Travel bubble policies for low-risk air transport recovery during pandemics.

Global pandemics restrict long-haul mobility and international trade. To restore air traffic, a policy named "travel bubble" was implemented during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which seeks to re-establish air connections among specific countries by permitting unrestricted passenger travel without mandatory quarantine upon arrival. However, travel bubbles are prone to bursting for safety reasons, and how to develop an effective restoration plan through travel bubbles is under-explored. Thus, it is vital to learn from COVID-19 and develop a formal framework for implementing travel bubble therapy for future public health emergencies. This article conducts an analytical investigation of the air travel bubble problem from a network design standpoint. First, a link-based network design problem is established with the goal of minimizing the total infection risk during air travel. Then, based on the relationship between origin-destination pairs and international candidate links, the model is reformulated into a path-based one. A Lagrangian relaxation-based solution framework is proposed to determine the optimal restored international air routes and assign the traffic flow. Finally, computational experiments on both hypothetical data and real-world cases are conducted to examine the algorithm's performance. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed model and algorithm. In addition, compared to a benchmark strategy, it is found that the infection risk under the proposed travel bubble strategy can be reduced by up to 45.2%. More importantly, this work provides practical insights into developing pandemic-induced air transport recovery schemes for both policymakers and aviation operations regulators.

Elevated Interleukin-37 Associated with Dengue Viral Load in Patients with Dengue Fever.

Dengue remains a public health issue worldwide. Similar to chronic infectious diseases, stimulation of cytokine production is not enough to drive immune effector cells for effective virus clearance. One possible mechanism is the virus induces a large number of negative stimulatory cytokines inhibiting immune response. Interleukin 37 (IL-37) plays a crucial regulatory role in infection and immunity, inhibits innate and adaptive immunity as an anti-inflammatory cytokine by inhibiting proinflammatory mediators and pathways. To date, there are few studies reporting correlations between dengue fever (DF) and IL-37. In this study we found that the serum IL-37b and IL-37b-producing monocytes in patients were significantly increased in DF patients. A majority of the IL-37b produced by DF patients was produced by monocytes, not lymphocytes. Increased levels of IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-α were also found in DF patients. However, we failed to detect IL-1ß, IL-17A and TNF-α in plasma, because of off-target. In our study, there was no relation between IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-α expressions and IL-37b in serum (P > 0.05). The IL-37b-producing monocytes were negatively correlated with the level of IFN-α in serum and platelet count, and positively correlated with lymphocytes percentage (P < 0.05, respectively). Additionally, serum DENV nonstructural protein 1 levels were positively correlated with monocytes percentages (P < 0.05). Our data represents findings for IL-37b expression and its potential mechanisms in DF patients' immune response.

Immunoassay and mass cytometry revealed immunological profiles induced by inactivated BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine.

With the global prevalence of COVID-19 and the constant emergence of viral variants, boosters for COVID-19 vaccines to enhance antibody titers in human bodies will become an inevitable trend. However, there is a lack of data on antibody levels and the protective effects of booster injections. This study monitored and analyzed the antibody potency and the antibody responses induced by the booster injection in the subjects who received three vaccine doses. The study was conducted in a multicenter collaboration and recruited 360 healthy adults aged 20-74. Participants received the first, second, and booster doses of inactivated Sinopharm/BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine at 0, 1, and 7 months. Vaccine-induced virus-specific antibody levels (SARS-COV-2-IgA/IgM/IgG) were monitored at multiple time points, surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT), and the spatial distribution and proportion of immune cells and markers were analyzed using the CyTOF method before vaccination and a month after the second dose. The titers of SARS-CoV-2-IgA/IgM/IgG and neutralizing antibodies increased to a high level in the first month after receiving the second dose of vaccine and declined slowly after that. The antibody levels of SARS-CoV-2-IgG and sVNT were significantly increased at 0.5 months after the induction of the booster (p < 0.05). Despite a downward trend, the antibody levels were still high in the following 6 months. The B cell concentration (in humoral sample) a month after the second injection was significantly reduced compared to that before the vaccine injection (p < 0.05). The proportion of the C01 cell cluster was significantly decreased compared with that before vaccine injection (p < 0.05). Individual cell surface markers showed distinctions in spatial distribution but were not significantly different. This study has shown that serum antibody titer levels will decrease with time by monitoring and analyzing the antibody efficacy and the antibody reaction caused by the booster injection of healthy people who received the whole vaccination (completed three injections). Still, the significant peak of the antibody titer levels after booster highlights the recall immune response. It can maintain a high concentration of antibody levels for a long time, which signifies that the protection ability has been enhanced following the injection of booster immunization. Additionally, CyTOF data shows the active production of antibodies and the change in the immunity environment.

