用新的紫外荧光光源对维生素D2的最佳光合成

本文介绍了维生素 Ｄ２（以下简称 Ｖ Ｄ２ ）的光化反应与光照时间的关系,即由麦角固醇为原料,在与之转化所需的最佳匹配光谱照射下,找到 Ｖ Ｄ２ 的最佳光转化时间。结果表明,在２８３ｎｍ 波长的紫外荧光光源照射下,其转化效果最佳。在此条件下麦角固醇转化率随照射时间的增加而逐渐上升,但同时 Ｖ Ｄ２ 的异构体（副产物）也随之增多,因此综合以上两种因素,从而可确定１８～２１ 分钟是 Ｖ Ｄ２ 光化反应的最佳时间段。     

全基因组测序在病原菌分型与溯源中的应用研究进展

细菌分子分型已成为监测细菌感染性疾病的暴发流行与明确病原菌传播途径的重要工具.随着全基因组测序技术的日益兴起,公共数据库中已产生大量的细菌基因组数据,迫切需要研究人员充分认识和理解该技术,并掌握多种生物信息学工具挖掘并解读测序数据.本文系统概述了全基因组测序技术与生物信息学工具在病原菌分型与溯源中的应用,并对全基因组测...     

不同施肥处理与地膜覆盖对土壤微生物群落功能多样性的影响

微生物多样性是表征土壤质量变化的敏感指标。应用Biolog技术探讨了不同施肥处理与地膜覆盖对土壤微生物功能多样性的影响,从微生物功能多样性的角度评价施肥与地膜覆盖对土壤质量的影响。试验结果表明：裸地条件下,肥料合理配施可以增强微生物对碳源的利用程度（AWCD）,显著增加微生物功能多样性（Shannon指数）。地膜覆盖和施肥的交互作用降低了微生物对碳源的利用率,降低微生物的丰富度,改变其均匀度。土壤微生物碳源利用的聚类和主成分分析表明,各施肥处理在碳源的利用上存在较大差异,覆膜加剧了各处理之间的分异程度。糖类和氨基酸类碳源是微生物利用的主要碳源。土壤微生物对碳源利用受到土壤pH、速效钾的显著影响。此外,有机碳、速效氮含量和土壤碳氮比与土壤微生物群落功能多样性密切相关。     

Kinetics and persistence of cellular and humoral immune responses to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine in healthcare workers with or without prior COVID‐19

SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines are highly efficient against severe forms of the disease, hospitalization and death. Nevertheless, insufficient protection against several circulating viral variants might suggest waning immunity and the need for an additional vaccine dose. We conducted a longitudinal study on the kinetics and persistence of immune responses in healthcare workers vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine with or without prior SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. No new infections were diagnosed during follow‐up. At 6 months, post‐vaccination or post‐infection, despite a downward trend in the level of anti‐S IgG antibodies, the neutralizing activity does not decrease significantly, remaining higher than 75% (85.14% for subjects with natural infection, 88.82% for vaccinated after prior infection and 78.37% for vaccinated only). In a live‐virus neutralization assay, the highest neutralization titres were present at baseline and at 6 months follow‐up in persons vaccinated after prior infection. Anti‐S IgA levels showed a significant descending trend in vaccinated subjects (p < 0.05) after 14 weeks. Cellular immune responses are present even in vaccinated participants with declining antibody levels (index ratio 1.1–3) or low neutralizing activity (30%–40%) at 6 months, although with lower T‐cell stimulation index (p = 0.046) and IFN‐γ secretion (p = 0.0007) compared to those with preserved humoral responses.     

甘肃安南坝野骆驼国家级自然保护区野骆驼利用人工水源点特征分析

人工水源点是荒漠地区野生动物补充水分的途径之一,对于荒漠地区珍稀濒危物种保护具有重要意义。为揭示人工水源点的野生动物利用特征,本研究分析了2020年8月至2021年8月甘肃安南坝野骆驼国家级自然保护区一处人工水源点的视频监测数据。监测期间共获得533条视频记录,其中独立记录299条,分析表明：(1)多种野生动物利用人工水源点,共记录兽类7种,鸟类7种;(2)保护区的主要保护对象野骆驼(Camelus ferus)共有205条记录,占独立总记录数67%。野骆驼在人工水源点的平均群体大小为6.82±7.01,平均停留时长为(15.66±15.35) min,在人工水源点停留时长与群体大小有显著的相关性(P <0.001),而群体大小则受季节性影响(P <0.005);(3)野骆驼对人工水源点的利用夏季强度最高,春季最低,利用人工水源点的日活动节律呈明显的单峰型,活动的最高峰出现在12:00。研究表明人工水源点能够被野骆驼等野生动物充分利用,研究结果可为进一步揭示野骆驼行为生态习性以及促进人工措施对野生动物保育管理提供有益参考。     

FishSizer: Software solution for efficiently measuring larval fish size

1. Length and depth of fish larvae are part of the fundamental measurements in many marine ecology studies involving early fish life history. Until now, obtaining these measurements has required intensive manual labor and the risk of inter‐ and intra‐observer variability.
2. We developed an open‐source software solution to semi‐automate the measurement process and thereby reduce both time consumption and technical variability. Using contrast‐based edge detection, the software segments images of a fish larva into “larva” and “background.” Length and depth are extracted from the “larva” segmentation while taking curvature of the larva into consideration. The graphical user interface optimizes workflow and ease of usage, thereby reducing time consumption for both training and analysis. The software allows for visual verification of all measurements.
3. A comparison of measurement methods on a set of larva images showed that this software reduces measurement time by 66%–78% relative to commonly used software.
4. Using this software instead of the commonly used manual approach has the potential to save researchers from many hours of monotonous work. No adjustment was necessary for 89% of the images regarding length (70% for depth). Hence, the only workload on most images was the visual inspection. As the visual inspection and manual dimension extraction works in the same way as currently used software, we expect no loss in accuracy.

     

A genomic data viewer for iPad

The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) for iPad, based on the popular IGV application for desktop and laptop computers, supports researchers who wish to take advantage of the mobility of today’s tablet computers to view genomic data and present findings to colleagues.     

Constraints and release at different scales – The role of adaptation in biological invasions

Attempts to find a consensus on traits promoting the invasiveness of exotic species have agreed on the idiosyncrasy of successful invasions. Despite considerable efforts to integrate aspects of context-dependency into theories of invasions, none of them has provided an evolutionary perspective taking consistently into account the direction of environmental changes in terms of ‘constraint’ vs. ‘release’. Applying the filter theory of species sorting, I consider different filters at different scales explaining evolutionary changes during invasions. Within this hierarchical approach, the focus is on the factorial filters climate, abiotic environment and biotic environment, distinguishing trophic interactions and plant-plant interactions. This review summarizes the evidence of adaptive shifts from native to exotic ranges, thereby differentiating the direction of shifts with regard to either constrained or released situations. Following this systematic approach, the present paper identifies further trade-offs within hierarchical levels complementing already existing hypotheses such as those for biotic interactions. In particular, the role of climatic changes should more explicitly be linked with evolutionary responses during invasions. Studying exotic species successfully invading several regions with different environmental conditions will be a promising starting point to enlarge the understanding of context-dependency of invasions.     

Toxic effects of mercury on testicular activity in the freshwater teleost, Clarias batrachus (L.)

Catfish ( Clarias batrachus L.) were exposed to selected sublethal concentrations of mercuric chloride (HgCl₂; 0.05 mg l⁻¹), methylmercuric chloride (CH₃HgCl; 0.04 mg l⁻¹) and emisan 6 (an organic mercurial fungicide; 0.5 mg l ⁻¹) for intervals of 45, 90 and 180 days from February to July (preparatory to spawning phase of the annual reproductive cycle). The gonadosomatic index showed a significant decrease after 90- and 180-day exposure to the mercurials. Histologically, the seminiferous tubules were smaller in size and contained mostly spermatids in comparison to the control fish in which they were greatly distended and full of spermatozoa. The Leydig cells showed pycnotic changes in Hg-treated fish after 90 and 180 days. In the Hg-treated testes, total lipid content and ³²P uptake decreased significantly after 90 and 180 days. Levels of phospholipids and free cholesterol registered a significant reduction during all the durations. Esterified cholesterol level showed a significant decrease only in the 90-day HgCl₂ and CH₃HgCl groups, and in all 180-day Hg groups, while the level of free fatty acid decreased significantly only in the 180-day Hg groups. The observations suggest that impairment of testicular lipid metabolism by Hg is one of the possible factors that led to the inhibition of steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis.