Identification of a 24-kDa Polypeptide Processed from the Coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus 1a Polyprotein by the 3C-like Proteinase and Determination of Its Cleavage Sites

AbstractWe report here the identification of a 24-kDa polypeptide in IBV-infected Vero cells by immunoprecipitation with a region-specific antiserum raised in rabbits against the IBV sequence encoded between nucleotides 10928 and 11493. Coexpression, deletion, and mutagenesis studies have demonstrated that this protein is encoded by ORF 1a from nucleotide 10915 to 11544 and is released from the 1a polyprotein by the 3C-like proteinase-mediated proteolysis. A previously predicted Q-S (Q3462S3463) dipeptide bond encoded by the IBV sequence from nucleotide 10912 to 10917 is identified as the N-terminal cleavage site, and a Q-N (Q3672N3673) dipeptide bond encoded by the IBV sequence between nucleotides 11542 and 11547 is identified as the C-terminal cleavage site of the 24-kDa polypeptide

A single amino acid mutation in the spike protein of coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus hampers its maturation and incorporation into virions at the nonpermissive temperature

AbstractThe spike (S) glycoprotein of coronavirus is responsible for receptor binding and membrane fusion. A number of variants with deletions and mutations in the S protein have been isolated from naturally and persistently infected animals and tissue cultures. Here, we report the emergence and isolation of two temperature sensitive (ts) mutants and a revertant in the process of cold-adaptation of coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) to a monkey kidney cell line. The complete sequences of wild type (wt) virus, two ts mutants, and the revertant were compared and variations linked to phenotypes were mapped. A single amino acid reversion (L294-to-Q) in the S protein is sufficient to abrogate the ts phenotype. Interestingly, unlike wt virus, the revertant grows well at and below 32 °C, the permissive temperature, as it carries other mutations in multiple genes that might be associated with the cold-adaptation phenotype. If the two ts mutants were allowed to enter cells at 32 °C, the S protein was synthesized, core-glycosylated and at least partially modified at 40 °C. However, compared with wt virus and the revertant, no infectious particles of these ts mutants were assembled and released from the ts mutant-infected cells at 40 °C. Evidence presented demonstrated that the Q294-to-L294 mutation, located at a highly conserved domain of the S1 subunit, might hamper processing of the S protein to a matured 180-kDa, endo-glycosidase H-resistant glycoprotein and the translocation of the protein to the cell surface. Consequently, some essential functions of the S protein, including mediation of cell-to-cell fusion and its incorporation into virions, were completely abolished

Rapid analysis of pyrethroid insecticides in aquaculture seawater samples via membrane-assisted solvent extraction coupled with gas chromatography-electron capture detection

A simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly membrane-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) method for the extraction and preconcentration of six pyrethroid insecticides from aquaculture seawater samples followed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) was successfully proposed. The operating conditions for MASE, such as the extraction solvent, solvent volume, NaCl concentration, stirring rate, extraction time, and temperature, were optimized. Compared to conventional Florisil-solid phase extraction (SPE), higher extraction recoveries (85.9% to 105.9%) of three spiked levels of the six pyrethroid pesticides in aquaculture seawater were obtained using MASE, and the RSD values were lower than 7.9%. The limits of detection (LOD, signal-to-noise ratio (S/N)=3) and quantification (LOQ, S/N = 10) were in the range of 0.037–0.166 and 0.12–0.55 µg L-1, respectively. The results demonstrate the excellent applicability of the MASE method in analyzing the six pyrethroid pesticides in aqueous samples. The proposed method exhibited a high potential for routine monitoring analysis of pyrethroid insecticides in seawater samples

Smoothing noisy spectroscopic data with many-knot spline method

In this paper, we present the development of a many-knot spline method derived to remove the statistical noise in the spectroscopic data. This method is an expansion of the B-spline method. Compared to the B-spline method, the many-knot spline method is significantly faster.Comment: 3pages, 2 figure

A self-consistent method to analyze the effects of the positive Q-value neutron transfers on fusion

AbstractConsidering the present limitation of the need for external parameters to describe the nucleus–nucleus potential and the couplings in the coupled-channels calculations, this work introduces an improved method without adjustable parameter to overcome the limitation and then sort out the positive Q-value neutron transfers (PQNT) effects based on the CCFULL calculations. The corresponding analysis for Ca+Ca, S,Ca+Sn, and S,Ca+Zr provides a reliable proof and a quantitative evaluation for the residual enhancement (RE) related to PQNT. In addition, the RE for S32,Ca40+Zr94 shows an unexpected larger enhancement than S32,Ca40+Zr96 despite the similar multi-neutron transfer Q-values. This method should rather strictly test the fusion models and be helpful for excavating the underlying physics

Varying Contents of Sources Affect Tectonic-Setting Discrimination of Sediments: A Case Study from Permian Sandstones in the Eastern Tianshan, Northwestern China

This article reports new geochemical data from Permian sandstones, most probably deposited during a period of postcollisional extension, from the Yamansu, Shaquanzi, and Xingxingxia areas in the Eastern Tianshan, northwestern China, to determine and characterize their provenance and source nature. The medium- to coarse-grained sandstones are composed mainly of angular to subangular quartz and volcanic fragments, with minor plagioclase and/or microcline, suggesting proximal deposition. Although the samples show relatively large variations in SiO2 (59.7–70.8 wt%), Al2O3 (9.0–14.9 wt%), and Fe2O3T + MgO (2.3–5.2 wt%) contents, they yield low chemical index of alteration values (41–55) but high index of compositional variability values (1.06–1.78), suggestive of their derivation mainly from compositionally immature sources with weak chemical weathering. Their relatively low Zr concentrations (99–225 ppm) and GdN/YbN ratios (1.20–1.53) manifest insignificant zircon and monazite enrichments. Most of the samples are characterized by upper continental crust–like rare earth element (REE) patterns with δEu values of 0.63–0.99, reflecting dominant contributions from intermediate to felsic rocks. In particular, the Xingxingxia and Shaquanzi samples have relatively low SiO2/Al2O3 (4.51–5.82) and Th/U (2.67–3.77) ratios but high ∑REE (total REE) contents (71.8–141.1 ppm), indicative of a low degree of sedimentary sorting/recycling, whereas the Yamansu samples have higher SiO2/Al2O3 (6.30–6.57) and Th/U (3.93–5.16) ratios but low ∑REE contents (77.1–86.8 ppm), probably indicative of a higher degree of sedimentary recycling or more involvement of recycled materials. Tectonic-setting discrimination using geochemical data from the samples yielded inconsistent results, with the Xingxingxia and Shaquanzi samples dominantly plotted in or adjacent to the active continental margin or continental island arc field, while the Yamansu samples mostly plotted in or adjacent to the passive margin field. Combining our findings with those of previous detrital zircon studies, we suggest that the inconsistent tectonic discriminations of the Permian sandstones most likely resulted from their receiving different proportions of source rocks that have distinct geochemical compositions. This study provides ample evidence that the geochemical compositions of sedimentary rocks within a continuous sequence or in the same depositional tectonic setting can vary significantly as a result of changes in contents of different source materials and thus that the use of tectonic-setting discrimination diagrams requires great caution

Studies of Prototype CsI(Tl) Crystal Scintillators for Low-Energy Neutrino Experiments

Crystal scintillators provide potential merits for the pursuit of low-energy low-background experiments. A CsI(Tl) scintillating crystal detector is being constructed to study low-energy neutrino physics at a nuclear reactor, while projects are underway to adopt this technique for dark matter searches. The choice of the geometrical parameters of the crystal modules, as well as the optimization of the read-out scheme, are the results of an R&D program. Crystals with 40 cm in length were developed. The detector requirements and the achieved performance of the prototypes are presented. Future prospects for this technique are discussed.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figure

Partial wave analysis of J/\psi \to \gamma \phi \phi

Using $5.8 \times 10^7 J/\psi$ events collected in the BESII detector, the radiative decay $J/\psi \to \gamma \phi \phi \to \gamma K^+ K^- K^0_S K^0_L$ is studied. The $\phi\phi$ invariant mass distribution exhibits a near-threshold enhancement that peaks around 2.24 GeV/$c^{2}$. A partial wave analysis shows that the structure is dominated by a $0^{-+}$ state ($\eta(2225)$) with a mass of $2.24^{+0.03}_{-0.02}{}^{+0.03}_{-0.02}$ GeV/$c^{2}$ and a width of $0.19 \pm 0.03^{+0.06}_{-0.04}$ GeV/$c^{2}$. The product branching fraction is: $Br(J/\psi \to \gamma \eta(2225))\cdot Br(\eta(2225)\to \phi\phi) = (4.4 \pm 0.4 \pm 0.8)\times 10^{-4}$.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. corrected proof for journa

Measurements of the observed cross sections for e+e−→e^+e^-\to exclusive light hadrons containing π0π0\pi^0\pi^0 at s=3.773\sqrt s= 3.773, 3.650 and 3.6648 GeV

By analyzing the data sets of 17.3, 6.5 and 1.0 pb$^{-1}$ taken, respectively, at $\sqrt s= 3.773$, 3.650 and 3.6648 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider, we measure the observed cross sections for $e^+e^-\to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\pi^0$, $K^+K^-\pi^0\pi^0$, $2(\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0)$, $K^+K^-\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\pi^0$ and $3(\pi^+\pi^-)\pi^0\pi^0$ at the three energy points. Based on these cross sections we set the upper limits on the observed cross sections and the branching fractions for $\psi(3770)$ decay into these final states at 90% C.L..Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure