Irradiation of 2-azidofluorene in an aqueous solution containing 2‘-deoxyguanosine (dG) gives good yields of 8-(2-fluorenylamino)dG. This is the C8 adduct implicated in the carcinogenicity of 2-aminofluorene, and formed in vivo from the reaction of DNA-guanine and an ester of N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene. Flash photolysis of the azide reveals two intermediates on the pathway that forms this adduct, the 2-fluorenylnitrenium ion, and a subsequent longer-lived species formed in the reaction of this ion with dG. A number of pieces of evidence identify this later intermediate as the initial C8 adduct derived from addition of the nitrenium ion to the C8 carbon prior to loss of the C8 proton. Both spectroscopic and kinetic analyses show that the latter actually exists in both a cationic acid form and a base form, with a pK a for the acid of 3.9. The base form is a tautomer of the final product and is the species present at pH 7. There is also evidence that the reaction of the nitrenium ion and dG that forms this intermediate proceeds directly by addition at C8. In other words, the substitution of ArNH+ for H+ at the C8 position of 2‘-deoxyguanosine is a straightforward electrophilic aromatic substitution.

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Coxiella burnetii causes query (Q) fever, an important zoonotic disease with worldwide significance. The role of environment in the ecology of C. burnetti, and its influence on seroconversion in animals has not been elucidated in Pakistan. We carried out a cross-sectional study in Punjab province to (1) determine the prevalence and distribution of C. burnetii in soil using an ISIIII gene-based real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, (2) analyze association between the occurrence of C. burnetii in soil and its predictors i.e. soil characteristics (macro- and micro-nutrients) and several likely risk factors including the seroconversion in small ruminants at places where its genome had or had not been detected, and (3) predict homology and genetic diversity of the identified strains using sequences originated from different hosts worldwide. A total of 2425 soil samples from nine districts of Punjab province were processed. C. burnetii DNA was detected in 47 samples (1.94%, 95% CI: ±0.55) originating from 35 villages of studied districts (7.22%, 95% CI: ±2.30). The highest prevalence was found in Attock (7.11%, 95% CI: ±3.36), followed by Lahore (4.83%, 95% CI: ±3.49), Sahiwal (4.70%, 95% CI: ±2.6), Dera Ghazi Khan (2.33%, 95% CI: ±2.02), Faisalabad (1.35%, 95% CI: ±1.18) and Sheikhupura (0.68%, 95% CI: ±0.94). The odds of detecting bacterial DNA in soil was increased with a unit increase in organic matter [2.511 (95% CI: 1.453-4.340), p=0.001] and sodium [1.013 (95% CI: 1.005-1.022), p=0.001], whereas, calcium [0.984 (95% CI: 0.975-0.994), p=0.002] and potassium [0.994 (95% CI: 0.990-0.999), p=0.011] had protective effect where a unit increase in each analyte decreased odds for its occurrence by 1.0% approximately. Likewise, for categorical variables (risk factors), the odds of detecting C. burnetii were higher at locations >500m away from a main road [1.95 (95% CI: 1.06-3.78), p=0.04]. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed an increased prevalence of antibodies in sheep (17.9%, 95% CI: ±5.54) compared with goats (16.4%, 95% CI: ±4.34). When determining the association between soil DNA and C. burnetii antibodies in small ruminants, the odds of detecting these antibodies were significant in sheep at the livestock barns [2.81 (95% CI: 1.20-7.37), p=0.02]. The IS1111 gene-based sequence analysis revealed a clustering of the DNA into two distinct groups with much genetic divergence (0.76-68.70%): the first group that contained sequences from Lahore district clustered with human and buffalo origin isolates, whereas the second group that contained the sequences from the remaining study districts clustered with goat-, rodent- and human-origin isolates. This study provides the first evidence of the presence of C. burnetii in the environment in Punjab province, Pakistan. Future studies are needed to ascertain the bacteria's molecular epidemiology over a wide geographical area, type the isolates, and evaluates the potential risks to human populations, particularly farmers and veterinarians.

In this paper, we consider how the cultural politics of austerity within Britain plays out on the celebrity maternal body. We locate austerity as a discursive and disciplinary field and contribute to emerging feminist scholarship exploring how broader political and socio-economic shifts interact with cultural constructions of femininity and motherhood. To analyse the symbolic function of mediated celebrity maternity within austerity, the paper draws on a textual analysis of three celebrity mothers: Kate Middleton, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé. This analysis was undertaken as part of a larger qualitative study into celebrity culture and young people's classed and gendered aspirations. We show how these celebrity mothers represent the folk devils and fantasy figures of the maternal under austerity-the thrifty, happy housewife, the benefits mum, and the do-it-all working mum-and attempt to unpick what cultural work they do in the context of austerity within Britain. Through the lens of celebrity motherhood, we offer a feminist critique of austerity as a programme that both consolidates unequal class relations and makes punishing demands on women in general, and mothers in particular. KEYWORDS austerity; celebrity; motherhood; post-feminism; social class IntroductionIn this paper, we consider how the cultural politics of austerity within Britain plays out on the celebrity maternal body. Locating austerity as a discursive and disciplinary field (Rebecca Bramall 2013), we contribute to an emerging body of feminist scholarship concerned with how broader political and socio-economic shifts interact with cultural constructions of femininity and motherhood.To explore the symbolic function of mediated celebrity maternity within austerity, the paper draws on a textual analysis of three celebrity mothers: Kate Middleton, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé. This analysis was undertaken as part of a larger qualitative study into the role of celebrity in young people's classed and gendered aspirations. Representing the fantasy figures and folk devils of the "maternal feminine" (Angela McRobbie 2013) under austerity-the thrifty, happy housewife, the benefits mum, and the do-it-all working Feminist Media Studies, 2015 Vol. 15, No. 6, 907-925, http://dx

BackgroundNewcastle disease (ND) is one of the most deadly diseases of poultry around the globe. The disease is endemic in Pakistan and recurrent outbreaks are being reported regularly in wild captive, rural and commercial poultry flocks. Though, efforts have been made to characterize the causative agent in some of parts of the country, the genetic nature of strains circulating throughout Pakistan is currently lacking.Material and methodsTo ascertain the genetics of NDV, 452 blood samples were collected from 113 flocks, originating from all the provinces of Pakistan, showing high mortality (30–80%). The samples represented domesticated poultry (broiler, layer and rural) as well as wild captive birds (pigeons, turkeys, pheasants and peacock). Samples were screened with real-time PCR for both matrix and fusion genes (1792 bp), positive samples were subjected to amplification of full fusion gene and subsequent sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.ResultsThe deduced amino acid sequence of the fusion protein cleavage site indicated the presence of motif (112RK/RQRR↓F117) typical for velogenic strains of NDV. Phylogenetic analysis of hypervariable region of the fusion gene indicated that all the isolates belong to lineage 5 of NDV except isolates collected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province. A higher resolution of the phylogenetic analysis of lineage 5 showed the distribution of Pakistani NDV strains to 5b. However, the isolates from KPK belonged to lineage 4c; the first report of such lineage from this province.ConclusionsTaken together, data indicated the prevalence of multiple lineages of NDV in different poultry population including wild captive birds. Such understanding is crucial to underpin the nature of circulating strains of NDV, their potential for interspecies transmission and disease diagnosis and control strategies.