Sequence variation in TgROP7 gene among Toxoplasma gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical regions

Toxoplasma gondii can infect a wide range of hosts including mammals and birds, causing toxoplasmosis which is one of the most common parasitic zoonoses worldwide. The present study examined sequence variation in rhoptry 7 (ROP7) gene among different T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical localities. Phylogenetic analysis of the examined T. gondii isolates was conducted using the maximum likelihood (ML) method. Sequence analysis revealed that 60 nucleotide positions were variable in the ROP7 gene sequences among the 19 examined T. gondii isolates, corresponding to sequence variations of 0 to 1.7%, which occurred at the first, second and third codons. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that sequence variation in ROP7 gene was low among the examined T. gondii isolates from different hosts and geographical localities, and that the ROP7 sequence was not suitable as genetic marker for the differentiation of T. gondii isolates. The results of the present study suggest that ROP7 gene may be a suitable vaccine candidate.Key words: Sequence variation, rhoptry 7 (ROP7) gene, Toxoplasma gondii, toxoplasmosis, phylogenetic analysis

Preoperative radiological characterization of hepatic angiomyolipoma using magnetic resonance imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>A hepatic angiomyolipoma is a rare benign tumor of the liver composed of a mixture of smooth muscle cells, blood vessels and a variable amount of adipose tissue. Differentiating them from malignant liver tumors can often be very difficult.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 43-year-old Caucasian man presenting with a large liver mass in the right lobe. The results of magnetic resonance imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography were consistent with a well-demarcated adipose tissue- containing tumor, showing prolonged hyperperfusion in comparison with the surrounding liver tissue. Surgery was performed and the diagnosis of hepatic angiomyolipoma was made with histopathology.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Preoperative radiological characterization using magnetic resonance imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography may improve diagnostic accuracy of hepatic angiomyolipoma. Identification of smooth muscle cells, blood vessels and adipose tissue with a positive immunohistochemical reaction for HMB-45 is the final evidence for an angiomyolipoma.</p

Tire Defect Detection Based on Faster R-CNN

The tire defect detection method can help the rehabilitation robot to achieve autonomous positioning function and improve the accuracy of the robot system behavior. Defects such as foreign matter sidewall, foreign matter tread, and sidewall bubbles will appear in the process of tire production, which will directly or indirectly affect the service life of the tire. Therefore, a novel and efficient tire defect detection method was proposed based on Faster R-CNN. At preprocessing stage, the Laplace operator and the homomorphic filter were used to sharpen and enhance the data set, the gray values of the image target and the background were significantly different, which improved the detection accuracy. Moreover, data expansion was used to increase the number of images and improve the robustness of the algorithm. To promote the accuracy of the position detection and identification, the proposed method combined the convolution features of the third layer and the convolution features of the fifth layer in the ZF network (a kind of convolution neural network). Then, the improved ZF network was used to extract deep characteristics as inputs for Faster R-CNN. From the experiment, the proposed faster R-CNN defect detection method can accurately classify and locate the tire X-ray image defects, and the average test recognition rate is up to 95.4%. Moreover, if there are additional types of defects that need to be detected, then a new detection model can be obtained by fine-tuning the network

Effects of Carbon Dioxide Aerosols on the Viability of Escherichia coli during Biofilm Dispersal

A periodic jet of carbon dioxide (CO2) aerosols is a very quick and effective mechanical technique to remove biofilms from various substrate surfaces. However, the impact of the aerosols on the viability of bacteria during treatment has never been evaluated. In this study, the effects of high-speed CO2 aerosols, a mixture of solid and gaseous CO2, on bacteria viability was studied. It was found that when CO2 aerosols were used to disperse biofilms of Escherichia coli, they led to a significant loss of viability, with approximately 50% of the dispersed bacteria killed in the process. By comparison, 75.6% of the biofilm-associated bacteria were viable when gently dispersed using Proteinase K and DNase I. Indirect proof that the aerosols are damaging the bacteria was found using a recombinant E. coli expressing the cyan fluorescent protein, as nearly half of the fluorescence was found in the supernatant after CO2 aerosol treatment, while the rest was associated with the bacterial pellet. In comparison, the supernatant fluorescence was only 9% when the enzymes were used to disperse the biofilm. As such, these CO2 aerosols not only remove biofilm-associated bacteria effectively but also significantly impact their viability by disrupting membrane integrity.open

The expression of Gli3, regulated by HOXD13, may play a role in idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus (ICTEV) is a congenital limb deformity. Based on extended transmission disequilibrium testing, <it>Gli-Kruppel family member 3 </it>(<it>Gli3</it>) has been identified as a candidate gene for ICTEV. Here, we verify the role of <it>Gli3 </it>in ICTEV development.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using the rat ICTEV model, we analyzed the differences in <it>Gli3 </it>expression levels between model rats and normal control rats. We used luciferase reporter gene assays and ChIP/EMSA assays to analyze the regulatory elements of <it>Gli3</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>Gli3 </it>showed higher expression levels in ICTEV model rats compared to controls (P < 0.05). We identified repressor and activator regions in the rat <it>Gli3 </it>promoter. The <it>Gli3 </it>promoter also contains two putative Hoxd13 binding sites. Using EMSA, the Hoxd13 binding site 2 was found to directly interact with Hoxd13 <it>in vitro</it>. ChIP assays of the Hoxd13-<it>Gli3 </it>promoter complex from a developing limb confirmed that endogenous Hoxd13 interacts with this region <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that <it>HoxD13 </it>directly interacts with the promoter of <it>Gli3</it>. The increase of <it>Gli3 </it>expression in ICTEV model animal might result from the low expression of <it>HoxD13</it>.</p

A Missense Mutation in PPARD Causes a Major QTL Effect on Ear Size in Pigs

Chinese Erhualian is the most prolific pig breed in the world. The breed exhibits exceptionally large and floppy ears. To identify genes underlying this typical feature, we previously performed a genome scan in a large scale White Duroc × Erhualian cross and mapped a major QTL for ear size to a 2-cM region on chromosome 7. We herein performed an identical-by-descent analysis that defined the QTL within a 750-kb region. Historically, the large-ear feature has been selected for the ancient sacrificial culture in Erhualian pigs. By using a selective sweep analysis, we then refined the critical region to a 630-kb interval containing 9 annotated genes. Four of the 9 genes are expressed in ear tissues of piglets. Of the 4 genes, PPARD stood out as the strongest candidate gene for its established role in skin homeostasis, cartilage development, and fat metabolism. No differential expression of PPARD was found in ear tissues at different growth stages between large-eared Erhualian and small-eared Duroc pigs. We further screened coding sequence variants in the PPARD gene and identified only one missense mutation (G32E) in a conserved functionally important domain. The protein-altering mutation showed perfect concordance (100%) with the QTL genotypes of all 19 founder animals segregating in the White Duroc × Erhualian cross and occurred at high frequencies exclusively in Chinese large-eared breeds. Moreover, the mutation is of functional significance; it mediates down-regulation of β-catenin and its target gene expression that is crucial for fat deposition in skin. Furthermore, the mutation was significantly associated with ear size across the experimental cross and diverse outbred populations. A worldwide survey of haplotype diversity revealed that the mutation event is of Chinese origin, likely after domestication. Taken together, we provide evidence that PPARD G32E is the variation underlying this major QTL