Primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma: a case report.

Primary ovarian sarcoma is a rare malignancy, with primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma being even rarer because of the lack of smooth muscle in the ovaries. We herein report a case of primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma in a woman in her late 50s who presented with a 6-month history of abdominal pain. Imaging revealed a pelvic mass. The patient underwent surgery and was diagnosed with ovarian leiomyosarcoma. One month postoperatively, she began gemcitabine and docetaxel chemotherapy and continued this treatment for 6 months. Eight months postoperatively, however, recurrence was detected in the pelvic cavity. This case is reported with the aim of raising awareness about this rare disease.

Development and Evaluation of a Shrimp Virus (IHHNV)-Mediated Gene Transfer and Expression System for Shrimps.

An efficient gene transfer and expression tool is lacking for shrimps and shrimp cells. To solve this, this study has developed a shrimp DNA virus-mediated gene transfer and expression system, consisting of insect Sf9 cells for viral packaging, the shrimp viral vector of pUC19-IHHNV-PH-GUS and the baculoviral vector of Bacmid or Bacmid-VP28 encoding the shrimp WSSV envelope protein VP28. The pUC19-IHHNV-PH-GUS vector was constructed by assembling the genomic DNA of shrimp infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), which has shortened inverted terminal repeats, into a pUC19 backbone, and then an expression cassette of baculoviral polyhedron (PH) promoter-driven GUS (ß-glucuronidase) reporter gene was inserted immediately downstream of IHHNV for proof-of-concept. It was found that the viral vector of pUC19-IHHNV-PH-GUS could be successfully packaged into IHHNV-like infective virions in the Sf9 cells, and the gene transfer efficiency of this system was evaluated and verified in three systems of Sf9 cells, shrimp hemolymph cells and tissues of infected shrimps, but the GUS expression could only be detected in cases where the viral vector was co-transfected or co-infected with a baculovirus of Bacmid or Bacmid-VP28 due to the Bacmid-dependence of the PH promoter. Moreover, the packaging and infection efficiencies could be significantly improved when Bacmid-VP28 was used instead of Bacmid.

Mechanistic insights into cardiovascular effects of ultrafine particle exposure: A longitudinal panel study.

BACKGROUND: Ultrafine particle (UFP) has been linked with higher risks of cardiovascular diseases; however, the biological mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the cardiovascular responses to short-term UFP exposure and the biological pathways involved. METHODS: A longitudinal panel study was conducted among 32 healthy, non-smoking young adults in Shanghai, China, who were engaged in five rounds of follow-ups between December 2020 and November 2021. Individual exposures were calculated based on the indoor and outdoor real-time measurements. Blood pressure, arterial stiffness, targeted biomarkers, and untargeted proteomics and metabolomics were examined during each follow-up. Linear mixed-effect models were applied to analyze the exposure and health data. The differential proteins and metabolites were used for pathway enrichment analyses. RESULTS: Short-term UFP exposure was associated with significant increases in blood pressure and arterial stiffness. For example, systolic blood pressure increased by 2.10 % (95 % confidence interval: 0.63 %, 3.59 %) corresponding to each interquartile increase in UFP concentrations at lag 0-3 h, while pulse wave velocity increased by 2.26 % (95 % confidence interval: 0.52 %, 4.04 %) at lag 7-12 h. In addition, dozens of molecular biomarkers altered significantly. These effects were generally present within 24 h after UFP exposure, and were robust to the adjustment of co-pollutants. Molecular changes detected in proteomics and metabolomics analyses were mainly involved in systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, coagulation, and disturbance in lipid transport and metabolism. DISCUSSION: This study provides novel and compelling evidence on the detrimental subclinical cardiovascular effects in response to short-term UFP exposure. The multi-omics profiling further offers holistic insights into the underlying biological pathways.

Metabolomic profiling reveals decreased serum cysteine levels during gestational diabetes mellitus progression.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy-related metabolic disorder associated with short-term and long-term adverse health outcomes, but its pathogenesis has not been clearly elucidated. Investigations of the dynamic changes in metabolomic markers in different trimesters may reveal the underlying pathophysiology of GDM progression. Therefore, in the present study, we analysed the metabolic profiles of 75 women with GDM and 75 women with normal glucose tolerance throughout the three trimesters. We found that the variation trends of 38 metabolites were significantly changed during GDM development. Specifically, longitudinal analyses revealed that cysteine (Cys) levels significantly decreased over the course of GDM progression. Further study showed that Cys alleviated GDM in female mice at gestational day 14.5, possibly by inhibiting phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase to suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis. Taken together, these findings suggest that the Cys metabolism pathway might play a crucial role in GDM and Cys supplementation represents a potential new treatment strategy for GDM patients.

Revisiting the Role of Valeric Acid in Manipulating Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by a complicated interaction between mucosal inflammation, epithelial dysfunction, abnormal activation of innate immune responses, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Though valeric acid (VA), one type of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), has been identified in other inflammatory disorders and cancer development, the pathological role of VA and underlying mechanism of VA in UC remain under further investigation. METHODS: Studies of human clinical specimens and experimental colitis models were conducted to confirm the pathological manifestations of the level of SCFAs from human fecal samples and murine colonic homogenates. Valeric acid-intervened murine colitis and a macrophage adoptive transfer were applied to identify the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: In line with gut microbiota dysfunction in UC, alteration of SCFAs from gut microbes were identified in human UC patients and dextran sodium sulfate -induced murine colitis models. Notably, VA was consistently negatively related to the disease severity of UC, the population of monocytes, and the level of interluekin-6. Moreover, VA treatment showed direct suppressive effects on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and murine macrophages in the dependent manner of upregulation of GPR41 and GPR43. Therapeutically, replenishment of VA or adoptive transfer with VA-modulated macrophages showed resistance to dextran sodium sulfate-driven murine colitis though modulating the production of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the research uncovered the pathological role of VA in modulating the activation of macrophages in UC and suggested that VA might be a potential effective agent for UC patients.

The study collectively indicated that valeric acid (VA) was consistently negatively related to the disease severity of UC, and hypofunction of macrophage driven by VA impeded the progression of UC.

Establishment of two visual interpretation methods of DIV1 LAMP amplification products.

Viral diseases have become a significant impediment to the sustainable development of the global shrimp aquaculture industry. Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) is an emerging shrimp virus that has affected shrimp in China recent years. Rapid detection of DIV1 could improve enhance the effectiveness of prevention, control and treatment in the absence of good prevention and control measures. This study established loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) along with two visual interpretation methods, LAMP-dye and LAMP-LFD, to detect DIV1. The newly developed method would not cause cross-reactions with other shrimp pathogens such as white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), and Vibrio parahaemolyticus acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (VpAHPND). The detection limit of DIV1 LAMP was as low as 103 copies of DIV1 per reaction, with a reaction time of less than 40 min. The diagnostic sensitivity and diagnostic specificity of this method were determined to be 88% and 100%, respectively, when compared with the conventional PCR. Both of the LAMP-dye and LAMP-LFD methods are cost-effective and do not require expensive amplification equipment. They can be combined with LAMP and other temperature amplification methods for rapid on-site detection, effectively prevent aerosol contamination, and which are convenient and suitable for field testing or preliminary infection rish prediction experiments to predict the risk of infection.

Residential greenspace counteracts PM2.5 on the risks of preterm birth subtypes: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The association between residential greenspace and preterm birth (PTB) risk remained inconclusive. The PTB subtypes have been ignored and the effect of co-exposure of PM2.5 on PTB risk is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the independent, interactive, and mixed effects of residential greenspace and PM2.5 on the risk of PTB subtypes. METHODS: A total of 19,900 singleton births from 20 hospitals in Shanghai, China, from 2015 to 2017 were included. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within 500 m and 1000 m buffers of the maternal residence and a combined geoscience-statistical model-derived PM2.5 and its six components were used as the exposure measures. PTB (<37 completed weeks of gestation) were divided into early PTB (24-33 weeks) vs. late PTB (34-36 weeks) and into spontaneous PTB (sPTB), preterm premature rupture of the fetal membranes (PPROM), and iatrogenic PTB. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to assess the independent and interactive effects of NDVI and PM2.5 on PTB in each trimester. The quantile g-computation approach was employed to explore the mixture effect of PM2.5 components and greenspace across the pregnancy and to determine the main contributors. RESULTS: Levels of PM2.5 and greenspace were associated with increased [aOR (95%CI) ranging from 1.18 (1.07, 1.30) to 3.36 (2.45, 4.64)] and decreased risks [aORs (95%CI) ranging from 0.64 (0.53, 0.78) to 0.86 (0.73, 0.99)] of PTB subtypes, respectively. At the same PM2.5 level, higher residential greenspace was associated with lower risks, and vice versa. All these associations were more pronounced in late pregnancy. Early PTB and PPROM were the main affected subtypes, and the main drivers in PM2.5 were black carbon and ammonium. CONCLUSIONS: Residential greenspace may mitigate the PTB risks due to PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy.

Respiratory Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution: A Randomized, Crossover Analysis of Lung Function, Airway Metabolome, and Biomarkers of Airway Injury.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has been associated with increased risks of respiratory diseases, but the biological mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to evaluate the respiratory responses and explore potential biological mechanisms of TRAP exposure in a randomized crossover trial. METHODS: We conducted a randomized crossover trial in 56 healthy adults. Each participant was exposed to high- and low-TRAP exposure sessions by walking in a park and down a road with high traffic volume for 4 h in random order. Respiratory symptoms and lung function, including forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), the ratio of FEV1 to FVC, and maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), were measured before and after each exposure session. Markers of 8-isoprostane, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and ezrin in exhaled breath condensate (EBC), and surfactant proteins D (SP-D) in serum were also measured. We used linear mixed-effects models to estimate the associations, adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, meteorological condition, and batch (only for biomarkers). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to profile the EBC metabolome. Untargeted metabolome-wide association study (MWAS) analysis and pathway enrichment analysis using mummichog were performed to identify critical metabolomic features and pathways associated with TRAP exposure. RESULTS: Participants had two to three times higher exposure to traffic-related air pollutants except for fine particulate matter while walking along the road compared with in the park. Compared with the low-TRAP exposure at the park, high-TRAP exposure at the road was associated with a higher score of respiratory symptoms [2.615 (95% CI: 0.605, 4.626), p=1.2×10-2] and relatively lower lung function indicators [-0.075L (95% CI: -0.138, -0.012), p=2.1×10-2] for FEV1 and -0.190L/s (95% CI: -0.351, -0.029; p=2.4×10-2) for MMEF]. Exposure to TRAP was significantly associated with changes in some, but not all, biomarkers, particularly with a 0.494-ng/mL (95% CI: 0.297, 0.691; p=9.5×10-6) increase for serum SP-D and a 0.123-ng/mL (95% CI: -0.208, -0.037; p=7.2×10-3) decrease for EBC ezrin. Untargeted MWAS analysis revealed that elevated TRAP exposure was significantly associated with perturbations in 23 and 32 metabolic pathways under positive- and negative-ion modes, respectively. These pathways were most related to inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and energy use metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that TRAP exposure might lead to lung function impairment and respiratory symptoms. Possible underlying mechanisms include lung epithelial injury, inflammation, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism disorders. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11139.

Fine particulate matter and cardiorespiratory health in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

This review aimed to systematically summarize the epidemiological literature on the cardiorespiratory effects of PM2.5 published during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) in China. Original articles published between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2021 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Internet Database and Wanfang Database. Random- or fixed-effects models were used to pool effect estimates where appropriate. Of 8558 records identified, 145 met the full eligibility criteria. A 10 µg/m³ increase in short-term PM2.5 exposure was significantly associated with increases of 0.70%, 0.86%, 0.38% and 0.96% in cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, cardiovascular morbidity, and respiratory morbidity, respectively. The specific diseases with significant associations included stroke, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and allergic rhinitis. The pooled estimates per 10 µg/m³ increase in long-term PM2.5 exposure were 15.1%, 11.9% and 21.0% increases in cardiovascular, stroke and lung cancer mortality, and 17.4%, 11.0% and 4.88% increases in cardiovascular, hypertension and lung cancer incidence respectively. Adverse changes in blood pressure, heart rate variability, systemic inflammation, blood lipids, lung function and airway inflammation were observed for either short-term or long-term PM2.5 exposure, or both. Collectively, we summarized representative exposure-response relationships between short- and long-term PM2.5 exposure and a wide range of cardiorespiratory outcomes applicable to China. The magnitudes of estimates were generally smaller in short-term associations and comparable in long-term associations compared with those in developed countries. Our findings are helpful for future standard revisions and policy formulation. There are still some notable gaps that merit further investigation in China.

