Green finance and corporate environmental investment: "Scale Up" or "Efficiency Up"?

The establishment of green finance reform and innovation (GFRI) pilot zone is an important measure of the Chinese government to urge enterprises to develop green transformation. This paper explores the impact of pilot policies in the GFRI pilot zone on corporate environmental investment. Based on 819 A-share listed enterprises from 2010 to 2020, our staggered difference-in-differences (staggered DID) estimation documents revealed that enterprises in the GFRI pilot zone significantly increased the corporate environmental investment efficiency but reduced the scale of corporate environmental investment.This conclusion remained robust after Propensity Scores Matching difference-in-differences (PSM-DID), replacing dependent variables, and shortening the time window. We contend that the increased research and development (R&D) expenditure and technological innovation are the potential mechanisms at work. Heterogeneity analysis showed that the establishment of GFRI improved the environmental investment efficiency of polluting enterprises but had no effect on green enterprises.Meanwhile, the effect of GFRI exhibited heterogeneity in the type of enterprise ownership. This paper evaluates the implementation effect of GFRI from the perspective of corporate environmental investment, and provides theoretical support and an empirical basis for green finance policy to serve China's green economy.

Research on industrial structure adjustment and spillover effect in resource-based regions in the post-pandemic era.

Resource-based regions support national economic development and are essential sources of basic energy and raw materials. In the post-pandemic era, however, there are practical situations to deal with, such as a fractured industrial chain, a weaker industrial structure, and a sharp reduction in economic benefits. Based on data collected from 68 cities in China, from 2010 to 2021, with 816 observations, this paper explores the industrial development process of resource-based regions in China and the change in the toughness of the industrial structure under the impact of COVID-19. The paper studies and analyzes industrial development trends, industrial structure toughness, and spatial spillover effects. The methods used are the Markov chain model and the Industrial Structure Advancement Index. By building the spatial Dubin model, the paper analyzes the spatial spillover effect of regional industrial development. It decomposes the spillover effect using the partial differential model based on regression. The results show that, during the study period, the comprehensive development level of industries in resource-based regions in China was slowly improving and tended to stabilize after entering the post-pandemic era. The evolution of an advanced industrial structure is significantly heterogeneous among regions, and each region has different toughness. The impact of COVID-19 has reduced the toughness of China's resource-based regions' industrial structure. The spatial spillover effect of regional industrial development is significant. Labor force, technology input, and industrial-structure optimization have different impacts on the industrial development of neighboring regions. In the post-pandemic era, China has used new management methods for more innovation. In order to achieve low-carbon, environmental protection, and sustainable development of resources, realize the rapid recovery of the toughness of industrial structure in China's resource-based cities, and reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China proposes to expand the supply of resources, improve the allocation of resources, optimize the direction, promote the rational flow and efficient aggregation of various factors, and enhance the impetus for innovation and development.

Microbial community, pathogenic bacteria and high-risk anti-biotic resistance genes at two tropical coastal beaches adjacent to villages in Hainan, China.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the correlation between characteristics of microbial community, pathogenic bacteria and high-risk antibiotic-resistant genes, between coastal beaches and a multi-warm-blooded host, as well as to determine potential species biomarkers for faecal source contamination on tropical coastal beaches in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 'One-Health' approach was used in a microbiological study of beaches and warm-blooded hosts. The microbial.community was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicons and shotgun metagenomics on Illumina NovaSeq. RESULTS: The Chao, Simpson, Shannon, and ACE indices of non-salt beach were greater than those of salt beaches at the genus and OTU levels (P < 0.001). Bacteroidota, Halanaerobiaeota, Cyanobacteria, and Firmicutes were abundant on salt beaches (P<0.01). Human-sourced microorganisms were more abundant on salt beaches, which accounted for 0.57%. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Eubacterium hallii were considered as reliable indicators for the contamination of human faeces. High-risk carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and the genotypes KPC-14 and KPC-24 were observed on salt beaches. Tet(X3)/tet(X4) genes and four types of MCR genes co-occurred on beaches and humans; MCR9.1 accounted for the majority. Tet(X4) found among Cyanobacteria. Although rarely reported at Chinese beaches, pathogens, such as Vibrio vulnificus, Legionella pneumophila, and Helicobacter pylori, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The low microbial community diversity, however, did not indicate a reduced risk. The transfer of high-risk ARGs to extreme coastal environments should be given sufficient attention.

