传统圈养和半自然散放环境亚成年大熊猫的行为差异

2001年7月20日至8月20日,在四川卧龙自然保护区中国保护大熊猫研究中心,采用连续观察法记录和分析了传统圈养和半自然散放环境下亚成年大熊猫(分别为3和9只)的几种行为的持续时间和发生次数。传统圈养环境亚成年大熊猫探究行为的持续时间、标记行为的频次显著多于半自然散放环境下的个体;刻板行为的持续时间有增加的趋势,但无显著差异。刻板行为的持续时间与标记行为的频次和探究行为的持续时间均呈显著正相关。表明圈养环境的改善有助于亚成年大熊猫探究和标记行为的明显减少。     

圈养大熊猫食物丰容对其行为影响的研究

于2006年3、4、7、8月选用成都动物园圈养的两只雄性大熊猫进行了3 种以食物不同投喂方式的丰容试验,即在其生活环境中分别加入装有食物的PVC管和轮胎以及冰冻食物,采用瞬时取样法对其行为变化进行观察,并对所有刻板行为采取行为取样法进行观察记录.结果 表明,冰冻食物丰容显著增加了大熊猫与运动相关的行为,而轮胎和PVC食物丰容对大熊猫的日常行为影响不显著,但是3种丰容方式对减少刻板行为发生频次有不同程度的积极作用.     

圈养灵长动物丰容方法研究

圈养灵长类动物处在区别于野外的生境和游客压力等因素下,其行为和生理上都会发生一系列的变化。其中最为显著的是表现出一些异常行为,包括刻板行为、自残和过度修饰等。这些行为的出现通常和圈养条件较差有关。一般可以通过环境丰容的方法减少异常行为的发生．提高圈养灵长类动物的福利。在灵长类动物的环境丰容方法中,最为普遍的方法包括改善圈养环境条件、取食丰容、感官丰容、运动刺激和社群丰容。这些丰容手段被证明能有效减少刻板行为的发生,增加行为的多样性,可在灵长类动物圈养中广泛推广。     

四川马尔康圈养林麝的刻板行为

在圈养环境下,迁地保育野生动物易发育刻板行为,刻板行为的发育可直接影响圈养野生动物的繁殖和存活,从而影响迁地保育。2016年5月1日至7月31日间,采用焦点取样及所有事件记录法对四川马尔康林麝繁育场的75头圈养林麝(Moschus berezovskii)进行了刻板行为取样,分析了性别、年龄、圈区环境、圈群结构等因素对其刻板行为的效应。结果表明,四川马尔康麝场的圈养林麝在单位取样时间(10 min)内展现的刻板行为持续时间占比为20.53%±2.43%(n=75);雌麝刻板行为持续时间占比(18.14%±3.26%,n=46)略低于雄麝(20.89%±3.98%,n=25);随圈养年限(本研究中的圈养林麝"年龄"即是"被圈养年数")增加,林麝展现刻板行为的持续时间显著增加(P0.05);圈区环境设施对刻板行为存在显著效应(P0.05),裸地基底圈舍中林麝的刻板行为持续时间占比最高(33.11%±6.16%,n=24);圈群结构对林麝刻板行为持续时间的影响不显著(P0.05),混合圈群的刻板行为持续时间(19.31%±3.18%,n=53)最小;圈群密度对刻板行为持续时间的效应不显著(P0.05)。增加圈养环境的植被覆盖,进行混合圈养,可有效降低圈养林麝的刻板行为强度,并可提升林麝迁地保育的有效性。     

野生大熊猫行为谱及PAE编码系统

行为谱是动物行为学研究的基础。大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)是生物多样性保护中的旗舰物种,其行为生态的研究备受关注,然而由于大熊猫数量稀少且警惕性强,很难在野外进行观察,有关其行为谱等基础行为研究结果主要是基于圈养大熊猫的观察研究。为了促进野生大熊猫行为学的深入研究,2015年1月—2016年6月,2018年8月— 2019年4月我们在卧龙自然保护区基于红外相机图片和视频数据,利用PAE编码系统建立了野生大熊猫行为谱和PAE编码系统。研究共计在14种环境背景中记录到大熊猫12种姿势、52种动作、56种行为。一方面,本研究结果基本涵盖了大熊猫的主要行为,并发现了一些未在圈养大熊猫行为谱中记录到的行为,如野生大熊猫利用植物的茎进行自我除雪行为;另一方面丰富了观察大熊猫行为的环境因素。以上结果为深入研究野生大熊猫行为生态学提供了基础信息。       

圈养马麝刻板行为表达与粪样类固醇激素的关系

2017年7月1日-8月31日及2018年6月1日-7月31日,在甘肃兴隆山保护区马麝繁育中心,采用焦点取样法和连续记录法进行了圈养马麝的刻板行为取样,采集同期粪样,并用放射免疫分析法（RIA）检测粪样中肾上腺皮质醇、睾酮及雌二醇激素的水平,分析了圈养马麝刻板行为表达与上述3种激素水平的关系。结果显示,展现刻板行为的圈养马麝的皮质醇水平（111.099 ± 16.231）ng/g略高于无刻板行为表达的马麝（95.640± 9.738） ng/g,差异未达显著（P> 0.05）;展现刻板行为雄麝的睾酮水平（135.900± 21.582）ng/g略高于无刻板行为的雄麝（108.182 ± 9.689） ng/g,差异也不显著（P> 0.05）;展现刻板行为雌麝的雌二醇水平（0.445 ± 0.116）ng/g显著低于无刻板行为雌麝（10.843 ± 1.142）ng/g（P< 0.05）。研究结果表明,圈养雄性马麝的刻板行为表达与其类固醇激素水平不相关;而雌麝的刻板行为表达与雌二醇分泌显著负相关,这与其繁殖及健康状况有关。在麝类驯养实践中,可将粪样类固醇激素水平（尤其是雌二醇）作为其受胁迫水平及行为健康的监测指标。     

兴隆山自然保护区麝场圈养马麝刻板行为的比较

于2001年3月—2002年1月,采用焦点取样法对甘肃兴隆山自然保护区麝场圈养马麝的刻板行为进行了研究。结果表明:该麝场的圈养马麝有刻板行为的发育,雌麝的刻板行为持续时间少于雄麝,但二者间的差异不显著。野捕马麝幼年期的人工哺乳经历使其刻板行为表达强度相对小于麝场圈养下繁殖马麝。年龄对雌雄麝的刻板行为表达强度的效应相似,亚成体马麝的刻板行为表达较多,成体马麝体的刻板行为表达相对较少,老年马麝刻板行为持续时间最长,2.5和4.5岁是圈养马麝刻板行为发育的关键时期。此外,能顺利繁殖的个体,其刻板行为表达的持续时间少于繁殖失败的个体。     

麝类行为谱的初步建构及行为型的描述性定义

2005年1月至2006年2月对甘肃兴隆山麝场、福建上杭麝场、四川都江堰麝场、陕西镇坪麝场及上海崇明岛麝场的圈养林麝、原麝和马麝的行为进行了观察和记录,制定了圈养麝类动物的焦点取样行为谱、扫描取样行为谱、刻板行为谱和冲突行为谱,并区分和定义了扫描行为谱的站立及运动、摄食、反刍和静卧等4类行为型,通过辨识行为的基本单元,定义了其所有事件记录行为谱所包含的静卧、站立凝视、运动、摄食、反刍、蹭尾、尿粪标记、环境探究、尾阴探究、自我指向、亲和、警觉、冲突、刻板、繁殖行为及杂类行为等16种行为类,并描述性地定义了各行为类下所含行为型,此外,定义了麝的刻板行为谱,含食异物、刻板舔刮、狂奔、往返走、立台、跳墙和搭蹄凝视等7种刻板行为型,以及圈养麝的冲突行为谱,含威胁、进攻、取代、追击和防御等5种行为亚类,并描述和定义了各行为亚类下的行为型。本研究的行为谱建构和行为型定义可为麝类行为生态研究提供参考依据。     

圈养大熊猫在兽舍与半野外条件下的行为和习性的初步比较

2003年7月8日～2004年7月7日,用聚焦动物法和点取样法对卧龙自然保护区首次进行放归前期野化培训的两岁龄大熊猫双胞胎之一“祥祥”,及其对照个体大熊猫双胞胎之二“福福”(生活在传统兽舍之中)的行为进行观察,并对观察数据进行定性分析。X^2适合度检验表明：1．在不同的环境下,大熊猫的行为存在明显差异。表现在：取食、机械行为、人为干扰和寻食行为所占时间不同;人为活动对大熊猫行为的影响不同。2．行为多样性指数不同。3．在不同环境下,大熊猫的生态习性也是有差异的。表现在以下两个方面：一是对不同竹子的利用;二是对不同区域的利用。培训结果表明,影响将来放归的重要因素是圈养条件下形成的机械行为和对人及人工食物的依赖性。因此,在将圈养出生的大熊猫真正放归野外时,必须考虑这些因素的影响。     

圈舍环境对圈养大熊猫发情率的影响

发情率低是圈养大熊猫Ailuropoda melanoleuca饲养的难题之一,也是制约圈养大熊猫繁育的重要因素。近年来,随着大熊猫圈养技术的不断进步,圈养大熊猫的发情率有了大幅提高,但并未达到特别高的水平。对中国保护大熊猫研究中心2006—2012年参与繁殖计划的圈养成年雌性大熊猫种群的发情率进行统计发现,2009—2012年每年雌性大熊猫的发情率高达90%以上,较2006—2008年的发情率有显著提高。2006—2012年,该大熊猫种群的饲养和管理模式、食物结构都未变化,但从2009年起圈舍环境有明显变化。经分析,该种群发情率的变化与圈舍面积、圈舍地形、圈舍植被覆盖率和植物种类等因素变化有关。本研究为提高圈养大熊猫的发情率从改善大熊猫圈舍条件的角度提供了有效的参考。     

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.