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This paper specifically focuses on a specific type of long-term fieldwork that is closely linked to the inheritance cycle. This study employs a historical and longitudinal approach to investigate the history and two instances of revival that took place in 2016 and 2021 of the Bamboo Horse in Dongpu village, situated in the Hailufeng region of Guangdong province. The two revivals occurred for distinct purposes: one was to participate in the ceremony in 2016, while the other was for the Intangible Cultural Heritage project in 2021. This study identified and examined the pattern of inheritance and conducted a comparative analysis to identify the variations and similarities across different periods of replay. The significance of this paper lies in its extensive and ongoing fieldwork, which involves continuous observation and contemplation of a specific subject. Over time, this research sheds light on how our perception and comprehension of this particular type of drama evolve. Furthermore, the consistent performance and status of Bamboo Horse are closely intertwined with the intrinsic nature of this ritualistic form of drama, and the change of the function of the drama in different contexts.

Objective The northern margin fault zone of the Qaidam Basin is a regional active fault zone in the northern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, forming the boundary fault of the northern Qaidam Basin and the Qilian Mountains. Studying its late Quaternary paleoseismic activity is of great significance for understanding the seismic recurrence cycle and seismic hazard of the northern margin fault zone of the Qaidam Basin. Methods Through geological survey, remote sensing interpretation, trench excavation, OSL geological dating, and analysis of paleoseismic events, the paleoseismic events of the northern margin fault of the Qaidam Basin (Xitieshan-Amunikeshan section) were studied. Conclusion The study reveals that the trench profiles exposed five relatively reliable paleoseismic events, with occurrence times of approximately 60 years ago for Event E1, 3.1±0.3 to 3.4±0.3 ka for Event E2, 7.5±0.3 to 8.1±0.3 ka for Event E3, 10.1±0.4 to 11.4±0.4 ka for Event E4, and 12.1±0.4 to 12.8±0.4 ka for Event E5. Using the paleoseismic incremental limiting method, the seismic recurrence cycle of the northern margin fault of the Qaidam Basin (Xitieshan-Amunikeshan section) is estimated to be 2.6 to 3.4 ka. The most recent event departure time for the Amunikeshan section is 60 years ago, and for the Xitieshan section, it is 3.1±0.3 ka, suggesting a higher likelihood of destructive earthquakes in the future for the Xitieshan section compared to the Amunikeshan section of the northern margin fault of the Qaidam Basin. Significance This result can provide a better understanding of the paleoseismic events, recurrence intervals, and other aspects of the northern margin fault of the Qaidam Basin, which has guiding significance for seismic forecasting, prediction, and evaluation of future seismic hazards of this fault.

We conducted a prospective environmental surveillance study to investigate the air, surface, dust, and water contamination of a room occupied by a patient infected with mpox virus (MPXV) at various stages of the illness. The patient tested positive for MPXV from a throat swab and skin lesions. Environmental sampling was conducted in a negative pressure room with 12 unidirectional high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) air changes per hour and daily cleaning of the surfaces. A total of 179 environmental samples were collected on days 7, 8, 13, and 21 of illness. Among the days of sampling, air, surface, and dust contamination showed the highest contamination rates on day 7 and 8 of illness, with a gradual decline to the lowest contamination level by day 21. Viable MPXV was isolated from surfaces and dust samples and no viable virus was isolated from the air and water samples.

The identification of four potential nonstructural 5 (NS5) residues—K28, K45, V335, and S749—that share the same amino acid preference in STAT2-interacting flaviviruses [Dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV)], but not in STAT2-non-interacting flaviviruses [West Nile virus (WNV) and/or Yellow fever virus (YFV)] from an alignment of multiple flavivirus NS5 sequences, implied a possible association with the efficiency of ZIKV to antagonize the human signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 2 (STAT2). Through site-directed mutagenesis and reverse genetics, mutational impacts of these residues on ZIKV growth in vitro and STAT2 antagonism were assessed using virus growth kinetics assays and STAT2 immunoblotting. The results showed that mutations at the residue K28 significantly reduced the efficiency of ZIKV to antagonize STAT2. Further investigation involving residue K28 demonstrated its additional effects on the phenotypes of ZIKV-NS5 nuclear bodies. These findings demonstrate that K28, identified from sequence alignment, is an important determinant of replication and STAT2 antagonism by ZIKV.

