Multiple-step melting in two-dimensional hexatic liquid-crystal films

An unexpected three-stage melting transition has been observed in two-dimensional (2D) free-standing liquid-crystal films by in situ electron-diffraction and optical-reflectivity measurements. These data suggest the existence of two phases between the 2D solid and liquid: a hexatic phase and, at a higher temperature, an intermediate liquid phase with hexatic-like positional correlations ( approximately 40 angstroms) but no long-range orientational order. Previous high-resolution heat-capacity measurements have revealed a divergent-like anomaly at the hexatic-liquid transition that sharply contradicts the predictions of 2D melting theories. The observation of an intermediate isotropic phase may alter our understanding of 2D melting and lead to reconciliation between current experiments and theories.     

The potential of the ovine udder as a model to determine the pathogenicity of bovine ureaplasmas

Various methods of inducing mastitis in the ovine mammary gland with two bovine ureaplasma strains were investigated. The most successful method was by inoculation of fresh broth cultures on two successive days, 24 h apart. Eight more bovine strains were inoculated by this means and three successfully infected the glands.     

Vacuum Seed Sowing Manifold: a novel device for high-throughput sowing of Arabidopsis seeds

The small size of Arabidopsis provides both opportunities and difficulties for laboratory research. Large numbers of plants can be grown in a relatively small area making it easy to observe and investigate interesting phenotypes. Conversely, their small size can also make it difficult to obtain large quantities of tissue for investigation using modern molecular techniques. Sowing large numbers of their seed can overcome this; however, their small seed size makes this difficult. Here we present the Vacuum Seed Sowing Manifold (VSSM), a simple device that can be printed using a 3D printer and provides a new high throughput method to sow large numbers of seeds at a range of densities.     

Total cadmium concentrations in the water and littoral sediments of Central Ontario Lakes

Lakes within 20 km of Sudbury, Ontario, have significantly higher Cd concentrations in surface waters (geometric mean 122 ng L^?1; n = 7) than lakes elsewhere in central Ontario (10.8 ng L^?1; n = 57). Cadmium concentrations in water from lakes beyond the Sudbury halo were negatively correlated (r = 0.797; p < 0.001) with pH. A weak correlation between fluoride and Cd concentrations leads to speculation that some Cd may be mobilized from watersheds with Al. Cadmium concentrations in littoral sediments are not elevated near Sudbury. The geometric mean Cd concentration of littoral sediments in central Ontario lakes is 0.08 mg Cd kg^?1 dry mass (n = 75). Cadmium concentrations in littoral sediments are strongly correlated with sediment loss on ignition (r = 0.860; p < 0.001). After correction for differences in organic content, littoral sediments are less enriched with Cd than profundal sediments, as reported in the literature. The difference between littoral and profundal sediments, and the sensitivity of Cd concentrations in water to pH, may be due to the importance of Cd binding by Fe/Mn hydrous oxides in the profundal zone, while organic matter binds Cd in the littoral zone. The lack of sensitivity of Cd concentrations in littoral sediments to acidification may be due to the incorporation of much of the Cd in those sediments into organic particulates.     

Effect of processing on the displacement of whey proteins: applying the orogenic model to a real system

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to investigate the displacement of a commercial whey protein system and the behavior as compared to that of beta-lactoglobulin (Mackie, A. R.; Gunning, A. P.; Wilde, P. J.; Morris, V. J. Orogenic displacement of protein from the air-water interface by competitive adsorption. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 1999, 210, 157-166). The whey protein isolate (WPI) was displaced from an air-water interface by the surfactants Tween 20 and Tween 60. Displacement data obtained were compared with data obtained for pure beta-lactoglobulin and have shown that WPI was more resistant to displacement from the air-water interface than native beta-lactoglobulin. This was related to the greater surface elasticity of WPI at higher surface stresses. In the presence of Tween 20, WPI was observed to remain on the interface at surface pressures up to 8 mN/m greater than the surface pressure at which complete displacement of beta-lactoglobulin was observed. Displacement of WPI and beta-lactoglobulin films by the surfactant Tween 60 showed similar results. However, because of the lower surface activity of Tween 60, it was not possible to reach surface tension values similar to those obtained for Tween 20. Despite the lower surface activity of Tween 60, WPI was still observed to be present at the interface at surface pressure values greater than those by which beta-lactoglobulin had been completely displaced.     

The increased efficiency of fish swimming in a school

There is increasing evidence that fish gain energetic benefits from the hydrodynamic interactions when they swim in a school. The most recent indications of such benefits are a lower tail (or fin) beat at the back of a school and reduced oxygen consumption in schooling fish versus solitary ones. How such advantages may arise is poorly understood. Current hydrodynamic theories concern either fish swimming side by side or in a diamond configuration and they largely ignore effects of viscosity and interactions among wakes and individuals. In reality, however, hydrodynamic effects are complex and fish swim in many configurations. Since these hydrodynamic effects are difficult to study empirically, we investigate them in a computer model by incorporating viscosity and interactions among wakes and with individuals. We compare swimming efficiency of model fish (based on shapes of mullets of 126 mm) travelling solitarily and in schools at several interindividual distances in four different configurations (diamond, rectangular, phalanx and line). We show that these fish always swim more efficiently in a school than alone (except in a dense phalanx). We indicate how this efficiency may emerge from several kinds of interactions between wakes and individuals. As individuals in our simulations are not even intending to exploit the wake, gains in efficiency are obtained more easily than previously thought.