A Cell-Adapted Live-Attenuated Vaccine Candidate Protects Pigs against the Homologous Strain VNUA-ASFV-05L1, a Representative Strain of the Contemporary Pandemic African Swine Fever Virus.

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal and highly contagious transboundary animal disease with the potential for rapid international spread. Currently, there is no ASF vaccine commercially available. All infected animals must be isolated and culled immediately upon the confirmation of the presence of the virus. Studies leading to the rational development of protective ASF vaccines are urgently needed. Here, we generated a safe and efficacious live-attenuated vaccine (LAV) VNUA-ASFV-LAVL2 by serially passaging a field isolate (VNUA-ASFV-05L1, genotype II) in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs, 65 passages) and an immortalized porcine alveolar macrophage cell line (3D4/21, 55 passages). VNUA-ASFV-LAVL2 can efficiently replicate in both PAMs and 3D4/21 cells. It provides 100% protection, even with the low dose of 102 HAD50, to the vaccinated pigs against the challenge of contemporary pandemic ASFV field isolate. Pigs vaccinated with this LAV in a dose range of 102 to 105 HAD50 remained clinically healthy during both the 28-day observation period of immunization and the 28-day observation period of challenge. VNUA-ASFV-LAVL2 was eliminated from blood by 28 days post-inoculation (DPI), and from feces or oral fluids by 17 DPI. Although the vaccine strain in serum remained a safe and attenuated phenotype after five passages in swine, a reversion-to-virulence study using blood or tissue homogenates at peak viremia will be conducted in the future. ASFV-specific IgG antibodies and significant cellular immunity were detected in vaccinated pigs before the ASFV challenge. These results indicate that the VNUA-ASFV-LAVL2 strain is a safe and efficacious LAV against the genotype II ASFV strain responsible for current ASF outbreaks in Asia.

Inclusion complexes of squalene with beta-cyclodextrin and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin: preparation and characterization.

The present work aimed to investigate inclusion complexes of squalene with various cyclodextrins (native ß-cyclodextrin and methyl-ß-cyclodextrin). The production of squalene-ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complex was obtained using Response Surface Methodology and obtained inclusion complexes were studied with FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, thermal analysis, and 1H-NMR spectrometry. At the same time, squalene content was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. All results confirmed that squalene was successfully involved in the cyclodextrin cavities. Optimizing the condition in preparation for the squalen-ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complex yielded 54.3% with squalene content of 9.01%. The essential difference for the inclusion complex of squalene with methylated beta-cyclodextrin was that no precipitate formed in the initial mixture, and the complex was more efficiently dispersed in water. The conclusions of the inclusion complex formation were confirmed by computer simulation by optimizing the complex geometry using the DFT, MM2, and MP3 methods.

Synthesis of TiC@C-anatase/rutile@polyvinyl alcohol/xylan: a powerful photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutant under visible light.

In this study, a composite bearing titanium carbide (TiC), titanium dioxide (TiO2), polyvinyl alcohol and xylan (TiC@C-anatase/rutile@polyvinyl alcohol/xylan) was synthesized and applied as a photocatalyst for the degradation of bromophenol blue (BPB) solution through several steps. Nanostructure of TiC and TiO2 in the anatase and rutile phases was obtained through heat treatment of TiC at different times and temperatures (TiC@AR) which led to a reduction in energy bandgap from UV to visible light, in addition to the enhancement of the surface activity. After TiC@AR polymerization by xylan and polyvinyl alcohol and obtaining TiC@AR/PX, the energy bandgap reduced to IR range (52% of the sunlight) while showing an enhancement in the surface activity. The photocatalytic activity of the compounds was tested by studying the decomposition of BPB solution under visible light. The result illustrated the ability of TiC and TiC@AR to decrease the concentration of BPB after 150 min by 35% and 37%, respectively, while this reduction was 72% for TiC@AR/PX. Considering the effective parameters, the energy bandgap and the surface layer played key roles in photocatalytic degradation.

Determination of triacylglycerol and fatty acid compositions of Impatiens seed oils using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography.

