ΛΛ Correlation function in Au+Au collisions at √[S(NN)]=200 GeV

We present ΛΛ correlation measurements in heavy-ion collisions for Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. The Lednický-Lyuboshitz analytical model has been used to fit the data to obtain a source size, a scattering length and an effective range. Implications of the measurement of the ΛΛ correlation function and interaction parameters for dihyperon searches are discussed.

Observation of D0 meson nuclear modifications in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV

We report the first measurement of charmed-hadron (D(0)) production via the hadronic decay channel (D(0) → K(-) + π(+)) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV with the STAR experiment. The charm production cross section per nucleon-nucleon collision at midrapidity scales with the number of binary collisions, N(bin), from p+p to central Au+Au collisions. The D(0) meson yields in central Au + Au collisions are strongly suppressed compared to those in p+p scaled by N(bin), for transverse momenta p(T) > 3 GeV/c, demonstrating significant energy loss of charm quarks in the hot and dense medium. An enhancement at intermediate p(T) is also observed. Model calculations including strong charm-medium interactions and coalescence hadronization describe our measurements.

Beam energy dependence of moments of the net-charge multiplicity distributions in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

We report the first measurements of the moments--mean (M), variance (σ(2)), skewness (S), and kurtosis (κ)--of the net-charge multiplicity distributions at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at seven energies, ranging from sqrt[sNN]=7.7 to 200 GeV, as a part of the Beam Energy Scan program at RHIC. The moments are related to the thermodynamic susceptibilities of net charge, and are sensitive to the location of the QCD critical point. We compare the products of the moments, σ(2)/M, Sσ, and κσ(2), with the expectations from Poisson and negative binomial distributions (NBDs). The Sσ values deviate from the Poisson baseline and are close to the NBD baseline, while the κσ(2) values tend to lie between the two. Within the present uncertainties, our data do not show nonmonotonic behavior as a function of collision energy. These measurements provide a valuable tool to extract the freeze-out parameters in heavy-ion collisions by comparing with theoretical models.

Measurement of longitudinal spin asymmetries for weak boson production in polarized proton-proton collisions at RHIC

We report measurements of single- and double-spin asymmetries for W^{±} and Z/γ^{*} boson production in longitudinally polarized p+p collisions at sqrt[s]=510  GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The asymmetries for W^{±} were measured as a function of the decay lepton pseudorapidity, which provides a theoretically clean probe of the proton's polarized quark distributions at the scale of the W mass. The results are compared to theoretical predictions, constrained by polarized deep inelastic scattering measurements, and show a preference for a sizable, positive up antiquark polarization in the range 0.05<x<0.2.

Beam-energy dependence of charge separation along the magnetic field in Au+Au collisions at RHIC

Local parity-odd domains are theorized to form inside a quark-gluon plasma which has been produced in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. The local parity-odd domains manifest themselves as charge separation along the magnetic field axis via the chiral magnetic effect. The experimental observation of charge separation has previously been reported for heavy-ion collisions at the top RHIC energies. In this Letter, we present the results of the beam-energy dependence of the charge correlations in Au+Au collisions at midrapidity for center-of-mass energies of 7.7, 11.5, 19.6, 27, 39, and 62.4 GeV from the STAR experiment. After background subtraction, the signal gradually reduces with decreased beam energy and tends to vanish by 7.7 GeV. This implies the dominance of hadronic interactions over partonic ones at lower collision energies.

The risk of placental abruption and placenta previa in pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B viral infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Several epidemiological studies have found a positive association between chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection and the risk of placental abruption and placenta previa, but various studies have reported conflicting findings. The objective was to systematically review the literature to determine a possible association between CHB infection and these two placental complications.

METHODS

We conducted a computerized search in electronic database through March 1, 2014, supplemented with a manual search of reference lists, to identify original published research on placental abruption and placenta previa rates in women with CHB infection. Data were independently extracted, and relative risks were calculated. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata version 10.0 software.

