Cloning and Characterization of Phospholipases A2 and Hyaluronidase Genes from the Venom of the Honeybee Apis mellifera carnica (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Bee venom contains the allergic enzymes phospholipases A2 (PLA2) and hyaluronidase. These enzymes have been extensively studied as therapeutic modalities because of their proven effects in pharmaceutical and clinical applications. The cDNA cloning of PLA2 and hyaluronidase was amplified by RT-PCR from the total RNA of the venom gland of a honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica). The lengths of the PLA2 and hyaluronidase of Apis mellifera ligustica were 504 and 1146bp, respectively. The genes of PLA2 and hyaluronidase shared 90.94% and 96.65% homologies with A. mellifera ligustica and Apis cerana cerana, respectively. Some similar PLA2 and hyaluronidase were also found in the venom of other bee species, We analyzed their sequences and compared them with those of other sources. A notable finding was that the two genes differed from those of A. mellifera ligustica and A. cerana cerana. The positions of the disulfide bonds of PLA2 and hyaluronidase were also completely different from those previously reported. We used the available sequences to construct a phylogenetic tree and discovered that these two genes of A. mellifera carnica belonged to the western honeybee, and was more closely related to that of A. mellifera ligustica than to any other insect

LQTS Gene LOVD Database

The Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders that predisposes young individuals to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. LQTS is mainly caused by mutations in genes encoding subunits of cardiac ion channels (KCNQ1, KCNH2, SCN5A, KCNE1, and KCNE2). Many other genes involved in LQTS have been described recently (KCNJ2, AKAP9, ANK2, CACNA1C, SCNA4B, SNTA1, and CAV3). We created an online database (http://www.genomed.org/LOVD/introduction.html) that provides information on variants in LQTS-associated genes. As of February 2010, the database contains 1738 unique variants in 12 genes. A total of 950 variants are considered pathogenic, 265 are possible pathogenic, 131 are unknown/unclassified, and 292 have no known pathogenicity. In addition to these mutations collected from published literature, we also submitted information on gene variants, including one possible novel pathogenic mutation in the KCNH2 splice site found in ten Chinese families with documented arrhythmias. The remote user is able to search the data and is encouraged to submit new mutations into the database. The LQTS database will become a powerful tool for both researchers and clinicians. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Dedicated JPSS VIIRS Ocean Color Calibration/Validation Cruise

The NOAA/STAR ocean color team is focused on “end-to-end” production of high quality satellite ocean color products. In situ validation of satellite data is essential to produce the high quality, “fit for purpose” remotely sensed ocean color products that are required and expected by all NOAA line offices, as well as by external (both applied and research) users. In addition to serving the needs of its diverse users within the U.S., NOAA has an ever increasing role in supporting the international ocean color community and is actively engaged in the International Ocean-Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG). The IOCCG, along with the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Ocean Colour Radiometry Virtual Constellation (OCR-VC), is developing the International Network for Sensor Inter-comparison and Uncertainty assessment for Ocean Color Radiometry (INSITU-OCR). The INSITU-OCR has identified, amongst other issues, the crucial need for sustained in situ observations for product validation, with longterm measurement programs established and maintained beyond any individual mission. Recently, the NOAA/STAR Ocean Color Team has been making in situ validation measurements continually since the launch in fall 2011 of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) platform, part of the U.S. Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program. NOAA ship time for the purpose of ocean color validation, however, had never been allocated until the cruise described herein. As the institutional lead for this cruise, NOAA/STAR invited external collaborators based on scientific objectives and existing institutional collaborations. The invited collaborators are all acknowledged professionals in the ocean color remote sensing community. Most of the cruise principal investigators (PIs) are also PIs of the VIIRS Ocean Color Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) team, including groups from Stennis Space Center/Naval Research Laboratory (SSC/NRL) and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM); City College of New York (CCNY); University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB); University of South Florida (USF); University of Miami (U. Miami); and, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These Cal/Val PIs participated directly, sent qualified researchers from their labs/groups, or else contributed specific instruments or equipment. Some of the cruise PIs are not part of the NOAA VIIRS Ocean Color Cal/Val team but were chosen to complement and augment the strengths of the Cal/Val team participants. Outside investigator groups included NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC), Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University (LDEO), and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). This report documents the November 2014 cruise off the U.S. East Coast aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. This cruise was the first dedicated ocean color validation cruise to be supported by the NOAA Office of Marine and Air Operations (OMAO). A second OMAO-supported cruise aboard the Nancy Foster is being planned for late 2015. We at NOAA/STAR are looking forward to continuing dedicated ocean color validation cruises, supported by OMAO on NOAA vessels, on an annual basis in support of JPSS VIIRS on SNPP, J-1, J-2 and other forthcoming satellite ocean color missions from the U.S as well as other countries. We also look forward to working with the U.S. and the international ocean community for improving our understanding of global ocean optical, biological, and biogeochemical properties.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

The Service Capability of Primary Health Institutions under the Hierarchical Medical System

