Loss of very-long O-antigen chains optimizes capsule-mediated immune evasion by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.

UnlabelledExpression of capsular polysaccharides is a variable trait often associated with more-virulent forms of a bacterial species. For example, typhoid fever is caused by the capsulated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi, while nontyphoidal Salmonella serovars associated with gastroenteritis are noncapsulated. Here we show that optimization of the immune evasive properties conferred by the virulence-associated (Vi) capsular polysaccharide involved an additional alteration to the cell envelope of S. Typhi, namely inactivation of the fepE gene, encoding the regulator of very-long O-antigen chains. Introduction of the capsule-encoding viaB locus into the nontyphoidal S. enterica serovar Typhimurium reduced complement deposition in vitro and intestinal inflammation in a mouse colitis model. However, both phenotypes were markedly enhanced when the viaB locus was introduced into an S. Typhimurium fepE mutant, which lacks very-long O-antigen chains. Collectively, these data suggest that during the evolution of the S. Typhi lineage, loss of very-long O-antigen chains by pseudogene formation was an adaptation to maximize the anti-inflammatory properties of the Vi capsular polysaccharide.ImportanceGenomic comparison illustrates that acquisition of virulence factors by horizontal gene transfer is an important contributor to the evolution of enteric pathogens. Acquisition of complex virulence traits commonly involves horizontal transfer of a large gene cluster, and integration of the gene cluster into the host genome results in the formation of a pathogenicity island. Acquisition of the virulence-associated (Vi) capsular polysaccharide encoded by SPI7 (Salmonella pathogenicity island 7) was accompanied in the human-adapted Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi by inactivation of the fepE gene, encoding the regulator of very-long O-antigen chains. We show that the resulting loss of very-long O-antigen chains was an important mechanism for maximizing immune evasion mediated by the Vi capsular polysaccharide. These data suggest that successful incorporation of a capsular polysaccharide requires changes in the cell envelope of the hosting pathogen

The Lactate/Pyruvate Ratio of Metabolic Modulation Using Glucose Insulin Kalium and Lactate Solution and Their Effect on Functional Mechanical Recovery of the Isolated Perfused Heart

Metabolic modulation with Glucose Insulin Kalium (GIK) solution has beenreally well known in their capacity to improve post ischemic heart function. In this regardGIK intervention on post operative Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) can improveheart function recovery on reperfusion period (Goldhaber dan Weiss, 1992; Atwell et al.,1997). Post operative CABG intervention with GIK will produce a beneficial effect onthe elevation of heart energy to prevent ionic homeostasis disturbance and reactiveoxygen species (ROS) production that become the basis of reperfusion injury (Silvermandan Stern, 1994; Cross et al., 1995; Taegtmeyer et al., 1997; Opie, 1999; Lazar, 2002;Doenst et al., 2003; Trence et al., 2003).Many efforts have been made to clarify how exactly GIK works to improve postischemic heart function as in CABG. This is crucially done in order to be able to modifythe solution concerned. Although this solution has been clearly proved to improve postischemic heart function, it is not totally free from its adverse effect. Its main side effect isthat it can provoke hyperglycemic state, which contrasts with the tight glucose control incontinuously normal range for the patients who are critically ill.In this study lactate and pyruvate level in the coronary effluent were measuredfrom the isolated heart directly perfused with GIK and lactate. It was shown that thepreischemic lactate level was low and then clearly elevated as soon as the reperfusiontook place due to anaerobic metabolism. In accordance with reperfusion time lactate leveldecreased gradually. In relation with pyruvate level, this substrate evolution looked likethe appearance of lactate but its value was lower if compared with lactate.The recovery in functional mechanical activity of the post ischemic heart seems tobe much more related to the pattern of the evolution of logarithmic lactate/pyruvate ratio(L/P ratio). Logarithmic value of L/P ratio in GIK group increased since the earlyreperfusion period (+40%, p < 0.05), followed by improvement in recovery ofmechanical activity in this group which was significantly higher if compared with thecontrol group. Similar fashion was found in lactate group in regard to the evolution of thelogarithmic value of L/P ratio in this group, where its value was significantly highercompared with the control group. The logarithmic evolution pattern on L/P ratio for thisgroup increased along the reperfusion time (+34% p < 0.05).From the present study, it can be concluded that the recovery of functionalmechanical activity of the post ischemic heart perfused with GIK is through modificationon cellular lactate metabolism

Strong obstruction of the Berends-Burgers-van Dam spin-3 vertex

In the eighties, Berends, Burgers and van Dam (BBvD) found a nonabelian cubic vertex for self-interacting massless fields of spin three in flat spacetime. However, they also found that this deformation is inconsistent at higher order for any multiplet of spin-three fields. For arbitrary symmetric gauge fields, we severely constrain the possible nonabelian deformations of the gauge algebra and, using these results, prove that the BBvD obstruction cannot be cured by any means, even by introducing fields of spin higher (or lower) than three.Comment: 19 pages, no figur

A time-dependent density functional theory scheme for efficient calculations of dynamic (hyper)polarizabilities

We present an efficient perturbative method to obtain both static and dynamic polarizabilities and hyperpolarizabilities of complex electronic systems. This approach is based on the solution of a frequency dependent Sternheimer equation, within the formalism of time-dependent density functional theory, and allows the calculation of the response both in resonance and out of resonance. Furthermore, the excellent scaling with the number of atoms opens the way to the investigation of response properties of very large molecular systems. To demonstrate the capabilities of this method, we implemented it in a real-space (basis-set free) code, and applied it to benchmark molecules, namely CO, H2O, and paranitroaniline (PNA). Our results are in agreement with experimental and previous theoretical studies, and fully validate our approach.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Experimental polarization encoded quantum key distribution over optical fibres with real-time continuous birefringence compensation

In this paper we demonstrate an active polarization drift compensation scheme for optical fibres employed in a quantum key distribution experiment with polarization encoded qubits. The quantum signals are wavelength multiplexed in one fibre along with two classical optical side channels that provide the control information for the polarization compensation scheme. This set-up allows us to continuously track any polarization change without the need to interrupt the key exchange. The results obtained show that fast polarization rotations of the order of 40*pi rad/s are effectively compensated for. We demonstrate that our set-up allows continuous quantum key distribution even in a fibre stressed by random polarization fluctuations. Our results pave the way for Bell-state measurements using only linear optics with parties separated by long-distance optical fibres

Universality in Bacterial Colonies

The emergent spatial patterns generated by growing bacterial colonies have been the focus of intense study in physics during the last twenty years. Both experimental and theoretical investigations have made possible a clear qualitative picture of the different structures that such colonies can exhibit, depending on the medium on which they are growing. However, there are relatively few quantitative descriptions of these patterns. In this paper, we use a mechanistically detailed simulation framework to measure the scaling exponents associated with the advancing fronts of bacterial colonies on hard agar substrata, aiming to discern the universality class to which the system belongs. We show that the universal behavior exhibited by the colonies can be much richer than previously reported, and we propose the possibility of up to four different sub-phases within the medium-to-high nutrient concentration regime. We hypothesize that the quenched disorder that characterizes one of these sub-phases is an emergent property of the growth and division of bacteria competing for limited space and nutrients.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

A Deep Search For Faint Galaxies Associated With Very Low-redshift C IV Absorbers: III. The Mass- and Environment-dependent Circumgalactic Medium

Using Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph observations of 89 QSO sightlines through the Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint, we study the relationships between C IV absorption systems and the properties of nearby galaxies as well as large-scale environment. To maintain sensitivity to very faint galaxies, we restrict our sample to 0.0015 < z < 0.015, which defines a complete galaxy survey to L > 0.01 L* or stellar mass log M_* > 8 Msun. We report two principal findings. First, for galaxies with impact parameter rho < 1 rvir, C IV detection strongly depends on the luminosity/stellar mass of the nearby galaxy. C IV is preferentially associated with galaxies with log M_* > 9.5 Msun; lower mass galaxies rarely exhibit significant C IV absorption (covering fraction f = 9 +12-6% for 11 galaxies with log M_* < 9.5 Msun). Second, C IV detection within the log M_* > 9.5 Msun population depends on environment. Using a fixed-aperture environmental density metric for galaxies with rho < 160 kpc at z < 0.055, we find that 57+/-12% (8/14) of galaxies in low-density regions (regions with fewer than seven L > 0.15 L* galaxies within 1.5 Mpc) have affiliated C IV absorption; however, none (0/7) of the galaxies in denser regions show C IV. Similarly, the C IV detection rate is lower for galaxies residing in groups with dark-matter halo masses of log Mhalo > 12.5 Msun. In contrast to C IV, H I is pervasive in the CGM without regard to mass or environment. These results indicate that C IV absorbers with log N(C IV) > 13.5 cm^-2 trace the halos of log M_* > 9.5 Msun galaxies but also reflect larger scale environmental conditions.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures. ApJ, in pres