Objective To master the status of iodine content in drinking water and iodine nutritional status of population before and after the salt iodine concentration reduction in 2012 in Meizhou City, and to provide a scientific basis for safety assessment of salt iodine content after adjustment of the policy.Methods Using stratified random sampling method, drinking water samples were collected, and iodide content was measured by cerous sulfate catalytic spectrophotometry.Urine samples of children aged 8-10 were collected, in which the iodide content was quantitatively tested by arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry.Samples of household edible salt were collected to determine iodine content by direct titration in 2012 before (September 2011), and after the salt iodine concentration reduction (September 2012 and September 2013).Results A total of 422 water samples were measured, the median iodine content of water was 2.4 μg/L.The water iodine median was 2.1 μg/L in centralized water supply (n =163),and 2.9 μg/L in decentralized water supply (n =259), the difference was statistically significant (U =-2.526, P ＜ 0.05).Totally 800 and 803 urine samples of children aged 8-10 were collected in 2011 and 2012, median urinary iodine was 216.5 and 207.5 μg/L, respectively, which were higher than that in 2013 (n =807, 190.0 μg/L, x2 =17.040,24.868, all P ＜ 0.05).Urinary iodine ≥300 μg/L ratio was significantly decreased (2013 than 2011 and 2012,19.3％ (156/807) vs.26.5％ (212/800) and 24.5％ (197/803), x2 =6.363, 11.695, all P ＜ 0.05), and urinary iodine ＜ 100 μg/L rose in the proportion (2013 than 2011, 18.0％ vs.13.5％, x2 =6.045, P ＜ 0.05).A total of 2 410 household salt samples were tested, and the coverage rate of iodized salt, iodized salt qualified rate, the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt were all higher than 98.8％.Totally 800, 803 and 807 salt samples were collected in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the salt iodine medians were 31.0, 27.7 and 25.4 mg/kg, respectively, the difference between the salt iodine medians was statistically significant (H =91.422, P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Iodine excess risk is significantly decreased, and the level of iodine nutritional status of the city's population is appropriate after the salt iodine concentration reduction in 2012.The salt iodine concentration adjusted is suitable and safe.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the flexibility and mobility of the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Aa.

METHODSThe graph theory-based program Constraint Network Analysis and normal mode-based program NMsim were used to analyze the global and local flexibility indices as well as the fluctuation of individual residues in detail.

RESULTSThe decrease in Cry1Aa network rigidity with the increase of temperature was evident. Two phase transition points in which the Cry1Aa structure lost rigidity during the thermal simulation were identified. Two rigid clusters were found in domains I and II. Weak spots were found in C-terminal domain III. Several flexible regions were found in all three domains; the largest residue fluctuation was present in the apical loop2 of domain II.

CONCLUSIONAlthough several flexible regions could be found in all the three domains, the most flexible regions were in the apical loops of domain II.

Bacillus thuringiensis ; Bacterial Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cluster Analysis ; Computer Simulation ; Endotoxins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Entropy ; Hemolysin Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Models, Structural ; Mutation ; Protein Conformation ; Protein Unfolding ; Software ; Temperature

Objective To investigate the prevalence and genetic variation of Theileria in yellow cattle in Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province. Methods A total of 184 blood specimens were collected from Fenghuang, Huanyuan and Baojing counties of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture during the period from August 2018 through August 2019, and were detect using PCR assay with the specific 18S ribosomal rRNA (18S rRNA) gene targeting Theileria. The gene sequences of positive specimens were aligned with the sequences recorded in GenBank, and a phylogenetic tree was created with Plasmodium ovale 18S rRNA as an outgroup. Results A total of 143 blood samples were positive for Theileria, with a mean detection rate of 77.7%. Theileria was prevalent in the blood samples from yellow cattle in all three counties, with detection rates of 85.0% in Fenghuang County, 88.3% in Huayuan County and 61.0% in Baojing County, respectively. There was no significant difference in the detection rate of Theileria between Xiangxi yellow cattle and normal yellow cattle (77.2% vs. 79.5%; χ² = 0.08, P > 0.05), while the detection of Theileria was significantly lower in the housed yellow cattle than in free-range cattle (68.9% vs. 89.7%; χ² = 22.36, P < 0.01). A total of 18 PCR positive samples were randomly selected for sequencing and analysis, and all samples showed more than 99.0% homology with T. luwenshuni isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 18 positive samples were clustered into the same branch with T. luwenshuni, but were far away from other isolates. Conclusions The prevalence of Theileria is high in yellow cattle from Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province, and T. luwenshuni may be the dominant parasite species.

[Abstract] Objective To investigate the effect of hippocampal brain derived neurotrophic factor precursor (proBDNF) in cognitive dysfuction induced by social isolation. Methods Thirty C57BL / 6 J male mice (4-week old) were randomly divided into group house (GH,n = 15) and socially isolated (SI,n = 15) groups. The GH group (5 mice / cage) and SI group (1 mice / cage) were reared separately under the same conditions. The novel object recognition test and the novel place recognition test were used to evaluate the cognitive function. The expression of BDNF mRNA in the hippocampus was detected by Real-time PCR. The expression of BDNF and proBDNF in hippocampus was detected by Western blotting. Matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) were extracellular enzymes that catalyzed the transformation of proBDNF into mature BDNF. Expression of MMP-9 and tPA mRNA in the hippocampus were detected by Real-time PCR. Results Compared with the GH group, the SI group showed significantly reduced discrimination ratio in the novel object recognition test and novel place recognition test. The result of Real-time PCR showed that there was no difference in the expression of BDNF mRNA between SI group and GH group. The result of Western blotting showed that the expression level of proBDNF in the hippocampus of SI group increased significantly compared with the GH group (P<0. 01),and no difference in BDNF expression was found between the two groups; Compared with the GH group, the BDNF/ proBDNF ratio in the hippocampus of SI group decreased. In addition, the result of Real-time PCR showed that the expression level of MMP-9 and tPA mRNA in the hippocampus of SI group decreased significantly compared with the GH group. Conclusion The social isolation-induced cognitive dysfuction in mice may be related to the up-regulation of proBDNF in the hippocampus.

Objective To detect the dynamic expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) in lateral geniculate body (LGB) during the critical period of visual development. Methods Three groups of Kunming mice of different ages were selected for testing, which were 3 weeks old, 5 weeks old and 7 weeks old, twelve in each group. The forepaw-reaching reflex test was used to detect whether the visual function of the mice was normal in each group. Immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expression of IGF2 protein and its receptor in the lateral geniculate body of normal mice at week 3, 5 and 7 postnatal, and to analyze the expression of the protein of IGF2 and its receptor in each part of the lateral geniculate body. Results The expression of IGF2 protein in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus decreased significantly at week 5 postnatal and increased significantly at week 7 postnatal, and increased gradually over time at week 5 and week 7 postnatal in the ventral geniculate nucleus. The expression of IGF2 receptor protein in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and ventral nucleus increased significantly at week 5 postnatal, and at week 7 postnatal, the expression of IGF2 receptor decreased to week 3 level in lateral geniculate body of mice. Conclusion The expression of IGF2 and its receptor in lateral geniculate body of mice during critical period of visual development changed dynamically, and the expression patterns of IGF2 and its receptor in different parts of LGB were not completely consistent. The expression of IGF2 and its receptors may be related to the plasticity of visual development in mice.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province. METHODS: We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α ^3.7/αα (50.23%) and β ^IVS-II-654/β ^N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.
Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Hemoglobinopathies/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing