Background: Abdominal pain is a frequent symptom of IgE-mediated food allergy with limited therapeutic options. Visceral smooth muscle cell relaxation can be induced by activation of the beta-adrenergic receptors. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of inhaled salbutamol empirically used to relieve abdominal pain caused by IgE-mediated allergic reactions at one center. Methods: All double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges to peanut performed at CHU Sainte-Justine between 2016 and 2020 were reviewed to identify patients that presented abdominal pain as part of their reaction. The primary outcome measure was the delay between the initiation of therapy and improvement of abdominal pain. It was compared between patients that had received inhaled salbutamol as part of their treatment and those that did not. Linear regression was performed to control for potential confounders. Results: During the study period, 174 positive DBPCFCs were performed, including 116 for peanut allergy. Of these, 77 presented abdominal pain and 49 met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Patients that received salbutamol improved significantly faster (median 14 minutes; range 5-66) than those that did not (61 minutes range 5-194) (p<0.0001). In the linear regression, only the administration of salbutamol and emesis were found to independently accelerate the recovery of abdominal pain, each reducing the time to improvement by an average of 61 ±10 minutes (p<0.0005) and 44 ±13 minutes (p<0.0005), respectively. Conclusion: This retrospective study provides low-quality evidence of a large effect for salbutamol in the treatment of gastro-intestinal anaphylaxis. Further investigation in randomized controlled trials would be warranted.

Background: Straight to test (STT) is a recognised pathway for improving the two week waiting time targets for red flag referrals.2,4-6 However STT relies on Telephone Assessment Clinics (TAC) by clinicians or specialist nurse practitioners when determining suitability of referred patients for investigations.4-7 Electronic patient care records (ECR) provide clinicians with a greater volume of clinical information allowing virtual triage and STT with a reduced dependence on TAC therefore improving waiting time for tests and treatment. Methods: A retrospective review of 300 colorectal referrals was performed. Patients awaiting an appointment were reviewed electronically, using ECR, by a single colorectal surgeon and re-triaged STT if appropriate. The delay in time from the referral to initial review was removed to create a second group for statistical comparison to demonstrate time saved if the strategy was adopted at point of original triage. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Results: 300 colorectal referrals were reviewed between February 5th 2018 and July 22nd 2019. 91.3% (n= 274) were red flag, 7% (n= 21) urgent and 1.7% (n=5) routine. 94% (n=282) were sent straight to test. Red flag patients processed via traditional referral and clinic had a median time to scope of 36 days (IQR = 55 days) compared with 22.5 days (IQR = 19.75 days), p < 0.001 if triaged straight to test via virtual clinic. Median time to management for red flag patients was 59 days (IQR = 63.5 days) for traditional and 35 days (IQR 51.5 days) for STT, p < 0.001. 71.7% of patients (n=215) required no follow up clinic appointment. Conclusion: Straight to test using ECR is a safe and effective means of triage and is a useful tool when incorporating STT access for colorectal referrals in order to reduce waiting times for tests and treatments.

A cross-sectional comparative study was exposed within three Turkish public universities. The aims of this study were to examine the attitudes toward medical error of the nursing students who are trained within three different education models and to determine factors that affect these attitudes. A personal and educational conditions questionnaire and the Medical Error Attitude Scale were used. All students who agreed to participate in the research from the second, third and fourth year nursing students of three universities were included in sample. Descriptive and statistical analysis of the data were performed. It was found that nursing students trained with the integrated education model and problem-based learning model had higher scores on the Medical Error Attitude Scale than nursing students trained in the classical education model. In the subscales of the Medical Error Attitude Scale, students trained in the integrated education model had a higher average score in the “perception” and the “causes” subscales. A statistically significant difference was found in the subscales of medical error causes and approaches in students of different years. Additionally, it was found that the mean scores of the second year nursing students were higher in the medical error perception subscale.

