the formation of chlamydospores of phytophthora parsiana, a newly described high temperature tolerant pathogen of woody plants, were investigated in culture media and in infected roots of susceptible host plants. different solid agar media and cleared v-8 juice broth were inoculated with different isolates of p. parsiana and incubated for four days at room temperature before they were transferr...

To understand the response of soil bacteria to the surrounding environment, it is necessary to examine the gene expression profiles of the bacteria in the soil. For this purpose, we developed a new method of extracting RNA from soil reproducibly. Using this new method, we extracted RNA from a field soil, which was sterilized and inoculated with Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1, a biphenyl degrader i...

Gamma irradiation sterilization (gamma-irradiation) fragments and denatures collagen, drastically decreasing critical physical properties. Our goal was to maintain strength and stability of gamma-irradiated collagen by adding glucose, which in theory can initiate crosslink formation in collagen during exposure to gamma-irradiation. Collagen films prepared with and without glucose were gamma-irr...

In the wake of the ongoing 2014/2015 Ebola virus outbreak, significant questions regarding the appropriate handling of Ebola virus-contaminated liquid waste remain, including the persistence of Ebola virus in wastewater. To address these uncertainties, we evaluated the persistence of Ebola virus spiked in sterilized domestic sewage. The viral titer decreased approximately 99% within the first t...

Nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) associated with roots of the seagrass Halodule wrightii was measured offshore near Beaufort and Moorhead City, N.C. Rates of acetylene reduction were higher in aerobic than in anaerobic assays and were linear for up to 5 days. The temperature range for acetylene reduction was 15 to 35 degrees C with a maximum activity at 35 degrees C. Nitrogenase activity...

Continuous culture for the production of ethanol from wood hydrolysate was carried out in an internal membrane-filtration bioreactor. The hydrolysate medium was sterilized at a relatively low temperature of 60 degrees C with the intention of reducing the formation of inhibitory compounds during the sterilization. The maximum ethanol concentration and productivity obtained in this study were 76....

It is commonly accepted that terminally sterilized healthcare products are rarely the source of a hospital-acquired infection (HAI). The vast majority of HAIs arise from human-borne contamination from the workforce, the clinical environment, less-than-aseptic handling techniques, and the patients themselves. Nonetheless, the requirement for a maximal sterility assurance level (SAL) of a termina...