Seroepidemiology and genotyping of hepatitis E virus in Singapore reveal rise in number of cases and similarity of human strains to those detected in pig livers

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes 20 million infections worldwide yearly, of which only about 3.3 million are symptomatic. In developed Asian countries, HEV strains detected in human sera and in food sources were genetically similar, suggesting that indigenous HEV infections may be largely food‐borne. To assess the burden of hepatitis E in Singapore, we performed a seroepidemiologic study of the infection. Additionally, we carried out HEV genotyping on archived, residual HEV IgM‐positive serum samples collected between 2014 and 2016 (n = 449), and on pig liver samples (n = 36) purchased from wet markets and supermarkets. Our study shows a rise in hepatitis E incidence (IgM) from 1.7 to 4.1 cases per 100,000 resident population from 2012 to 2016 and an increase in hepatitis E IgG positivity rate among residents from 14% in 2007 to 35% in 2016. Other findings also suggest the epidemiology of hepatitis E in Singapore has shifted, from it being mainly a disease imported from the Indian subcontinent, to one that is now increasingly prevalent in our resident population. Genotypes obtained from 143 human samples identified the majority to be genotype 3 (n = 121), 21 to be genotype 1 and one to be genotype 4. Further phylogenetic analyses suggest genotype 3a to be the cause of indigenous infections in residents, which showed genetic similarity to the genotype 3a strains detected in pig livers. This link between the strains in the majority of human samples and those in pig livers consumed by the public suggests a possible food‐borne route of HEV infection in Singapore.     

Bats adjust temporal parameters of echolocation pulses but not those of communication calls in response to traffic noise

Many studies based on acute short‐term noise exposure have demonstrated that animals can adjust their vocalizations in response to ambient noise. However, the effects of chronic noise over a relatively long time scale of multiple days remain largely unclear. Bats rely mainly on acoustic signals for perception of environmental and social communication. Nearly all previous studies on noise‐induced vocal adjustments have focused on echolocation pulse sounds. Relatively little is known regarding the effects of noise on social communication calls. Here, we examined the dynamic changes in the temporal parameters of echolocation and communication vocalizations of Vespertilio sinensis when exposed to traffic noise over multiple days. We found that the bats started to modify their echolocation vocalizations on the fourth day of noise exposure, with an increase of 42–91% in the total number of pulse sequences per day. Under noisy conditions, the number of pulses within a pulse sequence decreased by an average of 17.2%, resulting in a significantly slower number of pulses/sequence (P < 0.001). However, there was little change in the duration of a pulse sequence. These parameters were not significantly adjusted in most communication vocalizations under the noise condition (all P > 0.05), except that the duration decreased and the number of syllables/sequences increased in 1 type of communicative vocalization (P < 0.05). This study suggests that bats routinely adjust temporal parameters of echolocation but rarely of communication vocalizations in response to noise condition.     

一氧化氮信号途径参与草地早熟禾耐镉机制的研究

为探究信号分子一氧化氮（Nitric Oxide,NO）对镉（Cadmium,Cd）胁迫下草地早熟禾（Poa pratensis）的调控机理,揭示草地早熟禾耐镉机理,本试验采取根施1000 μmol·L^-1氯化镉（Cadmium chloride hemidihydrate,CdCl₂·2.5H₂O）及叶面喷施NO合成酶抑制剂（L-硝基精氨酸甲酯（L-NAME））、硝酸还原酶抑制剂（钨酸钠（Tungstate））、NO清除剂（4-羧基苯-4,4,5,5-四甲基咪唑-1-氧-3-氧化物（cPTIO））处理草地早熟禾叶片,研究不同处理对草地早熟禾幼苗叶片生长及抗氧化酶活性、光合色素含量、丙二醛（Malondialdehyde,MDA）、游离脯氨酸、内源NO含量的影响。研究发现,镉胁迫下草地早熟禾内源NO含量增加,添加一氧化氮清除剂、一氧化氮合酶抑制剂、硝酸还原酶抑制剂可增加超氧化物歧化酶（Superoxide Dismutase,SOD）、过氧化氢酶（Catalase,CAT）、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（Ascorbate peroxidase,APX）活性,降低过氧化物酶（Peroxidase,POD）活性,增加叶绿素a、叶绿素b、类胡萝卜素、丙二醛含量,降低脯氨酸（Proline,Pro）含量、叶片相对含水量（Relative Water Content,RWC）和干物质量（Dry matter content）。结果表明,一氧化氮合酶途径可能是早熟禾合成NO的主要途径,内源NO可通过调节抗氧化酶活性、光合色素含量、游离脯氨酸含量等途径缓解镉胁迫。     

牛能量需要量测定方法研究进展

能量是牛日粮的第一限制性养分,确定牛能量需要量是合理配制牛饲料、提高饲料利用效率的重要前提。牛能量需要量的测定方法主要有饲养试验、消化代谢试验、呼吸测热法及比较屠宰法等,论文对上述方法进行了简要综述,为合理进行牛能量需要量评定提供参考。     

