Two Entomophagous Isolated From Sumatera Utara; Potential as Biocontrol Agent Againts Nematode

Two species of nematophagous fungi has been isolated from Sumatera Utara soil, with an aim of harnessing their potential in the biological control of plant parasitic nematodes or animal parasitic nematodes in Indonesia, especially in Sumatera Utara. Soil samples were collected from tobacco plantations, vegetable fields and ornamental plantings in the Berastagi area, and also from livestock in local farms and a dairy farm in Berastagi Area, Karo Regency. Soil also collected from un-cultivated area in Sibolangit National Park, Karo Regency. The pour method described by Larsen et al., (1988) and the sprinkle method described by Jafee et al., (1996) were used to isolate the nematophagous fungi from soil. In this study the Chloramphenicol Water Agar Media has been used as culture media and Ceanorhabditis elegans has been used as bait. Two nematophagous fungi known as insect pathogens (entomophagous) have been isolated and determined as Lecanicillium lecanii and Paecilomyces fumosoroseus

Simulation and Quality in Clinical Education

Abstract Background Simulation-based education (SBE) has become commonplace in healthcare education within hospitals, higher education institutions, the private healthcare sector, and private education providers. The standards and quality of delivery vary across the UK (1), leading to differing degrees of learning for healthcare professionals. This variance in standards makes research into the impact of SBE on the end user (the patient) difficult to measure. Review The delivery of SBE needs to be of a high standard if learning via this pedagogy is to be maximised and benefits to patients accurately assessed. This article aims to summarise the importance of quality within clinical SBE and how it can be achieved and maintained to produce a measurable impact on patient care. The current progress of the implementation of UK national standards for SBE is included to highlight the need for standardisation and guidance to support simulation centres and individuals to benchmark practice and work towards accreditation through quality measurement and monitoring processes. Suggestions are made on how such standards will affect the future of SBE and all those involved. Conclusion There is a clear need for the development of national standards for SBE delivery and for a stepped approach [i.e. minimum, intermediate, and advanced standards] depending on the size, capacity, and frequency of SBE education delivery. Considerable financial outlay will be required to monitor standards effectively. The enhanced use of current and future technologies should be considered with regards to monitoring standards as well as data collection for future research opportunities. Keywords Simulation, quality improvement, educational standard

Velocity measurements of humans by computers

Distance and time, two fundamental quantities, are discussed early in most introductory physics courses. By dividing a change in distance by time to get velocity, and by dividing a change in velocity by time to get acceleration, two more important quantities result. With these the real world of automobiles and jet planes and applications of Newton\u27s second law is available for interpretation from an analytical point of view. In order to get students thinking reliably about these important ideas it seems important to have direct measurements of distance and time over short enough intervals to talk sensibly about instantaneous velocities

Adenoviral delivery of angiotensin-(1-7) or angiotensin-(1-9) inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via the mas or angiotensin Type 2 receptor

The counter-regulatory axis of the renin angiotensin system peptide angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in cardiac remodelling, acting via the mas receptor. Furthermore, we recently reported that an alternative peptide, Ang-(1-9) also counteracts cardiac remodelling via the angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT(2)R). Here, we have engineered adenoviral vectors expressing fusion proteins which release Ang-(1-7) [RAdAng-(1-7)] or Ang-(1-9) [RAdAng-(1-9)] and compared their effects on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes or primary adult rabbit cardiomyocytes, stimulated with angiotensin II, isoproterenol or arg-vasopressin. RAdAng-(1-7) and RAdAng-(1-9) efficiently transduced cardiomyocytes, expressed fusion proteins and secreted peptides, as demonstrated by western immunoblotting and conditioned media assays. Furthermore, secreted Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) inhibited cardiomyocyte hypertrophy (Control = 168.7±8.4 µm; AngII = 232.1±10.7 µm; AngII+RAdAng-(1-7) = 186±9.1 µm, RAdAng-(1-9) = 180.5±9 µm; P<0.05) and these effects were selectively reversed by inhibitors of their cognate receptors, the mas antagonist A779 for RAdAng-(1-7) and the AT(2)R antagonist PD123,319 for RAdAng-(1-9). Thus gene transfer of Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) produces receptor-specific effects equivalent to those observed with addition of exogenous peptides. These data highlight that Ang-(1-7) and Ang-(1-9) can be expressed via gene transfer and inhibit cardiomyocyte hypertrophy via their respective receptors. This supports applications for this approach for sustained peptide delivery to study molecular effects and potential gene therapeutic actions