SLC1A1-mediated cellular and mitochondrial influx of R-2-hydroxyglutarate in vascular endothelial cells promotes tumor angiogenesis in IDH1-mutant solid tumors.

Mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (mIDH1) drives tumorigenesis via producing oncometabolite R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2-HG) across various tumor types. However, mIDH1 inhibitors appear only effective in hematological tumors. The therapeutic benefit in solid tumors remains elusive, likely due to the complex tumor microenvironment. In this study, we discover that R-2-HG produced by IDH1-mutant tumor cells is preferentially imported into vascular endothelial cells and remodels mitochondrial respiration to promote tumor angiogenesis, conferring a therapeutic vulnerability in IDH1-mutant solid tumors. Mechanistically, SLC1A1, a Na+-dependent glutamate transporter that is preferentially expressed in endothelial cells, facilitates the influx of R-2-HG from the tumor microenvironment into the endothelial cells as well as the intracellular trafficking of R-2-HG from cytoplasm to mitochondria. R-2-HG hijacks SLC1A1 to promote mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchange, which activates the mitochondrial respiratory chain and fuels vascular endothelial cell migration in tumor angiogenesis. SLC1A1 deficiency in mice abolishes mIDH1-promoted tumor angiogenesis as well as the therapeutic benefit of mIDH1 inhibitor in solid tumors. Moreover, we report that HH2301, a newly discovered mIDH1 inhibitor, shows promising efficacy in treating IDH1-mutant cholangiocarcinoma in preclinical models. Together, we identify a new role of SLC1A1 as a gatekeeper of R-2-HG-mediated crosstalk between IDH1-mutant tumor cells and vascular endothelial cells, and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of mIDH1 inhibitors in treating IDH1-mutant solid tumors via disrupting R-2-HG-promoted tumor angiogenesis.

The acute effects of fine particulate matter constituents on circulating inflammatory biomarkers in healthy adults.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is considered one of the key mechanisms in the development of cardiovascular diseases induced by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution. However, evidence concerning the effects of various PM2.5 constituents on circulating inflammatory biomarkers were limited and inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the associations of short-term exposure to a variety of PM2.5 constituents with circulating inflammatory biomarkers. METHODS: We conducted a panel study from May to October 2016 among 40 healthy adults in Shanghai, China. We monitored the concentrations of 27 constituents of PM2.5. We applied linear mixed-effect models to analyze the associations of PM2.5 and its constituents with 7 inflammatory biomarkers, and further assessed the robustness of the associations by fitting models adjusting for PM2.5 mass and/or their collinearity. Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate was used to correct for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The associations of PM2.5 were strongest at lag 0 d with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), at lag 1 d with interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and interleukin-17A, at lag 02 d with monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). After correcting for multiple comparisons in all models, Cl-, K+, Si, K, As, and Pb were significantly associated with interleukin-8; SO42- and Se were marginally significantly associated with interleukin-8; SO42-, As, and Se were marginally significantly associated with TNF-α; and Si, K, Zn, As, Se, and Pb were marginally significantly associated with MCP-1. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that some constituents (SO42-, Cl-, K+, and some elements) might be mainly responsible for systemic inflammation triggered by short-term PM2.5 exposure.

