[Expression and significance of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in oral lichen planus and oral squamous cell cacinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the differences among the expressions of p38 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK), phospho-p38MAPK and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC).

METHODS

In the study, 53 cases of OLP, 45 of OSCC, and 18 controls were obtained and 4-μm-thick histological sections were prepared from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks.The expressions of p38MAPK,phospho-p38MAPK and NF-κB were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Furthermore, the expressions of p38MAPK and phospho-p38MAPK were detected using Western blotting analyses in the fresh tissues from 11 cases of OLP, 5 cases of OSCC, and 7 cases of the controls.

RESULTS

p38MAPK was over-expressed in the lamina propria, but lowly expressed in the epithelium in OLP group. Phospho-p38MAPK was lower expressed in OLP group than in OSCC and control groups.NF-κB was found over-expressed in the lamina propria in OLP group.p38MAPK was found expressed in all the samples in the 3 groups. The expression of phospho-p38MAPK was observed in 8 (8/11) OLP samples, 5 (5/5) OSCC samples and 4 (4/7) controls by Western blotting, but no significant differences were found within the 3 groups.

CONCLUSION

p38MAPK can be detected in normal oral mucosa, OLP and OSCC. Phospho-p38MAPK may be related to the onset and progression of OSCC. The role of p38MAPK in OLP is yet to be revealed.

Tanshinone ⅡA inhibits human esophageal cancer cell growth through miR-122-mediated PKM2 down-regulation

Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) plays a pivotal role in the growth, survival and metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. Here, we presented for the first time that tanshinone ⅡA inhibited human esophagus cancer cell growth through miR-122-mediated PKM2 down-regulation pathway. Tanshinone ⅡA inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest in S phase in human Ec109 cells. As expected, tanshinone ⅡA down-regulated PKM2 mRNA and protein expression in Ec109 cells. Given these findings, we further investigated microRNAs regulation of PKM2 and confirmed miR-122 for targeting PKM2. Moreover, we found that tanshinone ⅡA-induced up-regulation of miR-122 expression inhibited PKM2 expression in Ec109 cells. Meanwhile, tanshinone ⅡA inhibited proliferation through miR122-medated PKM2 down-regulation. It was demonstrated that the anticancer activity of tanshinone ⅡA was targeted at metabolic regulation of miR-122/PKM2 in human esophagus cancer cells. Taken together, our results revealed tanshinone ⅡA targeting at PKM2-mediated metabolic reprogramming play an important role in inhibition of esophageal cancer cell growth.

Process of Bipolaris sorghicola invasion of host cells

Target leaf spot is a sorghum leaf disease caused by Bipolaris sorghicola, a species of fungus with a global distribution. In this study, we investigated the process by which B. sorghicola invades cells of barley, onion, Arabidopsis thaliana species, and sorghum. The results showed that within 8 h of coming into contact with host cells, the hyphal ends of B. sorghicola expand and form a uniform infective penetration pegbolt-like structure; a primary infection mycelium can be formed inside host cells within 24 h after contact, which can infect closed cells after 48 h. A mycelium can grow within the gap between cells and form infective hyphae. The pathogen infection process was the same in different host cells. B. sorghicola can affect root cells through soil infection, indicating that it may also have characteristics of soil-borne pathogens.

A cluster of Mycobacterium massiliense keratitis in foundry workers

Three consecutive workers from the same foundry had Mycobacterium massiliense keratitis. The strains isolated from each patient were identical. This is the first report of a non-surgery-related outbreak of non-tuberculous mycobacterial ocular infection. An investigation revealed that injured cornea with exposure to aerosolized non-tuberculous mycobacteria might account for this outbreak.

Electronic transport in NbSe₂ two-dimensional nanostructures: semiconducting characteristics and photoconductivity

The electronic transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) niobium diselenide (NbSe2) layer materials with two-hexagonal single-crystalline structures grown by chemical vapor transport were investigated. Those NbSe2 nanostructures isolated simply using mechanical exfoliation were found to exhibit lower conductivity and semiconducting properties, compared with their bulk metallic counterparts. Benefiting from lower dark conductivity, NbSe2 nanoflakes exhibit a remarkable photoresponse under different wavelengths and intensity excitations. The photocurrent responsivity and photoconductive gain can reach 3.8 A W(-1) and 300, respectively; these values are higher than those of graphene and MoS2 monolayers and are comparable with those of GaS and GaSe nanosheets. The presence of electron trap states at the surface was proposed as an explanation for the reduced dark conductivity and enhanced photoconductivity in the 2D NbSe2 nanostructures. This work identifies another possibility for the application of a metallic layer material as an optoelectronic component in addition to an ultrathin transparent conducting material.

Local dynamic range compensation for scanning electron microscope imaging system

This is the extended project by introducing the modified dynamic range histogram modification (MDRHM) and is presented in this paper. This technique is used to enhance the scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging system. By comparing with the conventional histogram modification compensators, this technique utilizes histogram profiling by extending the dynamic range of each tile of an image to the limit of 0-255 range while retains its histogram shape. The proposed technique yields better image compensation compared to conventional methods.

Suppression of lentivirus-mediated transgenic dendritic cells in graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice

We determined whether genetically engineered immature dendritic cells (imDCs) mediated by lentiviral vectors alleviate acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) in mice. We introduced the mouse chemokine receptor 7 (Ccr7) gene into the bone marrow-derived imDCs of C57BL/6 mice to construct genetically engineered imDCs. A 1:1 mixture of bone marrow and spleen cells from the donors was injected into the recipients, which were divided into four groups: radiation, transplantation, empty vector, and transgenic imDC groups. Symptoms, clinical scores, GVHD pathological changes, and survival times and rates of recipients were recorded; secretion of IFN-γ and IL-4, and allogeneic chimerism rates were detected. The survival time of the transgenic imDC group (27.5 ± 7.55 days) was significantly longer than in the other three groups (P < 0.01). The GVHD score of the imDC group mice was significantly lower than in the transplantation and empty vector groups (P < 0.05), which meant that mice in the transgenic imDC group had the lightest pathology damage in the target organs. In the transplantation group, IFN-γ increased while IL-4 decreased. In contrast, IFN-γ decreased and IL-4 increased in both empty vector and trans-imDC groups, and the difference was significant in the latter (P < 0.01). Thirty days or more following transplantation, the allogeneic chimerism rate was still 95-100%, suggesting complete donor type implantation. Ccr7 transfection into imDCs suppressed occurrence and severity of acute GVHD after allo-BMT in mice; the mechanism might be associated with IFN-γ decrease and IL-4 increase.

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of a Doublesex gene from Daphnia carinata (Crustacea: Cladocera) during different reproductive stages

To better understand the reproductive transformation mechanism of Daphnia carinata, a Doublesex (Dsx) gene was cloned based on rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and was designated DapcaDsx2. Next, we compared similarities and assumed homology based on deduced amino acid sequences. It showed 97.52, 87.94, and 85.11% identity to orthologous genes in D. magna, D. pulex, and D. galeata respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that DapcaDsx2 clustered in the same class, and was evolutionarily more distant to sequences from other species. qRT-PCR showed that DapcaDsx2 was most abundantly expressed during sexual reproduction (P < 0.05). Using digoxigenin-labeled RNA probes, we studied DapcaDsx2 expression in parthenogenetic and sexual females by whole-mount in situ hybridization. The results revealed that DapcaDsx2 was mainly expressed in the second antennae and several sites of the ventral carapace, whereas higher expression levels were found in sexual than in parthenogenetic females. This suggests that the DapcaDsx2 gene is involved in switching modes of reproduction and in sexual differentiation.

