TNF-NF-κB-p53 axis restricts in vivo survival of hPSC-derived dopamine neurons.

Ongoing, early-stage clinical trials illustrate the translational potential of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based cell therapies in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, an unresolved challenge is the extensive cell death following transplantation. Here, we performed a pooled CRISPR-Cas9 screen to enhance postmitotic dopamine neuron survival in vivo. We identified p53-mediated apoptotic cell death as a major contributor to dopamine neuron loss and uncovered a causal link of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling in limiting cell survival. As a translationally relevant strategy to purify postmitotic dopamine neurons, we identified cell surface markers that enable purification without the need for genetic reporters. Combining cell sorting and treatment with adalimumab, a clinically approved TNF-α inhibitor, enabled efficient engraftment of postmitotic dopamine neurons with extensive reinnervation and functional recovery in a preclinical PD mouse model. Thus, transient TNF-α inhibition presents a clinically relevant strategy to enhance survival and enable engraftment of postmitotic hPSC-derived dopamine neurons in PD.

Large-Scale Analysis of Defects in Atomically Thin Semiconductors using Hyperspectral Line Imaging.

Point defects play a crucial role in determining the properties of atomically thin semiconductors. This work demonstrates the controlled formation of different types of defects and their comprehensive optical characterization using hyperspectral line imaging (HSLI). Distinct optical responses are observed in monolayer semiconductors grown under different stoichiometries using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. HSLI enables the simultaneous measurement of 400 spectra, allowing for statistical analysis of optical signatures at close to a centimeter scale. The study discovers that chalcogen-rich samples exhibit remarkable optical uniformity due to reduced precursor accumulation compared to the metal-rich case. The utilization of HSLI as a facile and reliable characterization tool pushes the boundaries of potential applications for atomically thin semiconductors in future devices.

Lutimonas zeaxanthinifaciens sp. nov., a zeaxanthin-producing marine bacterium isolated from coastal sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented, strictly aerobic, non-flagellated, motile by gliding, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain YSD2104T, was isolated from a coastal sediment sample collected from the southeastern part of the Yellow Sea. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain YSD2104T was closely related to three type strains, Lutimonas vermicola IMCC1616T (97.4 %), Lutimonas saemankumensis SMK-142T (96.9 %), and Lutimonas halocynthiae RSS3-C1T (96.8 %). Strain YSD2104T has a single circular chromosome of 3.54 Mbp with a DNA G+C content of 38.3 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain YSD2104T and the three type strains (L. vermicola IMCC1616 T, L. saemankumensis SMK-142T, and L. halocynthiae RSS3-C1T) were 74.0, 86.2 and 73.6 %, and 17.9, 30.3 and 17.8 %, respectively. Growth was observed at 20-30 °C (optimum, 30 °C), at pH 6.5-8.5 (optimum, pH 7.0), and with NaCl concentrations of 1.5-3.5 % (optimum, 2.5 %). The major carotenoid was zeaxanthin, and flexirubin-type pigment was not produced. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω6c and/or C16 : 1 ω7c), and summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1 ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16 : 0). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified aminolipids, and eight unidentified lipids. Conclusively, based on this polyphasic approach, we classified strain YSD2104T (=KCTC 102008T=JCM 36287T) as representing a novel species of the genus Lutimonas and proposed the name Lutimonas zeaxanthinifaciens sp. nov.

Association of Argatroban Dose With Coagulation Laboratory Test in Patients on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Activated Clotting Time vs Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time.

