IFIT1 polymorphisms predict interferon-α treatment efficiency for hepatitis B virus infection

AIM To investigate the association between interferoninduced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1(IFIT1) polymorphisms and interferon-α(IFNα) treatment efficiency among Chinese hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection patients.METHODS Two hundred and twenty five newly diagnosed chronichepatitis B(CHB) patients were enrolled in the study. All of these patients received IFNα treatment for a course of 48 wk, and were followed up for 24 wk after the treatment was end. Clinical information about virological response, hepatitis B e antigen(HBe Ag) seroconversion rate and combined response at the end of the treatment, as well as the sustained response by the time of following up 24 wk after the treatment, was collected. Four tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) of IFIT1 were selected and assessed for their association with these clinical outcomes.RESULTS At the end of the treatment, HBe Ag seroconversion was observed in 27.1% patients. Thirty-six point nine percent patients achieved virological response, and 15.6% patients exhibited combined response. Sustained response was obtained in 26.2% patients. The main HBV genotype of the study was genotype B. Patients who infected with HBV genotype B or C showed better treatment efficiency, no matter which clinical outcome was considered. Among the four SNPs assessed, rs303218(A > G) was found to be significantly associated with the end point virological response when assuming additive model [OR = 0.64(95%CI: 0.42-0.96), P = 0.032]. Patients who carried rs303218 GG genotype had a rather higher rate of achieving virological response(response rate: 52%, OR = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.18-0.91; P = 0.028) when compared to those had AA genotype(response rate: 27%). The most significant interaction was observed in patients who had relative lower baseline aspartate transaminase. No association between SNPs and HBe Ag seroconversion, combined response or sustained response was observed.CONCLUSION IFIT1 involves in the regulation of IFNα treatment for CHB and its polymorphism rs303218 can predict the end point virological response. The finding requires further validation.

Safety design analysis of a vent mast on a LNG powered ship during a low-temperature combustible gas leakage accident

Liquefied natural gas(LNG)is a kind of clean energy,and many LNG-powered vessels have been de-signed and built around the world.However,LNG introduces the potential risk of leakage and explosion accidents;thus,it is necessary to conduct safety assessments on the layout of typical facilities during the initial design stage.In this paper,an on-deck LNG fuel area model is established by employing the computational fluid dynamics(CFD)method according to an LNG-powered Aframax oil tanker.The distri-bution of potential dangerous areas on the concentration field and temperature field is presented under leakage and diffusion accident conditions with vent masts of different heights.The results show the fol-lowing:the gas concentration rises rapidly at the initial stage of leakage and tends to stabilize after a certain period;the leakage and diffusion trend of light gas is basically the same as that of heavy gas,and the lowest heavy gas and light gas temperature on the deck between the storage tank and the upper building is-7.9 C and 4.7°C,respectively,when the venting mast leakage point is at the height of 6 m;and the higher the mast leakage point is,the more safe the ship design.For safety considerations,the height of the venting mast designed in this paper should not be lower than the height of the LNG storage tank,which is 10 m.

Vitreoscilla hemoglobin promotes Salecan production by Agrobacterium sp. ZX09

Salecan is a novel exopolysaccharide produced by the strain Agrobacterium sp. 7__X09, and it is composed of only glucose monomers. The unique chemical composition and excellent physicochemical properties make Salecan a promising material for applications in coagulation, lubrication, protection against acute liver injury, and alleviating constipation. In this study, we cloned the Vitreosci/la hemoglobin gene into a broad-host-range plasmid pCM158. Without antibiotic selection, there was negligible loss of the plasmid in the host Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 after one passage of cultivation. The expression of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin was demonstrated by carbon monoxide （CO） dif- ference spectrum. The engineered strain Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 increased Salecan yield by 30%. The other physi- ological changes included its elevated respiration rate and cellular invertase activity.

Polyoxometalate-MnO_(2)film structure with bifunctional electrochromic and energy storage properties

The polyoxometalates-based electrochromic energy storage devices(POMs-EESDs)were constructed using P2W17O6111
coated TiO_(2)as the working electrode and MnO_(2)film as the counter electrode.The MnO_(2)films with different thicknesses acted as the charge balancing layer.The device showed bifunctional of enhanced EC and energy storage properties along with high durability and cycle stabilities after the introduction of MnO_(2)film.The optimistic thickness of MnO_(2)was found to be 345 nm through balancing the optical modulation and the energy storage properties.For the EC aspect,the optical contrast was enhanced by four times under the potential step of
2.0/1.0 V.The MnO_(2)film also introduces high capacitance leading to the device can be used as a transparent capacitor.It is the first time to construct high-performance POMs-based EESD only by introducing a simple charge balancing(MnO_(2))layer in the device.Moreover,the mechanism of the MnO_(2)layer towards the performance improvement of the POMs-based EESDs was also explained.

Mechanical and electronic properties of diamondlike BC_5

The structural properties,mechanical behavior,and electronic structure of the newly developed diamondlike BC5 (d-BC5) was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.The results indicate that d-BC5 has great bulk modulus of 393 GPa,large shear modulus of 398 GPa,and high hardness of 62 Pa,and thus support the fact that d-BC5 is an ultra-incompressible and superhard material.Remarkably,the superhard d-BC5 exhibits metallic features.Furthermore,the trend that the mechanical behavior falls with the increase of boron content was revealed.The combination of huge stiffness,high hardness,and good metallicity makes series of diamondlike BCx (d-BCx) valid for wider applications in comparison with pure diamond.