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Entirely soft robots require various functional parts made of soft materials. This paper proposes a fully soft valve for autonomous pressure control in soft robots. The valve contains an elastomeric popper which snappily shifts between two stable positions under two critical control pressures -which can vary with respect to the thickness of the popper. As the popper can remain in either position, it acts as a mechanical switch to “open” or “close” the airflow channels in of the valve. Either state (i.e., open or close) can be maintained permanently without further actuation. By optimizing the geometry, the valve functions as a relief valve in a pneumatic circuit. The valve is then used to control the pneumatic pressure in a soft gripper system. When the system pressure is higher than the critical pressure of the valve, the compressed air is relieved through a vent, for the system to remain safe and stable. This work provides a strategy to develop entirely soft components for soft robotic control.

The risk factors promoting acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression remain largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hyperhomocysteinemia (Hhcy) accelerates the development of renal fibrosis after AKI.Hhcy aggravated ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI and the subsequent development of renal fibrotic lesions characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Mechanistically, the RNA binding protein human antigen R (HuR) bound to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) messenger RNA (mRNA). Homocysteine (Hcy) downregulated HuR expression, reduced the binding of HuR to the 3'-UTR of HO-1, and thereafter decreased HO-1 expression. Administration of the HO-1 inducer cobalt protoporphyrin-IX significantly hindered Hhcy-augmented reactive oxygen species production and renal fibrotic lesions. Innovation and Conclusion: These data indicate that Hhcy might be a novel risk factor that promotes AKI to CKD progression. Lowering Hcy level or HO-1 induction might be a potential therapeutic strategy to improve the outcome of AKI.

Although several cross-sectional studies have shown an association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) with nodular thyroid disease, related prospective studies are scarce. This study investigated the association of MetS with thyroid nodule (TN) incidence in Chinese adults, and explored whether the development of or recovery from MetS is associated with changes in the risk of developing TNs. A total of 4,749 Chinese aged 18–65 years were involved in this 6-year prospective study. The association of MetS with TN prevalence was examined. TN-free individuals at baseline (n = 3,133) were further examined. TN incidence rates in groups with different MetS statuses (MetS-free, MetS-developed, MetS-recovery and MetS-chronic) were analyzed. Of all participants, 18.21 and 31.65% had MetS and TNs, respectively. MetS patients had a higher TN prevalence than the non-MetS group (31.08 vs. 19.81% in males, p < 0.01; 59.52 vs. 39.59% in females, p < 0.01). Sex, age and MetS were independent risk factors for TNs. At a median follow up of 5.94 years, the MetS-chronic group (4.37/100 person-years) had a higher risk of TNs (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.288 [95% CI 1.014–1.636]) compared with the MetS-free group (2.72/100 person-years) in the whole cohort. In males, the MetS-chronic group (3.76/100 person-years) had a higher risk of TNs (adjusted IRR = 1.367 [95% CI 1.017–1.835]) compared with the MetS-free group (2.31/100 person-years). In females, the risk of TNs was significantly higher in the MetS-chronic (6.44/100 person-years) and MetS-developed (6.31/100 person-years) groups compared with the MetS-free group (3.23/100 person-years).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of HPgV-2 in blood donors, transfusion recipients and hemophilia patients and its impact on blood safety. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 1060 healthy blood donors, 1402 HCV-positive and 500 HBV- positive blood donors, 570 transfusion recipients and 248 hemophilia patients for screening anti-HPgV-2 antibodies, HPgV-2 RNA, anti-HCV and HBsAg/HBV-DNA using ELISA and RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of near fulllength genome sequences and NS3 genes of pegiviruses and hepaciviruses were performed using MEGA software. RESULTS: Anti-HPgV-2 positivity and HPgV-2 RNA positivity were found in 1.21% (17/1402) and 0.36% (5/1402) of the blood donors infected with HCV (RNA+/Ab+), respectively, indicating a close correlation between HPgV-2 and HCV infection (χ(2)=13.78, P= 0.004). Anti-HPgV-2 antibody was hardly detected in the other populations. A nucleotide identity as high as 97.11% was found in the NS3 fragments among the 5 isolated HPgV-2 strains, which had a nucleotide identity of 96.53% with the reported strains isolated out of China. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HPgV-2 infection is rather low in healthy blood donors and transfusion recipients. Coinfection with HCV is common in HPgV-2 infection, and no evidence has now been available to support HPgV-2 transmission via blood transfusion, indicating that HPgV-2 may not pose a threat to blood safety.

In 2013, two new viruses, equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler’s disease-associated virus (TDAV), both belonging to the genus Pegivirus within the family Flaviviridae, were identified. To investigate the geographical distribution and genetic diversity of these two viruses in China, we screened EPgV and TDAV infection in imported race horses and Chinese work horses by using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). EPgV was detected in 10.8 % (8/74) of the total horses tested, with a prevalence of 5.8 and 22.7 % in the race horses and work horses, respectively. No TDAV infection was found. A near full-length genome sequence of EPgV was obtained that showed an identity of 89.5–90.6 % at the nucleotide level and 98.1–98.3 % at the amino acid level with an American strain, C0035, and another Chinese strain, LW/216, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed two different clusters of the sequences from the race horses and work horses, indicating a difference in virus origin. Our results demonstrated a higher positive rate of EPgV in the Chinese work horses than in the imported race horses, a moderate genetic diversity of EPgV strains worldwide and possibly no liver pathogenesis for EPgV infection.

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are prevalent in young children; however, their effects are incompletely understood. We investigated the prevalence, genotype distribution, and phylogeny of HPeVs in individuals with diarrhea (n = 430) and healthy controls (n = 93) by the analysis of stool specimens collected from July 2013 to December 2014; 51 (11.86%) and 6 (6.45%) specimens were HPeV positive, respectively. HPeV1A occurred in 28 (6.51%) and 6 (6.45%) individuals with diarrhea and controls, respectively, whereas HPeV1B (3.95%), HPeV3 (0.23%), HPeV4 (0.70%), and HPeV14 (a rare genotype, 0.47%) were only detected in individuals with diarrhea. There was no significant difference in the rate of HPeV detection between the 2 groups; however, the mean age of HPeV infection was significantly lower in males. We conclude that HPeVs may be opportunistic pathogens associated with acute diarrhea. Immunocompromised individuals, such as children aged under 2 years and the elderly, could be vulnerable to HPeV infections.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is caused by human enteroviruses, especially by enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CA16). Patients infected with different enteroviruses show varied clinical symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine whether the etiological spectrum of mild and severe HFMD changed, and the association between pathogens and clinical features. From 2009 to 2013, a total of 2,299 stool or rectal specimens were collected with corresponding patient data. A dynamic view of the etiological spectrum of mild and severe HFMD in Shenzhen city of China was provided. EV71 accounted for the majority proportion of severe HFMD cases and fatalities during 2009-2013. CA16 and EV71 were gradually replaced by coxsackievirus A6 (CA6) as the most common serotype for mild HFMD since 2010. Myoclonic jerk and vomiting were the most frequent severe symptoms. Nervous system complications, including aseptic encephalitis and aseptic meningitis were observed mainly in patients infected by EV71. Among EV71, CA16, CA6, and CA10 infection, fever and pharyngalgia were more likely to develop, vesicles on the hand, foot, elbow, knee and buttock were less likely to develop in patients infected with CA10. Vesicles on the mouth more frequently occurred in the patients with CA6, but less in the patient with EV71. Associations between diverse enterovirus serotypes and various clinical features were discovered in the present study, which may offer further insight into early detection, diagnosis and treatment of HFMD.

Ample evidence suggests that social support, self-efficacy, and adherence significantly, independently, and together affect glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the pathway from social support to glycemic control remains unclear. This study hypothesized that the effect of social support on glycemic control was mediated sequentially by self-efficacy and adherence. Patients with T2DM were recruited from two hospitals in Guangzhou, China, from January 1 to July 31, 2014, and their sociodemographic clinical data and their assessments on social support, self-efficacy, and adherence were obtained from medical records and self-completed questionnaires. Of the 532 patients who participated, 35% achieved glycemic control (i.e., HbA1c < 7%). Social support, self-efficacy, and adherence had significant correlations with each other and with glycemic control (P<0.05). Regression analyses and structural equation modeling showed that better social support was associated to better patient self-efficacy, which, in turn, was associated with better medical adherence, which was associated with improved glycemic control, and the relationship between social support and glycemic control was sequentially and completely mediated by self-efficacy and adherence. The five goodness-of-fit indices confirmed that our data fitted the hypothesized pathway model strongly.

The objective of this study was to extend our previous research and to further characterize the humoral immune responses against HIV-1 p24, gp41 and the specific peptides carrying the immunodominant epitopes (IDEs) that react with human serum samples from HIV-1-infected individuals in China. We found that the majority (90.45%, 180/199) of the samples did not react with any of the three HIV-1 p24 peptides carrying IDEs, but did react with the recombinant full-length p24, suggesting that these samples tested in China were primarily directed against the conformational epitopes of HIV-1 p24. In contrast, 84.54% (164/194) of the samples reacted with at least one HIV-1 linear gp41 peptide, in particular the gp41-p1 peptide (amino acids 560-616). Both recently and long-term HIV-1-infected individuals displayed similar humoral immune responses against the recombinant gp41. However, samples from long-term HIV-1-infected subjects but not from recently infected subjects, showed a very strong reaction against the gp41-p1 peptide. The different response patterns observed for the two groups against the gp41 and the peptide gp41-p1 were statistically significant (P

We analyzed extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (226) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (53) collected from urine specimens during 2005-2009 for the presence of ESBL genes, class 1 integrons, and characterization of gene cassettes. TEM and CTX-M β-lactamase genes were the most prevalent. One hundred and forty-four E. coli and 35 K. pneumoniae were positive for the class 1 integrase gene; among them, 99 E. coli and 14 K. pneumoniae detected gene cassettes. Gene cassette regions were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing analysis. Eleven distinct gene cassette arrays were found in E. coli isolates, and seven distinct gene cassette arrays were found in K. pneumoniae isolates. The cassette array aacA4-catB8-aadA1 was first found in E. coli and dfrA1-orfC was first reported in K. pneumoniae. Most of the gene cassettes found in this class 1 integrons were for aminoglycoside resistance. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction fingerprint patterns revealed the isolates carrying gene cassettes were genetically unrelated. In conclusion, we studied the class 1 integrons among urinary isolates of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae in Southern China during the past 5 years and found that class 1 integrons were widely disseminated and played a major role in antibiotic resistance.

Non-duplicate multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria ( n = 1329) isolated from southern China between January 2008 and December 2009 were investigated for the presence of IS CR1 as well as characterisation of IS CR1 -linked resistance genes. Of 433 IS CR1 -positive strains, 151 appeared to carry IS CR1 -linked resistance genes. Seven different IS CR1 -linked resistance gene arrays were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequencing analysis. Many of these arrays are reported in some species for the first time. A total of 12 genes, including a novel ABC transporter (GenBank accession no. GU944725 ), qnrA1 , qnrB2 , qnrB6 , bla DHA-1 , ampR , bla CTX-M-9 , bla PER-1 , insB , sapA -like peptide transport periplasmic protein, putative glutathione S-transferase and short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase, were detected. This study was the first to employ PCR-RFLP using Hin fI and Rsa I to analyse IS CR1 -linked genes. IS CR1 was widely disseminated among MDR Gram-negative bacteria and was in close association with quinolone resistance and β-lactamase genes (class A and class C) in southern China.

SUMMARYAnnual H3N2 subtype influenza outbreaks in Guangdong, China are a severe public health issue and require ongoing monitoring of emerging viral variants. The variation and evolution of haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of influenza isolates from Guangdong during 2007–2011 and others from GenBank were analysed using Lasergene 7.1 and MEGA 5.05, and serological analysis of antigens was determined by haemagglutination inhibition (HI). Susceptibility to antiviral drugs was correlated with genetic mutations. Phylogenetic analysis and alignment of HA and NA genes were performed on 18 Guangdong isolates and 26 global reference strains. The non-synonymous (dN) evolutionary rate of HA1 was 3·13 times that of HA2. Compared with the A/Perth/16/2009 vaccine HA gene, homologies of Guangdong isolates were between 98·8–99·7% and 98·0–98·4% in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Amino-acid substitutions were found in five epitopes of HA1 from Guangdong isolates between 2007 and 2011, especially in epitopes B (N160K) and D (K174R/N). The K189E/N/Q and T228A mutations in the receptor-binding site (RBS) occurred in the 2010 strains, which affected the antigenicity of HA1. The antigenicity of the epidemic H3N2 isolates in 2010 was somewhat different from that of A/Perth/16/2009. The Guangdong H3N2 isolates were determined to be oseltamivir-resistant with IC50of 0·396±0·085 nmol/l (n=17) and zanamivir-resistant with IC50of 0·477±0·149 nmol/l (n=18). Variations were present in epitopes B and D, two sites in the RBS and two glycosylation sites in the Guangdong H3N2 HA1 gene. The majority of the Guangdong H3N2 isolates were sensitive to oseltamivir and zanamivir. Compared to the World Health Organization 2012 vaccine strains, Guangdong H3N2 strains varied genetically and antigenically to some degree.

Aim This study was intended to cross-culturally adapt and evaluate the Chinese version of the Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL) – the Chinese Normal Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (CN-ADDQoL) in Mainland, China. Methods The standard procedure for cross-culture adaptation was used to develop the Chinese version CN-ADDQoL. After the linguistic validation, the validity and reliability of CN-ADDQoL questionnaire were evaluated based on a sample of 697 Type 2 diabetes patients. The Cronbach's α coefficient, correlation analysis and the structural equation model (SEM) were applied, respectively. Results We developed 19 items for the CN-ADDQoL questionnaire. The estimated Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.941, indicating an excellent internal consistency of the scale. All items had high performance in the structural validity evaluation, with most factor loading values being larger than 0.40 (varied from 0.44 to 0.88). Conclusions The Chinese version CN-ADDQoL has maintained its original psychometric properties and achieved adequate reliability and validity. Therefore, it could be efficiently used to evaluate the current trend of diabetes self-management education programs and multinational clinical research trials.

Noroviruses (NoVs) cause gastroenteritis in all age groups. To investigate an acute gastroenteritis outbreak in Shenzhen, South China, we analyzed the presence of NoVs in fecal specimens and drinking water samples. Viral RNAs were extracted from fecal suspensions and water concentrates made by membrane adsorption-elution, and NoV was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Among the 43 diseased workers at the two factories and one construction site, NoVs were detected in 19 out of 28 stool specimens (68%) and 3 out of 16 water samples (19%). Importantly, the six NoV strains identified from the water and the stool samples share over 99% sequence identity and all belong to GII 4 viruses. Epidemiological survey also identified a water pipe breakage possibly causing the water contamination, and confirmed that the contaminated drinking water largely contributed to the NoV gastroenteritis outbreak. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a viral concentration and detection method for waterborne NoV is applied to a gastroenteritis outbreak in China.

The B-cell epitopes of virus are associated with the antiviral drug and the vaccine screening. As the nucleotide sequences of neuraminidase (NA) of stain GD-01-06 were sequenced, we predicted the α-helix and β-fold structure and the indexes of the flexible regions of secondary structure of NA with methods of the Hydrophilicity plot by Kyte-Doolittle, the Surface probability plot by Emini and the Antigenic index by Jameson-Wolf, and then screened statistically the parameters to predict B-cell epitopes by the Hierarchical cluster and the Bivariate correlation and the quartiles with SPSS 13.0. The impact of variation of amino acids in NA on its epitopes was analyzed. The predictive results were evaluated by Wu’s Antigenic Index and SWISS-MODEL. We found that the most possible epitopes on NA were located within or nearby its N-terminal Nos. 120–137, 81–84, 408–415, 273–282, 429–432, 356–368, 46–55, 146–155, 341–350 and 198–209, which were the dominant regions of NA epitopes. Peptide 120–137 including the glycoprotein domain (NGT126–128) was first chosen as the B-cell epitopes on NA. NA in H5N1 strain isolated after 2003 lacked in No. 53 amino acid (I), resulting in an increase in the surface flexible region of NA in GD-01-06 and an enlargement to their epitope regions (VEP46–48 → VEPISNTNFL46–55). Conclusively, prediction of the B-cell epitopes on the NA based on multiple parameters is useful for researches on the molecular immunology and drug screening and immuno-prophylaxis. A deletion of No. 53 amino acid (I) in NA in strain GD-01-06 might increase its antigenicity.

To study the serotypes, antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes and molecular characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from outbreaks and sporadic cases in Guangdong, 2013.36 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated from outbreaks and 43 strains from sporadic cases were sero-typed and tested for antimicrobial resistance. PCR was used to detect for tdh(thermostable direct hemolysin gene), trh (tdh(-) related hemolysin gene), GS-PCR and orf8 genes. All the samples were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).36 isolates from outbreaks were all identified as O3 : K6, and among the 43 sporadic isolates, O3 : K6 (23, 53.49%) was the dominant serotype. Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates showed high resistance rate to ampicillin (96.20%) and cefalotin (40.50%), but were high sensitive to cotrimoxazole (100%) and chloramphenicol (100%). 83.33% (30/36) outbreak isolates were resistant to multi-drugs but only 37.21% (16/43) of the sporadic isolates showed so. Results from virulence gene detection suggested that all the 36 outbreak isolates belonged to tdh(+) trh(-) strains, while 86.05% (37/43) of the sporadic isolates were tdh(+)trh(-) and 11.63% (5/43)were tdh(-)trh(+) . Only one tdh(+)trh(+) strain was found. All the outbreak isolates contained GS-PCR and/or orf8 genes, whereas among the sporadic isolates only 51.16% (22/43) of them carrying the similar genes. Results from PFGE analysis suggested that 79 isolates were discriminated into 3 clusters and 32 different PFGE patterns with the similarity value between 59.8% and 100.0%. Outbreak isolates seemed to gather in the same cluster, while the sporadic isolates spreading in all the three clusters.O3 : K6 was the dominant serotype in Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains isolated in Guangdong, 2013. These strains showed high sensitivity to most antibiotics, but with multi-drug resistance. Positive rate of tdh gene was high, and most O3 : K6 strains contained GS-PCR and/or orf8 genes. PFGE analysis revealed genetic diversity was within the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains in Guangdong.

