Giardia duodenalis
is an important zoonotic intestinal protozoan of animals and humans. We collected 450 faecal specimens from four age groups (pre-weaned piglets, weaned piglets, juveniles, adults) ...of Zangxiang pigs from Shaanxi and Qinghai provinces, to investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of
G. duodenalis
at the
β-giardin
(
bg
),
triosephosphate isomerase
(
tpi
) and
glutamate dehydrogenase
(
gdh
) loci using nested PCRs in the present study. A total of 28 faecal samples were positive for presence of
G. duodenalis
, with an overall prevalence of 6.2%.
Giardia duodenalis
was detected in pigs from all age groups and in both investigated provinces. Significant differences (
P
< 0.0001) in prevalence were observed among the four age groups with prevalence decreasing with age. Sequence analysis indicated existence of genetic diversity of
G. duodenalis
isolates from Zangxiang pigs, with 4, 2 and 4 haplotypes at the
bg
,
tpi
and
gdh
loci, respectively. Two assemblages were identified, including the zoonotic assemblage B and assemblage E, with the latter as the predominant assemblage found in both locations and all age groups except adults. The present study expanded the host range of
G. duodenalis
and provided fundamental data for controlling
G. duodenalis
infection in Zangxiang pigs.
Salmonella invades and disrupts gut epithelium integrity, creating an infection-generated electric field that can drive directional migration of macrophages, a process called galvanotaxis. ...Phagocytosis of bacteria reverses the direction of macrophage galvanotaxis, implicating a bioelectrical mechanism to initiate life-threatening disseminations. The force that drives direction reversal of macrophage galvanotaxis is not understood. One hypothesis is that Salmonella can alter the electrical properties of the macrophages by modifying host cell surface glycan composition, which is supported by the fact that cleavage of surface-exposed sialic acids with a bacterial neuraminidase severely impairs macrophage galvanotaxis, as well as phagocytosis. Here, we utilize N-glycan profiling by nanoLC-chip QTOF mass cytometry to characterize the bacterial neuraminidase-associated compositional shift of the macrophage glycocalyx, which revealed a decrease in sialylated and an increase in fucosylated and high mannose structures. The Salmonella
gene, encoding a putative neuraminidase, is required for invasion and internalization in a human colonic epithelial cell infection model. To determine whether NanH is required for the Salmonella infection-dependent direction reversal, we constructed and characterized a
deletion mutant and found that NanH is partially required for Salmonella infection in primary murine macrophages. However, compared to wild type Salmonella, infection with the
mutant only marginally reduced the cathode-oriented macrophage galvonotaxis, without canceling direction reversal. Together, these findings strongly suggest that while neuraminidase-mediated N-glycan modification impaired both macrophage phagocytosis and galvanotaxis, yet to be defined mechanisms other than NanH may play a more important role in bioelectrical control of macrophage trafficking, which potentially triggers dissemination.
Mutations in the human myeloproliferative leukemia (MPL) protein gene are known to cause congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT). The prognosis of this heritable disorder is poor and bone ...marrow transplantation is the only effective treatment. Here, by using the TALEN (transcription activator-like effector nuclease) technology, we created a zebrafish mpl mutant to model human CAMT. Disruption of zebrafish mpl lead to a severe reduction in thrombocytes and a high bleeding tendency, as well as deficiencies in adult hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. We further demonstrated that thrombocytopenia in mpl mutant zebrafish was caused by impaired Tpo/Mpl/Jak2 signaling, resulting in reduced proliferation of thrombocyte precursors. These results indicate that mpl mutant zebrafish develop thrombocytopenia resembling the human CAMT. To utilize fully zebrafish to study thrombocyte biology and thrombocytopenia disorders, we generated a transgenic reporter line Tg(mpl:eGFP)smu4, in which green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression was driven by the mpl promoter. Detailed characterization of Tg(mpl:eGFP)smu4 fish confirmed that the thrombocyte lineage was specifically marked by GFP expression. In conclusion, we generated the first transmissible congenital thrombocytopenia zebrafish model mimicking human CAMT and a thrombocyte-specific transgenic line. Together with Tg(mpl:eGFP)smu4, mpl mutant zebrafish provide a useful tool for drug screening and study of thrombocytopoiesis.
A glycoprotein inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells was isolated from sheep intestinal mucous membrane. The glycoprotein, designated IGP, was purified by a combination of ion-exchange ...chromatography over DEAE-650M and gel-filtration over HW-55F. Purified IGP had a molecular mass of ~60 kDa and consisted of 68.72 ± 2.10% protein and 32.09 ± 1.52% carbohydrates. The monosaccharide composition of the carbohydrate part consisted of glucose (31.28% of the total carbohydrate content), glucosamine (22.28%) and
N
-acetylgalactosamine (19.38%), mannose (11.14%), fucose (11.28%), and rhamnose (4.64%). The amino-acid composition of IGP was also determined.
The aim of this study was to examine whether tourniquet use can improve perioperative blood loss, early function recovery, and pain after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the setting of ...multiple-dose intravenous tranexamic acid.