Background: Primary health institutions (PHIs) are the foundation of the whole health system and the basic link to achieve the goal of all people enjoying primary health care. However, the service capability of primary health institutions is not under the hierarchical medical system. Method: Data were collected from the China Health Statistics Yearbook between 2014 and 2020. PHIs included community health centres, community health stations, and township hospitals in our study. The service capability of primary health institutions was analysed from the perspective of structure, process, and results. Structure capability was evaluated using the number of beds, number of personnel, number of health technicians, and proportion of the number of personnel in PHIs accounting for the total number of health personnel. Process capability was evaluated using the number of general practitioners. The number of outpatients and inpatients, medical income, the proportion of drug income, and the average number of patients and beds served by physicians in PHIs per day were employed to evaluate the resulting capability. Results: From 2014 to 2020, the number of community health service centres/stations increased, while the number of township health centres decreased. In the aspect of structure capability, the total number of personnel and health technicians in community health centres/stations and township hospitals both increased during 2014 and 2020. However, the increasing rate in PHIs was a little bit less than that of general medical institutions. The proportion of male health technicians in community health centres and township hospitals both decreased, while the proportion of female technicians in both increased. From 2014 to 2020, the number of beds in PHIs also increased from 138.12 × 104 to 164.94 × 104. However, the proportion of beds in PHIs accounting for the total number of beds in medical institutions decreased. For the resulting capability, from 2014 to 2019, the proportion of diagnosis and treatment times in PHIs decreased from 57.41% to 51.96%, although it increased in 2020. The proportion of inpatients in PHIs decreased from 20.03% to 16.11%. From 2014 to 2020, the utilisation rate of hospital beds in PHIs decreased (from 55.6% to 34% for community health centres and 60.5% to 53.6% for township hospitals). The average daily bed days of doctors in township hospitals was higher than that of doctors in community health service centres. However, the average medical cost of outpatients and the per capita medical cost of inpatients in community health service centres were higher than in township hospitals. Conclusion: In recent years, although the service capability showed an increasing trend in PHIs, the growth rate was lower than the general health institutions. The utilisation rates of PHIs, including beds and physicians, were decreased. Among PHIs, the utilisation in township hospitals was higher than in community health centres with a relatively low price. Under the hierarchical medical system and normalisation period of the COVID-19 epidemic, it is important to improve the service capability to achieve its goal of increasing PHI utilisation and decreasing secondary and tertiary hospital utilisation

Ultrasound-Triggered Effects of the Microbubbles Coupled to GDNF Plasmid-Loaded PEGylated Liposomes in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate ultrasound-triggered effects of PEGylated liposomes-coupled microbubbles mediated gene transfer of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) plasmid (PLs-GDNF-MBs) on behavioral deficits and neuron loss in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods: The unloaded PLs-MBs were characterized for particle size, concentration and zeta potential. PD rat model was established by a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion. Rotational, climbing pole, and suspension tests were used to evaluate behavioral deficits. The immunohistochemical staining of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine transporter (DAT) was used to assess the neuron loss. The expression levels of GDNF and nuclear receptor-related factor 1 (Nurr1) were determined by western blot and qRT-PCR analysis.Results: The particle size of PLs-MBs was gradually increased, while the concentration and absolute zeta potential were gradually decreased in a time-dependent manner after injection. 6-OHDA elevated amphetamine-induced rotations and decreased the TH and DAT immunoreactivity compared to sham group. However, these effects were blocked by the PLs-GDNF-MBs. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of GDNF and Nurr1 were increased after PLs-GDNF-MBs treatment.Conclusions: The delivery of PLs-GDNF-MBs into the brains using MRI-guided focused ultrasound alleviates the behavioral deficits and neuron loss in the rat model of PD

Robust Suppression Strategy for Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Inverter Cluster Resonance Based on Kalman Filter Improved Disturbance Observer

In response to the key engineering problems of photovoltaic grid-connected inverter cluster resonance suppression affected by grid-connected inverter impedance, in this paper, a control strategy based on a disturbance observer is proposed to dynamically compensate for the damping coefficient of the controlled system and improve the robustness of the system. First, an engineering mathematical model of a 200 MW photovoltaic inverter cluster is established, and the mechanism of the active damping of the cluster inverter influenced by the disturbance is analyzed. Secondly, the capacitor current feedback is utilized to constitute the virtual damping, and the inverter output impedance is reshaped to suppress the resonance peak. Then, a Kalman filter is used to improve the traditional disturbance observer to accurately detect disturbance of the system during the dynamic process of the cluster inverter so as to better adapt to changes in grid impedance and dynamically compensate for the virtual damping of the cluster resonant system. Finally, the proposed control strategy is verified with respect to a practical PV power station. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed control method

Robust Suppression Strategy for Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Inverter Cluster Resonance Based on Kalman Filter Improved Disturbance Observer

In response to the key engineering problems of photovoltaic grid-connected inverter cluster resonance suppression affected by grid-connected inverter impedance, in this paper, a control strategy based on a disturbance observer is proposed to dynamically compensate for the damping coefficient of the controlled system and improve the robustness of the system. First, an engineering mathematical model of a 200 MW photovoltaic inverter cluster is established, and the mechanism of the active damping of the cluster inverter influenced by the disturbance is analyzed. Secondly, the capacitor current feedback is utilized to constitute the virtual damping, and the inverter output impedance is reshaped to suppress the resonance peak. Then, a Kalman filter is used to improve the traditional disturbance observer to accurately detect disturbance of the system during the dynamic process of the cluster inverter so as to better adapt to changes in grid impedance and dynamically compensate for the virtual damping of the cluster resonant system. Finally, the proposed control strategy is verified with respect to a practical PV power station. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed control method