Editorial: Manipulation of gut microbiota as a key target to intervene on the onset and progression of digestive system diseases

Editorial on the Research Topic Manipulation of gut microbiota as a key target to intervene on the onset and progression of digestive system disease

Rapid communication: Linkage mapping of the porcine immunoreceptor DAP10 and NKG2D genes

Genus and Species. Sus scrofa. Loci. DNAX-activation protein 10 (DAP10) and natural killer cell receptor D (NKG2D). Source and Description of Primers. Primers were designed from the porcine DAP10 and NKG2D sequences (GenBank accession nos. AF285446 and AF285448, respectively). The DAP10 primers were used to amplify approximately 500 bp of the fragment spanning DAP10 exon 4 and DAP12 exon 5. The DAP10 and DAP12 genes are linked in opposite transcriptional orientation, separated by 152 bp (Yim et al., 2001). The NKG2D primers were used to amplify approximately 700 bp of the fragment spanning NKG2D exons 8 and 9

Structure of a model TiO2 photocatalytic interface

The interaction of water with TiO2 is crucial to many of its practical applications, including photocatalytic water splitting. Following the first demonstration of this phenomenon 40 years ago there have been numerous studies of the rutile single-crystal TiO2(110) interface with water. This has provided an atomic-level understanding of the water-TiO2 interaction. However, nearly all of the previous studies of water/TiO2 interfaces involve water in the vapour phase. Here, we explore the interfacial structure between liquid water and a rutile TiO2(110) surface pre-characterized at the atomic level. Scanning tunnelling microscopy and surface X-ray diffraction are used to determine the structure, which is comprised of an ordered array of hydroxyl molecules with molecular water in the second layer. Static and dynamic density functional theory calculations suggest that a possible mechanism for formation of the hydroxyl overlayer involves the mixed adsorption of O2 and H2O on a partially defected surface. The quantitative structural properties derived here provide a basis with which to explore the atomistic properties and hence mechanisms involved in TiO2 photocatalysis

The protein kinase R modifies gut physiology to limit colitis

Here we investigate the function of the innate immune molecule protein kinase R (PKR) in intestinal inflammation. To model a colitogenic role of PKR, we determine the physiological response to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) of wild-type and two transgenic mice strains mutated to express either a kinase-dead PKR or to ablate expression of the kinase. These experiments recognize kinase-dependent and -independent protection from DSS-induced weight loss and inflammation, against a kinase-dependent increase in the susceptibility to DSS-induced injury. We propose these effects arise through PKR-dependent alteration of gut physiology, evidenced as altered goblet cell function and changes to the gut microbiota at homeostasis that suppresses inflammasome activity by controlling autophagy. These findings establish that PKR functions as both a protein kinase and a signaling molecule in instituting immune homeostasis in the gut

Instantonic approach to triple well potential

By using a usual instanton method we obtain the energy splitting due to quantum tunneling through the triple well barrier. It is shown that the term related to the midpoint of the energy splitting in propagator is quite different from that of double well case, in that it is proportional to the algebraic average of the frequencies of the left and central wells.Comment: Revtex, 11 pages, Included one eps figur

ΛN\Lambda N correlations from the stopped K−K^- reaction on 4{}^4He

We have investigated correlations of coincident $\Lambda N$ pairs from the stopped $K^-$ reaction on ${}^4$He, and clearly observed $\Lambda p$ and $\Lambda n$ branches of the two-nucleon absorption process in the $\Lambda N$ invariant mass spectra. In addition, non-mesonic reaction channels, which indicate possible exotic signals for the formation of strange multibaryon states, have been identified.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Use of Self-Assembling Monolayers to Control Interface Bonding in a Model Study of Interfacial Fracture

The relationships between the extent of interfacial bonding, energy dissipation mechanisms, and fracture toughness in a glassy adhesive/inorganic solid joint are not well understood. We address this subject with a model system involving an epoxy adhesive on a polished silicon wafer containing its native oxide. The extent of interfacial bonding, and the wetting behavior of the epoxy, is varied continuously using self-assembling monolayers (SAMs) of octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS). The epoxy interacts strongly with the bare silicon oxide surface, but forms only a very weak interface with the methylated tails of the ODTS monolayer. We examine the fracture behavior of such joints as a function of the coverage of ODTS in the napkin-ring geometry. Various characterization methods are applied to the ODTS-coated surface before application of the epoxy, and to both surfaces after fracture. The fracture data are discussed with respect to the wetting of the liquid epoxy on the ODTS-coated substrates, the locus of failure, and the energy dissipation mechanisms. Our goal is to understand how energy is dissipated during fracture as a function of interface strength