West Nile Disease is a zoonotic vector-borne infection involving viral pathogens, human and animal hosts, vectors and habitats with a complex transmission cycle. Cooperation among different disciplines has been promoted by the Italian Public Health Authorities to introduce a robust surveillance system and an integrated West Nile Virus (WNV) Surveillance Plan has been in force in Italy since 2016, in order to establish a medical, veterinary and entomological network. This represents a unique model in Europe. This study aims to present this “One Health” approach applied following the first recorded autochthonous case of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND) in Sicily (Southern Italy). Serological and molecular tests were conducted on the blood, liquor and urine of a 38-year-old man with encephalitis and meningitis: WNND was confirmed by serological analysis on liquor and serum. Consequently, a veterinary and entomological surveillance was started. Overall, 160 mosquito catches were collected from six different sampling sites and 2704 adult culicides were morphologically identified. Female mosquitoes were analyzed in pools for WNV RNA detection. Serological and molecular assays for WNV were carried out in 11 horses, 271 chickens and 2 dogs sampled in farms around the man’s residence. Collected mosquito species included Culex pipiens (93.6%), Aedes albopictus (5.25%), Culex hortensis (0.6%), Culiseta longiareolata (0.55%) and Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (0.04%). Mosquito pools were negative for WNV nucleic acid presence. Two dogs (100%) and two horses (18.2%) resulted positive for WNV-specific IgG antibodies. Since WNND epidemiology is influenced by several ecological factors and by the presence of several animal and vector species, the integrated surveillance system was crucial for understanding whether the virus had circulated/was circulating in the suburban, urban area and for preventing the spread of infection.

In this study, a 4-year-old girl presented with a case of septic arthritis and fever. Salmonella was isolated from her knee effusion and feces; isolates were confirmed to be a novel S. Virchow monophasic variant (Salmonella 6,7,14:r:-) based on core genome MLST (cgMLST), CRISPR typing combined with analysis of the fljAB operon. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that replacement of the fljAB operon by a 4.8 kb cassette from E. coli caused the nonexpression of phase-2 flagellar antigen in S. Virchow monophasic variant. Additionally, the acquisition of Salmonella genomic island 2 (SGI2) with an antimicrobial resistance gene cassette enabled the isolates to be multidrug-resistant (MDR) to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole. The emerging of MDR S. Virchow monophasic variant causing human infection should be concerned in the national Salmonella surveillance system.

Background Bocavirus is a typical zoonotic pathogen with a wide range of hosts. Here, we report the epidemiology of human bocavirus (HBoV) detected in Rattus norvegicus. Methods Between May 2015 and May 2017, 357 R. norvegicus were captured in four Chinese provinces. Polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the prevalence of HBoV in fecal samples. Phylogenetic analysis and sequencing of the entire viral genome were undertaken. Results HBoV was detected in 0.84% (3/357) of samples. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial VP1 region and near-full-sequence regions showed that HBoV obtained in R. norvegicus was genetically closely related to HBoV-2. One near-full‐length HBoV genome (named “GZ533”) was acquired, and phylogenetic analysis of the three positive sequences revealed that they shared very high identity in nucleotides and amino acids in the VP1 region (96.0%–99.1%). Comparison of GZ533 and other HBoVs revealed ~100% identity of amino acids in the VP1 region, whereas only 37.5% identity of amino acids when compared with R. norvegicus bocavirus. Conclusion HBoV-2 was detected in R. norvegicus in China. R. norvegicus may be a carrier of HBoV infection, and its impact on public health merits attention.

Abstract Objective:Cancer stem cells play an important role in the the drug resistance of malignant tumor and the prognosis, however,the genes that regulate Colon Adenocarcinoma(COAD) stem cells are still unknown. We aim to identify COAD stem cell regulatory genes by co-expression network analysis.  Methods:The mRNA expression-based stemness index(mRNAsi)which derives from TCGA database was analyzed based on R language. The Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis(WGCNA) was used to construct co-expression network, establish the correlation between gene modules and modules trait–mRNAsi , and determine hub genes. We use Enrichment analysis of genes function and Protein Interaction(PPI network)to identifying the hub modules and genes. GEO and OnComine databases were used to validate the hub genes.  Results: MRNAsi was highly expressed in tumor tissues and the result was statistically significant (p = 7.458E-18), and was positively correlated with the survival rate (p =0.016). 6501 genes were screened(FDR<0.05 and|LogFC|≥1)for co-expression analysis and 17 modules were obtained, among which the yellow module had the most significant positive correlation with mRNAsi(p=1e-55,correlation coefficient =0.71).We finally selected 9 genes (BUB1, BUB1B, CHEK1, KIF23, MCM10, NCAPG, NCAPH, PLK4, TTK) from the yellow module as the hub genes. The above genes had a significantly high expression in all 13 tumors in the OnComine database.  Conclusion: The 9 hub genes play a crucial role in the development of COAD and therapeutic resistance.Finding ways to suppress these genes may be a new target for colon cancer therapy by affecting COAD stem cells.

Copepods are the most numerous animals and play an essential role in the marine trophic web and biogeochemical cycles. The genus Oithona is described as having the highest numerical density, as the most cosmopolite copepod. The Oithona male paradox obliges it to alternate immobile and mobile phases for ambushed feeding and mate search respectively, while the female is less mobile and often feeding. To characterize the molecular basis of this sexual dimorphism, we combined immunofluorescence, genomics, transcriptomics and protein-protein interactions approaches. Tubulin-β3 and α immunofluorescence analysis revealed two lateral male-specific nervous ganglions in the first segment of the Oithona nana male’s prosome. In parallel, the transcriptomic analysis showed male-specific enrichment for nervous system development related transcripts. Twenty seven Lin12-Notch Repeat domains-containing proteins coding genes (LDPGs) over the 75 LDPGs found in the genome were specifically expressed in male. Furthermore, most of the LDPGs (27%) code for proteins having a predicted proteolytic activity and non-LDPGs proteolysis associated transcripts showed a male specific enrichment. Using yeast double–hybrid assays, we constructed a protein-protein interaction network involving two LDPs with proteases, extracellular matrix proteins and neurogenesis related proteins. In our study, the lateral nervous ganglion of O. nana male is described for the first time and is unique in copepods. We also demonstrated a role of the LDPGs and its associated proteolysis to participate to the male-specific physiology and we hypothesize a role of the LDPGs in the lateral ganglions development through guiding lysis of extracellular matrix for the neurites and synapse genesis.

ZAT (ZINC FINGER OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA) proteins are composed of a plant-specific transcription factor family, which play an important role in plant growth, development and resistance to stress. To study the potential function of ZAT family in cotton, the whole genome identification, expression and structure analysis of ZAT gene family were carried out. In this study, our analysis revealed the presence of 115, 56, 59, 115 ZAT genes in Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium raimondii, Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium barbadense, respectively. According to the number of domains and phylogenetic characteristics, we divided ZAT genes of four Gossypium species into 4 different classes, and further divided them into 11 subfamilies. The results of collinearity analysis showed that segmental duplication was the main method to amplify cotton ZAT gene family. Analysis of cis-elements of promoter indicated that most GhZATs genes contained cis-elements related to plant hormones and abiotic stress. According to heatmap analysis, the expression patterns of GhZATs genes under different stress treatments indicated that GhZATs genes were significantly involved in the response to cold, heat, salt, and PEG stress, possibly through different mechanisms. Among the highly expressed genes, we cloned an Gossypium hirsutum gene GhZAT67. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), we found that its expression decreased significantly after being silenced. After alkaline treatment, the wilting degree of silencing plants (VIGS) was even greater than WT, which proved that GhZAT12 gene was involved in the response to alkaline stress.

Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common chromosomal disorders and the children with are at a 20-fold increased risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (DS-ALL). These patients also face lower survival rates due to unique biological features of the leukemic blasts and substantially increased therapy related mortality. Blinatumomab has been shown to be safe and effective having excellent results and in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) BP-ALL. We report here use of blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager antibody construct, in 3 patient with DS and relapsed/refractory BP-ALL . ALL patient had no significant toxicity and achieved remission after only one cycle of blinatumomab .

The monk seal, the most endangered pinniped worldwide and the only one found in the Mediterranean, has suffered a drastic decline in the last few decades. Nowadays molecular techniques allow to detect minute amounts of DNA released in the environment (eDNA) by any organism. We present three qPCR-assays targeting the monk seal mitogenome. The assays were soundly tested on an extensive/diversified sample set (n=73), including positive controls from Madeira breeding population and two opportunistic Mediterranean eDNA-sample collections (offshore/coastal) from on-going projects. Monk seal DNA was detected in 47.2% and 66.7% of the samples collected in the Tyrrhenian from a ferry platform (2018-2019) and in the Pelagie archipelago (2020) respectively, anticipating (up to 2 year) visual observations occurred subsequently in proximity of the sampled areas. In the Tyrrhenian, detection occurrence increased between 2018 and 2019. Monk seal DNA recoveries were commoner in night-time ferry-samples, suggesting nocturnal predatory activity in pelagic waters. The proposed technique provides a non-invasive and yet highly-sensitive tool for defining the monk seal actual range, its recovery rate and pinpoint coastal/offshore localities where prioritizing conservation.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) is an important reference for the amount of covalently closed circular DNA. Patients may benefit from low HBsAg levels. We evaluated changes in HBsAg and cytokines in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with low HBsAg levels who underwent oral antiviral therapy. Methods: A total of 197 CHB patients with HBsAg < 3,000 IU/ml and HBV DNA ≤1,000 IU/ml after more than a year of antiviral therapy were divided into a nucleotide analogs (NAs) group and an entecavir (ETV) group. HBsAg levels were determined every 6 months until 42 months. The serum chemokine and cytokine levels at baseline and 6, 18, and 30 months among 54 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients were measured. Results: HBsAg loss (1.72%), HBsAg reduction below 100 IU/ml (13.79%) and HBsAg reduction ≥0.5 log10 (24.14%) occurred in the NAs group. The cumulative incidences of HBsAg reduction and the HBsAg change in the NAs group were better than those in the ETV group (P<0.05). HBsAg reduction ≥0.5 log10 was associated with NAs therapy, MDC, interleukin (IL) 4, IL23 and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in baseline and ALT levels change>60 U/L during antiviral therapy (P<0.05). ALT change and IL4 level were identified as independent factors for HBsAg reduction (p=0.006; OR=30.491 [2.626-351.312], and p=0.027; OR=1.847 [1.071-3.186], respectively). Conclusions: NAs therapy had some advantages in promoting a reduction in HBsAg. In clinical practice, ALT, MDC, IL4, and IL23 may be biomarkers for predicting HBsAg reduction.

Zn-binding protein was obtained after purification from scallops (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) using gel permeation and ion-exchange chromatography. Amino acid determination result shows that the cysteine of the zinc-binding protein accounts for one third of the total amino acids, which is a typical feature of metallothionein (MT). The secondary structure of zinc-binding protein was determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Circular dichroism (CD), the result shows that the α-helix was 46.55%, the β-sheets was 27.07%, the random coil was 16.48% and the β-turns was 9.89%. Using a commercial kit to measure its in vitro antioxidant activity, the result shows that it has good scavenging ability to 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Hydroxyl radical (•OH) and reducing ability to ferrous iron ions. In this study, the extraction and purification of zinc-binding protein can be prepared in large quantities, which provide a basis for its industrialization.

Sepsis, still cause morbidity and mortality in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Several diagnostic and biological markers have y been studied to monitor unfavorable evolution of sepsis in critically ill patients but didn’t established. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the Left ventricle ejection fraction, serum Ferritin and C - reactive protein and find out their value as early prognostic markers for outcomes in pediatric sepsis in PICU. Patients and Methods: 40 patients admitted to a PICU diagnosed with sepsis. Echocardiography study: to figure out the ejection fraction (EF) of the left ventricle, serum levels of C-reactive protein and ferritin on D1 and D3 after admission. Patients followed to detect their outcomes and mortality. Results: We found with cardiac dysfunction by echocardiogram and elevated ferritin levels on D1 had longer hospital stay in, prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation use, higher maximum inotropic score, and fewer ventilator-free hours. Both low Left ventricle ejection fraction and high serum Ferritin are associated with unfavorable outcomes. Conclusion: Cardiac dysfunction by echocardiogram (EF < 55%) and serum ferritin values (≥300 ng/mL) on D1 of admission in pediatric patients with sepsis admitted to the PICU, were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes.

Understanding connectivity of marine species is crucial for their management. This connectivity, however, is difficult to quantify; propagules of marine species are typically small, numerous, and can travel large distances. Consequently, oceanographic models are often used to simulate larval dispersal. To avoid high computational costs, these models typically use, pooled or cross-sectional data and fixed biological parameters. Here we explore how temporal and spatial variation in current velocities, and pelagic larval duration and buoyancy can alter patterns of marine connectivity of Crown-of-Thorns starfish on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Our results reveal highly variable reef connectivity in space and time mediated by all three factors. No individual reef acted consistently as a population source or sink. It is, therefore, important to consider many factors concurrently when estimating connectivity for understanding these population dynamics, especially where such estimates are relied on for evidence-based decision making.