Establishment of a new cell line from the heart of giant grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch), and its application in toxicology and virus susceptibility

A new marine fish cell line, derived from the heart of giant grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch), was established and characterized. The cell line was designated as ELGH and subcultured with more than 60 passages. The ELGH cells were mainly composed of fibroblast-like cells and multiplied well in Leibovitz's L-15 medium supplemented with 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS) at 28 °C. Chromosome analysis indicated that the modal chromosome number was 48. The fluorescent signals were detected in ELGH when transfected with green fluorescent protein reporter plasmids. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50 ) of the extracellular products (ECPs) from Streptococcus iniae and Vibrio alginolyticus E333 on ELGH cells was 60.02 and 12.49 μg mL(-1), respectively. Moreover, the ELGH cells showed susceptibility to Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV), but not to soft-shelled turtle iridovirus (STIV), red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) and spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), which was demonstrated by the presence of a severe cytopathic effect (CPE) and increased viral titres. In addition, electron microscopy observation showed that abundant virus particles were present in the infected cells. Taken together, our data above provided the potential utility of ELGH cells for transgenic and genetic manipulation, as well as cytotoxicity testing and virus pathogenesis.

Effects of conservative laparoscopic endometrial cystectomy and use of kidney-reinforcing and blood activating traditional Chinese medicine on ovarian functions

This study investigated functional changes in the ovaries of women who have had conservative laparoscopic endometrial cystectomy and the effects of traditional kidney-reinforcing and blood-activating Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on ovarian function. Seventy female patients who underwent laparoscopic endometrial cystectomy were randomized into two groups: TCM group receiving kidney-reinforcing and blood-activating Chinese medicine (N = 35) and control group receiving only routine follow-up (N = 35). The serum levels of all study participants were measured for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2) and inhibin B (INHB) prior to and after endometrial surgery. Postoperative menstruation conditions were also assessed. Compared to preoperative conditions, both LH and FSH levels during the postoperative 1st month increased in both groups, while E2 and INHB levels decreased (P < 0.05). In the TCM group, in contrast to the control group and the postoperative 1st month, we observed a decrease in LH and FSH levels during the postoperative 4th month, while E2 and INHB levels increased (P < 0.05). In this study, we found that certain TCM prescriptions lowered postoperative serum FSH and LH levels and increased the serum INHB and basal E2 levels, thereby improving the ovarian reserve.

Effects of arginine 10 to lysine substitution on ω-conotoxin CVIE and CVIF block of Cav2.2 channels

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

ω-Conotoxins CVIE and CVIF (CVIE&F) selectively inhibit Cav2.2 channels and are lead molecules in the development of novel analgesics. At physiological membrane potentials, CVIE&F block of Cav2.2 channels is weakly reversible. To improve reversibility, we designed and synthesized arginine CVIE&F analogues in which arginine was substituted for lysine at position 10 ([R10K]CVIE&F), and investigated their serum stability and pharmacological actions on voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs).

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Changes in peptide structure due to R10K substitution were assessed by NMR. Peptide stability in human serum was analysed by reversed-phase HPLC and MS over a 24 h period. Two-electrode voltage-clamp and whole-cell patch clamp techniques were used to study [R10K]CVIE&F effects on VGCC currents in Xenopus oocytes and rat dorsal root ganglion neurons respectively.

KEY RESULTS

R10K substitution did not change the conserved ω-conotoxin backbone conformations of CVIE&F nor the ω-conotoxin selectivity for recombinant or native Cav2.2 channels, although the inhibitory potency of [R10K]CVIF was better than that of CVIF. At -80 mV, the R10K chemical modification significantly affected ω-conotoxin-channel interaction, resulting in faster onset kinetics than those of CVIE&F. Heterologous and native Cav2.2 channels recovered better from [R10K]CVIE&F block than CVIE&F. In human serum, the ω-conotoxin half-lives were 6-10 h. CVIE&F and [R10K]CVIE&F were more stable than CVID.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

R10K substitution in CVIE&F significantly alters the kinetics of ω-conotoxin action and improves reversibility without diminishing conotoxin potency and specificity for the Cav2.2 channel and without diminishing the serum stability. These results may help generate ω-conotoxins with optimized kinetic profiles for target binding.

Differential expression of hemolymph proteins between susceptible and insecticide-resistant Blattella germanica (Blattodea: Blattellidae)

A proteomic approach combining two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry was used to compare hemolymph expression profiles of a beta-cypermethrin-resistant Blattella germanica L. strain and a beta-cypermethrin-susceptible strain. Twenty-eight hemolymph proteins were differentially expressed in the resistant cockroach strain; 19 proteins were upregulated and 9 proteins were downregulated compared with the susceptible strain. Protein identification indicated that expression of putative cuticular protein, nitric oxide synthase, triosephosphate isomerase, alpha-amylase, ABC transporter, and Per a 3 allergen was elevated, and expression of arginine kinase and glycosidase was reduced. The differential expression of these proteins reflects the overall change in cellular structure and metabolism related to the resistance of pyrethroid insecticides.

First Report of Leaf and Fruit Spot of Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju Caused by Colletotrichum truncatum in China

In the spring of 2011, leaf and fruit spot symptoms were observed in three orchards planted with Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju in Longmen City, Guangdong Province. The incidence of fruit and leaf spot ranged from of 5 to 25% across all three orchards. Similar symptoms were not observed on the fruit of C. reticulata cv. Shiyue Ju planted at the same orchards. Lesions on the diseased leaves and fruit first emerged on the lower portions of the trees and were initially small, circular, and diffuse in distribution over the leaf surface. Within 2 weeks, the small circular spots on the leaves and fruit enlarged to brown sunken necrotic lesions ranging from 5 to 30 mm in diameter. To isolate the causal organism, symptomatic leaves and fruit peels (from different trees) adjacent to the lesions as well as the lesions themselves were surface-disinfested with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min and rinsed three times with sterile water. The tissues were then plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) under alternating light and dark conditions at 28°C for 4 days. Sixteen fungal isolates with nearly identical fungal colonies were recovered from all samples. After 7 days of incubation, isolates with grayish white to dark gray mycelium and salmon pink conidia masses were observed. The conidia were hyaline, smooth-walled, aseptate, one-celled, and falcate, with oil droplets in the cytoplasm. The conidia were 19.7 to 22.5 (mean = 21.5) × 2.8 to 3.9 (mean = 3.4) μm. The fungal colonies also produced acervuli, setae, and sclerotia in the culture. The cultural and morphological characteristics of these isolates were consistent with the description of Colletotrichum truncatum (2). The ACT, TUB2, CHS I, GAPDH, and ITS regions of four representative isolates (GenBank Accession Nos. KF591214, KF591213, KF591211, KF591212, and KF011205) were sequenced and identical to those of the type specimen of C. truncatum CBS 151.35. To determine pathogenicity, leaves of three 3-year-old potted plants and ten 8-month-old fruit of C. reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju were each wound-inoculated with 20 μl of a suspension of conidia (1 × 10⁵ conidia/ml). Leaves of an additional two potted plants and 10 similarly-aged fruit were wound-inoculated with 20 μl of sterile water as control. The citrus plants and fruit were then maintained at 90% relative humidity at 28°C with a 12-h photoperiod. Symptoms identical to those observed in the orchards in Longmen City developed on all of the inoculated citrus leaves and fruit after 14 days. The controls remained healthy throughout this period. The inoculation experiment was performed a second time with identical results. Isolates of C. truncatum identical to that of the isolate used for inoculation were obtained from all the inoculated symptomatic citrus leaves and fruit. C. truncatum has a broad host range and is known to be pathogenic on several crops including Medicago sativa L., Phaseolus lunatus, and Arachis hypogea (1,2,3,4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf and fruit rot of C. reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju caused by C. truncatum in China. The golden-yellow fruit of C. reticulata Blanco cv. Nian Ju are commonly displayed during the Spring Festival of the Chinese New Year, and future epidemics of fruit spot may affect sustainability of this important cultural practice. References: (1) P. A. Backman et al. Plant Dis. 66:1032, 1982. (2) U. Damm et al. Fungal Divers. 39:45, 2009. (3) C. Eken and E. Demirci. Plant Dis. 84:100, 2000. (4) F. Huang et al. Fungal Divers. 61:61, 2013.

Fatigue life enhancement of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments by progressive reciprocating operation

AIM

To evaluate the effect of reciprocating amplitude and progressive angular increment on fatigue life enhancement of NiTi rotary endodontic instruments.

METHODOLOGY

ProTaper F2 instruments were operated in steel artificial canals with both stationary reciprocating (SR) and progressive reciprocating (PR) motions. The SR motions involved symmetric to and fro reciprocation of ± 180(o) , ± 135(o) , ± 90(o) , ± 60(o) and ± 45(o) . The PR motions were ± 45(o) stationary motion superimposed with angular increments of 7(o) , 11(o) , 22.5(o) or 31(o) whenever an instrument completed 1, 10 or 30 reciprocating cycles (rc). The fatigue lives were compared with those under continuous rotation (CR) and a reciprocating operation with a forward 144(o) and backward 72(o) motion proposed by Yared (2008). The statistical significance of these operating modes on fatigue life was examined using one way anova and post hoc Tukey's tests at P = 0.05. Fractographic analysis was also applied to probe the fracture mechanisms of different rotation motions.

RESULTS

Fatigue life increased with decreasing reciprocating amplitude. Operating in the SR increased fatigue life by 355% over that in the CR. Except for the 22.5(o) increment, all PR motions yielded longer fatigue lives than the SR motion. A progressive reciprocating operation with a ± 45(o) reciprocating amplitude and a + 7(o) progressive angular increment every 10 reciprocating cycles (± 45(o) /10rc/+7(o) ) increased fatigue life by 990% over that in the CR motion. In terms of life enhancement over the CR motion, the larger the curvature the less are the differences between different movements. Single crack initiation sites were found in the CR and SR motions, while three crack initiation sites were typical in the ± 45(o) /10rc/+7(o) motion.

CONCLUSIONS

Fatigue life increased with decreasing reciprocating amplitude in stationary reciprocation. A progressive reciprocating operation with ± 45(o) /10rc/+7(o) motion led to significant fatigue life enhancement and multiple fatigue crack initiation in NiTi endodontic instruments.

Upgraded high time-resolved x-ray imaging crystal spectroscopy system for J-TEXT ohmic plasmas

This paper presents the upgraded x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer (XICS) system on Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT) tokamak and the latest experimental results obtained in last campaign. With 500 Hz frame rate of the new Pilatus detector and 5 cm × 10 cm spherically bent crystal, the XICS system can provide core electron temperature (Te), core ion temperature (Ti), and plasma toroidal rotation (VΦ) with a maximum temporal resolution of 2 ms for J-TEXT pure ohmic plasmas. These parameters with high temporal resolution are very useful in tokamak plasma research, especially for rapidly changed physical processes. The experimental results from the upgraded XICS system are presented.

