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Salusin-β is a biologically active peptide, which plays an important role in promoting atherosclerosis, raising blood pressure, promoting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, participating in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and anti-inflammatory response. Salusin-β has certain predictive value for the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases, it is expected to find targets and thus support the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Pure bacterial cultures were isolated from different tissues of moribund Megalobrama terminalis from a high mortality event that occurred at a farm in Foshan, China. Two isolates (F2 and F3) were identified as Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. dysgalactiae based on morphological and biochemical detection as well as molecular analysis. In brain heart infusion broth, the best growth conditions of isolate F3 were 35ºC, salinity 5‰ and pH 7. Furthermore, infection with isolate F3 (1.2 × 106 CFU/fish) led to the death of M. terminalis and zebrafish (Danio rerio). However, isolate F3 had no obvious pathogenicity to tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). When the water temperature was 29ºC, the corresponding mortality rates for zebrafish infected by isolate F3 were higher than those at 23ºC. Culture for 24 and 72 hr with isolate F3 resulted in the same mortality rates for zebrafish. The antimicrobial susceptibility assay revealed that isolate F3 was susceptible to ampicillin, florfenicol and several other antibiotics but resistant to nalidixic acid, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, neomycin and amikacin. To our knowledge, this is the first report that S. dysgalactiae infected the subtropical freshwater fish M. terminalis, which indicates that this bacterium is a potential threat to subtropical freshwater fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of resistance to antimicrobials used in aquatic animals is an increasing concern for aquaculture and public health. To monitor the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and resistance genes in Aeromonas, a total of 106 isolates were collected from cultured freshwater animals in China from 1995 to 2012. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by the disk diffusion method. The highest resistance percentage occurred with ampicillin, rifampin, streptomycin, and nalidixic acid. Most strains were sensitive to fluoroquinolones, doxycycline, cefotaxime, chloramphenicol, and amikacin. The isolates from turtle samples had the highest levels of resistance to 11 of the 12 tested antimicrobials when compared with those from fish or shrimp. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequence results showed that all trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-resistant strains contained sul1, and 37.0% were positive for tetA in tetracycline-resistant strains. ant(3″)-Ia was identified in 13 (24.5%) streptomycin-resistant strains. Plasmid-borne quinolone resistance genes were detected in five Aeromonas hydrophila (4.7%), two of which carried qnrS2, while the other three strains harbored aac(6′)-Ib-cr. Two cefotaxime-resistant A. hydrophila were positive for blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-3. To our knowledge, this is the first report characterizing antimicrobial resistance in Aeromonas isolated from cultured freshwater animals in China, and providing resistance information of pathogen in Chinese aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Problems: Acute stroke patients should receive a rehabilitation assessment within 24-48 hours of hospitalization. Initial ambulation is known to reduce the occurrence of complications, improve the ability to perform activities of daily living, and reduce the risk of long-term disability., Purpose: To raise the initial ambulation willingness of acute stroke patients and to increase the willingness of these patients to receive rehabilitation treatment as soon as possible in order to reduce the long-term physical damage of the stroke incident., Resolutions: To develop and implement standard operating procedures for the initiation of ambulation (first time leaving the hospital bed) in acute stroke patients, to use health education brochures with texts and illustrations, and to have nurses physically assist patients to initiate ambulation., Results: The rate of ambulation initiation in acute stroke patients rose from 32.0% pre-intervention to 85.4% post-intervention., Conclusions: Acute stroke patients who initiate ambulation soon after experiencing a stroke may reduce their risk of acute complications, increase their ability to perform activities of daily living, and reduce the risk of long-term disability. Thus, encouraging early ambulation is extremely important to improving the prognosis of this patient population.