To understand the distribution and the characteristics on molecular typing of Salmonella (S.) typhimurium isolates gathered from the surveillance program and to construct the standard S. typhimurium databank in the laboratory through surveillance network PulseNet, in Guangdong province to improve the capability of detection on laboratory-based foodborne outbreaks.With the application of standard pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multiple loci VNTR analysis (MLVA) including seven VNTRs loci protocols on PulseNet International Network, 275 isolates of S. typhimurium from ten cities in Guangdong province were typed and their patterns analyzed. The molecular typing databank was constructed by BioNumerics.With S. typhimurium the most common serotypes, the average annual positive rate of Salmonella strains and S. typhimurium were 4.03% and 1.38% respectively. The positive rate and proportion presented a double-peak trend, appearing in May and September. The chromosomal DNA of S. typhimurium was digested with Xba I restricted endo-nucleotidase and 124 PFGE patterns were observed after pulse-field gel electrophoresis, with the discrimination index (D) as 0.928 6. The patterns including more than three S. typhimurium isolates and were further digested with the second enzyme Bln I to achieve 174 patterns, with the D value as 0.989 1. Under MLVA method, 143 variant patterns were obtained, with the D value reaching 0.966 5. Data showed that the discriminatory ability of the MLVA typing method in S. typhimurium was superior to PFGE-Xba I but equal to PFGE-Xba I-Bln I. In addition, when S. typhimurium strains were respectively analyzed by PFGE under double enzymes digestion and MLVA, the results appeared coincident and relative.The variant patterns showed by the two molecular typing methods indicating a genetic diversity existed among the clinical S. typhimurium isolates in Guangdong province. Databank of S. typhimurium was constructed and could be used in laboratory surveillance programs. Under the characterization of analyzing similarity and evolution among S. typhimurium isolates, MLVA was suitable for cluster analysis on early detection of outbreaks caused by S. typhimurium.

Noroviruses (NVs) are important causes of nonbacterial gastroenteritis in humans, but the role of NVs as a cause of diseases in the Chinese people, particularly in Chinese military personnel, remains unclear. This study investigated antibody prevalence and factors that associate with the prevalence of antibody to NVs among students attending a military medical university. Serum specimens were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for immunoglobulin G antibody to recombinant capsid antigens of three NVs (rNorwalk, rMxV, and rVA387). Of 588 serum samples tested, the antibody prevalence was 88.9, 54.1, or 90.0% for the three antigens, respectively. There were significant differences in the prevalence of antibody to rMxV between blood types ( P < 0.05); the prevalence for type O was the highest (62.5%), and the prevalence for type B was the lowest (49.1%). The average optical density values for antibody to rNorwalk and rMxV were lowest among students with type B. The number of students who did not have antibody to any of the three antigens was the highest for blood type B (6.9%) compared to other blood types (0.8 to 3.4% [ P < 0.006]). The antibody prevalence also varied with the hometown residencies of the students before joining the military, with the highest rates for students from rural areas, lower rates for students from small towns or villages, and the lowest rates for students from large cities. The numbers of students who did not have antibody to any of the three antigens were highest for students from the large cities, lower for students from small towns or villages, and lowest for students from rural areas. The distribution of ABO blood types did not differ among the three groups. These data suggest that NVs are prevalent in China and that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in NV infection.

We report an 8-month-old female infant with the fatal enterovirus 71 infection here. Clinically, she developed respiratory failure and severe pulmonary edema rapidly. Histologically, the lung specimen showed diffuse, severe pulmonary congestion and edema with focal intra-alveolar hemorrhage and typical features of acute encephalitis were easily identified under light microscope. Immunohistochemically, enterovirus 71 antigen was positive in the cerebella and brainstem. We measured the viral loads of different tissues and found that the brainstem and mesenteric lymph nodes showed the highest viral loads among all tissues. We hope that our case report may help to have a better understanding of the enterovirus 71 infection and provide clues to the prevention and treatment of this disease.

According to pathogenic surveillance data during the first half of 2012, the H3N2 influenza virus was prevalent in Guangdong, China, but no pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) virus was detected. This study aimed to measure the seroprevalence of pH1N1 and H3N2 infection following the influenza epidemic in 2012. We collected serum samples by stratified random sampling in a cross-sectional survey from August, 2012 to October, 2012. Antibody titers against H3N2, pH1N1, and influenza B antigens were measured by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay, and age-specific seroprevalence and non-immunity were calculated. A total of 566 serum samples were collected from subjects who had not received an influenza vaccination. The seroprevalence of H3N2, pH1N1, and influenza B were 61.7%, 31.3%, and 40.4%, respectively, while non-immunity was calculated to be 9.2%, 40.6%, and 27.0%, respectively. The highest recorded seroprevalence was 86.0% for H3N2 in the 6-15 year age group, while the lowest was 14.6% for pH1N1 in the 60+ age group. Non-immunity fractions were 44.4% and 53.5% in the 0-6 and 60+ age groups, respectively. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of pH1N1 remained below 50% in all age groups following the 2012 influenza season. These data suggest that vaccination against pH1N1 antigens should be conducted, especially in the older age groups, before the next influenza season.

