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and unipolar resistive switching in Zn 0.98 Cu 0.02 O films. J Phys D Appl Phys 2011, 44:335104.CrossRef 18. Hu W, Chen X, Wu G, Lin Y, Qin N, Bao D: Bipolar and tri-state unipolar resistive switching behaviors in Ag/ZnFe 2 O 4 /Pt memory devices. Appl Phys Lett 2012, 101:063501.CrossRef 19. Peng P, Xie D, Yang Y, Zhou C, Ma S, Feng T, Tian H, Ren T: Bipolar and unipolar resistive switching effects in Al/DLC/W structure. J Phys D Appl Phys 2012, 45:365103.CrossRef 20. Jeong DS, Schroeder H, Waser R: Coexistence of bipolar and unipolar resistive switching behaviors in a Pt/TiO 2 /Pt stack. Electrochem Solid-State FDA-approved Drug Library datasheet Lett 2007,10(8):G51-G53.CrossRef 21. Kannan V, Senthilkumar V, Rhee JK: Multi-level conduction in NiO resistive memory device prepared by

solution route. J Phys D Appl Phys 2013, 46:095301.CrossRef 22. Yang JJ, Strukov DB, Stewart DR: Memristive devices for computing. Nat Nanotechn 2013, 8:13–24.CrossRef 23. Lee JK, Jung S, Park J, Chung SW, Roh JS, Hong SJ, Cho IIH, Kwon HI, Park CH, Park BG, Lee JH: Accurate analysis of conduction and resistive-switching mechanisms in double-layered resistive-switching memory devices. Appl Phys Lett 2012, 101:103506.CrossRef 24. Hota MK, Caraveo-Frescas JA, McLachlan MA, Alshareef HN: Electroforming-free resistive switching memory effect Selleck AZD1208 in transparent p-type tin monoxide. Appl Phys Lett 2014, 104:152104.CrossRef 25. Akinaga H, Shima H: Resistive random access

Teicoplanin memory (ReRAM) based on metal oxides. Proc IEEE 2010, 98:2237–2251.CrossRef Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions XCY and XHW carried out the sample preparation, participated on its analysis, performed all the analyses, and wrote the paper. JLT and HZZ provided useful suggestions and helped analyze the characterization results. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.”
“Background Greenhouse gases such as CO2 and chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) are the primary causes of global warming. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 has steadily increased owing to human activity, and this accelerates the greenhouse effect. The photocatalytic reduction of CO2 is a promising technical solution since it uses readily available sunlight to convert CO2 into valuable chemicals, such as methanol or methane, in a carbon friendly manner [1]. TiO2 is a popular catalyst for photoreduction of CO2 owing to the advantages of earth abundance, low toxicity, and chemical stability. Yet it has so far yielded only low carbon dioxide conversion rates despite using ultraviolet illumination for band gap excitations [2]. While the intrinsic idea of photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide and water (vapor) into hydrocarbon fuels is appealing, the process has historically suffered from low conversion rates.

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CG, McCoy E: Clearing the cervical spine in unconscious polytrauma victims, balancing risks and effective screening. Anaesthesia 2004, 59:464–482.PubMedCrossRef 35. Morris CG, Mullan B: Clearing the cervical spine after polytrauma: implementing unified management for unconscious victims in the intensive care unit. Anaesthesia 2004, 59:755–761.PubMedCrossRef 36. Stahel PF, Heyde CE, Wyrwich W, Ertel W: [Current concepts of polytrauma management: from ATLS to ""damage control""]. Orthopade 2005, 34:823–836.PubMedCrossRef 37. Haas NP, Hoffmann RF, Mauch C, von Fournier C, Sudkamp NP: The management of polytraumatized patients in Germany. Clin Orthop Relat Res 1995, 25–35. 38. Ruchholtz S, Zintl B, Nast-Kolb D, Waydhas C, Lewan U, Kanz KG, Schwender D, Pfeifer KJ, Schweiberer L: Improvement in the therapy of multiply injured patients by introduction of clinical management guidelines. Injury 1998, 29:115–129.PubMedCrossRef 39. Committee ACoS: Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) for Doctors, Chicago/IL. 7th edition. 2004. 40. Jarrar D, Chaudry IH, Wang P: Organ dysfunction following hemorrhage and sepsis: mechanisms and therapeutic approaches (Review).

