Microbial genome reduction and modification are important strategies for constructing cellular chassis used for synthetic biology. This article summarized the essential genes and the methods to identify them in microorganisms, compared various strategies for microbial genome reduction, and analyzed the characteristics of some microorganisms with the minimized genome. This review shows the important role of genome reduction in constructing cellular chassis.
Genes, Essential ; genetics ; Genetic Engineering ; Genome, Microbial ; genetics ; Synthetic Biology ; methods

OBJECTVEThis study evaluates the expression of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-lα in rat periodontitis model exposed to normoxia and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) environments. The possible correlation between periodontitis and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) was also investigated. Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into four groups: normoxia control, normoxia periodontitis, hypoxia control, and hypoxia periodontitis groups. The periodontitis models were established by ligating the bilateral maxillary second molars and employing high-carbohydrate diets. Rats in hypoxia control and hypoxia periodontitis groups were exposed to CIH treatment mimicking a moderately severe OSAHS condition. All animals were sacrificed after eight weeks, and the clinical periodontal indexes were detected. The levels of IL-18 and HIF-1α in serum and gingival tissues were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlation between attachment loss (AL) and the levels of IL-18 and HIF-lα in hypoxia periodontitis group was evaluated.

RESULTSThe levels of IL-18 and HIF-lα in hypoxia periodontitis group were significantly higher than that in normoxia periodontitis and hypoxia control groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, the levels of IL-18 and HIF-lα in serum (r-0.792, r=0.753, P<0.05) and gingival tissues (r-0.817, r=0.779, P<0.05) were positively correlated with AL.

CONCLUSIONCIH could aggravate the destruction of periodontal tissues, which is correlated with IL-18 and HIF-lα levels.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gingiva ; Hypoxia ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; Interleukin-18 ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serum ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

Objective To investigate the effects of psychological stress on small intestinal bacteria and mucosa in mice, and to explore the relationship between small intestinal disfunction and small intestinal bacteria and mucosa under psychological stress. Methods 48 mice were randomly divided into psychological stress group and control group. An animal model with psychological stress was established lodging the mice and a hungry cat in separate layers of a two-layer cage. D-xylose levels in plasma were measured for estimating the damage degree of small intestinal mucosa. A section of the proximal small intestine was harvested under sterile condition and processed for quantitation for aerobes (Escherichia coli) and anaerobes (Lactobacilli). The quantitation of bacteria was expressed as log10[colony forming units/g]. Results D-xylose concentrations in plasma in psychological stress mice were significantly higher than those in the control group (3.02±0.85 mmol/L vs 0.94±0.33 mmol/L,P＜0.01).Psychological stress resulted in quantitative alterations in the aerobes (E. coli). There was an increase in the number of E. coli in the proximal small intestinal flora (1.79±0.27 log10(CFU/g) vs 1.32±0.22 log10(CFU/g),P＜0.01), and there was decrease in relative proportion of Lactobacilli and E. coli of stressed mice (0.52±0.56 vs 1.14±1.07,P＜0.05), while there was no significant difference in the anaerobes(Lactobacilli) between the two groups (2.31±0.63 log10(CFU/g) vs 2.41±0.34 log10(CFU/g) P＞0.05). D-xylose concentrations in plasma was significantly and positively correlated with the number of E. coli in the proximal small intestinal flora (r=0.6713,P＜0.05). Conclusion Small intestinal disfunction under psychological stress may be related to dysbacteriosis and the damage of mucosa.

The quality of sleep has a great relationship with health and working efficiency. The result of sleep stage classification is an important indicator to measure the quality of sleep, and it is also an important way to diagnose and treat sleep disorders. In this paper, the method of detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) was used to analyze sleep stage classification, sleep electroencephalograph signals, which were extracted from the MIT-BIH Polysomno graphic Database randomly. The results showed that the average DCCA exponent of the awake period is smaller than that of the first stage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleeps. It is well concluded that the method of studying the sleep electroencephalograph with this method is of great significance to improve the quality of sleep, to diagnose and to treat sleep disorders.
Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Sleep Stages

Objective To establish dried blood spot determination for quantitative analysis of creatine phosphokinase (CK) activity; To analyze the correlation of CK value between serum detection and dried spot determination, and set up a 'cut-off point' for screening of pathologically high CK values in dried blood spot determination. MethodsA total of 100 samples were analyzed quantitatively with two methods (serum detection and dried blood spot determination) for CK activity. The correlation of the two methods was studied. The ' cut-off point' for screening of pathologically high CK in dried blood spot determination was calculated with receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve). ResultsOf the 100 samples, 50 were normal and other 50 were abnormal when the 'cut-off point' was set at serum CK of 170 IU/L. There was a positive correlation in CK values between serum detection and dried blood spot determination (r = 0.764, P < 0.01). However, the values measured with the two methods could not be interchanged. The sensitivity and the specificity were 90% when the 'cut-off point' was set at 150 lUlL. The sensitivity and the specificity were 70% and 72%, respectively, when the 'cut-off point' was set at 400 IU/L. ConclusionsThere was a good correlation in CK activity between serum detection and dried blood spot determination. 400 IU/L could be suggested as the 'cut-off point' for detecting pathologically high CK in dried blood spot determination.

