Actinomycetospora rishiriensis sp. nov., isolated from a lichen

An actinomycete, strain RI109-Li102(T), was isolated from a lichen sample obtained from Rishiri Island in Japan. Cells of strain RI109-Li102(T) were Gram-positive, aerobic and non-motile and formed bud-like spore chains. The isolate grew with 0-3 % (w/v) NaCl, at pH 5-9 and at 10-30 °C (optimum 30 °C). The whole-cell hydrolysate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose and galactose. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8(H(4)) and the diagnostic phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C(16 : 0) and iso-C(16 : 1) H. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain RI109-Li102(T) was most closely related to Actinomycetospora corticicola 014-5(T) (99.0 % rRNA gene sequence similarity) and Actinomycetospora chiangmaiensis YIM 0006(T) (98.4 %). However, DNA-DNA hybridization assays, as well as physiological and biochemical analyses, showed that strain RI109-Li102(T) could be differentiated from its closest phylogenetic relatives. It is proposed that strain RI109-Li102(T) ( = NBRC 106356(T) = KCTC 19782(T)) be classified as the type strain of a novel species, with the name Actinomycetospora rishiriensis sp. nov.

Absent cyclicity on aEEG within the first 24 h is associated with brain damage in preterm infants

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to clarify the relationship between amplitude-integrated electroencephalographic (aEEG) findings before 24 h of age in preterm infants and neurodevelopmental outcome.

DESIGN

12 infants born between 27 and 32 weeks of gestation were eligible. The recordings of aEEG and conventional EEG were started within 12 h after birth. The background aEEG findings were evaluated and classified. Additionally, we evaluated the absence or presence of changes on the lower border of the aEEG.

RESULTS

All infants had discontinuous normal voltage background on aEEG, corresponding to decreased or normal continuity on conventional EEG. Cyclicity on aEEG was seen in 8 of 12 infants within 24 h of age, and all of these infants had favourable outcomes. Cyclicity on aEEG was not recognized in 4 infants. 3 of the 4 infants with absent cyclicity had abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months. One of these infants had intraventricular haemorrhage (grade 2) with delayed development, and 2 had cystic periventricular leukomalacia followed by spastic diplegia.

CONCLUSION

Absent cyclicity on aEEG within 24 h of age was associated with poor outcome in preterm infants.

Genome sequence of Kitasatospora setae NBRC 14216T: an evolutionary snapshot of the family Streptomycetaceae

Kitasatospora setae NBRC 14216^T (=KM-6054^T) is known to produce setamycin (bafilomycin B1) possessing antitrichomonal activity. The genus Kitasatospora is morphologically similar to the genus Streptomyces, although they are distinguishable from each other on the basis of cell wall composition and the 16S rDNA sequence. We have determined the complete genome sequence of K. setae NBRC 14216^T as the first Streptomycetaceae genome other than Streptomyces. The genome is a single linear chromosome of 8 783 278 bp with terminal inverted repeats of 127 148 bp, predicted to encode 7569 protein-coding genes, 9 rRNA operons, 1 tmRNA and 74 tRNA genes. Although these features resemble those of Streptomyces, genome-wide comparison of orthologous genes between K. setae and Streptomyces revealed smaller extent of synteny. Multilocus phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences unequivocally placed K. setae outside the Streptomyces genus. Although many of the genes related to morphological differentiation identified in Streptomyces were highly conserved in K. setae, there were some differences such as the apparent absence of the AmfS (SapB) class of surfactant protein and differences in the copy number and variation of paralogous components involved in cell wall synthesis.

