Brownian versus Newtonian devitrification of hard-sphere glasses.

In a recent molecular dynamics simulation work it has been shown that glasses composed of hard spheres crystallize via cooperative, stochastic particle displacements called avalanches [E. Sanz et al., Proc.

Particle sizing by dynamic light scattering: non-linear cumulant analysis.

We revisit the method of cumulants for analysing dynamic light scattering data in particle sizing applications. Here the data, in the form of the time correlation function of scattered light, is written as a series involving the first few cumulants (or moments) of the distribution of particle diffusion constants. Frisken (2001 Appl.

Avalanches mediate crystallization in a hard-sphere glass.

By molecular-dynamics simulations, we have studied the devitrification (or crystallization) of aged hard-sphere glasses. First, we find that the dynamics of the particles are intermittent: Quiescent periods, when the particles simply "rattle" in their nearest-neighbor cages, are interrupted by abrupt "avalanches," where a subset of particles undergo large rearrangements. Second, we find that crystallization is associated with these avalanches but that the connection is not straightforward.

Small-molecule inhibitors suppress the expression of both type III secretion and amylovoran biosynthesis genes in Erwinia amylovora.

The type III secretion system (T3SS) and exopolysaccharide (EPS) amylovoran are two essential pathogenicity factors in Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the serious bacterial disease fire blight. In this study, small molecules that inhibit T3SS gene expression in E. amylovora under hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity)-inducing conditions were identified and characterized using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter.

AmyR is a novel negative regulator of amylovoran production in Erwinia amylovora.

In this study, we attempted to understand the role of an orphan gene amyR in Erwinia amylovora, a functionally conserved ortholog of ybjN in Escherichia coli, which has recently been characterized. Amylovoran, a high molecular weight acidic heteropolymer exopolysaccharide, is a virulent factor of E. amylovora.

Controlled release of Pantoea agglomerans E325 for biocontrol of fire blight disease of apple.

Microencapsulation and controlled release of the biocontrol agent Pantoea agglomerans strain E325 (E325), an antagonist to the bacterial plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora that causes fire blight, a devastating disease of apple and pear, have been investigated. Uniform core-shell alginate microcapsules (AMCs), 60-300 μm in diameter, were fabricated to encapsulate E325 within the core, along with nutrients, to preserve viability and promote proliferation. Controlled release of E325 was achieved by separately adjusting alginate concentrations in the shell and core solutions, and by modifying the AMC size.

Crystallization mechanism of hard sphere glasses.

In supercooled liquids, vitrification generally suppresses crystallization. Yet some glasses can still crystallize despite the arrest of diffusive motion. This ill-understood process may limit the stability of glasses, but its microscopic mechanism is not yet known.

Antibiosis activity of Pantoea agglomerans biocontrol strain E325 against Erwinia amylovora on apple flower stigmas.

Pantoea agglomerans E325, the active ingredient in a commercial product for fire blight control, was previously shown in vitro to produce a unique alkaline- and phosphate-sensitive antibiotic specific to Erwinia amylovora. Antibiosis was evaluated as a mode of antagonism on flower stigmas using two antibiosis-deficient mutants. On King's medium B, mutants E325ad1 and E325ad2 have stable smooth-butyrous or hypermucoid colony morphologies, respectively, and the parental strain E325 exhibits phenotypic plasticity with predominantly hypermucoid colonies accompanied by slower-growing, smooth-butyrous colonies.

Crystallization and aging in hard-sphere glasses.

We report new results from our programme of molecular dynamics simulation of hard-sphere systems, focusing on crystallization and glass formation at high concentrations. First we consider a much larger system than hitherto, N = 86 400 equal-sized particles. The results are similar to those obtained with a smaller system, studied previously, showing conventional nucleation and growth of crystals at concentrations near melting and crossing over to a spinodal-like regime at higher concentrations where the free energy barrier to nucleation appears to be negligible.

Characterization of the RcsC sensor kinase from Erwinia amylovora and other Enterobacteria.

RcsC is a hybrid sensor kinase which contains a sensor domain, a histidine kinase domain, and a receiver domain. We have previously demonstrated that, although the Erwinia amylovora rcsC mutant produces more amylovoran than the wild-type (WT) strain in vitro, the mutant remains nonpathogenic on both immature pear fruit and apple plants. In this study, we have comparatively characterized the Erwinia RcsC and its homologs from various enterobacteria.

Differential dynamic microscopy of bacterial motility.

We demonstrate a method for the fast, high-throughput characterization of the dynamics of active particles. Specifically, we measure the swimming speed distribution and motile cell fraction in Escherichia coli suspensions. By averaging over ∼10(4) cells, our method is highly accurate compared to conventional tracking, yielding a routine tool for motility characterization.

Hard spheres: crystallization and glass formation.

Motivated by old experiments on colloidal suspensions, we report molecular dynamics simulations of assemblies of hard spheres, addressing crystallization and glass formation. The simulations cover wide ranges of polydispersity s (standard deviation of the particle size distribution divided by its mean) and particle concentration. No crystallization is observed for s>0.

Crystallization of hard-sphere glasses.

We study by molecular dynamics the interplay between arrest and crystallization in hard spheres. For state points in the plane of volume fraction (0.54 View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epiphytic bacteria and yeasts on apple blossoms and their potential as antagonists of Erwinia amylovora.

