Search

Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) is a Betacoronavirus characterized by neurological symptoms and a worldwide prevalence. Although PHEV is one of the earliest discovered porcine coronaviruses, it remains poorly studied. The full-length genome of the earliest PHEV strain collected in 1970 in the United States (PHEV/67 N/US/1970) was determined in October 2020. Using this virus as a prototype, we comparatively analyzed all available PHEV full-length sequences during 1970–2015. In phylogenetic trees based on PHEV full-length or spike glycoprotein open reading frame genomic sequences, PHEV/67 N/US/1970 was sorted into a clade different from that of viruses isolated in the United States in 2015. Intriguingly, United States and Belgium viruses isolated in 2015 and 2005, respectively, revealed multiple deletion mutation patterns compared to the strain PHEV/67 N/US/1970, leading to a truncated or a non-functional NS2A coding region. In addition, the genomic similarity analysis showed a hypervariability of the spike glycoprotein coding region, which can affect at least eight potential linear B cell epitopes located in the spike glycoprotein. This report indicates that PHEVs in the United States underwent a significant genetic drift, which might influence PHEV surveillance in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The campaign of 2009-2010 Northern Hemisphere seasonal vaccination was concurrent with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Using a hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay, we evaluated the immunogenicity and cross-reactivity of 2009-2010 inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in US adult and elderly populations. Vaccination of TIV resulted in a robust boost on the antibody response of all subjects to seasonal A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) and A/Uruguay/716/2007 (H3N2) with over 70% of recipients reaching a seroprotective titer of 40. B/Brisbane/60/2008 was the least immunogenic among the three seasonal vaccine strains with <30% of TIV recipients reaching a seroprotective titer of 40. TIV vaccination also induced a moderate boost on the pandemic specific antibody responses. Twenty-four percent of adults and 36% of elderly reached a seroprotective HAI titer of 40 or more against pandemic A/South Carolina/18/2009 (H1N1) after receiving TIV compared to 4% and 7% at the beginning of vaccination, respectively. In addition, 22% of adults and 34% of elderly showed an increase of 4-fold or more in A/South Carolina/18/2009 specific HAI titers after TIV vaccination. The pandemic specific cross-reactive antibodies strongly correlated with the post-vaccination HAI titers against the seasonal H3N2 vaccine strain in all subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the dialectics behind the contradictions in the relationship between China and the United States. Crucial reality in China; Reasons pointed by US policy makers as the reason for the conflict of the two races; Why the US was threatened by the self-reliant and self-sufficient path of development that was adopted by China.

Abstract: Ethnopharmcological relevance: Ginseng, a folk medicine which has been used for thousands of years in Asia, has been promoted for the treatment or prevention of health problems including cardiovascular disease. However, the molecular mechanism of ginseng-induced cardiovascular protection is unclear. Thus, we investigated signaling mechanism by which American ginseng inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, a key feature of diverse vascular disease. Materials and methods: A standardized crude extract of American ginseng was supplied by the National Research Council of Canada, Institute for National Measurement Standards. Rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) were exposed to fetal bovine serum (FBS), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), insulin, or angiotensin II (Ang II) to induce proliferation that was examined by measuring DNA synthesis and cell numbers. Western blot was applied to determine the activations of Jak, Stat, Akt, and ERK. Results: American ginseng inhibited RASMC proliferation induced by FBS, PDGF, insulin or Ang II. American ginseng slightly increased both basal and FBS-, PDGF- or Ang II-induced activities of Akt and ERK in RASMCs; however, it dramatically inhibited the activation of Jak2 and Stat3. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that American ginseng inhibits VSMC proliferation through suppressing the Jak/Stat pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education mandated an 80-h/wk resident physician work-hour restriction on July 1, 2003. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the resident work-hour restriction on outcomes of cardiac operations. Materials and Method: We reviewed records of 1562 patients who underwent cardiac operations at our institution between 1997 and 2007, and we compared outcomes of operations performed before July 1, 2003 (pre-reform, n =777) and those performed after July 1, 2003 (post-reform, n =785). Multivariate analysis with logistic regression was used to test for the independent effects of the resident work-hour reform by controlling for patient-specific confounding factors. Results: Post-reform patients had a significantly lower 30-d mortality rate (1.8% versus 3.9%; P =0.01) and a slightly lower 6-month mortality rate (4.5% versus 6.3%; P =0.12) than pre-reform patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that the post-reform patients had significantly lower adjusted 30-d mortality (odds ratio, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.18–0.75; P =0.006) and 6-mo mortality (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34–0.91; P =0.02) than the pre-reform patients. Conclusions: Cardiac operations performed after the resident work-hour restriction went into effect were associated with significantly lower adjusted 30-d and 6-mo mortality rates than were operations performed before the work-hour restriction became effective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hurricane Katrina produced a surge of patient referrals to our facility for cardiac surgery. We sought to determine the impact of this abrupt volume change on operative outcomes. Using our cardiac surgery database, which is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Continuous Improvement in Cardiac Surgery Program, we compared procedural outcomes for all cardiac operations that were performed in the year before the hurricane (Year A, 29 August 2004-28 August 2005) and the year after (Year B, 30 August 2005-29 August 2006). Mortality was examined as unadjusted rates and as risk-adjusted observed-to-expected ratios. We identified 433 cardiac surgery cases: 143 (33%) from Year A and 290 (67%) from Year B. The operative mortality rate was 2.8% during Year A (observed-to-expected ratio, 0.4) and 2.8% during Year B (observed-to-expected ratio, 0.6) (P=0.9). We identified several factors that enabled our institution to accommodate the increase in surgical volume during the study period. We conclude that, although Hurricane Katrina caused a sudden, dramatic increase in the number of cardiac operations that were performed at our facility, good surgical outcomes were maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is a hereditary disease, and ceroid-lipofuscinosis neuronal protein 5 (CLN5) has been proved to be associated with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Here we report 3 patients from 2 families diagnosed with CLN5 neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Whole genome sequencing of DNAs from 3 patients and their families revealed 3 novel homozygous mutations, including 1 deletion CLN5.c718 719delAT and 2 missense mutations c.1082T>C and c.623G>A. We reviewed 278 papers about neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis resulting from CLN5 mutations and compared Chinese cases with 27 European and American cases. The overall age of onset of European and American patients occur mainly at 3 to 6 years (66%, 18/27), 100% (27/27) of patients had psychomotor regression, 99% (26/27) patients presented vision decline, and 70% (19/27) of patients suffered seizures. In China, the age of onset in 3 patients was 5 years, but for 1 patient it was at 17 months. Four Chinese patients presented psychomotor deterioration and seizures; only 1 had visual problems.