Undescended testis is the most common defect in male newborns. This condition is associated with ... more Undescended testis is the most common defect in male newborns. This condition is associated with increased risks of infertility and testicular malignancy due to abnormal germ cell development in the testes. Early surgery may limit such risks. We analyzed germ cell development vs age at orchiopexy using a germ cell marker and a Sertoli cell marker on testicular biopsies. A total of 22 testicular biopsies at orchiopexy in 20 patients 5 to 24.5 months old were fixed and embedded in paraffin. Sections were processed and labeled with AMH antibody for Sertoli cells and MVH antibody for germ cells for immunofluorescent histochemical analysis. Confocal images were counted using ImageJ (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland) for germ cells and testicular tubules. The data were analyzed using linear regression. Sertoli cells were clearly distinguished from MVH positive and negative germ cells located centrally or on basement membranes of tubules. Percentage of tubules with MVH negative germ cells significantly decreased with increasing age at orchiopexy (β = -0.03, p = 0.03). Total tubular numbers and "empty" tubules without germ cells significantly increased with age at orchiopexy (β = 1.15, p = 0.02 and β = 0.44, p = 0.04, respectively). AMH antibody distinguished Sertoli cells from germ cells, and MVH antibody distinguished 2 types of germ cells at different developmental stages. Biopsy at orchiopexy in older patients showed significant germ cell depletion. These results lend support to early surgery to optimize germ cell number.
Nurr1 plays an essential role in the development, survival, and function maintenance of midbrain ... more Nurr1 plays an essential role in the development, survival, and function maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, and it is a potential target for Parkinson's disease (PD). Nurr1 mRNA can be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but whether there is any association of altered Nurr1 expression in PBMC with the disease and DA drug treatments remains elusive. This study aimed to measure the Nurr1 mRNA level in PBMC and evaluate the effect of Nurr1 expression by DA agents in vivo and in vitro. The mRNA levels of Nurr1 in PBMC of four subgroups of 362 PD patients and 193 healthy controls (HCs) using real-time polymerase chain reaction were measured. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed to evaluate the differences between PD and HC, as well as the subgroups of PD. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent association of Nurr1 expression with Hoehn and Yahr scale, age, and drug treatm...
To examine the association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and age-related maculopathy (... more To examine the association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and age-related maculopathy (ARM) in an older population. Two thousand one hundred seventy persons 65 years and older sampled from 4 US communities had ARM signs assessed from retinal photographs using a modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. DNA extracted from blood samples was analyzed for common APOE alleles. After controlling for age, sex, cigarette smoking, and other factors, white participants carrying the epsilon2 allele had an increased risk of late ARM (odds ratio, 2.53 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-5.90]) while carriers of the epsilon4 allele had a lower risk of late ARM (odds ratio, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, 0.19-2.50]). There were too few late ARM cases in African American individuals for analysis. APOE polymorphism is associated with late ARM in older white persons 65 years and older. Consistent with previous studies, the APOE epsilon2 allele is associated with a significant increased risk of late ARM development, whereas the epsilon4 allele may confer some protection.
A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid- to rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated ... more A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid- to rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated JB3(T), was isolated from a wastewater sample collected from the biochemical reaction basin of Haiyan fine chemical factory in Zhejiang, China. Strain JB3(T) was found to grow optimally at pH 7.0-8.0, at 28 °C and in the presence of 1.0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Chemotaxonomic analysis showed that strain JB3(T) contains ubiquinone-10 (>99 %) as the predominant respiratory quinone and C18:1 ω7c (70.9 %) as the most abundant fatty acid. The polar lipids of strain JB3(T) were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, an aminophospholipid, an unidentified aminolipid, four unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain JB3(T) was determined to be 68.1 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between the isolate and Roseovarius crassostreae DSM 16950(T), Roseovarius sediminilitoris KCTC 23...
