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Abstract To evaluate the immunogencity and safety for three immunization schedules of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) for providing a basis for further optimization of the polio sequential immunization schedule. To obtain immunogenicity data and to active surveillance the occurrence of adverse events following immunization (AEFI), healthy infants ≥ 2 months of age were randomly chosen in Hebei Province, and were divided into three groups to be vaccinated with IPV-bOPV-bOPV(Group a), IPV-IPV-bOPV(Group b) and IPV-IPV-IPV(Group c) at 2, 3 and 4 months of age respectively. AEFI cases related to poliomyelitis vaccines in Hebei province by passive surveillance from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022 were obtained from national adverse event following immunization surveillance system (NAEFISS). After basic immunization with polio vaccine, the positive conversion rate of neutralizing antibodies of types I, II and III were all > 97.00% and the positive rates were all > 98.00%, the geometric mean titer (GMT) was significantly higher than that before basic immunization, the GMT level of neutralizing poliovirus antibody after basic immunization was the highest in type I, followed by type III, and the lowest in type II. A total of 16 AEFI cases (2.52%) were reported by active surveillance, and 2903 AEFI cases (1.40%) were reported by passive surveillance. AEFI reported by both monitoring modalities were dominated by fever of common vaccine reactions. No rare serious adverse reactions like VAPP etc. were monitored and the overall regression was positive. All three immunization schedules for polio vaccine have demonstrated good immunogenicity and safety when administered to healthy populations.

The valence of metal nodes in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) determines their performance in applications while developing an efficient approach for valence regulation is challenging. Here we present a strategy to make the valence regulation much easier by loosening metal nodes by thermal pretreatment. The typical MOF, HKUST-1, with the tunable valence of Cu nodes, was used as a proof of concept. Thermal pretreatment (producing HK-T) changes the chemical environment and loosens Cu nodes, endowing them with enhanced reducibility. In the subsequent vapor-induced reduction, the yield of Cu+ from Cu2+ conversion in HK-T (producing HK-T-V) reaches 69%, which is higher than that in pristine HKUST-1 (producing HK-V) with a Cu+ yield of 19% as well as the reported yields of target-valence metal nodes in various MOFs (6%–30%). The obtained HK-T-V possessing abundant Cu+ sites can capture 0.809 mmol/g thiophene in adsorptive desulfurization, 2.5 times higher than HK-V and superior to most reported adsorbents.

Solid strong base catalysts are highly attractive for diverse reactions owing to their advantages of neglectable corrosion, facile separation, and environmental friendliness. However, their widespread applications are impeded by basic components aggregation and low stability. In this work, we fabricate single calcium atoms on graphene (denoted as Ca1/G) by use of a redox strategy for the first time, producing solid strong base catalyst with high activity and stability. The precursor Ca(NO3)2 is first reduced to CaO at 400 °C by the support graphene, forming CaO/G with conventional basic sites, and the subsequent reduction at 850 °C results in the generation of Ca1/G with atomically dispersed Ca. Various characterizations reveal that Ca single atoms are anchored on graphene in tetra-coordination (Ca–C2–N2) where N is in situ doped from Ca(NO3)2. The atomically dispersed Ca, along with their anchoring on the support, endow Ca1/G with high activity and stability toward the transesterification reaction of ethylene carbonate with methanol. The turnover frequency value reaches 128.0 h−1 on Ca1/G, which is much higher than the traditional counterpart CaO/G and various reported solid strong bases (2.9–46.2 h−1). Moreover, the activity of Ca1/G is well maintained during 5 cycles, while 60% of activity is lost for the conventional analogue CaO/G due to the leaching of Ca.

Temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) is an effective technique for CO2 capture, but the temperature swing procedure is energy-intensive. Herein, we report a low-energy-consumption system by combining passive radiative cooling and solar heating for the uptake of CO2 on commercial activated carbons (CACs). During adsorption, the adsorbents are coated with a layer of hierarchically porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) [P(VdF-HFP)HP], which cools the adsorbents to a low temperature under sunlight through radiative cooling. For desorption, CACs with broad absorption of the solar spectrum are exposed to light irradiation for heating. The heating and cooling processes are completely driven by solar energy. Adsorption tests under mimicked sunlight using the CACs show that the performance of this system is comparable to that of the traditional ones. Furthermore, under real sunlight irradiation, the adsorption capacity of the CACs can be well maintained after multiple cycles. The present work may inspire the development of new temperature swing procedures with little energy consumption.

