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The application of antibody therapeutics is promising in the field of immunotherapy. While, heterologization should be done in most cases before applying the therapeutic antibodies into bodies, e.g., humanization, caninization and felinization for human beings, canine and feline, respectively. Here we report YabXnization, the platform which realizes antibody heterologization on the basis of rational design and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted computation. YabXnization provides two ways for heterologization: traditional CDR-grafting and backmutation-based rational design; and AI-assisted fusion computational design. Taking humanization as example, both of the two ways first find the proper template for heavy and light chains with CDR-grafting followed. For rational design, bioinformatics analysis-based backmutation is then conducted. For AI-assisted computational design, the backmutation and humanness evaluation are implemented through evolutionary computation framework with DeepForest-based humanness evaluation model and the distance to the previously found human template as objective functions. Finally, the top K heterologized antibodies can be provided by YabXnization platform. We examined the platform with 18 antibodies to be heterologized, in which 10 for humanization, 6 for caninization and 2 for felinization, respectively. The heterologized antibodies were measured by indirect ELISA and BLI(Octet)/SPR(Biacore) binding affinity measurement methods. Test results show a 90% success rate with the binding affinity loss of heterologized antibodies within an order of magnitude compared to the corresponding chimeric antibodies. It even shows an increase in the binding affinity on some of the heterologized antibodies. The platform can be reached through https://www.genscript.com/tools/yabxnization-service.

Abstract Rivers are well known as one of the most threatened aquatic environments, whose structure and water quality can be deeply impacted by intensive anthropogenic activities. Despite the fact that anthropogenic influences on river ecosystems could indeed be deduced from the composition and chemistry of fluvial dissolved organic matter (DOM), sources of anthropogenic loading to DOM are still poorly explored. Here, by uniting fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEM) and principal component absolute coefficient, four sources of DOM from seventeen rivers in major drainage basins of China could be identified, i.e., originating from municipal sewage, domestic wastewater, livestock wastewater, and natural origins, and thus being defined as MS-DOM, DW-DOM, LW-DOM, NO-DOM, respectively. Based on the random forest model, special nodes in EEM could be traced from four sources, respectively. According to parallel factor analysis, DOM mainly contained protein-like, microbial humic-like, and fulvic-like fluorescence substances, among which protein-like was dominant in MS-DOM and DW-DOM, microbial humic-like in LW-DOM, and fulvic-like in NO-DOM. Based on key peaks and essential nodes in EEM, the identifying source indices were first proposed, which could be introduced to simply distinguish the different anthropogenic-derived sources of fluvial DOM. It was associated with intensity ratios of the key peaks and the essential nodes of EEM spectra from four sources, i.e., municipal sewage (MS-SI: Ex/Em = 280/(335, 410) nm), domestic wastewater (DW-SI: Ex/Em = 280/(340, 410) nm), livestock wastewater (LW-SI: Ex/Em = 235/(345, 380) nm), and natural origins (NO-SI: Ex/Em = 260/(380, 430) nm). By statistical analysis, the high identifying source indices of municipal sewage (>0.5) and natural origins (>0.4) values could be related to MS-DOM and NO-DOM, respectively. The identifying source indices of domestic wastewater with 0.1–0.3 might be linked to DW-DOM and the identifying source indices of livestock wastewater with 0.3–0.4 to LW-DOM. Compared with conventional optical indices, the novel identifying source indices showed remarkable discrimination for the sources of fluvial DOM with different forms of anthropogenic disturbances. Hence the innovative approach could be relatively convenient and accurate to evaluate water quality or pollution risk in river ecosystems.

