Molecular epizootiology of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.

Rapid evolution of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the bottleneck for effective prevention and control of PRRS. Thus, understanding the prevalence and genetic background of PRRSV strains in swine-producing regions is important for disease prevention and control. However, there is only limited information about the epizootiological situation of PRRS in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. In this study, blood or lung tissue samples were collected from 1,411 PRRS-suspected weaned pigs from 9 pig farms in Changji, Shihezi, and Wujiaqu cities between 2020 and 2022. The samples were first tested by RT-quantitative PCR, yielding a PRRSV-2 positive rate of 53.6%. Subsequently, 36 PRRSV strains were isolated through initial adaptation in bone marrow-derived macrophages followed by propagation in grivet monkey Marc-145 cells. Furthermore, 28 PRRSV-positive samples and 20 cell-adapted viruses were selected for high-throughput sequencing (HTS) to obtain the entire PRRSV genome sequences. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of the ORF5 gene of the PRRSV strains identified in this study grouped into sub-lineages 1.8 and 8.7 the former being the dominant strain currently circulating in Xinjiang. However, the NSP2 proteins of the Xinjiang PRRSV strains shared the same deletion patterns as sub-lineage 1.8 prototype strain NADC30 with the exception of 4 strains carrying 2-3 additional amino acid deletions. Further analysis confirmed that recombination events had occurred in 27 of 37 PRRSVs obtained here with the parental strains belonging to sub-lineages 1.8 and 8.7, lineages 3 and 5, with the recombination events having occurred most frequently in the 5' and 3' termini of ORF1a and 5' terminus of ORF1b.

Time-dependent and clustering-induced phosphorescence, mechanochromism, structural-function relationships, and advanced information encryption based on isomeric effects and host-guest doping.

To explore the intrinsic mechanism of pure organic room temperature and clustering-induced phosphorescence and investigate mechanochromism and structural-function relationships, here, 4-(2-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-2-amino-6-methoxypyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (Lo-CzAD), 4-(3-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-2-amino-6-methoxypyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (Lm-CzAD), and 4-(4-(9H-carbazol-9-yl)phenyl)-2-amino-6-methoxypyridine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (Lp-CzAD) were designed and synthesized by choosing self-made carbazole and 3, 5-dicyanopyridine (DCP) unit as electron acceptor and electron donor in sequence. Compared with crystals Lm-CzAD and Lp-CzAD, crystal Lo-CzAD shows better room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) performance, with RTP lifetimes of 187.16 ms, as well as afterglows 1s, which are attributed to twisted carbazole unit and donor-acceptor (D-A) molecular conformation, big crystal density and spin orbit coupling constant ξ (S1 â†’ T1 and S1 â†’ T2), as well as intermolecular H type stacking and small ξ (S0 â†’ T1). By choosing urea and PPh3 as host materials and tuning doping ratio, four doping systems were successfully constructed, significantly improving RTP performance of Lo-CzAD and Lp-CzAD, as well as showing different fluorescence and RTP. The lifetimes and afterglows of pure organic Urea/Lo-CzAD and Urea/Lp-CzAD systems are up to 478.42 ms, 5 s, 261.66 ms and 4.5 s in turn. Moreover, Lo-CzAD and Lp-CzAD show time-dependent RTP in doping systems due to monomer and aggregate dispersion, as well as clustering-induced phosphorescence. Based on the different luminescent properties, multiple information encryptions were successfully constructed.