ABSTRACT Powassan virus (POWV) is an emerging tick-borne Flavivirus that causes lethal encephalitis and long-term neurologic damage. Currently, there are no POWV therapeutics, licensed vaccines, or reverse genetics systems for producing infectious POWVs from recombinant DNA. Using a circular polymerase extension reaction (CPER), we generated recombinant LI9 (recLI9) POWVs with attenuating NS1 protein mutations and a recLI9-split-eGFP reporter virus. NS1 proteins are highly conserved glycoproteins that regulate replication, spread, and neurovirulence. POWV NS1 contains three putative N-linked glycosylation sites that we modified individually in infectious recLI9 mutants (N85Q, N208Q, and N224Q). NS1 glycosylation site mutations reduced replication kinetics and were attenuated, with 1–2 log decreases in titer. Severely attenuated recLI9-N224Q exhibited a 2- to 3-day delay in focal cell-to-cell spread and reduced NS1 secretion but was lethal when intracranially inoculated into suckling mice. However, footpad inoculation of recLI9-N224Q resulted in the survival of 80% of mice and demonstrated that NS1-N224Q mutations reduce POWV neuroinvasion in vivo. To monitor NS1 trafficking, we CPER fused a split GFP11-tag to the NS1 C-terminus and generated an infectious reporter virus, recLI9-NS1-GFP11. Cells infected with recLI9-NS1-GFP11 revealed NS1 trafficking in live cells and the novel formation of large NS1-lined intracellular vesicles. An infectious recLI9-NS1-GFP11 reporter virus permits real-time analysis of NS1 functions in POWV replication, assembly, and secretion and provides a platform for evaluating antiviral compounds. Collectively, our robust POWV reverse genetics system permits analysis of viral spread and neurovirulence determinants in vitro and in vivo and enables the rational genetic design of live attenuated POWV vaccines. IMPORTANCE Our findings newly establish a mechanism for genetically modifying Powassan viruses (POWVs), systematically defining pathogenic determinants and rationally designing live attenuated POWV vaccines. This initial study demonstrates that mutating POWV NS1 glycosylation sites attenuates POWV spread and neurovirulence in vitro and in vivo. Our findings validate a robust circular polymerase extension reaction approach as a mechanism for developing, and evaluating, attenuated genetically modified POWVs. We further designed an infectious GFP-tagged reporter POWV that permits us to monitor secretory trafficking of POWV in live cells, which can be applied to screen potential POWV replication inhibitors. This robust system for modifying POWVs provides the ability to define attenuating POWV mutations and create genetically attenuated recPOWV vaccines.

Abstract Background Dengue is a severe environmental public health challenge in tropical and subtropical regions. In Singapore, decreasing seroprevalence and herd immunity due to successful vector control has paradoxically led to increased transmission potential of the dengue virus. We have previously demonstrated that incompatible insect technique coupled with sterile insect technique (IIT-SIT), which involves the release of X-ray-irradiated male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, reduced the Aedes aegypti population by 98% and dengue incidence by 88%. This novel vector control tool is expected to be able to complement current vector control to mitigate the increasing threat of dengue on a larger scale. We propose a multi-site protocol to study the efficacy of IIT-SIT at reducing dengue incidence. Methods/design The study is designed as a parallel, two-arm, non-blinded cluster-randomized (CR) controlled trial to be conducted in high-rise public housing estates in Singapore, an equatorial city-state. The aim is to determine whether large-scale deployment of male Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes can significantly reduce dengue incidence in intervention clusters. We will use the CR design, with the study area comprising 15 clusters with a total area of 10.9 km2, covering approximately 722,204 residents in 1713 apartment blocks. Eight clusters will be randomly selected to receive the intervention, while the other seven will serve as non-intervention clusters. Intervention efficacy will be estimated through two primary endpoints: (1) odds ratio of Wolbachia exposure distribution (i.e., probability of living in an intervention cluster) among laboratory-confirmed reported dengue cases compared to test-negative controls and (2) laboratory-confirmed reported dengue counts normalized by population size in intervention versus non-intervention clusters. Discussion This study will provide evidence from a multi-site, randomized controlled trial for the efficacy of IIT-SIT in reducing dengue incidence. The trial will provide valuable information to estimate intervention efficacy for this novel vector control approach and guide plans for integration into national vector control programs in dengue-endemic settings. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05505682 . Registered on 16 August 2022. Retrospectively registered.