Objective: Paradoxical embolism caused by a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a rare cause of myocardial infarction (MI) in individuals presenting with normal coronary arteries on angiography; however, the deduction is often made due to the inability to identify the exact thrombus that penetrates the atrial septum. Previous studies using optical coherence tomography (OCT) have reported in situ thrombi attached to PFO tunnel in patients with cryptogenic stroke. However, the presence of such thrombi in patients with cryptogenic MI (without a definite cause) remains uncertain. Method: We retrospectively analyzed OCT data collected from February to July 2023 on PFO tunnels in MI adults with normal coronary arteries on angiography. Results: Three patients diagnosed with cryptogenic MI and a PFO underwent OCT examination. These patients exhibited varying OCT findings. White thrombi and endocardial abnormalities in the channel were observed in two patients with MI. No thrombus or anomalous morphology on the endocardial surface was noted in the third patient. PFO closure was performed on all patients, and follow-up was completed by October 1, 2023. None of the patients reported recurrence of chest pain. Conclusion: In situ thrombus was identified within the PFO channel in patients with cryptogenic MI, potentially serving as a novel etiological factor for coronary thrombosis.

Cu+-containing materials have shown various application prospects especially in adsorption and catalysis, because they are versatile, non-toxic and low cost. To date, developing a mild and controllable approach for the fabrication of Cu+ sites has remained a pronounced challenge. Herein, we report a series connection double-solvent strategy (SCDS) for fabricating Cu+ sites within MIL-101(Cr), a typical metal–organic framework. By employing the SCDS in which vitamin C is chosen as the environmentally benign reducing agent, Cu2+ was incorporated in the pores and then transformed to Cu+ in the confined spaces. Compared to the conventional high-temperature autoreduction method conducted under harsh environment (700 °C for 12 h) with a low Cu+ yield (less than 50%), SCDS can selectively reduce Cu2+ to Cu+ at room temperature without generating any Cu0. The resulting Cu+ modified MIL-101(Cr) exhibits good desulfurization performance in view of both uptake and recyclability.

Great efforts have been devoted to the study of photo-responsive adsorption, but its current methodology largely depends on the well-defined photochromic units and their photo-driven molecular deformation. Here, a methodology to fabricate nondeforming photo-responsive sorbents is successfully exploited. With C60-fullerene doping in metalloporphyrin metal-organic frameworks (PCN-M, M = Fe, Co, or Ni) and intensively interacting with the metalloporphyrin sites, effective charge-transfer can be achieved over the metalloporphyrin-C60 architectures once excited by the light at 350 to 780 nm. The electron density distribution and the resultant adsorption activity are thus changed by excited states, which are also stable enough to meet the timescale of microscopic adsorption equilibrium. The charge-transfer over Co(II)-porphyrin-C60 is proved to be more efficient than the Fe(II)- and Ni(II)-porphyrin-C60 sites, as well as than all the metalloporphyrin sites, so the CO2 adsorption capacity (CAC; at 0 °C and 1 bar) over the C60-doped PCN-Co can be largely improved from 2.05 mmol g−1 in the darkness to 2.69 mmol g−1 with light, increased by 31%, in contrast to photo-irresponsive CAC over all C60-undoped PCN-M sorbents and only the photo-loss CAC over C60.

BackgroundPregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) play significant roles in predicting discontinuing treatment outcomes. However, their role in pregnancy has rarely been reported. We aimed to evaluate the performance of pgRNA and HBcrAg kinetics in predicting HBeAg seroconversion and HBsAg reduction postpartum in HBeAg-positive pregnant women.MethodsPregnant HBeAg-positive patients receiving antiviral prophylaxis and ceasing treatment postpartum were included. PgRNA and HBcrAg levels were measured before treatment, at 32 weeks of gestation, and at treatment withdrawal postpartum. Other virological and biochemical parameters were regularly examined until 96 weeks postpartum.ResultsOf 76 pregnant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) carriers with a median treatment duration of 18.1 weeks, HBeAg seroconversion and HBsAg reduction >0.3 log10 IU/mL at 96 weeks postpartum occurred in 8 (10.5%) and 13 (17.1%) patients, respectively. HBsAg correlated most strongly with pgRNA, while HBeAg correlated most strongly with HBcrAg. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that postpartum pgRNA decline and peak ALT levels were independent predictors of HBsAg reduction. The area under the curve of the regression model was 0.79 and reached as high as 0.76 through bootstrapping validation. The calibration plot showed that the nomogram had a performance similar to that of the ideal model. A decision tree was established to facilitate application of the nomogram. In addition, HBcrAg kinetics, as an independent predictor, performed poorly in predicting HBeAg seroconversion.ConclusionsPostpartum pgRNA decline together with peak ALT levels may identify patients with a higher probability of HBsAg reduction after treatment cessation postpartum among pregnant CHB carriers receiving antiviral prophylaxis.

Neurosyphilis is a chronic infectious disease caused by the invasion of Treponema pallidum into the central nervous system. In recent years, with the increase in the latent syphilis infection rate, the incidence of neurosyphilis has gradually increased, the typical symptoms of neurosyphilis have decreased, atypical manifestations have increased, and the clinical manifestations have become increasingly diverse. Cerebrospinal fluid testing plays an important role in the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. In recent years, there have been many advances in cerebrospinal fluid testing. This review focuses on the current and potential laboratory indicators of neurosyphilis in cerebrospinal fluid, aiming to provide a reference for clinical application and ideas for future experimental research of neurosyphilis.

Abstract Background Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by an excessive systemic inflammatory response and organ failure and has high mortality. Bacterial infections (BIs) worsen the clinical course of ACLF and carry a poor prognosis in ACLF patients. The efficacy of third-generation cephalosporins has been challenged in recent years. The aim of this study was to characterize the difference between ACLF patients with and without BIs and to provide a reference for medical intervention. Methods A total of 140 patients with hepatitis B virus-related ACLF (HBV-ACLF) hospitalized at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (Shanghai, China) between May 2013 and January 2020 were enrolled. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the baseline characteristics of HBV-ACLF patients with and without BIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to find predictors of BIs. The characteristics of BIs and the role of prophylactic antibiotics were profiled. Results A total of 97 episodes of BIs occurred in patients during the course of HBV-ACLF. Patients with and without BIs differed in clinical characteristics. The incidence of BIs showed a positive correlation with the ACLF grade (P = 0.003) and the clinical course (P = 0.003). The 90-day transplant-free survival of patients with BIs was lower than those without BIs (P

BackgroundHigh power-ablation index (HP-AI)-guided ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) targeting high AIs has been implemented in European countries. However, milder AI targets are widely used in Asia. The safety and efficacy of HP-AI-guided ablation compared with those of low-power AI-guided ablation in a milder AI-targeting setting are unknown. The goal of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of HP-AI-guided ablation in a milder AI-targeting setting.MethodsPatients who underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for AI-guided atrial fibrillation ablation in our center were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to the ablation power used. In the HP-AI group, the ablation power was over 45 W, while the low power-AI group was ablated with

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare postoperative outcomes in surgical and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) between percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PE-LIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).MethodsWe reviewed a total of 89 patients undergoing single-level surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis from January 2018 to July 2021. The cases were categorized as PE-LIF (Group PE-LIF, 41 cases) or MIS-TLIF (Group MIS-TLIF, 48 cases) approach. Parameters obtained at baseline through at least six months of follow-up were collected. The surgical outcomes involving the operative time, estimated blood loss, postoperative bed staying time, and length of hospital stays were analyzed. PROs included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), modified MacNab standard evaluation, intervertebral fusion rate, and postoperative complications.ResultsA total of 89 patients were included in this analysis involving 41 patients who underwent PE-LIF and 48 patients who underwent MIS-TLIF. The 2 groups were similar in gender, age, body mass index, follow-up time and surgery levels (P > 0.05), and were not significantly different in the length of hospital stays (P > 0.05). PE-LIF had a significantly longer operative time, greater fluoroscopy time, lower estimated blood loss and shorter bed rest time than MIS-TLIF. Both groups improved significantly from baseline for the VAS and ODI scores. PE-LIF was associated with a lower VAS score for back pain at three-day after surgery. There were no significant differences between PE-LIF and MIS-TLIF in the excellent or good rates and intervertebral fusion rates at the last follow-up (P > 0.05). As for related complications, there were no significant complications occurred, and no significant differences were seen in the complications between both groups (P > 0.05).ConclusionsTo summarize, PE-LIF and MIS-TLIF are both safe and effective for LSS. PE-LIF has a definite short-term curative effect with less trauma.

