Geographic Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Rice Stripe Mosaic Virus in Southern China

Rice stripe mosaic virus (RSMV) transmitted by the leafhopper Recilia dorsalis is a tentative new species in the genus Cytorhabdovirus identified recently in South China. To explore its geographic distribution and genetic diversity, field investigation and viral whole-genome sequencing were conducted in this study. The results indicated that RSMV was present in the rice samples collected across southern China. Twelve representative samples from different geographical regions were selected for viral whole-genome sequencing and the viral genome variation was analyzed in combination with a previously reported RSMV isolate. Identity analysis showed that the genome sequences of 13 RSMV isolates were highly conserved with nucleotide identities over 99.4%. There was a strong negative selection pressure during the evolution of RSMV with more transitions (72.08%) than transversions (27.92%) found between the RSMV isolates. Among the seven genes encoded by RSMV, the P gene was the most variable, followed by N, M, L, and G; the P3 and P6 amino acid sequences were not found to be mutated and no mutations were found in the non-coding region. A phylogenetic tree based on the RSMV whole-genome nucleotide sequences revealed that all RSMV isolates clustered in two groups based on geographical origin. Notably, the L proteins of the Guangxi and Hainan isolates had five and one specific amino acid sites, respectively, suggesting that the L gene has undergone environmental adaptive variation during the dispersal of RSMV

The fate of concomitant mild mitral regurgitation in aortic insufficiency: A neglected subject

ObjectivesMitral regurgitation (MR) is commonly experienced by patients with aortic insufficiency (AI), and in its mild form, it is considered benign. However, the progression of concomitant mild regurgitation after the aortic valve surgery (AVS) for AI is poorly characterized. The current study aimed to define the long-term outcomes of MR after surgery and identify the risk factors involved in deterioration.MethodsPatients presenting with moderate/severe AI and concomitant mild MR (n = 347) between January 2013 and December 2021 were enrolled. MR grade was assessed by transthoracic echocardiography during the follow-up, and deterioration is defined as an increase in grade to moderate or severe MR from the previous follow-up echocardiography. Analysis of risk factors for early mortality, MR deterioration, and long-term mortality was performed.ResultsA total of 278 patients (84.8%) among 328 survivors had at least one follow-up echocardiography, and complete follow-up occurred for 316 patients (96.3%). Mild MR improved to trivial or none in 194 patients (69.8%), progressed to persistent mild MR for 74 patients (26.6%), and deteriorated for 10 patients (3.6%). Preoperative atrial fibrillation [odds ratio (OR), 23.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.35–122.54] and rheumatic AI (OR, 11.61; 95% CI, 1.26–106.85) were shown to be independent risk factors for MR deterioration by generalized linear mixed analysis.ConclusionProgression of concomitant mild MR is rare in patients with AI after AVS. However, rheumatic AI and preoperative atrial fibrillation increase the probability of MR deterioration. Careful follow-up for this cohort of patients is recommended

Two-Dimensional Platinum Telluride with Ordered Te Vacancy Superlattice for Efficient and Robust Hydrogen Evolution

Defect engineering to activate the basal planes of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is critical for the development of TMD-based electrocatalysts as the chemical inertness of basal planes restrict their potential applications in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, we report the synthesis and evaluation of few-layer (7x7)-PtTe2-x with an ordered, well-defined and high-density Te vacancy superlattice. Compared with pristine PtTe2, (2x2)-PtTe2-x and Pt(111), (7x7)-PtTe2-x exhibits superior HER activities in both acidic and alkaline electrolytes due to its rich structures of undercoordinated Pt sites. Furthermore, the (7x7)-PtTe2-x sample features outstanding catalytic stability even compared to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst. Theoretical calculations reveal that the interactions between various undercoordinated Pt sites due to proximity effect can provide superior undercoordinated Pt sites for hydrogen adsorption and water dissociation. This work will enrich the understanding of the relationship between defect structures and electrocatalytic activities and provide a promising route to develop efficient Pt-based TMD electrocatalysts

Geniposide Alleviates Glucocorticoid-Induced Inhibition of Osteogenic Differentiation in MC3T3-E1 Cells by ERK Pathway

Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is the leading cause of secondary osteoporosis and the therapeutic and preventative drugs for GC-induced osteoporosis are limited. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of geniposide on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced osteogenic inhibition in MC3T3-E1 cells. The results showed that there was no obvious toxicity on MC3T3-E1 cells when geniposide was used at the doses ranging from 1 to 75 μM. In DEX-treated MC3T3-E1 cells, geniposide promoted the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the mineralization. In addition, geniposide also significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression of osteopontin (OPN), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and Osterix (Osx) in DEX-treated MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, geniposide activated ERK pathway in DEX-treated MC3T3-E1 cells. The ERK activation inhibitor U0126 and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist exendin 9-39 abolished the geniposide-induced activation of ERK and inhibited the protective effect of geniposide. Taken together, our study revealed that geniposide alleviated GC-induced osteogenic suppression in MC3T3-E1 cells. The effect of geniposide was at least partially associated with activating ERK signaling pathway via GLP-1 receptor. Geniposide might be a potential therapeutic agent for GC-induced osteoporosis

The Misconception of Antibiotic Equal to an Anti-Inflammatory Drug Promoting Antibiotic Misuse among Chinese University Students.

Massive misuse of antibiotics is one of the most important reasons for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Misconceptions of antibiotics contribute to antibiotic misuse behaviors. This study aims to examine whether university students hold the misconception that Antibiotic is a Xiaoyanyao (literally means anti-inflammatory drug in Chinese), and association between this misconception and antibiotic misuse behaviors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among university students using the cluster random sampling method in six universities of six regions in China (one university per region). The Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between the misconception and antibiotic misuse behaviors. Logistic regression was conducted to identify the risk factors for antibiotic misuse behaviors. 11,192 of university students completed the entire questionnaire. There were 3882 (34.7%) students who were considered to have the misconception. Female students were more likely to have the misconception compared with males (36.7% vs. 32.6%, P < 0.001). Those students with a background of social science/humanities were more likely to have the misconception compared with those from science and medicine (44.1% vs. 30.3% vs. 20.1%, P < 0.001). Students came from rural areas compared with those from urban areas (37.5% vs. 32.5%, P < 0.001) were more likely to have the misconception. Students who had the misconception were 1.51 (95% CI 1.21⁻1.89, P < 0.001) times, 1.34 (95% CI 1.21⁻1.48, P < 0.001) times, and 1.36 (95% CI 1.24⁻1.50, P < 0.001) times more likely to report self-medication, request to obtain antibiotics, and take antibiotics prophylactically than those who did not have this misconception, respectively. The high proportion of university students' misconception on Antibiotic is a Xiaoyanyao is worth more attention. Effective health education and interventions need to be promoted among university students and the whole population