Macrophage extracellular vesicle-packaged miR-23a-3p impairs maintenance and angiogenic capacity of human endothelial progenitor cells in neonatal hyperoxia-induced lung injury.

BACKGROUND: Premature infants requiring mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen for respiratory support are at increased risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), wherein inflammation have been proposed as a driver of hyperoxia-induced injuries, including persistent loss of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), impaired vascularization and eventual alveolar simplification in BPD lungs. However, the underlying mechanisms linking these phenomena remain poorly defined. METHODS: We used clodronate liposomes to deplete macrophages in a mouse model of neonatal hyperoxia-induced lung injury to evaluate if EPC loss in BPD lungs could be an effect of macrophage infiltration. We further generated in vitro culture systems initiated with cord blood (CB)-derived CD34+ EPCs and neonatal macrophages either polarized from CB-derived monocytes or isolated from tracheal aspirates of human preterm infants requiring mechanical ventilation and oxygen supplementation, to identify EV-transmitted molecular mechanism that is critical for inhibitory actions of hyperoxic macrophages on EPCs. RESULTS: Initial experiments using mouse model identified the crucial role of macrophage infiltration in eliciting significant reduction of c-Kit+ EPCs in BPD lungs. Further examination of this concept in human system, we found that hyperoxia-exposed neonatal macrophages hamper human CD34+ EPC maintenance and impair endothelial function in the differentiated progeny via the EV transmission of miR-23a-3p. Notably, treatment with antagomiR-23a-3p to silence miR-23a-3p in vivo enhances c-Kit+ EPC maintenance, and increases capillary density, and consequently mitigates simplified alveolarization in BPD lungs. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of pulmonary intercellular communication in the pathophysiology of BPD, by identifying a linkage through vesicle transfer of miR-23a-3p from hyperoxic macrophages to EPCs, and thus demonstrating potential for novel therapeutic target in BPD.

Broadband acoustic illusion coating based on thin conformal metasurface.

Acoustic metasurface with rationally distributed phase manipulating characteristic provides a promising platform to reshape the wavefront of scattering wave. Such acoustic illusion carpet suffers from limitation of narrow bandwidth and relatively large volume to contain the object to be hidden. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate broadband conformal acoustic illusion coatings composed of subwavelength-thick metacells that are designed by two types of modified Helmholtz resonators with 2π reflection phase. By deliberate design of reflection phase distributions of illusion coating, the reflected wavefront can be reshaped between trapezoid and triangles and vice versa. Furthermore, an enlarged illusion is obtained by this methodology. More importantly, the illusion behaviors are verified both numerically and experimentally from 3000 Hz to 4500 Hz, resulting in relatively broad bandwidth up to 40.5%, which is definitely of extreme importance for potential applications.

[Clinical characteristics of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection and colonization in extremely preterm infants]. / è¶ æ—©äº§å„¿è§£è„²è„²åŽŸä½“æ„ŸæŸ“åŠå®šæ¤çŠ¶æ€çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection and colonization in extremely preterm infants and its impact on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 258 extremely preterm infants who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, from September 2018 to September 2022. According to the results of UU nucleic acid testing and the evaluation criteria for UU infection and colonization, the subjects were divided into three groups: UU-negative group (155 infants), UU infection group (70 infants), and UU colonization group (33 infants). The three groups were compared in terms of general information and primary and secondary clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Compared with the UU-negative group, the UU infection group had significant increases in the incidence rate of BPD, total oxygen supply time, and the length of hospital stay (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in the incidence rates of BPD and moderate/severe BPD between the UU colonization group and the UU-negative group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The impact of UU on the incidence of BPD in extremely preterm infants is associated with the pathogenic state of UU (i.e., infection or colonization), and there are significant increases in the incidence rate of BPD, total oxygen supply time, and the length of hospital stay in extremely preterm infants with UU infection. UU colonization is not associated with the incidence of BPD and moderate/severe BPD in extremely preterm infants.

