ABSTRACT
The bottleneck in the preparation of supercapacitors is how to develop high-energy and high-power-density devices by using appropriate materials. Herein, a novel NixCo3-x-B/GO heterostructure material was synthesized through a simple ultrasonic and precipitation method. The prepared NixCo3-x-B/GO heterostructure exhibits significant improvements in supercapacitor performance than NixCo3-x-B. The presence of GO effectively suppresses the excessive growth and accumulation of NixCo3-x-B; therefore, Ni2.7Co0.3-B/GO exhibits the best performance as an electrode material for supercapacitors: a high specific capacitance (Cm, 1789.72 F g-1@1 A g-1) and excellent rate performance. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device of Ni2.7Co0.3-B/GO//AC exhibits a Cm of 76.6 F g-1@1 A g-1, a large voltage window of 1.6 V, and a high energy density (ED) of 98.0 Wh kg-1. Furthermore, a flexible, all-solid-state supercapacitor assembled with Ni2.7Co0.3-B/GO as both the positive and negative electrodes demonstrates a Cm of 46.9 F g-1@1 A g-1. Even after multiple folding and bending at various angles, the device maintains excellent performance, showcasing remarkable stability. With a power density (PD) of 479.7 W kg-1, the device achieves a high ED of 60.0 Wh kg-1. This work provides valuable insights into the synergistic effects in electrochemical processes based on heterostructure materials.
ABSTRACT
The rational design of nonnoble-metal-based catalysts with high electroactivity and long-term stability, featuring controllable active sites, remains a significant challenge for achieving effective water electrolysis. Herein, a heterogeneous catalyst with a FeCo-S and Ni2P heterostructure (denoted FeCo-S/Ni2P/NF) grown on nickel foam (NF) was synthesized by a solvothermal method and low-temperature phosphorization. The FeCo-S/Ni2P/NF catalyst shows excellent electrocatalytic performance and stability in alkaline solution. The FeCo-S/Ni2P/NF catalyst demonstrates low overpotentials (η) for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) (49 mV@10 mA cm-2) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) (279 mV@100 mA cm-2). Assembling the FeCo-S/Ni2P/NF catalyst as both cathode and anode in an electrolytic cell for overall water splitting (OWS) needs an ultralow cell voltage of 1.57 V to attain a current density (CD) of 300 mA cm-2. Furthermore, it demonstrates excellent durability, significantly outperforming the commercial Pt/Câ¥IrO2 system. The results of experiments indicate that the heterostructure and synergistic effect of FeCo-S and Ni2P can significantly enhance conductivity, facilitate mass/ion transport and gas evolution, and expose more active sites, thereby improving the catalytic activity of the electrocatalyst for the OWS. This study provides a rational approach for the development of commercially promising dual-functional electrocatalysts.
ABSTRACT
Background: Although both anemia and schizophrenia (SCZ) can cause cognitive decline, it is unclear whether anemia worsens cognitive decline in patients with SCZ. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anemia and the relationship between anemia, SCZ symptom severity, and cognitive function in patients with SCZ. Methods: We obtained demographic and clinical data from 1690 inpatients with SCZ. All psychiatric symptoms and cognitive functioning were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Repeated Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Hemoglobin (HGB) values as well as red blood cell (RBC) counts were collected by routine blood tests. Results: The proportion of anemia in patients with SCZ was 26.36 % (383/1453). Compared to SCZ patients without anemia, SCZ patients with anemia were older, had a lower bodyweight, a smaller waist circumference and lower apolipoprotein B levels, but longer QT intervals. Further logistic regression analysis revealed that anemia was associated with age, gender, and weight. In addition, there was no difference in cognitive function between SCZ patients with and without anemia. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a high proportion of anemia in patients with chronic SCZ in the Han Chinese population. Several demographic and clinical variables are associated with anemia in SCZ patients.
ABSTRACT
Carbon adsorbents have been widely used to remove indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs), however, the proliferation of bacteria on the carbon adsorbents may deteriorate the indoor air quality and thus pose a serious threat to human health. Herein, we report the synthesis of antibacterial porous carbon spheres (carbonized aminophenol-formaldehyde resin, CAF) with well-dispersed Cu species via an in situ incorporation of Cu2+ during the polymerization of 3-aminophenol-formaldehyde resin followed by a thermal carbonization and reduction process. Compared with CAF, the Cu/CAF-x nanocomposites with Cu loading show a much higher specific surface area (>700 m2 g-1vs. 569 m2 g-1 for CAF). In addition, the pore size of Cu/CAF-x is ranging from 0.7 to 1.68 nm, which is exactly conducive to adsorb the toluene molecules. As a result, the toluene adsorption capacity is improved from 123.50 mg g-1 for CAF to >170 mg g-1 for Cu/CAF-x. More importantly, such adsorbents possess excellent antibacterial performance, the Cu/CAF-10 (10 wt% of Cu loading) with a concentration of 50 µg mL-1 can completely kill the E. coli within 30 min. Our work paves the way to the development of bifunctional adsorbents with both efficient VOCs adsorption and excellent antibacterial performance.
Subject(s)
Carbon , Nanospheres , Humans , Toluene , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Escherichia coli , Formaldehyde , AdsorptionABSTRACT
As a clean and environmentally friendly energy source, deep oil and gas has always been the focus of the oil and gas industry. The study of hydrocarbon accumulation in deep strike-slip fault zones is a challenging and important area of research in the oil and gas industry. In particular, accurately modeling oil and gas accumulation in the Yuemenxi area of the Tarim Basin presents significant difficulties due to the varying physical properties and gas composition of the Ordovician reservoirs, as well as the complex origin of oil and gas in the area. However, by calculating biomarker parameter maturity on oil samples from strike-slip faults, researchers have discovered that the light oil in the area is sourced from high maturity source rocks in the Later Caledonian, with vitrinite reflectance ranging from 0.79% to 1.11%. The complete distribution of n-alkanes and high concentration of low-carbon n-alkanes in the crude oil suggest that the fluid in the reservoir has not undergone any secondary alteration since its initial accumulation. The carbon isotope and component ratio analysis of natural gas in the Yuemanxi area indicates that the Ordovician natural gas is predominantly kerogen cracking gas. Comprehensive hydrocarbon genesis and accumulation conditions, this paper presents a differential accumulation model for the Ordovician reservoirs in the region, which were controlled by strike-slip faults and source rocks. Based on these findings, it can be inferred that there is significant potential for oil and gas exploration and development in the deeper layers of these strike-slip fault zones.
Subject(s)
Hydrocarbons , Natural Gas , Alkanes , Carbon , Energy-Generating ResourcesABSTRACT
Rabies virus (RABV) causes a fatal encephalitis that can be prevented through timely vaccination. The levels of virus neutralising antibodies against rabies virus induced by vaccination can be measured using the fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation (FAVN) test. Following incubation of live virus with sera, this method involves the fixation of cell monolayers and staining of rabies virus-specific antigen using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) -conjugated antibody to enable visualisation of rabies virus antigen using a fluorescence microscope. To simplify this procedure, a fluorescent recombinant rabies virus was constructed using reverse genetics by inserting the gene for the mCherry fluorescent protein in front of the ribonucleoprotein gene of the SAD B-19 genome and replacing its glycoprotein with that of the Challenge Virus Standard (CVS)-11 RABV strain to ensure antigenic authenticity with the FAVN. This new recombinant virus (termed mCCCG) expressed the mCherry protein to high levels enabling direct observation of infected cells. In vitro growth kinetics of mCCCG were indistinguishable from that of CVS-11. The stability of the recombinant virus was assessed by sequencing several passages of the rescued virus and only minor changes were detected. Comparative assessment of the virus neutralisation test using mCherry producing virus (NTmCV) against the FAVN demonstrated that test results were equivalent to each other; therefore, mCCCG can be used as an alternative to CVS-11 for measuring antibody titres against the rabies virus. The use of NTmCV removes the need for expensive antibody conjugates and significantly reduces assay time. This would be particularly beneficial for RABV serological assessment in resource limited settings. Moreover, the reading of the plates can be automatically using a cell imaging reader.
Subject(s)
Rabies Vaccines , Rabies virus , Rabies , Humans , Rabies virus/genetics , Antibodies, Viral , Neutralization Tests/methods , Antigens, Viral , Antibodies, NeutralizingABSTRACT
Infection with the rabies virus (RABV) results in a 100% lethal neurological disease once symptoms develop. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) consists of a combination of vaccination and anti-rabies immunoglobulins (RIGs); it is 100% effective if administered early after exposure. Because of its limited availability, alternatives for RIGs are needed. To that end, we evaluated a panel of 33 different lectins for their effect on RABV infection in cell culture. Several lectins, with either mannose or GlcNAc specificity, elicited anti-RABV activity, of which the GlcNAc-specific Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA) was selected for further studies. UDA was found to prevent the entry of the virus into the host cell. To further assess the potential of UDA, a physiologically relevant RABV infection muscle explant model was developed. Strips of dissected swine skeletal muscle that were kept in a culture medium could be productively infected with the RABV. When the infection of the muscle strips was carried out in the presence of UDA, RABV replication was completely prevented. Thus, we developed a physiologically relevant RABV muscle infection model. UDA (i) may serve as a reference for further studies and (ii) holds promise as a cheap and simple-to-produce alternative for RIGs in PEP.
ABSTRACT
A well-organized construction of hybrid metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with exquisite structures is vital due to their potential applications. Herein, a novel hybrid nanostructure of UiO-66-on-ZIF-67, denoted as MZU-CoxZry (x and y represent the mass ratios of ZIF-67 and UiO-66, respectively), was successfully prepared by a simple method and showed a highly efficient and stable bifunctionality of both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline medium. The MZU-Co2.5Zr1 shows remarkable OER performance with a low overpotential of 252 mV and an overpotential of 172 mV @ 10 mA/cm2 for HER in 1 mol/L KOH. With MZU-Co2.5Zr1 as the cathode and anode, the integrated water decomposition device has achieved low total potentials of 1.56 V @ 10 mA/cm2 and 1.59 V @ 30 mA/cm2, exhibiting its excellent performance of overall water splitting. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism of the superior electrocatalytic performance of MZU-CoxZry was discussed. This work supplies guidance for the rational design of non-precious composites for energy conversion.
ABSTRACT
Vaccine platforms enable fast development, testing, and manufacture of more affordable vaccines. Here, we evaluated Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigens (GMMA), outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) generated by genetically modified Gram-negative bacteria, as a vaccine platform for viral pathogens. Influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA), either physically mixed with GMMA (HA+STmGMMA mix), or covalently linked to GMMA surface (HA-STmGMMA conjugate), significantly increased antigen-specific humoral and cellular responses, with HA-STmGMMA conjugate inducing further enhancement than HA+STmGMMA mix. HA-STmGMMA conjugate protected mice from lethal challenge. The versatility for this platform was confirmed by conjugation of rabies glycoprotein (RABVG) onto GMMA through the same method. RABVG+STmGMMA mix and RABVG-STmGMMA conjugate exhibited similar humoral and cellular response patterns and protection efficacy as the HA formulations, indicating relatively consistent responses for different vaccines based on the GMMA platform. Comparing to soluble protein, GMMA was more efficiently taken up in vivo and exhibited a B-cell preferential uptake in the draining lymph nodes (LNs). Together, GMMA enhances immunity against viral antigens, and the platform works well with different antigens while retaining similar immunomodulatory patterns. The findings of our study imply the great potential of GMMA-based vaccine platform also against viral infectious diseases.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Viral , Vaccines , Mice , Animals , MembranesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chronic pain (CP) has been a major area of interest in the field of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), further aggravating the dysthymia, stiffness, and dysfunction of KOA patients. As an important part of complementary and alternative medicine, Tai Chi has a positive effect on KOA patients. The systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for KOA patients with CP. METHODS: A systematic search will be performed in the following electronic databases for randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi in treating chronic pain of knee osteoarthritis: the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, OVID-MEDLINE, and four Chinese databases (Wan Fang, CNKI, CBMdisc and VIP). Each database will be searched from inception to Dec. 2021. The process will include study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis. RESULTS: This proposed study will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for KOA patients with CP. Improvement in pain and adverse effects of KOA will be included in our measure. CONCLUSIONS: This proposed systematic review and meta-analysis will evaluate the existing evidence on the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi for KOA patients with CP. DISSEMINATION AND ETHICS: The results of this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication. This review does not require ethical approval because all of the data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis have already been published. Furthermore, all of these data will be analyzed anonymously during the review process. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2021120020.
Subject(s)
Chronic Pain , Osteoarthritis, Knee , Tai Ji , Chronic Pain/therapy , Humans , Meta-Analysis as Topic , Osteoarthritis, Knee/complications , Osteoarthritis, Knee/therapy , Research Design , Systematic Reviews as TopicABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chronic pain (CP) is a common and debilitating symptom in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Massage has been supported as a non-pharmacological intervention for the individual symptom relief of CP. However, relevant evidence of using massage for CP in patients with KOA has been lacking. METHODS: A systematic search will be performed in the following electronic databases for randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage for CP of KOA: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library databases from their inception to December 2021. The entire process will include study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis. RESULTS: This proposed study will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage for CP in patients with KOA. Changes in pain relief and adverse effect will be included in our outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will provide evidence for assessing the credibility of massage for CP in patients with KOA. DISSEMINATION AND ETHICS: The results of this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication. This review does not require ethical approval because all of the data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis have already been published. Furthermore, all of these data will be analyzed anonymously during the review process.
Subject(s)
Chronic Pain/therapy , Massage , Osteoarthritis, Knee/therapy , Humans , Meta-Analysis as Topic , Osteoarthritis, Knee/complications , Research Design , Systematic Reviews as TopicABSTRACT
Lagos bat lyssavirus (LBV) comprising four lineages (A, B, C and D) can potentially cause the fatal disease rabies. Although LBV-B was initially isolated in Nigeria in 1956, there is no information on LBV lineages circulating in Nigeria. This study was undertaken for the first time to measure the neutralizing antibodies against four lineages of LBVs in straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) in Makurdi, Nigeria. Serum samples (n = 180) collected during two periods (November 2017-March 2018 and November 2018-March 2019) from terminally bled bats captured for human consumption were tested using a modified fluorescent antibody virus neutralization (mFAVN) assay. A high proportion of bat sera (74%) neutralized at least one lineage of LBV (with reciprocal titers from 9 to >420.89) and most of them neutralized LBV-A (63%), followed by LBV-D (49%), LBV-C (45%) and LBV-B (24%). The majority of positive sera (75%, n = 100) neutralized multiple LBV lineages while the remaining 25% (n = 33) neutralized only a single lineage, i.e., LBV-A (n = 23), LBV-D (n = 8) and LBV-C (n = 2). None exclusively neutralized LBV-B. The results suggest that exposure to LBV is common in E. helvum and that LBV-A (but not LBV-B) is likely to be circulating in this region of Nigeria.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , Chiroptera/virology , Lyssavirus/immunology , Rabies/virology , Rhabdoviridae Infections/virology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Animals , Female , Humans , Lyssavirus/isolation & purification , Male , Middle Aged , Nigeria/epidemiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Athletic injuries have been a major area of interest in the field of sports and clinical medicine. Implemented on people's skin, muscles, and joints as an important part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), massage therapy has a positive effect on athletic injuries. This protocol is to provide the methods used to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage therapy for patients with athletic injuries. METHODS: A systematic search will be performed in the following electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of massage therapy in treating athletic injuries: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and four Chinese databases (CNKI, Wan Fang, CBMdisc and VIP). Each database will be searched from inception to July 2021. The entire process will include study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis. RESULTS: A high-quality synthesis of current evidence of massage therapy for patients with athletic injuries will be provided. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will provide evidence for assessing the credibility of massage therapy for patients with athletic injuries. DISSEMINATION AND ETHICS: The results of this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication. This review does not require ethical approval because all the data used in this systematic review and meta-analysis have already been published. Furthermore, all of these data will be analyzed anonymously during the review process. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202170066.
Subject(s)
Athletic Injuries/therapy , Massage/methods , Humans , Treatment Outcome , Meta-Analysis as TopicABSTRACT
Human fatalities caused by rabies are rarely reported in Jordan; however, domestic animals are more likely to fall victim to rabies compared to wild animals, at least this is the case in Jordan due to the presence of canine rabies. In this study, twelve brain samples from domestic and wild animals suspected of being infected with rabies virus from different regions of Jordan were collected during 2019. Seven of them tested positive using the fluorescent antibody test and real-time SYBR RT-PCR assay. Five specimens were from stray dogs and two from foxes. The whole genome sequences were obtained from the positive samples. Sequence analysis showed that one dog virus from Al Quwaysimah city located in Amman governorate, was closely related to an Israeli strain belonging to a Cosmopolitan ME1a clade. The genomes of the remaining six viruses (four from dogs and two from foxes) collected from different areas of Jordan were genetically-related to each other and clustered together with sequences from Iran and Turkey; all belong to Cosmopolitan ME2 clade. These sequences were analyzed with six other Jordanian rabies virus nucleoprotein (N) gene sequences available in the public database, five of them belong to ME1a clade and one belongs to ME1b clade. Rabies virus whole genome data is scarce across the Middle East. This study provides a better understanding of the molecular epidemiology of rabies virus in the region.
Subject(s)
Dog Diseases/epidemiology , Rabies virus/genetics , Rabies/veterinary , Animals , Brain/virology , Dog Diseases/virology , Dogs , Foxes/virology , Jordan/epidemiology , Molecular Epidemiology , Phylogeny , Rabies/epidemiology , Rabies virus/classification , Whole Genome SequencingABSTRACT
Emerging infectious diseases are of great concern to public health, as highlighted by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Such diseases are of particular danger during mass gathering and mass influx events, as large crowds of people in close proximity to each other creates optimal opportunities for disease transmission. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are two countries that have witnessed mass gatherings due to the arrival of Syrian refugees and the annual Hajj season. The mass migration of people not only brings exotic diseases to these regions but also brings new diseases back to their own countries, e.g., the outbreak of MERS in South Korea. Many emerging pathogens originate in bats, and more than 30 bat species have been identified in these two countries. Some of those bat species are known to carry viruses that cause deadly diseases in other parts of the world, such as the rabies virus and coronaviruses. However, little is known about bats and the pathogens they carry in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Here, the importance of enhanced surveillance of bat-borne infections in Jordan and Saudi Arabia is emphasized, promoting the awareness of bat-borne diseases among the general public and building up infrastructure and capability to fill the gaps in public health preparedness to prevent future pandemics.
Subject(s)
Chiroptera/virology , Communicable Diseases, Emerging/epidemiology , Coronavirus/isolation & purification , Public Health , Zoonoses/epidemiology , Animals , COVID-19 , Communicable Diseases, Emerging/virology , Coronavirus/classification , Coronavirus/pathogenicity , Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control , Humans , Jordan , Saudi Arabia , Zoonoses/transmission , Zoonoses/virologyABSTRACT
Blood viscosity is one of the important parameters to characterize hemorheological properties of the human body. Its real-time and dynamic measurement has important physiological significance for studying the development and prevention of chronic diseases. This study researched noninvasive and personalized measurement of microvascular blood viscosity. In the microcirculation capillary network blood flow model, combined with pulse wave parameters, multiple regression analysis was used to fit the simulated radius of personalized physiological blood vessels to calculate the microvascular blood viscosity. The fitted value related to the simulated radius of the physiological blood vessel had a high correlation with the corresponding theoretically derived value (correlation coefficient: 0.904, P ≤ 0.001). The calculated value of the microvascular blood viscosity had a certain correlation with the clinical whole blood viscosity at a low shear rate (correlation coefficient: 0.443, P < 0.05). This algorithm could provide effective means for noninvasive and long-term individual monitoring and family health care.
Subject(s)
Blood Viscosity/physiology , Microcirculation/physiology , Aged , Algorithms , Blood Circulation/physiology , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
No visible light activity is the bottle neck for wide application of TiO2, and Boron doping is one of the effective way to broaden the adsorption edge of TiO2. In this study, several Boron doped TiO2 materials were prepared via a facile co-precipitation and calcination process. The B doping amounts were optimized by the degradation of rhodamine B (Rh B) under visible light irradiation, which indicated that when the mass fraction of boron is 6% (denoted as 6B-TiO2), the boron doped TiO2 materials exhibited the highest activity. In order to investigate the enhanced mechanism, the difference between B-doped TiO2 and bare TiO2 including visible light harvesting abilities, separation efficiencies of photo-generated electron-hole pairs, photo-induced electrons generation abilities, photo-induced charges transferring speed were studied and compared in details. h+ and · O 2 - were determined to be the two main responsible active species in the photocatalytic oxidation process. Besides the high degradation efficiency, 6B-TiO2 also exhibited high reusability in the photocatalysis, which could be reused at least 5 cycles with almost no active reduction. The results indicate that 6B-TiO2 has high photocatalytic degradation ability toward organic dye of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation, which is a highly potential photocatalyst to cope with organic pollution.
ABSTRACT
Rabies virus causes an invariably fatal encephalitis following the onset of clinical disease. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, the clinical stages of rabies encephalitis remain untreatable, with few survivors being documented. A principal obstacle to the treatment of rabies is the neurotropic nature of the virus, with the blood-brain barrier size exclusion limit rendering the delivery of antiviral drugs and molecules to the central nervous system inherently problematic. This review focuses on efforts to try and overcome barriers to molecule delivery to treat clinical rabies and overviews current progress in the development of experimental live rabies virus vaccines that may have future applications in the treatment of clinical rabies, including the attenuation of rabies virus vectors through either the duplication or mutation of existing genes or the incorporation of non-viral elements within the genome. Rabies post-infection treatment (PIT) remains the holy grail of rabies research.
Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/administration & dosage , Central Nervous System Infections/drug therapy , Rabies virus/drug effects , Rabies/drug therapy , Animals , Central Nervous System Infections/virology , Humans , Rabies/virology , Rabies virus/genetics , Rabies virus/physiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Trichilemmal cysts (TCs) are common intradermal or subcutaneous cysts, which are commonly sporadic and rarely autosomal dominantly inherited. However, little is known about the disease-determining genes in families with TCs exhibiting Mendelian inheritance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the causative gene in a family with TCs. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on a TCs family to identify the candidate gene. Sanger sequencing was conducted to validate the candidate variants and familial segregation. RESULTS: We identified the heterozygous variant c.3G>C (p.Met1?) within the BPIFC gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed the cosegregation of this variant with the TCs phenotype in the family by demonstrating the presence of the heterozygous variant in all the 12 affected and absence in all the seven unaffected individuals. This variant was found to be absent in dbSNP141, 1,000 Genomes database and 500 ethnicity matched controls. CONCLUSION: Our results imply that BPIFC is a causative gene in this Chinese family with hereditary TCs. Further studies should be performed to validate the role of BPIFC in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Subject(s)
Carrier Proteins/genetics , Epidermal Cyst/genetics , Mutation , Epidermal Cyst/pathology , Female , Heterozygote , Humans , Male , PedigreeABSTRACT
: Bats in the EU have been associated with several zoonotic viral pathogens of significance to both human and animal health. Virus discovery continues to expand the existing understating of virus classification, and the increased interest in bats globally as reservoirs or carriers of zoonotic agents has fuelled the continued detection and characterisation of new lyssaviruses and other viral zoonoses. Although the transmission of lyssaviruses from bat species to humans or terrestrial species appears rare, interest in these viruses remains, through their ability to cause the invariably fatal encephalitis-rabies. The association of bats with other viral zoonoses is also of great interest. Much of the EU is free of terrestrial rabies, but several bat species harbor lyssaviruses that remain a risk to human and animal health. Whilst the rabies virus is the main cause of rabies globally, novel related viruses continue to be discovered, predominantly in bat populations, that are of interest purely through their classification within the lyssavirus genus alongside the rabies virus. Although the rabies virus is principally transmitted from the bite of infected dogs, these related lyssaviruses are primarily transmitted to humans and terrestrial carnivores by bats. Even though reports of zoonotic viruses from bats within the EU are rare, to protect human and animal health, it is important characterise novel bat viruses for several reasons, namely: (i) to investigate the mechanisms for the maintenance, potential routes of transmission, and resulting clinical signs, if any, in their natural hosts; (ii) to investigate the ability of existing vaccines, where available, to protect against these viruses; (iii) to evaluate the potential for spill over and onward transmission of viral pathogens in novel terrestrial hosts. This review is an update on the current situation regarding zoonotic virus discovery within bats in the EU, and provides details of potential future mechanisms to control the threat from these deadly pathogens.