Effect of lactic starter cultures on the organic acid composition of milk and cheese during ripening—analysis by HPLC

The major function of lactic starter cultures in cheese making is to produce lactic and other organic acids from the carbohydrates present in milk. The activity of six starter cultures consisting of two Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis , two Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis and two Leuconostoc strains, was tested by monitoring the evolution of the organic acid composition of milk by a modified HPLC method. In addition, their performance as cheese starters was also tested. The HPLC method developed proved to be a precise tool to monitor the organic acid content. Thus, it can be used to follow the fermentation ability of starter cultures, providing information about the type of fermentation. The use of any of the six starters assayed is suggested for manufacturing Afuega'l Pitu cheese.     

Oocyte growth and development in teleosts

Oocyte growth and development is an important issue in fish and fisheries biology. This paper reviews the information available on oocyte growth patterns and the rates and dynamics of oocyte growth in teleosts. In synchronous spawners, the weight of the gonad may represent as much as 40% of the overall body weight of the fish. In asynchronous spawners, the weight of the mature ovary is considerably less than in synchronous ovulators, but the ovary shows a more regular periodicity and may grow repeatedly many times during the breeding season. There is a huge variability in egg size in teleosts, with the largest known measuring up to 8 cm in diameter. Within the limits of variance set by genetic constraints, egg size may vary between populations of the same species. Oocytes in all teleosts undergo the same basic pattern of growth: oogenesis, primary oocyte growth, cortical alveolus stage, vitellogenesis, maturation and ovulation. The mechanisms that control oocyte growth are addressed in this review, albeit that the available information, as in all other vertebrates, is very limited. The main hormones that have been shown to affect ovarian growth are gonadotrophin, thyroid hormones, growth hormone, insulin and insulin-like growth factors. An overview of the determinants of fecundity, with particular reference to oocyte recruitment and atresia, is the focus of the second part of the paper. Genetics and nutrition have major effects on fecundity, and studies so far suggest that the determinants of fecundity usually operate during the early part of gametogenesis. The role of atresia in determining fecundity is less clear. The final part of this review highlights some areas of study that are priorities for research on ovarian development in fish.     

Randomised,double blind,placebo controlled trial of penicillin V and amoxycillin in treatment of acute sinus infections in adults.

OBJECTIVES--To compare the effectiveness of penicillin V and amoxycillin with placebo in treatment of adult patients with acute sinusitis. DESIGN--Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. SETTING--Norwegian general practice. SUBJECTS--130 adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute sinusitis confirmed by computed tomography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Subjective status after three and 10 days of treatment, difference in clinical severity score between day 0 and day 10 as evaluated by the general practitioner, difference in score from computed tomography on day 0 and day 10, and duration of sinusitis. RESULTS--Amoxycillin and penicillin V led to significantly faster and better recovery than placebo. By day 10, 71 patients receiving antibiotic treatment- (86%) considered themselves to be recovered or much better compared with 25 (57%) receiving placebo. The mean (95% confidence interval) reductions in clinical severity scores by day 10 were 5.4 (5.0 to 5.8) for penicillin V, 5.5 (4.9 to 6.0 for amoxycillin, and 3.4 (2.8 to 4.0) for placebo. For the antibiotic groups combined the number of patients with the greatest degree of improvement on computed tomography (scale 0-16)-that is, score 5-16 on day 10-was 31/83 (37%) compared with 10/44 (23%) receiving placebo. The median duration of the sinusitis was nine days in the amoxycillin group, 11 days in the penicillin V group, and 17 days in the placebo group. CONCLUSION--Penicillin V and amoxycillin are significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of acute sinusitis.     

Estimates of relatedness and inbreeding in goose strains from DNA fingerprints

The purpose of this study was to determine if DNA fingerprints (DFPs) could be used to estimate relatedness and inbreeding of strains of geese and to compare three methods of calculating relatedness indices. Strains included a control and selected strain from each of the Chinese and Synthetic (Chinese, Hungarian and Pilgrim) breeds. DFP patterns for each strain were based on individual DNA samples from six females, or on pooled DNA from 15 females different from those used for individual samples. Three relatedness indices were used, namely, genetic distance, modified Rogers distance and band sharing. All relatedness indices showed a closer relationship of strains within than between breeds. Correlation coefficients among relatedness indices were higher based on pooled DNA (r ≥|0·97|) than those based on individual DNA (r ≥|0·741). Inbreeding estimates were higher for selected compared with control strains. It appears that the use of DFPs to estimate relatedness, regardless of index used, and inbreeding can be valuable for studying geese where there is a limited breeding history.     

Growth and reproduction of an estuarine population of the colonial hydroidCordylophora caspia (Pallas) in the northern Baltic Sea

Growth and reproduction of the colonial hydroidCordylophora caspia were monitored during the breeding season in natural conditions. In 1987, a life history study was carried out on the upright stems of the main stolon. Mean size of uprights varied cyclically. The first peak coincided with the peak number of sexual hydranths, after which the mean upright length decreased, possibly indicating somatic costs of sexual reproduction. Extrinsic factors like flooding may also have contributed to cyclical changes in upright size. In 1988 and 1989, colonies were reared on experimental plates in the estuary. In 1988, colonies grew until mid July, after which they regressed to a dormant condition and then started growing again in mid August. Predation and space competition are discussed as possible causes for this dormancy in the middle of the growing season. In 1989, colonies grew continually, with the exception of a decline in colony biomass and number of feeding hydranths at the end of July, just following the peak of sexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction started in the early stages of colonial development for all years. During early summer,C. caspia allocated resources simultaneously in colonial growth and sexual reproduction. However, sexual reproduction had a clear peak in mid summer, and thereafter sexual reproduction ceased while colonial growth continued.     

malvolio, the Drosophila homologue of mouse NRAMP-1 (Bcg), is expressed in macrophages and in the nervous system and is required for normal taste behaviour.

We report the sequence, expression pattern and mutant phenotype of malvolio (mvl), the Drosophila homologue of mammalian natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (NRAMPs). In the mouse, this novel transporter is encoded by Bcg, a dominant gene that confers natural resistance to intracellular parasites. mvl was identified in a screen for mutants that affect taste behaviour. We show that loss-of-function as well as insertional mutants in mvl display defects in taste behaviour with no alterations in the physiology of the sensory neurons. Activity of the reporter enzyme beta-galactosidase, that reflects the expression pattern of mvl, is seen in mature sensory neurons and in macrophages. The conceptual translation of the mvl cDNA shows a striking similarity (65% identity) with human NRAMP with almost complete identity in a conserved consensus motif found in a number of ATP-coupled transporters. Based on its phenotype and expression pattern as well as its structural similarities to NRAMPs and a nitrate transporter in Aspergillus nidulans, we discuss a possible role for MVL in nitrite/nitrate transport and its implications.