Perceived Empathy of Service Providers Mediates the Association between Perceived Discrimination and Behavioral Intention to Take Up HIV Antibody Testing Again among Men Who Have Sex with Men

HIV antibody testing is a key measure of HIV prevention for men who have sex with men (MSM). The World Health Organization recommends sexually active and at-risk MSM to take up HIV antibody testing regularly. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of behavioral intention to take up HIV antibody testing in the next six months among Hong Kong MSM who were ever-testers. An anonymous cross-sectional survey recruited 326 MSM who had taken up HIV antibody testing from gay-friendly venues and internet in Hong Kong. Of the participants, 40.8% had had unprotected anal intercourse with regular or non-regular male sex partners in the last six months; they were at risk of HIV transmission despite experience in HIV antibody testing. Only 37.2% showed a strong intention to take up HIV antibody testing again in the next six months. Adjusted analysis showed that both perceived discrimination toward Hong Kong MSM (AOR = .60, 95% CI: .36–.98) and the CARE Measure assessing perceived empathy of service providers (AOR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.08) were significantly associated with intention for retesting. Perceived discrimination, however, became statistically non-significant (AOR = .68, 95% CI: .41–1.14), when both CARE Measure and perceived discrimination entered into the adjusted model. It is warranted to increase HIV retesting rate by removing perceived discrimination and reducing the negative effect of perceived discrimination through enhancement of empathy of service providers.     

Clinical,Virological and Immunological Features from Patients Infected with Re-Emergent Avian-Origin Human H7N9 Influenza Disease of Varying Severity in Guangdong Province

BackgroundThe second wave of avian influenza H7N9 virus outbreak in humans spread to the Guangdong province of China by August of 2013 and this virus is now endemic in poultry in this region.MethodsFive patients with H7N9 virus infection admitted to our hospital during August 2013 to February 2014 were intensively investigated. Viral load in the respiratory tract was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and cytokine levels were measured by bead-based flow cytometery.ResultsFour patients survived and one died. Viral load in different clinical specimens was correlated with cytokine levels in plasma and broncho-alveolar fluid (BALF), therapeutic modalities used and clinical outcome. Intravenous zanamivir appeared to be better than peramivir as salvage therapy in patients who failed to respond to oseltamivir. Higher and more prolonged viral load was found in the sputum or endotracheal aspirates compared to throat swabs. Upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, MIP-1α/β, IL-1β and IL-8 was found in the plasma and BALF samples. The levels of cytokines in the plasma and viral load were correlated with disease severity. Reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) was found in three out of five patients (60%).ConclusionExpectorated sputum or endotracheal aspirate specimens are preferable to throat swabs for detecting and monitoring H7N9 virus. Severity of the disease was correlated to the viral load in the respiratory tract as well as the extents of cytokinemia. Reactivation of HSV-1 may contribute to clinical outcome.     

A Potent Anticancer Agent of Shikonin Derivative Targeting Tubulin

In this study, a shikonin ester derivative, compound 3g , was selected to evaluate its anticancer activities and we found that compound 3g exhibited better antitubulin activities against the human HepG2 cell line with an IC₅₀ value of 1.097 μM. Furthermore, the inhibition of tubulin polymerization results indicated that compound 3g demonstrated the most potent antitubulin activity (IC₅₀ = 13.88), which was compared with shikonin and colchicine as positive controls (IC₅₀ = 25.28 μM and 22.56 μM), respectively. Compound 3g was simulated to have good binding site with tubulin and arrested the cell cycle at G2/M phase, which also induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells, in which P53 and members of Bcl‐2 protein family were both involved in the progress of apoptosis revealed by western blot. Confocal microscopy observations revealed compound 3g targeted tubulin and altered its polymerization by interfering with microtubule organization. Based on these results, compound 3g functions as a potent anticancer agent targeting tubulin. Chirality 27:274–280, 2015.. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Metabolic regulation of ammonia emission in different senescence phenotypes of Nicotiana tabacum

In order to reveal the character of ammonia emission in senescent tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), the content of NH₄⁺, total nitrogen, and soluble protein, and the activities of nitrogen metabolism-related enzymes were measured in leaves of a quick-leaf-senescence phenotype ZY90 and a slow-leaf-senescence phenotype NC89. Compared with NC89, ZY90 had a higher NH₄⁺ accumulation, a lower glutamine synthetase activity, and a significantly higher stomatal ammonia compensation point, and ammonia emission during 40 to 60 d after leaf emergence. During senescence, the quick-leafsenescence phenotype was characterized by nitrogen re-transfer by ammonia emmission, whereas the slow-leafsenescence phenotype by nitrogen re-assimilation. The ammonia emission was primarily regulated by glutamine synthetase activity, apoplastic pH, and NH₄⁺ content.     

Altered plasma acylcarnitine and amino acid profiles in type 2 diabetic kidney disease

Introduction

Dysregulation of acylcarnitines (AcylCNs) and amino acids metabolism have implicated in abnormality of fatty acid oxidation in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, it is not well known whether altered plasma AcylCN, and amino acid profiles are associated with albuminuria or diabetic nephropathy (DN) in T2D.

Objective

The aim of this study was to elucidate alterations in plasma levels of AcylCNs and amino acids with respect to the T2D patients with various stages of albuminuria.

