Sodium Accumulation in Infected Cells and Ion Transporters Mistargeting in Nodules of : Two Ugly Items That Hinder Coping with Salt Stress Effects.

The maintenance of intracellular nitrogen-fixing bacteria causes changes in proteins' location and in gene expression that may be detrimental to the host cell fitness. We hypothesized that the nodule's high vulnerability toward salt stress might be due to alterations in mechanisms involved in the exclusion of Na from the host cytoplasm. Confocal and electron microscopy immunolocalization analyses of Na/K exchangers in the root nodule showed the plasma membrane (MtNHX7) and endosome/tonoplast (MtNHX6) signal in non-infected cells; however, in mature infected cells the proteins were depleted from their target membranes and expelled to vacuoles.

Synthesis, structure and properties of layered PrMoO-based oxymolybdates doped with Mg.

Undoped and Mg-doped PrMoO oxymolybdate polycrystals and single crystals have been prepared by solid-state reactions and flux growth. The compounds have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, scanning transmission electron microscopy, single crystal X-ray structure analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. The (MgO)(PrO)(MoO) (x + y + z = 1) solid solution series has been shown to extend to x = 0.

Electroconductive PEDOT:PSS-based hydrogel prepared by freezing-thawing method.

Biopolymer-based composition with adding of conductive polymer poly-(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT PSS) was made by mixing of iota-carrageenan (CRG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PEDOT PSS followed by freezing/thawing cycles. The method is environmentally friendly and based on the formation of polymer matrix upon of mixing CRG, PVA and PEDOT PSS and formation of porous physical gel due to freezing/thawing cycles. It is necessary to mention that all components are well-known as biocompatible materials.

Synthesis of a Bulk TiSiC MAX Phase by Reduction of TiO with SiC.

The bulk MAX phase TiSiC was first synthesized with a yield of 86% by a long-time thermal treatment of TiO and SiC powder mixture with a molar ratio of 2:3 at 1600 °C under vacuum conditions. It was found that the appearance of TiSiC was preceded by the formation of TiC and TiSiC as a result of the following reactions: (1) combined carbothermic and silicothermic reduction of TiO to TiC accompanied by evolution of SiO and CO gases; (2) silicidation of TiC with gaseous SiO, leading to the growth of TiSiC. It was suggested that, apart from TiC and TiSiC solids, sublimed gaseous species such as Ti, Si, SiC, SiC, etc.