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OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the expression of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)/hypoxia-induced factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) signaling pathway and the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) under different oxygen concentrations to clarify the biological characteristics of NPCs and the molecular mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal and degenerated human NPCs were collected. Leibovitz's medium with 100 μmol/L CoCl2 was used to establish a hypoxic culture environment, and 100 μmol/L H2O2 was used to establish an oxidative stress culture environment. Third-generation NPCs were divided into 6 groups: normal NPCs + hypoxia, normal NPCs + normoxia, normal NPCs + oxidative stress, degenerated NPCs + hypoxia, degenerated NPCs + normoxia, and degenerated NPCs + oxidative stress. Normal NPCs + hypoxia was used as the experimental control group. Cell viability and proliferation were detected by using the Cell Counting Kit- 8 (CCK-8) method. Cell apoptosis rate was assessed by flow cytometry, and expression levels of PI3K, AKT, and HIF-1α were determined by Real-Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. RESULTS: The cell proliferation rate of both normal and degenerated NPCs decreased with increasing oxygen concentration. Conversely, the apoptosis rate increased as the oxygen concentration increased (p<0.05). Compared with the control group, whether the cells degenerated had a very significant impact on the apoptosis rate (p<0.001), and oxygen concentration also had a highly significant impact on both the cell proliferation rate and apoptosis rate (both p<0.001). The interaction between cell degeneration and oxygen concentration significantly affected both cell proliferation and apoptosis rates (p<0.05). Considering the expression levels of PI3K, AKT, and HIF-1α, normal NPCs had the highest levels under low oxygen concentrations, followed by oxidative stress and normoxia. In degenerated NPCs, the expression levels also decrease as the oxygen concentration increases. CONCLUSIONS: The PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathway plays a significant role in inhibiting oxidative stress, antagonizing NPC apoptosis, and consequently delaying IVDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litterfall is a good indicator of overall forest functions in forest ecosystems. Globally, forest litterfall has been extensively investigated, however, there is a lack of long‐term data analysis to show the various litterfall components in relation to environmental factors on the monthly and yearly scales. Here, monthly (May–October) and annual (1981–2018) litterfall including leaves, twigs, bark, reproductive, and miscellaneous fractions were collected in a mixed mature Pinus koraiensis forest on Changbai Mountain in Northeast, China, across 30 years. Based on these long‐term litterfall data, we analyzed the seasonal and annual variations in different litterfall fractions and the internal/external drivers. We observed that both the leaf and total litterfall exhibited a strong, similar seasonal pattern, with the highest levels between September and October, and the annual litterfall had an "S‐shaped" increasing pattern from 1981 to 2018. The other litterfall fractions showed distinct monthly and yearly fluctuations across the 30 years. Mean monthly evapotranspiration and temperature (minimum and maximum) were the best predictors for monthly litterfall. By contrast, the models that best predicted the annual litterfall production included mean annual precipitation and mean monthly precipitation and temperature in May and October. Our study, using a unique dataset of detailed long‐term litterfall dynamics, has potentially major significance for enhancing our understanding of the role of climatic factors controlling forest litterfall amount and seasonality in temperate mixed mature forests. This insight is of paramount importance for modeling and estimating soil carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling of temperate forests under climate change. Plain Language Summary: Forest litterfall is very important for nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Many researchers have studied forest litterfall, but still, there is an obvious lack of long‐term data analysis to show the relationships between forest litterfall and environmental factors. In this study, we analyzed the monthly and annual litterfalls of various components (leaf, reproductive, twig, bark, and miscellaneous litterfall) collected over 30 years in a mixed broad‐leaved Pinus koraiensis old‐growth forest on Changbai Mountain in northeastern China, in relation to climatic factors. We found that the highest monthly values of both leaf and total litterfall occurred during September‐October, and the annual litterfall of all components had an increasing trend from 1981 to 2018. The monthly litterfall was strongly influenced by the mean monthly evapotranspiration and temperature (minimum and maximum). The annual litterfall was mainly influenced by the mean annual precipitation, mean monthly precipitation, and temperature in May and October. These long‐term data based findings have important implications for better understanding the role of climatic factors on forest litterfall dynamics under climate change. Key Points: Leaf and total litterfall exhibited a strong and similar seasonal patternThere was an "S‐shaped" increasing pattern in the annual litterfallContrasting climatic factors controlled seasonal and annual litterfall dynamics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method, noted as approximate envelope method (AEM), was developed to estimate the secondary PM2.5 concentrations based on the air quality monitoring data. This approach made it possible to obtain the long‐term characteristics of the secondary PM2.5 using only conventional observations. The secondary PM2.5 concentrations and their variation characteristics under different PM2.5 pollution levels during wintertime of 2015 to 2018 in Chengdu, a major urban area of Sichuan Basin over Southwest China, were analyzed. The results showed that the secondary PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 52.3 to 122.8 μg·m−3 and accounted for 56.3%, 63.6%, and 67.4% of the total PM2.5 in slight, moderate, and heavy pollution status, respectively. Additionally, the concentrations of secondary PM2.5 increased year by year, while the concentrations of primary PM2.5 performed significant decreasing trends from 2015 to 2018. The diurnal variations of primary and secondary PM2.5 presented a significantly unimodal patterns but with maximum at morning and noon, respectively. Specific meteorological conditions such as high (low) relative humidity and temperature (wind speed and air pressure) aggravated the secondary particulate pollution in wintertime of Chengdu, reflecting an influence of regional climate change over the Sichuan Basin of Southwest China on the urban air pollution. Key Points: The PM2.5/CO ratio is a valid tracer for estimating the concentration of primary particlesSecondary particles dominated wintertime PM2.5 in urban area of Chengdu [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bama miniature pig (Sus scrofa domestica), endemic in China,which is characterized by its small size and specific meat flavor. The evaluation of pork quality is closely related to boar taint. However, there are no published studies of boar taint in Bama miniature pigs. In this study, the correlation between mRNA expression of boar taint-related genes,boar taint substances (androstenone and skatole) and sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol) of Bama miniature pigs at consecutive ages were examined. We found a gradual increase of mRNA (CYP2E1, CYP2A19, CYP2C34, and COUP-TF1) expression in the livers of pigs aged from birth to 6 months of age. The mRNA expression of COUP-TF1 and CYP2C34 peaked at 12 months old. However, the mRNA expression of CYP2E1 and CYP2A19 declined after 6 months age. The mRNA expression of CYP11A1, CYP17A1, StAR, and COUP-TF1 was stable over time in the testicle of Bama miniature pig. However, a substantial increase in their relative expression levels was observed before sexual maturity. Boar age was positively correlated to sex hormone (testosterone, estradiol) and boar taint substances (androstenone, skatole). There is in vivo gene regulation in boars that controls the relationship between boar taint substances and sex hormones. In addition, CYP11A1, CYP17A1, StAR, and sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol) can be used as markers for low boar taint study. Our study elucidated the correlation of boar taint-related genes,boar taint substances and sex hormones. These results have provided reference for applied research using Bama miniature pigs as a model for livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), used in gas turbine blades, are exposed to oxidation and thermal fatigue conditions. The characterization of TBCs was often performed in laboratory experiments, therefore, its detail failure mechanism is not quite obvious. For better understanding of the phenomenon, it is recommended to observe it under the condition simulating the real service conditions of gas turbines. In the present work, 2 coatings were prepared by air plasma spraying (APS). Scanning electron microscope (SEM), equipped with a heating system, was used to study the in situ microstructure change of TBCs at service temperature at which the aircraft is operated. The bond coat (BC) layer's thickening process and thermally grown oxide (TGO) generation along with the cracks growth are revealed. Moreover, the influence of the service temperature and holding time on the failure mechanism of TBCs is discussed. The crack healing produced during the coating re-melting reaction is observed, and it is the key factor to increase the thermal conductivity of the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the concentrations of trans-resveratrol (Res) and other phenolic compounds in the skin and seeds of red grape (Vitis vinifera x V. amurensis 'Beiquan') during low temperature storage (-1° ± 0.5°C) after post-harvest UV-B and UV-C irradiation and incubation at room temperature (25°C) were evaluated. No obvious changes in Res levels were observed in control and UV-B-irradiated grape skins after 14 d. A higher content