[Epidemiological characteristics of mumps among people aged 0-14 in Jiangxi Province, 2015-2022]

Objective: To analyze the epidemic characteristics of mumps in people aged 0-14 years in Jiangxi Province and the vaccination situation of mumps-containing vaccines (including mumps vaccines) from 2015 to 2022 to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of mumps epidemic in Jiangxi Province. Methods: The mumps epidemic situation and mumps vaccination data in Jiangxi Province from 2015 to 2022 were obtained from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System and Jiangxi Immunization Program Information System and were analyzed using descriptive epidemiological methods. The chi-square test, cluster analysis, and Cochran-Armitage trend test were used for statistical analysis. Results: From 2015 to 2022, a total of 40 734 cases of mumps were reported in people aged 0-14 in Jiangxi Province, with an annual average reported incidence rate of 53.69/100 000, and the peak of incidence occurred in aged 6-7 years group, and the reported incidence rate was 86.43/100 000. The high incidence seasons in 2015-2019 were summer and winter, and there was no significant high incidence season in 2020-2022. Mumps outbreaks mainly occurred in Shangrao, Ganzhou, and Ji'an, and the outbreak sites were mainly reported primary schools. From 2015 to 2019, the 1-year group was the primary age group for vaccination against mumps, while from 2020 to 2021, it was 0 and 1-year groups. Conclusions: From 2015 to 2022, the incidence of mumps in the population aged 0-14 in Jiangxi Province showed a downward trend, and the peak of incidence occurred in age group 6-7 years. It is suggested to continue to strengthen the coverage rate of 2 doses of mumps vaccination for school-age children and, simultaneously, strengthen the monitoring and prevention of mumps in key places to avoid outbreaks.

[Application of autoregressive integrated moving average model to predict and analyze the incidence trend of mumps in Jiangxi Province]

Objective: To predict and analyze the incidence trend of mumps using the Autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) in Jiangxi Province. Methods: The ARIMA was used to model the number of mumps cases per month from 2015 to 2019 in Jiangxi Province. The number of mumps cases in 12 months was predicted and was compared with the actual reported cases in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. Results: The optimal model was ARIMA (0,2,1)(1,2,0)12. The predicted number of cases was significantly higher than that reported in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The number of reported cases of mumps in 2020, 2021, and 2022 decreased by 54.02%, 63.40%, and 66.09% compared with the forecast. Conclusions: From 2020 to 2022, the reported incidence of mumps in Jiangxi Province was significantly lower than the predicted incidence. Considering that it was related to non-drug intervention measures and changes in immunization strategies, it was suggested to strengthen mumps surveillance further to better cope with the epidemic situation of mumps.

Single hormone or synthetic agonist induces Gs/Gi coupling selectivity of EP receptors via distinct binding modes and propagating paths

To accomplish concerted physiological reactions, nature has diversified functions of a single hormone at at least two primary levels: 1) Different receptors recognize the same hormone, and 2) different cellular effectors couple to the same hormone-receptor pair [R.P. Xiao, Sci STKE 2001, re15 (2001); L. Hein, J. D. Altman, B.K. Kobilka, Nature 402, 181-184 (1999); Y. Daaka, L. M. Luttrell, R. J. Lefkowitz, Nature 390, 88-91 (1997)]. Not only these questions lie in the heart of hormone actions and receptor signaling but also dissecting mechanisms underlying these questions could offer therapeutic routes for refractory diseases, such as kidney injury (KI) or X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). Here, we identified that Gs-biased signaling, but not Gi activation downstream of EP4, showed beneficial effects for both KI and NDI treatments. Notably, by solving Cryo-electron microscope (cryo-EM) structures of EP3-Gi, EP4-Gs, and EP4-Gi in complex with endogenous prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)or two synthetic agonists and comparing with PGE2-EP2-Gs structures, we found that unique primary sequences of prostaglandin E2 receptor (EP) receptors and distinct conformational states of the EP4 ligand pocket govern the Gs/Gi transducer coupling selectivity through different structural propagation paths, especially via TM6 and TM7, to generate selective cytoplasmic structural features. In particular, the orientation of the PGE2 ω-chain and two distinct pockets encompassing agonist L902688 of EP4 were differentiated by their Gs/Gi coupling ability. Further, we identified common and distinct features of cytoplasmic side of EP receptors for Gs/Gi coupling and provide a structural basis for selective and biased agonist design of EP4 with therapeutic potential.

