First Report of Bacterial Stem and Root Rot of Sweetpotato Caused by a Dickeya sp. (Erwinia chrysanthemi) in China

Since 2006, stem and root rot of sweetpotato has been observed in fields at a number of sweetpotato-production areas in Huidong, Haifeng, Puning, and Zhanjiang counties and Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province of China. Initially, the leaves turn yellow, and a black, water-soaked rot occurs on the bottom of the stems that gradually extends to the top of the stems. Finally, the entire plant collapses and dies. Bacteria were consistently isolated from stems of diseased seedlings by streaking on nutrient agar. Twelve representative isolates were chosen for further characterization. All strains grew at 37°C, were gram negative, facultatively anaerobic, and rod shaped with peritrichous flagella. The strains were negative for oxidase and positive for catalase and tryptophanase (indole production) They fermented glucose, reduced nitrates to nitrites, degraded pectate, produced phosphatase and lecithinase, and utilized citrate, tartrate, malonate, glucose, sucrose, fructose, and maltose, but not trehalose and lactose. These characteristics were similar to those of Erwinia chrysanthemi (Pectobacterium chrysanthemi) (1). PCR was performed on the 16S rDNA gene from isolate H12 (1,503 bp; GenBank Accession No. GU252371) with primers 27f (5'-GAGAGTTTGATCCTGGCTCAG-3') and reverse primer (5'-GGCTACCTTGTTACGACTTC-3'). Subsequently, PCR products were sequenced. Results of sequence analysis showed the sequence of isolated strain H12 was 99% identical to that of E. chrysanthemi, 99% identical to that of type strain CFBP 1269T of Dickeya dadantii (Accession No. AF520707), and 98% identical to that of type strain CFBP 1200T of D. dianthicola (Accession No. AF520708). Recently, E. chrysanthemi was transferred to Dickeya gen. nov., but it was difficult to identify the species within the genus Dickeya. Seedlings (20 to 30 cm) were planted in 10-cm-diameter plastic pots containing sterilized field soil at room temperature. Four days later, five stem tops of sweetpotato were injected with a bacteria suspension (10⁸ CFU/ml) of approximately 100 μl to fulfill Koch's postulates. Five control plants were inoculated with sterile distilled water. The experiment was conducted three times. All plants were incubated in a chamber at 30°C with high humidity. One to two days after inoculation, symptoms were observed in all inoculated plants and appeared to be identical to those observed in the field. No symptoms were noted on the control plants. The bacterium was reisolated from symptomatic stems of sweetpotato plants. This pathogen was previously reported on sweetpotato in the United States in 1974 (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Dickeya sp. (E. chrysanthemi) causing bacterial stem and root rot of sweetpotato in China. References: (1) D. J. Brenner et al. Page 670 in: Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. 2nd ed. Springer, New York, 2005. (2) N. W. Schaad et al. Phytopathology 67:302, 1977.

Genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferase associated with antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity in Chinese tuberculosis patients

This study was designed to investigate the association of genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome P450 subtype 2E1 (CYP2E1) and glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) with susceptibility to antituberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ADIH) in Chinese tuberculosis patients. All patients were treated with a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Genomic DNA from 104 patients with ADIH and 111 without ADIH was analysed for the frequency of CYP2E1 RsaI and GSTM1 RsaI genotypes by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The association of polymorphisms with susceptibility to ADIH was calculated using the chi(2)-test and logistic regression analysis. The CYP2E1 RsaI polymorphisms were significantly associated with ADIH and the c1/c1 genotype was an independent risk factor for ADIH. Compared with the GSTM1 RsaI present genotype, the GSTM1 RsaI null genotype tended to increase susceptibility to ADIH, but the association with ADIH was not significant. The results indicate that CYP2E1 RsaI genotype c1/c1 is a potential risk factor for ADIH in the Chinese population. The tendency of the GSTM1 RsaI null genotype to increase susceptibility to ADIH needs further study.

Unfavorable prognosis of elderly patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Extranodal nasal-type NK (natural killer)/T-cell lymphoma in elderly patients is rare, and its prognosis is unclear. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of this lymphoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We analyzed 24 patients (age, >60 years old) with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma. Among these patients, 23 received radiotherapy alone (n = 15) or radiotherapy and chemotherapy (n = 8) and 1 received chemotherapy alone.

RESULTS

Elderly patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma were characterized by male predominance, good performance, large proportion of localized disease, more comorbidities, low-risk international prognostic index, and unfavorable prognosis. The 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for all patients were 54.3%, 42.0%, and 40.2%, respectively. The 5-year CSS, OS, and PFS rates were 43.5%, 36.6%, and 34.1% in patients who received radiotherapy alone, and 50%, 50%, and 50% in patients who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively (P = 0.852 for CSS, P = 0.801 for OS, and P = 0.694 for PFS). Four patients died of treatment-related mortality.

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients with early-stage extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma exhibit poor prognosis and need special attention because of high treatment-related mortality.

Involvement of p21 (waf1) in merlin deficient sporadic vestibular schwannomas

Previous studies have demonstrated that merlin acts as a tumor suppressor by blocking Ras-mediated signaling. However, the mechanism by which merlin controls cell proliferation has remained obscure. Here we show that merlin deficient tumors exhibited loss of p21, concomitant with elevated CDKs/cyclin D1 levels in sporadic vestibular schwannomas (VS) from clinic patients. Likewise, silencing of merlin gene expression in the cell lines resulted in down-regulation of p21. Furthermore, we find that merlin-enhanced p21 protein stability, rather than increased RNA accumulation, was responsible for the elevated p21 levels. Interestingly, p21 was required to maintain merlin levels and the inhibitory effect of merlin on Ras signaling was partially overridden by knockdown of p21. Consistent with the observation that over-expression of merlin arrested cell growth at G1-phase, the current study indicates that merlin exerts its antiproliferative effect, at least in part, by maintaining p21 expression, and loss of p21 is a prominent feature of merlin deficient schwannomas.

Measurements of h(c)(1P(1)) in psi' decays

We present measurements of the charmonium state h(c)(1P(1)) made with 106x10(6) psi' events collected by BESIII at BEPCII. Clear signals are observed for psi'-->pi0 h(c) with and without the subsequent radiative decay h(c)-->gamma eta(c). First measurements of the absolute branching ratios B(psi'-->pi0 h(c)) = (8.4+/-1.3+/-1.0) x 10(-4) and B(h(c)-->gamma eta(c)) = (54.3+/-6.7+/-5.2)% are presented. A statistics-limited determination of the previously unmeasured h(c) width leads to an upper limit Gamma(h(c))<1.44 MeV (90% confidence). Measurements of M(h(c)) = 3525.40+/-0.13+/-0.18 MeV/c2 and B(psi'-->pi0 h(c)) x B(h(c)-->gamma eta(c)) = (4.58+/-0.40+/-0.50) x 10(-4) are consistent with previous results.

Exploring the binding features of polybrominated diphenyl ethers as estrogen receptor antagonists: docking studies

The polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) accumulating in nature are known to be endocrine-disrupting compounds. Of first concern are those interacting with and altering activity of the human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha). In this study a docking study was carried out to explore the binding modes of PBDE compounds as hERalpha antagonists. It was found that some of the PBDE compounds with antiestrogenic activity extended into the channel of the estrogen receptor (ER), which is usually occupied by the alkylamine side chain of the ER antagonists raloxifene (RAL) and 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHT), while most PBDE compounds without antiestrogenic activity adopted binding modes similar to that of ER agonist 17beta-estradiol (E2), located in the binding cavity and which did not protrude into the channel. The present study suggests that pose comparison based on docking is useful for discriminating whether or not PBDE compounds have antiestrogenic activity. Knowing the binding modes of compounds in hERalpha can help to screen out antiestrogenic compounds and further develop descriptive and predictive models in ecotoxicology.

New clinical features of thyroid cancer in eastern China

OBJECTIVE

Analyze recent clinical features of thyroid cancer in eastern China.

METHODS

Investigation and comparison of clinical data of thyroid cancer patients from 1996 to 2006 from the Department of Head and Neck Surgery in the Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

RESULTS

The number of patients with thyroid cancer rose from 148 in the year 1996 to 572 in the year 2006, a 3.9-fold increase. Routine ultrasound survey during physical examination revealed four cases (2.7%) in 1996 and 285 cases (49.8%) in 2006. The sensitivity of the ultrasound survey in thyroid cancer diagnosis was 86.66% in 1996 and 88.20% in 2006 (P>0.05). Papillary carcinoma was most prevalent (87.8% in 1996 and 92.8% in 2006). An increasing proportion of small tumors was found. The incidence of microcarcinoma was 35.7% in 2006 in contrast with 20.3% in 1996 (P<0.01). Moreover, tumors with diameter from 1 to 2 cm were found in 38.5% patients in 2006 as opposed to 27.0% in 1996 (P<0.01). Extrathyroid extension was reported in 46 (31.1%) patients in 1996, but only in 39 (6.8%) in 2006 (P<0.01). Central cervical lymph node metastases were found in 98 (66.2%) patients in 1996, contrasting with 301 (52.6%) in 2006 (P<0.05). Thirty-seven (25.0%) patients had lateral cervical lymph node metastasis in 1996 compared with 117 (20.5%) in 2006 (P>0.05). Last, the proportion of stage I cancers in 2006 was higher than that in 1996.

CONCLUSION

With the increasing incidence of thyroid cancer, cancer was discovered at an earlier stage. This is due to new clinical features of thyroid cancer, such as the decrease in tumor diameter, the lower rate of extrathyroid extension and of cervical lymph node metastasis. Routine ultrasound survey during physical examination has become the most common way to detect thyroid cancer. Increasing usage of diagnostic scrutiny, including the ultrasound survey, has most likely contributed to the increased incidence through detection of small thyroid cancers. Increased use of ultrasound to screen thyroid cancer in early stages should lead to better therapeutic outcome.

Autotrophic nitrogen removal discovered in suspended nitritation system

A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor was operated in batch mode to treat ammonium-rich synthetic wastewater, and minor N loss (about 9%) was observed without seeding anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria (AnAOB). Around 4 wk after the dissolved oxygen concentration was decreased (from 0.9+/-0.1 to 0.4+/-0.1 mg L(-1)) and the hydraulic retention time was elevated (from 11.0 to 14.7 h), 80% of total nitrogen removal efficiency and 0.49 kg N m(-3) d(-1) of maximum nitrogen removal capacity were obtained. During a single cycle, a peak of NO2(-) concentration was observed at 60 min, and the pH first increased from 8.02 to 8.17 and then returned to 8.04. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that the aerobic ammonium-oxidizing genus Nitrosomonas dominated the community, while AnAOB and very small amounts of Nitrospira spp. were also detected. The ratio of nitrate produced to ammonia consumed (0.10+/-0.02) was lower than that achieved with the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite process. This study revealed that nitritation, Anammox and autotrophic denitrification were responsible for the nitrogen removal. The nitrate production was caused by the co-action of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria and AnAOB.

[The efficacy of donepezil for post-stroke aphasia: a pilot case control study.]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of donepezil for post-stroke aphasia.

METHODS

Sixty patients with acute post-stroke aphasia were divided into treatment group and a control group. All patients had been treated for secondary prevention according to the guideline. The treatment group received donepezil hydrochloride (5 mg/d) for 12 weeks. The efficacy of treatment was measured by comparing the changes of scores of Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) between baseline and 12 weeks later.

RESULTS

Compared with the baseline, the changes of scores of all items of WAB and Aphasia Quotient (AQ) in both group after 12 weeks follow-up were great, however, the change of AQ was significantly greater in donepezil group (34.14 +/- 17.70)than that in control group (20.69 +/- 17.26)(P = 0.004). The patients in donepezil group also showed significant recovery in spontaneous speech, comprehension, repetition, and naming than those in control group (P < 0.05). The rate of significant improving in donepezil group was 60.0% which was significantly greater than that in control group (26.7%) (P = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

There are spontaneous recovery of post-stroke aphasia within 3 months. Donepezil may facilitate the recovery in spontaneous speech, comprehension, repetition, and naming functions.

[Discomfort of right eye and right maxilla region after dental implant placement: a case report]

Discomfort of right eye and right maxilla region occurred after a dental implant placement in a patient who surfered stabilized osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD) of sphenoid sinus. In this article, the case was discussed and the relevant literature was reviewed. The possible causes of eye and maxilla discomfort may be associated with OFD, hyper allergic response to implant material and surgical trauma, and psychical factors as well.

Production of dairy goat embryos, by nuclear transfer, transgenic for human acid beta-glucosidase

Expression of recombinant human lysosomal acid beta-glucosidase (hGCase) by a transgenic animal bioreactor, using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), would decrease the cost of producing this product. The objective was to establish an effective procedure to prepare hGCase transgenic donor cells and nuclear transfer (NT) embryos to produce hGCase protein in the Saanen dairy goat mammary gland. A mammary-specific expression vector for hGCase was constructed and transfected into HC-11 mammary epithelial cells for bioactivity analysis in vitro; mRNA transcripts and hGCase protein were correctly expressed in transfected HC-11 cells. The hGCase gene was then introduced into fetal fibroblasts (from dairy goats) to prepare competent transgenic donor cells. Transgenic fibroblast clones from a single round of transfection were reliably isolated by 96-well cell culture plates and screened with PCR amplification and chromosomal counting (66.8%). Dairy goat cloned embryos were produced from these hGCase fetal cells by SCNT, the hGCase transgene was successfully detected in these embryos, and there were similar rates (P>0.05) of fusion (83.3% vs. 77.8%), cleavage (89.1% vs. 90.9%), and development to the morula/blastocyst stages (36.4% vs. 38.9%) between NT embryos using transgenic fetal fibroblasts and non-transfected control cells. Moreover, 98 well-developed reconstructed embryos derived from transgenic cells were transferred to 16 recipients; pregnancy was confirmed at 40 d in two goats. Therefore, we achieved functional expression of hGCase in mammary gland cells and normal development to Day 40 of cloned embryos carrying the hGCase gene.

Response of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar to transgenic poplar, Populus simonii x P. nigra, expressing fusion protein gene of the spider insecticidal peptide and Bt-toxin C-peptide

The response of the Asian gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) to a fusion gene consisting of the spider, Atrax robustus Simon (Araneae: Hexanthelidae) ω-ACTX-Ar1 sequence coding for an ω-atracotoxin and a sequence coding for the Bt-toxin C-peptide, expressed in transgenic poplar Populus simonii x P. nigra L. (Malphigiales: Salicaceae) was investigated. Individual performance, feeding selection, midgut proteinase activity and nutrition utilization were monitored. The growth and development of L. dispar were significantly affected by continually feeding on the transgenic poplar, with the larval instars displaying significantly shorter developmental times than those fed on nontransgenic poplar, but pupation was delayed. Mortality was higher in populations fed transgenic poplar leaves, than for larvae fed nontransgenic poplar leaves. The cumulative mortality during all stages of larvae fed transgenic leaves was 92% compared to 16.7% of larvae on nontransgenic leaves. The highest mortality observed was 71.7% in the last larval instar stage. A two-choice test showed that fifth-instar larvae preferred to feed on nontransgenic leaves at a ratio of 1:1.4. Feeding on transgenic leaves had highly significant negative effects on relative growth of larvae, and the efficiency of conversion of ingested and digested food. Activity of major midgut proteinases was measured using substrates TAME and BTEE showed significant increases in tryptase and chymotrypsinlike activity (9.2- and 9.0-fold, respectively) in fifth-instar larvae fed on transgenic leaves over control. These results suggest transgenic poplar is resistant to L. dispar, and the mature L. dispar may be weakened by the transgenic plants due to Bt protoxins activated by elevated major midgut proteinase activity. The new transgenic poplar expressing fusion protein genes of Bt and a new spider insecticidal peptide are good candidates for managing gypsy moth.

Effects of acute hypervolaemic haemodilution on the expression of plasma interferon-inducible protein-10 and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein in patients undergoing total hip replacement

This prospective, randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of acute hypervolaemic haemodilution (AHH) on the expression of plasma interferon-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) in patients undergoing elective total hip replacement. Twenty patients were randomized to receive an infusion of either hydroxyethyl starch (HES group) or lactated Ringer's solution (LR group) immediately after anaesthesia. Plasma concentrations of IP-10 and BPI were measured before anaesthesia (baseline), at the start of surgery, 30 min after the start of surgery and at the end of surgery. Blood loss and the volume of blood transfused were significantly lower in the HES group compared with the LR group. Compared with baseline, IP-10 and BPI concentrations increased significantly in both groups 30 min after the start of surgery. The IP-10 concentrations were significantly lower and BPI concentrations significantly higher in the HES group compared with the LR group 30 min after the start of surgery and at the end of surgery. It is concluded that AHH with HES may be helpful in ameliorating immune function during total hip replacement and in reducing blood loss and the extent of blood transfusion.

Simultaneous determination of salbutamol, ractopamine, and clenbuterol in animal feeds by SPE and LC-MS

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for the simultaneous determination of salbutamol, ractopamine, and clenbuterol in commercial feeds was developed. Samples were extracted with phosphoric acid-methanol solution, and further clean-up was achieved with a C18 cation exchange mixed mode cartridge. Separation of analytes was developed on a C18 column with 0.01 M aqueous ammonium formate solution (pH 3.8)-acetonitrile by gradient program, and characterized by LC-MS on a quadrupole detector, in electrospray positive ion mode. This method provides average recoveries for salbutamol, ractopamine, and clenbuterol of 83-110% and coefficients of variation of 1.5-11% in feeds spiked in the range of 0.5-500 mg/kg. The limits of detection and quantification in feeds were 0.01 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg, respectively. Such limits are well below the dose of 2-25 mg/kg feed proposed as effective.

Effects of disulfide bridges glycoprotein E1 on fusogenic activity of Rubella virus

Rubella virus (RUBV) infects cells via an acid-triggered membrane fusion process. RUBV virions contain two cysteine-rich glycoproteins, E2 and E1. The latter is believed to be involved in the membrane fusion. Using a recombinant plasmid containing RUBV E1 and E2, 11 of total 20 cysteines present in the ectodomain of wild type E1 were mutated to test their role in the fusion via the formation of disulfide bridges. The recombinant plasmids containing mutated E1 (Cys2-Cys20) or wild type (wt) E1 were expressed in BHK-21 cells. Their fusogenic and hemadsorption activities in addition to a potential of cell surface expression of E1 and E2 were assayed. The results showed that the fusogenic activity was lost in all tested mutants, while the hemadsorption activity and cell surface expression potential were affected differently in individual mutants. Since only the Cys5 and Cys8 mutations led to a reduction of both hemadsorption and cell surface expression, we assume that these mutations prevented the formation of the disulfide bridge, what led to a misfolding of E1 and consequently to a failure of recognition of E1 by E2. In conclusion, the disulfide bridges disrupted in all the tested mutants appear essential for the cell fusion, while only the disulfide bridge C(5)-C(8) seems to be crucial for the transport of E1 and E2 in the cell.

Anomalous line shape of the cross section for e{+}e{-}--> hadrons in the center-of-mass energy region between 3.650 and 3.872 GeV

We observe an obvious anomalous line shape of the e;{+}e;{-}--> hadrons total cross sections in the energy region between 3.700 and 3.872 GeV. It is inconsistent with the explanation for only one simple psi(3770) resonance with a statistical significance of 7sigma. The anomalous line shape may be explained by two possible enhancements of the inclusive hadron production near the center-of-mass energies of 3.764 and 3.779 GeV, indicating that either there is likely a new structure in addition to the psi(3770) resonance around 3.773 GeV, or there are some physics effects reflecting the DD[over ] production dynamics.

Search for the invisible decay of J/psi in psi(2S) --> pi(+)pi(-) J/psi

Using psi(2S) --> pi(+)pi(-) J/psi events in a sample of 14.0 x 10(6) psi(2S) decays collected with the BES-II detector, a search for the decay of the J/psi to invisible final states is performed. No signal is found, and an upper limit at the 90% confidence level is determined to be 1.2 x 10(-2) for the ratio B(J/psi --> invisible)/B(J/psi-->mu(+)mu(-)). This is the first search for J/psi decays to invisible final states.

Determination of solubilities and n-octanol/water partition coefficients and QSPR study for substituted phenols

A shake-flask method was employed to determine the water solubility (-lgS (w)) and n-octanol/water partition coefficient (lgK (ow)) of 20 substituted phenols at 298.15 K. And optimized calculation was carried out at B3LYP/6-311G** level with DFT method. Afterwards the obtained parameters were taken as theoretical descriptors to establish the QSPR models for predicting -lgS (w) and lgK (ow), in which the conventional correlation coefficients (R (2)) are 0.9800 and 0.9941, respectively. The two models were further validated by variance inflation factors (VIF) and t-test. Upon comparison, the stability and predictive power are more advantageous than those based on AM1 molecular orbital method and molecular connectivity method.

[Central mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the mandible: a case report]

As one of the most common malignancies of the salivary glands, mucoepidermoid carcinoma had a rare frequency in mandible. A case of central mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the mandible was reported and relevant literatures were reviewed. The possible etiology, clinical symptom, radiology, histopathology, diagnosis and treatment of central mucoepidermoid carcinoma were discussed.

The genomic sequence and biological properties of Pennisetum mosaic virus, a novel monocot-infecting potyvirus

The complete nucleotide sequences of two isolates of Pennisetum mosaic virus (PenMV) were determined. The viral genome comprised 9,611 nucleotides (nt) excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) sequence, with the capacity of encoding a single polyprotein of 3,065 amino acids. The large open reading frame is flanked by a 172-nt 5'-untranslated region (UTR) and a 244-nt 3'-UTR. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analyses of the complete genome and polyproteins suggest that PenMV is closely related to other monocot potyviruses such as Maize dwarf mosaic virus, Sorghum mosaic virus and Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), and thus represents a distinct potyvirus within the SCMV subgroup. The host range of PenMV is limited to Gramineae, and the virus naturally infects maize, sorghum and some wild grasses, causing mosaic symptoms on the leaves. This virus could be transmitted by both mechanical inoculation and by at least four species of aphids.

Observation of Y(2175) in J/psi --> etaphif0 (980)

The decays of J/psi --> etaphif(0)(980)[eta --> gammagamma, phi --> K(+) K(-), f(0)(980) --> pi(+)pi(-)] are analyzed using a sample of 5.8 x 10(7) J/psi events collected with the BESII detector at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider. A structure at around 2.18 GeV/c(2) with about 5 sigma significance is observed in the phif(0)(980) invariant mass spectrum. A fit with a Breit-Wigner function gives the peak mass and width of m = 2.186+/-0.010(stat)+/-0.006(syst) GeV/c(2) and Gamma = 0.065+/-0.023(stat)+/-0.017(syst) GeV/c(2), respectively, which are consistent with those of Y(2175), observed by the BABAR Collaboration in the initial-state radiation process e(+)e(-) --> gamma(ISR) phif(0)(980). The production branching ratio is determined to be Br(J/psi --> etaY(2175))Br(Y(2175)- -> phif(0)(980))Br(f(0)(980) --> pi(+)pi(-)) = [3.23+/-0.75(stat)+/-0.73(syst)] x 10(-4), assuming that the Y(2175) is a 1(--) state.

The influence of caecectomy on amino acid availability of three feedstuffs for ganders

1. Experiments were conducted to assess the influence of caecectomy on amino acid availability (AAA) of three feedstuffs for goose. 2. Nine caecectomised and 9 intact Yangzhou ganders, 24 weeks old, were used in these experiments. Fish meal, soybean meal and cottonseed meal were used as the sole source of protein. The endogenous amino acid (AA) losses were evaluated by a nitrogen (N)-free diet method. The influence of caecectomy on apparent amino acid availability (AAAA) in fish meal, soybean meal and cottonseed meal was assessed in experiment 1 and true amino acid availability (TAAA) of three protein diets was determined in experiment 2. 3. Results showed that, in the soybean meal and cottonseed meal, the AAAA and TAAA of most AA determined by the intact ganders were higher than in the caecectomised ganders; in the fish meal, the AAAA and TAAA of most AA determined by the intact ganders were lower than in the caecectomised ganders. 4. Results of the present study suggest that the effect of caecectomy on AAA in geese was dependent on the feedstuff assayed, and it was better to use caecectomised poultry for AAA assessment.

Molecular characterization of diapause hormone and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide from the black-back prominent moth, Clostera anastomosis (L.) (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae)

Using a strategy of rapid amplification of cDNA ends, the cDNA of diapause hormone (DH) and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (PBAN) was cloned from the head of Clostera anastomosis (L.). The Cloan-DH-PBAN cDNA contains an open reading frame encoding a 196-amino acid preprohormone, from which five putative FXPRL peptides, DH, PBAN, alpha-SGNP(SGNP, suboesophageal ganglion neuropeptide), beta-SGNP and gamma-SGNP, are released. Comparing the deduced amino acid sequences from cDNAs of these five FXPRL peptides to those known from other insects, Cloan-DH shows highest similarity of 93.1% to that from Agrotis ipsilon, Cloan-PBAN 93.9% to those from Helicoverpa armigera, Helicoverpa zea and Helicoverpa assulta, which show the highest similarity to species of Noctuidae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Cloan-DH-PBAN gene is relatively closely related to those from Noctuoidea, but distant from those from Tortricoidea, Yponomeutoidea and Bombycoidea species. The DNA sequence encoding Cloan-DH-PBAN was cloned by PCR, which is 3698bp in size and comprises six exons interspersed by five introns. Developmental expression of the DH-PBAN transcripts in the head was also showed by a semi-quantitative RT-PCR method, which was relatively low in larvae and remained low in pupae of both sexes, increased sharply in adults of both sexes.

High frequency of level II-V lymph node involvement in RET/PTC positive papillary thyroid carcinoma

AIMS

To investigate the frequency and clinical significance of RET rearrangement in Chinese patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and discuss the role of RET rearrangement in therapeutic decision-making after the performance of level VI lymph node dissection and the 2002 AJCC staging system.

METHODS

RET/PTC-1 and RET/PTC-3 were detected in 126 PTCs using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and direct sequencing.

RESULTS

RET rearrangement was detected in 18 cases of PTC. The patient group aged < 20 years had the highest frequency (3/6) of RET rearrangement among the age groups (< 20 years, 20-40 years and > or = 40 years; P=0.03). RET/PTC-1 positive patients were more likely to suffer from Hashimoto's thyroiditis simultaneously (P=0.02) while RET/PTC-3 positive patients had a higher frequency of extrathyroidal extension (P<0.01) and advanced T classification (P<0.01). RET rearrangement (OR=8.70, 95% CI 1.69-44.81), male (OR=3.88, 95% CI 1.41-10.69), age (OR=0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99), multifocality (OR=3.54, 95% CI 1.33-9.41) and advanced T classification (OR=7.32, 95% CI 2.91-18.40) were all identified as risk factors of level II-V lymph node involvement in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of RET rearrangement in Chinese patients is low and age related. RET/PTC-1 and RET/PTC-3 are associated with different clinical pathological characteristics but not with lymph node involvement. The RET/PTC positive patients should receive more attention to lateral neck in the management of PTC.