The effect of GAC filtration on bacterial regrowth and nitrification in a simulated water main

A 16-month pilot study in two similar 1200 m water mains was conducted to determine the effects of granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration on drinking water quality in a distribution system. The results demonstrated that despite the higher initial disinfectant residue, the increase in bacteria in the conventionally treated and postozonated water was higher than in the water additionally treated with GAC filtration and u.v.-disinfection. Accordingly, a significant decline in assimilable organic carbon in the postozonated water was observed throughout the main, whereas in the GAC-filtered water this decline was shifted to the GAC filters. In the GAC-filtered water the conversion of ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate was more intense than in postozonated water. The findings confirm that GAC filtration increases the biological stability of drinking water even when treating cold humic waters in which biodegradation is generally limited by phosphorus. However, it appears that biological treatment favours the slow kinetics of nitrifying bacteria, thus allowing nitrification to occur even under cold water conditions in a distribution system.     

Differential expression of two related,low-temperature-induced genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh

Plant cold acclimation is correlated to expression of low-temperature-induced (lti) genes. By using a previously characterized lti cDNA clone as a probe we isolated a genomic fragment that carried two closely located lti genes of Arabidopsis thaliana. The genes were structurally related with the coding regions interrupted by three similarly located short introns and were transcribed in the same direction. The nucleotide sequences of the two genes, lti78 and lti65, predict novel hydrophilic polypeptides with molecular weights of 77856 and 64510, respectively, lti78 corresponding to the cDNA probe. Of the 710 amino acids of LTI78 and 600 amino acids of LTI65, 346 amino acids were identical between the polypeptides, which suggests that the genes may have a common origin.Both lti78 and lti65 were induced by low temperature, exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and drought, but the responsiveness of the genes to these stimuli was markedly different. Both the levels and the temporal pattern of expression differed between the genes. Expression of lti78 was mainly responsive to low temperature, that of lti65 to drought and ABA. In contrast to the induction of lti78, which follows separate signal pathways during low-temperature, ABA and drought treatment, the drought induction of lti65 is ABA-dependent and the low-temperature induction appears to be coupled to the ABA biosynthetic pathway. This differential expression of two related genes may indicate that they have some-what different roles in the stress response.     

Specific interactions between Dicer-like proteins and HYL1/DRB- family dsRNA-binding proteins in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

Proteins that specifically bind double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) are involved in the regulation of cellular signaling events and gene expression, and are characterized by a conserved dsRNA-binding motif (dsRBM). Here we report the biochemical properties of nine such gene products, each containing one or two dsRBMs: four ArabidopsisDicer-like proteins (DCL1-4), ArabidopsisHYL1 and four of its homologs (DRB2, DRB4, DRB5 and OsDRB1). DCL1, DCL3, HYL1 and the four HYL1 homologs exhibit significant dsRNA-binding activity, indicating that these proteins are involved in RNA metabolism. The dsRBMs from dsRBM-containing proteins (dsRBPs) also function as a protein–protein interaction domain and homo- and heterodimerization are essential for biological functioning of these proteins. We show that DRB4 interacts specifically with DCL4, and HYL1 most strongly interacts with DCL1. These results indicate that each HYL1/DRB family protein interacts with one specific partner among the four Dicer-like proteins. Localization studies using GFP fusion proteins demonstrate that DCL1, DCL4, HYL1 and DRB4 localize in the nucleus, while DRB2 is present in the cytoplasm. Subcellular localizations of HYL1, DRB4, DCL1 and DCL4 further strengthen the notion that HYL1 and DCL1, and DRB4 and DCL4, exist as complexes. The presented data suggest that each member of the HYL1/DRB protein family may individually modulate Dicer function through heterodimerization with a Dicer-like protein in vivo.     

Basic haematological values in carnivores--I. The Canidae, the Hyaenidae and the Ursidae

Basic haematological values for 32 animals of four carnivore species are reported. In six adult wolves (Canis lupus) the mean values estimated for the erythrocyte count 7.48 X 10(12)/l, haematocrit 0.465/l, haemoglobin 172.0 g/l and leukocyte counts 7.33 X 10(9)/l are given. For five young wolves, these parameters were markedly decreased, only the white cell count was raised. In 14 hunting dogs (Lycaon pictus) the mean values estimated are: erythrocyte count 9.15 x 10(12)/l haematocrit 0.435/l, haemoglobin 179.2 g/l and leukocytes 12.95 X 10(9)/l. In six striped hyaenas (Hyaena hyaena) the mean estimated values are: erythrocyte count 8.11 X 10(12)/l, haemoatocrit 0.445/l, haemoglobin 178.0 g/l and leukocytes 13.95 X 10(9)/l. Only individual values for the reported parameters are given in the Asiatic black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus). All results are compared with values derived from the literature for animals under investigation and for the domestic dog (Canis familiaris).     

Probabilistic Prediction of Contacts in Protein-Ligand Complexes

We introduce a statistical method for evaluating atomic level 3D interaction patterns of protein-ligand contacts. Such patterns can be used for fast separation of likely ligand and ligand binding site combinations out of all those that are geometrically possible. The practical purpose of this probabilistic method is for molecular docking and scoring, as an essential part of a scoring function. Probabilities of interaction patterns are calculated conditional on structural x-ray data and predefined chemical classification of molecular fragment types. Spatial coordinates of atoms are modeled using a Bayesian statistical framework with parametric 3D probability densities. The parameters are given distributions a priori, which provides the possibility to update the densities of model parameters with new structural data and use the parameter estimates to create a contact hierarchy. The contact preferences can be defined for any spatial area around a specified type of fragment. We compared calculated contact point hierarchies with the number of contact atoms found near the contact point in a reference set of x-ray data, and found that these were in general in a close agreement. Additionally, using substrate binding site in cathechol-O-methyltransferase and 27 small potential binder molecules, it was demonstrated that these probabilities together with auxiliary parameters separate well ligands from decoys (true positive rate 0.75, false positive rate 0). A particularly useful feature of the proposed Bayesian framework is that it also characterizes predictive uncertainty in terms of probabilities, which have an intuitive interpretation from the applied perspective.     

Eleven Candidate Susceptibility Genes for Common Familial Colorectal Cancer

Hereditary factors are presumed to play a role in one third of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases. However, in the majority of familial CRC cases the genetic basis of predisposition remains unexplained. This is particularly true for families with few affected individuals. To identify susceptibility genes for this common phenotype, we examined familial cases derived from a consecutive series of 1514 Finnish CRC patients. Ninety-six familial CRC patients with no previous diagnosis of a hereditary CRC syndrome were included in the analysis. Eighty-six patients had one affected first-degree relative, and ten patients had two or more. Exome sequencing was utilized to search for genes harboring putative loss-of-function variants, because such alterations are likely candidates for disease-causing mutations. Eleven genes with rare truncating variants in two or three familial CRC cases were identified: UACA, SFXN4, TWSG1, PSPH, NUDT7, ZNF490, PRSS37, CCDC18, PRADC1, MRPL3, and AKR1C4. Loss of heterozygosity was examined in all respective cancer samples, and was detected in seven occasions involving four of the candidate genes. In all seven occasions the wild-type allele was lost (P = 0.0078) providing additional evidence that these eleven genes are likely to include true culprits. The study provides a set of candidate predisposition genes which may explain a subset of common familial CRC. Additional genetic validation in other populations is required to provide firm evidence for causality, as well as to characterize the natural history of the respective phenotypes.