Complete sequence and analysis of the ovine herpesvirus 2 genome

Ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is endemic in sheep populations worldwide and causes malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), a lymphoproliferative disease, in cattle, bison and deer. OvHV-2 has been placed in the gammaherpesvirus subfamily and is related closely to Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1). Here, the cloning, sequencing and analysis of the complete OvHV-2 genome derived from a lymphoblastoid cell line from an affected cow (BJ1035) are reported. The unique portion of the genome consists of 130 930 bp, with a mean G+C content of 52 mol%. The unique DNA is flanked by multiple copies of terminal repeat elements 4205 bp in length, with a mean G+C content of 72 mol%. Analysis revealed 73 open reading frames (ORFs), the majority (62) of which showed homology to other gammaherpesvirus genes. A further subset of nine ORFs is shared with only the related AlHV-1. Three ORFs are entirely unique to OvHV-2, including a spliced homologue of cellular interleukin-10 that retains the exon structure of the cellular gene. The sequence of OvHV-2 is a critical first step in the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of MCF

Biocompatible silk fibroin scaffold prepared by reactive inkjet printing

It has recently been shown that regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) aqueous solution can be printed using an inkjet printer. In this communication, we demonstrate an alternative reactive inkjet printing method that provides control over RSF crystallinity through β-sheet concentration. A biocompatible film has successfully been produced through the alternate printing of RSF aqueous solution and methanol using reactive inkjet printing. Control over the formation of the β-sheet structure was achieved by printing different ratios of RSF to methanol and was confirmed using Fourier Transform Infra Red spectroscopy. The biocompatibility of the printed silk scaffold was demonstrated by the growth of fibroblast cells upon its surface

X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure calculations with pseudopotentials. Application to K-edge in diamond and alpha-quartz

We present a reciprocal-space pseudopotential scheme for calculating X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra. The scheme incorporates a recursive method to compute absorption cross section as a continued fraction. The continued fraction formulation of absorption is advantageous in that it permits the treatment of core-hole interaction through large supercells (hundreds of atoms). The method is compared with recently developed Bethe-Salpeter approach. The method is applied to the carbon K-edge in diamond and to the silicon and oxygen K-edges in alpha-quartz for which polarized XANES spectra were measured. Core-hole effects are investigated by varying the size of the supercell, thus leading to information similar to that obtained from cluster size analysis usually performed within multiple scattering calculations.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Density functional theory calculations of the carbon ELNES of small diameter armchair and zigzag nanotubes: core-hole, curvature and momentum transfer orientation effects

We perform density functional theory calculations on a series of armchair and zigzag nanotubes of diameters less than 1nm using the all-electron Full-Potential(-Linearised)-Augmented-Plane-Wave (FPLAPW) method. Emphasis is laid on the effects of curvature, the electron beam orientation and the inclusion of the core-hole on the carbon electron energy loss K-edge. The electron energy loss near-edge spectra of all the studied tubes show strong curvature effects compared to that of flat graphene. The curvature induced $\pi-\sigma$ hybridisation is shown to have a more drastic effect on the electronic properties of zigzag tubes than on those of armchair tubes. We show that the core-hole effect must be accounted for in order to correctly reproduce electron energy loss measurements. We also find that, the energy loss near edge spectra of these carbon systems are dominantly dipole selected and that they can be expressed simply as a proportionality with the local momentum projected density of states, thus portraying the weak energy dependence of the transition matrix elements. Compared to graphite, the ELNES of carbon nanotubes show a reduced anisotropy.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, revtex4 submitted for publication to Phys. Rev.

Accounting for potassium and magnesium in irrigation water quality assessment

Irrigation with treated wastewater is expected to increase significantly in California during the coming decade as a way to reduce the impact of drought and mitigate water transfer issues. To ensure that such wastewater reuse does not result in unacceptable impacts on soil permeability, water quality guidelines must effectively address sodicity hazard. However, current guidelines are based on the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and thus assume that potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg), which often are at elevated concentrations in recycled wastewaters, pose no hazard, despite many past studies to the contrary. Recent research has established that the negative effects of high K and Mg concentrations on soil permeability are substantial and that they can be accounted for by a new irrigation water quality parameter, the cation ratio of structural stability (CROSS), a generalization of SAR. We show that CROSS, when suitably optimized, correlates strongly with a standard measure of soil permeability reduction for an agricultural soil leached with winery wastewater, and that it can be incorporated directly into existing irrigation water quality guidelines by replacing SAR

CD83 increases MHC II and CD86 on dendritic cells by opposing IL-10–driven MARCH1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation

By opposing IL-10–driven, MARCH1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of MHC class II, CD83 may boost the immunogenicity of dendritic cells

Wastewater irrigation: the state of play

As demand for fresh water intensifies, wastewater is frequently being seen as a valuable resource. Furthermore, wise reuse of wastewater alleviates concerns attendant with its discharge to the environment. Globally, around 20 million ha of land are irrigated with wastewater, and this is likely to increase markedly during the next few decades as water stress intensifies. In 1995, around 2.3 billion people lived in water-stressed river basins and this could increase to 3.5 billion by 2025. We review the current status of wastewater irrigation by providing an overview of the extent of the practice throughout the world and through synthesizing the current understanding of factors influencing sustainable wastewater irrigation. A theme that emerges is that wastewater irrigation is not only more common in water-stressed regions such as the Near East, but the rationale for the practice also tends to differ between the developing and developed worlds. In developing nations, the prime drivers are livelihood dependence and food security, whereas environmental agendas appear to hold greater sway in the developed world. The following were identified as areas requiring greater understanding for the long-term sustainability of wastewater irrigation: (i) accumulation of bioavailable forms of heavy metals in soils, (ii) environmental fate of organics in wastewater-irrigated soils, (iii) influence of reuse schemes on catchment hydrology, including transport of salt loads, (iv) risk models for helminth infections (pertinent to developing nations), (v) microbiological contamination risks for aquifers and surface waters, (vi) transfer efficiencies of chemical contaminants from soil to plants, (vii) health effects of chronic exposure to chemical contaminants, and (viii) strategies for engaging the public.<br /