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Abers, Rebecca Neaera. "Bureaucratic Activism: Pursuing Environmentalism Inside the Brazilian State." Latin American Politics and Society 61, no. 2 (March 14, 2019): 21–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/lap.2018.75.
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ABSTRACTThis study explores the evolution of the Green Grants program, run by Brazil’s Ministry of Environment, as a means for developing the concept of bureaucratic activism. When the Workers’ Party first took office in 2003, many social movement actors joined the government, especially in that agency. After 2007, however, most of these activists left the government. At the same time, the ministry substituted thousands of temporary employees for permanent civil servants. Surprisingly, this study finds that these public employees carried forward the environmentalist cause, even when this required contesting the priorities of superiors. Examining their attitudes and practices leads to a definition of activism as the proactive pursuit of opportunities to defend contentious causes. The case study helps to develop this concept and to demonstrate that workers inside bureaucracies can engage in activist behavior. It also explores the effects of bureaucratic activism on environmental policymaking in Brazil.
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Kirsop-Taylor, Nick. "Green inside activism for sustainable development: political agency and institutional change." Environmental Politics 29, no. 3 (April 15, 2020): 566–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2020.1729466.
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Skoglund, Annika, and Steffen Böhm. "Prefigurative Partaking: Employees’ Environmental Activism in an Energy Utility." Organization Studies 41, no. 9 (June 15, 2019): 1257–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0170840619847716.
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The separation between an ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ of organizational politics has become untenable in a rapidly changing political landscape, where people engage in environmental activism in many different domains. To understand contemporary environmental activism, we situate ourselves empirically within an energy utility, Ordalia [pseudonym], a large corporation active across Europe and heavily criticized by external activists for its carbon emitting operations. By merging Rancière’s method of equality and notion of ‘partaking’ with literature on prefiguration in social movements, we analyse everyday green actions pursued by Ordalia’s employees, which we conceptualize as ‘prefigurative partaking’. By focusing on six characterizing themes of prefigurative partaking – aspirational, individual, professional, critical, loyal and communal – we have found that employee activism is incremental, horizontal and boundaryless. We discuss these findings in relation to recent calls for more fruitful exchanges between social movement theory and organization studies, arguing that Rancière’s conceptualization of politics can help us study actions that span civil society and business. This complements and expands our understanding of environmental activism as a dispersed set of actions that can take place anywhere, and hence also at work.
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Saveski, Zdravko. "One in Seven and a Half: Local Activism against the Global Climate Crisis." Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture 16, no. 1-2 (December 28, 2019): 8–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.51151/identities.v16i1-2.364.
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The climate crisis has become not only serious but urgent problem too. A lot of years have been wasted in palliative measures that have not solved the problems. And those wasted years have closed the space to search for solutions inside the framework of some kind of Green capitalism. At the present time, solutions to the climate crisis are still possible, but they will require drastic, even systematic measures. This article analyzes the role of capitalism in creating and deepening climate crisis. Capitalism is not only a type of economy but a type of society. It has achieved hegemony in the field of ideas and values, socializing people and internalizing its values among the losers of the system, as well as among its beneficiaries. Due to this, overcoming capitalism is not an easy or simple task. However, as it is argued in the article, the only humane alternative to overcome climate crisis is to overcome capitalism as a type of economy and a type of society.
Author(s): Zdravko Saveski
Title (English): One in Seven and a Half: Local Activism against the Global Climate Crisis
Journal Reference: Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 16, No. 1-2 (Summer - Winter 2019)
Publisher: Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities - Skopje
Page Range: 8-17
Page Count: 10
Citation (English): Zdravko Saveski, “One in Seven and a Half: Local Activism against the Global Climate Crisis,” Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture, Vol. 16, No. 1-2 (Summer - Winter 2019): 8-17.
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Hysing, Erik, and Jan Olsson. "Who Greens the Northern Light? Green inside Activists in Local Environmental Governing in Sweden." Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 29, no. 4 (January 2011): 693–708. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/c10114.
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Fogg, Deryn E. "Inside the black box — Perspectives on transformations in catalysis." Canadian Journal of Chemistry 86, no. 10 (October 1, 2008): 931–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/v08-103.
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Tandem catalysis and olefin metathesis are powerful tools in the development of sustainable synthetic practices. This Award Lecture describes our advances in designing new tandem metathesis-hydrogenation methodologies for the synthesis of “designer materials” and Ru-pseudohalide metathesis catalysts that amplify opportunities for tuning catalyst activity, selectivity, and lifetime. Also discussed is the operation of a previously unrecognized oligomerization-backbiting pathway in ring-closing metathesis of conformationally flexible α,ω-dienes, which has important implications for the sustainable synthesis of medium and large rings.Key words: tandem catalysis, green chemistry, olefin metathesis, ring-closing metathesis, mechanism.
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Al Qarni, Fatimah, Nuhad A. Alomair, and Hanan H. Mohamed. "Environment-Friendly Nanoporous Titanium Dioxide with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity." Catalysts 9, no. 10 (September 25, 2019): 799. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/catal9100799.
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Nanoporous TiO2 anatase was environment-friendly prepared using coffee husk extract (CHE) as bio-template instead of hazardous chemicals and solvents and ultrasonic waves. Caffeine and caffeic acid were found to be the main compounds in CHE to modify the morphology of TiO2. The properties of as-prepared titanium dioxide particles were determined by different characterization techniques. The results demonstrate the formation of a meso/macro-porous channel consisting of small TiO2 particles (8–10 nm). The as prepared green nanoparticles exhibited improved photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic water pollutants with good recyclability. The enhancement in efficiency of green nanoporous TiO2 can be attributed to higher surface area and the presence of more active adsorption sites inside the pores. The current research provides for a low cost, safe, and eco-friendly way to produce efficient photocatalysts for remediation of polluted water.
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Li, Miaomiao, Guangpeng Xu, Yumei Gong, Wenheng Wang, Yuanfa Liu, and Jing Guo. "Green preparation of hollow mesoporous silica nanosphere inside-loaded gold nanoparticles and the catalytic activity." Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part A 54, no. 6 (April 27, 2017): 376–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2017.1313128.
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Zhang, Xiaohu, Scott Melbourne, Chinmoy Sarkar, Alain Chiaradia, and Chris Webster. "Effects of green space on walking: Does size, shape and density matter?" Urban Studies 57, no. 16 (February 13, 2020): 3402–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0042098020902739.
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The role of the built environment in improving public health through fostering physical activity has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. This study investigates relationships between walking activity and the configuration of green spaces in Greater London. Pedestrian activity for N = 54,910 walking trip stages is gathered through the London Travel Demand Survey (LTDS), with routes between origin and destination mapped onto the street network from the Integrated Transport Network of Ordnance Survey. Green spaces were extracted from UKMap and agglomerated to form London’s hundreds of parks. Regressions of pedestrian activity on park configuration, controlling for built environment metrics, revealed that catchments around smaller parks have more walking trips. Irregularity of park shape has the opposite effect. Park density, measured as number of parks inside a catchment, is insignificant in regression. Parks adjacent to retail areas were associated with pronounced increases in walking. The study contributes to landscape, urban management, environmental policy and urban planning and design literature. The evidence provides implications for performance-oriented policy and design decisions that configure a city’s green spaces to improve citizens’ public health through enhancing walkability.
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Kamble, Ravi, Smita Mahajan, Vijaya Puri, Harish Shinde, and Kalayanrao Garadkar. "Visible Light-Driven high Photocatalytic Activity of Cu-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method." Material Science Research India 15, no. 3 (October 18, 2018): 197–208. http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/msri/150301.
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TiO2 and Cu-doped TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with totally extraordinary substance of Cu by exploitation hydrothermal method. The part immaculateness, morphology, molecule estimate, optical properties, and elemental composition of as-incorporated Cu-doped TiO2 NPs were investigated by numerous systematic methods. The XRD designs unveiled Cu-doped TiO2 NPs inside the part unadulterated anatase phase. The plane of (101) XRD and XPS results show the lucky doping of Cu2+ inside the TiO2 lattice. The optical edges of Cu-doped TiO2 demonstrated a transparent light absorption in visible region that assumes an essential part inside the photocatalytic action underneath characteristic daylight. Certain Cu2+ content shows least PL intensity that backings the decrease in recombination rate of charge species. In addition, to get a handle on photocatalytic action, we have tried Cu-doped TiO2 for the degradation of Malachite Green (MG) under visible light. A large portion of 85% degradation was found for Cu-doped TiO2 (1.71 wt.%) underneath daylight minimum of 180 min, severally, that is past that of TiO2 (53%). Also, the degradation of the MG was affirmed by measurement of the chemical oxygen demand of the photodegraded solution. These outcomes demonstrates that the Cu-doped TiO2 NPs are extremely productive for the photodegration of the MG.