Cardiac autonomic function and insulin resistance for the development of hypertension: a six-year epidemiological follow-up study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To explore the impact of cardiac autonomic function (CAF) and insulin resistance (IR) on incident hypertension.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In 1996, 1638 subjects finished baseline examination, which included anthropometry, blood pressures, CAF, blood biochemistry, plasma insulin, urine examination and electrocardiogram. CAF included standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals or RR intervals (SDNN), low- and high-frequency power spectrum (LF and HF), and LF/HF ratio at supine for 5 min, the RR interval changes during lying-to-standing maneuver, and the ratio between the longest RR interval during expiration and the shortest RR interval during inspiration (E/I ratio). We used homeostasis model assessment to define beta cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). In total, 992 non-hypertensive participants completed the follow-up assessment in 2003 and 959 participants were included for the final analysis. Incident hypertension was determined by blood pressure status at follow-up. In unadjusted model, both square root of HOMA-IR (OR:3.37, 95%CI: 2.10-6.64) and HOMA-B (OR:0.996, 95%CI: 0.992-0.999) were related to incident hypertension. In multivariate model, square root of HOMA-IR (OR:1.97, 95%CI: 1.05-3.70), but not HOMA-B, was associated with incident hypertension. After further adjustment for baseline CAF, the positive relationship between the square root of HOMA-IR and incident hypertension disappeared. In contrast, LF/HF ratio (OR:1.18, 95%CI: 1.01-1.37), HF power (OR:0.98, 95%CI: 0.96-0.999), and E/I ratio (OR:0.71, 95%CI: 0.54-0.95) were each independently associated with incident hypertension after further adjustment for HOMA measures.

CONCLUSION

Sympathovagal imbalance with an apparently decreased parasympathetic tone is an important predictor of incident hypertension independent of IR.

miR-499A>G rs3746444 and miR-146aG>C expression and hepatocellular carcinoma risk in the Chinese population

We conducted a case-control study of a possible association of miR-499A>G rs3746444 and miR-146aG>C rs2910164 with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Samples from 172 hepatocellular carcinoma patients and 185 cancer-free controls were collected from October 2008 to December 2011. PCR-RFLP analysis was performed to determine the polymorphisms in each individual. The MAFs of miR-146aG>C and miR-499A>G in controls were similar to that known from the SNP database, and frequencies of genotypes in controls were in line with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. We found that miR-499 AG was significantly associated with decreased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma when compared with miR-499 AA genotype (adjusted odds ration = 0.74, 95% confidence interval = 0.24-0.96). However, subjects carrying miR-146a GG had a non-significant 0.62-fold decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. We did not find a significant association of miR-146aG>C rs2910164 and miR-499A>G rs3746444 polymorphisms with hepatocellular carcinoma risk in the Chinese population. Further investigations are warranted to clarify the relationship between miRNA polymorphisms and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma risk in various ethnic populations.

First Report of Colletotrichum siamense Causing Leaf Drop and Fruit Spot of Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Shiyue Ju in China