Methods

We recruited 52 healthy subjects as control, and 156 T2D patients which were divided into 52 normoalbuminuria, 52 microalbuminuria, and 52 macroalbuminuria. Plasma 37 AcylCNs and 12 amino acids were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

We found that T2D with normoalbuminuria and microalbuminuria had lower shot-, medium-, and long-chain AcylCNs, whereas T2D with macroalbuminuria had higher short-and medium-chain AcylCNs and lower long-chain AcylCNs than healthy subjects. Moreover, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was a negative, independent and significant predictor of albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) levels (β = ?0.376, P < 0.001), whereas plasma Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was significantly and positively associated with ACR levels (β = 0.169, P = 0.049). Furthermore, multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that isobutyrylcarnitine (C4) was a positive, independent, and significant predictor of ACR levels with higher odds of having T2D patients with progression normoalbuminuria to microalbuminuria [OR = 9.93, 95 % CI (3.51–28.05), P < 0.001].

Conclusions

The findings suggest that plasma C4 may serve as a potential biomarker for the early stages of DN.

     

Antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of mycelial and fruit-body extracts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycoleptodonoides aitchisonii</Emphasis>

Mycoleptodonoides aitchisonii (Berk.) Maas Geest. is a culinary mushroom that is recognized as both a nutritious food and an excellent source of bioactive compounds. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of M. aitchisonii (MA) both in vitro and in vivo. Total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) assays revealed that fruit-body extracts had higher antioxidant capacity than mycelial extracts, 0.9-fold higher as measured by peroxynitrite (PN) scavenging assay, 3.7-fold higher as measured by peroxyl radical (PR) scavenging assay, and 1.6-fold as measured by hydroxyl radical (HR) scavenging assay, respectively. The assay of Akt phosphorylation, which is inhibited by Interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the signal transduction pathway for diabetes, was employed to evaluate the antidiabetic activity. Fruit-body extracts significantly increased Akt phosphorylation according to the fruit-body extract concentration, with a maximum increment of 77% at a concentration of 100 μg/mL compared to 51.4% decrement caused by IL-6, but there was no effect of mycelial extracts. Treatment with 5% MA fruit-body powder and streptozotocin (STZ) decreased the blood sugar level to 233.8 mg/dL in diabetic mice compared to 333.8 mg/dL after treatment with STZ alone. Additionally, MA treatment lowered total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and LDL-cholesterol levels, while it increased the HDL-cholesterol level. All these findings indicate that fruit-body of M. aitchisonii has potential utility in preventing various diseases such as disorders of sugar and lipid metabolism.     

KNOCKDOWN OF THE IONOTROPIC γ‐AMINOBUTYRIC ACID RECEPTOR (GABAR) RDL GENE DECREASES FIPRONIL SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THE SMALL BROWN PLANTHOPPER,Laodelphax striatellus (HEMIPTERA: DELPHACIDAE)

Insect γ‐aminobutyric acid receptors (GABARs) are important molecular targets of cyclodiene and phenylpyrazole insecticides. Previously GABARs encoding rdl (resistant to dieldrin) genes responsible for dieldrin and fipronil resistance were identified in various economically important insect pests. In this study, we cloned the open reading frame cDNA sequence of rdl gene from fipronil‐susceptible and fipronil‐resistant strains of Laodelphax striatellus (Lsrdl). Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of a previously identified resistance‐conferring mutation. Different alternative splicing variants of Lsrdl were noted. Injection of dsLsrdl reduced the mRNA abundance of Lsrdl by 27–82%, and greatly decreased fipronil‐induced mortality of individuals from both susceptible and resistant strains. These data indicate that Lsrdl encodes a functional RDL subunit that mediates susceptibility to fipronil. Additionally, temporal and spatial expression analysis showed that Lsrdl was expressed at higher levels in eggs, fifth‐instar nymphs, and female adults than in third‐instar and fourth‐instar nymphs. Lsrdl was predominantly expressed in the heads of 2‐day‐old female adults. All these results provide useful background knowledge for better understanding of fipronil resistance related ionotropic GABA receptor rdl gene expressed variants and potential functional differences in insects.     

Genus-Wide Comparative Genomics of Malassezia Delineates Its Phylogeny,Physiology, and Niche Adaptation on Human Skin

Malassezia is a unique lipophilic genus in class Malasseziomycetes in Ustilaginomycotina, (Basidiomycota, fungi) that otherwise consists almost exclusively of plant pathogens. Malassezia are typically isolated from warm-blooded animals, are dominant members of the human skin mycobiome and are associated with common skin disorders. To characterize the genetic basis of the unique phenotypes of Malassezia spp., we sequenced the genomes of all 14 accepted species and used comparative genomics against a broad panel of fungal genomes to comprehensively identify distinct features that define the Malassezia gene repertoire: gene gain and loss; selection signatures; and lineage-specific gene family expansions. Our analysis revealed key gene gain events (64) with a single gene conserved across all Malassezia but absent in all other sequenced Basidiomycota. These likely horizontally transferred genes provide intriguing gain-of-function events and prime candidates to explain the emergence of Malassezia. A larger set of genes (741) were lost, with enrichment for glycosyl hydrolases and carbohydrate metabolism, concordant with adaptation to skin’s carbohydrate-deficient environment. Gene family analysis revealed extensive turnover and underlined the importance of secretory lipases, phospholipases, aspartyl proteases, and other peptidases. Combining genomic analysis with a re-evaluation of culture characteristics, we establish the likely lipid-dependence of all Malassezia. Our phylogenetic analysis sheds new light on the relationship between Malassezia and other members of Ustilaginomycotina, as well as phylogenetic lineages within the genus. Overall, our study provides a unique genomic resource for understanding Malassezia niche-specificity and potential virulence, as well as their abundance and distribution in the environment and on human skin.