Isolation and antibacterial activity of anabaena phycocyanin

The isolation and antibacterial activity of anabaena phycocyanin were investigated. The result indicates that three kinds of protein ingredients: PC-A, PC-B and PC-C were obtained using high performance liquid chromatography. The estimated molecular masses of PC-A and PC-B were 14 to 18 kD. PC-B and PC-C had certain antibacterial activity on Bibrio parahemolyticus, Bacillus mucilaginosus and Sarcina lutea. In addition, PC-C had certain antibacterial activity on Vibrio harveyi. PC-A did not possess antibacterial activity in the study.Keywords: Anabaena, phycocyanin, liquid chromatogram, antibacterialAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(15), pp. 1869-187

Comparative proteomic analysis of Ulva prolifera response to high temperature stress

Abstract Background Ulva prolifera belongs to green macroalgae and is the dominant species of green tide. It is distributed worldwide and is therefore subject to high-temperature stress during the growth process. However, the adaptation mechanisms of the response of U. prolifera to high temperatures have not been clearly investigated yet. Methods In this study, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labelling was applied in combination with the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to conduct comparative proteomic analysis of the response of U. prolifera to high-temperature stress and to elucidate the involvement of this response in adaptation mechanisms. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of U. prolifera under high temperature (denote UpHT) compared with the control (UpC) were identified. Bioinformatic analyses including GO analysis, pathway analysis, and pathway enrichment analysis was performed to analyse the key metabolic pathways that underlie the thermal tolerance mechanism through protein networks. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were performed to validate selected proteins. Results In the present study, 1223 DEPs were identified under high temperature compared with the control, which included 790 up-regulated and 433 down-regulated proteins. The high-temperature stimulus mainly induced the expression of glutathione S-transferase, heat shock protein, ascorbate peroxidase, manganese superoxide dismutase, ubiquitin-related protein, lhcSR, rubisco activase, serine/threonine protein kinase 2, adenylate kinase, Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), disease resistance protein EDS1, metacaspase type II, NDPK2a, 26S proteasome regulatory subunit, ubiquinone oxidoreductase, ATP synthase subunit, SnRK2s, and cytochrome P450. The down-regulated proteins were photosynthesis-related proteins, glutathione reductase, catalase-peroxidase, thioredoxin, thioredoxin peroxidase, PP2C, and carbon fixation-related proteins. Furthermore, biological index analysis indicated that protein content and SOD activity decreased; the value of Fv/Fm dropped to the lowest point after culture for 96 h. However, APX activity and MDA content increased under high temperature. Conclusion The present study implied an increase in proteins that were associated with the stress response, oxidative phosphorylation, the cytokinin signal transduction pathway, the abscisic acid signal transduction pathway, and the glutathione metabolism pathway. Proteins that were associated with photosynthesis, carbon fixation in photosynthesis organisms, and the photosynthesis antenna protein pathway were decreased. These pathways played a pivotal role in high temperature regulation. These novel proteins provide a good starting point for further research into their functions using genetic or other approaches. These findings significantly improve the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the tolerance of algae to high-temperature stress

Clinical Profiles and Prognoses of Adult Patients with Full-Frequency Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Combination Therapy

We aimed to characterize the clinical profiles and short-term outcomes of adult patients with full-frequency idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) treated uniformly with combination therapy, and to determine the prognostic predictors for the combination therapy. A total of 131 eligible cases hospitalized in our department from January 2018 to June 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. All enrolled cases received a standardized combination therapy employing intravenous methylprednisolone, batroxobin, and Ginkgo biloba extract during the 12 days of hospitalization. The clinical and audiometric profiles were compared between recovered patients and their unrecovered counterparts. The overall recovery rate was 57.3% in the study. Accompanying vertigo (odds ratio = 0.360, p = 0.006) and body mass index (BMI, odds ratio = 1.158, p = 0.016) were two independent predictors of hearing outcomes of the therapy. The male gender and cigarette-smoking history were marginally associated with good hearing prognosis (p = 0.051 and 0.070, respectively). Patients with BMI ≥ 22.4 kg/m2 had a better chance of hearing recovery (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Accompanying vertigo and low BMI (2) were independently associated with poor prognosis for full-frequency ISSNHL in combination therapy. Male gender and cigarette-smoking history might be considered positive effects on hearing prognosis

Development and characterization of 10 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci in Homatula potanini (Gunther, 1896).

Homatula potanini is a genus Paracobitis which belongs to the family Cobitidae, subfamily Nemacheilinae. We first isolated ten novel microsatellite DNA loci using the FIASCO protocol. The number of observed alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 14. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.3750 to 0.9375 and 0.4028 to 0.8819 respectively. The polymorphic information content ranged from 0.3515 to 0.8556 (M = 0.6170). No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected among the loci. In the present study, we have identified 10 new markers for H. potanini. These loci should provide sufficient levels in the evaluation of genetic diversity and designing effective conservation programs of H. potanini

Molecular characterization of a whirlin-like protein with biomineralization-related functions from the shell of Mytilus coruscus.

Mollusc shells are produced from calcified skeletons and have excellent mechanical properties. Shell matrix proteins (SMPs) have important functions in shell formation. A 16.6 kDa whirlin-like protein (WLP) with a PDZ domain was identified in the shell of Mytilus coruscus as a novel SMP. In this study, the expression, function, and location of WLP were analysed. The WLP gene was highly expressed and specifically located in the adductor muscle and mantle. The expression of recombinant WLP (rWLP) was associated with morphological change, polymorphic change, binding ability, and crystallization rate inhibition of the calcium carbonate crystals in vitro. In addition, an anti-rWLP antibody was prepared, and the results from immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses revealed the specific location of the WLP in the mantle, adductor muscle, and myostracum layer of the shell, suggesting multiple functions for WLP in biomineralization, muscle-shell attachment, and muscle attraction. Furthermore, results from a pull-down analysis revealed 10 protein partners of WLP in the shell matrices and a possible network of interacting WLPs in the shell. In addition, in this study, one of the WLP partners, actin, was confirmed to have the ability to bind WLP. These results expand the understanding of the functions of PDZ-domain-containing proteins in biomineralization and provide clues for determining the mechanisms of myostracum formation and muscle-shell attachment

Electron reflux dynamics in relativistically transparent plasma

The electron re-injection effect has revealed the great probability rate of photon generation due to the head-on collision between relativistic electrons and laser. We study the electron re-injection dynamics when the ultra-intense laser irradiates the near-critical-density plasma and successfully controls the photon radiation by means of the transversely tailored plasma. Starting from the relativistic corrected ponderomotive force, the critical strength of the laser field required by the refluxing effect is theoretically obtained. Then, the theoretical description of the wavefront formed by electron refluxing is given via plugging in the difference in the transverse phase velocity of the plasma wave. Simulation results display a curved surface of the refluxing electrons, which are in good agreement with the calculation results stemming from the physics model. The re-built phase space of the refluxing electrons illustrates that they gain energy mainly from the longitudinal electrostatic field on the re-injection path. Despite the energy of the refluxing electron being relatively low, it could radiate more photons via more efficient non-linear Compton scattering than the electron being accelerated in the positive direction. Furthermore, we employ a transverse density profile in the plasma and successfully achieve control of the electron re-injection effect and the properties of the resultant photons as well. Simulation results exhibit that overcritical electron beams are successively re-injected from the plasma density peaks. These backward electrons emit photons along the two maximal plasma densities as they collide with the laser pulse. Although the quality of the photons is not improved, their spatial distribution is changed, which is a big step toward manipulating light sources

<i>Ratanasampil</i> (Tibetan Medicine, RNSP) Reduces <i>β</i>-Amyloid Protein (Aβ) and Pro-Inflammatory Factor Levels and Improves Cognitive Functions in Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Patients Living at High Altitude

La nouvelle orthodoxie de la recherche sur l’histoire soviétique évite soigneusement de parler de résistance au régime stalinien. Résistance, dit-on, implique une personnalité autonome par rapport au régime. Or les citoyens de l’URSS auraient été incapables de garder une distance par rapport aux normes fixées par l’État. Il leur manquait un point d’appui au-delà du système. Le concept de résistance est un piège pour le chercheur, car il suppose l’hypothèse improbable d’un sujet capable d’inté..

Trabecular Bone Score Declines During the Menopause Transition: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

Rapid bone density loss starts during the menopause transition (MT). Whether other components of bone strength deteriorate before the final menstrual period (FMP) remains uncertain. To discern whether trabecular bone score (TBS) declines during the MT. An 18-year longitudinal analysis from the Study of Women's Health Across Nation. Community-based cohort. A total of 243 black, 164 Japanese, and 298 white, initially pre- or early perimenopausal women, who experienced their FMP. TBS, an indicator of bone strength. Multivariable mixed effects regressions fitted piecewise linear models to repeated measures of TBS as a function of time before or after the FMP; covariates were age at FMP, race/ethnicity, and body mass index. Prior to 1.5 years before the FMP, in the referent individual (a white woman with age at FMP of 52.2 years and body mass index of 28.0 kg/m2), TBS evidenced no change (slope 0.12% per year, P = 0.2991). TBS loss began 1.5 years before the FMP, declining by 1.16% annually (P < 0.0001). Starting 2 years after the FMP, annual rate of TBS loss lessened to 0.89% (P < 0.0001). In the 5 years before through the 5 years after the FMP, in the referent individual, total TBS decline was 6.3% (P < 0.0001), but black participants' total TBS loss was 4.90% (P = 0.0008, difference in black and white 10-year change). Results for Japanese did not differ from those of white women. The occurrence of an MT-related decline in TBS supports the thesis that this period is particularly damaging to skeletal integrity