The bovine MHC and trypanotolerance

野菰(Zizania latifolia)是湖北省洪湖中优势水生维管束植物,其群落占全湖355平方公里面积的127平方公里。茎和叶的年生物量为4379克鲜重/平方米,全湖总年产量121700吨干重,目前未被利用。野菰各器官的蛋白质和氨基酸含量分别以百分干重表示:根,7.0和4.76;根状茎,11.3和8.85;茎,9.5和7.15;嫩茎梢,22.4和16.53;叶,16.8和14.61。500克干叶的必需氨基酸含量接近100克干重草鱼幼鱼背肌的必需氨基酸含量。脂肪:叶中3.4～4.2,茎中2.2;粗纤维

Predicting patient-reported stroke outcomes: a validation of the six simple variable prognostic model.

BACKGROUND: Case-mix represents the range of disease severity and baseline characteristics that may be the cause of variation in outcomes between individuals and populations. Adjustment for case-mix is therefore important to allow meaningful comparison of healthcare outcomes. The best available case-mix adjustment model for stroke (the Six Simple Variable [SSV] model) was developed to adjust the hard endpoints of independent survival, survival and alive and living at home. There is increasing interest in the measurement of patient-reported outcomes through self-completed questionnaires, though there are currently no robust adjustment models for any such outcome. We aimed to determine whether the SSV prognostic model derived to predict 6-month post-stroke independent survival has wider utility in case-mix adjustment of a patient-reported functional outcome measure, the Subjective Index of Physical and Social Outcome (SIPSO), collected by post 6 months after stroke onset. METHODS: We examined data from 176 patients admitted following an acute stroke and recruited into a prospective cohort study in three participating acute hospitals in Yorkshire, UK. Patients in receipt of palliative care or with transient ischaemic attack were excluded. Using the beta coefficients from the published SSV model to predict independent survival, individual probabilities of 'good' outcome as measured with the dichotomised SIPSO collected by post 6 months after stroke onset were calculated. The ability of the SSV case-mix adjustment model to discriminate patients with 'good' over 'poor' outcome was assessed through calculation of C statistics. Correct predictions were visualised with calibration plots. RESULTS: The C statistics for the SSV model to predict the physical and social subscales of the SIPSO outcome measure were 0.73 (95% CI 0.65-0.79) and 0.66 (0.58-0.82), respectively. Inclusion of patients who died prior to follow-up and ascribing them a score of 0 improved the discrimination (0.76 [0.70-0.82] and 0.70 [0.64-0.76], respectively). Calibration plots demonstrated a tendency to over-optimistic predictions, although confidence limits were wide. CONCLUSIONS: The SSV model predicts adequately the physical component of the SIPSO patient-reported outcome measure and may be useful to adjust this outcome for case-mix following stroke in survivors to follow-up. This could be of benefit in observational studies, stratified randomisation for trials, and in comparison of between-institution clinical trials. Further exploration of the generalizability of the model to adjust other patient-reported stroke outcomes may be warranted

Study protocol: Investigation of the Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOSS) for the routine detection of delirium in the care home setting: a prospective cohort study

Introduction: Delirium is a common and distressing condition associated with frailty, dementia and co-morbidity. These are common in long-term care settings. Residents in care homes are therefore at particular risk of delirium. Despite this, methods to detect delirium in care homes are lacking, with existing diagnostic tools taking too long, or requiring specific training to deliver. This limits their feasibility for use for the routine detection of delirium by care home staff. Routine screening for delirium in care homes would allow timely attention to exacerbating factors to attenuate the episode, and facilitate future research into delirium in the care home environment. Methods: Residents from four large care homes will be asked to consent (or their consultees asked to provide a declaration of agreement) to participate in the study. Care home staff will administer the 25-item Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOSS) – a delirium screening tool based on observed behaviours and this will be tested against the research standard Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) administered by trained research assistants performed twice per week for all participating residents. Analysis: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios and a diagnostic odds ratio will be calculated for the detection of delirium with the 25-item DOSS. The feasibility of routine delirium screening and the scaling properties of the 25-item DOSS will also be explored. Ethics and Dissemination: For residents lacking capacity to participate, a consultee will be approached for a declaration of agreement for inclusion in the study. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated in written format to Clinical Commissioning Groups, General Practitioners, and relevant third parties. Registration details: This study is registered on the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN14608554

Modeling the adiabatic connection in H₂

Full configuration interaction (FCI) data are used to quantify the accuracy of approximate adiabatic connection (AC) forms in describing the ground state potential energy curve of H2, within spin-restricted density functional theory (DFT). For each internuclear separation R, accurate properties of the AC are determined from large basis set FCI calculations. The parameters in the approximate AC form are then determined so as to reproduce these FCI values exactly, yielding an exchange-correlation energy expressed entirely in terms of FCI-derived quantities. This is combined with other FCI-derived energy components to give the total electronic energy; comparison with the FCI energy quantifies the accuracy of the AC form. Initial calculations focus on a [1/1]-Padé-based form. The potential energy curve determined using the procedure is a notable improvement over those from existing DFT functionals. The accuracy near equilibrium is quantified by calculating the bond length and vibrational wave numbers; errors in the latter are below 0.5%. The molecule dissociates correctly, which can be traced to the use of virtual orbital eigenvalues in the slope in the noninteracting limit, capturing static correlation. At intermediate R, the potential energy curve exhibits an unphysical barrier, similar to that noted previously using the random phase approximation. Alternative forms of the AC are also considered, paying attention to size extensivity and the behavior in the strong-interaction limit; none provide an accurate potential energy curve for all R, although good accuracy can be achieved near equilibrium. The study demonstrates how data from correlated ab initio calculations can provide valuable information about AC forms and highlight areas where further theoretical progress is required

