A miniature X-ray diffraction setup on ID20 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

We describe an ultra-compact setup for in situ X-ray diffraction on the inelastic X-ray scattering beamline ID20 at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The main motivation for the design and construction of this setup is the increasing demand for on-the-fly sample characterization, as well as ease of navigation through a sample's phase diagram, for example subjected to high-pressure and/or high-temperature conditions. We provide technical details and demonstrate the performance of the setup.

Prolonged dysbiosis and altered immunity under nutritional intervention in a physiological mouse model of severe acute malnutrition.

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a multifactorial disease affecting millions of children worldwide. It is associated with changes in intestinal physiology, microbiota, and mucosal immunity, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary studies to unravel its full pathogenesis. We established an experimental model in which weanling mice fed a high-deficiency diet mimic key anthropometric and physiological features of SAM in children.

Peyer's patch phagocytes acquire specific transcriptional programs that influence their maturation and activation profiles.

Peyer's patches (PPs) are secondary lymphoid organs in contact with the external environment via the intestinal lumen, thus combining antigen sampling and immune response initiation sites. Therefore, they provide a unique opportunity to study the entire process of phagocyte differentiation and activation in vivo. Here, we deciphered the transcriptional and spatial landscape of PP phagocyte populations from their emergence in the tissue to their final maturation state at homeostasis and under stimulation.

A compact von Hámos spectrometer for parallel X-ray Raman scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy at ID20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

A compact spectrometer for medium-resolution resonant and non-resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy in von Hámos geometry is described. The main motivation for the design and construction of the spectrometer is to allow for acquisition of non-resonant X-ray emission spectra while measuring non-resonant X-ray Raman scattering spectra at beamline ID20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Technical details are provided and the performance and possible use of the spectrometer are demonstrated by presenting results of several X-ray spectroscopic methods on various compounds.

Abscisic acid modulates neighbor proximity-induced leaf hyponasty in Arabidopsis.

Leaves of shade-avoiding plants such as Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) change their growth pattern and position in response to low red to far-red ratios (LRFRs) encountered in dense plant communities. Under LRFR, transcription factors of the phytochrome-interacting factor (PIF) family are derepressed. PIFs induce auxin production, which is required for promoting leaf hyponasty, thereby favoring access to unfiltered sunlight.

Identification and Characterization of a Potential Antibiotic Producing Strain of .

Antibiotic resistance continues to be a significant public health challenge. Soil bacteria represent a potential source of yet to be discovered antimicrobials. The screening of Iowa (United States) soils yielded the identification of a strain of (MMB-1), which displayed an antimicrobial-producing phenotype against a bacterium () representative of Gram-positive bacteria.

Integrated bioelectronic proton-gated logic elements utilizing nanoscale patterned Nafion.

A central endeavour in bioelectronics is the development of logic elements to transduce and process ionic to electronic signals. Motivated by this challenge, we report fully monolithic, nanoscale logic elements featuring n- and p-type nanowires as electronic channels that are proton-gated by electron-beam patterned Nafion. We demonstrate inverter circuits with state-of-the-art ion-to-electron transduction performance giving DC gain exceeding 5 and frequency response up to 2 kHz.

Production of Murine Macrophages from Hoxb8-Immortalized Myeloblasts: Utility and Use in the Context of Salmonella Infection.

Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative intracellular pathogen that causes a range of life-threatening diseases in humans and animals worldwide. In a systemic infection, the ability of Salmonella to survive/replicate in macrophages, particularly in the liver and spleen, is crucial for virulence. Transformed macrophage cell lines and primary macrophages prepared from mouse bone marrow are commonly used models for the study of Salmonella infection.

Regulation of kinesin-1 activity by the effectors PipB2 and SifA.

is an intracellular bacterial pathogen. The formation of its replication niche, which is composed of a vacuole associated with a network of membrane tubules, depends on the secretion of a set of bacterial effector proteins whose activities deeply modify the functions of the eukaryotic host cell. By recruiting and regulating the activity of the kinesin-1 molecular motor, effectors PipB2 and SifA play an essential role in the formation of the bacterial compartments.

Differentiation Paths of Peyer's Patch LysoDCs Are Linked to Sampling Site Positioning, Migration, and T Cell Priming.

The monocyte-derived phagocytes termed LysoDCs are hallmarks of Peyer's patches, where their main function is to sample intestinal microorganisms. Here, we study their differentiation pathways in relation with their sampling, migratory, and T cell-priming abilities. Among four identified LysoDC differentiation stages displaying similar phagocytic activity, one is located in follicles, and the others reside in subepithelial domes (SED), where they proliferate and mature as they get closer to the epithelium.

Predicted Cold Shock Proteins from the Extremophilic Bacterium and Related Species.

While many studies have examined the mechanisms by which extremophilic Deinococci survive exposure to ionizing radiation, very few publications have characterized the cold shock adaptations of this group, despite many species being found in persistent cold environments and environments prone to significant daily temperature fluctuations. Bacterial cold shock proteins (Csps) are a family of conserved, RNA chaperone proteins that commonly play a role in cold temperature adaptation, including a downward shift in temperature (i.e.