Description of a Natural Infection with Decapod Iridescent Virus 1 in Farmed Giant Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii is a valuable freshwater prawn in Asian aquaculture. In recent years, a new symptom that was generally called "white head" has caused high mortality in M. rosenbergii farms in China. Samples of M. rosenbergii, M. nipponense, Procambarus clarkii, M. superbum, Penaeus vannamei, and Cladocera from a farm suffering from white head in Jiangsu Province were collected and analyzed in this study. Pathogen detection showed that all samples were positive for Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1). Histopathological examination revealed dark eosinophilic inclusions and pyknosis in hematopoietic tissue, hepatopancreas, and gills of M. rosenbergii and M. nipponense. Blue signals of in situ digoxigenin-labeled loop-mediated isothermal amplification appeared in hematopoietic tissue, hemocytes, hepatopancreatic sinus, and antennal gland. Transmission electron microscopy of ultrathin sections showed a large number of DIV1 particles with a mean diameter about 157.9 nm. The virogenic stromata and budding virions were observed in hematopoietic cells. Quantitative detection with TaqMan probe based real-time PCR of different tissues in naturally infected M. rosenbergii showed that hematopoietic tissue contained the highest DIV1 load with a relative abundance of 25.4 ± 16.9%. Hepatopancreas and muscle contained the lowest DIV1 loads with relative abundances of 2.44 ± 1.24% and 2.44 ± 2.16%, respectively. The above results verified that DIV1 is the pathogen causing white head in M. rosenbergii. M. nipponense and Pr. clarkii are also species susceptible to DIV1.

Clinical characteristics and managements of severe hand, foot and mouth disease caused by enterovirus A71 and coxsackievirus A16 in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a transmissible infectious disease caused by human enteroviruses (EV). Here, we described features of children with severe HFMD caused by EV-A71 or coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) in Shanghai, China. METHODS: Severe EV-A71 or CV-A16 caused HFMD children admitted to the Xinhua Hospital from January 2014 and December 2016, were recruited retrospectively to the study. Symptoms and findings at the time of hospitalization, laboratory tests, treatments, length of stay and residual findings at discharge were systematically recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 19,995 children visited clinic service with probable HFMD, 574 children (2.87%) were admitted, 234 children (40.76%) were confirmed with EV-A71 (90/574) or CV-A16 (144/574) disease. Most (91.02%) of the patients were under 5 years. Initial clinical symptoms of EV-A71 and CV-A16 cases were: fever > 39 °C in 81 (90%) and 119 (82.63%), vomiting in 31 (34.44%) and 28 (19.44%), myoclonic twitching in 19 (21.11%) and 11(7.64%), startle in 21 (23.33%) and 20 (13.69%), respectively. Serum levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly upregulated in severe HFMD subjects. Forty-seven children (20.08%) treated with intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) showed decreased duration of illness episodes. All children were discharged without complications. CONCLUSIONS: EV-A71 and CV-A16 accounted 40.76% of admitted HFMD during 2014 to 2016 in Xinhua Hospital. IVIG appeared to be beneficial in shortening the duration of illness episodes of severe HFMD.

Development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for the detection and quantification of epizootic epitheliotropic disease virus (salmonid herpesvirus-3).

Epizootic Epitheliotropic Disease Virus (EEDV; Salmonid Herpesvirus-3) causes a serious disease hatchery-reared lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), threatening restoration efforts of this species in North America. The current inability to replicate EEDV in vitro necessitates the search for a reproducible, sensitive, and specific assay that allows for its detection and quantitation in a time- and cost-effective manner. Herein, we describe a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that was developed for the quantitative detection of EEDV in infected fish tissues. The newly developed LAMP reaction was optimized in the presence of calcein, and the best results were produced using 2 mM MgCl2, 1.8 mM dNTPs and at an incubation temperature of 67.1 °C. This method was highly specific to EEDV, as it showed no cross-reactivity with several fish viruses, including Salmonid Herpesvirus-1, -2, -4, and -5, Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus, Spring Viremia of Carp Virus, Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus, Golden Shiner Reovirus, Fathead Minnow Nidovirus, and Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus. The analytical sensitivity of the EEDV-LAMP method was estimated to be as low as 16 copies of plasmid per reaction. When infected fish tissue was used, a positive reaction could be obtained when an infected gill tissue sample that contained 430 viral copies/µg was diluted up to five orders of magnitude. The sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed LAMP assay compared to the SYBR Green qPCR assay were 84.3% and 93.3%, respectively. The quantitative LAMP for EEDV had a correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.980), and did not differ significantly from the SYBR Green quantitative PCR assay (p > 0.05). Given its cost- and time-effectiveness, this quantitative LAMP assay is suitable for screening lake trout populations and for the initial diagnosis of clinical cases.