BACKGROUND: Only some studies have directly compared and analyzed the roles of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and activated clotting time (ACT) in coagulation monitoring during argatroban administration. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the correlation of argatroban dose with ACT and aPTT values and to identify the optimal coagulation test for argatroban dose adjustment. METHODS: We evaluated 55 patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) who received argatroban for more than 72 hours. The correlation between argatroban dose and aPTT and ACT values was evaluated. To compare argatroban dose and bleeding events according to liver dysfunction, the patients were divided into 2 groups based on alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin. RESULTS: Among the 55 patients, a total of 459 doses and coagulation tests were evaluated. The aPTT and ACT values showed a weak correlation with argatroban dose, with the Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.261 (P < 0.001) and 0.194 (P = 0.001), respectively. The agreement between the target 150 to 180 seconds for ACT and 55 to 75 seconds for aPTT was observed in 140 patients (46.1%). Twenty-four patients (43.6%) had liver dysfunction when they started argatroban. The median argatroban dose was lower in the liver dysfunction group than in the control group (0.094 mcg/kg/min vs 0.169 mcg/kg/min, P = 0.020). Difference was not observed between the 2 groups in the amount of red blood cell (0.47 vs 0.43 pack, P = 0.909) and platelet (0.60 vs 0.08 pack, P = 0.079) transfusion per day. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: A weak correlation was observed between argatroban dose and the aPTT and ACT values. However, the agreement between aPTT and ACT was only 46.1% regarding the scope of target range. Further research is necessary to determine how to assess the optimal argatroban dose for patients administered argatroban while undergoing ECMO at the intensive care unit.

Antifungal mechanisms investigation of lactic acid bacteria against Aspergillus flavus: through combining microbial metabolomics and co-culture system.

AIMS: To develop antifungal lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and investigate their antifungal mechanisms against Aspergillus flavus in aflatoxin (AF) production. METHODS AND RESULTS: We isolated 179 LABs from cereal-based fermentation starters and investigated their antifungal mechanism against A. flavus through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and co-culture analysis techniques. Of the 179 isolates, antifungal activity was identified in Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus crustorum, and Weissella paramesenteroides. These LABs reduced AF concentration by (i) inhibiting mycelial growth, (ii) binding AF to the cell wall, and (iii) producing antifungal compounds. Species-specific activities were also observed, with P. pentosaceus inhibiting AF production and W. paramesenteroides showing AF B1 binding activity. In addition, crucial extracellular metabolites for selecting antifungal LAB were involved in the 2',3'-cAMP-adenosine and nucleoside pathways. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that P. pentosaceus, L. crustorum, and W. paramesenteroides are key LAB strains with distinct antifungal mechanisms against A. flavus, suggesting their potential as biological agents to reduce AF in food materials.

Risk Factors for the Mortality of Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Non-Centralized Setting: A Nationwide Study.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available on the mortality rates of patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to analyze the relationship between COVID-19 and clinical outcomes for patients receiving ECMO. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia requiring ECMO in 19 hospitals across Korea from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. The primary outcome was the 90-day mortality after ECMO initiation. We performed multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of 90-day mortality. Survival differences were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method. RESULTS: Of 127 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who received ECMO, 70 patients (55.1%) died within 90 days of ECMO initiation. The median age was 64 years, and 63% of patients were male. The incidence of ECMO was increased with age but was decreased after 70 years of age. However, the survival rate was decreased linearly with age. In multivariate analysis, age (OR, 1.048; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.010-1.089; P = 0.014) and receipt of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (OR, 3.069; 95% CI, 1.312-7.180; P = 0.010) were significantly associated with an increased risk of 90-day mortality. KM curves showed significant differences in survival between groups according to age (65 years) (log-rank P = 0.021) and receipt of CRRT (log-rank P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Older age and receipt of CRRT were associated with higher mortality rates among patients with COVID-19 who received ECMO.