Iron- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ferroptosis occurs in plant cells. Ca2+ acts as a conserved key mediator to control plant immune responses. Here, we report a novel role of cytoplasmic Ca2+ influx regulating ferroptotic cell death in rice immunity using pharmacological approaches. High Ca2+ influx triggered iron-dependent ROS accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent hypersensitive response (HR) cell death in rice (Oryza sativa). During Magnaporthe oryzae infection, 14 different Ca2+ influx regulators altered Ca2+, ROS and Fe2+ accumulation, glutathione reductase (GR) expression, glutathione (GSH) depletion and lipid peroxidation, leading to ferroptotic cell death in rice. High Ca2+ levels inhibited the reduction of glutathione isulphide (GSSG) to GSH in vitro. Ca2+ chelation by ethylene glycol-bis (2-aminoethylether)-N, N, N’, N’-tetra-acetic acid (EGTA) suppressed apoplastic Ca2+ influx in rice leaf sheaths during infection. Blocking apoplastic Ca2+ influx into the cytoplasm by Ca2+ chelation effectively suppressed Ca2+-mediated iron-dependent ROS accumulation and ferroptotic cell death. By contrast, acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), a plant defense activator, significantly enhanced Ca2+ influx, as well as ROS and iron accumulation to trigger ferroptotic cell death in rice. The cytoplasmic Ca2+ influx through calcium-permeable cation channels, including the putative resistosomes, could mediate iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death under reduced GR expression levels in rice immune responses.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is important in plant immune responses, involved in iron- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ferroptotic cell death mediated by Ca2+. High Ca2+ influx triggered iron-dependent ROS accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent hypersensitive response (HR) cell death in rice (Oryza sativa). Apoplastic Ca2+ chelation by EGTA during avirulent Magnaporthe oryzae infection altered Ca2+, ROS, and Fe2+ accumulation, increasing rice susceptibility to infection. By contrast, acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), a plant defense activator, significantly enhanced Ca2+ influx, and H2O2 accumulation, triggering rice ferroptotic cell death during virulent Magnaporthe oryzae infection. Here, we report a novel role of the MAPK signaling pathway in regulating cytoplasmic Ca2+ increase during ferroptotic cell death in rice immunity, using the ΔOsmek2 knockout mutant rice. The knockout of rice OsMEK2 impaired the ROS accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and iron accumulation during avirulent M. oryzae infection. This study has shown that OsMEK2 could positively regulate iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death in rice by modulating the expression of OsNADP-ME, OsRBOHB, OsPLC, and OsCNGC. This modulation indicates a possible mechanism for how OsMEK2 participates in Ca2+ regulation in rice ferroptotic cell death, suggesting its broader role in plant immune responses in response to M. oryzae infection.

Summary: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play widespread roles in various processes. However, there is still limited understanding of the precise mechanisms through which they regulate early stage cardiomyocyte differentiation. In this study, we identified a specific lncRNA called LHX1-DT, which is transcribed from a bidirectional promoter of LIM Homeobox 1 (LHX1) gene. Our findings demonstrated that LHX1-DT is nuclear-localized and transiently elevated expression along with LHX1 during early differentiation of cardiomyocytes. The phenotype was rescued by overexpression of LHX1 into the LHX1-DT−/− hESCs, indicating LHX1 is the downstream of LHX1-DT. Mechanistically, we discovered that LHX1-DT physically interacted with RNA/histone-binding protein PHF6 during mesoderm commitment and efficiently replaced conventional histone H2A with a histone variant H2A.Z at the promoter region of LHX1. In summary, our work uncovers a novel lncRNA, LHX1-DT, which plays a vital role in mediating the exchange of histone variants H2A.Z and H2A at the promoter region of LHX1.

A novel theoretical model based on modified diffusion rate equations is proposed to simulate the retention of hydrogen isotopes and the dynamics of bubble growth in tungsten (W) when exposed to simultaneous hydrogen (H) and helium (He) plasma irradiations. Simulation is conducted to assess the influence of temperature as well as simultaneous H and He irradiation at an increasing fluence. Not only to develop a holistic understanding but also to substantiate simulation findings about synergy between H and He plasma irradiation, a W sample is exposed sequentially to H and He plasma at 873 K using the large-power material irradiation experimental system. The topographical changes in the W sample are investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) after each plasma irradiation exposure sequence. Simulation results reveal that the ability of a bubble containing both H and He to trap adjacent H/He atoms is primarily governed by their individual partial pressure within the bubble. Furthermore, at elevated temperatures, the synergy between H and He significantly enhances the retention of H isotopes in W. AFM micrographs of the W sample exposed to both H and He plasma irradiation show a severely damaged and locally delaminated layer, absent in the sample exposed only to either H or He, conclusively establishing evidence of synergy between H and He irradiation effects. The average bubble radius computed using the model aligns excellently with experimentally determined values obtained through SEM/AFM analysis. The robustness of the proposed model is also assessed by comparing bubble radius and H isotopes retention at various temperatures with experimental data reported in the literature.

