Draft genome sequence of Bifidobacterium breve DSM 32583, isolated from human milk

Here, we describe the draft genome sequence of Bifidobacterium breve DSM 32583 isolated from human milk obtained from a healthy mother. Potentially, this B. breve strain could serve as a probiotic.</p

Hospital Staffing and Health Care–Associated Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background Previous literature has linked the level and types of staffing of health facilities to the risk of acquiring a health care–associated infection (HAI). Investigating this relationship is challenging because of the lack of rigorous study designs and the use of varying definitions and measures of both staffing and HAIs. Methods The objective of this study was to understand and synthesize the most recent research on the relationship of hospital staffing and HAI risk. A systematic review was undertaken. Electronic databases MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched for studies published between January 1, 2000, and November 30, 2015. Results Fifty-four articles were included in the review. The majority of studies examined the relationship between nurse staffing and HAIs (n = 50, 92.6%) and found nurse staffing variables to be associated with an increase in HAI rates (n = 40, 74.1%). Only 5 studies addressed non-nurse staffing, and those had mixed results. Physician staffing was associated with an increased HAI risk in 1 of 3 studies. Studies varied in design and methodology, as well as in their use of operational definitions and measures of staffing and HAIs. Conclusion Despite the lack of consistency of the included studies, overall, the results of this systematic review demonstrate that increased staffing is related to decreased risk of acquiring HAIs. More rigorous and consistent research designs, definitions, and risk-adjusted HAI data are needed in future studies exploring this area

Variability in the Deep Western Boundary Current in the equatorial Atlantic at 44°W

The variability of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) was studied by ten hydrographic repeat sections taken along 44 degreesW off Brazil between September 1989 and March 1994. This data set allowed for the first time to describe the seasonal signal in the Deep Western Boundary Current at the equator from hydrographic data. Annual and semiannual layer thickness modulations were observed similar to such signals in transport time series, however with a time lag of 2 months. A comparison of the interannual variability of the Labrador Sea Water component of the NADW at 44 degreesW at the equator with the formation region indicated a time lag of 13 to 17 years. The effective spreading velocities in the Labrador Sea Water are in the range 2 to 5 cms(-1) for the tropical Atlantic Ocean

Spatiotemporal organisation of protein processing in the kidney

The kidney regulates plasma protein levels by eliminating them from the circulation. Proteins filtered by glomeruli are endocytosed and degraded in the proximal tubule and defects in this process result in tubular proteinuria, an important clinical biomarker. However, the spatiotemporal organization of renal protein metabolism in vivo was previously unclear. Here, using functional probes and intravital microscopy, we track the fate of filtered proteins in real time in living mice, and map specialized processing to tubular structures with singular value decomposition analysis and three-dimensional electron microscopy. We reveal that degradation of proteins requires sequential, coordinated activity of distinct tubular sub-segments, each adapted to specific tasks. Moreover, we leverage this approach to pinpoint the nature of endo-lysosomal disorders in disease models, and show that compensatory uptake in later regions of the proximal tubule limits urinary protein loss. This means that measurement of proteinuria likely underestimates severity of endocytotic defects in patients

Load Matching and Grid Interaction of Net Zero Energy Buildings

“Net Zero Energy Building” has become a prominent wording to describe the synergy of energy efficient building and renewable energy utilization to reach a balanced energy budget over a yearly cycle. Taking into account the energy exchange with a grid infrastructure overcomes the limitations of seasonal energy storage on-site. Even though the wording “Net Zero Energy Building” focuses on the annual energy balance, large differences may occur between solution sets in the amount of grid interaction needed to reach the goal. The paper reports on the analysis of example buildings concerning the load matching and grid interaction. Indices to describe both issues are proposed and foreseen as part of a harmonized definition framework. The work is part of subtask A of the IEA SHCP Task40/ECBCS Annex 52: “Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings”

Who bullies whom at a garden feeder? Interspecific agonistic interactions of small passerines during a cold winter

Interspecific agonistic interactions are important selective factors for maintaining ecological niches of different species, but their outcome is difficult to predict a priori. Here, we examined the direction and intensity of interspecific interactions in an assemblage of small passerines at a garden feeder, focussing on three finch species of various body sizes. We found that large and mediumsized birds usually initiated and won agonistic interactions with smaller species. Also, the frequency of fights increased with decreasing differences in body size between the participants. Finally, the probability of engaging in a fight increased with the number of birds at the feeder

The zonal currents and transports at 35°W in the tropical Atlantic

The total of 13 existing cross-equatorial shipboard current profiling sections taken during the WOCE period between 1990 and 2002 along 35°W are used to determine the mean meridional structure of the zonal top-to-bottom circulation between the Brazilian coast, near 5°S, and 5°N and to estimate mean transports of the individual identified shallow, intermediate and deep current branches. One of the results is that, on the equator, a mean westward Equatorial Intermediate Current below the Equatorial Undercurrent exists

Reducción de la captura secundaria y los descartes en la pesquería costera de pequeña escala del Algarve utilizando una red de trasmallo de monofilamento equipada con una red de protección

Experimental fishing was conducted off the port of Quarteira (southern Portugal) from October 2016 to February 2017 using standard trammel nets and modified nets rigged with a guarding net. The commercial catches of trammel nets rigged with a guarding net were 46.1% and 38.0% less than those of the standard net in numbers and economic value. However, there were significantly fewer commercial discards in biomass in the modified trammel nets (68.2%) and by-catch abundance and biomass were also lower in the modified nets (41.8% and 17.3% less, respectively). For the two main fish by-catch species, the modified net caught 62.2% fewer longfin gurnards (C. obscurus) and 33.1% fewer greater weever (T. draco) than the standard nets. Timing the removal from the nets of the main by-catch and discards species revealed savings in time associated with the use of modified nets. However, net damage occurred twice as much as in the modified net, probably contributing to the reduced commercial catches. The results indicate that trammel nets with the guarding net reduce by-catch and discards and save time, but are unlikely to be adopted by fishers targeting soles due to the higher costs of the modified nets and losses in commercial catches and earnings.European Commission's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme - 634495info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio