Preparation of Purified and Inactivated HP-PRRS Vaccine

[Objective] The aim of this study was to improve the purification and protective potency of HP-PRRS inactivated vaccine. [Method] HP-PRRS virus that had been multiplied inside Marc-145 cells was collected and concentrated 50 times and then inactivated. Complete virions were separated and collected by chromatography with Sepharose 4 Fast Flow. Oil adjuvant was added to prepare purified inactivated vaccine. [Result] Viral protein was separated from other proteins by purification and the viral protein contents ranged from 76.7% to 82.4%, and 96% of the expected serum proteins were removed. Protective potency of purified vaccine was above 4/5 and positive conversion rate of antibody was over 86%, both higher than that of unpurified vaccine. The differences were significant. [Conclusion] The experiment il-lustrated that the immune efficacy of vaccine can be enhanced through concentrat- ing and purifying, while the non-viral protein can be removed, so that allergic reaction and stress response cadsed by vaccine inoculation can be avoided.

Dual function of Arabidopsis A TAF1 in abiotic and biotic stress responses

NAC family genes encode plant-specific transcription factors involved in diverse biological processes. In this study, the Arabidopsis NAC gene ATAF1 was found to be induced by drought, high-salinity, abscisic acid （ABA）, methyl jasmonate, mechanical wounding, and Botrytis cinerea infection. Significant induction of ATAF1 was found in an ABA-deficient mutant aba2 subjected to drought or high salinity, revealing an ABA-independent mechanism of expression. Arabidopsis ATAFl-overexpression lines displayed many altered phenotypes, including dwarfism and short primary roots. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicate that ATAF1 is a bonafide regulator modulating plant responses to many abiotic stresses and necrotrophic-pathogen infection. Overexpression of ATAF1 in Arabidopsis increased plant sensitivity to ABA, salt, and oxidative stresses. Especially, ATAF1 overexpression plants, but not mutant lines, showed remarkably enhanced plant tolerance to drought. Additionally, ATAF1 overexpression enhanced plant susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen B. cinerea, but did not alter disease symptoms caused by avirulent or virulent strains of P. syringae pv tomato DC3000. Transgenic plants overexpressing ATAF1 were hypersensitive to oxidative stress, suggesting that reactive oxygen intermediates may be related to ATAFl-mediated signaling in response to both pathogen and abiotic stresses.

Enhanced recovery programme in colorectal surgery:Does one size fit all?

Enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS) employs a multimodal perioperative care pathway with the aim of attenuating the stress response to surgery and accelerating recovery.It has been difficult to determine the relative importance of some of the individual components of these pathways such as epidural analgesia and laparoscopic colorectal surgery.Some argue that only a rigid adherence to the published ERAS protocol can achieve the proposed benefits of fast-track surgery.In this article,we explore some of the areas where the evidence base may be changing and ask whether a more flexible and individualised approach should be considered.

Tissue-specific bioaccumulation and oxidative stress responses in juvenile Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) exposed to mercury

To understand mercury （Hg） toxicity in marine fish, we measured Hg accumulation in juvenile Japanese flounder （Paralichthys olivaceus） and assessed the effects on growth and antioxidant responses. After Hg exposure （control, 5, 40, and 160 gg/L Hg） for 28 d, fish growth was significantly reduced. The accumulation of Hg in fish was dose-dependent and tissue-specific, with the maximum accumulation in kidney and liver, followed by gills, hone, and muscle. Different antioxidants responded differently to Hg exposure to cope with the induction of lipid peroxidation （LPO）, which was also tissue-specific and dose- dependent. As Hg concentration increased, superoxide dismutase （SOD） and catalase （CAT） activities increased significantly, whereas glutathione S-transferase （GST） activity and glutathione （GSH） levels decreased significantly in the gills. SOD and glutathione peroxidase （GPx） activities and the GSH level increased significantly in the liver. SOD activity and GSH levels increased significantly, but CAT activity decreased significantly with an increase in Hg concentration in the kidney. LPO was induced significantly by elevated Hg in the gills and kidney but was least affected in the liver. Therefore, oxidative stress biomarkers in gills were more sensitive than those in the liver and kidney to Hg exposure. Thus, the gills have potential as bioindicators for evaluating Hg toxicity in juvenile flounder.