Engineering the Size Distributions of Ordered GaAs Nanowires on Silicon.

Reproducible integration of III-V semiconductors on silicon can open new path toward CMOS compatible optoelectronics and novel design schemes in next generation solar cells. Ordered arrays of nanowires could accomplish this task, provided they are obtained in high yield and uniformity. In this work, we provide understanding on the physical factors affecting size uniformity in ordered GaAs arrays grown on silicon.

A large-solid-angle X-ray Raman scattering spectrometer at ID20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

An end-station for X-ray Raman scattering spectroscopy at beamline ID20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is described. This end-station is dedicated to the study of shallow core electronic excitations using non-resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. The spectrometer has 72 spherically bent analyzer crystals arranged in six modular groups of 12 analyzer crystals each for a combined maximum flexibility and large solid angle of detection.

Delayed hypersensitivity reaction after cervical disc replacement: a case report.

We report a case of allergic reaction after total cervical disc arthroplasty. A 52-year old woman was operated on for right C6 cervicobrachial neuralgia secondary to C5-C6 disc disease with foraminal stenosis. A cobalt-chromium-molybdenum total disc prosthesis had been implanted two years earlier.

Identification and Characterization of a Putative Chemotaxis Protein, CheY, from the Oral Pathogen .

is an understudied oral bacterium that contributes to periodontitis. Processes that contribute to the disease-causing capabilities of pathogens, such as chemotaxis, are largely unknown in . The aim of this study was to better understand chemotaxis, by examining the genome for the presence of a gene.

Identification and Characterization of an Invasion Antigen B Gene from the Oral Pathogen Campylobacter rectus.

The oral bacterium, Campylobacter rectus, is an etiological agent of periodontitis. The virulence genes of C. rectus are largely unknown.

A Preliminary Investigation of Fecal Indicator Bacteria, Human Pathogens, and Source Tracking Markers in Beach Water and Sand.

Data suggesting that fecal indicating bacteria may persist and/or regrow in sand has raised concerns that fecal indicators may become uncoupled from sources of human fecal pollution. To investigate this possibility, wet and dry beach sand, beach water, riverine water, canal water, and raw sewage samples were screened by PCR for certain pathogenic microbes and molecular markers of human fecal pollution. The targets included in this study were human specific (HF8 marker), human-specific enterococci (esp gene), , 0157:H7, , and adenovirus.

Identification of novel genes in the oral pathogen Campylobacter rectus.

Introduction: A poorly described bacterium, Campylobacter rectus, has been implicated as an etiological agent of periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to use a comparative genomics approach to identify genes that contribute to the lifestyle of C. rectus as an oral pathogen.

Electrochemical detection of harmful algae and other microbial contaminants in coastal waters using hand-held biosensors.

Standard methods to identify microbial contaminants in the environment are slow, laborious, and can require specialized expertise. This study investigated electrochemical detection of microbial contaminants using commercially available, hand-held instruments. Electrochemical assays were developed for a red tide dinoflagellate (Karenia brevis), fecal-indicating bacteria (Enterococcus spp.

An electrochemical RNA hybridization assay for detection of the fecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli.

Monitoring waters for indicator bacteria is required to protect the public from exposure to fecal pollution. Our proof-of-concept study describes a method for detecting fecal coliforms. The coliform Escherichia coli was used as a model fecal indicator.

A real-time multiplexed PCR assay for rapid detection and differentiation of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli.

Campylobacter species are the leading agents of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. C. jejuni and C.

Mitochondrial-type iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis genes (IscS and IscU) in the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum.

Several reports have indicated that the iron-sulfur cluster [Fe-S] assembly machinery in most eukaryotes is confined to the mitochondria and chloroplasts. The best-characterized and most highly conserved [Fe-S] assembly proteins are a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent cysteine desulfurase (IscS), and IscU, a protein functioning as a scaffold for the assembly of [Fe-S] prior to their incorporation into apoproteins. In this work, genes encoding IscS and IscU homologues have been isolated and characterized from the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, an opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients, for which no effective treatment is available.

Cryptosporidium parvum: the first protist known to encode a putative polyketide synthase.

We are reporting a putative multifunctional Type I polyketide synthase (PKS) gene from the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum (CpPKS1). The 40 kb intronless open reading frame (ORF) predicts a single polypeptide of 13,414 amino acids with a molecular mass of 1516.5 kDa.

Characterisation of a novel transporter from Cryptosporidium parvum.

P-ATPases are transmembrane proteins that hydrolyse ATP to drive cations or other substances across biomembranes. In this study we present the characterisation of a novel P-ATPase from the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum (CpATPase3), an opportunistic pathogen in autoimmune deficiency syndrome patients, for which no treatment is available. The single copy gene encodes 1488 amino acids, predicting a protein of 169.