Detection of Microcystin-Producing Cyanobacteria in a Reservoir by Whole Cell Quantitative PCR

AbstractCyanobacterial blooms are of increasing concern due to their negative impacts on environment and cyanobacteria-producing cyanotoxins, which create serious threats to animal and human health. Early detection of the harmful cyanotoxin-producing cyanobacteria is vital for the water management. In this study, we compared the amplification specificity for microcystin-producing cyanobacteria with primers targeting 16S rRNA genes, phycocyanin operon, and regions of mcy gene clusters. To detect presence of microcystin-producing cyanobacteria in a drinking water sourced reservoir, whole cell PCR assay was performed to amplify partial mcyA, mcyE, and the results were compared with that of direct microscopic counts based on morphologic identification. The positive liner correlation of the Microcystis colony by microscopic counts with mcyA containing cell, which was quantified by whole cell quantitative RT-PCR assay, was further confirmed. The results indicated that the microcystin-producer in the reservoir was mainly Microcystis. Therefore, we provided a simple, rapid, sensitive and applicable method for early detection of toxic cyanobacteria

Anticonvulsant and sedative effect of Fufang Changniu pills and probable mechanism of action in mice

Purpose: To investigate the anticonvulsant and sedative effects of Fufang Changniu Pills (FCP) and its probable mechanism of action in mice.Methods: The water decoction of FCP was prepared and the main constituents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The anticonvulsant activities of FCP were evaluated by maximal electroshock (MES) and  pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in mice. Pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time and locomotor activity measurements were performed to evaluate the sedative effects of FCP in mice. Finally, PTZ-induced chronic seizures were  established, and expressions of gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABA-A) and glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) in the brains of the mice were assayed by western blot in order to explore the probable mechanisms of action of the drug.Results: Gallic acid, liquiritin, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid and glycyrrhizic acid were detected in FCP decoction. FCP (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) showed significant anticonvulsant and sedative effects on epileptic mice induced by MES (p < 0.05) and PTZ (p < 0.05). Moreover, pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time and  locomotor activity tests showed that FCP possesses sedative effect (p < 0.05). Western blot data indicate that FCP significantly up-regulated GABA-A and GAD 65 in the brains of chronic epileptic rats (p < 0.05).Conclusion: FCP has significant anticonvulsant and sedative effects, and the  mechanism of its action may be related to the up-regulation of GABA-A and GAD 65 in mice brain.Keywords: Epilepsy, Fufang Changniu pills, Anticonvulsant, Sedative effect,  Gamma-aminobutyric acid, Glutamate dehydrogenas

Magnetic resonance T1-mapping evaluates the degree of thyroid destruction in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis

Objective: Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease. Longitudinal relaxation time mapping (T1-mapping) measured by MRI is a new technique for assessing interstitial fibrosis of some organs, such as heart and liver. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between T1-mapping value and thyroid function and determine the usefulness of T1-mapping in identifying thyroid destruction in AIT patients. Methods: This case–control study recruited 57 drug-naïve AIT patients and 17 healthy controls. All participants were given thyroid MRI, and T1-mapping values were measured using a modified look-locker inversion-recovery sequence. Results: AIT patients had significantly higher thyroid T1-mapping values than the healthy controls (1.077 ± 177 vs 778 ± 82.9 ms; P < 0.01). A significant increase in thyroid T1-mapping values was presented along with the increased severity of thyroid dysfunction (P < 0.01). Correlation analyses showed that increased thyroid T1-mapping values were associated with higher TSH and lower FT3 and FT4 levels (TSH: r = 0.75; FT3: r = −0.47; FT4: r = −0.72; all P < 0.01). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a high diagnostic value of T1-mapping values for the degree of thyroid destruction (area under the curve was 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90–0.99, P < 0.01). Conclusions: AIT patients have higher thyroid T1-mapping values than the healthy controls, and the T1-mapping values increased with the progression of thyroid dysfunction. Thyroid T1-mapping value might be a new index to quantitatively evaluate the degree of thyroid destruction in AIT patients

