Phenomenological Constraints on the Transport Properties of QCD Matter with Data-Driven Model Averaging.

Using combined data from the Relativistic Heavy Ion and Large Hadron Colliders, we constrain the shear and bulk viscosities of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) at temperatures of ∼150-350 MeV. We use Bayesian inference to translate experimental and theoretical uncertainties into probabilistic constraints for the viscosities. With Bayesian model averaging we propagate an estimate of the model uncertainty generated by the transition from hydrodynamics to hadron transport in the plasma's final evolution stage, providing the most reliable phenomenological constraints to date on the QGP viscosities.

Nanotechnology for catalysis and solar energy conversion.

This roadmap on Nanotechnology for Catalysis and Solar Energy Conversion focuses on the application of nanotechnology in addressing the current challenges of energy conversion: 'high efficiency, stability, safety, and the potential for low-cost/scalable manufacturing' to quote from the contributed article by Nathan Lewis. This roadmap focuses on solar-to-fuel conversion, solar water splitting, solar photovoltaics and bio-catalysis. It includes dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), perovskite solar cells, and organic photovoltaics. Smart engineering of colloidal quantum materials and nanostructured electrodes will improve solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency, as described in the articles by Waiskopf and Banin and Meyer. Semiconductor nanoparticles will also improve solar energy conversion efficiency, as discussed by Boschloo et al in their article on DSSCs. Perovskite solar cells have advanced rapidly in recent years, including new ideas on 2D and 3D hybrid halide perovskites, as described by Spanopoulos et al 'Next generation' solar cells using multiple exciton generation (MEG) from hot carriers, described in the article by Nozik and Beard, could lead to remarkable improvement in photovoltaic efficiency by using quantization effects in semiconductor nanostructures (quantum dots, wires or wells). These challenges will not be met without simultaneous improvement in nanoscale characterization methods. Terahertz spectroscopy, discussed in the article by Milot et al is one example of a method that is overcoming the difficulties associated with nanoscale materials characterization by avoiding electrical contacts to nanoparticles, allowing characterization during device operation, and enabling characterization of a single nanoparticle. Besides experimental advances, computational science is also meeting the challenges of nanomaterials synthesis. The article by Kohlstedt and Schatz discusses the computational frameworks being used to predict structure-property relationships in materials and devices, including machine learning methods, with an emphasis on organic photovoltaics. The contribution by Megarity and Armstrong presents the 'electrochemical leaf' for improvements in electrochemistry and beyond. In addition, biohybrid approaches can take advantage of efficient and specific enzyme catalysts. These articles present the nanoscience and technology at the forefront of renewable energy development that will have significant benefits to society.

Antibacterial potential and mechanism of action of dithiocyano-methane as a bactericidal agent for farm disinfection.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial ability and action mechanism of dithiocyano-methane against Aeromonas hydrophila, so as to provide a reference for its application in farm disinfection. METHODS AND RESULTS: After exposing the bacteria to dithiocyano-methane, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericide concentration (MBC), activities of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase and electric conductivity in bacterial suspensions were determined, transmission electron microscope images on cellular structure and SDS-PAGE profile of bacterial proteins were analysed and the expression of genes related to the above experimental observations was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. The MIC and MBC of dithiocyano-methane against three tested strains was 1·46 and 2·93 mg l-1 respectively. The results showed that dithiocyano-methane significantly damaged bacterial cell structure, inhibited the biosynthesis of bacterial proteins and changed the integrity and permeability of bacterial cell wall and cell membrane. CONCLUSIONS: Dithiocyano-methane showed remarkable antibacterial ability against three tested strains, indicating it is a potential effective bactericidal agent for preventing animal diseases resulted from Aer. hydrophila. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: To our best knowledge, this is the first report to examine the antibacterial ability and action mechanism of dithiocyano-methane against bacteria. The results demonstrate the great potential of dithiocyano-methane as a disinfectant against Aer. hydrophila in settings such as aquaculture ponds and livestock farms.

Screening of natural lactic acid bacteria with potential effect on silage fermentation, aerobic stability and aflatoxin B1 in hot and humid area.

AIM: To effectively make high-quality silage in hot and humid area. METHODS AND RESULTS: The natural lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains CZ149, XH358, XH753 and XH761 isolated from corn and Napier grass were screened by the potential of low pH growth and high lactic acid production, and their effect on silage quality, aerobic stability and aflatoxin B1 production of whole-crop corn was also studied in Sichuan, China. Four selected strains were Gram-positive and catalase-negative, rod-shaped strains that are able to grow at pH 3·5 and at 45°C. Strains CZ149, XH358, XH753 and XH761 were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, L. salivarius, L. rhamnosus and L. paracasei, respectively. After 60 days of fermentation, all LAB strains showed no significant relationship with the quality of corn silage, whereas the lowest aflatoxin B1 and lactic-to-acetic ratio were detected in strain XH753-treated silage. Strain CZ149-treated silage showed worse aerobic stability and higher aflatoxin B1 concentration than control, whereas strain XH753-treated silage had better aerobic stability and lowest aflatoxin B1 concentration after aerobic exposure in hot and humid condition for 5 days. CONCLUSIONS: The three L. plantarum strains used in this study are not suitable as inoculants for local whole-crop corn silage, whereas L. rhamnosus 753 could prolong the aerobic stability and inhibit the accumulation of aflatoxin B1 at hot and humid condition. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study provides new information of LAB inoculants for corn silage in hot and humid areas. Especially, a screened strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus 753 can be used as a candidate strains to make high-quality silage in tropical and subtropical areas.

Characteristics of volatile flavor components in traditional fermented yak milk produced in different ecoregions of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

The volatile flavor substances in traditional fermented yak milk samples collected from 5 ecoregions (A: coniferous forests and grasslands of the Qilian Qingdong Mountains; B: alpine grasslands surrounding the lakes in the Qiangtang Plateau; C: alpine shrubs and meadows of the Guoluo-Nagqu Highlands; D: coniferous forests along the alpine valley in East Tibet; E: shrubs and grasslands along the alpine valley in South Tibet) of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau were comparatively analyzed. The relative percentage composition of volatile flavor substances varied among the different ecoregions. In samples collected from region E, more than 50% of the volatile flavor compounds were esters comprising mainly n-butyl acetate, butyl butyrate, and ethyl octanoate, and a considerable proportion of acetoin was found in samples from regions B and E. Greater proportions of 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone were observed in samples collected from regions A, C, and D compared with regions B and E.

Recombinant Treponema pallidum protein Tp0136 promotes fibroblast migration by modulating MCP-1/CCR2 through TLR4.

BACKGROUND: Chancre self-healing is an important clinical feature in the early stages of syphilis infection. Wound healing may involve an important mechanism by the migration of fibroblasts filling the injured lesion. However, the specific mechanism underlying this process is still unknown. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyse the role of Tp0136 in the migration of fibroblasts and the related mechanism. METHODS: The migration ability of fibroblasts was detected by a wound-healing assay. RT-PCR and ELISA detected the expression of MCP-1, IL-6 and MMP-9. TLR4 expression was detected by RT-PCR. The protein levels of CCR2 and relevant signalling pathway molecules were measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: Tp0136 significantly promoted fibroblast migration. Subsequently, the levels of MCP-1 and its receptor CCR2 were increased in this process. The migration of fibroblasts was significantly inhibited by an anti-MCP-1 neutralizing antibody or CCR2 inhibitors. Furthermore, studies demonstrated that Tp0136 could activate the ERK/JNK/PI3K/NF-κB signalling pathways through TLR4 activity and that signalling pathways inhibitors could weaken MCP-1 secretion and fibroblast migration. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that Tp0136 promotes the migration of fibroblasts by inducing MCP-1/CCR2 expression through signalling involving the TLR4, ERK, JNK, PI3K and NF-κB signalling pathways, which could contribute to the mechanism of chancre self-healing in syphilis.

Characteristics of Pediococcus pentosaceus Q6 isolated from Elymus nutans growing on the Tibetan Plateau and its application for silage preparation at low temperature.

