From meadows to milk to mucosa – adaptation of Streptococcus and Lactococcus species to their nutritional environments

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are indigenous to food-related habitats as well as associated with the mucosal surfaces of animals. The LAB family Streptococcaceae consists of the genera Lactococcus and Streptococcus. Members of the family include the industrially important species Lactococcus lactis, which has a long history safe use in the fermentative food industry, and the disease-causing streptococci Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes. The central metabolic pathways of the Streptococcaceae family have been extensively studied because of their relevance in the industrial use of some species, as well as their influence on virulence of others. Recent developments in high-throughput proteomic and DNA-microarray techniques, in in vivo NMR studies, and importantly in whole-genome sequencing have resulted in new insights into the metabolism of the Streptococcaceae family. The development of cost-effective high-throughput sequencing has resulted in the publication of numerous whole-genome sequences of lactococcal and streptococcal species. Comparative genomic analysis of these closely related but environmentally diverse species provides insight into the evolution of this family of LAB and shows that the relatively small genomes of members of the Streptococcaceae family have been largely shaped by the nutritionally rich environments they inhabit.

Teknik Perbanyakan Massal Parasitoid Anagrus Nilaparvatae (Pang Et Wang) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) Dengan Kotak Plastik

Anagrus nilaparvatae (Pang et Wang) is an egg-parasitoid of rice brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens Stål). The objective of this study was to develop a mass-rearing technique of A. nilaparvatae. Mass-rearing was done using a plastic box (14 cm × 18.5 cm × 18.5 cm, made of plastic-mica, the upper side equipped with a 10 cm test tube), placed on a tray with rice seedlings containing an estimated of 11,130 eggs of N. lugens. About 355 adult parasitoids were successfully released per box when each box was infested with 50 parasitoids. The number of parasitoids produced were reduced to 164 adults when the infestation was made at 100 parasitoids per box. The emergence of parasitoids started around 07:00 am until 04:00 pm with the highest rate (36.2%) occured at 10:00 am. One plastic box cost only Rp10.000,-; thus the estimate cost to produce one parasitoid using this tecnique was Rp60,- These findings suggest that the plastik box is a simple and inexpensive technique for mass-rearing of A. nilaparvatae

Constraints on a Parity-Conserving/Time-Reversal-Non-Conserving Interaction

Time-Reversal-Invariance non-conservation has now been unequivocally demonstrated in a direct measurement at CPLEAR. What about tests of time-reversal-invariance in systems other than the kaon system? Tests of time-reversal-invariance belong to two classes: searches for parity violating (P-odd)/time-reversal-invariance-odd (T-odd) interactions, and for P-even/T-odd interactions (assuming CPT conservation this implies C-conjugation non-conservation). Limits on a P-odd/T-odd interaction follow from measurements of the electric dipole moment of the neutron (with a present upper limit of 6 x 10^-26 e.cm [95% C.L.]). It provides a limit on a P-odd/T-odd pion-nucleon coupling constant which is less than 10^-4 times the weak interaction strength. Experimental limits on a P-even/T-odd interaction are much less stringent. Following the standard approach of describing the nucleon-nucleon interaction in terms of meson exchanges, it can be shown that only charged rho-meson exchange and A_1 meson exchange can lead to a P-even/T-odd interaction. The better constraints stem from measurements of the electric dipole moment of the neutron and from measurements of charge-symmetry breaking in neutron-proton elastic scattering. The latter experiments were executed at TRIUMF (497 and 347 MeV) and at IUCF (183 MeV). Weak decay experiments may provide limits which will possibly be comparable. All other experiments, like gamma decay experiments, detailed balance experiments, polarization - analyzing power difference determinations, and five-fold correlation experiments with polarized incident nucleons and aligned nuclear targets, have been shown to be at least an order of magnitude less sensitive.Comment: 15 pages LaTeX, including 5 PostScript figures. Uses ijmpe1.sty. To appear in International Journal of Modern Physics E (IJMPE). Slight change in short abstrac

A method of strategic evaluation of energy performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic in the urban context

This paper presents an integrated bottom-up approach aimed at helping those dealing with strategical analysis of installation of Building Integrated Photo Voltaic (BIPV) to estimate the electricity production potential along with the energy needs of urban buildings at the district scale. On the demand side, hourly energy profiles are generated using dynamic building simulation taking into account actual urban morphologies. On the supply side, electricity generated from the system is predicted considering both the direct and indirect components of solar radiation as well as local climate variables. Python-based Algorithm editor Grasshopper is used to interlink four types of modelling and simulation tools as 1) generation of 3-D model, 2) solar radiation analysis, 3) formatting weather files (TMY data set) and 4) dynamic energy demand. The method has been demonstrated for a cluster of 20 buildings located in the Yasar University in Izmir (Turkey), for which it is found the BIPV system could achieve an annual renewable share of 23%, in line with the Renewable Energy Directive target of 20%. Quantitatively-compared demand and supply information at hourly time step shows that only some energy needs can be met by BIPV, so there is a need for an appropriate matching strategy to better exploit the renewable energy potential

COMBINED EFFECT OF FLUSHING AND HORMONAL TREATMENT ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF LOCAL GOAT.

This study was aimed to investigate the combined effect of flushing and hormonal treatment on reproductive aspects of local goats, 60 adult does were divided equally into two groups, the first was fed concentrate plus grazing commencing 3 weeks prior to mating and continue for 4 weeks post mating (flushed) F, whereas the 2nd group was raised on pasture only (P). All does were synchronized using impregnated with 40 mg medroxy acetate for 14 days. Following sponges withdrawn, the flushed and non- flushed does were then sub-divided in to four equal groups, the 1st flushed does were injected with 250 i.u hCG (T1), the 2nd only flushed (T2), the 3rd was only injected with hCG (T3) and the 4th was the control (T4). Results revealed that estrus response was significantly higher in T1 (100%), followed by T3 and T4 (86.66%) and T2 (80%). Fertility rate was significantly (P˂0.01) higher in T1 (80%) followed by T3 (73.33%), T4 (66.66%) and T2 (60.0%). Highest kidding rate (120.0%) and litter size (1.50) was noticed in T1, while the lowest kidding rate (86.66%) were found in T2 and T4. Insulin level was significantly higher in flushed does (6.04) compared to non-flushed does (2.81 uIU/ML)

A meta-analysis of the relationship between brain dopamine receptors and obesity: a matter of changes in behavior rather than food addiction?

Addiction to a wide range of substances of abuse has been suggested to reflect a ‘Reward Deficiency Syndrome'. That is, drugs are said to stimulate the reward mechanisms so intensely that, to compensate, the population of dopamine D(2) receptors (DD2R) declines. The result is that an increased intake is necessary to experience the same degree of reward. Without an additional intake, cravings and withdrawal symptoms result. A suggestion is that food addiction, in a similar manner to drugs of abuse, decrease DD2R. The role of DD2R in obesity was therefore examined by examining the association between body mass index (BMI) and the Taq1A polymorphism, as the A1 allele is associated with a 30–40% lower number of DD2R, and is a risk factor for drug addiction. If a lower density of DD2R is indicative of physical addiction, it was argued that if food addiction occurs, those with the A1 allele should have a higher BMI. A systematic review found 33 studies that compared the BMI of those who did and did not have the A1 allele. A meta-analysis of the studies compared those with (A1/A1 and A1/A2) or without (A2/A2) the A1 allele; no difference in BMI was found (standardized mean difference 0.004 (s.e. 0.021), variance 0.000, Z=0.196, P<0.845). It was concluded that there was no support for a reward deficiency theory of food addiction. In contrast, there are several reports that those with the A1 allele are less able to benefit from an intervention that aimed to reduce weight, possibly a reflection of increased impulsivity