%) and Deltaproteobacteria (11.1%) identified by pyrosequencing in sample JW57 were not observed by DGGE or aerobic culture. Genotyping revealed three instances where identical strains were found: (i) a Pseudomonas sp. strain recovered from 2 different diesel fuel tanks at a single industrial site; (ii) a Mangroveibacter sp. strain isolated from 3 biodiesel tanks at a single refinery site; and (iii) a Burkholderia vietnamiensis strain present in two unrelated automotive diesel samples. Overall, aerobic cultivation of fuel contaminants recovered isolates broadly representative of the phyla and classes present but lacked accuracy by overrepresenting members of certain groups such as Pseudomonas.

Establishing in vitro Zinnia elegans cell suspension culture with high tracheary elements differentiation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Twumasi, P.; Schel, J.H.N.; Ieperen, van W.; Woltering, E.J.; Emons, A.M.C.

2009-01-01

The Zinnia elegans mesophyll cell culture is a useful system for xylogenesis studies. The system is associated with highly synchronous tracheary element (TE) differentiation, making it more suitable for molecular studies requiring larger amounts of molecular isolates, such as mRNA and proteins and

Matters of taste: bridging molecular physiology and the humanities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangachari, P K; Rangachari, Usha

2015-12-01

Taste perception was the focus of an undergraduate course in the health sciences that bridged the sciences and humanities. A problem-based learning approach was used to study the biological issues, whereas the cultural transmutations of these molecular mechanisms were explored using a variety of resources (novels, cookbooks, and films). Multiple evaluation procedures were used: problem summaries and problem-solving exercises (tripartite problem-solving exercise) for the problem-based learning component and group tasks and individual exercises for the cultural issues. Self-selected groups chose specific tasks from a prescribed list of options (setting up a journal in molecular gastronomy, developing an electronic tongue, designing a restaurant for synesthetes, organizing a farmers' market, marketing a culinary tour, framing hedonic scales, exploring changing tastes through works of art or recipe books, and crafting beers for space travel). Individual tasks were selected from a menu of options (book reviews, film reviews, conversations, creative writing, and oral exams). A few guest lecturers (wine making, cultural anthropology, film analysis, and nutritional epidemiology) added more flavor. The course was rated highly for its learning value (8.5 ± 1.2, n = 62) and helped students relate biological mechanisms to cultural issues (9.0 ± 0.9, n = 62). Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

World of Learning: Houston Independent School District 2014 Annual Report and 2015 Calendar

Science.gov (United States)

Houston Independent School District, 2015

2015-01-01

No other city in the nation more clearly exemplifies the dramatically changing social, political, and economic landscape of America's urban centers than Houston. Houston has transformed from a bi-racial southern city on the bayou to one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in the nation. Houston Independent School District…

Diversity of thermophilic bacteria in raw, pasteurized and selectively-cultured milk, as assessed by culturing, PCR-DGGE and pyrosequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado, Susana; Rachid, Caio T C C; Fernández, Elena; Rychlik, Tomasz; Alegría, Angel; Peixoto, Raquel S; Mayo, Baltasar

2013-10-01

Thermophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species, such as Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus helveticus, enjoy worldwide economic importance as dairy starters. To assess the diversity of thermophilic bacteria in milk, milk samples were enriched in thermophilic organisms through a stepwise procedure which included pasteurization of milk at 63 °C for 30 min (PM samples) and pasteurization followed by incubation at 42 °C for 24 h (IPM samples). The microbial composition of these samples was analyzed by culture-dependent (at 42 °C) and culture-independent (PCR-DGGE and pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons) microbial techniques. The results were then compared to those obtained for their corresponding starting raw milk counterparts (RM samples). Twenty different species were scored by culturing among 352 isolates purified from the counting plates and identified by molecular methods. Mesophilic LAB species (Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus garvieae) were dominant (87% of the isolates) among the RM samples. However, S. thermophilus and Lb. delbrueckii were found to be the dominant recoverable organisms in both PM and IPM samples. The DGGE profiles of RM and PM samples were found to be very similar; the most prominent bands belonging to Lactococcus, Leuconostoc and Streptococcus species. In contrast, just three DGGE bands were obtained for IPM samples, two of which were assigned to S. thermophilus. The pyrosequencing results scored 95 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) at 3% sequence divergence in an RM sample, while only 13 were encountered in two IPM samples. This technique identified Leuconostoc citreum as the dominant microorganism in the RM sample, while S. thermophilus constituted more than 98% of the reads in the IPM samples. The procedure followed in this study allowed to estimate the bacterial diversity in milk and afford a suitable strategy for the isolation of new thermophilic LAB strains, among which adequate

Male sexual orientation in independent samoa: evidence for fraternal birth order and maternal fecundity effects.

Science.gov (United States)

VanderLaan, Doug P; Vasey, Paul L

2011-06-01

In Western cultures, male androphiles tend to have greater numbers of older brothers than male gynephiles (i.e., the fraternal birth order effect). In the non-Western nation of Independent Samoa, androphilic males (known locally as fa'afafine) have been shown to have greater numbers of older brothers, older sisters, and younger brothers (Vasey & VanderLaan, 2007). It is unclear, however, whether the observed older brother effect, in the context of the additional sibling category effects, represented a genuine fraternal birth order effect or was simply associated with elevated maternal fecundity. To differentiate between these two possibilities, this study employed a larger, independent replication sample of fa'afafine and gynephilic males from Independent Samoa. Fa'afafine had greater numbers of older brothers and sisters. The replication sample and the sample from Vasey and VanderLaan were then combined, facilitating a comparison that showed the older brother effect was significantly greater in magnitude than the older sister effect. These results suggest that fraternal birth order and maternal fecundity effects both exist in Samoa. The existence of these effects cross-culturally is discussed in the context of biological theories for the development of male androphilia.

Molecular detection methods of resistance to antituberculosis drugs in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Brossier, F; Sougakoff, W

2017-09-01

Molecular methods predict drug resistance several weeks before phenotypic methods and enable rapid implementation of appropriate therapeutic treatment. We aimed to detail the most representative molecular tools used in routine practice for the rapid detection of resistance to antituberculosis drugs among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. The molecular diagnosis of resistance to antituberculosis drugs in clinical samples or from in vitro cultures is based on the detection of the most common mutations in the genes involved in the development of resistance in M. tuberculosis strains (encoding either protein targets of antibiotics, or antibiotic activating enzymes) by commercial molecular kits or by sequencing. Three hypotheses could explain the discrepancies between the genotypic results and the phenotypic drug susceptibility testing results: a low percentage of resistant mutants precluding the detection by genotypic methods on the primary culture; a low level of resistance not detected by phenotypic testing; and other resistance mechanisms not yet characterized. Molecular methods have varying sensitivity with regards to detecting antituberculosis drug resistance; that is why phenotypic susceptibility testing methods are mandatory for detecting antituberculosis drug-resistant isolates that have not been detected by molecular methods. The questionable ability of existing phenotypic and genotypic drug susceptibility testing to properly classify strains as susceptible or resistant, and at what level of resistance, was raised for several antituberculosis agents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Does cultural integration explain a mental health advantage for adolescents?

Science.gov (United States)

Bhui, Kamaldeep S; Lenguerrand, Erik; Maynard, Maria J; Stansfeld, Stephen A; Harding, Seeromanie

2012-06-01

A mental health advantage has been observed among adolescents in urban areas. This prospective study tests whether cultural integration measured by cross-cultural friendships explains a mental health advantage for adolescents. A prospective cohort of adolescents was recruited from 51 secondary schools in 10 London boroughs. Cultural identity was assessed by friendship choices within and across ethnic groups. Cultural integration is one of four categories of cultural identity. Using gender-specific linear-mixed models we tested whether cultural integration explained a mental health advantage, and whether gender and age were influential. Demographic and other relevant factors, such as ethnic group, socio-economic status, family structure, parenting styles and perceived racism were also measured and entered into the models. Mental health was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a 'total difficulties score' and by classification as a 'probable clinical case'. A total of 6643 pupils in first and second years of secondary school (ages 11-13 years) took part in the baseline survey (2003/04) and 4785 took part in the follow-up survey in 2005-06. Overall mental health improved with age, more so in male rather than female students. Cultural integration (friendships with own and other ethnic groups) was associated with the lowest levels of mental health problems especially among male students. This effect was sustained irrespective of age, ethnicity and other potential explanatory variables. There was a mental health advantage among specific ethnic groups: Black Caribbean and Black African male students (Nigerian/Ghanaian origin) and female Indian students. This was not fully explained by cultural integration, although cultural integration was independently associated with better mental health. Cultural integration was associated with better mental health, independent of the mental health advantage found among specific ethnic groups: Black Caribbean and

Does cultural integration explain a mental health advantage for adolescents?

Science.gov (United States)

Bhui, Kamaldeep S; Lenguerrand, Erik; Maynard, Maria J; Stansfeld, Stephen A; Harding, Seeromanie

2012-01-01

Background A mental health advantage has been observed among adolescents in urban areas. This prospective study tests whether cultural integration measured by cross-cultural friendships explains a mental health advantage for adolescents. Methods A prospective cohort of adolescents was recruited from 51 secondary schools in 10 London boroughs. Cultural identity was assessed by friendship choices within and across ethnic groups. Cultural integration is one of four categories of cultural identity. Using gender-specific linear-mixed models we tested whether cultural integration explained a mental health advantage, and whether gender and age were influential. Demographic and other relevant factors, such as ethnic group, socio-economic status, family structure, parenting styles and perceived racism were also measured and entered into the models. Mental health was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a ‘total difficulties score’ and by classification as a ‘probable clinical case’. Results A total of 6643 pupils in first and second years of secondary school (ages 11–13 years) took part in the baseline survey (2003/04) and 4785 took part in the follow-up survey in 2005–06. Overall mental health improved with age, more so in male rather than female students. Cultural integration (friendships with own and other ethnic groups) was associated with the lowest levels of mental health problems especially among male students. This effect was sustained irrespective of age, ethnicity and other potential explanatory variables. There was a mental health advantage among specific ethnic groups: Black Caribbean and Black African male students (Nigerian/Ghanaian origin) and female Indian students. This was not fully explained by cultural integration, although cultural integration was independently associated with better mental health. Conclusions Cultural integration was associated with better mental health, independent of the mental health advantage

On Dimension of Cultural Connotation in Cognitive-Metaphor Studies

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

孙敏

2016-01-01

Started from Aristotle, metaphor has been studied independently and relatively ranged from rhetoric, philosophy, prag-matic, anthropology, psychology, cognitive science and other disciplines. This article views the close relation between metaphor and culture on the perspective of cognitive metaphor, focusing on the double functions in the perception of world and creation of culture and further dugs the profound theories of different dimensions in the contrast between English and Chinese language.

Constitutionalization of judicial independence: In comparative law and in Serbian legislation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pejić Irena

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to point out that the guarantees of judicial independence have to be regulated by the Constitution as they create de iure framework for the independence of the judiciary in the rule of law system. The author is aware that the constitutional guarantees are per se insufficient and that their primary features may yield different effects depending on the political environment and cultural matrix in which they take effect. The judicial system operates in the circumstances of the separation of powers, where the independent judiciary is corroborated a guarantee of the rule of law. Hence, it is important to concurrently elaborate on the institutional and personal guarantees of judicial independence, focusing on the responsibility of the political authorities to create a relevant social environment for the operation of the independent judiciary as well as on the responsibility of the judiciary to independently exercise their judicial function. The author's intention in this paper is to provides a comparative analysis on the guarantees of independent judiciary and the minimum rules that constitute the cohesive core which serves as the common meeting grounds not only for the EU member states but also for all countries of the European-Continental legal system in their efforts to ensure the judicial independence as the primary condition for exercising the rule of law. The corpus of constitutional guarantees on independent judiciary includes the following elements: the judicial appointments and termination of a judicial office; the permanence of the judicial office and impartiality in decision-making processes; the professional responsibility and judicial immunity; as well as the recently established judicial councils, which have been given the constitutional authority to protect the independence of the judiciary.

