Interlaboratory Reproducibility In Reporting Inadequate Cervical Smears—A Multicentre Multinational Study

A set of 300 vaginal smears was interpreted by 13 cytologists from six European laboratories, who were requested to report inadequate and suboptimal smears. the set had been appropriately seeded to reach approximately 10% inadequate and 20% suboptimal smear frequency. According to the majority report, 230 smears were classified as adequate (76.7%), 43 as inadequate (14.3%), and 27 as suboptimal (9.0%). Agreement with the majority report ranged from 52% to 91% (average 78%). Kappa statistics for reporting inadequate smears showed a high level of agreement for five cytologists, and fair to good agreement for eight. In contrast, K statistics for reporting suboptimal smears showed fair to good agreement with the majority report only in five instances, whereas agreement was poor for eight cytologists. ‘Inadequate smear’rates may be used to compare the quality of smears received in different laboratories, as there is a high level of agreement among cytologists as to what constitutes an inadequate smear. However, this is not true for ‘suboptimal smear’ rates, and more precise reporting criteria must be defined and tested if an intermediate category is to be retained to report poor quality smears: more precise reporting criteria must be defined and tested if an intermediate category is to be retained to report poor quality smears. Une série de 300 frottis cervico-vaginaux a été examinee par 13 cytologistes appartenant à 6 laboratoires européens auxquels il avait été demandé de signaler les frottis inadéquats et sub-optimaux. Cette série de frottis a été constituée de façon à atteindre approximativement une fréquence de 10% de frottis inadéquats et de 20% de frottis sub-optimaux. Si I'on considère les réponses faites par la majorité des cytologistes, 230 frottis ont été classés adéquats (76,7%), 43 classés inadéquats (14,3%), et 27 comme sub-optimaux (9,0%). La concordance avec les réponses de la majorité des cytologistes varie de 52%à 91% (moyenne 78%). Concernant le signalement des frottis inadéquats, le test Kappa est excellent pour 5 cytologistes et moyen à bon pour les 8 autres. Au contraire, pour le signalement des frottis sub-optimaux, le test Kappa montre un accord moyen à bon avec les réponses de la majorité seulement dans 5 cas alors que I'agrément est mauvais pour 8 cytologistes. La fréquence des frottis inadéquats peut être utilisée pour comparer la qualité de prélèvement du frottis dans différents laboratoires, alors que les comparaisons de la fréquence des frottis sub-optimaux sont discutables, du fait d'un biais de diagnostic évident. Des critéres plus précis pour le signalement des frottis sub-optimaux doivent étre définis et testés si cette catégorie doit être retenue pour rapporter les frottis de mauvaise qualité. 300 Abstriche wurden durch 13 Zytologen aus 6 europäischen Laboratorien hinsichtlich der Kriterien ‘unbrauchbar’und ‘suboptimal’beurteilt. Die Sammlung enthielt etwa 10% unbrauchbare und 20% suboptimale Präparate. Mehrheitlich wurden 230 Abstriche als auswertbar (76,7%), 43 als unbrauchbar (14,3%) und 27 als suboptimal (9,0%) bezeichnet. Die Statistik ergab hinsichtlich der unbrauchbaren Abstriche eine ausgezeichnete Ûbereinstimmung für 5 und eine gute Ûbereinstim-mung für 8 Zytologen. Demgegenüber zeigte sich hinsichtlich der Beurteilung suboptimal nur 5mal eine gute und 8mal eine schlechte Ûbereinstimmung. Damit ist die Kategorie suboptimal ungeeignet zum Vergleich und bedarf einer genaueren Definition wenn sie für die Qualitätskontrolle eingesetzt werden soll.     

人工栽培条件下三叶木通座果及果实生长特性研究

用栽培三叶木通为试材,研究了其座果及果实生长的特性。结果表明：人工栽培条件下,三叶木通座果（雌花）率可以提高到１３．５％,是野生三叶木通的２ １００％;以先年第１、２次攀援茎第３￣３０节位结果为主;３月底开花,花期３０ｄ左右。花后第２０￣５０ｄ（４月中旬至５月上旬）花序、雌花及幼果（子房）大量脱落,出现明显的脱落高峰。三叶木通果实纵向生长呈双Ｓ曲线布,生长期１５０ｄ左右,可划分成５个时期：受精结实     

生物制品检定动态管理系统的开发和应用

掌握生物制品的检定动态是质量管理的重要内容,由于检定周期随着制品种类、批数及检定条件的变化而变化,以往靠手工方式查阅繁杂的检定记录,难以随时快速、全面了解当时的检定状况。检定动态管理软件的开发可应用计算机自动跟踪显示检定进度和检定状态,及时反映制品质量和检定条件变化,明显提高了生产和质量管理部门的工作效率。     