[Effectiveness of injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws combined with interbody fusion for thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws combined with interbody fusion for thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury. Methods: Between January 2017 and June 2022, 28 patients with thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury were underwent posterior depression, the injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws, and interbody fusion. There were 22 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 41.4 years (range, 22-58 years). The causes of injury included falling from height in 18 cases, traffic accident in 5 cases, and bruise in 5 cases. Fracture segment included 1 case of T 11, 7 cases of T 12, 9 cases of L 1, and 11 cases of L 2. According to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale, the spinal injuries were graded as grade A in 4 cases, grade B in 2 cases, grade C in 11 cases, and grade D in 11 cases. Preoperative spinal canal encroachment ratio was 17.7%-75.3% (mean, 44.0%); the thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS) ranged from 9 to 10 (mean, 9.9). Seventeen patients were associated with other injuries. The time from injury to operation ranged from 1 to 4 days (mean, 2.3 days). The perioperative indicators (operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and the occurrence of complications), clinical evaluation indicators [visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)], radiologic evaluation indicators [anterior vertebral height ratio (AVHR), kyphosis Cobb angle (KCA), intervertebral space height (ISH), vertebral wedge angle (VWA), displacement angle (DA), and percent fracture dislocation displacement (PFDD)], neurological function, and interbody fusion were recorded. Results: The operation time was 110-159 minutes (mean, 130.2 minutes). The intraoperative blood loss was 200-510 mL (mean, 354.3 mL). All incisions healed by first intention, and no surgical complications such as wound infection or hematoma occurred. All patients were followed up 12-15 months (mean, 12.7 months). The chest and lumbar pain significantly relieved, VAS scores and ODI after operation were significantly lower than those before operation, and further decreased with the extension of postoperative time, with significant differences ( P<0.05). At last follow-up, the ASIA classification of neurological function of the patients was grade A in 3 cases, grade B in 1 case, grade C in 1 case, grade D in 10 cases, and grade E in 13 cases, which was significantly different from preoperative one ( Z=-4.772, P<0.001). Imaging review showed that AVHR, KCA, ISH, VWA, DA, and PFDD significantly improved at 1 week, 3 months and last follow-up ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between different time points after operation ( P>0.05). At last follow-up, according to the modified Brantigan score, all patients achieved good intervertebral bone fusion, including 22 complete fusion and 6 good intervertebral fusion with a few clear lines. No complications such as internal fixation failure or kyphosis occurred during follow-up. Conclusion: The injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws combined with interbody fusion is an effective treatment for thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury, which can correct the fracture dislocation, release the nerve compression, restore the injured vertebral height, and reconstruct spinal stabilization.

Role of regulatory T cells in mouse lung development.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) constitute a specialized subset of T cells with dual immunoregulatory and modulatory functions. Recent studies have reported that Tregs mediate immune responses and regulate the development and repair processes in non-lymphoid tissues, including bone and cardiac muscle. Additionally, Tregs facilitate the repair and regeneration of damaged lung tissues. However, limited studies have examined the role of Tregs in pulmonary development. This study aimed to evaluate the role of Tregs in pulmonary development by investigating the dynamic alterations in Tregs and their hallmark cellular factor Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) at various stages of murine lung development and establishing a murine model of anti-CD25 antibody-induced Treg depletion. During the early stages of murine lung development, especially the canalicular and saccular stages, the levels of Treg abundance and expression of Foxp3 and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) were upregulated. This coincided with the proliferation period of alveolar epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells, indicating an adaptation to the dynamic lung developmental processes. Furthermore, the depletion of Tregs disrupted lung tissue morphology and downregulated lung development-related factors, such as surfactant protein C (SFTPC), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM1/CD31). These findings suggest that Tregs promote murine lung development.

[The number of FOXP3+regulatory T cells (Tregs) decreased and transformed into RORγt+FOXP3+Tregs in lung tissues of mice with bronchopulmonary dysplasia].

Objective To explore the phenotypic conversion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the lungs of mice with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)-affected mice. Methods A total of 20 newborn C57BL/6 mice were divided into air group and hyperoxia group, with 10 mice in each group. The BPD model was established by exposing the newborn mice to hyperoxia. Lung tissues from five mice in each group were collected on postnatal days 7 and 14, respectively. Histopathological changes of the lung tissues was detected by HE staining. The expression level of surfactant protein C (SP-C) in the lung tissues was examined by Western blot analysis. Flow cytometry was performed to assess the proportion of FOXP3+ Tregs and RORγt+FOXP3+ Tregs in CD4+ lymphocytes. The concentrations of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and IL-6 in lung homogenate were measured by using ELISA. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between FOXP3+Treg and the expression of SP-C and the correlation between RORγt+FOXP3+ Tregs and the content of IL-17A and IL-6. Results The hyperoxia group exhibited significantly decreased levels of SP-C and radical alveolar counts in comparison to the control group. The proportion of FOXP3+Tregs was reduced and that of RORγt+FOXP3+Tregs was increased. IL-17A and IL-6 concentrations were significantly increased. SP-C was positively correlated with the expression level of RORγt+FOXP3+ Tregs. RORγt+FOXP3+ Tregs and IL-17A and IL-6 concentrations were also positively correlated. Conclusion The number of FOXP3+ Tregs in lung tissue of BPD mice is decreased and converted to RORγt+ FOXP3+ Tregs, which may be involved in hyperoxy-induced lung injury.

IRF4 affects the protective effect of regulatory T cells on the pulmonary vasculature of a bronchopulmonary dysplasia mouse model by regulating FOXP3.

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common chronic lung disease in preterm infants, characterised by compromised alveolar development and pulmonary vascular abnormalities. Emerging evidence suggests that regulatory T cells (Tregs) may confer protective effects on the vasculature. Knockdown of their transcription factor, interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), has been shown to promote vascular endothelial hyperplasia. However, the involvement of Tregs and IRF4 in the BPD pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the regulation of Tregs by IRF4 and elucidate its potential role in pulmonary vasculature development in a BPD mouse model. METHODS: The BPD model was established using 85% hyperoxia exposure, with air exposure as the normal control. Lung tissues were collected after 7 or 14 days of air or hyperoxia exposure, respectively. Haematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to assess lung tissue pathology. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) level, flow cytometry to quantify Treg numbers, and Western blot to assess vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3), and IRF4 protein levels. We also examined the co-expression of IRF4 and FOXP3 proteins using immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence double staining. Furthermore, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 technology to knock down the IRF4 gene and observed changes in the aforementioned indicators to validate its effect on pulmonary vasculature development in mice. RESULTS: Elevated IRF4 levels in BPD model mice led to FOXP3 downregulation, reduced Treg numbers, and impaired pulmonary vascular development. Knockdown of IRF4 resulted in improved pulmonary vascular development and upregulated FOXP3 level. CONCLUSION: IRF4 may affect the protective role of Tregs in the proliferation of pulmonary vascular endothelial cells and pulmonary vascular development in BPD model mice by inhibiting the FOXP3 level.

A Nanoplatform Based on Pillar[5]arene Nanovalves for Combined Drug Delivery and Enhanced Antitumor Activity.

Modern nanodrug delivery technologies offer new approaches in the fight against cancer. However, due to the heterogeneity of tumors and side effects of anticancer drugs, monotherapies are less effective. Herein, we report a novel pH and light dual-responsive nanodrug delivery platform. The platform was formed by sulfonate-modified gold nanoparticles loaded with the anticancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and glucose oxidase (GOx) and then covered by water-soluble pillar[5]arene as a nanovalve. The nanovalve formed by the host-guest interaction between pillar[5]arene and the sulfonic acid group grafted onto the gold nanoparticle increased the drug loading capacity of the nanoplatform and enabled sustained release of the drug in a simulated weakly acidic tumor environment. The released GOx can consume intracellular glucose, namely, starvation therapy, while the generated hydrogen peroxide can further kill tumor cells, complementing DOX chemotherapy. Gold nanoparticles have good photothermal conversion ability and can enhance the drugs release rate under specific wavelengths of light irradiation. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that this novel nanodrug delivery platform has good biocompatibility and better therapeutic efficacy relative to monotherapy. This study successfully developed a combined chemo/starvation therapy strategy with good tumor suppression, providing a new approach for cancer treatment.

Outbreak of piglet diarrhea associated with a new reassortant porcine rotavirus B.

Rotavirus B (RVB) is a causative agent leading to acute viral gastroenteritis diarrhea in both children and young animals, and has been commonly detected in piglets. In order to determine the causative agent of diarrheal outbreak occurring in December 2022 in piglets from a pig herd in Luoyang, Henan province of China, four common viral pathogens causing piglet diarrhea-three coronaviruses and rotavirus A (RVA) were first tested and found negative, therefore metagenomic sequencing was performed to explore other potential pathogens in the diarrheal samples. Unexpectedly, the most abundant viral reads mapped to RVB, and were de novo assembled to complete 11 viral gene segments. Sequence comparisons revealed that 5 gene segments encoding VP1, VP2, VP3, NSP3 and NSP4 of RVB strain designated as HNLY-2022 are most closely related to RVB strains derived from herbivores with low nucleotide similarities of 65.7-75.3%, and the remaining segments were relatively close to porcine RVB strains with the VP4 gene segment showing very low nucleotide identity (65.0%) with reference strains, indicating HNLY-2022 is a new reassortant RVB strain. Based on the previously proposed genotype classification criterion, the genotype constellation of RVB strain HNLY-2022 is G6-P[6]-I4-R6-C6-M6-A7-N5-T7-E5-H4 with more than half of the genotypes (P[6], R6, C6, M6, T7 and E5) newly reported. Therefore, the new reassortant RVB strain is the likely causative agent for the diarrheal outbreak of piglets occurred in China and more epidemiological studies should be conducted to monitor the spread of this newly identified porcine RVB strain.

Co-application of concentrated biogas slurry and pyroligneous liquor mitigates ammonia emission and sustainably releases ammonium from paddy soil.

Biogas production causes vast amounts of biogas slurry (BS). Application of BS to croplands can substitute chemical fertilizers while result in higher ammonia emissions. Tremendous variation of ammonium concentration in different BSs induces imprecise substitution, while concentrated BS holds higher and more stable ammonium. Pyroligneous liquor, an acidic aqueous liquid from biochar production, can be used with concentrated BS to reduce ammonia emission. However, the effects of combining concentrated BS with pyroligneous liquor on ammonia emission and soil (nitrogen) N transformation have been poorly reported. In this study, a field experiment applying concentrated BS only, or combining with 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % pyroligneous liquor (v/v) for substituting 60 % N of single rice cultivation was conducted by contrast with chemical fertilization. The results showed that substituting chemical N fertilizers with concentrated BS increased 24.6 % ammonia emission. In comparison, applying 5 %, 10 %, and 20 % pyroligneous liquor with concentrated BS reduced 4.9 %, 20.3 %, and 24.4 % ammonia emissions, respectively. Applying concentrated BS with more pyroligneous liquor preserved higher ammonium and dissolved organic carbon in floodwater, and induced higher nitrate concentration after fertilization. Whereas soil ammonium and nitrate contents were decreased along with more pyroligneous liquor application before and after the topdressing and exhibited sustainable release until rice harvest. In comparison, the soil N mineralization and nitrification rates were occasionally elevated, while the activities of soil urease, protease, nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase had multiple responses. Applying concentrated BS only, or combining with 5 %, 10, and 20 % pyroligneous liquor, have little effect on soil basic properties but inorganic N. In summary, applying concentrated BS with >10 % pyroligneous liquor could preserve more N with sustainable release and potentially lower N loss to the atmosphere, and we proposed that applying 13.5 % pyroligneous liquor in concentrated BS could achieve maximum soil fertility and minimum ammonia emission.

TRPC6 promotes daunorubicin-induced mitochondrial fission and cell death in rat cardiomyocytes with the involvement of ERK1/2-DRP1 activation.

