Plasma-initiated graft polymerization as an immobilization platform for metal free Russian propolis ethanol extracts designed specifically for biomaterials

The antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of propolis have been intensively reported. However, the application of this folk remedy as a means to prevent biomedical implant contamination has yet to be completely evaluated. In response to the significant resistant and infectious attributes of biofilms, biomaterials engineered to possess specific chemical and physical properties were immobilized with metal free Russian propolis ethanol extracts (MFRPEE), a known antibacterial agent. The results obtained from this study begin to examine the application of MFRPEE as a novel alternative method for the prevention of medical and biomedical implant infections. When constructed under specific experimental conditions, immobilized biomaterials showed excellent stability when subjected to simulated body fluid and fetal bovine serum. The ability of immobilized biomaterials to specifically target pathogens (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative biofilm forming bacteria), while promoting tissue cell growth, renders these biomaterials as potential candidates for clinical applications.     

Grafting influence on the weight and quality of tomato fruit under salt stress

Two commercial tomato cultivars were used to determine whether grafting could prevent decrease of fruit weight and quality under salt stress conditions. The cultivars Buran F1 and Berberana F1 were grafted onto rootstock ‘Maxifort’ and grown under three levels of elevated soil salinity (EC 3.80 dS m^?1, 6.95 dS m^?1 and 9.12 dS m^?1). Fruit weight reduction of grafted plants was lower (about 20–30%) in comparison with non‐grafted ones. Salt stress at the second salinity level (EC 6.95 dS m^?1) induced the highest alteration of examined growth and quality parameters. The total increase of phenols, flavonoids, ascorbate and lycopene content in the fruits of both grafted and non‐grafted plants for both cultivars had a similar trend and intensity, though some inter‐cultivar variation was observed. The possibility of grafting tomato plants to improve salt tolerance without fruit quality loss is discussed.     

历史因素对土壤微生物群落与外来细菌入侵间关系的影响

群落的组成和结构如何影响其可入侵性一直是入侵生态学的研究热点。然而关于群落可入侵性和群落特征间关系的认知却很不统一。采用交叉互换的试验方法,首先将野外采集的两种长期不同施肥土壤(有机肥和化肥)进行灭菌并回接已方和对方的土壤悬液,研究土壤环境(历史非生物因素)和土壤微生物群落(历史生物因素)对重建土壤微生物群落特征的相对贡献。随后将用红色荧光蛋白标记的青枯菌作为外来种接入重建的土壤中,探究不同土壤微生物群落特征对外来细菌存活数量(前期入侵潜力)和存活时间(后期入侵潜力)的影响。结果表明,历史生物因素对重建土壤的原生动物数量、革兰氏阴性与阳性细菌比等群落特征和外来细菌的存活数量有影响;历史非生物因素对土壤微生物活性、细菌物种多样性和功能多样性等群落特征以及外来细菌入侵土壤后总的存活时间有影响;外来细菌入侵前期状况仅与原生动物数量、革兰氏阴性与阳性细菌比相关,而入侵后期的状况则仅与微生物活性、细菌物种多样性和功能多样性相关。总之,外来细菌在土壤中各时期的入侵潜力和土著微生物群落特征的相关性主要取决于二者是否由同种历史影响因素控制。本研究对于阐明生物群落结构与群落可入侵性之间关系,及指导土壤外来病原菌的防控均具有重要意义。     

新型共聚物淀粉接技聚乳酸的制备及其表征

采用原位熔融共聚法,以淀粉和乳酸为原料,制备改性淀粉聚乳酸接枝共聚物,对共聚反应机理进行初步探讨.结果表明,淀粉经PEG-400和马来酸酐增塑改性处理反应活性增强,与乳酸反应生成的淀粉聚乳酸接枝共聚物分子量Mw为6.921×10~4,Mn为4.789×10~4,分子量分布Mw/Mn为1.445.共聚物在PBS缓冲溶液中进行降解测试,结果为6天后质量损失一半.     

