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We introduce metallic glass thin films (TiCuNi) as biocompatible materials for biomedical applications. TiCuNi metallic glass thin films were deposited on the Si substrate and their structural, surface, and mechanical properties were investigated. The fabricated films showed good biocompatibility upon exposure to muscle cells. Also, they exhibited an average roughness of <0.2 nm, high wear resistance, and high mechanical properties (hardness ~6.9 GPa and reduced modulus ~130 GPa). Top surface of the TiCuNi films was shown to be free from Ni and mainly composed of a thin titanium oxide layer, which resulted in the high surface biocompatibility. In particular, there was no cytotoxicity effect of metallic glass films on the C2C12 myoblasts and the cells were able to proliferate well on these substrates. Low cost, viscoelastic behavior, patternability, high electrical conductivity, and the capability to coat various materials (e.g., nonbiocompatible materials) make TiCuNi as an attractive material for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although no outbreaks of hepatitis E have been reported in Mongolia, a significant proportion of the general population had antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV). To investigate whether pigs are possible reservoirs of HEV in Mongolia, serum samples obtained from 243 2‐ or 3‐month‐old pigs on four swine farms surrounding Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, were tested for the presence of anti‐HEV antibodies and HEV RNA. Overall, 223 pigs (91.8%) tested positive for anti‐HEV, while 89 pigs (36.6%) had detectable HEV RNA. The 89 HEV isolates obtained from the viremic pigs were 78.7–100% identical to each other, and 80.9–85.9% similar to the prototype genotype 3 HEV isolate (US1) in the 412‐nucleotide (nt) sequence within open reading frame 2. They were classified into two novel phylogenetic groups within genotype 3, differing by 16.4–21.3%. The swMN06‐A1288 and swMN06‐C1056 isolates, representing each of the two clusters within genotype 3, had a genomic length of nucleotides (nt) 7,222 nt and 7,223 nt, respectively, excluding the poly(A) tail, and shared only 81.6% over the entire genome. Upon comparison with the 25‐reported genotype 3 HEV isolates over the entire genome, swMN06‐A1288 had identities of merely up to 84.9%, while swMN06‐C1056 of only up to 85.9%. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the remote relatedness of the Mongolian swine isolates to the genotype 3 HEV isolates reported thus far. These results indicate that farm pigs in Mongolia are frequently infected with presumably indigenous HEV strains of genotype 3 and could be a source of HEV infections in humans in Mongolia. J. Med. Virol. 79: 1128–1137, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previous study revealed that antibodies to hepatitis E virus (HEV) (anti‐HEV) are highly prevalent among healthy individuals and farm pigs in Bali, Indonesia, and suggested that HEV infection may occur via zoonosis among Balinese people. However, there were no reports of acute hepatitis E in Bali. To elucidate whether Balinese HEV strains recovered from infected humans and pigs have significant sequence similarity, serum samples obtained from 57 patients (age, mean ± standard deviation, 31.1 ± 11.9 years) with sporadic acute hepatitis and from one hundred and one 2‐ or 3‐month‐old farm pigs in Bali were tested for anti‐HEV and HEV RNA. Among the 57 patients, 2 (3.5%) had high‐titer IgM/IgA class anti‐HEV antibodies and one of them had detectable HEV RNA (BaliE03‐46). Overall, 58 pigs (57.4%) tested positive for anti‐HEV, while 5 pigs (5.0%) had detectable HEV RNA. Based on the 412‐nucleotide sequence within open reading frame 2, the BaliE03‐46 isolate and the 5 swine HEV isolates recovered from the viremic pigs were phylogenetically classified in genotype 4, but were only 77.3–90.8% identical to the genotype 4 HEV isolates reported thus far in China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The BaliE03‐46 isolate of human origin shared high identities of 97.3–98.3% with 4 of the 5 Balinese swine isolates, but differed by 16.1% from the remaining swine isolate. These results suggest that indigenous HEV strains of genotype 4 with marked heterogeneity are circulating in Bali, Indonesia, and that pigs are reservoirs of HEV for Balinese people who have a habit of ingesting uncooked pigs. J. Med. Virol. 79: 1138–1146, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mongolia is highly endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infections among apparently healthy adults. However, the age‐specific prevalence of ongoing HBV, HCV, and HDV infections among children in Mongolia remains unknown. Therefore, samples obtained from a total of 655 apparently healthy children of 0.3–15 years of age (307 boys and 348 girls; age, mean ± standard deviation [SD], 8.4 ± 4.2 years) living in Mongolia, between October 2005 and January 2006, were tested for serological and molecular markers of HBV, HCV, and HDV infections. Although 88.7% of the 655 children studied were immunized against hepatitis B, 64 (9.8%) tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and/or HBV DNA and 13 (2.0%) for HDV RNA. Twenty‐seven children (4.1%) had detectable HCV RNA. Collectively, 82 (12.5%) were viremic for one or more of these viruses, including eight children with dual viremia of HBV/HCV and one child with triple HBV/HCV/HDV viremia. When children without anti‐HBc, anti‐HCV and anti‐HDV IgG (n = 510) served as a control, a history of hospitalization was significantly associated with HBV viremia (P < 0.0001), anti‐HBc positivity (P < 0.0001), and HCV viremia (P = 0.0001). HBsAg mutation was found in 18 (31.6%) of the 57 children with viremia, including those at amino acid position 126, 127, 129, 131, 134, 143 or 144. There were no significant differences in the frequency of HBsAg mutation in relation to age, sex, and hepatitis B vaccination status of the children, suggesting that HBsAg mutation plays a limited role in failure of vaccination in Mongolia. J. Med. Virol. 79: 1064–1074, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the epidemiologic profiles of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections in children in Mongolia, the prevalence of HAV and HEV infections was investigated serologically and molecularly among 717 apparently healthy individuals of 0–20 years of age (mean ± standard deviation, 8.6 ± 4.9 years) using serum samples obtained between October 2005 and January 2006. Total antibody against HAV (anti‐HAV [total]) was detected in 494 (68.9%) of the 717 subjects, while IgG antibody against HEV (anti‐HEV IgG) was detected in only five subjects (0.7%) (P < 0.0001). All five subjects who had anti‐HEV IgG, were negative for anti‐HEV IgM and HEV RNA. Anti‐HAV was detectable in 24 (75.0%) of the 32 infants aged 7 days to 6 months, but not in any of the 8 infants aged 7 to <12 months. The prevalence of anti‐HAV was 19.5% (17/87) in the age group of 1–3 years, and it increased to 50.0% (69/138) in the age group of 4–6 years, and further to 81.4% (105/129) in the age group of 7–9 years. Of note, 97.2% of the subjects in the age group of 16–20 years had anti‐HAV. The presence of HAV RNA was tested in all 717 subjects, and three children of 1, 4, or 8 years of age were found to have detectable HAV RNA (subgenotype IA). No subject had a history of hepatitis or jaundice. In conclusion, HEV infection was uncommon, but HAV infection lacking overt clinical features was prevalent among children in Mongolia. J. Med. Virol. 79:18–25, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among six known subgenotypes (IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB) of human hepatitis A virus (HAV), the complete genomic sequence has not been determined for IIIB. In this study, the full‐length genomic sequence of a IIIB HAV isolate (HA‐JNG06‐90F) recovered from a Japanese patient who contracted sporadic hepatitis A in 1990, was determined. The HA‐JNG06‐90F genome, which comprised 7462 nt excluding the poly(A) tail, was related most closely to NOR‐21 of subgenotype IIIA with an identity of 89.1%, and was only 82.6–83.4% similar to human HAV isolates of genotypes I and II over the entire genome. Comparison of full‐length genomic sequences of 20 reported isolates and HA‐JNG06‐90F generated optimal results for separation of different levels: the nucleotide identities were 80.7–86.6% at the genotype level, 89.1–91.9% at the subgenotype level, and 94.6–99.7% at the isolate level. Similar ranges of nucleotide identity were observed when comparing partial nucleotide sequences of the VP1‐2B (481 nt; primer sequences at both ends excluded) and 3C/3D (590 nt) regions, which were amplifiable by PCR with primers designed from well‐conserved areas of the HAV genome. All 66 samples with IgM‐class HAV antibodies tested positive for HAV RNA by both VP1‐2B (481 nt)‐PCR and 3C/3D (590 nt)‐PCR: subgenotype assignment was concordant in all samples tested (IA [n = 61], IB [n = 1], IIIA [n = 2] and IIIB [n = 2]). These results suggest that two broadly reactive PCRs using primers derived from the VP1‐2B and 3C/3D regions, respectively, may be applicable to universal detection and phylogenetic analysis of various HAV strains. J. Med. Virol. 79:8–17, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]