Biochemical properties of a new cold-active mono- and diacylglycerol lipase from marine member Janibacter sp. strain HTCC2649.

Mono- and di-acylglycerol lipase has been applied to industrial usage in oil modification for its special substrate selectivity. Until now, the reported mono- and di-acylglycerol lipases from microorganism are limited, and there is no report on the mono- and di-acylglycerol lipase from bacteria. A predicted lipase (named MAJ1) from marine Janibacter sp.

Rho kinase acts as a downstream molecule to participate in protein kinase Cε regulation of vascular reactivity after hemorrhagic shock in rats.

Our previous study demonstrated that Rho kinase and protein kinase C (PKC) played important parts in the regulation of vascular reactivity after shock. Using superior mesenteric arteries (SMAs) from hemorrhagic shock rats and hypoxia-treated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), relationship of PKCε regulation of vascular reactivity to Rho kinase, as well as the signal transduction after shock, was investigated. The results showed that inhibition of Rho kinase with the Rho kinase-specific inhibitor Y-27632 antagonized the PKCε-specific agonist carbachol and highly expressed PKCε-induced increase of vascular reactivity in SMAs and VSMCs, whereas inhibition of PKCε with its specific inhibitory peptide did not antagonize the Rho kinase agonist (U-46619)-induced increase of vascular reactivity in SMAs and VSMCs.

Cellular extract facilitates nuclear reprogramming by altering DNA methylation and pluripotency gene expression.

The functional reprogramming of a differentiated cell to a pluripotent state presents potential beneficial applications in disease mechanisms and regenerative medicine. Epigenetic modifications enable differentiated cells to perpetuate molecular memory to retain their identity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the reprogramming modification of yak fibroblast cells that were permeabilized and incubated in the extracts of mesenchymal stem cells derived from mice adipose tissue [adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)].

Molecular detection of genogroup I and II picobirnaviruses in pigs in China.

In this study, a total of 187 stool specimens were collected from a pig farm in Hunan province of China, from November 2011 to June 2012. 39 (20.9 %) stool specimens were positive for picobirnaviruses using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Site-directed mutagenesis studies of the aromatic residues at the active site of a lipase from Malassezia globosa.

The lipase from Malassezia globosa (SMG1) has specific activity on mono- and diacylglycerol but not on triacylglycerol. The structural analysis of SMG1 structure shows that two bulky aromatic residues, W116 and W229, lie at the entrance of the active site. To study the functions of these two residues in the substrate recognition and the catalytic reaction, they were mutated to a series of amino acids.

Age and sex differences in vascular responsiveness in healthy and trauma patients: contribution of estrogen receptor-mediated Rho kinase and PKC pathways.

Several medical conditions exhibit age- and sex-based differences. Whether or not traumatic shock exhibits such differences with regard to vascular responsiveness is not clear. In a cohort of 177 healthy subjects and 842 trauma patients (21-82 years) as well as different ages (4, 8, 10, 14, 18, and 24 wk; 1 and 1.

Cloning and Expression of Genes Encoding F107-C and K88-1NT Fimbrial Proteins of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from Piglets.

We cloned two genes coding F107-C and K88-1NT fimbrial subunits from strains E. coli C and 1NT isolated from Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. The mature peptide of faeG gene from strain E.

Fatty acid specificity of T1 lipase and its potential in acylglycerol synthesis.

Background: T1 lipase has received considerable attention due to its thermostability. Fatty acid specificity of T1 lipase (crude and purified) was investigated, and its potential in the synthesis of acylglycerols was also evaluated.

Results: Fatty acid specificity of T1 lipase (crude and purified) was investigated in the esterification of fatty acids (C6:0 to C18:3), suggesting that crude and purified T1 lipase had the lowest preference for C18:0 [specificity constant (1/α) = 0.

Role of non-MLC20 phosphorylation pathway in the regulation of vascular reactivity during shock.

Background: Studies have shown that shock-induced vascular hyporeactivity is associated with the decrease in 20-kDa myosin light chain (MLC20) phosphorylation. Whether and how a non-MLC20 phosphorylation pathway participates in the regulation of vascular reactivity after shock is not known.

Methods: With superior mesentery artery (SMA) obtained from rats in hemorrhagic shock and hypoxia-treated SMA, the regulatory effect of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on vascular reactivity and the roles of caldesmon, 27-kDa heat shock protein (HSP27), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (Erk), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), the main molecules that are involved in the non-MLC20 phosphorylation pathway of the regulation of smooth-muscle contraction, were investigated.

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the genome of porcine torovirus.

In this study, we amplified and sequenced the first genome of porcine torovirus (PToV SH1 strain). The genome was found to be 28,301 bp in length, sharing 79 % identity with Breda virus. It mainly consists of replicase (20,906 bp) and structural genes: spike (4,722 bp), membrane (702 bp), hemagglutinin-esterase (1,284 bp), and nucleocapsid (492 bp).

Small doses of arginine vasopressin in combination with norepinephrine "buy" time for definitive treatment for uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock in rats.

Implementation of fluid resuscitation and blood transfusion are greatly limited in prehospital or evacuation settings after severe trauma or war wounds. With uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock rats, we investigated if arginine vasopressin (AVP) in combination with norepinephrine (NE) is independent (or slightly dependent) of fluid resuscitation and can "buy" time for the subsequently definitive treatment of traumatic hemorrhagic shock in the present study. The results showed that AVP (0.

Ideal resuscitation pressure for uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock in different ages and sexes of rats.

Introduction: Our previous studies demonstrated that 50-60 mmHg mean arterial blood pressure was the ideal target hypotension for uncontrolled hemorrhagic shock during the active hemorrhage in sexually mature rats. The ideal target resuscitation pressure for immature and older rats has not been determined.

Methods: To elucidate this issue, using uncontrolled hemorrhagic-shock rats of different ages and sexes (6 weeks, 14 weeks and 1.

Transcriptome analysis of duck liver and identification of differentially expressed transcripts in response to duck hepatitis A virus genotype C infection.

Background: Duck is an economically important poultry and animal model for human viral hepatitis B. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying host-virus interaction remain unclear because of limited information on the duck genome. This study aims to characterize the duck normal liver transcriptome and to identify the differentially expressed transcripts at 24 h after duck hepatitis A virus genotype C (DHAV-C) infection using Illumina-Solexa sequencing.

A low-frequency versatile wireless power transfer technology for biomedical implants.

Implantable biomedical sensors and actuators are highly desired in modern medicine. In many cases, the implant's electrical power source profoundly determines its overall size and performance . The inductively coupled coil pair operating at the radio-frequency (RF) has been the primary method for wirelessly delivering electrical power to implants for the last three decades .

Multiview-video-plus-depth coding based on the advanced video coding standard.

This paper presents a multiview-video-plus-depth coding scheme, which is compatible with the advanced video coding (H.264/AVC) standard and its multiview video coding (MVC) extension. This scheme introduces several encoding and in-loop coding tools for depth and texture video coding, such as depth-based texture motion vector prediction, depth-range-based weighted prediction, joint inter-view depth filtering, and gradual view refresh.

Zebularine and scriptaid significantly improve epigenetic reprogramming of yak fibroblasts and cloning efficiency.

Abnormal epigenetic reprogramming of the donor nucleus after somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is thought to be the main cause of low cloning efficiency. Following SCNT, the donor nucleus often fails to express early embryonic genes and establish a normal embryonic pattern of chromatin modification. Therefore, in this study, we have attempted to improve epigenetic reprogramming of the donor nucleus and cloned embryos with Zebularine and Scriptaid.

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus PK-1 is essential for nucleocapsid assembly.

PK-1 (Ac10) is a baculovirus-encoded serine/threonine kinase and its function is unclear. Our results showed that a pk-1 knockout AcMNPV failed to produce infectious progeny, while the pk-1 repair virus could rescue this defect. qPCR analysis demonstrated that pk-1 deletion did not affect viral DNA replication.

Sodium butyrate improves the cloned yak embryo viability and corrects gene expression patterns.

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT), a powerful tool in basic scientific research, has been used widely to increase and preserve the population of endangered species. Yak (Bos grunniens) is one of these species. Development to term of interspecies cloned yak embryos has not been achieved, possibly due to abnormal epigenetic reprogramming.

Hemorrhagic preconditioning improves vascular reactivity after hemorrhagic shock by activation of PKCα and PKCε via the adenosine A1 receptor in rats.

Background: Our previous study demonstrated that protein kinase C (PKC) has an important protective role on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity after shock. Here, we investigated if hemorrhagic preconditioning could lessen shock-induced vascular hyporeactivity by activating PKC.

Methods: Using hemorrhagic-shocked rats, the protective effects of different extents of hemorrhagic preconditioning on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity; the roles of PKCα, PKCε, and adenosine in this process; as well as hemorrhagic preconditioning-induced systemic effects were observed.

Microarray analysis of differentially expressed transcripts in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) infected with porcine sapelovirus as a model to study innate immune responses to enteric viruses.

The local intestinal mucosa, the largest mucosal immune system in animals, plays an important role in resistance against intestinal pathogen infection. However, the molecular antiviral mechanisms of the intestinal mucosa remain poorly understood. In this study, we screened and identified differentially expressed transcripts in (PSV) porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) infected with porcine sapelovirus using microarray analysis.

Short hairpin RNA targeting FOXQ1 inhibits invasion and metastasis via the reversal of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in bladder cancer.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) promotes cancer invasion and metastasis, however, the integrative mechanisms that coordinate the process are incompletely understood. In this study, we defined a pivotal functional role for the Forkhead transcription factor FOXQ1 in regulating EMT in bladder cancer. We initially investigated the expression of FOXQ1, TGF-β1 and EMT biomarkers E-cadherin, Vimentin in 65 cases of bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC) specimens by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry.

A feed-forward controlled AC-DC boost converter for biomedical implants.

Miniaturization is important to make implants clinic friendly. Wireless power transfer is an essential technology to miniaturize implants by reducing their battery size or completely eliminating their batteries. Traditionally, a pair of inductively-coupled coils operating at radio-frequency (RF) is employed to deliver electrical power wirelessly.