Liver Histological Abnormalities Were Better Reflected by Virus Level in Chronic Hbv Infected Patients Aged ≤ 30 Years, Hbeag-Positive and Persistently Normal Alt

Background: We analyzed correlations between significant liver histological characteristics and clinical variables in HBV-infected patients and provided recommendations on treatment decisions for patients age younger than 30-year-old.Methods: Liver biopsy was performed on 161 chronic HBV-infected patients with ALT ≤ 40 U/L from July, 2000 – November, 2019. Median age was 39(18-70) years old. Histologic assessment was based on the Scheuer scoring system. Results: Significant necroinflammation and fibrosis were observed in 65.2% (105/161) and 52.2% (84/161) patients of all cases. The pathological abnormality was significantly negatively correlated with viral level in HBeAg-positive subjects, and based on ROC curve analysis, the viral level to predict obvious liver pathological changes was 6.7 log10 IU/ml in those patients. Threshold value of ALT (25 U/L) based on the distribution of ALT and virus levels. Patients younger than 30 years old, almost all had significant pathological alteration with HBV-DNA < 6.7 log10 IU/ml; However, the ratio of insignificant liver’s inflammation and fibrosis were 65% and 70% with HBV-DNA levels ≥ 6.7 log10 IU/ml respectively, on that basis, it could have a further rising, reaching 67.5% and 75% combining with ALT ≤ 25 U/L. Conclusion: Viral load was a better factor to reflect hepatic histological abnormality in Chronic HBV-infected patients with HBeAg-positive and persistently normal ALT whose age ≤ 30 years, 5000000 IU/ml was a suitable threshold.

Using wide biological pores to cap and contain the COVID-19 spike protein

Geometric analysis shows that the spike (S) protein in the COVID-19 virus (SARS-Cov-2) can fully or partially enter into the channel of a wide biological pore like perforin (PFN) or streptolysin (SLO) when the latter is anchored in a bilayer lipid membrane. The PFN channel is a β barrel formed from multiple monomers, for example a ~14 nm diameter channel is formed from 22 monomers. Coincidentally the wide canopy of S (which has three identical chains) has an enclosing diameter of ~14 nm. While inside the channel peripheral residues in the canopy may bind with residues on the pore side of the barrel. If there are no adverse cross-reactions this would effectively prevent S from interacting with a target cell. Calculations with data obtained from PDB and other sources show that there are ~12 peripheral residue triples in S within a circle of diameter ~14 nm that can potentially bind with 22 exposed residues in each barrel monomer. The revised Miyazawa-Jernighan matrix is used to calculate the binding energy of canopy-PFN barrel residue pairs. The results show a large number of binding pairs over distances of up to 38 Å into the pore. This geometric view of capture and containment points to the possibility of using biological pores to neutralize SARS-Cov-2 in its many variant forms. Some necessary conditions that must be satisfied for such neutralization to occur are noted. A wide pore (such as PFN or SLO) can also be used in an electrolytic cell to detect the presence of SARS-Cov-2, which would cause a large-sized blockade of the base current (the ionic current in a fully open pore). It can further be used to quantify the virus level in the sample. Solid-state pores, which have several advantages over biological ones, can be used instead; immune rejection is not an issue and there is no need for the spike or the virus to bind to the pore.

Clinically Important Phleboviruses and Their Detection in Human Samples

The detection of phleboviruses (family: Phenuiviridae) in human samples is challenged by the overall diversity and genetic complexity of clinically relevant strains, their predominantly nondescript clinical associations, and a related lack of awareness among some clinicians and laboratorians. Here, we seek to inform the detection of human phlebovirus infections by providing a brief introduction to clinically relevant phleboviruses, as well as key targets and approaches for their detection. Given the diversity of pathogens within the genus, this report focuses on diagnostic attributes that are generally shared among these agents and should be used as a complement to, rather than a replacement of, more detailed discussions on the detection of phleboviruses at the individual virus level.

Forecast of cattle leukemia virus epizootic development in West Kazakhstan region

Bovine leukemia is a chronic viral infectious disease that is widespread in many countries of the world, including the Republic of Kazakhstan. Based on our spectral and combinatorial analysis, this paper presents the results of supposed scenarios of leukemia infection development in the territory of West Kazakhstan region, where there is the alternating change of ups and downs virus level having a direct dependence on solar activity. To solve this problem, we used previously developed computer programs to decompose the dynamics of the cattle infection rate in the West Kazakhstan region for 2006-2016 into a Fourier series, then generate all possible combinations, create a database table with forecast values for several years and select the best numerical series. As a result of this research, it was noted that the computer mathematical model simulating the dynamics of bovine leukemia virus (BLV) carrier, based on the properties of the trigonometric Fourier polynomial, has 100% coincidence with the actual trend. Then in order to identify trends that would maximally reflect the real trend, we conducted a combinatorial analysis of the spectral model which allowed us to increase the number of alternative scenarios for the development of BLV infection for the next five years (2021-2026). According to the above mentioned mathematical model, based on combinatorial analysis, in 2022 the forecast of infectability corridor will average from 4.15 to 11.01%; in 2023 from 3.89 to 9.76%; in 2024 from 8.04 to 16.47%; in 2025 from 6.86 to 15.23% and in 2026 from 3.98 to 8.79%.

Ventilation System Design and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Most new office buildings in Nordic countries are equipped with balanced mechanical ventilation systems. The purpose of ventilation in office buildings is to provide thermal control by supplying cold or warm air for adequate indoor air quality. However, the role of ventilation in preventing virus transmission and maintaining a sufficient fresh air supply to obtain a low virus level through dilution is not currently well defined. Ventilation in office buildings is expected to contribute to preventing the spread of contaminants and provide comfort for occupants. The study reveals differences between risk areas for spreading airborne contaminants in office buildings in northern Europe, including Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The differences in the spread depends on different ventilation designs used in different countries.

Human ACE2-Functionalized Gold “Virus-Trap” Nanostructures for Accurate Capture of SARS-CoV-2 and Single-Virus SERS Detection

The current COVID-19 pandemic urges the extremely sensitive and prompt detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Here, we present a Human Angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2 (ACE2)-functionalized gold “virus traps” nanostructure as an extremely sensitive SERS biosensor, to selectively capture and rapidly detect S-protein expressed coronavirus, such as the current SARS-CoV-2 in the contaminated water, down to the single-virus level. Such a SERS sensor features extraordinary 106-fold virus enrichment originating from high-affinity of ACE2 with S protein as well as “virus-traps” composed of oblique gold nanoneedles, and 109-fold enhancement of Raman signals originating from multi-component SERS effects. Furthermore, the identification standard of virus signals is established by machine-learning and identification techniques, resulting in an especially low detection limit of 80 copies mL−1 for the simulated contaminated water by SARS-CoV-2 virus with complex circumstance as short as 5 min, which is of great significance for achieving real-time monitoring and early warning of coronavirus. Moreover, here-developed method can be used to establish the identification standard for future unknown coronavirus, and immediately enable extremely sensitive and rapid detection of novel virus.