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The efficacy of neurotherapeutic drugs hinges on their ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier and access the brain, which is crucial for treating or alleviating neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Given the absence of definitive cures for NDs, early diagnosis and intervention become paramount in impeding disease progression. However, conventional therapeutic drugs and existing diagnostic approaches must meet clinical demands. Consequently, there is a pressing need to advance drug delivery systems and early diagnostic methods tailored for NDs. Certain aptamers endowed with specific functionalities find widespread utility in the targeted therapy and diagnosis of NDs. DNA nanoflowers (DNFs), distinctive flower-shaped DNA nanomaterials, are intricately self-assembled through rolling ring amplification (RCA) of circular DNA templates. Notably, imbuing DNFs with diverse functionalities becomes seamlessly achievable by integrating aptamer sequences with specific functions into RCA templates, resulting in a novel nanomaterial, aptamer-bound DNFs (ADNFs) that amalgamates the advantageous features of both components. This article delves into the characteristics and applications of aptamers and DNFs, exploring the potential or application of ADNFs in drug-targeted delivery, direct treatment, early diagnosis, etc. The objective is to offer prospective ideas for the clinical treatment or diagnosis of NDs, thereby contributing to the ongoing efforts in this critical field., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of momentary intervention on the willingness and actual uptake of influenza vaccination among the elderly in China., Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed the willingness of the elderly to receive influenza vaccination, and an momentary intervention aimed to increase vaccination willingness among those initially unwilling. The elderly reporting a willingness were offered free influenza vaccination through a community intervention program., Results: A total of 3138 participants were recruited in this study, and 61.3 % (95 % CI 59.6 %-63.0 %) were willing to receive influenza vaccination at baseline. The willingness rate of influenza vaccination increased to 79.8 % (95 % CI 78.4 %-81.2 %), with an increase of 18.5 % (95 % CI 16.3 %-20.7 %) after momentary intervention. The influenza vaccination rate was 40.4 % (95 % CI 38.5 %-42.3 %) before and 53.9 % (95 % CI 52.0 %-55.8 %) after momentary intervention with an increase of 13.5 % (95 % CI 10.9 %-16.2 %). There was no significant difference in influenza vaccination rates between the initially willing people and those who changed to be willing to receive influenza vaccination after momentary intervention (vaccination rates: 78.0 % vs. 81.3 %)., Conclusion: Momentary intervention has been shown to effectively enhance the willingness of the elderly to receive influenza vaccination, thereby facilitating the translation of this intention into actual behavior., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The study evaluated the protective effect of 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (PCV13) against all-cause hospitalized pneumonia in children in Beijing., Methods: Based on the vaccination record and inpatient medical record database of Beijing, children born in 2017 in Beijing, matched by age, gender, and district of the children with the ratio of 1:4, were selected as the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups according whether if vaccinated with PCV13. The incidence rate and 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI), vaccine effectiveness (VE) and direct medical costs of all-cause hospitalized pneumonia were calculated and compared within the same period of 12 months, 18 months, 24 months and 30 months after the birth of the child., Results: The decreased incidence rates of all-cause hospitalized pneumonia were observed at the four points in the PCV13 vaccinated group compared to the unvaccinated group, which were significant at the points of 12 months (0.42 % vs. 0.72 %, P = 0.001), 18 months (0.90 % vs. 1.26 %, P = 0.002) and 24 months (1.37 % vs. 1.65 %, P = 0.046). The VE of PCV13 against all-cause hospitalized pneumonia within 12 months was the highest as 41.9 % (95 % CI 19.6 %, 58.0 %), followed by 29.3 % (95 % CI 11.4 %, 43.5 %) within 18 months, 17.1 % (95 % CI 0.3 %, 31.1 %) within 24 months and it almost disappeared within 30 months. The VE of 4-dose vaccination within 18 months and 24 months were 39.9 % (95 % CI 20.3 %, 54.7 %) and 27.2 % (95 % CI 8.6 %, 42.0 %), respectively. The median hospitalization cost of the children in the vaccinated group was higher at the four points but without significance., Conclusions: PCV13 had a certain protective effect on all-cause hospitalized pneumonia, and the booster immunization strategy had the best protective effect with great public health significance to enter the immunization program., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Global COVID Vaccine Safety (GCoVS) Project, established in 2021 under the multinational Global Vaccine Data Network™ (GVDN®), facilitates comprehensive assessment of vaccine safety. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of adverse events of special interest (AESI) following COVID-19 vaccination from 10 sites across eight countries., Methods: Using a common protocol, this observational cohort study compared observed with expected rates of 13 selected AESI across neurological, haematological, and cardiac outcomes. Expected rates were obtained by participating sites using pre-COVID-19 vaccination healthcare data stratified by age and sex. Observed rates were reported from the same healthcare datasets since COVID-19 vaccination program rollout. AESI occurring up to 42 days following vaccination with mRNA (BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273) and adenovirus-vector (ChAdOx1) vaccines were included in the primary analysis. Risks were assessed using observed versus expected (OE) ratios with 95 % confidence intervals. Prioritised potential safety signals were those with lower bound of the 95 % confidence interval (LBCI) greater than 1.5., Results: Participants included 99,068,901 vaccinated individuals. In total, 183,559,462 doses of BNT162b2, 36,178,442 doses of mRNA-1273, and 23,093,399 doses of ChAdOx1 were administered across participating sites in the study period. Risk periods following homologous vaccination schedules contributed 23,168,335 person-years of follow-up. OE ratios with LBCI > 1.5 were observed for Guillain-Barré syndrome (2.49, 95 % CI: 2.15, 2.87) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (3.23, 95 % CI: 2.51, 4.09) following the first dose of ChAdOx1 vaccine. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis showed an OE ratio of 3.78 (95 % CI: 1.52, 7.78) following the first dose of mRNA-1273 vaccine. The OE ratios for myocarditis and pericarditis following BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 were significantly increased with LBCIs > 1.5., Conclusion: This multi-country analysis confirmed pre-established safety signals for myocarditis, pericarditis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Other potential safety signals that require further investigation were identified., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jeffrey C. Kwong reports financial support was provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Naveed Z. Janjua reports financial support was provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anders Hviid reports financial support was provided by Global Vaccine Data Network. Helen Petousis-Harris reports financial support was provided by New Zealand Ministry of Health. Steven Black reports a relationship with GSK that includes: consulting or advisory. Jeffrey C. Kwong reports a relationship with Canadian Institutes of Health Research that includes: funding grants. Jeffrey C. Kwong reports a relationship with Public Health Agency of Canada that includes: funding grants. Naveed Z. Janjua reports a relationship with AbbVie Inc that includes: consulting or advisory and speaking and lecture fees. Naveed Z. Janjua reports a relationship with Gilead Sciences Inc that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Anders Hviid reports a relationship with Independent Research Fund Denmark that includes: funding grants. Anders Hviid reports a relationship with Lundbeck Foundation that includes: funding grants. Anders Hviid reports a relationship with Novo Nordisk Foundation that includes: funding grants. Anders Hviid reports a relationship with VAC4EU that includes: consulting or advisory. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) conducts Public-Private Partnership with vaccine manufacturers and has received research funding from Sanofi Inc. Petteri Hovi has been an investigator in these studies, but has received no personal remuneration. Helen Petousis-Harris has served on expert advisory boards and had speaking engagements for Pfizer and GSK. She has also received research funding from GSK. She has not received any personal honoraria. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Guided wave (GW)-based techniques have been extensively investigated and applied in material characterization, damage detection, and structural health monitoring. A comprehensive understanding of GW is the cornerstone for the development of such techniques. Based on the semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method, an open-source dispersion calculator of GW propagating in acoustoelastic and complex waveguides with both isotropic and anisotropic material properties is developed. First, by assuming the simple harmonic motion along the propagation direction and discretizing along the thickness direction, 1D-GLL-SAFE (one-dimensional Gauss-Lobatto-Legendre SAFE) is adopted for the solution of GW in plate waveguide, which is attributed to its superior performance in terms of computational accuracy and efficiency. Different theories on acoustoelasticity are adopted to calculate GWs under loading. Then 2D-Gauss-SAFE (two-dimensional Gauss SAFE) with triangular meshes filling the cross section is adopted for GW in general waveguides considering the ease of convenience in meshing. Finally, based on the 1D-GLL-SAFE and 2D-Gauss-SAFE algorithms, an open-source tool SAFEDC (SAFE-based dispersion calculator) is developed, which not only provides the solution of GW in pre-stressed isotropic waveguide and general cross section, but also extends to GW in laminates with arbitrary layer stacking configurations and hybrid stacking including multiple materials. Most of the GW features, including phase velocity, group velocity, wave number, wave structure in terms of displacement, stress, and strain, and animation of wave propagation are all offered in SAFEDC, which helps the researchers and engineers to understand and utilize GW., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondria are vital for energy production and redox homeostasis, yet knowledge of relevant mechanisms remains limited. Here, through a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screening, we have identified DMT1 as a major regulator of mitochondria membrane potential. Our findings demonstrate that DMT1 deficiency increases the activity of mitochondrial complex I and reduces that of complex III. Enhanced complex I activity leads to increased NAD + production, which activates IDH2 by promoting its deacetylation via SIRT3. This results in higher levels of NADPH and GSH, which improve antioxidant capacity during Erastin-induced ferroptosis. Meanwhile, loss of complex III activity impairs mitochondrial biogenesis and promotes mitophagy, contributing to suppression of ferroptosis. Thus, DMT1 differentially regulates activities of mitochondrial complex I and III to cooperatly suppress Erastin-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, NMN, an alternative method of increasing mitochondrial NAD + , exhibits similar protective effects against ferroptosis by boosting GSH in a manner similar to DMT1 deficiency, shedding a light on potential therapeutic strategy for ferroptosis-related pathologies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rhizosphere-enriched microbes induced by foliar phytopathogen infection can be assembled into a functional community to enhance plant defense mechanisms. However, the functions of stably-colonizing rhizosphere microbiota are rarely investigated. In this study, Botrytis cinerea infection changed rhizosphere bacterial communities in tomato plants. The phytopathogen-infected plants recruited specific rhizosphere bacterial taxa, while several bacterial taxa stably colonized the rhizosphere, regardless of phytopathogen infection. Through the analysis of the rhizosphere bacterial community, we established a synthetic community harboring 8 phytopathogen-inducible and 30 stably-colonizing bacteria species. Furthermore, the 38-species community was simplified into a three-species community, consisting of one phytopathogen-inducible (Asticcacaulis sp.) and two stably-colonizing species (Arachidicoccus sp. And Phenylobacterium sp.). The simplified community provided a durable protection for the host plants by synergistic effects, with the phytopathogen-inducible species triggering plant defense responses and the stably-colonizing species promoting biofilm formation. The simplified community exhibited similar protective effects as the 38-species community. Moreover, the activation of oxylipin pathways in the phytopathogen-infected leaves was significantly intensified by the simplified community. However, the inhibited biosynthesis of antimicrobial divinyl ethers, including colneleic and colnelenic acid, fully abolished the community-induced plant disease resistance. In contrast, transgenic plants overexpressing SlLOX5 and SlDES1, with higher levels of divinyl ethers, displayed stronger resistance against B. cinerea compared to wild-type plants. Collectively, these findings provided insights into the utilization of the simplified community for preventing gray mold disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway plays a critical role in viral infection in host cells. In addition to triggering immune reactions against pathogens, the JNK signaling pathway has also been found to benefit viral infection. Our previous work showed that JNK activation facilitated rice stripe virus (RSV) accumulation in the insect vector small brown planthopper, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we revealed a link between JNK activation and the transcriptional upregulation of the plasma membrane protein flotillin 2, which mediates RSV cell entry. c-Jun, a downstream substrate of JNKs, was identified as a transcription factor that targets the promoter of flotillin 2 at three binding sites. Phosphorylated c-Jun, especially at the serine 63 site, promoted the transcriptional activity of c-Jun on flotillin 2. JNK activation or inhibition affected c-Jun phosphorylation status and flotillin 2 expression. In the midguts of planthoppers, RSV infection significantly increased flotillin 2 expression and the phosphorylation level of JNKs and c-Jun. Manipulation of JNK status impacted viral acquisition in midgut cells. These findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of the JNK signaling pathway and shed light on the virus-supportive effect of this pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The safety and immunogenicity of the coadministration of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV), quadrivalent split-virion inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV4), and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) in adults in China is unknown., Methods: In this open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial, participants aged ≥ 18 years were recruited from the community. Individuals were eligible if they had no history of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine or any pneumonia vaccine and had not received an influenza vaccine during the 2020-21 influenza season. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1), using block randomization stratified, to either: SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and IIV4 followed by SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and PPV23 (SARS-CoV-2 + IIV4/PPV23 group); two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (SARS-CoV-2 vaccine group); or IIV4 followed by PPV23 (IIV4/PPV23 group). Vaccines were administered 28 days apart, with blood samples taken on day 0 and day 28 before vaccination, and on day 56., Results: Between March 10 and March 15, 2021, 1152 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to three groups (384 per group). 1132 participants were included in the per-protocol population (375 in the SARS-CoV-2 + IIV4/PPV23 group, 380 in the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine group, and 377 in the IIV4/PPV23 group). The seroconversion rate (100 % vs 100 %) and GMT (159.13 vs 173.20; GMT ratio of 0.92 [95 % CI 0.83 to 1.02]) of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies in the SARS-CoV-2 + IIV4/PPV23 group was not inferior to those in the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine group. The SARS-CoV-2 + IIV4/PPV23 group was not inferior to the IIV4/PPV23 group in terms of seroconversion rates and GMT of influenza virus antibodies for all strains except for the seroconversion rate for the B/Yamagata strain. The SARS-CoV-2 + IIV4/PPV23 group was not inferior to the IIV4/PPV23 group regarding seroconversion rates and GMC of Streptococcus pneumoniae IgG antibodies specific to all serotypes. All vaccines were well tolerated., Conclusions: The coadministration of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and IIV4/PPV23 is safe with satisfactory immunogenicity. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04790851., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Xiaoming Yang is the employee of the China National Biotec Group, receives the grant from National Program on Key Research Project of China (2020YFC0842100) during the conduct of the study, and has four authorized patents of ZL202010559132.3, ZL202010645875.2, ZL202010537733.4 and ZL202010537730.0. Yuntao Zhang is the employee of the China National Biotec Group, receives the grant from The National Key Research and Development Project of China (2020YFC0842100) during the conduct of the study. Hui Wang is the employee of the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, receives the grants from The National Key Research and Development Project of China (2020YFC0842100) and the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (Z201100005420014) during the conduct of the study and has three authorized patents of ZL202010645875.2, ZL202010537733.4 and ZL202010537730.0, two pending patents of 202110052921.2 and 202110052933.5. Rui Ma is the employee of the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, receives the grant from The National Key Research and Development Project of China (2020YFC0842100) during the conduct of the study. Haiping Chen, Yanhui Xiao, Shasha Han, Min Zhang, Shengyi Wang and Linyun Luo are the employees of the China National Biotec Group. Yonghong Ge and Lei Zhang are the employees of the Chengdu Institute of Biological Products. Yong Zou and Xue Guo are the employees of the Changchun Institute of Biological Products. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Formononetin is an isoflavone compound found in many traditional Chinese medicines that has a wide range of pharmacological activities. It is critical to develop a sensitive, accurate, and rapid determination method for in-depth formononetin research. A molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor was constructed in this study. After the flexible electrode (ITO-PET) was modified with nitrogen-doped graphene (NG), the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was electropolymerized on the surface using o-phenylenediamine (OPD) as the functional monomer and formononetin as the template. Under optimized experimental conditions, the MIP sensor detected formononetin selectively in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) with the linear range of 3 ~ 120 μM, a detection limit as low as 1.14 μM (S/N = 3), and good anti-interference ability and reproducibility. The analytical performance of the proposed MIP/NG/ITO-PET was evaluated for the detection of formononetin in real samples such as methanol extract of Radix Astragali and mouse plasma with good accuracy and precision., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: We declare no competing interests.

