The major tegumental antigen of Fasciola hepatica contains repeated elements

In order to provide a better understanding of the interaction between the liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) and the immune system of its mammalian host immunoreactive ? bacteriophage clones containing F. hepatica cDNA have been isolated. Plasmids from these clones were sequenced and found to encode a family of proteins containing certain common elements. All the clones contained a coding repeating sequence (RRRXCA) which is conserved at the nucleic acid level followed by a non-repeating element coding for the C terminal used by the proteins which shows conservation of amino acids at certain positions. Antisera raised against a ß-galactosidase fusion protein with one of these sequences as a terminal extension was used to localize the immunoreactive antigens. Binding was predominantly in the tegument of the juvenile fluke but was reduced in the adult tegument. The wall of the uterus showed strong reactivity in the adult. Rats immunized with the ß-galactosidase fusion protein showed enhanced resistance to challenge infections. The role of these antigens in the host response to infection by F. hepatica is discussed.

Universal elements for non-linear operators and their applications

We prove that under certain topological conditions on the set of universal elements of a continuous map T acting on a topological space X, that the direct sum T and M_g is universal, where M_g is multiplication by a generating element of a compact topological group. We use this result to characterize R_+-supercyclic operators and to show that whenever T is a supercyclic operator and z_1,...,z_n are pairwise different non-zero complex numbers, then the operator z_1T\oplus ... \oplus z_n T is cyclic. The latter answers affirmatively a question of Bayart and Matheron.

Two-layer mm-wave FSS of linear slot elements with low insertion loss

The performance of a very low loss frequency selective surface (FSS) comprising two air spaced planar arrays of linear slot elements is reported. The beamsplitter generates a low loss passband response with a very sharp transmission roll-off with frequency. Simulated and measured results in the 30 GHz and 300 GHz wavebands are used to quantify the performance improvement compared to a conventional multilayer dielectrically backed conducting ring FSS. The paper also discusses the effect of the array dimensions on the passband width and filter roll-off rate.

Imaging domains in BaTiO3 single crystal nanostructures: comparing information from transmission electron microscopy and piezo-force microscopy

This article compares and contrasts information
obtained, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
and piezo-force microscopy (PFM), on domain configurations
adopted in single crystal lamellae of BaTiO3, that had
been cut directly from bulk using a focused ion beam
microscope with top and bottom surfaces parallel to
{100}pseudocubic. Both forms of imaging reveal domain
walls parallel to {110}pseudocubic, consistent with sets of 90
domains with dipoles oriented parallel to the two
\001[pseudocubic directions in the plane of the lamellae.
However, the domain width was observed to be dramatically
larger using PFM than it was using TEM. This suggests
significant differences in the surface energy densities
that drive the domain formation in the first place, that could
relate to differences in the boundary conditions in the two
modes of imaging (TEM samples are imaged under high
vacuum, whereas PFM imaging was performed in air).
Attempts were made to map local dipole orientations
directly, using a form of ‘vector’ PFM. However, information
inferred was largely inconsistent with the known
crystallography of the samples, raising concern about the
levels of care needed for accurate interpretation of PFM
images.

Injection of metallic elements into an electron-beam ion trap using a Knudsen cell

A method of injecting metallic elements into an electron-beam ion trap (EBIT) is described. The method is advantageous over the conventional coaxial and pulsed injection methods in two ways: (a) complicated switching of injection and extraction beams can be avoided when extracting beams of highly charged ions from the EBIT and (b) a beam of stable intensity can be achieved. This method may be applicable to any metallic elements or metallic compounds that have vapor pressures of similar to 0.1 Pa at a temperature lower than 1900 degrees C. We have employed this method for the extraction of highly charged ions of Bi, Er, Fe, and Ho. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

The nonformative elements of religious life: questioning the ‘sociology of spirituality’ paradigm

Sociological assertions of religious vitality in Euro-American societies have developed a paradigm of spirituality in which, following earlier studies of the New Age, a distinction is drawn between external authority and self-authority. Methodologically and theoretically problematic, this paradigm diverts attention from people’s social practices and interactions, especially in relation to multiple religious authorities. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork with an English religious network, and building upon the work of Pierre Bourdieu, this paper considers situations in which multiple authorities tend to relativize each other. Conceptualizing this in terms of nonformativeness - the lack of authorities’ abilities formatively to shape religious identity, habitus, and competition over religious capital - a new understanding of individual secularization emerges that questions assertions of vitality.

High incidence of cryptic repeated elements in microsatellite flanking regions of galatheid genomes and its evolutionary implications

During the development of PCR primer sets for icrosatellite marker loci from enriched genomic libraries for three squat lobster species from Galatheidae (Decapoda: Anomura); Munida rugosa (Fabricius, 1775), M. sarsi (Huus, 1935), and Galathea strigosa (Linnaeus, 1761) (collectively known as squat lobsters), a number of unforeseen problems were encountered. These included PCR amplification failure, lack of amplification consistency, and the amplification of multiple fragments. Careful examination of microsatellite containing sequences revealed the existence of cryptic repeated elements on presumed unique flanking regions. BLAST analysis of these and other VNTR containing sequences (N 5 252) indicates that these cryptic elements can be grouped into families based upon sequence similarities. The unique features characterising these families suggest that different molecular mechanisms are involved. Of particular relevance is the association of microsatellites with mobile elements. This is the first reported observation of this phenomenon in crustaceans, and it also helps to explain why microsatellite primer development in galatheids has been relatively unsuccessful to date. We suggest a number of steps that can be used to identify similar problems in microsatellite marker development for other species, and also alternative approaches for both marker development and for the study of molecular evolution of species characterised by complex genome organisation. More specifically, we argue that new generation sequencing methodologies, which capitalise on parallel and multiplexed sequencing may pave the way forward for future crustacean research.