Remaining sequences were grouped into operational

taxonomic units (OTUs) based on a 97% similarity criterion. Rarefaction was performed on each sample to assess sampling adequacy, using a 50 sequence increment. Random subsamples (1000) of OTUs from each sample corresponding to the number of sequences in the lowest sample (i.e. smallest sample size) were then used for further analysis. The same subsampling approach was used to examine variation in community structure between samples (beta diversity) using the Selleck Imatinib theta similarity index of Yue and Clayton, an index that accounts for proportional abundances of both shared and non-shared OTUs [51]. Similarity between samples was visualized by ordination of samples by non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) as well

as dendrogram construction. Spatial separation of Autophagy inhibitors library samples in NMDS was tested through analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), while clustering of samples within the dendrogram was tested using the UniFrac distance metric [52]. Availability of supporting data All sequences used in this study are available in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive under study accession SRP032750 (http://​www.​ncbi.​nlm.​nih.​gov/​Traces/​sra/​sra.​cgi?​study=​SRP032750). Funding Partial funding for this work was provided by the Honor’s College of the University of Mississippi. Electronic supplementary material Additional file 1: Rarefaction of pyrosequencing data. Rarefaction analysis of the 454 pyrosequencing data for each sample as performed in mothur using the “rarefaction” command, with a 50 read increment. (XLSX 37 KB) References 1. Ryan RP, Germaine K, Franks A, Ryan DJ, Dowling DN: Bacterial endophytes: recent developments

and applications. Thiamet G FEMS Microbiol Lett 2008,278(1):1–9.PubMedCrossRef 2. Manter DK, Delgado JA, Holm DG, Stong RA: Pyrosequencing reveals a highly diverse and cultivar-specific bacterial endophyte community in potato roots. Microb Ecol 2010, 60:157–166.PubMedCrossRef 3. Pini F, Frascella A, Santopolo L, Bazzicalupo M, Biondi EG, Scotti C, Mengoni A: Exploring the plant-associated bacterial communities in Medicago sativa L. BMC Microbiol 2012, 12:78.PubMedCrossRef 4. Sturz AV, Christie BR, Nowak J: Bacterial endophytes: Potential role in developing sustainable systems of crop production. Crit Rev Plant Sci 2000, 19:1–30.CrossRef 5. Rosenblueth M, Martínez-Romero E: Bacterial endophytes and their interactions with hosts. Mol Plant-Microbe Interact 2006, 19:827–837.PubMedCrossRef 6. Compant S, Duffy B, Nowak J, Clément C, Barka E: Use of plant growth-promoting bacteria for biocontrol of plant diseases: Principles, mechanisms of action, and future prospects. Appl Environ Microbiol 2005, 71:4951–4959.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef 7. Hardoim PR, van Overbeek LS, van Elsas JD: Properties of bacterial endophytes and their proposed role in plant growth. Trends Microbiol 2008, 16:463–471.PubMedCrossRef 8.

Crude extracts were diluted to ~0.15 mg/mL protein, and formaldehyde was measured colorimetrically at A540 in an endpoint assay via addition of the chromogen 4-amino-3-hydrozino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole, as previously described [42] (assay kit from Cayman Chemicals). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined using a coupled enzyme assay measuring the dismutation of the

superoxide radical formed by xanthine oxidase at 22°C. The reaction was coupled to the conversion of a tetrazolium salt to formazan whose absorbance was measured at A450 in an endpoint assay as described [43] (assay kit from Cayman selleck inhibitor Chemicals). Cell lysates were diluted to ~1.1 μg/mL protein to measure SOD activities. Protein separation and differential display in 2D gels Equal protein amounts from two biological replicates of periplasmic and cytoplasmic fractions were combined and diluted in a 1:5 to 1:10 ratio with RB buffer, which contained 8 M urea, 2 M thiourea, 4% (w/v) CHAPS, 18 mM DTT and 0.5% (v/v) Bio-Lyte pH 3-10 carrier ampholytes. Equal protein amounts from solubilised biological replicates of mixed membrane fractions

were also combined. The rationale for sample pooling is described at the end of the ‘Background’ section. Circa 75 μg protein for Sypro Ruby®-stained gels and 130 μg for Coomassie Brilliant Blue G250 (CBB)-stained gels were loaded via rehydration loading onto 24 cm IPG gel strips (pH ranges 4-7 and 3-10) and separated in the 1st dimension as previously described [39]. Established methods were also used for 2nd dimension slab gel electrophoresis (25 × 19.5 × 0.15 cm), gel staining check details with CBB, scanning and gel image import into the analysis software Proteomweaver v.4.0 [44]. The scope of differential 2D display analysis was extensive, with three subcellular fractions and four growth conditions (fourteen experimental groups for seven group-to-group comparisons, among them two analyses Y27632 for the periplasmic fraction with 2D gels in

