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Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease, may be associated with poliomyelitis-like paralysis. In this report from China, a vaccine was shown to significantly decrease EV71-associated illness in children. Epidemics of hand, foot, and mouth disease in children have emerged recently in Asia and have been caused primarily by enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A16, 1 which typically show two peak epidemic incidences each year, in May and October. 2 – 5 An important clinical concern regarding hand, foot, and mouth disease is central nervous system injury, which occurs during the disease course in some severe cases and may result in a poor outcome. 6 – 11 Infection with the EV71 C4 genotype accounts for 40.1 to 55.4% of cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, with considerable associated mortality, including thousands of deaths . . .

The development of magnetic refrigerants with both low-field responsiveness and a large magnetic entropy change in the sub-Kelvin temperature range remains a critical challenge for advancing cryogenic technologies. This study focuses on the monoclinic compound Gd7(BO3)(PO4)2O6, in which high-density Gd3+ ions form magnetic frustrated structures within the bc-plane and stack along the a-axis direction. The combination of a high magnetic ion density and frustrated magnetic configuration enables the coexistence of a low magnetic transition temperature and excellent magnetocaloric effects. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal an antiferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic phase transition below 2 K. The maximum magnetic entropy change reaches 35.2 J kg−1 K−1 under a varying magnetic field of 0–7 T. This study highlights the potential of frustrated magnetic interactions in monoclinic lattices with a high Gd3+ content for achieving superior cryogenic magnetocaloric performance.

Background Affordable HPV vaccines are needed to accelerate elimination of cervical cancer. We evaluated the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a recombinant bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine composed of L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) for HPV 16 and HPV18 (HPV-2), produced in Pichia pastoris , in healthy Chinese women aged 18–30 years. Methods In this phase 3, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 10 centres in China (Nov 2014–Jan 2020), participants were assigned 1:1 to receive three doses of HPV-2 or placebo at months 0, 2, and 6. The primary endpoint was efficacy against histopathology-confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher (CIN2+) associated with HPV16/18 through 48 months. Secondary endpoints were safety (adverse events [AEs] within 1 month of any dose; serious AEs throughout follow-up) and immunogenicity (neutralising antibody titres and seroconversion at Month 7 in a predefined subset). Results Of 12,000 women enrolled, 11,999 received the first dose and 11,281 completed all three doses. Over 48 months, 17 CIN2 + cases occurred: 3 among vaccine recipients ( n  = 5190) versus 14 among placebo recipients ( n  = 5167), corresponding to vaccine efficacy of 78.6% (95% CI 23.3–96.1; p  = 0.012). No vaccine-related serious AEs occurred. Solicited local AEs were mainly mild pain, reported by 25.9% of vaccinees and 7.9% of placebo recipients. Fever was the most common systemic AE (27.4% vs. 26.4%). In the immunogenicity subset, 99.7% (349/350) and 99.4% (348/350) of vaccinees were seropositive for HPV16 and HPV18 neutralising antibodies, respectively, at Month 7. Conclusions Three doses of HPV-2 were well tolerated, highly immunogenic, and efficacious against CIN2 + up to 4 years post-vaccination, supporting further evaluation in the adolescent target population for HPV vaccination campaigns. Trial registration China Drug Trials Registry (CTR20140626; registered Sept 26, 2014; prospective). ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02733068; registered April 11, 2016; secondary).

No licensed Shigella vaccine is presently available globally. A double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, age descending phase II clinical trial of a bivalent conjugate vaccine was studied in China. The vaccine ZF0901 consisted of O-specific polysaccharides purified and detoxified from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of S. flexneri 2a and S. sonnei and covalently bonded to tetanus toxoid. A total of 224, 310, and 434 children, consented by parents or guardians, aged 3 to 6 and 6 to 12 months and 1 to 5 years old, respectively, were injected with half or full doses, with or without adjuvant or control Hib vaccine. There were no serious adverse reactions in all recipients of ZF0901 vaccine independent of age, dosage, number of injections, or the adjuvant status. Thirty days after the last injection, ZF0901 induced robust immune responses with significantly higher levels of type-specific serum antibodies (geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of IgG anti-LPS) against both serotypes in all age groups compared with the pre-immune or the Hib control (p < 0.0001). Here, we demonstrated that ZF0901 bivalent Shigella conjugate vaccine is safe and immunogenic in infants and young children and is likely suitable for routine immunization.

