LAL Regulators SCO0877 and SCO7173 as Pleiotropic Modulators of Phosphate Starvation Response and Actinorhodin Biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor

LAL regulators (Large ATP-binding regulators of the LuxR family) constitute a poorly studied family of transcriptional regulators. Several regulators of this class have been identified in antibiotic and other secondary metabolite gene clusters from actinomycetes, thus they have been considered pathway-specific regulators. In this study we have obtained two disruption mutants of LAL genes from S. coelicolor (Δ0877 and Δ7173). Both mutants were deficient in the production of the polyketide antibiotic actinorhodin, and antibiotic production was restored upon gene complementation of the mutants. The use of whole-genome DNA microarrays and quantitative PCRs enabled the analysis of the transcriptome of both mutants in comparison with the wild type. Our results indicate that the LAL regulators under study act globally affecting various cellular processes, and amongst them the phosphate starvation response and the biosynthesis of the blue-pigmented antibiotic actinorhodin. Both regulators act as negative modulators of the expression of the two-component phoRP system and as positive regulators of actinorhodin biosynthesis. To our knowledge this is the first characterization of LAL regulators with wide implications in Streptomyces metabolism

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs High-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of 324 survey stars

The CARMENES radial velocity (RV) survey is observing 324 M dwarfs to search for any orbiting planets. In this paper, we present the survey sample by publishing one CARMENES spectrum for each M dwarf. These spectra cover the wavelength range 520–1710 nm at a resolution of at least R >80 000, and we measure its RV, Hα emission, and projected rotation velocity. We present an atlas of high-resolution M-dwarf spectra and compare the spectra to atmospheric models. To quantify the RV precision that can be achieved in low-mass stars over the CARMENES wavelength range, we analyze our empirical information on the RV precision from more than 6500 observations. We compare our high-resolution M-dwarf spectra to atmospheric models where we determine the spectroscopic RV information content, Q, and signal-to-noise ratio. We find that for all M-type dwarfs, the highest RV precision can be reached in the wavelength range 700–900 nm. Observations at longer wavelengths are equally precise only at the very latest spectral types (M8 and M9). We demonstrate that in this spectroscopic range, the large amount of absorption features compensates for the intrinsic faintness of an M7 star. To reach an RV precision of 1 m s−1 in very low mass M dwarfs at longer wavelengths likely requires the use of a 10 m class telescope. For spectral types M6 and earlier, the combination of a red visual and a near-infrared spectrograph is ideal to search for low-mass planets and to distinguish between planets and stellar variability. At a 4 m class telescope, an instrument like CARMENES has the potential to push the RV precision well below the typical jitter level of 3–4 m s−1

CARMENES: high-resolution spectra and precise radial velocities in the red and infrared

SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation (2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Avaliação do risco nutricional em idosos atendidos por Equipes de Saúde da Família Evaluación del riesgo nutricional en ancianos atendidos por Equipos de Salud de Familia Evaluation of the nutritional risk in elderly assisted by Family Health Teams

Alterações do estado nutricional contribuem para o aumento da morbi-mortalidade em idosos. O instrumento The Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) foi desenvolvido para identificar riscos nutricionais nesse grupo populacional. Este estudo tem por objetivos descrever o perfil sociodemográfico e avaliar o risco nutricional de idosos atendidos por equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família. O estudo é transversal, com amostra de 503 idosos residentes em Dourados (MS). Instrumentos: NSI e questionário estruturado para as variáveis sociodemográficas de saúde. Verificou-se o predomínio de idosos do sexo feminino, entre 60 a 69 anos, viúvos, analfabetos, de renda per capita de até um salário mínimo, com hipertensão e auto-avaliação regular de saúde. O NSI permitiu identificar 33,2% de idosos com alto risco nutricional, o que se mostrou significativamente associado ao baixo nível de escolaridade, à baixa renda per capita e às doenças crônicas. Como método de rastreio, o NSI mostrou-se útil para identificar os determinantes sociais e de saúde que contribuem para o risco nutricional.<br>Las alteraciones del estado nutricional contribuyen en aumentar la morbimortalidad en ancianos. El instrumento The Nutririon Screening Inititative (NSI) fue desarrollado para identificar riesgos nutricionales en dicho grupo poblacional. Este estudio tiene como objetivos describir el perfil socio-demográfico y evaluar el riesgo nutricional de ancianos atendidos por equipos de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia. Estudio transversal, con muestra de 503 ancianos residentes en Dourados - MS - Brasil. Instrumentos: NSI y cuestionario estructurado para las variables socio-demográficas y de salud. Se verificó el predominio de ancianos del sexo femenino, de 60 a 69 años, viudos, analfabetos, con ingresos per cápita de hasta un salario mínimo, con hipertensión y autoevaluación regular de salud. El NSI permitió identificar un 33,2% de ancianos con alto riesgo nutricional, que se mostró significativamente asociado a: bajo nivel de escolaridad, bajos ingresos per cápita de hasta un salario mínimo y enfermedades crónicas. Como método de rastreo, el NSI se mostró útil para identificar los determinantes sociales y sanitarios que contribuyen al riesgo nutricional.<br>Changes in the nutritional state contribute to an increase of morbi-mortality among the elderly. The instrument Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) was developed in order to identify nutritional risks in this population group. This study aims to describe the socio-demographic profile and evaluate the nutritional risk of the elderly assisted by Family Health Strategy teams. It is a cross-sectional study with a sample of 503 older people living in Dourados (MS). Instruments: NSI and structured questionnaire for the health socio-demographic variables. There was a prevalence of female people, aged between 60 and 69 years old, widowers, illiterate, with a per capita income up to one minimum salary, with hypertension and regular health self-evaluation. The NSI allowed to identify 33.2% of the elderly with high nutritional risk, which was significantly associated to the low level of education, low per capita income and chronic diseases. As a tracking method, the NSI was useful to identify the social and health determinants that contribute to the nutritional risk

Effect of the Phenological Stage in the Natural Rubber Latex Properties

Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) from Hevea brasiliensis is a material studied because of their industrial applications. For its natural origin, it is possible to find rubber particles, proteins, phospholipids and ashes. These non-rubber content are responsible for the latex colloidal stability. H. brasiliensis tree goes through four stages during the year, changing its nutritional requirements and as a result the rubber yield and stability. Most studies have correlated latex characteristics and yield with tree age and clonal origin but none of them with phenological stages. The impact of the phenological stage on the material properties has not been completely identified yet. In this work, the influence of the clonal origin and the phenological stage with the material properties is studied. Thermal behavior, microstructural analysis, morphological study, colloidal stability and rheology are analyzed for FX3864, IAN710 and AIN873 clones during 1 year. NRL is an amorphous material but during the high-yield period, a melting point is observed. Flowering is the stage when phospholipids, protein and isoelectric point are higher. Phenological stages do not affect the rubber, but the main changes are in the non-rubber content. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature