Characterization of avian influenza A (H4N2) viruses isolated from wild birds in Shanghai during 2019 to 2021.

The H4 subtype of avian influenza viruses has been widely distributed among wild birds. During the surveillance of the avian influenza virus in Shanghai from 2019 to 2021, a total of 4,451 samples were collected from wild birds, among which 46 H4 subtypes of avian influenza viruses were identified, accounting for 7.40% of the total positive samples.

Does Avian Coronavirus Co-Circulate with Avian Paramyxovirus and Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Ducks in Siberia?

Avian coronaviruses (ACoV) have been shown to be highly prevalent in wild bird populations. More work on avian coronavirus detection and diversity estimation is needed for the breeding territories of migrating birds, where the high diversity and high prevalence of and have already been shown in wild birds. In order to detect ACoV RNA, we conducted PCR diagnostics of cloacal swab samples from birds, which we monitored during avian influenza A virus surveillance activities.

Global Cellular Metabolic Rewiring Adapts Corynebacterium glutamicum to Efficient Nonnatural Xylose Utilization.

Xylose, the major component of lignocellulosic biomass, cannot be naturally or efficiently utilized by most microorganisms. Xylose (co)utilization is considered a cornerstone of efficient lignocellulose-based biomanufacturing. We evolved a rapidly xylose-utilizing strain, Cev2-18-5, which showed the highest reported specific growth rate (0.

Construction of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase variants by cysteine-targeted mutation to release heme inhibition.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), a vital precursor for the biosynthesis of tetrapyrrole compounds, has been widely applied in agriculture and medicine, while extremely potential for the treatment of cancers, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and metabolic diseases in recent years. With the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, the biosynthesis of 5-ALA has attracted increasing attention. 5-Aminolevulinic acid synthase (ALAS), the key enzyme for 5-ALA synthesis in the C4 pathway, is subject to stringent feedback inhibition by heme.

Co-circulation of coronavirus and avian influenza virus in wild birds in Shanghai (2020-2021).

Co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses has been reported worldwide in humans. Wild birds are natural reservoir hosts for coronaviruses (CoVs) and avian influenza viruses (AIVs). It is unknown whether co-infection with these two types of viruses occurs in wild birds.

An Analysis on the Factors for Cervical Insufficiency Causing Adverse Emotions Among Pregnant Women at Different Gestation Phases.

Background: To analyze the anxiety, depression, and related factors among pregnant women with cervical insufficiency, so as to provide a reference for clinical psychological intervention as an adjuvant therapy.

Methods: A total of 101 cases in China with cervical insufficiency were included in the observation group by a convenience sampling method, and 114 normal healthy women of childbearing age were selected as the control group. Participants were investigated and observed for anxiety and depression by SAS and SDS, respectively, to analyze the emotional state and influencing factors of the patients with cervical insufficiency.

Persistence of avian influenza virus (H9N2) on plastic surface.

Plastics have been found to be colonized with pathogens and may become vectors for transmission of diseases. In this study, we evaluated the persistence of H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) on the surfaces of various plastics (PP, PE, PS, PET, PVC, PMMA) under different environmental conditions using glass and stainless steel for comparison. Our results showed that the RNA abundance of AIV on plastics was decreased over time but still detectable 14 days after AIV had been dropped on plastic surfaces.

Emergence, Evolution, and Biological Characteristics of H10N4 and H10N8 Avian Influenza Viruses in Migratory Wild Birds Detected in Eastern China in 2020.

H10Nx influenza viruses have caused increasing public concern due to their occasional infection of humans. However, the genesis and biological characteristics of H10 viruses in migratory wild birds are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted active surveillance to monitor circulation of avian influenza viruses in eastern China and isolated five H10N4 and two H10N8 viruses from migratory birds in 2020.

A Study on the Correlation Between Quality of Life and Unhealthy Emotion Among Patients With Endometriosis.

Objective: To investigate the influence of quality of life (QOL) on unhealthy emotions as well as relevant factors among patients with endometriosis for supporting relevant clinical care.

Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to administer questionnaires to 139 patients with endometriosis, using the Hamilton Anxiety Inventory (HAMA), the Depression Anxiety Scale (SDS), and the SF-12 Health Survey Short Form, and the results were analyzed. The SPSS20.

Unexpected expression of heat-activated transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in winter torpid bats and cold-activated TRP channels in summer active bats.

The ability to sense temperature changes is crucial for mammalian survival. Mammalian thermal sensing is primarily carried out by thermosensitive transient receptor potential channels (Thermo-TRPs). Some mammals hibernate to survive cold winter conditions, during which time their body temperature fluctuates dramatically.

Molecular characterization, receptor binding property, and replication in chickens and mice of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from chickens, peafowls, and wild birds in eastern China.

H9N2 avian influenza viruses are widely prevalent in birds and pose an increasing threat to humans because of their enhanced virulence and transmissibility in mammals. Active surveillance on the prevalence and evolution of H9N2 viruses in different avian hosts will help develop eradication measures. We isolated 16 H9N2 viruses from chickens, green peafowls, and wild birds in eastern China from 2017 to 2019 and characterized their comparative genetic evolution, receptor-binding specificity, antigenic diversity, replication, and transmission in chickens and mice.

Genetically Divergent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Viruses in Wild Birds, Eastern China.

In late 2020, we detected 32 highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) viruses in migratory ducks in Shanghai, China. Phylogenetic analysis of 5 representative isolates identified 2 sublineages of clade 2.3.

Antiviral activity of diallyl trisulfide against H9N2 avian influenza virus infection in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is a garlic-derived organosulfur compound. As it has been shown to have anti-viral activity, we hypothesized that it may alleviate infections caused by H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV), which is prevalent in poultry with pandemic potential.

Methods: Human lung A549 epithelial cells were treated with three different concentrations of DATS 24 h before (pre-treatment) or one hour after (post-treatment) H9N2 AIV infection.

Characterization of the low-pathogenic H7N7 avian influenza virus in Shanghai, China.

H7N7 avian influenza virus (AIV) can divided into low-pathogenic AIV and high-pathogenic AIV groups. It has been shown to infect humans and animals. Its prevalence state in wild birds in China remains largely unclear.

Characterization of Avian Influenza Virus H10-H12 Subtypes Isolated from Wild Birds in Shanghai, China from 2016 to 2019.

H10, H11 and H12 (H10-H12) subtypes of the avian influenza virus (AIV) are associated with waterfowl. Although these subtypes of AIV are infrequently detected in nature, they can undergo reassortment with other AIV subtypes. Few H10-H12 subtypes of AIV have been isolated from wild birds in China.

Avian Influenza Virus Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in Shanghai, China, 2016-2018.

From 2016 to 2018, surveillance of influenza A viruses in wild birds was conducted in Shanghai, located at the East Asian-Australian flyway, China. A total of 5112 samples from 51 species of wild birds were collected from three different wetlands. The total three-year prevalence of influenza A viruses among them was 8.

Co-circulation of multiple reassortant H6 subtype avian influenza viruses in wild birds in eastern China, 2016-2017.

Background: H6 subtype influenza viruses were prevalent in domestic poultry and wild birds, which also could pose potential threat to humans. However, little is known about the prevalence of H6 subtype viruses in wild birds in eastern China, a crucial stopover or wintering site for migratory wild birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Methods: During the routine surveillance in 2016-2017, H6 subtype AIVs positive samples were identified, and the representative strains were selected for further sequence and phylogenetic analysis and the pathogenicity in mice were evaluated.

Genetic characteristics of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from free-range poultry in Eastern China, in 2014-2015.

Circulating H7N9 influenza viruses in live poultry markets continue to pose a threat to human health. Free-range poultry, one of the sources for these markets, are common in China as well as in many developing countries. Because the H9N2 virus could be a source of internal genes for the H7N9 virus, we conducted surveillance in free-range poultry and live poultry markets to study the evolution of H7N9 and H9N2 viruses in Eastern China.

Identification of two novel avian influenza a (H5N6) viruses in wild birds, Shanghai, in 2016.

The H5N6 avian influenza virus (AIV) has been continuously reported in wild birds, which may contribute to further geographical spread during their long-distance migrations. Active AIV surveillance in wild birds was conducted during October and November 2016 in Shanghai, China. Two novel influenza A (H5N6) viruses were detected in samples from migratory waterfowl that are genetically similar to recent South Korea and Japan H5N6 viruses collected in 2016 and 2017, highlighting the role of migratory waterfowl in the dissemination of H5N6 viruses along migratory flyways.

Effects of calcitriol (1, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3) on the inflammatory response induced by H9N2 influenza virus infection in human lung A549 epithelial cells and in mice.

Background: H9N2 influenza viruses circulate globally and are considered to have pandemic potential. The hyper-inflammatory response elicited by these viruses is thought to contribute to disease severity. Calcitriol plays an important role in modulating the immune response to viral infections.

Deciphering the bat virome catalog to better understand the ecological diversity of bat viruses and the bat origin of emerging infectious diseases.

Studies have demonstrated that ~60%-80% of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in humans originated from wild life. Bats are natural reservoirs of a large variety of viruses, including many important zoonotic viruses that cause severe diseases in humans and domestic animals. However, the understanding of the viral population and the ecological diversity residing in bat populations is unclear, which complicates the determination of the origins of certain EIDs.

Enterovirus 71 infection in children with hand, foot, and mouth disease in Shanghai, China: epidemiology, clinical feature and diagnosis.

Background: In 2012 a large outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) widely spread over China, causing more than 2 million cases and 567 deaths. Our purpose was to characterize the major pathogens responsible for the 2012 HFMD outbreak and analyze the genetic characterization of the enterovirus 71 (EV71) strains in Shanghai; also, to analyze the dynamic patterns of neutralizing antibody (NAb) against EV71 and evaluate the diagnostic value of several methods for clinical detection of EV71.

Methods: Clinical samples including stool, serum and CSF were collected from 396 enrolled HFMD inpatients during the peak seasons in 2012.

Discovery of itraconazole with broad-spectrum in vitro antienterovirus activity that targets nonstructural protein 3A.

There is currently no approved antiviral therapy for the prophylaxis or treatment of enterovirus infections, which remain a substantial threat to public health. To discover inhibitors that can be immediately repurposed for treatment of enterovirus infections, we developed a high-throughput screening assay that measures the cytopathic effect induced by enterovirus 71 (EV71) to screen an FDA-approved drug library. Itraconazole (ITZ), a triazole antifungal agent, was identified as an effective inhibitor of EV71 replication in the low-micromolar range (50% effective concentrations [EC50s], 1.

Adaptive functional diversification of lysozyme in insectivorous bats.

The role of gene duplication in generating new genes and novel functions is well recognized and is exemplified by the digestion-related protein lysozyme. In ruminants, duplicated chicken-type lysozymes facilitate the degradation of symbiotic bacteria in the foregut. Chicken-type lysozyme has also been reported to show chitinase-like activity, yet no study has examined the molecular evolution of lysozymes in species that specialize on eating insects.