Higher Identity Scores Research Articles

The association between social identity and paranoia through the mediators of trust and hostile attribution bias in a UK general population study

ABSTRACT Background Paranoia is a common experience prevalent in the general population. Social identity refers to our sense of belonging to a social group and has been implicated in the formation and maintenance of paranoia. Research into these mechanisms is still emerging. It was hypothesised that trust and hostile attribution bias would mediate this relationship in a UK general population sample. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 355 UK residents. Measures of family and friendship social identity, trust, hostile attribution bias, paranoia, and psychosis proneness were completed. Results A linear regression found that social identity significantly predicted paranoia, and unexpectedly, this was replicated for psychosis proneness. This was a negative association whereby high social identity scores predicted lower paranoia and psychosis proneness scores. A parallel mediation model indicated family and friendship group identity was associated with lower paranoia and lower psychosis proneness when participants reported higher levels of trust and lower levels of hostile attribution bias. Discussion Social identity is associated with paranoia and psychosis proneness, and these effects are mediated through trust and hostile attribution bias. The findings have implication for targeting research and interventions on social group membership.

The prevalence of identity among religious minorities in different human rights environments

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the correlations between the human rights situation and religious identity among minorities. It uses an integrated longitudinal dataset of the World Values Survey waves from 1990 to 2014 and three human rights measures to test how (a) constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and equality, (b) governmental human rights practices, and (c) societal discrimination and prejudice against minority religions correlate with the average strength of religious identities in 42 countries. Multilevel analyses show that Muslim respondents had the highest and Buddhists the lowest identity scores. The highest identity scores were further found in countries with medium governmental repression compared to such with very low or very high repression, and those with very high levels of societal discrimination. Those findings are discussed against the background of the existent literature on minority identities and religious movements.

Characterization of Phietavirus Henu 2 in the virome of individuals with acute gastroenteritis.

There is a growing interest in phages as potential biotechnological tools in human health owing to the antibacterial activity of these viruses. In this study, we characterized a new member (named PhiV_005_BRA/2016) of the recently identified phage species Phietavirus Henu 2. PhiV_005_BRA/2016 was detected through metagenomic analysis of stool samples of individuals with acute gastroenteritis. PhiV_005_BRA/2016 contains double-stranded linear DNA (dsDNA), it has a genome of 43,513 base pairs (bp), with a high identity score (99%) with phage of the genus Phietavirus, species of Phietavirus Henu 2. Life style prediction indicated that PhiV_005_BRA/2016 is a lysogenic phage whose the main host is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Indeed, we found PhiV_005_BRA/2016 partially integrated in the genome of distinct MRSA strains. Our findings highlights the importance of large-scale screening of bacteriophages to better understand the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacterial.

The first evidence of blaCTX-M-55, QnrVC5, and novel insight into the genome of MDR Vibrio vulnificus isolated from Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) identified by resistome analysis

Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that causes vibriosis and exhibits resistance to many antimicrobials. To comprehensively understand V. vulnificus resistance, four MDRs isolates were selected for resistome analysis. Based on the Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH), all isolates showed a high identity score to the V. vulnificus ATCC 33147. Likewise, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) showed that CUVETSS48 isolate was founded closer to two STs (409 and 570), while the others (CUVETCC1, CUVETCC2, and CUVETSS2) were founded closer to a single ST (209, 426, and 372, respectively). MIC determination showed that all isolates were resistant to Amoxicillin and Colistin sulfate, but only two isolates (CUVETCC1 and CUVETSS48) were resistant to all tested antimicrobials. Referring to resistome analysis, multiple antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were found, such as QnrVC1, QnrVC7, tetR, tetB, and blaCTX-M-55 (CUVETCC1); tet(59), sul2, and QnrVC5 (CUVETSS48). Moreover, a mutation was founded within the QRDR region of gyrA; S83I (CUVETCC1, CUVETCC2, and CUVETSS48), gyrB; K87N (CUVETCC2, SS2, and SS48), and parC; S80Y (CUVETCC1 and CUVETCC2). In conclusion, this study showed the first evidence for the presence of blaCTX-M-55, QnrVC5 antimicrobial resistance genes, as well as mutations in gyrA, gyrB, and parC genes (at positions 83, 87, and 80) among V. vulnificus isolates. The presence of multiple ARGs may contribute to the MDR phenotype of V. vulnificus.

