Curtobacterium sp. genome sequencing underlines plant growth promotion-related traits

Endophytic bacteria are microorganisms residing in plant tissues without causing disease symptoms. Here, we provide the high-quality genome sequence of Curtobacterium sp. strain S6, isolated from grapevine plant. The genome assembly contains 2,759,404 bp in 13 contigs and 2,456 predicted genes

Mixed emotions: The contribution of alexithymia to the emotional symptoms of autism

It is widely accepted that autism is associated with disordered emotion processing, and in particular, with deficits of emotional reciprocity such as impaired emotion recognition and reduced empathy. However, a close examination of the literature reveals wide heterogeneity within the autistic population with respect to emotional competence. Here we argue that, where observed, emotional impairments are due to alexithymia - a condition that frequently co-occurs with autism - rather than a feature of autism per se. Alexithymia is a condition characterized by a reduced ability to identify and describe one’s own emotion, but which results in reduced empathy and an impaired ability to recognize the emotions of others. We briefly review studies of emotion processing in alexithymia, and in autism, before describing a recent series of studies directly testing this ‘alexithymia hypothesis’. If found to be correct, the alexithymia hypothesis has wide-reaching implications for the study of autism, and how we might best support sub-groups of autistic individuals with, and without, accompanying alexithymia. Finally, we note the presence of elevated rates of alexithymia, and inconsistent reports of emotional impairments, in eating disorders, schizophrenia, substance abuse, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and anxiety disorders. We speculate that examining the contribution of alexithymia to the emotional symptoms of these disorders may bear fruit in the same way that it is starting to do in autism

This is the future: A reconstruction of the UK business web space (1996–2001)

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1461444816643791 The Internet and the World Wide Web in particular have dramatically changed the way in which many companies operate. On the Web, even the smallest and most localised business has a potential global reach, and the development of online payment has redefined the selling market in most sectors. Boundaries and borders are being radically rediscussed. This article reconstructs the early approach of UK businesses to the World Wide Web between 1996 and 2001, a period in which the Web started to spread but it was not as engrained in everyday life as it would be in the following decade. While the fast and dispersed nature of the Web makes it almost impossible to accurately reconstruct the Web sphere in its historical dimension, this article proposes a methodology based on the usage of historical Web directories to access and map past Web spheres. Institute of Historical Researc