Causes of Hypertension in the Young

Of 127 hypertensive patients aged 12 to 40 investigated by intravenous pyelography, abdominal aortography, and renal biopsy an underlying cause was found in 57%. The proportion with secondary hypertension was higher in young patients and in those with severe hypertension. Primary arteritis of the aorta was an important cause of renovascular hypertension in an Asian population.     

Production of a Dominant-Negative Fragment Due to G3BP1 Cleavage Contributes to the Disruption of Mitochondria-Associated Protective Stress Granules during CVB3 Infection

Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic cytosolic aggregates containing messenger ribonucleoproteins and target poly-adenylated (A)-mRNA. A key component of SGs is Ras-GAP SH3 domain binding protein-1 (G3BP1), which in part mediates protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions. SGs are modulated during infection by several viruses, however, the function and significance of this process remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the interplay between SGs and Coxsackievirus type B3 (CVB3), a member of the Picornaviridae family. Our studies demonstrated that SGs were formed early during CVB3 infection; however, G3BP1-positive SGs were actively disassembled at 5 hrs post-infection, while poly(A)-positive RNA granules persisted. Furthermore, we confirmed G3BP1 cleavage by 3C^pro at Q325. We also demonstrated that overexpression of G3BP1-SGs negatively impacted viral replication at the RNA, protein, and viral progeny levels. Using electron microscopy techniques, we showed that G3BP1-positive SGs localized near mitochondrial surfaces. Finally, we provided evidence that the C-terminal cleavage product of G3BP1 inhibited SG formation and promoted CVB3 replication. Taken together, we conclude that CVB3 infection selectively targets G3BP1-SGs by cleaving G3BP1 to produce a dominant-negative fragment that further inhibits G3BP1-SG formation and facilitates viral replication.     

Ultra-Uniform Field Distribution in a Finite-Width Metal–Dielectric–Metal Waveguide

We investigate the propagation characteristics of the fundamental surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode of a finite-width metal–dielectric–metal waveguide. By changing the refractive index or the thickness of the dielectric layer of the waveguide, the SPP mode can be transformed from a mode confined in the dielectric layer into a mode confined around the metal corners. There always exists a condition at which the mode field distribution in the dielectric layer becomes almost perfectly uniform along the direction parallel to the metal layers, and this condition is insensitive to the width of the waveguide. It is also possible to obtain an ultra-uniform field distribution by controlling the refractive index of a different dielectric placed on both sides of the waveguide. The waveguide can be used as a basic structure for the realization of nanosized photonic devices and sensors.     

Microbial succession in the traditional Chinese Luzhou-flavor liquor fermentation process as evaluated by SSU rRNA profiles

The community succession of microbes inhabited in the fermenting lees of Luzhou-flavor liquor was investigated based on small-subunit rRNA culture independent method. All sequences recovered from fermenting lees respectively fell into the genera of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium, Pelobacter, Actobacter, Serratia, Burkholderia, Rhodoccous, Corynebacterium, Arthrobacter, Microbacterium, Curtobacterium, Leptotrichia, Methanocuuleus, Saccharomyces, Zygosaccharomyces, Saccharomycopsis, Pichia, Talaromyces, Aspergillus, Eurotium, Fomitopsis and Trichosporon. The fungal Pichia, Saccharomycopsis and Talaromyces were most abundant in the lees fermented for 1 day, the fungal Eurotium and the bacteria Burkholderia, Streptococcus and Lactobacillus were dominant in the lees fermented for 7 days, only the bacteria Lactobacillus, Burkholderia were prevalent in the lees fermented for 60 days. Most genera almost existed in the fermenting lees, while their distributions were significantly different in 1, 7 and 60 days fermented lees. The prokaryotic community similarity coefficient was from 0.5000 to 0.5455 and followed to 0.1523, and that of eukaryotic community was from 0.5466 to 0.5259 and to 0.3750 when compared at species level. These results suggested that many microbes in lees have community successions associated with fermenting and that such successions maybe contribute the fermentation process of Luzhou-flavor liquor and is main reasons that the characteristic flavor factors are produced.     

Is Clinical Practice Concordant with the Changes in Guidelines for Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation during Primary and Chronic HIV-1 Infection? The ANRS PRIMO and COPANA Cohorts

Objective

Guidelines for initiating HIV treatment are regularly revised. We explored how physicians in France have applied these evolving guidelines for ART initiation over the last decade in two different situations: chronic (CHI) and primary HIV-1 infection (PHI), since specific recommendations for PHI are also provided in France.

Methods

Data came from the ANRS PRIMO (1267 patients enrolled during PHI in 1996–2010) and COPANA (800 subjects enrolled at HIV diagnosis in 2004–2008) cohorts. We defined as guidelines-inconsistent during PHI and CHI, patients meeting criteria for ART initiation and not treated in the following month and during the next 6 months, respectively.