RESULTS

Five studies involving 9088 placenta previa cases were identified. No significant association between CHB infection and placenta previa was identified (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.60-1.62). Five studies involving 15571 placental abruption cases were identified. No significant association between CHB infection and placental abruption was identified (OR = 1.42, 95% CI, 0.93-2.15).

DISCUSSION

The immune response against the virus represents a key factor in determining infection outcomes. No observation of significant increased risk of the placental complications could be partially explained by the complex immune response during CHB infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis found no evidence of significant associations between CHB infection and increased risk of placental abruption as well as placenta previa. Further well-designed studies were warranted to assess any potential association between CHB infection and increased risk of placental abruption as well as placenta previa.

Dielectron mass spectra from Au+Au collisions at √[s(NN)]=200 GeV

We report the STAR measurements of dielectron (e(+)e(-)) production at midrapidity (|y(ee)|<1) in Au+Au collisions at √[s(NN)]=200  GeV. The measurements are evaluated in different invariant mass regions with a focus on 0.30-0.76 (ρ-like), 0.76-0.80 (ω-like), and 0.98-1.05 (ϕ-like)   GeV/c(2). The spectrum in the ω-like and ϕ-like regions can be well described by the hadronic cocktail simulation. In the ρ-like region, however, the vacuum ρ spectral function cannot describe the shape of the dielectron excess. In this range, an enhancement of 1.77±0.11(stat)±0.24(syst)±0.33(cocktail) is determined with respect to the hadronic cocktail simulation that excludes the ρ meson. The excess yield in the ρ-like region increases with the number of collision participants faster than the ω and ϕ yields. Theoretical models with broadened ρ contributions through interactions with constituents in the hot QCD medium provide a consistent description of the dilepton mass spectra for the measurement presented here and the earlier data at the Super Proton Synchrotron energies.

[Anisakis simplex larvae: infection status in marine fishes for sale in Shantou]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the infection status of Anisakis simplex larvae in marine fishes for sale in Shantou.

METHODS

Marine fishes were randomly collected from markets in Shantou City from February to December 2013, and then classified. The viscera and muscle of each fish were carefully dissected and thoroughly examined for anisakids. The larvae were examined under a light microscope. The infection rate and intensity of Anisakis simplex larvae were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 382 fish specimens belonging to 52 species were examined. 42 out of 52 species (80.8%) were found infected by A. simplex larvae. The overall infection rate reached 47.4% (181/382), and average 5.5 larvae parasitized per infected fish (995/181). The survival rate of larvae was 100%. The highest infection rate observed was 100% in Scomber australasicus (4/4), Trachurus japonicus (9/9), Decapterus maruadsi (8/8), Lutjanus lutjanus (9/9), Argyrosomus argentatus (4/4), Nibea albiflora (4/4), Nemipterus bathybius (12/12), Trachinocephalus myops (7/7) and Mene maculata (9/9), followed by 16/18 in Pneumatophorus japonicus, 6/7 in Lutjanus ophuysenii and 5/6 in Lutjanus fulvus. A. simplex larvae were not detected in 10 fish species, namely, Megalaspis cordyla, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Lutjanus fulviflamma, Acanthopagrus australis, Acanthopagrus latus, Plectorhinchus nigrus, Dentex tumifrons, Psenopsis anomala, Scatophagus argus, and Seriola lalandi. The infection intensity was the highest in Lutjanus fulvus (21.0 per fish), followed by Trachinocephalus myops (16.7 per fish), Saurida filamentosa (14.0 per fish) and Mene maculate (10.1 per fish). The lowest infection intensity was found in Rastrelliger kanagurta, Kaiwarinus equula, Atule mate, Lutjanus russellii, Plectorhinchus cinctus, Priacanthus tayenus, Branchiostegus argentatus, Branchiostegus albus, Sphyraena pinguis, Formio niger, Trachinotus blochii, Siganus fuscescens and Choerodon azurio (less than 2 per fish). The highest infection rate (34.3%, 131/382) was found in the mesentery. The infection intensity was highest in pyloric appendage (3.5 per fish). A. simplex larvae were not found in muscle. The highest infection rate (60.2%, 74/123) was found in fishes with body weight of 100-200 g. The infection intensity was highest in fish with body weight of 301-400 g (7.8 per fish).

