Identification, molecular characterization, and tissue expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein gene (PTHrP) from water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is involved in the deposition of milk calcium in mammal lactation, but its role in buffalo is unclear. In this study, the full-length coding sequence of the water buffalo PTHrP gene was first isolated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The protein was then subjected to molecular characterization using bioinformatic methods, and the tissue expression pattern was further assayed by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. The water buffalo PTHrP gene contains an open reading frame of 534 base pairs encoding a polypeptide of 177 amino acid residues, a theoretical molecular weight of 20.32 kDa, and an isoelectric point of 10.00. In addition, water buffalo PTHrP was predicted to contain a signal peptide, a typical hydrophobic region with no hydrophobic transmembrane regions, and to exert its function in the cell nucleus. A conserved domain of parathyroid superfamily from amino acids 34-114 was observed in the polypeptide. Sequence comparison and the phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence of the water buffalo PTHrP protein shared high homology with that of other mammals, particularly cattle and goat. Among the 16 tissues examined, the PTHrP gene was only expressed in adipose tissue, placenta, uterine wall, hypophysis, and mammary gland tissue, but gene expression levels were higher in the uterus wall and adipose tissue. The results of this study suggest that the PTHrP gene plays an important role in the deposition of milk calcium of water buffalo.

Removal of phosphorus and nitrogen from domestic wastewater using a mineralized refuse-based bioreactor.

Municipal solid waste used for landfill becomes stabilized, or aged, some years after placement, and can be safely excavated; the term 'mineralized refuse' is used in this study. The adsorptions of phosphorus, and the nitrification of the mineralized refuse and clay, were investigated by batch incubation. The variation of phosphorus adsorption in the mineralized refuse was fitted to the Freundlich adsorption isotherm equation, giving a maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity of 2310 mg kg(-1). Based on the Langmuir isotherm equation, maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity was calculated to be 1976 mg kg(-1), almost twice that of the clay. The equations for both the mineralized refuse and clay were fitted to zero-order kinetics (R2 > 0.98, P < 0.01, n = 11), giving concentrations of phosphorus as phosphates less than 250 mg L(-1). The K value for the mineralized refuse was about 3.5 times higher than for the clay. The production of nitrogen as nitrates in both the mineralized refuse and the clay after 120 h incubation yielded a first-order reaction kinetics value of 100 mg kg(-1) NH4(+)-N from the initial concentration. The calculated net nitrification as nitrates for the mineralized refuse was 6.3 times higher than for the clay. Domestic wastewater was then treated in a mineralized refuse-based bioreactor for 30 days. The removal rates of COD(cr), total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 73.77 +/- 8.10%, 61.01 +/- 6.75%, and 69.14 +/- 9.25%, respectively. Large accumulations of nitrates occurred in the mineralized refuse-based bioreactor. For the full-scale design, a high column of mineralized refuse is recommended for the denitrification.

Management of HIV disease in China.

PIP: This brief report is concerned with the management of HIV infection since the 1980's in China. Mention was made of the 2-day Sino/American Symposium on Management of HIV Disease held in Beijing in 1990. Attendance included 600 participants from China and the US. 40 experts presented papers on topics covering diagnosis, treatment, research, prevention, psychology, sociology, ethics, education, and law. The Chinese Minister of Public Health and President of the Chinese Medical Association urged a unified and multiregional and multinational effort and a global network to combat HIV disease. Since the 1980's the Chinese government has instituted measures of prevention and control and recognized the harmful effects to health and life. Since 1985, 300,000 of the high risk population have received blood serum tests, of which 446 were found to be HIV positive. 5 were AIDS patients, of which 3 were foreigners and the other 2 from Beijing and Yunnan Province (southwest region) respectively. Included in the HIV positive group were 68 foreigners and 378 mainland Chinese. There have been no reported cases of mother/child infection. Drug users are identified as the high risk group for contracting and spreading the HIV infection. The number of drug users has increased rapidly, particularly along border regions of the southwest, and the method of use has been identified as intravenous injection. AIDS is now considered by the Chinese government as an infectious disease. There are monitoring stations in almost all provinces. The Ministry of Public Health has 3 laboratories for diagnosis of the HIV virus. A strain of HIV-1 virus has been isolated from a foreign tourist and used to prepare a diagnostic antigen. 5 units currently have P--grade laboratories for researching the etiology and molecular biology of AIDS. Research in medical institutes is also progressing on the use of traditional Chinese medicine to treat AIDS. Cooperation between China and the World Health Organization has led to the allocation of 300,000 US dollars for AIDS prevention and education with exchanges of foreign and Chinese experts. Public health publicity is the only available prevention tool, and the past efforts will be continued in order to reach all walks of life.^ieng