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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Obesity, particularly visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is known to secrete adipokines and pro-inflammatory factors, which are closely associated with various metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Research indicates that these metabolic disturbances can exacerbate inflammatory conditions, contributing to both cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including asthma. Despite these associations, studies on the specific relationship between VAT and asthma remain limited and warrant further investigation. Utilizing the NHANES database from 2011 to 2018, we included a total of 11,137 participants. Multivariable regression analysis was performed, stratifying subjects based on VAT levels and adjusting for various confounders. Subgroup interaction analysis and nonlinear analysis were conducted to explore potential effect modifiers and nonlinear associations. In this study, 11,137 participants were included, with 49.74% being female. Among the 509 asthma patients, 69.35% were female. The number of asthma patients among Non-Hispanic Whites was 212, representing 41.65% of the total, the highest proportion among the studied groups. The VAT for asthma patients was 529 g, significantly higher than the 455 g in the non-asthma group (P < 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that for every 200 g increase in VAT, the risk of asthma increased by 10.4% (P = 0.032), 20.8% (P < 0.001), and 20.3% (P = 0.004) across three models (unadjusted, adjusted for demographic factors, and fully adjusted). Subgroup analysis indicated a stronger association between VAT and asthma risk in females and individuals over 40 years old. Nonlinear analysis uncovers a J-shaped relationship between VAT and asthma, with the lowest risk observed at 464.57 g (P < 0.001). The study findings suggest that increased VAT is associated with elevated asthma risk, particularly among females and older individuals. These results underscore the importance of considering VAT in asthma risk assessment and highlight potential targeted interventions to reduce asthma risk associated with excess visceral adiposity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel strategy is proposed to prepare eco-friendly flame-retardant cotton fabrics, where chloroacetic acid (MCA) and L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) are used as raw materials to enhance the chelation ability between carboxyl groups (-COO-) and calcium ions (Ca2+). The morphological and structural characterizations of the prepared cotton fabrics indicate that the three free hydroxy groups (2, 3, 6) in the cellulose macromolecule are chemically modified to graft a large number of carboxyl groups, and Ca2+ ions are successfully chelated on the surface of cotton fabric. The thermal stability of cotton fabrics is greatly improved in both air and nitrogen atmosphere. The residual mass of flame-retardant cotton fabric (COT-Glu–Ca) is much higher than that of original cotton fabric, increasing from 0.03% to 5.6% in air and from 8.1% to 28.2% in N2, respectively. At the same time, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of COT-Glu–Ca fabric is as high as 33.6%. The prepared flame-retardant cotton fabric can undergo vertical combustion tests with a char length of only 53 mm, and afterflame and afterglow are not observed, which proves that the grafted cotton fabric had a good flame retardancy due to a series of modifications and adsorption of Ca2+ ions. The properties of the cotton fabric, including tensile strength, whiteness, and moisture absorption, are all retained at a satisfactory level. Overall, this study provides a promising strategy for manufacturing eco-friendly, phosphorus-free, halogen-free, and fire-resistant cotton fabrics with enhanced metal ion chelation ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorder to improve the biological functionality and dyeability of silk fabrics, chitosan/alpha-lipoic acid (CS/LA) conjugates were used to modify silk fabrics via dip-padding and hot-pressing methods. Structural and morphological characterization of the as-prepared silk fabrics was performed by various testing techniques. The results showed that the incorporation of CS/LA conjugates with silk fiber significantly improved the antioxidant properties, crease resistance, ultraviolet protection, and dyeability of silk fiber. The effect of different dyeing parameters on dyeing properties was investigated. When dyed with curcumin and weak acid red B at low temperatures without any additional agent, the modified silk fabric could achieve a higher color depth (K/S) and dye exhaustion than unmodified ones. The adsorption behaviors of the modified silk fabrics on curcumin and weak acid red B followed the Langmuir isotherm model and the quasi-second-order kinetic model at dyeing temperature of 40 °C without pH adjustment. In addition, the dyed modified silk fabric with curcumin still maintained excellent antioxidation activity even after 15 times of washing circles and high color fastness. This study presents a viable approach to achieve healthcare function and low-temperature dyeing of silk textile products, which is also in line with the development goal of the sustainable process for textile dyeing and finishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorinated compounds with side-chains longer than six carbon have been banned due to their toxicity to environment, organisms and human, so that attentions have been paid on degradable short-chain fluorinated or non-fluorinated materials. Here in this paper, several novel short-chain fluorinated polysiloxanes with multi-functions were synthesized successfully and applied on cotton fabrics. Chemical structure of these fluorinated polysiloxanes were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance. Liquid repellency, washing durability, thermal stability, fabric style and color deepening of treated cotton fabrics were investigated. Additionally, the effect of benzoyl spacer on the surface wettability was fully studied. Results demonstrate that FPAPS-20@cotton (cotton fabric treated by fluorinated polysiloxane with 20% fluorine content) exhibits the greatest liquid repellency as the contact angles for water, ethylene glycol, glycerol and octane are 150.1°, 132.3°, 138.1° and 105.5°. Moreover, the benzoyl spacer plays a positive role in the durable wettability of FPAPS-20@cotton, resulting in the water contact angles ranging from 150.1° to 146.0° when FPAPS-20@cotton exposes to the water droplet for 20 min. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides the experimental evidence for this result. On the other hand, thermal-gravimetric analysis confirms that the fluoroalkyl segments of the fluorinated polysiloxanes can decelerate the thermal decomposition of cotton fabrics. Moreover, compared with the untreated dyed cotton fabric, the K/S values of cotton fabrics with navy, red and orange color treated with FPAPS-20 increase by 42.61%, 11.00% and 18.18%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tumor immunotherapy has recently emerged as a crucial focal point in oncology treatment research. Among tumor immunotherapy approaches, tumor immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have attracted substantial attention in clinical research. However, this treatment modality has benefitted only a limited number of patients. We conducted a meta-analysis of various biomarkers to decipher their prognostic implications in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) who are treated with ICIs, and thus identify predictive markers with practical clinical relevance. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify clinical studies that examined the correlation between biomarkers and treatment outcomes in the HNSCC patients. The included articles were screened and analyzed to extract data regarding overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The relationship between the biomarkers included in the summary and prognosis was as follows: HPV positivity was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.58–1.99), PFS (HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.81–1.67), and response (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.37–2.99). PD-L1 positivity was associated with OS (HR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.59–0.85), PFS (HR = 0.56 95% CI = 0.43–0.73), and response (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.51–3.10). Neither HPV positivity nor PD-L1 positivity was associated with DCR. The following markers were collected for OS and PFS data and were associated with longer OS: lower Glasgow prognostic score (GPS/mGPS) grading, lower PS grading, high body mass index (BMI), low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), low platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), high albumin (Alb), low lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Factors associated with better PFS were lower GPS/mGPS grading, lower PS grading, high BMI, low NLR, high absolute lymphocyte count, and low LDH. Hyperprogressive disease was associated with worse OS and PFS. Fewer clinical studies have been completed on the tumor microenvironment and hypoxia, microsatellite instability/DNA mismatch repair, and microbiome and systematic analysis is difficult. Conclusion: In our meta-analysis, different immune checkpoint factors were associated with different prognoses in HNSCC patients receiving immunotherapy. HPV, PD-L1, BMI, Alb, HPD, PS, GPS/mGPS, LDH, NLR, and PLR predicted the ICI outcome in HNSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is widespread. In Zhejiang province, China, CHIKV infection is often associated with travelers from tropical and subtropical countries. In the present study, three CHIKV isolates from serum samples of travelers in Zhejiang province in 2019 were sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed to study their molecular characteristics. Sequence analysis showed that the non-structural protein and the structural protein had 37 and 28 amino acid mutations, respectively; no mutation site was found at the E1-A226 residue, which could increase the adaptability of CHIKV to Aedes albopictus. All three samples carried two mutations, namely, E1-K211E and E2-V264A, which were introduced to Bangladesh around late 2015 and Thailand in early 2017. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these three CHIKVs were Indian Ocean lineage of the East Africa/Central/South Africa genotype (ECSA) and that the MF773566 strain from Bangladesh (Australia/Bangladesh 2017) had the closest evolutionary relationship. The three CHICKs imported into Zhejiang province in 2019 belonged to the ECSA genotype and had multiple amino acid variation sites. The variation in the three samples provides a certain reference for the subsequent research on CHIKV evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and fast method of enhancing silver nanoparticles in situ generation and deposition on the surface of silk fabrics was proposed using a chitin whisker (WSK) and dopamine hydrochloride (DA). The structural features of as-prepared silk fabrics were characterized by spectral and analytical techniques (FTIR‑ATR, FE‑SEM, EDS, XPS and TG). The effects of different treatment conditions on color strength (K/S), ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) and electrical conductivity of silk fabrics were discussed. The results demonstrated that chitin whisker could rapidly induce dopamine self-polymerization and form a polydopamine layer on the silk surface under neutral conditions. Compared to the original silk, UPF and surface resistance of the modified silk are improved and reached 47 and 9.7 KΩ/cm, respectively, when using chitin whisker/dopamine mass ratios of 3:1 and treated temperature of 70 °C. The modified silk fabrics still retained considerable UV protection capacity and electrical conductivity after 30 washing cycles. The modified silk fabrics will have potential applications in functional and e-textile products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The abnormality of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) can contribute to endometriosis pathogenesis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) possess critical roles in endometriosis pathogenesis. Here, we defined the activity and mechanism of human circ_0007299 in the regulation of ectopic ESCs in vitro. Methods: Circ_0007299, miR-424-5p and cAMP response element-binding protein 1 (CREB1) were quantified by qRT-PCR or immunoblotting. Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and motility were gauged by CCK-8, 5-Ethynyl-2ʹ-Deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell, and wound-healing assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were used to verify the direct relationship between miR-424-5p and circ_0007299 or CREB1. Results: Our data showed that circ_0007299 was upregulated in human ectopic endometrium tissues and ectopic ESCs. Silencing endogenous circ_0007299 impeded the proliferation, invasiveness, and motility and enhanced apoptosis of ectopic ESCs. Mechanistically, circ_0007299 regulated miR-424-5p expression. Moreover, circ_0007299 silencing impeded the proliferation, invasiveness, and motility and enhanced apoptosis of ectopic ESCs via its regulation on miR-424-5p. CREB1 was identified as a direct miR-424-5p target, and miR-424-5p overexpression suppressed ectopic ESC proliferation, migration, and invasiveness and promoted apoptosis by downregulating CREB1. Furthermore, circ_0007299 positively modulated CREB1 expression through miR-424-5p competition. Conclusion: Our findings establish that circ_0007299 silencing impedes the proliferation, invasiveness, and motility and promotes apoptosis of ectopic ESCs at least in part via miR-424-5p-dependent modulation of CREB1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on multi-functional fabrics is an inevitable trend in the future development of textile field. Nevertheless, the key to the development of multifunctional fabric is how to solve the problem of contradictory function combination and how to achieve the multifunctions. In this work, a novel multifunctional fabric based on cellulose/silica microcapsules was developed by using a facile and economical method. Owing to the loaded essence and hydrophobic coupling reagent and UV absorber modified silica of microcapsules, the coated fabric not only exhibited the slow-release property of fragrance, but also had the excellent superhydrophobicity and ultraviolet (UV) protection. Furthermore, this multifunctional fabric also displayed the durable superhydrophobicity and UV protection even after chemically or mechanically damaged. The development of multifunctional fabrics largely depends on the development of textile functional finishing agent and finishing technology. Therefore, it is very important to develop new functional microcapsules or finishing agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been five waves of influenza A (H7N9) epidemics in Zhejiang Province between 2013 and 2017. Although the epidemiological characteristics of the five waves have been reported, the molecular genetics aspects, including the phylogeny, evolution, and mutation of hemagglutinin (HA), have not been systematically investigated. A total of 154 H7N9 samples from Zhejiang Province were collected between 2013 and 2017 and sequenced using an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine. The starting dates of the waves were 16 March 2013, 1 July 2013, 1 July 2014, 1 July 2015, and 1 July 2016. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and amino acid mutations were counted after the HA sequences were aligned. The evolution of H7N9 matched the temporal order of the five waves, among which wave 3 played an important role. The 55 SNPs and 14 amino acid mutations with high frequency identified among the five waves revealed the dynamic occurrence of mutation in the process of viral dissemination. Wave 3 contributed greatly to the subsequent epidemic of waves 4 and 5 of H7N9. Compared with wave 1, wave 5 was characterized by more mutations, including A143V and R148K, two mutations that have been reported to weaken the immune response. In addition, some amino acid mutations were observed in wave 5 that led to more lineages. It is necessary to strengthen the surveillance of subsequent H7N9 influenza outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topochemical polymerization reactions hold the promise of producing ultra-high molecular weight crystalline polymers. However, the totality of topochemical polymerization reactions has failed to produce ultra-high molecular weight polymers that are both soluble and display variable functionality, which are restrained by the crystal-packing and reactivity requirements on their respective monomers in the solid state. Herein, we demonstrate the topochemical polymerization reaction of a family of para-azaquinodimethane compounds that undergo facile visible light and thermally initiated polymerization in the solid state, allowing for the first determination of a topochemical polymer crystal structure resolved via the cryoelectron microscopy technique of microcrystal electron diffraction. The topochemical polymerization reaction also displays excellent functional group tolerance, accommodating both solubilizing side chains and reactive groups that allow for post-polymerization functionalization. The thus-produced soluble ultra-high molecular weight polymers display superior capacitive energy storage properties. This study overcomes several synthetic and characterization challenges amongst topochemical polymerization reactions, representing a critical step toward their broader application. Topochemical polymerization reactions produce ultra-high molecular weight crystalline polymers. Here the authors show a family of para-azaquinodimethane compounds that undergo facile visible light and thermally initiated polymerization in the solid state and the crystal structure has been resolved via cryoelectron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enteroviruses (EVs) are the major cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina in children. In this study, we conducted a molecular investigation of EVs in throat swab samples from children in Hangzhou, China with a diagnosis of HFMD or herpangina. EVs were detected using one-step real-time RT-PCR, and their serotypes were determined based on partial VP1 gene sequences. The molecular typing results revealed the presence of six different EV serotypes in HFMD cases, including coxsackievirus (CV) A16 (20/30, 66.7%), CVA4 (3/30, 10.0%), CVA6 (3/30, 10.0%), EVA71 (2/30, 6.7%), CVB4 (1/30, 3.3%), and CVB5 (1/30, 3.3%). Eleven different EV serotypes were detected in herpangina cases, among which CVA4 was the most frequently detected serotype (105/170, 61.8%), followed by CVA16 (30/170, 17.6%), CVB4 (9/170, 5.3%), CVA6 (6/170, 3.5%), CVB3 (5/170, 2.9%), CVA10 (3/170, 1.8%), EVA71 (4/170, 2.4%), Echo9 (3/170, 1.8%), CVA9 (2/170, 1.2%), CVB1 (3/170, 1.8%) and CVA5 (1/170, 0.6%). The nucleotide sequence identity of EV strains from the same subtype ranged from 80.7% to 100%, and most of the EVs were closely related to virus strains found in Australia and mainland China. In conclusion, CVA 16 and CVA 4 were the main serotypes causing HFMD and herpangina, respectively, in children in Hangzhou in 2016. Most of these EVs were closely related to virus strains from Australia and mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-stain negative, non-motile and short rod shaped bacterium, designated strain DSL-12T, was isolated from seawater of the East China Sea and characterised phylogenetically and phenotypically. Optimal growth was found to occur at 28 °C (range 4–40 °C), pH 7 (range 6–12) and with 3% (w/v) NaCl (range 0–8%). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain DSL-12T is related to members of the genus Algoriphagus and shares high sequence similarities with Algoriphagus boritolerans DSM 17298T (97.6%) and Algoriphagus alkaliphilus DSM 22703T (97.6%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence identities between strain DSL-12T and other current members of the genus Algoriphagus were below 96.4%. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain DSL-12T and the type strains A. boritolerans DSM 17298T and A. alkaliphilus DSM 22703T were found to be 21.2 ± 2.4% and 20.2 ± 2.4%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain DSL-12T and A. boritolerans DSM 17298T and A. alkaliphilus DSM 22703T were found to be 83.2% and 82.8%, respectively. The sole respiratory quinone was identified as MK-7. The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids. The major fatty acids identified as were iso-C15:0, summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c), C16:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c) and iso-C17:0. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 43.3 mol%. The combined genotypic and phenotypic data indicate that strain DSL-12T represents a novel species of the genus Algoriphagus, for which the name Algoriphagus litoralis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain DSL-12T (= KCTC 62647T = MCCC 1K03536T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a panel of multiplex quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mqRT-PCR) assay consisting of seven internally controlled qRT-PCR assays to detect 16 different respiratory viruses. We compared the new mqRT-PCR with a previously reported two-tube mRT-PCR assay using 363 clinical sputum specimens. The mqRT-PCR assay performed comparably with the two-tube assay for most viruses, offering the advantages of quantitative analysis, easier performance, lower susceptibility to contamination, and shorter turnaround time in laboratories equipped with conventional real-time PCR instrumentation, and it could therefore be a valuable tool for routine surveillance of respiratory virus infections in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated carbons produced with agricultural residues have attracted substantial attention in recent years. However, much work remains to be done. The current study determined the adsorption isotherms for toluene and acetone vapors for pinewood chip-derived activated carbon. The effects on the physical properties, such as the porous structures of the adsorbents, were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the activated carbon is a mainly microporous structure with a micropore volume of 0.701 cc/g (75.1 % of the total pore volume). The adsorption capacities of toluene and acetone can be as high as 0.71 and 0.57 g/g at room temperature, respectively. The adsorption isotherms for toluene and acetone vapors were obtained from 25 to 45 °C, with relative pressures between 0.01 and 0.9. As the temperature increased, the adsorption capacity decreased. This behavior indicates that the adsorption process is physical adsorption. The fitted isotherms using the Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models exhibited low mean total relative errors. The fitted isotherms obtained using the Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models had mean total relative errors of 3.3 and 4.1 % for the adsorption of toluene and acetone, respectively, at temperatures ranging from 25 to 45 °C. The results of this study may be highly significant because they provide a more accurate prediction of the adsorption capacities of the adsorbents, thus improving the design of adsorption systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza B virus is a major causative agent of respiratory disease in humans. Our study of an outbreak of influenza B virus in Wenzhou from 2011 to 2014 revealed that 163 (5.58 %) of 2921 samples were influenza B positive. Sequencing of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes showed substitutions at the amino acid level. Phylogenetic analysis revealed co-circulation of the B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages in the Wenzhou area from 2011 to 2014. Multiple viral introductions from both Chinese and international sources played important roles in endemic co-circulation and transmission in coastal southeastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, human deaths have resulted from infection with low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus H7N9 strains that have emerged recently in China. To strengthen H7N9 surveillance and outbreak control, rapid and reliable diagnostic methods are needed. To develop a sensitive quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay for rapid detection of H7N9 viral RNA, primers and AllGlo probes were designed to target the HA and NA genes of H7N9. Conserved sequences in the HA and NA genes were identified by phylogenic analysis and used as