It is to be noted that bio-gas production is drastically reduced in cold climatic condition especially in winter due to drop in ambient air temperature which is much below optimum temperature of about 37 for fermentation of slurry. Many methods namely hot charging, passive/active for slurry heating has been tested and it has been found that the passive heating method is neither practical nor self-sustained. In order to make bio-gas heating with self-sustained, economical and friendly with an ecology and environment, new approach of Bi-iSPVT, has been adopted. Based on the finding, we have made an attempt to analyze the system in terms of CO2 mitigation, energy matrices and environ- and exergo-economics to have clean environment and sustainable climate. The analysis has been done by using embodied energy, annual overall thermal exergy of the system for ecological balance for good health of human being. It has been found that an energy payback time (EPBT) for sustainable Bi-iSPVT system is about 1.67years along with an exergo-economic parameter (Rex) of 0.1016 kWh/₹.

The routine influenza (H1N1) surveillance in India started almost a decade ago. The fluctuation in the number of deaths and cases in different Indian states over the last decade presumably indicated the possible changes in the viral sequence and in the immune response of the host. To track these changes, we have chosen NS1 protein that invades host antiviral immune response. Objective of this study was to identify the recent mutations on NS1 protein from Indian isolates. The sequences of NS1 proteins from H1N1 strains isolated in India over a decade were obtained from publicly available databases. Multiple sequence alignment, phylogeny and surface hydrophilicity analyses were performed to confirm the consistent mutations on NS1 protein, evolved chronologically in India. Total eight mutations were identified, two in RNA-binding domain (RBD), five in effector domain (ED) and one in the linker region. Three mutations were reported first time in this study at the sequence positions, 2, 80 and 155; those evolved either in 2017 or in 2019. These recent mutations were associated with conservative substitutions in the alternative domains of NS1 protein, namely, i) D2E and E55D, ii) T80A and A155T and iii) E55K and K131E. A gradual shift of NS1 antigenic regions (surface hydrophilicity) was observed from ED to RBD domains along the time line. The possible consequences of these mutations on host-pathogen interactions were hypothesized based on the sequence positions of NS1 mutations belonging to various cellular-binding sub-domains. The hypothesis is subject to further experimental and computational verification.

Objective: To examine whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) is useful for differentiating acute pyelonephritis (APN) from asymptomatic bacteriuria and acute cystitis during pregnancy Design: A multicentre prospective observational study Setting: Eleven maternity hospitals in Taiwan Population: Two hundred and seventy pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria, 243 pregnant women with acute cystitis, 186 pregnant women with APN, and 270 healthy pregnant controls Method: To compare serum white blood cell (WBC) counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and PCT level among pregnant women with asymptomatic bacteriuria, acute cystitis, and APN and healthy pregnant women (controls) Main outcome measures: Utility of WBC count, ESR, CRP, and PCT biomarkers for the prediction of APN during pregnancy Results: Area under the curve (AUC) values of PCT, CRP, ESR, and WBC count for predicting asymptomatic bacteriuria were 0.576, 0.628, 0.542, and 0.532, respectively; those for predicting acute cystitis were 0.766, 0.735, 0.681, and 0.597, respectively; and those for predicting acute pyelonephritis 0.859, 0.763, 0.711, and 0.732, respectively. Compared with the other inflammatory markers used to predict APN, PCT exhibited the highest AUC (0.859 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.711–0.935]). A cutoff value of >0.25 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 79%. Conclusion: Serum PCT can be a valuable addition to existing methods of differentiating asymptomatic bacteriuria, acute cystitis, and APN during pregnancy and can facilitate the early identification of APN during pregnancy.

Objective: To report a modelling study using local health care costs and epidemiological inputs from a population-based program to access the cost-effectiveness of adopting hrHPV test. Design: A cost-effectiveness analysis based on a microsimulation dynamic Markov model. Data and costs were based on data from the local setting and literature review. Setting: Indaiatuba, Brazil. The city has adopted the hrHPV test replacing cytology since 2017. Sample: After calibrating the model, one million women were simulated in hypothetical cohorts. Methods: Three strategies were tested: cytology to women aged 25 to 64 every three years; hrHPV test to women 25-64 every five years; cytology to women 25-29 years every 3 years and hrHPV test to women 30-64 every five years (hybrid strategy). Main outcome measure: Quality-adjusted life-years (QALY), assessed by the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). Results: The hrHPV testing and the hybrid strategy were the dominant strategies. Costs were lower and provided a more effective option at a negative incremental ratio of US$ 37.87 for the hybrid strategy, and negative US$ 6.16 for the HPV strategy per QALY gained. Reduction on treatment costs would influence a reduction in ICER, and an increase in the costs of the hrHPV test would increase ICER. Conclusions: Using population-based data, the switch from cytology to hrHPV testing in the cervical cancer screening program of Indaiatuba is less costly and cost-effective than the old cytology program. Funding: UNICAMP (research project), Indaiatuba City and Roche Diagnostics (program).

This paper shows the special functions are a mathematical tool to solving nonlinear equations. The gamma function is used as an example to show the one-step solution process for a special nonlinear oscillator. Comparison with the exact solution and the approximate solution obtained by the homotopy perturbation method reveals the gamma function method is extremely simple and remarkably accurate.

The motivation of this paper is that we wish to add some new information on Legendrian dualities for continuous families of pseudo-spheres in Minkowski space. We construct all contact diffeomorphic mappings between those contact manifolds and display them in a table which contains all information about Legendrian dualities, by the way, we extend them to the case of Legendrian dualities for continuous families of pseudo-spheres in general semi-Euclidean space.

This study aims at examining the applicability of a novel approach based on species distribution models (SDMs) to establish spatial predictions of EBVs for birds based on bird diversity metrics such as the distributions of properties of key bird habitats. A major objective of this study is to build bird SDMs which can be used to derive spatial EBVs for bird species at a regional scale. We used as predictors 16 environmental variables that are known to be ecologically meaningful for birds at 100 m spatial resolution, including two bioclimatic variables (Bio17 = precipitation of driest quarter and Bio7 = temperature annual range) for three periods of ‘current’, ‘future 2050’, and ‘future 2070’, eleven land-cover (land use) predictors, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and two topographic variables (slope and topography). We used multiple modeling techniques to build presence-only SDMs relating bird presence to environmental features of each species. Here, we show that the suitability estimated according to the SDMs can be used as a spatial ‘species distribution’ EBV (SD EBV) and reflect the habitat quality and trends in land use and climatic impacts on populations of bird species. These developments could facilitate monitoring of bird species across space and time, ultimately helping to identify priority conservation areas, estimate habitat suitability and provide early warning signs regarding bird distribution trends. In general, bioclimatic variables, topography and forest structure were identified to have important ties to the species probability maps generated on the basis of the SDMs, signifying a dominant role of bioclimatic variable Bio17 in the development of habitat suitability patterns. Keywords: Essential biodiversity variables, species distribution modelling, species distribution essential biodiversity variables (SDEBV), bird species, Swiss Alps

In this work, Hopf bifurcation and center problem in a 3-dimensional extended Bonhoeffer-van der Pol (BVP) oscillator with quadratic and cubic nonlinearity are analyzed. Adapting the so-called formal series method for making it able to work with singular point quantities, necessary condition is found for the existence of centers on a local center manifold. Furthermore, Darboux method is employed to prove the sufficiency of the condition. Finally, the exact maximal number of limit cycles that can generate from equilibria via Hopf bifurcation is determined.

The asymmetric sulfoxidation catalyzed by soybean pod peroxidase (SPP) in water-in-oil microemulsions were carried out with the yield of 91.56% and e.e of 96.08% at the activity of SPP of 3200 U ml-1 and 50℃ for 5 h. The mechanism with a two-electron reduction of SPP-I is accompanied with a single-electron transfer to SPP-I and nonenzymatic reactions, indicating that three concomitant sub-mechanisms contribute to the asymmetric oxidation involving five enzymatic and two nonenzymatic reactions, which can represent the asymmetric sulfoxidation of organic sulfides to form enantiopure sulfoxides. With 5.44% of the average relative deviation, a kinetic model fitting experimental data very well was developed. The enzymatic reactions may follow ping-pong mechanism with substrate inhibition of H2O2 and product inhibition of esomeprazole, while nonenzymatic reactions, a power law. Those results indicate that SPP with a lower cost and higher thermal stability may be used as an effective substitute for Horseradish Peroxidase.