Victivallis vadensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a sugar-fermenting anaerobe from human faeces

A novel strictly anaerobic, cellobiose-degrading bacterium, strain Cello, was isolated from a human faecal sample by combining enrichments in liquid and soft-agar basal media. A noteworthy characteristic was its inability to grow on normal agar plates and in roll tubes. The cells were coccus shaped and non-motile, with an extracellular slime layer. Growth of strain Cello T occurred between 20 and 40 degreesC, with optimal growth at 37 degreesC. The pH range for growth was 5-7-5 with an optimum at 6-5. In pure culture, strain Cello T could only grow on a variety of sugars. Glucose was converted to acetate, ethanol and H-2. The doubling time on glucose was 0.5 h. In a syntrophic co-culture with Methanospirillum hungatei strain JF-1(T), strain Cello(T) converted glucose to acetate and H-2. The G+C content was 59.2 mol%. 16S rDNA analysis revealed that the closest relatives of strain Cello(T) were two uncultured bacteria from anaerobic digesters, both with 94% 16S rDNA sequence similarity. The closest cultured representatives belong to genera of the bacterial division 'Verrucomicrobia'. The name Victivallis vadensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for strain Cello(T) (=DSM 14823(T) =ATCC BAA-548(T))

A catalyst for justice? The International Criminal Court in Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo

Drawing on several years of field-based research, this dissertation examines what effects framing the International Criminal Court as a “catalyst” for domestic investigations and prosecutions has had in three distinct situation-country contexts: Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It examines how both state and non-state actors have relied upon the principle of complementarity as the logic through which the Court’s catalytic potential can be best realized, as well as a transnational site and adaptive strategy for entrenching the norm of international criminal accountability domestically. In so doing, it asks three principal research questions. First, how has the understanding of complementarity evolved since the ICC’s inception and what role have non-state actors, in particular, played in this evolution? Second, how have ICC judges understood and interpreted complementarity’s requirements in the courtroom, and how has the Office of the Prosecutor sought to implement it as a matter of policy? And third, to what extent and how have the ICC’s interventions in Uganda, Kenya and the DRC affected these countries’ institutional and normative frameworks for carrying out domestic criminal proceedings?NWOExploring the Frontiers of International La

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for the biocontrol of plant-parasitic nematodes: a review of the mechanisms involved

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate root symbionts that can protect their host plant against biotic stress factors such as plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) infection. PPN consist of a wide range of species with different life styles that can cause major damage in many important crops worldwide. Various mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in the biocontrol effect of AMF against PPN. This review presents an overview of the different mechanisms that have been proposed, and discusses into more detail the plausibility of their involvement in the biocontrol against PPN specifically. The proposed mechanisms include enhanced plant tolerance, direct competition for nutrients and space, induced systemic resistance (ISR) and altered rhizosphere interactions. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of ISR in biocontrol and are increasingly placing rhizosphere effects on the foreground as well, both of which will be the focal point of this review. Though AMF are not yet widely used in conventional agriculture, recent data help to develop a better insight into the modes of action, which will eventually lead toward future field applications of AMF against PPN. The scientific community has entered an exciting era that provides the tools to actually unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms, making this a timely opportunity for a review of our current knowledge and the challenges ahead

Ecthyma gangrenosum caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a patient with astrocytoma treated with chemotherapy

Ecthyma gangrenosum, presenting as embolic lesions caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, has distinct pathognomonic features and a high mortality rate in patients with bacteremia, but when recognized early is easily treated. In this case report we describe this disseminated infection in an adult patient treated with chemotherapy for an astrocytoma

Een duurzame toekomst voor de Nederlandse visserij: toekomstscenario's 2040

De doelstelling van dit onderzoek is de huidige Nederlandse visserij in de Noordzee te karakteriseren en toekomstscenario’s in beeld te brengen waarin de ecologische, biologische, economische en sociale aspecten van de visserij aan de orde komen. Tevens is onderzocht welke aanknopingspunten deze scenario’s bieden voor beleidsmakers en andere stakeholders om maatregelen te nemen om de biodiversiteit te behouden of te verbeteren. Deze scenario’s zijn geen wensscenario’s maar zijn een poging bepaalde huidige ontwikkelingen op een wat extreme wijze door te trekken naar de toekomst en de effecten ervan op de biodiversiteit in te schatten. Door de scenario’s te beoordelen op de duurzaamheidscriteria van de FAO (1999) zijn de verschillen en overeenkomsten ten opzichte van de huidige situatie in de Nederlandse visserij verduidelijkt. Vervolgens zijn twee synthesescenario’s ontwikkeld: ‘sociale duurzame visserij’ en ‘efficiënte duurzame visserij’. Voor deze twee toekomstbeelden is het mogelijke handelingsperspectief voor de betrokken partijen geschetst

Akkermansia muciniphila gen. nov., sp. nov., a human intestinal mucin-degrading bacterium

The diversity of mucin-degrading bacteria in the human intestine was investigated by combining culture and 16S rRNA-dependent approaches. A dominant bacterium, strain Muc(T), was isolated by dilution to extinction of faeces in anaerobic medium containing gastric mucin as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. A pure culture was obtained using the anaerobic soft agar technique. Strain Muc(T) was a Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming, oval-shaped bacterium that could grow singly and in pairs. When grown on mucin medium, cells produced a capsule and were found to aggregate. Strain Muc(T) could grow on a limited number of sugars, including N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylgalactosamine and glucose, but only when a protein source was provided and with a lower growth rate and final density than on mucin. The G+C content of DNA from strain Muc(T) was 47.6 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the isolate was part of the division Verrucomicrobia. The closest described relative of strain Muc(T) was Verrucomicrobium spinosum (92% sequence similarity). Remarkably, the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain Muc(T) showed 99% similarity to three uncultured colonic bacteria. According to the data obtained in this work, strain Muc(T) represents a novel bacterium belonging to a new genus in subdivision 1 of the Verrucomicrobia; the name Akkermansia muciniphila gen. nov., so. nov. is proposed; the type strain is Muc(T) ( = ATCC BAA-835(T) = CIP 107961(T))