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2007
Depression has been linked with vascular risk factors and stroke. The authors examined the relati... more Depression has been linked with vascular risk factors and stroke. The authors examined the relationship between retinal microvascular abnormalities and depression symptoms in an elderly population. The Cardiovascular Health Study is a population-based study conducted in four U.S. communities initiated in 1989-1990. A total of 2,420 persons aged 65 years and older were included in the current analyses. During the 1997-1998 examination, retinal photographs were performed and assessed for retinal microvascular abnormalities (retinopathy, focal arteriolar narrowing, arteriovenous nicking, generalized retinal arteriolar narrowing, and generalized retinal venular dilation) according to standardized methods. Depression symptoms were assessed by a modified version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale annually from 1989 through 1997-1998 and was defined as a CES-D score of >9. Participants with retinal microvascular abnormalities were not more likely to have d...
To examine the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism and retinal microvas... more To examine the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism and retinal microvascular signs in an older population. Retinal photographs were taken of 2,152 participants (1,831 whites, and 321 African-Americans), aged 69-96 years, who were participating in a population-based study of four United States communities. We used standardized protocols to assess photographs for the presence of retinal microvascular signs (retinopathy, arterio-venous nicking, and focal arteriolar narrowing) and a computer-assisted method to measure retinal vessel diameters. We analyzed DNA extracted from blood samples of participants for common allelic variants of the APOE gene. After adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, smoking, total serum cholesterol, and other risk factors, we found white participants carrying the epsilon2 and epsilon4 alleles were more likely to have arterio-venous nicking than the epsilon3/epsilon3 homozygotes, with odds ratio (OR) of 1.70 and confidence...
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2014
Strain CMB17(T) was a short rod-shaped bacterium isolated from marine sediment of the Pacific Oce... more Strain CMB17(T) was a short rod-shaped bacterium isolated from marine sediment of the Pacific Ocean. Cells were Gram-stain-negative and non-motile. Optimal growth occurred at 25-30 °C, pH 6.5-7 and 0.5-1% (w/v) NaCl. The major fatty acid was C(18 : 1)ω7c (87.59%), and ubiquinone-10 was detected as the only isoprenoid quinone. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CMB17(T) is most closely related to Paracoccus stylophorae KTW-16(T) (96.7%), P. solventivorans DSM 6637(T) (96.4%) and P. saliphilus YIM 90738(T) (96.4%). Based on phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain CMB17(T) is proposed to represent a novel species, denominated Paracoccus sediminis sp. nov. (type strain CMB17(T) = JCM 18467(T) = DSM 26170(T) = CGMCC 1.12681(T)).
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2014
A novel bacterial strain, NH131(T), was isolated from deep-sea sediment of South China Sea. Cells... more A novel bacterial strain, NH131(T), was isolated from deep-sea sediment of South China Sea. Cells were strictly aerobic, Gram-stain negative, short rod-shaped and motile with a single lateral flagellum. Strain NH131(T) grew optimally at pH 6.5-7.0 and 25-30 °C. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain NH131(T) belonged to the genus Devosia, sharing the highest sequence similarity with the type strain, Devosia geojensis BD-c194(T) (96.2%). The predominant fatty acids were C(18 : 1)ω7c, 11-methyl C(18 : 1)ω7c, C(18 : 0) and C(16 : 0). Ubiquinone 10 was the predominant ubiquinone. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipid, three glycolipids and two unknown lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain NH131(T) was 63.0 mol%. On the basis of the results of polyphasic identification, it is suggested that strain NH131(T) represents a novel species of the genus Devosia for which the name Devosia pacifica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain...
Microbulbifer elongatus strain HZ11, was a new strain of M. elongates DSM 6810(T), which has the ... more Microbulbifer elongatus strain HZ11, was a new strain of M. elongates DSM 6810(T), which has the ability to degrade brown seaweeds such as Laminaria japonica into single cell detritus particles. Here we report a high quality draft genome of M. elongatus strain HZ11, which comprises 4,223,108bp in 9 contigs with the G+C content of 56.70%. A total of 3293 protein-coding sequences were predicted, including nine alginate lyases (EC 4.2.2.3), five agarases (EC 3.2.1.81), 2-dehydro-3-deoxygluconate kinase (EC 2.7.1.45) and all enzymes involved in the Entner-Doudoroff pathway. Our results suggest that strain HZ11 has the potential ability to produce bioethanol from alginate with moderate genetic modification, which may significantly increase the yield of bioethanol from brown seaweed and the utilization rate of brown seaweeds.
