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Dangerous Paracoccus marginatus papaya mealybugs cause considerable threats and challenges to cassava production and processing. The deployment of resistant cultivars offers effective, economical and eco-friendly management strategies for pest management. We utilized P. marginatus mortality, development and reproduction to evaluate the resistance of fifteen cassava cultivars and conducted physiological and biochemical analyses when P. marginatus was fed on two resistant cultivars (Myanmar, C1115) and three susceptible cultivars (BRA900, Bread, SC205). Significantly lower digestive (amylase, sucrase, lipase), detoxification (glutathione-S-transferase and carboxylesterase) and antioxidant, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), enzyme activities were observed in P. marginatus feeding on resistant cultivars compared to susceptible cultivars. For resistant cultivars, a significant reduction was found in nutritional components containing free amino acids, nitrogen, soluble sugars and the secondary metabolite malondialdehyde. Additionally, significantly higher enzymatic activity (SOD, CAT, POD and PPO) levels and secondary metabolite quantities (total phenol and tannins) were found in resistant cultivars induced by P. marginatus compared with susceptible ones. Additionally, RT-qPCR tests showed that the transcripts of ten genes involved in nutrition, secondary metabolites and antioxidant activities were consistent with their physiology and biochemistry changes. Thus, resistant cultivars prevented P. marginatus populations from suffering lower P. marginatus damage by elevating secondary metabolite contents and antioxidant activities, reducing nutrition levels and decreasing enzymatic activities. This study will be beneficial in determining the important indexes for developing standard regulations to evaluate P. marginatus-resistant cassavas, helping the development of effective strategies for pest management.

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is a phytohormone that has been used to artificially induce plant resistance against multiple arthropod herbivores. However, it is still uncertain whether MeJA can trigger pepper plant resistance against Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) (green peach aphid, GPA). In this study, we assessed the effects of different concentrations (0, 0.008, 0.04, 0.2, 1.0, and 5.0 mM) of MeJA-treated pepper on the development and reproduction performance of GPA to identify an appropriate concentration for vigorous resistance enhancement. MeJA dose was applied on the pepper to investigate the changes in activities of protective enzyme (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD and polyphenol oxidase, PPO), detoxification enzymes (acetylcholinesterase, AchE; glutathione S-transferase, GSTs; cytocrome P450, CYP450, and carboxylesterase, CarE), and digestive enzymes (protease, PRO and amylase, AMY) in GPA. The results showed that all concentrations of MeJA-treated pepper significantly suppressed GPA performance, wherein 0.2 mM was the optimal concentration, as it presented the lowest intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ), and the highest population doubling time (Dt) values. Furthermore, the protective enzymes (SOD and CAT), detoxification enzymes (GSTs, CYP450, and CarE), and AMY activities increased significantly in MeJA-treated groups than the control group, while the POD and PPO activities were remarkly inhibited under 0.2 mM treatment. These findings indicate that exogenous spraying of 0.2 mM of MeJA significantly enhanced pepper resistance against GPA. The result of this study suggests MeJA application can be used as a promising strategy in integrative management of this insect pest.

