Serous surface papillary borderline ovarian tumors: correlation of sonographic features with clinic pathological findings

Serous surface papillary borderline ovarian tumor (SSPBOT) is a distinct subtype of serous borderline ovarian tumor characterized by solid tissue deposition confined to the ovarian surface. Because SSPBOT is rare, there are few published reports on the ultrasonographic features of this condition. In this retrospective study, we investigated 12 cases of SSPBOT. Ultrasound imaging of SSPBOT showed grossly normal ovaries that were encased partially or wholly by tumor deposits that were confined to the surface, with clear demarcation between normal ovarian tissue and surrounding tumors. Color Doppler imaging demonstrated the 'fireworks sign' in all cases of SSPBOT, corresponding to an intratumoral vascular bundle originating from the ovarian vessels and supplying hierarchical branching blood flow to the surrounding tumor. No patient with ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma showed these morphological and Doppler features. In our series, the fireworks sign appeared to be a characteristic feature of SSPBOT that could facilitate correct identification of this tumor. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The role of comprehensive geriatric assessment in the identification of different nutritional status in geriatric patients: a real-world, cross-sectional study

Background

Malnutrition is an often unrecognized problem, but it is common in older patients and leads to adverse outcomes.

Aims

The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence of the risk of undernutrition in elderly patients and the correlation between CGA and nutritional status, and to determine the nutritional status of elderly patients.

Methods

This is a real-world cross-sectional study of continuously enrolled elderly patients aged 65 years or older with a complete CGA database. CGA inventory was prepared by compiling and screening general information, body composition and blood biochemical results. MNA was also conducted for each elderly patient to screen for malnutrition. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between the CGA and nutritional assessment.

Result

The average age of the 211 selected elderly patients (160 men and 51 women) was 79.60 ± 9.24 years, and their ages ranged from 65 to 96 years. After controlling for confounders, patients with a history of PUD (OR = 2.353, p = 0.044), increased ADLs & IADLs scores (OR = 1.051, p = 0.042) or GDS scores (OR = 6.078, p < 0.001) may increase the incidence of the risk of undernutrition respectively, while an increase in BMI (OR = 0.858, p = 0.032) may lower the incidence of malnutrition risk. In addition, increased ADLs & IADLs scores (OR = 1.096, p = 0.002) or GDS scores (OR = 11.228, p < 0.001) may increase the incidence of undernutrition. However, increased MMSE (OR = 0.705, p < 0.001), BMI (OR = 0.762, p = 0.034), UAC (OR = 0.765, p = 0.048) and CC (OR = 0.721, p = 0.003) may decrease the incidence of undernutrition, respectively.

Conclusion

The study found that the prevalence of risk of undernutrition in elderly patients was the highest. Risk of undernutrition was independently associated with peptic ulcer disease, ADLs & IADLs, GDS and BMI. However, we found that when the nutritional status reached the level of undernutrition, it was related to more factors, including ADLs & IADLs, MMSE, GDS, BMI, UAC and CC. Determining the level of malnutrition through CGA may help to prevent and intervene malnutrition as early as possible.

The prediction model of the short-term outcome in elderly heart failure patients

This study was designed to investigate the effect of the comprehensive geriatric assessment on the short-term prognosis of the elderly heart failure patients (EHFP), analyze the relevant risk factors, and construct an effective risk prediction model. According to the selection and exclusion criteria, 617 patients were filtered from 800 patients from the cadre ward database of the first Hospital of Jilin University. The EHFP were randomly divided into the model group (432 cases) and the validation group (185 cases). A retrospective study on the general clinical data of patients in the model group was conducted to analyze the risk factors associated with the short-term outcomes of EHFP. Based on the risk factors, the risk prediction model was established and validated through the validation group. In the model group, the following independent risk factors were identified for the short-term outcomes in EHFP in the light of univariate logistic and cox regression analysis: female (β = 0.989, OR = 1.277, 95% CI: 1.090-1.847, P = 0.024), age (65-75 years, β = 0.654, OR = 2.320, 95% CI: 1.135-3.136, P = 0.012; 75-85 years, β = 1.123, OR = 3.159, 95% CI: 1.532-5.189, P = 0.001; age > 85 years old, β = 1.513, OR = 4.895, 95% CI: 1.866-979, P = 0.001), frailty (β = 1.015, OR = 2.761, 95% CI: 1.097-6.945, P = 0.031), malnutrition (β = 1.271, OR = 3.560, 95% CI: 1.122-11.325, P = 0.002), and EF≦40% (β = 1.250, OR = 3.498, 95% CI: 1.898-6.447, P = 0.001). The simple risk prediction score was set up in line with the five risk factors, including range (1-7), the area under ROC curve (0.771, 95% CI: 0.723-0.819), and H-L test (P = 0.393), so patients were divided into the low-risk group (1-3) and the high-risk group (4-8). As a result, the number of EHFP in the high-risk group was significantly much more than that in the low-risk group (70.1% versus 29.9%, P < 0.001). Besides, the area under ROC curve (0.758, 95% CI: 0.682-0.835) and H-L test (P = 0.669) of the validation group indicated that this model could be a promising prediction model for the short-term outcomes of EHFP. Female, age, frailty, malnutrition, and EF ≦ 40% are independent risk factors for short-term outcomes of EHFP. The risk prediction model based on the five risk factors provided compelling clinic predictive value for the short-term prognosis of EHFP.

Correlation analysis between body composition, serological indices and the risk of falls, and the receiver operating characteristic curve of different indexes for the risk of falls in older individuals

Objective

This study assessed the risk factors for falls and evaluated the correlation between body composition, serological indices, and the risk of falls in older individuals.

Method

This cross-sectional study included 387 individuals ≥60 years of age in the cadre ward of the First Hospital of Jilin University. The information used in this study was obtained from the comprehensive geriatric assessment database of the cadre ward. The body composition of the individuals was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis using an InBody S10 device. We assessed fall risk using the fall risk assessment tool. Individuals with ≤2 points were placed in the low-risk group, those with 3-9 points were placed in the medium-risk group, and those with ≥10 points were placed in the high-risk group.

Results

Differences in age, educational background, height, cognitive impairment, malnutrition, ability of daily living, depression, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, intracellular water, total body moisture, water ratio, limb moisture (right and left, upper and lower), trunk moisture, fat-free weight, arm girth, body cell mass, skeletal muscle mass, limb muscle (right and left, upper and lower), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), sarcopenia, hemoglobin level, hematocrit level, aspartate aminotransferase level, albumin level, anemia, and hypoproteinemia were observed among the three groups (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.006, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.008, p = 0.010). Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that the probability of the fall risk increasing by one level was 1.902 times higher for each unit of decrease in educational background, respectively. In addition, the probability of the fall risk increasing by one level was 2.971, 3.732, 3.804, 1.690 and 2.155 times higher for each additional unit of age, cognitive impairment, lower limb edema, decreased skeletal muscle mass, and sarcopenia, respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that educational background, age, cognitive impairment, lower limb edema, decreased skeletal muscle mass, and sarcopenia were associated with falls in older individuals. Body composition and serological indices can assist in the early identification of falls in the older people.

The relationship between Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment parameters and depression in elderly patients

Background

Depression is common and serious among elderly patients. The treatment of elderly depression is often delayed owing to insufficient diagnosis, which eventually leads to adverse consequences.

Aims

To explore the association between the parameters of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and depression in elderly patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 211 outpatients and inpatients aged ≥ 65 years from the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment database was conducted. A Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment inventory was prepared by compiling and screening general characteristics, chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and peptic ulcer disease), nutritional status, daily living ability, anthropometric measurements (body mass index (BMI), upper arm circumference, and calf circumference), and blood biochemical indicators (hemoglobin, albumin, prealbumin, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The Geriatric Depression Scale was also conducted for each elderly patient to screen for depression. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between the parameters of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and geriatric depression.

Results

There were 63 patients in the depression group with a median age of 84.00 years, and 148 patients in the non-depression group with a median age of 78.50 years. After controlling for confounders, the risk of depression in elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases was 6.011 times higher than that in those without cardiovascular diseases (p < 0.001); and the risk of depression in elderly patients with peptic ulcer diseases was 4.352 times higher than that in those without peptic ulcer diseases (p < 0.001); the risk of depression in elderly patients decreased by 22.6% for each 1-point increase in the Mini Nutritional Assessment (p < 0.001). The risk of depression in elderly patients decreased by 19.9% for each 1-point increase in calf circumference (p = 0.002), and by 13.0% for each 1-point increase in albumin (p = 0.014).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment parameters, such as cardiovascular disease, peptic ulcer disease, Mini Nutritional Assessment score, calf circumference, and albumin, were associated with depression. The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment can assist in the early identification of depression in the elderly population.

The cGAS-STING pathway: more than fighting against viruses and cancer

In the classic Cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway, downstream signals can control the production of type I interferon and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells to promote the activation of pro-inflammatory molecules, which are mainly induced during antiviral responses. However, with progress in this area of research, studies focused on autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions that may be relevant to cGAS–STING pathways have been conducted. This review mainly highlights the functions of the cGAS–STING pathway in chronic inflammatory diseases. Importantly, the cGAS–STING pathway has a major impact on lipid metabolism. Different research groups have confirmed that the cGAS–STING pathway plays an important role in the chronic inflammatory status in various organs. However, this pathway has not been studied in depth in diabetes and diabetes-related complications. Current research on the cGAS–STING pathway has shown that the targeted therapy of diseases that may be caused by inflammation via the cGAS–STING pathway has promising outcomes.

The correlation between nutrition and frailty and the receiver operating characteristic curve of different nutritional indexes for frailty

Background

Frailty is a kind of geriatric syndrome, which is very common in the elderly. Patients with malnutrition are at higher risk of frailty. This study explored the correlation between nutrition and frailty and compared the receiver operating characteristic curve of different nutritional indexes for frailty.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 179 inpatients aged ≥65 years old. Frailty was measured using Fried Frailty Phenotype, handgrip strength was measured using JAMAR@Plus and the 4.57 m usual gait speed was measured using a stopwatch. Comprehensive nutritional assessment refers to the application of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) to assess the nutritional status of patients.

Results

Compared with the non-frailty group, the upper arm circumference, calf circumference, hemoglobin, albumin, prealbumin, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein in the frailty group were lower (P < 0.05). Comprehensive nutritional assessment, whether as a categorical variable or a continuous variable, was significantly correlated with frailty (P < 0.05). Model1 showed that the risk of frailty in malnourished patients was 3.381 times higher than that in well nourished patients (P = 0.036). Model2 showed that the risk of frailty decreased by 13.8% for every 1 point increase in MNA score (P = 0.009). The area under the curves of albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin was larger (AUC > 0.65), AUC was 0.718, 0.693 and 0.743, respectively.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that malnutrition is closely related to frailty. As for single nutritional indexes, albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin were found to be associated with frailty. Further cohort studies are needed to verify their ability to screen for frailty.

Bugs and drugs: a systems biology approach to characterising the effect of moxidectin on the horse's faecal microbiome

Background

Anthelmintic treatment is a risk factor for intestinal disease in the horse, known as colic. However the mechanisms involved in the onset of disease post anthelmintic treatment are unknown. The interaction between anthelmintic drugs and the gut microbiota may be associated with this observed increase in risk of colic. Little is known about the interaction between gut microbiota and anthelmintics and how treatment may alter microbiome function. The objectives of this study were: To characterise (1) faecal microbiota, (2) feed fermentation kinetics in vitro and (3) metabolic profiles following moxidectin administration to horses with very low (0 epg) adult strongyle burdens. Hypothesis: Moxidectin will not alter (1) faecal microbiota, (2) feed fermentation in vitro, or, (3) host metabolome.

Results

Moxidectin increased the relative abundance of Deferribacter spp. and Spirochaetes spp. observed after 160 h in moxidectin treated horses. Reduced in vitro fibre fermentation was observed 16 h following moxidectin administration in vivo (P = 0.001), along with lower pH in the in vitro fermentations from the moxidectin treated group. Metabolic profiles from urine samples did not differ between the treatment groups. However metabolic profiles from in vitro fermentations differed between moxidectin and control groups 16 h after treatment (R² = 0.69, Q²Y = 0.48), and within the moxidectin group between 16 h and 160 h post moxidectin treatment (R² = 0.79, Q²Y = 0.77). Metabolic profiles from in vitro fermentations and fermentation kinetics both indicated altered carbohydrate metabolism following in vivo treatment with moxidectin.

Conclusions

These data suggest that in horses with low parasite burdens moxidectin had a small but measurable effect on both the community structure and the function of the gut microbiome.

CD47 Enhances Cell Viability and Migration Ability but Inhibits Apoptosis in Endometrial Carcinoma Cells via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway

Purposes: To measure expression levels of CD47 during endometrial carcinoma development, and to determine specific modulatory effects.

Methods: CD47 expression levels in endometrial carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were analyzed using qRT-PCR. CD47-overexpressed or downregulated cell models were established using CD47 plasmid or CD47 shRNA. The effects of CD47 on HEC-1A and Ishikawa cell growth were evaluated using CCK-8 assays. Migration ability of transfected HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells were examined using wound healing assays. Flow cytometry was used to measure the effects of CD47 on apoptosis and the cell cycle in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells. Western blot was used to analyze the correlation between CD47 expression level and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Results: Highly expressed CD47 was observed in endometrial carcinoma tissues, with higher levels in more advanced tissues than in early tissues. Upregulation of CD47 enhanced cell viability and migration ability in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells, while silencing CD47 caused the opposite results. CD47 overexpression suppressed apoptosis and inhibited cell cycle arrest in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells. CD47 upregulation contributes to the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in endometrial carcinoma cells.

Conclusion: CD47 exerts oncogenic functions in endometrial carcinoma by activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, suggesting it may be a novel immunotherapeutic target for therapeutic interventions.

Effects of EGCG on proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer SGC7901 cells via down-regulation of HIF-1α and VEGF under a hypoxic state

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer SGC7901 cells under a hypoxic state.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human gastric cancer SGC7901 cells were sub-cultured, and the cobalt chloride (CoCl2) hypoxia model was established. The blank control group (normoxia group), hypoxia control group (hypoxia group) and hypoxia + different concentrations of EGCG subgroups (20, 40, 60, 80, 100 μg/mL EGCG) were set up. Cell viability was detected via methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, apoptosis was detected via flow cytometry, and expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were detected via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.

RESULTS

Relatively low concentrations of EGCG (20-80 μg/mL) presented no significant inhibiting effect on SGC7901 cell growth within a short time (24 h) (p>0.05). The increasing concentration of EGCG inhibited cell proliferation under a hypoxia state (p<0.05). EGCG induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner under hypoxia (p<0.05). EGCG could significantly impede expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF proteins (p<0.05), and down-regulate the level of VEGF mRNA (p<0.05), but it showed no significant effect on the HIF-1α mRNA expression (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EGCG inhibited cell proliferation under hypoxia via the downregulation of HIF-1α and its downstream target gene VEGF levels, providing a theoretical basis for the early diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer in clinic.

Rg1 protects H9C2 cells from high glucose-/palmitate-induced injury via activation of AKT/GSK-3β/Nrf2 pathway

Our previous studies have assessed ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1)‐mediated protection in a type 1 diabetes rat model. To uncover the mechanism through which Rg1 protects against cardiac injury induced by diabetes, we mimicked diabetic conditions by culturing H9C2 cells in high glucose/palmitate. Rg1 had no toxic effect, and it alleviated the high glucose/palmitate damage in a dose‐dependent manner, as indicated by 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and lactate dehydrogenase release to the culture medium. Rg1 prevented high glucose/palmitate‐induced cell apoptosis, assessed using cleaved caspase‐3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling staining. Rg1 also reduced high glucose‐/palmitate‐induced reactive oxygen species formation and increased intracellular antioxidant enzyme activity. We found that Rg1 activates protein kinase B (AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK‐3β) pathway and antioxidant nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway, indicated by increased phosphorylation of AKT and GSK‐3β, and nuclear translocation of Nrf2. We used phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase inhibitor Ly294002 to block the activation of the AKT/GSK‐3β pathway and found that it partially reversed the protection by Rg1 and decreased Nrf2 pathway activation. The results suggest that Rg1 exerts a protective effect against high glucose and palmitate damage that is partially AKT/GSK‐3β/Nrf2‐mediated. Further studies are required to validate these findings using primary cardiomyocytes and animal models of diabetes.

Glatiramer acetate protects against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion-induced injury by inhibiting Egr-1 in H9c2 cells

Myocardial infarction (MI) or heart attack is a deadly event with high prevalence. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the polypeptide copolymer glatiramer acetate (GA) in H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury. Immediately following MI, an acute inflammatory response is triggered that causes activation of various proinflammatory cytokines, infiltration of immune cells, and neovascularization. This response is largely mediated by some genes such as TNF-α, IL-6, ICAM-1, and VEGF. Additionally, the rapid influx of oxidants, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), leads to a harmful state of oxidative stress. Here, we found that GA could reduce OGD/R-induced inflammation and oxidative stress by inhibiting the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, ICAM-1, and VEGF, and suppressing the production of ROS via reduced NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) expression. To elucidate the pathways involved in these promising results, we took a close look at the impact of the endothelial growth response-1 (Egr-1), a transcriptional factor recognized as a mediator of MI-related inflammation and cellular injury. Using siRNA for Egr-1, we found that GA could reduce the expression of ICAM-1 and VEGF by inhibiting Egr-1 expression. Together, our findings indicate a novel therapeutic potential of GA in the treatment of MI.

