Nature's Concept. The ‘New Agriculture’ amidst Ecology,Economy and the Demythologization of the Gene

From worldwide discussions about the limits of agriculture has arisen a powerful vision of sustainable development. Phrases like ‘limitation’, ‘sustainability’, ‘sufficient supply’, ‘fair distribution’ and ‘productivity of resources’ are no longer hindrances but guidelines for a fairer and safer world. ‘Nature's Concept' focuses on biological and ecological principles. On this basis, criteria of action have to be defined in order to determine long‐term economic consequences of agri‐production. The costs of destruction of natural resources, such as reduction of genetic resources, changes to the world climate and soil degradation, are inestimably large. The long‐term effects show the real substance of the agri‐shift and the demands on research. The solution for sustainable agriculture is more than ever a scientific development of ‘tools’ for a sensible management of resources. Gene technology may be an option to reduce the ecological risks of agriculture, especially those of devastating land use. For this purpose, new education programmes with international links and interventions by states are crucial in order to solve conflicts when short‐term interests interfere with long‐term ecological values. The international agri‐centres could have a further impact to guarantee access to new techniques for all countries. Thus agriculture could finally become a major pillar in a fair world order.     

Anti‐microbial Susceptibility for east1+Escherichia coli Isolated from Diarrheic Pigs in Korea

The in vitro susceptibilities of 128 isolates of east1⁺Escherichia coli from pre‐weaned and post‐weaned pigs with diarrhoea were tested with nine commonly used anti‐microbial agents by an agar dilution minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) procedure according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards guidelines. For the isolates from pre‐weaned and post‐weaned pigs, most of them were susceptible to low concentrations (MIC₉₀) of tetracycline (4 and 2 μg/ml), ceftiofur (2 and 2 μg/ml), and colistin (4 and 2 μg/ml). Marked resistance was found in others.     

云南省百草岭自然保护区植被的基本类型

依据 1999年 5～ 6月的样地调查资料和野外记录 ,按《云南植被》 (1987)的植被分类原则 ,将云南省百草岭自然保护区的植被分为 6个植被型 ,9个植被亚型和 13个群系。对其植被类型的分布规律以及各植被类型的特征作了较详尽的分析和记述     

紫花苜蓿自然株高变量分析

测定了9个紫花苜蓿品种生长高峰期的自然株高，统计分析结果表明，紫花苜蓿6－9周龄生长高峰期，各品种平均自然株高与株龄间呈非常显著（P＜0．01）或显著正相关，线性回归方程估测相对误差除Ranger大于5％外，其余线性回归方程估测相对误差均小于5％。第9周龄的Travois和皇后苜蓿平均自然株高显著不显著。第9周龄的Travois和皇后苜蓿平均自然株高显著（P＜0．05）高于对照品种敖汉苜蓿平衡自然株高，其余各参试品种与对照品种敖汉苜蓿比较，平均自然株高株不显著。第9周龄平均自然株高排序前4位的品种依次为Travois, 皇后苜蓿，Ranger,Baker。     

Leptin的生物学功能研究进展

瘦蛋白（L-eptin)是由肥胖基因（obese gene)编码，脂肪细胞分泌的一种激素，具有调节摄食行为，减少能量消耗和降低动物采食量的作用，从而提高动物的生产性能和经济效益。作者综述了Leptin的生物学功能，作用机理，表达调控并展望了Leptin在畜牧业中的应用前景。     

Spike glycoprotein cleavage recognition site analysis of infectious bronchitis virus.

