Histone gene expression in Physarum polycephalum 2 Coupling of histone and DNA synthesis

AbstractThe addition of hydroxyurea to synchronously growing macroplasmodia of the slime mould, Physarum polycephalum, inhibited DNA synthesis by up to 90%. Histone protein synthesis was inhibited to the same extent. The synthesis of other nuclear proteins was not inhibited even though total RNA synthesis was inhibited. The results suggest that histone synthesis and DNA replication are tightly coupled

Transformation of serum-susceptible Escherichia coli O111 with p16Slux plasmid to allow for real-time monitoring of complement-based inactivation of bacterial growth in bovine milk

peer-reviewedComplement activity has only recently been characterized in raw bovine milk. However, the activity of this component of the innate immune system was found to diminish as milk was subjected to heat or partitioning during cream separation. Detection of complement in milk relies on a bactericidal assay. This assay exploits the specific growth susceptibility of Escherichia coli O111 to the presence of complement. Practical application of the assay was demonstrated when a reduction in complement activity was recorded in the case of pasteurized and reduced-fat milks. This presented an opportunity to improve the functionality of the bactericidal assay by incorporating bioluminescence capability into the target organism. Following some adaptation, the strain was transformed by correctly integrating the p16Slux plasmid. Growth properties of the transformed strain of E. coli O111 were unaffected by the modification. The efficacy of the strain adaptation was correlated using the LINEST function analysis [r=0.966; standard error of prediction (SEy)=0.957] bioluminescence with that of bactericidal assay total plate counts within the range of 7.5 to 9.2 log cfu/mL using a combination of raw and processed milk samples. Importantly, the transformed E. coli O111 p16Slux strain could be identified in milk and broth samples using bioluminescence measurement, thus enabling the bactericidal assay–viability test to be monitored in real time throughout incubation

High Pressure Processing of Dairy Foods

End of Project ReportThe term High Pressure Processing (HPP) is used to describe the technology whereby products are exposed to very high pressures in the region of 50 - 800 MPa (500 - 8000 Atmospheres). The potential application of HPP in the food industry has gained popularity in recent years, due to developments in the construction of HPP equipment which makes the technology more affordable. Applying HPP to food products results in modifications to interactions between individual components, rates of enzymatic reactions and inactivation of micro-organisms. The first commercial HPP products appeared on the market in 1991 in Japan, where HPP is now being used commercially for products such as jams, sauces, fruit juices, rice cakes and desserts. The pioneering research into the application of HPP to milk dates back to the end of the 19th century. Application of HPP to milk has been shown to modify its gel forming characteristics as well as reducing its microbial load. HPP offers the potential to induce similar effects to those generated by heat on milk protein. Recent reports have also indicated that HPP could accelerate the ripening of cheese. Much of the Irish cheese industry is based on the production of Cheddar cheese, the ripening time for which can vary from 4 - 12 months or more, depending on grade. A substantial portion of the cost associated with Cheddar manufacture is therefore attributed to storage under controlled conditions during ripening. Thus, any technology which may accelerate the ripening of Cheddar cheese while maintaining a balanced flavour and texture is of major economic significance. While food safety is a dominant concern, consumers are increasingly demanding foods that maintain their natural appearance and flavour, while free of chemical preservatives. HPP offers the food industry the possibility of achieving these twin goals as this technology can lead to reduced microbial loads without detrimentally effecting the nutritional or sensory qualities of the product. The development of food ingredients with novel functional properties offers the dairy industry an opportunity to revitalise existing markets and develop new ones. HPP can lead to modifications in the structure of milk components, in particular protein, which may provide interesting possibilities for the development of high value nutritional and functional ingredients. Hence these projects set out to investigate the potential of HPP in the dairy industry and to identify products and processes to which it could be applied.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Ballistic electron transport through magnetic domain walls

Electron transport limited by the rotating exchange-potential of domain walls is calculated in the ballistic limit for the itinerant ferromagnets Fe, Co, and Ni. When realistic band structures are used, the domain wall magnetoresistance is enhanced by orders of magnitude compared to the results for previously studied two-band models. Increasing the pitch of a domain wall by confinement in a nano-structured point contact is predicted to give rise to a strongly enhanced magnetoresistance.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; to appear in PRB as a brief repor

