Immunity Dynamics of Serogroups ACYW from Birth and Following Vaccination.

: Serosurveillance of epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis (ECM) in healthy individuals is crucial for assessing disease risk and evaluating the effectiveness of vaccinations. However, this practical work is rare in China. : We conducted cross-section serosurveillance in Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, and Heyuan in Guangdong Province, measuring Anti-Nm IgG with serogroups A, C, Y, and W, and analyzed the trends using a generalized additive model (GAM).

Unveiling the seroprevalence of human papillomavirus in Guangdong, China: Implications for vaccination strategies.

Seroepidemiological characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) in community residents reflect natural infection and can guide the reform of vaccination programs. A population-based serological survey was conducted in Guangdong Province. Serum anti-HPV IgG antibody levels were determined by an ELISA.

Ti-mediated MIL-125(Ti) by metal substitution for boosting photocatalytic N fixation.

Photocatalysis, which uses sunlight, N and HO to produce NH, is a more sustainable approach to N fixation than the Haber-Bosch process. However, its efficiency is severely limited by the difficulty of activating NN bonds. This work presents metal (M = Cu, Fe, V)-substituted MIL-125(Ti) (MIL-(MTi)) for photocatalytic N fixation without using any sacrificial agents.

Bionic structure and biocompatibilities of long chain branched poly(L-lactic acid) oriented microcellular foaming material.

In order to solve the problem of uneven microporous structure of Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) bulk orientation by using biological safety multi-functional plant oil as chain extenders (CE), multi-armed flexible chains were introduced into PLLA through reactive processing to prepare long chain branched PLLA (LCB-PLLA). When the total content of the CE was 6.15 wt%, PLLA and the CE reacted most fully, while maintaining the tensile strength of PLLA and improving toughness.

Vestibular function and hearing preservation in children following a minimally invasive cochlear implantation.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the effect of minimally invasive cochlear implantation (CI) on the vestibular function (VF) and residual hearing (RH) as well as their relationship in pediatric recipients before and after surgery.

Methods: Twenty-four pediatric patients with preoperative low frequency residual hearing (LFRH) (250 or 500 Hz ≤ 80 dB HL) who underwent minimally invasive CI were enrolled. Pure-tone thresholds, the cervical/ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP/oVEMP), and video head impulse test (vHIT) were all evaluated in the 24 pediatric patients with preoperative normal VF before and at 1 and 12 months after surgery.

Enhanced immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in returning Chinese individuals.

Global COVID-19 vaccination programs effectively contained the fast spread of SARS-CoV-2. Characterizing the immunity status of returned populations will favor understanding the achievement of herd immunity and long-term management of COVID-19 in China. Individuals were recruited from 7 quarantine stations in Guangzhou, China.

Sodium citrate effectively used in shed mediastinal blood autotransfusion after cardiac surgery.

Background: We used sodium citrate as an alternative anticoagulation agent to heparin in the procedure of autologous blood transfusion with patients with postoperative haemorrhage after CPB. The aim of study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sodium citrate used in shed mediastinal blood autotransfusion after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Ninety-three patients were divided into two groups in this study.

Bionic structure and blood compatibility of highly oriented homo-epitaxially crystallized poly(l-lactic acid).

A highly oriented poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA), with a blood vessel-like biomimetic structure, was fabricated using solid-phase hot drawing technology and homo-epitaxial crystallization to improve the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of PLLA. Long chain branched PLLA (LCB-PLLA) was prepared through a two-step ring-opening reaction, and a consequent draw as high as 1000 % was achieved during the hot drawing. The modulus and tensile strength were found to have increased through the formation of oriented shish-kebab like crystals along the drawing direction during processing.

Interspersed Bi Promoting Hot Electron Transfer of Covalent Organic Frameworks Boosts Nitrogen Reduction to ammonia.

Seeking highly-efficient, non-pollutant, and chemically robust photocatalysts for visible-light-driven ammonia production still remained challenging, especially in pure water. The key bottle-necks closely correlate to the nitrogen activation, water oxidization, and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) processes. In this study, a novel Bi decorated imine-linked COF-TaTp (Bi/COF-TaTp) through N-Bi-O coordination is reasonably designed to achieve a boosting solar-to-ammonia conversion of 61 µmol  g  h in the sacrificial-free system.

Interlayer Charge Transfer Over Graphitized Carbon Nitride Enabling Highly-Efficient Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation.

Exploiting cost-effective, high-efficiency, and contamination-free semiconductors for photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (N RR) is still a great challenge, especially in sacrificial-free system. On basis of the electron "acceptance-donation" concept, a boron-doped and carbon-deficient g-C N (B CvN) is herein developed through precise dopant and defect engineering. The optimized B CvN exhibisted an NH production rate of 135.

