Taxonomic revision of the genus Mesechinus (Mammalia Erinaceidae) with description of a new species

Hedgehogs in the genus Mesechinus （Family Erinaceidae）, which include two currently recognized species （ M. dauuricus and M. hughi）, are distributed from northeast Mongolia to the upper Amur Basin in Russia and adjacent areas in northeast and northern China. In recent years, a population of Mesechinus hedgehogs was discovered from Mt. Gaoligong, southwestern Yunnan, China, far from the known distribution range of the genus. Furthermore, these hedgehogs are the only known population to be distributed at elevations higher than 2 100 m and in sympatry with gymnures. To evaluate the taxonomic status of these hedgehogs, we examined specimens representing Mesechinus taxa in China and further conducted morphometric and karyotypic analyses. Our results supported the existence of four species in China. Specifically, we identified the hedgehogs from Mt. Gaoligong as a new species, Mesechinus wangi sp. nov., and recognized M. miodon, previously considered as a synonym of either M. dauuricus or M. hughi as a distinct species. Interestingly, we observed a supernumerary M4 on all specimens of Mesechinus wangi sp. nov., which is an extremely rare event in the evolution of mammalian dentition.

Recurrent acute liver failure associated with novel SCYL1 mutation:A case report

BACKGROUND Pediatric recurrent acute liver failure(RALF) with recovery between episodes is rare. Causes include autoimmune disease, which may flare and subside;intermittent exposure to toxins, as with ingestions; and metabolic disorders,among them the fever-associated crises ascribed to biallelic mutations in SCYL1,with RALF beginning in infancy. SCYL1 disease manifest with RALF, as known to date, includes central and peripheral neurologic and muscular morbidity(hepatocerebellar neuropathy syndrome). Primary ventilatory and skeletal diseases also have been noted in some reports.CASE SUMMARY We describe a Han Chinese boy in whom fever-associated RALF began at age 14 mo. Bilateral femoral head abnormalities and mild impairment of neurologic function were first noted aged 8 years 6 mo. Liver biopsy after the third RALF episode(7 years) and during resolution of the fourth RALF episode(8 years 6 mo) found abnormal architecture and hepatic fibrosis, respectively. Whole-exome sequencing revealed homozygosity for the novel frameshift mutation c.92_93 insGGGCCCT, p.(H32 Gfs~*20) in SCYL1(parental heterozygosity confirmed).CONCLUSION Our findings expand the mutational and clinical spectrum of SCYL1 disease. In our patient a substantial neurologic component was lacking and skeletal disease was identified relatively late.

Sequence variability of the 5, UTR in isolates of hepatitis C virus in China

Background: Hepatitis C virus infection is a great is- sue in China; however, there is very little informa- tion on genotyping investigations based on sequence variability in the 5' untranslated (5'UTR) reported. The present study was to define the sequence varia- bility based on the sequence divergences of the 5' UTR of the virus. Methods: Sequences of 91 isolates from patients with chronic hepatitis C from Yunnan, southwest China, were sequenced and genotypes were defined accord- ing to the sequence divergences of the 5' UTR of the virus. Results: Eighty-six isolates were classified into 3 clades (previously termed groups or major types) by the methods proposed by Chan et al in 1992 and phy- logenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequence diver- gences within the 5' UTR. Fifty-six percent of the i- solates were classified into clade 3, 35% into clade 1, and 34.9% into clade 2. New genotypes 1f, 2h, 3h and 3i were defined. In addition, 3 novel sequences were discovered, respectively with an 18-nt sequence deletion (corresponding to nucleotide position -173 to -156), a 28-nt sequence insertion, and a 40-nt se- quence insertion, between -56 and -55. Of these i- solates, 56% possessed a 'G' at position -66 in place of the 'T' that is present in all previously re- ported sequences. Conclusions: These HCV variants, evolved or re- mained in this area, may be of great significance in diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C patients.

Pulmonary immune cells and inflammatory cytokine dysregulation are associated with mortality of IL-1R1^(-/-) mice infected with influenza virus(H1N1)

Respirovirus infection can cause viral pneumonia and acute lung injury （ALl）. The interleukin-1 （IL-1） family consists of proinflammatory cytokines that play essential roles in regulating immune and inflammatory responses in vivo. IL-1 signaling is associated with protection against respiratory influenza virus infection by mediation of the pulmonary anti-viral immune response and inflammation. We analyzed the infiltration lung immune leukocytes and cytokines that contribute to inflammatory lung pathology and mortality of fatal H1N1 virus-infected IL-1 receptor 1 （IL-1R1） deficient mice. Results showed that early innate immune cells and cytokine/chemokine dysregulation were observed with significantly decreased neutrophil infiltration and IL-6, TNF-α, G-CSF, KC, and MIP-2 cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of infected IL-1R1^-/- mice in comparison with that of wild type infected mice. The adaptive immune response against the H1N1 virus in IL-1 R1^-/- mice was impaired with downregulated anti-viral Thl cell, CD8＋ cell, and antibody functions, which contributes to attenuated viral clearance. Histological analysis revealed reduced lung inflammation during early infection but severe lung pathology in late infection in IL-1R1^-/- mice compared with that in WT infected mice. Moreover, the infected IL-1R1^--/ mice showed markedly reduced neutrophil generation in bone marrow and neutrophil recruitment to the inflamed lung. Together, these results suggest that IL-1 signaling is associated with pulmonary anti-influenza immune response and inflammatory lung injury, particularly via the influence on neutrophil mobilization and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production.

Annual advances of acupuncture research in 2022

This article reviews the major advances in acupuncture research in 2022,including clinical reports,basic research,and reviews.In terms of the type of literature,most of them are systematic reviews and clinical trials,while high-quality basic studies can also be found.The innovative inventions and researches in this field are of increasing quality and in a wide range of fields,acupuncture is attracting more and more attention in the international arena.In particular,some acupuncture combined sensors such as H2-EC/SD co-therapy,precise positioning,and vivo monitoring of neurotransmitter has been used for oncological diseases and neuropathic pain.Acupuncture has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of pain,stroke,psychiatric disorders,cancer,COVID-19 and others.Most of the studies show that acupuncture can play a positive role in various diseases and provide evidence for clinical applications and mechanism research.

Identification of fangchinoline as a broad-spectrum enterovirus inhibitor through reporter virus based high-content screening

Hand,foot,and mouth disease(HFMD)is a common pediatric illness mainly caused by enteroviruses,which are important human pathogens.Currently,there are no available antiviral agents for the therapy of enterovirus infection.In this study,an excellent high-content antiviral screening system utilizing the EV-A71-eGFP reporter virus was developed.Using this screening system,we screened a drug library containing 1042 natural compounds to identify potential EV-A71 inhibitors.Fangchinoline(FAN),a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid,exhibits potential inhibitory effects against various enteroviruses that cause HFMD,such as EV-A71,CV-A10,CV-B3 and CV-A16.Further investigations revealed that FAN targets the early stage of the enterovirus life cycle.Through the selection of FAN-resistant EV-A71 viruses,we demonstrated that the VP1 protein could be a potential target of FAN,as two mutations in VP1(E145G and V258I)resulted in viral resistance to FAN.Our research suggests that FAN is an efficient inhibitor of EV-A71 and has the potential to be a broad-spectrum antiviral drug against human enteroviruses.

Association betweenITGA2 C807T polymorphism and gastric cancer risk

AIM:To evaluate the impact of the ITGA2 gene polymorphism on gastric cancer risk.METHODS:A hospital-based case-control study was conducted,including 307 gastric cancer patients and 307 ageand gender-matched control subjects.The genotypes were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay.RESULTS:The frequencies of the wild and variant genotypes in cases were significantly different from those of controls (P=0.019).Compared with individuals with the wild genotype CC,subjects with the variant genotypes (CT+ TT) had a significantly higher risk of gastric cancer (adjusted odds ratio=1.57,95% CI=1.13-2.17,P=0.007).In stratified analyses,the elevated gastric cancer risk was especially evident in older individuals aged>58 years,nonsmokers and rural subjects.Further analyses revealed that the variant genotypes were associated with poor tumor differentiation and adjacent organ invasion in the sub-analysis of gastric cancer patients.CONCLUSION:The ITGA2 gene C807T polymorphism may be associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer,differentiation and invasion of gastric cancer.

Hepatitis C virus infections and genotypes in China

Objective: To define the conditions of hepatitis C vi- rus (HCV) infections, and geographic and demo- graphic distributions of genotypes in China. Methods: HCV infected patients were selected from individuals with different patterns of liver diseases and high risk populations in different parts of China. Genotypes of HCV in some isolates were further ana- lyzed, based on the data from our laboratory studies and some carefully selected published literatures. Results: The anti-HCV positive rates were 9.7% in patients with acute hepatitis, 13.3% in patients with chronic hepatitis, 18.3% in patients with hepatocel- lular carcinoma, 33.0% in patients with liver cirrho- sis, and 43.2% in patients with posttransfusional hepatitis (average, 16.2% in patients with liver di- seases). The anti-HCV positive rates in the high risk populations were 36.4% in leukemic patients, 43.0% in hemodialysis patients, 12.7% in blood do- nors, 64.1% in drug abusers, 13.1% in prostitutes, and 2.57% in naturally healthy people. At least 4 clades (clades 1, 2, 3 and 6) of HCV were found in China with different geographic and demographic distributions. Genotype 1b was the most widely dis- tributed genotype, and genotype 3 was mainly found in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Conclusion: China has a high incidence of HCV in- fection. Our results will provide a strategic basis for diagnosis, treatment and possibly prophylaxis of he- patitis C virus diseases.

Ku80 gene G-1401T promoter polymorphism and risk of gastric cancer

AIM:To evaluate the possible relationship between the Ku80 gene polymorphism and the risk of gastric cancer in China.METHODS:In this hospital-based case-control study of gastric cancer in Jiangsu Province,China,we investigated the association of the Ku80 G-1401T (rs828907) polymorphism with gastric cancer risk.A total of 241 patients with gastric cancer and 273 age-and sexmatched control subjects were genotyped and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.RESULTS:The frequencies of genotypes GG,GT and TT were 65.6%,22.8% and 11.6% in gastric cancer cases,respectively,and 75.8%,17.6% and 6.6% in controls,respectively.There were significant differences between gastric cancer and control groups in the distribution of their genotypes (P=0.03) and allelic frequencies (P=0.002) in the Ku80 promoter G-1401T polymorphism.CONCLUSION:The T allele of Ku80 G-1401T may be associated with the development of gastric cancer.

A high throughput antiviral screening platform for alphaviruses based on Semliki Forest virus expressing eGFP reporter gene

Alphaviruses,which contain a variety of mosquito-borne pathogens,are important pathogens of emerging/reemerging infectious diseases and potential biological weapons.Currently,no specific antiviral drugs are available for the treatment of alphaviruses infection.For most highly pathogenic alphaviruses are classified as risk group-3 agents,the requirement of biosafety level 3(BSL-3)facilities limits the live virus-based antiviral study.To facilitate the antiviral development of alphaviruses,we developed a high throughput screening(HTS)platform based on a recombinant Semliki Forest virus(SFV)which can be manipulated in BSL-2 laboratory.Using the reverse genetics approach,the recombinant SFV and SFV reporter virus expressing eGFP(SFV-eGFP)were successfully rescued.The SFV-eGFP reporter virus exhibited robust eGFP expression and remained relatively stable after four passages in BHK-21 cells.Using a broad-spectrum alphavirus inhibitor ribavirin,we demonstrated that the SFV-eGFP can be used as an effective tool for antiviral study.The SFV-eGFP reporter virus-based HTS assay in a 96-well format was then established and optimized with a robust Z0 score.A section of reference compounds that inhibit highly pathogenic alphaviruses were used to validate that the SFV-eGFP reporter virus-based HTS assay enables rapid screening of potent broad-spectrum inhibitors of alphaviruses.This assay provides a safe and convenient platform for antiviral study of alphaviruses.

Characteristics and Correlation Analysis of Negative Emotions, Quality of Life, and Chinese Medicine Syndromes in Patients with Lung Cancer after Surgery: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective:The objective of the study was to observe and analyze the characteristics of negative emotions and quality of life(QoL)in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer(NSCLC)from 1 to 3 months after surgery,and summarize their population characteristics after surgery.Materials and Methods:The consolidation rehabilitation period was defined as 1 to 3 months after surgery.The main observation indicators were the general Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Core QoL Questionnaire(EORTC QLQ-C30),and EORTC QLQ-Lung Cancer-13.The secondary observation indicators were peripheral blood cytokines and immune function indicators.Statistical methods such as one-way analysis of variance and logistic regression were used to analyze the characteristics of this part of the population.Results:Among patients who underwent lung surgery,the overall incidence of anxiety during consolidation recovery was 13.66%,and that of depression was 10.38%.The scores of fatigue,pain,dyspnea,insomnia,and loss of appetite were significantly higher than those of other symptoms(P=0.000).The presence of anxiety was associated with the site of surgery(P<0.05)and the presence of depression was associated with emotional functioning and dyspnea(P<0.05).Conclusions:The occurrence of negative emotions in the postoperative NSCLC population is related to gender,and the degree of emotions is negatively correlated with QoL and positively correlated with the degree of symptoms.The main relevant syndromes are the pulmonary and meridian categories.

Annual advances of acupuncture research in 2021

This paper reviews the main progress of research on acupuncture.The annual acupuncture research review includes reports on clinical and basic research on acupuncture published in 2021.From the perspective of literature types,most of them are clinical studies or systematic review,and high-quality basic studies can also be seen.Acupuncture in the treatment of cancer diseases,cardio-cerebrovascular disease,endocrine disease,digestive system diseases,inflammatory diseases and COVID-19 has certain advantages.Most clinical studies or systematic reviews show that acupuncture has played a positive role in treating many diseases,and it provides a valuable basis for further in-depth study of the clinical value of acupuncture and mechanism.The quality and innovation of acupuncture and moxibustion research are gradually improving.Researchers not only pay attention to standardized acupuncture and moxibustion treatment research,but also continue to explore new diseases,new mechanisms,and new methods.High-quality clinical studies with guiding significance have laid a solid research foundation for the international promotion of acupuncture.In terms of basic research,there are also high-quality animal experiments published in the international top biology journal Nature,which have been highly accepted internationally and increasingly recognized by international experts.Acupuncture is a very promising treatment.

Intranasal delivery of replicating mRNA encoding neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice

The lung is the prophylaxis target against SARS-CoV-2 infection,and neutralizing antibodies are a leading class of biological products against various infectious viral pathogen.In this study,we develop a safe and cost-effective platform to express neutralizing antibody in the lung with replicating mRNA basing on alphavirus replicon particle(VRP)delivery system,to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections.First,a modified VEEV replicon with two subgenomic(sg)promoters was engineered to translate the light and heavy chains of antibody simultaneously,for expression and assembly of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody CB6.Second,the feasibility and protective efficacy of replicating mRNA against SARS-CoV-2 infection were demonstrated through both in vitro and in vivo assays.The lung target delivery with the help of VRP system resulted in efficiently block SARS-CoV-2 infection with reducing viral titer and less tissue damage in the lung of mice.Overall,our data suggests that expressing neutralizing antibodies in the lungs with the help of self-replicating mRNA could potentially be a promising prophylaxis approach against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Multidimensional trapping by dual-focusing cylindrical vector beams with all-silicon metalens

Dual-focusing effect with a cylindrical vector-light characteristic(i.e.,radial and azimuthal polarizations)is theoretically proposed and numerically demonstrated by spin-decoupled phase control with all-silicon metalens.Attributed to the polarization dependence,the pair of focusing cylindrical vector beams can be interchanged by orthogonally switching the polarization of incident light.We demonstrate the unique contributions of focused radial and azimuthal vector beams to longitudinal and transverse optical forces on glass spheres,respectively,by calculations based on the Maxwell stress tensor.This paper presents the use of all-silicon metalens with highly-compact vector beams,promising for applications such as multidimensional optical trapping.

Genetic Variants of Potassium Voltage-gated Channel Subfamily J Member 11 in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus:A Case-control Study

Objective::To investigate the association of rs5210 in potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily J member 11(KCNJ11)with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).Methods::Six hundred and thirty-two uncorrelated pregnancy females were recruited in Tongji hospital from October 2017 to June 2018,in which 241 pregnant women were identified as GDM,and 391 were non-GDM.All the pregnant women recruited in this study their peripheral venous blood of 5 mL were withdrawn,and DNA in the blood was extracted.rs5210 in KCNJ11 were genotyped using TaqMan Assays and genotype models were analyzed using logistic regression analyses.Results::After adjusting age and body mass index,the variant genotypes of rs5210 in genotype models were as follows:P for dominant model was 0.945,(odd ratio:0.987,95%confidence intervals(CI):0.681-1.430);P for recessive model:0.556,(odd ratio:1.217,95%CI:0.633-2.343)and P for addictive model was 0.098(genotype AA vs.GG),(odds ratio:1.435,95%CI:0.936-2.201).Weight-gain during pregnancy and total cholesterol were significantly different in recessive model(P=0.015,P=0.022,respectively)of all participants.Conclusion::No significant association between gene susceptibility of rs5210 in KCNJ11 and GDM occurrence in Chinese pregnant women.But the variant of rs5210 was associated with weight-gain during pregnancy and total cholesterol blood levels.However,more cases are needed in genetic study to check its susceptibility with GDM occurrence in Chinese women.

