Phase- and epidemic region-adjusted estimation of the number of coronavirus disease 2019 cases in China

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 was first reported in Wuhan in December 2019 and gradually spread to other areas in China. After implementation of prevention and control measures, the estimation of the epidemic trend is needed. A phase- and region-adjusted SEIR model was applied for modeling and predicting the number of cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province and regions outside Hubei Province in China. The estimated number of infections could reach its peak in late February 2020 in Wuhan and Hubei Province, which is 55 303-84 520 and 83 944-129 312, respectively, while the epidemic peaks in regions outside Hubei Province in China could appear on February 13, 2020 with the estimated 13 035-19 108 cases. According to the estimation, the outbreak would abate in March and April all over China. Current estimation provided evidence for planned work resumption under stringent prevention and control in China to further support the fight against the epidemic. Nevertheless, there is still possibility of the second outbreak brought by the work resumption and population migration, especially from Hubei Province and high intensity cities outside Hubei Province. Strict prevention and control measures still need to be considered in the regions with high intensity of epidemic and densely-populated cities.

COVID-19 containment: China provides important lessons for global response

The world must act fast to contain wider international spread of the epidemic of COVID-19 now. The unprecedented public health efforts in China have contained the spread of this new virus. Measures taken in China are currently proven to reduce human-to-human transmission successfully. We summarized the effective intervention and prevention measures in the fields of public health response, clinical management, and research development in China, which may provide vital lessons for the global response. It is really important to take collaborative actions now to save more lives from the pandemic of COVID-19.

[Survival analysis of laboratory - bred smooth - shelled Oncomelania snails in Yunnan Province]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the survival period of Yunnan Province-derived smooth-shelled Oncomelania snails bred in laboratory.

METHODS

Oncomelania snails were sampled from Heqing and Yongsheng counties where schistosomiasis is endemic, and uninfected adult snails were collected and bred in laboratory. The survival period of snails sampled from these two counties was compared.

RESULTS

The 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year survival rates of laboratory-bred smooth-shelled snails sampled from Yunnan Province were 72.36%, 29.11%, 13.08% and 0.21%, respectively, and were 74.66%, 38.91%, 19.46% and 0.45% for snails derived from Heqing County, and 70.36%, 20.55%, 7.51% and 0 for snails sampled from Yongsheng County, respectively. The mean and median survival period of Yunnan Province-derived adult snails was 20.90 and 20.67 months, and there were significant differences between the snails sampled from Heqing and Yongsheng counties in terms of the mean (22.94 vs. 19.13 months, P < 0.05) and median survival period (21.63 vs. 19.81 months, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The mean survival period of Yunnan Province-derived smooth-shelled adult snails is approximately 20 months in laboratory, and the survival varies in geographical areas.

[Effect of different support angles on the fitness of removable partial denture framework fabricated using selective laser melting technique]

Objective: To evaluate the fitness of bilateral free-end dentition defect removable partial denture framework fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) technique with different support angles. Methods: After the control group has been set to eliminate the system error, and according to the standard model of bilateral mandibular posterior teeth loss, eighteen titanium alloy removable partial denture frameworks fabricated by SLM technology were divided into 3 groups with support angles of 0° (horizontal group), 45°(45° group) and 90° (vertical group). Plaster cast with duplicated structure of tissue surface of the removable partial denture (RPD) framework was obtained. A three-dimensional scanner was used to scan original and duplicated plaster casts. The gaps between framework and the model in different parts were analyzed using Geomagic Qualify software to evaluate the fitness of the framework with visual method. Results: The framework fits on the plaster model completely, and its tissue surface fitted on the plaster model well. The deviation between frameworks and plaster casts was calculated as follow: the total deviations of the horizontal, 45°, and vertical group were (0.146±0.017), (0.182±0.015) and (0.185±0.022) mm respectively. The mean deviation of the horizontal group was significantly less than those of the 45° group and the vertical group (P<0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the total deviation between the 45° group and the vertical group. The total deviation of occlusal rest of the horizontal group was significantly less than that of the 45° group (P<0.05). However, no significant difference was detected in the deviation of occlusal rest among the vertical group, the horizontal group, and the 45° group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the deviation of occlusal rest among the vertical group, the horizontal group, and the 45° group. The deviation of clasp of the horizontal group was significantly smaller than those of the 45° group and the vertical group (P<0.05). Whereas, there was no significant difference in the deviation of clasp between the 45° group and the 90° group (P>0.05). No significant difference was found in the deviation of lingual bar among the three groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Among the three kinds of bilateral free-end dentition defect RPD framework fabricated by SLM in different support angles, horizontal printing was proved to reach the minimal deviation, even though the fitness of all three kinds of frameworks can fullfil clinical requirements according to previous studies.

