Prevalence and influencing factors of depressive symptoms among women of reproductive age in the rural areas of Hubei, China

OBJECTIVES

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders and a major public health problem in the Chinese population, especially among women. The current study aims to understand prevalence of depression symptoms and provide detailed epidemiological factors associated with depression among reproductive women in rural areas which was paid less attention in previous surveys.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Face-to-face household interviews were conducted on 1058 women (age: 15-49 years) in rural areas from July 2012 to August 2012. Questionnaires were used to investigate the influencing factors of depression among women. Pearson's χ(2), logistic regression analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were applied to analyze the related factors.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression among women was 30.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 27.9%-33.5%]. Compared with non-depressed individuals, those with depression were more likely to be short of social support [odd ratio (OR): 0.940, P < 0.001) and have no one to talk with (OR: 0.366, P < 0.001), to be dissatisfied with the house (OR: 2.673, P < 0.001) and economy (OR: 2.268, P < 0.01) of their family, and to have great pressure (OR: 2.099, P < 0.01), negative life events (OR: 1.485, P < 0.05) and physical diseases (OR: 1.364, P < 0.05). Pressure status, social support assessment, and socio-economic status were negatively related to depression (correlation coefficient: -0.57, -0.27 and 0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of depression among reproductive women in rural areas is of particular concern. Factors associated with depression may assist health care administrations to identify and assess high-risk women and target strategies accordingly.

The neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal peptide: direct effects on immune cells and involvement in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

Neuropeptides represent an important category of endogenous contributors to the establishment and maintenance of immune deviation in the immune-privileged organs such as the CNS and in the control of acute inflammation in the peripheral immune organs. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a major immunoregulatory neuropeptide widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous system. In addition to neurones, VIP is synthesized by immune cells which also express VIP receptors. Here, we review the current information on VIP production and VIP-receptor-mediated effects in the immune system, the role of endogenous and exogenous VIP in inflammatory and autoimmune disorders and the present and future VIP therapeutic approaches.

Solid-phase extraction using molecularly imprinted polymer for determination of ochratoxin A in human urine

A rapid, selective and reliable sample preparation technique employing solid-phase extraction (SPE) based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in human urine was described. After sample adjustment to pH 2.5 with 0.1 M HCl, the urine sample was loaded onto the MIP-SPE column, and after a wash step, OTA was eluted for measurement by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. Key parameters which affected the MIP-SPE extraction efficiency were optimized as was the detection method. Under the optimised conditions, the limits of detection and quantification for OTA in urine were 0.2 ng/ml and 0.6 ng/ml, respectively. The recoveries for OTA in urine, spiked at the 0.6, 6.0 and 60 ng/ml levels, ranged from 92.0 to 98.9%. Sixty urine samples were analysed, of which four were found to contain OTA at concentrations ranging from 0.022 to 0.083 ng/ml; the positive results were confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. OTA determination in urine is a good indicator for human exposure to the mycotoxin, and this is the first report on OTA contamination in Chinese people.

Programming the group behaviors of bacterial communities with synthetic cellular communication

Synthetic biology is a newly emerged research discipline that focuses on the engineering of novel cellular behaviors and functionalities through the creation of artificial gene circuits. One important class of synthetic circuits currently under active development concerns the programming of bacterial cellular communication and collective population-scale behaviors. Because of the ubiquity of cell-cell interactions within bacterial communities, having an ability of engineering these circuits is vital to programming robust cellular behaviors. Here, we highlight recent advances in communication-based synthetic gene circuits by first discussing natural communication systems and then surveying various functional engineered circuits, including those for population density control, temporal synchronization, spatial organization, and ecosystem formation. We conclude by summarizing recent advances, outlining existing challenges, and discussing potential applications and future opportunities.

Radiofrequency ablation versus reresection in treating recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Treatment for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (RHCC) remains controversial. This study tried to compare survival benefits between radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and reresection for RHCC patients following curative surgical treatments.Databases were searched for comparative studies published from 2008 to 2014 on RFA versus reresection in treating RHCC. Meta-analysis was performed using a random or fixed-effect model to compare the overall survivals (OSs) and disease-free survivals (DFSs) between RFA and reresection. Begg funnel plot and Egger test were performed to assess the publication bias.Six retrospective comparative studies fulfilled our criteria and were included. For patients with RHCC, RFA was equivalent to reresection in 1-year OSs (odds ratio [OR] 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.50-1.49; P = 0.587), 3-year OSs (OR 0.91; 95% CI, 0.64-1.28; P = 0.581), and 5-year OSs (OR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.69-1.36; P = 0.846). However, reresection was superior to RFA in 3-year DFSs (OR 2.25; 95% CI, 1.37-3.68; P = 0.001) and 5-year DFSs (OR 3.70; 95% CI, 1.98-6.93; P = 0.000). The outcome of 1-year DFSs was unstable with statistical heterogeneity among studies included in meta-analysis (I = 77.4%). No evidence of publication bias was found. RFA was considered as a less invasive modality for RHCC patients.RFA achieves comparable OSs as reresection in the treatment of RHCC, with lower postoperative complications.

MEP pathway-mediated isopentenol production in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli

Background

Isopentenols, such as prenol and isoprenol, are promising advanced biofuels because of their higher energy densities and better combustion efficiencies compared with ethanol. Microbial production of isopentenols has been developed recently via metabolically engineered E. coli. However, current yields remain low and the underlying pathways require systematic optimization.

Results

In this study, we targeted the E. coli native 2-methyl-(D)-erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway and its upstream glycolysis pathway for the optimization of isopentenol production. Two codon optimized genes, nudF and yhfR from Bacillus subtilis, were synthesized and expressed in E. coli W3110 to confer the isopentenol production of the strain. Two key enzymes (IspG and Dxs) were then overexpressed to optimize the E. coli native MEP pathway, which led to a significant increase (3.3-fold) in isopentenol production. Subsequently, the glycolysis pathway was tuned to enhance the precursor and NADPH supplies for the MEP pathway by activating the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and Entner-Doudoroff pathway (ED), which resulted in additional 1.9 folds of increase in isopentenol production. A 5 L-scale batch cultivation experiment was finally implemented, showing a total of 61.9 mg L⁻¹ isopentenol production from 20 g L⁻¹ of glucose.

Conclusion

The isopentenol production was successfully increased through multi-step optimization of the MEP and its upstream glycolysis pathways. It demonstrated that the total fluxes and their balance of the precursors of the MEP pathway are of critical importance in isopentenol production. In the future, an elucidation of the contribution of PPP and ED to MEP is needed for further optimization of isopentenol production.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-014-0135-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Two biomarker-directed randomized trials in European and Chinese patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer: the BRCA1-RAP80 Expression Customization (BREC) studies

BACKGROUND

In a Spanish Lung Cancer Group (SLCG) phase II trial, the combination of BRCA1 and receptor-associated protein 80 (RAP80) expression was significantly associated with outcome in Caucasian patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The SLCG therefore undertook an industry-independent collaborative randomized phase III trial comparing nonselected cisplatin-based chemotherapy with therapy customized according to BRCA1/RAP80 expression. An analogous randomized phase II trial was carried out in China under the auspices of the SLCG to evaluate the effect of BRCA1/RAP80 expression in Asian patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eligibility criteria included stage IIIB-IV NSCLC and sufficient tumor specimen for molecular analysis. Randomization to the control or experimental arm was 1 : 1 in the SLCG trial and 1 : 3 in the Chinese trial. In both trials, patients in the control arm received docetaxel/cisplatin; in the experimental arm, patients with low RAP80 expression received gemcitabine/cisplatin, those with intermediate/high RAP80 expression and low/intermediate BRCA1 expression received docetaxel/cisplatin, and those with intermediate/high RAP80 expression and high BRCA1 expression received docetaxel alone. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Two hundred and seventy-nine patients in the SLCG trial and 124 in the Chinese trial were assessable for PFS. PFS in the control and experimental arms in the SLCG trial was 5.49 and 4.38 months, respectively [log rank P = 0.07; hazard ratio (HR) 1.28; P = 0.03]. In the Chinese trial, PFS was 4.74 and 3.78 months, respectively (log rank P = 0.82; HR 0.95; P = 0.82).

CONCLUSION

Accrual was prematurely closed on the SLCG trial due to the absence of clinical benefit in the experimental over the control arm. However, the BREC studies provide proof of concept that an international, nonindustry, biomarker-directed trial is feasible. Thanks to the groundwork laid by these studies, we expect that ongoing further research on alternative biomarkers to elucidate DNA repair mechanisms will help define novel therapeutic approaches.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT00617656/GECP-BREC and ChiCTR-TRC-12001860/BREC-CHINA.