Summary: The most devastating and catastrophic deterioration of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is cardiomyocyte death. Here we aimed to evaluate the role of lncRNA-ZFAS1 in MIRI and delineate its mechanism of action. The level of lncRNA-ZFAS1 was elevated in MIRI hearts, and artificial knockdown of lncRNA-ZFAS1 in mice improved cardiac function. Notch1 is a potential target of lncRNA-ZFAS1, and lncRNA-ZFAS1 could bind to the promoter region of Notch1 and recruit DNMT3b to induce Notch1 methylation. Nicotinamide mononucleotide could promote the expression of Notch1 by competitively inhibiting the expression of DNMT3b and improving the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and cardiac function.

This study aims to explore the correlation between the activity trajectory of Crested Ibis and meteorological changes. The trajectory data of Crested Ibis were obtained using the HQBG3621L backpack-style tracker, and the spatiotemporal characteristics of the trajectory data were analyzed to obtain information on the activity range and habitat of Crested Ibis. The Scheirer–Ray–Hare test and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to investigate the impact of meteorological factors on the activity of Crested Ibis. The study found that meteorological factors have a certain influence on the habitat selection and activity patterns of Crested Ibis. Through this research, a better understanding of the interaction between Crested Ibis and the meteorological environment can be achieved, providing a scientific basis for the conservation and ecological management of Crested Ibis.

Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) combined with Gaussian band fitting, two-dimensional correlation (2D-COS) and perturbation-correlation moving-window two-dimensional (PCMW2D) can provide an excellent mothed to extract fluorescent components of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and reveal its variations in an urban river. Fifteen water samples were collected from the Anyanghe River, which flew across the town, urban, and rural regions. Five peaks (peak1 tyrosine-like, peak2 tyrosine-like, peak3 tryptophan-like, peak4 microbial humic-like, peak5 fulvic-like) were extracted using the Gaussian Amp model from the SFS in the river, while the peak1 only occurred in the rural region. The microbial humic-like in the town region accounting for 50.02 % was the representative substance. The tyrosine-like dominated in the rural regions, for its percentage range was 62.26 %-75.78 %. The average percnetage of tyrosine-like (29.77 %) in the urban region was similar to that of the tryptophan-like (21.86 %), microbial humic-like (25.56 %), and fulvic-like (22.82 %). Based on the two-dimensional correlation, the variation order of DOM fractions in the town and urban regions was tryptophan → tyrosine → microbial humic → fulvic, and the variation order in the rural region was tyrosine → tryptophan → microbial humic → fulvic. This indicated that the changing trend of DOM fractions existed from the labile protein-like to the stable humus in the whole river. According to the perturbation-correlation moving-window two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy, the spectral intensity of tyrosine-like should be linear increase in the town and urban regions, and concave increase in the rural region. The spectral intensity trend of tryptophan-like mainly was linear increase in the whole river. And the intensity of microbial humic-like showed the rough convex increase in the whole river. The trend of the fulvic-like in the town and rural regions was similar to the microbial humic-like. However the fulvic-like intensity in the urban region exhibited a trend from the concave increase to the convex increase, which was obviously different from the tyrosine-like, tryptophan-like and microbial humic-like. This attribute that the untreated domestic sewage in the urban region could discharge into the river. Therefore, for small amounts of samples, the SFS combined with Gaussian band fitting, 2D-COS and PCMW2D can be used as a powerful tool to investigate fluorescent components of DOM, and reveal their variations along the river.

The Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) is listed as ‘Endangered’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and is classified as a first category nationally protected bird species in China. Understanding this species' seasonal movements and migration will facilitate effective conservation to promote its population. We tagged 27 Oriental Stork nestlings at Xingkai Lake on the Sanjiang Plain in Heilongjiang Province, China, used GPS tracking to follow them over the periods of 2014–2017 and 2019–2022, and confirmed their detailed migratory routes using the spatial analysis function of ArcGIS 10.7. We discovered four migration routes during autumn migration: one common long-distance migration route in which the storks migrated along the coastline of Bohai Bay to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for wintering, one short-distance migration route in which the storks wintered in Bohai Bay and two other migration routes in which the storks crossed the Bohai Strait around the Yellow River and wintered in South Korea. There were no significant differences in the number of migration days, residence days, migration distances, number of stopovers and average number of days spent at stopover sites between the autumn and spring migrations (P > 0.05). However, the storks migrated significantly faster in spring than in autumn (P ​= ​0.03). The same individuals did not exhibit a high degree of repetition in their migration timing and route selection in either autumn or spring migration. Even storks from the same nest exhibited considerable between-individual variation in their migration routes. Some important stopover sites were identified, especially in the Bohai Rim Region and on the Songnen Plain, and we further explored the current conservation status at these two important sites. Overall, our results contribute to the understanding of the annual migration, dispersal and protection status of the endangered Oriental Stork and provide a scientific basis for conservation decisions and the development of action plans for this species.

Molybdenum (Mo) is considered as a promising plasma-facing material, which is expected to be used in the manufacture of critical components for the neutral beam injection (NBI) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. Hydrogen isotope retention and bubble formation are regarded as the unavoidable issues that degrade the metal properties in the ion source. In this work, the evolution of hydrogen bubbles in Mo pre-irradiated by 35 eV hydrogen ion energy during different annealing processes is studied through conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) observation. Meanwhile, the corresponding numerical simulation is applied to analyze the mechanisms of hydrogen bubble growth. It is found that the average size and density of hydrogen bubbles are enhanced with the increase of hydrogen ion fluence at 400 K in experiments and simulations. In the subsequent annealing process, it is demonstrated that annealing temperature has a certain effect on bubble growth and evolution. No obvious changes in bubbles are observed at the annealing temperature below 573 K. The average radius of hydrogen bubbles is increased by ∼1.0–2.5 nm in Mo annealed at 673–873 K. The bubble size increases with the rise of annealing temperature, indicating that the thermal annealing promotes the growth of bubbles. When the temperature rises above 873 K, the change in bubble size is not obvious. The simulation results indicate that temperature-induced changes in the internal pressure of hydrogen bubbles leads to the growth of bubbles, but this mechanism is not significant under high annealing temperatures due to the release of hydrogen from the surface.

Ferritin is a ubiquitous iron storage protein that regulates iron homeostasis and oxidative stress in plants. Iron plays an important role in ferroptotic cell death response of rice (Oryza sativa) to Magnaporthe oryzae infection. Here, we report that rice ferritin 2, OsFER2, is required for iron- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ferroptotic cell death and defense response against the avirulent M. oryzae INA168. The full-length ferritin OsFER2 and its transit peptide were localized to the chloroplast, the most Fe-rich organelle for photosynthesis. This suggests that the transit peptide acts as a signal peptide for the rice ferritin OsFER2 to move into chloroplasts. OsFER2 expression is involved in rice resistance to M. oryzae infection. OsFER2 knock-out in wild-type rice HY did not induce ROS and ferric ion (Fe3+) accumulation, lipid peroxidation and hypersensitive response (HR) cell death, and also downregulated the defense-related genes OsPAL1, OsPR1-b, OsRbohB, OsNADP-ME2-3, OsMEK2 and OsMPK1, and vacuolar membrane transporter OsVIT2 expression. OsFER2 complementation in ΔOsfer2 knock-out mutants restored ROS and iron accumulation and HR cell death phenotypes during infection. The iron chelator deferoxamine, the lipid-ROS scavenger ferrostatin-1, the actin microfilament polymerization inhibitor cytochalasin E and the redox inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium suppressed ROS and iron accumulation and HR cell death in rice leaf sheaths. However, the small-molecule inducer erastin did not trigger iron-dependent ROS accumulation and HR cell death induction in ΔOsfer2 mutants. These combined results suggest that OsFER2 expression positively regulates iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death and defense response in rice–M. oryzae interactions.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic phlebovirus, causes serious disease in humans and ruminants. According to the World Health Organization, Rift Valley fever is classified as a priority disease, and as such, vaccine development is of high priority due to the lack of licensed vaccines. In this study, a bacterium-like particle vaccine (BLP), RVFV-BLPs, is constructed. A novel display system is described, which is based on non-living and non-genetically modified Gram-positive bacterial cells, designated as Gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM). The RVFV Gn head protein was displayed on the surface of GEM by co-expression with the peptidoglycan-binding domain (protein anchor) at the C-terminus. We determined that the RVFV Gn head-PA fusion protein was successfully displayed on the GEM. Mice immunized with RVFV-BLPs produced humoral and cellular immunity. Interestingly, comparing the production of RVFV Gn head-specific IgG and its subtype by vaccinating with different antigen doses of the RVFV-BLPs determined that the RVFV-BLPs (50 μg) group showed a greater effect than the other two groups. More importantly, antibodies produced by mice immunized with RVFV-BLPs (50 μg) exhibited potent neutralizing activity against RVFV pseudovirus. RVFV-BLPs (50 μg) also could induce IFN-γ and IL-4 in immunized mice; these mice generated memory cells among the proliferating T cell population after immunization with RVFV-BLPs with effector memory T cells as the major population, which means that RVFV-BLPs is an effective vaccine to establish a long-lived population of memory T cells. The findings suggest that the novel RVFV-BLPs subunit vaccine has the potential to be considered a safe and effective candidate vaccine against RVFV infection.

The Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) is a globally threatened bird species living on the coast and islands of Liaoning, northeastern China, mainly in summer. To further protect the breeding population of Chinese Egrets, it is important to understand the current protection status of their distribution sites at pre-migration period and migration routes. Thirty-three individuals were tagged with satellite transmitters at Fantuo Island in Changhai and Xingren Island in Zhuanghe, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, in July of 2016, 2017, and 2018, to identify important distribution sites during the pre-migration period, as well as detailed migration routes. The results showed that coastal mudflats in Liaoning and the west coast of North Korea were important feeding and roosting sites for fledgling Chinese Egrets from August to September. The home range sizes in August were significantly larger than in September. The eastern coast from Shandong to Guangdong, as well as Taiwan, China, and Manila Bay and Galileo Islands in the Philippines, were important stopover sites during fall migration. Specifically, we found that the egrets’ autumn migration could be divided into four routes, i.e., sea-crossing migration (SCM), coastal migration (CM), inland migration (IM), and mixed migration (MM). The migration distance, timing, speed, and straightness of the four routes also differed. The SCM routes were the straightest, and had the fastest migration speed and shortest travel time, while the IM routes had the lowest straightness and speed, and the longest duration. Manila Bay and Bohol Island in the Philippines, the west coast of Tanintharyi in Myanmar, and the Zengwun River Estuary in Taiwan, China, were wintering sites. Our findings on the key distribution sites along pre-migration and fall migration routes, including some stopover sites, have important implications for the conservation of and global action plan development for the vulnerable Chinese Egret.

Teacher online learning is an important way to solve teacher shortage and improve teachers’ professional development. However, previous research works that focused on teacher-as-learner satisfaction with online learning were not enough. The aim of this study is to investigate factors that influence teacher satisfaction with online learning. The potential relation and whether there are differences in gender and teaching year among the factors were also studied. The Teacher Satisfaction Index (TSI) model is newly proposed based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) model. A questionnaire survey was administered to 108 middle school teachers from four cities in China. Structure equation modeling was used to corroborate the initial model hypotheses regarding the relationship between variables (teacher satisfaction, teacher perceived quality, teacher expectation, teacher loyalty, and teacher complaint). A t -test and analysis of variance were conducted to investigate whether gender and teaching year were related to teacher satisfaction with online learning. Three main findings emerged. First, perceived quality predicted by teacher expectation significantly influenced teacher satisfaction with online learning. Also, teacher satisfaction significantly affected complaints and loyalty. Second, gender had no effect on the five variables. Third, teaching year played a significant role in teacher expectation. This study provides empirical evidence on what factors affect teacher satisfaction with online learning, gives insight into the development of the teacher online learning system, and suggests designer and administrator strategies for the platform content design and management.

Abstract Background The Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is an internationally threatened crane living on the plateau, mainly in winter, in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin in Tibet, western China. In the past five years, some economic development projects have been conducted in this area, posing potential threats to the wintering populations of the cranes and their habitats. Therefore, the current population dynamics of wintering Black-necked Cranes and habitat suitability in the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin were investigated. Methods Twenty counties were surveyed using the line transect method in December 2017 and January 2018, and we recorded the location, flock size, number of individuals, habitat types and presence of human disturbance in which they occurred. We compared the results from the middle wintering period in this survey with those from 2014. Results The highest number of cranes recorded was 8291, and the results showed that the cranes were mainly distributed in Lhaze, Namling, Samzhubze, and Lhunzub. A total of 577 and 495 flocks were recorded in the early and middle wintering periods, respectively. In the early wintering period, there were significant differences in the number of individuals across the different habitats, with crop stubble land and plowed land representing more than 30% of the total habitat utilization. In the middle wintering period, there were also significant differences in the number of individuals, and the utilization of crop stubble land represented over 60% of the total. Conclusions Wintering Black-necked Cranes mainly fed on spilled grains in stubble habitat after harvest. In the middle wintering period, some of the farmlands were plowed and irrigated, which resulted in food shortages in these areas, and the cranes tended to gather in mixed flocks of large size instead of as a single family. There were still considerable regional wintering populations decreases in Quxu, Nedong, and Sakya in 2018 compared with 2014, and these decreases were mainly due to some recently emerging threats, including farmlands being converted into areas of greenhouse cultivation, highway and railway construction, river dredging, the rapid development of the manufacturing and mining industries, and the lack of protection of important wintering sites.

ABSTRACTThe spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus is associated with wild fowl migration in East Asian-Australasian (EA) and Central Asian (CA) flyways. However, the spread of H5N1 virus between the two flyways is still unclear. Here, the movements of wild waterfowl were obtained from satellite tracking data covering seven bar-headed geese and three great black-headed gulls breeding in the Qinghai Lake area (along the EA flyway), and 20 whooper swans wintering in the Sanmenxia Reservoir area (at the CA flyway). From the 2688 samples that were screened from wild birds at Qinghai Lake after an outbreak of H5N1 in July 2015, four genomes of H5N1 virus were obtained from bar-headed geese. The results of phylogenetic analysis indicated that these H5N1 viruses belonged to clade 2.3.2.1c and their gene fragments were highly homologous with A/whooper swan/Henan/SMX1/2015 (H5N1) virus (ranging from 99.76% to 100.00%) isolated from a dead whooper swan from the Sanmenxia Reservoir area along the EA flyway in January 2015. Furthermore, the coincidental timing of the H5N1 outbreak with spring migration, together with phylogenetic evidence, provided new evidence of the east-to-west spread of HPAI H5N1 between the EA and CA migratory flyways of China.

To address the current challenges of the heavy workload, time-consuming nature and labor-intensiveness involved in existing crested ibis’s (Nipponia nipponTemminck, 1835) habitat identification approaches, this paper proposes an automatic habitat identification method based on spatiotemporal density detection. With consideration of the characteristics of the crested ibis’s trajectory data, such as aggregation, repeatability, and uncertainty, this method achieves detecting the crested ibis’s stopping points by using the spatial characteristics of the trajectory data. On this basis, an improved spatiotemporal clustering-based DBSCAN method is proposed in this paper, incorporating temporal characteristics of the trajectory data. By combining the spatial and temporal features, the proposed method is able to accurately identify the roosting and foraging sites among the crested ibis’s stopping points. Supported by remote sensing images and field investigations, it was found that the method proposed in this paper has a good clustering effect and can effectively identify the crested ibis’s foraging sites and overnight roosting areas. Specifically, the woodland, farmland, and river areas are the common foraging sites for the crested ibis, while the woodland with large trees is their common overnight site. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper can provide technical support for identifying and protecting the crested ibis’s habitats.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a severe infectious disease, which can through mosquito bites, direct contact and aerosol transmission infect sheep, goats, people, camels, cattle, buffaloes, and so on. In this paper, a conserved region of the S RNA segment of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) ZH501 strain was used as target sequence. The RVFV RT-LAMP-VF assay was successfully established combined reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification with a vertical flow visualization strip. The detection limit is up to 1.94 × 100 copies/μl of synthesized RVFV-RNA. RNA extracted from cell culture of an inactivated RVFV-BJ01 strain was also used as templates, and the detection limit is 1.83 × 103 copies/μl. In addition, there was no cross-reactivity with other viruses that can cause similar fever symptoms. The RVFV-LAMP-VF assay exhibited very high levels of diagnostic sensitivity, which had 100-fold more sensitive than RVFV real-time RT-PCR assay. Accordingly, the RVFV RT-LAMP-VF assay developed in this study is suitable for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of RVFV without specialized equipment and can rapidly complete detection within 60 min, and the results are visible by vertical flow visualization strip within 5 min.

Abstract In late 2014, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (hereafter HPAI) H5N1 outbreak infected whooper swans Cygnus cygnus wintering at the Sanmenxia Reservoir area, China, and raised concerns about migratory linkages between wintering and breeding grounds of whooper swans. In this study, 61 swans were satellite tracked from 2013 to 2016 to determine the spatial association of their migration routes and H5N1 outbreaks, and 3596 fecal samples were collected along the migration routes for virology testing. Swans departed the wintering grounds and migrated along the Yellow River, and flew over the Yin Mountains in China. The Brownian bridge movement model showed there was a high degree of spatiotemporal overlap between the core use area along the spring migration pathway and historical H5N1 events in China and Mongolia from 2005 to 2015. The H5N1 strain was isolated and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the HA gene sequence generated is genetically similar to that of the epidemic strain at a previous wintering site (the Sanmenxia Reservoir area) along its flyway. Our results identified a previously unknown migratory link of whooper swans in central China with Mongolia and confirmed that the swans could carry the HPAI H5N1 virus during migration, resulting in long-distance transmission.

GPS tracking has been increasingly used for wildlife studies in recent decades, but its performance has not been fully assessed, especially for newly developed lightweight transmitters. We assessed the performance of eight GPS transmitters developed in China by attaching them to Crested Ibises Nipponia nippon confined to two acclimation cages mimicking real habitats. We calculated the distance between GPS locations and the centroid of the cages as the positioning error, and used the 95% (95th percentile) positioning errors to define the accuracy. The positioning success averaged 92.0%, which is much higher than that of previous studies. Locations were not evenly distributed by Location Class (LC), with the LC A and B locations accounting for 88.7%. The observed 95% positioning error in the locations of LC A (9–39 m) and B (11–41 m) was quite accurate, while up to 6.9–8.8% of poor-quality locations were detected in LC C and D with >100 m or even >1, 000 m positioning error. Positioning success and accuracy were different between the test sites, probably due to the difference in vegetation structure. Thus, we argue that the tested transmitters could provide a large proportion of high-quality data for fine-scale studies, and a number of poor-quality locations that need attention. We suggest that the HPOD (horizontal dilution of precision) or PDOP (positional dilution of precision) be reported instead of the LC as a measurement of location accuracy for each location to ensure identification and filtering of implausible locations.

Migratory birds often follow detours when confronted with ecological barriers, and understanding the extent and the underlying drivers of such detours can provide important insights into the associated cost to the annual energy budget and the migration strategies. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is the most daunting geographical barrier for migratory birds because the partial pressure of oxygen is dramatically reduced and flight costs greatly increase. We analyzed the repeated migration detours and habitat associations of four Pallas’s Gulls Larus ichthyaetus across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau over 22 migration seasons. Gulls exhibited notable detours, with the maximum distance being more than double that of the expected shortest route, that extended rather than reduced the passage across the plateau. The extent of longitudinal detours significantly increased with latitude, and detours were longer in autumn than in spring. Compared with the expected shortest routes, proximity to water bodies increased along autumn migration routes, but detour-habitat associations were weak along spring migration routes. Thus, habitat availability was likely one, but not the only, factor shaping the extent of detours, and migration routes were determined by different mechanisms between seasons. Significant between-individual variation but high individual consistency in migration timing and routes were revealed in both seasons, indicating a stronger influence of endogenous schedules than local environmental conditions. Gulls may benefit from repeated use of familiar routes and stopover sites, which may be particularly significant in the challenging environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

