Evaluation and histological examination of a Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis small animal infection model

Bovine genital campylobacteriosis (BGC), caused by Campylobacter fetus subsp. venerealis, is associated with production losses in cattle worldwide. This study aimed to develop a reliable BGC guinea pig model to facilitate future studies of pathogenicity, abortion mechanisms and vaccine efficacy. Seven groups of five pregnant guinea pigs (1 control per group) were inoculated with one of three strains via intra-peritoneal (IP) or intra-vaginal routes. Samples were examined using culture, PCR and histology. Abortions ranged from 0 to 100 and re-isolation of causative bacteria from sampled sites varied with strain, dose of bacteria and time to abortion. Histology indicated metritis and placentitis, suggesting that the bacteria induce inflammation, placental detachment and subsequent abortion. Variation of virulence between strains was observed and determined by culture and abortion rates. IP administration of C. fetus subsp. venerealis to pregnant guinea pigs is a promising small animal model for the investigation of BGC abortion.

Grazing impacts on the susceptibility of rangelands to wind erosion: The effects of stocking rate, stocking strategy and land condition

An estimated 110 Mt of dust is eroded by wind from the Australian land surface each year, most of which originates from the arid and semi-arid rangelands. Livestock production is thought to increase the susceptibility of the rangelands to wind erosion by reducing vegetation cover and modifying surface soil stability. However, research is yet to quantify the impacts of grazing land management on the erodibility of the Australian rangelands, or determine how these impacts vary among land types and over time. We present a simulation analysis that links a pasture growth and animal production model (GRASP) to the Australian Land Erodibility Model (AUSLEM) to evaluate the impacts of stocking rate, stocking strategy and land condition on the erodibility of four land types in western Queensland, Australia. Our results show that declining land condition, over stocking, and using inflexible stocking strategies have potential to increase land erodibility and amplify accelerated soil erosion. However, land erodibility responses to grazing are complex and influenced by land type sensitivities to different grazing strategies and local climate characteristics. Our simulations show that land types which are more resilient to livestock grazing tend to be least susceptible to accelerated wind erosion. Increases in land erodibility are found to occur most often during climatic transitions when vegetation cover is most sensitive to grazing pressure. However, grazing effects are limited during extreme wet and dry periods when the influence of climate on vegetation cover is strongest. Our research provides the opportunity to estimate the effects of different land management practices across a range of land types, and provides a better understanding of the mechanisms of accelerated erosion resulting from pastoral activities. The approach could help further assessment of land erodibility at a broader scale notably if combined with wind erosion models.

Evaluation of a multiplex PCR to identify and serotypeActinobacillus pleuropneumoniaeserovars 1, 5, 7, 12 and 15

The aim of this study was to validate a multiplex PCR for the species identification and serotyping of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovars 1, 5, 7, 12 and 15. All 15 reference strains and 411 field isolates (394 from Australia, 11 from Indonesia, five from Mexico and one from New Zealand) of A. pleuropneumoniae were tested with the multiplex PCR. The specificity of this multiplex PCR was validated on 26 non-A. pleuropneumoniae species. The multiplex PCR gave the expected results with all 15 serovar reference strains and agreed with conventional serotyping for all field isolates from serovars 1 (n = 46), 5 (n = 81), 7 (n = 80), 12 (n = 16) and serovar 15 (n = 117). In addition, a species-specific product was amplified in the multiplex PCR with all 411 A. pleuropneumoniae field isolates. Of 25 nontypeable field isolates only two did not yield a serovar-specific band in the multiplex PCR. This multiplex PCR for serovars 1, 5, 7, 12 and 15 is species specific and capable of serotyping isolates from diverse locations. Significance and Impact of the Study A multiplex PCR that can recognize serovars 1, 5, 7, 12 and 15 of A. pleuropneumoniae was developed and validated. This novel diagnostic tool will enable frontline laboratories to provide key information (the serovar) to guide targeted prevention and control programmes for porcine pleuropneumonia, a serious economic disease of pigs. The previous technology, traditional serotyping, is typically provided by specialized reference laboratories, limiting the capacity to respond to this key disease.

