A Frequency-Independent Method for Computing the Physical Optics-Based Electromagnetic Fields Scattered From a Hyperbolic Surface

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Effect of a Chinese herbal medicine on chronic periodontitis patients

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Effect of a Chinese herbal medicine on aggressive periodontitis patients

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Dissimilarity in the Folding of Human Cytosolic Creatine Kinase Isoenzymes

Creatine kinase (CK, EC 2.7.3.2) plays a key role in the energy homeostasis of excitable cells. The cytosolic human CK isoenzymes exist as homodimers (HMCK and HBCK) or a heterodimer (MBCK) formed by the muscle CK subunit (M) and/or brain CK subunit (B) with highly conserved three-dimensional structures composed of a small N-terminal domain (NTD) and a large C-terminal domain (CTD). The isoforms of CK provide a novel system to investigate the sequence/structural determinants of multimeric/multidomain protein folding. In this research, the role of NTD and CTD as well as the domain interactions in CK folding was investigated by comparing the equilibrium and kinetic folding parameters of HMCK, HBCK, MBCK and two domain-swapped chimeric forms (BnMc and MnBc). Spectroscopic results indicated that the five proteins had distinct structural features depending on the domain organizations. MBCK BnMc had the smallest CD signals and the lowest stability against guanidine chloride-induced denaturation. During the biphasic kinetic refolding, three proteins (HMCK, BnMc and MnBc), which contained either the NTD or CTD of the M subunit and similar microenvironments of the Trp fluorophores, refolded about 10-fold faster than HBCK for both the fast and slow phase. The fast folding of these three proteins led to an accumulation of the aggregation-prone intermediate and slowed down the reactivation rate thereby during the kinetic refolding. Our results suggested that the intra- and inter-subunit domain interactions modified the behavior of kinetic refolding. The alternation of domain interactions based on isoenzymes also provides a valuable strategy to improve the properties of multidomain enzymes in biotechnology

A functional variant in the Stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene promoter enhances fatty acid desaturation in pork

There is growing public concern about reducing saturated fat intake. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is the lipogenic enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of oleic acid (18:1) by desaturating stearic acid (18:0). Here we describe a total of 18 mutations in the promoter and 3′ non-coding region of the pig SCD gene and provide evidence that allele T at AY487830:g.2228T>C in the promoter region enhances fat desaturation (the ratio 18:1/18:0 in muscle increases from 3.78 to 4.43 in opposite homozygotes) without affecting fat content (18:0+18:1, intramuscular fat content, and backfat thickness). No mutations that could affect the functionality of the protein were found in the coding region. First, we proved in a purebred Duroc line that the C-T-A haplotype of the 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (g.2108C>T; g.2228T>C; g.2281A>G) of the promoter region was additively associated to enhanced 18:1/18:0 both in muscle and subcutaneous fat, but not in liver. We show that this association was consistent over a 10-year period of overlapping generations and, in line with these results, that the C-T-A haplotype displayed greater SCD mRNA expression in muscle. The effect of this haplotype was validated both internally, by comparing opposite homozygote siblings, and externally, by using experimental Duroc-based crossbreds. Second, the g.2281A>G and the g.2108C>T SNPs were excluded as causative mutations using new and previously published data, restricting the causality to g.2228T>C SNP, the last source of genetic variation within the haplotype. This mutation is positioned in the core sequence of several putative transcription factor binding sites, so that there are several plausible mechanisms by which allele T enhances 18:1/18:0 and, consequently, the proportion of monounsaturated to saturated fat.This research was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2009-09779 and AGL2012-33529). RRF is recipient of a PhD scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (BES-2010-034607). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of manuscript

Analysis of the effectiveness and effect-cost of different proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in the treatment of peptic ulcer bleeding

目的對不同質子泵抑制劑對消化性潰瘍出血的療效及療效-費用分析進行分析。方法83例消化性潰瘍出血病人隨機分為4組,分別給予:①靜脈注射奧美拉唑40mg,q12h;②靜脈注射奧美拉唑40mg,q12h,聯合睡前一次靜脈注射法莫替丁20mg;③靜脈注射泮妥拉唑40mg,q12h;④靜脈注射泮妥拉唑40mg,q12h,聯合睡前一次靜脈注射法莫替丁20mg。療程均為5d。記錄患者的止血時間、輸血量、住院時間、轉診手術率、死亡率及住院總費用。結果4組患者的止血時間分別為1.3±1.0d、1.2±0.8d、1.3±0.8d、1.4±0.8d(P>0.05);輸血量分別為1.7±2.8U、1.5±2.5U、1.6±2.4U、1.6±2.5U(P>0.05);再出血率為5.3%(1/19)、0、0、0(P>0.05);手術率和死亡率均為0;住院時間分別為10.6±7.4d、11.7±6.9d、12.9±5.9d、11.6±7.5d(P>0.05);住院總費用分別為7337.2±2133.1元、6908.6±2466.3元、7266.9±2993.1元、6646.3±2544.3元(P>0.05)。結論靜脈注射奧美拉唑和泮妥拉唑均能有效治療消化性潰瘍出血,療效及住院費用相當,夜間無需加用H2受體拮抗劑亦能達到同樣療效。 Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and effect-cost in the treatment of patients with peptic ulcer bleeding by using proton pump inhibitor (PPI) omeprazole or pantoprazole. Methods Eighty-three patients with peptic ulcer bleeding were randomly divided into 4 groups. Patients in group A (19 cases) were treated by intravenous injection of 40 mg omeprazole (q12h for 5 days); Patients in group B (22 cases) received intravenous injection of 40 mg omeprazole (q12h), followed by the intravenous injection of 20 mg H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) famotidine before sleep for five days. In group C (22 cases), the patients were given intravenous injection of 40 mg pantoprazole (q12h for 5 days); while in group D (20 cases), following intravenous injection 40 mg pantoprazole (q12h), the patients were treated by intravenous injection of 20 mg famotidine before sleep for 5 days. The haemorrhage time, rehaemorrhagia rate, operability and mortality rate, blood transfusion unit, hospital stay and cost were compared among four groups. Results The average time needed for hemostasis were 1.3 ± 1.0, 1.2 ± 0.8, 1.3 ± 0.8, 1.4 ± 0.8 days in group A, B, C and D, respectively. The rehaemorrhagia rate in group A was 5.3%, and was null in other three groups. Both the operability and the mortality rates of 4 groups were null. The blood transfusion units in group A, B, C and D were 1.7 ± 2.8, 1.5 ± 2.5, 1.6 ± 2.4 and 1.6 ± 2.5 U, respectively. The average time in ward in groups A, B, C and D were 10.6 ± 7.4, 11.7 ± 6.9, 12.9 ± 5.9, 11.6 ± 7.5 days; and the average costs were 7,337.2 ± 2,133.1, 6,908.6 ± 2,466.3, 7,266.9 ± 2,993.1 and 6,646.3 ± 2,544.3 RMB, respectively. No significant difference was found in all the parameters among the four groups. Conclusion The effectiveness of intravenous injection of omeprazole or pantoprazole twice daily on treatment of peptic ulcer bleeding is similar