成年沙田柚树试管嫁接及微繁殖的研究

分别以两类沙田柚侧芽为接穗、酸柚为砧木进行了试管嫁接,结果表明:不同嫁接方式、接穗大小以及不同激素处理均直接影响到试管嫁接成活率.对大田侧芽而言,接穗大小以茎尖为宜,1.0mg/LGA3或0.5mg/L6-BA处理效果较佳,嫁接成活率分别达50%和30%;对侧枝沙培萌发的侧芽而言,接穗大小以茎尖 1个节间为宜,2.0mg/LGA3或0.5mg/L6-BA处理效果较佳,嫁接成活率分别达90%和80%.在相同条件下,后者的嫁接成活率一般明显高于前者.两种沙田柚嫁接苗的试管微繁殖没有明显区别,在MS 6-BA0.1mg/L培养基上均可分化不定芽,继代的嫁接成活率可达90%以上.     

山萘酚通过增强Treg细胞免疫抑制功能延长移植物生存时间

目的:探讨应用山萘酚增强Treg细胞免疫抑制功能,从而抑制大鼠移植物排斥反应并改善移植物生存的作用和机制。方法:以Wister大鼠和SD大鼠分别为供、受体,建立同种异体皮肤移植排斥反应动物模型。观察受体老鼠皮肤移植物的情况,记录移植物失功时间(移植物皮片80%面积发生排斥)。RT-PCR检测移植7天后脾细胞、淋巴细胞FOXP3、CTLA-4和IL-10的mRNA水平,用HE染色组织病理学观察术后7天移植皮片的淋巴细胞浸润程度。体外实验T细胞增殖抑制试验加入山萘酚作为对照,观察Treg功能情况。结果:1.山萘酚能增强移植后同种异体移植物的生存时间(DMSO组6.3±0.3天,山萘酚组13.7±0.39天,P<0.01);2.RT-PCR显示山萘酚可增强细胞CTLA-4(对照组9.24±0.17,山萘酚组12.48±0.145,P<0.05)、FOXP3(对照组0.96±0.07,山萘酚组1.41±0.07,P<0.01)和IL-10(对照组0.95±0.12,山萘酚组1.50±0.16,P<0.05)的mRNA水平;3.体外T细胞增殖抑制实验中,山萘酚可增强Treg细胞的免疫抑制功能。结论:在大鼠皮肤移植模型中,山萘酚可延长皮肤移植物的生存时间,提高Treg细胞相关IL-10、FOXP3和CTLA-4的mRNA水平;体外实验中,能抑制效应T细胞的增殖,表明山萘酚在提高移植物生存方面存在一定的价值。     

乌司他丁对非停跳冠脉搭桥术患者的心肺保护作用研究

目的:探讨乌司他丁对非停跳冠脉搭桥术患者的心肺保护作用。方法:选取2017年12月-2019年4月我院收治的非停跳冠脉搭桥术患者76例,根据使用的药物不同分为两组,对照组应用常规方法,研究组应用乌司他丁,在麻醉之后切皮之前为T1,旁路血管开放时时间点为T2,手术结束为T3,手术之后的8 h为T4。比较两组治疗前后的心肺功能指标、动脉血气分析及血浆炎症因子、氧合指数术后恢复。结果:和T1进行对比时,两组T3、T4中的气道阻力(Air way Resistance,Raw)、呼吸指数(Respiratory Index,RI)、肺泡-动脉血氧分压差P(A-a)DO2均有所升高,在T2、T4中(PVR)有所升高,在T2、T3、T4中肺顺应性(Compliance of Lung,CL)有所降低。和对照组进行对比时,研究组在T3、T4中肺循环阻力(pulmonary vascular resistance, PVR)、RI、P(A-a)DO2有所降低,在T2、T3、T4中通气死腔百分比(VD/VT)有所降低(P0.05),在T2中CL有所升高(P0.05);治疗前,两组BNP、TNF-α、IL-6、IL-8无统计学意义(P0.05),治疗后BNP、肿瘤坏死因子(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)、白细胞介素-6 (Interleukin-6,IL-6)、白细胞介素-8 (Interleukin-8,IL-8)在T1、T2、T3、T4中低于对照组(P0.05),肌钙蛋白(cardiac troponin,cTnI)在T1中和对照组没有明显差异(P0.05),T2、T3、T4中研究组明显低于对照组(P0.05),研究组氧合指数高于对照组(P0.05);研究组T1、T2、T3、T4时平均动脉压(mean artery pressure,MBP)均高于对照组(P0.05),T1、T2、T3、T4时心率均低于对照组(P0.05);研究组ICU停留时间、ICU带气管插管时间、ICU机械通气时间、肺部并发症均低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:乌司他丁用于非停跳冠脉搭桥术的效果较好,可以保护患者的心肺功能。     

