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This paper introduces a numerical approach for the fractional-order Rössler chaotic systems and gives error analysis. The effectiveness of the present method is determined by comparing the numerical results of the high-precision difference scheme and predictor-correctors scheme. Some complex dynamical behaviors for the fractional-order Rössler chaotic systems are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to characterize the association between platelet to albumin ratio (PAR) and disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and axial psoriatic arthritis (axPsA). Baseline platelet count, albumin, PAR, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease index (BASDAI), Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), and ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score (ASDAS) were collected from patients with a definitive diagnosis of AS or axPsA. Spearman's correlation analysis, quantile regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed. Four hundred forty-six patients with AS and 68 patients with axPsA were included. AS patients had higher CRP, ASDAS-CRP, and ASDAS-ESR than axPsA patients (median: CRP, 6.8 vs. 3.5 mg/L, p = 0.02; ASDAS-CRP, 2.32 vs.1.93, p = 0.001; ASDAS-ESR, 2.57 vs.1.97, p = 0.007; respectively). Platelet count, albumin, PAR, ESR, BASDAI, and BASFI did not significantly differ between the two populations (all p > 0.05). In AS patients, PAR was positively correlated with BASDAI (r = 0.204, p < 0.01), BASFI (r = 0.24, p < 0.01), ASDAS-CRP (r = 0.475, p < 0.01), and ASDAS-ESR (r = 0.483, p < 0.01), while these coefficients were not significant in axPsA patients. The quantile regression further confirmed that, in AS patients, PAR was independently associated with BASDAI, BASFI, ASDAS-CRP, and ASDAS-ESR at their individual quantiles (all p < 0.01). However, in axPsA patients, PAR was not significantly associated with these disease activities. The optimal cut-off value of PAR for AS disease activity was 5.87, with an AUC of 0.745, a sensitivity of 72.4%, and a specificity of 71%. PAR could serve as an alternative indicator for AS disease activity. Key Points • Platelet to albumin ratio is independently associated with ankylosing spondylitis disease activity. • Platelet to albumin ratio could serve as an alternative indicator for ankylosing spondylitis disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a bus transit system with peak and normal periods, we derived an approximated formulated solution, to provide a patchwork for a published paper. Based on the same numerical example of the original model, our approximated solution attains the minimum cost within 0.3% to indicate that our approximated formulated solution is a good supplementary tool to estimate the optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) outbreak that emerged at the end of 2019 has now swept the world for more than 2 years, causing immeasurable damage to the lives and economies of the world. It has drawn so much attention to discovering how the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) originated and entered the human body. The current argument revolves around two contradictory theories: a scenario of laboratory spillover events and human contact with zoonotic diseases. Here, we reviewed the transmission, pathogenesis, possible hosts, as well as the genome and protein structure of SARS‐CoV‐2, which play key roles in the COVID‐19 pandemic. We believe the coronavirus was originally transmitted to human by animals rather than by a laboratory leak. However, there still needs more investigations to determine the source of the pandemic. Understanding how COVID‐19 emerged is vital to developing global strategies for mitigating future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a maximum profit inventory model with a generalized deterioration rate where the selling rate is dependent on the inventory level that is an extension of two published papers. A complete solution structure is provided to decide the optimal solution with reasonable conditions supported by numerical examples, and then we prove that the optimal solution is independent of the demand pattern. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate our findings. In a previously published paper, three examples had symmetric conditions to decide the local maximum solution. Our approach provides a reasonable explanation for this symmetric phenomenon. Our findings will help researchers develop new inventory models in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemotaxis-Navier—Stokes system { n t + u ⋅ ∇ n = Δ n − ∇ ⋅ (n ∇ c) , c t + u ⋅ ∇ c = Δ c − n c , u t + (u ⋅ ∇) u = Δ u + ∇ P + n ∇ ϕ , ∇ ⋅ u = 0 is considered in a smoothly bounded planar domain Ω under the boundary conditions (∇ n − n ∇ c) ⋅ ν = 0 , c = c ∗ , u = 0 , x ∈ ∂ Ω , t > 0 , with a given nonnegative constant C✭. It is shown that if (n0, c0, u0) is sufficiently regular and such that the product ‖ n 0 ‖ L 1 (Ω) ‖ c 0 ‖ L ∞ (Ω) 2 is suitably small, an associated initial value problem possesses a bounded classical solution with (n, c, u)|t=0 = (n0, c0, u0). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, most of the real physical world problems can be modeled with variable-coefficient KdV–modified KdV (vcKdV–mKdV) equation. Besides, the solution methods and their reliabilities are the most important. Therefore, a high precision numerical method is always needed. In this paper, Fourier spectral method is applied to solve the space fractional generalized vcKdV–mKdV equation and the influence of fractional orders on numerical solution of the space fractional generalized vcKdV–mKdV equation is investigated. Numerical simulations in different situations of equation are conducted, including the propagation and interaction of the generalized ball-type, kink-type and periodic-depression solitons. From the numerical experiments pondered here and compared with the other methods, it is found that the numerical solutions match well with the exact solutions, which demonstrate that the Fourier spectral method is a satisfactory and efficient algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to stop and reverse land degradation and curb the loss of biodiversity, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development proposes to combat desertification. In this paper, a fractional vegetation–water model in an arid flat environment is studied. The pattern behavior of the fractional model is much more complex than that of the integer order. We study the stability and Turing instability of the system, as well as the Hopf bifurcation of fractional order α , and obtain the Turing region in the parameter space. According to the amplitude equation, different types of stationary mode discoveries can be obtained, including point patterns and strip patterns. Finally, the results of the numerical simulation and theoretical analysis are consistent. We find some novel fractal patterns of the fractional vegetation–water model in an arid flat environment. When the diffusion coefficient, d, changes and other parameters remain unchanged, the pattern structure changes from stripes to spots. When the fractional order parameter, β , changes, and other parameters remain unchanged, the pattern structure becomes more stable and is not easy to destroy. The research results can provide new ideas for the prevention and control of desertification vegetation patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Surgical Pleth Index (SPI) is a monitoring method that reflects painful stimuli during general anesthesia, and dexmedetomidine is an analgesic adjuvant with an opioid-sparing effect. But up to now, it is still unclear whether dexmedetomidine has any influence on SPI. To investigate whether dexmedetomidine has an effect on SPI during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.Methods: We enrolled 94 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic lung lobectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to a dexmedetomidine group (dexmedetomidine: 0.8 μg/kg administered for 10 min before anesthesia) or normal saline group (equal volume of normal saline). SPI and vital signs were recorded. The number rating scale (NRS) pain score was also evaluated.Results: SPI values were significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group than in the normal saline group at intubation and at discharge from the postanesthesia care unit. Compared with the normal saline group, mean arterial pressure and heart rate were both significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group at intubation. Heart rate was lower at skin incision in the dexmedetomidine group. The NRS score in the normal saline group was noticeably higher vs. the dexmedetomidine group at discharge from the postanesthesia care unit.Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine decreased intraoperative SPI and NRS scores. Our results showed that dexmedetomidine attenuated noxious stimuli.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR): ChiCTR-OOC-16009450 , Registered 16 October, 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the non-locality of fractional derivative, the analytical solution and good approximate solution of fractional partial differential equations are usually difficult to get. Reproducing kernel space is a perfect space in studying this type of equations, however the numerical results of equations by using the traditional reproducing kernel method (RKM) isn't very good. Based on this problem, we present the piecewise technique in the reproducing kernel space to solve this type of equations. The focus of this paper is to verify the stability and high accuracy of the present method by comparing the absolute error with traditional RKM and study the effect on absolute error for different values of α. Furthermore, we can study the distribution of entire space at a particular time period. Three numerical experiments are provided to verify the efficiency and stability of the proposed method. Meanwhile, it is tested by experiments that the change of the value of α has little effect on its accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key of the reproducing kernel method (RKM) to solve the initial boundary value problem is to construct the reproducing kernel meeting the homogenous initial boundary conditions of the considered problems. The usual method is that the initial boundary conditions must be homogeneous and put them into space. Another common method is to put homogeneous or non-homogeneous conditions directly into the operator. In addition, we give a new numerical method of RKM for dealing with initial boundary value problems, homogeneous conditions are put into space, and for nonhomogeneous conditions, we put them into operators. The focus of this paper is to further verify the reliability and accuracy of the latter two methods. Through solving three numerical examples of integral-differential equations and comparing with other methods, we find that the two methods are useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, most of the real physical world problems can be best modelled with fractional telegraph equation. Besides modelling, the solution techniques and their reliability are the most important. Therefore, high accuracy solutions are always needed. As we all know, reproducing kernel method (RKM) has been successfully presented for solving various ordinary differential equations. However, the numerical results are not perfectly satisfactory when we directly use the traditional RKM for solving fractional partial differential equation. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap. In this paper, a new method is provided for solving fractional telegraph equation in the reproducing kernel space by piecewise technique, which can obtain more accurate solution than traditional method. Three experiments are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As we known, reproducing kernel method (RKM) has been presented for solving differential equations for initial and boundary value problems. However, the direct application of the RKM presented in the previous works cannot produce good numerical results for Burgers’ equation. To solve this problem, this paper give a modified reproducing kernel method by piecewise technique. The exact solution is given by reproducing kernel functions in a series expansion form, the approximation solution is expressed by n-term summation of reproducing kernel functions. The three numerical experiments results show that the piecewise method is more easily implemented and effective. Some numerical results are also compared with the results obtained by other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous works, we have devoted to using the reproducing kernel methods solving integer order differential equations, based on the review of previous works, in this paper, we mainly present a method for solving a class of higher order fractional differential equations with general boundary value problems by using Taylor formula into reproducing kernel space. Its analytical solution is represented in the form of series. The analytical solution and approximate solution obtained by this method is given and it is uniformly converge to the exact solution and its corresponding derivatives. The numerical examples are studied to demonstrate the accuracy of the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper research downhole temperature distribution in oil production and water injection using reproducing kernel Hilbert space method (RKHSM) for the first time. The aim of this paper is that using the highly accurate RKHSM can solve downhole temperature problems effectively. According to 2-D mathematical models of downhole temperature distribution, the analytical solution was given in a series expansion form and the approximate solution was expressed by n -term summation of reproducing kernel functions which initial and boundary conditions were selected properly. Numerical results of downhole temperature distribution with multiple pay zones, in which different radial distance and different injection–production conditions (such as injection rate, injection temperature, injection time, oil layer thickness), were carried out by mathematical 7.0, and numerical results correspond to general knowledge and show that use RKHSM to research downhole temperature distribution is feasible and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproducing kernel Hilbert space method (RKHSM) is an effective method. This paper, for the first time, uses the traditional RKHSM for solving the temperature field in two phase flows of multilayer water injection well. According to 2D oil-water temperature field mathematical model of two phase flows in cylindrical coordinates, selecting the properly initial and boundary conditions, by the process of Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization, the analytical solution was given by reproducing kernel functions in a series expansion form, and the approximate solution was expressed by n-term summation. The satisfied numerical results were carried out by Mathematica 7.0, showing that the larger the difference between injected water temperature and initial borehole temperature or water injection conditions, the more obvious the indication of water accepting zones. The numerical examples evidence the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method of the two phase flows in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the reproducing kernel Hilbert space methods(RKHSM) (see Wang et al (2011) [2]; Lin and Lin (2010) [3]; Wu and Li (2011) [4]; Zhou et al. (2009) [6]; Jiang and Chen (2014) [7]; Wang et al. (2010) [8]; Du and Cui (2008) [9]; Akram et al. (2013) [10]; Lü and Cui (2010) [11]; Wang et al. (2008) [12]; Yao and Lin (2009) [13]; Geng et al. (2014) [14] ; Arqub et al. (2013) [15]) emerged one after the other. But, a lot of difficult work should be done to deal with multi-point boundary value problems(BVPs). Our work is aimed at giving a new reproducing kernel method for multi-point BVPs. We do not put the homogenization conditions into the reproducing kernel space which can avoid to compute the reproducing kernel satisfying boundary conditions and the orthogonal system. Three