Predicting caspase substrate cleavage sites based on a hybrid SVM-PSSM method.

Caspases play an important role in many critical non-apoptosis processes by cleaving relevant substrates at cleavage sites. Identification of caspase substrate cleavage sites is the key to understand these processes. This paper proposes a hybrid method using support vector machine (SVM) in conjunction with position specific scoring matrices (PSSM) for caspase substrate cleavage sites prediction.

Blood hibernation: a novel strategy to inhibit systemic inflammation and coagulation induced by cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Inflammation and coagulation are two intimately cross-linked defense mechanisms of most, if not all organisms to injuries. During cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), these two processes are activated and interact with each other through several common pathways, which may result in subsequent organ dysfunction. In the present study, we hypothesized that the addition of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), and aprotinin to the systemic circulation, hereby referred to as blood hibernation, would attenuate the inflammation and coagulation induced by CPB.

[Incidence and distributing feature of chronic heart failure in adult population of Xinjiang].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and distributing feature of chronic heart failure (CHF) in adult population of Xinjiang.

Methods: Four-stage random sampling method was used to analyze the prevalence and distributing feature of self-reported congestive heart failure among different nationalities in adult (35 years and over) population of Xinjiang. Sampling was collected from 6 localities (Urumqi, Kelamayi, Fukang, Turfan Basin, Hetian, Yili Hazakh).

Morphological changes of Fusarium oxysporum induced by CF66I, an antifungal compound from Burkholderia cepacia.

The morphological effects of CF66I, an antifungal compound produced by Burkholderia cepacia, on growing hyphae of Fusarium oxysporum were studied by fluorescence microscopy (FM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At 20 μg/ml, CF66I strongly inhibited growth and induced significant changes of the hyphal morphology. These changes included swelling of hyphae with considerable thickening cell wall and abnormal chitin deposition, which was indicative of the alterations in cell wall structure.

The genetic basis of laboratory adaptation in Caulobacter crescentus.

The dimorphic bacterium Caulobacter crescentus has evolved marked phenotypic changes during its 50-year history of culture in the laboratory environment, providing an excellent system for the study of natural selection and phenotypic microevolution in prokaryotes. Combining whole-genome sequencing with classical molecular genetic tools, we have comprehensively mapped a set of polymorphisms underlying multiple derived phenotypes, several of which arose independently in separate strain lineages. The genetic basis of phenotypic differences in growth rate, mucoidy, adhesion, sedimentation, phage susceptibility, and stationary-phase survival between C.

Aprotinin combined with nitric oxide and prostaglandin E1 protects the canine kidney from cardiopulmonary bypass-induced injury.

Objective: Aprotinin is frequently used to reduce blood loss during cardiac surgery; however, it also causes renal injury. Since aprotinin reduces nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin I(2) (PGI(2)), and both cause vasodilation and inhibit activation of neutrophils and platelets, their reduction may be responsible for the injury. This study was to determine whether the combination of aprotinin with NO and prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1), an analogue of PGI(2)) can attenuate renal injury associated with aprotinin during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

[Preliminary study of intravascular oxygenator in braid in vitro].

Intravenous membrane oxygenator (IVOX), an artificial lung usually located in vena caval system, can provide extra oxygen outside the lung for patients suffering from respiratory failure. However, gas exchange areas of IVOX are limited because of confined space in caval system. The increase of the diameter of IVOX may impede the return of venous blood to heart, and result in serious low blood pressure.

[Recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9 transfection of rats H9C2 cells in vitro].

Aim: To evaluate the transfection efficiency using recombinant adeno-associated virus Serotype 9 mediated enhanced green fluorescent protein (rAAV9- EGFP) to rats H9C2 cells and the impact on growth of H9C2 cells.

Methods: rAAV9-EGFP was transfected into H9C2 cells at different multiplicities of infection (MOI=1 x 10(5), 1 x 10(6), 1 x 10(7)). EGFP expression in the cells was observed under inverted fluorescence microscope, and the EGFP-positive cell percentage determined by flow cytometry.

Genomic characterization of the Yersinia genus.

Background: New DNA sequencing technologies have enabled detailed comparative genomic analyses of entire genera of bacterial pathogens. Prior to this study, three species of the enterobacterial genus Yersinia that cause invasive human diseases (Yersinia pestis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and Yersinia enterocolitica) had been sequenced. However, there were no genomic data on the Yersinia species with more limited virulence potential, frequently found in soil and water environments.

[Effect of nitric oxide derived from endothelial nitric oxide synthase on tumor angiogenesis].

Background And Objective: Studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) derived from endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is expressed widely in tumor tissues and regulates tumor angiogenesis. However, the results are controversial. This study was to investigate the effect of NO on tumor angiogenesis and its mechanism.

Roscovitine binds to novel L-channel (CaV1.2) sites that separately affect activation and inactivation.

L-type (Ca(V)1.2) calcium channel antagonists play an important role in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. (R)-Roscovitine, a trisubstituted purine, has been shown to inhibit L-currents by slowing activation and enhancing inactivation.

Which is better to preserve pulmonary function: short-term or prolonged leukocyte depletion during cardiopulmonary bypass?

Objectives: Neutrophils are crucial in the development of acute lung injuries during cardiopulmonary bypass. However, the efficacy of leukocyte depletion on pulmonary protection remains controversial, possibly owing to different filtration strategies used in the literature. In this study, we investigated whether short-term leukocyte depletion strategy is more efficacious than prolonged leukocyte depletion in preserving pulmonary function.

Therapeutic benefit of human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stromal cells in intracerebral hemorrhage rat: implications of anti-inflammation and angiogenesis.

