1, 25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> D<Subscript>3</Subscript>) levels in osteoporosis

In the present study primary involution osteoporosis and vitamin D levels were studied in 60 subjects including thirty controls. The biochemical analysis of serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP, albumin and vitamin D₃ (1,25-(OH)₂ D₃) levels were significantly decreased in osteoporotic patients when compared to non-osteoporotic control group. There was a significant correlation of magnitude of sun exposure with 1,25-(OH)₂ D₃ levels. Similarly, vitamin D intake in the diet has a significant correlation with 1,25-(OH)₂ D₃ concentration. However, no correlation could be obtained between vitamin D₃ levels with increasing age. Among the biochemical markers serum calcium, phosphorus, ALP and albumin could not be correlated with 1,25-(OH)₂ D₃ levels.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Enteromorpha compressa (L.) Greville</Emphasis> an edible green alga as a source of antiallergic principle (S)

Enteromorpha compressa a marine green algal species grows extensively in North coastal Andhra Pradesh. Besides its nutritional importance it has also been identified as source of anti-anaphylactic compound(s).E. compressa extracts alleviated the IgE levels raised against ovalbumin and other allergens in mice. Further,Enteromorpha extract also significantly down regulated the serum IgE levels in different murine models irrespective of their genetic background. The results obtained in this study suggest thatE. compressa extract has compound(s), which inhibit IgE immune response and may have potential in curing various types of allergies.     

(International) R&D collaboration and SMEs: The effectiveness of targeted public R&D support schemes

This study analyses the impact and effectiveness of targeted public support for R&D investment at the firm level. We test whether the policy design aiming at incentivizing (international) collaboration and R&D in SMEs achieves input as well as output additionality. Our results show that the targeted public subsidies trigger R&D spending, especially so in internationally collaborating SMEs. We further evaluate the different impact of privately financed and publicly induced R&D investment on innovation performance. The results confirm that the publicly induced R&D is productive as it translates into marketable product innovations. While both types of R&D investments trigger significant output effects, the effect of policy-induced R&D investment on sales from market novelties is highest for international collaborators as well as for SMEs.     

Our experience with experimental<Emphasis Type="Italic">Wuchereria bancrofti</Emphasis> infection in Indian langur (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Presbytis entellus</Emphasis>)

Thyroid antibodies are commonly utilized in the assessment and diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disorders. We compared the measurements of antithyroglobulin and antithyroidperoxidase antibodies by enzyme immunoassay with that of the conventional agglutination method. This fully automated enzyme immunoassay is more specific and cost effective than the agglutination method. Further this is a very quantitative and rapid method producing results in two hours as compared to at least twenty=four hours required by the conventional method. Antithyroidperoxidase antibodies determined by enzyme immunoassay are more specific and sensitive in the diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis than the antithyroglobulin antibodies.     

Synthesis of β(1 → 3) and β(1 → 6) galactooligosaccharides from lactose and whey using a recombinant β-galactosidase from Pantoea anthophila

BackgroundMilk whey, a byproduct of the dairy industry has a negative environmental impact, can be used as a raw material for added-value compounds such as galactooligosaccharides (GOS) synthesis by β-galactosidases.ResultsB-gal42 from Pantoea anthophila strain isolated from tejuino belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family GH42, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and used for GOS synthesis from lactose or milk whey. Crude cell-free enzyme extracts exhibited high stability; they were employed for GOS synthesis reactions. In reactions with 400 g/L lactose, the maximum GOS yield was 40% (w/w) measured by HPAEC-PAD, corresponding to 86% of conversion. This enzyme had a strong predilection to form GOS with β(1 → 6) and β(1 → 3) galactosyl linkages. Comparing GOS synthesis between milk whey and pure lactose, both of them at 300 g/L, these two substrates gave rise to a yield of 38% (60% of lactose conversion) with the same product profile determined by HPAEC-PAD.ConclusionsB-gal42 can be used on whey (a cheap lactose source) to produce added value products such as galactooligosaccharides.How to cite: Yañez-Ñeco CV, Cervantes FV, Amaya-Delgado L, et al. Synthesis of β(1→3) and β(1→6) galactooligosaccharides from lactose and whey using a recombinant β-galactosidase from Pantoea anthophila. Electron J Biotechnol 2021;49. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2020.10.004     

Measuring patent assessment quality—Analyzing the degree and kind of (in)consistency in patent offices’ decision making

We argue that consistent decision making in judging a patent's validity and basing this on its underlying technological quality are important elements of patent office service (“assessment”) quality. To understand which level of assessment quality patent offices (can) provide, particularly in new technological areas, we study the concordance of the European Patent Office's (EPO) granting and opposition decisions for individual patents. Using the biotechnology industry in the 1980s (an emerging patenting area then) as an example, we find no empirical evidence that the EPO provided maximal or optimal assessment quality as far as can be told from bibliographic indicators. We discuss research limitations and consequences of this first empirical analysis, and suggest ideas for refinements in future work.     

西藏嵩草属（莎草科）的修订

在标本观察和野外调查的基础上，对西藏的嵩草属Kobresia植物进行了分类学修订，共确认了36种和1亚种。更正了6个类群的学名，它们正确的名称是K. esenbeckii，K. fissiglumis，K. gammiei，K. littledalei，K. myosuroides ssp. bistaminata和K. vaginosa。有13个名称，即K. angusta，K. cercostachys var. capillacea，K. clarkeana，K. curticeps var. gyirongensis，K. deasyi，K. glaucifolia，K. hookeri，K. nudicarpa，K. prainii var. elliptica，K. seticulmis，K. stenocarpa，K. stenocarpa var. simplex和K. williamsii处理为异名，其中K. prainii var. elliptica，K. glaucifolia和K. stenocarpa var. simplex为新异名。发现了西藏分布的一个新记录种密穗嵩草K. handel-mazzettii。还收录了最近发表的假钩状嵩草K. pseuduncinoides和阔鳞嵩草K. woodii。此外，重新编制了西藏嵩草属分种和亚种检索表，并较为详细地登记了各类群在西藏的分布地点。     

铁线莲属研究随记（Ⅳ）

(1)Eichler(1958)在研究马来西亚铁线莲属植物时也深入地研究了中国、越南、泰国、缅甸及喜马拉雅山区的该属标本，认为根据我国台湾标本描述的Clematis taiwaniana Hayata可能为C．javana DC．的异名。本文作者在研究了有关的南洋群岛、中国台湾及日本琉球群岛的标本之后同意Eichler的归并意见；此外，C．grata Wall．var．ryukiuensis Tamura，C．sikkimensis(Hook．F.&; Thoms．) Drumm．ex Burkill，C．connata DC．var．bipinnata M．Y．Fang，C.kilungensis W．T. Wang &; M．Y. Fang等拉丁学名也被归并为异名。(2)对大叶铁线莲组sect．Tubulosae做出了新的分类系统。特产日本的Clematis takedana Makino 自发表后一直被认为是C．apiifolia DC．和 C.stans Sieb．&; Zucc．(大叶铁线莲C．heracleifolia DC．的近缘种之一)的杂交种。此种为木质藤本植物，具三出复叶，腋生花序有多数两性花，呈圆锥状，而相似于C.apiifolia DC．(萼片水平开展，雄蕊无毛，花药狭长圆形，药隔顶端不突出)，但其萼片向斜上方开展(花萼宽钟状)，花丝上部有疏柔毛，花药条形，药隔顶端有短突起而不同。笔者发现，特产我国河北西部和北京山地的羽叶铁线莲C．pinnata Maxim．(叶为具5小叶的羽状复叶)具有与C．takedana Makino相同的花构造，二者在亲缘关系上极为相近，组成一个自然小群。这二种与特产北京的细花铁线莲C．tatarinowii Maxim．(花两性，萼片直立，花丝上部有疏柔毛，花药狭长圆形，背面有疏柔毛，药隔顶端不突出)组成大叶铁线莲组sect．Tubulosae的原始群——羽叶铁线莲亚组subsect．Pinnatae。而原来的大叶铁线莲C．heracleifolia DC．等种组成此组的进化群——大叶铁线莲亚组subsect．Tubulosae，其特征为花通常单性，萼片直立，雄蕊常有疏柔毛，茎直立，草质至木质。此外，还对C． siamensis Drumm．ex Burkill的4变种和C．connata DC．的5变种进行了分类。(3)描述了3新系、3新种和4新变种。(4)做出了6新组合和3新等级。     

"If I Want It, It's OK": Usenet and the (Outer) Limits of Free Speech

Usenet is an international communications system composed of thousands of topically named discussion groups, called newsgroups, which enable anyone with an Internet connection and the proper software to read messages, post new messages, or reply to existing ones. Remarkable for its culture of 'anything-goes' free speech, Usenet tradition recognizes only one kind of legitimate restriction on content: that which is abusive to the Net's ability to function as an effective discussion system. This article shows that this consensus stems from a long and often painful struggle, as Usenet's designers, administrators, and users attempted to comprehend, define, and govern the communication system they had created. The result is a forum that is not quite as free as Usenet's defenders like to imagine, and one given to excesses that seem destined to attract the attention of government censors.