Dietary organic acids blend alone or in combination with an essential oil on the survival,growth, gut/liver structure and de hemato‐immunological in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of organic acids blend (OAB) alone or in combination with essential oil, Lippia origanoides (OAE) for Nile tilapia fed supplemented diets for 30 days. Fish (1.1 ± 0.04 g) were fed control (Control), or OAB 0.5% or OAB 0.5% + essential oil 0.125% (OAE) respectively. At the end of the experiment, samples were collected for de hemato‐immunological, histological analysis of the intestine and liver, as well as microbiology of the intestine. The pH of the diets supplemented with OAB and OAE reduced 0.92 and 0.19 respectively. The growth and FCR were unaffected by the treatments, but survival was significantly higher in the OAB treatment. Fish fed the OAB diet showed reduced concentration of total heterotrophic bacteria and Pseudomonas sp. in the intestine. Increased glucose in fish fed OAB and high number of circulating monocytes in fish fed OAE diet were observed. The anterior intestine of fish fed OAE diet showed larger number of goblet cells and increased villi height. The diet supplemented with OAB, mainly, improved the intestinal health and survival of tilapia juveniles and can be used in juvenile production.     

H3N2犬流感病毒M1蛋白的原核表达及鉴定

为制备犬流感病毒(H3N2) M1蛋白纯品,针对M1基因序列设计引物,用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)扩增目的基因片段,扩增产物克隆至表达载体pET-SUMO中并转化至宿主菌BL21(DE3),诱导表达目的蛋白,探索纯化工艺,制备目的蛋白,并用Western blot检测纯化的M1目的蛋白。通过PCR成功扩增出大小为771 bp的M1基因,成功构建p ET-SUMO-M1表达载体,表达的融合蛋白相对分子量为41 kD,主要以可溶形式表达,纯化后获得蛋白纯品,Western blot检测显示用M1蛋白(28 k D)免疫小鼠制备的多抗能与制备的蛋白纯品发生特异性反应,从而证明蛋白纯品为M1目的蛋白。试验制备出的M1蛋白纯品可为进一步制备通用型抗犬流感病毒抗体提供纯品抗原。     

Topical Ganciclovir Reduces Viral Excretion in Mares With Equine Coital Exanthema

Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) is the etiological agent of equine coital exanthema (ECE). Because no vaccines or antiviral therapies are available, prevention consists of clinical examination of mares and stallions before mating or semen collection and resting from breeding activities when lesions are present. However, this methodology does not identify subclinically infected animals. Ganciclovir is the most potent compound known to reduce EHV-3 replication. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical ganciclovir application to reduce EHV-3 replication in experimentally infected mares. A pilot study, after a double-blind completely randomized design, was carried out. Twenty mares were randomly divided into five groups (three treated with ganciclovir with different regimen of doses, one treated with a placebo, and one nontreated). Mares were experimentally infected with EHV-3 on day 0. Rectal temperature, clinical signs, and lesions were recorded. Daily perineal and vaginal swabs were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for virus detection. The antibody response was assessed by a virus neutralization test in serum samples collected weekly. Mares experimentally infected with EHV-3 and treated with ganciclovir twice a day for 13 days showed reduced levels and duration of viral excretion and less severe lesions. The viral excretion period was reduced from 18 to nine days compared with the untreated groups. We concluded that ganciclovir had an antiviral effect on EHV-3 replication when topically administered in mares showing clinical signs of ECE. Further trials should be performed to optimize the dose of the antiviral for a definitive formulation.     

“金花散茶”及“金花菌粉”对被动吸烟小鼠肺组织JAK2/STAT3炎性及磷酸化蛋白表达的影响

为探究“金花散茶”及其“金花菌粉”对被动吸烟(Cigarette smoking environment,CSE)小鼠肺组织受损的预防及修复机制,建立C57BL/6小鼠CSE模型,以600 mg∙kg^-1剂量的金花散茶茶汤(Eurotium cristatum tea extract,ECTE)及金花菌粉浸提液(Eurotium cristatum powder extract,ECPE)进行灌喂处理。与CSE模型组相比,小鼠灌喂ECPE和ECTE后,肺组织病理学切片显示其可保护小鼠肺组织形态结构完整;酶联免疫分析显示,灌喂ECPE和ECTE可显著抑制小鼠血清IL-6、IL-8、IL-1β、IFN-γ和TNF-α表达量上调;Western blot结果表明,灌喂ECPE和ECTE对小鼠肺组织p-JAK2、p-STAT3、p-JAK2/JAK2、p-STAT3/STAT3高表达起到抑制作用。以上研究结果表明,灌喂ECPE、ECTE对CSE肺受损小鼠具有明显保护作用,总体趋势为ECPE组优于ECTE组、预防组优于治疗组。     

基于改进蚁群算法的植保无人机路径规划方法

为了规划出更加高效的植保无人机路径，提出一种基于改进蚁群算法的植保无人机路径规划方法，该方法适用于多个具有复杂多边形边界与内部障碍物的三维作业区域。采用扫描方式生成水平面内的作业路径，经过离散化处理后，在三维地形曲面上插值，获得三维作业路径。在此基础上，建立作业路径生成算法，以三维作业路径总长度尽量短、作业路径数量尽量少为目标，对植保无人机作业航向进行寻优。改进蚁群算法通过附加记录作业路径进入点的机制，实现对三维作业路径的合理排序，生成总长度较短的转移路径。经过算例检验，针对同一作业区域规划出的三维作业路径与水平面内的作业路径的航向角存在较大差异，相差最大为92°，这说明考虑三维地形的必要性。算例中，将改进的蚁群算法与贪婪算法进行了对比，针对一系列相同的作业起点，改进的蚁群算法所得的转移路径总长度均较短，比贪婪算法所得结果缩短3%~28%；在未选定作业起点情况下，改进的蚁群算法与贪婪算法求得的转移路径总长度最小值分别为1661m与1763m，说明改进的蚁群算法具有良好的寻优能力。实例检验情况与算例所得结论基本一致。算例与实例中的作业区域边界与地形复杂，涵盖情况全面，表明本文提出的路径规划方法具有一定实用性。     

基于几何模型的绿萝叶片外部表型参数三维估测

为快速高效获取叶类植物叶片的外部表型参数、掌握植株生长状况，以绿萝叶片为研究对象，提出一种基于几何模型的叶长、叶宽与叶面积的三维估测方法。利用微软Kinect V2相机，自80cm高度垂直位姿获取绿萝叶片局部点云，并进行直通滤波去噪与包围盒精简等预处理，测量得到点云外形参数，输入预先建立的SAE网络分类预测得到几何模型参数，并基于曲面参数方程建立叶片几何模型。采用粒子群优化算法计算几何模型离散点云和局部点云间的空间距离，进行空间匹配，利用遗传算法求解最优匹配模型的内部模型参数，输出最优匹配模型的叶长、叶宽与叶面积作为估测结果。实验共采集150片绿萝叶片的局部点云数据，将估测结果和真实值进行数学统计与线性回归分析，得出叶长、叶宽与叶面积估测的平均误差分别为0.46cm、0.41cm和3.42cm2，叶长估测R2和RMSE分别为0.88和0.52cm，叶宽R2和RMSE分别为0.88和0.52cm，叶面积R2和RMSE分别为0.95和3.60cm2。实验表明，该方法对于绿萝叶片外形参数的估测效果较好，具有较高实用价值。     

Analysis of sinking death using video images of the swimming performance of Pacific Bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) larvae

In this study, we aimed to clarify the mechanism of sinking death during the larval stage of Pacific Bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis by investigating the effects of swimming performance on sinking death, using a behavioral approach. Swimming performance was examined 3–9 days after hatching (DAH) under day and night light conditions in cuboid experimental tanks. Swimming behavior variables such as swimming speed and swimming angle were measured under both light conditions. Larvae in the daytime experiment and larvae with inflated swim bladders at night were distributed on the surface layer of the water column. In contrast, larvae with uninflated swim bladders at night were frequently observed swimming vertically or sinking to the bottom of the tank. Larvae with inflated swim bladders at night were always distributed beneath the surface until the next morning (survival rates were 100 %). However, larvae with uninflated swim bladders at night swam upward repeatedly and later sank to the bottom of the tank (survival rates were 60 % and 38 % at 5 and 9 DAH, respectively). Larvae with uninflated swim bladders were not always able to maintain their swimming depth by swimming until the next morning. Additionally, their swimming speed and vertical swimming frequency (ratio) depended on the illumination and swim bladder conditions. Our findings show that larvae with uninflated swim bladders at night were associated with a higher risk of sinking death. The swimming energy capacity of Pacific Bluefin tuna larvae, which indicates the total amount of the energy that enables individuals to swim throughout the night without feeding, was found to be linked to sinking death.     

Up-regulation of miR-181a attenuates releases of CSE-induced pro-inflammatory factors and expression of collagen IV,fibronectin and α-SMA in human bronchial epithelial cells

AIM: To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of microRNA-181a (miR-181a) on cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced the productions of pro-inflammatory factors and the expression of collagen IV, fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). METHODS: CSE-induced miR-181a expression was detected by RT-qPCR in the HBECs. After tansfected with miR-181a mimic, the releases of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were measured by ELISA, the protein expression of collagen IV, fibronectin and α-SMA was determined by Western blot. The activation of NF-κB/TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway was also evaluated by Western blot. RESULTS: CSE increased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and TGF-β1 and the expression of collagen IV, fibronectin and α-SMA, and decreased the expression of miR-181a in the HBECs (P<0.05). However, transfected with miR-181a mimic partially prevented the releases of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and TGF-β1, and inhibited the expression of collagen IV, fibronectin and α-SMA (P<0.05). Additionally, the activation of NF-κB/TGF-β1/Smad3 evoked by CSE was attenuated after transfected with miR-181a mimic. CONCLUSION: Up-regulation of miR-181a prevents the releases of CSE-induced pro-inflammatory factors and expression of collagen IV, fibronectin and α-SMA in the HBECs, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-κB/TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway.