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Taenia hydatigena is a widespread tapeworm of canids (primarily dogs) that causes cysticercosis in ruminants (domestic and wild) and manifests as depression and weakness secondary to various hepatic damages and sometimes mortality in young animals, although, commonly encountered cases are asymptomatic. In most taeniids, genetic polymorphism has been found to impact host preferences, distribution, disease epidemiology and management. Recently, we identified two main mitochondrial lineages of T. hydatigena in China, and here, we examined the mitochondrial nad4‐nad5 genes of T. hydatigena from China, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan to assess the intraspecies variation of isolates from these countries and also the distribution of the distinct mitochondrial groups. In addition to China, haplogroup B variant was found in Pakistan, while haplogroup A demonstrated a widespread distribution. We then designed a PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) assay using XmiI (AccI) and RsaI (AfaI) restriction enzymes to differentiate members of both haplogroups. This result provides more molecular evidence supporting the existence of distinct mitochondrial variants of T. hydatigena. The epidemiological significance of these different mitochondrial groups remains to be explored further. The current PCR‐RFLP assay offers a useful molecular approach for investigating the genetic population structure of T. hydatigena in enzootic regions and in identifying/discriminating the different mitochondrial groups (haplogroups A and B). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were studied in a stuffed honeycomb polycrystalline antiferromagnet GdInO3. The onset temperature of antiferromagnetic ordering was observed at ∼ 2.1 K. Negligible thermal and magnetic hystereses suggest a reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the GdInO3 compound. In the magnetic field changes of 0 kOeâ€"50 kOe and 0 kOeâ€"70 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change values are 9.65 J/kgâ‹...K and 18.37 J/kgâ‹...K, respectively, near the liquid helium temperature, with the corresponding relative cooling power values of 115.01 J/kg and 211.31 J/kg. The MCE investigation of the polycrystalline GdInO3 serves to illuminate more exotic properties in this frustrated stuffed honeycomb magnetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and magnetocaloric properties were studied in a stuffed honeycomb polycrystalline antiferromagnet GdInO3. The onset temperature of antiferromagnetic ordering was observed at ∼ 2.1 K. Negligible thermal and magnetic hystereses suggest a reversible magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the GdInO3 compound. In the magnetic field changes of 0 kOeâ€"50 kOe and 0 kOeâ€"70 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change values are 9.65 J/kgâ‹...K and 18.37 J/kgâ‹...K, respectively, near the liquid helium temperature, with the corresponding relative cooling power values of 115.01 J/kg and 211.31 J/kg. The MCE investigation of the polycrystalline GdInO3 serves to illuminate more exotic properties in this frustrated stuffed honeycomb magnetic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, controlled C/N effects on fast start-up and stable performance of partial nitrification process at 15℃ in a Sequenced Batch Biofilm Reactor (SBBR) were investigated. The results showed that partial nitrification successfully fast initiated when C/N was 1.5 but failed when C/N was 0/3 during 60 cycles. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscope (FISH-CLSM) results showed that ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was found as the dominant bacteria population when C/N was 1.5. When C/N were 0/3, there were almost no existence of AOB and nitrite oxidative bacteria (NOB). Partial nitrification could be stably achieved without carbon source. However, the addition of an appropriate amount of carbon can effectively improve the nitrification performance, and it is better for the stable operation of partial nitrification. In this experiment, partial nitrification was successfully initiated at high dissolved oxygen (DO) (about 9 mg·L -1 ) conditions. The average DO was maintained at about 6.5 mg·L -1 during the stable operation, which successfully decoupled partial nitrification from low DO concentration. Excessive residual ammonium concentration in the reactors effectively repressed the growth of NOB and guaranteed the stable operation of partial nitrification. At 15℃, full nitritation was more suitable for sidestream wastewater, while mainstream wastewater was more suitable for partial nitritation.

Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a recently -developed isothermal nucleic-acid-amplification technology that is based on the nucleic acid replication mechanism in T4 bacteriophage. With this technique, nucleic-acid templates can be amplified to measurable levels within 20 min at 37-42 °C. The. RPA process has high sensitivity and specificity, and is simple to operate, thus nucleic acids can be detected rapidly in non-laboratory conditions. Since its development in 2006, the RPA technique has been applied in agriculture, food safety, medicine, transgene detection, etc. In this review, we will give an overview on the research progress of RPA and its application in parasite detection.

Brassinolide is a plant sterol first isolated from pollen of rape (Brassica napus L.). The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of brassinolide on androgen-independent human prostate cancer PC-3 cell viability. Results showed that brassinolide could induce a time and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in PC-3 cells. The mode of cell death appeared to be predominately apoptosis, as shown by flow-cytometric analysis, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopes. Caspase-3 activity was obviously increased after brassinolide treatment. Western blot studies indicated that treatment with brassinolide triggered a time-dependent decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. We suggest that brassinolide could induce cytotoxicity in PC-3 cells by triggering apoptosis. Brassinolide might therefore be a promising candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer.