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[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the genetic variation of gE gene of an epidemic pseudorabies virus (PRV) strain and its pathogenicity to piglets. [Method] By serial passage in Vero cells, a PRV strain was isolated from the brain tissues of stillborn fetuses delivered by sows with suspected PRV infection and preliminarily identified by PCR. gE gene of the isolated PRV strain was amplified and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. In addition, the pathogenicity of the isolated PRV strain to 6-week-old piglets was evaluated. [Result] A PRV strain was successfully isolated and named PRV N5B strain, which could proliferate in Vero cells and TCID50 of the 15th generation virus liquid reached 107.125/0.1 ml. Specific bands could be amplified by PCR. gE gene in the isolated PRV strain was 1 740 bp in length. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on full-length gE sequences, which showed that PRV N5B strain and PRV strains isolated since 2012 were clustered into the same independent category and shared 99.7%-100% homology of nucleotide sequences. Compared with related sequences published previously, there were insertions of three consecutive bases at two loci. Animal experiments showed that intranasal inoculation of 6-week-old piglets with 2 ml of PRV N5B strain (106/0.1 ml) led to a mortality rate of 100%. [Conclusion] In this study, genetic variability of gE gene in PRV N5B isolate and its pathogenicity to piglets were analyzed, which provided a theoretical basis for the development of new vaccines to prevent and control porcine pseudorabies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Vascular oxidative stress is an important factor in hypertension-associated vascular damage and is mediated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activation. The C242T polymorphism at the p22PHOX gene affects binding of p22PHOX to heme, leading to variants of NADPH oxidase that produce different levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Specific variations in ROS are associated with an altered risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In the present study, 140 permanent Kashmiri-resident individuals were recruited (75 with essential systemic hypertension and 65 normotensive controls). Endothelial function was assessed non-invasively using high-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery. Endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity was expressed in terms of flow-mediated dilation. The TT genotype was identified in 2% of hypertensive and 7% of normotensive individuals. Frequency of the T-allele was not observed as significantly different between hypertensive and normotensive individuals (P=0.24; OR=0.4; 95% CI, 0.07-2.2). Blood pressure or the prevalence of hypertension did not vary between C242T p22PHOX genotypes or in the presence or absence of the T-allele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are known to undergo functional changes that contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis. Wnts are a family of secreted glycoproteins that bind to transmembrane Frizzled receptors and initiate signaling cascades with indispensable roles during cell migration, adhesion, proliferation, and survival. The present study reports that wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 3a (Wnt3a) activates the canonical Wnt pathway in rat VSMCs by triggering the phosphorylation of β3-catenin at position Ser675 and GSK-3β at position Ser9. Phosphorylation of these two proteins increases VSMC migration and adhesion. In a search for the downstream mediators of Wnt3a's effects on VSMC migration and adhesion, Wnt3a treatment was observed to increase integrin-linked kinase (ILK) protein expression. ILK is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is thought to control cell migration and adhesion by regulating the affinity of βl-integrin for the extracellular matrix. Wnt3a treatment of VSMCs also activated βl-integrin without changing the quantity of protein expressed on the cell surface. These results demonstrate that Wnt3a enhances migration and adhesion of VSMCs by activating βl-integrin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnS inclusions in stainless steel can easily induce pitting corrosion, which seriously deteriorates the corrosion resistance of steel. Applying MnS inclusion control technology or modification technology is an effective way to improve the corrosion resistance of stainless steel. In this paper, the S32550 duplex stainless steel was taken as the research object, and the test steels with different Ce and Ti contents were smelted in a vacuum induction furnace under laboratory conditions. The modification effects of trace amounts of Ce and Ti on MnS inclusions in stainless steel and their effects on the corrosion resistance of stainless steel were studied by JSM - 6510 scanning electron microscope, periodic corrosion weight loss test, AC impedance test, Tafel polarization curve test and other test methods. Results showed that after adding 0.047% (mass fraction) Ce into the steel, the inclusions in S32550 steel changed from MnS into Mn - S - Ce - O composite ones, the size of the inclusions was decreased from about 14 μm to about 3 μm, and the corrosion rate was reduced by 63% compared with that before adding Ce. After adding 0.051% (mass fraction) Ti into the steel, the inclusions changed from MnS into Mn - S - Ti - N composite ones, and the size was decreased from about 14 μm to about 4 μm. The corrosion rate was reduced by 33% compared with that before adding Ti. Furthermore, after adding 0.052% (mass fraction) Ce and 0.054% (mass fraction) Ti, the inclusions changed from MnS into Mn - Ce - Ti - O composite ones, and the size was decreased from about 14 μm to about 2 μm. The corrosion rate was reduced by 76% compared with that before adding Ce and Ti. Therefore, adding Ce and Ti could both increase the capacitive arc radius and self - corrosion potential of the test steel and decrease their self - corrosion current, significantly improving the corrosion resistance of S32550 steel. Besides, the effect of Ce was better than that of Ti, and the effect of adding Ce and Ti together was better than adding Ce or Ti alone.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) relay intercropping with maize exposes sweet potato to weak levels of sunlight due to the shadow maize creates during the symbiotic period. The insufficient light accordingly causes slow growth and development of vines and leaves of sweet potato in its early stage. The planting density and row direction of maize, the width of the intercropping strip, and the lodging type of sweet potato may form various photo conditions that influence sweet potato. The objective of this experiment was to research the effects of different ridging types on sweet potato and to elucidate the mechanisms of ecological conditions, photosynthetic physiology and intercropping benefits. The results indicated that, contrast to the one wideridge with planting two rows of sweet potato and two narrow ridges with planting two rows, mound planting was more superior in many aspects. Through mound planting sweet potato showed a larger range of temperature in air and soil, higher net photosynthetic rate, more active enzymes related with photosynthesis, and more benefits of relay intercropping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potato/maize relay-cropping mode is considered as the main farming practices of dry land in Southwest China. Although relay-cropping would cause the reduction of fresh tuber yield, it still remained unclear that the reason was shade resulted from maize or genotype of sweet potato. The present work aims at exploring the effects of maize (Zea mays L.) planttype on photosynthetic physiology and yield of sweet potato (Ipomoea balatas L.) in relay-cropping system. Besides, three plant-types maize cultivars including compact, semi-compact and expanded type were used for relay-cropping with different sweet potato cultivars ('Yushu-2', 'Yushu-6' and 'Nanshu-88') in field. The results showed that the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was declined with the increase of expansion of maize plant-type, which decreased by 77.5%, 80.1% and 82.1% respectively. When relay-cropped with extended maize, the yield reduction rate of sweet potato was the highest (67%). The shade-resistance of different genotype of sweet potatoes was different, and the yield reduction rate of 'Yushu-2' was the lowest (37.01%). Through conducting correlations analysis, it showed that fresh tuber yield had significant positive correlation with Effective Quantum Yield (Y(II)) and significant negative correlation with Non Photochemical Quenching Coefficient (NPQ). In terms of 'Yushu-2', the proportion of heat dissipation was the lowest, and its light quantum efficiency was higher than others. As a result, its reduction rate of yield was lower than the other two. We suggested that compact maize cultivar relay-cropping with strong shade-resistance sweet potato cultivar should be mainly applied in practice of sweet potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]