Cloning and optimization of a nisin biosynthesis pathway for bacteriocin harvest

Nisin is an important antimicrobial peptide that has enormous applications in biotechnology. Despite many encouraging efforts, its overproduction has been a long-standing challenge due to the complexity of the underlying pathway and the difficulty in genetic modification of lactic acid bacteria. Here, we cloned an entire nisin biosynthesis pathway from a nisin-producing strain (Lactococcus lactis K29) into a plasmid and transplanted the plasmid into a nisin deficient strain Lactococcus lactis MG1363, resulting in successful heterologous expression of bioactive recombinant nisin. To increase nisin harvest, we also overexpressed nisA, a gene responsible for nisin precursor production, with a set of constitutive promoters. To further optimize nisin yield, we minimized the metabolic cost of the engineered strains by integrating nisA overexpression cassettes and the recombinant pathway into a single circuit. With our rational construction and optimization, our engineered optimized strain is able to produce bioactive nisin with a yield of 1098 IU/mL, which is more than six times higher than that of the original strain.

Curative therapy for bladder cancer in routine clinical practice: a population-based outcomes study

AIMS

Definitive therapy of bladder cancer involves cystectomy or radiotherapy; controversy exists regarding optimal management. Here we describe the management and outcomes of patients treated in routine practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Treatment records were linked to the Ontario Cancer Registry to identify all cases of bladder cancer in Ontario treated with cystectomy or radiotherapy in 1994-2008. Practice patterns are described in three study periods: 1994-1998, 1999-2003, 2004-2008. Logistic regression, Cox model and propensity score analyses were used to evaluate factors associated with treatment choice and survival.

RESULTS

In total, 3879 cases (74%) underwent cystectomy and 1380 (26%) were treated with primary radiotherapy. Cystectomy use increased over time (66, 75, 78%), whereas radiotherapy decreased (34, 25, 22%), P < 0.001. There was substantial regional variation in the proportion of cases undergoing radiotherapy (range 16-51%). Five year cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival were 40 and 36% for surgical cases and 35 and 26% for radiotherapy cases (P < 0.001). In multivariate Cox model and propensity score analyses, there was no significant difference in CSS between surgery and radiotherapy (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval 0.91-1.08); radiotherapy was associated with slightly inferior overall survival (hazard ratio 1.08, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.16).

CONCLUSION

Utilisation of cystectomy for bladder cancer in routine practice has increased over time with no evidence of a significant difference in CSS between radiotherapy and cystectomy.

Development of new muscle contraction sensor to replace sEMG for using in muscles analysis fields

Nowadays, the technologies for detecting, processing and interpreting bioelectrical signals have improved tremendously. In particular, surface electromyography (sEMG) has gained momentum in a wide range of applications in various fields. However, sEMG sensing has several shortcomings, the most important being: measurements are heavily sensible to individual differences, sensors are difficult to position and very expensive. In this paper, the authors will present an innovative muscle contraction sensing device (MC sensor), aiming to replace sEMG sensing in the field of muscle movement analysis. Compared with sEMG, this sensor is easier to position, setup and use, less dependent from individual differences, and less expensive. Preliminary experiments, described in this paper, confirm that MC sensing is suitable for muscle contraction analysis, and compare the results of sEMG and MC sensor for the measurement of forearm muscle contraction.

Application of wireless inertial measurement units and EMG sensors for studying deglutition - Preliminary results

Different types of sensors are being used to study deglutition and mastication. These often suffer from problems related to portability, cost, reliability, comfort etc. that make it difficult to use for long term studies. An inertial measurement based sensor seems a good fit in this application; however its use has not been explored much for the specific application of deglutition research. In this paper, we present a system comprised of an IMU and EMG sensor that are integrated together as a single system. With a preliminary experiment, we determine that the system can be used for measuring the head-neck posture during swallowing in addition to other parameters during the swallowing phase. The EMG sensor may not always be a reliable source of physiological data especially for small clustered muscles like the ones responsible for swallowing. In this case, we explore the possibility of using gyroscopic data for the recognition of deglutition events.

Effect of Aspergillus flavus contamination on the inherent quality of Glycyrrhiza uralensis

Glycyrrhiza uralensis is a common edible plant of the Chinese Materia Medica (CMM). Such a herb might be naturally contaminated with toxicogenic fungi producing various mycotoxins that can cause serious harm to humans. So far, studies have focused mainly on mycotoxin detection in CMM, but the effect of mycotoxin production on the inherent quality of CMM has not been investigated and elucidated. In the present study, sterilised G. uralensis was inoculated and incubated with Aspergillus flavus for several days to investigate the effect of aflatoxins accumulation on the inherent quality of G. uralensis. Changes in content of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2, and the herb's four bioactive components, i.e. glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritin apioside, liquiritin and liquiritigenin, were detected using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence and photodiode array detection, respectively. The results showed that incubation of G. uralensis with A. flavus for 10 days resulted in the accumulation of aflatoxins, especially aflatoxin B1 and B2, and the reduction of the four bioactive components. From the negative correlation between the content of aflatoxins and bioactive components, it can be concluded that fungal contamination does not only result in harmful mycotoxins in CMM, but also influences its inherent quality.