Objective: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global public health challenge. Patients with diabetes are at greater risk of HBV infection than healthy people. The immunogenicity and safety of two major hepatitis B vaccines were evaluated in Chinese patients with diabetes., Methods: In this phase IV, open-label, randomized, controlled study, participants with diabetes were randomly recruited from 6 townshiphealthcenters in Gansu Province and received either a 3-dose Saccharomyces cerevisiae recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Group D20SC 0-1-6, n = 113) or a 3-dose Chinese hamster ovary cell (CHO) recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Group D20CHO 0-1-6, n = 119). Healthy control groups were randomly recruited from the same 6 health centers and received 3 doses of the saccharomyces cerevisiae recombinant hepatitis B vaccine (Group ND20SC 0-1-6, n = 77). Immunogenicity, including seroconversion rate and geometric mean concentration (GMC) at 1 month after three doses of vaccination, and safety were assessed. The seroconversion rate was defined as the concentration of HBsAb ≥ 10 mIU/mL., Results: The seroconversion rates of Group D20SC 0-1-6, Group D20CHO 0-1-6 and Group ND20SC 0-1-6 were 89.6%, 91.4% and 97.1%, respectively, in the per-protocol analysis, and these differences were not statistically significant. The antibody concentration in Group D20SC 0-1-6 (GMC = 601 mIU/mL) was lower than that of the healthy control group (GMC = 1465 mIU/mL), but no significant difference was found in the GMC between the Group D20CHO 0-1-6 (GMC = 778 mIU/mL) and Group D20SC 0-1-6. Adverse events (AEs) were comparable between groups, and no serious AEs were found in these three groups., Conclusions: The Saccharomyces cerevisiae recombinant and CHO recombinant hepatitis B vaccines in China can induce good immunogenicity in a diabetic population, although the antibody concentration may be lower, indicating the feasibility of vaccinating a large number of diabetic patients in China with these vaccines., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become an important public health solution. To date, there has been a lack of data on COVID-19 vaccination willingness, vaccine hesitancy, and vaccination coverage in China since the vaccine has become available., Methods: We designed and implemented a cross-sectional, population-based online survey to evaluate the willingness, hesitancy, and coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine among the Chinese population. 8742 valid samples were recruited and classified as the vaccine-priority group (n = 3902; 44.6%) and the non-priority group (n = 4840; 55.4%)., Results: The proportion of people's trust in the vaccine, delivery system, and government were 69.0%, 78.0% and 81.3%, respectively. 67.1% of the participants were reportedly willing to accept the COVID-19 vaccination, while 9.0% refused it. 834 (35.5%) reported vaccine hesitancy, including acceptors with doubts (48.8%), refusers (39.4%), and delayers (11.8%). The current coverage was 34.4%, far from reaching the requirements of herd immunity. The predicted rate of COVID-19 vaccination was 64.9%, 68.9% and 81.1% based on the rates of vaccine hesitancy, willingness, and refusal, respectively., Conclusions: The COVID-19 vaccine rate is far from reaching the requirements of herd immunity, which will require more flexible and comprehensive efforts to improve the population's confidence and willingness to vaccinate. It should be highlighted that vaccination alone is insufficient to stop the pandemic; further efforts are needed not only to increase vaccination coverage but also to maintain non-specific prevention strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of plant steroid hormones that regulate many important agronomic traits. Studies on the functional mechanisms of BR-related genes in crop plants are necessary for the application of BRs in agriculture. In this study, ZmD11, an ortholog of rice DWARF11 (D11), and 42 other BR biosynthesis-related genes were identified in maize (Zea mays). Complementary experiments confirmed that ZmD11 completely rescued the abnormal panicle architecture and plant height of the rice cpb1 mutant. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that ZmD11-like proteins were found in other monocots and dicots, but not in lower plants and that alternative splicing variants of these homologues mainly exist in Triticeae crops. A subcellular localization analysis showed that ZmD11 localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. The ZmD11 gene was predominantly expressed in young ears and seeds from 10 to 16 days after pollination, especially in the scutellar aleurone layer and pericarp. Furthermore, the constitutive expression of the ZmD11 gene significantly increased seed length, seed area, seed weight and both seed starch and protein contents in rice and maize. Our results suggest that ZmD11 is a key gene in the regulation of seed size and quality and that it has a potential application value in the molecular breeding of crops., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Puerarin, an important isoflavone, has been widely used for the treatment of angina and hypertension. In this work, we developed a novel electrochemical sensor for the detection of puerarin based on the hybrid of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). The RGO/MIP sensor functions by target puerarin recognition and electro-oxidization via a two-proton and two-electron process, enabling the detection of puerarin with good selectivity and high sensitivity. The MIP layer was integrated on the surface of RGO by the electro-co-polymerization of o-phenylenediamine (monomer) and puerarin (template), resulting in high surface area, binding capacity, good conductivity and faster mass transfer. The nanostructure of the RGO/MIP hybrid was demonstrated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Experimental conditions involved in the sensor fabrication process were evaluated. Under the optimized condition, a wide linear range (0.02 μM ∼ 40 μM) and a low detection limit (0.006 μM) were achieved. The sensor was applied to detect puerarin in human urine and injection samples, and the result was comparable with that of the gold standard method of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), indicating a promise in the further application to pharmacokinetics or therapeutic drug monitoring., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Adhesive bonded joints are frequently adopted in structural applications. The adhesive aging, low quality of surface preparation, as well as the exposure to external harsh environment and loading, may degrade the quality of adhesive, leading to disbond and decrease of the interfacial strength of the bonded joints. This study addresses both numerical and experimental investigations of ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) propagating in adhesive bonded metallic waveguide, whereby disbond detection is realized based on variation of the wave arrival time of UGW. First the dispersion curves of UGWs in both intact (bonded) and disbonded joints are obtained via the Semi-Analytical Finite Element (SAFE) method, and are grouped into mode pairs of phase velocity match and mis-match, respectively. Then a model combining SAFE and Frequency Domain Finite Element (SAFE-FDFE) is developed to enable excitation of any UGW of desired single mode-frequency combination and analysis of the wave interaction with disbond. The obtained results indicate that the UGW Mode 2 generated at the low frequency range of the mis-matched group shows a good sensitivity to disbond, featuring variation of the wave arrival time induced by mode conversion. Finally, Time Domain Finite Element and a proof-of-concept experiment, with comb transducers to act as both in situ actuators and sensors made of PVDF sheets embedded into the adhesive layer, well validate the results obtained via SAFE-FDFE. The selected mode-frequency combination Mode 2 at 0.52 MHz for wave time-of-arrival-based disbond detection, compared with conventional signal-amplitude-based disbond indicator using high frequency UGWs (~several MHz), merits the advantages of better controllability of wave excitation, less wave attenuation, and higher robustness., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cystic echinococcosis is a chronic and complex zoonotic disease. The mechanisms underlying the parasite's establishment, growth and persistence are not completely understood, and are thought be modulated by a crosstalk through extracellular vesicles. Here, EVs were isolated from the hydatid cyst fluid of patients with cystic echinococcosis and protoscolex culture supernatant. Proteomic analysis of these EVs revealed several parasite- and human-derived proteins. Very few studies have performed proteomic analysis of EVs isolated from HCF and PCS. Our proteomic analysis of the EVs derived from HCF and PCS facilitated identification of 1175 proteins, wherein 1026 and 38 proteins were exclusively identified in the EVs derived from HCF (HCF-EVs) and PCS (PCS-EVs), respectively, and 111 proteins were shared in both. The results of co-culture of PCS-EVs with murine peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed that PCS-EVs significantly regulated T lymphocyte functions in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, our results provide valuable information on parasite survival strategies and new insights into the role of these EVs in the establishment and persistence of hydatid cysts., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: A vaccine manufacturer in China and regulatory authorities have been the focus of widespread outrage due to a vaccine scandal. We conducted a rapid survey during a time of intense mainstream and social media attention to determine whether the public's confidence in vaccines was affected., Methods: We selected 7 cities that were not involved in the scandal as the setting for the survey, which was conducted in August 2018. We used a convenience sampling strategy to select subjects in urban streets and rural villages for a face-to-face questionnaire-based survey. Subjects were asked to describe their levels of confidence on a scale from 0 to 9, in which 0 means no confidence, and 9 means very confident. Respondents were asked to assess confidence for two points in time - recollection of their level of confidence before hearing about the scandal and their level of confidence at the time of the survey., Results: In total, 683 individuals were invited to participate and 591 questionnaires were completed, for a response rate of 86.5%. Among respondents, 86.80% had heard of the vaccine scandal. The most common channel for hearing about the scandal was social media (e.g., WeChat), 40.6% of respondents. Regardless of gender, age, education level, province, town or country, or having children under 15 years old, respondents reported a significant decrease in confidence in domestically-produced vaccines. The mean pre-scandal confidence level recalled by respondents was 6.7, and the mean confidence level at the time of the survey was 3.2. Confidence in vaccine manufacturers, institutes for drug control, and drug supervision authorities decreased from 5.6 to 6.0 before the vaccine scandal to 2.0-3.2 at the time of the survey. Confidence in vaccine manufacturers decreased the most, from 5.6 before the scandal to 2.0; confidence in institutes for drug control decreased from 5.8 before the scandal to 2.6 at the time of the survey., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that public confidence was significantly affected by the vaccine scandal, particularly for vaccine producers and drug regulators. The decline in confidence is a reminder to governments that in order to build public confidence for vaccination, regulators have to reform regulatory practices and manufacturers have to ensure vaccine quality., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The present study investigated how pain appraisals from other individuals modulated self-pain anticipation and perception. Appraisals of pain intensity from 10 other individuals were presented before the participants received identical electrical pain stimulation themselves. In reality, the presented other's pain appraisals, with either low or high in mean and variance, were generated by the experimenter, and were randomly paired with the subsequent electrical stimulation at either low or high intensity. Specifically, the mean and variance of others' pain appraisals were manipulated to induce participants' expectation and certainty to the upcoming pain. Subjective ratings of pain intensity and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to the electrical stimulation, as well as anticipatory EEG activities measured prior to the onset of electrical stimulation, were compared. Results showed that the mean and variance of others' pain appraisal modulated the subjective pain ratings and the affective-motivational P2 responses elicited by the electrical stimulation, as well as anticipatory sensorimotor α-oscillation measured before the onset of pain stimulation. When the mean of others' pain appraisal was low, higher variance suppressed the sensorimotor α-oscillations and enhanced subsequent pain perception. In contrast, when the mean was high, the higher variance enhanced sensorimotor α-oscillations and suppressed subsequent pain perception. These results demonstrated that others' pain appraisals can modulate both of the anticipation and perception of first-hand pain. It also suggested that the top-down modulation of others' pain appraisals on pain perception could be partially driven by the different brain states during the anticipation stage, as captured by the prestimulus sensorimotor α-oscillations., (Copyright © 2019 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key signalling intermediates in plant metabolism, defence, and stress adaptation. In plants, both the chloroplast and mitochondria are centres of metabolic control and ROS production, which coordinate stress responses in other cell compartments. The herbicide and experimental tool, methyl viologen (MV) induces ROS generation in the chloroplast under illumination, but is also toxic in non-photosynthetic organisms. We used MV to probe plant ROS signalling in compartments other than the chloroplast. Taking a genetic approach in the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), we used natural variation, QTL mapping, and mutant studies with MV in the light, but also under dark conditions, when the chloroplast electron transport is inactive. These studies revealed a light-independent MV-induced ROS-signalling pathway, suggesting mitochondrial involvement. Mitochondrial Mn SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE was required for ROS-tolerance and the effect of MV was enhanced by exogenous sugar, providing further evidence for the role of mitochondria. Mutant and hormone feeding assays revealed roles for stress hormones in organellar ROS-responses. The radical-induced cell death1 mutant, which is tolerant to MV-induced ROS and exhibits altered mitochondrial signalling, was used to probe interactions between organelles. Our studies suggest that mitochondria are involved in the response to ROS induced by MV in plants., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has been introduced as a less invasive approach to the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA). However, the effectiveness of TEVAR in the treatment of TAA is often limited due to the complex anatomy of aortic arch. Flow preservation at the three supra-aortic branches further increases the overall technical difficulty. This study proposes a novel stent graft design with slit perforations that can positively alter the hemodynamics at the aortic arch while maintaining blood flow to supra-aortic branches. We carried out a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis to evaluate flow characteristics near stented aortic arch in simplified TAA models, followed by in-vitro experiments using particle image velocimetry (PIV) in a mock circulatory loop. The hemodynamics result was studied in terms of time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillating shear index (OSI), and endothelial cell action potential (ECAP). The results showed that the stent graft with slit perforations can reduce the disturbed flow region considerably. Furthermore, the effect of the slits on flow preservation to the supra-aortic branches was simulated and compared with experimental results. The effectiveness of the stent graft with slit perforations in preserving flow to the branches was demonstrated by both simulated and experimental results. Low TAWSS and elevated ECAP were observed in the aortic arch aneurysm after the placement of the stent graft with slits, implying the potential of thrombus formation in the aneurysm. On the other hand, the effects of the stent grafts with full-slit design and half-slit design on the shear stress did not differ significantly. The present analysis indicated that not only could the stent graft with slit perforations shield the aneurysm from rupture, but also it resulted in a favorable environment for thrombus that can contribute to the shrinkage of the aneurysm., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The current study investigated nucleotide variability and phylogeny in high-risk HPV45 collected from Chinese women. Fifty-one samples positive for single infections of HPV45 were collected for DNA extraction and HPV typing. The E6 and E7 genes of HPV45 were sequenced, and then the phylogenetic tree was reconstructed by the maximum likelihood method implemented in IQ-TREE under the HKY nucleotide substitution model. The selection pressures of the E6 and E7 genes were estimated using PAML software. Eleven nucleotide polymorphism sites were observed in the HPV45 E6 sequences, with 6 synonymous (C134T, T163C, A284C, T341C, T482C, A497G) and 5 non-synonymous (A124C, C157T, T162A, G259T, G487A) mutations. Six nucleotide polymorphism sites were observed in the E7 sequences, with 5 non-synonymous (G600A, A603C, A769C, G808T, G832T) and 1 synonymous (A718C) mutation. Our investigation suggests that B2 was the most frequent HPV45 sublineage in Southwest China, followed by A2; no A1 or A3 variants were detected. Selective pressure analysis showed that these mutations could reflect positive selection in HPV45 E6 and E7 genes., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Since 2008, two types of hepatitis A (HepA) vaccines were integrated into the expanded program on immunization (EPI) in China. Children were given either one dose of live attenuated HepA (L-HepA) or two doses of inactivated HepA (I-HepA), depending on geographic regions. We sought to evaluate the impact of the EPI on HepA incidence in China., Methods: We reviewed the epidemiology of HepA during 2004-2016 from National Notifiable Disease Reporting System (NNDRS). We collected data of L-HepA and I-HepA coverage from Children Immunization Information Management System (CIIMS). Based on the regions where two types of HepA vaccines were used, the coverage and incidence of HepA were compared over time., Results: In 2008-2016, the HepA vaccine coverage was 98.8% among target children, with 99.6% in I-HepA region and 98.7% in L-HepA region. HepA incidence declined by 78.0% and 82.3% in L-HepA region and I-HepA region, respectively, without significant difference. Dramatic decline were seen in all age groups of both regions., Conclusion: The study suggests that the EPI, with high coverage for both I-HepA and L-HepA, had positive impact on HepA incidence in China., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate prenatal maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening and post-vaccination hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) status and titers of babies born to HBsAg positive mothers, and to provide evidence for development of standard postvaccination serologic testing (PVST) strategies for babies born to HBsAg positive mothers in China., Methods: In 2014, we conducted a baseline survey of HBV mother to child transmission (MTCT) interruption strategy implementation and PVST for babies born to HBsAg positive mothers after received 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) in 8 counties in 4 Provinces. Bivariate analysis and multivariable analyses modeled statistically significant predictor variables associated with infant HBsAg, anti-HBs positive, anti-HBs titer., Results: Among the 1563 infants born to HBsAg positive mothers, 1025 (65.6%) maternal-infant pairs were enrolled in PVST after receiving 3 doses of HepB. 38 infants tested HBsAg positive for an HBsAg positive rate of 3.7%. Maternal hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status and age of infant were significantly associated with infant HBsAg positivity. A total of 932 infants were anti-HBs positive when tested at 7-24months of age, yielding an anti-HBs positivity rate of 90.9%. Maternal HBeAg status was the factor associated with infant anti-HBs status. Amount of antigen of HepB and infant's age were most associated with anti-HBs titers. PVST performed 1-2months after the 3rd dose of HepB was associated with the highest anti-HBs level and the anti-HBs Geometric Mean Concentration (GMC) decreased as the PVST intervals prolonged., Conclusions: In China, perinatal HBV transmission is approaching the theoretical minimum possible with the current strategy of HepB coupled with HBIG administration for HBV-exposed newborns. PVST of infants born to an HBsAg positive mother is an essential strategy to ensure full protection for vaccine non-responders and appropriate medical care for those infected., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify risk factors for renal functional decline following extirpative renal surgery, and establish the relative impact of these factors on glomerular filtration rate (GFR)., Methods: We reviewed 224 consecutive patients with a normal contralateral kidney who underwent radical nephrectomy for a renal mass at a tertiary care center between 2002 and 2010. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify independent predictors of renal function., Results: Mean patient age at time of surgery was 62.6 years and 58% of patients were male. On multivariate analysis, preoperative GFR and diabetes mellitus (DM) were independent predictors of 1-year postoperative renal function. Every 1.0 mL/min/1.73 m(2) of preoperative GFR corresponded to a loss of 0.50 mL/min/1.73 m(2) following extirpative renal surgery. Diabetic patients had a further decrease in GFR of 4.