Microbial signatures of neonatal bacterial meningitis from multiple body sites

As a common central nervous system infection in newborns, neonatal bacterial meningitis (NBM) can seriously affect their health and growth. However, although metagenomic approaches are being applied in clinical diagnostic practice, there are some limitations for whole metagenome sequencing and amplicon sequencing in handling low microbial biomass samples. Through a newly developed ultra-sensitive metagenomic sequencing method named 2bRAD-M, we investigated the microbial signatures of central nervous system infections in neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Particularly, we recruited a total of 23 neonates suspected of having NBM and collected their blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and skin samples for 2bRAD-M sequencing. Then we developed a novel decontamination method (Reads Level Decontamination, RLD) for 2bRAD-M by which we efficiently denoised the sequencing data and found some potential biomarkers that have significantly different relative abundance between 12 patients that were diagnosed as NBM and 11 Non-NBM based on their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination results. Specifically, we discovered 11 and 8 potential biomarkers for NBM in blood and CSF separately and further identified 16 and 35 microbial species that highly correlated with the physiological indicators in blood and CSF. Our study not only provide microbiological evidence to aid in the diagnosis of NBM but also demonstrated the application of an ultra-sensitive metagenomic sequencing method in pathogenesis study

Recent Advances in the Development of Vaccines for Diabetes, Hypertension, and Atherosclerosis

Vaccines are commonly used in the prevention of infectious diseases. The basic principle of vaccination is to use specific antigens, endogenous or exogenous to stimulate immunity against the specific antigens or cells producing them. Autoantigen or oligo vaccination has been used for disease animal models. More recently humanized monoclonal antibodies have been successfully used for the treatment of neoplastic disorders or familial hypercholesterolemia. Humanized monoclonal antibody therapy needs repeated injection, and the therapy is expensive. Therapeutic vaccination can lead to persistent immunized or immune tolerant against the therapeutic molecule(s) or site. However, immunization against those endogenous substances may also elicit persistent autoimmune reaction or destruction that do harm to health. Therefore, rigorous studies are needed before any clinical application. In this review, we briefly reviewed vaccines used in protection against common metabolic diseases including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus

Seasonal variation in the behavior of captive alpine musk deer, Moschus sifanicus, in Xinglongshan Musk Deer Farm, of China

Musk deer farming has the potential to be an effective conservation tool for the protection of musk deer as well as the production of valuable musk. To be successful, this requires a thorough understanding of the behavior of captive musk deer in order to improve their reproductive success and management. Between August 2005 to January 2006, the behavior sampling of 19 male and 13 female captive alpine musk deer, Moschus sifanicus Büchner, 1891, was used to examine the durations of twelve behavioral characteristics during the pre-rut (August to October) and rut seasons (November to January). Both males and females exhibited some seasonal variation in behavior. Males rested and fed more during the pre-rut than the rut and spent more time walking, fighting, and standing alert during the rut. Females spent more time feeding, ruminating, and interacting non-aggressively with other individuals during the pre-rut and more time in agonistic interactions during the rut. The significance of these behavioral changes and their association with husbandry practices and farm management are discussed

Summer habitat selection of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) governs on the unprotected forest and human interface in China

The habitat selection by animals depends on different environmental and anthropogenic factors such as the season, climate, and the life cycle stage. Here, we have presented the summer habitat selection strategy of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the unprotected forest area from the northern arctic region of China. In summer 2012, we investigated a total of 72 used and 162 non-used plots in the reindeer habitat to record habitat variables. We found that the reindeer used significantly higher altitude, arbour availability, and vegetation cover area as compared to the non-used habitat variables. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that six principal components (68.5%) were mainly responsible for the summer habitat selection of reindeer such as the slope position, concealment, anthropogenic dispersion, arbour species, distance from the anthropogenic disturbance area (> 1000 m) and water quality (Wilks’ Lambda = 0.12; P = 0.0001). The local people are largely dependent on forest product resource in these regions, such as bees herding, collecting wild vegetables, hunting, poaching, and grazing. These activities highly influenced the reindeer habitat and its behaviours. This study thus confirmed that reindeers are forced to choose poor habitat in unprotected forest area with high human disturbance or interference. These factors should be considered by the concerned authority or agency to manage reindeer population in the wild

Temporal variation in the operational sex ratio and male mating behaviours in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)

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Species Delimitation in the Genus Moschus (Ruminantia: Moschidae) and Its High-Plateau Origin.

The authenticity of controversial species is a significant challenge for systematic biologists. Moschidae is a small family of musk deer in the Artiodactyla, composing only one genus, Moschus. Historically, the number of species in the Moschidae family has been debated. Presently, most musk deer species were restricted in the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding/adjacent areas, which implied that the evolution of Moschus might have been punctuated by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we aimed to determine the evolutionary history and delimit the species in Moschus by exploring the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and other mitochondrial gene. Our study demonstrated that six species, M. leucogaster, M. fuscus, M. moschiferus, M. berezovskii, M. chrysogaster and M. anhuiensis, were authentic species in the genus Moschus. Phylogenetic analysis and molecular dating showed that the ancestor of the present Moschidae originates from Tibetan Plateau which suggested that the evolution of Moschus was prompted by the most intense orogenic movement of the Tibetan Plateau during the Pliocene age, and alternating glacial-interglacial geological eras