Citrus reticulata Blanco cv. Shiyue Ju, which produces one of China's most popular tropical fruits, is widely planted throughout southern China. In 2008, a new citrus disease was found in Zhaoqing City in Guangdong Province on about 20,000 ha. Yield losses averaged 15% on a wide range of different aged trees of C. reticulata cv. Shiyue Ju. No yield losses were observed on C. reticulata cv. Gong gan. Symptoms first appeared on young leaves as leaf lesions, which were reddish-brown, elliptical, and 2 to 5 mm in diameter. After several weeks, 20 to 70% of leaves dropped and 10 to 50% of fruits on the trees showed brown spots (5 to 40 mm in diameter). Leaves and fruit peels adjacent to and including lesions from different trees were surface disinfested with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 1 min and rinsed three times in sterile water. Then the tissues were plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) in alternating light and dark at 28°C for 3 days. Twenty-three similar isolates of a fast-growing fungus were recovered from all samples. For identification, single-spore cultures were grown on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28°C. Initially, the colonies were white, but after 5 days, they became pale gray with concentric zones and greenish black beneath. No setae, acervuli, or ascocarp were observed in the PDA culture. Conidia formed in pink conidial masses, were hyaline, fusiform, straight, obtuse at the ends, sometimes slightly curved, and 14 to 20 × 4.5 to 6 μm (x¯ = 16.2 ± 1.5 × 4.9 ± 0.5, n = 100). The cultural and morphological characteristics of these isolates matched the description of Colletotrichum siamense (3), but not that of C. gloeosporioides or C. acutatum, which cause anthracnose on citrus plants (1,2). The actin, β-tubulin, CHS I, CAL, GPDH, and ITS regions of four representative isolates (GenBank KC524462, KC524463, KC524464, KC524465, KC524466, and KC524467) were identical and with almost 100% identity to those of the type specimen of C. hymenocallidis isolate CSSN3 (C. hymenocallidis is synonymous with C. siamense) (4), except for two inconsistent nucleotide bases in the GPDH gene. Four potted plants of C. reticulata cv. Shiyue Ju were used for pathogenicity tests. On each plant, 10 randomly selected leaves and four 6-month-old fruits were wound-inoculated with 20 μl of sterile water or conidial suspensions (1 × 10⁵ conidia per ml). Plants were then maintained at 90% relative humidity with a 12-h photoperiod at 28°C. Symptoms resembling those in the field were observed on three inoculated plants after 14 days. In another similar experiment without wounding, three of 20 inoculated plants exhibited the symptoms after 14 days. Controls remained healthy throughout this period. The tests were performed three times. C. siamense was reisolated from all diseased inoculated plants, and the culture and fungus characteristics were the same as the original isolate. Thus, C. siamense was determined to be the pathogen causing leaf drop and fruit spot on C. reticulata cv. Shiyue Ju. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf drop and fruit spot on C. reticulata cv. Shiyue Ju caused by C. siamense. References: (1) H. Benyahia et al. Plant Pathol. 52:798, 2003. (2) N. A. Peres et al. Plant Dis. 89:784, 2005. (3) H. Prihastuti, et al. Fungal Diversity 39:89, 2009. (4) B. Weir et al. Stud Mycol. 73:115, 2012.

The impact of short daily hemodialysis on anemia and the quality of life in Chinese patients

Anemia is a frequent complication in hemodialysis patients. Compared to conventional hemodialysis (CHD), short daily hemodialysis (sDHD) has been reported to be effective in many countries except China. The aim of the present study was to determine whether sDHD could improve anemia and quality of life (QOL) for Chinese outpatients with end-stage renal disease. Twenty-seven patients (16 males/11 females) were converted from CHD to sDHD. All laboratory values were measured before conversion (baseline), at 3 months after conversion (sDHD1), and at 6 months after conversion (sDHD2). The patient's QOL was evaluated at baseline and 6 months after conversion using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Hemoglobin concentration increased significantly from 107.4±7.9 g/L at baseline to 114.4±6.8 g/L (P<0.05) at sDHD1, and 118.3±8.4 g/L (P<0.001) at sDHD2 (Student paired t-test). However, the dose requirement for erythropoietin decreased from 6847.8±1057.3 U/week at baseline to 5869.6±1094.6 U/week (P<0.05) at sDHD2. Weekly stdKt/V increased significantly from 2.05±0.13 at baseline to 2.73±0.20 (P<0.001) at sDHD1, and 2.84±0.26 (P<0.001) at sDHD2. C-reactive protein decreased from baseline to sDHD1 and sDHD2, but without statistically significant differences. Physical and mental health survey scores increased in the 6 months following conversion to sDHD. sDHD may increase hemoglobin levels, decrease exogenous erythropoietin dose requirements, and improve QOL in Chinese hemodialysis patients compared to CHD. A possible mechanism for improvement of clinical outcomes may be optimized management of uremia associated with the higher efficiency of sDHD.

