The effects of the bacterial interaction with visible-light responsive titania photocatalyst on the bactericidal performance

Bactericidal activity of traditional titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst is effective only upon irradiation by ultraviolet light, which restricts the potential applications of TiO2 for use in our living environments. Recently carbon-containing TiO2 was found to be photoactive at visible-light illumination that affords the potential to overcome this problem; although, the bactericidal activity of these photocatalysts is relatively lower than conventional disinfectants. Evidenced from scanning electron microscopy and confocal Raman spectral mapping analysis, we found the interaction with bacteria was significantly enhanced in these anatase/rutile mixed-phase carbon-containing TiO2. Bacteria-killing experiments indicate that a significantly higher proportion of all tested pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexneri and Acinetobacter baumannii, were eliminated by the new nanoparticle with higher bacterial interaction property. These findings suggest the created materials with high bacterial interaction ability might be a useful strategy to improve the antimicrobial activity of visible-light-activated TiO2

TEM Examination of Surface Characteristics of Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) HTMP Fibers

A study was conducted on the surface features of rubberwood high temperature thermomechanical (HTMP) fibers. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used for the characterization of the surface features. The fracture behavior of the cell walls of the fibers were also studied. It was found that the outer surface of the HTMP fiber wall was completely covered by middle lamella, whose thickness was highly variable

Presence of a Distinct S3 Layer in Mild Compression Wood Tracheids of Pinus radiata

A study of electron microscopic evidence for the presence of a distinct S3 layer in mild compression wood tracheids of Pinus radiata was performed. S3 layers have an important role to play in strengthening the xylem tissues in standing trees and in minimizing collapse in wood tissues. These layers are also likely to be an important factor in wood processes involving physical and chemical treatments, as well as in the biodegradation of wood

Clinical and histopathological study on reproductive lesions caused by Pasteurella multocida type B2 immunogens in buffalo heifers

Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) is a globally renowned disease that affects cattle and buffaloes. Its effects on the reproductive system have not been previously studied. The present study evaluated the pathological responses in pre-pubertal female buffaloes infected with immunogens; lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and outer membrane protein (OMP) derived from P. multocida type B:2. Fifteen healthy pre-pubertal female buffaloes were divided into 5 equal groups. Buffaloes in groups 1 and 2 were intravenously and orally inoculated with P. multocida LPS, while those in groups 3 and 4 were sub-cutaneously and orally inoculated with P. multocida OMP. Buffaloes in group 5 were inoculated with sterile phosphate buffered saline (negative control). During the post infection period, all buffaloes were examined for clinical signs throughout 21 days and surviving animals were euthanised for postmortem evaluation. Histopathological evaluation of buffaloes inoculated intravenously with LPS showed a significantly higher occurrence (P<0.05) of necrosis and degeneration in the uterine horn and supramammary glands . Following inoculation with OMP, haemorrhage and congestion was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the ovaries, cervix, vagina, mammary and supra-mammary glands of buffaloes inoculated subcutaneously, while necrosis and degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration in different organs was also significantly increased in the same group. The findings showed that both P. multocida bacterial LPS and OMP affected the uterine horn, ovaries, cervix, mammary gland and supramammary lymph nodes of buffalo calves inoculated either intravenously or subcutaneously, as compared to those inoculated orally

Effective interaction between helical bio-molecules

The effective interaction between two parallel strands of helical bio-molecules, such as deoxyribose nucleic acids (DNA), is calculated using computer simulations of the "primitive" model of electrolytes. In particular we study a simple model for B-DNA incorporating explicitly its charge pattern as a double-helix structure. The effective force and the effective torque exerted onto the molecules depend on the central distance and on the relative orientation. The contributions of nonlinear screening by monovalent counterions to these forces and torques are analyzed and calculated for different salt concentrations. As a result, we find that the sign of the force depends sensitively on the relative orientation. For intermolecular distances smaller than $6\AA$ it can be both attractive and repulsive. Furthermore we report a nonmonotonic behaviour of the effective force for increasing salt concentration. Both features cannot be described within linear screening theories. For large distances, on the other hand, the results agree with linear screening theories provided the charge of the bio-molecules is suitably renormalized.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures included in text, 100 bibliog

Novel LOTUS-domain proteins are organizational hubs that recruit C. elegans Vasa to germ granules

We describe MIP-1 and MIP-2, novel paralogous C. elegans germ granule components that interact with the intrinsically disordered MEG-3 protein. These proteins promote P granule condensation, form granules independently of MEG-3 in the postembryonic germ line, and balance each other in regulating P granule growth and localization. MIP-1 and MIP-2 each contain two LOTUS domains and intrinsically disordered regions and form homo- and heterodimers. They bind and anchor the Vasa homolog GLH-1 within P granules and are jointly required for coalescence of MEG-3, GLH-1, and PGL proteins. Animals lacking MIP-1 and MIP-2 show temperature-sensitive embryonic lethality, sterility, and mortal germ lines. Germline phenotypes include defects in stem cell self-renewal, meiotic progression, and gamete differentiation. We propose that these proteins serve as scaffolds and organizing centers for ribonucleoprotein networks within P granules that help recruit and balance essential RNA processing machinery to regulate key developmental transitions in the germ line

Global Search for New Physics with 2.0/fb at CDF

Data collected in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron are searched for indications of new electroweak-scale physics. Rather than focusing on particular new physics scenarios, CDF data are analyzed for discrepancies with the standard model prediction. A model-independent approach (Vista) considers gross features of the data, and is sensitive to new large cross-section physics. Further sensitivity to new physics is provided by two additional algorithms: a Bump Hunter searches invariant mass distributions for "bumps" that could indicate resonant production of new particles; and the Sleuth procedure scans for data excesses at large summed transverse momentum. This combined global search for new physics in 2.0/fb of ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV reveals no indication of physics beyond the standard model.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version which appeared in Physical Review D Rapid Communication

Observation of Orbitally Excited B_s Mesons

We report the first observation of two narrow resonances consistent with states of orbitally excited (L=1) B_s mesons using 1 fb^{-1} of ppbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We use two-body decays into K^- and B^+ mesons reconstructed as B^+ \to J/\psi K^+, J/\psi \to \mu^+ \mu^- or B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 \pi^+, \bar{D}^0 \to K^+ \pi^-. We deduce the masses of the two states to be m(B_{s1}) = 5829.4 +- 0.7 MeV/c^2 and m(B_{s2}^*) = 5839.7 +- 0.7 MeV/c^2.Comment: Version accepted and published by Phys. Rev. Let

Shrinking a large dataset to identify variables associated with increased risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection in Western Kenya

Large datasets are often not amenable to analysis using traditional single-step approaches. Here, our general objective was to apply imputation techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), elastic net and generalized linear models to a large dataset in a systematic approach to extract the most meaningful predictors for a health outcome. We extracted predictors for Plasmodium falciparum infection, from a large covariate dataset while facing limited numbers of observations, using data from the People, Animals, and their Zoonoses (PAZ) project to demonstrate these techniques: data collected from 415 homesteads in western Kenya, contained over 1500 variables that describe the health, environment, and social factors of the humans, livestock, and the homesteads in which they reside. The wide, sparse dataset was simplified to 42 predictors of P. falciparum malaria infection and wealth rankings were produced for all homesteads. The 42 predictors make biological sense and are supported by previous studies. This systematic data-mining approach we used would make many large datasets more manageable and informative for decision-making processes and health policy prioritization