Modeling the kinetics of vinyl chloride cometabolism by an ethane-grown Pseudomonas sp

Pseudomonas sp strain EA1 was isolated under aerobic conditions using ethane as the sole organic carbon and electron donor source, with an observed yield of 0.99 mg total suspended solids/mg ethane (0.85 mg volatile suspended solids / mg ethane) and a maximum specific growth rate of 0.015 d(-1). When grown on ethane, EA1 cometabolizes vinyl chloride (VC) at a maximum rate of 0.350 micromol/mg volatile suspended solids/d and with a half saturation constant of 0.62 microM VC. The rate of VC use by EA1 is twice as high when ethane is also provided, even though consumption of ethane is almost completely inhibited until VC is consumed. The presence of ethane also reduces the total amount of VC cometabolized. A model was developed that adequately describes the batch kinetics of VC cometabolism in the presence and absence of ethane, as well as ethane metabolism in the presence and absence of VC. Terms are included that increase the initial rate of VC use in the presence of ethane (according to the ratio of initial ethane concentration to the half saturation coefficient) but decrease the total amount of VC cometabolized. Parameter estimates for the model were obtained using a step-wise experimental approach, with varying initial concentrations of VC and ethane. Strain EA1 completely dechlorinates VC in the presence and absence of ethane. Measurements of soluble chemical oxygen demand indicate that approximately 50% of the VC consumed is mineralized, with the balance released as soluble, nonchlorinated products. Ethene is not used as a substrate by EA1 but it does inhibit ethane metabolism and VC cometabolism. In mixtures containing all three compounds, more VC is degraded and at a faster rate compared to VC plus ethene. The results suggest that ethane-enhanced biodegradation of VC may contribute to VC removal at the aerobic fringe of groundwater plumes undergoing reductive dechlorination.     

山西霍山灌丛空隙草本植物物种多样性与更新

采用物种重要值和物种多样性指数,分析了山西霍山灌丛空隙内主要草本组成及其多样性随灌丛空隙面积梯度的变化规律。结果表明:在自然状况下形成的10 m2的灌丛空隙最多,占51.2%。灌丛空隙内草本植物的重要值高于灌丛下草本,且以10~20 m2的空隙为最高。主要草本可分为3类:(1)对灌丛空隙更新反应不明显的草本,(2)对灌丛空隙有正更新反应的草本,(3)对灌丛空隙有负更新反应的草本。灌丛空隙内的物种丰富度、多样性指数和均匀度指数均高于灌丛下,而生态优势度均小于灌丛下,呈现"单峰型"的变化趋势,且在10~20 m2达到峰值。因此,适宜大小的灌丛空隙是森林生态系统草本层植物多样性维持的重要途径。     

Are the Recent Secular Increases in Waist Circumference among Children and Adolescents Independent of Changes in BMI?

Background

Several studies have shown that the waist circumference of children and adolescents has increased over the last 25 years. However, given the strong correlation between waist circumference and BMI, it is uncertain if the secular trends in waist circumference are independent of those in BMI.

Methods

We analyzed data from 6- to 19-year-olds who participated in the 1988–1994 through 2011–2012 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to assess whether the trends in waist circumference were independent of changes in BMI, race-ethnicity and age.

Results

Mean, unadjusted levels of waist circumference increased by 3.7 cm (boys) and 6.0 cm (girls) from 1988–94 through 2011–12, while mean BMI levels increased by 1.1 kg/m² (boys) and 1.6 kg/m² (girls). Overall, the proportional changes in mean levels of both waist circumference and BMI were fairly similar among boys (5.3%, waist vs. 5.6%, BMI) and girls (8.7%, waist vs. 7.7%, BMI). As assessed by the area under the curve, adjustment for BMI reduced the secular increases in waist circumference by about 75% (boys) and 50% (girls) beyond that attributable to age and race-ethnicity. There was also a race-ethnicity interaction (p < 0.001). Adjustment for BMI reduced the secular trend in waist circumference among non-Hispanic (NH) black children (boys and girls) to a greater extent (about 90%) than among other children.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that among children in the U.S., about 75% (boys) and 50% (girls) of the secular increases in waist circumference since 1988–94 can be accounted for by changes in BMI. The reasons for the larger independent effects among girls and among NH blacks are uncertain.     

Moving Toward Patient-Centered Care in Africa: A Discrete Choice Experiment of Preferences for Delivery Care among 3,003 Tanzanian Women

Objective

In order to develop patient-centered care we need to know what patients want and how changing socio-demographic factors shape their preferences.

Methods

We fielded a structured questionnaire that included a discrete choice experiment to investigate women’s preferences for place of delivery care in four rural districts of Pwani Region, Tanzania. The discrete choice experiment consisted of six attributes: kind treatment by the health worker, health worker medical knowledge, modern equipment and medicines, facility privacy, facility cleanliness, and cost of visit. Each woman received eight choice questions. The influence of potential supply- and demand- side factors on patient preferences was evaluated using mixed logit models.

Results

3,003 women participated in the discrete choice experiment (93% response rate) completing 23,947 choice tasks. The greatest predictor of health facility preference was kind treatment by doctor (β = 1.13, p<0.001), followed by having a doctor with excellent medical knowledge (β = 0.89 p<0.001) and modern medical equipment and drugs (β = 0.66 p<0.001). Preferences for all attributes except kindness and cost were changed with changes to education, primiparity, media exposure and distance to nearest hospital.

Conclusions

Care quality, both technical and interpersonal, was more important than clinic inputs such as equipment and cleanliness. These results suggest that while basic clinic infrastructure is necessary, it is not sufficient for provision of high quality, patient-centered care. There is an urgent need to build an adequate, competent, and kind health workforce to raise facility delivery and promote patient-centered care.     

Discovery and synthesis of 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-pyrimido-[4,5-d]azepines as novel TRPV1 antagonists

Utilization of a tetrahydro-pyrimdoazepine core as a bioisosteric replacement for a piperazine-urea resulted in the discovery a novel series of potent antagonists of TRPV1. The tetrahydro-pyrimdoazepines have been identified as having good in vitro and in vivo potency and acceptable physical properties.     

Allelic Selection of Amplicons in Glioblastoma Revealed by Combining Somatic and Germline Analysis

Cancer is a disease driven by a combination of inherited risk alleles coupled with the acquisition of somatic mutations, including amplification and deletion of genomic DNA. Potential relationships between the inherited and somatic aspects of the disease have only rarely been examined on a genome-wide level. Applying a novel integrative analysis of SNP and copy number measurements, we queried the tumor and normal-tissue genomes of 178 glioblastoma patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas project for preferentially amplified alleles, under the hypothesis that oncogenic germline variants will be selectively amplified in the tumor environment. Selected alleles are revealed by allelic imbalance in amplification across samples. This general approach is based on genetic principles and provides a method for identifying important tumor-related alleles. We find that SNP alleles that are most significantly overrepresented in amplicons tend to occur in genes involved with regulation of kinase and transferase activity, and many of these genes are known contributors to gliomagenesis. The analysis also implicates variants in synapse genes. By incorporating gene expression data, we demonstrate synergy between preferential allelic amplification and expression in DOCK4 and EGFR. Our results support the notion that combining germline and tumor genetic data can identify regions relevant to cancer biology.     

重楼皂甙Ⅱ对狼疮性肾炎患者外周血CD4~＋CD25~＋T调节细胞表达的细胞因子的影响

目的：研究重楼皂甙Ⅱ对狼疮性肾炎患者外周血CD4＋CD25＋Treg分泌的细胞因子IL-10和TGF-β的影响。方法：10例健康人为正常对照组,20例LN病人随机分为四组：LN对照组（n=5）、重楼干预组1（n=5,接种细胞数为1×105/1.5ml/孔）、重楼干预组2（n=5,接种细胞数为2×105/1.5ml/孔）、重楼干预组3（n=5,接种细胞数为5×105/1.5ml/孔）。分离外周血单个核细胞,利用免疫磁珠法分离CD4＋CD25＋Treg。重楼干预组予重楼皂甙Ⅱ干预,正常对照组和LN对照组不予处理,各组培养72h。取各组上清,用ELISA分别检测IL-10和TGF-β的水平。结果：与正常组比较,其余各组TGF-β和IL-10的水平明显降低（P〈0.01）。与LN对照组比较,重楼皂甙Ⅱ干预后各组TGF-β和IL-10的水平升高（P〈0.05）。重楼干预组之间比较,重楼干预组2的TGF-β和IL-10水平较其他两组明显升高（P〈0.01）,而重楼干预组1和3的TGF-β和IL-10水平变化无显著性差异（P〉0.05）。结论：重楼皂甙Ⅱ可上调LN患者TGF-β和IL-10的水平,上调的幅度受接种细胞数量的影响。     

HRB2基因对细胞增值影响的研究

目的:研究HRB2基因对细胞增值的影响.方法:设计4对HRB2 RNA寡核苷酸片段,经退火制备的双链DNA oligo,连接经双酶切的线性化PLKO.1-TRC-SP6载体上,转化后经PCR鉴定,阳性克隆测序,质粒抽提,应用Lipofectamine2000将质粒导入293T细胞,包装成慢病毒,再感染靶细胞293T,用嘌呤霉素筛选15天后,收集细胞抽提RNA,实时定量RT-PCR检测HRB2mRNA水平,评价干扰效果.Western免疫印迹进一步确认有效作用靶点.通过划痕愈合实验和绘制生长曲线研究HRB2基因对细胞增值的影响.结果:载体构建成功.包装成慢病毒感染293T细胞系,发现:2号和4号靶点敲减HRB2基因效率达84%和88%.差别有统计学意义.通过western进一步证实了2号和4号是抑制HRB2的有效作用靶点.划痕愈合实验和绘制生长曲线的结果显示2号和4号靶点细胞株细胞生长受到抑制,并且4号较2号稍明显.结论:成功构建并筛选了携带有人HRB2基因的shRNA慢病毒载体及有效靶点,研究发现HRB2基因对细胞增值产生了影响,这为进一步研究HRB2的生物学功能提供了实验平台.