Experimental primates and non-human primate(NHP) models of human diseases in China: current status and progress

Non-human primates （NHPs） are phylogenetically close to humans, with many similarities in terms of physiology, anatomy, immunology, as well as neurology, all of which make them excellent experimental models for biomedical research. Compared with developed countries in America and Europe, China has relatively rich primate resources and has continually aimed to develop NHPs resources. Currently, China is a leading producer and a major supplier of NHPs on the international market. However, there are some deficiencies in feeding and management that have hampered China＇s growth in NHP research and materials. Nonetheless, China has recently established a number of primate animal models for human diseases and achieved marked scientific progress on infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine diseases, reproductive diseases, neurological diseases, and ophthalmic diseases, etc. Advances in these fields via NHP models will undoubtedly further promote the development of China＇s life sciences and pharmaceutical industry, and enhance China＇s position as a leader in NHP research. This review covers the current status of NHPs in China and other areas, highlighting the latest developments in disease models using NHPs, as well as outlining basic problems and proposing effective to better utilize NHP resources and further foster NHP research in China.

A review of gold extraction using noncyanide lixiviants: Fundamentals, advancements, and challenges toward alkaline sulfur-containing leaching agents

Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants,including thiosulfate,polysulfides,and alkaline sulfide solutions,stand out as a promising class of alternatives to cyanide because of their low toxicity,high efficiency,and strong adaptability.In this paper,we summarized the research progress and remaining challenges in gold extraction using these noncyanide reagents.After a brief introduction to the preparation method,the transformation process of various sulfur-containing species in alkaline solutions was discussed.Thereafter,some insights into the mechanism of gold leaching in alkaline sulfur-containing solutions were presented from different aspects,including thermodynamics analysis,electrochemical dissolution,and leaching kinetics.Moreover,recent progress in in-situ generation of sulfur-containing anions from gold-bearing sulfide minerals was outlined as well.Gold passivation caused by sulfur species was discussed in particular because it is considered the greatest challenge facing sulfur-containing leaching systems.Alkaline sulfur-containing lixiviants are expected to serve as alternatives in industrial applications of gold extraction,particularly for refractory gold ores containing copper and carbonaceous matter.

Analysis of immunoglobulin, complements and CRP levels in serum of captive northern pig-tailed macaques （Macaca leonina）

The northem pig-tailed macaque （NPM, Macaca leonina） has become a widely used animal model in biomedical research. In this study, we measured serum immunoglobulin IgG, IgM, IgA, complement C3, C4 and CRP levels in 3-11 year old captive northem pig-tailed macaques using HITACHI 7600-20 automated chemistry analyzer in order to determine the influences of age and gender on these items. The results showed that serum IgA, IgM, C3 and C4 levels were not correlated with age （P〉0.05）, while serum IgG levels increased progressively with age （r=0.202; P=0.045）. Serum IgG, IgA, IgM and C3 levels were higher in females than in males （P〈0.05）. Moreover, serum C3 concentration was both positively and strongly correlated with that of C4 （r=0.700; P〈0.0001）. This study provides basic serum immunoglobulin and complement data of captive northem pig-tailed macaques, which may prove useful for future breeding efforts and biomedical research.

Flow cytometric characterizations of leukocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of northern pig-tailed macaques （Macaca leonina）

Pig-tailed macaques(Macaca nemistrina group) have been extensively used as non-human primate animal models for various human diseases in recent years, notably for AIDS research due to their sensitivity to HIV-1. Northern pig-tailed macaques(M. leonina) are distributed in China and other surrounding Southeast Asia countries. Although northern pig-tailed macaques have been bred on a large scale as experimental animals since 2012, the reference value of normal levels of leukocytes is not available. To obtain such information, 62 blood samples from male and female healthy northern pig-tailed macaques at different ages were collected. The normal range of major leukocyte subpopulations, such as T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer(NK) cells, monocytes, and the expression levels of activation or differentiation related molecules(CD38, HLA-DR, CCR5, CD21, IgD, CD80 and CD86) on lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. The counts of B cells decreased with age, but those of CD8+ T cells and NK cells and the frequency of CD38+HLA-DR+CD4+ T cells were positively correlated with age. The counts of leukocyte subpopulations were higher in males than those in females except for CD4+ T cells. Males also showed higher expression levels of Ig D and CD21 within B cells. This study provides basic data about the leukocyte subpopulations of northern pig-tailed macaques and compares this species with commonly used Chinese rhesus macaques(M. mulatta), which is meaningful for the biomedical application of northern pig-tailed macaques.

Mineralogical characterization of copper sulfide tailings using automated mineral liberation analysis: A case study of the Chambishi Copper Mine tailings

As ore grades constantly decline,more copper tailings,which still contain a considerable amount of unrecovered copper,are expected to be produced as a byproduct of froth flotation.This research reveals the occurrence mechanism of copper minerals in typical copper sulfide tailings using quantitative mineral liberation analysis(MLA)integrated with scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy(SEM–EDS).A comprehensive mineralogical characterization was carried out,and the results showed that almost all copper minerals were highly disseminated within coarse gangue particles,except for 9.2wt%chalcopyrite that occurred in the 160–180μm size fraction.The predominant copper-bearing mineral was chalcopyrite,which was closely intergrown with orthoclase and muscovite rather than quartz.The flotation tailings sample still contained 3.28wt%liberated chalcopyrite and 3.13wt%liberated bornite because of their extremely fine granularity.The SEM–EDS analysis further demonstrated that copper minerals mainly occurred as fine dispersed and fully enclosed structures in gangue minerals.The information obtained from this research could offer useful references for recovering residual copper from flotation tailings.

Molecular cloning and anti-HIV-1 activities of APOBEC3s from northern pig-tailed macaques(Macaca leonina)

Northern pig-tailed macaques （NPMs, Macaca leonina） are susceptible to HIV-1 infection largely due to the loss of HIV-l-restricting factor TRIM5a. However, great impediments still exist in the persistent replication of HIV-1 in vivo, suggesting some viral restriction factors are reserved in this host The APOBEC3 proteins have demonstrated a capacity to restrict HIV-1 replication, but their inhibitory effects in NPMs remain elusive. In this study, we cloned the NPM A3A-A3H genes, and determined by BLAST searching that their coding sequences （CDSs） showed 99% identity to the corresponding counterparts from rhesus and southern pig-tailed macaques. We further analyzed the anti-HIV-1 activities of the A3A-A3H genes, and found that A3G and A3F had the greatest anti-HIV-1 activity compared with that of other members. The results of this study indicate that A3G and A3F might play critical roles in limiting HIV-1 replication in NPMs in vivo. Furthermore, this research provides valuable information for the optimization of monkey models of HIV-1 infection.

Phonon thermal transport properties of XB_(2)(X=Mg and Al)compounds:considering quantum confinement and electron-phonon interaction

XB_(2)(X=Mg and Al)compounds have drawn great attention for their superior electronic characteristics and potential applications in semiconductors and superconductors.The study of phonon thermal transport properties of XB_(2)is significant to their application and mechanism behind research.In this work,the phonon thermal transport properties of three-dimensional(3D)and two-dimensional(2D)XB_(2)were studied by first-principles calculations.After considering the electron-phonon interaction(EPI),the thermal conductivities(TCs)of 3D Mg B_(2)and 3D Al B_(2)decrease by 29%and 16%which is consistent with experimental values.Moreover,the underlying mechanisms of reduction on lattice TCs are the decrease in phonon lifetime and heat capacity when considering quantum confinement effect.More importantly,we are surprised to find that there is a correlation between quantum confinement effect and EPI.The quantum confinement will change the phonon and electron characteristics which has an impact on EPI.Overall,our work is expected to provide insights into the phonon thermal transport properties of XB_(2)compounds considering EPI and quantum confinement effect.

HIV-1 can infect northern pig-tailed macaques(Macaca leonina) and form viral reservoirs in vivo

Viral reservoirs of HIV-1 are a major obstacle for curing AIDS. The novel animal models that can be directly infected with HIV-1 will contribute to develop effective strategies for eradicating infections.Here, we inoculated 4 northern pig-tailed macaques(NPM) with the HIV-1 strain HIV-1_(NL4.3) and monitored the infection for approximately 3 years(150 weeks). The HIV-1-infected NPMs showed transient viremia for about 10 weeks after infection. However, cell-associated proviral DNA and viral RNA persisted in the peripheral blood and lymphoid organs for about 3 years. Moreover, replication-competent HIV-1could be successfully recovered from peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) during long-term infection. The numbers of resting CD4^+T cells in HIV-1 infected NPMs harboring proviruses fell within a range of 2-to 3-log_(10) per million cells, and these proviruses could be reactivated both ex vivo and in vivo in response to co-stimulation with the latency-reversing agents JQ1 and prostratin. Our results suggested that NPMs can be infected with HIV-1 and a long-term viral reservoir was formed in NPMs,which might serve as a potential model for HIV-1 reservoir research.