Association between physical activity and visceral adiposity index (VAI) in U.S. population with overweight or obesity: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have revealed the effects of different physical activity (PA) types on visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation in individuals with overweight/obesity. However, the independent association (especially the dose-response relationship) between PA and VAT in individuals with and without overweight/obesity remains less explored. Visceral adiposity index (VAI), calculated from waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, is a novel indicator of VAT. This study aims to elucidate the association between PA and VAI in participants with and without overweight/obesity. METHODS: Participants who are overweight or obese and with complete data on VAI, PA, and other essential covariates from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2015-2018) were included in this study. PA was evaluated by the PA questionnaire and converted into metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours per week (MET-h/wk) based on the suggested MET scores. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify the association between PA and VAI. Subgroup analyses, combined with interaction tests and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression analyses, were utilized to explore the stability and nonlinearity of PA-VAI association, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 4, 312 participants with complete data on PA and VAI was included in this study, with 3, 441 of them being overweight or obese. After adjusting for all potential covariates, increased PA was found to be significantly associated with remarkable lower level of VAI in all participants (ß = -0.0004, P = 0.003), participants with (ß = -0.0013, P = 0.012) and without (ß = -0.0004, P = 0.003) overweight/obesity. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests revealed that the PA-VAI association was not modified by other covariates in individuals with overweight/obesity. Furthermore, RCS analyses revealed that PA was significantly, linearly and negatively associated with VAI in all participants, participants with and without overweight/obesity (all P < 0.05, all P for nonlinearity > 0.05). Noteworthily, as opposed to individuals without overweight/obesity, PA was significantly associated with lower VAI in participants with overweight/obesity after exceeding the threshold of 150 MET-h/wk. CONCLUSION: Increased PA was significantly associated with lower level of VAI, but a higher level of PA (> 150 MET-h/wk) was needed to obtain significantly lower level of VAI in individuals with overweight/obesity.

All-printed multiplexed electrocatalytic biosensors with rationally designed nanoparticle inks.

Inkjet printing, capable of rapid and template-free fabrication with high resolution and low material waste, is a promising method to construct electrochemical biosensor devices. However, the construction of fully inkjet-printed electrochemical biosensor remains a challenge owing to the lack of appropriate inks, especially the sensing inks of bioactive materials. Herein, we demonstrate a fully inkjet-printed, integrated and multiplexed electrochemical biosensor by combining rationally designed nanoparticle Inks. The stable gold (Au) nanoparticles ink with lower sintering temperature is prepared by using L-cysteine as stabilizer, and it is used to print the interconnects, the counter electrodes, and the working electrodes. The SU-8 ink is used to serve as dielectric layer for the biosensor, whereas the silver electrode is printed on the Au electrode by using commercially silver nanoparticles ink before it is chlorinated to prepare Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Moreover, we synthesize an inkjet-printable and electroactive ink, by the 'one-pot method', which is composed of conductive poly 6-aminoindole (PIn-6-NH2) and gold-palladium (Au-Pd) alloy nanoparticle (Au-Pd@PIn-6-NH2) to enhance the sensing performance of gold electrode towards hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Especially, the amino groups in PIn-6-NH2can be further used to immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) and lactic acid oxidase (LOx) by glutaraldehyde to prepare printable sensing ink for the detection of glucose and lactate. The fully inkjet-printed electrochemical biosensor enabled by advanced inks can simultaneously detect glucose and lactate with good sensitivity and selectivity, as well as facile and scalable fabrication, showing great promise for metabolic monitoring.

Genomic Insights into the Ecological Role and Evolution of a Novel Thermoplasmata Order, "Candidatus Sysuiplasmatales".

Recent omics studies have provided invaluable insights into the metabolic potential, adaptation, and evolution of novel archaeal lineages from a variety of extreme environments. We utilized a genome-resolved metagenomic approach to recover eight medium- to high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) that likely represent a new order ("Candidatus Sysuiplasmatales") in the class Thermoplasmata from mine tailings and acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments sampled from two copper mines in South China. 16S rRNA gene-based analyses revealed a narrow habitat range for these uncultured archaea limited to AMD and hot spring-related environments. Metabolic reconstruction indicated a facultatively anaerobic heterotrophic lifestyle. This may allow the archaea to adapt to oxygen fluctuations and is thus in marked contrast to the majority of lineages in the domain Archaea, which typically show obligately anaerobic metabolisms. Notably, "Ca. Sysuiplasmatales" could conserve energy through degradation of fatty acids, amino acid metabolism, and oxidation of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds (RISCs), suggesting that they may contribute to acid generation in the extreme mine environments. Unlike the closely related orders Methanomassiliicoccales and "Candidatus Gimiplasmatales," "Ca. Sysuiplasmatales" lacks the capacity to perform methanogenesis and carbon fixation. Ancestral state reconstruction indicated that "Ca. Sysuiplasmatales," the closely related orders Methanomassiliicoccales and "Ca. Gimiplasmatales," and the orders SG8-5 and RBG-16-68-12 originated from a facultatively anaerobic ancestor capable of carbon fixation via the bacterial-type H4F Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP). Their metabolic divergence might be attributed to different evolutionary paths. IMPORTANCE A wide array of archaea populate Earth's extreme environments; therefore, they may play important roles in mediating biogeochemical processes such as iron and sulfur cycling. However, our knowledge of archaeal biology and evolution is still limited, since the majority of the archaeal diversity is uncultured. For instance, most order-level lineages except Thermoplasmatales, Aciduliprofundales, and Methanomassiliicoccales within Thermoplasmata do not have cultured representatives. Here, we report the discovery and genomic characterization of a novel order, "Ca. Sysuiplasmatales," within Thermoplasmata in extremely acidic mine environments. "Ca. Sysuiplasmatales" are inferred to be facultatively anaerobic heterotrophs and likely contribute to acid generation through the oxidation of RISCs. The physiological divergence between "Ca. Sysuiplasmatales" and closely related Thermoplasmata lineages may be attributed to different evolutionary paths. These results expand our knowledge of archaea in the extreme mine ecosystem.

Characterization of porcine sapelovirus prevalent in western Jiangxi, China.

BACKGROUND: Porcine sapelovirus (PSV) infection can lead severe polioencephalomyelitis with high morbidity and mortality, which result in significant economic losses. Infection with the PSV is believed to be common yet limited information is available on the prevalence and molecular characterization of PSV in China. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize the prevalence and genome of PSV strains identified in the western Jiangxi province of China. RESULTS: A high specificity and sensitivity SYBR Green I-based RT-PCR method for PSV detection was developed. Two hundred and ninety four fecal samples were collected from December 2018 to March 2019 in 4 farms. An overall PSV-positivity rate of 11.22% (33/294) was detected with the real-time RT-PCR method, and a high infection rate and viral load of PSV were found in nursery pigs. In total, complete VP1 gene sequences of 11 PSV strains (PSV-YCs) were obtained. Homology comparisons of the VP1 gene of the 11 PSV-YCs with previously reported PSVs revealed nucleotide sequence identities ranging from 63% to 96.8%, and deduced amino acid sequence identities from 61.4% to 99.7%. Phylogenetic analyses based on the VP1 gene exhibited 2 main clades corresponding to PSV-1 and PSV-2, and all PSV-YCs prevalent in western Jiangxi belonged to the traditional genotype (PSV-1). In addition, the pairwise distances of VP1 gene sequences between PSV-YCs ranged from 0.009 to 0.198, which indicating that substantial genetic diversity among the PSVs in western Jiangxi. CONCLUSIONS: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of PSV in the Jiangxi province pig herds in China, and it is crucial to understand the epidemiology of the viruses in China. The results also provide an important theoretical foundation for diagnosis and early warning of epidemic diseases caused by PSVs prevailing in this region.

