Search

Multi-copy gene families are especially prevalent in the male-specific region (MSY) of the mammalian Y chromosome. Copy number variations (CNV) of these Y-linked gene families have been shown to affect human and animal fertility. The PRAMEY (Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma, Y-linked) gene family is a newly identified, bovid-specific Y-linked gene family, which codes for a cancer/testis antigen that is expressed predominantly in testis and various tumors. The PRAMEY gene family is believed to play an important role in spermatogenesis and male fertility in cattle. The objective of this study was to investigate the CNV of PRAMEY within and across breeds and to determine whether CNV was associated with reproductive traits in Holstein bulls. A quantitative real-time PCR method was applied to measure the copy number of PRAMEY among 460 bulls using a Y-linked single copy gene, DDX3Y (DEAD box polypeptide 3, Y-linked), as a reference. The median copy number of PRAMEY was 13, ranging from 2 to 31. Significant variations in PRAMEY copy number were observed among 15 breeds investigated. Holstein bulls had the lowest median copy number (12), whereas Limousin bulls possessed the highest median copy number (26). Furthermore, bulls in the taurine lineage (13) had a significantly lower median copy number than those bulls in the indicine lineage (20). Association analysis revealed that PRAMEY copy number was correlated negatively with scrotal circumference (SC), relative scrotal circumference (RLSC), percentage of normal sperm (PNS), and nonreturn rate (NRR), but had no significant association with postthaw motility (PTM), incubated motility (IM), percentage of intact acrosome (PIA), sire conception rate (SCR), or relative breeding efficiency (RBE). The data from this study indicate that CNV of the PRAMEY gene family is associated with male reproductive traits and may serve as a valuable marker for sire fertility selection at an early age in cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel hydrogen-bonded acidic fluorinated poly(amide-imide-silica) hybrid materials, FPAI-SiO2 (6E and 6F) series, were synthesized by a sol–gel process. The structures and spin relaxation of the hybrids were characterized by infrared (IR), and 29Si and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The abundant Q4 structures implied that in free catalyst the degree of condensation of tetramethoxysilane was enhanced by hydrogen-bonded acidic fluorinated poly(amide-imide). The dynamics on the local mobility of the hybrids was investigated by the time constant for energy exchange between 1H and 29Si spin system (TSiH) and spin-diffusion path length (L) measurements. It was found that the faster TSiH of 6E and 6F hybrids compared with the previous study of similar 6C and 6D hybrids implied that 6E and 6F hybrids had more aggregated structures even though the organic terminal segment changed from rigid imide to more flexible amide. The interactions of the charge transfer between donor and acceptor molecules or π–π aromatic stacking may be the dominant factors to affect the structures of 6E and 6F hybrids. Moreover, M1 and D2 segments of 6F hybrids had the same level mobility and the mobility of the 6F hybrids was little improved as the soft and flexible 1,3-bis(3-aminopropyl)-tetramethyl-disiloxane segment was incorporated in the dense structures of 6F hybrids. All of the L values of 6E and 6F hybrids were on the scale of 3.5–4.0nm. The result also suggested that 6E and 6F hybrids had similar denser structures as 6D hybrids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The marketing tagline 'New Asia / Singapore' represents the positioning statement for Singapore's tourism development in the 1990s and beyond. Singapore is marketed as a city with a contrasting blend of 'Asian cultures' and modern 'Asian dynamism', able to satisfy the needs of regional visitors and Western tourists. In this paper, we explore the way local cultures are marketed and reconfigured for tourists andSingaporeans. We argue that although Singapore's place resources have remained relatively unchanged in the 1990s, its cultural resources and spaces are certainly not static and unchanging. On the contrary, local cultures are constantly being revalorised and re-interpreted because of tourism development. This argument is substantiated in two ways. First, Singapore's 'cultural stock' has been reconfigured to enhance the cultural offerings it has to offer visitors and residents; and second 'cultural landscapes' are being repackaged with new visual elements and narratives. Culture and tourism intersect with the result being the 'communication' of local cultural identities through the lens of global tourism. A two-way relationship between culture and tourism is thus established: while tourism provides an opportunity for Singapore's cultural resources to be redefined, likewise cultural landscapes are refashioned to meet the challenges of tourism in the new millennium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reusage