numerical examples are studied to demonstrate the accuracy of the present method. Results obtained by our method indicate that new algorithm has the following advantages: small computational work, fast convergence speed and high precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaotic systems arise everywhere in control theory and nonlinear vibration. This paper uses a high-precision numerical approach for capturing chaotic attractors of the fractional EI Ni ñ o chaotic systems. The numerical results indicate that some of the chaotic attractors of fractional-order systems are topologically equivalent to those discovered in the integer-order systems, and some unusual attractors of fractional EI Ni ñ o chaotic systems are found by using the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gray-Scott model is the representative bistable system in many reaction–diffusion models. Numerical simulation of this model is very difficult especially for space fractional case. In this paper, a novel numerical approach is introduced. We introduce the Runge–Kutta method for time discretization and Fourier transform for spatial discretization. The error has been reduced effectively by using Richardson Extrapolation. We perform stability and convergence analysis for the present method. Numerical experiments show that present method has low computational complexity and higher precision. Long time diffusion behavior of pattern can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A process of intermittently cyclic activated sludge-membrane bioreactor (ICAS-MBR) was developed to enhance the performance of biological phosphorus removal (EBPR), which was constructed under sequencing anoxic/anaerobic/aerobic condition. The performance between ICAS-MBR and conventional anoxic/aerobic-membrane bioreactor (A/O-MBR) in terms of phosphorus removal, nitrification performance and microbial aspects were investigated in this study. The experimental results indicated that the phosphorus removal efficiency in ICAS-MBR process increased from 65% to 83% when compared with A/O-MBR. It was also found that the COD removal efficiencies of the two processes were over 94%, and –N and TN average removal efficiencies were 96% and 69% in ICAS-MBR and 96% and 78% in A/O-MBR, respectively. Furthermore, micrographs observation obtained confirmed the succession and diversification of microorganisms in the two systems followed a similar regularity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

How to solve the partial differential equation has been attached importance to by all kinds of fields. The exact solution to a class of partial differential equation with variable-coefficient is obtained in reproducing kernel space. For getting the approximate solution, give an iterative method, convergence of the iterative method is proved. The numerical example shows that our method is effective and good practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective * To determine the half-life and half-lethal dose of itaconic acid in mice, and provide intuitive data for the metabolic rate and toxicity of itaconic acid in mice. Methods * Itaconic acid was injected into mice through caudal vein. The concentration of itaconic acid was measured by blood collection under fundus venous plexus at different time. At the same time, the survival of the mice was recorded after injection for 14 d. Results * Under the conditions of this experiment, the half-life of itaconic acid in male C57BL/6J mice was 29.13 min, and the half-lethal dose of is 258.263 mg/kg. Conclusion * Itaconic acid has a fast metabolic rate and a short half-life in mice. Itaconic acid is less toxic, based on its half-lethal dose in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Heme oxygenase (HO-1), which may be induced by Cobaltic protoporphyrin IX chloride (CoPPIX) or Rosiglitazone (Ros), is a neuroprotective agent that effectively reduces ischemic stroke. Previous studies have shown that the neuroprotective mechanisms of HO-1 are related to JNK signaling. The expression of HO-1 protects cells from death through the JNK signaling pathway. This study aimed to ascertain whether the neuroprotective effect of HO-1 depends on the assembly of the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signaling module scaffolded by JIP1 and further influences the JNK signal transmission through HO-1. Prior to the ischemia-reperfusion experiment, CoPPIX was injected through the lateral ventricle for 5 consecutive days or Ros was administered via intraperitoneal administration in the week prior to transient ischemia. Our results demonstrated that HO-1 could inhibit the assembly of the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signaling module scaffolded by JIP1 and could ultimately diminish the phosphorylation of JNK3. Furthermore, the inhibition of JNK3 phosphorylation downregulated the level of p-c-Jun and elevated neuronal cell death in the CA1 of the hippocampus. Taken together, these findings suggested that HO-1 could ameliorate brain injury by regulating the MLK3-MKK7-JNK3 signaling module, which was scaffolded by JIP1 and JNK signaling during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the correlation between soil moisture data and different spectral data transformation, and it reveals that the correlation coefficient of soil moisture is highest near 584 nm, 711 nm, 1,055 nm, 1,420 nm, 1,635 nm, 2,176 nm, and 2,257 nm. The highest correlation