Broad-spectrum tunable photoluminescent nanomaterials are developed based on macrocyclic amphiphiles serving as a novel modular light-harvesting platform with discrete addressability of luminophores in a noncovalent way. By simply varying the donor/acceptor ratio, a broad spectrum of energy transfer outputs is achieved, pointing toward a proof-of-principle application as fluorescent inks for security printing.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), caused by virulent feline coronavirus, is the leading infectious cause of death in cats. The type I interferon (type I IFN)-mediated immune responses provide host protection from infectious diseases. Several coronaviruses have been reported to evolve diverse strategies to evade host IFN response. However, whether feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) antagonizes the type I IFN signaling remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that FIPV strain DF2 infection not only failed to induce interferon-β (IFN-β) and interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) production, but also inhibited Sendai virus (SEV) or polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C))-induced IFN-β production. Subsequently, we found that one of the non-structural proteins encoded by the FIPV genome, nsp5, interrupted type I IFN signaling in a protease-dependent manner by cleaving the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) essential modulator (NEMO) at three sites-glutamine132 (Q132), Q205, and Q231. Further investigation revealed that the cleavage products of NEMO lost the ability to activate the IFN-β promoter. Mechanistically, the nsp5-mediated NEMO cleavage disrupted the recruitment of the TRAF family member-associated NF-κB activator (TANK) to NEMO, which reduced the phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), leading to the inhibition of type I IFN production. Our research provides new insights into the mechanism for FIPV to counteract host innate immune response.

Herpes zoster (HZ) exists widely in China and most cases occur among old people, but no epidemiology information of HZ was available. We aimed to investigate the epidemiology characteristics of HZ among adults aged 50 and over in Guangdong, China. A total of 34 counties/districts were randomly selected in Guangdong, and 7149 residents aged 50 and over were investigated by local CDC professionals using accidental sampling method. There were 247 respondents having had HZ before; the lifetime prevalence of HZ among people aged 50 and above in study area was 3.46%. The prevalence in females was higher than that in males. Pearl River Delta had the highest prevalence (5.29%), while Northern Guangdong had the lowest (1.87%). The annual incidence in the year 2013, 2012 and 2011 was 5.8, 3.4 and 4.1 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Detailed investigation of HZ cases showed that all cases meted the definition of HZ and had at least 1 typical symptom. 40% cases had suffered post-herpetic neuralgia. 75.9% cases had sought aid from hospital and 9.1% of them had been hospitalized. People who sought aid from hospital had more serious level of neuralgia. The epidemiology features of HZ in Guangdong were consistent with the current findings in other countries. The results of this study can provide baseline epidemiology information of HZ for further studies.

Background: Innovative coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, with elevated global manufacturing capacity, enhanced safety and efficacy, simplified dosing regimens, and distribution that is less cold chain-dependent, are still global imperatives for tackling the ongoing pandemic. A previous phase I trial indicated that the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (V-01), which contains a fusion protein (IFN-PADRE-RBD-Fc dimer) as its antigen, is safe and well tolerated, capable of inducing rapid and robust immune responses, and warranted further testing in additional clinical trials. Herein, we aimed to assess the immunogenicity and safety of V-01, providing rationales of appropriate dose regimen for further efficacy study. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial was initiated at the Gaozhou Municipal Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Guangdong, China) in March 2021. Both younger ( n = 440; 18–59 years of age) and older ( n = 440; ≥60 years of age) adult participants in this trial were sequentially recruited into two distinct groups: two-dose regimen group in which participants were randomized either to follow a 10 or 25 μg of V-01 or placebo given intramuscularly 21 days apart (allocation ratio, 3:3:1, n = 120, 120, 40 for each regimen, respectively), or one-dose regimen groups in which participants were randomized either to receive a single injection of 50 μg of V-01 or placebo (allocation ratio, 3:1, n = 120, 40, respectively). The primary immunogenicity endpoints were the geometric mean titers of neutralizing antibodies against live severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and specific binding antibodies to the receptor binding domain (RBD). The primary safety endpoint evaluation was the frequencies and percentages of overall adverse events (AEs) within 30 days after full immunization. Results: V-01 provoked substantial immune responses in the two-dose group, achieving encouragingly high titers of neutralizing antibody and anti-RBD immunoglobulin, which peaked at day 35 (161.9 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 133.3–196.7] and 149.3 [95%CI: 123.9–179.9] in 10 and 25 μg V-01 group of younger adults, respectively; 111.6 [95%CI: 89.6–139.1] and 111.1 [95%CI: 89.2–138.4] in 10 and 25 μg V-01 group of older adults, respectively), and remained high at day 49 after a day-21 second dose; these levels significantly exceed those in convalescent serum from symptomatic COVID-19 patients (53.6, 95%CI: 31.3–91.7). Our preliminary data show that V-01 is safe and well tolerated, with reactogenicity predominantly being absent or mild in severity and only one vaccine-related grade 3 or worse AE being observed within 30 days. The older adult participants demonstrated a more favorable safety profile compared with those in the younger adult group: with AEs percentages of 19.2%, 25...