of Res was recorded in UV-B- irradiated grape skins for only 7 d in cold storage, but the content was highest in UV-C-irradiated grape skins for the entire period (28 d) in cold storage. Total levels of anthocyanins in grape skins after either UV treatment were significantly higher than in controls during the first 7 d of storage, while only those in UV-B-treated skins were significantly higher than controls during the later period (from 21 -28 d) of storage, due to sharp declines in levels of the five main anthocyanins in UV-C-treated grape skins. Total flavan-3-ol and flavonol contents remained constant in UV-B- and UV-C-treated grape skins during cold storage and did not differ from controls. Levels of Res in grape seeds remained constant and did not differ between UV treatments, or from controls, over 28 d of low temperature storage. However, the total flavan-3-ol and flavonol contents in control and UV-B-treated grape seeds declined from day-2 to day-28 of cold storage, while those of UV-C-treated grape seeds remained constant. Changes in catechin and epicatechin were responsible for the changes observed in total flavan-3-ols and flavonols during cold storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined DNA fingerprint haplotypes and pathotypes of the rice-blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea collected from 13 areas in China. This DNA fingerprinting analysis, using rep-PCR, of 381 haplotypes (482 isolates) from China indicated that the M. grisea populations cannot be delineated into region-specific groups. Analyses of the number of alleles ( na), Nei's gene diversity, unbiased genetic distance, and Shannon's Information index among 13 populations showed that clusters were not related to the geographic distance between populations with the exception of the Ningxia (NX) and Jilin (JL) cluster. Among northern populations, NX and JL were more similar to one another than to other populations. Pathogen populations consisting of 121 isolates from China were grouped into 53 pathotypes on the basis of disease reaction in differential rice lines. Isolates assayed for pathotypes were detected based on disease reactions. No correlation was observed between fingerprint groups and pathotypes of the pathogen. High frequency of virulence was found on the rice line Shin2 ( Pi-ks and Pi-sh) followed by PiNo.4 ( Pi-ta2 and Pi-sh) and K1 ( Pi-ta), while it was low on Kanto 51 ( Pi-k + ?), K3 ( Pi-kh), and Fujisaka ( Pi-i and Pi-sh). Virulence was rare on Toride 1 ( Pi-zt and Pi-sh). Tetep (Pi-kh + ?) was predicted to be a highly effective, as none of the isolates infected this line. These blast-resistant rice lines can be used in resistance breeding for the effective management of rice blast in the respective regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit was removed ('- fruit') or retained ('+ fruit') on 1 year-old shoots of Prunus persica L. Batch cv. 'Okubo' with the same number of leaves, and on the limbs of cv. 'Yanfengyihao' peach trees during different phenological stages of fruit development in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Fruit removal significantly decreased the net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, and increased leaf temperature around midday, compared to the '+ fruit' treatment. No significant difference in the sub-stomatal CO2 concentration in source leaves was observed between the '- fruit' and '+ fruit' treatments. Decreased carbon-sink activity due to fruit removal significantly reduced the net photosynthesis rate only when photosynthetically active radiation was high and exceeded 900-1,000 µmol m-2 s-1. The net photosynthesis rate was significantly and positively correlated with stomatal conductance, especially at small stomatal apertures, and was significantly lower in the '- fruit' treatment compared to the '+ fruit' treatment. This decrease in net photosynthesis rate was often accompanied by significantly decreased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Moreover, the net photosynthesis rate peaked when the leaf temperature was between 36°-38.5°C, then decreased sharply when the leaf temperature continued to increase in the presence or absence of fruit. However, the net photosynthesis rate in the '- fruit' treatment was lower than in the '+ fruit' treatment at the same leaf temperature, especially when the leaf temperature exceeded 38.5°C. It is suggested that increased leaf temperature, followed by a reduced stomatal aperture, may be critical for reduced photosynthesis with decreased sink strength after fruit removal. Regulation of stomatal aperture, the first important physiological reaction of leaves, may be considered the trigger, and increased leaf temperature as being instrumental in regulating photosynthesis during low sink-demand in peach trees. Similar results were found for both peach cultivars at two experimental sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora boehmeriae, is a serious disease of cotton in China. In wet weather conditions, P. boehmeriae is usually the primary pathogen, followed by many saprophytic fungi and pathogens such as Pythium spp., Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia and others. As P. boehmeriae grows much slower than other pathogens, it is difficult to isolate and identify. A rapid and accurate method for its specific identification is necessary for the detection of blight in infected cotton tissue. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from three isolates of P. boehmeriae were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the universal primers DC6 and ITS4. PCR products were cloned and sequenced. The sequences were aligned with those published of 50 other Phytophthora species, and a region specific to P. boehmeriae was used to construct the specific PCR primers PB1 and PB2. Over 106 isolates of 14 Phytophthora species and at least 20 other fungal species were used to check the specificity of the primers. PCR amplification with primers PB1 and PB2 resulted in the amplification of a product of approximately 750 bp only from isolates of P. boehmeriae. Using primers PB1 and PB2, detection sensitivity was approximately 10 fg DNA/ μl. In inoculated plant material, P. boehmeriae could be detected in tissue 1 day after inoculation, prior to the appearance of symptoms. The PB primer-based PCR assay provides an accurate and sensitive method for detecting P. boehmeriae in cotton tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) of the lung is a heterogeneous disease that is composed of both adenocarcinoma components (ACC) and squamous cell carcinoma components (SCCC). Their genomic profile, genetic origin, and clinical management remain controversial., Patients and Methods: Resected ASC and metastatic tumor in regional lymph nodes (LNs) were collected. The ACC and SCCC were separated by microdissection of primary tumor. The 1021 cancer-related genes were evaluated by next-generation sequencing independently in ACC and SCCC and LNs. Shared and private alterations in the two components were investigated. In addition, genomic profiles of independent cohorts of adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas were examined for comparison. We have also carried out a retrospective study of ASCs with known EGFR mutation status from 11 hospitals in China for their clinical outcomes., Results: The most frequent alterations in 28 surgically resected ASCs include EGFR (79%), TP53 (68%), MAP3K1 (14%) mutations, EGFR amplifications (32%), and MDM2 amplifications (18%). Twenty-seven patients (96%) had shared variations between ACC and SCCC, and pure SCCC metastases were not found in metastatic LNs among these patients. Only one patient with geographically separated ACC and SCCC had no shared mutations. Inter-component heterogeneity was a common genetic event of ACC and SCCC. The genomic profile of ASC was similar to that of 170 adenocarcinomas, but different from that of 62 squamous cell carcinomas. The incidence of EGFR mutations in the retrospective analysis of 517 ASCs was 51.8%. Among the 129 EGFR-positive patients who received EGFR-TKIs, the objective response rate was 56.6% and the median progression-free survival was 10.1 months (95% confidence interval: 9.0-11.2)., Conclusions: The ACC and SCCC share a monoclonal origin, a majority with genetically inter-component heterogeneity. ASC may represent a subtype of adenocarcinoma with EGFR mutation being the most common genomic anomaly and sharing similar efficacy to EGFR TKI., Competing Interests: Disclosure TSKM reports grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, Roche/Genentech, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Merck Sharp and Dohme, Pfizer, SFJ Pharmaceuticals, Clovis Oncology, and Taiho; personal fees from Eli Lilly, Merck Serono, Vertex, ACEA Biosciences, Oncogenex, Celgene, and Ignyta; an uncompensated relationship with geneDecode and Cirina; grants from Eisai; and ownership of stock in Samomics Ltd. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 European Society for Medical Oncology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of newly-identified non-coding RNA molecules. CircRNAs are conserved across different species and display specific organization, sequence, and expression in disease. Moreover, circRNAs' closed ring structure, insensitivity to RNase, and stability are advantages over linear RNAs in terms of development and application as a new kind of clinical marker. In addition, according to recent studies, circular RNA-7 (ciRS-7) acts as a sponge of miR-7 and thus inhibits its activity. Numerous evidences have confirmed expression of miR-7 is dysregulated in cancer tissues, however, whether ciRS-7 invovled in oncogenesis by acting as sponge of miR-7 remains unclear. Most recently, a study reported ciRS-7 acted as an oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma through targeting miR-7 expression. This suggest ciRS-7/ miR-7 axis affects oncogenesis, and it provides a new perspective on the mechanisms of decreased miR-7 expression in cancer tissues. Discovery of sponge role of circRNAs caused researchers to more closely explore the underlying mechanism of carcinogenesis and has significant clinical implications, and may open a new chapter in research on the pathology and treatment of cancers. This review summarizes the structure and function of circRNAs and provides evidence for the impact of ciRS-7 in promoting the development of cancer by acting as sponge of miR-7.

Here, we investigated the effects of blocking chicken telomerase reverse transcriptase (chTERT) in MDCC-MSB1 cells, using small-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) to interfere with gene expression. shRNAs specific to chTERT mRNA were designed, cloned into DNA plasmid vectors, and transfected into MDCC-MSB1 cells. The transfected chTERT RNAs were expressed by the RNA polymerase machinery of the MDCC-MSB1 cells. mRNA expression in transfected MDCC-MSB1 cells was detected using real-time PCR. After transfection, telomerase activity was monitored via a modified telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay, and cell cycle analysis was performed using a flow cytometer. At 72 h after transfection, chTERT expression was considerably reduced in cells transfected with shRNA; the highest inhibition rate was 89%. Compared with the control group, telomerase activity was significantly reduced and the cells failed to progress to S phase. shRNA effectively reduced telomerase activity and prohibited the transition of MDCC-MSB1 cells from G2/M to S phase.

Phytophthora sansomeana E.M. Hansen & Reeser is a newly described species and infects Douglas-fir, alfalfa, and soybean (1). Soybean production is an important part of the local economy in Yili State in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China. Unfortunately since 2005, root and stem rot disease has emerged on a number of farms. To identify the causal agent, plant samples with symptoms, including whole plant wilting or yellowing and stunting, were collected from fields during 2005 and 2008. Tissue from the edges of stem lesions was placed on selective lima bean agar (LBA) at 20°C for 3 to 4 days (2,3). Four single zoospore isolates of Phytophthora were obtained and maintained on LBA or 10% V8 juice liquid medium for examination of morphological and physiological characteristics. The colonies on LBA were aerial and rosaceous. The isolates were homothallic, and oogonia and oospores were readily produced in culture after 7 days on LBA plates. Oogonia averaged 38 μm and oospore width ranged from 23 to 48 μm and averaged 31 μm. Antheridia were approximately 15 × 12 μm and predominantly amphigynous in V8 juice. Sporangia were terminal or paragynous on persistent sporangiophores, nonpapillate, ovoid to obpyriform, and measured 52 × 35 μm with an average length/breadth ratio of 1.5. Hyphal swellings were produced in V8 juice 2 days after inoculation. The optimum temperature for growth was approximately 25°C and none occurred at 0 or 35°C. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of this Phytophthora species (GenBank FJ966880) agreed 100% with sequences of P. sansomeana isolates deposited in GenBank (GQ853880 and EU925375). Pathogenicity tests were performed by hypocotyl inoculation method (2) using isolate Yili71 and potted soybean cv. Williams. Plants were grown in a growth chamber for 10 days before inoculation in 16-cm-diameter pots (2). Plants were inoculated with 2- × 2-mm plugs of mycelium grown for 4 days on LBA at 25°C, the plugs were adhered to the sides of wounded lower hypocotyls. As controls, plants were inoculated with LBA agar plugs without mycelium (2). Inoculated plants were maintained in a growth chamber at approximately 25°C with a 10-h dark/14-h light cycle and 50% relative humidity and symptom development was monitored daily for 1 week. Wounded stems inoculated with mycelium developed water-soaked lesions, which were similar to those seen on naturally infected plants. A Phytophthora sp. was reisolated from the margins of expanding lesions on wounded stems. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. sansomeana infection of soybean in China and the threat it may pose to soybean production is unclear. References: (1) E. M. Hansen et al. Mycologia 101:129. 2009. (2) Z. Y. Wang et al. Fungal Genet. Biol. 43:826, 2006. (3) X. B. Zheng. Methods in Phytophthora. Chinese Agriculture Press. Beijing, China, 1995.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis produces novel superantigenic toxins designated YPMa (Y. pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen), YPMb, and YPMc and has a pathogenicity island termed HPI (high-pathogenicity island) and R-HPI (the right-hand part of the HPI with truncation in its left-hand part) on the chromosome. Analysis of the distribution of these virulence factors allowed for differentiation of species Y. pseudotuberculosis into six subgroups, thus reflecting the geographical spread of two main clones: the YPMa(+) HPI(-) Far Eastern systemic pathogenic type belonging to serotypes O1b, -2a, -2b, -2c, -3, -4a, -4b, -5a, -5b, -6, -10, and UT (untypeable) and the YPMs(-) HPI(+) European gastroenteric pathogenic type belonging to serotypes O1a and -1b. The YPMa(+) HPI(+) pathogenic type belonging to serotypes O1b, -3, -5a, -5b, and UT and the YPMb(+) HPI(-) nonpathogenic type belonging to non-melibiose-fermenting serotypes O1b, -5a, -5b, -6, -7, -9, -10, -11, and -12 were prevalent in the Far East. The YPMc(+) R-HPI(+) European low-pathogenicity type belonging to non-melibiose-fermenting serotype O3 and the YPMs(-) HPI(-) pathogenic type belonging to 15 serotypes were found to be prevalent all over the world. This new information is useful for a better understanding of the evolution and spread of Y. pseudotuberculosis.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis isolates from Russia east of Moscow, Korea and mainland China were used for restriction endonuclease analysis of virulence plasmid (REAP) and findings were compared with REAP of isolates from Japan and Western countries. An identical REAP pattern of each serogroup 1a, 1b, 3, 4a and 4b strain was observed among isolates from Russia, Korea, mainland China, and Japan but such was absent in West European strains. Therefore, the possibility that the origin of Y. pseudotuberculosis between West Europe and eastern Eurasia east of Moscow may be from a different clone should be considered.

Thirty strains of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis were isolated from rabbits (17 strains), wild rats (9 strains) and house rats (4 strains) in China between 1990 and 1993. The biochemical properties of these isolates were identical with those of Y. pseudotuberculosis and no special characteristics were found in these strains. Serologically, serogroups 4b and 5b were identical to isolates found in Japan, and a new serogroup 1c and unclassified strains have also been detected. The existence of virulence-associated properties were different among strains. The pYV plasmid was detected from 6 strains of 30 isolates. This report documents the presence of Y. pseudotuberculosis in China, providing important epidemiological information.

Twenty-six samples of human aqueous humor from patients with cataract and glaucoma were analyzed on anticomplement activity. The mean inhibitory rate was 15.32 +/- 14.60%, ranging from 0.93 to 60.02%. The inhibitory effect appeared in a dose-dependent manner. No significant differences were found between males and females (p > 0.05) and between samples of different age (p > 0.05). We revealed that aqueous humor had an inhibitory effect on complement activity. This indicates that human aqueous humor has an immune regulatory function.

In April and May 1983, a total of 124 samples of faeces from 124 swine was examined for the presence of Yersinia enterocolitica by a variety of isolation procedures. The organisms were recovered from 48.4% of the swine, which all had diarrhoea. The strain belonged to serotypes 0:3 and 0:9 which are considered to be pathogenic for humans.