Higher thyroid-stimulating hormone levels in the first trimester are associated with gestational diabetes in a Chinese population

AIM

To evaluate the relationship between maternal thyroid-stimulating hormone levels during the first trimester and gestational diabetes risk.

METHODS

In Tianjin, China, 7258 women underwent a thyroid-stimulating hormone screening test within 12 gestational weeks and then had a glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks of gestational age. The women with a glucose challenge test ≥7.8 mmol/l underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed following International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group criteria. Restricted cubic spline analysis was performed to explore full-range risk associations of thyroid-stimulating hormone levels with gestational diabetes. Logistic regression was performed to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

In all, 594 women (8.2%) had gestational diabetes. Among women with thyroid-stimulating hormone ≤3.2 mIU/l, a positive association between thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and gestational diabetes risk was found (adjusted OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00-1.27). There was no relationship between thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and gestational diabetes risk in univariable and multivariable analyses among women with thyroid-stimulating hormone >3.2 mIU/l. In subgroup analyses, among women with thyroid-stimulating hormone ≤3.2 mIU/l and BMI ≥25 kg/m² , the adjusted odds ratio for thyroid-stimulating hormone levels with gestational diabetes was enhanced to 1.25 (95% CI: 1.02-1.53).

CONCLUSIONS

In pregnant Chinese women, thyroid-stimulating hormone levels even within normal range in the first trimester were positively related to gestational diabetes risk, especially for pre-pregnancy overweight/obese women.

Neonatal murine engineered cardiac tissue toxicology model: Impact of dexrazoxane on doxorubicin induced injury

Doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity is a life-threatening side effect of chemotherapy and decreased cardiac function can present years after treatment. Despite the investigation of a broad range of pharmacologic interventions, to date the only drug shown to reduce DOX-related cardiotoxicity in preclinical studies and limited clinical trials is the iron chelating agent, dexrazoxane (DRZ), although the mechanisms responsible for DRZ mediated protection from DOX related cardiotoxicity remain unclear. Engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) can be used for tissue repair strategies and as in vitro surrogate models to test cardiac toxicities and preventative countermeasures. Neonatal murine ECTs display cardiotoxicity in response to the environmental toxin, cadmium, and reduced cadmium toxicity with Zinc co-treatment, in part via the induction of the anti-oxidant Metallothionein (MT). We adapted our in vitro ECT model to determine the feasibility of using the ECT approach to investigate DOX-related cardiac injury and DRZ prevention. We found: (1) DOX induced dose and time dependent cell death in ECTs; (2) Zinc did not show protection from DOX cardiotoxicity; (3) MT overexpression induced by Zinc, low dose Cd pretreatment, or MT-overexpression (MT-TG) did not reduce ECT DOX cardiotoxicity; (4) DRZ reduced ECT DOX induced cell death; and (5) The mechanism of DRZ ECT protection from DOX cardiotoxicity was topoisomerase 2B (TOP2B) inhibition rather than reduced reactive oxygen species. Our data support the feasibility of ECTs as an in vitro platform technology for the investigation of drug induced cardiotoxicities including the role of TOP2B in DOX toxicity and DRZ mediated DOX toxicity prevention.

AMPK: a balancer of the renin-angiotensin system

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is undisputedly well-studied as one of the oldest and most critical regulators for arterial blood pressure, fluid volume, as well as renal function. In recent studies, RAS has also been implicated in the development of obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases, and also involved in the regulation of several signaling pathways such as proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy, and insulin resistance. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an essential cellular energy sensor, has also been discovered to be involved in these diseases and cellular pathways. This would imply a connection between the RAS and AMPK. Therefore, this review serves to draw attention to the cross-talk between RAS and AMPK, then summering the most recent literature which highlights AMPK as a point of balance between physiological and pathological functions of the RAS.

Community health perceptions and human environmental exposure to chromium contamination in a small New Jersey City

Following a 1983 chromic acid (hexavalent chromium [CrVI]) spill from a Garfield, NJ electroplating plant, CrVI-contaminated water was found in a local firehouse basement in 1993. An ATSDR public health advisory was issued for the plant site in 2010, and from 2008-2015, fourteen residential properties have required remediation to address CrVI-contaminated dust in the basements. As part of the Community Outreach and Engagement Core of the NYU NIEHS Center, seventytwo Garfield residents aged 18-65 years, participated in a community survey with the goal of identifying concerns related to environmental and community health. Thirty-two percent responded that they 'didn't know' if they were exposed to chemicals or pollutants where they live. This finding suggests a limited awareness of environmental chemical exposures, chromium contamination and/or potential exposure to CrVI. Furthermore, toenail clippings were collected from forty-seven Garfield residents and analyzed for total chromium levels to assess potential long-term exposure. On average, residents living on/inside the contaminated plume area had higher total chromium levels in their toenail clippings than residents living outside the plume area. However, chromium levels for all participants were within the range of historical normal. This study highlights the value of partnerships between environmentally-impacted community's and academic scientists working together to identify potential contaminant exposures and address public health concerns through research and environmental health education.

Development and Validation of a Natural Language Processing Tool to Identify Patients Treated for Pneumonia across VA Emergency Departments

BACKGROUND

Identifying pneumonia using diagnosis codes alone may be insufficient for research on clinical decision making. Natural language processing (NLP) may enable the inclusion of cases missed by diagnosis codes.

OBJECTIVES

This article (1) develops a NLP tool that identifies the clinical assertion of pneumonia from physician emergency department (ED) notes, and (2) compares classification methods using diagnosis codes versus NLP against a gold standard of manual chart review to identify patients initially treated for pneumonia.

METHODS

Among a national population of ED visits occurring between 2006 and 2012 across the Veterans Affairs health system, we extracted 811 physician documents containing search terms for pneumonia for training, and 100 random documents for validation. Two reviewers annotated span- and document-level classifications of the clinical assertion of pneumonia. An NLP tool using a support vector machine was trained on the enriched documents. We extracted diagnosis codes assigned in the ED and upon hospital discharge and calculated performance characteristics for diagnosis codes, NLP, and NLP plus diagnosis codes against manual review in training and validation sets.

RESULTS

Among the training documents, 51% contained clinical assertions of pneumonia; in the validation set, 9% were classified with pneumonia, of which 100% contained pneumonia search terms. After enriching with search terms, the NLP system alone demonstrated a recall/sensitivity of 0.72 (training) and 0.55 (validation), and a precision/positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.89 (training) and 0.71 (validation). ED-assigned diagnostic codes demonstrated lower recall/sensitivity (0.48 and 0.44) but higher precision/PPV (0.95 in training, 1.0 in validation); the NLP system identified more "possible-treated" cases than diagnostic coding. An approach combining NLP and ED-assigned diagnostic coding classification achieved the best performance (sensitivity 0.89 and PPV 0.80).

CONCLUSION

System-wide application of NLP to clinical text can increase capture of initial diagnostic hypotheses, an important inclusion when studying diagnosis and clinical decision-making under uncertainty.

DFT modelling of a diphosphane - N-heterocyclic carbene-Rh(i) pincer complex rearrangement: a computational evaluation of the electronic effects in C-P bond activation

DFT calculations confirmed that the rearrangement of a PCP-Rh-H pincer to a CCP-Rh-phosphane pincer occured by C-P oxidative addition (ΔG^‡ = 29.5 kcal mol^-1, rate-determining step), followed by P-H reductive elimination (ΔG^‡ = 4.8 kcal mol^-1). The oxidative addition proceeded via a 3-centered transition state and is accelerated by electron-withdrawing substituents p- to the reacting C-P bond, resulting in a reaction constant (ρ) of 2.12 for ΔG^‡ and 2.76 for ΔH^‡ in a Hammett-type linear free energy relationship. AIM wavefunction analyses indicated a decrease in the negative charge on the carbon bonded to Rh with a concomitant increase in the positive charge on the latter. The electronic density at the Rh-P bond critical point and the atomic charge on Rh correlate well with the Hammett constants (σ) of the p-substituents. The replacement of the Rh-bound hydride with other anions (CH₃, Ph, t-Bu, OH, F, Cl, and CN) results in a decrease in the OA barrier only for CH₃, which is in accordance with the experimental results. The reductive elimination occurs via a 3-centered (Rh, H, P) transition state, which adopts a conformation wherein the steric clash between the i-Pr groups is minimized, followed by recomplexation of Rh and the newly formed (i-Pr)₂PH by a conformational twist around the Rh-P axis.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes mellitus on overweight status of their children

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) as a group of medical complications in pregnancy are believed to be associated with an increased risk of poor fetal growth, but the influence on offspring’s body composition is not clear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and overweight status in the offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

A cross-sectional study among 1263 GDM mother-child pairs was performed in Tianjin, China. General linear models and logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of maternal hypertension in pregnancy with anthropometry and overweight status in the offspring from birth to 1–5 years old.

Offspring of GDM mothers who were diagnosed with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy had higher mean values of Z scores for birth weight for gestational age and birth weight for length, and higher mean values of Z scores for weight for age, weight for length/height, and body mass index for age at 1–5 years old than those of GDM mothers with normal blood pressure during pregnancy. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were associated with increased risks of large for gestational age (OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.08–2.79) and macrosomia (OR 2.02, 95%CI 1.23–3.31) at birth and childhood overweight/obesity at 1–5 years old age (OR 1.88, 95%CI 1.16–3.04).

For offspring of mothers with GDM, maternal hypertension during pregnancy was a risk factor for macrosomia at birth and childhood overweight and obesity, and controlling the maternal hypertension may be more important for preventing large for gestational age babies and childhood obesity.

Sleep duration and quality, and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant Chinese women

AIMS

To examine the association between sleep disturbances during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

From 2010 to 2012, 12 506 women in Tianjin, China, were screened using a 50-g 1-h glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks' gestation. Those with glucose challenge test values of ≥ 7.8 mmol/l were invited to further undergo a 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes was determined according to the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group's definition. Self-reported sleep duration and sleep quality during pregnancy was documented using a modified questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

A total of 919 women (7.3%) had gestational diabetes. Sleep duration was found to have an approximate J-shaped association with gestational diabetes risk after adjusting for covariates. Compared with a sleep duration of 7-9 h/day (43% of 12 506 women), the adjusted odds ratios for sleep duration of ≥ 9 h/day (55%) and < 7 h/day (2%) for gestational diabetes were 1.21 (95% CI 1.03-1.42) and 1.36 (95% CI 0.87-2.14), respectively. Compared with good sleep quality (37.9% of 12 506 women), the adjusted odds ratios of moderate (59.9%) and poor sleep quality (2.2%) for gestational diabetes were 1.19 (95% CI 1.01-1.41) and 1.61 (95% CI 1.04-2.50), respectively.

CONCLUSION

In pregnant Chinese women, poor sleep quality, and shorter and longer duration of sleep during pregnancy were independently associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes.

Lifestyle intervention can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

This study aimed to examine the effect of lifestyle intervention on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We searched PubMed, Springer and other databases to retrieve articles published in English and Chinese up to 30 September 2015. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of lifestyle intervention on risk of GDM. Exclusion criteria were studies with prepregnancy diabetes mellitus or interventions with nutrient supplements. Random-effect and fixed-effect model analyses were used to obtain pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of diet and physical activity on the risk of GDM. Subgroup analyses were performed to check the consistency of effect sizes across groups where appropriate. We identified 29 randomized controlled trials with 11,487 pregnant women, addressing the effect of lifestyle intervention on the risk of GDM. In the pooled analysis, either diet or physical activity resulted in an 18% (95%CI 5-30%) reduction in the risk of GDM (P = 0.0091). Subgroup analysis showed that such intervention was effective among women with intervention before the 15th gestational week (relative risk: 0.80, 95%CI 0.66-0.97), but not among women receiving the intervention afterwards. We conclude that lifestyle modification during pregnancy, especially before the 15th gestational week, can reduce the risk of GDM. © 2016 World Obesity.

Angiotensin II-Induced Apoptosis of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells was Inhibited by Blueberry Anthocyanin Through Bax- and Caspase 3-Dependent Pathways

Background

This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of blueberry anthocyanin (BBA) on Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and its regulation mechanisms involving Bax and Caspase 3.

Material/Methods

HUVECs were first treated by different concentrations of Ang II (10⁻⁹, 10⁻⁸, 10⁻⁷, 10⁻⁶, 10⁻⁵, and 10⁻⁴ mol/L) and BBA (80, 40, 20, 10, 5, and 2.5 μg/ml). After 24 h and 48 h of treatment, MTT was performed to detect the viability of HUVECs. Then, HUVECs were randomly divided into the Ang II group (10⁻⁶ mol/L Ang II) and Ang II + BBA group (10⁻⁶ mol/L Ang II and 20 μg/ml BBA), and the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of Bax and Caspase 3 in these 2 groups. During the whole process, HUVECs without any treatments served as the control group.

Results

The cell viability of HUVECs was significantly reduced by Ang II in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05), while BBA significantly elevated the cell viability of HUVECs until a peak of 20.0 μg/ml. The apoptosis rate of HUVECs was significantly increased by Ang II (P<0.01) and reduced by the BBA intervention (P<0.05). Ang II significantly elevated the expression of Bax and Caspase 3 in HUVECs, but their expression was significantly inhibited by BBA.

Conclusions

BBA increased cell viability and reduced apoptosis rate of HUVECs induced by Ang II through Bax- and Caspase 3-dependent pathways.

Cardiac-Specific Deletion of the Pdha1 Gene Sensitizes Heart to Toxicological Actions of Ischemic Stress

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) plays a key role in aerobic energy metabolism and occupies a central crossroad between glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. We generated inducible cardiac-specific PDH E1α knockout (CreER(T2)-PDH(flox/flox)) mice that demonstrated a high mortality rate. It was hypothesized that PDH modulating cardiac glucose metabolism is crucial for heart functions under normal physiological and/or stress conditions. The myocardial infarction was conducted by a ligation of the left anterior descending coronary arteries. Cardiac PDH E1α deficiency caused large myocardial infarcts size and macrophage infiltration in the hearts (P < .01 vs wild-type [WT]). Wheat germ agglutinin and Masson trichrome staining revealed significantly increased hypertrophy and fibrosis in PDH E1α-deficient hearts (P < .05 vs WT). Measurements of heart substrate metabolism in an ex vivo working heart perfusion system demonstrated a significant impairment of glucose oxidation in PDH E1α-deficient hearts during ischemia/reperfusion (P < .05 vs WT). Dichloroacetate, a PDH activator, increased glucose oxidation in WT hearts during ischemia/reperfusion and reduced myocardial infarct size in WT, but not in PDH E1α-deficient hearts. Immunoblotting results demonstrated that cardiac PDH E1α deficiency leads to an impaired ischemic AMP-activated protein kinase activation through Sestrin2-liver kinase B1 interaction which is responsible for an increased susceptibility of PDH E1α-deficient heart to ischemic insults. Thus, cardiac PDH E1α deficiency impairs ischemic AMP-activated protein kinase signaling and sensitizes hearts to the toxicological actions of ischemic stress.

The Modulation of Cardiac Contractile Function by the Pharmacological and Toxicological Effects of Urocortin2

Urocortin2 (Ucn2) has been revealed to enhance cardiac function in heart failure. However, the pharmacological and toxicological effects of Ucn2 on cardiomyocytes are incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the possible mechanisms of Ucn2 on mediating the contractility of cardiomyocytes. Mechanical properties and intracellular Ca(2+) properties were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes from different treatment groups. The stress signaling was evaluated using Western blot. The results demonstrated that Ucn2 induced maximal velocity of shortening (+dL/dt), peak height, peak shortening (PS) amplitude, maximal velocity of relengthening (-dL/dt), accompanied by a significant rise in intracellular Ca(2+) level and a fall of the mean time constant of Ca(2+) transient decay (Tau) in WT cardiomyocytes. However, these effects were abolished by preincubation of type 2 CRF receptors (CRFR2) antagonist anti-sauvagine 30 (a-SVG-30). We also found that Ucn2 treatment activated the AMPK pathway in isolated cardiomyocytes via CRFR2. Furthermore, Ucn2 induced protein kinase A (PKA) and phospholamban (PLN) phosphorylation. Pretreatment of PKA inhibitor H89 reduced the inotropic and lusitropic effects of Ucn2 as well as decreased the intracellular Ca(2+) load and slowed down the Ca(2+) transient decay. We also showed that preincubation of Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK, inhibited the phosphorylation of PKA and the intracellular Ca(2+) level in cardiomyocytes without affecting the contractile function and the Tau of cardiomyocytes. Taken together, it suggests that Ucn2 facilitate the contractility of cardiomyocytes via activating both AMPK and PKA.

VKORC1 and CD-14 genetic polymorphisms associate with susceptibility to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the associations of VKORC1 rs2359612 and rs9923231 and CD-14 rs2569190 with susceptibility to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCVD).

