CD46 in meningococcal disease

The human-specific bacterial pathogen Neisseria meningitidis is a major cause of sepsis and/or meningitis. The pili of N. meningitidis interact with CD46, a human cell-surface protein involved in regulation of complement activation. Transgenic mice expressing human CD46 were susceptible to meningococcal disease, because bacteria crossed the blood-brain barrier in these mice. Development of disease was more efficient with piliated bacteria after intranasal, but not intraperitoneal, challenge of CD46 transgenic mice, suggesting that human CD46 facilitates pilus-dependent interactions at the epithelial mucosa. Hence, the human CD46 transgenic mice model is a potentially useful tool for studying pathogenesis and for vaccine development against meningococcal disease.     

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and distribution of the genes zag and fnz in isolates of Streptococcus equi

Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and subsp. zooepidemicus are important pathogens of the equine respiratory tract. Isolates of both subspecies were examined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). With the exception of eight isolates, a unique band pattern was displayed for each of the 48 subsp. zooepidemicus isolates tested. A method to distinguish isolates of the genetically very homogeneous subsp. equi has hitherto not been available, although several methods have been tested. By the use of PFGE, 50 isolates of subsp. equi could be divided into eleven groups, each with a unique pulsotype. In addition, the recently characterised genes encoding the cell-wall proteins ZAG and FNZ of S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus strain ZV were shown by Southern blots to be present in all 98 tested isolates, including the type strains of the two subspecies. Binding assays showed that the expression of the two genes clearly differentiate between the two subspecies.     

Different ethylene production in vitro by several species and formae speciales of Fusarium

The ethylene production of severalFusarium species and formae speciales in vitro was measured under comparable conditions. All of them produced ethylene.Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. ex Fr. f.tulipae Apt. produced much more than the other 18 strains investigated.Samenvatting Aangezien er aanwijzingen zijn dat ethyleen een rol speelt bij de aantasting van de tulpebol doorFusarium, werd de ethyleenproduktie van diverse soorten en formae speciales vanFusarium onder standaardvoorwaarden in vitro vergeleken. Alle onderzochteFusarium spp. en vormen vanFusarium produceerden ethyleen.Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. ex Fr. f.tulipae Apt. bleek in vergelijking met 18 andere getoetste soorten en formae speciales enige duizenden malen meer ethyleen te produceren.     

The impact of a community-based food skills intervention on cooking confidence, food preparation methods and dietary choices - an exploratory trial

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of undertaking a food skills intervention study in areas of social deprivation aimed at altering cooking confidence, food preparation methods and dietary choices. DESIGN: A standardised skills programme was implemented in community-based settings. Pre- (T1) and post-intervention (T2) and 6-month follow-up (T3) measures (7-day diaries and self-administered questionnaires) were undertaken in intervention and comparison groups. SETTING: Eight urban communities in Scotland. SUBJECTS: One hundred and thirteen adults living in areas of social deprivation. RESULTS: It was clear that many subjects led fragmented lives and found commitment to intervention classes problematic. Sixty-three subjects completed the final (T3) assessments. The response to each component varied due to inability to attend sessions, illness, study requirements, employment, moving out of the area, change in circumstances, loss of interest and loss of postal questionnaires. At baseline, reported consumption of fruit and vegetables was low (mean frequency 8.1 +/- 4.78 times per week). Fruit intake increased significantly (P < 0.05) between T1 and T2 in the intervention group (1.7 +/- 2.36 to 2.7 +/- 3.28 times per week) only. Between T1 and T3, there was a significant increase (P < 0.05) in intervention subjects who reported confidence in following a recipe (67-90%,). CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory trial shows that a food skills intervention is likely to have a small but positive effect on food choice and confidence in food preparation. A full-scale randomised controlled trial in this hard-to-reach group would require a range of flexible approaches rather than a fully defined intervention, and presents challenges for trial design.     

CoRoT measures solar-like oscillations and granulation in stars hotter than the Sun

Oscillations of the Sun have been used to understand its interior structure. The extension of similar studies to more distant stars has raised many difficulties despite the strong efforts of the international community over the past decades. The CoRoT (Convection Rotation and Planetary Transits) satellite, launched in December 2006, has now measured oscillations and the stellar granulation signature in three main sequence stars that are noticeably hotter than the sun. The oscillation amplitudes are about 1.5 times as large as those in the Sun; the stellar granulation is up to three times as high. The stellar amplitudes are about 25% below the theoretic values, providing a measurement of the nonadiabaticity of the process ruling the oscillations in the outer layers of the stars.     

Campylobacter from sows in farrow-to-finish pig farms: risk indicators and genetic diversity

Sows have been identified as a source of Campylobacter contamination in piglets. We carried out a one-year study, in 2008, at 53 farrow-to-finish farms in Brittany, France, to determine the proportion of sows excreting Campylobacter. We also determined the genotypes of the Campylobacter isolates. Moreover, Generalized Estimating Equations including repeated effects were used to assess the association between management practices and farm characteristics, and risk of Campylobacter shedding by sows. Per farm, 10 feces samples from sows were collected from selected sites (maternity, service area, gestation area) on the farms. Campylobacter isolates were identified by PCR and typed by PFGE. Campylobacter was detected in 25.1% of the 530 samples from sows, and 67% of the 53 pig farms had at least one positive sample (of 10 taken). All the Campylobacter isolates belonged to the Campylobacter coli species. They displayed a very high level of genetic diversity, also inside farms and few genotypes were common to several farms. Warmer months, large farms, and individual housing for sows were identified as risk indicators of Campylobacter shedding by sows. A short delay between sampling and treatment of the samples should be considered, to improve the detection of the bacterium in the feces samples.     

The cholesterol-lowering property of soybeans fed to rats is related to the fasting duration

Numerous factors affect plasma cholesterol and, therefore, representpotential interferences with the specific effects of diet on lipid metabolism.After casein intake, serum cholesterol levels depend on many experimentalconditions in rats, such as the type of casein, the presence or absence ofcholesterol in the diet, the age and strain of rat, the diet composition, thenutritional status. The effect of fasting duration on selected parameters wasstudied in adult male Wistar rats fed a 20% casein and 1% cholesterol-based diet. No changes were observed in total serum, lipoproteins-B andHDL cholesterol and in triglyceride values after an 8 h-fast compared tonon-fasted animals. A significant decrease was induced in total andlipoproteins-B cholesterol with a 12 h-fast. A prolonged fast resulted ina significant decrease in these parameters and in triglycerides and inHDL-cholesterol levels.Fasted animals fed heated soybean meal instead of casein did not display amarked decrease in serum lipids. It appeared that the fasting effect wasmore marked in animals fed casein than in animals fed soybeans. Theseresults showed the importance of experimental conditions such as nutritional status ofanimals when blood samples are taken in studies of the hypocholesterolemiceffect of soy protein compared to casein.