核桃壳提取液用于单针藻Monoraphidium sp.QLZ-3培养产油脂

[目的] 研究核桃壳提取液（walnut shell extracts,WSE）对单针藻Monoraphidium sp.QLZ-3生长和油脂积累的影响。[方法] 向BG-11培养基中添加不同量的WSE（培养基中保留有BG-11中全部营养成分）。[结果] 结果显示,当BG-11培养基中的WSE含量为40%时,单针藻的生物量产率及油脂产率达到（534.70±4.07）mg/（L·d）和（296.35±15.36）mg/（L·d）,相比对照组分别提高了的14.82%和33.50%,蛋白质和碳水化合物含量分别有不同程度的上调和下调。与对照组相比,微藻中谷胱甘肽（glutathione,GSH）和超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase,SOD）含量与活性均上调。此外,WSE作用下,微藻对多酚的移除达到84.37%,同时上调了核酮糖1,5-二磷酸羧化酶基因（ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase,rbcL）和乙酰辅酶A羧化酶（acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase,accD）基因的表达量。[结论] 研究表明,WSE联合BG-11可以提高微藻的生物量产率和油脂产率,降低微藻培养的原料成本,为核桃壳的资源化利用及微藻的工业化生产提供了一定的技术支撑。     

铜绿假单胞菌cntRLMN操纵子介导锌离子摄取的功能鉴定

【目的】本研究以铜绿假单胞菌PAO1 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1,菌种编号ATCC15692)为对象,研究cntRLMN在锌离子摄取中的功能。【方法】在ΔznuBC的基础上,以同源重组的方法构建了cntRLMN的各种突变菌株,通过质粒接合转移的方法构建其互补菌株及lacZ转录融合报告菌株,运用β-半乳糖苷酶酶活检测研究了Zur蛋白对cntRLMN的转录调控,凝胶阻滞实验(EMSA)检验Zur蛋白与cnt启动子及cnt启动子的突变片段的体外结合,并进一步通过生长曲线分析对cntRLMN中cntR、cntL、cntN等基因的锌离子摄取功能进行了分析和鉴定。最终,通过构建大蜡螟幼虫的侵染模型来研究cntRLMN对铜绿假单胞菌毒力发挥的影响。【结果】lacZ转录融合的酶活分析显示cntRLMN受Zur蛋白的负调控,其表达以Zur蛋白依赖的方式受锌离子饥饿的诱导;EMSA实验的结果显示cntRLMN的启动子可以与His-Zur结合形成DNA-蛋白质复合体,结合位点为GCGTTATAGTATATCAT;生长曲线和大蜡螟幼虫侵染实验的分析结果显示ZnuBC和CntRLMN的功能存在互补性,仅znuBC和cntRLMN双缺失突变时菌株在限锌培养条件下的生长和对大蜡螟幼虫的毒性才受到显著抑制,说明CntRLMN代表另一种独立的锌离子摄取系统。【结论】cntRLMN是受Zur直接负调控的另一种独立的铜绿假单胞菌锌离子摄取系统,对铜绿假单胞菌毒力的发挥起重要作用。     

A Retrospective Study of Preferable Alternative Route to Right Internal Jugular Vein for Placing Tunneled Dialysis Catheters: Right External Jugular Vein versus Left Internal Jugular Vein

Background

Right internal jugular vein (IJV) is a preferred access route for tunneled (cuffed) dialysis catheters (TDCs), and both right external jugular vein (EJV) and left IJV are alternative routes for patients in case the right IJV isn’t available for TDC placement. This retrospective study aimed to determine if a disparity exists between the two alternative routes in hemodialysis patients in terms of outcomes of TDCs.

Methods

49 hemodialysis patients who required TDCs through right EJV (n = 21) or left IJV (n = 28) as long-term vascular access were included in this study. The primary end point was cumulative catheter patency. Secondary end points include primary catheter patency, proportion of patients that never required urokinase and incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI).

Results

A total of 20,870 catheter-days were evaluated and the median was 384 (interquartile range, 262–605) catheter-days. Fewer catheters were removed in the right EJV group than in the left IJV group (P = 0.007). Mean cumulative catheter patency was higher in the right EJV group compared with the left IJV group (P = 0.031). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of CRBSI, primary catheter patency or proportion of patients that never required urokinase use. Total indwell time of antecedent catheters was identified as an independent risk factor for cumulative catheter patency by Cox regression hazards test with an HR of 2.212 (95% CI, 1.363–3.588; p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Right EJV might be superior to left IJV as an alternative insertion route for TDC placement in hemodialysis patients whose right IJVs are unavailable.     

