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The achievement of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with high stability and exceptional proton conductivity is of tremendous practical importance and challenge. Given this, we hope to prepare the highly stable COFs carrying CN connectors and enhance their proton conductivity via a post-modification approach. Herein, one COF, TpTta, was successfully synthesized by employing 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and 4,4',4″-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)-trianiline (Tta) as starting materials, which has a β-ketoenamine structure bearing a large amount of -NH groups and intramolecular H-bonds. TpTta was then post-modified by inserting imidazole (Im) and histamine (His) molecules, yielding the corresponding COFs, Im@TpTta and His@TpTta, respectively. As a result, their proton conductivities were surveyed under changeable temperatures (30-100 °C) and relative humidities (68-98 %), revealing a degree of temperature and humidity dependence. Impressively, under identical conditions, the optimum proton conductivities of the two post-modified COFs are 1.14 × 10 -2 (Im@TpTta) and 3.45 × 10 -3 S/cm (His@TpTta), which are significantly greater than that of the pristine COF, TpTta (2.57 × 10 -5 S/cm). Finally, their proton conduction mechanisms were hypothesized based on the computed activation energy values, water vapor adsorption values, and structural properties of these COFs. Additionally, the excellent electrochemical stability of the produced COFs was expressed, as well as the prospective application value., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

The approach of shortcuts to adiabaticity enables the effective execution of adiabatic dynamics in quantum information processing with enhanced speed. Owing to the inherent trade-off between dynamical speed and the cost associated with the transitionless driving field, executing arbitrarily fast operations becomes impractical. To understand the accurate interplay between speed and energetic cost in this process, we propose theoretically and verify experimentally a new trade-off, which is characterized by a tightly optimized bound within s-parametrized phase spaces. Our experiment is carried out in a single ultracold ^{40}Ca^{+} ion trapped in a harmonic potential. By exactly operating the quantum states of the ion, we execute the Landau-Zener model as an example, where the quantum speed limit as well as the cost are governed by the spectral gap. We witness that our proposed trade-off is indeed tight in scenarios involving both initially eigenstates and initially thermal equilibrium states. Our work helps understanding the fundamental constraints in shortcuts to adiabaticity and illuminates the potential of underutilized phase spaces that have been traditionally overlooked.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage using electrocautery-enhanced (ECE) delivery of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) is gradually being recognized as a viable palliative technique for malignant biliary obstruction after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) failure. However, most of the studies that have assessed its efficacy and safety were small and heterogeneous. Prior meta-analyses of six or fewer studies that were published 2 years ago were therefore underpowered to yield convincing evidence., Aim: To update the efficacy and safety of ECE-LAMS for treatment of biliary obstruction after ERCP failure., Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases from the inception of the ECE technique to May 13, 2022. Primary outcome measure was pooled technical success rate, and secondary outcomes were pooled rates of clinical success, reintervention, and adverse events. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model following Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformation in R software (version 4.1.3)., Results: Fourteen eligible studies involving 620 participants were ultimately included. The pooled rate of technical success was 96.7%, and clinical success was 91.0%. Adverse events were reported in 17.5% of patients. Overall reintervention rate was 7.3%. Subgroup analyses showed results were generally consistent., Conclusion: ECE-LAMS has favorable success with acceptable adverse events in relieving biliary obstruction when ERCP is impossible. The consistency of results across most subgroups suggested that this is a generalizable approach., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report having no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for human cytomegalovirus infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children and the impact of human cytomegalovirus infection on post-transplant immune reconstitution. Methods: A Retrospective Co-Hort study design was used to include 81 children treated with allo-HSCT from January 2020 to March 2022 at the Department of Hematology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China, and followed up for 1 year. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect positive detection of HCMV in children after allo-HSCT, multifactorial logistic regression modeling was used to analyze the risk factors leading to HCMV infection, and generalized estimating equation modeling was used to analyze the effect of HCMV infection on the T-cells of the children who received allo-HSCT. Results: The age M ( Q 1 , Q 3 ) of 81 children was 5.1 years (10 months, 13.8 years), and 50 (61.7%) were male. By the endpoint of follow-up, a total of 50 HCMV-positive cases were detected, with an HCMV detection rate of 61.7%; The results of multifactorial logistic regression modeling showed that children with grade 2-4 aGVHD had a higher risk of HCMV infection compared with grade 0-1 after transplantation [ OR (95% CI ) value: 2.735 (1.027-7.286)]. The results of generalized estimating equation modeling analysis showed that the number of CD3 + T cells in HCMV-positive children after transplantation was higher than that in the HCMV-negative group [ RR (95% CI ) value: 1.34 (1.008-1.795)]; the ratio of CD4 + T/CD8 + T cells was smaller than that in the HCMV-negative group [ RR (95% CI ) value: 0.377 (0.202-0.704)]; the number of CD8 + T cells was higher than that in the HCMV-negative group [RR (95% CI ) value: 1.435 (1.025-2.061)]; the number of effector memory CD8 + T cells was higher than that in the HCMV-negative group [ RR (95% CI ) value: 1.877 (1.089-3.236)]. Conclusion: Acute graft-versus-host disease may be a risk factor for HCMV infection in children after allo-HSCT; post-transplant HCMV infection promotes proliferation of memory CD8+T-cell populations and affects immune cell reconstitution.

This paper presents a multiple headspace extraction (MHE) analysis technique to determine the water vapor transmission rate of cellulose-based papers. The water vapor passing through the sample in a closed headspace vial is determined by MHE-gas chromatography. The results show that the employed method offers good precision (the relative standard deviation < 3.49 %) and good accuracy. The method is rapid and accurate, and is promising for the determination of the water vapor transmission rate of cellulose-based papers in future studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this report, we present a photocatalytic ring-opening fluorosulfonylation of strained cycloalkanols with sulfur dioxide and NFSI under mild conditions for the synthesis of carbonyl-containing aliphatic sulfonyl fluorides. The synthetic potential of the carbonyl-containing aliphatic sulfonyl fluoride products has been examined by diverse transformations, including SuFEx reactions and Baeyer-Villiger oxidation reactions. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that the reaction operates through a radical C-C bond cleavage/SO 2 insertion/fluorination cascade process.

Aim: To assess the efficacy versus the adverse effects of various concentrations of atropine in the prevention of myopia in Asian children., Methods: Databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Web of science) were comprehensively searched from inception to April 2022. Types of studies included were randomized clinical trials (RCTs). The published languages were limited to English. Two researchers assessed the quality of included studies independently using Cochrane risk of bias tool based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Funnel plots and Egger's test were used for detection of publication bias. Meta-analyses were conducted using STATA (version 15.0; StataCorp)., Results: A total of 15 RCTs involving 2268 patients were included in the study. In the atropine group, spherical equivalent progressed at a significantly lower rate [weighted mean difference (WMD)=0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.23, 0.54] than in the control group. A WMD of 0.15 mm was associated with less axial elongation (95%CI -0.19, -0.10). Different doses showed statistically significant differences ( P <0.05) and an improved effect could result from a higher concentration. Changes in photopic pupil size and mesopic pupil size in atropine group is 0.70 mm (95%CI: 0.33, 1.06) and 0.38 mm (95%CI: 0.22, 0.54) more than the control group. In the present Meta-analysis, no changes in accommodative amplitude (AA) were associated with atropine administration. Atropine administration increased the risk of adverse effects by 1.37 times., Conclusion: Concentrations of less than 1% atropine are able to effectively retard diopter and axis growth of myopia in Asian children in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, it caused pupil enlargement, but induced no change in the AA within this range. Further study is required to determine the dosage needed to achieve maximum efficacy and minimal side effects., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Aim: To evaluate the difference and the correlation between the concentrations of cytokines in the aqueous humor of eyes with macular edema secondary to diabetic retinopathy (DR) or retinal vein occlusion (RVO)., Methods: This is a retrospective case control study. The aqueous humor samples were collected during intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for patients diagnosed with macular edema secondary to DR (DME) or RVO (RVO-ME) at Xijing Hospital from August 2021 to July 2022. Meanwhile, aqueous humor samples during vitrectomy from patients with idiopathic macular hole (IMH) were also collected and served as controls. The aqueous humor concentrations of VEGF, platelet-derived factor (PDGF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) were measured with Human Premixed Multi-Analyte Kit (Luminex). The difference of the aqueous cytokines and the correlation between the two diseases were analyzed., Results: A total of 40 eyes of 38 patients were enrolled in the study, including 13 eyes of 11 DME patients (DME group), 16 eyes of 16 RVO-ME patients (RVO-ME group) and 11 eyes of 11 IMH patients (control group). The VEGF, PDGF, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 levels of the aqueous humor were higher in both DME and RVO-ME groups compared with the control group (all P <0.05), the levels of TNF-α was higher in the DME group than in the control group ( P <0.05). The VEGF, IL-6, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels in the aqueous humor were significantly higher in the DR group than those in the RVO group (all P <0.05). Correlation analyses revealed that there were complex positive correlations between IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, MCP-1, and TNF-α levels in the aqueous humor of eyes with two diseases., Conclusion: Although ischemic and inflammatory factors are similarly involved in the pathogenesis of DME and RVO-ME, the roles of these factors are more significant or more likely to be activated in DR patients, suggesting different treatment strategies should be considered for the two diseases., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

An efficient aminofluorosulfonylation strategy was developed for the synthesis of various pyrazoline-functionalized aliphatic sulfonyl fluorides using β,γ -unsaturated hydrazones with sulfur dioxide and NFSI as the starting materials under mild conditions. The sulfonyl fluoride products could be successfully transformed into the corresponding sulfonate esters and amides via the sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click reactions. Preliminary mechanistic investigations demonstrate that the reaction operates through a radical cyclization/SO 2 insertion/fluorination cascade process.

Rationale: Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene are highly prevalent in non-small cell lung cancer, while rare in other cancers. Primarily it's hardly present in bone metastases from cancer of unknown primary (BMCUP). Currently, no specific treatment options for bone metastases from unknown primary cancers exist., Patient Concerns: The right shoulder and back pain of a 72-years-old man had been persistent for 2 weeks and had developed worse on 1 particular day. The right upper arm was compromised, which also hindered the arm's ability to raise and flex, and nighttime sleep was impacted. After applying the analgesic patch externally, the symptoms did not improve. No coughing or sputum production, chest tightness, shortness of breath, acid reflux, belching, abdominal pain, distension, diarrhea, backache, hematuria, black or bloody feces, or other discomforts appeared over the course of the illness., Diagnoses: The patient had a particular type of bone metastases from primary cancers with genetic test results indicating EGFR amplification and mutation., Interventions: A third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors drug, oral Osimertinib 80 mg once a day with bisphosphonates anti-bone destruction treatment was performed on schedule., Outcomes: Following treatment, the patient's tumor-related symptoms were significantly improved by controlling the disease for up to 11 months and providing great pain relief., Lesson: EGFR-based genetic testing has emerged as a key measure for targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer. However, there are fewer relevant studies for other tumor types like BMCUP. Combined with literature reviews and our report, we provide evidence that targeting EGFR mutations according to the "basket theory" for the treatment of BMCUP is effective., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Organic photoelectrochemical transistor (OPECT) bioanalytics has recently appeared as a promising route for biological measurements, which has major implications in both next-generation photoelectrochemical (PEC) bioanalysis and futuristic biorelated implementations. Via biological dissociation of materials, bioetching is a useful technique for bio-manufacturing and bioanalysis. The intersection of these two domains is expected to be a possible way to achieve innovative OPECT bioanalytics. Herein, we validate such a possibility, which is exemplified by alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-mediated bioetching of a CoOOH/BiVO 4 gate for a signal-on OPECT immunoassay of human immunoglobulin G (HIgG) as the model target. Specifically, target-dependent bioetching of the upper CoOOH layer could result into an enhanced electrolyte contact and light accessibility to BiVO 4 , leading to the modulated response of the polymeric poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) channel that could be monitored by the channel current. The introduced biosensor achieves sensitive detection of HIgG with high selectivity and sensitivity. This work features bioetching-enabled high-efficacy OPECT bioanalysis and is anticipated to serve as a generic protocol, considering the diverse bioetching routes.

Sodium dehydroacetate (DHA-S) is a food additive and preservative. The present study was conducted to investigate the potential toxicity of repeated oral doses of DHA-S. DHA-S was administered orally by gavage to Wistar rats at doses of 0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg BW/day for 28 days, after which growth indicators, clinical pathology, organ weights, and histopathology were determined. Body weight and food consumption were significantly reduced at doses of 100 or 200 mg/kg BW, and some hematological indexes and organ weight were significantly affected, particularly in female rats. At a dose of 200 mg/kg BW, the blood coagulation activities were significantly reduced in female rats. At a dose of 100 or 200 mg/kg BW, the main blood biochemical parameters of both sexes were obviously affected. Similar histological changes in the hepatic and renal tissues were observed in both the treated (200 mg/kg BW DHA-S) and control animals. Female rats were more susceptible to most of the toxic effects caused by DHA-S, which further indicating a gender difference in the toxic phenotype profile of rats. Based on these results, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of DHA-S was determined to be 50 mg/kg BW/day in rats., 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 © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Heparanase has been identified as a universal tumor-associated antigen, but heparanase epitope peptides are difficult to recognize. Therefore, it is necessary to explore novel strategies to ensure efficient delivery to antigen-presenting cells. Here, we established a novel immunotherapy model targeting antigens to dendritic cell (DC) receptors using a combination of heparanase CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell epitope peptides to achieve an efficient cytotoxic T-cell response, which was associated with strong activation of DCs. First, pegylated poly(lactic-coglycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were used to encapsulate a combined heparanase CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell epitope alone or in combination with Toll-like receptor 3 and 7 ligands as a model antigen to enhance immunogenicity. The ligands were then targeted to DC cell-surface molecules using a DEC-205 antibody. The binding and internalization of these PLGA NPs and the activation of DCs, the T-cell response and the tumor-killing effect were assessed. The results showed that PLGA NPs encapsulating epitope peptides (mHpa399 + mHpa519) could be targeted to and internalized by DCs more efficiently, stimulating higher levels of IL-12 production, T-cell proliferation and IFN-γ production by T cells in vitro. Moreover, vaccination with DEC-205-targeted PLGA NPs encapsulating combined epitope peptides exhibited higher tumor-killing efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, delivery of PLGA NP vaccines targeting DEC-205 based on heparanase CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell epitopes are suitable immunogens for antitumor immunotherapy and have promising potential for clinical applications., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A fluorescent porous organic polymer (FPOP) with strong fluorescence and tunable emission colors, was synthesized through a simple cost-effective method via Scholl coupling reaction. Experiments proved the stability and excellent detection and adsorption ability, and microporous nature of the material. Luminescence of FPOP was quenched when addition of nitroaromatic compounds. The properties along with large-scale and low-cost preparation make these FPOP potential candidates for fluorescence detection of nitroaromatic compounds. Additionally, FPOP shows higher adsorption capacity and rate than other reported adsorbents, and has the possibility of being an effective adsorbent for industrial usage. Moreover, a fluorescent test paper was further developed and is found to be sensitive to 10 -8  M level, complete with a rapid response time and visual detection. This newly developed strategy may open up an avenue for exploring porous polymers, particularly those with a strong fluorescence, for the large-scale fabrication of FPOP for various advanced applications., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To detect the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viral load of children after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using chip digital PCR (cdPCR)., Methods: The sensitivity of cdPCR was determined using EBV plasmids and the EBV B95-8 strain. The specificity of EBV cdPCR was evaluated using the EBV B95-8 strain and other herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus 1, herpes simplex virus 2, varicella zoster virus, human cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6, and human herpesvirus 7). From May 2019 to September 2020, 64 serum samples of children following HSCT were collected. EBV infection and the viral load of serum samples were detected by cdPCR. The epidemiological characteristics of EBV infections were analyzed in HSCT patients., Results: The limit of detection of EBV cdPCR was 110 copies/mL, and the limit of detection of EBV quantitative PCR was 327 copies/mL for the pUC57-BALF5 plasmid. The result of EBV cdPCR was up to 121 copies/mL in the EBV B95-8 strain, and both were more sensitive than that of quantitative PCR. Using cdPCR, the incidence of EBV infection was 18.75% in 64 children after HSCT. The minimum EBV viral load was 140 copies/mL, and the maximum viral load was 3,209 copies/mL using cdPCR. The average hospital stay of children with EBV infection (184 ± 91 days) was longer than that of children without EBV infection (125 ± 79 days), P = 0.026., Conclusion: EBV cdPCR had good sensitivity and specificity. The incidence of EBV infection was 18.75% in 64 children after HSCT from May 2019 to September 2020. EBV cdPCR could therefore be a novel method to detect EBV viral load in children after HSCT., (Copyright © 2022 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To investigate therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine formulations, Hexuemingmu (HXMM) on laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and follow-up effect in mice., Methods: C57BL/6 mice of 8-week-old were used and CNV was induced with 577 nm laser photocoagulation. Animals were randomly divided into groups and different doses of HXMM were administered daily. One, four, and eight weeks after the intervention, the electroretinogram (ERG), fundus fluorescence angiography, choroidal flat mount and immunofluorescence staining were preformed to evaluate the function and CNV formation. The expression levels of angiogenic proteins were determined by Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. An analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to test the differences among the groups., Results: The results showed that HXMM effectively increased amplitude of ERG of mice ( P <0.05), alleviated fundus CNV leakage ( P <0.05), and reduced the area of neovascularization and the expression of angiogenic proteins ( P <0.05) after laser-induced CNV., Conclusion: HXMM can protect the retinal function of mice after laser-induced CNV, and inhibit the CNV development., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Metformin (MET), a first-line oral agent used to treat diabetes, exerts its function mainly by activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein. The accumulation of oxidized phospholipids in the outer layer of the retina plays a key role in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells death and the formation of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which mean the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Recent studies have shown that MET can regulate lipid metabolism, inhibit inflammation, and prohibit retinal cell death and CNV formation due to various pathological factors. Here, newly discovered functions of MET that may be used for the prevention and treatment of AMD were reviewed., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Although JAM-C is abundantly expressed in the retinae and upregulated in choroidal neovascularization (CNV), it remains thus far poorly understood whether it plays a role in the blood-retinal barrier, which is critical to maintain the normal functions of the eye. Here, we report that JAM-C is highly expressed in retinal capillary endothelial cells (RCECs), and VEGF or PDGF-C treatment induced JAM-C translocation from the cytoplasm to the cytomembrane. Moreover, JAM-C knockdown in RCECs inhibited the adhesion and transmigration of macrophages from wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD) patients to and through RCECs, whereas JAM-C overexpression in RCECs increased the adhesion and transmigration of macrophages from both wAMD patients and healthy controls. Importantly, the JAM-C overexpression-induced transmigration of macrophages from wAMD patients was abolished by the administration of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203X. Of note, we found that the serum levels of soluble JAM-C were more than twofold higher in wAMD patients than in healthy controls. Mechanistically, we show that JAM-C overexpression or knockdown in RCECs decreased or increased cytosolic Ca 2+ concentrations, respectively. Our findings suggest that the dynamic translocation of JAM-C induced by vasoactive molecules might be one of the mechanisms underlying inner endothelial BRB malfunction, and inhibition of JAM-C or PKC in RCECs may help maintain the normal function of the inner BRB. In addition, increased serum soluble JAM-C levels might serve as a molecular marker for wAMD, and modulating JAM-C activity may have potential therapeutic value for the treatment of BRB malfunction-related ocular diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Hou, Du, Zhou, Hu, Wang and Li.)

Background: Inflammatory activation of hepatic macrophages plays a primary role in drug-induced liver injury (DILI). However, the exact mechanism underlying DILI remains unclear., Methods: A total of 328 DILI patients and 80 healthy individuals were prospectively enrolled in this study. The DILI patients were categorized into subgroups based on either disease severity or histopathological patterns. Plasma soluble CD163 (sCD163) and hepatic CD163 were examined to determine hepatic macrophage activation, and CD8, CD20, and MUM-1 were assessed to determine cellular immunity using immunohistochemistry. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pathway proteins [e.g. LPS, soluble CD14 (sCD14), and LPS-binding protein (LBP)] were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: Plasma sCD163 levels were nine-fold higher in DILI patients than in healthy controls at the baseline, but significantly decreased at the 4-week follow-up visit after treatment. The numbers of hepatic macrophages, B cells, and plasma cells were significantly higher in the liver tissues from DILI patients than those from healthy controls. Furthermore, the baseline levels of LPS pathway proteins in the DILI patients were significantly higher than those in the controls. Notably, these proteins significantly decreased at the 4-week follow-up visit but remained significantly higher than the levels for the controls., Conclusions: Hepatic inflammation in DILI involves the activation of hepatic macrophages and cellular immunity, in which the LPS pathway likely plays a role, at least in part. As such, this study has improved our understanding of the pathological mechanisms for DILI and may facilitate the development of better treatments for patients with DILI.

Objective: To analyze the endemic situation of schistosomiasis in national surveillance sites of Zhejiang Province, so as to provide the scientific evidence for formulating the new schistosomiasis surveillance program and consolidating schistosomiasis elimination achievements., Methods: A total of 54 to 55 national surveillance sites and 6 risk monitoring sites were assigned in historical endemic regions of Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2019, where the Schistosoma japonicum infections in humans, livestock, snails and wild feces were monitored. All data pertaining to the surveillance results were descriptively analyzed., Results: There were 34 530 person-time local residents receiving serological screening for S. japonicum infections in national surveillance sites of Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2019, and the seroprevalance of S. japonicum infections were 0.29% to 0.68%; however, no egg-positives were detected. During the period from 2015 to 2019, there were 62 086 person-time mobile populations receiving serological screening for S. japonicum infections in national surveillance sites of Zhejiang Province, and the seroprevalance of S. japonicum infections were 0.32% to 0.56%; additionally, there were 27 egg-positives identified, including 3 imported cases with schistosomiasis haematobia and one case with acute schistosomiasis japonica, indicating that the adjusted prevalence of Schistosoma infections were 0.01% to 0.07% among mobile populations. A total of 829 livestock were examined for S. japonicum infections, with no positives detected. There were 10.55 hm 2 and 2.89 hm 2 snail habitats found in national surveillance sites and risk monitoring sites of Zhejiang Province during the 5-year period, respectively; however, no S. japonicum infections were identified in snails. Moreover, a total of 305 wild feces were tested for S. japonicum infections, and no egg-positives were identified., Conclusions: The schistosomiasis elimination achievement have been consolidated in Zhejiang Province; however, the risk factors of re-emerging schistosomiasis have not been completely eliminated, such as residual snails and imported schistosomiasis cases. Further surveillance and control activities of snails and the source of S. japonicum infections should be reinforced.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine based on latent membrane protein 2 (LMP2) modified dendritic cells (DCs) that boosts specific responses of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to LMP2 before and after intradermal injection in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)., Methods: DCs were derived from peripheral blood monocytes of patients with NPC. We prepared LMP2-DCs infected by recombinant adenovirus vector expressing LMP2 (rAd-LMP2). NPC patients were immunized with 2 × 10 5 LMP2-DCs by intradermal injection at week 0 and after the second and fourth weeks. Specific responses to LMP2 were detected by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay at week 0 and at the fifth and eighth weeks. Local clinicians performed the follow-up and tracking of patients., Results: We demonstrated that DCs derived from monocytes displayed typical DC morphologies; the expression of LMP2 in the LMP2-DCs vaccine was confirmed by immunocytochemical assay. Twenty-nine patients with NPC were enrolled in this clinical trial. The LMP2-DCs vaccine was well tolerated in all of the patients. Boosted responses to LMP2 peptide sub-pools were observed in 18 of the 29 patients with NPC. The follow-up data of 29 immunized patients from April, 2010 to April 2015 indicated a five-year survival rate of 94.4% in responders and 45.5% in non-responders., Conclusion: In this pilot study, we demonstrated that the LMP2-DCs vaccine is safe and effective in patients with NPC. Specific CTLs responses to LMP2 play a certain role in controlling and preventing the recurrence and metastasis of NPC, which warrants further clinical testing., (Copyright © 2020 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To investigate whether intravitreal injection of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) can promote laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) formation in mice and the mechanism involved, thereby to develop a better animal model., Methods: C57BL6/J mice were randomized into three groups. Immediately after CNV induction with 532 nm laser photocoagulation, 1.0 µL of OxLDL [100 µg/mL in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)] was intravitreally injected, whereas PBS and the same volume low-density lipoprotein (LDL; 100 µg/mL in PBS) were injected into the vitreous as controls. Angiogenic and inflammatory cytokines were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) after 5d, and CNV severity was analyzed by choroid flat mount and immunofluorescence staining after 1wk. In vitro , retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell line (ARPE19) were treated with OxLDL (LDL as control) for 8h. Angiogenic and inflammatory cytokine levels were measured. A specific inhibitor of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX1) was used to evaluate the role of LOX1 in this process., Results: At 7d after intravitreal injection of 1 µL (100 µg/mL) OxLDL, T15-labeled OxLDL was mainly deposited around the CNV area, and the F4/80-labeled macrophages, the CD31-labeled vascular endothelial cells number and CNV area were increased. Meanwhile, WB and qRT-PCR results showed that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expressions were increased, which was supported by in vitro experiments in RPE cells. LOX1 inhibitors significantly reduced expressions of inflammatory factors IL-1β and VEGF., Conclusion: A modified laser-induced CNV animal model is established with intravitreal injection of 1 µL (100 µg/mL) of OxLDL at 7d, which at least partially through LOX1. This animal model can be used as a simple model for studying the role of OxLDL in age-related macular degeneration., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

