Estimates of Water Ingestion in Formula by Infants and Children Based on USDA's 1994–1996 and 1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals

Assessment of risk to infants and children resulting from the ingestion of contaminants in water is an important component of the analysis of possible environmental hazards. Children and infants represent a sensitive life stage because exposure to contaminants in early life can have developmental and long-lasting adverse effects. Children and infants tend to ingest relatively large amounts of water on a bodyweight-adjusted basis, especially those that are fed in early life with formula that is re-constituted or diluted with water. This article presents statistical estimates of the amounts of community water ingested by formula-fed infants based on nationwide sample survey data that support identification of respondents who consume formula and the amounts of water they ingest. Included are specific estimates of the amounts of community water ingested in formula. Estimates of total community water ingestion by children and infants who consume formula can be especially useful in exposure assessment since they represent a highly exposed population. For example, mean community water ingestion by infants 1 to 3 months of age who consume formula is 627 mL/day (136 mL/kg/day) and the 95th percentile is 1096 mL/day (290 mL/kg/day).     

BCL::SAXS: GPU accelerated Debye method for computation of small angle X‐ray scattering profiles

Small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) is an experimental technique used for structural characterization of macromolecules in solution. Here, we introduce BCL::SAXS—an algorithm designed to replicate SAXS profiles from rigid protein models at different levels of detail. We first show our derivation of BCL::SAXS and compare our results with the experimental scattering profile of hen egg white lysozyme. Using this protein we show how to generate SAXS profiles representing: (1) complete models, (2) models with approximated side chain coordinates, and (3) models with approximated side chain and loop region coordinates. We evaluated the ability of SAXS profiles to identify a correct protein topology from a non‐redundant benchmark set of proteins. We find that complete SAXS profiles can be used to identify the correct protein by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with an area under the curve (AUC) > 99%. We show how our approximation of loop coordinates between secondary structure elements improves protein recognition by SAχS for protein models without loop regions and side chains. Agreement with SAXS data is a necessary but not sufficient condition for structure determination. We conclude that experimental SAXS data can be used as a filter to exclude protein models with large structural differences from the native. Proteins 2015; 83:1500–1512. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Shufeng Jiedu,a promising herbal therapy for moderate COVID-19:Antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties,pathways of bioactive compounds,and a clinical real-world pragmatic study

BackgroundShufeng Jiedu capsules (SFJDC), a patented herbal drug composed of eight medicinal plants, is used for the treatment of different viral respiratory tract infectious diseases. Based on its antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory activity in acute lung injury, SFJDC might be a promising candidate for the treatment of COVID-19.PurposeTo evaluate the antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties and to discover the mechanism of action of SFJDC as a potential drug for the treatment of COVID-19. Furthermore, the study should determine the clinical effectiveness of SFJDC for the treatment of COVID-19.DesignWe analyzed the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of SFJDC in a HCoV-229E mouse model on lung index, virus load in the lung, the release of cytokines, and on T- and B-lymphocytes. The mechanism of action was further investigated by network analysis. Additionally, we investigated data from a clinical pragmatic real-world study for patients with confirmed COVID-19, to evaluate the clinical effect of SFJDC and to determine the best time to start the treatment.ResultsSFJDC significantly reduced the virus load in the lung of HCoV-229E mice (from 1109.29 ± 696.75 to 0 ± 0 copies/ml), decreased inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in the lung, and increased the amount of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cells in the blood compared to the model group. Network analysis revealed that SFJDC reduces the activity of NFκB via several signaling pathways. Quercetin, wogonin, and polydatin bind directly to the main protease (M^pro) of SARS-CoV-2.Clinical data showed that SFJDC, added to standard antiviral therapy (AVD), significantly reduced the clinical recovery time of COVID-19 and fatigue (from 3.55 ± 4.09 to 1.19 ± 2.28 days) as well as cough (from 5.67 ± 5.64 to 3.47 ± 3.75) days compared to AVD alone. SFJDC therapy was significantly more effective when used within the first 8 days after the onset of symptoms.ConclusionSFJDC might be a promising drug for the treatment of COVID-19, but large-scale randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed to complement the real-world evidence. It might be beneficial to start SFJDC treatment as early as possible in suspected cases of COVID-19.     

Structural changes of gut microbiota in a rat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease model treated with a Chinese herbal formula

Accumulating evidence indicates that disruption of the gut microbiota by a high-fat diet (HFD) may play a pivotal role in the progression of metabolic disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, the structural changes of gut microbiota were analyzed in an HFD-induced NAFLD rat model during treatment with an ancient Chinese herbal formula (CHF) used in clinical practice – Qushi Huayu Fang. CHF treatment significantly reduced body weight, alleviated hepatic steatosis, and decreased the content of triglycerides and free fatty acids in the livers of the rats. Gut microbiota of treated and control rats were profiled with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and bar-coded pyrosequencing of the V3 region of 16S rRNA genes. Both analyses indicated that the CHF-treated group harbored significantly different gut microbiota from that of model rats. Partial least squares discriminant analysis and taxonomy-based analysis were further employed to identify key phylotypes responding to HFD and CHF treatment. Most notably, the genera Escherichia/Shigella, containing opportunistic pathogens, were significantly enriched in HFD-fed rats compared to controls fed normal chow (P < 0.05) but they decreased to control levels after CHF treatment. Collinsella, a genus with short chain fatty acid producers, was significantly elevated in CHF-treated rats compared to HFD-fed rats (P < 0.05). The results revealed that the bacterial profiles of HFD-induced rats could be modulated by the CHF. Elucidation of these differences in microbiota composition provided a basis for further understanding the pharmacological mechanism of the CHF.     

基因表达及其调控的微分定律和遗传信息系统的基本结构

推导证明出有理真分式高阶导数的Q（n）公式,开发出双螺旋结构DNA分子的基因精简形式的数学模型,提出了生物杂交、测交遗传相对性状的数量计算方法,揭示出基因表达及其调控的微分定律,建立了微分定律的数学模型,给出了遗传信息系统基本结构的公式化诠释和推断的图解．该成果填补了遗传基本规律的理论空白,对生物遗传信息系统的结构研究和遗传工程问题的数学分析具有开拓性的意义．     

Hand‐raising a spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) at the Ueno Zoological Gardens

On February 10, 2008, a newborn male spectral tarsier (Tarsius tarsier) was found on the floor of the indoor exhibit room in the Small Mammal House of the Ueno Zoological Gardens. The dam showed no signs of providing maternal care and therefore we decided to hand‐raise the infant. Its birth weight was 18.7 g. We placed the dam and infant in an incubator and gave 12.5–25% formula (for kittens), until the 145th day after birth. We limited the volume of formula intake to avoid excessive intake and to prevent diarrhea. For nutrition enrichment, we added a chicken liver homogenate to the formula 1–3 times per day. The infant was given a sunbath for 10 min on the 28th day. He showed no serious decline in health, except for diarrhea that occurred during the first few days after birth. He ate a small cricket for the first time on the 50th day and easily caught mealworms on his own on the 105th day. Gradual changes in feeding times, formula concentration, and the nutritionally enriched formula were essential for successfully hand‐raising the tarsier. Zoo Biol 30:218–224, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Longitudinal data reveal ontogenetic changes in the wing morphology of a long‐distance migratory bird

In migratory bird species, juveniles normally have shorter and more rounded wings than adults. The causes of this age‐specific difference in wing morphology, however, are largely unknown. Here, we used longitudinal data collected over 3 years from a Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca population to assess whether age‐related differences in wing morphology are a consequence of ontogenetic changes or of selection favouring birds with longer and more pointed wings. Our study provides evidence of ontogenetic changes in wing length and shape, whereby birds grow longer and more pointed wings as they grow older. Age‐dependent variation is likely to be adaptive and may partly explain age differences in spring migration phenology and breeding success.