Protein isolated from hen egg-white and functions as a bacteriostatic enzyme by degrading bacterial cell walls. First enzyme ever characterized by protein ...
The yeast phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (Sec14p) is required for biogenesis of Golgi-derived transport vesicles and cell viability, and this essential Sec14p requirement is abrogated by inactivation...Full Text Available
Sibling Paenibacillus dendritiformis bacterial colonies grown on low-nutrient agar medium mutually inhibit growth through secretion of a lethal factor. Analysis of secretions reveals...Full Text Available
The genetic systems of bacteria that have the ability to use organic pollutants as carbon and energy sources can be adapted to create bacterial biosensors for the detection of industrial pollution....Full Text Available
In the Archaea only a handful of ribonucleases involved in RNA processing and degradation have been characterized. One potential group of archaeal ribonucleases are homologues of the bacterial RNase...Full Text Available
Alpha-toxin, the major cytotoxic agent elaborated by Staphylococcus aureus, was the first bacterial exotoxin to be identified as a pore former. The protein is secreted as a single-chain, water-soluble...Full Text Available
The display of proteins such as feed enzymes at the surface of bacterial spore systems has a great potential use for animal feed. Feed enzymes increase the digestibility of nutrients, leading to greater...Full Text Available
Certain pathogenic species of Bacillus and Clostridium have developed unique methods for intoxicating cells that employ the classic enzymatic “A-B” paradigm for protein toxins. The binary...Full Text Available
Pseudomonas syringae is a gram-negative bacterial plant pathogen that is dependent on a type III protein secretion system (TTSS) and the effector proteins it translocates into plant...Full Text Available
To define the import pathway for apoiso-1-cytochrome c in vivo, the coding region for bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) or yeast copper metallothionein (CuMT) was fused to the carboxy...Full Text Available
BackgroundBerberine is a plant alkaloid that is widely used as an anti-infective in traditional medicine. Escherichia coli exposed to berberine form filaments, suggesting...Full Text Available
The CD1 family of proteins binds self and foreign glycolipids for presentation to CD1-restricted T cells. To identify previously uncharacterized active CD1 ligands, especially those of microbial origin,...Full Text Available
The positive control function of the bacterial enhancer-binding protein NtrC resides in its central domain, which is highly conserved among activators of ς54 holoenzyme. Previous...Full Text Available
Cultures of 3T3-L1 cells were incubated with either 10 ng/ml cholera toxin or 10 ng/ml pertussis toxin from 4 days prior to the initiation of differentiation and throughout the subsequent incubation. Toxin concentrations were sufficient to completely prevent the labelling of alpha-subunits with ["3"2P]NAD"+ and pertussis toxin and to prevent by more than 90% the labelling with ["3"2P]NAD"+ and cholera toxin in membranes prepared from these cells. Neither toxin prevented the differentiation to the adipocyte phenotype. Neither toxin prevented the increases in the relative amounts of G-proteins which occur upon differentiation. Both toxins dramatically decreased the amount of beta-subunits. As measured by quantitative immunoblotting with antisera specific for both the 35 kDa and 36 kDa beta-subunits, levels of beta-subunit were decreased by more than 50% of steady-state level of control cells. Thus, bacterial toxins which modifies ...
The degradation of irradiated human insulin in aqueous solutions was investigated in order to protect the protein against ionizing radiation. The influence of the drug concentration, excipients and irradiation temperature were studied.Aqueous solutions at pH 2 were irradiated by gamma rays or by accelerated electrons. Two different high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods were used: reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC)/UV and size exclusion liquid chromatography (SEC/UV) to investigate both the fragmentation and the formation of higher molecular weight proteins.In solution without excipients irradiated at ambient temperature at 10kGy, the loss of human insulin is almost complete. Addition of radio-protecting excipients (free radicals scavengers) and c...
Clinical questionWhat is the best treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis?ResultsTopical antibiotics expedite recovery from bacterial conjunctivitis....Full Text Available
Abstract Plant pathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas cause a variety of diseases in economically important monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous crop plants worldwide. Successful infection and bacterial multiplication in the host tissue often depend on the virulence factors secreted including adhesins, polysaccharides, LPS and degradative enzymes. One of the key pathogenicity factors is the type III secretion system, which injects effector proteins into the host cell cytosol to manipulate plant cellular processes such as basal defense to the benefit of the pathogen. The coordinated expression of bacterial virulence factors is orchestrated by quorum-sensing pathways, multiple two-component systems and transcriptional regulators such as Clp, Zur, FhrR, HrpX and HpaR. Furthermore, virule...
Complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is the largest enzyme of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Compared to its bacterial counterpart which encompasses 14-17 subunits, mitochondrial complex I has almost tripled its subunit composition during evolution of eukaryotes, by recruitment of so-called accessory subunits, part of them being specific to distinct evolutionary lineages. The increasing availability of numerous broadly sampled eukaryotic genomes now enables the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of this large protein complex. Here, a combination of profile-based sequence comparisons and basic structural properties analyses at the protein level enabled to pinpoint homology relationships between complex I subunits from fungi, mammals or green plants, previously identified...
The two-compartment radioassay for microbial kinetics based on continuous measurement of the {sup 14}CO{sub 2} released by bacterial metabolism of 14C-labeled substrate offers a valuable approach to testing the potency of antimicrobial drugs. By using a previously validated radioassay with gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, a group of protein synthesis inhibitors was evaluated for their effect on microbial growth kinetics. All tested drugs induced changes in both the slopes and intercepts of the growth curves. An exponential growth model was applied to quantify the drug effect on the processes of bacterial {sup 14}CO{sub 2} liberation and cell generation. The response was measured in terms of a generation rate constant. A linear dependence of the generation rate constant on the dose of spectinomycin was observed with Escherichia coli. Sigmoidal-shaped curves were found in the assays of chloramphenicol and ...
Expression of Bacterial luciferase enzyme (lux) in mammalian cells would be a powerful bioreporter protein system for in vivo imaging because eukaryotic luciferases need expensive substrates. However, only a few efforts have been made to express bacterial luciferase enzyme in mammalian cells. As the result of this, we attempted to construct bicistronic vector including two bacterial luciferase genes (LuxA and LuxB) for assessing the potential to be visualized in vitro or in vivo by optical imaging system after transfection to mammalian cells. We designed and synthesized luxA and luxB genes from Photorhabdus Luminescens. To co-express both luxA and luxB genes from a single promoter, we cloned as a bicistronic transcript fused with an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). This bicistronic transcript was transfected by Superfect to HEK 293T cell line. We also transfected lux A and lux B vector to HEK 293T ...
The effect of UV radiation in the wavelength region 230 nm to 302 nm on the ability of an irradiated mammalian cell to reactivate UV-irradiated mammalian virus was tested. An action spectrum for radiation enhanced reactivation (RER) is presented. The shape of the action spectrum points to a combined nucleic acid-protein target for UV radiation effects on this cellular parameter. An analysis of the results of others involving the biochemical and photobiological events involved in RER does not allow us to distinguish which macromolecule is the major contributor to this effect. Studies involving an analogous phenomenon in bacteris (Weigle reactivation) imply that RER and WR amy involve similar mechanisms. (author).
The genus Conexibacter (Monciardini et al. 2003) represents the type genus of the family Conexibacteraceae (Stackebrandt 2005, emend. Zhi et al. 2009) with Conexibacter woesei as the type species of the genus. C. woesei is a representative of a deep evolutionary line of des-cent within the class Actinobacteria. Strain ID131577T was originally isolated from temperate forest soil in Gerenzano (Italy). Cells are small, short rods that are motile by peritrichous fla-gella. They may form aggregates after a longer period of growth and, then as a typical charac-teristic, an undulate structure is formed by self-aggregation of flagella with entangled bacteri-al cells. Here we describe the features of the organism, together with the complete sequence and annotation. The 6,359,369 bp long genome of C. woesei contains 5,950 protein-coding and 48 RNA genes and is part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea project.
The GTPases comprise a protein superfamily of highly conserved molecular switches adapted to many diverse functions. These proteins are found in all domains of life and often perform essential roles in fundamental cellular processes. Analysis of data from genome sequencing projects demonstrates that bacteria possess a core of 11 universally conserved GTPases (elongation factor G and Tu, initiation factor 2, LepA, Era, Obg, ThdF/TrmE, Ffh, FtsY, EngA and YchF). Investigations aimed at understanding the function of GTPases indicate that a second conserved feature of these proteins is that they elicit their function through interaction with RNA and/or ribosomes. An emerging concept suggests that the 11 universal GTPases are either necessary for ribosome function or transmitting information from the ribosome to downstream targets for the purpose of generating specific cellular responses. Furthermore, it is suggested that ...
The Na+-driven bacterial flagellar motor is a molecular machine powered by an electrochemical potential gradient of sodium ions across the cytoplasmic membrane. The marine bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus has a single polar flagellum that enables it to swim in liquid. The flagellar motor contains a basal body and a stator complexes, which are composed of several proteins. PomA, PomB, MotX, and MotY are thought to be essential components of the stator that are required to generate the torque of the rotation. Several mutations have been investigated to understand the characteristics and function of the ion channel in the stator and the mechanism of its assembly around the rotor to complete the motor. In this review, we summarize recent results of the Na+-driven motor in the polar flagellum of ...
The use of indigenous bacterial root endophytes with biocontrol activity against soil-borne phytopathogens is an environmentally-friendly and ecologically-efficient action within an integrated disease management framework. The earliest steps of olive root colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens PICF7 and Pseudomonas putida PICP2, effective biocontrol agents (BCAs) against Verticillium wilt of olive (Olea europaea L.) caused by the fungus Verticillium dahliae Kleb., are here described. A gnotobiotic study system using in vitro propagated olive plants, differential fluorescent-protein tagging of bacteria, and confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis have been successfully used to examine olive roots?Pseudomonas spp. interactions at the single-cell level. In vivo simultaneous visualization...
Several challenges currently exist for rational design of functional tissue engineering constructs within the host, which include appropriate cellular integration, avoidance of bacterial infections, and low inflammatory stimulation. This work describes a novel class of biodegradable, amphiphilic polyanhydrides with many desirable protein-material and cell-material attributes capable of confronting these challenges. The biocompatible amphiphilic polymer films were shown to release laminin in a stable and controlled manner, promote neural cell adhesion and differentiation, and evade inflammatory responses of the immune system. Using high-throughput approaches, it was shown that polymer chemistry plays an integral role in controlling cell?film interactions, which suggests that these polyanhyd...
Here we present evidence that in water/acetonitrile solvent detailed structural and dynamic information can be obtained for important proteins that are naturally present as oligomers under native conditions. An NMR-derived human insulin monomer structure in H{sub 2}O/CD{sub 3}CN, 65/35 vol%, pH 3.6 is presented and compared with the available X-ray structure of a monomer that forms part of a hexamer (Acta Crystallogr. 2003 Sec. D59, 474) and with NMR structures in water and organic cosolvent. Detailed analysis using PFGSE NMR, temperature-dependent NMR, dilution experiments and CSI proves that the structure is monomeric in the concentration and temperature ranges 0.1-3 mM and 10-30 deg. C, respectively. The presence of long-range interstrand NOEs, as found in the crystal structure of the monomer, provides the evidence for conservation of the tertiary structure. Starting from structures calculated by the program CYANA, two different molecular ...
The exocyst is an evolutionarily conserved octameric complex involved in polarized exocytosis from yeast to humans. The Sec3 subunit of the exocyst acts as a spatial landmark for exocytosis through...Full Text Available
The authors have demonstrated that induction of mitogenesis in human T lymphocytes is associated with the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 66KD soluble substrate-TPP 66. Since DMSO has been shown to be a non-specific stimulator of tyrosine protein kinases they have examined the effect of DMSO on both activation and tyrosine phosphorylation in human T cells. Human peripheral blood T lymphocytes were isolated by dextran sedimentation, Ficol/Paque centrifugation and nylon wool filtration. Phosphorylation was performed in cells incubated with ["3"2P] orthophosphate followed by DMSO for 30 min. TPP 66 was identified by 2-D PAGE, autoradiography, and HV electrophoresis of the hydrolyzed protein. Concentrations of DMSO from 1% to 50% induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of TPP 66 with maximal stimulation seen at 20%. DMSO alone did not activate the T cells (measured by ["3H] thymidine incorporation) when tested at high concentrations for 30 ...
An on-line cell disruption system for at-line monitoring of the intracellular concentration of recombinant human superoxide dismutase (rhSOD) in a genetically modified Escherichia coli strain, HMS174(DE3) (pET11a/rhSOD), in bioreactor cultivations is described. The sampled bacteria were disrupted on-line by rapid mixing with a nonionic detergent. The recombinant protein content of the lysed bacterial sample was quantitated by a subsequent surface plasmon resonance biosensor with a specific monoclonal antibody. Extraction efficiency of the monitoring system was optimized with respect to the flow rate ratio of the cell suspension and the detergent at relevant cell densities with the aim to attain rapid monitoring. Monitoring was demonstrated for a shake flask culture and a glucose-limited fed-batch cultivation. The results are compared with a traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method showing a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.97. ...
The sucrose derivative 6'-deoxy-6'-(2-hydroxy-4-azido)benzamidosucrose (6'-HABS) was prepared from sucrose (via 6'-deoxy-6'-aminosucrose) and 4-amino-salicylic acid. 6'-HABS is a competitive inhibitor of sucrose influx into protoplasts from developing soybean cotyledons and of sucrose binding to membranes from the bacteria P. saccharophila. The Ki for inhibition in the soybean protoplasts was 75..mu..M. 6'-Deoxy-6'-(2-hydroxy-3-/sup 125/Iodo-4-azido)benzamidosucrose was prepared by lactoperoxidase iodination of 6'-HABS. Upon photolysis in the presence of membranes from P saccharophila, label from the photoprobe is incorporated into a sucrose inducible polypeptide of mass 84 KD in SDS-PAGE. The polypeptide is protected from labeling by the inclusion of sucrose in the photolysis mixture. Photolysis conditions which lead to specific labeling of the sucrose protectable polypeptide in ...
Chemical analyses were done on the abnormal hemoglobins of the five (101 x SEC)F_1 offspring of X- irradiated adult SEC mice to determine which hemoglobin genes were expressed in each hemoglobin variant. Three offspring of irradiated SEC males did not express either of the two kinds of #alpha#-chains normally found in all SEC mice. The deficient #alpha#-chain synthesis caused these mice to exhibit an #alpha#-thalassemia similar to human #alpha#-thalassemia. Scanning electron microscopy was used to show that many erythrocytes of mice with #alpha#-thalassemia have bizarre shapes; e.g. many erythrocytes appeared flattened or had thorny projections (acanthocytes). One mutant with a tandem duplication of a segment of chromosome 7 (site of locus determining #beta#-chain structure) produced twice as much SEC as 101 #beta#-chain polypeptides. One mutant that probably arose by ...
Objectives. The purposes of this study were to test the hypothesis that vaginal douching is linked to bacterial vaginosis in both symptomatic and asymptomatic women and to identify...Full Text Available
Chemoreceptors are crucial components in the bacterial sensory systems that mediate chemotaxis. Chemotactic responses exhibit exquisite sensitivity, extensive dynamic range and precise adaptation....Full Text Available
Bacterial cellulose was produced by Acetobacter xylinum (strain TISTR 975). Bacterial cellulose is an interesting material for using as a wound dressing since it provides moist environment to a wound resulting in a better wound healing. However, bacterial cellulose itself has no antimicrobial activity to prevent wound infection. To achieve antimicrobial activity, silver nanoparticles were impregnated into bacterial cellulose by immersing bacterial cellulose in silver nitrate solution. Sodium borohydride was then used to reduce the absorbed silver ion (Ag+) inside of bacterial cellulose to the metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag0). Silver nanoparticles displayed the optical absorption band around 420nm. The red-shift and broadening of the optical absorption band was observed when the mole rat...
The helicase action of the Escherichia coli UvrAB complex on a covalently closed circular DNA template was monitored using bacterial DNA topoisomerase I, which specifically removes negative supercoils. In the presence of E. coli DNA topoisomerase I and ATP, the UvrAB complex gradually introduced positive supercoils into the input relaxed plasmid DNA template. Positive supercoils were not produced when E. coli DNA topoisomerase I was replaced by eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase I or when both E. coli and eukaryotic DNA topoisomerases I were added simultaneously. These results suggest that like other DNA helix-tracking processes, the ATP-dependent action of the UvrAM complex on duplex DNA simultaneously generates both positive and negative supercoils, which are not constrained by protein binding but are torsionally strained. The supercoiling activity of UvrAB on UV-damaged DNA was also studied using UV-damaged plasmid DNA and a mutant UvrA ...
To examine and evaluate the predominant and common etiologic agent(s) of urinary tract infection (UTI) in Sukkur city and to determine their current antibiotic susceptibility/resistance trends. Nine hundred sixty six patients out of 1430 abnormal urine reports (showing significant abnormalities such as protein, pus, red cells) were asked to give second sample. The urine samples were examined by both urine test strip (Combur 10 Test, Roche) and microscopically (wet preparation) followed by culture and sensitivity. The culture sensitivity was done on urine samples of which bacterial numbers were estimated as more than 105CFU. The study was conducted at Safeway Diagnostic and Research Laboratory Sukkur and the Department of Microbiology, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Sindh from March 2001 to March 2003. Eight hundred fifty-two (88.2%) showed Escherichia spp followed by Klebsiella spp (6.9%) and proteus spp (4.9%). These showed 95%, 90%, ...
Poncirin, flavanone glycoside, isolated from the fruit of Poncirus trifoliata, has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, the effects of poncirin on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells were investigated. The C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells and primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were studied. In the C3H10T1/2 cells, poncirin prevented adipocyte differentiation, as demonstrated by inhibition of cytoplasm lipid droplet accumulation and peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor-? (PPAR-?) and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein-? (C/EBP-?) mRNA expression. By contrast, poncirin enhanced the expression of the key osteogenic transcription factors, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). Poncirin also enhanced expression of the osteogenic marker genes including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC). Poncirin increased mineral nodule ...
Sepsis induced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has worse outcome because of multiresistance to a large group of antibiotics, which may lead to death from septic shock. In the present study, we firstly found that artesunate in combination with oxacillin was capable of protecting mice challenged with live MRSA WHO-2 (WHO-2) and the protection was related to the reduced TNF-a and IL-6 levels and decreased bacterial load. Based on above results, artesunate was further investigated from two aspects in vitro, anti-inflammation effect and antibacterial enhancement effect on antibiotics. Artesunate not only inhibited TNF-a and IL-6 release but also inhibited mRNA and protein expressions of TLR2 and Nod2, two important receptors, in murine peritoneal macrophages stimulated wit...
... main in this state only for 10-8 secs., after which they decay to the meta- stable state (fluorescent level) because of spontaneous radiation or other ...
The Pulsed Lepton Source (PLS) project opens some exciting possibilities for muon and neutrino physics . The PLS would use the 0.25 4s proton pulses from the upgraded Proton Storage Ring (PSR) at LAMPF to create short, intense bursts of muons and neutrinos. The neutrino beam would be used for a few fundamentally important weak interaction physics experiments. The muon beams would find a wide variety of applications in both fundamental and applied'' muon physics areas. After a brief discussion of the physical layouts of the PSR and the proposed PLS in Sec. 2 and muon area in Sec. 3, we note some of the muon physics experiments and areas that could advantageously be addressed at the PLS in Secs. 4 and 5, and conclude in Sec. 6.
Abstract Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is an immune sensor for gram-positive bacterial cell wall components. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TLR2 gene that impair its function may, therefore, influence the risk and outcomes of gram-positive bacterial infections. In a cohort of 694 liver transplant recipients, we assessed the TLR2 SNP that is translated into an amino acid substitution of arginine for glutamine at position 753 (R753Q), and we found that its presence was associated with the clinical characteristics and outcomes of gram-positive bacterial infections. The proportions of patients with the TLR2 R753Q SNP did not significantly differ between those with gram-positive bacterial infections and those without gram-positive bacterial infections (9.6% versus 9.6%, P = 0.999)....
Apr 16, 2007 ... with a 1-sigma error radius of about 0.5 arc sec. ... It was consistent with a single point source at: RA (J2000) = 03h 13m 57.6s ... At 13000 sec. after the trigger, the magnitude in the UVOT B filter was ~19.9 with a ...
Using the phasmid vector pSL5, the genomic DNA fragment of T. aquaticus YT1 which contained the thermostable DNA polymerase (Taq-polymerase) gene was cloned. The BglII fragment of this genome locus was subcloned in the BamHI site of the pUC19 plasmid. To optimize the Taq-polymerase gene expression in E. coli cells, the gene was cloned in the correct reading frame regarding the initiation ATG codon of the pPR-TGATG-1 expression vector. The gene expression in this vector was controlled by the phage lambda PR promoter and the temperature-sensitive phage lambda repressor. We used PCR to amplify the short 5'-end fragment of the Taq-polymerase gene coding for the part into which an artificial SacI site was introduced. This site has been used for cloning the PCR product into the pPR-TGATG-1 vector, and the missing gene part was cloned into the KpnI site of the PCR product from the natural cloned gene. The cells of the E. coli PVG-A1 strain, which was obtained in the end, expressed efficiently ...
Insect host/parasitoid interactions are co-evolved systems in which host defenses are balanced by parasitoid mechanisms to disable or hide from host immune effectors. Although there is a rich literature on these systems, parasitoid immune-disabling mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here we report on a newly discovered immune-disabling mechanism in the Pieris rapae/Pteromalus puparum host/parasitoid system. Because venom injections and parasitization suppresses host phagocytosis, we turned attention to the P. rapae scavenger receptor (Pr-SR), posing the hypothesis that P. puparum venom suppresses expression of the host Pr-SR gene. To test our hypothesis, we cloned a full-length cDNA of the Pr-SR. Multiple sequences alignment showed the deduced amino acid sequence of Pr-SR is similar to scavenger receptors of other lepidopterans. Bacterial and bead injections induced Pr-SR mRNA and protein expression, which peaked at 4h post-bead ...
Interkingdom signaling is established in the gastrointestinal tract in that human hormones trigger responses in bacteria; here, we show that the corollary is true, that a specific bacterial signal,...Full Text Available
Norepinephrine stimulates the growth of a range of bacterial species in nutritionally poor SAPI minimal salts medium containing 30% serum. Addition of size-fractionated serum components to SAPI...Full Text Available
Genome-wide studies of bacterial gene expression are shifting from microarray technology to second generation sequencing platforms. RNA-seq has a number of advantages over hybridization-based techniques,...Full Text Available
Fatty acid biomarker analysis coupled with gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry was used to confirm the presence of methanotrophic and thiotrophic bacterial endosymbionts in the tissues...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe study of bacterial species interactions in a mixed-species community can be facilitated by transcriptome analysis of one species in the community using cDNA microarray...Full Text Available
The results of antibiotic tests on bacterial pathogens freshly isolated from avian tissues and bovine milk are presented. Coliform isolates from the avian species showed an increased resistance to...Full Text Available
We have examined the association between cytokine, chemokine and growth factor concentrations with bacterial vaginosis (BV) in pregnant white and black women. A nested case-control analysis...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to determine if inflammatory tolerance and enhancement of innate immune function could be induced by the gram-positive cell wall component peptidoglycan (PGN)....Full Text Available
The introduction and survival of zoonotic bacterial pathogens in poultry farming have been linked to bacterial association with free-living protozoa. To date, however, no information is available on...Full Text Available
Severe pericardial effusion is a rare complication of bacterial pneumonia and it usually disappears under medical treatment. Herein we report a case of a girl with a congenital immunodeficient syndrome...Full Text Available
An explicit proposal for experiments leading to abrupt transitions in spatially extended bacterial populations in a Petri dish is presented on the basis of an exact formula obtained through an analytic...Full Text Available
Neonatal bacterial infection in rats alters the responses to a variety of subsequent challenges later in life. Here we explored the effects of neonatal bacterial infection on a subsequent drug...Full Text Available
Infection due to multidrug resistance pathogens is difficult to manage due to bacterial virulence factors and because of a relatively limited choice of antimicrobial agents. Thus, it is imperative to...Full Text Available
The vaginal bacterial microbiota of 19 premenopausal women was examined by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing of the V2-V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Ten of the women...Full Text Available
Enteric infections with attaching/effacing lesion-inducing bacterial pathogens are a worldwide health problem. A murine infection model with one such pathogen, Citrobacter rodentium,...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo examine the role of first trimester bacterial vaginosis (BV) and level of BV-associated microorganisms diagnosed using the Nugent’s Gram stain...Full Text Available
Aim:The effect of Tualang honey on wound healing in bacterial contaminated full-thickness burn wounds was evaluated in 36 male Sprague Dawley rats.Materials...Full Text Available
BackgroundBacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common condition that is associated with preterm birth and acquisition of complex communities of vaginal bacteria that include several fastidious...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe bacterial genus Listeria contains pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, including the pathogens L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii,...Full Text Available
Bacterial pathogens use virulence strategies to invade epithelial barriers, but active processes of epithelial cells may also contribute to the endocytosis of microbial particles. To focus on the latter,...Full Text Available
The purpose of the work was to quantitatively characterize temperature effects on the bacterial leaching of sulfide ore material containing several sulfide minerals. The leaching was tested at eight...Full Text Available
We have used a sintered glass bead core to simulate the spaces and surfaces of reservoir rock in studies of the bacterial plugging phenomenon that affects waterflood oil recovery operations. The passage...Full Text Available
We examined the bacterial aerobic nasal flora of 216 healthy volunteers to identify potential competitive interactions among different species, with special emphasis on the influence of staphylococcal...Full Text Available
Gene expression from bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones has been demonstrated to facilitate physiologically relevant levels compared to viral and nonviral cDNA vectors. BACs are large enough...Full Text Available
ObjectivesTo assess whether bacterial vaginosis or chlamydial infection before 10 weeks' gestation is associated with miscarriage before 16 weeks.DesignProspective...Full Text Available
Model systems to study the effects of chemicals of environmental concern on bacterial and parasitic diseases as well as the immunosurveillance and destruction of transplantable tumor cells were described...Full Text Available
To diagnose asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV), self-sampled vaginal smears were collected during a study of risk factors for preterm birth in African American women. More than 90% of those...Full Text Available
Little is known about the conservation of determinants for the identities of tRNAs between organisms. We showed previously that Escherichia coli tyrosine tRNA synthetase can charge the Saccharomyces...Full Text Available
The spectral characteristics of the Cherenkov radiation have been evaluated and converted to equivalent retinal irradiance from external sources. On the basis of the conversion, electron fluxes have been estimated for 2-sec recovery times from flashblindness. The electrons are assumed to have energies greater than 6 MeV and to be delivered in one or more bursts of 1 microsecond each over 1 sec. It is important to note that very little data exists on recovery times as short as 2 sec for either photopic and scotopic conditions. This situation is a direct result of the lack of definition of the critical tasks and their sensitivity to an interruption of background adaptation. The Cherenkov radiation produced within the eye by relativistic electrons can be compared to light from external sources by the relationships: 1 rad approx. = 4.6 scotopic td-sec and 1 rad approx. = 0.55 photopic td ...
Chaperones (stress proteins) are essential proteins to help the formation and maintenance of the proper conformation of other proteins and to promote cell survival after a large variety of environmental...Full Text Available
The rate-limiting step in the transit of dietary fat across the intestinal absorptive cell is its exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in a specialized ER-to-Golgi transport vesicle, the prechylomicron...Full Text Available
A new 500 kV one cycle electric circuit breaker with a mininum interrupting time of 12.5 m sec is described. The breaker, associated with a 1/4 cycle relay, insures a one cycle interruption. 5 refs.
Kusy,. R. P. and. Corneliussen,. R. D.,. Polym. Eng. Sci.,. 15,. 1975 pp. 107. DeAraujo,. F. T. and. Rostenberg,. H. M.,. Jour. Phys.,. Sec. D,. Appl. ...
Seq 1 was 8 images spaced 2sec apart, 999 ms man exp, filter 0. ... This region is the 2 sigma ellipsoid. This means, there was 90% chance that ... At this point the ellipse was fat and collapsed as we were still looking more or less ...
This paper presents a practical case study on the dynamic stability of the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) power system and its effect on increasing power transfer limit of the interconnection between Eastern Operating Area (SEC-EOA). The problem of optimal tuning of the power system stabilizer parameters was converted into optimization problem wth eigenvalue-based objective functions, which was then solved by genetic algorithms. In this regard, two eigenvalue-based objective functions were considered and the problem is solved using real-coded genetic algorithm (RCGA). The effectiveness of the suggested technique to enhance the power system dynamic stability and to extend the power transfer capability limit of the SEC-EOA and the SEC-EOA power system was verified through a comprehensive eigenvalue analysis and time-domain nonlinear simulation. The results also indicated that the proposed tuning schemes ...
A development history and current status evaluation are presented for nuclear-thermal rocket propulsion systems applicable to interplanetary flight. While the most advanced current chemical rocket engines, such as the SSMEs of the Space Shuttle, produce specific impulses of the order of 450 secs, a nuclear-thermal rocket engine tested at Los Alamos in 1969 generated 845 secs; such specific impulse improvements could represent weeks or months of interplanetary travel time. Attention is given to the achievements of the historical Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application, Helios, and Orion design programs, as well as to the current Vehicle for Interplanetary Space Transportation Applications, which is fusion-based.
The gravitational radiation produced by the big bang is calculated in order to provide a condition for the unification of the gravitational and electromagnetic forces. By analogy with electromagnetic radiation and under the assumption that gravity is also quantized, it is shown that matter would have decoupled from gravitational radiation at a time of approximately 10 to the -43rd sec and would have dominated it at 10 to the -17th sec. Furthermore, the theory predicts a background gravitational radiation temperature of 0.003 K which peaks at a wavelength of about 1 m, which may be detected by the comparison of the synchronization of clocks at increasing distances.
The intracellular concentration of protein may be as high as 400 mg per ml; thus it seems inevitable that within the cell, numerous protein-protein contacts are constantly occurring. A basic biochemical...Full Text Available
Reversion-induced LIM protein (RIL) is a member of the ALP (actinin-associated LIM protein) subfamily of the PDZ/LIM protein family. RIL serves as an adaptor protein and seems to regulate cytoskeletons....Full Text Available
The 2- and 8-azido trimer 5'-triphosphate photoprobes of 2-5A have been enzymatically synthesized from [#gamma#-"3"2P]2-azidoATP and [#alpha#-"3"2P]8-azidoAPT by 2-5A synthetase from rabbit reticulocyte lysates. Identification and structural determination of the 2- and 8-azido adenylate trimer 5'-triphosphates were accomplished by enzymatic hydrolyses with T2 RNase, snake venom phosphodiesterase, and bacterial alkaline phosphatase. Hydrolysis products were identified by HPLC and PEI-cellulose TLC analyses. The 8-azido photoprobe of 2-5A displaces p_3A_4["3"2P]pCp from RNase L with affinity equivalent to p_3A_3. The 8-azido photoprobe also activates RNase L to hydrolyze poly(U)["3"2P]pCp 50% at 7 /times/ 10/sup /minus/9/ M in core-cellulose assays. The 2- and 8-azido photoprobes and authentic p_3A_3 activate RNase L to cleave 28S and 18S rRNA to specific cleavage products at 10/sup /minus/9/ M in rRNA cleavage assays. The nucleotide binding site(s) of RNase L and/or ...
Liver paste or foie gras, which is a French term meaning fatty liver, was produced traditionally from goose and duck. Chickens are also used in the making of foie gras. The present study deals with the properties and quality of raw chicken and duck liver in comparison with manufactured liver paste (foie gras). Raw chicken liver contained 24.60% protein, 6.00% fat, 1.40 % ash, and 66.80% moisture. The average mineral values were 83.65, 50.75, 5.29, 1.15, 0.154, 0.683, 0.317 and 0.066 {mu}g/g of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr, respectively. The processing of liver paste (Foie gras) changed the composition of raw liver due to a loss in moisture, a release of fat and the addition of butter as a fat source. Chicken liver paste contained 27.8% moisture, 10.1% protein, 58.2% fat, and 0.8% ash. Mineral contents were 68.90, 40.50, 1.60, 1.1, 0.08, 0.22, 0.04 and 0.04 {mu}g/g of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr, respectively. The chemical, ...
The effect of X-irradiation on production of MUC1 was studied with human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells. As evaluated by immunocytochemical staining, the percentages or MUC1-positive cells in cells at 4 days after 6 Gy irradiation and in unirradiated control cells were 52#+-#3.5% (n=6) and 26#+-#2.8% (n=6), respectively. Flow-cytometric analysis of living cells showed that MUC1 began to rise from day 1, reaching a plateau by day 4 after 6 Gy irradiation. Western blot analysis with monoclonal antibody MY.1E12 against glycosylated MUC1 (mature form) showed dose-dependent increases of two bands (500 and 390 kDa) corresponding to two polymorphic MUC1 alleles. Premature forms of MUC1 (350 and 240 kDa) were detectable with monoclonal antibody HMFG-2 only in irradiated cells, suggesting that new core protein synthesis had been induced. The transcriptional activity of the MUC1 gene was analyzed in terms of transient expression of MUC1-CAT reporter plasmids containing ...
The aim for deterministic control of the interactions between macroions in aqueous media has motivated widespread experimental and theoretical work. Although it has been well established that like-charged macromolecules can aggregate under the influence of oppositely charged condensing agents, the specific conditions for the stability of such aggregates can only be determined empirically. We examine these conditions, which involve an interplay of electrostatic and osmotic effects, by using a well defined model system composed of F-actin, an anionic rod-like polyelectrolyte, and lysozyme, a cationic globular protein with a charge that can be genetically modified. The structure and stability of actin-lysozyme complexes for different lysozyme charge mutants and salt concentrations are examined by using synchrotron x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations. We provide evidence that supports a structural transition from columnar arrangements of F-actin held ...
The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification of several vaginal bacterial groups in healthy women and patients developing asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV) and candidiasis (CA) was performed. Statistical analysis revealed that the BV condition is characterised by a great variability among subjects and that it is associated with a significant increase of Prevotella, Atopobium, Veillonella and Gardnerella vaginalis, and a drop in Lactobacillus. On the contrary, the vaginal microflora of healthy women and patients developing CA was found to be homogeneous and stable over time. PMID:18762999
The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification of several vaginal bacterial groups in healthy women and patients developing asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV) and candidiasis (CA) was performed. Statistical analysis revealed that the BV condition is characterised by a great variability among subjects and that it is associated with a significant increase of Prevotella, Atopobium, Veillonella and Gardnerella vaginalis, and a drop in Lactobacillus. On the contrary, the vaginal microflora of healthy women and patients developing CA was found to be homogeneous and stable over time.
The emergence of bacterial antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, yet the variables that influence the rate of emergence of resistance are not well understood. In a microfluidic device designed to mimic naturally occurring bacterial niches, resistance of Escherichia coli to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin developed within 10 hours. Resistance emerged with as few as 100 bacteria in the initial inoculation. Whole-genome sequencing of the resistant organisms revealed that four functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms attained fixation. Knowledge about the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance in the heterogeneous conditions within the mammalian body may be helpful in understanding the emergence of drug resistance during cancer chemotherapy. PMID:21940899
Legionella pneumophila is a gram-negative bacterial species that is ubiquitous in almost any aqueous environment. It is the agent of Legionnaires’ disease, an acute and often...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt is well established that Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne pathogen; by contrast, the mode of Helicobacter pylori transmission...Full Text Available
Periodontitis is an infectious process characterized by inflammation affecting the supporting structures of the teeth. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major oral bacterial species implicated...Full Text Available
Examining the relationship between biodiversity and functional stability (resistance and resilience) of activated sludge bacterial communities following disturbance is an important first step towards developing strategies for the design of robust biological wastewater treatment systems. This study investigates the relationship between functional resistance and biodiversity of dominant bacterial taxa by subjecting activated sludge samples, with different levels of biodiversity, to toxic shock loading with cupric sulfate (Cu[II]), 3,5-dichlorophenol (3,5-DCP), or 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Respirometric batch experiments were performed to determine the functional resistance of activated sludge bacterial community to the three toxicants. Functional resistance was estimated as the 30?min IC50 or th...
... 84. Fields BS, Haupt T, Davis JP, Arduino MJ, Butler JC. Pontiac fever due to Legionella micdadei from a whirlpool spa: Possible role of bacterial endotoxin. ...
BackgroundThe metagenomic analysis of microbial communities holds the potential to improve our understanding of the role of microbes in clinical conditions. Recent, dramatic improvements...Full Text Available
The bacterium Serratia marcescens produces a plethora of multicellular shapes of different colorations on solid substrates, allowing immediate visual detection of varieties. Such a...Full Text Available
Background"Nubiotics" are synthetic oligonucleotides and nucleotides with nuclease-resistant backbones, and are fully protonated for enhanced ability to be taken up by bacterial...Full Text Available
A large group of diseases, termed protein misfolding disorders, share the common feature of the accumulation of misfolded proteins. The possibility of a common mechanism underlying either the pathogenesis...Full Text Available
Many mutations associated with retinal degeneration lead to the production of misfolded proteins by cells of the retina. Emerging evidence suggests that these abnormal proteins cause cell death...Full Text Available
CAAX proteins are widely involved in global cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, and carcinogenesis. As an important modulator of biological activity, signal transduction via protein...Full Text Available
Bacterial plasmids contain specific genes for resistances to toxic heavy metal ions including Ag+, AsO2-, AsO4(3-), Cd2+, Co2+, CrO4(2-), Cu2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Sb3+, and Zn2+. Recent progress with...Full Text Available
Caffeine and related xanthines were identified as potent stimulators for the bacterial cellulose production in A. xylinum. These compounds are present in several plants whose infusions are useful as culture-medium supplements for this acetobacterium. The proposed target for these native purine-like inhibitory substances is the novel diguanyl nucleotide phosphodiesterase(s) that participates in the bacterial cellulogenic complex.
β-Lactamases are the main cause of bacterial resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins. Class A β-lactamases, the largest group of β-lactamases, have been found in many bacterial...Full Text Available
Resistance (R) protein mediated recognition of pathogen avirulence effectors triggers signaling that induces a very robust form of species-specific immunity in plants. The soybean Rpg1-b protein mediates...Full Text Available
Membrane protein structural biology is still a largely unconquered area, given that approximately 25% of all proteins are membrane proteins and yet less than 150 unique structures are available. Membrane...Full Text Available
This report is organized in a fashion that is intended to explain the legal duties imposed on officials responsible for hazardous waste at each stage of its existence. Section 2 describes federal hazardous waste laws, explaining the legal meaning of hazardous waste and the protective measures that are required to be taken by its generators, transporters, and storers. In addition, penalties for violation of the standards are summarized, and a special discussion is presented of so-called imminent hazard provisions for handling hazardous waste that immediately threatens public health and safety. Although the focus of Sec. 2 is on RCRA, which is the principal federal law regulating hazardous waste, other federal statutes are discussed as appropriate. Section 3 covers state regulation of hazardous waste. First, Sec. 3 explains the system of state enforcement of the federal RCRA requirements on hazardous waste within their borders. Second, ...
Crystalline bis(O,O'-di-sec-butyldithiophosphato)platinum(II) was prepared and studied by means of 13C, 31P CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The unit cell of the platinum(II) compound is comprised of one centrosymmetric mononuclear molecule [Pt{S2P(O-sec-C4H9)2}2], in which the dithiophosphate groups display structural equivalence in both 31P NMR and XRD data. A pair of the dithiophosphate ligands exhibit the same S,S'-bidentate chelating structural function and form two planar four-membered chelate rings, [PtS2P], in this molecule. The planar configuration of the [PtS4] chromophore in structure 1 is governed by the dsp2-hybrid state of platinum(II). The structural states of the dithiophosphate groups in two different samples of complex 1 (one crystallised from...
A nuclear fuel waste disposal vault would not likely be a sterile environment. Bacterial activity would be expected in those areas of the vault conducive to bacterial life, i.e., where effects of heat, moisture content, radiation and compaction would not prevent or severely restrict bacterial life and where suitable and sufficient nutrients would be present. An inventory of bacterial nutrients that would be emplaced 'intentionally' with vault materials (fuel waste, waste containers, buffer and backfill materials) has been made previously. This report assesses bacterial nutrients that would be added 'inadvertently' to a vault in the form of residues of materials used to excavate and operate a vault. Measurements of blasting material residues in the various water supplies, excavated broken rock (muck) and in cores drilled in old and new tunnel walls were made at AECL's Underground ...
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of meningitis in newborn infants. Bacterial cell surface appendages, known as pili, have been recently described in streptococcal pathogens, including GBS. The pilus tip adhesin, PilA, contributes to GBS adherence to blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium; however, the host receptor and the contribution of PilA in central nervous system (CNS) disease pathogenesis are unknown. Here we show that PilA binds collagen, which promotes GBS interaction with the ?(2)?(1) integrin resulting in activation of host chemokine expression and neutrophil recruitment during infection. Mice infected with the PilA-deficient mutant exhibit delayed mortality, a decrease in neutrophil infiltration and bacterial CNS dissemination. We find that PilA-mediated virulence is dependent on neutrophil influx as neutrophil depletion results in a decrease in BBB permeability and GBS-BBB penetration. Our results suggest that the ...
Bacterial attachment-effacement (att-eff) is emerging as an important virulence characteristic common to both enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). The contribution of the plasmid-encoded EPEC adherence factor to the production of mucosal lesions and diarrhea was investigated in gnotobiotic piglets. Bacterial att-aff in the intestinal mucosa of piglets infected with plasmid-cured EPEC strain E2348/69 (O127) was indistinguishable from that in piglets infected with the parent strain, but the distribution of lesions was different; it occurred in the small intestines of 6 of 7 piglets infected with the parent strain compared with only 2 of 11 (P = 0.006) infected with the plasmid-cured strain. Plasmid-encoded factors in EPEC and EHEC strains did not appear to contribute to bacterial competition with normal gut microflora. Of 13 strains belonging to five EPEC serogroups, O55, O142, O26, ...
In acute liver failure following hepatitis, toxic insults, or after major liver surgery, there is an increased bacterial translocation from the gut. This may explain some of the infectious complications seen in these conditions. To elucidate mechanisms and find possible preventive measures, we investigated the effect of rectal administration of arginine and probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus spp.) on bacterial translocation and the extent of liver failure. Sprague-Dawley rats were used and five different Lactobacillus strains (Lb. reuteri R2LC, Lb. rhamnosus DSM 6594 (= strain 271), Lb. plantarum DSM 9843 (= strain 299v), Lb. fermentum 8704:3 (= strain 245), and Lb. reuteri (= strain 108) were administered rectally once daily for 8 days with and without 2% arginine. Acute liver injury (ALI) was induced on the eighth day by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine (1.1 g/kg body weight), and samples were collected after 24 and 48 hours. ...
Material test results are presented for the mechanical behavior of Nylon 66 in compression. Static compression modes include direct compression, stress relaxation and creep. Dynamic direct compression results are included. Tests are performed at atmospheric pressure; strain rates range from 10/sup /minus/4/sec to 10/sup 2/sec; temperatures are 20, 65, 110, 150 and 200/degree/C; moisture levels are 0% (dry), 2% and 6% (saturated); true strains to /minus/0.25 are imposed. Our empirical Temperature-Moisture equivalence of 14/degree/C per 1% moisture is discussed with respect to the /open quotes/free volume/close quotes/ concept.
The production of retrograde amnesia (RA) upon electron-beam exposure was investigated. RA production was evaluated using a single-trial avoidance task for 10, 1, and 0.1 microsecond pulsed exposures. The dose-response curve obtained at each pulse duration showed significant RA production. The most effective dose range was 0.1-10 rad at a dose rate of 1,000,000 rad/sec. By employing a 10 rad (1,000,000 rad/s) pulse, a memory loss of the events occurring in the previous 4 sec was demonstrated. The conclusion was that the RA effect might be due to sensory system activation which provided a novel stimulus that masked previous stimuli.
A large detector with high redundancy is used to search for various types of anomalous particles in cosmic rays at sea level. The detector is sensitive to zenith angles between 45/sup 0/ and 90/sup 0/. Previously obtained limits on the fluxes of charge (1/3) and (2/3) particles are reduced to 2.9 x 10/sup -10/ and 2.6 x 10/sup -10/ cm/sup -2/sr /sup -1/ sec/sup -1/, respectively. The flux of ionizing tachyons is determined to be less than 2.4 x 10/sup -9/ cm/sup -2/ sr/sup -1/ sec/sup -1/. The massive-particle flux limit we obtain is inconsistent with previous claims of such particles assuming that these particles are isotropic in zenith angle.
A large detector with high redundancy is used to search for various types of anomalous particles in cosmic rays at sea level. The detector is sensitive to zenith angles between 45"0 and 90"0. Previously obtained limits on the fluxes of charge (1/3) and (2/3) particles are reduced to 2.9 x 10"-"1"0 and 2.6 x 10"-"1"0 cm"-"2sr "-"1 sec"-"1, respectively. The flux of ionizing tachyons is determined to be less than 2.4 x 10"-"9 cm"-"2 sr"-"1 sec"-"1. The massive-particle flux limit we obtain is inconsistent with previous claims of such particles assuming that these particles are isotropic in zenith angle.
Evidence for dietary/nutritional treatments of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) varies widely, from double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to anecdotal. In guiding patients, clinicians can apply the SECS versus RUDE rule: treatments that are Safe, Easy, Cheap, and Sensible (SECS) require less evidence than those that are Risky, Unrealistic, Difficult, or Expensive (RUDE). Two nutritional treatments appear worth general consideration: Recommended Daily Allowance/Reference Daily Intake multivitamin/mineral supplements as a pediatric health intervention not specific to ADHD and essential fatty acids, especially a mix of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and ?-linolenic acid as an ADHD-specific intervention. Controlled studies support the elimination of artificial fo...
A pillbox RF output window was developed for the L-band pulsed klystron for the Japanese Hadron Project (JHP) 1-GeV proton linac. The window was designed to withstand a peak RF power of 6 MW, where the pulse width is 600 {mu}sec and the repetition rate is 50 Hz. A high power model was fabricated using an alumina ceramic which has a low loss tangent of 2.5x10{sup -5}. A high power test was successfully performed up to a 113 kW RF average power with a 4 MW peak power, a 565 {mu}sec pulse width and a 50 Hz repetition rate. By extrapolating the data of this high power test, the temperature rise of the ceramic is estimated low enough at the full RF power of 6 MW. Thus this RF window is expected to satisfy the specifications of the L-band Klystron. (author).
Norepinephrine stimulates the growth of a range of bacterial species in nutritionally poor SAPI minimal salts medium containing 30% serum. Addition of size-fractionated serum components to SAPI medium indicated that transferrin was required for norepinephrine stimulation of growth of Escherichia coli. Since bacteriostasis by serum is primarily due to the iron-withholding capacity of transferrin, we considered the possibility that norepinephrine can overcome this effect by supplying transferrin-bound iron for growth. Incubation with concentrations of norepinephrine that stimulated bacterial growth in serum-SAPI medium resulted in loss of bound iron from iron-saturated transferrin, as indicated by the appearance of monoferric and apo- isoforms upon electrophoresis in denaturing gels. Norepinephrine also caused the loss of iron from lactoferrin. The pharmacologically inactive metabolite norepinephrine 3-O-sulfate, by contrast, did not result in ...
The growth power-time curves of a strain of petroleum bacteria, B-2, in various kinds of cultures containing different kinds of carbon sources, glucose, n-tetradecane, n-hexadecane and n-octadecane, and different kinds of microemulsions have been determined by using a 2277 Thermal Activity Monitor. The curves showed a single peak for cultures containing a single carbon source, glucose, and two peaks for cultures containing two kinds of carbon sources, glucose and one of the n-alkanes. The first peak indicated that bacteria grew by consuming glucose and the second peak indicated that bacteria grew by consuming n-alkane. The curves were complex when the bacterium grows in a microemulsion culture. According to a kinetic equation of bacterial growth under limited conditions, the rate constants of bacterial growth were obtained. The results showed that the microemulsion culture was more appropriate to bacteria to grow on n-alkanes.
This study investigates the turnover of polysaccharides by heterotrophic bacterioplankton in the northern Bay of Biscay, a productive marine system on the continental margin of the temperate Atlantic Ocean. Bacterial biomass production (BBP) near the surface ranged from 0.5 to 25.7 nmol C L?1 h?1 during small phytoplankton blooms in May and June that occurred after the main spring bloom. A direct relationship between BBP and total polysaccharides strongly suggests the dependence of bacterial growth on the availability of semi-labile organic matter. Concentrations of combined glucose as well as rate constants of extracellular glucosidase activity and glucose uptake were determined to estimate the actual carbon fluxes from bacterial polysaccharide turnover. Results reveal that ...
Preterm birth is a common cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Many asymptomatic genital infections have been associated with preterm birth, but attempts to determine a causal relationship between specific infections and preterm birth have been disappointing. Treatment trials of specific infections have generally failed to show a positive effect, and in some trials have shown a deleterious effect. Although there is a strong association between the presence of bacterial vaginosis and Trichomonas vaginalis in pregnancy and preterm birth, randomized treatment trials have failed to show a benefit of treatment of these organisms. Treatment of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis or T. vaginalis to prevent preterm birth is not warranted. PMID:12112946
The colonization of an implant surface by bacteria is an extremely important medical problem, which often leads to the failure of medical devices. Modern surface modification techniques, such as ion implantation, can confer to the surfaces very different properties from those of the bulk underlying material. In this work, austenitic stainless steel 316 LVM has been superficially modified by Si^+ ion implantation. The effect of surface modification on the biocompatibility and bacterial adhesion to 316 LVM stainless steel has been investigated. To this aim, human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), as precursor of osteoblastic cells, and bacterial strains relevant in infections related to orthopedic implants, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, have been assayed. For the ...
Coral populations have precipitously declined on Caribbean reefs while algal abundance has increased, leading to enhanced competitive damage to corals, which likely is mediated by the potent allelochemicals produced by both macroalgae and benthic cyanobacteria. Allelochemicals may affect the composition and abundance of coral-associated microorganisms that control host responses and adaptations to environmental change, including susceptibility to bacterial diseases. Here, we demonstrate that extracts of six Caribbean macroalgae and two benthic cyanobacteria have both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on bacterial taxa cultured from the surfaces of Caribbean corals, macroalgae, and corals exposed to macroalgal extracts. The growth of 54 bacterial isolates was monitored in the presence of l...
In 1959 Zeldovich pointed out to the possibility of storage in a closed vessel of very slow neutrons with energies below less than or equal to 10"-"7 eV noting that one may achieve the storage time up to the lifetime of a free neutron before #beta#-decay (approx.10"3 sec). This possibility is due to the effective repulsing potential which describes the interaction of slow neutrons with many substances employing a strong suppression of inelastic processes in the reflection of ultracold neutrons (UCN). In a series of experiments beginning 1968 the effective methods were developed of obtaining pure UCN beams from the maxwellian spectrum of thermal neutrons. The UCN beams of intensity about 10"3 n/sec and density up to 10"2 n/liter were obtained at the reactors with thermal neutron flux of 5 x 10"1"3 n/cm"2 sec. Such UCN beam parameters allow to measure easily the UCN storage time in different vessels and under different ...
New photoelectric photometry confirms that the period of V444 Cyg is lengthening at a rate P = 0.202 +- 0.018 sec/yr, implying a rate M = -(1.02 +- 0.20) x 10/sup -5/M/sub O//yr of mass loss by the WN5 component.
The image processing system for the dynamic neutron radiography has been developed. It is based on the hardware subset, composed by the method of the pipe-line and use of algorithm of local statistics. The processing speed per one pixel is shorter than 100 n sec and video-rate processing can be executed on it. Some image processes for improving the quality of the real-time neutron image, noise reduction and contrast stretching would be attempted by the use of this system. (author).
Four unique deisgn features are described which make the Fast Flux Test Facility eminently suitable for irradiation test programs. These features are a fast flux level of 7 x 10"1"5 neutrons/cm"2/sec, a 36-inch reference (breeder reactor) core height, test volumes suitable for testing of statistical quantities of materials, and the capability for direct (contact) or indirect (proximity) instrumentation of active core experiments.
United States Air Force security forces have a central role in force protection. Their missions include military police services, installation security, air base defense, military working dog functions, and combat arms training and maintenance. Surveys in...
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is composed of tubules, sheets, and three-way junctions, resulting in a highly conserved polygonal network in all eukaryotes. The molecular mechanisms responsible for...Full Text Available
The removal of tritiated water vapour was tested by use of a small burning apparatus and a clinoptilolite filter. It was found that decontamination factor of about 10"4 could be obtained by a clinoptilolite filter. The adsorption of HTO in the clinoptilolite is caused by the diffusion, so it is necessary that filtration velocity is maintained below 0.01 m/sec. Decontamination factor was not influence by the moisture content of a clinoptilolite and tritiated water vapour once adsorbed on a filter was hardly removed. (auth.).
Arf GTPases control vesicle formation from different intracellular membranes and are regulated by Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Outside of their conserved catalytic domains, known...Full Text Available
Proteins aggregated into spherulite structures of amyloid fibrils have been observed in patients with certain brain diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. The conditions under which these protein spherulites form and grow are not currently known. In order to illuminate the role of environmental factors on protein spherulites, this research aims to explore the kinetics and mechanisms of spherulite formation and growth, as monitored by optical microscopy, in a range of salt concentrations, and initial protein concentrations for two model proteins: bovine b-lactoglobulin and insulin. These two proteins are significantly different in their size and fibril growth rate, but both of these proteins have been shown previously to form amyloid fibrils and spherulites under low pH conditions. The...
Here we use published 16S rRNA gene sequences to compare the bacterial assemblages associated with humans, other mammals, other metazoa, and free-living microbial communities spanning a range...Full Text Available
BackgroundDinoflagellates are unicellular, often photosynthetic protists that play a major role in the dynamics of the Earth's oceans and climate. Sequencing of dinoflagellate nuclear...Full Text Available
Peri-prosthetic infections are notoriously difficult to treat as the biomaterial implant is ideal for bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, resulting in decreased antibiotic sensitivity....Full Text Available
BackgroundStreptococcus suis is an emerging zoonotic pathogen and is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in adults in Vietnam. Systematic data on the antimicrobial...Full Text Available
Many bacterial pathogens produce extracellular proteases that degrade the extracellular matrix of the host and therefore are involved in disease pathogenesis. Dichelobacter nodosus...Full Text Available
Enzymes are versatile catalysts in laboratories and on an industrial scale; improving their immobilization would be beneficial to broadening their applicability and ensuring their (re)use. Lipid-coated...Full Text Available
A previous report of high levels of members of the domain Archaea in Antarctic coastal waters prompted us to investigate the ecology of Antarctic planktonic prokaryotes. rRNA hybridization...Full Text Available
Bacterial hydroxy fatty acids and alpha-hydroxy fatty acids have been demonstrated in complex lipid extracts of subgingival plaque and gingival tissue. However, little is known about the relationship...Full Text Available
The pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa disseminated infections depends on bacterial interaction with blood vessels. We have hypothesized that in order to traverse the endothelial barrier, bacteria...Full Text Available
Several commonly occurring freshwater and marine plants and algae were screened for beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase activities by using a 60-min enzyme assay based on the hydrolysis by...Full Text Available
Adaptive radiation is the rapid origination of multiple species from a single ancestor as the result of concurrent adaptation to disparate environments. This fundamental evolutionary process is considered...Full Text Available
In order to efficiently utilize natural cellulose materials to produce ethylene, three expression vectors containing the ethylene-forming enzyme (efe) gene from Pseudomonas...Full Text Available
Type 1 pilus directs bladder epithelial binding and invasion by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) in the initial stage of cystitis, but the bacterial determinants of postinvasion...Full Text Available
Increased construction of residential canal communities along the southern coastline of the United States has led to a concern about their impact on water quality. Pollution of such dead-end canals...Full Text Available
Macrophage activation by the proinflammatory cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is a critical component of the host innate response to bacterial pathogenesis. However, the precise nature...Full Text Available
Bartonella species are being recognized as important bacterial human and canine pathogens, and are associated with multiple arthropod vectors. Bartonella DNA extracted...Full Text Available
Bacterial processes in soil, including biodegradation, require contact between bacteria and substrates. Knowledge of the three-dimensional spatial distribution of bacteria at the microscale is necessary...Full Text Available
A method of measuring the water potential of stored potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.) was needed to investigate the relationship of bacterial soft rot in tubers to water potential....Full Text Available
... were erroneous. The oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, is considered to be the primary vector of ... laboratory and production of Weigl's exanthematous typhus vaccine. In Maintenance of hum...
