A method for simultaneous detection and identification of Brazilian dog- and vampire bat-related rabies virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay

At present, the sporadic occurrence of human rabies in Brazil can be attributed primarily to dog- and vampire bat-related rabies viruses. Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) was employed as a simultaneous detection method for both rabies field variants within 60 min. Vampire bat-related rabies viruses could be distinguished from dog variants by digesting amplicons of the RT-LAMP reaction using the restriction enzyme Alwl. Amplification and digestion could both be completed within 120 min after RNA extraction. In addition, the RI-LAMP assay also detected rabies virus in isolates from Brazilian frugivorous bats and Ugandan dog, bovine and goat samples. In contrast, there were false negative results from several Brazilian insectivorous bats and all of Chinese dog, pig, and bovine samples using the RI-LAMP assay. This study showed that the RT-LAMP assay is effective for the rapid detection of rabies virus isolates from the primary reservoir in Brazil. Further improvements are necessary so that the RT-LAMP assay can be employed for the universal detection of genetic variants of rabies virus in the field. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lipolysis in milk and dairy products: a research journey

In this paper, I describe my journey through a field of research in which I have been involved for some years - lipolysis in milk and dairy products. While I call it my journey, I have had many fellow travellers who have helped me along the way. These have been my research colleagues and collaborators, and, since I joined the University of Queensland, my students. The research has covered a variety of aspects but I have chosen to describe only a selection of these.

The effect of water, brine and ethanol flotation on the quality and shelf life of macadamia kernels 2. Kernel pieces

Raw macadamia kernel pieces were immersed in water (specific gravity 1.00 g/cm(3)), brine (SG 1.02 g/cm(3)) or ethanol solution (SG 0.97 g/cm(3)) for 30 or 60 s, then re-dried to below 1.5% moisture (wet basis) and stored under vacuum for 0, 4 and 12 months. Flotation in water had no effect on the quality or shelf life of the kernel pieces over 12 months storage, as measured by sensory evaluation of the kernels and chemical analysis of the kernel oil. Immersion in a salt solution caused unacceptable changes in quality during storage, increasing as storage time increased. Flotation in dilute ethanol also caused unacceptable quality changes during storage. Therefore, only flotation of macadamia kernel pieces in water can be recommended for commercial operations. Microbiological concerns with such a process still need to be addressed.

The validity of publication and citation counts for Sociology and other selected disciplines

The use of bibliometric data is a means of comparing. research productivity and scholarly. impact for individuals, work groups, institutions and nations within and between disciplines. Central to this debate is the notion that disciplines differ in the ways in which,they exchange ideas and disseminate information and therefore have diverse publishing and citation patterns. In this article we use two different approaches to compiling bibliometric data to compare publishing patterns of five different disciplines that encompass Molecular Biology; Administration/Political Science, Psychology,. Philosophy and Sociology/Anthropology. We find that the social sciences differ from each other as well as from the physical sciences in their publication and citation patterns. Further, while the different ways of organizing the data produce somewhat different results, the substantive findings for the general patterning of publications and citations of disciplines are consistent for both data sets. Sociology/Anthropology, when compared with the other disciplines, shows substantial differences across universities.

Effect of storage time and conditions on the seed coat colour of Australian adzuki beans

Two varieties of adzuki beans (Vigna angularis), Bloodwood and Erimo, were stored at temperatures of 10, 20 or 30degreesC, and relative humidities (RH) 40 or 65%, and samples were analysed at 0, 1.5, 3 and 6 months. Storage at 30degreesC for > 1.5 months caused a significant decrease in the a(star) and b(star) colour values and darkening of the seed coat. Beans stored at 65% RH had lower L-star but higher a(star) and b(star) colour values than those stored at 40% RH. Bloodwood and Erimo samples showed similar trends in colour during storage. The best storage conditions for the preservation of the adzuki colour were 10degreesC and 65% RH. The Australian beans had lower L-star, a(star) and b(star) colour values than Japanese Erimo-shouzu beans and storage increased the difference.

Displaying the future: Techno-nationalism and the rise of the consumer in postwar Japan

This paper explains how, in the aftermath of World War II, a type of techno-nationalism emerged that linked being Japanese to science and technology and the increased consumption of electrical appliances. By closely examining official exhibitions, we can see how the state and private sector strongly encouraged this techno-scientific dreaming. Dazzling displays highlighted how the peaceful atom would help lead the nation to achieve high economic growth. At the same time, through the judicious purchase of labor saving appliances, consumers could reconcile the need to spend with the need to save.

An outline of military technological dynamics as restraints for acquisition, international cooperation and domestic technological development

The expectation that technological returns from defense expenditure through acquisition, international cooperation and domestic research would further national development underappreciates the different technological dynamic of the armed services. This paper outlines the technological dynamic the stems from fighting in the air, at sea and on land, exemplifying consequences for the case of acquisition.

Thermal and hydrolytic degradation of electrospun fish gelatin membranes

The thermal and hydrolytic degradation of electrospun gelatin membranes cross-linked with glutaraldehyde in vapor phase has been studied. In vitro degradation of gelatin membranes was evaluated in phosphate buffer saline solution at 37 ºC. After 15 days under these conditions, a weight loss of 68 % was observed, attributed to solvation and depolymerization of the main polymeric chains. Thermal degradation kinetics of the gelatin raw material and as-spun electrospun membranes showed that the electrospinning processing conditions do not influence polymer degradation. However, for cross-linked samples a decrease in the activation energy was observed, associated with the effect of glutaraldehyde cross-linking reaction in the inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds of the protein. It is also shown that the electrospinning process does not affect the formation of the helical structure of gelatin chains.

Integrating environmental and economic life cycle analysis in product development: a material selection case study

Purpose Achieving sustainability by rethinking products, services and strategies is an enormous challenge currently laid upon the economic sector, in which materials selection plays a critical role. In this context, the present work describes an environmental and economic life cycle analysis of a structural product, comparing two possible material alternatives. The product chosen is a storage tank, presently manufactured in stainless steel (SST) or in a glass fibre reinforced polymer composite (CST). The overall goal of the study is to identify environmental and economic strong and weak points related to the life cycle of the two material alternatives. The consequential win-win or trade-off situations will be identified via a Life Cycle Assessment/Life Cycle Costing (LCA/LCC) integrated model. Methods The LCA/LCC integrated model used consists in applying the LCA methodology to the product system, incorporating, in parallel, its results into the LCC study, namely those of the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA). Results In both the SST and CST systems the most significant life cycle phase is the raw materials production, in which the most significant environmental burdens correspond to the Fossil fuels and Respiratory inorganics categories. The LCA/LCC integrated analysis shows that the CST has globally a preferable environmental and economic profile, as its impacts are lower than those of the SST in all life cycle stages. Both the internal and external costs are lower, the former resulting mainly from the composite material being significantly less expensive than stainless steel. This therefore represents a full win-win situation. As a consequence, the study clearly indicates that using a thermoset composite material to manufacture storage tanks is environmentally and economically desirable. However, it was also evident that the environmental performance of the CST could be improved by altering its End-of-Life stage. Conclusions The results of the present work provide enlightening insights into the synergies between the environmental and the economic performance of a structural product made with alternative materials. Further, they provide conclusive evidence to support the integration of environmental and economic life cycle analysis in the product development processes of a manufacturing company, or in some cases even in its procurement practices.