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Taokaew, Siriporn, and Muenduen Phisalaphong. "Fabrication of Gelatin Complexes/Bio-Nanocellulose Nanostructured Composite Mats." Materials Science Forum 936 (October 2018): 142–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.936.142.
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Fabrication of gelatin complexes/bio-nanocellulose was achieved using facile and green method to fabricate nanostructured composite mats. The bio-nanocellulose was synthesized usingAcetobacter xylinumbacteria. The bio-nanocellulose pellicle was submerged in gelatin solution and thereafter complexing. Gelatin complex nanospheres were found to adsorb on and inside bio-nanocellulose mats. The nanocomposite mats exhibited optical transparency, high surface area with porous structure, antimicrobial activity againstStaphylococcus aureus,and non-cytotoxicity to Vero monkey kidney cells.
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Bhagat, Arpan R., Amélia Martins Delgado, Manel Issaoui, Nadia Chammem, Marco Fiorino, Alessandra Pellerito, and Sofia Natalello. "Review of the Role of Fluid Dairy in Delivery of Polyphenolic Compounds in the Diet: Chocolate Milk, Coffee Beverages, Matcha Green Tea, and Beyond." Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL 102, no. 5 (September 1, 2019): 1365–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jaoac/102.5.1365.
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Abstract Dairy-based functional beverages have been a growing segment as consumer demands for health foods have shifted focus from simply enhancing lifespan to protecting health. Green tea is often limited in use because of poor bioavailability and disagreeable taste. However, milk is considered an ideal platform for the delivery of active polyphenolic compounds in green tea. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzymatic activity and antioxidant index of polyphenols in green tea have been known to be protected through interaction with dairy proteins inside the unstable intestinal environment. In addition, consumption of green tea infused with milk has been found to have a significant impact on reducing skin wrinkles and roughness in elderly subjects, through a decrease in lipid peroxidation and a concomitant reduction in oxidative stress. A similar affinity has been observed between antioxidants in coffee and milk proteins. Dark chocolate has been known to contain significant phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The activation of protein complex NF-κB, which is responsible for cell survival, was found to be significantly reduced upon consumption of cocoa with water, whereas consuming cocoa with milk had no effect on the bioavailability of the phenolic compounds in cocoa. The popularity of dairy as the source for polyphenol fortified beverages in the diet will be dictated by optimization of the technology for maximizing the bioavailability of the antioxidants.
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Maldonado-Carmona, Nidia, Tan-Sothea Ouk, Nicolas Villandier, Claude Alain Calliste, Mário J. F. Calvete, Mariette M. Pereira, and Stéphanie Leroy-Lhez. "Photophysical and Antibacterial Properties of Porphyrins Encapsulated inside Acetylated Lignin Nanoparticles." Antibiotics 10, no. 5 (April 30, 2021): 513. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10050513.
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Lignin has recently attracted the attention of the scientific community, as a suitable raw material for biomedical applications. In this work, acetylated lignin was used to encapsulate five different porphyrins, aiming to preserve their photophysical properties, and for further use as antibacterial treatment. The obtained nanoparticles were physically characterized, through dynamic light scattering size measurement, polydispersity index and zeta potential values. Additionally, the photophysical properties of the nanoparticles, namely UV-vis absorption, fluorescence emission, singlet oxygen production and photobleaching, were compared with those of the free porphyrins. It was found that all the porphyrins were susceptible to encapsulation, with an observed decrease in their fluorescence quantum yield and singlet oxygen production. These nanoparticles were able to exert an effective photodynamic bactericide effect (blue-LED light, 450–460 nm, 15 J/cm2) on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, it was achieved a photodynamic bactericidal activity on an encapsulated lipophillic porphyrin, where the free porphyrin failed to diminish the bacterial survival. In this work it was demonstrated that acetylated lignin encapsulation works as a universal, cheap and green material for the delivery of porphyrins, while preserving their photophysical properties.
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Sudheeran, Pradeep, Oleg Feygenberg, Dalia Maurer, and Noam Alkan. "Improved Cold Tolerance of Mango Fruit with Enhanced Anthocyanin and Flavonoid Contents." Molecules 23, no. 7 (July 23, 2018): 1832. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules23071832.
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Red fruits were suggested to be tolerant to cold. To understand cold-storage tolerance of red mango fruit that were subjected to sunlight at the orchard, mango cv. Shelly from inside (green fruit) or outside (red fruit) the tree canopy was stored for 3 weeks at 5, 8 or 12 °C and examined for flavonoids, antioxidant, volatiles and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Red fruit from the outer canopy showed significant increases in total anthocyanin and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Ripening parameters for red and green mango fruit were similar at harvest and during storage. However, red fruit with high anthocyanin and flavonoid contents were more tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses. After 3 weeks of suboptimal cold storage, green fruit showed significantly more lipid peroxidation and developed significantly more chilling-injury symptoms—black spots and pitting—than red fruit. Volatiles of red and green peels revealed significant modulations in response to cold-storage. Moreover, red fruit were more tolerant to biotic stress and had reduced general decay incidence. However, during long storage at 10 °C for 4, 5 or 6 weeks, red fruit showed a non-significant reduction in decay and chilling injuries. These results suggest new approaches to avoiding chilling injury during cold storage.
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Mazza, Giuseppe, Daniele Marraccini, Emiliano Mori, Simone Priori, Leonardo Marianelli, Pio Federico Roversi, and Elisabetta Gargani. "Assessment of color response and activity rhythms of the invasive black planthopper Ricania speculum (Walker, 1851) using sticky traps." Bulletin of Entomological Research 110, no. 4 (December 11, 2019): 480–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s000748531900083x.
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AbstractTo be effective, management strategies of invasive alien species cannot ignore their spatiotemporal behavior particularly those exerting serious damages to human activities. The black planthopper Ricania speculum is an Asian insect that has been reported as an alien invasive species in Italy, where it threatens local plant diversity, including important crops. In our work, we analyzed the activity rhythms of this species through circular statistics and the efficiency of chromotropic traps to capture adult individuals. Captures were carried out in central Italy, where the black planthopper is showing a remarkable range expansion, after its first discovery in 2009. We observed that the species was mainly crepuscular, with a high intersexual activity overlap. Activity rhythms changed between July–August and September–October, with changing heliophany, but peaked at sunset and were the lowest in the second half of the night and early morning. The insects were mostly caught by green traps, particularly in September, which is the period of egg-laying inside the leaves; conversely, orange ones were avoided, and yellow ones captured proportionally to their local availability. Strategies for controlling this species should consider concentrating trapping effort during the activity peak, using green sticky traps to enhance the capture success of each trap, with the lowest impact over non-target species.
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Velgosova, Oksana, Erika Mudra, and Marek Vojtko. "Preparing, Characterization and Anti-Biofilm Activity of Polymer Fibers Doped by Green Synthesized AgNPs." Polymers 13, no. 4 (February 17, 2021): 605. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym13040605.
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The aim of the work was to prepare polymer matrix composite (PMC) microfibers doped by green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The incorporation of AgNP into the polymer matrix can provide toxic properties to the polymer. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as a matrix. AgNPs were synthesized by the green method, where the leaf extract of Rosmarinus officinalis (R. officinalis) was used as a reduction and capping agent. PVA-AgNPs composites were prepared in two ways: the ex situ method (pre-prepared globular AgNPs with a mean diameter of 20 nm were added into polymer matrix) and the in situ method (AgNPs were synthesized in the process of polymer composite preparation; in situ synthesized nanoparticles were a mix of different shapes with a mean diameter of ~100 nm). FTIR (Infrared spectroscopy with Fourier Transformation), UV–vis (Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscope), EDX (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) techniques were used for the analysis of nanoparticles and prepared PMCs. Thin layers and microfibers of in situ and ex situ PMCs were prepared. The presence of AgNPs clusters was evident in both PMC thin layers. After electrospinning, the chains of nanoparticles were observed inside the fibers. The distribution of nanoparticles was improved by increasing the AgNPs volume fraction (from 5 vol.% to 20 vol.%). Toxic and antibiofilm activity of AgNPs colloid, pure PVA, and PVA-AgNPs composites against the one-cell green algae Parachlorella kessleri (P. kessleri) was analyzed. AgNPs colloid, as well as PVA-AgNPs composites, showed good toxic and antibiofilm activity, and pure PVA shows no toxic/antibiofilm activity.
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Bolte, Susanne, Elodie Marcon, Mélanie Jaunario, Lucas Moyet, Maité Paternostre, Marcel Kuntz, and Anja Krieger-Liszkay. "Dynamics of the localization of the plastid terminal oxidase inside the chloroplast." Journal of Experimental Botany 71, no. 9 (February 15, 2020): 2661–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraa074.
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Abstract The plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) is a plastohydroquinone:oxygen oxidoreductase that shares structural similarities with alternative oxidases (AOXs). Multiple roles have been attributed to PTOX, such as involvement in carotene desaturation, a safety valve function, participation in the processes of chlororespiration, and setting the redox poise for cyclic electron transport. PTOX activity has been previously shown to depend on its localization at the thylakoid membrane. Here we investigate the dynamics of PTOX localization dependent on the proton motive force. Infiltrating illuminated leaves with uncouplers led to a partial dissociation of PTOX from the thylakoid membrane. In vitro reconstitution experiments showed that the attachment of purified recombinant maltose-binding protein (MBP)–OsPTOX to liposomes and isolated thylakoid membranes was strongest at slightly alkaline pH values in the presence of lower millimolar concentrations of KCl or MgCl2. In Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)–PTOX, confocal microscopy images showed that PTOX formed distinct spots in chloroplasts of dark-adapted or uncoupler-treated leaves, while the protein was more equally distributed in a network-like structure in the light. We propose a dynamic PTOX association with the thylakoid membrane depending on the presence of a proton motive force.
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Datta, Subhas Chandra. "SUSTAINABLE REOPEN OF SCHOOL PREVENING REINFECTION-CORONAVIRUS-2 IN NEW-NORMAL BY VACCINE-NATIONALISM-EQUITY-PASSPORT WITH GINGER-DRINKS-BIO-MEDICINAL-MID-DAY-MEALS!" International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH 9, no. 5 (May 31, 2021): 165–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.29121/granthaalayah.v9.i5.2021.3936.
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Students are the future of the nations. But they are totally neglected in the new normal situation also, due to new variant of SARS-Co-2 badly impacts children and young; hampers global education, health, and research, which is needed to steady-recovery the education-system by preparing the moral-education, regular activity-based online and offline shifting-digital-teaching-learning process, ICT-infrastructure and facilities, procedure and active involvement of learning, and need to tackle inequalities outside- and inside- the digital-classroom, vaccine-nationalism-equity-passport for all students, parents and family member also, school-dress-fumigation, nutritious-biomedicine-midday-meals-ginger-drinks, modern green-infrastructure and -facilities, forming the ‘Common-Ecofriendly-Complex-Ecosystem’, enriching the joyful-teaching-learning-process and environment, biodiversity conservation, agriculture, science-technology-communication, socio-economy-welfare, where keynote-species-owl, and bat secrets of immunity could confirm the clues to treating-COVID-19, developing the future-policy; the common-theme-“Vision-2040” fulfilling the “New-Normal 21st-Century-Futuristic-Green-Digital-School-Health Prevent Reinfection-Coronavirus-2 by Vaccine-Nationalism-Equity-Passport Bio-Medicinal-Meals-Ginger-Drinks!”, preventing transmission pandemic, future social- and academic losses, the digital-green-moral-teaching-learning and green-infrastructures form a common ecofriendly complex ecosystem for the futuristic school, and ultimately the ‘School will be the Mirror of the Society Again’.
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Wuertz, Stefan, Petra Pfleiderer, Klaus Kriebitzsch, Rosi Späth, Thomas Griebe, Dolores Coello-Oviedo, Peter A. Wilderer, and Hans-Curt Flemming. "Extracellular redox activity in activated sludge." Water Science and Technology 37, no. 4-5 (February 1, 1998): 379–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wst.1998.0672.
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The tetrazolium salts triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride (INT) have been used extensively for the measurement of respiratory activity in natural waters, drinking water, sediments and activated sludge. Usually this is done spectrophotometrically after extracting the reduced formazan salt. Other tetrazolium salts like 5-cyano-2,3-di-4-tolyl-tetrazolium chloride (CTC) are reduced to formazan salts which are fluorescent. This property has been used to microscopically determine the proportion of metabolically active cells in a sample. The observation that CTC is also reduced extracellularly prompted an investigation of the role of this activity in activated sludge. In order to test the assumption that extracellular reduction is stimulated by recalcitrant molecules a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was fed with synthetic wastewater containing either lignin or amylose as well as hexanoic acid, glycerol and sucrose as organic constituents. About 4 times as much tetrazolium salt 3′-{1-[(phenylamino-)carbonyl]-3,4-tetrazolium}-bis (4-methoxy-6-nitro) benzene-sulfonic acid hydrate (XTT) was reduced by extracts containing extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced in the presence of lignin than by extracts derived from amylose-fed cells. These differences are statistically significant at P > 0.05. Extracellular redox activity in lignin-containing activated sludge accounted for approximately 2% of total redox activity. In addition to experiments involving reactors fed with different substrates, the extracellular redox activity was measured microscopically using a Zeiss confocal laser microscope. Planktonically grown cells of Escherichia coli or activated sludge flocs were treated with CTC and the nucleic acid stain PicoGreen which fluoresces in the red and green visible light regions, respectively. In Escherichia coli preparations, CTC-formazan crystals were found exclusively inside cells. By contrast, activated sludge flocs revealed crystals both inside and outside the cells. Formaldehyde-treated flocs did not show any reduction of CTC. The extracellular crystals accounted for up to 50% of the total CTC reduction. It follows that extracellular redox activity is associated with the production of EPS. Its role may be to help microbial systems to deal with organic materials which are difficult to utilize.
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Miralles-Guasch, Carme, Javier Dopico, Xavier Delclòs-Alió, Pablo Knobel, Oriol Marquet, Roser Maneja-Zaragoza, Jasper Schipperijn, and Guillem Vich. "Natural Landscape, Infrastructure, and Health: The Physical Activity Implications of Urban Green Space Composition among the Elderly." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 20 (October 18, 2019): 3986. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203986.
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Urban green spaces (UGS) have been linked with a series of benefits for the environment, and for the physical health and well-being of urban residents. This is of great importance in the context of the aging of modern societies. However, UGS have different forms and characteristics that can determine their utilization. Common elements in UGS such as the type of vegetation and the type of surface are surprisingly understudied in regard to their relationship with the type of activity undertaken in UGS. This paper aims to explore the relationship between landscape diversity and the type of surface with the time spent and the physical activity intensity performed by seniors. To do so, this study uses GPS tracking data in combination with accelerometer data gathered from 63 seniors residing in Barcelona, Spain. Results showed that senior participants spent little time inside the analyzed UGS and sedentary behaviors (SBs) were more common than physical activities (PAs). The presence of pavement surfaces positively influenced the total time spent in UGS while gravel surfaces were negatively associated with time spent in active behaviors. The provision of well-defined and maintained paved areas and paths are some key infrastructures to be considered when designing UGS for overall urban residents and, especially, when aiming to potentiate the access for senior visitors.
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Prasanth, Mani, Bhagavathi Sivamaruthi, Chaiyavat Chaiyasut, and Tewin Tencomnao. "A Review of the Role of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) in Antiphotoaging, Stress Resistance, Neuroprotection, and Autophagy." Nutrients 11, no. 2 (February 23, 2019): 474. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu11020474.
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Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, and is available in various forms. Green tea is richer in antioxidants compared to other forms of tea. Tea is composed of polyphenols, caffeine, minerals, and trace amounts of vitamins, amino acids, and carbohydrates. The composition of the tea varies depending on the fermentation process employed to produce it. The phytochemicals present in green tea are known to stimulate the central nervous system and maintain overall health in humans. Skin aging is a complex process mediated by intrinsic factors such as senescence, along with extrinsic damage induced by external factors such as chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation—A process known as photoaging—Which can lead to erythema, edema, sunburn, hyperplasia, premature aging, and the development of non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers. UV can cause skin damage either directly, through absorption of energy by biomolecules, or indirectly, by increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Green tea phytochemicals are a potent source of exogenous antioxidant candidates that could nullify excess endogenous ROS and RNS inside the body, and thereby diminish the impact of photoaging. Several in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that green tea supplementation increases the collagen and elastin fiber content, and suppresses collagen degrading enzyme MMP-3 production in the skin, conferring an anti-wrinkle effect. The precise mechanism behind the anti-photoaging effect of green tea has not been explored yet. Studies using the worm model have suggested that green tea mediated lifespan extension depends on the DAF-16 pathway. Apart from this, green tea has been reported to have stress resistance and neuroprotective properties. Its ROS scavenging activity makes it a potent stress mediator, as it can also regulate the stress induced by metal ions. It is known that tea polyphenols can induce the expression of different antioxidant enzymes and hinder the DNA oxidative damage. Growing evidence suggests that green tea can also be used as a potential agent to mediate neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. EGCG, an abundant catechin in tea, was found to suppress the neurotoxicity induced by Aβ as it activates glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), along with inhibiting c-Abl/FE65—the cytoplasmic nonreceptor tyrosine kinase which is involved in the development of the nervous system and in nuclear translocation. Additionally, green tea polyphenols induce autophagy, thereby revitalizing the overall health of the organism consuming it. Green tea was able to activate autophagy in HL-60 xenographs by increasing the activity of PI3 kinase and BECLIN-1. This manuscript describes the reported anti-photoaging, stress resistance, and neuroprotective and autophagy properties of one of the most widely known functional foods—green tea.
