Structural elucidation of polydopamine facilitated by ionic liquid solvation.

Minimal understanding of the formation mechanism and structure of polydopamine (pDA) and its natural analogue, eumelanin, impedes the practical application of these versatile polymers and limits our knowledge of the origin of melanoma. The lack of conclusive structural evidence stems from the insolubility of these materials, which has spawned significantly diverse suggestions of pDA's structure in the literature. We discovered that pDA is soluble in certain ionic liquids. Using these ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents, we present an experimental methodology to solvate pDA, enabling us to identify pDA's chemical structure. The resolved pDA structure consists of self-assembled supramolecular aggregates that contribute to the increasing complexity of the polymer. The underlying molecular energetics of pDA solvation and a macroscopic picture of the disruption of the aggregates using IL solvents have been investigated, along with studies of the aggregation mechanism in water.

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Outcomes of Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy with Different Types of Dyslipidemia: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

INTRODUCTION: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the most common glomerulonephritic diseases in the world. Several lines of evidence have suggested that dyslipidemia is related to the disease progression and prognosis of IgAN. However, the study is scarce on the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of IgAN with dyslipidemia. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 234 patients with biopsy-proven idiopathic IgAN at the Department of Nephrology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, between January 2015 and June 2021. The participants were divided into dyslipidemia (n = 119) and non-dyslipidemia (n = 115), and the dyslipidemia group was also divided into the following 4 groups: hypertriglyceridemia group, hypercholesterolemia group, mixed hyperlipidemia group, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol group. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. RESULTS: The prevalence of dyslipidemia in IgAN patients in our center was 50.9% (119/234). The patients with dyslipidemia presented with higher systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, serum creatinine, uric acid, hemoglobin, proteinuria, and eGFR (p < 0.05). Proportions of males, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease stage 2∼5 were also higher in the dyslipidemia group (p < 0.05). Similarly, the pathological characteristics performed were worse in the dyslipidemia group. Most dyslipidemia patients had a higher percentage of mesangial hypercellularity (M1) and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T1∼2) in the Oxford Classification's scoring system (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.397, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.051-5.469, p = 0.038) and proteinuria (OR = 1.000, 95% CI: 1.000-1.001, p = 0.035) were possible risk factors for dyslipidemia. A total of 13 patients (13.8%) in the dyslipidemia group had an endpoint event, of which 6 patients (6.4%) had a ≥50% decrease in eGFR from baseline and 7 patients (7.4%) reached the end-stage renal disease stage. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that patients in the dyslipidemia group had a worse outcome than those in the non-dyslipidemia group (log-rank test, p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: IgAN patients with dyslipidemia presented more severe clinicopathological characteristics. Male gender and proteinuria are significantly associated with the occurrence of dyslipidemia in IgAN patients. Patients in the dyslipidemia group had a worse prognosis than those in the non-dyslipidemia group, which may be essential for the disease management of IgAN and help identify the high-risk patients.

The characteristics and regulations of adaptive designs from 2008 to 2020: An overview of European Medicines Agency approvals.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify and characterize all European Medicines Agency (EMA) approvals derived from adaptive designs in clinical trials and to provide an update of the current status of these drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant files were identified in the EMA database for annual reports for the period between 2008 and 2020 using a list of suitable keywords related to adaptive designs. We recorded trial characteristics from drug approvals and used Fisher exact test to compare the characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 1,054 EMA approvals were identified, and the percentage of EMA approvals planned with adaptive trial designs increased from 1.85% in the period 2008 - 2012 to 6.19% in between 2017 - 2020. A total of 41 approvals were identified among 91 original EMA files that contained adaptive designs. The types of adaptive designs used in clinical trials increased after 2017 where the most common type used was the most common (17/41). Most approvals (32/41) comprised pivotal trials, and most assessments had not been accelerated (38/41). Of 32 confirmatory trials planned with adaptive designs, the proportion of those with additional monitoring (AM) increased significantly (p < 0.0001) from 0% in the 2008 - 2012 period to 90.48% in the 2017 - 2020 period. The percentage of approved antitumor drugs in approved drugs in ongoing clinical trials was 82.35%, compared to 20.83% in trials that were completed (p = 0.0001). The proportion of drug approved but where clinical trials were still ongoing in companies requiring post-authorization safety studies (PASSs) or post-authorization efficacy studies (PAESs) or who were granted conditional marketing authorization (CMA) significantly differed from the group of drugs approved where clinical trials were completed (p = 0.0230). CONCLUSION: A trend showing an increased number of EMA approvals related to adaptive designs was observed for the period from 2008 to 2020. Different types of adaptive trial designs could be encouraged for the designation of clinical trials, especially for antitumor drugs; meanwhile, more stringent monitoring regulations seemed to be conducted for ongoing trials of antitumor drugs with adaptive design.

