Wheat colonization by determinate bacteria

The ability to colonize wheat by determinate strain in soil, in competition with the total soil microflora, was investigated with three mutants of strain pseudomonads which contains the nptII gene, which codes for an aminoglycosidephosphotransferase, this enzyme confers antibiotic resistance to both neomycin and kanamycin. Number of bacteria was obtained from bulk soil, rhizosphere and rhizoplane, using phase contrast microscopy. Mutants were detected using selective agar for pseudomonas supplied with neomycin and genomic fingerprinting of bacteria used molecular genetic method ERIC-PCR. On the rhizoplane, number of all three mutants where similar at about 104 per 3cm root, but the total heterotroph population varied so that the proportion of mutants appeared to vary from 6.3% for PCM40074 to 20% for PCM40313, to 84% for PCM40326. This could be due occasion but by observation of 24 colonies of heterotrophs isolated on TSA, 10 were positively identified as PCM40326 using ERIC-PCR and antibiotic- resistance phenotype on selective agar and indicates that it may be more competitive than the other two mutants

Lorentzian and signature changing branes

General hypersurface layers are considered in order to describe brane-worlds and shell cosmologies. No restriction is placed on the causal character of the hypersurface which may thus have internal changes of signature. Strengthening the results in our previous letter [1], we confirm that a good, regular and consistent description of signature change is achieved in these brane/shells scenarios, while keeping the hypersurface and the bulk completely regular. Our formalism allows for a unified description of the traditional timelike branes/shells together with the signature-changing, or pure null, ones. This allows for a detailed comparison of the results in both situations. An application to the case of hypersurface layers in static bulks is presented, leading to the general Robertson-Walker geometry on the layer --with a possible signature change. Explicit examples on anti de Sitter bulks are then studied. The permitted behaviours in different settings ($Z_{2}$-mirror branes, asymmetric shells, signature-changing branes) are analysed in detail. We show in particular that (i) in asymmetric shells there is an upper bound for the energy density, and (ii) that the energy density within the brane vanishes when approaching a change of signature. The description of a signature change as a `singularity' seen from within the brane is considered. We also find new relations between the fundamental constants in the brane/shell, its tension, and the cosmological and gravitational constants of the bulk, independently of the existence or not of a change of signature.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figure

Assessing the impact of the physical properties of industrially produced carbon nanotubes on their interaction with human primary macrophages in vitro

Currently it is not fully understood how carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may affect human health. Despite this, CNTs are produced at a tonne mass scale yearly. Due to their large production and intended use within a variety of applications it is imperative that a clear understanding of the hazard potential of CNTs is gained. The aim of this study therefore was to assess the impact of five different industrially produced CNTs which varied in their physical properties on the viability of human monocyte derived macrophages (MDM), and subsequently, at sub-lethal concentrations (0.005-0.02 mg/mL), their ability to cause oxidative stress and a pro-inflammatory response in these important immune cells over a 24-h period. None of the CNTs caused significant cytotoxicity up to 0.02 mg/mL after 24 h. Only the long multi-walled CNTs (MWNCTs) caused a significant, dose-dependent (0.005-0.02 mg/mL) reactive oxygen species production, whilst bundled MWCNTs showed a significant tumor necrosis factor alpha release after 24 h exposure at 0.02 mg/mL. No effects were observed for either tangled MWCNTs or short MWCNTs. It can be concluded from the findings of the present study that the industrially produced CNTs studied can cause hazardous effects in vitro that may be associated with their physical propertie

Dynamic Simulation of a solar tower system with open volumetic receiver - a review on the vICERP project

The paper presents an overview on the modeling and simulation activities of the virtual institute for central receiver power plants (vICERP). Within a three years launch period models and tools for dynamic simulation of central receiver power plants have been developed by the five research institutes involved. The models are based on the Modelica modeling language. Today, models for the heliostat field, the receiver, the air cycle, the thermal storage, and the water-steam cycle are available within the consortium. As a first application, the Solar Tower Jülich technology was used as a reference. Models are validated with real operational data from the Solar Tower Jülich

Quantitative comparison of optimized nanorods, nanoshells and hollow nanospheres for photothermal therapy

The purpose of this study is to get more efficient gold nanoparticles, for necrosis of cancer cells, in photothermal therapy. Therefore a numerical maximization of the absorption efficiency of a set of nanoparticles (nanorod, nanoshell and hollow nanosphere) is proposed, assuming that all the absorbed light is converted to heat. Two therapeutic cases (shallow and deep cancer) are considered. The numerical tools used in this study are the full Mie theory, the discrete dipole approximation and the particle swarm optimization. The optimization leads to an improved efficiency of the nanoparticles compared with previous studies. For the shallow cancer therapy, the hollow nanosphere seems to be more efficient than the other nanoparticles, whereas the hollow nanosphere and nanorod, offer comparable absorption efficiencies, for deep cancer therapy. Finally, a study of tolerance for the size parameters to guarantee an absorption efficiency threshold is included

Surface charge of polymer coated SPIONs influences the serum protein adsorption, colloidal stability and subsequent cell interaction in vitro