Association between living habits, indoor humidity, ventilation and asthma among residents in the tropical regions of China.

Objective: Asthma is a major public health problem that affects both children and adults, and its prevalence varies among people with different climatic characteristics and living habits. However, few studies have investigated the prevalence and risk factors for asthma among tropical residents in China. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the correlation between individuals' living environment and daily habits in Hainan Province, and the occurrence of asthma. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected data from 1021 participants in three regions of the Hainan Province. A questionnaire derived from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey was used to collect data on demographics, living habits, self-reported asthma, and respiratory system-related symptoms. Logistic regression was used for univariate and multivariate analyses to screen for relative risk factors associated with asthma. Results: Among the 1,021 subjects investigated, the prevalence rate of self-reported asthma was 18.6%. Significant risk factors for asthma include hair dyeing, longer living time in Hainan, higher BMI, and living in a damp and musty room. Protective factors included fruit intake, years of higher education, and indoor timing of natural ventilation. Conclusion: Higher frequency of hair dyeing, higher body mass index (BMI), longer living in Hainan, lower frequency of fruit intake, fewer years of education, a damp and musty room, and no indoor timing natural ventilation were associated with an increased risk of asthma.

The association of sickle cell disorder with adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients: A meta-analysis.

The aim is to elucidate the relationship between sickle cell disorder and severe COVID-19. We systematically searched the required articles in three electronic databases, extracting and pooling effect sizes (ES) and 95% confidence interval (CI) from each eligible study to evaluate the effect of combined sickle cell disorder on adverse consequences in patients with COVID-19. This meta-analysis included 21 studies. Sickle cell disease (SCD) was a risk factor for mortality (pooled ES = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.00-2.92, p = 0.001), hospitalization (pooled ES = 6.21, 95% CI: 3.60-10.70, p = 0.000) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (pooled ES = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.61-3.24, p = 0.099) in COVID-19 patients. Patients with SCD had an increased risk of respiratory failure/mechanical ventilation, but a statistical association was not found (pooled ES = 1.21, 95%CI: 0.74-1.98, p = 0.036). There was significant heterogeneity between SCD and death, hospitalization, and respiratory failure/mechanical ventilation. The results of meta-regression of SCD and hospitalization suggested that the tested variables including Area (p = 0.642), study design (p = 0.739), sample size (p = 0.397), proportion of males (p = 0.708), effect type (p = 0.723), whether confounding factors are adjusted (p = 0.606) might not be the source of heterogeneity. In addition, sickle cell trait (SCT) was significantly associated with the mortality (pooled ES = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.28-1.85, p = 0.771) and hospitalization (pooled ES = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.07-1.35，p = 0.519) in patients with COVID-19. But any increased risk of ICU admission/severe (pooled ES = 1.24, 95% CI: 0.95-1.62, p = 0.520) and mechanical ventilation (OR = 1.00, 95%CI:0.59-1.69) in COVID-19 patients with SCT was not observed. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the results were robust. The results of the funnel plot and Egger's test did not support the existence of publication bias. Current meta-analysis indicated that sickle cell disorder has a meaningful impact on COVID-19 progression to severe cases and associated deaths. However, further investigations and research to validate the current findings is indispensable.

Oral membrane-biomimetic nanoparticles for enhanced endocytosis and regulation of tumor-associated macrophage.

Enterocyte uptake with high binding efficiency and minor endogenous interference remains a challenge in oral nanocarrier delivery. Enterocyte membrane-biomimetic lipids may universally cooperate with endogenous phosphatidyl choline via a biorthogonal group. In this study, we developed a sophorolipid-associated membrane-biomimetic choline phosphate-poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid hybrid nanoparticle (SDPN). Aided by physical stability in the gastrointestinal tract and rapid mucus diffusion provided by association with sophorolipid, these nanoparticles show improved endocytosis, driven by dipalmitoyl choline phosphate-phosphatidyl choline interaction as well as its optimized membrane fluidity and rigidity. Luteolin- and silibinin-co-loaded with SDPN alleviated breast cancer metastasis in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice by regulating the conversion of tumor-associated M2 macrophages into the M1 phenotype and reducing the proportion of the M2-phenotype through co-action on STAT3 and HIF-1α. In addition, SDPN reduces angiogenesis and regulates the matrix barrier in the tumor microenvironment. In conclusion, this membrane-biomimetic strategy is promising for improving the enterocyte uptake of oral SDPN and shows potential to alleviate breast cancer metastasis.

