The association of HBV core promoter double mutations (A1762T and G1764A) with viral load differs between HBeAg positive and anti-HBe positive individuals: A longitudinal analysis

Background/Aims: Although there have been a few reports regarding the effect of basal core promoter (BCP) double mutations (A1762T and G1764A) on hepatitis B viral loads, the association remains uncertain. We aim to determine the association after controlling for HBeAg - a strong confounding factor.Methods: We selected randomly 190 individuals from a Chinese cohort of 2258 subjects for cross-sectional analysis and 56 of the 190 for longitudinal analysis of viral loads.Results: In multivariable analysis of the cross-sectional data, BCP double mutations are significantly associated with lower viral loads in HBeAg positive subjects but no difference was found in anti-HBe positive subjects. Triple mutations at nucleotide (nt) 1753, 1762 and 1764 and mutations between nt 1809 and 1817, precore stop mutation (nt 1896) and genotype are not associated with viral loads in either HBeAg or anti-HBe positive subjects. Analysis of the longitudinal data yielded similar results to the cross-sectional data. Viral loads differ significantly between individuals infected with wild-type and BCP double mutations prior to HBeAg seroconversion but this difference is lost after seroconversion.Conclusions: BCP double mutations are associated with lower viral loads in HBeAg positive individuals but have no effect on the viral loads of anti-HBe positive individuals. (C) 2008 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Eliminación de DBP en aceite de onagra mediante arcilla activada modificada por chitosán y CTAB

The pollution of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in edible oils is a serious problem. In the current study, we attempt to remove dibutyl phthalate ester (DBP) from evening primrose oil (EPO) with modified activated clay. The activated clay, commonly used for de-coloration in the oil refining process, was modified by chitosan and hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The modifications were characterized by SEM, XRD, and FT-IR. We further tested the DBP adsorption capacity of CTAB/chitosan-clay and found that the removal rate was 27.56% which was 3.24 times higher than with pristine activated clay. In addition, the CTAB/chitosan-clay composite treatment had no significant effect on the quality of evening primrose oil. In summary, the CTAB/chitosan-clay composite has a stronger DBP adsorption capacity and can be used as a new adsorbent for removing DBP during the de-coloration process of evening primrose oil.La contaminación por ésteres de ácido ftálico (PAEs) en los aceites comestibles es un problema grave. En el presente estudio, intentamos eliminar el éster de ftalato de dibutilo (DBP) del aceite de onagra (EPO) con arcilla activada modificada. La arcilla activada, comúnmente utilizada en la decoloración en el proceso de refinación de los aceites, fue modificada con chitosán y bromuro de hexadecil trimetil amonio (CTAB). Las modificaciones se caracterizaron mediante SEM, XRD y FT-IR. Además, probamos la capacidad de adsorción de DBP de CTAB / chitosán-arcilla y descubrimos que la tasa de eliminación era del 27,56%, que era 3,24 veces mayor que la arcilla activada pura. Además, el tratamiento compuesto de CTAB/chitosán-arcilla no tuvo un efecto significativo sobre la calidad del aceite de onagra. En resumen, el compuesto CTAB/chitosán-arcilla tiene una capacidad de adsorción de DBP más fuerte y se puede utilizar como un nuevo adsorbente para eliminar DBP durante el proceso de decoloración del aceite de onagra

A dynamic nomenclature proposal for SARS-CoV-2 lineages to assist genomic epidemiology

The ongoing pandemic spread of a new human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, which is associated with severe pneumonia/disease (COVID-19), has resulted in the generation of tens of thousands of virus genome sequences. The rate of genome generation is unprecedented, yet there is currently no coherent nor accepted scheme for naming the expanding phylogenetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we present a rational and dynamic virus nomenclature that uses a phylogenetic framework to identify those lineages that contribute most to active spread. Our system is made tractable by constraining the number and depth of hierarchical lineage labels and by flagging and delabelling virus lineages that become unobserved and hence are probably inactive. By focusing on active virus lineages and those spreading to new locations, this nomenclature will assist in tracking and understanding the patterns and determinants of the global spread of SARS-CoV-2