Modeling the influence of snow cover on low Arctic net ecosystem exchange

The Arctic net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 between the land surface and the atmosphere is influenced by the timing of snow onset and melt. The objective of this study was to examine whether uncertainty in model estimates of NEE could be reduced by representing the influence of snow on NEE using remote sensing observations of snow cover area (SCA). Observations of NEE and time-lapse images of SCA were collected over four locations at a low Arctic site (Daring Lake, NWT) in May-June 2010. Analysis of these observations indicated that SCA influences NEE, and that good agreement exists between SCA derived from time-lapse images, Landsat and MODIS. MODIS SCA was therefore incorporated into the vegetation photosynthesis respiration model (VPRM). VPRM was calibrated using observations collected in 2005 at Daring Lake. Estimates of NEE were then generated over Daring Lake and Ivotuk, Alaska (2004-2007) using VPRM formulations with and without explicit representations of the influence of SCA on respiration and/or photosynthesis. Model performance was assessed by comparing VPRM output against unfilled eddy covariance observations from Daring Lake and Ivotuk (2004-2007). The uncertainty in VPRM estimates of NEE was reduced when respiration was estimated as a function of air temperature when SCA ≤ 50% and as a function of soil temperature when SCA > 50%

The Role of Burn Centers in the Treatment of Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections:A Nationwide Dutch Study

Patients with extensive and complex wounds due to Necrotizing Soft-Tissue Infections (NSTI) may be referred to a burn center. This study describes the characteristics, outcomes, as well as diagnostic challenges of these patients. Patients admitted to three hospitals with a burn center for the treatment of NSTI in a 5-year period were included. Eighty patients (median age 54 years, 60% male) were identified, of whom 30 (38%) were referred by other centers, usually after survival of the initial septic phase. Those referred from other centers, compared to those primarily admitted to the study hospitals, were more likely to have group A streptococcal involvement (62% vs 35%, p = .02), larger wounds (median 7% vs 2% total body surface area, p &lt; .001), and a longer length of stay (median 49 vs 22 days, p &lt; .001). Despite a high incidence of septic shock (50%), the mortality rate was low (12%) for those primarily admitted. Approximately half (53%) of the patients were initially misdiagnosed upon presentation, which was associated with delay to first surgery (16 hours vs 4 hours, p &lt; .001). Those initially misdiagnosed had more (severe) comorbidities, and less frequently reported pain or blue livid discoloration of the skin. This study underlines the burn centers' function as referral centers for extensively affected patients with NSTI. Besides the unique wound and reconstructive expertise, the low mortality rate indicates these centers provide adequate acute care as well. A major remaining challenge remains recognition of the disease upon presentation. Future studies in which factors associated with misdiagnosis are explored are needed.</p

Assessing the probability of introduction and transmission of lumpy skin disease virus within the United Kingdom

Several emerging exotic diseases are currently oscillating on the eastern borders of the European Union (EU) including the bovine pathogen Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). Given the recent transboundary spread of LSDV into the EU, assessing the probability of further expansion is an important part of EU surveillance and can inform policy regarding risk mitigation priorities. This qualitative assessment focuses on the probability of introduction and onward transmission of LSDV into the United Kingdom (UK) for the time period June 2017 to June 2018. Overall the probability of introduction was considered, at most, to be very low. The probability of onward transmission was considered highest for vector mediated routes either via contact of an infected vector with susceptible cattle or contact of a competent native vector with an infected cattle. Factors with high uncertainty were identified to emphasise their impact on the assessment conclusions and for future research requirements. Medium to high uncertainty surrounds the probability of introduction to the UK via several of the routes assessed, in particular, the species of vectors involved and the illegal/legal import of meat and milk products; all estimates made consequential to these probabilities are therefore underpinned by high uncertainty. Whilst the assessment was UK centric the knowledge gaps are relevant to the probability of introduction and spread of LSDV in any geographical region. The value of estimating uncertainty lies in the identification of research required to make conclusions more robust

Inclusive electron scattering in a relativistic Green function approach

A relativistic Green function approach to the inclusive quasielastic (e,e') scattering is presented. The single particle Green function is expanded in terms of the eigenfunctions of the nonhermitian optical potential. This allows one to treat final state interactions consistently in the inclusive and in the exclusive reactions. Numerical results for the response functions and the cross sections for different target nuclei and in a wide range of kinematics are presented and discussed in comparison with experimental data.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, REVTeX

Absence seizures as resetting mechanisms of brain dynamics

To understand the increase in age-related incidence and frequency of absence seizures in the rat brain, we investigated the effect of these seizures on brain dynamics. This paper puts forward the hypothesis that age-related differences in the expression of absence seizures are associated with the ability of the seizures to reset brain dynamics