Metagenomic Sequencing From Mosquitoes in China Reveals a Variety of Insect and Human Viruses

We collected 8,700 mosquitoes in three sites in China, which belonged to seven species. Their viromes were tested using metagenomic sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. The abundant viral sequences were detected and annotated belonging to more than 50 viral taxonomic families. The results were verified by PCR, followed by phylogenetic analysis. In the present study, we identified partial viral genes of dengue virus (DENV), a novel circovirus (CCV), densovirus (DNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and Wuhan mosquito virus (WMV) in mosquitoes. Metagenomic analysis and PCR amplification revealed three DENV sequences, which were as homologous to the NS3 gene of DENV from Singapore isolated in 2005, with at least 91% nucleotide (nt) identity. Seven fragments of JEV encoding structural proteins were identified belonging to genotype I. They all shared high homology with structural protein genes of JEV isolated from Laos in 2009. The production of infectious virus particles of the newly isolated virus YunnanJEV2017-4 increased after passage from the BHK-21 cell line to the Vero cell line. Novel circovirus-related genes were identified and as being related to an unnamed gene of a mosquito circovirus (MCCV) sequence from the USA isolated in 2011, with at least 41% nt identity: this distant relationship suggests that the parent virus might belong to a novel circovirus genus. Additionally, numerous known viruses and some unknown viruses were also detected in mosquitoes from Yunnan province, China, which will be tested for propagation

Adsorption performance of hydrophobically modified silica gel for the vapors of -hexane and water

An ordinary silica gel (SG-1) was chosen as the raw material and hydrophobically modified with trimethylchlorosilane under different microwave exposure. The orthogonal experiment was designed to screen the optimized modification method. The hydrophobic properties modified silica gel (SG-2) was analyzed by comparing the difference changes of surface chemistries. Then, the adsorption capacities of SG-1 and SG-2 to the n -hexane vapor and water vapor, respectively, were investigated and compared with the capacities of activated carbon and SG-3 (hydrophobically modified using the same composite modifier without microwave exposure). Meanwhile, there cyclable adsorptions of SG-2 to the two vapors were conducted while the desorptions of vacuum and heat was observed. The results showed that the effect of hydrophobic modification to SG-1 under microwave exposure was obvious and SG-2 also had a very good effect of adsorption for the n -hexane vapor. The modified silica gel shows great potential and effect for the recovery of volatile organic compounds with high content of water

Rational design and synthesis of chitosan-quinoa polysaccharide composite aerogel and its adsorption properties for Congo red and methylene blue

This study was performed to investigate the potential application of a chitosan (CS) and quinoa polysaccharide (QS) composite aerogel for the adsorption of dyes from water. The properties of the synthesized CSQS composite aerogel were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results showed that the CSQS composite aerogel possesses a porous, loose and flexible structure with a mesoporous nature and high hydrophobicity. Meanwhile, various factors such as the initial concentration, temperature, contact time, and pH have been investigated for evaluation of the optimum adsorption for the removal of Congo red (CR) and methylene blue (MB) in batch sorption experiments, and experimental results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 342 mg g(-1) for CR and 57.80 mg g(-1) for MB under the optimum conditions. The adsorption kinetics of CR and MB on the CSQS composite aerogel were found to be well modeled by pseudo-second-order and pseudo-first-order kinetic models, respectively. In addition, the experimental equilibrium data were represented well by the Langmuir isotherm model. The results in this article demonstrated that the obtained aerogel is suitable for application in drinking water purification. The entire synthesis process of the CSQS aerogel is green and economical without additional need for toxic agents, which allows the process to greatly reduce the discharge of secondary pollution to the environment. The facile, scalable and general strategy presented here can be extended to the preparation of other polysaccharide-based aerogel materials, and has a good prospects for application in the removal of dyes from water

Identification of a Novel Recombinant Type 2 Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus in China

Since the emergence of NADC30-like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in China in 2013, PRRSVs have undergone rapid evolution. In this study, a novel variant of PRRSV strain (designated SCcd17) was successfully isolated from piglets with clinical signs in Sichuan Province in China in 2017, and the complete genomic sequence was determined. The genome of this new isolate was 15,015 nucleotides (nt) long, and comparative analysis revealed that SCcd17 exhibited 90.2%, 85.2%, 84.9%, and 84.0% nucleotide similarity to PRRSVs NADC30, JXA1, CH-1a, and VR-2332, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the SCcd17 strain was classified into the NADC30-like sub-genotype, in which all the strains contained the unique discontinuous 131-amino acid deletion in nonstructural protein 2 (nsp2) when compared to VR-2332-like viruses. Notably, extensive amino acid substitutions were observed in nsp2 and a unique single amino acid deletion at position 33 of the GP5 is being described for the first time. Strikingly, recombination analysis revealed that SCcd17 was the result of recombination between the NADC30-like, JXA1-like, and VR-2332-like strains at five recombination breakpoints: nsp1α (nt 641), nsp3 (nt 5141), nsp10 (nt 9521), open reading frame 3 (ORF3) (nt 12,581), and ORF4 (nt 13,021). The genomic data of SCcd17 will be helpful for understanding the role of genomic recombination in the evolution of PRRSV

Behaviors Related to Mosquito-Borne Diseases among Different Ethnic Minority Groups along the China-Laos Border Areas

