Synthesis and biological evaluation of immunosuppressive agent DZ2002 and its stereoisomers

DZ2002 and its related stereoisomers were efficiently synthesized. The optical data of (R)- and (S)-DZ2002 were disclosed here for the first time. Their inhibitory potency was evaluated on SAHase and MLR assay in the mean time. In accordance with respective inhibitory potency of SAHase, the immunosuppressive potency order was demonstrated as (S)-DZ2002>(Rac)-DZ2002>(R)-DZ2002>(Keto)-DZ2002. These results indicate (S)-configuration of 2-chiral center in DZ2002 is important for binding with SAHase.     

Serotype and VP1 gene sequence of a foot-and-mouth disease virus from Hong Kong (2002)

The nucleotide sequence of the VP1 coding region of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) strain HKN/2002, isolated from a disease outbreak occurring in Hong Kong in February 2002, was determined and compared with the sequences of other FMDVs. The VP1 coding region was 639 nucleotides in length and encoded a protein of 213 amino acid residues. Comparison of the VP1 nucleotide sequence with those of other isolates indicated that HKN/2002 belonged to serotype O. A VP1-based sequence similarity tree of several South-east Asian FMDV-O isolates showed that HKN/2002 was most closely related to FMDV isolates found in Hong Kong from 1991 to 1999 and Taiwan in 1997. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of the major immunogenic region of HKN/2002 with that of the serotype O vaccine strain, O1/Manisa/Turkey/69, reveals significant similarity, indicating that current serotype O vaccines may offer some degree of protection against HKN/2002.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
C hadwick , D. H. 2002. A beast the colour of winter .
K aranth , K. U. and N ichols , J. D. 2002. Monitoring tigers and their prey: a manual for research managers and conservationists in tropical Asia .
K leiman , D. G. and R ylands , A. B. 2002. Lion tamarins: biology and conservation .
L ott , D. E. 2002. American bison: a natural history .
L umpkin , S. and S eidensticker , J. 2002. Smithsonian book of giant pandas .
M artin , R. and H andasyde , K. 1999. The koala: natural history, conservation and management .
T aylor , A. B. and G oldsmith , M. L. 2003. Gorilla biology: a multidisplinary perspective .
Z eveloff , S. I. 2002. Racoons: a natural history .     

一株高产黑色素细菌的分离及鉴定*

从武汉东湖中分离出一株高产胞外黑色素的细菌(BFHM2002)。BFHM2002具有产黑色素速度快,产量高且不需要酪氨酸诱导等优点;而且经酪氨酸诱导可显提高BF-HM2002胞外黑色素的产量,初步鉴定BFHM2002属坚强芽孢杆菌(Bacillus firmus)。鉴于BFHM2002的产黑色素特性,将成为芽孢杆菌属的一个新的菌种资源。     

Suppression of adult lesser mealworm (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) using soil incorporation of poultry manure

The effectiveness of manure incorporation in reducing the numbers of adult lesser mealworms emerging from caged-layer poultry manure applied to agricultural fields was examined in summer 2002 and 2004. Incorporation treatments included control (no incorporation), disk (7-cm depth), harrow (15-cm depth), chisel plow (30-cm depth), and moldboard plow (33-cm depth) on silt loam soils in New York state. An estimated 55,192 and 183,500 live adult lesser mealworms were applied to the field in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Mortality due to the action of the manure spreader was 32.4% in 2002 and 6.5% in 2004. No significant differences were observed between treatments in 2002. However, moldboard plowing significantly reduced beetle emergence compared with no tillage in 2004. Peak beetle flight was observed 10 and 17 d after manure application in 2002 and 2004, respectively.     

海南岛海水鱼类单殖吸虫研究及宽海盘虫二新种记述

记述了采自海南岛后水湾的眶棘双边鱼Ambassis gymnocephalus Lacépéde鳃上寄生的宽海盘虫2新种.张氏宽海盘虫Euryhaliotrema zhangjianyingi sp nov.以其边缘小钩明显长于两对中央大钩,支持器的套环状特殊结构,两对中央大钩和联结片而不同于属内的已知种;双边鱼宽海盘虫,Euryhaliotrema ambassisi sp.nov.以其交接器的量度,后吸器中央大钩内突基部较宽,外突较小,钩基部较直,钩尖短而不同于相似种和属内已知种.文中量度μm,模式标本保存在海南师范学院生物系.     

Regulation of Transaminase C Synthesis in Escherichia coli: Conditional Leucine Auxotrophy

The regulation of synthesis of the valine-alanine-alpha-aminobutyrate transaminase (transaminase C) was studied in Escherichia coli mutants lacking the branched-chain amino acid transaminase (transaminase B). An investigation was made of two strains, CU2 and CU2002, each carrying the same transaminase B lesion but exhibiting different growth responses on a medium supplemented with branched-chain amino acids. Both had the absolute isoleucine requirement characteristic of ilvE auxotrophs, but growth of strain CU2 was stimulated by valine, whereas that of strain CU2002 was markedly inhibited by valine. Strain CU2002 behaved like a conditional leucine auxotroph in that the inhibition by valine was reversed by leucine. Results of enzymatic studies showed that synthesis of transaminase C was repressed by valine in strain CU2002 but not in strain CU2. Inhibition by valine in strain CU2002 appears to be the combined effect of repression on transaminase C synthesis and valine-dependent feedback inhibition of alpha-acetohydroxy acid synthase activity, causing alpha-ketoisovalerate (and hence leucine) limitation. The ilvE markers of strains CU2 and CU2002 were each transferred by transduction to a wild-type genetical background. All ilvE recombinants from both crosses resembled strain CU2002 and were inhibited by valine in the presence of isoleucine. Thus, strain CU2 carries an additional lesion that allows it to grow on a medium containing isoleucine plus valine. It is concluded that conditional leucine auxotrophy is characteristic of mutants carrying an ilvE lesion alone.     

The Incidence and Prevalence of Common Variable Immunodeficiency Disease in Taiwan,A Population-Based Study

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is one of the primary immunodeficiency diseases that occur in both children and adults. We present here a nationwide, population-based epidemiological study of CVID across all ages in Taiwan during 2002–2011. Using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 279.06, cases of CVID were identified from Taiwan''s National Health Insurance Research Database from January 2002 to December 2011. Age- and sex-specific incidence and prevalence rates were calculated. A total of 47 new cases of CVID during 2002–2011 were identified. Total prevalence rose from 0.13 per 100,000 in 2002 to 0.28 per 100,000 in 2011. The annual incidence rate during 2002–2011 was 0.019 per 100,000. Cases were equally distributed between males and females and males mostly occurred in younger patients. This nationwide population-based study showed that the incidence and prevalence of CVID in Taiwan were lower than that in Western countries.     

Mile-high view of plant biology

A report on Plant Biology 2002, the annual meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists, Denver, USA, 3-7 August 2002.     

Purification and characterisation of a protease inhibitor from Streptomyces chromofuscus 34-1 with an antiviral activity

The aim of this study was to purify and characterise a novel protease inhibitor (PISC-2002) isolated from culture supernatants of Streptomyces chromofuscus. PISC-2002 was purified by anion-exchange chromatography, and RP-HPLC analysis. PISC-2002 had a molecular mass of 11.2 kDa and a high content of hydrophobic amino acids and proline. N-terminal sequence gave two sequences differing by one residue. The main sequence is ASLPAVSALVLTV and the shorter sequence is SLPAVSALVLTV. This shows its homology to Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor family. Besides its large spectrum of powerful inhibitory activities against various serine proteases, PISC-2002 displayed significant antiviral effect against influenza virus A/Rostock/34 (H7N7).     

Reflections on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian State

The House of Difference: Cultural Politics and National Identity in Canada. Eva Mackey. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002. 199 pp.
The White Man's Gonna Getcha. Toby Morantz. Mont-real: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002. 370 pp.
Making Native Space: Colonialism, Resistance, and Reserves in British Columbia. Cole Harris. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2002. 425 pp.     

Cytology and clinical spectrum of sexually transmitted infections in Lebanese women as revealed by Pap smear: a cross-sectional study from 2002-2006

To study the cytology profile of cervical smears and the respective prevalence and incidence of certain cervico-vaginal infections detectable by routine Pap smear cytology in Lebanese women from 2002 to 2006. Pap smear cytology results were compiled from the archives of the Institut National de Pathologie for the period extending from 2002 until 2006. This study covered 118,230 cervical specimens obtained from Lebanese women attending clinics and hospitals in all the five districts of Lebanon; prevalence and incidence rates for infections detectable by routine Pap smear examination were determined. A rise in prevalence of these infections by 2.1 percent (2,555) from 2002 to 2006 was revealed. A doubling of Pap smears showing HPV-associated changes was detected (1.4 percent in 2002 to 2.9 percent in 2006), and a simultaneous almost 7-fold increase of Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASCUS) cytology was detected during this period; the rise in ASCUS cytology was age-dependent. Moreover, a 60 percent increase in prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (2.3 percent in 2002 to 3.7 percent in 2006) and a more than 3-fold decline in Trichomonas vaginalis infection (1 percent in 2002 to 0.3 percent in 2006) were also noted in this population during this period. An increase in the prevalence and incidence of cervico-vaginal infections detectable by Pap smear cytology in Lebanese women was revealed from 2002 to 2006. Such changes could point to recent modifications of sexual and health behaviours in the Lebanese community.     

Hyphydrini Sharp, 1882, nomen protectum and Actobaenidae Gistel, 1856, nomen oblitum(Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae)

The genus name Echinopus Gattolliat, 2002 is preoccupied and therefore must be considered as unavailable. Modaechinopus gen. nov. is proposed as a replacement name with the two new combinations Madaechinopus giboni (Gattolliat, 2002) and M. minutus (Gattolliat, 2002).     

Comparative analysis of protein interaction networks

Recent advances in proteomics and computational biology have lead to a flood of protein interaction data and resulting interaction networks (e.g. (Gavin et al., 2002)). Here I first analyse the status and quality of parts lists (genes and proteins), then comparatively assess large-scale protein interaction data (von Mering et al., 2002) and finally try to identify biological meaningful units (e.g. pathways, cellular processes) within interaction networks that are derived from the conservation of gene neighborhood (Snel et al., 2002). Possible extensions of gene neighborhood analysis to eukaryotes (von Mering and Bork, 2002) will be discussed.     

Poststructuralism as a Historical Condition

Contested Terrains and Constructed Categories: Contemporary Africa in Focus. George Clement Bond and Nigel C. Gibson. eds. Boulder: Westview Press, 2002. 474 pp.
Intervention and Transnationalism in Africa. Thomas Callaghy. Ronald Kassimir. and Robert Latham. eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 322 pp.
Postcolonial Subjectivities in Africa. Richard Werbner. ed. New York: Palgrave, 2002. 244 pp.     

Three Approaches to the Study of Language and Gender

Gender across Languages: The Linguistic Representation of Women and Men. Vol. 2. Marlis Hellinger and Hadumod Bußmann eds. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2002. 348 pp.
Gender Identity and Discourse Analysis. Lia Litosseliti and Jane Sunderland eds. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2002. 335 pp.
Talking Gender and Sexuality. Paul McIlvenny. ed. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2002. 327 pp.     

One Tragedy in Reference to Another: September 11 and the Obligations of Museum Commemoration

Yahrzeit: September 11 Observed. Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, New York. August 29, 2002—January 5, 2003.
. Shared Experience: 04.19.95-09.11.01. Oklahoma City National Memorial Center Museum, Oklahoma City. April 19, 2002—September 1, 2003.
. Day of Reflection and Remembrance. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C. September 11, 2002.     

The salmon genome (and other issues in bioinformatics)

A report on the fourth annual conference of the Society for Bioinformatics in the Nordic Countries (SOCBIN), Bioinformatics 2002, Bergen, Norway, 4-7 April 2002.     

Staging the Indian: The Politics of Representation

Staging the Indian: The Politics of Representation. The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College. February 2, 2002–June 2, 2002.     

Comparative genomics comes of age

A report on the 2002 annual Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory meeting on Genome Sequencing and Biology, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA, 7-11 May 2002.