Biological and genomic characterization of a polyvalent phage PSH-1 against multidrug-resistant Salmonella Enteritidis.

BACKGROUND: Bacteriophage has been renewed attention as a new antibacterial agent due to the limitations of antibiotic treatment. Bacteriophages are generally thought to be highly host specific and even strain specific, but a small number of polyvalent bacteriophages have been found to infect bacteria of different genera. RESULTS: In this study, a virulent lytic bacteriophage (named Salmonella phage PSH-1) of Salmonella Enteritidis was isolated from the sewage samples of a large-scale pig farm, PSH-1 demonstrated lytic activity against four multidrug-resistant Salmonella Enteritidis isolates and Escherichia coli, and then its biological characteristics, genome and bacteriostatic ability were investigated. The results showed that the initial titer of PSH-1 was 1.15 × 1010 PFU/mL and the optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) was 0.01, PSH-1 has stable activity in the range of pH 3.0-11.0. One-step growth curve showed that its latent period was 20 min, burst time was 80 min, and the burst was 495 particles. The whole-genome sequencing results revealed phage PSH-1 had a linear dsDNA with 48,466 bp length. The G/C content was 45.33%. Non-coding RNA genes and virulence factors were not found. Eighty- five open reading frames (ORFs) were identified after online annotation. By tests, the use of phage could succeed in controlling the artificial Salmonella contamination in milk at a range of temperatures. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a novel Salmonella Enteritidis phage PSH-1, which has a robust lytic ability, no virulence factors, and good stability. The characterization and genomic analysis of PSH-1 will develop our understanding of phage biology and diversity and provide a potential arsenal for controlling of salmonellosis.

Determining Whether an Individual is 18 Years or Older Based on the Third Molar Root Pulp Visibility in East China.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the age-related changes of the mandibular third molar root pulp visibility in individuals in East China, and to explore the feasibility of applying this method to determine whether an individual is 18 years or older. METHODS: A total of 1 280 oral panoramic images were collected from the 15-30 years old East China population, and the mandibular third molar root pulp visibility in all oral panoramic images was evaluated using OLZE 0-3 four-stage method, and the age distribution of the samples at each stage was analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Stages 0, 1, 2 and 3 first appeared in 16.88, 19.18, 21.91 and 25.44 years for males and in 17.47, 20.91, 22.01 and 26.01 years for females. In all samples, individuals at stages 1 to 3 were over 18 years old. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to determine whether an individual in East China is 18 years or older based on the mandibular third molar root pulp visibility on oral panoramic images.

Survival and infectivity of second-stage root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita juveniles depend on lysosome-mediated lipolysis.

Adaptation to nutrient deprivation depends on the activation of metabolic programs to use reserves of energy. When outside a host plant, second-stage juveniles (J2) of the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.), an important group of pests responsible for severe losses in the production of crops (e.g., rice, wheat, and tomato), are unable to acquire food. Although lipid hydrolysis has been observed in J2 nematodes, its role in fitness and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Using RNA-seq analysis, here, we demonstrated that in the absence of host plants, the pathway for the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids was upregulated, thereby increasing the production of arachidonic acid in middle-stage J2 Meloidogyne incognita worms. We also found that arachidonic acid upregulated the expression of the transcription factor hlh-30b, which in turn induced lysosomal biogenesis. Lysosomes promoted lipid hydrolysis via a lysosomal lipase, LIPL-1. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that blockage of lysosomal lipolysis reduced both lifespan and locomotion of J2 worms. Strikingly, disturbance of lysosomal lipolysis resulted in a decline in infectivity of these juveniles on tomato roots. Our findings not only reveal the molecular mechanism of lipolysis in J2 worms but also suggest potential novel strategies for the management of root-knot nematode pests.

Comparative clinical significance and biological roles of PFKFB family members in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells promote glycolysis, which supports rapid cell growth and proliferation. Phosphofructokinase-fructose bisphosphatases (PFKFBs), a family of bidirectional glycolytic enzymes, play key roles in the regulation of glycolysis in many types of cancer. However, their roles in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the most common type of oral cancer, are still unknown. METHODS: We compared the gene expression levels of PFKFB family members and analyzed their clinical significance in oral cancer patients, whose clinical data were obtained the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Moreover, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, assays for cell viability, cell cycle, cell migration and viability of cell spheroid were performed in scramble and PFKFB-silenced cells. RESULTS: We discovered that PFKFB3 expression in tumor tissues was slightly higher than that in tumor adjacent normal tissues but that PFKFB4 expression was significantly higher in the tumor tissues of oral cancer patients. High PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 expression had different effects on the prognosis of oral cancer patients with different clinicopathological outcomes. Our data showed that PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 play different roles; PFKFB3 is involved in cell viability, G2/M cell cycle progression, invasion, and migration, whereas PFKFB4 is involved in the drug resistance and cancer stemness of OSCC cells. Furthermore, oral cancer patients with co-expressions of PFKFB3/cell cycle or EMT markers and PFKFB4/stemness markers had poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 play different biological roles in OSCC cells, which implying that they might be potential prognostic biomarkers for OSCC patients with certain clinicopathological outcomes.

Association of periodontal disease with migraine: A large-scale community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease may drive a systemic inflammatory response that triggers migraine; however, the association between periodontal disease and migraine has rarely been investigated in a community-based setting. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 66,109 participants aged 30 to 70 years from Taiwan Biobank (TWB). A structured questionnaire was administered to participants, who were also subjected to whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping using the customized Axiom-TWB array. To identify subjects with periodontal disease and migraine, the computerized linkage of data obtained from TWB and the National Health Insurance Research Database was performed. Participants were evaluated for their genetic predisposition to migraine using a polygenic risk score. We examined and estimated the magnitude of associations between periodontal disease and migraine. RESULTS: In this study, 4618 (4618/66,109; 7%) participants with migraine and 61,491 (61,491/66,109; 83%) participants without migraine were included. Participants with migraine exhibited a higher prevalence of periodontal disease than participants without migraine (4324/4618; 94% vs. 56,036/61,491; 91%). A significant positive association was observed between periodontal disease and migraine, with an adjusted odds ratio (ORadj ) of 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.24-1.59; p < 0.001). The association remained consistent even after excluding participants with other comorbidities (ORadj  = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.16-1.55; p < 0.001). Moreover, the positive association between periodontal disease and migraine remained significant across the subgroups of age, sex, other comorbidities, and classified polygenic risk scores of migraine, with the ORadj ranging from 1.26 to 1.78. CONCLUSIONS: A significant positive association was observed between periodontal disease and migraine. Future studies need to explore the biological mechanisms of how periodontal disease might affect migraine.

The Influence of the Solid Solution Formation on Purification of L-Menthol from the Enantiomer Mixture by Three-Phase Crystallization.

Three-phase crystallization (TPC) was introduced in this study to purify L-menthol from menthol enantiomer mixtures in consideration of the formation of solid solutions. TPC is a new separation technology, which combines melt crystallization and vaporization to result in the desired crystalline product from a liquid mixture along with the unwanted components vaporized via the three-phase transformation by reducing temperature and pressure. The three-phase transformation conditions for the liquid menthol enantiomer mixtures were determined based on the thermodynamic calculations to direct the TPC experiments. A new model was proposed based on the mass and energy balances in consideration of the formation of the solid solutions to predict the yield and purity of the final L-menthol product during TPC. The yield and purity obtained from the TPC experiments were compared with those predicted by the model.

[Meta-analysis and GRADE evaluation of Guanxinning Tablets in treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease].