Daunorubicin (DNR-) induced cardiotoxicity seriously restricts its clinical application. Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily C member 6 (TRPC6) is involved in multiple cardiovascular physiological and pathophysiological processes. However, the role of TRPC6 anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity (AIC) remains unclear. Mitochondrial fragmentation greatly promotes AIC. TRPC6-mediated ERK1/2 activation has been shown to favor mitochondrial fission in dentate granule cells. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effects of TRPC6 on daunorubicin- induced cardiotoxicity and identify the mechanisms associated with mitochondrial dynamics. The sparkling results showed that TRPC6 was upregulated in models in vitro and in vivo. TRPC6 knockdown protected cardiomyocytes from DNR-induced cell apoptosis and death. DNR largely facilitated mitochondrial fission, boosted mitochondrial membrane potential collapse and damaged debilitated mitochondrial respiratory function in H9c2 cells，these effects were accompanied by TRPC6 upregulation. siTRPC6 effectively inhibited these mitochondrial adverse aspects showing a positive unexposed effect on mitochondrial morphology and function. Concomitantly, ERK1/2-DRP1 which is related to mitochondrial fission was significantly activated with amplified phosphorylated forms in DNR-treated H9c2 cells. siTRPC6 effectively suppressed ERK1/2-DPR1 over activation, hinting at a potential correlation between TRPC6 and ERK1/2-DRP1 by which mitochondrial dynamics are possibly modulated in AIC. TRPC6 knockdown also raised the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, which may help to block mitochondrial fragmentation-related functional impairment and apoptotic signaling. These findings suggested an essential role of TRPC6 in AIC by intensifying mitochondrial fission and cell death via ERK1/2-DPR1, which could be a potential therapeutic target for AIC.

Virus diversity, wildlife-domestic animal circulation and potential zoonotic viruses of small mammals, pangolins and zoo animals.

Wildlife is reservoir of emerging viruses. Here we identified 27 families of mammalian viruses from 1981 wild animals and 194 zoo animals collected from south China between 2015 and 2022, isolated and characterized the pathogenicity of eight viruses. Bats harbor high diversity of coronaviruses, picornaviruses and astroviruses, and a potentially novel genus of Bornaviridae. In addition to the reported SARSr-CoV-2 and HKU4-CoV-like viruses, picornavirus and respiroviruses also likely circulate between bats and pangolins. Pikas harbor a new clade of Embecovirus and a new genus of arenaviruses. Further, the potential cross-species transmission of RNA viruses (paramyxovirus and astrovirus) and DNA viruses (pseudorabies virus, porcine circovirus 2, porcine circovirus 3 and parvovirus) between wildlife and domestic animals was identified, complicating wildlife protection and the prevention and control of these diseases in domestic animals. This study provides a nuanced view of the frequency of host-jumping events, as well as assessments of zoonotic risk.

Enlargement of the Middle Meningeal Artery may be an Initiating Factor of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: Three Rase reports and a Literature Review.

Middle Meningeal Artery (MMA) embolization for the treatment of refractory Chronic Subdural Hematoma (CSDH) was first described by Mandai et al. in 2000. Since then, more surgeons have begun to pay attention to such surgery to treat CSDH and explore the changes in the middle meningeal artery in the formation of hematomas. We have presented three cases of chronic subdural hematoma after head trauma and compared the diameter of the middle meningeal artery in MRA images before and after chronic subdural hematoma to discuss our new understanding of CSDH.

Ballistic two-dimensional InSe transistors.

