Clinical Characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci Infection Diagnosed by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing: A Retrospective Multi-Center Study in Fujian, China.

Objective: This study aimed to describe and compare the epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics as well as the complications, treatments, and outcomes of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively investigated clinical data of patients with C. psittaci infection (psittacosis) in eight Grade IIIA hospitals of Fujian. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was used identify C. psittaci in clinical samples of all included patients. Results: A total of 74 patients (39 severe/35 non-severe) was diagnosed with psittacosis, 25 (33.8%) of whom had history of poultry exposure. Common symptoms included high fever (98% [37/74]), fatigue (52.7% [39/74]), and dyspnea (51.4% [38/74]). Common manifestations in imaging included consolidation (89.2%), pleural effusion (77.0%), and air bronchogram (66.2%). Common complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome (55.4% [41/74]), type I respiratory failure (52.7% [39/74]), acute liver injury (41.9% [31/74]), and secondary infection (27.0% [20/74]). The in-hospital mortality rate was 8.11% (6/74). Conclusion: C. psittaci infection is represents an underestimated cause of CAP. For SCAP patients with poultry and bird contact history, specimens were encouraged to be sended for mNGS test in time. C. psittaci infection can lead to severe, multiple system involvement, and several complications. mNGS facilitate timely diagnosis of C. psittaci infection.

Influence of reaction conditions on the self-assembly of the natural silk sericin protein.

In the past years, the self-assembly of specific proteins has been paid more and more attention due to their significant role in human health and fabrication of new materials. In this article, we explore the effect of reaction conditions on the self-assembly of natural silk sericin protein, including the molecular weight and the concentration of sericin, pH, and metal ions in the reaction system. The results indicate that all these factors, especially species and concentration of metal ions, could influence the self-assembly process of the silk sericin protein. A series of assemblies with various morphologies can be fabricated by modulating the reaction condition. The article may provide some clue for the understanding of the protein self-assembly in the body and a method to fabricate new organic materials with different morphology. Microsc. Res. Tech. 80:298-304, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Controlled degradation pattern of hydroxyapatite/calcium carbonate composite microspheres.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) is widely used in clinic due to its good biocompatibility and osteoconductivity except for its slow degradation speed. In the present study, spherical calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) is fabricated in the presence of silk protein sericin, which is transmuted into HAP microsphere in phosphate solution with the assistance of microwave irradiation. The effect of reaction conditions on the conversion of CaCO3 is investigated including reaction time, chemical composition of phosphate solution, and microwave power to get a series of HAP/CaCO3 composites. The degradation property of the composites is evaluated in vitro. Results show the degradation speed of the composite with higher HAP content is slower. The degradation rate of the composite could be changed effectively by modulating the proportion of HAP and CaCO3 . This work provides a feasible method for the preparation of spherical HAP/CaCO3 composite with controllable degradability. The composite thus obtained may be an ideal material for bone tissue engineering application. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:518-524, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Degradation pattern of porous CaCO3 and hydroxyapatite microspheres in vitro and in vivo for potential application in bone tissue engineering.

Despite superior clinical handling, excellent biocompatibility, biodegradation property of calcium phosphate needs to be improved to coincide with the rate of new bone formation. In this study, spherical CaCO3 are fabricated in the presence of the silk sericin and then transformed into porous hydroxyapatite (HAP) microspheres via hydrothermal method. The degradation behavior of obtained CaCO3, HAP and their mixture is first investigated in vitro. The result demonstrates that the weight loss of HAP microspheres are almost 24.3% after immersing in pH 7.40 Tris-HCl buffer solution for 12 weeks, which is far slower than that of spherical CaCO3 (97.5%). The degradation speed of the mixtures depends on the proportion of CaCO3 and HAP. The mixture with higher content of CaCO3 possesses a quicker degradation speed. The obtained CaCO3 and HAP microspheres are injected into subcutaneous tissue of ICR mice with the assistance of sodium alginate. The result in vivo also shows an obvious difference of degradation speed between the obtained CaCO3 and HAP microspheres, implying it is feasible to modulate the degradation property of the mixture through changing the proportion of CaCO3 and HAP The good cytocompatibility of the two kinds of microspheres is proved and a mild inflammation response is observed only at early stage of implantation. The job offers a simple method to modify the degradation properties of biomaterial for potential use in bone tissue engineering.

Silk sericin microcapsules with hydroxyapatite shells: protection and modification of organic microcapsules by biomimetic mineralization.

Silk protein sericin based organic-inorganic hybrid microcapsules are fabricated by incubating sericin microcapsules with a supersaturated calcium phosphate solution containing citric acid. A mineral hydroxyapatite shell is formed on the surface of the microcapsules. The thickness of the mineralized shell is dependant on the mineralization time. The amylum as a model cargo is encapsulated into the microcapsules with/without the presence of a mineralized shell. The release behavior of amylum from the microcapsules is investigated under different external environments. The results show that the release speed of amylum from the hybrid microcapsules is slower than from the sericin microcapsules under different pH and ionic strength conditions. This indicates that the stability of the hybrid microcapsules is improved due to the presence of the hydroxyapatite shell. The mineral shell provides a good protection to the microcapsule structure and carries goods against external harsh environment. In addition, cell cultures show a good cytocompatibility of the hybrid microcapsules. The natural microcapsules having an inorganic mineral shell cover may potentially act as drug delivery and encapsulating bioactive molecule systems.

Porous nitrogen-doped carbon derived from silk fibroin protein encapsulating sulfur as a superior cathode material for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

The features of a carbon substrate are crucial for the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Nitrogen doping of carbon materials is assumed to play an important role in sulfur immobilisation. In this study, natural silk fibroin protein is used as a precursor of nitrogen-rich carbon to fabricate a novel, porous, nitrogen-doped carbon material through facile carbonisation and activation. Porous carbon, with a reversible capacity of 815 mA h g(-1) at 0.2 C after 60 cycles, serves as the cathode material in Li-S batteries. Porous carbon retains a reversible capacity of 567 mA h g(-1), which corresponds to a capacity retention of 98% at 1 C after 200 cycles. The promising electrochemical performance of porous carbon is attributed to its mesoporous structure, high specific surface area and nitrogen doping into the carbon skeleton. This study provides a general strategy to synthesise nitrogen-doped carbons with a high specific surface area, which is crucial to improve the energy density and electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries.