Preparation,characterization, and antibacterial activity of γ-irradiated silver nanoparticles in aqueous gelatin

Colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were obtained through γ-irradiation of aqueous solutions containing AgNO₃ and gelatin as a silver source and stabilizer, respectively. The absorbed dose of γ-irradiation influences the particle diameter of the Ag-NPs, as evidenced from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. When the γ-irradiation dose was increased (from 2 to 50 kGy), the mean particle size was decreased continuously as a result of γ-induced Ag-NPs fragmentation. The antibacterial properties of the Ag-NPs were tested against Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Gram-positive) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.a) (Gram-negative) bacteria. This approach reveals that the γ-irradiation-mediated method is a promising simple route for synthesizing highly stable Ag-NPs in aqueous solutions with good antibacterial properties for different applications.     

Large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances observed by GPS receivers in Antarctica

The paper examines the propagation direction and velocity of largescale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) during extreme geomagnetic storms in the 23rd solar cycle (e.g., October 2003 and No-vember 2003 storms) using GPS observations. In the analysis, the time delay between the vertical total electron content (VTEC) structures at Scott Base, McMurdo, Davis and Casey GPS stations and the distance between these stations were the main parameters in the determination of LSTIDs propagation speed and di...     

Gut hormone PYY(3-36) physiologically inhibits food intake

Food intake is regulated by the hypothalamus, including the melanocortin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) systems in the arcuate nucleus. The NPY Y2 receptor (Y2R), a putative inhibitory presynaptic receptor, is highly expressed on NPY neurons in the arcuate nucleus, which is accessible to peripheral hormones. Peptide YY(3-36) (PYY(3-36)), a Y2R agonist, is released from the gastrointestinal tract postprandially in proportion to the calorie content of a meal. Here we show that peripheral injection of PYY(3-36) in rats inhibits food intake and reduces weight gain. PYY(3-36) also inhibits food intake in mice but not in Y2r-null mice, which suggests that the anorectic effect requires the Y2R. Peripheral administration of PYY(3-36) increases c-Fos immunoreactivity in the arcuate nucleus and decreases hypothalamic Npy messenger RNA. Intra-arcuate injection of PYY(3-36) inhibits food intake. PYY(3-36) also inhibits electrical activity of NPY nerve terminals, thus activating adjacent pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. In humans, infusion of normal postprandial concentrations of PYY(3-36) significantly decreases appetite and reduces food intake by 33% over 24 h. Thus, postprandial elevation of PYY(3-36) may act through the arcuate nucleus Y2R to inhibit feeding in a gut-hypothalamic pathway.     

New Synthesis of Pt-Ru Nanoparticles on Surface Modified Carbon Vulcane XC-72 as an Effective Catalyst for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

1 Results Pt-Ru nanoparticles are synthesised on the surface oxidized carbon Vulcane XC-72 as catalyst support by chemically anchoring Pt and Ru onto the surface of modified carbon vulcane XC-72 (by refluxing in 70% HNO3 at 120 ℃ for 12 h to introduce surface functional groups) .The nanoparticles of Pt and Ru are synthesized by reduction of H2PtCl6 and K4Ru(CN)6 with sodium borohydride in a 5.5 buffer solution of sodium citrate,the complexation of citrate with metal ions is beneficial to the formati...     

Warped time lens in temporal imaging for optical real-time data compression

We introduce for the first time the concept of anamorphic temporal imaging and its application to analog data compression in a time lens. Placed in front of a conventional spectrometer, this technique enhances the spectral resolution and the update rate. More importantly, it performs real-time optical data compression to reduce the volume of the generated digital data. Our technique introduces the concept of the warped time lens. We show that a specific class of warped time-to-frequency mapping operations combined with the nonlinear operation inherent in a photo-detector compresses the time-bandwidth product in a temporal imaging system. We employ our newly introduced Stretched Modulation Distribution to design the warp profile. Using this method, the narrow spectral features beyond the spectrometer resolution can be captured and at the same time the output bandwidth and hence the record length is minimized. The reduction in the record length results in higher update rate for the spectrometer without sacrificing the spectral resolution or bandwidth. Our method also benefits from amplitude and phase detection to recover the input complexfield spectrum. By compressing the time-bandwidth product, anamorphictemporal imaging addresses the Big Data problem in such highthroughput instruments.     

Premature ageing in mice expressing defective mitochondrial DNA polymerase

Point mutations and deletions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) accumulate in a variety of tissues during ageing in humans, monkeys and rodents. These mutations are unevenly distributed and can accumulate clonally in certain cells, causing a mosaic pattern of respiratory chain deficiency in tissues such as heart, skeletal muscle and brain. In terms of the ageing process, their possible causative effects have been intensely debated because of their low abundance and purely correlative connection with ageing. We have now addressed this question experimentally by creating homozygous knock-in mice that express a proof-reading-deficient version of PolgA, the nucleus-encoded catalytic subunit of mtDNA polymerase. Here we show that the knock-in mice develop an mtDNA mutator phenotype with a threefold to fivefold increase in the levels of point mutations, as well as increased amounts of deleted mtDNA. This increase in somatic mtDNA mutations is associated with reduced lifespan and premature onset of ageing-related phenotypes such as weight loss, reduced subcutaneous fat, alopecia (hair loss), kyphosis (curvature of the spine), osteoporosis, anaemia, reduced fertility and heart enlargement. Our results thus provide a causative link between mtDNA mutations and ageing phenotypes in mammals.     

Contact and hybrid zone hotspots and evolution of birds in the Middle East

The Middle East is an important contact zone for a considerable number of bird taxa from the western and eastern Palearctic and from the great Saharo-Sindian desert belt. Using WORLDMAP software, we analyzed the geographical distribution of secondary contact zones for parapatric species pairs of birds in the Middle East. We identified 56 species (29 species pairs) that make contact in the Middle East. The species pairs belong to three orders, i.e. Falconiformes, Piciformes, and Passeriformes. Almost half (46%) of these species pairs hybridize in their contact zones. Although contact zones occur over a large part of northern Middle East, spatially they were not evenly distributed. Contact zone richness was highest in the mountain ranges south of the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. The hottest hotspots, where up to nine bird species pairs occur sympatrically, are situated in north-eastern Iran and Azerbaijan. We discuss the relevance of these hotspots for improving our understanding of the biogeography and evolution of the avifauna in the Middle East.     

Evolution and biology of supernumerary B chromosomes

B chromosomes (Bs) are dispensable components of the genome exhibiting non-Mendelian inheritance and have been widely reported on over several thousand eukaryotes, but still remain an evolutionary mystery ever since their first discovery over a century ago [1]. Recent advances in genome analysis have significantly improved our knowledge on the origin and composition of Bs in the last few years. In contrast to the prevalent view that Bs do not harbor genes, recent analysis revealed that Bs of sequenced species are rich in gene-derived sequences. We summarize the latest findings on supernumerary chromosomes with a special focus on the origin, DNA composition, and the non-Mendelian accumulation mechanism of Bs.