Infection patterns,clinical significance,and genetic characteristics of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in dairy cattle in Jiangsu,China

The infection patterns and clinical significance of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in dairy cattle remain poorly investigated despite their common occurrence. Data on the genetic diversity are also needed to understand the transmission and human-infective potential of the two pathogens. In this study, fecal specimens from 1366 dairy cattle on a large farm were examined for the presence and genotype distribution of E. bieneusi and G. duodenalis by PCR and DNA sequencing. The overall infection rates of E. bieneusi and G. duodenalis were 13.0% and 20.6%, respectively. Pre-weaned calves had significantly higher infection rates of both pathogens than post-weaned and adult cattle (P < 0.001), with peak occurrence of the pathogens in animals of 7–12 weeks. In both pre- and post-weaned calves, animals with diarrhea were 2.1–3.0 times more likely to be infected with either pathogen than those without diarrhea (P < 0.01). The E. bieneusi identified belonged to five genotypes, including J (n = 138), I (n = 21), BEB4 (n = 10), Type IV (n = 1), and a novel genotype CHC17 (n = 1). Genotype J was the dominant one in all age groups, whereas genotype I was only identified in calves of 6–11 weeks. Genotyping of G. duodenalis at three genetic loci identified assemblage E (n = 278), assemblage A (n = 2), and concurrence of the two (n = 1). Altogether, 13, 7 and 10 subtypes of assemblage E were detected at the bg, gdh, and tpi loci, respectively, forming 65 multilocus genotypes. The formation of two major clusters of MLGs in eBURST analysis indicated that intra-assemblage genetic recombination of two dominant MLGs could have led to the high genetic heterogeneity within assemblage E on a single farm. Results of this study provide much needed data on the pathogenicity of E. bieneusi and G. duodenalis in pre- and post-weaned calves. The clinical significance of the two pathogens in dairy cattle warrants further investigations.

     

Efficient Production of High‐Quality Polystyrene‐Functionalized Graphene via Graphite Exfoliation in Chloroform with a Heterobifunctional Hyperbranched Polyethylene as Stabilizer

Efficient production of high‐quality, functionalized graphene is highly desirable for large‐scale applications of graphene. Herein, a route for producing high‐quality, polystyrene (PS)‐functionalized graphene is demonstrated via graphite exfoliation in chloroform with a heterobifunctional hyperbranched polyethylene, HBPE@Py@PS, as stabilizer. The HBPE@Py@PS, possessing a pyrene‐functionalized hyperbranched polyethylene backbone and multiple PS side chains, is synthesized by combining chain walking polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization techniques. It is confirmed that the HBPE@Py@PS can effectively promote graphite exfoliation in chloroform under sonication to render stable dispersions of high‐quality graphene, with an exfoliation efficiency high as 15% and a monolayer proportion, 61%. Meanwhile, it can irreversibly adsorb on the exfoliated graphene surface based on the π–π stacking interactions, concurrently rendering PS‐functionalized graphene that is fluorescent and highly dispersible in chloroform, with a film conductivity reaching 1100 S m^?1. The as‐produced graphene may find its applications as nanofiller for various PS‐based graphene nanocomposites.     

A Triple‐Shape Memory Material via Thermal Responsive Behavior of Liquid Crystalline Network Incorporating Main‐Chain/Side‐Chain LC Units

In the last several years, multiple‐shape memory liquid crystalline networks (LCNs) have received more and more attention due to the basic theoretical research on them and their wide potential applications. In this article, a novel main‐chain/side‐chain liquid crystalline monomer and its corresponding polymer networks based on the thiol‐ene click reaction are reported. Properties of the synthesized liquid crystalline monomer are well studied with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized optical microscopy (POM). The as‐prepared free‐standing LCN films are investigated well by FTIR, DSC, POM, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD), which show them having good liquid crystalline properties. Tensile test and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) results indicate the LCN films have excellent thermal mechanical properties. By adjusting the crosslinking densities, LCN films exhibit two thermal transition temperatures (T_g and T_NI) that can be utilized to trigger the triple‐shape memory behaviors. The cyclic thermal mechanical analysis conducted by DMA reveals that LCN films exhibit good triple‐shape memory properties with high‐shape fixity ratio (R_f (S1→S2) is 99.2% and R_f (S2→S3) is 99.3%) and shape recovery ratio (R_r (S3→S2) is 92.4% and R_r (S2→S1) is 98.5%).     

Rapamycin attenuates Tc1 and Tc17 cell responses in cigarette smoke-induced emphysema in mice

Inflammation Research - Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke promotes airway inflammation and emphysema accompanied by enhanced CD8+ interferon (IFN)-γ+ T(Tc1) and CD8+ interleukin (IL)-17+...     

An emerging novel virus: Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV)

Emerging porcine pestivirus diseases frequently challenge prevention and control strategies in the swine industry. Over the past decade, a few novel pestiviruses have been identified in pigs. This article focuses on the recently emerging atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) that potentially threatens global swine herd health security. The virus was first identified in 2016, in the United States and thereafter, accumulated evidence shows that it is currently distributed in three continents. The clinical presentation of APPV‐infected pigs is characterized by congenital tremor (CT) type A‐II in piglets, while adult pigs may become persistent carriers and shedders. Here, a literature review is conducted to summarize the published findings in the virus genomic biology, transmission, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis, which would shed light on acceleration of development of anti‐APPV strategies.     

Novel missense mutation in VPS33B is associated with isolated low gamma‐glutamyltransferase cholestasis: Attenuated,incomplete phenotype of arthrogryposis,renal dysfunction,and cholestasis syndrome

The typical phenotype of arthrogryposis, renal dysfunction, and cholestasis (ARC) syndrome involves three cardinal symptoms as the name describes, harboring biallelic mutations on VPS33B or VIPAS39. Except for ARC syndrome, low gamma‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) cholestasis often implies hereditary hepatopathy of different severity; however, some remain undiagnosed. Several monogenic defects typically with multiorgan manifestations may only present liver dysfunction at times, such as DGUOK defect and AGL defect. Previously, four VPS33B mutated cases were reported without arthrogryposis, or with less severe symptoms and longer lifespan, indicating the possibility of incomplete ARC phenotype of isolated hepatopathy. So we retrospectively reviewed all patients with confirmed VPS33B/VIPARS39 defect in our center and identified three presenting isolated low‐GGT cholestasis with intractable pruritus. Distinguished from others with typical ARC phenotype, these patients did not suffer the other two typical characteristics, survived much longer, and shared a novel missense VPS33B variation c.1726T>C, p.Cys576Arg, causing declined protein expression and abolished interaction with VIPAS39 in‐vitro. Serum bile acid profiles of our VPS33B/VIPAS39 mutated patients revealed similar changes to primary defect of bile salt export pump, among which those with isolated cholestasis phenotype had a higher level of total secondary bile acids than that with typical ARC phenotype, indicating the partial residual function of VPS33B.