AIMS: Characteristics of a strain Pediococcus pentosaceus Q6 isolated from Elymus nutans growing on the Tibetan plateau and its effects on E. nutans silage fermentation stored at low temperature were investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sugar fermentation pattern and growth profiles of the strain Q6 and its reference strain APP were characterized. The strain Q6 and APP were inoculated to E. nutans at ensiling respectively; and ensiled at different temperatures (10, 15 and 25°C) for 30, 60 and 90 days. The results indicated that Q6 could grow at pH 3·0 and at 4°C. In contrast to APP, Q6 could ferment mannitol, saccharose, sorbitol and rhamnose. Lower pH in Q6-treated silages fermented for 60 days at 10 and 15°C was found compared with the control and APP-treated groups. For the silages that were stored at 10 or 15°C, the greatest lactic acid content were detected in Q6-inoculated silages ensiled for 30 and 60 days respectively. There were no differences in pH and lactic acid content between Q6- and APP-treated silages ensiled at 10 and 15°C for 90 days respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Inoculation of the strain P. pentosaceus Q6 could improve fermentation quality of ensiled E. nutans at the early stage of ensiling stored at low temperature (10 or 15°C). SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The selection of P. pentosaceus inoculants for improving silage quality at low temperature, which provides a candidate strain to make high-quality silage in regions with frigid climate.

Profiling of metabolome and bacterial community dynamics in ensiled Medicago sativa inoculated without or with Lactobacillus plantarum or Lactobacillus buchneri.

Using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and the PacBio single molecule with real-time sequencing technology (SMRT), we analyzed the detailed metabolomic profiles and microbial community dynamics involved in ensiled Medicago sativa (alfalfa) inoculated without or with the homofermenter Lactobacillus plantarum or heterofermenter Lactobacillus buchneri. Our results revealed that 280 substances and 102 different metabolites were present in ensiled alfalfa. Inoculation of L. buchneri led to remarkable up-accumulation in concentrations of 4-aminobutyric acid, some free amino acids, and polyols in ensiled alfalfa, whereas considerable down-accumulation in cadaverine and succinic acid were observed in L. plantarum-inoculated silages. Completely different microbial flora and their successions during ensiling were observed in the control and two types of inoculant-treated silages. Inoculation of the L. plantarum or L. buchneri alters the microbial composition dynamics of the ensiled forage in very different manners. Our study demonstrates that metabolomic profiling analysis provides a deep insight in metabolites in silage. Moreover, the PacBio SMRT method revealed the microbial composition and its succession during the ensiling process at the species level. This provides information regarding the microbial processes underlying silage formation and may contribute to target-based regulation methods to achieve high-quality silage production.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions induced by proton pump inhibitors: A clinical and in vitro T-cell reactivity study.

BACKGROUND: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been known to induce type I hypersensitivity reactions. However, severe delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions (DHR) induced by PPI, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), or drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), are rarely reported. We conducted a study of a large series of PPI-related DHR, followed up their tolerability to alternative anti-ulcer agents, and investigated the T-cell reactivity to PPI in PPI-related DHR patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with PPI-related DHR from multiple medical centers in Taiwan during the study period January 2003 to April 2016. We analyzed the causative PPI, clinical manifestations, organ involvement, treatment, and complications. We also followed up the potential risk of cross-hypersensitivity or tolerability to other PPI after their hypersensitivity episodes. Drug lymphocyte activation test (LAT) was conducted by measuring granulysin and interferon-γ to confirm the causalities. RESULTS: There were 69 cases of PPI-related DHR, including SJS/TEN (n=27) and DRESS (n=10). The LAT by measuring granulysin showed a sensitivity of 59.3% and specificity of 96.4%. Esomeprazole was the most commonly involved in PPI-related DHR (51%). Thirteen patients allergic to one kind of PPI could tolerate other structurally different PPI without cross-hypersensitivity reactions, whereas three patients developed cross-hypersensitivity reactions to alternative structurally similar PPI. The cross-reactivity to structurally similar PPI was also observed in LAT assay. CONCLUSIONS: PPIs have the potential to induce life-threatening DHR. In patients when PPI is necessary for treatment, switching to structurally different alternatives should be considered.

Effects of addition of malic or citric acids on fermentation quality and chemical characteristics of alfalfa silage.

We studied the effects on alfalfa preservation and chemical composition of the addition of different levels of malic acid and citric acid at ensiling as well as the utilization efficiency of these 2 organic acids after fermentation. Alfalfa was harvested at early bloom stage. After wilting to a dry matter content of approximately 40%, the alfalfa was chopped into 1- to 2-cm pieces for ensiling. Four levels (0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1% of fresh weight) of malic acid or citric acid were applied to chopped alfalfa at ensiling with 4 replicates for each treatment, and the treated alfalfa forages were ensiled for 60 d in vacuum-sealed polyethylene bags (dimensions: 200 mm × 300 mm) packed with 200 to 230 g of fresh alfalfa per mini silo and an initial density of 0.534 g/cm3. The application of malic or citric acids at ensiling for 60 d led to lower silage pH than was observed in the control silage (0% of malic or citric acids). Application of the 2 organic acids led to higher lactic acid concentration in alfalfa silage than in the control silage except with the application rate of 1% of fresh weight. Silages treated with both organic acids had lower nonprotein nitrogen concentrations than the control silages, and the nonprotein nitrogen concentrations in ensiled forages decreased with the increase in malic or citric acid application rates. The application of the 2 organic acid additives led to lower saturated fatty acid proportions and higher polyunsaturated fatty acid proportions in ensiled alfalfa than in the control silage. The amount of malic and citric acids degraded during ensiling of alfalfa was 1.45 and 0.63 g, respectively. At the application rate of 0.5% of fresh weight, residues of malic acid and citric acid in alfalfa silage were 11.1 and 13.6 g/kg of dry matter. These results indicate that including malic or citric acids at the ensiling of alfalfa effectively improved silage fermentation quality, limited proteolysis, improved fatty acid composition of the ensiled forage, and could provide animals with additional feed additives proven to promote animal performance. However, when the application rate of both organic acids reached 1%, the concentration of lactic acid in silages decreased notably. Additionally, 0.5 and 1% application rates also increased the yeast count in ensiled alfalfa.

Evaluation of the taxonomic status of water dropwort (Oenanthe, Apiaceae) accessions from East Asia based on nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences.

Oenanthe L. is a taxonomically complex genus, several species of which have long been used as vegetables and traditional medicines in East Asia. In order to clarify the taxonomic status of Oenanthe accessions and provide baseline data for the sustainable use of its genetic resources, we examined sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of Oenanthe accessions collected from a wide geographical area in China and its neighboring countries. For comparison, ITS sequences in GenBank for almost all currently reported species of Oenanthe were also included in our analyses. Both phylogenetic tree construction methods (Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood) revealed that the accessions tended to cluster into two groups, which were closely related to O. mildbraedii and O. sarmentosa. However, these two species have never been recorded in China or its neighboring countries. Therefore, it seems probable that in our sampled locations, Oenanthe accessions have been given an incorrect name, such as O. javanica. Future studies should carefully check the morphological characteristics of other Oenanthe species and sequence their ITS regions in order to clarify the taxonomic status of the genus.

Monitoring liver function among patients who initiated anti-tuberculosis drugs in Taiwan, 2000-2011.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate adherence to liver function monitoring as recommended in Taiwan's tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment guidelines for newly diagnosed TB patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), Taiwan, 2000-2011. METHODS: From the NHIRD, we identified 11 397 newly diagnosed TB patients who initiated anti-tuberculosis treatment between 2000 and 2011 and categorised these into three groups: completely, partially and non-adherent. Logistic regression was used to explore potential factors associated with the adherence rate. RESULTS: The completely adherent rate increased from 0.5% in 2000 to 9.2% in 2011, while the non-adherent rate decreased from 17.5% to 1.2%. Compared to the non-adherent group, patients with a history of liver disease (OR 4.36, 95%CI 1.92-9.87) and viral hepatitis (OR 9.39, 95%CI 1.47-60.19), as well as patients whose prescribing physicians were specialists in chest (OR 4.59, 95%CI 1.91-11.05), TB (OR 2.55, 95%CI 1.01-6.40) and infectious diseases (OR 3.93, 95%CI 1.08-14.31), had higher odds of being completely adherent to the guidelines. CONCLUSION: Our findings could serve as an important reference for developing effective strategies to improve adherence to guidelines and prevent patients from developing anti-tuberculosis drug-associated hepatotoxicity.

Microscopic contact area and friction between medical textiles and skin.

The mechanical contact between medical textiles and skin is relevant in the health care for patients with vulnerable skin or chronic wounds. In order to gain new insights into the skin-textile contact on the microscopic level, the 3D surface topography of a normal and a new hospital bed sheet with a regular surface structure was measured using a digital microscope. The topographic data was analysed concerning material distribution and real contact area against smooth surfaces as a function of surface deformations. For contact conditions that are relevant for the skin of patients lying in a hospital bed it was found that the order of magnitude of the ratio of real and apparent contact area between textiles and skin or a mechanical skin model lies between 0.02 and 0.1 and that surface deformations, i.e. penetration of the textile surface asperities into skin or a mechanical skin model, range from 10 to 50µm. The performed analyses of textile 3D surface topographies and comparisons with previous friction measurement results provided information on the relationship between microscopic surface properties and macroscopic friction behaviour of medical textiles. In particular, the new bed sheet was found to be characterised by a trend towards a smaller microscopic contact area (up to a factor of two) and by a larger free interfacial volume (more than a factor of two) in addition to a 1.5 times lower shear strength when in contact with counter-surfaces. The applied methods can be useful to develop improved and skin-adapted materials and surfaces for medical applications.

Risk of tuberculosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients on tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor treatment in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in rheumatoid arthritis patients undergoing treatment with tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi). DESIGN: In a retrospective cohort study conducted using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims databases, rheumatoid arthritis patients notified during the period 2006-2008 were recruited and classified based on types of TNFi treatment received. Active TB was the primary outcome. TB risk was estimated using Cox's proportional hazard model. The TB screening rate within 30 days of initiating treatment with TNFi was examined. RESULTS: Respectively 5079 and 829 patients were included in the non-TNFi and TNFi groups. Active TB rates were respectively 1411.3 and 679.5 events per 100,000 person-years in patients treated with adalimumab and etanercept. Significant TB risk was noted in patients treated with TNFi (aHR 4.87, 95%CI 2.14-11.06). No significant difference in active TB was observed between the TNFi subgroups (etanercept as reference, aHR 1.89, 95%CI 0.40-6.04). Only 8.7% (n = 9) of TNFi users underwent screening for TB before the first dose of TNFi. CONCLUSIONS: Patients on TNFi have a significantly greater risk of active TB than non-TNFi patients in the Taiwanese population. No difference in TB risk between the two available TNFi groups was noted. Screening for TB before initiating treatment with TNFi should be implemented.

Efficient isolation of high-quality RNA from lotus Nelumbo nucifera ssp nucifera tissues.

Nelumbo nucifera is widely used as food, as an ornamental, in medicine, and as packing material; it is also reported to have anti-HIV effects and antioxidant capacity. We sought an improved method for extracting high-quality total RNA from different tissues of N. nucifera. Four methods for RNA extraction were assessed for their ability to recover high-quality RNA applicable for evaluation of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) gene expression profiles. The recovery and quality of the RNA obtained from five different tissues by the best CTAB-LiCl method were evaluated through UV light absorbance. Both A(260)/A(280) and A(260)/A(230) absorbance ratios were more than 2.0; the yield ranged from 59.87 to 163.75 µg/g fresh weight. The brightness of the 28S band was approximately twice that of 18S; the latter was also considered as high-quality RNA. The PPO gene fragment (606 bp) was successfully amplified by RT-PCR, demonstrating the integrity of the isolated RNA. The relative expression levels of the PPO gene based on RT-PCR in five tissues of lotus were: rhizome buds (2.66), young leaves (2.42), fresh cut rhizome (2.02), petals (1.80), and petiole (1.65), using housekeeping gene ß-actin as an internal control. We concluded that the total RNA isolated by this protocol is of sufficient quality for molecular applications.

Numerical and experimental analysis of the critically refracted longitudinal beam.

The critically refracted longitudinal (L(CR)) wave can be used in numerous non-destructive testing (NDT) applications, such as characterization of surface geometric aspects, subsurface defect detection and mostly for residual stress measurement. However, very few works characterize the associated ultrasonic beam. This paper deals with characterization of the L(CR) beam profile both numerically and experimentally in order to optimize the incident angle choice in order to have sufficient energy in the experimental signal. The simulations are performed in time and frequency domains concerning solid elastic, homogenous and isotropic materials taking into account the liquid-solid interaction of the excitation by a water-coupled transducer. In the obtained results all components of the refracted acoustical field are demonstrated, as well as energy distributions of L(CR) wave obtained with different incident angles.

Cytotoxic effects and oxidative stress response of six PBDE metabolites on human L02 cells.

In the present study, the cytotoxic effects and toxicological mechanism of six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) metabolites (3-OH-BDE47, 3-MeO-BDE47, 5-OH-BDE47, 5-MeO-BDE47, 6-OH-BDE85 and 6-MeO-BDE85) on L02 cells were explored by investigating the cell viability, apoptosis, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, and oxidative stress response. The results showed that these metabolites could inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis, among which 6-OH-BDE85 had the highest efficiency. LDH leakage test also showed that 6-OH-BDE85 had the strongest ability to cause LDH release. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in 6-OH-BDE85- and 3-OH-BDE47-treated groups were significantly elevated in a dose-dependent manner. After treatment for 24 h, four BDE47 metabolites (3-OH-BDE47, 3-MeO-BDE47, 5-OH-BDE47, and 5-MeO-BDE47) induced an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decrease in glutathione (GSH) level, whereas 6-OH-BDE85 led to a decrease in both SOD activity and GSH level. These effects disappeared after continued culturing for another 24 h. In conclusion, these PBDE metabolites, especially 6-OH-BDE85, showed cytotoxicity on L02 cells, which was at least partially related to the oxidative stress level.

There were no differences in serum HBV DNA level between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B with same liver histological necroinflammation grade but differences among grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels and liver histological necroinflammation grades are correlated with the antiviral efficacy. It is necessary to clarify the relationship between HBV replication levels apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume and severity of liver histological necroinflammation grades in both hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. The serum HBV DNA levels apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume were compared between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B as well as among liver histological necroinflammation grades 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. There were no differences in the serum HBV DNA levels between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B as well as among liver histological necroinflammation grades 1, 2, 3 and 4. However, there were differences in the serum HBV DNA levels apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume among liver histological necroinflammation grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 in both HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B, respectively. There were no differences in HBV DNA levels with the same liver histological necroinflammation grade activated by HBV wild-type and variant strains. After the differences in hepatic parenchyma cell volume for HBV replication of the same liver histological necroinflammation grade accompanied by different hepatic fibrosis stages were adjusted, the serum HBV DNA level apportioned by the same hepatic parenchyma cell volume was correlated with the severity of liver histological necroinflammation grade.

Permanent Genetic Resources added to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 February 2010-31 March 2010.

This article documents the addition of 228 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Anser cygnoides, Apodemus flavicollis, Athene noctua, Cercis canadensis, Glis glis, Gubernatrix cristata, Haliotis tuberculata, Helianthus maximiliani, Laricobius nigrinus, Laricobius rubidus, Neoheligmonella granjoni, Nephrops norvegicus, Oenanthe javanica, Paramuricea clavata, Pyrrhura orcesi and Samanea saman. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Apodemus sylvaticus, Laricobius laticollis and Laricobius osakensis (a proposed new species currently being described).