Humoral immune response of BBIBP COVID-19 vaccination before and after the booster immunization.

BACKGROUND: The inactivated Sinopharm/BBIBP COVID-19 vaccine has been widely used in the world and has joined the COVAX vaccine supply program for developing countries. It is also well adapted for usage in low- and middle-income nations due to their low storage requirements. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to report on the kinetics, durability, and neutralizing ability of the induced immunity of the BBIBP vaccine, and the intensified antibody response elicited by the booster. METHODS: A total of 353 healthy adult participants, aged 20-74 years, were recruited in this multicenter study. A standard dose of the BBIBP vaccine was administered (Month 0), followed by a second standard dose (Month 1), and a booster dose (after Month 7). Vaccine-induced virus-specific antibody levels (SARS-CoV-2-IgA/IgM/IgG), conventional virus neutralization test (cVNT), pseudovirus neutralization test (pVNT), and surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) were monitored over multiple time points. RESULTS: Neutralizing titers induced by the two doses of inactivated vaccine for COVID-19 peaked at Month 2 and declined to 33.89% at Month 6. Following the booster dose, elevated levels of antibodies were induced for IgA, IgG, and neutralizing antibodies, with neutralizing titer reaching 13.2 times that of before the booster. CONCLUSION: By monitoring the antibody titer levels postvaccination, this study has shown that serum antibody levels will decrease over time, but a notable spike in antibody levels postbooster highlights the anamnestic immune response. This signifies that the protection capability has increased following the injection of booster immunization.

A Novel IRF6 Frameshift Mutation in a Large Chinese Pedigree With Van der Woude syndrome.

AIMS: Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is one of the most common craniofacial anomalies, causing significant functional and psychological burden to the patients. This study aimed to identify the genetic cause of VWS in a Chinese family. METHODS: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to screen for pathogenic mutations. Various Bioinformatics tools were used to assess the pathogenicity of the variants. Cosegregation analysis of the candidate variant was carried out. Interpretation of variants was performed according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. RESULTS: A novel frameshift duplication c.373_374dupAA (p.Asn125Lys fs*43) was identified in exon 4 of the interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene in all 3 affected members, which were not found in unaffected family members. The novel mutation leads to a frameshift and a premature stop codon which caused putative truncated protein. Protein alignment indicated high evolutionary conservation of the p.N125 residue, and this mutation was predicted by online tools to be damaging and deleterious. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the novel mutation c.373_374dupAA (p.Asn125Lysfs*43) in the IRF6 gene corresponds to the VWS in this family. The discovery of this pathogenic variant enriches the genotypic spectrum of IRF6 gene and contributes to genetic diagnosis and counseling of families with VWS.

Defective sarcomere organization and reduced larval locomotion and fish survival in slow muscle heavy chain 1 (smyhc1) mutants.

Zebrafish skeletal muscles are broadly divided into slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. The slow fibers, which express a slow fiber-specific myosin heavy chain 1 (Smyhc1), are the first group of muscle fibers formed during myogenesis. To uncover Smyhc1 function in muscle growth, we generated three mutant alleles with reading frame shift mutations in the zebrafish smyhc1 gene using CRISPR. The mutants showed shortened sarcomeres with no thick filaments and M-lines in slow fibers of the mutant embryos. However, the formation of slow muscle precursors and expression of other slow muscle genes were not affected and fast muscles appeared normal. The smyhc1 mutant embryos and larvae showed reduced locomotion and food intake. The mutant larvae exhibited increased lethality of incomplete penetrance. Approximately 2/5 of the homozygous mutants were viable and grew into reproductive adults. These adult mutants displayed a typical pattern of slow and fast muscle fiber distribution, and regained normal slow muscle formation. Together, our studies indicate that Smyhc1 is essential for myogenesis in embryonic slow muscles, and loss of Smyhc1 results in defective sarcomere assembly, reduces larval motility and fish survival, but has no visible impact on muscle growth in juvenile and adult zebrafish that escape the larval lethality.

Molecular epidemiological and hematological profile of thalassemia in the Dongguan Region of Guangdong Province, Southern China.

BACKGROUND: Thalassemia is a common inherited hematological disease in tropical and subtropical regions. This study aimed to investigate the mutation spectrum of thalassemia in the Dongguan region of southern China and comprehensively analyze hematologic features of thalassemia carriers with various types of globin mutations. METHODS: A hematological screening including hematological indices such as mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) was conducted in 19 442 people from Dongguan region, Guangdong province of China. Then, 4891 suspected thalassemia carriers were further investigated by genetic analysis of combined NGS and gap-PCR. RESULTS: Totally, 2319 (11.9%) cases were diagnosed as carriers of thalassemia, of which 1483 cases (7.6%) were α-thalassemia, 741 cases (3.8%) were ß-thalassemia, and 95 cases (0.5%) were co-inheritance of α- and ß-thalassemia. In α-thalassemia carriers, the phenotypic severity increases with the number of nonfunctional α-globin genes. The patients with -SEA /αWS α genotype have less severe clinical phenotypes than those with other Hb H diseases. As for ß-thalassemia, the MCV and MCH in both ß0 and ß+ carriers are markedly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first comprehensive molecular epidemiological survey and hematological profiling of thalassemia in Dongguan area. This study will be benefit for genetic counseling in the clinic and may help pediatricians to make a correct diagnosis of different types of thalassemia.

Spatiotemporal variation of the worldwide air transportation network induced by COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

This paper studies the spatiotemporal variation of the worldwide air transportation network (WATN) induced by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The variations are captured from four perspectives: passenger throughput, network connectivity, airport centrality, and international connections. Further, this work also considers both global and local connectivity-based metrics for the network analysis. Supported by real-world data, we show that the performance of the WATN has experienced a dynamic pattern of decline and recovery in 2020. Interestingly, the network metrics undergo tremendous variations in a very short period after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, with the number of flights and connections dropping by more than 40% within only the first four weeks. Intuitively, the passenger throughput's changing rate is highly correlated to confirmed cases' growth rate during the early period of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the air transport response to the pandemic condition is very diverse among different countries. The major airports in the WATN fluctuate gradually in different pandemic stages, which is further influenced by the domestic pandemic situation that restricts airport operations. Also, the restoration speed of local connectivity is faster than that of global connectivity because the recovery of international aviation is geographically dependent on different policies of travel restriction, conditional openings, and the number of COVID-19 cases. The analysis deepens our understanding to formulate bilateral policies for pandemic-induced ATN design and management.

A novel nonsense mutation of ZEB2 gene in a Chinese patient with Mowat-Wilson syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, and multiple anomalies caused by haploinsufficiency of the ZEB2 gene. We investigated the genetic causes of MWS in a 14-year-old girl who had characteristic features of MWS. METHODS: Clinical data and peripheral blood DNA samples were collected from the proband. Following extraction of genomic DNA, whole-exome sequencing was conducted to detect genetic variants. Bioinformatics analysis was carried out to predict the function of the mutant gene. RESULTS: Mutation analysis of the proband identified a novel nonsense mutation (c.250G > T, p.E84*) within exon 3 of the ZEB2 gene. This novel alteration resulted in a termination codon at amino acid position 84, which was predicted to encode a truncated protein. This variant was not present in unrelated healthy control samples that were obtained from the exome sequence databases ExAc browser (http://exac.broadinstitute.org/) and gnomAD browser (http://gnomad.broadinstitute.org/). It is a novel variant that was determined to be a deleterious mutation according to the variant interpretation guidelines of the ACMG. The results of our study suggest that the p.E84* mutation in the ZEB2 gene was probably the pathogenic mutation that caused MWS in the proband. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the novel mutation in the proband will provide a basic foundation for further investigations to elucidate the ZEB2-related mechanisms of MWS.