The Relict Gull Larus relictus is a globally vulnerable species and one of the least known birds, so understanding its seasonal movements and migration will facilitate the development of effective conservation plans for its protection. We repeatedly satellite-tracked 11 adult Relict Gulls from the Ordos sub-population in Hongjian Nur, China, over 33 migration seasons and conducted extensive ground surveys. Relict Gulls traveled ∼800 km between Hongjian Nur in northern China to the coast of eastern China in a predominantly longitudinal migration, following a clockwise loop migration pattern. The gulls migrated faster in spring (4 ± 2 d) than in autumn (15 ± 13 d) due to a time-minimization strategy for breeding, and they showed considerable between-individual variation in the timing of the autumn migration, probably due to differences in the timing of breeding. Gulls that made at least two round trips exhibited high flexibility in spring migration timing, suggesting a stronger influence of local environment conditions over endogenous controls. There was also high route flexibility among different years, probably due to variations in meteorological or habitat conditions at stopover sites. Relict Gulls stayed for a remarkably long time (234 ± 17 d) on their major wintering grounds in Bohai Bay and Laizhou Bay, between which there were notable dispersals. Pre-breeding dispersals away from the breeding area were distinct, which seemed to be a strategy to cope with the degradation of breeding habitat at Hongjian Nur. Overwhelming lake shrinkage on the breeding ground and at stopover sites and loss of intertidal flats on the wintering grounds are regarded as the main threats to Relict Gulls. It is crucial to make protection administrations aware of the great significance of key sites along migration routes and to promote the establishment of protected areas in these regions.

This study presents spatio-temporal development of the ionisation waves (IWs) along one dielectric tube with an extra alternating electric field. A pulsed direct current power supply is used for generating the IWs, and another alternating current power supply is used for altering the distribution of electric fields along the dielectric tube. The measurements show that the propagation velocity and density of IWs are strongly affected by the external electric field. The direct relation between external electric field and the velocity of the IWs is demonstrated. Further analysis indicates that the external electric field can be utilised to control the propagation of the IWs, resulting in a change of their density and velocity.

Plasma medicine is a relatively new field that investigates potential applications of cold atmospheric-pressure plasmas in bioengineering, such as for bacterial inactivation and degradation of organic molecules in water. In order to enunciate mechanisms of bacterial inactivation at molecular or atomic levels, we investigated the interaction of atmospheric-pressure air microplasmas with amino acids in aqueous solution by using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Results show that the oxidation effect of plasma-induced species on the side chains of the amino acids can be categorized into four types, namely hydroxylation, nitration, dehydrogenation and dimerization. In addition, relative activities of amino acids resulting from plasma treatment come in descending order as follows: sulfur-containing carbon-chain amino acids > aromatic amino acids > five-membered ring amino acids > basic carbon-chain amino acids. Since amino acids are building blocks of proteins vital to the growth and reproduction of bacteria, these results provide an insight into the mechanism of bacterial inactivation by plasma.

This study shows that the propagation of plasma bullets along one dielectric tube is strongly affected by many discharge parameters, such as the waveform of applied voltage (AC or pulsed DC), peak voltage, He flow rate, and the frequency of AC voltage. Analysis indicates that the density and velocity of plasma bullets are mainly determined by the electric field at the front of plasma bullets. These discharge parameters may significantly influence the distribution of plasma potential along the tube, thus control the electric field at the front of plasma bullets and their propagation. An increase in the pulsed DC voltage with its rise time of

Iron- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent ferroptosis occurs in plant cells. Ca2+ acts as a conserved key mediator to control plant immune responses. Here, we report a novel role of cytoplasmic Ca2+ influx regulating ferroptotic cell death in rice immunity using pharmacological approaches. High Ca2+ influx triggered iron-dependent ROS accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and subsequent hypersensitive response (HR) cell death in rice (Oryza sativa). During Magnaporthe oryzae infection, 14 different Ca2+ influx regulators altered Ca2+, ROS and Fe2+ accumulation, glutathione reductase (GR) expression, glutathione (GSH) depletion and lipid peroxidation, leading to ferroptotic cell death in rice. High Ca2+ levels inhibited the reduction of glutathione isulphide (GSSG) to GSH in vitro. Ca2+ chelation by ethylene glycol-bis (2-aminoethylether)-N, N, N', N'- tetra-acetic acid (EGTA) suppressed apoplastic Ca2+ influx in rice leaf sheaths during infection. Blocking apoplastic Ca2+ influx into the cytoplasm by Ca2+ chelation effectively suppressed Ca2+-mediated iron-dependent ROS accumulation and ferroptotic cell death. By contrast, acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), a plant defense activator, significantly enhanced Ca2+ influx, as well as ROS and iron accumulation to trigger ferroptotic cell death in rice. The cytoplasmic Ca2+ influx through calcium-permeable cation channels, including the putative resistosomes, could mediate iron- and ROS-dependent ferroptotic cell death under reduced GR expression levels in rice immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]