Heusler alloys are a kind of intermetallic compounds with highly-ordered arrangement of atoms. Many attractive functional materials have been developed in Heusler alloys. Due to the application requirements of materials in new-generation electronic devices and spintronics devices, one-dimensional nanostructured Heusler alloys with special functions are needed. In this work, it is proposed to grow one-dimensional Heusler alloy nanostructures (1D-HA-NSs) by magnetron sputtering plus anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. Nanowires with different shapes, amorphous-coated (AC) nanowires and nanotubes were successfully grown for several Heusler alloys. AC nanowires are the unique products of our method. Heusler alloy nanotubes are reported for the first time. The one-dimensional nanostructures grow on the surface of the AAO substrate rather than in the holes. The top of the pore wall is the nanostructure growth point, the shape of which determines the morphology of the nanostructures. A general growth mechanism model of one-dimensional nanostructures on AAO template was established and further confirmed by experimental observation.

Objectives: This study evaluated the 12-month persistence of rabies virus-neutralizing antibody (RVNA) following different immunization regimens of freeze-dried human rabies vaccine (Vero cells) in individuals aged 10–60 years within the Chinese population. Methods: Number of 600 participants from phase III clinical trials who completed the fullimmunization were randomly assigned into one of three groups, four-dose experimental group, five-dose experimental group, and five-dose control group. The experimental group received the vaccine from Shandong Yeedu Biotechnology Co., while the control group used the vaccine from Liaoning Chengda Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The antibody-positive rate and geometric mean concentration (GMC) were calculated, and analysis of variance was used to compare the results among the three groups. Results: The study included 200 participants in the four-dose experimental group, 186 in the five-dose experimental group, and 214 in the five-dose control group. Twelve months post-immunization, the overall RVNA-positive rates were 97.00%, 93.55%, and 94.86% in the four-dose experimental, five-dose control, and five-dose experimental groups, respectively. The GMCs of RVNA were 2.50, 2.05, and 2.04 IU/mL for the respective groups. The age-stratified analysis exhibited high positivity rates across age groups (≤21, 21–50, and ≥50), with rates ranging from 88.4% to 100%, and GMCs were between 1.75 and 2.61 IU/mL. Conclusions: Twelve months after full immunization, the overall RVNA-positive rate remained high across all dosing regimens, demonstrating satisfactory immunogenicity persistence. This indicates that both the four-dose and five-dose regimens are effective in maintaining long-term immunity against rabies.

Background To investigate the long-term effects on immunity of an inactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine and its protective efficacy. Methods A sub-cohort of 1,100 volunteers from Guangxi Province in China was eligible for enrolment and randomly administered either the EV71 vaccine or a placebo on days 0 and 28 in a phase III clinical trial and then observed for the following 2 years with approval by an independent ethics committee of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Serum samples from the 350 participants who provided a full series of blood samples (at all the sampling points) within the 2-year period were collected. Vaccine-induced immune effects, including the neutralizing antibody titres and cross-protection against different genotypes of EV71, were examined. This study also evaluated the protective efficacy of this vaccine based upon clinical diagnosis. Results This sub-cohort showed a >60 % drop-out rate over 2 years. The seroconversion rates among the 161 immunized subjects remained >95 % at the end of study. The geometric mean titres of neutralizing antibodies (anti-genotype C4) 360 days after vaccination in 350 subjects were 81.0 (subjects aged 6–11 months), 98.4 (12–23 months), 95.0 (24–35 months), and 81.8 (36–71 months). These titres subsequently increased to 423.1, 659.0, 545.0, and 321.9, respectively, at 540 days post-immunization (d.p.i.), and similar levels were maintained at 720 d.p.i. Higher IFN-γ/IL-4-specific responses to the C4 genotype of EV71 and cross-neutralization reactivity against major EV71 genotype strains were observed in the vaccine group compared to those in the placebo group. Five EV71-infected subjects were observed in the placebo-treated control group and none in the vaccine-immunized group in per-protocol analysis. Conclusion These results are consistent with the induction of dynamic immune responses and protective efficacy of the vaccine against most circulating EV71 strains. Trial registration number Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01569581 , Trial registration date: March 2012