Introduction Rivaroxaban is one of the most commonly used non-vitamin K antagonists for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Different individual exposures exist for Asian and non-Asian populations, and dose selection is different for Japanese and non-Japanese subjects. Few studies have investigated the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of rivaroxaban in Chinese patients and provided a solid reference for dose selection and individualised therapy.Methods and analysis This is a single-centre prospective study. Rivaroxaban-treated Chinese NVAF patients will be recruited according to predetermined inclusion criteria. Blood samples will be collected from both outpatients and inpatients with different sampling strategies at steady state. Rivaroxaban plasma concentration, factor Xa activity, prothrombin time and single-nucleotide polymorphisms of candidate genes will be evaluated. Follow-up will be conducted following 3 and 6 months after enrolment to collect information about the safety and efficacy outcomes. A nonlinear mixed-effects modelling strategy will be used to develop a population PK-PD model of rivaroxaban.Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (KY2020-016). The study findings will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and shared with public health authorities.Trial registration number ChiCTR2100046685.

Recent studies have shown that Nogo-A and the Nogo-A receptor affect β-amyloid metabolism and the downstream Rho GTP enzyme signaling pathway, which may affect the levels of β-amyloid and tau. Nogo-A may play a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of Fasudil treatment in Alzheimer's disease are not yet clear. Our results have found that Fasudil treatment for two months substantially ameliorated behavioral deficits, diminished β-amyloid plaque and tau protein pathology, and alleviated neuronal apoptosis in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. More importantly, two well-established markers for synaptic function, growth-associated protein 43 and synaptophysin, were upregulated after Fasudil treatment. Finally, the levels of Nogo-A, Nogo-A receptor complex NgR/p75NTR/LINGO-1 and the downstream Rho/Rho kinase signaling pathway were significantly reduced. These findings suggest that Fasudil exerts its neuroprotective function in Alzheimer's disease by inhibiting the Nogo-A/NgR1/RhoA signaling pathway.

With the carbonization at an elevated temperature, high aromaticity of a precursor for porous carbons was traditionally thought to be crucial for the resultant perfect textural properties and ideal application performances of the porous carbons. Thus, many efforts have been done to search or to artificially prepare the polymer precursors with higher aromaticity to generate more satisfying porous carbons. However, an antiempirical case was found in this study. The copolymerization between 1,3,5-tris(chloromethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (TCM) and cyclohexane-1,4-diamine was successfully implemented to get a polymer code-named NUT-40, in which half of the ring structures are nonaromatic, while N-doped porous carbons (NDPCs) with better textural properties (e.g., SBET = 1363 m2 g−1 for NDPC-600) and competitive CO2 capture abilities (e.g., CO2 capacity = 4.3 mmol g−1 at 25 °C and 1 bar for NDPC-600) were generated from the NUT-40, compared with the NDPC counterparts derived from the NUT-4 in a previous study (e.g., SBET = 958 m2 g−1 and CO2 capacity = 3.8 mmol g−1 at 25 °C and 1 bar for NDPC-600), in which TCM and ursol were employed as the monomers instead, and thus the ring structures in the NUT-4 was fully aromatic. With first-principle and molecular dynamics simulations, it was demonstrated that the embryo pore structure in the NUT-40 molecule can be more easily maintained during the carbonization than that of the NUT-4, which finally improves the surface area and porosity of the NUT-40 generated NDPCs.

Abstract As crucial antigen presenting cells, dendritic cells (DCs) play a vital role in tumor immunotherapy. Taking into account the many recent advances in DC biology, we discuss how DCs (1) recognize pathogenic antigens with pattern recognition receptors through specific phagocytosis and through non-specific micropinocytosis, (2) process antigens into small peptides with proper sizes and sequences, and (3) present MHC-peptides to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to initiate immune responses against invading microbes and aberrant host cells. During anti-tumor immune responses, DC-derived exosomes were discovered to participate in antigen presentation. T cell microvillar dynamics and TCR conformational changes were demonstrated upon DC antigen presentation. Caspase-11-driven hyperactive DCs were recently reported to convert effectors into memory T cells. DCs were also reported to crosstalk with NK cells. Additionally, DCs are the most important sentinel cells for immune surveillance in the tumor microenvironment. Alongside DC biology, we review the latest developments for DC-based tumor immunotherapy in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Personalized DC vaccine-induced T cell immunity, which targets tumor-specific antigens, has been demonstrated to be a promising form of tumor immunotherapy in patients with melanoma. Importantly, allogeneic-IgG-loaded and HLA-restricted neoantigen DC vaccines were discovered to have robust anti-tumor effects in mice. Our comprehensive review of DC biology and its role in tumor immunotherapy aids in the understanding of DCs as the mentors of T cells and as novel tumor immunotherapy cells with immense potential.

