eccDB: a comprehensive repository for eccDNA-mediated chromatin contacts in multi-species.

Summary: We developed the eccDB database to integrate available resources for extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) data. eccDB is a comprehensive repository for storing, browsing, searching, and analyzing eccDNAs from multispecies. The database provides regulatory and epigenetic information on eccDNAs, with a focus on analyzing intrachromosomal and interchromosomal interactions to predict their transcriptional regulatory functions.

[Bloodless medical and surgical procedures for retroperitoneal neoplasm resection].

Objective: To investigate the Bloodless Medical and Surgical Procedures for retroperitoneal neoplasm resection.

Methods: Retrospectively analyse the Bloodless Medical and Surgical Procedures during 36 retroperitoneal neoplasm resections from Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2009 to December 2010, to discuss the preoperative preparation, anesthetic induction and maintainance, intraoperative monitoring and use of vasoactive drugs related experience.

Results: All the patients were safe during the perioperative period, without any operative and anesthetic complication.

Downregulation of miR-199a may play a role in 3-nitropropionic acid induced ischemic tolerance in rat brain.

MicroRNAs (miR) are single-stranded short RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by degradation or translational repression of mRNA. It has been reported that the downregulation of miR-199a plays an important role in cardiac ischemic tolerance. We examined the expression of miR-199a after 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) preconditioning in rat brain.

Isolation of a methyl parathion-degrading strain Stenotrophomonas sp. SMSP-1 and cloning of the ophc2 gene.

A rod-shaped, gram-negative bacterium Stenotrophomonas sp. SMSP-1 was isolated from the sludge of a wastewater treating system of a pesticide manufacturer. Strain SMSP-1 could hydrolyze methyl parathion to p-nitrophenol (PNP) and dimethyl phosphorothioate but could not degrade PNP further.

Cre/lox system and PCR-based genome engineering in Bacillus subtilis.

We have developed a fast and accurate method to engineer the Bacillus subtilis genome that involves fusing by PCR two flanking homology regions with an antibiotic resistance gene cassette bordered by two mutant lox sites (lox71 and lox66). The resulting PCR products were used directly to transform B. subtilis, and then transient Cre recombinase expression in the transformants was used to recombine lox71 and lox66 into a double-mutant lox72 site, thereby excising the marker gene.