A comparison of the use of different swab materials for optimal diagnosis of amoebic gill disease (AGD) in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Routine gill swabbing is a non-destructive sampling method used for the downstream qPCR detection and quantitation of the pathogen Neoparamoeba perurans, a causative agent of amoebic gill disease (AGD). Three commercially available swabs were compared aiming their application for timelier AGD diagnosis (Calgiswab^® (calcium alginate fibre-tipped), Isohelix^® DNA buccal and cotton wool-tipped). Calcium alginate is soluble in most sodium salts, which potentially allows the total recovery of biological material, hence a better extraction of target organisms’ DNA. Thus, this study consisted of (a) an in vitro assessment involving spiking of the swabs with known amounts of amoebae and additional assessment of retrieval efficiency of amoebae from agar plates; (b) in vivo testing by swabbing of gill arches (second, third and fourth) of AGD-infected fish. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments identified an enhanced amoeba retrieval with Calgiswab® and Isohelix® swabs in comparison with cotton swabs. Additionally, the third and fourth gill arches presented significantly higher amoebic loads compared to the second gill arch. Results suggest that limiting routine gill swabbing to one or two arches, instead of all, could likely lead to reduced stress-related effects incurred by handling and sampling and a timelier diagnosis of AGD.     

盐渍化灌区节水改造后土壤盐分时空变化规律研究

为探明沈乌灌域节水改造后因地下水水位变化造成的土壤盐分重分布规律,采用区域土壤信息定点监测,并结合经典统计学、空间插值、缓冲区分析和空间自相关分析方法,研究节水改造前后沈乌灌域土壤盐分空间变异、时空分布规律及不同改造年限区域土壤盐分变化差异。结果表明:节水改造后,秋浇前土壤整体含盐量平均降幅7. 30%,秋浇水量减少,秋浇后土壤盐分淋洗效果减弱9. 26%;空间上,土壤盐分高值区(大于6 g/kg)多位于地下水埋深较浅的东北和南部区域,低值区(小于2 g/kg)位于西南和东部沙区。节水改造后,秋浇前土壤盐分全局Moran’s I指数平均增幅为5%,空间相关性增强;秋浇水量减少,全局Moran’s I指数变化不显著,秋浇作用对土壤盐分空间自相关影响度减弱。由LISA集聚分析可知,改造后、秋浇前南部高-高显著区向不显著和高-低区转变,秋浇后南部集聚特征仍十分显著,存在盐渍化风险,改造后仍是盐渍化防治重点区域。针对中度耐盐作物,沈乌灌域耕层作物生长安全区和深层非盐渍土面积比例分别为49. 66%和71. 57%;改造后,秋浇前耕层作物生长安全区和深层非盐渍土分别增加4. 82、1. 85个百分点,秋浇后,耕层作物生长安全区面积增幅下降5. 02个百分点,深层变化不显著。不同距离缓冲区对平均土壤含盐量的解释能力较强,长期改造区和短期改造区受渠道影响半径分别为1. 5 km和0. 7 km,长期改造区缓冲区内平均土壤含盐量下降速率高于短期改造区,均一化程度较高。综上所述,节水改造工程实施后,土壤盐渍化程度减轻,作物生长安全区面积增加,表聚作用弱化,秋浇水量减少,土壤盐分淋洗效果减弱,土壤环境有所改善。     

低毒防腐剂百菌清及铜制剂对木材尺寸稳定及力学性能的影响

百菌清（CTL）、氨浴季铵铜（ACQ）、氨溶柠檬酸铜（ACC）处理马尾松（Pinus massoniana)、毛白杨（Populus tomentosa)后对木材尺寸稳定性及MOE／MOR的影响本文进行了研究。结果表明，除剂量11．48kg/m^3的百菌清处理的毛白杨外，以上防腐剂处理试材后吸水至饱和时的尺寸稳定性与对照相比有不同程度的增加，幅度为3．9％－28．05；各处理对抗弯弹性模量（MOE）影响幅度不大，其中对于马尾松，MOE差异不明显，对于毛白杨，各处理对MOE稍有增加（百菌清乳剂处理除外），幅度6．3％－8．1之间。各制剂处理马尾松、毛白杨后对抗弯强度（MOR）影响不明显。     

Probing mode of action in plant cell cycle by the herbicide endothall, a protein phosphatase inhibitor

The mode of action of endothall, an herbicide which was reported to inhibit plant protein phosphatases 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), was investigated. For initial characterization, a series of bioassays was used for comprehensive physiological profiling of endothall effects which suggested a phytotoxic mode of action similar to mitotic disrupter herbicides. Unlike known microtubule disrupters, endothall did not inhibit soybean tubulin polymerization in vitro. As shown in meristematic corn root tips, endothall distorted the orientation of cell division plane and microtubule spindle structures which led to cell cycle arrest in prometaphase. In tobacco BY-2 cells, malformed spindles together with prometaphase arrest of nuclei and abnormal perinuclear microtubule patterns were detected as early as 4 h of endothall treatment. These effects were also observed after treatment with other protein phosphatase inhibitors, cantharidin and okadaic acid, which phenocopied the mitotic changes described in tonneau1 (ton1) and tonneau2 (ton2) Arabidopsis mutants. These mutants are defective in TONNEAU2 (TON2) protein, a regulatory subunit of PP2A, which governs cell division plane and microtubule orientation. Therefore, PP2A/TON2 phosphatase complex is suggested to be an in planta molecular target of endothall. However, in BY-2 cells, additional effects of endothall, including inhibition of S-phase initiation and DNA synthesis, detected by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, and condensed nuclei arrested in late mitosis were observed which were not reported in Arabidopsiston1 and ton2 mutants. This result indicates that two additional checkpoints in cell cycle were blocked by endothall which are probably not associated with TON2-pathway inhibition. Possibly, inhibition of PP1 and/or other PP2A protein phosphatases are involved in the regulation of these cell cycle phenomena.     

Proton accumulation accelerated by heavy chemical nitrogen fertilization and its long-term impact on acidifying rate in a typical arable soil in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain

Cropland productivity has been signiifcantly impacted by soil acidiifcation resulted from nitrogen (N) fertilization, especialy as a result of excess ammoniacal N input. With decades’ intensive agricul...     

Comparison of 2 methods for establishing rat model of chronic osmotic diarrhea

AIM: To compare 2 different rat models of chronic osmotic diarrhea with the lactose enrichment and magnesium citrate methods. METHODS: The SD rats (n=31) were randomly divided into lactose enrichment diarrhea group (Lac group, 12 rats), magnesium citrate diarrhea group (Mg group, 12 rats) and normal control group (Con group, 7 rats). The rats in Lac group were fed with a lactose enrichment diet and freely drank water. The rats in Mg group were fed with a standard diet and drank magnesium citrate solution. The Con group was fed with a standard diet and normal water. The general conditions and the characteristics of stool were observed every day. The grip strength and motor activity of the rats were measured after diarrhea for 14 d. The trans-epithelial resistance of the colonic mucosa was detected by Ussing chamber. The pathological changes of villus height and villus surface area in the intestine were observed with hemato-xylin-eosin staining. RESULTS: The rats in both diarrhea groups displayed the clinical manifestations of slow increase in body weight, spare and dull hair, lacking in strength and physical inactivity. The grip strength and motor activity of the rats in both diarrhea groups decreased significantly compared with Con group. The diarrhea rate and diarrhea index of the rats in the 2 diarrhea groups were both significantly higher than those in Con group (P<0.05). Moreover, the diarrhea index in Lac group was significantly increased compared with Mg group. The thickness of intestinal mucosa in Lac group was thinner than that in Mg group at the same time. However, the damage of intestinal villi in Mg group was more serious than that in Lac group.CONCLUSION: Both methods of lactose enrichment-induced diarrhea and magnesium citrate-induced diarrhea meet the requirement of chronic osmotic diarrhea, but there are different advantages between the diarrhea models. Therefore, we should select the correct diarrhea model to meet different aims of the experiments.     

西南地区主要类型土壤钾素有效性分析

通过测定西南地区主要类型土壤的基本农化性状、Q/I曲线、固钾率和酸提取钾来研究土壤钾素缓冲容量(PBCK),进而分析土壤钾素的有效性.试验结果表明,PBCK与土壤CEC、固钾率和酸提取均呈极显著正相关,因此可以用PECK来衡量土壤钾素有效性.     

柠檬酸铁作为发色剂对改善羊排色泽的研究

通过L8(23)正交试验,研究了不同浓度条件下的柠檬酸铁、柠檬酸和L-抗坏血酸钠对羊排的发色作用。影响羊排发色效果的因素依次为柠檬酸铁与柠檬酸的共同作用、柠檬酸铁单独作用、柠檬酸铁与抗坏血酸钠的共同作用、柠檬酸的单独作用和抗坏血酸钠的单独作用。当柠檬酸铁、柠檬酸和L-抗坏血酸钠的的质量比为2∶1∶2时的发色效果最佳,且当柠檬酸铁的质量分数为0.05%,柠檬酸的质量分数为0.025%,L-抗坏血酸钠的质量分数为0.05%时的发色效果好于试验中的其余组。     

退耕对滇池湖滨土壤理化性质与无机磷分布的影响

[目的]明晰退耕对滇池湖滨土壤理化性质和土壤磷素形态分布的影响,进而评价退耕的土壤恢复效应和环境效应。[方法]采用空间代替时间的研究方法,对比研究滇池湖滨缓冲带和设施农田剖面土壤理化性质以及无机磷剖面分布特征,并且以滇池湖滨3个区域(牛恋、海埂、兴隆)相同退耕方式为对照进行研究。[结果]退耕3a后,牛恋缓冲带浅表地下水埋深明显变浅,土壤有机碳和全氮含量明显增加,土壤全磷,Olsen-P,Al-P和Fe-P含量均明显降低,O-P含量明显增加。但是浅表地下水埋深较深的海埂缓冲带土壤理化性质和无机磷组分没有发生明显变化。兴隆缓冲带土壤有机碳和全氮含量明显降低。3a内退耕没有直接对土壤理化性质和无机磷组分产生明显影响,浅表地下水埋深改变是影响土壤恢复和无机磷组分变化的直接原因之一。[结论]滇池湖滨缓冲带和设施农田土壤磷素均存在淋失风险,退耕活动通过抬高浅表地下水位加速土壤磷素淋失从而降低土壤潜在淋失风险。