Pathogenicity of a Strain of H5N6 Subtype Avian Influenza Virus in Ducks and Mice

To investigate the pathogenicity of A/Hero/Guangdong/C1/2013(H5N6), an AIV strain isolated from Heron on ducks and mice, pathogenicity of this new virus strain and changing of histopathology as well as a preliminary study on its biological characteristics were studied by virus challenges test via intranasal and eye-drop and in chicken via jugular vein injection.Results showed that the EID₅₀ of this strain of virus was 10^-8.16/0.1 mL in embryonated chicken eggs and the intravenous inoculation of pathogenic index (IVPI) was 2.76.In ducks and mice, the 50% lethal doses (LD₅₀) of it were determined to be 10^-4.0/0.2 mL and 10^-4.67/0.05 mL, respectively.Symptoms of infection included loss of appetite, depression, swollen head and tears after being infected with 10⁶ EID₅₀ per duck by intranasal and eye-drop administration.Most of ducks died 4 to 7 days post-infection, liver, lung and kidney still eliminated toxicants at day 7 post-infection.Anatomy showed symptoms of pericardial effusion, pulmonary congestion and kidney enlargement, while pathological section showed pathological change like karyopycnosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in heart, liver, kidney and spleen.Mice developed symptoms of infection like loss of appetite, depression, shaggy coat and ruffled coat after being infected with 5×10⁵ EID₅₀ per mouse by intranasal and eye-drop administration.Most of the infected mice died 5 to 7 days post-infection and only liver still eliminated toxicants at day 7 post-infection.Although organ anatomy showed no obvious pathological changes, pathological section showed pathological changes like karyopycnosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in heart, kidney and lung.Our research demonstrated that this H5N6 subtype AIV had a strong pathogenicity and could be defined as a highly pathogenic AIV strain as its IVPI was greater than 1.2.Our work laid a theory foundation for study, prevention and control of H5N6 subtype AIV.     

Cloning and Sequence Analysis of N and M Genes of Avian Infectious Bronchitis Virus Guangxi Strain

To investigate genetic variation of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in Guangxi province,one strain of IBV was isolated from chicken.Two pairs of primers for amplifying the N and M genes of IBV were designed according to the sequences in GenBank.The N and M genes of the strain were amplified by RT-PCR,and they were proved to be the N and M genes of IBV by cloning,sequencing and compared with reference IBV strains published in GenBank.The results showed that the N gene from the IBV isolate consisted of 1 230 bp,coding 409 amino acids.The M gene from the IBV isolate consisted of 678 bp,coding 225 amino acids.The sequence analysis of N gene showed that it shared 87.2% to 93.3% nucleotide homologies and 90.0% to 94.4% deduced amino acid sequence homologies with IBV strains from GenBank.The M gene sequence analysis showed that it shared 83.6% to 91.0% nucleotide homologies and 82.7% to 92.9% deduced amino acid sequence homologies.The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that it was closely related to BJ and LX4 strains,and were clustered into one group;But with the distant relatives from other strains of IBV.These results suggested that the isolate was a new variant of IBV.     

Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Outbreak Investigation: Application of the FAO‐OIE‐WHO Four‐way Linking Framework in Indonesia

WHO, FAO and OIE developed a ‘four‐way linking’ framework to enhance the cross‐sectoral sharing of epidemiological and virological information in responding to zoonotic disease outbreaks. In Indonesia, outbreak response challenges include completeness of data shared between human and animal health authorities. The four‐way linking framework (human health laboratory/epidemiology and animal health laboratory/epidemiology) was applied in the investigation of the 193rd human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection. As recommended by the framework, outbreak investigation and risk assessment findings were shared. On 18 June 2013, a hospital in West Java Province reported a suspect H5N1 case in a 2‐year‐old male. The case was laboratory‐confirmed that evening, and the information was immediately shared with the Ministry of Agriculture. The human health epidemiology/laboratory team investigated the outbreak and conducted an initial risk assessment on 19 June. The likelihood of secondary cases was deemed low as none of the case contacts were sick. By 3 July, no secondary cases associated with the outbreak were identified. The animal health epidemiology/laboratory investigation was conducted on 19–25 June and found that a live bird market visited by the case was positive for H5N1 virus. Once both human and market virus isolates were sequenced, a second risk assessment was conducted jointly by the human health and animal health epidemiology/laboratory teams. This assessment concluded that the likelihood of additional human cases associated with this outbreak was low but that future sporadic human infections could not be ruled out because of challenges in controlling H5N1 virus contamination in markets. Findings from the outbreak investigation and risk assessments were shared with stakeholders at both Ministries. The four‐way linking framework clarified the type of data to be shared. Both human health and animal health teams made ample data available, and there was cooperation to achieve risk assessment objectives.     

施氮对块茎形成期高温胁迫后马铃薯块茎产量、淀粉含量和相关酶代谢活性的影响

为了明确不同施氮量对高温胁迫后马铃薯块茎淀粉合成酶、淀粉含量及产量的影响,本研究于2019-2020年在宁南山区海原县进行田间试验.供试品种为青薯9号,通过搭建高温棚构建高温环境,设2个温度处理(T1:块茎形成初期高温胁迫,T2:自然温度),4个氮肥水平(不施氮N0:0 kg·hm-2,低氮水平N1:75 kg·hm-...     

下辽河平原潮棕壤撂荒地和人工林N2O、CH4排放研究

采用静态箱(暗箱)气相色谱法对下辽河平原潮棕壤撂荒地和人工林N2O、CH4排放进行了为期1年的原位测量,同时测量了土壤温湿度、气温,土壤NO3-N、NH4 -N含量等相关因子.结果表明,在观测期间内人工林地土壤的N2O排放通量明显高于撂荒地.撂荒地是大气CH4的源,而人工林则是CH4的汇.对人工林的观测结果表明,N2哦O排放与CH4排放之间存在负相关关系(R2=-0.351,p＜0.05,n=36);而撂荒地两种气体排放之间无明显相关关系.N2O排放通量和温度变化有很好的相关性.当土壤含水量在200 g/kg以上时,土壤含水量与CH4气体排放具有较好的正相关关系.     

Nitrogen turnover and N2O production in the forest floor of beech stands as influenced by forest management

Effects of forest management (thinning) on gross ammonification, net ammonification, net nitrification, microbial biomass, and N₂O production were studied in the forest floor of adjacent untreated control (“C”) and thinned (“T”) plots in three beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in the Swabian Jura (Southern Germany) during three intensive field campaigns in the year 2004. The investigated sites are located less than 1 km apart on the slopes of a narrow valley. Due to different exposure (southwest, northeast, northwest), the three sites are characterized by warm‐dry microclimate (southwest site, SW) and cool‐moist microclimate (northeast site, NE; and northwest site, NW). Measurements at the NW site covered the second year (13 to 20 months) after thinning, and measurements at the SW and NE sites covered the sixth year (61 to 68 months) after thinning. Mean gross ammonification varied insignificantly across the six plots (range: 37.5 ? 31.2 to 51.0 ? 10.5 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 d^–1). The SW site was characterized by very low net nitrification and nitrate (NO ) concentrations that were not significantly different between control and thinned plot. In contrast, for the thinned plot at the NE site (NET), significantly increased mean net nitrification (2.3 ? 1.2 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 d^–1 at the NET plot vs. 0.4 ? 0.2 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 d^–1 at the NEC plot) and mean extractable NO concentrations (43.9 ? 22.8 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 at the NET plot vs. 4.1 ? 0.8 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 at the NEC plot) were observed. The differences in net nitrification and NO concentrations across the research plots were related to differences in the forest‐floor C : N ratios: net nitrification increased exponentially below a threshold C : N value of about 25. The results of this study indicate that the forest floor of the warm‐dry SW site is very resistant to N loss triggered by thinning due to high C : N ratios around 30. Under the cool‐moist microclimate of the NE site, a significantly lower C : N ratio of 22.1 at the thinned plot (control plot: 26.7) coincided with significantly increased net nitrification. Thus, different responses of net nitrification to thinning under different microclimate appear to be triggered by different C : N ratios. Nitrous oxide production was mainly governed by forest‐floor water content, and since differences in water content at adjacent control and thinned plots were low, N₂O production was not significantly different between adjacent control and thinned plots.     