Plan uchastka kolonizat︠s︡ionnogo fonda Nº 12/157 Krivorogskogo okruga Sofievskogo raĭona, ploshchadiʻ︠u︡ 945,6979 gektarov

Digital image

Studies of phosphazenes. 12. Reactions of N4P4Cl8 with dibenzylamine- isolation of an unusual "bicyclic" phosphazene, N4P4[N(CH2Ph)2]6(NCH2Ph)

Octachlorocyclotetraphosphazene, N4P4CIa, reacts with dibenzylamine to give the chloro(dibenzy1amino) derivatives, N4P,C18,[N(CH2Ph)2],,, n = 1, 2 (two isomers), and 4 (three isomers). Nongeminal structures have been assigned to these compounds on the basis of ‘H and jlP NMR spectra. The presence of at least two tris(dibenzylamin0) derivatives in some reaction mixtures is also inferred from NMR spectra. Steric effects become important at the tetrakis stage of chlorine replacement, and further substitution by dibenzylamine to give monocyclic tetrameric derivatives does not occur. A “bicyclic” phosphazene, N4P4[N(CH2Ph)2]6(NCHzPh)is, obtained from the reaction of N4P4Claw ith an excess of dibenzylamine in boiling methyl cyanide. The formation of this derivative and its spectroscopic data are discussed.

Sorption and desorption of sulfuryl fluoride by wheat, flour and semolina

Sulfuryl fluoride (SF) has been developed as a fumigant for control of insect pests in stored grain. However, there is very limited information on the sorption behaviour of this fumigant, which can be critical to its bioactivity, application and potential for residues. We undertook a comprehensive laboratory study of the sorption and desorption of SF by wheat (bread and durum), flour and semolina at 15, 25 and 35 °C, moisture contents 12% and 15%, and concentration × time combinations at CT = 1500 mgh/L (4.167 mg/L × 360 h, 8.928 mg/L × 168 h and 31.25 mg/L × 48 h). At each dosage, sorption rate increased as commodity temperature and moisture content increased. The highest rates of sorption occurred at 35 °C and 15% m.c., and lowest rates at 15 °C and 12% m.c., and the rate was independent of initial concentration. Sorption followed first order reaction kinetics described by the exponential decay equation, Ct = C0·e−k*t, where k is the sorption rate constant. The most important factors determining the rate of sorption were commodity particle size (exposed surfaces) and temperature. Little sorption of fumigant occurred within the first 24 h whereas longer fumigation times resulted in significant sorption. Unbound SF was rapidly lost from the commodity upon aeration with no further desorption detected under any of the test conditions.

Plan zemelʻnogo uchastka poselka N 12

Digital image

Plan zemelʻnogo uchastka poselka N 12 Leninskogo fonda

Digital image

Autuus on katsojan silmässä : lukijakeskeinen tutkimus autuaaksijulistuksista Matt. 5 : 1-12

