Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus found in milk macrophages but not in milk lymphocytes or mammary gland epithelia of naturally infected sheep

Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) causes ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma. JSRV can be transmitted via infected colostrum or milk, which contain somatic cells (SCs) harboring JSRV provirus. Nevertheless, the cell types involved in this form of transmission and the involvement of the mammary gland remain unknown. We separated adherent cells (macrophages and monocytes) by plastic adherence, and lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and B cells) by flow cytometry, from SCs in milk samples from 12 naturally infected, PCR blood test JSRV–positive, subclinical ewes. These cell populations were tested by PCR to detect JSRV provirus. The ewes were euthanized, and mammary gland samples were analyzed immunohistochemically to detect JSRV surface protein. We did not detect JSRV provirus in any milk lymphocyte population, but milk adherent cells were positive in 3 of 12 sheep, suggesting a potential major role of this population in the lactogenic transmission of JSRV. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal positive results in mammary epithelial cells, pointing to a lack of participation of the mammary gland in the biological cycle of JSRV and reducing the probability of excretion of free viral particles in colostrum or milk.     

Novel Alkaloids from Marine Actinobacteria: Discovery and Characterization

The marine environment is an excellent resource for natural products with therapeutic potential. Its microbial inhabitants, often associated with other marine organisms, are specialized in the synthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites. Similar to their terrestrial counterparts, marine Actinobacteria are a prevalent source of these natural products. Here, we discuss 77 newly discovered alkaloids produced by such marine Actinobacteria between 2017 and mid-2021, as well as the strategies employed in their elucidation. While 12 different classes of alkaloids were unraveled, indoles, diketopiperazines, glutarimides, indolizidines, and pyrroles were most dominant. Discoveries were mainly based on experimental approaches where microbial extracts were analyzed in relation to novel compounds. Although such experimental procedures have proven useful in the past, the methodologies need adaptations to limit the chance of compound rediscovery. On the other hand, genome mining provides a different angle for natural product discovery. While the technology is still relatively young compared to experimental screening, significant improvement has been made in recent years. Together with synthetic biology tools, both genome mining and extract screening provide excellent opportunities for continued drug discovery from marine Actinobacteria.     

MicroLEIS: A microcomputer-based Mediterranean land evaluation information system

Abstract. A computer-based land evaluation information system (MicroLEIS) was developed for optimal use of agricultural and forestry land systems under Mediterranean conditions. Through an interactive procedure several land capability, suitability and yield prediction methods may be applied. The system addresses land evaluation at reconnaissance, semi-detailed and detailed scales in an interrelated manner. Biophysical land evaluation methods are incorporated using empirical, scale-appropriate models, which range from purely qualitative (reconnaissance) through semi-quantitative (semi-detailed) to quantitative (detailed). This software is helpful for teaching, research and development, predicting appropriate agroforestry land uses. Its use is illustrated by an example.
MicroLEIS runs on IBM PC, XT, AT, or a compatible microcomputer with at least 128 kilobytes of RAM and a PC-DOS or MS-DOS version 2.0 or later operating system. The software package on double or high density diskettes can be obtained from the first author.     

数字林业在天然林保护工程中的应用研究

本文阐述了数字林业的概念及涵义,指出其最初的切入点是国家林业局提出的六大林业生态工程。针对天然林保护工程的现状,提出用数字林业技术解决其存在的问题,构建了基于3S技术的天然林保护工程管理地理信息系统,使天然林保护工程的管理步入规范化、科学化、现代化的轨道。     

Toward the Identification of Novel Antimicrobial Agents: One-Pot Synthesis of Lipophilic Conjugates of N-Alkyl d- and l-Iminosugars

In the effort to improve the antimicrobial activity of iminosugars, we report the synthesis of lipophilic iminosugars 10a–b and 11a–b based on the one-pot conjugation of both enantiomeric forms of N-butyldeoxynojirimycin (NBDNJ) and N-nonyloxypentyldeoxynojirimycin (NPDNJ) with cholesterol and a succinic acid model linker. The conjugation reaction was tuned using the established PS-TPP/I₂/ImH activating system, which provided the desired compounds in high yields (94–96%) by a one-pot procedure. The substantial increase in the lipophilicity of 10a–b and 11a–b is supposed to improve internalization within the bacterial cell, thereby potentially leading to enhanced antimicrobial properties. However, assays are currently hampered by solubility problems; therefore, alternative administration strategies will need to be devised.     

印楝素与三种杀虫剂对小菜蛾的联合毒力作用

采用浸叶浸虫法,测定了印楝素与三种杀虫剂对小菜蛾的室内联合毒力作用,并筛选出了药剂的最佳复配比例。结果表明,印楝素：阿维菌素为2．3：1,共毒系数(CTC)为141．14,增效作用最为显著;印楝素：Bt为1：1,共毒系数为136．74;而印楝素与高效氯氰菊酯混配对小菜蛾表现为相加作用。     

Volatile chemical cues guide host location and host selection by parasitic plants

The importance of plant volatiles in mediating interactions between plant species is much debated. Here, we demonstrate that the parasitic plant Cuscuta pentagona (dodder) uses volatile cues for host location. Cuscuta pentagona seedlings exhibit directed growth toward nearby tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) and toward extracted tomato-plant volatiles presented in the absence of other cues. Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) and wheat plants (Triticum aestivum) also elicit directed growth. Moreover, seedlings can distinguish tomato and wheat volatiles and preferentially grow toward the former. Several individual compounds from tomato and wheat elicit directed growth by C. pentagona, whereas one compound from wheat is repellent. These findings provide compelling evidence that volatiles mediate important ecological interactions among plant species.     

基于虚拟仪器的湿增压实验台测控系统研究

本文以湿增压动力装置实验台为物理模型，为进行相关实验完成了速度、流量、扭矩等重要参数的测量，并以N16221硬件为基础，基于虚拟仪器平台LabVIEW研制了实验台的测试软件。新设计的测试系统是基于虚拟仪器平台的模块化系统，使得研究人员的大部分精力集中于所要实现的功能上，而不是以往繁琐的算法和重复的编程上，参数易于修改，缩短了系统开发的周期，能满足实验需求。     

信阳土壤锌的现状及杂交水稻施锌技术研究

信阳地区位于河南省南部,土壤类型有黄棕壤、黄褐土、潮土、水稻土等。通过土壤普查,发现全区土壤表层速效锌含量普遍偏低,土壤缺锌已成为限制作物产量和品质的重要障碍因素。1994～1996年我们在对信阳土壤锌的现状进行分析的基础上,对杂交水稻施锌技术作了系统试验,结果表明,杂交水稻锌肥耖口基施30～45kg／hm2和蘸秧根3～9kg／hm2增产效果十分显著。     

运用致病毒素筛选抗烟草黑胫病细胞突变体Ⅱ 抗毒素愈伤组织的再生植株及其后代的抗病性鉴定

用黑胫病粗毒素作为选择压力, 结合辐射诱变技术, 从烟草花粉植株叶片的愈伤组织中筛选出抗毒素的愈伤组织, 并对其再生植株及其 Ｍ２ 代进行抗病性鉴定、选育． 目前已获得６ 个高抗黑胫病的细胞突变株系, 且抗病性状表现稳定, 并建立了一套烤烟抗黑胫病突变体的筛选和鉴定体系． 研究结果表明, 在细胞水平上筛选抗病突变体是开发新抗源的有效途径．