Complete genome sequence of the Medicago microsymbiont Ensifer (Sinorhizobium) medicae strain WSM419

Ensifer (Sinorhizobium) medicae is an effective nitrogen fixing microsymbiont of a diverse range of annual Medicago (medic) species. Strain WSM419 is an aerobic, motile, non-spore forming, Gram-negative rod isolated from a M. murex root nodule collected in Sardinia, Italy in 1981. WSM419 was manufactured commercially in Australia as an inoculant for annual medics during 1985 to 1993 due to its nitrogen fixation, saprophytic competence and acid tolerance properties. Here we describe the basic features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence, and annotation. This is the first report of a complete genome se-quence for a microsymbiont of the group of annual medic species adapted to acid soils. We reveal that its genome size is 6,817,576 bp encoding 6,518 protein-coding genes and 81 RNA only encoding genes. The genome contains a chromosome of size 3,781,904 bp and 3 plasmids of size 1,570,951 bp, 1,245,408 bp and 219,313 bp. The smallest plasmid is a fea-ture unique to this medic microsymbiont

Metagenomes of tropical soil-derived anaerobic switchgrass-adapted consortia with and without iron

Tropical forest soils decompose litter rapidly with frequent episodes of anoxia, making it likely that bacteria using alternate terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) such as iron play a large role in supporting decomposition under these conditions. The prevalence of many types of metabolism in litter deconstruction makes these soils useful templates for improving biofuel production. To investigate how iron availability affects decomposition, we cultivated feedstock-adapted consortia (FACs) derived from iron-rich tropical forest soils accustomed to experiencing frequent episodes of anaerobic conditions and frequently fluctuating redox. One consortium was propagated under fermenting conditions, with switchgrass as the sole carbon source in minimal media (SG only FACs), and the other consortium was treated the same way but received poorly crystalline iron as an additional terminal electron acceptor (SG + Fe FACs). We sequenced the metagenomes of both consortia to a depth of about 150 Mb each, resulting in a coverage of 26× for the more diverse SG + Fe FACs, and 81× for the relatively less diverse SG only FACs. Both consortia were able to quickly grow on switchgrass, and the iron-amended consortium exhibited significantly higher microbial diversity than the unamended consortium. We found evidence of higher stress in the unamended FACs and increased sugar transport and utilization in the iron-amended FACs. This work provides metagenomic evidence that supplementation of alternative TEAs may improve feedstock deconstruction in biofuel production

Minimizing radiographic contrast administration during coronary angiography using a novel contrast reduction system: A multicenter observational study of the DyeVert™ plus contrast reduction system

ObjectiveTo evaluate contrast media (CM) volume (CMV) saved using the DyeVert™ Plus Contrast Reduction System (DyeVert Plus System, Osprey Medical) in patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiogram (CAG) and/or percutaneous coronary interventional (PCI) procedures performed with manual injections.BackgroundCurrent guidelines advocate for monitoring and minimization of the total volume of CM in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing invasive cardiac procedures. The DyeVert Plus System is an FDA cleared device designed to reduce CMV delivered during angiography and permit real‐time CMV monitoring.MethodsWe performed a multicenter, single‐arm, observational study. Eligible subjects were ≥ 18 years old with baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 20–60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The primary endpoint was % CMV saved over the total procedure. A secondary objective was to evaluate adverse events (AEs) related to DyeVert Plus System or to CM use.ResultsA total of 114 subjects were enrolled at eight centers. Mean age was 72 ± 9 years, 72% were male, and mean body mass index was 29 ± 5. Baseline eGFR was 43 ± 11 mL/min/1.73 m2. CAG‐only was performed in 65% of cases. One hundred and five subjects were evaluable for the primary endpoint. Mean CMV attempted was 112 ± 85 mL (range 22–681) and mean CMV delivered was 67 ± 51 mL (range 12–403), resulting in an overall CMV savings of 40.1 ± 8.8% (95% CI 38.4, 41.8; P 0.3 mg/dL from baseline) was reported in 11 cases with seven occurring in subjects with baseline eGFR < 30 and three AKI events were attributed to CM. AKI rates increased as CMV/eGFR ratios increased.ConclusionsThese data suggest DyeVert Plus System use in CKD patients undergoing CAG and/or PCI results in clinically meaningful CMV savings while maintaining image quality.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149537/1/ccd27935_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149537/2/ccd27935.pd

