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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous, worldwide infectious agent that causes infectious mononucleosis, affecting >90% of the world's population. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, mostly with purified preparations of EBV cell extracts to capture immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in patients' serum, is used for primary diagnosis. Our objective was to determine whether a small set of peptides could contain sufficient immunogenic information to replace solid-phase antigens in EBV diagnostics. Using monoclonal antibodies, we selected four peptides that mimic different epitopes of EBV from a phage-displayed random peptide library. To assess their diagnostic value, we screened a panel of 62 individual EBV IgM sera for their reactivities with the peptides alone. For all peptides, there was a clear distinction between the EBV-positive and the EBV-negative samples, resulting in 100% specificity. The sensitivities were 88%, 85%, 71%, and 54% for peptides F1, A3, gp125, and A2, respectively. Any combination of peptides increased the sensitivity, indicating that individual peptides react with different subsets of antibodies. Furthermore, when the F1 and the gp125 peptides were coupled to bovine serum albumin and screened against 216 serum samples, there were dramatic improvements in sensitivities (95% and 92%, respectively) and little cross-reactivity with the other peptides encountered during acute viral infections, including rheumatoid factor. This study shows the potential for the use of peptide mimotopes as alternatives to the complex antigens used in current serodiagnostics for EBV infection.

0)1642 342408The Tees Valley, NE England, contains one of the largest heavy industrial clusters in W Europe, including oil refineries and petrochemicals, iron and steel, bulk inorganic and speciality chemicals. Recent industrial history included extensive coal-based heavy industry, while mining, smelting and metallurgy of ferrous and non-ferrous metals has been carried out over two millennia. The result is a legacy of derelict, "brownfield" (previously used), and contaminated post-industrial land. It is estimated that an area of 20,000 ha of contaminated land exists in North East England, some of which is likely to underlie the 3160 ha of currently derelict sites or vacant buildings. Development of the 30 MWe Wilton 10 biomass power station (SembCorp Utilities) has created a local market opportunity for energy crop production in Teesside. A consortium led by CLEMANCE has been formed to investigate the potential of derelict industrial sites for energy crop production to supplement production from agricultural land. The purpose of this paper is to present the initial results from our pilot sites and to announce the subsequent Life III Environment Programme demonstration project.In April 2004 an experimental field trial of four potential energy crop species was hand-planted on a former industrial site near Bishop Auckland as part of the CLEMANCE European Regional Development Fund Bioremediation Programme. The brownfield site was originally a brick clay pit, backfilled over 50 years ago with domestic coal ash, privy waste and incineration residues. The resultant heavy metal contamination includes phytotoxic levels of Zn (400-1000 ppm), Cu (100-500 ppm) and Ni (100-200 ppm) and levels of Pb (300-2000 ppm) and As (50-200 ppm) which are significant for human health concerns. Soil preparation included rotavation but no amendments, weed killer or rabbit fencing. Duplicate experimental plots were planted with willow short rotation coppice (variety Tora), miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus), reed canary grass and switchgrass (variety Cave-in-rock). After plant establishment the plot was hand weeded and mulched with green waste compost. The results of the first season indicate that miscanthus rhizomes grow well in contaminated soils at these northern latitudes, and, unlike the willow cuttings, are not affected by rabbits grazing young shoots. Both reed canary grass and switchgrass were established from seed but suffered weed competition and grazing. After fencing two subsequent seasons have shown good survival and growth rates for miscanthus, reed canary grass and willow. This paper will compare the relative yields, ash composition and contamination results for samples of biomass fuel prepared from each of these three species from this pilot site, and from a contrasting brownfield site, an industrial and a rural greenfield control site.The BioReGen project (www.bioregen.eu) will demonstrate the feasibility of reusing brownfield sites to grow biomass energy crops at a commercial scale on a variety of contaminated sites. In ad...

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A press is described with which loads of up to 1 ton can be applied quickly to 1 kg quantities of leaf pulp spread over 450 em2. The juice extracted is similar in quantity and quality to that extracted by large-scale equipment. Evidence is presented that the conditions of pressing are so uniform that the yields of juice are consistent.