Halomonas sp. FS-N4 is a bacterium, which can grow in the medium Marine Broth 2216 with 5M initia... more Halomonas sp. FS-N4 is a bacterium, which can grow in the medium Marine Broth 2216 with 5M initial hydrogen peroxide concentration, shows a strong oxidation resistance, and the crude enzyme activity can reach as high as 13.33katal/mg. We reported the draft genome sequence of H. sp. FS-N4, showing that it contains 3434 protein-coding genes, including the genes putatively involved in the response to the oxidative stress, among which a phytochrome-like gene might be a key point to survive in the environment with high concentration of hydrogen peroxide and exhibit high catalase activity.
Recent studies reported an association between smaller birth size and narrower retinal vascular c... more Recent studies reported an association between smaller birth size and narrower retinal vascular caliber, but it remains unclear whether this association is attributed to confounding by shared environment or genetic factors. At a mean age of 9.3 years, 266 twins (49 monozygotic and 84 dizygotic pairs) in the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania underwent an ophthalmic examination including retinal photography. Retinal vascular caliber was measured using a validated protocol. The majority of these twins were also in the Tasmanian Infant Health Study, which prospectively collected data on birth parameters and antenatal maternal factors. We conducted the main analysis using linear mixed models, accounting for birth set clustering. Both the within-pair (-9.73; 95% CI: -14.68 to -4.77 microm per 5-cm decrease in birth length) and between-pair associations (-7.15; 95% CI: -11.54 to -3.01) with retinal arteriolar caliber were significant and of similar magnitude (difference in effect, P=0.61), after...
Previous research has shown that innate immune system was more important than the acquired immune... more Previous research has shown that innate immune system was more important than the acquired immune system in the pathogenesis of COPD. LL-37 is the only human cathelicidin identified so far. As an integral part of the innate immune system, besides antibacterial activity, its chemotactic activity, damage repairing, influencing apoptosis and its cytotoxicity are attracting people's attention. The aim of the present study was to evaluate role of LL-37 in the pathogenesis of COPD. ELISA and immunohistochemistry were applied to investigate the expression of LL-37 in induced sputum and lung tissue of COPD patients. Bronchial epithelial cell (BEP2D) and alveolar epithelial cell (A549) were treated with LL-37 synthesis polypeptide in vitro to assess the role of LL-37 in inflammation and apoptosis. We found that increased induced sputum levels of LL-37 in COPD patients were associated with airflow limitation, health status and exercise tolerance and the expressing intensity of LL-37 in bo...
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2015
A novel facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain HT7-2(T), was i... more A novel facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain HT7-2(T), was isolated from Ulva prolifera collected from the intertidal zone of Qingdao sea area, China, during its bloom. Cells were rod-shaped (1.9-3.5×0.4-0.6 µm), non-sporulating and motile by gliding. Strain HT7-2(T) was able to grow at 4-50 °C (optimum 40-42 °C), pH 5.5-8.5 (optimum pH 7.0), 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2-3 %) and 0.5-10 % (w/v) sea salts (optimum 2.5 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 38.8 mol%. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain HT7-2(T) belonged to the genus Maribacter with sequence similarity values of 94.5-96.6 %, and was most closely related to Maribacter aestuarii GY20(T) (96.6 %). Chemotaxonomic analysis showed that the main isoprenoid quinone was MK-6 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and unknown equivalent chain-length 13.565. The polar lipids of strain HT7-2(T) consisted of one phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidenti...
Most infections occur in pre-school children but the severity of the inflammatory response to com... more Most infections occur in pre-school children but the severity of the inflammatory response to common pathogens varies considerably. We examined the relationship between early childhood infections of sufficient severity to warrant hospitalisation, and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in adulthood. We investigated whether infection-related hospitalisation (IRH) in early childhood (0-5 years) was associated with adverse non-invasive phenotypes of atherosclerosis (carotid artery distensibility and intima-media thickness (IMT), and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD)) in adulthood in participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and adulthood. 1043 participants had lifetime IRH data with a mean age at adult follow-up of 33 years. Brachial FMD levels were significantly lower among individuals with early child IRH (mean ± SEM 8.15 ± 0.37 vs. 9.10 ± 0.16%, p = 0.03). These individuals had a 1.84% (95% CI 0.64-3.04, p = 0.002) greater decrease in FMD over a 6-year interval between two adult follow-ups at mean ages 27 and 33 years. Childhood IRH was associated with increased asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) in adulthood (0.62 ± 0.01 vs. 0.59 ± 0.01 μmol/l, p = 0.04), adjusted for age, sex, adult body mass index, and serum creatinine. Early childhood IRH was associated with lower carotid distensibility levels (1.95 ± 0.06 vs. 2.09 ± 0.02%/10 mmHg, p = 0.02), but not with carotid intima-media thickness (0.601 ± 0.006 vs. 0.596 ± 0.003 mm). All findings remained unchanged after adjustments for age, sex and conventional cardiovascular risk factors in childhood or adulthood. Infection-related hospitalisation in the pre-school period was associated with adverse adult atherosclerotic phenotypes and increased ADMA. Infection may contribute to causal pathways leading to the development of endothelial dysfunction and early atherosclerosis.
To study the effect of autogenous vein cuff and injection of cerebral cell growth peptide on the ... more To study the effect of autogenous vein cuff and injection of cerebral cell growth peptide on the recovery of the injured facial nerve. The injured facial nerve was anastomosed and covered with an autogenous vein cuff. Cerebral cell growth peptide was then injected to it. The different repairing methods were evaluated and compared with electromyography and observing functional recovery of the mimetic muscles. The new repairing method accelerated the recovery of the injured facial nerve. The recovery period of mimetic muscle function was significant shorter than the traditional method (P < 0.01). The recovery period of I-stage repairing was significant shorter than that of II--stage repairing (P < 0.01). The conduction velocity of the repaired facial nerves had no obvious differences between the new repairing method and the traditional method (P > 0.05). Application of the autogenous vein cuff to cover the nerve anastomosis and injection of cerebral cell growth peptide is a promising method for facial nerve repairing.
Undescended testis is the most common defect in male newborns. This condition is associated with ... more Undescended testis is the most common defect in male newborns. This condition is associated with increased risks of infertility and testicular malignancy due to abnormal germ cell development in the testes. Early surgery may limit such risks. We analyzed germ cell development vs age at orchiopexy using a germ cell marker and a Sertoli cell marker on testicular biopsies. A total of 22 testicular biopsies at orchiopexy in 20 patients 5 to 24.5 months old were fixed and embedded in paraffin. Sections were processed and labeled with AMH antibody for Sertoli cells and MVH antibody for germ cells for immunofluorescent histochemical analysis. Confocal images were counted using ImageJ (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland) for germ cells and testicular tubules. The data were analyzed using linear regression. Sertoli cells were clearly distinguished from MVH positive and negative germ cells located centrally or on basement membranes of tubules. Percentage of tubules with MVH negative germ cells significantly decreased with increasing age at orchiopexy (β = -0.03, p = 0.03). Total tubular numbers and "empty" tubules without germ cells significantly increased with age at orchiopexy (β = 1.15, p = 0.02 and β = 0.44, p = 0.04, respectively). AMH antibody distinguished Sertoli cells from germ cells, and MVH antibody distinguished 2 types of germ cells at different developmental stages. Biopsy at orchiopexy in older patients showed significant germ cell depletion. These results lend support to early surgery to optimize germ cell number.
Nurr1 plays an essential role in the development, survival, and function maintenance of midbrain ... more Nurr1 plays an essential role in the development, survival, and function maintenance of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, and it is a potential target for Parkinson's disease (PD). Nurr1 mRNA can be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but whether there is any association of altered Nurr1 expression in PBMC with the disease and DA drug treatments remains elusive. This study aimed to measure the Nurr1 mRNA level in PBMC and evaluate the effect of Nurr1 expression by DA agents in vivo and in vitro. The mRNA levels of Nurr1 in PBMC of four subgroups of 362 PD patients and 193 healthy controls (HCs) using real-time polymerase chain reaction were measured. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed to evaluate the differences between PD and HC, as well as the subgroups of PD. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent association of Nurr1 expression with Hoehn and Yahr scale, age, and drug treatm...