It is known that the nanoparticle–cell interaction strongly depends on the physicochemical properties of the investigated particles. In addition, medium density and viscosity influence the colloidal behaviour of nanoparticles. Here, we show how nanoparticle–protein interactions are related to the particular physicochemical characteristics of the particles, such as their colloidal stability, and how this significantly influences the subsequent nanoparticle–cell interaction in vitro. Therefore, different surface charged superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized. Similar adsorbed protein profiles were identified following incubation in supplemented cell culture media, although cellular uptake varied significantly between the different particles. However, positively charged nanoparticles displayed a significantly lower colloidal stability than neutral and negatively charged particles while showing higher non-sedimentation driven cell-internalization in vitro without any significant cytotoxic effects. The results of this study strongly indicate therefore that an understanding of the aggregation state of NPs in biological fluids is crucial in regards to their biological interaction(s)

Increased pore size of scaffolds improves coating efficiency with sulfated hyaluronan and mineralization capacity of osteoblasts

Background: Delayed bone regeneration of fractures in osteoporosis patients or of critical-size bone defects after tumor resection are a major medical and socio-economic challenge. Therefore, the development of more effective and osteoinductive biomaterials is crucial. Methods: We examined the osteogenic potential of macroporous scaffolds with varying pore sizes after biofunctionalization with a collagen/high-sulfated hyaluronan (sHA3) coating in vitro. The three-dimensional scaffolds were made up from a biodegradable three-armed lactic acid-based macromer (TriLA) by cross-polymerization. Templating with solid lipid particles that melt during fabrication generates a continuous pore network. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) cultivated on the functionalized scaffolds in vitro were investigated for cell viability, production of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone matrix formation. Statistical analysis was performed using student's t-test or two-way ANOVA. Results: We succeeded in generating scaffolds that feature a significantly higher average pore size and a broader distribution of individual pore sizes (HiPo) by modifying composition and relative amount of lipid particles, macromer concentration and temperature for cross-polymerization during scaffold fabrication. Overall porosity was retained, while the scaffolds showed a 25% decrease in compressive modulus compared to the initial TriLA scaffolds with a lower pore size (LoPo). These HiPo scaffolds were more readily coated as shown by higher amounts of immobilized collagen (+ 44%) and sHA3 (+ 25%) compared to LoPo scaffolds. In vitro, culture of hMSCs on collagen and/or sHA3-coated HiPo scaffolds demonstrated unaltered cell viability. Furthermore, the production of ALP, an early marker of osteogenesis (+ 3-fold), and formation of new bone matrix (+ 2.5-fold) was enhanced by the functionalization with sHA3 of both scaffold types. Nevertheless, effects were more pronounced on HiPo scaffolds about 112%. Conclusion: In summary, we showed that the improvement of scaffold pore sizes enhanced the coating efficiency with collagen and sHA3, which had a significant positive effect on bone formation markers, underlining the promise of using this material approach for in vivo studies. © 2019 The Author(s)

Nanoparticle colloidal stability in cell culture media and impact on cellular interactions

Nanomaterials are finding increasing use for biomedical applications such as imaging, diagnostics, and drug delivery. While it is well understood that nanoparticle (NP) physico-chemical properties can dictate biological responses and interactions, it has been difficult to outline a unifying framework to directly link NP properties to expected in vitro and in vivo outcomes. When introduced to complex biological media containing electrolytes, proteins, lipids, etc., nanoparticles (NPs) are subjected to a range of forces which determine their behavior in this environment. One aspect of NP behavior in biological systems that is often understated or overlooked is aggregation. NP aggregation will significantly alter in vitro behavior (dosimetry, NP uptake, cytotoxicity), as well as in vivo fate (pharmacokinetics, toxicity, biodistribution). Thus, understanding the factors driving NP colloidal stability and aggregation is paramount. Furthermore, studying biological interactions with NPs at the nanoscale level requires an interdisciplinary effort with a robust understanding of multiple characterization techniques. This review examines the factors that determine NP colloidal stability, the various efforts to stabilize NP in biological media, the methods to characterize NP colloidal stability in situ, and provides a discussion regarding NP interactions with cell

Transferrin receptor 2 controls bone mass and pathological bone formation via BMP and Wnt signalling

Transferrin receptor 2 (Tfr2) is mainly expressed in the liver and controls iron homeostasis. Here, we identify Tfr2 as a regulator of bone homeostasis that inhibits bone formation. Mice lacking Tfr2 display increased bone mass and mineralization independent of iron homeostasis and hepatic Tfr2. Bone marrow transplantation experiments and studies of cell-specific Tfr2 knockout mice demonstrate that Tfr2 impairs BMP-p38MAPK signaling and decreases expression of the Wnt inhibitor sclerostin specifically in osteoblasts. Reactivation of MAPK or overexpression of sclerostin rescues skeletal abnormalities in Tfr2 knockout mice. We further show that the extracellular domain of Tfr2 binds BMPs and inhibits BMP-2-induced heterotopic ossification by acting as a decoy receptor. These data indicate that Tfr2 limits bone formation by modulating BMP signaling, possibly through direct interaction with BMP either as a receptor or as a co-receptor in a complex with other BMP receptors. Finally, the Tfr2 extracellular domain may be effective in the treatment of conditions associated with pathological bone formation