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Background: Ticks are widely distributed throughout China and are the second most prevalent pathogen vectors in the world, following only mosquitoes. Tick bites can lead to Lyme disease, forest encephalitis, and other illnesses that may result in death under severe circumstances. Materials and methods: Ticks collected from March 2021 to May 2023 were pooled and used in metatranscriptomic analyses to gain insight into the diversity and distribution of tick-borne viruses in Inner Mongolia. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) outcomes were validated, and viral prevalence across distinct tick species was determined through the application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) paired with Sanger sequencing., Results: A total of 20 RNA viruses belonging to at least 8 families, including Chuviridae, Flaviviridae, Solemoviridae, Nairoviridae, Partitiviridae, Phenuiviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Totiviridae, and to unclassified families were identified by NGS. Five of the identified RNA viruses (Nuomin virus, Yezo virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, Alongshan virus, and Beiji nairovirus) are considered human pathogens. A potential human pathogen, Mukawa virus, was also among the identified viruses. Ixodes persulcatus carried a significantly greater number of viral species than did Dermacentor nuttalli, Hyalomma marginatum, and Haemaphysalis concinna. The prevalence of coinfection with multiple viruses differed in I. persulcatus from Hinggan League and Hulun Buir, and Beiji nairovirus was the codominant virus species., Conclusions: There is a remarkable diversity of RNA viruses harboured by ticks in Inner Mongolia, with variations observed in the distribution of these tick-borne viruses across different regions and tick hosts., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Su et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Ticks can carry multiple pathogens, and Inner Mongolia's animal husbandry provides excellent environmental conditions for ticks. This study characterized the microbiome of ticks from different geographical locations in Inner Mongolia; 905 Dermacentor nuttalli and 36 Ixodes persulcatus were collected from sheep in three main pasture areas and from bushes within the forested area. Mixed DNA samples were prepared from three specimens from each region and tick species. Microbial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, and α and β diversity were determined. The predominant bacterial genera were Rickettsia (54.60%), including Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b (19.33%) and other Rickettsia (35.27%), Arsenophonus (11.21%), Candidatus Lariskella (10.84%), and Acinetobacter (7.17%). Rickettsia bellii was identified in I. persulcatus, while Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b was found in D. nuttalli from Ordos and Chifeng. Potential Rickettsia and Anaplasma coinfections were observed in the Ordos region. Tick microbial diversity analysis in Inner Mongolia suggests that sheep at the sampling sites were exposed to multiple pathogens., (© S. Su et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2023.)

Introduction: Menstrual discomfort affects women's quality of life, which is an important public health issue. Evidence confirming the link between passive smoking and menstrual discomfort is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the aforementioned topic on the basis of a cross-sectional study of 2,571 non-smoking Chinese nurses., Methods: Demographic information and passive smoking were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Menstrual discomfort was characterized as dysmenorrhea, illness or weakness, bed rest, and restlessness during menstruation, which was assessed using a modified version of the Cornell Medical Index-Health Questionnaire. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the logistic regression model., Results: A total of 1:195 nurses (46.48%) were exposed to passive smoking. Compared with non-passive smoking nurses, passive smoking nurses were more likely to have menstrual discomfort symptoms (72.38 vs. 64.39%), especially symptoms of dysmenorrhea (49.54 vs. 42.08%), illnesses or weakness (48.28 vs. 42.08%), and restlessness during menstruation (53.05 vs. 46.22%). Exposure to passive smoking was significantly associated with menstrual discomfort (OR = 1.41, 95%CI: 1.19-1.67), especially symptoms of dysmenorrhea (OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.13-1.56), illness or weakness (OR = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.06-1.46), and restlessness (OR = 1.26, 95%CI: 1.08-1.48) during menstruation. The subgroup analyses, stratified by age, children, and marital status, agreed with the main findings., Conclusions: Exposure to passive smoking was related to symptoms of dysmenorrhea and menstrual discomfort., 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 © 2022 Xiao, Xing, Wu, Xia, Fu, Guo, Yu, Sun, Feng, Gai, Xu, Xia and Fan.)

This study aimed to investigate the association between passive smoking and physical and psychological health in Chinese nurses. Participants of this cross-sectional study comprised 2,484 non-smoking nurses. Passive smoking and demographic information were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Physical, psychological, and overall health status of nurses were measured using the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) health questionnaire. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for nurses' health were estimated by exposure to passive smoking using unconditional logistic regression models. A total of 1,219 nurses (49.07%) were exposed to passive smoking. Of these, 609 (24.52%), 160 (6.44%), and 587 (23.63%) nurses had poorer physical, mental, and overall health, respectively. After adjusting for other confounding factors, compared with the non-passive smoking group, passive smoking was associated with poor physical (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.25-1.83), mental (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.07-2.07), and overall (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.30-1.93) health of nurses, respectively. We also carried out subgroup analyses stratified by age, department, and professional title, which showed that most findings supported the main results. This study demonstrated that exposure to passive smoking was a risk factor for overall decreased physical and mental health status among Chinese nurses., 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 Xia, Xiao, Wu, Yu, Xing, Gai, Xia, Feng, Zhang, Guo, Xu, Fu, Sun and Fan.)

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is being increasingly used in the fabrication of complex-shaped structure parts with high precision. It is easy to form martensitic microstructure in Ti-6Al-4V alloy during manufacturing. Pre-heating the powder bed can enhance the thermal field produced by cyclic laser heating during LPBF, which can tailor the microstructure and further improve the mechanical properties. In the present study, all the Ti-6Al-4V alloy samples manufactured by LPBF at different powder bed temperatures exhibit a near-full densification state, with the densification ratio of above 99.4%. When the powder bed temperature is lower than 400 °C, the specimens are composed of a single α' martensite. As the temperature elevates to higher than 400 °C, the α and β phase precipitate at the α' martensite boundaries by the diffusion and redistribution of V element. In addition, the α/α' lath coarsening is presented with the increasing powder bed temperature. The specimens manufactured at the temperature lower than 400 °C exhibit high strength but bad ductility. Moreover, the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength reduce slightly, whereas the ductility is improved dramatically with the increasing temperature, when it is higher than 400 °C.

The development of enantioselective alkyl-alkyl cross-couplings with coinstantaneous formation of a stereogenic center without the use of sensitive organometallic species is attractive yet challenging. Herein, we report the intermolecular regio- and enantioselective formal hydrofunctionalizations of acrylamides, forging a stereogenic center α-position to the newly formed C sp3 -C sp3 bond for the first time. The use of a newly developed chiral ligand enables the electronically-reversed formal hydrofunctionalizations, including hydroalkylation, hydrobenzylation, and hydropropargylation, offering an efficient way to access diverse enantioenriched amides with a tertiary α-stereogenic carbon center which is facile to racemize. This operationally simple protocol allows for the anti-Markovnikov enantioselective hydroalkylation, and unprecedented hydrobenzylation, hydropropargylation under mild conditions with excellent functional group compatibility, delivering a wide range of amides with excellent levels of enantioselectivity., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A three-dimensional (3D) flower-shaped Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 -graphene (Gr) hybrid micro/nanostructures and pine needles derived carbon nanopores (PNDCN) has been prepared by using the effective hydrothermal process. Due to the unique micro/nanostructures which can provide abundant surface active sites, the obtained 3D Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 -Gr displays a high specific capacitance of 706.52 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 . The prepared PNDCN also exhibits high specific capacitance of 314.50 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 benefiting from its interconnected honeycomb-like hierarchical and open structure, which facilitates the diffusion and reaction of electrolyte ions and enables an isotropic charging/discharging process. An asymmetric supercapacitor utilizing Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 -Gr as positive electrode and PNDCN as negative electrode has been fabricated, it delivers a high energy density of 35.06 Wh kg -1 at power density of 800.08 W kg -1 and outstanding cycling stability with 90.18% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles. The fabrication process presented in this work is facile, cost-effective, and environmentally benign, offering a feasible solution for manufacturing next-generation high-performance energy storage devices., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Various V 2 O 5 three-dimensional nanostructures are synthesized using a facile template-free hydrothermal method and evaluated for use as supercapacitor electrode materials. As a result, the yolk-shell structure assembled from ultrathin nanosheets shows the best electrochemical performance, with a specific capacitance of 704.17 F g -1 at 1.0 A g -1 and a high capacity retention of 89% over 4000 cycles at 3.0 A g -1 . In addition, a continuous three-dimensional porous coralline-shaped carbon is synthesized from osmanthus and has a large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 2840.88 m 2 g -1 . Then, an asymmetric supercapacitor is developed using the as-prepared yolk-shell V 2 O 5 as a positive electrode and the osmanthus derived coralline-shaped carbon as a negative electrode. This exhibits an energy density of 29.49 W h kg -1 at a power density of 800 W kg -1 with a good cycling performance that retains 90.6% of its initial capacity after 2000 cycles at 3.0 A g -1 . Furthermore, two cells in series can easily brightly light up a light-emitting diode (3 V), further demonstrating the great potential of the prepared materials for high-performance supercapacitor devices.

An ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for microRNA (miRNA) is developed based on tungsten oxide-graphene composites coupling with catalyzed hairpin assembly target recycling and enzyme signal amplification. WO3-Gr is prepared by a simple hydrothermal method and then coupled with gold nanoparticles to act as a sensing platform. The thiol-terminated capture probe H1 is immobilized on electrode through Au-S interaction. In the presence of target miRNA, H1 opens its hairpin structure by hybridization with target miRNA. This hybridization can be displaced from the structure by another stable biotinylated hairpin DNA (H2), and target miRNA is released back to the sample solution for next cycle. Thus, a large amount of H1-H2 duplex is produced after the cyclic process. At this point, a lot of signal indicators streptavidin-conjugated alkaline phosphatase (SA-ALP) are immobilized on the electrode by the specific binding of avidin-biotin. Then, thousands of ascorbic acid, which is the enzymatic product of ALP, induces the electrochemical-chemical-chemical redox cycling to produce a strongly electrochemical response in the presence of ferrocene methanol and tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the established biosensor can detect target miRNA down to 0.05fM (S/N=3) with a linear range from 0.1fM to 100pM, and discriminate target miRNA from mismatched miRNA with a high selectivity., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Tungsten oxide (WO 3 ), which was originally poor in capacitive performance, is made into an excellent electrode material for supercapacitors by dispersing it on graphene (Gr). The obtained Gr-WO 3 hybrids are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques, and evaluated as electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A great improvement in specific capacitance is achieved with the present hybrids, from 255 F g -1 for WO 3 nanoparticles to 580 F g -1 for Gr-WO 3 hybrids (scanned at 1 A g -1 in 2 M KOH over a potential window of 0 to 0.45 V). The Gr-WO 3 hybrid exhibits an excellent high rate capability and good cycling stability with more than 92% capacitance retention over 1000 cycles at a current density of 5 A g -1 . The enhancement in supercapacitor performance of Gr-WO 3 is not only attributed to its unique nanostructure with large specific surface area, but also its excellent electro-conductivity, which facilitates efficient charge transport and promotes electrolyte diffusion. As a whole, this work indicates that Gr-WO 3 hybrids are a promising electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

Amyloid-β (Aβ), the major component of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), is derived from sequential proteolytic cleavage of amyloid protein precursor (APP) by secretases. In this study, we found that cystatin C (CysC), a natural cysteine protease inhibitor, is able to reduce Aβ40 secretion in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC). The CysC-induced Aβ40 reduction was caused by degradation of β-secretase BACE1 through the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway. In contrast, we found that CysC promoted secretion of soluble APPα indicating the activated non-amyloidogenic processing of APP in HBMEC. Further results revealed that α-secretase ADAM10, which was transcriptionally upregulated in response to CysC, was required for the CysC-induced sAPPα secretion. Knockdown of SIRT1 abolished CysC-triggered ADAM10 upregulation and sAPPα production. Taken together, our results demonstrated that exogenously applied CysC can direct amyloidogenic APP processing to non-amyloidgenic pathway in brain endothelial cells, mediated by proteasomal degradation of BACE1 and SIRT1-mediated ADAM10 upregulation. Our study unveils previously unrecognized protective role of CysC in APP processing.