First evidence for the contribution of the genetic variations of BRCA1-interacting protein 1 (BRIP1) to the genetic susceptibility of cervical cancer

BRIP1 (BRCA1-interacting protein 1), a DNA-dependent ATPase and a DNA helicase, is critical for BRCA-associated DNA damage repair functions, and may be involved in the development of cervical cancer. Genetic markers in different regions of the BRIP1 gene have a plausible role in modulating the risk of cervical cancer. In this study, we evaluate the association between the BRIP1 variations and the risk of cervix cancer. We examined the potential association between cervical cancer and eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs2048718, rs16945692, rs4968451, rs6504074, rs4988344, rs8077088, rs10515211, rs9897121, rs9906313, rs2159450, rs4986764, rs11871785, rs4986763, rs11079454, rs7213430, rs34289250, rs4988345 and rs12937080) of the BRIP1 gene using the MassARRAY system. The participants enrolled in this study included 298 patients with cervical cancer and 286 healthy women as the healthy controls from a Chinese Han population. The results showed that rs16945692 (intron 1), rs4968451 (intron 4), rs4986764 (exon 18) and rs7213430 (3'UTR) were significantly associated with cervical cancer (P<0.05). Furthermore, strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) was observed in three blocks (D'>0.9), and significantly more T-A-C-A haplotypes (block 1) (P=0.001) were found in the patients with cervical cancer. Significantly higher frequencies of C-A-T haplotypes (block 2) (P=0.018) and A-A haplotypes (block 3) (P=0.009) were detected in the healthy controls than in the patients with cervical cancer, suggesting that they may show protective effects against cervical cancer. These findings point to a role for the BRIP1 gene polymorphisms in cervical cancer in a Chinese Han population, and may be informative for future genetic or biological studies on cervical cancer.

The identification of a bacterial strain BGI-1 isolated from the intestinal flora of Blattella germanica, and its anti-entomopathogenic fungi activity

A bacterial strain BGI-1 was isolated from the gut of German cockroaches (Blattella germanica L.) and was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on 16S rDNA sequence and morphological, physiological, and biochemical characters. The strain BGI-1 inhibited the growth of Beauveria bassiana; the diameter of the inhibition zone exceeded 30 mm. Vesicles were observed in B. bassiana hyphae on the edge of the inhibition zone. Fermentation of BGI-1 reduced the conidial germination rate by 12%. Further studies demonstrated that B. bassiana infections in German cockroaches orally treated with the extracts of BGI-1 fermentation were significantly weakened. Cumulative mortality rate was 49.5% in the treatment group at the 20 d, while that of the control group was 62.3%. The study intends to understand the relationship between the intestinal flora and the cockroach. Those microbes with anti-entomopathogenic fungi activity might contribute to resisting the infection of pathogenic fungi.

Ficolin-A Enhances Inhibition of the C-Terminal 19 kDa Region of Merozoite Surface Protein-1 of Plasmodium berghei Using Test In Vivo

BACKGROUND

Malaria remains a serious public health problem with significant morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to identify whether ficolin-A could play an active role of against malaria infection.

METHODS

The function of ficolin-A was analyzed in mouse model. The open reading frame of ficolin-A was cloned from the liver of new born C57BL/6 mice by RT-PCR and then inserted into the expression vector of eukaryon to construct pVAX1-ficolin-A plasmid. Meanwhile, the open reading frame of the 19-kDa fragment of merozoite surface protein-1 of Plasmodium berghei (MSP119) was cloned and then the expression vector of eukaryon, pVAX1- MSP119 was constructed. Both recombinant vectors were used in the mouse model of infection by Plasmodium berghei.

RESULTS

pVAX1-ficolin-A alone could not significantly suppress parasite density and prolong survival time of infection mice; however, when injected pVAX1-ficolin-A and pVAX1-MSP119 together, the percent of invasion by Plasmodium was decreased (from 43.78% to 22.23% at 10 day after infection, compared to vector) and the survival time was prolonged significantly in the infection mouse model (P=0.01).

CONCLUSION

Ficolin-A can enhance the immunoprotection of MSP119, it implies ficolin-A may be used as immunoenhancer in the study of vaccine defending malaria.