Analysis of fire resistance of square-cased square steel tube reinforced concrete (ST-RC) columns

Based on the finite element (FE) analysis software Abaqus, an FE model of square-cased square steel tube reinforced concrete (ST-RC) columns under the hybridized action of high-temperature and load is established. The accuracy of the FE model is verified using experimental data from existing studies. This model is used to analyze the temperature change, internal force distribution, and failure characteristics of the square-cased square ST-RC columns under the action of fire, as well as the factors affecting the fire resistance limit of the column. The results of FE analysis show that under the action of fire, the maximum internal temperature of the square-cased square ST-RC columns occurs in the corner of the section. Moreover, the stress and strain reach their maximum values at the concrete corner outside the tube. During the heating process, an internal force redistribution occurs in the square-cased square ST-RC column. At the same time, the proportion of the axial force and the bending moment of the reinforced concrete outside the pipe decreases gradually, while the proportion of the internal force of the core concrete-filled steel tube (CFST) increases gradually. In essence, it is a process of load transfer from the high-temperature to the low-temperature zone. In addition, the section size, load ratio, slenderness ratio, cross-sectional core area ratio, steel content, and external concrete strength are the main parameters affecting the fire resistance limit of the square-cased square ST-RC columns. Among them, the cross-sectional core area ratio, section size, steel ratio, and external concrete strength are positively correlated with the fire resistance limit of the composite column. On the contrary, with the increase in the load ratio and the slenderness ratio, the fire resistance limit of the square-cased square ST-RC columns decreases. On this basis, a simplified formula to calculate the fire resistance limit of square-cased square ST-RC columns is proposed. The research results can be used as a theoretical reference for the fire protection design of this kind of structure in practical engineering

Sepsis caused by Phytobacter diazotrophicus complicated with galactosemia type 1 in China: a case report

Abstract Background Phytobacter diazotrophicus (P. diazotrophicus) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes nosocomial outbreaks and sepsis. However, there are no reports of P. diazotrophicus isolated from human blood in China. Case presentation A 27-day-old female infant was admitted to our hospital with fever and high bilirubin levels. The clinical features included jaundice, abnormal coagulation, cholestasis, fever, convulsions, weak muscle tension, sucking weakness, ascites, abnormal tyrosine metabolism, cerebral oedema, abnormal liver function, clavicle fracture, and haemolytic anaemia. The strain isolated from the patient’s blood was identified as P. diazotrophicus by whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Galactosemia type 1 (GALAC1) was diagnosed using whole-exome sequencing (WES). Based on drug sensitivity results, 10 days of anti-infective treatment with meropenem combined with lactose-free milk powder improved symptoms. Conclusion P. diazotrophicus was successfully identified in a patient with neonatal sepsis combined with galactosemia. Galactosemia may be an important factor in neonatal sepsis. This case further expands our understanding of the clinical characteristics of GALAC1

Prenatal whole exome sequencing identified two rare compound heterozygous variants in EVC2 causing Ellis‐van Creveld syndrome

Abstract Background Pathogenic mutations in EVC or EVC2 gene can lead to Ellis‐van Creveld (EvC) syndrome, which is a rare autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia disorder. This study aimed to determine pathogenic gene variations associated with EvC syndrome in fetuses showing ultrasound anomalies. Methods A 32‐year‐old pregnant woman from Quanzhou, China was investigated. In her pregnancy examination, the fetus exhibited multiple fetal malformations, including a narrow thorax, short limbs, postaxial polydactyly, cardiac malformations, and separation of double renal pelvis. Karyotype, chromosomal microarray analysis and whole exome sequencing were performed for prenatal genetic etiology analysis. Results Chromosome abnormalities and copy number variants were not observed in the fetus using karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis. Using whole exome sequencing, two compound heterozygous variants NM_147127.5:c.[2484G>A(p.Trp828Ter)];[871‐2_894del] in EVC2 gene were identified in the fetus as pathogenic variants inherited from parents. Conclusions The study is the first to identify two rare compound variants in EVC2 gene in a Chinese family using whole exome sequencing. The application of whole‐exome sequencing would be helpful in fetal etiological diagnosis with ultrasound anomalies

cDNA Cloning and Functional Verification of Transcription Factor NhbZIP1 from Neoporphyra haitanensis

Neoporphyra haitanensis is a macroalgae available in the south coast of China, and it is one of the most widely cultivated seaweeds in China. In recent years, due to global warming, the continuously high temperatures following the White Dew solar term, has led to the decomposition of seedlings of N. haitanensis in Fujian, Zhejiang and other provinces. This has had a huge impact on the coastal N. haitanensis cultivation industry in terms of production and development. Therefore, investigation of the molecular mechanism of high temperature stress response of N. haitanensis and the high-temperature resistance related genes is essential, and the results can also lay a foundation for the breeding of high-temperature resistant varieties of N. haitanensis. A previous study revealed that the basic region Leucine Zipper (bZIP) family transcription factors are one of the largest and most conserved transcription factor families in plants. The family plays an important role in plant response to abiotic stresses, such as high temperature, drought, and osmosis. bZIP transcription factors regulate plant response to abiotic stress by binding to functional genes or regulatory gene promoter cis-elements to activate and induce downstream gene expression. So far, 127, 89, and 216 bZIP transcription factors have been found in Arabidopsis, rice, and maize, respectively. However, previous studies on bZIP have mainly focused on model plants and only some field crops, and the functions of bZIP in macroalgae have not been reported. To this end, NhbZIP1 was screened based on the whole genome and transcriptomic data of N. haitanensis, and the NhbZIP1 gene was cloned and functionally analyzed by molecular biology and bioinformatics techniques. Its structure and expression pattern were also analyzed. Finally, the NhbZIP1 gene was transformed into Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by the "glass bead transformation" method for gene function verification. In this study, a gene product with a length of approximately 1000 bp was obtained by PCR amplification. After sequencing and BLAST analysis, the gene was identified as the bZIP gene of N. haitanensis and named NhbZIP1. Studies have shown that the open reading frame of NhbZIP1 gene is 825 bp in length and encodes 274 amino acids. There are five low-complexity domains and one BRLZ (115~179 aa) structure. BRLZ is a conserved domain of bZIP family and contains a α-coiled helix structure (121~171 aa). The molecular formula of NhbZIP1 is C1193H1935N339O375S7, and the predicted molecular weight of NhbZIP1 is 27 251.95 Da; its theoretical isoelectric point is 5.03, and it contains 32 negative charge residues and 26 positive charge residues in total. Ala (A) content of the protein was 27%, and Arg (R) content was 4.7%. The total average hydrophilic coefficient was 0.089, which indicates that the protein is hydrophilic, and the instability coefficient was 42.68, which indicates that the protein is unstable. There were 15 potential phosphorylation sites and 12 potential O-linkage glycosylation sites in this protein, which had no signal peptide or transmembrane structure. The protein was located in the nucleus and its characteristics were consistent with those of the genes encoding transcription factors, indicating that NhbZIP1 was a bZIP family transcription factor. Phylogenetic analysis showed that NhbZIP1 gene was isolated from Porphyra umbilicalis and was different from that higher plants, indicating that NhbZIP1 gene was relatively conserved in Porphyra and was genetically distant from higher plants. It is speculated that the NhbZIP1 gene of N. haitanensis has a different evolutionary mode from that of other species. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that NhbZIP1 gene was significantly induced by high temperature stress, and the expression level of NhbZIP1 gene was about 3.4 times that of the initial level after 6 h of stress. Under long-term high temperature stress, the heat tolerance of N. haitanensis could be enhanced by enhancing the expression of the resistance gene NhbZIP1. To further clarify the molecular function of NhbZIP1 gene, we transformed it into C. reinhardtii for functional verification. The results showed that the expression level of NhbZIP1 gene was relatively stable before 30 min of high temperature treatment, while the gene expression level was significantly increased after 60 min of the treatment, which was 1.8 times that of the initial level. Under subsequent high temperature stress, the gene expression level remained high, which was about 2.6 times that of the initial level after 180 min of high temperature treatment. The biomass of transgenic lines under heat stress was always higher than that of the wild type, and the difference became more significant with the increase of treatment time. The expression levels of heat shock protein family and genes related to antioxidant system in transgenic lines were significantly higher than that of the wild type. The results showed that NhbZIP1 gene plays an important role in activating the expression of downstream stress-resistant genes in the response to heat stress in N. haitanensis, suggesting that NhbZIP1 gene may enhance the heat tolerance of algae by regulating the expression of HSPs and activating the expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes. This study helps to clarify the molecular mechanism of bZIP transcription factor in regulating the response of N. haitanensis to high temperature stress and provides theoretical basis for guiding the breeding of new varieties with high temperature tolerance

Roemerine Improves the Survival Rate of Septicemic BALB/c Mice by Increasing the Cell Membrane Permeability of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequently occurring hospital- and community-associated pathogenic bacteria featuring high morbidity and mortality. The occurrence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has increased persistently over the years. Therefore, developing novel anti-MRSA drugs to circumvent drug resistance of S. aureus is highly important. Roemerine, an aporphine alkaloid, has previously been reported to exhibit antibacterial activity. The present study aimed to investigate whether roemerine can maintain these activities against S.aureus in vivo and further explore the underlying mechanism. We found that roemerine is effective in vitro against four S. aureus strains as well as in vivo against MRSA insepticemic BALB/c mice. Furthermore, roemerine was found to increase cell membrane permeability in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings suggest that roemerine may be developed as a promising compound for treating S. aureus, especially methicillin-resistant strains of these bacteria

A de novo PAK1 likely pathogenic variant and a de novo terminal 1q microdeletion in a Chinese girl with global developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, and seizures

Abstract Background Pathogenic PAK1 variants were described to be causative of neurodevelopmental disorder with macrocephaly, seizures, and speech delay. Herein, we present a de novo PAK1 variant combine with a de novo terminal 1q microdeletion in a Chinese pediatric patient, aiming to provide more insights into the underlying genotype–phenotype relationship. Methods Enrolled in this study was a 6-year-old girl with clinical features of global developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, speech delay, and seizures from Quanzhou region of China. Karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were performed to detect chromosome abnormalities in this family. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to investigate additional genetic variants in this family. Results No chromosomal abnormalities were elicited from the entire family by karyotype analysis. Further familial CMA results revealed that the patient had a de novo 2.7-Mb microdeletion (arr[GRCh37] 1q44(246,454,321_249,224,684) × 1]) in 1q44 region, which contains 14 OMIM genes, but did not overlap the reported smallest region of overlap (SRO) responsible for the clinical features in 1q43q44 deletion syndrome. In addition, WES result demonstrated a de novo NM_002576: c.251C > G (p.T84R) variant in PAK1 gene in the patient, which was interpreted as a likely pathogenic variant. Conclusion In this study, we identify a novel PAK1 variant associated with a terminal 1q microdeletion in a patient with neurodevelopmental disorder. In addition, we believe that the main clinical features may ascribe to the pathogenic variant in PAK1 gene in the patient

Simultaneous Qualitation and Quantitation of Chlorogenic Acids in Kuding Tea Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Diode Array Detection Coupled with Linear Ion Trap–Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer

Kuding tea, the leaves of Ilex Kudingcha C.J. Tseng, has been applied for treating obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, and so on. The chlorogenic acids (CGAs) in Kuding tea have shown excellent antioxidative, antiobesity, anti-atherosclerotic and anticancer activities. Nevertheless, the chemical profiles of CGAs in Kuding tea have not been comprehensively studied yet, which hinders further quality control. In the present study, a sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection coupled with a linear ion trap-Orbitrap (UHPLC-DAD-LTQ-Orbitrap) method was established to screen and identify CGAs in Kuding tea. Six CGA standards were first analyzed in negative ion mode with a CID-MS/MS experiment and then the diagnostic product ions (DPIs) were summarized. According to the retention behavior in the RP-ODS column, accurate mass measurement, DPIs and relevant bibliography data, a total of 68 CGA candidates attributed to 12 categories were unambiguously or preliminarily screened and characterized within 18 min of chromatographic time. This was the first systematic report on the distribution of CGAs in Kuding tea. Meanwhile, the contents of 6 major CGAs in Kuding tea were also determined by the UHPLC-DAD method. All the results indicated that the established analytical method could be employed as an effective technique for the comprehensive and systematic characterization of CGAs and quality control of the botanic extracts or Chinese medicinal formulas that contain various CGAs

Image1_PhbZIP2 regulates photosynthesis-related genes in an intertidal macroalgae, Pyropia haitanensis, under stress.TIF

Intertidal macroalgae are important research subjects in stress biology. Basic region-leucine zipper transcription factors (bZIPs) play an important regulatory role in the expression of target genes under abiotic stress. We herein identified a bZIP2 gene PhbZIP2 to regulate abiotic stress tolerance in Pyropia haitanensis, a representative intertidal macroalgal species. Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA characterized a BRLZ structure and an α coiled-coil structure between amino acids and Expression of PhbZIP2 was detected to upregulate under both high temperature and salt stresses. A DAP-seq analysis revealed the PhbZIP2-binding motifs of (T/C)TCCA(C/G) and A (A/G)AAA (G/A), which differed from the conserved motifs in plants. Overexpression of PhbZIP2 was indicative of a high temperature and salt stress tolerances in transgenic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. It was suggested that PhbZIP2 was probably involved in regulating expression of the photosynthetic-related genes and the response to the abiotic stresses in P. haitanensis, which provide new insights for elucidating efficient adaptation strategies of intertidal macroalgae.</p