Structural insight into the selective agonist ST1936 binding of serotonin receptor 5-HT6

The serotonin receptor 5-HT₆R is an important G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that involved in essential functions within the central and peripheral nervous systems and is linked to various psychiatric disorders. Selective activation of 5-HT₆R promotes neural stem cell regeneration activity. As a 5-HT₆R selective agonist, 2-(5 chloro-2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-N, N-dimethylethanolamine (ST1936) has been widely used to investigate the functions of the 5-HT₆R. The molecular mechanism of how ST1936 is recognized by 5-HT₆R and how it effectively couples with Gs remain unclear. Here, we reconstituted the ST1936-5-HT₆R-Gs complex in vitro and solved its cryo-electron microscopy structure at 3.1 Å resolution. Further structural analysis and mutational studies facilitated us to identify the residues of the Y310^7.43 and "toggle switch" W281^6.48 of the 5-HT₆R contributed to the higher efficacy of ST1936 compared with 5-HT. By uncovering the structural foundation of how 5-HT₆R specifically recognizes agonists and elucidating the molecular process of G protein activation, our discoveries offer valuable insights and pave the way for the development of promising 5-HT₆R agonists.

Unsaturated bond recognition leads to biased signal in a fatty acid receptor

Individual free fatty acids (FAs) play important roles in metabolic homeostasis, many through engagement with more than 40G protein-coupled receptors. Searching for receptors to sense beneficial omega-3 FAs of fish oil enabled the identification of GPR120, which is involved in a spectrum of metabolic diseases. Here, we report six cryo-electron microscopy structures of GPR120 in complex with FA hormones or TUG891 and Gi or Giq trimers. Aromatic residues inside the GPR120 ligand pocket were responsible for recognizing different double-bond positions of these FAs and connect ligand recognition to distinct effector coupling. We also investigated synthetic ligand selectivity and the structural basis of missense single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We reveal how GPR120 differentiates rigid double bonds and flexible single bonds. The knowledge gleaned here may facilitate rational drug design targeting to GPR120.

Effects of essential oil/palygorskite composite on performance, egg quality, plasma biochemistry, oxidation status, immune response and intestinal morphology of laying hens

The current study aimed to assess the effects of different levels of essential oil/palygorskite composite (EO-PGS) supplementation on performance, egg quality, oxidative status, immunity and intestinal morphology of laying hens. A total of 480 laying hens aged 65 wk were randomly assigned into 4 groups (6 replicates of 20 hens each). Hens were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0 (control diet), 0.5, 0.75 or 1.0 g/kg EO-PGS for 56 d. Data were analyzed by One-way ANOVA. Results showed that birds fed with diet supplemented with EO-PGS had increased the egg production (P < 0.05) more than birds fed with control diet. The yolk index and shell thickness were increased in 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg EO-PGS groups at d56 (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in plasma biochemical parameters among all groups. Compared with the control group, supplementation of EO-PGS increased the immunoglobulin-G and interleukin-2 levels in plasma (P < 0.05). The total antioxidant capacity in plasma and liver, the plasma catalase concentration, the activity of total superoxide dismutase in the liver and the activity of glutathione peroxidase in the spleen were increased in the EO-PGS groups (P < 0.05). The concentration of malondialdehyde in the liver was decreased with the increasing level of EO-PGS (P < 0.05). The crypt depth of ileum and duodenum of birds fed with EO-PGS supplemented diet had a tendency to decrease (0.05<P < 0.1) and the villus height to crypt depth ratio of ileum increased (P < 0.05), compared with birds fed with control diet. In summary, EO-PGS supplementation improved the egg production, enhanced antioxidation and immune functions, and ameliorated egg quality and intestinal morphology of laying hens, and a level of 0.75 g/kg EO-PGS was recommended in laying hens diets.

DeSiphering receptor core-induced and ligand-dependent conformational changes in arrestin via genetic encoded trimethylsilyl 1H-NMR probe

Characterization of the dynamic conformational changes in membrane protein signaling complexes by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy remains challenging. Here we report the site-specific incorporation of 4-trimethylsilyl phenylalanine (TMSiPhe) into proteins, through genetic code expansion. Crystallographic analysis revealed structural changes that reshaped the TMSiPhe-specific amino-acyl tRNA synthetase active site to selectively accommodate the trimethylsilyl (TMSi) group. The unique up-field 1H-NMR chemical shift and the highly efficient incorporation of TMSiPhe enabled the characterization of multiple conformational states of a phospho-β2 adrenergic receptor/β-arrestin-1(β-arr1) membrane protein signaling complex, using only 5 μM protein and 20 min of spectrum accumulation time. We further showed that extracellular ligands induced conformational changes located in the polar core or ERK interaction site of β-arr1 via direct receptor transmembrane core interactions. These observations provided direct delineation and key mechanism insights that multiple receptor ligands were able to induce distinct functionally relevant conformational changes of arrestin.