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Joseph, Sunil V., G. K. Madhavilatha, R. Ajay Kumar, and Sathish Mundayoor. "Comparative Analysis of Mycobacterial Truncated Hemoglobin Promoters and thegroEL2Promoter in Free-Living and Intracellular Mycobacteria." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78, no. 18 (July 6, 2012): 6499–506. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01984-12.
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ABSTRACTThe success ofMycobacterium tuberculosisdepends on its ability to withstand and survive the hazardous environment inside the macrophages that are created by reactive oxygen intermediates, reactive nitrogen intermediates, severe hypoxia, low pH, and high CO2levels. Therefore, an effective detoxification system is required for the pathogen to persistin vivo. The genome ofM. tuberculosiscontains a new family of hemoproteins named truncated hemoglobin O (trHbO) and truncated hemoglobin N (trHbN), encoded by theglbOandglbNgenes, respectively, important in the survival ofM. tuberculosisin macrophages. Mycobacterial heat shock proteins are known to undergo rapid upregulation under stress conditions. The expression profiles of the promoters of these genes were studied by constructing transcriptional fusions with green fluorescent protein and monitoring the promoter activity in both free-living and intracellular milieus at different time points. WhereasglbNshowed an early response to the oxidative and nitrosative stresses tested,glbOgave a lasting response to lower concentrations of both stresses. At all time points and under all stress conditions tested,groEL2showed higher expression than both trHb promoters and expression of both promoters showed an increase while inside the macrophages. Real-time PCR analysis of trHb andgroEL2mRNAs showed an initial upregulation at 24 h postinfection. The presence of theglbOprotein imparted an increased survival toM. smegmatisin THP-1 differentiated macrophages compared to that imparted by theglbNandhsp65proteins. The comparative upregulation shown by both trHb promoters while grown inside macrophages indicates the importance of these promoters for the survival ofM. tuberculosisin the hostile environment of the host.
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Jedermann, Reiner, Ulrike Praeger, Martin Geyer, and Walter Lang. "Remote quality monitoring in the banana chain." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 372, no. 2017 (June 13, 2014): 20130303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2013.0303.
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Quality problems occurring during or after sea transportation of bananas in refrigerated containers are mainly caused by insufficient cooling and non-optimal atmospheric conditions, but also by the heat generated by respiration activity. Tools to measure and evaluate these effects can largely help to reduce losses along the banana supply chain. The presented green life model provides a tool to predict the effect of deviating temperature, relative humidity, and CO 2 and O 2 gas concentrations on the storage stability of bananas. A second thermal model allows evaluation of the cooling efficiency, the effect of changes in packaging and stowage and the amount of respiration heat from the measured temperature curves. Spontaneous ripening causes higher respiration heat and CO 2 production rate. The resulting risk for creation of hot spots increases in positions in which the respiration heat exceeds the available cooling capacity. In case studies on the transport of bananas from Costa Rica to Europe, we validated the models and showed how they can be applied to generate automated warning messages for containers with reduced banana green life or with temperature problems and also for remote monitoring of the ripening process inside the container.
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Reviews, Book. "Book Reviews." MIGRATION LETTERS 7, no. 1 (January 28, 2014): 115–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.33182/ml.v7i1.185.
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Janitors, Street Vendors, and Activists: The Lives of Mexican Immigrants in Silicon Valley by Christian Zlolniski Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California Press, 2006 ISBN 0520246438, 249 pp.The Archaeology of Xenitia: Greek Immigration and Material Culture Ed. by Kostis Kourelis Athens: Gennadius Library, 2008 ISBN 978-960-86960-6-8, 104 pp. Transit Migration: The Missing Link between Emigration and Settlement by Aspasia Papadopoulou-Kourkoula New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008 ISBN 0-230-55533-0, 177 pp.How Professors Think: Inside The Curious World of Academic Judgment, 1st Edition by Michele Lamont Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009 ISBN: 978-0674032668, 336 pp.
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Sudano Roccaro, Andrea, Anna Rita Blanco, Francesco Giuliano, Dario Rusciano, and Vincenzo Enea. "Epigallocatechin-Gallate Enhances the Activity of Tetracycline in Staphylococci by Inhibiting Its Efflux from Bacterial Cells." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 48, no. 6 (June 2004): 1968–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aac.48.6.1968-1973.2004.
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ABSTRACT Epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCg), the major catechin present in green tea extracts, has been shown to have several antibacterial activities, limiting bacterial growth and invasion and acting in synergy with β-lactam antibiotics. In this article, we report that EGCg at doses half and below its calculated MIC of 100 μg/ml, is able to reverse tetracycline resistance in staphylococcal isolates expressing the specific efflux pump Tet(K) and appears to improve the MICs of tetracycline for susceptible staphylococcal isolates as well. The visible effect of EGCg is an increased accumulation of tetracycline inside bacterial cells. This effect is likely due to the inhibition of pump activity, and it is evident not only for Tet(K) pumps but also for efflux pumps of a different class [Tet(B)]. In summary, our data indicate that the observed dramatic enhancement by EGCg of tetracycline activity for resistant staphylococcal isolates is caused by impairment of tetracycline efflux pump activity and increased intracellular retention of the drug, suggesting a possible use of EGCg as an adjuvant in antibacterial therapy.
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Vishnivetskaya, T. A., E. V. Spirina, A. V. Shatilovich, L. G. Erokhina, E. A. Vorobyova, and D. A. Gilichinsky. "The resistance of viable permafrost algae to simulated environmental stresses: implications for astrobiology." International Journal of Astrobiology 2, no. 3 (July 2003): 171–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550403001575.
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54 strains of viable green algae and 26 strains of viable cyanobacteria were recovered from 128 and 56 samples collected from Siberian and Antarctic permafrost, respectively, with ages from modern to a few million years old. Although species of unicellular green algae belonged to Chlorococcales were subdominant inside permafrost, green algae Pedinomonas sp. were observed in Antarctic permafrost. Filamentous cyanobacteria of Oscillatoriales, Nostocales were just found in Siberian permafrost. Algal biomass in the permanently frozen sediments, expressed as concentration of chlorophyll a, was 0.06–0.46 μg g−1. The number of viable algal cells varied between <102 and 9×103 cfu g−1, but the number of viable bacterial cells was usually higher from 102 to 9.2×105 cfu g−1. Frozen but viable permafrost algae have preserved their morphological characteristics and photosynthetic apparatus in the dark permafrost. In the laboratory, they restored their photosynthetic activity, growth and development in favourable conditions at positive temperatures and with the availability of water and light. The discovery of ancient viable algae within permafrost reflects their ability to tolerate long-term freezing. In this study, the tolerance of algae and cyanobacteria to freezing, thawing and freezing–drying stresses was evaluated by short-term (days to months) low-temperature experiments. Results indicate that viable permafrost microorganisms demonstrate resistance to such stresses. Apart from their ecological importance, the bacterial and algal species found in permafrost have become the focus for novel biotechnology, as well as being considered proxies for possible life forms on cryogenic extraterrestrial bodies.
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Salazar, Debra J., and Donald K. Alper. "Reconciling Environmentalism and the Left: Perspectives on Democracy and Social Justice in British Columbia's Environmental Movement." Canadian Journal of Political Science 35, no. 3 (September 2002): 527–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0008423902778347.
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The article examines how political ideas of environmentalists support as well as impede relations between the environmental movement and other progressive movements. This requires examination of the role and meaning of social justice and democracy in the discourse of environmentalism. This study focuses such an examination on a sample of environmental activists in British Columbia. Q methodology is used to discern patterns of association between particular sets of environmental ideas, and beliefs and values related to democracy and social justice. The authors identify four environmental/political perspectives: alienated ecocentrism, civic communitarianism, insider preservationism and green egalitarianism. These perspectives share a perception of justice focused on fair democratic procedures. Fairness is linked to inclusion and equal treatment.
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Alshoaibi, Adil, Osama Saber, and Faheem Ahmed. "Enhancement of Optical Activity and Properties of Barium Titanium Oxides to Be Active in Sunlight through Using Hollandite Phase Instead of Perovskite Phase." Crystals 11, no. 5 (May 15, 2021): 550. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cryst11050550.
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The present study aims to enhance the optical properties of barium titanate through narrowing its band gap energy to be effective for photocatalytic reactions in sunlight and be useful for solar cells. This target was achieved through growth of the hollandite phase instead of the perovskite phase inside the barium titanate crystals. By using solvent thermal reactions and thermal treatment at different temperatures (250 °C, 600 °C, and 900 °C), the hollandite phase of barium titanate was successfully obtained and confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and scanning electron microscopy techniques. XRD patterns showed a clear hollandite phase of barium titanium oxides for the sample calcined at 900 °C (BT1-900); however, the samples at 600 °C showed the presence of mixed phases. The mean crystallite size of the BT1-900 sample was found to be 38 nm. Morphological images revealed that the hollandite phase of barium titanate consisted of a mixed morphology of spheres and sheet-like features. The optical properties of barium titanate showed that its absorption edge shifted to the visible region and indicated band gap energy tuning ranging from 1.75 eV to 2.3 eV. Photocatalytic studies showed the complete and fast decolorization and mineralization of green pollutants (naphthol green B; NGB) in the prepared barium titanate with hollandite phase after illumination in sunlight for ten minutes. Finally, it can be concluded that the low band gap energy of barium titanate having the hollandite phase introduces beneficial structures for optical applications in sunlight.
