X-ray microanalysis was used to study the elemental composition of the shell of the freshwater testate amoeba Difflugia tuberspinifera Hu et al.,1997 collected from Mulan Lake,Hubei province,China in July 2003.The res...X-ray microanalysis was used to study the elemental composition of the shell of the freshwater testate amoeba Difflugia tuberspinifera Hu et al.,1997 collected from Mulan Lake,Hubei province,China in July 2003.The results show that the shell is composed of ten elements:Si in greater quantity;then Ca and Al;and traces of K,Na,Cl,Fe,Mg,S and P.The analysis of results suggests that D.tuberspinifera in elemental composition appears to occupy a middle position between marine and soil testate amoebae.展开更多
In this study, qPCR was used to quantify opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens(OPPPs) and free-living amoebae in 11 tap water samples collected over four seasons from a city in northern China. Results demonstrated ...In this study, qPCR was used to quantify opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens(OPPPs) and free-living amoebae in 11 tap water samples collected over four seasons from a city in northern China. Results demonstrated that the average numbers of gene copies of Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium spp. were significantly higher than those of Aeromonas spp.(p < 0.05). Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium spp. were 100%(44/44) positively detected while P. aeruginosa and Aeromonas spp. were 79.54%(35/44) and 77.27%(34/44) positively detected. Legionella pneumophila was only detected in 4 samples(4/44), demonstrating its occasional occurrence. No Mycobacterium avium or Naegleria fowleri was detected in any of the samples. The average gene copy numbers of target OPPPs were the highest in summer,suggesting seasonal prevalence of OPPPs. Average gene copy numbers of OPPPs in the taps of low-use-frequency were higher than in taps of high-use-frequency, but the difference was not significant for some OPPPs(p > 0.05). Moderate negative correlations between the chlorine concentration and the gene copy numbers of OPPPs were observed by Spearman analysis(rsranged from -0.311 to -0.710, p < 0.05). However, no significant correlations existed between OPPPs and AOC, BDOC, or turbidity. Moderate positive correlations were observed between the target microorganisms, especially for Acanthamoeba spp., through Spearman analysis(p < 0.05). Based on our studies, it is proposed that disinfectant concentration, season, taps with different-use frequency, OPPP species, and potential microbial correlations should be considered for control of OPPPs in tap water.展开更多
Reclamation of domestic wastewater for agricultural irrigation is viewed as a sustainable option to create an alternative water source and address water scarcity. Free-living amoebae（FLA）, which are amphizoic protoz...Reclamation of domestic wastewater for agricultural irrigation is viewed as a sustainable option to create an alternative water source and address water scarcity. Free-living amoebae（FLA）, which are amphizoic protozoa, are widely distributed in various environmental sources. The FLA could cause considerable environmental and health risks. However, little information is available on the risk of these protozoa. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility using rural domestic wastewater for agricultural irrigation, and analyzed dynamic changes of the microbial community structure and FLA populations in raw and treated wastewater, as well as the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of lettuce production sites that were irrigated with different water sources. The bacterial community dynamics were analyzed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism（T-RFLP）. The bacterial community structures in the influent were similar to that in the effluent, while in some cases relative abundances varied significantly. The populations of Acanthamoeba spp. and Hartmannella vermiformis in the anaerobically treated wastewater were significantly higher than in the raw wastewater. The vegetables could harbor diverse amoebae, and the abundances of Acanthamoeba spp. and H. vermiformis in the rhizosphere were significantly higher than in the phyllosphere. Accordingly, our studies show insight into the distribution and dissemination of amoebae in wastewater treatment and irrigation practices.展开更多
[ Objective] The aim of this study was to provide the reference for the artificial breeding of aquatic animals. [ Method] Amoeba discoides and Trichodina were treated by neutral red solution with different concentrati...[ Objective] The aim of this study was to provide the reference for the artificial breeding of aquatic animals. [ Method] Amoeba discoides and Trichodina were treated by neutral red solution with different concentrations to observe the physiological activities of organelles in their death processes. Effects of neutral red solution on the growth of common aquatic animals such as Paramecium caudatum, Euglena viridis and Brachionus plicatilis were analyzed, and the specific lethal mechanism of trace neutral red to A. discoides and Trichodina was also preliminarily studied. [ Re- suit] The neutral red solution at a concentration of 0.5 mg/L damaged the physiological function of contractile vacuole in Trichodina and also had the specific lethal effect on Tdchodina, but it had no effect on the growth and reproduction of non-parasitic protozoa and B. p/icatilis. Neutral red so- lution with certain concentration led to disorder of the physiological functions of A. discoides, such as assimilation and rejection, which was a main factor that caused the death of A. discoides. [ Conclusion] With the advantages such as targeting, safety and easiness to be oxidized and decom- posed, neutral red is an ideal drug for treating the diseases caused by A. discoides and Trichodina, and its suitable concentration is 0. 5 mg/L.展开更多
With the continuous development of the global economy, economic globalization has become faster and faster. In the process of economic globalization, more big data information is used, which has a huge impact on the e...With the continuous development of the global economy, economic globalization has become faster and faster. In the process of economic globalization, more big data information is used, which has a huge impact on the entire world economic environment. If an enterprise wants to survive and develop in the fierce competitive environment, it needs to innovate and change its original business model in the process of development, so as to achieve comprehensive cost control and ensure that the enterprise can obtain greater economic benefits. Therefore, this requires enterprises to properly apply amoeba management model in the process of enterprise development in the process of development, so as to effectively manage the cost of the enterprise. In this way, enterprises can manage the cost more comprehensively in the process of development, so as to realize the normal development of the enterprise. This paper discusses the application of amoeba management model in financial work, hoping to provide assistance for improving the quality of financial work in Chinese enterprises.展开更多
This study investigates the testate amoeba communities of a large peatland in Central China. The ecology and seasonal variability of testate amoeba communities were studied during 2009-2010. Investiga- tion of environ...This study investigates the testate amoeba communities of a large peatland in Central China. The ecology and seasonal variability of testate amoeba communities were studied during 2009-2010. Investiga- tion of environmental controls using ordination showed that the relationship between testate amoeba communities and depth to water table （DWT） and pH are extremely weak. The small proportion of variance explained by water table depth here （only 1.9% in the full data） shows that the hydrological control is weaker than we expected in this peatland, and weaker than any study we are aware of using a similar methodology. Attempts to develop species- environment （transfer function） models or identify indi- cator species for future palaeoecological studies were unsuccessful. Previous large-scale studies of peatland testate amoeba ecology have been largely restricted to Europe and North America and results have been relatively consistent among studies. Our results contrast with this consensus and suggest that at least in minerotrophic peatlands in China testate amoeba communities may be primarily controlled by different environmental variables. In China, testate amoebae have been relatively little studied but may prove to be valuable for a variety of applications in palaeoecology and biomonitoring and much further work is required.展开更多
Seventy-eight species and forms of testate amoebae were identified from 29 freshwater and soil habitats in three territories of China （Shandong and Hubei Provinces）. Most abundant species from the genera Plagiopyxis...Seventy-eight species and forms of testate amoebae were identified from 29 freshwater and soil habitats in three territories of China （Shandong and Hubei Provinces）. Most abundant species from the genera Plagiopyxis, Centropyxis and Trinema represent the globally-distributed and eurybiont group of testate amoe- bae. The species richness was observed to be the lowest （7-12 species per biotope） in sandy sediments of the Yangtze River, but considerably higher （20-30 taxa） in soil environment. In the range of terrestrial habitats, the most remote communities from Laoshan Mountain in Shandong Province, China manifested the highest difference from others. On the other hand, communities originated in the most distant from industrial center places （Guifeng Mountain in Hubei Province, China） possess the most peculiar species composition including specific Gondwa- nian taxa （e.g. Nebela bigibbosa）. In sum, the results obtained provide the evidence that the community complexity and specificity reduce in the places located within areas that are highly populated and intensively visited by humans.展开更多
Testate amoebae are sensitive indicators of substrate moisture in peaflands. Over the last decades, they have been studied to reconstruct hydrological changes since the Holocene. However, these studies have been geogr...Testate amoebae are sensitive indicators of substrate moisture in peaflands. Over the last decades, they have been studied to reconstruct hydrological changes since the Holocene. However, these studies have been geographically restricted to North America and Europe. We conducted the first investigation of testate amoebae on the largest continental fresh water wetland in the Sanjiang Plain, China. The objectives of this study were to provide baseline data on the ecology of testate amoebae in the peatlands of Northeast China and to assess the potential of using them as environmental indicators in this ecosystem. We examined modem testate amoeba assemblages and species-environmental relationships at 46 microsites within 5 waterlogged depressions. The environmental parameters measured included： depth to water table, pH, and loss on ignition. The results showed that the dominant species were Trinema complanatum type, Euglypha rotunda type, Euglypha strigosa type, and Centropyxis cassis type. Redundancy analysis demonstrates that water table depth has the most important effect on testate amoeba assemblages, explaining 16.7% （p=0.002） of the total variance, pH was not a statistically significant factor for testate amoeba assemblages. Weighted averaging and weighted averaging partial least squares models were used to build transfer functions for depth to water table. The best performing transfer function was generated by the weighted averaging partial least squares model with an r^2LOSO of 0.62 and RMSEPLoso of 6.96 era. Results indicate that testate amoebae in waterlogged depression peatland have the potential to be used as indicators for hydrological changes and for palaeohydrologic reconstructions in the Sanjiang Plain.展开更多
Among various genera of free-living amoebae prevalent in nature,some members are identified as causative agents of human encephalitis,in which Naegleria fowleri followed by Acanthamoeba spp.and Balamuthia mandrillaris...Among various genera of free-living amoebae prevalent in nature,some members are identified as causative agents of human encephalitis,in which Naegleria fowleri followed by Acanthamoeba spp.and Balamuthia mandrillaris have been successively discovered.As the three dominant genera responsible for infections,Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia work as opportunistic pathogens of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals,whereas Naegleria induces primary amoebic meningoencephalitis mostly in healthy children and young adults as a more violent and deadly disease.Due to the lack of typical symptoms and laboratory findings,all these amoebic encephalitic diseases are difficult to diagnose.Considering that subsequent therapies are also affected,all these brain infections cause significant mortality worldwide,with more than 90%of the cases being fatal.Along with global warming and population explosion,expanding areas of human and amoebae activity in some regions lead to increased contact,resulting in more serious infections and drawing increased public attention.In this review,we summarize the present information of these pathogenic free-living amoebae,including their phylogeny,classification,biology,and ecology.The mechanisms of pathogenesis,immunology,pathophysiology,clinical manifestations,epidemiology,diagnosis,and therapies are also discussed.展开更多
The middle Yangtze Reach is one of the most developed regions of China. As a result, most lakes in this area have suffered from eutrophication and serious environmental pollution during recent decades. The aquatic bio...The middle Yangtze Reach is one of the most developed regions of China. As a result, most lakes in this area have suffered from eutrophication and serious environmental pollution during recent decades. The aquatic biodiversity in the lakes of the area is thus currently under significant threat from continuous human activities. Testate amoebae （TA） are benthic （rarely planktonic） microorganisms characterized by an agglutinated or autogenous shell. Owing to their high abundance, preservation potential in lacustrine sediments, and distinct response to environmental stress, they are increasingly used as indicators for monitoring water quality and reconstructing palaeoenvironmental changes. However this approach has not yet been developed in China. This study presents an initial assessment of benthic TA assemblages in eight lakes of Lake Donghu in the region of Wuhan, China. Testate amoeba community structure was most strongly correlated to water pH. In more alkaline conditions, communities were dominated by Centropyxis aculeata, Difflugia oblonga, Pontigulasia compressa, Pon. elisa and Lesquereusia modesta. These results are consistent with previous studies and show that TA could be useful for reconstructing past water pH fluctuations in China. To achieve this, the next step will be to expand the database and build transfer function models.展开更多
Background:Acinetobacter baumannii is ubiquitous,facultative intracellular,and opportunistic bacterial pathogen.Its unique abilities allow it to survive in a diverse range of environments,including health care setting...Background:Acinetobacter baumannii is ubiquitous,facultative intracellular,and opportunistic bacterial pathogen.Its unique abilities allow it to survive in a diverse range of environments,including health care settings,leading to nosocomial infections.And its exceptional ability to develop resistance to multiple antibiotics leaves few drug options for treatment.It has been recognized as a leading cause of nosocomial pneumonia and bacteremia over the world.Case presentation:In this case,a 73-year-old woman presented with a Neer Group VI proximal humeral fracture.Six hours after a successfully performed hemiarthroplasty,she developed continuous fever.Clinical examination revealed that the vitals were regular.Laboratory and radiographic examinations revealed only elevated procalcitonin levels.Blood culture revealed no bacterial or fungal growth.Cooling treatment and empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy showed no apparent effect.Conclusions:We report a postoperative infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii.The infectious pathogen was identified via molecular DNA sequencing and was initially misidentified as a free-living amoeba species upon microscopic examinations.The patient was mistreated with antiamebic combination therapy.Her symptoms persisted for over 4 months and were eventually followed by her death.展开更多
Liquid metals(LM) such as eutectic gallium-indium and gallium-indium-tin are important functional liquid-state metal materials with many unique properties, which have attracted wide attentions especially from soft rob...Liquid metals(LM) such as eutectic gallium-indium and gallium-indium-tin are important functional liquid-state metal materials with many unique properties, which have attracted wide attentions especially from soft robot area. Recently the amoeba-like transformations of LM on the graphite surface are discovered, which present a promising future for the design and assemble of self-fueled actuators with dendritically deformable body. It appears that the surface tension of the LM can be significantly reduced when it contacts graphite surface in alkaline solution. Clearly, the specific surface should play a vital role in inducing these intriguing behaviors, which is valuable and inspiring in soft robot design. However, the information regarding varied materials functions underlying these behaviors remains unknown. To explore the generalized effects of surface materials in those intriguing behavior, several materials including glass, graphite, nickel and copper oxides(CuO) were comparatively investigated as substrate surfaces.Important results were obtained that only LM amoeba transformations were observed on graphite and CuO surfaces. In order to identify the proper surface condition for LM transformation, the intrinsic properties of substrate surfaces, such as the surface charge and roughness, as well as the specific interaction with LM like wetting behavior and mutual locomotion etc., were characterized. The integrated results revealed that LM droplet appears more likely to deform on surfaces with higher positive surface charge density, higher roughness and less bubble generation on them. In addition, another surface material,CuOx, is identified to own similar ability to graphite, which is valuable in achieving amoeba-like transformation. Moreover, this study offers a fundamental understanding of the surface properties in realizing LM amoeba transformations, which would shed light on packing and structure design of liquid metal-based soft device within multi-material system.展开更多
Amoeboid protists,an assemblage of organisms belonging to different phylogenetic lineages,have drawn increasing attention due to their crucial ecological roles in various environments and their potential health risks....Amoeboid protists,an assemblage of organisms belonging to different phylogenetic lineages,have drawn increasing attention due to their crucial ecological roles in various environments and their potential health risks.Currently,18S rRNA gene sequencing is widely applied for the detection of amoebae.However,it is not clear which is the best primer pair for 18S rRNA gene amplification in amoebae.This study compared the four most commonly used primer pairs for revealing the diversity,composition,core species,and community assembly processes of amoebae in water and sediments.We found that the choice of primers artificially influences the detection of community composition of amoebae.We also found that short-read fragments may lead to mismatches in taxonomy and were not suitable for phylogenetic analyses.In contrast,full-length primers could detect the highest number of amoeba lineages and annotate 80%of reads belonging to amoebae to known species.However,full-length primers did not detect as many amoeba species as V4 primers.Moreover,we showed that beta diversity and community assembly determination were largely unaffected by primer choice,but different primers could influence our interpretations of the ecological process underlying stochasticity and determinism.This study indicates that full-length read sequencing and V4 region Illumina sequencing are suitable for profiling amoeba diversity in the environment.展开更多
