荆防颗粒中抑制新型冠状病毒蛋白酶3CLpro及PLpro的活性成分

目的：荆防颗粒是新型冠状病毒肺炎预防及轻症治疗的推荐用药,本文结合化学成分分析及活性检测,阐明其潜在的活性成分。方法：采用酶学方法测定荆防颗粒提取物对新型冠状病毒3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^pro)、papain like protease (PL^pro)、spike protein receptor-binding domain (S-RBD)及人cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)的抑制活性,利用氨水引咳小鼠模型测试其止咳作用;基于liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC/MS)技术对荆防颗粒进行化学成分定性、定量分析,阐明其化学组成;采用酶学实验、分子对接、定点突变等方法测定荆防颗粒中抑制3CL^pro、PL^pro的主要活性成分并阐明可能的作用机制。结果：荆防颗粒提取物对新型冠状病毒3CL^pro、PL^pro蛋白酶具有一定的抑制作用,且具有COX-2抑制活性及止...     

Study on Photocatalytic Performance of Ag/TiO2 Modified Cement Mortar

In this paper, Ag-TiO₂ photocatalysts with different Ag contents (1 mol%–5 mol%) were prepared and applied to cement mortar. The photocatalytic performance of Ag-TiO₂ and photocatalytic cement mortar under UV light and simulated solar light was evaluated. The results showed that Ag loading on the surface of TiO₂ could reduce its band gap width and increase its absorbance in the visible region, and 2% Ag-TiO₂ had the highest photocatalytic activity under UV light, the degradation rate of methyl orange (MO) was 95.5% at 30 min, and the first-order reaction constant k was 0.0980 min⁻¹, which was 61.7% higher than that of TiO₂, and 5% Ag-TiO₂ had the highest photocatalytic activity under solar light, the degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) was 69.8% at 40 min, and the first-order reaction constant k was 0.0294 min⁻¹, which was 90.9% higher than that of TiO₂. The photocatalytic mortar prepared by the spraying method has high photocatalytic performance, The MO degradation rate of sample S2 under UV light was 87.5% after 120 min, MB degradation rate of sample S5 under solar light was 75.4% after 120 min. The photocatalytic reaction conforms to the zero-order reaction kinetics, which was 1.5 times–3.3 times higher than that of the mixed samples and has no effect on the mechanical properties of mortar.     

Effects of an Amino Acid-Based Formula Supplemented with Two Human Milk Oligosaccharides on Growth,Tolerability, Safety,and Gut Microbiome in Infants with Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy

This open-label, non-randomized, multicenter trial (Registration: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT 03661736","term_id":"NCT03661736"}}NCT 03661736) aimed to assess if an amino acid-based formula (AAF) supplemented with two human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) supports normal growth and is well tolerated in infants with a cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). Term infants aged 1–8 months with moderate-to-severe CMPA were enrolled. The study formula was an AAF supplemented with 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT). Infants were fed the study formula for 4 months and were offered to remain on the formula until 12 months of age. Tolerance and safety were assessed throughout the trial. Out of 32 infants (mean age 18.6 weeks; 20 (62.5%) male), 29 completed the trial. During the 4-month principal study period, the mean weight-for-age Z score (WAZ) increased from –0.31 at the baseline to +0.28 at the 4-months’ follow-up. Linear and head growth also progressed along the WHO child growth reference, with a similar small upward trend. The formula was well tolerated and had an excellent safety profile. When comparing the microbiome at the baseline to the subsequent visits, there was a significant on-treatment enrichment in HMO-utilizing bifidobacteria, which was associated with a significant increase in fecal short-chain fatty acids. In addition, we observed a significant reduction in the abundance of fecal Proteobacteria, suggesting that the HMO-supplemented study formula partially corrected the gut microbial dysbiosis in infants with CMPA.     

An Efficient Dopant for Introducing Magnetism into Topological Insulator Bi2Se3

In this work, we obtained an effective way to introduce magnetism into topological insulators, and successfully fabricated single crystal C-Bi₂Se₃. The structural, electrical and magnetic properties of non-magnetic element X (B, C and N) doped at Bi, Se1, Se2 and VDW gap sites of Bi₂Se₃ were studied by the first principles. It is shown that the impurity bands formed inside the bulk inverted energy gap near the Fermi level with C doping Bi₂Se₃. Due to spin-polarized ferromagnetic coupling, the time inversion symmetry of Bi₂Se₃ is destroyed. Remarkably, C is the most effective dopant because of the magnetic moment produced by doping at all positions. The experiment confirmed that the remnant ferromagnetism Mr is related to the C concentration. Theoretical calculations and experiments confirmed that carbon-doped Bi₂Se₃ is ferromagnetic, which provides a plan for manipulating topological properties and exploring spintronic applications.     