Retail Baitfish in Michigan Harbor Serious Fish Viral Pathogens.

Indigenous small cyprinid fish species play an important role in Great Lakes ecosystems and also comprise the backbone of a multimillion-dollar baitfish industry. Due to their widespread use in sport fisheries of the Laurentian Great Lakes, there are increasing concerns that baitfish may introduce or disseminate fish pathogens. In this study, we evaluated whether baitfish purchased from 78 randomly selected retail bait dealers in Michigan harbored fish viruses. Between September 2015 and June 2016, 5,400 baitfish divided into 90 lots of 60 fish were purchased. Fish were tested for the presence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), golden shiner reovirus (GSRV), fathead minnow nidovirus (FHMNV), fathead minnow picornavirus (FHMPV), and white sucker bunyavirus (WSBV). Using the epithelioma papulosum cyprini cell line and molecular confirmation, we demonstrated the presence of viruses in 18 of the 90 fish lots (20.0%) analyzed. The most prevalent virus was FHMNV, being detected in 6 of 30 lots of Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas and 3 of 42 lots of Emerald Shiners Notropis atherinoides. We also confirmed GSRV in two fish species: the Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas (5 of 11 lots) and Fathead Minnow (3 of 30 lots). Two VHSV (genotype IVb) isolates were recovered from a single lot of Emerald Shiners. No SVCV, FHMPV, or WSBV was detected in any of the fish examined. Some of the infected fish exhibited clinical signs and histopathological alterations. This study demonstrates that live baitfish are a potential vector for the spread of viral pathogens and underscores the importance of fish health certifications for the Great Lakes baitfish industry.

Detection and quantification of shrimp hemocyte iridescent virus by TaqMan probe based real-time PCR.

Shrimp hemocyte iridescent virus (SHIV) is a recently reported shrimp virus, which threats the cultured white-leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and can cause huge economic loss in shrimp farming industry in China. A quantitative real time polymerase chain reactio (qPCR) assay was developed using a TaqMan probe to detect and quantify SHIV. A pair of qPCR primers, which amplify a 188 bp DNA fragment, and a TaqMan probe were selected from ATPase gene (ORF114R) of the SHIV genome. The primers and TaqMan probe used in this assay were shown to be specific for SHIV and did not react with White spot syndrome virus (WSSV), Infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), Hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV), Vibrio parahaemolyticus causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (VPAHPND), and Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), or healthy shrimp DNA. The detection limit of the qPCR method was as low as 4 copies per reaction. The diagnostic sensitivity and the diagnostic specificity of the qPCR compared with nested PCR were 95.3% and 99.2%, respectively. The resulting standard curves showed high correlation coefficient values (R2 = 0.998) in the range of 4 × 109 to 4 × 100 DNA copies/reaction. Test of farm samples showed that SHIV was detected in L. vannamei, Fenneropenaeus chinensis and Macrobrachium rosenbergii contained SHIV ranged from 1.21E+02 to 7.95E+07 copies (µg DNA)-1. Quantitative detection of different tissues in artificial infected shrimp showed that haemolymph contained the highest SHIV load and muscle contained lowest SHIV load.

The joint effects of major lifestyle factors on colorectal cancer risk among Chinese men: A prospective cohort study.

Previous studies have suggested individual healthy lifestyle factors are related to lower risk of colorectal cancer. Their joint effects, however, have rarely been investigated. We aimed to assess the combined lifestyle impact on colorectal cancer risk and to estimate the population attributable risks of these lifestyle factors. Using data from the Shanghai Men's Health Study (2002-2013), we constructed healthy lifestyle index composing the following lifestyle factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, waist-hip ratio and exercise participation. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over a median of 9.28 years' follow-up, 671 colorectal cancer cases occurred (400 colon cancer and 274 rectal cancer) among 59,503 men. Each increment of healthy lifestyle index was associated with a 17% lower risk of colorectal cancer (HR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.89), 10% of colon cancer (HR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99) and 27% of rectal cancer (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.82). If all men in the cohort followed a lifestyle as defined by these five factors, 21% colorectal cancer cases would have been prevented (PAR = 21%, 95% CI: 4%, 36%). In conclusion, combined lifestyle factors are significantly related to lower risk of colorectal cancer and the effects are more pronounced on rectal cancer than on colon cancer.

