Prevalence of Hydatid Cysts in Livestock Animals in Xinjiang,China

Hydatid worms, hosted by humans and animals, impose serious human health risk and cause significant livestock production loss. To better understand the disease infection status in Xinjiang, China, we investigated the disease epidemics in 4 livestock animals, i.e., cattle, sheep (both sheep and goat), camels, and horses, slaughtered at the abattoirs in Urumqi, Yining, Tacheng, and Altay areas. The results showed that the animals were infected at different rates, in the order of sheep (9.8%), cattle (8.4%), camels (6.8%), and horses (4.3%). The infection rates were found to be different between the abattoirs in various regions even for the same animals. For sheep, the rates increased significantly as the animals grew older. It was 1.9% before 1 year of age and increased to 8.2% in the age of 1-2 years, and further increased to 12.3% when the animals were 3-4 years old, and reached 17.2% when they were 5-6 year old. Sheep older than 6 years had an infection rate of 19.5%. This study demonstrates that the 4 livestock animals in the pastoral areas in Xinjiang were infected by the parasites to various extend. This study is the first systematic investigation of the hydatid worms in various livestock animals in Xinjiang, China, which provides epidemiological information about the infection of hydatid worms in livestock, and is valuable in developing strategies for prevention and control of the hydatid disease.     

Altered Baseline Brain Activity with 72 h of Simulated Microgravity – Initial Evidence from Resting-State fMRI

To provide the basis and reference to further insights into the neural activity of the human brain in a microgravity environment, we discuss the amplitude changes of low-frequency brain activity fluctuations using a simulated microgravity model. Twelve male participants between 24 and 31 years old received resting-state fMRI scans in both a normal condition and after 72 hours in a −6° head down tilt (HDT). A paired sample t-test was used to test the amplitude differences of low-frequency brain activity fluctuations between these two conditions. With 72 hours in a −6° HDT, the participants showed a decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the left thalamus compared with the normal condition (a combined threshold of P<0.005 and a minimum cluster size of 351 mm³ (13 voxels), which corresponded with the corrected threshold of P<0.05 determined by AlphaSim). Our findings indicate that a gravity change-induced redistribution of body fluid may disrupt the function of the left thalamus in the resting state, which may contribute to reduced motor control abilities and multiple executive functions in astronauts in a microgravity environment.     

共球藻纲丝状藻中国新记录属种——洪泛拟寇丽藻

从甘肃省张掖市黑河流域分离了一株不分枝的丝状绿藻,对其进行纯培养并保藏于中国科学院淡水藻种库,编号FACHB 2451。形态观察表明,该藻株具有相对较长的营养细胞 (细胞长为宽的3~8倍)、双叶形的片状叶绿体、末端细胞顶端钝圆或略尖细等特征。结合形态比较和基于18S rDNA 基因序列的系统发育分析,确定该藻株为中国淡水共球藻纲新记录属种——洪泛拟寇丽藻 (Koliellopsis inundata Lokhorst)。分子系统发育研究结果表明,所分离的藻株与分离自比利时与荷兰边境农地的洪泛拟寇丽藻模式藻株序列相似度极高,且拟寇丽藻属与寇丽藻属、针丝藻属和拟针丝藻属等不分枝丝状拟寇丽藻科成员亲缘关系密切,可以较好地聚成一个亚支。     

香味蒜蓉60Co-γ射线辐照杀菌剂量计算机模糊优化的数值算法

本文首次提出香味蒜蓉～60Co-γ射线辐照杀菌单元操作方法,设计出了辐照杀菌剂量计算机模糊优化的数值算法,利用此算法设计出了FORTRAN语言处理程序,通过在FACOMM340S计算机上的实际运行,优化出了最佳杀菌剂量．     

磁性大孔树脂对苹果渣多酚的吸附-解吸效能

以苹果渣多酚类化合物为吸附模型,制备一种可有效吸附分离苹果渣多酚的磁性树脂,研究其吸附、解吸效能,并就吸附和解吸效能、使用次数与普通大孔树脂进行比较。结果显示,5种普通树脂中D280、H103、AB-8对苹果渣多酚的吸附率均高于80%,AB-8、D3520树脂对苹果渣多酚的解吸率均高于90%,AB-8树脂的吸附率和解吸率最好;磁性大孔树脂吸附0.5 h后即可达到吸附平衡,吸附平衡后剩余液多酚质量浓度低于AB-8树脂吸附平衡后剩余液多酚质量浓度,吸附效能明显优于AB-8树脂;磁性大孔树脂解吸效能也略优于AB-8树脂;使用4 次后,磁性大孔树脂的吸附率仍然高于70%,稳定性优于AB-8树脂。可见,磁性大孔树脂是一种良好的苹果渣多酚吸附剂,有较好的工业化应用前景。     

Gp93, the Drosophila GRP94 ortholog, is required for gut epithelial homeostasis and nutrient assimilation-coupled growth control

GRP94, the endoplasmic reticulum Hsp90, is a metazoan-restricted chaperone essential for early development in mammals, yet dispensable for mammalian cell viability. This dichotomy suggests that GRP94 is required for the functional expression of secretory and/or membrane proteins that enable the integration of cells into tissues. To explore this hypothesis, we have identified the Drosophila ortholog of GRP94, Gp93, and report that Gp93 is an essential gene in Drosophila. Loss of zygotic Gp93 expression is late larval-lethal and causes prominent defects in the larval midgut, the sole endoderm-derived larval tissue. Gp93 mutant larvae display pronounced defects in the midgut epithelium, with aberrant copper cell structure, markedly reduced gut acidification, atypical septate junction structure, depressed gut motility, and deficits in intestinal nutrient uptake. The metabolic consequences of the loss of Gp93-expression are profound; Gp93 mutant larvae exhibit a starvation-like metabolic phenotype, including suppression of insulin signaling and extensive mobilization of amino acids and triglycerides. The defects in copper cell structure/function accompanying loss of Gp93 expression resemble those reported for mutations in labial, an endodermal homeotic gene required for copper cell specification, and α-spectrin, thus suggesting an essential role for Gp93 in the functional expression of secretory/integral membrane protein-encoding lab protein target genes and/or integral membrane protein(s) that interact with the spectrin cytoskeleton to confer epithelial membrane specialization.     

Impacts of fire severity and post-fire reforestation on carbon pools in boreal larch forests in Northeast China

Aims Boreal larch (Larix gmelinii) forests in Northeast China have been widely disturbed since the 1987 conflagration; however, its long-term effects on the forest carbon (C) cycling have not been explored. The objective of this study thus was to quantify the effects of fire severity and post-fire reforestation on C pools and the changes of these forests.Methods Sixteen permanent plots have been set in two types of larch stands (L. gmelinii -grass, LG; and L. gmelinii-Rhododendron dahurica, LR) with three levels of fire severity (unburned, low-severity and high-severity but replanted), at 1987 burned sites in Daxing'anling, northeastern China, to repeatedly measure ecosystem C pools in 1998 and 2014. C components were partitioned into vegetation (foliage, branch, stem and roots), soil and detritus (standing and fallen woody debris and litter). The fire effects on post-fire C dynamics were examined by comparing the differences of C pools and changes between the two field investigations caused by fire severity.Important findings During the study period, unburned mature stands were C sinks (105g C m ?2 year^-1 for LG, and 190g C m ?2 year^-1 for LR), whereas the low-severity stands were C-neutral (?4 and 15g C m ?2 year^-1 for LG and LR, respectively). The high-severity burned but reforested stands were C sinks, among which, however, magnitudes (88 and 16g C m ?2 year^-1 for LG and LR, respectively) were smaller than those of the two unburned stands. Detritus C pools decreased significantly (with a loss ranging from 26 to 38g C m ?2 year^-1) in the burned stands during recent restoration. Soil organic C pools increased slightly in the unmanaged stands (unburned and low-severity, with accumulation rates ranging from 4 to 35g C m ?2 year^-1), but decreased for the high-severity replanted stands (loss rates of 28 and 36g C m ?2 year^-1 for LG and LR, respectively). These results indicate that fire severity has a dynamic post-fire effect on both C pools and distributions of the boreal larch forests, and that effective reforestation practice accelerates forest C sequestration.     

北京地区住院患儿WU多瘤病毒感染的流行病学研究

自2007年Gaynor A M等人通过高通量测序在肺炎患儿呼吸道样本中发现了WU多瘤病毒(Washington University polyomavirus,WUPyV)以来,WUPyV在世界各地被广泛检出。为了解北京地区急性呼吸道感染住院儿童中WUPyV感染情况及其临床特征,收集北京地区2017年4月至2018年3月共1 276份呼吸道感染住院患儿的鼻咽抽吸物样本,使用real time PCR方法对样本进行WUPyV检测,同时对WUPyV阳性样本进行17种常见呼吸道病毒筛查。共检出WUPyV阳性样本76份(5.96%,76/1 276),4岁以下儿童居多(92.11%,70/76);WUPyV感染全年可见,无显著季节性;多伴随其他呼吸道病毒混合感染(60.53%,46/76),最常见混合感染为鼻病毒和A型流感病毒;WUPyV单一感染者与混合感染者病毒载量无显著性差异,临床诊断和表现基本一致;WUPyV感染患儿的常见诊断为支气管炎(68.42%,52/76)和肺炎(30.26%,23/76);临床症状主要表现为高热、咳嗽、咳痰。研究结果提示WUPyV是北京地区急性呼吸道感染住院患儿呼吸道样本中常见病毒之一,多见于4岁以下儿童。     

Detection of Alicyclobacillus spp. in Fruit Juice by Combination of Immunomagnetic Separation and a SYBR Green I Real-Time PCR Assay

An approach based on immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and SYBR Green I real-time PCR (real-time PCR) with species-specific primers and melting curve analysis was proposed as a rapid and effective method for detecting Alicyclobacillus spp. in fruit juices. Specific primers targeting the 16S rDNA sequences of Alicyclobacillus spp. were designed and then confirmed by the amplification of DNA extracted from standard strains and isolates. Spiked samples containing known amounts of target bacteria were used to obtain standard curves; the correlation coefficient was greater than 0.986 and the real-time PCR amplification efficiencies were 98.9%- 101.8%. The detection limit of the testing system was 2.8×10¹ CFU/mL. The coefficient of variation for intra-assay and inter-assay variability were all within the acceptable limit of 5%. Besides, the performance of the IMS-real-time PCR assay was further investigated by detecting naturally contaminated kiwi fruit juice; the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 91.7%, 95.9% and 95.3%, respectively. The established IMS-real-time PCR procedure provides a new method for identification and quantitative detection of Alicyclobacillus spp. in fruit juice.