Screening of Polyethylene-Degrading Bacteria from Rhyzopertha Dominica and Evaluation of Its Key Enzymes Degrading Polyethylene.

Polyethylene (PE) is widely used, and it has caused serious environmental problems due to its difficult degradation. At present, the mechanism of PE degradation by microorganisms is not clear, and the related enzymes of PE degradation need to be further explored. In this study, Acinetobacter baumannii Rd-H2 was obtained from Rhizopertha dominica, which had certain degradation effect on PE plastic. The degradation performance of the strains was evaluated by weight loss rate, SEM, ATR/FTIR, WCA, and GPC. The multi-copper oxidase gene abMco, which may be one of the key genes for PE degradation, was analyzed and successfully expressed in E. coli. The laccase activity of the gene was determined, and the enzyme activity was up to 159.82 U/L. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme are 45 °C and 4.5 respectively. It shows good stability at 30-45 °C. Cu2+ can activate the enzyme. The abMCO was used to degrade polyethylene film, showing a good degradation effect, proving that the enzyme could be the key to degrading PE.

Acupuncture and Global Health: Providing Medical Acupuncture Education and Service in Georgetown, Guyana.

Objective: Guyana is located on the north coast of the South American continent and is a middle-income developing country in the Caribbean. There is little educational opportunity for individuals interested in medical acupuncture. The aim of this project was to develop an introductory medical acupuncture curriculum for perioperative use. Materials and Methods: Through a carefully coordinated teaching-and-care plan, with support from physicians and various medical organizations, an educational opportunity in medical acupuncture was established at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, a medical university teaching hospital in Georgetown, Guyana. The project involved development of a medical acupuncture curriculum, as well as teaching and patient care. Anesthesia staff members, resident trainees, and perioperative and pain-clinic patients participated. Results: Medical acupuncture-trained physicians were able to provide medical acupuncture education and services in a third-world country because of this project. Conclusion: This project is an ideal example of utilizing medical acupuncture for promoting global heath.

Chicken recombinant adiponectin enhances fatty acid metabolism in oleic acid- and palmitic acid-treated LMH cells

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of recombinant adiponectin on chicken liver cells. The full-length chicken adiponectin gene was amplified by PCR and cloned into the vector pET-32a, followed by the transformation of the vector into Escherichia coli BL21. SDS-PAGE was used to detect and analyze the purity of the expressed recombinant protein. Induction was performed with 1 mM IPTG at 30 °C for 3 h, and the recombinant thioredoxin­adiponectin fusion protein was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Chicken adiponectin was successfully expressed and purified in a bacterial system. In addition, the chicken recombinant adiponectin demonstrated that it ameliorates palmitic acid- and oleic acid-induced adipogenesis, in which an increase in ß-oxidation and a decrease in lipogenesis-related genes may be involved. In summary, chicken recombinant adiponectin enhances fatty acid metabolism in LMH cells.(AU)

[Efficacy analysis and theoretical study on Chinese herbal properties of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea)].

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) emerged as a source of herb has a long history in South America, which was approved by the Ministry of Health used in China and it has been introduced planting in Guangdong and Taiwan. This article summarized applied history of Açaí and its present status in China. Did theoretical study on the Chinese herbal properties of Açaí based on the Chinese traditional philosophical culture to analysis the function and symptom preliminary, combining with used for medical recordation, chemical component, biological activity. It is aiming at establishing the theoretical foundation for the application under the guidance of TCM theory.

Trichinenlides A-T, mexicanolide-type limonoids from Trichilia sinensis.

Twenty new mexicanolide-type limonoids, namely, trichinenlides A-T (1-20), and 11 known analogues were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Trichilia sinensis. Trichinenlides B (2) and C (3) and heytrijunolide D exhibited inhibition against lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 2.85, 1.88, and 3.33 µM, respectively.

Processing and characterization of porous structures from chitosan and starch for tissue engineering scaffolds.

Natural biodegradable polymers were processed by different techniques for the production of porous structures for tissue engineering scaffolds. Potato, corn, and sweet potato starches and chitosan, as well as blends of these, were characterized and used in the experiments. The techniques used to produce the porous structures included a novel solvent-exchange phase separation technique and the well-established thermally induced phase separation method. Characterization of the open pore structures was performed by measuring pore size distribution, density, and porosity of the samples. A wide range of pore structures ranging from 1 to 400 microm were obtained. The mechanisms of pore formation are discussed for starch and chitosan scaffolds. Pore morphology in starch scaffolds seemed to be determined by the initial freezing temperature/freezing rate, whereas in chitosan scaffolds the shape and size of pores may have been determined by the processing route used. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were assessed by indentation tests, showing that the indentation collapse strength depends on the pore geometry and the material type. Bioactivity and degradation of the potential scaffolds were assessed by immersion in simulated body fluid.

Climaterio: fatores de risco para doenca cardiovascular / Risk factors for cardiovascular disease in climateric women

Para avaliar a prevalencia dos fatores de risco para as doencas cardiovasculares foram estudadas 275 mulheres pos-menopausais no Setor de Ginecologia Endocrina e Climaterio da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo. Os resultados revelaram...