ABSTRACT The efficient and accurate diagnosis of dengue, a major mosquito-borne disease, is of primary importance for clinical care, surveillance, and outbreak control. The identification of specific dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) to DENV-4 can help in understanding the transmission dynamics and spread of dengue disease. The four rapid low-resource serotype-specific dengue tests use a simple sample preparation reagent followed by reverse transcription-isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) combined with lateral flow detection (LFD) technology. Results are obtained directly from clinical sample matrices in 35 min, requiring only a heating block and pipettes for liquid handling. In addition, we demonstrate that the rapid sample preparation step inactivates DENV, improving laboratory safety. Human plasma and serum were spiked with DENV, and DENV was detected with analytical sensitivities of 333 to 22,500 median tissue culture infectious doses (TCID50)/mL. The analytical sensitivities in blood were 94,000 to 333,000 TCID50/mL. Analytical specificity testing confirmed that each test could detect multiple serotype-specific strains but did not respond to strains of other serotypes, closely related flaviviruses, or chikungunya virus. Clinical testing on 80 human serum samples demonstrated test specificities of between 94 and 100%, with a DENV-2 test sensitivity of 100%, detecting down to 0.004 PFU/μL, similar to the sensitivity of the PCR test; the other DENV tests detected down to 0.03 to 10.9 PFU/μL. Collectively, our data suggest that some of our rapid dengue serotyping tests provide a potential alternative to conventional labor-intensive RT-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) detection, which requires expensive thermal cycling instrumentation, technical expertise, and prolonged testing times. Our tests provide performance and speed without compromising specificity in human plasma and serum and could become promising tools for the detection of high DENV loads in resource-limited settings. IMPORTANCE The efficient and accurate diagnosis of dengue, a major mosquito-borne disease, is of primary importance for clinical care, surveillance, and outbreak control. This study describes the evaluation of four rapid low-resource serotype-specific dengue tests for the detection of specific DENV serotypes in clinical sample matrices. The tests use a simple sample preparation reagent followed by reverse transcription-isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) combined with lateral flow detection (LFD) technology. These tests have several advantages compared to RT-qPCR detection, such as a simple workflow, rapid sample processing and turnaround times (35 min from sample preparation to detection), minimal equipment needs, and improved laboratory safety through the inactivation of the virus during the sample preparation step. The low-resource formats of these rapid dengue serotyping tests have the potential to support effective dengue disease surveillance and enhance the diagnostic testing capacity in resource-limited countries with both endemic dengue and intense coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission.

Abstract Cardiac fibrosis, a well-known major pathological process that ultimately leads to heart failure, has attracted increasing attention and focus in recent years. A large amount of research indicates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in cardiac fibrosis, but little is known about the specific function and mechanism of the lncRNA NEAT1 in the progression of cardiac fibrosis to heart failure. In the present study, we have demonstrated that the lncRNA NEAT1 is upregulated in patients with heart failure. Similarly, the expression of Neat1 was also increased in the left ventricular tissue of transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery mice and cardiac fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1. Further, gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments showed that silencing of Neat1 attenuated cardiac fibrosis, while overexpression of Neat1 with adenovirus significantly aggravated the in vitro progression of fibrosis. With regard to the underlying mechanism, our experiments showed that Neat1 recruited EZH2 to the promoter region of Smad7 through physical binding of EZH2 to the promoter region, as a result of which Smad7 expression was inhibited and the progression of cardiac fibrosis was ultimately exacerbated. We found that the introduction of shNeat1 carried by adeno-associated virus-9 significantly ameliorated cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction caused by TAC surgery in mice. Overall, our study findings demonstrate that the lncRNA Neat1 accelerates the progression of cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction by recruiting EZH2 to suppress Smad7 expression. Thus, NEAT1 may serve as a target for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.

An MS 7.4 earthquake occurred in Maduo County, Guoluo Tibetan Prefecture, Qinghai Province at 02:04 on May 22, 2021(Beijing time), which is the largest one in China after the 2008 Wenchuan MS 8.0 earthquake. Finding out the distribution and characteristics of its coseismic surface rupture in time is of great significance for the identification of seismogenic structure, regional earthquake prevention and disaster reduction. Combining the post-earthquake field investigation with the results from the interpretation and analysis of high-resolution satellite remote sensing images, aftershock data and UAV low altitude photogrammetry, we got a preliminary judgment on the characteristics of six typical seismic surface ruptures. Firstly, the surface rupture caused by the Maduo earthquake is mainly distributed along the southeastern segment of the known South Branch of the East Kunlun fault zone, the kunlunshankou-Jiangcuo fault. It indicates that the Jiangcuo fault should be the seismogenic fault of the earthquake. Secondly, the western segment of the coseismic rupture with an overall strike of 275°~300°, is mainly manifested as an inclined combination of compressive bulges and echelon tensile fractures. There is a significant vertical displacement of 1.4~0.8 m between the Jiangcuogongma section and the Jiangduocun section, indicating that the western segment may have obvious normal fault components. The huanghexiang section in the middle is mainly composed of a series of NW-trending P shear fractures with left-order oblique and NE-trending tensile fractures with right-order en echelon, with small strike slip displacements. The Changma reach of the North Branch is mainly composed of a series of en echelon fractures, with the overall strike of 260°, The strike of the fault is obviously different from that of the western segment of the fault. Thirdly, the maximum left lateral displacement caused by the earthquake occurred in the Cuoerjiala rapture section of the western segment, about 2.8 m, indicating that the strike slip displacement of the surface fracture zone of the earthquake is mainly characterized by unilateral expansion attenuation from west to East. The fact that the Maduo earthquake occurred in the Bayan Har block on the south side of the East Kunlun main fault demonstrate the possibility of earthquake with magnitude 7 or above in this block. Therefore the seismogenic conditions and mechanism of strong earthquake activity in the Bayan Har block should be a scientific issue that needs further attention.

Here the authors describe a simple reverse genetics method that relies on overlapping cDNA fragments for generation of positive-strand viruses including SARS-CoV-2 and characterize them in vitro and in vivo.

During 2015-2016, outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) occurred in Southeast Asia and the Americas. Most ZIKV infections in humans are asymptomatic, while clinical manifestation is usually a self-limiting febrile disease with maculopapular rash. However, ZIKV is capable of inducing a range of severe neurological complications collectively described as congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). Notably, the scale and magnitude of outbreaks in Southeast Asia were significantly smaller compared to those in the Americas. Sequence comparison between epidemic-associated ZIKV strains from Southeast Asia with those from the Americas revealed a methionine to valine substitution at residue position 114 of the NS5 protein (NS5-M114V) in all the American isolates. Using an American isolate of ZIKV (Natal), we investigated the impact of NS5-M114V mutation on virus replication in cells, virulence in interferon (IFN) α/β receptor knockout (Ifnar-/-) mice, as well as replication and transmission potential in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. We demonstrated that NS5-M114V mutation had insignificant effect on ZIKV replication efficiency in cells, its ability to degrade STAT2, and virulence in vivo, albeit viremia was slightly prolonged in mice. Furthermore, NS5-M114V mutation decreased mosquito infection and dissemination rates but had no effect on virus secretion into the saliva. Taken together, our findings support the notion that NS5-M114V mutation is unlikely to be a major determinant for virus replication and transmission potential.

Moving target detection in ultra-wideband synthetic aperture radar (UWB SAR) has to accumulate target energy with long integration time to improve the probability of target detection. The traditional detection and parameters estimation algorithms usually rely on parameter searching, leading to a heavy computing burden. In this paper, a fast two-dimensional velocity estimation method of moving target for multi-channel UWB SAR is proposed. The method processes the multi-channel data separately to realize the target's coherent accumulation and one-dimensional velocity estimation. Then the multi-channel signals are processed jointly to realize the two-dimensional velocity estimation. Specifically, for each channel, the second-order keystone transform is used to correct the range curvature. The symmetric autocorrelation function in the range-frequency domain is used to accumulate the moving-target energy, achieving the target detection and target's azimuth signal extraction. Next, considering the long integration time, the azimuth signal is processed by the non-uniform cubic phase function (NUCPF) based on the fourth-order phase signal to estimate the relative velocity. The azimuth signal is transformed into the Doppler domain for multi-channel data, and the interferometric signal is calculated. The phase generated by the interferometric signal is related to the radial velocity of the target. Thus, the two-dimensional velocity of the target is obtained. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulation experiments.

The function on subgenomic flaviviral RNA (sfRNA) in the mosquito vector is not well understood. Here, Slonchak et al. show that sfRNA affects virus-induced apoptosis and dissemination of ZIKV in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, suggesting a role of sfRNA in Zika virus replication and transmission.