Background Leprosy is potentially debilitating. The risk factors related to physical disabilities associated with leprosy disease in Yunnan, China was not clear. Methodology/Principal findings We studied 10644 newly detected leprosy patients from Yunnan, China, from 1990 to 2019. Factors associated with Grade 1 (G1D) and Grade 2 (G2D) physical disabilities or overall physical disabilities (combined G1D and G2D) associated with leprosy were analyzed using multinomial and ordinal logistic regression analyses. The following factors were associated with the development of physical disability in these patients with leprosy: delayed diagnosis [odds ratio (OR): 5.652, 4.399, and 2.275; 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 4.516–7.073, 3.714–5.212, and 2.063–2.509; for ≥ 10, 5–10 y, and 2–5 years, respectively], nerve damage (OR: 3.474 and 2.428; 95% CI: 2.843–4.244, and 1.959–3.008; for 2 and 1 damaged nerves, respectively), WHO classification of PB (OR: 1.759; 95% CI: 1.341–2.307), Ridley-Jopling classification (OR: 1.479, 1.438, 1.522 and 1.239; 95% CI: 1.052–2.079, 1.075–1.923, 1.261–1.838, and 1.072–1.431; for TT, BT, BB, and BL when compared with LL, respectively), advanced age (OR: 1.472 and 2.053; 95% CI: 1.106–1.960 and 1.498–2.814; for 15–59 and over 60 years old, respectively), zero skin lesions (OR: 1.916; 95% CI: 1.522–2.413), leprosy reaction (OR: 1.528; 95% CI: 1.195–1.952), rural occupation (OR: 1.364; 95% CI: 1.128–1.650), Han ethnicity (OR: 1.268; 95% CI: 1.159–1.386), and male sex (OR: 1.128; 95% CI: 1.024–1.243). Conclusions Delayed diagnosis, nerve damage, no skin lesions, WHO and Ridley-Jopling classifications, leprosy reactions, advanced age, rural occupation, Han ethnicity, and male sex were associated with disability in leprosy patients. Identifying risk factors could help to prevent physical disability., Author summary Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae), is a potentially disabling infectious disease. After achieving the national elimination target, the focus of leprosy care is now shifting from implementing multidrug therapy (MDT) to accelerating the reduction in disease burden, especially stopping leprosy and its complications, with targets for 2020 of 0 new child cases with Grade 2 disability (G2D) and

Background Despite public health efforts to reduce the leprosy burden in Yunnan, China, leprosy remains an important public health problem in some specific areas. We analyzed the epidemiological characteristics and spatial distribution of leprosy in Yunnan, China, and provide data to guide disease prevention and control efforts. Methodology/principal findings The surveillance data of newly detected leprosy cases in Yunnan, China, during 2011–2020 were extracted from the LEPROSY MANAGEMANT INFORMATION SYSTEM IN CHINA (LEPMIS), and spatial distribution analysis, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and spatiotemporal scanning were performed with ArcGIS 10.6.1, GeoDa 1.8.8, and SaTScan 9.4.3 software, respectively. A total of 1907 newly detected leprosy cases were reported in Yunnan, China, during 2011–2020. The new case detection rate (NCDR) decreased from 0.62 in 2011 to 0.25 in 2020, with an annual incidence of 0.41/100,000 population. The proportions of multibacillary (MB) cases, cases in female patients, cases causing grade 2 physical disability (G2D), and cases in pediatric patients were 67.07%, 33.93%, 17.99%, and 2.83%, respectively. The number of counties with an incidence above 1/100,000 population decreased from 30 in 2011 to 8 in 2020. The Moran’s I of leprosy in Yunnan, China, during 2011–2020 ranged from 0.076 to 0.260, indicating the presence of spatial clusters. Local spatial autocorrelation (LSA) analysis showed that high-high cluster areas (hot spots) were mainly distributed in the southeastern, northern, and northwestern regions. Spatiotemporal scanning showed three clusters with high NCDRs. The probably primary clusters, occurring during January 1, 2011–December 31, 2015, covered 11 counties in the southeastern region (RR = 5.046515, LRR = 271.749664, P = 0.000). Conclusion The number of leprosy cases in Yunnan decreased overall, although some high-NCDR regions remained. Geographic information system (GIS) analysis coupled with spatial analysis indicated regions with leprosy clusters. Continuous leprosy prevention and control strategies in Yunnan Province should be established, and interventions in high-risk regions should be prioritized and further strengthened., Author summary China has achieved the goal of leprosy elimination established by the WHO. The overall incidence and prevalence rates of leprosy indicate a low endemic level in China. However, there are still specific areas with leprosy transmission in some parts of China, especially Yunnan Province. This study aimed to reveal the epidemic state and identify spatial and spatiotemporal clusters of leprosy in Yunnan, China, from 2011–2020. A total of 1907 newly detected cases were identified; 67.07% were MB and 32.93% were PB leprosy cases. Males were predominant (66.07%), 17.99% of patients presented with G2D, and 2.83% of patients were under 15 years old. Performed with ArcGIS 10.6.1, GeoDa 1.8.8, and SaTScan 9.4.3 software, three significant spatial clusters (hot spots) and three significant spatiotemporal clusters (high-risk areas) were observed. These results highlight the at-risk areas for prioritization and further intervention.

Aminopeptidase N (ANPEP) is a membrane-bound zinc-dependent peptidase. Although it is widely believed that ANPEP acts as an important angiogenesis regulatory factor, there are few studies about its function in the female reproductive system. In our previous research, we applied Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantitation (iTRAQ) to analyze the influence of different controlled superovulation treatments for Assisted Reproductive Technology, In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET)) patients from a global proteomic perspective to search for potential biomarkers associated with endometrium receptivity and embryo implantation. ANPEP is one of the proteins that demonstrated differential expression between different treatment groups and may be closely associated with endometrial receptivity. In this study, we assessed the expression of ANPEP in the endometrium of mice at different ages and found it to be highest in the mature period. We also detected ANPEP expression in the endometrium of IVF-ET patients in the proliferative, preimplantation and implantation stages, and the highest expression level of ANPEP was found in the last group. Human primary endometrial stromal cells were infected with an adenovirus expression vector containing the ANPEP gene and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein; the mRNA levels of HOXA-10, LIF, and integrin β3 were found to be increased. Therefore, we conclude that ANPEP could be involved in the regulation of endometrial receptivity.

Background This study reviews the progress of leprosy elimination in Yunnan, China, over the past 30 years and identifies the challenges for the next stage of the program. Methodology/Principal findings Data were collected from the Leprosy Management Information System in China (LEPMIS). The progress made in the elimination of leprosy between 1990 and 2019 was measured. We defined two time periods, time period 1 (1990–2003) and time period 2 (2004–2019), because multidrug therapy (MDT) was launched for the treatment of leprosy in 1990 and a special fund from the central government was established for leprosy in 2004. During the past 30 years, the number of newly detected leprosy patients in Yunnan has steadily declined. In total, 703 newly detected leprosy patients were reported in 1990, and 353 and 136 cases were reported at the end of 2003 and 2019, respectively. At the end of 1990, 90.7% (117/129) of counties in Yunnan Province were identified as leprosy-endemic counties (>1 case per 100,000 population). By the end of 2003 and 2019, 39.3% (46/117) and 85.5% (100/117) of the leprosy-endemic counties, respectively, had dropped below the elimination threshold. The main challenges are the remaining leprosy-endemic counties, the high rate of cases with a contact history, insufficient early detection, and leprosy cases resulting in physical disability. Conclusions/Significance A multifaceted strategy for leprosy elimination in Yunnan Province has been successfully implemented, and remarkable progress has been made in the elimination of leprosy in this area. The priorities for leprosy elimination in the next stage are securing sustainable support and investment from the government, establishing an effective surveillance system, ensuring prompt early detection, providing treatment with MDT, preventing transmission of M. leprae, preventing disability, providing health education, and preventing recurrence of the epidemic situation of leprosy., Author summary Compared to other provinces in China, Yunnan bears a significant burden of leprosy disease. Multidrug therapy (MDT) was launched for leprosy in 1990, and a special fund for leprosy was established in Yunnan Province by the central government in 2004. During the past 30 years, the number of newly detected leprosy patients has steadily declined, accompanied by an enormous decrease in the number of leprosy-endemic regions. Compared to the 1990–2003 period, the period after the establishment of the special fund from the central government (2004–2019) saw a decrease in the proportion of child cases and patients with grade 2 disability (G2D) and in the duration of delay in diagnosis among newly detected patients, while the proportion of patients with paucibacillary (PB) leprosy, the proportion belonging to minority groups, and the proportion of cases detected early increased significantly. The main challenges are the remaining leprosy-endemic counties, the high rate of cases with a contact history, insufficient early detection, and cases resulting in G2D. To eliminate leprosy in Yunnan Province, a multifaceted strategy should be implemented.

Rifampicin is a highly effective antibacterial drug and an important component of multidrug therapy used to treat leprosy. Side effects of rifampicin are rare with the once-a-month dosage regimen of anti-leprosy multidrug therapy. Here, we report a case of rifampicin-induced thrombocytopenia during anti-leprosy treatment. Although rare, this potential side effect merits attention.