Risk assessment of mycotoxins in stored maize: case study of Shandong, China

Risk characterisation of dietary exposure of aflatoxins (AFs), fumonisins (FBs), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) in maize from Shandong Province was conducted in this study. A total of 520 maize samples were collected after harvesting in 2014 and 2015 from 26 selected villages in Shandong Province, China. A deterministic approach was used in the current study. The dietary intake data of maize was obtained from ‘Shandong Statistical Yearbook 2018’. The risk characterisation of FBs, DON, and ZEA was evaluated in 4 population groups (2 to 6-year-old children, standard adults, city adults and village adults) based on probable intake. 2 to 6-year-old children and adults were exposed to FBs (0.42 and 0.20 μg/kg body weight (bw)/day), DON (0.04 and 0.019 μg/kg bw/day), and ZEA (0.0024 and 0.0011 μg/kg bw/day) through mean maize consumption in diets, which was lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of each mycotoxin established by JECFA. Risk assessments showed a low risk for liver cancer due to consumption of aflatoxin B1 (0.027-0.21 cases per 100,000 persons per year) contaminated maize compared with China’s current liver cancer incidence of 24.6 cases per 100,000 persons per year.

Phase-adjusted estimation of the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 cases in Wuhan, China

An outbreak of clusters of viral pneumonia due to a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2) happened in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China in December 2019. Since the outbreak, several groups reported estimated R0 of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and generated valuable prediction for the early phase of this outbreak. After implementation of strict prevention and control measures in China, new estimation is needed. An infectious disease dynamics SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, and Removed) model was applied to estimate the epidemic trend in Wuhan, China under two assumptions of Rt . In the first assumption, Rt was assumed to maintain over 1. The estimated number of infections would continue to increase throughout February without any indication of dropping with Rt  = 1.9, 2.6, or 3.1. The number of infections would reach 11,044, 70,258, and 227,989, respectively, by 29 February 2020. In the second assumption, Rt was assumed to gradually decrease at different phases from high level of transmission (Rt  = 3.1, 2.6, and 1.9) to below 1 (Rt  = 0.9 or 0.5) owing to increasingly implemented public health intervention. Several phases were divided by the dates when various levels of prevention and control measures were taken in effect in Wuhan. The estimated number of infections would reach the peak in late February, which is 58,077-84,520 or 55,869-81,393. Whether or not the peak of the number of infections would occur in February 2020 may be an important index for evaluating the sufficiency of the current measures taken in China. Regardless of the occurrence of the peak, the currently strict measures in Wuhan should be continuously implemented and necessary strict public health measures should be applied in other locations in China with high number of COVID-19 cases, in order to reduce Rt to an ideal level and control the infection.

Maternal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin suppresses male reproductive functions in their adulthood

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant in the environment. The developmental period is more sensitive to TCDD and there is a possibility that maternal exposure to TCDD may affect in adulthood. Adult female Wistar rats were exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 µg/kg TCDD during the critical stage of organogenesis, that is, on GD15. The results revealed a significant decrease in indices of reproductive organ weight in adult male rats exposed to prenatal TCDD, and dose-dependent reduction in epididymal sperm reserves, percent motile, and viable sperm with an increase in percent morphological abnormal sperm. Polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed downregulated expression levels of steroidogenic markers such as steroidogenic acute regulatory, cholesterol side-chain cleavage, and 3β- and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDs) in experimental rats. Immunofluorescence sections portrayed reduced distribution of 3β- and 17β-HSD proteins in testes of experimental rats. Furthermore, spermatogenic markers (acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and sorbitol dehydrogenase) were significantly altered in the testes. Serum levels of testosterone, follicle stimulating hormones, and luteinizing hormone were significantly decreased. Testicular levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation were significantly elevated with a decline in superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase activities, and total thiol levels. Moreover, histological and morphometric examination of testicular cross-sections depicted degenerative changes. Male fertility assessment in adult rats revealed a significant decrease in mating index, fertility index, and mean number of pre- and postimplantations with an increase in pre- and postimplantation losses in rats cohabited with in utero TCDD-exposed adult males. In conclusion, the findings of this study provided clear evidence that maternal exposure to TCDD during the critical stage of development results in suppressed reproductive health in adulthood.

