Recent Developments in Radical Photoinitiator Chemistry

Radiation curing is an established technology used in many industrial manufacturing processes. New applications and technical specifications stimulate the continuous development of tailor-made photoinitiators which can efficiently meet specific requirements. A new class of radical photoinitiators, bisacylphosphine oxides (BAPO), give four initiating radicals per photoinitiator molecule and undergo photo-bleaching of the low-energy absorption band. These features make the compounds highly efficient for radiation curing of highly opaque white pigmented systems, thick coatings, or fiber-reinforced formulations

The adenovirus E4-ORF3 protein stimulates SUMOylation of general transcription factor TFII-I to direct proteasomal degradation

Modulation of host cell transcription, translation, and posttranslational modification processes is critical for the ability of many viruses to replicate efficiently within host cells. The human adenovirus (Ad) early region 4 open reading frame 3 (E4-ORF3) protein forms unique inclusions throughout the nuclei of infected cells and inhibits the antiviral Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 DNA repair complex through relocalization. E4-ORF3 also induces SUMOylation of Mre11 and Nbs1. We recently identified additional cellular targets of E4-ORF3 and found that E4-ORF3 stimulates ubiquitin-like modification of 41 cellular proteins involved in a wide variety of processes. Among the proteins most abundantly modified in an E4-ORF3-dependent manner was the general transcription factor II–I (TFII-I). Analysis of Ad-infected cells revealed that E4-ORF3 induces TFII-I relocalization and SUMOylation early during infection. In the present study, we explored the relationship between E4-ORF3 and TFII-I. We found that Ad infection or ectopic E4-ORF3 expression leads to SUMOylation of TFII-I that precedes a rapid decline in TFII-I protein levels. We also show that E4-ORF3 is required for ubiquitination of TFII-I and subsequent proteasomal degradation. This is the first evidence that E4-ORF3 regulates ubiquitination. Interestingly, we found that E4-ORF3 modulation of TFII-I occurs in diverse cell types but only E4-ORF3 of Ad species C regulates TFII-I, providing critical insight into the mechanism by which E4-ORF3 targets TFII-I. Finally, we show that E4-ORF3 stimulates the activity of a TFII-I-repressed viral promoter during infection. Our results characterize a novel mechanism of TFII-I regulation by Ad and highlight how a viral protein can modulate a critical cellular transcription factor during infection

Development of novel 2D and 3D correlative microscopy to characterise the composition and multiscale structure of suspended sediment aggregates.

Suspended cohesive sediments form aggregates or 'flocs' and are often closely associated with carbo, nutrients, pathogens and pollutants, which makes understanding their composition, transport and fate highly desirable. Accurate prediction of floc behaviour requires the quantification of 3-dimensional (3D) properties (size, shoe and internal structure) that span several scales (i.e. nanometre [nm] to millimetre [mm]-scale). Traditional techniques (optical cameras and electron microscopy [EM]), however, can only provide 2-dimensional (2D) simplifications of 3D floc geometries. Additionally, the existence of a resolution gap between conventional optical microscopy (COM) and transmission EM (TEM) prevents an understanding of how floc nm-scale constituents and internal structure influence mm-scale floc properties. Here, we develop a novel correlative imaging workflow combining 3D X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT), 3D focused ion beam nanotomography (FIB-nt) and 2D scanning EM (SEM) and TEM (STEM) which allows us to stabilise, visualise and quantify the composition and multi scale structure of sediment flocs for the first time. This new technique allowed the quantification of 3D floc geometries, the identification of individual floc components (e.g., clays, non-clay minerals and bacteria), and characterisation of particle-particle and structural associations across scales. This novel dataset demonstrates the truly complex structure of natural flocs at multiple scales. The integration of multiscale, state-of-the-art instrumentation/techniques offers the potential to generate fundamental new understanding of floc composition, structure and behaviour

Radial deformation measurement of a cylinder under compression using multicore fibre

A multicore fibre (MCF) sensor to measure the radial deformation of a compliant cylinder under compression is presented. The sensor is connectorised and need not be permanently bonded to the test object. A differential measurement technique using FBGs written into the MCF makes the sensor temperature insensitive. FBG measurement of axial strain of a cylinder under compression is also reported

Population policies and education: exploring the contradictions of neo-liberal globalisation

The world is increasingly characterised by profound income, health and social inequalities (Appadurai, 2000). In recent decades development initiatives aimed at reducing these inequalities have been situated in a context of increasing globalisation with a dominant neo-liberal economic orthodoxy. This paper argues that neo-liberal globalisation contains inherent contradictions regarding choice and uniformity. This is illustrated in this paper through an exploration of the impact of neo-liberal globalisation on population policies and programmes. The dominant neo-liberal economic ideology that has influenced development over the last few decades has often led to alternative global visions being overlooked. Many current population and development debates are characterised by polarised arguments with strongly opposing aims and views. This raises the challenge of finding alternatives situated in more middle ground that both identify and promote the socially positive elements of neo-liberalism and state intervention, but also to limit their worst excesses within the population field and more broadly. This paper concludes with a discussion outling the positive nature of middle ground and other possible alternatives

Structural revelations of photosynthesis' membrane protein complexes

Photosynthetic organisms appeared early in evolution and their photosynthetic apparatus has evolved along. The first bacteria carried out only anoxygenic photosynthesis catalyzed by one type of reaction center, type I or II, which somehow came together in cyanobacteria, and evolved into photosystems I and II. This was an evolutionary step that enabled cyanobacteria to carry out oxygenic photosynthesis. The photosystems have the unique capacity to perform and fix energy in a process where water splitting and oxygen evolution takes place, providing planet Earth with an essential molecule for development of life, i.e. Oxygen. Throughout evolution, primordial organisms became more complex upon colonizing diverse environments resulting into the current day sophisticated systems. Nevertheless, the photosystems have preserved their vital mechanisms of sunlight conversion with PSI at almost 100% efficiency, and PSII’s unique water splitting property. Important about photosynthesis systems are the high-energy conversion efficiency and oxygen evolution besides hydrogen generation by some organisms like cyanobacteria. These features are precious global demands for efficient sun utilizing devices, environmental concerns and current economics of alternative energy source to fossil fuel depletion. The diversity of the photosynthesis proteins due to evolution upon adaptation and exploitability is intriguing for researchers from all fields of science to understand aspects of structural diversity, function and dynamics. This work is highly complementary and has been carried out in multidisciplinary collaborations to get more impact for understanding the photosynthesis systems that evolved early or later. The results of which can be integrated into applied technology.