Built Structure of Ordered Vertically Aligned Codoped Carbon Nanowire Arrays for Supercapacitors

We report an ingenious yet efficient method to fabricate ordered vertically aligned nitrogen- and sulfur-codoped carbon nanowire (NS-CNW) arrays by direct carbonization of the finely designed copolymer. The as-prepared vertically aligned NS-CNWs with unique electronic features and very narrow diameters facilitate ion diffusion to further exhibit ideal electrochemical properties (243.0 F g^–1 at the current density of 0.1 A g^–1) and excellent cycle stability (10 000 cycles) when applied to a supercapacitor electrode. The controllable design and copolymerization of conducting polymers, which can provide doped carbon nanowire array electrodes having high surface area with controllable components and uniform dimensions in a neat way, provide more flexibility to tailor the carbon-based electrodes toward specific applications

Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Viruses Associated with Outbreaks of Severe Diarrhea in Piglets in Jiangxi, China 2013

<div><p>Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), is a highly contagious, acute enteric viral disease of swine characterized by vomiting, watery diarrhea, dehydration and death. To identify and characterize the field PEDVs associated with the outbreaks of severe diarrhea in piglets in Jiangxi, 2013, the complete genome sequences of two representative strains of PEDV, designated CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013, were determined and analyzed. The genome sequences of both emergent Jiangxi PEDV strains, CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013, were 28,038 nucleotides in length excluding 3’ poly (A) tail. Compared to the PEDV CV777 strain, CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013 had some unique genetic characteristics in the proximal region of the 5´-UTRs. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genomes and the structural proteins revealed that CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013 had a close relationship with post-2010 Chinese PEDV strains and US strains identified in 2013. The nucleotide identity between the two Jiangxi strains (CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013) and 30 strains of PEDV identified ante-2010 and post-2010 ranged from 96.3–97.0% and 97.3–99.7%, respectively. Multiple nucleotide and deduced amino acid mutations were observed in the ORF1a/b, S, ORF3, E, M and N genes among the current field PEDV strains when compared to the CV777 strain. Some of the mutations altered the amino acid charge and hydrophilicity, and notably, there was an amino acid substitution in the middle of one neutralizing epitope (L1371I) of the S gene of both CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013. Taken together, the accumulated genetic variations of the current field PEDV strains might have led to antigenic changes of the viruses, which might confer the less effectiveness or failure of the CV777-based vaccines currently being widely used in Jiangxi, China.</p></div

Antigenic and hydrophilic analyses of the amino acid sequences of partial S protein of nine PEDV strains.

<p>Antigenic index was calculated by using Protean of DNAStar Lasergene under the Jameson-Wolf method. Hydrophilicity plot was constructed by Kyte-Doolittle method. The arrows indicate the discrepancy of antigenic and hydrophilic plots of partial S protein of PEDV strains between phylogenetic group 1 (CV777, LZC, SM98 and virulent DR13) and group 2 (CH/JX-1/2013, CH/JX-2/2013, BJ-2011-1, GD-B and IA1) PEDV strains. Panel A: antigenic analysis, and panel B: hydrophilic analysis.</p

Summary of the background information of CH/JX-1/2013, CH/JX-2/2013 and 33 reference strains used in this study.

<p>^a The accurate isolation year of LZC is unknown, but it is estimated to be before 2006 according to the GenBank submission date.</p><p>^b cell adapted PEDV strains.</p><p>Summary of the background information of CH/JX-1/2013, CH/JX-2/2013 and 33 reference strains used in this study.</p

Comparison of primary sequence of 5´-proximal region (nt 42–133) in 5´UTRs between CH/JX-1/2013, CH/JX-2/2013 and reference strains.

<p>The core sequences (CUAAAC) of leader transcription-regulating sequences (CS-L) are highlighted in gray, nucleotide insertions are highlighted in red, and mutations are highlighted in blue. The stem-loop 2 (SL 2) and stem-loop 4 (SL 4) are marked with braces. An ‘A’ deletion is seen in both CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013 identified in this study and other strains excluding CV777 and LZC.</p

Phylogenetic trees based on the complete genome, aa sequences of structural proteins and ORF3 of PEDV strains.

<p>The trees were constructed by the distance-based neighbor-joining algorithm using MEGA 5.2.2 software. Bootstrap was set in 1,000 replicates with a value >70% to assess the significance of the tree topology. A bar of 0.002/0.005 indicates nucleotide or amino acid substitutions per site. “●” indicates the strains identified in this study, “○” indicates the strains from China, “◆” indicates the strains from Belgium, “■”indicates the strains from USA, “▲”indicates the strains from South Korea, “▼”indicates the strains from France, “◇”indicates the strains from Japan. 1A: Phylogenetic tree generated on the basis of nucleotide sequences of the complete genome of 33 PEDVs. 1B to 1F: Phylogenetic trees based on deduced amino acid sequences of S glycoprotein genes, ORF3, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid genes, respectively.</p

Nucleotide and amino acid mutations in ORF 3 of CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013 when compared to PEDV CV777.

<p>^a Bold letters indicate the amino acids with changed charge.</p><p>Nucleotide and amino acid mutations in ORF 3 of CH/JX-1/2013 and CH/JX-2/2013 when compared to PEDV CV777.</p

The PA fetus morphology and HE staining.

<p>(A) A large PA fetus with hemolysis. (B) A retarded ultra-small PA fetus. (C and D) HE staining of paraffin-embedded sections of large and ultra-small PA fetuses. The cell apoptosis is shown in the ultra-small fetus.</p

The G-banding analysis of PA embryo-derived fibroblasts.

<p>(A) The haploid cell lacks chromosome 6, and has gained an extra chromosome 14. (B) The haploid cell lacks chromosome 8 and 10, and has gained an extra chromosome 1 and 2. (C) G-banding of a diploid cell derived from sorting indeed showed a normal karyotype.</p

Ten most downregulated genes in porcine parthenogenetic diploid fetal fibroblasts.

<p>Ten most downregulated genes in porcine parthenogenetic diploid fetal fibroblasts.</p