GenoList: an integrated environment for comparative analysis of microbial genomes

The multitude of bacterial genome sequences being determined has generated new requirements regarding the development of databases and graphical interfaces: these are needed to organize and retrieve biological information from the comparison of large sets of genomes. GenoList (http://genolist.pasteur.fr/GenoList) is an integrated environment dedicated to querying and analyzing genome data from bacterial species. GenoList inherits from the SubtiList database and web server, the reference data resource for the Bacillus subtilis genome. The data model was extended to hold information about relationships between genomes (e.g. protein families). The web user interface was designed to primarily take into account biologists’ needs and modes of operation. Along with standard query and browsing capabilities, comparative genomics facilities are available, including subtractive proteome analysis. One key feature is the integration of the many tools accessible in the environment. As an example, it is straightforward to identify the genes that are specific to a group of bacteria, export them as a tab-separated list, get their protein sequences and run a multiple alignment on a subset of these sequences

Authorities' Coercive and Legitimate Power:The Impact on Cognitions Underlying Cooperation

The execution of coercive and legitimate power by an authority assures cooperation and prohibits free-riding. While coercive power can be comprised of severe punishment and strict monitoring, legitimate power covers expert, and informative procedures. The perception of these powers wielded by authorities stimulates specific cognitions: trust, relational climates, and motives. With four experiments, the single and combined impact of coercive and legitimate power on these processes and on intended cooperation of n1 = 120, n2 = 130, n3 = 368, and n4 = 102 student participants is investigated within two exemplary contexts (tax contributions, insurance claims). Findings reveal that coercive power increases an antagonistic climate and enforced compliance, whereas legitimate power increases reason-based trust, a service climate, and voluntary cooperation. Unexpectedly, legitimate power is additionally having a negative effect on an antagonistic climate and a positive effect on enforced compliance; these findings lead to a modification of theoretical assumptions. However, solely reason-based trust, but not climate perceptions and motives, mediates the relationship between power and intended cooperation. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.© 2017 Hofmann, Hartl, Gangl, Hartner-Tiefenthaler and Kirchle

The integrated microbial genomes (IMG) system in 2007: data content and analysis tool extensions

The integrated microbial genomes (IMG) system is a data management, analysis and annotation platform for all publicly available genomes. IMG contains both draft and complete JGI microbial genomes integrated with all other publicly available genomes from all three domains of life, together with a large number of plasmids and viruses. IMG provides tools and viewers for analyzing and annotating genomes, genes and functions, individually or in a comparative context. Since its first release in 2005, IMG's data content and analytical capabilities have been constantly expanded through quarterly releases. IMG is provided by the DOE-Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and is available from http://img.jgi.doe.gov

Coercive and legitimate authority impact tax honesty:Evidence from behavioral and ERP experiments

Cooperation in social systems such as tax honesty is of central importance in our modern societies. However, we know little about cognitive and neural processes driving decisions to evade or pay taxes. This study focuses on the impact of perceived tax authority and examines the mental chronometry mirrored in ERP data allowing a deeper understanding about why humans cooperate in tax systems. We experimentally manipulated coercive and legitimate authority and studied its impact on cooperation and underlying cognitive (experiment 1, 2) and neuronal (experiment 2) processes. Experiment 1 showed that in a condition of coercive authority, tax payments are lower, decisions are faster and participants report more rational reasoning and enforced compliance, however, less voluntary cooperation than in a condition of legitimate authority. Experiment 2 confirmed most results, but did not find a difference in payments or self-reported rational reasoning. Moreover, legitimate authority led to heightened cognitive control (expressed by increased MFN amplitudes) and disrupted attention processing (expressed by decreased P300 amplitudes) compared to coercive authority. To conclude, the neuronal data surprisingly revealed that legitimate authority may led to higher decision conflict and thus to higher cognitive demands in tax decisions than coercive authority.Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [24863-G1]; Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO)SCI(E)SSCIARTICLE71108-11171

Tax authorities’ interaction with taxpayers: A conception of compliance by power and trust.

AbstractTax compliance represents a social dilemma in which the short-term self-interest to minimize tax payments is at odds with the collective long-term interest to provide sufficient tax funds for public goods. According to the Slippery Slope Framework, the social dilemma can be solved and tax compliance can be guaranteed by power of tax authorities and trust in tax authorities. The framework, however, remains silent on the dynamics between power and trust. The aim of the present theoretical paper is to conceptualize the dynamics between power and trust by differentiating coercive and legitimate power and reason-based and implicit trust. Insights into this dynamic are derived from an integration of a wide range of literature such as on organizational behavior and social influence. Conclusions on the effect of the dynamics between power and trust on the interaction climate between authorities and individuals and subsequent individual motivation of cooperation in social dilemmas such as tax contributions are drawn. Practically, the assumptions on the dynamics can be utilized by authorities to increase cooperation and to change the interaction climate from an antagonistic climate to a service and confidence climate

Maturation of the angiotensin II cardiovascular response in the embryonic White Leghorn chicken (Gallus gallus)

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is an important regulator of cardiovascular function in adult vertebrates. Although its role in regulating the adult system has been extensively investigated, the cardiovascular response to Ang II in embryonic vertebrates is relatively unknown. We investigated the potential of Ang II as a regulator of cardiovascular function in embryonic chickens, which lack central nervous system control of cardiovascular function throughout the majority of incubation. The cardiovascular response to Ang II in embryonic chickens was investigated over the final 50% of their development. Ang II produced a dose-dependent increase in arterial pressure on each day of development studied, and the response increased in intensity as development progressed. The Ang II type-1 receptor nonspecific competitive peptide antagonist [Sar1 ile8] Ang II blocked the cardiovascular response to subsequent injections of Ang II on day 21 only. The embryonic pressure response to Ang II (hypertension only) differed from that of adult chickens, in which initial hypotension is followed by hypertension. The constant level of gene expression for the Ang II receptor, in conjunction with an increasing pressure response to the peptide, suggests that two Ang II receptor subtypes are present during chicken development. Collectively, the data indicate that Ang II plays an important role in the cardiovascular development of chickens; however, its role in maintaining basal function requires further study

Views on Interprofessional Collaboration in a Dutch Sexual Assault Center: A Qualitative Study Among Workers

Jasmijn Mulder,1 Theodora Alberta Maria Teunissen,1 Veranie Maria Johanna Peters,1 Marie Louise Moors,2 Antoinette Leonarda Maria Lagro-Janssen1 1Department of Primary and Community Care, Gender and Women’s Health, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; 2Emergency Department, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: Jasmijn Mulder, Radboudumc, Afdeling Eerstelijnsgeneeskunde, Huispost 121, t.a.v. Jasmijn Mulder, Postbus 9101, Nijmegen, 6500HB, the Netherlands, Email [email protected]: As the response to sexual assault victims proved to be shattered and substandard, sexual assault centers were set up to improve care by providing the victims with medical, psychosocial and legal care. The Dutch Centers for Sexual Assault were launched in 2012. We wished to examine the challenges in interprofessional collaboration experienced in a long-running Dutch Sexual Assault Center.Methods: In this qualitative study, data was collected via semi-structured explorative interviews which were analyzed using thematic analysis in an iterative process. The semi-structured interviews were held with fifteen professionals from medical, psychosocial and legal disciplines. An interview guide was developed based on expert opinion and the Bronstein Index of Interprofessional Collaboration. Qualitative analyses were done using the method of thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti and were reported according to the COREQ criteria. The themes of the experienced challenges in interprofessional collaboration were further clarified using quotations.Results: Participants mentioned three themes that challenged interprofessional collaboration: 1. discrepancies in professional involvement, 2. conflicting goals and 3. a lack of connection. Discrepancies in motivation and affinity to work with victims of sexual violence between professionals proved to be the most pivotal challenge to collaboration, leading to disturbing differences in professional involvement. A low caseload and time restraints complicated gaining expertise, affinity and motivation. Conflicting goals and confidentiality issues arose between the medical and legal disciplines due to their contrasting aims of caring for victims versus facilitating prosecution. Some professionals felt a lack of connection, particularly due to missing face-to-face personal contact, which hindered the sharing of complex or burdensome cases and gaining insight into the other discipline’s competences.Conclusion: Building collective ownership and equal professional involvement are crucial for interprofessional collaboration. Professional involvement should be increased by training courses to clarify conflicting goals and to improve reciprocal personal contact between professionals. Training courses should be facilitated with organizational financial support.Keywords: interprofessional collaboration, sexual assault center, challenges, sexual assault, sexual violence, qualitative method

The design of an in-vehicle assistance system to support eco-driving

This driving simulator study was the second of two studies investigating the most effective and acceptable in-vehicle system for the provision of guidance on fuel efficient accelerator usage. Three eco-driving interfaces were selected for test (a second-order display visual display with auditory alerts and two haptic accelerator pedal systems) following a pilot study of 12 different interfaces. These systems were tested in a range of eco-driving scenarios involving acceleration, deceleration and speed maintenance, and assessed through their effects on fuel economy, vehicle control, distraction, and driver subjective feedback. The results suggest that a haptic accelerator pedal system is most effective for preventing over-acceleration, while minimal differences were observed between systems in terms of the effect of the assistance provided to prevent under-acceleration. The visual-auditory interface lowered the time spent looking towards the road, indicating a potential negative impact on driver safety from using this modality to provide continuous green driving support. Subjective results were consistent with the objective findings, with haptic pedal systems creating lower perceived workload than a visual-auditory interface. Driver acceptability ratings suggested a slight favouring of a haptic-force system for its usefulness, whereas the more subtle haptic-stiffness system was judged more acceptable to use. These findings offer suggestions for the design of a user-friendly, eco-driving device that can help drivers improve their fuel economy, specifically through the provision of real-time guidance on the manipulation of the accelerator pedal position