Trichinella spiralis -induced immunomodulation signatures on gut microbiota and metabolic pathways in mice.

The hygiene hypothesis proposes that decreased exposure to infectious agents in developed countries may contribute to the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases. Trichinella spiralis, a parasitic roundworm, causes trichinellosis, also known as trichinosis, in humans. T. spiralis had many hosts, and almost any mammal could become infected. Adult worms lived in the small intestine, while the larvae lived in muscle cells of the same mammal. T. spiralis was a significant public health threat because it could cause severe illness and even death in humans who eat undercooked or raw meat containing the parasite. The complex interactions between gastrointestinal helminths, gut microbiota, and the host immune system present a challenge for researchers. Two groups of mice were infected with T. spiralis vs uninfected control, and the experiment was conducted over 60 days. The 16S rRNA gene sequences and untargeted LC/MS-based metabolomics of fecal and serum samples, respectively, from different stages of development of the Trichinella spiralis-mouse model, were examined in this study. Gut microbiota alterations and metabolic activity accompanied by parasite-induced immunomodulation were detected. The inflammation parameters of the duodenum (villus/crypt ratio, goblet cell number and size, and histological score) were involved in active inflammation and oxidative metabolite profiles. These profiles included increased biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan while decreasing cholesterol metabolism and primary and secondary bile acid biosynthesis. These disrupted metabolisms adapted to infection stress during the enteral and parenteral phases and then return to homeostasis during the encapsulated phase. There was a shift from an abundance of Bacteroides in the parenteral phase to an abundance of probiotic Lactobacillus and Treg-associated-Clostridia in the encapsulated phase. Th2 immune response (IL-4/IL-5/IL-13), lamina propria Treg, and immune hyporesponsiveness metabolic pathways (decreased tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of alkaloids derived from ornithine, lysine, and nicotinic acid) were all altered. These findings enhanced our understanding of gut microbiota and metabolic profiles of Trichinella -infected mice, which could be a driving force in parasite-shaping immune system maintenance.

Restoring Genetic Resource through In Vitro Culturing Testicular Cells from the Cryo-Preserved Tissue of the American Shad (Alosa sapidissima).

Germ cells, as opposed to somatic cells, can transmit heredity information between generations. Cryopreservation and in vitro culture of germ cells are key techniques for genetic resource preservation and cellular engineering breeding. In this study, two types of cryopreserved samples, namely testis pieces and testicular cells of American shad, were comparatively analyzed for cell viability. The results showed that the cell viability of the cryopreserved testis pieces was much higher than that of the cryopreserved testicular cells. The viability of cells from the cryopreserved testis pieces ranged from 65.2 ± 2.2 (%) to 93.8 ± 0.6 (%), whereas the viability of the dissociated cells after cryopreservation was 38.5 ± 0.8 (%) to 87.1 ± 2.6 (%). Intriguingly, the testicular cells from the post-thaw testicular tissue could be cultured in vitro. Likewise, most of the cultured cells exhibited germ cell properties and highly expressed Vasa and PCNA protein. This study is the first attempt to effectively preserve and culture the male germ cells through freezing tissues in the American shad. The findings of this study would benefit further investigations on genetic resource preservation and other manipulations of germ cells in a commercially and ecologically important fish species.

Fatty liver is a sensitive early warning for hypertension and its complication in the Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: The patient of hypertension and its complication increase fast in the past years. Obesity is thought to be a risk factor for hypertension, and BMI (body mass index) is widely used to evaluate the obesity and hypertension risk. However, the abdominal obesity and visceral fat accumulation are more obvious in the East Asian population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of fatty liver for hypertension in the Chinese population. METHOD: We compared the predictive value of BMI and fatty liver for the hypertension and its complication in 1386 patients with hypertension in Shanghai China. RESULTS: In the analysis of 1386 patients with hypertension in Shanghai China, we found that the prevalence and risk of hypertension and its complications were higher in the fatty liver group than that in the group of BMI≥24. Furthermore, the areas under the ROC curve of fatty liver for hypertension and its complications were superior to that of BMI. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that fatty liver is a more sensitive early warning for hypertension and its complication than BMI in Chinese population.

[Effects of reduction of nitrogen fertilizer application and combined organic fertilizer on soil nematode community in winter wheat field.] / æ°®è‚¥å‡æ–½ä¸Žé æ–½æœ‰æœºè‚¥å¯¹å†¬å°éº¦åœŸå£¤çº¿è™«ç¾¤è½ç»“æž„çš„å½±å“.

Soil nematodes are one of the typical indicator organisms for soil health. To reveal the effects of reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application on soil health, we examined community structure of soil nematode under reduced nitrogen fertilizer while combined with organic fertilizer at the jointing stage of winter wheat. There were six fertilization treatments, including CF(315 kg N·hm-2, conventional fertilization), N240 (240 kg N·hm-2), N210 (210 kg N·hm-2)、N180 (180 kg N·hm-2), F150 (180 kg N·hm-2+150 kg·hm-2 fulvic acid), and F225(180 kg N·hm-2+225 kg·hm-2 fulvic acid). The results showed that: 1) The reduction of nitrogen fertilization decreased nematode number by 15.3%-68.5%. 2) Protorhabditis was the dominant genus (19.6%-50.4%) across all treatments. The reduction of nitrogen fertilizer application increased the abundance of fungivores, herbivores, and predators-omnivores, while that of bacterivores decreased first and then increased. Combined application of organic fertilizer decreased the abundance of bacterivores and fungivores, while increased that of herbivores and predators-omnivores. 3) N240 and F225 increased the Shannon diversity (H) of nematode community by 48.1% and 58.5%, respectively. The maturity index (MI) in N240 was the highest (1.95), while the structural index (SI) was the lowest in N180 (43.33). The structural index (SI) of F225 with combined application of organic fertilizer reached 62.72, but its enrichment index (EI) was lowest (80.82). In conclusion, reduced nitrogen fertilizer application and combined with organic fertilizer could improve soil nematode diversity, increase the complexity of soil food web, which would be conducive to the health and stability of agricultural ecosystem.

[Effects of Cotton Stalk Biochar on the Structure and Function of Fungi Community in Alkaline Rhizosphere Soil of Rice Under Cadmium Pollution].

To study the effects of cotton stalk biochar on the regulation of fungal diversity, the structure and function of alkaline rice rhizosphere soil under cadmium pollution was investigated. An outdoor pot experiment was conducted by adding cotton stalk biochar (0%, 1%, and 5%) to an alkaline paddy soil with a cadmium concentration of 0.1 and 8 mg·kg-1. Taking rice rhizosphere soil as the research object, Illumina HiSeq sequencing was used to analyze the effects of cotton stalk biochar and cadmium pollution on the diversity, structure, abundance, and function of fungi in an alkaline rhizosphere soil, and to explore the correlation between soil environmental factors and the fungal community under the control of cotton stalk biochar. The results showed that:① the application of cotton stalk biochar significantly increased the soil pH, available nutrients, and organic matter, and reduced the content of reducible cadmium in the soil (P<0.05). ② The distribution of rice rhizosphere soil fungi was mainly Ascomycota, Aphelidiomycota, and Chytridiomycota, which accounted for 57% of all mycophytes. The genus was mainly Mortierella, Alternaria, and Fusarium. There was a significant difference in the α-diversity of the fungal community among the treatments (P<0.05). In the absence of cotton stalk biochar (C0), the increase in the cadmium concentration reduced the relative abundance and fungal diversity index (Shannon index) of Chytridiomycota, Mortierella, and Alternaria in the soil. Under different concentrations of cadmium (Cd0, Cd1, and Cd8), increasing cotton stalk biochar reduced the fungal community richness index (Chao1 index) and Shannon index. Cadmium pollution resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of Chytridiomycota in the soil, but decreased the abundance of Alternaria. The application of cotton stalk biochar could significantly increase the relative abundance of Chytridiomycota (P<0.05). Cadmium pollution reduced the abundance of Mortierella and Alternaria, but the application of cotton stalk biochar could increase the relative abundance of Alternaria. Increasing cotton stalk biochar means that soil will have more endophytes, plant pathogens, and saprophytes; while increasing cadmium pollution will reduce endophytes, plant pathogens, and saprophytes in the soil. ③ The main environmental factors affecting the diversity and structure of fungal communities are the available potassium, organic matter, and pH of the soil. The reducible cadmium content, which comprises the largest proportion of cadmium in rice soil, was significantly positively correlated to Rotifera, Aphelidiomycota, and Ascomycota (P<0.05), but negatively correlated to other mycophytes (P<0.05). The results indicate that cotton stalk biochar plays a certain role in the microecological regulation of alkaline cadmium-contaminated soil.

[Control of Cadmium Migration and Transformation in Alkaline Paddy Soil-Rice Using Cotton Stalk Biochar].

We investigated the effects of cotton stalk biochar addition on the soil nutrient characteristics of alkaline paddy soil and the migration and transformation of cadmium in a soil-rice system. An outdoor pot experiment was conducted with Tefengyou 2 rice as the testing material. We added cotton stalk biochar (0%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5%) in the alkaline paddy soil with cadmium content of 0, 1, 4, and 8 mg·kg-1. After rice harvesting, the effects of different concentrations of cotton stalk biochar on alkaline soil physical and chemical properties, cadmium enrichment and transfer in rice, and the occurrence of cadmium in soil were analyzed under different concentrations of cadmium stress. The results showed that ① adding cotton stalk biochar can effectively increase soil nutrient (P<0.05). After the addition of cotton stalk biochar, the organic matter increased by 25.74%-47.53%, and the available potassium content increased by 3.16-4.25 times. ② Cotton stalk carbon can reduce the cadmium content in soil and rice, especially after the application of 5% cotton stalk carbon, The cadmium content of brown rice at Cd4 and Cd8 concentrations decreased from 0.31 mg·kg-1 and 0.43 mg·kg-1 to 0.15 mg·kg-1 and 0.10 mg·kg-1, respectively, reaching the national standard. Cotton stalk biochar can significantly reduce the enrichment and transfer coefficient of cadmium in soil-rice systems and can increase the cadmium content in the residual cadmium but decrease the acid extractable cadmium, reducible cadmium, and oxidizable cadmium content (P<0.05). ③ Soil pH, conductivity, and nutrient indicators were significantly negatively correlated with cadmium content in rice and acid extractable cadmium, reducible cadmium, and oxidizable cadmium content in soil and were positively correlated with cadmium content in residual cadmium. The above results indicate that the application of cotton stalk biochar can significantly improve the soil nutrient of alkaline cadmium-contaminated paddy soil, and the application of cotton stalk biochar has a significant control effect on the migration and transformation of cadmium in alkaline soil and rice.

Evolutionary conservation of transferrin genomic organization and expression characterization in seven freshwater turtles.

Serum transferrin (tf), encoding an iron-binding glycoprotein, has been revealed to play important roles in iron transportation and immune response, and it also has been demonstrated to be valuable for phylogenetic analysis in vertebrates. However, the evolutionary conservation, expression profiles and positive selection of transferrin genes among freshwater turtle species remain largely unclear. Here, the genomic DNA and coding sequences of transferrin genes were cloned and characterized in seven freshwater turtles including Mauremys mutica, Mauremys sinensis, Cyclemys dentate, Mauremyssi reevesi, Heosemys grandis, Trachemys scripta and Chrysemys picta. The isolated coding sequences of turtles' tf genes were 2118 bp or 2121 bp, encoding 706 or 707 amino acids. The predicted Tf proteins of turtles share high identities with M. mutica Tf, up to 91%-98% and the M. mutica Tf has the highest identity (91%) in amino acid with the Chelomia mydas Tf, the moderate with other reptiles' Tfs (65%-59%), chicken (58%), and Human Tf (∼55%), and the lowest with zebrafish Tf (41%). Additionally, tf genes were consistently composed of 17 exons and 16 introns with the same splicing sites in introns in all the turtles examined. Moreover, 12 positive selected sites were detected in these turtles' Tf and mainly distributed on the surface of transferrin protein. Importantly, it was found that transferrin genes in all turtles examined were predominantly expressed in adult liver via real-time quantitative PCR. The molecular characterizations and expression profiles of transferrin would shed new insights into understanding the conversations and divergences of transferrin genes in turtles, even in vertebrates.

Multiple paternity in the cultured yellow pond turtles (Mauremys mutica).

As a result of hunting and habitat loss, wild populations of the yellow pond turtle, Mauremys mutica, are decreasing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers M. mutica to be an endangered species. All studied freshwater turtles have polyandrous mating with multiple paternity. To survey the mating strategies of M. mutica, 1year's genetic data of parents and all offspring in an artificially captive population were analyzed. Two groups of multiplex PCR containing 16 microsatellite loci were used to analyze the paternity of 302 hatchlings from 132 parents and from 159 clutches. The genetic data indicated that multiple paternity is rare in M. mutica, occurring in only seven of 138 clutches. Although the frequency of multiple paternity was only 5.07%, results of the present research indicate that M. mutica has a polyandrous mating system. In the breeding season, the successive clutches of 34 females each had the same paternity as the previous clutches. It was observed that four males (f85, f58, f87, and f76) had more than 20 offspring each, totaling 99 and representing 32.78% of all offspring. This finding implies that paternity is competitive in this artificially captive population and might bias the genetic diversity of the offspring.

Novel duplication pattern of the mitochondrial control region in Cantor's Giant softshell turtle Pelochelys cantorii.

Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle, Pelochelys cantorii has become one of the most critically endangered species in the world. When comparative analyses of the P. cantorii complete mitochondrial genome sequences were conducted, we discovered a duplication of a segment of the control region in the mitochondrial genome of P. cantorii. The duplication is characterized by two copies of conserved sequence box 2 (CSB2) and CSB3 in a single control region. In contrast to previous reports of duplications involving the control regions of other animals, this particular pattern of duplications appears to be unique to P. cantorii. Copies of the CSB2 and CSB3 show many of the conserved sequence features typically found in mitochondrial control regions, and rare differences were found between the paralogous copies. Using the primer design principle of simple sequence repeats (SSR) and the reference sequence of the duplicated CSBs, specific primers were designed to amplify the duplicated CSBs. These primers were validated among different individuals and populations of P. cantorii. This unique duplication structure suggests the two copies of the CSB2 and CSB3 may have arisen through occasional tandem duplication and subsequent concerted evolution.

Element Geochemistry of Lake Sediments from L07-10 in the "Great Ear" Area of Lop Nur and Its Significance for Climate Variation Change with ICP-OES.

Spectral analysis techniques were applied to geochemical element analysis to provide additional environmental data about evolution of salt lakes and climate change. The elements composition of lake sediments from L07-10 in the "Great Ear" Area of Lop Nur was analyzedby using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES )and from 14 C carbon dating by using the EN accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS).This paper estimated the climate change in this region since 16.34 ka BP. Results demonstrate that the geochemical characteristics of major elements at all sediment levels can indicate environmental change sensitivity, and element composition is more sensitive to climate change. Overall, climate succession since 16.34 ka BP had been: warm-wet, warm-dry, cold-wet and warm-dry. From 8.09~6.34 ka BP，the climate obviously heated up and was warmer and drier, which is consistent with global and regional climate change estimates from other studies. By about 2 ka BP, the climate becomes warmer and drier and the water carrying capacity of this lake was reduced.

Effect of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7-specific enterohaemolysin on interleukin-1ß production differs between human and mouse macrophages due to the different sensitivity of NLRP3 activation.

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 infection in humans can cause acute haemorrhagic colitis and severe haemolytic uraemic syndrome. The role of enterohaemolysin (Ehx) in the pathogenesis of O157:H7-mediated disease in humans remains undefined. Recent studies have revealed the importance of the inflammatory response in O157:H7 pathogenesis in humans. We previously reported that Ehx markedly induced interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) production in human macrophages. Here, we investigated the disparity in Ehx-induced IL-1ß production between human and mouse macrophages and explored the underlying mechanism regarding the activation of NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes. In contrast to the effects on human differentiated THP-1 cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, Ehx exerted no effect on IL-1ß production in mouse macrophages and splenocytes because of a disparity in pro-IL-1ß cleavage into mature IL-1ß upon caspase-1 activation. Additionally, Ehx significantly contributed to O157:H7-induced ATP release from THP-1 cells, which was not detected in mouse macrophages. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that Ehx was a key inducer of cathepsin B release in THP-1 cells but not in mouse IC-21 cells upon O157:H7 challenge. Inhibitor experiments indicated that O157:H7-induced IL-1ß production was largely dependent upon caspase-1 activation and partially dependent upon ATP signalling and cathepsin B release, which were both involved in NLRP3 activation. Moreover, inhibition of K(+) efflux drastically diminished O157:H7-induced IL-1ß production and cytotoxicity. The findings in this study may shed light on whether and how the Ehx contributes to the development of haemolytic uraemic syndrome in human O157:H7 infection.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Cuora trifasciata (Chinese three-striped box turtle), and a comparative analysis with other box turtles.

Cuora trifasciata has become one of the most critically endangered species in the world. The complete mitochondrial genome of C. trifasciata (Chinese three-striped box turtle) was determined in this study. Its mitochondrial genome is a 16,575-bp-long circular molecule that consists of 37 genes that are typically found in other vertebrates. And the basic characteristics of the C. trifasciata mitochondrial genome were also determined. Moreover, a comparison of C. trifasciata with Cuora cyclornata, Cuora pani and Cuora aurocapitata indicated that the four mitogenomics differed in length, codons, overlaps, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), ND3, rRNA genes, control region, and other aspects. Phylogenetic analysis with Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood based on 12 protein-coding genes of the genus Cuora indicated the phylogenetic position of C. trifasciata within Cuora. The phylogenetic analysis also showed that C. trifasciata from Vietnam and China formed separate monophyletic clades with different Cuora species. The results of nucleotide base compositions, protein-coding genes and phylogenetic analysis showed that C. trifasciata from these two countries may represent different Cuora species.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the critically endangered Vietnamese three-striped box turtle (Testudines: Geoemydidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Vietnamese three-striped box turtle (Cuora cyclornata) was first determined in this study. It was a circular molecule of 16,594 bp in length, consisting of 37 genes typically found in other vertebrates. The AT content of the overall base composition of the whole mitogenome was 60.39%, while the control region was 70.23%. Two ETAS and 4 CSBs were identified, while a remarkable feature was found in the control region: a large number of (TTATTATA)10 direct tandem repeats followed by (TTATA)n (n=10, 8 and 1), which were spaced into three domains by (TA)n (n=1, 1 and 2). The sequence information could play an important role in the study of phylogenetic relationships in turtles and preservation of genetic resources for helping conservation of the endangered species.

[Residues and health risk assessment of HCHs, DDTs and heavy metals in water and Tilapias from fish ponds of Guangdong].

Concentrations of copper, lead, cadmium, arsenic, hexachlorcyclohexane (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) in the water and the fish samples collected separately from fish pond, markets and supermarkets in four cities of Guangdong Province were measured by using GC-ECD, flame atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Health risk assessments associated with Cu, Pd, Cd, As, HCHs and DDTs were conducted based on the model of health risk assessment recommended by the US EPA. The results showed that the concentration ranges of Cu, Pd, Cd, As, HCHs and DDTs in water samples were nd-0.101 mg x L(-1), nd-0.097 mg x L(-1), nd-0.003 27 mg x L(-1), 0.0121-0.08127 mg x L(-1), 2.63-37.18 ng x L(-1) and 2.05-12.21 ng x L(-1), respectively. The health risk assessment indicates that the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of Cu, Pd, Cd, HCHs and DDTs in Tilapias both lower than the highest acceptable level of risk set by ICRP, but As cancer risk value slightly exceeded the upper limit of the acceptable risk levels in city population.

[Analysis of chemical speciation of heavy metals in L07-11 profile sediments of "Big Ear" Region of Lop Nor Lake].

As playa is the typical characteristic in "Big Ear" Region of Lop Nor Lake, it is significant for enriching playa heavy metal earth environmental chemical data by analyzing species distribution of heavy metal among this district. In this thesis, heavy metal Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu in L07-11 Profile Sediments of "Big Ears" Region of Lop Nor Lake are considered as research objects. Tessier sequential extraction and Graphite furnace atomic absorption method (GF-990) are used to discuss and analyze five forms of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu among sediments. The results show that the content of Cd, Pb, Ni and Cu is in the range from 1.10~2.54, 9.18~20.02, 9.88~17.15, 4.43~21.11 mg · kg(-1), respectively. The value of organic matter range from 8.71-54.72 g · kg(-1). The order of the bioavailable state in heavy metals is Cd>Pb>Cu>Ni. Pb and Cd mainly exist in exchangeable form including water-soluble, and that Ni is in residual form, and that Cu is mostly in Fe-Mn oxide bound iron-manganese oxides or in residual form. Among surface sediments, effective content of heavy metal is more than 80%. Except Cu, the content of heavy metal Cd, Pb, Ni in exchangeable form is more than 60%. Heavy metal Cd and Pb has higher secondary release potential. The content of heavy metal and organic material has some correlation.

[Residues and potential ecological risk assessment of metal in sediments from lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River].

In order to investigate the heavy metal concentrations and their potential ecological risks in surface sediments of lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River, 21 bottom sediment samples were collected from lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River. Total contents of Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb and Hg in these samples were measured by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) and using the index of geoaccumulation and the potential ecological risk index to evaluate the pollution degree of heavy metals in the sediments. Results indicated that the concentration of total Fe and total Mn were 41658.73 and 1104.73 mg x kg(-1) respectively and toxic trace metals, such as Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb and Hg were 86.62, 18.18, 54.10, 80.20, 543.60, 119.55, 4.28, 10.60, 20.26, 104.58 and 0.520 mg x kg(-1). The descending order of pollution degree of various metals is: Cd > As approximately Zn > Hg > Pb approximately Cu approximately Cr, while the single potential ecological risk followed the order: Cd > Hg > As > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cr. The pollution extent and potential ecological risk of Cd were the most serious among all heavy metals. The distribution pattern of Cd individual potential ecological risk indices is exactly the same as that of general potential ecological risk indices for all heavy metals. Clustering analysis indicates that the sampling stations may be classified into five groups which basically reflected the characteristics of the heavy metal contamination and sedimentation environments along the different river reaches in lower reaches and estuary of Pearl Rive. In general, the serious heavy metal pollution and the high potential ecological risk existed in three river reaches: Chengcun-Shawan, Chengcun-Shundegang and Waihai-Hutiaomen. The pollution degree and potential ecological risk are higher in related river reaches of Beijiang than that in other lower reaches and estuary of Pearl River.

[Speciation analysis of Cd in PM10 and PM2.5 during heating period in Urumqi].

PM2.5 and PM10 samples were collected on campus of Xinjiang Agricultural University during Dec. 14-28, 2009, and the speciation of Cd in PM10 and PM2.5 and its health risk index was analyzed. The results showed that the pollution caused by PM10 and PM2.5 was severe here during the heating period; Cd in PM10 and PM2.5 was of concentration 3.642 and 1.964 ng x m(-3) respectively, mainly in the form of residue; however, Cd in PM2.5 had a higher bioavailability than that in PM10. The carcinogenic risk of Cd in PM10 and PM2.5 was 6.56 x 10(-6) and 3.46 x 10(-6) respectively, which were both acceptable.

[Analysis of Cd pollution & spatial variability characteristics of typical agricultural soils in suburbs of Urumqi City, Xinjiang].

Cd content in agricultural soils from 4 townships in north suburb and 2 townships in south suburb of Urumqi City was determined with graphite furnace (GF-990) atomic absorption spectrometry, and the spatial variability of Cd content there was analyzed with geo-statistics method. The result indicates that Cd content from the sampling points in north suburb exceeds the stipulated standard and falls into medium or strong spatial variability with nugget value > 75%, which explains a weak self-correlation among those variable spaces under mainly the impact of random factors of external pollution such as local fertilization level, irrigation and cultivation etc. Cd content from the sampling points in north suburb does not exceed the stipulated standard but approaches to the critical warning value with nugget value at 50.2%, which falls into medium self-correlation among those variable spaces. Spatial variability characteristics of Cd distribution in suburban agricultural soils of Urumqi City, Xinjiang were studied in this paper for providing scientific basic data to source analysis and control of Cd pollution in the far mLands there.

[Effects of incubation temperature and substrate humidity on embryonic development of Mauremys mutica].

Yellow pond turtle (Mauremys mutica) eggs were incubated in vermiculite under nine combinations of temperature and humidity, i. e., 25 degrees C and -12 kPa, 29 degrees C and -12 kPa, 33 degrees C and -12 kPa, 25 degrees C and -150 kPa, 29 degrees C and -150 kPa, 33 degrees C and -150 kPa, 25 degrees C and -300 kPa, 29 degrees C and -300 kPa, and 33 degrees C and -300 kPa, aimed to study the effects of incubation temperature and its interaction with substrate humidity on the embryonic development of M. mutica. The initial egg mass, incubation temperature, substrate humidity, and the interaction of incubation temperature and substrate humidity had significant effects on the mass increment of egg in the course of hatching. At the same temperature, eggs incubated in wetter substrates (-12 kPa) gained more mass than those incubated in drier substrates (-150 kPa and -300 kPa). Incubation temperature affected hatching period significantly, while substrate humidity and its interaction with temperature did not. Both incubation temperature and substrate humidity affected hatching success and shell crack rate significantly. Abnormal hatchlings were found when incubated at 25 degrees C and 33 degrees C, but not at 29 degrees C. Incubation temperature had significant effects on the hatchling mass, carapace length and width, plastron length and width, body height, and tail length; while substrate humidity only affected hatchlings plastron length. The interaction of incubation temperature and substrate humidity did not affect the morphology of hatchlings.

Interferon regulatory factor-2 in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides): gene, inductive expression pattern and subcellular localization.

Interferon regulatory factor 2 (IRF-2) is a multifunctional transcription factor which exhibits both transcriptional activating and repressing activities in the IRF family. In this study, we report an IRF-2 gene isolated from orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides). The 1854bp full-length cDNA sequence of EcIRF-2 has been cloned, encoding a putative peptide of 336 amino acids which is highly consistent with the feature of IRF family members. The genomic fragment of EcIRF-2 contains nine exons and eight introns, spanning over approximate 8.8kb. The expression of EcIRF-2 gene was detected in various tissues of healthy orange-spotted grouper and in four tissues after being challenged with poly I:C or LPS. EcIRF-2 gene is ubiquitously expressed in various healthy fish tissues and is up-regulated in vivo in response to poly I:C or LPS. Subcellular localization analysis of EcIRF-2 suggests it is an intranuclear protein in the fish cells. We believe this research is the first report of fish IRF-2 protein localization. The results in this research establish the base for further study of function mechanism of IRF family members in orange-spotted grouper.