Detection of African Swine Fever Virus from Wild Boar, Singapore, 2023.

We detected African swine fever virus (ASFV) from a wild boar in Singapore. In <72 hours, we confirmed and reported ASFV p72 genotype II, CD2v serogroup 8, and IGR-II variant by using a combination of real-time PCR and whole-genome sequencing. Continued biosurveillance will be needed to monitor ASFV in Singapore.

Regional inequalities of future climate change impact on rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield in China.

The implications of climate change for rice yield have significant repercussions for food security, particularly in China, where rice cultivation is diverse, involving various cropping intensities, management practices, and climate conditions across numerous regions. The regional discrepancies in the impact of climate change on rice yield in China, however, are yet to be fully understood. Using the ORYZA(v3) model and future climate data from 2025 to 2084, gathered from ten climate models and three climate change scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5), we conducted an investigation into these regional discrepancies. Our findings suggest a projected average decline in rice yield ranging from 3.7 % to 16.4 % under both rainfed and fully irrigated conditions across different scenarios. Central, eastern, and northwestern China could face the most significant climate change impacts on both rainfed and irrigated rice, with yield reductions reaching 41.5 %. In contrast, low levels of climate change under the RCP2.6 scenario may benefit northeastern (2.4 %) and southern (1.0 %) regions for rainfed and irrigated rice, respectively. Fertilization effects from elevated CO2 could counterbalance climate change's negative impact, resulting in yield increases in all Chinese rice-growing regions, excluding the northwest. The primary factor influencing rice yield changes in all regions under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios was temperature. However, precipitation, solar radiation, and relative humidity had notable and sometimes dominant effects, especially under the RCP2.6 scenario. These results highlight the divergent, even contradictory, rice yield responses to climate change across China, underlining the need to account for regional differences in large-scale impact studies. The study's findings can inform future policy decisions regarding ensuring regional and national food security in China.

Using multi-technology to characterize transboundary Hg pollution in the largest presently active Hg deposit in China.

Active Hg mines are primary sources of Hg contamination in the environment of mining districts and surrounding areas. Alleviation of Hg pollution requires knowledge of pollution sources, migration, and transform pathways across various environmental media. Accordingly, the Xunyang Hg-Sb mine, the largest active Hg deposit in China, presently was selected as the study area. GIS, TIMA, EPMA, µ-XRF, TEM-EDS, and Hg stable isotopes were adopted to investigate the spatial distribution, mineralogical characteristics, in situ microanalysis, and pollution sources of Hg in the environment medium at the macro- and micro-levels. The total Hg concentration in samples showed a regional distribution, with higher levels in areas close to the mining operations. The in situ distribution of Hg in soil was mainly associated with the mineralogical phases of quartz, and Hg was also correlated with Sb and S. Hg was also found to be rich mainly in quartz minerals in the sediment and showed different distributions of Sb. Hg hotspots had S abundances and contained no Sb and O. The contributions from the anthropogenic sources to soil Hg were estimated to be 55.35%, among which 45.97% from unroasted Hg ore and 9.38% from tailing. Natural input of soil Hg due to pedogenic processes accounted for 44.65%. Hg in corn grain was mainly derived from the atmosphere. This study will provide a scientific basis for assessing the current environmental quality in this area and minimizing further impacts that affect the nearby environmental medium.

Terraced and 3D Pyramid-Shaped Polymer Single Crystal via Low Temperature-Assisted Microfluidic Technology.

3D pyramidal polymer single crystals provide spatial gradient variations within the crystal molecules, and these variations facilitate the study of the relationship between structure and properties within the molecules of various complexes with anisotropic structures. As described herein, a low-temperature-assisted microfluidic pore channeling approach is proposed to prepare structurally ordered polymer single crystals. A mixture of dichloromethane and dimethyl sulfoxide is used as a prepolymer, and a liquid microfluidic technique is employed to grow the end-functionalized polymers into 3D polymer single crystals. Through the ordered growth of single crystals, a personalized pyramidal pattern with a homogeneous structure is formed. To evaluate the mesh node density, low-temperature growth time and substrate type are also investigated. Rectangular, pyramidal, and dendritic patterns are synthesized via low-temperature single crystal growth. This work shows that low temperature-assisted microfluidics provides a novel means to tune the 3D structure of polymer single crystals.

The Relationship between Family Functioning and Pathological Internet Use among Chinese Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Hope and the Moderating Role of Social Withdrawal.

