Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis derivatives harbouring deletions in rpoS and phoP regulatory genes are attenuated in pigs, and survive and multiply in porcine intestinal macrophages and fibroblasts, respectively

Live attenuated Salmonella enterica strains have been extensively studied as potential vectors for the oral delivery of heterologous antigens. Due to its ability to target immune cells, its specific mechanism for crossing the intestinal barrier, and its swine-restricted tropism, S. enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) has attracted a great deal of interest for the production of bacterial-based oral carriers specifically adapted to swine. In this study, two mutants of S. Choleraesuis were constructed and their attenuation and intracellular fate analysed with the purpose of engineering new attenuated live strains with improved properties as oral vaccine carriers. Those strains harboured a specific deletion either within the phoP or rpoS genes, which encode virulence-related regulators in S. Typhimurium. In comparison to the wild-type parental S. Choleraesuis, the mutant strains, especially DeltaphoP, were extremely low in virulence in the murine model and in the natural host, the pig. Moreover, when compared with a commercial live vaccine strain, SC-54, the two mutants showed a higher level of attenuation in mice and DeltaphoP also in pigs. In addition, DeltarpoS and DeltaphoP presented a proliferation and survival phenotype within swine intestinal primary fibroblast and macrophage cell cultures, respectively. Collectively, the present results indicate that the DeltarpoS and DeltaphoP strains of S. Choleraesuis gather adequate features to be potential candidates for vaccine vectors for the specific delivery of heterologous antigens adapted to pigs.     

Wireless Soil Scout prototype radio signal reception compared to the attenuation model

Wireless underground Soil Scout prototypes, introduced here for the first time, were used for remote soil monitoring during 5 months in real conditions. Every Soil Scout transmitted moisture and temperature data once every 10 min. The prototype system works well. A signal attenuation model is able to predict long periods of lost signals when soil moisture and on-soil vegetation conditions change. The model attenuation −98 dB is the threshold level for distinguishing probable failure from success, even if the system hardware design would suggest −110 dB. Individual transmission failures do not always correlate to changes of condition. Further work should focus on increasing transmission power and improving knowledge of the effect of vegetation.     

Comparison of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of parental and attenuated isolates of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus

To identify possible sites of viral attenuation, the complete nucleotide sequences of two isolates of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) were determined; a severe isolate Z5-1 and an attenuated isolate from Z5-1 (designated ZYMV-2002). The viral genome of both isolates consisted of 9593 nucleotides in size and contained an open reading frame encoding a single polyprotein of 3080 amino acids. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences for Z5-1 and ZYMV-2002 revealed 14 nucleotide mutations, resulting in seven amino acid substitutions with four in the HC-Pro region, two in the CI region, and one in the NIb region. These results provide a genetic basis for future manipulation of the ZYMV reverse genetics system. The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the accession numbers AB188115 and AB188116     

金丝雀痘诊断与痘病毒致弱试验

本试验对送检的金丝雀经实验室诊断，确认为金丝雀痘，对分离的痘病毒进行动物致病性试验、病毒分离传代和致试验、致弱毒保护力试验和返强试验。结果表明：金丝雀痘病毒经鸡胚盲传３后能适鸡胚并致死金丝雀，８代后无致病性，１３例毒性快速通过本动物３次无返强现象，金丝雀用第１３代毒刺种３０天能抵抗强毒攻击。     

山东省冬小麦品种冠层结构及光截获的研究

研究了山东省14个冬小麦高产品种（系）的冠层结构和光截获（LI）及分布特性。结果表明：参试材料间盛花期冠层消光系数K存在显著差异。中下层叶片相对光强（I／I0）的差异程度大于上层叶片。适度的增加上部节间长、提高株高构成指数（IL）、降低上层叶片面积所占比例和角度指数，有助于减小冠层K并改善透光条件。盛花期LI及分布特性对作物生长率（CGR）、籽粒形成及最终产量有重要影响。并对小麦冠层结构改良和研究的有关问题进行了探讨。     

玉米自交系开花后叶片保绿度衰减特性遗传效应分析

采用ADM遗传模型对不同玉米自交系开花后叶片保绿度衰减特性遗传效应进行研究。结果表明,不同自交系叶片保绿度衰减起始时间(Ts)、最大衰减速率出现时间(TVmax)、最大衰减速率(Vmax)均存在显著的遗传与环境互作效应,自交系叶片保绿度衰减特性在不同环境条件下的表现具有明显差异。利用包括基因型与环境互作效应在内的遗传分析方法,可以更清楚地发现不同亲本叶片保绿度衰减特性的遗传效应差异,有利于筛选出具有较大遗传效应的自交系,用于玉米叶片保绿度性状的改良。     

Relation of computerized tomography Hounsfield unit measurements and internal components of fresh chestnuts (Castanea spp.)

Little is known about Chestnut (Castanea spp.) in vivo cultivar characterization and morphology, the effect of mechanical harvesting, peelability, postharvest mold, physiological kernel decay, and quality. Thus, there is a need to develop a nondestructive technique able to assess fresh chestnut internal components, especially disorders. In this study, a medical grade computed tomography (CT) was used to obtain transversal two-dimensional (2D) images from decayed and healthy fresh chestnuts, from the hybrid cultivar ‘Colossal’ and ‘Chinese seedlings’. Attenuation coefficients, referred to as Hounsfield-units (HU) or CT numbers, were acquired from different 2D CT image regions including air, and several chestnut components containing decayed tissue, healthy tissue, various imperfections such as pellicle invagination into healthy kernel, and void spaces. Results offer an in vivo accurate insight of fresh intact chestnuts, and suggest that CT technology is appropriate for inline sorting. HU measurements can be used as a nondestructive predictor of fresh chestnut internal components with a 90.6% overall accuracy rate.     

荷电雾滴电荷衰减规律研究

分析了雾滴的荷电及电荷泄漏，并利用荷质比测定装置测定了远距离处群体荷电雾滴的荷质比，建立了荷电雾滴的电荷衰减数学模型。     

传染性法氏囊病超强毒Gx株的致弱研究

本研究成功将鸡传染性法氏囊病超强毒vvIBDVGx株通过SPF鸡胚的快速培育及鸡胚成纤维细胞传代致弱，揭示了vvIBDV从超强毒力向弱毒力转化过程中，其主要结构蛋白VP2基因核苷酸及推导的氨基酸序列的变化规律。对不同代次细胞毒进行了序列分析。发现细胞毒在第7代以前，VP2基因序列没有改变。与欧洲标准超强毒氨基酸同源性达100%；细胞毒第8代，有个别核苷酸发生了改变。但没有影响氨基酸序列；细胞毒第9代是变化复杂的过渡代；10代毒VP2基因与欧洲标准弱毒Cu-1氨基酸序列同源性达97%；以后的细胞适应毒至20代。其VP2基因序列不再改变。致病性实验表明原代毒对4周龄SPF鸡致死率为64%。细胞毒第5代的致死率为60%，而20代毒对鸡无致病性。在鸡体内连续传代6代不返强。     

减毒沙门氏菌作为口服活疫苗载体的研究进展

文章就沙门氏菌相关基因的特点、减毒沙门氏菌载体激发的免疫应答、进入机体免疫系统的机制、减毒沙门氏菌的应用、载体疫苗的优越性及潜在危险性几方面综述了减毒沙门氏菌作为口服疫苗载体的研究进展,为新型菌苗的研制提供一种新的思路。