Schisandrin B Protects against Acute Ethanol-Induced Cardiac Injury by Downregulating Autophagy via the NOX4/ROS Pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Although oxidative stress has been demonstrated to mediate acute ethanol-induced changes in autophagy in the heart, the precise mechanism behind redox regulation in acute ethanol heart disease remains largely unknown. METHODS: Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with ethanol (3 g/kg/day) for 3 consecutive days. The effects of ethanol on cultured primary cardiomyocytes and H9c2 myoblasts were also studied in vitro. Levels of autophagic flux, cardiac apoptosis and function, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, NOX4, and NOX2 were examined. The NOX4 gene was knocked down with NOX4 siRNA. RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrated that schisandrin B inhibited acute ethanol-induced autophagy and sequent apoptosis. In addition, schisandrin B treatment improved cardiac function in ethanol-treated mice. Furthermore, NOX4 protein expression was increased during acute ethanol exposure, and the upregulation of NOX4 was significantly inhibited by schisandrin B treatment. The knockdown of NOX4 prevented ROS accumulation, cell autophagy, and apoptosis. CONCLUSION: These results highlight that NOX4 is a critical mediator of ROS and elaborate the role of the NOX4/ROS axis in the effect of schisandrin B on autophagy and autophagy-mediated apoptosis in acute ethanol exposure, which suggests a therapeutic strategy for acute alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

Poly(indole-5-carboxylic acid)/reduced graphene oxide/gold nanoparticles/phage-based electrochemical biosensor for highly specific detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is an enteric bacterium causing yersiniosis in humans. The existing Yersinia pseudotuberculosis detection methods are time-consuming, requiring a sample pretreatment step, and are unable to discriminate live/dead cells. The current work reports a phage-based electrochemical biosensor for rapid and specific detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. The conductive poly(indole-5-carboxylic acid), reduced graphene oxide, and gold nanoparticles are applied for surface modification of the electrode. They possess ultra-high redox stability and retain 97.7% of current response after performing 50 consecutive cycles of cyclic voltammetry.The specific bacteriophages vB_YepM_ZN18 we isolated from hospital sewage water were immobilized on modified electrodes by Au-NH2 bond between gold nanoparticles and phages. The biosensor fabricated with nanomaterials and phages were utilized to detect Yersinia pseudotuberculosis successfully with detection range of 5.30 × 102 to 1.05 × 107 CFU mL-1, detection limit of 3 CFU mL-1, and assay time of 35 min. Moreover, the biosensor can specifically detect live Yersinia pseudotuberculosis without responding to phage-non-host bacteria and dead Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells. These results suggest that the proposed biosensor is a promising tool for the rapid and selective detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in food, water, and clinical samples.

Identification of novel genotypes belonging to the species Teschovirus A from indigenous pigs in western Jiangxi, China.

Teschovirus A is currently the sole species in the genus Teschovirus, whose members are divided into 13 subtypes: porcine teschovirus (PTV) 1-13. However, recent discoveries of novel PTV genotypes have suggested that a new species, "Teschovirus B", should be established. Here, we have identified six of the 19 known genotypes and two novel genotypes (PTV 17-18), revealing the high genetic diversity of the PTV subpopulation in indigenous pigs of western Jiangxi, China. Moreover, we determined the nearly complete genome sequences of PTV 17-SG9 and PTV 18-SG10. Together with PTV 1-13, these novel genotypes were confirmed to be members of the species Teschovirus A based on phylogenetic and genetic divergence analysis. Consequently, the species Teschovirus A now includes at least 15 PTV genotypes.

Prevalence of Porcine teschovirus genotypes in Hunan, China: identification of novel viral species and genotypes.

