Associations between Sleep Duration and Autonomic Nervous System Regulation in Patients with Probable Alzheimer's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationships between sleep duration and autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation. This cross-sectional pilot study included 27 older patients with probable Alzheimer's disease who were hospitalized at a psychiatric center. We measured heart rate variability to assess ANS regulation at night, evaluated dementia severity via the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, and obtained sleep duration data from sleep diaries maintained by psychiatric nurses.

Engineering Escherichia coli for high-yielding 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine synthesis from L-Threonine by reconstructing metabolic pathways and enhancing cofactors regeneration.

2,5-Dimethylpyrazine (2,5-DMP) is important pharmaceutical raw material and food flavoring agent. Recently, engineering microbes to produce 2,5-DMP has become an attractive alternative to chemical synthesis approach. In this study, metabolic engineering strategies were used to optimize the modified Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain for efficient synthesis of 2,5-DMP using L-threonine dehydrogenase (EcTDH) from Escherichia coli BL21, NADH oxidase (EhNOX) from Enterococcus hirae, aminoacetone oxidase (ScAAO) from Streptococcus cristatus and L-threonine transporter protein (EcSstT) from Escherichia coli BL21, respectively.

Biosynthesis and Characterization of Medium-Chain-Length Polyhydroxyalkanoate with an Enriched 3-Hydroxydodecanoate Monomer from a Cell Factory.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have been reported with agricultural and medical applications in virtue of their biodegradable and biocompatible properties. Here, we systematically engineered three modules for the enhanced biosynthesis of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) in HT66. The , , and genes were deleted to block the native phenazine pathway and weaken the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway.

Rapid monitoring of the target protein expression with a fluorescent signal based on a dicistronic construct in Escherichia coli.

Real-time quantification of recombinant proteins is important in studies on fermentation engineering, cell engineering, etc. Measurement of the expression level of heterologous proteins in bacterial fermentation broth has traditionally relied on time-consuming and labor-intensive procedures, such as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoblot analysis, and biological activity assays. We describe a simple, fast, and high sensitive assay for detecting heterologous proteins production in bacteria either at the overall level (fluorescence spectrophotometry) or at the individual level (fluorescence microscopic image) in this study.

Surface display of metal binding domain derived from PbrR on Escherichia coli specifically increases lead(II) adsorption.

Objectives: To improve the Pb biosorption capacity of the potential E. coli biosorbent, a putative Pb binding domain (PbBD) derived from PbrR was efficiently displayed on to the E. coli cell surface.

Novel Three-Component Phenazine-1-Carboxylic Acid 1,2-Dioxygenase in Sphingomonas wittichii DP58.

Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, the main component of shenqinmycin, is widely used in southern China for the prevention of rice sheath blight. However, the fate of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid in soil remains uncertain. DP58 can use phenazine-1-carboxylic acid as its sole carbon and nitrogen sources for growth.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis reveals potential factors associated with the enhancement of phenazine-1-carboxamide production in Pseudomonas chlororaphis P3.

Phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN), a phenazine derivative, is strongly antagonistic to fungal phytopathogens. Pseudomonas chlororaphis HT66 is a PCN-producing, non-pathogenic biocontrol strain, and we obtained the mutant P. chlororaphis P3, which produces 4.

[Association between cytokines and trichloroethylene-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis].

Objective: To detect the cytokines levels in serums of patients with trichloroethylene-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis and explore the effect biomarkers associated with this disease.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with TCE-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis, twenty-two healthy TCE-exposed workers from the same workshops with patients and twenty-two comparable unexposed controls were recruited in this study. Eight cytokines in serums from all subjects were detected using Liquid Suspended Biochip; the correlation among the eight cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β (IL-1β), IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (MIP-1β) and the correlation between IL-5 and eosinophil count were analyzed.

Quantitative investigation of resolution increase of free-flow electrophoresis via simple interval sample injection and separation.

Interval free-flow zone electrophoresis (FFZE) has been used to suppress sample band broadening greatly hindering the development of free-flow electrophoresis (FFE). However, there has been still no quantitative study on the resolution increase of interval FFZE. Herein, we tried to make a comparison between bandwidths in interval FFZE and continuous one.

[Analysis of subgroups of lymphocyte in peripheral blood among dermatitis medicamentosa-like of trichloroethylene patients and healthy exposed workers].

Objective: To study the effects of trichloroethylene (TCE) to lymphocyte subsets among exposed workers, and explore the early immunological effect biomarkers for prevention of hypersensitivity dermatitis induced by TCE.

Methods: Twenty-eight patients with TCE-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis, 56 healthy TCE-exposed workers from the same workshops with patients, and 28 comparable unexposed controls were recruited in this study. The total lymphocyte count and the major lymphocyte subsets including T cell, CD4(+) T cell, CD8(+) T cell, B cell, NK cell in peripheral blood were measured by Flow Cytometer analysis and Standard blood count analysis.

[Effects of n-hexane exposure on human serum myelin basic proteins].

Objective: To explore the effects of n-hexane on expression of serum myelin proteins (MBP) in workers occupationally exposed to n-hexane.

Methods: In this study, 269 workers exposed to n-hexane for more than one year and 104 subjects not exposed to n-hexane served as the exposure group and the control group, respectively. The urinary 2,5-hexanedione levels in all subjects were detected.

[Effects on serum myelin proteins of n-hexane exposure].