The liver is the only visceral organ that exhibits a remarkable capability of regenerating in response to partial hepatectomy (PH) or chemical injury. Improving liver regeneration (LR) ability is the basis for the favourable treatment outcome of patients after PH, which can serve as a potential indicator for postoperative survival. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Yiqi Huoxue recipe (YQHX) on LR after PH in rats and further elucidate its underlying mechanism. A two-thirds PH rat model was used in this study. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated, PH, YQHX + PH, and Fuzheng Huayu decoction (FZHY) + PH groups. All rats were sacrificed under anesthesia at 24 and 72 h after surgery. The rates of LR were calculated, and the expression levels of cyclin D1 and c-jun were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The protein levels of p-JNK1/2, JNK1/2, p-c-jun, c-jun, Bax, and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blotting, while the mRNA levels of JNK1, JNK2, c-jun, Bax, and Bcl-2 were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). At the corresponding time points, YQHX and FZHY administration dramatically induced the protein levels of p-JNK1/2 compared to the PH group ( p < 0.05), while FZHY + PH group showed prominently increase in p-JNK1/2 protein levels compared to the YQHX + PH group ( p < 0.05). A similar trend was observed for the expression levels of p-c-jun. Compared to the PH group, YQHX and FZHY markedly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bax at 24 h after PH, while those in the FZHY + PH group decreased more obviously ( p < 0.05). Besides, in comparison with the PH group, YQHX and FZHY administration predominantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of Bcl-2 at 24 and 72 h after PH ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, YQHX improves LR in rats after PH by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis via the JNK signaling pathway., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Wen-cong Li et al.)

Strain CPCC 203383 T , isolated from the surface-sterilized fruit of Cerasus pseudocerasus (Lindl.) G. Don, was taxonomically characterized based on a polyphasic investigation. It had the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Ornithinimicrobium pekingense DSM 21552 (97.2 %) and O. kibberense DSM 17687 T (97.2%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain formed a distinct phyletic branch within the genus Ornithinimicrobium and the whole genome sequence data analyses supported that strain CPCC 203383 T was phylogenetically related to the Ornithinimicrobium species. The isolate shared a range of phenotypic patterns reported for members of the genus Ornithinimicrobium , but also had a range of cultural, physiological and biochemical characteristics that separated it from related Ornithinimicrobium species. The menaquinone was MK-8(H 4 ). The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and unidentified lipids (ULs). The major fatty acids (>5 %) were iso -C 15 : 0 , anteiso -C 15 : 0 , iso -C 16:0, 9- methyl C 16 : 0 , iso -C 17 : 0 and anteiso -C 17 : 0 . The cell wall peptidoglycan contains l-ornithine as diagnostic diamino acid and an interpeptide bridge consisting of L -Orn← L -Ala←Gly← D -Asp. The combined genotypic and phenotypic data indicated that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Ornithinimicrobium, for which the name Ornithinimicrobium cerasi sp. nov. is proposed, with CPCC 203383 T (=NBRC 113522 T =KCTC 49200 T ) as the type strain. The DNA G+C composition is 72.3 mol%. The availability of new data allows for an emended description of the genus Ornithinimicrobium .

Background: Calycosin (CAL), a type of O-methylated isoflavone extracted from the herb Astralagusmembranaceus (AM), is a bioactive chemical with antioxidative, antiphlogistic and antineoplastic activities commonly used in traditional alternative Chinese medicine. AM has been shown to confer health benefits as an adjuvant in the treatment of a variety of diseases., Aim: The main objective of this study was to determine whether CAL influences the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) system involved in drug metabolism., Methods: Midazolam, tolbutamide, omeprazole, metoprolol and phenacetin were selected as probe drugs. Rats were randomly divided into three groups, specifically, 5% Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for 8 days (Control), 5% CMC for 7 days + CAL for 1 day (single CAL) and CAL for 8 days (conc CAL), and metabolism of the five probe drugs evaluated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS)., Results: No significant differences were observed for omeprazole and midazolam, compared to the control group. T max and t 1/2 values of only one probe drug, phenacetin, in the conc CAL group were significantly different from those of the control group ( T max h: 0.50±0.00 vs 0.23±0.15; control vs conc CAL). C max of tolbutamide was decreased about two-fold in the conc CAL treatment group (conc vs control: 219.48 vs 429.56, P <0.001)., Conclusion: Calycosin inhibits the catalytic activities of CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP2C9. Accordingly, we recommend caution, particularly when combining CAL as a modality therapy with drugs metabolized by CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP2C9, to reduce the potential risks of drug accumulation or ineffective treatment., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2020 Wu et al.)

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in liver cancer patients with different times of previous conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) treatments., Methods: 367 liver cancer patients about to receive DEB-TACE treatment were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. All patients were divided into no previous cTACE group (NPC group), 1-2 times previous cTACE group (PC group) and triple or above previous cTACE group (TPC group) according to the times of previous cTACE treatments., Results: There was no difference in complete response (CR) (P = 0.671) and objective response rate (ORR) (P = 0.062) among three groups. Additionally, no difference in overall survival (OS) among groups (P = 0.899) was found. As to liver function, most liver function indexes were deteriorative at 1 week after DEB-TACE operation, but returned to baseline at 1-3 months after DEB-TACE operation in all three groups, while percentage of abnormal total bile acid (TBA) patients was higher in TPC group than NPC and PC groups at 1-3 month post-DEB-TACE (P = 0.018). As for safety profiles, the incidence of pain during DEB-TACE operation was lower in TPC group compared to NPC and PC groups (P = 0.005), while no difference of other adverse events was found during and 1 month post-DEB-TACE treatment among three groups., Conclusion: DEB-TACE treatment was equally efficient and tolerated in liver cancer patients with different times of previous cTACE treatments.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175807.].

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of salidroside on the activities of the different drug-metabolizing enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 in rats, in which a specific probe drug was used for each enzyme., Materials and Methods: After pretreatment with salidroside, five probe drugs were simultaneously administered to rats by gavage. The given dose was 2.0 mg/kg for phenacetin (CYP1A2 activity), 4.0 mg/kg for bupropion (CYP2B6 activity), 2.0 mg/kg for losartan (CYP2C9 activity), 8.0 mg/kg for metoprolol (CYP2D6 activity) and 1.0 mg/kg for midazolam (CYP3A4 activity). Then, an ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used to analyze the concentrations of rats' blood, which were collected at different corresponding times., Results: Our data showed that salidroside exhibited an inductive effect on CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 activities by changing the main pharmacokinetic parameters (t1/2, CL/F, Cmax and AUC(0-∞)) of the four probe drugs in rats. However, no significant changes in CYP2D6 activity were observed., Conclusion: In a word, the results displayed that salidroside could induce the activities of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4, which may influence the disposition of the drugs that are mainly metabolized by these pathways. Our research can provide the basis for the study of related herb-drug interactions in clinic.

Background: Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are more frequent in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Due to limited access to leptomeningeal lesions, the purpose of this study was to explore the potential role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a source of liquid biopsy in patients with LM., Patients and Methods: Primary tumor, CSF, and plasma in NSCLC with LM were tested by next-generation sequencing. In total, 45 patients with suspected LM underwent lumbar puncture, and those with EGFR mutations diagnosed with LM were enrolled., Results: A total of 28 patients were enrolled in this cohort; CSF and plasma were available in 26 patients, respectively. Driver genes were detected in 100% (26/26), 84.6% (22/26), and 73.1% (19/26) of samples comprising CSF cell-free DNA (cfDNA), CSF precipitates, and plasma, respectively; 92.3% (24/26) of patients had much higher allele fractions in CSF cfDNA than the other two media. Unique genetic profiles were captured in CSF cfDNA compared with those in plasma and primary tissue. Multiple copy number variations (CNVs) were mainly identified in CSF cfDNA, and MET copy number gain identified in 47.8% (11/23) of patients was the most frequent one, while other CNVs included ERBB2, KRAS, ALK, and MYC. Moreover, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of TP53 was identified in 73.1% (19/26) CSF cfDNA, which was much higher than that in plasma (2/26, 7.7%; P < 0.001). There was a trend towards a higher frequency of concomitant resistance mutations in patients with TP53 LOH than those without (70.6% versus 33.3%; P = 0.162). EGFR T790M was identified in CSF cfDNA of 30.4% (7/23) of patients who experienced TKI progression., Conclusion: CSF cfDNA could reveal the unique genetic profiles of LM and should be considered as the most representative liquid biopsy medium for LM in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

Background: Skeletal myoblast transplantation seems a promising approach for the repair of myocardial infarction (MI). However, the low engraftment efficacy and impaired angiogenic ability limit the clinical efficiency of the myoblasts. Gene engineering with angiogenic growth factors promotes angiogenesis and enhances engraftment of transplanted skeletal myoblasts, leading to improved infarction recovery in myocardial ischemia. The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene-engineered skeletal myoblasts on tissue regeneration and restoration of heart function in a rat MI model., Methods and Results: The skeletal myoblasts were isolated, expanded, and transduced with adenovirus carrying the HGF gene (Ad-HGF). Male SD rats underwent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. After 2 weeks, the surviving rats were randomized into four groups and treated with skeletal myoblasts by direct injection into the myocardium. The survival and engraftment of skeletal myoblasts were determined by real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. The cardiac function with hemodynamic index and left ventricular architecture were monitored; The adenovirus-mediated-HGF gene transfection increases the HGF expression and promotes the proliferation of skeletal myoblasts in vitro. Transplantation of HGF-engineered skeletal myoblasts results in reduced infarct size and collagen deposition, increased vessel density, and improved cardiac function in a rat MI model. HGF gene modification also increases the myocardial levels of HGF, VEGF, and Bcl-2 and enhances the survival and engraftment of skeletal myoblasts., Conclusions: HGF engineering improves the regenerative effect of skeletal myoblasts on MI by enhancing their survival and engraftment ability.

A formal [4 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 1,3-disubstituted indoles and alkylquinones was realized to furnish polycyclic indolines in good yields. This protocol proceeded smoothly under basic conditions, with high atom-economy and broad substrate scope.

The safety of miRNAs has been proven and the prophylactic use of miRNA-based approaches may be foreseen for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the underlying regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in HCC has not been fully clarified. Using bioinformatic analyses, we compared data of miRNA and mRNA expression profiling of HCC from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, respectively. Differentially expressed miRNAs and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Based on the miRTarBase predictions, the miRNA-dependent regulatory network was constructed. In total, comparative analysis of five mRNA datasets and two miRNA datasets led to 1449 DEGs and 17 differentially expressed miRNAs, respectively. Based on the predictions, a global miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was then constructed, which encompassed 451 miRNA target gene pairs whose expressions were inversely correlated. Three miRNAs (miR-641, miR-507 and miR-501-5p) were the most connected miRNAs that regulated a large number of genes, among which miR-641 and miR-507 were novel miRNAs altered in HCC. We suggested that miR-501-5p will represent a powerful therapeutic target for HCC. Moreover, four up-regulated miRNAs (miR-769-3p, miR-941, miR-362-3p and miR-16-1) and one down-regulated miRNA (miR-581) may be involved in HCC. Additionally, two targets of MAPK8 and SRPK2 were also detected in this study, whose roles in HCC will be notable. In conclusion, we developed an integrative approach to construct an interactive global network of miRNA-mRNA, which can contribute to refine miRNA target predictions for developing new therapeutic approaches.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of FibroTouch and FibroScan for the stage of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Methods: A total of 66 PBC patients who visited our hospital from January 2014 to March 2016 were enrolled, and all the patients underwent liver biopsy and FibroTouch and FibroScan tests. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) was used to assess fibrosis degree, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the cut-off values, sensitivities, and specificities of these two methods in determining fibrosis stage. The Spearman rank correlation test was used to investigate the correlation between FibroTouch and FibroScan values. Results: The correlation coefficients between FibroTouch or FibroScan values and fibrosis stage determined by liver biopsy were 0.904 and 0.880, respectively (both P < 0.01). The cut-off values of FibroTouch in the diagnosis of PBC with fibrosis stages of ≥S1, ≥S2, ≥S3, and ≥S4 were 6.25 kPa, 9.05 kPa, 11.75 kPa, and 18.95 kPa, respectively, with sensitivities of 89.7%, 94.7%, 80.0%, and 80.0% and specificities of 100%, 100%, 87.0%, and 100%, respectively; the cut-off values of FibroScan were 6.05 kPa, 8.85 kPa, 12.40 kPa, and 16.20 kPa, respectively, with sensitivities of 96.4%, 88.6%, 76.2%, and 100% and specificities of 77.8%, 100%, 86.4%, and 93.0%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the diagnostic performance between FibroTouch and FibroScan in determining fibrosis stage [≥S1 ( P = 0.109), ≥S2 ( P = 0.853), ≥S3 ( P = 0.387), ≥S4 ( P = 0.224)]. Conclusion: FibroTouch and FibroScan can be used as noninvasive diagnostic tools for the determination of fibrosis stage and the monitoring of disease progression in PBC patients and have good sensitivity and specificity.

Objective To evaluate whether gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio index (GPRI) can diagnose the extent of liver fibrosis in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. Methods This prospective observational study used liver biopsy results as the gold standard to evaluate the ability of GPRI to predict hepatic fibrosis compared with two other markers, the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4). The clinical and demographic factors that affected GPRI, independent of liver fibrosis, were assessed using multivariate linear regression analyses. Results This study enrolled 312 patients with CHB. GPRI had a significantly positive correlation with liver fibrosis stage and the correlation coefficient was higher than that for APRI and FIB-4. The areas under the receiver operating curves for GPRI for significant fibrosis, bridging fibrosis, and cirrhosis were 0.728, 0.836, and 0.842, respectively. Of the three indices, GPRI had the highest diagnostic accuracy for bridging fibrosis and cirrhosis. Age, elevated AST and elevated total bilirubin levels were independent determinants of increased GPRI. Conclusion GPRI was a more reliable laboratory marker than APRI and FIB-4 for predicting the stage of liver fibrosis in Chinese patients with CHB.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of snails in a nursery stock park in the middle region of Zhejiang Province and assess the risk of snail output via the mud balls of transplanted seedlings, to provide scientific data for making strategies for snail control., Methods: We selected three species of seedlings including Osmanthus fragrans (a large tree), Camellia sasanqua (a small tree), and Purpus privet (a type of shrub) in a nursery stock park in a snail-positive middle region of Zhejiang Province during 2014-2016 to calculate the areas of regions with snails and the density of living snails. In 30 trees of each species, the distribution of snails within the seedlings ground diameter (radius of investigation, 100 cm for Osmanthus fragrans; 30 cm for Camellia Sasanqua and Purpus Privet) and in different soil layers (surface and superficial layers, 0-3 cm; deep layer, 3-10 cm) was assessed. In addition, the presence of snails in mud balls of 50 trees of Photinia fraseri (a small tree with high density of snails) was investigated to assess the risk of snail output., Results: In the planting areas of Osmanthus fragrans（3 930 m2）, Camellia sasanqua（2 000 m2）, and Purpus privet （1 700 m2）, the areas of snail-positive regions were 200, 900 and 800 m2, respectively, with the density of living snails being 0.08, 0.56 and 0.55/0.1 m2. For Osmanthus fragrans, Camellia sasanqua and Purpus privet, 238, 654 and 645 snails were detected respectively within their seedlings ground diameter, including 159（66.8%）, 461（70.5%） and 376 （58.3%） snails in the surface layer, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the superficial and deep layers（P＜0.01）. Snails were found in all the 50 trees of Photinia fraseri（3 726 snails, 706 adult snails and 3 020 immature snails, 75 snails/tree on average）., Conclusion: There is a high density of snails in the nursery stock park in the middle region of Zhejiang Province. The snails are distributed mainly in the surface layer, suggesting a risk of snail output through mud balls.

Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), one of the oldest extant actinopterygian fishes with very high evolutionary, economical and conservation interest, is considered to be one of the critically endangered aquatic animals in China. Up to date, the immune system of this species remains largely undetermined with little sequence information publicly available. Herein, the first comprehensive transcriptome of immune tissues for Chinese sturgeon was characterized using Illumina deep sequencing. Over 67 million high-quality reads were generated and de novo assembled into the final set of 91,739 unique sequences. The annotation pipeline revealed that 25,871 unigenes were successfully annotated in the public databases, of which only 2002 had significant match to the existing sequences for the genus Acipenser. Overall 22,827 unigenes were categorized into 52 GO terms, 12,742 were classified into 26 KOG categories, and 4968 were assigned to 339 KEGG pathways. A more detailed annotation search showed the presence of a notable representation of immune-related genes, which suggests that this non-teleost actinopterygian fish harbors the same intermediates as in the well known immune pathways from mammals and teleosts, such as pattern recognition receptor (PRR) signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, complement and coagulation pathway, T-cell receptor (TCR) and B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathways. Additional genetic marker discovery led to the retrieval of 20,056 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 327,140 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This immune-enriched transcriptome of Chinese sturgeon represents a rich resource that adds to the currently nascent field of chondrostean fish immunogenetics and furthers the conservation and management of this valuable fish., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa between 2014 and 2015 was the largest EDV epidemic since the identification of Ebola virus (EBOV) in 1976, and the countries most strongly affected were Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia., Findings: The Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory (SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab), a fixed Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in the capital city of Sierra Leone, was established by the Chinese government and has been active in EBOV detection since 11 March 2015. Complete management and program documents were created for the SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab, and it was divided into four zones (the green, yellow, brown, and red zones) based on the risk assessment. Different types of safe and appropriate personnel protection equipment (PPE) are used in different zones of the laboratory, and it fully meets the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory standards of the World Health Organization., Conclusion: Good preparedness, comprehensive risk assessment and operation documents, appropriate PPE, effective monitoring and intensive training, together with well-designed and reasonable laboratory sectioning are essential for guaranteeing biosafety.

Multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) are a peculiar group of magnetotactic bacteria, each comprising approximately 10-100 cells of the same phylotype. Two morphotypes of MMP have been identified, including several species of globally distributed spherical mulberry-like MMPs (s-MMPs), and two species of ellipsoidal pineapple-like MMPs (e-MMPs) from China (Qingdao and Rongcheng cities). We recently collected e-MMPs from Mediterranean Sea sediments (Six-Fours-les-Plages) and Drummond Island, in the South China Sea. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the MMPs from Six-Fours-les-Plages and the previously reported e-MMP Candidatus Magnetananas rongchenensis have 98.5% sequence identity and are the same species, while the MMPs from Drummond Island appear to be a novel species, having > 7.1% sequence divergence from the most closely related e-MMP, Candidatus Magnetananas tsingtaoensis. Identification of the novel species expands the distribution of e-MMPs to Tropical Zone. Comparison of nine physical and chemical parameters revealed that sand grain size and the content of inorganic nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium and nitrite) in the sediments from Rongcheng City and Six-Fours-les-Plages were similar, and lower than found for sediments from the other two sampling sites. The results of the study reveal broad diversity and wide distribution of e-MMPs., (© 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

In this study, the cDNA of dmrt1 gene from the Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis was isolated and its expression pattern was characterized in different tissues of immature A. sinensis. By real-time quantitative PCR (qrtPCR) analysis, the A. sinensis dmrt1 mRNA was detected mainly in gonad and with a higher level in the testis than the ovary, especially in 3 and 4 year-old samples. This indicated that the dmrt1 expression exhibited gradual testis specificity with development. The subcellular localization analysis indicated that the Dmrt1 protein exists only in germ cells and not in somatic cells. These results suggest that A. sinensis dmrt1 might be a highly specific sex differentiation gene for testis development and spermatogenesis., (© 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)

Visible-light induced isoindole formation triggered an intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction with dienophiles such as acetylenedicarboxylate and maleimides in the presence of air. The reaction resulted in excellent diastereoselctivity and high yields under mild reaction conditions. This protocol provides an atom-economical, transition-metal-free (TM-free) and straightforward approach to structurally diverse bridged-ring heterocycles from easily accessible molecules.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat and other small grain cereals is a globally devastating disease caused by toxigenic Fusarium pathogens. Controlling FHB is a challenge because germplasm that is naturally resistant against these pathogens is inadequate. Current control measures rely on fungicides. Here, an antibody fusion comprised of the Fusarium spp.-specific recombinant antibody gene CWP2 derived from chicken, and the endochitinase gene Ech42 from the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma atroviride was introduced into the elite wheat cultivar Zhengmai9023 by particle bombardment. Expression of this fusion gene was regulated by the lemma/palea-specific promoter Lem2 derived from barley; its expression was confirmed as lemma/palea-specific in transgenic wheat. Single-floret inoculation of independent transgenic wheat lines of the T3 to T6 generations revealed significant resistance (type II) to fungal spreading, and natural infection assays in the field showed significant resistance (type I) to initial infection. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed marked reduction of mycotoxins in the grains of the transgenic wheat lines. Progenies of crosses between the transgenic lines and the FHB-susceptible cultivar Huamai13 also showed significantly enhanced FHB resistance. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the tissue-specific expression of the antibody fusion was induced by salicylic acid drenching and induced to a greater extent by F. graminearum infection. Histochemical analysis showed substantial restriction of mycelial growth in the lemma tissues of the transgenic plants. Thus, the combined tissue-specific and pathogen-inducible expression of this Fusarium-specific antibody fusion can effectively protect wheat against Fusarium pathogens and reduce mycotoxin content in grain., (© 2014 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Two morphotypes (spherical and ellipsoidal) of multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) have been reported from the sediments of Lake Yuehu, China. Here, their temporal distributions and their relationships with biogeochemical parameters are studied. Samples were collected at approximately 2-week intervals from two sites (A and B) during the period September 2012 to December 2013. The abundance of MMPs was high in summer and autumn, but low in winter and spring. Furthermore, the peaks in the numbers of the two types of MMPs were sequential, with the highest concentration of the spherical MMPs occurring prior to that of the ellipsoidal MMPs. This may be related to different optimal growth temperatures for the two types. Although the two types of MMP coexisted at both sites, their numbers were different; at most times, spherical MMPs dominated at site A, whereas ellipsoidal MMPs dominated at site B. Geochemical analysis revealed that the environmental conditions at site A varied more than at site B. Compared with the widely distributed spherical MMPs, ellipsoidal MMPs seemed to prefer more stable habitats. This is the first report of the temporal distribution of ellipsoidal MMPs in sediments, suggesting that their environmental adaptations differ from those of spherical MMPs., (© 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Two morphotypes of multicellular magnetotactic prokaryotes (MMPs) have been identified: spherical (several species) and ellipsoidal (previously one species). Here, we report novel ellipsoidal MMPs that are ∼ 10 × 8 μm in size, and composed of about 86 cells arranged in six to eight interlaced circles. Each MMP was composed of cells that synthesized either bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes alone, or both bullet-shaped magnetite and rectangular greigite magnetosomes. They showed north-seeking magnetotaxis, ping-pong motility and negative phototaxis at a velocity up to 300 μm s(-1) . During reproduction, they divided along either their long- or short-body axes. For genetic analysis, we sorted the ellipsoidal MMPs with micromanipulation and amplified their genomes using multiple displacement amplification. We sequenced the 16S rRNA gene and found 6.9% sequence divergence from that of ellipsoidal MMPs, Candidatus Magnetananas tsingtaoensis and > 8.3% divergence from those of spherical MMPs. Therefore, the novel MMPs belong to different species and genus compared with the currently known ellipsoidal and spherical MMPs respectively. The novel MMPs display a morphological cell differentiation, implying a potential division of labour. These findings provide new insights into the diversity of MMPs in general, and contribute to our understanding of the evolution of multicellularity among prokaryotes., (© 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To investigate T helper 17/regulatory T cell alterations in early severe hepatitis B and the effect of glucocorticoids., Methods: The study included 20 patients in the early stage of severe hepatitis B (SHB) and 11 healthy controls. All patients had elevated T helper 17 (Th17) levels, decreased regulatory T (Treg) cell levels, and significant Th17/Treg ratios., Results: After glucocorticoid treatment, 16 patients showed improvement with significant decreases in Th17 levels, increases in Treg, and rebalanced Th17/Treg ratios. The four patients who showed no improvement had increases in both Th17 and Treg levels and an even higher Th17/Treg ratio than before., Conclusion: Glucocorticoid treatment can rectify Th17/Treg dysregulation in patients with SHB.

An efficient approach to synthesize N-aryl pyrroles via Lewis acid-mediated 1,5-hydride shift and isomerization of 2-(3-pyrroline-1-yl)arylaldehydes has been achieved in up to 89% yield. This methodology is applicable to the synthesis of fluorazene derivatives as electron donor (D)/acceptor (A) molecules.

Lewis acid-catalyzed redox-neutral amination of 2-(3-pyrroline-1-yl)benzaldehydes via intramolcular [1,5]-hydride shift/isomerization reaction has been realized, using the inherent reducing power of 3-pyrrolines. A series of N-arylpyrrole containing amines are obtained in high yields.