Characterization of a new member of Iridoviridae, Shrimp hemocyte iridescent virus (SHIV), found in white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

A newly discovered iridescent virus that causes severe disease and high mortality in farmed Litopenaeus vannamei in Zhejiang, China, has been verified and temporarily specified as shrimp hemocyte iridescent virus (SHIV). Histopathological examination revealed basophilic inclusions and pyknosis in hematopoietic tissue and hemocytes in gills, hepatopancreas, periopods and muscle. Using viral metagenomics sequencing, we obtained partial sequences annotated as potential iridoviridae. Phylogenetic analyses using amino acid sequences of major capsid protein (MCP) and ATPase revealed that it is a new iridescent virus but does not belong to the five known genera of Iridoviridae. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the virus exhibited a typical icosahedral structure with a mean diameter of 158.6 ± 12.5 nm (n = 30)(v-v) and 143.6 ± 10.8 nm (n = 30)(f-f), and an 85.8 ± 6.0 nm (n = 30) nucleoid. Challenge tests of L. vannamei via intermuscular injection, per os and reverse gavage all exhibited 100% cumulative mortality rates. The in situ hybridization showed that hemopoietic tissue, gills, and hepatopancreatic sinus were the positively reacting tissues. Additionally, a specific nested PCR assay was developed. PCR results revealed that L. vannamei, Fenneropenaeus chinensis, and Macrobrachium rosenbergii were SHIV-positive, indicating a new threat existing in the shrimp farming industry in China.

Combined Impact of Known Lifestyle Factors on Total and Cause-Specific Mortality among Chinese Men: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Impact of combined lifestyles on risk of mortality needs to be explored quantitatively. We aimed to evaluate the associations of combined lifestyle factors with total and cause-specific mortality in Chinese men. We used data from the Shanghai Men's Health Study (2002-2013), an on-going population-based prospective cohort study of men (aged 40 to 74 years). Four traditional unfavorable lifestyle factors were included: smoking, heavy alcohol use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among about 61,480 men in the cohort, a total of 4,952 men died, of which 1,637 men died from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), 2,122 from cancer during a median of 9.29 years' follow-up. The HRs of men with four risk practices comparing to those with zero were 2.92 (95%CI: 2.53, 3.38) for all-cause mortality, 3.15 (95%CI: 2.44, 4.05) for CVD mortality, and 3.18 (95%CI: 2.55, 3.97) for cancer mortality. The population attributable risks (PARs) were 0.41, 0.40 and 0.38 for total, CVD and cancer mortality, accordingly. As combined unhealthy lifestyle behaviors had substantial impact on total and cause-specific mortality, promotion of healthy lifestyle should be a public health priority.

Dietary, circulating beta-carotene and risk of all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis from prospective studies.

Observational studies evaluating the relation between dietary or circulating level of beta-carotene and risk of total mortality yielded inconsistent results. We conducted a comprehensive search on publications of PubMed and EMBASE up to 31 March 2016. Random effect models were used to combine the results. Potential publication bias was assessed using Egger's and Begg's test. Seven studies that evaluated dietary beta-carotene intake in relation to overall mortality, indicated that a higher intake of beta-carotene was related to a significant lower risk of all-cause mortality (RR for highest vs. lowest group = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.78-0.88) with no evidence of heterogeneity between studies (I(2) = 1.0%, P = 0.416). A random-effect analysis comprising seven studies showed high beta-carotene level in serum or plasma was associated with a significant lower risk of all-cause mortality (RR for highest vs. lowest group = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.59-0.80) with low heterogeneity (I(2) = 37.1%, P = 0.145). No evidence of publication bias was detected by Begg's and Egger's regression tests. In conclusion, dietary or circulating beta-carotene was inversely associated with risk of all-cause mortality. More studies should be conducted to clarify the dose-response relationship between beta-carotene and all-cause mortality.