Objective: Exploring the effects of n-hexane on expression of serum myelin proteins in occupational exposure workers, and finding the early biomarker of n-hexane exposure.

Methods: In the study, 373 subjects were recruited, 269 exposure workers (work experience of more than1 year) and 104 non-exposure workers were selected. Firstly examined the level of urinary 2,5-hexanedione in the two groups, based on urinary 2,5-hexanedione biological limit value (4 mg/L), the exposed group was divided into high-exposed group and low-exposed group.

Medium optimization for phenazine-1-carboxylic acid production by a gacA qscR double mutant of Pseudomonas sp. M18 using response surface methodology.

Statistics based experimental designs were applied to optimize the culture medium components for enhancing phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) production by Pseudomonas sp. strain M18GQ, a gacA qscR double mutant of Pseudomonas sp. strain M18.

Rapid quantitative analysis of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and 2-hydroxyphenazine from fermentation culture of Pseudomonas chlororaphis GP72 by capillary zone electrophoresis.

Natural phenazines in secondary metabolites of bacteria have been receiving increasing attention in recent years due to their potential usage as antibiotics. In the present study, a rapid and reliable capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was developed and validated for monitoring for the first time dynamic phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) and the 2-hydroxyphenazine (2-OH-PHZ) production of Pseudomonas chlororaphis GP72 during the entire fermentation cycle. The paper begins with the optimization of separate conditions for 2-OH-PHZ and PCA together with phenazine (PHZ), which is used as internal standard.

Las-like quorum-sensing system negatively regulates both pyoluteorin and phenazine-1-carboxylic acid production in Pseudomonas sp. M18.

A las-like quorum-sensing system in Pseudomonas sp. M18 was identified, which consisted of lasI and lasR genes encoding LuxI-LuxR type regulator. Several functions of the las system from strain M18 were investigated in this study.

Autoinduction of RpoS biosynthesis in the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas sp. M18.

The rpoS gene from Pseudomonas sp. M18, which encodes predicted protein (an alternative sigma factor s, sigma(S), or sigma(38)) with 99.5% sequence identity with RpoS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, was first cloned.

[Analysis of mechanism and relationship of GacA and RsmA, two regulators of antibiotics production in Pseudomonas sp. M18].

In previous study, it has already been confirmed that the wild type strain of Pseudomonas sp. M18 isolated from the agricultural soil can produce two antifungal agents phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) and pyoluteorin (Plt). Biosynthesis and secretion of these secondary metabolites contribute to its biological control and suppression of soilborne pathogenic fungi.

[Negative regulation on PCA production is not correlated with positive regulation on BHL and HHL synthesis by gacA in Pseudomonas sp. M18].

At least 5 kinds of N-acyl-homoserine lactones(AHLs) were identified in Pseudomonas sp. M18. They were: N-butyryl-L-homoserine lactone(C4-HSL, BHL), N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone(C6-HSL, HHL), N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone(3-Oxo-C6-HSL, OHHL), N-(3-oxooctanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3-Oxo-C8-HSL, OOHL) and N-(3-oxodecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone(3-Oxo-C10-HSL, ODHL).

[Isolation and identification of lipopeptides produced by Bacillus subtilis fmbJ].

Isolation and idenfication of lipopeptides from Bacillus subtilis fmbJ was carried out in this paper. With HPLC method, it was determined that the antimicrobial substance was composed of many components, and one of them had the similar retention time similar to surfactin. In addition, the antimicrobial substance was proved to include the closed cycle peptide bind by TLC, and one of them had the migrating rate similar to surfactin.

[Inhibitory effect of new antimicrobial substance by Bacillus subtilis fmbJ on Newcastle disease virus and infectious Bursal disease virus in vitro].

The resistance effect on Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and Infectious Bursal Disease Virus(IBDV) in vitro of a new antimicrobial substance (AS), which produced by a Bacillus subtilis strain named B. subtilis fmbJ. Results showed that the TD50 and TD0 value of this AS on Chicken Embryo Fibroblasts cell (CEF) were 128.

[Media optimization for the novel antimicrobial peptide by Bacillus sp. fmbJ224].

The novel antimicrobial peptide in submerged fermentation by Bacillus sp. fmbJ224 is strongly influenced by many internal and external factors, namely medium constituents and fermentation conditions. In this study, Plackett-Burman design was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the seventeen factors.

[Differential regulation of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and pyoluteorin production mediated by inactivated gacA in Pseudomonas sp. M18].

Pseudomonas sp. M18 is one of the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, which can produce fungicides: phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA) and pyoluteorin (Plt). The chromosomally gacA inactivated mutant named M18G was constructed and its PCA production was enhanced 31-fold and Plt production was almost blocked completely in KMB medium.

[Transcriptional repression of pltZ on pyoluteorin ABC transporter of Pseudomonas sp. M18].

A pltZ gene involved in negatively regulating pyoluteorin (Plt) biosynthesis, and an ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter involved in pyoluteorin secretion and itself resistance, were identified downstream of Plt biosynthesis gene cluster in Pseudomonas sp. M18. The ABC transporter gene pltH'-lacZ translational and transcriptional fusion expression plasmids, pHZLF and pHZCF, were constructed using promoter probe vector pME6015 and pME6522 respectively, and then were introduced into the wild-type strain of Pseudomonas sp.