Observation of In-Gap States in a Two-Dimensional CrI2/NbSe2 Heterostructure.

Low-dimensional magnetic structures coupled with superconductors are promising platforms for realizing Majorana zero modes, which have potential applications in topological quantum computing. Here, we report a two-dimensional (2D) magnetic-superconducting heterostructure consisting of single-layer chromium diiodide (CrI2) on a niobium diselenide (NbSe2) superconductor. Single-layer CrI2 nanosheets, which hold antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground states by our first-principles calculations, were epitaxially grown on the layered NbSe2 substrate. Using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, we observed robust in-gap states spatially located at the edge of the nanosheets and defect-induced zero-energy peaks inside the CrI2 nanosheets. Magnetic-flux vortices induced by an external field exhibit broken 3-fold rotational symmetry of the pristine NbSe2 superconductor, implying the efficient modulation of the interfacial superconducting states by the epitaxial CrI2 layer. A phenomenological model suggests the existence of chiral edge states in a 2D AFM-superconducting hybrid system with an even Chern number, providing a qualitatively plausible understanding for our experimental observation.

Establishment and application of PDCoV antigen-specific DAS-ELISA detection method.

BACKGROUND: Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that affects young pigs, causing vomiting, acute diarrhea, dehydration, and even death. There is growing evidence that PDCoV can undergo cross-species as well as zoonotic transmissions. Due to the frequent outbreaks of this deadly virus, early detection is essential for effective prevention and control. Therefore, developing a more convenient and reliable method for PDCoV detection is the need of the hour. RESULTS: This study utilized a high-affinity monoclonal antibody as the capture antibody and a horseradish peroxidase labeled polyclonal antibody as the detection antibody to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELSA) for PDCoV detection.Both antibodies target the PDCoV nucleocapsid (N) protein. The findings of this study revealed that DAS-ELISA was highly specific to PDCoV and did not cross-react with other viruses to cause swine diarrhea. The limit of detection of the virus titer using this method was 103 TCID50/mL of PDCoV particles. The results of a parallel analysis of 239 known pig samples revealed a coincidence rate of 97.07% (κ = 0.922) using DAS-ELISA and reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). The DAS-ELISA was used to measure the one-step growth curve of PDCoV in LLC-PK cells and the tissue distribution of PDCoV in infected piglets. The study found that the DAS-ELISA was comparable in accuracy to the TCID50 method while measuring the one-step growth curve. Furthermore, the tissue distribution measured by DAS-ELISA was also consistent with the qRT-PCR method. CONCLUSION: The developed DAS-ELISA method can be conveniently used for the early clinical detection of PDCoV infection in pigs, and it may also serve as an alternative method for laboratory testing of PDCoV.

Analysis of AlN monolayer as a prospective cathode for aluminum-ion batteries.

Developing cathode materials with high specific capability and excellent electrochemical performance is crucial for the advancement of aluminum-ion batteries, which leverage the high theoretical energy density of aluminum metal anodes. In this paper, we investigated the interaction ofAlCl4cluster and Al atom with AlN (-100) and (001) monolayer using density functional theory to assess the applicability of AlN as cathode material for aluminum-ion batteries. The results show that the AlN (001) monolayer is the most effective for adsorbing and accommodatingAlCl4clusters. Moreover, the AlN (001) monolayer maintains metallic behavior at different concentrations of theAlCl4cluster, laying the foundation for its battery application. The theoretical storage capacity of theAlCl4cluster is 105.93mAhg-1,which exceeds that of the Al/graphite battery. The formation energy ofAlCl4-intercalated AlN compounds is -2.74 eV, and the intercalant gallery height is moderate. Furthermore, the diffusion barrier of 0.19 eV forAlCl4cluster between the AlN (001) monolayer provides high rate capability. The results indicate that AlN monolayer may be a potential cathode material for aluminum-ion batteries.

Three dimensional quantitative study of soft tissue changes in nasolabial folds after orthodontic treatment in female adults.

BACKGROUND: With the popularity of medical aesthetic programs, some female adults who will or are undergoing orthodontic treatment often wonder whether orthodontic treatment has adverse effects on the nasolabial folds (NLFs). The aims of the study were to investigate any potential changes in the NLFs and associated peripheral soft tissues after orthodontic treatment of female adults. METHODS: This study compared changes in the NLFs and peripheral soft tissues in female adults undergoing orthodontic treatment using the 3dMD Face system (3dMD, Atlanta, Ga). A total of 52 adult female patient cases (24 teeth extraction, 28 non-teeth extraction) were included to evaluate the effects of different orthodontic treatment regimens on the NLFs and peripheral soft tissues. RESULTS: In the NLFs area, the landmarks of the extraction group were all significantly negatively changed (P < 0.001; the NLF2s average value was - 0.72 mm), and the upper and middle parts of the landmarks were negatively changed in the non-extraction group (P < 0.05; the NLF2s average value was - 0.22 mm). Compared to the non-extraction group, the negative changes in the extraction group were more pronounced (P < 0.005). In the lip region, all landmarks in the extraction group were negative changes (P < 0.05; upper lip (ULP) = - 0.93 mm, lower lip (LLP) = - 1.46 mm), and most landmarks in the non-extraction group were positive changes (P < 0.01; ULP = 0.55 mm). In the cheek area, the left and right buccal of the extraction and non-extraction groups were all negatively changed (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: After orthodontic treatment, the NLFs showed negative changes, which were more obvious in the extraction group. The lip soft tissue had a negative change in the extraction group and a positive change in the non-extraction group, indicating that orthodontic treatment affected the soft tissue around the nasolabial sulcus, and that tooth extraction would lead to more negative changes.

Chemisorption of CO2 on Nitrogen-Doped Graphitic Carbons.

The adsorption of CO2 on nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon materials, such as graphene nanosheet (GNS) powder and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), was comparatively studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Desorption of CO2 was observed at approximately 380 K for both pyridinic-nitrogen (pyri-N)-doped GNS and pyri-N-doped HOPG samples in the TPD experiments, whereas no CO2 desorption was observed for graphitic nitrogen-doped HOPG. This indicated that only pyri-N species create identical CO2 adsorption sites on any graphitic carbon surface. The adsorption energies of CO2 on pyri-N-doped carbons were estimated between 101 and 108 kJ mol-1, indicating that chemisorption, rather than physisorption, took place. The CO2 adsorption/desorption process was reproducible in repeated measurements, and no CO2 dissociation occurred during the process, suggesting that it is a promising CO2 capturing material. The O 1s peak of the adsorbed CO2 clearly appeared at 531.5-532 eV in the XPS measurements. The N 1s peak of pyri-N did not change with CO2 adsorption, indicating that CO2 is not directly bound to pyri-N but is adsorbed on a carbon atom near the pyridinic nitrogen via the nonbonding pz orbital of the carbon atom.

Self-administered acupressure and exercise for patients with osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint disease and seriously affects the athletic abilities of middle-aged and elderly patients. Acupressure is a traditional non-pharmacological intervention that promotes blood circulation and muscle activity. Self-administrated acupressure and exercise can be potential management for knee osteoarthritis. DESIGN: It is a randomized and controlled trial for knee osteoarthritis self-treatment. SETTINGS: Cangzhou Hospital. INTERVENTIONS: 221 patients with knee osteoarthritis were recruited and randomly divided into 4 groups: control group (n = 55), exercise group (n = 56), acupressure group (n = 55) and exercise & acupressure group (n = 55). In the first eight weeks, corresponding training courses were provided to different groups of patients. The patients were asked to carry out their own corresponding interventions for 16 weeks. The patient's condition was evaluated in the sixteenth week. MAIN MEASURES: The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities global scores of knee osteoarthritis patients were assessed at the 8th and 16th week of our trial. RESULTS: Self-administered acupressure and exercise significantly decreased visual analogue scale (3.75 ± 1.89 versus 2.93 ± 1.73, p < 0.05), pain (7.6 ± 2.8 versus 4.8 ± 2.7, p < 0.05), stiffness (3.75 ± 1.89 versus 2.93 ± 1.73, p < 0.05) at the 16th week (p < 0.05) in patients with knee osteoarthritis compared to other intervention. The combination of acupressure and exercise also improved the range of motion (114.4 ± 11.5 versus 120.4 ± 11.9, p < 0.05) and walk speed (1.48 ± 0.48 versus 1.76 ± 0.50, p < 0.05) of osteoarthritis patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Self-administrated exercise and acupressure alleviate the arthritic symptoms (swelling, pain, joint dysfunction and joint deformities) and improve the joint functions, supporting its potential use in the clinical management for osteoarthritis.