The Creative Benefits Scale as a Predictor of Attitudes About Aging in Middle-Aged and Older Women

Expectations about aging are connected with both positive traits (e.g., wisdom) and negative traits (e.g., physical frailty). Adams-Price et al. (2016) created the Personal Longevity Scale (PLS), which measures positive expectations (Hope) and negative expectations (Dread). The purpose of this study was to examine how psychological benefits gained from participating in creative hobbies may positively impact middle-aged and older women’s attitudes about aging. In addition, we examined if participant age moderated this relationship. A total of 198 women, aged 50 to 82 years old, completed the Personal Longevity Scale (Hope and Dread subscales) and the Creative Benefits Scale (CBS; used to measure psychological benefits that people may experience as a result of long-term participation in a creative hobby). The CBS includes four subscales: gaining a sense of identity (Identity), getting a sense of relaxation (Calming), feeling closer to God or nature (Spirituality), and receiving recognition from others for one’s hobby (Recognition). Single moderation models suggest that higher Identity scores were linked to more positive attitudes about aging but did not significantly predict negative attitudes. Age provided a marginally significant moderation effect to this relationship such that older women who received more of a sense of identity from their hobby reported the most positive attitudes about aging. Spirituality was linked to more positive attitudes about aging but did not significantly predict negative attitudes. Neither Calming nor Recognition were predictive of either positive or negative attitudes about aging. Implications for women’s development will be discussed from an Eriksonian perspective.

Ethnic Identity, Empowerment, Social Support and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Black Adolescent Girls: Examining Drug Use as a Mediator.

Substance abuse and sexual health research tends to overlook the resiliency skills that Black adolescent girls possess. Using a strengths-based lens, this study examines the role of protective factors: (e.g. ethnic identity, social support, and psychological empowerment) on sexual risk behaviors testing drug use as a mediator among a sample of Black adolescent girls. The study uses a sample (N = 340) female adolescents (13-17 years old) who identified as being Black only and reside in a northeastern urban community in New Jersey. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model of the mediating role of drug use on sexual risk behaviors among this sample. Findings revealed that drug use significantly mediated the relationship between social support, ethnic identity, and psychological empowerment on sexual risk behaviors, with high ethnic identity scores having the strongest relationship on low sexual risk behaviors and low levels of drug use. Given the rise of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States among Black adolescent girls, findings from this study can contribute to development of culturally appropriate and innovative strategies to reduce risky behaviors by promoting social and cultural strengths among Black girls living in urban communities.

Characterization of sida golden mottle virus isolated from Sida santaremensis Monteiro in Florida.

The genome of sida golden mottle virus (SiGMoV) (GU997691 and GU997692) isolated from Sida santaremensis Monteiro in Manatee County, Florida, was sequenced and characterized. SiGMoV was determined to be a bipartite virus belonging to the genus Begomovirus with a genome organization typical of the New World viruses in the genus. SiGMoV DNA-A had the highest identity scores (89%) and showed the closest evolutionary relationships to sida golden mosaic Buckup virus (SiGMBuV) (JX162591 and HQ008338). However, SiGMoV DNA-B had the highest identity scores (93%) and showed the closest evolutionary relationship to corchorus yellow spot virus (DQ875869), SiGMBuV (JX162592) and sida golden mosaic Florida virus (SiGMFlV) (HE806443). There was extensive recombination in the SiGMoV DNA-A and much less in DNA-B. Full-length clones of SiGMoV were infectious and were able to infect and cause symptoms in several plant species.

The Distribution of Miniature Impala Elements and SIX Genes in the Fusarium Genus is Suggestive of Horizontal Gene Transfer

The mimp family of miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements was previously found only in genomes of Fusarium oxysporum and is contextually associated with virulence genes in this species. Through extensive comparative analysis of 83 F. oxysporum and 52 other Fusarium genomes, we uncovered the distribution of different mimp families throughout the genus. We show that (i) mimps are not exclusive to F. oxysporum; (ii) pathogenic isolates generally possess more mimps than non-pathogenic strains and (iii) two isolates of F. hostae and one F. proliferatum isolate display evidence for horizontal transfer of genetic material to or from F. oxysporum. Multiple instances of mimp elements identical to F. oxysporum mimps were encountered in the genomes of these isolates. Moreover, homologs of effector genes (SIX1, 2, 6, 7, 11 and FomAVR2) were discovered here, several with very high (97–100%) pairwise nucleotide sequence identity scores. These three strains were isolated from infected flower bulbs (Hyacinthus and Lilium spp.). Their ancestors may thus have lived in close proximity to pathogenic strains of F. oxysporum f. sp. hyacinthi and f. sp. lilii. The Fo f. sp. lycopersici SIX2 effector gene was found to be widely distributed (15/18 isolates) throughout the F. fujikuroi species complex, exhibiting a predominantly vertical inheritance pattern. These findings shed light on the potential evolutionary mechanism underlying plant-pathogenicity in Fusarium and show that interspecies horizontal gene transfer may have occurred.