In this study, the requirements for image dehazing methods have been put forward, such as a wider range of scenarios in which the methods can be used, faster processing speeds and higher image quality. Recent dehazing methods can only unilaterally process daytime or nighttime hazy images. However, we propose an effective single-image technique, dubbed MF Dehazer, in order to solve the problems associated with nighttime and daytime dehazing. This technique was developed following an in-depth analysis of the properties of nighttime hazy images. We also propose a mixed-filter method in order to estimate ambient illumination. It is possible to obtain the color and light direction when estimating ambient illumination. Usually, after dehazing, nighttime images will cause light source diffusion problems. Thus, we propose a method to compensate for the high-light area transmission in order to improve the transmission of the light source areas. Then, through regularization, the images obtain better contrast. The experimental results show that MF Dehazer outperforms the recent dehazing methods. Additionally, it can obtain images with higher contrast and clarity while retaining the original color of the image.

Abstract Background Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles secreted by the cells that mediate intercellular transfer of molecules and contribute to transduction of various signals. Viral infection and action of pro-inflammatory cytokines has been shown to alter molecular composition of EV content. Transfer of antiviral proteins by EVs is thought to contribute to the development of inflammation and antiviral state. Altered incorporation of selected host RNAs into EVs in response to infection has also been demonstrated for several viruses, but not for WNV. Considering the medical significance of flaviviruses and the importance of deeper knowledge about the mechanisms of flavivirus-host interactions we assessed the ability of West Nile virus (WNV) and type I interferon (IFN), the main cytokine regulating antiviral response to WNV, to alter the composition of EV RNA cargo. Results We employed next generation sequencing to perform transcriptome-wide profiling of RNA cargo in EVs produced by cells infected with WNV or exposed to IFN-alpha. RNA profile of EVs secreted by uninfected cells was also determined and used as a reference. We found that WNV infection significantly changed the levels of certain host microRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) and mRNAs incorporated into EVs. Treatment with IFN-alpha also altered miRNA and mRNA profiles in EV but had less profound effect on sncRNAs. Functional classification of RNAs differentially incorporated into EVs upon infection and in response to IFN-alpha treatment demonstrated association of enriched in EVs mRNAs and miRNAs with viral processes and pro-inflammatory pathways. Further analysis revealed that WNV infection and IFN-alpha treatment changed the levels of common and unique mRNAs and miRNAs in EVs and that IFN-dependent and IFN-independent processes are involved in regulation of RNA sorting into EVs during infection. Conclusions WNV infection and IFN-alpha treatment alter the spectrum and the levels of mRNAs, miRNAs and sncRNAs in EVs. Differentially incorporated mRNAs and miRNAs in EVs produced in response to WNV infection and to IFN-alpha treatment are associated with viral processes and host response to infection. WNV infection affects composition of RNA cargo in EVs via IFN-dependent and IFN-independent mechanisms.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 and is capable of human-to-human transmission and rapid global spread. The rapid emergence and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 has encouraged the establishment of a rapid, sensitive, and reliable viral detection and quantification methodology. Here, we present an alternative assay, termed immuno-plaque assay (iPA), which utilizes a combination of plaque assay and immunofluorescence techniques. We have extensively optimized the conditions for SARS-CoV-2 infection and demonstrated the great flexibility of iPA detection using several antibodies and dual-probing with two distinct epitope-specific antibodies. In addition, we showed that iPA could be utilized for ultra-high-throughput viral titration and neutralization assay within 24 h and is amenable to a 384-well format. These advantages will significantly accelerate SARS-CoV-2 research outcomes during this pandemic period.

Influenza virus has a high mutation rate, such that within one host different viral variants can emerge. Evidence suggests that influenza virus variants are more prevalent in pregnant and/or obese individuals due to their impaired interferon response. We have recently shown that the non-allergic, paucigranulocytic subtype of asthma is associated with impaired type I interferon production. Here, we seek to address if this is associated with an increased emergence of influenza virus variants. Compared to controls, mice with paucigranulocytic asthma had increased disease severity and an increased emergence of influenza virus variants. Specifically, PB1 mutations exclusively detected in asthmatic mice were associated with increased polymerase activity. Furthermore, asthmatic host-derived virus led to increased disease severity in wild-type mice. Taken together, these data suggest that at least a subset of patients with asthma may be more susceptible to severe influenza and may be a possible source of new influenza virus variants.