Background An influenza H3N2 epidemic occurred throughout Southern China in 2012. Methods We analyzed the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of influenza H3N2 strains isolated between 2011–2012 from Guangdong. Mutation sites, evolutionary selection, antigenic sites, and N-glycosylation within these strains were analyzed. Results The 2011–2012 Guangdong strains contained the HA-A214S, HA-V239I, HA-N328S, NA-L81P, and NA-D93G mutations, similar to those seen in the A/ Perth/16/2009 influenza strain. The HA-NSS061–063 and NNS160–162 glycosylation sites were prevalent among the 2011–2012 Guangdong strains but the NA-NRS402–404 site was deleted. Antigenically, there was a four-fold difference between A/Perth/16/2009 -like strains and the 2011–2012 Guangdong strains. Conclusion Antigenic drift of the H3N2 subtype contributed to the occurrence of the Southern China influenza epidemic of 2012.

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are widespread pathogens causing a wide spectrum of diseases. The prevalence and genetic diversity of HPeV in children with acute diarrhea in China is not well known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of HPeV in Guangzhou, China. A total of 328 stool specimens collected from children under the age of 5 years with acute diarrhea were tested for the presence of HPeV. Of these, 44 (13.4 %, 44/328) were HPeV positive, with the majority of the infected children (97.7 %, 43/44) being younger than two years of age. HPeV was more frequently detected during July and August. The epidemiological profile of co-infections was similar to that observed in a previous study. Six different HPeV genotypes, including HPeV1, -3, -4, -5, -6, and -14, were identified, and of these, HPeV14, a rarely reported genotype, was reported for the first time in children with acute gastroenteritis in China. In summary, this study clearly demonstrated that HPeV circulating in Guangzhou, China, is genetically diverse, including six genotypes, and it provides useful epidemiological data on the features of HPeV infection in this area.

The association between CD14 gene C-159T polymorphism and tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility remains inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the correlation, we performed a meta-analysis summarize the possible at a systematic manner. PubMed, HighWire and ScienceDirect databases covering all papers (up to November 2012) were searched. Statistical analyses were conducted by Rev-Man and STATA. Random- and fixed-effect models were used to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), based on between-study heterogeneity. Eight published case-control studies investigating the relationship between C-159T polymorphism in CD14 gene and TB susceptibility were included. Results showed that individuals with T allele have an increased risk of TB compared with those with C allele (OR (95% CI) was 1.52 (1.11, 2.08) for TT vs. TC + CC, P < 0.001; 1.27 (1.01, 1.61) for T vs. C, P = 0.04). When stratified by ethnicity, variant TT homozygote carriers had an 86% increased risk of TB in Asians (OR (95% CI) was 1.86 (1.57, 2.20) for TT vs. TC + CC, P < 0.001), but not in Caucasians (OR (95% CI) was TT vs. TC + CC: OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.51-1.21, P = 0.61). This meta-analysis suggests that C-159T polymorphism in CD14 gene is associated with increased risk of TB, especially in Asians, but not in Caucasians.

An immunoinformatics study was conducted to determine the highly conserved antigenic epitope regions of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes in the humoral immunity and CD4+ and CD8+ T cellular immunity between 2009 pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) and seasonal H1N1 (sH1N1) viruses. It was found that in sH1N1 viruses, 29 epitope regions of HA genes and 8 epitope regions of NA genes which had been experimentally identified, were highly conserved (97.1-100.0%) in the corresponding genes and predictive epitopes of the pH1N1 viruses. The results suggested that highly conserved antigenic epitope regions might act as the basis of common antigenic vaccines against pH1N1 and sH1N1 viruses.

Microcystins (MCs) are a family of cyclic heptapeptides that are produced by blooming algae Microcystis. MCs have been implicated in the development of liver cancer, necrosis and even intrahepatic bleeding. Effective prophylactic approaches and complete removal of MCs are urgently needed. Accumulating evidence suggests that microcystin-LR (MC-LR)-induced damage is accompanied by oxidative stress. Supplementation of Se can enhance resistance to oxidative stress. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the protective effects of κ-Selenocarrageenan (Se-Car), a kind of organic Se compound, in Balb/c mice exposed to MC-LR. Our results proved that Se-Car could significantly ameliorate the hepatic damage induced by MC-LR, including serum markers of liver dysfunction, oxidative damages and histological alterations. Furthermore, Se-Car could significantly alleviate the up-regulation of the molecular targets indicating mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by MC-LR. In conclusion, Se-Car showed clear protection against toxicity induced by MC-LR. Thus, Se-Car could be useful as a new category of anti-MC-LR toxicity reagent.