Endophytic bacterial communities in in vitro shoot cultures derived from embryonic tissue of hybrid walnut (Juglans × intermedia)

A detailed picture of the endophytic bacterial community structure on phylum and genus level in in vitro shoot cultures of sixteen Juglans genotypes including Juglans regia, Juglans nigra and mainly Juglans hybrids was generated by using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. A total of eight endophytic bacterial strains with a high identity score (97–100%) were isolated from tissue culture shoot material derived from embryonic tissue of Juglans hybrids by the culture-dependent approach. By sequence comparison of a 16S rRNA fragment to the NCBI database, they were identified as Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas, Moraxella, Pseudomonas, and Roseomonas species. The culture-independent approach involved Illumina MiSeq 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Five different phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria) were analyzed in more detail. The phylum Proteobacteria including genera such as Brevundimonas spp., Acinetobacter spp. and Moraxella spp. showed the highest relative abundance of endophytic bacteria. Thus, the results of the sequencing approach accorded well with those obtained in the culture-dependent approach. The abundance of Moraxella spp. was correlated with a good micropropagation in the Juglans genotypes under investigation, whereas, Brevundimonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp. were only detected in clones with medium propagation rates. Other bacterial endophytes known as plant growth promoting bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp., Erwinia spp., Burkholderia spp., Pelomonas spp., or Sphingomonas spp. were also found in in vitro cultures of a wide range of Juglans genotypes.

Large Scale Mass Spectrometry-based Identifications of Enzyme-mediated Protein Methylation Are Subject to High False Discovery Rates

All large scale LC-MS/MS post-translational methylation site discovery experiments require methylpeptide spectrum matches (methyl-PSMs) to be identified at acceptably low false discovery rates (FDRs). To meet estimated methyl-PSM FDRs, methyl-PSM filtering criteria are often determined using the target-decoy approach. The efficacy of this methyl-PSM filtering approach has, however, yet to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we conduct a systematic analysis of methyl-PSM FDRs across a range of sample preparation workflows (each differing in their exposure to the alcohols methanol and isopropyl alcohol) and mass spectrometric instrument platforms (each employing a different mode of MS/MS dissociation). Through (13)CD3-methionine labeling (heavy-methyl SILAC) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and in-depth manual data inspection, accurate lists of true positive methyl-PSMs were determined, allowing methyl-PSM FDRs to be compared with target-decoy approach-derived methyl-PSM FDR estimates. These results show that global FDR estimates produce extremely unreliable methyl-PSM filtering criteria; we demonstrate that this is an unavoidable consequence of the high number of amino acid combinations capable of producing peptide sequences that are isobaric to methylated peptides of a different sequence. Separate methyl-PSM FDR estimates were also found to be unreliable due to prevalent sources of false positive methyl-PSMs that produce high peptide identity score distributions. Incorrect methylation site localizations, peptides containing cysteinyl-S-β-propionamide, and methylated glutamic or aspartic acid residues can partially, but not wholly, account for these false positive methyl-PSMs. Together, these results indicate that the target-decoy approach is an unreliable means of estimating methyl-PSM FDRs and methyl-PSM filtering criteria. We suggest that orthogonal methylpeptide validation (e.g. heavy-methyl SILAC or its offshoots) should be considered a prerequisite for obtaining high confidence methyl-PSMs in large scale LC-MS/MS methylation site discovery experiments and make recommendations on how to reduce methyl-PSM FDRs in samples not amenable to heavy isotope labeling. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the data identifier PXD002857.

Ethnic Identity, Stereotype Threat, and Perceived Discrimination Among Native American Adolescents.

In this study, ethnic identity, stereotype threat, and perceived discrimination were examined in relationship to academic achievement and hopelessness in a sample of 129 Native American adolescents aged 14-19. Regression analyses with self-reported data indicated two major findings. Ethnic identity interacted with stereotype threat to predict academic achievement, where participants with high ethnic identity and low stereotype threat scores reported higher grade point averages. Ethnic identity also interacted with perceived discrimination to predict hopelessness, where participants with low ethnic identity and high perceived discrimination scores were higher in hopelessness. Findings are discussed in light of the joint role that ethnic identity and perceived bias have in relationship to developmental outcomes in Native American adolescents.

Regulation of pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 is mediated by the ubiquitin-specific protease 20.

USP20, one of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) belonging to the subfamily of ubiquitin-specific protease (USP), regulates ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. So far, USP20 has been identified as a binding protein and a regulator of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, β-adrenergic receptor, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6). In order to investigate other biological functions of USP20 with its novel substrates, we searched for putative substrates through two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) analysis. We found several putative substrates, some of which are related to cancer metabolism or neural disorders. Among these, the pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) had a high identity score. Most cancer cells contain a specific metabolic pathway, referred to as the Warburg effect. One well-known function of PKM2 is a main regulator in cancer metabolic pathways, and PKM2 promotes the Warburg effect and tumor growth. In addition, both PKM2 and HIF-1α upregulate the expression of target genes. From this evidence, it is expected that USP20 would be associated with the metabolic pathway through the regulation of PKM2 ubiquitination. Despite various roles of DUBs, the biological functions of USP20 in cellular mechanisms are poorly understood. Herein, we investigated the inter-action between PKM2 and USP20. Our results suggest a new molecular pathway in cancer metabolism through the regulation of PKM2.

The complete genome sequence of New World jatropha mosaic virus.

Full-length sequences of a bipartite begomovirus were obtained from a plant of Jatropha multifida in Florida showing symptoms of foliar mosaic, distortion and necrosis. Sequences of four clones each of a DNA-A and DNA-B were obtained, which showed very low sequence diversity among themselves. The clones were infectious when biolistically inoculated to J. multifida, Phaseolus vulgaris and Nicotiana tabacum, but not to J. curcas. The DNA-A sequences had less than 89 % pairwise identity scores with the DNA-A of other begomoviruses. The DNA-A appeared to be a recombinant in that 18 % of the DNA-A (470 nt) had a pairwise identity score of 91.98 % with RhRGMV, indicating that this portion most likely originated from a virus closely related to RhRGMV. The remaining 82 % of the DNA-A had lower identity scores with TbMoLCV (87.84 %) and RhRGMV (87.46 %), which suggests that this part of the component originated from an undescribed virus. There was no evidence for recombination in the DNA-B. Equivalent sequences of the DNA-A had the highest identity score (94.18 %) with a 533-nt sequence obtained from J. multifida from Puerto Rico in 2001 (GenBank accession no. AF058025). Pairwise comparison, recombination and phylogenetic analysis, and biology suggest that these clones are those of jatropha mosaic virus first reported from Puerto Rico. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence of jatropha mosaic virus.

Predictive validity of the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale for undergraduate nursing students

The self-identification of nursing students with the profession has been linked with a successful transition, from being a student to being a professional nurse. Although there is no empirical evidence, there are suggestions that students with high professional identity are more likely to persist and complete their studies in their chosen profession. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a professional identity scale and to determine the relationship between professional identity and student retention in a large group of first year nursing students. A survey design was used to examine the professional identity of first year nursing students, as measured by the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9). Baseline data obtained from the initial surveys were then compared with student drop-out rates 12 months later. Exploratory factor analysis of the MCPIS-9 yielded a one-component solution, accounting for 43.3% of the variance. All 9 items loaded highly on one component, ranging from 0.50 to 0.79. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the MCPIS-9 was 0.83 and corrected item-total correlation values all scored well above the 0.3 cut-off. Students who: were females, had previous nursing-related vocational training, reported nursing as their first choice, or engaged in nursing-related paid work, had statistically significant higher professional identity scores. Using logistic regression analysis, students with high professional identity scores at baseline were more likely to be still enrolled in the nursing program at 12 months, controlling for gender, language spoken at home and engagement in nursing-related employment. These results support the psychometric properties of the MCPIS-9. Professional identity has a direct relationship with student retention in the nursing program. It is important to adequately measure professional identity in nursing students for the purpose of monitoring and identifying students who are at risk of leaving nursing programs.

