Crypsis in a heterogeneous environment: relationships between changeable polymorphic colour patterns and behaviour in a galaxiid fish

1. The ability to achieve optimal camouflage varies between microhabitats in heterogeneous environments, potentially restricting individuals to a single habitat or imposing a compromise on crypsis to match several habitats. However, animals may exhibit morphological and behavioural attributes that enhance crypsis in different habitats. 2. We used an undescribed fish species, Galaxias‘nebula’, to investigate two objectives. First, we examined two potential methods of enhancing crypsis: change in colour pattern and selection of a suitable background. Second, we characterised the colour pattern of this unstudied fish and assessed its capacity for crypsis. 3. No background selection was apparent but the area of dark pigment expressed varied between backgrounds, which may negate the requirement to be choosy about habitats. The capacity to change colour and selection of a background that maximises crypsis are most likely separate, non‐mutually exclusive strategies. 4. Galaxias‘nebula’ exhibits polymorphic, non‐interchangeable colour patterns that have elements of both background pattern matching and disruptive colouration. This, coupled with habitat characteristics, suggests a combination of generalist and specialist strategies of habitat use. The fish’s camouflage strategy and air‐breathing ability may be key to survival under increasing pressure from habitat degradation and invasive predators.     

Lessons learned from the 2019-nCoV epidemic on prevention of future infectious diseases

Only a month after the outbreak of pneumonia caused by 2019-nCoV, more than forty-thousand people were infected. This put enormous pressure on the Chinese government, medical healthcare provider, and the general public, but also made the international community deeply nervous. On the 25th day after the outbreak, the Chinese government implemented strict traffic restrictions on the area where the 2019-nCoV had originated—Hubei province, whose capital city is Wuhan. Ten days later, the rate of increase of cases in Hubei showed a significant difference (p = 0.0001) compared with the total rate of increase in other provinces of China. These preliminary data suggest the effectiveness of a traffic restriction policy for this pandemic thus far. At the same time, solid financial support and improved research ability, along with network communication technology, also greatly facilitated the application of epidemic prevention measures. These measures were motivated by the need to provide effective treatment of patients, and involved consultation with three major groups in policy formulation—public health experts, the government, and the general public. It was also aided by media and information technology, as well as international cooperation. This experience will provide China and other countries with valuable lessons for quickly coordinating and coping with future public health emergencies.     

The facets of olfactory learning

Volatile chemicals in the environment provide ethologically important information to many animals. However, how animals learn to use this information is only beginning to be understood. This review highlights recent experimental advances elucidating olfactory learning in rodents, ranging from adaptations to the environment to task-dependent refinement and multisensory associations. The broad range of phenomena, mechanisms, and brain areas involved demonstrate the complex and multifaceted nature of olfactory learning.     

八段锦和五行音乐疗法在缓解新型冠状病毒肺炎患者负性情绪中的疗效分析

摘要 目的：观察八段锦和五行音乐疗法对新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）患者负性情绪的疗效。方法：收集孝感市第一人民医院就诊的COVID-19患者40例，采用随机数字表法将40例患者随机分为对照组（n=20）和观察组（n=20），观察组接受八段锦和子午流注理论指导下的择时五行音乐疗法进行干预，对照组保持日常生活方式。两组在干预前、干预2周采用焦虑自评量表（SAS）和抑郁自评量表(SDS)分别评定两组实验对象在实验前和干预后的负性情绪的改变，用患者生活质量量表(QLQ-C30)分别对两组患者进行生活质量的测评。结果：接受八段锦和子午流注理论指导下的择时五行音乐疗法的患者负性情绪明显减低，SAS、SDS评分明显较前明显改善，观察组患者SAS评分、SDS评分较对照组降低程度明显，差异存在统计学差异（P＜0.05）；干预后观察组、对照组的角色功能、认知功能、情感功能、躯体功能及生活质量评分均明显改善，接受八段锦和子午流注理论指导下的择时五行音乐疗法的患者在角色功能、认知功能、情感功能、躯体功能及生活质量评分方面均优于对照组，差异存在统计学差异（P＜0.05）。结论：COVID-19患者通过八段锦和五行音乐疗法能够明显减低负性情绪，此种疗法可有效起到"精神内守，病安从来"的安慰作用。     

Emergence,evolution, and vaccine production approaches of SARS-CoV-2 virus: Benefits of getting vaccinated and common questions

The emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Wuhan city, China at the end of 2019 made it urgent to identify the origin of the causal pathogen and its molecular evolution, to appropriately design an effective vaccine. This study analyzes the evolutionary background of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-2) in accordance with its close relative SARS-CoV (SARS-1), which was emerged in 2002. A comparative genomic and proteomic study was conducted on SARS-2, SARS-1, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), which was emerged in 2012. In silico analysis inferred the genetic variability among the tested viruses. The SARS-1 genome harbored 11 genes encoding 12 proteins, while SARS-2 genome contained only 10 genes encoding for 10 proteins. MERS genome contained 11 genes encoding 11 proteins. The analysis also revealed a slight variation in the whole genome size of SARS-2 comparing to its siblings resulting from sequential insertions and deletions (indels) throughout the viral genome particularly ORF1AB, spike, ORF10 and ORF8. The effective indels were observed in the gene encoding the spike protein that is responsible for viral attachment to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) cell receptor and initiating infection. These indels are responsible for the newly emerging COVID-19 variants αCoV, βCoV, γCoV and δCoV. Nowadays, few effective COVID-19 vaccines developed based on spike (S) glycoprotein were approved and become available worldwide. Currently available vaccines can relatively prevent the spread of COVID-19 and suppress the disease. The traditional (killed or attenuated virus vaccine and antibody-based vaccine) and innovated vaccine production technologies (RNA- and DNA-based vaccines and viral vectors) are summarized in this review. We finally highlight the most common questions related to COVID-19 disease and the benefits of getting vaccinated.     

High somatic mutation frequencies in a LacZ transgene integrated on the mouse X-chromosome

To study spontaneous and induced mutagenesis in vivo we recently constructed a series of transgenic mice harboring different numbers of bacteriophage lambda shuttle vectors, provided with a LacZ mutational target gene, integrated in their genome. The transgenic mice enabled analysis of spontaneous and induced mutation frequencies in postmitotic tissues like liver and brain. The obtained data indicated spontaneous mutation frequencies in the order of ⁻⁵ - 10⁻⁶. Here we report a 25–100 times higher spontaneous mutation frequency in liver and brain DNA of mice from strain 35.5, with the lambda-gt10LacZ concatemer integrated on the X-chromosome. These results indicate the presence of a mutational ‘hot spot’ in the mammalian somatic genome in vivo.