文摘X-ray microanalysis was used to study the elemental composition of the shell of the freshwater testate amoeba Difflugia tuberspinifera Hu et al.,1997 collected from Mulan Lake,Hubei province,China in July 2003.The results show that the shell is composed of ten elements:Si in greater quantity;then Ca and Al;and traces of K,Na,Cl,Fe,Mg,S and P.The analysis of results suggests that D.tuberspinifera in elemental composition appears to occupy a middle position between marine and soil testate amoebae.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan(No.2016YFA0203200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51538013)the project of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.QYZDY-SSW-DQC004)
文摘In this study, qPCR was used to quantify opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens(OPPPs) and free-living amoebae in 11 tap water samples collected over four seasons from a city in northern China. Results demonstrated that the average numbers of gene copies of Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium spp. were significantly higher than those of Aeromonas spp.(p < 0.05). Legionella spp. and Mycobacterium spp. were 100%(44/44) positively detected while P. aeruginosa and Aeromonas spp. were 79.54%(35/44) and 77.27%(34/44) positively detected. Legionella pneumophila was only detected in 4 samples(4/44), demonstrating its occasional occurrence. No Mycobacterium avium or Naegleria fowleri was detected in any of the samples. The average gene copy numbers of target OPPPs were the highest in summer,suggesting seasonal prevalence of OPPPs. Average gene copy numbers of OPPPs in the taps of low-use-frequency were higher than in taps of high-use-frequency, but the difference was not significant for some OPPPs(p > 0.05). Moderate negative correlations between the chlorine concentration and the gene copy numbers of OPPPs were observed by Spearman analysis(rsranged from -0.311 to -0.710, p < 0.05). However, no significant correlations existed between OPPPs and AOC, BDOC, or turbidity. Moderate positive correlations were observed between the target microorganisms, especially for Acanthamoeba spp., through Spearman analysis(p < 0.05). Based on our studies, it is proposed that disinfectant concentration, season, taps with different-use frequency, OPPP species, and potential microbial correlations should be considered for control of OPPPs in tap water.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (Nos. 2014ZX07204-005, 2015ZX07206-006)the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (No. 2014BAC01B03)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31570494)
文摘Reclamation of domestic wastewater for agricultural irrigation is viewed as a sustainable option to create an alternative water source and address water scarcity. Free-living amoebae（FLA）, which are amphizoic protozoa, are widely distributed in various environmental sources. The FLA could cause considerable environmental and health risks. However, little information is available on the risk of these protozoa. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility using rural domestic wastewater for agricultural irrigation, and analyzed dynamic changes of the microbial community structure and FLA populations in raw and treated wastewater, as well as the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of lettuce production sites that were irrigated with different water sources. The bacterial community dynamics were analyzed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism（T-RFLP）. The bacterial community structures in the influent were similar to that in the effluent, while in some cases relative abundances varied significantly. The populations of Acanthamoeba spp. and Hartmannella vermiformis in the anaerobically treated wastewater were significantly higher than in the raw wastewater. The vegetables could harbor diverse amoebae, and the abundances of Acanthamoeba spp. and H. vermiformis in the rhizosphere were significantly higher than in the phyllosphere. Accordingly, our studies show insight into the distribution and dissemination of amoebae in wastewater treatment and irrigation practices.
基金supported by 863 Project (2005AA601010-05)Student Innovative Experiment Fund of Shenzhen University
文摘[ Objective] The aim of this study was to provide the reference for the artificial breeding of aquatic animals. [ Method] Amoeba discoides and Trichodina were treated by neutral red solution with different concentrations to observe the physiological activities of organelles in their death processes. Effects of neutral red solution on the growth of common aquatic animals such as Paramecium caudatum, Euglena viridis and Brachionus plicatilis were analyzed, and the specific lethal mechanism of trace neutral red to A. discoides and Trichodina was also preliminarily studied. [ Re- suit] The neutral red solution at a concentration of 0.5 mg/L damaged the physiological function of contractile vacuole in Trichodina and also had the specific lethal effect on Tdchodina, but it had no effect on the growth and reproduction of non-parasitic protozoa and B. p/icatilis. Neutral red so- lution with certain concentration led to disorder of the physiological functions of A. discoides, such as assimilation and rejection, which was a main factor that caused the death of A. discoides. [ Conclusion] With the advantages such as targeting, safety and easiness to be oxidized and decom- posed, neutral red is an ideal drug for treating the diseases caused by A. discoides and Trichodina, and its suitable concentration is 0. 5 mg/L.
文摘With the continuous development of the global economy, economic globalization has become faster and faster. In the process of economic globalization, more big data information is used, which has a huge impact on the entire world economic environment. If an enterprise wants to survive and develop in the fierce competitive environment, it needs to innovate and change its original business model in the process of development, so as to achieve comprehensive cost control and ensure that the enterprise can obtain greater economic benefits. Therefore, this requires enterprises to properly apply amoeba management model in the process of enterprise development in the process of development, so as to effectively manage the cost of the enterprise. In this way, enterprises can manage the cost more comprehensively in the process of development, so as to realize the normal development of the enterprise. This paper discusses the application of amoeba management model in financial work, hoping to provide assistance for improving the quality of financial work in Chinese enterprises.
基金Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China （No. 2011CB808800）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 40930210, 40921062, 40872202, 41072261 and 30800097）, the Opening Research Fund of Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment （No. WELF-2009-B-003）, the Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges, China University of Geosciences （Wuhan） （Nos. CUG090103 and G1323521132）, and the 111 Project （No. B08030）. Professor Robert K. Booth and Professor Edward A.D. Mitchell helped with species identifications, Professor Booth also helped withinitial statistical analysis and constructive comments on the research. We thank Jiantao Xue, Ze Zhang, Huan Yang and Zhiqi Zhang for their assistance of field works. Qianfan Zhang and Rong Zhu helped dealing with the processing of samples in the laboratory.
文摘This study investigates the testate amoeba communities of a large peatland in Central China. The ecology and seasonal variability of testate amoeba communities were studied during 2009-2010. Investiga- tion of environmental controls using ordination showed that the relationship between testate amoeba communities and depth to water table （DWT） and pH are extremely weak. The small proportion of variance explained by water table depth here （only 1.9% in the full data） shows that the hydrological control is weaker than we expected in this peatland, and weaker than any study we are aware of using a similar methodology. Attempts to develop species- environment （transfer function） models or identify indi- cator species for future palaeoecological studies were unsuccessful. Previous large-scale studies of peatland testate amoeba ecology have been largely restricted to Europe and North America and results have been relatively consistent among studies. Our results contrast with this consensus and suggest that at least in minerotrophic peatlands in China testate amoeba communities may be primarily controlled by different environmental variables. In China, testate amoebae have been relatively little studied but may prove to be valuable for a variety of applications in palaeoecology and biomonitoring and much further work is required.
文摘Seventy-eight species and forms of testate amoebae were identified from 29 freshwater and soil habitats in three territories of China （Shandong and Hubei Provinces）. Most abundant species from the genera Plagiopyxis, Centropyxis and Trinema represent the globally-distributed and eurybiont group of testate amoe- bae. The species richness was observed to be the lowest （7-12 species per biotope） in sandy sediments of the Yangtze River, but considerably higher （20-30 taxa） in soil environment. In the range of terrestrial habitats, the most remote communities from Laoshan Mountain in Shandong Province, China manifested the highest difference from others. On the other hand, communities originated in the most distant from industrial center places （Guifeng Mountain in Hubei Province, China） possess the most peculiar species composition including specific Gondwa- nian taxa （e.g. Nebela bigibbosa）. In sum, the results obtained provide the evidence that the community complexity and specificity reduce in the places located within areas that are highly populated and intensively visited by humans.
基金Acknowledgements We cordially thank Dr. Xuefeng Wang and Mr. Xiumin Yan （Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, CAS, China） for their help with the field sampling, Mr. Dehua Mao （Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, CAS, China） for providing the research site map, and Prof. Jun Yang and Dr. Yangmin Qin for helpful suggestions for improvement and species identifications. We are also deeply grateful to Dr. Louise Loudermilk （Forest Service Station of USDA, USA） and Dr. Mark Judson （Mus6um National d＇HistoireNaturelle, France） for comments on the manuscript and English language revisions. Lastly, we thank three anonymous reviewers for constructive comments that helped improve the manuscript. Financial assistance was provided by the National Basic Research Program of China （Nos. 2012CB956103 and 2010CB951304）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant No. 41371261）, and the CAS/SAFEA International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams （KZZD-EW-TZ-07）.
文摘Testate amoebae are sensitive indicators of substrate moisture in peaflands. Over the last decades, they have been studied to reconstruct hydrological changes since the Holocene. However, these studies have been geographically restricted to North America and Europe. We conducted the first investigation of testate amoebae on the largest continental fresh water wetland in the Sanjiang Plain, China. The objectives of this study were to provide baseline data on the ecology of testate amoebae in the peatlands of Northeast China and to assess the potential of using them as environmental indicators in this ecosystem. We examined modem testate amoeba assemblages and species-environmental relationships at 46 microsites within 5 waterlogged depressions. The environmental parameters measured included： depth to water table, pH, and loss on ignition. The results showed that the dominant species were Trinema complanatum type, Euglypha rotunda type, Euglypha strigosa type, and Centropyxis cassis type. Redundancy analysis demonstrates that water table depth has the most important effect on testate amoeba assemblages, explaining 16.7% （p=0.002） of the total variance, pH was not a statistically significant factor for testate amoeba assemblages. Weighted averaging and weighted averaging partial least squares models were used to build transfer functions for depth to water table. The best performing transfer function was generated by the weighted averaging partial least squares model with an r^2LOSO of 0.62 and RMSEPLoso of 6.96 era. Results indicate that testate amoebae in waterlogged depression peatland have the potential to be used as indicators for hydrological changes and for palaeohydrologic reconstructions in the Sanjiang Plain.
文摘Among various genera of free-living amoebae prevalent in nature,some members are identified as causative agents of human encephalitis,in which Naegleria fowleri followed by Acanthamoeba spp.and Balamuthia mandrillaris have been successively discovered.As the three dominant genera responsible for infections,Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia work as opportunistic pathogens of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals,whereas Naegleria induces primary amoebic meningoencephalitis mostly in healthy children and young adults as a more violent and deadly disease.Due to the lack of typical symptoms and laboratory findings,all these amoebic encephalitic diseases are difficult to diagnose.Considering that subsequent therapies are also affected,all these brain infections cause significant mortality worldwide,with more than 90%of the cases being fatal.Along with global warming and population explosion,expanding areas of human and amoebae activity in some regions lead to increased contact,resulting in more serious infections and drawing increased public attention.In this review,we summarize the present information of these pathogenic free-living amoebae,including their phylogeny,classification,biology,and ecology.The mechanisms of pathogenesis,immunology,pathophysiology,clinical manifestations,epidemiology,diagnosis,and therapies are also discussed.
基金This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China （No. 2011CB808800）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 40930210, 40921062, 41072261 and 41130207）, the Special Fund for Basic Scientific Research of Central Colleges, China University of Geosciences （Wuhan_CUGL100502, G1323521132）, the 111 project （B08030） and the Opening Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment （SKLLQG1118）. Dr. Yangmin Qin thanks all the team of the Laboratory of Soil Biology at University of Neuchatel for inviting him visiting the laboratory and providing facilities and help.
文摘The middle Yangtze Reach is one of the most developed regions of China. As a result, most lakes in this area have suffered from eutrophication and serious environmental pollution during recent decades. The aquatic biodiversity in the lakes of the area is thus currently under significant threat from continuous human activities. Testate amoebae （TA） are benthic （rarely planktonic） microorganisms characterized by an agglutinated or autogenous shell. Owing to their high abundance, preservation potential in lacustrine sediments, and distinct response to environmental stress, they are increasingly used as indicators for monitoring water quality and reconstructing palaeoenvironmental changes. However this approach has not yet been developed in China. This study presents an initial assessment of benthic TA assemblages in eight lakes of Lake Donghu in the region of Wuhan, China. Testate amoeba community structure was most strongly correlated to water pH. In more alkaline conditions, communities were dominated by Centropyxis aculeata, Difflugia oblonga, Pontigulasia compressa, Pon. elisa and Lesquereusia modesta. These results are consistent with previous studies and show that TA could be useful for reconstructing past water pH fluctuations in China. To achieve this, the next step will be to expand the database and build transfer function models.
基金This work was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China(31271015)Key Basic Research Project of Science and Technology of Shanghai(13JC1403900).
文摘Background:Acinetobacter baumannii is ubiquitous,facultative intracellular,and opportunistic bacterial pathogen.Its unique abilities allow it to survive in a diverse range of environments,including health care settings,leading to nosocomial infections.And its exceptional ability to develop resistance to multiple antibiotics leaves few drug options for treatment.It has been recognized as a leading cause of nosocomial pneumonia and bacteremia over the world.Case presentation:In this case,a 73-year-old woman presented with a Neer Group VI proximal humeral fracture.Six hours after a successfully performed hemiarthroplasty,she developed continuous fever.Clinical examination revealed that the vitals were regular.Laboratory and radiographic examinations revealed only elevated procalcitonin levels.Blood culture revealed no bacterial or fungal growth.Cooling treatment and empirical broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy showed no apparent effect.Conclusions:We report a postoperative infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii.The infectious pathogen was identified via molecular DNA sequencing and was initially misidentified as a free-living amoeba species upon microscopic examinations.The patient was mistreated with antiamebic combination therapy.Her symptoms persisted for over 4 months and were eventually followed by her death.
基金supported by the Dean’s Research Funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Funding(Z151100003715002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61307065) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFA0200500)
文摘Liquid metals(LM) such as eutectic gallium-indium and gallium-indium-tin are important functional liquid-state metal materials with many unique properties, which have attracted wide attentions especially from soft robot area. Recently the amoeba-like transformations of LM on the graphite surface are discovered, which present a promising future for the design and assemble of self-fueled actuators with dendritically deformable body. It appears that the surface tension of the LM can be significantly reduced when it contacts graphite surface in alkaline solution. Clearly, the specific surface should play a vital role in inducing these intriguing behaviors, which is valuable and inspiring in soft robot design. However, the information regarding varied materials functions underlying these behaviors remains unknown. To explore the generalized effects of surface materials in those intriguing behavior, several materials including glass, graphite, nickel and copper oxides(CuO) were comparatively investigated as substrate surfaces.Important results were obtained that only LM amoeba transformations were observed on graphite and CuO surfaces. In order to identify the proper surface condition for LM transformation, the intrinsic properties of substrate surfaces, such as the surface charge and roughness, as well as the specific interaction with LM like wetting behavior and mutual locomotion etc., were characterized. The integrated results revealed that LM droplet appears more likely to deform on surfaces with higher positive surface charge density, higher roughness and less bubble generation on them. In addition, another surface material,CuOx, is identified to own similar ability to graphite, which is valuable in achieving amoeba-like transformation. Moreover, this study offers a fundamental understanding of the surface properties in realizing LM amoeba transformations, which would shed light on packing and structure design of liquid metal-based soft device within multi-material system.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31970384,41907021,21806044,92051120,31802350)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities Sun Yat-sen University(22lgqb22,19lgzd28)+3 种基金the Innovation Group Project of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Zhuhai)(311021006)the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Zhuhai)(SML2021SP203)the Guangdong Natural Resources Department Contract(GDNRC[2021]62)Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(202102020257)。
文摘Amoeboid protists,an assemblage of organisms belonging to different phylogenetic lineages,have drawn increasing attention due to their crucial ecological roles in various environments and their potential health risks.Currently,18S rRNA gene sequencing is widely applied for the detection of amoebae.However,it is not clear which is the best primer pair for 18S rRNA gene amplification in amoebae.This study compared the four most commonly used primer pairs for revealing the diversity,composition,core species,and community assembly processes of amoebae in water and sediments.We found that the choice of primers artificially influences the detection of community composition of amoebae.We also found that short-read fragments may lead to mismatches in taxonomy and were not suitable for phylogenetic analyses.In contrast,full-length primers could detect the highest number of amoeba lineages and annotate 80%of reads belonging to amoebae to known species.However,full-length primers did not detect as many amoeba species as V4 primers.Moreover,we showed that beta diversity and community assembly determination were largely unaffected by primer choice,but different primers could influence our interpretations of the ecological process underlying stochasticity and determinism.This study indicates that full-length read sequencing and V4 region Illumina sequencing are suitable for profiling amoeba diversity in the environment.
