Nanostructured AgBr loaded TiO2: An efficient sunlight active photocatalyst for degradation of Reactive Red 120

The AgBr loaded TiO2 catalyst was prepared by a feasible approach with AgBr and tetraisopropyl orthotitanate and characterized by BET surface area measurement, diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectra (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis. The results of characterization reveal that AgBr loaded TiO2 has a nanostructure. Formation of the nanostructure in AgBr loaded TiO2 results in substantial shifting of the absorption edge of TiO2 to red and enhancement of visible light absorption. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements reveal that AgBr loaded TiO2 has a higher photoconductivity than prepared TiO2 due to higher separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs. Cyclic voltammetric studies reveal enhanced conductivity in AgBr loaded TiO2, which causes an increase in its photocatalytic activity. AgBr loaded TiO2 exhibited a higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2-P25 and prepared TiO2 in the photodegradation of Reactive Red 120 (RR 120)

Mouse mammary tumor virus-like gene sequences are present in lung patient specimens

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies have reported on the presence of Murine Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV)-like gene sequences in human cancer tissue specimens. Here, we search for MMTV-like gene sequences in lung diseases including carcinomas specimens from a Mexican population. This study was based on our previous study reporting that the INER51 lung cancer cell line, from a pleural effusion of a Mexican patient, contains MMTV-like <it>env </it>gene sequences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The MMTV-like <it>env </it>gene sequences have been detected in three out of 18 specimens studied, by PCR using a specific set of MMTV-like primers. The three identified MMTV-like gene sequences, which were assigned as INER6, HZ101, and HZ14, were 99%, 98%, and 97% homologous, respectively, as compared to GenBank sequence accession number <ext-link ext-link-id="AY161347" ext-link-type="gen">AY161347</ext-link>. The INER6 and HZ-101 samples were isolated from lung cancer specimens, and the HZ-14 was isolated from an acute inflammatory lung infiltrate sample. Two of the <it>env </it>sequences exhibited disruption of the reading frame due to mutations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In summary, we identified the presence of MMTV-like gene sequences in 2 out of 11 (18%) of the lung carcinomas and 1 out of 7 (14%) of acute inflamatory lung infiltrate specimens studied of a Mexican Population.</p

Protective Human Leucocyte Antigen Haplotype, HLA-DRB1*01-B*14, against Chronic Chagas Disease in Bolivia

Chronic Chagas disease consists of four different forms categorized on the basis of their clinical manifestations, namely; cardiac, digestive, cardiodigestive and indeterminate. In Latin America, there are 8–10 million seropositive persons who are at risk of, or have already developed serious clinical complications and who have limited access to effective treatment. The cardiac and digestive forms are characterized by tissue damage caused by persistent infection of Trypanosoma cruzi and are thought to be modulated by host immunity. In our large scale screening for chronic Chagas disease in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, hearts and colons of 229 seropositive patients were examined. We found 31.4% of patients had abnormal electrocardiograms (ECGs), 15.7% presented with megacolon, 5.2% had a combination of abnormal ECG and megacolon, and 58.1% were of indeterminate status. Previously, we attempted to ascertain whether parasite genetic polymorphism might account for the differences in clinical manefestations, by analyzing parasite DNA taken from the same study group (with the addition of a further 62 megacolon post-operational patients). We found no relationships between parasite lineages and clinical disease form. The present study reveals that host HLA polymorphisms associate with clinical manifestations of Chagas

Insight from the draft genome of Dietzia cinnamea P4 reveals mechanisms of survival in complex tropical soil habitats and biotechnology potential

The draft genome of Dietzia cinnamea strain P4 was determined using pyrosequencing. In total, 428 supercontigs were obtained and analyzed. We here describe and interpret the main features of the draft genome. The genome contained a total of 3,555,295 bp, arranged in a single replicon with an average G+C percentage of 70.9%. It revealed the presence of complete pathways for basically all central metabolic routes. Also present were complete sets of genes for the glyoxalate and reductive carboxylate cycles. Autotrophic growth was suggested to occur by the presence of genes for aerobic CO oxidation, formate/formaldehyde oxidation, the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle and the 3-hydropropionate cycle for CO2 fixation. Secondary metabolism was evidenced by the presence of genes for the biosynthesis of terpene compounds, frenolicin, nanaomycin and avilamycin A antibiotics. Furthermore, a probable role in azinomycin B synthesis, an important product with antitumor activity, was indicated. The complete alk operon for the degradation of n-alkanes was found to be present, as were clusters of genes for biphenyl ring dihydroxylation. This study brings new insights in the genetics and physiology of D. cinnamea P4, which is useful in biotechnology and bioremediation

SILEX: a fast and inexpensive high-quality DNA extraction method suitable for multiple sequencing platforms and recalcitrant plant species

[EN] Background The use of sequencing and genotyping platforms has undergone dramatic improvements, enabling the generation of a wealth of genomic information. Despite this progress, the availability of high-quality genomic DNA (gDNA) in sufficient concentrations is often a main limitation, especially for third-generation sequencing platforms. A variety of DNA extraction methods and commercial kits are available. However, many of these are costly and frequently give either low yield or low-quality DNA, inappropriate for next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms. Here, we describe a fast and inexpensive DNA extraction method (SILEX) applicable to a wide range of plant species and tissues. Results SILEX is a high-throughput DNA extraction protocol, based on the standard CTAB method with a DNA silica matrix recovery, which allows obtaining NGS-quality high molecular weight genomic plant DNA free of inhibitory compounds. SILEX was compared with a standard CTAB extraction protocol and a common commercial extraction kit in a variety of species, including recalcitrant ones, from different families. In comparison with the other methods, SILEX yielded DNA in higher concentrations and of higher quality. Manual extraction of 48 samples can be done in 96 min by one person at a cost of 0.12 euro/sample of reagents and consumables. Hundreds of tomato gDNA samples obtained with either SILEX or the commercial kit were successfully genotyped with Single Primer Enrichment Technology (SPET) with the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. Furthermore, DNA extracted fromSolanum elaeagnifoliumusing this protocol was assessed by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), obtaining a suitable size ranges for most sequencing platforms that required high-molecular-weight DNA such as Nanopore or PacBio. Conclusions A high-throughput, fast and inexpensive DNA extraction protocol was developed and validated for a wide variety of plants and tissues. SILEX offers an easy, scalable, efficient and inexpensive way to extract DNA for various next-generation sequencing applications including SPET and Nanopore among others.This research has been funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 677379 (Linking genetic resources, genomes and phenotypes of Solanaceous crops; G2P-SOL). David Alonso is grateful to Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for a predoctoral (PAID-01-16) contract under the Programa de Ayudas de Investigacion y Desarrollo initiative. Mariola Plazas is grateful to Generalitat Valenciana and Fondo Social Europeo for a postdoctoral grant (APOSTD/2018/014). Pietro Gramazio is grateful to Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for a Postdoctoral Grant (P19105, FY2019 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan (Standard)). The Spanish Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte funded a predoctoral fellowship granted to Edgar Garcia-Fortea (FPU17/02389).Vilanova Navarro, S.; Alonso-Martín, D.; Gramazio, P.; Plazas Ávila, MDLO.; García-Fortea, E.; Ferrante, P.; Schmidt, M.... (2020). SILEX: a fast and inexpensive high-quality DNA extraction method suitable for multiple sequencing platforms and recalcitrant plant species. Plant Methods. 16(1):1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-020-00652-yS111161Scheben A, Batley J, Edwards D. Genotyping-by-sequencing approaches to characterize crop genomes: choosing the right tool for the right application. Plant Biotechnol J. 2017;15:149–61.Jung H, Winefield C, Bombarely A, Prentis P, Waterhouse P. Tools and strategies for long-read sequencing and de novo assembly of plant genomes. Trends Plant Sci. 2019;24:700–24.Elshire RJ, Glaubitz JC, Sun Q, Poland JA, Kawamoto K, Buckler ES, Mitchell SE. A robust, simple genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach for high diversity species. PLoS ONE. 2011;6:e19379.Baird NA, Etter PD, Atwood TS, Currey MC, Shiver AL, Lewis ZA, Selker EU, Cresko WA, Johnson EA. Rapid SNP discovery and genetic mapping using sequenced RAD markers. PLoS ONE. 2008;3:e3376.Scaglione D, Pinosio S, Marroni F, Centa E, Fornasiero A, Magris G, Scalabrin S, Cattonaro F, Taylor G, Morgante M. Single primer enrichment technology as a tool for massive genotyping: a benchmark on black poplar and maize. Ann Bot. 2019;124:543–51.Barchi L, Acquadro A, Alonso D, Aprea G, Bassolino L, Demurtas O, Ferrante P, Gramazio P, Mini P, Portis E, Scaglione D, Toppino L, Vilanova S, Díez MJ, Rotino G, Lanteri S, Prohens J, Giuliano G. Single primer enrichment technology (SPET) for high-throughput genotyping in tomato and eggplant germplasm. Front Plant Sci. 2019;10:1005.Vaillancourt B, Buell CR. High molecular weight DNA isolation method from diverse plant species for use with Oxford Nanopore sequencing. bioRxiv. 2019;1:783159.Anderson CB, Franzmayr BK, Hong SW, Larking AC, van Stijn TC, Tan R, Moraga R, Faville M, Griffiths A. Protocol: a versatile, inexpensive, high-throughput plant genomic DNA extraction method suitable for genotyping-by-sequencing. Plant Methods. 2018;14:75.Rana MM, Aycan M, Takamatsu T, Kaneko K, Mitsui T, Itoh K. Optimized nuclear pellet method for extracting next-generation sequencing quality genomic DNA from fresh leaf tissue. Methods Protoc. 2019;2:54.Doyle JJ, Doyle JL. Isolation of plant DNA from fresh tissue. Focus. 1990;12:13–5.Healey A, Furtado A, Cooper T, Henry RJ. Protocol: a simple method for extracting next-generation sequencing quality genomic DNA from recalcitrant plant species. Plant Methods. 2014;10:21.Martínez-González CR, Ramírez-Mendoza R, Jiménez-Ramírez J, Gallegos-Vázquez C, Luna-Vega I. Improved method for genomic DNA extraction for Opuntia Mill. (Cactaceae). Plant Methods. 2017;13:82.Barbier FF, Chabikwa TG, Ahsan MU, Cook SE, Powell R, Tanurdzic M, Beveridge C. A phenol/chloroform-free method to extract nucleic acids from recalcitrant, woody tropical species for gene expression and sequencing. Plant Methods. 2019;15:62.Souza DC, Teixeira TA. A simple and effective method to obtain high DNA quality and quantity from Cerrado plant species. Mol Biol Rep. 2019;46:4611–5.Kovačević N. Magnetic beads based nucleic acid purification for molecular biology applications. Sample preparation techniques for soil, plant, and animal samples. In: Micic M, editor. Springer Protoc Handb. 2016;53–67.Martin SL, Parent JS, Laforest M, Page E, Kreiner JM, James T. Population genomic approaches for weed science. Plants. 2019;8:354.Zhou Y, Zhang Y, He W, Wang J, Peng F, Huang L, Zhao S, Deng W. Rapid regeneration and reuse of silica columns from PCR purification and gel extraction kits. Sci Rep. 2018;8:12870.Park HJ, Cho H, Jung HS, Cho BH, Lee MY. Development of a DNA isolation device using poly(3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine)-coated swab for on-site molecular diagnostics. Sci Rep. 2019;9:8144.Boom R, Sol CJ, Salimans MM, Jansen CL, Wertheim-van Dillen PM, van der Noordaa J. Rapid and simple method for purification of nucleic acids. J Clin Microbiol. 1990;28:495–503.Carter MJ, Milton ID. An inexpensive and simple method for DNA purifications on silica particles. Nucleic Acids Res. 1993;21:1044.Carvalho J, Puertas G, Gaspar J, Azinheiro S, Diéguez L, Garrido-Maestu A, Vázquez M, Barros-Velázquez J, Cardoso S, Padro M. Highly efficient DNA extraction and purification from olive oil on a washable and reusable miniaturized device. Anal Chim Acta. 2018;1020:30–40.Branton D, Deamer D, Quick J, Loman NJ. DNA extraction strategies for nanopore sequencing. Nanopore Seq. World Sci. 2019;1:91–105.Cheng H, Zhang K, Libera J, De La Cruz M, Bedzyk M. Polynucleotide adsorption to negatively charged surfaces in divalent salt solutions. Biophys J. 2016;90:1164–74.Shi B, Shin Y, Hassanali A, Singer S. DNA Binding to the Silica Surface. J Phys Chem B. 2015;119:11030–40.Katevatis C, Fan A, Klapperich CM. Low concentration DNA extraction and recovery using a silica solid phase. PLoS ONE. 2017;12:e0176848.Green MR, Sambrook J. Isolation and quantification of DNA. Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2018;2018:403–14.Toole K, Roffey P, Young E, Cho K, Shaw T, Smith M, Blagojevic N. Evaluation of commercial forensic DNA extraction kits for decontamination and extraction of DNA from biological samples contaminated with radionuclides. Forensic Sci Int. 2019;302:109867.Piskata Z, Servusova E, Babak V, Nesvadbova M, Borilova G. The quality of DNA isolated from processed food and feed via different extraction procedures. Molecules. 2019;24:1188.Xia Y, Chen F, Du Y, Liu C, Bu G, Xin Y, Boye L. A modified SDS-based DNA extraction method from raw soybean. Biosci Rep. 2019;39:2.Akkurt M. Comparison between modified DNA extraction protocols and commercial isolation kits in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). Genet Mol Res. 2012;11:2343–51.Marsal G, Baiges I, Canals JM, Zamora F, Fort F. A Fast, efficient method for extracting DNA from leaves, stems, and seeds of Vitis vinifera L. Am J Enol Vitic. 2011;62:376–81.Abdel-Latif A, Osman G. Comparison of three genomic DNA extraction methods to obtain high DNA quality from maize. Plant Methods. 2017;13:1.Huang J, Ge X, Sun M. Modified CTAB protocol using a silica matrix for isolation of plant genomic DNA. Biotechniques. 2000;28:432–4.Rogstad SH. Plant DNA extraction using silica. Plant Mol Biol Report. 2012;21:463.Li J-F, Li L, Sheen J. Protocol: a rapid and economical procedure for purification of plasmid or plant DNA with diverse applications in plant biology. Plant Methods. 2010;6:1.Li J-F, Sheen J. DNA purification from multiple sources in plant research with homemade silica resins. Humana Press. 2012;862:53–9.Vandeventer PE, Lin JS, Zwang TJ, Nadim A, Johal MS, Niemz A. Multiphasic DNA adsorption to silica surfaces under varying buffer, pH, and ionic strength conditions. J Phys Chem B. 2012;116:5661–70.Boesenberg-Smith KA, Pessarakli MM, Wolk DM. Assessment of DNA yield and purity: an overlooked detail of PCR troubleshooting. Clin Microbiol Newsl. 2012;34:1–6.Emaus MN, Clark KD, Hinners P, Anderson JL. Preconcentration of DNA using magnetic ionic liquids that are compatible with real-time PCR for rapid nucleic acid quantification. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2018;410:4135–44.Dumschott K, Schmidt MHW, Chawla HS, Snowdon R, Usadel B. Oxford Nanopore sequencing: new opportunities for plant genomics? J Exp Bot. 2020;eraa263Knapp S, Sagona E, Carbonell AKZ, Chiarini F. A revision of the Solanum elaeagnifolium clade (Elaeagnifolium clade; subgenus Leptostemonum, Solanaceae). PhytoKeys. 2017;84:1–104.García-Fortea E, Gramazio P, Vilanova S, Fita A, Mangino G, Villanueva G, Arrones A, Knapp S, Prohens J, Plazas M. First successful backcrossing towards eggplant (Solanum melongena) of a New World species, the silverleaf nightshade (S. elaeagnifolium), and characterization of interspecific hybrids and backcrosses. Sci Hort. 2019;246:563–73.Ihaka R, Gentleman R. R: a language for data analysis and graphics. J Comput Graph Stat. 1996;5:3299–314.Wickham H. ggplot2: Elegant graphics for data analysis. New York: Springer-Verlag; 2016.Ponti G, Maccaferri M, Manfredini M, Kaleci S, Mandrioli M, Pellacani G, Ozben T, Depenni R, Bianchi G, Pirola G, Tomasi A. The value of fluorimetry (Qubit) and spectrophotometry (NanoDrop) in the quantification of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in malignant melanoma and prostate cancer patients. Clin Chim Acta. 2018;479:14–9.Lakshmi R, Baskar V, Ranga U. Extraction of superior-quality plasmid DNA by a combination of modified alkaline lysis and silica matrix. Anal Biochem. 1999;272:109–12.Taylor JI, Hurst CD, Davies MJ, Sachsinger N, Bruce IJ. Application of magnetite and silica–magnetite composites to the isolation of genomic DNA. J Chromatogr A. 2000;890:159–66.Prodělalová J, Rittich B, Španová A, Petrová K, Beneš MJ. Isolation of genomic DNA using magnetic cobalt ferrite and silica particles. J Chromatogr A. 2004;1056:43–8.Shan Z, Jiang Y, Guo M, Bennett JC, Li X, Tian H, Oakes K, Zhang, Zhou Y, Huang Q, Chen H. Promoting DNA loading on magnetic nanoparticles using a DNA condensation strategy. Colloids Surfaces B Biointerfaces. 2015;125:247–54.Greco M, Sáez C, Brown M, Bitonti M. A simple and effective method for high quality co-extraction of genomic DNA and total RNA from low biomass Ectocarpus siliculosus, the model brown alga. PLoS ONE. 2014;9:e96470.Schrader C, Schielke A, Ellerbroek L, Johne R. PCR inhibitor – occurrence, properties and removal. J Appl Microbiol. 2012;113:1014–26.Demeke T, Adams RP. The effects of plant polysaccharides and buffer additives on PCR. Biotechniques. 1992;12:332–4.Asami DK, Hong YJ, Barrett DM, Mitchell AE. Comparison of the total phenolic and ascorbic acid content of freeze-dried and air-dried marionberry, strawberry, and corn grown using conventional, organic, and sustainable agricultural practices. J Agric Food Chem. 2003;51:1237–41.Schmidt M, Vogel A, Denton A, Istace B, Wormit A, van de Geest H, Bolger M, Alseekh S, Maß J, Pfaff C, Schurr U, Chetelat R, Maumus F, Aury J, Koren S, Fernie A, Zamir D, Bolger A, Usadel B. De novo assembly of a new Solanum pennellii accession using nanopore sequencing. Plant cell. 2017;29:2336–48

Can the understory affect the Hymenoptera parasitoids in a Eucalyptus plantation?

The understory in forest plantations can increase richness and diversity of natural enemies due to greater plant species richness. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the presence of the understory and climatic season in the region (wet or dry) can increase the richness and abundance of Hymenoptera parasitoids in Eucalyptus plantations, in the municipality of Belo Oriente, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. In each eucalyptus cultivation (five areas of cultivation) ten Malaise traps were installed, five with the understory and five without it. A total of 9,639 individuals from 30 families of the Hymenoptera parasitoids were collected, with Mymaridae, Scelionidae, Encyrtidae and Braconidae being the most collected ones with 4,934, 1,212, 619 and 612 individuals, respectively. The eucalyptus stands with and without the understory showed percentage of individuals 45.65% and 54.35% collected, respectively. The understory did not represent a positive effect on the overall abundance of the individuals Hymenoptera in the E. grandis stands, but rather exerted a positive effect on the specific families of the parasitoids of this order

Regulatory T Cells Phenotype in Different Clinical Forms of Chagas' Disease

CD25High CD4+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) have been described as key players in immune regulation, preventing infection-induced immune pathology and limiting collateral tissue damage caused by vigorous anti-parasite immune response. In this review, we summarize data obtained by the investigation of Treg cells in different clinical forms of Chagas' disease. Ex vivo immunophenotyping of whole blood, as well as after stimulation with Trypanosoma cruzi antigens, demonstrated that individuals in the indeterminate (IND) clinical form of the disease have a higher frequency of Treg cells, suggesting that an expansion of those cells could be beneficial, possibly by limiting strong cytotoxic activity and tissue damage. Additional analysis demonstrated an activated status of Treg cells based on low expression of CD62L and high expression of CD40L, CD69, and CD54 by cells from all chagasic patients after T. cruzi antigenic stimulation. Moreover, there was an increase in the frequency of the population of Foxp3+ CD25HighCD4+ cells that was also IL-10+ in the IND group, whereas in the cardiac (CARD) group, there was an increase in the percentage of Foxp3+ CD25High CD4+ cells that expressed CTLA-4. These data suggest that IL-10 produced by Treg cells is effective in controlling disease development in IND patients. However, in CARD patients, the same regulatory mechanism, mediated by IL-10 and CTLA-4 expression is unlikely to be sufficient to control the progression of the disease. These data suggest that Treg cells may play an important role in controlling the immune response in Chagas' disease and the balance between regulatory and effector T cells may be important for the progression and development of the disease. Additional detailed analysis of the mechanisms on how these cells are activated and exert their function will certainly give insights for the rational design of procedure to achieve the appropriate balance between protection and pathology during parasite infections

The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs High-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of 324 survey stars

The CARMENES radial velocity (RV) survey is observing 324 M dwarfs to search for any orbiting planets. In this paper, we present the survey sample by publishing one CARMENES spectrum for each M dwarf. These spectra cover the wavelength range 520–1710 nm at a resolution of at least R >80 000, and we measure its RV, Hα emission, and projected rotation velocity. We present an atlas of high-resolution M-dwarf spectra and compare the spectra to atmospheric models. To quantify the RV precision that can be achieved in low-mass stars over the CARMENES wavelength range, we analyze our empirical information on the RV precision from more than 6500 observations. We compare our high-resolution M-dwarf spectra to atmospheric models where we determine the spectroscopic RV information content, Q, and signal-to-noise ratio. We find that for all M-type dwarfs, the highest RV precision can be reached in the wavelength range 700–900 nm. Observations at longer wavelengths are equally precise only at the very latest spectral types (M8 and M9). We demonstrate that in this spectroscopic range, the large amount of absorption features compensates for the intrinsic faintness of an M7 star. To reach an RV precision of 1 m s−1 in very low mass M dwarfs at longer wavelengths likely requires the use of a 10 m class telescope. For spectral types M6 and earlier, the combination of a red visual and a near-infrared spectrograph is ideal to search for low-mass planets and to distinguish between planets and stellar variability. At a 4 m class telescope, an instrument like CARMENES has the potential to push the RV precision well below the typical jitter level of 3–4 m s−1

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac