Search

Summary: Background: Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar abortus equi (S. abortus equi) is well known as the aetiological agent of equine abortion. However, abortion caused by S. abortus equi has not been previously described in donkeys. Objectives: To investigate whether S. abortus equi was correlated with an abortion outbreak consisting of 61 abortions. Study design: Investigation of the clinical cases using pathoanatomical, bacteriological, serological and molecular approaches. Methods: Autopsies on nine aborted foetuses were performed. Tissue specimens from seven aborted foetuses and two mares were cultured and subjected to detection of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV‐1), equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV‐4) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) by polymerase chain reaction. The isolates were serotyped according to the Kaufmann−White scheme and analysed by multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST). Detection of EHV and EAV antibodies was performed in all pregnant mares. Results: No obvious gross lesions were observed in the foetuses. Nine Gram‐negative isolates were obtained from all nine tissue samples and were identified as Salmonella spp. All of the isolates belonged to the B group, the O antigen epitope was 4, 12 and H antigen was not obtained. The isolates of Salmonella were characterised as sequence type (ST) 251. Detection of EHV‐1, EHV‐4 and EAV was negative. Main limitations: The mechanism that causes abortion in donkeys needs further study and the lack of histological examination. Conclusion: Salmonella abortus equi was isolated as the single agent and was responsible for the abortions. Equine practitioners should be aware of S. abortus equi infection as a cause of abortion in donkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The aim was to investigate whether abnormal TTTTA and TTTCA repeat expansions in introns of SAMD12,TNRC6A and RAPGEF2 are involved in the pathogenesis of familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE). Methods: Five families diagnosed with FCMTE were included in the current genetic analysis. Whole‐exome sequencing was performed in selected patients of each family. TTTTA and TTTCA expansions were examined by repeat‐primed polymerase chain reaction. The clinical features of FCMTE were elicited as defined by the common genetic mechanism of 14 patients. Results: Abnormal TTTCA expansion was identified and co‐segregated in all five FCMTE families, four inserted in SAMD12 and one in RAPGEF2. The insertion of expanded TTTCA was not found in 116 control alleles. TTTTA expansion in SAMD12 was detected in 90.9% (10/11) of patients or mutation carriers; TTTTA expansion in RAPGEF2 was not found. The onset age of myoclonic tremor was 27.4 ± 5.9 (19–37) and epilepsy usually presented around age 34. Focal and generalized seizures were witnessed with various origins recorded by electroencephalogram. Cognitive deficits were not common within the first 3 years after epilepsy onset. Emotional instability was reported by most patients. No patients showed any cerebellar deficits. Valproate added with clonazepam is effective in controlling seizures but cannot guarantee a complete remission of tremor. Repeat length showed intergenerational instability and was inversely correlated with age at onset of myoclonic tremor and epilepsy. Conclusions: TTTCA expansion insertion is associated with FCMTE in Chinese families. The homogenous genetic mechanism allowed for a higher precision of FCMTE description. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of our study was to examine how serial urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and interleukin (IL)-18 concentrations change over time after kidney transplantation and whether we can use them to predict delayed graft function (DGF). Methods Spot urine samples for the NGAL and IL-18 tests were taken at 4, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after transplantation from every patient at hospital presentation. Urine samples were tested for NGAL by a chemiluminescence assay kit on the ARCHITECT I2000 immunology analyzer. IL-18 were measured by a quantitative immunoenzymatic assay kit. Serum samples for the creatinine measurement were taken at 24, 48, and 72 hours after kidney transplantation. Serum samples were tested for creatinine on the Olympus analyzer 5821 by alkaline picric acid method. The patients were divided into 2 groups: DGF group and non-DGF group. Results The urine NGAL levels were increased in DGF group at all points over the follow-up period. There are differences ( P < .05) in NGAL concentrations between DGF (n = 21) and non-DGF groups (n = 102). However, urine samples from the DGF group (n = 21) had increased IL-18 concentrations at 4, 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively compared with non-DGF group samples (n = 102) ( P < .05). There were obvious distinctions ( P < .05) of serum creatinine (SCr) levels in 24 hours between the DGF (n = 21) and non-DGF groups (n = 102). The specificity and positive predictive value of NGAL in the DGF diagnosis increased with time, but the sensitivity and negative predictive value do not change. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive, value and negative predictive value of IL-18 in the DGF diagnosis changed irregularly at multiple time points after transplant. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 24-hour SCr were 47.4% and 95.7%, respectively. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of combination of NGAL, IL-18, and SCr (area under the receiver–operating characteristic curve = 0.984; 95% CI, 0.887–0.994) were 90.9% and 100%, respectively. Overall, the combination of NGAL, IL-18, and SCr was found to have a significantly better positive predictive value than all the other combination assays ( P < .05). In addition, there were obvious distinction of the negative predictive value of NGAL and IL-18 combination compared with those of other combinations ( P < .05). Conclusions The combination of NGAL, IL-18, and SCr measurements after initiation of treatment may be highly effective for risk stratification in patients with DGF. The combination may be useful to cover the complete diagnostic window of patients presenting with DGF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile fabrication of flower-shaped porphyrin Janus colloids with oriented arrangement was demonstrated based on the interfacial assembly and water droplet template. The as-fabricated colloidal crystals from flower-shaped Janus particles show a special optical signal produced from the hierarchical structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The objective of the study was to investigate the differences in eggshell quality, bone quality and serum bone biochemistry markers associated with changes in age and dietary soybean oil levels in laying hens. 2. A total of 54, 19-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were housed in 18 battery cages (3 birds/cage) and randomly divided into three diet treatments for 90 d: control-fat (CF, 1.9% soybean oil), moderate-fat (MF, 7% soybean oil) and high-fat (HF, 10% soybean oil). 3. The hens’ body weights (BW), egg production, egg weights, eggshell thickness and femoral diameter were higher at d 90 than at d 60 or d 30. Meanwhile, feed intake, relative bone weights, all bone strength parameters and serum Ca were lower at d 90 or 60 than at d 30. 4. Compared to the CF hens, the feed intake, BW, abdominal fat pad weights and serum alkaline phosphatase activity were elevated in MF or HF hens. The eggshell thickness, relative femoral and tibial weight, femoral stiffness, femoral modulus, tibial mixed force and serum calcium and phosphorus levels were lower in MF or HF hens than CF hens. 5. These findings suggest that bone loss in caged hens starts from an early stage of the laying period, and dietary oil (particularly with diets over 10% soybean oil) has harmful effects on eggshell quality, bone strength and bone mineralisation from an early stage of the laying period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have theoretically investigated the optical properties of multilayer structures composed of a highly absorptive metal film and a photonic crystal with defects. It is found that when the photonic crystal containing defects is asymmetric, multiple near-perfect reflection peaks at defect wavelengths will appear within the total absorption broadband of the multilayer because of the highly absorptive metal film, while the high transmission peaks appear when the photonic crystal with defects is nearly symmetric. Such properties are significant for designing particular multichannel reflection and transmission filters in the visible and near infrared regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrients in animal manure are valuable inputs in agronomic crop production. Timely and reliable information on animal manure nutrient content will facilitate the utilization of manure as organic fertilizer and reduce any associated potential environmental problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using multiple linear regression (MLR), polynomial regression, and artificial neural network (ANN) models to determine nutrient content in dairy manure. Fresh manure samples (n = 86) from Holstein dairy cattle were collected from 34 dairy farms located in Beijing city, China. All samples were analyzed for nutrient content (ammonium nitrogen, total potassium, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) by standard laboratory methods. The physicochemical properties (specific gravity, electrical conductivity, and pH) of dairy manure samples were measured. Relationships between nutrient content and physicochemical properties were explored by MLR, polynomial regression, and ANN models. Several parameters (R², modeling efficiency statistic, mean squared error of prediction, mean bias, linear bias, and maximum bias) were calculated to evaluate model performance. The residual analysis results indicated that all MLR models for the testing data set had significant mean and linear bias. When compared with MLR and polynomial regression models, the ANN model for all nutrient contents had better performance with higher R² and modeling efficiency statistics and lower mean squared error of prediction, mean bias, linear bias, and maximum bias. These findings demonstrated that the ANN model may be an appropriate tool to predict dairy manure nutrient content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a series of chiral bifunctional hydrogen-bonding organocatalysts, the asymmetric cascade Michael/cyclization reaction between 2-substituted thiazolones and 2-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)malononitriles gives novel, potentially bioactive thiazole-fused spirooxindoles with good product yields and excellent enantioselectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the methods for the synthesis of spiro compounds containing dihydrofuran and coumarin moieties from 3-bromo-4-hydroxycoumarins as cyclic α-halo compound based.

Studies have demonstrated that obesity and osteoporosis are linked disorders in humans. This study examined the hypothesis that excessive lipid consumption affects bone metabolism in laying hens. A total of one hundred 63-wk-old laying hens were randomly divided into 2 treatments and fed either a regular layer diet (control) or a high energy and low protein diet (HE-LP; experimental treatment) for 80 d. Egg production, feed intake, and BW were recorded at various days during the treatment. At d 80, ten randomly chosen birds per treatment group were killed. Abdominal fat weight, liver weight, and liver fat content were determined. Serum levels of total calcium, inorganic phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase were measured using a biochemical analyzer. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin, leptin-like protein, and estrogen were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Tibia length and width were measured using a vernier caliper; density of the right tibias was determined using an x-ray scanner; and mechanical properties of the left tibias were analyzed using a material testing machine. The expression of osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin mRNA in the keel bone was analyzed by real-time PCR. The concentration of osteocalcin protein in the keels was measured using western blot. Compared with control hens, hens fed the HE-LP diet had lower egg production, lower feed intake, greater liver fat content, and greater abdominal fat pad mass (P < 0.05). Feeding the HE-LP diet increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin, leptin-like protein, and estrogen concentrations (P < 0.05), and decreased the keel osteocalcin concentrations (P < 0.05). There were significant positive correlations between the serum concentrations of leptin-like protein, estrogen, and osteocalcin regardless of treatment (P < 0.05). The results indicated that HE-LP diet induced a fatty liver disorder in laying hens with an upregulation in bone turnover and exacerbated skeletal damage. The data supported a role for lipid metabolism in skeletal heath of laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NAGL) was first extracted from neutrophil granules. Our previous study showed that the expression of NGAL mRNA and protein can be induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between NGAL and hypoxia/reoxygenation injury pathologies in HK-2 cells., Methods: The effect of NGAL on the proliferation of HK-2 cell lines was analyzed with a MTT colorimetric assay. Cell-cycle distribution and measurement of the percentage of apoptotic cells were performed by flow cytometry after stained with propidium iodide and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate. The expression of genes for apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 was analyzed with real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The expression of NGAL mRNA and protein was analyzed with real-time RT-PCR or Western blot, respectively., Results: HK-2 cells were treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation. HK-2 cells exhibited an increase in the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase and a decrease in the number of cells in the S and G2/M phases. The proliferation index is decreased. When HK-2 cells were treated with 200 ng/mL recombinant NGAL and hypoxia/reoxygenation, there were no effects on cell-cycle distribution. The ratio of early apoptotic cells in the control and hypoxia/reoxygenation groups were 1.1% and 26.5%, respectively. After the addition of 200 ng/mL recombinant NGAL, the ratio of early apoptotic cells in the hypoxia/reoxygenation group dropped to 19.6%. The expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 were significantly higher in the hypoxia/reoxygenation compared with the control group. After the addition of 200 ng/mL recombinant NGAL, the levels of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 decreased significantly compared with the control group., Conclusions: The action of NGAL against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury was due to inhibiting the apoptosis via inhibition of the expression of the genes of proapoptotic proteins Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objective: To study the prevalence of variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in platelet membrane glycoprotein (GP) Ib alpha in a Chinese Han population and to determine the relationship between VNTR polymorphisms and aspirin resistance., Methods: Three hundred healthy individuals and 110 patients with cerebral infarction volunteered to participate in this study. The genotype status of all participants was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Platelet aggregation in patients with cerebral infarction receiving aspirin (100 mg/day) for at least 7 days, was measured by optical transmission aggregometry., Results and Discussion: Only three alleles of GP Ib alpha, namely, B, C and D, were found. Type A was not found in the Chinese Han participants. Aspirin-sensitive patients were significantly more often of CC genotype than aspirin-semi-responders., Conclusions: Only three types of alleles B, C and D were detected in the north-eastern region of China. The CC genotype of the VTNR polymorphism in GPIb appears to be more sensitive to the inhibitory action of low-dose aspirin.

N1, P2 and P300 potentials were studied in 20 cases of cerebral infarction and 47 healthy controls with the standard technique of auditory event-related potentials. Healthy controls of both sexes, different ages, education levels and cognitive capacity did not show apparent differences in the latency of P300 (P greater than 0.05, respectively). The patient group, however, revealed a significant (P less than 0.001) prolongation of latency of P300 (means = 409.6 +/- 50 ms) as compared with 28 well matched healthy subjects (means = 337.7 +/- 24 ms). Although there was a slightly lower amplitude of P300 in the patient group, the difference between control and patient groups was not significant (P greater than 0.05). There was a significant difference in the Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination findings between control and patient groups (P less than 0.01), but it seems that evaluation of the cognition-related latency of P300 may be more objective and sensitive in distinguishing between organic and cognitive distress (P less than 0.001).