ER-β基因多态性与子宫内膜癌组织ER表达的相关性

目的:研究ER-β基因多态性与子宫内膜癌组织ER阳性表达的相关性。方法:选择60例子宫内膜癌患者和60例健康对照者,检测两组ER-β基因RsaI和AluI酶切多态性,检测子宫内膜癌组ER阳性表达率。结果:ER-β基因RsaI多态性在EC组和对照组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),R等位基因患EC的风险是r等位基因的1.796倍(OR=1.796,95%CI:1.070～3.017);EC组RR基因型癌组织ER阳性表达明显少于Rr、rr基因型(P<0.05)。AluI多态性在EC组和对照组间无统计学差异(P>0.05)。结论:ER-β基因RsaI酶切多态性与子宫内膜癌的发病有相关性,R等位基因可能是EC的遗传易感基因,RR基因型与癌组织ER阳性低表达具有关联性。     

A Novel Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1α Inhibitor KC7F2 Attenuates Oxygen-induced Retinal Neovascularization

PurposeKC7F2 is a novel molecule compound that can inhibit the translation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α). It has been reported to exhibit potential antiangiogenic effect. We hypothesized that KC7F2 could inhibit oxygen-induced retinal neovascularization (RNV). The purpose of this study was to investigate this assumption.MethodsOxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) models in C57BL/6J mice and Sprague-Dawley rats were used for in vivo study. After intraperitoneal injections of KC7F2, RNV was detected by immunofluorescence and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Retinal inflammation was explored by immunofluorescence. EdU incorporation assay, cell counting kit-8 assay, scratch test, transwell assay, and Matrigel assay were used to evaluate the effect of KC7F2 on the proliferation, migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vitro. Protein expression was examined by Western blot.ResultsKC7F2 treatment (10 mg/kg/d) in OIR mice significantly attenuated pathological neovascularization and decreased the number of preretinal neovascular cell nuclei, without changing the avascular area, which showed the same trends in OIR rats. Consistently, after the KC7F2 intervention (10 µM), cell proliferation was inhibited in VEGF-induced HUVEC, which was in agreement with the trend observed in the retinas of OIR mice. Meanwhile, KC7F2 suppressed VEGF-induced HUVEC migration and tube formation, and decreased the density of leukocytes and microglia colocalizing neovascular areas in the retinas. Moreover, the HIF1α–VEGF pathway activated in retinas of OIR mice and hypoxia-induced HUVEC, was suppressed by KC7F2 treatment.ConclusionsThe current study revealed that KC7F2 was able to inhibit RNV effectively via HIF1α–VEGF pathway, suggesting that it might be an effective drug for RNV treatment.     

Reactive vaccination as control strategy for an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis C:P1.5-1,10-8:F3-6:ST-11(cc11), Bergamo province,Italy, December 2019 to January 2020

In Italy, serogroup C meningococci of the clonal complex cc11 (MenC/cc11) have caused several outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) during the past 20 years. Between December 2019 and January 2020, an outbreak of six cases of IMD infected with MenC/cc11 was identified in a limited area in the northern part of Italy. All cases presented a severe clinical picture, and two of them were fatal. This report is focused on the microbiological and molecular analysis of meningococcal isolates with the aim to reconstruct the chain of transmission. It further presents the vaccination strategy adopted to control the outbreak. The phylogenetic evaluation demonstrated the close genetic proximity between the strain involved in this outbreak and a strain responsible for a larger epidemic that had occurred in 2015 and 2016 in the Tuscany Region. The rapid identification and characterisation of IMD cases and an extensive vaccination campaign contributed to the successful control of this outbreak caused by a hyperinvasive meningococcal strain.     

Mutational spectrum of ATRX aberrations in neuroblastoma and associated patient and tumor characteristics

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. The chromatin remodeler ATRX is frequently mutated in high‐risk patients with a poor prognosis. Although many studies have reported ATRX aberrations and the associated clinical characteristics in neuroblastoma, a comprehensive overview is currently lacking. In this study, we extensively characterize the mutational spectrum of ATRX aberrations in neuroblastoma tumors reported in previous studies and present an overview of patient and tumor characteristics. We collected the data of a total of 127 neuroblastoma patients and three cell lines with ATRX aberrations originating from 20 papers. We subdivide the ATRX aberrations into nonsense, missense, and multiexon deletions (MEDs) and show that 68% of them are MEDs. Of these MEDs, 75% are predicted to be in‐frame. Furthermore, we identify a missense mutational hotspot region in the helicase domain. We also confirm that all three ATRX mutation types are more often identified in patients diagnosed at an older age, but still approximately 40% of the patients are aged 5 years or younger at diagnosis. Surprisingly, we found that 11q deletions are enriched in neuroblastomas with ATRX deletions compared to a reference cohort, but not in neuroblastomas with ATRX point mutations. Taken together, our data emphasizes a distinct ATRX mutation spectrum in neuroblastoma, which should be considered when studying molecular phenotypes and therapeutic strategies.