The effects and combinational effects of Bacillus subtilis and montmorillonite on the intestinal health status in laying hens

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects and combinational effects of Bacillus subtilis (BS) and montmorillonite (MMT) on laying performance, gut mucosal oxidation status, and intestinal immunological and physical barrier functions of laying hens. Three hundred sixty laying hens (29-week-old) were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (n = 6) for 10 wk as follows: (1) basal diet; (2) the basal diet plus 5 × 10⁸ cfu BS/kg; (3) the basal diet plus 0.5 g MMT/kg; and (4) the basal diet plus 5 × 10⁸ cfu BS/kg and 0.5 g MMT/kg. Dietary supplementation with BS increased egg production and egg mass, the activities of catalase (CAT) and total superoxide dismutase in the intestinal mucosa, and villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio of the jejunum (P < 0.05) but downregulated the mRNA expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in the duodenum and jejunum, interleukin 1 beta in the duodenum, and nuclear factor kappa B P65 (NF-κB P65) and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with MMT increased egg production and egg mass, the concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A in the duodenum, and the occludin mRNA expression level in the jejunum (P < 0.05) but reduced feed conversion ratio, malondialdehyde concentration in the duodenum and jejunum, and the mRNA expression level of MyD88 in the jejunum (P < 0.05). In addition, there was an interaction effect between BS and MMT supplementation on the CAT activity and the MyD88 mRNA expression level in the duodenum and the mRNA expression level of occludin in the jejunum (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary BS and MMT and their combination may improve the intestinal health status of laying hens, which may contribute to the increase in hens' laying performance.

[Effect of the taurine on striatum tissue cell cycle and apoptosis in manganese exposed rats]

Objective: To elucidate the effect of taurine on neurotoxicity induced by Mn by investigating cell cycle and apoptosis in manganese exposed rats. Methods: 156 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 1 control group, 3 manganese exposure groups (10, 15, and 20 mg/kg respectively) , and 9 intervened groups based on orthogonal design, with 12 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of exposure, all rats were decapitated and striatums were removed, cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry, the apoptosis was detected by TUNEL, level of Mn was determined. Results: The striatum apoptosis index of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05) . The striatum apoptosis index of the 9 intervened groups were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05) . 150 and 200 mg/kg of taurine could decrease apoptosis index of the group exposed to 10、15、20 mg/kg of Mn (P<0.05) . The striatum Mn content of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) . The G0/G1 proportion of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn were significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05) , the S proportion of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Mn could cause cell cycle arrest to S, increase level of apoptosis in striatum, to a certain extent, taurine can protect neurons from apoptosis induced by Mn.

[Effect of the mediation of the taurine on striatum tissue Ca(2+) homeostasis in manganese exposed rats]

Objective: To elucidate the effect of taurine on neurotoxicity induced by Mn by investigating activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and content of Mn and active calmodulin in manganese exposed rats. Methods: 156 male SD rats were randomly divided into 1 control group, 3 manganese exposed groups (10, 15, and 20 mg/kg respectively) , and 9 taurine intervened groups based on orthogonal design (doses of taurine intervention were 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg respectively) , with 12 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of exposure, all rats were decapitated and corpus striatums were removed, activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and content of Mn and active calmodulin were analyzed. Results: The corpus striatum Mn content of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn and 9 taurine intervened groups were significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) . Active calmodulin content in 10 mg/kg manganese exposed group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) . 150 and 200 mg/kg of taurine could decrease active calmodulin content of the group exposed to 10 mg/kg of Mn (P<0.05) . The corpus striatum activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase of the 3 dose groups exposed to Mn were significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05) . 150 mg/kg of taurine could increase activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase of the group exposed to 10 mg/kg of Mn (P<0.05) . 150 and 200 mg/kg of taurine could respectively improve activities of Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase of the group exposed to 15, 10 mg/kg of Mn (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Mn can decrease the rats corpus striatum activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase, effect level of active calmodulin in relation to dose of Mn, to a certain extent, taurine could regulate activities of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase and improve the level of active calmodulin.

