Bovine fetal microchimerism in normal and embryo transfer pregnancies and its implications for biotechnology applications in cattle

Fetal cells and DNA have been detected in the maternal circulation during and after pregnancy in a few mammalian species. The incidence of similar microchimerism in cattle could have repercussion for the application of modern biotechnologies such as the transfer of transgenic embryos. To determine if feto-maternal leakage can occur in pregnant cows, we have analyzed maternal blood samples for the presence of fetal DNA during gestation and post-partum periods. Y chromosome-specific DNA was detected in up to 73% of blood samples from naturally mated heifers carrying conventional bull calves and a transgene-specific sequence in up to 50% of recipient cows carrying transgenic fetuses. These findings document for the first time that transplacental leakage of fetal DNA into the maternal circulation can occur in cattle despite the epitheliochorial placenta of ruminants, with potential implications for the utilization of recipient cows in the food chain.     

食管癌患者术前营养风险评估及与术后吻合口瘘和住院时间的关系研究

摘要 目的：评估食管癌患者术前营养风险及其影响因素,并分析其与术后吻合口瘘和住院时间的关系。方法：回顾性分析2017年1月至2020年12月在合肥市第二人民医院胸外科行手术治疗的105例食管癌患者的临床资料,患者术前均完善营养风险筛查表-2002（NRS-2002）对其营养风险的评估,根据评估结果分为营养风险组（≥3分,43例）和无营养风险组（＜3分,62例）,采用单因素及多因素Logistic回归分析食管癌患者术前营养风险的影响因素,比较不同术前营养风险状态患者术后吻合口瘘发生率以及住院时间的差异。结果：食管癌患者的术前营养风险较高,营养风险发生率为40.95%（43/105）。单因素分析结果显示,营养风险组年龄≥65岁、入院体质量指数＜18.5 kg/m²、术前接受过新辅助放化疗、过去1周膳食摄入不足、术前白蛋白＜35 g/L的患者比例高于无营养风险组（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,术前接受过新辅助放化疗、过去1周膳食摄入不足、术前白蛋白＜35 g/L是食管癌患者术前存在营养风险的危险因素（P＜0.05）。营养风险组术后胸腔吻合口瘘、颈部吻合口瘘发生率高于无营养风险组（P＜0.05）,住院时间长于无营养风险组（P＜0.05）。结论：术前新辅助放化疗、过去1周膳食摄入情况、术前白蛋白水平是食管癌患者术前营养风险的影响因素,术前营养风险会增加患者术后吻合口瘘发生风险,延长患者住院时间。     

神经内镜与显微镜下经鼻蝶入路手术切除垂体腺瘤的临床疗效比较及术中出现脑脊液漏的危险因素分析

摘要 目的：对比垂体腺瘤患者采用显微镜或神经内镜下经鼻蝶入路手术切除后的临床疗效,分析术中出现脑脊液漏的危险因素。方法：回顾性分析2018年3月~2022年2月期间来我院接受手术治疗的178例垂体腺瘤患者的临床资料。根据采用手术器械的不同将178例患者分为A组（显微镜,n=91）和B组（神经内镜,n=87）。比较两组的肿瘤有效切除率、临床指标、术中脑脊液漏发生率及术后并发症发生率。根据术中是否发生脑脊液漏分为脑脊液漏组和无脑脊液漏组。经单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析患者术中发生脑脊液漏的危险因素。结果：B组的手术时间、住院时间短于A组,术中出血量少于A组（P<0.05）。A组、B组的肿瘤有效切除率组间对比,无统计学差异（P>0.05）。B组术中脑脊液漏发生率、术后并发症发生率低于A组（P<0.05）。垂体腺瘤患者术中发生脑脊液漏与再次手术、肿瘤大小、年龄、肿瘤质地、美国麻醉医师协会（ASA）分级有关（P<0.05）。肿瘤大小为巨大腺瘤、再次手术、肿瘤质地为韧是垂体腺瘤患者术中发生脑脊液漏的危险因素（P<0.05）。结论：显微镜与神经内镜下经鼻蝶入路手术切除垂体腺瘤,治疗效果相当,但神经内镜下手术可缩短手术时间、住院时间,减少术中出血量,降低术中脑脊液漏发生率、术后并发症发生率。此外,肿瘤大小为巨大腺瘤、再次手术、肿瘤质地为韧是垂体腺瘤患者术中发生脑脊液漏的危险因素。     

Optimal covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase-containing liposomes for highly stable biocatalyst in bioreactor

The glucose oxidase-containing liposomes (GOL) were prepared by entrapping glucose oxidase (GO) in the liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC), dimyristoyl L-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), and cholesterol (Chol) and then covalently immobilized in the glutaraldehyde-activated chitosan gel beads. The immobilized GOL gel beads (IGOL) were characterized to obtain a highly stable biocatalyst applicable to bioreactor. At first, the glutaraldehyde concentration used in the gel beads activation as well as the immobilizing temperature and time were optimized to enhance the immobilization yield of the GOL to the highest extent. The liposome membrane composition and liposome size were then optimized to obtain the greatest possible immobilization yield of the GOL, the highest possible activity efficiency of the IGOL, and the lowest possible leakage of the entrapped GO during the GOL immobilization. As a result, the optimal immobilization conditions were found to be as follows: the liposome composition, PC/DMPE/Chol = 65/5/30 (molar percentage); the liposome size, 100 nm; the glutaraldehyde concentration, 2% (w/v); the immobilizing temperature, 4 degrees C; and the immobilizing time, 10 h. Furthermore, the optimal IGOL prepared were characterized by its rapidly increasing effective GO activity to the externally added substrate (glucose) with increasing temperature from 20 to 40 degrees C, and also by its high stability at 40 degrees C against not only the thermal denaturation in a long-term (7 days) incubation but also the bubbling stress in a bubble column. Finally, compared to the conventionally immobilized glucose oxidase (IGO), the higher operational stability of the optimal IGOL was verified by using it either repeatedly (4 times) or for a long time (7 days) to catalyze the glucose oxidation in a small-scale airlift bioreactor.     

Effects of matriconditioning on onion seed germination, seedling emergence and associated physical and metabolic events

The effect of matriconditioning, the physiological presowing seed technique, using Micro-Cel E on Allium cepa L. cv. Czerniakowska seed quality was studied. Several ratios of seeds, carrier, water and time of priming were tested. The most effective treatment for improving onion seed germination at most tested temperatures was priming to a ratio of 2 g seed:1 g Micro-Cel:3 g water for 5 days in light at 15 °C. Matriconditioning greatly improved the germination and emergence percentage, seedling fresh and dry weight and reduced electrolyte leakage compared to that of untreated seeds; this beneficial effect was especially evident at suboptimal temperatures. Matriconditioning improved the germinability of aged seeds, the effect being more pronounced in the more aged seeds. No significant differences in ethylene production by primed and non-primed seeds were observed in the absence of its precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), but its presence during imbibition caused an increase in ethylene production; an enhanced activity of in vivo ACC oxidase in Allium cepa matriconditioned seeds in comparison to untreated seeds, indicates that the endogenous level of ACC is a limiting factor of ethylene production. Likewise, the activity of ACC oxidase isolated from matriconditioned seeds was higher than that from untreated seeds. Higher endo--mannanase and total dehydrogenase activities were observed in primed air-dried seeds in comparing to non-primed seeds.     

NaCl、Na_2SO_4和Na_2CO_3胁迫对小麦叶片自由基含量及质膜透性的比较研究

分别用浓度为２５ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ、５０ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ、１００ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ和２００ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ的ＮａＣｌ、Ｎａ２ＳＯ４和Ｎａ２ＣＯ３的营养液培养小麦４ｄ,较之不含盐的营养液,其自由基含量上升,产生速率增加,叶片质膜透性增加。不同盐的影响也不同,在低浓度时,ＮａＣｌ的影响大于Ｎａ２ＳＯ４,高浓度时,ＮａＣｌ影响小于Ｎａ２ＳＯ４,Ｎａ２ＣＯ３的影响最为显著。实验结果也表现出小麦叶片自由基含量和质膜透性呈现较好的相关性。因此可认为,盐胁迫促使自由基含量增加,自由基通过过氧化作用影响质膜透性,从而影响植物的生长。     

Response of barley grains to the interactive e.ect of salinity and salicylic acid

Effect of grain soaking presowing in 1 mM salicylic acid (SA) and NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) on barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Gerbel) was studied. Increasing of NaCl level reduced the germination percentage, the growth parameters (fresh and dry weight), potassium, calcium, phosphorus and insoluble sugars content in both shoots and roots of 15-day old seedlings. Leaf relative water content (RWC) and the photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b and carotenoids) contents also decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. On the other hand, Na, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, free amino acids including proline content and lipid peroxidation level and peroxidase activity were increased in the two plant organs with increasing of NaCl level. Electrolyte leakage from plant leaves was found to increase with salinity level. SA-pretreatment increased the RWC, fresh and dry weights, water, photosynthetic pigments, insolube saccharides, phosphorus content and peroxidase activity in the stressed seedlings. On the contrary, Na⁺, soluble proteins content, lipid peroxidation level, electrolyte leakage were markedly reduced under salt stress with SA than without. Under stress conditions, SA-pretreated plants exhibited less Ca²⁺ and more accumulation of K⁺, and soluble sugars in roots at the expense of these contents in the plant shoots. Exogenous application (Grain soaking presowing) of SA appeared to induce preadaptive response to salt stress leading to promoting protective reactions to the photosynthetic pigments and maintain the membranes integrity in barley plants, which reflected in improving the plant growth.     

