Square tubing reduces cost of telescoping bridge crane hoist

Using standard square tubing in a telescoping arrangement reduces the cost of a bridge crane hoist. Because surface tolerances of square tubing need not be as accurate as the tubing used previously and because no spline is necessary, the square tubing is significantly less expensive than splined telescoping tubes

Functionality and Storability of Cookies Fortified at the Industrial Scale with up to 75% of Apple Pomace Flour Produced by Dehydration

Apple pomace flour (APF) with high content of dietary fibers (DF), total polyphenolics (TPCs) and flavonoids (TFCs) was produced at the industrial scale. Bulk and tapped density, swelling, water and oil holding capacity, solubility and hydration density of fine and coarse APF with average particle size 0.16 and 0.50 mm were compared. The effect of wheat flour substitution with 25%, 50% and 75% of fine and coarse APF was studied upon cookies production at the industrial scale and after one year of storage. Coarse APF performed better in respect to sensorial properties, content and retention of dietary compounds and antioxidant (AO) activity. The cookies with optimal share of coarse APF (50%) contained 21 g/100 g of DF and several times higher TPC, TFC as well as AO activity than control cookies, retained well health promoting compounds and maintained an intensely fruity aroma and crispy texture. They were acceptable for consumers according to the hedonic test

Structure of a bacterial type III secretion system in contact with a host membrane in situ

Many bacterial pathogens of animals and plants use a conserved type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject virulence effector proteins directly into eukaryotic cells to subvert host functions. Contact with host membranes is critical for T3SS activation, yet little is known about T3SS architecture in this state or the conformational changes that drive effector translocation. Here we use cryo-electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging to derive the intact structure of the primordial Chlamydia trachomatis T3SS in the presence and absence of host membrane contact. Comparison of the averaged structures demonstrates a marked compaction of the basal body (4 nm) occurs when the needle tip contacts the host cell membrane. This compaction is coupled to a stabilization of the cytosolic sorting platform– ATPase. Our findings reveal the first structure of a bacterial T3SS from a major human pathogen engaged with a eukaryotic host, and reveal striking ‘pump-action’ conformational changes that underpin effector injection

Structural studies of T4S systems by electron microscopy

Abstract: Type IV secretion (T4S) systems are large dynamic nanomachines that transport DNA and/or proteins through the membranes of bacteria. Analysis of T4S system architecture is an extremely challenging task taking into account their multi protein organisation and lack of overall global symmetry. Nonetheless the last decade demonstrated an amazing progress achieved by X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. In this review we present a structural analysis of this dynamic complex based on recent advances in biochemical, biophysical and structural studies

Topology and Organization of the Salmonella typhimurium Type III Secretion Needle Complex Components

The correct organization of single subunits of multi-protein machines in a three dimensional context is critical for their functionality. Type III secretion systems (T3SS) are molecular machines with the capacity to deliver bacterial effector proteins into host cells and are fundamental for the biology of many pathogenic or symbiotic bacteria. A central component of T3SSs is the needle complex, a multiprotein structure that mediates the passage of effector proteins through the bacterial envelope. We have used cryo electron microscopy combined with bacterial genetics, site-specific labeling, mutational analysis, chemical derivatization and high-resolution mass spectrometry to generate an experimentally validated topographic map of a Salmonella typhimurium T3SS needle complex. This study provides insights into the organization of this evolutionary highly conserved nanomachinery and is the basis for further functional analysis

Population Connectivity in Lake Michigan Yellow Perch

Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) are an ecologically and economically important species in the Great Lakes. In Lake Michigan, there is substantial interest in restoring Yellow perch to their historic abundance. Populations in Lake Michigan began to decline dramatically in the late 1980s and, despite management efforts, have not rebounded. Understanding stock structure is imperative for implementing successful management strategies, but assessing population structure in yellow perch is particularly challenging. Yellow perch disperse on surface currents during a 30-40 day larval period where dispersal is difficult to observe directly and varies interannually. In order to better understand yellow perch population structure and connectivity, we sequenced 960 individuals, collected at 20 sampling locations across Lake Michigan using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq). We used 3337 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to observe genetic differences between populations and paired these findings with a Lagrangian particle tracking model to explain patterns of connectivity and gene flow. We showed that Green Bay and the main basin of Lake Michigan are genetically distinct populations. Within these two genetic groups, drivers for population structure appear to be very different. Green Bay shows distinct populations across its 150 kilometers, consistent with isolation by distance. These populations show lower global allelic richness and heterozygosity than the main basin. In contrast, the main basin shows low but significant genetic distance (measured as pairwise FST) and higher allelic richness and observed heterozygosity, appearing to behave more like a marine system. To validate this observation, we paired these findings with a Lagrangian particle tracking model to explain patterns of connectivity and gene flow and found that distances derived from these particle tracking models were significantly correlated with the genetic distances observed between main basin populations