A molecular-beacon-based asymmetric PCR assay for detecting polymorphisms related to folate metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms (rs1801133 or C677T; rs1801131 or A1298C) of the MTHFR gene and rs1801394 (A66G) of the MTRR gene are important genetic determinants of folate metabolism. A convenient, sensitive, and reliable method is required to detect polymorphisms for the precise supplementation of folate. METHODS: A rapid detection method based on molecular beacon probes that can detect rs1801133, rs1801131, and rs1801394 simultaneously was developed in this study. Specific primers and probes were designed, and the amplification system and conditions were optimized. We applied our method to a group of 500 unrelated women of gestational age in the Dongguan region of Guangdong Province in China. The clinical performance of this assay was evaluated by testing 94 samples in comparison with Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The molecular-beacon-based PCR assay we established is extremely sensitive, with a detection limit of 2 ng/µL of genomic DNA, and validated by direct sequencing in a blind study with 100% concordance. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that our molecular-beacon-based asymmetric PCR assay is an easy, reliable, high-yield, and cost-effective method for the simultaneous detection of three polymorphisms related to folate metabolism. It could help evaluate the risk of perinatal-neonatal neural tube malformation, pregnancy hypertension, and other diseases and guide the individualized supplementation of folic acid. Data on the spectrum of mutations in the Dongguan District in this study are beneficial for guiding the supplementation of folic acid.

A targeted gene capture next-generation sequencing panel for genetic screening of newborns.

OBJECTIVE: The application of next-generation sequencing (NGS) will greatly promote the screening and diagnosis of genetic diseases. This study aimed to implement and validate a targeted NGS panel for genetic screening of over fifty types of genetic disorders in newborns. METHODS: A targeted gene panel consisting of 104 known genes related to genetic diseases with a target size of 347.8 kb was designed. Genes were selected through reference to databases including HGMD, OMIM, GeneReviews®, and Genetic Home Reference, and the latest peer-reviewed publications associated with the genetics of hereditary diseases. RESULTS: The average coverage for all targeted exons was 596X, and the mean targeted region coverage of 1X, 10X, 20X and 50X reads for each sample were 99.8%, 99.2%, 98.8%, and 95.3%, respectively. The panel showed 100% consistency in detecting 8 pathogenic insertion/deletion (indels) variants ranging from 1 to 16 bp in size and 20 pathogenic single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) across 32 samples previously confirmed by Sanger sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: A dried blood spot (DBS)-based targeted NGS panel for efficient genetic screening of a wide variety of genetic diseases in newborns was developed and evaluated. Furthermore, our panel will contribute to providing accurate diagnosis for genetic disorders and will be helpful for gene therapy for specific diseases.

Liver transcriptome analysis reveals extensive transcriptional plasticity during acclimation to low salinity in Cynoglossus semilaevis.

BACKGROUND: Salinity is an important abiotic stress that influences the physiological and metabolic activity, reproduction, growth and development of marine fish. It has been suggested that half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis), a euryhaline fish species, uses a large amount of energy to maintain osmotic pressure balance when exposed to fluctuations in salinity. To delineate the molecular response of C. semilaevis to different levels of salinity, we performed RNA-seq analysis of the liver to identify the genes and molecular and biological processes involved in responding to salinity changes. RESULTS: The present study yielded 330.4 million clean reads, of which 83.9% were successfully mapped to the reference genome of C. semilaevis. One hundred twenty-eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 43 up-regulated genes and 85 down-regulated genes, were identified. These DEGs were highly represented in metabolic pathways, steroid biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, butanoate metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism and the 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway. In addition, genes involved in metabolism, osmoregulation and ion transport, signal transduction, immune response and stress response, and cytoskeleton remodeling were affected during acclimation to low salinity. Genes acat2, fdps, hmgcr, hmgcs1, mvk, pmvk, ebp, lss, dhcr7, and dhcr24 were up-regulated and abat, ddc, acy1 were down-regulated in metabolic pathways. Genes aqp10 and slc6a6 were down-regulated in osmoregulation and ion transport. Genes abat, fdps, hmgcs1, mvk, pmvk and dhcr7 were first reported to be associated with salinity adaptation in teleosts. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed that metabolic pathways, especially lipid metabolism were important for salinity adaptation. The candidate genes identified from this study provide a basis for further studies to investigate the molecular mechanism of salinity adaptation and transcriptional plasticity in marine fish.

Prevalence of S gene mutations within the major hydrophilic region of hepatitis B virus in patients in Dongguan, southern China.

