Comparative susceptibility of mosquito populations in North Queensland, Australia to oral infection with dengue virus.

Dengue is the most prevalent arthropod-borne virus, with at least 40% of the world's population at risk of infection each year. In Australia, dengue is not endemic, but viremic travelers trigger outbreaks involving hundreds of cases. We compared the susceptibility of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from two geographically isolated populations to two strains of dengue virus serotype 2. We found, interestingly, that mosquitoes from a city with no history of dengue were more susceptible to virus than mosquitoes from an outbreak-prone region, particularly with respect to one dengue strain. These findings suggest recent evolution of population-based differences in vector competence or different historical origins. Future genomic comparisons of these populations could reveal the genetic basis of vector competence and the relative role of selection and stochastic processes in shaping their differences. Lastly, we show the novel finding of a correlation between midgut dengue titer and titer in tissues colonized after dissemination

Sowing density effect on common bean leaf area development

Sowing density is a major management factor that affects growth and development of grain crops by modifying the canopy light environment and interplant competition for water and nutrients. While the effects of sowing density and plant architecture on static vegetative and reproductive growth traits have been explored previously in the common bean, few studies have focused on the impacts of sowing density on the dynamics of node addition and leaf area development. We present the results from two sites of field experiments where the effects of sowing densities (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 35 plants m-2) and genotypes with contrasting plant architectures (two each from growth habits I through III) on the dynamics of node addition and leaf area were assessed. Analysis of the phyllochron (°C node-1) indicated genotype and density effects (but no interaction) on the rate of node addition. While significant, these differences amounted to less than two days of growth at either site. In terms of leaf area development, analysis using a power function reflected large differences in the dynamics and final size of individual plant leaf area between the lower density (20 plants m-2) at the growth habit, but not genotype level. These differences in node addition and leaf development dynamics translated to marked differences between growth habits and sowing densities in estimated leaf area indices, and consequently, in the estimated fraction of intercepted light at lower densities

A Dual TLR Agonist Adjuvant Enhances the Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of the Tuberculosis Vaccine Antigen ID93

With over eight million cases of tuberculosis each year there is a pressing need for the development of new vaccines against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Subunit vaccines consisting of recombinant proteins are an attractive vaccine approach due to their inherent safety compared to attenuated live vaccines and the uniformity of manufacture. Addition of properly formulated TLR agonist-containing adjuvants to recombinant protein vaccines enhances the antigen-specific CD4+ T cell response characterized by IFN-γ and TNF, both of which are critical for the control of TB. We have developed a clinical stage vaccine candidate consisting of a recombinant fusion protein ID93 adjuvanted with the TLR4 agonist GLA-SE. Here we examine whether ID93+GLA-SE can be improved by the addition of a second TLR agonist. Addition of CpG containing DNA to ID93+GLA-SE enhanced the magnitude of the multi-functional TH1 response against ID93 characterized by co-production of IFN-γ, TNF, and IL-2. Addition of CpG also improved the protective efficacy of ID93+GLA-SE. Finally we demonstrate that this adjuvant synergy between GLA and CpG is independent of TRIF signaling, whereas TRIF is necessary for the adjuvant activity of GLA-SE in the absence of CpG

Transition Between Ground State and Metastable States in Classical 2D Atoms

Structural and static properties of a classical two-dimensional (2D) system consisting of a finite number of charged particles which are laterally confined by a parabolic potential are investigated by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and the Newton optimization technique. This system is the classical analog of the well-known quantum dot problem. The energies and configurations of the ground and all metastable states are obtained. In order to investigate the barriers and the transitions between the ground and all metastable states we first locate the saddle points between them, then by walking downhill from the saddle point to the different minima, we find the path in configurational space from the ground state to the metastable states, from which the geometric properties of the energy landscape are obtained. The sensitivity of the ground-state configuration on the functional form of the inter-particle interaction and on the confinement potential is also investigated

Controls on gut phosphatisation : the trilobites from the Weeks Formation Lagerstätte (Cambrian; Utah)

Despite being internal organs, digestive structures are frequently preserved in Cambrian Lagerstätten. However, the reasons for their fossilisation and their biological implications remain to be thoroughly explored. This is particularly true with arthropods--typically the most diverse fossilised organisms in Cambrian ecosystems--where digestive structures represent an as-yet underexploited alternative to appendage morphology for inferences on their biology. Here we describe the phosphatised digestive structures of three trilobite species from the Cambrian Weeks Formation Lagerstätte (Utah). Their exquisite, three-dimensional preservation reveals unique details on trilobite internal anatomy, such as the position of the mouth and the absence of a differentiated crop. In addition, the presence of paired pygidial organs of an unknown function is reported for the first time. This exceptional material enables exploration of the relationships between gut phosphatisation and the biology of organisms. Indeed, soft-tissue preservation is unusual in these fossils as it is restricted to the digestive structures, which indicates that the gut played a central role in its own phosphatisation. We hypothesize that the gut provided a microenvironment where special conditions could develop and harboured a source of phosphorus. The fact that gut phosphatization has almost exclusively been observed in arthropods could be explained by their uncommon ability to store ions (including phosphorous) in their digestive tissues. However, in some specimens from the Weeks Formation, the phosphatisation extends to the entire digestive system, suggesting that trilobites might have had some biological particularities not observed in modern arthropods. We speculate that one of them might have been an increased capacity for ion storage in the gut tissues, related to the moulting of their heavily-mineralised carapace

A Review of Graphite and Gold Surface Studies for Use as Substrates in Biological Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies

The current status of biological Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) investigations and the importance of using a well-characterized substrate are discussed. The findings of over two years of experiments and over 1,000 images obtained on gold substrates prepared by a variety of different methods are statistically summarized and compared to a very flat reference substrate, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). In an effort to begin to corroborate STM results with those obtained from other more established techniques, the results of Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) of biomolecular STM samples are presented

Activation of Hsp90 Enzymatic Activity and Conformational Dynamics through Rationally Designed Allosteric Ligands

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone of pivotal importance for multiple cell pathways. ATP-regulated internal dynamics are critical for its function and current pharmacological approaches block the chaperone with ATP-competitive inhibitors. Herein, a general approach to perturb Hsp90 through design of new allosteric ligands aimed at modulating its functional dynamics is proposed. Based on the characterization of a first set of 2-phenylbenzofurans showing stimulatory effects on Hsp90 ATPase and conformational dynamics, new ligands were developed that activate Hsp90 by targeting an allosteric site, located 65 æ from the active site. Specifically, analysis of protein responses to first-generation activators was exploited to guide the design of novel derivatives with improved ability to stimulate ATP hydrolysis. The molecules’ effects on Hsp90 enzymatic, conformational, cochaperone and client-binding properties were characterized through biochemical, biophysical and cellular approaches. These designed probes act as allosteric activators of the chaperone and affect the viability of cancer cell lines for which proper functioning of Hsp90 is necessary

Electron Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of DNA Adsorption on Mica

Various methods for the deposition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules on mica are investigated to determine their reproducibility, and to quantify their ability to bind DNA. The use of these deposition methods for sample preparation for biological scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies is discussed. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) were used to investigate the quantity of DNA adsorbed. AFM images of DNA deposited using the methods investigated are presented. The combination of AFM results with AES and ESCA results provides a basic understanding of the deposition techniques studied and illustrates that electron spectroscopy can be a useful addition to studies of this nature