Results

ART initiation during PHI dramatically decreased from 91% of patients in 1996–99 to 22% in 2007 and increased to 60% in 2010, following changes in recommendations. In 2007, however, after the CD4 count threshold was raised to 350 cells/mm³ in 2006, only 55% of the patients with CD4≤350 were treated and 66% in 2008. During CHI, ART was more frequently initiated in patients who met the criteria at entry (96%) than during follow-up: 83% when recommendation to treat was 200 and 73% when it was 350 cells/mm³. Independent risk factors for not being treated during CHI despite meeting the criteria were lower viral load, lower educational level, and poorer living conditions.

Conclusion

HIV ART initiation guidelines are largely followed by practitioners in France. What can still be improved, however, is time to treat when CD4 cell counts reach the threshold to treat. Risk factors for lack of timely treatment highlight the need to understand better how patients’ living conditions and physicians’ perceptions influence the decision to initiate treatment.     

Selection of Treatment Strategies among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Malaysia: A Grounded Theory Approach

Background

Diabetes Mellitus is a multifaceted chronic illness and its life-long treatment process requires patients to continuously engage with the healthcare system. The understanding of how patients manoeuvre through the healthcare system for treatment is crucial in assisting them to optimise their disease management. This study aims to explore issues determining patients’ treatment strategies and the process of patients manoeuvring through the current healthcare system in selecting their choice of treatment for T2DM.

Methods

The Grounded Theory methodology was used. Twelve patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, nine family members and five healthcare providers from the primary care clinics were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Three focus group discussions were conducted among thirteen healthcare providers from public primary care clinics. Both purposive and theoretical samplings were used for data collection. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim, followed by line-by-line coding and constant comparison to identify the categories and core category.

Results

The concept of “experimentation” was observed in patients’ help-seeking behaviour. The “experimentation” process required triggers, followed by information seeking related to treatment characteristics from trusted family members, friends and healthcare providers to enable decisions to be made on the choice of treatment modalities. The whole process was dynamic and iterative through interaction with the healthcare system. The decision-making process in choosing the types of treatment was complex with an element of trial-and-error. The anchor of this process was the desire to fulfil the patient’s expected outcome.

Conclusion

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus continuously used “experimentation” in their treatment strategies and help-seeking process. The “experimentation” process was experiential, with continuous evaluation, information seeking and decision-making tinged with the element of trial-and-error. The theoretical model generated from this study is abstract, is believed to have a broad applicability to other diseases, may be applied at varying stages of disease development and is non-context specific.     

茉莉酸甲酯对木豆不定根染料木素含量及抗氧化系统影响

为探讨茉莉酸甲酯(Methyl Jasmonate,MJ)对木豆不定根影响,研究了茉莉酸甲酯的不同浓度及处理时间对木豆不定根中染料木素的含量及抗氧化系统的影响。研究结果表明,诱导子的浓度和处理时间对不定根中染料木素的含量有重要影响。在MJ浓度为100μmol·L^-1,处理时间为48 h时,染料木素的含量最高,为1.38 mg·g^-1,是对照组的4.03倍。在此基础上,研究了100μmol·L^-1的MJ处理对木豆不定根抗氧化系统的影响,结果表明,MJ处理的木豆不定根明显发生了氧化胁迫,O_2^-速率、H_2O_2和MDA含量明显升高,同时不定根中SOD和POD活性明显升高,但是抗氧化酶活性的提高并未消除不定根的氧化胁迫,这种氧化胁迫导致了木豆不定根次生代谢产物合成能力提高。     

檀香SaRbohA基因的克隆与吸器诱导因子响应分析

植物Rboh基因家族编码产生活性氧(ROS)的NADPH氧化酶。了解半寄生植物檀香(Santalum album Linn.)基因Rboh相关信息和表达特性,可为研究檀香SaRbohA基因通过活性氧信号(ROS)调控吸器发育的响应提供理论依据。该研究以全长转录组测序为基础,通过序列拼接设计合成基因特异引物,从根中克隆获得了1个檀香respiratory burst oxidase homolog(Rboh)基因cDNA全长,命名为SaRbohA。序列分析表明,该基因cDNA全长2 790 bp,编码929个氨基酸,分子量105.37 kD,理论等电点9.13,预测亚细胞定位于细胞膜。结构预测表明,SaRbohA具有6个跨膜结构域,在膜内侧的C端包含典型的NADPH结合结构域和FAD结合结构域, N端含有两个EF手性结构。序列比对分析表明,檀香SaRbohA与苹果MdRboh同源进化关系较近,相似度为63.65%。组织特异性表达分析表明,SaRbohA基因在茎中表达量最低,幼叶和茎尖中表达量较高,而在根中表达量最高。采用2, 6-二甲氧基对苯醌(寄生植物吸器诱导因子)处理,可以强烈诱导檀香SaRbohA基因的响应并伴随大量活性氧信号。研究推测,SaRbohA基因的在ROS信号介导的檀香吸器发育过程中起重要作用,且受化学诱导因子调控表达。