In the present work, triacylglycerol and fatty acid compositions of Impatiens balsamina L. and Impatiens walleriana Hook.f. seed oils were determined using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with both refractive index and spectrophotometric detections. The presence of conjugated octadecatetraenoic moieties was confirmed by UV and IR spectroscopy. Triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions were performed using an incremental approach and confirmed by the results of MS and electronic spectra. The quantitative analysis of TAG was achieved by careful calibration, introducing correction factors for the sensitivity of each compound. The results showed that both Impatiens seed oils contain the same 23 TAGs. The mole fraction of 15 TAGs containing conjugated moieties was more significant than 88% (for Impatiens balsamina L.) and 81% (for Impatiens walleriana Hook.f.). Seed oils of Impatiens balsamina and Impatiens walleriana contain 43.44% and 36.12% mole of conjugated octadecatetraenoic fatty acids, respectively. These conjugated fatty acids were determined to be α-parinaric (C18:49Z,11E,13E,15Z) and ß-parinaric (C18:49Z,11E,13E,15Z), in which isomer ß-parinaric represents 23.21% and 26.27% of conjugated octadecatetraenoic acids for I. balsamina and I. walleriana seed oils, respectively. In addition, the mole fraction of α-linolenic acid in both seed oils was also abundant at 24.5% and 28.2% for I. balsamina and I. walleriana. Therefore, I. balsamina L.and I. walleriana seed oils are potential sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially conjugated octadecatetraenoic acids.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes related to Zika virus in pregnant women in Southern Vietnam: An epidemiological and virological prospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: In 2016-2017, 68 women in Southern Vietnam had RT-PCR confirmed Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy. We report here the outcomes of the pregnancies and the virological analyses related to this outbreak. METHODS: We collected clinical and epidemiological information from the women who were enrolled in the study. Medical records related to the pregnancy in 2016-2017 were retrieved for those who were not able to be enrolled in the study. Children born to women with ZIKV infection during pregnancy were also enrolled. Serum samples were evaluated for presence of ZIKV antibodies. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on Zika virus genomes sequenced from the 2016-2017 serum samples. FINDINGS: Of the 68 pregnancies, 58 were livebirths and 10 were medically terminated. Four of the medical records from cases of fetal demise were able to be retrieved, of which one was consistent with congenital ZIKV infection. Of the 58 women with a livebirth, 21 participated in the follow-up investigation. All but two women had serologic evidence of ZIKV infection. Of the 21 children included in the study (mean age: 30.3 months), 3 had microcephaly at birth. No other clinical abnormalities were reported and no differences in neurodevelopment were observed compared to a control group. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a clade within the ZIKV Asian lineage and branch at the root of samples from the 2013-2014 French Polynesian outbreak. The prM S139N mutation was not observed. INTERPRETATION: We have been able to demonstrate a clade within the ZIKV Asian lineage implicated in adverse pregnancy outcomes in Southern Vietnam. FUNDING: INCEPTION project (PIA/ANR-16-CONV-0005) and a grant received from BNP Paribas Simplidon.

Synthesis, characterization, and sorption activity of novel azo-colorants derived from phloroglucinol and antipyrine and their metal complexes.

Two novel azo-colorants derived from phloroglucinol and antipyrine as well as 10 metal complexes with Co(ii), Ni(ii), Zn(ii), Cu(ii), and Cd(ii) were isolated and studied by a set of methods (1H, 13C NMR, IR, UV-VIS, EPR, X-ray structure determination). The azo-coupling of phloroglucinol with a 5-pyrazolone amino-derivative led to the isolation of a colorant H3L1 which was presented in the hydroxy-azo tautomeric form. At nitrosation of H3L1, the product H3L2 was isolated, which can be described as tri-oxo di-hydroxylamino hydrazone. According to the X-ray structure determination, the Cd-complex of H3L1 exhibited the dimeric form with two unionized organic ligands in the inner sphere. It was also found that chloride anions bridge two cadmium cations to form dimers. According to EPR spectra, the Cu-complex with H3L1 exhibited distorted tetragonal symmetry associated with the d x 2-y 2 ground state rather than d z 2 , and the corresponding Cu-H3L2 complex was described by a cubic symmetry of the coordination medium. Both H3L1, H3L2, and their metal complexes show coloristic activity towards wool, polyamide, and polyacetate fibers, which are strongly resistant towards UV-irradiation. The H3L2 compound possessed good sorption activity towards heavy metal cations from aqueous solutions of trace concentrations both under static and dynamic conditions.

Distinct shear-induced Ca2+ signaling in the left and right atrial myocytes: Role of P2 receptor context.

Atrial myocytes are continuously exposed to shear stress during cardiac cycles. Previous reports have shown that shear stress induces two different types of global Ca2+ signaling in atrial myocytes-longitudinal Ca2+ waves (L-waves) and action potential-involved transverse waves (T-waves), and suggested an underlying role of the autocrine activation of P2 receptors. We explored the correlations between ATP release and Ca2+ wave generation in atrial myocytes and investigated why the cells develop two Ca2+-wave types during the same shear force. We examined whether ATP release correlates with different shear-stress (~16 dyn/cm2)-mediated Ca2+ signaling by simultaneous measurement of local Ca2+ and ATP release in individual atrial myocytes using two-dimensional confocal imaging and sniffer patch techniques, respectively. Functional P2X7-receptor-expressing HEK293 cells were established as sniffer cells, which generated currents in real time in response to ATP released from a closely positioned atrial myocyte. Both shear-stress-induced L- and T-waves were preceded by sniffer currents with no difference in the current magnitude. Left atrial (LA) myocytes had two- to three-fold larger sniffer currents than right atrial (RA) cells, as was confirmed by ATP chemiluminescence assay. Shear-stress-induced ATP release was eliminated by connexin (Cx) 43 hemichannel inhibition using La3+, Gap19, or knock-down of Cx43 expression. The level of phosphorylated Cx43 at Ser386 (p-Cx43Ser368), but not total Cx43, was higher in LA versus RA myocytes. Most LA cells (~70%) developed L-waves, whereas most RA myocytes (~80%) presented T-waves. Shear-stress-induced T-waves were completely removed by inhibition of P2X4R, which were most abundant in rat atrial cells. Expression of P2X4R was higher in RA than LA myocytes, whereas expression of P2Y1R, the mediator of L-waves, was higher in LA than RA myocytes. ATP release mainly triggers L-waves in LA myocytes and T-waves in RA myocytes under the same shear force, partly because of the differential expression of P2Y1R and P2X4R between LA and RA myocytes. Higher ATP release in LA myocytes under shear stress may not contribute to determination of the wave pattern.