or recycle of flyash can eliminate the cost of final disposal and prevent secondary pollution caused by inappropriate flyash disposal. It is well known that the flyash emitted from fluidized bed incineration (FBI) is fine particle. Moreover its properties are more similar to concrete than that of ash from other incinerators. A promising and economical reusage of flyash is in concrete material. Prior tothis application, it is necessary to explore the characteristics of cement mixed with flyash. Besides analyzing the general physical and chemical properties of FBI flyash, this article presents a preliminary assessment on reusage of FBI flyash in concrete by a series of experimental tests on the characteristics of flyash-cement paste, including the macrocharacteristics of fresh cement paste e.g. workability, bleeding water, setting time, compressive and tensile strengths, and microcharacteristics, e.g. paste hardening, pore distribution, and crystal structure. Effects of flyash amount in the paste and of flyash size on these properties are also studied. An approach to evaluate thereusage of flyash by inspecting the characteristics of flyash-cementpaste is proposed, and leads to a potential reusage scheme for the FBI flyash as a concrete material resource [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To rapidly detect rifampin, isoniazid and multidrug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates, a new system (BluePoint Mtb DR, Bio Concept Inc., Taichung, Taiwan) including an oligonucleotide array and an automatic reader was evaluated. The array simultaneously identifies M. tuberculosis and predominant mutations in the rpoB, katG and inhA upstream regulatory region ( inhA-r) genes. The system was assessed with 324 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates, including 210 multidrug-resistant, 41 rifampin mono-resistant, 34 isoniazid mono-resistant and 39 fully susceptible isolates. The results were compared with those obtained using the GenoType MTBDR plus test, drug-resistant gene sequencing and conventional drug susceptibility testing. The detection limit of the array was 25 pg DNA. The array and the GenoType MTBDR plus test detected 179 (85.2%) and 182 (86.7%) multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains, respectively. The sensitivities of the array for detecting rifampin and isoniazid resistance were 98.4% and 87.7%, respectively, whereas the sensitivities of the GenoType MTBDR plus test for detecting rifampin and isoniazid resistance were 98.8% and 88.9%, respectively. No significant difference was found between the tests with respect to their sensitivities to detect multidrug resistance (p 0.66), rifampin resistance (p 0.69) or isoniazid resistance (p 0.68). The discrepancies were mainly attributed to rare mutations in inhA-r, which were not included in the array. The array can directly reveal transmission-associated mutations, which are useful for epidemiological investigations. The turnaround time of the array test was 6-7 h. This study confirms the feasibility of using this system for rapid and accurate diagnosis of isoniazid and rifampin resistance in M. tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clin Microbiol Infect 2010; 16: 493–500 Identification of fungal species in positive blood cultures using conventional methods can be time-consuming, particularly for non- albicans Candida species, non- Candida yeasts, and moulds. An oligonucleotide array system targeting the internal transcribe spacer (ITS) 1 or 2 region of the rRNA genes was used to analyse prospectively 116 fungus-positive blood cultures [BACTEC Myco/F Lytic bottles (Becton-Dickinson Microbiology Systems, Sparks, MD, USA)] from 105 patients, and the results were compared with those obtained using conventional methods. A total of 124 yeast isolates and two mould isolates were identified; these microorganisms (isolate no.) included C. albicans (50), C. tropicalis (26), C. glabrata (18), C. parapsilosis (14), Cryptococcus neoformans (9), Trichosporon asahii (2), Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (2), Penicillium marneffei (2) and three other species. Multiple species fungaemia (MSF) was detected in ten samples as opposed to six detected using conventional methods. In two discrepant samples, antifungal susceptibility testing revealed that the additionally detected isolate had higher MICs of fluconazole. An isolate reported as Rhodotorula glutinis by the Vitek Yeast Biochemical Card (bioMérieux Vitek, Marcy l’Etoile, France) was identified as R. mucilaginosa by the array and the identification by array hybridization was confirmed by sequence analysis of the ITS region. A test sensitivity of 100% was obtained. The test specificity was 100% according to examination of 57 blood samples containing non-target fungal species or bacterium only. From the time at which growth was detected in blood cultures, the entire identification procedure could be completed within 16–24 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]