Two closely related ABC transporters in streptococcus mutans are involved in disaccharide and/or oligosaccharide uptake.

Streptococcus mutans has a large number of transporters apparently involved in the uptake of carbohydrates. At least two of these, the multiple sugar metabolism transporter, MsmEFGK, and the previously uncharacterized MalXFGK, are members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily. Mutation analysis revealed that the MsmEFGK and MalXFGK transporters are principally involved in the uptake of distinct disaccharides and/or oligosaccharides. Furthermore, the data also indicated an unusual protein interaction between the components of these two related transporters. Strains lacking msmE (which encodes a solute binding protein) can no longer utilize raffinose or stachyose but grow normally on maltodextrins in the absence of MalT, a previously characterized EII(mal) phosphotransferase system component. In contrast, a mutant of malX (which encodes a solute binding protein) cannot utilize maltodextrins but grows normally on raffinose or stachyose. Radioactive uptake assays confirmed that MalX, but not MsmE, is required for uptake of [U-14C]maltotriose and that MalXFGK is principally involved in the uptake of maltodextrins with as many as 7 glucose units. Surprisingly, inactivation of the corresponding ATPase components did not result in an equivalent abolition of growth: the malK mutant can grow on maltotetraose as a sole carbon source, and the msmK mutant can utilize raffinose. We propose that the ATPase domains of these ABC transporters can interact with either their own or the alternative transporter complex. Such unexpected interaction of ATPase subunits with distinct membrane components to form complete multiple ABC transporters may be widespread in bacteria

Sharing our expertise: Benefits of professional development for strategic planning

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154705/1/2015_Alexander_Reiman-Sendi.pd

Promoting Team-Based Exercise Among African American Breast Cancer Survivors

Physical activity benefits the health and well-being of breast cancer survivors (BCS). Yet, many African American survivors do not routinely exercise and have increased risk of poor outcomes. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to identify motivational factors compelling African American BCS to participate in a 14-week team walking program and to intend to continue exercise after the intervention concluded. Focus groups were held with participants (n = 12) before and after training. Content analysis discovered themes before the intervention: Not wanting to go at it alone, exercise not a life or treatment priority, cancer treatment affected activity, advocates to exercise, and can exercise really help? Four themes postintervention themes included: In the same boat, changed mind-set, improved weight and activity, and overcoming barriers. Physical data verified improvements. Results suggest that a team-based exercise training program may assist in overcoming a sedentary behavior tendency and subsequently improve health among survivors

Survivors Speak: A Qualitative Analysis of Motivational Factors Influencing Breast Cancer Survivors’ Participation in a Sprint Distance Triathlon

Aims and Objectives To examine motivational factors influencing breast cancer survivors to participate in triathlon training, complete a triathlon and maintain an exercise thereafter. Background Routine exercise has been shown to improve quality of life and reduce recurrence for breast cancer survivors. Yet physical and psychological factors present barriers for initiating and maintaining an exercise routine. Research is limited in exploring factors of exercise motivation from the survivor\u27s perspective. Design Qualitative design using focus groups and individual follow-up phone interviews to explore motivation for exercise initiation and maintenance. Methods One to two weeks after completing a triathlon, 11 breast cancer survivors who trained together participated in one of three focus groups to discuss their experience. Five months post triathlon 6 of the 11 participants were successfully contacted and phone interviews were conducted to explore exercise maintenance. Focus groups and interviews were analysed using content and thematic analysis. Results Five themes emerged (1) Champion for Exercise, (2) Part of a Team, (3) Everyone Had a Story, (4) Not Really Exercise and (5) What Do We Do Now? Overall, survivors recognised their need for lifestyle change (e.g. moving from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active one). More importantly, they identified the team approach to exercise initiation was crucial in their success in sustaining a behavioural change. Conclusions Emphasis needed on developing team exercise training programmes for survivors. Nurses can play a critical role in discussing with survivors, the benefits of exercise initiation and maintenance. Relevance to clinical practice Breast cancer survivors are hesitant to initiate routine exercise. Training with women who share a common lived experience increases the likelihood of success. Nurses are in a position to encourage breast cancer survivors to participate in group exercise programmes as a way to improve quality of life