Qing-Hua Song,1,* Ming-Jun Guo,1,* Jun-Shui Zheng,2 Xue-Hong Zheng,1 Zhao-Hui Ye,1 Peng Wei1 1Department of Repair and Reconstruction Surgery, The First Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province 315000, People’s Republic of China; 2Medical College, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province 315000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Peng WeiDepartment of Repair and Reconstruction Surgery, The First Hospital of Ningbo, No. 59 Liuting Street, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province 315000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-13265981587Email 2484328633@qq.comObjective: To probe into the expression of FGD5-AS1 in osteosarcoma and its relationship with miR-320b.Methods: The tissue and serum samples of 97 patients with osteosarcoma were collected, and the serum samples of 100 healthy subjects who concurrently underwent physical examination were selected as the control. FGD5-AS1 expression in tissues and serum was detected, and osteosarcoma cells were transfected to measure cell behaviors such as proliferation, invasion and apoptosis.Results: FGD5-AS1 was highly expressed in osteosarcoma, and its elevated expression indicated poor survival of patients. Serum FGD5-AS1 was related to tumor size and clinical stage and could be used for the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. The study of osteosarcoma cell lines U2OS and SaOS-2 showed that after inhibiting FGD5-AS1, the viability and invasion capacity of osteosarcoma cells decreased statistically compared with the control group (CG), while the apoptosis ability could be improved by further regulating apoptotic proteins (P< 0.05). Detection of EMT-related proteins identified that E-cadherin increased while N-cadherin decreased significantly after FGD5-AS1 inhibition (P< 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between miR-320b and FGD5-AS1 (r = − 0.410, P< 0.001). Overexpression of miR-320b significantly inhibited cell viability, invasion and EMT ability, and increased the apoptosis rate, while inhibiting miR-320b expression produced the opposite results. The targeting relationship between miR-320b and FGD5-AS1 was confirmed through the biological prediction website, luciferase assay and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Inhibition of miR-320b could reverse the regulatory effect of FGD5-AS1 knockdown on osteosarcoma cells.Conclusion: FGD5-AS1 is highly expressed in osteosarcoma and is involved in the biological procession of osteosarcoma by targeting miR-320b.Keywords: miR-320b, FGD5-AS1, osteosarcoma, biological behavior

This study aims to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with semen quality in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility. Semen samples were collected from 133 men who requested fertility evaluation. Seminal tract infection with Ureaplasma spp. (UU), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) was assessed by PCR-based diagnostic assays. Among all patients, the prevalence of STIs was higher in men from couples with primary infertility than that in men from couples with secondary infertility (39.7% vs 21.7%, P = 0.03). The prevalence of UU was 28.8% and 13.3% in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility, respectively. Men from couples with primary infertility were more likely to be positive for UU than men from couples with secondary infertility (P = 0.04). Regarding the UU subtype, the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uuu) and Ureaplasma parvum (Uup; including Uup1, Uup3, Uup6, and Uup14) did not differ between the two groups. No associations between the prevalence rates of MH, MG, and CT were found in men from either infertility group. A lower sperm concentration was associated with STI pathogen positivity in men with primary infertility according to the crude model (P = 0.04). The crude and adjusted models showed that semen volume (both P = 0.03) and semen leukocyte count (both P = 0.02) were independently associated with secondary infertility. These findings suggest the importance of classifying the type of infertility during routine diagnosis of seminal tract infections.