BackgroundThe maternally inherited, bacterial symbiont, parthenogenesis inducing (PI) Wolbachia, causes females in some haplodiploid insects to produce daughters...Full Text Available
The gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the causative agent of bacterial spot disease in pepper and tomato plants, which leads to economically...Full Text Available
Previous experimental data from various laboratories indicate that endotoxin of gram-negative oral microorganisms might be one of the most important bacterial products involved in bone resorption during...Full Text Available
The plasmid pE194 (3.7 kilobases) is capable of integrating into the genome of the bacterial host Bacillus subtilis in the absence of the major homology-dependent RecE recombination system. Multiple...Full Text Available
The electrokinetic patterns of four bacterial species (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Agrobacterium radiobacter), two yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida...Full Text Available
Clindamycin concentrations in gingival crevicular fluid and in blood were determined over a 7-h period and were related to the minimal inhibitory concentrations of this agent for 340 bacterial strains...Full Text Available
The continued evolution of bacterial pathogens has major implications for both human and animal disease, but the exchange of genetic material between host-restricted pathogens is rarely considered....Full Text Available
Zinc is an essential trace metal ion for growth, but an excess of Zn is toxic and microorganisms express diverse resistance mechanisms. To understand global bacterial responses to excess Zn, we conducted...Full Text Available
Purpose of reviewSevere congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a primary immunodeficiency in which lack of neutrophils causes inadequate innate immune host response to bacterial...Full Text Available
On agar plates, daughter cells of Escherichia coli mutually slide and align side-by-side in parallel during the first round of binary fission. This phenomenon has been previously attributed...Full Text Available
Clostridium perfringens type A food poisoning is the second most commonly identified bacterial food-borne illness. Sporulation contributes to this disease in two ways: (i) most food-poisoning...Full Text Available
This study examines the results of bacterial culture from 159 endometrial biopsy samples from 97 commercial dairy cows and correlations between bacteriological and histological findings. Bacteria were...Full Text Available
Bacterial nitric oxide synthases (bNOS) are present in many Gram-positive species and have been demonstrated to synthesize NO from arginine in vitro and in vivo. However, the physiological role...Full Text Available
We investigated the effects of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge on the ecology of bacterial communities in the sediment of a small, low-gradient stream in South Australia. The quantification...Full Text Available
Rumen-cannulated cows (n = 4) were fed successively silage made from either conventional or genetically modified (GM) maize. Results revealed no effects of GM maize on the dynamics...Full Text Available
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic disease characterized by single or multiple ulcerations. Secondary bacterial infections are one of the complications that can increase the tissue destruction...Full Text Available
Many pathogens colonize different anatomical sites, but the selective pressures contributing to survival in the diverse niches are poorly understood. Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is...Full Text Available
Caries is a multifactorial disease, and studies aiming to unravel the factors modulating its etiology must consider all known predisposing factors. One major factor is bacterial colonization,...Full Text Available
We sequenced 16S rRNA genes from the vaginal swab contents of a postmenopausal woman with asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV). Sequences from Atopobium vaginae were the most commonly...Full Text Available
In order to identify novel high value antibacterial targets it is desirable to delineate whether the inactivation of the target enzyme will lead to bacterial death or stasis. This knowledge is particularly...Full Text Available
Several independent studies of bacterial degradation of nitrate ester explosives have demonstrated the involvement of flavin-dependent oxidoreductases related to the old yellow enzyme (OYE) of yeast....Full Text Available
Biodegradation/solubilization of coal is described. The degradation of dibenzothiophene by two bacterial strains is reported. The effects of adding salicylate to the treatments was also investigated. 2 figs., 5 tabs. (CBS)
BackgroundOceans are iron-deficient and nutrient-poor environments. These conditions impart limitations on our understanding of and our ability to identify microorganisms from the...Full Text Available
Escherichia coli infection of the endometrium causes uterine disease after parturition and is associated with prolonged luteal phases of the ovarian cycle in cattle. Termination...Full Text Available
In Iran, microscopic examination of skin scrapings from 2202 individuals with clinically diagnosed cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) lesions revealed the presence of amastigotes in 1123 cases (51.0%). Bacteriological...Full Text Available
Inadequate measures of water quality have been used in many studies of the health effects associated with water supplies in developing countries. The present 1-year epidemiological-microbiological study...Full Text Available
Acute Otitis Media occurs mostly after upper respiratory tract infection; the causative bacteria are those colonized in the nasopharynx. We studied 709 URI episodes and found that children with...Full Text Available
BackgroundSepsis or bacteraemia, however rare, is a significant cause of high mortality and serious complications in children. In previous studies skin disease or skin infections...Full Text Available
A total of 193 bacterial strains were tested for their susceptibilities to 14 antimicrobial agents. Penicillin G was active at 2 U/ml against 98% of the oral isolates. Other antibiotics with good activity...Full Text Available
The distribution and activity of communities of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic archaea in two contrasting Antarctic sediments were investigated. Methanogenesis dominated in freshwater...Full Text Available
The mechanism by which enzyme IIIglc of the bacterial phosphotransferase system regulates the activity of crystalline glycerol kinase from Escherichia coli has been studied, and the inhibitory effects...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe successful interaction of bacterial pathogens with host tissues requires the sensing of specific chemical and physical cues. The human gut contains a huge number of...Full Text Available
BackgroundBacterial constituents, such as Gram-negative derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS), can initiate inflammatory bone loss through induction of host-derived inflammatory...Full Text Available
Saccharococcus sacchari is the primary colonizer of the developing “sterile” tissue between the leaf sheath and stem of sugar cane. The honeydew secreted by the mealybugs...Full Text Available
The accumulation of α-1,4-polyglucans is an important strategy to cope with transient starvation conditions in the environment. In bacteria and plants, the synthesis of glycogen and starch occurs...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of Toto ointment and soap on common skin disorders was tested. METHODOLOGY: A cohort of Nigerians with common skin conditions such as fungal and bacterial skin infections, scabies,...Full Text Available
Bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones are effective mapping and sequencing reagents for use with a wide variety of small and large genomes. This report describes the development of a physical...Full Text Available
A DNA fragment located on the 3' side of the Coxiella burnetii htpAB operon was determined by Southern blotting to exist in approximately 19 copies in the Nine Mile I genome. The DNA sequences of this...Full Text Available
The transfer of fish from field to laboratory facilities or their propagation in closed or restricted systems frequently results in bacterial infection and ultimately large-scale mortality. In attemps to alleviate this problem, we have added tetracycline hydrochloride to the water prophylactically (pretreating tanks before wild fish were added) and therapeutically (treating tanks after bacterial outbreaks were detected.) In the present study, we examined the effect of tetracyline hydrochloride on the critical thermal maximum (CTM) of the common shiner (Notropis cornutus).
BackgroundWe examined the effects of short-term consumption of whey protein isolate on muscle proteins and force recovery after eccentrically-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals.MethodsSeventeen...Full Text Available
Known vertebrate GATA proteins contain two zinc fingers and are required in development, whereas invertebrates express a class of essential proteins containing one GATA-type zinc finger. We isolated...Full Text Available
Thioredoxin, a small, ubiquitous protein which participates in redox reactions through the reversible oxidation of its active center dithiol to a disulfide, is an essential protein in Bacillus...Full Text Available
Storage proteins are deposited into protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) during plant seed development and maturation and stably accumulate to high levels; subsequently, during germination the storage...Full Text Available
The fusogenic orthoreoviruses express nonstructural fusion-associated small transmembrane (FAST) proteins that induce cell-cell fusion and syncytium formation. It has been speculated that the FAST proteins...Full Text Available
The homologous sequences observed for many calcium binding proteins such as parvalbumin, troponin C, the myosin light chains, and calmodulin has lead to the hypothesis that these proteins have homologous...Full Text Available
The changes in protein species synthesized during early Drosophila embryogenesis were characterized by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Of the 261 proteins scored, 68 (26%) show dramatic changes in...Full Text Available
Serum protein and lipid concentrations as well as the serum protein binding of propranolol, diazepam and phenytoin were measured in normal weight and obese volunteers. Concentrations of alpha 1-acid...Full Text Available
A protein evolution strategy is described by which double-stranded DNA fragments encoding defined E. coli protein secondary structural elements (α-helices, β-strands...Full Text Available
Filamin and Cortexillin are F-actin crosslinking proteins in Dictyostelium discoideum allowing actin filaments to form three-dimensional networks. GAPA, an IQGAP related protein, is...Full Text Available
We have used the two-electrode voltage clamp technique and the patch clamp technique to investigate the regulation of ROMK1 channels by protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) and protein-tyrosine...Full Text Available
The characterization of the single-chain protein in Chinese-cobra (Naja naja atra) blood serum, which yields strong specific protection against the venom of the same snake, is reported. The protein,...Full Text Available
A heterobifunctional reagent, N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate, was synthesized. Its N-hydroxysuccinimide ester group reacts with amino groups and the 2-pyridyl disulphide structure reacts...Full Text Available
It has been sixty years since the Millers first described the covalent binding of carcinogens to tissue proteins. Protein covalent binding was gradually overshadowed by the emergence of DNA...Full Text Available
Protein modifications such as phosphorylation are often studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis since the perturbation in the protein’s pI value is readily detected by this method....Full Text Available
Cd-binding protein was extracted from tomato roots and purified on QAE-Sephadex A-25 and on Sephadex G-75 in 1 molar KCl buffer. The protein preparation was light brown and contained predominantly Cd...Full Text Available
The Protein Data Bank in Europe (PDBe; pdbe.org) is actively involved in managing the international archive of biomacromolecular structure data as one of the partners in the Worldwide Protein Data Bank...Full Text Available
The nucleocapsid protein (NC) of retroviruses plays a major role in genomic RNA packaging, and some evidence has implicated the matrix protein (MA) of certain retroviruses in viral RNA binding. To further...Full Text Available
The activity of Src-related protein-tyrosine kinases is repressed by the phosphorylation of a conserved carboxyl-terminal tyrosine by another cytoplasmic protein-tyrosine kinase termed p50csk. In this...Full Text Available
Large quantity of reliable protein interaction data are available for model organisms in public depositories (e.g., MINT, DIP, HPRD, INTERACT). Most data correspond to experiments with the proteins...Full Text Available
In this study, we investigated on a systems level how complex protein interactions underlying cell polarity in yeast determine the dynamic association of proteins with the polar cortical domain (PCD)...Full Text Available
End binding proteins (EBs) are highly conserved core components of microtubule plus-end tracking protein networks. Here we investigated the roles of the three mammalian EBs in controlling microtubule...Full Text Available
Many genetic processes depend on proteins interacting with specific sequences on DNA. Despite the large excess of nonspecific DNA in the cell, proteins can locate their targets rapidly. After initial...Full Text Available
PknB is a member of the newly discovered eukaryotic-like protein serine/threonine kinase (PSTK) family of proteins. The pknB gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli....Full Text Available
Ethylene rapidly and transiently up-regulates the activity of several monomeric GTP-binding proteins (monomeric G proteins) in leaves of Arabidopsis as determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis...Full Text Available
During antibiotic drug development, media are frequently spiked with either serum/plasma or protein supplements to evaluate the effect of protein binding. Usually, previously reported serum or plasma...Full Text Available
Computer-assisted analysis revealed a striking sequence similarity between the putative 24-kDa protein (p24) encoded by open reading frame (ORF) 5 of beet yellows closterovirus and the coat protein...Full Text Available
Zipper-interacting protein kinase (ZIPK) is a member of the death-associated protein kinase family associated with apoptosis in nonmuscle cells where it phosphorylates myosin regulatory light chain...Full Text Available
Tooth enamel biomineralization is mediated by enamel proteins synthesized by ameloblast cells. Two classes of proteins have been described: enamelins and amelogenins. In lower vertebrates the absence...Full Text Available
The Protein Data Bank contains the description of more than 45,000 three-dimensional protein and nucleic-acid structures today. Started to exist as the computer-readable depository of crystallographic...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe fast growing Protein Data Bank contains the three-dimensional description of more than 45000 protein- and nucleic-acid structures today. The large majority of the data...Full Text Available
Chromatographic and electrophoretic studies have shown that the subunits of the crystalloid protein, isolated from mature castor bean (Ricinus communis L. cv Hale) seed endosperm protein...Full Text Available
Alpha-hemoglobin-stabilizing protein (AHSP) is an erythroid-specific protein that acts as a molecular chaperone for the free α chains of hemoglobin. Evidence strongly suggests...Full Text Available
The receptor-associated protein (RAP) is a molecular chaperone that binds tightly to certain newly synthesized LDL receptor family members in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and facilitates their delivery...Full Text Available
Phospholemman (PLM), a member of the FXYD family of regulators of ion transport, is a major sarcolemmal substrate for protein kinases A and C in cardiac and skeletal muscle. In the heart, PLM...Full Text Available
Summary: Protein features are often displayed along the linear sequence of amino acids that make up that protein, but in reality these features occupy a position in the folded proteins 3D space. Mapping sequence features to known or predicted protein structures is useful when trying to deduce the function of those features and when evaluating sequence or structural predictions. To facilitate this goal, we developed PDBpaint, a simple tool that displays protein sequence features gathered from bioinformatics resources on top of protein structures, which are displayed in an interactive window (using the Jmol Java viewer). PDBpaint can be used either with existing protein structures or with novel structures provided by the user. The current version of PDBpaint allows the visualization of annot...
Male reproductive proteins (MRPs), associated with sperm and semen, are the moieties responsible for carrying male genes into the next generation. Evolutionary biologists have focused on their...Full Text Available
We identify new organelles associated with the vacuolar system in plant cells. These organelles are defined biochemically by their internal content of three integral membrane proteins: a chimeric reporter...Full Text Available
BackgroundFunction exertion of specific proteins are key factors in disease progression, thus the systematical identification of those specific proteins is a prerequisite to understand...Full Text Available
This paper presents the directional dependence of surface scaling parameters namely roughness length and corresponding friction velocity, for neutral category of Tarapur coastal site. The average roughness length of lowest value of 0.07 m (SW) and the highest value of 0.32 m (E) and average friction velocity of lowest value 1.6 m/sec(SSE) and a highest value 2.8 m/sec (SW) for the year 2006 were observed. Wind profile studies for the coastal site Tarapur with the wind data measured from meteorological tower of 30m which is at 1500m downwind fetch distance from the coastal line in the east direction gave the wind profile index parameter 'p' as 0.4, 0.5 and 0.75 for Unstable, Neutral and Stable weather conditions respectively. Sector Average Turbulent kinetic energy estimated as 17.7m2/s2 and its dissipation rate is 3.1 m2/s3 for the 10m elevation from the surface. A surface drag coefficient CD for the 10m height is 0.0076 for the smooth ocean ...
We have already developed three conventional and one periodic permanent (PPM) type 50-MW class klystrons, a smart modulator, and the first HOM-free accelerator structure (Choke-mode type, full-scale high power model). A very stable ceramic high voltage monitor was successfully tested up to 367-kV with a 4.5-#mu#sec pulse. A new C-band SiC type high power rf-load, advancing the power handling capability up to 50-MW is now being designed. It should have excellent mass production characteristics as it uses circularly symmetric TM_0_1_1 chained cavities. The first high power prototype of an rf compressor cavity made of a low thermal expansion material (super Invar) was designed to provide stable operation even with a very high Q of 200-k, it was successfully tested the output rf power up to 135-MW, 0.5-#mu#sec pulse width and 50-pps repetition rate. The C-band linac rf-system will be used for the SASE-FEL (SCSS) production project at SPring-8, but ...
The macroscopic rotation of plasma in a toroidal containment device is an important feature of the equilibrium. Toroidal and polidal rotation in the high-beta tokamak Torus II is measured experimentally by examining the Doppler shift of the 4685.75 A He II line emitted from the plasma. The toroidal flow at an average velocity of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec, a small fraction of the ion thermal speed, moves in the same direction as the toroidal-plasma current. The poloidal flow follows the ion diamagnetic current direction, also at an average speed of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec. In view of certain ordering parameters, the toroidal flow is compared with predictions from neoclassical theory in the collisional, Pfirsch-Schluter regime. The poloidal motion, however, results from an E x B drift in a positive radial electric field, approaching a stable ambipolar state. This radial electric field is determined from theory by using the measured poloidal velocity. ...
The macroscopic rotation of plasma in a toroidal containment device is an important feature of the equilibrium. Toroidal and poloidal rotation in the high beta tokamak Torus II is measured experimentally by examining the Doppler shift of the 4685.75 A He II line emitted from the plasma. The toroidal flow at an average velocity of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec, a small fraction of the ion thermal speed, moves in the same direction as the toroidal plasma current. The poloidal flow follows the ion diamagnetic current direction, also at an average speed of 1.6 x 10/sup 6/ cm/sec. In view of certain ordering parameters, the toroidal flow is compared with predictions from neoclassical theory in the collosional, Pfirsch-Schluter regime. The poloidal motion, however results from an E x B drift in a positive radial electric field, approaching a stable ambipolar state. This radial electric field is determined from theory by using the measured poloidal velocity. ...
Carbonaceous solid material such as coal is gasified in a fast fluidized bed gasification system utilizing dual fluidized beds of hot char. The coal in particulate form is introduced along with oxygen-containing gas and steam into the fast fluidized bed gasification zone of a gasifier assembly wherein the upward superficial gas velocity exceeds about 5.0 ft/sec and temperature is 1500.degree.-1850.degree. F. The resulting effluent gas and substantial char are passed through a primary cyclone separator, from which char solids are returned to the fluidized bed. Gas from the primary cyclone separator is passed to a secondary cyclone separator, from which remaining fine char solids are returned through an injection nozzle together with additional steam and oxygen-containing gas to an oxidation zone located at the bottom of the gasifier, wherein the upward gas velocity ranges from about 3-15 ft/sec and is maintained at 1600.degree.-200.degree. F. ...
Ventilation of blind drifts in the Karaganda Basin because of the high release of methane is a very important task. As indicated by measurements in 116 blind drifts, on the average the magnitude of air velocity in the pipelines VPM is in limits of 15-25 m/sec. The DPV-1 sensor encompasses almost the entire range of velocities of air motion. Operation of the DPV-1 sensors at mines of the production association ''Karaganda-ugol''' confirmed their high reliability and convenience for operation.
We propose a novel method for ultrasensitive isotope analysis that combines magnetic mass selection, resonant charge-exchange neutralization, and resonant laser ionizaion. Our method attains high isotopic abundance selectivity by means of continuous multistage separation of ions stored in a small ring. For the environmentally interesting case of /sup 90/Sr versus /sup 88/Sr we estimate that sensitivity better than 10/sup -15/ for a throughput of 10/sup 13/ atoms/sec and an efficiency (after the ion source) greater than 10% are readily achievable.
Superplastic deformation behavior in an alpha + beta titanium alloy Ti-3A-4V has been investigated by using the method of cross head speed cycling in the temperature range 750-910 /sup 0/C. On the basis of flow stress-strain rate-strain rate sensitivity data, the alloy was found to be superplastic in the entire temperature range studied. Optimum superplasticity was observed in the strain-rate range 3 x 10/sup -5/ sec./sup -1/ to 6 x 10/sup -5/ and at the highest temperature of 910 deg. C. (author).
Processing techniques utilizing low temperature depositions and pulsed lasers allow the fabrication of polysilicon thin film transistors (TFT`s) on plastic substrates. By limiting the silicon, SiO2, and aluminum deposition temperatures to 100(degrees)C, and by using pulsed laser crystallization and doping of the silicon, we have demonstrated functioning polysilicon TFT`s fabricated on polyester substrates with channel mobilities of up to 7.5 cm2/V-sec and Ion/Ioff current ratios of up to 1x10(to the 6th power).
Probability distributions of partial discharge (PD) and dielectric breakdown voltage were investigated for the typical components of oil-filled transformer insulation. The equi-probabilistic PD and BD V-t characteristics were obtained from experimental results in the time range from several ..mu..sec to 10 hours. The authors point out that there is a close relationship between the scattering of PD voltage and the inclination of V-t characteristics in a long term region for ac voltage.
