Evaluation of a multiplex real-time RT-PCR for quantitative and differential detection of wild-type viruses and C-strain vaccine of Classical swine fever virus

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is the causative agent of classical swine fever (CSF), one of OIE listed diseases. Most of the currently available detection methods do not allow discrimination between wild-type CSF viruses and the vaccine strains. This study was designed to develop a multiplex real-time RT-PCR for the quantitative and differential detection of wild-type viruses and C-strain vaccine widely used in China. CSFV specific primers and two differently labeled TaqMan probes for the differentiation of wild-type viruses from C-strain vaccine were designed in the 5'-untranslated region of the viral genome of CSFV. The two TaqMan probes specifically hybridize wild-type viruses of different subgroups and C-strain vaccine, respectively, in the multiplex real-time RT-PCR, with no cross-reaction to a number of non-CSFV porcine viruses. The sensitivity of the assay for detecting wild-type and C-strain-type vaccine viruses was determined to be 41.8 and 81.5copies/microL viral RNA, respectively. Completely correct differentiation of wild-type viruses from C-strain vaccine was achieved when testing reference strains and characterized field isolates of CSFV in China. The multiplex real-time RT-PCR was able to detect the viral RNA in the whole blood samples of experimentally infected pigs as early as 2 days post-infection, 3 to 4 days prior to the onset of clinical signs in co-housed pigs. The agreements between the multiplex real-time RT-PCR and a multiplex RT-nested PCR for detection of wild-type and C-strain-type viruses were 96.9% and 100%, respectively, when detecting 106 different field samples. There is a positive correlation between the titers of C-strain vaccines titrated in rabbits and RNA copies quantitated by the multiplex real-time RT-PCR. The novel assay described here is rapid and sensitive, and is useful for differentiating field strains and C-strain of CSFV in China.     

Expression and significance of PTEN in canine mammary gland tumours

To explore the expression and clinical importance of the anti-oncogene phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) in canine mammary gland tumours, PTEN expression was compared in 50 cases of canine mammary tumour and four examples of normal mammary tissue using real-time quantitative PCR. PTEN expression was similar in benign mammary tumours and normal mammary tissues (P>0.05), but was lower in malignant tumours than in normal mammary tissues or benign mammary tumours (P<0.001). PTEN expression was also low in the lymph node metastases of malignant mammary tumours. The expression profile of PTEN in malignant mammary tumours compared to those without lymph node metastasis varied significantly. Low-level PETN expression might play an important role in carcinogenesis and the progression of canine mammary tumours, and PTEN protein detection might be useful in evaluating tumour development and prognosis.     

The Survey and Drawing of Common Cylinder Worm

This paper focuses on the standarization of common cylinder worm transmission in the methods and procedures of the survey and drawing.     

海安的动物防疫工作新模式

为把《动物防疫法》相关规定和重大动物疫病防控知识做到家喻户晓,海安县总结并实施“四个一”措施：一户一告知：告知养殖户周边国家和地区高致病禽流感等重大动物疫病疫情及防控相关知识,让养殖户知道怎样进行预防、消毒和病死畜禽如何处理.一户一检查：检查养殖户的防疫是否到位,是否按封闭式的饲养管理严格进行饲管,是否坚持消毒,是否坚持家畜与家禽、水禽与鸡分开饲养,是否做到不随便从外地乱进畜禽、种蛋及产品等.     

Adaptive immune response of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells during mycobacterial infections

To examine the role of T cell receptor (TCR) in gammadelta T cells in adaptive immunity, a macaque model was used to follow Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cell responses to mycobacterial infections. These phosphoantigen-specific gammadelta T cells displayed major expansion during Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection and a clear memory-type response after BCG reinfection. Primary and recall expansions of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells were also seen during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of naive and BCG-vaccinated macaques, respectively. This capacity to rapidly expand coincided with a clearance of BCG bacteremia and immunity to fatal tuberculosis in BCG-vaccinated macaques. Thus, Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells may contribute to adaptive immunity to mycobacterial infections.     

矮密丰枣园肥水管理

1．土壤管理对一般密度和中密度的枣园应结合每年秋春施基肥进行深翻改土，直至树行间完全沟通，以增加根系活动范围，使土壤有效容积加大，肥水来源广。常年理想的土壤管理可采用行间覆盖塑料薄膜。塑料薄膜覆盖地面是现代枣树栽培中一项新技术，在国内其他果树上已开始应用，像红富士苹果已取得良好的经济效果。地膜覆盖后能使土壤中水、气、热等物理条件得到改善，根系生长量加大，使植株提早发芽，叶片面积扩大，叶绿素含量增多，促进光合产物和树体营养含量的提高；地膜覆盖还有增加土壤湿度和地上部反光的特殊作用；同时能保持土壤水分供应的相对稳定性。所以，对增强树势，提高坐果有一定的促进作用。地膜覆盖对抑制杂草生长，减轻桃小食心虫为害效果非常显著。     

Spin disorder on a triangular lattice

As liquids crystallize into solids on cooling, spins in magnets generally form periodic order. However, three decades ago, it was theoretically proposed that spins on a triangular lattice form a liquidlike disordered state at low temperatures. Whether or not a spin liquid is stabilized by geometrical frustration has remained an active point of inquiry ever since. Our thermodynamic and neutron measurements on NiGa2S4, a rare example of a two-dimensional triangular lattice antiferromagnet, demonstrate that geometrical frustration stabilizes a low-temperature spin-disordered state with coherence beyond the two-spin correlation length. Spin liquid formation may be an origin of such behavior.     

Visualization and spectroscopy of a metal-molecule-metal bridge

Artificial nanostructures, each composed of a copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuPc) molecule bonded to two gold atomic chains with a controlled gap, were assembled on a NiAl(110) surface by manipulation of individual gold atoms and CuPc molecules with a scanning tunneling microscope. The electronic densities of states of these hybrid structures were measured by spatially resolved electronic spectroscopy and systematically tuned by varying the number of gold atoms in the chains one by one. The present approach provides structural images and electronic characterization of the metal-molecule-metal junction, thereby elucidating the nature of the contacts between the molecule and metal in this junction.