Direct oxygen imaging in titania nanocrystals

Recently, rutile nanotwins were synthesized using high temperature organic solvent methods, yielding two kinds of common high-quality rutile twinned nanocrystals, (101) and (301) twins, accompanied by minor rutile nanorods (Lu et?al 2012 CrystEngComm 14 3120-4). In this report, the atomic structures of the rutile and anatase nanocrystals are directly resolved with no need for calculation or image simulation using atomic resolution STEM techniques. The locations of the oxygen rows in the rutile twins' boundaries are directly determined from both HAADF images and ABF images. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time oxygen columns have been distinguished in rutile twin boundaries using HAADF and BF imaging.     

Evaluation of Multidimensional Transport through a Field-Scale Compacted Soil Liner

A field-scale compacted soil liner was constructed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Illinois State Geological Survey in 1988 to investigate chemical transport rates through low permeability compacted clay liners (CCLs). Four tracers (bromide and three benzoic acid tracers) were each added to one of four large ring infiltrometers (LRIs) while tritium was added to the pond water (excluding the infiltrometers). Results from the long-term transport of Br? from the localized source zone of LRI are presented in this paper. Core samples were taken radially outward from the center of the Br? LRI and concentration depth profiles were obtained. Transport properties were evaluated using an axially symmetric transport model. Results indicate that (1) transport was diffusion controlled; (2) transport due to advection was negligible and well within the regulatory limits of ksat ? 1×10?7?cm/s; (3) diffusion rates in the horizontal and vertical directions were the same; and (4) small positioning errors due to compression during soil sampling did not affect the best fit advection and diffusion values. The best-fit diffusion coefficient for bromide was equal to the molecular diffusion coefficient multiplied by a tortuosity factor of 0.27, which is within 8% of the tortuosity factor (0.25) found in a related study where tritium transport through the same liner was evaluated. This suggests that the governing mechanisms for the transport of tritium and bromide through the CCL were similar. These results are significant because they address transport through a composite liner from a localized source zone which occurs when defects or punctures in the geomembrane of a composite system are present.     

Sequence comparison of human and yeast telomeres identifies structurally distinct subtelomeric domains

We have sequenced and compared DNA from the ends of three human chromosomes: 4p, 16p and 22q. In all cases the pro-terminal regions are subdivided by degenerate (TTAGGG)n repeats into distal and proximal sub-domains with entirely different patterns of homology to other chromosome ends. The distal regions contain numerous, short (<2 kb) segments of interrupted homology to many other human telomeric regions. The proximal regions show much longer (approximately 10-40 kb) uninterrupted homology to a few chromosome ends. A comparison of all yeast subtelomeric regions indicates that they too are subdivided by degenerate TTAGGG repeats into distal and proximal sub-domains with similarly different patterns of identity to other non-homologous chromosome ends. Sequence comparisons indicate that the distal and proximal sub-domains do not interact with each other and that they interact quite differently with the corresponding regions on other, non-homologous, chromosomes. These findings suggest that the degenerate TTAGGG repeats identify a previously unrecognized, evolutionarily conserved boundary between remarkably different subtelomeric domains.     

Intact mirror-tracing and impaired rotary-pursuit skill learning in patients with Huntington's disease: evidence for dissociable memory systems in skill learning

Skill learning in early-stage Huntington's disease (HD) patients was compared with that of normal controls on 2 perceptual-motor tasks, rotary pursuit and mirror tracing. HD patients demonstrated a dissociation between impaired rotary-pursuit and intact mirror-tracing skill learning. These results suggest that different forms of perceptual-motor skill learning are mediated by separable neural circuits. A striatal memory system may be essential for sequence or open-loop skill learning but not for skills that involve the closed-loop learning of novel visual-response mappings. It is hypothesized that working memory deficits in HD resulting from frontostriatal damage may account broadly for intact and impaired long-term learning and memory in HD patients.     

Double-site ricin B chain mutants retain galactose binding

Three distinct double-site and two single-site ricin B chain(RTB) mutants were expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda insectcells and purified from infected cell supernatants. The yieldsof recombinant proteins were 0.01–0.2 mg/1. The purityafter monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography was 1–20%.The mutant proteins were soluble, immuno-reactive with monoclonalantibodies and polyclonal antibodies to RTB and demonstratedmolecular weights of 32 kDa, similar to plant RTB. All threedouble-site and both single-site mutants bound asialofetuinand mammalian cell surfaces based on an asialofetuin ELISA andcell binding immunofluorescence assay. While one double-sitemutant, W37S/Y248S, had a 1 log drop in sugar binding, the othertwo double-site mutants W37S/Y248H and D22E/D234E had 2 logreductions in sugar binding. Each mutant reassociated efficiently(25–75%) with plant ricin A chain (RTA) to form cytotoxicheterodimers. The concentration of protein required to reduceprotein synthesis 50% (ID₅₀) was 1 log higher than plant ricinfor W37S/Y248S-RTA and the single-site mutant heterodimers,Q35N-RTA and D22E-RTA and 2 logs higher than plant ricin forthe other two double-site mutant heterodimers. The results suggestamino acid residues in both the 1 and 2 subdomains of RTB participatein sugar binding. However, other subdomains must contributeto the avidity of ricin for cell surface oligosaccharides.     