Does vitamin D level associate with pregnancy outcomes in Chinese women undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer? A retrospective cohort study.

AIM: To explore the relationship between serum 25(OH)D level and pregnancy outcomes (clinical pregnancy rate [CPR] and live birth rate [LBR]) in Chinese women receiving in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-embryo transfer (ET) (IVF/ICSI-ET). METHODS: A total of 612 patients included in the study were divided into four cohorts according to serum 25(OH)D with the threshold of 20 ng/ml, 25 ng/ml, 30 ng/ml, and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: None of the baseline characteristics of participants was significantly different in the four cohorts except gravid status. The trend of 25(OH)D concentration was positively correlated with CPR and LBR. The younger (age: p < 0.001 both in CPR and LBR) women with primary infertility (infertility type: p = 0.004 in LBR) were more likely to get a better pregnancy outcome under the same 25(OH)D concentration stages. As shown on heatmap plots, CPR, and LBR were significantly increased for 25(OH)D concentrations above 30.00 ng/ml and women younger than 30 years old. The adjusted binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) showed that there existed a nonlinear positive correlation between 25(OH)D concentration and pregnancy outcome (CPR and LBR) (Pnonlinear < 0.001, respectively). The women with a sufficient 25(OH)D concentration (30 ng/ml) had 1.07 (clinical pregnancy) and 1.05 (live birth) times higher successful birth outcomes compared to women with an insufficient 25(OH)D concentration (25 ng/ml). (OR25 ng/ml, ref = 30 ng/ml [95% CI] = 0.935 [0.932-0.938] and 0.947 [0.945-0.950], p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: In Chinese women receiving IVF/ICSI-ET, the serum level of 25(OH)D demonstrated a nonlinear positive correlation with pregnancy outcomes (CPR and LBR), with stronger correlations above 25 ng/ml and worse yields below 30 ng/ml. However, it could not yet be considered different in distinct ages.

VOCs characteristics and their ozone and SOA formation potentials in autumn and winter at Weinan, China.

Frequent ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution have been occurring in the Guanzhong Plain in China. To effectively control the tropospheric ozone and PM2.5 pollution, this study performed measurements of 102 VOCs species from Sep.19-25 (autumn) and Nov.27-Dec. 8, 2017 (winter) at Weinan in the central Guanzhong Plain. The total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) concentrations were 95.8 ± 30.6 ppbv in autumn and 74.4 ± 37.1 ppbv in winter. Alkanes were the most abundant group in both of autumn and winter, accounting for 33.5% and 39.6% of TVOCs concentrations, respectively. The levels of aromatics and oxygenated VOCs were higher in autumn than in winter, mainly due to changes in industrial activities and combustion strength. Photochemical reactivities and ozone formation potentials (OFPs) of VOCs were calculated by applying the OH radical loss rate (LOH) and maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) method, respectively. Results showed that Alkenes and aromatics were the key VOCs in term ozone formation in Weinan, which together contributed 59.6% ̶ 65.3% to the total LOH and OFP. Secondary organic aerosol formation potentials (SOAFP) of the measured VOCs were investigated by employing the fractional aerosol coefficient (FAC) method. Aromatics contributed 94.9% and 96.2% to the total SOAFP in autumn and winter, respectively. The regional transport effects on VOCs and ozone formation were investigated by using trajectory analysis and potential source contribution function (PSCF). Results showed that regional anthropogenic sources from industrial cities (Tongchuan, Xi'an city) and biogenic sources from Qinling Mountain influenced VOCs levels and OFP at Weinan. Future studies need to emphasize on meteorological factors and sources that impact on VOCs concentrations in Weinan.