HBsAg point mutations within the major hydrophilic region (MHR) have frequently been reported to be associated with diagnostic failure, vaccine escape and immunotherapy escape. However, the prevalence of escape mutations in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients has not been systematically studied in patients from southern China within the past decade. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of escape mutations within the MHR of hepatitis B virus in patients in Dongguan, southern China. Between June 2015 and May 2016, 391 patients who were chronically infected with HBV were enrolled in the study, including 240 patients with the genotype B strain and 151 with the genotype C strain. The most frequent mutated position was s126 (4.3%), followed by s100 (3.3%), s101 (2.8%), s133 (2.8%), s145 (2.3%), s120 (2.0%) and s129 (1.8%). Furthermore, the mutations sY100C, sQ101R/K, sS114A, sP120T, sT/I126A/N/S, sQ129R, sM133L/T/S and sG145R/A were prevalent in at least one genotype, with a frequency higher than 1%, which indicated that these mutations were relatively common. In addition, sQ101K/R was found only in genotype C isolates (P < 0.05), and sT126A was only discovered in genotype B isolates (P = 0.047), indicating that such mutations were genotype-associated mutations. Notably, combinations of escape mutations within the MHR were also frequently discovered in genotypes B (5.0%) and C (6.6%), with no significant difference (P = 0.498). These results indicated that we should increase the surveillance HBsAg mutations among HBV-infected patients in China.

Antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens among hospitalized children with community acquired lower respiratory tract infections in Dongguan, China (2011-2016).

BACKGROUND: Bacterial pathogens are a major cause of childhood community acquired lower respiratory tract infections (CA-LRTIs), and few data described the impact of antimicrobial resistance on children with CA-LRTIs. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial resistance in common bacterial agents among hospitalized children with CA-LRTIs between 2011 and 2016 in Dongguan, China. METHODS: Sputum samples were collected from hospitalized children (0-5 years old) with CA-LRTIs in Dongguan Children's Hospital. Bacterial pathogens were detected using traditional culture methods, and disc diffusion tests were used to determine antibiotic resistance. RESULTS: Among the 2360 samples analyzed, 342 (14.5%) were positive for bacterial infection. The most prevalent pathogen was MSSA (2.3%), followed by MRSA (1.5%), E. coli (1.7%), E. coli ESBLs (1.2%), K. pneumonia ESBLs (1.5%), K. pneumonia (1.4%) and S. pneumonia (1.3%). Of the hospitalized patients with bacteria causing of CA-LRTIs, 90.1% were less than 1-year-old. MSSA and MRSA were more commonly isolated in infants less than 3 months. E. coli, K. pneumonia and K. pneumonia ESBLs were more common bacteria causing CA-LRTIs in infants less than 1 month. Resistance levels to penicillins, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, cephalosporins, carbapenems and vancomycin varied in different bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: S. aureus, E coli and K. pneumonia were the common bacterial isolates recovered from chidren with CA-LTRIs during 2011-2015. Age group of under 1 year old was at a high risk of bacterial infections. Many isolates showed antibiotic resistance level was associated with antibiotic usage in clinic. Increasing surveillance of antibiotic resistance is urgently needed and develops better strategies to cure the antibiotic abuse in China.

A Novel α-Thalassemia Nonsense Mutation on the α2-Globin Gene: HBA2: c.184A>T.

We report a novel mutation on the α2-globin gene, HBA2: c.184A>T, detected in a Chinese proband. This mutation resulted in a Lys→Term substitution at position 62 of the α2-globin gene, causing a premature termination of translation. This mutation did not cause severe hematological abnormalities in the carriers. From the properties of substituted residues on the α2-globin gene, it is generally expected that this mutation causes unstable and truncated protein, thus this mutation should be detected in couples at-risk for α-thalassemia (α-thal).

Coinheritance of α- and ß-Thalassemia with a Novel Mutation (HBB: c.268_281delAGTGAGCTGCACTG) in a Chinese Family.

We report a novel mutation (HBB: c.268_281delAGTGAGCTGCACTG) in a Chinese proband, who was also an α-thalassemia (α-thal) Southeast Asian (αα/- -SEA) deletion carrier and displayed characteristic hematological features of ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) traits. The proband and carriers in her family presented hematological abnormalities. This novel mutation results in a frameshift and consequently creates a premature stop codon at codon 90 of the HBB gene. Thus, couples at-risk for ß-thal should also be tested for this mutation. Double heterozygotes for α- and ß-thal are easily misdiagnosed as pure ß-thal carriers, which should be noted in the process of risk assessment and counseling.

Low salinity affects cellularity, DNA methylation, and mRNA expression of igf1 in the liver of half smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis).