targets for H7N9 virus detection. The similarities of the targeted HA and NA gene sequences from different H7 and N9 influenza virus strains were 93.2-99.9 % and 96.0-99.6 %, respectively The specificity and sensitivity of the new multiplex real-time qRT-PCR was established. The test was used for the detection of viral RNA in human pharyngeal swabs and environmental samples. The detection limit of the multiplex qRT-PCR was estimated to be about 10 TCID/reaction. Finally, the diagnostic sensitivities of the multiplex qRT-PCR, virus isolation and TaqMan qRT-PCR were compared using pharyngeal swabs and environmental samples. These analyses yielded positive results in 46.7 %, 43.3 % and 20.0 % of the samples, respectively. The novel multiplex AllGlo qRT-PCR is a rapid and sensitive method to identify H7N9 virus in clinical and environmental samples and can be used to facilitate studies on the epidemiology of H7N9 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are bone marrow-derived cells that have the propensity to differentiate into mature endothelial cells (ECs). The transplantation of EPCs has been shown to enhance in vivo postnatal neo-vasculogenesis, as well as repair infarcted myocardium. Via the whole-cell patch clamp technique, numerous types of ion channels have been detected in EPCs, including the inward rectifier potassium channel (IKir), Ca-activated potassium channel (IKCa), and volume-sensitive chloride channel, but their influence on the differentiation of EPCs has yet to be characterized. The present study was designed to investigate: (1) which ion channels have the most significant impact on the differentiation of EPCs; (2) what role ion channels play in the functional development of EPCs; (3) the mRNA and protein expression levels of related ion channel subunits in EPCs. In our study, EPCs were obtained from the peripheral blood of healthy adults and cultured with endothelial growth factors. When EPCs differentiate into mature ECs, they lose expression of the stem cell/progenitor marker CD133, as analyzed by flow cytometry (0.44 ± 0.20 %). However, treatment with the potassium channel inhibitor, tetraethylammonium (TEA) results in an increase in CD133 cells (25.50 ± 7.55 %). In a functional experiment, we observed a reduction in the capacity of TEA treated ECs (differentiated from EPCs) to form capillary tubes when seeded in Matrigel. At the mRNA and protein levels, we revealed several K subtypes, including KCNN4 for IKCa, KCNNMA1 for BKCa and Kir3.4 for IKir. These results demonstrate for the first time that potassium channels play a significant role in the differentiation of EPCs. Moreover, inhibition of potassium channels may depress the differentiation of EPCs and the significant potassium channel subunits in EPCs appear to be IKCa, BKCa and Kir3.4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the first death caused by a novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus in Zhejiang Province, China. The patient had chronic hepatitis B and history of exposure to poultry. The patient initially complained of diarrhea and influenza-like symptoms on March 7 and 14 respectively. The disease progressed to severe pneumonia, sustained hypoxia, and coagulation abnormalities. The patient died on March 27 because of respiratory failure, multiple organ failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation without oseltamivir treatment. This H7N9 virus from Zhejiang is highly similar to isolates obtained from Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, etc. Analysis of hemagglutinin, neuramidinase, and matrix genes indicated that the isolates share the same avian origin, have low virulence, and are sensitive to oseltamivir, but are resistant to adamantine. Only the isolate that caused the fatality exhibited substitution of Q226I in the HA gene, which indicates a potentially enhanced human affinity. The secondary transmission rate was 1.6% (2/125). Only two health workers presented with influenza-like symptoms, and they subsequently tested negative for H7N9 RNA. In conclusion, underlying disease, late diagnosis, and untimely antiviral treatment are possible high-risk factors for infections and death caused by the lowpathogenicity avian influenza A (H7N9). Person-to-person transmission of the H7N9 virus was not detected among close contacts, but such transmission should be investigated in the future. Expanding and enhancing surveillance will help in the early discovery and diagnosis of suspected cases, which will reduce the number of severe cases and deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to investigate by push-out tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) the effect, after first acid etching the post space walls, of three radicular dentine treatments on the regional bond strength of quartz fibre posts placed using two heavily filled resin luting cements. The crowns of 39 extracted maxillary central incisors were sectioned transversely 2 mm coronal to the labial