The Importance of Information Literacy Skills for the Effective use of Electronic Resources by Faculty of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana

The university education system aims to preserve and enhance human knowledge by strengthening the research abilities of students, resulting in the promotion of independent learning. These goals cannot be achieved without the help and intervention of an information specialist, as well as faculty. Knowledgeable navigators (e.g. librarians and lecturers) have to locate and evaluate information before passing it on to their students for use. This study sought to examine the link between information literacy skills (ILS) and library patronage. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 120 faculty members at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ho, Ghana. This method was used because of its potential for generalising findings to a larger population. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21 was used to analyse the data into frequencies and percentages. Findings revealed that respondents mostly use the library to access print materials. It was revealed that while faculty do have information literacy skills, continuous training is necessary to keep up with the changing information environment. As a result, management is encouraged to provide academic librarians with the necessary resources to present periodic seminars and training on searching strategies

Twinning superlattices in indium phosphide nanowires

Here, we show that we control the crystal structure of indium phosphide (InP) nanowires by impurity dopants. We have found that zinc decreases the activation barrier for 2D nucleation growth of zinc-blende InP and therefore promotes the InP nanowires to crystallise in the zinc blende, instead of the commonly found wurtzite crystal structure. More importantly, we demonstrate that we can, by controlling the crystal structure, induce twinning superlattices with long-range order in InP nanowires. We can tune the spacing of the superlattices by the wire diameter and the zinc concentration and present a model based on the cross-sectional shape of the zinc-blende InP nanowires to quantitatively explain the formation of the periodic twinning.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Inverse Association between trans Isomeric and Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Pregnant Women and Their Newborns: Data from Three European Countries

Background: trans unsaturated fatty acids are thought to interfere with essential fatty acid metabolism. To extend our knowledge of this phenomenon, we investigated the relationship between trans isomeric and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in mothers during pregnancy and in their infants at birth. Methods: Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was determined in Spanish (n = 120), German (n = 78) and Hungarian (n = 43) women at the 20th and 30th week of gestation, at delivery and in their newborns. Results: At the 20th week of gestation, the sum of trans fatty acids in PE was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in Hungarian [0.73 (0.51), % wt/wt, median (IQR)] than in Spanish [1.42 (1.36)] and German [1.30 (1.21)] women. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) values in PE were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in Hungarian {[}5.65 (2.09)] than in Spanish [4.37 (2.60)] or German [4.39 (3.3.2)] women. The sum of trans fatty acids significantly inversely correlated to DHA in PCs in Spanish (r = -0.37, p < 0.001), German (n = -0.77, p < 0.001) and Hungarian (r = -0.35, p < 0.05) women, and in PEs in Spanish (r = -0.67, p < 0.001) and German (r = -0.71, p < 0.001), but not in Hungarian (r = -0.02) women. Significant inverse correlations were seen between trans fatty acids and DHA in PEs at the 30th week of gestation (n = 241, r = -0.52, p < 0.001), at delivery (n = 241, r = -0.40, p < 0.001) and in cord lipids (n = 218, r = -0.28, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Because humans cannot synthesize trans isomeric fatty acids, the data obtained in the present study support the concept that high maternal trans isomeric fatty acid intake may interfere with the availability of LCPUFA both for the mother and the fetus. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Contribution of microscopy for understanding the mechanism of action against trypanosomatids

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has proved to be a useful tool to study the ultrastructural alterations and the target organelles of new antitrypanosomatid drugs. Thus, it has been observed that sesquiterpene lactones induce diverse ultrastructural alterations in both T. cruzi and Leishmania spp., such as cytoplasmic vacuolization, appearance of multilamellar structures, condensation of nuclear DNA, and, in some cases, an important accumulation of lipid vacuoles. This accumulation could be related to apoptotic events. Some of the sesquiterpene lactones (e.g., psilostachyin) have also been demonstrated to cause an intense mitochondrial swelling accompanied by a visible kinetoplast deformation as well as the appearance of multivesicular bodies. This mitochondrial swelling could be related to the generation of oxidative stress and associated to alterations in the ergosterol metabolism. The appearance of multilamellar structures and multiple kinetoplasts and flagella induced by the sesquiterpene lactone psilostachyin C indicates that this compound would act at the parasite cell cycle level, in an intermediate stage between kinetoplast segregation and nuclear division. In turn, the diterpene lactone icetexane has proved to induce the external membrane budding on T. cruzi together with an apparent disorganization of the pericellar cytoskeleton. Thus, ultrastructural TEM studies allow elucidating the possible mechanisms and the subsequent identification of molecular targets for the action of natural compounds on trypanosomatids.Fil: Lozano, Esteban Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Spina Zapata, Renata María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Barrera, Patricia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; ArgentinaFil: Tonn, Carlos Eugenio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Sosa Escudero, Miguel Angel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza Dr. Mario H. Burgos; Argentin

