Genome sequence of an alphaherpesvirus from a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)

Beluga whale alphaherpesvirus 1 was isolated from a blowhole swab taken from a juvenile beluga whale. The genome is 144,144 bp in size and contains 86 putative genes. The virus groups phylogenetically with members of the genus Varicellovirus in subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae and is the first alphaherpesvirus sequenced from a marine mammal

1-D Harmonic Oscillator in Snyder Space, the Classic and the Quantum

The 1-D dimension harmonic oscillator in Snyder space is investigated in its classical and quantum versions. The classical trajectory is obtained and the semiclassical quantization from the phase space trajectories is discussed. In the meanwhile, an effective cutoff to high frequencies is found. The quantum version is developed and an equivalent usual harmonic oscillator is obtained through an effective mass and an effective frequency introduced in the model. This modified parameters give us an also modified energy spectra.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Virus particles, antigens and antibodies in sheep infected with orf, with special reference to diagnosis

The roles of various laboratory aids for confirming a diagnosis of orf were assessed. The most sensitive technique was the detection of heatstable complement-fixing antigen. The next best was visualisation of negatively stained virus particles by electron microscopy and the third useful technique was the detection of heat-labile precipitating antigens by immuno-diffusion. The virus particles and the antigens were different entities with differing molecular sizes. Cell culture techniques yielded promising results but the nature and specificity of the cell destruction are unknown. Fluorescent antibody techniques and haemagglutination tests were unreliable. The optimal samples were scabs collected from lesions that were one to two weeks old. Precipitating antibodies which were gamma globn1ins appeared in the sera of all convalescent lambs and most of the vaccinated lambs within four weeks of exposure but they were transient disappearing in eight to sixteen weeks. Similarly complement-fixing antibodies which were IgM globulins appeared in the sera of all convalescent and all vaccinated lambs within four weeks of exposure. They persisted longer than the precipitating antibodies. The sera and colostrums of some ewes at parturition contained both precipitating and complement-fixing antibodies which were transferred passively to the lambs

A scintillating plastic fiber tracking detector for neutron and proton imaging and spectroscopy

We report the results of recent calibration data analysis of a prototype scintillating fiber tracking detector system designed to perform imaging, spectroscopy and particle identification on 20 to 250 MeV neutrons and protons. We present the neutron imaging concept and briefly review the detection principle and the prototype description. The prototype detector system records ionization track data on an event-by-event basis allowing event selection criteria to be used in the off-line analysis. Images of acrylic phantoms from the analysis of recent proton beam calibrations (14 to 65 MeV range) are presented as demonstrations of the particle identification, imaging and energy measurement capabilities. The measured position resolution is c 500 pm. The measured energy resolution (AE/E, FWHM) is 14.2% at 35 MeV. An effective technique for track identification and data compression is presented. The detection techniques employed can be applied to measurements in a variety of disciplines including solar and atmospheric physics, radiation therapy and nuclear materials monitoring. These applications are discussed briefly as are alternative detector configurations and future development plans

Persistance of maternal antibodies in piglets from sows immunized with an inactivated oil-emulsion vaccine against Aujeszky's disease

Porcas das raças Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace e Large White, de um, dois e três partos, foram imunizadas, entre os 70-90 dias de cada gestação, com vacina inativada oleosa contra a doença de Aujeszky (DA). Os níveis de anticorpos neutralizantes, nas porcas, foram avaliados às duas e 16 semanas apos o parto. Similarmente, os níveis de anticorpos neutralizantes foram determinados nos leitões destas porcas às duas, quatro, seis, oito, dez, doze, quatorze e 16 semanas de idade. A duas e 16 semanas apos o parto, respectivamente, apenas 18,8% e 44,4% das porcas vacinadas uma vez possuíam anticorpos neutralizantes, enquanto que cem por cento das porcas vacinadas duas vezes e testadas a duas e 16 semanas eram positivas. Por outro lado, 78,6% e 75% das porcas vacinadas três vezes possuíam anticorpos, respectivamente a duas e 16 semanas após o parto. Anticorpos neutralizantes de origem materna foram detectados nos leitões a partir da segunda semana de idade. Esses anticorpos estavam presentes apenas nos leitões de porcas com anticorpos. Em leitões de porcas vacinadas uma vez, os anticorpos de origem materna persistiram até a décima ou a 12ª semana de idade, enquanto que, em leitões de porcas vacinadas duas ou três vezes, esses anticorpos persistiram até um máximo de quatorze semanas.Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Largo White sows were immunized between the 70th and 90th days of one, two or three successive gestations with an inactivated oil-emulsion vaccine against Aujeszky's disease. The levels of neutralizing antibodies in the sows were evaluated at two and 16 weeks after farrowing. Similarly, the levels of neutralizing antibodies in their piglets were determined at two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen and 16 weeks of age. At two and 16 weeks after farrowing, respectively, only 18.8% and 44.4% of the sows vaccinated once had neutralizing antibodies while one hundred percent of sows vaccinated twice and tested two and 16 weeks after farrowing were positive. On the other hand, 78.6% and 75% of the sows vaccinated three times posessed antibodies, respectively, two and 16 weeks post farrowing. Neutralizing antibodies of maternal origin were demonstrable in the piglets from the second week of life onwards. Those antibodies were present only in the piglets of sows with antibodies. In piglets of sows vaccinated only once, maternally-derived antibodies persisted up to the 10th or 12th week of life, while in piglets of sows vaccinated two or three times, those antibodies persisted a maximum of fourteen weeks

Identification of a novel herpesvirus associated with a penile proliferative lesion in a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)

The carcass of an adult male beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) was found beach cast in 2008 on the shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary at Rivière-Ouelle, Quebec, Canada. The carcass was transported to the Faculté de médecine vétérinaire of the Université de Montréal for postmortem examination. Aspiration pneumonia was the probable cause of death. Necropsy revealed a focal papilloma-like penile lesion, characterized by focal mucosal thickening with disorganization of the epithelial layers and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. A pan-herpesvirus nested PCR assay on frozen tissue from the penile lesion was positive. The PCR product sequencing revealed a partial herpesvirus DNA polymerase (DPOL) gene sequence of 600 nucleotides. Its nearest nucleotide identity was with the partial DPOL gene of an alphaherpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus 5 (79.5% identity). It also shared high identity with several other marine mammal herpesviruses (50.2 to 77.3% identity). This new herpesvirus was tentatively named beluga whale herpesvirus (BWHV). Virus isolation was unsuccessful. The pathogenic potential of BWHV is unknown, but the evaluation of archived tissues suggests that the virus is endemic in the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga population

Bladder secretion of inhibitors of calcium oxalate crystal growth

Bladder secretion of inhibitors of calcium oxalate crystal growth.Differences in calcium oxalate crystal growth inhibition were studied in normally voided urine (bladder urine) and in urine collected directly from the kidney (kidney urine) in nine dogs. Urine samples were collected before and 10 days after bilateral ureterostomies. Calcium oxalate crystal growth inhibition was measured in a standard seeded crystal growth system. The alcian blue-precipitable material of the urine samples was determined. Significantly lower values were observed in kidney urine than in bladder urine for calcium oxalate crystal inhibition (mean difference, 0.07 ± 0.02 inhibitor units/mg creatinine; P < 0.01) and for the alcian blue-precipitable material (mean difference, 0.07 ± 0.02 mg/mg creatinine; P < 0.01). We conclude that the bladder adds calcium oxalate crystal growth inhibition to urine. Glycosaminoglycans from the bladder mucosa may be responsible; however, other acidic polymers such as RNA fragments or glycopeptides have been shown to be a constituent of the alcian blue-precipitable material. These are potent inhibitors of calcium oxalate crystal growth, and their participation in the increase of inhibition observed in bladder urine cannot be excluded. Total calcium oxalate crystal growth inhibition present in normally voided urine may be an overestimation of the actual inhibition present at the level of the kidney, where calculi usually form

Presencia de flores hermafroditas en Quercus rugosa (Fagaceae) en el Estado de México (México)

Hermaphroditic flowers of Quercus rugosa Née are reported for the first time from Xochitla Ecological Reserve (Tepotzotlán municipality, State of Mexico). Their floral structure is described and supporting photographs and illustrations are provided.Se da a conocer la presencia de flores hermafroditas en Quercus rugosa Née de poblaciones localizadas en la Reserva Ecológica Xochitla, municipio de Tepotzotlán, Estado de México. Se describe su morfología y se aportan fotografías e ilustraciones que la documentan

Colonization of electrospun polycaprolactone fibers by relevant pathogenic bacterial strains

Electrospun biodegradable polymers have emerged as promising materials for their applications in several fields, including biomedicine and food industry. For this reason, the susceptibility of these materials to be colonized by different pathogens is a critical issue for public health, and their study can provide future knowledge to develop new strategies against bacterial infections. In this work, the ability of three pathogenic bacterial species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Listeria monocytogenes) to adhere and form biofilm in electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) microfibrous meshes was investigated. Bacterial attachment was analyzed in meshes with different microstructure, and comparisons with other materials (borosilicate glass and electrospun polylactic acid (PLA)) fibers were assessed. Analysis included colony forming unit (CFU) counts, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and crystal violet (CV) staining. All the obtained data suggest that PCL meshes, regardless of their microstructure, are highly susceptible to be colonized by the pathogenic relevant bacteria used in this study, so a pretreatment or a functionalization with compounds that present some antimicrobial activity or antibiofilm properties is highly recommended before their application. Moreover, an experiment designed to simulate a chronic wound environment was used to demonstrate the ability of these meshes to detach biofilms from the substratum where they have developed, thus making them promising candidates to be used in wound cleaning and disinfection.European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 691095 and Junta de Castilla y Leon-FEDER (projects BU079U16 and BU092U16)

Sol-gel coatings for metallic prosthesis from methyl-modified alkoxysilanes: balance between protection and bioactivation

The reported osteogenic properties of the hybrid silica sol-gel materials make these compositions perfect candidates for bone tissue engineering applications. The aim of this study was the synthesis and characterisation of hybrid silica coatings, obtained using mixtures of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and three different methyl-modified alkoxysilanes: trimethoxymethylsilane (MTMS), dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES) or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). A comparison of the properties of these materials can reveal the best candidate for the coatings on metallic prostheses. After optimising the synthesis parameters, the developed coatings were characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), 1H and 29Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR and 29Si-MNR), cross-cut tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, optical profilometry, hydrolytic degradation tests and electrochemical corrosion analysis. Homogeneous and well-adhering coatings were obtained using the three methyl-modified reagents. However, different degrees of protection against corrosion, different hydrophilicity and varying degradation kinetics were observed for different precursors. The MTMS-based coating showed the highest hydrophilicity and degradation kinetics; these properties can be associated with increased bioactivity (Si release). In contrast, the PDMS and DMDES-based coatings showed augmented resistance to corrosion and lower permeability to water and, consequently, improved protection of metallic surfaces. From the physicochemical point of view, all these materials displayed interesting characteristics, relevant for coatings to be used in biomedical applications