Survival Analysis of Antiretroviral Treatment for PLWH in Sichuan Province, China, 2003-2022: A Large Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Sichuan Province was severely affected by the HIV, and there was a scarcity of data regarding the survival time and influencing factors for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) in Sichuan Province who have received Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a survival analysis for PLWH receiving ART. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on PLWH who had received ART≥6 months in Sichuan Province from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2022. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate median survival time and plot survival curves, while a Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to analyze factors affecting survival time. Bilateral tests were performed, with P≤0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The cumulative survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years for the 223,386 subjects were 94.54%, 89.07%, 84.82%, and 76.44%, respectively. Multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model indicated lower mortality risks for females (HR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.54-0.65), homosexual transmission (HR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.33-0.55), and baseline BMI≥24 (HR=0.81, 95% CI: 0.72-0.90). Higher mortality risks were associated with age≥50 years at diagnosis (HR=3.21, 95% CI: 2.94-3.50), being unmarried or divorced (HR=1.23, 95% CI: 1.11-1.37), living separately (HR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.22-1.43), baseline BMI <18.5 (HR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.13-1.41), presence of single-drug resistance (HR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.15-1.36), baseline WHO stage IV (HR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.09-1.47), and a diagnosis-to-treatment interval >12 months (HR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.15-1.41). Compared to those with CD4(+) T cell count of 200-350cells/µL, 350-500cells/µL, and >500cells/µL at baseline, individuals with <200cells/µL had higher mortality risks (HR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.67-0.79; HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.51-0.64; and HR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.51-0.66, respectively). Conclusion: The survival rate for PLWH receiving ART in Sichuan Province was relatively high. Male gender, age over 50 at diagnosis, being unmarried, divorced, or living separately, presence of single-drug resistance, low baseline BMI, baseline CD4+ T cell <200cells/µL, baseline WHO stage IV, and a diagnosis-to-treatment interval >12 months were risk factors for the survival of PLWH.

PANI/GO and Sm co-modified Ti/PbO2 dimensionally stable anode for highly efficient amoxicillin degradation: Performance assessment, impact parameters and degradation mechanism.

The abuse and uncontrolled discharge of antibiotics present a severe threat to environment and human health, necessitating the development of efficient and sustainable treatment technology. In this work, we employ a facile one-step electrodeposition method to prepare polyaniline/graphite oxide (PANI/GO) and samarium (Sm) co-modified Ti/PbO2 (Ti/PbO2-PANI/GO-Sm) electrode for the degradation of amoxicillin (AMX). Compared with traditional Ti/PbO2 electrode, Ti/PbO2-PANI/GO-Sm electrode exhibits more excellent oxygen evolution potential (2.63 V) and longer service life (56 h). In degradation experiment, under optimized conditions (50 mg L-1 AMX, 20 mA cm-2, pH 3, 0.050 M Na2SO4, 25 °C), Ti/PbO2-PANI/GO-Sm electrode achieves remarkable removal efficiencies of 88.76% for AMX and 79.92% for chemical oxygen demand at 90 min. In addition, trapping experiment confirms that ·OH plays a major role in the degradation process. Based on theoretical calculation and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer results, the heterocyclic portion of AMX molecule is more susceptible to ·OH attacks. Thus, this novel electrode offers a sustainable and efficient solution to address environmental challenges posed by antibiotic-contaminated wastewater.

Mortality risk of people living with HIV under hypothetical intervention scenarios of PM2.5 and HIV severity: a prospective cohort study.

