Susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates in equine ulcerative keratitis: Implications for empirical treatment at a university teaching hospital in Sydney

Corneal ulceration is a common ophthalmic condition in horses. It is frequently caused by trauma to the corneal surface, followed by secondary infection by commensal or pathogenic organisms including Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus spp. Emerging antimicrobial resistance amongst these organisms has raised the need for appropriate antimicrobial therapy selection, to optimise treatment efficacy while minimising further antimicrobial resistance. Medical records of 38 horses presented at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden for ulcerative keratitis between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed to identify those with positive bacterial cultures and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles (13/38). Common susceptibility patterns were identified and used to guide the empirical treatment of equine bacterial corneal ulcers. Pseudomonas spp. (64.3%), Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (14.3%) and Actinobacillus spp. (14.3%) were most commonly identified. Susceptibility to amikacin, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin was observed in 100%, 66.7% and 85.7% Pseudomonas spp. isolates respectively. Resistance to polymyxin B and neomycin occurred in 85.7% and 71.4% of Pseudomonas spp., respectively. All Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus organisms in this study were susceptible to ceftiofur, cephalexin, penicillin and ampicillin, while they were all resistant to gentamicin, neomycin, enrofloxacin and marbofloxacin. Predominating in this study, Pseudomonas spp. maintained overall aminoglycoside susceptibility despite some emerging resistance, and good fluoroquinolone susceptibility. High resistance to Polymyxin B could have arisen from its common use as first-line therapy for bacterial corneal ulcers. Although further research is required, these new findings about predominant bacteria in equine corneal ulceration in the Camden region and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns can be used to guide the empirical treatment of bacterial corneal ulcers in horses.     

菲牛蛭抗凝血活性物质提取方法研究

为对菲牛蛭抗凝血活性物质的提取进行优化,通过采取不同方法对菲牛蛭活体(6种)、干体(6种)及唾液腺分泌物(3种)进行提取得出最适提取方法。结果表明对于菲牛蛭活体和干体均是采取80%预冷丙酮提取得到的抗凝血物质含量高,最高分别达至(61.20±1.13)AT-U/g和(89.19±1.13)AT-U/g;对于菲牛蛭唾液腺分泌物则是采取10%的三氯乙酸提取得到的抗凝血物质含量高,最高达(24.41±0.98)AT-U/g。研究结果得出了适合菲牛蛭活体、干体和唾液腺分泌物中提取抗凝血活性物质的最适方法,有利于推动水蛭素的大规模生产和广泛的临床应用。     

添加纳米粒子的塑料包装材料在杨梅保鲜中的作用

纳米技术应用在杨梅保鲜包装上是一个新的尝试,它采用了交互性实验设计方案,将银纳米材料添加进塑料制成包装材料,可观测其保鲜效果.结果表明,纳米塑料包装材料和纳米奇冰石在提高杨梅好果率和延长货架期方面有正面效果;同时,在抑制VC分解方面具有一定的作用.     

籼粳亚种杂交组合的结实率与光合产物供给水平及转运效率间的关系

通过剪除部分颖花和部分功能叶片以及~(14)CO_2标记光合产物等处理,探讨了亚种组合结实率偏低的生理原因。结果证明:光合产物供给水平是制约亚种组合结实率的一个十分重要的因素。虽然亚种组合的叶面积指数和单株叶面积比常规籼稻大得多,但由于每穗颖花数多。以至每朵颖花占有的叶面积并无明显优势,且其光合速率低于常规籼稻,因而分配给每朵颖花的光合产物量相对减少,限制了部分颖花的发育。~(14)C光合产物分配到穗部的比率不但不低于常规籼稻,而且比其略高,说明亚种组合输导组织的运输能力不是结实率偏低的限制因素。     

Investigations on the Wound Healing Potential of Tilapia Piscidin (TP)2-5 and TP2-6

Wound healing is a highly orchestrated process involving many cell types, such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. This study aimed to evaluate the potential application of synthetic peptides derived from tilapia piscidin (TP)2, TP2-5 and TP2-6 in skin wound healing. The treatment of HaCaT keratinocytes with TP2-5 and TP2-6 did not cause cytotoxicity, but did enhance cell proliferation and migration, which could be attributed to the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor signaling. In CCD-966SK fibroblasts, although TP2-5 (31.25 μg/mL) and TP2-6 (125 μg/mL) showed cytotoxic effects, we observed the significant promotion of cell proliferation and migration at low concentrations. In addition, collagen I, collagen III, and keratinocyte growth factor were upregulated by the peptides. We further found that TP2-5 and TP2-6 showed pro-angiogenic properties, including the enhancement of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) migration and the promotion of neovascularization. In a murine model, wounds treated topically with TP2-5 and TP2-6 were reduced by day 2 post-injury and healed significantly faster than untreated wounds. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that both TP2-5 and TP2-6 have multifaceted effects when used as topical agents for accelerating wound healing.     

土壤微生物膜对风沙土固沙保水特性的影响

土壤微生物膜胞外聚合物具有较强的黏结性,为增强风沙土抗蚀性,提高风沙土保水性提供了新途径。鉴于此,该研究采用室内控制试验设置6个微生物菌剂施用水平(0、1、3、5、7和10 g/kg),以期阐明土壤微生物膜对风沙土特性的影响。研究结果表明:1)施用微生物菌剂可产生土壤微生物膜,并胶结风沙土颗粒。2)试验结束时(第49 d),与对照组相比,不同菌剂施用处理的土壤容重降低0.54%～8.88%,孔隙度提高0.39%～3.91%,含水率显著提高0.11%～0.25%(P0.05),大团聚体质量分数增加5.59%～25.01%,土壤pH值由7.16显著增加至8.32～9.23(P0.05)。3)土壤多糖含量对土壤特性的解释率为47%,是影响土壤特性的关键因素。土壤微生物膜能够有效改善风沙土特性,增强风沙土抗蚀性,提高风沙土保水性,但较高的微生物菌剂施用量会增加土壤pH值,造成土壤盐碱化,建议微生物菌剂施用水平为1～5 g/kg。研究成果有利于深入理解微生物膜固沙保水机制,并可为沙化土地防治新技术研发提供重要理论依据和科技支撑。     

Behavior of phenolic substances in the decaying process of plants

The behavior of phenolic substances in the decaying process of rice straw, ladino clover, and fanen leaves of red oak under moist conditions, and also of rice straw under various conditions were compared in the laboratory. The amounts of phenolic substances, divided into either humic acid and fulvic acid fractions, or ether-extractable, butanol-extractable and organic solvent-unextractable fractions, and the amounts of individual phenolic acids were periodically determined during incubation for 150 days. The following results were obtained.

1) The amounts and behavior of phenolic substances in various fractions differed considerably among the plant materials. The total amount of phenolic substances was remarkably larger in red oak leaves than in the others during the whole period of incubation. The amounts of phenolics in the fulvic acid fraction changed to a larger extent than those in the humic acid fraction during the decaying process of plant materials. The changes in total amount of phenolics in decaying red oak leaves and ladino clover were mainly due to changes in the level of relatively hydrophilic phenolics in the fulvic acid fraction, but the changes in decaying rice straw were mainly due to changes in the level of relatively lipophilic phenolics.

2) Rice straw and ladino clover, especially the former, contained large amounts of p-coumaric and ferulic acids, but these decreased rapidly in the early stage of the decaying process. The amounts in red oak leaves were small, but did not decrease markedly during incubation.

3) The changes in amounts of phenolics in both humic acid and fulvic acid fractions in the decaying process of rice straw were largely influenced by temperature, moisture, and pH, but not to a large extent by C/N ratio and the presence of soil. At higher temperatures under moist conditions, phenolic substances disappeared rapidly. Also, acidification of the system inhibited the degradation process.     

CO2浓度升高条件下不同程度豌豆蚜危害对紫花苜蓿叶片营养物质和次生代谢物质的影响

由于人类大量开采使用石油、煤炭、天然气等化石燃料,使大气CO₂浓度升高,这不但加速全球变暖,还将影响地球上动植物的生存和分布,从而对整个生态系统产生深远影响。为探明CO₂浓度升高与豌豆蚜（Acyrthosiphon pisum）虫口密度对紫花苜蓿（Medicago sativa）叶片内化学物质的影响,明确CO₂浓度升高和蚜虫密度在紫花苜蓿生理生化中的作用,试验在CO₂光照培养箱内设置380 μL·L^-1（对照）、550 μL·L^-1和750 μL·L^-1 3个CO₂浓度培育苜蓿幼苗并接入10日龄成蚜10头·株^-1、20头·株^-1、30头·株^-1,并以0头·株^-1作为空白对照,1周后测定植物体内营养物质和次生代谢物质含量。结果表明,随CO₂浓度升高,蚜虫密度为30头·株^-1时紫花苜蓿可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖以及淀粉含量均上升,在750 μL·L^-1 CO₂浓度下分别比CK上升11.62倍、0.49倍和0.24倍;黄酮、总酚和简单酚含量也显著上升。随蚜虫危害程度加重,同一CO₂浓度下紫花苜蓿淀粉、简单酚含量先上升后下降,高CO₂浓度蚜虫密度为30头·株^-1时比0头·株^-1时可溶性糖、总酚以及单宁含量上升1.66倍、1.49 mg·g^-1和1.09 mg·g^-1,差异均显著（P<0.05）。说明具有固氮作用的豆科植物更易于适应CO₂浓度升高的变化,从而在受到刺吸胁迫后增强自身诱导抗虫性以抵御害虫为害。     

天然防腐剂的防腐机理及抑菌效果研究现状

食品防腐保鲜是食品工业中的一个重要课题,为了延长食品的货架期,保持食品新鲜、不变质,需要在食品中添加防腐剂。阐述了几种植物提取物、动物提取物和微生物防腐剂及其防腐机理。