Animal growth depends on feedback regulation of hormone levels and environmental conditions. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (Igf1) promotes cell growth and differentiation and represses apoptosis and is highly regulated by the environment. Moreover, animals modify physiological homeostasis under stressful conditions through epigenetics and genetic regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the effects of salt on fish growth is needed. In this study, half smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) were subjected to 15‰ salinity for 0, 7, and 60 days (D) to assess the effects of low salinity on liver cellularity and growth. The results show that low salinity changed liver morphology, suggesting an increase in energy expenditure to recover from the osmotic disruption. igf1 was upregulated in female fish under 15‰ salinity after 7D and may participate in molecular repair. igf1 was downregulated after 60D of salt stress, resulting in retarded growth. Methylation levels were opposite to those of gene expression, suggesting inhibited regulation. Furthermore, three exons in the igf1 gene had significantly different methylation levels in fish under salt stress. Notably, more putative transcription factor binding sites were located in CpG sites at higher methylation levels. igf1 is not a sex-related gene, as no difference in methylation level was detected between males and females in the control group. These results clarify liver damage and changes in DNA methylation and mRNA expression of igf1, providing insight into the adverse effects of low salt on growth of C. semilaevis and the epigenetics and regulatory mechanisms involved in stressful conditions.

Molecular epidemiology of the enteroviruses associated with hand, foot and mouth disease/herpangina in Dongguan, China, 2015.

Enteroviruses (EVs) are the etiological agents involved in most cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina (HA). Information on the epidemiology profiles of EVs in China is very limited, as the present surveillance system of China focuses on CAV16 and EV71, and no published data are available in Dongguan. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of EVs among patients with HFMD and HA in Dongguan, China, during 2015. A total of 271 clinical stool specimens that were clinically determined to be positive for enteroviruses were genotyped by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the VP1 genes of EVs. The results showed that a total of 14 enterovirus genotypes were identified among HFMD and HA patients in this study. CVA6 was the most common genotype for HFMD, and CVA2 accounted for the majority of HA cases in this study. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that all of the CVA6 and CVA2 strains identified in our study displayed a close genetic relationship to strains identified in other cities in China. This study also demonstrates that there are associations between particular causative enterovirus genotypes and some clinical symptoms, which may provide useful information for improving case prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HFMD and HA.

Transcriptome analysis of the effects of different carbon dioxide concentrations on paramylon accumulation in Euglena gracilis Z.

Appropriate concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) will promote algae growth and metabolism. Building upon this finding, the present study investigated the impact of different CO2 concentrations (5% and 20%) on the carbon sequestration capacity of E. gracilis through aeration culturing, employing a combination of physiological analyses and transcriptome analysis. The results demonstrated that under 5% CO2 concentration, the cell density of E. gracilis was 1.79 times higher than that achieved in an air culture condition, and the paramylon content of E. gracilis was found to be 6.18 times higher than that of the air group. Based on transcriptome analysis, the carbon metabolism of E. gracilis was discussed. Significant up-regulation expression of genes associated with carbon synthesis was validated by an increase in paramylon content. This study revealed that under 5% CO2 conditions, E. gracilis exhibited elevated growth rate and enhanced photosynthetic carbon assimilation efficiency.

Bioelectrochemical cascade reaction for energy-saving hydrogen production and innovative Zn-air batteries.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important half-reaction in electrochemical hydrogen production (EHP) and rechargeable metal-air batteries. However, the sluggish OER kinetics has seriously impeded their performance. Herein, we report a bioelectrochemical cascade system composed of glucose oxidase (GOx)-functionalized N-doped porous carbon nanofibers to replace OER in EHP and rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs) applications. In this cascade system, GOx catalyzes oxidation of glucose to produce value-added gluconic acid accompanied with the generation of H2O2 under aerobic conditions. The subsequent electrocatalytic oxidation of H2O2 replacing the OER results in an onset voltage below 1.10 V for EHP, and a low charging voltage of 1.35 V as well as a small charging/discharging voltage gap of âˆ¼ 280 mV over 170 h for ZABs in neutral aqueous electrolytes. The advantages of employing the innovative bioelectrochemical cascade reaction are demonstrated in EHP and ZABs, achieving the full utilization of biomass energy in energy-saving electrochemical systems for energy storage and conversion.