Factors associated with referral to medical oncology and subsequent use of adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant chemotherapy (act) for non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc) is associated with improved survival in the general population, but may be underutilized. We explored the factors associated with referral to medical oncology and subsequent use of act among all patients with resected nsclc in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

The Ontario Cancer Registry was used to identify all incident cases of nsclc diagnosed in Ontario during 2004-2006. We linked electronic records of treatment and of physician billing to identify surgery, act, and medical oncology consultation. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate factors associated with referral to medical oncology and subsequent use of act.

RESULTS

Among 3354 cases of nsclc resected in Ontario during 2004-2006, 1830 (55%) were seen postoperatively by medical oncology, and 1032 (31%) were treated with act. Patients more than 70 years of age were less likely than younger patients to have a consultation [odds ratio (or): 0.4; p < 0.001]. A higher proportion of cases with stage ii or iii nsclc than with stage i disease were referred (ors: 2.7, 2.0 respectively; p < 0.005). We observed substantial geographic variation in the proportion of surgical cases referred (range: 32%-88%) that was not explained by differences in case mix. Among cases referred to medical oncology, older patients (age 60-69 years, or: 0.4; age 70+ years, or: 0.1; p < 0.001) with greater comorbidity (Charlson comorbidity index: 3+; or: 0.5; p < 0.05) and a longer postoperative stay (median length of stay: 7+ days; or: 0.7; p = 0.001) were less likely to receive act. Use of act was greater in patients with stage ii or iii than with stage i disease (ors: 3.0, 2.7 respectively; p < 0.001); use also varied with geographic location (range: 46%-63%).

CONCLUSIONS

The initial decision to refer to medical oncology is associated with age and stage of disease, and those factors have an even greater effect on the decision to offer act. Comorbidity and postoperative length of stay were not associated with initial referral, but were associated with use of act in patients seen by medical oncology.

Improved membrane protein expression in Lactococcus lactis by fusion to Mistic

Difficulty overexpressing (eukaryotic) membrane proteins is generally considered as the major impediment in their structural and functional research. Lactococcus lactis possesses many properties ideal for membrane protein expression. In order to investigate membrane protein expression in L. lactis, we created a novel expression system by introducing Mistic, a short peptide previously identified in Bacillus subtilis, into L. lactis. The potential of this system was demonstrated in the overexpression of a eukaryotic membrane protein (pkjDes4) and a prokaryotic membrane protein (pkjLi), a newly isolated linoleate isomerase from Lactobacillus acidophilus. The expression levels reached up to 4.4 % and 45.2 % for pkjDes4 and pkjLi, respectively, which represented an exceptionally robust ability to overproduce membrane proteins. Moreover, the expressed pkjLi was functional, with its catalysing nature characterized for the first time in this species. Up to 0.852 mg ml(-1) conjugated linoleic acid was obtained during the linoleic acid conversion catalysed by the recombinant lactococcal strains. In summary, we established a membrane protein expression system in L. lactis and examined its functionality. Our results demonstrate that the Mistic chaperoning strategy can be efficiently applied to L. lactis hosts and show its extraordinary capacity to facilitate the high-yield production of intractable membrane proteins.

Characterization of a S-layer protein from Lactobacillus crispatus K313 and the domains responsible for binding to cell wall and adherence to collagen

It was previously shown that the surface (S)-layer proteins covering the cell surface of Lactobacillus crispatus K313 were involved in the adherence of this strain to human intestinal cell line HT-29. To further elucidate the structures and functions of S-layers, three putative S-layer protein genes (slpA, slpB, and slpC) of L. crispatus K313 were amplified by PCR, sequenced, and characterized in detail. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis reveals that slpA was silent under the tested conditions; whereas slpB and slpC, the putative amino acid sequences which exhibited minor similarities to the previously reported S-layer proteins in L. crispatus, were actively expressed. slpB, which was predominantly expressed in L. crispatus K313, was further investigated for its functional domains. Genetic truncation of the untranslated leader sequence (UTLS) of slpB results in a reduction in protein production, indicating that the UTLS contributed to the efficient S-layer protein expression. By producing a set of N- and C-terminally truncated recombinant SlpB proteins in Escherichia coli, the cell wall-binding region was mapped to the C terminus, where rSlpB(380-501) was sufficient for binding to isolated cell wall fragments. Moreover, the binding ability of the C terminus was variable among the Lactobacillus species (S-layer- and non-S-layer-producing strains), and teichoic acid may be acting as the receptor of SlpB. To determine the adhesion region of SlpB to extracellular matrix proteins, ELISA was performed. Binding to immobilized types I and IV collagen was observed with the His-SlpB(1-379) peptides, suggesting that the extracellular matrix protein-binding domain was located in the N terminus.

Assessment of mental fatigue during car driving by using high resolution EEG activity and neurophysiologic indices

Driving tasks are vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation and mental fatigue, diminishing driver's ability to respond effectively to unusual or emergent situations. Physiological and brain activity analysis could help to understand how to provide useful feedback and alert signals to the drivers for avoiding car accidents. In this study we analyze the insurgence of mental fatigue or drowsiness during car driving in a simulated environment by using high resolution EEG techniques as well as neurophysiologic variables such as heart rate (HR) and eye blinks rate (EBR). Results suggest that it is possible to introduce a EEG-based cerebral workload index that it is sensitive to the mental efforts of the driver during drive tasks of different levels of difficulty. Workload index was based on the estimation of increase of EEG power spectra in the theta band over prefrontal areas and the simultaneous decrease of EEG power spectra over parietal areas in alpha band during difficult drive conditions. Such index could be used in a future to assess on-line the mental state of the driver during the drive task.

The impact of time to adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) on survival in colorectal cancer (CRC): A systematic review and meta-analysis

364

Background: The optimal timing from CRC surgery to initiation of AC is unknown. We report a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the relationship between time to adjuvant chemotherapy (TTAC) and survival.

Methods: A systematic review of literature was done to identify studies that described the relationship between TTAC and survival. Studies were only included if the distribution of relevant prognostic factors was adequately described, and either comparative groups were balanced or results adjusted for the prognostic factors. Hazard ratio (HR) and TTAC for overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) from each study were converted to a regression coefficient (β) and standard error (SE) corresponding to a continuous representation per 4 weeks of TTAC. The adjusted β from individual studies were combined using a fixed-effect model. Inverse-variance (1/SE2) was used to weight individual studies. The possible effect of publication bias was investigated using the trim and fill approach.

Results: We identified 9 eligible studies involving 14,357 patients (4 published articles, 5 abstracts). Two studies were randomized trials and 7 were cohort studies. Six studies reported TTAC as a binary variable and 3 reported TTAC as ≥3 categories. An estimate of HR for OS was derived from all 9 studies and estimate for DFS was derived from 5 studies. Meta-analysis demonstrated that a 4-week increase in TTAC was associated with a significant decrease in both OS (HR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.09-1.15), and DFS (HR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.11-1.20). The analysis showed no significant heterogeneity among studies. These TTAC associations remained significant after analysis for potential publication bias, and when the analysis was repeated excluding the two studies of largest weight.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates a 12% increase in the risk of death for each 4 week of delay in the start of AC for CRC. These findings indicate the need for clinicians and health systems managers to take the steps necessary to keep TTAC as short as reasonably achievable. In addition, our results suggest there may be some benefit to AC after a 3-month TTAC delay.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Overexpression of α-2,6 sialyltransferase stimulates propagation of human influenza viruses in Vero cells

Human influenza viruses are major concern as the leading cause of global pandemics. In infecting cells, they preferentially bind to sialyloligosaccharides containing terminal N-acetyl sialic acid linked to galactose by an α-2,6-linkage (NeuAcα2,6Gal). The amount of NeuAcα2,6Gal in Vero cells, which are predominantly used for production of influenza vaccines over the past 30 years, may not be as high as that in epithelial cells of human respiratory tract, what leads to the suboptimal virus growth in Vero cells. In this study, we stably transfected Vero cells with cDNA of human α-2,6-sialyltransferase (SIAT1), an enzyme catalyzing α-2,6-sialylation of galactose on glycoproteins. Overexpression of SIAT1 in the transfected Vero cells (Vero-SIAT1 cells) was confirmed by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy. Vero-SIAT1 cells expressed 7 times higher amounts of NeuAcα2,6Gal, but 3 times lower amounts of NeuAcα2,3Gal as compared to parental Vero cells. Furthermore, the influenza viruses A (H1N1 and H3N2) and B grew in Vero-SIAT1 cells to the higher titers than in Vero cells. Taken together, these results imply that Vero-SIAT1 cells are useful not only for the propagation of human influenza viruses, but also for the preparation of influenza vaccines.

Characterization of a cryptic plasmid pD403 from Lactobacillus plantarum and construction of shuttle vectors based on its replicon

A cryptic plasmid pD403 was isolated from Lactobacillus plantarum D403 derived from fermented dairy products. It was 2,791 bp in size with a G+C content of 37%. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed two open reading frames, orf1 and orf2. ORF1 (318 amino acids) was identified as a replication protein (RepA). ORF2 (137 amino acids) shared 31% similarity with the transcriptional regulator of Ralstonia pickettii 12D. Functional investigation indicated that ORF2 (Tra) had the ability of improving the transformation efficiency. The origin of replication was predicted, suggesting that pD403 was a rolling-circle-replication (RCR) plasmid. An Escherichia coli/Lactobacillus shuttle vector pCD4032 was constructed based on the pD403 replicon, and proved to be successfully transformed into various lactobacilli including Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus brevis. The transformation efficiencies were ranged from 1.3 x 10(2) to 7 x 10(4) transformants per microgram DNA. Furthermore, an expression vector pCD4033 was developed with the promoter of the lactate dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus delbrueckii 11842. The green fluorescent protein (gfp) as a reporter was expressed successfully in various lactobacilli tested, suggesting that the expression vector pCD4033 had the potential to be used as a molecular tool for heterologous gene cloning and expression in lactobacilli.

Microcalorimetric assay on the antimicrobial property of five hydroxyanthraquinone derivatives in rhubarb (Rheum palmatum L.) to Bifidobacterium adolescentis

It was found that the intestinal bacteria balance would be deteriorated by rhubarb especially in long term treatment. Bifidobacteria is one of the most common species of probiotics in human intestine. The suppression of this particular probiotic, such as Bifidobacterium adolescentis, one of the dominant anaerobes in the intestines of humans, might lead to imbalance of intestinal flora and is considered to be potentially riskful for human health. Hence, the inhibitory effects of the five main components of hydroxyanthraquinones (HAQs) contained in rhubarb on B. adolescentis growth were investigated by microcalorimetry to discover the suppression potential of rhubarb and the structure-function relationship of such HAQs. The value of the maximum power- output (P(max)) and slope (k) of the thermogenic growth curves of B. adolescentis were found of decrease in the presence of the five HAQs, while the peak time (T(p)) of the thermogenic curves were found to be delayed. The sequence of antimicrobial activity of the five HAQs is rhein>emodin>aloe-emodin>chrysophanol>physicion. The functional groups carboxyl, hydroxyl and hydroxylmethyl on phenyl ring in HAQs could improve the antimicrobial activity. The influence of substituent groups on anti- B. adolescentis activity might be related with the polarity and the sequence was carboxyl>hydroxyl>hydroxylmethyl>methyl and methoxyl.

A gene-based avian influenza vaccine in poultry

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) viruses, specifically H5N1 strains, cause widespread morbidity and mortality in domestic and wild bird populations, and recent outbreaks have resulted in severe economic losses. Although still largely confined to birds, more than 300 human cases resulting in deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization. These sporadic human cases result from direct transmission from infected birds; however, a sustained outbreak of HPAI H5N1 increases the potential for the emergence of a human pandemic strain. One approach to the containment of HPAI H5N1 is the development of vaccines for use in poultry. Currently, the majority of avian influenza vaccines for poultry are traditional whole-virus vaccines produced in eggs. Although highly efficacious, these vaccines are hindered by long production times, inflexibility in quickly altering antigenic composition, and limited breadth of protection. Newer vaccines with more efficient manufacturing processes, enhanced efficacy, and cross-protection against multiple strains would improve preparedness. Reverse genetics technology has provided one such method, and emerging gene-based vaccines offer another approach that reduces dependence on egg-based production and human exposure to pathogenic viruses. Gene-based vaccines also provide rapid manufacturing, enhanced precision and versatility, and the capacity to protect against a broad range of viral subtypes. Vectors for these vaccines include replication-defective viruses, bacterial vectors, and DNA. Here we review the features of gene-based vaccination that may facilitate the control of HPAI H5N1 in poultry, and highlight the development of a hemagglutinin-based multivalent DNA vaccine that confers protection in mice and chickens.