ABSTRACT We describe two new insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) isolated from mosquitoes in Australia, Binjari virus (BinJV) and Hidden Valley virus (HVV), that grow efficiently in mosquito cells but fail to replicate in a range of vertebrate cell lines. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that BinJV and HVV were closely related (90% amino acid sequence identity) and clustered with lineage II (dual-host affiliated) ISFs, including the Lammi and Nounané viruses. Using a panel of monoclonal antibodies prepared to BinJV viral proteins, we confirmed a close relationship between HVV and BinJV and revealed that they were antigenically quite divergent from other lineage II ISFs. We also constructed chimeric viruses between BinJV and the vertebrate-infecting West Nile virus (WNV) by swapping the structural genes (prM and E) to produce BinJ/WNVKUN-prME and WNVKUN/BinJV-prME. This allowed us to assess the role of different regions of the BinJV genome in vertebrate host restriction and revealed that while BinJV structural proteins facilitated entry to vertebrate cells, the process was inefficient. In contrast, the BinJV replicative components in wild-type BinJV and BinJ/WNVKUN-prME failed to initiate replication in a wide range of vertebrate cell lines at 37°C, including cells lacking components of the innate immune response. However, trace levels of replication of BinJ/WNVKUN-prME could be detected in some cultures of mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) deficient in antiviral responses (IFNAR−/− MEFs or RNase L−/− MEFs) incubated at 34°C after inoculation. This suggests that BinJV replication in vertebrate cells is temperature sensitive and restricted at multiple stages of cellular infection, including inefficient cell entry and susceptibility to antiviral responses. IMPORTANCE The globally important flavivirus pathogens West Nile virus, Zika virus, dengue viruses, and yellow fever virus can infect mosquito vectors and be transmitted to humans and other vertebrate species in which they cause significant levels of disease and mortality. However, the subgroup of closely related flaviviruses, known as lineage II insect-specific flaviviruses (Lin II ISFs), only infect mosquitoes and cannot replicate in cells of vertebrate origin. Our data are the first to uncover the mechanisms that restrict the growth of Lin II ISFs in vertebrate cells and provides new insights into the evolution of these viruses and the mechanisms associated with host switching that may allow new mosquito-borne viral diseases to emerge. The new reagents generated in this study, including the first Lin II ISF-reactive monoclonal antibodies and Lin II ISF mutants and chimeric viruses, also provide new tools and approaches to enable further research advances in this field.

Zika and chikungunya virus are co-circulating in many regions and currently there is no approved vaccine for either virus. Here, the authors engineer one vaccinia virus based vaccine for both, Zika and chikungunya, and show protection from infection and pathogenesis in mice.

Background/Aims: Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) disturb the physiology of H9c2 cells, which is regarded as a major cause of H9c2 cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Ginsenoside Rg1 is the main active extract of ginseng, which has important antioxidant properties in various cell models. This project investigated the role of ginsenoside Rg1 in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced oxidative stress injury in cultured H9c2 cells to reveal the underlying signaling pathways. Methods: H9c2 cells were pretreated with ginsenoside Rg1 for 12 h before exposure to H/R. In the absence or presence of Nrf2siRNA, HO-1 inhibitor (ZnPP-IX), and inhibitors of the MAPK pathway (SB203580, PD98059, SP600125), H9c2 cells were subjected to H/R with Rg1 treatment. The effects and mechanisms of H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury were measured. Results: Ginsenoside Rg1 treatment suppressed H/R-induced apoptosis and caspase-3 activation. Ginsenoside Rg1 treatment decreased ROS production and mitochondrial membrane depolarization by elevating the intracellular antioxidant capacity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and reduced glutathione (GSH). Furthermore, ginsenoside Rg1 stimulation appeared to result in nuclear translocation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), along with enhanced expression of the downstream target gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner. However, ginsenoside Rg1-mediated cardioprotection was abolished by Nrf2-siRNA and HO-1 inhibitor. H/R treatment increased the levels of phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinases (p-JNK), which was dramatically attenuated by ginsenoside Rg1 and SP600125 (a specific JNK inhibitor). Conclusion: These observations indicate that ginsenoside Rg1 activates the Nrf2/HO-1 axis and inhibits the JNK pathway in H9c2 cells to protect against oxidative stress.

Many vector-borne viruses possess the ability to manipulate vector behaviors to facilitate their transmission. There is evidence that the mechanism of this phenomenon has been described in part as direct manipulation through regulating vector chemosensation. Rice stripe virus (RSV) is transmitted by the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Fallen), in a persistent, circulative–propagative manner. The effect of RSV infection on the olfactory system of L. striatellus has not been fully elucidated. Here, we employed transcriptomic sequencing to analyze gene expression profiles in antennae, legs and heads (without antennae) from L. striatellus females and males with/without RSV infection. Comparisons of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among antennae, legs and heads indicated that tissue-specific changes in the gene expression profile were greater than sex-specific changes. A total of 17 olfactory related genes were differentially expressed in viruliferous antennae as compared to nonviruliferous antennae, including LstrOBP4/9, LstrCSP1/2/5, LstrGR28a/43a/43a-1, LstrIR1/2/NMDA1, LstrOR67/85e/56a/94 and LstrSNMP2/2-2. There are 23 olfactory related DEGs between viruliferous and nonviruliferous legs, including LstrOBP2/3/4/12/13, LstrCSP13/5/10, LstrIR1/2/Delta2/Delta2-1/kainate2/NMDA2, LstrOR12/21/31/68 and LstrORco. A low number of olfactory related DEGs were found between viruliferous and nonviruliferous heads, including LstrCSP1, LstrOBP2, LstrOR67 and LstrSNMP2-2. Among these DEGs, the expression patterns of LstrOBP2, LstrOBP3 and LstrOBP9 in three tissues was validated by quantitative real-time PCR. The demonstration of overall changes in the genes in L. striatellus’ chemoreception organs in response to RSV infection would not only improve our understanding of the effect of RSV on the olfactory related genes of insect vectors but also provide insights into developing approaches to control the plant virus transmission and spread as well as pest management in the future.

Background/Aims: Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) plays significant roles under various pathological conditions including cardiovascular diseases, fibrosis, and cancer. EndMT of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contributes to neointimal hyperplasia following cell therapy Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that promotes metastasis and cancer. MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) is a tumor suppressor that has been reported to inhibit SMAD3-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells. In the present study, we investigated the role of MALAT1 and miR-145 in EndMT of human circulating EPCs induced by transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1). Methods: Human circulating EPCs were isolated and characterized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Expression levels of EndMT markers were assessed by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression was measured by cell immunofluorescence staining. The regulatory relationship between MALAT1 and miR-145 and its target genes, TGFBR2 (TGFβ receptortype II) and SMAD3 (mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3) was analyzed using the luciferase reporter assay. Results: We found that EndMT of EPCs induced by TGF-β1 is accompanied by increased MALAT1 expression and decreased miR-145 expression, and MALAT1 and miR-145 directly bind and reciprocally repress each other in these cells. Dual-Luciferase Reporter assay indicated that miR-145 inhibits TGF-β1-induced EndMT by directly targeting TGFBR2 and SMAD3. Conclusions: MALAT1 modulates TGF-β1-induced EndMT of EPCs through regulation of TGFBR2 and SMAD3 via miR-145. Thus, the MALAT1-miR-145-TGFBR2/SMAD3 signaling pathway plays a key role in TGF-β1-induced EndMT.

Wall-penetrating radar (WPR) is the device to image very small objects buried inside the wall. The small objects usually a few millimetres, whereas the bandwidth of WPR limits its resolution up to several centimetres. As a result, the target imaging result of the traditional method is ‘defocused’ in the range direction. To solve this problem, a near-field three-dimensional imaging algorithm based on matching filtering with multiple reference signals and selection processing is proposed. Instead of obtaining a focused image via coherent superposition processing, a focused image is determined by selecting an image from a plurality imaging results of different reference depths according to the minimum entropy criterion. The proposed algorithm is validated by imaging the computer simulation technology simulation data and the measured data.

Through-the-wall radar has been used in rescue missions, behind-the-wall targets detection, surveillance and reconnaissance etc. However, through-the-wall radar encounters two major problems in complex environment. One is that the refraction of the unknown wall would distort the through-the-wall image. The other is that the multi-reflection between wall and walls as well as wall and targets would lead to a lot of fake targets. To solve these problems, a multi-path suppression algorithm is proposed in this study. The simulation results show that proposed algorithm can automatically estimate the thickness and dielectric parameter of the unknown wall and give an undistort image, and remove the fake targets due to the multi-path effect.