Spatial characteristics of VOCs and their ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials in autumn and winter in the Guanzhong Plain, China.

As critical precursors of tropospheric ozone (O3) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) largely influence air quality in urban environments. In this study, measurements of 102 VOCs at all five major cities in the Guanzhong Plain (GZP) were conducted during Sep.09-Oct. 13, 2017 (autumn) and Nov. 14, 2017-Jan. 19, 2018 (winter) to investigate the characteristics of VOCs and their roles in O3 and SOA formation. The average concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs) at Xi'an (XA), Weinan (WN), Xianyang (XY), Tongchuan (TC), and Baoji (BJ) sites were in the range of 55.2-110.2 ppbv in autumn and 42.4-74.3 ppbv in winter. TVOCs concentrations were reduced by 22.4%-43.5% from autumn to winter at XA, WN and BJ. Comparatively low concentrations of TVOCs were observed in XY and TC, ranging from 53.5 to 62.7 ppbv across the sampling period. Alkanes were the major components at all sites, accounting for 26.4%-48.9% of the TVOCs during the sampling campaign, followed by aromatics (4.2%-26.4%). The average concentration of acetylene increased by a factor of up to 4.8 from autumn to winter, indicating the fuel combustion in winter heating period significantly impacted on VOCs composition in the GZP. The OH radical loss rate and maximum incremental reactivity method were employed to determine photochemical reactivities and ozone formation potentials (OFPs) of VOCs, respectively. The VOCs in XA and WN exhibited the highest reactivities in O3 formation, with the OFP of 168-273 ppbv and the OH loss rates of 19.3-40.8 s-1. Alkenes and aromatics primarily related to on-road and industrial emissions contributed 57.8%-76.3% to the total OFP. The contribution of aromatics to the SOA formation at all sites reached 94.1%-98.6%. Considering the potential source-area of VOCs, regional transport of VOCs occurred within the GZP cities.

Stability analysis of a nonlocal SIHRDP epidemic model with memory effects.

The prediction and control of COVID-19 is critical for ending this pandemic. In this paper, a nonlocal SIHRDP (S-susceptible class, I-infective class (infected but not hospitalized), H-hospitalized class, R-recovered class, D-death class and P-isolated class) epidemic model with long memory is proposed to describe the multi-wave peaks for the spread of COVID-19. Based on the basic reproduction number R 0 , which is completely controlled by fractional order, the stability of the proposed system is studied. Furthermore, the numerical simulation is conducted to gauge the performance of the proposed model. The results on Hunan, China, reveal that R 0 < 1 suggests that the disease-free equilibrium point is globally asymptotically stable. Likewise, the situation of the multi-peak case in China is presented, and it is clear that the nonlocal epidemic system has a superior fitting effect than the classical model. Finally an adaptive impulsive vaccination is introduced based on the proposed system. Then employing the real data of France, India, the USA and Argentina, parameters identification and short-term forecasts are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model in describing the case of multiple peaks. Moreover, the implementation of vaccine control is expected once the hospitalized population exceeds 20 % of the total population. Numerical results of France, Indian, the USA and Argentina shed light on the varied effect of vaccine control in different countries. According to the vaccine control imposed on France, no obvious effect is observed even consider reducing human contact. As for India, although there will be a temporary increase in hospitalized admissions after execution of vaccination control, COVID-19 will eventually disappear. Results on the USA have seen most significant effect of vaccine control, the number of hospitalized individuals drops off and the disease is eventually eradicated. In contrast to the USA, vaccine control in Argentina has also been very effective, but COVID-19 cannot be completely eradicated.

Norepinephrine derived carbon dots for live-cell imaging and effective hemoglobin determination.

Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted wide attention for their potential use as fluorescence probes in biological and analytical chemistry due to their great stability and high fluorescence quantum yields. In our work, norepinephrine (NE)-derived CDs with green luminescence and an average size of 10 nm were fabricated using a one-step hydrothermal route. As-prepared CDs show a strong emission at a wavelength of 520 nm when excited at 420 nm, and demonstrate pH and concentration dependent fluorescence behaviour. Multiple functional groups on the CDs allow their protonation/deprotonation and thus alter fluorescence intensity and peak position in different pH conditions. Prepared CDs show significant potential to be used as a live-cell imaging agent with long-term photostability. Furthermore, a simple but effective method to determine the concentration of hemoglobin (Hb) in diluted human blood samples was also developed based on the inner filter effect (IFE). The method demonstrates good linearity from 0.01-10 µM, with a limit of determination (LOD) of 52 nM.

Analysis on the trend of AIDS incidence in Zhejiang, China based on the age-period-cohort model (2004-2018).

OBJECTIVE: To predict the trend of AIDS in specific age groups and to determine the objective population for AIDS screening, this study explored the three transmission routes and characterized each patient group using the APC model based on the whole, local, and immigrant populations in Zhejiang, China. METHODS: The data recruited in this paper was obtained from the national Comprehensive AIDS Prevention and Control Information System - Antiviral Therapy Management database and the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System and the Statistical Yearbook of Zhejiang, China. An APC model was used to estimate the impact of age, period, and cohort on the incidence of AIDS, as well as to predict the AIDS incidence in specific age groups based on different sexes with different transmission routes. RESULTS: The AIDS incidence peaked in males aged 20-35 years; the incidence of males was higher than that of females due to the impact of period; obvious cohort effect was observed among the immigrants. In the whole and local populations, the incidences of males in all age groups and females in both the 35-year-old group and the whole age group were predicted to increase sharply in 5 years. In the immigrant population, the AIDS incidences in both sexes in all age groups were expected to increase significantly in 5 years. Under the influence of period, the incidence of AIDS via homosexual transmission in the whole population and the local population increased and remained stable after 2015. At the same time, the incidence of AIDS transmitted by homosexual and heterosexual routes in the immigrants also showed an increasing trend. CONCLUSIONS: The results elucidate that there are sex differences in AIDS incidence, and the incidence of AIDS through various transmission routes in all groups is predicted to exhibit an upward trend in the 5 years to come. Effective intervention strategies should be developed and implemented by the public health departments in Zhejiang to control the epidemic of AIDS.

Emission characteristics and ozone formation potentials of gaseous pollutants from in-use methanol-, CNG- and gasoline-fueled vehicles.

Alternative-fueled vehicles have been introduced to solve the problem of the energy crisis and address air pollution. However, typical pollutants (e.g., methane and methanol) are emitted through combustion of the alternative fuel. In this study, the concentrations of regulated pollutants (CO, NO) and unregulated pollutants (CH4, methanol, formaldehyde, and 8 NMHC species) in the exhaust from methanol, CNG, and gasoline-fueled vehicles (MV, NGV, and GV) were measured systematically on a chassis dynamometer during an in-use vehicle driving cycle. The emission factors of these gaseous pollutants were calculated, and the ozone formation potential (OFP) of each ozone precursor measured in this work was evaluated with the MIR scale. The results showed that NO and NMHC species exhausted from the MV and NGV decreased significantly than that from the GV. However, the unburned pollutants exhausted from MV and NGV warrant attention. For the OFPs, CO was the largest contributor for all tested vehicles. Formaldehyde was ranked the second for the MV and NGV. Among the tested vehicles, the OFPs of NGV were the lowest. The results are helpful in quantitating analysis of the vehicle emissions and evaluating the impacts of alternative-fueled vehicles on atmospheric environment.

Forecast analysis of the epidemics trend of COVID-19 in the USA by a generalized fractional-order SEIR model.

In this paper, a generalized fractional-order SEIR model is proposed, denoted by SEIQRP model, which divided the population into susceptible, exposed, infectious, quarantined, recovered and insusceptible individuals and has a basic guiding significance for the prediction of the possible outbreak of infectious diseases like the coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) and other insect diseases in the future. Firstly, some qualitative properties of the model are analyzed. The basic reproduction number R 0 is derived. When R 0 < 1 , the disease-free equilibrium point is unique and locally asymptotically stable. When R 0 > 1 , the endemic equilibrium point is also unique. Furthermore, some conditions are established to ensure the local asymptotic stability of disease-free and endemic equilibrium points. The trend of COVID-19 spread in the USA is predicted. Considering the influence of the individual behavior and government mitigation measurement, a modified SEIQRP model is proposed, defined as SEIQRPD model, which is divided the population into susceptible, exposed, infectious, quarantined, recovered, insusceptible and dead individuals. According to the real data of the USA, it is found that our improved model has a better prediction ability for the epidemic trend in the next two weeks. Hence, the epidemic trend of the USA in the next two weeks is investigated, and the peak of isolated cases is predicted. The modified SEIQRP model successfully capture the development process of COVID-19, which provides an important reference for understanding the trend of the outbreak.

A fractional-order SEIHDR model for COVID-19 with inter-city networked coupling effects.

In the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan. Through the real-data of COVID-19 from January 23 to March 18, 2020, this paper proposes a fractional SEIHDR model based on the coupling effect of inter-city networks. At the same time, the proposed model considers the mortality rates (exposure, infection and hospitalization) and the infectivity of individuals during the incubation period. By applying the least squares method and prediction-correction method, the proposed system is fitted and predicted based on the real-data from January 23 to March 18 - m where m represents predict days. Compared with the integer system, the non-network fractional model has been verified and can better fit the data of Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Huanggang. Compared with the no-network case, results show that the proposed system with inter-city network may not be able to better describe the spread of disease in China due to the lock and isolation measures, but this may have a significant impact on countries that has no closure measures. Meanwhile, the proposed model is more suitable for the data of Japan, the USA from January 22 and February 1 to April 16 and Italy from February 24 to March 31. Then, the proposed fractional model can also predict the peak of diagnosis. Furthermore, the existence, uniqueness and boundedness of a nonnegative solution are considered in the proposed system. Afterward, the disease-free equilibrium point is locally asymptotically stable when the basic reproduction number R 0 ≤ 1 , which provide a theoretical basis for the future control of COVID-19.

Influence of a herbal preparation on the pharmacokinetics of highly active antiretroviral therapy drugs in rats.

Shenlin Fuzheng Capsule (SLFZC) is a herbal preparation used for HIV/AIDS in Guangxi, China. This study was designed to evaluate the influence of SLFZC on the pharmacokinetics of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) drugs, zidovudine (3'-azido-3'-deoythymidine, AZT), 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) and efavirenz (EFV). Thirty-six male SD rats were divided into three groups. Group A was given a combination of AZT, 3TC and EFV (AZT/3TC/EFV). Group B rats were given AZT/3TC/EFV simultaneously with SLFZC. Group C rats were given AZT/3TC/EFV 2h prior to SLFZC. Blood samples were collected at fixed time intervals. Plasma concentration of each antiretroviral drug was tested for calculation of pharmacokinetic parameters. There was significant difference among groups with respect to t1/2 for AZT (F=3.371, P<0.05), but the Student-Newman-Keuls (SNK) pairwise multiple comparison procedure showed no statistical differences in all pairwise comparisons (P>0.05). There were no significant differences among groups in terms of Cmax, T max, AUC0-12h and CL for AZT, and t1/2, Cmax, Tmax, AUC0-12h and CL for 3TC and EFV, respectively. The results indicate that SLFZC has little impact on pharmacokinetic properties of AZT, 3TC and EFV.

Melatonin supplementation during in vitro maturation of oocyte enhances subsequent development of bovine cloned embryos.

Oocyte quality, which is directly related to reprogramming competence, is a major important limiting factor in animal cloning efficiency. Compared with oocytes matured in vivo, in vitro matured oocytes exhibit lower oocyte quality and reprogramming competence primarily because of their higher levels of reactive oxygen species. In this study, we investigate whether supplementing the oocyte maturation medium with melatonin, a free radical scavenger, could improve oocyte quality and reprogramming competence. We found that 10-9 M melatonin effectively alleviated oxidative stress, markedly decreased early apoptosis levels, recovered the integrity of mitochondria, ameliorated the spindle assembly and chromosome alignment in oocytes, and significantly promoted subsequent cloned embryo development in vitro. We also analyzed the effects of melatonin on epigenetic modifications in bovine oocytes. Melatonin increased the global H3K9 acetylation levels, reduced the H3K9 methylation levels, and minimally affected DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation. Genome-wide expression analysis of genes in melatonin-treated and nontreated oocytes was also conducted by high-throughput RNA sequencing. Our results indicated that melatonin ameliorates oocyte oxidative stress and improves subsequent in vitro development of bovine cloned embryos.

Methionine adenosyltransferase 2A regulates mouse zygotic genome activation and morula to blastocyst transition†.

Methionine adenosyltransferase II (MAT2A) is essential to the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine, a major methyl donor, from L-methionine and ATP. Upon fertilization, zygotic genome activation (ZGA) marks the period that transforms the genome from transcriptional quiescence to robust transcriptional activity. During this period, embryonic epigenome undergoes extensive modifications, including histone methylation changes. However, whether MAT2A participates in histone methylation at the ZGA stage is unknown. Herein, we identified that MAT2A is a pivotal factor for ZGA in mouse embryos. Mat2a knockdown exhibited 2-cell embryo arrest and reduced transcriptional activity but did not affect H3K4me2/3 and H3K9me2/3. When the cycloleucine, a selective inhibitor of MAT2A catalytic activity, was added to a culture medium, embryos were arrested at the morula stage in the same manner as the embryos cultured in an L-methionine-deficient medium. Under these two culture conditions, H3K4me3 levels of morula and blastocyst were much lower than those cultured under normal medium. Furthermore, cycloleucine treatment or methionine starvation apparently reduced the developmental potential of blastocysts. Thus, Mat2a is indispensable for ZGA and morula-to-blastocyst transition.

Probing Anisotropic Surface Properties of Illite by Atomic Force Microscopy.

For the purpose of understanding the colloidal behaviors of illite in mineral processing, probing the surface charging property of illite is of great significance. This research explored the edge and basal surfaces of illite using an atomic force microscope (AFM). The interaction forces between Si/Si3N4 probes and illite edge/basal surfaces were measured, respectively, at different pH values in 10 mM KCl solutions. Theoretical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek forces were matched up with the measured forces to derive the surface potentials of the two surfaces. On the illite basal surface, an attractive force occurred at pH 3.0, while repulsive forces dominated from pH 5.0 to 10.0. On the illite edge surface, a slight attractive force was also obtained at pH 3.0. However, the interaction changed into repulsion at pH 5.0, and this repulsive force increased gradually from pH 6.0 to 10.0. Illite basal and edge surfaces were both negatively charged, but the basal surface exhibited more negative charges than the edge surface from pH 3.0 to 10.0. Increasing solution pH from 3.0 to 10.0, there was no detection of the point of zero charge (PZC) of the illite basal surface; however, the PZC of the illite edge surface should have occurred at a pH slightly lower than 3.0. This is the first time that surface potentials of illite edge and basal surfaces were attained separately by direct force measurements. These findings provide insights into the colloidal behaviors of illite in mineral processing and oil sands extraction.

Recipient-derived IL-22 alleviates murine acute graft-versus-host disease in association with reduced activation of antigen presenting cells.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) remains a major challenging complication of patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). CD4+ effector T cells and their related cytokines mediate pathogenesis of aGVHD, in which donor-T-cell derived interleukin-22 (IL-22) was recently indicated to play a role. The role of recipient-derived IL-22 in aGVHD remains to be elucidated. By applying IL-22 knock out (IL-22KO) mice as recipients of allotransplant, we found recipient derived IL-22 alleviated aGVHD and improved survival of allotransplant recipients. Knock out of IL-22 in recipient increased levels of T-helper (Th1) 1 cells but decreased levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in target tissues of aGVHD. Levels of IL-22 increased in aGVHD mice. Recipient antigen presenting cells (APCs) are important sources of IL-22. IL-22 reduced activation of APCs in vitro. Defect of IL-22 in APCs resulted in increased polarization of Th1 cells but decreased level of Tregs in an in vitro co-culture system. Our data highlight an immunoregulatory function of recipient-derived IL-22 in aGVHD.

After 18 months of antiretroviral therapy, total HIV DNA decreases more pronouncedly in patients infected by CRF01_AE than in those infected by subtype B and CRF07_BC.

Whether the amount of HIV DNA is associated with the subtype of HIV-1 after antiretroviral therapy (ART) has not been reported. In the present study, the amount of HIV DNA and RNA and CD4+T counts in blood and semen prior to and after 18 months of ART were compared in 48 patients infected by CRF01_AE, subtype B or CRF07_BC of HIV-1. Viral RNA was suppressed and CD4 cell count recovery achieved in all patients. The level of HIV DNA were similar before ART; however, patients with CRF01_AE had less HIV DNA after ART than those with subtype B and CRF07_BC infection. According to prediction of co-receptor usage by Geno2Pheno and PSSM in combination, more than 35.6% of clones for CRF01_AE were predicted as CXCR4-using before ART, whereas less than 6% of those for subtype B and CRF07_BC were predicted as CXCR4-using. After 18 months of ART, no CXCR4-using clones were predicted in any of the subtypes. Despite more HIV RNA and fewer CD4 + T cells in patients with CRF01_AE before therapy, no significant differences (P > 0.05) in viral RNA or CD4 cell counts were observed between the subtypes after 18 months of ART. Thus, 18 months of antiretroviral therapy was more efficient in patients with CRF01_AE. Considering that successful ART dramatically reduces the viral load in both blood and semen, risks of sexual transmission of HIV were reduced, contributing to prevention of rapid spread of HIV among men who have sex with men in the region.

Halobium Salinum sp. nov., Isolated from a Marine Solar Saltern.

A halophilic archaeal strain YJ-8-ST was isolated from Yangjiang marine solar saltern, China. Cells from strain YJ-8-ST were pleomorphic, lysed in distilled water, stained Gram-negative, and formed red-pigmented colonies on agar plate. Optimal growth of the strain was obtained at 3.1 M NaCl (range 1.4-4.8 M), 0.1 M MgCl2 (range 0.005-1.0 M), 37 °C (range 20-50 °C), and pH 7.5 (range 5.5-9.5). The major polar lipids are phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me), sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-DGD-1), and mannosyl glucosyl diether (DGD-1). The 16S rRNA gene and rpoB' gene of strain YJ-8-ST were phylogenetically related to the corresponding genes of Halobium palmae (96.9-97.2 and 92.7% similarities, respectively). The DNA G+C content of strain YJ-8-ST was determined to be 68.9 mol%. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic characteristics suggested that strain YJ-8-ST (=CGMCC 1.12553T = JCM 30029T) represents a new species of Halobium, for which the name Halobium salinum sp. nov. is proposed.

Halomarina rubra sp. nov., isolated from a marine solar saltern.

Halophilic archaeal strain ZS-47-ST was isolated from Zhoushan marine solar saltern, China. Cells were pleomorphic, stained Gram-negative, and formed red-pigmented colonies on agar plate. Strain ZS-47-ST was able to grow at 20-50 °C (optimum 37 °C), at 0.9-4.8 M NaCl (optimum 3.4 M), at 0.005-1.0 M MgCl2 (optimum 0.03 M), and at pH 5.5-9.5 (optimum pH 6.5-7.5). The cells lysed in distilled water and the minimal NaCl concentration to prevent cell-lysis was 5% (w/v). The major polar lipids were C20C20 and C20C25 diether derivatives of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate, glucosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether, and three unidentified glycolipids. The 16S rRNA gene and rpoB' gene of strain ZS-47-ST were phylogenetically related to the corresponding genes of Halomarina oriensis JCM 16495T (98.57 and 92.94% similarities, respectively) and Halomarina salina CGMCC 1.12543T (97.96 and 93.65% similarities, respectively). The DNA G + C content of strain ZS-47-ST was 64.6 mol % (T m). The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic properties suggested that strain ZS-47-ST (=CGMCC 1.12563T = JCM 30037T) represents a new species of Halomarina, for which the name Halomarina rubra sp. nov. is proposed.