Expression profile of circular RNAs in patients with unstable angina.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of noncoding RNAs, which interfere with gene transcription by absorbing microRNAs (miRNAs).

Objective: The expression profile and roles of circRNAs in unstable angina (UA) patients remains unclear.

Methods: An initial screening of circRNA expression by microarray analysis was performed using blood samples from three pairs of UA patients and matched healthy individuals.

Preparation and properties of oriented microcellular Poly(l-lactic acid) foaming material.

Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) displays simultaneous repair and regeneration properties. Therefore, it is vital for developing bone repair materials while improving their mechanical strength, and biocompatibility is essential for guaranteeing its application. In this manuscript, using solid hot drawing (SHD) technology to fabricate an oriented shish-kebab like structure, furthermore, the interface-oriented grain boundary controlled the nucleation site and cell morphology during low temperature supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO) foaming process, resulted in an oriented microcellular structure which was similar to load-bearing bone.

Oriented homo-epitaxial crystallization of polylactic acid displaying a biomimetic structure and improved blood compatibility.

Epitaxial crystallization and solid hot-drawing technology were employed to fabricate oriented homo-epitaxial crystallization of polylactic acid (PLA) with nano-topography to enhance its blood compatibility and mechanical characteristics as blood-contacting medical devices. The process involved solid hot stretching the PLA plates. A PLA nutrient solution was then used to immerse the oriented plates to dissolve some of the PLA solutes, ensuring plate integrity.

Comparison of 2 Ear Molding Systems for Nonsurgical Management of Newborn Auricular Deformities.

Background: Congenital auricular deformities are common diseases in newborn infants. We compared the efficacy of 2 ear molding systems in the nonsurgical management of newborn auricular deformities in Chinese infants.

Methods: A total of 462 newborns with auricular deformities were treated with either the EarWell or the LiangEar ear molding systems.

Vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor variants are associated with chronic heart failure in Chinese patients.

Background: Vitamin D is an indispensable molecule for human health. Wide ranges of diseases are linked with vitamin D deficiencies. Role of vitamin D in chronic heart failure has been demonstrated in different populations; however, reports are limited in Chinese population.

Dexamethasone protects against arsanilic acid‑induced rat vestibular dysfunction through the BDNF and JNK 1/2 signaling pathways.

The brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and c‑Jun NH 2‑terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways are therapeutic targets to prevent degeneration in the central nervous system. Dexamethasone (DXMS), a glucocorticoid, protects against vestibular brain injury, however, the molecular mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. To investigate whether the BDNF and JNK signaling pathways are involved in the protective effects of DXMS in rats with vestibular dysfunction, a rat model of severe vestibular deficits was established by middle ear injection of arsanilic acid (AA; 100 mg/ml; 0.

Effect of autaptic activity on the response of a Hodgkin-Huxley neuron.

An autapse is a special synapse that connects a neuron to itself. In this study, we investigated the effect of an autapse on the responses of a Hodgkin-Huxley neuron to different forms of external stimuli. When the neuron was subjected to a DC stimulus, the firing frequencies and the interspike interval distributions of the output spike trains showed periodic behaviors as the autaptic delay time increased.

First-spike latency in Hodgkin's three classes of neurons.

We study the first-spike latency (FSL) in Hodgkin's three classes of neurons with the Morris-Lecar neuron model. It is found that all the three classes of neurons can encode an external stimulus into FSLs. With DC inputs, the FSLs of all of the neurons decrease with input intensity.

The role of coincidence-detector neurons in the reliability and precision of subthreshold signal detection in noise.

Subthreshold signal detection is an important task for animal survival in complex environments, where noise increases both the external signal response and the spontaneous spiking of neurons. The mechanism by which neurons process the coding of signals is not well understood. Here, we propose that coincidence detection, one of the ways to describe the functionality of a single neural cell, can improve the reliability and the precision of signal detection through detection of presynaptic input synchrony.

Noise propagation in gene regulation networks involving interlinked positive and negative feedback loops.

It is well known that noise is inevitable in gene regulatory networks due to the low-copy numbers of molecules and local environmental fluctuations. The prediction of noise effects is a key issue in ensuring reliable transmission of information. Interlinked positive and negative feedback loops are essential signal transduction motifs in biological networks.

Preconditioning of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-derived CO attenuates LPS-induced activation of HUVEC.

Objective: To investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of preconditioning of tricarbonyldichlororuthenium (III) dimer (CORM-2)-liberated CO on LPS-induced activation of endothelial cells (HUVEC).

Methods: HUVEC were pretreated with CORM-2 at the concentration of 50 or 100 microM for 2 hrs, washed and stimulated with LPS (10 microg/ml) for additional 4 hrs. Activation (oxidative stress) of HUVEC was assessed by measuring intracellular oxidation of DHR 123 or nitration of DAF-FM, specific H(2)O(2) and NO fluorochromes, respectively.