Establishment of a mouse- and egg-adapted strain for the evaluation of vaccine potency against H3N2 variant influenza virus in mice

Sporadic spreads of swine-origin influenza H3N2 variant (H3N2v) viruses were reported in humans, resulting in 437 human infections between 2011 and 2021 in the USA. Thus, an effective vaccine is needed to better control a potential pandemic for these antigenically distinct viruses from seasonal influenza. In this study, a candidate vaccine strain with efficient growth capacity in chicken embryos was established through serial blind passaging of A/Indiana/08/2011 (H3N2)v in mice and chicken embryos. Seven amino acid substitutions (M21I in PA; A138T, N165K, and V226A in HA; S312L in NP; T167I in M1; G62A in NS1 proteins) were found in the passaged viruses without a major change in the antigenicity. This mouse- and egg-adapted virus was used as a vaccine and challenge strain in mice to evaluate the efficacy of the H3N2v vaccine in different doses. Antibodies with high neutralizing titers were induced in mice immunized with 100 µg of inactivated whole-virus particles, and those mice were significantly protected from the challenge of homologous strain. The findings indicated that the established strain in the study was useful for vaccine study in mouse models.     

Estimation of seasonal spawning ground locations and ambient sea surface temperatures for eggs and larvae of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) in the western North Pacific

Since there have been practically no surveys of the eggs of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) in the western North Pacific (WNP), its spawning ground (SG) distribution has been poorly resolved, based mainly on the larval distribution. This means of estimating SG distribution is imprecise because saury eggs drift for more than a week before they hatch, in a region with intense western boundary currents and their extensions. To improve our understanding of the immature saury, a large number of larvae (body length <25 mm) collected in the WNP during 1993–96 were numerically backtracked to take into account the advection by geostrophic and wind‐forced Ekman currents, and the SG locations and ambient sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for the eggs and larvae on the backtracking trajectories were estimated. The resulting seasonal distributions of SGs indicated that both the locations and the intensities of spawning change from season to season. Moreover, the ambient SSTs for eggs just after fertilization ranged from a high of around 21.5°C in early autumn (September to October) to a low of around 15.0°C in late spring (May to June) with an intermediate of around 20.0°C in winter (January to February). The ambient SSTs showed seasonally different gradients while the individuals developed from eggs to early larvae: the SSTs decreased throughout the autumn (September to December), stayed rather constant in winter (January to February), and increased throughout the spring (March to June). The ambient SSTs for the early larvae were at around 19.0°C in autumn and winter (September to February) and around 16.5°C throughout the spring (March to June).     

Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of Quercus liaotungensis along different successional stands on the Loess Plateau,China

Although Quercus liaotungensis forest is an important component of Loess Plateau forest ecosystems, little is known about the ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) symbiosis of Q. liaotungensis in this ecosystem. Here we investigated EMF communities of Q. liaotungensis along three successional stands on the central Loess Plateau (Yan’an, China): a seedling stand (1 to 3-year-old seedlings under a Populus davidiana forest stand), a young tree stand (20 to 30-year-old Q. liaotungensis forest stand), and a mature tree stand (50 to 70-year-old Q. liaotungensis forest stand). In each stand, the Q. liaotungensis roots were sampled, then EMF communities were examined on the basis of EMF morphotyping, PCR–RFLP, and DNA sequencing. In total, 70 EMF species were observed, and the total richness of estimated species exceeded 100 EMF species. The EMF community was composed of a few common taxa (approx. 7 %) and many rare taxa (approx. 61 %). EMF richness in young and mature trees was higher than in seedlings. EMF communities of young and mature trees were more similar than those of seedlings and trees. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations of the EMF community revealed more separation among Q. liaotungensis of different age. This study provides preliminary insight into the taxonomic diversity of EMF of Q. liaotungensis along different successional stands on the Loess Plateau.     

Lignans ofLinum flavum var.compactum

A new dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan 7.6-dihydroxybursehernin, together with six known lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol,-peltatin,-peltatin, 5-methoxypodophyllotoxin) were isolated from the methanol extracts ofLinum flavum var.compactum. The enantiomeric analysis of pinoresinol and lariciresinol isolated from the species, which are upstream lignans in the lignan biosynthetic pathway, indicated that they are not optically pure, which is in accordance with our recent findings on lignans occurring in other plant species.Parts of this report were presented at the 42nd Lignin Symposium, Sapporo, October 1997; and the 43rd Lignin Symposium, Fuchu, October 1998     

新疆石河子棉区高密条件下冠层结构和光分布特征

对新疆石河子5个棉花主栽品种全生育期的干物质积累、生长参数、产量和盛铃期的冠层结构、光渗透能力和光分布等进行了测量分析。结果表明,作物生长速率、铃生长率以及子棉产量等均与总受光量呈正相关关系,净同化率则与单位叶面积受光量呈正相关关系,说明受光量是决定干物质生产和产量的重要因素;单位叶面积受光量即光的渗透能力与单位土地面积总受光量呈正相关关系、而与LAI呈负相关关系,说明冠层结构也是影响冠层受光量的主要因素;总受光量与LAI呈显著的正相关关系,说明LAI最大值并未达到最适宜水平。新疆地区棉花高产棉田的主要特征可以总结为叶数少、叶片大、冠层结构为椭圆形。由于叶面积指数尚未达到最适宜水平,增加种植密度可能是提高产量的一个途径。     

Stimulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid production in vine-ripe tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruits under modified atmospheres

Stimulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production under low O2 and high CO2 conditions (adjusted aerobic atmosphere) under which ethanol fermentation could be avoided was studied. Vine-ripe tomato fruits were stored under hypoxia conditions and adjusted aerobic atmospheres as well as in the air at 15 degrees C for 13 days and at 30 degrees C for 6 days. At 30 degrees C tomato fruit GABA concentration under the adjusted aerobic atmosphere (O2 11%, CO2 9%) was significantly higher by 48% than that in air after 6 days from the start of storage. Increased accumulation of alanine under the adjusted aerobic atmosphere supports the observation that this atmosphere stimulates GABA production. The results demonstrate that the concentration of GABA as a beneficial substance for antihypertensive effects and so on can be increased by storing tomato fruits under adjusted aerobic atmospheres for the first time.     

Comparison of the growth performances of offspring produced by a pair of cloned cattle and their nuclear donor animals

In the present study, the growth performance of a calf produced by mating a somatic cell cloned dam and sire was compared with that of its full siblings produced by mating the cattle used as nuclear donors for the cloned animals. The somatic cell cloned dam and sire were derived from cultured cumulus cells and ear cells, respectively. The cloned dam was artificially inseminated with semen from the cloned sire. A female calf was produced that was reared under general group feeding conditions. The calf was subjected to a clinical examination and to hematology, serum biochemistry, and telomere length analyses; all of these tests indicated that the calf was normal. The growth characteristics (body weight and shoulder height) of the calf fell within the range of the full siblings of the same sex produced by mating the animals used as the nuclear donors of clones. These findings suggest that the same breeding performance is expected from mating a cloned dam and sire as from mating the animals used as nuclear donors for the clones.     

Estimating water use of a black locust plantation by the thermal dissipation probe method in the semiarid region of Loess Plateau, China

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a major reforestation species in the semiarid region in the Loess Plateau of China. There has been increasing concern about the sustainability of the plantations because of their possible high water-use. This study was, accordingly, undertaken to quantify the stand-scale water use of a middle-aged black locust plantation in the region. The thermal dissipation probe method was applied to 27 trees to measure sap flux densities in an experimental plot during the growing season of 2008. The monoculture stand has a basal area of 23.3 m² ha^?1 and a maximum plant area index (PAI) of 2.89. Sapwood areas were estimated by use of a regressive relationship with the diameter at breast height (DBH) for scaling up of stand transpiration. The results showed that DBH could be a good predictor of sapwood area of individual trees. The diurnal cycles of average sap flux densities differed among DBH classes. Daily transpiration can be predicted from mean daily daytime vapor pressure deficit (VPD_m) using a fitted exponential saturation model. Model variables were different among seasons, probably owing to different soil water conditions and leaf phenology. By using the derived model for each month, stand canopy transpiration over the growing season was estimated to be 73.8 mm, with an average daily value of 0.41 mm day^?1 and a maximum of 0.89 mm day^?1. The relatively small estimates of stand transpiration might be attributed to low PAI and sap wood area of the middle-aged stand.     

延安地区辽东栎群落结构特征的研究

【目的】研究延安地区辽东栎群落的结构特征,为延安森林区近自然森林经营提供理论和实践依据。【方法】以延安地区植物群落演替的辽东栎顶极群落为参照系统,选设5块标准地,并在其中设立36个小样方进行调查,对辽东栎次生林的结构特征及优势种群特征进行研究。【结果】延安森林区辽东栎次生林内有乔、灌木21种,其中主要的12种乔、灌植物重要值大小排序依次为:辽东栎(41.57%)>小叶锦鸡儿(12.68%)>水栒子(11.58%)>土庄绣线菊(5.03%)、山杏(4.95%)>山樱桃(3.93%)、陕西莢蒾(3.91%)>三裂槭(2.92%)、茶条槭(2.40%)、黄蔷薇(2.36%)和秋胡颓子(2.25%);辽东栎、山杏、三裂槭和杜梨垂直分布呈UML型,侧柏呈UL型,具有ML型分布的植物有茶条槭、山樱桃、大果榆、山楂、小叶锦鸡儿、水栒子、土庄绣线菊、葱皮忍冬、紫丁香和桃叶卫矛,北京丁香呈现M型分布;在群落中出现的21种乔、灌木中,辽东栎、水栒子、小叶锦鸡儿等16种植物呈现集群分布,侧柏等5种植物种群为随机分布;辽东栎种群胸径与高度呈现幂次关系。【结论】延安地区天然次生辽东栎群落物种组成丰富,垂直分层明显,种群以集群分布为主,反映了群落内各种种群对环境非均质性的选择和适应及次生异龄复杂的结构特点,表明辽东栎群落是稳定和可持续的。