一种新型H5N1禽流感病毒血凝素抗原快速检测试剂的建立

利用5株广谱特异性抗H5亚型血凝素单克隆抗体和酶联免疫渗滤技术成功地建立了一种适于现场检测H5亚型禽流感病毒血凝素蛋白的抗原快速检测试剂H5-HA(Ag)Dot-ELISA。该试剂对41株代表当前亚洲地区流行的各种遗传变异亚系H5N1禽流感病毒检测均为阳性,对多数毒株的分析灵敏度优于0.1个血凝滴度(HA titer),其中部分优于0.01个血凝滴度;比较该试剂与早期开发的同类ELISA试剂,发现前者对后者未能检出的H5N1新变异株检测均为阳性;利用该试剂和商品化Directigen Flu A(BD)试剂检测两株H5N1病毒株,提示前者灵敏度高于后者;该试剂对一株H5N1病毒的检测灵敏度与标准RT-PCR相当;该试剂对24株非H5亚型病毒检测均为阴性,显示出良好特异性。以上结果提示,此研究建立的H5N1病毒抗原快速检测试剂在H5禽流感现场检测上具有较好的应用前景。     

HFRSV在平皿表面室温暴露后存活力的定量研究

将肾综合症出血热病毒布于玻璃平皿表面,室温条件下分别暴露0、30、60、90和120min,观察病毒的定量存活情况.结果在经过120min的暴露后,HFRSV的效价仍高达104.23 TCID50.这一结果为HFRS的流行病学及其防治研究提供了重要的基础数据.     

Understanding extinction debts: spatio–temporal scales,mechanisms and a roadmap for future research

Extinction debt refers to delayed species extinctions expected as a consequence of ecosystem perturbation. Quantifying such extinctions and investigating long‐term consequences of perturbations has proven challenging, because perturbations are not isolated and occur across various spatial and temporal scales, from local habitat losses to global warming. Additionally, the relative importance of eco‐evolutionary processes varies across scales, because levels of ecological organization, i.e. individuals, (meta)populations and (meta)communities, respond hierarchically to perturbations. To summarize our current knowledge of the scales and mechanisms influencing extinction debts, we reviewed recent empirical, theoretical and methodological studies addressing either the spatio–temporal scales of extinction debts or the eco‐evolutionary mechanisms delaying extinctions. Extinction debts were detected across a range of ecosystems and taxonomic groups, with estimates ranging from 9 to 90% of current species richness. The duration over which debts have been sustained varies from 5 to 570 yr, and projections of the total period required to settle a debt can extend to 1000 yr. Reported causes of delayed extinctions are 1) life‐history traits that prolong individual survival, and 2) population and metapopulation dynamics that maintain populations under deteriorated conditions. Other potential factors that may extend survival time such as microevolutionary dynamics, or delayed extinctions of interaction partners, have rarely been analyzed. Therefore, we propose a roadmap for future research with three key avenues: 1) the microevolutionary dynamics of extinction processes, 2) the disjunctive loss of interacting species and 3) the impact of multiple regimes of perturbation on the payment of debts. For their ability to integrate processes occurring at different levels of ecological organization, we highlight mechanistic simulation models as tools to address these knowledge gaps and to deepen our understanding of extinction dynamics.     

Impact of single-chain Fv antibody fragment affinity on nanoparticle targeting of epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing tumor cells

To determine the importance of single-chain Fv (scFv) affinity on binding, uptake, and cytotoxicity of tumor-targeting nanoparticles, the affinity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) scFv antibody C10 was increased using molecular evolution and yeast display. A library containing scFv mutants was created by error-prone PCR, displayed on the surface of yeast, and higher affinity clones selected by fluorescence activated cell sorting. Ten mutant scFv were identified that had a 3-18-fold improvement in affinity (KD=15-88 nM) for EGFR-expressing A431 tumor cells compared to C10 scFv (KD=264 nM). By combining mutations, higher affinity scFv were generated with KD ranging from 0.9 nM to 10 nM. The highest affinity scFv had a 280-fold higher affinity compared to that of the parental C10 scFv. Immunoliposome nanoparticles (ILs) were prepared using EGFR scFv with a 280-fold range of affinities, and their binding and uptake into EGFR-expressing tumor cells was quantified. At scFv densities greater than 148 scFv/IL, there was no effect of scFv affinity on IL binding and uptake into tumor cells, or on cytotoxicity. At lower scFv densities, there was less uptake and binding for ILs constructed from the very low affinity C10 scFv. The results show the importance of antibody fragment density on nanoparticle uptake, and suggest that engineering ultrahigh affinity scFv may be unnecessary for optimal nanoparticle targeting.     

森林生态系统的水源涵养功能及其计量方法

为全面认识与正确评价森林生态系统的水源涵养功能,本文探讨了其概念、表现形式及其计量方法,认为：1）森林的水源涵养功能是一个动态、综合的概念,随着人们对森林水文作用认识的不断深入,其内涵不断丰富扩大,因此森林的水源涵养功能概念存在狭义和广义之分;2）森林的水源涵养功能（广义）有多种表现形式,包括拦蓄降水、调节径流、影响降雨和净化水质等,不过其具体表现形式与研究对象、研究目的以及研究尺度有关;3）目前森林拦蓄降水功能的计量方法主要有土壤蓄水能力法、水量平衡法、年径流量法和多因子回归法等8种,不过这些方法都存在一定的局限性,实际应用中需要综合考虑。     

Aspergillus flavus genomics: gateway to human and animal health, food safety, and crop resistance to diseases

Aspergillus flavus is an imperfect filamentous fungus that is an opportunistic pathogen causing invasive and non-invasive aspergillosis in humans, animals, and insects. It also causes allergic reactions in humans. A. flavus infects agricultural crops and stored grains and produces the most toxic and potent carcinogic metabolites such as aflatoxins and other mycotoxins. Breakthroughs in A. flavus genomics may lead to improvement in human health, food safety, and agricultural economy. The availability of A. flavus genomic data marks a new era in research for fungal biology, medical mycology, agricultural ecology, pathogenicity, mycotoxin biosynthesis, and evolution. The availability of whole genome microarrays has equipped scientists with a new powerful tool for studying gene expression under specific conditions. They can be used to identify genes responsible for mycotoxin biosynthesis and for fungal infection in humans, animals and plants. A. flavus genomics is expected to advance the development of therapeutic drugs and to provide information for devising strategies in controlling diseases of humans and other animals. Further, it will provide vital clues for engineering commercial crops resistant to fungal infection by incorporating antifungal genes that may prevent aflatoxin contamination of agricultural harvest.     

寒温针叶林土壤呼吸作用的时空特征

利用Li-6400便携式CO2分析系统对寒温针叶林土壤呼吸作用观测数据分析表明,土壤呼吸作用日、季动态均呈单峰型变化,日最大值出现在16:00左右,与5 cm土壤温度日动态相似,滞后于气温日动态变化;月最大值出现在8月份,2006年和2007年分别为8.19 和6.89 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1。日、季土壤呼吸作用与土壤温度的相关性均好于气温。土壤呼吸作用存在较大的空间变异性,一天内3:00 am、7:00 am和11:00 am的土壤呼吸作用变异系数分别为35.5%、27.6%和23.0%,根系和凋落物与土壤呼吸作用表现出相似的空间变异性,其中细根与土壤呼吸作用的相关性最好。