Evaluation of the Accuracy of the EasyTest? Malaria Pf/Pan Ag,a Rapid Diagnostic Test,in Uganda

In recent years, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been widely used for malaria detection, primarily because of their simple operation, fast results, and straightforward interpretation. The Asan EasyTest™ Malaria Pf/Pan Ag is one of the most commonly used malaria RDTs in several countries, including Korea and India. In this study, we tested the diagnostic performance of this RDT in Uganda to evaluate its usefulness for field diagnosis of malaria in this country. Microscopic and PCR analyses, and the Asan EasyTest™ Malaria Pf/Pan Ag rapid diagnostic test, were performed on blood samples from 185 individuals with suspected malaria in several villages in Uganda. Compared to the microscopic analysis, the sensitivity of the RDT to detect malaria infection was 95.8% and 83.3% for Plasmodium falciparum and non-P. falciparum, respectively. Although the diagnostic sensitivity of the RDT decreased when parasitemia was ≤500 parasites/µl, it showed 96.8% sensitivity (98.4% for P. falciparum and 93.8% for non-P. falciparum) in blood samples with parasitemia ≥100 parasites/µl. The specificity of the RDT was 97.3% for P. falciparum and 97.3% for non-P. falciparum. These results collectively suggest that the accuracy of the Asan EasyTest™ Malaria Pf/Pan Ag makes it an effective point-of-care diagnostic tool for malaria in Uganda.     

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Clonorchiasis among Residents of Riverside Areas in Muju-gun,Jeollabuk-do,Korea

We evaluated the status of Clonorchis sinensis infection and potential risk factors among residents of riverside areas (Geumgang) in Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do (Province), Korea. From January to February 2010, a total of 349 (171 males, 178 females) stool samples were collected and examined by the formalin-ether concentration technique. Also, village residents were interviewed using questionnaires to obtain information about C. sinensis infection-related risk factors. Overall egg-positive rate of C. sinensis was 13.2%. Egg-positive rates were significantly higher in males, farmers, and residents who had lived there more than 20 years, and in residents who had eaten raw freshwater fish than in opposite groups, respectively. However, there was no significant difference between age groups, education levels, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, health status, past history of infection, and experience of clonorchiasis medication and examination. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for clonorchiasis. On univariate analysis, the odds ratios for males, farmers, those who had lived there more than 20 years, and who had eaten raw freshwater fish were 2.41, 4.44, 3.16, and 4.88 times higher than those of the opposites, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the odds ratio of residents who had eaten raw freshwater fish was 3.2-fold higher than that of those who had not. These results indicate that residents living in Muju-gun, along the Geum River, Korea, have relatively high C. sinensis egg-positive rates, and the habit of eating raw freshwater fish was the major factor for the maintenance of clonorchiasis.     

Optimal production control of a service-oriented manufacturing system with customer balking behavior

The great challenge for service-oriented manufacturing (SOM) is how to cope with customer behavior while making decision on production planning and scheduling. In this paper, we consider a single-stage manufacturing system for SOM with impatient customers. In order to represent customer balking behavior caused by backlog, we employ a balking function, which is an arbitrary non-decreasing function of the backlog for characterizing the customer’s response to the backlog. The objective is to find the optimal production policy that minimizes the system cost. The problem is formulated as a Markov decision process. The optimal production policy is proved to be a base-stock policy. The effects of system parameters on the optimal base-stock level are analytically investigated, and the impact of customer balking behavior on the system is illustrated by numerical example in which linear balking function is employed. Numerical example shows that customer balking has a significant impact on the optimal control and the performance measures of the system under the optimal policy.     

Live Cell Imaging of Primary Rat Neonatal Cardiomyocytes Following Adenoviral and Lentiviral Transduction Using Confocal Spinning Disk Microscopy

Primary rat neonatal cardiomyocytes are useful in basic in vitro cardiovascular research because they can be easily isolated in large numbers in a single procedure. Due to advances in microscope technology it is relatively easy to capture live cell images for the purpose of investigating cellular events in real time with minimal concern regarding phototoxicity to the cells. This protocol describes how to take live cell timelapse images of primary rat neonatal cardiomyocytes using a confocal spinning disk microscope following lentiviral and adenoviral transduction to modulate properties of the cell. The application of two different types of viruses makes it easier to achieve an appropriate transduction rate and expression levels for two different genes. Well focused live cell images can be obtained using the microscope’s autofocus system, which maintains stable focus for long time periods. Applying this method, the functions of exogenously engineered proteins expressed in cultured primary cells can be analyzed. Additionally, this system can be used to examine the functions of genes through the use of siRNAs as well as of chemical modulators.     

北京山区3种暖温带森林生态系统未来碳平衡的模拟与分析

使用LPJ-GUESS植被动态模型, 在北京山区研究了未来100a以辽东栎 (Quercus liaotungensis) 为优势种的落叶阔叶林、以白桦 (Betula platyphylla) 为主的阔叶林和油松 (Pinus tabulaeformis) 为优势种的针阔混交林的碳变化, 定量分析了生态系统净初级生产力 (NPP) 、土壤异养呼吸 (Rh) 、净生态系统碳交换 (NEE) 和碳生物量 (Carbon bio-mass) 对两种未来气候情景 (SRES A2和B2) 以及相应大气CO2浓度变化情景的响应特征。结果表明:1) 未来100a两种气候情景下3种森林生态系统的NPP和Rh均增加, 并且A2情景下增加的程度更大;2) 由于3种生态系统树种组成的不同, 未来气候情景下各自NPP和Rh增加的比例不同, 导致三者NEE的变化也相异:100a后辽东栎林由碳汇转变为弱碳源, 白桦林仍保持为碳汇但功能减弱, 油松林成为一个更大的碳汇;3) 3种森林生态系统的碳生物量在未来气候情景下均增大, 21世纪末与20世纪末相比:辽东栎林在A2情景下碳生物量增加的比例为27.6%, 大于B2情景下的19.3%;白桦林和油松林在B2情景下碳生物量增加的比例分别为34.2%和52.2%, 大于A2情景下的30.8%和28.4%。     

Genetic variation analyses of nsp2 gene of PRRSV in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China

To gain a better understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of PRRSV in the Ningxia Hui Nationality Autonomous Region (Ningxia) of China, the nsp2 genes from a series of PRRSV strains collected from the region in 2007 were partially sequenced. These sequences were then analyzed along with the classical strain (ch-la) and two other epidemic strains SD (3) and SD2006. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence with ch-la indicated that nsp2 genes of seventeen Ningxia isolates (NX strain) have deletions of 87 nucleotides. Sequence analysis indicated that homology between the Ningxia strain and ch-la was 60.3%-79.9% in the nucleotide sequence, and homology between the NX strains and SD strains was 80.3%-98.8% in the nucleotide sequence. The nsp2 genes of the seventeen isolates had 74.9%-100% nucleotide sequence identities with each other. This study was undertaken to assess the regional variation of prevalent PRRSV and to establish a sequence database for PRRSV molecular epidemiological studies.     

基于景观尺度过程模型的长白山地表径流量时空变化特征的模拟

运用已建立的景观尺度生态系统生产力过程模型EPPML对长白山自然保护区地表径流量的季节动态和空间分布特征进行了模拟,对其与环境因子间的相互关系进行了分析．模拟结果表明,长白山自然保护区地表径流量的季节进程表现出明显的三峰型,6月和9月出现低谷,8月达最大(2．58mm·d^-1),与土壤含水量的季节变化趋势十分相似．1995年地表径流量的模拟值平均为0．203m·年^-l,空间分布随海拔升高呈现明显增加的趋势,最高为高山流砾滩(0．619m·年^-1),最低为阔叶红松林(0．081m·年^-1)．年地表径流量与叶面积指数(LAI)呈极显著负相关指数关系(R^2＝0．857)．年地表径流量与气温和总辐射呈负相关关系(R^2分别为0．965和0．836),与降水量、相对湿度和风速呈正相关关系(R^2均大于0．950),还与土壤特性密切相关。     

甜菜夜蛾对不同寄主植物的产卵和取食选择

为了探讨甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua对不同寄主植物的产卵选择及成虫产卵选择与幼虫取食选择间的关联度, 本研究选取玉米、豇豆、甘蓝、黄瓜、棉花、辣椒和番茄7种植物进行了选择性和非选择性实验研究, 并采用Y型嗅觉仪测定了成虫对其中3种寄主植物及其挥发物抽提物的趋性。结果表明：在田间非选择性实验中, 甜菜夜蛾在不同寄主植物上的落卵量依次为：玉米>辣椒>棉花>黄瓜、豇豆、番茄>甘蓝。Y型嗅觉仪的行为测定表明, 雌成虫对玉米及其挥发物抽提物的趋性最强, 黄瓜次之, 对甘蓝的趋性最弱, 这与雌虫的产卵选择性一致。不同龄期甜菜夜蛾幼虫对寄主植物的取食选择性有所不同, 且随观测时间的延长有所改变;低龄幼虫对豇豆、玉米和黄瓜的选择性较强, 对甘蓝、番茄、辣椒和棉花的取食选择性则较弱, 高龄幼虫对辣椒也具有较强的选择性;5龄幼虫对寄主植物的选择性不如低龄幼虫明显。结果显示, 甜菜夜蛾对不同寄主植物的产卵选择性显著不同, 植物抽提物在雌成虫的产卵选择中具有重要作用, 甜菜夜蛾对寄主植物的产卵选择性和幼虫取食选择性并不一致。     

小麦线粒体DNA的高效提取方法

以小麦黄化苗为材料, 通过简单差速离心、DNaseⅠ处理得到无核DNA杂质的线粒体, 用SDS和蛋白酶K裂解线粒体, 经酚/氯仿抽提除去蛋白, 并用RNase A消化而得到单纯线粒体DNA(mtDNA)。对所提取的mtDNA进行紫外吸收光度分析, A₂₆₀/A₂₈₀ 平均为1.92, A260/A230 平均为2.09, 平均每克黄化苗可提取mtDNA 26.85 mg; 并对mtDNA进行琼脂糖凝胶电泳和RAPD扩增, 均得到清晰的电泳图谱。结果表明: 此提取方法得到的mtDNA, 不但产率高、结构完整, 而且能有效去除核DNA、RNA和蛋白质等杂质, 获得高质量的mtDNA用于PCR反应和各种遗传学分析。研究还发现, 通过调整线粒体裂解温度(先50℃裂解1 h, 再37℃裂解1 h), 亦可大幅度提高mtDNA的产率。     

镉和锌在皖景天细胞内的分布及化学形态

运用差速离心法和化学试剂逐步提取法,分析了Cd和Zn在皖景天根、茎和叶的亚细胞分布及其化学形态.结果表明:10 μmol·L^-1 Cd处理下,Cd在皖景天细胞内的主要分布位点是其可溶部分;在100 μmol·L^-1 Cd处理下,Cd在根中主要分布在细胞壁、茎中主要分布在细胞壁和可溶部分、叶中超过90%的Cd分布在可溶部分.高Cd浓度处理时,皖景天根、茎和叶的细胞壁中Cd分布比例增加,而可溶部分Cd分布比例相对减少.在1和800 μmol·L^-1 Zn处理条件下,Zn在皖景天根、茎和叶的主要分布位点是可溶部分;高Zn浓度处理时,皖景天叶、茎和根的可溶部分和细胞壁中Zn的分布比例无明显变化.细胞器中Zn和Cd分布都很少.Cd在皖景天根、茎和叶内主要以氯化钠提取态和水提取态存在,Zn在皖景天根、茎和叶内以多种化学形态存在.