This study estimated and compared mortality risks among people living with HIV (PLWH) under the real-world and hypothetical scenarios of PM2.5 concentrations and HIV severity. An open cohort from all PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy in Sichuan during 2010-2019 was constructed, resulting in 541,515 person-years. Annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 were estimated and linked to PLWH by their residential address. The parametric g-formula were used to assess 3- and 5-year mortality risks under the real-world and hypothetical scenarios of PM2.5 (10-35, 35-50, 50-75 µg/m3) and CD4 concentrations (0-200, 200-500, 500-800, 800-1100 counts/µl). The estimated 3- and 5-year mortality risks among the PLWH were 14.43 % and 19.38 %, respectively, which would decrease substantially when annual PM2.5 concentration were reduced to between 10 and 35 µg/m3 (risk difference [RD] = -3.23 % and - 4.06 %) and would increase when PM2.5 concentration were elevated to between 50 and 75 µg/m3 (RD = 3.59 % and 5.04 %). The mortality risk would increase when CD4 concentration were reduced to <200 counts/µl (RD = 15.90 % and 20.27 %) and would decrease when CD4 concentration were ≥ 200 counts/µl, especially to between 800 and 1100 counts/µl (RD = -9.01 % and - 11.75 %). The elevated concentration of PM2.5 may disproportionately affect individuals with immune deficiency, especially those with more severity. The findings would serve as justifications for future intervention design and policy making to alleviate air pollution and improve environmental justice and health equity.

Nickel-Catalyzed Three-Component Alkylarylation of Alkenyl N-Heteroarenes.

A nickel-catalyzed three-component alkylarylation of alkenyl N-heteroarenes with α-bromocarboxylates and aryl boronic acids is reported. The protocol provides a new method to access a variety of N-heteroarene substituted diarylalkanes in moderate to good yields. It features mild reaction conditions, cheap nickel catalyst, readily available substrates, and broad substrate scope.

Association of ApoE gene polymorphisms with serum lipid levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Chinese Han population of central China.

Background: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is involved in lipid transformation and metabolism. Although some studies have examined the association between ApoE polymorphisms and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the findings differ depending on the location and population. Methods: A total of 1,738 participants, including 743 patients with T2DM and 995 controls without T2DM, were enrolled from central China, and ApoE polymorphisms, 388T > C (rs429358) and 526C > T (rs7412), were genotyped. The association between ApoE alleles and T2DM and blood lipid levels was analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the interactions between ApoE polymorphisms and various factors, such as age, sex, and prevalence of hypertension in patients with T2DM. Results: The genotype ɛ3/ɛ4 and ɛ4 alleles of ApoE were associated with T2DM risk in the Chinese Han population in central China. Moreover, in patients with T2DM, participants in the E4 (ɛ3/ɛ4, ɛ4/ɛ4) group had significantly higher lipid profiles than those in the E3 (ɛ3/ɛ3) group, whereas participants in the E2 group (ɛ2/ɛ2, ɛ2/ɛ3) showed lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and ApoE-A1 levels than those in the E3 (ɛ3/ɛ3) group. The results from the current study may help in understanding ApoE polymorphisms and lipid profiles in the Chinese Han population.

Tunable circular conversion dichroism of single-layer twisted graphene-patterned metasurface.

Two-dimensional (2D) chirality-induced asymmetric transmission/reflection has great potential for polarization applications. Usually, asymmetric effects resulting from circular conversion dichroism (CCD) occur in chiral metasurfaces. Here, we propose a single-layer twisted graphene-patterned (with tilted elliptical hole arrays) metasurface and theoretically reveal its tunable CCD in the terahertz (THz) region. The unit cell of the metasurface is achiral. Merely by altering the in-plane orientation of holes for structural 2D chirality, a tunable CCD can be achieved at normal incidence. Interestingly, the reflection phase can be considered an intuitive method to show this metasurface's anisotropy, which complements the conventional CCD measurement in characterizing chiral materials. Furthermore, we can achieve active CCD based on the tunability of graphene. Due to the Fabry-Pérot resonance, a multiband enhancement of CCD spectrum will happen by changing the dielectric layer thickness. The proposed metasurface provides more flexible opportunities for designing active THz devices for polarization manipulation.

Two Novel Functional Mutations in Promoter Region of SCN3B Gene Associated with Atrial Fibrillation.

