全柱成像毛细管等电聚焦电泳测定艾塞那肽等电点

目的:采用新一代全柱成像毛细管等电聚焦电泳技术(CIEF-WCID)测定艾塞那肽等电点。方法:采用互补性金属氧化物半导体成像技术对样品等电聚焦过程进行实时记录,根据适宜的marker计算得到艾塞那肽的等电点,并对方法的准确度与重复性进行考察。结果:测得艾塞那肽等电点为5.46,与凝胶电泳结果基本一致,相对标准偏差为0.11%。CIEF-WCID方法快速准确,相对误差小于2.5%,重复性良好。结论:CIEF-WCID作为一种新的技术手段可用于艾塞那肽等电点的分析,方法快速、准确、重复性好,可为多肽的质量控制提供一种可靠的分析方法。     

Biological pest management by predators and parasitoids in the greenhouse vegetables in China

China has the highest greenhouse-based production in the world. In 2010, the area of greenhouses devoted to vegetable production was estimated at 4.7 million ha. With the increasing costs of pest control, expanding pesticide resistance and the growing consumer concern regarding pesticide residues in fresh vegetables, a strong demand for applying non-chemical control methods is emerging in China. Biological control in the greenhouse environment is a viable alternative to pesticide use from both environmental and economic perspectives. Although we have only 17 cases of fully documented, successful biological control operations from China, involving 8 crops, 8 pest species and 14 species of natural enemies, the use of the biological control agents is much more widespread. There are 7 commercial companies and facilities producing 21 species of natural enemies, and most of them are available country-wide. Several of these employ a rearing system using artificial diets, and many now move to an integrated production system, including the mass production of the biocontrol agents, quality control, methods of long-distance transportation, release recommendations, and user feedback. While initially these systems relied on introduced natural enemies, they increasingly develop modified systems using native natural enemies. The increasing demand for pesticide-free, high quality vegetable produce year-round and the existing certification schemes make it very likely that the use of biocontrol agents will continue to increase in China.     

Towards radiological diagnosis of abdominal adhesions based on motion signatures derived from sequences of cine-MRI images

This paper reports novel development and preliminary application of an image registration technique for diagnosis of abdominal adhesions imaged with cine-MRI (cMRI). Adhesions can severely compromise the movement and physiological function of the abdominal contents, and their presence is difficult to detect. The image registration approach presented here is designed to expose anomalies in movement of the abdominal organs, providing a movement signature that is indicative of underlying structural abnormalities. Validation of the technique was performed using structurally based in vitro and in silico models, supported with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) methods. For the more challenging cases presented to the small cohort of 4 observers, the AUC (area under curve) improved from a mean value of 0.67 ± 0.02 (without image registration assistance) to a value of 0.87 ± 0.02 when image registration support was included. Also, in these cases, a reduction in time to diagnosis was observed, decreasing by between 20% and 50%. These results provided sufficient confidence to apply the image registration diagnostic protocol to sample magnetic resonance imaging data from healthy volunteers as well as a patient suffering from encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (an extreme form of adhesions) where immobilization of the gut by cocooning of the small bowel is observed. The results as a whole support the hypothesis that movement analysis using image registration offers a possible method for detecting underlying structural anomalies and encourages further investigation.     

Detection of Live Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cells by PMA-qPCR

A unique open reading frame (ORF) Z3276 was identified as a specific genetic marker for E. coli O157:H7. A qPCR assay was developed for detection of E. coli O157:H7 by targeting ORF Z3276. With this assay, we can detect as low as a few copies of the genome of DNA of E. coli O157:H7. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were confirmed by intensive validation tests with a large number of E. coli O157:H7 strains (n = 369) and non-O157 strains (n = 112). Furthermore, we have combined propidium monoazide (PMA) procedure with the newly developed qPCR protocol for selective detection of live cells from dead cells. Amplification of DNA from PMA-treated dead cells was almost completely inhibited in contrast to virtually unaffected amplification of DNA from PMA-treated live cells. Additionally, the protocol has been modified and adapted to a 96-well plate format for an easy and consistent handling of a large number of samples. This method is expected to have an impact on accurate microbiological and epidemiological monitoring of food safety and environmental source.     

One step forward: contrasting the effects of Toe clipping and PIT tagging on frog survival and recapture probability

Amphibians have been declining worldwide and the comprehension of the threats that they face could be improved by using mark–recapture models to estimate vital rates of natural populations. Recently, the consequences of marking amphibians have been under discussion and the effects of toe clipping on survival are debatable, although it is still the most common technique for individually identifying amphibians. The passive integrated transponder (PIT tag) is an alternative technique, but comparisons among marking techniques in free‐ranging populations are still lacking. We compared these two marking techniques using mark–recapture models to estimate apparent survival and recapture probability of a neotropical population of the blacksmith tree frog, Hypsiboas faber. We tested the effects of marking technique and number of toe pads removed while controlling for sex. Survival was similar among groups, although slightly decreased from individuals with one toe pad removed, to individuals with two and three toe pads removed, and finally to PIT‐tagged individuals. No sex differences were detected. Recapture probability slightly increased with the number of toe pads removed and was the lowest for PIT‐tagged individuals. Sex was an important predictor for recapture probability, with males being nearly five times more likely to be recaptured. Potential negative effects of both techniques may include reduced locomotion and high stress levels. We recommend the use of covariates in models to better understand the effects of marking techniques on frogs. Accounting for the effect of the technique on the results should be considered, because most techniques may reduce survival. Based on our results, but also on logistical and cost issues associated with PIT tagging, we suggest the use of toe clipping with anurans like the blacksmith tree frog.