Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detection of Staphylococcus aureus

To develop a rapid detection method of Staphylococcus aureus using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), four specific primers were designed according to six distinct sequences of the nuc gene. In addition, the specificity and sensitivity of LAMP were verified and compared with those of PCR. Results showed that the LAMP reaction was completed within 45 min at 62.5°C, and ladder bands were appeared in LAMP products analyzed by gel electrophoresis. After adding 1x SYBR Green l, the positive reaction tube showed green color and the negative reaction tube remained orange, indicating that the LAMP has high specificity. The minimal detectable concentration of LAMP was 1×102 CFU/mL and that of PCR was 1×104 CFU/mL, indicating that the LAMP was 100 times more sensitive than the PCR. The LAMP method for detection of Staphylococcus aureus has many advantages, such as simple operation, high sensitivity, high specificity, and rapid analysis. Therefore, this method is more suitable for the rapid on-site detection of Staphylococcus aureus

Quercetin and Bornyl Acetate Regulate T-Lymphocyte Subsets and INF-γ/IL-4 Ratio In Utero in Pregnant Mice

The objective of this study is to investigate the antiabortive effects of Quercetin and Bornvl Acetate and their immunological modulation at maternal-fetal interface. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected via tail vein to induce abortion in mice which received Quercetin and Bornvl Acetate at days 4–7 of gestation. Uterine CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes and IFN-γ/IL-4 of each group (n = 10) were detected by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The ratio of CD4+/CD8+ increased significantly (P < .01) in the uterus of LPS-induced abortion mice. In the Quercetin and Bornvl Acetate pretreated mice followed by LPS administration, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ dropped to 0.562 ± 0.021, lower than that of LPS-abortion group (P < .01). The mean value of IFN-γ/IL-4 in LPS-treated mice was 0.310 ± 0.066, higher than that of Quercetin and Bornyl Acetate group. The results indicate that Quercetin and Bornyl Acetate have an antiabortive effect through modulation of immunological balance at maternal-fetal interface

EFFECTS OF GAN LIAN YU PING FENG POWDER ON THE ANTIBODY TITERS TO INFECTIOUS LARYNGOTRACHEITIS VACCINE AND SOME NONSPECIFIC IMMUNE INDEXES IN CHICKENS

The study was conducted in order to investigate the immuno-enhancing property of the Chinese herbal formula, Gan lian Yu ping feng powder. Three hundred and thirty six 45-day-old chicks were randomly divided into eight groups. The chicks in groups A, B, C were orally given 0.25 g/mL(low-),0.5 g/mL(middle-) and 1.0 g/mL(high) dose of Gan lian Yu ping feng powder in the drinking water respectively for 3 days consecutively. They were then immunised with infectious laryngotracheitis vaccine (ILTV) on the 4th day. Groups D, E, F were given 0.25 g/mL,0.5 g/mL and 1.0 g/mL dose of Gan lian Yu ping feng powder respectively after the immunisation for three days consecutively. Group G was Wen du qing (a government approved herbal product for ILT) control group and group H was blank control group. At 52、59、73、87 days of age, 8 chicks of each group were selected randomly for blood sampling to determine the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4 and the antibody of ILT. Then the chickens were sacrificed, with the thymus, spleen and Bursa of Fabricius being weighed for the calculation of immune organ indexes. The results showed that high and middle dosages of Gan lian Yu ping feng powder given at the day before immunisation and 3 days after immunisation elevated not only the contents of IFN-γ, the antibody titers of ILT (

ADJUVANT EFFECTS OF SIJUNZI DECOCTION IN CHICKENS ORALLY VACCINATED WITH ATTENUATED NEWCASTLE-DISEASE VACCINE

Many Chinese Herbal medicines (CHMs) and their components have been reported to enhance immunity. In this study, the capacity for the Chinese herbal medicine, oral administration Sijunzi Decoction (SJZD) in stimulating Newcastle disease virus(NDV) immunity in chickens was examined. Serum was sampled on days 20,30,40,50 and 60 and tissues were collected on days 20, 40 and 60, respectively. The immune responses were determined by means of hemagglutination inhibition test, immunohistochemistry examination and semi-quantitative RT–PCR. The results showed that SJZD could increase the antibody titers and the area coefficient of IgA secreting cells, promote the expression of IL-2 mRNA in the whole immune period and IFN-γ mRNA was increased in the initial stage. The SJZD used was safe with no adverse effects on chicken weight or survival, providing evidence for the use of SJZD as an oral adjuvant

Effects of Norepinephrine and Acetylcholine on the Development of Cultured Leydig Cells in Mice

Few data have suggested how norepinephrine (NE) and acetylcholine (Ach) regulate the development of Leydig cells in mice at prepuberty, except for data indicating endocrine effects. The present study aims to elucidate the roles of NE and Ach on the differentiation and proliferation of Leydig cells. Firstly, the expression of adrenergic receptors and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in Leydig cells was investigated. It was found that adrenergic receptors (β1AR, β2AR, and α1D) and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1 and M3) mRNA are expressed in adult Leydig cells. Then, the effects of NE and Ach on the differentiation and proliferation of Leydig cells were analyzed. The results showed that NE and Ach at 10 μM significantly increased the number of 3β-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase-(3β-HSD-) positive Leydig cells and improved the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in Leydig cells on postnatal day (PD) 15 (P &lt; 0.05). NE and Ach at 10 μM had no impact on the expression of PCNA mRNA (P &gt; 0.05), but reduced the expression of 3β-HSD mRNA in adult Leydig cells and a murine Leydig tumor cell line (MLTC-1) (P &lt; 0.05). Therefore, a conclusion may be reached that NE and Ach participated in stimulating the development of Leydig cells in mice from prepuberty to adult stage

Unexpected quenching effect on new particle formation from the atmospheric reaction of methanol with SO3

Despite the high abundance in the atmosphere, alcohols in general and methanol in particular are believed to play a small role in atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) largely due to the weak binding abilities of alcohols with the major nucleation precursors, e.g., sulfuric acid (SA) and dimethylamine (DMA). Herein, we identify a catalytic reaction that was previously overlooked, namely, the reaction between methanol and SO3, catalyzed by SA, DMA, or water. We found that alcohols can have unexpected quenching effects on the NPF process, particularly in dry and highly polluted regions with high concentrations of alcohols. Specifically, the catalytic reaction between methanol and SO3 can convert methanol into a less-volatile species-methyl hydrogen sulfate (MHS). The latter was initially thought to be a good nucleation agent for NPF. However, our simulation results suggest that the formation of MHS consumes an appreciable amount of atmospheric SO3, disfavoring further reactions of SO3 with H2O. Indeed, we found that MHS formation can cause a reduction of SA concentration up to 87%, whereas the nucleation ability of MHS toward new particles is not as good as that of SA. Hence, a high abundance of methanol in the atmosphere can lower the particle nucleation rate by as much as two orders of magnitude. Such a quenching effect suggests that the recently identified catalytic reactions between alcohols and SO3 need to be considered in atmospheric modeling in order to predict SA concentration from SO2, while also account for their potentially negative effect on NPF.Peer reviewe

Clustering mechanism of oxocarboxylic acids involving hydration reaction : Implications for the atmospheric models