Zeolite Cu(I)Y is attractive for adsorptive removal of sulfur compounds from fuel, however practical application is limited by instability of Cu(I). Here the authors use a coating to achieve superhydrophobicity in the zeolite, leading to improved Cu(I) stability against oxidation and thiophene removal.

Achieving efficient adsorption and desorption processes by controllably tuning the properties of adsorbents at different technical stages is extremely attractive. However, it is difficult for traditional adsorbents to reach the target because of their fixed active sites. Herein, we report on the fabrication of a smart adsorbent, which was achieved by introducing photoresponsive azobenzene derivatives with cis/trans isomers to Ce-doped mesoporous silica. These photoresponsive groups serve as “molecular switches” by sheltering and exposing active sites, leading to efficient adsorption and desorption. Ce is also doped to provide additional active sites in order to enhance the adsorption performance. The results show that the cis isomers effectively shelter the active sites, leading to the selective adsorption of methylene blue (MB) over brilliant blue (BB), while the trans isomers completely expose the active sites, resulting in the convenient release of the adsorbates. Both selective adsorption and efficient desorption can be realized controllably by these smart adsorbents through photostimulation. Moreover, the performance of the obtained materials is well maintained after five cycles.

Introduction Pharmacotherapy is one of the main treatments for patients with young-onset Parkinson’s disease (YOPD). Although numerous studies on the treatment of YOPD have been published, the real-world prescription patterns of these populations remain unclear in China.Methods A national comprehensive evaluation was performed to reveal the pharmacological treatment patterns in Chinese patients with Parkinson’s disease from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2019, with patients aged 21–50 years classified as having YOPD for the subgroup analysis. Information on patients and drugs was extracted to analyse the demographic characteristics, prescription patterns, and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LED) during disease progression.Results A total of 1,134 patients with YOPD were included, and the majority were aged 41–50 years. Prescription of L-DOPA/benserazide and pramipexole accounted for more than 30 and 20%, respectively, in each year from 2014 to 2019. There was no difference in prescription patterns in terms of age, sex and geographical areas. Half of the patients with YOPD were on monotherapy, but the proportion decreased from 2016. Correspondingly, the proportion of patients receiving polytherapy increased, especially those who were prescribed more than two anti-Parkinson’s disease drugs. During the disease course, LED showed high variability, which increased over time.Conclusion L-DOPA/benserazide and pramipexole were the most frequently prescribed anti-PD drugs for patients with YOPD in China. There was a slight trend in the transition from monotherapy to polytherapy. LED increased with disease duration. Thus, we provided an overview of the prescription patterns for patients with YOPD in China.

Rivaroxaban has been widely used to prevent and treat various thromboembolic diseases for more than a decade. However, whether a lower dose of rivaroxaban is required for Asians is still debatable. This review aimed to explore the potential ethnic difference in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) characteristics between Asians and Caucasians. A systematic search was conducted and twenty-four studies were identified, of which 10 were conducted on Asian adults, 11 on predominantly Caucasian adults, and 3 on Caucasian pediatrics. The apparent clearance (CL/F) of rivaroxaban in Caucasian adults with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (6.45–7.64 L/h) was about 31–43% higher than that in Asians (4.46–5.98 L/h) taking 10~20 mg rivaroxaban every 24 h. Moreover, there was no obvious difference in CL/F among Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Irani people. Regarding PK/PD relationship, prothrombin time was linked to rivaroxaban concentration in a linear or near-linear manner, and Factor Xa activity was linked with the Emax model. The exposure–response relationship was comparable between Asians and Caucasians. Renal function has a significant influence on CL/F, and no covariate was recognized for exposure–response relationship. In conclusion, a lower dose of rivaroxaban might be required for Asians, and further studies are warranted to verify this ethnic difference to facilitate optimal dosing regimens.