盐胁迫对盐芥（Thellungiella halophila）生长和抗氧化酶活性的影响

在盐芥抽苔期用不同浓度NaCl进行处理,测定单株生长量、苔茎叶和根系的质膜透性、MDA含量、苔茎叶的超氧阴离子（O^-₂）含量,苔茎叶的超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）等的活性。结果表明：低浓度NaCl处理盐芥单株干重增加,高浓度NaCl处理则降低盐芥单株的干重,鲜重有抑制作用;盐处理后盐芥地上部质膜透性逐渐增加,地下部质膜透性、叶片中的丙二醛（MDA）和超氧阴离子（O^-₂）含量先降低后升高。抗氧化酶系统中的超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）活性先升高后降低,过氧化物酶（POD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）的活性呈上升趋势。表明低浓度的盐处理对盐芥生长有利,活性氧及丙二醛（MDA）含量减少,而高浓度的盐处理后,抗氧化酶不能及时将活性氧类清除,从而导致活性氧及MDA积累,引起质膜伤害,盐芥生长量降低。     

Interaction of Influenza Virus Fusion Peptide with Lipid Membranes: Effect of Lysolipid

The effect of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) on lipid vesicle fusion and leakage induced by influenza virus fusion peptides and the peptide interaction with lipid membranes were studied by using fluorescence spectroscopy and monolayer surface tension measurements. It was confirmed that the wild-type fusion peptide-induced vesicle fusion rate increased several-fold between pH 7 and 5, unlike a mutated peptide, in which valine residues were substituted for glutamic acid residues at positions 11 and 15. This mutated peptide exhibited a much greater ability to induce lipid vesicle fusion and leakage but in a less pH-dependent manner compared to the wild-type fusion peptide. The peptide-induced vesicle fusion and leakage were well correlated with the degree of interaction of these peptides with lipid membranes, as deduced from the rotational correlation time obtained for the peptide tryptophan fluorescence. Both vesicle fusion and leakage induced by the peptides were suppressed by LPC incorporated into lipid vesicle membranes in a concentration-dependent manner. The rotational correlation time associated with the peptide’s tryptophan residue, which interacts with lipid membranes containing up to 25 mole % LPC, was virtually the same compared to lipid membranes without LPC, indicating that LPC-incorporated membrane did not affect the peptide interaction with the membrane. The adsorption of peptide onto a lipid monolayer also showed that the presence of LPC did not affect peptide adsorption.     

Limitations on microalgal growth at very low photon fluence rates: the role of energy slippage

The lower limits of photosynthetically useable radiation at which growth and photosynthesis can occur establish the lower boundaries for the extent of photolithotrophy in the biosphere. Photolithotrophic growth denotes the capacity to grow with photons as the sole energy input. Slippage in terms of photosynthetic energy conversion implies a less than theoretical stoichiometry of energy-transduction process(es) such as the dissipation of intermediates of O₂ evolution and of ATP synthesis (H⁺/e⁻ and H⁺/ATP ratios). Slippage is particularly important in limiting the growth of photolithotrophic organisms at very low photon fluence rates. We found that Dunaliella tertiolecta and Phaeodactylum tricornutum avoid such reductions in photon use efficiency by increasing the size and number of their photosynthetic units, respectively, and by altering Q_A reduction kinetics on the reducing side of PS II. P. tricornutum is also less susceptible to slippage in terms of the breakdown of intermediates in its O₂ evolution pathway than D. tertiolecta. Minimizing H⁺ leakage through the CF₀–CF₁ ATP synthetase (and other H⁺ porters) is also discussed briefly. In combination, strategies employed by P.␣tricornutum effectively allow it to grow and photosynthesize at lower rates of energy input than D. tertiolecta, consistent with our observations. Differences in the responses of the photosynthetic apparatus of these two marine microalgae are mechanistic and probably representative of evolutionary divergences associated with strategies for dealing with environmental perturbations.