To examine the association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and age-related maculopathy (... more To examine the association between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene and age-related maculopathy (ARM) in an older population. Two thousand one hundred seventy persons 65 years and older sampled from 4 US communities had ARM signs assessed from retinal photographs using a modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. DNA extracted from blood samples was analyzed for common APOE alleles. After controlling for age, sex, cigarette smoking, and other factors, white participants carrying the epsilon2 allele had an increased risk of late ARM (odds ratio, 2.53 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-5.90]) while carriers of the epsilon4 allele had a lower risk of late ARM (odds ratio, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, 0.19-2.50]). There were too few late ARM cases in African American individuals for analysis. APOE polymorphism is associated with late ARM in older white persons 65 years and older. Consistent with previous studies, the APOE epsilon2 allele is associated with a significant increased risk of late ARM development, whereas the epsilon4 allele may confer some protection.
A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid- to rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated ... more A Gram-stain negative, aerobic, non-motile and ovoid- to rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated JB3(T), was isolated from a wastewater sample collected from the biochemical reaction basin of Haiyan fine chemical factory in Zhejiang, China. Strain JB3(T) was found to grow optimally at pH 7.0-8.0, at 28 °C and in the presence of 1.0-2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Chemotaxonomic analysis showed that strain JB3(T) contains ubiquinone-10 (>99 %) as the predominant respiratory quinone and C18:1 ω7c (70.9 %) as the most abundant fatty acid. The polar lipids of strain JB3(T) were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, an aminophospholipid, an unidentified aminolipid, four unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain JB3(T) was determined to be 68.1 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between the isolate and Roseovarius crassostreae DSM 16950(T), Roseovarius sediminilitoris KCTC 23...
The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2007
Depression has been linked with vascular risk factors and stroke. The authors examined the relati... more Depression has been linked with vascular risk factors and stroke. The authors examined the relationship between retinal microvascular abnormalities and depression symptoms in an elderly population. The Cardiovascular Health Study is a population-based study conducted in four U.S. communities initiated in 1989-1990. A total of 2,420 persons aged 65 years and older were included in the current analyses. During the 1997-1998 examination, retinal photographs were performed and assessed for retinal microvascular abnormalities (retinopathy, focal arteriolar narrowing, arteriovenous nicking, generalized retinal arteriolar narrowing, and generalized retinal venular dilation) according to standardized methods. Depression symptoms were assessed by a modified version of the Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale annually from 1989 through 1997-1998 and was defined as a CES-D score of >9. Participants with retinal microvascular abnormalities were not more likely to have d...
To examine the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism and retinal microvas... more To examine the association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism and retinal microvascular signs in an older population. Retinal photographs were taken of 2,152 participants (1,831 whites, and 321 African-Americans), aged 69-96 years, who were participating in a population-based study of four United States communities. We used standardized protocols to assess photographs for the presence of retinal microvascular signs (retinopathy, arterio-venous nicking, and focal arteriolar narrowing) and a computer-assisted method to measure retinal vessel diameters. We analyzed DNA extracted from blood samples of participants for common allelic variants of the APOE gene. After adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, smoking, total serum cholesterol, and other risk factors, we found white participants carrying the epsilon2 and epsilon4 alleles were more likely to have arterio-venous nicking than the epsilon3/epsilon3 homozygotes, with odds ratio (OR) of 1.70 and confidence...
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2014
Strain CMB17(T) was a short rod-shaped bacterium isolated from marine sediment of the Pacific Oce... more Strain CMB17(T) was a short rod-shaped bacterium isolated from marine sediment of the Pacific Ocean. Cells were Gram-stain-negative and non-motile. Optimal growth occurred at 25-30 °C, pH 6.5-7 and 0.5-1% (w/v) NaCl. The major fatty acid was C(18 : 1)ω7c (87.59%), and ubiquinone-10 was detected as the only isoprenoid quinone. The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CMB17(T) is most closely related to Paracoccus stylophorae KTW-16(T) (96.7%), P. solventivorans DSM 6637(T) (96.4%) and P. saliphilus YIM 90738(T) (96.4%). Based on phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain CMB17(T) is proposed to represent a novel species, denominated Paracoccus sediminis sp. nov. (type strain CMB17(T) = JCM 18467(T) = DSM 26170(T) = CGMCC 1.12681(T)).