Background: Tumor immune microenvironment plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of gastric cancer (GC), but potent immune biomarkers for predicting the prognosis have not been identified yet.Methods: At first, RNA-sequencing and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were mined to identify an immune-risk signature using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate stepwise Cox regression analyses. Furthermore, the risk score of each sample was calculated, and GC patients were divided into high-risk group and low-risk group based on their risk scores. Subsequently, the performance of this signature, including the correlation with overall survival (OS), clinical features, immune cell infiltration, and immune response, has been tested in GC data from TCGA database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE84437), respectively.Results: An immune signature composed of four genes (MAGED1, ACKR3, FZD2, and CTLA4) was constructed. The single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) indicated that activated CD4+/CD8+ T cell, activated dendritic cell, and effector memory CD8+ T cell prominently increased in the low-risk group, showing relatively high immune scores and low stromal scores. Further GSEA analysis indicated that TGF-β, Ras, and Rap1 pathways were activated in the high-risk group, while Th17/Th1/Th2 differentiation, T cell receptor and PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathways were activated in the low-risk group. Low-risk patients presented higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) and expression of HLA-related genes. The immune-associated signature showed an excellent predictive ability for 2-, 3-, and 5-year OS in GC.Conclusion: The immune-related prognosis model contributes to predicting the prognosis of GC patients and providing valuable information about their response to immunotherapy using integrated bioinformatics methods.

Objective: Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are widely spread throughout the world, causing infections from oral, and genital mucous membrane ulcerations to severe viral encephalitis. Glycoprotein B (gB) was the first HSV envelope glycoprotein identified to induce cell fusion. This glycoprotein initiates viral entry and thereby determines the infectivity of HSV, as well as oncolytic HSV (oHSV). Clarifying its molecular characterization and enlarging its motif reservoir will help to engineer oHSV and in cancer treatment applications. Only in recent years has the importance of gB been acknowledged in HSV infection and oHSV engineering. Although gB-modified oHSVs have been developed, the detailed molecular biology of gB needs to be illustrated more clearly in order to construct more effective oHSVs.Method: Here, we performed a systematic comparative sequence analysis of gBs from the 9 HSV-1 and 2 HSV-2 strains, including HSV-1-LXMW, which was isolated by our lab. Online software was implemented to predict gB secondary structure and motifs. Based on extensive literature reviews, a functional analysis of the predicted motifs was performed.Results: Here, we reported the DNA and predicted amino acid sequences of our recently isolated HSV-1-LXMW and found that the strain was evolutionarily close to HSV-1 strains F, H129, and SC16 based on gB analysis. The 22 novel motifs of HSV gB were identified for the first time. An amino acid sequence alignment of the 11 HSV strains showed that the gB motifs are conserved among HSV strains, suggesting that they are functional in vivo. Additionally, we found that certain amino acids within the 13 motifs out of the 22 were reported to be functional in vivo. Furthermore, the gB mutants and gB-engineered oHSVs were also summarized.Conclusion: Our identification of the 22 novel motifs shed light on HSV gB biology and provide new options for gB engineering to improve the efficiency and safety of oHSVs.

Oncolytic herpes simplex viruses (oHSVs) have been approved for clinical usage and become more and more popular for tumor virotherapy. However, there are still many issues for the oHSVs used in clinics and clinical trials. The main issues are the limited anti-tumor effects, intratumor injection, and some side effects. To overcome such challenges, here we review the genetic engineering of the envelope glycoproteins for oHSVs to target tumors specifically, and at the same time we summarize the many neutralization antibodies against the envelope glycoproteins and align the neutralization epitopes with functional domains of the respective glycoproteins for future identification of new functions of the glycoproteins and future engineering of the epitopes to escape from host neutralization.

