Effects of Constant versus Fluctuating Incubation Temperatures on Hatching Success,Incubation Length,and Hatchling Morphology in the Chinese Skink(Plestiodon chinensis)

We incubated eggs of Plestiodon chinensis under five constant(24, 26, 28, 30, and 32 °C) and one fluctuating thermal regimes to examine the effects of constant versus fluctuating incubation temperatures on hatching success, incubation length, and hatchling morphology. The duration of incubation varied considerably among the six temperature treatments, whereas hatching success did not. The mean incubation length decreased as temperature increased in a nonlinear way, and increased as the thermal variance increased. Incubation temperature affected the body size(linear length and mass) and shape of hatchlings, with eggs incubated at 26, 28, and 30 °C producing larger and heavier hatchlings than did those incubated at 24 °C, 32 °C, or fluctuating temperatures. Our results showed that exposure of P. chinensis eggs to extreme temperatures for brief periods of time did not increase embryonic mortality and, in the fluctuating-temperature treatment, the thermal variance affected hatchling morphology more evidently than the thermal mean. Our results highlight the importance of the thermal variance in affecting embryonic development and hatchling morphology, and add further evidence that temperatures within the range of 26-30 °C are optimal for P. chinensis embryos.     

Sexual Dimorphism,Female Reproductive Characteristics and Egg Incubation in an Oviparous Forest Skink(Sphenomorphus incognitus) from South China

We studied sexual dimorphism and female reproduction in an oviparous forest skink(Sphenomorphus incognitus)from South China.We incubated eggs under five thermal regimes(22,25,28,25±3 and 27±5°C)to examine the effects of constant versus fluctuating temperatures on incubation length and hatchling morphology.In our sample the largest male and female were 110 mm and 108 mm snout-vent length(SVL),respectively.Adult males and females did not differ in mean SVL;adult males were larger in head size(both length and width),longer in foreand hind-limb lengths and shorter in abdomen length than females of the same SVL.Accordingly,we conclude that S.incognitus is a sexually monomorphic species in terms of SVL but shows sexual dimorphism in head size,abdomen length and appendage length.Females laid a single clutch of 3-10 eggs per breeding season from early May to midAugust,with larger females generally laying more(but not always larger)eggs per clutch than did smaller ones.Embryonic stages at laying ranged from Dufaure and Hubert's(1961)stage 31 to 32,with a mean stage of 31.3.The positive relationship between clutch mass and female SVL was not significant.The offspring size-number trade-off does not exist in S.incognitus,as revealed by the fact that egg mass was independent of relative fecundity.Incubation length decreased as temperature increased,and stable temperatures resulted in delayed hatching.Hatchlings incubated under the five thermal regimes did not differ from each other in any examined trait,suggesting that S.incognitus is among oviparous reptilian species where incubation temperature has no role in modifying hatchling morphology as long as eggs are not exposed to extreme temperatures for prolonged periods of time.     

Differences in Incubation Length and Hatchling Morphology among Five Species of Oviparous Phrynocephalus Lizards （Agamidae） from China

We incubated eggs of five Phrynocephalus species （P. albolineatus, P. axillaries, P. grumgrzimailoi, P. helioscopus and P. przewalskii） at three constant temperatures （24℃, 28℃ and 32℃） to examine differences in incubation length and hatchling morphology among species and among temperature treatments. We combined data from this study with those reported previously for P. frontalis and P. versicolor to examine whether embryonic stage at laying is a causal factor for interspecific variation in incubation length, and whether the phylogenetic relationship inferred from hatchling morphology is consistent with the relationship based on mitochondrial DNA data. Mean values for incubation length differed among the five species studied herein and, in all these five species, incubation length decreased at a decreasing rate as temperature increased. In none of the five species did hatchling size （snout-vent length and body mass） and other morphological variables differ among the three temperature treatments. The seven oviparous Phrynocephalus lizards found in China differ from each other in hatchling morphology, and embryonic stage at laying is a causal factor of inter- and intra-specific variation in incubation length. The phylogenetic relationship inferred from hatchling morphology is not always consistent with the currently known relationship based on mitochondrial DNA data. Data from this study and those reported previously allow the conclusion that any Phrynocephalus species may have its unique position along the axis defined by hatchling morphology.     

Embryonic Growth and Yolk Depletion during Incubation in the Chinese Skink,Plestiodon chinensis

We collected 24 gravid female Chinese skinks(Plestiodon chinensis) to study embryonic growth and yolk depletion during incubation. Females laid eggs between late May and mid-June. Eggs were incubated at 24(± 0.3) ℃. One egg from each clutch was dissected at 5-d intervals starting at laying. Embryonic stages at laying varied from Dufaure and Hubert's(1961) Stage 30-35, with a mean stage of 32.6. Incubation lengths at 24 ℃ varied from 35.1 to 48.3 d, with a mean of 41.5 d. Based on the derived functions describing instantaneous changes in embryo dry mass and yolk dry mass, we identified three phases of embryonic growth or yolk depletion in P. chinensis. Phase 1, from Day 0(at laying) to Day 15(～36% of the way through incubation), was one of minimal transfer of material from yolk to embryo. Phase 2, from Day 15 to Day 32-33(～77%-80% of the way through incubation), was characterized by increasingly rapid embryonic growth or yolk depletion. Phase 3, from Day 32-33 to hatching, was characterized by reduced embryonic growth or yolk depletion. The length of the last embryonic stage(Stage 40 = completely differentiated embryos) accounted for about 28% of incubation length, and the dry mass of the smallest embryos of Stage 40 accounted for only ～48% of the hatchling dry mass. Our study adds evidence to the idea that oviposition is not timed to coincide with the onset of rapid embryonic growth in oviparous reptiles, and is first to demonstrate that ～50% embryonic growth occurs in the last quarter of incubation in P. chinensis.     

Male size does not correlate with fertilization success in two bufonid toads that show size-assortative mating

We examined sexual size dimorphism （SSD）, mating pattem, fertilization efficiency and female reproductive traits in two bufonid toads （Bufo gargarizans and Duttaphrynus melanostictus） to test the idea that importance of male body size for egg fertilization success depends on the mating pattern. Female-biased SSD was evident only in D. melanostictus. Female B. gar- garizans laid fewer larger eggs nearly three months earlier than did female D. melanostictus. Fertilization efficieneies on average were higher in B. gargarizans （95%） than in D. melanostictus （91%）. Though differing in the degree of SSD, body size, breeding season, clutch size, egg size and fertilization efficiency, the two toads were similar in four aspects： （1） both showed size-assortative mating; （2） females did not tradeoff egg size against egg number; （3） male size, clutch size and clutch dry mass were greater in male-larger than in female-larger pairs after accounting for female snout-vent length （SVL）; and （4） the ratio of male to female SVL did not affect fertilization efficiency. Our data show that： （1） a female preference for large males is likely not important in terms of egg fertilization success; （2） a male preference for large females is likely important because larger females are more fecund; and （3） size-assortative mating arises from a male preference for large females. Our study demonstrates that male size is not always important for egg fertilization success in anurans that show size-assortative mating.     

Density But Not Kinship Regulates the Growth and Developmental Traits of Chinese Tiger Frog （Hoplobatrachus chinensis） Tadpoles

Kinship and density are believed to affect important ecological processes such as intraspecific competition, predation, growth, development, cannibalism, habitat selection and mate choice, In this work, we used Chinese tiger frog Hoplobatrachus chinensis tadpoles as an experimental model to investigate the effects of kinship and density on growth and development of this species over a 73 day period. The results showed that density can affect the growth and developmental traits （survival rate, larval period, size at the limb bud protrusion/metamorphic climax and body mass at different life stages） of H. chinensis tadpoles, while kinship does not. Tadpoles took longer to develop and potential metamorphosis was greater in high density groups of both sibling and non-siblings. The interaction of kinship and density did not significantly influenced growth traits of H. chinensis tadpoles during the experimental period. For coefficient variations of each growth trait, no differences were detected between sibling and non-sibling groups. These findings provide valuable information on the basic ecology of H. chinensis which will be helpful in future studies of other anuran species.     

Influence of the fish pond aquaculture effluent discharge on abiotic environmental factors of selected rivers in Northwest Poland

Pollution of rivers caused by human activity is a widely discussed problem, however there is not much attention paid to the changes of water quality that result from the inflow of effluent discharged from fish breeding ponds. The paper presents results of studies on changes of the abiotic parameters (hydrochemical and hydrological) of water observed in the yearly cycle between 2004 and 2008 in selected rivers of Northwest Poland. It was proved that the fastest reaction on the inflow of the effluent discharged from the fish ponds was reflected in changes of biogenic and organic compounds in the river water. The largest, i.e. threefold (rivers Krapiel and Tywa) or even fourfold (rivers Rurzyca and Stepnica) increase in nutrients and organic matter was recorded during the pond effluent discharge into the rivers. At that time values of the organic matter ranged from 8.9 to 18.3 mgO₂/dm³ (BOD₅), the nitrogen compounds from 16.868 to 26.930 mgN/dm³, while the phosphorus from 1.928 to 6.353 mgP/dm³. Interestingly, an additional dry mass of seston was recorded no earlier than the activity of the harmful element had been stopped and the river had resumed to the “initial” state (i.e. before the effluent discharge); that period varied from one to two months, depending on the river characteristics. The highest values of the dry seston mass (580.9 mg/dm³) was recorded in river Krapiel in November 2006. It seems that in spite of remarkable influence on values of individual physical and chemical indices of the river water quality, the effluent discharge from the fish ponds is not a factor hampering the self-purification processes of the rivers.     

Clonal Plasticity in Response to Reciprocal Patchiness of Light and Nutrients in the Stoloniferous Herb Glechoma longituba L.

Interconnected ramets of clonal plants can functionally specialize in the uptake of resources from aboveground and/or underground sources. Ramet pairs of the clonal stoloniferous herb Glechoma Iongltuba L. were grown In spatially heterogeneous environments with complementary availability of light and nutrients. Plasticity with respect to root-shoot ratio, fitness-related traits （biomass, number of ramets and dry weight per ramet）, morphological traits （lamina area, root length） were experimentally examined. The aim was to understand the adaptation of G. Iongltuba to an environment with reciprocal patchiness of light and soil nutrients by plasticity In Its root-shoot ratio and clonal morphology. The results showed that the performance of ramets growing In patches with high light Intensity and low soil nutrients into the adjacent opposite patches was Increased in terms of fitness-related traits. However, the performance of those from patches with low light Intensity and high soil nutrients into the adjacent opposite patches was not changed. The root-shoot ratio and clonal morphology were plastic. Morphological traits such as lamina area and root length were altered In a way that enhanced the capture of light resources and soil nutrients. Apparent reciprocal resource transport between the ramets In an environment of reciprocal patchiness of resources can enhance the growth of ramets with complementary resource deficiencies.     

Effect of Water Deficit on Self-thinning Line in Spring Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Populations

Monocultures of spring wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） were grown at overcrowded densities （10 000 and 3 000 plants per m^2） under well-watered and water-stressed conditions to investigate the effects of water deficits on self-thinning. The results showed that density reduction in water-stressed populations was delayed compared with that In well-watered populations. Populations grown In well-watered conditions conformed to the -3/2- power law. Compared with the well-watered condition, there was no significant decrease of the self-thinning line under water-stressed conditions In this experiment, although the rate of average shoot blomass accumulatlon decreased. This result Implied that the exponent of the -3/2-power equation Is not as sensitive as the rate of average shoot blomass accumulation to water stress. Further analysis indicated that, In each density treatment, the lines of the height versus shoot blomass relationships did not differ significantly between the two water conditions. However, the Intercepts of the height versus shoot blomass relationships were greater In the higher-density populations （10 000/m^2） than those In the lower-density populations （3 000/m^2）. These results showed that water deficit did not change plant geometry In this experiment. That Is to say, shoot competition for light remains constant at a given blomass, although root competition for water becomes more serious In water deficit conditions. Based on these results and previous reports we propose that, to affect the thinning line slope, changes In symmetric competition are not as efficient as changes In asymmetric competition.     

Water Supply Changes N and P Conservation in a Perennial Grass Leymus chinensis

Changes in precipitation can influence soil water and nutrient availability, and thus affect plant nutrient conservation strategies. Better understanding of how nutrient conservation changes with variations in water availability is crucial for predicting the potential influence of global climate change on plant nutrient-use strategy. Here, green-leaf nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） concentrations, N- and P-resorption proficiency （the terminal N and P concentration in senescent leaves, NRP and PRP, respectively）, and N- and P-resorption efficiency （the proportional N and P withdrawn from senescent leaves prior to abscission, NRE and PRE, respectively） of Leymus chinensis （Trin.） Tzveh, a typical perennial grass species in northern China, were examined along a water supply gradient to explore how plant nutrient conservation responds to water change. Increasing water supply at low levels （〈 9000 mL/year） increased NRP, PRP and PRE, but decreased green-leaf N concentration. It did not significantly affect green-leaf P concentration or NRE. By contrast, all N and P conservation indicators were not significantly influenced at high water supply levels （〉 9000 mL/year）. These results indicated that changes in water availability at low levels could affect leaf-level nutrient characteristics, especially for the species in semiarid ecosystems. Therefore, global changes in precipitation may pose effects on plant nutrient economy, and thus on nutrient cycling in the plant-soil systems.     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.