Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant threat to public health and an enormous burden on society. Mechanisms responsible for chronic HBV infection remain poorly understood. A better understanding...Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant threat to public health and an enormous burden on society. Mechanisms responsible for chronic HBV infection remain poorly understood. A better understanding of the natural course of chronic HBV infection may shed new light on the mechanisms underlying this disease and help in designing new antiviral strategies. Natural course of chronic HBV infection is conventionally viewed as an uninterrupted process that is usually marked by HBV e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion or characterized by different phases associated with assumed host responses to HBV infection. However, none of these descriptions captures or highlights the core events that determine the natural course of chronic HBV infection. In this review, we briefly present the current knowledge on this subject and explain the significance and implication of events that occur during infection. A pre-core mutant becomes predominant in the viral population following elimination of the wild-type virus in duck hepatitis B virus-chronically infected animals. The coupled events in which first there is viral clearance that clears wild-type virus and then there is the reinfection of wild-type virus cleared livers with mutant virus are highly relevant to understanding of the natural course of chronic HBV infection under both treated and untreated conditions. In our new perspective, a general natural course of chronic HBV infection comprises cycles of viral clearance and reinfection, and such cycles prolong the chronic HBV infection course. Reviewing published data on the natural course of chronic HBV infection can reduce the possibility of missing important points in the initial data interpretation.展开更多
BACKGROUND Bile spillage occurs more frequently in patients with incidental gallbladder carcinoma(iGBC)and may be associated with poor survival due to presumed high risk of peritoneal seeding.AIM To investigate the im...BACKGROUND Bile spillage occurs more frequently in patients with incidental gallbladder carcinoma(iGBC)and may be associated with poor survival due to presumed high risk of peritoneal seeding.AIM To investigate the impact of bile spillage during primary surgery on the survival of patients with iGBC.METHODS Medical records of patients with iGBC diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 in 27 Dutch secondary centers and 5 tertiary centers were retrospectively reviewed.Patient medical records were assessed.Predictors for overall survival(OS)were determined using multivariable Cox regression.RESULTS Of the 346 included patients with iGBC,138(39.9%)had bile spillage,which was associated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists classification(P=0.020),cholecystitis(P<0.001),higher tumor stage(P=0.005),and non-radical resection(P<0.001).Bile spillage was associated with poor OS[hazard ratio=1.97,95%confidence interval(CI):1.48-2.63,P<0.001]with a median OS of 12 months(95%CI:7-18 months)vs 34 months(95%CI:14-55 months,P<0.001).In multivariable analysis,spillage was not an independent prognostic factor for survival(hazard ratio=1.21,95%CI:0.84-1.74,P=0.313).CONCLUSION Although bile spillage correlates with prognostic factors,it lacks independent prognostic significance for survival.Patients with an indication for additional treatment should be promptly referred to a specialized hepatopancreatobiliary center,irrespective of whether bile spillage has occurred.展开更多
Organic fertilizers generally come from agricultural co-products. Their valuation is therefore a major issue for sustainable development. The main objective of this study aims to develop an organic fertilizer derived ...Organic fertilizers generally come from agricultural co-products. Their valuation is therefore a major issue for sustainable development. The main objective of this study aims to develop an organic fertilizer derived from moringa leaves and cocoa pod husks that can improve soil quality and plant growth. The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks in three repetitions. The experiment was carried out in five treatments: T0: no fertilization, T1: 100% cocoa pods, T2: 75% cocoa pods + 25% Moringa leaves;T3: 50% cocoa pods + 50% Moringa leaves;T4: 25% cocoa pods + 75% Moringa leaves;T5: 100% Moringa leaves. Three doses were applied: 1;2;4 kg/m2. The trial took place over three growing cycles. The results of the soil analysis compared to the control revealed a significant improvement in physicochemical parameters. Variation of pH from (6.1 to 7.2), calcium from (1.4 to 4.13), magnesium from (0.450 to 0.870), potassium from (0.096 to 0.365) cmol+/kg. Carbon and nitrogen were recorded (1.02% to 2.77%) and (0.12% to 2.56%) respectively. The CEC (cation exchange capacity) saw a clear improvement (4.2 to 9.03) cmol+/kg. Concerning the growth parameters, the control plants recorded an average height of (31.19 cm) while those that benefited from the treatments oscillated between (55.51 to 105.57 cm). In terms of production, the best yields are attributed to treatments T3 and T4 with (37.66 t/ha) and (51.176 t/ha) respectively. The T3 and T4 formulations could help improve the fertility of agricultural soils and the yield of market garden products such as eggplant.展开更多
