Effects of accumulated exercise on the stiffness and hemodynamics of the common carotid artery.

Purpose: This research aims to study and compare the effects of moderate-intensity continuous exercise and accumulated exercise with different number of bouts on common carotid arterial stiffness and hemodynamic variables. Methods: Thirty healthy male adults were recruited to complete four trials in a randomized crossover design: no-exercise (CON); continuous exercise (CE, 30-min cycling); accumulated exercise including two or three bouts with 10-min rest intervals (AE15, 2 × 15-min cycling; AE10, 3 × 10-min cycling). The intensity in all the exercise trials was set at 45%-55% heart rate reserve. Blood pressure, right common carotid artery center-line velocity, and arterial inner diameter waveforms were measured at baseline and immediately after exercise (0 min), 10 min, and 20 min. Results: 1) The arterial stiffness index and pressure-strain elastic modulus of the CE and AE15 groups increased significantly at 0 min, arterial diameters decreased in AE15 and AE10, and all indicators recovered at 10 min. 2) The mean blood flow rate and carotid artery center-line velocity increased in all trials at 0 min, and only the mean blood flow rate of AE10 did not recover at 10 min. 3) At 0 min, the blood pressure in all trials was found to be increased, and the wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index of AE10 were different from those in CE and AE15. At 20 min, the blood pressure of AE10 significantly decreased, and the dynamic resistance, pulsatility index, and peripheral resistance of CE partially recovered. Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the acute effects of continuous exercise and accumulated exercise on the arterial stiffness and diameter of the carotid artery. Compared with continuous exercise, accumulated exercise with an increased number of bouts is more effective in increasing cerebral blood supply and blood pressure regulation, and its oscillatory shear index recovers faster. However, the improvement of blood flow resistance in continuous exercise was better than that in accumulated exercise.

Symbiotic microbiota and odor ensure mating in time for giant pandas.

To achieve reproduction, male solitary mammals need to locate females using chemical communication with high levels of precision. In the case of giant pandas, the total estrus period of females was usually 15 days each year, however, successful mating activity is finished within 3 days from respective home range. The mating pattern of giant pandas, where multiple males compete for each female requires females employ efficient systems to communicate their estrus phases. To verifying whether the scent secretions of giant pandas changes by gender and estrus progression, the microbiota and compounds in 29 anogenital gland samples from 14 individuals during estrus were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and GC-MS. We show that the microbiota communities covary by gender with 4 particular compounds of scent secretions. Among 597 genera, 34 were identified as biomarkers that could be used to distinguish between different estrus phases. By bacterial-compounds co-analysis, 3 fatty ester acids and squalene compounds covaried with the development of estrus in the bacterial communities of female giant pandas. This study helps clarify how a large, solitary mammal expresses accurate information to improve the likelihood of successful reproduction by changing the composition of microbiota and odor compounds of anogenital glands during estrus.

Complete Mitogenomes of Ticks Ixodes acutitarsus and Ixodes ovatus Parasitizing Giant Panda: Deep Insights into the Comparative Mitogenomic and Phylogenetic Relationship of Ixodidae Species.

Ticks rank second in the world as vectors of disease. Tick infestation is one of the factors threatening the health and survival of giant pandas. Here, we describe the mitogenomes of Ixodes acutitarsus and Ixodes ovatus parasitizing giant pandas, and perform comparative and phylogenetic genomic analyses on the newly sequenced and other available mitogenomes of hard ticks. All six newly determined mitogenomes contain a typical gene component and share an ancient Arthropoda gene arrangement pattern. Our study suggests that I. ovatus is a species complex with high genetic divergence, indicating that different clades of I. ovatus represent distinct species. Comparative mitogenomic analyses show that the average A + T content of Ixodidae mitogenomes is 78.08%, their GC-skews are strongly negative, while AT-skews fluctuate around 0. A large number of microsatellites are detected in Ixodidae mitogenomes, and the main microsatellite motifs are mononucleotide A and trinucleotide AAT. We summarize five gene arrangement types, and identify the trnY-COX1-trnS1-COX2-trnK-ATP8-ATP6-COX3-trnG fragment is the most conserved region, whereas the region near the control region is the rearrangement hotspot in Ixodidae mitogenomes. The phylogenetic trees based on 15 genes provide a very convincing relationship (Ixodes + (Robertsicus + ((Bothriocroton + Haemaphysalis) + (Amblyomma + (Dermacentor + (Rhipicentor + (Hyalomma + Rhipicephalus))))))) with very strong supports. Remarkably, Archaeocroton sphenodonti is embedded in the Haemaphysalis clade with strong supports, resulting in paraphyly of the Haemaphysalis genus, so in-depth morphological and molecular studies are essential to determine the taxonomic status of A. sphenodonti and its closely related species. Our results provide new insights into the molecular phylogeny and evolution of hard ticks, as well as basic data for population genetics assessment and efficient surveillance and control for the giant panda-infesting ticks.

Virome of Giant Panda-Infesting Ticks Reveals Novel Bunyaviruses and Other Viruses That Are Genetically Close to Those from Giant Pandas.

Tick infestations have been reported as one of the factors threatening the health of giant pandas, but studies of viral pathogens carried by ticks feeding on the blood of giant pandas are limited. To assess whether blood-sucking ticks of giant pandas can carry viral pathogens and if so, whether the viruses in ticks are associated with those previously detected in giant panda hosts, we determined the viromes of ticks detached from giant pandas in a field stocking area in Sichuan Province, southwest China. Using viral metagenomics we identified 32 viral species in ticks, half of which (including anellovirus [n = 9], circovirus [n = 3], and gemycircularvirus [n = 4]) showed homology to viruses carried by giant pandas and their associated host species (such as red pandas and mosquitoes) in the same living domain. Remarkably, several viruses in this study phylogenetically assigned as bunyavirus, hepe-like virus, and circovirus were detected with relatively high abundance, but whether these newly identified tick-associated viruses can replicate in ticks and then transmit to host animals during a blood meal will require further investigation. These findings further expand our understanding of the role of giant panda-infesting ticks in the local ecosystem, especially related to viral acquisition and transmission, and lay a foundation to assess the risk for giant panda exposure to tick-borne viruses. IMPORTANCE Ticks rank only second to mosquitoes as blood-feeding arthropods, capable of spreading pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, and parasites) to hosts during a blood meal. To better understand the relationship between viruses carried by ticks and viruses that have been reported in giant pandas, it is necessary to analyze the viromes of giant panda-parasitic blood-sucking ticks. This study collected 421 ticks on the body surface of giant pandas in Sichuan Province, China. We characterized the extensive genetic diversity of viruses harbored by these ticks and reported frequent communication of viruses between giant pandas and their ticks. While most of the virome discovered here are nonpathogenic viruses from giant pandas and potentially tick-specific viruses, we revealed some possible tick-borne viruses, represented by novel bunyaviruses. This research contributes to the literature because currently there are few studies on the virome of giant panda-infesting ticks.

Yield performance of machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape.

Growing oilseed rape in the fallow season may be a feasible alternative to growing green manure (e.g. Chinese milk vetch) for improving rice productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the yield performance of machine-transplanted double-season rice (i.e. early- and late-season rice) grown following oilseed rape. Field experiments were conducted to compare machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape, Chinese milk vetch and fallow (i.e. no crop) at Hengyang and Yueyang, Hunan Province, China in three cropping cycles from 2014 to 2017. Results showed that machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape and Chinese milk vetch produced similar grain yield, which was higher than that grown following fallow across two sites and three cropping cycles. The higher grain yield of machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape and Chinese milk vetch was attributable to improvement in both sink size (spikelet number per m2) and source capacity (total biomass). However, the reasons for the improved sink size of machine-transplanted double-season rice grown following oilseed rape and Chinese milk vetch were not entirely the same. Growing oilseed rape increased panicle size (spikelet number per panicle) and panicle number in early- and late-season rice, respectively, while growing Chinese milk vetch increased panicle number in both the early- and late-season rice. Our study suggests that growing oilseed rape in the fallow season is a useful alternative strategy for improving productivity of machine-transplanted double-season rice.

Compartmentalization of gene expression during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis is compromised in mutants blocked at stage III of sporulation.

Mutations in the spoIIIA and spoIIIJ loci disrupt the compartmentalization of gene expression during sporulation of Bacillus subtilis. The breakdown in compartmentalization is not the cause of their being blocked in spore formation. Rather, it appears to be a consequence of the engulfed prespore's being unstable.

Partial characterization of a major autolysin from Mycobacterium phlei.

Autolytic enzyme profiles of fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria were examined using SDS-PAGE zymography with incorporated mycobacterial peptidoglycan sacculi as substrate. Each species tested (Mycobacterium phlei, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Mycobacterium aurum, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium kansasii) appeared to produce a different set of enzymes on the basis of differing number and molecular masses. A major autolysin from M. phlei was purified to apparent homogeneity by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, preparative gel electrophoresis and Mono Q FPLC. This enzyme had an estimated molecular mass of 38 kDa, an isoelectric point of 5.5 and a pH optimum of pH 7.5. Digestion of purified peptidoglycan by the enzyme resulted in the appearance of reducing sugars, suggesting that the 38 kDa autolysin is a beta-glycosidase. Partial internal amino acid sequence of the autolysin was determined and should facilitate identification, cloning and overexpression of the encoding gene.