Sea-nine antifoulant: an environmentally acceptable alternative to organotin antifoulants

This article reviews previously reported data on the performance, environmental fate, and environmental modeling of Sea-Nine 211 antifoulant (4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one). Since organotins are an industry standard, the environmental fate and environmental modeling results of tributyltin (TBT) are compared to those of the Sea-Nine antifoulant for reference. Laboratory and field tests results have shown Sea-Nine antifoulant to be highly effective. Five years of commercial use has confirmed this. Sea-Nine antifoulant and TBT were compared in an environmental risk assessment to predict their effects on the environment. Sea-Nine antifoulant was degraded rapidly in the environment by microorganisms. Its half-life in aerobic and anaerobic microcosm studies was less than 1 h. TBT degraded slowly under aerobic and anaerobic conditions with half-lives ranging from 6 to 9 months. The degradation products of Sea-Nine antifoulant were ring-opened compounds with greatly reduced toxicity. TBT degraded to dibutyltin species, which were still toxic and persistent in the environment. Bioaccumulation studies in fish showed essentially no bioaccumulation of the Sea-Nine biocide. The bioaccumulation of TBT was significant, with bioconcentration factors as high as 10000. The Sea-Nine antifoulant showed no chronic or reproductive toxicity to marine species, while TBT showed a wide range of effects on growth, development, and reproduction at levels as low as 2 parts per trillion (ppt). Computer modeling using the Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS) predicted maximum concentrations of Sea-Nine biocide of up to 10 ppt, far below the maximum acceptable environmental concentration (MAEC) of 630 ppt. The maximum predicted concentrations of TBT were as high as 345 ppt, far above the UK Environmental Standard in seawater of 2 ppt.     

The influence of the polymer backbone flexibility on the phase transitions of side chain liquid crystal polymers containing 6-[4-(4-methoxy-β-methylstyryl)phenoxy]hexyl side groups

Summary The influence of the polymer backbone flexibility on the phase transition temperatures of side chain liquid crystalline polymethacrylate, polyacrylate, polymethylsiloxane, and polyphosphazene containing 6-[4-(4-methoxy- - methylstyryl)phenoxy]hexyl side groups is discussed. Flexible backbones enhance the decoupling of the motions of the side chain and main chain and therefore, increase the rate of side-chain crystallization. Subsequently, the kinetically controlled crystallization process may transform the thermodynamically controlled mesomorphic phases from enantiotropic into monotropic. However, the highest degree of order in the mesophase is exhibited by the polymers based on the most rigid polymer backbone.     

Effects of oocyte culture density on meiotic competence of canine oocytes

This study was conducted to determine a suitable ratio of oocytes to medium for in vitro maturation (IVM) of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) collected from bitches at anoestrus and dioestrus and to examine the meiotic competence of COCs cultured singly or in different group sizes. In the first experiment, different numbers of COCs (5, 10, 15 and 20 per drop) were cultured for 72 h in 100 microl drops of maturation medium. The meiotic competence of oocytes from ovaries at anoestrus was affected by the number of COCs incubated, whereas at dioestrus, the incubation number of COCs had no effect. In the second experiment, COCs were cultured singly or in different group sizes for 72 h by suitable oocyte density according to the reproductive cycle of the donor. In the anoestrous group, 1, 5 and 10 COCs were cultured in 10, 50 and 100 microl drops of the medium (10 microl per COC), respectively. In the dioestrous group, 1, 5 and 15 COCs were cultured in 7, 35 and 105 microl drops of the medium (7 microl per COC), respectively. There were no differences in the proportions of oocytes reaching metaphase II among the different group sizes in each stage of the reproductive cycle of the donor. The results indicate that the influence of oocyte density on the meiotic competence of oocytes differs according to the stage of the reproductive cycle of the donor. Moreover, the group sizes have no effect on the meiotic competence of oocytes cultured at suitable oocyte density according to the reproductive cycle of the donor.     

Characterization of a ricin fusion toxin targeted to the interleukin-2 receptor

Fusion toxins are hybrid proteins consisting of peptide ligandslinked through amide bonds to polypeptide toxins. The liganddirects the molecule to the surface of target cells and thetoxin enters the cytosol and induces cell death. Ricin is anexcellent candidate for use in fusion toxins because of itsextreme potency, the extensive knowledge of its atomic structureand the lack of prior immunological exposure in patients. Wesynthesized a baculovirus transfer vector with the polyhedrinpromoter followed sequentially from the 5' end with DNA encodingthe gp67A leader sequence, the tripeptide ADP, IL-2 (interleukin-2),another ADP tripeptide and RTB (ricin toxin B chain) with lectinsitemutations W37S and Y248H. Recombinant baculovirus was generatedin Sf9 insect cells and used to infect Sf9 cells. RecombinantIL-2-RTB[W37S/Y248H] protein (fusion protein of IL-2 with modificationsW37S and Y248H) was recovered at high yields from day 6 insectcell supernatants, partially purified by affinity chromatographyand reassociated with RTA (ricin toxin A chain). The fusiontoxin was soluble, immunoreactive with antibodies to RTB, LL-2and RTA and had a molecular weight of 80 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Themolecule reacted poorly with asialofetuin, but bound stronglyto IL-2 receptor based on selective cytotoxicity to IL-2 receptorbearing cells. The specific cytotoxicity could be blocked withIL-2 but not lactose. Thus, we report a novel targeted fusiontoxin protein with full biological activity.