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2014
A novel bacterial strain, NH131(T), was isolated from deep-sea sediment of South China Sea. Cells... more A novel bacterial strain, NH131(T), was isolated from deep-sea sediment of South China Sea. Cells were strictly aerobic, Gram-stain negative, short rod-shaped and motile with a single lateral flagellum. Strain NH131(T) grew optimally at pH 6.5-7.0 and 25-30 °C. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain NH131(T) belonged to the genus Devosia, sharing the highest sequence similarity with the type strain, Devosia geojensis BD-c194(T) (96.2%). The predominant fatty acids were C(18 : 1)ω7c, 11-methyl C(18 : 1)ω7c, C(18 : 0) and C(16 : 0). Ubiquinone 10 was the predominant ubiquinone. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipid, three glycolipids and two unknown lipids. The DNA G+C content of strain NH131(T) was 63.0 mol%. On the basis of the results of polyphasic identification, it is suggested that strain NH131(T) represents a novel species of the genus Devosia for which the name Devosia pacifica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain...
Microbulbifer elongatus strain HZ11, was a new strain of M. elongates DSM 6810(T), which has the ... more Microbulbifer elongatus strain HZ11, was a new strain of M. elongates DSM 6810(T), which has the ability to degrade brown seaweeds such as Laminaria japonica into single cell detritus particles. Here we report a high quality draft genome of M. elongatus strain HZ11, which comprises 4,223,108bp in 9 contigs with the G+C content of 56.70%. A total of 3293 protein-coding sequences were predicted, including nine alginate lyases (EC 4.2.2.3), five agarases (EC 3.2.1.81), 2-dehydro-3-deoxygluconate kinase (EC 2.7.1.45) and all enzymes involved in the Entner-Doudoroff pathway. Our results suggest that strain HZ11 has the potential ability to produce bioethanol from alginate with moderate genetic modification, which may significantly increase the yield of bioethanol from brown seaweed and the utilization rate of brown seaweeds.
Halomonas sp. FS-N4 is a bacterium, which can grow in the medium Marine Broth 2216 with 5M initia... more Halomonas sp. FS-N4 is a bacterium, which can grow in the medium Marine Broth 2216 with 5M initial hydrogen peroxide concentration, shows a strong oxidation resistance, and the crude enzyme activity can reach as high as 13.33katal/mg. We reported the draft genome sequence of H. sp. FS-N4, showing that it contains 3434 protein-coding genes, including the genes putatively involved in the response to the oxidative stress, among which a phytochrome-like gene might be a key point to survive in the environment with high concentration of hydrogen peroxide and exhibit high catalase activity.
Recent studies reported an association between smaller birth size and narrower retinal vascular c... more Recent studies reported an association between smaller birth size and narrower retinal vascular caliber, but it remains unclear whether this association is attributed to confounding by shared environment or genetic factors. At a mean age of 9.3 years, 266 twins (49 monozygotic and 84 dizygotic pairs) in the Twins Eye Study in Tasmania underwent an ophthalmic examination including retinal photography. Retinal vascular caliber was measured using a validated protocol. The majority of these twins were also in the Tasmanian Infant Health Study, which prospectively collected data on birth parameters and antenatal maternal factors. We conducted the main analysis using linear mixed models, accounting for birth set clustering. Both the within-pair (-9.73; 95% CI: -14.68 to -4.77 microm per 5-cm decrease in birth length) and between-pair associations (-7.15; 95% CI: -11.54 to -3.01) with retinal arteriolar caliber were significant and of similar magnitude (difference in effect, P=0.61), after...
