Sunlight irradiation‐assisted green synthesis,characteristics and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles using the leaf extract of Jasminum subtriplinerve Blume

Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized at room temperature under sunlight irradiation, using the extract of Jasminum subtriplinerve Blume...     

土壤样品长期保存对微生物群落代谢活性和功能类群的影响

【目的】评估土壤长期保存(4个月)对土壤微生物群落代谢活性的影响。【方法】采用Biolog? EcoPlateTM生态板研究4 °C风干保存和?20 °C低温冻存的农田土壤和森林土壤中微生物群落的碳源利用模式。【结果】与新鲜土壤样品相比,长期保存的土壤样品的微生物群落对碳源的利用能力大大降低,其多样性、均匀度和Simpson指数均降低;风干保存和低温冻存两者对土壤微生物的碳源利用的影响没有显著差异;除风干保存的土壤样品中利用多聚物类的微生物类群的代谢活性外,两种保存方法显著降低微生物群落的代谢活性,降低幅度为54.5%–99.8%。【结论】长期保存土壤可能会导致对微生物群落信息的低估,土壤微生物代谢活性研究的最佳样品为新鲜 土壤。     

Clinical and virological study of dengue cases and the members of their households: the multinational DENFRAME Project

Background

Dengue has emerged as the most important vector-borne viral disease in tropical areas. Evaluations of the burden and severity of dengue disease have been hindered by the frequent lack of laboratory confirmation and strong selection bias toward more severe cases.

Methodology

A multinational, prospective clinical study was carried out in South-East Asia (SEA) and Latin America (LA), to ascertain the proportion of inapparent dengue infections in households of febrile dengue cases, and to compare clinical data and biological markers from subjects with various dengue disease patterns. Dengue infection was laboratory-confirmed during the acute phase, by virus isolation and detection of the genome. The four participating reference laboratories used standardized methods.

Principal Findings

Among 215 febrile dengue subjects—114 in SEA and 101 in LA—28 (13.0%) were diagnosed with severe dengue (from SEA only) using the WHO definition. Household investigations were carried out for 177 febrile subjects. Among household members at the time of the first home visit, 39 acute dengue infections were detected of which 29 were inapparent. A further 62 dengue cases were classified at early convalescent phase. Therefore, 101 dengue infections were found among the 408 household members. Adding these together with the 177 Dengue Index Cases, the overall proportion of dengue infections among the study participants was estimated at 47.5% (278/585; 95% CI 43.5–51.6). Lymphocyte counts and detection of the NS1 antigen differed significantly between inapparent and symptomatic dengue subjects; among inapparent cases lymphocyte counts were normal and only 20% were positive for NS1 antigen. Primary dengue infection and a specific dengue virus serotype were not associated with symptomatic dengue infection.

Conclusion

Household investigation demonstrated a high proportion of household members positive for dengue infection, including a number of inapparent cases, the frequency of which was higher in SEA than in LA.     

一株粪肠球菌噬菌体的分离及其生物学特性研究

目的:利用临床耐药粪肠球菌分离裂解性噬菌体,为应用噬菌体治疗耐药粪肠球菌感染提供基础。方法:利用噬菌斑实验分离噬菌体并观察噬菌斑形态;双层平板培养法测定噬菌体效价、最佳感染复数及一步生长曲线;负染法电镜观察噬菌体形态;蛋白酶K/SDS法提取噬菌体基因组,酶切处理后琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析。结果:分离出一株噬菌体IME-EF1,该噬菌体能裂解多株临床分离的粪肠球菌;电镜观察呈蝌蚪形,最佳感染复数为1;通过绘制一步生长曲线,证明该噬菌体感染后的潜伏期为25 min,爆发期为35 min,裂解量为60 pfu。结论:研究结果表明利用临床分离的耐药粪肠球菌分离裂解性噬菌体是可行的,有望为耐药粪肠球菌的抗生素替代疗法奠定基础。     

Increasing the thermostability of D-xylose isomerase by introduction of a proline into the turn of a random coil.

Thermostability can be increased by introducing prolines at suitable sites in target proteins. Two single (G138P, G247D) mutants and one double (G138P/G247D) mutant of xylose isomerase from Streptomyces diastaticus No.7, strain M1033 have been constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. With respect to the wild-type enzyme, G138P showed about a 100% increase in thermostability, and G247D showed an increased catalytic activity. Significantly, the double mutant, G138P/G247D displayed even higher activity than G247D and better heat stability than G138P. Its half life was about 2.5-fold greater than the wild-type enzyme, using xylose as a substrate. Molecular modelling suggested that the introduction of a proline residue in the turn of a random coil may cause the surrounding conformation to be tightened by reducing the backbone flexibility. The change in thermostability can, therefore, be explained based on changes in the molecular rigidity. Furthermore, the improvements in the properties of the double mutant indicated that the advantages of two single mutants can be combined effectively.     

三种人参属植物的EST-SSR信息分析及其在三七中的应用

为了解人参属植物EST中SSR分布特点及其在三七SSR标记中的应用,利用生物信息学方法,用primer 3软件对dbEST数据库中人参属植物人参、西洋参和三七的EST序列进行搜索,发现人参属植物EST-SSR出现频率为11.54%,平均每4.39 kb出现1个SSR.人参属植物单核苷酸重复基元占主导地位,其次为三核苷酸重复基元和二核苷酸重复基元,分别占总SSR的54.48%、17.31%和16.36%.人参属EST-SSR的优势类型为A/T和AT/TA,分别占54.73%和8.21%.根据人参属植物EST中的SSR设计48对引物,在合适的PCR扩增体系下,用5个三七样品的DNA为模板进行PCR扩增,引物有效扩增率85.42%,其中多态性引物占可扩增引物的70.73%.结果表明,利用人参属EST序列开发三七EST-SSR标记是可行的.     

PCR-膜芯片技术在牦牛及犏牛肉制品的真假鉴定中的应用

旨在利用PCR-膜芯片技术快速高效的鉴定牦牛及犏牛肉制品的真假。采集样品(猪、山羊、黄牛、水牛、牦牛、鸡、鸭、兔、狗、真犏牛、假犏牛肉样各8个,19个肉干制品样品),提取并纯化DNA,利用11对特异性引物进行多重PCR,将扩增产物与含有12个探针的膜芯片反向点杂交,测试膜芯片的准确度及灵敏度,并鉴定市场上销售的牦牛肉制品真假。结果表明,膜芯片准确度高,特异性强,无交叉反应,灵敏度能达到0.1 ng,检测灵敏度高。通过鉴定市场上销售的假牦牛肉干制品几乎都以黄牛和水牛肉为原料制作。应用PCR-膜芯片技术可快速准确的鉴定出牦牛肉制品的真假,有利于打击假冒产品,维护市场平衡。     

天童常绿阔叶林样地中优势鸟类食性与采食地点植物的关系

2010年10月至2011年9月,在浙江天童国家森林公园内的天童20 hm2样地中对鸟类食性进行观察,并对鸟类与植物物种间分布关系进行研究.调查观察到鸟类5目12科32种3 130只次,其中优势种类为灰眶雀鹛(Alcippe morrisonia)、红头[长尾]山雀(Aegithalos concinnus)、大山雀(Parus major)、栗背短脚鹎(Hemixos castanonotus)和白头鹎(Pycnonotus sinensis).采用Sorensen相似性指数和Spearman相关性分析对优势种鸟类与植被分布的关系进行分析,结果显示鸟类分布与植物分布呈对应关系:大山雀和红头[长尾]山雀在同一时期与浙江柿(Diospyros glaucifolia)有相关性,白头鹎同时期与刺毛越橘(Vaccinium trichocladum)和青皮木(Schoepfia jasminodora)相关,栗背短脚鹎在不同时期与同种植物格药柃( Eurya muricata)相关.     

Investigation of the status quo of massive blood transfusion in China

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of massive transfusion in Chinese hospitals, identify the important indications for massive transfusion and corrective therapies based on clinical evidences and supporting experimental studies, and propose guidelines for the management of massive transfusion. This multi-region, multi-center retrospective study involved a Massive Blood Transfusion Coordination Group composed of 50 clinical experts specializing in blood transfusion, cardiac surgery, anesthesiology, obstetrics, general surgery, and medical statistics from 20 tertiary general hospitals across five regions in China. Data were collected for all patients, who received ≥ 10 U red blood cell transfusion within 24 hours in the participating hospitals from January 1 2009 to December 31 2010, including patient’s demographics, pre-, peri-, and post-operative clinical characteristics, laboratory test results before, during, and after transfusion, and patient mortality at post-transfusion and discharge. We also designed an in vitro hemodilution model to investigate the changes of blood coagulation indices during massive transfusion and the correction of coagulopathy through supplement blood components under different hemodilutions. The experimental data in combination with the clinical evidences were used to determine the optimal proportion and timing for blood component supplementation during massive transfusion. Based on the findings from the present study, together with an extensive review of domestic and international transfusion-related literature and consensus feedback from the 50 experts, we drafted the guidelines on massive blood transfusion that may help Chinese hospitals to develop standardized protocols for massive blood transfusion.     

Adenoviral Delivery of the EMX2 Gene Suppresses Growth in Human Gastric Cancer

Background

EMX2 is a human orthologue of the Drosophila empty spiracles homeobox gene that has been implicated in embryogenesis. Recent studies suggest possible involvement of EMX2 in human cancers; however, the role of EMX2 in carcinogenesis needs further exploration.

Results

In this study, we reported that down-regulation of EMX2 expression was significantly correlated with EMX2 promoter hypermethylation in gastric cancer. Restoring EMX2 expression using an adenovirus delivery system in gastric cancer cell lines lacking endogenous EMX2 expression led to inhibition of cell proliferation and Wnt signaling pathway both in vitro and in a gastric cancer xenograft model in vivo. In addition, we observed that animals treated with the adenoviral EMX2 expression vector had significantly better survival than those treated with empty adenoviral vector.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that EMX2 is a putative tumor suppressor in human gastric cancer. The adenoviral-EMX2 may have potential as a novel gene therapy for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.