The spike glycoprotein of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a coronavirus, is translated as a precursor protein (So), then cleaved into two subunits (S1 and S2) by host cell serine proteases. In this study, we compared the cleavage recognition site of 55 IBV isolates to determine if the cleavage recognition site sequence, which consists of five basic amino acid residues, correlates with host cell range, serotype, geographic origin, and pathogenicity as it does in orthomyxoviruses and paramyxoviruses. The most common cleavage recognition site observed (33 of 55 viruses) was Arg-Arg-Ser-Arg-Arg, representing at least 11 different serotypes. Thus, cleavage recognition site does not appear to correlate with serotype. We also determined that cleavage recognition site sequence does not correlate with pathogenicity because attenuated and pathogenic isolates (different passages of the same virus) contain identical cleavage recognition site sequences. In addition, nephropathogenic strains had the same cleavage recognition site sequence as many nonnephropathogenic isolates. Cleavage recognition site sequence does correlate with viruses in different geographic regions, which may be an important characteristic to examine in epidemiologic studies. An IBV monoclonal antibody neutralization-resistant mutant (NR 18) had an unusual substitution of Ile for Arg at the fourth position, giving the sequence Arg-Arg-Ser-Ile-Arg, which likely prevents cleavage and, thus, destroys the conformationally dependent monoclonal antibody binding epitope. Six residues on the amino-terminal side of the cleavage recognition site are conserved in 31% of the isolates and consist of only one or two basic amino acids. Thus, the number of basic residues around the cleavage recognition site does not appear to correlate with increased cleavability, host cell range, and increased virulence as it does with envelope glycoproteins in orthomyxoviruses and paramyxoviruses.     

Anti-3AB antibodies in the Chinese yellow cattle infected by the O/Taiwan/99 foot-and-mouth disease virus.

The O/Taiwan/99 foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a South Asian topotype of serotype O, was introduced into Taiwan in 1999. The Chinese yellow cattle infected by the virus did not develop clinical lesions under experimental and field conditions. A blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit with the 3AB antigen, a polypeptide of FMDV non-structural (NS) proteins, was used to evaluate the development and duration of anti-3AB antibodies, proving active viral replication, in the Chinese yellow cattle. The specificity of the assay was 99%, as was established with negative sera from regularly vaccinated and from na?ve cattle. The sensitivity tested with sera from naturally infected animals was approximately 64% and it was lower than that obtained by serum neutralization (SN) test. Under experimental infection, the Chinese yellow cattle developed lower anti-3AB antibodies than that developed in other species. Duration of anti-3AB antibodies was traced in two herds of naturally infected animals, indicating that anti-3AB antibodies persisted for approximately 6 months after outbreaks. On the basis of this study, we propose that the Chinese yellow cattle may have natural resistance, which limits viral replication and reduces the development of anti-3AB antibodies.     

法氏囊超滤液提高仔猪日增重作用的研究

用法氏囊超滤液 (相对分子质量为 1 0 0 0以下 )以不同剂量分 2次间隔 2周免疫断乳仔猪 ,比较各试验组与对照组在日增重、料重比方面的差异。结果表明 :免疫组猪的饲料转化率、日增重显著高于对照组。此外 ,低剂量组 (1mg/头 ,2 5mg/头 )的日增重明显高于高剂量组(5mg/头 ,2 5mg/头 ) ,但料重比则明显低于高剂量组。免疫剂量为 2 5mg/头时 ,促进仔猪生长发育的效果最明显。     

猫泛白细胞减少症弱毒冻干疫苗研制与探索最佳冻干曲线的研究

生物制品进行冷冻干燥过程中，或多或少会损失一定的效价，可直接影响产品效力和免疫原性。本文为研制出高效价和保持期长的猪泛白细胞减少症弱毒冻干疫苗，为降低效价损失，选择出最佳冷冻干燥曲线，使冻干后的产品效价损失减少到最低水平。试验结果选用全程为17h的冻干曲线是科学的、可行的。     

利率市场化之真实含义

随着中国正式加入世贸组织，利率市场化改革已势在必行。之前，央行已制定出了利率市场化的大体框架并分步实施。当前流行于各类刊物的一些观点对利率市场化含义的理解尚不够准确。流行观点依据新老自由主义理论，强调市场“均衡利率”水平的重要性，忽略了利率结构问题。所谓的“均衡利率”实际上是不存在的，利率市场化改革的真实含义应当是：由中央银行决定基准利率水平，由市场决定利率结构。在银行业引入竞争机制是必要的前提。参9