the pH ranges 4-7 and 6.5-10). Software-assisted gel image analysis included spot matching, pre-match and post-match spot normalization and spot intensity averaging. The analysis mode did not require internal standards for spot normalization. The Mann-Whitney Test was used for statistical significance analysis of spot abundance changes. It is a non-parametric two sample distribution-free t-test and assesses whether two independent samples of observations come from the same distribution: , where n1 and n2 are numbers of observations in the samples and R1 is the sum of the ranks of the observations in sample 1. P-values determined by this test are based on 3 ≤ n ≤ 5 observations, which reflect 2D spot intensity data from an equal number of replicate gels. Provided that spot abundance ratios were ≥1.5, p-values < 0.02 were considered statistically significant.

World Mycotoxin J 2009,2(3):263–277.CrossRef 42. Varga J, Frisvad J, Kocsube S, Brankovics B, Toth B, Szigeti G, Samson R: New and revisited species in Aspergillus section Nigri. Stud Mycol 2011,69(1):1–17.PubMedCrossRef

43. Henry T, Iwen PC, Hinrichs SH: Identification of Aspergillus species Ruxolitinib in vivo using internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2. J Clin Microbiol 2000,38(4):1510–1515.PubMed 44. Rodrigues P, Santos C, Venâncio A, Lima N: Species identification of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates from Portuguese almonds using phenotypic, including MALDI-TOF ICMS, and molecular approaches. J Appl Microbiol 2011, 111:877–892.PubMedCrossRef 45. Odds F, Hall C, Abbott A: Peptones and mycological reproducibility. Med Mycol 1978,16(4):237–246.CrossRef 46. Buchanan RL, Jones SB, Stahl HG: Effect of miconazole on growth and aflatoxin production by Aspergillus parasiticus. Mycopathologia 1987,100(3):135–144.PubMedCrossRef

47. Cai JJ, Zeng HM, Shima Y, Hatabayashi H, Nakagawa H, Ito Y, Adachi Y, Nakajima H, Yabe K: Involvement of the nadA gene in formation of G-group aflatoxins in Aspergillus parasiticus. Fungal Genet Biol 2008,45(7):1081–1093.PubMedCrossRef 48. Wicklow DT, Shotwell OL, Adams GL: Use of aflatoxin-producing ability medium to distinguish aflatoxin-producing strains of Aspergillus flavus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol 1981,41(3):697–699.PubMed 49. Tan KC, Trengove RD, Maker GL, Oliver www.selleckchem.com/products/PF-2341066.html RP, Solomon PS: Metabolite profiling identifies the mycotoxin alternariol in the pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Metabolomics 2009,5(3):330–335.CrossRef 50. Ipcho SVS, Tan KC, Koh G, Gummer J, Oliver RP, Trengove RD, Solomon PS: The transcription factor StuA regulates central carbon metabolism, mycotoxin production, and effector gene expression in the wheat pathogen Stagonospora nodorum. Eukaryot Cell 2010,9(7):1100–1108.PubMedCrossRef

51. Reverberi M, Ricelli A, Zjalic S, Fabbri AA, Fanelli C: Natural functions of mycotoxins and control of their biosynthesis oxyclozanide in fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2010,87(3):899–911.PubMedCrossRef 52. Woloshuck CP, Foutz KR, Brewer JF, Bhatnagar D, Cleveland TE, Payne GA: Molecular characterization of aflR, a regulatory locus for aflatoxin biosynthesis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol 1994,60(7):2408–2414. 53. Clarke M, Kayman SC, Riley K: Density-dependent induction of discoidin-I synthesis in exponentially growing cells of Dictyostelium discoideum. Differentiation 1987,34(2):79–87.PubMedCrossRef 54. Jain R, Yuen I, Taphouse C, Gomer R: A density-sensing factor controls development in Dictyostelium. Genes Dev 1992,6(3):390–400.PubMedCrossRef 55. Lo HJ, Kohler JR, DiDomenico B, Loebenberg D, Cacciapuoti A, Fink GR: Nonfilamentous C. albicans mutants are avirulent. Cell 1997,90(5):939–949.PubMedCrossRef 56.