Profiles of facial soft tissue changes during and after orthodontic treatment in female adults.

BACKGROUND: Some female adults who received orthodontic treatment often complain about thinner faces, protruding cheekbones and sunken temples, even at the beginning of treatment. The present research aimed to explore facial soft tissue changes during and after orthodontic treatment, as well as the related factors affecting facial soft tissue changes. METHODS: This study used 3dMD stereo photography technology to compare facial soft tissue changes among adult females who received orthodontics. A total of 52 adult females (24 teeth extraction, 28 non-teeth extraction cases) were included and potential correlations between related factors (facial morphology features, the change of occlusal height and dental arch width) were evaluated during different treatment periods. RESULTS: Overall, 3D-negative soft tissue changes of the buccal region moderately correlated with distances of nasion-menton and subnasale-menton (both rs = 0.30, P < 0.05) as well as the ratio of subnasale-menton/right gonion-left gonion (rs = 0.33, P < 0.05) and nasion-menton/right zygomatic point-left zygomatic point (rs = 0.30, P < 0.05). Among the 3D angle measurements, the right chelion-median upper lip point-left chelion angle was found to have a moderate correlation with 3D negative changes of the upper cheilion region (rs = 0.31, P < 0.01). Analysis of occlusal height changes revealed that an increase in the posterior facial height (nasion-gonial distance) may be a risk factor for negative changes in the zygomatic arch area. In addition, a moderate positive correlation between the maxillary first molar width changes and 3D-negative changes of the lower cheek region was found (rs = 0.41, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: After orthodontic treatment, adult females with wide and short faces may be prone to negative soft tissue changes. Changes of posterior facial height and arch width between the first molars were also risk factors for negative changes of facial soft tissues. Extraction is not a major factor producing facial soft tissue changes.

Direct aryl-aryl coupling of pentacene on Au(110).

Selective C-H bond activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is challenging due to the relatively high bond dissociation energy and the existence of multiple equivalent C-H sites. Herein, we report a scanning tunneling microscopy study on the covalent coupling of pentacene molecules on Au(110) surfaces. The missing-row reconstruction of Au(110) surfaces strengthens the molecule-substrate interactions. At elevated temperatures (470-520 K), pentacenes undergo direct aryl-aryl coupling via C-H bond activation. Due to the anisotropic feature of the reconstructed Au(110) surface, pentacenes are preferentially oriented parallel or perpendicular, making the linear and T-shaped dimers the predominant products. Based on density functional theory calculations, the aryl C-H bond activation barrier is reduced to 1.42 eV on Au(110)-(1 × 3) reconstructed surfaces, at which the extra row of gold atoms located in the (1 × 3) reconstructed grooves plays a key role.

Association between sleep quality and central obesity among southern Chinese reproductive-aged women.