Abstract In this work, Pt nanoparticles were incorporated into SBA-15 to prepare the materials for hydrogen spillover adsorption. We provide a direct modification (DM) strategy to improve the content of Pt nanoparticles inside the channels of SBA-15. In this strategy, the Pt precursor was directly incorporated into as synthesized SBA-15 by a solid-state grinding method. The subsequent calcination in air, then H2/Ar gases was conducted to obtain the resultant materials of PtAS. For the samples of PtAS, Pt nanoparticles up to 5.0 wt% have a high dispersion inside the channels of SBA-15. The size of nanoparticles is in control of 3.7 nm. Although much work so far has focused on modification of SBA-15 with Pt nanoparticles. Here, it is the first time the loading amount of Pt nanoparticles raises up to 5.0 wt%, and the location of the Pt nanoparticles is interior channels of SBA-15. We reveal that the high dispersion behaviors of Pt nanoparticles are ascribed to the nanoconfinement effects provided by as synthesized SBA-15. However, the samples derived from template free SBA-15 (PtCS) show sparsely dispersion of Pt nanoparticles with the size of 7.7 nm. We demonstrate that the PtAS samples show better hydrogen adsorption performance than PtCS.

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor in the world, especially in China. As a member of the inhibitor of differentiation (Id) family, Id4 has been reported to function in many cancer types, but relatively little is known about its role in HCC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between Id4 and HCC development and the underlying mechanism involving the function of Id4 in HCC. Methods We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting to examine the RNA and protein expression of Id4. In addition, we used Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assay to identify the function of Id4 in the regulation of cell proliferation in human HCC. Results We found that the expression of Id4 protein was up-regulated in tumor tissues from HCC patients. Overexpression of Id4 promoted HCC cell proliferation, clonogenicity in vitro, and tumorigenicity in vivo. Id4 knockdown experiments showed that silencing Id4 blocked the proliferation and colony formation ability of HCC cells in vitro. Furthermore, overexpression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β inhibited Id4 expression in HCC cells. Conclusion Id4 may be developed as a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of HCC, but more details about the underlying mechanisms of action are needed.

Smoking is a well-known risk factor of reproductive health. However, the effect of paternal smoking on fertility has been less extensively examined. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a mountainous area of South-West China to assess the effect of male smoking on couples′ fertility. A total of 8200 couples aged 18-49 years in the study area were invited to participate in the study. An in-person interview was performed to collect demographic characteristics of the couples, and husbands′ life style factors including smoking and drinking habits. Information on time to pregnancy (TTP) was collected retrospectively. Infertility was defined as failure to achieve clinical pregnancy after regular unprotected intercourse for ≥12 months. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between male smoking and infertility. A total of 7025 couples were included in the final analysis. After adjusting for potential confounders, the couples were more likely to suffer from infertility if the husbands smoked (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =1.28, 95% CI: 1.08-1.52) before the first pregnancy. After the analyses were performed according to husbands′ smoking duration, an increased risk started at a relatively longer smoking duration of 5-10 years (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.26-1.99) and a stronger association (aOR = 3.34, 95% CI: 2.45-4.56) was observed in the group of ≥10 years. Similar patterns were found for the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the total amount of cigarettes smoked. From our findings, we conclude that male smoking may have an adverse impact on couples′ infertility.

Adsorption is one of the most promising methods for desulfurization of transportation fuels, due to the strategy which enables removal of organic sulfur compounds to be conducted at ambient conditions with high efficiency. Adsorbent is the key to the adsorptive performance. Both π complexation and direct sulfur metal bonds are efficient methods for adsorptive desulfurization. For construction of these bonds, it is necessary to introduce active metal species on the support. In this work, Ce(NO 3 ) 2 was directly introduced into the as-synthesized SBA-15, and high dispersion of CeO 2 nanoparticles was obtained. With the loading content of 12–46 wt%, the particle sizes of the CeO 2 NPs are in the range of 4.4–6.3 nm. The good dispersion status of CeO 2 nanoparticles is contributed to the template P123 preserved in as-synthesized SBA-15, which provides a confined space for the dispersion of CeO 2 nanoparticles. However, the large CeO 2 particles (7.0 nm) are formed for the sample originated from template-free SBA-15. We also demonstrate that the adsorptive performance of SBA-15 is enhanced with the modification of CeO 2 nanoparticles. Besides, the performances of CeO 2 nanoparticle-modified samples stay in step with the dispersion status of the CeO 2 nanoparticles.

