Background Major advances in selection progress for cattle have been made following the introduction of genomic tools over the past 10–12 years. These tools depend upon the Bos taurus reference genome (UMD3.1.1), which was created using now-outdated technologies and is hindered by a variety of deficiencies and inaccuracies. Results We present the new reference genome for cattle, ARS-UCD1.2, based on the same animal as the original to facilitate transfer and interpretation of results obtained from the earlier version, but applying a combination of modern technologies in a de novo assembly to increase continuity, accuracy, and completeness. The assembly includes 2.7 Gb and is >250× more continuous than the original assembly, with contig N50 >25 Mb and L50 of 32. We also greatly expanded supporting RNA-based data for annotation that identifies 30,396 total genes (21,039 protein coding). The new reference assembly is accessible in annotated form for public use. Conclusions We demonstrate that improved continuity of assembled sequence warrants the adoption of ARS-UCD1.2 as the new cattle reference genome and that increased assembly accuracy will benefit future research on this species.

Sordariomycetes is one of the largest classes of Ascomycota that comprises a highly diverse range of fungi mainly characterized by perithecial ascomata and inoperculate unitunicate asci. Freshwater Sordariomycetes play an important role in ecosystems and some of them have the potential to produce bioactive compounds. This study documents and reviews the freshwater Sordariomycetes, which is one of the largest and important groups of fungi in aquatic habitats. Based on evidence from DNA sequence data and morphology, we introduce a new order Distoseptisporales, two new families, viz. Ceratosphaeriaceae and Triadelphiaceae, three new genera, viz. Aquafiliformis, Dematiosporium and Neospadicoides, 47 new species, viz. Acrodictys fluminicola, Aquafiliformis lignicola, Aquapteridospora fusiformis, Arthrinium aquaticum, Ascosacculus fusiformis, Atractospora aquatica, Barbatosphaeria lignicola, Ceratosphaeria aquatica, C. lignicola, Chaetosphaeria aquatica, Ch. catenulata, Ch. guttulata, Ch. submersa, Codinaea yunnanensis, Conioscypha aquatica, C. submersa, Cordana aquatica, C. lignicola, Cosmospora aquatica, Cylindrotrichum submersum, Dematiosporium aquaticum, Dictyochaeta cangshanensis, D. ellipsoidea, D. lignicola, D. submersa, Distoseptispora appendiculata, D. lignicola, D. neorostrata, D. obclavata, Hypoxylon lignicola, Lepteutypa aquatica, Myrmecridium aquaticum, Neospadicoides aquatica, N. lignicola, N. yunnanensis, Ophioceras submersum, Peroneutypa lignicola, Phaeoisaria filiformis, Pseudostanjehughesia lignicola, Rhodoveronaea aquatica, Seiridium aquaticum, Sporidesmiella aquatica, Sporidesmium lageniforme, S. lignicola, Tainosphaeria lunata, T. obclavata, Wongia aquatica, two new combinations, viz. Acrodictys aquatica, Cylindrotrichum aquaticum, and 9 new records, viz. Chaetomium globosum, Chaetosphaeria cubensis, Ch. myriocarpa, Cordana abramovii, Co. terrestris, Cuspidatispora xiphiago, Sporidesmiella hyalosperma, Stachybotrys chartarum,S. chlorohalonata. A comprehensive classification of the freshwater Sordariomycetes is presented based on updated literature. Phylogenetic inferences based on DNA sequence analyses of a combined LSU, SSU, RPB2 and TEF1α dataset comprising species of freshwater Sordariomycetes are provided. Detailed information including their habitats distribution, diversity, holotype, specimens collected and classification are provided.

Neurological deficits in children, including cerebral palsy, are associated with prior infection during the perinatal period. Experimentally, we have shown that pre-exposure to the Gram-negative component LPS potentiates hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in newborn animals. LPS effects are mediated by binding to TLR4, which requires recruitment of the MyD88 adaptor protein or Toll/IL-1R domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-β for signal transduction. In this study, we investigated the role of MyD88 in neonatal brain injury. MyD88 knockout (MyD88 KO) and wild-type mice were subjected to left carotid artery ligation and 10% O2 for 50 min on postnatal day 9. LPS or saline were administered i.p. at 14 h before HI. At 5 days after HI in wild-type mice, LPS in combination with HI caused a significant increase in gray and white matter tissue loss compared with the saline-HI group. By contrast, in the MyD88 KO mice there was no potentiation of brain injury with LPS-HI. MyD88 KO mice exhibited reduced NFκB activation and proinflammatory cytokine-chemokine expression in response to LPS. The number of microglia and caspase-3 activation was increased in the brain of MyD88 KO mice after LPS exposure. Collectively, these findings indicate that MyD88 plays an essential role in LPS-sensitized HI neonatal brain injury, which involves both inflammatory and caspase-dependent pathways.

The enediynes, unified by their unique molecular architecture and mode of action, represent some of the most potent anticancer drugs ever discovered. The biosynthesis of the enediyne core has been predicted to be initiated by a polyketide synthase (PKS) that is distinct from all known PKSs. Characterization of the enediyne PKS involved in C-1027 (SgcE) and neocarzinostatin (NcsE) biosynthesis has now revealed that (i) the PKSs contain a central acyl carrier protein domain and C-terminal phosphopantetheinyl transferase domain; (ii) the PKSs are functional in heterologous hosts, and coexpression with an enediyne thioesterase gene produces the first isolable compound, 1,3,5,7,9,11,13-pentadecaheptaene, in enediyne core biosynthesis; and (iii) the findings for SgcE and NcsE are likely shared among all nine-membered enediynes, thereby supporting a common mechanism to initiate enediyne biosynthesis.C-1027 ͉ neocarzinostatin ͉ phosphopantetheinyl transferase

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Purpose-This study attempts to contribute to the knowledge of how service climate improves customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry based on evidence from mainland China. It considers different dimensions of service climate separately, including customer orientation, managerial support and work facilitation, and introduces an important mediator-employee commitment-to examine the relationship between service climate and customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach-A theoretical framework is proposed to suggest links among the three dimensions of service climate, employee commitment and customer satisfaction. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data from employees in the hospitality industry of China. The constructs were measured by using established scales. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the theoretical hypotheses. Findings-Empirical results indicate that different dimensions of service climate have different effects on customer satisfaction. For instance, customer orientation, as one dimension of service climate, has a direct and positive influence on customer satisfaction, while two other dimensions of service climate, managerial support and work facilitation, have indirect positive influence on customer satisfaction, through improving employee commitment. Practical implications-The results indicate that managers should create customer orientation in hotels, including clarifying the value of providing customers with high quality service, and developing a system of emphasizing the importance of customer feedback. Meanwhile, managers need to pay attention to two neglected components of service climate, managerial support and work facilitation, rather than focusing on physical infrastructure only. Originality/value-This paper makes an important empirical contribution by treating various dimensions of service climate separately, and exploring their relationships with customer satisfaction by introducing a mediator, employee commitment. The results indicate that various dimensions of service climate play different roles in improving customer satisfaction. This study contributes to the theories of service climate and customer satisfaction.