Background Leprosy is associated with different dermatologic and neurologic manifestations within a wide clinical spectrum, causing a great diagnostic challenge. Therefore, we aimed to examine associations between common presenting symptoms of leprosy and stage at diagnosis. Methodology/Principal findings In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed population-level data from the Leprosy Management Information System (LEPMIS) in Yunnan, China, from 2010–2020 and enrolled patients with newly detected leprosy. The data of 2125 newly detected leprosy patients, with 5000 symptoms, were analyzed. Numbness (828/5000, 16.56%), erythema (802/5000, 16.04%), Painless nor pruritic skin lesions (651/5000, 13.02%), eyebrow hair loss (467/5000, 9.34%), and tubercles (442/5000, 8.84%) were common symptoms of leprosy. The symptoms related to skin (1935/2533, 76.39%) and leprosy reaction (279/297, 93.94%) were mainly existed in MB group. While the symptoms related to disability (263/316, 83.49%), clinical feature (38/56, 69.09%), and facial features (19/23, 82.61%) were predominantly presented in delayed diagnostic group. Despite low proportions, formic sensation (99/5000, 1.98%), pain (92/5000, 1.84%), pruritus (56/5000, 1.12%), finger contracture (109/5000, 2.18%), muscle atrophy (71/5000, 1.42%), and motor dysfunction (18/5000, 0.36%) were reported during the diagnosis of leprosy. The proportions of skin, skin and nerve, and nerve symptoms as initial symptoms were 33.25%, 44.95%, and 21.80% and as only symptoms were 28.66%, 57.81%, and 13.91%, respectively. In those with physical disability, nerve symptoms were the most frequent symptoms (57.65% and 65.36% for the initial and only symptoms, respectively) compared with skin and skin and nerve symptoms. In the delayed diagnosis group, nerve symptoms were the most frequent symptoms (15.73% and 17.25%) and were associated with the longest diagnostic intervals (mean±SD: 38.88±46.02 and 40.35±49.36 months for initial and only symptoms, respectively) when compared with skin and skin and nerve symptoms. Conclusions Understanding the nature of presenting symptoms and developing symptom awareness campaigns would improve the level of leprosy awareness in the community. As nerve symptoms were related to a higher proportion of physical disability and longer diagnosis interval, we should increase awareness about nerve symptoms. Individuals with nerve symptoms should be considered the target group. Neurology outpatient visits may provide potential screening opportunities, and holding focused training for specialized neurology medical staff would enhance the capacity of the health system to recognize leprosy early., Author summary Early diagnosis is key in leprosy control; however, the diagnosis of leprosy is still challenging. In this study, we reviewed the common and rare symptoms of leprosy. Numbness, erythema, painless nor pruritic skin lesions, eyebrow hair loss, and tubercles were common symptoms of leprosy. Despite low proportions, formic sensation, pain, pruritus, finger contracture, muscle atrophy, and motor dysfunction were also reported by leprosy patients. As initial symptoms at symptom onset and only symptoms at diagnosis, nerve symptoms were associated with a greater degree of physical disability and a longer diagnosis interval than skin and skin and nerve symptoms. Understanding the presenting symptoms in detail would improve the level of leprosy awareness in the community. Increasing awareness of nerve symptoms, focusing on individuals with nerve symptoms at neurology outpatient visits, and holding focused training for medical staff specializing in neurology would enhance the capacity of the health system to recognize leprosy early.

The obligate intracellular bacterium Mycobacterium leprae is the causative agent of leprosy and primarily infects macrophages, leading to irreversible nerve damage and deformities. So far, the underlying reasons allowing M. leprae to persist and propagate in macrophages, despite the presence of cellular immunity, are still a mystery. Here, we investigated the role of autophagy, a cellular process that degrades cytosolic materials and intracellular pathogens, in M. leprae infection. We found that live M. leprae infection of macrophages resulted in significantly elevated autophagy level. However, macrophages with high autophagy levels preferentially expressed lower levels of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and preferentially primed anti-inflammatory T cells responses, characterized by high IL-10 and low interferon-γ, granzyme B, and perforin responses. These anti-inflammatory T cells could suppress further induction of autophagy, leading to improved survival of intracellular M. leprae in infected macrophages. Therefore, these data demonstrated that although autophagy had a role in eliminating intracellular pathogens, the induction of autophagy resulted in anti-inflammatory immune responses, which suppressed autophagy in a negative feedback loop and allowed the persistence of M. leprae.

