Chemical Constituents of a Marine-derived Fungus Fusarium oxysporum F0888 and their Antibacterial Activity

Five new compounds, including four hydroxyphenylacetic acid derivatives, stachylines H-K (1-4), a derivative of hydroxyphenylethanol (5), as well as seven known compounds were obtained from a marine-derived fungus Fusarium oxysporum F0888 isolated from sediments in the South China Sea. The structures and absolute configurations of new compounds were determined by spectroscopic (IR, NMR, and HR-ESI-MS) analyses, comparison of optical rotations, and the modified Mosher's MTPA ester method. Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of compounds 1-12 were tested. Unfortunately, all of isolated compounds were inactivity.

[A discrimination model for differentiation of renal cell carcinoma from renal angiomyolipoma without visible fat: based on hierarchical fusion framework of multi-classifier]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the capabilities of classification models based on hierarchical fusion framework of multi-classifier using a random projection strategy for differentiation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from small renal angiomyolipoma (< 4 cm) without visible fat (AMLwvf).

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical data from 163 patients with pathologically proven small renal mass, including 118 with RCC and 45 with AMLwvf.Target region of interest (ROI) delineation was performed on an unenhanced phase (UP) CT image slice displaying the largest lesion area.The radiomics features were used to establish a hierarchical fusion method.On the projection-based level, the homogeneous classifiers were fused, and the fusion results were further fused at the classifier-based level to construct a multi-classifier fusion system based on random projection for differentiation of AMLwvf and RCC.The discriminative capability of this model was quantitatively evaluated using 5-fold cross validation and 4 evaluation indexes[specificity, sensitivity, accuracy and area under ROC curve (AUC)].We quantitatively compared this multi-classifier fusion framework against different classification models using a single classifier and several multi-classifier ensemble models.

RESULTS

When the projection number was set at 10, the proposed hierarchical fusion differentiation framework achieved the best results on all the evaluation measurements.At the optimal projection number of 10, the specificity, sensitivity, average accuracy and AUC of the multi-classifier ensemble classification system for differentiation between AMLwvf and RCC were 0.853, 0.693, 0.809 and 0.870, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The proposed model constructed based on a multi-classifier fusion system using random projection shows better performance to differentiate RCC from AMLwvf than the AMLwvf and RCC discrimination models based on a single classification algorithm and the currently available benchmark ensemble methods.

[Clinical features and prognosis of patients with different types of heart failure in relation to coronary artery disease]

Objective: To analyze whether there is a difference in the influence of coronary artery disease (CAD) on the clinical features and prognosis of three different types of heart failure patients. Methods: Complete clinical data of 1 520 hospitalized patients with heart failure from Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and Tianjin Chest Hospital from March 2014 to February 2016 was retrospectively reviewed. According to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the patients were divided into three groups: heart failure with reduced ejection fraction group (HFrEF), heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction group (HFmrEF)and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction group (HFpEF). Each group was further classified into two subgroups according to absence or presence of CAD (No CAD' and 'With CAD'). In the HFrEF group, 197 patients were categorized into 'No CAD' sub-group while 435 patients were into 'With CAD' sub-group. Likewise, 63 patients in HFmrEF group fell into 'No CAD' sub-group while 367 were into 'With CAD' sub-group. Seventy two patients in the HFpEF group were in the 'No CAD' sub-group with 386 in the 'With CAD' sub-group. Clinical features and 2-year prognosis between different subgroups were compared. Results: (1) The relationship between CAD and clinical features of different types of heart failure: the proportions of HFrEF, HFmrEF and HFpEF combined with CAD were 68.8%, 85.3% and 84.3%, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with the 'No CAD' subgroups, patients in the 'With CAD' subgroups were older, and had higher NT-proBNP levels, higher rates of hypertension and diabetes, and lower rates of atrial fibrillation. Also, there were more use of antiplatelet and nitrate drugs in the 'With CAD' sub-groups (P<0.05). (2) Risk of different types of heart failure combined with CAD: after multivariate adjustment, HFrEF had a lower risk of CAD (HFrEF vs HFmrEF: RR=0.389, 95%CI 0.281-0.540; HFrEF vs HFpEF: RR=0.408, 95%CI 0.298-0.560). (3)The influence of CAD on the prognosis of different types of heart failure: CAD increased the risk of mortality in the HFrEF group (HR=1.631, 95%CI 1.119-2.377), and cardiovascular events in all three types of heart failure (HR: HFrEF 1.725, 95%CI 1.325-2.246; HFmrEF 1.815, 95%CI 1.144-2.879; HFpEF 1.900, 95%CI 1.218-2.963). Conclusions: Patients with HFmrEF and HFpEF have a higher prevalence and risk of CAD than patients with HFrEF. CAD is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in all types of heart failure and increases the risk of all-cause mortality among HFrEF group. CAD is an important factor influencing the clinical features and prognosis of patients with all types of heart failure.

Atlantic salmon infected with salmon lice are more susceptible to new lice infections

Aggregation is commonly observed for macroparasites, but its adaptive value remains unclear. Heavy infestations intensities may lead to a decrease in some fitness-related traits of parasites (e.g. parasite fecundity or survival). However, to a dioecious parasite, increased aggregation could also increase the chance of finding individuals of the opposite sex. In a laboratory experiment, we tested if previous experience with salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) affected susceptibility of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to later exposure to the same parasite species. We found that currently infected fish got higher intensities of new lice than naive fish. This suggests that hosts already carrying parasites are more susceptible to new lice infections. For this dioecious parasite, such positive density dependence might be adaptive, ensuring successful reproduction under conditions of low lice densities by increasing the probability of both sexes infecting the same host.

X-ray self-emission imaging used to diagnose 3-D nonuniformities in direct-drive ICF implosions

As hydrodynamics codes develop to increase understanding of three-dimensional (3-D) effects in inertial confinement fusion implosions, diagnostics must adapt to evaluate their predictive accuracy. A 3-D radiation postprocessor was developed to investigate the use of soft x-ray self-emission images of an imploding target to measure the size of nonuniformities on the target surface. Synthetic self-emission images calculated from 3-D simulations showed a narrow ring of emission outside the ablation surface of the target. Nonuniformities growing in directions perpendicular to the diagnostic axis were measured through angular variations in the radius of the steepest intensity gradient on the inside of the ring and through changes in the peak x-ray intensity in the ring as a function of angle. The technique was applied to an implosion to measure large 3-D nonuniformities resulting from two dropped laser beam quads at the National Ignition Facility.

Angiotensin converting enzyme I/D polymorphism and sarcoidosis risk

BACKGROUND

This meta-analysis investigates the associations of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) polymorphism and risk of sarcoidosis.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Two reviewers independently searched three databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane database to identify published studies. Full texts of the selected studies were accessed and related data was extracted using a standardized data extraction form.

RESULTS

A total of 18 studies contained a total of 1626 patients with sarcoidosis in case group and 2465 healthy controls in control group. Results of the current meta-analysis revealed that ACE DD genotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of sarcoidosis (OR=1.21; 95% CI, 1.06-1.38; I2=48%). In the race subgroup analysis, Asians with ACE DD genotype showed no significant increased risk of sarcoidosis (OR=1.37; 95% CI, 0.94-1.99; I2=78%). Caucasians with ACE DD genotype had an increased sarcoidosis risk (OR=1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.36; I2=24%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis indicated that the ACE DD genotype correlated with an increased risk of sarcoidosis.

Assay of HIV gp41 amino acid sequence to identify baseline variation and mutation development in patients with virologic failure on enfuvirtide

In this study, we retrospectively assessed a gp41 genotypic assay in 404 enfuvirtide-naïve individuals (340 clade B, 64 non-B clade) to determine the prevalence of baseline polymorphisms and in 41 patients virologically failing enfuvirtide to determine correlates of resistance to this agent. Conserved and polymorphic regions of gp41 were identified in clade B isolates, with 127 of 328 codons (38.7%) being highly conserved (<1.0% variation) and 74 of 328 codons (22.6%) being partially conserved (1.0-5.0% variation). Polymorphisms were observed throughout gp41 in non-B clade virus sequences compared to the clade B reference strain, ranging from 53 natural substitutions in clade D to 76 in clade A. Insertions were common at positions 3, 105, 215 and 276. In the patients failing enfuvirtide, mutations were detected in the 10 amino acid region at positions 36-45 in all plasma virus sequences. Six additional mutations were selected outside of the common region which may be clinically significant at positions 33, 73, 75, 126, and 138. Two or three mutations at positions 36-45 were observed in the majority of plasma virus sequences from patients with virologic failure following the use of enfuvirtide. Further study is required to determine the clinical relevance of the clade related polymorphisms and the new mutations identified in the patients with virologic failure.