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Możdżeń, Katarzyna, Patrycja Z. Leśnicka, Tomasz Burnecki, Sylwia Śliwińska-Wilczewska, Andrzej Skoczowski, and Magdalena Greczek-Stachura. "Photosynthetic efficiency of endosymbiotic algae of Paramecium bursaria originating from locations with cold and warm climates." Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies 47, no. 2 (June 26, 2018): 202–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2018-0019.
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Abstract Paramecium bursaria (Ciliophora) is a cosmopolitan unicellular organism that plays a significant role in aquatic ecosystems. P. bursaria contains symbiotic algae and this association is a mutual symbiosis. The aim of the present study was to determine the activity of photosystem II (PSII) in Chlorella sp. inside P. bursaria cells. Ciliates were incubated for 7 days at different temperatures from 6 to 18°C, under the circadian cycle: 12 h light/12 h dark, at light intensity of 200 μmol m-2 s-1 and under constant darkness conditions. The control group was kept at a temperature of 18°C under constant light conditions. Changes in PSII were monitored using different fluorescence parameters. Differences in responses between endosymbiotic algae of two P. bursaria strains – Ard7 from a warm climate and KD64 from a cold climate – were determined. The highest photosynthetic activity of P. bursaria green endosymbionts was observed at a temperature of 18°C, regardless of the light conditions. Algae from warm climate were more sensitive to cold temperature stress than algae from P. bursaria collected in cold climate.
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Zewdie, Dejene, Mirjana Pović, Manuel Aravena, Roberto J. Assef, and Asrate Gaulle. "AGN and star formation properties of inside–out assembled galaxy candidates at z < 0.1." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 498, no. 3 (August 19, 2020): 4345–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2488.
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ABSTRACT We study a sample of 48 127 galaxies selected from the SDSS MPA-JHU catalogue, with log M⋆/M⊙ = 10.73−11.03 and z < 0.1. Local galaxies in this stellar mass range have been shown to have systematically shorter assembly times within their inner regions (<0.5 R50) when compared to that of the galaxy as a whole, contrary to lower or higher mass galaxies that show consistent assembly times at all radii. Hence, we refer to these galaxies as Inside-Out Assembled Galaxy (IOAG) candidates. We find that the majority of IOAG candidates with well-detected emission lines are classified as either active galactic nucleus (AGN; 40 per cent) or composite (40 per cent) in the BPT (Baldwin, Phillips & Terlevich) diagram. We also find that the majority of our sources are located below the main sequence of star formation, and within the green valley or red sequence. Most BPT-classified star-forming IOAG candidates have spiral morphologies and are in the main sequence, whereas Seyfert 2 and composites have mostly spiral morphologies but quiescent star formation rates (SFRs). We argue that a high fraction of IOAG candidates seem to be in the process of quenching, moving from the blue cloud to the red sequence. Those classified as AGN have systematically lower SFRs than star-forming galaxies, suggesting that AGN activity may be related to this quenching. However, the spiral morphology of these galaxies remains in place, suggesting that the central star formation is suppressed before the morphological transformation occurs.
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Zitt, Christof, Alexander G. Obukhov, Carsten Strübing, Andrea Zobel, Frank Kalkbrenner, Andreas Lückhoff, and Günter Schultz. "Expression of TRPC3 in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Results in Calcium-activated Cation Currents Not Related to Store Depletion." Journal of Cell Biology 138, no. 6 (September 22, 1997): 1333–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.138.6.1333.
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TRPC3 (or Htrp3) is a human member of the trp family of Ca2+-permeable cation channels. Since expression of TRPC3 cDNA results in markedly enhanced Ca2+ influx in response to stimulation of membrane receptors linked to phospholipase C (Zhu, X., J. Meisheng, M. Peyton, G. Bouley, R. Hurst, E. Stefani, and L. Birnbaumer. 1996. Cell. 85:661–671), we tested whether TRPC3 might represent a Ca2+ entry pathway activated as a consequence of depletion of intracellular calcium stores. CHO cells expressing TRPC3 after intranuclear injection of cDNA coding for TRPC3 were identified by fluorescence from green fluorescent protein. Expression of TRPC3 produced cation currents with little selectivity for Ca2+ over Na+. These currents were constitutively active, not enhanced by depletion of calcium stores with inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate or thapsigargin, and attenuated by strong intracellular Ca2+ buffering. Ionomycin led to profound increases of currents, but this effect was strictly dependent on the presence of extracellular Ca2+. Likewise, infusion of Ca2+ into cell through the patch pipette increased TRPC3 currents. Therefore, TRPC3 is stimulated by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism. Studies on TRPC3 in inside-out patches showed cation-selective channels with 60-pS conductance and short (<2 ms) mean open times. Application of ionomycin to cells increased channel activity in cell-attached patches. Increasing the Ca2+ concentration on the cytosolic side of inside-out patches (from 0 to 1 and 30 μM), however, failed to stimulate channel activity, even in the presence of calmodulin (0.2 μM). We conclude that TRPC3 codes for a Ca2+-permeable channel that supports Ca2+-induced Ca2+-entry but should not be considered store operated.
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Glynias, Joe. "Byzantine Monasticism on the Black Mountain West of Antioch in the 10th-11th Centuries." Studies in Late Antiquity 4, no. 4 (2020): 408–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/sla.2020.4.4.408.
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This article sheds light on a hitherto unexplored phenomenon that alters our picture of Byzantine monasticism: the monastic culture of the Black Mountain outside Antioch. From 969-1084, the Black Mountain thrived as a destination for a variety of Chalcedonian monks: Greek-speaking Romans, Arabic-speaking Melkites, Georgians, and Armenians. I illustrate the prosperity of monastic life on the Black Mountain, the scholarly activity flourishing in and between languages, and the networks connecting the mountain to monasteries inside and outside of Byzantium. In this paper, I examine three bodies of source material: manuscripts produced at the Black Mountain, texts produced by its scholars, and the letters of Nikon of the Black Mountain. Colophons in Greek, Arabic, Syriac, and Georgian manuscripts display the active scribal culture of these monasteries. Scholars centered at St. Symeon produced scores of translations from Greek into Arabic and Georgian that illustrate the lasting impact of this multilingual intellectual atmosphere. Nikon’s letters provide the basis for a cultural history of Antiochene monasticism. From these and other sources, I show that the Black Mountain was a major hub in middle Byzantine monastic networks. At the same time when Athos was assuming a primary role in the western Orthodox monastic world, the Black Mountain was performing a similar function in the east.
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Lucia, Alejandro, Ariel Ceferino Toloza, Eduardo Guzmán, Francisco Ortega, and Ramón G. Rubio. "Novel polymeric micelles for insect pest control: encapsulation of essential oil monoterpenes inside a triblock copolymer shell for head lice control." PeerJ 5 (April 20, 2017): e3171. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3171.
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BackgroundEssential oil components (EOCs) are molecules with interesting application in pest control, these have been evaluated against different insect pest from more than 100 years, but their practical use is rather limited. Thus, the enhancement of their bioavailability and manageability due to their dispersion in water can open new perspective for the preparation of formulations for the control of insect pest. In this work, we studied the encapsulation of different monoterpenes in a poloxamer shell in order to prepare aqueous formulations that can be used for the development of platforms used in pest control.MethodsMicellar systems containing a 5 wt% of poloxamer 407 and 1.25 wt% of the different monoterpenes were prepared. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) experiments were carried out to characterize the dispersion of the EOCs in water. The pediculicidal activity of these micellar systems was tested on head lice using anex vivoimmersion test.ResultsThe poloxamers allowed the dispersion of EOCs in water due to their encapsulation inside the hydrophobic core of the copolymer micelles. From this study, we concluded that it is possible to make stable micellar systems containing water (>90 wt%), 1.25 wt% of different monoterpenes and a highly safe polymer (5wt% Poloxamer 407). These formulations were effective against head lice with mortality ranging from 30 to 60%, being the most effective emulsions those containing linalool, 1,8-cineole,α-terpineol, thymol, eugenol, geraniol and nonyl alcohol which lead to mortalities above 50%.DiscussionSince these systems showed good pediculicidal activity and high physicochemical stability, they could be a new route for the green fabrication of biocompatible and biosustainable insecticide formulations.