The sodium voltage-gated channel beta subunit 3 (SCN3B) plays a crucial role in electrically excitable cells and conduction tissue in the heart. Some previous studies have established that genetic modification in sodium voltage-channel genes encoding for the cardiac ß-subunits, such as SCN1B, SCN2B, SCN3B and SCN4B, can result in atrial fibrillation (AF). In the current study, we identified two rare variants in 5'UTR (NM_018400.4: c.-324C>A, rs976125894 and NM_018400.4: c.-303C>T, rs1284768362) of SCN3B in two unrelated lone AF patients. Our further functional studies discovered that one of them, the A allele of c.-324C>A (rs976125894), can improve transcriptional activity and may raise SCN3B expression levels. The A allele of c.-324C>A (rs976125894) has higher transcriptional activity when it interacts with GATA4, as we confirmed transcription factor GATA4 is a regulator of SCN3B. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to demonstrate that the gain-of-function mutation of SCN3B can produce AF and the first to link a mutation occurring in the non-coding 5'UTR region of SCN3B to lone AF. The work also offers empirical proof that GATA4 is a critical regulator of SCN3B gene regulation. Our findings may serve as an encyclopedia for AF susceptibility variants and can also provide insight into the investigation of the functional mechanisms behind AF variants discovered by genetic methods.

Non-disclosed men who have sex with men within local MSM HIV-1 genetic transmission networks in Guangyuan, China.

Background: Most men who have sex with men (MSM), especially those with HIV infection, do not disclose their same-sex behaviors in China due to Chinese family values and fear of stigmatization, rejection, or prejudice. However, disclosure of same-sex behaviors to healthcare providers (HCPs) can be beneficial for reducing viral transmission and promoting their physical and mental health. In this study, by combining phylogenetic analysis with traditional epidemiological approaches, we tried to identify the MSM who do not disclose to HCPs in transmission networks and explored the factors related to the non-disclosed behaviors. Method: Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using HIV pol sequences obtained from the drug-resistant surveillance program, which was collected as part of routine clinical care since 2012. Sequences were linked to the demographic data collected in the Chinese HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System (CRIMS). First, male patients in whom genetic sequences were within the molecular transmission clusters involving self-reported MSM were identified as potential MSM (pMSM). Then, a cross-sectional survey was conducted to supplement behavioral information and attitudes toward MSM. Results: Our sample consisted of 190 pMSM patients. In total, 43.16% of the patients were likely to conceal same-sex behaviors during the first-self-report, and 14.73% of patients might continue to conceal a history of same-sex behaviors even after receiving medical care. The pMSM who concealed their same-sex behaviors were reluctant to accept medical services such as Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and had a lower likelihood of condom use. In addition, the related factors for non-disclosed behavior were associated with current address, income before diagnosis, and attitudes toward MSM. Conclusion: Non-disclosure of same-sex behaviors to HCPs may be a major obstacle for certain medical services for MSM who exhibit risky sexual behaviors. The pMSM from developing areas, with high monthly income, and with neutral or un-supportive attitudes toward MSM may represent non-disclosure of their same-sex behaviors. Thus, policies facilitating MSM to disclose their same-sex behaviors are recommended, such as legislations protecting homosexual rights on employment, education, marriage, and so on.

The related factors of new HIV infection among older men in Sichuan, China: a case-control study.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been widely prevalent among older men (aged ≥50 years old) in Sichuan Province. The study aimed to discover associated factors with the new HIV infection in older men, and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in this group. A cross-sectional survey study of newly reported HIV/AIDS and general male residents aged 50 years and older was conducted between April and June 2019, with a resample of respondents to identify cases and controls, followed by a case-control study. Logistic regression was applied to analyse the association between the selected factors and new HIV infection among older men. At last, 242 cases and 968 controls were included. The results of multiple logistic regression suggested that many factors including living alone/concentrated (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.20-2.04, P = 0.001), have a history of migrant worker (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.61-2.73, P < 0.001), have commercial sexual behaviour (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.32-2.22, P < 0.001), married (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.37-0.64, P < 0.001), have a history of HIV antibody testing (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.96, P = 0.026), HIV-related knowledge (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.72, P < 0.001) were associated with new HIV infection among older men. The present study revealed some potential risky/protective factors altogether. The results highlighted the direction of HIV/AIDS prevention and control among older men, and it is a social issue that requires the joint participation of the whole society.