Cell-based therapy represents a promising strategy in the treatment of neurological disorders. Human umbilical cord tissue has recently been recognized as an ideal source of mesenchymal stromal cells due to accessibility, vast abundance and safety. Here, an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) rat model was established by injection of bacterial collagenase VII and CM-DiI labeled human umbilical cord tissue derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSC) were intracerebrally transplanted into rat brain 24 h after ICH.

Rationally designed chiral Ni5L6 clusters with the in situ generated tridentate ligand. Hydrothermal synthesis, crystal structures, morphology and magnetic properties.

A series of rationally designed pentanuclear clusters with D(3) symmetry have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The complexes were of formula [Ni(5)L(6)]X(n)Y(4-n) x mH(2)O [2-4, X = NO(3), Y = OH, n = 1, m = 3 (5); X = Br, n = 4, m= 4 (6); X = I, n = 4, m= 0 (7)], where the ligand [L, (Z)-1,2-di(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)ethenol] was produced in situ under hydrothermal conditions. SEM images proved that the crystals of compounds 2-4, 6 and 7 were hollow tetragonal or hexagonal prisms, and a nucleation-dissolution-recrystallization mechanism was investigated.

Targeted expression of uncoupling protein 2 to mouse liver increases the susceptibility to lipopolysaccharide/galactosamine-induced acute liver injury.

Unlabelled: Normal hepatocytes do not express endogenous uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in adult liver, although Kupffer cells do, and it is strikingly induced in hepatocytes in steatotic liver and obese conditions. However, the direct link of UCP2 with the pathogenic development of liver diseases and liver injury remains elusive. Here we report that targeted expression of UCP2 to mouse liver increases susceptibility to acute liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and galactosamine (GalN).

Opposite responses to lidocaine between intrapulmonary mechanical and chemical sensors.

We attempted to determine whether intrapulmonary sensory receptors are nourished by the pulmonary or the systemic circulation. Single-unit activity from the cervical vagus nerve was recorded in anesthetized, open chest, mechanically ventilated rabbits, comparing responses to right or left ventricular injection of 2% lidocaine (at 4 mg/kg). Airway mechanosensors [slowly adapting receptor (SARs) and rapidly adapting receptors] were inhibited by lidocaine, whereas chemosensors (C-fiber receptors and high-threshold A delta-receptors) were stimulated.

Therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells in a rat model of stroke.

Background: Human umbilical cord multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSC) have recently been identified as ideal candidate stem cells for cell-based therapy. The present study was designed to evaluate therapeutic potentials of intracerebral administration of UC-MSC in a rat model of stroke.

Methods: Rats were subjected to 2-hr middle cerebral artery occlusion and received 2 10 UC-MSC or phosphate-buffered saline as a control.

1-[1-(4-Chloro-phen-yl)ethyl-idene]carbono-hydrazide.

The mol-ecular skeleton of the title mol-ecule, C(9)H(11)ClN(4)O, is essentially planar, the dihedral angle between the ring and the and N/N/C plane being 6.7 (3)°. In the crystal, inter-molecular N-H⋯O and N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into ribbons propagated along [010].

CD44 is of functional importance for colorectal cancer stem cells.

Purpose: Both CD44 and CD133 were reported as putative markers for isolating colorectal cancer stem cells (CSC). It remains to be resolved if both of these markers are of functional importance for colorectal CSC.

Experimental Design: The expression of CD44 and CD133 in normal colonic tissues and primary colorectal cancer was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a series of 60 patients on tissue microarray sections.

[Changes of neutrophil functions after cardiopulmonary bypass: experiment with dogs].

Objective: To investigate if increase of adhesion function and capability to destroy and decrease of phagocytosis of neutrophils occur after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: 12 mongrel dogs were randomly divided into two equal groups: CPB group, weaned from CPB after 100 min of CPB; and sham group standing for 100 min without CPB. All dogs were observed for another 4 hrs.

Constructing disease-specific gene networks using pair-wise relevance metric: application to colon cancer identifies interleukin 8, desmin and enolase 1 as the central elements.

Background: With the advance of large-scale omics technologies, it is now feasible to reversely engineer the underlying genetic networks that describe the complex interplays of molecular elements that lead to complex diseases. Current networking approaches are mainly focusing on building genetic networks at large without probing the interaction mechanisms specific to a physiological or disease condition. The aim of this study was thus to develop such a novel networking approach based on the relevance concept, which is ideal to reveal integrative effects of multiple genes in the underlying genetic circuit for complex diseases.

Genome sequence of Brucella abortus vaccine strain S19 compared to virulent strains yields candidate virulence genes.

The Brucella abortus strain S19, a spontaneously attenuated strain, has been used as a vaccine strain in vaccination of cattle against brucellosis for six decades. Despite many studies, the physiological and molecular mechanisms causing the attenuation are not known. We have applied pyrosequencing technology together with conventional sequencing to rapidly and comprehensively determine the complete genome sequence of the attenuated Brucella abortus vaccine strain S19.

Transcriptome sequencing of malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors.

Cancers arise by the gradual accumulation of mutations in multiple genes. We now use shotgun pyrosequencing to characterize RNA mutations and expression levels unique to malignant pleural mesotheliomas (MPMs) and not present in control tissues. On average, 266 Mb of cDNA were sequenced from each of four MPMs, from a control pulmonary adenocarcinoma (ADCA), and from normal lung tissue.

A new arenavirus in a cluster of fatal transplant-associated diseases.

Background: Three patients who received visceral-organ transplants from a single donor on the same day died of a febrile illness 4 to 6 weeks after transplantation. Culture, polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) and serologic assays, and oligonucleotide microarray analysis for a wide range of infectious agents were not informative.

Methods: We evaluated RNA obtained from the liver and kidney transplant recipients.