This study constructed a moderated mediation model based on problem behavior theory to explore the psychological mechanism of family functioning interaction with pathological internet use. We used the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale, General Functioning Scale, Trait Hope Scale, and Social Withdrawal Scale to measure internet use in 1223 middle school students. The results showed that (1) pathological internet use was negatively correlated with family functioning and hope, and positively correlated with social withdrawal; family functioning was positively correlated with hope, and negatively correlated with social withdrawal; hope was negatively correlated with social withdrawal; (2) family functioning could not only directly predict pathological internet use, but also indirectly predict pathological internet use through hope; and (3) the mediating effect of family functioning on pathological internet use was moderated by social withdrawal, which was stronger for individuals with low social withdrawal but not significant for individuals with high social withdrawal. This study revealed the internal mechanism of the relation between family functioning and adolescents' pathological internet use, which has theoretical significance for improving adolescents' hope and reducing their pathological internet use.

Detection of the Urinary Biomarkers PYD, CTX-II, and DPD in Patients with Kashin-Beck Disease in the Qinghai Province of China.

Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is an endemic degenerative osteoarthropathy of uncertain etiology. The aim of our study was to identify changes in C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II), pyridinoline (PYD), and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) among KBD patients. 54 KBD patients and 78 healthy controls were included this study. Urinary samples were collected and measured by ELISA. The median quantities of PYD, CTX-II, and DPD of KBD patients were 1107.73 ng/µmol.cre, 695.11 ng/µmol.cre, and 1342.34 pml/µmol.cre, while the median quantities of healthy controls were 805.59 ng/µmol.cre, 546.47 ng/µmol.cre, and 718.15 pml/µmol.cre, respectively. The differences between KBD patients and healthy controls were statistically significant (Z = 4.405, 3.653, and 3.724; P < 0.001). The higher levels of PYD, CTX-II, and DPD detected in KBD patients indicate that they could be used as biomarkers of KBD.

Quionolone carboxylic acid derivatives as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors: Docking-based HQSAR and topomer CoMFA analyses.

Quionolone carboxylic acid derivatives as inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase were investigated as a potential class of drugs for the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Hologram quantitative structure-activity relationships (HQSAR) and translocation comparative molecular field vector analysis (topomer CoMFA) were applied to a series of 48 quionolone carboxylic acid derivatives. The most effective HQSAR model was obtained using atoms and bonds as fragment distinctions: cross-validation q2 = 0.796, standard error of prediction SDCV = 0.36, the non-cross-validated r2 = 0.967, non-cross validated standard error SD = 0.17, the correlation coefficient of external validation Qext2 = 0.955, and the best hologram length HL = 180. topomer CoMFA models were built based on different fragment cutting models, with the most effective model of q2 = 0.775, SDCV = 0.37, r2 = 0.967, SD = 0.15, Qext2 = 0.915, and F = 163.255. These results show that the models generated form HQSAR and topomer CoMFA were able to effectively predict the inhibitory potency of this class of compounds. The molecular docking method was also used to study the interactions of these drugs by docking the ligands into the HIV-1 integrase active site, which revealed the likely bioactive conformations. This study showed that there are extensive interactions between the quionolone carboxylic acid derivatives and THR80, VAL82, GLY27, ASP29, and ARG8 residues in the active site of HIV-1 integrase. These results provide useful insights for the design of potent new inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase.

Biomarkers for Early Diagnostic of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Type-2 Diabetes Patients: A Multicentre, Retrospective, Nested Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are common age-associated disorders and T2DM patients show an increased risk to suffer from AD, however, there is currently no marker to identify who in T2DM populations will develop AD. Since glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß) activity, ApoE genotypes and olfactory function are involved in both T2DM and AD pathogenesis, we investigate whether alterations of these factors can identify cognitive impairment in T2DM patients. METHODS: The cognitive ability was evaluated using Minimum Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was diagnosed by Petersen's criteria. GSK-3ß activity in platelet, ApoE genotypes in leucocytes and the olfactory function were detected by Western/dot blotting, the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) PCR and the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) test, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of the biomarkers for MCI diagnosis were calculated by logistic regression. The diagnostic capability of the biomarkers was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses. FINDINGS: We recruited 694 T2DM patients from Jan. 2012 to May. 2015 in 5 hospitals (Wuhan), and 646 of them met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. 345 patients in 2 hospitals were assigned to the training set, and 301 patients in another 3 hospitals assigned to the validation set. Patients in each set were randomly divided into two groups: T2DM without MCI (termed T2DM-nMCI) or with MCI (termed T2DM-MCI). There were no significant differences for sex, T2DM years, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary disease, complications, insulin treatment, HbA1c, ApoE ε2, ApoE ε3, tGSK3ß and pS9GSK3ß between the two groups. Compared with the T2DM-nMCI group, T2DM-MCI group showed lower MMSE score with older age, ApoE ε4 allele, higher olfactory score and higher rGSK-3ß (ratio of total GSK-3ß to Ser9-phosphorylated GSK-3ß) in the training set and the validation set. The OR values of age, ApoE ε4 gene, olfactory score and rGSK-3ß were 1.09, 2.09, 1.51, 10.08 in the training set, and 1.06, 2.67, 1.47, 7.19 in the validation set, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of age, ApoE ε4 gene, olfactory score and rGSK-3ß were 0.76, 0.72, 0.66, 0.79 in the training set, and 0.70, 0.68, 0.73, 0.79 in the validation set, respectively. These four combined biomarkers had the area under the curve (AUC) of 82% and 86%, diagnostic accuracy of 83% and 81% in the training set and the validation set, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Aging, activation of peripheral circulating GSK-3ß, expression of ApoE ε4 and increase of olfactory score are diagnostic for the mild cognitive impairment in T2DM patients, and combination of these biomarkers can improve the diagnostic accuracy.

[Exogenous Sr2+ sedimentation on otolith of chum salmon embryos].

To explore the exogenous Sr2+ sedimentation on otolith of chum salmon embryos, chum salmon embryos were exposed to culture water contained Sr2+ at Sr2+ concentration of 50, 100, 200 or 400 mg . L-1 for 48 h to imitate Sr2+ sedimentation. After a culturing period of 12 d and 100 d, the otoliths of the chum salmon were taken to detect exogenous Sr2+ sedimentation with electro-probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The results showed that obvious deep red strontium signatures were produced in the otolith of chum salmon at different concentrations of Sr2+. The mean and extreme values of peak strontium area were not stable for the same Sr2+ dose, but the lowest of all the peak values was 35.1 times as much as that of control. Overall, the strontium value increased with the increase of Sr2+concentration. The strontium peak had no signs of abating after a culture period of 100 d. The results also showed that strontium was gradually deposited in the otolith, and had obvious hysteresis to immersion. Strontium sedimentation could also return to a normal level after the peak. These characteristics accorded exactly with the requirement of discharge tag technology, which indicated that exogenous Sr2+ was suitable in the marking of salmon otolith.

[Feverfew lactone induces autophagic death of hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC 7721 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and mechanism of feverfew lactone on inducing autophagic death of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: The proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC 7721 cells treated with feverfew lactone was measured by MTT assay. The autophagy of SMMC 7721 induced with feverfew lactone was assessed by acridine orange staining, autophagic marker LC3 and p62 detecting and autophagic flows analyzing. In addition, a role of ROS in this process was stated by treatment with antioxidant agent N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). RESULTS: The proliferation of SMMC 7721 cells were inhibited by feverfew lactone in a concentration dependence manner. The expression of LC3 and autophagic flows of SMMC 7721 cells were increased by feverfew lactone, while p62 was decreased, which implied that feverfew lactone could induce the autophagy of SMMC 7721 cells. Further more, the autophagy effect induced by feverfew lactone was declined obviously when treated with NAC suggested that ROS played an important role in this effect. CONCLUSION: Feverfew lactone induces autophagic death of SMMC 7721 cells by stimulating cells to produce ROS. The study will be helpful for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and to provide theoretical basis for the clinical application of feverfew lactone.

microRNA-9 attenuates amyloidß-induced synaptotoxicity by targeting calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2.

The calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (CAMKK2-AMPK) pathway mediated amyloid ß42 (Aß42)-induced synaptotoxicity and blockage of CAMKK2-protected neurons against the effect of Aß42. Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) were downregulated in response to Aß42, including miR-9, a synapse-enriched miRNA that is decreased in Alzheimer's disease. In the present study the effect of miR-9 on Aß42­triggered CAMKK2-AMPK activation and the synaptotoxic impairment was investigated. Aß42 oligomers were identified to be capable of inducing CAMKK2-AMPK pathway activation, which was attenuated by miR-9 overexpression. CAMKK2 was predicted to be a target of miR-9 using Pictar and Targetscan 6.2 Bioinformatics' algorithms. A luciferase activity assay and western blot analysis confirmed that miR-9 significantly inhibited CAMKK2 expression. Additionally, overexpression of miR-9 was sufficient to restore Aß42-induced dendritic spine loss and rescued Aß42-induced τ phosphorylation at Ser-262 mediated by the CAMKK2-AMPK pathway. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-9 attenuated Aß-induced synaptotoxicity by targeting CAMKK2.

Worsening epidemic of HIV and syphilis among men who have sex with men in Jiangsu Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Epidemics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis among men who have sex with men (MSM) are major public health concerns in most parts of China. A dearth of information regarding the current trend of HIV in this hard-to-reach population in several regions including Jiangsu, coupled with the reemergence of syphilis, calls for an effort to understand the dynamics of the dual epidemic in this province. METHODS: To estimate the occurrence and burden of these 2 sexually transmitted diseases and the distribution of their potential sociobehavioral correlates among MSM in Jiangsu, 2 cohort studies were conducted in Yangzhou and Changzhou cities. RESULTS: Among 839 participants, 48% were married, 51.7% had sex with women in the last 6 months, and 25.5% did not use condoms during their last anal intercourse. The observed incidence of HIV was 13.59 and 12.62 and that of syphilis was 7.33 and 13.25 per 100 person-years among the participants of Yangzhou and Changzhou, respectively. The baseline prevalence of HIV and syphilis was 16.0% and 29.9% in Yangzhou and 13.6% and 14.9% in Changzhou, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Considerably high incidence and prevalence of HIV and syphilis among participants and their potential bridging role in transmitting these infections to the general population in Yangzhou and Changzhou cities calls for urgent effective intervention strategies.

Berberine rescues D-galactose-induced synaptic/memory impairment by regulating the levels of Arc.

Synaptic communication forms the basis of learning and memory. Disruptions of synaptic function and memory have been widely reported in many neurological diseases, such as dementia. Thus, restoration of impaired synaptic communication is a potential therapeutic approach for these diseases. In this study, we demonstrated that supplementation with berberine, a plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal usage in Chinese medicine, effectively reverses the synaptic deficits induced by D-galactose. We also found that berberine rescued D-galactose-induced memory impairment and additionally rescued the mRNA and protein levels of Arc/Arg3.1, an important immediate early gene that is crucial for maintaining normal synaptic plasticity. Our study provides the first piece of evidence supporting the potential use of berberine in the treatment of neural diseases with synaptic/memory impairments.

High-efficient column chromatographic extraction of curcumin from Curcuma longa.

Curcumin is an important food additive and a potential therapeutic agent for various diseases from turmeric, the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. High-efficient column chromatographic extraction (CCE) procedures were developed for the extraction of curcumin from turmeric. Turmeric powder was loaded into a column with 2-fold 80% ethanol. The column was eluted with 80% ethanol at room temperature. For quantitative analysis with a non-cyclic CCE, 8-fold eluent was collected as extraction solution. For large preparation with a cyclic CCE, only the first 2-fold of eluent was collected as extraction and other eluent was sequentially circulated to the next columns. More than 99% extraction rates were obtained through both CCE procedures, compared to a 59% extraction rate by the ultrasonic-assisted maceration extraction with 10-fold 80% ethanol. The CCE procedures are high-efficient for the extraction of curcumin from turmeric with minimum use of solvent and high concentration of extraction solution.

[Analysis of 54 mental disability reappraisal cases due to brain damage].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the different kinds of controversial cases of mental disability after brain damage, to analysis the problems in the first appraisal, and to explore solutions of the problems. METHODS: The reappraisals of mental disorders after traumatic brain damage were collected from 2007-2011 in Shanghai forensic center, and the first appraisal and reappraisal cases were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The changes of conclusion in reappraisal cases showed the following major reasons: inappropriate appraisal time, not comprehensive and object investigation of mental state of patients in first appraisal, misunderstanding the standards, etc. CONCLUSION: The quality improvement of appraisal should adopt the following measures: regulating the practice, improvement of the professional skills of experts, choosing appropriate appraisal time, improvement of appraisal standards, etc.

Analysis of 54 mental disability reappraisal cases due to brain damage / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the different kinds of controversial cases of mental disability after brain damage, to analysis the problems in the first appraisal, and to explore solutions of the problems.@*METHODS@#The reappraisals of mental disorders after traumatic brain damage were collected from 2007-2011 in Shanghai forensic center, and the first appraisal and reappraisal cases were analyzed and compared.@*RESULTS@#The changes of conclusion in reappraisal cases showed the following major reasons: inappropriate appraisal time, not comprehensive and object investigation of mental state of patients in first appraisal, misunderstanding the standards, etc.@*CONCLUSION@#The quality improvement of appraisal should adopt the following measures: regulating the practice, improvement of the professional skills of experts, choosing appropriate appraisal time, improvement of appraisal standards, etc.

[Effects of salinity on haematological biochemistrical indices and liver tissue in juvenile Oncorhynchus keta].

