美国农业如何看待中国加入WTO？

美国会参议院2000年9月19日以83票赞成成功地通过“给予中国永久性正常贸易关系(PNTR)议案”,这意味着美国敲开了中国市场大门,中美两国永久经贸关系实现正常化。83位议员支持给予中国永久性正常贸易关系待遇绝非出于对中国的好感,而是因为它确保了美国的经济利益,促使中美贸易关系得到更大发展,同时还可在中国加入世界贸易组织(WTO)后迅速抢占最富潜力的、巨大的中国市场,防止亚洲、欧盟和拉美等竞争对手在中国经济高速发展时抢占商机。     

A dominant antigenic epitope on SARS-CoV spike protein identified by an avian single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-expressing phage

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly emergent human disease, which requires rapid diagnosis and effective therapy. Among antibody sources, immunoglobulin Y (IgY) is the major antibody found in chicken eggs and can be used as an alternative to mammalian antibodies normally used in research and immunotherapy. In this study, phage-expressing chicken monoclonal scFv antibody was chosen and characterized with phage display antibody technology. Truncated fragments of SARS-CoV spike protein were cloned in pET-21 vector and expressed in BL-21 Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. After purification, the purity of these recombinant spike proteins was examined on SDS-PAGE and their identity verified with Western blot analysis using anti-his antibodies and sera from convalescent stage SARS-CoV-infected patients. Using these bacteria-derived proteins to immunize chickens, it was found that polyclonal IgY antibodies in the egg yolk and sera were highly reactive to the immunogens, as shown by Western blot and immunocytochemical staining analysis. A phage displaying scFv library was also established from spleen B cells of immunized chicken with 5 x 10(7) clones. After four panning cycles, the eluted phage titer showed a 10-fold increase. In sequence analysis with chicken germline gene, five phage clones reacted, with large dissimilarities of between 31 and 62%, in the complementarity-determining regions, one dominant phage 4S1 had strong binding to fragment Se-e, located between amino acid residues 456-650 of the spike protein and this particular phage had significantly strong binding to SARS-CoV-infected Vero E6 cells. Based on the results, we conclude that generating specific scFv-expressing phage binders with the phage display system can be successfully achieved and that this knowledge can be applied in clinical or academic research.     

The Effects of Salivary Gland Extracts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Boophilus microplus</Emphasis> Ticks on Mitogen-stimulated Bovine Lymphocytes

The effect of salivary gland extract (SGE) from the tick Boophilus microplus was examined in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes in vitro. SGE was added to lymphocytes of seven cattle together with the mitogens concanavalin A (ConA), phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Semi-purified B cells from another seven cattle were stimulated with the mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS). PHA and ConA stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes to the same extent, but the inhibition due to SGE of Boophilus microplus on the proliferative response stimulated by PHA (39.0% ± 9.3%) was less than the inhibition of proliferative response stimulated by ConA (75.4% ± 6.9%). In contrast, SGE of B. microplus stimulated the proliferation of B cells in the presence of LPS in a dose-dependent manner. Enhanced stimulation of B cells by SGE at >4 μg in culture was greater than twice that observed when B cells were stimulated by LPS alone. SGE does not have a direct suppressive effect on bovine B cell proliferation; however, in vivo the effectiveness of B cell responses might be influenced by other immune factors, such as cytokine profiles.     

苦荞新品种酉荞1号选育研究

酉荞1号是应用系谱育种方法育成的优质、高产、稳定的苦荞新品种.该品种在重庆市苦荞区域试验中平均单产为127.38 kg/667 m2,比对照九江苦荞增产18.13％,全生育期83 d,平均株高102 cm,分枝数5.6个,主茎节数14.2节,单株粒重20.0 g,千粒重20.5 g,粗蛋白含量为10.4％,类黄酮含量为2.04％,籽粒出粉率为63.5％,适宜重庆市各荞麦产区种植.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the pyrethroid cypermethrin

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of cypermethrin was developed. Two haptens, the trans- and cis-isomers of 3-[(+/-)-cyano-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarbonyloxy]methyl]phenoxyacetic acid, were conjugated with thyroglobulin as immunogens. Four antisera were generated and screened against six different coating antigens. The assay that was the most sensitive for cypermethrin was optimized and characterized. The IC(50) for cypermethrin was 13.5 +/- 4.3 microg/L, and the lower detection limit (LDL) was 1.3 +/- 0.5 microg/L. This ELISA had relatively low cross-reactivities with other major pyrethroids, such as deltamethrin, phenothrin, resmethrin, fluvalinate, and permethrin. Methanol was found to be the best organic cosolvent for this ELISA, with an optimal sensitivity observed at a concentration of 40% (v/v). The assay parameters were unchanged at pH values between 5.0 and 8.0, whereas higher ionic strengths strongly suppressed the absorbances. To increase the sensitivity of the overall method, a C(18) sorbent-based solid-phase extraction was applied to various domestic and environmental water samples. The water samples, fortified with cypermethrin, were analyzed according to this method. Good recoveries and correlation with spike levels were observed.     

Breast-feeding initiation and exclusive breast-feeding in rural Vietnam

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the initiation of breast-feeding and exclusive breast-feeding within the first week after delivery for women in rural Vietnam. DESIGN: An interviewer-administered survey was conducted on a sample of rural women who gave birth during August-October 2002. SETTING: Quang Xuong District, Thanh Hoa Province of Vietnam. SUBJECTS: Four hundred and sixty-three women participated in the study, of whom 181 delivered at the district hospital (39.1%), 229 at a commune health centre (49.5%) and 53 at home attended by a traditional birth attendant (11.4%). RESULTS: Although the initiation and exclusive breast-feeding rates were relatively high at 98.3% and 83.6% respectively, the premature introduction of complementary food was a great concern. Logistic regression analysis showed that, together with socio-cultural determinants such as feeding preferences of the husband and maternal grandmother, feeding practices of friends, factors relating to delivery methods, delivery locations and health problems could influence the initiation rate and breast-feeding patterns. CONCLUSIONS: To promote breast-feeding practices of rural mothers, health education on breast-feeding should take into account local socio-cultural features in addition to improving the counselling skills of health workers.     

Effect of far-infrared radiation on the antioxidant activity of rice hulls

After far-infrared (FIR) radiation onto rice hull, a methanolic extract was prepared for the determination of antioxidant ability. After 30 min of FIR treatment, the radical scavenging activity and total phenol contents of rice hull extracts increased from 47.74 to 79.63% and from 0.12 to 0.19 mM, respectively, compared to control. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation in extracts was also increased from 41.07 to 47.96%. According to the GC-MS analysis, more phenolic compounds (p-coumaric acid, 3-vinyl-1-oxybenzene, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 4,7-dihydroxyvanillic acid) were detected in FIR-irradiated rice hull extract. These results indicated that FIR radiation onto rice hull could liberate and activate covalently bound phenolic compounds that have antioxidant activities.     

塞曼石墨炉原子吸收法直接测定硼的方法研究

采用 Sr-Ni-Al-Mg 混合液为基体改进剂,研究了塞曼石墨炉原子吸收法直接测定硼的方法.试验表明,使用本混合基体改进剂,抗干扰能力强,大大挺高硼的吸收信号,线性范围较宽(0.2～10μg/mLB),并且在线性范围内彻底消除了硼的记忆效应.方法的特征量为100pg/0.0044A·S.