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Werner, Erin, Frank Roe, Amandine Bugnicourt, Michael J. Franklin, Arne Heydorn, Søren Molin, Betsey Pitts, and Philip S. Stewart. "Stratified Growth in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 70, no. 10 (October 2004): 6188–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.70.10.6188-6196.2004.
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ABSTRACT In this study, stratified patterns of protein synthesis and growth were demonstrated in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Spatial patterns of protein synthetic activity inside biofilms were characterized by the use of two green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene constructs. One construct carried an isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible gfpmut2 gene encoding a stable GFP. The second construct carried a GFP derivative, gfp-AGA, encoding an unstable GFP under the control of the growth-rate-dependent rrnBp 1 promoter. Both GFP reporters indicated that active protein synthesis was restricted to a narrow band in the part of the biofilm adjacent to the source of oxygen. The zone of active GFP expression was approximately 60 μm wide in colony biofilms and 30 μm wide in flow cell biofilms. The region of the biofilm in which cells were capable of elongation was mapped by treating colony biofilms with carbenicillin, which blocks cell division, and then measuring individual cell lengths by transmission electron microscopy. Cell elongation was localized at the air interface of the biofilm. The heterogeneous anabolic patterns measured inside these biofilms were likely a result of oxygen limitation in the biofilm. Oxygen microelectrode measurements showed that oxygen only penetrated approximately 50 μm into the biofilm. P. aeruginosa was incapable of anaerobic growth in the medium used for this investigation. These results show that while mature P. aeruginosa biofilms contain active, growing cells, they can also harbor large numbers of cells that are inactive and not growing.
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Thakur, Mukeshchand, Sunil Pandey, Ashmi Mewada, Vaibhav Patil, Monika Khade, Ekta Goshi, and Madhuri Sharon. "Antibiotic Conjugated Fluorescent Carbon Dots as a Theranostic Agent for Controlled Drug Release, Bioimaging, and Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity." Journal of Drug Delivery 2014 (March 18, 2014): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/282193.
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A novel report on microwave assisted synthesis of bright carbon dots (C-dots) using gum arabic (GA) and its use as molecular vehicle to ferry ciprofloxacin hydrochloride, a broad spectrum antibiotic, is reported in the present work. Density gradient centrifugation (DGC) was used to separate different types of C-dots. After careful analysis of the fractions obtained after centrifugation, ciprofloxacin was attached to synthesize ciprofloxacin conjugated with C-dots (Cipro@C-dots conjugate). Release of ciprofloxacin was found to be extremely regulated under physiological conditions. Cipro@C-dots were found to be biocompatible on Vero cells as compared to free ciprofloxacin (1.2 mM) even at very high concentrations. Bare C-dots (∼13 mg mL−1) were used for microbial imaging of the simplest eukaryotic model—Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast). Bright green fluorescent was obtained when live imaging was performed to view yeast cells under fluorescent microscope suggesting C-dots incorporation inside the cells. Cipro@C-dots conjugate also showed enhanced antimicrobial activity against both model gram positive and gram negative microorganisms. Thus, the Cipro@C-dots conjugate paves not only a way for bioimaging but also an efficient new nanocarrier for controlled drug release with high antimicrobial activity, thereby serving potential tool for theranostics.
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Takenaka, Shoji, Harsh M. Trivedi, Audrey Corbin, Betsey Pitts, and Philip S. Stewart. "Direct Visualization of Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Antimicrobial Action within Model Oral Biofilms." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 74, no. 6 (January 25, 2008): 1869–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.02218-07.
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ABSTRACT A microscopic method for noninvasively visualizing the action of an antimicrobial agent inside a biofilm was developed and applied to describe spatial and temporal patterns of mouthrinse activity on model oral biofilms. Three species biofilms of Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus gordonii, and Actinomyces naeslundii were grown in glass capillary flow cells. Bacterial cells were stained with the fluorogenic esterase substrate Calcien AM (CAM). Loss of green fluorescence upon exposure to an antimicrobial formulation was subsequently imaged by time-lapse confocal laser scanning microscopy. When an antimicrobial mouthrinse containing chlorhexidine digluconate was administered, a gradual loss of green fluorescence was observed that began at the periphery of cell clusters where they adjoined the flowing bulk fluid and progressed inward over a time period of several minutes. Image analysis was performed to quantify a penetration velocity of 4 μm/min. An enzyme-based antimicrobial formulation led to a gradual, continually slowing loss of fluorescence in a pattern that was qualitatively different from the behavior observed with chlorhexidine. Ethanol at 11.6% had little effect on the biofilm. None of these treatments resulted in the removal of biomass from the biofilm. Most methods to measure or visualize antimicrobial action in biofilms are destructive. Spatial information is important because biofilms are known for their structural and physiological heterogeneity. The CAM staining technique has the potential to provide information about the rate of antimicrobial penetration, the presence of tolerant subpopulations, and the extent of biomass removal effected by a treatment.
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Muñoz, Alberto, Belén López-García, and Jose F. Marcos. "Studies on the Mode of Action of the Antifungal Hexapeptide PAF26." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 50, no. 11 (November 2006): 3847–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aac.00650-06.
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ABSTRACT The small antimicrobial peptide PAF26 (Ac-RKKWFW-NH2) has been identified by a combinatorial approach and shows preferential activity toward filamentous fungi. In this work, we investigated the mode of action and inhibitory effects of PAF26 on the fungus Penicillium digitatum. The dye Sytox Green was used to demonstrate that PAF26 induced cell permeation. However, microscopic observations showed that sub-MIC concentrations of PAF26 produced both alterations of hyphal morphology (such as altered polar growth and branching) and chitin deposition in areas of no detectable permeation. Analysis of dose-response curves of inhibition and permeation suggested that growth inhibition is not solely a consequence of permeation. In order to shed light on the mode of PAF26 action, its antifungal properties were compared with those of melittin, a well-known pore-forming peptide that kills through cytolysis. While the 50% inhibitory concentrations and MICs of the two peptides against P. digitatum mycelium were comparable, they differed markedly in their fungicidal activities toward conidia and their hemolytic activities toward human red blood cells. Kinetic studies showed that melittin quickly induced Penicillium cell permeation, while PAF26-induced Sytox Green uptake was significantly slower and less efficient. Therefore, the ultimate growth inhibition and morphological alterations induced by PAF26 for P. digitatum are not likely a result of conventional pore formation. Fluorescently labeled PAF26 was used to demonstrate its specific in vivo interaction and translocation inside germ tubes and hyphal cells, at concentrations as low as 0.3 μM (20 times below the MIC), at which no inhibitory, morphological, or permeation effects were observed. Interestingly, internalized PAF26 could bind to cellular RNAs, since in vitro nonspecific RNA binding activity of PAF26 was demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. We propose that PAF26 is a short, de novo-designed penetratin-type peptide that has multiple detrimental effects on target fungi, which ultimately result in permeation and killing.
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Di Sandro, Alessia, Stefano Del Duca, Elisabetta Verderio, Alan J. Hargreaves, Alessandra Scarpellini, Giampiero Cai, Mauro Cresti, et al. "An extracellular transglutaminase is required for apple pollen tube growth." Biochemical Journal 429, no. 2 (June 28, 2010): 261–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bj20100291.
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An extracellular form of the calcium-dependent protein-cross-linking enzyme TGase (transglutaminase) was demonstrated to be involved in the apical growth of Malus domestica pollen tube. Apple pollen TGase and its substrates were co-localized within aggregates on the pollen tube surface, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence staining and the in situ cross-linking of fluorescently labelled substrates. TGase-specific inhibitors and an anti-TGase monoclonal antibody blocked pollen tube growth, whereas incorporation of a recombinant fluorescent mammalian TGase substrate (histidine-tagged green fluorescent protein: His6–Xpr–GFP) into the growing tube wall enhanced tube length and germination, consistent with a role of TGase as a modulator of cell wall building and strengthening. The secreted pollen TGase catalysed the cross-linking of both PAs (polyamines) into proteins (released by the pollen tube) and His6-Xpr-GFP into endogenous or exogenously added substrates. A similar distribution of TGase activity was observed in planta on pollen tubes germinating inside the style, consistent with a possible additional role for TGase in the interaction between the pollen tube and the style during fertilization.
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Cassola, Alejandro, Marc Parrot, Susana Silberstein, Beatrice B. Magee, Susana Passeron, Luc Giasson, and María L. Cantore. "Candida albicans Lacking the Gene Encoding the Regulatory Subunit of Protein Kinase A Displays a Defect in Hyphal Formation and an Altered Localization of the Catalytic Subunit." Eukaryotic Cell 3, no. 1 (February 2004): 190–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/ec.3.1.190-199.2004.
