Immune TB Antibody Phage Display Library as a Tool To Study B Cell Immunity in TB Infections

B cells and in particular antibodies has always played second fiddle to cellular immunity in regard to tuberculosis (TB). However, recent studies has helped position humoral immunity especially antibodies back into the foray in relation to TB immunity. Therefore, the ability to correlate the natural antibody responses of infected individuals toward TB antigens would help strengthen this concept. Phage display is an intriguing approach that can be utilized to study antibody-mediated responses against a particular infection via harvesting the B cell repertoire from infected individuals. The development of disease-specific antibody libraries or immune libraries is useful to better understand antibody-mediated immune responses against specific disease antigens. This study describes the generation of an immune single-chain variable fragment (scFv) library derived from TB-infected individuals. The immune library with an estimated diversity of 10⁹ independent clones was then applied for the identification of monoclonal antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis α-crystalline as a model antigen. Biopanning of the library isolated three monoclonal antibodies with unique gene usage. This strengthens the role of antibodies in TB immunity in addition to the role played by cellular immunity. The developed library can be applied against other TB antigens and aid antibody-derived TB immunity studies in the future.     

Nonthermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma for Methylene Blue Dye Decolorization by Using Slug Flow Reactor System

Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing - Non-equilibrium pulsed discharge plasma using a gas–liquid slug flow in a glass column as a plasma reactor is developed and applied to methylene blue...     

Evaluation of phase transformation behaviors of zeolite and antibacterial properties against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria

This study deals with the synthesis of zeolite from natural kaolinite using hydrothermal treatment and evaluation of its phase transformation behaviors. The synthesized zeolites were modified with silver ion by using the ion exchange method for the enhancement of antibacterial properties. The characterizations were performed by using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray. Disk diffusion technique (DDT) was used for the evaluation of the antibacterial property of the modified zeolites. This study observed the transformation of kaolinite into amorphous metakaolin after calcination treatment at 900°C and the successful reconstruction of amorphous metakaolin into synthesized crystal zeolite in the presence of sodium hydroxide as an activating agent. It was also found that the zeolite type A was produced at 100°C, while sodalites were produced at 120 and 140°C. DDT analysis revealed that the modified zeolites showed significant antibacterial capability against Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538. In general, the present study has proven that the zeolites can be synthesized from natural material and can be modified with silver ion to enhance their antibacterial activity.     

Two new xanthones from Calophyllum nodusum (Guttiferae)

The air-dried powdered stem bark of Calophyllum nodusum (Guttiferea) collected from Sandakan (Sabah, Malaysia), was extracted sequentially with hexane, chloroform and methanol. The solvents were removed by rotary evaporator to give dark viscous extracts. Detailed and repeated chromatographic separation of the extracts lead to isolation of two new xanthones, identified as nodusuxanthone and trapezifolixanthone A. Other common terpenoids such as betulinic acid, lupeol, stigmasterol and friedelin were also isolated from the extracts and identified. The structures of the compounds were established by detailed spectral analysis and comparison with previously reported data.     

Surface and interior views on origins of two types of banded spherulites in poly(nonamethylene terephthalate)

Top-surface and three-dimensional views of Type-1 and Type-2 of ring-banded spherulites in poly(nonamethylene terephthalate) (PNT) in thicker bulk crystallized on a nucleating potassium bromide (KBr) substrate were examined using various microscopy techniques: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized-optical microscopy (POM), and atomic-force microscopy (AFM). In PNT crystallized at higher crystallization temperature (T(c)) with heterogeneous nucleating substrate, typically two types of ring-banded spherulites are present that differ significantly in patterns and ring spacings: Type-1 Type-2 (single- and double-ring-banded spherulites). Three-dimensional view on fractured spherulites in bulk PNT samples reveals that the single-ring-banded spherulite (Type-1) tends to be well-rounded spheres as they are nucleated homogeneously from bulk; the double-ring-banded spherulite (Type-2) is concentric hemisphere or truncated sphere shells owing to be nucleated from bottom. With confined thickness of films, the 3-D hemispheres in PNT may become truncated into multi-shell annular cones or arcs when thickness or growth is restricted. Based on the top-surface vs. interior views of banded lamellar assembly, origins and inner structures of dual types of ring bands in PNT were examined in greater details.     

Simulation model of the fractal patterns in ionic conducting polymer films

Normally polymer electrolyte membranes are prepared and studied for applications in electrochemical devices. In this work, polymer electrolyte membranes have been used as the media to culture fractals. In order to simulate the growth patterns and stages of the fractals, a model has been identified based on the Brownian motion theory. A computer coding has been developed for the model to simulate and visualize the fractal growth. This computer program has been successful in simulating the growth of the fractal and in calculating the fractal dimension of each of the simulated fractal patterns. The fractal dimensions of the simulated fractals are comparable with the values obtained in the original fractals observed in the polymer electrolyte membrane. This indicates that the model developed in the present work is within acceptable conformity with the original fractal.