Direct Detection of Bacillus cereus and its Enterotoxigenic Genes in Meat and Meat Products by Polymerase Chain Reaction

This study was conducted to standardize a method to directly detect B. cereus (gyrB) and its enterotoxigenic genes (hblDAC, nheABC, cytK and entFM) from the meat and meat products by PCR, without going for isolation and identification procedures. The method employed was compared with the standard microbiological procedures to determine its efficacy. Among the 150 food samples (raw meats and meat products) analyzed, 60 (40%) were positive for isolation and 59 (39.33%) turned out positive by direct PCR (targeting sequence within gyrB gene). Food samples screened directly by multiplex-PCR showed almost similar enterotoxin gene profile as of isolates from these samples. Among the positive samples, only two samples from the meat products showed different enterotxigenic gene pattern compared to isolates from these samples. The incidences of various enteroxigenic genes hblD, hblA, hblC, nheA, nheB, nheC, cytK and entFM was 66.10%, 66.10%, 67.78%, 96.61%, 96.61%, 93.22%, 67.78% and 100%, respectively. Therefore, the current method can be employed for the direct detection of B. cereus and its enterotoxigenic genes in the meat and meat products without going for isolation and identification procedures and the method can be extended to other foods as well

The anti-inflammatory effects of prostaglandin E 2 on human lung macrophages are mediated by the EP 4 receptor

Background and purpose: Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been shown to inhibit cytokine generation from human lung macrophages. However, the EP receptor that mediates this beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of PGE2 has not been elucidated definitively. The aim of this study was to identify the EP receptor by which PGE2 inhibits cytokine generation from human lung macrophages. This was determined by using recently-developed EP receptor ligands. Experimental approach: The effects of PGE2 and EP-selective agonists on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) generation from macrophages were evaluated. The effects of EP2-selective (PF-04852946, PF-04418948) and EP4-selective (L-161,982, CJ-042794) antagonists on PGE2 responses were studied. The expression of EP receptor subtypes by human lung macrophages was determined by RT-PCR. Key results: PGE2 inhibited LPS-induced and Streptococcus pneumoniae-induced cytokine generation from human lung macrophages. Analysis of mRNA levels indicated that macrophages expressed EP2 and EP4 receptors. L-902,688 (EP4-selective agonist) was considerably more potent than butaprost (EP2-selective agonist) as an inhibitor of TNFα generation from macrophages. EP2-selective antagonists had marginal effects on the PGE2 inhibition of TNFα generation whereas EP4-selective antagonists caused rightward shifts in the PGE2 concentration-response curves. Conclusions and implications: These studies demonstrate that the EP4 receptor is the principal receptor that mediates the anti-inflammatory effects of PGE2 on human lung macrophages. This suggests that EP4 agonists could be effective anti-inflammatory agents in human lung disease

Population overlap and habitat segregation in wintering Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa

Distinct breeding populations of migratory species may overlap both spatially and temporally, but differ in patterns of habitat use. This has important implications for population monitoring and conservation. To quantify the extent to which two distinct breeding populations of a migratory shorebird, the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, overlap spatially, temporally and in their use of different habitats during winter. We use mid-winter counts between 1990 and 2001 to identify the most important sites in Iberia for Black-tailed Godwits. Monthly surveys of estuarine mudflats and rice-fields at one major site, the Tejo estuary in Portugal in 2005-2007, together with detailed tracking of colour-ringed individuals, are used to explore patterns of habitat use and segregation of the Icelandic subspecies L. l. islandica and the nominate continental subspecies L. l. limosa. In the period 1990-2001, over 66 000 Black-tailed Godwits were counted on average in Iberia during mid-winter (January), of which 80% occurred at just four sites: Tejo and Sado lower basins in Portugal, and Coto Dontildeana and Ebro Delta in Spain. Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits are present throughout the winter and forage primarily in estuarine habitats. Continental Black-tailed Godwits are present from December to March and primarily use rice-fields. Iberia supports about 30% of the Icelandic population in winter and most of the continental population during spring passage. While the Icelandic population is currently increasing, the continental population is declining rapidly. Although the estuarine habitats used by Icelandic godwits are largely protected as Natura 2000 sites, the habitat segregation means that conservation actions for the decreasing numbers of continental godwits should focus on protection of rice-fields and re-establishment of freshwater wetlands

A study of one class of NLP problems arising in parametric Semi-Infinite Programming

The paper deals with a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem that depends on a finite number of integers (parameters). This problem has a special form, and arises as an auxiliary problem in study of solutions' properties of parametric semi-infinite programming (SIP) problems with finitely representable compact index sets. Therefore, it is important to provide a deep study of this NLP problem and its properties w.r.t. the values of the parameters. We are especially interested in the case when optimal solutions of the NLP problem satisfy certain properties due to some specific requirements arising in parametric SIP. We establish the values of the parameters for which optimal solutions of the corresponding NLP problem fulfil the needed properties, and suggest an algorithm that determines the right values of the parameters. An example is proposed to illustrate the application of the algorithm

Photoionisation loading of large Sr+ ion clouds with ultrafast pulses

This paper reports on photoionisation loading based on ultrafast pulses of singly-ionised strontium ions in a linear Paul trap. We take advantage of an autoionising resonance of Sr neutral atoms to form Sr+ by two-photon absorption of femtosecond pulses at a wavelength of 431nm. We compare this technique to electron-bombardment ionisation and observe several advantages of photoionisation. It actually allows the loading of a pure Sr+ ion cloud in a low radio-frequency voltage amplitude regime. In these conditions up to 4x10^4 laser-cooled Sr+ ions were trapped

Tomato: a crop species amenable to improvement by cellular and molecular methods

Tomato is a crop plant with a relatively small DNA content per haploid genome and a well developed genetics. Plant regeneration from explants and protoplasts is feasable which led to the development of efficient transformation procedures. In view of the current data, the isolation of useful mutants at the cellular level probably will be of limited value in the genetic improvement of tomato. Protoplast fusion may lead to novel combinations of organelle and nuclear DNA (cybrids), whereas this technique also provides a means of introducing genetic information from alien species into tomato. Important developments have come from molecular approaches. Following the construction of an RFLP map, these RFLP markers can be used in tomato to tag quantitative traits bred in from related species. Both RFLP's and transposons are in the process of being used to clone desired genes for which no gene products are known. Cloned genes can be introduced and potentially improve specific properties of tomato especially those controlled by single genes. Recent results suggest that, in principle, phenotypic mutants can be created for cloned and characterized genes and will prove their value in further improving the cultivated tomato.

A New Strategy of Quantum-State Estimation for Achieving the Cramer-Rao Bound

We experimentally analyzed the statistical errors in quantum-state estimation and examined whether their lower bound, which is derived from the Cramer-Rao inequality, can be truly attained or not. In the experiments, polarization states of bi-photons produced via spontaneous parametric down-conversion were estimated employing tomographic measurements. Using a new estimation strategy based on Akaike's information criterion, we demonstrated that the errors actually approach the lower bound, while they fail to approach it using the conventional estimation strategy.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

A Systems Approach to Research and Innovation for Food System Transformation

This policy brief of the European Union (EU) Think Tank – part of the FIT4FOOD2030 Coordination and Support Action (CSA) of the FOOD 2030 initiative – is a response and contribution to growing pleas for a ‘systems approach’ to transform food systems for Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) for present and future generations. This policy brief specifically focusses on the necessity of the adoption of a systems approach to Research and Innovation (R&I) in order to foster the transformation of food systems