Occurrence of Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum in Women with Cervical Dysplasia in Katowice, Poland

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of genital mycoplasmas, especially Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum, in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), compared to women with normal cytology living in Katowice, Poland. Two sterile swabs were used to obtain material from the posterior vaginal fornix of 143 women with squamous intraepithelial lesions and 39 healthy women: first for general bacteriology, second for detection of urogenital mycoplasmas using Mycoplasma IST2 kit. From each positive Mycoplasma IST2 culture DNA was isolated and PCR was performed for identification of U. parvum and U. urealyticum. Mycoplasma IST was positive in 34.1% cases. Urogenital mycoplasmas were demonstrated in women with HSIL significantly more often compared to women with LSIL, ASCUS, and with normal cytology. DNA of U. parvum was demonstrated in majority of Mycoplasma IST2-positive cases, U. urealyticum DNA-only in 9 (4.9%). Predominance of 3/14 serovars of U. parvum was demonstrated. U. urealyticum biovar 2 was present more often in women with squamous intraepithelial lesions

What can crop stable isotopes ever do for us? An experimental perspective on using crop carbon stable isotope values for reconstructing water availability in semi-arid and arid environments

This study re-assesses and refines the use of crop carbon stable isotopes (Δ13C) to reconstruct past water availability. Durum wheat, six-row barley, and sorghum were experimentally grown at three crop growing stations in Jordan for up to three years under five different irrigation regimes: 0% (rainfall only), 40%, 80%, 100%, and 120% of the crops’ optimum water requirements. Results show large variation in carbon stable isotopes for crops that received similar amounts of water, either as absolute water input or as percentage of crop requirements. We conclude that C3 crop carbon stable isotope composition can therefore be best interpreted in terms of extremely high values showing an abundance of water versus low values indicating water-stress. Values in between these extremes are problematic and best interpreted in conjunction with other proxies. C4 crop isotopes were not found to be useful for the reconstruction of water availability

Food, Nutrition and Agrobiodiversity Under Global Climate Change

Available evidence and predictions suggest overall negative effects on agricultural production as a result of climate change, especially when more food is required by a growing population. Information on the effects of global warming on pests and pathogens affecting agricultural crops is limited, though crop–pest models could offer means to predict changes in pest dynamics, and help design sound plant health management practices. Host-plant resistance should continue to receive high priority as global warming may favor emergence of new pest epidemics. There is increased risk, due to climate change, to food and feed contaminated by mycotoxin-producing fungi. Mycotoxin biosynthesis gene-specific microarray is being used to identify food-born fungi and associated mycotoxins, and investigate the influence of environmental parameters and their interactions for control of mycotoxin in food crops. Some crop wild relatives are threatened plant species and efforts should be made for their in situ conservation to ensure evolution of new variants, which may contribute to addressing new challenges to agricultural production. There should be more emphasis on germplasm enhancement to develop intermediate products with specific characteristics to support plant breeding. Abiotic stress response is routinely dissected to component physiological traits. Use of transgene(s) has led to the development of transgenic events, which could provide enhanced adaptation to abiotic stresses that are exacerbated by climate change. Global warming is also associated with declining nutritional quality of food crops. Micronutrient-dense cultivars have been released in selected areas of the developing world, while various nutritionally enhanced lines are in the release pipeline. The high-throughput phenomic platforms are allowing researchers to accurately measure plant growth and development, analyze nutritional traits, and assess response to stresses on large sets of individuals. Analogs for tomorrow’s agriculture offer a virtual natural laboratory to innovate and test technological options to develop climate resilience production systems. Increased use of agrobiodiversity is crucial to coping with adverse impacts of global warming on food and feed production and quality. No one solution will suffice to adapt to climate change and its variability. Suits of technological innovations, including climate-resilient crop cultivars, will be needed to feed 9 billion people who will be living in the Earth by the middle of the twenty-first century

Procedimiento para la inmovilización covalente orientada de anticuerpos, anticuerpos así obtenidos y sus aplicaciones

Procedimiento para la inmovilización covalente orientada de anticuerpos, anticuerpos así obtenidos y sus aplicaciones. La invención describe un procedimiento para la inmovilización covalente orientada de anticuerpos sobre un soporte activado con grupos glioxil que dirigen la inmovilización por la región de la superficie del anticuerpo opuesta al fragmento Fab del anticuerpo. Este anticuerpo inmovilizado obtenido por el procedimiento de la invención puede ser utilizado en distintos procesos biotecnológicos como por ejemplo en cromatografía de afinidad o de detección de antígenos utilizado como inmunosensor.Peer reviewedConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)B1 Patente sin examen previ

Method for oriented immobilisation of antibodies on solid media, resulting devices and uses thereof

Fecha de solicitud: 25-11-2009.- Titular: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)The invention describes a method for covalent oriented immobilisation of antibodies which is achieved by a step of absorbing the antibody by anionic exchange, a step of covalent bonding the absorbed antibody and the medium, and subsequently inerting or blocking of the surface of the medium. Also included are the actual inert device serving as medium for the immobilised and oriented antibodies and produced by means of the method of the inventionLa invención describe un método para la inmovilización orientada covalente de anticuerpos que es conseguida por una etapa de absorber el anticuerpo por intercambio aniónico, una etapa de la vinculación covalente el anticuerpo absorbido y el medio, y posteriormente de la neutralización o del bloqueo de la superficie del medio. Son también incluido el dispositivo inerte real que sirve como medio para los anticuerpos inmovilizados y orientados y producido por medio del método de la invenciónPeer reviewe