32种抗菌药物对临床分离猪源链球菌的体外抗菌活性

采用微量稀释法测定了32种药物对临床分离猪源链球菌的体外最小抑菌浓度(MIC),以美国临床检验标准委员会(NCCL5)的临界浓度做为判断标准,判定了猪源链球菌对32种药物的耐药性。结果表明,临床分离的菌株以耐药菌为主,且96．6％的菌株呈多重耐药,41％菌株为链霉素高耐药菌株(MIC≥2mg／mL);对磺胺类药物(92．3％～98．3％)、氨基糖甙类药物(70．8％～78．5％)、四环素类(72．3％)、林可胺类(66．2％～64．6％)、大环内酯类(53．8％～67．7％)耐药性最为严重,对青霉素类(18．5％～53．8％)、头孢菌素类(18．5％～56．9％)、泰妙灵(21．5％)和喹诺酮类药物(36．9％～78．5％)耐药性次之,而所选菌株对氯霉素类药物氟苯尼考均敏感;检测了所有耐8内酰胺类抗生素菌株是否产β内酰胺酶,结果均为阴性。     

产葡萄糖异构酶工程菌工业发酵条件模拟研究

高效表达葡萄糖异构酶的大肠杆菌工程菌Ｋ３８／ｐＧＰＩ－２,ｐＴＫＤ－ＧＩ菌株,在玉米浆培养基中能高效合成葡萄糖异构酶,观察了细菌生长的细胞浓度（ＯＤ）、ｐＨ和酶产生的动态变化。玉米浆培养基成本低、制备工艺简单,在５０Ｌ发酵罐中酶活力为１４３ｕ／ｍＬ,比在ＬＢ培养基中高约１０倍。用超声波破碎细胞液作酶源吸附于大孔阴离子交换树脂制成固定化葡萄糖异构酶、其酶活力达到１０２００ｕ／ｇ（干）。     

Some factors influencing adoption of sheltered dogs

Abstract

In Italy the law forbids euthanizing shelter dogs unless they are severely ill or dangerous. This has created a problem: many dogs are housed for long periods of time in shelters. It is important to the welfare of these dogs for us to find methods to increase successful adoption rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different management factors such as the number of dogs in a pen, Temporary Adoption Programs (TAPs), and animal-owner-related characteristics on successful adoptions of kenneled dogs. The study included 763 dogs, 92 of whom were dogs showing behavioral problems. The age of the dogs upon arrival at the shelter was the most important determinant for length of stay, with younger dogs being adopted faster (Kruskal-Wallis, H = 150.27; df = 3; n = 733; p < 0.001). Dogs up to six months of age (n = 73) were adopted more quickly than older dogs (average length of stay: 1.4 vs. 6.4 months). The year of admittance was also significant since dogs who were admitted in a year in which more dogs were brought to the shelter spent more time in the shelter before being re-homed (Kruskal-Wallis, H = 96.18; df = 2; n = 733; p < 0.001). Dogs' gender had no effect on length of stay (Mann-Whitney, U = 64563; Z = 0.81; p = ns; n¹ = 389; n² = 344). Temporary Adoption Programs had a significant positive effect in reducing the return rate when the final adopter was the same person who had “temporarily” adopted the dog (Fisher exact test, p = 0.0063). Return rate was also associated with behavioral problems. Fearful dogs were returned more often than dogs with other problems (Fisher exact test, p = 0.029). It is concluded that, although young age is the most important factor leading to quick adoption, programs which include increased human interaction, and special training for dogs with behavioral problems, could aid in the successful re-homing of shelter dogs.     

Automated protein structure calculation from NMR data

Current software is almost at the stage to permit completely automatic structure determination of small proteins of <15 kDa, from NMR spectra to structure validation with minimal user interaction. This goal is welcome, as it makes structure calculation more objective and therefore more easily validated, without any loss in the quality of the structures generated. Moreover, it releases expert spectroscopists to carry out research that cannot be automated. It should not take much further effort to extend automation to ca 20 kDa. However, there are technological barriers to further automation, of which the biggest are identified as: routines for peak picking; adoption and sharing of a common framework for structure calculation, including the assembly of an automated and trusted package for structure validation; and sample preparation, particularly for larger proteins. These barriers should be the main target for development of methodology for protein structure determination, particularly by structural genomics consortia.