Cardiovascular outcomes between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia: a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies that assessed the risk of cardiovascular outcomes in survivors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were likely limited by lack of generalizability and selection of controls nonrepresentative of a counterfactual situation regarding COVID-19-related hospitalization. This study determined whether COVID-19 hospitalization was associated with incident cardiovascular outcomes compared to non-COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalization. METHODS: Nationwide population-based study conducted using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. A cohort of 132,784 inpatients with COVID-19 (October 8, 2020-September 30, 2021) and a cohort of 31,173 inpatients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia (January 1-December 31, 2019) were included. The primary outcome was the major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE; a composite of myocardial infarction and stroke). Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all outcomes of interest were estimated between inverse probability of treatment-weighted patients with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia. RESULTS: After weighting, the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 pneumonia groups included 125,810 (mean [SD] age, 47.2 [17.6] years; men, 49.3%) and 28,492 patients (mean [SD] age, 48.6 [18.4] years; men, 47.2%), respectively. COVID-19 hospitalization was not associated with an increased risk of the MACE (HR, 0.84; 95% CI 0.69-1.03). However, the MACE (HR, 7.30; 95% CI 3.29-16.21), dysrhythmia (HR, 1.88; 95% CI 1.04-3.42), acute myocarditis (HR, 11.33; 95% CI 2.97-43.20), myocardial infarction (HR, 6.78; 95% CI 3.03-15.15), congestive heart failure (HR, 1.95; 95% CI 1.37-2.77), and thrombotic disease (HR, 8.26; 95% CI 4.06-16.83) risks were significantly higher in patients with COVID-19 aged 18-39 years. The findings were consistent after adjustment for preexisting cardiovascular disease. COVID-19 hospitalization conferred a higher risk of acute myocarditis (HR, 6.47; 95% CI 2.53-16.52) or deep vein thrombosis (HR, 1.97; 95% CI 1.38-2.80), regardless of vaccination status. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were not at an increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes compared to patients with non-COVID-19 pneumonia. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether the increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes is confined to younger patients.

Mesoscopic Stacking Reconfigurations in Stacked van der Waals Film.

Mesoscopic-scale stacking reconfigurations are investigated when van der Waals (vdW) films are stacked. A method to visualize complicated stacking structures and mechanical distortions simultaneously in stacked atom-thick films using Raman spectroscopy is developed. In the rigid limit, it is found that the distortions originate from the transfer process, which can be understood through thin film mechanics with a large elastic property mismatch. In contrast, with atomic corrugations, the in-plane strain fields are more closely correlated with the stacking configuration, highlighting the impact of atomic reconstructions on the mesoscopic scale. It is discovered that the grain boundaries do not have a significant effect while the cracks are causing inhomogeneous strain in stacked polycrystalline films. This result contributes to understanding the local variation of emerging properties from moiré structures and advancing the reliability of stacked vdW material fabrication.

Clinical effects of bacteremia in sepsis patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding the clinical effects of bacteremia on severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are limited. Thus, we investigated clinical characteristics and outcomes of severe CAP patients with bacteremia compared with those of subjects without bacteremia. In addition, we evaluated clinical factors associated with bacteremia at the time of sepsis awareness. METHODS: We enrolled sepsis patients diagnosed with CAP at emergency departments (EDs) from an ongoing nationwide multicenter observational registry, the Korean Sepsis Alliance, between September 2019 and December 2020. For evaluation of clinical factors associated with bacteremia, we divided eligible patients into bacteremia and non-bacteremia groups, and logistic regression analysis was performed using the clinical characteristics at the time of sepsis awareness. RESULT: During the study period, 1,510 (47.9%) sepsis patients were caused by CAP, and bacteremia was identified in 212 (14.0%) patients. Septic shock occurred more frequently in the bacteremia group than in the non-bacteremia group (27.4% vs. 14.8%; p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, hematologic malignancies and septic shock were associated with an increased risk of bacteremia. However, chronic lung disease was associated with a decreased risk of bacteremia. Hospital mortality was significantly higher in the bacteremia group than in the non-bacteremia group (27.3% vs. 40.6%, p < 0.001). The most prevalent pathogen in blood culture was Klebsiella pneumoniae followed by Escherichia coli in gram-negative pathogens. CONCLUSION: The incidence of bacteremia in severe CAP was low at 14.0%, but the occurrence of bacteremia was associated with increased hospital mortality. In severe CAP, hematologic malignancies and septic shock were associated with an increased risk of bacteremia.

Development of a Knowledge Graph for Automatic Job Hazard Analysis: The Schema.

