Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a variety of vaccine platforms have been developed. Amongst these, inactivated vaccines have been authorized for emergency use or conditional marketing in many ...countries. To further enhance the protective immune responses in populations that have completed vaccination regimen, we investigated the immunogenic characteristics of different vaccine platforms and tried homologous or heterologous boost strategy post two doses of inactivated vaccines in a mouse model. Our results showed that the humoral and cellular immune responses induced by different vaccines when administered individually differ significantly. In particular, inactivated vaccines showed relatively lower level of neutralizing antibody and T cell responses, but a higher IgG2a/IgG1 ratio compared with other vaccines. Boosting with either recombinant subunit, adenovirus vectored or mRNA vaccine after two-doses of inactivated vaccine further improved both neutralizing antibody and Spike-specific Th1-type T cell responses compared to boosting with a third dose of inactivated vaccine. Our results provide new ideas for prophylactic inoculation strategy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
A reference standard is needed for quality control of protein subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to meet urgent domestic needs. The Chinese National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC) launched a ...project to establish the first reference material for the protein subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to be used for calibration of antigen testing. The potency and stability of the national candidate standard (CS) were determined by collaborative calibration, and accelerated and freeze–thaw degradation studies. Moreover, a suitability study of the CS was performed. Eight laboratories in mainland China were asked to detect antigen content of CS using a common validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit established by NIFDC and in-house kits in the collaborative study. Six laboratories returned valid results, which established that the antigen content of the CS was 876,938 YU/mL, with good agreement across laboratories. In the suitability study, the CS exhibited excellent parallelism and a linear relationship with four samples produced by different expression systems and target proteins. In addition, good stability in the accelerated and freeze–thaw degradation study was observed. In conclusion, the CS was approved by the Biological Product Reference Standards Sub-Committee of the National Drug Reference Standards Committee as the first Chinese national standard for determining antigen content of protein subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, with an assigned antigen content of 877,000 U/mL (Lot. 300050–202101). This standard will contribute to a standardized assessment of protein subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in China and may provide experience for developing reference materials for antigen content detection of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in other countries.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•C40 Fair-faced self-compacting concrete (FFSCC) was prepared and applied successfully in second lining of tunnel.•The effects of APT values on workability, strength and surface porosity of FFSCC ...were analyzed in detail.•The fitting relationships between the meso-structure, mix design and the properties of FFSCC were obtained.
Fair-faced concrete (FFC) with excellent decorative effect is a kind of concrete which can be directly used as external facade, whereas the low workability and complex molding process of the ordinary FFC restricts its broad application. In this study, the C40 self-compacting FFC (named as fair-faced self-compacting concrete or FFSCC for short) was prepared. With the reference of average paste thickness (APT) theory, the effects of coarse aggregate gradation and content, sand content and mineral admixture content on workability, compressive strength and decoration effect of FFSCC were quantitatively analyzed to obtain an optimal mix proportion of FFSCC. The results indicated that the increased proportions of 5–10 mm aggregates or higher aggregate content would lead to the lower APTs, which resulted in lower workability, lower surface porosity, and higher strength. Fitting results between APT and several properties presented that the fluidity, flow velocity and compressive strength possessed the linear relationships with APT values. While the passing capacity, segregation ratio and surface porosity possessed the quadratic polynomial relationships with APT values. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was applied to observe the surface texture of FFSCC. Results showed that its surface roughness (RMS) was 3.7 nm, which was smoother than the polished cement paste. Finally, the optimal FFSCC was successfully applied in second lining of Nan Kunshan tunnel.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Biological processes, such as bone defects healing are precisely controlled in both time and space. This spatiotemporal characteristic inspires novel therapeutic strategies. The sustained-release ...systems including hydrogels are commonly utilized in the treatment of bone defect; however, traditional hydrogels often release drugs at a consistent rate, lacking temporal precision. In this study, a hybrid hydrogel has been developed by using sodium alginate, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, and electrospray microspheres as the base materials, and designed with ultrasound response, and on-demand release properties. Sucrose acetate isobutyrate was added to the hybrid hydrogel to prevent burst release. The network structure of the hybrid hydrogel is formed by the interconnection of Ca2+ with the carboxyl groups of sodium alginate. Notably, when the hybrid hydrogel is exposed to ultrasound, the ionic bond can be broken to promote drug release; when ultrasound is turned off, the release returned to a low-release state. This hybrid hydrogel reveals not only injectability, degradability, and good mechanical properties but also shows multiple responses to ultrasound. And it has good biocompatibility and promotes osteogenesis efficiency in vivo. Thus, this hybrid hydrogel provides a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of bone defects.
