The insulin receptor is a transmission blocking veterinary vaccine target for zoonotic Schistosoma japonicum

Insulin receptors have been previously identified in Schistosoma japonicum that can bind human insulin. We used the purified recombined protein of the ligand domain of S.japonicum insulin receptor 2 (SjLD2) in three independent murine vaccine/challenge trials. Compared with controls, vaccination of mice with SjLD2 resulted in a significant reduction in faecal eggs, the stunting of adult worms and a reduction in liver granuloma density in all three trials. Furthermore, in the final trial, in which mature intestinal eggs were also quantified, there was a reduction in their number. These results suggest that development of a vaccine based on rSjLD2 for preventing transmission of zoonotic schistosomiasis is feasible.     

Development and characterization of an immunoaffinity column for the selective extraction of bisphenol A from serum samples

An immunoaffinity column (IAC) was developed by covalently coupling polyclonal antibodies against estrogenic bisphenols to CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B. The IAC showed high affinity for bisphenol A, while phenol was barely retained. Proteins in the sample matrix showed little nonspecific adsorption on the column. The best binding solvent for bisphenol A was found to be 0.01 mol l(-1) phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and the optimal operating temperature was 4 degrees C. The bound bisphenol A could be quantitatively recovered by 1 ml of methanol-water (80:20) with an average recovery of 91.8% and a relative standard deviation of 7.1% (n=6). The immunoaffinity column has been successfully used for the isolation and purification of bisphenol A from serum samples.     

Mechanisms of immunity in hydatid disease: implications for vaccine development

The Echinococcus organisms, the cause of echinococcosis (hydatid disease), are parasitic helminths with life cycles involving a carnivorous definitive host (usually dog or fox) and an intermediate host (human, ungulate, or rodent). They are complex multicellular pathogens that, despite being under constant barrage by the immune system, are able to modulate antiparasite immune responses and persist and flourish in their mammalian hosts. Understanding how the immune system deals with these parasites is a major challenge. Recent application of modern molecular and immunological approaches has revealed insights on the nature of immune responses generated during the course of hydatid infection, although many aspects of the Echinococcus-host interplay remain unexplored. This review summarizes current understanding of the immunology of echinococcosis, indicates areas where information is lacking, and shows how knowledge of host protective immunity has been translated into the design and development of anti-Echinococcus vaccines for application in intermediate hosts.     

宁夏草地土壤有机碳空间特征及其影响因素

草地是重要的碳汇资源库,在陆地生态系统碳循环中扮演着重要角色。探明草地土壤有机碳的空间分布格局及其影响因素对于推动区域生态系统碳汇管理,实现“双碳”目标和绿色高质量发展具有重要意义。以宁夏三种主要草地类型为研究对象,基于野外样点调查,采用结构方程模型,分析了草地土壤有机碳的空间分布特征及其影响因素。结果表明：不同类型草地土壤有机碳含量表现为草甸草原高于典型草原,荒漠草原最低,垂直剖面上均随土壤深度的增加而降低。草甸草原和荒漠草原有机碳空间变异自表层向下逐渐增大,典型草原在20—40 cm土层变异系数达到最大。有机碳分布在区域上从南部六盘山山地向中部干旱风沙带逐渐降低。路矩分析发现,海拔高度、地上生物量、降水量、温度和土壤含水量可解释土壤有机碳空间变异的91.4%。海拔高度对土壤有机碳总效应最大(作用系数为0.78),海拔高度引起的降水和温度等要素区域分异间接影响土壤有机碳含量;地上生物量对土壤有机碳的直接正向效应最大(0.559);降水量对土壤有机碳效应分为直接效应和作用于生物量及土壤含水量的间接影响;温度表现为通过生物量对土壤有机碳间接产生负向效应(-0.259)。宁夏草地土壤有机碳...     