BACKGROUND: The connections between sleep quality and central obesity among reproductive-aged women are not clear. The study aimed to explore the association between sleep quality and central obesity among Chinese reproductive-aged women and identify the independent contributions of sociodemographic characteristics, health-related factors, and sleep quality to central obesity. METHODS: In this cross-sectional survey, the minimal sample sizes were 2404 subjects; 2449 Chinese women aged 18-49 participated in this study. Sleep quality was assessed by the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Central obesity as the outcome of interest was a binary variable; women were categorized as with versus without central obesity measured by waist circumference (WC). The independent contribution of sociodemographic characteristics (Cluster 1), health-related variables (Cluster 2), and sleep quality (Cluster 3) to central obesity was derived from the corresponding R2 change (individual R2 change/total R2 × 100%), using clustered multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The risk of central obesity increased significantly with poor sleep quality (assessed by global PSQI score) [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.20 per SD increase; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28-3.78; P = 0.004], increased sleep disturbance score (adjusted OR = 1.11 per SD increase; 95% CI = 1.01-1.22; P = 0.042) and decreased subjective sleep quality score (adjusted OR = 0.81 per SD increase; 95% CI = 0.73-0.90; P < 0.001). The independent contribution of sleep quality was 9.9%, less than those of sociodemographic (73.3%) and health-related (16.8%) variables. Among complaints related to sleep disturbance, the inability to breathe comfortably, and having bad dreams showed significant associations with central obesity. CONCLUSIONS: There exists some degree of correlation between sleep quality and central obesity among Chinese reproductive-aged women. These findings underscore the need for future public health guidelines to formulate some detailed strategies to improve sleep quality, such as preventing and intervening risk factors that influence sleep quality and suggesting optimal sleep duration, which might effectively reduce the incidence of central obesity in this population group.

Human Babesiosis Caused by a Babesia crassa-Like Pathogen: A Case Series.

Background: Human babesiosis is an emerging health problem in China. Methods: Babesia were identified in ticks, sheep, and humans in northeastern China using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by genetic sequencing. We enrolled residents who experienced a viral-like illness after recent tick bite or were healthy residents. We defined a case using the definition for babesiosis developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: A Babesia crassa-like agent was identified in Ixodes persulcatus and Haemaphysalis concinna ticks using PCR followed by sequencing. The agent was characterized through phylogenetic analyses of the 18S rRNA gene, the ß-tubulin gene, and the internal transcribed spacer region. We tested sheep as a possible reservoir and found that 1.1% were infected with the B. crassa-like agent. We screened 1125 human participants following tick bites using B. crassa-specific PCR and identified 31 confirmed and 27 suspected cases. All the patients were previously healthy except for 1 with an ovarian tumor. Headache (74%), nausea or vomiting (52%), and fever (48%) were the most common clinical manifestations of confirmed cases. Six of 10 cases remained PCR positive for B. crassa-like infection 9 months after initial diagnosis. Asymptomatic infections were detected in 7.5% of 160 local residents. Conclusions: We identified B. crassa-like infection in people in northeastern China that caused mild to moderate symptoms. The possibility of more severe disease in immunocompromised patients and of transmission through the blood supply due to asymptomatic infections justifies further investigation of this reported infection.

A correlation between sickness or injury within two weeks, chronic diseases and fatigue among adults aged 18-45 years.

To investigate the prevalence of fatigue, the relationship between sickness or injury within two weeks, chronic diseases and fatigue among adults aged 18-45 years. Thousand five hundred and seventy nine individuals were included in this cross-sectional study. The Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS) was used to assess fatigue defined as CFS score ≥4. The prevalence of fatigue was 25% in this study. Our results showed that only sickness or injury within two weeks (odds ratio [OR]: 2.440) and chronic diseases (OR: 1.727) were significantly related to fatigue. Moreover, their ORs for fatigue remained the same in all models (binary logistic regression models with adjusting for demographic and health-related characteristics one by one). In conclusion, fatigue was prevalent among adults aged 18-45 years. Sickness or injury within two weeks and chronic diseases were the risk factors for fatigue independent of demographic and health-related characteristics.

Catalytic Enantioselective Aza-Benzoin Reactions of Aldehydes with 2H-Azirines.

The unprecedented enantioselective aza-benzoin reaction of aldehydes with 2H-azirines was developed by utilizing a chiral N-heterocyclic carbene as the catalyst. A wide range of corresponding aziridines can be obtained in good yields with high enantioselectivities. The obtained optically active aziridines should be useful in the synthesis of other valuable molecules.

Gene regulatory network inference using PLS-based methods.

BACKGROUND: Inferring the topology of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from microarray gene expression data has many potential applications, such as identifying candidate drug targets and providing valuable insights into the biological processes. It remains a challenge due to the fact that the data is noisy and high dimensional, and there exists a large number of potential interactions. RESULTS: We introduce an ensemble gene regulatory network inference method PLSNET, which decomposes the GRN inference problem with p genes into p subproblems and solves each of the subproblems by using Partial least squares (PLS) based feature selection algorithm. Then, a statistical technique is used to refine the predictions in our method. The proposed method was evaluated on the DREAM4 and DREAM5 benchmark datasets and achieved higher accuracy than the winners of those competitions and other state-of-the-art GRN inference methods. CONCLUSIONS: Superior accuracy achieved on different benchmark datasets, including both in silico and in vivo networks, shows that PLSNET reaches state-of-the-art performance.

A centroid-based gene selection method for microarray data classification.

For classification problems based on microarray data, the data typically contains a large number of irrelevant and redundant features. In this paper, a new gene selection method is proposed to choose the best subset of features for microarray data with the irrelevant and redundant features removed. We formulate the selection problem as a L1-regularized optimization problem, based on a newly defined linear discriminant analysis criterion. Instead of calculating the mean of the samples, a kernel-based approach is used to estimate the class centroid to define both the between-class separability and the within-class compactness for the criterion. Theoretical analysis indicates that the global optimal solution of the L1-regularized criterion can be reached with a general condition, on which an efficient algorithm is derived to the feature selection problem in a linear time complexity with respect to the number of features and the number of samples. The experimental results on ten publicly available microarray datasets demonstrate that the proposed method performs effectively and competitively compared with state-of-the-art methods.

Characterization of nitrogen species incorporated into graphite using low energy nitrogen ion sputtering.

The electronic structures of nitrogen species incorporated into highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), prepared by low energy (200 eV) nitrogen ion sputtering and subsequent annealing at 1000 K, were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), angle-dependent X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and Raman spectroscopy. An additional peak was observed at higher binding energy of 401.9 eV than 400.9 eV for graphitic1 N (graphitic N in the basal plane) in N 1s XPS, where graphitic2 N (graphitic N in the zigzag edge and/or vacancy sites) has been theoretically expected to appear. N 1s XPS showed that graphitic1 N and graphitic2 N were preferably incorporated under low nitrogen content doping conditions (8 × 10(13) ions cm(-2)), while pyridinic N and graphitic1 N were dominantly observed under high nitrogen content doping conditions. In addition, angle-dependent N 1s XAS showed that the graphitic N and pyridinic N atoms were incorporated into the basal plane of HOPG and thus were highly oriented. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy revealed that low energy sputtering resulted in almost no fraction of the disturbed graphite surface layers under the lowest nitrogen doping condition. The suitable nitrogen doping condition was discovered for realizing the well-controlled nitrogen doped HOPG. The electrochemical properties for the oxygen reduction reaction of these samples in acidic solution were examined and discussed.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of Dermacentor silvarum and comparative analyses with another hard tick Dermacentor nitens.

Ticks are obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites of a wide range of vertebrates. They can transmit a range of pathogens that cause economic losses to livestock production as well as human disease. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Dermacentor silvarum was determined. The mt genome is 14,945 bp in length contains 37 genes, including 13 are protein-coding genes (cox1-3, nad1-6, nad4L, cytb, atp6 and atp8), two ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes. The nucleotide composition of the D. silvarum mt genome was A + T biased at 78.78%; T was the most abundant nucleotide and G the least abundant. The mt genome of D. silvarum was 106 bp longer than that of Dermacentor nitens and the arrangements of two genomes were identical. For the 13 protein-coding genes, comparison between D. silvarum and D. nitens revealed sequence divergence at both the nucleotide (15.46-35.14%) and amino acid (6.05-48.98%) levels. Among them, cox1 was the most conserved gene, while atp8 was the least conserved. The lengths of the 13 protein-coding genes were the same or similar, except for cytb which was significantly longer in D. silvarum than in D. nitens. The mtDNA contained a variable repeat region consisting of a "similar to nad1" motif that was repeated three times, and the "Tick-box" motifs were also found. The overall difference between the nucleotide sequences of the two complete mt genomes was 21.4%. The mtDNA data presented in this study provide a rich resource for further studies on the phylogenetics, population genetics, and molecular epidemiology of ticks.

