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.

Role of interfacial tensions in the translocation of Rhodococcus erythropolis during growth in a two phase culture.

Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4 is an alkane-degrading bacterium, which grows well in media containing high concentrations of alkanes. These properties give the organism potential in the bioremediation of various environments contaminated by alkanes. In this study, we report the translocation of R. erythropolis PR4 from an aqueous phase to an alkane phase during growth in a two phase culture medium. When the alkane chain length was between C10 and C12, PR4 was located at the aqueous-alkane interface, but when the alkane chain length was above C14, PR4 translocated into the alkane phase. Complete translocation into alkane phase was accompanied by normal growth, whereas interfacial localization hampered growth, indicating that localization among other possible factors, play an important role in the growth of R. erythropolis PR4 in two phase cultures. The PR4 cell surface was physico-chemically characterized in terms of its cell surface charge and surface free energy. Contact angles were measured on bacterial lawns, followed by thermodynamic analyses of Gibbs free energies for localization of PR4 in the aqueous or alkane phase or at the interface. Although entry into the alkane phase of PR4 grown in the presence of both C12 and C19 was thermodynamically favorable, translocation from the inside of the alkane phase to the interface was only favorable for PR4 grown in the presence of C12. In line with these thermodynamic analyses, two phase partitioning showed that PR4 grown in the presence of C12 and C19 were more hydrophobic than PR4 grown in the presence of lower alkanes, while C12 grown bacteria were less lipophilic than C19 grown bacteria. In conclusion, the localization of R. erythropolis PR4 in a two phase culture medium is thermodynamically driven to facilitate its optimal growth.

Meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients: a randomized controlled study.

Although recent empirical studies reveal that fostering patients' perception of meaning in their lives is an essential task for palliative care clinicians, few studies have reported the effects of training programs for nurses specifically aimed at improving these skills. The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of an educational workshop focusing on patients' feelings of meaninglessness on nurses' confidence, self-reported practice, and attitudes toward caring for such patients, in addition to burnout and meaning of life. The study was designed as a single-institution, randomized controlled trial using a waiting list control. The intervention consisted of eight 180-minute training sessions over four months, including lectures and exercises using structured assessment. A total of 41 nurses were randomly allocated to three groups, which were separately trained, and all were evaluated four times at three-month intervals (before intervention, between each intervention, and after the last intervention). Assessments included validated Confidence and Self-Reported Practice scales, the Attitudes Toward Caring for Patients Feeling Meaningless Scale (including willingness to help, positive appraisal, and helplessness items), the Maslach Burnout Scale, job satisfaction, and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual (FACIT-Sp). One participant withdrew from the study before the baseline evaluation, and the remaining 40 nurses completed the study. The nurses were all female and had a mean age of 31+/-6.4, and mean clinical experience of 8.9+/-5.5 years. There were no significant differences in background among the groups. The intervention effects were statistically significant on the Confidence Scale, the Self-Reported Practice Scale, and the willingness to help, positive appraisal, and helplessness subscales, in addition to the overall levels of burnout, emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, job satisfaction, and the FACIT-Sp. The change ratio of each parameter ranged from 5.6% (willingness to help) to 37% for the helplessness score and 51% on the Confidence Scale. The percentages of nurses who evaluated this program as "useful" or "very useful" were 85% (to understand the conceptual framework in caring for terminally ill patients with meaninglessness), 80% (to foster nurses' personal values), and 88% (to know how to provide care for patients with meaninglessness). This educational intervention had a significant beneficial effect on nurse-perceived confidence, practice, and attitudes in providing care for patients feeling meaninglessness, in addition to the levels of burnout and spiritual well-being of nurses.

Complete genome sequence of the soil actinomycete Kocuria rhizophila.

The soil actinomycete Kocuria rhizophila belongs to the suborder Micrococcineae, a divergent bacterial group for which only a limited amount of genomic information is currently available. K. rhizophila is also important in industrial applications; e.g., it is commonly used as a standard quality control strain for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Sequencing and annotation of the genome of K. rhizophila DC2201 (NBRC 103217) revealed a single circular chromosome (2,697,540 bp; G+C content of 71.16%) containing 2,357 predicted protein-coding genes. Most of the predicted proteins (87.7%) were orthologous to actinobacterial proteins, and the genome showed fairly good conservation of synteny with taxonomically related actinobacterial genomes. On the other hand, the genome seems to encode much smaller numbers of proteins necessary for secondary metabolism (one each of nonribosomal peptide synthetase and type III polyketide synthase), transcriptional regulation, and lateral gene transfer, reflecting the small genome size. The presence of probable metabolic pathways for the transformation of phenolic compounds generated from the decomposition of plant materials, and the presence of a large number of genes associated with membrane transport, particularly amino acid transporters and drug efflux pumps, may contribute to the organism's utilization of root exudates, as well as the tolerance to various organic compounds.