Biogeography of nodulated legumes and their nitrogen-fixing symbionts

In the last decade, analyses of both molecular and morphological characters, including nodulation, have led to major changes in our understanding of legume taxonomy. In parallel there has been an explosion in the number of genera and species of rhizobia known to nodulate legumes. No attempt has been made to link these two sets of data or to consider them in a biogeographical context. This review aims to do this by relating the data to the evolution of the two partners: it highlights both longitudinal and latitudinal trends and considers these in relation to the location of major land masses over geological time. Australia is identified as being a special case and latitudes north of the equator as being pivotal in the evolution of highly specialized systems in which the differentiated rhizobia effectively become ammonia factories. However, there are still many gaps to be filled before legume nodulation is sufficiently understood to be managed for the benefit of a world in which climate change is rife

Reinforcing Innovation Effectiveness. A New Methodological Approach for Policy Evaluation

Innovation is considered an important competitiveness factor for companies and a source of wealth for economies. Therefore it is an important subject of policy intervention and regional development. The understanding of what innovation is has evolved in the past decades away from a purely technological definition – of new products and processes introduced on the market, to a wider one including organizational and marketing aspects or incremental innovation in low tech production companies and more recently, innovation in services (European Commission, 2008). Today, innovation is present in the discourse of politicians and business leaders. They see innovation as a positive value and as a solution to solve social problems and company’s competitiveness, so organizations are encouraged to adopt innovative practices through incentives and innovation policies. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a new methodological approach for public policy supporting innovation evaluation in a territorial based analysis. A new methodology which intended to contribute to strengthen and reinforcing the innovation effectiveness in firms and territory development resulting from support of public mechanisms

LuSIV Cells: A Reporter Cell Line for the Detection and Quantitation of a Single Cycle of HIV and SIV Replication

AbstractA single cycle of viral replication is the time required for a virus to enter the host cell, replicate its genome, and produce infectious progeny virions. The primate lentiviruses, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), require on average 24 h to complete one cycle of replication. We have now developed and characterized a reporter assay system in CEMx174 cells for the quantitative measurement of HIV/SIV infection within a single replication cycle. The SIVmac239 LTR (−225 → +149) was cloned upstream of the firefly luciferase reporter gene and this reporter plasmid is maintained in CEMx174 cells under stable selection. This cell line, designated LuSIV, is highly sensitive to infection by primary and laboratory strains of HIV/SIV, resulting in Tat-mediated expression of luciferase, which correlates with viral infectivity. Furthermore, manipulation of LuSIV cells for the detection of luciferase activity is easy to perform and requires a minimal amount of time as compared to current HIV/SIV detection systems. The LuSIV system is a powerful tool for the analysis of HIV/SIV infection that provides a unique assay system that can detect virus replication prior to 24 h and does not require virus to spread from cell to cell. Thus these cells can be used for the study of replication-deficient viruses and the high throughput screening of antivirals, or other inhibitors of infection

Total Quality Management Practices and Organizational Performance

This article examined Total Quality Management (TQM) practices and organizational performance using data gathered from Cway Water Group, Lagos to consummate the study. Total quality management aims at enhancing the quality of products, services and processes in all departments and sections in an organization. Sometimes improvement in quality gives rise to increased cost. The paper, therefore, critically examined the extent to which drive for total quality ultimately impinges on corporate performance. Descriptive research design was adopted. Data were gathered from respondents using structured questionnaire. A total of 325 respondents were used as sample size for the study. The data gathered were analyzed using tables and percentages. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using SPSS statistical software with regression and correlation analysis. The test of hypotheses revealed that TQM has significant effect on organizational performance as the P2 Value was found to be less than 0.05 occasioning the rejection of the null hypothesis. The test also revealed that TQM has positive effect on customer satisfaction. The paper recommended that top management of organizations should make TQM practices top priority in their operations in the interest of sustainable performance

Self-Assembled Matrix by Umbilical Cord Stem Cells

Corneal integrity is critical for vision. Corneal wounds frequently heal with scarring that impairs vision. Recently, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (cord stem cells) have been investigated for tissue engineering and therapy due to their availability and differentiation potential. In this study, we used cord stem cells in a 3-dimensional (3D) stroma-like model to observe extracellular matrix organization, with human corneal fibroblasts acting as a control. For 4 weeks, the cells were stimulated with a stable Vitamin C (VitC) derivative ±TGF-β1. After 4 weeks, the mean thickness of the constructs was ∼30 μm; however, cord stem cell constructs had 50% less cells per unit volume, indicating the formation of a dense matrix. We found minimal change in decorin and lumican mRNA, and a significant increase in perlecan mRNA in the presence of TGF-β1. Keratocan on the other hand decreased with TGF-β1 in both cell lineages. With both cell types, the constructs possessed aligned collagen fibrils and associated glycosaminoglycans. Fibril diameters did not change with TGF-β1 stimulation or cell lineage; however, highly sulfated glycosaminoglycans associated with the collagen fibrils significantly increased with TGF-β1. Overall, we have shown that cord stem cells can secrete their own extracellular matrix and promote the deposition and sulfation of various proteoglycans. Furthermore, these cells are at least comparable to commonly used corneal fibroblasts and present an alternative for the 3D in vitro tissue engineered model

Burkholderia dipogonis sp. nov., isolated from root nodules of Dipogon lignosus in New Zealand and Western Australia

Seven strains, ICMP 19430T, ICMP 19429, ICMP 19431, WSM4637, WSM4638, WSM4639 and WSM4640, were isolated from nitrogen-fixing nodules on roots of the invasive South African legume Dipogon lignosus (subfamily Papilionoideae, tribe Phaseoleae) in New Zealand and Western Australia, and their taxonomic positions were investigated by using a polyphasic approach. All seven strains grew at 10–37 °C (optimum, 25–30 °C), at pH 4.0–9.0 (optimum, pH 6.0–7.0) and with 0–2 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum growth in the absence of NaCl). On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the strains showed 99.0–99.5 % sequence similarity to the closest type strain, Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJNT, and 98.4–99.7 % sequence similarity to Burkholderia caledonica LMG 19076T. The predominant fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c (21.0 % of the total fatty acids in strain ICMP 19430T), C16 : 0 (19.1 %), C17 : 0 cyclo (18.9 %), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c; 10.7 %) and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c (7.5 %). The polar lipid profile consisted of a mixture of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and several uncharacterized aminophospholipids and phospholipids. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-8 and the DNA G+C content of strain ICMP 19430T was 63.2 mol%. The DNA–DNA relatedness of the novel strains with respect to the closest neighbouring members of the genus Burkholderia was 55 % or less. On the basis of 16S rRNA and recA gene sequence similarities and chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, these strains represent a novel symbiotic species in the genus Burkholderia, for which the name Burkholderia dipogonis sp. Nov. is proposed, with the type strain ICMP 19430T (=LMG 2841T =HAMBI 3637T)

ICRRA Policy Brief 2022: Culture in Security: International Cultural Relations as an Enabler of Peace through Engagement

How can the arts, heritage and cultural sectors contribute to peace and security in an increasingly conflicted world? At the 2022 ICRRA conference, academic approaches and practical projects from around the world showcased the important role that international cultural relations can play in this. This report shares the overarching message of the conference – about the potential for international cultural relations to re-energise delivery of SDG 16 (peace and justice) and to promote a more holistic understanding of peace and security – along with a summary of reflections from the conference around the key concepts of human security and cultural rights. Case studies and quotes by the participants illustrate these points and exemplify how this cultural relations approach to peace and security works on the ground in different settings

Dataset on brand culture and perceived value of offerings to customers in the hospitality industry in Nigeria

This studycriticallyexaminestheroleofbrandcultureininfluencing theperceivedvalueofofferingstocustomerswithinthe hospitality industryinNigeria.Intoday'scompetitivemarket,the extentatwhichorganizationsdisregardtheimportanceofdevel- oping astrongbrandculturebeforecommunicatingtheirvalueto the outsideworldhasbecomeworrisome.Hence,thisstudy filled in thegapsandatotalof434customersdrawnfromsixdifferent hotelsinLagosstate,Nigeria,weresampled.Thedatawereana- lysedusingStructuralEquationModelling(SEM).Managementof these hotelswereabletodefine theirexpectationsinorderto deliveraconsistentbrandexperiencetotheircustomers.The result showedthatbrandculturehaspositivesignificant influence on theperceivedvalueofofferingstocustomers.Important recommendations havealsobeenmade

Exosomes and HIV Gag bud from endosome-like domains of the T cell plasma membrane

Exosomes are secreted, single membrane organelles of ∼100 nm diameter. Their biogenesis is typically thought to occur in a two-step process involving (1) outward vesicle budding at limiting membranes of endosomes (outward = away from the cytoplasm), which generates intralumenal vesicles, followed by (2) endosome–plasma membrane fusion, which releases these internal vesicles into the extracellular milieu as exosomes. In this study, we present evidence that certain cells, including Jurkat T cells, possess discrete domains of plasma membrane that are enriched for exosomal and endosomal proteins, retain the endosomal property of outward vesicle budding, and serve as sites of immediate exosome biogenesis. It has been hypothesized that retroviruses utilize the exosome biogenesis pathway for the formation of infectious particles. In support of this, we find that Jurkat T cells direct the key budding factor of HIV, HIV Gag, to these endosome-like domains of plasma membrane and secrete HIV Gag from the cell in exosomes