CONCLUSION

The infection rate of A. simplex larvae is high in marine fishes from Shantou markets.

Aspirin may modify tumor microenvironment via antiplatelet effect

High-quality evidence suggests that aspirin is a promising agent for cancer prevention and treatment. Direct inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) pathway is generally thought to be the main mechanism by which aspirin inhibits cancer development. However, either pharmacological properties of aspirin or recent results of epidemiologic studies do not support that mechanism. To address this inconsistency, we hypothesize that antiplatelet effect of aspirin via inhibition of COX-1 may be one of potential mechanisms to inhibit carcinogenesis. Aberrant platelet activation will lead to promote hostility of tumor microenvironment by releasing an abundant array of angiogenesis regulators. Given the outstanding ability of antiplatelet, aspirin may restore balance of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors released from platelet to "normalize" tumor vasculature and shape tumor microenvironment to some extent, which will not only diminish tumor aggressiveness and progression, but also enhance the sensitivity to therapeutic treatment. Thus, targeting the platelet activation leading to alter tumor microenvironment may provide a novel way to tumor therapy.

Correlation between the NPPB gene promoter c.-1298 G/T polymorphism site and pulse pressure in the Chinese Han population

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the natriuretic peptide precursor B (NPPB) gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.-1298 G/T and pulse pressure (PP) of the Chinese Han population and the association between genotype and clinical indicators of hypertension. Peripheral blood was collected from 180 unrelated patients with hypertension and 540 healthy volunteers (control group), and DNA was extracted to amplify the 5'-flanking region and 2 exons of the NPPB gene by polymerase chain reaction; the fragment was sequenced after purification. The clinical data of all subjects were recorded, the distribution of the NPPB gene c.-1298 G/T polymorphism was determined, and differences in clinical indicators between the two groups were evaluated. The mean arterial pressure PP, and creatinine levels were significantly higher in the hypertension group than in the control group (P<0.05), but no other clinical indicators differed between the groups. There were no significant differences in genotype frequency and distribution of the NPPB gene c.-1298 G/T polymorphism between the hypertension group and the control group (P>0.05); in the control group, the mean PP of individuals with the SNP c.-1298 GG genotype was greater than that of individuals with the GT+TT genotype (P<0.05). In conclusion, there was no significant correlation between the NPPB gene c.-1298 G/T polymorphism and the incidence of essential hypertension in the Han population; however, the PP of the SNP c.-1298 GG genotype was greater than that of the GT+TT genotype in the control group.

Beam-energy dependence of the directed flow of protons, antiprotons, and pions in Au+Au collisions

Rapidity-odd directed flow (v1) measurements for charged pions, protons, and antiprotons near midrapidity (y=0) are reported in sNN=7.7, 11.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV Au+Au collisions as recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. At intermediate impact parameters, the proton and net-proton slope parameter dv1/dy|y=0 shows a minimum between 11.5 and 19.6 GeV. In addition, the net-proton dv1/dy|y=0 changes sign twice between 7.7 and 39 GeV. The proton and net-proton results qualitatively resemble predictions of a hydrodynamic model with a first-order phase transition from hadronic matter to deconfined matter, and differ from hadronic transport calculations.

cDNA cloning and expression characterization of serum transferrin gene from oriental weatherfish Misgurnus anguillicaudatus

In this study, the cDNA coding serum transferrin (stf) of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (mastf) was cloned. mastf cDNA is composed of 2326 bp with a 2007 bp open reading frame encoding 668 amino acids. The deduced Mastf protein consists of a signal peptide, two lobes (N and C-lobes) and signature motifs of transferrin (Tf) family. The results of tissue distribution indicated that mastf mRNA was predominantly expressed in the liver. The results indicate that the mastf expression increased significantly in liver, blood, spleen and head kidney after the challenge with Aeromonas sobria, acting as a positive acute protein, suggesting that mastf is related to the immune response. The cloning and expression analysis of mastf further demonstrates the evolutionary conservation of Stf and immune function in vertebrates.