Autuus on katsojan silmässä: lukijakeskeinen tutkimus autuaaksijulistuksista Matt. 5 : 1-12 on reseptioanalyyttisellä metodilla tehty tutkimus siitä, miten akateeminen tutkimuskirjallisuus ja kymmenen valikoitua Jeesus-elokuvaa ovat ymmärtäneet autuaaksijulistusten merkityksen. Kartoitettuaan autuaaksijulistusten tulkintahistoriaa ja Jeesus-elokuvien kulttuurihistoriaa tutkielma kääntyy reseptiohistorialliseksi analyysiksi. Akateemisen tutkimuskirjallisuuden ja Jeesus-elokuvien esittämät tulkinnat Matteuksen evankeliumin autuaaksijulistuksista rinnas-tetaan suhteessa autuaaksijulistusten tyyliin, sisältöön, rakenteeseen ja merkitykseen. Autuaaksijulistusten tyylin tulkinnan analysointi tapahtuu vertailemalla millainen narratiivinen sijainti autuaaksijulistuksille on tarinassa annettu, millaiseksi elokuvat ja tutkimuskirjallisuus tulkitsevat julistusten esitykselliset puitteet sekä mitä näkemyksiä niillä on julistusten kohdeyleisöstä ja Jeesuksen esiintymistavasta. Autuaaksijulistusten sisällön analysointi tarkoittaa yksittäisten autuaaksijulistusten merkityksen selvittelyä. Tämä tapahtuu edelleen Jeesus-elokuvien ja tutkimuskirjallisuuden tekemiä tulkintoja vertailemalla. Näiden lisäksi tekijä esittää oman käännöksensä autuaaksijulistuksista eksegeettisen analyysin keinoin. Käännöksen tavoitteena ei kuitenkaan ole sanatarkkuus, vaan dynaamisuus lukijan tulkinnan säilyttämiseksi. Autuaaksijulistusten rakenteen analysointi esittelee muutamia erilaisia malleja, joiden mukaan tutkimuskirjallisuudessa Matteuksen evankeliumin autuaaksijulistuksia on ryhmitelty. Tässä alaluvussa elokuva-aineiston ja tutkimuskirjallisuuden erot ovat selkeimmin näkyvillä, sillä elokuvat pyrkivät ryhmittelyn sijasta luomaan autuaaksijulistuksille kokonaan uuden rakenteen, joka sopii elokuvakerrontaan julistuslistaa paremmin. Autuaaksijulistusten merkitystä analysoitaessa tutkielmassa asetetaan rinnan kolme Jeesus-elokuvaa, jotka edustavat tulkintahistoriasta tuttuja tulkinnallisia pääsuuntia: autuaaksijulistukset tulkitaan joko eettisiksi kehotuksiksi tai lupauksiksi armosta. Kolmas Jeesus-elokuva edustaa kontroversiaalista näkemystä, joka kiistää molemmat edellä mainitut tulkintatavat. Johtopäätöksissä osoitetaan reseptiohistorialliseen analyysiin viitaten, että tulkintojen muotoutuminen ei ole yksinkertaista. Tulkintaan vaikuttavat paitsi tulkitsijan ennakkokäsitykset, myös tulkittava teksti ja tulkintatilanne. Johtopäätöksissä puolustetaan myös populaarikulttuurin teologisten elementtien tutkimusta osana eksegetiikkaa.

Positive associations of serum Perfluoroalkyl substances with uric acid and hyperuricemia in children from Taiwan

To investigate the risk of hyperuricemia in relation to Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in children from Taiwan, 225 Taiwanese children aged 12-15 years were recruited from 2009 to 2010. Linear and logistic regression models were employed to examine the influence of PFASs on serum uric acid levels. Findings revealed that eight of ten PFASs analyses were detected in > 94% of the participants' serum samples. Multivariate linear regression models revealed that perfluorooctanic acid (PFOA) was positively associated with serum uric acid levels (β=0.1463, p<0.05). Of all the PFASs analyses, only PFOA showed a significant effect on elevated levels of hyperuricemia (aOR=2.16, 95%CI: 1.29-3.61). When stratified by gender, the association between serum PFOA and uric acid levels was only evident among boys (aOR=2.76, 95%CI: 1.37-5.56). In conclusion, PFOA was found to be associated with elevated serum levels of uric acid in Taiwanese children, especially boys. Further research is needed to elucidate these links.

Polymorphic low penetrance genes and breast cancer : The role of genes involved in metabolism of xenobiotics, estrogens and reactive oxygen species