The formation of atmospheric aerosol particles from condensable gases is a dominant source of particulate matter in the boundary layer, but the mechanism is still ambiguous. During the clustering process, precursors with di↵erent reactivities can induce various chemical reactions in addition to the formation of hydrogen bonds. However, the clustering mechanism involving chemical reactions is rarely considered in most of the nucleation process models. Oxocarboxylic acids are common compositions of secondary organic aerosol, but the role of oxocarboxylic acids in secondary organic aerosol formation is still not fully understood. In this paper, glyoxylic acid, the simplest and the most abundant atmospheric oxocarboxylic acids, has been selected as a representative example of oxocarboxylic acids in order to study the clustering mechanism involving hydration reaction using Density Functional Theory combined with the Atmospheric Clusters Dynamic Code. The hydration reaction of glyoxylic acid can occur either in the gas phase or during the clustering process. In atmospheric conditions, the total conversion ratio of glyoxylic acid to its hydration reaction product (2,2-dihydroxyacetic acid) in both gas phase and clusters can be up to 85%, andthe product can further participate in the clustering process. The di↵erences in cluster structures and properties induced by the hydration reaction lead to significant di↵erences in cluster formation rates and pathways at relatively low temperatures.Peer reviewe

Protective Effects of Baicalin on Decidua Cells of LPS-Induced Mice Abortion

The study was carried out to investigate the protective effects of Baicalin on decidual cells of LPS-induced abortion mice. In the in vitro experiment, the decidual cells were cultured by uterus tissue mass cultivation sampled at day 6 of pregnancy, and gradient concentrations of LPS were used to determine the optimal LPS concentration of the injured decidual cells model. The injured decidual cells were treated with Baicalin (4 μg/mL) to determine the protective role of Baicalin. In the in vivo experiment, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected intravenously via the tail vein to induce abortion at day 6 of pregnancy, and the mice were given different concentrations of Baicalin by oral gavage consecutively at days 7 to 8 of pregnancy. On day 9 of gestation, the mice were sacrificed. The TNF and progesterone contents in the serum were assayed by ELISA. The results clearly revealed that Baicalin can prevent the injury to decidual cells from LPS dose dependently, TNF was decreased significantly (P<0.01) compared to LPS group, and there was no effect on the progesterone. These findings suggest that Baicalin has protective effects on the injured decidual cells in the pregnant mice

Effects of Huangqi Maxingshigan decoction on infectious laryngotracheitis in chickens

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness and possible mechanisms of an herbal prescription, <em>Huangqi Maxingshigan</em> decoction (R<em>adix Astragali, Herba Ephedrae, Almond, Gypsum Fibrosum, Radix Glycytthizae</em>) on infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) in chickens. One hundred and sixty one-day-old chicks were randomly allocated into four groups, housed in isolated cages of 40 birds each: groupⅠwas Huangqi Maxingshigan decoction treatment group, group II as <em>Ding Chuan San</em> control group, group III as the model group, and group IV as the blank control group. Except for the blank control group, other groups were challenged with infectious laryngotracheitis virus via the intratracheal route on age day 52. Birds in group I were administered <em>Huangqi Maxingshigan </em>decoction at a concentration of 0.4 mL, or with <em>Ding Chuan San</em> in group II for comparison at 48 h post virus challenge (day 54) when they showed clinical signs, 2 times daily for 5 days consecutively. Then, the superoxide dismutases (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in serum, the expression of IFN-γ, IL-4 mRNA in spleen, the sIgA contents in tracheal fluid, the sIgA secreting cells in trachea were determined on day 5, day 15, day 25 post infection. The results showed that <em>Huangqi Maxingshigan</em> decoction could correct Th2-dominant Th1/th2 imbalance through up-regulation of IFN-γ, and down-regulation of IL-4 at the transcriptional level, enhance cell-mediated immunity, ease inflammatory responses caused by ILTV. The results also showed that <em>Huangqi Maxingshigan </em>decoction provide an important antioxidant defense in the process of anti-ILT. Furthermore, it could induce the production of sIgA to enhance mucosal immunity

Predictive model that looks beyond risks and returns in identifying top performing unit trusts.

This study seeks to formulate a valuable predictive model of unit trusts’ returns that assists CPF members with differing risk preferences in the forecast of the top return performers. The area of research is focused on Central Provident Fund Investment Scheme (CPFIS) approved unit trusts