Long-term storage of clinical samples in CyMol® medium for PNA- FISH® and culturing from the eSwab™ system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Lone Heimann; Xu, Yijuan; Pedersen, Malene Schibler

Objectives: A steadily growing diversity of bacteria is reported in foreign body infections, and culture-independent methods have been shown to supplement established culture methods. Therefore, sampling and preservation of specimens have become an important issue. We report here experience from...... analytical methods. Methods: Sampling for both culture-dependent and -independent analyses were done over a period of two years. Specimens were transferred directly to the lab, and cultures of tissue biopsies, joint fluid, sonication fluid from the prosthesis components, and eSwab™ (Copan, Italy) were...... performed within 24 h after sampling. The corresponding specimens for culture-independent methods were stored at -80°C until analyzed in batchs. Specimens for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis were stored for app. one year at -80°C in CyMol® (Copan, Italy), an alcohol based media, before...

Molecular diagnostics for human leptospirosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Waggoner, Jesse J; Pinsky, Benjamin A

2016-10-01

The definitive diagnosis of leptospirosis, which results from infection with spirochetes of the genus Leptospira, currently relies on the use of culture, serological testing (microscopic agglutination testing), and molecular detection. The purpose of this review is to describe new molecular diagnostics for Leptospira and discuss advancements in the use of available methods. Efforts have been focused on improving the clinical sensitivity of Leptospira detection using molecular methods. In this review, we describe a reoptimized pathogenic species-specific real-time PCR (targeting lipL32) that has demonstrated improved sensitivity, findings by two groups that real-time reverse-transcription PCR assays targeting the 16S rrs gene can improve detection, and two new loop-mediated amplification techniques. Quantitation of leptospiremia, detection in different specimen types, and the complementary roles played by molecular detection and microscopic agglutination testing will be discussed. Finally, a protocol for Leptospira strain subtyping using variable number tandem repeat targets and high-resolution melting will be described. Molecular diagnostics have an established role for the diagnosis of leptospirosis and provide an actionable diagnosis in the acute setting. The use of real-time reverse-transcription PCR for testing serum/plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, when available, may improve the detection of Leptospira without decreasing clinical specificity.

Spinal Cord Independence Measure, version III: applicability to the UK spinal cord injured population.

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Clive A; Tesio, Luigi; Itzkovich, Malka; Soni, Bakul M; Silva, Pedro; Mecci, Munawar; Chadwick, Raymond; el Masry, Waghi; Osman, Aheed; Savic, Gordana; Gardner, Brian; Bergström, Ebba; Catz, Amiram

2009-09-01

To examine the validity, reliability and usefulness of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure for the UK spinal cord injury population. Multi-centre cohort study. Four UK regional spinal cord injury centres. Eighty-six people with spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord Independence Measure and Functional Independence Measure on admission analysed using inferential statistics, and Rasch analysis of Spinal Cord Independence Measure. Internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, discriminant validity; Spinal Cord Independence Measure subscale match between distribution of item difficulty and patient ability measurements; reliability of patient ability measures; fit of data to Rasch model; unidimensionality of subscales; hierarchical ordering of categories within items; differential item functioning across patient groups. Scale reliability (kappa coefficients range 0.491-0.835; (p Spinal Cord Independence Measure subscales compatible with stringent Rasch requirements; mean infit indices high; distinct strata of abilities identified; most thresholds ordered; item hierarchy stable across clinical groups and centres. Misfit and differences in item hierarchy identified. Difficulties assessing central cord injuries highlighted. Conventional statistical and Rasch analyses justify the use of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure in clinical practice and research in the UK. Cross-cultural validity may be further improved.

[Lee Jungsook, a Korean independence activist and a nurse during the Japanese colonial period].

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sook Young

2015-04-01

This article examines the life of Lee Jungsook, a Korean nurse, as a independence activist during the Japanese colonial period. Lee Jungsook(1896-1950) was born in Bukchung in Hamnam province. She studied at Chungshin girl's high school and worked at Severance hospital. The characteristics and culture of her educational background and work place were very important factors which influenced greatly the life of Lee Jungsook. She learned independent spirit and nationalism from Chungshin girls' high school and worked as nurse at the Severance hospital which were full of intense aspiration for Korea's independence. Many of doctors, professors and medical students were participated in the 3.1 Independence Movement. Lee Jungsook was a founding member of Hyulsungdan who tried to help the independence activists in prison and their families and worked as a main member of Korean Women's Association for Korean Independece and Kyungsung branch of the Korean Red Cross. She was sent to jail by the Japanese government for her independence activism. After being released after serving two years confinement, she worked for the Union for Women's Liberation as a founding member. Lee Joungsook was a great independence activist who had a nursing care spirit as a nurse.

Cultural Competence and Related Factors Among Taiwanese Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chin-Nu; Mastel-Smith, Beth; Alfred, Danita; Lin, Yu-Hua

2015-12-01

Taiwan is a multicultural and multiethnic society with a growing number of immigrants who have diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural needs. Although this diversity highlights the pressing need for culturally competent healthcare providers, cultural competence is a concept that is little understood and implemented only sporadically in Taiwan. This study investigates the cultural competence of Taiwanese nurses and the related factors of influence. An online self-report survey was used to collect data from 221 Taiwanese nurses from December 2012 through January 2013. Data from the demographic questionnaire, the Nurses' Cultural Competence Scale, and the Perceived Nurses' Cultural Competence Rating were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent sample t tests, and multiple regressions. The cultural competence of the participants was in the "low to moderate" range, with relatively higher mean scores for the subscales of cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity and relatively lower scores for the subscales of cultural knowledge and cultural skills. Participants generally perceived themselves as being "not culturally competent." Variables found to predict cultural competence included years of work experience, hours of continuing education related to cultural nursing care, and frequency of caring for clients from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Participating Taiwanese nurses rated their level of cultural competence as in the low-to-moderate range and self-perceived as being not culturally competent. These findings support the need to further expand and enhance cultural-competence-related continuing education and to address the topic of cultural care in the nursing curricula.

Individuals in Relationships: Cultural Values, Children's Social Interactions, and the Development of an American Individualistic Self.

Science.gov (United States)

Raeff, Catherine

1997-01-01

Explicates the theoretical position that independence and interdependence are inseparable dimensions of self-development in all cultures and that self-development occurs through social interactions shaped by cultural values. Individualism-collectivism classify two multidimensional cultural value systems that shape different routes and goals of…

MC SCF molecular gradients and hessians: computational aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, A; Jensen, J O; Simons, J; Shepard, R

1984-01-01

Molecular gradients and hessians for multiconfigurational self-consistent-field wavefunctions are derived in terms of the generators of the unitary group using exponential unitary operators to describe the response of the energy to a geometrical deformation. Final expressions are cast in forms which contain reference only to the primitive non-orthogonal atomic basis set and to the final orthonormal molecular orbitals; all reference to intermediate orthogonalized orbitals is removed. All of the deformation-dependent terms in the working equations reside in the one- and two-electron integral derivatives involving the atomic basis orbitals. The deformation-independent terms, whose contributions can be partially summed, involve symmetrized density matrix elements which have the same eight-fold index permutational symmetry as the one- and two-electron integral derivatives they multiply. This separation of deformation-dependent and -independent factors allows for single-pass integral-derivative-driven implementation of the gradient and hessian expressions. 19 references.

Bacterial diversity of the Colombian fermented milk "Suero Costeño" assessed by culturing and high-throughput sequencing and DGGE analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons.

Science.gov (United States)

Motato, Karina Edith; Milani, Christian; Ventura, Marco; Valencia, Francia Elena; Ruas-Madiedo, Patricia; Delgado, Susana

2017-12-01

"Suero Costeño" (SC) is a traditional soured cream elaborated from raw milk in the Northern-Caribbean coast of Colombia. The natural microbiota that characterizes this popular Colombian fermented milk is unknown, although several culturing studies have previously been attempted. In this work, the microbiota associated with SC from three manufacturers in two regions, "Planeta Rica" (Córdoba) and "Caucasia" (Antioquia), was analysed by means of culturing methods in combination with high-throughput sequencing and DGGE analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The bacterial ecosystem of SC samples was revealed to be composed of lactic acid bacteria belonging to the Streptococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae families; the proportions and genera varying among manufacturers and region of elaboration. Members of the Lactobacillus acidophilus group, Lactocococcus lactis, Streptococcus infantarius and Streptococcus salivarius characterized this artisanal product. In comparison with culturing, the use of molecular in deep culture-independent techniques provides a more realistic picture of the overall bacterial communities residing in SC. Besides the descriptive purpose, these approaches will facilitate a rational strategy to follow (culture media and growing conditions) for the isolation of indigenous strains that allow standardization in the manufacture of SC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural adaptation and Chinese students in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broeder, Peter

2014-01-01

This contribution goes into the experiences of Chinese students studying at universities abroad. In the host societies they find themselves having to deal with major cultural confusion, which frustrates their education. Individualism and independence are characteristics strongly embedded in modern

Sensory Motor Mechanisms Unify Psychology: The Embodiment of Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tamer eSoliman

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Sensorimotor mechanisms can unify explanations at cognitive, social, and cultural levels. As an example, we review how anticipated motor effort is used by individuals and groups to judge distance: the greater the anticipated effort the greater the perceived distance. Anticipated motor effort can also be used to understand cultural differences. People with interdependent self-construals interact almost exclusively with in-group members, and hence there is little opportunity to tune their sensorimotor systems for interaction with out-group members. The result is that interactions with out-group members are expected to be difficult and out-group members are perceived as literally more distant. In two experiments we show a interdependent Americans, compared to independent Americans, see American confederates (in-group as closer; b interdependent Arabs, compared to independent Arabs, perceive Arab confederates (in-group as closer, whereas interdependent Americans perceive Arab confederates (out-group as farther. These results demonstrate how the same embodied mechanism can seamlessly contribute to explanations at the cognitive, social, and cultural levels.

The Effect of Authentic Leadership on School Culture: A Structural Equation Model

Science.gov (United States)

Karadag, Engin; Oztekin-Bayir, Ozge

2018-01-01

In the study, the effect of school principals' authentic leadership behaviors on teachers' perceptions of school culture was tested with the structural equation model. The study was carried out with the correlation research design. Authentic leadership behavior was taken as the independent variable, and school culture was taken as the dependent…

Culture sometimes matters: intra-cultural variation in pro-social behavior among Tsimane Amerindians

OpenAIRE

Gurven, Michael; Zanolini, Arianna; Schniter, Eric

2008-01-01

Agent-centered models usually consider only individual-level variables in calculations of economic costs and benefits. There has been little consideration of social or cultural history on shaping payoffs in ways that impact decisions. To examine the role of local expectations on economic behavior, we explore whether village affiliation accounts for the variation in Dictator Game offers among the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon independently of other factors that could confound such an effect. ...