Various endogenous and exogenous factors have been reported to increase the risk of breast cancer. Many of those are related to prolonged lifetime exposure to estrogens. Furthermore, a positive family history of breast cancer and certain benign breast diseases are known to increase the risk of breast cancer. The role of lifestyle factors, such as use of alcohol and smoking has been an area of intensive study. Alcohol has been found to increase the risk of breast cancer, whereas the role of smoking has remained obscure. A multitude of enzymes are involved in the metabolism of estrogens and xenobiotics including the carcinogens found in tobacco smoke. Many of the metabolic enzymes exhibit genetic polymorphisms that can lead to inter-individual differences in their abilities to modify hazardous substrates. Therefore, in presence of a given chemical exposure, one subgroup of women may be more susceptible to breast carcinogenesis, since they carry unfavourable forms of the polymorphic genes involved in the metabolism of the chemical. In this work, polymorphic genes encoding for cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 and 1B1, N-acetyl transferase 2 (NAT2), sulfotransferase 1A1 (SULT1A1), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) were investigated in relation to breast cancer susceptibility in a Finnish population. CYP1A1, CYP1B1 and SULT1A1 are involved in the metabolism of both estrogens and xenobiotics, whereas NAT2 is involved only in the latter. MnSOD is an antioxidant enzyme protecting cells from oxidative damage. VDR, in turn, mediates the effects of the active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D3, calcitriol) on maintenance of calcium homeostasis and it has anti-proliferative effects in many cancer cells. A 1.3-fold (95% CIs 1.01-1.73) increased risk of breast cancer was seen among women who carried the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype and a 1.5-fold (95% CI 1.1-2.0) risk was found in women with a MnSOD variant A allele containing genotypes compared to women with the NAT2 rapid acetylator genotype or to those with the MnSOD VV genotype, respectively. Instead, women with the VDR a allele containing genotypes were found to be at a decreased risk for breast cancer (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.54-0.98) compared to women with the AA genotype. No significant overall associations were found between SULT1A1 or CYP genotypes and breast cancer risk, whereas a combination of the CYP1B1 432Val allele containing genotypes with the NAT2 slow acetylator genotypes posed a 1.5-fold (95% CI 1.03-2.24) increased risk. Moreover, NAT2 slow acetylator genotype was found to be confined to women with an advanced stage of breast cancer (stages III and IV). Further evidence for the association of xenobiotic metabolising genes with breast cancer risk was found when active smoking was taken into account. Women who smoked less than 10 cigarettes/day and carried at least one CYP1B1 432Val variant allele, were at 3.1-fold (95% CI 1.32-7.12) risk of breast cancer compared to women who smoked the same amount but did not carry the variant allele. Furthermore, the risk was significantly increased with increasing number of the CYP1B1 432Val alleles (p for trend 0.005). In addition, women who smoked less than 5 pack-years and carried the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype were at a 2.6-fold (95% CI 1.01-6.48) increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who smoked the same amount but carried the NAT2 rapid acetylator genotype. Furthermore, the combination of the CYP1B1 432Val allele and the NAT2 slow acetylator genotype increased the risk of breast cancer by 2.5-fold (95% CI 1.11-5.45) among ever smokers. Instead, the MnSOD A allele was found to be a risk factor among postmenopausal long-term smokers (>15 years of smoking) (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.4-18.4) or among postmenopausal women who had smoked more than 10 cigarettes/day (OR 5.5; 95% CI 1.3-23.4) compared to women who had similar smoking habits but carried the MnSOD V/V genotype. Similarly, within subgroups of postmenopausal women who were using oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy or alcohol, women carrying the MnSOD A allele genotypes seemed to be at increased risk of breast cancer compared to women with the MnSOD V/V genotype. A positive family history of breast cancer and high parity were shown to be inversely associated with breast cancer risk among women carrying the VDR ApaI a allele or among premenopausal women carrying the SULT1A1*2 allele, respectively.

Dynamic viscosity of ternary mixtures of dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12), chlorodifluoromethane (R-22), and dichlorotetrafluoroethane (R-114) vapors

The viscosities of ternary mixtures of R-12, R-22, and R-114 vapors were determined at ambient temperature and pressure within +-1% by using an oscillating disk viscometer. The empirical viscosity obtained by Wllke's equation compares very well with the experimental results obtained with this vlscometer. In the case of this ternary vapor mixture, as long as the molar fraction ratio of R-12 to R-114 Is maintained at approximately 2"' (=Inverse ratio of thelr molecular weights) the viscosity of the ternary mixture at ambient temperature and pressure remalns constant irrespective of the percentage of R-22 present in the mixture.

Situated interpretation in computational creativity

This paper describes, formalizes and implements an approach to computational creativity based on situated interpretation. The paper introduces the notions of framing and reframing of conceptual spaces based on empirical studies as the driver for this research. It uses concepts from situated cognition, and situated interpretation in particular, to be the basis of a formal model of the movement between conceptual spaces. This model is implemented using rules within interacting neural networks. This implementation demonstrates behaviour similar to that observed in studies of human designers.