Background: Population-based cancer registry collects the data on cancer incidence and mortality deaths from covered population to describe and survey the epidemics in certain areas. The aim of this study was to estimate the cancer incidence and mortality in Wuwei, Gansu province, Northwestern China from 2003 to 2012. The goal is to better understand cancer distribution and long-term development of cancer prevention and treatment in Wuwei. Methods: Data were collected from the Wuwei Cancer Registry between 2003 and 2012. In this registry, data from 46 cancer report centers were included in this analysis. Incidence/mortality rates, age-specific incidence/mortality rates, age-standardized incidence/mortality rates, and cumulative incidence/mortality rates were calculated. Totally, 9,836,740 person-years (5,110,342 for males and 4,726,398 for females) had been monitored over this time period. The gender ratio of male/female was 1.08:1. The number of new cancer cases and related deaths was 24,705 and 17,287 from 2003 to 2012, respectively. Results: The proportion of morphological verification was 74.43%. The incidence of cases identified through death certification only was 1.21%, and the mortality to incidence ratio was 0.70. The average crude incidence was 251.15/100,000 persons (310.61 and 186.87 for males and females per 100,000 persons, respectively). The age-standardized rates by Chinese standard population (ASR-China) and by world standard population (ASR-world) were 207.76 and 245.42 per 100,000 persons, respectively. The crude cancer mortality was 175.74/100,000 persons (228.34 and 118.86 for males and females per 100,000 persons). ASR for China and the world was 149.57 and 175.13/100,000 persons, respectively. The most common cancers and leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Wuwei were as follows: cancers of stomach, esophagus, liver, lung, colorectum, breast, cervix, lymphoma, blood (leukemia), brain, and central nervous system. In Wuwei, during 2003 and 2012, cancer incidence and mortality rates increased by 1.32% and 1.31%/year, respectively. During this time, colorectum cancer incidence and mortality rates increased by 2.69% and 7.54%/year, respectively, in Wuwei. The incidence and mortality of other gastric, esophageal, liver, and lung cancers also all increased. Conclusions: The results of this study report a more accurate cancer burden among the population of Wuwei, China. Active research of cancers etiology and effective prevention should be established to reduce the incidence and mortality associated with cancers.

The multi-resistance gene cfr is widely distributed among various gram-positive and gram-negative species in livestock in China. To better understand the epidemiology of cfr among Staphylococcus spp. and E. coli isolates, 254 Staphylococcus spp. and 398 E. coli strains collected from six swine farms in China were subjected to prevalence and genetic analysis. Forty (15.7%) Staphylococcus spp. isolates, including 38 Staphylococcus sciuri strains, one Staphylococcus chromogenes strain, and one Staphylococcus lentus strain, and two (0.5%) E. coli isolates were found to contain the cfr gene. Most of the 38 S. sciuri strains were clonally unrelated; however, clonal dissemination of cfr-positive S. sciuri was detected at the same farm. In eight randomly selected cfr-positive staphylococci, a cfr-harboring module (IS21-558-cfr-ΔtnpB) was detected in six S. sciuri isolates; cfr was bracketed by two copies of ISEnfa4 or IS256 in the remaining two S. sciuri isolates. In the two E. coli isolates, EP25 and EP28, cfr was flanked by two IS26 elements in the same or opposite orientation, respectively. Complete sequence analysis of the novel F43:A-:B- plasmid pHNEP28 revealed that it contains two multi-resistance regions: cfr together with floR, qnrS1 interspersed with IS26, ΔISCR2 and ISKpn19, and blaTEM-1 together with tet(M) interspersed with IS26, ISApl1, ΔTn2, and ΔIS1B. The coexistence of cfr with other resistance genes on a conjugative plasmid may contribute to the dissemination of these genes by co-selection. Thus, rational drug use and continued surveillance of cfr in swine farms are warranted.

Temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) is an effective technique for CO2 capture, but the temperature swing procedure is energy-intensive. Herein, we report a low-energy-consumption system by combining passive radiative cooling and solar heating for the uptake of CO2 on commercial activated carbons (CACs). During adsorption, the adsorbents are coated with a layer of hierarchically porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) [P(VdF-HFP)HP], which cools the adsorbents to a low temperature under sunlight through radiative cooling. For desorption, CACs with broad absorption of the solar spectrum are exposed to light irradiation for heating. The heating and cooling processes are completely driven by solar energy. Adsorption tests under mimicked sunlight using the CACs show that the performance of this system is comparable to that of the traditional ones. Furthermore, under real sunlight irradiation, the adsorption capacity of the CACs can be well maintained after multiple cycles. The present work may inspire the development of new temperature swing procedures with little energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]