Efficacy and Safety of All-oral, 12-week Ravidasvir Plus Ritonavir-boosted Danoprevir and Ribavirin in Treatment-naïve Noncirrhotic HCV Genotype 1 Patients: Results from a Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial in China.

Ravidasvir (RDV) is a new generation pangenotypic hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A inhibitor, with high barrier to baseline resistance-associated species. This is the first phase 2/3 study conducted in Mainland China confirming the efficacy and safety of RDV + ritonavir-boosted danoprevir + ribavirin for 12 weeks in treatment-naïve noncirrhotic patients with genotype 1 infection in a large population. In this multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase 2/3 trial (NCT03362814), we enrolled 424 treatment-naïve, noncirrhotic adult HCV genotype 1 patients.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride with Dopant Induced Charge Localization for Enhanced Photoreduction of CO to CH.

The photoreduction of CO to hydrocarbon products has attracted much attention because it provides an avenue to directly synthesize value-added carbon-based fuels and feedstocks using solar energy. Among various photocatalysts, graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) has emerged as an attractive metal-free visible-light photocatalyst due to its advantages of earth-abundance, nontoxicity, and stability. Unfortunately, its photocatalytic efficiency is seriously limited by charge carriers' ready recombination and their low reaction dynamics.

Association of Leukocyte Telomere Length with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Role of Folate and Homocysteine.

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is associated with the aging process and age-related degenerative diseases. The relation of peripheral blood LTL to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the role of folate and homocysteine (Hcy) in this relation remain unclear.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the association between LTL and the risks of MCI/AD, and to explore whether folate and Hcy may play a role in this association.

Correction: Mechanism of Snhg8/miR-384/Hoxa13/FAM3A axis regulating neuronal apoptosis in ischemic mice model.

Following the publication of this article, the authors realized there was an error in Figure 6H in which two versions of the figure appear.This does not impact the conclusions of the article.

Effects and acceptability of implementing improved cookstoves and heaters to reduce household air pollution: a FRESH AIR study.

The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of locally tailored implementation of improved cookstoves/heaters in low- and middle-income countries. This interventional implementation study among 649 adults and children living in rural communities in Uganda, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan, was performed after situational analyses and awareness programmes. Outcomes included household air pollution (PM and CO), self-reported respiratory symptoms (with CCQ and MRC-breathlessness scale), chest infections, school absence and intervention acceptability.

Host Genetics of Cytomegalovirus Pathogenesis.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpes virus (human herpes virus 5) with the highest morbidity and mortality rates compared to other herpes viruses. Risk groups include very young, elderly, transplant recipient, and immunocompromised individuals. HCMV may cause retinitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, esophagitis, colitis, pneumonia, neonatal infection sequelae, inflammatory, and age-related diseases.

Relationship between folate, vitamin B, homocysteine, transaminase and mild cognitive impairment in China: a case-control study.

To explore the association between the levels of serum folate, vitamin B, and homocysteine (Hcy), transaminase and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Chinese elderly. A case-control study was implemented between April and October 2016. Elderly participants aged ≥60 with and without MCI ( = 118 separately) were recruited from Community Health Center of Binhai New Area in Tianjin.

A hexagonal Ni cluster protected by 2-phenylethanethiol for catalytic conversion of toluene to benzaldehyde.

We have synthesized single crystals of a 2-phenylethanethiol-protected Ni6 nanocluster, namely Ni6(C8H9S)12, which shows a hexagonal metallic core structure and reasonable stability. Interestingly this cluster is found to be an excellent candidate for the catalytic oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde, with 100% conversion and 91% selectivity, showing application potential as an aromatic aldehyde in industry. Using DFT calculations, we rationalize the catalytic reaction mechanism for the conversion of toluene to benzaldehyde, and demonstrate that the presence of H2O2 initiates the Ni6 cluster via a highly exothermic step to form a Ni6O* intermediate which then results in active sites for the oxidation of toluene.

Parents' Attitude about Hepatitis B Disease and Practice of Hepatitis B Vaccination among Children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Introduction: The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in Vietnam for hepatitis B (HepB) among infants has been implemented since 2003. The rates of the birth dose (babies receiving HepB immunization injection within 24 hours after birth) and the later three-dose series were low in 2013-2014.

Objective: This article evaluated attitudes about the hepatitis B disease and vaccine in relation to the correct practice of vaccination among mothers of 12-24-month-old children in Ho Chi Minh City.

Determination of metabolites of Geotrichum citri-aurantii treated with peppermint oil using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Sour rot is a leading disease of citrus fruit caused by the postharvest pathogen Geotrichum citri-aurantii. It has been reported that essential oils can be used as substitutes for synthetic fungicides to control the pathogen. In this study, changes in metabolites and antifungal effects of G.

Enhanced cellular uptake of near-infrared triggered targeted nanoparticles by cell-penetrating peptide TAT for combined chemo/photothermal/photodynamic therapy.

Recently, the emergence of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) like TAT has greatly improved the efficiency of cancer therapy by enhancing cellular uptake of nanomaterials. Here, we designed a near-infrared (NIR) triggered TAT-based targeted nanoplatform (cRGD@TAT-DINPs), which co-delivered anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and biocompatible dye indocyanine green (ICG) to realize combined chemo/photothermal/photodynamic therapy of cancer in vitro. The resulting nanoparticles showed favorable monodispersity and colloidal stability.

Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation Volume Ratio in Prenatal Assessment of Prognosis of Fetal Pulmonary Sequestrations.

This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis of pulmonary sequestration (PS) by measuring congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation volume ratio (CVR) value in fetal congenital PS. The fetal CVR in 49 cases of fetal PS diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound in Xiangyang No. 1 People's Hospital from March 2010 to June 2017 were measured, and the clinical outcomes were observed.

Effects of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12, Alone and in Combination on Cognitive Function and Inflammatory Factors in the Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Single-blind Experimental Design.

Background: Folate and vitamin B12 are well-known as essential nutrients that play key roles in the normal functions of the brain. Inflammatory processes play at least some role in the pathology of AD. Effective nutritional intervention approaches for improving cognitive deficits that reduce the peripheral inflammatory cytokine levels have garnered special attention.

Reordering d Orbital Energies of Single-Site Catalysts for CO Electroreduction.

The single-site catalyst (SSC) characteristic of atomically dispersed active centers will not only maximize the catalytic activity, but also provide a promising platform for establishing the structure-activity relationship. However, arbitrary arrangements of active sites in the existed SSCs make it difficult for mechanism understanding and performance optimization. Now, a well-defined ultrathin SSC is fabricated by assembly of metal-porphyrin molecules, which enables the precise identification of the active sites for d-orbital energy engineering.

TaCER1-1A is involved in cuticular wax alkane biosynthesis in hexaploid wheat and responds to plant abiotic stresses.

To protect above-ground plant organs from excessive water loss, their surfaces are coated by waxes. The genes involved in wax formation have been investigated in detail in Arabidopsis but scarcely in crop species. Here, we aimed to isolate and characterize a CER1 enzyme responsible for formation of the very long-chain alkanes present in high concentrations especially during late stages of wheat development.

Prognostic factors for cesarean section outcome of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To evaluate the prognostic factors for cesarean section outcome of pregnant women with diabetes mellitus. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI and Wanfang database were searched. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias of included studies.

Iron-dependent histone 3 lysine 9 demethylation controls B cell proliferation and humoral immune responses.

Trace elements play important roles in human health, but little is known about their functions in humoral immunity. Here, we show an important role for iron in inducing cyclin E and B cell proliferation. We find that iron-deficient individuals exhibit a significantly reduced antibody response to the measles vaccine when compared to iron-normal controls.

A High-Throughput Automated Protein Folding System.

In vitro protein folding can be employed to produce complex proteins expressed as insoluble inclusion bodies in E. coli from laboratory to commercial scale. Often the most challenging step is identification of renaturation conditions that will enable the denatured protein to form the native structure at an acceptable yield.

Hispidulin exhibits neuroprotective activities against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury through suppressing NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.

Aim: Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is the major cause of neurological deficit following stroke. Our previous study showed neuroprotective effects of hispidulin against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). In this study, we further examined the involvement of pyroptosis in this neuroprotective function.

Diagnostic Value of Two-Dimensional plus Four-Dimensional Ultrasonography in Fetal Craniocerebral Anomalies.

Background: To assess the clinical value of two-dimensional (2D) plus four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography in diagnosis of fetal craniocerebral anomalies.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on the sonographic features of 83 maternity patients admitted to Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xian China from January 2013 to December 2017 diagnosed with suspected fetal anomalies of the brain and skull through 2D and 4D ultrasonography.

Results: Fifty six patients were diagnosed with the anomalies by 2D ultrasonography only, 65 patients by 4D ultrasonography only, and 74 patients by 2D plus 4D ultrasonography.

Erythromycin, Cethromycin and Solithromycin display similar binding affinities to the E. coli's ribosome: A molecular simulation study.

Macrolide antibiotics bind to the exit tunnel of the ribosome and inhibit protein synthesis blocking its translocation. Thus, antibiotics including the known macrolide Erythromycin (ERY) are active against bacteria. However, at present, some bacteria show resistance to drugs, which requires the development of new powerful antibacterial agents.

Identification of miRNAs and their target genes in Larix olgensis and verified of differential expression miRNAs.

Background: MiRNAs (microRNA) are 18-24 nt endogenous noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, including tissue-specific, developmental timing and evolutionary conservation gene expression.

Results: This study used high-throughput sequencing technology for the first time in Larix olgensis, predicted 78 miRNAs, including 12,229,003 reads sRNA, screened differentially expressed miRNAs. Predicting target genes was helpful for understanding the miRNA regulation function and obtained 333 corresponding target genes.

Mechanism of Snhg8/miR-384/Hoxa13/FAM3A axis regulating neuronal apoptosis in ischemic mice model.

Long noncoding RNAs, a subgroup of noncoding RNAs, are implicated in ischemic brain injury. The expression levels of Snhg8, miR-384, Hoxa13, and FAM3A were measured in chronic cerebral ischemia-induced HT22 cells and hippocampal tissues. The role of the Snhg8/miR-384/Hoxa13/FAM3A axis was evaluated in chronic cerebral ischemia models in vivo and in vitro.

Construction of Dopamine-Releasing Gold Surfaces Mimicking Presynaptic Membrane by On-Chip Electrochemistry.

We report a strategy to construct a dopamine-releasing gold surface mimicking a presynaptic membrane on a microfluidic chip to simulate in vivo neural signaling. We constructed dopamine self-assembled monolayers (DA SAMs) by electrochemical deprotection of methyl group-protected DA SAMs on a gold surface. Electrochemically controllable release of DA SAMs can be realized by applying nonhydrolytic negative potential on the gold surface.