Hepatitis C virus quantification in serum and saliva of HCV-infected patients

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be detected in blood and other bodily fluids, such as saliva, semen and gastric juices. The aim of this study was to compare the HCV viral loads in the serum and saliva of infected patients. Twenty-nine patients with detectable HCV RNA in their serum and saliva were included in this study. The HCV viral loads were determined through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions. The median viral RNA levels were 5.78 log10 copies in the serum and 3.32 log10 copies in the saliva. We observed that the salivary HCV viral load was significantly lower than the viral load in the serum. Further studies are required to understand the role of saliva in the diagnosis, management and potential transmission of HCV.     

A spatial analytical approach for selecting reintroduction sites for burbot in English rivers

1. Availability of suitable habitat is a prerequisite for species reintroduction success, and to ensure population persistence, investigations of a species’ habitat utilisation throughout its life history should be conducted as part of a feasibility study. 2. Habitat utilisation models for burbot, Lota lota, developed using data from field studies conducted in France and Germany and information from the literature were used to assess the feasibility of reintroducing burbot into rivers of its former native range in eastern England. 3. Per cent tree roots, aquatic vegetation and flow types were important predictors of adult burbot abundance. Furthermore, the habitat utilisation models were supplemented with information from the literature, which suggested that off‐channel habitat such as wetlands and backwaters is important for spawning and nursery stages. 4. An assessment of the habitat availability in the rivers of the burbot’s former native range using variables related to spawning and nursery and adult life stages showed that although adult habitat was widely distributed, the availability of spawning and nursery habitat was less abundant, potentially limiting successful reestablishment. 5. Potential suitable habitat was concentrated in the central and southern areas of the species’ former English distribution. Overall, rivers of the burbot’s former range potentially afford suitable habitat to sustain a reintroduced population. However, sites should be preferentially selected on the basis of having appropriate spawning and nursery areas.     

First human rabies case in French Guiana, 2008: epidemiological investigation and control

Background

Until 2008, human rabies had never been reported in French Guiana. On 28 May 2008, the French National Reference Center for Rabies (Institut Pasteur, Paris) confirmed the rabies diagnosis, based on hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction on skin biopsy and saliva specimens from a Guianan, who had never travelled overseas and died in Cayenne after presenting clinically typical meningoencephalitis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Molecular typing of the virus identified a Lyssavirus (Rabies virus species), closely related to those circulating in hematophagous bats (mainly Desmodus rotundus) in Latin America. A multidisciplinary Crisis Unit was activated. Its objectives were to implement an epidemiological investigation and a veterinary survey, to provide control measures and establish a communications program. The origin of the contamination was not formally established, but was probably linked to a bat bite based on the virus type isolated. After confirming exposure of 90 persons, they were vaccinated against rabies: 42 from the case''s entourage and 48 healthcare workers. To handle that emergence and the local population''s increased demand to be vaccinated, a specific communications program was established using several media: television, newspaper, radio.

Conclusion/Significance

This episode, occurring in the context of a Department far from continental France, strongly affected the local population, healthcare workers and authorities, and the management team faced intense pressure. This observation confirms that the risk of contracting rabies in French Guiana is real, with consequences for population educational program, control measures, medical diagnosis and post-exposure prophylaxis.     

基于稀疏表示算法的蛋白质质谱数据特征选择

高维、小样本数据的特征选择方法在蛋白质质谱数据处理分析领域有着广泛应用。本文针对蛋白质质谱特征选择问题,结合稀疏表示这一新理论框架,提出了一种基于稀疏表示的特征选择算法(sparse representation based feature selection,SRFS)。该方法将稀疏表示分类的结果作为评定某一个特征子空间特征相对重要性的度量,然后通过对大量随机采样子空间计算结果的统计,得到特征空间中每个特征的排序,并进一步分析提炼出与肿瘤疾病相关的若干谱峰。通过在卵巢癌公共数据集OC-WCX2a和浙江省肿瘤医院乳腺癌数据集BC-WCX2a上的实验结果表明,SRFS算法可以有效应用于本文所使用的SELDI-TOF蛋白质质谱数据的分析。     

Identification of xylanase-producing fungi EIM-30 and its optimization of submerged fermentation conditions

通过对木聚糖酶高产菌株EIM-30基于形态学和18S rDNA序列的系统发育进化分析,鉴定为里氏木霉Trichoderma reesei.在单因子实验确定EIM-30产木聚糖酶的最适碳源和氮源的基础上,通过Plackett-Burman实验对影响其产酶的相关因素进行评估并筛选出3个显著效应因子,然后应用最陡爬坡实验和响应面分析确定最适产酶培养基配方为:酵母浸膏1.50％,蛋白胨1.00％,NaCl 0.50％,PPG-2000 0.10％,MgSO4 1.20％,CaCl2 0.18％,(NH4)2 SO4 0.45％,甘油4.18％,乳糖3.05％,K2HPO41.59％.优化后Trichoderma reesei EIM-30的液体发酵产木聚糖酶的活力可达9.857×105 U/mL,较优化前提高1.98倍.     

灵芝EIM-40漆酶的分离纯化及酶学性质

采用冻干浓缩、（NH4）2S04盐析、HiTrapphenyl（FF）疏水层析和QSepharose FastFlow离子交换层析对灵芝EIM-40发酵液进行分离纯化,获得纯化漆酶,纯化倍数为14．6,回收率为5．3％。SDS-PAGE银染的结果为单一条带,相对分子质量约为6．53×104。以愈创木酚和2,2-联氮-二（3-乙基-苯并噻唑-6-磺酸）二铵盐（ABTS）为催化底物进行酶学性质研究,最适pH分别为4．8和4．5,最适温度分别为55和50℃,2种底物在pH4．0。5．0范围内,温度低于50℃时,酶的稳定性都很好。以愈创木酚为底物,Km=645．0umol／L;以ABTS为底物,Km=22．2txmol／L。Cu2＋对该酶起激活作用,Fe2＋、Ca2＋、Ba2＋则完全抑制酶的活性。     

河蚬汤中氨基酸组分的分析

利用全自动氨基酸分析仪测定了传统保肝食品--河蚬汤中的总氨基酸和游离氨基酸含量.结果表明,河蚬汤中含有17种常见(色氨酸在酸解时遭破坏)氨基酸,还有鸟氨酸和牛磺酸两种非蛋白质组成氨基酸,总含量为297.4 mg·g-1.其中鸟氨酸含量最高,占总氨基酸的12.4%,且87%的鸟氨酸以结合态形式存在.河蚬汤中游离氨基酸含量...     

靶向细胞外基质磷酸糖蛋白的microRNA的筛选及鉴定

目的:寻找靶向细胞外基质磷酸糖蛋白(MEPE)基因的微小RNA(miRNA),并检测其对人HeLa细胞内源性Mepe基因表达的影响。方法:通过NCBI检索人源Mepe的3’UTR,利用miRNA预测工具TargetScan预测可能靶向Mepe的所有miRNA,通过双萤光素酶报告基因系统检测miRNA与Mepe3’UTR的结合情况,从而初步筛选出可能靶向Mepe的miRNA;同时,用Western印迹检测miRNA经转染后对Mepe基因表达的影响。结果:利用TargetScan预测出36条可能靶向Mepe的miRNA,根据分值及匹配情况从中挑选出6条进行验证;与转染空载体pGL3-cm的相对荧光素值相比,转染miR-376a的相对荧光素值降低较为明显,而当Mepe3’UTR与miR-376a结合位点突变后,miR-376a不能抑制萤光素酶的活性;Western印迹结果显示miR-376a能明显抑制MEPE的表达。结论:miRNA-376a可能是靶向Mepe基因的miRNA,为进一步研究MEPE的功能奠定了基础。     

Regulation of T cell homeostasis by the transmembrane adaptor protein SIT

The transmembrane adaptor protein SIT is a negative regulator of TCR-mediated signaling. However, little is known about the functional role of SIT in mature T cells. In this study, we show that mice deficient for SIT display a decreased number of naive CD8(+) T cells and a progressive accumulation of memory-like (CD44(high)) CD8(+) T lymphocytes that resemble cells undergoing homeostatic proliferation. Indeed, when transferred into lymphopenic hosts, SIT(-/-) naive CD8(+) T cells undergo enhanced homeostatic proliferation and express a higher level of CD44 in comparison to wild-type T cells. By using class-I-restricted TCR transgenic models with different ligand affinity/avidity, we show that lymphopenia-induced homeostatic proliferation is more pronounced in cells carrying low-affinity TCRs. Strikingly, the loss of SIT induces homeostatic proliferation of HY TCR transgenic cells, which are normally unable to proliferate in lymphopenic mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate that SIT negatively regulates T cell homeostasis. Finally, we show that SIT-deficient T cells develop a mechanism analogous to sensory adaptation as they up-regulate CD5, down-regulate the coreceptor, and display impaired TCR-mediated ZAP-70 activation.