Endurance exercise and gut microbiota:A review

Background: The physiological and biochemical demands of intense exercise elicit both muscle-based and systemic responses. The main adaptations to endurance exercise include the correction of electrolyte imbalance, a decrease in glycogen storage and the increase of oxidative stress, intestinal permeability, muscle damage, and systemic inflammatory response. Adaptations to exercise might be influenced by the gut microbiota, which plays an important role in the production, storage, and expenditure of energy obtained from the diet as well as in inflammation,redox reactions, and hydration status.Methods: A systematic and comprehensive search of electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Scopus, Clinical Trials.gov, Science Direct,Springer Link, and EMBASE was done. The search process was completed using the keywords: "endurance", "exercise", "immune response","microbiota", "nutrition", and "probiotics".Results: Reviewed literature supports the hypothesis that intestinal microbiota might be able to provide a measureable, effective marker of an athlete's immune function and that microbial composition analysis might also be sensitive enough to detect exercise-induced stress and metabolic disorders. The review also supports the hypothesis that modifying the microbiota through the use of probiotics could be an important therapeutic tool to improve athletes' overall general health, performance, and energy availability while controlling inflammation and redox levels.Conclusion: The present review provides a comprehensive overview of how gut microbiota may have a key role in controlling the oxidative stress and inflammatory responses as well as improving metabolism and energy expenditure during intense exercise.

Exploring valid internal-control genes in Porphyra yezoensis(Bangiaceae) during stress response conditions

To screen the stable expression genes related to the stress （strong light, dehydration and temperature shock） we applied Absolute real-time PCR technology to determine the transcription numbers of the selected test genes in Porphyra yezoensis, which has been regarded as a potential model species responding the stress conditions in the intertidal. Absolute real-time PCR technology was applied to determine the transcription numbers of the selected test genes in Porphyra yezoensis, which has been regarded as a potential model species in stress responding. According to the results of photosynthesis parameters, we observed that Y（II） and Fv/Fm were significantly affected when stress was imposed on the thalli of Porphyra yezoensis, but underwent almost completely recovered under normal conditions, which were collected for the following experiments. Then three samples, which were treated with different grade stresses combined with salinity, irradiation and temperature, were collected. The transcription numbers of seven constitutive expression genes in above samples were determined after RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. Finally, a general insight into the selection of internal control genes during stress response was obtained. We found that there were no obvious effects in terms of salinity stress （at salinity 90） on transcription of most genes used in the study. The 18S ribosomal RNA gene had the highest expression level, varying remarkably among different tested groups. RPS8 expression showed a high irregular variance between samples. GAPDH presented comparatively stable expression and could thus be selected as the internal control. EF-la showed stable expression during the series of multiple-stress tests. Our research provided available references for the selection of internal control genes for transcripts determination of P. yezoensis.

Telomeres:Linking stress and survival,ecology and evolution

Telomeres are protective structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. The loss of telomeres through cell division and oxidative stress is related to cellular aging, organismal growth and disease. In this way, telomeres link molecular and cellular mechanisms with organismal processes, and may explain variation in a number of important life-history traits. Here, we discuss how telomere biology relates to the study of physiological ecology and life history evolution. We emphasize current knowledge on how telomeres may relate to growth, survival and lifespan in natural populations. We finish by examining interest- ing new connections between telomeres and the glucocorticoid stress response. Glucocorticoids are often employed as indices of physiological condition, and there is evidence that the glucocorticoid stress response is adaptive. We suggest that one way that glucocorticoids impact organismal survival is through elevated oxidative stress and telomere loss. Future work needs to establish and explore the link between the glucocorticoid stress response and telomere shortening in natural populations. If a link is found, it provides an explanatory mechanism by which environmental perturbation impacts life history trajectories [Current Zoology 56 （6）： 714-727, 2010].

Oxidative stress responses of submerged macrophyte Vallisneria asiatica to different concentrations of cyanobacteria

In a 10-day aquarium experiment, this investigation examines macrophyte restoration in eutrophic Lake Taihu, the physiological effects of different plant biomass levels and of increasing natural cyanobacterial concentrations on a submerged macrophyte, Vallisneria asiatica. Cyanobacterial stress suppressed the superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity of the plant＇s leaves and induced the catalase （CAT） and peroxidase （POD） activities of its roots. The soluble protein content in V. asiatica decreased with an increase in natural cyanobacterial concentrations, whereas the malonaldehyde （MDA） increased significantly at chlorophyll a （Chl a） concentrations of 222 and 262 μg/L in water. V. asiatica adapted to the stress caused by cyanobacterial concentrations by adjusting its antioxidant defense system to remove the excessive reactive oxygen species when the algal Chl a concentration was 〉109 μg/L. Additionally, high biomass of V. asiatica （2 222 g FW/m^2） can inhibit the reproduction of cyanobacteria more significantly than low biomass （1 111 g FW/m^2）. High biomass of V. asiatica increased the oxidative stress in an individual plant when the initial Chl a concentration in the water reached 222 and 262 μg/L, as expressed by the increased MDA in leaves, compared with low biomass of K asiatica. This provides a basis for controlling cyanobacterial concentrations and V. asiatica biomass for the recovery of V. asiatica in eutrophic Lake Taihu.

