Ultraviolet disinfection of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae in water

BackgroundSchistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that is transmitted by skin contact with waterborne schistosome cercariae. Mass drug administration with praziquantel is an effective control method, but it cannot prevent reinfection if contact with cercariae infested water continues. Providing safe water for contact activities such as laundry and bathing can help to reduce transmission. In this study we examine the direct effect of UV light on Schistosoma mansoni cercariae using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV LEDs) and a low-pressure (LP) mercury arc discharge lamp.MethodologyS. mansoni cercariae were exposed to UV light at four peak wavelengths: 255 nm, 265 nm, 285 nm (UV LEDs), and 253.7 nm (LP lamp) using bench scale collimated beam apparatus. The UV fluence ranged from 0–300 mJ/cm² at each wavelength. Cercariae were studied under a stereo-microscope at 0, 60, and 180 minutes post-exposure and the viability of cercariae was determined by assessing their motility and morphology.ConclusionVery high UV fluences were required to kill S. mansoni cercariae, when compared to most other waterborne pathogens. At 265 nm a fluence of 247 mJ/cm² (95% confidence interval (CI): 234–261 mJ/cm²) was required to achieve a 1-log₁₀ reduction at 0 minutes post-exposure. Cercariae were visibly damaged at lower fluences, and the log reduction increased with time post-exposure at all wavelengths. Fluences of 127 mJ/cm² (95% CI: 111–146 mJ/cm²) and 99 mJ/cm² (95% CI: 85–113 mJ/cm²) were required to achieve a 1-log₁₀ reduction at 60 and 180 minutes post-exposure at 265 nm. At 0 minutes post-exposure 285 nm was slightly less effective, but there was no statistical difference between 265 nm and 285 nm after 60 minutes. The least effective wavelengths were 255 nm and 253.7 nm. Due to the high fluences required, UV disinfection is unlikely to be an energy- or cost-efficient water treatment method against schistosome cercariae when compared to other methods such as chlorination, unless it can be demonstrated that UV-damaged cercariae are non-infective using alternative assay methods or there are improvements in UV LED technology.     

Satellite remote sensing of grasslands: from observation to management

Aims Grasslands are the world's most extensive terrestrial ecosystem, and are a major feed source for livestock. Meeting increasing demand for meat and other dairy products in a sustainable manner is a big challenge. At a field scale, Global Positioning System and ground-based sensor technologies provide promising tools for grassland and herd management with high precision. With the growth in availability of spaceborne remote sensing data, it is therefore important to revisit the relevant methods and applications that can exploit this imagery. In this article, we have reviewed the (i) current status of grassland monitoring/observation methods and applications based on satellite remote sensing data, (ii) the technological and methodological developments to retrieve different grassland biophysical parameters and management characteristics (i.e. degradation, grazing intensity) and (iii) identified the key remaining challenges and some new upcoming trends for future development.Important findings The retrieval of grassland biophysical parameters have evolved in recent years from classical regression analysis to more complex, efficient and robust modeling approaches, driven by satellite data, and are likely to continue to be the most robust method for deriving grassland information, however these require more high quality calibration and validation data. We found that the hypertemporal satellite data are widely used for time series generation, and particularly to overcome cloud contamination issues, but the current low spatial resolution of these instruments precludes their use for field-scale application in many countries. This trend may change with the current rise in launch of satellite constellations, such as RapidEye, Sentinel-2 and even the microsatellites such as those operated by Skybox Imaging. Microwave imagery has not been widely used for grassland applications, and a better understanding of the backscatter behaviour from different phenological stages is needed for more reliable products in cloudy regions. The development of hyperspectral satellite instrumentation and analytical methods will help for more detailed discrimination of habitat types, and the development of tools for greater end-user operation.     

Effect of antimicrobial peptides from Australian tree frogs on anionic phospholipid membranes

Skin secretions of numerous Australian tree frogs contain antimicrobial peptides that form part of the host defense mechanism against bacterial infection. The mode of action of these antibiotics is thought to be lysis of infectious organisms via cell membrane disruption, on the basis of vesicle-encapsulated dye leakage data [Ambroggio et al. (2005) Biophys. J. 89, 1874-1881]. A detailed understanding of the interaction of these peptides with bacterial membranes at a molecular level, however, is critical to their development as novel antibacterial therapeutics. We focus on four of these peptides, aurein 1.2, citropin 1.1, maculatin 1.1, and caerin 1.1, which exist as random coil in aqueous solution but have alpha-helical secondary structure in membrane mimetic environments. In our earlier solid-state NMR studies, only neutral bilayers of the zwitterionic phospholipid dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) were used. Deuterated DMPC ( d 54-DMPC) was used to probe the effect of the peptides on the order of the lipid acyl chains and dynamics of the phospholipid headgroups by deuterium and (31)P NMR, respectively. In this report we demonstrate several important differences when anionic phospholipid is included in model membranes. Peptide-membrane interactions were characterized using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Changes in phospholipid motions and membrane binding information provided additional insight into the action of these antimicrobial peptides. While this set of peptides has significant C- and N-terminal sequence homology, they vary in their mode of membrane interaction. The longer peptides caerin and maculatin exhibited properties that were consistent with transmembrane insertion while citropin and aurein demonstrated membrane disruptive mechanisms. Moreover, aurein was unique with greater perturbation of neutral versus anionic membranes. The results are consistent with a surface interaction for aurein 1.2 and pore formation rather than membrane lysis by the longer peptides.     

Biogenic Trace Amine-Associated Receptors (TAARS) are encoded in avian genomes: evidence and possible implications

Recent studies of mammals and fish indicate that most trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) may be involved in the detection of volatile biogenic compounds. It has therefore been suggested that this new class of "olfactory" receptors could be highly relevant for social communication and individual recognition. To determine if TAAR orthologues are encoded in avian genomes, we initiated BLAST searches of the Gallus gallus genome and public avian expressed sequence tags databases and performed associated phylogenetic analyses of the TAAR homologues identified. Our results suggest that a minimum of 3 TAAR paralogues are encoded in the G. gallus genome and that these are putative orthologues of the human/mouse genes TAAR1, TAAR2, and TAAR5. It is noteworthy that TAAR5 is activated by compounds that have been found in avian feces. We tentatively suggest that avian TAARs may compensate for the lack of an avian equivalent of the mammalian vomeronasal system and therefore may be important mediators of socially important avian chemical cues.     

Structural consequences of nucleophosmin mutations in acute myeloid leukemia

Mutations affecting NPM1 (nucleophosmin) are the most common genetic lesions found in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). NPM1 is one of the most abundant proteins found in the nucleolus and has links to the MDM2/p53 tumor suppressor pathway. A distinctive feature of NPM1 mutants in AML is their aberrant localization to the cytoplasm of leukemic cells. This mutant phenotype is the result of the substitution of several C-terminal residues, including one or two conserved tryptophan residues, with a leucine-rich nuclear export signal. The exact molecular mechanism underlying the loss of nucleolar retention, and the role of the tryptophans, remains unknown. In this study we have determined the structure of an independently folded globular domain in the C terminus of NPM1 using NMR spectroscopy, and we report that the conserved tryptophans are critical for structure. This domain is necessary for the nucleolar targeting of NPM1 and is disrupted by mutations in AML with cytoplasmic NPM1. Furthermore, we identify conserved surface-exposed lysine residues that are functionally rather than structurally important for nucleolar localization. This study provides new focus for efforts to understand the pathogenesis of AML with cytoplasmic NPM1 and may be used to aid the design of small molecules that target the C-terminal domain of NPM1 to act as novel anti-proliferative and anti-leukemia therapeutics.     

The effect of axial load on the sagittal plane curvature of the upright human spine in vivo

Determining the effect of load carriage on the human spine in vivo is important for determining spinal forces and establishing potential mechanisms of back injury. Previous studies have suggested that the natural curvature of the spine straightens under load, but are based on modelling and external measurements from the surface of the back. In the current study, an upright positional MRI scanner was used to acquire sagittal images of the lumbar and lower thoracic spine of 24 subjects. The subjects were imaged in standing whilst supporting 0, 8 and 16kg of load which was applied axially across the shoulders using an apron. An active shape model of the vertebral bodies from T10 to S1 was created and used to characterise the effect of load. The results from the shape model showed that the behaviour of the average-shaped spine was to straighten slightly. However, the shape model also showed that the effect of load exhibited systematic variation between individuals. Those who had a smaller than average curvature before loading straightened under load, whereas those who had a greater than average curvature before loading showed an increase in curvature under load. The variation in behaviour of differently shaped spines may have further implications for the effects of load in lifting manoeuvres and in understanding the aetiology of back pain.     

Developmentally regulated expression of hemoglobin subunits in avascular tissues

We investigated the spatio-temporal profile of hemoglobin subunit expression in developing avascular tissues. Significant up-regulation of hemoglobin subunits was identified in microarray experiments comparing blastocyst inner cell masses with undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells. Hemoglobin expression changes were confirmed using embryoid bodies (derived from in vitro differentiation of ES cells) to model very early development at pre-vascular stages of embryogenesis; i.e. prior to hematopoiesis. We also demonstrate, using RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, expression of adult and fetal mouse hemoglobin subunits in the avascular ocular lens at various stages of development and maturation. Hemoglobin proteins were expressed in lens epithelial cells (cytoplasmic) and cortical lens fiber cells (nuclear and cell-surface-associated); however, a sensitive heme assay demonstrated negligible levels of heme in the developing lens postnatally. Hemoglobin expression was also observed in the developing eye in corneal endothelium and retinal ganglion cells. Gut sections showed, in addition to erythrocytes, hemoglobin protein staining in rare, individual villus epithelial cells. These results suggest a paradigm shift: hemoglobin subunits are expressed in the avascular lens and cornea and in pre-hematopoietic embryos. It is likely, therefore, that hemoglobin subunits have novel developmental roles; the absence of the heme group from the lens would indicate that at least some of these functions may be independent of oxygen metabolism. The pattern of expression of hemoglobin subunits in the perinuclear region during lens fiber cell differentiation, when denucleation is taking place, may indicate involvement in the apoptosis-like signaling processes occurring in differentiating lens fiber cells.