The International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) forecasts that, for silicon-based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect transistors (FETs), the scaling of the gate length will stop at 12 nm and the ultimate supply voltage will not decrease to less than 0.6 V (ref. 1). This defines the final integration density and power consumption at the end of the scaling process for silicon-based chips. In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors with atom-scale thicknesses have been explored as potential channel materials to support further miniaturization and integrated electronics. However, so far, no 2D semiconductor-based FETs have exhibited performances that can surpass state-of-the-art silicon FETs. Here we report a FET with 2D indium selenide (InSe) with high thermal velocity as channel material that operates at 0.5 V and achieves record high transconductance of 6 mS µm-1 and a room-temperature ballistic ratio in the saturation region of 83%, surpassing those of any reported silicon FETs. An yttrium-doping-induced phase-transition method is developed for making ohmic contacts with InSe and the InSe FET is scaled down to 10 nm in channel length. Our InSe FETs can effectively suppress short-channel effects with a low subthreshold swing (SS) of 75 mV per decade and drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) of 22 mV V-1. Furthermore, low contact resistance of 62 Ω µm is reliably extracted in 10-nm ballistic InSe FETs, leading to a smaller intrinsic delay and much lower energy-delay product (EDP) than the predicted silicon limit.

Cadmium mobility and health risk assessment in the soil-rice-human system using in vitro biaccessibility and in vivo bioavailability assay: Two year field experiment.

Humans are mainly exposed to cadmium (Cd) due to the rice consumption, however there exist considerable differences across rice cultivars in terms of Cd absorption and accumulation in the grains, and subsequent release after digestion (bioaccessibility), as well as uptake by Caco-2 cells of humans (bioavailability). This study comprised of field and lab simulation trials where in the field, firstly 39 mid-rice cultivars were screened for their phytoremediation potential coupled with safe production in relation to uptake and translocation of Cd. Lower Cd concentrations (˂0.2 mg kg-1) in polished rice of 74 % cultivars were ascribed to the increased root to straw translocation indicating that straw may acquire higher accumulation of Cd. Furthermore, the ionomic profile demonstrated that the spatial distribution of metals in different rice organs corresponds to the plant growth morphology. In the second year, in vitro-in vivo assay model was employed to assess the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of Cd in polished rice and to further estimate the daily Cd intake by humans through rice grains. The results of bioaccessibility and bioavailability assays and daily estimated Cd intake presented the corresponding values of 39.02-59.76 %, 8.69-24.26 %, and 0.0185-0.9713 µg kg-1 body weight day-1, respectively. There exists a strong connection between total Cd and bioaccessible Cd to humans (R2 = 0.94, P < 0.01). Polynomial fitting (R2 = 0.91, P < 0.01) showed a better statistically significant correlation between total Cd contents and bioavailable levels, suggesting that in vitro-in vivo assays should be considered in future studies. The results of field experiments and in vitro-in vivo assays recommended the Tianyouhuazhan (MR-29), Heliangyou1hao (MR-17), and Yongyou15 (MR-1) as suitable mid-rice cultivars for the phytoremediation of slightly Cd contaminated soils coupled with rice agro-production due to their high nutritional value and low total and bioavailable Cd for human.

Inhibition of osteosarcoma cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo in mice model by alstonine through AMPK-activation and PGC-1α/TFAM up-regulation.

Osteosarcoma, a leading malignant tumor of bones is diagnosed mostly in adolescents and young adults worldwide. The present study investigated alstonine as anti-osteosarcoma agent in vitro as well as in vivo and evaluated the underlying mechanism. Treatment with alstonine led to a significant (P<0.05) reduction in MG63 and U-2OS cell viability. Alstonine treatment of MG63 and U-2OS cells caused a significant reduction in colony formation compared to the control cells. Viability of osteoblasts was not affected by alstonine treatment in 1.25 to 20 µM concentration range. In alstonine treated MG63 and U-2OS cells apoptotic cells increased significantly (P<0.05) compared to the control cells. Moreover, in MG63 and U-2OS cells treatment with alstonine caused a prominent increase in expression of cleaved caspase-9, caspase-3, and PARP. Treatment of MG63 and U-2OS cells with alstonine caused a prominent increase in AMPKα (Thr172) phosphorylation and elevated the count of mtDNA copies compared to the untreated cells. Alstonine treatment of the cells caused a remarkable increase in expression of PGC-1α and TFAM proteins. Treatment of the mice with alstonine at 5 and 10 mg/kg doses for 30 days caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction in xenograft growth. Expression of PGC-1α and TFAM proteins in tumor tissues of the mice treated with alstonine was significantly (P<0.05) raised compared to the control group. Thus, alstonine inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth and activates apoptosis through AMPK dependent pathway. Therefore, alstonine may be considered for treatment of osteosarcoma as it effectively arrests tumor growth in mice.

Severe Acute Hepatitis Outbreaks Associated with a Novel Hepacivirus in Rhizomys pruinosus in Hainan, China.

Members of the genus Hepacivirus have a broad range of hosts, with at least 14 species identified. To date, a highly pathogenic hepacivirus causing severe disease in animals has not been found. Here, by using high-throughput sequencing, a new hepacivirus was identified as the dominant and highly pathogenic virus in severe acute hepatitis outbreaks in bamboo rats (Rhizomys pruinosus), with ≈80% mortality; this virus emerged in February 2020 in two bamboo rat farms in China. Hepaciviral genome copies in bamboo rat liver were significantly higher than in other organs. Genomic sequences of hepacivirus strains from 12 sick bamboo rats were found to share 85.3 to 100% nucleotide (nt) identity and 94.9 to 100% amino acid (aa) identity and to share 79.7 to 87.8% nt and 90.4 to 97.8% aa identities with previously reported bamboo rat hepaciviruses of Vietnam and China. Sequence analysis further revealed the simultaneous circulation of genetically divergent hepacivirus variants within the two outbreaks. Phylogenetic analysis showed that hepacivirus strains from the present and previous studies formed an independent clade comprised of at least two genotypes, clearly different from all other known species, suggesting a novel species within the genus Hepacivirus. This is the first report of a non-human-infecting hepacivirus causing potentially fatal infection of bamboo rats, and the associated hepatitis in the animals potentially can be used to develop a surrogate model for the study of hepatitis C virus infection in humans and for the development of therapeutic strategies. IMPORTANCE Members of the genus Hepacivirus have a broad host range, with at least 14 species identified, but none is highly pathogenic to its host except for hepatitis C virus, which causes severe liver diseases in humans. In this study, a new liver-tropic hepacivirus species was identified by high-throughput sequencing as the pathogen associated with two outbreaks of severely acute hepatitis in hoary bamboo rats (Rhizomys pruinosus) on two farms in Hainan Province, China; this is the first reported highly pathogenic animal hepacivirus to our knowledge. Further phylogenetic analysis suggested that the hepaciviruses derived from hoary bamboo rats in either the current or previous studies represent a novel species within the genus Hepacivirus. This finding is a breakthrough that has significantly updated our understanding about the pathogenicity of animal hepaciviruses, and the hepacivirus-associated hepatitis in bamboo rats may have a use as an animal infection model to understand HCV infection and develop therapeutic strategies.

Strain-Free Layered Semiconductors for 2D Transistors with On-State Current Density Exceeding 1.3 mA µm-1.

High-mobility and air-stable two-dimensional (2D) Bi2O2Se semiconductor holds promise as an alternative fast channel material for next-generation transistors. However, one of the key challenges remaining in 2D Bi2O2Se is to prepare high-quality crystals to fabricate the high-performance transistors with a high on-state current density. Here, we present the free-standing growth of strain-free 2D Bi2O2Se crystals. An ultrahigh Hall mobility of 160 000 cm2 V-1 s-1 is measured in strain-free Bi2O2Se crystals at 2 K, which enables the observation of Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations and shows substantially higher (>4 times) mobility over previous in-plane 2D crystals. The fabricated 2D transistors feature an on-off current ratio of ∼106 and a record-high on-state current density of ∼1.33 mA µm-1, which is comparable to that of commercial Si and Ge n-type field-effect transistors (FETs) for similar channel length. Strain-free 2D Bi2O2Se provides a promising material platform for studying novel quantum phenomena and exploration of high-performance low-power electronics.