The objective of this study was to examine the role and possible mechanisms of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in high-mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1)-induced mouse mesangial cell (MMC) proliferation and glomeruli proliferation of MRL/Fas(lpr) mice. First, the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), TLR2 and Forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in the glomeruli of MRL/Fas(lpr) mice was quantified, and the correlation with cell proliferation of glomeruli was analyzed. Then, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), TLR2 neutralization antibody, and small hairpin TLR2 (shTLR2) were used to confirm the role of TLR2 in HMGB1-induced MMC proliferation. Furthermore, wild-type FoxO1 (WT-FoxO1) vector was used to investigate the effect of FoxO1 pathway on HMGB1-induced MMC proliferation. Finally, electroporation was used to knockdown TLR2 in the glomeruli of MRL/Fas(lpr) mice, and renal function, FoxO1, and PCNA expression were detected. The results showed that the TLR2 expression was upregulated and FoxO1 expression was decreased in the glomeruli of MRL/Fas(lpr) mice, and these effects were significantly correlated with cell proliferation of the glomeruli. In vitro, the TLR2 neutralization antibody and the WT-FoxO1 vector, both reduced the MMC proliferation levels induced by HMGB1. The TLR2 neutralization antibody also blocked the HMGB1-dependent activation of the FoxO1 pathway and cell proliferation. In addition, transfection with shTLR2 decreased the proliferation levels and PCNA expression induced by HMGB1. In vivo, treatment with shTLR2 significantly reduced the PCNA expression in the glomeruli of MRL/Fas(lpr) mice and improved renal function. In addition, treatment with shTLR2 or blocking of TLR2 also reduced the translocation of FoxO1. Thus, TLR2 plays a critical role in HMGB1-induced glomeruli cell proliferation through the FoxO1 signaling pathway in lupus nephritis.

Context: The elevated low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in menopausal women is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular diseases., Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the influence and mechanism by which high postmenopausal FSH levels affect lipid profiles., Methods: The serum FSH and lipid levels were examined in 400 Chinese postmenopausal women. The FSH receptor (FSHR) expression was identified in liver and HepG2 cells by PCR and Western blotting. The effects of FSH on lipid metabolism were confirmed in an ovariectomized mouse model by using GnRH agonist with or without additional FSH to mimic different FSH status. LDL receptor (LDLR), a necessary factor for clearance of LDL-C through endocytosis, was examined by PCR and Western blotting., Results: The postmenopausal women with higher serum FSH (≥78.3 IU/L at baseline) had higher serum total cholesterol and LDL-C levels than those women with FSH levels of 40-78.3 IU/L (P < .01). The improvements of total cholesterol and LDL-C levels were more significant in higher FSH women group after treatment with hormone replacement therapy. It was only in the women whose FSH levels were reduced more than 30% after hormone replacement therapy who showed significant improvement of lipid levels. Ovariectomized mice had high serum FSH and lipids levels and reduced hepatic LDLR expression. In HepG2 cells, FSH inhibited the LDLR in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the FSHR knockdown with specific siRNA reversed the lower LDLR induced by FSH., Conclusions: FSH may interact with its receptors in hepatocytes and reduce LDLR levels, which subsequently attenuates the endocytosis of LDL-C, resulting in an elevated circulating LDL-C level.

Background: Neuroblastoma is an embryonic neoplasm originating from the neural crest with cellular heterogeneity as one of its oncobiological characteristics. This study was undertaken to determine whether human neuroblastoma contains stem cell-like cells., Methods: Twenty patients with neuroblastoma who have been treated in our hospital since January 2005 were divided into pre-operative chemotherapy (10 patients) and non-chemotherapy (10) groups. Tumor specimens of the patients were taken and paraffin sections were made. The expressions of stem cell markers CD133, ABCG2, CD117 and nestin were immunohistochemically detected in the specimens. Neuroblastoma cells were stained with Hoechst 33342 and PI. The side population (SP) cells were analyzed by the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The disparity drug resistance to cisplatin (DDP) of SP and non-SP cells was measured with MTT colorimetric assay. The oncogenicity of SP and non-SP cells was identified in nude mice., Results: There was no significant difference in the expression intensity of CD117 and nestin between the two groups of specimens (P>0.05). There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the expression intensity of CD133 and ABCG2 (P<0.05). The SP cells accounted for 0.2%-1.3% of the total human neuroblastoma cells and were decreased to 0.1%-0.5% after verapamil treatment. The SP and non-SP cells showed disparity in cell growth experiment and drug resistance to DDP. Oncogenicity experiment revealed that nude mice could erupt tumor by an injection of l×10(6) SHSY5Y and WIV SP cells. However, the nude mice could not form tumor by an injection of l×10(6) non-SP cells., Conclusion: Neuroblastoma might contain cancer stem cell-like cells.