The frequency of strains with PI-1/PI-2b was higher in CC-17 strains relative to all other strains (Fisher’s p < 0.0001) even after excluding bovine strains. A similar finding was observed for CC-19 strains, which were more likely to possess PI-1/PI-2a relative to all other strains (Fisher’s p < 0.0001) regardless of cps (Additional file 1: Table S3). Among the human strains, however, there

was no difference in the PI distribution among neonatal and colonizing strains of CC-17 or CC-19 since virtually all strains from each CC had the same profile even after stratifying by cps. Differences in the allele distribution of the PI BP genes were also observed by source. The 44 bovine strains with PI-2b, for instance, had san1519 allele 3, whereas only one PI-2b-positive human strain harbored this allele. Human strains more frequently had san1519 alleles 2 buy Alisertib (n = 69; 85%) and 1 (n = 11; 14%). After stratifying san1519 alleles by source, strains from neonates more frequently had san1519 allele 2 relative to maternal colonizing strains (Fisher’s p < 0.005). No differences were observed in the gbs59 allele distribution between PI-2a-positive human strains associated with asymptomatic colonization and neonatal disease.

MK-2206 price PI acquisition and loss To model PI-1 acquisition and loss, we mapped the distribution of PI-1 on a phylogenetic tree constructed in eBURST that predicts the ancestral genotypes among the predominant CCs. Three groups and three singletons were identified (Figure 5). PI acquisition and loss occurred frequently in human strains during the diversification of closely related genotypes. PI-1 loss was most common in strains of group 1 since four STs derived from a PI-1 and PI-2a-positive ST-1 strain lost PI-1, while PI-1 was maintained in those genotypes derived from ST-19. Similarly, ST-297, which

was isolated from a bovine and is derived from ST-17, lacked PI-1 along with the bovine founder (ST-64) of group 2. Notably, some founding genotypes (e.g., STs 1, 23) were comprised of strains with multiple PI profiles. ST-1 strains, for instance, appear to have diversified into STs with four different PI profiles through the acquisition and loss of PI-1 as well as the exchange of PI-2a for PI-2b. Derivatives of ST-23 strains, however, have maintained one of two Methocarbamol profiles following diversification. Figure 5 Gain and loss of pilus islands among GBS sequence types (STs). eBURST analysis was conducted on the MLST allele profiles for all 295 strains. The founding genotype was assigned to the ST that varies from the largest number of STs at a single locus. STs grouped into three main groups bovine strains indicated by red print. The PI profile distribution is indicated by the color of the circle representing each ST. Double locus variants are connected via dashed lines and STs with multiple pilus profiles are connected with orange lines.

It has been reported that rapamycin can exert antitumor activity

with cytostatic activities such as G1 phase arrest and that it can exhibit anti-angiogenesis properties[13, 14]. Rapamycin was also demonstrated to have synergistic cytotoxic effect in conjunction with other chemotherapeutic agents on several cancer cell types[15–19]. Several rapamycin analogues have been synthesized and put under evaluation in phase |/‖ clinical trials, showing a promising antitumor effect in several types of refractory or advanced tumors. This GSK1120212 chemical structure evidence prompted us to examine whether the administration of rapamycin will result in some beneficial modulation of the cancer killing properties of docetaxel in lung cancer cells[20, 21]. To the best JAK assay of our knowledge, the effect of including rapamycin in combination therapies intended to treat advanced stage lung cancer has not been reported in the literature. This prompted us to examine whether juxtaposed administration of rapamycin will result in some beneficial modulation of the cancer killing properties of docetaxel in lung cancer cells. Our results showed that rapamycin can sensitize lung cancer cells for more effective killing

by docetaxel and suggested that such enhancement may involve down-regulation of the expression of Survivin and the inactivation of ERK signalling. Materials and methods Therapeutic NADPH-cytochrome-c2 reductase compounds and reagents Lung cancer cell lines A549, SPC-A-1, 95D and NCI-H446 were purchased from Shanghai Institue of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Rapamycin, DMSO and MTT were purchased from Sigma (St