cement-enamel junction and the roots endodontically treated. After standardized post space preparations and etching 15 s with 32% phosphoric acid, 36 roots were randomly divided into six equal groups. Quartz fibre posts (D.T. LIGHT-POST) were placed using three radicular dentine treatments (0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) for 60 s, 10% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 60 s, 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 60 s followed by 5.25% NaOCl for 60 s) and two resin composite luting cements (ONE-STEP PLUS/DUO-LINK; ONE-STEP PLUS/LuxaCore Dual). Transverse segments (S1-S7), 1.00 mm (SD = 0.05 mm) thick, were sectioned from the coronal 8 mm of each root. Push-out bond strength tests were performed on coronal, middle and apical post space segments (S2, S4, S6) at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. Data were recorded and analyzed using a two-way mixed ANOVA design ( a = 0.05). Three segments (S1, S5, S7) from roots in each group were examined using SEM/EDS. After post space preparation, acid etching and using each of the three radicular dentine treatments, the three remaining roots were sectioned longitudinally for SEM observation of the post space walls. At all root segment sites, the mean bond strengths from using 0.9% NaCl were significantly lower than for the other two radicular dentine treatments ( P ≤ 0.02), and DUO-LINK cement had significantly higher mean bond strengths than LuxaCore Dual cement ( P ≤ 0.01). There was a significant linear trend for reduced bond strengths from coronal to apical post space segments ( P < 0.001), which was supported by the SEM/EDS observations of dentine tubule appearance and resin tag formation. Acid etching followed by either 10% NaOCl or 17% EDTA and 5.25% NaOCl dentine treatments of the post spaces provided good adhesion and resin luting cement tag infiltration of dentinal tubules in the coronal and middle segments in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyamide microcapsules for the electrophoretic display have been prepared via interfacial polymerization. The core material of the microcapsules is electrophoretic fluid consisted of pigment phthalocyanine green G (CAS No. 1328-53-6) modified with octadecylamine, tetrachloroethylene, and polyoxyethylene octylphenol ether (OP-10). The wall of the polyamide is synthesized from paraphthaloyl chloride and diethylenetriamine. FT-IR indicated that octadecylamine was bonded to pigment phthalocyanine green G with the hydrogen bond. The effect of the amount of octadecylamine on the dispersibility of the pigment suspended in tetrachloroethylene was investigated. Compared to the unmodified pigment, the dispersibility of the modified pigment was improved by 66.7%. The modified pigment migrated to the positive electrode under the direct voltage and the electric response time was about 85 s in 20 V/mm. The average particle size of microcapsules decreased from 834.5 to 258.2 nm as the dosage of OP-10 increased, and the microcapsule yield reached maximum of 83.5% at the OP-10 concentration of 1.5 wt%. With the reduction of the core/wall weight ratio in the range from 1:6 to 1:14, the average particle size improved from 267.4 to 554.4 nm. However, the maximum of the microcapsule yield was 87.6% at the core/wall weight ratio of 1:10. The microcapsule yield reached a peak of 87.6% as the pH value was 12. The average particle size of the microcapsules that obtained at 25 °C was 327.4 nm, which was smaller than those prepared in other temperatures. The formed polyamide microcapsules had a regular spherical shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live bird markets (LBMs), being a potential source of avian influenza virus, require effective environmental surveillance management. In our study, a total of 2865 environmental samples were collected from 292 LBMs during the 2015-2016 human influenza season from 10 cities in Zhejiang province, China. The samples were tested by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Field investigations were carried out to investigate probable risk factors. Of the environmental samples, 1519 (53.0%) were contaminated by A subtype. The highest prevalence of the H9 subtype was 30.2%, and the frequencies of the H5 and H7 subtype were 9.3% and 17.3%, respectively. Hangzhou and Jinhua cities were contaminated more seriously than the others. The prevalence of H5/H7/H9 in drinking water samples was highest, at 50.9%, and chopping board swabs ranked second, at 49.3%. Duration of sales per day, types of live poultry, LBM location and the number of live poultry were the main risk factors for environmental contamination, according to logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, LBMs in Zhejiang were contaminated by avian influenza. Our study has provided clues for avian influenza prevention and control during the human influenza season, especially in areas where LBMs are not closed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]