Recent developments in the laboratory diagnosis of chlamydial infections

There are two main approaches to diagnosing infections by Chlamydia and Chlamydophila spp. in mammals and birds. The first involves the direct detection of the agent in tissue or swab samples, while the second involves the serological screening of blood samples for the presence of anti-chlamydial antibodies. Ultimately, the test that is used is dependent on the types of samples that are submitted to the diagnostic laboratory for analysis. The present paper gives an overview on methodologies and technologies used currently in diagnosis of chlamydial infections with emphasis on recently developed tests. The performance characteristics of individual methods, such as the detection of antigen in smears and in pathological samples, the isolation of the pathogen, various antibody detection tests and DNA-based methods utilising conventional and real-time PCR, as well as DNA microarray technology are assessed, and specific advantages and drawbacks are discussed. Further, a combination of a specific real-time PCR assay and a microarray test for chlamydiae is proposed as an alternative reference standard to isolation by cell culture.     

Approaches to pathogen-mediated resistance breeding against plum pox potyvirus in stone-fruit trees1

In a programme for developing systems which allow the transfer of foreign genes into apricot cultivars, we have tested cotyledons of immature embryos, somatic embryos and leaf discs. Apricot plants have been transformed, and then regenerated, with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 containing various binary plasmids: pBinGUSint, carrying the marker gene β-glucuronidase (GUS), and pBinPPVm, carrying the coat-protein gene of plum pox potyvirus (PPV). The marker gene GUS was used for visual evaluation of the efficiency of the transformation system. The coat-protein gene was used in the hope of introducing coat protein-mediated resistance to one of the most important stone-fruit pathogens in Europe and the Mediterranean area.     

Tracking of energy and nutrient intakes from adolescence to young adulthood: the experiences of the Young Hearts Project, Northern Ireland

OBJECTIVE: To assess tracking of energy and nutrient intakes between adolescence and young adulthood. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of a random sample of adolescents (aged 15 years at baseline). The extent of tracking of dietary intakes (assessed by diet history) was investigated using weighted kappa statistics (kappa). SETTING: Northern Ireland population survey. SUBJECTS: Adolescents who participated in the Young Hearts Project, Northern Ireland at age 15 years, and subsequently at young adulthood aged between 20 and 25 years (n=245 males, n=231 females). RESULTS: Despite overall increases in height and weight (both P<0.001), increases in body mass index in males (P<0.001) and body fatness in females (P<0.001), median reported intakes of energy (kJ kg(-1) day(-1)), carbohydrate (g day(-1)) and fat (g day(-1)) decreased (all P<0.001) over time. Expressed as nutrient densities (per MJ), diets at young adulthood were overall richer in thiamin, vitamin B6, total folate (all P<0.001), vitamin C (P<0.01) and vitamin D (P<0.05). Whereas the nutrient density of the males' diets decreased over time for calcium (P<0.05) and vitamin A (P<0.001), iron and riboflavin densities increased in the females' diet (P<0.001). Tracking of energy (MJ day(-1)) and nutrient intakes (expressed per MJ day(-1)) at the individual level was only poor to fair (all kappa<0.25), indicating substantial drift of subjects between the low, medium and high classes of intake with increasing age. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that individual dietary patterns exhibited at 15 years of age are unlikely to be predictive of dietary intakes at young adulthood.     

土豆淀粉废水发酵普鲁兰多糖的研究

普鲁兰多糖是一种具有重要应用价值的微生物胞外多糖。淀粉废水是加工淀粉过程中不可避免的一种产物,成份复杂,营养丰富。利用淀粉废水作为碳源制得普鲁兰多糖,不仅使多糖的生产成本降低,变废为宝,还会减少环境污染。本文通过比较实验获得用土豆淀粉废水(potato starch waste)制多糖产率高于其它碳源,并且确定最佳发酵培养基为(%):土豆淀粉废水10,KH2PO40.6 NaCL0.2(NH4)2SO40.08。     

浅谈牧草转基因育种研究进展

简要概述了牧草遗传转化方向及牧草转基因所取得的主要贡献,介绍了牧草遗传转化三种方法,并就今后的发展前景和转基因育种生物安全问题做了初步探讨。     

20世纪60年代以来黄土高原小流域泥沙来源的方法与历史侵蚀过程研究进展

小流域作为黄土高原水土流失综合治理的基本单元,赋存了大量的泥沙侵蚀特征和侵蚀环境变化信息。它在减少黄土高原土壤侵蚀方面发挥着十分重要作用。概述了20世纪60年代以来黄土高原小流域泥沙来源和历史侵蚀过程方面的研究进展,小流域泥沙来源主要从传统方法、元素示踪法及REE稀土元素示踪法方面进行了分析,展望了未来小流域泥沙来源及泥沙侵蚀研究的发展,为小流域开展水土保持工作、对水土资源进行科学的评价和开展更深入的研究提供了重要参考。     

兰州大尾羊心脏型脂肪酸结合蛋白（H-FABP） 基因克隆及其同源性比较

【目的】克隆兰州大尾羊心脏型肪酸结合蛋白（H-FABP）基因全长cDNA序列,为研究绵羊H-FABP生物学作用和生产应用提供理论依据。【方法】根据已知哺乳动物H-FABP基因 cDNA 序列,设计5''和3''特异引物,运用cDNA 末端快速扩增（RACE）技术获得兰州大尾羊H-FABP基因全长 cDNA 序列。【结果】 扩增获得兰州大尾羊5''端425 bp、3''端231 bp片段和 177 bp中间片段,拼接获得748 bp兰州大尾羊H-FABP基因全长cDNA 序列（GenBank登录号：JQ780322）。 兰州大尾羊H-FABP基因ORF长 402 bp,编码 133 个氨基酸。核苷酸序列分析显示兰州大尾羊H-FABP基因序列与大多数哺乳动物相似,但其第66位发生的碱基转换（T←→G）引起所编码的第22位天门冬氨酸（N）不同于其它所有物种的赖氨酸（K）。构建的基因进化树分析结果显示兰州大尾羊与山羊亲缘关系最近。预测兰州大尾羊H-FABP蛋白质的空间结构与山羊和牛H-FABP类似,由2个α螺旋和10个反向平行的β折叠组成,10 个折叠片围成一个桶状结构,疏水性残基位于桶内,用于结合脂肪酸。【结论】克隆了兰州大尾羊H-FABP基因,为进一步研究该基因的功能奠定了基础。