Dose-dependent effects of a soluble dietary fibre (pectin) on food intake, adiposity, gut hypertrophy and gut satiety hormone secretion in rats

Acknowledgments We thank Donna Wallace and Animal House staff at the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health for the daily care of experimental rats and for the body weight, food intake and MRI measurements.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Slow gait speed and cardiac rehabilitation participation in older adults after acute myocardial infarction

Background Lack of participation in cardiac rehabilitation ( CR ) and slow gait speed have both been associated with poor long‐term outcomes in older adults after acute myocardial infarction ( AMI ). Whether the effect of CR participation on outcomes after AMI differs by gait speed is unknown. Methods and Results We examined the association between gait speed and CR participation at 1 month after discharge after AMI , and death and disability at 1 year, in 329 patients aged ≥65 years enrolled in the TRIUMPH (Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Recovery From Acute Myocardial Infarction: Patients' Health Status) registry. Among these patients, 177 (53.7%) had slow gait speed (&lt;0.8 m/s) and 109 (33.1%) participated in CR . Patients with slow gait speed were less likely to participate in CR compared with patients with normal gait speed (27.1% versus 40.1%; P =0.012). In unadjusted analysis, CR participants with normal gait speed had the lowest rate of death or disability at 1 year (9.3%), compared with those with slow gait speed and no CR participation (43.2%). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive impairment, both slow gait speed (odds ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–4.06) and non‐ CR participation (odds ratio, 2.34; 95 confidence interval, 1.22–4.48) were independently associated with death or disability at 1 year. The effect of CR on the primary outcome did not differ by gait speed ( P =0.70). Conclusions CR participation is associated with reduced risk for death or disability after AMI . The beneficial effect of CR participation does not differ by gait speed, suggesting that slow gait speed alone should not preclude referral to CR for older adults after AMI . </jats:sec

Invisible water, visible impact: How unsustainable groundwater use challenges sustainability of Indian agriculture under climate change

India is one of the world’s largest food producers, making the sustainability of its agricultural system of global significance. Groundwater irrigation underpins India’s agriculture, currently boosting crop production by enough to feed 170 million people. Groundwater overexploitation has led to drastic declines in groundwater levels, threatening to push this vital resource out of reach for millions of small-scale farmers who are the backbone of India’s food security. Historically, losing access to groundwater has decreased agricultural production and increased poverty. We take a multidisciplinary approach to assess climate change challenges facing India’s agricultural system, and to assess the effectiveness of large-scale water infrastructure projects designed to meet these challenges. We find that even in areas that experience climate change induced precipitation increases, expansion of irrigated agriculture will require increasing amounts of unsustainable groundwater. The large proposed national river linking project has limited capacity to alleviate groundwater stress. Thus, without intervention, poverty and food insecurity in rural India is likely to worsen

Different types of soluble fermentable dietary fibre decrease food intake, body weight gain and adiposity in young adult male rats

We thank Donna Wallace and the Rowett Animal House staff for the daily care of experimental rats, body weight and food intake measurements and MRI scanning, Vivien Buchan and Donna Henderson of the Rowett Analytical Department for proximate analyses and SCFA GC, and Andrew Chappell for conducting the beta-glucan analysis. This research was funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Protein Ontology: A controlled structured network of protein entities

The Protein Ontology (PRO; http://proconsortium.org) formally defines protein entities and explicitly represents their major forms and interrelations. Protein entities represented in PRO corresponding to single amino acid chains are categorized by level of specificity into family, gene, sequence and modification metaclasses, and there is a separate metaclass for protein complexes. All metaclasses also have organism-specific derivatives. PRO complements established sequence databases such as UniProtKB, and interoperates with other biomedical and biological ontologies such as the Gene Ontology (GO). PRO relates to UniProtKB in that PRO’s organism-specific classes of proteins encoded by a specific gene correspond to entities documented in UniProtKB entries. PRO relates to the GO in that PRO’s representations of organism-specific protein complexes are subclasses of the organism-agnostic protein complex terms in the GO Cellular Component Ontology. The past few years have seen growth and changes to the PRO, as well as new points of access to the data and new applications of PRO in immunology and proteomics. Here we describe some of these developments