Highly Active and Stable Graphene Tubes Decorated with FeCoNi Alloy Nanoparticles via a Template‐Free Graphitization for Bifunctional Oxygen Reduction and Evolution

Development of highly active and stable bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts from earth‐abundant elements remains a grand challenge for highly demanded reversible fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Carbon catalysts have many advantages over others due to their low cost, excellent electrical conductivity, high surface area, and easy functionalization. However, they typically cannot withstand the highly oxidative OER environment. Here, a new class of bifunctional electrocatalyst is reported, consisting of ultralarge sized nitrogen doped graphene tubes (N‐GTs) (>500 nm) decorated with FeCoNi alloy particles. These tubes are prepared from an inexpensive precursor, dicyandiamide, via a template‐free graphitization process. The ORR/OER activity and the stability of these graphene tube catalysts depend strongly on the transition metal precursors. The best performing FeCoNi‐derived N‐GT catalyst exhibits excellent ORR and OER activity along with adequate electrochemical durability over a wide potential window (0–1.9 V) in alkaline media. The measured OER current is solely due to desirable O₂ evolution, rather than carbon oxidation. Extensive electrochemical and physical characterization indicated that high graphitization degree, thicker tube walls, proper nitrogen doping, and presence of FeCoNi alloy particles are vital for high bifunctional activity and electrochemical durability of tubular carbon catalysts.     

Predictive Values of N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Cardiac Troponin I for Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

Background

Both high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T and B-type natriuretic peptide are useful in detecting myocardial fibrosis, as determined by late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, their values to predict myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) remain unclear. We investigated the role of N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) to identify LGE-CMR in patients with HOCM.

Methods

Peripheral concentrations of NT-proBNP and cTnI were determined in patients with HOCM (n = 163; age = 47.2 ± 10.8 years; 38.7% females). Contrast-enhanced CMR was performed to identify and quantify myocardial fibrosis.

Results

LGE was detected in 120 of 163 patients (73.6%). Patients with LGE had significantly higher levels of NT-proBNP and cTnI than those without LGE (1386.2 [904.6–2340.8] vs. 866.6 [707.2–1875.2] pmol/L, P = 0.003; 0.024 [0.010–0.049] vs. 0.010 [0.005–0.021] ng/ml, P <0.001, respectively). The extent of LGE was positively correlated with log cTnI (r = 0.371, P <0.001) and log NT-proBNP (r = 0.211, P = 0.007). On multivariable analysis, both log cTnI and maximum wall thickness (MWT) were independent predictors of the presence of LGE (OR = 3.193, P = 0.033; OR = 1.410, P < 0.001, respectively), whereas log NT-proBNP was not. According to the ROC curve analysis, combined measurements of MWT ≥21 mm and/or cTnI ≥0.025ng/ml indicated good diagnostic performance for the presence of LGE, with specificity of 95% or sensitivity of 88%.

Conclusions

Serum cTnI is an independent predictor useful for identifying myocardial fibrosis, while plasma NT-proBNP is only associated with myocardial fibrosis on univariate analysis. Combined measurements of serum cTnI with MWT further improve its value in detecting myocardial fibrosis in patients with HOCM.     

Symbiotic Bacteria in Gills and Guts of Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) Differ from the Free-Living Bacteria in Water

Aquatic animals have a close relationship with water, but differences in their symbiotic bacteria and the bacterial composition in water remains unclear. Wild or domestic Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) and the water in which they live were collected from four sampling sites in Jiangsu and Shanghai, China. Bacterial composition in water, gills or guts of E. sinensis, were compared by high-throughput sequencing using 16S rRNA genes. Analysis of >660,000 sequences indicated that bacterial diversity was higher in water than in gills or guts. Tenericutes and Proteobacteria were dominant phyla in guts, while Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were dominant in gills and water. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that microbiota from gills, guts or water clearly separated into three groups, suggesting that crabs harbor a more specific microbial community than the water in which they live. The dominant OTUs in crab gut were related to Mycoplasmataceae, which were low in abundance in gills, showing that, like mammals, crabs have body-site specific microbiota. OTUs related to Ilumatobacter and Albimonas, which are commonly present in sediment and seawater, were dominant in gills but almost absent from the sampled water. Considering E. sinensis are bottom-dwelling crustacean and they mate in saline water or seawater, behavior and life cycle of crabs may play an important role in shaping the symbiotic bacterial pattern. This study revealed the relationship between the symbiotic bacteria of Chinese mitten crab and their habitat, affording information on the assembly factors of commensal bacteria in aquatic animals.     

