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Background: In recent years, the prevalence of respiratory fungal diseases has increased. Polyene antifungal drugs play a pivotal role in the treatment of these conditions, with amphotericin B (AmB) being the most representative drug. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical administration of AmB in the treatment of respiratory fungal infections. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on hospitalized patients treated with topical administered AmB for respiratory fungal infections from January 2014 to June 2023. Results: Data from 36 patients with invasive pulmonary fungal infections treated with topical administration of AmB were collected and analyzed. Nebulization was administered to 27 patients. After the treatment, 17 patients evidenced improved conditions, whereas 10 patients did not respond and died in the hospital. One patient experienced an irritating cough as an adverse reaction. Seven patients underwent tracheoscopic instillation, and two received intrapleural irrigation; they achieved good clinical therapeutic efficacy without adverse effects. Conclusion: The combined application of systemic antifungal treatment and topical administration of AmB yielded good therapeutic efficacy and was well-tolerated by the patients. Close monitoring of routine blood tests, liver and kidney function, and levels of electrolytes, troponin, and B-type natriuretic peptide supported this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)-poly(ether ketone) (SPEEK-co-PEK-x) copolymers with controlled degree of sulfonation are synthesized by the polycondensation reaction of varying monomer ratios. Compared with the traditional homopolymer sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (H-SPEEK), the SPEEK-co-PEK-x copolymer membrane has a high degree of sulfonation and excellent proton conductivity. Meanwhile, it also has favorable mechanical properties and stability. This is attributed to the introduction of the -PEK- segment. The SPEEK-co-PEK-75 membrane exhibits the highest conductivity (0.285 S cm−1) at 80 °C, 100% RH and when tests at 80 °C with 80% RH, the SPEEK-co-PEK-75 membrane reaches 0.0587 S cm−1. In addition, the tensile strength of the SPEEK-co-PEK-75 membrane reaches 47.66 MPa at room temperature. Moreover, the study investigates the impact of key variables on the single-cell performance of SPEEK-co-PEK-x membranes. The measured peak power densities of the SPEEK-co-PEK-75 membrane are 212 mW cm−2 and 495 mW cm−2 at 70% RH and 100% RH, which are 1.3 times and 1.7 times higher than that of the Nafion 117 membrane, respectively. After the 80 h durability test at 80 °C and 80% RH, the voltage of the SPEEK-co-PEK-75 membrane only drops by 4.8%. The presence of the -PEK- segment results in a more compact and connected distribution of hydrophilic ion clusters in the SPEEK-co-PEK-X membrane. This adjustment greatly enhances the performance of the membrane, making it an excellent candidate for proton exchange membrane in H 2 /air fuel cells. [Display omitted] • SPEEK-co-PEK-x is a range of random copolymers with controllable sulfonation degree. • Single cell performance of the SPEEK-co-PEK-x membranes were explored under different conditions. • The SPEEK-co-PEK-75 membrane has excellent durability at low humidity. • The synthesis cost of SPEEK-co-PEK-x is low, and the synthesis process is simple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved railway wheelset system is presented. The dynamical behaviors of the system are investigated, including dissipativity and invariance of the system, stability of zero‐equilibrium point, and the bifurcation characteristics of railway wheelset system at zero equilibrium point. Furthermore, the chaotic behaviors of the motion of railway wheelset and the dynamical behaviors of the railway wheelset system under geometric constraint are studied. It shows that the railway wheelset system has complex dynamical phenomena owing to nonlinear factor and the railway wheelset system may have different complex dynamical behaviors with different nonlinear parameters. In addition, the motion of railway wheelset also has chaotic behaviors under geometric constraint. Finally, the chaos control of the railway wheelset system is achieved by using linear feedback control method. The numerical simulations are carried out in order to analyze the complex phenomena of the railway wheelset system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developed ML model to predict post-CCNB pneumothorax risk. • Collected data on ≤3 cm lung nodules. • Gaussian Naive Bayes classifier achieved an AUC of 0.82. • Algorithm enhances perioperative care and clinical decision-making. The aim is to devise a machine learning algorithm exploiting preoperative clinical data to forecast the hazard of pneumothorax post-coaxial needle lung biopsy (CCNB), thereby informing clinical decision-making and enhancing perioperative care. This retrospective analysis aggregated clinical and imaging data from patients with lung nodules (≤3 cm) biopsies. Variable selection was done using univariate analysis and LASSO regression, with the dataset subsequently divided into training (80 %) and validation (20 %) subsets. Various machine learning (ML) classifiers were employed in a consolidated approach to ascertain the paramount model, which was followed by individualized risk profiling showcased through Shapley Additive eXplanations (SHAP). Out of the 325 patients included in the study, 19.6% (64/325) experienced postoperative pneumothorax. High-risk factors determined were Cancer, Lesion_type, GOLD, Size, and Depth. The Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB) classifier demonstrated superior prediction with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.71–0.94), complemented by an accuracy rate of 0.8, sensitivity of 0.71, specificity of 0.84, and an F1 score of 0.61 in the test cohort. The formulated prognostic algorithm exhibited commendable efficacy in preoperatively prognosticating CCNB-induced pneumothorax, harboring the potential to refine personalized risk appraisals, steer clinical judgment, and ameliorate perioperative patient stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian leukosis virus subgroup K (ALV-K) is composed of newly emerging isolates, which cluster separately from the well-characterized subgroups A, B, C, D, E, and J in sequence analysis, and exhibits a specific host range and a unique pattern of superinfection interference. Avian leukosis virus subgroup K replicate more slowly in avian cells than other ALV strains, leading to escaped detection during ALV eradication, but the underlying mechanism are largely unknown. In our previous study, we have reported that JS11C1 and most of other suspected ALV-K strains possessed unique mutations in the U3 region. Here, we selected 5 mutations in some important transcriptional regulation elements to explore the possible factor contributing for the lower activity of LTR, including CA-TG mutation in the CAAT box, 21 nt deletion in the CAAT box, A-G and A-T mutations in the CArG boxes, 11 nt insertion in the PRE boxes, and C-T mutation in the TATA box. On the basis of infectious clone of JS11C1, we demonstrated that the 11 nt fragment in the PRE boxes was associated with the transcription activity of LTR, the enhancer ability of U3, and the replication capacity of the virus. Notably, we determined the differential U3-protein interaction profile of ALVs and found that the 11 nt fragment specifically binds to cellular SERPINE1 mRNA binding protein 1 (SERBP1) to increase the LTR activity and enhance virus replication. Collectively, these findings reveal that a 11 nt fragment in the U3 gene contributed to its binding ability to the cellular SERBP1 to enhance its transcription and the infectious virus productions in avian cells. This study highlighted the vital role of host factor in retrovirus replication and thus provides a new perspective to elucidate the interaction between retrovirus and its host and a molecular basis to develop efficient strategies against retroviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Outcome prediction tools for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are lacking. Here, we developed a machine learning-based metabolite classifier for predicting 1-year major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) after PCI among patients with T2DM. Methods: Serum metabolomic profiling was performed in a nested case–control study of 108 matched pairs of patients with T2DM occurring and not occurring MACEs at 1 year after PCI, then the matched pairs were 1:1 assigned into the discovery and internal validation sets. External validation was conducted using targeted metabolite analyses in an independent prospective cohort of 301 patients with T2DM receiving PCI. The function of candidate metabolites was