Molecular Characterization of a Debilitation-Associated Partitivirus Infecting the Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus flavus

The opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus is known to be infected with mycoviruses. In this study, we report a novel mycovirus A. flavus partitivirus 1 (AfPV1) that was originally isolated from the abnormal colonial morphology isolate LD-3-8 of A. flavus. AfPV1 has spherical virus-like particles about 40 nm in diameter, and three double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments (dsRNA1, 2, and 3 with lengths of 1.7, 1.4, and 1.1 kbp, respectively) were packaged in the virions. dsRNA1, dsRNA2, and dsRNA3 each contained a single open reading frame and potentially encoded 62, 42, and 32 kDa proteins, respectively. The dsRNA1 encoded protein shows similarity to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of partitiviruses, and the dsRNA2 product has no significant similarity to any other capsid protein (CP) in the GenBank databases, beside some homology with the hypothetical “capsid” protein of a few partitiviruses. The dsRNA3 encodes a protein with no similarity to any protein in the GenBank database. SDS-PAGE and polypeptide mass fingerprint-mass spectrum (PMF-MS) analyses indicated that the CP of the AfPV1 was encoded by dsRNA2. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the AfPV1 and relative viruses were found in an unclassified group inside the Partitiviridae family. AfPV1 seems to result in debilitation symptoms, but had no significant effects to murine pathogenicity. These findings provide new insights into the partitiviruses taxonomy and the interactions between viruses and A. flavus

Study of brain network alternations in non-lesional epilepsy patients by BOLD-fMRI

ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of brain network in epilepsy patients without intracranial lesions under resting conditions.MethodsTwenty-six non-lesional epileptic patients and 42 normal controls were enrolled for BOLD-fMRI examination. The differences in brain network topological characteristics and functional network connectivity between the epilepsy group and the healthy controls were compared using graph theory analysis and independent component analysis.ResultsThe area under the curve for local efficiency was significantly lower in the epilepsy patients compared with healthy controls, while there were no differences in global indicators. Patients with epilepsy had higher functional connectivity in 4 connected components than healthy controls (orbital superior frontal gyrus and medial superior frontal gyrus, medial superior frontal gyrus and angular gyrus, superior parietal gyrus and paracentral lobule, lingual gyrus, and thalamus). In addition, functional connectivity was enhanced in the default mode network, frontoparietal network, dorsal attention network, sensorimotor network, and auditory network in the epilepsy group.ConclusionThe topological characteristics and functional connectivity of brain networks are changed in in non-lesional epilepsy patients. Abnormal functional connectivity may suggest reduced brain efficiency in epilepsy patients and also may be a compensatory response to brain function early at earlier stages of the disease

Multidimensional Model-Based Decision Rules Mining

aBStract Decision rules mining is an important technique in machine learning and data mining, it has been studie

Evaluation of Rock Burst Propensity and Rock Burst Mechanism in Deep Phosphate Mines: A Case Study of Sujiapo Phosphate Mine, Hubei Province, China

Rockburst is one of the major problems in rock underground engineering and mechanics. To make a risk assessment of rockburst and improve the mine safety index, some evaluation systems for rockburst propensity have been proposed and applied, and progress has been made in the study of high-value mines and single evaluation systems, but these evaluation systems are still immature for deep low and medium grade phosphate mines with more complex influencing factors. Therefore, to solve this problem, this study takes the phosphate mining area of the Sujiapo phosphate mine as the main research object, and combines the characteristics of the deep rockburst of the phosphate mine and its physical and mechanical properties; the evaluation system combines fuzzy mathematical method and multiple evaluation methods to determine the propensity of rockburst of deep mining of Sujiapo phosphate mine. The JSM-500LV SEM and acoustic emission results are used to analyze the microscopic mechanism of rockburst from the morphology and composition of the rocks, and the rationality of the evaluation system is further demonstrated. The study shows that dolomite and phosphorite in the study area are moderate rockburst, and shale has a weak rockburst tendency; because the roof dolomite and phosphorite crystallization degree are higher, the elastic modulus is large. Under the action of external load, the roof dolomite stored more elastic strain energy. Deformation damage consumes less energy. The energy released to the outside world after the damage is large, more likely to occur brittle damage, and the rockburst tendency is high. Therefore, the evaluation system combining multiple evaluation methods can comprehensively determine rockburst in phosphate mines

Anti-CTGF single-chain variable fragment dimers inhibit human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell proliferation by down-regulating p-Akt and p-mTOR levels.

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) contributes to airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell hyperplasia in asthma. Humanized single-chain variable fragment antibody (scFv) was well characterized as a CTGF antagonist in the differentiation of fibroblast into myofibroblast and pulmonary fibrosis in our previous studies. To further improve the bioactivity of scFv, we constructed a plasmid to express scFv-linker-matrilin-6×His fusion proteins that could self-assemble into the scFv dimers by disulfide bonds in matrilin under non-reducing conditions. An immunoreactivity assay demonstrated that the scFv dimer could highly bind to CTGF in a concentration-dependent manner. The MTT and EdU assay results revealed that CTGF (≥10 ng/mL) promoted the proliferation of ASM cells, and this effect was inhibited when the cells were treated with anti-CTGF scFv dimer. The western blot analysis results showed that increased phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR induced by CTGF could be suppressed by this scFv dimer. Based on these findings, anti-CTGF scFv dimer may be a potential agent for the prevention of airway remodeling in asthma

EZH2 Mutations Are Related to Low Blast Percentage in Bone Marrow and -7/del(7q) in De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia

<div><p>The purpose of the present work was to determine the incidence and clinical implications of somatic EZH2 mutations in 714 patients with de novo acute myelogenous leukemia by sequencing the entire coding region. EZH2 mutations were identified in 13/714 (1.8%) of AML patients were found to be more common in males (<i>P</i> = 0.033). The presence of EZH2 mutations was significantly associated with lower blast percentage (21–30%) in bone marrow (<i>P</i><0.0001) and -7/del(7q) (<i>P</i> = 0.025). There were no differences in the incidence of mutation in 13 genes, ASXL1, CBL, c-KIT, DNMT3A, FLT3, IDH1, IDH2, MLL, NPM1, NRAS, RUNX1, TET2, and WT1, between patients with and without EZH2 mutations. No difference in complete remission, event-free survival, or overall survival was observed between patients with and without EZH2 mutation (<i>P</i>>0.05). Overall, these results showed EZH2 mutation in de novo acute myeloid leukemia as a recurrent genetic abnormality to be associated with lower blast percentage in BM and -7/del(7q).</p></div