United States Department of Energy

About: United States Department of Energy is a government organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Coal & Catalysis. The organization has 13656 authors who have published 14177 publications receiving 556962 citations. The organization is also known as: DOE & Department of Energy.

Green Evolution and Dynamic Adaptations Revealed by Genomes of the Marine Picoeukaryotes Micromonas

Abstract: Picoeukaryotes are a taxonomically diverse group of organisms less than 2 micrometers in diameter. Photosynthetic marine picoeukaryotes in the genus Micromonas thrive in ecosystems ranging from tropical to polar and could serve as sentinel organisms for biogeochemical fluxes of modern oceans during climate change. These broadly distributed primary producers belong to an anciently diverged sister clade to land plants. Although Micromonas isolates have high 18S ribosomal RNA gene identity, we found that genomes from two isolates shared only 90% of their predicted genes. Their independent evolutionary paths were emphasized by distinct riboswitch arrangements as well as the discovery of intronic repeat elements in one isolate, and in metagenomic data, but not in other genomes. Divergence appears to have been facilitated by selection and acquisition processes that actively shape the repertoire of genes that are mutually exclusive between the two isolates differently than the core genes. Analyses of the Micromonas genomes offer valuable insights into ecological differentiation and the dynamic nature of early plant evolution.

Airway microbiota and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in patients with suboptimally controlled asthma.

Abstract: Background Improvement in lung function after macrolide antibiotic therapy has been attributed to reduction in bronchial infection by specific bacteria. However, the airway might be populated by a more diverse microbiota, and clinical features of asthma might be associated with characteristics of the airway microbiota present. Objective We sought to determine whether relationships exist between the composition of the airway bacterial microbiota and clinical features of asthma using culture-independent tools capable of detecting the presence and relative abundance of most known bacteria. Methods In this pilot study bronchial epithelial brushings were collected from 65 adults with suboptimally controlled asthma participating in a multicenter study of the effects of clarithromycin on asthma control and 10 healthy control subjects. A combination of high-density 16S ribosomal RNA microarray and parallel clone library-sequencing analysis was used to profile the microbiota and examine relationships with clinical measurements. Results Compared with control subjects, 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon concentrations (a proxy for bacterial burden) and bacterial diversity were significantly higher among asthmatic patients. In multivariate analyses airway microbiota composition and diversity were significantly correlated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Specifically, the relative abundance of particular phylotypes, including members of the Comamonadaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Oxalobacteraceae, and other bacterial families were highly correlated with the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Conclusion: The composition of bronchial airway microbiota is associated with the degree of bronchial hyperresponsiveness among patients with suboptimally controlled asthma. These findings support the need for further functional studies to examine the potential contribution of members of the airway microbiota in asthma pathogenesis.

The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory

Abstract: The Pierre Auger Observatory, located on a vast, high plain in western Argentina, is the world's largest cosmic ray observatory. The objectives of the Observatory are to probe the origin and characteristics of cosmic rays above $10^{17}$ eV and to study the interactions of these, the most energetic particles observed in nature. The Auger design features an array of 1660 water-Cherenkov particle detector stations spread over 3000 km$^2$ overlooked by 24 air fluorescence telescopes. In addition, three high elevation fluorescence telescopes overlook a 23.5 km$^2$, 61 detector infill array. The Observatory has been in successful operation since completion in 2008 and has recorded data from an exposure exceeding 40,000 km$^2$ sr yr. This paper describes the design and performance of the detectors, related subsystems and infrastructure that make up the Auger Observatory.

Genomic views of distant-acting enhancers

Abstract: In contrast to protein-coding sequences, the significance of variation in non-coding DNA in human disease has been minimally explored. A great number of recent genome-wide association studies suggest that non-coding variation is a significant risk factor for common disorders, but the mechanisms by which this variation contributes to disease remain largely obscure. Distant-acting transcriptional enhancers--a major category of functional non-coding DNA--are involved in many developmental and disease-relevant processes. Genome-wide approaches to their discovery and functional characterization are now available and provide a growing knowledge base for the systematic exploration of their role in human biology and disease susceptibility.