This was a prospective, randomized clinical trial including 180 patients undergoing TKA with multiple doses of intravenous tranexamic acid. One group was treated with a tourniquet during the entire procedure, the second group received a tourniquet during cementing, and the third group did not receive a tourniquet. All patients received the same protocol of intravenous tranexamic acid (20 mg/kg) before skin incision, and three and six hours later (10 mg/kg). The primary outcome measure was perioperative blood loss. Secondary outcome measures were creatine kinase (CK), CRP, interleukin-6 (IL-6), visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score, limb swelling ratio, quadriceps strength, straight leg raising, range of motion (ROM), American Knee Society Score (KSS), and adverse events.
The mean total blood loss was lowest in the no-tourniquet group at 867.32 ml (SD 201.11), increased in the limited-tourniquet group at 1024.35 ml (SD 176.35), and was highest in the tourniquet group at 1,213.00 ml (SD 211.48). The hidden blood loss was lowest in the no-tourniquet group (both p < 0.001). There was less mean intraoperative blood loss in the tourniquet group (77.48 ml (SD 24.82)) than in the limited-tourniquet group (137.04 ml (SD 26.96)) and the no-tourniquet group (212.99 ml (SD 56.35); both p < 0.001). Patients in the tourniquet group showed significantly higher levels of muscle damage and inflammation biomarkers such as CK, CRP, and IL-6 than the other two groups (p < 0.05). Outcomes for VAS pain scores, limb swelling ratio, quadriceps strength, straight leg raising, ROM, and KSS were significantly better in the no-tourniquet group at three weeks postoperatively (p < 0.05), but there were no significant differences at three months. No significant differences were observed among the three groups with respect to transfusion rate, thrombotic events, or the length of hospital stay.
Patients who underwent TKA with multiple doses of intravenous tranexamic acid but without a tourniquet presented lower total blood loss and hidden blood loss, and they showed less postoperative inflammation reaction, less muscle damage, lower VAS pain score, and better early knee function. Our results argue for not using a tourniquet during TKA.Cite this article:
2020;9(6):322-332.
Germanium ionization detectors with sensitivities as low as 100eVee (electron-equivalent energy) open new windows for studies on neutrino and dark matter physics. The relevant physics subjects are ...summarized. The detectors have to measure physics signals whose amplitude is comparable to that of pedestal electronic noise. To fully exploit this new detector technique, various experimental issues including quenching factors, energy reconstruction and calibration, signal triggering and selection as well as evaluation of their associated efficiencies have to be attended. The efforts and results of a research program to address these challenges are presented.
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are highly dispersed, millisecond-duration radio bursts1-3. Recent observations of a Galactic FRB4-8 suggest that at least some FRBs originate from magnetars, but the origin ...of cosmological FRBs is still not settled. Here we report the detection of1,863 bursts in 82 h over 54 days from the repeating source FRB 20201124A (ref.9). These observations show irregular short-time variation ofthe Faraday rotation measure (RM), which scrutinizes the density-weighted line-of-sight magnetic field strength, of individual bursts during the first 36 days, followed by a constant RM. We detected circular polarization in more than half of the burst sample, including one burst reaching a high fractional circular polarization of 75%. Oscillations in fractional linear and circular polarizations, as well as polarization angle as a function of wavelength, were detected. All of these features provide evidence for a complicated, dynamically evolving, magnetized immediate environment within about an astronomical unit (au; Earth-Sun distance) ofthe source. Our optical observations of its Milky-Way-sized, metal-rich host galaxy10-12 show a barred spiral, with the FRB source residing in a low-stellar-density interarm region at an intermediate galactocentric distance. This environment is inconsistent with a young magnetar engine formed during an extreme explosion of a massive star that resulted in a long gamma-ray burst or superluminous supernova.
The mammalian ovary has two main functions—producing mature oocytes for fertilization and secreting hormones for maintaining the ovarian endocrine functions. Both functions are vital for female ...reproduction. Primordial follicles are composed of flattened pre-granulosa cells and a primary oocyte, and activation of primordial follicles is the first step in follicular development and is the key factor in determining the reproductive capacity of females. The recent identification of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) signaling pathway as the key controller for follicular activation has made the study of primordial follicle activation a hot research topic in the field of reproduction. This review systematically summarizes the roles of the PI3K/PTEN signaling pathway in primordial follicle activation and discusses how the pathway interacts with various other molecular networks to control follicular activation. Studies on the activation of primordial follicles have led to the development of methods for the in vitro activation of primordial follicles as a treatment for infertility in women with premature ovarian insufficiency or poor ovarian response, and these are also discussed along with some practical applications of our current knowledge of follicular activation.
The structural evolution of a nanocrystalline Ni–Fe alloy induced by high-pressure torsion (HPT) was investigated. HPT-induced grain growth occurred via grain rotation and coalescence, forming ...three-dimensional small-angle sub-grain boundaries. Further deformation eliminates the sub-grain boundaries from which dislocations glide away on different {1
1
1} planes. A significant number of these dislocations come together to form Lomer–Cottrell locks that effectively increase the dislocation storage capacity of the nanocrystalline material. These observations may help with developing strong and ductile nanocrystalline materials.
PDF