Tunable Cherenkov radiation based on a van der Waals semiconductor α-MoO3 and graphene hybrid.

In this Letter, we explore the Cherenkov radiation properties of α-phase molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3). We demonstrate that the asymmetric, forward, and reverse Cherenkov radiation can simultaneously exist by rotating the α-MoO3 slab at the same working frequency and structure. In addition, thanks to the tunable functionalities of graphene, the conversion of forward and reverse Cherenkov radiation can be actualized by altering the Fermi level of graphene. These dynamically adjustable features provide a novel, to the best of our knowledge, and intuitive way for tunable Cherenkov radiation in the mid-infrared range, which opens up new opportunities in designing and manufacturing tunable radiation sources in future.

Tailoring Topological Transitions of Anisotropic Polaritons by Interface Engineering in Biaxial Crystals.

Polaritons in polar biaxial crystals with extreme anisotropy offer a promising route to manipulate nanoscale light-matter interactions. The dynamic modulation of their dispersion is of great significance for future integrated nano-optics but remains challenging. Here, we report tunable topological transitions in biaxial crystals enabled by interface engineering. We theoretically demonstrate such tailored polaritons at the interface of heterostructures between graphene and α-phase molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3). The interlayer coupling can be modulated by both the stack of graphene and α-MoO3 and the magnitude of the Fermi level in graphene enabling a dynamic topological transition. More interestingly, we found that the wavefront transition occurs at a constant Fermi level when the thickness of α-MoO3 is tuned. Furthermore, we also experimentally verify the hybrid polaritons in the graphene/α-MoO3 heterostructure with different thicknesses of α-MoO3. The interface engineering offers new insights into optical topological transitions, which may shed new light on programmable polaritonics, energy transfer, and neuromorphic photonics.

Giant 2D-chiroptical response in an achiral metasurface integrated with black phosphorus.

In this work, we proposed a black phosphorus (BP) achiral metasurface and theoretically study the chiroptical response arising from extrinsic 2D-chirality in the mid-infrared regime. The achiral metasurface is composed of a monolayer BP sheet sandwiched by a silver ring array and dielectric spacer stacking on a silver substrate. The giant circular conversion dichroism (CCD) of the achiral metasurface is allowed at oblique incidence for the cooperative interaction of BP anisotropic surface plasmon modes and localized surface plasmons in metal rings, and the integrated BP can dynamically modulate the chiroptical response by controlling the doping concentration of BP. Furthermore, we found that a multiband phenomenon for CCD response occurs when tuning the thickness of the spacer. The proposed hybrid achiral metasurface provides more flexible opportunities to realize active polarization modulator, biosensor and chiral detection.

Dihydroartemisinin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Inhibit the Rifampicin-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Disrupting the Cell Wall.

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is a deadly infection, and increasing resistance worsens an already bad scenario. In this work, a new nanomedicine antibacterial agent, based on dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and chitosan (CS), has been successfully developed to overcome MTB's drug-resistant. To enhance DHA's solubility, we have prepared nanoparticles of DHA loaded CS by an ionic crosslinking method with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) as the crosslinking agent. The DHA-CS nanoparticles (DHA-CS NPs) have been fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. DHA-CS NPs show an excellent antibacterial effect on the rifampicin (RFP)-resistant strain (ATCC 35838) and, at a concentration of 8.0 µg/ml, the antibacterial impact reaches up to 61.0 ± 2.13% (n = 3). The results of Gram staining, acid-fast staining, auramine "O" staining and electron microscopy show that the cell wall of RFP-resistant strains is destroyed by DHA-CS NPs (n = 3), and it is further verified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Since all the metabolites identified in DHA-CS NPs treated RFP-resistant strains indicate an increase in fatty acid synthesis and cell wall repair, it can be concluded that DHA-CS NPs act by disrupting the cell wall. In addition, the resistance of 12 strains is effectively reduced by 8.0 µg/ml DHA-CS NPs combined with RFP, with an effective rate of 66.0%. The obtained results indicate that DHA-CS NPs combined with RFP may have potential use for TB treatment.