Identification of potential internal control genes for real-time PCR analysis during stress response in Pyropia haitanensis

Pyropia haitanensis has prominent stress-resistance characteristics and is endemic to China. Studies into the stress responses in these algae could provide valuable information on the stress-response mechanisms in the intertidal Rhodophyta. Here, the effects of salinity and light intensity on the quantum yield of photosystem II in Py. haitanensis were investigated using pulse-amplitude-modulation fluorometry. Total RNA and genomic DNA of the samples under different stress conditions were isolated. By normalizing to the genomic DNA quantity, the RNA content in each sample was evaluated. The cDNA was synthesized and the expression levels of seven potential internal control genes were evaluated using qRT-PCR method. Then, we used geNorm, a common statistical algorithm, to analyze the qRT-PCR data of seven reference genes. Potential genes that may constantly be expressed under different conditions were selected, and these genes showed stable expression levels in samples under a salinity treatment, while tubulin, glyceraldehyde- 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and actin showed stability in samples stressed by strong light. Based on the results of the pulse amplitude-modulation fluorometry, an absolute quantification was performed to obtain gene copy numbers in certain stress-treated samples. The stably expressed genes as determined by the absolute quantification in certain samples conformed to the results of the geNorm screening. Based on the results of the software analysis and absolute quantification, we proposed that elongation factor 3 and 18S ribosomal RNA could be used as internal control genes when the Py. haitanensis blades were subjected to salinity stress, and that a-tubulin and 18S ribosomal RNA could be used as the internal control genes when the stress was from strong light. In general, our findings provide a convenient reference for the selection of internal control genes when designing experiments related to stress responses in Py. haitanensis.

Saline Stress Response of Plantlets of Common Wheat （Triticum aestivum） and Its Wild Congeners

The aim of this work was to study the reactions of wheat （T. aestivum L.） and its wild congeners under salt stress. Physiological mechanisms that underlie traits for salt tolerance plantlets have been used to test some wheat species and to identify sources of salty tolerance. Stress conditions were founded by means of exposure of the plantlets in NaCI water solution, 1.68% that demonstrably differentiates the samples by growth parameters. Under laboratory conditions the ability of seedlings to bear a significant shortage of water, their ability to accumulate biomass, changing the parameters of linear growth processes and changes in water content in leaves and roots of seedlings under stress was determined. Interest is also the rate of growth of root fibrils in saline conditions. These experiments allowed to provide a comprehensive diagnosis of studied forms of wheat and make an initial opinion on their salt tolerance. Different features of abiotic stress responses of some wheat species at the early stages of development were shown that testifies necessi~ of great number of approaches at selection of genetic material for improvement of modern wheat eultivars. This work is the first phase of research for practical breeding.

Response of Populus x canescens (Populus tremula x alba) to high concentration of NaCl stress

Populus x canescens was cultivated on solid substrate and treated by salt （150 mM NaCl）. The growth parameters including new leaf formation, height increment, diameter at the base increment, fresh and dry mass of leaf, stem, coarse root, and fine root were determined. The nutrient elements in leaves of samples under salt stress and the control, and the chlorophyll fluorescence of plants separated dark and light, initial fluorescence （Fo）, and maximum fluorescence （Fro） were measured. Results showed that 150 mM NaCI treatment resulted in growth reduction of Populus x canescens. Nutrient element contents in the foliage of plants under salt stress were different from that of control. The foliar N-concentrations of plants under salt stress were not affected. Contents of Na under salt stress were 120 times as much as that under control. However, contents of S, K, P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn under salt stress were less than that under control. Salt stress caused damage in the PSII reaction centers, i.e. photo-inhibition couldn＇t be repaired under dark situation. The yield of chlorophyll fluorescence showed that several parameters associated with PSII functions, e.g. Fv/Fo, Fv/Fm were not influenced at the first stage of salt stress treatment. However, after a period of time, PSII functions were significantly inhibited, which led to the decrease of carbon assimilation. These results suggest that salt stress （150 mM NaCl） did not affect photosynthetic chlorophyll fluorescence of Populus x canescens immediately. After four day of salt stress, PSII reaction centres were seriously damaged during photo-inhibition.

Assessment of negative phototaxis in long-term fasted Glyptocidaris crenularis:a new insight into measuring stress responses of sea urchins in aquaculture

A cost-effective method was designed to measure the behavioral response of negative phototaxis to high-intensity illumination in the sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis. Ninety sea urchins were randomly and equally divided into two aquaculture environment groups： a fasted group, which was starved during the experiment, and a fed group. After 10 months, the total mortality of each group was recorded. Then, 15 sea urchins were randomly selected from each group and behavioral responses to high-intensity illumination were investigated for each sea urchin. After the behavioral experiment, body measurements of the trial sea urchins were taken. The results reveal that food deprivation significantly affected test diameter （P〈0.01）, body weight （P〈0.01）, gonad weight （P〈0.0I）, and gut weight （P〈0.01）. Furthermore, food deprivation also affected negative phototaxis behaviors of time to rapid spine movement （P〈0.01）, time to the 1 cm position （P〈0.05）, and walking distance in 300 s （P〈0.01）, but not time to body reaction （P〉0.05）. The mortality rates of fasted and fed urchins were 6.7% and 0%, respectively. The present study provides evidence that food deprivation has a significant effect on phenotypic traits and behavioral responses to high-intensity illumination in the sea urchin G. crenularis. With this method, environmental stressors can be easily detected by measuring proper optional indicators. This study provides a new insight into measuring stress responses of sea urchins in aquaculture. However, further studies should be carried out to understand more environmental factors and to compare this potential behavioral method with immune, physiological, and epidemiological approaches.

Numerically Simulating the Sandwich Plate System Structures

Sandwich plate systems (SPS) are advanced materials that have begun to receive extensive attention in naval architecture and ocean engineering.At present, according to the rules of classification societies, a mixture of shell and solid elements are required to simulate an SPS.Based on the principle of stiffness decomposition, a new numerical simulation method for shell elements was proposed.In accordance with the principle of stiffness decomposition, the total stiffness can be decomposed into the bending stiffness and shear stiffness.Displacement and stress response related to bending stiffness was calculated with the laminated shell element.Displacement and stress response due to shear was calculated by use of a computational code write by FORTRAN language.Then the total displacement and stress response for the SPS was obtained by adding together these two parts of total displacement and stress.Finally, a rectangular SPS plate and a double-bottom structure were used for a simulation.The results show that the deflection simulated by the elements proposed in the paper is larger than the same simulated by solid elements and the analytical solution according to Hoff theory and approximate to the same simulated by the mixture of shell-solid elements, and the stress simulated by the elements proposed in the paper is approximate to the other simulating methods.So compared with calculations based on a mixture of shell and solid elements, the numerical simulation method given in the paper is more efficient and easier to do.

The Roots of Psychological Trauma and Post-TraumaticStress Reaction/Disorders and the Intervention

Psychological trauma refers to the catastrophic or traumatic events harmful to individuals＇ inner world. Strong emotional and psychological reaction caused by traumatic factors will form psychological shadows, and the improper coping of these events will lead to a post-traumatic stress disorder. In this paper, the author makes an exploration on the roots of psychological trauma and of post-traumatic stress reaction or disorders, which were caused by natural traumatic event, such as floods, snowstorms, earthquakes and other man-made factors such as wars, accidents from a psychological point of view. Finally, some suggestions of intervention are provided for the relevant departments to make relevant rebuilding policies.

TCD study of hemodynamic changes in PCA response to photic stimulation

Objectives: During visual stimulation, the elevated metabolism rate will coupl e with increase of blood flow velocity(BFV) in posterior cerebral artery(PCA). T his study with TCD was aimed to investigate whether the coupling might change ac cording to the different vasoneuronal conditions. Methods: Ninety-nine voluntee r s including 24 hypertension(HT) patients and 2 patients suffering from both HT a nd diabetes mellitus(DM) were enrolled in this trial. BFV and pulse indexes(PI) in P2 segments of PCA on both sides were monitored during visual stimulation. Re sults: In all subjects, Mean BFV increased and PI went down in response to visua l stimulation. The percentages of changes (ΔV and ΔP) of both mean BFV and PI we re larger in young group(<55 years old) than in old one(≥55 years old). There w a s significant positive correlation between ΔV and ΔP. Multivariated re gression a nalysis did not show HT and DM, but age related to ΔV(ΔP). We did not find signi ficant difference of ΔV(ΔP) between left and right sides. Conclusions: Blood flo w velocity in PCA P2 segment increased due to decreased cerebrovascular resistan ce during visual stimulation and the response weakened with aging of the patient .

