Factors influencing chemical quality of composted poultry waste

The need for organic recycling is justified in the case of poultry waste because after ensuring hygienization there is a chance of obtaining a compost with substantial fertilizer value. Organic recycling of slaughter waste has its justification in sustainable development and retardation of resources. In the research being described, composting of hydrated poultry slaughterhouse waste with maize straw was carried out. Combinations with fodder yeast and postcellulose lime were also introduced in order to modify chemical and physicochemical properties of the mixtures. The experiment was carried out within 110 days in 1.2 × 1.0 × 0.8 m laboratory reactors. Temperature of the biomass was recorded during composting, and the biomass was actively aerated through a perforated bottom.Composting of substrates selected in such a way caused losses of some elements in gaseous form, an increase in concentration of other elements, and changes in relationships between elements. The ability to select substrates influences compost quality. This ability is determined by chemical indicators. Among other things, compost evaluation based on carbon to nitrogen ratio shows the intensity of the composting process and possible nitrogen losses. The addition of slaughter waste to maize straw reduced the content of individual fractions of carbon in the composts, whereas the addition of postcellulose lime intensified that process. The addition of fodder yeast significantly increased the phosphorus content in the compost. Since iron compounds were used in the processing of poultry carcasses, composts that were based on this material had an elevated iron content. The applied postcellulose lime significantly increased the copper, zinc, chromium, nickel, and lead contents. Proper selection of substrates for composting of hydrated poultry slaughterhouse waste allows to obtain a compost with chemical properties that create favorable conditions for natural application of that compost. Addition of large quantities of postcellulose lime to the composting process leads to obtaining an organic-mineral substratum for cultivation or to obtaining an agent that improves soil properties.     

Alterations in protein secretion caused by metabolic engineering of glycosylation pathways in fungi

Due to its natural properties, Trichoderma reesei is commonly used in industry-scale production of secretory proteins. Since almost all secreted proteins are O-glycosylated, modulation of the activity of enzymes of the O-glycosylation pathway are likely to affect protein production and secretion or change the glycosylation pattern of the secreted proteins, altering their stability and biological activity. Understanding how the activation of different components of the O-glycosylation pathway influences the glycosylation pattern of proteins and their production and secretion could help in elucidating the mechanism of the regulation of these processes and should facilitate creation of engineered microorganisms producing high amounts of useful proteins. In this review we focus on data concerning Trichoderma, but also present some background information allowing comparison with other fungal species.     

Overuse of high stability antibiotics and its consequences in public and environmental health

In this paper the ecological aspects of widespread antibiotic consumption are described. Many practitioners, veterinarians, breeders, farmers and analysts work on the assumption that a antibiotics undergo spontaneous degradation. It is well documented that the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the water contamination, selection and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant organisms, alteration of fragile ecology of the microbial ecosystems. The damages caused by the overuse of antibiotics include hospital, waterborne and foodborne infections by resistant bacteria, enteropathy (irritable bowel syndrome, antibiotic-associated diarrhea etc.), drug hypersensitivity, biosphere alteration, human and animal growth promotion, destruction of fragile interspecific competition in microbial ecosystems etc. The consequences of heavy antibiotic use for public and environmental health are difficult to assess: utilization of antibiotics from the environment and reduction of irrational use is the highest priority issue. This purpose may be accomplished by bioremediation, use of probenecid for antibiotic dosage reduction and by adoption of hospital infections methodology for control resistance in natural ecosystems.     

Mating system affects population performance and extinction risk under environmental challenge

Failure of organisms to adapt to sudden environmental changes may lead to extinction. The type of mating system, by affecting fertility and the strength of sexual selection, may have a major impact on a population''s chances to adapt and survive. Here, we use experimental evolution in bulb mites (Rhizoglyphus robini) to examine the effects of the mating system on population performance under environmental change. We demonstrate that populations in which monogamy was enforced suffered a dramatic fitness decline when evolving at an increased temperature, whereas the negative effects of change in a thermal environment were alleviated in polygamous populations. Strikingly, within 17 generations, all monogamous populations experiencing higher temperature went extinct, whereas all polygamous populations survived. Our results show that the mating system may have dramatic effects on the risk of extinction under environmental change.     

Revision of the plant bug genus Xenocylapidius (Hemiptera,Heteroptera, Miridae,Cylapinae), with descriptions of five new species from Australia and New Caledonia

The genus Xenocylapidius Gorczyca, 1997 is revised. Five new species: Xenocylapidius acutipennis sp. n., Xenocylapidius ater sp. n., Xenocylapidius bimaculatus sp. n., Xenocylapidius gemellus sp. n., and Xenocylapidius rolandi sp. n. are described from Australia and New Caledonia. Illustrations of the male genitalia, color photographs of dorsal and lateral views of the adults of all species, and key to species of the genus Xenocylapidius are provided.     

Germinal vesicle material drives meiotic cell cycle of mouse oocyte through the 3'UTR-dependent control of cyclin B1 synthesis

We compared the profile of histone H1 kinase activity, reflecting Maturation Promoting Factor (MPF) activity in oocytes bisected at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage and allowed to mature as separate oocyte halves in vitro. Whereas the oocyte halves containing the nucleus exhibited the same profile of increased kinase activity as that typical for intact oocytes, the anuclear halves revealed strong inhibition of the increase in this activity soon after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). In contrast, the profile of MAP kinase activity did not differ significantly between anuclear and nucleus-containing oocyte halves throughout maturation. Of the two MPF components, CDK1 and cyclin B1, the amount of the latter was significantly reduced in anuclear halves, a reduction due to low-level synthesis and not to enhanced degradation. Expression of three reporter luciferase RNAs constructed, respectively, to contain cyclin B1-specific 3'UTR, the globin-specific 3'UTR, or no 3'UTR sequence was enhanced in nuclear halves, with significantly greater enhancement for the construct containing cyclin B1-specific 3'UTR as compared to the two other RNAs. We conclude that the profile of activity of MPF during mouse oocyte maturation is controlled by an unknown GV-associated factor(s) acting via 3'UTR-dependent control of cyclin B1 synthesis. These results require the revision of the hitherto prevailing view that the control of MPF activity during mouse oocyte maturation is independent of GV-derived material.     

Comprehensive analysis of nef functions selected in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected macaques

A variety of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac) nef mutants have been investigated to clarify which in vitro Nef functions contribute to efficient viral replication and pathogenicity in rhesus macaques. Most of these nef alleles, however, were only functionally characterized for their ability to down-modulate CD4 and class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) cell surface expression and to enhance SIV replication and infectivity. To obtain information on the in vivo relevance of more recently established Nef functions, we examined the ability of a large panel of constructed SIVmac Nef mutants and of variants that emerged in infected macaques to down-regulate CD3, CD28, and MHC-II and to up-regulate the MHC-II-associated invariant chain (Ii). We found that all these four Nef functions were restored in SIV-infected macaques. In most cases, however, the initial mutations and the changes selected in vivo affected several in vitro Nef functions. For example, truncated Nef proteins that emerged in animals infected with SIVmac239 containing a 152-bp deletion in nef efficiently modulated both CD3 and Ii surface expression. Overall, our results suggest that the effect of Nef on each of the six cellular receptors investigated contributes to viral fitness in the infected host but also indicate that modulation of CD3, MHC-I, MHC-II, or Ii surface expression alone is insufficient for SIV virulence.