Comparison of techniques for computing shell-model effective operators

Different techniques for calculating effective operators within the framework of the shell model using the same effective interaction and the same excitation spaces are presented. Starting with the large-basis no-core approach, we compare the time-honored perturbation-expansion approach and a model-space truncation approach. Results for the electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole operators are presented for $^6$Li. The convergence trends and dependence of the effective operators on differing excitation spaces and Pauli Q-operators is studied. In addition, the dependence of the electric-quadrupole effective charge on the harmonic-oscillator frequency and the mass number, for A=5,6, is investigated in the model-space truncation approach.Comment: 18 pages. REVTEX. 4 PostScript figure

Improving road safety knowledge in Africa through crowdsourcing. The African Road Safety Observatory

Africa is the worst performing continent in road safety: the fatality rate, 26.6 per 100.000 inhabitants, is almost three times that of Europe's and fatalities per capita are projected to double from 2015 to 2030 (WHO, 2015). This is mainly due to the fact that Emerging Economies are experiencing increases in traffic, for which their traffic systems are not sufficiently prepared. On one hand, there is a significant demand for data and knowledge to be used for road safety-related decision making. On the other hand, there is a substantial lack of a reliable and detailed knowledge on road casualties in terms of the number of road accidents and fatalities occurring and, on the factors, leading to road accidents or affecting their consequences. When official data are poor or missing these could be integrated with other sources. The objective of this paper is to describe the African Road Safety Observatory (African RSO), a participative web portal developed in the field of the "SaferAfrica-Innovating dialogue and problems appraisal for a safer Africa" project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program. The African RSO combines traditional functions of analyzing and sharing road safety performance data and provide knowledge and information, with the more innovative ones: a Dialogue Platform and the crowdsourcing tool. The Dialogue Platform is dedicated to experts and stakeholders and aims at encouraging and facilitating a constructive engagement and dialogue on road safety in Africa, producing knowledge to inspire road safety funding, policies and interventions in Africa and providing recommendations to update the African Road Safety Action Plan and the African Road Safety Charter. The crowdsourcing tool allows African citizens to report and highlight road safety needs, to share opinions as well as to discuss solutions in their own Countries

Nuclear Self-energy and Realistic Interactions

The structure of nucleon self-energy in nuclear matter is evaluated for various realistic models of the nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction. Starting from the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation without the usual angle-average approximation, the effects of hole-hole contributions and a self-consistent treatment within the framework of the Green function approach are investigated. Special attention is paid to the predictions for the spectral function originating from various models of the NN interaction which all yield an accurate fit for the NN phase shifts.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figure

The genome and transcriptome of Trichormus sp NMC-1: insights into adaptation to extreme environments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) has the highest biodiversity for an extreme environment worldwide, and provides an ideal natural laboratory to study adaptive evolution. In this study, we generated a draft genome sequence of cyanobacteria Trichormus sp. NMC-1 in the QTP and performed whole transcriptome sequencing under low temperature to investigate the genetic mechanism by which T. sp. NMC-1 adapted to the specific environment. Its genome sequence was 5.9 Mb with a G+C content of 39.2% and encompassed a total of 5362 CDS. A phylogenomic tree indicated that this strain belongs to the Trichormus and Anabaena cluster. Genome comparison between T. sp. NMC-1 and six relatives showed that functionally unknown genes occupied a much higher proportion (28.12%) of the T. sp. NMC-1 genome. In addition, functions of specific, significant positively selected, expanded orthogroups, and differentially expressed genes involved in signal transduction, cell wall/membrane biogenesis, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and energy production and conversion were analyzed to elucidate specific adaptation traits. Further analyses showed that the CheY-like genes, extracellular polysaccharide and mycosporine-like amino acids might play major roles in adaptation to harsh environments. Our findings indicate that sophisticated genetic mechanisms are involved in cyanobacterial adaptation to the extreme environment of the QTP