人参三醇组皂苷对大鼠急性坐骨神经损伤修复相关蛋白表达的影响

研究人参三醇组皂苷(PTS)对大鼠坐骨神经急性损伤蛋白表达的影响。建立大鼠坐骨神经挤压损伤模型,随机分为PTS组,模型对照组及空白对照组,每组各10只大鼠;各组均经腹腔注射给药,PTS组损伤后注射PTS;模型对照组,损伤后注射同剂量生理盐水;空白对照组,不损伤坐骨神经,注射同剂量生理盐水。坐骨神经损伤术后30d,免疫荧光化学染色检测PTS对损伤侧坐骨神经神经丝蛋白(NF-M)、微管相关蛋白-2(MAP-2)、生长相关蛋白(GAP-43)表达的影响,观察PTS对损伤侧神经的影响。大鼠损伤侧坐骨神经NF-M、MAP-2、GAP-43平均光密度表达(9.66±0.99、12.43±1.44、0.344±0.040)与模型对照组(8.21±1.25、11.90±1.14、0.278±0.042)比较有极显著性差异(P0.01)。PTS可促进坐骨神经损伤大鼠NF-M,MAP-2,GAP-43的表达。     

转基因动物制作技术及其基因载体研究进展

论文概述了家畜转基因动物的制作方法,初步分析了用于转基因技术的基因载体种类,深入探讨了不同载体的优缺点,并展望了基因载体的发展趋势.     

一例奶牛乳房损伤治疗的体会

奶牛乳房划破或被蹄蹬破是常见的外科疾病,预防时应注意处理外露尖锐物、勤于修蹄,对乳房过大或乳房下垂的奶牛及时采取保护措施是防止奶牛乳房损伤的关键。     

A cluster of two psittacosis cases among women farmers exposed to Chlamydia psittaci-infected domestic poultry in Zhejiang Province,China

A cluster of Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) cases was reported in Zhejiang Province, China, 2019. This study evaluates the extent of the outbreak and determines the source of infection. Real-time PCR and sequencing of the ompA gene of C. psittaci were performed to identify the cases, the domesticated poultry and close contacts. The index patient was a 76-year-old woman with chronic vertigo, and Case 2 was a 64-year-old female farmer with herpes zoster. Both women bought psittaci-infected chickens or ducks from the same mobile street vendor and raised them for 10 days and 23 days before fever onset. There were no direct contact between the two women. C. psittaci test was positive for the two patients, one sick chicken, three healthy ducks and the vendor's chicken cage. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all seven C. psittaci positive samples carried identical ompA genotype A of C. psittaci. Of all of the patients' 148 close contacts, none tested positive for C. psittaci, or developed acute respiratory symptoms. Both patients were discharged after a 4-week hospital stay. In conclusion, the source of this cluster was the poultry infected with C. psittaci, which occasionally cause infections in farmers, but inter-human transmission seems unlikely.     

生长激素对蛋白质动态代谢与氨基酸利用的调控

生长激素是调节动物生长的众多激素中最重要的一种 ,它通过在肌肉与脂肪组织之间极强的营养重分配作用 ,增加体蛋白沉积 ,减少脂肪沉积 ,从而改变这两种组织的生长状况来实现其促生长功能。动物体内蛋白沉积是蛋白合成与降解同时进行的两个过程动态平衡的结果。本文综述了近年来有关生长激素对动物蛋白质动态代谢与氨基酸利用调控方面的研究结果 ,指出生长激素使蛋白质合成与降解速率均增加 ,整体蛋白质周转代谢强度加大 ,从而导致蛋白质沉积增加。     

油菜素内酯对干旱胁迫下羊草渗透调节及抗氧化酶的影响研究

受全球气候变化影响,我国牧区干旱现象日益严重,极大限制了草原生产力的提高。本文采用盆栽人工控水的方法,研究不同浓度油菜素内酯(BR)处理对羊草生长和抗旱特性的影响。结果表明干旱显著抑制植株的生长,而BR能有效减缓干旱胁迫对羊草造成的伤害。经过不同浓度的BR处理后,与干旱胁迫相比,株高、叶面积、干重、含水量、叶绿素a、叶绿素b、类胡萝卜素、根系活力、脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖和5种抗氧化酶活性均随浓度增加而升高,但高浓度下又有降低的趋势,而丙二醛(MDA)和叶片电导率则相反,其中以BR浓度为0.1 mg/L时的抗旱效果最好。研究发现适当浓度的BR提高羊草株高、叶面积和光合色素含量,促进干物质积累和根系活力,与其降低膜脂过氧化产物MDA与质膜透性,提高脯氨酸、可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖等渗透调节物质含量,增强超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)、谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)等抗氧化酶活性密切相关。