Infection as the etiology of spongiform encephalopathy (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)

Fatal spongiform encephalopathy occurred in four chimpanzees 12 to 14 months after inoculation with suspensions of brain from four patients, respectively. Chimpanzee to chimpanzee transmission was effected without reduction in incubation period. Retransmission of the disease to a second chimpanzee occurred when an inoculum that had been stored at -70 degrees C for over 2 years was used.     

Genetic determinants of self identity and social recognition in bacteria

The bacterium Proteus mirabilis is capable of movement on solid surfaces by a type of motility called swarming. Boundaries form between swarming colonies of different P. mirabilis strains but not between colonies of a single strain. A fundamental requirement for boundary formation is the ability to discriminate between self and nonself. We have isolated mutants that form boundaries with their parent. The mutations map within a six-gene locus that we term ids for identification of self. Five of the genes in the ids locus are required for recognition of the parent strain as self. Three of the ids genes are interchangeable between strains, and two encode specific molecular identifiers.     

Interactions between bivalve shellfish farms and fishery resources

The only possible way to increase seafood yields from many coastal and continental shelf regions of the world is through aquaculture. The most ecologically efficient forms of aquaculture are those operations culturing plants and lower trophic level animals, such as bivalve molluscs. It is therefore understandable why culturing of these organisms has steadily increased over at least the last two decades. However, the expansion of large-scale aquaculture has costs in terms of loss of water space that could be used for other activities, and carbon flows directed through the bivalves that could have been used to support other marine plants and animals (predation and production foregone). The dominant present users of many, if not most, coastal and continental shelf regions are commercial and, in some cases, recreational and indigenous customary fishers. Therefore, in many cases, it is these stakeholders who will stand to pay much of the direct costs of the expansion of aquaculture. Therefore, it is inevitable that in some cases, there will be conflict between these sectors as water space becomes more in demand and, hence, more valuable. Resource managers are therefore faced with making resource allocation decisions between alternate sectors, and these decisions should be based on robust knowledge of the costs and benefits of each alternative use. In the case of allocation decisions between bivalve aquaculture and wild stock fisheries, there is presently a paucity of knowledge surrounding the interactions between these two activities. The aim of the work presented here was to develop a framework for understanding these interactions and applying the framework in a case study in New Zealand.     

Self-Assembled Smectic Phases in Rod-Coil Block Copolymers

Rod-coil block copolymers are self-assembling polymers that combine the physics of orientational ordering of rodlike polymers and the microphase separation of coil-coil block copolymers. Several new solid-state morphologies were observed in a series of anionically synthesized model poly(hexyl isocyanate-b-styrene) rod-coil diblock copolymers examined by transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction. The rod-coils formed smectic C-like and O-like morphologies with domain sizes ranging from tens of nanometers to almost 1 micrometer. Both structural and orientational changes were found for increasing rod volume fractions. In addition, some morphologies exhibited spontaneous long-range orientational order over many tens of micrometers.     

A dielectric omnidirectional reflector

A design criterion that permits truly omnidirectional reflectivity for all polarizations of incident light over a wide selectable range of frequencies was used in fabricating an all-dielectric omnidirectional reflector consisting of multilayer films. The reflector was simply constructed as a stack of nine alternating micrometer-thick layers of polystyrene and tellurium and demonstrates omnidirectional reflection over the wavelength range from 10 to 15 micrometers. Because the omnidirectionality criterion is general, it can be used to design omnidirectional reflectors in many frequency ranges of interest. Potential uses depend on the geometry of the system. For example, coating of an enclosure will result in an optical cavity. A hollow tube will produce a low-loss, broadband waveguide, whereas a planar film could be used as an efficient radiative heat barrier or collector in thermoelectric devices.     

Changes in fatty acids composition during seed growth and physicochemical characteristics of oil extracted from four safflower cultivars

Fatty acid contents at different stages ofmaturity and physicochemical characteristics of oilextracted from mature seeds of four safflowercultivars (S208, S400, S541, and S303) were studied. Results indicated that for all cultivars bothsaturated and unsaturated fatty acid contentsfluctuated with seed growth and development. Palmiticacid content decreased up to day 20 after which itstarted to increase for the S400, S541, and S303cultivars, while for S208 it progressively decreased.Stearic acid fluctuated with seed growth anddevelopment. Oleic acid showed slight changes withseed growth and development, while linoleic aciddecreased with seed growth and development for theS400, S541, and S303 cultivars while for S208 afterday 30, it started to increase significantly. For allcultivars, glyceride contents varied among thecultivars with maximum values of 97.70, 2.80 and0.20 for tri-, di- and monoglycerides, respectively. Physicochemical investigation of mature seed oilsshowed that the color, density, refractive index, free fatty acids, peroxide value, saponificationvalue and unsaponifiable matter were similar for allcultivars while viscosity, iodine value, and acetoneinsoluble matter varied among the cultivars.     

HYPERCALCEMIC NEPHROPATHY IN THREE DOGS: SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE

Persistent hypercalcemia in the dog is most commonly seen as a paraneoplastic syndrome or in association with widespread osteolytic lesions. In high concentrations calcium is a potent nephrotoxin and may cause severe and irreversible renal damage. The ultrasonographic changes in the kidneys of three dogs with hypercalcernic nephropathy are described'and compared with the changes described in the same human condition. It is suggested that ultrasound could be a useful technique for evaluation of the severity of renal damage and the potential return of renal function in such instances.     

Growth traits of four maternal lines of rabbits founded on different criteria: comparisons at foundation and at last periods after selection

The objective was to compare growth traits in four maternal lines of rabbits (A, V, H and LP), with the aim of understanding the consequence of the different foundation and selection processes on the growth performance of the lines. The lines are currently in the 43th, 38th, 22th and 8th generations, respectively. Two comparisons were performed. One compared the values of the lines at their foundation, using the complete data set, the full pedigree and a two‐trait analysis, including data on the selection criteria, litter size. The other comparisons were done during the last period when all the lines were housed together with the same feeding and management. The numbers of records were 323 208 for weaning weight, and 300 553 for slaughter weight and average daily Gain (from 46 708 l). The pedigree file included 346 638 animals. The second analysis used only the data corresponding to each period, and the analysis was conducted using a one‐trait model. The model was the same as that defined for the comparisons at the foundation, but the additive effects were excluded. The H and LP lines showed highest values for all the traits compared. In the last periods, a good agreement was observed between the estimated differences, computed with the complete model and data set, or computed with an incomplete model and only data from the comparison period. At last periods, the differences were smaller than at foundation. The importance of the correlated response in growth after selection for litter size at weaning or the importance of a non‐programmed intramating selection for the growth traits can explain the changes since foundation.