Dose-response analysis of phthalate effects on gene expression in rat whole embryo culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robinson, J.F.; Verhoef, A.; van Beelen, V.A.; Pennings, J.L.A.; Piersma, A.H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/071276947

2012-01-01

The rat postimplantation whole embryo culture (WEC) model serves as a potential screening tool for developmental toxicity. In this model, cultured rat embryos are exposed during early embryogenesis and evaluated for morphological effects. The integration of molecular-based markers may lead to

Co-cultures provide a new tool to probe communication between adult sensory neurons and urothelium.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Mullane, Lauren M; Keast, Janet R; Osborne, Peregrine B

2013-08-01

Recent evidence suggests that the urothelium functions as a sensory transducer of chemical, mechanical or thermal stimuli and signals to nerve terminals and other cells in the bladder wall. The cellular and molecular basis of neuro-urothelial communication is not easily studied in the intact bladder. This led us to establish a method of co-culturing dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons and bladder urothelial cells. Sensory neurons and urothelial cells obtained from dorsal root ganglia and bladders dissected from adult female Sprague-Dawley® rats were isolated by enzyme treatment and mechanical dissociation. They were plated together or separately on collagen coated substrate and cultured in keratinocyte medium for 48 to 72 hours. Retrograde tracer labeling was performed to identify bladder afferents used for functional testing. Neurite growth and complexity in neurons co-cultured with urothelial cells was increased relative to that in neuronal monocultures. The growth promoting effect of urothelial cells was reduced by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor K252a but upstream inhibition of nerve growth factor signaling with TrkA-Fc had no effect. Fura-2 calcium imaging of urothelial cells showed responses to adenosine triphosphate (100 μM) and activation of TRPV4 (4α-PDD, 10 μM) but not TRPV1 (capsaicin, 1 μM), TRPV3 (farnesyl pyrophosphate, 1 μM) or TRPA1 (mustard oil, 100 μM). In contrast, co-cultured neurons were activated by all agonists except farnesyl pyrophosphate. Co-culturing provides a new methodology for investigating neuro-urothelial interactions in animal models of urological conditions. Results suggest that neuronal properties are maintained in the presence of urothelium and neurite growth is potentiated by a nerve growth factor independent mechanism. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular and stimulus-response profiles illustrate heterogeneity between peripheral and cord blood-derived human mast cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Bettina M; Frandsen, Pernille; Raaby, Ellen Margrethe Nedergaard

2014-01-01

Different protocols exist for in vitro development of HuMCs from hematopoietic stem cells, which results in distinct mast cells regarding molecular markers and activation patterns. Here, we introduce a SR profile using immunological, neurogenic, and pharmacological stimuli to characterize cellular...... functionality. Mast cells were obtained from three culture protocols using two types of PBdMCs (CD34(+) PBdMC or CD133(+) PBdMC) and one type of CBdMC (CD133(+) CBdMC). We analyzed resting cells for specific mast cell markers at protein and mRNA levels, thereby creating a molecular profile. To characterize......-IgE stimulation. Here, the SR profile identified the CD133(+) PBdMC as the most active cells regarding secretion of IL-10, IL-13, GM-CSF, and TNF-α. Cells from all three culture protocols, however, produced IL-10 spontaneously at comparable levels. We recommend validating mast cell cultures by means of molecular...

Cellular Dichotomy Between Anchorage-Independent Growth Responses to bFGF and TA Reflects Molecular Switch in Commitment to Carcinogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waters, Katrina M.; Tan, Ruimin; Opresko, Lee K.; Quesenberry, Ryan D.; Bandyopadhyay, Somnath; Chrisler, William B.; Weber, Thomas J.

2009-11-01

We have investigated gene expression patterns underlying reversible and irreversible anchorage-independent growth (AIG) phenotypes to identify more sensitive markers of cell transformation for studies directed at interrogating carcinogenesis responses. In JB6 mouse epidermal cells, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induces an unusually efficient and reversible AIG response, relative to 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced AIG which is irreversible. The reversible and irreversible AIG phenotypes are characterized by largely non-overlapping global gene expression profiles. However, a subset of differentially expressed genes were identified as common to reversible and irreversible AIG phenotypes, including genes regulated in a reciprocal fashion. Hepatic leukemia factor (HLF) and D-site albumin promoter-binding protein (DBP) were increased in both bFGF and TPA soft agar colonies and selected for functional validation. Ectopic expression of human HLF and DBP in JB6 cells resulted in a marked increase in TPA- and bFGF-regulated AIG responses. HLF and DBP expression were increased in soft agar colonies arising from JB6 cells exposed to gamma radiation and in a human basal cell carcinoma tumor tissue, relative to paired non-tumor tissue. Subsequent biological network analysis suggests that many of the differentially expressed genes that are common to bFGF- and TPA-dependent AIG are regulated by c-Myc, SP-1 and HNF-4 transcription factors. Collectively, we have identified a potential molecular switch that mediates the transition from reversible to irreversible AIG.

Culture adaptation of malaria parasites selects for convergent loss-of-function mutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Claessens, Antoine; Affara, Muna; Assefa, Samuel A; Kwiatkowski, Dominic P; Conway, David J

2017-01-24

Cultured human pathogens may differ significantly from source populations. To investigate the genetic basis of laboratory adaptation in malaria parasites, clinical Plasmodium falciparum isolates were sampled from patients and cultured in vitro for up to three months. Genome sequence analysis was performed on multiple culture time point samples from six monoclonal isolates, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants emerging over time were detected. Out of a total of five positively selected SNPs, four represented nonsense mutations resulting in stop codons, three of these in a single ApiAP2 transcription factor gene, and one in SRPK1. To survey further for nonsense mutants associated with culture, genome sequences of eleven long-term laboratory-adapted parasite strains were examined, revealing four independently acquired nonsense mutations in two other ApiAP2 genes, and five in Epac. No mutants of these genes exist in a large database of parasite sequences from uncultured clinical samples. This implicates putative master regulator genes in which multiple independent stop codon mutations have convergently led to culture adaptation, affecting most laboratory lines of P. falciparum. Understanding the adaptive processes should guide development of experimental models, which could include targeted gene disruption to adapt fastidious malaria parasite species to culture.

History, landscape, nation: British independent film and video in the 1970s and 1980s

OpenAIRE

Perry, C.

2017-01-01

This article examines uses of history in British independent film and video in the 1970s and 1980s, looking at ways in which radical pasts were called on to foster struggle in the present. In tracing the specific influence of New Left cultural historians on independent film and video, as well as television, during these two decades, this paper also suggests ways in which the nation is figured, contested and re-drawn in specific works by Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo, Phil Mulloy and Black A...

Culture-Dependent and Independent Studies of Microbial Diversity in Highly Copper-Contaminated Chilean Marine Sediments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Besaury, L.; Marty, F.; Buquet, S.; Mesnage, V.; Muijzer, G.; Quillet, L.

2013-01-01

Cultivation and molecular-based approaches were used to study microbial diversity in two Chilean marine sediments contaminated with high (835 ppm) and very high concentrations of copper (1,533 ppm). The diversity of cultivable bacteria resistant to copper was studied at oxic and anoxic conditions,

Culture, mind, and the brain: current evidence and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitayama, Shinobu; Uskul, Ayse K

2011-01-01

Current research on culture focuses on independence and interdependence and documents numerous East-West psychological differences, with an increasing emphasis placed on cognitive mediating mechanisms. Lost in this literature is a time-honored idea of culture as a collective process composed of cross-generationally transmitted values and associated behavioral patterns (i.e., practices). A new model of neuro-culture interaction proposed here addresses this conceptual gap by hypothesizing that the brain serves as a crucial site that accumulates effects of cultural experience, insofar as neural connectivity is likely modified through sustained engagement in cultural practices. Thus, culture is "embrained," and moreover, this process requires no cognitive mediation. The model is supported in a review of empirical evidence regarding (a) collective-level factors involved in both production and adoption of cultural values and practices and (b) neural changes that result from engagement in cultural practices. Future directions of research on culture, mind, and the brain are discussed.

Lessons from independence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauptfuhrer, R.R.

1990-01-01

The recent history of Oryx provides invaluable lessons for those who plan future energy strategies, relates the author of this paper. When Oryx became an independent oil and gas company, its reserves were declining, its stock was selling below asset values, and the price of oil seemed stuck below $15 per barrel. The message from Oryx management to Oryx employees was: We are in charge of our own destiny. We are about to create our own future. Oryx had developed a new, positive corporate culture and the corporate credit required for growth. This paper points to two basic principles that have guided the metamorphosis in Oryx's performance. The first objective was to improve operational efficiency and to identify the right performance indicators to measure this improvement. It states that the most critical performance indicator for an exploration and production company must be replacement and expansion of reserves at a competitive replacement cost. Oryx has cut its finding costs from $12 to $5 per barrel, while the BP acquisition provided proven reserves at a cost of only $4 per barrel. Another performance indicator measures Oryx's standing in the financial markets

Culture and problem-solving: Congruency between the cultural mindset of individualism versus collectivism and problem type.

Science.gov (United States)

Arieli, Sharon; Sagiv, Lilach

2018-06-01

This research investigates how the cultural mindset influences problem-solving. Drawing on the notion that cultural mindset influences the cognitive process individuals bring to bear at the moment of judgment, we propose that the congruency between the cultural mindset (individualistic vs. collectivistic) and problem type (rule-based vs. context-based) affects success in problem-solving. In 7 studies we incorporated the traditional approach to studying the impact of culture (i.e., comparing cultural groups) with contemporary approaches viewing cultural differences in a more dynamic and malleable manner. We first show that members of an individualistic group (Jewish Americans) perform better on rule-based problems, whereas members of collectivistic groups (ultra-Orthodox Jews and Arabs from Israel) perform better on context-based problems (Study 1). We then study Arabs in Israel using language (Arabic vs. Hebrew) to prime their collectivistic versus individualistic mindsets (Study 2). As hypothesized, among biculturals (those who internalize both cultures) Arabic facilitated solving context-based problems, whereas Hebrew facilitated solving rule-based problems. We follow up with 5 experiments priming the cultural mindset of individualism versus collectivism, employing various manifestations of the cultural dimension: focusing on the individual versus the collective (Studies 3, 6, and 7); experiencing independence versus interdependence (Study 4); and directing attention to objects versus the context (Studies 5a-b). Finally, we took a meta-analytic approach, showing that the effects found in Studies 3-6 are robust across priming tasks, problems, and samples. Taken together, the differences between cultural groups (Studies 1-2) were recreated when the individualistic/collectivistic cultural mindset was primed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Oxygen diffusion pathways in a cofactor-independent dioxygenase

Science.gov (United States)

Di Russo, Natali V.; Condurso, Heather L.; Li, Kunhua; Bruner, Steven D.; Roitberg, Adrian E.

2015-01-01

Molecular oxygen plays an important role in a wide variety of enzymatic reactions. Through recent research efforts combining computational and experimental methods a new view of O2 diffusion is emerging, where specific channels guide O2 to the active site. The focus of this work is DpgC, a cofactor-independent oxygenase. Molecular dynamics simulations, together with mutagenesis experiments and xenon-binding data, reveal that O2 reaches the active site of this enzyme using three main pathways and four different access points. These pathways connect a series of dynamic hydrophobic pockets, concentrating O2 at a specific face of the enzyme substrate. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations provide information about which pathways are more frequently used. This data is consistent with the results of kinetic measurements on mutants and is difficult to obtain using computational cavity-location methods. Taken together, our results reveal that although DpgC is rare in its ability of activating O2 in the absence of cofactors or metals, the way O2 reaches the active site is similar to that reported for other O2-using proteins: multiple access channels are available, and the architecture of the pathway network can provide regio- and stereoselectivity. Our results point to the existence of common themes in O2 access that are conserved among very different types of proteins. PMID:26508997

On Merrifield-Simmons index of molecular graphs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gutman Ivan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Merrifield-Simmons index σ = σ(G of a graph G is the number of independent vertex sets of G. This index can be calculated recursively and expressed in terms of Fibonacci numbers. We determine the molecular graphs for which σ can be recursively calculated in a single step.

Niche-independent symmetrical self-renewal of a mammalian tissue stem cell.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano Conti

2005-09-01

Full Text Available Pluripotent mouse embryonic stem (ES cells multiply in simple monoculture by symmetrical divisions. In vivo, however, stem cells are generally thought to depend on specialised cellular microenvironments and to undergo predominantly asymmetric divisions. Ex vivo expansion of pure populations of tissue stem cells has proven elusive. Neural progenitor cells are propagated in combination with differentiating progeny in floating clusters called neurospheres. The proportion of stem cells in neurospheres is low, however, and they cannot be directly observed or interrogated. Here we demonstrate that the complex neurosphere environment is dispensable for stem cell maintenance, and that the combination of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2 and epidermal growth factor (EGF is sufficient for derivation and continuous expansion by symmetrical division of pure cultures of neural stem (NS cells. NS cells were derived first from mouse ES cells. Neural lineage induction was followed by growth factor addition in basal culture media. In the presence of only EGF and FGF-2, resulting NS cells proliferate continuously, are diploid, and clonogenic. After prolonged expansion, they remain able to differentiate efficiently into neurons and astrocytes in vitro and upon transplantation into the adult brain. Colonies generated from single NS cells all produce neurons upon growth factor withdrawal. NS cells uniformly express morphological, cell biological, and molecular features of radial glia, developmental precursors of neurons and glia. Consistent with this profile, adherent NS cell lines can readily be established from foetal mouse brain. Similar NS cells can be generated from human ES cells and human foetal brain. The extrinsic factors EGF plus FGF-2 are sufficient to sustain pure symmetrical self-renewing divisions of NS cells. The resultant cultures constitute the first known example of tissue-specific stem cells that can be propagated without accompanying

How Can We Overcome the Dichotomy That Western Culture Has Created between the Concepts of Independence and Dependence?

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Zehavit

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article, inspired by the works of Martin Buber, is to propose an alternative to the inherent dichotomy of Western culture. It may allow Western culture to transcend its fixed nature towards new directions and to suggest challenging solutions for reshaping the questions--what is the role of man in the world, and what is the…

Culture-independent identification and quantification of Gallibacterium anatis (G. anatis) by real-time quantitative PCR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Chong; Robles, Francisco; Ramirez, Saul

2016-01-01

Gallibacterium is a genus within the family Pasteurellaceae characterized by a high level of phenotypic and genetic diversity. No diagnostic method has yet been described, which allows species-specific identification of Gallibacterium anatis. The aim of this study was to develop a real...... published conventional PCR method and culture-based identification, respectively. The detection rates were 97%, 78% and 34% for the current qPCR, the conventional PCR and the culture-based identification method, respectively. The qPCR assay was able to detect the gene gyrB in serial dilutions of 10......-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) method allowing species-specific identification and quantification of G. anatis. A G. anatis specific DNA sequence was identified in the gyrase subunit B gene (gyrB) and used to design a TaqMan probe and corresponding primers. The specificity of the assay was tested on 52 bacterial...

On reliable discovery of molecular signatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Björkegren Johan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Molecular signatures are sets of genes, proteins, genetic variants or other variables that can be used as markers for a particular phenotype. Reliable signature discovery methods could yield valuable insight into cell biology and mechanisms of human disease. However, it is currently not clear how to control error rates such as the false discovery rate (FDR in signature discovery. Moreover, signatures for cancer gene expression have been shown to be unstable, that is, difficult to replicate in independent studies, casting doubts on their reliability. Results We demonstrate that with modern prediction methods, signatures that yield accurate predictions may still have a high FDR. Further, we show that even signatures with low FDR may fail to replicate in independent studies due to limited statistical power. Thus, neither stability nor predictive accuracy are relevant when FDR control is the primary goal. We therefore develop a general statistical hypothesis testing framework that for the first time provides FDR control for signature discovery. Our method is demonstrated to be correct in simulation studies. When applied to five cancer data sets, the method was able to discover molecular signatures with 5% FDR in three cases, while two data sets yielded no significant findings. Conclusion Our approach enables reliable discovery of molecular signatures from genome-wide data with current sample sizes. The statistical framework developed herein is potentially applicable to a wide range of prediction problems in bioinformatics.

Efficacy of Social Media Adoption on Client Growth for Independent Management Consultants

Science.gov (United States)

2017-02-01

word -of- mouth promotion techniques. Social media also 22 created new opportunities for cultural influences and synthesis of activities and...approach as justification. According to Peters et al. (2013), users of the social media accelerate the potential for viral marketing through word -of- mouth ...denoted how word of mouth (WoM) and social media can benefit independent practices to expand their customer base (Peters, Chen, Kaplan,

The Effect of the Cultural Values on the Destination Image: A Search in Eskisehir 2013 Turkish World Capital of Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Özlem Köroğlu

2013-12-01

Full Text Available As the destination images being dynamic and changeable, continuous researches should be conducted in order to measure and progress the images in the context of tourism marketing. The aim of this study is to analyze the tourists’ characters and behaviors who direct through the cultural destinations and to determine the relationship between the visitors’ perceptions of cultural values and destination image. Based on this purpose, a questionnaire was held on the foreign cullture tourist who visited Eskisehir, chosen as the 2013 Turkish World Capital of Culture. The data obtained were evaluated using analysis methods such as frequency, arithmetic mean, reliability, regression, independent samples t-test, one-way variance analysis (ANOVA. The results obtain from these analysis have shown that many of the participants have used internet as a source of information and travelled to explore new cultures. On the one hand the most affecting cultural values of the destination image was emotional values.

Hungry Minds: the Eisenhower Administration and Cultural Assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa (1953-1961)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gerits, F.P.L.

2017-01-01

Dwight Eisenhower did not ignore the call for African independence because of the Soviet threat. Instead cultural assistance—education and information—were employed to foster self-government. This commitment to cultural assistance explains why aid to African countries in real numbers remained low:

The Adder Phenomenon Emerges from Independent Control of Pre- and Post-Start Phases of the Budding Yeast Cell Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler-Brown, Devon; Schmoller, Kurt M; Winetraub, Yonatan; Skotheim, Jan M

2017-09-25

Although it has long been clear that cells actively regulate their size, the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation have remained poorly understood. In budding yeast, cell size primarily modulates the duration of the cell-division cycle by controlling the G1/S transition known as Start. We have recently shown that the rate of progression through Start increases with cell size, because cell growth dilutes the cell-cycle inhibitor Whi5 in G1. Recent phenomenological studies in yeast and bacteria have shown that these cells add an approximately constant volume during each complete cell cycle, independent of their size at birth. These results seem to be in conflict, as the phenomenological studies suggest that cells measure the amount they grow, rather than their size, and that size control acts over the whole cell cycle, rather than specifically in G1. Here, we propose an integrated model that unifies the adder phenomenology with the molecular mechanism of G1/S cell-size control. We use single-cell microscopy to parameterize a full cell-cycle model based on independent control of pre- and post-Start cell-cycle periods. We find that our model predicts the size-independent amount of cell growth during the full cell cycle. This suggests that the adder phenomenon is an emergent property of the independent regulation of pre- and post-Start cell-cycle periods rather than the consequence of an underlying molecular mechanism measuring a fixed amount of growth. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digital Culture and Digital Library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yalçın Yalçınkaya

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this study; digital culture and digital library which have a vital connection with each other are examined together. The content of the research consists of the interaction of culture, information, digital culture, intellectual technologies, and digital library concepts. The study is an entry work to integrity of digital culture and digital library theories and aims to expand the symmetry. The purpose of the study is to emphasize the relation between the digital culture and digital library theories acting intersection of the subjects that are examined. Also the perspective of the study is based on examining the literature and analytical evaluation in both studies (digital culture and digital library. Within this context, the methodology of the study is essentially descriptive and has an attribute for the transmission and synthesis of distributed findings produced in the field of the research. According to the findings of the study results, digital culture is an inclusive term that describes the effects of intellectual technologies in the field of information and communication. Information becomes energy and the spectrum of the information is expanding in the vertical rise through the digital culture. In this context, the digital library appears as a new living space of a new environment. In essence, the digital library is information-oriented; has intellectual technology support and digital platform; is in a digital format; combines information resources and tools in relationship/communication/cooperation by connectedness, and also it is the dynamic face of the digital culture in time and space independence. Resolved with the study is that the digital libraries are active and effective in the formation of global knowing and/or mass wisdom in the process of digital culture.

Culture Negative Infective Endocarditits: a Changing Paradigm

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Daly, A

2016-05-01

Traditionally, the modified Duke\\'s criteria, based primarily on positive blood cultures, is used to diagnose Infective Endocarditis (IE). However, reports demonstrate that 31% of cases are diagnosed as Culture Negative Infective Endocarditis (CNIE)1. Consequently, empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed to cover unidentified organisms and, as a result, antibiotic therapy may be compromised. Molecular diagnostic techniques aid with identifying causative organisms in cases of CNIE and we question if the increasing use of such technologies will change the local epidemiology of CNIE. We present the first case of Tropheryma whipplei Infective Endocarditis (TWIE) reported in Ireland.

Validation of a radiosensitivity molecular signature in breast cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S.A. Eschrich (Steven); C. Fulp (Carl); Y. Pawitan (Yudi); J.A. Foekens (John); M. Smid (Marcel); J.W.M. Martens (John); M. Echevarria (Michelle); P.S. Kamath (Patrick); J.-H. Lee (Ji-Hyun); E.E. Harris (Eleanor); J. Bergh (Jonas); J.F. Torres-Roca (Javier)

2012-01-01

textabstractPurpose: Previously, we developed a radiosensitivity molecular signature [radiosensitivity index (RSI)] that was clinically validated in 3 independent datasets (rectal, esophageal, and head and neck) in 118 patients. Here, we test RSI in radiotherapy (RT)-treated breast cancer patients.

Individual and culture-level components of survey response styles: A multi-level analysis using cultural models of selfhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Peter B; Vignoles, Vivian L; Becker, Maja; Owe, Ellinor; Easterbrook, Matthew J; Brown, Rupert; Bourguignon, David; Garðarsdóttir, Ragna B; Kreuzbauer, Robert; Cendales Ayala, Boris; Yuki, Masaki; Zhang, Jianxin; Lv, Shaobo; Chobthamkit, Phatthanakit; Jaafar, Jas Laile; Fischer, Ronald; Milfont, Taciano L; Gavreliuc, Alin; Baguma, Peter; Bond, Michael Harris; Martin, Mariana; Gausel, Nicolay; Schwartz, Seth J; Des Rosiers, Sabrina E; Tatarko, Alexander; González, Roberto; Didier, Nicolas; Carrasco, Diego; Lay, Siugmin; Nizharadze, George; Torres, Ana; Camino, Leoncio; Abuhamdeh, Sami; Macapagal, Ma Elizabeth J; Koller, Silvia H; Herman, Ginette; Courtois, Marie; Fritsche, Immo; Espinosa, Agustín; Villamar, Juan A; Regalia, Camillo; Manzi, Claudia; Brambilla, Maria; Zinkeng, Martina; Jalal, Baland; Kusdil, Ersin; Amponsah, Benjamin; Çağlar, Selinay; Mekonnen, Kassahun Habtamu; Möller, Bettina; Zhang, Xiao; Schweiger Gallo, Inge; Prieto Gil, Paula; Lorente Clemares, Raquel; Campara, Gabriella; Aldhafri, Said; Fülöp, Márta; Pyszczynski, Tom; Kesebir, Pelin; Harb, Charles

2016-12-01

Variations in acquiescence and extremity pose substantial threats to the validity of cross-cultural research that relies on survey methods. Individual and cultural correlates of response styles when using 2 contrasting types of response mode were investigated, drawing on data from 55 cultural groups across 33 nations. Using 7 dimensions of self-other relatedness that have often been confounded within the broader distinction between independence and interdependence, our analysis yields more specific understandings of both individual- and culture-level variations in response style. When using a Likert-scale response format, acquiescence is strongest among individuals seeing themselves as similar to others, and where cultural models of selfhood favour harmony, similarity with others and receptiveness to influence. However, when using Schwartz's (2007) portrait-comparison response procedure, acquiescence is strongest among individuals seeing themselves as self-reliant but also connected to others, and where cultural models of selfhood favour self-reliance and self-consistency. Extreme responding varies less between the two types of response modes, and is most prevalent among individuals seeing themselves as self-reliant, and in cultures favouring self-reliance. As both types of response mode elicit distinctive styles of response, it remains important to estimate and control for style effects to ensure valid comparisons. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

Molecular detection of eukaryotes in a single human stool sample from Senegal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Hamad

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Microbial eukaryotes represent an important component of the human gut microbiome, with different beneficial or harmful roles; some species are commensal or mutualistic, whereas others are opportunistic or parasitic. The diversity of eukaryotes inhabiting humans remains relatively unexplored because of either the low abundance of these organisms in human gut or because they have received limited attention from a whole-community perspective. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: In this study, a single fecal sample from a healthy African male was studied using both culture-dependent methods and extended molecular methods targeting the 18S rRNA and ITS sequences. Our results revealed that very few fungi, including Candida spp., Galactomyces spp., and Trichosporon asahii, could be isolated using culture-based methods. In contrast, a relatively a high number of eukaryotic species could be identified in this fecal sample when culture-independent methods based on various primer sets were used. A total of 27 species from one sample were found among the 977 analyzed clones. The clone libraries were dominated by fungi (716 clones/977, 73.3%, corresponding to 16 different species. In addition, 187 sequences out of 977 (19.2% corresponded to 9 different species of plants; 59 sequences (6% belonged to other micro-eukaryotes in the gut, including Entamoeba hartmanni and Blastocystis sp; and only 15 clones/977 (1.5% were related to human 18S rRNA sequences. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed a complex eukaryotic community in the volunteer's gut, with fungi being the most abundant species in the stool sample. Larger investigations are needed to assess the generality of these results and to understand their roles in human health and disease.