Tailoring spontaneous infrared emission of HgTe quantum dots with laser-printed plasmonic arrays

Chemically synthesized near-infrared to mid-infrared (IR) colloidal quantum dots (QDs) offer a promising platform for the realization of devices including emitters, detectors, security, and sensor systems. However, at longer wavelengths, the quantum yield of such QDs decreases as the radiative emission rate drops following Fermi's golden rule, while non-radiative recombination channels compete with light emission. Control over the radiative and non-radiative channels of the IR-emitting QDs is crucially important to improve the performance of IR-range devices. Here, we demonstrate strong enhancement of the spontaneous emission rate of near- to mid-IR HgTe QDs coupled to periodically arranged plasmonic nanoantennas, in the form of nanobumps, produced on the surface of glass-supported Au films via ablation-free direct femtosecond laser printing. The enhancement is achieved by simultaneous radiative coupling of the emission that spectrally matches the first-order lattice resonance of the arrays, as well as more efficient photoluminescence excitation provided by coupling of the pump radiation to the local surface plasmon resonances of the isolated nanoantennas. Moreover, coupling of the HgTe QDs to the lattice plasmons reduces the influence of non-radiative decay losses mediated by the formation of polarons formed between QD surface-trapped carriers and the IR absorption bands of dodecanethiol used as a ligand on the QDs, allowing us to improve the shape of the emission spectrum through a reduction in the spectral dip related to this ligand coupling. Considering the ease of the chemical synthesis and processing of the HgTe QDs combined with the scalability of the direct laser fabrication of nanoantennas with tailored plasmonic responses, our results provide an important step towards the design of IR-range devices for various applications.

A study of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging features and influence factors of pelvic bone marrow in adult females

Perfusion of the pelvic bone marrow is reduced in the postmenopausal group and with age. Quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI could reflect the blood supply characteristics and hemodynamic changes of the pelvic bone marrow. These results contribute to the description of osteoporosis in the postmenopausal females and the elderly.

INTRODUCTION

To investigate the effect of menstrual status and age on the perfusion of pelvic bone marrow in adult females using quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI).

METHODS

In total, 96 adult females who underwent DCE-MRI between September 2017 and December 2017 were included. All the subjects' quantitative DCE-MRI parameters of pelvic bone marrow were measured and retrospectively analyzed, including K^trans (volume transfer constant), K_ep (efflux rate constant), and V_e (interstitial volume). According to their menstrual status, the subjects were divided into a premenopausal group (n = 39) and a postmenopausal group (n = 57), and the two groups were then divided into four subgroups according to age. The intraobserver reliability was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The parameters were compared between different menstrual status groups and age subgroups by Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the age and the quantitative parameters.

RESULTS

The ICCs of the K^trans, K_ep, and V_e values were 0.989, 0.974, and 0.920, respectively. K^trans, K_ep, and V_e of the premenopausal group were significantly higher than those of the postmenopausal group (P < 0.05). The overall age was negatively correlated with K^trans, K_ep, and V_e (r = - 0.590, - 0.357, and - 0.381, respectively, P < 0.05). In the premenopausal group, K^trans and V_e were significantly higher in subgroup 1 (≤ 40 years) compared with subgroup 2 (> 40 years) (P < 0.05), and age showed a negative correlation with K^trans and V_e (r = - 0.344 and - 0.334, respectively, P < 0.05). In the postmenopausal group, K^trans and K_ep were significantly higher in subgroup 3 (≤ 60 years) compared with subgroup 4 (> 60 years) (P < 0.05), and age showed a negative correlation with K^trans and K_ep (r = - 0.460 and - 0.303, respectively, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Menstrual status and age have significant effects on the perfusion of the pelvic bone marrow microenvironment in adult females and that the microenvironment of the pelvic bone marrow displays different changes at different age stages. Quantitative DCE-MRI has contributed to the interpretation of the pelvic bone marrow perfusion status.