Description of Actinomycetospora chibensis sp. nov., Actinomycetospora chlora sp. nov., Actinomycetospora cinnamomea sp. nov., Actinomycetospora corticicola sp. nov., Actinomycetospora lutea sp. nov., Actinomycetospora straminea sp. nov. and Actinomycetospora succinea sp. nov. and emended description of the genus Actinomycetospora

Eight actinomycete strains that form bud-like spore chains were isolated from various samples collected in Japan. Phylogenetically, the isolates formed a single clade with the type strain of Actinomycetospora chiangmaiensis according to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The isolates contained meso-diaminopimelic acid, d-glutamic acid and d- and l- alanine in the cell-wall peptidoglycan, arabinose and galactose as characteristic sugars, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine as diagnostic phospholipids, MK-8(H(4)) as the predominant isoprenoid quinone, iso-C(16 : 0) as the major cellular fatty acid and DNA G+C contents of 72-74 mol%. Actinomycetospora chiangmaiensis, the type species of the genus Actinomycetospora, was also found to contain MK-8(H(4)) predominantly in our study, although it was earlier reported to contain MK-9(H(4)) as the predominant isoprenoid quinone. On the basis of the morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic, phylogenetic and DNA-DNA hybridization data, we concluded that the isolates can be accommodated in the genus Actinomycetospora with emendation of the description of the genus and are assigned to the following seven novel species: Actinomycetospora chibensis sp. nov. (type strain TT04-21(T)  = NBRC 103694(T)  = KACC 14256(T)), Actinomycetospora chlora sp. nov. (type strain TT07I-57(T)  = NBRC 105900(T)  = KACC 14252(T)), Actinomycetospora cinnamomea sp. nov. (type strain IY07-53(T)  = NBRC 105527(T)  = KACC 14250(T)), Actinomycetospora corticicola sp. nov. (type strain 014-5(T)  = NBRC 103689(T)  = KACC 14253(T)), Actinomycetospora lutea sp. nov. (type strain TT00-04(T)  = NBRC 103690(T)  = KACC 14254(T)), Actinomycetospora straminea sp. nov. (type strain IY07-55(T)  = NBRC 105528(T)  = KACC 14251(T)) and Actinomycetospora succinea sp. nov. (type strain TT00-49(T)  = NBRC 103691(T)  = KACC 14255(T)).

STAT3 inhibitor WP1066 as a novel therapeutic agent for renal cell carcinoma

Background:

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates the expression of genes that mediate cell survival, proliferation, and angiogenesis and is aberrantly activated in various types of malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We examined whether it could be a novel therapeutic target for RCC by using the STAT3 inhibitor WP1066.

Methods:

The antitumour activities and related mechanisms of WP1066 were investigated in vitro on renal cancer cell lines and in vivo on murine xenografts.

Results:

In Caki-1 and 786-O renal cancer cells, 5 μM WP1066 prevented the phosphorylation of STAT3, and 2.5 μM WP1066 significantly (P<0.01) inhibited cell survival and proliferation. WP1066 suppressed the expression of Bcl-2, induced apoptosis, and inhibited the basal and hypoxia-induced expression of HIF1α and HIF2α, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor secretion into cell culture medium. Human umbilical vascular endothelial cells cocultured with media from WP1066-treated cells showed significantly reduced tubulogenesis (P<0.05). Systemic oral administration of WP1066 to mice for 19 days significantly inhibited the growth of Caki-1 xenograft tumours (P<0.05), and pathological analysis of xenografts of WP1066-treated mice showed decreased immunostaining of phosphorylated STAT3 and reduced length of CD34-positive vessels (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that using WP1066 to inhibit the STAT3 signalling pathway could be a novel therapeutic strategy against RCC.

Luteimicrobium subarcticum gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the suborder Micrococcineae

A novel Gram-stain-positive bacterium, designated R19-04T, was isolated from a soil sample from Rishiri Island, Japan, and its taxonomic position was investigated by a polyphasic approach. Cells of strain R19-04T exhibited a rod–coccus cycle. The peptidoglycan type of the isolate was A4α; lysine was the diagnostic diamino acid. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8(H2) and the major fatty acid was anteiso-C15 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content was 72.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons revealed that strain R19-04T represented a novel member of the suborder Micrococcineae. Its nearest phylogenetic neighbours were the members of the genus Oerskovia, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.0–97.1 %. However, strain R19-04T was clearly distinguishable from members of the genus Oerskovia and phylogenetically related genera in terms of chemotaxonomic characteristics. On the basis of the chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, a novel genus and species are proposed, Luteimicrobium subarcticum gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Luteimicrobium subarcticum is R19-04T (=NBRC 105647T =DSM 22413T).

