Fate of recombinant DNA and Cry1Ab protein after ingestion and dispersal of genetically modified maize in comparison to rapeseed by fallow deer ( Dama dama )

The fate of recombinant DNA in fallow deer (Dama dama) was investigated by feeding a diet of isogenic or genetically modified (GM) maize expressing Cry1Ab protein against the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). To study the degradability of ingested DNA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were introduced to detect fragments of the endogenous, highly abundant chloroplast-specific rubisco gene, the maize-specific zein gene and the recombinant cry1Ab gene. PCR analysis revealed that small chloroplast- and maize-specific DNA fragments were detectable in contents of rumen, abomasums, jejunum, caecum and colon and occasionally in visceral tissues. In contrast, no fragments of the recombinant cry1Ab gene were detectable in gastrointestinal (GI) contents. The Cry1Ab protein was analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting technique. Neither ELISA nor immunoblotting yielded positive signals of immunoactive Cry1Ab protein in GI contents and tissues of fallow deer fed with GM maize. In conclusion, after uptake of GM maize, neither cry1Ab-specific gene fragments nor Cry1Ab protein were detected in the GI tract of fallow deer, indicating complete digestion of the GM maize. Additional investigations on the germination capacity of conventional rapeseed and maize seed after ingestion by fallow deer and faecal excretion (endozoochory) were performed to draw conclusions regarding a potential spreading of germinable GM crop seed by deer. Germination tests revealed that germinable rapeseed kernels were detectable in faeces; in contrast, no intact maize seeds were found in faece

The mineralogy, geometry and mass-loss history of IRAS 16342-3814

We present the 2-200 um Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) spectrum and 3.8-20 um ISAAC and TIMMI2 images of the extreme OH/IR star IRAS 16342-3814. Amorphous silicate absorption features are seen, together with crystalline silicate absorption features up to almost 45 um. No other OH/IR star is known to have crystalline silicate features in absorption up to these wavelengths. This suggests that IRAS 16342-3814 must have, or recently had, an extremely high mass-loss rate. Preliminary radiative transfer calculations suggest that the mass-loss rate may be as large as 10^{-3} Msun/yr. The 3.8 um ISAAC image shows a bipolar reflection nebula with a dark equatorial waist or torus, similar to that seen in optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. The position angle of the nebula decreases significantly with increasing wavelength, suggesting that the dominant source of emission changes from scattering to thermal emission. Still, even up to 20 um the nebula is oriented approximately along the major axis of the nebula seen in the HST and ISAAC images, suggesting that the torus must be very cold, in agreement with the very red ISO spectrum. The 20 um image shows a roughly spherically symmetric extended halo, approximately 6'' in diameter, which is probably due to a previous phase of mass-loss on the AGB, suggesting a transition from a (more) spherically symmetric to a (more) axial symmetric form of mass-loss at the end of the AGB. We estimate the maximum dust particle sizes in the torus and in the reflection nebula to be 1.3 and 0.09 um respectively. The size of the particles in the torus is large compared to typical ISM values, but in agreement with high mass-loss rate objects like AFGL 4106 and HD161796. We discuss the possible reason for the difference in particle size between the torus and the reflection nebula.Comment: Accepted for publication by A&

Fate of recombinant DNA and Cry1Ab protein after ingestion and dispersal of genetically modified maize in comparison to rapeseed by fallow deer (Dama dama

Abstract The fate of recombinant DNA in fallow deer (Dama dama) was investigated by feeding a diet of isogenic or genetically modified (GM) maize expressing Cry1Ab protein against the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). To study the degradability of ingested DNA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were introduced to detect fragments of the endogenous, highly abundant chloroplast-specific rubisco gene, the maize-specific zein gene and the recombinant cry1Ab gene. PCR analysis revealed that small chloroplast-and maize-specific DNA fragments were detectable in contents of rumen, abomasums, jejunum, caecum and colon and occasionally in visceral tissues. In contrast, no fragments of the recombinant cry1Ab gene were detectable in gastrointestinal (GI) contents. The Cry1Ab protein was analysed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting technique. Neither ELISA nor immunoblotting yielded positive signals of immunoactive Cry1Ab protein in GI contents and tissues of fallow deer fed with GM maize. In conclusion, after uptake of GM maize, neither cry1Ab-specific gene fragments nor Cry1Ab protein were detected in the GI tract of fallow deer, indicating complete digestion of the GM maize. Additional investigations on the germination capacity of conventional rapeseed and maize seed after ingestion by fallow deer and faecal excretion (endozoochory) were performed to draw conclusions regarding a potential spreading of germinable GM crop seed by deer. Germination tests revealed that germinable rapeseed kernels were detectable in faeces; in contrast, no intact maize seeds were found in faeces

Delivering energy efficiency and carbon reduction schemes in England: Lessons from Green Deal Pioneer Places