coefficient can be up to 0.83206. Multiple regression analysis can be done to understand the correlation between the two, find out the reflectance values at the above fixed spectrum through a bilinear correlation, and quantitatively invert soil moisture in the study area, shedding new light on soil moisture in this large area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Butylphthalide (BP) has protective effects that reduce ischemia-induced brain damage and neuronal cell death, little is known about the precise mechanisms occurring during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of BP against ischemic brain injury induced by cerebral I/R through inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-Caspase3 signaling pathway. BP in distilled non-genetically modified Soybean oil was administered intragastrically three times a day at a dosage of 15 mg/(kg day) beginning at 20 min after I/R in Sprague-Dawley rats. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were performed to examine the expression of related proteins, and TUNEL-staining was used to detect the percentage of neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal CA1 region. The results showed that BP could significantly protect neurons against cerebral I/R-induced damage. Furthermore, the expression of p-JNK, p-Bcl2, p-c-Jun, FasL, and cleaved-caspase3 was also decreased in the rats treated with BP. In summary, our results imply that BP could remarkably improve the survival of CA1 pyramidal neurons in I/R-induced brain injury and inhibit the JNK-Caspase3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma (OS) remains the most frequent primary malignant bone tumor in adolescents. However, the molecular cause of the disease is poorly elucidated. In the present study, we primarily found that translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was overexpressed in human OS tissues and cell lines. To investigate the function of TCTP in OS cell growth, an RNA interference lentivirus system was employed to deplete TCTP expression in Saos-2 and U2OS cell lines. Specific knockdown of TCTP significantly impaired cell proliferation and colony-formation capacity in both OS cell lines. Moreover, depletion of TCTP caused a significant accumulation of OS cells in the S phase and eventually induced cell apoptosis. Expression levels of the G2/M phase regulators cyclin B1 and Cdc25A were decreased, and apoptotic markers Bad and caspase-3 were increased in both OS cell lines after depletion of TCTP. Furthermore, depletion of TCTP potently inhibited the growth of xenografts in nude mice. Our results indicate that inhibition of TCTP expression exerts potential antitumor activity and may be a novel therapeutic approach in human OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary composition may influence neuronal function as well as processes underlying synaptic plasticity. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of high and low caloric diets on a mouse model of learning and memory and to explore mechanisms underlying this process. Mice were divided into three different dietary groups: normal control (n = 12), high-caloric (HC) diet (n = 12), and low-caloric (LC) diet (n = 12). After 6 months, mice were evaluated on the Morris water maze to assess spatial memory ability. We found that HC diet impaired learning and memory function relative to both control and LC diet. The levels of SIRT1 as well as its downstream effectors p53, p16, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were decreased in brain tissues obtained from HC mice. LC upregulated SIRT1 but downregulated p53, p16, and PPARγ. The expressions of PI3K and Akt were not altered after HC or LC diet treatment, but both LC and HC elevated the levels of phosphorylated-cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) and IGF-1 in hippocampal CA1 region. Therefore, HC diet-induced dysfunction in learning and memory may be prevented by caloric restriction via regulation of the SIRT1-p53 or IGF-1 signaling pathways and phosphorylation of CREB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Mandatory national surveillance of IPD in Taiwan began on October 2007. [•] 3659 IPD cases were in 2008–2012, with an incidence of 3.2/100,000 population. [•] Case fatality ratio was 9.2% for all, and 19.0% for adults ≥75 years. [•] PCV7 preventable IPD declined from 59.8% in 2008 to 37.2% in 2012 for all ages. [•] S. pneumoniae serotype 19A became the most prevalent serotype in 2010. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aberrant c-Met activation has been demonstrated to be implicated in tumorigenesis and anti-cancer drug resistance. Discovery of c-Met inhibitors has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, a support vector machine (SVM) classification model that discriminates c-Met inhibitors and non-inhibitors was first developed. Evaluation through screening a test set indicates that combined SVM-based and docking-based virtual screening (SB/DB-VS) considerably increases hit rate and enrichment factor compared with the individual methods. Thus the combined SB/DB-VS approach was adopted to screen PubChem, Specs, and Enamine for c-Met inhibitors. 