Phylogenetic position of Fit insect toxin producing pseudomonads

Fit produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 is a novel insect toxin in root colonizing pseudomonads, of which a homologue is described in Photorhabdus species.However, occurrence and abundance of insect pathogenicity in plant-associated pseudomonads is still unclear. An extensive screening outside the P. fluorescens complex identified strains of Pseudomonas chlororaphis as further Fit toxin producing candidates. Sequences of five different P. chlororaphis strains generated in this study were used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Fit toxin gene and to analyse its mode of evolution. We found that P. chlororaphis is closely associated with a small subgroup of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol and pyoluteorin- producing pseudomonads, both when analyzing four housekeeping genes and the nucleotide sequences for the Fit toxin gene. Additionally, we identified purifying selection to be the predominant mode of Fit toxin evolution.

Neural synchrony indexes impaired motor slowing after errors and novelty following white matter damage.

In humans, action errors and perceptual novelty elicit activity in a shared frontostriatal brain network, allowing them to adapt their ongoing behavior to such unexpected action outcomes. Healthy and pathologic aging reduces the integrity of white matter pathways that connect individual hubs of such networks and can impair the associated cognitive functions. Here, we investigated whether structural disconnection within this network because of small-vessel disease impairs the neural processes that subserve motor slowing after errors and novelty (post-error slowing, PES; post-novel slowing, PNS). Participants with intact frontostriatal circuitry showed increased right-lateralized beta-band (12-24 Hz) synchrony between frontocentral and frontolateral electrode sites in the electroencephalogram after errors and novelty, indexing increased neural communication. Importantly, this synchrony correlated with PES and PNS across participants. Furthermore, such synchrony was reduced in participants with frontostriatal white matter damage, in line with reduced PES and PNS. The results demonstrate that behavioral change after errors and novelty result from coordinated neural activity across a frontostriatal brain network and that such cognitive control is impaired by reduced white matter integrity.

Governance mode vs. governance fit: Performance implications of make-or-ally choices for product innovation in the worldwide aircraft industry, 1942-2000

We examine the impact of governance mode and governance fit on performance in make-or-ally decisions. We argue that while horizontal collaboration and autonomous governance have direct and countervailing performance implications, the alignment of make-or-ally choices with the focal firm's resource endowment and the activity's resource requirements leads to better performance. Data on the aircraft industry show that relative to aircraft developed autonomously, collaborative aircraft exhibit greater sales but require longer time-to-market. However, governance fit increases unit sales and reduces time-to-market. We contribute to the alliance and economic organization literatures. (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)