Apple blossoms were sampled for indigenous epiphytic populations of culturable microorganisms during different stages of bloom at two locations in central Washington State and one site in Corvallis, OR. Frequencies and population sizes of bacteria on stigmas of apple were lower in Washington than at Corvallis, where average relative humidity was higher and possibly favored greater colonization; however, bacteria at Corvallis were mainly pseudomonads, whereas those in Washington were diverse, composed of several genera. In Washington, yeast as well as bacteria were isolated from both stigmatic and hypanthial surfaces.

Dynamics of a colloid-stabilized cream.

We use x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to investigate the dynamics of a high-volume-fraction emulsion creaming under gravity. The dodecane-in-water emulsion has interfaces stabilized solely by colloidal particles (silica). The samples were observed soon after mixing: as the emulsion becomes compact we discern two regimes of aging with a crossover between them.

Crab apple blossoms as a model for research on biological control of fire blight.

ABSTRACT Nonseasonal availability of pomaceous flowers could improve laboratory detection and prefield testing of biocontrol agents for fire blight of pear and apple. Crab apple was selected as a model because of its high flower productivity on 1-year-old wood, high susceptibility to fire blight, and availability from nurseries. Cultivars Manchurian and Snowdrift were manipulated to bloom once by transferring dormant nursery trees from a cold room to a greenhouse and a second time by defoliating trees and applying 1% cytokinin and 0.

Effect of nectar on microbial antagonists evaluated for use in control of fire blight of pome fruits.

ABSTRACT Under warm, dry conditions, Erwinia amylovora can become established in relatively high populations on apple (Malus domestica) or pear (Pyrus communis) flower stigmas, and subsequent wet conditions facilitate its movement to the flower hypanthium where infection generally is initiated through the nectarthodes. Research on biological control of fire blight has focused mainly on the flower stigma, and knowledge is lacking regarding the effect of nectar on microbial antagonists in the flower hypanthium. The biocontrol agents Pseudomonas fluorescens strain A506 and Pantoea agglomerans strain C9-1 were cultured in a basal liquid medium with various concentrations (0 to 50% total sugar) of sucrose or synthetic nectar (sucrose/glucose/fructose, 2:1:1).

Interactions Between Chill-Hours and Degree-Days Affect Carpogenic Germination in Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi.

ABSTRACT The relationship of cumulative chill-hours (hours with a mean temperature <7.2 degrees C) and heating degree-days (base 7.2 degrees C) to carpogenic germination of pseudosclerotia of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi, which causes mummy berry disease of blueberry, was investigated.

Evaluation of Likelihood of Co-Occurrence of Erwinia amylovora with Mature Fruit of Winter Pear.

ABSTRACT Phytosanitary concerns about fire blight prohibit export of U.S.-grown pears to some countries without this disease.

Antibiosis and acidification by Pantoea agglomerans strain E325 may contribute to suppression of Erwinia amylovora.

Pantoea agglomerans strain E325, a commercially available antagonist for fire blight of apple and pear, was originally selected through screening based on suppression of Erwinia amylovora on flower stigmas, but specific mechanisms of antagonism were unknown. Bacterial modification of pH was evaluated as a possible mechanism by analyzing stigma exudates extracted from 'Gala' apple stigmas. The pH values for field samples were only slightly lower than controls, but indicated a range (pH 5 to 6) conducive for antibiotic activity according to subsequent assays.

The Role of Water in Epiphytic Colonization and Infection of Pomaceous Flowers by Erwinia amylovora.

ABSTRACT Detached crab apple flowers were used as an experimental model to investigate the effect of relative humidity (RH), free moisture, and water potential Psi(w) on the interaction between Erwinia amylovora and pomaceous flowers. Flowers were maintained at 24 degrees C with the cut pedicel submerged in a sucrose solution. The bacterium multiplied on inoculated flower stigmas at between approximately 55 and 100% RH but not in the floral cup (hypanthium) until the RH was higher than 80%.

Temperature and Pomaceous Flower Age Related to Colonization by Erwinia amylovora and Antagonists.

ABSTRACT Fire blight of apple and pear is initiated by epiphytic populations of Erwinia amylovora on flower stigmas. Predicting this disease and managing it with microbial antagonists depends on an understanding of bacterial colonization on stigmas. Detached 'Manchurian' crab apple flowers were inoculated with E.

Spinodal decomposition in a model colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity.

We study phase separation in a deeply quenched colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity on the International Space Station using small-angle light scattering and direct imaging. We observe a clear crossover from early-stage spinodal decomposition to late-stage, interfacial-tension-driven coarsening. Data acquired over 5 orders of magnitude in time show more than 3 orders of magnitude increase in domain size, following nearly the same evolution as that in binary liquid mixtures.

Relation of Apple Flower Age to Infection of Hypanthium by Erwinia amylovora.

Blossom age as related to hypanthial susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora is not well established, but is relevant to disease risk assessment. To test this, detached crab apple blossoms were maintained for various periods and at different temperatures before applying inoculum to hypanthia. Inoculum potential on hypanthia due to wetting was evaluated by subjecting detached stigma-inoculated blossoms (~10 CFU per flower) to varying amounts and durations of simulated rain (or dew) at 14°C.