Integrated surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial use: Evaluation of the status in Canada (2014–2019)

Objective Integrated surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial use (AMU) across One Health sectors is critically important for effective, evidence-based policy, stewardship, and control of AMR. Our objective was to evaluate progress towards achieving comprehensive, integrated AMR/AMU surveillance in Canada.Materials and methods Based on an environmental scan, interviews of subject matter experts, and reports from the 2014 National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases and the 2016 Canadian Council of Chief Veterinary Officers, we identified 8 core surveillance requirements and their specific components; the latter were assessed using a 2-way classification matrix, with 7 common elements ranked according to development stage.Results Components that mapped to requirements of a comprehensive, fully integrated AMR/AMU surveillance system were mostly in the lowest stages of development (Exploration or Program Adoption). However, both the establishment of the Canadian AMR Surveillance System integrated reporting and expansion of existing components under the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program and the Canadian Integrated Program for AMR Surveillance are improvements. Regardless, obvious gaps in Canadian AMR/AMU surveillance prevent this from being a comprehensive and integrated One Health program.Conclusion Action is needed in 3 crucial areas: i) development of a complete, integrated AMR/AMU surveillance program, based on current success; ii) changes in Federal/Provincial/Territorial policies to require standardized AMR/AMU reporting; and iii) more resources for AMR/AMU surveillance (dedicated persons, funding, and enabling structures and policy). There is an urgent need for prioritization by Federal/Provincial/Territorial governments to address governance, leadership, and funding to create surveillance systems that inform stewardship and policy.     

从植物种子中快速获取高质量DNA的方法(英文)

[目的]该研究旨在寻求一种从植物干种子中简单快速提取高质量基因组DNA的有效方法。[方法]将种子打磨成粉,取100mg粉末加入高盐提取液抽提基因组DNA。采用超微量分光光度计检测、PCR及酶切的方法检验DNA的得率和质量。[结果]从100mg7种常见作物种子粉末中可以得到619.67~1811.21ng基因组DNA,A260/A280比值在1.87~2.07之间,其纯度和质量适合进行PCR及酶切分析。通过普通PCR方法分别对7种作物的特异性内源基因片段进行扩增,结果均能扩增到明显的目的条带。用EcoRV和HindIII两种核酸内切酶能对所得的DNA充分酶切。[结论]该方法能快速地从干种子中提取到高质量的DNA。     

Synaptic theory of working memory

It is usually assumed that enhanced spiking activity in the form of persistent reverberation for several seconds is the neural correlate of working memory. Here, we propose that working memory is sustained by calcium-mediated synaptic facilitation in the recurrent connections of neocortical networks. In this account, the presynaptic residual calcium is used as a buffer that is loaded, refreshed, and read out by spiking activity. Because of the long time constants of calcium kinetics, the refresh rate can be low, resulting in a mechanism that is metabolically efficient and robust. The duration and stability of working memory can be regulated by modulating the spontaneous activity in the network.     

Comparison of Two Adsorbent Based de-Bittering Procedures for Neem (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Azadirachta indica</Emphasis> A. Juss) Tea- Effect on Polyphenols,Anti-Oxidant Capacity,Color and Volatile Profile

Bitterness reduction, especially of foods and beverages containing phytonutrients, is one of the biggest challenges in the food industry because bitterness has a deleterious effect on the taste profile of foods and beverages. Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is a medicinal tree, indigenous to the Indian-subcontinent, whose medicinal properties have led to it being heralded as the tree which is the “panacea for all diseases”. However, neem leaf is extremely bitter, in large part due to its limonoid content, making it unpalatable. The objective of this study was to apply two adsorbent based strategies, namely solid phase extraction (SPE) and Amberlite XAD-16 (AMB) resin, to achieve de-bittering of neem tea and to determine the effects of the de-bittering on the bio-active, color and volatile properties. The solid SPE treatment completely removed the flavonol, quercetin, from neem tea while in Amberlite XAD-16 treated tea (AMB) it was only insignificantly (p > 0.05) reduced. We also observed decreases in total phenolic content and consequently anti-oxidant activities after de-bittering. A 62% mean reduction of limonoid aglycones indicated diminished levels of bitterness. The loss of phenolics lead to a visually appreciable color changes in the treated teas. The de-bittering also leads to a loss of sesquiterpenes, ketones and acids from neem tea. In conclusion, we found that while SPE cartridges were more efficient in removing bitterness, they caused a greater reduction in bio-active compounds than AMB XAD-16 resins, which may ultimately affect the health properties of neem tea.     

Visual ecology of the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)

Background

The transition from water to land was a key event in the evolution of vertebrates that occurred over a period of 15–20 million years towards the end of the Devonian. Tetrapods, including all land-living vertebrates, are thought to have evolved from lobe-finned (sarcopterygian) fish that developed adaptations for an amphibious existence. However, while many of the biomechanical and physiological modifications necessary to achieve this feat have been studied in detail, little is known about the sensory adaptations accompanying this transition. In this study, we investigated the visual system and visual ecology of the Australian lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri, which is the most primitive of all the lungfish and possibly the closest living relative to the ancestors of tetrapods.

Results

Juvenile Neoceratodus have five spectrally distinct retinal visual pigments. A single type of rod photoreceptor contains a visual pigment with a wavelength of maximum absorbance (λ_max) at 540 nm. Four spectrally distinct single cone photoreceptors contain visual pigments with λ_max at 366 (UVS), 479 (SWS), 558 (MWS) and 623 nm (LWS). No double cones were found. Adult lungfish do not possess UVS cones and, unlike juveniles, have ocular media that prevent ultraviolet light from reaching the retina. Yellow ellipsoidal/paraboloidal pigments in the MWS cones and red oil droplets in the LWS cones narrow the spectral sensitivity functions of these photoreceptors and shift their peak sensitivity to 584 nm and 656 nm, respectively. Modelling of the effects of these intracellular spectral filters on the photoreceptor colour space of Neoceratodus suggests that they enhance their ability to discriminate objects, such as plants and other lungfishes, on the basis of colour.

Conclusion

The presence of a complex colour vision system based on multiple cone types and intracellular spectral filters in lungfishes suggests that many of the ocular characteristics seen in terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, such as birds and turtles, may have evolved in shallow water prior to the transition onto land. Moreover, the benefits of spectral filters for colour discrimination apply equally to purely aquatic species as well as semi-aquatic and terrestrial animals. The visual system of the Australian lungfish resembles that of terrestrial vertebrates far more closely than that of other sarcopterygian fish. This supports the idea that lungfishes, and not the coelacanth, are the closest living relatives of the ancestors of tetrapods.     

沼肥的综合利用研究进展

沼肥是一种养分丰富的肥料,可改良土壤理化性质、提高农产品产量和品质,在农田生态系统、植保生态系统等方面被广泛应用。阐述了沼肥的养分状况及作用,综述了其在农业、养殖业等方面的应用研究现状及进展,并对当前沼肥生产利用中存在的问题进行了分析,提出了今后沼肥综合利用的研究方向。     

Comparative efficacy of Ovaprim and hMG (menotropin) to induce breeding in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - The applications of exogenous hormones in different species for the induction of oocyte production, final oocyte maturation (FOM), and spawning for their...     

The application of image processing technology to microfluidic chip fluid motion detection

A method to detect the fluid motion in microfluidic chip with imagery processing technology is introduced,which solves the problem that the fluid motion can’t be detected with common method. Firstly,with the fact that in flow process the brightness change is the biggest in the edge of tiny tube,the motion trail can be collected with frame difference method. Then this destination area is cropped to further reduce the amount of calculation in later steps. Secondly,repeat several times of open operation and close operation to obtain the images,which has smooth boundary and barely background noise. Thirdly,find all edge pixels of this motion trail image through boundary tracking algorithm and then obtain the motion trail lines with the Hough transform detection approach. At last,with the lines’ length and the motion time,the flow rate can be calculated easily. Furthermore,some characteristics of the flow can also be obtained,such as the shear stress and the viscosity of the fluid. This paper explicitly states this method process combining with a chip that use for viscosity measurement. And the results have high accuracy and good repeatability,which is demonstrated by the data that standard deviation is less than 0.7 and the precision is less than 1/100.     

亚热带常绿阔叶林5个优势树种的树干碳氮磷质量分数估算及其不确定性分析

  目的  相较于土壤和凋落物,树干取样破坏性强,样本获取难度大,因而通常以小样本取样估算其成分组成。本研究目的在于评估小样本采样引起的不同树种树干碳、氮、磷养分质量分数和储量估算的不确定性。  方法  基于亚热带常绿阔叶林马尾松Pinus massoniana、杉木Cunninghamia lanceolata、木荷Schima superba、青冈Quercus glauca、毛竹Phyllostachys edulis等5个优势树种的树干碳、氮、磷质量分数数据集(取样量n=18~32),采用有放回抽样方法(Bootstrap)对比一般小样本取样(n=3~5)与全样本(n=18~32)之间的估算差异,通过权衡取样量和变异之间的关系,给出对应指标的建议取样量以及不同取样量对应的估算误差范围。  结果  马尾松树干碳质量分数变异显著高于其他树种,n=3~5小样本引起估算误差约±10%,而其他树种仅±5%。对马尾松增加取样量n=10,估算误差为?4%~5%。  结论  建议在估算和评估马尾松林碳、氮、磷储量时,适当增加取样量(n=5~10)以降低估算误差,或在采用n=3~5小样本取样量的同时,将±10%估算误差范围考虑在内。其他树种碳、氮、磷质量分数估算时,取样量n=4~5时误差在可接受范围内。图2表2参27