Smoking patterns and sociodemographic factors associated with tobacco use among Chinese rural male residents: a descriptive analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although evidence has shown high prevalence rates of tobacco use in the general urban populations in China, relatively little is known in its rural population. The purposes of this study were to examine smoking patterns and sociodemographic correlates of smoking in a sample of rural Chinese male residents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study employed a cross-sectional, multi-stage sampling design. Residents (N = 4,414; aged 15 years and older) were recruited from four geographic regions in China. Information on participants' tobacco use (of all forms), including their daily use, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected via survey questionnaires and the resultant data were analyzed using chi-square tests and logistic regression procedures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall smoking prevalence in the study sample was 66.8% (n = 2,950). Of these, the average use of tobacco products per day was 12.70 (SD = 7.99) and over 60% reported daily smoking of more than 10 cigarettes. Geographic regions of the study areas, age of the participants, marital status, ethnicity, education, occupation, and average personal annual income were found to be significantly associated with an increased likelihood of smoking among rural Chinese male residents.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is a high smoking prevalence in the Chinese rural population and smoking behaviors are associated with important sociodemographic factors. Findings suggest the need for tobacco control and intervention policies aimed at reducing tobacco use in Chinese rural smoking populations.</p

Effect of laser remelting on microstructure and properties of WC reinforced Fe-based amorphous composite coatings by laser cladding

The WC reinforced Fe-based amorphous composite coatings were prepared by laser cladding with rectangular spot. The effect of laser remelting on the microstructure and properties of composite coatings was investigated. The results showed that laser remelting can reduce the cracks and porosities of the cladding coating and improve its surface quality. Large amounts of crystalline phases were precipitated at the top of the cladding and remelting coatings. However, the microstructure at the top of the remelting coating was finer compared to that at the top of the cladding coating. With increasing distance from the surface of substrate, the amorphous phase appeared within the remelting coating and large amounts of carbides rich in Fe and Mo, Fe23B6, gamma-Fe and Cr-9.1.Si-0.9 Slag phases were also precipitated in the remelting coating. As a result, the corrosion resistance of the remelting coating was higher than that of the cladding coating. The microhardness of the remelting coating was approximately 1.13 times higher than that of the cladding coating. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Experimental observation of topological Fermi arcs in type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2

Weyl semimetal is a new quantum state of matter [1-12] hosting the condensed matter physics counterpart of relativisticWeyl fermion [13] originally introduced in high energy physics. The Weyl semimetal realized in the TaAs class features multiple Fermi arcs arising from topological surface states [10, 11, 14-16] and exhibits novel quantum phenomena, e.g., chiral anomaly induced negative mag-netoresistance [17-19] and possibly emergent supersymmetry [20]. Recently it was proposed theoretically that a new type (type-II) of Weyl fermion [21], which does not have counterpart in high energy physics due to the breaking of Lorentz invariance, can emerge as topologically-protected touching between electron and hole pockets. Here, we report direct spectroscopic evidence of topological Fermi arcs in the predicted type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2 [22-24]. The topological surface states are confirmed by directly observing the surface states using bulk-and surface-sensitive angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and the quasi-particle interference (QPI) pattern between the two putative Fermi arcs in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Our work establishes MoTe2 as the first experimental realization of type-II Weyl semimetal, and opens up new opportunities for probing novel phenomena such as exotic magneto-transport [21] in type-II Weyl semimetals.Comment: submitted on 01/29/2016. Nature Physics, in press. Spectroscopic evidence of the Fermi arcs from two complementary surface sensitive probes - ARPES and STS. A comparison of the calculated band structure for T_d and 1T' phase to identify the topological Fermi arcs in the T_d phase is also included in the supplementary informatio

Estimation and projection of the national profile of cancer mortality in China: 1991–2005

There are no national-level data on cancer mortality in China since two surveys in 1973-1975 and 1990-1992 (a 10% sample), but ongoing surveillance systems, based on nonrandom selected populations, give an indication as to the trends for major cancers. Based on a log-linear regression model with Poisson errors, the annual rates of change for 10 cancers and all other cancers combined, by age, sex and urban/rural residence were estimated from the data of the surveillance system of the Center for Health Information and Statistics, covering about 10% of the national population. These rates of change were applied to the survey data of 1990-1992 to estimate national mortality in the year 2000, and to make projections for 2005. Mortality rates for all cancers combined, adjusted for age, are predicted to change little between 1991 and 2005 (-0.8% in men and +2.5% in women), but population growth and ageing will result in an increasing number of deaths, from 1.2 to 1.8 million. The largest predicted increases are for the numbers of female breast (+155.4%) and lung cancers (+112.1% in men, +153.5% in women). For these two sites, mortality rates will almost double. Cancer will make an increasing contribution to the burden of diseases in China in the 21st century. The marked increases in risk of cancers of the lung, female breast and large bowel indicate priorities for prevention and control. The increasing trends in young age groups for cancers of the cervix, lung and female breast suggest that their predicted increases may be underestimated, and that more attention should be paid to strategies for their prevention and control

A review of physical supply and EROI of fossil fuels in China

This paper reviews China’s future fossil fuel supply from the perspectives of physical output and net energy output. Comprehensive analyses of physical output of fossil fuels suggest that China’s total oil production will likely reach its peak, at about 230 Mt/year (or 9.6 EJ/year), in 2018; its total gas production will peak at around 350 Bcm/year (or 13.6 EJ/year) in 2040, while coal production will peak at about 4400 Mt/year (or 91.9 EJ/year) around 2020 or so. In terms of the forecast production of these fuels, there are significant differences among current studies. These differences can be mainly explained by different ultimately recoverable resources assumptions, the nature of the models used, and differences in the historical production data. Due to the future constraints on fossil fuels production, a large gap is projected to grow between domestic supply and demand, which will need to be met by increasing imports. Net energy analyses show that both coal and oil and gas production show a steady declining trend of EROI (energy return on investment) due to the depletion of shallow-buried coal resources and conventional oil and gas resources, which is generally consistent with the approaching peaks of physical production of fossil fuels. The peaks of fossil fuels production, coupled with the decline in EROI ratios, are likely to challenge the sustainable development of Chinese society unless new abundant energy resources with high EROI values can be found

Uniaxial tensile and cross-sectional indentation tests to investigate the adhesion between the brittle Cr coating and the ductile steel substrate

Adhesion of a coating on its substrate is a crucial parameter determining performance and reliability of coating-substrate system. In this work, the uniaxial tensile and cross-sectional indentation tests are used to investigate the adhesion between the brittle Cr coating and the ductile steel substrate. The uniaxial tensile test results show the maximum shear flow stress level of the ductile steel substrate can only serve as a lower bound estimate on the ultimate shear strength of the interface. The cross-sectional indentation test results show the interfacial decohesion does not occur prior to the cracking of the brittle Cr coating

Nicotine Dependence among Rural-Urban Migrants in China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The complex mechanism of nicotine dependency makes it challenging to evaluate dependence or progress towards dependence. The aim of this study was to estimate nicotine dependence levels and identify determinants of dependence among Chinese rural-urban migrants.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Multi-stage systematic sampling was used to select 4,198 rural-urban migrants aged 18 years or older from three metropolises in China. A structured questionnaire was administered during face-to-face interviews. Nicotine dependence among participants was assessed by means of the six-item Mandarin Chinese Version of the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (CFTND). Determinants of dependence were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among 4,198 participants, estimated current, daily, and occasional smoking rates were 28.3%, 21.2%, and 7.1%, respectively. The CTFND score for the 894 daily smokers was 3.39(SD: 2.32). MANOVA showed that work type, age at first migration, length of migration, and number of cities ever lived were associated with nicotine dependence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A migratory lifestyle is associated with nicotine dependence. Results could inform the design of tobacco control programs that target Chinese rural-urban migrant workers as a special at-risk population.</p