explored in high glucose-cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). Results: Overall, serum metabolome profiles differed between diabetic patients with and without 1-year MACEs after PCI. Through VSURF, a machine learning approach for feature selection, we identified the 6 most important metabolic predictors, which mainly targeted the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism. The 6-metabolite model based on random forest and XGBoost algorithms yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of ≥ 0.90 for predicting MACEs in both discovery and internal validation sets. External validation of the 6-metabolite classifier also showed good accuracy in predicting MACEs (AUC 0.94, 95% CI 0.91–0.97) and target lesion failure (AUC 0.89, 95% CI 0.83–0.95). In vitro, there were significant impacts of altering NAD+ biosynthesis on bioenergetic profiles, inflammation and proliferation of HASMCs. Conclusion: The 6-metabolite model may help for noninvasive prediction of 1-year MACEs following PCI among patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an embedded low-regularity integrator (ELRI) under a new framework for solving the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation under rough data. Different from the previous work [Wu and Zhao, BIT, Number. Math., (2021)], the present ELRI scheme is constructed based on an approximation of a scaled Schrödinger operator and a new strategy of iterative regularizing through the inverse Miura transform. Moreover, the ELRI scheme is explicitly defined in the physical space, and it is efficient under the Fourier pseudospectral discretization. By rigorous error analysis, we show that ELRI achieves first-order accuracy by requiring the boundedness of one additional spatial derivative of the solution. Numerical results are presented to show the accuracy and efficiency of ELRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal (Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, and Cd) concentrations were measured in the leaves of Sabina chinensis and Platycladus orientalis collected from urban, suburban, and rural sites in Tianjin, China. Photosynthetic pigment contents, reactive oxygen species content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and antioxidant enzyme activity were investigated, providing physiological response parameters. Our comparison of the sites revealed that urbanization significantly influenced the heavy metal concentrations in both plant leaves. At the rural site, both plant leaves exhibited the lowest heavy metal accumulation. The highest Cu, Mn, and Zn concentrations were found in S. chinensis leaves from the urban site; the highest Pb and Cd concentrations were found in P. orientalis leaves from the urban site. These results indicate that the urban site contained larger heavy metal concentrations in the plant leaves that may reflect the anthropogenic emission gradient. It is also found that S. chinensis may be used to monitor airborne heavy metal pollution because it is highly quick response to heavy metals, while P. orientalis may be used for mitigation due to its high resistance. The results of this study can contribute to the development of monitoring and environmental management plans by providing information on sensitive and resistant tree species for city greening in North China. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The decrease of wild reserves and the sharp increase of market demand have led to resource substitution, but it is still not clear how to discover medicinal alternative resources. Here we reveal the biology of medicinal resource substitution in the case of Salvia. Methods: A hypothesis was put forward that phylogeny and ecology were the main factors which determined alternative species selection. Phylogenetic analysis was performed based on chloroplast genomes. Spatial climatic pattern was assessed through three mathematical models. Results: Salvia miltiorrhiza and alternative species were mainly located in Clade 3 in topology, and their growth environment was clustered into an independent group 3 inferred from principal component analysis. Correlation and Maxent major climate factor analyses showed that the ecological variations within each lineage were significantly smaller than the overall divergent between any two lineages. Mantel test reconfirmed the inalienability between phylogeny and ecology (P = 0.002). Only the species that are genetically and ecologically related to S. miltiorrhiza can form a cluster with it. Conclusions: Phylogenetic relationship and geographical climate work together to determine which species has the potential to be selected as substitutes. Other medicinal plants can learn from this biology towards developing alternative resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We built and validated a Chinese version of the Tolerance for Mental Pain Scale-10 (TMPS-10). Participants were 840 college students in Jilin, China. The TMPS-10 consists of two dimensions: managing the pain and enduring the pain. In our study Cronbach's alphas were.80 and.83, respectively, and test–retest reliability coefficients were.78 and.72, respectively, for these two dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis results demonstrate that the two dimensions accounted for 61.58% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis results show that the two-factor model fit the sample data well. As the Chinese version of the TMPS-10 meets the requirements for a psychometric tool, it can be used to evaluate Chinese college students' tolerance of psychological pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most frequent malignancy within urological oncology. Sunitinib has been used as the standard of treatment for first-line RCC therapy. Understanding mechanisms of sunitinib resistance in RCC cell is important for clinical therapy and drug development. We established sunitinib resistant RCC cells by treating cells with increasing concentrations of sunitinib and named resistant cells as RCC/SR. Lefty A, an important embryonic morphogen, was increased in RCC/SR cells. Targeted inhibition of Lefty via its siRNAs restored the sensitivity of renal resistant cells to sunitinib treatment. It was due to that si-Lefty can decrease the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in RCC/SR cells. Knockdown of IL-8 abolished Lefty-regulated sunitinib sensitivity of RCC cells. Mechanistically, Lefty can regulate IL-8 transcription via activation of p65, one major transcription factor of IL-8. Collectively, our present revealed that Lefty A can regulate sunitinib sensitivity of RCC cells of via NF-κB/IL-8 signals. It indicated that targeted inhibition of Lefty might be a potent approach to overcome sunitinib resistance of RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a laminated composite (Ti–6Al–4V (wt%)/Ti–44Al–8Nb–0.2 W–0.2B–0.03Y (at.%) (Ti–44Al–8Nb)) was successfully fabricated via a hot-pack rolling process. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite were investigated. No defects were observed at the interfacial region, thereby indicating a high bonding strength between Ti–44Al–8Nb and Ti–6Al–4V alloys. Electron back-scattered diffraction analysis exhibited a few dislocations, sub-structures, and residual stress in the interfacial region. The flexural strength of the composite in the arrester orientation (AO) was 2001.7 MPa, which was 53% higher than that of the Ti–44Al–8Nb alloy. The fracture toughness of the composite in AO (44.5 MPa·m1/2) was 3.4 times to that of Ti–44Al–8Nb alloy. Tensile test at 25 °C indicated higher ultimate tensile strength (802 MPa), yield strength (688 MPa), and tensile plastic strain of the composite (0.94%) than those of the monolithic Ti–44Al–8Nb alloy. The toughening, strengthening, and fracture mechanisms of the composite were discussed in detail. • Ti6Al4V (wt.%)/Ti-44Al-8Nb-0.2 W-0.2B-0.03Y (at.%) laminated composite is successfully fabricated by hot-pack rolling. • The interfacial region of composite can be divided into three parts and few dislocations, sub-structures and residual stress are stored. • Compared with TiAl alloy, the flexure strength and toughness of composite in arrester orientation are much improved. • Due to the defect free interfacial region, the room temperature tensile plastic strain of composite is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Ti6Al4V–Ti43Al9V metal-intermetallic-laminated (MIL) composite was successfully fabricated using hot-pack rolling. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were also investigated. The microstructure observation showed that the composite exhibited a low extent of dynamic recrystallization (DRX), the acicular α 2 phase was precipitated in the interfacial region and the γ phase was elongated along the rolling direction. This unique microstructure enables the composite to simultaneously achieve high strength and fracture toughness. The enhanced tensile strength was attributed to the defect-free interfacial region and the low extent of DRX in the composite. The composite was toughened by crack bridging, crack deflection, the acicular α 2 phase precipitated in the interfacial region, and the elongated γ phase. • The Ti–TiAl MIL composite was successfully fabricated by hot-pack rolling. • The Ti–TiAl MIL composite showed an anisotropic microstructure. • The low extent of DRX in TiAl alloy improved the tensile strength of composite. • The anisotropic γ phase of TiAl alloy improved the fracture toughness of composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let f be an entire function of finite order, let n ≥ 1 , m ≥ 1 , L (z , f) ≢ 0 be a linear difference polynomial of f with small meromorphic coefficients, and P d (z , f) ≢ 0 be a difference polynomial in f of degree d ≤ n − 1 with small meromorphic coefficients. We consider the growth and zeros of f n (z) L m (z , f) + P d (z , f) . And some counterexamples are given to show that Theorem 3.1 proved by I. Laine (J. Math. Anal. Appl. 469:808–826, 2019) is not valid. In addition, we study meromorphic solutions to the difference equation of type f n (z) + P d (z , f) = p 1 e α 1 z + p 2 e α 2 z , where n ≥ 2 , P d (z , f) ≢ 0 is a difference polynomial in f of degree d ≤ n − 2 with small mromorphic coefficients, p i , α i (i = 1 , 2 ) are nonzero constants such that α 1 ≠ α 2 . Our results are improvements and complements of Laine 2019, Latreuch 2017, Liu and Mao 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the higher order differential equation f k + B f = H , where B is a rational function, having a pole at ∞ of order n > 0 , and H ≡ 0 is a meromorphic function with finite order, and obtain some properties related to the order and zeros of its meromorphic solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This paper aims to examine the CT imaging characteristics of COVID-19. We evaluated CT images obtained between 10 January 2019 and 16 February 2020 at Taihe Hospital. Scans were conducted 2–6 times per patient and the re-testing interval was 2–7 days. Ninety-five patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results were included in this study and we retrospectively analysed their CT imaging characteristics. Ninety-five patients underwent 2–3 SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests and received a definitive diagnosis of COVID-19. Fifty-three were male and 42 were female, and their mean age was 42 ± 12 years (range: 10 months to 81 years). Sixty-nine patients (72.6%) experienced fever, fatigue, and dry cough, while 15 (15.8%) had poor appetite and fatigue, and 11 (11.6%) had a dry cough and no fever. On CT imaging, early stage patients (n = 53, 55.8%) showed peripheral subpleural ground-glass opacities; these were mainly local patches (22/53, 41.5%), while some lesions were accompanied by interlobular septal thickening. Thirty-four (35.8%) patients were classified in the 'progression stage' based on CT imaging; these patients typically showed lesions in multiple lung segments and lobes (21/34，61.8%), and an uneven increase in ground-glass opacity density accompanied by consolidation and grid-like or cord-like shadows(30.5%). Two patients (2.1%) showed a severe presentation on CT. These showed diffuse bilateral lung lesions, mixed ground-glass opacities and consolidation with cord-like interstitial thickening and air bronchograms, entire lung involvement with a "white lung" presentation, and mild pleural effusion. Six patients in remission (6.3%), visible lesion absorption, fibrotic lesions. Based on clinical signs, 71 (74.7%), 22 (23.2%), and 2 (2.1%) patients had mild or moderate, severe, and critical disease, respectively. Within the follow-up period, 93 patients recovered and were discharged, including the 53 early stage patients and 34 progression stage patients. The length of hospitalisation was 7–28 days (mean: 10 ± 3.5 days). On discharge, lesions were significantly reduced in area and had in many cases completely disappeared, while slight pulmonary fibrosis was present in some patients. One severe stage patient was still hospitalised at the end of the follow-up period and the other severe stage patient died. The overall mortality rate was 1.05%. Understanding the CT imaging characteristics of COVID-19 is important for early lesion detection, determining the nature of lesions, and assessing disease severity. • The main clinical syndromes of COVID-19 were fever, weakness and dry cough, while upper respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion and runny nose were rare. • Differentiation of COVID-19 with other viral pneumonitis requires the combination of epidemiological and laboratory tests, and there can be no pneumonia in the early stage. • Improving the early diagnosis accuracy so that timely quarantine and treatment may be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about whether mitochondria 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) oxidative damage, contributes to the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients. Here, we explored the associations of mtDNA 8-OHdG in leukocytes with obstructive CAD, coronary stenosis severity, cardiovascular biomarkers, and 1-year adverse outcomes after coronary revascularization in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: In a total of 1920 consecutive patients with T2DM who underwent coronary angiography due to symptoms of angina or angina equivalents, the presence of obstructive CAD, the number of diseased vessels with ≥ 50% stenosis, and modified Gensini score were cross-sectionally evaluated; the level of mtDNA 8-OHdG was quantified by quantitative PCR. Then, 701 of 1920 diabetic patients who further received coronary revascularization completed 1-year prospective follow-up to document major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCEs). In vitro experiments were also performed to observe the effects of mtDNA oxidative damage in high glucose-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Results: Cross-sectionally, greater mtDNA 8-OHdG was associated with increased odds of obstructive CAD (odds ratio [OR] 1.38, 95% CI confidence interval 1.24–1.52), higher degree of coronary stenosis (number of diseased vessels: OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.19–1.41; modified Gensini scores: OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.18–1.39), and higher levels of C-reactive protein (β 0.18, 95% CI 0.06–0.31) after adjusting for confounders. Sensitivity analyses using propensity score matching yielded similar results. Stratification by smoking status showed that the association between mtDNA 8-OHdG and obstructive CAD was most evident in current smokers (Pinteration < 0.01). Prospectively, the adjusted hazards ratio per 1-SD increase in mtDNA 8-OHdG was 1.59 (95% CI 1.33–1.90) for predicting 1-year MACCEs after revascularization. In HUVECs, exposure to antimycin A, an inducer for mtDNA oxidative damage, led to adverse alterations in markers of mitochondrial and endothelia function. Conclusion: Greater mtDNA 8-OHdG in leukocytes may serve as an independent risk factor for CAD in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of prestressed concrete structures (PCSs) in extreme environments with low temperatures has increased over the years. In this study, two series of tests were carried out to evaluate the prestress losses of post‐tensioned PC specimens at ultra‐low temperatures. Twenty axially loaded PC specimens with different initial prestressing levels (0.40 and 0.65fptk) and moisture contents (water‐saturated concrete and naturally cured concrete) were tested at 20, −40, and −100°C. The total time‐dependent prestress losses of the specimens over a period of 10 h at 20, −40, and −100°C and the variations in prestress of the specimens during the cooling‐reheating process were investigated in this work. The results indicate that the time‐dependent prestress loss decreases with a decrease in temperature and initial prestressing level of the concrete. In contrast, the time‐dependent pressure loss decreases with an increase in the moisture content of concrete. It is worth noting that prestress increases when the concrete is cooled from −30 to −60°C because of the volumetric expansion of concrete. In addition, a simple method was proposed to estimate the prestress losses of PC specimens, which will greatly facilitate designers in predicting short‐term prestress losses of PCSs at ultra‐low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper formulates a new hyperchaotic system for particle motion. The continuous dependence on initial conditions of the system's solution and the equilibrium stability, bifurcation, energy function of the system are analyzed. The hyperchaotic behaviors in the motion of the particle on a horizontal smooth plane are also investigated. It shows that the rich dynamic behaviors of the system, including the degenerate Hopf bifurcations and nondegenerate Hopf bifurcations at multiple equilibrium points, the irregular variation of Hamiltonian energy, and the hyperchaotic attractors. These results generalize and improve some known results about the particle motion system. Furthermore, the constraint of hyperchaos control is obtained by applying Lagrange's method and the constraint change the system from a hyperchaotic state to asymptotically state. The numerical simulations are carried out to verify theoretical analyses and to exhibit the rich hyperchaotic behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to identify a blood-based gene expression score (GES) to predict the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) by integrative use of gene network construction, Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm, and multi-cohort validation. In the discovery phase, a public blood-based microarray dataset of 110 patients with known CAD was analyzed by weighted gene coexpression network analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis to identify candidate hub genes. In the training set with 151 CAD patients, bioinformatically identified hub genes were experimentally verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and statistically filtered with the SVM algorithm to develop a GES. Internal and external validation of GES was performed in patients with suspected CAD from two validation cohorts (n = 209 and 206). The discovery phase screened 15 network-centric hub genes significantly correlated with the Duke CAD Severity Index. In the training cohort, 12 of 15 hub genes were filtered to construct a blood-based GES12, which showed good discrimination for higher modified Gensini scores (AUC: 0.798 and 0.812), higher Sullivan Extent scores (AUC: 0.776 and 0.778), and the presence of obstructive CAD (AUC: 0.834 and 0.792) in two validation cohorts. A nomogram comprising GES12, smoking status, hypertension status, low density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and body mass index further improved performance, with respect to discrimination, risk classification, and clinical utility, for prediction of coronary stenosis severity. GES12 is useful in predicting the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with known or suspected CAD. Image 1 • We derived a 12-gene expression score (GES12) by systematic use of gene network construction and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. • GES12 showed a reliable accuracy for predicting a broad spectrum of coronary stenosis in multiple cohorts. • A GES12-based nomogram may improve the performance of GES12 in predicting coronary stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose-derived porous activated carbon materials (AGC-600-4 and AGC-180- x) are prepared using ZnCl 2 as the etching agent via impregnation treatment and hydrothermal method followed by the calcination process. The analytic results indicate that the obtained materials exhibit higher specific surface area and superior double-layer capacitive behavior than the corresponding pristine carbon (GC-600 and GC-180) when used as electrode materials for supercapacitors. Moreover, compared with the AGC-600-4 nanosheets, the optimal AGC-180-4 microspheres have a high specific surface area of 1713 m2 g−1 and a maximum specific capacitance of 235.9 F g−1 at a current density of 1.0 A g−1 in the three-electrode system. Meanwhile, AGC-180-4 also exhibits better capacitive properties than AGC-600-4 in the two-electrode system, showing an excellent cyclic stability with a high energy density of 24.63 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 949.5 W kg−1. It is thus demonstrated that AGC-180-4 could be ideal electrode materials for supercapacitor due to its unique etched spherical structure and excellent electrochemical properties. Image 1 • Glucose-derived porous activated carbon materials are facilely prepared. • Different preparation methods lead to different morphology and porous structure. • They display excellent capacitive behavior in the two- and three-electrode systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukocyte telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), as hallmarks of cellular aging, may be involved in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) by modulating oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effects of leukocyte TL and mtDNA-CN alone or in combination on CAD risk and severity in the Chinese population. In this two-stage case-control study with 1511 CAD patients and 1553 controls, leukocyte TL and mtDNA-CN were determined by a quantitative PCR assay. Three oxidative parameters, including leukocyte 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), plasma malondialdehyde, and plasma reactive oxygen species (ROS), were quantified by ELISA or colorimetric kits in a subset of 129 cases and 129 controls. In the combined cohort, each 1-SD decrease in TL and mtDNA-CN was significantly associated with a 1.17-fold and 1.14-fold increased risk of CAD (p < 0.001 for all), respectively, after adjusting for confounders. The aggregated score, which reflected the cumulative dosage of the tertiles of TL and mtDNA-CN, showed inverse dose-response correlations with CAD risk (p trend < 0.001), and severity, as determined by the severity of clinical presentations (p trend = 0.037), the presence of multi-vessel CAD (p trend = 0.004), and modified Gensini scores (p trend = 0.009). Similar dose-response relations of the aggregated score to leukocyte 8-OHdG and plasma ROS were also identified. Our data suggested reductions in both TL and mtDNA-CN as independent risk factors for CAD. The combination of TL and mtDNA-CN might jointly contribute to CAD risk, CAD severity, and oxidative stress. Image 1 • Lower leukocyte telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) independently increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. • The aggregated score of TL and mtDNA-CN may better predict CAD risk and severity. • The aggregated score may inversely correlate with markers of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate costs associated with colonic endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for treatment of colorectal cancer. Methods. The study is a retrospective analysis of data on 395 patients treated by colonic ESD. Results. The operation, consumable items, and medication accounted for 71% of the total costs for colonic ESD treatment. Medication and consumable items' costs were higher if lesions occurred in the transverse colon and right hemicolon compared to the left hemicolon. Medication, consumable items, and total costs were higher for larger lesions. Lesion numbers and carcinoma were associated with higher medication, consumable items, operation, and total costs. Positive surgical margins and complications of hemorrhage or perforation were positively correlated with higher costs for medication, consumable items, and total costs. Conclusion. Labor costs for doctors and nurses remain low in China. Costs for medication and consumable items were higher for treatment involving the transverse colon or right hemicolon (vs. the left hemicolon), larger lesions, carcinoma, and a positive surgical margin. A benchmark cost estimate for ESD treatment including 4 days of postoperative hospitalization was determined to be approximately 5400 USD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus is the mainly leading cause of invasive aspergillosis associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. However, triazole resistance in A. fumigatus has increased dramatically throughout the world nowadays. The emergence of triazole resistance has aroused growing concern. This research was conducted to assess if the resistance in A. fumigatus and its associated mutations in the cpy51A gene could be induced during its exposure to tebuconazole in liquid medium and in soil. The results indicated that the resistance in A. fumigatus with mutations of TR46/Y121F/T289A could be induced by tebuconazole in liquid medium. Nine resistant strains without any mutation in cyp51A were isolated in soil treated with tebuconazole at levels of 0.5–5.0 mg kg−1 after incubation for 120 d. The two (HI-30 and HI-36) of the nine resistant isolates were caused by overexpression of AtrF , AfuMDR1 , cyp51A and cyp51B and hereditary stability. This strongly implies that conventional application of tebuconazole for plant protection will cause resistance of A. fumigatus to triazole medicals in agricultural soils. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Resistant A. fumigatus could be induced by tebuconazole in liquid medium. • Resistant A. fumigatus could be found in tebuconazole contaminated soil. • Application of tebuconazole will result in emergence of A. fumigatus in farm soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of retro-viral long terminal repeat (LTR) into the Marek's disease virus (MDV) genome can occur both in co-cultivation cell cultures and naturally in dual infected chickens. It is clear that the LTR insert is associated with the pathogenicity of MDV. The objective of this study was to compare the host responses to MDV with a different retro-viral LTR insert. Gene-chip containing chicken genome was employed to investigate the gene transcription profile of chicken embryo fibroblasts cells, and 795 genes were differentially expressed in chicken embryo fibroblasts infected with GX0101 with a reticuloendotheliosis virus LTR insert as compared to GX0101-ALV- LTR significantly. The differentially expressed genes were mostly associated with the regulation of transcription and the development of multiple organs. Based on the bio functions of the differential genes, infection of GX0101 was predicated with a greater development disorder of multiple systems, resulting in higher growth retardation, mortality, tumorigenicity, and immunosuppression in chickens than GX0101-ALV- LTR. Collectively, our results provided valuable insights into elucidation of the possible relationship between retro-viral LTR insert and the observed phenotypes caused by MDV recombinant viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type IV CRISPR-Cas systems, which are primarily found on plasmids and exhibit a strong plasmid-targeting preference, are the only one of the six known CRISPR-Cas types for which the mechanistic details of their function remain unknown. Here, we provide high-resolution functional snapshots of type IV-A Csf complexes before and after target dsDNA binding, either in the absence or presence of CasDinG, revealing the mechanisms underlying CsfcrRNA complex assembly, "DWN" PAM-dependent dsDNA targeting, R-loop formation, and CasDinG recruitment. Furthermore, we establish that CasDinG, a signature DinG family helicase, harbors ssDNA-stimulated ATPase activity and ATP-dependent 5′-3′ DNA helicase activity. In addition, we show that CasDinG unwinds the non-target strand (NTS) and target strand (TS) of target dsDNA from the CsfcrRNA complex. These molecular details advance our mechanistic understanding of type IV-A CRISPR-Csf function and should enable Csf complexes to be harnessed as genome-engineering tools for biotechnological applications. [Display omitted] • Type IV-A CRISPR-Csf complex recognizes a broad "DWN" PAM on target dsDNA • CasDinG, a 5′-3′ DNA helicase, binds directly to the dsDNA-bound type IV-A complex • CasDinG can unwind the target dsDNA that is bound to the type IV-A complex • Small gene size and broad PAM recognition offer type IV-A great biotech potential Cui et al. determine multiple cryo-EM structures of type IV-A CRISPR-Csf complexes before and after target dsDNA binding, with and without the CasDinG helicases, providing a structural basis for the functional mechanisms of type IV-A immunity. The compact gene size and broad "DWN" PAM recognition highlight its potential for biotechnological applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fomesafen is a long residual herbicide and poses a potential risk to environmental safety, leading to an increasing need to find eco-friendly and cost-effective techniques to remediate fomesafen-contaminated soils. In this article, a novel strain of Bacillus sp., FE-1 was isolated from paddy field soil. This strain was found to degrade fomesafen both in liquid medium and in soil. > 82.9% of fomesafen, at concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 10 mg L − 1 , was degraded by Bacillus sp. FE-1 in liquid medium within 14 h. The optimal pH and temperature for degradation were 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively. Soil samples inoculated with strain FE-1 showed significantly increased rates of fomesafen degradation. Two metabolites of fomesafen degradation were detected and identified as amino-fomesafen and 5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl) phenoxy]-2-amino-benzoic acid. This is the first report of a novel fomesafen biodegradation pathway involving the reduction of a nitro group followed by the hydrolysis of an amide bond. The excellent remediation capability of the isolate FE-1 to detoxify fomesafen-contaminated soil was shown by bioassay of the sensitive aftercrop corn. The results indicate that Bacillus sp. FE-1 has potential for use in the bioremediation of fomesafen-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphite is one of the most essential non-metallic minerals with a wide variety of uses, and is an important commodity used in the emerging industry of China. Graphite is sourced from 170 mine areas in China from 25 provinces. This contribution is on a study of 15 regions in China with known graphite resources based on the spatial and temporal analyses of the regional metamorphic, contact metamorphic, and hydrothermal types of graphite. The knowledge gained on the metallogenesis of graphite in China is used to develop a model for choosing prospective regions for graphite, and to target areas for detailed exploration. It outlined 28 prediction areas with predicted graphite resources of about 1.63 billion tonnes to a maximum depth of 500 m in the Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Inner Mongolia and Hunan provinces. And of these, the predicted flake graphite resources in the Heilongjiang Province has been totalling almost a billion tonnes representing almost 60% of China’s graphite resource. As a result of this study, it is concluded that graphite has been formed during restricted periods of time, with the regional metamorphic type being the main style present in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catechol is one of phenolic metabolites of benzene that is a general occupational hazard and a ubiquitous environmental air pollutant. Catechol also occurs naturally in fruits, vegetables and cigarettes. Previous studies have revealed that 72 h exposure to catechol improved hemin-induced erythroid differentiation of K562 cells accompanied with elevated methylation in erythroid specific genes. In present study, K562 cells were treated with 0, 10 or 20 μM catechol for 1–4 weeks, hemin-induced hemoglobin synthesis increased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner and the enhanced hemoglobin synthesis was relatively stable. The mRNA expression of α-, β- and γ-globin genes, erythroid heme synthesis enzymes PBGD and ALAS2, transcription factor GATA-1 and NF-E2 showed a significant increase in K562 cells exposed to 20 μM catechol for 3 w, and catechol enhanced hemin-induced mRNA expression of these genes. Quantitative MassARRAY methylation analysis also confirmed that the exposure to catechol changed DNA methylation levels at several CpG sites in several erythroid-specific genes and their far upstream of regulatory elements. These results demonstrated that long-term exposure to low concentration of catechol enhanced the hemin-induced erythroid differentiation of K562 cells, in which DNA methylation played a role by up-regulating erythroid specific genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal rollover is one of the fundamental limitations that affect the output power and modulation bandwidth of high-speed laser in monolithic laser integrated circuits (ICs). Herein, an 850 nm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) with p-doping and sub quantum well (sub QW) centers active layer is proposed and investigated. The p-doping and sub QW insert in the offset position of each barrier, which are designed for reducing the thermal rollover and increasing the maximum intrinsic modulation bandwidth of the laser. Numerical simulations show that adding the p-doping and sub QW in active region could reduce the threshold currents (I th), improve the slope efficiency (SE) and delay the thermal rollover in VCSEL. Comparing with previous VCSEL, our proposed VCSEL has excellent high temperature output performance, and the maximum simulation 3-dB bandwidth is 43.9 GHz at 25 °C and 33.1 GHz at 85 °C, respectively. Furthermore, temperature-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation reveal this novel QW has strong radiative recombination rate, which is suitable for designing active region of high-speed and high power lasers. • A composite MQWs with sub QW insert layer and p-type δ -doping has been demonstrated. • Through simulation, the composite MQWs could reduce thermal rollover and increase the maximum intrinsic modulation bandwidth of VCSEL. • The maximum simulation 3 dB bandwidth could reach to 43.9 and 33.1 GHz at 25 ℃ and 85 ℃, respectively. • Through carrier dynamic analysis, this novel MQWs has strong radiative recombination rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia is widely used as medicine, food, and ornamental plants all over the world, with three main distribution centers, the Central and western Asia/Mediterranean (CAM), the East Aisa (EA), and the Central and South America (CASA). Along with its large number of species and world-wide distribution, Salvia is paraphyletic with multiple diversity. Chloroplast genomes (CPs) are useful tools for analyzing the phylogeny of plants at lower taxonomic levels. In this study, we reported chloroplast genomes of five species of Salvia and performed phylogenetic analysis with current available CPs of Salvia. Repeated sequence analysis and comparative analysis of Salvia CPs were also performed with representative species from different distribution centers. The results showed that the genetic characters of the CPs are related to the geographic distribution of plants. Species from CAM diverged first to form a separate group, followed by species from EA, and finally species from CASA. Larger variations of CPs were observed in species from CAM, whereas more deficient sequences and less repeated sequences in the CPs were observed in species from CASA. These results provide valuable information on the development and utilization of the worldwide genetic resources of Salvia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radix Astragali (RA) with slight sweet and warm property is a significant “qi tonifying” herb; it is indicated for the syndrome of dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency (DSSD). The purpose of this research was to explore effects of RA and its split components on gene expression profiles related to water metabolism in rats with the DSSD syndrome for identifying components representing property and flavor of RA. The results indicated that RA and its split components, especially polysaccharides component, significantly increased the body weight and the urine volume and decreased the water load index of model rats. Our data also indicated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to water metabolism involved secretion, ion transport, water homeostasis, regulation of body fluid levels, and water channel activity; the expression of AQP1, AQP3, AQP4, AQP5, AQP6, and AQP8 was improved; calcium, cAMP, MAPK, PPAR, AMPK, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may be related to water metabolism. In general, results indicate that RA and its split components could promote water metabolism in rats with the DSSD syndrome via regulating the expression of AQPs, which reflected sweet-warm properties of RA. Effects of the polysaccharides component are better than others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate whether a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1136410 in the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) gene was associated with PARP activities, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels, and the risk of age-related cataract (ARC) in a Chinese Han population. Methods In this two-stage case-control study with a total of 1010 ARC patients and 1045 controls, SNP rs1136410 was genotyped by high-resolution melting analyses (HRM). PARP activities and 8-OHdG levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were determined by ELISA kits. Results In discovery, replication, and their merged sets, the variant genotypes (AG + GG) of SNP rs1136410 were significantly associated with an increased risk of ARC under a dominant model (Adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.42, P adj = 0.001 for the merged set). This association was further identified in subtype analyses for cortical ARC (Adjusted OR = 1.69, P adj < 0.001). In subgroup analyses, we identified a significant interaction between SNP rs1136410 and smoking habit in increasing ARC risk (P inter = 0.019). Moreover, ARC patients had lower activities of PARP and higher levels of 8-OHdG than controls. There were significant correlations of SNP rs1136410 with decreased PARP activities and increased 8-OHdG levels in controls and patients with cortical ARC. Conclusions This study suggests that SNP rs1136410 may confer susceptibility to ARC by affecting PARP activities and oxidative DNA damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, novel poly(γ-benzyl l -glutamate)/poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid)/bioglass (PBLG/PLGA/BG) composite scaffolds with different weight ratios were fabricated using a negative NaCl-templating method. The morphology, compression modulus and degradation kinetics of the scaffolds were characterized. The results showed that the PBLG/PLGA/BG composite scaffolds with a weight ratio of 5:5:1, namely PBLG5PLGA5BG composite scaffolds, displayed a pore size range of 50–500 μm, high compressive modulus (566.6 ± 8.8 kPa), suitable glass transition temperature (46.8 ± 0.2 °C) and low degradation rate (> 8 weeks). The in vitro biocompatibility of the scaffolds was evaluated with MC3T3-E1 cells by live-dead staining, MTT and ALP activity assays. The obtained results indicated that the PBLG5PLGA5BG composite scaffolds were more conducive to the adhesion, proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells than PBLG and PBLG/PLGA composite scaffolds. The in vivo biocompatibility of the scaffolds was evaluated in both SD rat subcutaneous model and rabbit tibia defect model. The results of H&E, Masson's trichrome and CD34 staining assays demonstrated that the PBLG5PLGA5BG composite scaffolds allowed the ingrowth of tissue and microvessels more effectively than PBLG/PLGA composite scaffolds. The results of digital radiography confirmed that the PBLG5PLGA5BG composite scaffolds significantly improved in vivo osteogenesis. Collectively, the PBLG5PLGA5BG composite scaffolds could be a promising candidate for tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, clinical cases of inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) and hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) have been emerging and increasing in chicken flocks worldwide. Mixed infections with 2 or more fowl adenovirus (FAdV) serotypes were common in these cases. Herein, we collected a clinical sample that was positive for FAdV from 40-day-old broilers with IBH and HPS symptoms in Shandong province of China and determined the complete genome of FAdVs on the Illumina HiSeq4000 platform. The results showed that the sample contained 2 FAdV strains of D species and C species and named SD1763-1 and SD1763-2 respectively. The genome of SD1763-1 strain was 43,913 nt in length, with a G+C content of 53.51%, whereas SD1763-2 strain was 43,721 nt in length, with a G+C content of 54.87%. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain SD1763-1 was clustered together with serotype 2/11 of FAdV-D, and SD1763-2 was clustered together with FAdV-4. There is no recombination between the genomes of the 2 viruses of FAdV-D and FAdV-C in the present study. This is the first report of obtaining 2 genomic sequences of FAdV strains simultaneously by direct use of deep sequencing in one clinical individual chicken sample, which provided direct evidence for mixed infections of adenovirus serotypes in the clinic and enriched the genome data to explore the geographic biomarkers and virulence signatures of the genus Aviadenovirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We mainly study the uniqueness of meromorphic functions sharing three distinct values CM with their difference operators, and the related result confirms the conjecture of Chen and Yi. We also obtain a uniqueness theorem on entire functions sharing two sets CM with their difference operators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To investigate the effects of co-infections of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) and Eimeria tenella on the pathogenesis in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) white leghorn chickens, groups of chickens were infected with ALV-J strain NX0101 at one day of age or with E. tenella at 14 days of age or both. The control group was left uninfected and was mock-inoculated with phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Mortality rates, body weights, cecal lesions, and viremia of infected chickens in each group were evaluated. Immune status was evaluated by measuring several parameters: immune organ weight/body weight index, specific humoral responses to inactivated NDV vaccine and to inoculated E. tenella , proportions of blood CD3 + CD4+ and CD3 + CD8α+ lymphocytes and transcriptional levels of cytokines in blood and cecal tonsils. The results show that co-infections of ALV-J and E. tenella induced a higher mortality rate and a lower body weight in SPF chickens compared to single-pathogen infection. In co-infected chickens, ALV-J accelerated the disease symptoms induced by E. tenella , and the E. tenella extended the ALV-J viremia. Thymus atrophy, decrease in the humoral response levels to pathogens and the NDV vaccine, modifications in the blood lymphocyte sub-populations and