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (95% confidence interval 1.5-7.6) compared to patients without DM., Conclusion: Preoperative GFR and DM were independent predictors of postoperative renal function. This may represent a proportion of patients with medical renal disease that is not identified on the basis of preoperative GFR alone., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rice stripe virus (RSV) causes rice stripe disease and is transmitted by the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus, SBPH) in a persistent, circulative, and propagative manner. The alimentary canal and salivary gland of SBPH play important roles in viral replication and transmission. However, little is known about the underlying molecular functions of these two organs in the interaction between RSV and SBPH. In this study, organ-specific transcriptomes of the alimentary canal and salivary gland were analyzed in viruliferous and naïve SBPH. The number of differentially expressed unigenes in the alimentary canal was considerably greater than that in the salivary gland after RSV infection, and only 23 unigenes were co-regulated in the two organs. In the alimentary canal, genes involved in lysosome, digestion and detoxification were activated upon RSV infection, whereas the genes related to DNA replication and repair were suppressed. RSV activated RNA transport and repressed the MAPK, mTOR, Wnt, and TGF-beta signaling pathways in the salivary gland. The overall immune reaction toward RSV was much stronger in the salivary gland than in the alimentary canal. RSV activated the pattern recognition molecules and Toll pathway in the salivary gland but inhibited these two reactions in the alimentary canal. The responses from reactive oxygen and the immune-responsive effectors were stronger in the salivary gland than in the alimentary canal after RSV infection. These findings provide clues on the roles of the two organs in confronting RSV infection and aid in the understanding of the interaction between RSV and SBPHs., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vaccination of infants beginning at birth is recommended to prevent Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in China. Compared to 5 μg/dose vaccine administered in other regions in China, a three-dose HB recombinant yeast vaccine at 10 μg/dose has been administered for infants within 24h after birth, 1 month and 6 months of age in Beijing since 2006. In a community-based retrospective cohort study, factors influencing immunologic vaccine response were evaluated., Methods: A total of 3670 infants who completed a 3-dose 10 μg recombinant HB vaccine regimen and born to hepatitis B antigen negative mothers were included. The effect on anti-HBs titers of maternal nutrient status, infants' birth condition, growth factors, timeliness of vaccination, dosing interval and the interval until post-vaccination serologic testing (PVST) were evaluated., Results: A total of 3666 infants with no markers of HBV infection were included in analysis. The mean anti-HB titers were 1767.17 mIU/ml. Only 16.9% of the infants completed their PVST within 30-59 days after the final dose of vaccination. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that delay in PVST (β=-0.097, p<0.0001) and maternal folic acid supplementation (β=0.067, p=0.002) were associated with log-transformed anti-HB titers. Also a trend toward significant association was observed between the calcium supplementation of infants and log-transformed anti-HBs titers (β=0.062, p=0.057). Longer interval between dose 2 and dose 3 was not observed to increase the anti-HB titers after cofactors adjustment., Conclusions: Our findings illustrate the importance of timing of PVST to avoid unnecessary revaccination. Multi-center large cohort studies should verify the effect and magnitude of folate and calcium supplementation on HB vaccine response., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the safety and immunogenicity of two dosages of recombinant hepatitis B (HB) vaccine administered to infants born to HB-uninfected and HB-infected mothers., Methods: A phase III, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial was conducted with 506 healthy newborns. The newborns were assigned to three groups based on maternal levels of HB surface antigen (HBsAg) and HB e antigen (HBeAg): Group A, HBsAg negative; Group B, HBsAg positive and HBeAg negative; and Group C, HBsAg positive and HBeAg positive. Three doses of 10 or 5 μg recombinant HB vaccine were randomly administered by 1:1 within 24 h after birth, at 1 month and at 6 months. Safety data and pre- and postvaccination blood samples were collected., Results: A total of 326, 93, and 87 subjects were included in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Both dosages of HB vaccine were well tolerated by all subjects. The most common injection-site adverse reactions (ARs) and systemic ARs were pain and fever. After 1 month of the third dose, the Group A infants who received the 10 μg HB vaccine achieved a higher geometric mean concentration (GMC) of HB surface antibody (anti-HBs) than those who received the 5 μg dosage. Maternal anti-HBs serostatus did not influence HB vaccine immunogenicity at either dosage. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the anti-HBs seroconversion rate, GMCs, or estimated vaccine efficacy (EVE) against perinatal transmission between Groups B and C, regardless of dosage. However, the seroconversion rate and EVE of the 5 μg HB vaccine was lower in Group C than in Group B., Conclusions: Both dosages of the HB vaccine were well tolerated and elicited a good immune response in infants of Group A, regardless of the maternal anti-HBs serostatus. EVE did not significantly differ between Groups B and C. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02152709., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify whether Chinese current series of three 5 μg doses for newborn hepatitis B vaccination should be replaced by the series of three 10 μg doses., Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted from the societal perspective based on the constructed decision tree-Markov model. Model parameters were estimated from published literatures, government documents and our surveys. The expected cost and effectiveness were compared between the 3-dose 5 μg series (the 5 μg strategy) and the 3-dose 10 μg series (the 10 μg strategy), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER, additional cost per quality-adjusted life-years gained) was calculated. Threshold values of the efficacy difference of the two series for the ICER=0, 1 and 3 times per capita gross domestic product were analyzed under different scenarios to understand whether the 10 μg strategy should replace the 5 μg strategy according to the recommendation of World Health Organization., Results: The 10 μg strategy would be cost-saving compared with the 5 μg strategy under the base-case scenario. Under keeping all the other parameters at the base-case values or further adjusting any one of them to the value most unfavorable to the 10 μg strategy, as long as the efficacy of 3-dose 10 μg series was slightly higher than that of 3-dose 5 μg series, the 10 μg strategy would be cost-effective, highly cost-effective, or even cost-saving. Even under the most pessimistic scenario, i.e. all the other parameters, but the discount rate, at the values most unfavorable to the 10 μg strategy, the 10 μg strategy would be cost-effective if the efficacy difference reached higher than 1.23 percentage point., Conclusion: For newborn hepatitis B vaccination in China, the 10 μg strategy should be cost-effective, even more possibly highly cost-effective or cost-saving compared with the current 5 μg strategy. The doses of 10 μg should be considered to replace the doses of 5 μg in newborn hepatitis B vaccination in China., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine that has been applied widely in five areas of China where HBV prevalence was highly endemic., Method: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted in 2009 at five HBV surveillance sites around China. The target study subjects of 6772 were born between 1986 and 1996 and received plasma-derived HBV vaccine. Serum samples were collected to test for HBV markers using the microparticle enzyme immunoassay., Results: The number of participants enrolled was 6772. The average hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence was 2.01%. The birth dose group included 5052 children. In this group, the average positive rates of HBsAg and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) were 1.58% and 6.39%, respectively, and these values declined gradually from 1986 to 1996. The positive rates of anti-hepatitis B surface antibody (HBs) and the geometric mean concentration (GMC) of anti-HBs-positive subjects were 41.69% and 115.8mIU/ml., Conclusion: The long-term effectiveness of the plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine still provided protection 13-23 years after vaccination. It seems that a booster dose is not necessary. Enhancing the rate of the birth dose within 24h is one of the most important measures to prevent and control HBV infection., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ligand grafted nanoparticles have been shown to enhance drug transport across epithelium barrier and are expected to improve drug delivery. However, grafting of these ligands to the surface of pure nanodrug, i.e., nanocrystals (NCs), is a critical challenge due to the shedding of ligands along with the stabilizer upon high dilution or dissolving of the drug. Herein, a non-sheddable nanocage-like stabilizer was designed by covalent cross-linking of poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(methyl acrylate) on drug nanocrystal surface, and a ligand, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), was successfully anchored to the surface of itraconazole (ITZ) NCs by covalent conjugation to the nanocage (WGA-cage-NCs). The cellular study showed that large amount of WGA-cage-NCs were adhered to Caco-2 cell membrane, and invaded into cells, resulting in a higher drug uptake than that of ordinary NCs (ONCs). After oral administration to rats, WGA-cage-NC were largely accumulated on the apical side of epithelium cells, facilitating drug diffusing across epithelium barrier. Interestingly, WGA-cage-NCs were capable of invading rat intestinal villi and reaching to lamina propria by transcytosis across goblet cells, which behaved like a foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes. The WGA-cage-NCs showed an improved oral bioavailability, which was 17.5- and 2.41-folds higher than that of coarse crystals and ONCs, respectively. To our best knowledge, this may represent the first report that a functional ligand was successfully anchored to the surface of pure nanodrug by using a cage-like stabilizer, showing unique biological functions in gastrointestinal tract and having an important significance in oral drug delivery., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As the largest container and resource of metals, sediment has a special role in the fate of metals. Factors influencing