Topological constraints in nucleic acid hybridization kinetics

A theoretical examination of kinetic mechanisms for forming knots and links in nucleic acid structures suggests that molecules involving base pairs between loops are likely to become topologically trapped in persistent frustrated states through the mechanism of ‘helix-driven wrapping’. Augmentation of the state space to include both secondary structure and topology in describing the free energy landscape illustrates the potential for topological effects to influence the kinetics and function of nucleic acid strands. An experimental study of metastable complementary ‘kissing hairpins’ demonstrates that the topological constraint of zero linking number between the loops effectively prevents conversion to the minimum free energy helical state. Introduction of short catalyst strands that break the topological constraint causes rapid conversion to full duplex.     

Effects of cryopreservation on the mononuclear cells of patients with lung cancer and normal controls

Studies were carried out to determine the effects of cryopreservation on the mitogen-induced proliferative and immunoglobulin-producing abilities of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) of patients with lung cancer and normal controls. One-half of each sample of cells was tested fresh, while the other half was frozen, thawed immediately, and cultured at the same time. The responses of each sample of cryopreserved cells were compared to the responses of fresh cells from the same individual in simultaneous assays. The cryopreserved mononuclear cells of most of the lung cancer patients showed significantly enhanced plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses after stimulation with pokeweed mitogen (PWM). No such significant differences were observed between the proliferative responses of cryopreserved and fresh cells against phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or PWM stimulation. The cryopreserved MNC of some of the normal controls also showed a similar increase in the PFC responses, although to a lesser extent. Coculture of cryopreserved B cell-enriched populations of cells with fresh T cell-enriched fractions obtained from these patients also resulted in the generation of a higher number of PFCs as compared to the number of PFCs observed after coculture of fresh B and T cell-enriched populations. The results indicate that the suppressor activities of monocytes/macrophages and other non-T cells (NK cells) are sensitive to cryopreservation. The results also show that the MNC of patients with lung cancer can be cryopreserved and used for subsequent B and T cell assays.     

Integrated Artificial Intelligence Approaches for Disease Diagnostics

Mechanocomputational techniques in conjunction with artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing the interpretations of the crucial information from the medical data and converting it into optimized and organized information for diagnostics. It is possible due to valuable perfection in artificial intelligence, computer aided diagnostics, virtual assistant, robotic surgery, augmented reality and genome editing (based on AI) technologies. Such techniques are serving as the products for diagnosing emerging microbial or non microbial diseases. This article represents a combinatory approach of using such approaches and providing therapeutic solutions towards utilizing these techniques in disease diagnostics.     

Effects of linoleic acid on capping,lectin mediated mitogenesis,surface antigen expression,and fluorescent polarization in lymphocytes and BHK cells

The incubation of linoleic acid with cells causes profound effects on membrane associated phenomenon. Using the fluorescent probe diphenyl hexatriene (DPH) to monitor lipid changes in the microenvironment of the cell surface, we find that linoleic acid reduces the polarization values (P) in mouse lymphocytes and BHK cells. Measurements on lipids extracted from the cells grown in linoleic acid produce similar results. We also find in the mouse lymphocyte that capping of Ig is inhibited and con A stimulated mitogenesis is unaffected. In contrast to the latter effect, LPS and PHA stimulated mitogenesis is inhibited and in the rat lymph node, con A stimulated mitogenesis, greatly enhanced. We also show that linoleic acid alters the binding of antibodies to the cell surface of EL-4 lymphoma cells. These observations suggest that linoleic acid alters cellular function by interfering with protein/lipid interactions within the surface membrane.     

Bandwidth Enhancement of Planar Terahertz Metasurfaces via Overlapping of Dipolar Modes

Plasmonics - We present enhancement of operational bandwidths of planar terahertz metasurfaces by incorporating a complex unit cell that consists of a pair of concentric ring resonators. The inner...     

Efficacy of Indolicidin,Cecropin A (1-7)-Melittin (CAMA) and Their Combination Against Biofilm-Forming Multidrug-Resistant Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli

The present study examined the anti-biofilm efficacy of two short-chain antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), namely, indolicidin and cecropin A (1-7)-melittin (CAMA) against biofilm-forming multidrug-resistant enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (MDR-EAEC) isolates. The typical EAEC isolates re-validated by PCR and confirmed using HEp-2 cell adherence assay was subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing to confirm its MDR status. The biofilm-forming ability of MDR-EAEC isolates was assessed by Congo red binding, microtitre plate assays and hydrophobicity index; broth microdilution technique was employed to determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs). The obtained MIC and MBEC values for both AMPs were evaluated alone and in combination against MDR-EAEC biofilms using crystal violet (CV) staining and confocal microscopy-based live/dead cell quantification methods. All the three MDR-EAEC strains revealed weak to strong biofilm-forming ability and were found to be electron-donating and weakly electron-accepting (hydrophobicity index). Also, highly significant (P < 0.001) time-dependent hydrodynamic growth of the three MDR-EAEC strains was observed at 48 h of incubation in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) containing 0.45% D-glucose. AMPs and their combination were able to inhibit the initial biofilm formation at 24 h and 48 h as evidenced by CV staining and confocal quantification. Further, the application of AMPs (individually and combination) against the preformed MDR-EAEC biofilms resulted in highly significant eradication (P < 0.001) at 24 h post treatment. However, significant differences were not observed between AMP treatments (individually or in combination). The AMPs seem to be an effective candidates for further investigations such as safety, stability and appropriate biofilm-forming MDR-EAEC animal models.

     

Correction to: Sodium nitroprusside enhances biomass and gymnemic acids production in cell suspension of Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex. Sm.

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) -     

Real-Time Analysis and Visualization for Single-Molecule Based Super-Resolution Microscopy

Accurate multidimensional localization of isolated fluorescent emitters is a time consuming process in single-molecule based super-resolution microscopy. We demonstrate a functional method for real-time reconstruction with automatic feedback control, without compromising the localization accuracy. Compatible with high frame rates of EM-CCD cameras, it relies on a wavelet segmentation algorithm, together with a mix of CPU/GPU implementation. A combination with Gaussian fitting allows direct access to 3D localization. Automatic feedback control ensures optimal molecule density throughout the acquisition process. With this method, we significantly improve the efficiency and feasibility of localization-based super-resolution microscopy.