Molecular recognition of anions by synthetic receptors

Over the past year, several significant developments have been made in the field of anion binding. The fundamental principles of molecular recognition are increasingly being better understood, and of particular interest are reports of several synthetic anion receptors able to perform their task in complex natural media. Additionally, macroscopic devices such as anion specific electrodes and membranes based on a molecular recognition approach are now being made.     

Effect of Feed Restriction on Performance and Postprandial Nutrient Metabolism in Pigs Co-Infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Swine Influenza Virus

As nutritional status and inflammation are strongly connected, feeding and nutritional strategies could be effective to improve the ability of pigs to cope with disease. The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of a feed restriction on the ability of pigs to resist and be tolerant to a coinfection with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp) and the European H1N1 swine influenza virus, and the consequences for nutrient metabolism, with a focus on amino acids. Two groups of specific pathogen-free pigs were inoculated with Mhp and H1N1 21 days apart. One group was fed ad libitum, the other group was subjected to a two-week 40% feed restriction starting one week before H1N1 infection. The two respective mock control groups were included. Three days post-H1N1 infection, 200 g of feed was given to pigs previously fasted overnight and serial blood samples were taken over 4 hours to measure plasma nutrient concentrations. Throughout the study, clinical signs were observed and pathogens were detected in nasal swabs and lung tissues. Feed-restricted pigs presented shorter hyperthermia and a positive mean weight gain over the 3 days post-H1N1 infection whereas animals fed ad libitum lost weight. Both infection and feed restriction reduced postprandial glucose concentrations, indicating changes in glucose metabolism. Post-prandial plasma concentrations of the essential amino acids histidine, arginine and threonine were lower in co-infected pigs suggesting a greater use of those amino acids for metabolic purposes associated with the immune response. Altogether, these results indicate that modifying feeding practices could help to prepare animals to overcome an influenza infection. Connections with metabolism changes are discussed.     

Multiple species of ornithine decarboxylase in rat tissues: Effects of dexamethasone

Several species of ornithine decarboxylase were separated by chromatography of rat thymus and kidney extracts on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B. One major and one minor species were absent from thymus of rats two hours after hormone treatment but otherwise, the elution profile was identical to thymus from control animals. The elution patterns of ODC activity in kidneys of rats treated 2.5 or 5 hours before sacrifice with dexamethasone differ from that of control kidney and from each other. Enzyme from kidneys early after hormone treatment is eluted earlier than enzyme from control tissue, while at 5 hours, the enzyme is eluted much later than in the control. This suggests that the hormone-induced activity is subsequently modified.     

Mobilization of iron from ferritin by isolated mitochondria effects of species compatibility between ferritin and mitochondria and iron content of ferritin

Mitochondria mobilize iron from ferritin by a mechanism that depends on external FMN. With rat liver mitochondria, the rate of mobilization of iron is higher from rat liver ferritin than from horse spleen ferritin. With horse liver mitochondria, the rate of iron mobilization is higher from horse spleen ferritin than from rat liver ferritin. The results are explained by a higher affinity between mitochondria and ferritins of the same species. The mobilization of iron increases with the iron content of the ferritin and then levels off. A maximum is reached with ferritins containing about 1 200 iron atoms per molecule. The results represent further evidence that ferritin may function as a direct iron donor to the mitochondria.     

The eye muscles and their innervation in the gobiid fishTridentiger trigonocephalus

The morphology and innervation of the six oculomotor muscles in the gobiid fishTridentiger trigonocephalus are described. Every rectus muscle is composed of two types of muscle fibres. Muscles attach onto the cartilaginous or fibrous sclerotica. Oblique muscles attach onto the ethmoidal plate; recti muscles attach onto the parasphenoid or a thick fibrous membrane. There is no myodome. The common oculomotor nerve is composed of four bundles, the trochlear and the externus of two. The two kinds of fibres of the lateral rectus and the two distinct bundles of the nerve VI suggest a possible homology between this muscle in fishes and the lateral rectus+retractor bulbi in mammals.     

Population Changes of Heterodera glycines and Soybean Yields Resulting from Soil Treatment with Alachlor,Fenamiphos, and Ethoprop

The population dynamics of Heterodera glycines as influenced by alachlor, fenamiphos, and ethoprop alone and in herbicide-nematicide combinations were studied in the field. Numbers of H. glycines juveniles and eggs were higher at midseason and harvest where nematicides were applied. Fenamiphos alone or in combination with alachlor provided better control of H. glycines and greater seed yields than treatments with ethoprop. Numbers of H. glycines eggs at harvest in 1980 were positively correlated with numbers of juveniles at planting in 1981 and negatively related to seed yield in 1981.     

Identifying essential genes in bacterial metabolic networks with machine learning methods

Background  

Identifying essential genes in bacteria supports to identify potential drug targets and an understanding of minimal requirements for a synthetic cell. However, experimentally assaying the essentiality of their coding genes is resource intensive and not feasible for all bacterial organisms, in particular if they are infective.     

Protection of Mice against Lethal Coxsackievirus B3 Infection by Using DNA Immunization

Vaccination with DNA and recombinant vaccinia viruses (rec.VV) has been studied with the coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) model system. Plasmids encoding all structural proteins of CVB3, when injected intramuscularly, induced only low levels of virus-specific antibodies. However, DNA vaccination with the major structural protein VP1 protected 72.2% of mice from lethal challenge, whereas VP1 expressed by rec.VV was much less efficient.