bioavailability of heavy metals in sediment have never been comprehensively considered and the sediment properties still fail to understand and even controversial. In this review, the mechanisms of sediment properties such as acid-volatile sulfides (AVS), organic matter, texture (clay, silt or sand) and geology, organism behaviors as well as those influencing the bioavailability of metals were analyzed. Under anoxic condition, AVS mainly reduce the solubility and toxicity of metals, while organic matters, Fe-Mn oxides, clay or silt can stabilize heavy metals in elevated oxidative-reductive potential (ORP). Other factors including the variation of pH, redox potential, aging as well as nutrition and the behavior of benthic organism in sediment also largely alter metals mobility and distribution. These factors are often inter-related, and various toxicity assessment methods used to evaluate the bioavailability of trace metals have been also discussed. Additionally, we expect that some novel synthetic materials like polysulfides, nano-materials, provide the substantial amendments for metals pollution in sediment., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In order to measure hepatitis B coverage and progress in equality with respect to protection against hepatitis B in poverty-affected areas funded by the Global Alliance on Vaccine and Immunization project funded in poverty-affected counties., Methods: We reviewed routinely reported coverage data and conducted a national stratified, validation, cross-sectional survey in October 2010, according to WHO recommended sampling method. First, we stratified China into three regions (Eastern, Central and Western) based on economic criteria. Second, in each region, we selected eight counties with a probability proportional to population size. Third, in each selected county, we selected (a) 10 townships at random among the list of townships of the county., Results: We visited 244 townships as part of the final evaluation (71 in the East, 86 in the Center and 87 in the West). Overall, in these 244 townships, surveyed TBD coverage increased from 60% in 2002 to 91% in 2009 and surveyed three dose of hepatitis B vaccine coverage increased from 71% in 2002 to 93% in 2009. Overall, in the GAVI supported areas, the HepB3/DTP3 ratio increased from 57% in 2002 to 94% in 2009., Conclusion: Pro-poor GAVI approach was an effective way to reduce inequity among children through provision of free vaccination. When vaccine and AD syringes were provided for free, they closed the gap between Eastern and Western regions and between the rich and the poor., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Delivery of a timely (within 24h) hepatitis B vaccine birth dose (TBD) is essential to prevent the long-term complications of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. China made substantial progress in hepatitis B immunization coverage, however, in 2004, TBD coverage was lower in Western, poorer provinces., Methods: We reviewed five demonstration projects for the promotion of TBD in rural counties in Qinghai, Gansu and Ningxia. Interventions consisted of (1) work to increase TBD coverage in hospitals, including training of health-care workers, (2) information, education and communication [IEC] with the population and (3) micro-plans to deliver TBD for home births. We evaluated outcome through measuring TBD coverage for home and hospital births., Results: These projects were implemented in the context of national efforts to promote institutional deliveries that lead to increases ranging from 10% to 17% to reach 43-97% proportion of institutional births at the end of the projects. Among institutional births, TBD coverage increased by 2% to 13% to reach post implementation coverage ranging from 98% to 100%. Among home births, TBD coverage increased by 7% to 56% to reach post implementation coverage ranging from 29% to 88%. Overall, TBD coverage increased by 4% to 36% to reach post implementation coverage ranging from 82% to 88%., Conclusions: Demonstration projects based on combined interventions increased TBD coverage. Increases in institutional births amplified the results obtained. Use of standardized indicators for such projects would facilitate evaluation and identify intervention components that are most effective., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) has remained a leading cause of HBV infection in China, accounting for 40% of total infections. Providing hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) to all infants within 24h of birth (Timely Birth Dose, TBD), and subsequent completion of at least 3 vaccine doses is key to preventing perinatal HBV infection. In 2002, with the financial support of the Global Alliance on Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) targeted to Western region and 223 poverty-affected counties in Central region, hepatitis B vaccine was provided for free. In 2010, we evaluated the China GAVI project in terms of its activities to prevent perinatal infections., Objective: The objectives of the evaluation were to (1) measure achievements in the China GAVI project in terms of TBD coverage, and (2) describe practices for HBsAg screening of pregnant women and HBIG use outside the GAVI China project., Methods: We used the methods recommended by WHO to select a cluster sample of health care facilities for the purpose of an injection safety assessment. We stratified China into three regions based on economic criteria, and selected eight counties with a probability proportional to population size in each region. In each selected county, we selected (a) 10 townships at random among the list of townships of the county and (b) the one county level hospital. In each hospital, we abstracted 2002 through 2009 records to collect information regarding birth cohorts, hospitals deliveries, vaccine management, hepatitis B vaccination delivery, HBsAg screening practices and results, and HBIG administration. In addition, in all hospitals, we abstracted records regarding the delivery of TBD., Results: We visited 244 facilities in the three regions, including 24 county hospitals and 220 township hospitals. We reviewed 837,409 birth summary records, 699,249 for infants born at county or township hospitals. Hospital delivery rates increased from 58% in 2002 to 93% in 2009. Surveyed TBD coverage increased from 60% in 2002 to 91% in 2009 (+31%). Surveyed TBD coverage among children born in hospitals increased from 73% in 2002 to 98% in 2009. Between 2002 and 2009, the proportion of pregnant women screened for HBsAg increased from 64% in 2002 to 85% in 2009. In 2009, the proportion of infants born to women screened and found to be HBsAg positive who did not receive any immunization within 24h after birth ranged from 0% to 0.7% across regions., Conclusions: Increased availability of hepatitis B vaccine, along with efforts to improve hospital deliveries, increased TBD coverage in China. This decreased perinatal HBV transmission and will reduce disease burden in the future. Screening for HBsAg to guide HBIG administration has begun, but with heterogeneous immuno-prophylaxis practices and a poor system for follow up., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In China, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection was high because of perinatal and early childhood transmission. A three-dose hepatitis B vaccine schedule with a first dose as soon as possible after birth was introduced in 1992 and generalized in 2002 in the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI). In 2006, a serological survey evaluated the effectiveness of vaccination., Methods: We conducted a restricted analysis of the national serological survey that sampled children and collected information on demographic characteristics, birth history, hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status as determined by ELISA testing. We compared children who received the first dose in a timely way (i.e., within 24h of birth) with others in terms of HBsAg status, stratified by birth cohort and place of birth., Results: Three-dose hepatitis B vaccine coverage increased from 60.8% for children born in 1992-1997 to 93.2% for children born in 2002-2005. Meanwhile, timely birth dose coverage increased from 38.7% to 74.4%. Among 29,410 children born in 1992-2005 who had received three vaccine doses and no hepatitis B immune globulin, factors associated with being HBsAg-negative in multivariate analysis included receiving a timely birth dose (p=0.04), birth after 1998 (p<0.001), living in an urban setting (p=0.008) and hospital birth (p=0.001). The relative prevalence of HBsAg among children receiving the timely birth dose was lower for children born in county or larger hospitals (0.39), intermediate in township hospitals (0.73) and highest at home (0.87)., Conclusions: Hospital birth and receiving a timely birth dose are the main determinants of the field effectiveness of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Efforts to increase the proportion of hospital deliveries are key to increasing timely birth dose coverage and its effectiveness., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

China received GAVI support for hepatitis B vaccination in 2001 because of high disease burden and strong government will to protect infants at risk. The China/GAVI project, implemented since 2002, was funded 50% by GAVI and 50% by the Government of China. The purpose of the project was to increase coverage of hepatitis B vaccine through a pro-poor approach targeting all counties of the 12 Western provinces and poverty counties of the 10 Central provinces, to accelerate integration of hepatitis B vaccine into routine immunization, and assure immunization injection safety. The mechanism of internal coordination among multiple government entities and international cooperation was established and comprehensive strategies were used to improve vaccine coverage and injection safety. After 8 years of implementation, 193,000 health care workers in 118,316 health care facilities participated in the project, mostly at the township hospitals level (55,051) and in community centres (104,547). Through the China GAVI project, the 85% HepB3 coverage goal was reached in 98% of GAVI China project counties, the 75% timely birth dose (TBD) coverage goal was reached in 80% of GAVI project counties, and AD syringes were introduced into 100% of GAVI-supported areas. Additionally, the GAVI project was instrumental in convincing the Chinese Government to sustainably introduce and fully fund HepB vaccine for all newborns in China. The impact of hepB vaccination on HBsAg prevalence was observed throughout China, as HBsAg prevalence (previously ~10%) is now less than 1% among children under 5 years of age., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: As the WHO verified that China reached the target of 1% prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection among children targeted by universal hepatitis B immunization of newborns, the country considered new options for hepatitis B prevention and control. We reviewed hepatitis B surveillance in the broader context of viral hepatitis surveillance to propose recommendations to improve the system., Methods: We described surveillance for viral hepatitis in China with a specific