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ABSTRACT Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can provide significant health benefits, which are critically important for the conservation of endangered animals, such as giant pandas. However, little is known about the diversity and culturability of LAB in the giant panda gut microbiota. To understand the roles of LAB in giant panda conservation, it is critical to culture bacterial strains of interest. In this study, we established a pipeline to culture bacterial strains using enrichment of target bacteria with different liquid media and growth conditions. Then, the strains were isolated in solid media to study their functions. Using 210 samples from the culture enrichment method and 138 culture-independent samples, we obtained 1120 amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs) belonging to Lactobacillales. Out of the 1120 ASVs, 812 ASVs from the culture enrichment approach were twofold more diverse than 336 ASVs from the culture-independent approach. Many ASVs of interest were not detected in the culture-independent approach. Using this pipeline, we isolated many relevant bacterial strains and established a giant panda gut bacteria strain collection that included strains with low-abundance in culture-independent samples and included most of the giant panda LAB described by other researchers. The strain collection consisted of 60 strains representing 35 species of 12 genera. Thus, our pipeline is powerful and provides guidance in culturing gut microbiota of interest in hosts such as the giant panda.IMPORTANCECultivation is necessary to screen strains to experimentally investigate microbial traits, and to confirm the activities of novel genes through functional characterization studies. In the long-term, such work can aid in the identification of potential health benefits conferred by bacteria and this could aid in the identification of bacterial candidate strains that can be applied as probiotics. In this study, we developed a pipeline with low-cost and user-friendly culture enrichment to reveal the diversity of LAB in giant pandas. We compared the difference between culture-independent and culture enrichment methods, screened strains of interest that produced high concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and we investigated the catalog of virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, butyrate and lactate synthesis genes of the strains at a genomic level. This study will provide guidance for microbiota cultivation and a foundation for future research aiming to understand the functions of specific strains.

C15H9N4O4ICu, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 13.6216(4) Å, b = 13.4754(4) Å, c = 8.5023(3) Å, β = 102.610(3)°, V = 1522.99(9) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0297, wR ref(F 2) = 0.0781, T = 293 K.

C7H6NO6ICu, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 9.7229(4) Å, b = 5.1728(2) Å, c = 20.8336(8) Å, β = 97.636(4)∘, V = 1038.52(7) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0287, wRref(F2) = 0.0687, T = 293 K.

This paper presents a scient metric analysis of status and trend of development of the higher foreign language education using Citespace based on the 2313 research articles from the Web of Science core collection between 2000 and 2023. Based on previous studies, this paper proposes assumptions and data verification. According to the keywords, citations and relevant information in the selected literatures, the research carried out clustering analysis, timeline view and citation bursts analysis. It is found that there is a phased focus in the study of higher foreign language education and no obvious evolutionary trend was found in the data results for the new picture of interdisciplinary has not yet been formed. Besides, the impact of innovative technologies will have more and more influence on higher foreign language education.

The insights gained from individual tracking can improve the conservation of released young green sea turtles by providing detailed data on migration route, feeding place and habitat distribution. During the fishing moratorium from May 1 to August 16 in 2021, we used satellites to track 6 juvenile green sea turtles released from China’s Huidong Sea Turtle Nature Reserve, and located and reconstructed their migration routes and foraging sea areas. The tracking data shows that the longest tracking time is 91 days, the shortest time is 10 days, and the total tracking time is 213 days, of which three (50%) obtained tracking data for more than one month, and the total movement distances (statistics LC3-LCB) ranges from 124 to 4627 km, while the accurate movement distances (counted by dot pitch above LC0) ranged from 39.5-2331 km. The average daily movement distances ranges from 3.95 to 51.4 km, and the average speed varies between 0.16 to 2.14 km/h. The green turtles released from the China Turtle Bay migrate along the northern coastline of the South China Sea or go straight to the South China Sea. After a month or so, they migrate from Huidong Turtle Bay to Hainan Lingao, Beibu Gulf and Xisha Islands. The northern coast of the South China Sea is one of the migration routes of green sea turtles. Beibu Bay, Zhanjiang Port, Daya Bay, Red Bay, Nan’ao Island, Zhelin Bay and Xisha Islands are important foraging places for green sea turtles. The protection of migration routes and important foraging grounds is one of the key measures to protect sea turtles.

Abstract In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of pH and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration on the structure of β‐casein (β‐CN) purified from buffalo milk using circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic tryptophan, and anilino‐8‐naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) fluorescence spectroscopy. We found that NaCl concentration played a critical role in the stability of the secondary structure of β‐CN. The CD negative peak had a redshift as the NaCl concentration was increased and accompanied by a decrease of β‐sheet content and an increase of α‐helix content. ANS fluorescence spectroscopy also indicated that higher NaCl concentration and lower pH significantly affected the tertiary structure of β‐CN. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) results showed that the particle size of buffalo β‐CN had a blueshift, and then a redshift within the pH range of 5.0–7.5, and it showed a redshift when the NaCl concentration was increased.

C14H12N6O6Zn, monoclinic, P21/n, a = 7.0347(6) Å, b = 12.8467(7) Å, c = 9.0017(6) Å, β = 112.525(9)°, V = 751.45 (10) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt (F) = 0.029, wRref (F 2) = 0.074, T = 293 K.

Aiming at the problem of dust movement in the fully mechanized mining work, a 3D model of the fully mechanized mining face was established based on the gas-solid two-phase flow theory based on the 3604 face in Chenbanzhuang Coal Mine. The FLUENT numerical simulation software was used to simulate and analyze the dust dispersion law of the fully mechanized mining working face. The results show that the wind flow in the fully mechanized mining face presents the “two zones and one zone” law, that is, the “low speed air flow zone”, the “high speed air flow zone”, and the downwind direction of the front drum of the shearer of the breathing zone height is a “high-speed air flow belt” with a length of about 20 m, a height of about 0.7 m, and a wind speed of about 2.64 m/s. The dust diffuses with the wind to the sidewalk on the working surface. At the height of the breathing zone at the center of the shearer, the wind direction is about 8 m, forming a length of about 15 m, a width of about 1.3 m, and a height of about 0.9 m. The dust concentration is about 1 157 mg/m3 to 1 731 mg/m3 high-concentration dust mass should be used as a key area for dust protection during coal mining.

In this study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Ficedula hyperythra (Blyth, 1843). The mitogenome of F. hyperythra is 16,819 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 13 concatenated protein-coding genes showed that F. hyperythra clustered with other Ficedula species and had a close relationship with F. albicilla.

The visual characteristics of animals with different circadian habits, especially colubrid snakes, exhibit highly variable photoreceptor morphology. While studies have reported on the diversity in retinal cell morphology among snakes with different circadian patterns, few studies have examined the expression of genes related to vision. To explore gene expression patterns in the eyes between diurnal and nocturnal snakes, we carried out RNA sequencing of six tissues (eye, heart, liver, lung, kidney, and muscle) in two colubrids with disparate circadian activities, i.e., diurnal Ahaetulla prasina and nocturnal Lycodon flavozonatum, followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The genes in the two most correlated modules were primarily enriched in different functional pathways, thus suggesting different biological functions. Three opsin genes (RH1, LWS, and SWS) were differentially expressed between the two species. Moreover, in the phototransduction pathway, different genes were highly expressed in the eyes of both species, reflecting specific expression patterns in the eyes of snakes with different circadian activity. We also confirmed the dominance of cone- and rod-related genes in diurnal and nocturnal adaptation, respectively. This work provides an important foundation for genetic research on visual adaptation in snakes and provides further insight into the adaptive evolution of such species.

The Blue-fronted Redstart Phoenicurus frontalis (Muscicapidae) belongs to the family Muscicapidae, distributed in central China, Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the Himalayas. The conservation status of this species is Least Concern (LC) in IUCN. In this study, the complete mitogenome of P. frontalis was determined. The mitogenome is a circular molecule of 16,776 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosome RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 non-coding region. We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree based on Bayesian inference for 15 Passeriformes species. The new mitogenome data would provide useful information for application in conservation genetics and further clarify the phylogenetic evolution of this species.

The Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch Carpodacus pulcherrimus, belongs to the family Fringillidae, distributed in central Himalayas from India (Himachal Pradesh) to southwest China and Bhutan. The conservation status of this species is least concern (LC) in IUCN. In this study, the complete mitogenome of C. pulcherrimus was determined. The mitogenome is a circular molecule of 16,797 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosome RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 non-coding region. We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree based on Bayesian inference for other 14 Fringillidae species. The new mitogenome data would provide useful information for application in conservation genetics and further clarify phylogenetic evolution of this species.

In this paper, we determined and described the complete mitochondrial genome of Robin Accentor (Prunella rubeculoides), the first complete mitogenome. The complete genome of P. rubeculoides was 16,796 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosome RNA genes, and one non-coding control region. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA was 29.7% for A, 23.7% for T, 15.6% for G, and 31.0% for C, with a GC content of 46.6%. This information of P. rubeculoides mitogenome is significance for phylogenetic studies of the family Prunellidea.

In this research, we determined and described the complete mitochondrial genome of Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus dedekeni) which was the first complete mitogenome reported. The complete genome of P. dedekeni was 16,996 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosome RNA genes, and one non-coding control region. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA was 29.2% for A, 22.9% for T, 14.6% for G, and 33.3% for C, with a GC content of 47.9%. The information of P. dedekeni will contribute to the phylogenetic studies of the Timaliidae.

In many regions in China there is a wide distribution of dead-weight collapsible loess that experience frequent disasters resulting in enormous losses to national property. Loess collapsibility is the leading cause of disasters in loess areas. Many international scholars are working collaboratively to avoid property losses and human casualties caused by the collapsible loess. Loess collapsibility is closely related to the vertical permeability regularity, so the vertical permeability regularity should be the first critical factor taken into account in studying loess collapsibility. In Lanzhou city, the in-situ soaking test is carried out on an unsaturated natural loess foundation with a thickness of 36.5m, the test pit diameter is 40m, TDR moisture probes are embedded, and the test lasts 282 days. During the test, the vertical migration of water is observed and the temporal and spatial variations of volumetric water content are considered. In the detailed research of the vertical permeability regularity, the relation between permeability regularity and collapsibility are discussed. For shallow layer soil, soil volumetric water content reaches saturation at wetting front, the water flows downward due to gravity and the infiltration rate is larger. For deep layer soil, the moisture will increase because of the upper soil permeability and its own suction, but, due to soil compression caused by the occurrence of the upper soil collapsibility, the infiltration rate is significantly reduced. The temporal and spatial variations of water volumetric content can be used to determine whether a loess collapsible deformation has occurred. The limit permeability depth in this test is 25m, and the limit permeability depth can also be served as the collapsibility evaluation depth of the unsaturated natural Malan loess foundation.