Antioxidant response of Nicotiana tabacum cv. Bright Yellow 2 cells to cadmium and nickel stress

Plant cell cultures are a suitable model system for investigation of the physiological mechanisms of tolerance to environmental stress. We have determined the effects of Cd (0.1 and 0.2 mM CdCl(2)) and Ni (0.075 and 0.75 mM NiCl(2)) on Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Bright Yellow (TBY-2) cell suspension cultures over a 72-h period. Inhibition of growth, loss of cell viability and lipid peroxidation occurred, in general, only when the TBY-2 cells were grown at 0.2 mM CdCl(2) and at 0.75 mM NiCl(2). At 0.1 mM CdCl(2), a significant increase in growth was determined at the end of the experiment. Increases in the activities of all of the four enzymatic antioxidant defence systems tested, were induced by the two concentrations of Cd and Ni, but at different times during the period of metal exposure. Overall, the cellular antioxidant responses to Cd and Ni were similar and were apparently sufficient to avoid oxidative stress at the lower concentrations of Cd and Ni. The activities of glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase increased early but transiently, whereas the activities of catalase and guaiacol peroxidase increased in the latter half of the experimental period. Therefore it is likely that the metabolism of reduced glutathione was enhanced during the initial onset of the stress, while catalase and guaiacol-type peroxidase appeared to play a more important role in the antioxidant response once the stress became severe.

Quantification of Listeria monocytogenes in minimally processed leafy vegetables using a combined method based on enrichment and 16S rRNA real-time PCR

Modern lifestyle markedly changed eating habits worldwide, with an increasing demand for ready-to-eat foods, such as minimally processed fruits and leafy greens. Packaging and storage conditions of those products may favor the growth of psychrotrophic bacteria, including the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. In this work, minimally processed leafy vegetables samples (n = 162) from retail market from Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil, were tested for the presence or absence of Listeria spp. by the immunoassay Listeria Rapid Test, Oxoid. Two L. monocytogenes positive and six artificially contaminated samples of minimally processed leafy vegetables were evaluated by the Most Probable Number (MPN) with detection by classical culture method and also culture method combined with real-time PCR (RTi-PCR) for 16S rRNA genes of L monocytogenes. Positive MPN enrichment tubes were analyzed by RTi-PCR with primers specific for L. monocytogenes using the commercial preparation ABSOLUTET (TM) QPCR SYBR (R) Green Mix (ABgene, UK). Real-time PCR assay presented good exclusivity and inclusivity results and no statistical significant difference was found in comparison with the conventional culture method (p < 0.05). Moreover, RTi-PCR was fist and easy to perform, with MPN results obtained in ca. 48 h for RTi-PCR in comparison to 7 days for conventional method. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An everyday nostalgia: Memory and the fictions of belonging

In 1984, George Orwell presented the future as a dystopian vision, where everyday existence was governed and redefined by an oppressive regime. Winston Smith's daily duties at the Ministry of Truth involved the invention, rewriting and erasing of fragments of history as a means of perpetuating contentment, uniformity and control. History, as Orwell described it in the novel 'was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary.' More that a quarter of a century after the publication of 1984, Michel Foucault discussed the cinematic representation and misrepresentation of French history and identity in terms of what he called the manipulation of 'popular memory'. In what was tantamount to a diluted version of Orwell's palimpsestic histories, Foucault stated that 'people are not shown what they were, but what they must remember having been.' This paper will investigate notions of memory, identity and the everyday through a discussion of the community of Celebration in Florida. Conceived in the 1990s, Celebration was designed around a fictionalised representation of pre 1940s small town America, using nostalgia for a mythologised past to create a sense of comfort, community and conformity among its residents. Adapting issues raised by Orwell, Foucault and Baudrillard, this paper will discuss the way in which architecture, like film and literature, can participate in what Foucault discussed as the manipulation of popular memory, inducing and exploiting a nostalgia for an everyday past that that never really existed.

A Century of Change in Coral Reef Status in Southeast and Central Pacific: Polynesia Mana Node, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Niue, Tokelau, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna

The Polynesia Mana Node of the southeast and central Pacific contains 7 independent or autonomous countries or territories with only 6,000 km2 of land on 347 islands, but surrounded by 12 million km2 of EEZ. These seas contain 13,000 km2 of coral reefs as the main natural ecosystem providing food resources and opportunities for development, especially for tourism and pearl culture for 500,000 inhabitants. During the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, there was major exploitation by the colonial powers of mother-of-pearl oysters for the button industry, as well as guano, sandalwood and trepang. The Polynesian people were largely involved in a subsistence economy and all coral reefs and lagoons were healthy. During the last two decades of the 20th, all countries experienced rapid development and urbanization, rising populations, and some increased agriculture. These developments were limited to a few islands of each country (i.e. 15 islands amongst the 347) with resulting degradation of the coral reefs around these sites. The other islands remained mostly uninhabited and pristine, and continued with a subsistence economy. Generally, there was more damage to the coral reefs through natural events such as cyclones and coral bleaching, than by human activities. There is however, an urgent need to combat the threats on some islands from increased sedimentation, over-fishing, dredging and nutrient pollution.

Inflammatory and functional effects of increasing asthma treatment with formoterol or double dose budesonide

Adding a long-acting beta(2)-agonist to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for asthma treatment is better than increasing ICS dose in improving clinical status, although there is no consensus about the impact of this regimen on inflammation. In this double-blind, randomized, parallel group study, asthmatics with moderate to severe disease used budesonide (400 mcg/day) for 5 weeks (run-in period); then they were randomized to use budesonide (800 mcg/day - BUD group) or budesonide plus formoterol (400 mcg and 24 mcg/day, respectively - FORMO group) for 9 weeks (treatment period). Home PEF measurements, symptom daily reporting, spirometry, sputum induction (for differential cell counts and sputum cell cultures), and hypertonic saline bronchial challenge test were performed before and after treatments. TNF-alpha, IL-4 and eotaxin-2 levels in the sputum and cell culture supernatants were determined. Morning and night PEF values increased in the FORMO group during the treatment period (p < 0.01), from 435 +/- 162 to 489 +/- 169 and 428 +/- 160 to 496 +/- 173 L/min, respectively. The rate of exacerbations in the FORMO group was lower than in the BUD group (p < 0.05). Neutrophil counts in sputum increased in both groups (p < 0.05) and leukocyte viability after 48 h-culture increased in the FORMO group (p < 0.05). No other parameter changed significantly in either group. This study showed that adding formoterol to budesonide improved home PEF and provided protection from exacerbations, although increase of leukocyte viability in cell culture may be a matter of concern and needs further investigation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation of field isolates and vaccine strains of infectious laryngotracheitis virus by DNA sequencing

Two different regions of the infected cell protein 4 (ICP4) gene of infectious laryngotracheitis virus (ILTV) were amplified and sequenced for characterization of field isolates and tissue culture-origin (TCO) and chicken embryo-origin (CEO) vaccine strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the two regions showed differences in nucleotide and amino acid sequences between field isolates and attenuated vaccines. The PCR-RFLP results were identical to those obtained by DNA sequencing and validated their use to differentiate ILTV strains. The approach using the sequencing of the two fragments of the ICP4 gene showed to be an efficient and practical procedure to differentiate between field isolates and vaccine strains of ILTV. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of culture media on porcine embryos produced by in vitro fertilization or parthenogenetic activation after oocyte maturation with cycloheximide

This study evaluated the effects of reversible meiotic inhibition and different culture media (PZM3 or NCSU23) on production of porcine embryos by either in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenetic activation (PA). Oocytes from abattoir-derived ovaries were allocated into two groups for maturation: CHX (5 mu g/ml cycloheximide for 10 h) or Control (no CHX). The percentage of metaphase II (MII) oocytes was determined at 36, 40 or 44 h of in vitro maturation. For IVF and PA, denuded oocytes were fertilized with purified sperm for 6 h or activated by electric stimuli. Zygotes were then subdivided into two culture groups: NCSU23 or PZM3. No effect of treatment with CHX and culture media was observed on cleavage (D3) and blastocyst (D7) rates in IVF and PA groups. There are no differences of quality or development rates between IVF-derived embryos cultured in NCSU23 or PZM3. However, we observed high quality PA embryos in PZM3 compared with NCSU23. Maturation arrest with CHX decreased the average blastocyst cell number in IVF while it was increased in PA embryos. As older oocytes are more effectively activated, CHX-blocked oocytes reached the mature stage faster than the control group. In conclusion, the CHX treatment for 10 h, followed by oocyte maturation for 40 h, is an efficient protocol to produce high quality parthenote embryos, especially when they are cultured in PZM3. However, this protocol is not satisfactory for IVF embryos production. In this case, a shorter maturation period could provide better embryo quality.

Research output of Australian general practice: A comparison with medicine, surgery and public health

Objectives: To compare the productivity of Australian general practice in terms of research publications with the productivity of other medical disciplines. Design: A survey of Australian general practice, medicine, surgery and public health publications carried out by manual searching of specific journals and an electronic search of the US National Library of Medicine's PubMed database. Main outcome measures: The number of original research publications by Australian general practitioners, physicians, surgeons and public health physicians during 1999; the relative publication rate of Australian general practice, medicine, surgery and public health over the period 1990-1999. Results: Of original research articles published in 1999, GPs authored 65% (17/26) in Australian Family Physician and 3% (3/90) in the Medical Journal of Australia; physicians published 4% and 37%, respectively. The electronic search identified 54 research articles relating to Australian general practice published in 1999 in 21 different journals, only two of which were primary care journals. Over the period 1990-1999, there was a publication rate of one general practice [discipline] article per 1000 GPs in practice per year. Corresponding rates for medicine, surgery and public health were 105/1000, 61/1000 and 148/1000, respectively. Conclusions: There is considerable disparity between the level of research output of general practice and that of the disciplines of medicine, surgery and public health. If we are to have effective general practice research, we urgently need to develop research skills, a supportive infrastructure and a culture that nurtures research.