Susceptibility of human and murine Chlamydia trachomatis serovars to granulocyte- and epithelium-derived antimicrobial peptides.

Four antimicrobial peptides, protegrin-1, RTD-1, cryptdin-4, and indolicidin, were tested for their ability to inhibit the in vitro growth of Chlamydia trachomatis serovars E, L2, and mouse pneumonitis (MoPn). In general, protegrin-1 was found to have the strongest anti-chlamydial activity. Overall, of the three serovars tested, L2 was the most susceptible while MoPn was the most resistant to these peptides.     

Clinical aspects of Campylobacter jejuni infections in adults.

Campylobacter jejuni is an almost ubiquitous, microaerophilic, gram-negative rod. Outbreaks have been associated with drinking raw milk or contaminated water and eating poultry. Campylobacter jejuni accounts for 3.2% to 6.1% of cases of diarrheal illness in the general population of the United States, and infected patients frequently present with abdominal pain and fever. Less frequently, C jejuni is responsible for bacteremia, septic arthritis, septic abortion, and other extraintestinal infections. Reactive arthritis, Reiter''s syndrome, the Guillain-Barré syndrome, and pancreatitis may accompany or follow C jejuni enterocolitis. Campylobacter jejuni is an important cause of diarrheal illness and is a more commonly identified stool organism than Salmonella or Shigella species. Recurrent and chronic infection is generally reported in immunocompromised hosts.     

Failure of testicular development associated with a rearrangement of 9p24.1 proximal to the SNF2 gene

In 46,XY individuals, testes are determined by the activity of the SRY gene (sex-determining region Y), located on the short arm of the Ychromosome. The other genetic components of the cascade that leads to testis formation are unknown and may be located on the Xchromosome or on the autosomes. Evidence for the existence of several loci associated with failure of male sexual development is indicated by reports of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis associated with structural abnormalities of the Xchromosome or of autosomes (chromosomes9, 10, 11 and 17). In this report, we describe the investigation of a child presenting with multiple congenital abnormalities, mental retardation and partial testicular failure. The patient had a homogeneous de novo 46,XY,inv dup(9)(pter→p24.1::p21.1 →p23.3::p24.1→qter) chromosome complement. No deletion was found by either cytogenetic or molecular analysis. The SRY gene and DSS region showed no abnormalities. Southern blotting dosage analysis with 9p probes and fluorescent in situ hybridisation data indicated that the distal breakpoint of the duplicated fragment was located at 9p24.1, proximal to the SNF2 gene. We therefore suggest that a gene involved in normal testicular development and/or maintenance is present at this position on chromosome 9. Received: 20 January 1997 / Accepted: 5 November 1997     

A new method for mechanical dechorionation of ascidian eggs

Pasteur pipets were prepared with constricted tips of such diameter that unfertilized Ciona intestinalis (L.) eggs could be held immobile while their chorions were lanced open with a tungsten needle. Eggs were pretreated with double-strength seawater to increase the space between egg and chorion. Eighty-five percent of the eggs dechorionated in this way developed normally after fertilization in regular seawater.     

Views,landmarks, and routes: how do desert ants negotiate an obstacle course?

The Australian desert ant Melophorus bagoti often follows stereotypical routes through a cluttered landscape containing both distant panoramic views and obstacles (plants) to navigate around. We created an artificial obstacle course for the ants between a feeder and their nest. Landmarks comprised natural objects in the landscape such as logs, branches, and tussocks. Many ants travelled stereotypical routes home through the obstacle course in training, threading repeatedly the same gaps in the landmarks. Manipulations altering the relations between the landmarks and the surrounding panorama, however, affected the routes in two major ways. Both interchanging the positions of landmarks (transpositions) and displacing the entire landmark set along with the starting position of the ants (translations) (1) reduced the stereotypicality of the route, and (2) increased turns and meanders during travel. The ants might have used the entire panorama in view-based travel, or the distal panorama might prime the identification and use of landmarks en route. Despite the large data set, both options (not mutually exclusive) remain viable.     

Eosin B

The two known isomeric dibromodinitrofiuoresceins have been prepared in a fairly pure state, and their absorption spectra determined.

Commercial samples of eosin B are not 4, 5-dibromo—2, 7-dinitrofluorescein, as stated in dye indices. They are mixtures which contain other bromonitro derivatives of fluorescein as well as di-bromodinitro derivatives.

The color acid method provides a substantially reliable means of determining actual dye content with commercial samples of the dye, but the reduction method may prove decidedly misleading.     

The effectiveness of constructed wetland for treatment of woodwaste leachate

Percolation of rainfall through woodwaste piles leaches natural chemicals from the wood residuals that can have adverse impacts on the environment. A study was conducted on a woodwaste storage site, adjacent to the Lower Fraser River, near Mission, BC, Canada. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of constructed wetland for treatment of this woodwaste leachate. The leachate was characterized by high oxygen demand, tannin and lignin, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs), but low pH and nutrients. Diluted leachate passed through six pilot-scale wetland cells, four planted with cattail (Typha latifolia) and two unplanted controls, with a hydraulic retention time of 7 days and an average depth of 40 cm. Nutrient addition and pH adjustments were made to improve contaminant removal. Reductions in contaminants were consistently achieved, with average removals for BOD, COD, VFAs and tannin and lignin of 60, 50, 69 and 42%, respectively. Climatic conditions had an impact on the performance of the constructed wetland. Further operation of the system will help to elucidate the seasonal fluctuations. Aging of the constructed wetland system increased the treatment performance.