transcriptional cytokine disorders were found in co-infected chickens compared to chickens infected with one pathogen alone and to controls. We underline a synergy between ALV-J and E. tenella that results in increasing pathogenesis in SPF chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prokaryotic expressed recombinant chimeric multi-epitope protein X (rCMEPX) had been evaluated with good immunogenicity and protective efficacy against subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) in our previous study. In the present research, we cloned the chimeric multi-epitope gene X into the eukaryotic expression vector pVAX1 to evaluate its potency as a DNA vaccine. The purified recombinant gp85 protein and rCMEPX were used as positive controls and a DNA prime-protein boost strategy was also studied. Six experimental groups of 7-day-old chickens (20 per group) were immunized intramuscularly three times at 2 weeks interval with PBS, gp85, rCMEPX, pVAX1, pVAX-X and pVAX-X + rCMEPX respectively. The antibody titers and cellular immune responses were assayed after immunization. The efficacy of immunoprotection against the challenge of ALV-J NX0101 strain was also examined. The results showed that the DNA vaccine could elicit both neutralizing antibodies and cellular responses. Immune-challenge experiments showed good protection efficacy against ALV-J infection. Particularly, the regimen involving one priming pVAX-X and twice recombinant rCMEPX boosting, induced the highest antibody titers in all immunized groups. Our results suggest that the constructed chimeric multi-epitope DNA has potential for a candidate vaccine against ALV-J when used in proper prime-boost combinations. The data presented here may provide an alternative strategy for vaccine design in chicken ALV-J prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, poly( N ɛ -acryloyl- l -lysine)/hyaluronic acid (pLysAAm/HA) interpenetrating network (IPN) hydrogels were successfully fabricated through the combination of hydrazone bond crosslinking and photo-crosslinking reactions. The HA hydrogel network was first synthesized from 3,3′-dithiodipropionate hydrazide-modified HA and polyethylene glycol dilevulinate by hydrazone bond crosslinking. The pLysAAm hydrogel network was prepared from N ɛ -acryloyl- l -lysine and N , N ′-bis(acryloyl)-( l )-cystine by photo-crosslinking. The resultant pLysAAm/HA hydrogels had a good shape recovery property after loading and unloading for 1.5 cycles (up to 90%) and displayed a highly porous microstructure. Their compressive moduli were at least 5 times higher than that of HA hydrogels. The pLysAAm/HA hydrogels had an equilibrium swelling ratio of up to 37.9 and displayed a glutathione-responsive degradation behavior. The results from in vitro biocompatibility evaluation with pre-osteoblasts MC3T3-E1 cells revealed that the pLysAAm/HA hydrogels could support cell viability and proliferation. Hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated that the pLysAAm/HA hydrogels allowed cell and tissue infiltration, confirming their good in vivo biocompatibility. Therefore, the novel pLysAAm/HA IPN hydrogels have great potential for bone tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot deformation behavior and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) of a β-solidifying TiAl alloy Ti–43Al–2Cr–2Mn–0.2Y (at%) were investigated by means of isothermal compression tests in a temperature range of 1100–1225 °C and strain rate range of 0.01–0.05 s −1 . A processing map at a true strain 0.8 was developed based on the dynamic materials model. The current alloy possesses a wide processing window, and the optimum deformation condition is 1175–1225 °C/0.05 s −1 . The main softening mechanism is DRX of γ grains. The DRX proceeded preferentially at triangle boundaries, and subsequently in the lamellae. Both deformation temperature and strain rate have an obvious impact on the microstructural evolution. The partial DRX occurred when the alloy deformed at low temperature and high strain rate. Some remnant lamellar structures existed due to the plastic anisotropy of lamellar colony. With the increase of temperature and /or the decrease of strain rate, the lamellae were effectively broken down into fine grains, and a relatively complete DRX occurred. Dynamic recovery is the main deformation mechanism for β 0 phase, which promotes the compatible deformation between γ and α 2 phases and prevents premature cracks. Additionally, the DRX mechanism of γ phase was investigated through TEM observations. The DRX of γ grains begins with the formation of sub-boundaries, followed by a process of rearrangement of sub-boundaries to form new grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, in order to better mimick the nature of bone extracellular matrix, hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels having a triple degradation behavior were synthesized from 3,3′-dithiodipropionate hydrazide-modified HA (DTPH–HA) and polyethylene glycol dilevulinate (LEV–PEG–LEV) via the reaction of the ketone carbonyl groups of LEV–PEG–LEV with the hydrazide groups of DTPH–HA. The HA hydrogels were characterized by solid state 13 C NMR, FT-IR, SEM, and rheological, swelling and degradation tests. The results showed that the HA hydrogels exhibited a highly porous morphology and had pore diameters ranging from 20 to 200 μm. The equilibrium swelling ratio of the HA hydrogels was no less than 37.5. The HA hydrogels could be degraded by hyaluronidase and reducing substances or at acidic pH values. The biocompatibility of the HA hydrogels was evaluated using osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells by live/dead staining and MTT assays. The results revealed that the HA hydrogels had good biocompatibility and could support the attachment and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. All the results indicated that the HA hydrogels synthesized by hydrazone bond crosslinking might have great potential to be used in bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GX0101 was the first reported field strain of recombinant Marek's disease virus (MDV) that contained a long terminal repeat (LTR) from the reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV). It is a very virulent MDV strain, with relatively high horizontal transmission ability. The REV LTR in GX0101 genome was proved to decrease the pathogenicity but increase the potential for horizontal transmission of the virus. Here we constructed a recombinant MDV GX0101-ALV-LTR to study stability of avian leukosis virus (ALV) LTR at the REV LTR insertion site in GX0101 genome and its influence on biological activities of the recombinant virus. The results showed that GX0101-ALV-LTR was able to replicate stably bothin vitroandin vivo. ALV LTR remained stable in chickens infected either by inoculation with the recombinant virus GX0101-ALV-LTR or by horizontal transmission, as well as in cell culture. The pathogenic properties of GX0101-ALV-LTR virus were evaluated in infected specific-pathogen-free chickens. The present study demonstrated that the GX0101-ALV-LTR virus had a weaker inhibitory effect on the growth rates of the infected chickens and induced weaker immunosuppressive effects. Horizontal transmission ability of the GX0101-ALV-LTR virus appeared to be similar with its parental virus GX0101. In short, ALV LTR was stable in GX0101 after replacing REV LTR, and the recombinant virus showed similar horizontal transmission ability but decreased pathogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The immunological responses of patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) remain largely unknown. We aim to study the magnitude and sustainability of host immune responses and their correlation with clinical, virological and hematological parameters. Methods A longitudinal cohort study was performed in a SFTS reference hospital. The sequential immunological evaluation was determined for SFTSV infected patients, including anti-SFTSV IgM, IgG antibodies and the lymphocyte subsets. Results Altogether 298 laboratory-confirmed SFTS cases were analyzed, from whom 55 patients were followed after convalescence. SFTSV specific IgM antibody could be detected at medium of 9 days, surged to peak levels by 4 weeks, and remained persistent until 6 months after disease onset. SFTSV specific IgG antibody could be detected at medium of 6 weeks; surged to peak levels by 6 months, and remained positive in most of the patients even at 3 years after infection. SFTS patients experienced obvious T cell, B cell and NK cells loss during the first week of infection, which was rapidly restored to normal levels. A significantly lower level of humoral immunity was identified concurrently from severe disease, especially in acute phase of the infection. These abnormalities can be used as a potential indicator in the prediction of an adverse clinical outcome. Conclusions Information gained from this study have clinical significance in enhancing our understanding of SFTS immunological characteristics and the disease pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have tested for associations between common polymorphisms of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and sporadic Alzheimer disease (SAD), but results have been inconclusive. Using meta-analysis, our study aimed to clarify the nature of the genetic risks contributed by the three polymorphisms (rs4291, rs4343, rs1800764) for developing SAD. Through searching of Pubmed, Embase, Alzgene and manually searching relevant references, a total of 14 articles with 26 independent studies were included. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association studies. The heterogeneity across the studies was tested, as was publication bias. We observed significant association between SNP rs4291 and SAD using allelic comparison (OR = 1.08, 95 % CI 1.03-1.14), homozygote comparison (OR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.04-1.30) and the recessive model (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI 1.02-1.18). Association with SNP rs1800764 was revealed but it was not sufficiently robust to withstand the Benjamini-Hochberg method and stepdown Bonferroni correction. Significant association was not identified in the analysis for SNP rs4343. In subgroup analyses, the risk of SAD associated with SNP rs4291 appeared to be significant among Caucasians and in older cases (mean age ≥75 years). Our results confirmed a significant but modest association between SNP rs4291 and SAD susceptibility. Further study of the pathogenetic characteristics of this polymorphism and independent confirmation of the association in larger studies are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marek's disease virus (MDV) GX0101, which is a field strain with a naturally occurring insertion of the reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) long terminal repeat (LTR) fragment, shows distinct biological activities. Deletion of the meq gene in GX0101 contributes to its complete loss of pathogenicity and oncogenicity in SPF chickens, but this virus has a kanamycin resistance gene (kan r ) residual at the site of meq gene. In the present study, the kan r was knocked out and a meq-null virus with a good replicative ability termed SC9-1 was selected. In vivo studies showed that SC9-1 had no pathogenicity or tumorigenicity to chickens. There were no obvious impacts on chicken weight, immune organ index or antibody levels induced by avian influenza virus (AIV)/newcastle disease virus (NDV) inactivated vaccines compared with the control group. The SC9-1 virus provided superior protection than CVI988/Rispens vaccine in both SPF chickens and Hy-line brown chickens when challenged with a very virulent MDV (rMd5 strain). There was no obvious change in SC9-1 protection against MDV rMd5 in SPF chickens after 20 passages in chicken embryonic fibroblast cells (CEFs). In conclusion, SC9-1 is a safe and effective vaccine candidate for the prevention of Marek's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deformation behavior of as-forged Ti–43Al–9V–Y alloy was investigated by hot compression tests in the temperature range of 1100–1225 °C and strain rate range of 0.01–0.5 s −1 . The results show that the alloy exhibits negative temperature sensitivity and positive strain rate sensitivity. The stress exponent ( n = 3.02) and the apparent activation energy ( Q = 342.27 kJ/mol) of the present alloy are lower than that of previous reported TiAl alloys, which suggests that the as-forged Ti–43Al–9V–Y alloy exhibits better deformability at low temperatures and high strain rates. A processing map for hot working was developed on the basis of a dynamic material model. The deformation mechanisms were analyzed by the processing map. The optimum processing condition at the strain of 0.6 is 1180–1210 °C/0.01–0.05 s −1 . A crack-free Ti–43Al–9V–Y sheet was prepared by hot rolling at these optimized parameters. EBSD results show that dynamic recrystallization is more likely to occur for γ phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel simple method was developed to prepare functional hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels simultaneously containing hydrazone and disulfide bonds in their crossbridges. The HA hydrogels were formed by directly reacting 2,5-hexanedione and 3,3′-dithiodipropionate hydrazide-modified HA, and were characterized by FT–IR, SEM, TGA and mechanical tests. The results showed that the formation of HA hydrogels was a result of the reaction between ketone and hydrazide groups. The resultant HA hydrogels exhibited a porous morphology with a pore size range of 50 μm to 400 μm, and their compressive modulus and G″/G′ ratio were 18.8 ± 0.6 kPa and 0.002, respectively. Both swelling and degradation ratios gradually decreased with the increasing degree of crosslinking. However, the degree of crosslinking had a slight effect on the decomposition temperature of the HA hydrogels. It can be concluded that the simple method presented in this study is feasible to prepare HA hydrogels through hydrazone bond crosslinking by reacting diketone molecules and hydrazide-modified HA, and the HA hydrogels have potential in biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterovirus 75 (EV-B75) is a member of the species Enterovirus B (EV-B). So far, only the complete genome of the prototype strain from the United States is available. Here, we report the genome sequence of an EV-B75 isolate from an acute flaccid paralysis patient in China. Sequence analysis revealed high nucleotide sequence divergence from foreign EV-B75 strains and suggested several recombination events with other serotypes of EV-B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism have long been linked to sporadic Alzheimer disease (SAD), but the established data remained controversial. To clarify this inconsistency, a comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted. Through searching of Pubmed, Embase, Alzgene, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and manually searching relevant references, 53 independent studies from 48 articles were included, involving a total of 8153 cases and 14932 controls. The strength of association was assessed by using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Further stratified analyses and heterogeneity analyses were tested, as was publication bias. Overall, significant associations were revealed between I/D polymorphism and SAD risk using allelic comparison (OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.01–1.17, p = 0.030), homozygote comparison (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 1.01–1.34, p = 0.030) and the dominant model (OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.04–1.29, p = 0.008), but they were not sufficiently robust to withstand the false-positive report probability (FPRP) analyses. Otherwise, in subgroup analyses restricted to the high quality studies, the large sample size studies and studies with population-based controls, no significant association was observed in any genetic models. In summary, the current meta-analysis suggested that the ACE I/D polymorphism is unlikely to be a major determining factor in the development of SAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the association between SMN1 and SMN2 copy number variations (CNVs) and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) by a meta-analysis. Methods: Through searching PubMed and EMBASE database (or manual searching) up to November 2013 using the following keywords: “survival motor neuron gene”, “SMN”, and “amyotrophic lateral sclerosis”, “ALS” or “motor neuron disease”. Nine studies were identified as eligible for this meta-analysis. The association between SMN genes and the SALS risk was investigated based on SMN1 and SMN2 CNVs. The heterogeneity across the studies was tested, as was publication bias. Results: The analysis showed significant association for SMN1 duplications in SALS risk: the risk estimates were OR=1.76, 95%CI=1.33–2.32, p<0.0001 (still significant when the p value was Bonferroni adjusted to 0.01). However, there was no significant association between SMN1 deletions and SALS risk after Bonferroni correction (OR=1.78, 95%CI=1.02–3.11, p=0.04). In addition, SMN2 copy number statuses were not associated with SALS in our pooled study. No evidence of publication bias was observed. Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that SMN1 duplications are a genetic risk factor in SALS, while there was no modulator effect of the SMN2 gene. In addition, it was possible that SMN1 deletions in predisposition to SALS vary across different countries. More studies were required to warrant the findings of this study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]