Atomic Diffusion within Individual Gold Nanocrystal

Due to their excess surface free energy and structural instabilities, nanoparticles exhibit interesting physical and chemical properties. There has been an ever-growing interest in investigating these properties, driven by the desire to further miniaturize electronic devices, develop new functional materials and catalysts. Here, the intriguing question of how diffusion evolves in a single nanoparticle is investigated by measuring the spatial and temporal variations of the diffracted coherent X-ray intensity during copper diffusion into a gold nanocrystal. Dislocation loops formed from the insertion of single layer of extra atoms between neighbouring gold host lattice planes are detected. Au-Cu alloy channels are found to penetrate the nanocrystal due to the differential diffusion rate along different directions. With the advent of higher brilliance sources and free-electron-lasers, Bragg Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging can play an important role in unveiling atomic behaviours in three dimensions for nanomaterials during various fundamental processes

Extracellular vesicle signalling in atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a major cardiovascular disease and in 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated 17.5 million global deaths, corresponding to 31% of all global deaths, were driven by inflammation and deposition of lipids into the arterial wall. This leads to the development of plaques which narrow the vessel lumen, particularly in the coronary and carotid arteries. Atherosclerotic plaques can become unstable and rupture, leading to myocardial infarction or stroke. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous population of vesicles secreted from cells with a wide range of biological functions. EVs participate in cell-cell communication and signalling via transport of cargo including enzymes, DNA, RNA and microRNA in both physiological and patholophysiological settings. EVs are present in atherosclerotic plaques and have been implicated in cellular signalling processes in atherosclerosis development, including immune responses, inflammation, cell proliferation and migration, cell death and vascular remodeling during progression of the disease. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge regarding EV signalling in atherosclerosis progression and the potential of utilising EV signatures as biomarkers of disease

Cloning, sequencing, and characterization of the hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine degradation gene cluster from Rhodococcus rhodochrous

Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) is a high explosive which presents an environmental hazard as a major land and groundwater contaminant. Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain 11Y was isolated from explosive contaminated land and is capable of degrading RDX when provided as the sole source of nitrogen for growth. Products of RDX degradation in resting-cell incubations were analyzed and found to include nitrite, formaldehyde, and formate. No ammonium was excreted into the medium, and no dead-end metabolites were observed. The gene responsible for the degradation of RDX in strain 11Y is a constitutively expressed cytochrome P450-like gene, xpLA, which is found in a gene cluster with an adrenodoxin reductase homologue, xplB. The cytochrome P450 also has a flavodoxin domain at the N terminus. This study is the first to present a gene which has been identified as being responsible for RDX biodegradation. The mechanism of action of XplA on RDX is thought to involve initial denitration followed by spontaneous ring cleavage and mineralization

In-situ investigation of crystallization and structural evolution of a metallic glass in three dimensions at nano-scale

The crystallization behaviour of metallic glasses (MGs) has been investigated since the discovery of these important functional materials in order to optimize their synthesis procedures and improve their performances. Methods including powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy are usually combined to characterize the crystalline structure in these “amorphous” materials. Until now, these methods, however, have failed to show the crystallization of individual crystals in three dimensions. In this work, in-situ Bragg coherent X-ray diffraction imaging (BCDI) reveals the growth and the strain variation of individual crystals in the Fe-based MGs during annealing. There is preferential growth along the surface of the MG sample particles during the crystal formation and fractal structure formation around the developing crystal surfaces; there is also strain relaxation happening from the inner parts to the surfaces of the developing crystals while cooling. The work leads to propose that during the crystallization of Fe-based MGs, the growth of the individual crystals follows a two-step procedure; and at higher temperature after the first crystallization period of the Fe-based MGs, the crystallization of α-Fe could be a competitive process between the growth of α-Fe crystals and the erosion from other elements

Understanding surface structure and chemistry of single crystal lanthanum aluminate

The surface crystallography and chemistry of a LaAlO 3 single crystal, a material mainly used as a substrate to deposit technol ogically important thin films (e.g. for superconducting and magnetic devices), was analysed using surface X-ray diffraction and low energy ion scattering spectroscopy. The surfa ce was determined to be terminated by Al-O species, and was significantly different from th e idealised bulk structure. Termination reversal was not observed at higher temperature (600°C) and chamber pressure of 10 -10 Torr, but rather an increased Al-O occupancy occurred, which was accompanied by a larger outwards relaxation of Al from the bulk positions. Changing the oxygen pressure to 10 -6 Torr enriched the Al site occupancy fraction at the outermost surface from 0.245(10) to 0.325(9). In contrast the LaO, which is located at the next sub-surface atomic layer, showed no chemical enrichment and the structural relaxation was lower than for the top AlO 2 layer. Knowledge of the surface structure will aid the understanding of how and which type of interface will be formed when LaAlO 3 is used as a substrate as a function of temperature and pressure, and so lead to improved design of device structures