Lactic Acid Production from Pretreated Hydrolysates of Corn Stover by a Newly Developed Bacillus coagulans Strain

An inhibitor-tolerance strain, Bacillus coagulans GKN316, was developed through atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutation and evolution experiment in condensed dilute-acid hydrolysate (CDH) of corn stover. The fermentabilities of other hydrolysates with B. coagulans GKN316 and the parental strain B. coagulans NL01 were assessed. When using condensed acid-catalyzed steam-exploded hydrolysate (CASEH), condensed acid-catalyzed liquid hot water hydrolysate (CALH) and condensed acid-catalyzed sulfite hydrolysate (CASH) as substrates, the concentration of lactic acid reached 45.39, 16.83, and 18.71 g/L by B. coagulans GKN316, respectively. But for B. coagulans NL01, only CASEH could be directly fermented to produce 15.47 g/L lactic acid. The individual inhibitory effect of furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), vanillin, syringaldehyde and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (pHBal) on xylose utilization by B. coagulans GKN316 was also studied. The strain B. coagulans GKN316 could effectively convert these toxic inhibitors to the less toxic corresponding alcohols in situ. These results suggested that B. coagulans GKN316 was well suited to production of lactic acid from undetoxified lignocellulosic hydrolysates.     

Glypican-5 is a tumor suppressor in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Glypican-5 (GPC5) belongs to the glypican family of proteoglycans that have been implicated in a variety of physiological processes, ranging from cell proliferation to morphogenesis. However, the role of GPC5 in human cancer remains poorly understood. We report that knockdown of GPC5 in bronchial epithelial cells promoted, and forced expression of GPC5 in non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) cells suppressed, the anchorage-independent cell growth. In vivo, expression of GPC5 inhibited xenograft tumor growth of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, we found that GPC5 was expressed predominantly as a membrane protein, and its expression led to diminished phosphorylation of several oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases, including the ERBB family members ERBB2 and ERBB3, which play critical roles in lung tumorigenesis. Collectively, our results suggest that GPC5 may act as a tumor suppressor, and reagents that activate GPC5 may be useful for treating NSCLC.     

和厚朴酚抑制耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌生物被膜形成

【目的】研究和厚朴酚(HNK)抑制MRSA生物被膜(BF)形成的作用机制。【方法】使用TTC法测定了HNK对供试菌株BF的形成和成熟BF的抑制作用;刚果红平板法定性检测了HNK对PIA合成的影响;分光光度法测定了HNK对供试菌株eDNA释放量的影响;RT-PCR技术检测了HNK对供试菌株icaA、cidA以及agrA基因表达量的影响。【结果】HNK对MRSA 41573 BF的形成和成熟BF均有较强的抑制作用,其中,HNK抑制MRSA 41573 BF形成的MIC和MBC分别为10μg/mL和20μg/mL;抑制成熟BF的MIC和MBC分别为50μg/mL和100μg/mL。当用亚抑菌浓度的HNK与万古霉素联合作用后,可显著提高成熟BF对万古霉素的敏感性。HNK能显著抑制PIA的合成,且呈浓度剂量依赖。HNK能抑制供试菌株eDNA的释放量,其中1/8 MIC的HNK作用供试菌株16 h后,与对照组相比,e DNA的释放量降低了28.3%。HNK可抑制供试菌株BF形成的相关基因,其中1/2 MIC的HNK作用供试菌株16 h后,与对照相比,icaA的表达量降低了59.1%,cidA的表达量降低了56%,agrA的表达量降低了72.3%。【结论】HNK能显著抑制MRSA 41573 BF的形成,其作用机制主要是通过抑制icaA和cidA基因表达量,影响PIA和eDNA的合成,进而抑制BF的形成。此外HNK也可通过调控细菌的QS系统影响BF的形成。     

Graphene oxide supported rhombic dodecahedral Cu2O nanocrystals for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen

In this work, a simple electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) based on rhombic dodecahedral Cu₂O nanocrystals–graphene oxide–gold nanoparticles (rCu₂O–GO–AuNPs). GO as the template and surfactant resulting in rCu₂O exhibit improved rhombic dodecahedral structure uniformity and excellent electrochemical performance. Moreover, GO was found to be able to effectively improve the long stability of rCu₂O on the electrode response. Under optimal conditions, the immunosensor showed a low limit of detection (0.004 ng ml⁻¹) and a large linear range (0.01–120 ng ml⁻¹). This work presents a potential alternative for the diagnostic applications of GO-supported special morphology materials in biomedicine and biosensors.