HIV protease and reverse transcriptase variation and therapy outcome in antiretroviral-naive individuals from a large North American cohort

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of baseline HIV reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease sequence variation on virologic outcomes in a large cohort of antiretroviral-naive patients in British Columbia, Canada.

METHODS

Population sequencing of RT and protease was performed on baseline viral RNA of all antiretroviral-naive patients first seeking treatment in British Columbia between June 1997 and August 1998 (n = 479). Relative risks of virological failure associated with genotypic differences from a 'standard' HIV strain (HXB2) were assessed for up to 18 months.

RESULTS

The prevalence of key baseline mutations known to confer resistance to RT and protease inhibitors (PI) was 3.4 and 3.8%, respectively. No statistically significant impact on virologic outcomes could be established for these patients. However, the data suggest that some individuals (harboring a M184V mutation in RT or a V82I in protease) may have benefited from pre-therapy resistance tests. 'Secondary' mutations in the protease associated with resistance (e.g. codons 10, 36 or 63) were common, but the presence of these secondary mutations, either alone or in combination, did not appear to result in early loss of therapeutic virological suppression. Preliminary analyses suggest that an amino acid change at codon 35 in the protease may be associated with early treatment failure.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that routine genotyping of naive patients about to start antiretroviral therapy would be of benefit to a relatively small proportion of the population. Secondary mutations associated with resistance to PI alone were not found to affect virologic outcomes significantly.

Human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons with mutations conferring resistance to zidovudine show reduced virologic responses to hydroxyurea and stavudine-lamivudine

The baseline predictors of poor virologic response (<0.5 log decrease in plasma virus load) were examined in two 1996 pilot trials of combination nucleoside-analogue therapy. One trial examined the addition of hydroxyurea to didanosine therapy; the other examined stavudine-lamivudine in combination. In both, predictors of virologic response included the presence of mutations associated with zidovudine resistance. For hydroxyurea, the odds ratio (OR) of failure to achieve a short-term (4 weeks) virologic response in a bivariate logistic regression model was 30.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-543; P=.02) for use of lower dose hydroxyurea (500 mg/day) and 14.7 (95% CI, 1.1-200; P=.04) for the presence of a zidovudine-related mutation. For the stavudine-lamivudine study, the OR of failure to achieve a virologic response at 4 weeks in a multivariate logistic regression model was 23 (95% CI, 2.7-199; P=.004) for the presence of a mutation at codon 215.

[Left ventricular function evaluation after mitral valve replacement with preservation the subvalvular apparatus]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the left ventricular function after mitral valve replacement (MVR) with preservation of all chordae. Fourteen patients with a diagnosis of mitral regurgitation were studied. These patients, 4 males and 10 females, age from 24 to 59 years, who underwent mitral valve replacement, in which all chordae tendineae were preserved. The mean follow-up interval was 6 months. Preoperation and postoperation multigated equilibrium radionuclide angiography was performed by Elscint Helix Apex SPECT. Each patient was injected with 740MBq 99mTc-HSA, rest ejection fraction (global EF) of LV (%), regional ejection fraction (EF) of LV (%), PER/S and PFR/S were measured. Regional EF was calculated by the method of dividing the left ventricle into five segments by radial axis. The results showed that the postoperative EF of the whole left ventricle of the chordae-preserved patients was significantly greater than their preoperative EF (40.0% +/- 17.8%, to 51.6% +/- 18.2%, P < 0.02), and also the regional EF at the lateral wall of the chordae-preserved MVR was significantly greater than the preoperative regional EF (an increase from 51.0% +/- 18.1% to 69.7% +/- 21.2%, P < 0.01). MVR with preservation of all chordae, the patient's left ventricular function remarkably improved.

Prevalence of primary HIV drug resistance among seroconverters during an explosive outbreak of HIV infection among injecting drug users

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the frequency of transmission of drug resistant HIV in the population of injecting drug users (IDU) in Vancouver, Canada during a period of particularly high virus transmission.

DESIGN

All subjects enrolled in the Vancouver Injection Drug Users Study who seroconverted from HIV negative to positive status (n = 61) between December 1996 and February 1998 were eligible for analysis. The first seropositive sample from 57 individuals with plasma samples available was analyzed for resistance to antiretroviral agents by population based sequencing of the HIV protease and reverse transcriptase genes.

METHODS

Plasma viral RNA was extracted and the viral reverse transcriptase and protease regions were amplified by nested reverse transcription-PCR. The presence of mutations associated with antiretroviral drug resistance was assessed by automated sequence analysis.

RESULTS

Protease and reverse transcriptase sequences were successfully obtained from the 57 recent seroconverters. No cases of transmission of variants associated with significant resistance to protease inhibitors or nucleoside and non-nucleosides reverse transcriptase inhibitors were detected.

CONCLUSION

The frequency of transmission of drug resistant HIV amongst these recently infected IDU is extremely low, with no protease or reverse transcriptase inhibitor resistant strains detected soon after seroconversion. The data provide no rationale for withholding treatment from this already marginalized population.

[153Sm-EDTMP for moderate and severe bone cancer pain]

One hundred and thirty-six patients with bone cancer pain were treated with 153Sm-EDTMP (ethylenediamine-tetramethylene phosphonic acid). Pain free was noted in 49 cases (36%, 49/136) and pain relief in 77 cases (56.6%, 77/136), the total relief rate being 92.6% (126/136). The data from 76 patients with moderate and severe pain showed there were no significant relationships between the patients' age, the dose of 153Sm-EDTMP and the analgesic effects (P > 0.05). The pain relief observed in the patients with chest pain (ribs metastases) was earlier than that in other groups (P < 0.05). We didn't find any clinical side-effects, so 153Sm-EDTMP is safe for use.

[Effect of 153Sm-EDTMP on hematopoiesis and vital organs of 93 patients with bone tumor]

In the present study data on blood cell count, serum biochemistry, electrolyte, enzyme and vital organs of 93 patients with bone tumor or metastasis were investigated before and after treatment with 153Sm-EDTMP. The results showed that, 7 days and 30 days after the administration of 153Sm-EDTMP (< 29.6 MBq) (0.8 mCi/kg), the levels of hemoglobin, WBC lymphocyte count, and the liver and kidney function of all patients were not significantly different from the baseline data before treatment (P > 0.05). Although at 7 days, there was a declination of the granulocyte count, it returned to normal at 30 days (P > 0.05). The platelet count was significantly decreased (0.05 > P > 0.01). at 30 days after the administration of 153Sm-EDTMP. Thirteen patients received 74-185 MBq (2-5mCi/kg) and their myelo biopsies at 3 and 18 months showed no sign of acute or chronic toxicosis.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 cellular RNA load and splicing patterns predict disease progression in a longitudinally studied cohort

We report the results of a longitudinal study of RNA splicing patterns in 31 early-stage human immunodeficiency virus disease patients with an average follow-up time of 3 years. Eighteen patients showed no evidence for disease progression, whereas 13 patients either showed a > or = 50% reduction in baseline CD4 count or developed opportunistic infections. Levels of unspliced, tat, rev, and nef mRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by a reverse transcriptase-quantitative, competitive PCR assay. Viral RNA was detected in all patients at all time points. All 13 rapid progressors had viral RNA loads that were > or = 1 log unit greater than those of the slow progressors. In addition, seven of the rapid progressors showed a reduction of more than threefold in the ratio of spliced to unspliced RNA over the 3 years of follow-up. Conversely, two slow progressors with intermediate levels of viral RNA showed no splicing shift. These results confirm earlier observations that viral RNA is uniformly expressed in early-stage patients. We further show that cellular RNA viral load is predictive of disease progression. Importantly, the shift from a predominately spliced or regulatory viral mRNA pattern to a predominately unspliced pattern both is associated with disease progression and adds predictive utility to measurement of either RNA class alone.

Accurate and differential quantitation of HIV-1 tat, rev and nef mRNAs by competitive PCR

An accurate method is described for measuring the relative abundance of HIV-1 regulatory mRNAs directly in clinical specimens. Specimen RNA is reverse transcribed and coamplified with a common competitor containing tat, rev and nef internal standards using fluorescent primers and a competitive polymerase chain reaction. After amplification, individual products are separated and analyzed on a fluorescent DNA sequencer. Using this approach, it was possible to measure reproducibly two-fold differences in the relative abundance of mRNAs with coding potential for tat, rev and nef from as little as 0.2 ng of total RNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-1 infected persons. The ratio method eliminates the need to account for variability in RNA recovery during sample processing and provides a powerful tool for measuring the differential expression of HIV-1 regulatory genes in vivo.