The novolac type phenolic resins were synthesized and electron beam curing was carried out to the prepolymer obtained by the reaction of the phenolic resin and glycidyl meth acrylate in the presence of triethylbenzyl ammonium chloride. When the prepolymer and its mixtures with monomers were irradiated using electron beams at a dose rate of 3 Mrad/sec, the curing were completed at a dose 2.5 and 3 Mrad respectively. The effects of oxygen and that of hydroxyl group in the prepolymer on electron beam curing were also examined. (author).
Biological cells of the nitrogen fixating bacteria Xanthobacter autotrophicus GZ 29 have been cultivated with 57-Fe, and from the nitrogenase of these cells the 57-Fe marked molybdenum-iron-protein is extracted. The Moessbauer spectra of this enzyme show that the structure of the iron cluster is similar to the structure in the molybdenum-iron-proteins of Azotobacter vinelandii, Klebsiella pneumoniae or Clostridium pasteurianum.
Protein bodies within the endosperm of castor bean (Ricinus communis L. cv. Hale) seeds arise from numerous small vacuoles which progressively become filled with storage protein, of...Full Text Available
A modified accumulator was devised to measure surface radon flux from porous media. It consists of a collector hood accumulator with a homogenizer pump and a pressure balancer. The latter was used to compensate for any pressure changes produced during sample withdrawl and hence eliminate additional radon transport from media. Errors resulting from radon back diffusion due to decreasing concentration gradient with time across the interface were eliminated by measuring radon concentrations in the accumulator for two different periods of time and calculating the true radon flux, J(o), from the solution of a time-dependent radon transport equation. Core samples from the observation site were withdrawn for laboratory determination of porosity, moisture content, bulk and grain densities, Ra-226 source concentration and the fraction of Rn-222 produced in the void volume. The data were used to calculate the radon diffusion coefficient for the media. Using the present method, the true value of ...
An attempt to gain an understanding of the formation mechanism of these 'soot-like' materials has been made by means of tracing the changes in the molecular-mass distribution and molecular structure of the NMP-extractable materials from an injectant coal as well as its partially gasified chars and its pyrolytic tars. Variations in the SEC chromatograms provide clues about changes in the apparent molecular-mass distributions of these NMP extracts. Results suggest that the build-up of 'soot-like' materials follows from the secondary reactions of tars evolved from the injectant coal. The likely secondary-reaction pathways have been probed by collating structural information on these NMP extracts. The time-resolved 13-16 and 22-25 min elution fractions from the SEC column have been characterized using UV fluorescence (UV F) spectroscopy. Greater concentrations of larger aromatic ring systems are found present in ...
Exogenous adenosine 5{prime}-triphosphate (ATP) mobilized intracellular calcium in human carcinoma A43l cells and in Swiss 3T3 and 3T6 mouse fibroblasts by increasing inositol trisphosphate similar to well down growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), bradykinin (BK), serum). Calcium mobilization was examined by video imaging of fura-2 fluorescence is single cells, following the radioactive isotope {sup 45}Ca, and monitoring the decrease in fluorescence of cells loaded with chlortetracycline. Uridine 5{prime}-triphosphate, but not other nucleotides, mimicked ATP. Single-cell analysis revealed synchronous responses in 10 sec to ATP, BK or serum, while PDGF (3T3) and EGF (A431) produced slower signals with significant cell-to-cell variation. PDGF desensitized 3T3 cells to ATP and BK added 100 sec later but ATP or BK did not desensitized to PDGF. Homologous desensitization was seen with all agonists. ...
A modified accumulator was devised to measure surface radon flux from porous media. It consists of a collector hood accumulator with a homogenizer pump and a pressure balancer. The latter was used to compensate for any pressure changes produced during sample withdrawl and hence eliminate additional radon transport from media. Errors resulting from radon back diffusion due to decreasing concentration gradient with time across the interface were eliminated by measuring radon concentrations in the accumulator for two different periods of time and calculating the true radon flux, J(o), from the solution of a time-dependent radon transport equation. Core samples from the observation site were withdrawn for laboratory determination of pkrosity, moisture content, bulk and grain densities, Ra-226 source concentration and the fraction of Rn-222 produced in the void volume. The data were used to calculate the radon diffusion coefficient for the media. Using the present method, the true value of ...
In a series of experiments carried out on young and adult rabbits the effect of isocaloric low protein diets containing 4% or 8% protein compared with a diet containing 21% protein on Obeliscoides cuniculi infection was studied. The pathogenesis, resistance and local immunity were assessed after single infections with 10,000 larvae or reinfection with 5000 larvae. Live weight gain was reduced in young and adult rabbits fed the low protein diets, but the establishment of parasites was not substantially influenced by protein deprivation. However, development of worms in the histotrophic phase and parasite fecundity were impaired in association with the low protein diet. Moreover, mild anaemia as well as changes in the mucosal immune response as a result of infection were related to the level of dietary protein. (author). 30 refs, 6 figs, 5 ...
Assembly of icosahedral capsids of proper size and symmetry is not understood. Residue F170 in bacteriophage P22 coat protein is critical for conformational switching during assembly. Substitutions at this site cause assembly of tubes of hexamerically arranged coat protein. Intragenic suppressors of the ts phenotype of F170A and F170K coat protein mutants were isolated. Suppressors were repeatedly found in the coat protein telokin-like domain at position 285, which caused coat protein to assemble into petite procapsids and capsids. Petite capsid assembly strongly correlated to the side chain volume of the substituted amino acid. We hypothesize that larger side chains at position 285 torque the telokin-like domain, changing flexibility of the subunit and intercapsomer contacts. Thus, a sing...
TC inhibits protein synthesis in E. coli by interfering with aminoacyl-tRNA binding to the ribosomal A site, and there is strong evidence that such inhibition results from TC binding to a high affinity site on the 30S subunit. The SPORE approach has been used to define those 30S proteins that are potentially important for high affinity TC binding, measured as the (/sup 3/H)-TC co-sedimenting with the reconstitution particle through a sucrose density gradient. Reverse phase-HPLC has been used both to prepare ribosomal proteins and to analyze the protein content of reconstituted particles. The results obtained so far show that protein S7, as well as some proteins linked to S7 in the 30S assembly map, are important for TC binding, whereas other ribosomal proteins are not. These results are in very good accord with their earlier photoaffinity ...
White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is the causative agent of the white spot disease of shrimp. Penaeus monodon were captured from Muttukadu Estuary in Chennai, India, transported to the laboratory and maintained in an aerated system with continuous water circulation-biofiltration. WSSV-free P. monodon were challenged by feeding them only once with WSSV-infected tissues of P. monodon. Cumulative mortality (100%) of the infected individuals was determined. Tissues from infected and uninfected shrimp such as muscles, hepatopancreas, heart, gills and eye tissues (100mg of each) and haemolymph (50 microl) were subjected to SDS-PAGE. In infected muscle tissue, six newly expressed proteins were detected. In infected haemolymph, four new proteins and three intensely expressed high molecular weight proteins were observed. Three intensely expressed high molecular weight proteins were detected in infected heart ...
In 18 piglets, weighing 10-15 kg, third-degree burns or full-thickness skin excisions of 4 X 4 cm were inflicted. The effect of five dressing materials on adhesiveness to the wounds, appearance, conformability, wound contraction, bacterial count, and morphology of the wound was studied at the end of the seventh and fourteenth days without dressing changes. In 11 piglets with a burn wound, the most adherent dressing was collagen sponge(CS), followed by polyurethane sponge (PU), pigskin xenograph (PS), and xeroform. CS more effectively debrided the wound from coagulated necrotic tissue than the other dressings. Wound contraction was maximal with CS dressing (52%), followed by PU (44%), xeroform (32%), and PS (27%). In another seven piglets with full-thickness excised wounds, a velour dressing made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or PU adhered significantly more than CS or PS. Wound contraction was greater with CS (37%) or PTFE (35%) than with PS (23%) or PU (18%). ...
A comprehensive and highly selective method for detecting in bacterial supernatants a modified sulfur nucleoside, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), and its metabolites, i.e., S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), adenosine (Ado), 5prime-deoxy-5prime-methylthioadenosine (MTA), adenine (Ade), S-adenosyl-methioninamine (dcSAM), homocysteine (Hcy) and methionine (Met), was developed. The method is based on reversed-phase liquid chromatography with positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) coupled to a hybrid linear quadrupole ion trap (LTQ) and 7-T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS). A gradient elution was employed with a binary solvent of 0.05 M ammonium formate at pH 4 and acetonitrile. The assay involves a simultaneous cleanup of cell-free bacterial broths by solid-pha...
A dialyzable factor(s) in human serum is known to stimulate gonococcal oxygen consumption. Its effect on other human pathogens was investigated. A 10% serum solution increased peak O2 consumption for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus to 157% (P less than 0.05) and 199% (P less than 0.02), respectively, of their O2 consumption when suspended in Hanks balanced salt solution, compared with a 356% increase for Neisseria gonorrhoeae with serum. Dialyzed serum lacked stimulatory capacity. Bacteria, serum, and neutrophils are often incubated to evaluate neutrophil bactericidal activity. Samples of 10(8) N. gonorrhoeae, S. aureus, and E. coli turned resazurin colorless (anaerobic conditions, Eh less than -42 mV) after 7.4, 13.3, and 15.1 min, respectively. Because neutrophil formation of reactive oxygen intermediates requires ambient O2, the effect of live bacteria and serum on this process was explored. After 5 min of incubation of 10(8) N. gonorrhoeae or S. aureus in 10% normal or ...
Objective To compare matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 and MMP-9 levels in the vaginal secretions of pregnant women with or without asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV). Methods In this study, vaginal levels and molecular forms of MMP-8 and MMP-9 were studied in 36 pregnant women between 28 and 34 weeks of gestation with asymptomatic BV and 41 pregnant women, matched for gestational age, without BV. Results Vaginal MMP-8 concentrations were significantly higher (P = .023) in BV-positive women. There was no significant difference in MMP-9 levels between healthy pregnant controls and BV-positive pregnant women. The presence of MMP-8 was confirmed by a 38-kd band on Western blots. Conclusions Our findings show that BV is associated with increased levels of MMP-8 in vaginal fluid. Increased pr...
We revisit a recently proposed agent-based model of active biological motion and compare its predictions with own experimental findings for the speed distribution of bacterial cells, Salmonella typhimurium. Agents move according to a stochastic dynamics and use energy stored in an internal depot for metabolism and active motion. We discuss different assumptions of how the conversion from internal to kinetic energy d(v) may depend on the actual speed, to conclude that d 2 v ? with either ? = 2 or 1 ? < 2 are promising hypotheses. To test these, we compare the model?s prediction with the speed distribution of bacteria which were obtained in media of different nutrient concentration and at different times. We find that both hypotheses are in line with the experimental observations, with ? bet...
Eugenol, the principal chemical component of clove oil from Eugenia aromatica has been long known for its analgesic, local anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. The interaction of the eugenol with ten different hydrophobic and hydrophilic antibiotics was studied against five different Gram negative bacteria. The MIC of the combination was found to decrease by a factor of 5-1000 with respect to their individual MIC. This synergy is because of the membrane damaging nature of eugenol, where 1mM of its concentration is able to damage nearly 50% of the bacterial membrane. Eugenol was also able to enhance the activities of lysozyme, Triton X-100 and SDS in damaging the bacterial cell membrane. The hydrophilic antibiotics such as vancomycin and b-lactam antibiotics which have ...
Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) demonstrate an increased susceptibility to invasive bacterial infections (IBI). The most common organisms causing IBI are Streptococcus pneumoniae, nontyphi Salmonella species and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). IBI are the most common causes of death in children below 5 years of age with SCD. Increased susceptibility to IBI is because of several factors including dysfunctional antibody production and opsonophagocytosis as well as defective splenic clearance. Early diagnosis of Hib and pneumococcal infections combined with antibiotic prophylaxis and immunization programs, could lead to significant improvements in mortality, especially in Africa. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2010;55:401-406. Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
For the purpose of nationwide surveillance of the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial respiratory pathogens collected from patients in Japan, the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy conducted a third year of nationwide surveillance during the period from January to April 2008. A total of 1,097 strains were collected from clinical specimens obtained from well-diagnosed adult patients with respiratory tract infections. Susceptibility testing was evaluable with 987 strains (189 Staphylococcus aureus, 211 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 6 Streptococcus pyogenes, 187 Haemophilus influenzae, 106 Moraxella catarrhalis, 126 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 162 Pseudomonas aeruginosa). A total of 44 antibacterial agents, including 26 ?-lactams (four penicillins, three penicillins in combination with ?-lacta...
This paper reports the results of leaching experiments conducted with and without Thiobacillus ferroxidans at the same conditions in solution. The extent of leaching of ZnS with Bacteria is significantly higher than that without bacteria at high concentrations of ferrous ions. A porous layer of elemental sulfur is present on the surfaces of the chemically leached particles, which no sulfur is present on the surfaces of the bacterially leached particles. The analysis of the data using the shrinking-core model shows that the chemical leaching of ZnS is limited by the diffusion of ferrous ions through the sulfur product layer at high concentrations of ferrous ions. The analysis of the data shows that diffusion through the product layer does not limit the rate of dissolution when bacteria are present. This suggests that the action of T.ferroxidans in oxidizing the sulfur formed on the particle surface is to remove the barrier to diffusion by ferrous ions.
In situ synthesis of silver chloride (AgCl) nanoparticles was carried out under ambient conditions in nanoporous bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes as nanoreactors. The growth of the nanoparticles was readily obtained by alternating dipping of BC membranes in the solution of silver nitrate or sodium chloride followed by a rinse step. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns indicated the existence of AgCl nanoparticles in the BC and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that the AgCl nanoparticles well dispersed on the surface of BC and penetrated into the BC network. The AgCl nanoparticle-impregnated BC membranes exhibited high hydrophilic ability and strong antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). The preparative proced...
Abstract The efficacy of iodine and glutaraldehyde as fish egg surface disinfectants were assessed in red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) and white sea bream (Diplodus sargus sargus) eggs, two species of interest for Mediterranean aquaculture. Iodine was effective in reducing the bacterial load of the 1-day-old eggs when applied at 50 mg L-1 for 5 min. The same concentration did not cause any significant change in hatching success or survival of the larvae for the first 5 days. Glutaraldehyde failed to reduce the bacterial load of the fish eggs at concentrations that were safe for the eggs (100 mg L-1 for 5 min), as it had a significant effect in preventing hatching of the developed embryo. Disinfecting 0-day-old eggs with iodine resulted in a significant reduction of hatching percentage, while larv...
In this study, bacterial strains were investigated in order to determine their heavy metal tolerance. The bacterial strains were identified as Bacillus cereus and Bacillus pumilus. In the batch system, the effects of operating variables such as solution pH, initial metal concentration, contact time, and adsorbent dosage were investigated. Both isolates were highly resistance to copper and lead in comparison with the control strain examined. The adsorption capacities of B. cereus and B. pumilus were found to be 22.1mg/g and 28.06mg/g, respectively. The biosorption follows pseudo-second order kinetics and the isotherm fits well to the Langmuir isotherm model. In column experiments, the biosorption was fitted well by the Thomas model. The breakthrough and exhaustion capacity of each biosorben...
Bacterial cellulose produced by the gram-negative bacterium Gluconacetobacter xylinum was found to be an excellent native starting material for preparing shaped ultra-lightweight cellulose aerogels. The procedure comprises thorough washing and sterilization of the aquogel, quantitative solvent exchange and subsequent drying with supercritical carbon dioxide at 40 degreeC and 100 bar. The average density of the obtained dry cellulose aerogels is only about 8 mg cm-3 which is comparable to the most lightweight silica aerogels and distinctly lower than all values for cellulosic aerogels obtained from plant cellulose so far. SEM, ESEM and nitrogen adsorption experiments at 77 K reveal an open-porous network structure that consists of a comparatively high percentage of large mesopores and small...
We compared an idealised mathematical model of the lower part of the pelagic food web to experimental data from a mesocosm experiment in which the supplies of mineral nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous), bioavailable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC, as glucose), and silicate were manipulated. The central hypothesis of the experiment was that bacterial consumption of BDOC depends on whether the growth rate of heterotrophic bacteria is limited by organic-C or by mineral nutrients. In previous work, this hypothesis was examined qualitatively using a conceptual food web model. Here we explore the extent to which a ?simplest possible?? mathematical version of this conceptual model can reproduce the observed dynamics. The model combines algal?bacterial competition for mineral nutrients (phosphor...
The authors investigated the effect of T-2 toxin on rat liver mitochondrial protein synthesis. Isolated rat liver mitochondria were supplemented with an S-100 supernatant from rat liver and an external ATP-generating system. An in-vitro assay employing cycloheximide, and inhibitor of cytoplasmic protein synthesis, and chloramphenicol, and inhibitor of mitochondrial protein synthesis, to distinguish mitochondrial protein synthesis from the cytoplasmic process. Amino acid incorporation into mitochondria was dependent on the concentration of mitochondria and was inhibited by chloramphenicol. The rate of uptake of tritium leucine into mitochondrial protein was unaffected by the addition of T-2 toxin and was not a rate-limiting step in incorporation. However, 0.02 micrograms/ml of T-2 toxin decreased the rate of protein synthesis inhibition correlated with the amount ...
Cell extracts of the thermophile Clostridium thermohydrosulfuricum catalyzed the phosphorylation by (..gamma..-/sup 32/P)ATP of several endogenous proteins with M/sub r/s between 13,000 and 100,000. Serine and tyrosine were the main acceptors. Distinct substrate proteins were found in the soluble (e.g., proteins p66, p63, and p53 of M/sub r/s 66,000, 63,000, and 53,000, respectively) and particulate (p76 and p30) fractions, both of which contained protein kinase and phosphatase activity. The soluble fraction suppressed the phosphorylation of particulate proteins and contained a protein kinase inhibitor. Phosphorylation of p53 was promoted by 10..mu..M fructose 1,6-bisphosphate or glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and suppressed by hexose monophosphates, whereas p30 and p13 were suppressed by 5 ..mu..M brain (but not spinach) calmodulin. Polyamines, including the odd ...
We describe a method for affinity purification of sequence-specific DNA binding proteins that is fast and effective. Complementary chemically synthesized oligodeoxynucleotides that contain a recognition site for a sequence-specific DNA binding protein are annealed and ligated to give oligomers. This DNA is then covalently coupled to Sepharose CL-2B with cyanogen bromide to yield the affinity resin. A partially purified protein fraction is combined with competitor DNA and subsequently passed through the DNA-Sepharose resin. The desired sequence-specific DNA binding protein is purified because it preferentially binds to the recognition sites in the affinity resin rather than to the nonspecific competitor DNA in solution. For example, a protein fraction that is enriched for transcription factor Sp1 can be further purified 500- to 1000-fold by two sequential affinity chromatography ...
Metagenomics projects based on shotgun sequencing of populations of micro-organisms yield insight into protein families. We used sequence similarity clustering to explore proteins with a comprehensive dataset consisting of sequences from available databases together with 6.12 million proteins predicted from an assembly of 7.7 million Global Ocean Sampling (GOS) sequences. The GOS dataset covers nearly all known prokaryotic protein families. A total of 3,995 medium- and large-sized clusters consisting of only GOS sequences are identified, out of which 1,700 have no detectable homology to known families. The GOS-only clusters contain a higher than expected proportion of sequences of viral origin, thus reflecting a poor sampling of viral diversity until now. Protein domain distributions in the GOS dataset and current protein databases show distinct biases. Several ...
A general method for stable-isotope labeling of large proteins is introduced and applied for studies of the E. coli GroE chaperone proteins by solution NMR. In addition to enabling the residue-specific {sup 15}N-labeling of proteins on a highly deuterated background, it is also an efficient approach for uniform labeling. The method meets the requirements of high-level deuteration, minimal cross-labeling and high protein yield, which are crucial for NMR studies of structures with sizes above 150 kDa. The results obtained with the new protocol are compared to other strategies for protein labeling, and evaluated with regard to the influence of external factors on the resulting isotope labeling patterns. Applications with the GroE system show that these strategies are efficient tools for studies of structure, dynamics and intermolecular interactions in large supramolecular complexes, ...
Cocoon sericin plays an important role in the reeling of silk and serves as a valuable biomaterial in the field of biomedicine, skincare, and food industries; however, knowledge about cocoon sericin proteins has been limited. For a comprehensive study on sericin, cocoons of eight varieties of silkworm of different geographic origin and with varied cocoon color were analyzed utilizing proteomics and bioinformatics approaches. The electrophoresis pattern demonstrated some common protein bands for all silkworm varieties and distinctive protein bands for some of those examined in the present study. The Ser2 protein, a new Ser3 protein, and four other novel sericin proteins were identified in cocoons for the first time. Products of both Ser1 and Ser3 genes appear to be ubiquitous in the cocoon ...
Proteins are polymers of amino acids. These macromolecules are synthesized by intracellular machines called {\\it ribosome}. Although, traditionally, the experimental investigation of protein synthesis has been an active area of research in molecular cell biology, important quantitative models of this phenomenon have been reported mostly in the research journals devoted to statistical physics and related interdisciplinary topics. From the perspective of a physicist, protein synthesis is a phenomenon of {\\it classical transport of interacting ribosomes on a messenger RNA (mRNA) template} that dictates the sequence of the amino acids on the protein. Here we bring this frontier area of contemporary research into the classroom by appropriate simplification of the models and methods. In particular, we develope a simple toy model and analyze it by some elementary techniques of non-equilibrium statistical ...
SR proteins are essential splicing factors whose function is controlled by multi-site phosphorylation of a C-terminal domain rich in arginine-serine repeats (RS domain). The protein kinase SRPK1 has been shown to polyphosphorylate the N-terminal portion of the RS domain (RS1) of the SR protein ASF/SF2, a modification that promotes nuclear entry of this splicing factor and engagement in splicing function. Later, dephosphorylation is required for maturation of the spliceosome and other RNA processing steps. While phosphates are attached to RS1 in a sequential manner by SRPK1, little is known about how they are removed. To investigate factors that control dephosphorylation, we monitored region-specific mapping of phosphorylation sites in ASF/SF2 as a function of the protein phosphatase PP1. W...
This study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial effect of BSAP-254 on Bacillus cereus with the induced stress proteins. The BSAP-254 is an antimicrobial peptide isolated from soybean-fermenting bacteria, Bacillus subtilis SC-8. It had a narrow spectrum of activity against B. cereus group. The growth inhibitory effect of BSAP-254 (50??g/mL) reduced the population of B. cereus from >108 to 104 colony-forming units per milliliter within 30?min. In B. cereus exposed to BSAP-254, 14 intracellular proteins were differentially expressed as determined by 2-DE coupled with MS. Of the differentially expressed proteins identified, the stress protein GroEL, which is heat shock protein, was induced in B. cereus exposed to antibacterial peptide.
The authors describe an effect of suppression of invasion of the guinea pig eye conjunctiva and the HEp-2 epithelial cells by virulent Sh. flexneri bacilli, with a simultaneous administration of the same dose of avirulent shigella mutants, genetically connected with them. The data of morphological study and experiments with 3H-glucose labeled shigellae carried out on the cell species model indicated that the bacterial competition for the specific sites for absorption on the epithelial cells underlay the observed phenomenon. PMID:331774
Aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria were isolated from surface soils and coastal plain subsurface (including deep aquifer) sediments (depths to 265 m) at a study site near Aiken, S.C., by plating on...Full Text Available
Bacteriocins are an abundant class of antimicrobial molecules that appear to mediate population dynamics within species. The bacteriocins of Escherichia coli have served as a model for exploring the ecological role of these potent toxins. Studies suggest that colicins provide a competitive edge in nutrient-poor environments and that there might be a trade-off between the costs and benefits of colicin production. PMID:10203843
Our work is towards mechanistically understanding interactions of unsaturated bacterial biofilms and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) with actinide metals and metal surrogates under vadose zone conditions. Because metal contaminants in the vadose zone co-occur with organic pollutants, some of our work has included experiments with organic pollutants.
Tonsillar and nasal swabs were collected from weanling pigs in 50 representative Ontario swine herds and tested for the presence of 5 important bacterial upper respiratory tract pathogens. All but 1...Full Text Available
We introduce a discrete multiplicative process as a generic model of competition. Players with different abilities successively join the game and compete for finite resources. Emergence of dominant players and evolutionary development occur as a phase transition. The competitive dynamics underlying this transition is understood from a formal analogy to statistical mechanics. The theory is applicable to bacterial competition, predicting novel population dynamics near criticality.
Streptococcus pneumoniae colonizes the mucosal surface of the human upper respiratory tract. A colonization event is gradually cleared through phagocytosis by monocytes/macrophages that are recruited to the airway lumen. Here, we sought to define the bacterial and host factors that promote monocyte/macrophage influx and S. pneumoniae clearance using intranasal bacterial challenge in mice. We found that the recruitment of monocytes/macrophages required their expression of the chemokine receptor CCR2 and correlated with expression of the CCR2 ligand CCL2. Production of CCL2 and monocyte/macrophage recruitment were deficient in mice lacking digestion of peptidoglycan by lysozyme (LysM) and cytosolic sensing of the products of digestion by Nod2. Ex vivo macrophages produced CCL2 following bacterial uptake, digestion by LysM, and sensing of peptidoglycan by Nod2. Sensing of digested peptidoglycan by Nod2 also required the ...
An Escherichia coli B strain, B834 galU56, has been isolated which supports growth of bacteriophage T4 with cytosine in its DNA while restricting growth of T4 with hydroxymethylcytosine. This host is...Full Text Available
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary malignant hepatic neoplasm. We describe two cases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma which initially presented as liver abscess both clinically and radiologically. Mucin-hypersecretion from the tumor cells and extensive necrosis or secondary bacterial infection was responsible for the radiologic appearance of a liver abscess.=20
Staphylococcus aureus survives inside eukaryotic cells. Our objective was to assess the activity of NZ2114, a novel peptidic antibiotic, against intracellular S. aureus in comparison with established antistaphylococcal agents acting on the bacterial envelope with a distinct mechanism.
PurposeCoexistence of different classes of β-lactamases in a single bacterial isolate may pose diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We investigated a spread of Klebsiella...Full Text Available
We sequenced 16S rRNA genes from the vaginal swab contents of a postmenopausal woman with asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV). Sequences from Atopobium vaginae were the most commonly detected. In a survey of 35 other postmenopausal women, this organism was detected in 44% with BV but not in any subjects deemed healthy. PMID:15071062
Campylobacter spp. are present in the intestinal tract and internal tissues of broiler breeder and broiler chickens. Campylobacter spp. are known to cause acute bacterial gastroenteritis in humans and raw poultry products have been implicated as a significant source of these infections. The object...
BackgroundThe ability of catecholamines to stimulate bacterial growth was first demonstrated just over a decade ago. Little is still known however, concerning the nature of the putative...Full Text Available
BackgroundThermostable bacterial lipases occupy a place of prominence among biocatalysts owing to their novel, multifold applications and resistance to high temperature and other...Full Text Available
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) is essential for optimal T cell activation. Patients with WAS exhibit both immunodeficiency and a marked susceptibility to systemic autoimmunity. We investigated...Full Text Available
Werner syndrome (WS) is characterized by premature onset of age-associated disorders and predisposition to cancer. The WS protein, WRN, encodes 3′ → 5′ DNA helicase and 3′...Full Text Available
Spin-lattice relaxation rates of protein and water protons in dry and hydrated immobilized bovine serum albumin were measured in the range of 1H Larmor frequency from 10 kHz to 30...Full Text Available
Effector proteins expressed in the esophageal gland cells of cyst nematodes are delivered into plant cells through a hollow, protrusible stylet. Although evidence indicates that effector proteins function...Full Text Available
Synthetic oligoribonucleotides have been used to probe the interaction of MS2 coat protein with the translational operator of the MS2 replicase gene. We have investigated the possible formation of a...Full Text Available
Amidination of aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, tryptophan synthetase B protein, L-arabinose isomerase, and the catalytic subunit of E. coli aspartate transcarbamylase...Full Text Available
In proteomics, one-dimensional (1D) SDS-PAGE is widely used for protein fractionation prior to mass spectrometric analysis to enhance dynamic range of analysis and to improve identification...Full Text Available
The mini-chromosome maintenance proteins Mcm2–7 are essential for DNA replication. They are loaded onto replication origins during G1 phase of the cell cycle to form a pre-replication complex...Full Text Available
We have previously reported the construction and characterization of an autonomously replicating plasmid in Trypanosoma brucei. In this plasmid the procyclic acidic repetitive protein (PARP) gene promoter...Full Text Available
Altered structure, and hence function, of cellular macromolecules caused by oxidation can contribute to loss of physiological function with age. Here, we tested whether the lifespan of bats, which generally...Full Text Available
The realization that there existed a G-protein coupled signal transduction mechanism developed gradually and was initially the result of an ill fated quest for uncovering the mechanism of action...Full Text Available
Previous studies have shown that salicylates and protein-calorie malnutrition independently compromise maturation and growth of infants. In the present study, pregnant rats were fed normal-and low-protein...Full Text Available
The objective of this research was to determine the role of acidic ribosomal protein (ARP) phosphorylation in translation. Ribosomes (Rbs) from germinated maize (Zea mays L.) axes had...Full Text Available
Surfactant protein A (SP-A), first identified as a component of the lung surfactant system, is now recognized to be an important contributor to host defence mechanisms. SP-A can facilitate phagocytosis...Full Text Available
Cytosol proteins prepared from castor bean endosperm (4-day-old) seedlings stimulate the exchange of [3H]phosphatidylethanolamine between liposomes and mitochondria. The acceleration of the...Full Text Available
The e.p.r. spectra of the Fe-proteins of nitrogenase from all sources studied have unusual features in that they have very anisotropic linewidths and low integrated intensities. These characteristics...Full Text Available
Excessive weight loss due to protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a significant problem in Nigerian children. This syndrome may be difficult to differentiate from the wasting disease caused by human...Full Text Available
Brucella abortus is a facultative, intracellular zoonotic pathogen which can cause undulant fever in humans and abortions in cattle. A 14-kDa protein of B. abortus...Full Text Available
Lupus anticoagulant, concentrations of anticardiolipin antibodies, antithrombin III, plasminogen, (free) protein S, protein C, prothrombin, platelet counts, and bleeding times were determined in 74...Full Text Available
Carbenoxolone (CBX) is a semisynthetic derivative of the licorice root substance glycyrrhizinic acid and has been previously reported to induce only heat shock protein 70 [Hsp70, HSPA1A (the systematic...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeveral proteins are known to be markedly expressed in the brain during cerebral ischemia; however, the changes in protein profiles within the ischemic brain after an ischemic...Full Text Available
Protein post-translational modifications are an important biological regulatory mechanism, and the rate of their discovery using high throughput techniques is rapidly increasingly. To make use of this...Full Text Available
The plasma protein binding of phenytoin was investigated in 100 epileptic patients, using equilibrium dialysis at 37 degrees C. The unbound fractions of phenytoin in plasma formed a skewed distribution,...Full Text Available
We demonstrate by using low-temperature high-resolution spectroscopy that red-shifted mutants of green fluorescent protein are photo-interconverted among three conformations and are, therefore, not...Full Text Available
The purpose of the present work was to study the pharmacokinetics and the protein binding (free fraction of the drug) of ceftriaxone (CTX) during pregnancy. Nine pregnant women (ages, 20 to 34 years)...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe expression of human virus surface proteins, as well as other mammalian glycoproteins, is much more efficient in cells of higher eukaryotes rather than yeasts. The limitations...Full Text Available
BackgroundZhx1 to 3 (zinc-fingers and homeoboxes) form a set of paralogous genes encoding multi-domain proteins. ZHX proteins consist of two zinc fingers followed...Full Text Available
The kinetic parameters of single bonds between neural cell adhesion molecules were determined from atomic force microscope measurements of the forced dissociation of the homophilic protein-protein bonds....Full Text Available
Genes of the S100 fused-type protein (SFTP) family are clustered within the epidermal differentiation complex and encode essential components that maintain epithelial homeostasis and barrier functions....Full Text Available
Centrioles are intriguing cylindrical organelles composed of triplet microtubules. Proteomic data suggest that a large number of proteins besides tubulin are necessary for the formation and maintenance...Full Text Available
The exposure of cells to several metal ions stabilizes HIF-1α protein. However, the molecular mechanisms are not completely understood. They may involve inhibition of hydroxylation by either...Full Text Available
Integration of solid-state biosensors and lipid bilayer membranes is important for membrane protein research and drug discovery. In these sensors, it is critical that the solid-state sensing...Full Text Available
In this paper, we report a method of precise in situ x-ray scattering measurements on protein solutions using small stationary sample cells. Although reduction in the radiation damage...Full Text Available
We had previously identified a macrophage surface protein whose expression is highly induced, transient, and specific, as it is restricted to actively fusing macrophages in vitro and in vivo. This protein...Full Text Available
A panel of 16 monoclonal antibodies recognizing M protein (M1) of influenza virus was generated. Competition analyses resulted in localization of 14 monoclonal antibodies to three antigenic sites. Three...Full Text Available
An interactive system for computer analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences has been developed for the Los Alamos DNA Sequence Database. It provides a convenient way to search or verify various...Full Text Available
Acylation stimulating protein (ASP, C3adesArg) is an adipose tissue derived hormone that stimulates triglyceride (TG) synthesis. ASP stimulates lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity by relieving feedback...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene expression profiling and the analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks may support the identification of disease bio-markers and potential drug targets....Full Text Available
Mammals possess multiple insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins (IGFBPs), and related proteins, that modulate the activity of insulin/IGF signalling (IIS), a conserved neuroendocrine signalling...Full Text Available
Intrinsically disordered proteins are predicted to be highly abundant and play broad biological roles in eukaryotic cells. In particular, by virtue of their structural malleability and propensity...Full Text Available
Dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement activation, caused by mutations or polymorphisms in the genes encoding factor H, membrane co-factor protein, factor I or factor B, is associated...Full Text Available
Pollen mother cells of the lily (Lilium speciosum) were found to have a histone-H1-like protein (PMCP) not detected in other tissues. The PMCP appears from the late S-G2...Full Text Available
AMP-activated-protein-kinase (AMPK) is a key sensor and regulator of cellular and whole-body energy metabolism and plays a key role in regulation of lipid metabolism. Since lipid metabolism...Full Text Available
We investigated the pathophysiological mechanism by proteomic approach as a possible tool to detect the marker proteins to develop lower urinary tract symptoms following bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)....Full Text Available
Gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, has been utilized for receptor-mediated targeting of imaging and therapeutic agents; here we extend...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe VP2 outer capsid protein Bluetongue Virus (BTV) is responsible for receptor binding, haemagglutination and eliciting host-specific immunity. However, the assembly of...Full Text Available
In isolated rat adipocytes, insulin inhibits lipolysis to a greater extent than would be predicted by the decrease in (-/+)cAMP activity ratio of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase), from which it was speculated that insulin promotes the dephosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase. They have examined the phosphorylation state of cellular proteins under conditions of varying A-kinase activities in the presence and absence of insulin. Protein phosphorylation was determined by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis of extracts from /sup 32/P-loaded cells; glycerol and A-kinase activity ratios were measured in the cytosolic extracts from control, non-radioactive cells. Increased protein phosphorylation in general occurred over the same range of A-kinase activity ratios, 0.1-0.3, associated with increased glycerol release. The insulin-induced decrease in lipolysis was associated with a decrease in the /sup 32/P ...
The lysosomal catabolism of sulfatide requires arylsulfatase A and a specific sphingolipid activator protein, SAP-1. While most patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy have mutations in the gene...Full Text Available
One selection pressure shaping sequence evolution is the requirement that a protein fold with sufficient stability to perform its biological functions. We present...Full Text Available
SummaryMycobacterium tuberculosis has 10 universal stress proteins, whose function is unknown. However, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses have shown that a number...Full Text Available
The levels of in vitro protein binding of cefonicid and cefuroxime in human adult and neonatal sera were compared. Binding parameters for each drug were determined within the concentration range of...Full Text Available
The Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) belongs to the Retroviridae family of enveloped viruses, which is known to acquire minute amounts of host cellular proteins both on the surface...Full Text Available
Numerous studies have noted that the evolution of new enzymatic specificities is accompanied by loss of the protein's thermodynamic stability (ΔΔG), thus suggesting...Full Text Available
Membrane cofactor protein (MCP or gp45-70) of the complement system is a cofactor for factor I-mediated cleavage of fluid-phase C3b and C3b-like C3, which opens the thioester bond. In the present study...Full Text Available
Parasitic nematodes cause serious diseases in humans, animals, and plants. They have limited lipid metabolism and are reliant on lipid-binding proteins to acquire these metabolites from their hosts....Full Text Available
The question of whether proteins originate from random sequences of amino acids is addressed. A statistical analysis is performed in terms of blocked and random walk values formed by binary hydrophobic...Full Text Available
All organisms, from bacteria and yeast to humans, respond to physical and chemical stressors by increasing the synthesis of a small group of cellular stress proteins.'' The authors have developed a simple in vitro system for quickly screening environmentally relevant stressors to detect stress-induced proteins that are good candidates for biomarkers. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to detect stressor-induced, concentration-dependent changes in cellular stress protein levels in two fish cell culture systems, whereas simultaneous in vitro neutral red uptake cytotoxicity assays measured the stressors effect on cellular physiology. There was a direct concentration-dependent relationship between sublethal cytotoxic effects and the increases in stress protein levels. Increases of 50 to 200% were detected in stress proteins from desert topminnow, Poeciliopsis ...
Evaluation of the protective efficacy of recombinant T-cell-reactive proteins of Coccidioides posadasii in a murine model of coccidioidomycosis has led to the discovery of potential...Full Text Available
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) are a class of serine/threonine kinases that regulate a number of different cellular activities including cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and...Full Text Available
FXYD1 (phospholemman) is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of membrane proteins that regulate the function of the Na,K-ATPase enzyme complex in specific tissues and specific physiological...Full Text Available
A commercial blend of essential oil (EO) compounds was added to a grass, maize silage, and concentrate diet fed to dairy cattle in order to determine their influence on protein metabolism by ruminal...Full Text Available
Mutational inactivation of the RB1 tumor suppressor gene initiates retinoblastoma and other human cancers. RB1 protein (pRb) restrains cell proliferation by binding...Full Text Available
Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) maps to a region on distal mouse chromosome 7 that has been linked to the phenotypes of obesity and type II diabetes. We recently reported that UCP2 expression is increased...Full Text Available
1 The plasma protein binding of theophylline was determined after addition of [14C]-theophylline (15 micrograms/ml) to plasma from 24 healthy drug-free volunteers and equilibrium dialysis for 2 h at...Full Text Available
The identification of the protein targets for dengue virus-specific T lymphocytes may be useful for planning the development of subunit vaccines against dengue. We studied the recognition by murine...Full Text Available
Merozoite surface proteins have been implicated in the initial attachment to the host red blood cell membrane that begins the process of invasion, an important step in the life cycle of the malaria...Full Text Available
When an exogenous protein, bovine serum albumin, was introduced into the vacuole of a Chara australis internodal cell, it was degraded with time. This degradation proceeded only in...Full Text Available
Reversible protein glutathionylation plays a key role in cellular regulation and cell signaling and protects protein thiols from hyperoxidation. Sulfiredoxin (Srx), an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction...Full Text Available
Circadian clock is implicated in the regulation of aging. The transcription factor CLOCK, a core component of the circadian system, operates in complex with another circadian clock protein BMAL1. Recently...Full Text Available
DNA replication in Escherichia coli cells lacking protein HU was studied. HU has been suggested to be involved in the initiation of replication from in vitro studies. The isolated HU mutants, however,...Full Text Available
Proteins that metabolize or bind the nucleotide second messenger cyclic diguanylate regulate a wide variety of important processes in bacteria. These processes include motility, biofilm formation, cell...Full Text Available
AbstractX-ray diffraction analysis of pressure-induced structural changes in the Aequorea yellow fluorescent protein Citrine reveals the structural basis for the continuous...Full Text Available
Charge reduction electrospray mass spectrometry (CREMS) reduces the charge states of electrospray-generated ions, which concentrates the ions from a protein into fewer peaks spread over a larger...Full Text Available
AbstractThe present study aimed to compare the whole-cell protein profiles of Haemophilus parasuis field isolates by using a computer-based analysis, and evaluate the...Full Text Available
A simulation is developed that qualitatively describes the small-zone-gel-filtration behaviour of a reversibly associating protein. The results reflect the dependence of the apparent molecular weight...Full Text Available
BackgroundOne virulence property of Borrelia burgdorferi is its resistance to innate immunity, in particular to complement-mediated killing. Serum-resistant B....Full Text Available
AIM: To investigate the relation of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) protein expression with carcinogenesis and metastasis of gastric carcinoma.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Fas and...Full Text Available
Cellular cholesterol homeostasis is controlled by sterol-regulated proteolysis of membrane-bound transcription factors called sterol-regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs). CPP32, a cysteine protease,...Full Text Available
Sera from multiple sclerosis patients with relapsing-remitting disease and normal subjects were tested for antibody to myelin basic protein by a sensitive radioimmunoassay. The results showed a marginally...Full Text Available
The aim of the present study was to describe the physicochemical characteristics of streptococcal T antigen. T protein isolated from Streptococcus pyogenes type 12 (R53/1077, Colindale) and purified...Full Text Available
The molecular diversity of the gene encoding the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Haemophilus parasuis has been unclear. In this study, the structural characteristics, sequence types,...Full Text Available
Recently, CID755673 was reported to act as a highly selective inhibitor of protein kinase D (PKD). In the course of experiments using CID755673, we noticed that it exerted unexpected stimulatory...Full Text Available
Hundreds of genomes have been successfully sequenced to date, and the data are publicly available. At the same time, the advances in large-scale expression and purification of recombinant proteins have...Full Text Available
Sustained nigrostriatal dopamine depletion increases the serine/threonine phosphorylation of multiple striatal proteins that play a role in corticostriatal synaptic plasticity, including Thr286...Full Text Available
BackgroundMolecular docking methods are commonly used for predicting binding modes and energies of ligands to proteins. For accurate complex geometry and binding energy estimation,...Full Text Available
PurposeCataract is the leading cause of blindness and is associated with oxidative damage and protein modification in the lens. In the present study, we have employed proteomic and...Full Text Available
The use of sub-nanometer resolution electron density as spatial constraints for denovo and ab-initio structure prediction requires knowledge of protein boundaries...Full Text Available
Amyloid proteins constitute a chemically heterogeneous group of proteins, which share some biophysical and biological characteristics, the principal of which are the high propensity to acquire an incorrect...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe production of high yields of recombinant proteins is an enduring bottleneck in the post-genomic sciences that has yet to be addressed in a truly rational manner. Typically...Full Text Available
Albumin is a multifunctional transport protein that binds a wide variety of endogenous substances and drugs. Insulins with affinity for albumin were engineered by acylation of the epsilon-amino group...Full Text Available
To study the effect of agonist on the TRH (thyrotrophin-releasing hormone) receptor protein, an epitope-tagged receptor was stably expressed in HEK-293 cells (human embryonic kidney 293 cells) and receptor...Full Text Available
The adhesive proteins secreted by marine mussels form a natural glue that cures rapidly to form strong and durable bonds in aqueous environments. These mussel adhesive proteins contain an unusual...Full Text Available
Ataxin-3, the protein involved in Machado-Joseph disease, is able to bind ubiquitylated substrates and act as a deubiquitylating enzyme in vitro, and it has been involved in the modulation of protein...Full Text Available
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of energy metabolism; its activity is regulated by a plethora of physiological conditions, exercises and many anti-diabetic drugs. Recent...Full Text Available
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was initially viewed as energy sensor and activated by increased intracellular concentrations of AMP following nutrient deprivation. Physiological or pathological...Full Text Available
Amyloid precursor protein (APP), implicated in Alzheimer's disease, is a transmembrane protein of undetermined function. APP is cleaved by gamma-secretase that releases the APP intracellular domain...Full Text Available
SummaryThe prevalence of paralogous enzymes implies that novel catalytic functions can evolve on preexisting protein scaffolds. The weak secondary activities of proteins, which...Full Text Available
The extreme strength and elasticity of spider silks originate from the modular nature of their repetitive proteins. To exploit such materials and mimic spider silks, comprehensive strategies...Full Text Available
As part of efforts to develop improved methods for NMR protein sample preparation and structure determination, the Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium (NESG) has implemented an NMR screening pipeline for protein target selection, construct optimization, and buffer optimization, incorporating efficient microscale NMR screening of proteins using a micro-cryoprobe. The process is feasible because the newest generation probe requires only small amounts of protein, typically 30-200 ?g in 8-35 ?l volume. Extensive automation has been made possible by the combination of database tools, mechanization of key process steps, and the use of a micro-cryoprobe that gives excellent data while requiring little optimization and manual setup. In this perspective, we describe the overall process used by the NESG for screening NMR samples as part of a sample optimization process, assessing optimal construct design and ...
BackgroundA relevant problem in drug design is the comparison and recognition of protein binding sites. Binding sites recognition is generally based on geometry often combined with...Full Text Available
BackgroundProteins may evolve through the recruitment and modification of discrete domains, and in many cases, protein action can be dissected at the domain level. PDZ domains are...Full Text Available
We show that the expression of an indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-modified protein from bean seed, IAP1, is correlated to the developmental period of rapid growth during seed development. Moreover, this...Full Text Available
In addition to inducing new transcriptional activities that lead within a few hours to the accumulation of heat shock proteins (Hsps), heat shock activates within minutes the major signaling transduction...Full Text Available
MOM22 is a component of the protein import complex of the mitochondrial outer membrane of Neurospora crassa. Using the newly developed procedure of 'sheltered disruption', we created a heterokaryotic...Full Text Available
... Considering these observations, it is most likely that Brucela proteins involved in protective immunity will preferentially stimulate INF-g producing T ...
Experimental investigation data are systematized of free radical states and processes in irradiated proteins. The investigation is performed by the radiospectral methods. Results are discussed in detail of the study of free radicals electronic structure of amino acids, peptides and proteins formed by the action of ionizing radiation. The specificity is stressed of the study of monocrystalls of these compounds by the method of electronic paramagnetic resonance. The nature is also studied of primary centres formed under the effect of radiation on biologically important compounds and their subsequent reactions in solid and liquid solutions. Ion-radical states of different functional groups of the protein molecule are studied. Prospects of the study and the role of anion-radicals in biological processes are discusses.
The effect of protein malnutrition on the metabolism of collagen in bone was studied in young female albino rats after a single injection of "3H-proline. Both specific and total radioactivities of hydroxyproline in the total collagen of the bone were found to decrease in the protein-deficient animals, indicating decreased rate of collagen synthesis. In the urine the amount of hydroxyproline excreted and total radioactivity of "3H-hydroxyproline were greatly decreased. The results of the present investigation therefore clearly indicate decreased synthesis and catabolism of collagen in bones of protein deficient animals compared to controls. (auth.).
Endurance-trained older men have a higher proportion of lean tissue and greater muscle cell oxidative capacity, reversing age-related trends and suggesting major changes in protein metabolism. In this study, protein turnover was determined in 6 middle-aged (52+/-1 yr) men who were well trained (VO_2 max 55.2+/-5.0 ml O_2/kg.min) and lean (body fat 18.9+/-2.8%, muscle mass 36.6+/-0.6%). The maintained habitual exercise while consuming 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 g protein/kg.day for 10-day periods. N flux was measured from "1"5N in urea after oral "1"5N-glycine administration. Myofibrillar protein breakdown was estimated from urinary 3-methyl-histidine. Dietary protein had no effect on turnover rates, even when N balance was negative. Whole body protein synthesis was 3.60+/-0.12 g/kg.day and breakdown was 3.40+/-0.14 g/kg.day for all N intakes. Whole body ...
Programmed cell death (PCD) is triggered when Pto, a Ser-Thr protein kinase, recognizes either the AvrPto or AvrPtoB effector from Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato. This...Full Text Available
In higher plants, three subfamilies of sucrose nonfermenting-1 (Snf1)-related protein kinases have evolved. While the Snf1-related protein kinase 1 (SnRK1) subfamily has been shown to share pivotal...Full Text Available
Scyl1 is an evolutionarily conserved N-terminal protein kinase-like domain protein that plays a role in COP1-mediated retrograde protein trafficking in mammalian cells. Furthermore, loss of Scyl1 function...Full Text Available
This study investigated relationships between molecular weight distributions of unreduced grain proteins and grain, flour, and end-use quality characteristics of soft white winter wheats grown in Oregon. Absorbance area and area % values of protein fractions separated by size exclusion HPLC (SE-HPL...
CAP18 (an 18-kDa cationic antimicrobial protein) is a granulocyte-derived protein that can bind lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inhibit various activities of LPS in vitro. The present study examined the...Full Text Available
The discovery of a specific high-affinity growth hormone (GH) binding protein (GH-BP) in plasma adds complexity to the dynamics of GH secretion and clearance. Intuitive predictions are that such a protein...Full Text Available
We have identified another Drosophila GTP-binding protein (G protein) alpha subunit, dGq alpha-3. Transcripts encoding dGq alpha-3 are derived from alternative splicing of the dGq alpha locus previously...Full Text Available
Gamma interferon plays an important role in regulating the functional properties of mononuclear phagocytes. In the present study, the role of activated protein kinases in the mechanism of action of...Full Text Available
Zn2+-finger proteins comprise one of the largest protein superfamilies with diverse biological functions. The ATM substrate Chk2-interacting Zn2+-finger protein...Full Text Available
The major core protein (p28) of MMC-1, an endogenous type C virus of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), was purified and subjected to structural and immunological analyses. The NH2-terminal amino acid...Full Text Available
Cadmium telluride single crystals were grown heavily doped with chloride by the THM method. The resulting crystals were n-type with free carrier concentrations of the order of 10('12)/cm at room temperature. Hall effect studies revealed room temperature mobilities between 30 and 350 cm('2)/v-sec and resistivites between 2 x 10('3) and 10('4) ohm-cm. Studies were made of the gamma and alpha counting characteristics of these crystals with metal, metal-semiconductor, and metal-insulator electrodes. It was found that the MIS and MSS structures resulted in significant improvement over the MS structures in counting, signal-to-noise and energy resolution.
Neopentane, because of its unique structural features, was found to be a useful probe for the assay of the acidity of various zeolites. The C-C bond was attacked by catalyst protons yielding CH/sub 4/ and the isobutyl carbenium ion in equal quantities. The latter either decomposed to produce isobutene or underwent secondary reactions. New avenues for reaction were opened with isobutane. The reaction of the Bronsted protons with the tertiary CH bonds produced H/sub 2/ and the same isobutyl carbenium ion. Hydride ion transfer of the same tertiary hydrogen to existing carbenium ions also occurred and the results showed that about half of the reaction was carried by this pathway. As with Neopentane, the C-C bond could also be attacked yielding the sec-propyl carbenium ion. These tools are being further developed.
Pulsed atomic beams produced in vacuum by laser induced ablation from a lithium target are analyzed by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). The 1-mixing processes induced in the n = 9, 10 Li Rydberg states by collisions with CO_2 molecules illustrate the application of the method. Resolution is limited by the 1 mm diameter of the probe laser beam. Combining LIF and absorption measurements gives n_L_i as a function of time at various distances from the target surface. The investigation of the Li-C0_2 1-mixing process in a heat pipe oven proved impossible due to the high reactivity of Li with C0_2. This problem was solved by renewing the Li atoms at each laser shot. Values obtained for n = 9, n = 10 are k = 17 x 10"-"8 and 15 x 10"-"8 cc/sec, respectively.
The operation of the negative ion based NBI system for JT-60U has been progressed since 1996. Most of the efforts in the operation for increasing beam power and energy have been concentrated to get over the troubles, caused by surge energy at the moment of the accelerator break-down, in the ion sources and high voltage power supplies. The ion source for the N-NBI, so far, has accelerated negative ion beams of 14.3 A at 380 keV with deuterium and 18.5 A at 360 keV with hydrogen against the target of 22 A. The neutral beam power injected into JT-60U has already reached 5.2 MW at 350 keV for 0.7 sec with deuterium. (author)
A 500 keV negative-ion based NBI system is under construction for NB current drive and plasma core heating in high density plasma in JT-60U. Part of the beamline and the high voltage power supply required for a verification test of an ion source was completed in March 1995. After having done a high potential test of the power supply, the negative-ion generation and acceleration tests started in June 1995 aiming at deuterium beams of 500 keV, 22A. In initial experiment, deuterium negative-ion beams of 410 keV, 6.1A (2.5 MW) for 0.2 sec, so far, have been achieved. This is the world highest D{sup {minus}} current and negative ion beam power. The construction of the total system will be completed by the beginning of 1996, and the beam injection will start in March 1996.
Excitation of low temperature helium or helium/water plasma and subsequent exposure to air of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration membranes was used to hydrophilize the surface of these materials. We analyzed the effectiveness of this approach as a function of plasma operating variables including gas phase composition, plasma power, treatment time and system pressure. Following the changes in physical and chemical composition of the PAN surface resulting from these modifications was a major aspect of this work. Techniques such as the captive bubble contact angle method, ellipsometry, ESCA, and FTIR-ATR were all used. In addition, the formation and life-time of peroxides during these processes were determined. At low powers (<25W) and short treatment periods ({<=}30 sec), the main chemical conversion of PAN surfaces was simultaneous hydrophilization and stabilization via PAN cyclization. Relatively small water permeability changes were observed as a result ...
Aims We tested cardiovascular and visceromotor reflex (VMR) responses to urinary bladder distension (UBD) in urethane anesthetized rats to see if it can replicate the response pattern and the inhibition of bladder nociceptive transmission by analgesics seen in isoflurane anesthetized animals. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats under 3% isoflurane anesthesia were acutely instrumented with jugular venous, carotid arterial, and bladder cannulas for drug administration, blood pressure (BP) measurement, and bladder distension, respectively. Needle electrodes were placed directly into the abdominal musculature to measure myoelectrical activity subsequent to phasic UBD (30 sec in 3 min intervals). A cardiovascular response (pressor) and a VMR response (a contraction of abdominal and hind limb mus...
The varestraint cracking test was carried out to assess the hot cracking tendency of alloy 800 at different welding conditions and augmented strain levels. The test results revealed that the hot cracking susceptibility of alloy 800 increases with increasing the heat input and augmented strain levels. This emphasizes the role of constraint either internally induced or externally applied to the welded structure. A cracking threshold or the minimum augmented strain ([epsilon][sub min]) below which no hot cracking takes place has been found to be 0.25 for alloy 800. Also, the Critical Strain Rate to Time (CSS) required to cause cracking was found to be 6.42x10[sup -3] sec[sup -1] at welding condition of 100 Amp, 13 Volt and 140 mm/min. (author).
The varestraint cracking test was carried out to assess the hot cracking tendency of alloy 800 at different welding conditions and augmented strain levels. The test results revealed that the hot cracking susceptibility of alloy 800 increases with increasing the heat input and augmented strain levels. This emphasizes the role of constraint either internally induced or externally applied to the welded structure. A cracking threshold or the minimum augmented strain (#epsilon#_m_i_n) below which no hot cracking takes place has been found to be 0.25 for alloy 800. Also, the Critical Strain Rate to Time (CSS) required to cause cracking was found to be 6.42x10"-"3 sec"-"1 at welding condition of 100 Amp, 13 Volt and 140 mm/min. (author).
The heating and current drive systems are being developed to support long pulse, high {beta}, advanced tokamak fusion physics experiments in the KSTAR tokamak. The heating and current drive systems consisting of neutral beam injection (NBI), ion cyclotron waves (ICRF), lower hybrid waves (LHCD) and electron cyclotron waves (ECH/ECCD) have been designed to operate for pulse lengths up to 300 sec and to provide a range of control functions including current drive and profile control. Development of key technologies for high power, long pulse operation has been on going. Substantial progress has been made on areas such as RF launchers, ion source, and high power supplies.
The heating and current drive systems are being developed to support long pulse, high #beta#, advanced tokamak fusion physics experiments in the KSTAR tokamak. The heating and current drive systems consisting of neutral beam injection (NBI), ion cyclotron waves (ICRF), lower hybrid waves (LHCD) and electron cyclotron waves (ECH/ECCD) have been designed to operate for pulse lengths up to 300 sec and to provide a range of control functions including current drive and profile control. Development of key technologies for high power, long pulse operation has been on going. Substantial progress has been made on areas such as RF launchers, ion source, and high power supplies.
The construction and the development of a UV free electron laser have been started under the cooperation of Nihon U, KEK, PNC, ETL and Tohaku U. The project requires a 100MeV S-band electron linear accelerator to expand the oscillation of FEL using fundamental mode to the UV region. The injection system consists of a thermionic RF-gun with a LaB cathode and an {alpha} magnet for magnetic bunching. We are studying to reduce the back-bombardment electrons to realize the macropulse length of 20{mu}sec. Electron beams, up to the energy of 100MeV, are injected into the optical oscillators. Changing the accelerating energy and/or undulator parameters, this system will cover the range from infrared to ultraviolet for the applications in various fields.
The purpose of this work was to determine the radiolytic hydrogen gas yield of irradiated CSSX solvent at several temperatures. The active ingredient of this solvent is calix[4]arene-bis-(t-octylbenzo) crown-6, a calixarene crown ether used for cesium complexation. The solvent also contains 1-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)-3-(4-sec-butylphenoxy)-2-propanol, a fluorinated alcoholic solvent modifer used to improve the solubility of the calixarene and its cesium complex in the Isopar L diluent. Isopar L is a branch-chain alkane and comprises most of the mixture. Samples of this solution were irradiated to various absorbed ?-ray doses in gas-tight sample containers, which were then sampled for hydrogen gas content. The methods are described below.
SIMS measurements revealed that high energy boron-implantation causes transient enhanced diffusion (TED) of a shallow dopant profile due to Si interstitials even for a relatively low dose of {approximately}2E13cm{sup {minus}2}. By systematic analysis, it is found that this anomalous diffusion is most significant in 700--800 C annealing, and it takes place in the initial stage (less than 30 sec for 800 C) of annealing. Moreover, this anomalous diffusion is more considerable than the enhanced diffusion during oxidation (OED) in practical device fabrication processes. It is found that rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1,000--1,100 C is effective for suppressing the transient enhanced diffusion and realizing a shallow channel profile for deep sub-micron devices.
SIMS measurements revealed that high energy boron-implantation causes transient enhanced diffusion (TED) of a shallow dopant profile due to Si interstitials even for a relatively low dose of #approx#2E13cm"-"2. By systematic analysis, it is found that this anomalous diffusion is most significant in 700--800 C annealing, and it takes place in the initial stage (less than 30 sec for 800 C) of annealing. Moreover, this anomalous diffusion is more considerable than the enhanced diffusion during oxidation (OED) in practical device fabrication processes. It is found that rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 1,000--1,100 C is effective for suppressing the transient enhanced diffusion and realizing a shallow channel profile for deep sub-micron devices.
We have studied freshly prepared lysozyme solutions in heavy water for two NaCl concentrations as a function of temperature. Lysozyme solubilities in this solvent are determined by static light scattering. By small angle neutron scattering, we evidence that interactions between lysozyme molecules are characterized by a second virial coefficient A{sub 2} whether the solution is under-saturated or supersaturated. From the variation of A{sub 2} as a function of temperature we have evaluated the enthalpy corresponding to the interaction between lysozyme molecules. We show that the interactions between protein molecules are higher in heavy water than in light water. (authors). 13 refs., 3 figs.
It is a useful hypothesis to thing of the reaction to protein deprivation as made up of two parts. First there is an initial adaptation involving rapid losses of protein. This is followed by slow continuing depletion. When considering two organ groups, such as the liver and muscle, it appears that the curve of urinary nitrogen excretion reflects the different parts they play in these two phases. The changes in the relative amounts of protein in different organs results in an alteration in the pattern of body protein at the level of the organ, the tissue and the cell. These changes are themselves the result of altered rates of synthesis and breakdown. The questions that must be asked and hopefully will be answered with the help of isotopes, are how these changes are brought about, how they are inter-related and controlled, and what is their significance? This paper contains a discussion of the few ...
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) asFP499 from Anemonia sulcata is a distant homologue of the GFP from Aequorea victoria. We cloned the asFP499 gene into a mammalian expression vector and showed that this protein was expressed in the human lymphoblast cell line Ramos RA1 and in the embryonic kidney 293T cell line (HEK 293T). In HEK 293T cells, asFP499 was localized mainly in the cytoplasm, suggesting that the protein was excluded from the nucleus. We identified _1_9_4LRMEKLNI_2_0_1 as a candidate nuclear export signal in asFP499 and mutated the isoleucine at position 201 to an alanine. Unlike the wildtype form, the mutant protein was distributed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus. This is First report of a GFP that contains a functional NES.
Frozen boiled shrimp and dried shrimp are among the high-value fishery products of Thailand. During the production of these products boiling is one of the most important steps that affects significantly the product physicochemical properties, especially the quantity and quality of proteins, which in turn affect other apparent properties perceived by consumers. The protein changes are, however, difficult to evaluate comparing to other typical physical properties of shrimp. The objective of this study was therefore to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict the protein changes of shrimp in terms of protein loss and protein denaturation as a function of the boiling conditions, namely, concentration of salt solution and boiling time, as well as a rather easily determined ch...
It is assumed that protein fibrils manifested in amyloidosis result from an aggregation reaction involving small misfolded protein sequences being in an `oligomeric' or `prefibrillar' state. This review covers recent optical spectroscopic studies of amyloid protein misfolding, oligomerization and amyloid fibril growth. Although amyloid fibrils have been studied using established protein-characterization techniques throughout the years, their oligomeric precursor states require sensitive detection in real-time. Here, fluorescent staining is commonly performed using thioflavin T and other small fluorescent molecules such as 4-(dicyanovinyl)- julolidine and 1-amino-8-naphtalene sulphonate that have high affinity to hydrophobic patches. Thus, populated oligomeric intermediates and related `pre...
The effect of experimental diabetes on the phosphorylation of proteins in the rat sciatic nerve was studied. Nerves from animals made diabetic with streptozocin were incubated in vitro with (/sup 32/P)orthophosphate and divided into segments from the proximal to the distal end, and proteins from each segment were then separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The principal labeled species were the major myelin proteins, P0, and the basic proteins. After 6 wk of diabetes, the incorporation of isotope into these proteins rose as a function of distance along the nerve in a proximal to distal direction and was significantly higher at the distal end compared with incorporation into nerves from age-matched controls. The overall level of isotope uptake was similar in nerves from diabetic animals and weight-matched controls. The distribution of /sup 32/P among ...
The purpose of the present study was to examine the in vitro effects of low-dose cadmium (Cd) on developing cortical cells. The cortical cells removed from fetuses (embryonic day 15) were treated with 10 nM of Cd for 24 h. The effects of Cd on dendritic and synaptic development were immunocytochemically observed with anti-microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP2) and anti-synapsin I antibodies, respectively. Administration of Cd suppressed dendritic as well as synaptic development at 10 nM. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC/MS/MS) analysis, we identified three proteins with different expression after Cd-treatment; dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2 (DRP-2/CRMP-2), 14-3-3-epsillon and calmodulin (CaM). Though the number of identified proteins was small, these proteins are known to be involved in neuronal development. The ...
Light increased the rate of LHCP synthesis as measured by pulse-labeling with /sup 35/SO/sub 4/ and immunoprecipitation with antibody specific for Euglena LHCP. In addition to the mature LHCP, 26,000 daltons, the LHCP specific antibody immunoprecipitated large amounts of several proteins having molecular weights of approximately 100,000. On immunoblots of immunoprecipitated unlabeled protein, the antibody only detected the mature LHCP suggesting that the high molecular weight proteins are not LHCP aggregates produced during immunoprecipitation. After a 10 min pulse with /sup 35/SO/sub 4/, the 100,000 dalton proteins constituted over 80% of the immunoprecipitated material. In a subsequent chase, the radioactivity in the 100,000 dalton proteins decreased and the radioactivity in the mature LHCP increased suggesting a precursor-product relationship. After a 35 minute chase, the mature ...
A sodium-water reaction drove from the single tube break in steam generator of FBR might overheat labor tubes rapidly under internal pressure loadings. If the temperature of tube wall becomes too high, it has to be evaluated that the stress of tube does not exceed the material strength limit to prevent the propagation of tube rupture. This study clarified the tensile and creep properties of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel at ultra-high temperature which will be used in evaluation of the tube burst by sodium-water reaction. The strain rates for tensile test are from 10%/min to 10%/sec, and creep-rupture time is maximum 277sec. The range of test temperature is 700degC to 1300degC. The main results obtained were as follows; (1) The evaluation data on the relationship between tensile strength and strain rate and creep-rupture strength in shorter time on Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel were acquired. (2) Short-term mechanical properties of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel were evaluated ...
An experimental technique has been developed to examine the interaction between deformation and the exposure of certain high temperature structural alloys to oxidizing molten salt environments. The experimental program involved performing a series of long-term tensile tests over a wide range of strain rates. Fracture strain reduction in area and ultimate strength (UTS) were monitored as parameters indicative of an alloy's susceptibility to environmental degradation. For Incoloy Alloy 800 tested at 600/sup 0/C in the salt medium and at initial strain rates between 2 x 10/sup -7/ sec/sup -1/ and 1 x 10/sup -5/ sec/sup -/1 no appreciable loss of ductility, as measured by reduction in area, was observed relative to control specimens tested in air at the same temperature and strain rates. Similarly, fracture strain and UTS were essentially unaffected by exposure to the oxidizing environment. The structure of the oxide film formed by contact ...
To evaluate the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) rotational angiography, cervical carotid or cerebral angiography was done without catheterizing the branches of the thoracic aorta. A 5-Fr pig-tail type catheter was passed into the ascending aorta via the radial artery or the femoral artery. Optimal carotid angiogram views were obtained using approximately 45 ml of contrast medium at a flow rate of 15 ml/sec. Optimal cerebral angiogram views were obtained using approximately 70 ml of contrast medium at a flow rate of 20 ml/sec. The contrast medium concentration was 300 to 350 mgI/ml. A satisfactory view could be obtained in 5 of 8 (63%) cases on cervical carotid 3D angiography and in 8 of 14 (57%) cases on cerebral 3D angiography. In all cases, no complications were noted. This method offers the advantages of requiring a relatively short procedure time and a decrease in radiation exposure. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal ...
This paper introduces a multichannel digital data acquisition system and examples of measurements with the system in seismic exploration using the high resolution seismic refraction method. The high resolution seismic refraction system performs analyses nearly automatically by using a computer after initial travel time has been read. Therefore, the system requires high-accuracy travel time data, for which a multichannel digital measuring instrument developed recently for seismic exploration using the refraction method has been used for the measurement. The specification specifies the number of channels at 144 as a maximum, a sampling time of 62.5 {mu}sec to 4 m sec, the maximum number of sampling of 80,000 samples, and gain accuracy of {plus_minus} 1%. The system was used for surveying a tunnel having a maximum soil cover of about 800 m. The traverse line length is about 6 km, the distance between vibration receiving points is 50 m, and the ...
This report presents highlights of activities in the Acceleartor Technology (AT) Division from April through December 1978. The report is divided into 10 sections to cover work done by the four groups that make up AT Division (AT-1, AT-2, AT-3, and AT-4). Section I is a brief summary of the whole report. Sections II through VI describe work done by At-1, the Linac Technology Group. Subjects covered are the Pion Generation for Medical Irradiation Program, the Electronuclear Fuel-Producing Accelerator Program, the Gyrocon rf Amplifier Program, the Electron Linear Accelerator Program, and the Free Electron Laser Program. Section VII covers the Linear Accelerator Beam Dynamics development, and Sec. VIII deals with work with the H/sup -/ Ion Source. Most of the work in Secs. VII and VIII was done by AT-2, the Special Projects Group, although work on factors influencing emittance growth was done by MP-9, and results on emittance growth in the new ...
The entrapment of proteins using the sol-gel route provides a means to retain its native properties and artificially reproduce the molecular crowding and confinement experienced by proteins in the cell allowing investigation of the physico-chemical and structural properties of biomolecules at the biotic/abiotic interface. The biomolecules are spatially separated and 'caged' in the gel structure but solutes can freely permeate the matrix. Thus, properties such as the folding of ensembles of individual molecules can be examined in the absence of aggregation effects that can occur in solution studies. Green fluorescent protein from Aequorea coerulescens was used as a model protein to examine the unfolding/re-folding properties of protein in silica gels. The recombinant protein was isolated and purified from Escherichia coli extracts by cell lysis, ...
In previous work the authors showed that on photolysis of Escherichia coli ribosomes in the presence of ({sup 3}H)tetracycline (TC) the major protein labeled is S7, and they presented strong evidence that such labeling takes place from a high-affinity site related to the inhibitory action of TC. In this work they use single protein omission reconstitution (SPORE) experiments to identify those proteins that are important for high-affinity TC binding to the 30S subunit, as measured by both cosedimentation and filter binding assays. With respect to both sedimentation coefficients and relative Phe-tRNA{sup Phe} binding, the properties of the SPORE particles they obtain parallel very closely those measured earlier, with the exception of the SPORE particle lacking S13. A total of five proteins, S3, S7, S8, S14, and S19, are shown to be important for TC binding, with the largest effects seen on omission of ...
Biofumigation with Muscodor albus was investigated to control four fungal decay pathogens (Phytophthora erythroseptica, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum) and four bacterial pathogens (Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua) in controlled atmosphere conditions (regular air (20.8% O2+0.03% CO2), high CO2 (20.8% O2+15% CO2) or low O2 (1% O2+0.03% CO2)). In vitro experiments involved 48h exposure to M. albus at 3degreeC or 20degreeC, in vivo experiments involved 72h exposure to M. albus at 3degreeC. In vitro biofumigation with M. albus in regular air at 20degreeC killed all the pathogens. Bacterial growth was best controlled by M. albus at 20degreeC regardless of atmospheric conditions whereas fungal gro...
Products of a power plant flue gas desulfurization scrubber are discharged into a pond as sludge consisting of calcite (initial delta13C 3.2-3.8 per thousand), gypsum (initial delta34S 7.6-8.6 per thousand), and aqueous solution. Reducing conditions exist below a boundary that appears to move vertically as a function of changes in pond water level. Under reducing conditions, bacteria partially reduce aqueous sulfate to low-delta34S sulfide, consuming organic carbon and generating low-delta13C bicarbonate. Under oxidizing conditions, sulfide is converted to sulfate, leading to calcite dissolution, gypsum precipitation, and isotopic re-equilibration of remaining calcite with dissolved bicarbonate near the pond surface. The gypsum has delta34S near 6 per thousand, and calcite has delta13C as low as -1.7 per thousand; the changes from initial values correspond to predictions based on isotopic balance and reaction stoichiometry. The pond largely contains the products of ...
This randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind, parallel dose-response study investigated the impact of 4-week commercial yoghurt consumption supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA-5) on fecal bacterial counts of healthy adults. Fifty-eight volunteers were randomly assigned to three different groups: 1. placebo (no probiotic, no starter and no green tea extract); 2. Yoptimal (10^9cfu/100g of BB-12 and LA-5 and 40mg of green tea extract) and 3. Yoptimal-10 (10^1^0cfu/100g of BB-12, 10^9cfu/100g of LA-5 and 40mg of green tea extract). These yoghurt products also contained Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (10^7cfu/100g) and Streptococcus thermophilus (10^1^0cfu/100g). The quantitative PCR (qPCR) results showed that ther...
The origin of natural gas in the Japanese oil and gas fields are geochemically studied. Samples are taken from structural natural gas, surface gas seepage, water-dissolved natural gas and coal-field gas of the Japan Sea coast area. The origins of primary hydrocarbons are classified into bacteria gas and thermogenic gas, the latter being subclassified into gas in oil production zone with the per million deviation of the carbon isotope (/sup 13/C/sup 1/) of methane less than -35 and those gases with maturity higher than this. Surface gas seepage is subjected to migration and bacterial oxidation. Coal gas is similar to oil gas. The CO/sub 2/ concentration is 0 - 2% and /sup 13/CO/sub 2/ deviations from -30 - +30. The origin can be barely estimated from the isotopic composition because of the wide secondary change in the composition. The origin and migration of gas from the gas field of northern Niigata are not similar to those in the southern area, which consist of a ...
Objective To compare the levels of interleukin (IL)-1?, IL-6, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 in the vaginal secretions of pregnant women with a positive fetal fibronectin (fFN) test result with or without asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV) before and after treatment with oral clindamycin. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among 43 pregnant women with a positive fFN test result. All patients were treated with clindamycin, and the pre- and post-treatment levels of IL-1?, IL-6, and MMP-8 were compared. Results Before treatment, levels of IL-1? and MMP-8 were significantly higher in women with BV compared with women without BV (P<0.05). Vaginal levels of IL-1? and IL-6, but not MMP-8, decreased after treatment in pregnant women with BV. Conclusions The inability of clin...
Infant mice were used to measure the amount of fluid accumulation (enterosorption) in the intestinal tract after oral inoculation of a porcine strain of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (K88-+, Ent-+). Significant reduction in the amount of fluid found in the intestinal tract was observed if the mice were first inoculated with a K88-possessing, non-enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli. The protection provided is thought to be due to specific competition for attachment sites on cells of the small intestine. PMID:1095492
Papers in this book illustrate the utility of mineral biotechnology with respect to biobeneficiation, bioleaching, bioremediation and biomineralization. Papers of particular interest to the coal industry include: depression of pyrite flotation by yeast and bacteris (S.K. Kawatra and T.C. Eisele); desulfurization of coal by microbial flotation in a semicontinuous system (T. Nagaoka and others); biochemical removal of HAP precursors from coal - INEEL slurry column testing (K.S. Noah and G.J. Olson); microorganisms, biotechnology and acid rock drainage - emphasis on passive-biological control and treatment methods (N. Kuyucak); and utility of bioreagents in mineral processing (P. Somasundaran and others).
The microbial safety of foods cooked in microwave ovens was investigated. The mechanisms of microwave destruction of microorganisms were examined. Effects of time and temperature on microorganisms in different food systems were described. Studies showed that: microwave heating of food is more ''''food dependent'' than conventional heating; recommended microwave treatment time for some foods may not destroy high levels of bacteria; use of microwaves in combination with conventional heating methods results in more uniform heating of foods and destruction of bacteria; and microwaves exert different killing effects on individual bacterial species. (78 references, 2 tables)
The analgesic, dipyrone (1,phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-5-pyrazolone-4-methylamino methane sulphonate sodium), at 20 mM concentration, inhibited the rejoining of single-strand scissions in DNA of Escherichia coli B/r cells induced by 20 krad gamma-radiation. The chemical altered the cell membrane structure as evidenced from the uptake of acriflavin, the efflux of potassium ions from the bacterial cells and the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase-a cell membrane associated enzyme. (author). 18 refs., 6 figures.
The analgesic, dipyrone (1,phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-5-pyrazolone-4-methylamino methane sulphonate sodium), at 20 mM concentration, inhibited the rejoining of single-strand scissions in DNA of Escherichia coli B/r cells induced by 20 krad gamma-radiation. The chemical altered the cell membrane structure as evidenced from the uptake of acriflavin, the efflux of potassium ions from the bacterial cells and the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase-a cell membrane associated enzyme. (author).
Summary Although many antibiotics are available for the treatment of bacterial infections, the emergence and global spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a community-wide problem. To overcome this problem, we must explore alternative antimicrobials. This study investigated the antibacterial properties of quercetin, a flavonoid present in vegetables and fruits. Quercetin was tested against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and was found to exert selective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Some clinical MRSA strains showed remarkable susceptibility to quercetin. In combination with antibiotics, such as oxacillin, ampicillin, vancomycin, gentamicin, and erythromycin, quercetin sho...
Immidacloprid is a cyclodiene organochlorine used as an insecticide all over the world and possessing a serous environmental threat. It is mostly used for cotton insects (bollworm, aphid and white fly). For isolation of imidacloprid degrading bacteria, two soil samples were collected from industrial contaminated sites of Kala Shah Kahu district sheikupura, having ten year history of use. Soil samples were analyzed by measuring pH and electric conductivity. The isolation of imidacroprid degrading bacteria was performed by enrichment technique. Eight bacterial strains, S/sub 1-a/ S/2-2-b/ S/2-c/ S/2-d/ S/2-e/ S/sub 2-f/ and S/sub 2-g/ and S/sub e-a/ were isolated on the basis of their colony morphologies. The purified colonies were characterized morphologically, physiologically and biochemically. Gram staining was done and Gram negative strain were confirmed on MacConkey agar and Eosin Methylene Blue. Bacterial strains were also checked for ...