The O-antigen epitope governs susceptibility to colistin in Salmonella enterica

Some serovars of Salmonella, namely, those belonging to group D, appear to show a degree of intrinsic resistance to colistin. This observed intrinsic colistin resistance is of concern since this last-resort drug might no longer be effective for treating severe human infections with the most common Salmonella serovar, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Here, we show that the O-antigen epitope in group D Salmonella governs the levels of colistin susceptibility. Using whole-genome sequencing, we also revealed that increased colistin susceptibility in a group D Salmonella veterinary isolate was due to a defect in the O-antigen polymerase protein, Rfc. In summary, we show that two different mechanisms that influence the presence and composition of O antigens affect colistin susceptibility in Salmonella enterica.Group D and group B Salmonella enterica serovars differ in their susceptibility to colistin with the former frequently intrinsically resistant (MIC > 2 μg/ml); however, the mechanism has not been described. Here, we show that the O-antigen epitope in group D Salmonella governs the levels of colistin susceptibility. Substitution of the rfbJ gene in a group B Salmonella with the rfbSE genes from a group D Salmonella conferred a decrease in susceptibility to colistin. The presence of dideoxyhexose, abequose, and the deoxymannose, tyvelose, differentiate the Salmonella group B and group D O antigens, respectively. We hypothesize that the subtle difference between abequose and tyvelose hinders the colistin molecule from reaching its target. Whole-genome sequencing also revealed that increased colistin susceptibility in a group D Salmonella veterinary isolate was due to a defect in the O-antigen polymerase protein, Rfc. This study shows that two different mechanisms that influence the presence and composition of O antigens affect colistin susceptibility in Salmonella enterica

Real-time time-dependent self-consistent field methods with dynamic magnetic fields

The first finite basis set implementation of the real-time time-dependent self-consistent field method in a dynamic (time-dependent) magnetic field using London atomic orbitals (LAOs) is presented. The accuracy of the finite basis approach using LAOs is benchmarked against numerical results from the literature for the hydrogen atom and H2 in the presence of rapidly oscillating magnetic fields. This comparison is used to inform the choice of appropriate basis sets for studies under such conditions. Remarkably, relatively modest compact LAO basis sets are sufficient to obtain accurate results. Analysis of electron dynamics in the hydrogen atom shows that LAO calculations correctly capture the time evolution of orbital occupations. The Fourier transformation of the autocorrelation function yields a power spectrum exhibiting harmonics associated with coherent emission, which closely matches the literature and further confirms the accuracy of this approach. The dynamical response of the electron density in H2 for a magnetic field parallel to the internuclear axis shows similar behavior to benchmark studies. The flexibility of this implementation is then demonstrated by considering how the dynamical response changes as a function of the orientation of the molecule relative to the applied field. At non-parallel orientations, the symmetry of the system is lowered and numerical benchmark data, which exploit cylindrical symmetry, are no-longer readily available. The present study demonstrates the utility of LAO-based calculations for extreme dynamic magnetic fields, providing a stress-test on the choice of basis. Future applications of this approach for less extreme dynamic magnetic fields are briefly discussed

Effects of diets containing vegetable oil on expression of genes involved in highly unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in liver of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

Fish are an important dietary source of the long-chain C20 and C22 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), arachidonate (20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoate (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoate (22:6n-3), that are crucial to the health of higher vertebrates and that can be beneficial in human diets. Δ5 and Δ6 fatty acid desaturases, and fatty acid elongases are critical enzymes in the biosynthetic pathways of HUFA from shorter chain C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as linoleic (18:2n-6) and α-linolenic (18:3n-3) acids. Recently, full-length cDNAs for fatty acid desaturase and elongase enzymes have been cloned from Atlantic salmon. Functional characterisation of the desaturase revealed n-3 Δ5 desaturase activity, whereas the elongase had broad substrate specificity for PUFA with a range of chain lengths from C18 to C22. The study described here was primarily focused on the nutritional regulation of genes involved in the HUFA biosynthetic pathway in Atlantic salmon. A feeding trial was performed whereby salmon smolts in seawater pens were fed for 40 weeks on five different diets. The diets consisted of a control diet containing fish oil (FO) and four diets in which the FO was replaced in a graded manner by linseed oil (LO). Specifically, in terms of added oils, the five diets were 100% FO (FO), 100%LO (LO100) and FO/LO in ratios of 3:1 (LO25), 1:1 (LO50) and 1:3 (LO75). Fish were sampled at 20 and 40 weeks, and samples of liver were collected for lipid analyses and total RNA extraction. Hepatocytes were also prepared and the activity of the HUFA biosynthetic pathway determined. Expression of fatty acid desaturase and elongase genes was determined by quantitative real time PCR and the ratio of the copy number of the targeted gene against that of β-actin was calculated. The results showed that after 20 weeks of feeding, desaturase and elongase gene expression in liver was increased in a graded manner by increasing dietary LO. Expression of both genes was positively and negatively correlated with dietary 18:3n-3 and n-3 HUFA, respectively. By 40 weeks of feeding, expression of neither gene showed the same degree of correlation with dietary fatty acid composition. In contrast, activity of the HUFA biosynthetic pathway, which showed some association with diet at 20 weeks, was positively and significantly correlated with dietary LO after 40 weeks of feeding. Elongation activity reflected the overall activity of the HUFA biosynthetic pathway to a greater degree than Δ5 desaturation activity. The possible mechanisms underlying the observed results and the regulation of the HUFA biosynthetic pathway are discussed