Effects of Functional Fish Organizations on the Fractal Characteristics of the Microstructure of Feces

Fish feces affect the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems,and they are affected by the functional fish organizations.In this research,Ctenopharyngodon idellus,Hypophthalmichthys molitrix,and Cyprinus carpio were selected to study the effects of different functional fish organizations on the fractal characteristics of fecal micro-structure by scanning electron microscopes(SEM),particles(pores)and cracks analysis system(PCAS).The results showed that fish feces pores mainly consisted of medium pores(cumulative pore number,97%)classified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC).The grain area fractal dimension D_(1) and the pore-number and pore-size fractal dimension D_(2) were 1.94-1.96 and 2.07-2.19,respectively.The distribution of fish feces pores was very close to the Sierpinski carpet structure,which is the basic fractal construction methods widely used to describe the fractal of pore surface distribution.D_(1)(1.96)and D_(2)(2.19)of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were the maximum values of the three functional organizations.Combining with the habit of fish,it is inferred that the feces of H.molitrix,the finer the feed and the faster the swimming of fish,the higher the content of feces clay,the larger the fractal dimension of feces,the easier it is to decompose feces,and the high the content of nutrients and organic matter to release into the water.It is demined that fish functional organizations affected the fractal characteristics and the stability of fish feces in water.This study is helpful for further research on water quality prediction and the impact of functional fish organizations on the structure and function of the ecosystem.

Teaching Reform of Veterinary Microbiology Based on the Hybrid Teaching of Ideology and Politics

The veterinary microbiology teaching team thoroughly implements the national education policy,and iteratively promotes the implementation of the teaching reform of Sanquan education.The teaching team is focused on a“student-centered”approach to education,emphasizing the foundation of“cultivating people and nurturing the root and soul of the nation.”By integrating“knowledge exploration,skill training,and value shaping”into the talent training plan,they are reshaping curriculum objectives and emphasizing ideological education in the syllabus.The teaching content system is being reconstructed,combining multiple interactions of blended teaching with the“six-in-one”ideological education model,to achieve the educational goals of the new agricultural“in-class-extracurricular”approach.This effort provides an empirical basis for the ideological and political teaching reform of the veterinary microbiology curriculum.

Hybrid Teaching Reform of Veterinary Microbiology Based on the Combination of Virtual Simulation and Problem-Based Learning

The Veterinary Microbiology course is centered around the diagnosis and testing of pathogenic microorganisms,with the core value of“moral education and character development.”It reconstructs multidimensional teaching resources by integrating disciplinary achievements with clinical cases and implements a hybrid teaching approach combining virtual simulation and problem-based learning(PBL)through the“three stages+four models+three reflections”framework.Dual-qualification teachers employ various teaching methods,create a“six-in-one”model for ideological and political education,and conduct formative assessments based on the principles of diversified objectives and process emphasis.The hybrid teaching reform addresses issues such as fragmented knowledge,insufficient class hours,weak animal disease diagnostic abilities among students,limited application and expansion of knowledge points,and students’lack of proactive critical thinking skills.The application of hybrid teaching has shown significant advantages and effectiveness,providing a reference for teaching reform in similar microbiology courses.

Exploration of Ideological and Political Education in Veterinary Microbiology Experimental Technology

The veterinary microbiology experimental course plays a key role in education and practice,integrating“knowledge,skills,and qualities”into the talent cultivation program.The syllabus has been revised to emphasize the course’s ideological and political education objectives.The extraction of ideological and political elements focuses on developing a curriculum that includes ideological and political teaching materials and cases,ensuring coherence across classroom teaching,social practice,and online courses.By organically integrating ideological and political elements within stories,along with professional knowledge,operational skills,and social practice,the course aims to enhance the appeal and effectiveness of ideological and political education in the experimental course.

Food Microbiology and Safety 实验课的教改探索

该文作者所在大学与新西兰梅西大学合作开展了食品科学与工程专业国际化培养本科教育项目,全英文课程Food Microbiology and Safety是该项目的核心课程之一。该实验课以应用性为前提,以课程思政为引领,强调食品微生物学与食品安全学的融合,中外师资合作开展了系列教学探索与实践。课程设计以食品产品和食品生产为情境,以微生物安全为话题,模拟真实生产场景,丰富内涵和拓展外延;自主设计实验激发主观能动性、自主规划进程锻炼统筹能力、线上资源平台支撑自主学习与评价、随机分组培养团队合作能力。实践表明,课程有效实现了食品微生物学与食品安全学的有机融合,目标驱动型实验教学过程更利于激发学生的主动性,大量综合性和设计性实验提高了课程的两性一度。与同期对照班级相比,该项目所培养学生具有更强的专业素养和实践能力,为食品专业其他实验课程的教学改革提供了参考。

Contribution of additives Cu to its accumulation in pig feces: study in Beijing and Fuxin of China

Massive amounts of pig manure are produced by intensive pig farm in China, and the composition of pig manure has changed much due to the use of feed additives. However, little is known about the exact Cu （copper） feed as additives or present as contaminants in pig feed and the residues in feces. One hundred and thirty-seven feeds and one hundred and forty-two fecal samples from 48 pig farms were collected in Beijing and Fuxin cities in 1999 and 2005, respectively. The concentrations of Cu were in the range of 6.86-395.19 mg/kg in the feed samples, and the mean values were in the order of weaner〉 grower-finisher〉 sow＇s feeds. The high concentrations over EU recommendations implied that excessive levels of Cu are fed on many pig farms in Beijing and Fuxin. Cu was also present in high concentrations in feces, and concentrations were highly variable. Cu concentrations in the feces from grower-finisher and weaner pigs were significantly greater than feces of sows. The super-intensive and small-scale farms had higher levels of Cu in feces than the middle farms. Cu concentrations in pig feces were approximately 5-times greater than in pig feeds. Feed management in grower-finisher pigs on super-intensive and small-scale pig farms is needed to reduce high Cu concentrations in feces and risks to soil contamination while feces are land-applied.

Oral Microbiology:Past,Present and Future

Since the initial observations of oral bacteria within dental plaque by van Leeuwenhoek using his primitive microscopes in 1680, an event that is generally recognized as the advent of oral microbiological investigation, oral microbiology has gone through phases of ＂reductionism＂ and ＂holism＂. From the small beginnings of the Miller and Black period, in which microbiologists followed Koch＇s postulates, took the reductionist approach to try to study the complex oral microbial community by analyzing individual species; to the modem era when oral researchers embrace ＂holism＂ or ＂system thinking＂, adopt new concepts such as interspecies interaction, microbial community, biofilms, poly-microbial diseases, oral microbiological knowledge has burgeoned and our ability to identify the resident organisms in dental plaque and decipher the interactions between key components has rapidly increased, such knowledge has greatly changed our view of the oral microbial flora, provided invaluable insight into the etiology of dental and periodontal diseases, opened the door to new approaches and techniques for developing new therapeutic and preventive tools for combating oral polymicrobial diseases.

Utilization of multiple "omics" studies in microbial pathogeny for microbiology insights

In the present day,bioinfomiatics becomes the modern science with several advantages.Several new"omics"sciences have been introduced for a few years and those sciences can he applied in biomedical work.Here,the author will summarize and discuss on important applications of omics studies in microbiology focusing on microbial pathogeny.It can be seen that genomics and proteinomics can be well used in this area of biomedical studies.

Effects of Feces on Spatial Distribution Patterns of Grazed Grassland Communities

Animals excrete feces during grazing. The uneven distribution of feces causes a spatial heterogeneity in grassland communities. In this study, we attempted to clarify the effects of feces on spatial distribution patterns of plant species. A field study was conducted on four grasslands each grazed by a single cow. These four grasslands were defined as Poa pratensis （Kentucky bluegrass） dominated grassland without feces （PoF-）, Poa pratensis dominated grassland with feces （PoF＋）, Zoysia japonica Steud. （Japanese lawngrass） dominated grassland without feces （ZyF-）, and Zoysia japonica Steud. dominated grassland with feces （ZyF＋）. A 50 m line that transects 100 equally spaced quadrats （L-quadrats） was drawn on each of the four grasslands. Each quadrat was 0.50 m × 0.50 m in size and consisted of four equal-area cells of 0.25 m ×0.25 m （S-quadrats）. The occurrences of all plant species were recorded in each S-quadrat. The binomial distribution （BD） and beta-binomial distribution （BBD） were used to represent the variation in spatial patterns. The BBD provided a significant description of the frequency distribution of plants per quadrat. A power law was used to calculate the spatial heterogeneity of each species together with the community heterogeneity. The results revealed that the plants on each of the four grasslands were aggregatively distributed. The ZyF＋ exhibited greater spatial heterogeneity than the ZyF-due to the uneven deposition of feces by cows grazing on the grasslands. Additionally we also found that the feces had effect on the heterogeneity inZyF＋ and did not have effect in PoF＋.

Microbiology laboratory and the management of motherchild varicella-zoster virus infection

Varicella-zoster virus, which is responsible for varicella(chickenpox) and herpes zoster(shingles), is ubiquitous and causes an acute infection among children, especially those aged less than six years. As 90% of adults have had varicella in childhood, it is unusual to encounter an infected pregnant woman but, if the disease does appear, it can lead to complications for both the mother and fetus or newborn. The major maternal complications include pneumonia, which can lead to death if not treated. If the virus passes to the fetus, congenital varicella syndrome, neonatal varicella(particularly serious if maternal rash appears in the days immediately before or after childbirth) or herpes zoster in the early years of life may occur depending on the time of infection. A Microbiology laboratory can help in the diagnosis and management of mother-child infection at four main times:(1) when a pregnant woman has been exposed to varicella or herpes zoster, a prompt search for specific antibodies can determine whether she is susceptible to, or protected against infection;(2) when a pregnant woman develops clinical symptoms consistent with varicella, the diagnosis is usually clinical, but a laboratory can be crucial if the symptoms are doubtful or otherwise unclear(atypical patterns in immunocompromised subjects, patients with post-vaccination varicella, or subjects who have received immunoglobulins), or if there is a need for a differential diagnosis between varicella and other types of dermatoses with vesicle formation;(3) when a prenatal diagnosis of uterine infection is required in order to detect cases of congenital varicella syndrome after the onset of varicella in the mother; and(4) when the baby is born and it is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of varicella(and its complications), make a differential diagnosis between varicella and other diseases with similar symptoms, or confirm a causal relationship between maternal varicella and malformations in a newborn.

PHYTOPLANKTON,ESPECIALLY DIATOMS,IN THE GUT CONTENTS AND FECES OF TWO PLANTIVOROUS CYPRINIDS-SILVER CARP AND BIGHEAD CARP

In order to clarify whether the planktivorous silver carp and bighead carp can collect phytoplanktonas small as Cyclotella(【20μm)in Donghu Lake,studies on phytoplankton in their gut contents and feceswere made in 1990.The fish were cultured in both net cage in Donghu Lake and aquaria with the lakewater.Past the intestine,the average valve diameter of Cyclotella changed little.The average ratio of emptyfrustule of Cyclotella to total Cyclotella in the foregut contents of the fishes were 1.8—1.9 times higherthan that in the lake water,but changed little from foregut to feces.The aquarium experiment showedthat both carps could collect particles as small as 8-10μm, which was obviously narrower than the dis-tance between their gill rakers.Probably,secretion of mucus plays an important role in collecting suchsmall

CTX-M producing Escherichia coli isolated from cattle feces in Bogor slaughterhouse,Indonesia

Objective: To determine the occurrence of CTX-M producing Escherichia coli(E. coli)from cattle feces in Bogor slaughterhouse, Indonesia.Methods: A total of 220 cattle feces samples were collected from Bogor slaughterhouse from March to April 2015. Presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase(ESBL) producing E. coli was detected by disc diffusion test based on the recommendation from Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(2014). Bacterial strains which were confirmed as producing ESBLs were further analyzed for the presence of bla genes of the ESBL by PCR.Results: The results showed that CTX-M producing E. coli isolates were detected in 19 samples from 220 samples(8.6%). The b-lactamase genes detected were CTX-M-1(n = 10) and CTX-M-9(n = 9). All of the CTX-M producing E. coli isolates showed multidrug resistance phenotypes to at least four antibiotics. The highest incidence of antibiotics resistance was showed to ampicillin(100.0%), cefotaxime(100.0%), and cefpodoxime(100.0%), followed by streptomycin(84.3%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(73.7%), erythromycin(52.6%), kanamycin(26.3%), doxycycline(10.5%), and ceftazidime(0.0%).Conclusions: Detection of CTX-M-producing E. coli in cattle feces raises important questions as they can represent a potential risk factor to public health.

Biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma based on body fluids and feces

Novel non-/minimally-invasive and effective approaches are urgently needed to supplement and improve current strategies for diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Overwhelming evidence from published studies on HCC has documented that multiple molecular biomarkers detected in body fluids and feces can be utilized in early-diagnosis,predicting responses to specific therapies,evaluating prognosis before or after therapy,as well as serving as novel therapeutic targets.Detection and analysis of proteins,metabolites,circulating nucleic acids,circulating tumor cells,and extracellular vesicles in body fluids(e.g.,blood and urine)and gut microbiota(e.g.,in feces)have excellent capabilities to improve different aspects of management of HCC.Numerous studies have been devoted in identifying more promising candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets for diagnosis,treatment,and monitoring responses of HCC to conventional therapies,most of which may improve diagnosis and management of HCC in the future.This review aimed to summarize recent advances in utilizing these biomarkers in HCC and discuss their clinical significance.

A multi-criteria decision-making approach for comparing sample preservation and DNA extraction methods from swine feces

Molecular microbiological methods, such as competetive PCR, real-time PCR, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and large-scale parallel-pyrosequencing, require the extraction of sufficient quantity of high quality DNA from microbiologically and chemically complex matrices. Due to difficulties in the field to standardize/select the optimum DNA preservation-extraction methods in view of laboratories differences, this article attempts to present a straight-forward mathematical framework for comparing some of the most commonly used methods. To this end, as a case study, the problem of selecting an optimum sample preservation-DNA extraction strategy for obtaining total bacterial DNA from swine feces was considered. Two sample preservation methods (liquid nitrogen and RNAlater?) and seven extraction techniques were paired and compared under six quantitative DNA analysis criteria: yield of extraction, purity of extracted DNA (A260/280 and A 260/230 ratios), duration of extraction, degradation degree of DNA, and cost. From a practical point of view, it is unlikely that a single sample preservation-DNA extraction strategy can be optimum for all selected criteria. Hence, a systematic multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was used to compare the methods. As a result, the ZR Fecal DNA MiniPrepTM DNA extraction kit for samples preserved either with liquid nitrogen or RNAlater? were identified as potential optimum solutions for obtaining total bacterial DNA from swine feces. Considering the need for practicality for in situ applications, we would recommend liquid nitrogen as sample preservation method, along with the ZR Fecal DNA MiniPrepTM kit. Total bacterial DNA obtained by this strategy can be suitable for downstream PCR-based DNA analyses of swine feces.

浅谈研究生实验课程重要性及有效设置——德国大学指导“Geomicrobiology”研究生实践课之体会

研究生课程设置的合理与否直接关系到研究生的培养质量。高品质的研究生课程对于有效联接学生基础知识与实验技能,增加其分析问题与解决问题的能力,以及提高研究生各综合科研素质至关重要。本文以作者在德国讲授地质微生物学专业研究课程(geomicrobiology)的经历,从有关该课程形式、内容、材料以及考核等各方面进行介绍,并比较目前工作单位一些教学情况,就研究生课程体系设置提出一些了浅见同,以期为相关或类似专业研究生课程设置提供一些借鉴。

Pathogenesis and Microbiology of Otitis Media with Effusion in Children

Objective: To detect different etiological factors of otitis media with effusion (OME) and different types of microorganisms in middle ear fluids. Methods: This prospective study included 60 patients with otitis media with effusion diagnosed at the otorhinolaryngology (ENT) outpatient clinic with age ranged from 2 to 16 years, 36 males and 24 females. Results: Predisposing factors of OME were rhinosinusitis in 58.3% of cases, adenoid in 20% of cases, adenotonsillitis in 16.7% of cases and tonsillitis in 5% of cases. Microorganisms in middle ear fluids were negative in 70% of cases, isolation of streptococcus pneumonia in 16.7% of cases, Haemophilus influenzae 6.7% and Moraxella catarrhalis 6.7%. Conclusion: Rhinosinusitis was the most frequent predisposing factor of cases of OME. Positive bacterial culture was found in 30% of cases.

Viral Contamination Source in Clinical Microbiology Laboratory

To understand the potential causes of laboratory-acquired infections and to provide possible solutions that would protect laboratory personnel, samples from a viral laboratory were screened to determine the main sources of contamination with six subtypes of Rhinovirus. Rhinovirus contamination was found in the gloves, cuffs of protective wear, inner surface of biological safety cabinet （BSC） windows, and trash handles. Remarkably, high contamination was found on the inner walls of the centrifuge and the inner surface of centrifuge tube casing in the rotor. Spilling infectious medium on the surface of centrifuge tubes was found to contribute to contamination of centrifuge surfaces. Exposure to sodium hypochlorite containing no less than 0.2 g/L available chlorine decontaminated the surface of the centrifuRe tubes from Rhinovirus after 2 min.

Performance comparison of different microbial DNA extraction methods on bird feces

Background:As an important player during food digestion,gut microbiota has attracted much attention in diet adaptation studies in birds.Microbiota extracted from feces has been widely used as a proxy for gut microbiota.Although several methods have been developed for microbial DNA extraction,their performances in the bird feces have not been systematacially evaluated yet.Methods:In this study,we applied three DNA extraction methods(Qiagen,MoBio and Bead)to extract DNA from feces of three avian dietary guilds(granivore,omnivore and carnivore),sequenced V4 region of 16S rRNA gene for each extract and evaluated the performances of DNA yield,DNA integrity,microbial composition,cell lysis capacity and alpha diversity for the three methods on each dietary guild.Results:Bead method was the best on the performance of both DNA yield and DNA integrity regardless of dietary guild.In granivore,microbial relative abundance at both species and phylum levels,alpha diversity and cell lysis capacity were comparable among all methods.In omnivore,Qiagen had the best performance on alpha diversity,fol-lowed by Bead and MoBio.There were small variations on microbial relative abundance at both species and phylum levels among different extraction methods.MoBio exhibited the best performance on cell lysis capacity.In carnivore,considerable variations were found on microbial relative abundance at both species and phylum levels.Qiagen had the best performance on alpha diversity,followed by MoBio and Bead.MoBio had the highest cell lysis capacity.Conclusions:DNA yield and integrity have no obvious impact on microbial composition,alpha diversity or cell lysis capacity.The microbiota results(e.g.,microbial composition,cell lysis capacity,alpha diversity)obtained from differ-ent methods are comparable in granivorous avian species but not in omnivorous or carnivorous birds.Either method could be used in granivore microbiota studies.For omnivores and carnivores,we recommend Qiagen method when the research purpose is microbial diversity and MoBio when gram-positive bacteria is the research target.

Construction Method of Ideological and Political Theories Teaching in the Course of Environmental Microbiology for Environmental and Ecological Engineering Major

Environmental Microbiology is a professional basic course in the curriculum system of Environmental and Ecological Engineering major,which follows the requirements of ideological and political theories teaching in the course in higher education,and should be implemented in every course.Therefore,the construction of ideological and political theories teaching in the course should be an important task in the course construction of Environmental Microbiology.In view of the curriculum characteristics of Environmental Microbiology,such as multi-disciplinary feature,wide coverage and rapid development,it is an effective method for the construction of ideological and political theories teaching in the course of Environmental Microbiology by fully tapping the ideological and political elements of the curriculum,such as patriotism,scientific spirit and practical innovation,and integrating the ideological and political theories teaching in the course into the whole curriculum design and classroom teaching construction.

Nitrogen and fiber concentration in rumen contents and fecescontents of Mongolian gazelles

Fecal indicators of nutritional status of wild ungulates were less constrained than that of blood, rumen contents, or urine analyses. Thus, we compared the nitrogen and fiber concentrations of feces with those of the rumen contents of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra guttrurosa) in Hulunbeier Grassland. Rumen contents and fecal nutritional concentrations varied in different seasons. Dietary nitrogen concentrations only increased linearly with increase nitrogen concentration in fecal in winter. There was a positive correlation between rumen NDF (neutral detergent fiber) and fecal NDF concentrations. But the regression coefficient was small (r=0.3917). There was a significant regression equation between rumen contents ADF (acid detergent fiber) and fecal ADF concentrations,as well as ADL (acid detergent lignin) concentrations. Nitrogen concentration was found to be negatively correlated with NDF ADF and ADL concentrations both in rumen and in fecal compositions. Our data suggest that fecal nitrogen, ADF ADL concentrations may assess winter dietary qualities that are in protein, crude fiber and lignin concentrations for Mongolian gazelles.