75 compounds were selected for in vitro assays. Eight compounds display a good inhibitory potency against c-Met. Five of them are found to have novel scaffolds, implying a good potential for further chemical modification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Co-infection with hookworm and schistosomes is a common phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of South America and southeast Asia. As a first step towards understanding the metabolic response of a hookworm-schistosome co-infection in humans, we investigated the metabolic consequences of co-infection in an animal model, using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolic profiling technique, combined with multivariate statistical analysis. Urine and serum samples were obtained from hamsters experimentally infected with 250 Necator americanus infective L3 and 100 Schistosoma japonicum cercariae simultaneously. In the co-infection model, similar worm burdens were observed as reported for single infection models, whereas metabolic profiles of co-infection represented a combination of the altered metabolite profiles induced by single infections with these two parasites. Consistent differences in metabolic profiles between the co-infected and non-infected control hamsters were observed from 4weeks p.i. onwards. The predominant metabolic alterations in co-infected hamsters consisted of depletion of amino acids, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates (e.g. citrate and succinate) and glucose. Moreover, alterations of a series of gut microbial-related metabolites, such as decreased levels of hippurate, 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid, 4-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid and trimethylamine-N-oxide, and increased concentrations of 4-cresol glucuronide and phenylacetylglycine were associated with co-infection. Our results provide a first step towards understanding the metabolic response of an animal host to multiple parasitic infections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We reported four foodborne disease outbreaks in Taiwan caused by sucrose-nonfermenting and by β-galactosidase-deficient variants of non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae. The sucrose-nonfermenting vibrios collected from three outbreaks were biochemically identified to be V. mimicus and the β-galactosidase-deficient vibrios from an outbreak to be V. alginolyticus. However, molecular methods including DNA–DNA hybridization, fatty acid profile analysis, and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA, oriC, pyrH, recA, and rpoA indicated that these vibrios should be V. cholerae. These V. cholerae variants carried two hemolysin genes, hlyA and hlx, but contained neither cholera toxin gene, ctx, V. mimicus hemolysin gene, vmh, nor thermo-directed hemolysin, tdh. The sucrose-nonfermenting variants of V. cholerae shared a high level of genetic relatedness; they could derive from a common clone. In our record from 1995 to date, this was the first time that V. cholerae variants were discovered as etiologic agents for foodborne disease outbreaks in Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a leading cause of learning and memory dysfunction. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) has been shown to confer neuroprotection in various neurodegenerative diseases, including cerebral I/R-induced hippocampal CA1 injury. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been completely understood. In the present study, rats were pretreated with SAM/NaHS (SAM, an H 2 S agonist, and NaHS, an H 2 S donor) only or SAM/NaHS combined with CaM (an activator of CaMKII) prior to cerebral ischemia. The Morris water maze test demonstrated that SAM/NaHS could alleviate learning and memory impairment induced by cerebral I/R injury. Cresyl violet staining was used to show the survival of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. SAM/NaHS significantly increased the number of surviving cells, whereas CaM weakened the protection induced by SAM/NaHS. The immunohistochemistry results indicated that the number of Iba1-positive microglia significantly increased after cerebral I/R. Compared with the I/R group, the number of Iba1-positive microglia in the SAM/NaHS groups significantly decreased. Co-Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting were conducted to demonstrate that SAM/NaHS suppressed the assembly of CaMKII with the ASK1-MKK3-p38 signal module after cerebral I/R, which decreased the phosphorylation of p38. In contrast, CaM significantly inhibited the effects of SAM/NaHS. Taken together, the results suggested that SAM/NaHS could suppress cerebral I/R injury by downregulating p38 phosphorylation via decreasing the assembly of CaMKII with the ASK1-MKK3-p38 signal module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TheFossorochromis rostratusis a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. In this study, we first reported the complete mitochondrial genome ofF. rostratus. The whole mitochondrial genome is 16 581 bp in length, which contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. The GC content of this mitochondrial genome is 45.96% (27.47% A, 26.57%T, 30.12% C, and 15.84% G), similar toAstatotilapia calliptera(the GC content of 45.90%). We constructed a phylogenetic tree on the complete mitochondrial genomes of these two species and other 10 closely related species to show their phylogenic relationship. The complete mitochondrial genome ofF. rostratusand its phylogenic relationship with other related species would facilitate our understanding of the evolution of Cichlidae mitochondrial genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]