The surface-bound ligands of a semiconductor nanocrystal can affect its electron transition behavior. We investigate the photoluminescence (PL) properties of Cu-doped Zn-In-Se quantum dots (QDs) through the exchange of oleylamine with 6-mercaptohexanol (MCH). Fourier transform infrared and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, and mass spectrometry reveal that the short-chain MCH molecules are bound to the QD surface. The emission peaks remain unchanged after ligand exchange, and the PL quantum yield is reduced from 49% to 38%. The effects of particle size and defect type on the change in PL behavior upon ligand substitution are excluded through high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis absorption, and PL spectroscopies. The origin of the decreased PL intensity is associated with increased ligand density and the stronger ligand electron-donating abilities of MCH-capped QDs that induce an increase in the nonradiative transition probability. A lower PL quenching transition temperature is observed for MCH-capped QDs and is associated with increasing electron-acoustic phonon coupling due to the lower melting temperature of MCH.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a major causative agent of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), causes outbreaks among children in the Asia-Pacific region. A vaccine is urgently needed. Based on successful pre-clinical work, phase I and II clinical trials of an inactivated EV71 vaccine, which included the participants of 288 and 660 respectively, have been conducted. In the present study, the immune response and the correlated modulation of gene expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 30 infants (6 to 11 months) immunized with this vaccine or placebo and consented to join this study in the phase II clinical trial were analyzed. The results showed significantly greater neutralizing antibody and specific T cell responses in vaccine group after two inoculations on days 0 and 28. Additionally, more than 600 functional genes that were up- or down-regulated in PBMCs were identified by the microarray assay, and these genes included 68 genes associated with the immune response in vaccine group. These results emphasize the gene expression profile of the immune system in response to an inactivated EV71 vaccine in humans and confirmed that such an immune response was generated as the result of the positive mobilization of the immune system. Furthermore, the immune response was not accompanied by the development of a remarkable inflammatory response. NCT01391494 and NCT01512706.

The identification of poliovirus in stool samples post-Oral Poliovirus Vaccine (OPV) immunization is essential for implementing post-eradication monitoring of poliomyelitis. This research presents the inaugural assessment of the virus shedding rate and the genetic diversity of OPV shedding strains across different Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV)-OPV sequential immunization schedules. Our findings revealed that the shedding rate of different serotypes in each sequential immunization groups peaked within 7 days following the initial administration of OPV, and then gradually decreased. Prior vaccination with OPV reduced the rate and shortened the duration of virus shedding. Additionally, we observed a slight increase in the shedding rate of type3 after the removal of type2 from trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (tOPV). The comprehensive analysis of the whole-genome high-throughput sequencing results for the shedding strain revealed that the variation sites among samples from different sequential immunization groups were distributed throughout the entire genome. The mutation frequencies within the 5’NCR, 2 C, 3 A, 3 C, and 3D regions were elevated of type1 and type3, while type2 had higher frequencies within the 5’NCR, VP1 and 3D regions. Consequently, it is imperative to expedite the transition from OPV to IPV, and to discontinue OPV as soon as wild poliovirus strains and vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPVs) are eliminated.