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Guanxinning Tablets+conventional western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease, and provide evidence-based references for clinical medication. Retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, randomized controlled trial(RCT) about Guanxinning Tablets for the treatment of angina pectoris of coronary heart disease from the inception to April 2022 were collected. After literature screening and data extraction, the bias risk assessment tool recommended by the Cochrane evaluation manual handbook 5.1.0 was used to evaluate the quality of the included literature, and RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0 were used for Meta-analysis. Eighteen RCTs were finally included, involving 2 281 patients. Meta-analysis showed that, compared with conventional western medicine treatment alone, Guanxinning Tablets+conventional western medicine significantly improved angina pectoris efficacy(RR=1.33, 95%CI[1.13, 1.57], P=0.000 8), electrocardiogram efficacy(RR=1.32, 95%CI[1.02, 1.71], P=0.03), and exercise duration(MD=59.53, 95%CI[39.16, 79.90], P<0.000 01) and reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events(MACE)(RR=0.43, 95%CI[0.30, 0.61], P<0.000 01), high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)(MD=-2.75, 95%CI[-3.71,-1.79], P<0.000 01), and endothelin-1(ET-1) levels(MD=-9.34, 95%CI[-11.36,-7.32], P<0.000 01). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between two groups(RR=0.91, 95%CI[0.68, 1.22], P=0.52). Subgroup analysis showed that Guanxinning Tablets may have better short-term efficacy(less than 6 months) in the treatment of heart-blood stasis syndrome. GRADE grading showed that angina pectoris efficacy, electrocardiogram efficacy, MACE, and ET-1 were in the medium grade, hs-CRP and adverse reactions were in the low grade, and exercise duration was in the extremely low grade. In conclusion, the efficacy of Guanxinning Tablets+conventional western medicine is better than conventional western medicine treatment alone, with good safety. Therefore, it is recommended for the short-term treatment of patients with heart-blood stasis syndrome. However, the evidence quality of some results is low, and more rigo-rous RCT is still needed to enhance the reliability of evidence.

Cardiopulmonary exercise test-based assessment of the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on the blood pressure response to exercise in patients with acute myocardial infarction during hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) on cardiopulmonary function and blood pressure response to exercise during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) based on the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). METHODS: A total of 265 AMI patients were treated with either perindopril or S/V within 24 hours of admission. CPET was completed for all patients before discharge. There were 182 cases in the perindopril group and 83 cases in the S/V group. RESULTS: The proportion of exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV) was higher in the S/V group than in the perindopril group (10.8% vs 1.6%, X2 = 11.148, P = .001). The resting heart rate (HR), resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and warm-up DBP were lower in the S/V group than in the perindopril group (P < .05). The resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 9.0 mmHg lower (115.7 ± 17.5 vs 106.7 ± 15.0, P < .001), the SBP during warm-up was 9.5 mmHg lower (124.8 ± 23.7 vs 115.3 ± 22.5,P = .002), the SBP at the anaerobic threshold (AT) was 10.5 mmHg lower (135.3 ± 24.8 vs 127.1 ± 25.1,P = .021),the SBP at max watts was 11.5 mmHg lower (148.9 ± 26.4 vs 137.4 ± 26.4,P = .001), and the SBP during one-minute recovery was 12.3 mmHg lower (146.5 ± 27.1 vs 134.2 ± 24.4, P = .001)in the S/V group than in the perindopril group. The S/V group had a higher oxygen ventilation equivalent and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent (VE/VCO2) at AT and a lower oxygen uptake-work rate relationship during max watts (P < .05). The differences in the oxygen pulse, stroke volume, peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), and VE/VCO2 slope were not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Treatment with S/V was able to reduce the exercise blood pressure in patients with AMI during hospitalization, but did not significantly improve the VO2 peak, VE/VCO2 slope, or exercise tolerance.

Highly educated patients have lower dental compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly changed medical habits, and dental clinics have been forced to adapt. This study explored the pandemic-induced changes in patient utilization of dental services to assist practitioners in responding efficiently to similar public crises as references in the future. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the correlation between patient profiles and dental visits attendance within 2 months before and during the outbreak. RESULTS: A total of 332 patients, 210 women and 122 men (total number of visits: 1068) were enrolled in this study. A significantly lower attendance rate was noted during the COVID-19 period (70.3%) than prior to the pandemic (83.4%). The rate of return visits for patients with a high education level during the COVID-19 period was significantly reduced from 96.5 to 93.1%. In addition, the number of days between two visits significantly increased during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that, during the pandemic period, the attendance rates of return dental appointments decreased, and the rate of missed appointments for patients with a high educational levels was higher than that of patients with a low educational level. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Preventive management of these patients who are easy to miss dental appointments may enable more effective use of medical resources.

Effects of unilateral vs. bilateral resistance training interventions on measures of strength, jump, linear and change of direction speed: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Exercises can be categorized into either unilateral or bilateral movements. Despite the topic popularity, the answer to the question as to which (unilateral or bilateral) is superior for a certain athletic performance enhancement remains unclear. To compare the effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance training interventions on measures of athletic performance. Keywords related with unilateral, bilateral and performance were used to search in the Web of Science, PubMed databases, and Google Scholar and ResearchGate™ websites. 6365 articles were initially identified, 14 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis, with overall article quality being deemed moderate. The quantitative analysis comprised 392 subjects (aged: 16 to 26 years). Sub-group analysis showed that unilateral exercise resistance training resulted in a large effect in improving unilateral jump performance compared to bilateral training (ES = 0.89 [0.52, 1.26]). In contrast, bilateral exercise resistance training showed a small effect in improving bilateral strength compared to unilateral (ES = -0.43 [-0.71, -0.14]). Non-significant differences were found in improving unilateral strength (ES = 0.26 [-0.03, 0.55]), bilateral jump performance (ES = -0.04 [-0.31, 0.23]), change of direction (COD) (ES = 0.31 [-0.01, 0.63]) and speed (ES = -0.12 [-0.46, 0.21]) performance. Unilateral resistance training exercises should be chosen for improving unilateral jumping performance, and bilateral resistance training exercises should be chosen for improving bilateral strength performance.

A retrospective cohort study of how alveolar ridge preservation affects the need of alveolar ridge augmentation at posterior tooth implant sites.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess whether alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) can reduce the need of ridge augmentation at posterior tooth sites. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study enrolled patients who received dental implants at posterior tooth sites during 2013-2019. Demographic data and dental treatment histories were collected. Based on healing patterns after tooth extraction, patients were divided into ARP and spontaneous healing (SH) groups. Three surgical treatment plans were devised according to the alveolar bone volume on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The three treatment plans were to perform implant alone, simultaneous guided bone regeneration (GBR) and implantation, and staged GBR before implantation. Statistical analyses were performed to determine relationships. RESULTS: There were 92 implant records in the ARP group and 249 implant records in the SH group. A significant intergroup difference was observed regarding the frequency distribution of the treatment modality of staged GBR before implant (χ 2 = 15.07, p = 0.0005). Based on the implant alone treatment modality and simple logistic regression, the SH pattern was related to staged GBR before implant (SH vs. ARP: crude odds ratio (OR) = 4.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.15-11.61, p = 0.0003). After adjusting confounding factors, the risk was still significant (adjusted OR = 5.02, 95% CI = 2.26-12.85, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggested that ARP is more likely to lead to the treatment modality of implant alone and reduce the need for staged GBR before implantation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study describes ARP capable of minimizing the need for staged GBR before implantation and shortening the treatment duration.

Mechanisms of response to pH shock in microbial fermentation.

The following review highlights pH shock, a novel environmental factor, as a tool for the improvement of fermentation production. The aim of this review is to introduce some recent original studies on the enhancement of microbial fermentation production by pH shock. Another purpose of this review is to improve the understanding of the processes that underlie physiological and genetic differences, which will facilitate future research on the improvement of fermentation production and reveal the associated molecular mechanisms. This understanding will simultaneously promote the application of this strategy to other microbial fermentation systems. Furthermore, improvement of the cellular tolerance of genetically engineered bacteria can also be a new field of research in the future to enhance fermentation production.

Risk factors for survival in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease.

BACKGROUND: Historically, von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is characterised by a poor survival. Although genotype-phenotype correlation has been described in many studies, the risk factors for VHL survival remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the median survival of Chinese patients with VHL disease and explore whether VHL survival is influenced by genetic and clinical factors. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we recruited 340 patients from 127 VHL families. Kaplan-Meier plot and Cox regression model were used to evaluate the median survival and assess how survival was influenced by birth year, birth order, sex, family history, mutation type, onset age and first presenting symptom. RESULTS: The estimated median life expectancy for Chinese patients with VHL disease was 62 years. Patients with early-onset age, positive family history and truncating mutation types had poorer overall and VHL-related survival. Patients with haemangioblastoma as their first presenting symptom were related to a higher risk of death from central nervous system haemangioblastoma than those with abdominal lesions (HR 8.84, 95% CI 2.04 to 38.37, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This largest VHL survival analysis indicates that onset age, family history, mutation type and first presenting symptom have an effect on the survival of patients with VHL disease, which is helpful to genetic counselling and clinical decision-making.

Genotype and phenotype correlation in von Hippel-Lindau disease based on alteration of the HIF-α binding site in VHL protein.

