An overview of the metabolic differences between Bradyrhizobium japonicum 110 bacteria and differentiated bacteroids from soybean (Glycine max) root nodules: An in vitro 13C-and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

Bradyrhizobium japonicum is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria that induce root nodules formation in legume soybean (Glycine max.). Using 13C- and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we have analysed the metabolite profiles of cultivated B.japonicum cells and bacteroids isolated from soybean nodules. Our results revealed some quantitative and qualitative differences between the metabolite profiles of bacteroids and their vegetative state. This includes in bacteroids a huge accumulation of soluble carbohydrates such as trehalose, glutamate, myo-inositol and homospermidine as well as Pi, nucleotide pools and intermediates of the primary carbon metabolism. Using this novel approach, these data show that most of the compounds detected in bacteroids reflect the metabolic adaptation of rhizobia to the surrounding microenvironment with its host plant cells.

Addition of MR imaging features and genetic biomarkers strengthens glioblastoma survival prediction in TCGA patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to assess whether a model combining clinical factors, MR imaging features, and genomics would better predict overall survival of patients with glioblastoma (GBM) than either individual data type. METHODS: The study was conducted leveraging The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) effort supported by the National Institutes of Health. Six neuroradiologists reviewed MRI images from The Cancer Imaging Archive (http://cancerimagingarchive.net) of 102 GBM patients using the VASARI scoring system. The patients' clinical and genetic data were obtained from the TCGA website (http://www.cancergenome.nih.gov/). Patient outcome was measured in terms of overall survival time. The association between different categories of biomarkers and survival was evaluated using Cox analysis. RESULTS: The features that were significantly associated with survival were: (1) clinical factors: chemotherapy; (2) imaging: proportion of tumor contrast enhancement on MRI; and (3) genomics: HRAS copy number variation. The combination of these three biomarkers resulted in an incremental increase in the strength of prediction of survival, with the model that included clinical, imaging, and genetic variables having the highest predictive accuracy (area under the curve 0.679±0.068, Akaike's information criterion 566.7, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: A combination of clinical factors, imaging features, and HRAS copy number variation best predicts survival of patients with GBM.

Il luogo delle Muse: saggi di letteratura contemporanea

Serie di saggi dedicati alla poesia italiana del Novecento, muovendo da un'analisi della poetica dell'"ultimo" Montale, caratterizzata da un ambito più prosastico e satirico e da una ricerca di nuovi significati da attribuire alla poesia stessa. Lo studio di alcuni dei più importanti rappresentanti della letteratura poetica del secondo Novecento prosegue nella seconda sezione, dedicata a Giorgio Orelli, considerato uno dei maggiori poeti viventi in lingua italiana, a Remo Fasani, a Cristina Campo, a Giancarlo Majorino, e, infine, a Gilberto Isella, la cui ricerca poetica si inserisce a pieno titolo nella grande stagione del simbolismo europeo. La terza sezione è dedicata interamente a Guido Ceronetti, poeta, scrittore, traduttore (sia dal latino, sia dall'antico ebraico) e autore di teatro. Conclude il volume uno studio panoramico sugli scrittori della Svizzera italiana: si tratta di esperienze che hanno in comune una straordinaria capacità di reinterpretare la tradizione letteraria italiana, fino ad aprirla verso orizzonti non solo transnazionali, ma anche inediti ed innovativi.

Bassani saggista

Mostrando qualche reticenza nel riferire a se stesso il termine di 'narratore', Bassani ama definirsi soprattutto 'poeta' e 'saggista'. Nei saggi del volume Di là dal cuore, la voce in prima persona costruisce il proprio statuto di legittimità di 'genere'. L'esperienza saggistica, ci fa capire Bassani, non è un settore marginale della sua produzione, ma un punto di vista privilegiato per osservare l'insieme della sua opera di scrittore. In questo senso, i saggi accuratamente riuniti dall'autore, nonostante l'apparente occasionalità, formano un percorso unitario che si pone 'alla pari' nei confronti della prosa narrativa. Tra gli elementi di coerenza della prosa saggistica di Bassani si rilevano, in particolare, il posizionamento esplicito dell'io e la necessità del riferimento al vissuto, biografico e storico.

Health care workers' influenza vaccination: motivations and mandatory mask policy

BACKGROUND: Vaccination of health care workers (HCW) against seasonal influenza (SI) is recommended but vaccination rate rarely reach >30%. Vaccination coverage against 2009 pandemic influenza (PI) was 52% in our hospital, whilst a new policy requiring unvaccinated HCW to wear a mask during patient care duties was enforced. AIMS: To investigate the determinants of this higher vaccination acceptance for PI and to look for an association with the new mask-wearing policy. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study, involving HCW of three critical departments of a 1023-bed, tertiary-care university hospital in Switzerland. Self-reported 2009-10 SI and 2009 PI vaccination statuses, reasons and demographic data were collected through a literature-based questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, uni- and multivariate analyses were then performed. RESULTS: There were 472 respondents with a response rate of 54%. Self-reported vaccination acceptance was 64% for PI and 53% for SI. PI vaccination acceptance was associated with being vaccinated against SI (OR 9.5; 95% CI 5.5-16.4), being a physician (OR 7.7; 95% CI 3.1-19.1) and feeling uncomfortable wearing a mask (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.0-2.8). Main motives for refusing vaccination were: preference for wearing a surgical mask (80% for PI, not applicable for SI) and concerns about vaccine safety (64%, 50%) and efficacy (44%, 35%). CONCLUSIONS: The new mask-wearing policy was a motivation for vaccination but also offered an alternative to non-compliant HCW. Concerns about vaccine safety and efficiency and self-interest of health care workers are still main determinants for influenza vaccination acceptance. Better incentives are needed to encourage vaccination amongst non-physician HCW.