Objective: To study the impact of basic medical insurance on household consumption. Methods: According to the panel data of the east, central and west regions from 2002 to 2011, time and entity fixed effect model (Two-way FE) is established to test the relationship between the basic medical insurance and household consumption. Results: The basic medical insurance has significant positive effects on consumption, the consumption increased 10%, 16% and 19% in regions of East, Middle and West, respectively. Conclusion: The construction and improvement of the social medical insurance system improve the growth of the consumption, and the government should enhance the security, and consider the regional differences at the same time.

Objective To study the distribution of purinergic P2X_3 receptor immunoreactive afferent fibers in the rat pharyngeal mucosa and provide morphological evidence for exploring the role of ATP in the signal transduction of sensory stimuli. Methods Twelve adult Wistar rats were used and immunofluorescenthistochemical double-labeling technique combined laser confocal scanning microscope was applied in the present study. Results 1.P2X_3 immunoreactive fibers were observed on sections from all parts of pharyngeal mucosa. Two types of positive fibers were found. One was free nerve fibers covered with many varicosities. Another one ramified in mucosa and showed complex arborization endings. Nerve plexus in mucosa were formed by P2X_3 immunoreactive fiber ramifications. 2.Most calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) positive fibers intermingled with P2X_3 immunoreactive fiber arborizations. A few P2X_3 immunoreactive fibers were covered with many varicosities co-localized with CGRP. 3.In petrosal ganglion, most neurons were stained with P2X_3 or CGRP immunoreactivity and small number of P2X_3 immunoreactive neurons co-stained with CGRP. Conclusion These results indicated that the different types of afferent fibers in rat pharyngeal mucosa expressed purinergic P2X_3 receptor immunoreactivity and ATP might be related to nociceptive or physiological signals transduction in rat pharyngeal mucosa.

Objective To observe the curative effect of esophageal cancer with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and acute adverse reaction. Methods 28 cases with esophageal cancer were received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy from August,2008 to August,2009. The conformal radiotherapy was performed in the way of 200cGy/fraction,5 fractions/week,total dose of 60-64Gy,30-32fraction. In addition,the curative effect and acute adverse reaction were evaluated along the radiotherapy. Results The number of complete relief(CR) cases was 10, part relief(PR) was 15 ,no change was 3 ,and the overall relief(CR + PR) rate was 89.3%. The local control rate and the survival rate in the first year were 75.0% and 60.7%, and second year were 71.4% and 46.4%. The cases of 0 level acute radioactive pneumonia was 14,1 level was 8,2 level was 5,3 level was 1. The cases of 0 level acute radioactive esophagitis was 5, 1 level was 14,2 level was 7,3 level was 2. Conclusion Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy was a very safe and effective way to treat esophageal cancer. Whether the therapy could improve the long-term survival rate was remained to be observed.

Aged ; Angiofibroma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Desmin ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leiomyosarcoma ; pathology ; Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

BACKGROUND:Because of the deficiency of researches on connective tissue growth factor associated with orthopedic diseases, very little attention has been paid to the studies on connective tissue growth factor in the intervertebral disc.
OBJECTIVE:Through exploring the role and mechanism of connective tissue growth factor in disc degeneration, to provide new evidence for biotherapy of disc degeneration.
METHODS: A computer-based search of PubMed and CNKI was performed by the first author to retrieve articles relevant to the effect and mechanism of connective tissue growth factor on degenerative disc and its related tissues published from January 1997 to October 2014. The keywords were “intervertebral disc; CTGF; TGF-β;hypoxia; disc degeneration” in Chinese and English, respectively, which appeared in the title, abstract or keywords. Articles published recently or in authoritative journals were preferred, and finaly 34 articles were included in result analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Recentlyin vivo and in vitro studies on the intervertebral disc have clearly demonstrated the anabolic role of connective tissue growth factor in stimulating matrix production from nucleus pulposus cels and revealed that the transforming growth factorβ-connective tissue growth factor axis was of great importance to celular matrix productionviaregulations and stimulations to transforming growth factor β and hypoxia, while the regulation of hypoxia for connective tissue growth factor was another in a specific cel and tissue manner.