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted with 614 cases of CCVD patients selected at our hospital between January 2011 and June 2012 as case group and 590 healthy individuals participating physical examination during the same period as control group. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was used to detect genotypes of VKORC1 and CD-14 genetic polymorphisms. SHEsis software was used to conduct haplotype analysis and logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for CCVD.

RESULTS

The genotype and allele frequencies of VKORC1 rs2359612 and rs9923231 and CD-14 rs2569190 between the case and control groups were statistically different (all P<0.05). Haplotype analysis showed that the frequencies of CAT and TAT haplotypes were significantly higher while the frequencies of TAC and TGC haplotypes were significantly lower in the case group than those in the control group (P = 0.013, 0.029, 0.019 and 0.042, respectively). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, systolic pressure, smoking history and VKORC1 rs2359612 maybe risk factors for CCVD; and body mass index (BMI), diastolic pressure and VKORC1 rs9923231 may be protective factors for CCVD (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

VKORC1 rs2359612 and rs9923231, and CD-14 rs2569190 might associate with susceptibility to CCVD. CAT and TAT haplotypes may be risk factors while TAC and TGC haplotype may be protective factors for CCVD.

Metabolic syndrome of weight change from pre-pregnancy to 1-5 years post-partum among Chinese women with prior gestational diabetes

AIMS

Few studies have evaluated the effect of weight change from pre-pregnancy to post-partum with the risk of cardiometabolic diseases among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between weight change from pre-pregnancy to 1-5 years post-partum with metabolic syndrome among Chinese women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study in 1263 women with gestational diabetes mellitus at 1-5 years post-partum. Participants were divided into four groups based on their weight change from pre-pregnancy to 1-5 years post-partum: loss of ≥ 3 kg, ± 3 kg, gain of 3-7 kg and gain of ≥7 kg.

RESULTS

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 12.1%, 16.2%, 26.0% and 44.3% among women with weight loss ≥ 3 kg, stable weight ( ± 3 kg), weight gain 3-7 kg and weight gain ≥ 7 kg from pre-pregnancy to post-partum, respectively. The positive association between weight change and metabolic syndrome was observed among women with pre-pregnancy normal weight (BMI < 24 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI 24-27.9 kg/m(2)) and obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m(2)). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was almost similar among pre-pregnancy normal weight women with weight gain ≥ 7 kg, pre-pregnancy overweight women with stable weight ( ± 3 kg) and pre-pregnancy obese women with weight loss ≥ 3 kg from pre-pregnancy to post-partum (P = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus who had large weight gain from pre-pregnancy to post-partum were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. Women who are pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and also diagnosed as gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy need more weight control after delivery.

Dominant components of the Thoroughbred metabolome characterised by (1) H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: A metabolite atlas of common biofluids

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY

Metabonomics is emerging as a powerful tool for disease screening and investigating mammalian metabolism. This study aims to create a metabolic framework by producing a preliminary reference guide for the normal equine metabolic milieu.

OBJECTIVES

To metabolically profile plasma, urine and faecal water from healthy racehorses using high resolution (1) H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and to provide a list of dominant metabolites present in each biofluid for the benefit of future research in this area.

STUDY DESIGN

This study was performed using 7 Thoroughbreds in race training at a single time point. Urine and faecal samples were collected noninvasively and plasma was obtained from samples taken for routine clinical chemistry purposes.

METHODS

Biofluids were analysed using (1) H-NMR spectroscopy. Metabolite assignment was achieved via a range of one- and 2-dimensional experiments.

RESULTS

A total of 102 metabolites were assigned across the 3 biological matrices. A core metabonome of 14 metabolites was ubiquitous across all biofluids. All biological matrices provided a unique window on different aspects of systematic metabolism. Urine was the most populated metabolite matrix with 65 identified metabolites, 39 of which were unique to this biological compartment. A number of these were related to gut microbial host cometabolism. Faecal samples were the most metabolically variable between animals; acetate was responsible for the majority (28%) of this variation. Short-chain fatty acids were the predominant features identified within this biofluid by (1) H-NMR spectroscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

Metabonomics provides a platform for investigating complex and dynamic interactions between the host and its consortium of gut microbes and has the potential to uncover markers for health and disease in a variety of biofluids. Inherent variation in faecal extracts along with the relative abundance of microbial-mammalian metabolites in urine and invasive nature of plasma sampling, infers that urine is the most appropriate biofluid for the purposes of metabonomic analysis.

Engineering optical properties of a graphene oxide metamaterial assembled in microfluidic channels

The dense packing of two dimensional flakes by van der Waals forces has enabled the creation of new metamaterials with desirable optical properties. Here we assemble graphene oxide sheets into a three dimensional metamaterial using a microfluidic technique and confirm their ordering via measurements of ellipsometric parameters, polarized optical microscopy, polarized transmission spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. We show that the produced metamaterials demonstrate strong in-plane optical anisotropy (Δn≈0.3 at n≈1.5-1.8) combined with low absorption (k<0.1) and compare them with as-synthesized samples of graphene oxide paper. Our results pave the way for engineered birefringent metamaterials on the basis of two dimensional atomic crystals including graphene and its derivatives.

Fabrication and enhanced simulated sunlight photocatalytic activity of metallic platinum and indium oxide codoped titania nanotubes

Pt/In₂O₃–TiO₂-NTs were fabricated by a multicomponent assembly-solvothermal treatment, and showed excellent activity originating from an improved quantum yield and nanotubular geometries.

The role of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex in cardiovascular diseases

The regulation of mammalian myocardial carbohydrate metabolism is complex; many factors such as arterial substrate and hormone levels, coronary flow, inotropic state and the nutritional status of the tissue play a role in regulating mammalian myocardial carbohydrate metabolism. The Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex (PDHc), a mitochondrial matrix multienzyme complex, plays an important role in energy homeostasis in the heart by providing the link between glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In TCA cycle, PDHc catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA. This review determines that there is altered cardiac glucose in various pathophysiological states consequently causing PDC to be altered. This review further summarizes evidence for the metabolism mechanism of the heart under normal and pathological conditions including ischemia, diabetes, hypertrophy and heart failure.

Obesity index and the risk of diabetes among Chinese women with prior gestational diabetes

AIMS

There is some confusion regarding which anthropometric measurement of adiposity should be used to indicate diabetes, especially for Asians. The present study was to evaluate different indicators of adiposity (BMI, waist circumference and body fat) with Type 2 diabetes risk among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional survey in 1263 women with gestational diabetes at 1-5 years after delivery. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association of BMI, waist circumference and body fat with Type 2 diabetes risk.

RESULTS

BMI, waist circumference and body fat were all associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes among women with prior gestational diabetes (all P(trend) < 0.001). After adjustment for waist circumference and body fat, the positive association of BMI with Type 2 diabetes risk became non-significant and reversed. There was a significantly positive association of waist circumference with Type 2 diabetes risk after adjustment for BMI, and a significantly positive association of body fat with Type 2 diabetes risk after adjustment for both BMI and waist circumference. When the joint effects were examined, the significantly positive associations of waist circumference or body fat with Type 2 diabetes risk were consistent among women with different levels of BMI, and the positive association of BMI and Type 2 diabetes risk was significant among women with gestational diabetes with a waist circumference of ≥ 50% or body fat ≥ 50%.

CONCLUSIONS

BMI, waist circumference and body fat were all associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, and waist circumference and body fat were better indicators than BMI for Type 2 diabetes risk among Chinese women with prior gestational diabetes.

Synthesis of size-monodisperse spherical Ag@SiO2 nanoparticles and 3-D assembly assisted by microfluidics

This article reports a one-step approach for the fabrication of highly uniform, spherical Ag particles with tailored dimensions ranging from 10 to 30 nm. Coated with silica shell, the high uniformity of the particles allows their spontaneous assembly into millimeter-long extended 3-D arrays with transverse dimensions of tens of micrometers, using a microfluidic evaporation-based process.

Time-resolved microfocused small-angle X-ray scattering investigation of the microfluidic concentration of charged nanoparticles

We describe the concentration process of a dispersion of silica nanoparticles undergoing evaporation in a dedicated microfluidic device. Using microfocused small-angle X-ray scattering, we measure in time and space both the concentration field of the dispersion and its structure factor. We show that the electrostatic interactions affect the concentration rate by strongly enhancing the collective diffusion coefficient of the nanoparticle dispersion. En route towards high concentrations, the nanoparticles eventually undergo a liquid-solid phase transition in which we evidence crystallites of micron size.

Molecular diversity of bacteria in Yunnan yellow cattle (Bos taurs) from Nujiang region, China

The rumen content of four Yunnan Yellow Cattle (Bos taurs) were collected to determine the bacteria diversity by using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. A total of 129 sequences were examined and the sequences were referred as 107 OTU (Operational Taxonomy Unit) according to the similarity level of 97% in gene sequence. Similarity analysis revealed that Yunnan Yellow Cattle had 12 sequences (10 OTU) shared 97% or greater similarity with cultured rumen bacteria Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Succiniclasticum ruminis, Ruminococcus bromii, Clostridium proteoclasticum, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Pseudobutyrivibrio ruminis, Jeotgalicoccus psychrophilus, and Prevotella ruminicola, which accounting for 9.3% of the total clones (9.2% of the total OTU). The further 12 sequences (9 OTU) shared 90-97% similarity with cultured bacteria Clostridium aminobutyricum, butyrate-producing bacterium, Schwartzia succinivorans, Prevotella ruminicola, Eubacterium ruminantium, Ruminococcus albus, and Clostridium termitidis, also accounting for 9.3% of the total sequences (8.3% of the total OTU). The remaining 105 sequences (90 OTU) shared less than 90% similarity with cultured bacteria, accounting for 81.4% of the total sequences (82.5% of the total OTU). According to the phylogenetic analysis, all sequences were phylogenetically placed within phyla of low G+C subdivision (accounting for 72.1 and 72.5% of the total clones and OTU, respectively) and CFB subdivision (Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides; accounting for 27.9 and 27.5% of the total clones and OTU, respectively). Among the examined clones, rare bacteria Jeotgalicoccus psychrophilus was detected in the rumen of cattle.

Assessment of protozoa in Yunnan Yellow cattle rumen based on the 18S rRNA sequences

Library of ruminal protozoal 18S rRNA of Yunnan Yellow Cattle has been constructed in the present study. Phylogenic analysis of sequences was meanwhile employed to reveal the diversity of protozoa in the rumen of Yunnan Yellow Cattle. One Yellow Cattle was fed malt meal (YCRPB) and the other was fed wheat straw (YCRPS). A protozoa-specific primer (P-SSU-342f) and a eukarya-specific primer (Medlin B) were used to amplify a 1,360-bp fragment of DNA encoding protozoal small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA from rumen fluid. The results showed as follows: A total of 121 clones were obtained and fell into four genera identified as Entodinium (66.9%), Dasytricha (5.8%), Isotricha (9.1%), and Diplodinium (18.2%). Within the genus Entidinium, 48 of the YCRPB sequences and 33 of the YCRPS sequences clustered with the Entodinium caudatum. 7 of the YCRPB sequences were phylogenetically placed within the genus Dasytricha. 11 of the YCRPB sequences were related with high confidence to Isotricha intestinalis. 22 of the YCRPS sequences were phylogenetically placed within the genus Diplodinium. The predominant protozoal genus identified in the rumen fluid belonged to the Entodinium group, and the divergences between two cattle may due to diet and individual differences.