PURPOSE: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare hereditary cancer syndrome that reduces life expectancy. We aimed to construct a more valuable genotype-phenotype correlation based on alterations in VHL protein (pVHL). METHODS: VHL patients (n = 339) were recruited and grouped based on mutation types: HIF-α binding site missense (HM) mutations, non-HIF-α binding site missense (nHM) mutations, and truncating (TR) mutations. Age-related risks of VHL-associated tumors and patient survival were compared. RESULTS: Missense mutations conferred an increased risk of pheochromocytoma (HR = 1.854, p = 0.047) compared with truncating mutations. The risk of pheochromocytoma was lower in the HM group than in the nHM group (HR = 0.298, p = 0.003) but was similar between HM and TR groups (HR = 0.901, p = 0.810). Patients in the nHM group had a higher risk of pheochromocytoma (HR = 3.447, p < 0.001) and lower risks of central nervous system hemangioblastoma (CHB) (HR = 0.700, p = 0.045), renal cell carcinoma (HR = 0.610, p = 0.024), and pancreatic tumor (HR = 0.382, p < 0.001) than those in the combined HM and TR (HMTR) group. Moreover, nHM mutations were independently associated with better overall survival (HR = 0.345, p = 0.005) and CHB-specific survival (HR = 0.129, p = 0.005) than HMTR mutations. CONCLUSION: The modified genotype-phenotype correlation links VHL gene mutation, substrate binding site, and phenotypic diversity (penetrance and survival), and provides more accurate information for genetic counseling and pathogenesis studies.

Yarrowia brassicae f.a., sp. nov., a new yeast species from traditional Chinese sauerkraut.

Two strains of a novel yeast species were isolated from traditional Chinese sauerkraut samples collected in Nanyang, Henan Province, central China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions showed that these strains belong to the Yarrowia clade, with seven clones of uncultured Yarrowia as their closest phylogenetic neighbours. They differed from their closest known species, Yarrowia divulgata CBS 11013T, by 3.2 % sequence divergence (14 substitutions and 2 gaps) in the D1/D2 domains and by 5.4 % sequence divergence (12 substitutions and 5 gaps) in the ITS regions. The two strains of novel species reproduced asexually, and no ascospores could be found. The name Yarrowia brassicae f.a., sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with NYNU 17218T (=CICC 33263T=CBS 15225T) as the type strain.

Pichia nanzhaoensis sp. nov. and Pichia paraexigua f.a., sp. nov., two yeast species isolated from rotting wood.

Four yeast strains were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in the Baotianman Nature Reserve in Henan Province, Central China. On the basis of sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer regions, they were suggested to be two novel species of the genus Pichia. Pichia nanzhaoensis sp. nov. produces one to four spherical ascospores per ascus, and is most closely related to Candida pseudolambica. Pichia paraexigua f.a., sp. nov. is a sister taxa to Pichia exigua, but the formation of ascospores was not observed on various sporulation media. P. nanzhaoensis sp. nov. can weakly assimilate inulin, whereas P. paraexigua sp. nov. can weakly assimilate d-glucosamine. The type strain of Pichia nanzhaoensis is NYNU 178136T (=CICC 33279T=CBS 15346T) and the type strain of Pichia paraexigua is NYNU 178135T (=CICC 33278T=CBS 15237T).

A novel patient-specific three-dimensional-printed external template to guide iliosacral screw insertion: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Iliosacral screw fixation is a popular method for the management of posterior pelvic ring fractures or dislocations, providing adequate biomechanical stability. Our aim in this study was to describe the use of a new patient-specific external template to guide the insertion of iliosacral screws and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this technique compared with the conventional fluoroscopy-guided technique. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with incomplete or complete posterior pelvic ring disruptions who required iliosacral screw fixation. For analysis, patients were divided into two groups: the external template group (37 screws in 22 patients) and the conventional group (28 screws in 18 patients). The operative time per screw, radiation exposure time and the rate of screw perforation (accuracy) were compared between groups. In the external template group, the difference between the actual and planned iliosacral screw position was also compared. RESULTS: In the conventional group, the average operative time per screw was 39.7 ± 10.6 min, with an average radiation exposure dose of 1904.0 ± 844.5 cGy/cm2, with 4 cases of screw perforation. In the external template group, the average operative time per screw was 17.9 ± 4.7 min, with an average radiation exposure dose of 742.8 ± 230.6 cGy/cm2 and 1 case of screw perforation. In the template group, the mean deviation distance between the actual and planned screw position was 2.75 ± 1.0 mm at the tip, 1.83 ± 0.67 mm in the nerve root tunnel zone and 1.52 ± 0.48 mm at the entry point, with a mean deviation angle of 1.73 ± 0.80°. CONCLUSIONS: The external template provides an accurate and safe navigation tool for percutaneous iliosacral screw insertion that could decrease the operative time and radiation exposure.

Deakozyma yunnanensis sp. nov., a novel yeast species isolated from rotten wood.

Three strains representing a novel yeast species were isolated from rotten wood samples collected in Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest in Yunnan Province, PR China. Sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions indicated that the novel species represented a member of the genus Deakozyma. The novel species was related most closely to the type strain of Deakozyma indianensis but they differed by 5.8 % sequence divergence (20 substitutions and 5 gaps) in the D1/D2 domain and by 12.2 % sequence divergence (27 substitutions and 15 gaps) in the ITS region. Interestingly, the novel yeast species was able to ferment glucose and sucrose in Durham tubes, a clear difference from its closest relative D. indianensis, the type species of the genus Deakozyma. The species name of Deakozyma yunnanensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with NYNU 16742T (=CICC 33160T=CBS 14688T) designated the type strain. As the current description of the genus does not allow the inclusion of sugar fermenting species, the emendation of the diagnosis of the genus Deakozyma Kurtzman and Robnett is proposed.

Expression and implication of toll-like receptors TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 in colonic mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) family may play important roles in inflammatory bowel disease. This study examined the expression of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 in the colonic tissues of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and explored their roles in the pathogenesis of UC. Colonic biopsies were taken from the colon of 30 patients with mild or moderate UC (at active phase) and 10 healthy controls during colonoscopy. TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 protein expression levels were immunohistochemically detected. The mRNA expression levels of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 were assessed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The disease activity index (DAI), colonoscopic and histologic grades and fecal microbial flora were determined. Histological examination showed that the intestinal mucous membrane of UC patients underwent acute inflammation changes. Immunohistochemistry exhibited that the expression levels of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 in colon epithelia and inflammatory cells were higher in UC patients than in control group (P<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 were increased in UC patients but were not detected in the normal controls. Expression levels of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 were positively correlated, and bore close correlation with DAI, colonoscopic and histologic grades and fecal microbial flora. An important mechanism of UC might be that abnormal activation of mucosal immunity by intestinal dysbacteriosis caused dysregulation of TLRS that mediates innate immunity.

[Effects of modified Ganmai Dazao decoction on neuroendocrine system in patients with climacteric depression].

Clinical study of modified Ganmai Dazao decoction in the treatment of yang deficiency climacteric depression and observe the effects of modified Ganmai Dazao decoction on neuroendocrine system in patients with yang deficiency climacteric depression. 86 cases were randomly divided into treatment group treated with modified Ganmai Dazao decoction and control group treated with Deanxit. The curative effect was evaluated with Hamilton's depressive scale (HAMD) and pittsburgh sleep quality scale (PSQI) before and at the end of the two and four weeks of the treatment, the serum levels of serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH) were detected before and after the four weeks of the treatment The results showed that the total effective power of treatment group was 88.4% and the total effective power of control group was 81.4% after four weeks interference, with insignificant difference between the two groups. After two and four weeks of the treatment, the score of HAMD decreased remarkably in both groups (P < 0.01), with insignificant difference between the two groups in same phase. After two and four weeks of the treatment, the total score of PSQI decreased remarkably in both groups (P < 0.05), with significant difference between the two groups after four weeks (P < 0.01). After four weeks of treatment, the serum levels of 5-HT and NE increased (P < 0.01), with insignificant difference between the groups. After four weeks of treatment, the serum levels of E2 increased obviously (P < 0.05), the levels of FSH decreased obviously (P < 0.05), the levels of LH decreased insignificant, with insignificant difference between two groups. This study indicates that modified Ganmai Dazao decoction has obvious therapeutic effects in the treatment of climacteric depression, and showed equivalent efficacy with Deanxit, and modified Ganmai Dazao decoction has better effect on improving the sleep quality in patients than Deanxit, the effect of improved clinical symptoms may be through adjusted levels of 5-HT, NE, E2, FSH and LH of climacteric depression.