In the current practice, an essential element of safety management systems, Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), is performed manually, relying on the safety personnel's experiential knowledge and observations. This research was conducted to create a new ontology that comprehensively represents the JHA knowledge domain, including the implicit knowledge. Specifically, 115 actual JHA documents and interviews with 18 JHA domain experts were analyzed and used as the source of knowledge for creating a new JHA knowledge base, namely the Job Hazard Analysis Knowledge Graph (JHAKG). To ensure the quality of the developed ontology, a systematic approach to ontology development called METHONTOLOGY was used in this process. The case study performed for validation purposes demonstrates that a JHAKG can operate as a knowledge base that answers queries regarding hazards, external factors, level of risks, and appropriate control measures to mitigate risks. As the JHAKG is a database of knowledge representing a large number of actual JHA cases previously developed and also implicit knowledge that has not been formalized in any explicit forms yet, the quality of JHA documents produced from queries to the database is expectedly higher than the ones produced by an individual safety manager in terms of completeness and comprehensiveness.

The Role of CPNE7 (Copine-7) in Colorectal Cancer Prognosis and Metastasis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and deadly cancers in the world. However, no effective treatment for the disease has yet been found. For this reason, several studies are being carried out on the treatment of CRC. Currently, there is limited understanding of the role of CPNE7 (copine-7) in CRC progression and metastasis. The results of this study show that CPNE7 exerts an oncogenic effect in CRC. First, CPNE7 was shown to be significantly up-regulated in CRC patient tissues and CRC cell lines compared to normal tissues according to IHC staining, qRT-PCR, and western blotting. Next, this study used both systems of siRNA and shRNA to suppress CPNE7 gene expression to check the CPNE7 mechanism in CRC. The suppressed CPNE7 significantly inhibited the growth of CRC cells in in vitro experiments, including migration, invasion, and semisolid agar colony-forming assay. Moreover, the modified expression of CPNE7 led to a decrease in the levels of genes associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The epithelial genes E-cadherin (CDH1) and Collagen A1 were upregulated, and the levels of mesenchymal genes such as N-cadherin (CDH2), ZEB1, ZEB2, and SNAIL (SNAL1) were downregulated after CPNE7 inhibition. This study suggests that CPNE7 may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker for CRC patients.

Peptides derived from high voltage-gated calcium channel ß subunit reduce blood pressure in rats.

The ß subunits of high voltage-gated calcium channels (HGCCs) are essential for optimal channel functions such as channel gating, activation-inactivation kinetics, and trafficking to the membrane. In this study, we report for the first time the potent blood pressure-reducing effects of peptide fragments derived from the ß subunits in anesthetized and non-anesthetized rats. Intravenous administration of 16-mer peptide fragments derived from the interacting regions of the ß1 [cacb1(344-359)], ß2 [cacb2(392-407)], ß3 [cacb3(292-307)], and ß4 [cacb4(333-348)] subunits with the main α-subunit of HGCC decreased arterial blood pressure in a dose-dependent manner for 5-8 min in anesthetized rats. In contrast, the peptides had no effect on the peak amplitudes of voltage-activated Ca2+ current upon their intracellular application into the acutely isolated trigeminal ganglion neurons. Further, a single mutated peptide of cacb1(344-359)-cacb1(344-359)K357R-showed consistent and potent effects and was crippled by a two-amino acid-truncation at the N-terminal or C-terminal end. By conjugating palmitic acid with the second amino acid (lysine) of cacb1(344-359)K357R (named K2-palm), we extended the blood pressure reduction to several hours without losing potency. This prolonged effect on the arterial blood pressure was also observed in non-anesthetized rats. On the other hand, the intrathecal administration of acetylated and amidated cacb1(344-359)K357R peptide did not change acute nociceptive responses induced by the intradermal formalin injection in the plantar surface of rat hindpaw. Overall, these findings will be useful for developing antihypertensives.

