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Abstract Background Some UL45 gene function of Herpesvirus was reported. While there was no any report of the duck enteritis virus (DEV) UL45 protein as yet. Results The UL45 gene and des-transmembrane domain of UL45 (named UL45Δ gene, 295-675bp of UL45) of DEV were amplified by PCR and subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a(+). The constructed recombinant plasmids were transformed into the host strain BL21(DE3) PLysS and induced by IPTG. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the UL45 gene couldn't express while UL45Δ gene was highly expressed. His Purify Kit or salting-out could purify the protein effectively. Using the purified protein to immunize New-Zealand rabbits and produce polyclonal antibody. The agar diffusion reaction showed the titer of antibody was 1:32. Western blot analysis indicated the purified rabbit anti-UL45Δ IgG had a high level of specificity and the UL45 gene was a part of DEV genome. The transcription phase study of UL45 gene showed that expression of UL45 mRNA was at a low level from 0 to 18 h post-infection (pi), then accumulated quickly at 24 h pi and peaked at 42 h pi. It can be detected till 72 h pi. Besides, western blot analysis of purified virion and different viral ingredients showed that the UL45 protein resided in the purified virion and the viral envelope. Conclusions The rabbit anti-UL45Δ IgG was produced successfully and it can serve as a good tool for penetrating studies of the function of DEV UL45 protein. The transcription phase and protein characteristics analysis indicated that DEV UL45 gene was a late gene and UL45 protein may be a viral envelope protein.

Wax deposition on walls of oil pipes is a common occurrence in crude oil extraction and is one of the major impediments to oilfield production. The most common method of paraffin removal is superconducting car thermal washing. This study proposes a heat flow coupling model that can analyze the temperature of the tubing-casing annular space to solve the low efficiency problem caused by adjusting initial parameters empirically. Using the superconducting car thermal washing process at the test oil well in city of Daqing, Chine as research object, the real-time temperature of annulus under various initial conditions is acquired by the fully- distributed Raman optical fiber temperature monitoring system. Compared with the real time data, theoretical data has a maximum deviation of 5 °C, this result verifies the accuracy of the model. Based on the model, the study investigates the optimal initial parameters of superconducting car thermal washing by taking effective depth as an optimization goal. The optimal parameters for oil wells with different working conditions are obtained to improve the effectiveness of paraffin removal and increase thermal efficiency. This study provides theoretical support and an inspection method to promote superconducting car thermal washing and paraffin removal as well as to improve productive efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a relatively common mental disorder. Recently, inflammation, an important factor for the development of depression, has attracted increasing attention. Several studies have shown that inflammatory cytokines can affect the pathophysiological processes of several nervous system diseases. We hypothesized that there is a correlation between the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory cytokines and the clinical symptoms of GAD., Aim: To investigate the predictive effect of LPS-stimulated inflammatory cytokines on symptoms of GAD., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 89 patients with GAD diagnosed at The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2022 to December 2022 and 70 individuals without anxiety and depression (controls) during the same period were included. Fasting venous blood was collected from all the subjects in heparin tubes, and another 3 ml of blood was supplemented with LPS (10 ng/ml). The plasma levels of 12 cytokines [Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-17A, IL-12p70, and IFN-α] were detected., Results: Post-LPS stimulation, the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α in both the control and GAD groups were significantly elevated above those in the nonstimulated groups, with IL-6 and IL-8 showing marked increases. Increases in IL-8 and TNF-α were statistically significant in the GAD group ( P < 0.05). IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α were found to be significantly correlated with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores ( P < 0.05). A negative correlation was observed between IL-10 levels and HAMA scores. Further analysis revealed that TNF-α was associated with mental anxiety, whereas IL-1β, IL-8, and IL-10 were associated with physical anxiety symptoms, with IL-10 showing a negative correlation with physical anxiety. IL-6 was associated with both mental and physical aspects of anxiety., Conclusion: The physical symptoms of GAD are related to inflammatory factors. IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-a can be used as predictors of physical or mental anxiety in patients with GAD., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest regarding this work., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) in early stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Macaca mulatta., Methods: Three diabetic Macaca mulattas induced by high-fat diet were identified for early stage of diabetic retinopathy according to the fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c), fundus photograph and duration of diabetes, with another 3 age-matched healthy Macaca mulattas as control. The expression of VEGF and PEDF in the retinas of Macaca mulatta were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry., Result: In early stage of diabetic retinopathy, VEGF mRNA and protein of the diabetic group were both significantly increased compared with the control group (P<0.05). PEDF expression at both mRNA and protein levels was significantly decreased in diabetic Macaca mulattas compared with the control group (P<0.01 and 0.05 respectively)., Conclusion: Retinal VEGF expression is increased and PEDF expression is decreased in early stage of diabetic retinopathy, suggesting their involvement in the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy and their value in assisting in the early diagnosis.