Isolated Thyrotropin Elevation is Associated with Insufficient Night-sleep in Night-sleep Restricted Subjects

Mild thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH） elevations are highly prevalent whereas large proportion of individuals with TSH elevations is without chronic autoimmune thyroid diseases.TSH secretion exhibits a daily circadian rhythm,and we previously reported that individuals with sleep disorders have significantly higher TSH levels than controls.

CBR1基因启动子在猪子宫内膜细胞的功能研究（英文）

目的:研究CBR1基因启动子在猪子宫内膜细胞的表达调控机制。创新点:发现CBR1基因启动子在猪子宫内膜受到炎性因子核转录因子kappa B(NF-κB)成员p65调控。p65对该启动子具有正向调节作用,但是对于CBR1基因的表达并不是必需的。方法:通过双荧光素酶报告基因载体确定CBR1基因启动子转录活性区,通过染色质免疫沉淀(Ch IP)技术确定p65能够结合CBR1基因启动子,通过超表达和干扰表达实验证实p65对CBR1基因启动子的调控作用。结论:猪CBR1基因启动子-1640/-647区对于其转录活性是必需的,在-1545/-1531区存在p65的结合位点。p65在猪子宫内膜细胞中促进了CBR1基因mRNA的表达,但是干扰p65则不会造成CBR1基因mRNA表达量下降,推断p65不是CBR1基因表达的必需因素。

高糖细胞模型中DsbA-L基因沉默损害PPARγ激动剂改善胰岛素抵抗的功能

目的:在高糖滋养细胞模型中,探讨二硫键A氧化还原酶样蛋白(DsbA-L)在过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ(PPARγ)激动剂改善胰岛素抵抗过程中的作用,以及DsbA-L与趋化素(chemerin)的关系.创新点:发现DsbA-L在PPARγ激动剂改善胰岛素抵抗的过程中起作用,并首次证明chemerin能促进DsbA-L的表达水平.方法:采用免疫组织化学(IHC)和蛋白免疫印迹法(western blot)检测妊娠期糖尿病(GDM)患者与正常对照组孕妇的皮下脂肪组织中DsbA-L的定位和表达差异.在高糖滋养细胞模型中,通过western blot研究PPARγ激动剂和chemerin对DsbA-L蛋白的调节作用,并探究DsbA-L基因沉默对PPARγ激动剂调控胰岛素信号通路分子磷脂酰肌醇3激酶(PI3K)、蛋白激酶B(PKB/AKT)和细胞外信号调节激酶1/2(ERK1/2)蛋白表达的影响.结论:GDM患者的皮下脂肪组织中DsbA-L的水平较对照组低.PPARγ激动剂和chemerin均可增强DsbA-L蛋白的表达.DsbA-L基因沉默影响PPARγ激动剂对胰岛素信号PI3K-AKT通路的上调作用.

用于液相分离的聚合物膜表/界面的设计与剪裁

合成聚合物分离膜被广泛应用于水处理、蛋白质分离和医疗保健等领域。然而,传统聚合物膜面临着重大的挑战,例如渗透性和选择性之间相互制约、膜易被污染、机械强度低等。为了解决这些难题,本研究小组在聚合物分离膜的表/界面设计与剪裁以及膜材料构效关系上进行了系统的研究工作,并取得了以下进展:(1)提出并建立了一种基于贻贝仿生儿茶酚化学的膜表面功能化与纳滤膜制备新途径;(2)设计并制备了一种以刚性多孔基膜为载体的凝胶填充聚合物复合膜,发展了一种高机械强度的环境响应性分离膜制备方法;(3)建立了基于两亲聚合物的分离膜表面按需设计以及抗污改性的新方法;(4)设计并开发了一系列兼具过滤与吸附功能的吸附型分离膜,可用于水中痕量重金属离子、抗生素、塑化剂等微污染物的快速脱除。