focus on hepatitis B. We assessed critical attributes of the system, including data quality, predictive positive value and usefulness., Results: While remarkable progress in hepatitis B immunization of infants and children has likely almost eliminated transmission in younger age groups, reported rates of hepatitis B increased steadily in China between 1990 and 2008, probably because of a failure to distinguish acute from chronic infections. Elements that prevented a clearer separation between acute and chronic cases included (1) missed opportunity to report cases accurately among clinicians, (2) low availability and use of tests to detect IgM against the hepatitis B core antigen (IgM anti-HBc) and (3) lack of systems to sort, manage and analyze surveillance data., Conclusions: To improve hepatitis B surveillance, China may consider (1) training clinicians to diagnose acute cases and to use IgM anti-HBc to confirm them, (2) improving access and use of validated IgM anti-HBc tests and (3) developing data management and analysis techniques that sort out acute from chronic cases., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The China GAVI Hepatitis B Immunization Project was initiated in 2002 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between GAVI and the Government of China. The Project was one of the three (China, India, and Indonesia) GAVI-initiated special projects done to support countries too large to receive full GAVI support for hepatitis B vaccine and safe injections. The Project in China was designed by the Chinese Government and partners to deliver free hepatitis B vaccine and safe injections to all newborns in the 12 Western Provinces and Poverty Counties in 10 Provinces of Central China (1301 Counties with approximately 5.6 million births per year), eliminating the gap in immunization coverage between wealthier and poorer regions of China. The project budget (USD 76 million) was equally shared by GAVI and the Chinese Government. Initially planned for 5 years, two no cost extensions extended the project to 2011. Although China produced hepatitis B vaccine, before the project the vaccine was sold to parents who were also charged a "user fee" for the syringe and vaccine administration. Basic Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) vaccines such as BCG, DTP, Polio, and measles vaccines were provided free to parents, although they were charged a user fee. Vaccines were sold by China CDC Offices at provincial, prefecture, county level and township hospitals, and village doctors received a substantial portion of their income from the sale of hepatitis B and other vaccines. The result of charging for hepatitis B vaccine was that coverage was relatively high in Eastern and wealthier counties in Central China (~80-90%), but was much lower (~40%) in Western China and Poverty Counties where parents could not afford the vaccine. The Project was administered by the China MOH and China CDC EPI program, and two Project Co-managers, one from the Chinese Government and the other an international assignee, were chosen. The project had an oversight Operational Advisory Group composed of the Chinese Government, WHO, UNICEF, and GAVI. The initial targets of the project as delineated in the initial MOU for the Project areas (HepB3 coverage will reach 85% at the county level, >75% of newborns at the county level will receive the first dose of hepatitis B within 24h of birth, and all immunization injections will be with auto disable [AD] syringes) were substantially exceeded. The differential in vaccine coverage between wealthier and poorer parts of China was eliminated contributing to a great improvement in equity. With additional contributions of the Chinese Government the Project was accomplished substantially under budget allowing for additional catch up immunization of children under 15 years of age. More than 5 million health workers were trained in how to deliver hepatitis B vaccine, timely birth dose (TBD), and safe injections, and public awareness of hepatitis B and its prevention rose significantly. TBD coverage was expedited by concurrent efforts to have women deliver in township clinics and district hospitals instead of at home. The effective management of the Project, with a Project office sitting within the China EPI and an Operational Advisory Group for oversight, could serve as a model for other GAVI projects worldwide. Most importantly, the carrier rate in Chinese children less than 5 years of age has fallen to 1%, from a level of 10% before the inception of the Project. Liver cancer, one of the major cancer killers in China (250,000-300,000 annual estimated deaths), will dramatically decline as immunized cohorts of Chinese children age. While hepatitis C and non-alcoholic liver disease also exist in China and can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis, the majority of liver disease in China is hepatitis B related and therefore preventable. The authors believe that China's success in preventing hepatitis B is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 21st century. Work remains to be done in several key areas. There are still pockets of home births in rural provinces where a TBD is difficult to deliver, and China is strengthening its policy of screening pregnant women for HBsAg and delivering HBIG plus vaccine to newborns of HBV carrier mothers. Approximately 10% of the adult population of China remain chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus and cannot be helped by the vaccine, so prevention of liver cancer and cirrhosis in those groups remains a future challenge for China., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

During the China GAVI project, implemented between 2002 and 2010, more than 25 million children received hepatitis B vaccine with the support of project, and the vaccine proved to be safe and effective. With careful consideration for project savings, China and GAVI continually adjusted the budget, additionally allowing the project to spend operational funds to support demonstration projects to improve timely birth dose (TBD), conduct training of EPI staff, and to monitor the project impact. Results from the final evaluation indicated the achievement of key outcomes. As a result of government co-investment, human resources at county level engaged in hepatitis B vaccination increased from 29 per county on average in 2002 to 66 in 2009. All project counties funded by the GAVI project use auto-disable syringes for hepatitis B vaccination and other vaccines. Surveyed hepatitis B vaccine coverage increased from 71% in 2002 to 93% in 2009 among infants. The HBsAg prevalence declined from 9.67% in 1992 to 0.96% in 2006 among children under 5 years of age. However, several important issues remain: (1) China still accounts for the largest annual number of perinatal HBV infections (estimated 84,121) in the WHO WPR region; (2) China still lacks a clear national policy for safe injection of vaccines; (3) vaccination of high risk adults and protection of health care workers are still not implemented; (4) hepatitis B surveillance needs to be refined to more accurately monitor acute hepatitis B; and (5) a program for treatment of persons with chronic HBV infection is needed. Recommendations for future hepatitis B control include: using the lessons learned from the China GAVI project for future introductions of new vaccines; addressing unmet needs with a second generation hepatitis B program to reach every infant, including screening mothers, and providing HBIG for infants born to HBsAg positive mothers; expanding vaccination to high risk adults; addressing remaining unsafe injection issues; and improving monitoring of acute hepatitis B. This paper describes findings and discusses perspectives from a final project evaluation, a national stratified validated cross-sectional survey done in October 2010., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core anti-body (anti-HBc) in a representative population in China 14 years after introduction of hepatitis B vaccination of infants., Methods: National serosurvey, with participants selected by multi-stage random sampling. Demographics and hepatitis B vaccination history collected by questionnaire and review of vaccination records, and serum tested for HBsAg, antibody to anti-HBc and anti-HBs by ELISA., Findings: The weighted prevalences of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc for Chinese population aged 1-59 years were 7.2%, 50.1%, 34.1%, respectively. HBsAg prevalence was greatly diminished among those age <15 years compared to that found in the 1992 national serosurvey, and among children age <5 years was only 1.0% (90% reduction). Reduced HBsAg prevalence was strongly associated with vaccination among all age groups. HBsAg risk in adults was associated with male sex, Western region, and certain ethnic groups and occupations while risk in children included birth at home or smaller hospitals, older age, and certain ethnic groups (Zhuang and other)., Conclusions: China has already reached the national goal of reducing HBsAg prevalence to less than 1% among children under 5 years and has prevented an estimated 16-20 million HBV carriers through hepatitis B vaccination of infants. Immunization program should be further strengthened to reach those remaining at highest risk., (Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The study objectives were to evaluate injection practices in China in the post GAVI project era and provide guidance for policy makers to update national standards for injection practices and further improve vaccination services., Methods: We conducted a national stratified, cross-sectional survey in October 2010, according to WHO recommended sampling methods. First, we stratified China into three regions (Eastern, Central and Western) based on economic criteria. Second, in each region, we selected eight counties with a probability proportional to population size. Third, in each selected county, we selected (a) 10 townships at random among the list of townships of the county and (b) the one county level hospital., Results: With respect to the risk to the patient, we never observed open injection equipment lying around or needles left in the septum of multi-dose vials. We never observed sterilizable injection devices syringes in any of the facilities. The proportion of facilities using sharps containers was highest in the East (85%), intermediate in the West (79%) and lowest in the Central region (56%). In 2009, auto-disable syringes and safety boxes were used in 78% and 79% facilities in GAVI supported areas of the Western region, respectively. Only one facility presented evidence of attempts to re-sterilize disposable injection equipment in the Eastern region., Conclusions: Use of AD syringe and sharps containers increased in vaccination services in China, especially in GAVI supported areas, leading to sustainable progress in terms of elimination of reuse of injection devices. However, risk to patients still existed, including persisting use of standard disposable syringes and attempts to re-use disposable devices., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Achieving effective controllable delivery of therapeutic biomacromolecules for long action without new molecular entities generation or