Genetic characterization and diversity of porcine circovirus type 2 in non‐vaccinated South African swine herds

The porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a swine infectious viral pathogen of great significance in global swine herds. It was recently detected at another Province of South Africa sequel to the first detection of North American‐like strain (PCV2a) at Gauteng about two decades ago, but there is a dearth of information about the genomic features and diversity of the viral strains in circulation within the country and the entire sub‐Saharan Africa region. To date, only one complete genome of the virus from South Africa is available on global data base. This current effort is therefore geared towards the full‐genome characterization of the circulating PCV2 strains in the pigs of Eastern Cape Province. With the use of conventional polymerase chain reaction method, fifteen complete PCV2 genomes were successfully amplified, sequenced and assembled from field samples obtained from non‐vaccinated pigs in the region. Neighbor Joining and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses of the ORF2 gene and full genomes unanimously showed that most of the assembled genomes (11) belong to genotype PCV2b. Furthermore, three of the characterized sequences formed clade with other reference mutant PCV2b and PCV2b subtype 1C (i.e. PCV2d) strains from the USA, China and South Korea. The last sequence, however, clustered with other reference strains belonging to PCV2 intermediate clade 2 (PCV2‐IM2), recently identified in a global PCV2 strains phylogenetic analysis. This study reports the first complete genome sequences of PCV2b, PCV2d and PCV2‐IM2 in pigs from South Africa, and it gives a possible insight into the genetic characteristics and variability of the viral strains presently in circulation within the country. It further emphasizes the need for more stringent measures in curtailing the introduction and spread of transboundary swine pathogens in the country and entire Southern African region.     

嵌体与全冠治疗牙间食物嵌塞的临床应用比较

目的:比较嵌体与全冠治疗牙间食物嵌塞的临床操作及修复效果.方法:对纳入标准的78例患者随机分组,分别用嵌体和全冠进行修复并进行随访观察,并对两种方法的临床应用效果进行比较.结果:在对牙龈及牙周保护方面,嵌体与全冠有显著性差异;在边缘密合、重塑邻接关系及牙齿敏感方面,二者无显著性差异.结论:嵌体较全冠修复牙间食物嵌塞临床操作简便省时,更有利于保护牙髓及牙周组织健康,美观经济.     

视场角设置对虚拟环境中目标判断的影响

目的探讨不同视场角参数对虚拟环境中目标判断的影响规律 ,找出最佳视场角参数。方法利用自行研制基于PC平台的虚拟现实 (VR)实验系统 ,选定 45名年龄在 2 3～ 5 8岁被试者并完成大小与角度判断的实验设计。首先进行 30 0人次的预实验 ,确定引起虚拟环境中目标判断差错的视场角及相应观察任务的差别等级 ,然后开始单因素、4水平的完全随机正式实验。结果方差分析表明 ,不同的虚拟环境视场角对目标判断的真实性有显著性影响 ,当视场角为 60°时 ,目标判断的正确率最大。结论利用VR技术进行载人航天器工效设计、操作训练或其它任务的研究时 ,应考虑视场角的作用 ,适合目标大小判断的视场角参数值宜取 60°,以便获得最大的工效     

弱激光血疗法的发展及展望

本文主要介绍了弱激光血疗的机制及其在我国的发展过程.弱激光血疗法起源于前苏联的紫外光量子疗法,传入我国后经历了静脉内照射疗法,离体血液激光照射回输疗法,口咽部照射伴吸氧疗法,鼻腔内照射疗法等.本文对各种疗法的特点及临床应用进行了详细叙述.有些学者认为,中医的观点也能揭示激光血疗的机制.从中医辨证的角度,人的体质分为虚证和实证.结合中医针灸的虚则补之,实则泻之的原理,根据患者的虚实状况,采用含有中医补泻信息的调制激光照射血液,同时加照相关敏感穴位,促进疗效,以体现中医的辨证施治的原则可取得更好的疗效.     

Adiabatic refocusing pulses for volume selection in magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging.

Because of their excellent slice profiles and high immunity to RF inhomogeneity, adiabatic full passage (AFP) pulses are ideal for use in spatial localization. The nonlinear, position-dependent phase of a single AFP pulse generated during refocusing of transverse magnetization traditionally is eliminated by using identical pairs of AFP pulses, at the expense of increased RF power deposition and increased echo time (TE). Here it is shown that one can achieve significant phase refocusing by executing single AFP pulses along non-equivalent spatial axes. When used for volume selection in MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) the remaining nonlinear phase becomes inconsequential when the phase across a spectroscopic volume is small. Selection of rectangular and octagonal volumes is demonstrated with half the number of AFP pulses used in the traditional approach. It is shown that octagonal volume selection in the human brain provides excellent suppression of extracranial lipids, and thus allows multislice (1)H MRSI at 4 Tesla to be performed within the guidelines for RF power deposition.     

锤造全冠的适合性实验研究（三种缩颈方法的比较）

用实验方法比较三种常用的缩颈方法及评价锤造全冠的边缘适合性。结果表明各组边缘间隙均大于０．１８０ｍｍ，说明锤造全冠边缘适合性较差，临床检查难以确定其间隙大小。各组近胎面轴壁间隙较小，这与冠成形时此处受力较大，冠周径变小有关，提示临氏上应避免用力和反复锤击此处。各组胎面间隙均大于０．１３０ｍｍ，表明面升高，边缘浮出量较大，冠尚未完全就位。当硬铅代型与缩颈器之间未预留冠套间隙时，所得的锤造全冠适合性更差，面间隙最大（０．９４５ｍｍ）。     

Limited long-term naive CD4+ T cell reconstitution in patients experiencing viral load rebounds during HAART

Long-term (3.5 years) immune reconstitution in relation to viral load response was determined. Plasma HIV-1 RNA was suppressed in 40 patients (full responders) up to 42 months, and 17 patients achieved partial response. The measurements of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T lymphocyte subsets (CD45RA, CD45RACD62L, CD45RO, CD28, CD38) were carried out by flow cytometry. Full responders had a significant increase of CD4⁺ and all CD4⁺ T subsets both up to 6 and from 6 to 42 months, while the increase for partial responders was only up to 6 months. By 6 months, higher slopes were observed in full versus partial responders in the % of CD28 on CD4⁺ and the % of CD4⁺ memory subset and in both naïve and memory CD4⁺ subsets from 6 to 42 months. The percentage of CD8⁺ and its subsets was decreased significantly in full responders both up to 6 and from 6 to 42 months (except for an increase in the CD8⁺CD45RA⁺ CD62L⁺ cells), while in partial responders this decrease was only up to 6 months. Lower slopes were observed in full versus partial responders from 6 to 42 months in the percentages of CD8⁺, CD8⁺CD45RO⁺, CD8⁺CD28⁻, and CD8⁺CD38⁺ T cells. In conclusion, full responders have a stronger long-term naive CD4⁺ T cell subset reconstitution than partial responders. J. Med. Virol. 73:235–243, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Molecular and biological analysis of echovirus 9 strain isolated from a diabetic child

The full-length infectious cDNA clone was constructed and sequenced from the strain DM of echovirus 9, which was recently isolated from a 6-week-old child at the clinical onset of type 1 diabetes. Parallel with the isolate DM, the full-length infectious cDNA clone of the prototype strain echovirus 9 Barty (Barty-INF), was constructed and sequenced. Genetic relationships of the sequenced echo 9 viruses to the other members of the human enterovirus type B species were studied by phylogenetic analyses. Comparison of capsid protein sequences showed that the isolate DM was closely related to both prototype strains: Hill and Barty-INF. The only exception was the inner capsid protein VP4 where serotype specificity was not evident and the isolate DM clustered with the strain Hill and the strain Barty-INF with echovirus 30 Bastianni. Likewise, the nonstructural protein coding region, P2P3, of isolate DM was more similar to strain Hill than to strain Barty-INF. However, like echovirus 9 Barty, the isolate DM contained the RGD-motif in the carboxy terminus of capsid protein VP1. By blocking experiments using an RGD-containing peptide and a polyclonal rabbit antiserum to the alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin, it was shown that this molecule works as a cellular receptor for isolate DM. By using primary human islets, it was shown that the isolate DM is capable of infecting insulin-producing beta-cells like the corresponding prototype strains did. However, only isolate DM was clearly cytolytic for beta-cells. The infectious clones that were made allow further investigations of the molecular features responsible for the diabetogenicity of the isolate DM.     

Characterization of a monoclonal anti-Bw4 antibody (Tü109): Evidence for similar epitopes on the Bw4 and Bw6 antigens

The production and serologic, as well as immunochemical properties of a cytotoxic murine IgG monoclonal antibody (Tü109) that precipitates HLA-class I molecules, are described. In the microcytotoxicity assay Tü109 supernatant was demonstrated on a panel of 424 HLA-ABC, -DR, -DQ, -MT typed normal Caucasian blood donors to define an epitope on HLA-B locus molecules in great association with the supertypic specificity Bw4. Reactivity of supernatant showed MHC linked inheritance of the Tü109 determinant and discriminated the HLA-Bw4/Bw6 associated HLA-B locus split antigens. Weak or lack of binding on lymphocytes from some HLA-Bw4 heterozygous individuals, particularly typing for HLA-Bw44, appeared to be due to qualitative and/or quantitative variations of HLA-B locus molecules on the cell surface. With Tü109 ascites fluid, however, extra-reactivity on all HLA-Bw6⁺ cells was demonstrated. Preferential binding of supernatant to HLA-Bw4, but reactivity of ascites fluid with HLA-Bw6⁺ molecules in addition, was furthermore confirmed by IEF analysis of antigens immunoprecipitated with Tü109 from cell lysates. Thus the antibody may help to analyze the evolutionary relationship of the diallelic specificities Bw4 and Bw6.     

Molecular analysis of hepatitis B virus genomes isolated from black African patients with fulminant hepatitis B

To investigate further the possible role of mutant hepatitis B viruses in the pathogenesis of fulminant hepatitis B, the genomic sequence of hepatitis B virus isolates from 9 South African blacks with this disease, including 5 entire genomes, was analysed. Seven of the isolates were genotype A. The mutation most often reported in patients with fulminant hepatitis B, the G1896A precore stop-codon substitution, was, as expected, not present in the genotype A isolates with the exception of one in which it was accompanied by a compensatory C1858T substitution. G1896A was, however, present in the one genotype D isolate. No other precore-defective mutants were detected. The other mutation commonly found in patients with fulminant hepatitis B, the paired A1762T, G1764A substitution in the basic core promoter, was present in only one patient and G1764A in one other. The pre-surface initiation-codon mutation documented in a number of patients with fulminant hepatitis B was not found in our isolates. An 18-amino acid deletion present in the pre-surface region of one isolate has not previously been described in fulminant hepatitis B. Variations within the surface region were mainly genotype specific and not previously described. A relatively large number of mutations were present in the middle region of the core gene in those isolates without G1896A or A1762T, G1764A mutations, although the pattern was not consistent with those in published studies. Thus, as in other published series in which the entire genome of hepatitis B virus responsible for fulminant hepatitis was sequenced, we detected many mutations in different genes, but none was common to all the reported isolates.