Detection of rubella virus in fetal and placental tissues and in the throats of neonates after serologically confirmed rubella in pregnancy

From 35 therapeutic abortions performed because rubella had occurred at 2–19 weeks of pregnancy, 120 fetal organs, 12 specimens of mixed products of conception, and 15 placentae were tested for rubella virus. Virus was isolated from 10 out of 11 fetuses (91 per cent) from women infected at 2–8 weeks, from 5 out of 8 (63 per cent) infected at 9–10 weeks, and from 2 out of 16 (13 per cent) infected at 11–19 weeks. Hybridization tests for viral RNA on 39 fetal organs from eight cases revealed infection in four additional fetuses. Virus was isolated from only 3 out of 15 aborted placentae, but hybridization tests on six placentae revealed infection in three additional specimens. Hybridization was superior to virus isolation for detecting rubella infection in products of conception and is therefore potentially the better method for examining chorionic villus biopsies. Rubella virus was isolated from the throats of 4 out of 9 infants (44 per cent) infected during the first 12 weeks of gestation, but from none of 13 infected after 17 weeks. Infants in the latter group are unlikely to infect susceptible contacts.     

Female sex pheromone of Ostrinia orientalis – throwing a light on the relationship between O. orientalis and the European corn borer, O. nubilalis

Summary. The sex pheromone of Ostrinia orientalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was analyzed by gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection (GC–EAD), GC–mass spectrometry and a series of bioassays. Three EAD-active compounds were detected in the female sex pheromone gland extract, and identified as tetradecyl acetate (14:OAc), (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:OAc) and (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (E11-14:OAc). The titers (ratio) of 14:OAc, Z11-14:OAc and E11-14:OAc in 3-day-old virgin females were 0.49 ng (10), 4.86 ng (98) and 0.10 ng (2), respectively. In a wind-tunnel bioassay, the 98:2 blend of Z11- and E11-14:OAc, but not Z11-14:OAc alone, elicited the same male behavioral responses as virgin females and crude gland extracts. 14:OAc was inactive by itself, and did not show any synergistic effect on the binary blend. Field trapping experiments also confirmed the attractiveness of the binary blend to O. orientalis males. Based on these results, we concluded that the sex pheromone of O. orientalis is a 98:2 mixture of Z11-14:OAc and E11-14:OAc. This sex pheromone is very similar to that of the Z-type European corn borer, O. nubilalis. The present finding raises the question of whether O. orientalis , which is indistinguishable from O. nubilalis based on external morphology, is a biologically distinct species independent from O. nubilalis.     

Rare cell isolation using antibodies covalently linked to slides: application to fetal cells in maternal blood

We describe here a new type of method for isolation of rare cell populations in biological fluids. The method is based on the anthraquinone technology for covalent binding of molecules to a polymer surface. An anthraquinone molecule conjugated via a linker to an electrophilic group (AQ Immobilizer™ reagent, Exiqon A/S) is covalently bound to a polymer surface by UV irradiation. The electrophilic group of this AQ reagent can covalently bind a specific antibody directed against a specific cell marker. Applying a cell sample to the functional surface, the cells having the specific cell marker on the cell surface will bind to the antibody on the functional surface. Using this technique, even extremely small cell populations may be isolated. We succeeded in isolating fetal cells from maternal blood samples in the first trimester for chromosome defects genetic diagnosis. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高效复合菌在木薯酒精废液处理中的应用研究

对酒精废液生物处理反应器内颗粒污泥中的微生物进行分离纯化.分离出的8株高效优势菌,初步鉴定结果:1号为皮杆菌属;2号为棒杆菌属;3号、4号为微小杆菌属;5号为乳杆菌属;6号为纤维单胞菌属;7号为丙酸杆菌属;8号为红长命菌属.对8种纯化后的菌株进行混合培养,确定了复合菌群生长最佳培养温度为37℃,最适pH值为6.8.在处理过程中投加适量葡萄糖、硝酸铵和微量元素能够提高复合菌群的处理效果.最佳添加量为:葡萄糖0.5g/L,硝酸铵1g/L,Fe2 5mg/L和Ca2 25mg/L.在日处理量100 m3的UASB生物反应器中投加该复合菌群后,木薯酒精废液的COD去除率明显提高,达到90%以上.处理系统运行稳定.     

Pipeline leakage detection and isolation: An integrated approach of statistical and wavelet feature extraction with multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN)

Leakage diagnosis of hydrocarbon pipelines can prevent environmental and financial losses. This work proposes a novel method that not only detects the occurrence of a leakage fault, but also suggests its location and severity. The OLGA software is employed to provide the pipeline inlet pressure and outlet flow rates as the training data for the Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) system. The FDI system is comprised of a Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN) classifier with various feature extraction methods including the statistical techniques, wavelet transform, and a fusion of both methods. Once different leakage scenarios are considered and the preprocessing methods are done, the proposed FDI system is applied to a 20-km pipeline in southern Iran (Goldkari-Binak pipeline) and a promising severity and location detectability (a correct classification rate of 92%) and a low False Alarm Rate (FAR) were achieved.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis)几丁质酶的分离纯化及酶学性质

以苏云金芽胞杆菌为材料 ,通过硫酸铵沉淀分级分离、DEAE - 32离子交换柱层析初步纯化 ,获得比活力为15 0 .5Umg-1的酶制剂 .研究酶催化胶体几丁质水解的反应时间和酶量对酶活力的关系 ,探讨酶催化胶体几丁质的最适条件 .温度和 pH对酶活力的影响和酶的热稳定性及酸碱稳定性的结果表明 :酶催化胶体几丁质水解的的最适pH为 5 .6、最适温度为 5 8℃ .该酶在pH 4 .5～ 6 .5区域稳定 ,而在pH >8能很快失活 ;在 5 5℃以下处理 30min ,酶活力保持不变 ;高于 5 5℃ ,酶快速失活 .图 5参 11     

Male approach and female avoidance as mechanisms of population discrimination in sagebrush lizards

Reproductive isolation and speciation can result from female choice for particular males. Isolation can also result, however, from male mating preferences or from aggressive encounters which then influence mating decisions. In this study, we use laboratory discrimination trials to study the behavioral mechanisms of population discrimination in sagebrush lizards (Sceloporus graciosus). We specifically ask three questions about population-level discrimination: (1) Does it vary in strength in relation to the geographic distance between the populations? (2) Is it more apparent in inter- or intra-sexual interactions? (3) Does it take the form of attraction or avoidance? We ran 890 trials that tested the ability of male and female sagebrush lizards from one population to discriminate their own population from four other populations. In addition, we utilized both sequential and simultaneous-choice designs, which enabled us to distinguish between attraction and avoidance. We found that most population-level discrimination was exhibited by male lizards preferring to associate with particular types of females, as well as female avoidance of particular types of males. The strength and direction of both discriminations depended on the populations compared and on whether the tests were conducted as sequential- or simultaneous-choice tests, producing a complex relationship between geographic distance and behavioral discrimination. Our results suggest that there are roles for male attraction and female avoidance in population discrimination, reproductive isolation, and speciation.     

混合菌对石油的降解

从含油污水中分离得到4株能高效降解石油的微生物菌株(X2、X3、X4、X5),经鉴定,4株菌分别属于黄单胞菌属(Xanthomonas sp.)、动胶菌属(Zoogloea sp.)、芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus sp.)和邻单胞菌属(Plesiomonas sp.).通过观察4株菌在原油培养基中的生长变化过程,确定了其中的优势菌;并对4株菌进行复配实验以确定各株菌混合后的石油降解效果;用正交实验法确定达到最佳石油降解效果各菌的投加量;通过对残油的Gc-MS测定分析,确定各菌在降解石油时所起的作用.结果表明,混合菌株中菌X4为优势菌,且有高的降解效果(达68,60％),其它3株降解率不高的菌混合投加也能达到较高的降解效果(达63.17％),菌X4是混合菌株维持高降解率的关键;达到最佳降解效果的各菌投加量分别为0.1％、0.1％、0.5％、2.0％;菌X2和菌X3降解C12-C16直链烃和少量支链烃,菌X4和菌X5对C12-C22直链烃有好的降解效果.图2表4参10     

一些硝化细菌的分离与鉴定

采用硝化细菌选择培养基从土壤、污水中筛选获得了 10株细菌 (X0 1～X10 ) ,经革兰氏染色及生理生化鉴定均为革兰氏阴性菌 ,呈杆状或球状 ,均能够利用亚硝酸盐 .电镜观察发现 ,这 10株细菌均具有比较复杂的细胞膜结构 ,与报道的硝化细菌所特有的膜结构相同 .对硝化细菌的特征性基因norB进行检测结果表明 ,所有菌株均可扩增出该基因 .初步判断所筛选的细菌为硝化细菌 ,依据《伯杰细菌鉴定手册》进行分类 ,主要为硝化杆菌、硝化球菌和硝化刺菌属等 .图 3表 4参 15     

嗜盐光合细菌的分离鉴定及其营养成分分析

从大连海岸的海泥中分离到 4株海洋光合细菌 :菌株C4 10、菌株DS2、菌株E3 和E4,它们都能在厌氧光照下营光异养生长 ,菌株C4 10还能够利用还原性硫化物营光自养生长 .依菌对NaCl的需求 ,菌株C4 10、DS2归属于嗜盐光合细菌 ,菌株E3 和E4属于耐盐光合细菌 .根据形态和培养特征、生理生化特征、光合作用内膜结构、泛醌组成、(G +C)的摩尔百分比等指标 ,菌株C4 10鉴定为Rhodovulumsulfidophilus (嗜硫小红卵菌 )、菌株DS2鉴定为Rhodobiummarinum (海红菌 )、菌株E3 和E4鉴定为Rhodobacterazotoformans.4株菌的营养成分分析表明 ,它们的细胞的最大生长量为 4× 10 9mL-1.粗蛋白含量占细胞干重的 5 5 %左右 ,菌株DS2高达 6 4 .2 % .4菌株所含氨基酸种类齐全 ,特别具备人和动物所必需的氨基酸 .4株菌均含有辅酶Q10和类胡萝卜素 .其中菌株C4 10的类葫萝卜素含量最高 .图 1表 6参 14