Previous research has shown that innate immune system was more important than the acquired immune... more Previous research has shown that innate immune system was more important than the acquired immune system in the pathogenesis of COPD. LL-37 is the only human cathelicidin identified so far. As an integral part of the innate immune system, besides antibacterial activity, its chemotactic activity, damage repairing, influencing apoptosis and its cytotoxicity are attracting people's attention. The aim of the present study was to evaluate role of LL-37 in the pathogenesis of COPD. ELISA and immunohistochemistry were applied to investigate the expression of LL-37 in induced sputum and lung tissue of COPD patients. Bronchial epithelial cell (BEP2D) and alveolar epithelial cell (A549) were treated with LL-37 synthesis polypeptide in vitro to assess the role of LL-37 in inflammation and apoptosis. We found that increased induced sputum levels of LL-37 in COPD patients were associated with airflow limitation, health status and exercise tolerance and the expressing intensity of LL-37 in bo...
International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2015
A novel facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain HT7-2(T), was i... more A novel facultatively anaerobic, Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain HT7-2(T), was isolated from Ulva prolifera collected from the intertidal zone of Qingdao sea area, China, during its bloom. Cells were rod-shaped (1.9-3.5×0.4-0.6 µm), non-sporulating and motile by gliding. Strain HT7-2(T) was able to grow at 4-50 °C (optimum 40-42 °C), pH 5.5-8.5 (optimum pH 7.0), 0-8 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum 2-3 %) and 0.5-10 % (w/v) sea salts (optimum 2.5 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 38.8 mol%. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain HT7-2(T) belonged to the genus Maribacter with sequence similarity values of 94.5-96.6 %, and was most closely related to Maribacter aestuarii GY20(T) (96.6 %). Chemotaxonomic analysis showed that the main isoprenoid quinone was MK-6 and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and unknown equivalent chain-length 13.565. The polar lipids of strain HT7-2(T) consisted of one phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidenti...
Most infections occur in pre-school children but the severity of the inflammatory response to com... more Most infections occur in pre-school children but the severity of the inflammatory response to common pathogens varies considerably. We examined the relationship between early childhood infections of sufficient severity to warrant hospitalisation, and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in adulthood. We investigated whether infection-related hospitalisation (IRH) in early childhood (0-5 years) was associated with adverse non-invasive phenotypes of atherosclerosis (carotid artery distensibility and intima-media thickness (IMT), and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD)) in adulthood in participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status and cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and adulthood. 1043 participants had lifetime IRH data with a mean age at adult follow-up of 33 years. Brachial FMD levels were significantly lower among individuals with early child IRH (mean ± SEM 8.15 ± 0.37 vs. 9.10 ± 0.16%, p = 0.03). These individuals had a 1.84% (95% CI 0.64-3.04, p = 0.002) greater decrease in FMD over a 6-year interval between two adult follow-ups at mean ages 27 and 33 years. Childhood IRH was associated with increased asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) in adulthood (0.62 ± 0.01 vs. 0.59 ± 0.01 μmol/l, p = 0.04), adjusted for age, sex, adult body mass index, and serum creatinine. Early childhood IRH was associated with lower carotid distensibility levels (1.95 ± 0.06 vs. 2.09 ± 0.02%/10 mmHg, p = 0.02), but not with carotid intima-media thickness (0.601 ± 0.006 vs. 0.596 ± 0.003 mm). All findings remained unchanged after adjustments for age, sex and conventional cardiovascular risk factors in childhood or adulthood. Infection-related hospitalisation in the pre-school period was associated with adverse adult atherosclerotic phenotypes and increased ADMA. Infection may contribute to causal pathways leading to the development of endothelial dysfunction and early atherosclerosis.
To study the effect of autogenous vein cuff and injection of cerebral cell growth peptide on the ... more To study the effect of autogenous vein cuff and injection of cerebral cell growth peptide on the recovery of the injured facial nerve. The injured facial nerve was anastomosed and covered with an autogenous vein cuff. Cerebral cell growth peptide was then injected to it. The different repairing methods were evaluated and compared with electromyography and observing functional recovery of the mimetic muscles. The new repairing method accelerated the recovery of the injured facial nerve. The recovery period of mimetic muscle function was significant shorter than the traditional method (P < 0.01). The recovery period of I-stage repairing was significant shorter than that of II--stage repairing (P < 0.01). The conduction velocity of the repaired facial nerves had no obvious differences between the new repairing method and the traditional method (P > 0.05). Application of the autogenous vein cuff to cover the nerve anastomosis and injection of cerebral cell growth peptide is a promising method for facial nerve repairing.
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