Display omitted
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Dissipative Kerr nonlinear cavities attract intense interest due to their rich dynamics and capability to generate broadband, low-noise, mode-locked optical frequency combs for applications in ...optical communications, dual-comb spectroscopy, photonic lidar, etc. Different from the Kerr effect, which is an electronic response, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is a delayed response to molecular vibrations in materials. In microcavities, when driven in an anomalous group velocity dispersion (GVD) regime, SRS typically leads to a self-frequency shift of solitons and generation of breather solitons, which have been verified both theoretically and experimentally. However, when driven in a normal GVD regime, recent theoretical work predicts that SRS can cause the locking of switching waves (SWs) and thus support bright moving localized structure (LS), which we term as SRS enabled localized structure (SRS-LS). Limited by the design of suitable experimental parameters, experimental observation of this SRS-LS is not achieved yet. Here, we provide numerical investigation and, to our knowledge, the first experimental observation of the SRS-LS in a fiber Fabry–Perot (FP) resonator with ultra-low normal GVD. Such SRS-LS exhibits localized temporal features with strong oscillations at ∼13THz local frequency on the top of a flat-top pulse. The corresponding spectrum is a low-noise and broadband Kerr comb with a typical platicon-like spectrum in the center and two Raman Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks located near ±13THz away from the center. With such an SRS enabled broadband Kerr comb, we have achieved an SRS-LS spectrum with a repetition rate of ∼3.68GHz and a −30dB spectral width of 255 nm. The corresponding comb tooth count is >8500, covering the S + C + L telecommunication bands. Moreover, the formation process of such SRS-LS is also revealed, and it is found that the GVD plays a key role in its generation. Our work will help to advance the study of the dynamics of optical frequency combs under the influence of SRS, as well as provide a broadband coherent mode-locked optical source for wide applications.
Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and the gradually decreasing neutralizing antibodies over time post vaccination have led to an increase in incidents of breakthrough infection across the world. To ...investigate the potential protective effect of the recombinant protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine targeting receptor-binding domain (RBD) (PS-RBD) and whole inactivated virus particle vaccine (IV) against the variant strains, in this study, rhesus macaques were immunized with PS-RBD or IV vaccine, followed by a Beta variant (B.1.351) challenge. Although neutralizing activity against the Beta variant was reduced compared with that against the prototype, the decreased viral load in both upper and lower respiratory tracts, milder pathological changes, and downregulated inflammatory cytokine levels in lung tissues after challenge demonstrated that PS-RBD and IV still provided effective protection against the Beta variant in the macaque model. Furthermore, PS-RBD-induced macaque sera possessed general binding and neutralizing activity to Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants in our study, though the neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers declined by varying degrees, demonstrating potential protection of PS-RBD against current circulating variants of concern (VOCs). Interestingly, although the IV vaccine-induced extremely low neutralizing antibody titers against the Beta variant, it still showed reduction for viral load and significantly alleviated pathological change. Other correlates of vaccine-induced protection (CoP) like antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and immune memory were both confirmed to be existing in IV vaccinated group and possibly be involved in the protective mechanism.
The prospective associations of preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) with new-onset macrovascular and microvascular complications and mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and ...whether PRISm enhances the prediction ability of an established office-based risk score remain to be elucidated.
Can PRISm be used as a predictor of poor prognosis in individuals with T2D?
We included 20,047 study participants with T2D and complete data on spirometry at recruitment from the UK Biobank cohort. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the associations of baseline PRISm (FEV
to FVC ratio, ≥ 0.70; FEV
, < 80% predicted) with subsequent risks of incident stroke (any type), ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, coronary heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic kidney disease, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and respiratory mortality.
For this cohort analysis, 4,521 patients (22.55% of participants with T2D) showed comorbid PRISm at baseline. Over a median follow-up of 11.52 to 11.87 years, patients with T2D with PRISm at baseline showed higher risks than those with normal spirometry findings of various T2D complications developing and mortality; the adjusted hazard ratios for PRISm were 1.413 (95% CI, 1.187-1.681) for stroke (any type), 1.382 (95% CI, 1.129-1.690) for ischemic stroke, 1.253 (95% CI, 1.045-1.503) for myocardial infarction, 1.206 (95% CI, 1.086-1.339) for coronary heart disease, 1.311 (95% CI, 1.141-1.506) for diabetic retinopathy, 1.384 (95% CI, 1.190-1.610) for diabetic kidney disease, 1.337 (95% CI, 1.213-1.474) for all-cause mortality, 1.597 (95% CI, 1.296-1.967) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1.559 (95% CI, 1.189-2.044) for respiratory mortality, respectively. The addition of PRISm significantly improved the reclassification ability, based on the net reclassification index, of an office-based risk score by 15.53% (95% CI, 10.14%-19.63%) to 33.60% (95% CI, 20.90%-45.79%).
Individuals with T2D with comorbid PRISm, accounting for a considerable proportion of the population with T2D, showed significantly increased risks of adverse macrovascular and microvascular complications and mortality.
The coating of phosphor in glass (PiG) for white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) has been prepared by multilayer screen-printing and low sintering-temperature. The lead-free and low-melting glass was ...synthesized, and the main compositions were P2O5-ZnO-B2O3 (PZB). The microstructure, luminescence spectra and lifetime behaviours of coating were investigated. The results of microstructure revealed that decreasing content of phosphor and increasing sintering temperatures were benefit for the coating because of better sintering. Based on the luminescence spectra, the suitable content of phosphor was 25% and sintering temperature was 600 °C. Under blue light (460 nm) exciting, the broad yellow band around 550 nm was obtained. It’s indicated that the white light can be achieved. The coating showed longer lifetime with increasing content of phosphor and lower sintering temperature. The obtained coating of PiG is expected to be an excellent material instead of organic resin for high-power WLEDs packaging.
•The coating of phosphor in glass has potential in application of WLEDs.•The lead-free and low-melting glass is the new matrix to replace the silicone.•The coating was prepared by multilayer screen printing and low-temperature sintering.•The microstructure and luminescent properties of coating were deeply investigated.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Traditional dry-cured fish has a rich aroma and has been favored by consumers. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-olfactory-mass ...spectrometry (GC-O-MS) was used to identify the aroma components of traditional dry-cured fish. A total of 39 volatile compounds were identified by GC-O-MS, and 17 compounds had odor activity values greater than 1. Aroma recombination model was prepared by mixing 17 volatile compounds from sun-dried fish with an odorant activity value greater than 1 in an odorless matrix. The odorless base had a good similarity to the aroma of dry-cured fish. Seven sensory attributes were selected to describe the aroma of dry-cured fish, namely fishy, fatty, meaty, grassy, ground, rancid, and metallic. The electronic nose and multivariate statistical results showed that there were differences in the aroma of dried cured fish with different traditional drying methods. Sun-dried fish had a strong oily, meaty and metallic taste, while shade-dried fish had strong fishy, grassy, earthy, and rancid odors. Omission tests indicated that hexanal, nonanal, octanal, heptanal, 2-octanal,(E)-, 2-nonenal,(E), 3-methylbutanal, pentanol, hexanol, nonanol, heptanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-octen-1-ol,(E)-, 2-pentyl furan and d-limonene are characteristic aroma compounds of dry-cured fish.
Display omitted
•Twenty key volatile compounds with OAV >1 were identified in dry-cured fish.•The recombination and omission experiments revealed 10 key characteristic aroma compounds in dry-cured fish.•The flavor perception of sun-dried wuchang fish is richer, with the strongest oil flavor.•The flavor profiles of traditional dry-crued are described as fishy, meaty, grassy, greasy, rancid, metallic, earthy.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Development of a deep learning method to identify Barrett's esophagus (BE) scopes in endoscopic images.
443 endoscopic images from 187 patients of BE were included in this study. The gastroesophageal ...junction (GEJ) and squamous-columnar junction (SCJ) of BE were manually annotated in endoscopic images by experts. Fully convolutional neural networks (FCN) were developed to automatically identify the BE scopes in endoscopic images. The networks were trained and evaluated in two separate image sets. The performance of segmentation was evaluated by intersection over union (IOU).
The deep learning method was proved to be satisfying in the automated identification of BE in endoscopic images. The values of the IOU were 0.56 (GEJ) and 0.82 (SCJ), respectively.
Deep learning algorithm is promising with accuracies of concordance with manual human assessment in segmentation of the BE scope in endoscopic images. This automated recognition method helps clinicians to locate and recognize the scopes of BE in endoscopic examinations.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