Isolation and characterization of Cronobacter spp. from environmental and food resources

Cronobacter spp. (formerly Enterobacter sakazakii) has been isolated from a wide range of environmental and several food sources. Cronobacter spp. is an opportunistic pathogen causing serious infection in infants, particularly neonates. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize Cronobacter spp. from food sources (infant food, herbs and spices and vegetables) and from environmental sources as dust from vacuum cleaners. Isolation of Cronobacter spp. was performed on selective chromogenic agars, fi rstly using commercial ESIA agar and thereafter on Kim and Rhee-KR agar described in the literature. Phenotypic characteristics were obtained by commercial miniaturized biochemical ENTEROTEST 24 kits and the fi nal confi rmation of isolated strains was performed by molecular techniques (PCR, PCR DGGE analysis, and 16S rDNA sequencing). Altogether, 99 samples were analyzed (47 samples of foods and 52 samples of dust). In total, 43 isolates of presumptive Cronobacter spp. were initially identifi ed, however, only 22 isolates (51%) were identifi ed as Cronobacter spp. with high identity scores (75-99%). The occurrence of presumptive cronobacters in environmental samples was signifi cantly higher than in samples of food (18 out of 52 vs. 4 out of 47; P = 0.003). No cronobacters were found in 17 samples of infant food, 3 isolates originated from herbs and spices, 1 isolate from spinach and 18 isolates from samples of dust (households, restaurants, dormitory rooms). It can be concluded that Cronobacter spp. is a ubiquitous pathogen contaminating food and environment. Cronobacter spp. could be well identifi ed by means of ENTERO24 test kits with high probability. Both phenotypic and genotypic methodology could be used for identifi cation of Cronobacter spp. and they can be combined for reliable identifi cation.

Accessing Carboxylesterase Diversity from Termite Hindgut Symbionts through Metagenomics

A shotgun metagenomic library was constructed from termite hindgut symbionts and subsequently screened for esterase activities. A total of 68 recombinant clones conferring esterolytic phenotypes were identified, of which the 14 most active were subcloned and sequenced. The nucleotide lengths of the esterase-encoding open reading frames (ORFs) ranged from 783 to 2,592 bp and encoded proteins with predicted molecular masses of between 28.8 and 97.5 kDa. The highest identity scores in the GenBank database, from a global amino acid alignment ranged from 39 to 83%. The identified ORFs revealed the presence of the G-X-S-X-D, G-D-S-X, and S-X-X-K sequence motifs that have been reported to harbour a catalytic serine residue in other previously reported esterase primary structures. Five of the ORFs (EstT5, EstT7, EstT9, EstT10, and EstT12) could not be classified into any of the original eight esterase families. One of the ORFs (EstT9) showed a unique primary structure consisting of an amidohydrolase-esterase fusion. Six of the 14 esterase-encoding genes were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and the purified enzymes exhibited temperature optima of between 40–50°C. Substrate-profiling studies revealed that the characterised enzymes were ‘true’ carboxylesterases based on their preferences for short to medium chain length p-nitrophenyl ester substrates. This study has demonstrated a successful application of a metagenomic approach in accessing novel esterase-encoding genes from the gut of termites that could otherwise have been missed by classical culture enrichment approaches.

Culturable Rhodobacter and Shewanella species are abundant in estuarine turbidity maxima of the Columbia River

Measurements of dissolved, ascorbate-reducible and total Mn by ICP-OES revealed significantly higher concentrations during estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) events, compared with non-events in the Columbia River. Most probable number (MPN) counts of Mn-oxidizing or Mn-reducing heterotrophs were not statistically different from that of other heterotrophs (10³ -10⁴ cells ml⁻¹) when grown in defined media, but counts of Mn oxidizers were significantly lower in nutrient-rich medium (13 cells ml⁻¹). MPN counts of Mn oxidizers were also significantly lower on Mn(III)-pyrophosphate and glycerol (21 cells ml⁻¹). Large numbers of Rhodobacter spp. were cultured from dilutions of 10⁻² to 10⁻⁵, and many of these were capable of Mn(III) oxidation. Up to c. 30% of the colonies tested LBB positive, and all 77 of the successfully sequenced LBB positive colonies (of varying morphology) yielded sequences related to Rhodobacter spp. qPCR indicated that a cluster of Rhodobacter isolates and closely related strains (95-99% identity) represented approximately 1-3% of the total Bacteria, consistent with clone library results. Copy numbers of SSU rRNA genes for either Rhodobacter spp. or Bacteria were four to eightfold greater during ETM events compared with non-events. Strains of a Shewanella sp. were retrieved from the highest dilutions (10⁻⁵) of Mn reducers, and were also capable of Mn oxidation. The SSU rRNA gene sequences from these strains shared a high identity score (98%) with sequences obtained in clone libraries. Our results support previous findings that ETMs are zones with high microbial activity. Results indicated that Shewanella and Rhodobacter species were present in environmentally relevant concentrations, and further demonstrated that a large proportion of culturable bacteria, including Shewanella and Rhodobacter spp., were capable of Mn cycling in vitro.

