Use of the immunofluorescence reaction for evaluating the immunological transformation in those inoculated with a chemical typhus vaccine

The results of the serological examination of persons immunized with chemical typhus vaccine (CTV) are presented. The examination was carried out by means of the complement fixation test (CFT), the passive hemagglutination test (PHAT), the toxin neutralization test (TNT) and the immunofluorescence test (IFT). The acetone-fixed live culture of Rickettsia prowazekii, strain Breinl, served as antigen in IFT. If persons immunized with CTV showed positive titers in CFT, TNT and PHAT, the results of IFT were highly correlated with the CFT titers. In 6-12 months after immunization with CTV the titers of CFT, TNT and PHAT became negative, while the IFT titers remained positive for several subsequent years.     

The environmental fate and behaviour of antifouling paint booster biocides: A review

Antifouling paint booster biocides are a group of organic compounds added to antifouling paints to improve their efficacy. They have become prevalent since the requirement for alternative antifouling paints formulations for small boats (< 25 m). This need followed a ban on the use of triorganotin biocides in antifouling paints for small boats, in the late 1980's. Worldwide, around eighteen compounds are currently used as antifouling biocides, viz. benzmethylamide, chlorothalonil, copper pyrithione, dichlofluanid, diuron, fluorofolpet, Irgarol 1051, Sea‐Nine 211, Mancozeb, Polyphase, pyridine‐triphenyl‐borane, TCMS (2,3,5,6‐tetrachloro‐4‐methylsulfonyl) pyridine, TCMTB [2‐(thiocyanomethylthio)benzothia‐zole], Thiram, tolyfluanid, zinc pyrithione (ZPT), ziram and Zineb. Any booster biocide released into the environment is subjected to a complex set of processes. These processes include transport mechanisms, transformation, degradation, cross media partitioning, and bioaccumulation. This paper reviews the fate and behaviour data currently available in the public domain concerning antifouling paint booster biocides.     

Functional evolution of two subtly different (similar) folds

Background

The function of proteins is a direct consequence of their three-dimensional structure. The structural classification of proteins describes the ways of folding patterns all proteins could adopt. Although, the protein folds were described in many ways the functional properties of individual folds were not studied.

Results

We have analyzed two β-barrel folds generally adopted by small proteins to be looking similar but have different topology. On the basis of the topology they could be divided into two different folds named SH3-fold and OB-fold. There was no sequence homology between any of the proteins considered. The sequence diversity and loop variability was found to be important for various binding functions.

Conclusions

The function of Oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding (OB) fold proteins was restricted to either DNA/RNA binding or sugar binding whereas the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain like proteins bind to a variety of ligands through loop modulations. A question was raised whether the evolution of these two folds was through DNA shuffling.     

Virus isolation and molecular epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) from an outbreak in free-ranging wild birds,India 2016

We report the molecular epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus involved in an outbreak causing death in free-ranging wild birds at Mysore, Karnataka state of India. The virus was typed as HPAI A(H5N8) by conventional and TaqMan probe based real-time PCR assays. Six isolates of HPAI virus were recovered in 9-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. Haemagglutinin gene-based phylogeny of virus isolates showed >?99.9% nucleotide sequence identity with HPAI A(H5N8) isolates from migratory birds and domestic poultry from China and Korea indicating either these wild birds have routed their migration through Korea and/or eastern China or these dead birds must have directly or indirectly contacted with wild birds migrating from Eastern China and/or Korean regions. The study emphasises the role of migratory wild birds in spread of HPAI across the globe.     

Importance of T-lymphocytes in antibody production in experimental typhus infection

The study of antibody production in cotton rats infected with Rickettsia prowazekii B and TB has revealed that R. prowazekii antigens, inducing the production of antibodies determined in the complement fixation, indirect hemolysis, and passive hemagglutination tests, are T-independent. The study of the nonspecific reactivity of T-lymphocytes in cotton rats infected with R. prowazekii TB has indicated that in case of the prolonged persistence of the infective agent in the animals no secondary immune deficiency develops.     

Solid-state ESR differentiation between racemate versus enantiomer

Noticeable differences between solid-state ESR spectra of enantiopure and racemic single crystals as well as powders of 2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolidine-3-carboxamide-1-oxyl have been observed. Possible reasons of this fact are proposed.     

Cytomorphology of female and male gonads in Antarctic toothfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dissosctichus mawsoni</Emphasis> (Nototheniidae) from the Ross Sea in the summer period

Results of histological analysis of gonads of female and male Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni caught in the Ross Sea of the Pacific sector in the period of Antarctic summer (December–February) 2004–2005 are presented. Morphological indices and index of gonad maturity are described and ecological criteria of assessment of maturity stages of ovaries, cytological indices of oocytes, and the type of toothfish oogenesis are determined. It was established that in the period of fishing Antarctic toothfish, females and males with gonads at maturity stage III dominate. Ovaries contain two groups of oocytes of the period of trophoplasmatic growth and large oocytes of the nearest spawning season that comprise the smallest proportion of total sex cells. In the testes of two male toothfish, the primary fusion of renal and generative tissues was revealed. It is suggested that the termination of gonad maturity of toothfish takes place from March to April, and spawning takes place from June to August.