Dill(Anethum graveolens),an annual species,was used to study the impact of metallic pollution potentially spreading fromthe nickel smelter dump in Dolna Streda(Slovakia)by monitoring 55 elements.Despite the proximity ...Dill(Anethum graveolens),an annual species,was used to study the impact of metallic pollution potentially spreading fromthe nickel smelter dump in Dolna Streda(Slovakia)by monitoring 55 elements.Despite the proximity of this dump(1 km),only soil Ni(54.8 mg/kg)or Pb(47.3 mg/kg),but not Cr,Mn,Fe or Co(main elements of the dump’s sludge)was elevated in given garden soil compared to two control sites.Mainly flowers and/or leaves contained significantly higher amounts of Ni,Cr,Pb,Cu,As,Sb,Sn,V,W,and some rare earth elements at the site close to the dump.Correlation between elements in organs and soil was significant mainly in stem or root but the bioaccumulation factor was typically low(<0.02)for most elements.A positive finding was that the 2022/2024 comparison revealed a decline in most elements in dill leaves,even at the dump site,which may reflect a decrease in the content of air PM particles.Soluble phenols were less accumulated in plants close to the nickel smelter dump,but flavonols showed the opposite trend,and free amino acids were positively correlated with many elements in the stem and root.An evaluation of commercial dill samples revealed variability(e.g.,up to 0.7 mg Cd/kg dry weight)but subsequent NCA and PCA analyses clearly separated the dump locality from other samples.However,significant differences in the content of Cd,Ni,Pb,As,and other elements encourage precise control of commercially available dill dry matter.展开更多
Driving of the nuclear fusion reaction p+^(11)B3α+8.7 MeV under laboratory conditions by interaction between high-power laser pulses and matter has become a popular field of research,owing to its numerous potential a...Driving of the nuclear fusion reaction p+^(11)B3α+8.7 MeV under laboratory conditions by interaction between high-power laser pulses and matter has become a popular field of research,owing to its numerous potential applications:as an alternative to deuterium-tritium for fusion energy production,astrophysics studies,and alpha-particle generation for medical treatment.One possible scheme for laser-driven p-^(11)B reactions is to direct a beam of laser-accelerated protons onto a boron(B)sample(the so-called“pitcher-catcher”scheme).This technique has been successfully implemented on large high-energy lasers,yielding hundreds of joules per shot at low repetition.We present here a complementary approach,exploiting the high repetition rate of the VEGA III petawatt laser at CLPU(Spain),aiming at accumulating results from many interactions at much lower energy,to provide better control of the parameters and the statistics of the measurements.Despite a moderate energy per pulse,our experiment allowed exploration of the laser-driven fusion process with tens(up to hundreds)of laser shots.The experiment provided a clear signature of the reactions involved and of the fusion products,accumulated over many shots,leading to an improved optimization of the diagnostics for experimental campaigns of this type.In this paper,we discuss the effectiveness of laser-driven p-11B fusion in the pitcher-catcher scheme,at a high repetition rate,addressing the challenges of this experimental scheme and highlighting its critical aspects.Our proposed methodology allows evaluation of the performance of this scheme for laser-driven alpha particle production and can be adapted to high-repetition-rate laser facilities with higher energy and intensity.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus(HCV)is a blood-borne virus which globally affects around 79 million people and is associated with high morbidity and mortality.Chronic infection leads to cirrhosis in a large proportion of...BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus(HCV)is a blood-borne virus which globally affects around 79 million people and is associated with high morbidity and mortality.Chronic infection leads to cirrhosis in a large proportion of patients and often causes hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in people with cirrhosis.Of the 6 HCV genotypes(G1-G6),genotype-3 accounts for 17.9%of infections.HCV genotype-3 responds least well to directly-acting antivirals and patients with genotype-3 infection are at increased risk of HCC even if they do not have cirrhosis.AIM To systematically review and critically appraise all risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV-G3 in all settings.Consequently,we studied possible risk factors for HCC due to HCV-G3 in the literature from 1946 to 2023.METHODS This systematic review aimed to synthesise existing and published studies of risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3 and evaluate their strengths and limitations.We searched Web of Science,Medline,EMBASE,and CENTRAL for publications reporting risk factors for HCC due to HCV genotype-3 in all settings,1946-2023.RESULTS Four thousand one hundred and forty-four records were identified from the four databases with 260 records removed as duplicates.Three thousand eight hundred and eighty-four records were screened with 3514 excluded.Three hundred and seventy-one full-texts were assessed for eligibility with seven studies included for analysis.Of the seven studies,three studies were retrospective case-control trials,two retrospective cohort studies,one a prospective cohort study and one a cross-sectional study design.All were based in hospital settings with four in Pakistan,two in South Korea and one in the United States.The total number of participants were 9621 of which 167 developed HCC(1.7%).All seven studies found cirrhosis to be a risk factor for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3 followed by higher age(five-studies),with two studies each showing male sex,high alpha feto-protein,directly-acting antivirals treatment and achievement of sustained virologic response as risk factors for developing HCC.CONCLUSION Although,studies have shown that HCV genotype-3 infection is an independent risk factor for end-stage liver disease,HCC,and liver-related death,there is a lack of evidence for specific risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3.Only cirrhosis and age have demonstrated an association;however,the number of studies is very small,and more research is required to investigate risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3.展开更多