Continuous variable entanglement enhancement and manipulation by a sub-threshold type-II optical parametric amplifier

We experimentally demonstrate that the quantum entanglement between amplitude and phase quadratures of optical modes produced from a non-degenerate optical parametric amplifier (NOPA) can be enhanced and manipulated phase-sensitively by means of another NOPA. When both NOPAs operate at de-amplification, the entanglement degree is increased at the cavity resonance of the second NOPA. When the first NOPA operates at de-amplification and the second one at amplification, the spectral features of the correlation variances are significantly changed. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical expectation

Determination of incommensurate modulated structure in Bi2Sr1.6La0.4CuO6+{\delta} by aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy

Incommensurate modulated structure (IMS) in Bi2Sr1.6La0.4CuO6+{\delta} (BSLCO) has been studied by aberration corrected transmission electron microscopy in combination with high-dimensional (HD) space description. Two images in the negative Cs imaging (NCSI) and passive Cs imaging (PCSI) modes were deconvoluted, respectively. Similar results as to IMS have been obtained from two corresponding projected potential maps (PPMs), but meanwhile the size of dots representing atoms in the NCSI PPM is found to be smaller than that in PCSI one. Considering that size is one of influencing factors of precision, modulation functions for all unoverlapped atoms in BSLCO were determined based on the PPM obtained from the NCSI image in combination with HD space description

Efficiency trends of essential public health services and possible influencing factors since the new round health reform in China: a case study from Hainan Province

ObjectiveThis article aimed to evaluate the efficiency trends and influencing factors of essential public health services in Hainan Province after the healthcare reform launched in 2009 in China.MethodsThe efficiency of essential public health services (EPHS) at primary health institutions was assessed using data envelopment analysis (DEA), and the efficiency change was analyzed by employing the Malmquist productivity index (MPI). We used Tobit regression to identify the influence of environmental factors on the efficiency of public health services. The bootstrap method was adopted to reduce the impact of random errors on the result.ResultsThe bootstrapping bias-corrected efficiency revealed that the average values of technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 0.7582, 0.8439, and 0.8997, respectively, which meant that the EPHS in Hainan Province were not at the most effective state. The average bias-corrected MPI was 1.0407 between 2010 and 2011 and 1.7404 between 2011 and 2012. MPIs were less than 1.0000 during other periods investigated, ranging from 0.8948 to 0.9714, indicating that the efficiency of EPHS has been decreasing since 2013. The Tobit regression showed that the regression coefficients of per capita GDP, population density, the proportion of older people aged over 65, and the proportion of ethnic minority population were 0.0286, −0.0003, −0.0316, and − 0.0041 respectively, which were statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05).ConclusionThere was a short-term improvement in the efficiency of EPHS in Hainan after the launch of the new round of health reform. However, this trend has not been sustained after 2013. In particular, equalized financial investment in essential public health could not fulfill the needs of poor counties. This has resulted in the inability to improve scale efficiency in some counties, which in turn has affected the improvement of overall EPHS efficiency. Therefore, to promote EPHS efficiency sustainably, it is suggested that under this model of provincial control of counties, the equity of resource allocation should be effectively improved while further advancing the technology of service delivery

Levothyroxine Replacement Alleviates Thyroid Destruction in Hypothyroid Patients With Autoimmune Thyroiditis: Evidence From a Thyroid MRI Study

Background: Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is the most frequent cause of hypothyroidism. Our previous studies have shown that magnetic resonance T1-mapping is a new technique for quantitatively evaluating the degree of thyroid destruction in AIT patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of levothyroxine on thyroid destruction in hypothyroid AIT patients using thyroid T1-mapping technique.Methods: This study recruited 29 hypothyroid AIT patients and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Thyroid T1-mapping values were measured in all participants and repeated in the AIT patients at 3 months after they achieved a euthyroid state following levothyroxine treatment.Results: Thyroid T1-mapping values were higher in the AIT patients than in the healthy controls (1167.2 ± 163.2 vs. 779.6 ± 83.8 ms, P &lt; 0.01), and levothyroxine treatment significantly decreased the thyroid T1-mapping values of AIT patients (1006.3 ± 114.6 vs. 1167.2 ± 163.2 ms, P &lt; 0.01). Meanwhile, the reduced levels of anti-peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) were observed in the AIT patients after levothyroxine treatment [TPOAb: 257.6 (23.9–960.6) vs. 1,287.4 (12.6–2000.0) IU/mL, P &lt; 0.01; TgAb: 53.54 (9.58–386.2) vs. 103.9 (34.2–1,596.8) IU/mL, P &lt; 0.05]. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels showed a descending tendency following levothyroxine treatment, although there was no statistical difference (P &gt; 0.05).Conclusions: In the AIT patients, thyroid T1-mapping values were significantly increased, and levothyroxine treatment significantly decreased the thyroid T1-mapping values of the AIT patients. These results might suggest that levothyroxine treatment alleviates thyroid destruction in hypothyroid AIT patients

PO-194 Urinary metabolomics study on effects of Rhodiola on Marathon Amateurs after Quantitative Exercise Load

Objective To study&nbsp;the effect of Chinese medicine Rhodiola on oxidative stress injury in amateur marathon runners after quantitative exercise load&nbsp;(20 km) and explore its mechanism. Methods Eight marathon amateurs were divided into four groups according to different test time, including before and after quantitative exercise load&nbsp;(group C and group CE), before and after quantitative exercise load&nbsp;after taking a month of the Rhodiola&nbsp;(group MC and group ME). The participants had serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as myocardial enzyme index - creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and glutamic oxaline aminotransferase (AST/GOT) activity&nbsp;evaluated. In order to further explore the mechanism of action of Rhodiola, the urine&nbsp;was analyzed by 1H-HMR&nbsp;metabonomics technique. Results 1) Compared with group C, the activity of&nbsp;serum CK, LDH and AST/GOT&nbsp;of group CE increased significantly (P&lt;0.01 or P&lt;0.05), MDA content and SOD activity also increased significantly (P&lt;0.05). A total of fifteen potential biomarkers were found in group CE, such&nbsp;as valine, lactic acid, 2- hydroxy isobutyric acid and so on (P&lt;0.05 and VIP&gt;1). 2) Compared with group CE, the activity of serum CK and AST/GOT&nbsp;and the content of MDA of group ME decreased significantly (P&lt;0.05), eleven metabolites among the fifteen potential biomarkers reverted significantly (P&lt;0.01 or P&lt;0.05), which mainly involved in 4 metabolic pathways&nbsp;including alanine, aspartic acid and glutamic acid metabolism and so on. Conclusions Rhodiola can enhance the antioxidant capacity and improve myocardial damage of&nbsp;marathon amateurs after quantitative exercise&nbsp;load, which may&nbsp;be due to&nbsp;increased&nbsp;synthesis and utilization of aminoacyl-tRNA and other amino acids

Comparison of Exenatide and Metformin Monotherapy in Overweight/Obese Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

Aims. The present study assessed the therapeutic effect of exenatide and metformin as the initial therapy on overweight/obese patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods. The prospective, nonrandomized, interventional study enrolled a total of 230 overweight or obese patients with newly diagnosed T2D who were administrated exenatide or metformin hydrochloride for 12 weeks. Results. 224/230 patients, including 106 in the exenatide group and 118 in the metformin group, completed the 12-week treatment. Both exenatide and metformin significantly decreased the HbA1c levels in overweight/obese patients with newly diagnosed T2D (all P<0.05). The reduction in HbA1c and the proportion of patients with HbA1c < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) were higher in the exenatide group than in the metformin group (all P<0.05). The exenatide treatment caused a greater decline in the body weight and BMI as compared to the metformin treatment (all P<0.01). The exenatide treatment (β = 0.41, P<0.01) and baseline HbA1c level (β = −0.84, P<0.01) were independent influencing factors for the decrease in HbA1c level. Conclusions. For an initial therapy in overweight/obese patients with newly diagnosed T2D, exenatide causes a better glycemic control than metformin. This trial is registered with NCT03297879