Jet-hadron correlations in √[s(NN)]=200 GeV p+p and central Au+Au collisions

Azimuthal angular correlations of charged hadrons with respect to the axis of a reconstructed (trigger) jet in Au+Au and p+p collisions at √[s(NN)]=200  GeV in STAR are presented. The trigger jet population in Au+Au collisions is biased toward jets that have not interacted with the medium, allowing easier matching of jet energies between Au+Au and p+p collisions while enhancing medium effects on the recoil jet. The associated hadron yield of the recoil jet is significantly suppressed at high transverse momentum (pTassoc) and enhanced at low pTassoc in 0%-20% central Au+Au collisions compared to p+p collisions, which is indicative of medium-induced parton energy loss in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Energy dependence of moments of net-proton multiplicity distributions at RHIC

We report the beam energy (sqrt[sNN]=7.7-200  GeV) and collision centrality dependence of the mean (M), standard deviation (σ), skewness (S), and kurtosis (κ) of the net-proton multiplicity distributions in Au+Au collisions. The measurements are carried out by the STAR experiment at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) and within the transverse momentum range 0.4<pT<0.8  GeV/c in the first phase of the Beam Energy Scan program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. These measurements are important for understanding the quantum chromodynamic phase diagram. The products of the moments, Sσ and κσ2, are sensitive to the correlation length of the hot and dense medium created in the collisions and are related to the ratios of baryon number susceptibilities of corresponding orders. The products of moments are found to have values significantly below the Skellam expectation and close to expectations based on independent proton and antiproton production. The measurements are compared to a transport model calculation to understand the effect of acceptance and baryon number conservation and also to a hadron resonance gas model.

Prognostic factors and treatment comparison in small cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinicopathologic factors associated with survival in small cell neuroendocrine cervical cancer (SCNEC) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital. The records of 64 SCNEC patients from 9,474 Chinese patients with cervical cancer at the Zhejiang Cancer Hospital were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used for analyses.

RESULTS

Of 64 patients, 47 had Stages I-IIA, 12 had Stages IIB-IVA, and five had Stage IV-B disease. A total of 81.25% underwent surgery, 89.1% received chemotherapy, 62.5% received radiation, 34.4% received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), and 34.4% received concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT). The median follow-up for surviving patients was 35.7 months (range: 0.5-160), and 29 (50%) of the 58 patients with Stages I-III had either disease recurrence or progression. The median time to first relapse was 10.5 months (range: 0-88.2). The five-year overall survival of patients in Stages I-IIA and IIB-IVB disease was 54.4% and 9.8%, respectively (p = 0.001). Women with early-stage (Stages IIBIIA) disease had median survival rates of 94 months compared with 21.4 months in the advanced-stage (Stages IIB-IVB) group. In univariate analysis, advanced-stage (p = 0.001), without radical surgery (p = 0.002) and deep stromal invasion (DSI) (p = 0.000) were considered poor prognostic factors. In a multivariable analysis, tumor size > four cm (p = 0.048), postoperative radiation (p = 0.038) for early-stage patients and the FIGO stage (p = 0.040) of disease in the overall population remained as independent prognostic factor of survival.

CONCLUSION

The FIGO stage was found to be an independent prognostic factor of SCNEC. In addition, tumor size > four cm and DSI was associated with poor survival. Postoperative radiation for early-stage patients may not improve survival. The role of primary and postoperative NACT or CCRT is unclear. Clinical trials are needed.

[Analysis of malaria epidemic situation in Shantou City from 1992 to 2012]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the epidemic characteristics, regular pattern and trend of malaria in Shantou City, Guangdong Province.

METHODS

The historical data of malaria were collected and analyzed by the descriptive epidemiological methods in Shantou City from 1992 to 2012.

RESULTS

A total of 556 malaria cases were reported in Shantou City from 1992 to 2012, with the annually incidence of 0.056 cases per 10 thousand. After 2003, no secondary cases and local outbreak of malaria occurred. The ratio of male to female was 3.34: 1, and 82.73% of the patients were aged from 15 to 45 years. The peasants (including workers from the village) and factory workers most easily suffered from malaria with a proportion of 39.21% and 18.35%, respectively. Nevertheless there was an exception in some year.

CONCLUSION

There is still some reported cases of malaria each year in Shantou City, therefore, we should continue to strengthen the preventive and monitoring measures.

Molecular characterization of the pseudorabies virus UL2 gene

A 948-bp sequence of the UL2 gene was amplified from the pseudorabies virus (PRV) Becker strain genome using polymerase chain reaction, and the gene identity was confirmed through further cloning and sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the PRV UL2 gene encodes a putative polypeptide with 315-amino acid residues. Its encoding protein, designated UL2, has a conserved uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG)_F1 domain, which is closely related to the herpesvirus UDG family and is highly conserved among its counterparts encoded by UDG genes. Multiple nucleic acid and amino acid sequence alignments suggested that the product of PRV UL2 has a relatively higher homology with UL2-like proteins of Alphaherpesvirinae than that of other subfamilies of Herpesviridae. In addition, phylogenetic analysis showed that PRV UL2 had a close evolutionary relationship with members of Alphaherpesvirinae, especially members of the genus Varicellovirus of bovine herpesvirus 1 and bovine herpesvirus 5. Antigen prediction indicated the presence of several potential B-cell epitopes in PRV UL2. In addition, secondary structure and 3-dimensional structure prediction revealed that PRV UL2 consisted predominantly of an α-helix. Taken together, these results provide molecular biological insight for the further study of the function and mechanism of UL2 during PRV infection.

Measurement of J/ψ azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV

The measurement of J/ψ azimuthal anisotropy is presented as a function of transverse momentum for different centralities in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=200 GeV. The measured J/ψ elliptic flow is consistent with zero within errors for transverse momentum between 2 and 10 GeV/c. Our measurement suggests that J/ψ particles with relatively large transverse momenta are not dominantly produced by coalescence from thermalized charm quarks, when comparing to model calculations.

Correlation of endogenous hormonal levels, fibroglandular tissue volume and percent density measured using 3D MRI during one menstrual cycle

BACKGROUND

We measured breast density (BD) on MRI and correlated with endogenous hormonal levels.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-four premenopausal women received four weekly breast MRI. A blood sample was collected on the same day of MRI. BD was measured using a computer-based algorithm. The generalized estimation equation method was applied to model mean fibroglandular tissue volume (FV) and mean percent density (PD) from predictor variables including estradiol, progesterone, and week during a cycle.

RESULTS

In week 3, a borderline significant correlation between estradiol and PD (r = 0.43, P = 0.04), estradiol and FV (r = 0.40, P = 0.05) and between progesterone and FV (r = 0.42, P = 0.04) was noted. The FV and PD measured in weeks 4 and 1 were higher than in weeks 2 and 3, adjusted for variation in endogenous estradiol and progesterone, indicating that the hormone change could not account for the changes in density. No lag effect of endogenous hormone on the change of FV or PD was noted (all P-values > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that BD is not strongly associated with the endogenous hormone. Their association with breast cancer risk was likely coming from different mechanisms, and they should be considered as independent risk factors.