Enantioselective Cascade Annulation of α-Amino-ynones and Enals Enabled by Gold and Oxidative NHC Relay Catalysis.

We report herein an unprecedented gold and oxidative NHC relay catalysis that enables highly enantioselective cascade annulation between readily available α-amino-ynones with enals. This method utilizes the in situ-generated pyrrolin-4-ones as a novel and versatile synthon, which engage with α,ß-unsaturated acylazolium intermediates generated from enals by oxidative NHC catalysis to produce pyrrole-fused lactones in high yield and excellent enantioselectivity. Synthetic utility of the lactone products is also demonstrated by facile conversion to densely functionalized pyrroles and pyrrolin-4-ones in high yields with excellent stereopurity.

Mammalian birnaviruses identified in pigs infected by classical swine fever virus.

Currently, the Birnaviridae family contains four genera with all members identified from birds, fishes, and insects only. The present study reports a novel birnavirus unexpectedly identified from classical swine fever virus-infected pigs by viral metagenomic analysis, which is, therefore, named as porcine birnavirus (PBRV). Follow-up reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) screening of archived tissues of diseased pigs identified 16 PBRV strains from nine provinces/autonomous regions in China spanning 21 years (1998-2019), and the viral loads of PBRV in clinical samples were 105.08-107.95 genome copies per 0.1 g tissue, showing the replication of PBRVs in the pigs. Genome-based sequence comparison showed that PBRVs are genetically distant from existing members within the Birnaviridae family with 45.8-61.6 per cent and 46.2-63.2 per cent nucleotide sequence similarities in segments A and B, respectively, and the relatively closed viruses are avibirnavirus strains. In addition, indels of 57, 5, and 18 amino acid residues occurred in 16, 2, and 7 locations of the PBRV polyprotein and VP5 and VP1 proteins, respectively, as compared to the reference avibirnaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PBRVs formed an independent genotype separated from four other genera, which could be classified into two or three subgenotypes (PBRV-A1-2 and PBRV-B1-3) based on the nucleotide sequences of full preVP2 and VP1 genes, respectively. All results showed that PBRV represents a novel porcine virus species, which constitutes the first mammalian birnavirus taxon, thereby naming as Mambirnavirus genus is proposed.

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation before surgery reduces chronic pain after mastectomy: A randomized clinical trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Despite multiple interventions, the incidence of chronic pain after mastectomy could be as high as 50% after surgery. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) before anesthesia induction in reducing chronic pain and to compare the effect of combined acupoint TEAS with that of single acupoint TEAS. DESIGN: A multicenter randomized clinical trial. SETTING: The study was conducted at six medical centers in China from May 2016 to April 2018. Final follow-up was on October 26, 2018. PARTICIPANTS: Eligible patients were women scheduled for radical mastectomy under general anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly and equally grouped into sham control (n = 188), single acupoint (PC6, n = 198), or combined acupoints (PC6 and CV17, n = 190) TEAS groups using a centralized computer-generated randomization system. TEAS was applied for 30 min before anesthesia induction. The sham-operated control group received electrode attachment but without stimulation. Anesthesiologists, surgeons, and outcome assessors were blinded to the interventions. MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the incidence of chronic pain 6 months after surgery. Incidences were compared among the groups using the unadjusted χ2 test. RESULTS: Of the 576 randomized patients, 568 completed the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, post-mastectomy pain at 6 months was reported in 42 of 190 patients (22.1%) in the combined acupoints group, 65 of 188 patients (34.6%) in the sham-operated group (P = 0.007; relative risk [RR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68, 0.52-0.89), and 72 of 198 patients (36.4%) in the single acupoint group (P = 0.002; RR, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.55-0.93). Remifentanil consumption during surgery and postoperative nausea and vomiting at 24 h after surgery were lower in the combined acupoint group than that in the sham-operated group. CONCLUSION: TEAS at combined acupoints before surgery was associated with reduced chronic pain 6 months after surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02741726. Registered on April 13, 2016.