Protective effect of tauroursodeoxycholic acid on the autophagy of nerve cells in rats with acute spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact and protective effect of tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) on the autophagy of nerve cells in rats with acute spinal cord injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventy-two 6-8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected and were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a saline control group and a TUDCA treatment group (high and low dose groups). The experimental animals were sacrificed at 24 hours, 5 days and 10 days after spinal cord injury. The Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan locomotor scale was used to assess the hind limb locomotor function after the rats were injured but before sudden death. Electron microscopy, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, TUNEL assays and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to observe the autophagy of the cells. Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of the autophagy-related factor Beclin-1 and the apoptosis-related factor caspase-3, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze the mRNA expression levels of the above proteins.

RESULTS

The locomotor scores of the rats in the saline group were significantly reduced, their Beclin-1 expression levels in neurons were decreased, and caspase-3 expression was increased. The hind limb locomotor scores of rats in the TUDCA groups were decreased, with no difference between the high- and low-dose groups. Beclin-1 expression in their neurons was increased, and caspase-3 expression was decreased; there was a significant difference when compared with the control group, while there was no significant difference between the high- and low-dose groups.

CONCLUSIONS

TUDCA significantly activates the neuronal autophagic expression in rats with acute spinal cord injury to inhibit the apoptosis of nerve cells; therefore, it has a protective effect on neurons.

Long noncoding RNA Lnc01614 promotes the occurrence and development of gastric cancer by activating EMT pathway

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression characteristics of long noncoding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) lnc01614 in gastric cancer, so as to further investigate its roles in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer and its potential regulatory mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of lnc01614 in 79 pairs of gastric cancer tissues and normal adjacent tissues. The correlations of lnc01614 expression with pathological parameters of gastric cancer and prognoses of patients were also analyzed. QRT-PCR was employed to further verify the expression of lnc01614 in gastric cancer cells. Lnc01614 knockdown expression models were established using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in gastric cancer cell strains (SGC-7901 and AGS). The effect of lnc01614 on the biological function of gastric cancer cells was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell invasion and migration assay. Lastly, Western blotting was performed to explore its potential mechanism.

RESULTS

The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression of lnc01614 in gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues. Compared with patients with low expression of lnc01614, patients with high expression of lnc01614 had higher tumor staging, greater lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis rates, and lower overall survival rate. In comparison with the negative control si-NC group, cell proliferation, invasion and migration abilities in lnc01614 knockdown expression group (si-lnc01614) were significantly decreased. Western blotting results indicated that si-lnc01614 group exhibited increased E-cadherin expression, and significantly reduced vimentin and snail expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Lnc01614 was upregulated in gastric cancer and significantly correlated with gastric cancer staging, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and poor prognosis. Lnc01614 may promote the proliferation, invasion and migration capabilities of gastric cancer through the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway.

Secondary radiation measurements for particle therapy applications: Charged secondaries produced by 16O ion beams in a PMMA target at large angles

Particle therapy is a therapy technique that exploits protons or light ions to irradiate tumor targets with high accuracy. Protons and ¹²C ions are already used for irradiation in clinical routine, while new ions like ⁴He and ¹⁶O are currently being considered. Despite the indisputable physical and biological advantages of such ion beams, the planning of charged particle therapy treatments is challenged by range uncertainties, i.e. the uncertainty on the position of the maximal dose release (Bragg Peak - BP), during the treatment. To ensure correct 'in-treatment' dose deposition, range monitoring techniques, currently missing in light ion treatment techniques, are eagerly needed. The results presented in this manuscript indicate that charged secondary particles, mainly protons, produced by an ¹⁶O beam during target irradiation can be considered as candidates for ¹⁶O beam range monitoring. Hereafter, we report on the first yield measurements of protons, deuterons and tritons produced in the interaction of an ¹⁶O beam impinging on a PMMA target, as a function of detected energy and particle production position. Charged particles were detected at 90° and 60° with respect to incoming beam direction, and homogeneous and heterogeneous PMMA targets were used to probe the sensitivity of the technique to target inhomogeneities. The reported secondary particle yields provide essential information needed to assess the accuracy and resolution achievable in clinical conditions by range monitoring techniques based on secondary charged radiation.

Review and performance of the Dose Profiler, a particle therapy treatments online monitor

Particle therapy (PT) can exploit heavy ions (such as He, C or O) to enhance the treatment efficacy, profiting from the increased Relative Biological Effectiveness and Oxygen Enhancement Ratio of these projectiles with respect to proton beams. To maximise the gain in tumor control probability a precise online monitoring of the dose release is needed, avoiding unnecessary large safety margins surroundings the tumor volume accounting for possible patient mispositioning or morphological changes with respect to the initial CT scan. The Dose Profiler (DP) detector, presented in this manuscript, is a scintillating fibres tracker of charged secondary particles (mainly protons) that will be operating during the treatment, allowing for an online range monitoring. Such monitoring technique is particularly promising in the context of heavy ions PT, in which the precision achievable by other techniques based on secondary photons detection is limited by the environmental background during the beam delivery. Developed and built at the SBAI department of "La Sapienza", within the INSIDE collaboration and as part of a Centro Fermi flagship project, the DP is a tracker detector specifically designed and planned for clinical applications inside a PT treatment room. The DP operation in clinical like conditions has been tested with the proton and carbon ions beams of Trento proton-therapy center and of the CNAO facility. In this contribution the detector performances are presented, in the context of the carbon ions monitoring clinical trial that is about to start at the CNAO centre.

Mutation of the rice TCM12 gene encoding 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate-independent phosphoglycerate mutase affects chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis and chloroplast development at seedling stage at low temperatures

Glycolysis is a central metabolic pathway that provides energy and products of primary metabolites. 2,3-Biphosphoglycerate-independent phosphoglycerate mutase (iPGAM) is a key enzyme that catalyses the reversible interconversion of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) to 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PGA) in glycolysis. Low temperature is a common abiotic stress in rice production. However, the mechanism for rice iPGAM genes is not fully understood at low temperature. In this study, the rice mutant tcm12, with chlorosis, malformed chloroplasts and impaired photosynthesis, was grown at a low temperature (<20 °C) to the three-leaf stage, while the normal phenotype at 32 °C was used. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine features of the tcm12 mutant. The inheritance behaviour and function of TCM12 were then analysed thorough map-based cloning, transgenic complementation and subcellular localisation. The thermo-sensitive chlorosis phenotype was caused by a single nucleotide mutation (T→C) on the fifth exon of TCM12 (LOC_Os12g35040) encoding iPGAM, localised to both nucleus and membranes. In addition, TCM12 was constitutively expressed, and its disruption resulted in down-regulation of some genes associated with chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis at low temperatures (20 °C). This is the first report of the involvement of rice iPGAM gene in chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis and chloroplast development, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying early growth of rice at low temperatures.

[SIVA1 Regulates the Stability of Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein 3 Isoforms]

The assembly of LIM-homeodomain (LIM-HD) transcriptional complex plays important roles in early neuronal development. The stability of LIM-HD is controlled by single-strand binding protein 3 (SSBP3) via a cascade mechanism protecting it from proteasomal degradation. The expression level of SSBP3 has to be precisely regulated. Although a decrease of SSBP3 level is associated with several diseases, the mechanism of SSBP3 downregulation and whether SSBP3 itself is subject to proteasomal degradation remain largely unknown. Two strongly conserved transcripts of the SSBP3 gene, SSBP3a and SSBP3c, were cloned from a human brain cDNA library. By RT-PCR, we show that Ssbp3c is continuously expressed in both embryonic and adult mouse brain, whereas Ssbp3a is restricted to embryonic brain tissue. By co-IP and GST pulldown assays, we identified SIVA1 as a novel SSBP3-binding factor. In a ubiquitination assay, we show that SIVA1 enhances the ubiquitination of SSBP3 and regulates its abundance. Our findings reveal the proteasomal degradation of SSBP3 for the first time and provide a rationale for an SIVAl-SSBP3-dependent mechanism for the disassembly of LIM-HD multiprotein complexes.