Boris Skalka

Phospholipase D-neutralization in serodiagnosis of Arcanobacterium haemolyticum and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis Infections

Phospholipase D (PLD) neutralization was used to examine sera of humans (n = 40) with a spontaneous infection by Arcanobacterium haemolyticum, sheep and goats (n = 76 and 79 respectively) with a spontaneous infection by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, mice (n = 26) experimentally immunized with PLD from A. haemolyticum (PLD-A) and mice (n = 28) experimentally immunized with PLD from C. pseudotuberculosis (PLD-C). PLD-A and PLD-C were also used as neutralizing antigens. A positive result of neutralization was due to an inhibition of the haemolytic synergism with the equi factor from Rhodococcus equi. The titres of sera neutralizing the homologous PLD were always significantly higher than those neutralizing the heterologous PLD. The proportion of sera that were able to neutralize the homologous PLD in sheep, goats and mice immunized with PLD-A significantly exceeded the proportion of sera that neutralized the heterologous PLD. The antigenic properties of PLD-A and PLD-C were similar but not identical.

Rhodococcus equi Infections of Persons with and without a Contact with Animals

Ivanova I. Ye., T. A. Derendiayeva, G. I. Meleshko, Yeo Ya. Shepelev: Higher Plants in a Biological Life SupportSystemfor Man. Acta vet. Bmo 1996,65: 27-32. A model of human biological life support system (BLSS) was created with a photoautotrophic link including unicellular algae and higher plants having an equal oxygen production. This system model supported the vital activities of two people at the biomass regeneration of 92% from that consumed by them. The plant cultures studied were wheat grown on 11.25 m2 (of a total 15 m2) and several vegetable species. The total photosynthetic productivity of the plants was high, stable over the studied time span, and independent on the composition of the system. However, the grain productivity of wheat decreased periodically, and during certain harvests it decreased to almost zero. A detailed analysis revealed that this decrease was not caused by any of the systems adjacent links as a similar decrease in yield was also found in the control period with an autonomous growth of the plants in a closed volume of a chamber. Inclusion of bigher plants into BLSS led to a considerable improvement od food supply regeneration for man as compared to the previous model with only 26% regeneration effect. This inclusion did not exert any marked effect upon the general closure of the cycle. However, the biological value of the food for man was increased dramatically. This improvement is the main goal of designing and operating such BLSS systems. Regeneration. ecosystem. photosynthesis, photoautotroph link, unicellular algae. higher p.lants The prospect of long-teon existence of man outside the Earths biosphere (interplanetary flights, lunar and planetary bases) is connected with creating an artificial environment with the help of regenerating it from the products of vital activity. This environment must correspond to the evolutionarily conditioned biological needs of the humans and to provide their lives for generations. The fact of adaptive biology shows that the full-value environment for humans and other terrestrial organisms is the natural environment of the Earth. In order to recreate that environment artificially it is necessary to reproduce the mechanisms existing on Earth, i. e. to foon closed ecological systems including man. The lack of our knowledge about the natural environment of the humans prevents us from reproducing it by non-biological means, even if it were possible. The investigation of the problem of creating biological life-support systems (BLSS) of man began as early as in the 60ies. By the present time, experimental BLSS models have been created with different structures and different degrees of the cycle closure. , The creation of the systems was based on the ecological concept according to which strategy and tactics were worked out providing the organisms and populations were studied and then united into biocenoses, including also humans. The main method of solving the problem was the method of experimental modelling from the simple to the complex (Rashevski 1966).