[Effects of Platycodonis Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma on oral nanoparticle uptake and in vitro inhibition against breast cancer metastasis].

This study combined the herbal pair Platycodonis Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma(PR-CR) possessing an inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation and metastasis with the active component of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) silibinin-loaded nanoparticles(NPs) with a regulatory effect on tumor microenvironment based on the joint effect on tumor cells and tumor microenvironment to inhi-bit cell metastasis. The effects of PR-CR on the cellular uptake of NPs and in vitro inhibition against breast cancer proliferation and metastasis were investigated to provide an experimental basis for improving nanoparticle absorption and enhancing therapeutic effects. Silibinin-loaded lipid-polymer nanoparticles(LPNs) were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The NPs were spherical or quasi-spherical in shape with obvious core-shell structure. The mean particle size was 107.4 nm, Zeta potential was-27.53 mV. The cellular uptake assay was performed by in vitro Caco-2/E12 coculture cell model and confocal laser scanning microscopy(CLSM), and the results indicated that PR-CR could promote the uptake of NPs. Further, in situ intestinal absorption assay by the CLSM vertical scanning approach showed that PR-CR could promote the absorption of NPs in the enterocytes of mice. The inhibitory effect of NPs on the proliferation and migration of 4T1 cells was analyzed using 4T1 breast cancer cells and co-cultured 4T1/WML2 cells, respectively. The results of the CCK8 assay showed that PR-CR-containing NPs could enhance the inhibition against the proliferation of 4T1 breast cancer cells. The wound healing assay indicated that PR-CR-containing NPs enhanced the inhibition against the migration of 4T1 breast cancer cells. This study enriches the research on oral absorption of TCM NPs and also provides a new idea for utilizing the advantages of TCM to inhibit breast cancer metastasis.

Effectiveness of mRNA vaccine against Omicron-related infections in the real world: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the currently available mRNA vaccines and boosters for the Omicron variant. METHODS: We searched for literature published on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and preprint servers (medRxiv and bioRxiv) from January 1, 2020 to June 20, 2022. The pooled effect estimate was calculated by the random-effects model. RESULTS: We selected 34 eligible studies in the meta-analysis from 4336 records. For the 2-dose vaccinated group, the mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) was 34.74%, 36%, and 63.80% against any Omicron infection, symptomatic infection and severe infection, respectively. For the 3-dose vaccinated group, the mRNA VE was 59.80%, 57.47%, and 87.22% against any infection, symptomatic infection and severe infection. For the 3-dose vaccinated group, the relative mRNA VE was 34.74%, 37.36%, and 63.80% against any infection, symptomatic infection and severe infection. Six months after the 2-dose vaccination, VE with any infection, symptomatic infection, and severe infection decreased to 33.4%, 16.79%, and 60.43%. Three months after the 3-dose vaccination, VE for any infection and severe infection decreased to 55.39% and 73.39%. CONCLUSIONS: Two-dose mRNA vaccines failed to provide sufficient protection against any Omicron infection and symptomatic infection, while 3-dose mRNA vaccines continued to provide effective protection after 3 months.

Relationship between Helicobacter pylori and Incident Hypertension as well as Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) may be a risk factor for hypertension, but the reported studies have given conflicting results. This study aimed to explore the association between H. pylori infection and hypertension risk and blood pressure. METHOD: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Weipu, and Wanfang databases were searched for articles published up to June 2, 2021. Dual-selection and data abstraction were conducted. Random-effect models were used to measure pooled estimates. All data were analyzed with Stata 14.0 SE (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). RESULTS: A total of 55 studies with 198,750 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. Among them, 33 studies reported the relationship between H. pylori infection and the risk of hypertension, and 25 studies reported the association of H. pylori infection with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Three studies reported both of the above. Meta-analysis showed that H. pylori infection increased the risk of hypertension by 32% (odd ratio: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.15-1.52). Compared with non-H. pylori-infection individuals, the subjects with H. pylori infection had elevated levels of SBP (WMD: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.21-2.50) and DBP (WMD: 1.12, 95% CI: 0.81-1.43). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggested that H. pylori infection increased the risk of hypertension. This may provide a new strategy for hypertension prevention. However, the association between H. pylori infection and hypertension needs to be confirmed in further prospective cohort studies.

Impact of environmental effect on industrial structure of resource-based cities in western China.

Improving the environment and optimizing industrial structure are the primary tasks of resource-based cities in western China. This paper analyzes the impact mechanism and path of environmental effect on the industrial structure using the panel data of 37 prefecture-level resource-based cities in western China from 2008 to 2019. The results show that the environmental effect is beneficial for optimizing the industrial structure of resource-based cities in western China. The economic development and resource endowment amplify the positive impact of the environmental effect on industrial structure upgrades. In resource-based cities with different growth cycles, environmental effect has different impact on industrial structure upgrades. Technological innovation of enterprises and public awareness of environmental protection are effective paths for environmental effect to promote industrial structure upgrading. Therefore, it is really crucial to promote environmental protection, identify regional characteristics, and enhance departmental cooperation for resource-based cities in western China, realizing industrial structure upgrades and sustainable economic development.

A meta-analysis of the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and risk of hepatic encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) has been confirmed through some research, the results of these relevant studies still remain controversial. We conducted an updated meta-analysis based on published studies to address this issue. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted, reviewing all studies about the association between H. pylori infection and HE, through November 2021. The outcome measures were presented as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: In total, 13 studies provided data from 2784 subjects. H. pylori infection increased the risk of HE by 32% (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.78-3.04). The effect became greater after hepatic encephalopathy was divided into overt HE and minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) (HE OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 2.01-3.51, MHE OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.10-2.76). After H. pylori eradication, the risk of HE was reduced by 64%. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection is significantly associated with HE, and the infection rate of H. pylori also increases with the severity of HE. Eradication of H. pylori has a protective effect on HE. Therefore, it is necessary to eradicate H. pylori in HE treatments.

Vitamin D deficiency in dengue fever patients' coinfected with H. pylori in Pakistan. A case-control study.

Introduction: Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease with an estimate of 390 million persons getting the infection each year with a significant public health impact. It has been reported DENV patients with vitamin D deficiency led to severe form of dengue infection; while H. pylori coinfection alters vitamin D receptors leading to vitamin D deficiency. We hypothesize that DENV patient's having low vitamin D along with H. pylori coinfection could have worsen dengue severity as well as vitamin D deficiency. In this case-control study, we compared (I) the vitamin D deficiency in dengue fever cases with or without H. pylori coinfection, and (II) negative dengue fever as a control with or without H. pylori coinfection. We have also assessed the correlation between vitamin D levels and its effect on warning signs of the dengue fever. Further, we have investigated whether coinfection with H. pylori has any effect on warning signs in the dengue fever patients and the vitamin D deficiency in all serotypes of the dengue virus infected patients. Methods: In this case control study the association of the vitamin D levels with age, gender and H. pylori coinfection in dengue fever hospitalized patients was assessed using chi-square and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Four hundred dengue fever patients with H. pylori coinfection were compared with 400 dengue negative controls with H. pylori coinfection. The mean age was 29.96 ± 10.5 and 29.88 ± 10.7 years among cases and controls, respectively. Most dengue fever patients with H. pylori coinfection were deficient in vitamin D compared with negative dengue controls with H. pylori coinfection. In multivariate logistic regression, the dengue cases with H. pylori coinfection were.056 times (95% CI: 0.024, 0.128, P = 0.000) more likely to have vitamin D "deficiency', while compared with the cases who did not have H. pylori coinfection. Conclusion: The present study proposes that vitamin D deficiency in dengue fever patients coinfected with H. pylori is much higher than the dengue fever negative controls coinfected with H. pylori. As hypothesized the DENV patient with H. pylori coinfection has vitamin D deficiency as well as increased dengue severity.

Application of CRISPR/Cas Systems in the Nucleic Acid Detection of Infectious Diseases.

The CRISPR/Cas system is a protective adaptive immune system against attacks from foreign mobile genetic elements. Since the discovery of the excellent target-specific sequence recognition ability of the CRISPR/Cas system, the CRISPR/Cas system has shown excellent performance in the development of pathogen nucleic-acid-detection technology. In combination with various biosensing technologies, researchers have made many rapid, convenient, and feasible innovations in pathogen nucleic-acid-detection technology. With an in-depth understanding and development of the CRISPR/Cas system, it is no longer limited to CRISPR/Cas9, CRISPR/Cas12, and other systems that had been widely used in the past; other CRISPR/Cas families are designed for nucleic acid detection. We summarized the application of CRISPR/Cas-related technology in infectious-disease detection and its development in SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Differential Expression of α-Enolase in Clinical Gastric Tissues and Cultured Normal/Cancer Cells in Response to Helicobacter pylori Infection and cagA Transfection.

Background and Objectives: The role of α-enolase (ENO1) in Helicobacter pylori-related gastric lesions might be a critical factor in the pathogenesis, but remains undefined. Materials and Methods: This study investigated the differential expression of α-enolase in clinical gastric specimens and cultured normal/cancer cells in response to H. pylori (cagA+) infection and cagA transfection using qPCR, Western blots and histochemical methods. Results: A total of 172 gastric specimens were collected from 142 patients, the former comprising chronic superficial gastritis (CSG), precancerous diseases (PCDs, including atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia) and gastric cancer (GC) cases. Among the CSG and PCD cases, the H. pylori-infected group had significantly elevated ENO1 mRNA levels compared with the uninfected group. In the GC cases, differential ENO1 expressions were detected between the cancer tissues and the paracancerous tissues. Notably, significant difference was first detected between the GC cell (AGS) and the normal cell (GES-1) as a response of ENO1 to H. pylori infection and cagA transfection. Conclusions: This report reveals that ENO1 expression is associated with H. pylori infection, cagA transfection, co-culture duration, multiplicity of infection, gastric normal/cancerous cell lines and cellular differentiation. The findings may be crucial bases for further ascertaining H. pylori pathogenic mechanism and formulating novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.

Research on the Mechanism of Multi-Domain Coupling Centrifugal Electrostatic Blowing Flying Deposition.

The centrifugal electrostatic blowing process proposed in this paper solves the difficult continuous and stable deposition problem in the traditional centrifugal electrostatic spinning process. By establishing a flight deposition model of the centrifugal electrostatic spraying process, CFD is used to simulate and analyze the electrohydrodynamic effect of centrifugal jets, and the driving mechanism is explored. Subsequently, MATLAB is used to obtain the optimal solution conditions, and finally, the establishment of a two-dimensional flight trajectory model is completed and experimentally verified. In addition, the deposition model of the jet is established to clarify the flight trajectory under the multi-field coupling, the stable draft area of the jet is found according to this, and the optimal drafting station is clarified. This research provides new ideas and references for the exploration of the deposition mechanism of the centrifugal electrostatic blowing and electrostatic spinning process.

Double-network composites based on inorganic fillers reinforced dextran-based hydrogel with high strength.

The biodegradable hydrogels with a 3D network structure have potential applications in bone tissue engineering. Here, inspired by natural bone, the novel organic-inorganic composites (GelMPC-x) with high compressive strength are designed via adding magnesium oxide/calcium dihydrogen phosphate (MPC) powders into the oxidized dextran/gelatin (OD/Gel) hydrogel. GelMPC-x composites can trigger the gelation of OD/Gel hydrogel through an acid-alkaline reaction between magnesium oxide and calcium dihydrogen phosphate, thus forming an organic-inorganic double network. The cross-linked network between oxidized dextran and gelatin, and the multiple weak interactions between OD/Gel hydrogel and MPC enable the composites to have remarkable compressive strength (77-652 kPa) at the strain of 44 %. More importantly, the composites with appropriate MPC content possess superior injectability, high porosity, and excellent cytocompatibility. This work provides guidelines for the preparation of oxidized dextran-based composite hydrogels with enhanced mechanical performance.

The CRISPR-Cas system as a tool for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases.

Emerging and relapsing infectious diseases pose a huge health threat to human health and a new challenge to global public health. Rapid, sensitive and simple diagnostic tools are keys to successful management of infectious patients and containment of disease transmission. In recent years, international research on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-related proteins (Cas) has revolutionized our understanding of biology. The CRISPR-Cas system has the advantages of high specificity, high sensitivity, simple, rapid, low cost, and has begun to be used for molecular diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. In this paper, we described the biological principles, application fields and prospects of CRISPR-Cas system in the molecular diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, and compared it with existing molecular diagnosis methods, the advantages and disadvantages were summarized.

Risk Score Prediction Model of Prognosis in GC Patients by Age and Gender Combined With m6A Modification Genes FTO and RBM15.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) has a high mortality rate. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is involved in the development of GC. Age and gender are associated with GC incidence and survival. This study aimed to explore the risk score prediction model of prognosis in GC patients by age and gender combined with m6A modification genes. Methods: Data on m6A modification gene expression and clinical information downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used to construct the risk score prediction model. Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were performed to identify clinical characteristics and m6A modification genes associated with prognosis. A risk score prediction model was established based on multivariate Cox regression analysis. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to validate this model. Results: Most of the m6A modification genes were upregulated in GC tumor tissues compared with that in normal tissues and were correlated with clinical characteristics including grade, stage status, and T status. The risk score prediction model was established based on age, gender, FTO, and RBM15. GC patients were divided into high- or low-risk groups based on the median risk score. Patients with a high risk score had poor prognosis. Multivariate Cox regression indicated that risk score was an independent prognostic factor for GC patients. The data from GSE84437 verified the predictive value of this model. Conclusion: The risk score prediction model based on age and gender combined with m6A modification genes FTO and RBM15 was an independent prognostic factor for GC patients.

Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 Vaccines against COVID-19 Infection: A Meta-Analysis of Test-Negative Design Studies.

Although numerous COVID-19 vaccines are effective against COVID-19 infection and variants of concern (VOC) in the real world, it is imperative to obtain evidence of the corresponding vaccine effectiveness (VE). This study estimates the real-world effectiveness of the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines against COVID-19 infection and determines the influence of different virus variants on VE by using test-negative design (TND) studies. We systematically searched for published articles on the efficacy of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 against COVID-19 infection. Two researchers independently selected and extracted data from eligible studies. We calculated the VE associated with different vaccine types, SARS-CoV-2 variants, and vaccination statuses, using an inverse variance random-effects model. We selected 19 eligible studies in the meta-analysis from 1651 records. For the partially vaccinated group, the VE of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 was 61% and 78% against COVID-19 infection, respectively. For the completely vaccinated group, the VE of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 was 90% and 92% against COVID-19 infection, respectively. During subgroup analyses, the overall VE of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 against the Delta variant was 53% and 71%, respectively, for the partially vaccinated group; the respective VE values were 85% and 91% for the fully vaccinated group. Irrespective of the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines, the Delta variant significantly weakened vaccine protection for the partially vaccinated group, while full vaccination was highly effective against COVID-19 infection and various VOC. The mRNA-1273 vaccine is more effective against COVID-19 infection and VOC than the BNT162b2 vaccine, especially for the partially vaccinated group. Overall, the results provide recommendations for national and regional vaccine policies.

Phase Separation of MAGI2-Mediated Complex Underlies Formation of Slit Diaphragm Complex in Glomerular Filtration Barrier.

BACKGROUND: Slit diaphragm is a specialized adhesion junction between the opposing podocytes, establishing the final filtration barrier to urinary protein loss. At the cytoplasmic insertion site of each slit diaphragm there is an electron-dense and protein-rich cellular compartment that is essential for slit diaphragm integrity and signal transduction. Mutations in genes that encode components of this membrane-less compartment have been associated with glomerular diseases. However, the molecular mechanism governing formation of compartmentalized slit diaphragm assembly remains elusive. METHODS: We systematically investigated the interactions between key components at slit diaphragm, such as MAGI2, Dendrin, and CD2AP, through a combination of biochemical, biophysical, and cell biologic approaches. RESULTS: We demonstrated that MAGI2, a unique MAGUK family scaffold protein at slit diaphragm, can autonomously undergo liquid-liquid phase separation. Multivalent interactions among the MAGI2-Dendrin-CD2AP complex drive the formation of the highly dense slit diaphragm condensates at physiologic conditions. The reconstituted slit diaphragm condensates can effectively recruit Nephrin. A nephrotic syndrome-associated mutation of MAGI2 interfered with formation of the slit diaphragm condensates, thus leading to impaired enrichment of Nephrin. CONCLUSIONS: Key components at slit diaphragm (e.g., MAGI2 and its complex) can spontaneously undergo phase separation. The reconstituted slit diaphragm condensates can be enriched in adhesion molecules and cytoskeletal adaptor proteins. Therefore, the electron-dense slit diaphragm assembly might form via phase separation of core components of the slit diaphragm in podocytes.