To the Editor: Japanese encephalitis (JE) epidemics have occurred only in Asia. More than 50,000 cases of JE with ≈10,000 deaths have been reported since 1998 (1,2). The People’s Republic of China reported 5,104 cases and 214 deaths in 2005. Most of these deaths occurred in infants (3,4). During July and August 2006, an outbreak of viral encephalitis occurred in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China. A total of 66 cases (1.32/100,000 population) were reported, including 19 deaths (case-fatality rate 28.8%). The cases had a widespread distribution over 9 counties and involved 37 towns and 61 administrative villages. The ratio of male-to-female patients was 1:0.89. A distinct clinical feature of this outbreak was the age distribution. More than 86% of the patients were >30 years of age, with only 10% of patients 50 years of age (5). We report serologic and virologic findings for the 2006 outbreak of viral encephalitis. Forty-six clinical specimens collected from 34 patients who had a diagnosis of viral encephalitis, including 33 serum samples and 13 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, were studied. All serum samples were screened for immunoglobulin M (IgM) to West Nile virus (WNV) by using the WNV IgM-capture ELISA kit (PanBio, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) and for IgM to dengue virus or Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) by using the JE-Dengue IgM Combination ELISA kit (PanBio). Results for JEV were confirmed by using the JE Virus IgM-Capture ELISA kit (Shanghai B & C Enterprise Development Co. Ltd, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China). WNV-specific or dengue virus–specific IgM was not detected in any samples. JEV-specific IgM was detected in 27 (80%) patients, which indicated recent JEV infections. The other 7 patients were negative for JEV by ELISA and reverse transcription–PCR (RT-PCR). Increases >4-fold in neutralizing antibodies were detected in acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples from 9 patients (10 serum pairs were collected during the outbreak). Attempts were made to detect virus in CSF of patients and in 2,400 mosquitoes. Mosquitoes (mainly Culex spp.) were collected in cow sheds and hog pens around houses and processed into pools of 100. Total RNA was extracted from CSF or mosquito homogenate by using the QIAamp viral RNA extraction kit (QIAGEN, Valencia, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer’s specifications. RT was performed by using Ready-To-Go-You Prime First Strand Beads (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Piscatawy, NJ, USA) and a seminested PCR to amplify 492-bp gene fragments of the premembrane (PrM) sequence of JEV by using the Takara LA Taq PCR kit (Takara Bio Inc., Shiga, Japan). The primers were derived from Ishikawa strain genome sequences (GenBank accession no. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AB051292","term_id":"12082323","term_text":"AB051292"}}AB051292). Primers PrMF: 5′-CGT TCT TCA AGT TTA CAG CAT TAG C-3′ (251–275), PrMR1: 5′-CGY TTG GAA TGY CTR GTC CG-3′ (724–743), and PrMR2: 5′-CCY RTG TTY CTG CCA AGC ATC CAM CC-3′ (901–925) were used. JEV PrM gene was amplified from CSF of 6 (46%) of 13 patients and 10 of 24 pools of mosquitoes by using the same seminested RT-PCR. To identify JEV genotype(s) involved in this outbreak, PCR products were sequenced. Eleven sequences (GenBank accession nos. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide-range","attrs":{"text":"EF434264-EF434274","start_term":"EF434264","end_term":"EF434274","start_term_id":"148925198","end_term_id":"148925218"}}EF434264-EF434274) were obtained from 6 patients and 5 pools of mosquitoes. The 11 sequences were compared phylogenetically with17 known JEV strains of the 4 recognized genotypes (classified on the basis of a 240-nt region of the prM gene). As shown in the Figure, the 11 sequences were those of JEV. Figure Phylogenetic analysis of Japanese encephalitis virus strains predicted from premembrane gene sequences. Neighbor-joining tree was generated by using MEGA 3.1 software (www.megasoftware.net) and rooted with Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus sequence ... Further analysis showed that these 11 sequences can be grouped into genotypes I and III. Both genotypes were found in patient and mosquito samples, indicating that these genotypes co-circulated during this JE outbreak. JE has been endemic in Yuncheng for many years (6). A vaccine against JE (SA14–14–2) has been used in this area in infants, but not in adults. This might be 1 reason why a higher adult incidence was found in this outbreak. JEV genotype III had been the predominant genotype in previous years, but genotype I has been recently detected at increased frequencies (7–10). Detection of 2 JEV genotypes in 1 epidemic has not been reported. Whether simultaneous circulation of >1 genotype during an outbreak indicates a new type of emergence of JEV or that this has occurred and not been detected is unknown.

Background The persistence of Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) infection is largely dependent on the types of host immune responses being induced. Macrophage, a crucial modulator of innate and adaptive immune responses, could be directly infected by M. leprae. We therefore postulated that M. leprae-infected macrophages might have altered immune functions. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we treated monocyte-derived macrophages with live or killed M. leprae, and examined their activation status and antigen presentation. We found that macrophages treated with live M. leprae showed committed M2-like function, with decreased interleukin 1 beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and MHC class II molecule expression and elevated IL-10 and CD163 expression. When incubating with naive T cells, macrophages treated with live M. leprae preferentially primed regulatory T (Treg) cell responses with elevated FoxP3 and IL-10 expression, while interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) expression and CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity were reduced. Chromium release assay also found that live M. leprae-treated macrophages were more resistant to CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity than sonicated M. leprae-treated monocytes. Ex vivo studies showed that the phenotype and function of monocytes and macrophages had clear differences between L-lep and T-lep patients, consistent with the in vitro findings. Conclusions/Significance Together, our data demonstrate that M. leprae could utilize infected macrophages by two mechanisms: firstly, M. leprae-infected macrophages preferentially primed Treg but not Th1 or cytotoxic T cell responses; secondly, M. leprae-infected macrophages were more effective at evading CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity., Author Summary Macrophages play critical roles in modulating Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) infection. In this study, we investigated the immune status of macrophages stimulated with live M. leprae or killed M. leprae. We found that live M. leprae-infected macrophages polarized toward the regulatory M2-type, preferentially primed Treg responses, and downregulated Th1 and cytotoxic T cell responses. Furthermore, our ex vivo data confirmed these findings. These results revealed novel mechanisms of M. leprae infection.

The quaternion wavelet transform is a new multiscale analysis tool. Firstly, this paper studies the standard orthogonal basis of scale space and wavelet space of quaternion wavelet transform in spatialL2(R2), proves and presents quaternion wavelet’s scale basis function and wavelet basis function concepts in spatial scale spaceL2(R2;H), and studies quaternion wavelet transform structure. Finally, the quaternion wavelet transform is applied to image denoising, and generalized Gauss distribution is used to model QWT coefficients’ magnitude distribution, under the Bayesian theory framework, to recover the original coefficients from the noisy wavelet coefficients, and so as to achieve the aim of denoising. Experimental results show that our method is not only better than many of the current denoising methods in the peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), but also obtained better visual effect.

Multiple channels can increase network capacity by transmitting traffic on different channels in an interference area. Channel assignment is a critical issue for the multi-channel scheme. In this paper, we propose a efficient distributed channel assignment algorithm using cross-layer approach for multi-radio multi-channel wireless mesh networks. This scheme seeks to assign distinct channel to each node along the same route, subject to a channel availability constraint. Nodes in two-hop neighborhood which belong to two different routes are assigned distinct channel too. Thus, interference along neighboring nodes which belong to same route and different route can be reduced. The proposed scheme combines channel assignment with reactive routing protocol. This scheme exhibits significantly lower communication, computation complexity than existing channel assignment schemes. Simulation results show that this proposed scheme can improve performance of the multi-radio multi-channel wireless mesh networks greatly.

Supporting user mobility is an important requirement for wireless mesh networks. We propose a relay-router buffering- and-forwarding scheme for supporting smooth handoff in the infrastructure wireless mesh networks. Our proposal is based on buffering packets at intermediate relay routers in the packets forwarding route and neighbouring relay routers working in promiscuous mode which can overhear the packet transmission from neighbouring relay routers to APs. With the help of relay routers, the forwarding path of buffered packets is shortened greatly. The relay routers selection is based on multipoint relays of OLSR protocol. Simulation results show that this scheme improves the data availability and results in reducing the packet loss significantly.