Epidemiological and spatiotemporal analyses of HIV/AIDS prevalence among older adults in Sichuan, China between 2008 and 2019: A population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe epidemiological trends and spatial distributions of HIV/AIDS among older adults (aged ≥50) in Sichuan Province, China during 2008-19, and provide scientific reference for HIV/AIDS prevention, intervention and treatment. METHODS: Data on HIV/AIDS cases reported in 2008-19 was extracted from the Case Report System. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to determine epidemic trends. Spatial autocorrelation and space-time analysis were conducted with ArcGIS10.6 and ArcGIS Pro2.4, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 77854 HIV/AIDS cases among older adults were included in the study. Newly reported cases increased from 320 in 2008 to 22189 in 2019, and the reported incidence rate (number of new reported cases/older adult population) rose from 0.001% to 0.077%. Infections through heterosexual transmission increased from 65.3% to 98.2% of total cases in older adults in this period. Spatial analysis at the county-level showed significant clustering throughout Sichuan, with the main hot spots concentrated in the southeast. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated that most of the southeastern counties/districts were Consecutive Hot Spots. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults have become a key population in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sichuan; comprehensive prevention and intervention measures targeted to older adults are urgently needed to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The origin and spread of CRF85_BC, driven by heterosexual transmission among older people in Sichuan, China.

BACKGROUND: CRF_BC recombinants, including CRF07_BC and CRF08_BC, were considered the predominant subtypes in China. Since the discovery of HIV-1 circulating recombinant form CRF 85_BC in Southwest China in 2016, this BC recombinant forms had been reported in different regions of China. However, the history and magnitude of CRF85_BC transmission were still to be investigated. METHOD: We conducted the most recent molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 among newly reported HIV-1 infected patients in Sichuan in 2019 by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 1291 pol sequences. Then, we used maximum likelihood approach and the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling of pol sequences to reconstruct the phylogeographic and demographic dynamics of the CRF85_BC. RESULTS: HIV-1 CRF85_BC (68/1291, 5.27%) became the fourth most prevalent strain revealing a significant increase in local population. CRF85_BC were only found in heterosexually infected individuals and the majority of CRF85_BC (95.45%) were circulating among the people living with HIV aged 50 years and over (PLHIV50+), suggesting a unique prevalent pattern. The founder lineages of CRF85_BC were likely to have first emerged in Yunnan, a province of Southwest China bordering Sichuan, in the early 2000s. It then spread exponentially to various places (including Guangxi, Sichuan, et al) and became endemic around 2008.6 (2006.7-2010.2) in Sichuan. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings on HIV-1 subtype CRF85_BC infections provided new insights into the spread of this virus and extended the understanding of the HIV epidemic in China.

[Study of No Observed Adverse Effect Level of Nickel and Its Preliminary Evaluation Biocompatibility].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the NOAEL of the nickel ion and provide with basic data for the biological evaluation of those medical devices containing nickel. Five groups SD rats were repeatedly exposed during 14 d respectively to nickel at first stage doses of 4.9, 3.7, 2.5 mg/(kg.d), and the second stage doses of 1.2, 0.25 mg/(kg.d) by the intravenous route. The results showed that the NOAEL of nickel ion is 0.25 mg/(kg.d) for SD rats, and the result was verified by subchronic systemic toxicity test of nickel alloy. The threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) of nickel is 150 µg/d (based on application of 100-fold uncertainty factor and a body weight of 60 kg)deduced by these data.

Copper-catalyzed asymmetric silyl addition to alkenyl-substituted N-heteroarenes.

Asymmetric conjugate addition of PhMe2SiBPin to a wide range of N-heteroaryl alkenes proceeded in the presence of a copper catalyst coordinated with an easily accessible chiral phosphoramidite ligand to afford useful ß-silyl N-heteroarenes in high yields (up to 96%) and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97% ee).