Impact of harvesting and logging slash on nitrogen and carbon dynamics in soils from upland spruce forests in northeastern Ontario

The potential impact of timber harvesting in the boreal forest on aquatic ecosystem water quality and productivity depends in part on the production of nutrients within the soil of the harvested catchment. Nitrogen supplied by organic matter decomposition is of particular interest because of the important role that N plays in biotic processes in surface waters, and in forest nutrition in general. Logging slash quality and input to the forest floor has the potential to influence N availability after harvest on clearcut sites. Net production of organic and inorganic-N and microbial biomass C and N concentrations were determined during a 90-day laboratory incubation at constant temperature and moisture. Incubated soils included F horizon and shallow mineral soil horizons (0-5 cm) from unharvested and full-tree harvested (2 and 12 growing seasons since harvest) boreal forest sites at the Esker Lakes Research Area (ELRA), in northeastern Ontario, Canada. In an ancillary experiment, black spruce foliage was added to unharvested forest floor material after 30 days during a 90-day laboratory incubation to simulate the influence of logging slash from full-tree harvesting on C and N dynamics. Twelve-year old clearcut F horizon material released on average 75 and 5 times more -N and 3 and 2 times as much inorganic-N than soil collected from unharvested and 2-year-old clearcuts, respectively. This increase in -N accumulation during the incubation was accompanied by decreases in both exchangeable -N and microbial biomass C and N levels. Net daily changes in microbial biomass N were significantly related to organic and inorganic-N accumulation or loss within the F horizon. Mineral soil release of inorganic-N was lower than release from the forest floor. Nitrate-nitrogen accumulation was lower, and -N accumulation was higher in mineral soil from unharvested sites when compared to 12-year-old clearcuts. Calculated harvest response ratios indicated that incubated mineral soil from the 12-year-old clearcut sites released significantly greater amounts of -N than 2-year-old clearcuts. Incorporation of black spruce needles into F horizon material reduced the production of organic and inorganic-N and increased microbial biomass N. Laboratory incubations of F horizon and shallow mineral soil from 12-year-old clearcuts suggested that these boreal soils have the capacity for increased inorganic-N production compared to uncut stands several years after harvesting. This has the potential to increase N availability to growing boreal forest plantations and increase N leaching due to greater -N levels in the forest soil.     

Heterotrophic and autotrophic nitrification in two acid pasture soils

Laboratory incubation experiments, using ¹⁵N-labeling techniques and simple analytical models, were conducted to measure heterotrophic and autotrophic nitrification rates in two acid soils (pH 4.8-5.3; 1/5 in H₂O) with high organic carbon contents (6.2-6.8% in top 5 cm soil). The soils were from pastures located near Maindample and Ruffy in the Northeast Victoria, Australia. Gross rates of N mineralization, nitrification and immobilization were measured. The gross rates of autotrophic nitrification were 0.157 and 0.119 μg N g⁻¹ h⁻¹ and heterotrophic nitrification rates were 0.036 and 0.009 μg N g⁻¹ h⁻¹ for the Maindample and Ruffy soils, respectively. Heterotrophic nitrification accounted for 19% and 7% of the total nitrification in the Maindample and Ruffy soils, respectively. The heterotrophic nitrifiers used organic N compounds and no as the substrate for nitrification.     

N tracing models with a Monte Carlo optimization procedure provide new insights on gross N transformations in soils

¹⁵N tracing studies in combination with analyses via process-based models are the current “state-of-the-art” technique to quantify gross nitrogen (N) transformation rates in soils. A crucial component of this technique is the optimization algorithm which primarily decides how many model parameters can simultaneously be estimated. Recently, we published a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method which has the potential to simultaneously estimate large number of parameters in ¹⁵N tracing models [Müller et al., 2007. Estimation of parameters in complex ¹⁵N tracing models by Monte Carlo sampling. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39, 715-726].Here, we present the results of a reanalysis of datasets by Kirkham and Bartholomew [1954. Equations for following nutrient transformations in soil, utilizing tracer data. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 18, 33-34], Myrold and Tiedje [1986. Simultaneous estimation of several nitrogen cycle rates using ¹⁵N: theory and application. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 18, 559-568] and Watson et al. [2000. Overestimation of gross N transformation rates in grassland soils due to non-uniform exploitation of applied and native pools. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 32, 2019-2030] using the MCMC technique. Analytical solutions such as the ones derived by Kirkham and Bartholomew [1954. Equations for following nutrient transformations in soil, utilizing tracer data. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 18, 33-34] result in gross rates without uncertainties. We show that the analysis of the same data sets with the MCMC method provides standard deviations for gross N transformations. The standard deviations are further reduced if realistic data uncertainties are considered. Reanalyzing data by Myrold and Tiedje [1986. Simultaneous estimation of several nitrogen cycle rates using ¹⁵N: theory and application. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 18, 559-568] (Capac soil) resulted in a model fit similar to the one of the original analysis but with more precise estimates of gross N transformations. In addition, our analysis showed that small N transformations such as heterotrophic nitrification, which was neglected in the original analysis, could be quantified for this soil. Watson et al. [2000. Overestimation of gross N transformation rates in grassland soils due to non-uniform exploitation of applied and native pools. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 32, 2019-2030] provided evidence of a non-uniform exploitation of applied and native N that led to an overestimation of gross N transformations. Reanalyzing the data (CENIT soil, low N application) with the Müller et al. [2007. Estimation of parameters in complex ¹⁵N tracing models by Monte Carlo sampling. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39, 715-726] model where oxidation was set to Michaelis-Menten kinetics resulted in a satisfactory fit between modeled and observed data, indicating that the observed artifact by Watson et al. [2000. Overestimation of gross N transformation rates in grassland soils due to non-uniform exploitation of applied and native pools. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 32, 2019-2030] was mainly due to inappropriate kinetic settings. Our study shows that the combination of a MCMC method with ¹⁵N tracing models is able to consider more complex and possibly more realistic models and kinetic settings to estimate gross N transformation rates and thus overcomes restriction of previous ¹⁵N tracing techniques.     

黄土旱区土壤C/N调控对谷子根系形态及产量的影响

为明确土壤C、N配施调控旱地谷子根系形态构建及产量形成的关联机制,研究以晋谷21谷子品种为试验材料,采用大田试验（处理小区面积30 m²）,设置不同C/N调控处理：CK（N 21.7 kg/hm²);A（N 21.7 kg/hm², C 6.7 kg/hm²）;B（N 32.7 kg/hm², C 6.7 kg/hm²）;C（N 43.3 kg/hm², C 6.7 kg/hm²）;D（N 54.3 kg/hm², C 6.7 kg/hm²）,N为含量为46%的尿素,C为玉米秸秆生物炭,系统调查了谷子根系形态指标体系和产量构成因子的变化规律。试验结果表明：①土壤CN合理配施可以有效增加谷子的产量,增产效果以处理C最为显著,较CK 处理显著增加44.9%;②同等生物炭施用水平下,充足或过量的N会抑制根系伸长下扎,但有助于根系的横向生长和体积膨大,处理B对根系总长、总表面积、总体积都有显著的促进作用,分别提升4.75%、13.92%、17.02%。③同等生物炭施用水平下,增施氮肥会减少土壤含水量,其中B处理较CK处理土壤水分含量显著降低4.2%;④增加氮素的施用可以有效促进谷子在抽穗期和灌浆期的根系生长发育,促进根系干物质的积累,与CK处理相比,A、B、C三个处理抽穗期和灌浆期谷子根系的干物质都显著性增加,增幅分别为28.13%、35.93%和24.75%,灌浆期增幅分别为36.83%、46.35%、49.52%;⑤配施生物炭可有效调控土壤电导率和土壤温度随作物生育期和气候环境的变化而变化,与CK相比,B处理显著降低土壤电导率19.5%,D处理显著提升了3%的土壤温度,对根系形态发育和功能发挥具有显著影响。综上所述,合理的CN配施调控可以通过改善土壤水肥环境,优化根系空间分布格局和功能,实现谷子产量和水分利用效率同步提升。