In order to simulate the catadromous migration environment of the juvenile salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), five experimental groups containing different salinities (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20) were set up. The juvenile salmons with average body mass of (26.57 +/- 6.32) g and average full length of (14.44 +/- 1.05) cm were cultured for 130 days, and then the haematological biochemistrical indices was analyzed and the structure of liver tissue was observed to investigate the changes in physiological indices during the catadromous migration of juvenile salmon. The results showed that serum osmolality and the concentration of Na+, Cl- illustrated the same tendency with water salinity variation. Specifically, the serum Na+, C- and Mg2+ levels in the salinities of 15, 20 were significantly different from those in the salinity 5 and the freshwater and serum K+ in different salinities were all obviously lower than that in the freshwater. Also, the blood glucose level in salinity 10 was significantly higher than that in salinity 5 and 20, whereas total serum protein (TP), albumin (ALB) and globulin (GLB) levels all declined with the increase of salinity and the serum TP and GLB content in the freshwater group was remarkably higher than those in the salinity 15 and 20. There also existed an obvious discrepancy on total bile acids in freshwater group and the other salinity groups. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity in fresh water group were far different from those of the high salinity groups. Furthermore, in the low salinities (0 and 5), the liver cells of juvenile chum salmon partly broke down, and liver tissue was serious vacuolization. Collectively, the growth and survival rate had no significant difference in all groups and according to the physiological and biochemical indices, the appropriated salinity for juvenile chum salmon ranged from 10 to 20 during the catadromous migration.

[Operating treatment for fracture and dislocation of lower cervical spine with articular process interlocking].

OBJECTIVE: To study the operative methods for fracture and dislocation of lower cervical spine with articular process interlocking. METHODS: From Feb. 2002 to Feb. 2008, 57 patients with fracture and dislocation of the lower cervical spine with articular process interlocking were treated by operation involving interior, posterior and combining anterior and posterior approach, of whom there were 45 males and 12 females aged from 18 to 73 years old with average of 39.5 years. There were 35 patients caused by traffic accident, 17 patients by falling injury and 5 patienst by crash injury of heavy object. Injured cervical segment: there were 4 patienst with C3-C4, 13 patients with C4-C5, 32 patientst with C5-C6 and 8 patients with C6-C7. Fracture types of cervical dislocation: there were 32 patients with unilateral articular interlocking and 25 patients with bilateral articular interlocking. According to ASIA criteria the level of nerve injury was grade A in 9 patients,grade B in 17 patients, grade C in 19 patients and grade D in 12 patients. OPERATIVE METHODS: 14 patients were selected by anterior operation, 11 by posterior operation,and 32 by combining anterior and posterior operation. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 3 to 26 months averaged 11 months. According to ASIA criteria, all patients improved 1 to 2 grade. Patients with cervical fracture and dislocation recovered completely with normal cervical sequence and cervical curvature. There was no patients with cervical unstability. Bony fusion were found in the patients with anterior interbody fusion at 12 weeks after operation. CONCLUSION: The anterior operation was selected when one segment fractures on fresh and dislocation, or the cervical fracture and dislocation were reduction with traction, or the angulation deformity was severe. The posterior operation was selected when the cervical vertebral plate of articular facet fractures and the compression were from posterior, or multi-segment of cervical injured. The combining anterior and posterior operation was selected when the compression of spinal cord was from both side.

[Primary study on preparation and efficiency of neotype hepatocellular carcinoma-dendritic cell vaccine with SOCS1 expression inhibited].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of SOCS1 expression inhibition on hepatocellular carcinoma-dendritic cell vaccine stimulated by LIGHT. METHODS: The dendritic cells (DC) were generated from mouse bone marrow (BMDC) by cultured in medium containing rmGM-CSF and rmIL-4. The vaccine cells were prepared by loaded with hepatocellular carcinoma HepA antigen and further treated with or without LIGHT and SOCS1 antisense oligonucleotide (AS1). For detecting the maturity of the vaccine cells, the expression of the cell's surface molecules CD40 and CD86 were measured by FACS, and IL-12 and IL-1 secretion from the cells were determined by ELISA. And the CTL activity, cellular proliferation, IL-6 and TNF-beta secretion levels of the vaccine-stimulated lymphocytes were also assessed for analyzing the immune response of lymphocyte. RESULTS: CD40 and CD86 expression of the prepared vaccine cells were obviously enhanced by treatment of LIGHT and AS1, and so were IL-12 and IL-1 (P<0.01). It was also observed that CTL activity, cellular proliferation and IL-6 and TNF-beta secreting levels of lymphocytes that were stimulated by the vaccine cells treated with AS1 were notably enhanced. CONCLUSION: Inhibiting SOCS1 can improve the maturation of hepatocellular carcinoma-DC vaccine cell and can increase its inducing ability of anti-cancer immune response.