Myogenesis in vitro. Enhancement by dibutyryl cAMP

Cholera enterotoxin (CT) increased the concentration of adenosine 3′-5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in monolayer cultures of adrenal tumor cells after a 60 min lag phase in contrast to the rapid effect of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). The change in intracellular cAMP was accompanied by the release of steroids into the culture medium and a reversible alteration of monolayer morphology.     

An analysis to study trends in occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs among health care workers

The use of antineoplastic agents for the treatment of cancer and other non-neoplastic diseases is an increasingly common practice in hospitals. As a result, workers involved with handling antineoplastic drugs may be accidentally exposed to these agents, placing them at potential risk for long term adverse effects. To date, the challenge of protecting workers’ health is persisting and expanding, with an increasing number of publications demonstrating that contamination of antineoplastic drugs (ADs) is still present on work surfaces after cleaning procedures are concluded. In this paper, five workplaces were selected for surveillance of professional exposure to ADs. Hospital pharmacies involved in the study were set in the North (Units A1 and B2), Center (Units C3 and D4) and South (Unit E5) of Italy. Contamination levels on a number of work surfaces and trends over a 10-year period are presented. Environmental and biological levels were obtained by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). A strong reduction of surface contamination was evidenced since 2003, when the recommended procedures for the safe handling of antineoplastic drugs started to be followed by health care workers. Employers’ adherence to these recommendations allowed risk characterisation to achieve other important goals. The percentage of positive urine samples was found to be around 30% in the 1990s and 2% in the 2000s. Moreover, no positive samples were detected in 2006 or 2007. In conclusion, our study emphasized that one helpful strategy to reduce risk to all potentially exposed workers is also provided by a data-storage system that allows potential risks of working to be rapidly identified and controlled.     

欧文氏菌和棒杆菌的属间融合研究*

研究了用原生质体融合技术获得欧文氏菌和棒杆菌的融合细胞。串联发酵Ｄ－葡萄糖产生２－酮基－Ｌ－古龙酸的第一步发酵菌株欧文氏菌ＳＣＢ２４７经０．８ｍｇ／ｍＬ溶菌酶酶解０．５ｈ后,原生质体的形成率和再生率分别为９９．８％和２７．８％。第二步发酵菌株棒杆菌ＳＣＢ３０５８经预处理后由１．３ｍｇ／ｍＬ溶菌酶酶解２ｈ,原生质体的形成率和再生率分别为９９．５％和５６．３％。用携带氨苄青霉素抗性标记的ＳＣＢ２４７和经热灭活的ＳＣＢ３０５８为亲本,在４０％ＰＥＧ６０００和０．２ｍｏｌ／Ｌ新生磷酸钙等适宜条件下融合,融合频率为３．６×１０~(－６)。在非选择和选择培养基上连续传代十几次后,对融合子的单菌形态、染色结果、菌落形态、色泽、总蛋白量、同工酶、发酵性能等方面与亲本进行了比较。结果表明,融合子确系棒杆菌和欧文氏菌的融合细胞。摇瓶发酵结果显示,所得的３８株稳定的融合子中约４０％能转化葡萄糖为维生素Ｃ前体２－酮基－Ｌ－古龙酸。     

Flexible programs for the prediction of average amphipathicity of multiply aligned homologous proteins: application to integral membrane transport proteins

Simple flexible programs (TREEMOMENT and PILEUPMOMENT) are described for depicting the average amphipathicity (hydrophobic moment) along multiply aligned sequences of a family of evolutionarily related proteins. The programs are applicable to any number of aligned sequences and can be set for any desired angle corresponding to a residue repeat unit in a protein secondary structural element such as 100 per residue for an alpha- helix or 180 per residue for a beta-strand. These programs can be used to identify amphipathic regions common to the members of a protein family. The use of these programs is exemplified by showing that some families of integral membrane transport proteins (i.e. permeases of the bacterial phosphotransferase system (PTS) and the anion exchangers of animals) exhibit strikingly amphipathic alpha-helical structures immediately preceding the first hydrophobic transmembrane segment of their membrane-embedded domain(s). Other families, such as the major facilitator superfamily of uniporters, symporters and antiporters, do not exhibit this structural feature. The amphipathic structures in PTS permeases have been implicated in membrane insertion during biogenesis.