Reversible Switching Between Microwave Absorption and EMI Shielding of VO2 Composite Foam.

Developing lightweight composite with reversible switching between microwave (MW) absorption and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is promising yet remains highly challenging due to the completely inconsistent attenuation mechanism for electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Here, a lightweight vanadium dioxide/expanded polymer microsphere composites foam (VO2/EPM) is designed and fabricated with porous structures and 3D VO2 interconnection, which possesses reversible switching function between MW absorption and EMI shielding under thermal stimulation. The VO2/EPM exhibits MW absorption with a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 3.25 GHz at room temperature (25 °C), while provides EMI shielding of 23.1 dB at moderately high temperature (100 °C). This reversible switching performance relies on the porous structure and tunability of electrical conductivity, complex permittivity, and impedance matching, which are substantially induced by the convertible crystal structure and electronic structure of VO2. Finite element simulation is employed to qualitatively investigate the change in interaction between EM waves and VO2/EPM before and after the phase transition. Moreover, the application of VO2/EPM is demonstrated with a reversible switching function in controlling wireless transmission on/off, showcasing its excellent cycling stability. This kind of smart material with a reversible switching function shows great potential in next-generation electronic devices.

Age at menarche and risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the association between age at menarche (AAM) and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in fresh in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Data were collected from a large obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in Sichuan, China. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 17 419 eligible women aged ≤40 years who underwent the first IVF/ICSI cycles from January 2015 to December 2021. Women were divided into three groups according to their AAM: ≤12 years (n=5781), 13-14 years (n=9469) and ≥15 years (n=2169). RESULTS: The means of age at recruitment and AAM were 30.4 years and 13.1 years, respectively. Restricted cubic spline models suggested that early menarche age increased the risk of OHSS. The multivariable logistic analysis showed that women with menarche age ≤12 years were more likely to suffer from OHSS (OR 1.321, 95% CI 1.113 to 1.567) compared with those aged 13-14 years among the whole cohort. This significant relationship remained in women administered with different ovarian stimulation protocols and gonadotrophin doses. When stratified by female age, this correlation was presented only in patients aged ≤30 years (OR 1.362, 95% CI 1.094 to 1.694). And the mediation analysis showed that the relationship between AAM and OHSS was totally mediated by antral follicle counts (AFC). CONCLUSION: Menarche age earlier than 12 years may increase the OHSS risk in women aged ≤30 years through the mediation of AFC. More prospective studies are required to verify the results.

Enhancing the Interaction of Carbon Nanotubes by Metal-Organic Decomposition with Improved Mechanical Strength and Ultra-Broadband EMI Shielding Performance.

The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have led to promising applications in the field of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, for macroscopic CNT assemblies, such as CNT film, achieving high electrical and mechanical properties remains challenging, which heavily depends on the tube-tube interactions of CNTs. Herein, we develop a novel strategy based on metal-organic decomposition (MOD) to fabricate a flexible silver-carbon nanotube (Ag-CNT) film. The Ag particles are introduced in situ into the CNT film through annealing of MOD, leading to enhanced tube-tube interactions. As a result, the electrical conductivity of Ag-CNT film is up to 6.82 × 105 S m-1, and the EMI shielding effectiveness of Ag-CNT film with a thickness of ~ 7.8 µm exceeds 66 dB in the ultra-broad frequency range (3-40 GHz). The tensile strength and Young's modulus of Ag-CNT film increase from 30.09 ± 3.14 to 76.06 ± 6.20 MPa (~ 253%) and from 1.12 ± 0.33 to 8.90 ± 0.97 GPa (~ 795%), respectively. Moreover, the Ag-CNT film exhibits excellent near-field shielding performance, which can effectively block wireless transmission. This innovative approach provides an effective route to further apply macroscopic CNT assemblies to future portable and wearable electronic devices.

Effect of GnRH agonist trigger with or without low-dose hCG on reproductive outcomes for PCOS women with freeze-all strategy: a propensity score matching study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) trigger alone versus dual trigger comprising GnRHa and low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on reproductive outcomes in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who received the freeze-all strategy. METHODS: A total of 615 cycles were included in this retrospective cohort study. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control potential confounding factors between GnRHa-trigger group (0.2 mg GnRHa) and dual-trigger group (0.2 mg GnRHa plus 1000/2000 IU hCG) in a 1:1 ratio. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to estimate the association between trigger methods and reproductive outcomes. RESULTS: After PSM, patients with dual trigger (n = 176) had more oocytes retrieved, mature oocytes, and 2PN embryos compared to that with GnRHa trigger alone. However, the oocytes maturation rate, normal fertilization rate, and frozen embryos between the two groups were not statistically different. The incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) (14.8% vs. 2.8%, P < 0.001) and moderate/severe OHSS (11.4% vs. 1.7%, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in dual-trigger group than in GnRHa-alone group. Logistic regression analysis showed the adjusted odds ratio of dual trigger was 5.971 (95% confidence interval 2.201-16.198, P < 0.001) for OHSS. The pregnancy and single neonatal outcomes were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: For PCOS women with freeze-all strategy, GnRHa trigger alone decreased the risk of OHSS without damaging oocyte maturation and achieved satisfactory pregnancy outcomes.

Construction of EMT related prognostic signature for kidney renal clear cell carcinoma, through integrating bulk and single-cell gene expression profiles.

Introduction: Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), as a main type of malignant kidney cancers, has a poor prognosis. Epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) exerts indispensable role in tumor progression and metastasis, including in KIRC. This study aimed to mine more EMT related details and build prognostic signature for KIRC. Methods: The KIRC scRNA-seq data and bulk data were downloaded from GEO and TCGA databases, respectively. The cell composition in KIRC was calculated using CIBERSORT. Univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO Cox regression analysis were combined to determine the prognostic genes. Gene set variation analysis and cell-cell communication analysis were conducted to obtain more functional information. Additionally, functional analyses were conducted to determine the biological roles of si-LGALS1 in vitro. Results: We totally identified 2,249 significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in KIRC samples, meanwhile a significant distinct expression pattern was found in KIRC, involving Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition pathway. Among all cell types, significantly higher proportion of epithelial cells were observed in KIRC, and 289 DEGs were identified in epithelial cells. After cross analysis of all DEGs and 970 EMT related genes, SPARC, TMSB10, LGALS1, and VEGFA were optimal to build prognostic model. Our EMT related showed good predictive performance in KIRC. Remarkably, si-LGALS1 could inhibit migration and invasion ability of KIRC cells, which might be involved in suppressing EMT process. Conclusion: A novel powerful EMT related prognostic signature was built for KIRC patients, based on SPARC, TMSB10, LGALS1, and VEGFA. Of which, si-LGALS1 could inhibit migration and invasion ability of KIRC cells, which might be involved in suppressing EMT process.

Colon-Targeted Release of Turmeric Nonextractable Polyphenols and Their Anticolitis Potential via Gut Microbiota-Dependent Alleviation on Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction in Mice.

Solid evidence has emerged supporting the role of nonextractable polyphenols (NEPs) and dietary fibers (DFs) as gut microbiota modulators. This study aims to elucidate gut microbiota-dependent release of turmeric NEPs and examine the possible anti-inflammatory mechanism in the dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) model. 1.5% DSS drinking water-induced C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard rodent chow supplemented with or without 8% extractable polyphenols (EPs), NEPs, or DFs for 37 days. The bound curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin in NEPs were released up to 181.5 ± 10.6, 65.2 ± 6.0, and 69.5 ± 7.6 µg/mL by in vitro gut microbiota-simulated fermentation and released into the colon of NEP-supplemented mice by 5.7-, 11.0-, and 7.8-fold higher than pseudo germ-free mice, respectively (p < 0.05). NEPs also enhanced the colonic microbiota-dependent production of short-chain fatty acids in vitro and in vivo (p < 0.05). Interestingly, NEP feeding significantly improved the DSS-caused gut microbiota disorder, epithelial barrier damage, and inflammation of UC mice better than EPs or DFs (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the pseudo germ-free mice supplemented with NEPs failed to ameliorate UC symptoms. These findings manifest that turmeric NEPs as macromolecular carriers exert the target delivery of polyphenols into the colon for regulating gut microbiota to restore the impaired gut barrier function for alleviation of inflammation.

Enhancing the Chemical Stability of MXene Through Synergy of Hydrogen Bond and Coordination Bond in Aqueous Solution.

MXenes with unique physicochemical properties have shown substantial potential in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, the chemical instability and mechanical fragility of MXenes has become a major hurdle for their application. Abundant strategies have been dedicated to improving the oxidation stability of colloidal solution or mechanical properties of films, which always come at the expense of electrical conductivity and chemical compatibility. Here, hydrogen bond (H-bond) and coordination bond are employed to achieve chemical and colloidal stability of MXenes (0.1 mg mL-1 ) by occupying the reaction sites of Ti3 C2 Tx attacking of water and oxygen molecules. Compared to the Ti3 C2 Tx , the Ti3 C2 Tx modified with alanine via H-bond shows significantly improved oxidation stability (at room temperature over 35 days), while the Ti3 C2 Tx modified with cysteine by synergy of H-bond and coordination bond can be maintained even after 120 days. Simulation and experimental results verify the formation of H-bond and Ti-S bond by a Lewis acid-base interaction between Ti3 C2 Tx and cysteine. Furthermore, the synergy strategy significantly improves the mechanical strength of the assembled film (up to 78.1 ± 7.9 MPa), corresponding the increment of 203% compared to untreated one, almost without compromising the electrical conductivity and EMI shielding performance.

IGFL2-AS1-induced suppression of HIF-1α degradation promotes cell proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer by upregulating CA9.

PURPOSE: The lncRNA IGFL2-AS1 is a known cancer-promoting factor in colorectal cancer (CRC); nonetheless, the mechanism of its carcinogenic effects has not yet been elucidated. This study elaborated on the role and underlying molecular mechanism of IGFL2-AS1 in promoting CRC cell functions. METHODS: IGLF2-AS1 expression levels in CRC tissue/normal tissue and CRC cell line/normal colon epithelial cell line were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation assay, and EdU assay were performed to assess the effect of IGFL2-AS1 knockdown or overexpression on the proliferative capacity of CRC cells. The migration and invasion abilities of LoVo cells were measured using transwell assay. The expression relationship between IGFL2-AS1 and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) and the CA9 expression level in CRC tissues and cells was verified by transcriptome sequencing, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. Treatment with MG132 and cycloheximide was utilized to explore the mechanism by which IGFL2-AS1 affects the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/CA9 pathway. A nude mouse xenograft model was constructed to evaluate the effect of IGFL2-AS1 on CRC growth in vivo. RESULTS: We discovered that IGFL2-AS1 was highly upregulated in CRC tumor tissues and cells. IGFL2-AS1 can functionally promote CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and accelerate CRC occurrence in vivo. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that IGFL2-AS1 upregulated the CA9 level by affecting the degradation pathway of HIF-1α, which elucidates its pro-proliferative effect in CRC. The lncRNA IGFL2-AS1 mediated the inhibition of HIF-1α degradation in CRC and increased CA9 expression, thereby promoting CRC progression. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that IGFL2-AS1 is expected to be a promising new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for CRC.

Low LH level does not indicate poor IVF cycle outcomes with GnRh-a single trigger: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycle outcomes between patients with low and normal serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels on the day after a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) single trigger. We further investigated the efficacy of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) retrigger on IVF cycle outcomes in patients with low LH levels after GnRH-a single trigger. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 957 infertile patients (tubal factor, ovulation disorders, male sperm factor, or unexplained infertility) who were treated with IVF/ICSI at the Chengdu Xinan Gynecology Hospital from July 2017 to December 2020. Patients received sufficient GnRH-a single trigger were divided into two groups based on the serum LH levels on the next day of trigger: normal serum LH levels (≥ 10 mIU/mL) group (control group, n = 906) and low LH levels (< 10 mIU/mL) group (experimental group, n = 51). And the efficacy of hCG retrigger on IVF/ICSI cycle outcomes in 10 patients with low LH levels after GnRH-a single trigger. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in IVF/ICSI cycle outcomes, including egg yield, two pronuclei fertilization rate, excellent embryo rate, or live birth rate of frozen-thawed embryos between patients with low and normal LH levels after GnRH-a trigger. It showed significantly higher risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in the group of low LH levels [ 0.7%(1/137) vs. 8.5%(4/47), P = 0.016] compared with the group of normal LH levels who received GnRH-a single trigger. The hCG retrigger had no obvious efficacy on cycle outcomes in patients with low LH levels, including oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, embryo conditions, and live birth rate of frozen-thawed cycles. CONCLUSION: The IVF/ICSI cycle outcomes of patients with low LH levels on the day after GnRH-a administration were similar to those of patients with normal LH levels. Blood LH test might not be required on the day following the trigger. The hCG retrigger did not have any effect on the cycle outcomes, suggesting that immediate retriggering with hCG was unnecessary.

Nomogram models to predict low fertilisation rate and total fertilisation failure in patients undergoing conventional IVF cycles.

OBJECTIVES: To establish visualised prediction models of low fertilisation rate (LFR) and total fertilisation failure (TFF) for patients in conventional in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Data from August 2017 to August 2021 were collected from the electronic records of a large obstetrics and gynaecology hospital in Sichuan, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 11 598 eligible patients who underwent the first IVF cycles were included. All patients were randomly divided into the training group (n=8129) and the validation group (n=3469) in a 7:3 ratio. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: The incidence of LFR and TFF. RESULTS: Logistic regressions showed that ovarian stimulation protocol, primary infertility and initial progressive sperm motility were the independent predictors of LFR, while serum luteinising hormone and P levels before human chorionic gonadotropin injection and number of oocytes retrieved were the critical predictors of TFF. And these indicators were incorporated into the nomogram models. According to the area under the curve values, the predictive ability for LFR and TFF were 0.640 and 0.899 in the training set and 0.661 and 0.876 in the validation set, respectively. The calibration curves also showed good concordance between the actual and predicted probabilities both in the training and validation group. CONCLUSION: The novel nomogram models provided effective methods for clinicians to predict LFR and TFF in traditional IVF cycles.

A new nitronyl nitroxide radical with salicylic acid framework attenuates blood-brain barrier disruption and oxidative stress in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion.

OBJECTIVES: A new nitronyl nitroxide radical with a salicylic acid framework (SANR) has been demonstrated to exert antioxidant effects in the previous study by our team. The current study has assessed the protective effect of SANR on cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) in rat models. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham, I/R, 10, and 20 mg/kg SANR + I/R groups. A total of 120 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) caused cerebral ischemia. Survival rates were calculated, and neurological deficits were evaluated by a blinded experimenter. Cerebral infarct area, apoptosis cells, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage were measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling, and Evans blue assay, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) also were detected to assess oxidation damage caused by cerebral I/R. RESULTS: Treatment with SANR significantly promoted survival of rats with cerebral I/R injury. SANR meliorated neurologic deficit and infarct area, improved BBB permeability, and reduced neuronal apoptosis. SANR also reduced ROS levels and the content of MDA and increased SOD and GSH-Px activity in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, SANR could inhibit the expression of 8-OHdG. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that SANR has a neuroprotective effect against cerebral I/R injury, and its effect mechanism is related to the antioxidant function.

The Establishment and Application Studies on Precise Lysosome pH Indicator Based on Self-Decomposable Nanoparticles.

Acidic pH of lysosomes is closely related to autophagy; thus, well known of the precise lysosomes, pH changes will give more information on the autophagy process and status. So far, however, only pH changes in a relatively broad range could be indicated, the exact lysosomes pH detection has never arrived. In our study, we established an endo/lysosome pH indicator based on the self-decomposable SiO2 nanoparticle system with specific synthesis parameters. The central concentrated methylene blue (MB) in the central-hollow structural nanoparticles presented sensitive release as a function of pH values from pH 4.0-4.8, which is exactly the pH range of lysosomes. The linear correlation of the optical density (OD) values and the pH values has been built up, which has been used for the detection of lysosomes pH in 6 different cell lines. Moreover, by this system, we succeeded in precisely detecting the pH average changes of lysosomes before and after black mesoporous silicon (BPSi) NP endocytosis, clarifying the mechanism of the autophagy termination after BPSi endocytosis. So, the self-decomposable nanoparticle-based luminal pH indicator may provide a new methodology and strategy to know better of the lysosome pH, then indicate more details on the autophagy process or other important signaling about metabolisms.

Hepatitis B virus serological screen in a general hospital in Beijing from 2008 to 2018, and challenges to our vaccination policy.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a worldwide distribution and remains a leading public health problem in China. METHOD: Automated chemiluminescence microparticle immunoassay was used to test all five markers of HBV serology in serum samples among 696,048 patients, pregnant women, and normal subjects in Beijing from 2008 to 2018. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of subjects categorized as previous/ occult HBV infection, inactive HBsAg carrier, active HBV infection, HBsAg, HBV susceptible, and immune via vaccination was 29.4%, 4.8%, 1.4%, 6.4%, 33.9% and 30.3%, respectively; men had a significantly higher prevalence of HBV infection than women. The prevalence of HBsAg was around 0.5% in subjects ≤ 10 years of age, increased dramatically to 3.7% in subjects between 11 and 20 years of age, reached the highest level of 7.9% in subjects between 41 and 50 years of age, and finally decreased to 2.8% in subjects ≥ 81 years of age. During the 10 years from 2008 to 2018, the prevalence of HBsAg was stabilized at about 6.0%, and indicators of HBV susceptibility, previous/ occult HBV infection, and immunity via vaccination were not further improved, despite the constant implementation of HBV vaccination since 1992. All four age groups (21 - 30y, 31 - 40y, 41 - 50y and 51 - 60y) of the normal adult population were found to have a significantly lower prevalence of HBsAg and HBV susceptibility but significantly higher prevalence of immunity via vaccination compared with corresponding age groups of the sub-total population. CONCLUSIONS: Although high coverage has been established among infants and young children, their vaccination alone could not reduce HBV infection in the adult Chinese population quickly. Adult populations with more vaccinated individuals are found to have fewer individuals with HBsAg. Vaccination in adults or at least in high-risk adults is an urgent need to decrease horizontal HBV transmission in China.

A novel homozygous variant in NLRP5 is associate with human early embryonic arrest in a consanguineous Chinese family.

Early embryonic arrest is one of the major causes of recurrent assisted reproduction failure. It is characterized by delayed embryonic development and failure to form viable eight-cell stage embryos on day 3 of an assisted reproduction cycle. A recent study reported that biallelic mutations in NLRP5 can cause early embryonic arrest. NLRP5 is a member of subcortical maternal complex, which plays a significant role in embryogenesis. In this study, we described a female in a consanguineous Chinese family who displayed clinical features of early embryonic arrest and identified a novel homozygous variant c.1061C>T (p.Pro354Leu) in NLRP5. This is the second report of the biallelic NLRP5 variant that associates with early embryonic arrest in humans, further confirming the role of NLRP5 variants in early embryonic arrest and expanding the spectrum of known pathogenic variants in NLRP5.

Cytomegalovirus antigenemia in patients with autoimmune and non-autoimmune diseases in Beijing: A 10-year single hospital experience.

BACKGROUND: Primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is prevalent worldwide and usually results in latency in immunocompetent populations. Reactivation of latent CMV can cause life-threatening complications in immunocompromised hosts. METHODS: We used the CMV Brite assay to test CMV antigenemia (pp65) in whole blood samples from 22,192 patients with or without autoimmune diseases in Beijing during 2008-2018. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of CMV antigenemia was 19.5% (9.7%, males; 26.0%, females). The prevalence of CMV antigenemia was 35.1%, 58.6% and 11.4% in whole patients with autoimmune diseases, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in patients with non-SLE autoimmune diseases, respectively. All patients with non-autoimmune diseases, patients with HIV/AIDS or transplantation were found to have 5.0%, 27% or 14.8%, respectively. Patients≤20 years with SLE had a significantly higher prevalence of CMV antigenemia than did all SLE patients, on average. Patients>51 years with non-SLE autoimmune diseases had a significantly higher prevalence than did all patients with non-SLE autoimmune diseases, on average. The prevalence of CMV antigenemia in patients admitted to intensive-care units (ICUs) were 9.2%, which was significantly higher than that among all patients with non-autoimmune diseases. Patients with SLE had 23.8% of negative conversion of CMV antigenemia, significantly lower than the percentage of patients with non-SLE autoimmune (64.3%) and non-autoimmune (61.0%) diseases. The mean number of days to negative conversion of CMV antigenemia in patients with SLE was 35.3±35.8 days, which was significantly longer than that in patients with non-SLE autoimmune diseases (15.4±11.9 days) and non-autoimmune diseases (13.6±7.7 days). CONCLUSIONS: CMV antigenemia is found more likely in women than in men, more prevalently in patients with SLE than those with HIV/AIDS or transplant recipients, more frequently in patients admitted to ICUs. Patients with SLE had prolonged CMV antigenemia. The role of CMV appears important in SLE.

A retrospective seroepidemiologic survey of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in patients in Beijing between 2008 and 2017.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) is an obligate intracellular bacterium and a human pathogen that causes respiratory infectious diseases. More than 50% of the adult population worldwide was once infected with C. pneumoniae, but investigations into this topic are insufficient in mainland China. METHODS: Anti-C. pneumoniae IgG and IgM antibodies were detected using micro-immunofluorescence test in serum samples of patients visiting Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2008 and 2017 for routine medical purposes, and the aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the test results. RESULTS: Among 12,050 serum specimens tested for anti-C. pneumoniae IgG and IgM antibodies, the overall prevalence of anti-C. pneumoniae IgG antibodies was 86.6%, 87.2% for men and 86.0% for women. Adult men (>20 years) were found to have a significantly higher prevalence of anti-C. pneumoniae IgG than women (χ2 = 30.32, P = 0.000). 3 to 5 years old patients were observed to have the lowest prevalence of anti-C. pneumoniae IgG, 42.8%, then increased with age, reaching the highest level of 98.6% in patients over 70 years of age. In the 10,434 specimens with C. pneumoniae IgG antibodies, the total geometric mean titer (GMT) for C. pneumoniae IgG was 45.71. Although GMTs were found to be significantly higher among all men than among all women (t = 5.916, P = 0.000), sex difference actually began in patients over 40 years of age and increased in the elderly. In the total 12,050 specimens, 1.2% had anti-C. pneumoniae IgM, 3.3% had anti-C. pneumoniae IgG with titers equal to or greater than 1:512; 0.39% had ≥4-fold increasing titers of antibodies in acute and convalescent phase paired samples, and 4.4% were finally confirmed to have acute antibodies against C. pneumoniae. 6 to 10 years old patients were found to have the highest rate of both IgM antibodies (3.9%) and acute antibodies (6.2%) against C. pneumoniae. Acute antibodies against C. pneumoniae were found to be more frequent in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD, 14.0%, χ2 = 20.43, P = 0.000), patients with pneumonia (7.8%, χ2 = 51.87, P = 0.000) and patients with acute respiratory tract infection (12.3%, χ2 = 60.91, P = 0.000) than among all patients (4.4%). Both anti-C. pneumoniae IgG and IgM antibodies should be tested for acute antibodies against C. pneumoniae as testing for either alone will underestimate by a maximum of two-thirds the incidence of acute antibodies against C. pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: More than 86% of Chinese patients on an average were once infected with C. pneumoniae. Adult men had both a higher prevalence and higher levels of antibodies than women. 6 to10 year old patients were found to have the most frequent acute infection of C. pneumoniae. C. pneumoniae is associated with AECOPD, pneumonia and acute respiratory tract infection. Anti-C. pneumoniae IgG and IgM should be tested simultaneously to avoid underestimation of acute antibodies against C. pneumoniae.

Anti-Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in Beijing during 2013-2017: What we have found in the different patients.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) which is prevalent in South China, and its association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or other autoimmune diseases has not been studied in the mainland of China. The EBV serological tests have been performed on patients with various diseases or manifestations for years at our institution and their values need to be evaluated. METHODS: For routine medical purposes, anti-EB viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies, anti-EBV diffuse early antigen (EA-D) IgA antibodies, and anti-EBV nuclear antigen-1(EBNA-1) IgG antibodies were tested with commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in patients visiting Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2013 and 2017. The test results were analyzed in this retrospective study. RESULTS: There were a total of 11122 serum samples available to be tested in the study. As indicators of past EBV infection, the prevalence of VCA-IgG/EBNA1-IgG were 66.6%/58.5%, 84.3%/78.8%, 92.9%/87.0% and 98.5%/95.4% in patients aged under 5 years, 6-10 years, 11-20 years and 21-30 years old, respectively, and these values maintained at this highest rate as age increased further. The prevalence of VCA-IgM, as a parameter of acute EBV infection, was 14.6%, 10.2%, 10.4%, 6.3% and 3.1% in patients aged under 5 years, 6-10 years,11-20 years, 21-30 years, 31-40 years old, respectively, and decreased to 2%~3% in older patients. Patients with elevated serum liver enzymes were more likely to have a higher prevalence of EA/D IgA antibody (P < 0.01) and young patients (≤30 years) with lymphadenopathy were more likely to have higher prevalence of VCA-IgM antibody (P < 0.01). The prevalence of VCA-IgA and EAD-IgA were 87.0% and 59.2% in NPC patients, respectively, and both were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than that in non-NPC patients. The prevalence of VCA-IgA was 45.4% and 25.6% in SLE patients and patients with other autoimmune diseases, respectively, which were significantly (P < 0.001) and mildly (P = 0.039) higher than their controls. In pediatric SLE patients between 6 and10 years old, the prevalence of VCA-IgG, VCA-IgA and EBNA1-IgG was 100%, 59.5% and 100%, respectively, all being significantly higher than the age (6-10y) related controls (P< 0.01). In the 705 cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) specimens, VCA-IgG, VCA-IgM, VCA-IgA and EAD-IgA were found to be positive in 12.1%, 0.15%, 0.25% and 0.25%, respectively. There were 157 paired specimens (CSF and serum were collected simultaneously) and VCA-IgG was identified as positive in 12.7% of the CSF and 100% of the serum specimens. CONCLUSIONS: Around 98% of Chinese patients were infected with EBV before 30 years of age and the highest rate of acute EBV infection were observed in patients under 5 years old. EBV infection was found to be associated with elevated serum liver enzymes, NPC and SLE. Acute anti-EBV antibody was valued for young patients with lymphadenopathy but limited value for CNS neuropathy.

A simple and scalable hydrogel-based system for culturing protein-producing cells.

Recombinant protein therapeutics have become important components of the modern medicine. Majority of them are produced with mammalian cells that are cultured either through adherent culturing, in which cells are cultured on substrates, or suspension culturing, in which cells are suspended and cultured in agitated cell culture medium in a culture vessel. The adherent cell culturing method is limited by its low yield. In suspension culturing, cells need extensive genetic manipulation to grow as single cells at high density, which is time- and labor-consuming. Here, we report a new method, which utilizes a thermoreversible hydrogel as the scaffold for culturing protein-expressing cells. The hydrogel scaffolds not only provide 3D spaces for the cells, but also act as physical barriers to prevent excessive cellular agglomeration and protect cells from the hydrodynamic stresses. As a result, cells can grow at high viability, high growth rate, and extremely high yield even without genetic manipulations. The cell yield in the hydrogels is around 20 times of the suspension culturing. In addition, the protein productivity per cell per day in the hydrogel is higher than the adherent culturing method. This new method is simple, scalable and defined. It will be of great value for both the research laboratories and pharmaceutical industry for producing proteins.

The Clinical and Medicolegal Analysis of Electrical Shocked Rats: Based on the Serological and Histological Methods.

This research was aimed at discovering the serological and histological changes in cardiac and hepatic tissue after electric shock. The CK-MB, ALT, and AMS indexes were tested with serological methods. Moreover, the Bcl-2, Bax, and Hsp-60 expression levels were carefully measured. An electrical injury model was established by giving rats electric shocks at 110 V with alternating electric current. Blood samples from the rats were analyzed for the biochemical indexes. The degrees of pathological changes in the heart and liver were evaluated using IHC staining for Bcl-2, Bax, and Hsp-60. The levels of CK-MB in the electrical injury group rapidly peaked at 0.5 hours after the electric shock. Additionally, the levels of Bcl-2, Bax, and Hsp-60 in the cardiac and hepatic tissues changed regularly after the electrical injury and exhibited apparent differences from the levels in the control group. CK-MB, ALT, and AMS were altered regularly after electric shock, and these results provide significant information for clinical and medicolegal practice. This research has shed light on the assessment of electrical injury without obvious electrical burns. Furthermore, the findings obtained for Bcl-2/Bax and Hsp-60 can also facilitate pathological diagnosis and the identification of antemortem and postmortem electrical injury.