Louis, MO, USA). Docetaxel was purchased from Shanghai Sanwei Pharmaceutical Company (Shanghai, China). Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit was from Jingmei Biotech (Shenzhen, China). RPMI tissue culture medium and fetal bovine serum (FBS) were purchased from GIBCO (USA). Anti-Survivin, anti-caspase-3, anti-ERK1/2, anti-p-ERK1/2, anti-GAPDH and HRP-conjugated secondary antibodies were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (CA, USA). Chemiluminescence (ECL) reagent kit was purchased from Pierce Biotechnology (Rockford, IL, USA). Cell culture A549, SPC-A-1, 95D and NCI-H446 cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 100 IU/ml penicillin and 100 μg/ml streptomycin. The cells were grown in a humidified incubator at 37°C and in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. Cells were grown on sterile tissue culture petri dishes and passaged once every 2 to 3 days. MTT cell viability assay Cell were seeded in a 96-well plate at a density of 1 × 106/ml and cultured in medium for 24 h. Cell viability was determined using the conversion of MTT to formazan via mitochondrial oxidation. Various treatments of cells included the addition of rapamycin (12.

There is a second copy of spo0A in C. thermocellum, Cthe_0812 which is significantly downregulated by an unknown mechanism in standard conditions compared to the WT. The spo0A protein is activated when phosphorylated and has been shown to regulate sporulation in a number of clostridia [34]. Although, it is rare for C. thermocellum to go into sporulation, it has been shown that sporulation will occur under vitamin limitation, oxygen stress GDC-0941 cell line and switching between soluble and insoluble substrates [35]. The PM growth kinetics is consistent with other

spo0A defective mutants which continue to grow under nutrient limiting conditions [36–39]. The second reason for a reduction in the expression of sporulation genes may be that the PM differentially expresses the sigma factors that control PI3K inhibitor sporulation. The five known sporulation sigma factors

in B. subtilis are σE, σF, σG, σH and σK [31,34]. In B. subtilis, σH is the earliest sporulation sigma factor [34]. σE is the mother cell-specific sigma factor and is also involved in the synthesis of σK, the late-acting mother cell sigma factor [31]. Furthermore, σF – dependent transcription appears to be limited to the early expression of forespore-specific genes and σG appears to encode products that are synthesized within the forespore compartment during the later stages of sporulation to enhance spore survival and facilitate germination [31]. There are six genes that encode the various sporulation sigma factors in C. thermocellum. The PM has increased expression in σE (Cthe_0447) and σF (Cthe_0120), and decreased expression in σE (Cthe_0446) for the late-log time point, and decreased expression of σK (Cthe_1012) for both time points in the standard medium comparison (Table 1). The PM has increased expression of σE (Cthe_0447) and σF (Cthe_0120) for the mid-log time point and decreased expression of σK (Cthe_1012) for both time points in the hydrolysate medium comparison (Table 1). A recent study of C.

acetobutylicum showed that σK is involved in both early and late sporulation [40]. In C. acetobutylicum sigK deletion blocks sporulation, prior to Spo0A expression and the mutant suffered from premature Docetaxel mw cell death due to excessive medium acidification in batch cultures without pH control [40]. The sigK defective mutant did not transition into stationary phase where cells re-assimilate the acids and produce acetone, butanol, and ethanol [40]. The results suggest a positive-feedback loop between Spo0A and σK which may be the mechanism that down regulates Cthe_0812 for the PM in standard medium compared to the WT [40]. Sporulation is an energy intensive function requiring transcription of a large number of genes. By reducing the expression of certain sporulation genes, the PM may be capable of devoting more resources to growth. Furthermore, it has been shown that C.

As a result, the steroid dose could be reduced earlier by the combination of steroid therapy and LDL-A. The remission rate was further increased in a follow-up study 2 years later, suggesting that the prognosis of even FSGS with refractory NS is favorable if remission can be achieved [8]. A survey concerning the long-term outcome was conducted primarily by the Japanese Society of Kidney and Lipids with the cooperation of 36 facilities, involving 94 patients with refractory nephrotic syndrome including 41 patients with FSGS and 28 patients with refractory minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) who underwent LDL-A in 1999 and thereafter [9]. The profiles of the FSGS

and MCNS patients were as follows: male/female ratio: 24/16 and 14/14; mean age: 43 ± 19.6 and 35.7 ± 18.7 years; initial/recurrence ratio: 20/15 and 12/14; number of LDL-A trials: 8.25 ± 2.87 and 8.00 ± 5.57; Lumacaftor ic50 and ratio between those who underwent kidney transplantation and those who did not: 7/24 and 0/25, respectively. In terms of the frequency of use of various drugs, steroids were used