High-throughput sequencing to identify miRNA biomarkers in colorectal cancer patients

The altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is associated with a number of cancer types. The study of the association between the miRNA profile and cancer may be useful to identify potential biomarkers of certain types of cancer. In the present study, 19 miRNAs were identified by high-throughput sequencing in the serum of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. A network analysis was performed based on a computational approach to identify associations between CRC and miRNAs. The present study may be useful to identify cancer-specific signatures and potentially useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of CRC. The network analysis of miRNA-target genes may aid in identifying altered miRNA regulatory networks that are involved in tumor pathogenesis.

Resistive-wall-mode active rotation in the RFX-mod device

The fundamental question of how the flow velocity of the background plasma can influence the motion of magnetohydrodynamics instabilities and, in the ultimate analysis, their stability is addressed. The growth of resistive-wall-mode instabilities in toroidal confinement devices well represents one example of such a problem. In this Letter, we illustrate a new strategy that allowed, for the first time in a reversed field pinch experiment, a fully controlled rotation of a nonresonant instability by means of a set of active coils and how the new findings compare with numerical modeling.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α cDNA cloning and its mRNA and protein tissue specific expression in domestic yak (Bos grunniens) from Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

Adaptation to hypoxia is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor consisting of an oxygen-regulated alpha-subunit and a constitutively expressed beta-subunit. How animals living on Qinghai-Tibetan plateau adapt to the extreme hypoxia environment is known indistinctly. In this study, the Qinghai yak, which has been living at 3000-5000 m altitude for at least two millions of years, was selected as the model of high hypoxia-tolerant adaptation species. The HIF-1alpha ORFs (open reading frames) encoding for two isoforms of HIF-1alpha have been cloned from the brain of the domestic yak. Its expression of HIF-1alpha was analyzed at both mRNA and protein levels in various tissues. Both its HIF-1alpha mRNA and protein are tissue specific expression. Its HIF-1alpha protein's high expression in the brain, lung, and kidney showed us that HIF-1alpha protein may play an important role in the adaptation to hypoxia environment.

Leptin cDNA cloning and its mRNA expression in plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) from different altitudes on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, plays an important role in body energy homeostasis. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), an endemic and keystone species living only at 3000-5000 m above sea level on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a typically high hypoxia and low temperature tolerant mammal with high resting metabolic rate (RMR), non-shivering thermogenesis (NST), and high ratio of oxygen utilization to cope with harsh plateau environment. To explore the molecular mechanism of ecological acclimation in plateau pika, we first cloned pika leptin cDNA and compared its mRNA expression in different altitudes (3200 and 3900 m) using real-time RT-PCR (Taqman probe) technology. The full-length pika leptin cDNA was 3015 with 504 bp open-reading frame encoding the precursor peptide of 167 amino acids including 21 residues of signal peptide. Pika leptin was 70-72% homologous to that of other species and was of similarly structural characteristics with other species. The pika-specific genetic diversity in leptin sequence occurred at twenty sites. With the increase in altitude, there were larger fat store and high level of ob gene expression in plateau pika. Our results indicated that leptin is sensitive to cold and hypoxia plateau environment and may play one of important roles in pika's ecological adaptation to harsh plateau environment.

Plasmodium fragile: inhibition of cultures by serum from rhesus monkeys immunized with homologous parasites

Rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta, that had previously been immunized with the Nilgiri strain of Plasmodium fragile grown in culture, together with control monkeys with and without inoculation of Freund's adjuvant, were challenged with cultured parasites. After treatment with chloroquine, the monkeys were rechallenged. Serum specimens from three immunized monkeys caused a specific, dose-dependent inhibition of parasite growth in culture. Fifty percent inhibition of in vitro growth was obtained using 5% immune serum combined with 10% normal rhesus serum. The specific inhibitory component of immune serum was shown to be IgG antibody. Results of the study demonstrated that there is good correlation between the inhibitory activity of immune serum, parasite growth in vitro, the in vivo response to challenge, and the indirect fluorescent antibody titer.

The in vitro cultivation of Plasmodium gonderi

Plasmodium gonderi, one of the vivax-type simian parasites, has been cultured in vitro by the candle jar method and by the sealed flask method. It showed a 48-hour asexual cycle and maintained its morphologic integrity. The effect of different sera (human, rabbit, and horse) was tested in culture and compared with results using rhesus serum. Growth was lower in rabbit and horse serum, but higher in human serum. Compared with individual human and rhesus serum, the multiplication rate in combined rhesus and human sera (1:1) was greater. In addition, human erythrocytes proved refractory to invasion by P. gonderi in vitro.