Circulating Exosomal miR-1290 for Diagnosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

The aim of the study was to develop a new diagnostic biomarker for identifying serum exosomal miRNAs specific to epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to find out target gene of the miRNA for exploring the molecular mechanisms in EOC. A total of 84 cases of ovarian masses and sera were enrolled, comprising EOC (n = 71), benign ovarian neoplasms (n = 13). We detected expression of candidate miRNAs in the serum and tissue of both benign ovarian neoplasm group and EOC group using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry were constructed using formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue to detect expression level of suppressor of cytokine signaling 4 (SOCS4). In the EOC group, miRNA-1290 was significantly overexpressed in serum exosomes and tissues as compared to benign ovarian neoplasm group (fold change ≥ 2, p < 0.05). We observed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for miR-1290, using a cut-off of 0.73, the exosomal miR-1290 from serum had AUC, sensitivity, and specificity values of 0.794, 69.2 and 87.3, respectively. In immunohistochemical study, expression of SOCS4 in EOC was lower than that in benign ovarian neoplasm. Serum exosomal miR-1290 could be considered as a biomarker for differential diagnosis of EOC from benign ovarian neoplasm and SOCS4 might be potential target gene of miR-1290 in EOC.

Cyclohumulanoid Sesquiterpenes Induced by the Noncompetitive Coculture of Phellinus orientoasiaticus and Xylodon flaviporus.

Microbial cocultivation has been applied as a strategy to induce the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites. However, most previous studies have focused on competitive interactions between test strains. During our LC-MS-based chemical screening of randomized cocultures of Basidiomycetous fungi, we discovered that the coculture of Phellinus orientoasiaticus (Hymenochaetaceae) and Xylodon flaviporus (Schizoporaceae) induces multiple metabolites, although they did not show any competitive morphology. Targeted isolation yielded three new sesquiterpenes (1-3) along with five known analogues (4-8). The structures of the isolates were determined by MS and NMR experiments as well as electronic circular dichroism analysis. LC-MS analysis suggested that cyclohumulanoids of illudane-, sterpurane-, and tremulane-type scaffolds (1-7) were produced by P. orientoasiaticus, whereas a drimane-type sesquiterpene (8) was produced by X. flaviporus. None of the isolates exhibited antifungal activity or cytotoxicity, and compounds 1-7 exhibited NO production of LPS-treated RAW276.4 cells in a range of 15.9% to 38.0% at 100 µM.

Phytoplankton growth rates in the Amundsen Sea (Antarctica) during summer: The role of light.

In the Amundsen Sea, significant global warming accelerates ice melt, and is consequently altering many ocean properties such as sea ice concentration, surface freshening, water column stratification, and underwater light properties. To examine the influence of light, which is one of the fundamental factors for phytoplankton growth, incubation experiments and field surveys were performed during the austral summer of 2016. In the incubation experiments, phytoplankton abundance and carbon biomass significantly increased with increasing light levels, probably indicating light limitation. Growth rates of the small pennates (mean 0.42 d-1) increased most rapidly with an increase in light, followed by those of Phaeocystis antarctica (0.31 d-1), and the large diatoms (0.16 d-1). A short-term study during the field survey showed that phytoplankton distribution in the surface layer was likely controlled by different responses to light and the sinking rate of each species. These results suggest that the approach adopted by previous studies of explaining phytoplankton ecology as a characteristic of two major taxa, namely diatoms and P. antarctica, in the coastal Antarctic waters might cause errors owing to oversimplification and misunderstanding, since diatoms comprise several species that have different ecophysiological characteristics.

Physiological and molecular responses of the Antarctic harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus kingsejongensis to salinity fluctuations - A multigenerational study.

Since Antarctica and the surrounding Southern Ocean are facing global climate change, biota inhabiting those coastal regions is now challenged by environmental fluctuations including coastal freshening. In this study, the effects of salinity range of 0-75 (practical salinity unit, PSU) on the Antarctic harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus kingsejongensis was investigated by measurement of 96 h survival rate, lifespan, and sex ratio with further analysis of multigenerational growth parameters and mRNA expressions under salinity of 15-45. Different stages of the copepods (i.e., nauplius, male, and female) generally showed tolerance to hypo- and hypersalinity, wherein female copepods were more tolerant than males when exposed to salinity fluctuations. Lifespan was significantly shortened by hypo- and hypersalinity compared to control salinity (34), but there was no significant difference in the sex ratio between salinity treatments. Multigenerational experiments across five generations revealed that exposure to salinities of 15 and 45 reduced body length compared to that in control salinity and the first generation of each salinity group. Our results provide evidence regarding T. kingsejongensis on their preferred salinity ranges, physiological limit to salinity fluctuations, and population dynamics in future salinity.