Evaluation of hepatitis C virus kits

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies were detected in 85.9% of the samples by commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits. Most EIA-positive samples were reactive (80%) by the RIBA HCV test (Ortho Diagnostics). Samples with optical density values greater than or equal to 2.0 were mostly reactive (87%) by RIBA HCV test, in contrast to those with values less than or equal to 1.0 (6.6%). Samples which were indeterminate by the RIBA HCV test were positive (88.4%) by HCV neutralization EIA (Abbott Laboratories), along with 29.4% of samples which were nonreactive by the RIBA HCV test.

Effect of nonspecific interactions of the hepatitis B surface antigen with the solid phase on its detection by two-site immunoradiometric assay

Two-site immunoradiometric assay (Austria II-125, procedure B, Abbott) was used to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in chronic carrier sera from clinically healthy subjects or from kidney transplant or hemodialysis patients. The titration curves of some high-titered sera showed a prozone-like effect; this corresponded in two such sera LB and MA, to congruent to 80% inhibition of HBsAg detection in undiluted serum relative to a 1:800 dilution. The nature of the inhibition in the above two sera was investigated. We found that the inhibition depended on the time of first incubation but not on the affinity of capture antibodies. Nonspecific adsorption of HBsAg to the solid phase during the first incubation with inhibitory sera and elution of the thus adsorbed antigen during the second incubation, with the resulting neutralization of 125I-labeled anti-HBs, appeared to cause the inhibition of detection observed. The inhibition was prevented by addition of the detergent Triton X-100 to serum or by elution of adsorbed antigen prior to the second incubation, thus indicating that further improvements of the HBsAg immunoradiometric assay may be possible.

Greenhouse Effects due to Man-Mad Perturbations of Trace Gases

Nitrous oxide, methane, ammonia, and a number of other trace constituents in the earth's atmosphere have infrared absorption bands in the spectral region 7 to 14 microm and contribute to the atmospheric greenhouse effect. The concentrations of these trace gases may undergo substantial changes because of man's activities. Extensive use of chemical fertilizers and combustion of fossil fuels may perturb the nitrogen cycle, leading to increases in atmospheric N(2)O, and the same perturbing processes may increase the amounts of atmospheric CH(4) and NH(3). We use a one-dimensional radiative-convective model for the atmospheric thermal structure to compute the change in the surface temperature of the earth for large assumed increases in the trace gas concentrations; doubling the N(2)O, CH(4), and NH(3) concentrations is found to cause additive increases in the surface temperature of 0.7 degrees , 0.3 degrees , and 0.1 degrees K, respectively. These systematic effects on the earth's radiation budget would have substantial climatic significance. It is therefore important that the abundances of these trace gases be accurately monitored to determine the actual trends of their concentrations.

Biphasic inactivation of procine heart mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate

Temperature studies have indicated that from 0 to 37 degrees, the time-dependent inactivation of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase from porcine heart by pyridoxal 5-phosphate (pyridoxal-5-P) is biphasic. The initial phase of the inactivation is reversible but can be made irreversible by reduction with sodium borohydride. The reduced pryidoxal-5-P-enzyme adduct exhibits a new absorbance maximum at 325 nm and a fluorescence emission at 392 nm when excited at 325. The irreversible second phase of the inactivation is accompanied by the appearance of a new 325-nm absorbance maximum, in the absence of reduction, and a fluorescence emission centered about 390 to 400 nm when excited at 325. The evidence presented suggests the formation of a Schiff base between pyridoxal-5-P and a nucleophilic residue, most likely lysine, of malate dehydrogenase during the first phase of inactivation. An X-azolidine-like structure, a further derivative of the Schiff base, possessing spectral properties consistent with the reported data, may be formed during the second phase; this presumably involves a second nucleophilic residue of the enzyme, implicating the action of pyridoxal-5-P as a bifunctional reagent in this instance. The presence of the coenzyme, NADH, protects the enzyme from inactivation, suggesting that pyridoxal-5-P interacts at or near the malate dehydrogenase active center. Simultaneous binding studies using pyridoxal-5-P with known malate dehydrogenase competitive inhibitors AMP, ADP, and nicotinamide indicate that the pyridoxal-5-P modification occurs in the general area of the ADP portion of the coenzyme binging site. Furthermore, the presence of nicotinamide enhances pyridoxal-5-P binding to and inactivation of malate dehydrogenase.