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Background Primary hyperoxaluria(PH)is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease that contains three subtypes (PH1, PH2 and PH3). Approximately 80% of PH patients has been reported as subtype PH1, this subtype of PH has been related to a higher risk of renal failure at any age. Several genetic studies indicate that the variants in gene AGXT are responsible for the occurrence of PH1. However, the population heterogeneity of the variants in AGXT makes the genetic diagnosis of PH1 more challenging as it is hard to locate each specific variant. It is valuable to have a complete spectrum of AGXT variants from different population for early diagnosis and clinical treatments of PH1. Case presentation In this study, We performed high-throughput sequencing and genetic analysis of a 6-year-old male PH1 patient from a Chinese family. Two variants (c.346G > A: p.Gly116Arg; c.864G > A: p.Trp288X) of the gene AGXT were identified. We found a nonsense variant (c.864G > A: p.Trp288X) that comes from the proband’s mother and has never been reported previously. The other missense variant (c.346G > A: p.Gly116Arg) was inherited from his father and has been found previously in a domain of aminotransferase, which plays an important role in the function of AGT protein. Furthermore, we searched 110 pathogenic variants of AGXT that have been reported worldwide in healthy local Chinese population, none of these pathogenic variants was detected in the local genomes. Conclusions Our research provides an important diagnosis basis for PH1 on the genetic level by updating the genotype of PH1 and also develops a better understanding of the variants in AGXT by broadening the variation database of AGXT according to the Chinese reference genome.

Clivia caulescens is an evergreen herbaceous flower with high ornamental value. In this study, we report its complete chloroplast genome sequence. The whole chloroplast genome was 158,149 bp in length, with a large single copy region (LSC, 86,250 bp), a small single copy region (SSC, 18,343 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (IRs, 26,778 bp). The overall GC content was 37.91%. There were 128 genes annotated, including 86 protein-coding genes, 34 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The phylogenetic tree showed that C. caulescens formed a monophyletic clade with C. miniata, C. miniata var. aurea, and C. gardenii.

Topical 5-fluorouracil (5FU) is clinically used for skin cancer. However, the skin penetration of 5FU is low and marginal due to its poor permeability, leading to its limited efficacy for cancer tr...

The polymorphism of cocrystals is not studied as widely as that of single-component crystals. In this work, two polymorphic forms of a cocrystal of melatonin with piperazine (MLT–PIP I and MLT–PIP ...

Prostate cancer (CaP) is a serious and common genital tumor. Generally, men with metastatic CaP can easily develop castration‑resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the pathogenesis and tumorigenic pathways of CRPC remain to be elucidated. The present study performed a comprehensive analysis on the gene expression profile of CRPC in order to determine the pathogenesis and tumorigenic of CRPC. The GSE33316 microarray, which consisted of 5 non‑castrated samples and 5 castrated samples, was downloaded from the gene expression omnibus database. Subsequently, 201 upregulated and 161 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the limma package in R and those genes were classified and annotated by plugin Mcode of Cytoscape. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and KEGG Orthology Based Annotation System 2.0 online tools to investigate the function of different gene modules. The BiNGO tool was used to visualize the level of enriched GO terms. Protein‑protein interaction network was constructed using STRING and analyzed with Cytoscape. In conclusion, the present study determined that aldo‑keto reductase 3, cyclin B2, regulator of G protein signaling 2, nuclear factor of activated T‑cells and protein kinase C a may have important roles in the development of CRPC.

Ligustrazine (or Tetramethylpyrazine, TMP) is an active pharmaceutical ingredient that faces the challenges of bitter taste and low oral bioavailability by the commercial phosphate salt (TMP-Pho). We tackled these challenges by forming salts with two sweeteners, acesulfame (Acs) and saccharine (Sac). Both salts effectively masked the bitter taste of TMP. Compared to TMP-Pho, TMP-Sac shows 43% lower solubility and 11% lower permeability while TMP-Acs shows higher (two-fold) solubility but 24% lower permeability. Both TMP-Acs and TMP-Sac exhibited approximately 40% higher bioavailability through reducing the rate of TMP absorption. Thus, salt formation with both sweeteners simultaneously addressed the challenges brought about by the bitter taste and lower bioavailability of TMP.

A Gram-staining-positive, moderately halophilic, aerobic, endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated WD4L-1T was isolated from surface-sterilized stem tissue of a poplar tree planted in the Wudalianchi National Geopark of Heilongjiang province, PR China. This novel isolate grew in the presence of 0–15 % (w/v) NaCl, at pH 6.0–9.0 and 15–50 °C; optimum growth was observed with 7–8 % (w/v) NaCl, at pH 7.0 and 30 °C. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain WD4L-1T belonged to the genus Lentibacillus , and was most closely related to Lentibacillus garicola SL-MJ1T with a sequence similarity of 96.1 %. The DNA G+C content of strain WD4L-1T was determined to be 36.9 mol%. The respiratory quinone was identified as menaquinone-7 (MK-7) and the major lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified phospholipid. The major fatty acids of strain WD4L-1T were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The results of the physiological and biochemical tests and the minor differences in the fatty acid profiles allowed a clear phenotypic differentiation of strain WD4L-1T from the closely related Lentibacillus garicola JCM 30131T. Thus, strain WD4L-1T represents a novel species of the genus Lentibacillus , for which the name Lentibacillus populi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WD4L-1T (=CGMCC 1.15454T=DSM 101738T). An emended description of the genus Lentibacillus is also provided.

In the process of chicken egg hatching, some eggs can not be hatched successfully due to the absence of fertilization. These eggs not only cause a lot of waste, but also infect other normal eggs with bacteria. In the study, the fertilized eggs and clear eggs is identified by using the visible/near-infrared spectrum. It is of great necessity to get the best time of identifying the clear eggs in the early of hatching, so the variation of eggs’ quality in the condition of hatching over time is studied. The results show that eggs are fresh after 24 hours’ hatching and eggs can not be eaten after 72 hours’ hatching while the best time of identification is within 36 hours. Static acquisition system is developed based on visible/near-infrared transmission spectrum for acquiring spectrum. Comparing the effect of the model of the different samples of same breed and samples of different breed, the different part of spectrum among fertilized eggs and clear eggs is deleted which caused by the color of eggshell and yolk, the effective spectral band are 355～590 and 670～1 025 nm. Adopting the pretreatment of PCA and comparing the accuracy of the various mathematical models with different time and the number of principal components decide the best number of principal components. Considering the production efficiency and comparing the different pretreatment methods of spectrum, for examples, SNV, MSC, Derivative correction and PCA, and various mathematical models are combined to establish the most efficient discriminant model. The result shows that the most efficient discriminant model is established with Fisher and based on the pretreatment of PCA after 24 hours’ hatching. And the precision rate is 87.18%. The study provides a new way for nondestructive and online identification of the fertilized eggs and clear eggs.

LpGPAT was obtained fromL. pensylvanicumusing RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The cloned full-length cDNA was 1544 bp; it encoded 410 amino acids and had a molecular size of 46 KDa. The nucleic acid sequence analysis showed that it shared high homology with other known GPATs. SMAT result suggests that there is a PlsC that exists in 176-322 amino acid sequence of LpGAPT; it means LpGPAT protein is a member of the family of acyltransferase and has acyltransferase enzymatic activity. Result of real-time quantitative PCR and semiquantitative PCR support LpGPAT gene is definitely induced by low temperature stress.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Portulaca oleracea extracts on growth performance and microbial populations in the ceca of broilers. A total of 120 one-day-old broilers were randomly divided into 3 groups. Portulaca oleracea extracts were added to diets at 0.2 and 0.4% (wt/wt; POL-0.2, POL-0.4), respectively. The control (CON) group was administered with no P. oleracea extract supplementation. Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were recorded every 2 wk. On d 28 and 42, the cecal contents were collected and assayed for Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium populations. Additionally, the pH of the ileum and cecum was measured. The results showed that both on d 28 and 42 BW gain of P. oleracea extract supplementation groups was significantly higher, whereas the feed conversion ratio was lower (P < 0.05) compared with CON. On d 28 and 42, significantly (P < 0.05) fewer E. coli were recovered from ceca of broilers provided with the POL-0.2 diet than from broilers provided with the control diet. The quantities of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium of POL-0.2 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than CON. Results showed P. oleracea extracts have no distinct influence on intestinal pH. These data suggest that P. oleracea extract supplementation significantly altered the cecal bacterial community without affecting the intestinal pH.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential application of the combination of microemulsion as a topical delivery vehicle in enhancing the absorption and efficacy of tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TWM). Various microemulsion formulations were developed and an optimal microemulsion (TWM-ME)，which presented spherical droplets and consisted of RH-40, IPM and water was 27: 3.3: 69.7 by weight. It possessd an average droplet size of 23.6 nm, a low viscosity of (3.56±0.12) mm2•s-1 Zeta electric potential was (–5.35±0.42) mV, refractive index was (1.3617±0.0051) nD20, conductivity was (97.6±3.6) μs/cm. Compared to the control solution, TWM-ME provided better skin permeability in vitro. Moreover, TWM-ME has noticeable anti-inflammatory and immune suppression effect. These results indicate that the combination of microemulsion represents an effective vehicle for topical delivery of TWM.

Plasmid DNA was extracted from all 38 strains of chicken Escherichia coli by alkaline lysis method. The agarose gel electrophoresis showed 23 plasmid patterns. The strains from the same source had the same, similar, or quite different plasmid profiles, while those from different sources generally did not have the same plasmid profiles. Therefore, the plasmid profiles can provide basic materials for epidemiological investigation on chicken Escherichia coli at molecular level.

Eight swainsonine (SW)-degrading bacteria were isolated from the soil where locoweed was buried for 6 months and one of the strains (YLZZ-2) was selected for further study. Based on morphology, physiologic tests, 16S rDNA sequence, and phylogenetic characteristics, the strain showed the greatest similarity to members of the order Stenotrophomonap and the closest to members of the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia group. The ability of the strain to degrade SW, as sole carbon source, was investigated under different culture conditions. The preferential temperature and initial pH value for the strain were 25～35 °C and 6.0～9.0, respectively. The optimal temperature for the strain was 30 °C and the optimal pH value was 7.0. There was positive correlation between degradation rate and inoculation amount. The growth of stain YLZZ-2 and degradation rate were fast, and YLZZ-2 could completely degradate 400 mg/L swainsoine within 24 h. There was a linear relationship between the growth of stain YLZZ-2 and degradation of swainsonine. These results highlight the potential of this bacterium to be used in detoxifying of SW in livestock consuming locoweed.

Thirty-eight isolates of Escherichia coli (E.coli) were isolated from chickens either ill or dead suspected with E.coli. These chickens come from chicken breeding farms in the districts of Baoding, Qinhuangdao and Beijing of China. The results of the antibiotics sensitivity test in the thirty-eight isolates to twenty-four kinds of antibiotics show that all isolates have presented antibiotic resistance disparately as well as multiresistance. All isolates are sensitive to Cephalosporins antibiotics and Aminoglycosides antibiotics such as Amikacin, Cefazolin, Cefradine, Cefoperazone and Ceftriaxone. Thirty-eight isolates are extremely resistant to Penicillins antibiotics, Lincomycins antibiotics, Tetracyclines antibiotics and Macrolides antibiotics such as Midecamycine, Lincomycin, Carbenicillin, Tetracycline, Amoxicillin. Antibiotics sensitivity test provides a guidance for antibiotic application and scientific research on poultry farms.

In this paper, a general solution of an n-layer inclusion problem in a limited region is obtained for the first time. The solutions of three-layer inclusion problems in a limited region under uniform strain field and under uniform stress field are given also. These solutions with undetermined constants are all expressed in closed form. The validity of these solutions is verified by numerical examples of several special cases. These solutions will enable us to study various stress distributions and elastic behavior of concrete materials in microscale.

In this paper, the analytical expressions of the effective elastic moduli E ∗ for concrete or other composite materials under a uniform stress field, a uniform strain field and a uniform field at infinity are obtained based on elastic theory. The new expressions provide a better estimate of E ∗ than the existing engineering formulas, and the differences between them are compared numerically. It is found that the effective elastic modulus E ∗ depends not only on the geometrical and physical parameters of microstructure, but also on stress state. The value of E ∗ is found to vary within a narrow region.

In this paper, the effective elastic moduli E ∗ and μ ∗ of concrete are obtained from the analytical solution of a two-dimensional microstructural model, and the relationships between E ∗ , μ ∗ and the elastic moduli of each constituent of concrete are studied. Engineering formulas of the effective elastic moduli on the basis of engineering mechanics are also derived and their advantages and limitations are assessed. The variation of E ∗ and μ ∗ values with the basic elastic moduli E1, E2 and E3 of sand (or aggregate), interface and cement paste is given. It is found that the E ∗ and μ ∗ values are affected significantly by the interface layer. The results provide a deeper understanding of the influences of each constituent of the microstructure on the overall behavior of concrete, and an analytical relationship between the nonlinear behavior of concrete and the properties of its constituent. They are also helpful for developing new high-strength concrete materials with an improved strength and stiffness.

Chemotherapy frequently results in neurocognitive deficits that include impaired learning and memory. Thus, it is important to prevent or ameliorate the persistence of cognitive impairment. Compound K was employed to examine the ameliorating effect on chronic treatment with cyclophosphamide. Eight week-old ICR mice were given 80 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, cyclophosphamide combined with compound K (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) or saline injections once per week for 4 weeks. Passive avoidance test and Y maze were used to evaluate memory and learning ability. Immunohistochemical staining for progenitor cell and immature neurons was used to assess changes in neurogenesis. Compound K (10 mg/kg) is able to ameliorate the decrease of neurogenesis in the hippocampus caused by cyclophosphamide. These results suggest that compound K might be a potential strategy to ameliorate or repair the disrupted hippocampal neurogenesis induced by the side effect of chemotherapy agent.

To develop a novel docetaxel (DOC)-loaded lipid microbubbles (MBs) for achieving target therapy and overcoming the poor water-solubility drawback of DOC.A novel DOC-loaded microbubble (DOC + MB) was prepared by lyophilization and the physicochemical properties including ultrasound contrast imaging of the liver were measured. The anti-tumor effect of the DOC + MBs combined with low-frequency ultrasound (LFUS; 0.8 Hz, 2.56 W/cm², 50% cycle duty) on the DLD-1 cancer cell line was examined using an MTT assay.The physicochemical properties of the two tested formats of DOC + MBs (1.0 mg and 1.6 mg) was shown: concentration, (6.74 ± 0.02) × 10⁸ bubbles/mL and (8.27 ± 0.15) × 10⁸ bubbles/mL; mean size, 3.296 ± 0.004 μm and 3.387 ± 0.005 μm; pH value, 6.67 ± 0.11 and 6.56 ± 0.05; release rate, 3.41% and 12.50%; Zeta potential, -37.95 ± 7.84 mV and -44.35 ± 8.70 mV; and encapsulation efficiency, 54.9 ± 6.21% and 46.3 ± 5.69%, respectively. Compared with SonoVue, the DOC + MBs similarly enhanced the echo signal of the liver imaging. The anti-tumor effect of the DOC + MBs/LFUS group was significantly better than that of DOC alone and that of the normal MBs/LFUS groups.The self-made DOC + MBs have potential as a new ultrasound contrast agent and drug-loaded microbubble, and can obviously enhance the antitumor effect of DOC under LFUS exposure.

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the possibility of Swainsonine (SW) degradation by bacterium. In a preliminary experiment, locoweed plant material was buried in soil for 6 months, and eight swainsonine-degrading bacteria strains were isolated from the soil around the buried plant by enrichment procedure. One of the strains (YLZZ-2) was selected for further study. Based on morphology, physiologic tests, 16S rDNA sequence, and phylogenetic characteristics, this strain showed the greatest similarity to members of the Stenotrophomonap and closest to members of the Stenotrophomonas maltophiliagroup. The ability of YLZZ-2 to degrade SW as sole carbon source, was investigated under different culture conditions. The preferential temperature and initial pH for the strain were 25i½ž35°C and 6.0i½ž9.0, respectively. The optimal temperature for this strain was 30°C and the optimal pH was 7.0. There was positive correlation between degradation rate and inoculation amount. YLZZ-2 could completely degradate 400 mg/L swainsoine within 24 h. There was a linear relationship between the growth of stain YLZZ-2 and degradation of swainsonine. These results highlight the potential of this bacterium to be used in detox of SW in livestock consuming locoweed. Key words: Swainsonine, biodegradation, Stenotrophomonap sp., detoxification, locoweed.

In this paper, from asymptotic equations of thick ring shell obtained on the basis of the equations of three dimensional elastic mechanics using geometric small parameter α=r0/R0, we find the solutions of the stresses and the deformations of thick ring shell submitted to the action of internal pressure q.

With the post-genome era coming, it is interesting to establish a new bioinformatics database, further integrate related information of the sequences and develop new methods to reveal the mechanism of life based on databases of sequence. We have built a professional bioinformatics database of non-coding miRNA named G-microRNA by means of PHP, MYSQL and so on. The database integrates more than 2,000 miRNA sequences including several model organisms-human, arabidopsis thaliana and virus. The pre-calculated Z curves and characteristics of each sequence are displayed in the database. Simultaneously, we have improved analytic softwares, selected famous predicting tools and hundreds of outstanding references, and shared our database in the internet. The construction of the database will provide much useful information and operation platform for bioinformatics further research.