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ABSTRACT The fungal pathogen Candida albicans switches from a yeast-like to a filamentous mode of growth in response to a variety of environmental conditions. We examined the morphogenetic behavior of C. albicans yeast cells lacking the BCY1 gene, which encodes the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A. We cloned the BCY1 gene and generated a bcy1 tpk2 double mutant strain because a homozygous bcy1 mutant in a wild-type genetic background could not be obtained. In the bcy1 tpk2 mutant, protein kinase A activity (due to the presence of the TPK1 gene) was cyclic AMP independent, indicating that the cells harbored an unregulated phosphotransferase activity. This mutant has constitutive protein kinase A activity and displayed a defective germinative phenotype in N-acetylglucosamine and in serum-containing medium. The subcellular localization of a Tpk1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein was examined in wild-type, tpk2 null, and bcy1 tpk2 double mutant strains. The fusion protein was observed to be predominantly nuclear in wild-type and tpk2 strains. This was not the case in the bcy1 tpk2 double mutant, where it appeared dispersed throughout the cell. Coimmunoprecipitation of Bcy1p with the Tpk1-GFP fusion protein demonstrated the interaction of these proteins inside the cell. These results suggest that one of the roles of Bcy1p is to tether the protein kinase A catalytic subunit to the nucleus.
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Garrido, Andreia, João Serôdio, Ric De Vos, Artur Conde, and Ana Cunha. "Influence of Foliar Kaolin Application and Irrigation on Photosynthetic Activity of Grape Berries." Agronomy 9, no. 11 (October 27, 2019): 685. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9110685.
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Climate changes may cause severe impacts both on grapevine and berry development. Foliar application of kaolin has been suggested as a mitigation strategy to cope with stress caused by excessive heat/radiation absorbed by leaves and grape berry clusters. However, its effect on the light micro-environment inside the canopy and clusters, as well as on the acclimation status and physiological responses of the grape berries, is unclear. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of foliar kaolin application on the photosynthetic activity of the exocarp and seeds, which are the main photosynthetically active berry tissues. For this purpose, berries from high light (HL) and low light (LL) microclimates in the canopy, from kaolin-treated and non-treated, irrigated and non-irrigated plants, were collected at three developmental stages. Photochemical and non-photochemical efficiencies of both tissues were obtained by a pulse amplitude modulated chlorophyll fluorescence imaging analysis. The maximum quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) data for green HL-grown berries suggest that kaolin application can protect the berry exocarp from light stress. At the mature stage, exocarps of LL grapes from irrigated plants treated with kaolin presented higher Fv/Fm and relative electron transport rates (rETR200) than those without kaolin. However, for the seeds, a negative interaction between kaolin and irrigation were observed especially in HL grapes. These results highlight the impact of foliar kaolin application on the photosynthetic performance of grape berries growing under different light microclimates and irrigation regimes, throughout the season. This provides insights for a more case-oriented application of this mitigation strategy on grapevines.
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Febriarto, Prasetyo. "KUALITAS FUNGSI SOSIAL TERHADAP KEBERADAAN TAMAN KOTA PUBLIK DI KOTA SURAKARTA." Sustainable, Planning and Culture (SPACE) : Jurnal Perencanaan Wilayah dan Kota 1, no. 1 (January 30, 2019): 10–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.32795/space.v1i1.259.
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The purpose of this study was to find out the utilization of green open space by looking at the aspects of socialfunctions in the form of recreational activities of park users towards the existence of Taman Monumen 45 Banjarsari(Monjari) city park in Surakarta City. The object of this research is users with various social functions in the form ofactivities in City Parks in Surakarta City, namely, Taman Monumen 45 Banjarsari (Monjari). Data retrieval techniquesuse information collected, namely information and data relating to social functions of City Parks in Surakarta City. Thisinformation and data is obtained from various sources, in the form of magazines, scientific journals, websites (internet)and books that are relevant to the object of research. The analytical method used in this study uses explorative descriptiveanalysis. Conducted by observation, observation of the social function of the existence of city parks on user activities byanalyzing user activity activities that occur outside and inside the city park in the monument of Taman 45 Banjarsari(Monjari). The study was conducted to find out the social functions (user activity) that occur for five days (Tuesday toSunday) starting from morning (07.00 - 09.00 am), afternoon (12.00-14.00 am), and afternoon (15.00 - 17.00 pm) to showthe city park good quality and ideal in the city park.
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HOULE, Steeve, and François MARCEAU. "Wortmannin alters the intracellular trafficking of the bradykinin B2 receptor: role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Rab5." Biochemical Journal 375, no. 1 (October 1, 2003): 151–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bj20030872.
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Wortmannin reportedly induces the formation of enlarged cytoplasmic endosomes. Such vesicles were observed in a definite time window after wortmannin treatment (250 nM) in HEK-293 cells stably expressing a B2R (B2 receptor)–green fluorescent protein conjugate and other cell types. The alternative PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) inhibitor LY 294002 (100 μM) and a dominant-negative form of the enzyme (p85α ΔiSH2) induce a more modest vesicle enlargement. PI3K inhibition by drugs did not affect agonist-induced [3H]arachidonate release. The wortmannin-induced formation of giant endosomes also involves Rab5 activity, since a dominant-negative form of this GTPase (Rab5 S34N) partially inhibits the wortmannin effect and a constitutively active form of Rab5 (Rab5 Q79L) induces the formation of enlarged endosomes. Moreover, agonist stimulation targeted B2R–green fluorescent protein towards the periphery of the giant vesicles and led to partial receptor degradation only in wortmannin-treated cells. Receptor degradation was decreased by protease inhibitors and by bafilomycin A1, a drug that inhibits lysosome function. Accumulation of fluorescent material inside the enlarged endosomes was observed in cells treated with bafilomycin A1, wortmannin and an agonist. [3H]Bradykinin binding was decreased in HEK-293 cells treated with both wortmannin and the agonist, but not with either separately. Furthermore, a wortmannin-induced functional down-regulation of B2R was observed in rabbit jugular veins after repeated agonist stimulation (contractility assay). This is the first report of a G-protein-coupled receptor down-regulation induced by an alteration of its usual routing in the cell. These results suggest that both PI3K and Rab5 influence B2R intracellular trafficking.
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PALACIOS-CABRERA, HECTOR A., HILARY C. MENEZES, BEATRIZ T. IAMANAKA, FREDERICO CANEPA, ALDIR A. TEIXEIRA, NELSON CARVALHAES, DOMENICO SANTI, PLINIO T. Z. LEME, KATUMI YOTSUYANAGI, and MARTA H. TANIWAKI. "Effect of Temperature and Relative Humidity during Transportation on Green Coffee Bean Moisture Content and Ochratoxin A Production." Journal of Food Protection 70, no. 1 (January 1, 2007): 164–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.4315/0362-028x-70.1.164.
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Changes in temperature, relative humidity, and moisture content of green coffee beans were monitored during transportation of coffee from Brazil to Italy. Six containers (three conventional and three prototype) were stowed in three different places (hold, first floor, and deck) on the ship. Each prototype was located next to a conventional container. The moisture content of the coffee in the container located on the first floor was less affected by environmental variations (0.7%) than that in the hold and on the deck. Coffee located in the hold showed the highest variation in moisture content (3%); in addition, the container showed visible condensation. Coffee transported on the deck showed an intermediary variation in moisture (2%), and there was no visible condensation. The variation in coffee moisture content of the prototype containers was similar to that of the conventional ones, especially in the top layers of coffee bags (2 to 3%), while the increase in water activity was 0.70. This suggests that diffusion of moisture occurs very slowly inside the cargo and that there are thus sufficient time and conditions for fungal growth. The regions of the container near the wall and ceiling are susceptible to condensation since they are close to the headspace with its high relative humidity. Ochratoxin A production occurred in coffee located at the top of the container on the deck and in the wet bags from the hold (those found to be wet on opening the containers at the final destination).
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Yusof, N. N., Sib Krishna Ghoshal, and Ramli Arifin. "Improved Self-Cleaning and Spectral Features of Erbium Doped Tellurite Glass with Titania Nanoparticles Sensitization." Solid State Phenomena 268 (October 2017): 48–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/ssp.268.48.
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The effects of Titania nanoparticles (TiNPs) sensitization on the self-cleaning, spectral, and physical properties of erbium-doped tellurite glass were determined. Five glass samples with composition (69-x)TeO2-20ZnO-10Na2O-1Er2O3-(x)TiO2, where x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mol% were synthesized using melt quenching method. XRD pattern confirmed the amorphous nature of prepared samples and TEM images manifested the growth of nearly spherical TiNPs of average size ≈14 ± 1 nm inside the glass matrix. The observed decrease in the water contact angle from 68o to 43o with increasing TiNPs contents was ascribed to the increase of glass surface hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, enhanced degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) with increasing TiNPs contents up to 0.2 mol% indicated an improved photocatalytic activity of the glass sample. The UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectra exhibited ten significant bands of Er3+ ions. Two plasmon absorption bands were evidenced at 552 and 580 nm. The green band in the photoluminescence spectra of sample containing 0.2 mol% of TiNPs showed highest enhancement factor of 30 times. It is established that the present glass composition is prospective for making self-cleaning surfaces and other display devices.