Non-linear variations of load torque cycles in the low frequency operation of interior permanent magnet synchronous motor lead to rotor imbalance. To deal with this issue, we apply a low-frequency torque compensation algorithm based on control parameterization method. Given the load torque, the control variable is approximated by a piecewise constant function whose magnitudes are taken as decision vectors. The control problem is thus transferred into a mathematical programming problem , which can be solved by the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) algorithm. The simulation results show that, the state variables are close to their target values. Thus, the method avoids chattering and ensures system stability.

To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of hyperuricemia in the subjects undergoing routine physical examinations in Guangzhou.This study was conducted among 8302 subjects (5136 male and 3166 female) undergoing routine physical examinations in a hospital in Guangzhou during the period from October 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011. For all the subjects, such indices as body height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, blood pressure, heart rate, and blood biochemistry were examined, and the body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio were calculated. The risk factors of hyperuricemia were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Hyperuricemia was detected in 35.68% of the total subjects, and the detection rates were significantly higher in male than in female subjects (46.83% vs 17.59%, P0.0001). Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed a significant correlation of hyperuricemia with age, sex, BMI, hypertension, waist-hip ratio, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (P0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified BMI, blood pressure, waist-hip ratio, hypertriglyceridemia, LDL, VLDL-C, creatinine, and urea nitrogen as the risk factors for hyperuricemia, and age and gender were negatively correlated with the incidence of hyperuricemia with OR values of 0.991 and 0.660, respectively.Hyperuricemia has a high prevalence in the subjects undergoing routine physical examinations in Guangzhou. The risk factors of hyperuricemia include hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and elevations of BMI, waist-hip ratio, LDL, VLDL-C, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Age and gender can be protective factors against hyperuricemia.

To provide an easy computational tool for evaluating the health condition of local residents.An abridged life table was programmed by applying mathematical functions and formula in Excel program and tested with the real study data to evaluate the results computed.The Excel was capable of computing group death probability of age in the life table ((n)q(x)), number of survivors (l(x)), number of death ((n)d(x)), survival per person-year ((n)L(x)), survival total per person-year (T(x)) and life expectancy (e(x)). The calculated results were consistent with those by SAS.The abridged life table constructed using Microsoft Excel can conveniently and accurately calculate the relevant indices for evaluating the health condition of the residents.

To evaluate the susceptibility of Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus to oral infection with bat Japanese encephalitis virus isolates (GD1 and HN2 strains).Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus were infected orally by GD1 and HN2 strains of bat Japanese encephalitis virus. TaqMan real-time PCR was used to detect the virus and monitor the changes in the viral loads in Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus at a 2-day interval, starting from 4 days till 20 days after the infection.The infected Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus were found positive for the Japanese encephalitis virus from day 4 to day 20. Both Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus were susceptible to infection by GD1 and HN2 strains, but the latter showed a greater susceptibility. The HN2 strain virus appeared to have a greater virulence than the GD1 strain.Aedes albopictus and Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus can carry GD1 and HN2 strains of bat Japanese encephalitis virus isolates.

Non-duplicate multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria ( n =1447) isolated from January 2008 to December 2009 were investigated for the presence of integrons as well as characterisation of gene cassettes. Among 825 strains carrying the class 1 integrase gene intI1 , 461 gene cassette-positive isolates were found. Thirty-eight distinct gene cassette arrays were identified by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequencing analyses. In addition, several novel gene cassette arrays detected in this study were reported for the first time in some species: one in Escherichia coli , six in Klebsiella pneumoniae , six in Enterobacter cloacae , three in Enterobacter aerogenes , one in Proteus mirabilis , one in Acinetobacter spp., one in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and one in Pseudomonas putida . Among them, three cassettes, including HAD-like, ΔMFS-1 and qnrVC -like genes, were originally detected in integrons.

Stryphnoside A, α- l -rhamnopyranosyl 3β- O -[α- l -arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)-β- d -xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-β- d -glucopyranosyl]-2α-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oate, has been synthesized in 11 steps in 15% overall yield starting from the naturally abundant oleanolic acid. Condensation of a partially protected glucopyranosyl donor and 2α,3β-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid derivative using inverse glycosylation procedure has significantly simplified the target saponin synthesis. Stryphnoside A exhibited weak cytotoxic activities against tumor cells HeLa, A549, and HepG2 with IC 50 at mM level.

A new fluorescent probe for the detection of F(-) (TBA(+) and Na(+) salts) has been developed, which is based on a desilylation triggered chromogenic reaction in water. This probe exhibits excellent F(-) ion selectivity as well as significant color changes visible to the naked eye at the concentration of 1.5 mg L(-1), the WHO recommended level of F(-) ions in drinking water. This new carbohydrate modified probe can be used directly in aqueous medium without using organic co-solvents. Furthermore, the probe presents high sensitivity and selectivity for the imaging of F(-) ions in HepG2 cells.

Phylogenetic analysis of a Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) sequence from Shenzhen, China, and other Chinese and international CA16 sequences revealed a pattern of endemic cocirculation of strains of clusters B2a and B2b within subtype B2 viruses. Amino acid evolution and nucleotide variation in the VP1 region were slight for 5 years.