A comparative evaluation of dried activated sludge and mixed dried activated sludge with rice husk silica to remove hydrogen sulfide.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of dried activated sludge (DAS) and mixed dried activated sludge with rice husk silica (DAS & RHS) for removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Two laboratory-scale filter columns (packed one litter) were operated. Both systems were operated under different conditions of two parameters, namely different inlet gas concentrations and different inlet flow rates. The DAS & RHS packed filter showed more than 99.96% removal efficiency (RE) with empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 45 to 90 s and 300 mg/L inlet concentration of H2S. However, the RE decreased to 96.87% with the EBRT of 30 s. In the same condition, the DAS packed filter showed 99.37% RE. Nonetheless, the RE was shown to have dropped to 82.09% with the EBRT of 30 s. The maximum elimination capacity (EC) was obtained in the DAS & RHS packed filter up to 52.32 g/m3h, with the RE of 96.87% and H2S mass loading rate of 54 g/m3h. The maximum EC in the DAS packed filter was obtained up to 44.33 g/m3h with the RE of 82.09% and the H2S mass loading rate of 54 g/m3h. After 53 days of operating time and 54 g/m3h of loading rates, the maximum pressure drop reached to 3.0 and 8.0 (mm H2O) for the DAS & RHS packed and DAS packed filters, respectively. Based on the findings of this study, the DAS & RHS could be considered as a more suitable packing material to remove H2S

Disposition of Federally Owned Surpluses

PDZ domains are scaffolding modules in protein-protein interactions that mediate numerous physiological functions by interacting canonically with the C-terminus or non-canonically with an internal motif of protein ligands. A conserved carboxylate-binding site in the PDZ domain facilitates binding via backbone hydrogen bonds; however, little is known about the role of these hydrogen bonds due to experimental challenges with backbone mutations. Here we address this interaction by generating semisynthetic PDZ domains containing backbone amide-to-ester mutations and evaluating the importance of individual hydrogen bonds for ligand binding. We observe substantial and differential effects upon amide-to-ester mutation in PDZ2 of postsynaptic density protein 95 and other PDZ domains, suggesting that hydrogen bonding at the carboxylate-binding site contributes to both affinity and selectivity. In particular, the hydrogen-bonding pattern is surprisingly different between the non-canonical and canonical interaction. Our data provide a detailed understanding of the role of hydrogen bonds in protein-protein interactions

Graphene plasmonics

Two rich and vibrant fields of investigation, graphene physics and plasmonics, strongly overlap. Not only does graphene possess intrinsic plasmons that are tunable and adjustable, but a combination of graphene with noble-metal nanostructures promises a variety of exciting applications for conventional plasmonics. The versatility of graphene means that graphene-based plasmonics may enable the manufacture of novel optical devices working in different frequency ranges, from terahertz to the visible, with extremely high speed, low driving voltage, low power consumption and compact sizes. Here we review the field emerging at the intersection of graphene physics and plasmonics.Comment: Review article; 12 pages, 6 figures, 99 references (final version available only at publisher's web site

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes and their modes of interaction with DNA : is there a correlation between these interactions and the antitumor activity of the compounds?

Various interaction modes between a group of six ruthenium polypyridyl complexes and DNA have been studied using a number of spectroscopic techniques. Five mononuclear species were selected with formula [Ru(tpy) L1L2](2-n)?, and one closely related dinuclear cation of formula [{Ru(apy)(tpy)}2{l-H2N(CH2)6NH2}]4?. The ligand tpy is 2,20:60,200-terpyridine and the ligand L1 is a bidentate ligand, namely, apy (2,20-azobispyridine), 2-phenylazopyridine, or 2-phenylpyridinylmethylene amine. The ligand L2 is a labile monodentate ligand, being Cl-, H2O, or CH3CN. All six species containing a labile L2 were found to be able to coordinate to the DNA model base 9-ethylguanine by 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. The dinuclear cationic species, which has no positions available for coordination to a DNA base, was studied for comparison purposes. The interactions between a selection of four representative complexes and calf-thymus DNA were studied by circular and linear dichroism. To explore a possible relation between DNA-binding ability and toxicity, all compounds were screened for anticancer activity in a variety of cancer cell lines, showing in some cases an activity which is comparable to that of cisplatin. Comparison of the details of the compound structures, their DNA binding, and their toxicity allows the exploration of structure–activity relationships that might be used to guide optimization of the activity of agents of this class of compounds