Immunological and pathological investigations in equine experimental uveitis

Background

The pathogenic mechanism of equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is still poorly defined and many variations between experimental animal models and spontaneous disease exist.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to investigate if Th17 cell-mediated response plays role in the pathogenesis of the used experimental model in horses and to reveal its pathological findings.

Methods

Experimental uveitis was induced in 6 healthy horses. The concentrations of retinal autoantigen CRALBP and IL-17 were measured using ELISA in aqueous humor and vitreous body of the 12 inflamed eyes as well as in 12 control non-inflamed eyes taken from 6 horses in slaughter house. After centrifugation of the two eye media, smears were prepared and cytological investigation was performed. Tissue specimens were taken from all eye globes and were submitted to histopathological investigation.

Results

CRALBP and IL-17 concentrations were significantly elevated in eye media of horses with experimental uveitis in comparison with controls. Cytological and histopathological findings corresponded to the changes characteristic of chronic immune-mediated inflammation with mononuclear cell infiltration of uvea, choroid, retina, and eye media as well as severe retinal destruction.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated the involvement of the retinal autoantigen CRALBP as well as IL-17 in the pathogenesis of experimental uveitis in horses. These findings suggests that this experimental uveitis in horses may serve as a suitable animal model for investigation of IL-17- mediated immune response during spontaneous autoimmune uveitis in horses as well as in humans.

     

Pyruvate kinase is necessary for Brucella abortus full virulence in BALB/c mouse

Brucellosis, caused by a facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella, is one of the most prevalent zoonosis worldwide. Host infection relies on several uncanonical virulence factors. A recent research hotpot is the links between carbon metabolism and bacterial virulence. In this study, we found that a carbon metabolism-related pyruvate kinase (Pyk) encoded by pyk gene (locus tag BAB_RS24320) was associated with Brucella virulence. Determination of bacterial growth curves and resistance to environmental stress factors showed that Pyk plays an important role in B. abortus growth, especially under the conditions of nutrition deprivation, and resistance to oxidative stress. Additionally, cell infection assay showed that Pyk is necessary for B. abortus survival and evading fusion with lysosomes within RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, animal experiments exhibited that the Pyk deletion significantly reduced B. abortus virulence in a mouse infection model. Our results elucidated the role of the Pyk in B. abortus virulence and provided information for further investigation of Brucella virulence associated carbon metabolism.     

铁皮石斛在人工光型密闭式植物工厂的适宜光照强度

人工光型密闭式植物工厂适于高附加值植物尤其是珍贵药用植物的大规模/低成本化生产,其环境调控对珍贵药用植物的产量和质量有重要影响。笔者研究探索在控制温度、湿度、CO2浓度和光周期的条件下,光照强度对铁皮石斛(Dendrobium officinale)组培苗生长发育的影响,以期找到铁皮石斛组培阶段在人工光可控环境下的适宜光照环境。鲜重约300mg的铁皮石斛单腋芽作为外植体在温度24±1℃、湿度65±5%、光周期12h/d、及光期CO2浓度800±50μmol/mol的环境条件下,设置光照强度为37、68、92、120μmol/(m2·s)的4组试验区,并使用容积为380mL的方型聚碳酸酯组培容器在人工光型密闭式植物工厂中培育92d。组培容器的顶部留2个直径为10mm的圆孔覆盖高分子透气膜用来与容器外进行气体交换。铁皮石斛组培苗的生长发育和生理活性在光照强度为68μmol/(m2·s)时最佳,超过92μmol/(m2·s)时呈现明显的光抑制;多糖含量随着光照强度的增强而增加,超过92μmol/(m2·s)时呈下降趋势,但是68和92μmol/(m2·s)光照强度试验区的多糖含量没有显著性差异。因此,铁皮石斛组培苗在人工光型密闭式植物工厂内培育的适宜光照强度为60￣70μmol/(m2·s)。     

大豆属Clycine亚属植物花粉形态研究

对大豆属Ｇｌｙｃｉｎｅ亚属中０个种的花粉进行了光学显微镜和扫描电镜的观察。发现多倍体材料的花粉大于二倍体的。并发现Ｇｌｙｃｉｎｅ亚属诸种花粉的形、萌发孔、外壁纹饰均存明显差异。     

Design of the Virtual Instrument of Frequency/Amplitude Sweep

In this paper the inevitable trend of constructing open ecosystem in modern settlement environment was discussed through the history of the settlement environment and the characters of modern settlement environment.The ecological crisis,change of the modern life and the citizens' needs and the ecological system character show,that it is important for sustainable development of the settlement environment to construct open ecosystem.The construction of modern habitation and the city room embodies the concept of open ecosystem.Then,in construction and research of modern settlement,the ecological viewpoint and method should be applied.     