Astroviruses are associated with acute gastroenteritis of human and many animal species. Recently, two studies have reported that novel astroviruses were found in bats. In order to extensively understand the genetic and phylogenetic characterization of bat astroviruses, we tested fecal samples of nine bat species that were collected at four natural habitats in three areas of southern China. The geographic distributions of the bats involved differed from previous reports. Three out of nine species of bats were observed to harbor astroviruses. These included Miniopterus schreibersii, Scotophilus kuhlii, and Rousettus leschenaultia. Phylogenetic analysis based on amino acid sequences of partial ORFs of astroviruses revealed that the bat astroviruses are not only divergent from previously described human and other animal astroviruses but also show remarkable diversity among themselves. However, five bat astroviruses were phylogenetically related to mink astrovirus, ovine astrovirus, and the recently discovered human astroviruses VA1, VA2, and VA3. The results indicate that astroviruses may have adapted to the Chiroptera, and bats may transmit astroviruses to humans and other animals, or vice versa.

Tetrachlorohydroquinone (TCHQ) is a major toxic metabolite of the widely used wood preservative, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and it has also been implicated in PCP genotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms of genotoxicity and mutagenesis induced by TCHQ remain unclear. In this study, we examined the genotoxicity of TCHQ by using comet assays to detect DNA breakage and formation of TCHQ-DNA adducts. Then, we further verified the levels of mutagenesis by using the pSP189 shuttle vector in A549 human lung carcinoma cells. We demonstrated that TCHQ causes significant genotoxicity by inducing DNA breakage and forming DNA adducts. Additionally, DNA sequence analysis of the TCHQ-induced mutations revealed that 85.36% were single base substitutions, 9.76% were single base insertions, and 4.88% were large fragment deletions. More than 80% of the base substitutions occurred at G:C base pairs, and the mutations were G:C to C:G, G:C to T:A or G:C to A:T transversions and transitions. The most common types of mutations in A549 cells were G:C to A:T (37.14%) and A:T to C:G transitions (14.29%) and G:C to C:G (34.29%) and G:C to T:A (11.43%) transversions. We identified hotspots at nucleotides 129, 141, and 155 in the supF gene of plasmid pSP189. These mutation hotspots accounted for 63% of all single base substitutions. We conclude that TCHQ induces sequence-specific DNA mutations at high frequencies. Therefore, the safety of using this product would be carefully examined.

Due to the complex structure of the large vertical quench furnace, it is difficult to establish its distributed parameter control model. In this paper, under the premise of high-precision temperature control accuracy, the furnace structure is simplified reasonably. By the simplification of component heating process in the multi-zone heating furnace, a second order partial differential equation of distributed parameter system is established. The actuators locations resulting in uncontrollable system are found by mode decomposition method. Influence on temperature homogeneity by actuators quantity is simulated and the rationality of dynamical model structure is certified.

This paper introduces an instrument for measuring the size and shape of almost any pipes' interior profile. It describes the components and principle of operation of the instrument. A modular DSP system embedded in the instrument to process the image makes the measurement fast and accurate. The design of the instrument is given from five areas such as optical, electrical, electronics, etc. It has been tested that the information derived from the intelligent instrument can assist not only in making repair decision but also in the generation of the 3-D structure of the pipes.

Matrix converter is a studied hot spot of frequency-changing control in the field of power electronics. And adaptive fuzzy PID control is a hot spot of intelligent control research. The fitting combination of both is a new research direction. This paper briefly describes the working principle, space vector modulation strategy of matrix converter, characteristics of fuzzy control, and the basic principle of adaptive fuzzy PID. It also comprehensively gave out a fuzzy rule table of three parameters of PID. The space vector modulation strategy for matrix converter was realized with S-functions. The three simulation models of matrix converter were set up with power system blockset, etc. of SIMULINK under unbalanced input voltages. The simulated results have shown that this intelligent control method is feasible and it can effectively raise the output waveform qualities of matrix converter under unbalanced input voltages.

Single piezo ceramic element (PZT) was introduced to a wind tunnel wing model for active flutter suppression. The wing modeling process using FEM analysis for structures and Doublet Point Method for aerodynamics was described. As an extension to the previous experimental research with a proportional control, the LQG flutter suppression control law design based on the modeling equations was presented. The LQG control law was verified in wind tunnel tests in air and turned out to be able to successfully control the flutter.

A protein microarray representing 149 Yersinia pestis proteins was developed to profile antibody responses in EV76-immunized rabbits. Antibodies to 50 proteins were detected. There are 11 proteins besides F1 and V antigens to which the predominant antibody response occurred, and these proteins show promise for further evaluation as candidates for subunit vaccines and/or diagnostic antigens.