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• HV004 strain showed higher proliferation efficiency and pathogenicity. • The inactivated HTNV vaccine was administered safely in immunized BALB/C mice. • The vaccine induced sufficient neutralizing antibodies and cellular immune response. Hantaan virus (HTNV, Orthohantavirus hantanensae species, Hantaviridae family) is the main etiological agent responsible for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The novel HTNV may pose a potential danger to the control and prevention of HFRS in China, which highlights the importance of vaccine development in public health management. In previous studies, our laboratory discovered and successfully isolated a new HTNV strain, HV004 strain, from Apodemus agrarius captured in an epidemic area in Hubei, China. An initial biological and pathogenicity characterization of HTNV 76–118 (standard train), HV114 strain (a clinical isolate from Hubei province in 1986), and the novel isolate HV004 strain from the epidemic areas of Hubei province were performed in susceptible cells and in vivo. An experimental HV004 strain inactivated vaccine was prepared, and its corresponding immunogenicity was analyzed in BALB/c mice. HV004 strain had a similar but higher pathogenicity than HTNV 76–118 and HV114 in suckling mice. A subcutaneous vaccination (s.c.) with the inactivated HTNV vaccine adjuvanted with aluminum, followed by a challenge intraperitoneally with 106 FFU/ml HTNV, afforded full protection against an HTNV challenge. All immunized mice in every group elicited serum neutralizing antibodies with increasing dosages, which may protect mice from HTNV infection. A dose-dependent stimulation index of splenocytes was also observed in immunized mice. The percentage of IFN-γ-producing CD3+CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in the spleens of immunized mice than in those of control mice. These findings suggest that the inactivated HTNV vaccine may stimulate mice to produce high levels of antibodies with neutralization activity and elicit specific anti-HTNV humoral and cellular immune responses in BALB/c mice against the prevalent strain of HTNV in south central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Human disturbance has recently led to increasingly serious destruction of Sphagnum L. wetlands in subtropical high mountains, resulting in an urgent need for wetland restoration. Methods. Through a field experiment conducted in western Hubei Province, China, the effects of four different microtopographic types [concave surface, convex surface, concave and convex surface (CC surface), and flat surface] and water table depth (0 to −30 cm) on three growth indicators (number of capitula, coverage and biomass) of Sphagnum palustre L. were examined. The objective was to identify the optimal hydrological conditions for S. palustre growth and thus facilitate its rapid recolonisation and restoration of these wetlands. Key results. The results showed that different microtopographic conditions significantly influenced S. palustre growth. Among them, S. palustre in the CC surface showed the worst growth, while no significant differences existed among the other three microtopographic types. Additionally, as the water table increased, the growth of S. palustre increased, but long-term flooding impeded growth. The water table affected S. palustre growth via effects on its tissue water content. Conclusions. Microtopographic reshaping was not essential for the success of S. palustre recolonisation, and microtopography that maintained the water table to within −10 cm of the surface without flooding were best, independent of the microtopographic types. In addition, the growth patterns of S. palustre changed with changes in the environment, which may be related to its long-term adaptation to conditions of a lower water table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]