Against a background of growing international and national carbon reduction legislation, the UK government introduced the “Green Deal” to deliver a significant increase in housing energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions. This paper reflects on one English local authority's experience delivering a programme intended to foster local interest in the Green Deal. Drawing on social surveys and pre and post Green Deal intervention interviews with five demonstrator homes (households that applied to receive a Green Deal package fully funded by the scheme, providing a test bed for the Green Deal recruitment and installation process), this paper shows that awareness and understanding of the Green Deal scheme is low. There is opposition to the cost of finance offered but a strong interest in improving household warmth and for funding improvements through payments added to the electricity bill. Demonstrator home residents perceived Green Deals had improved the warmth and quality of their home, but saving money was the primary motivator for their involvement, not increasing warmth. Whilst Green Deal has not delivered the level of success that was hoped, much can be learned from the scheme to improve future energy efficiency schemes that will be necessary to deliver emission reduction commitments

Effects of Feeding Bt MON810 Maize to Pigs for 110 Days on Peripheral Immune Response and Digestive Fate of the cry1Ab Gene and Truncated Bt Toxin

peer-reviewedBackground: The objective of this study was to evaluate potential long-term (110 days) and age-specific effects of feeding genetically modified Bt maize on peripheral immune response in pigs and to determine the digestive fate of the cry1Ab gene and truncated Bt toxin. Methodology/Principal Findings: Forty day old pigs (n = 40) were fed one of the following treatments: 1) isogenic maize-based diet for 110 days (isogenic); 2) Bt maize-based diet (MON810) for 110 days (Bt); 3) Isogenic maize-based diet for 30 days followed by Bt maize-based diet for 80 days (isogenic/Bt); and 4) Bt maize-based diet (MON810) for 30 days followed by isogenic maize-based diet for 80 days (Bt/isogenic). Blood samples were collected during the study for haematological analysis, measurement of cytokine and Cry1Ab-specific antibody production, immune cell phenotyping and cry1Ab gene and truncated Bt toxin detection. Pigs were sacrificed on day 110 and digesta and organ samples were taken for detection of the cry1Ab gene and the truncated Bt toxin. On day 100, lymphocyte counts were higher (P<0.05) in pigs fed Bt/isogenic than pigs fed Bt or isogenic. Erythrocyte counts on day 100 were lower in pigs fed Bt or isogenic/Bt than pigs fed Bt/isogenic (P<0.05). Neither the truncated Bt toxin nor the cry1Ab gene were detected in the organs or blood of pigs fed Bt maize. The cry1Ab gene was detected in stomach digesta and at low frequency in the ileum but not in the distal gastrointestinal tract (GIT), while the Bt toxin fragments were detected at all sites in the GIT. Conclusions/Significance: Perturbations in peripheral immune response were thought not to be age-specific and were not indicative of Th 2 type allergenic or Th 1 type inflammatory responses. There was no evidence of cry1Ab gene or Bt toxin translocation to organs or blood following long-term feeding.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 211820 and the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship programme

The ALPS project release 2.0: Open source software for strongly correlated systems

We present release 2.0 of the ALPS (Algorithms and Libraries for Physics Simulations) project, an open source software project to develop libraries and application programs for the simulation of strongly correlated quantum lattice models such as quantum magnets, lattice bosons, and strongly correlated fermion systems. The code development is centered on common XML and HDF5 data formats, libraries to simplify and speed up code development, common evaluation and plotting tools, and simulation programs. The programs enable non-experts to start carrying out serial or parallel numerical simulations by providing basic implementations of the important algorithms for quantum lattice models: classical and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) using non-local updates, extended ensemble simulations, exact and full diagonalization (ED), the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) both in a static version and a dynamic time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) code, and quantum Monte Carlo solvers for dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). The ALPS libraries provide a powerful framework for programers to develop their own applications, which, for instance, greatly simplify the steps of porting a serial code onto a parallel, distributed memory machine. Major changes in release 2.0 include the use of HDF5 for binary data, evaluation tools in Python, support for the Windows operating system, the use of CMake as build system and binary installation packages for Mac OS X and Windows, and integration with the VisTrails workflow provenance tool. The software is available from our web server at http://alps.comp-phys.org/.Comment: 18 pages + 4 appendices, 7 figures, 12 code examples, 2 table

How has internet addiction research evolved since the advent of internet gaming disorder? An overview of cyberaddictions from a psychological perspective

During the past two decades, Internet addiction (IA) has been the most commonly used term in research into online activities and their influence on the development of behavioral addictions. The aim of this review is to assess the impact of the concept of Internet gaming disorder (IGD), proposed by the American Psychiatric Association, on the scientific literature regarding IA. It presents a bibliometric analysis of the IA literature starting from the time IGD was first proposed, with the objective of observing and comparing the topics that have arisen during this period among the different IA themes researched. The findings demonstrate a steady evolution, particularly regarding publications related to the general aspects of IA: its clinical component, its prevalence and psychometric measures, the growing interest in the contextual factors promoting this addictive behavior, scientific progress in its conceptualization based on existing theoretical models, and neuropsychological studies. Nevertheless, many of the studies (22 %) focus on specific IA behaviors and show heterogeneity among the cyberaddictions, with online gaming (related to IGD) most common, followed by cybersex and social networking. Although research on the general concept of IA continues, investigators have begun to pay attention to the diverse spectrum of specific cyberaddictions and their psychological components