Characterization of Korean Distilled Liquor, Soju, Using Chemical, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and Sensory Descriptive Analysis.

The volatile compounds and sensory profiles of 18 different types of distilled soju, chosen with regard to various raw materials and distillation methods (atmospheric vs. vacuum), were explored using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and descriptive analysis. General chemical properties such as pH, total acidity (TA), total soluble solids (°Brix), and lactic acid concentration were also determined. A total of 56 volatile compounds, comprising 31 esters, 11 alcohols, 1 acid, 4 aldehydes, 3 ketones, and 6 miscellaneous compounds, were identified. From the principal component analysis (PCA) of the volatile data, samples made using atmospheric distillation such as MSO and PJU showed a clear difference from decompressed distillation samples. Based on the PCA of the sensory data, there was also a clear distinction between samples by their distillation method. To explore relationships among chemical, volatile, and sensory data sets, multiple factor analysis (MFA) was applied. Yeasty and earthy flavors showed a close relationship with 1-nonanol, octatonic acid, and longer-chain esters such as ethyl phenylacetate and ethyl tetradecanoate, and with chemical parameters such as TA, °Brix, and lactic acid.

Chitinophaga agri sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from soil of reclaimed land.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, and long rod-shaped bacterium, designated as H33E-04T, was isolated from the soil of reclaimed land, Republic of Korea. The strain grew at a temperature range of 15-40 °C, pH 5.0-10.0, and 0-2% NaCl (w/v). The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain H33E-04T was in the same clade with Chitinophaga pinensis DSM 2588T, Chitinophaga filiformis IFO 15056T, and Chitinophaga ginsengisoli Gsoil 052T with 98.4%, 97.9%, and 97.8% sequence similarities, respectively. The de novo genome assembly revealed that the DNA G + C content of the strain was 46.2 mol%. Comparative genome analysis between strain H33E-04T and C. pinensis DSM 2588 T showed that the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values were 79.9% and 23.4%, respectively. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and the predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15:0 (31.7%), C16:1 ω5c (31.2%), and iso-C17:0 3-OH (11.8%), supporting the affiliation of strain H33E-04T with the genus Chitinophaga. Based on phylogenetic, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain H33E-04T represents a novel species of the genus Chitinophaga, for which the name Chitinophaga agri sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Chitinophaga agri is H33E-04T (= KACC 21303T = NBRC114512T).

Arachidicoccus soli sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated KIS59-12T, was isolated from a soil sample collected on Hodo island, Boryeong, Republic of Korea. The strain grew at 10-33 °C, pH 6.0-7.5 and with 0-4 % NaCl (w/v). Results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain KIS59-12T was in the same clade as Arachidicoccus rhizosphaerae Vu-144T and Arachidicoccus ginsenosidivorans Gsoil809T with 97.5 and 97.2 % sequence similarity, respectively. Comparative genome analysis between strain KIS59-12T and A. rhizosphaerae Vu-144T showed that average nucleotide identity value was 69.4 % and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization value was 19.1 %. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and an unknown polar lipid. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, which supported the affiliation of strain KIS59-12T with the genus Arachidicoccus. The major polyamines were homospermidine and putrescine. The genomic DNA G+C content was 36.4 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain KIS59-12T represents a novel species of the genus Arachidicoccus, for which the name Arachidicoccus soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Arachidicoccus soli is KIS59-12T (=KACC 17340T=NBRC 113161T).

Ethics of split liver transplantation: should a large liver always be split if medically safe?

Split liver transplantation (SLT) provides an opportunity to divide a donor liver, offering transplants to two small patients (one or both could be a child) rather than keeping it whole and providing a transplant to a single larger adult patient. In this article, we attempt to address the following question that is identified by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network and United Network for Organ Sharing: 'Should a large liver always be split if medically safe?' This article aims to defend an answer-'not always'-and clarify under what circumstances SLT is ethically desirable. Our answer will show why a more dynamic approach is needed to the ethics of SLT. First, we discuss a case that does not need a dynamic approach. Then, we explain what is meant by a dynamic approach and why it is needed.