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Biofilm formation in bacteria is considered to be one strategy to avoid protozoan grazing. However, this assumption is largely based on experiments with suspension-feeding protozoans. Here we test the hypothesis that grazing resistance depends on both the grazers' feeding trait and the bacterial phenotype, rather than being a general characteristic of bacterial biofilms. We combined batch experiments with mathematical modelling, considering the bacterium Pseudomonas putida and either a suspension-feeding (i.e. the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia) or a surface-feeding grazer (i.e. the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii). We find that both plankton and biofilm phenotypes were consumed, when exposed to their specialised grazer, whereas the other phenotype remained grazing-resistant. This was consistently shown in two experiments (starting with either only planktonic bacteria or with additional pre-grown biofilms) and matches model predictions. In the experiments, the plankton feeder strongly stimulated the biofilm biomass. This stimulation of the resistant prey phenotype was not predicted by the model and it was not observed for the biofilm feeders, suggesting the existence of additional mechanisms that stimulate biofilm formation besides selective feeding. Overall, our results confirm our hypothesis that grazing resistance is a matter of the grazers' trait (i.e. feeding type) rather than a biofilm-specific property.

Biofilm formation in bacteria is considered to be one strategy to avoid protozoan grazing. However, this assumption is largely based on experiments with suspension-feeding protozoans. Here we test the hypothesis that grazing resistance depends on both the grazers' feeding trait and the bacterial phenotype, rather than being a general characteristic of bacterial biofilms. We combined batch experiments with mathematical modelling, considering the bacterium Pseudomonas putida and either a suspension-feeding (i.e. the ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia) or a surface-feeding grazer (i.e. the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii). We find that both plankton and biofilm phenotypes were consumed, when exposed to their specialised grazer, whereas the other phenotype remained grazing-resistant. This was consistently shown in two experiments (starting with either only planktonic bacteria or with additional pre-grown biofilms) and matches model predictions. In the experiments, the plankton feeder strongly stimulated the biofilm biomass. This stimulation of the resistant prey phenotype was not predicted by the model and it was not observed for the biofilm feeders, suggesting the existence of additional mechanisms that stimulate biofilm formation besides selective feeding. Overall, our results confirm our hypothesis that grazing resistance is a matter of the grazers' trait (i.e. feeding type) rather than a biofilm-specific property.

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) extracted from biomass has potential applications in material science and biomedical engineering. In this study, NFC was obtained from bleached eucalyptus Kraft pulp (BEKP) using two commercial enzyme cocktails with cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic activities and non-catalytic protein (swollenin), followed by ultrasonication. This work represents an initial study of the implementation of non-catalytic proteins along with enzymes to extract NFC from biomass. Enzymatic pretreatment was performed to partially remove hemicellulose while enhancing cellulose accessibility for NFC extraction. Cellulase pretreatment with xylanase and swollenin supplementation increased cellulose accessibility and fiber swelling due to extensive hemicellulose removal (> 80%) and fiber morphology changes. Subsequent ultrasonication was performed for cellulose nanofibrillation resulting in high NFC yields (61–97%), while keeping NFC properties almost unchanged. Through this process, cellulose nanofibers with diameters ranging from 3 nm to 10 nm were effectively isolated from BEKP, which allows to produce high quality NFC for further applications.

Both Chicken Run and [Shrek] spent several years in development, and Shrek was halted during production while the script was being retooled and refined. DreamWorks' co-founding partner, Jeffrey Katzenberg -- known for his animation expertise -- overhauled the early version of Shrek. Aardman, the Oscar-winning company that created the series of Wallace & Gromit short films, hopes to hire back the 90 (out of 172) workers it laid off with the postponement, [Arthur Sheriff] says. Aardman's creator, Nick Park, has won three Oscars, two for Wallace & Gromit productions, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave.

  What will decide the race: Ultimately, the academy's affection for the movie she stars in could tip the scales in [Renee Zellweger]'s favor. But [Nicole Kidman]'s physical transformation and downbeat performance have been so admired that voters may overlook The Hours' tougher subject matter (depression, suicide, AIDS) and embrace the Australian actress. Kidman and Zellweger -- both nominated last year -- are followed closely by Julianne Moore, nominated for both actress (Far From Heaven) and supporting actress (The Hours). Voters could think Moore, who has been nominated twice before, is due for recognition, and though her marquee performance was in Far From Heaven, she could end up with the supporting-actress nod as a way of honoring both performances. Nominee Salma Hayek labored to get the Frida biopic made and is respected for her producing efforts as well as for her performance, but it's probably not her turn. Diane Lane's performance in an otherwise unheralded film, Unfaithful, brought new respect and recognition for the former child star, but it may take another stellar performance to get her an Oscar. -- C.P. All the nominees have something to lose. [Chris Cooper] and [John C. Reilly] could shake off their \"aren't you that guy\" status with a statuette. [Ed Harris] could shake off his Oscar jinx; he has lost three other times. [Christopher Walken] and [Paul Newman] could shake off the reputation for ageism that still plagues the academy. Newman, 78, hasn't had a reason to attend since he was nominated for 1994's Nobody's Fool. Walken, 59, has had a longer drought: His only other Oscar nomination came for 1978's The Deer Hunter. GRAPHIC, B/W, Julie Snider, USA TODAY, Source: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Research by Kurt Jensen (BAR GRAPH); Best picture: The Hours, with [Meryl Streep] and Ed Harris; Chicago, starring [Richard Gere], received 13 nominations, the most of any film. Best actress: Nicole Kidman is nominated for the role of [Virginia Woolf] in The Hours; Renee Zellweger for Chicago. Best actor: [Jack Nicholson] received a nomination for the title role in About Schmidt; [Daniel Day- Lewis] for Gangs of New York. Best supporting actress: [Catherine Zeta-Jones] for Chicago; Meryl Streep, Adaptation. Best supporting actor: Chris Cooper for Adaptation; John C. Reilly for Chicago.

The story: Picking up 10 years after The Phantom Menace, Jedi hotshot Anakin Skywalker ([Hayden Christensen]) is itching to get out from under his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi ([Ewan McGregor]). Fate intervenes when Obi-Wan goes on a mission to strange worlds and encounters bounty hunter Jango Fett (Maori actor Temuera Morrison) and Jedi turncoat Count Dooku (Lee). Meanwhile, Anakin guards the now-senator Padme Amidala ([Natalie Portman]), and the pair are drawn into a forbidden romance. New goods on the block: Yoda goes digital and is able to walk, run and wield a wicked lightsaber. \"He is the most powerful Jedi,\" [Rick McCallum] says. \"Mental strength is his weapon.\" Padme also is freed from her fashion-victim getups and becomes Naboo's answer to Britney, while Anakin slips further into the dark side that will be his undoing in Episode III (due 2005). But what may most please die- hard fans is the storyline that involves Jango Fett, father of the legendary Boba (shown as a boy) and source of all the clones. Just what is it about Boba, who later will relentlessly stalk the Skywalker clan, that makes him the darling of Star Warriors? \"It's his gear,\" McCallum says. \"Those cool flame throwers.\" Why it will bust out: [Steven Spielberg] took his first leap into the future (by way of the late Stanley Kubrick) in last summer's chilly A.I. Artificial Intelligence with mixed results. But producer Bonnie Curtis says Report is different. \"Steven calls it Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Maltese Falcon. It's an adventure and an exciting chase, but it is also a detective story with layers and surprises for the audience.\" Like Blade Runner, Report is based on a Philip K. Dick story. But that's all it has in common with the dark-and-dank '80s landmark. \"One of the reasons Steven based it in D.C. was to give the fictitious story legitimacy and ground it on earth. This is not Logan's Run.\"

  The lowdown: The main character was introduced in a spoof Stiller performed in 1996's VH1 Vogue Fashion Awards. \"I would liken it to those great Mel Brooks comedies of the '70s,\" says Stiller. \"They weren't all parody, but a kind of mix. It's more cartoonish than Mel Brooks, but hopefully in a good way. It's kind of like a silly, stupid movie -- in a good way.\" Stiller's dad, [Jerry Stiller], plays [Derek]'s modeling agent at Ball's Models. Meet the actors: [Owen Wilson], left, and [Ben Stiller] in supermodel spoof. Dazed and nearly indescribable: [Wiley Wiggins] voices one of the unusual characters along the journey of Waking Life.Hygiene queen: [Laura Dern] and [Steve Martin].Visit from a strange planet: [Jeff Bridges], left, and [Kevin Spacey].Jack attack: [Johnny Depp], [Heather Graham].

To people who know movies, fall is the get-serious season. And certain directors signal especially exciting filmmaking -- from established veterans like Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese and Wayne Wang to emerging talents like Atom Egoyan. /BLOCKQUOTE Why this movie matters: Wang established his ability to capture complex relationships between women -- specifically mothers and daughters -- with The Joy Luck Club and again fashions fully rounded performances. He says that he is drawn to \"very simple, character-driven movies\" and that because he is an immigrant he observes things as only an outsider can: \"I'm always kind of on the outside looking in.\" The story he's telling: [Susan] Sarandon, often cast in strong, stalwart roles, plays against type as a ditzy, self-centered mother who is hellbent on getting out of Wisconsin and moving to Beverly Hills. [Natalie] Portman, who plays the more mature of the pair, is the teen-age daughter who often gets her mother out of a jam. Her mother drags her along on the journey, and both grow up in the process.

There is substantial uncertainty regarding the optimal surgical treatment for chronic pancreatitis. Short-term outcomes have been found to be better after duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) than after partial pancreatoduodenectomy. Therefore, we designed the multicentre ChroPac trial to investigate the long-term outcomes of patients with chronic pancreatitis within 24 months after surgery. This randomised, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, superiority trial was done in 18 hospitals across Europe. Patients with chronic pancreatitis who were planned for elective surgical treatment were randomly assigned to DPPHR or partial pancreatoduodenectomy with a central web-based randomisation tool. The primary endpoint was mean quality of life within 24 months after surgery, measured with the physical functioning scale of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Primary analysis included all patients who underwent one of the assigned procedures; safety analysis included all patients who underwent surgical intervention (categorised into groups as treated). Patients and outcome assessors were masked to group assignment. The trial was registered, ISRCTN38973832. Recruitment was completed on Sept 3, 2013. Between Sept 10, 2009, and Sept 3, 2013, 250 patients were randomly assigned to DPPHR (n=125) or partial pancreatoduodenectomy (n=125), of whom 226 patients (115 in the DPPHR group and 111 in the partial pancreatoduodenectomy group) were analysed. No difference in quality of life was seen between the groups within 24 months after surgery (75·3 [SD 16·4] for partial pancreatoduodenectomy vs 73·0 [16·4] for DPPHR; mean difference −2·3, 95% CI −6·6 to 2·0; p=0·284). The incidence and severity of serious adverse events did not differ between the groups. 70 (64%) of 109 patients in the DPPHR group and 61 (52%) of 117 patients in the partial pancreatoduodenectomy group had at least one serious adverse event, with the most common being reoperations (for reasons other than chronic pancreatitis), gastrointestinal problems, and other surgical morbidity. No differences in quality of life after surgery for chronic pancreatitis were seen between the interventions. Results from single-centre trials showing superiority for DPPHR were not confirmed in the multicentre setting. German Research Foundation (DFG).

The use of biogas digestate as fertilizer is limited by the farm nutrient balance. Mechanical separation and drying of digestate increases its transport worthiness as well as the economic feasibility of nutrient export. This study compares the fertilizer effect of four treatments of digestate originating from two biogas plants: untreated digestate, liquid and solid fraction of separated digestate and dried solid fraction of separated digestate. Pot experiments with barley were performed with two fertilization levels for different digestate variants. Above-ground biomass yield, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content in biomass and plant uptake efficiency were highlighted. The results showed that all variants have higher above-ground biomass yield than the control. Due to the reduced amount of easily available N, short-term N uptake of barley from solid fractions of digestate was low. The treatments with the dried solid fraction at low fertilization level showed up to 59% lower N removal from soil and, at high fertilization level, up to 83% lower N removal compared to the respective fresh solid fraction (100%). Depending on the feedstock of biogas plants and processing of digestate, N availability varied and influenced the short-term N uptake. It is recommended that digestate processing should be combined with ammonia recovery to prevent N losses to the environment.