A Net Loan Monitoring Platform for University Students Based on Visual Micro-blog

In order to prevent college students from tragic events, which mostly result from falling into illegal net loan, a net loan risk monitoring platform of college students was established based on the microblog visualization. Based on the calculation model of risk degree (CMRD) and the calculation model of relational closeness (CMRC), a visual system, a user relationship analysis system and an early warning system were constructed on the platform. Through the CMRD, the risk degree of micro-blog net loan contents can be worked out to decide whether warning behaviors are necessary. Through the CMRC, the closeness of net loan bloggers with users can be obtained a propagation map. The key nodes can be cut off by internet security officers in time, which can prevent further propagation of the contents of the microblog net loan. The platform can effectively alleviate the tense situation of college students and illegal online loans

Establishment of a UPLC-MS/MS Method for Studying the Effect of Salt-Processing on Tissue Distribution of Twelve Major Bioactive Components of Qing’e Pills in Rats

Qing’e pills is clinically used for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in China. Eucommiae Cortex and Psoraleae Fructus are the main herbs of Qing’e pills and are both required to be salt-processed. In order to study the influence of salt-processing on the tissue distribution of Qing’e pills, a UPLC-MS/MS method was established for studying the tissue distribution of 12 main bioactive ingredients of Qing’e pills in rats. The linear relationships of the 12 compounds in each tissue were good. The method was fully validated for its selectivity, accuracy, precision, stability, matrix effect, and extraction recovery. Then, the validated method was successfully applied for simultaneous determination of the 12 chemical components in Qing’e pills in tissues for the first time. Areas under the curve (AUC) results showed that, except for pinoresinol diglucoside, psoralen, and isopsoralen, the distribution of the other components was increased in the kidney, uterus, ovary, and testes. Relative targeting efficiency (RTE) results showed that all 12 chemical components targeted the kidney and sexual organs. The results indicated that the Eucommiae Cortex and Psoraleae Fructus after salt-processing could significantly increase the distribution of components to the kidney and generative organs

Identification of a human type XVII collagen fragment with high capacity for maintaining skin health

Collagen XVII (COL17) is a transmembrane protein that mediates skin homeostasis. Due to expression of full length collagen was hard to achieve in microorganisms, arising the needs for selection of collagen fragments with desired functions for microbial biosynthesis. Here, COL17 fragments (27–33 amino acids) were extracted and replicated 16 times for recombinant expression in Escherichia coli. Five variants were soluble expressed, with the highest yield of 223 mg/L. The fusion tag was removed for biochemical and biophysical characterization. Circular dichroism results suggested one variant (sample-1707) with a triple-helix structure at >37 °C. Sample-1707 can assemble into nanofiber (width, 5.6 nm) and form hydrogel at 3 mg/mL. Sample-1707 was shown to induce blood clotting and promote osteoblast differentiation. Furthermore, sample-1707 exhibited high capacity to induce mouse hair follicle stem cells differentiation and osteoblast migration, demonstrating a high capacity to induce skin cell regeneration and promote wound healing. A strong hydrogel was prepared from a chitosan and sample-1707 complex with a swelling rate of >30 % higher than simply using chitosan. Fed-batch fermentation of sample-1707 with a 5-L bioreactor obtained a yield of 600 mg/L. These results support the large-scale production of sample-1707 as a biomaterial for use in the skin care industry

Pan-cancer mutational signature surveys correlated mutational signature with geospatial environmental exposures and viral infections

Background: Cancer has been disproportionally affecting minorities. Genomic-based cancer disparity analyses have been less common than conventional epidemiological studies. In the past decade, mutational signatures have been established as characteristic footprints of endogenous or exogenous carcinogens. Methods: Integrating datasets of diverse cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas and geospatial environmental risks of the registry hospitals from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, we explored mutational signatures from the aspect of racial disparity concerning pollutant exposures. The raw geospatial environmental exposure data were refined to 449 air pollutants archived and modeled from 2007 to 2017 and aggregated to the census county level. Additionally, hepatitis B and C viruses and human papillomavirus infection statuses were incorporated into analyses for skin cancer, cervical cancer, and liver cancer. Results: Mutation frequencies of key oncogenic genes varied substantially between different races. These differences were further translated into differences in mutational signatures. Survival analysis revealed that the increased pollution level is associated with worse survival. The analysis of the oncogenic virus revealed that aflatoxin, an affirmed carcinogen for liver cancer, was higher in Asian liver cancer patients than in White patients. The aflatoxin mutational signature was exacerbated by hepatitis infection for Asian patients but not for White patients, suggesting a predisposed genetic or genomic disadvantage for Asians concerning aflatoxin. Conclusions: Environmental pollutant exposures increase a mutational signature level and worsen cancer prognosis, presenting a definite adverse risk factor for cancer patients

Disease burden and antimicrobial resistance of invasive group B streptococcus among infants in China: a protocol for a national prospective observational study

Abstract Background Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a cause of neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis that can lead to neurological sequelae in infants less than 3 months of age. The GBS disease burden is not known in China, therefore it cannot receive major attention. The main objectives of this study are the evaluation of the incidence of neonatal GBS infection, GBS case-fatality ratio, its serotypes and genotypes, bacterial resistance, clinical treatment and outcomes in China. Methods We are conducting a nation-wide, population-based, multi-center, prospective, observational cohort study in China from May 2016 to December 2017. Eighteen large urban tertiary care hospitals from 16 provinces were selected that cover the eastern, southern, western, northern and central regions of China. Meanwhile, we retrospectively collected data and GBS strains from January 2015 to April 2016 from selected hospitals. The incidence rate per 1000 live births will be defined as the total number of confirmed GBS cases born in the selected hospitals divided by the number of live births in the hospitals during the study period. All GBS cases detected in selected hospitals will be used to calculate the case-fatality ratio and for the typing analysis. GBS isolates will be serotyped using the Strep-B-Latex® rapid latex agglutination test for serotyping of Group B streptococci. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) will be performed by sequencing the internal fragments of seven house-keeping genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility will be tested per interpretive standards established by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The presence of the common resistance genes ermA, ermB, mefA, tetI, tetO and tetM will be tested by PCR. Discussion We are conducting the first national study to estimate the invasive GBS disease burden and antimicrobial resistance of GBS among infants in China. Study findings will provide important evidence for improving clinical practice to ensure timely diagnosis of GBS disease and decisions for preventive measures. Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance will promote the rational use of antimicrobials. Trial registration The study was retrospectively registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov on June 13, 2016. It was granted a registration number of “NCT02812576”