Characterization of a New Multigene Family Encoding Isomaltases in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the IMA Family

It has been known for a long time that the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can assimilate alpha-methylglucopyranoside and isomaltose. We here report the identification of 5 genes (YGR287c, YIL172c, YJL216c, YJL221c and YOL157c), which, similar to the SUCx, MALx, or HXTx multigene families, are located in the subtelomeric regions of different chromosomes. They share high nucleotide sequence identities between themselves (66-100%) and with the MALx2 genes (63-74%). Comparison of their amino acid sequences underlined a substitution of threonine by valine in region II, one of the four highly conserved regions of the alpha-glucosidase family. This change was previously shown to be sufficient to discriminate alpha-1,4- to alpha-1,6-glucosidase activity in YGR287c (Yamamoto, K., Nakayama, A., Yamamoto, Y., and Tabata, S. (2004) Eur. J. Biochem. 271, 3414-3420). We showed that each of these five genes encodes a protein with alpha-glucosidase activity on isomaltose, and we therefore renamed these genes IMA1 to IMA5 for IsoMAltase. Our results also illustrated that sequence polymorphisms among this family led to interesting variability of gene expression patterns and of catalytic efficiencies on different substrates, which altogether should account for the absence of functional redundancy for growth on isomaltose. Indeed, deletion studies revealed that IMA1/YGR287c encodes the major isomaltase and that growth on isomaltose required the presence of AGT1, which encodes an alpha-glucoside transporter. Expressions of IMA1 and IMA5/YJL216c were strongly induced by maltose, isomaltose, and alpha-methylglucopyranoside, in accordance with their regulation by the Malx3p-transcription system. The physiological relevance of this IMAx multigene family in S. cerevisiae is discussed.

Automatic 2D hydrophobic cluster alignment

Biological databases in the past decade have tremendously grown in size. However, effective retrieval data is still a great challenge. In particular, we need a high-quality tool to measure similarity among protein sequences within the database instead of 1D alignment software. In this work, we implement a 2D visualisation tool for amino acid and propose a new protein representation that could be used effectively in our 2D automatic Hydrophobic Cluster Alignment software. The resulting evolution trees and the alignment results from the PIR database have demonstrated that homologous proteins with the same functionalities obtain high sequence identity score.

Activity limitations in the lower extremities in patients with osteoarthritis: the modifying effects of illness perceptions and mental health

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as framework, we evaluated modifying effects of illness perceptions and mental health on the association between impairments in body structures and functions due to osteoarthritis (OA) and limitation in activities in the lower extremities. Self-reported limitation in activities was assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA index (WOMAC) function subscale in 316 patients with knee or hip pain or evidence of OA on knee or hip radiographs. Body structures and functions were evaluated during clinical and radiological assessments. Illness perceptions and mental health were assessed with the revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and the mental component summary score of the RAND 36-item Health Survey, respectively. For each patient an expected WOMAC function score was calculated, using an equation based on a multivariate model of the association of body structures and functions with limitation in activities. The median (interquartile) self-reported WOMAC function score was 22.2 (9.6-43.5). Ninety-one patients reported more and 120 patients reported less limitation in activities than expected. Patients with lumbar spine degeneration, physical or exercise therapy and high IPQ-R identity, consequences and chronic timeline scores had an increased risk to report more limitation in activities than the expected range. Low IPQ-R identity, consequences and emotional representation scores and better mental health were associated with reporting less limitation in activities than the expected range. Illness perceptions and mental health modify the association between self-reported limitation in activities and calculated limitation in activities based on impairments in body structures and functions due to OA.