Summary
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a major economically significant pathogen that has adversely affected China's swine industry. Currently, a novel type 2 PRRSV, ...called the NADC30‐like strain, is epidemic in numerous provinces of China, and commercial vaccines provide limited protection for infected animals. The extensive recombination phenomenon among NADC30‐like PRRSVs is identified as a unique molecular characteristic of the virus. However, our understanding of how recombination influences NADC30‐like PRRSVs is largely inadequate. In this study, we analysed the genetic characteristics of a recombinant NADC30‐like PRRSV (SC‐d) and examined its pathogenicity compared with a non‐recombinant NADC30‐like PRRSV (SD‐A19) and a highly pathogenic PRRSV (HuN4). SC‐d has three discontinuous deletions in nsp2, consistent with NADC30 isolated from the United States in 2008. Furthermore, we identified four recombination breakpoints in the SC‐d genome, which separated the SC‐d genome into four regions (regions A, B, C and D). Regions A and C are closely related to the JXA1‐like strain, one of the earliest Chinese HP‐PRRSV strains, and regions B and D are closely related to the NADC30 strain. Moreover, SC‐d inoculated piglets exhibited a persistent fever, moderate weight loss, mild thymus atrophy and obvious microscopic lung lesions. In summary, the recombinant NADC30‐like PRRSV SC‐d strain displayed a higher pathogenicity than the non‐recombinant NADC30‐like PRRSV SD‐A19 strain; however, the pathogenicity of the NADC30‐like PRRSV SC‐d was lower compared with the HP‐PRRSV HuN4 strain in piglets. Our findings demonstrate that recombination is responsible for the enormous genetic diversity and pathogenicity variance of the NADC30‐like PRRSV in China. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing a more reasonable PRRSV control and prevention strategy.
We report a study of the processes of e^{+}e^{-}→K^{+}D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and K^{+}D_{s}^{*-}D^{0} based on e^{+}e^{-} annihilation samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at BEPCII at five ...center-of-mass energies ranging from 4.628 to 4.698 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 3.7 fb^{-1}. An excess of events over the known contributions of the conventional charmed mesons is observed near the D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and D_{s}^{*-}D^{0} mass thresholds in the K^{+} recoil-mass spectrum for events collected at sqrts=4.681 GeV. The structure matches a mass-dependent-width Breit-Wigner line shape, whose pole mass and width are determined as (3982.5_{-2.6}^{+1.8}±2.1) MeV/c^{2} and (12.8_{-4.4}^{+5.3}±3.0) MeV, respectively. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The significance of the resonance hypothesis is estimated to be 5.3 σ over the contributions only from the conventional charmed mesons. This is the first candidate for a charged hidden-charm tetraquark with strangeness, decaying into D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and D_{s}^{*-}D^{0}. However, the properties of the excess need further exploration with more statistics.
Two approaches were undertaken to characterize the arsenic (As) content of Chinese rice. First, a national market basket survey (n = 240) was conducted in provincial capitals, sourcing grain from ...China’s premier rice production areas. Second, to reflect rural diets, paddy rice (n = 195) directly from farmers fields were collected from three regions in Hunan, a key rice producing province located in southern China. Two of the sites were within mining and smeltery districts, and the third was devoid of large-scale metal processing industries. Arsenic levels were determined in all the samples while a subset (n = 33) were characterized for As species, using a new simple and rapid extraction method suitable for use with Hamilton PRP-X100 anion exchange columns and HPLC-ICP-MS. The vast majority (85%) of the market rice grains possessed total As levels < 150 ng g−1. The rice collected from mine-impacted regions, however, were found to be highly enriched in As, reaching concentrations of up to 624 ng g−1. Inorganic As (Asi) was the predominant species detected in all of the speciated grain, with Asi levels in some samples exceeding 300 ng g−1. The Asi concentration in polished and unpolished Chinese rice was successfully predicted from total As levels. The mean baseline concentrations for Asi in Chinese market rice based on this survey were estimated to be 96 ng g−1 while levels in mine-impacted areas were higher with ca. 50% of the rice in one region predicted to fail the national standard.
The processes X(3872) ... , and γD+D− are searched for in a 9.0 fb−1 data sample collected at center-of-mass energies between 4.178 and 4.278 GeV with the BESIII detector. We observe X(3872) ... . ...and find evidence for X (3872)→γJ/ψ with statistical significances of 7.4 σ and 3.5σ, respectively. No evident signals for X(3872)→γψ(2S) and γD+D− are found, and the upper limit on the relative branching ratio Rγψ ≡ {BX(3872)→γψ(2S)}/{BX(3872)→γJ/ψ} <0.59 is set at 90% confidence level. Measurements of branching ratios relative to decay X(3872)→π+π−J/ψ are also reported for decays ... .,γψ(2S), γJ/ψ, and γD+D−, as well as the non-... three-body decays ... .(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)
Abstract Our aim was to differentiate IgG4-related sialadenitis, primary Sjögren syndrome, and chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis by analysing clinical, radiographic, and pathological ...features. Fifty-five patients, 50, and 50 were enrolled, respectively and their baseline characteristics and serological, sialographic, and pathological findings compared. The male:female ratio for IgG4-related sialadenitis was 1:1.2 for primary Sjögren syndrome 1:15.7, and for chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis1:0.92. Numbers with enlarged salivary glands were 55, 16, and 50; with xerostomia 26, 48, and 0; with a history of allergy 26, 4, and 6, and with coexisting systemic disease 12, 19, and 0 (p = 0.14). Mean (SD) serum IgG4 concentrations were 109.1 (97.9), 4.9. (1.9) g/L, and 5.3 (1.6) g/L, p < 0.001 in all cases. Sialography showed enlargement of the gland, dilatation of the duct, and slightly decreased secretory function in IgG4-related disease; obvious sialectasia and decreased secretory function in Sjögren syndrome; and dilatation of Wharton’s duct and filling defects in obstructive sialadenitis. Histopathological examination showed lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with storiform fibrosis, lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and lymphoepithelial lesions, and dilatation of the duct with epithelial metaplasia in the three groups, respectively. The number of IgG4-positive plasma cells was 123 (45)/HPF, 8 (3)/HPF, and 5 (4)/HPF, while the IgG4-/IgG-positive cell ratio was 71.7 (13.9)%, 4.6 (2.5)%, 18.9 (19.7)%, respectively (p < 0.001). The three conditions have different clinical, radiographic, and pathological features that provide important clues to the differential diagnosis. Serological and histological tests are important, and comprehensive consideration is necessary.
Placental vascular formation and blood flow are crucial for fetal survival, growth and development, and arginine regulates vascular development and function. This study determined the effects of ...dietary arginine or
N
-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation during late gestation of sows on the microRNAs, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in umbilical vein. Twenty-seven landrace × large white sows at day (d) 90 of gestation were assigned randomly to three groups and fed the following diets: a control diet and the control diet supplemented with 1.0%
l
-arginine or 0.10% NCG. Umbilical vein of fetuses with body weight around 2.0 kg (oversized), 1.5 kg (normal) and 0.6 kg (intrauterine growth restriction, IUGR) were obtained immediately after farrowing for miR-15b, miR-16, miR-221, miR-222, VEGFA and eNOS real-time PCR analysis. Compared with the control diets, dietary Arg or NCG supplementation enhanced the reproductive performance of sows, significantly increased (
P
< 0.05) plasma arginine and decreased plasma VEGF and eNOS (
P
< 0.05). The miR-15b expression in the umbilical vein was higher (
P
< 0.05) in the NCG-supplemented group than in the control group. There was a trend in that the miR-222 expression in the umbilical vein of the oversized fetuses was higher (0.05 <
P
< 0.1) than in the normal and IUGR fetuses. The expression of eNOS in both Arg-supplemented and NCG-supplemented group were lower (
P
< 0.05) than in the control group. The expression of VEGFA was higher (
P
< 0.05) in the NCG-supplemented group than in the Arg-supplemented and the control group. Meanwhile, the expression of VEGFA of the oversized fetuses was higher (
P
< 0.05) than the normal and IUGR fetuses. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that dietary Arg or NCG supplementation may affect microRNAs (miR-15b, miR-222) targeting VEGFA and eNOS gene expressions in umbilical vein, so as to regulate the function and volume of the umbilical vein, provide more nutrients and oxygen from the maternal to the fetus tissue for fetal development and survival, and enhance the reproductive performance of sows.
This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the global, regional prevalence, and risk factors of osteoporosis. Prevalence varied greatly according to countries (from 4.1% in Netherlands to ...52.0% in Turkey) and continents (from 8.0% in Oceania to 26.9% in Africa). Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disorder in the elderly, usually resulting in bone pain and an increased risk of fragility fracture, but few summarized studies have guided global strategies for the disease. Therefore, we pooled the epidemiologic data to estimate the global, regional prevalence, and potential risk factors of osteoporosis. We conducted a comprehensive literature search through PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify population-based studies that reported the prevalence of osteoporosis based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were used to explore the sources of heterogeneity. The study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021285555). Of the 57,933 citations evaluated, 108 individual studies containing 343,704 subjects were included. The global prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was 19.7% (95%CI, 18.0%–21.4%) and 40.4% (95%CI, 36.9%–43.8%). Prevalence varied greatly according to countries (from 4.1% in Netherlands to 52.0% in Turkey) and continents (from Oceania 8.0% to 26.9% in Africa). The prevalence was higher in developing countries (22.1%, 95%CI, 20.1%–24.1%) than in developed countries (14.5%, 95%CI, 11.5%–17.7%). Our study indicates a considerable prevalence of osteoporosis among the general population based on WHO criteria, and the prevalence varies substantially between countries and regions. Future studies with robust evidence are required to explore risk factors to provide effective preventive strategies for the disease.
PDF