From Quisqueya: In Search of New Horizons. Dominican Cultural Heritage Resource Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Alcantara, Anibal; Aquino, Jaime; Lantigua, Juan A.; Rodriguez, Digna; Soto, Alejandro

This cultural heritage resource guide has been prepared as a tool for teachers to help them understand the cultural heritage of Dominican students and their communities. The Dominican Republic, which occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, has a long history dominated by the struggle for independence. In their efforts to create a better…

Impact of serology and molecular methods on improving the microbiologic diagnosis of infective endocarditis in Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Kholy, Amany Aly; El-Rachidi, Nevine Gamal El-din; El-Enany, Mervat Gaber; AbdulRahman, Eiman Mohammed; Mohamed, Reem Mostafa; Rizk, Hussien Hasan

2015-10-01

Conventional diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE) is based mainly on culture-dependent methods that may fail because of antibiotic therapy or fastidious microorganisms. We aimed to evaluate the added values of serological and molecular methods for diagnosis of infective endocarditis. One hundred and fifty-six cases of suspected endocarditis were enrolled in the study. For each patient, three sets of blood culture were withdrawn and serum sample was collected for Brucella, Bartonella and Coxiella burnetii antibody testing. Galactomannan antigen was added if fungal endocarditis was suspected. Broad range PCR targeting bacterial and fungal pathogens were done on blood culture bottles followed by sequencing. Culture and molecular studies were done on excised valve tissue when available. One hundred and thirty-two cases were diagnosed as definite IE. Causative organisms were detected by blood cultures in 40 (30.3 %) of cases. Blood culture-negative endocarditis (BCNE) represented 69.7 %. Of these cases, PCR followed by sequencing on blood and valvular tissue could diagnose five cases of Aspergillus flavus. Eleven patients with BCNE (8.3 %) were diagnosed as zoonotic endocarditis by serology and PCR including five cases of Brucella spp, four cases of Bartonella spp and two cases of Coxiella burnetii. PCR detected three cases of Brucella spp and two cases of Bartonella spp, while cases of Coxiella burnetii were PCR negative. The results of all diagnostic tools decreased the percentage of non-identified cases of BCNE from 69.7 to 49.2 %. Our data underline the role of serologic and molecular tools for the diagnosis of blood culture-negative endocarditis.

Cultural Consonance, Religion and Psychological Distress in an Urban Community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William W. Dressler

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Cultural consonance is the degree to which individuals approximate prototypes encoded in cultural models. Low cultural consonance is associated with higher psychological distress. Religion may moderate the association between cultural consonance and psychological distress. Brazil, with substantial variation in religion, is an important society for the examination of this hypothesis. Research was conducted in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, using a mixed-methods design. Measures of cultural consonance were derived using ethnographic methods and then applied in a survey of 271 individuals drawn from four distinct social strata. Low cultural consonance was associated with higher psychological distress in multiple regression analysis ( B = -.430, p < .001. Members of Pentecostal Protestant churches reported lower psychological distress independently of the effect of cultural consonance ( B = -.409, p < .05. There was no buffering effect of religion. Implications of these results for the study of religion and health are discussed.

Influence of ionizing radiation on synthesis and molecular heterogeneity of catalase in tissue culture of Rauwolfia serpentina; Vliyanie ioniziruyushchego izlucheniya na biosintez i molekulyarnuyu geterogennost' katalazy v kul'ture tkani Rauwolfia serpentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komov, V P; Bespalova, E V; Strelkova, M A [Sankt-Peterburgskaya Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskaya Akademiya, Kafedra Biologii, S.-Peterburg (Russian Federation)

1998-12-01

Changes in activity and molecular heterogeneity of catalase in tissue culture of Rauwolfia serpentina following irradiation in early growth period at the doses of 8 and 50 Gy has been studied. Ionizing radiation accelerate the synthesis and degradation rates of catalase and total protein. A comparative study of changes in enzyme and protein turnover during growth on irradiated and non-irradiated medium has been made.

Mixed-culture transcriptome analysis reveals the molecular basis of mixed-culture growth in Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sieuwerts, S.; Molenaar, D.; Hijum, van S.A.F.T.; Beerthuyzen, M.; Stevens, M.J.A.; Janssen, P.W.; Ingham, C.J.; Bok, de F.A.M.; Vos, de W.M.; Hylckama Vlieg, van J.E.T.

2010-01-01

Many food fermentations are performed using mixed cultures of lactic acid bacteria. Interactions between strains are of key importance for the performance of these fermentations. Yogurt fermentation by Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus (basonym, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.

Developmental co-expression of small molecular weight apolipoprotein B synthesis and triacylglycerol secretion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coleman, R.A.; Haynes, E.B.; Sand, T.M.; Davis, R.A.

1987-01-01

The development of the liver's ability to coordinately express the synthesis and secretion of the two major components of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL): triacylglycerol (TG) and apolipoprotein B (apo B) was examined in cultured hepatocytes obtained from fetal, suckling and adult rats. Hepatocytes from fetal and suckling rats synthesized and secreted TG at rates lower than that displayed by adult cells. When TG synthesis was equalized by adding oleic acid to the culture medium, fetal cells still secreted only 39% as much TG as did adult cells. To determine the basis for the apparent defect in VLDL assembly/secretion displayed by fetal cells, the synthesis and secretion of [ 35 S]methionine-labeled apo B was quantified by immunoprecipitation. Although adult and fetal cells synthesized and secreted large molecular weight apo B at similar rates, the synthesis and secretion of small molecular weight apo B was 2-fold greater in adult cells. These data suggest that the ability to assemble/secrete VLDL triacylglycerol varies in parallel with the developmental expression of small molecular weight apo B. Furthermore, these studies show the usefulness of the cultured rat hepatocyte model for examining the ontogeny and regulation of VLDL assembly/secretion

Cultural self-construals of Mexican, Spanish, and Danish college students: Beyond independent and interdependent self

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santamaría, Andrés; de la Mata, Manuel L.; Hansen, Tia G. B.

2010-01-01

De sidste par tiår har tværkulturel forskning vist vigtige forskelle i selvbegribelse. En dybere forståelse forudsætter imidlertid inddragelse af flere kulturer. Modsat Markus og Kitayamas distinktion mellem independent og interdependent selv, har forfattere som Kagitcibasi m.fl. argumenteret for...

Molecular and Culture-Based Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Testing for the Diagnosis of Cytomegalovirus Pneumonitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Susanna K; Burgener, Elizabeth B; Waggoner, Jesse J; Gajurel, Kiran; Gonzalez, Sarah; Chen, Sharon F; Pinsky, Benjamin A

2016-01-01

Background.  Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients, with CMV pneumonitis among the most severe manifestations of infection. Although bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples are frequently tested for CMV, the clinical utility of such testing remains uncertain. Methods.  Retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing BAL testing via CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR), shell vial culture, and conventional viral culture between August 2008 and May 2011 was performed. Cytomegalovirus diagnostic methods were compared with a comprehensive definition of CMV pneumonitis that takes into account signs and symptoms, underlying host immunodeficiency, radiographic findings, and laboratory results. Results.  Seven hundred five patients underwent 1077 bronchoscopy episodes with 1090 BAL specimens sent for CMV testing. Cytomegalovirus-positive patients were more likely to be hematopoietic cell transplant recipients (26% vs 8%, P definition, the sensitivity and specificity of PCR, shell vial culture, and conventional culture were 91.3% and 94.6%, 54.4% and 97.4%, and 28.3% and 96.5%, respectively. Compared with culture, PCR provided significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value (P ≤ .001), without significantly lower positive predictive value. Cytomegalovirus quantitation did not improve test performance, resulting in a receiver operating characteristic curve with an area under the curve of 0.53. Conclusions.  Cytomegalovirus PCR combined with a comprehensive clinical definition provides a pragmatic approach for the diagnosis of CMV pneumonitis.

Opposite cytokine synthesis by fibroblasts in contact co-culture with osteosarcoma cells compared with transwell co-cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Manu S; Kelly, Elizabeth; Zoellner, Hans

2013-04-01

We recently reported exchange of membrane and cytoplasm during contact co-culture between human Gingival Fibroblasts (h-GF) and SAOS-2 osteosarcoma cells, a process we termed 'cellular sipping' to reflect the manner in which cells become morphologically diverse through uptake of material from the opposing cell type, independent of genetic change. Cellular sipping is increased by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), and we here show for the first time altered cytokine synthesis in contact co-culture supporting cellular sipping compared with co-culture where h-GF and SAOS-2 were separated in transwells. SAOS-2 had often undetectably low cytokine levels, while Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) and Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) were secreted primarily by TNF-α stimulated h-GF and basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) was prominent in h-GF lysates (p cultures permitting cellular sipping had lower IL-6, G-CSF and GM-CSF levels, as well as higher lysate FGF levels compared with TNF-α treated h-GF alone (p cultures in transwells, with increased IL-6, G-CSF and GM-CSF levels (p cultures where cellular sipping occurs, potentially contributing to tumor inflammatory responses. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular and biochemical diagnosis of Salmonella in wastewater ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study aimed to employ biochemical and molecular assays to detect and diagnose Salmonella in wastewater. For this reason, two water samples were collected from Alexandria wastewater treatment plant (S1) and septic tank of a hospital at Alexandria governorate (S2). Selective culture media specific for Salmonella ...

Analysis of the molecular networks in androgen dependent and independent prostate cancer revealed fragile and robust subsystems.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan Tasseff

Full Text Available Androgen ablation therapy is currently the primary treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. Unfortunately, in nearly all cases, androgen ablation fails to permanently arrest cancer progression. As androgens like testosterone are withdrawn, prostate cancer cells lose their androgen sensitivity and begin to proliferate without hormone growth factors. In this study, we constructed and analyzed a mathematical model of the integration between hormone growth factor signaling, androgen receptor activation, and the expression of cyclin D and Prostate-Specific Antigen in human LNCaP prostate adenocarcinoma cells. The objective of the study was to investigate which signaling systems were important in the loss of androgen dependence. The model was formulated as a set of ordinary differential equations which described 212 species and 384 interactions, including both the mRNA and protein levels for key species. An ensemble approach was chosen to constrain model parameters and to estimate the impact of parametric uncertainty on model predictions. Model parameters were identified using 14 steady-state and dynamic LNCaP data sets taken from literature sources. Alterations in the rate of Prostatic Acid Phosphatase expression was sufficient to capture varying levels of androgen dependence. Analysis of the model provided insight into the importance of network components as a function of androgen dependence. The importance of androgen receptor availability and the MAPK/Akt signaling axes was independent of androgen status. Interestingly, androgen receptor availability was important even in androgen-independent LNCaP cells. Translation became progressively more important in androgen-independent LNCaP cells. Further analysis suggested a positive synergy between the MAPK and Akt signaling axes and the translation of key proliferative markers like cyclin D in androgen-independent cells. Taken together, the results support the targeting of both the Akt and MAPK

Cultured bovine granulosa cells rapidly lose important features of their identity and functionality but partially recover under long-term culture conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yenuganti, Vengala Rao; Vanselow, Jens

2017-05-01

Cell culture models are essential for the detailed study of molecular processes. We analyze the dynamics of changes in a culture model of bovine granulosa cells. The cells were cultured for up to 8 days and analyzed for steroid production and gene expression. According to the expression of the marker genes CDH1, CDH2 and VIM, the cells maintained their mesenchymal character throughout the time of culture. In contrast, the levels of functionally important transcripts and of estradiol and progesterone production were rapidly down-regulated but showed a substantial up-regulation from day 4. FOXL2, a marker for granulosa cell identity, was also rapidly down-regulated after plating but completely recovered towards the end of culture. In contrast, expression of the Sertoli cell marker SOX9 and the lesion/inflammation marker PTGS2 increased during the first 2 days after plating but gradually decreased later on. We conclude that only long-term culture conditions (>4 days) allow the cells to recover from plating stress and to re-acquire characteristic granulosa cell features.

Vaunting the independent amateur: Scientific American and the representation of lay scientists.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Sean F

2018-04-01

This paper traces how media representations encouraged enthusiasts, youth and skilled volunteers to participate actively in science and technology during the twentieth century. It assesses how distinctive discourses about scientific amateurs positioned them with respect to professionals in shifting political and cultural environments. In particular, the account assesses the seminal role of a periodical, Scientific American magazine, in shaping and championing an enduring vision of autonomous scientific enthusiasms. Between the 1920s and 1970s, editors Albert G. Ingalls and Clair L. Stong shepherded generations of adult 'amateur scientists'. Their columns and books popularized a vision of independent non-professional research that celebrated the frugal ingenuity and skills of inveterate tinkerers. Some of these attributes have found more recent expression in present-day 'maker culture'. The topic consequently is relevant to the historiography of scientific practice, science popularization and science education. Its focus on independent non-professionals highlights political dimensions of agency and autonomy that have often been implicit for such historical (and contemporary) actors. The paper argues that the Scientific American template of adult scientific amateurism contrasted with other representations: those promoted by earlier periodicals and by a science education organization, Science Service, and by the national demands for recruiting scientific labour during and after the Second World War. The evidence indicates that advocates of the alternative models had distinctive goals and adapted their narrative tactics to reach their intended audiences, which typically were conceived as young persons requiring instruction or mentoring. By contrast, the monthly Scientific American columns established a long-lived and stable image of the independent lay scientist.

Bringing together local culture and rural development: findings from Ireland, Pennsylvania and Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

M.A. Brennan; Courtney G. Flint; A.E. Luloff

2009-01-01

The developmental trajectories of communities are routinely explained by reference to economic history, human capital deficits, or the structure of local labour markets. The role of local culture in understanding community development or in interpreting empirical research has received less attention. We believe culture plays an important independent role in shaping...

Characterization of Unexplored Deadwood Mycobiome in Highly Diverse Subtropical Forests Using Culture-independent Molecular Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Purahong, Witoon; Pietsch, Katherina A; Lentendu, Guillaume; Schöps, Ricardo; Bruelheide, Helge; Wirth, Christian; Buscot, François; Wubet, Tesfaye

2017-01-01

The deadwood mycobiome, also known as wood-inhabiting fungi (WIF), are among the key players in wood decomposition, having a large impact on nutrient cycling in forest soils. However, our knowledge of WIF richness and distribution patterns in different forest biomes is limited. Here, we used pyrotag sequencing of the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) region to characterize the deadwood mycobiome of two tree species with greatly different wood characteristics ( Schima superba and Pinus massoniana ) in a Chinese subtropical forest ecosystem. Specifically, we tested (i) the effects of tree species and wood quality properties on WIF OTU richness and community composition; (ii) the role of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping the WIF communities; and (iii) the relationship between WIF OTU richness, community composition and decomposition rates. Due to different wood chemical properties, we hypothesized that the WIF communities derived from the two tree species would be correlated differently with biotic and abiotic factors. Our results show that deadwood in subtropical forests harbors diverse fungal communities comprising six ecological functional groups. We found interesting colonization patterns for this subtropical biome, where Resinicium spp. were highly detected in both broadleaved and coniferous deadwood. In addition, the members of Xylariales were frequently found in Schima . The two deadwood species differed significantly in WIF OTU richness ( Pinus > Schima ) and community composition ( P < 0.001). Variations in WIF community composition of both tree species were significantly explained by wood pH and ecological factors (biotic: deadwood species, basal area and abiotic: soil pH), but the WIF communities derived from each tree species correlated differently with abiotic factors. Interestingly, we found that deadwood decomposition rate significantly correlated with WIF communities and negatively correlated with WIF OTU richness. We conclude that the pattern of WIF OTU richness and community composition are controlled by multiple interacting biotic and abiotic factors. Overall, our study provides an in-depth picture of the deadwood mycobiome in this subtropical forest. Furthermore, by comparing our results to results from temperate and boreal forests we contribute to a better understanding of patterns of WIF communities across different biomes and geographic locations.

Uncovering the molecular secrets of inflammatory breast cancer biology: an integrated analysis of three distinct affymetrix gene expression datasets.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Laere, Steven J; Ueno, Naoto T; Finetti, Pascal; Vermeulen, Peter; Lucci, Anthony; Robertson, Fredika M; Marsan, Melike; Iwamoto, Takayuki; Krishnamurthy, Savitri; Masuda, Hiroko; van Dam, Peter; Woodward, Wendy A; Viens, Patrice; Cristofanilli, Massimo; Birnbaum, Daniel; Dirix, Luc; Reuben, James M; Bertucci, François

2013-09-01

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a poorly characterized form of breast cancer. So far, the results of expression profiling in IBC are inconclusive due to various reasons including limited sample size. Here, we present the integration of three Affymetrix expression datasets collected through the World IBC Consortium allowing us to interrogate the molecular profile of IBC using the largest series of IBC samples ever reported. Affymetrix profiles (HGU133-series) from 137 patients with IBC and 252 patients with non-IBC (nIBC) were analyzed using unsupervised and supervised techniques. Samples were classified according to the molecular subtypes using the PAM50-algorithm. Regression models were used to delineate IBC-specific and molecular subtype-independent changes in gene expression, pathway, and transcription factor activation. Four robust IBC-sample clusters were identified, associated with the different molecular subtypes (Pmolecular subtype-independent 79-gene signature, which held independent prognostic value in a series of 871 nIBCs. Functional analysis revealed attenuated TGF-β signaling in IBC. We show that IBC is transcriptionally heterogeneous and that all molecular subtypes described in nIBC are detectable in IBC, albeit with a different frequency. The molecular profile of IBC, bearing molecular traits of aggressive breast tumor biology, shows attenuation of TGF-β signaling, potentially explaining the metastatic potential of IBC tumor cells in an unexpected manner. ©2013 AACR.

Intense, stable and excitation wavelength-independent photoluminescence emission in the blue-violet region from phosphorene quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Shuaipeng; Zhang, Lisheng; Wang, Peijie; Fang, Yan

2016-01-01

Nanoscale phosphorene quantum dots (PQDs) with few-layer structures were fabricated by pulsed laser ablation of a bulk black phosphorus target in diethyl ether. An intense and stable photoluminescence (PL) emission of the PQDs in the blue-violet wavelength region is clearly observed for the first time, which is attributed to electronic transitions from the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and occupied molecular orbitals below the HOMO (H-1, H-2), respectively. Surprisingly, the PL emission peak positions of the PQDs are not red-shifted with progressively longer excitation wavelengths, which is in contrast to the cases of graphene and molybdenum disulphide quantum dots. This excitation wavelength-independence is derived from the saturated passivation on the periphery and surfaces of the PQDs by large numbers of electron-donating functional groups which cause the electron density on the PQDs to be dramatically increased and the band gap to be insensitive to the quantum size effect in the PQDs. This work suggests that PQDs with intense, stable and excitation wavelength-independent PL emission in the blue-violet region have a potential application as semiconductor-based blue-violet light irradiation sources. PMID:27265198

Bacterial population in traditional sourdough evaluated by molecular methods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Randazzo, C.L.; Heilig, G.H.J.; Restuccia, C.; Giudici, P.; Caggia, C.

2005-01-01

Aims: To study the microbial communities in artisanal sourdoughs, manufactured by traditional procedure in different areas of Sicily, and to evaluate the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) population by classical and culture-independent approaches. Methods and Results: Forty-five LAB isolates were

Cultural Differences in Alliance Formation during Group Supervision.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, John W.; Pak, Jenny H.; Goodyear, Rodney K.

Study tested whether general differences between Asian and European-American cultures (interdependent vs. independent orientation, levels of self-disclosure and conflict in social relationships) would have an effect on the supervisory process of counseling trainees. On the context of weekly group supervision, first-year counseling trainees were…

Generalist palliative care in hospital: cultural and organisational interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Heidi; Jarlbaek, Lene; Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi

2016-01-01

: a quantitative study, in which three independent datasets were triangulated to study the organisation and evaluation of generalist palliative care, and a qualitative, ethnographic study exploring the culture of generalist palliative nursing care in medical departments. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A Danish regional...

THE ART OF POETRY AND PAINTING: NEW SUBJETIVITIES IN POST-INDEPENDENCE ANGOLA

OpenAIRE

Carmen Lúcia Tindó Secco

2008-01-01

The art of poetry and painting: new poetic and pictorial subjectivities in Angola after its Independence. The post 80's decades and the rising of other forms of revolution in the aesthetic language. Themes and creative literary procedures: the existential reason, the individual sensitivities, the literary imagination. The presence of love, the myths, of History, of the dreams in the Angolan arts of the last decades as strategies of cultural resistance.

On the Borders: Adjusting to Academic, Social and Cultural Practices at an Australian University

Science.gov (United States)

Buchanan, John; Ljungdahl, Lesley; Maher, Damian

2015-01-01

Adjustment to university is challenging for students as they navigate a path through new academic, social and cultural practices. Some may feel on the borders, marginalised by their background. Issues such as adjustment to university life, independence, performance expectations, establishing friendships, technological competence, cultural capital,…

Distributed-Memory Fast Maximal Independent Set

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanewala Appuhamilage, Thejaka Amila J.; Zalewski, Marcin J.; Lumsdaine, Andrew

2017-09-13

The Maximal Independent Set (MIS) graph problem arises in many applications such as computer vision, information theory, molecular biology, and process scheduling. The growing scale of MIS problems suggests the use of distributed-memory hardware as a cost-effective approach to providing necessary compute and memory resources. Luby proposed four randomized algorithms to solve the MIS problem. All those algorithms are designed focusing on shared-memory machines and are analyzed using the PRAM model. These algorithms do not have direct efficient distributed-memory implementations. In this paper, we extend two of Luby’s seminal MIS algorithms, “Luby(A)” and “Luby(B),” to distributed-memory execution, and we evaluate their performance. We compare our results with the “Filtered MIS” implementation in the Combinatorial BLAS library for two types of synthetic graph inputs.

Complement Receptor 1 Is a Sialic Acid-Independent Erythrocyte Receptor of Plasmodium falciparum

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-17

Sciences, Bethesda, MD, ...... 14. ABSTRACT Plasmodium falciparum is a highly lethal malaria parasite of humans. A major portion of its life cycle is...parasite of humans. A major portion of its life cycle is dedicated to invading and multiplying inside erythrocytes. The molecular mechanisms of...Complement Receptor 1 Is a Sialic Acid-Independent Erythrocyte Receptor of Plasmodium falciparum Carmenza Spadafora1,2,3, Gordon A. Awandare4

Culture dependent bacteria in commercial fishes: Qualitative assessment and molecular identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing

KAUST Repository

Mannalamkunnath Alikunhi, Nabeel; Batang, Zenon B.; AlJahdali, Haitham A.; Aziz, Mohammed A.M.; Al-Suwailem, Abdulaziz M.

2016-01-01

Fish contaminations have been extensively investigated in Saudi coasts, but studies pertaining to bacterial pathogens are meager. We conducted qualitative assessment and molecular identification of culture dependent bacteria in 13 fish species collected from three fishing sites and a local fish market in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The bacterial counts of gills, skin, gut and muscle were examined on agar plates of Macconkey’s (Mac), Eosin methylene blue (EMB) and Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts (TCBS) culture media. Bacterial counts exhibited interspecific, locational and behavioral differences. Mugil cephalus exhibited higher counts on TCBS (all body-parts), Mac (gills, muscle and gut) and EMB (gills and muscle). Samples of Area I were with higher counts, concurrent to seawater and sediment samples, revealing the influence of residing environment on fish contamination. Among feeding habits, detritivorous fish harbored higher bacterial counts, while carnivorous group accounted for lesser counts. Counts were higher in skin of fish obtained from market compared to field samples, revealing market as a major source of contamination. Bacterial counts of skin were positively correlated with other body-parts indicating influence of surface bacterial biota in overall quality of fish. Hence, hygienic practices and proper storage facilities in the Jeddah fish market is recommended to prevent adverse effect of food-borne illness in consumers. Rahnella aquatilis (Enterobacteriaceae) and Photobacterium damselae (Vibrionaceae) were among the dominant species identified from fish muscle samples using Sanger sequencing of 16S rRNA. This bacterial species are established human pathogens capable of causing foodborne illness with severe antibiotic resistance. Opportunistic pathogens such as Hafnia sp. (Enterobacteriaceae) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (Pseudomonadaceae) were also identified from fish muscle. These findings indicate bacterial contamination risk in commonly consumed fish of

Culture dependent bacteria in commercial fishes: Qualitative assessment and molecular identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing

KAUST Repository

Alikunhi, Nabeel M.

2016-05-27

Fish contaminations have been extensively investigated in Saudi coasts, but studies pertaining to bacterial pathogens are meager. We conducted qualitative assessment and molecular identification of culture dependent bacteria in 13 fish species collected from three fishing sites and a local fish market in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The bacterial counts of gills, skin, gut and muscle were examined on agar plates of Macconkey’s (Mac), Eosin methylene blue (EMB) and Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts (TCBS) culture media. Bacterial counts exhibited interspecific, locational and behavioral differences. Mugil cephalus exhibited higher counts on TCBS (all body-parts), Mac (gills, muscle and gut) and EMB (gills and muscle). Samples of Area I were with higher counts, concurrent to seawater and sediment samples, revealing the influence of residing environment on fish contamination. Among feeding habits, detritivorous fish harbored higher bacterial counts, while carnivorous group accounted for lesser counts. Counts were higher in skin of fish obtained from market compared to field samples, revealing market as a major source of contamination. Bacterial counts of skin were positively correlated with other body-parts indicating influence of surface bacterial biota in overall quality of fish. Hence, hygienic practices and proper storage facilities in the Jeddah fish market is recommended to prevent adverse effect of food-borne illness in consumers. Rahnella aquatilis (Enterobacteriaceae) and Photobacterium damselae (Vibrionaceae) were among the dominant species identified from fish muscle samples using Sanger sequencing of 16S rRNA. This bacterial species are established human pathogens capable of causing foodborne illness with severe antibiotic resistance. Opportunistic pathogens such as Hafnia sp. (Enterobacteriaceae) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (Pseudomonadaceae) were also identified from fish muscle. These findings indicate bacterial contamination risk in commonly consumed fish of

Recent advances in molecular techniques to study microbial communities in food-associated matrices and processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Justé, A.; Thomma, B.P.H.J.; Lievens, B.

2008-01-01

In the last two decades major changes have occurred in how microbial ecologists study microbial communities. Limitations associated with traditional culture-based methods have pushed for the development of culture-independent techniques, which are primarily based on the analysis of nucleic acids.

Pengembangan Culture, Self, and Personality Dalam Diri Manusia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonius Atosökhi Gea

2010-04-01

Full Text Available People have different perception about themselves, especially in the case of they are independent or interdependent people in their life. The article discussed the different of self concept related to cultural differences, especially between individual and collective cultures. The different concept on “self” brings a big influence on cognitive development, motivation, and emotion. On the other hand, culture also has impacts on human behavior development, especially those related to locus of control and self esteem. Both individual and collective cultures have some impacts on to what extend a person can be a supervisor towards his own behavior. Locus of control can be available either in internal or external of a person. Collective culture is more supportive in achieving global self esteem, while individual culture more tends to achieve self competence, another aspect of self esteem. Related to the determination of the five-factor model personality that has been acknowledged as the basic of basic human personality, it can be concluded that culture, self, and personality can be built from human internal, combined by some inputs of his environment which play important role to activate those mechanism.

Cultural transmission and the evolution of human behaviour: a general approach based on the Price equation.

Science.gov (United States)

El Mouden, C; André, J-B; Morin, O; Nettle, D

2014-02-01

Transmitted culture can be viewed as an inheritance system somewhat independent of genes that is subject to processes of descent with modification in its own right. Although many authors have conceptualized cultural change as a Darwinian process, there is no generally agreed formal framework for defining key concepts such as natural selection, fitness, relatedness and altruism for the cultural case. Here, we present and explore such a framework using the Price equation. Assuming an isolated, independently measurable culturally transmitted trait, we show that cultural natural selection maximizes cultural fitness, a distinct quantity from genetic fitness, and also that cultural relatedness and cultural altruism are not reducible to or necessarily related to their genetic counterparts. We show that antagonistic coevolution will occur between genes and culture whenever cultural fitness is not perfectly aligned with genetic fitness, as genetic selection will shape psychological mechanisms to avoid susceptibility to cultural traits that bear a genetic fitness cost. We discuss the difficulties with conceptualizing cultural change using the framework of evolutionary theory, the degree to which cultural evolution is autonomous from genetic evolution, and the extent to which cultural change should be seen as a Darwinian process. We argue that the nonselection components of evolutionary change are much more important for culture than for genes, and that this and other important differences from the genetic case mean that different approaches and emphases are needed for cultural than genetic processes. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2013 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Central Bank independence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasile DEDU

2012-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present the key aspects regarding central bank’s independence. Most economists consider that the factor which positively influences the efficiency of monetary policy measures is the high independence of the central bank. We determined that the National Bank of Romania (NBR has a high degree of independence. NBR has both goal and instrument independence. We also consider that the hike of NBR’s independence played an important role in the significant disinflation process, as headline inflation dropped inside the targeted band of 3% ± 1 percentage point recently.

Assessing environmental effects on organic materials in cultural heritage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boyatzis, Stamatis; Ioakimoglou, Eleni; Facorellis, Yorgos

2015-01-01

Under the auspices of INVENVORG (Thales Research Funding Program – NRSF), and within a holistic approach for assessing environmental effects on organic materials in cultural heritage (CH) artefacts, the effect of artificial ageing on elemental and molecular damage and their effects...... on the structural integrity of bone was investigated. Metapodial roe deer bone samples were artificially aged under humidity and atmospheres of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in room temperature. Elemental micro-analysis of bone material through SEM-EDX and molecular investigations through FTIR and Raman spectroscopy...

Publications in Cuba after Latin American Independences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan José SÁNCHEZ BAENA

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This article has a double objective. On the one hand, it aims to offer a vision of the consequences of the liberal Triennium, and the end of Spanish domain in continental America, on the Cuban printing culture. On the other hand, it analyses the main aspects that influenced Cuban society through the most important periodical contents. The extraordinary economic and commercial development, whose most influential agent was the economic group denominated «sacarocracia», made the printing evolution unstoppable, despite the strong control and censorship imposed by the Spanish government fearing the independence of near Republics. Some new serial publications with good content appeared, such as Revista Bimestre Cubana, and the expansion of printing slowly began in new Cuban populations.

Temperament trait of sensory processing sensitivity moderates cultural differences in neural response.

Science.gov (United States)

Aron, Arthur; Ketay, Sarah; Hedden, Trey; Aron, Elaine N; Rose Markus, Hazel; Gabrieli, John D E

2010-06-01

This study focused on a possible temperament-by-culture interaction. Specifically, it explored whether a basic temperament/personality trait (sensory processing sensitivity; SPS), perhaps having a genetic component, might moderate a previously established cultural difference in neural responses when making context-dependent vs context-independent judgments of simple visual stimuli. SPS has been hypothesized to underlie what has been called inhibitedness or reactivity in infants, introversion in adults, and reactivity or responsivness in diverse animal species. Some biologists view the trait as one of two innate strategies-observing carefully before acting vs being first to act. Thus the central characteristic of SPS is hypothesized to be a deep processing of information. Here, 10 European-Americans and 10 East Asians underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing simple visuospatial tasks emphasizing judgments that were either context independent (typically easier for Americans) or context dependent (typically easier for Asians). As reported elsewhere, each group exhibited greater activation for the culturally non-preferred task in frontal and parietal regions associated with greater effort in attention and working memory. However, further analyses, reported here for the first time, provided preliminary support for moderation by SPS. Consistent with the careful-processing theory, high-SPS individuals showed little cultural difference; low-SPS, strong culture differences.

Building Nuclear Safety and Security Culture Within Regulatory Body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huda, K.

2016-01-01

To achieve a higher level of nuclear safety and security, it needs to develop the safety and security culture not only in the facility but also in the regulatory body. The regulatory body, especially needs to develop the safety and security culture within the organization, because it has a function to promote and oversee the culture in the facilities. In this sense, the regulatory body should become a role model. Development of the nuclear safety and security culture should be started by properly understanding its concept and awakening the awareness of individual and organization on the importance of nuclear safety and security. For effectiveness of the culture development in the regulatory body, the following steps are suggested to be taken: setting up of the regulatory requirements, self-assessment, independent assessment review, communication with the licensee, oversight of management system implementation, and integration with regulatory activities. The paper discusses those steps in the framework of development of nuclear safety and security culture in the regulatory body, as well as some important elements in building of the culture in the nuclear facilities. (author)

STRUCTURED MOLECULAR GAS REVEALS GALACTIC SPIRAL ARMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sawada, Tsuyoshi [Joint ALMA Office, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago 763-0355 (Chile); Hasegawa, Tetsuo [NAOJ Chile Observatory, Joaquin Montero 3000 Oficina 702, Vitacura, Santiago 763-0409 (Chile); Koda, Jin, E-mail: sawada.tsuyoshi@nao.ac.jp [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3800 (United States)

2012-11-01

We explore the development of structures in molecular gas in the Milky Way by applying the analysis of the brightness distribution function and the brightness distribution index (BDI) in the archival data from the Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory {sup 13}CO J = 1-0 Galactic Ring Survey. The BDI measures the fractional contribution of spatially confined bright molecular emission over faint emission extended over large areas. This relative quantity is largely independent of the amount of molecular gas and of any conventional, pre-conceived structures, such as cores, clumps, or giant molecular clouds. The structured molecular gas traced by higher BDI is located continuously along the spiral arms in the Milky Way in the longitude-velocity diagram. This clearly indicates that molecular gas changes its structure as it flows through the spiral arms. Although the high-BDI gas generally coincides with H II regions, there is also some high-BDI gas with no/little signature of ongoing star formation. These results support a possible evolutionary sequence in which unstructured, diffuse gas transforms itself into a structured state on encountering the spiral arms, followed by star formation and an eventual return to the unstructured state after the spiral arm passage.

Mesothelioma patient derived tumor xenografts with defined BAP1 mutations that mimic the molecular characteristics of human malignant mesothelioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalra, Neetu; Zhang, Jingli; Thomas, Anish; Xi, Liqiang; Cheung, Mitchell; Talarchek, Jacqueline; Burkett, Sandra; Tsokos, Maria G; Chen, Yuanbin; Raffeld, Mark; Miettinen, Markku; Pastan, Ira; Testa, Joseph R; Hassan, Raffit

2015-01-01

The development and evaluation of new therapeutic approaches for malignant mesothelioma has been sparse due, in part, to lack of suitable tumor models. We established primary mesothelioma cultures from pleural and ascitic fluids of five patients with advanced mesothelioma. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed their mesothelial origin. Patient derived xenografts were generated by injecting the cells in nude or SCID mice, and malignant potential of the cells was analyzed by soft agar colony assay. Molecular profiles of the primary patient tumors, early passage cell cultures, and patient derived xenografts were assessed using mutational analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis and IHC. Primary cultures from all five tumors exhibited morphologic and IHC features consistent to those of mesothelioma cells. Mutations of BAP1 and CDKN2A were each detected in four tumors. BAP1 mutation was associated with the lack of expression of BAP1 protein. Three cell cultures, all of which were derived from BAP1 mutant primary tumors, exhibited anchorage independent growth and also formed tumors in mice, suggesting that BAP1 loss may enhance tumor growth in vivo. Both early passage cell cultures and mouse xenograft tumors harbored BAP1 mutations and CDKN2A deletions identical to those found in the corresponding primary patient tumors. The mesothelioma patient derived tumor xenografts with mutational alterations that mimic those observed in patient tumors which we established can be used for preclinical development of novel drug regimens and for studying the functional aspects of BAP1 biology in mesothelioma. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1362-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Space of solitude in culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Małgorzata Kulig

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In my article I suggest looking at the phenomenon of solitude in culture not only as an opportunity to study an intimate and individual experience, to which numerous descriptions refer. I would rather consider whether possessing knowledge about this experience we acquire competencies regarding the culture in which this solitude has occurred. The discourse of melancholy, for which the space of solitude and confrontation with the ultimate has been the natural environment, supports me in describing the space of solitude in culture. For the purposes of reflection, I initiate my own definition of solitude as a space between life and death. That space allows the individual to feel the energy of life and the presence of death, even in such moments of human life (youth when the individual is not fully aware of their role in society, and is in the process of crystallizing their identity. In this case, solitude as a space between would be a state of suspension, which, however, prepares for active, independent life in the community. In this article, I refer to the postulate of the German culture researcher Thomas Macho in order to treat the experience of solitude as a context, an opportunity to practise techniques of culture, as well as to heterotopic space as defined by Michel Foucault.

Blockbuster genres in Danish independent film

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kim Toft

2013-01-01

is a certain reluctance towards supporting specific international blockbuster genres such as horror, the gangster drama and action film. Throughout the past decade, Danish independent cinema – motivated by for instance the alternative film school Super16 and self-governing film-milieus around Denmark – has...... genres and styles in the search for what is missing in Danish cinema. This works for some directors, principally, by directly reacting against the institutional and economic dominance and protectionism of primarily The Danish Film Institute. Indirectly, the some of the filmmakers seem to react against...... ‘what is allowed’ in Danish film culture. Thus, they actually define themselves as being non-mainstream by focussing on international mainstream genres. By way of examples from the Danish indie scene and interviews with noteworthy indie filmmakers, this article draws attention to a still fairly...

Establishment of primary cell culture from the temperate symbiotic cnidarian, Anemonia viridis.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnay-Verdier, Stéphanie; Dall'osso, Diane; Joli, Nathalie; Olivré, Juliette; Priouzeau, Fabrice; Zamoum, Thamilla; Merle, Pierre-Laurent; Furla, Paola

2013-10-01

The temperate symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis, a member of the Cnidaria phylum, is a relevant experimental model to investigate the molecular and cellular events involved in the preservation or in the rupture of the symbiosis between the animal cells and their symbiotic microalgae, commonly named zooxanthellae. In order to increase research tools for this model, we developed a primary culture from A. viridis animal cells. By adapting enzymatic dissociation protocols, we isolated animal host cells from a whole tentacle in regeneration state. Each plating resulted in a heterogeneous primary culture consisted of free zooxanthellae and many regular, small rounded and adherent cells (of 3-5 μm diameter). Molecular analyses conducted on primary cultures, maintained for 2 weeks, confirmed a specific signature of A. viridis cells. Further serial dilutions and micromanipulation allowed us to obtain homogenous primary cultures of the small rounded cells, corresponding to A. viridis "epithelial-like cells". The maintenance and the propagation over a 4 weeks period of primary cells provide, for in vitro cnidarian studies, a preliminary step for further investigations on cnidarian cellular pathways notably in regard to symbiosis interactions.

Practices and Exploration on Competition of Molecular Biological Detection Technology among Students in Food Quality and Safety Major

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yaning; Peng, Yuke; Li, Pengfei; Zhuang, Yingping

2017-01-01

With the increasing importance in the application of the molecular biological detection technology in the field of food safety, strengthening education in molecular biology experimental techniques is more necessary for the culture of the students in food quality and safety major. However, molecular biology experiments are not always in curricula…

The role of Social Media on Sales strategy : A Conceptual Explication in a High-context Culture

OpenAIRE

Ukpabi, Dandison; Karjaluoto, Heikki; Ikaba, Victoria; Wali, Kemkamma; Kpunee, Henry

2017-01-01

People’s behaviours are shaped by their cultural values as much as it also influences the definition of friendship building and sustenance. Low-context cultures as marked with independent lifestyle, loosed family units and communication patterns are often characterized by fewer words. On the other hand, high-context cultures are markedly different. These cultures are characterized with high closed family units, high level of social cohesion and social identity. To achieve ...

Retroviral host range extension is coupled with Env-activating mutations resulting in receptor-independent entry

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lounková, Anna; Kosla, Jan; Přikryl, David; Štafl, Kryštof; Kučerová, Dana; Svoboda, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 114, č. 26 (2017), E5148-E5157 ISSN 0027-8424 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-22207S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Rous sarcoma virus * retrovirus * virus entry * envelope glycoprotein * receptor-independent entry Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Virology Impact factor: 9.661, year: 2016

The Role of Behavioral and Cognitive Cultural Orientation on Mexican American College Students' Life Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Ojeda, Lizette; Edwards, Lisa M.; Hardin, Erin E.; Piña-Watson, Brandy

2014-01-01

We examined the role of behavioral (acculturation and enculturation) and cognitive cultural orientation (independent and interdependent self-construal) on Mexican American college students' life satisfaction. Analyses explained 28% of the variance in life satisfaction, with social class, grade point average, and independent self-construal being…

Biodiversity and dynamics of meat fermentations: the contribution of molecular methods for a better comprehension of a complex ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Cocolin, Luca; Dolci, Paola; Rantsiou, Kalliopi

2011-11-01

The ecology of fermented sausages is complex and includes different species and strains of bacteria, yeasts and molds. The developments in the field of molecular biology, allowed for new methods to become available, which could be applied to better understand dynamics and diversity of the microorganisms involved in the production of sausages. Methods, such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), employed as a culture-independent approach, allow to define the microbial dynamics during the fermentation and ripening. Such approach has highlighted that two main species of lactic acid bacteria, namely Lactobacillus sakei and Lb. curvatus, are involved in the transformation process and that they are accompanied by Staphylococcus xylosus, as representative of the coagulase-negative cocci. These findings were repeatedly confirmed in different regions of the world, mainly in the Mediterranean countries where dry fermented sausages have a long tradition and history. The application of molecular methods for the identification and characterization of isolated strains from fermentations highlighted a high degree of diversity within the species mentioned above, underlining the need to better follow strain dynamics during the transformation process. While there is an important number of papers dealing with bacterial ecology by using molecular methods, studies on mycobiota of fermented sausages are just a few. This review reports on how the application of molecular methods made possible a better comprehension of the sausage fermentations, opening up new fields of research that in the near future will allow to unravel the connection between sensory properties and co-presence of multiple strains of the same species. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

White piedra: molecular identification of Trichosporon inkin in members of the same family.

Science.gov (United States)

Richini-Pereira, Virgínia Bodelão; Camargo, Rosângela Maria Pires de; Bagagli, Eduardo; Marques, Silvio Alencar

2012-06-01

White piedra is a superficial mycosis caused by the genus Trichosporon and characterized by nodules on hair shaft. The authors report a family referred to as pediculosis. Mycological culture on Mycosel® plus molecular identification was performed to precisely identify the etiology. A Trichosporon spp. infection was revealed. The molecular procedure identified the agent as Trichosporon inkin. White piedra and infection caused by T. inkin are rarely reported in Southern Brazil. The molecular tools are essentials on identifying the Trichosporon species.

Cultural values and performance appraisal: assessing the effects of rater self-construal on performance ratings.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Vipanchi; Roch, Sylvia G

2013-01-01

Much of the prior research investigating the influence of cultural values on performance ratings has focused either on conducting cross-national comparisons among raters or using cultural level individualism/collectivism scales to measure the effects of cultural values on performance ratings. Recent research has shown that there is considerable within country variation in cultural values, i.e. people in one country can be more individualistic or collectivistic in nature. Taking the latter perspective, the present study used Markus and Kitayama's (1991) conceptualization of independent and interdependent self-construals as measures of individual variations in cultural values to investigate within culture variations in performance ratings. Results suggest that rater self-construal has a significant influence on overall performance evaluations; specifically, raters with a highly interdependent self-construal tend to show a preference for interdependent ratees, whereas raters high on independent self-construal do not show a preference for specific type of ratees when making overall performance evaluations. Although rater self-construal significantly influenced overall performance evaluations, no such effects were observed for specific dimension ratings. Implications of these results for performance appraisal research and practice are discussed.

the contrasting attitudes of plant breeders and molecular biologists ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Socialization into disciplinary cultures, organizational factors and individual anxieties seem to inhibit inter-disciplinary collaboration. The majority of rice breeders and a small group of molecular biologists emphasize the relative merits of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in the near term vis-à-vis the currently controversial ...

Identification of bacterial strains in viili by molecular taxonomy and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Viili, also known as viilia, is a traditional fermented dairy product, which is popular in ... In this study, culture-dependent and independent methods had been used to ... Also, their synergistic effects on milk curd and exopolysaccharides (EPSs) ...

Hydrogen molecular ions for improved determination of fundamental constants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karr, J.-P.; Hilico, L.; Koelemeij, J.C.J.; Korobov, V.I.

2016-01-01

The possible use of high-resolution rovibrational spectroscopy of the hydrogen molecular ions H-2(+) and HD+ for an independent determination of several fundamental constants is analyzed. While these molecules had been proposed for the metrology of nuclear-to-electron mass ratios, we show that they

THE ART OF POETRY AND PAINTING: NEW SUBJETIVITIES IN POST-INDEPENDENCE ANGOLA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Lúcia Tindó Secco

2008-08-01

Full Text Available The art of poetry and painting: new poetic and pictorial subjectivities in Angola after its Independence. The post 80's decades and the rising of other forms of revolution in the aesthetic language. Themes and creative literary procedures: the existential reason, the individual sensitivities, the literary imagination. The presence of love, the myths, of History, of the dreams in the Angolan arts of the last decades as strategies of cultural resistance.

Equilibrium Molecular Thermodynamics from Kirkwood Sampling

OpenAIRE

Somani, Sandeep; Okamoto, Yuko; Ballard, Andrew J.; Wales, David J.

2015-01-01

We present two methods for barrierless equilibrium sampling of molecular systems based on the recently proposed Kirkwood method (J. Chem. Phys. 2009, 130, 134102). Kirkwood sampling employs low-order correlations among internal coordinates of a molecule for random (or non-Markovian) sampling of the high dimensional conformational space. This is a geometrical sampling method independent of the potential energy surface. The first method is a variant of biased Monte Carlo, wher...

The Affirmative Character of U.S. Cultural Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Budd, Mike; And Others

1990-01-01

Argues that cultural studies imported to the United States often lose much of their critical edge. Contends that their misleading affirmation of the power and independence of media audiences is derived from several factors, including (1) overestimating the freedom of audiences in reception; and (2) confusing active reception with political…

Choice and dissonance in a European cultural context: the case of Western and Eastern Europeans.

Science.gov (United States)