Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a well-documented etiological factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As HCV shows remarkable genetic diversity, an interesting and important issue is whether such a high viral genetic diversity plays a role in the incidence of HCC. Prior data on this subject are conflicting.

Duckling short beak and dwarfism syndrome virus (SBDSV), an emerging goose parvovirus, has caused short beak and dwarfism syndrome (SBDS) in Chinese duck flocks since 2015. Presently, there is no commercial vaccine against SBDS. In the present study, a virus-like particle (VLP)-based candidate vaccine was developed against this disease. A baculovirus expression system was used to express the SBDSV VP2 protein in Sf9 cells. Immunofluorescence assay, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting were used to confirm protein expression. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the formation of VLPs. VLPs were formulated into an oil-adjuvanted maternal vaccine to evaluate humoral responses in breeding ducks via latex particle agglutination inhibition assay (LPAI) and microneutralization assay. The offspring were challenged with SBDSV to test the protective efficacy. A single dose of SBDSV was able to induce the high level of LPAI antibodies in ducks, with LPAI and neutralization peak titres of 4.9 ± 1.20 log2 and 7.1 ± 1.20 log2, respectively, at 4 weeks post-vaccination (wpv). The average LPAI titre of yolk antibodies in duck eggs receiving 2 doses (first and boost doses) of the vaccine was 5.3 ± 1.09 log2 at 4 weeks post-boost. The protective efficacy of the maternal vaccine was 87.5%-100%. These results indicate that SBDSV VLPs can be a promising vaccine candidate for controlling SBDS.

Global concerns towards potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are steadily increasing due to the significant threats that PTEs pose to human health and environmental quality. This calls for immediate, effective and efficient remediation solutions. Earthworms, the 'ecosystem engineers', can modify and improve soil health and enhance plant productivity. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to the potential of earthworms, alone or combined with other soil organisms and/or soil amendments, to remediate PTEs contaminated soils. However, the use of earthworms in the remediation of PTEs contaminated soil (i.e., vermiremediation) has not been thoroughly reviewed to date. Therefore, this review discusses and provides comprehensive insights into the suitability of earthworms as potential candidates for bioremediation of PTEs contaminated soils and mitigating environmental and human health risks. Specifically, we reviewed and discussed: i) the occurrence and abundance of earthworms in PTEs contaminated soils; ii) the influence of PTEs on earthworm communities in contaminated soils; iii) factors affecting earthworm PTEs accumulation and elimination, and iv) the dynamics and fate of PTEs in earthworm amended soils. The technical feasibility, knowledge gaps, and practical challenges have been worked out and critically discussed. Therefore, this review could provide a reference and guidance for bio-restoration of PTEs contaminated soils and shall also help developing innovative and applicable solutions for controlling PTEs bioavailability for the remediation of contaminated soils and the mitigation of the environment and human risks.

Dielectric constant (ε, epsilon) is one of the basic physical parameters for materials, determining the response of materials to electromagnetic waves or electrical field; its value is generally positive. In fact, dielectric constant can also be negative, regarded as supernormal performance to some degree. The negative dielectric property has become research hotspot as an essential key for constructing metamaterials, showing unique and exotic electromagnetic properties not existing in naturally occurring materials, such as negative refraction, perfect troubles, and reverse Doppler effect. Recently, the feasibility is demonstrated to achieve negative dielectric property in conventional heterogeneous composites rather than periodic artificial arrays; drawing great attention from researchers in material science and engineering, many advances have been made and can promote the development of metamaterials and conventional electromagnetic functional materials. Here, we reviewed the recent advances in negative dielectric property designed in some heterogeneous composites, including metal composites, carbon composites, ceramic composites, conducting polymer. Besides, various strategies, including designing different microstructures, changing the working temperatures, choosing flexible matrix or fillers, electro-magnetic coupling, were summarized to precisely adjust negative dielectric property. Finally, the question unsolved and perspectives about negative dielectric property are put forward; we expect to shed light on the mechanism of negative dielectric property as well as its relationship with the material design in composition and microstructure.