Heart rate variability during long truck driving work

We recorded ambulatory electrocardiograms of 6 long distance truck drivers during their work period in order to observe the affect of autonomic nervous function and symptoms while doing their work. We also recorded their work patterns every minute. The RR50 value and the LFP/HFP ratio were calculated every two minutes based on R-R interval data. RR50 was significantly higher during taking naps than during other periods of work shifts, while, the LFP/HFP ratio showed significantly lower during taking naps than during other periods of work shifts. RR50 in the morning was significantly higher than that in the afternoon. On the contrary, the LFP/HFP ratio showed opposite tendency. Only on the times of driving, RR50 was significantly higher in the morning than that in the afternoon. On the other hand, the LFP/HFP ratio showed an opposite tendency. These results show that the parasympathetic nervous activities were more dominant than sympathetic nervous activities in the morning during the subjects were doing long distance truck driving including midnight work. Driving while in high parasympathetic nervous activity levels may add to cardiovascular stress and lead to drowsiness. And this may result in disrupted attention. It is necessary to decrease work time and improve working conditions of truck drivers working long-hour shifts.     

Roles of an endogenous serum lectin in the immune protection of blue gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus (Pallus) against Aeromonas hydrophila

The serum of blue gourami, Trichogaster trichopterus (Pallus), contains a calcium-dependent, N-acetyl-galactosamine-binding lectin (BGL) which efficiently activates and enhances the non-specific immune response of fish towards a virulent strain of Aeromonas hydrophila. In the in vitro studies, a lectin concentration range of 0.05-1.0 ng ml(-1) was found to significantly promote phagocytic uptake of the bacteria by macrophages. This effect was further augmented when purified lectin was combined with laminarin (beta-1,3-D-glucan). Supernatants obtained from these lectin-stimulated macrophage cultures also exhibited significant bacteria-killing activities. In addition, complement from naive fish serum, in the presence of purified BGL, was able to kill A. hydrophila. Finally, challenge experiments demonstrated that BGL could confer effective immune protection to naive blue gourami against an Aeromonas infection.     

Isozyme evidence for three sibling species in the Anopheles sundaicus complex from Indonesia

Electrophoretic studies of isoenzymes in three chromosomally distinct forms (A, B and C) of the mosquito Anopheles sundaicus Theobald (Diptera: Culiciae) were undertaken on wild samples collected from six geographically isolated populations in Indonesia. Analyses of 12 enzyme systems comprising 15 loci revealed significant allelic variations, genetic polymorphism, within and among the populations of the An. sundaicus complex. Phylogenetic dendrograms produced by analysis using the Biosys-1 program based on UPGMA methods show that all the populations of form A fall into one cluster, which is closely related to the form C cluster, whereas the populations of form B belong to a more distinct cluster. Allelic frequency and Wright's F statistics of Mpi (mannose phosphate isomerase) are sufficient to identify individuals of each cytological form. This isozyme data correlates with our previous cytological evidence for the existence of three isomorphic species within the taxon An. sundaicus in Indonesia. These three species of the An. sundaicus complex were found together sympatrically at one locality, Asahan in North Sumatra.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rubellimicrobium roseum</Emphasis> sp. nov., a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from the forest soil sample

A novel pink-coloured, non-spore-forming, non-motile, Gram-negative bacterium, designated YIM 48858^T, is described by using a polyphasic approach. The strain can grow at pH 6.5–9 (optimum at pH 7) and 25–30°C (optimum at 28°C). NaCl is not required for its growth. Positive for oxidase and catalase. Urease activity, nitrate reduction, starch and Tween 80 tests are negative reaction. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies showed that strain YIM 48858^T is a member of the genus Rubellimicrobium, with similarities of 96.3, 95.7 and 95.5% to Rubellimicrobium mesophilum MSL-20^T, Rubellimicrobium aerolatum 5715S-9^T and Rubellimicrobium thermophilum DSM 16684^T, respectively. Q-10 was the predominant respiratory ubiquinone as in the other members of the genus Rubellimicrobium. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphoglycolipid, glycolipid and the major fatty acids were C18:1 ω7c, C16:0 and C10:0 3-OH, which are very different from the valid published species. The DNA G + C content was 67.7 mol%. Both phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic evidence supports that YIM 48858^T is a novel species of the genus Rubellimicrobium, for which the name Rubellimicrobium roseum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 48858^T (=CCTCC AA 208029^T =KCTC 23202^T).     

Temporal aspects of DNA and RNA synthesis during human immunodeficiency virus infection: evidence for differential gene expression.

The kinetics of retroviral DNA and RNA synthesis are parameters vital to understanding viral growth, especially for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which encodes several of its own regulatory genes. We have established a single-cycle growth condition for HIV in H9 cells, a human CD4+ lymphocyte line. The full-length viral linear DNA is first detectable by 4 h postinfection. During a one-step growth of HIV, amounts of viral DNA gradually increase until 8 to 12 h postinfection and then decrease. The copy number of unintegrated viral DNA is not extraordinarily high even at its peak. Most strikingly, there is a temporal program of RNA accumulation: the earliest RNA is greatly enriched in the 2-kilobase subgenomic mRNA species, while the level of 9.2-kilobase RNA which is both genomic RNA and mRNA remains low until after 24 h of infection. Virus production begins at about 24 h postinfection. Thus, viral DNA synthesis is as rapid as for other retroviruses, but viral RNA synthesis involves temporal alteration in the species that accumulate, presumably as a consequence of viral regulatory genes.     

阿尔采末病与免疫炎症反应的相关性

阿尔采末病（Ａｌｚｈｅｉｍｅｒ’ｓｄｉｓｅａｓｅ,ＡＤ）可能是中枢神经系统内免疫活性细胞过程激活而导致的免疫炎症反应,其病灶周围存在大量激活的小胶质细胞和星形细胞,可产生大量补体,炎性细胞因子,急性期反应物等导致神经细胞损伤,破坏和死亡。同时体内寂体调节剂和抑制性细胞因子的水平明显长高,虽然不足以保护神经元免遭破坏,但却提示抑制或阻断中枢神经系统的免疫炎症反应的药物可能在ＡＤ的防治中具有重要作用。     

Selenite negatively regulates caspase-3 through a redox mechanism

Selenium, an essential biological trace element, exerts its modulatory effects in a variety of cellular events including cell survival and death. In our study we observed that selenite protects HEK293 cells from cell death induced by ultraviolet B radiation (UVB). Exposure of HEK293 cells to UVB radiation resulted in the activation of caspase-3-like protease activity, and pretreatment of the cells with z-DEVD-fmk (N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone), a caspase-3 inhibitor, prevented UVB-induced cell death. Interestingly, enzymatic activity of caspase-3-like protease in cell lysates of UVB-exposed cells was repressed in vitro by the presence of selenite. Selenite also inhibited the in vitro activity of purified recombinant caspase-3 in cleaving Ac-DEVD-pNA (N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Asp-p-nitroanilide) or ICAD(L) (inhibitor of a caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease) and in the induction of DNA fragmentation. The inhibitory action of selenite on a recombinant active caspase-3 could be reversed by sulfhydryl reducing agents, such as dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol. Furthermore, pretreatment of cells with selenite suppressed the stimulation of the caspase-3-like protease activity in UVB-exposed cells, whereas dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol reversed this suppression of the enzymatic activity. Taken together, our data suggest that selenite inhibits caspase-3-like protease activity through a redox mechanism and that inhibition of caspase-3-like protease activity may be the mechanism by which selenite exerts its protective effect against UVB-induced cell death.     

The ontogeny of appendages and carapace of Neonesidea schulzi (Ostracoda: Bairdiidae) from the Red Sea coast,Egypt

The ostracod genus Neonesidea is broadly distributed in shallow marine waters. The ontogeny of the N. schulzi (Bairdiidae) is described in detail by studying the development of the appendages and variations in carapace form, size and structure. Neonesidea schulzi has eight post-embryonic instars, and a gap in its ontogenetic development during instar A-6, where no new Anlage is added. The Anlagen of the copulatory organs and the forked terminal claw of second antenna appear in the seventh (A-1) instar, and the first thoracic legs of podocopid ostracods are shown to descend from the thoracic region. For the first time in ostracods, observations of moulting from sixth and seventh instars are presented.