The distribution of Gossypium hirsutum chromatin in G. barbadense germ plasm: molecular analysis of introgressive plant breeding

Cotton is unusual among major crop plants in that two cross-fertile species are widely cultivated for a common economic product, fiber. Both historical evidence and classical genetic studies suggest that many improved forms of Gossypium barbadense (Sea Island, Egyptian, and Pima cottons) may include chromatin derived from G. hirsutum. Using 106 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) loci well distributed across the cotton genome, we revealed the amount and genomic distribution of G. hirsutum chromatin in 54 G. barbadense collections from around the world. The average G. barbadense collection was comprised of 8.9% alleles apparently derived from G. hirsutum. Pima cultivars (7.3 %) had fewer G. hirsutum alleles than Sea Island (9.0%) or Egyptian (9.6%) cultivars. G. hirsutum alleles were not randomly distributed, as 57.5% of the total introgression observed was accounted for by five specific chromosomal regions that span less than 10% of the genome. The average length of an introgressed chromosome segment was 12.9 cM. Overlap of introgressed chromatin in different breeding programs hints that retention of these G. hirsutum chromosomal segments may impart a selective advantage to G. barbadense genotypes. Although cluster analysis generally grouped germ plasm from common classes and/or breeding programs together, no 2 genotypes were identical — thus differences in the length and repertoire of introgressed chromosome segments also permit DNA fingerprinting of G. barbadense cultivars.     

Male larval nutrition in Choristoneura rosaceana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): an important factor in reproductive success

This study examines how Choristoneura rosaceana male quality, as determined by larval diet, age and mating history, affects the reproductive success of both sexes. While the size of the spermatophore produced at first mating increased linearly with male age, the frequency of mating was significantly higher for middle-aged males (2–4 days old) than younger (0–2 days old) or older (6–8 days old) individuals, when both sexes were fed on artificial diet. However, the duration of copulation was longer in couples with older than younger males. The observed age-related changes in spermatophore size had no significant effect on female longevity, fecundity or fertility, suggesting no direct relationship between male investment and spermatophore size under these experimental conditions. Different larval food sources (artificial diet, maple and hazelnut) did not affect the proportion of 2-day-old virgin males that mated; however, the proportion that remated was significantly higher for males reared on high-quality food (maple and artificial diet) than those on hazelnut, a poorer food source. There was a 5-fold decline in spermatophore size between the first and second matings on all diets, but female reproductive output was reduced by only 25%. In contrast, while the first spermatophore produced by males on hazelnut was 1.5 times smaller than those produced on maple and artificial diet, the fecundity of their mates was 40% less than those mated with high-quality virgin males. These results provide additional support to the idea that spermatophore size is not a valuable indicator of male quality. Most tethered females placed in the field during the first flight period mated with virgin males (based on the size of the spermatophore), suggesting that female choice exists in this species. These results are discussed in relation to the incidence of polyandry in naturally occurring populations of Choristoneura and the potential use of size and/or chemical cues by females to assess male quality.     

Activity of cell wall-associated enzymes in ripening olive fruit

Enzymatically active cell wall isolaled from olive (Olea europaea) fruit was employed Hi investigate some hydrolytic enzymes bound to the cell wall and the changes in these during ripening. Seven glycosidases. β-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) α-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22). β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23). α-arabinosidase (EC 3.2.1.55), α-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1,24). β-xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) and β-N-acetylglucosamidase (EC 3.2.1.30). as well as Cx-cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4) and endo-polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15). were identified in the cell wall preparation, at four stages of ripeness (mature green. changing colour, black and black-ripe). Activities of all these cell wall-associated enzymes fionicallv and covalently linked) were determined either by cell wall incubation with artificial substrate or after extraction from the cell wall with buffers of high salt concentration (Cx-cellulase). and were compared to those of forms solubilized from acetone powders with 500 nM citrate buffer (cytoplasmic and/or apoplastic plus ionically hound to cell wall) In general, the activities of low ionic strength buffer-soluble enzymes were found to be much higher than those of the bound enzymes. The bound enzymes are present in the fruit at the green colour stage, whereas the activities of the soluble enzymes only increased from the changing colour stage onwards. The tenacity of binding of enzymes to the wall was investigated by treating the walls with high salt and measuring residual activity. The nature of the ionic and covalent binding and the changes during ripening were also established for wall-hound glycosidase During ripening there was a marked change in the percentages of covalently- and tonically linked activities of β-glucosidase and β-galaclosidase: al the changing colour stages about 75–80% of the bound active in was present in high ionic strength buffer while al the black-ripe stage it was only 15–20. A possible role for these cell wall degradative enzymes in olive softening is discussed.     

Do tomatoes on the plant behave as climacteric fruits?

I considered the possibility that changes in fruit photosynthesis obscure the occurrence of the climacteric rise in respiration in tomato fruits attached to the plant. Internal CO₂ and ethylene concentrations in tomatoes ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. OH 7814) were analyzed after direct sampling through polyethylene tubes implanted in the external pericarp. Fruits which were shaded with aluminium foil contained up to 60 ml 1⁻¹ CO₂, until the internal ethylene concentration exceeded 1 μl l⁻¹, when CO₂ concentration declined to below 40 ml l⁻¹; the CO₂ concentration in fruits exposed to light only occasionally exceeded 40 ml 1⁻¹. The internal CO₂ concentration of detached fruits first declined and then increased along with ethylene concentration, as expected for the climacteric. Detached green fruits under continuous low photosynthetic photon flux density (100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) contained almost no internal CO₂ and produced no CO₂. Changes in photosynthesis and an associated CO₂-generating system in green fruits are thought to obscure the climacteric rise in tomato fruits developing on the plant.     

Importance of seed Zn content for wheat growth on Zn-deficient soil

Eggplants (Solanum melongena L. cv. Bonica) were grown in a glasshouse during summer under natural light with one unbranched shoot or one shoot with 3 to 4 branches and with or without fruit in quartz sand buffered and not buffered with 0.5% CaCO₃ (w : v), respectively. Nutrient solutions supplied contained nitrate or ammonium as the sole nitrogen source. Compared with nutrient solutions containing nitrate (10 mM), solutions containing ammonium (10 mM) caused a decrease in net photosynthesis of eggplants during early stages of vegetative growth when grown in quartz sand not buffered with CaCO₃. The decrease was not observed before leaves showed interveinal chlorosis. In contrast, net photosynthesis after bloom at first increased more rapidly in eggplants supplied with ammonium than with nitrate nitrogen. However, even in this case, net photosynthesis decreased four weeks later when ammonium nutrition was continued. The decrease was accompanied by epinasty and interveinal chlorosis on the lower leaves and later by severe wilting, leaf drop, stem lesions, and hampered growth of stems, roots, and fruits. These symptoms appeared later on plants not bearing fruits than on plants bearing fruits. If nutrient solutions containing increasing concentrations of ammonium (0.5–30 mM) were supplied after the time of first fruit ripening, shoot growth and set of later flowers and fruits were promoted. In contrast, vegetative growth and reproduction was only slightly affected by increasing the concentration of nitrate in the nutrient solutions. In quartz sand buffered with CaCO₃ ammonium nutrition caused deleterious effects only under low light conditions (shade) and on young plants during rapid fruit growth. If eggplants were supplied with ammonium nitrogen before bloom, vegetative growth was promoted, and set of flowers and fruit occurred earlier than on plants supplied with nitrate. Furthermore, the number of flowers and fruit yield increased. These effects of ammonium nutrition were more pronounced when plants were grown with branched shoots than with unbranched shoots. The results indicate that vegetative and reproductive growth of eggplants may be manipulated without causing injury to the plants by supplying ammonium nitrogen as long as the age of the plants, carbohydrate reserves of the roots, quantity of ammonium nitrogen supplied, and pH of the growth medium are favourable. T W Rufty Section editor     

Soil microbial diversity and the sustainability of agricultural soils

Many world ecosystems are in various states of decline evidenced by erosion, low productivity, and poor water quality caused by forest clearing, intensive agricultural production, and continued use of land resources for purposes that are not sustainable. The biological diversity of these systems is being altered. Little research has been conducted to quantify the beneficial relationships between microbial diversity, soil and plant quality, and ecosystem sustainability. Ecosystem functioning is governed largely by soil microbial dynamics. Differences in microbial properties and activities of soils have been reported but are restricted to general ecological enumeration methods or activity levels, which are limited in their ability to describe a particular ecosystem. Microbial populations and their responses to stresses have been traditionally studied at the process level, in terms of total numbers of microorganisms, biomass, respiration rates, and enzyme activities, with little attention being paid to responses at the community or the organismal levels. These process level measurements, although critical to understanding the ecosystem, may be insensitive to community level changes due to the redundancy of these functions. As microbial communities comprise complex interactions between diverse organisms, they should be studied as such, and not as a black box into which inputs are entered and outputs are received at measured rates. Microbial communities and their processes need to be examined in relation to not only the individuals that comprise the community, but the effect of perturbations or environmental stresses on those communities.