Synthesis of nanowires via helium and neon focused ion beam induced deposition with the gas field ion microscope

The ion beam induced nanoscale synthesis of platinum nanowires using the trimethyl (methylcyclopentadienyl)platinum(IV) (MeCpPt(IV)Me3) precursor is investigated using helium and neon ion beams in the gas field ion microscope. The He(+) beam induced deposition resembles material deposited by electron beam induced deposition with very small platinum nanocrystallites suspended in a carbonaceous matrix. The He(+) deposited material composition was estimated to be 16% Pt in a matrix of amorphous carbon with a large room-temperature resistivity (∼3.5 × 10(4)-2.2 × 10(5) μΩ cm) and temperature-dependent transport behavior consistent with a granular material in the weak intergrain tunnel coupling regime. The Ne(+) deposited material has comparable composition (17%), however a much lower room-temperature resistivity (∼600-3.0 × 10(3) μΩ cm) and temperature-dependent electrical behavior representative of strong intergrain coupling. The Ne(+) deposited nanostructure has larger platinum nanoparticles and is rationalized via Monte Carlo ion-solid simulations which show that the neon energy density deposited during growth is much larger due to the smaller ion range and is dominated by nuclear stopping relative to helium which has a larger range and is dominated by electronic stopping.

Treatment with EGCG promotes doxorubicin-induced cell senescence in gastric cancer cell line MKN28

AIM: To investigate the effect of treatment with (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on EZH2 expression and doxorubicin-induced cell senescence in gastric cancer cell line MKN28.

METHODS: MKN28 cells were treated with EGCG in the presence or absence of doxorubicin. Protein expression of EZH2 was detected by Western blot. Doxorubicin-induced senescence of MKN28 cells was analyzed by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining. The formation of senescence-associated heterochromatic foci (SAHF) was measured by laser confocal microscopy. Cell cycle progression and cell proliferation of treated MKN28 cells were measured by flow cytometry and MTT assay, respectively.

RESULTS: EGCG effectively suppressed the expression of EZH2 protein and promoted doxorubicin-induced cell senescence and formation of SAHF in MKN28 cells. In the EGCG + doxorubicin group, the percentages of cells positive for SA-β-gal and SAHF formation proportion were increased more significantly than those in the doxorubicin group and EGCG group (72.16% ± 4.03% vs 34.42% ± 7.06%, 15.40% ± 1.70%; 86.44% ± 4.33% vs 47.73% ± 3.03%, 80.28% ± 1.24%). In EGCG-treated MKN28 cells, the proportion of cells in G₀/G₁ phase and reduced rate of cell proliferation increased with the increase in the concentration of EGCG, and this effect was more notable in the presence of doxorubicin.

CONCLUSION: EGCG can effectively suppress the expression of EZH2 and therefore promote doxorubicin-induced cell senescence in MKN28 cells.

Observation of an energy-dependent difference in elliptic flow between particles and antiparticles in relativistic heavy ion collisions

Elliptic flow (v(2)) values for identified particles at midrapidity in Au + Au collisions, measured by the STAR experiment in the beam energy scan at RHIC at sqrt[s(NN)] = 7.7-62.4 GeV, are presented. A beam-energy-dependent difference of the values of v(2) between particles and corresponding antiparticles was observed. The difference increases with decreasing beam energy and is larger for baryons compared to mesons. This implies that, at lower energies, particles and antiparticles are not consistent with the universal number-of-constituent-quark scaling of v(2) that was observed at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV.

Preparation and characterization of an antiserum against truncated UL54 protein of pseudorabies virus

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) early protein UL54 is a homolog of herpes simplex virus 1 immediate-early protein ICP27, which is a multifunctional protein essential for the virus replication. However, the precise role of the PRV UL54 protein in the virus life cycle is still poorly understood. To shed more light on this problem, we considered it essential to have available an antiserum specifically detecting this protein. Since it was known that a full-length UL54 protein is a too big molecule for efficient expression in prokaryotic systems, it was truncated from 1 to 66 N-terminal amino acids, fused to EYFP-His tag and expressed in Escherichia coli through an appropriate expression vector. The truncated protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and used for raising an antiserum in rabbits. Western blot analysis showed that this antiserum specifically recognized the purified truncated as well as full-length UL54 protein in PRV-infected cells. Immunofluorescence assay confirmed the latter finding and also demonstrated localization of this protein first in nucleoli and later in whole nuclei of PRV-infected cells. These results indicate that the prepared antiserum could serve as a valuable tool in further studies of PRV UL54 protein function.