Using midday stem water potential for scheduling deficit irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions

Irrigation techniques that reduce water applications are increasingly applied in areas with scarce water resources. In this study, the effect of two regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch cv. “Catherine”] performance was studied over three growing seasons. The experimental site was located in Murcia (SE Spain), a Mediterranean region. Two RDI strategies (restricting water applications at stage II of fruit development and postharvest) based on stem water potential (Ψ_s) thresholds (?1.5 and ?1.8 MPa during fruit growth and ?1.5 and ?2.0 MPa during postharvest) were compared to a fully irrigated control. Soil water content (θ_v), Ψ_s, gas exchange parameters, vegetative growth, crop load, yield and fruit quality were determined. RDI treatments showed significantly lower values of θ_v and Ψ_s than control trees when irrigation water was restricted, causing reductions in stomatal conductance and photosynthesis rates. Vegetative growth was reduced by RDI, as lower shoot lengths and pruning weights were observed under those treatments when compared to control. However, fruit size and yield were unaffected, and fruit quality was slightly improved by RDI. Water savings from 43 to 65 % were achieved depending on the year and the RDI strategy, and no negative carryover effect was detected during the study period. In conclusion, RDI strategies using Ψ_s thresholds for scheduling irrigation in mid–late maturing peach trees under Mediterranean conditions are viable options to save water without compromising yield and even improving fruit quality.     

Measured and estimated water use and crop coefficients of grapevines trained to overhead trellis systems in California’s San Joaquin Valley

The use of overhead trellis systems for the production of dry-on-vine (DOV) raisins and table grapes in California is expanding. Studies were conducted from 2006 to 2009 using Thompson Seedless grapevines grown in a weighing lysimeter trained to an overhead arbor trellis and farmed as DOV raisins for the first two years and for use as table grapes thereafter. Maximum canopy coverage for the two lysimeter vines across years was in excess of 80 %. Seasonal (15 March–31 October) evapotranspiration for the lysimeter vines (ET_Lys) was 952 mm in 2007 (farmed as DOV raisins) and 943 and 952 mm (when farmed as table grapes). The maximum crop coefficient (K _cLys) across all 4 years ranged from 1.3 to 1.4. These maximum values were similar to those estimated using the relationship where K _c is a function of the amount of shaded area measured beneath the canopy at solar noon (K _c = 0.017 × percent shaded area). Covering the lysimeter’s soil surface with plastic (and then removing it) numerous times during the 2009 growing season (1 June–14 September) reduced ET_Lys from an average of 6.4 to 5.6 mm day^?1 and the K _c from 1.07 to 0.93. A seasonal basal K _c (K _cb) was calculated for grapevines using an overhead trellis system with a 13 % reduction in the K _cLys across the growing season.     

北方粳稻“植生带”育秧设备定向排种装置的研制

为满足超级稻每穴(2±1)粒种子精量播种的特殊农艺要求,在纸夹定位水稻精密育秧设备研究基础上,研发出一种新型超级稻定向排种装置。初步排种试验表明,该装置可将种箱中杂乱无章的稻种分离出来后,在组合滑道上逐渐沿其长轴方向排列成连续的种子流,为超级稻植生带育秧设备的研制提供理论与实践依据。     

Crop response of drought-tolerant and conventional maize hybrids in a semiarid environment

In the High Plains, corn (Zea mays L.) is an important commodity for livestock feed. However, limited water resources and drought conditions continue to hinder corn production. Drought-tolerant (DT) corn hybrids could help maintain high yields under water-limited conditions, though consistent response of such hybrids is unverified. In this two-year study, the effects of three irrigation treatments were investigated for a DT and conventional maize hybrid, Pioneer AQUAMax P0876HR and Pioneer 33Y75, respectively. In 2013, the drier of the 2 years, irrigation amounts and crop water use (ET_c) were greater for the conventional hybrid, but grain water use efficiency (WUE) and harvest index were significantly greater for the DT hybrid. In 2014, grain yields and WUE were not significantly different between hybrids. However, irrigation amounts, ET_c and biomass yields were greater for the conventional hybrid. Results from both years indicate that the DT hybrid required less water to maximize grain yield as compared to the conventional hybrid. Producing relatively high yields with reduced amounts of water may provide a means for producers to continue corn production in a semiarid environment with declining water supplies.