To investigate effects of Qiang Gu Kang Wei prescription on bone morphology in tail-suspended rats.Rats were tail-suspended (-30 degrees) for 21 d to simulate weightlessness. The effects of this prescription on thickness of periost and cortex at epiphyseal plate of tibial shaft and 3 mm under it were examined. The effects of this prescription on histology and ultrastructure of tibia were also observed.Compared with the normal control, cortex at both epiphyseal plate of tibial shaft and 3 mm under it in suspended rats thinned significantly (P0.01 or P0.05). Histological observation showed that in bone of suspended rats, uncalcific matrix was more, bone cells' number was lower and their appearance was more infantile, osteoblasts were less and smaller, while osteoclasts were more and larger, haversian system of transection also showed more irregular than in bone of normal control. Ultrastructure observation showed that the function of osteoblasts was inhabited and that of osteoclasts was active. All the three doses groups of the prescription could increase cortex at either epiphyseal plate of tibial shaft or 3 mm under it (P0.01 or P0.05) compared with the tail-suspended group. The appearance of bone in the three groups was improved as well under optical or electron microscope.This prescription could improve abnormal change in bone morphology resulted from being tail-suspended in rats and make it normal.

To investigate effects of "Qiang Gu Kang Wei" prescription on biochemical indices of bone and related organs in tail-suspended rats.Rats were tail-suspended (-30 degrees) for 21 d to simulate weightlessness. The effect of this prescription on biochemical indices such as Ca, P in serum, osteocalcin (BGP) in serum and bone, oxyproline hydroxyproline (Hyp) in bone, alkaliphosphatase (ALP) in serum, small intestine and bone in these rats were examined.Comparing with the normal control, serum Ca decreased significantly (P0.05) while serum P showed only a trend to decrease, at the same time BGP dropped in both serum and bone (P0.05) and Hyp dropped only in bone (P0.05). There was significant decrease of ALP activity in serum, small intestine and bone (P0.01 or P0.05) in suspended rats. The prescription showed different effects with different doses. In all the three dose groups (30 g/kg, 20 g/kg, 10 g/kg) Ca and P in serum levels increased (P0.01 or P0.05), BGP in serum and bone improved (P0.05) or showed only a trend to increase. ALP activity increased in serum, small intestine and bone (P0.05). Increase of Hyp in bone was found in the middle and the small dose groups (P0.05).This prescription shows an effect of improving biochemical indices in bone and related organs such as serum and small intestine in tail-suspended rats. But no distinct concentration-dependence was found.

To investigate the effect of "Qiang Gu Kang Wei" prescription on bone metabolism in simulated weightless rats.Male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: 1) free active control (FAC); 2) tail-suspended control (TS); 3) tail-suspended and treated with large dose of the prescription (TS + L) (30 g/kg); 4) tail-suspended and treated with middle dose of the prescription (TS + M) (20 g/kg); 5) tail suspended and treated with small dose of the prescription (TS + S) (10 g/kg). The experiment lasted 3 weeks. The effect of the prescription on bone biomechanical properties, bone density, bone mineral contents, and bone biochemical markers of bone metabolism were examined.Bone biomechanical properties, bone density, total and bound bone gla protein (BGP) of serum all increased significantly in three groups treated with the prescription."Qiang Gu Kang Wei" prescription prevents bone loss, hence maintains bone density and bone biomechanical properties under simulated weightlessness.

Objective. To investigate the effects of Qiang Gu Kang Wei compound on hemorheology in tail-suspended rats. Method. Rats were tail-suspended (-30 degrees) for 21 d to simulate weightlessness. The effect of the compound on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hematocrit value (HCT), plasma fibrinogen content (PFC), blood viscosity, red blood cells deformability and erythrocytes aggregation were examined. Result. PFC, whole blood reducing viscosity (eta h), whole blood viscosity (eta b), erythrocyte rigid index (IR) and maximum aggregation index (MAXD) increased significantly (P0.01 or P0.05 ) and maximum deformity index (DImax) (P0.01) decreased significantly in suspended rats as compared with the normal control. Different doses of the compound showed different effects. The small dose group (10 g/kg) inhabited eta h and eta b (P0.01 or P0.05) of all shear rates, abnormal IR and MAXD (P0.01); The middle dose group (20 g/kg) decreased PFC (P0.01); The big dose group (30 g/kg) inhabited eta h and eta b (P0.01 or P0.05) of high shear rates, decreased IR (P0.01), and improved DImax (P0.01). Conclusion. This compound could improve hemorheology in tail-suspended rats. But there was no concentration-dependence.