p28^GANK inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cell death via enhancement of the endoplasmic reticulum adaptive capacity

It has been shown that oncoprotein p28GANK, which is consistently overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）, plays a critical role in tumorigenesis of HCC. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that p28GANK inhibits apoptosis in HCC cells induced by the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress. During ER stress, p28GANK enhances the unfolded protein response, promotes ER recovery from translational repression, and thereby facilitates cell＇s ability to cope with the stress conditions. Furthermore, p28GANK upregulates glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）, a key ER chaperone protein, which subsequently enhances the ER folding capacity and promotes recovery from ER stress. We also demonstrated that p28GANK increases p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt phosphorylation, and inhibits nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） activation under ER stress, which in turn contributes to GRP78 upregulation. Taken together, our results indicate that p28GANK inhibits ER stress-induced apoptosis in HCC cells, at least in part, by enhancing the adaptive response and GRP78 expression. We propose that p28GANK has potential implications for HCC progression under the ER stress conditions.

Regulation of applied-hormones on tension wood formation in Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. var.japonica Maxim. seedlings gravitational response

We investigated the role of GA3, uniconazole-P and IAA on tension wood formation, in particular the vessel features, in Fraxinu smandshurica seedlings. Ninety seedlings were used and treated with applications of GA3 and/or IAA to the apical bud of the stem using a micropipette. Applications of GA3 or GA3 plus IAA with uniconazole-P strongly increased cell number of tension wood in comparison to that of no-uniconazole-P-applied, indicated that GA3 is more efficient than IAA on xylem cell production. Wood quality was also regulated by relative concentration ratio of GA3 to lAA, because of the vessel elements differentiation, density and size were controlled by GA3 and/or IAA on the different levels. These results suggested that the relative concentration ratio of GA3 to IAA and interactions of them are essential in regulating both wood quality and wood quantity, and tension wood formation in this species.

Suppression of angiotensin Ⅱ stimulated responses in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells of experimental cirrhotic rats

Functional responses to angiotensin Ⅱ (AT-Ⅱ) were determined in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from experimental cirrhotic rats. Our data showed that AT-Ⅱ-stimulated extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), which was measured by Cytosensor microphysiometry, was significantly reduced in the aortic VSMCs from the cirrhotic rats as compared to those from the control animals. The ability of AT-Ⅱ to promote formation of inositol phosphates, the second messenger produced by the activation of Gq-coupled receptors, was also considerably suppressed in the cirrhotic VSMCs. Furthermore, the maximal p42/44 MAPK phosphorylation stimulated by AT-Ⅱ was significantly reduced in the cirrhotic VSMCs in contrast to that in the normal VSMCs. Taken together, our data clearly demonstrated that the functional responses to AT-Ⅱ was severely suppressed in aortic VSMCs in cirrhosis, indicating the impairment of general Gq-coupled receptor signaling and subsequent biological function in the cirrhotic VSMCs.

Wuling powder alleviates depressive-like behavior by attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress in the mouse hippocampus

The response to endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress has been noted in both human depression cases and depression models in rodents.Wuling powder,derived from the mycelium of the esteemed fungus Xylaria Nigripes(Kl.)Sacc,has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms.The purpose of this research was to explore the antidepressant properties of Wuling powder and its basic molecular effects,particularly regarding alterations in ER stress.A model of social defeat stress was created by introducing a mouse to the cage of an unfamiliar,hostile mouse for intervals of 5–10 min daily over a span of 10 d.Subsequently,the mice received oral doses of Wuling powder for 2 weeks.The social approach-avoidance assay was employed to evaluate signs of depression-like behaviors.Moreover,protein and gene expressions linked to ER stress triggered by social defeat were analyzed through Western blotting analysis and quantitative real-time PCR.The behavioral tests indicated that Wuling powder ameliorated behaviors associated with depression due to social defeat stress.Treatment with Wuling powder markedly reduced the increased levels of the 78-k Da glucose-regulated protein and protein disulfide isomerase caused by social defeat stress.It also diminished the expression of inositol-requiring enzyme 1α(IRE1α)and spliced X box-binding protein-1(s XBP1)at the protein and m RNA levels.Furthermore,Wuling treatment notably decreased the levels of phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinase(P-e IF2α),activating transcription factor 4(ATF4)and C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP),simultaneously enhancing the ratio of B-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2)to Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax).These results suggested that Wuling powder could alleviate ER stress and inhibit cell apoptosis in the hippocampus by inhibiting protein translation and synthesis,thereby attenuating depressive-like behavior.