The effect of energy substrates on PHB accumulation of Acidiphilium cryptum DX1-1.

The effect of glucose and elemental sulfur on the growth and PHB accumulation of Acidiphilium cryptum DX1-1 was investigated. Meanwhile, the differential expressions of 19 genes related with PHB accumulation, sulfur metabolism and carbon fixed in heterotrophy, phytotrophy and mixotrophy were studied by RT-qPCR. The results showed that strain DX1-1 could accumulate PHB with sulfur as the energy substance and atmospheric CO2 as carbon resource. Glucose could improve the growth of strain DX1-1 cultured in medium with sulfur as the energy substance, and almost all the key enzyme-encoding genes related with PHB, sulfur metabolism and carbon fixed were basically up-regulated. PHB polymerase (Arcy_3030), ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (Acry_0825), ribulose-phosphate-epimerase (Acry_0022), and cysteine synthase A (Acry_2560) played important role in PHB accumulation, the modified expression of which could influence the PHB yield. With CO2 as carbon resource, the main initial substance of PHB accumulation for strain DX1-1 was acetyl-CoA, instead of acetate with the glucose as the carbon resource. Because of accumulating PHB by fixed atmospheric CO2 while independent of light, A. cryptum DX1-1 may have specifically potential in production of PHB.

Association between adverse oral conditions and cognitive impairment: A literature review.

Oral environment deterioration results from a lack of self-cleaning ability in patients with cognitive dysfunction but is also a risk factor for cognitive dysfunction. Adverse oral conditions can be alleviated and improved through a self-management and medical examination. In this review, the epidemiological evidence of previous studies is integrated to highlight the relationship between periodontitis, tooth loss, oral flora, oral dysfunction and cognitive dysfunction, emphasizing the importance of oral health for cognition. The results show that poor oral condition is associated with cognitive impairment. Although many previous studies have been conducted, there is a lack of higher-level research evidence, different judgment criteria, and conflicting research results. There is a bidirectional relationship between oral health and cognitive dysfunction. A comprehensive analysis of the relationship between oral health and cognitive dysfunction that explores the relationship and takes measures to prevent cognitive dysfunction and control the progression of such diseases is warranted in the future.

Polyethylene glycol combined with linaclotide is an effective and well-tolerated bowel preparation regimen for colonoscopy: an endoscopist-blinded, randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Bowel preparation is an important determinant of the quality of colonoscopy. The traditional split-dose regimen of 4 L polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions for bowel preparation is effective but poorly tolerated. The aim of this was to study the efficacy and tolerability of using linaclotide as an adjunctive agent with low-volume PEG for bowel preparation. METHODS: This was an endoscopist-blinded, randomized, controlled trial of 432 patients randomly assigned to three groups: 2 L PEG, 4 L PEG and 2 L PEG + 290 µg linaclotide (2 L PEG + L group). The primary outcome measure was efficacy of bowel preparation according to the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS), with secondary outcomes of patients' tolerance, defecating frequency, complications, sleeping quality, cecal intubation rate, preparation-to-colonoscopy interval, withdrawal time, cecal intubation time, and adenoma and polyp detection rates. RESULTS: The percentage of adequate bowel preparation in the 2 L PEG + L group was higher than that of the 2 L PEG group (87.9% vs. 77.0%; P = 0.017), but not the 4 L PEG group (87.9% vs. 91.4%; P = 0.339). In terms of the mean (SD) BBPS score for the total and segmental colons, the bowel cleansing efficacy of 2 L PEG + L was superior to that of 2 L PEG and similar to that of 4 L PEG. Patient's tolerance (including complications, willingness to repeat and sleeping quality) were compatible between the 2 L and 2 L + L group, and the 4 L group was the worst among these three groups. CONCLUSION: Two liters of PEG combined with 290 µg linaclotide was an effective and well-tolerated bowel preparation regimen.

Real-time PCR analysis of metabolic pathway of PHB in Acidiphilium cryptum DX1-1.

The time, yield and related genes expression of PHB accumulation of Acidiphilium cryptum DX1-1 were investigated under four different initial C/N ratios 1.2, 2.4, 7.5, and 24. The results of time and yield of PHB accumulation show that the initial C/N ratio 2.4 was optimum for strain DX1-1 to accumulate PHB, both higher and lower initial C/N ratios did not favor that process. Based on the genome of Acidiphilium cryptum JF-5, 13 PHB accumulation related genes in strain JF-5 were chosen and successfully cloned from strain DX1-1. The differential expression of the 13 functional genes, in different C/N ratios as cited above, was then studied by Real-time PCR. The results show that all the 13 genes were most upregulated when initial C/N ratio was 2.4, and among which the gene Acry_3030 encoding poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate polymerase and Acry_0626 encoding acetyl-CoA synthetase were much more upregulated than the other genes, which prove that they play the most important role for PHB accumulation and acetate is the main initial substance for PHB accumulation for strain DX1-1. Potential regulatory motifs analysis shows that the genes related to PHB accumulation are regulated by different promoters and that the motif had weak similarity to the model promoters, suggesting that PHB- metabolism in Acidiphilium cryptum may be mediated by a different mechanism.

Etiologic specificity of waking Cortisol: Links with maternal history of depression and anxiety in adolescent girls.

BACKGROUND: Many previous studies have indicated that individuals who are depressed or at risk for depression are characterized by increased levels of morning cortisol and a greater cortisol awakening response (CAR). However, despite the high comorbidity between depressive and anxiety disorders, fewer studies have examined whether these diurnal cortisol abnormalities are also characteristic of anxiety or risk for anxiety. METHODS: In the present study we examined cortisol in a community sample of 476 female adolescents and related it to maternal history of depression and/or anxiety disorders. Salivary cortisol was collected at waking, 30min post waking, and in the evening on three weekdays. RESULTS: Contrary to prior results, offspring at risk for depression did not have increased morning cortisol or CAR. However, offspring at risk for anxiety disorders had elevated 30min cortisol and total cortisol produced throughout the day; this effect was primarily driven by offspring of mothers with panic disorder or agoraphobia. Additionally, levels of cortisol were highest among offspring of mothers with multiple anxiety diagnoses. LIMITATIONS: The study is limited to female adolescents and maternal diagnostic history. Additionally, some diagnoses could not be examined as a result of too few cases (e.g. GAD). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these results underscore the importance of considering anxiety when examining the association of diurnal cortisol abnormalities with risk for psychopathology, as it may have influenced prior observations of elevated morning cortisol in depression.

Elevated cortisol in healthy female adolescent offspring of mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Offspring with maternal PTSD are at increased risk of developing PTSD themselves. Alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may play a role and have been noted in offspring, although evidence is mostly from adult offspring with PTSD symptoms themselves. The present study of adolescent girls (N=472) and their mothers (n=18 with lifetime PTSD versus n=454 with no PTSD) sought to determine whether healthy, non-affected offspring of mothers with PTSD would exhibit altered HPA axis function. Saliva samples were collected from the adolescent girls at waking, 30min after waking, and 8 pm on 3 consecutive days. Offspring whose mothers were diagnosed with PTSD demonstrated higher cortisol awakening response (CAR; Cohen's d=0.58) and greater total cortisol output (Cohen's d=0.62). In this preliminary study, higher cortisol levels during adolescence among offspring of mothers with PTSD may index a vulnerability in these at-risk youth.