Porcine teschovirus (PTV) comprises at least 13 genotypes (PTV 1-13). Here, the genotypes of field strains prevalent among pig populations in Hunan Province, China, were identified. Multiple PTV genotypes, including all genotypes except PTV 7 and 8, were found co-circulating in the pig populations, reflecting a high genetic diversity. Moreover, we identified nine novel PTV genotypes, provisionally designated as PTV 14-22. PTV 21-HuN41 and PTV 21-HuN42 were successfully isolated, and their nearly complete genomes were sequenced. Homology comparison of the polyprotein genes of PTV 21-HuN41-42 to those of other known PTVs revealed low identities, ranging from 70.1 to 71.9 % (nucleotide identity) and 75.4 to 77.6 % (amino acid identity). Moreover, PTV 21-HuN41-42 were identified as a novel teschovirus species (tentatively Teschovirus B), based on the analyses of phylogenetics and evolutionary divergence. The findings of this study are expected to greatly enrich our knowledge of PTV genotypes.

Helicobacter pylori infection-induced H3Ser10 phosphorylation in stepwise gastric carcinogenesis and its clinical implications.

BACKGROUND: Our previous works have demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection can alter histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation status in gastric epithelial cells. However, whether Helicobacter pylori-induced histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation participates in gastric carcinogenesis is unknown. We investigate the expression of histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation in various stages of gastric disease and explore its clinical implication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stomach biopsy samples from 129 patients were collected and stained with histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation, Ki67, and Helicobacter pylori by immunohistochemistry staining, expressed as labeling index. They were categorized into nonatrophic gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and intestinal-type gastric cancer groups. Helicobacter pylori infection was determined by either 13 C-urea breath test or immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS: In Helicobacter pylori-negative patients, labeling index of histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation was gradually increased in nonatrophic gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia groups, peaked at low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and declined in high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and gastric cancer groups. In Helicobacter pylori-infected patients, labeling index of histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation followed the similar pattern as above, with increased expression over the corresponding Helicobacter pylori-negative controls except in nonatrophic gastritis patient whose labeling index was decreased when compared with Helicobacter pylori-negative control. Labeling index of Ki67 in Helicobacter pylori-negative groups was higher in gastric cancer than chronic atrophic gastritis and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia groups, and higher in intestinal metaplasia group compared with chronic atrophic gastritis group. In Helicobacter pylori-positive groups, Ki67 labeling index was increased stepwise from nonatrophic gastritis to gastric cancer except slightly decrease in chronic atrophic gastritis group. In addition, we noted that histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation staining is accompanied with its location changes from gastric gland bottom expanded to whole gland as disease stage progress. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that stepwise gastric carcinogenesis is associated with altered histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation, Helicobacter pylori infection enhances histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation expression in these processes; it is also accompanied with histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation location change from gland bottom staining expand to whole gland expression. The results suggest that epigenetic dysregulation may play important roles in Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer.

High prevalence of PCV2d in Hunan province, China: a retrospective analysis of samples collected from 2006 to 2016.

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) has been widely prevailing in China since the first report in 2001, causing huge economic losses to the pig industry. In the present study, 674 samples were collected from 2006 to 2016 in Hunan province, and 62% were positive for PCV2. An increase was observed from 2006 to 2011 (72.1%-89.1%), and a decrease was observed from 2012 to 2016 (78.9%-36.8%). The prevalence of genotype PCV2a, PCV2b, and PCV2d was 0, 44.7% and 67%, respectively. During 2006-2007, PCV2b was the main genotype circulating in Hunan, while, in 2008, PCV2d became the predominant one. Coinfection with PCV2b and PCV2d was observed frequently, and the positive rates of coinfection ranged from 6.3% to 18.9% during 2006-2016. The complete genome was sequenced for 54 positive samples, and four were identified as PCV2b-1, 22 as PCV2b-2, four as PCV2d-1 and 24 as PCV2d-2, based on phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome and ORF2 region. Recombination analysis using the complete genome sequences of these isolates revealed a high recombination rate of 27.7% (17/54), and showed that recombination occurred mainly in the ORF1 region. This shows that the prevalence of PCV2 has clearly decreased in recent years and that PCV2d has become a predominant genotype since 2008. In addition, frequent recombination events were observed in the PCV2 isolates from Hunan, China.

Molecular characterization of Porcine sapelovirus in Hunan, China.

Porcine sapeloviruses (PSVs) are widely distributed in pig populations; however, little information on their evolutionary history and the mechanisms driving their divergence is available. Therefore, in the present study, 241 fecal samples and 91 intestinal contents collected from pigs at 26 farms in Hunan, China, were tested for the presence of PSVs. The overall PSV positivity rate was 46.39 %, with a particularly high infection rate detected in nursery and fattening pigs. A total of 29 PSV strains (PSV-HuNs) were isolated, with these showing high genetic diversity based on phylogenetic and pairwise distance analyses of the capsid-protein gene sequences. Incongruence between phylognetic trees of the capsid-protein and 3CD regions indicated frequent recombination within the PSV-HuNs, and a putative recombinant hotspot near the 3' end of the P1 region was identified. Our results suggested that recombination played an important role in driving PSV genetic diversity and evolution.

First isolation and genetic characteristics of porcine sapeloviruses in Hunan, China.

Outbreaks of diarrhea in piglets cause serious economic consequences in China. Diarrhetic fecal samples from 20 Hunan farm piglets were tested and found to be positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) by RT-PCR, although incubation with porcine kidney (PK-15) cells failed to produce infectious PEDV. Four porcine sapelovirus (PSV) strains (designated as PSV-HuNs) were isolated from four of the samples. Genomic sequence analysis revealed open reading frames encoding polyproteins of 2,331 (HuN1, 2 and 3) and 2,332 (HuN4) amino acids. Homology comparisons of the VP1 gene of the four Hunan strains with previously reported PSV strains revealed nucleotide sequence identities ranging from 74.2 to 98.6%, and deduced amino acid sequence identities from 79.5 to 98%. Phylogenetic analyses based on full-length and partial VP1 gene sequences showed that 3 of the PSV-HuN strains (HuN2, 3 and 4) clustered within a clade distinct from HuN1 as well as from all PSVs previously isolated in China, thereby showing that genetic diversity exists within Chinese PSVs. In addition, recombination analysis among PSVs indicates that a recombinant (HuN2 strain) exist in China.

Label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on Nile blue A-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for carcinoembryonic antigen detection.

In this article, a novel, label-free, and inherent electroactive redox immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Nile blue A (NB) hybridized electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (NB-ERGO) is proposed. The composite of NB-graphene oxide (NB-GO) was prepared by π-π stacking interaction. Then, chronoamperometry was adopted to simultaneously reduce HAuCl4 and nanocomposites of NB-GO for synthesizing AuNPs/NB-ERGO. The immunosensor was fabricated by capturing CEA antibody (anti-CEA) at this nanocomposite modified electrode. The immunosensor determination was based on the fact that, due to the formation of antigen-antibody immunocomplex, the decreased response currents of NB were directly proportional to the concentrations of CEA. Under optimal conditions, the linear range of the proposed immunosensor was estimated to be from 0.001 to 40 ng ml(-1) and the detection limit was estimated to be 0.00045 ng ml(-1). The proposed immunosensor was used to determine CEA in clinical serum samples with satisfactory results. The proposed method may provide promising potential application in clinical immunoassays with the properties of facile procedure, stability, high sensitivity, and selectivity.

Temperature-Triggered Switchable Helix-Helix Inversion of Poly(phenylacetylene) Bearing l-Valine Ethyl Ester Pendants and Its Chiral Recognition Ability.