Background: In China, mosquito-borne diseases are most common in the sub-tropical area of Yunnan province. The objective of this study was to examine behaviors related to mosquito-borne diseases in different ethnic minority groups and different socioeconomic groups of people living in this region. Methods: A stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique with probability proportional to size was used in Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan. Twelve villages were used to recruit adult (≥18 years old) and eight schools were used for children (<18 years old). A questionnaire on behaviors and environment variables related to mosquito-borne diseases was devised. Results: Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) grouped 20 behaviors into three domains, namely, environmental condition, bed net use behaviors, and repellent use behaviors, respectively. The Han ethnicity had the lowest odds of rearing pigs, their odds being significantly lower than those of Yi and Yao. For bed net use, Dai and other ethnic minority groups were less likely to use bed nets compared to Yi and Yao. The odds of repellent use in the Han ethnicity was lower than in Yi, but higher than in Dai. The Dai group was the most likely ethnicity to use repellents. Farmers were at a higher risk for pig rearing and not using repellents. Education of less than primary school held the lowest odds of pig rearing. Those with low income were at a higher risk for not using bed nets and repellent except in pig rearing. Those with a small family size were at a lower risk for pig rearing. Conclusion: Different ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the study areas require different specific emphases for the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases

Extraction, Physicochemical Properties, Anti-Aging, and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Industrial Hemp Residues

A large amount of hemp polysaccharides remain in industrial hemp residues (IHR) after cannabidiol extraction, resulting in the waste of resources. Therefore, the systematic study of hemp polysaccharides is beneficial to the development of IHR in the future. In this study, the extraction of industrial hemp residues polysaccharide (IHRPs) was optimized by single-factor experiment and orthogonal experimental design. The optimum heating extraction conditions were extraction temperature 98 degrees C, solid-liquid ratio 1:10, extraction time 1 h, number of successive extractions 2, and pH at 4. The extraction ratio and the polysaccharide content were 20.12 +/- 0.55% and 12.35 +/- 0.26% at the conditions, respectively. Besides, the best alcohol precipitation conditions were pumping with 2 L/h, stirring continuously, and ice-water bath for 4 h. The crude IHRPs was further purified by column chromatography and the polysaccharide/protein contents of purified IHRPs were 34.44% and 1.61%. IHRPs was mainly made up of ten monosaccharides and some non-sugar components including organic acids, flavonoids, steroids, and glycoside. The FT-IR demonstrated the polysaccharide skeleton of IHRPs. Moreover, the DPPH and ABTS scavenging rate of IHRPs were 76.00% and 99.05% at the concentrations of 1 mg/mL. IHRPs could promote the epidermal cells proliferation and healing of cell scratches. Meanwhile, IHRPs could promoted the expression of anti-aging-related genes. Overall, IHRPs could be a desirable natural source of antioxidants and anti-aging products in many aspects

Extraction, Physicochemical Properties, Anti-Aging, and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Industrial Hemp Residues

A large amount of hemp polysaccharides remain in industrial hemp residues (IHR) after cannabidiol extraction, resulting in the waste of resources. Therefore, the systematic study of hemp polysaccharides is beneficial to the development of IHR in the future. In this study, the extraction of industrial hemp residues polysaccharide (IHRPs) was optimized by single-factor experiment and orthogonal experimental design. The optimum heating extraction conditions were extraction temperature 98 degrees C, solid-liquid ratio 1:10, extraction time 1 h, number of successive extractions 2, and pH at 4. The extraction ratio and the polysaccharide content were 20.12 +/- 0.55% and 12.35 +/- 0.26% at the conditions, respectively. Besides, the best alcohol precipitation conditions were pumping with 2 L/h, stirring continuously, and ice-water bath for 4 h. The crude IHRPs was further purified by column chromatography and the polysaccharide/protein contents of purified IHRPs were 34.44% and 1.61%. IHRPs was mainly made up of ten monosaccharides and some non-sugar components including organic acids, flavonoids, steroids, and glycoside. The FT-IR demonstrated the polysaccharide skeleton of IHRPs. Moreover, the DPPH and ABTS scavenging rate of IHRPs were 76.00% and 99.05% at the concentrations of 1 mg/mL. IHRPs could promote the epidermal cells proliferation and healing of cell scratches. Meanwhile, IHRPs could promoted the expression of anti-aging-related genes. Overall, IHRPs could be a desirable natural source of antioxidants and anti-aging products in many aspects

Tumor-promoting properties of miR-8084 in breast cancer through enhancing proliferation, suppressing apoptosis and inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition

Abstract Background Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. MicroRNAs play a key role in breast cancer development and progression. microRNA(miR)-8084 has been observed an aberrant expression in breast cancer. However, the functions and regulatory axes of miR-8084, particularly in breast cancer, were not entirely clear. Methods miR-8084 expression in breast cancer were investigated in a GEO dataset by in silico analysis and in 42 paired tumor tissues by qPCR. The effects of deregulation of miR-8084 on breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo were examined by colony-formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and nude mouse subcutaneous tumor formation model. The target gene of miR-8084 were predicted by TargetScan and miRDB, and confirmed by luciferase reporter system. The roles of miR-8084 in the breast cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated by MTS, FACS and associated-marker detection by western blot. Results miR-8084 is significantly up-regulated in both serum and malignant tissues from the source of breast cancer patients. miR-8084 promotes the proliferation of breast cancer cells by activating ERK1/2 and AKT. Meanwhile miR-8084 inhibits apoptosis by decreasing p53-BAX related pathway. miR-8084 also enhances migration and invasion by inducing EMT. Moreover, the tumor suppressor ING2 is a potential target of miR-8084, and miR-8084 regulatory axes contribute to pro-tumor effect, at least partially through regulating ING2. Conclusion Our results strongly suggest that miR-8084 functions as an oncogene that promotes the development and progression of breast cancer, and miR-8084 is a potential new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target of breast cancer