in 88 and 93 %, steroid pulse therapy was performed in 29 and 57 % (the prescription was the same as that before the initiation of LDL-A, except in 1 patient with MCNS), immunosuppressants were used in 41 and 46 %, CyA was employed in 29 and 36 %, and statins were used in 44 and 36 %, respectively. The percentages of patients who were included in the category of type I ICR find more after 2 years were 62 and 95 %, and those after 5 years were 87 and 80 %, respectively. Those of FSGS are shown in Figure 2. The response became more favorable as the time from the onset of NS to the introduction of LDL-A decreased. Fig. 2 Retrospective survey of outcome

of FGS patients with refractory NS treated by LDL-apheresis. Two-year outcome of 29 FSGS patients (a) and 5-year outcome of 15 patients (b) are shown Since the above studies were retrospective, a prospective cohort study (Prospective Observational Survey on the Long-Term Effects of http://www.selleck.co.jp/products/BafilomycinA1.html LDL-A on Drug-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome (POLARIS)) was initiated by the Japanese Society of Kidney and Lipids. In the preliminary analysis, almost the same remission rate was obtained, even in prospective study (under submission). As shown in Table 2, on the basis of reported results of retrospective studies, LDL-A has been effective for inducing remission in nearly 50 % of patients with various diseases including FSGS that was refractory to NS, with a high level of safety. As noted in recently renewed guidelines for NS in Japan (2013), LDL-A should be selected as an option for the strategy to treat refractory NS. Table 2 Clinical efficacy of LDL-apheresis for nephrotic syndrome (Summary of Clinical Studies before 2007)   Muso et al. Nephron 2001 89 408–415 Stenvinkel et al. Eur J Clin Invest 2000 30 866–870 Yokoyama et al. Clin Nephrol 1998 50 1–7 Muso et al. NDT 1994 9 2257-264 Sakai et al. Jin To Touseki 1994 33 321–328 Hattori et al.

No comparisons in counts between HP and CP species were performed due to the differences in nucleic acid extraction Selleckchem Lenvatinib techniques. Using the presence or absence of each of the microbiome species, we divided the study population (CP and HP combined) in groups with Latent Class Analysis, a statistical technique related to cluster analysis, and assessed the distribution of the different groups in the women by BV status and ethnic origin [22]. We assessed the relationship between Nugent scores and the presence of each of

the microbiome species in the CP population using scatter plots, and we added a trend-line and a Spearman correlation coefficient R. Ethical approval IRB approval was obtained from the Institute of Tropical Medicine and from the Ethics Committee at the University Hospital of Antwerp. All study participants gave their written informed consent. Results Study populations Baseline characteristics of the two study populations are presented in Table 2. All women recruited into the HP group were Caucasian. check details They were all asymptomatic at baseline and no diagnosis of BV was made in this group, neither at baseline nor during any of the follow up visits. Five of the 30 HP women (12.5%) had a sexual preference for the same gender and

four of them were currently sexually active. Of the remaining 25 heterosexual women, 17 (68%) were currently sexually active. Follow up of the HP women was high, with 28 out of 30 women completing all visits. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) was detected on 12 occasions in 7 women. Of the women recruited at the clinic (CP), 49% were Caucasian, 32% were of black African origin and living in Belgium, 12% of Asian origin, and for 7%, ethnicity was not recorded. 50% percent of the women at the clinic presented with a complaint of vaginal discharge at baseline and 29% had BV as assessed by Nugent score. The presence of self-reported smelly discharge was significantly G protein-coupled receptor kinase associated with BV (p = 0.001) but no association was seen between BV and ethnicity. Table 2

Baseline Characteristics of Study Populations     Healthy Population (N = 30) Clinic Populationa(N = 41)       ¹ Age (years) Mean (range) 27 (19–38) 27 (15–47)       ² Ethnicity N (%) Black 0 (0) 13 (32)   Caucasian 30 (100) 20 (49)   Asian 0 (0) 5 (12)       ³ Contraception N (%) None 12 (40) 18 (46)   Combined pill 0 (0) 9 (23)   Intrauterine device 1 (3) 8 (21)   Implant 0 (0) 2 (5)   Condoms 17 (57) 2 (5) Nugent score 0–3   30 (100%) 29 (71%) 4–6   0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7–10   0 (0%) 12 (29%) ¹ 5 missing values ² 3 missing values ³ 2 missing values. a STI clinic and HIV testing and counseling centre. Changes over time in species presence and species counts in the healthy women In general, the presence or absence of a particular Lactobacillus species in the HP remained constant throughout the study visits (Figure 1). L. crispatus, L. iners, L. jensenii, and L.