Growth, physicochemical properties, and morphogenesis of Chinese wild-type PRV Fa and its gene-deleted mutant strain PRV SA215

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>PRV Fa is common in China and causes most of the pseudorabies in the pig industry. A PRV SA215 strain with deleted gE, gI, and TK genes was constructed to develop a commercial attenuated live vaccine. However, the physicochemical properties, growth pattern, penetration kinetics, and morphogenesis of the PRV SA215 and its parental PRV Fa strain are unclear.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A series of experiments were conducted to characterize both strains and provide more information. PRV Fa and PRV SA215 were found to have similar penetration patterns, with about 5 min half-time of penetration. The SA215 strain exhibited a slight delay in entry compared with PRV Fa. In the one-step growth test, the titers of the SA215 strain were first detected at 8 h, rapidly increased, and peaked at 12 h. A plateau was formed between 12-36 h of culturing. PRV SA215 showed delayed replication and approximately 10-30-fold lower titers during 0-16 h of culturing compared with the PRV-Fa strain. After 16 h, the PRV Fa titers dramatically decreased, whereas those of PRV SA215 were prolonged to 36 h and reached a titer value equal to that of PRV Fa and then decreased. Both strains were sensitive to both heat and acid-alkali treatments; however, PRV Fa was relatively more stable to heat treatment than PRV SA215. Both strains could propagate in the cultures with pH values from 5.0 to 9.0. Cultures with pH below 3.0 or above 11.0 were fatal to both strains. Both strains had considerable resistance to freeze-thawing treatments. Morphogenetic investigations showed that typical phases in the maturation pathway were observed in the PRV Fa-infected PK15 cells, whereas secondary envelopment was not observed in the PRV SA215 strain. Instead, capsid aggregations with concomitants of electrodense materials were observed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that PRV SA215 is a promising strain for vaccine development</p

Monopole-charged pulsars and relevant issues

The aligned pulsars whose rotation axes and magnetic dipole axes are parallel should be positively charged. The total charge of pulsars is calculated after considering the electromagnetic field in and out the star under a specific condition. The statistical relation between the pulsar's rotation energy loss rate (or the period derivative) and the period may hint that the millisecond radio pulsars with small periods could be low-mass bare strange stars.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figures, and 1 tabl

Utility of Chinese versions of Addenbrooke's cognitive examination:A narrative review

Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination (ACE) is a cognitive screening tool that has developed through three stages: ACE, ACE-Revised (ACE-R), and ACE-Ⅲ. In addition, mini-Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (M-ACE) and ACE mobile are the additional versions that is derived from ACE-III. ACE and its related versions show better performance than Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in detecting mild cognitive impairment in different neurological disorders. It has been translated into numerous languages, including Chinese. Through reviewing the history, validity, and comparison with other cognitive tests of Chinese versions of ACE, it aims to facilitate the clinical and scientific use, further development, improvement, and validation of Chinese versions of ACE in various neurological disorders and ultimately promote early identification and management of cognitive impairment in China

The Flow Field Analysis and Flow Calculation of Ultrasonic Flowmeter Based on the Fluent Software

We can build the three-dimensional structure model based on the Gambit software and achieve the distribution of flow field in the pipe and reflux flow condition at the position of transducer in regard to the real position of transducer according to the Fluent software. Under the framework, define the reflux length based on the distance of reflux along the channel and evaluate the effect of reflux on flow field. Then we can correct the power factor with the transmission speed difference method in the ideal condition and obtain the matching expression of power correction factor according to the practice model. In the end, analyze the simulation experience and produce the sample table based on the proposed model. The comparative analysis of test results and simulation results demonstrates the validity and feasibility of the proposed simulation method. The research in this paper will lay a foundation for further study on the optimization of ultrasonic flowmeter, enhance the measurement precision, and extend the application of engineering

The changes and its significance of Th17 and Treg cells and related cytokines in patients with tuberculosis pleurisy

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous pleurisy is a kind of tuberculosis, it is well known that Th1 lymphocytes play a key role in the treatment of tuberculosis infection. However, latest studies show that Th17 lymphocyte may also play an important role tuberculosis infection. There is close relationship between Treg and Thl7 cells, and changes in the number or the function of the two kinds of cells may lead to diseases. The current researches on Thl7 and Treg cells maily focus on autoimmune diseases, however, reports about their role in tuberculosis are limited. In this study, we investigate the function of th17 and Treg cells and the above cytokines in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis pleurisy; by determining the expression of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral CD4 T cells and the related cytokines in patients with tuberculous compared with healthy people. RESULTS: Th17 cells in patients were higher than that in the Healthy control group, expression of Treg cells in patients were lower than that in the healthy group; IL-17, IL-23 levels in peripheral blood and hydrothorax from the patients were higher than that in the healthy group; IL-17, IL-23 and IL-6 levels in hydrothorax were higher than that in peripheral blood. There was no difference in IL-6 level in peripheral blood between the patients and healthy control; TGF- β level in peripheral blood from the healthy group was higher than that in peripheral blood and hydrothorax from the patients. And there were no differences in TGF- β level between peripheral blood and hydrothorax. Th17 cells were negatively correlated with Treg cells ,but were positive correlation with IL-17, IL-23, IL-6 levels in peripheral blood; TGF- β level was positive correlation with Treg cells in the peripheral blood, but no correlation with Th17 cells. CONCLUSION: Th17 and Treg cells may be involved in the immune pathological mechanism of tuberculous pleurisy and changes of related cytokines may be involved in the differentiation of Th17 and Treg cells and inflammatory response. Thus, Th17 and Treg cells and related cytokines may be important immunopathogenesis for tuberculous pleurisy

Absorption Properties of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter in Highly-Polluted Yundang Lagoon, China

AbstractOptical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from highly polluted Yundang Lagoon, China were investigated from April 2008 to June 2009. The absorption spectra of DOM from this polluted saline lake resembled that of DOM from other natural environments. The spatial distribution of absorption coefficients at 280nm (a280) indicated that sewage discharge was the main source of CDOM in this lagoon. A notable seasonal variation of a280 was observed from spring of 2008 to spring of 2009, indicating the reduction in sewage discharge from municipal works. Most values of spectral slope ratio (SR) of CDOM absorption were >1, implying that sewage-derived DOM has a low molecular weight. There was a significant linear correlation between a280 and the DOC concentration, demonstrating the feasibility to use optical properties of DOM to assess the degree of organic pollution in highly-polluted aquatic environments

Quantitative detection and attribution of groundwater level variations in the Amu Darya Delta

In the past few decades, the shrinkage of the Aral Sea is one of the biggest ecological catastrophes caused by human activity. To quantify the joint impact of both human activities and climate change on groundwater, the spatiotemporal groundwater dynamic characteristics in the Amu Darya Delta of the Aral Sea from 1999 to 2017 were analyzed, using the groundwater level, climate conditions, remote sensing data, and irrigation information. Statistics analysis was adopted to analyze the trend of groundwater variation, including intensity, periodicity, spatial structure, while the Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to quantify the impact of climate change and human activities on the variabilities of the groundwater level. Results reveal that the local groundwater dynamic has varied considerably. From 1999 to 2002, the groundwater level dropped from -189 cm to -350 cm. Until 2017, the groundwater level rose back to -211 cm with fluctuation. Seasonally, the fluctuation period of groundwater level and irrigation water was similar, both were about 18 months. Spatially, the groundwater level kept stable within the irrigation area and bare land but fluctuated drastically around the irrigation area. The Pearson correlation analysis reveals that the dynamic of the groundwater level is closely related to irrigation activity within the irrigation area (Nukus: -0.583), while for the place adjacent to the Aral Sea, the groundwater level is closely related to the Large Aral Sea water level (Muynak: 0.355). The results of PCA showed that the cumulative contribution rate of the first three components exceeds 85%. The study reveals that human activities have a great impact on groundwater, effective management, and the development of water resources in arid areas is an essential prerequisite for ecological protection

Ethanol Extract from Ampelopsis sinica Root Exerts Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Activity via Inhibition of p53 Pathway In Vitro

Ampelopsis sinica root is widely used in Chinese folk medicine for treating liver disorders caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The present study was performed in order to investigate the anti-HBV activity and mechanisms of the ethanol extract from A. sinica root (EASR) in vitro. The antiviral activity of EASR was examined by detecting the levels of HBsAg, HBeAg and extracellular HBV DNAs in stable HBV-producing human hepatoblastoma HepG2 2.2.15 cells. We found that EASR effectively suppressed the secretion of HBsAg and HBeAg from HepG2 2.2.15 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and it also suppressed the amount of extracellular HBV DNA. After EASR treatment, the percentage of apoptotic cells was found to be significantly higher than that of control by flow cytometric analysis. A luciferase reporter gene assay was used to determine the effects of EASR on the activities of HBV promoters and intracellular signaling pathways. The results showed that EASR selectively inhibited the activities of HBV promoters (Cp, S1p and Fp) and the p53 signaling pathway in HepG2 cells significantly. These data indicate that EASR exerts anti-HBV effects via inhibition of HBV promoters and the p53-associated signaling pathway, which helps to elucidate the mechanism underlying the potential therapeutic value of EASR