A phenylacetylene containing the l-valine ethyl ester pendant (PAA-Val) was synthesized and polymerized by an organorhodium catalyst (Rh(nbd)BPh4) to produce the corresponding one-handed helical cis-poly(phenylacetylene) (PPAA-Val). PPAA-Val showed a unique temperature-triggered switchable helix-sense in chloroform, while it was not observed in highly polar solvents, such as N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF). By heating the solution of PPAA-Val in chloroform, the sign of the CD absorption became reversed, but recovered after cooling the solution to room temperature. Even after six cycles of the heating-cooling treatment, the helix sense of the PPAA-Val's backbone was still switchable without loss of the CD intensity. The PPAA-Val was then coated on silica gel particles to produce novel chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These novel PPAA-Val based CSPs showed a high chiral recognition ability for racemic mandelonitrile (α = 2.18) and racemic trans-N,N'-diphenylcyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxamide (α = 2.60). Additionally, the one-handed helical cis-polyene backbone of PPAA-Val was irreversibly destroyed to afford PPAA-Val-H by heating in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) accompanied by the complete disappearance of the Cotton effect. Although PPAA-Val-H had the same l-valine ethyl ester pendants as its cis-isomer PPAA-Val, it showed no chiral recognition. It was concluded that the one-handed helical cis-polyene backbone of PPAA-Val plays an important role in the chiral recognition ability.

Complete coding genome sequence of a Teschovirus A genotype strain.

This study reports the complete coding genome sequence of a novel Teschovirus A genotype strain, SG2, isolated from the fecal sample of an infected indigenous pig in western Jiangxi, China.

Experimental Warming Increased Cooked Rice Stickiness and Rice Thermal Stability in Three Major Chinese Rice Cropping Systems.

Climate warming is a critical environmental issue affecting rice production. However, its effects on cooked rice texture and rice thermal properties remain unstudied in China. To address this gap, we conducted a two-year multi-site field warming experiment using free-air temperature increase facilities across three major Chinese rice cropping systems. Interestingly, warming had a minimal impact on the hardness of cooked rice, while it significantly increased stickiness by an average of 16.3% under warming conditions. Moreover, compared to control treatments, rice flour exhibited a significant increase in gelatinization enthalpy, onset, peak, and conclusion temperatures under warming conditions, with average increments of 8.7%, 1.00 °C, 1.05 °C, and 1.17 °C, respectively. In addition, warming significantly declined the amylose content, remarkedly elevated the protein content and relative crystallinity, and altered the weight distribution of the debranched starch. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between cooked rice stickiness, rice flour thermal properties, amylose content, protein content, and partial starch structures. Therefore, warming-induced alterations in rice composition and starch structure collectively enhanced cooked rice stickiness and rice thermal stability.

Screening and characterization of a novel linear B-cell epitope on orf virus F1L protein.

Background: Orf, also known as contagious ecthyma (CE), is an acute, contagious zoonotic disease caused by the orf virus (ORFV). The F1L protein is a major immunodominant protein on the surface of ORFV and can induce the production of neutralizing antibodies. Methods: The prokaryotic expression system was used to produce the recombinant F1L protein of ORFV, which was subsequently purified and used to immunize mice. Positive hybridoma clones were screened using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The reactivity and specificity of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) were verified through Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA). The linear antigenic epitope specific to the mAb was identified through Western blot, using truncated F1L proteins expressed in eukaryotic cells. A multiple sequence alignment of the ORFV reference strains was performed to evaluate the degree of conservation of the identified epitope. Results: After three rounds of subcloning, a mAb named Ba-F1L was produced. Ba-F1L was found to react with both the exogenously expressed F1L protein and the native F1L protein from ORFV-infected cells, as confirmed by Western blot and IFA. The mAb recognized the core epitope 103CKSTCPKEM111, which is highly conserved among various ORFV strains, as shown by homologous sequence alignment. Conclusion: The mAb produced in the present study can be used as a diagnostic reagent for detecting ORFV and as a basic tool for exploring the mechanisms of orf pathogenesis. In addition, the identified linear epitope may be valuable for the development of epitope-based vaccines.

Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Orf viruses from goats in Jiangxi province, China.

Orf is a zoonosis caused by the Orf virus (ORFV), which is endemic in goats, sheep, and wild ruminants worldwide. Orf infection is prevalent in China, with outbreaks reported in several provinces. Currently, there is limited information available regarding the characterization of ORFV strains in Jiangxi province. This study investigated an acute outbreak of Orf that occurred in 2021 in a goat herd in the Jiangxi province of China. Clinical signs in this case included lesions on the lips, nose, and inside the mouth. The presence of ORFV was confirmed from tissue samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The nucleotide sequences of the B2L and F1L genes were fully sequenced and used to construct phylogenetic trees. The results of this investigation identified the ORFV JXxy2021 as the cause of the outbreak. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ORFV strain JXxy2021 had the highest similarity to the ORFV strains GO and FJ-SL from the neighboring province of Fujian. This suggests that JXxy2021 was likely transmitted from Fujian province. The results have provided valuable information on the genetic characteristics of JXxy2021 and the endemic situations of Orf in China.

Starch multiscale structure and physicochemical property alterations in high-quality indica rice quality and cooked rice texture under different nitrogen panicle fertilizer applications.

The starch multiscale structure, physiochemical properties, grain quality and cooked rice texture of high-quality early and late indica were analyzed under nitrogen panicle fertilizer (low panicle fertilizer, LPF; middle panicle fertilizer, MPF; high panicle fertilizer, HPF) treatments and their internal relations were investigated. Compared to the MPF treatment, the starch granules in HPF and LPF had more surface-proteins and irregular voids for high-quality early and late indica rice cultivars, respectively. Nitrogen panicle fertilization application increased amylopectin medium and long chains as well as protein content, resulting in higher relative crystallinity and gelatinization temperatures. Moderate changes in starch multistructures and physicochemical properties such as branching degree, amylopectin medium chain, and pasting viscosities derived from MPF treatment significantly improved processing, appearance qualities and cooked rice texture. Additionally, the decrease in starch branching, gelatinization temperatures, and granule uniformity along with an increase in large granules, breakdown, and △Hgel under MPF treatment were the main reasons for improving rice textural properties.

Grain yield and quality performances of different late-season rice cultivars in response to experimental warming in subtropical China.

Introduction: Climate warming has pronounced effects on rice production in China. However, late-seasons rice cultivars are diverse in double rice cropping systems, and the actual responses in grain yield and quality of different late-season rice cultivars to climate warming are still unclear. Methods: A two-year field warming experiment was conducted by using free-air temperature increase facilities with three widely-planted late-season rice cultivars, including Taiyou398 (TY, short growth duration indica hybrid rice), Jiuxiangnian (JXN, long growth duration indica inbred rice), and Yongyou1538 (YY, long growth duration indica-japonica hybrid rice) in a double rice cropping system in subtropical China. Results: Warming (1.9-2.0°C) had no significant effects on the grain yields of TY and JXN, but significantly decreased that of YY by 4.8% relative to ambient treatment due to a reduction of spikelet number. Compared to ambient treatment, the head rice yields of TY and YY did not change while that of JXN increased by 6.3% under warming conditions. Warming significantly increased the head rice rates of JXN and YY by 6.6% and 7.8%, and the chalky grain rates of TY, JXN, and YY by 79.1%, 21.6%, and 7.6%, respectively. Under warming conditions, the amylose content of JXN and YY decreased significantly by 7.5% and 8.8%, and the setback of three cultivars decreased significantly by an average of 41.5%. Conclusion: Warming could improve the milling and eating qualities of long growth duration late-season rice (JXN and YY) and increase or maintain their head rice yield, even though decreased the grain yield of indica-japonica hybrid rice (YY). These results will provide a better understanding for the selection of suitable late-season rice cultivars under future climate warming conditions.