不同经营模式对川西亚高山天然次生林林地水文效应的影响

天然次生林是川西亚高山林区经历大规模砍伐后形成的主要森林类型之一,是我国西南林区水源涵养林的重要组成部分。以不同经营模式(抚育经营、清林+补植经营以及封育经营)的川西亚高山次生桦木林和桦木、岷江冷杉混交林为研究对象,通过样方取样法获取和分析了林地苔藓、枯落物和土壤的水文指标。结果表明,与封山育林经营相比,抚育经营下的两种林型的苔藓最大持水率均显著升高(F=8.147,P=0.010;F=15.525,P=0.006)、桦木林的蓄积量显著降低(F=4.979,P=0.022),而苔藓最大持水量变化不显著;混交林则均无显著变化。在清林+补植经营下,混交林苔藓水文效应变化不显著(F=2.280,P=0.183),而桦木林虽然苔藓最大持水率无显著变化(F=4.072,P=0.098),但蓄积量的显著降低(F=3.536,P=0.044)导致了其最大持水量的降低(F=3.782,P=0.042)。两种经营方式基本上促进了天然林的枯落物最大持水率、降低了林下枯落物蓄积量;其中抚育经营效果更显著,但两种经营方式下枯落物最大持水量变化不显著。两种经营方式下,桦木林和混交林的林下土壤容重均降低(F=10.715,P0.01;F=5.148,P0.05),同时桦木林土壤最大持水量增加(F=4.499,P0.05),其中抚育经营的影响程度都更显著。从4年来的短期效应来看,两种经营方式均对天然林的林地持水能力具有促进作用,抚育经营较清林+补植经营更显著,但这仅是短期的结果,两种经营方式对于退化天然林水文以及其他生态功能恢复的长期影响还有待于进一步的观测研究。     

Genome Sequence of a Novel Reassortant H3N2 Avian Influenza Virus in Southern China

The distribution and prevalence of H3 subtype influenza viruses in avian and mammalian hosts constitutes a potential threat to both human and avian health. We report a complete genome sequence of a novel reassortant H3N2 avian influenza virus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that HA and NA showed the highest sequence homologies with those of A/white-backed munia/Hong Kong/4519/2009 (H3N2). However, the internal genes had the highest sequence homologies with those of H6 and H7 subtypes. The data provide further evidence of the existence of a natural reassortant H3N2 strain in southern China.     

淡水湖泊中微囊藻水华的成因分析

我国藻型富营养化湖泊中一个重要的生物类群是微囊藻,结合国内近几年来对微囊藻形成水华的机制的研究,从微囊藻的结构和生理特点以及环境中温度、光照、pH和营养盐等生态因子综合作用上分析了微囊藻水华的成因。     

Polymorphs,co-crystal structure and pharmacodynamics study of MBRI-001, a deuterium-substituted plinabulin derivative as a tubulin polymerization inhibitor

MBRI-001, a deuterium-substituted plinabulin derivative, has been reported to have better pharmacokinetic and similar antitumor effects in comparison with plinabulin. In this approach, we further carried out its polymorphs, co-crystal structure of MBRI-001-tubulin and tubulin inhibition study. Among the different polymorphs, Form F (MBRI-001/H₂O) was prepared and evaluated, which had better physical stability and suitable process for scale-up production. Co-crystal structure of MBRI-001-tubulin (PDB:5XI5) was prepared and analyzed. The result of tubulin polymerization assay demonstrated that MBRI-001 could inhibit tubulin polymerization which was similar as plinabulin. Subsequently, the anti-proliferative activities of plinabulin and MBRI-001 were evaluated against two different human lung cancer cell lines. In vivo study, MBRI-001 revealed similar antitumor inhibition in comparison with plinabulin in A549 xenograft tumor model. Therefore, we suggested that MBRI-001 could be developed as a promising anti-cancer agent in near future.     

Study on the multiple mechanisms underlying the reaction between hydroxyl radical and phenolic compounds by qualitative structure and activity relationship

The activity–structure relationships (ASR) of phenolic compounds as hydroxyl-radical scavengers have mostly been studied and discussed with regard to their iron-chelating and hydrogen-donation properties in Fenton-type system, but extensive elucidation of multiple mechanisms underlying the hydroxyl radical scavenging reaction is out of obtaining up to now. In the present paper, a series of phenolic compounds was studied for their reactivity with hydroxyl radical by computed chemistry and deoxyribose degradation assay. The rate constant (K_S), an index dependent markedly on the reaction mechanism and intrinsic reactivity of antioxidants, was found to have good correlation with hydroxyl O–H bond strength (ΔH_f), electron-donating ability (ionization potential approximated by HOMO energy level), enthalpy of single electron transfer (E_a), and spin distribution of phenoxyl radicals (Ds^r) after H-abstraction. Moreover, the theoretical parameters were highly intercorrelated, suggesting that multiple mechanisms co-exist in the hydroxyl-radical-scavenging reaction and interact with each other. Multi-linear regression analysis indicated that, in addition to H-atom transfer, electron transfer process and stability of the resulted phenoxyl radicals also significantly influence the reactivity of quenching hydroxyl radicals. The QSAR model so established here was based on the elucidation of the complex molecular mechanisms, and may reasonably predict the antioxidant activity using simple experimental and calculated parameters.