Copper-catalyzed difunctionalization of activated alkynes by radical oxidation-tandem cyclization/dearomatization to synthesize 3-trifluoromethyl spiro[4.5]trienones.

A copper-catalyzed difunctionalizing trifluoromethylation of activated alkynes with the cheap reagent sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate (NaSO2CF3 or Langlois' reagent) has been developed incorporating a tandem cyclization/dearomatization process. This strategy affords a straightforward route to synthesis of 3-(trifluoromethyl)-spiro[4.5]trienones, and presents an example of difunctionalization of alkynes for simultaneous formation of two carbon-carbon single bonds and one carbon-oxygen double bond.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Oxyuris equi: Comparison with other closely related species and phylogenetic implications.

The equine pinworm Oxyuris equi (Nematoda: Oxyuridomorpha) is the most common horse nematode, has a worldwide distribution, and causes major economic losses. In the present study, the complete O. equi mitochondrial (mt) genome was sequenced, and the mt genome structure and organization were compared with those of other closely related pinworm species, Enterobius vermicularis and Wellcomia siamensis. The O. equi mt genome is a 13,641-bp circular DNA molecule that encodes 36 genes (12 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and two rRNAs) and one non-coding region, which is slightly shorter than that of E. vermicularis and W. siamensis. The O. equi mt gene arrangement was consistent with that of GA13-type E. vermicularis but it differs from GA12-type W. siamensis. Phylogenetic analyses using concatenated amino acid sequences of the 12 protein-coding genes with three different computational algorithms (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference) revealed that there were two distinct clades in Chromadorea nematodes that reflected infraorder. Spiruromorpha formed one clade, whereas Rhabditomorpha, Ascaridomorpha, and Oxyuridomorpha formed another clade. O. equi, E. vermicularis, and W. siamensis represent distinct but closely related species, which indicated that Oxyuridomorpha is paraphyletic. Sequencing the O. equi mt genome provides novel genetic markers for studying the molecular epidemiology and population genetics of pinworms.

Role of total hip replacement arthroplasty between transplantation and acute kidney injury.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a severely disabling complication of steroid immunosuppression in renal transplant patients. The increased number of patients undergoing transplantation has increased the number of transplant recipients undergoing total hip replacement arthroplasty (THRA). In this study, we retrospectively assessed patients who underwent THRA from May 2004 to February 2014, and evaluated their demographic and clinical characteristics, the results of peri-operative laboratory tests, the amounts of fluids transfused during surgery, and anesthesia time. Our results found that post-operative acute kidney injury (AKI) was significantly associated with transplantation, and transplantation was an independent factor predictive of post-operative AKI, so transplant recipients are at risk for AKI following THRA. Total hip replacement is a safe and effective treatment for transplant recipients and, in view of their limited life expectancy, should be considered at an early stage in their treatment.

Characterization of the complete nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences of Paramphistomum cervi.

Sequences of the complete nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene from five individual Paramphistomum cervi were determined for the first time. The five complete rDNA sequences, which included the 18S rDNA, the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), the 5.8S rDNA, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2), the 28S rDNA, and the intergenic spacer (IGS) regions, had a length range of 8,493-10,221 bp. The lengths of the investigated 18S, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2, and 28S rDNA sequences, which were 1,994 bp, 1,293 bp, 157 bp, 286 bp, and 4,186 bp, respectively, did not vary. However, the IGS rDNA sequences had a length range of 577-2,305 bp. The 5.8S and ITS-2 rDNA sequences had 100% identity among the five investigated samples, while the identities among the IGS had a range of 53.7-99.8%. A comparative analysis revealed that different types and numbers of repeats were found within each ITS1 and IGS region, which may be related to the length polymorphism of IGS. The phylogenetic position of P. cervi in Paramphistomatidae was analyzed based on the 18S rDNA sequences. These results will aid in studying the intra- and interspecific variation of the Paramphistomatidae and the systematics and phylogenetics of Digenea.