carriers employed offers a promising alternative and significant clinical benefit. We show here that recombinant human interferon-alpha (rhIFN) can form a three dimensional ordered structure that is featured by spherical semi-crystalline through molecular self-assembly directed by a polycationic short peptide. The phase diagrams for self-assembly were constructed to identify the optimal regions for nucleation and ordered growth, and which were followed by the physico-chemical characterization of the ordered self-assemblies, including morphology, particle size, X-ray diffraction, circular dichroism and biological potency evaluations. With varied molar ratio of the two composed biomacromolecules, the dissolution behaviors of the self-assemblies could be manipulated in vitro and in vivo. The plasma pharmacokinetics suggested that s.c. administration of self-assemblies at the specified relative proportion of rhIFN to polycationic peptide offered a significant prolonged duration time of rhIFN blood levels up to seven days. Moreover, molecular simulation was performed to better understand their binding site and mode. The work described here demonstrates the possibility of spherical ordered self-assembly of biomacromolecules for controllable delivery application of therapeutic proteins., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and duration of yeast-derived recombinant hepatitis B vaccine in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-endemic areas., Method: A cross-sectional investigation was carried out in five HBV-endemic areas. Children who were born between 1997 and 2008 and vaccinated with yeast-derived recombinant hepatitis B vaccine were selected. Serum samples were taken to test HBV infection markers by microparticle enzyme immunoassay, and the results were compared to those before vaccination., Results: 7066 subjects were enrolled. The average adjusted hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence was 1.02%. HBV core antibody (anti-HBc) prevalence was 3.54%. The overall percentage of HBsAg(-)&Anti-HBc(-)&Anti-HBs(+) was 61.34%. With time after immunization, the percentage annually decreases from 86.11% in 2008 to 49.80% in 1997. Geometric mean concentration (GMC) of anti-HBs decreased significantly annually. The portion of GMC=100-999.9 mIU/ml was 48.0% in 2008, and decreased to 16.7% in 1997., Conclusion: HBsAg prevalence decreased dramatically. This shows that the yeast-derived recombinant hepatitis B vaccine is effective and stable after being used for 12 years in HBV-endemic areas. It is not suggested to carry out booster immunization., (Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: While three types of hepatitis A vaccines are available in China, little data are available to compare them in terms of early antibody response. We conducted a trial to compare antibody response at 7, 14 and 28 days., Methods: We randomized primary school children in Gansu and Jilin provinces into four groups to receive either (1) Chinese live attenuated hepatitis A vaccine (H2 strain), (2) domestic inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Healive(®)), (3) imported inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (Havrix(®)) or (4) hepatitis B vaccine (Control group). We compared groups at 7, 14 and 28 days in terms of proportion of sero-conversions (≥10 mUI/ml), and Geometric Mean Concentration (GMC) of antibodies measured with a Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay (MEIA). We compared rates of self-reported adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in the first three days., Results: 204 children received the H2 vaccine, 208 received Healive(®), 214 received Havrix(®), and 215 received hepatitis B vaccine (no differences across groups in terms of age, sex, weight and height). At seven days, sero-conversion proportions were 25%, 35%, 27% and 2% (p<0.0001) with GMC of 6 mIU/ml, 8 mIU/ml, 6 mIU/ml and 3 mIU/ml, respectively for the four groups. At 28 days, sero-conversion proportions were 98%, 100%, 93% and 3% (p<0.0001) with GMC of 47 mIU/ml, 71 mIU/ml, 67 mIU/ml and 3 mIU/ml, respectively. AEFI were benign and did not differ across groups (p=0.94)., Conclusions: While our study was not able to identify differences between Havrix(®), Healive(®) and H2 vaccine in terms of sero-conversion proportion and GMC between seven and 28 days, further studies should evaluate non-inferiority or equivalence of the Chinese vaccines, particularly with respect to the GMC concentration for the H2 vaccine since it could affect long-term protection., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Carboxylesterases provide key mechanisms of resistance to insecticides, particularly organophosphates (OPs), in insects. One resistance mechanism is a qualitative change in the properties of a carboxylesterase. Two mutant forms, G151D and W271L, have been observed, mostly in dipteran species, to affect substrate specificity of enzymes. But whether these two single mutations can commonly change character of insect carboxylesterases is unknown. In our study carboxylesterase genes from seven insects distributed among four orders were cloned, mutated at position 151 or 271 and expressed in Escherichia coli. The kinetics of the purified recombinant proteins was examined towards an artificial carboxylester and two OP insecticides. The G/A151D and W271L mutation significantly reduced carboxylesterase activity in 87.5% and 100% cases, respectively, and at the same time conferred OP hydrolase activities in 62.5% and 87.5% cases, respectively. Thus, the change at position 271 is more effective to influence substrate specificity than that at position 151. These results may suggest that these two mutations have the potential to cause insecticide resistance broadly in insects., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In China, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B infection was high because of perinatal and early childhood transmission. A three-dose hepatitis B vaccine schedule with a first dose as soon as possible after birth was introduced in 1992 and generalized in 2002 in the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI). In 2006, a serological survey evaluated the effectiveness of vaccination., Methods: We conducted a restricted analysis of the national serological survey that sampled children and collected information on demographic characteristics, birth history, hepatitis B vaccination and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status as determined by ELISA testing. We compared children who received the first dose in a timely way (i.e., within 24h of birth) with others in terms of HBsAg status, stratified by birth cohort and place of birth., Results: Three-dose hepatitis B vaccine coverage increased from 60.8% for children born in 1992-1997 to 93.2% for children born in 2002-2005. Meanwhile, timely birth dose coverage increased from 38.7% to 74.4%. Among 29,410 children born in 1992-2005 who had received three vaccine doses and no hepatitis B immune globulin, factors associated with being HBsAg-negative in multivariate analysis included receiving a timely birth dose (p=0.04), birth after 1998 (p<0.001), living in an urban setting (p=0.008) and hospital birth (p=0.001). The relative prevalence of HBsAg among children receiving the timely birth dose was lower for children born in county or larger hospitals (0.39), intermediate in township hospitals (0.73) and highest at home (0.87)., Conclusions: Hospital birth and receiving a timely birth dose are the main determinants of the field effectiveness of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Efforts to increase the proportion of hospital deliveries are key to increasing timely birth dose coverage and its effectiveness., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), and hepatitis B core anti-body (anti-HBc) in a representative population in China 14 years after introduction of hepatitis B vaccination of infants., Methods: National serosurvey, with participants selected by multi-stage random sampling. Demographics and hepatitis B vaccination history collected by questionnaire and review of vaccination records, and serum tested for HBsAg, antibody to anti-HBc and anti-HBs by ELISA., Findings: The weighted prevalences of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc for Chinese population aged 1-59 years were 7.2%, 50.1%, 34.1%, respectively. HBsAg prevalence was greatly diminished among those age <15 years compared to that found in the 1992 national serosurvey, and among children age <5 years was only 1.0% (90% reduction). Reduced HBsAg prevalence was strongly associated with vaccination among all age groups. HBsAg risk in adults was associated with male sex, Western region, and certain ethnic groups and occupations while risk in children included birth at home or smaller hospitals, older age, and certain ethnic groups (Zhuang and other)., Conclusions: China has already reached the national goal of reducing HBsAg prevalence to less than 1% among children under 5 years and has prevented an estimated 16-20 million HBV carriers through hepatitis B vaccination of infants. Immunization program should be further strengthened to reach those remaining at highest risk.

Anthracyclines are considered to be some of the most effective anticancer drugs for cancer therapy. However, drug resistance and cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines limit their clinical application. An 3'-azido disaccharide analogue of daunorubicin, 7-[4-O-(2,6-dideoxy-3-O-methyl-alpha-l-arabino-hexopyranosyl)-3-azido-2,3,6-trideoxy-alpha-l-lyxo-hexopyranosyl]daunorubicinone (ADNR-3), was shown to exhibit 10-fold better activity than parent compound daunorubicin against the drug-resistant cells and completely overcomes the drug resistance with same IC(50) in both drug-resistant and drug-sensitive cells. In this paper, the interactions between ADNR-3 and human serum albumin (HSA) have been studied by spectroscopic techniques. By the analysis of fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence intensity, it was observed that the ADNR-3 has a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA through a static quenching procedure. The association constants of ADNR-3 with HSA were determined at different temperatures based on fluorescence quenching results. The negative DeltaH and positive DeltaS values in case of ADNR-3-HSA complexes showed that both hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions play a role in the binding of ADNR-3 to HSA. Furthermore, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy data and UV-vis absorbance spectra have suggested that the association between ADNR-3 and HSA changed the molecular conformation of HSA and the hydrophobic interactions play a major role in ADNR-3-HSA association. Moreover, the study of computational modeling indicated that ADNR-3 could bind to the site I of HSA and hydrophobic interaction was the major acting force for the second type of binding site, which was in agreement with the thermodynamic analysis. The distance, r, between donor (HSA) and acceptor (ADNR-3) was obtained according to the Förster's theory of non-radiation energy transfer. In addition, the effects of common ions on the binding constants of ADNR-3-HSA complexes were also investigated.