Chirita leprosa sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from limestone areas in Guangxi,China

Chirita leprosa Yan Liu & W. B. Xu, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to C. wangiana Z. Y. Li, but differs by the leaf blade being elliptic to broadly elliptic, bracts broadly ovate, corolla pale yellow, filaments ca 9 mm long, geniculate near the middle, staminodes 3, and by a different flowering period (Oct–Nov).     

Effect of bacterial cell size on electricity generation in a single-compartmented microbial fuel cell

A single-compartmented microbial fuel cell composed of a graphite felt anode modified with Neutral Red (NR-anode) and a porous Fe(II)-carbon cathode (FeC-cathode) were compared for electricity generation from Microbacterium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. under identical conditions. Pseudomonas sp. was more than four times the size of Microbacterium sp. based on SEM images. In cyclic voltammetry, the redox reaction between Microbacterium sp and electrode was three times the rate observed between Pseudomonas sp. and the electrode based on the Y-axis (current) variation of cyclic voltammogram. The electric power generated by Microbacterium sp. was approx 3–4 times higher than that with Pseudomonas sp. during incubation for more than 150 days in the fuel cell.     

Complexation of U(VI) with highly phosphorylated protein, phosvitin: A vibrational spectroscopic approach

The complexation of uranium(VI) to variant functional groups of the highly phosphorylated protein phosvitin in aqueous solution was investigated by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy. For the verification of the affinity of the actinyl ions to carboxyl and phosphate groups of the amino acid side chains, samples with different phosphate to uranium(VI) (P/U) ratios were investigated under denaturing conditions as well as in aqueous medium. From a comparative study with other heavy metal ions, i.e. Ba²⁺ and Pb²⁺, a strong coordination of U(VI) to carboxyl and phosphoryl groups can be derived. Furthermore, with increasing P/U ratios, a preferential binding of U(VI) to phosphoryl groups is indicated by the spectra of the batch samples. These findings are confirmed by spectra of aqueous U(VI)-phosvitin complexes reflecting an explicit coordination of the uranyl ions to phosphate groups at a high P/U ratio. Our study provides a deeper insight into the molecular interactions between actinyl ions and protein, and can be conferred to other basic biomolecules such as polysaccharides and nucleic acids.     

Hemolysis of human erythrocytes induced by melamine-cyanurate complex

Melamine is a widely-used chemical in industries. In recent years, melamine has been found to be involved in outbreaks of renal injury in infants and animals. Pathological studies indicated that the melamine-induced acute renal failure was related to the concurrence of melamine and other triazine analogs such as cyanuric acid. In the present study, human erythrocytes were used as an in vitro model to explore the cytotoxicity of melamine and its complex with cyanuric acid. The results demonstrated that mixing melamine and cyanuric acid resulted in the formation of insoluble particles and that the insoluble melamine-cyanurate complex induced membrane damages of human erythrocytes. The membrane damages included hemolysis, K⁺ leakage, alterations in cell shape and membrane fragility, and inhibition of enzymatic activity. By contrast, either melamine or cyanuric acid alone had no effect on erythrocyte membranes. The results of this study may provide a fresh insight into the melamine toxicology.     

ABH blood group antigens in N-glycan of human glycophorin A

We previously showed that a small proportion of the O-linked oligosaccharide chains of human glycophorin A (GPA) contains blood group A, B or H antigens, relevant to the ABO phenotype of the donor. The structures of these minor O-glycans have been established (Podbielska et al. (2004) [20]). By the use of immunochemical methods we obtained results indicating that ABH blood group epitopes are also present in N-glycan of human GPA (Podbielska and Krotkiewski (2000) [22]). In the present paper we report a detailed analysis of GPA N-glycans using nanoflow electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. N-glycans containing A-, B- and H-related sequences were identified in GPA preparations obtained from erythrocytes of blood group A, B and O donors, respectively. The ABH blood group epitopes are present on one antenna of the N-glycan, whereas a known sialylated sequence NeuAcα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAc- occurs on the other antenna and other details are in agreement with the known major structure of the GPA N-glycan. In the bulk of the biantennary sialylated N-glycans released from GPA preparations, the blood group ABH epitopes-containing N-glycans, similarly O-glycans, constituted only a minor part. The amount relative to other N-glycans was estimated to 2-6% of blood group H epitope-containing glycans released from GPA-O preparations and 1-2% of blood group A and B epitope-containing glycans, released from GPA-A and GPA-B, respectively.     

Dynamic Model for Multivariate Markers of Fecundability

Summary : Dynamic latent class models provide a flexible framework for studying biologic processes that evolve over time. Motivated by studies of markers of the fertile days of the menstrual cycle, we propose a discrete‐time dynamic latent class framework, allowing change points to depend on time, fixed predictors, and random effects. Observed data consist of multivariate categorical indicators, which change dynamically in a flexible manner according to latent class status. Given the flexibility of the framework, which incorporates semi‐parametric components using mixtures of betas, identifiability constraints are needed to define the latent classes. Such constraints are most appropriately based on the known biology of the process. The Bayesian method is developed particularly for analyzing mucus symptom data from a study of women using natural family planning.     

动脉瘤性蛛网膜下腔出血后致脑血管痉挛的发病机制分析

脑血管痉挛(cerebral vasospasm,CVS)是指脑动脉在一段时间内的异常收缩状态,目前已知CVS可继发于多种疾病当中,如蛛网膜下腔出血、高血压脑出血、急性颅脑损伤、脑手术后、脑部炎症等.脑血管痉挛是动脉瘤性蛛网膜下腔出血(aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage,SAH)最常见的并发症.严重的脑血管痉挛可造成脑缺血和脑损害,是增加病人死亡和致残最重要的原因.近年来已受到国内外临床医生的更多重视,并且随着分子生物技术的发展,对SAH所致CVS的发病机制有了更多的认识和更新的进展.     

4490例创伤伤员致伤原因分析

目的:探讨创伤伤员的致伤原因,为院前急救和预检分诊提供依据,为提出预防创伤发生的策略和措施奠定基础。方法:对4490例创伤伤员的资料进行统计分析,分析不同性别、年龄和地区创伤伤员的致伤原因的异同。结果:4490例创伤伤员中中,男女比例为2.81:1。年龄特点:12～60岁组发生创伤达75.16%。6岁以下以烧伤为主要原因,占41.08%;大于60岁以上以跌落/摔伤为主要原因,占63.79%;骨折多发生于12～60岁。致伤原因:跌落/摔伤(占28.69%)、道路交通伤(占28.53%)、锐器/切割伤(占13.23%)。结论:创伤伤员的致伤原因在不同性别、年龄和地区间有着明显特点,可根据具体情况采取相应的防范措施,以减少其发生,同时为创伤伤员的院前急救和预检分诊提供依据。     

可逆性后部脑病综合征:临床和影像学分析

目的:探讨可逆性后部脑病综合征(PRES)的发生机制.方法:回顾性分析45例PRES患者的临床和影像学资料.结果:临床表现为头痛、精神状态改变、癫痫发作和视力改变.病因为高血压、子痫/先兆子痫等.PRES高血压发生率为88.9%,其中超过脑血管自动调节上限的为20.0%.MRI表现为:顶枕叶为主的经典型28例,全脑型9例,不对称型5例,脑干型3例.结论:PRES病理基础为血管源性水肿,影像学表现以经典型为主.