Acutely ruptured intracranial saccular aneurysms treated with stent assisted coiling: complications and outcomes in 42 consecutive patients

BACKGROUND

Antiplatelet agents are required to prevent thromboembolic complications from recently deployed intracranial stents, yet they carry a risk of bleeding complications that may be serious in patients with recent subarachnoid hemorrhage.

METHOD

Consecutive patients at a single institution who had ruptured intracranial saccular aneurysms treated with stent assisted coiling were retrospectively reviewed. Our primary outcomes were ischemic stroke related to the stent and bleeding complications possibly related to antithrombotic therapy. Secondary outcomes included 3 month follow-up National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores.

RESULTS

44 aneurysms in 42 patients were treated. Seven patients experienced ischemic strokes during their hospitalization. Five ischemic strokes were secondary to vasospasm; one was definitely related to thrombus formation within the stent and one was possibly related to the stent. Two patients had asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhages and one patient had a symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage. Patients with Hunt and Hess grades I-II (n=25) experienced no stent associated ischemic strokes or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages. The two stent associated ischemic strokes and one symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage occurred in patients with Hunt and Hess grades III-V (n=17) and patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs) (n=17). Only one patient had disability at the 3 month follow-up that was possibly related to the stent (mRS score of 3 and NIHSS score of 2).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that higher grade hemorrhage patients, especially those with EVDs, are at greater risk for ischemic stroke and/or bleeding complications than lower grade patients. However, the complications had a small impact on mid-term disability outcomes in this cohort.

Error-reduced channeled spectroscopic ellipsometer with palm-size sensing head

This paper describes a newly developed prototype system of the channeled spectroscopic ellipsometer (CSE). The new system has a feature that the major systematic and random error sources of the previous CSEs are effectively reduced or compensated for. In addition, the prototype preserves the advantageous features of the CSE in that it has a palm-size sensing head and that its acquisition time is as fast as 20 ms. Its performance is experimentally examined by use of 12 films whose thicknesses are ranging approximately from 3 to 4000 nm. The film thicknesses measured by the new CSE show good agreements with the ones by the rotating-compensator spectroscopic ellipsometer. The stability of the film-thickness measurement of the new CSE against the temperature change from 5 to 45 degrees C is less than 0.11 nm. The CSE can open up new applications of the spectroscopic ellipsometers in which the compactness, the simplicity, and the rapid response are important.

Interleukin-1 receptor-related protein ST2 suppresses the initial stage of bleomycin-induced lung injury

Acute lung injury has a range of causes, and occasionally leads to lethal respiratory failure. Despite advances in treatment, acute lung injury continues to have a high mortality rate, and thus a new therapeutic approach is needed. ST2 is an interleukin (IL)-1 receptor-related protein, and its expression is induced by various inflammatory responses. Recently, ST2 has been speculated to exert anti-inflammatory effects; therefore, we investigated the role of the ST2 in the murine model of acute lung injury. To elucidate the function of ST2 in vivo, mice that transiently overexpressed ST2 protein were prepared using the hydrodynamic gene transfer method, and lung injury was induced by intratracheal administration of bleomycin. In bleomycin-treated ST2-overexpressing mice, the increase of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was markedly suppressed. Additionally, the levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and IL-6, as well as the concentration of albumin, in BALF were reduced compared with those of controls. Furthermore, the pulmonary architecture in ST2-overexpressing mice remained almost normal, and the survival rate was significantly improved. From these results, we concluded that ST2 has the potential to suppress the initial stage of acute lung injury, and therefore it may be a useful reagent for the treatment of acute lung injury.

Revised value of the eighth-order contribution to the electron g-2

The contribution to the eighth-order anomalous magnetic moment (g-2) of the electron from a set of diagrams without closed lepton loops is recalculated using a new FORTRAN code generated by an automatic code generator. Comparing the contributions of individual diagrams of old and new calculations, we find an inconsistency in the old treatment of IR subtraction terms in two diagrams. Correcting this error leads to the revised value -1.9144(35)(alpha/pi)4 for the eighth-order term. This theoretical change induces the shift of the inverse of the fine structure constant by -6.411 80(73)x10(-7).