1. The bioeconomy and sustainable development Over the past decades, significant advances in life science and biotechnology have led policymakers to increasingly prioritize the bioeconomy as a key strategy for address...1. The bioeconomy and sustainable development Over the past decades, significant advances in life science and biotechnology have led policymakers to increasingly prioritize the bioeconomy as a key strategy for addressing global challenges such as food security, healthcare, resource constraints, environmental preservation, and climate change [1,2].展开更多
Post-Neoproterozoic dolerites from the Kéniéba region (Western Mali) are often associated with kimberlites. The rarity of kimberlite outcrops led to the study of doleritic rocks, spatially associated with th...Post-Neoproterozoic dolerites from the Kéniéba region (Western Mali) are often associated with kimberlites. The rarity of kimberlite outcrops led to the study of doleritic rocks, spatially associated with them. The petrographic and lithogeochemical study showed that the dolerites of the Kéniéba kimberlitic fields are of tholeiitic nature and of the E-MORB (Enriched-Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt) type. This reflects an enrichment over time, compared to the Birimian dolerites of the volcano-sedimentary greenstone belt of Toumodi, in central C?te d’Ivoire. Furthermore, these dolerites are enriched in SiO2, TiO2, Zr and poor in Fe2O3, MgO. These dolerites would have formed in a late to post-orogenic intracontinental context during the breakup of Gondwana. Structurally, Kéniéba dolerites are often associated with kimberlite pipes, fractures and large deep structures identified using aeromagnetic images. Taking into account the fact that kimberlites do not outcrop in the Kéniéba region, the geochemical study coupled with the interpretation of aeromagnetic data proved to be very useful for the search for pipes.展开更多
文摘Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant threat to public health and an enormous burden on society. Mechanisms responsible for chronic HBV infection remain poorly understood. A better understanding of the natural course of chronic HBV infection may shed new light on the mechanisms underlying this disease and help in designing new antiviral strategies. Natural course of chronic HBV infection is conventionally viewed as an uninterrupted process that is usually marked by HBV e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion or characterized by different phases associated with assumed host responses to HBV infection. However, none of these descriptions captures or highlights the core events that determine the natural course of chronic HBV infection. In this review, we briefly present the current knowledge on this subject and explain the significance and implication of events that occur during infection. A pre-core mutant becomes predominant in the viral population following elimination of the wild-type virus in duck hepatitis B virus-chronically infected animals. The coupled events in which first there is viral clearance that clears wild-type virus and then there is the reinfection of wild-type virus cleared livers with mutant virus are highly relevant to understanding of the natural course of chronic HBV infection under both treated and untreated conditions. In our new perspective, a general natural course of chronic HBV infection comprises cycles of viral clearance and reinfection, and such cycles prolong the chronic HBV infection course. Reviewing published data on the natural course of chronic HBV infection can reduce the possibility of missing important points in the initial data interpretation.
文摘BACKGROUND Bile spillage occurs more frequently in patients with incidental gallbladder carcinoma(iGBC)and may be associated with poor survival due to presumed high risk of peritoneal seeding.AIM To investigate the impact of bile spillage during primary surgery on the survival of patients with iGBC.METHODS Medical records of patients with iGBC diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 in 27 Dutch secondary centers and 5 tertiary centers were retrospectively reviewed.Patient medical records were assessed.Predictors for overall survival(OS)were determined using multivariable Cox regression.RESULTS Of the 346 included patients with iGBC,138(39.9%)had bile spillage,which was associated with higher American Society of Anesthesiologists classification(P=0.020),cholecystitis(P<0.001),higher tumor stage(P=0.005),and non-radical resection(P<0.001).Bile spillage was associated with poor OS[hazard ratio=1.97,95%confidence interval(CI):1.48-2.63,P<0.001]with a median OS of 12 months(95%CI:7-18 months)vs 34 months(95%CI:14-55 months,P<0.001).In multivariable analysis,spillage was not an independent prognostic factor for survival(hazard ratio=1.21,95%CI:0.84-1.74,P=0.313).CONCLUSION Although bile spillage correlates with prognostic factors,it lacks independent prognostic significance for survival.Patients with an indication for additional treatment should be promptly referred to a specialized hepatopancreatobiliary center,irrespective of whether bile spillage has occurred.
文摘Organic fertilizers generally come from agricultural co-products. Their valuation is therefore a major issue for sustainable development. The main objective of this study aims to develop an organic fertilizer derived from moringa leaves and cocoa pod husks that can improve soil quality and plant growth. The experimental design consisted of completely randomized blocks in three repetitions. The experiment was carried out in five treatments: T0: no fertilization, T1: 100% cocoa pods, T2: 75% cocoa pods + 25% Moringa leaves;T3: 50% cocoa pods + 50% Moringa leaves;T4: 25% cocoa pods + 75% Moringa leaves;T5: 100% Moringa leaves. Three doses were applied: 1;2;4 kg/m2. The trial took place over three growing cycles. The results of the soil analysis compared to the control revealed a significant improvement in physicochemical parameters. Variation of pH from (6.1 to 7.2), calcium from (1.4 to 4.13), magnesium from (0.450 to 0.870), potassium from (0.096 to 0.365) cmol+/kg. Carbon and nitrogen were recorded (1.02% to 2.77%) and (0.12% to 2.56%) respectively. The CEC (cation exchange capacity) saw a clear improvement (4.2 to 9.03) cmol+/kg. Concerning the growth parameters, the control plants recorded an average height of (31.19 cm) while those that benefited from the treatments oscillated between (55.51 to 105.57 cm). In terms of production, the best yields are attributed to treatments T3 and T4 with (37.66 t/ha) and (51.176 t/ha) respectively. The T3 and T4 formulations could help improve the fertility of agricultural soils and the yield of market garden products such as eggplant.
基金supported by the Slovak grant agency VEGA(project no 1/0003/21)analyses of foreign co-authors also by internal sources(grant no.SGS_2025_001)of their workplaces.
文摘Dill(Anethum graveolens),an annual species,was used to study the impact of metallic pollution potentially spreading fromthe nickel smelter dump in Dolna Streda(Slovakia)by monitoring 55 elements.Despite the proximity of this dump(1 km),only soil Ni(54.8 mg/kg)or Pb(47.3 mg/kg),but not Cr,Mn,Fe or Co(main elements of the dump’s sludge)was elevated in given garden soil compared to two control sites.Mainly flowers and/or leaves contained significantly higher amounts of Ni,Cr,Pb,Cu,As,Sb,Sn,V,W,and some rare earth elements at the site close to the dump.Correlation between elements in organs and soil was significant mainly in stem or root but the bioaccumulation factor was typically low(<0.02)for most elements.A positive finding was that the 2022/2024 comparison revealed a decline in most elements in dill leaves,even at the dump site,which may reflect a decrease in the content of air PM particles.Soluble phenols were less accumulated in plants close to the nickel smelter dump,but flavonols showed the opposite trend,and free amino acids were positively correlated with many elements in the stem and root.An evaluation of commercial dill samples revealed variability(e.g.,up to 0.7 mg Cd/kg dry weight)but subsequent NCA and PCA analyses clearly separated the dump locality from other samples.However,significant differences in the content of Cd,Ni,Pb,As,and other elements encourage precise control of commercially available dill dry matter.
基金funded by the European Union via the Euratom Research and Training Program(Grant Agreement No.101052200-EUROfusion)funding from LASERLAB-EUROPE(Grant Agreement No.871124,European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program)+5 种基金supported in part by the United States Department of Energy under Grant No.DE-FG02-93ER40773We also acknowledge support from Grant No.PID2021-125389OA-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER,UEby“ERDF A Way of Making Europe”by the European Union and Unidad de Investigación Consolidada of Junta de Castilla y León UIC 167supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.12375125the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universitiesthe support of the Czech Science Foundation through Grant No.GACR24-11398S.
文摘Driving of the nuclear fusion reaction p+^(11)B3α+8.7 MeV under laboratory conditions by interaction between high-power laser pulses and matter has become a popular field of research,owing to its numerous potential applications:as an alternative to deuterium-tritium for fusion energy production,astrophysics studies,and alpha-particle generation for medical treatment.One possible scheme for laser-driven p-^(11)B reactions is to direct a beam of laser-accelerated protons onto a boron(B)sample(the so-called“pitcher-catcher”scheme).This technique has been successfully implemented on large high-energy lasers,yielding hundreds of joules per shot at low repetition.We present here a complementary approach,exploiting the high repetition rate of the VEGA III petawatt laser at CLPU(Spain),aiming at accumulating results from many interactions at much lower energy,to provide better control of the parameters and the statistics of the measurements.Despite a moderate energy per pulse,our experiment allowed exploration of the laser-driven fusion process with tens(up to hundreds)of laser shots.The experiment provided a clear signature of the reactions involved and of the fusion products,accumulated over many shots,leading to an improved optimization of the diagnostics for experimental campaigns of this type.In this paper,we discuss the effectiveness of laser-driven p-11B fusion in the pitcher-catcher scheme,at a high repetition rate,addressing the challenges of this experimental scheme and highlighting its critical aspects.Our proposed methodology allows evaluation of the performance of this scheme for laser-driven alpha particle production and can be adapted to high-repetition-rate laser facilities with higher energy and intensity.
基金Supported by the Clinical Research Fellowship Grant from the Wellcome Trust,United Kingdom,No.227516/Z/23/Z.
文摘BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus(HCV)is a blood-borne virus which globally affects around 79 million people and is associated with high morbidity and mortality.Chronic infection leads to cirrhosis in a large proportion of patients and often causes hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in people with cirrhosis.Of the 6 HCV genotypes(G1-G6),genotype-3 accounts for 17.9%of infections.HCV genotype-3 responds least well to directly-acting antivirals and patients with genotype-3 infection are at increased risk of HCC even if they do not have cirrhosis.AIM To systematically review and critically appraise all risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV-G3 in all settings.Consequently,we studied possible risk factors for HCC due to HCV-G3 in the literature from 1946 to 2023.METHODS This systematic review aimed to synthesise existing and published studies of risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3 and evaluate their strengths and limitations.We searched Web of Science,Medline,EMBASE,and CENTRAL for publications reporting risk factors for HCC due to HCV genotype-3 in all settings,1946-2023.RESULTS Four thousand one hundred and forty-four records were identified from the four databases with 260 records removed as duplicates.Three thousand eight hundred and eighty-four records were screened with 3514 excluded.Three hundred and seventy-one full-texts were assessed for eligibility with seven studies included for analysis.Of the seven studies,three studies were retrospective case-control trials,two retrospective cohort studies,one a prospective cohort study and one a cross-sectional study design.All were based in hospital settings with four in Pakistan,two in South Korea and one in the United States.The total number of participants were 9621 of which 167 developed HCC(1.7%).All seven studies found cirrhosis to be a risk factor for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3 followed by higher age(five-studies),with two studies each showing male sex,high alpha feto-protein,directly-acting antivirals treatment and achievement of sustained virologic response as risk factors for developing HCC.CONCLUSION Although,studies have shown that HCV genotype-3 infection is an independent risk factor for end-stage liver disease,HCC,and liver-related death,there is a lack of evidence for specific risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3.Only cirrhosis and age have demonstrated an association;however,the number of studies is very small,and more research is required to investigate risk factors for HCC secondary to HCV genotype-3.
文摘1. The bioeconomy and sustainable development Over the past decades, significant advances in life science and biotechnology have led policymakers to increasingly prioritize the bioeconomy as a key strategy for addressing global challenges such as food security, healthcare, resource constraints, environmental preservation, and climate change [1,2].
文摘Post-Neoproterozoic dolerites from the Kéniéba region (Western Mali) are often associated with kimberlites. The rarity of kimberlite outcrops led to the study of doleritic rocks, spatially associated with them. The petrographic and lithogeochemical study showed that the dolerites of the Kéniéba kimberlitic fields are of tholeiitic nature and of the E-MORB (Enriched-Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt) type. This reflects an enrichment over time, compared to the Birimian dolerites of the volcano-sedimentary greenstone belt of Toumodi, in central C?te d’Ivoire. Furthermore, these dolerites are enriched in SiO2, TiO2, Zr and poor in Fe2O3, MgO. These dolerites would have formed in a late to post-orogenic intracontinental context during the breakup of Gondwana. Structurally, Kéniéba dolerites are often associated with kimberlite pipes, fractures and large deep structures identified using aeromagnetic images. Taking into account the fact that kimberlites do not outcrop in the Kéniéba region, the geochemical study coupled with the interpretation of aeromagnetic data proved to be very useful for the search for pipes.