Biogeographic differences in plant–soil biota relationships contribute to the exotic range expansion of Verbascum thapsus

1. Exotic plant species can evolve adaptations to environmental conditions in the exotic range. Furthermore, soil biota can foster exotic spread in the absence of negative soil pathogen–plant interactions or because of increased positive soil biota–plant feedbacks in the exotic range. Little is known, however, about the evolutionary dimension of plant–soil biota interactions when comparing native and introduced ranges.
2. To assess the role of soil microbes for rapid evolution in plant invasion, we subjected Verbascum thapsus, a species native to Europe, to a reciprocal transplant experiment with soil and seed material originating from Germany (native) and New Zealand (exotic). Soil samples were treated with biocides to distinguish between effects of soil fungi and bacteria. Seedlings from each of five native and exotic populations were transplanted into soil biota communities originating from all populations and subjected to treatments of soil biota reduction: application of (a) fungicide, (b) biocide, (c) a combination of the two, and (d) control.
3. For most of the investigated traits, native populations showed higher performance than exotic populations; there was no effect of soil biota origin. However, plants developed longer leaves and larger rosettes when treated with their respective home soil communities, indicating that native and exotic plant populations differed in their interaction with soil biota origin. The absence of fungi and bacteria resulted in a higher specific root length, suggesting that V. thapsus may compensate the absence of mutualistic microbes by increasing its root–soil surface contact.
4. Synthesis. Introduced plants can evolve adaptations to soil biota in their new distribution range. This demonstrates the importance of biogeographic differences in plant–soil biota relationships and suggests that future studies addressing evolutionary divergence should account for differential effects of soil biota from the home and exotic range on native and exotic populations of successful plant invaders.

     

Graft copolymerization of acrylamide on chitosan-co-chitin and its application for immobilization of Aspergillus sp. RL2Ct cutinase

The synthesis of chitosan (Chs) and chitin (Chi) copolymer and grafting of acrylamide (AAm) onto the synthesized copolymer have been carried out by chemical methods. The grafted copolymer was characterized by FTIR, SEM and XRD. The extracellular cutinase of Aspergillus sp. RL2Ct (E.C. 3.1.1.3) was purified to 4.46 fold with 16.1% yield using acetone precipitation and DEAE sepharose ion exchange chromatography. It was immobilized by adsorption on the grafted copolymer. The immobilized enzyme was found to be more stable then the free enzyme and has a good binding efficiency (78.8%) with the grafted copolymer. The kinetic parameters K_M and V_max for free and immobilized cutinase were found to be 0.55 mM and 1410 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein, 2.99 mM and 996 μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein, respectively. The immobilized cutinase was recycled 64 times without considerable loss of activity. The matrix (Chs-co-Chi-g-poly(AAm)) prepared and cutinase immobilized on the matrix have potential applications in enzyme immobilization and organic synthesis respectively.     

Suspension of thymic emigration promotes the maintenance of antigen-specific memory T cells and the recall responses

Thymic involution is evolutionarily conserved and occurs early in life. However, the physiological significance remains elusive of this seemingly detrimental process. The present study investigated the potential impact of altered thymic output on T cell memory using ovalbumin (OVA) expressed by Listeria monocytogenes as a model antigen. Suspension of thymic emigration by thymectomy was shown to lead to a marked increase in the frequency and total number of OVA-specific memory T cells. In contrast, oversupply of thymic emigrants through thymic grafting caused a significant decrease of such cells. When rechallenged with L. monocytogenes expressing OVA, the thymectomized mice mounted a more potent recall response as evidenced by the enlarged population of OVA-specific tetramer⁺ cells and the accelerated clearance of the bacteria. Notably, the memory-enhancing effect of thymectomy was abrogated following weekly adoptive transfer of naive T cells. Together, data from the present study indicate that reduced thymic output favors the maintenance of the memory T cell pool.