Summary
The wide geographic spread of Eurasian Goose/Guangdong lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) clade 2.3.4.4 viruses by wild birds is of great concern. In December 2014, an H5N8 HPAI ...clade 2.3.4.4 Group A (2.3.4.4A) virus was introduced to North America. Long‐distance migratory wild aquatic birds between East Asia and North America, such as Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), were strongly suspected of being a source of intercontinental transmission. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenicity, infectivity and transmissibility of an H5N8 HPAI clade 2.3.4.4A virus in Northern Pintails and compared the results to that of an H5N1 HPAI clade 2.3.2.1 virus. All of Northern Pintails infected with either H5N1 or H5N8 virus lacked clinical signs and mortality, but the H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4 virus was more efficient at replicating within and transmitting between Northern Pintails than the H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1 virus. The H5N8‐infected birds shed high titre of viruses from oropharynx and cloaca, which in the field supported virus transmission and spread. This study highlights the role of wild waterfowl in the intercontinental spread of some HPAI viruses. Migratory aquatic birds should be carefully monitored for the early detection of H5 clade 2.3.4.4 and other HPAI viruses.
The current work focuses on the efficacious synthesis of Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) sheets and evaluating and comparing the catalytic efficiency of the latter ...with graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). 4-NP is one of the most hazardous and widely investigated nitro compounds. Here, we report a single-step co-reduction approach for synthesizing AuRGO using hydrazine monohydrate as a reducing agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of prepared samples confirmed the formation of GO, RGO, and AuRGO. Raman analysis gave insight into the structure and defects of prepared samples. The various oxygen-containing moieties are identified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and confirmed the loss of these functional groups during the reduction of GO into RGO. UV absorption analysis is carried out and is also reinforced by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation studies. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis yielded quantitative information regarding the reduction of GO into RGO and the decoration of zerovalent Au NPs on the RGO surface. Thermogram of the prepared samples manifests the thermal stability of the samples. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images depicted the morphology of GO, RGO, and AuRGO. The catalytic efficiency of AuRGO is tested by reducing 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in the presence of sodium borohydride. AuRGO has shown enhanced catalytic efficiency compared to GO and RGO.
•Single step co-reduction approach is employed to synthesize nanogold decorated RGO.•FDTD simulation results supports the experimental findings.•AuRGO nanocomposite exhibited enhanced catalytic efficiency for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol in the presence of NaBH4.•The kinetics of reduction reaction is studied using pseudo zero-order, half-order, and pseudo-first order models.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) 52 is a carcinogenic, high-risk genotype frequently detected in cervical cancer cases from East Asia, including Korea.
Sequences of HPV52 detected in 91 cervical samples ...collected from women attending Seoul St. Mary's Hospital were analyzed. HPV52 genomic sequences were obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing and analyzed using Seq-Scape software, and phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA6 software.
Of the 91 cervical samples, 40 were normal, 22 were low-grade lesions, 21 were high-grade lesions and 7 were squamous cell carcinomas. Four HPV52 variant lineages (A, B, C and D) were identified. Lineage B was the most frequently detected lineage, followed by lineage C. By analyzing the two most frequently detected lineages (B and C), we found that distinct variations existed in each lineage. We also found that a lineage B-specific mutation K93R (A379G) was associated with an increased risk of cervical neoplasia.
To our knowledge, we are the first to reveal the predominance of the HPV52 lineages, B and C, in Korea. We also found these lineages harbored distinct genetic alterations that may affect oncogenicity. Our findings increase our understanding on the heterogeneity of HPV52 variants, and may be useful for the development of new diagnostic assays and therapeutic vaccines.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Chitosans have been proposed as alternative, biocompatible cationic polymers for nonviral gene delivery. However, the low transfection efficiency and low specificity of chitosan need to be addressed ...before clinical application. We prepared galactosylated chitosan-graft-polyethylenimine (GC-g-PEI) copolymer by an imine reaction between periodate-oxidized GC and low-molecular-weight PEI. The molecular weight and composition were characterized using gel permeation chromatography column with multi-angle laser scattering and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance, respectively. The copolymer was complexed with plasmid DNA in various copolymer/DNA (N/P) charge ratios, and the complexes were characterized. GC-g-PEI showed good DNA-binding ability and superior protection of DNA from nuclease attack and had low cytotoxicity compared to PEI 25K. GC-g-PEI/DNA complexes showed higher transfection efficiency than PEI 25K in both HepG2 and HeLa cell lines. Transfection efficiency into HepG2, which has asialoglycoprotein receptors, was higher than that into HeLa, which does not. GC-g-PEI/DNA complexes also transfected liver cells in vivo after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration more effectively than PEI 25K. These results suggest that GC-g-PEI can be used in gene therapy to improve transfection efficiency and hepatocyte specificity in vitro and in vivo.
Topological materials, including topological insulators, magnets with Skyrmions and ferroelectrics with topological vortices, have recently attracted phenomenal attention in the materials science ...community. Complex patterns of ferroelectric domains in hexagonal REMnO(3) (RE: rare earths) turn out to be associated with the macroscopic emergence of Z(2)×Z(3) symmetry. The results of our depth profiling of crystals with a self-poling tendency near surfaces reveal that the partial dislocation (i.e., wall-wall) interaction, not the interaction between vortices and antivortices, is primarily responsible for topological condensation through the macroscopic breaking of the Z(2) symmetry.
The soybean Rsv1 gene for resistance to soybean mosaic virus (SMV; Potyvirus) has previously been described as a single-locus multi-allelic gene mapping to molecular linkage group (MLG) F. Various ...Rsv1 alleles condition different responses to the seven (G1-G7) described strains of SMV, including extreme resistance, localized and systemic necrosis, and mosaic symptoms. We describe the cloning of a cluster of NBS-LRR resistance gene candidates from MLG F of the virus-resistant soybean line PI96983 and demonstrate that multiple genes within this cluster interact to condition unique responses to SMV strains. In addition to cloning 3gG2, a strong candidate for the major Rsv1 resistance gene from PI96983, we describe various unique resistant and necrotic reactions coincident with the presence or absence of other members of this gene cluster. Responses of recombinant lines from a high-resolution mapping population of PI96983 (resistant) x Lee 68 (susceptible) demonstrate that more than one gene in this region of the PI96983 chromosome conditions resistance and/or necrosis to SMV. In addition, the soybean cultivars Marshall and Ogden, which carry other previously described Rsv1 alleles, are shown to possess the 3gG2 gene in a NBS-LRR gene cluster background distinct from PI96983. These observations suggest that two or more related non-TIR-NBS-LRR gene products are likely involved in the allelic response of several Rsv1-containing lines to SMV.
Raw chicken products are major causes of human foodborne salmonellosis worldwide. In particular, there is a significant risk of human exposure to Salmonella originating from the chicken slaughtering ...process. Controlling the contamination of chicken carcasses by Salmonella has been a considerable challenge in chicken-slaughtering facilities and involves routine microbiological monitoring using reliable detection methods. Simple and rapid detection methods, particularly those capable of determining cell viability, will significantly facilitate routine monitoring of Salmonella Here, we report an invA-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification method coupled with a simple propidium monoazide treatment (PMA-LAMP) for simple and rapid detection and quantification of viable Salmonella in rinse water of chicken carcasses. In this study, PMA-LAMP consistently gave negative results for isopropanol-killed Salmonella with concentrations up to 8.0 × 10
CFU/reaction. The detection limit of PMA-LAMP was 8.0 × 10
CFU/reaction with viable Salmonella in both pure culture and rinse water of chicken carcasses, and 10-fold lower than a conventional polymerase chain reaction coupled with PMA (PMA-PCR) targeting invA There was a high correlation (R
= 0.99 to 0.976) between LAMP time threshold (T
) values and viable Salmonella with a quantification range of 1.0 × 10
to 1.0 × 10
CFU/mL in pure culture and rinse water of chicken carcasses. The PMA-LAMP assay took less than 2 h to detect Salmonella contaminated in test samples. Therefore, this simple and rapid method will be a very useful tool to detect live Salmonella contamination of chicken carcasses without pre-enrichment at the slaughterhouse where sanitizing treatments are commonly used.
Galactose moiety as the hepatocyte anchorage was covalently coupled with chitosan for the development of synthetic extracellular matrix. Hepatocytes adhesion to galactosylated chitosan (GC)-coated ...polystyrene (PS) dish became as high as 94.7% after 2
h incubation whereas the hepatocytes adhesion to chitosan-coated PS dish was 69.1%, indication of galactose-specific recognition between GC molecules and asialoglycoprotein receptors of hepatocytes. The DNA synthesis of the hepatocytes adhered to GC-coated dish was increased in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) at low concentration of GC (0.05
μg/ml) whereas the DNA synthesis of the hepatocytes adhered to GC-coated dish was decreased in the presence of EGF at high concentration of GC (5
μg/ml). The spreading shapes of the hepatocytes adhered to the surface in the presence of EGF at low concentration of GC (0.05
μg/ml) were enhanced than in the absence of EGF. The hepatocytes adhered to the surface at high concentration of GC (5
μg/ml) showed round shapes and exhibited many spheroid formation after 24
h in the presence of EGF.
Background:
Acute pesticide poisoning has long been a serious problem as a method of suicide worldwide. This poisoning is a highly fatal condition that requires a rapid and precise diagnosis for ...adequate treatment. However, various studies on mortality predictor factors have been insufficient for whole pesticide treatments. We hypothesized that the initial plasma anion gap (AG) and base deficit (BD) are reliable prognostic factors.
Methods:
A retrospective study analyzed 561 patients with a diagnosis of acute pesticide poisoning between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2017. The initial AG and BD values were divided into quartiles according to the number of patients. Survival at 30 days from admission was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn, and the areas under the curve for AG and BD for mortality were calculated.
Results:
Fifty-eight (10.3%) of 561 patients died within 30 days. The highest AG quartile (>22 mEq/L) was associated with an increased risk of 30-day hospital mortality. Compared to patients with an AG less than 14.7 mEq/L, these patients had a 4.18-fold higher risk of 30-day hospital mortality and the highest BD quartile (>7.9 mEq/L) was associated with an increased risk of 30-day hospital mortality. Compared to patients with a BD less than 1.4 mEq/L, these patients had 2.23-fold higher risk of 30-day hospital mortality. The areas under the ROC for AG and BD curve were 0.699 and 0.744, respectively.
Conclusions:
Initial high AG and BD values could predict mortality and require precise intensive care.
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