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Nešović, Katarina, Ana Janković, Tamara Radetić, Aleksandra Perić-Grujić, Maja Vukašinović-Sekulić, Vesna Kojić, Kyong Yop Rhee, and Vesna Mišković-Stanković. "Poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan hydrogels with electrochemically synthesized silver nanoparticles for wound dressing applications." Journal of Electrochemical Science and Engineering 10, no. 2 (March 9, 2020): 185–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.5599/jese.732.
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Polymer-based hydrogel materials are excellent candidates for new-generation wound dressings with improved properties, such as high sorption ability, good mechanical properties and low adhesiveness. Cross-linked hydrogel matrices also serve as excellent carriers for controlled release of antibacterial agents, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which are preferred over conventional antibiotics due to low propensity to induce bacterial resistance. In this work, we aim to produce novel silver/poly(vinyl alcohol)/chitosan (Ag/PVA/CHI) hydrogels for wound dressing applications. The electrochemical AgNPs synthesis provided facile and green method for the reduction of Ag+ ions inside the hydrogel matrices, without the need to use toxic chemical reducing agents. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed using UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Release kinetics was investigated in modified phosphate buffer solution at 37 °C to mimic physiological conditions. Release profiles indicated “burst release” behavior, which is beneficial for wound dressing applications. The antibacterial activity was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains using disc-diffusion test, and non-toxicity of hydrogels was proved by dye-exclusion test. The obtained results confirmed strong potential of Ag/PVA/CHI hydrogels for biomedical applications.
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Theis, T., M. Wedde, V. Meyer, and U. Stahl. "The Antifungal Protein from Aspergillus giganteus Causes Membrane Permeabilization." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 47, no. 2 (February 2003): 588–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aac.47.2.588-593.2003.
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ABSTRACT We investigated the inhibitory effects of the antifungal protein (AFP) from Aspergillus giganteus on the growth of several filamentous fungi. For this purpose, the MICs of AFP were determined and ranged from 0.1 μg/ml for Fusarium oxysporum to 200 μg/ml for Aspergillus nidulans. The antifungal activity of AFP was diminished in the presence of cations. We were able to show that incubation of AFP-sensitive fungi with the protein resulted in membrane permeabilization using an assay based on the uptake of the fluorescent dye SYTOX Green. No permeabilization by AFP could be detected at concentrations below the species-specific MIC. Furthermore, AFP-induced permeabilization could readily be detected after 5 min of incubation. Localization experiments with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled AFP and immunofluorescence staining with an AFP-specific antibody supported the observation that the protein interacts with membranes. After treatment of AFP-sensitive fungi with AFP, the protein was localized at the plasma membrane, whereas it was mainly detected inside the cells of AFP-resistant fungi. We conclude from these data that the growth-inhibitory effect of AFP is caused by permeabilization of the fungal membranes.
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Rozempolska-Rucińska, Iwona, Kornel Kasperek, Kamil Drabik, Grzegorz Zięba, and Agnieszka Ziemiańska. "Behavioural Variability in Chicks vs. the Pattern of Behaviour in Adult Hens." Animals 10, no. 2 (February 9, 2020): 269. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10020269.
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The aim of the study was to assess the behaviour of chicks of three different breeds of laying hens differing in the activity, emotional reactivity, and environmental preferences. Another objective was to answer the question whether the behavioural differences between adult birds would be evident already in the chick period or whether they are an effect of the further modifying impact of the environment. 60 green-legged partridge, 60 Polbar, and 60 Leghorn chicks were used in the experiments. The chicks hatched in a flock where hens were previously assessed with behavioural tests and the corticosterone levels in their feathers was determined, indicating significant differences in the temperament and stress level between the breeds. Five tests were carried out: two on competitiveness, activity, interest and fearfulness/curiosity. The experiments revealed considerable differences between the chicks. The Zk birds coped better with situations requiring swiftness and initiative. The Pb chicks were slower than Zk and Lg and did not make quick decisions. Hence, a lower number of these birds entering and leaving the test cage and staying inside was recorded. The Zk chicks exhibited a higher level of fearfulness than the other breeds. In terms of the environment enrichment elements, sand and woodchips were more attractive to the Zk chicks, whereas the Lg and Pb birds preferred pecking the string. No differences in the time of undertaking the analysed activities were found between the breeds.
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Tonina, Lorenzo, Giulia Zanettin, Paolo Miorelli, Simone Puppato, Andrew G. S. Cuthbertson, and Alberto Grassi. "Anthonomus rubi on Strawberry Fruit: Its Biology, Ecology, Damage, and Control from an IPM Perspective." Insects 12, no. 8 (August 5, 2021): 701. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects12080701.
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The strawberry blossom weevil (SBW), Anthonomus rubi, is a well-documented pest of strawberry. Recently, in strawberry fields of Trento Province (north-east Italy), new noteworthy damage on fruit linked to SBW adults was observed, combined with a prolonged adult activity until the autumn. In this new scenario, we re-investigated SBW biology, ecology, monitoring tools, and potential control methods to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. Several trials were conducted on strawberry in the laboratory, field and semi-natural habitats. The feeding activity of adult SBW results in small deep holes on berries at different stages, causing yield losses of up to 60%. We observed a prolonged survival of newly emerged adults (>240 days) along with their ability to sever flower buds without laying eggs inside them in the same year (one generation per year). SBW adults were present in the strawberry field year-round, with movement between crop and no crop habitats, underlying a potential role of other host/feeding plants to support its populations. Yellow sticky traps combined with synthetic attractants proved promising for both adult monitoring and mass trapping. Regarding control, adhesive tapes and mass trapping using green bucket pheromone traps gave unsatisfactory results, while the high temperatures provided by the black fabric, the periodic removal of severed buds or adults and Chlorpyrifos-methyl application constrained population build-up. The findings are important for the development of an IPM strategy.
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Bathe, Friederike, Claudia Kempf, Stephen A. Osmani, Aysha H. Osmani, Sabrina Hettinger, Elke Wohlmann, and Reinhard Fischer. "Functional Characterization of a New Member of the Cdk9 Family in Aspergillus nidulans." Eukaryotic Cell 9, no. 12 (October 15, 2010): 1901–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/ec.00384-09.
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ABSTRACT Cdk9-like kinases in complex with T-type cyclins are essential components of the eukaryotic transcription elongation machinery. The full spectrum of Cdk9/cyclin T targets, as well as the specific consequences of phosphorylations, is still largely undefined. We identify and characterize here a Cdk9 kinase (PtkA) in the filamentous ascomycete Aspergillus nidulans. Deletion of ptkA had a lethal effect in later stages of vegetative growth and completely impeded asexual development. Overexpression of ptkA affected directionality of polarized growth and the initiation of new branching sites. A green fluorescent protein-tagged PtkA version localized inside the nucleus during interphase, supporting a role of PtkA in transcription elongation, as observed in other organisms. We also identified a putative cyclin T homolog, PchA, in the A. nidulans genome and confirmed its interaction with PtkA in vivo. Surprisingly, the Pcl-like cyclin PclA, previously described to be involved in asexual development, was also found to interact with PtkA, indicating a possible role of PtkA in linking transcriptional activity with development and/or morphogenesis in A. nidulans. This is the first report of a Cdk9 kinase interacting with a Pcl-like cyclin, revealing interesting new aspects about the involvement of this Cdk-subfamily in differential gene expression.
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Krause, Andrea, Birte Bischoff, Lucie Miché, Federico Battistoni, and Barbara Reinhold-Hurek. "Exploring the Function of Alcohol Dehydrogenases During the Endophytic Life of Azoarcus Sp. Strain BH72." Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions® 24, no. 11 (November 2011): 1325–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/mpmi-05-11-0139.
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The endophytic bacterium Azoarcus sp. strain BH72 is capable of colonizing the interior of rice roots, where it finds suitable physicochemical properties for multiplying and fixing nitrogen. Because these properties are poorly understood, a microtiter-plate-based screening of a transcriptional gfp (green fluorescent protein) fusion library of Azoarcus sp. grown under different conditions was performed. Monitoring of the GFP activity allowed the identification of a gene highly expressed in medium supplemented with ethanol. Sequence analysis revealed that this gene encodes a pyrrolo-quinoline quinone-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Inspection of the complete genome sequence of the Azoarcus sp. strain BH72 identified seven additional genes encoding putative ADH, indicating that BH72 is well equipped to survive in different environmental conditions offering various alcohols as carbon source. Analyses of these eight putative ADH showed that expression of three was induced by ethanol, of which two were also expressed inside rice roots. The fact that waterlogged plants such as rice accumulate ethanol suggests that ethanol occurs in sufficiently high concentration within the root to induce expression of bacterial ADH. Disruption of these two ADH evoked a reduced competitiveness to the wild type in colonizing rice roots internally. Thus, it is likely that ethanol is an important carbon source for the endophytic life of Azoarcus sp.