A serological study on Brucella abortus, caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus and Leptospira in dairy goats in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In spite of the large number of goats found in several developing tropical countries, milk production remains unsatisfactory. The occurrence of infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis, brucellosis and caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) may in part be responsible for sub-optimal production. In this study, 1000 serum samples were tested for leptospirosis, 953 for brucellosis and 562 for CAE. All tested flocks presented at least one seroreactive animal for leptospirosis and for CAE. Reactivity to leptospirosis was 11.1%, and serovar hardjo was the most frequently found. Anti-B. abortus agglutinins were found in 0.5% of the samples presented and 14.1% were seroreactive to CAE. Leptospirosis was considered to represent the major infectious problem in the studied goat flocks. The occurrence of infectious diseases in the tested flocks may represent an important factor contributing to the decreased productivity of the animals. These findings may be similar to those observed in other developing countries and require further study to define the relationship between seropositivity and reduced production.     

奥地利Wallersee沉积物-水界面铁锰的循环和迁移特征

对奥地利Wallersee沉积物中铁、锰的分布特征进行了分析，说明Wallersee沉积物中铁的循环比锰微弱，铁氧化物的还原作用受到了溶解氧和锰氧化物的双重控制。输入沉积物中的铁大部分都保存于沉积物中。锰氧化物的还原虽然也受到溶解氧的制约，但其还原作用仍比较激烈，孔隙水中有特征的还原峰，只不过峰位下移，所以铁对环境的敏感程度比锰高，沉积物中的铁具有环境记录意义，而锰不具有环境记录意义。铁氧化物中无定形铁氧化物优先还原，晶体铁氧化物可以向无定形铁氧化物转化，参与各种反应。     

Resistance to late blight and soft rot in six potato progenies and glycoalkaloid contents in the tubers

Glycoalkaloids are anti-nutritional compounds commonly found in wildSolanum species used as resistance sources to major potato pathogens. It is therefore important for breeding purposes to know whether selecting for resistance using such species necessarily selects also for high glycoalkaloid contents in the tubers. To test this hypothesis, we used six partial progenies from crosses betweenSolanum tuberosum and accessions ofS. andigena, S. berthaultii, S. phureja, andS. vernei to investigate the possible correlation between resistance toPhytophthora infestans and/or toErwinia carotovora subsp.atroseptica and the concentration of glycoalkaloids in tubers. Concentrations of α-solanine and α-chaconine in the tubers segregated in each progeny, as did resistance to each pathogen. Some, but not all, clones from each progeny showed hypersensitive reactions to the isolate ofP. infestans used. Furthermore, clones within each progeny also differed for components of partial resistance toP. infestans, suggesting that all four wild species could be used as sources of both race-specific and partial resistance to late blight. With the exception of low, but statistically significant, correlations between concentration of α-solanine and two late blight resistance components (incubation period and spore production per unit lesion area) in progenies derived fromS. vernei, and despite a trend towards higher glycoalkaloid concentrations in the tubers of the clones most resistant to soft rot within progenies derived fromS. berthaultii andS. vernei, no consistent relationship between resistance to either disease and concentrations of α-solanine and/or α-chaconine was observed. These results indicate that neither race-specific nor partial resistance to late blight and soft rot in the accessions used as progenitors of resistance depend on high solanine or chaconine concentrations. These resistance sources could thus prove useful in breeding programs for improved behaviour againstP. infestans and/orE. carotovora.     

Haploid barley from the intergeneric cross Hordeum vulgare x Psathyrostachys fragilis

Summary The intergeneric hybrid Hordeum vulgare x Psathyrostachys fragilis was fairly easily obtained. During each growing season the intermediate, perennial hybrid yielded haploid tillers of H. vulgare. Late in one season few, hybrid tillers headed. The morphology, cytology and enzymatic patterns of hybrid and haploid tillers were investigated.     

多段燃油喷射对碳酸二甲酯-柴油混合燃料燃烧过程的影响

柴油机多段燃油喷射可用来优化缸内燃烧以实现排放净化的目标。该文采用两段预喷和一段主喷组合的多段燃油喷射进行混合燃料D10(90%柴油+10%碳酸二甲酯)燃烧过程的研究。通过预喷相位可调但3段喷油之间相位间隔恒定、主喷持续时间可调但第1、2段预喷持续时间固定的喷油策略,实现在目标工况下精确的放热中心COHR(center of heat release)。当调整多段燃油喷射策略实现目标COHR以等步长推移时,柴油机的燃烧过程呈现如下特点:各工况的着火时刻均处于第2段预喷和主喷之间;从喷油时刻至着火时刻所经历的曲轴转角越来越小;着火时刻至放热中心所占用的曲轴转角则越来越大;缸内燃烧压力峰值出现位置与放热中心位置较为接近,相对缸内峰值压力出现位置,COHR不断后移且相距更远。与柴油相比,D10的滞燃期更长,其最大压升率也更高。由于易汽化的碳酸二甲酯促进了燃料混合及后续燃烧,从着火时刻到10%放热率及90%放热率对应时刻所占用曲轴转角均变小,说明碳酸二甲酯的加入有助燃烧的迅速进行。基于COHR为表征的燃烧特性分析,为碳酸二甲酯/柴油混合燃料的应用、多段燃油喷射调控燃烧过程及排放控制理论提供指导。     

Realizing all-spin-based logic operations atom by atom

An ultimate goal of spintronic research is the realization of concepts for atomic-scale all-spin-based devices. We combined bottom-up atomic fabrication with spin-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy to construct and read out atomic-scale model systems performing logic operations. Our concept uses substrate-mediated indirect exchange coupling to achieve logical interconnection between individual atomic spins. Combined with spin frustration, this concept enables various logical operations between inputs, such as NOT and OR.     

Computation-guided backbone grafting of a discontinuous motif onto a protein scaffold

The manipulation of protein backbone structure to control interaction and function is a challenge for protein engineering. We integrated computational design with experimental selection for grafting the backbone and side chains of a two-segment HIV gp120 epitope, targeted by the cross-neutralizing antibody b12, onto an unrelated scaffold protein. The final scaffolds bound b12 with high specificity and with affinity similar to that of gp120, and crystallographic analysis of a scaffold bound to b12 revealed high structural mimicry of the gp120-b12 complex structure. The method can be generalized to design other functional proteins through backbone grafting.