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Background and aims: Problematic use of the internet (PUI) among adolescents has become one of the public problems around the world. Understanding the developmental trajectory of PUI may be beneficial to develop prevention and intervention. The current study aimed to identify the developmental trajectories of PUI among adolescents, considering individual differences over time. And also explored how familial factors contributed to the identified trajectories, and the relationship between PUI changes over time and social, mental health, and academic functioning. Methods: A total of 1,149 adolescents (Mage = 15.82, SD = 0.61; 55.27% girls at Wave 1) participated in assessments at four time points, using 6-month assessment intervals. Results: Based on a latent class growth model, three trajectories of PUI were identified: Low Decreasing, Moderate Increasing, and High Increasing groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses suggested that inter-parental conflicts and childhood maltreatment served as negative familial predictors for the risk trajectories of PUI (i.e., Moderate Increasing and High Increasing groups). Additionally, adolescents in these two groups displayed more estranged interpersonal relationships, more mental health difficulties, and poorer academic functioning. Discussion and conclusions: It is important to consider individual differences in understanding the developmental patterns of PUI among adolescents. Identifying family predictors and the behavioral outcome associated with groups with different developmental trajectories of PUI, which may help to understand better risk factors related to specific developmental patterns of PUI and its adverse correlates. The findings highlight a need to develop more specific effective intervention programs for individuals displaying different problematic developmental trajectories with PUI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads efficiently by spike-mediated, direct cell-to-cell transmission. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Herein, we demonstrate that the tight junction protein occludin (OCLN) is critical to this process. SARS-CoV-2 infection alters OCLN distribution and expression and causes syncytium formation that leads to viral spread. OCLN knockdown fails to alter SARS-CoV-2 binding but significantly lowers internalization, syncytium formation, and transmission. OCLN overexpression also has no effect on virus binding but enhances virus internalization, cell-to-cell transmission, and replication. OCLN directly interacts with the SARS-CoV-2 spike, and the endosomal entry pathway is involved in OCLN-mediated cell-to-cell fusion rather than in the cell surface entry pathway. All SARS-CoV-2 strains tested (prototypic, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, kappa, and omicron) are dependent on OCLN for cell-to-cell transmission, although the extent of syncytium formation differs between strains. We conclude that SARS-CoV-2 utilizes OCLN as an internalization factor for cell-to-cell transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a pathogen belonging to the genus Deltacoronavirus that in 2014 caused outbreaks of piglet diarrhea in the United States. To identify suitable therapeutic targets, a more comprehensive understanding of the viral entry pathway is required, particularly of the role of proteases. Here, we identified the proteases that activate the viral spike (S) glycoprotein to initiate cell entry and also pinpointed the host-cellular pathways that PDCoV uses for entry. Our results revealed that cathepsin L (CTSL) and cathepsin B (CTSB) in lysosomes and extracellular trypsin in cell cultures independently activate the S protein for membrane fusion. Pretreating the cells with the lysosomal acidification inhibitor bafilomycin-A1 (Baf-A1) completely inhibited PDCoV entry, and siRNA-mediated ablation of CTSL or CTSB expression significantly reduced viral infection, indicating that PDCoV uses an endosomal pathway for entry. Of note, trypsin treatment of cell cultures also activated PDCoV entry, even when the endosomal pathway was inhibited. This observation indicated that trypsin-induced S protein cleavage and activation in cell cultures enables viral entry directly from the cell surface. Our results provide critical insights into the PDCoV infection mechanism, uncovering two distinct viral entry pathways: one through cathepsin L and cathepsin B in the endosome and another via a protease at the cell surface. Because PDCoV infection sites represent a proteases-rich environment, these findings suggest that endosome inhibitor treatment alone is insufficient to block PDCoV entry into intestinal epithelial cells in vivo. Therefore, approaches that inhibit viral entry from the cell membrane should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Screen media activity (SMA) consumes considerable time in youth's lives, raising concerns about the effects it may have on youth development. Disentangling mixed associations between youth's SMA and developmental measures should move beyond overall screen time and consider types and patterns of SMA. We here aimed to identify reliable and generalizable SMA patterns among youth and examine their associations with behavioral developmental measures and resting-state brain functional connectivity (RSFC). Method: Three waves of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (ABCD) data were examined (N=11,876 at baseline). K-means clustering with sensitivity analyses were used to identify SMA patterns. The generalizability and stability of the identified SMA patterns were examined in the Lifespan Human Connectome Project in Development data (HCP-D, N=652) and ABCD follow-up waves, respectively. Relationships were examined between SMA patterns and behavioral measures and RSFC using linear-mixed-effect modelling. Results: Available SMA data from 11,817 children (Mean(SD)age = 119.0 (7.5) months; 6,159 (52.1%) boys) were examined, and 3,151 (26.7%) demonstrated a video-centric higher-frequency SMA pattern (group 1) while 8,666 (73.3%) demonstrated an overall lowerfrequency pattern (group 2). The identified patterns were validated in similarly-aged HCP-D youths. Compared to group 2, youths in group 1 showed poorer neurocognitive performance (Standardized Beta [95%CI] = -0.12 [-0.08, -0.16], p<.001, all p-values are FDR-corrected), more total behavioral problems (0.13 [0.09, 0.18], p<.001), and more severe prodromal psychotic symptomatology (0.31 [0.27, 0.36], p<.001). Group 1 demonstrated higher impulsivity, more sensitivity to punishment/reward and altered RSFC among brain areas implicated previously in cognitive processes. Most of the associations persisted with age growth, and more individuals (N=3,378, 30.4%) were assigned in the video-centric higher-frequency SMA group at one-year follow-up. Conclusion: Video-centric SMA patterns are reliable and generalizable during late childhood. Group 1 showed altered RSFC and poorer developmental measures that persisted longitudinally. The findings suggest public health strategies aiming to decrease excessive time spent by children on video-entertainment-related SMA are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problematic usage of Internet (PUI) in adolescents has become a promising domain of interest for researchers, yet valid predictors remain lacking, especially at the neural level. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the underpinning neural mechanisms associated with the PUI in adolescents. A total of 112 adolescents aged 11-15 years were recruited in the present study, of which 85 were included in the data analysis. A connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) analysis was used to explore the neurophysiological basis of resting state (RS) associated with PUI in adolescents. In addition, the reconfiguration coefficients of the positive PUI network from RS to reward task were calculated in the present study to investigate its degree of changes in brain activities across different states. Results showed that there existed a positive network pattern (216 edges) in the RS that significantly predicted the severity of PUI in adolescents, mainly involving inter- or intra-connectivity between the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), frontoparietal network (FPN), subcortical network (SCN). The predictive power of PUI was significantly reduced when simulating lesions in the SN-SCN, DMN-DMN, and DMN-SN. Moreover, this positive PUI network showed promising reconstruction coefficients for the RS-reward task and was significant positively correlated with adolescents' PUI. In conclusion, the present study suggested that the interactions of DMN, FPN, SN and SCN may be the neurophysiological basis of PUI in adolescents. Similarly, the smaller changes in positive PUI networks from RS-to-reward processing also may serve as a risk neural predictor for PUI in early adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are seven species in the genus Nageia, a member of the Podocarpaceae family; five are found in China. They are primarily found in eastern and southern Asia, close to the equator at the 30th parallel north and south, and in coastal mountainous areas and islands in the western Pacific. These herbs are extremely valuable for medicinal purposes. The three species of Nageia that are the subject of most current research on their chemical composition and pharmacological properties are N. nagi, N. fleuryi, and N. wallichiana. There are currently 232 known chemical components, which include steroids, flavonoids, sesquiterpenoids, and diterpenoids. Of these, 86 diterpenoid dilactones comprise most of the chemical components, and only plants of the Nageia genus contain C-ring decarbonized diterpenoid dilactones. These plants exhibit promising pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. For the first time, an in-depth and systematic evaluation of the chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of plants in the Nageia genus is presented in the this article. This theoretical framework will help in the future investigation and development of medicinal resources and active ingredients within the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a wideband Butler matrix for the uniform circular array antenna (UCA) generating multimode orbital angular momentum (OAM) vortex wave is designed. Firstly, the novel network topology of a Butler matrix is proposed. For the purpose of design and optimization convenience, the 8x8 Butler matrix is separated into two different sub 4x4 Butler matrix modules and one connection-output module. Then several wideband microwave components used in a Butler matrix, such as 3 dB directional coupler and stable phase shifter with composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission line, are designed. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the design process, a Butler matrix working in 5-7 GHz is designed and fabricated. It is found that the simulation results are in good agreement with the measured data. The constant amplitude distribution and progressive phase differences of ±45°, ±90° between the output ports are observed, hence the ±1, ±2 mode OAM waves can be generated by the proposed Butler matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model predictive direct power control (MPDPC) is a widely recognized high-performance control strategy for a three-phase grid-connected pulse width modulation (PWM) rectifier. Unlike those of conventional grid-connected PWM rectifiers, the active and reactive powers of permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-connected PWM rectifiers, which are used in electromagnetic transmitters, cannot be calculated as the product of voltage and current because the back electromotive force (EMF) of the generator cannot be measured directly. In this study, the predictive power model of the rectifier is obtained by analyzing the relationship among flux, back EMF, active/reactive power, converter voltage, and stator current of the generator. The concept of duty cycle control in the proposed MPDPC is introduced by allocating a fraction of the control period for a nonzero vector and rest time for a zero vector. When nonzero vectors and their duration in the predefined cost function are simultaneously evaluated, the global power ripple minimization is obtained. Simulation and experimental results prove that the proposed MPDPC strategy with duty cycle control for the PMSG-connected PWM rectifier can achieve better control performance than the conventional MPDPC-SVM with grid-connected PWM rectifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the practice of interpolating near-surface soil moisture measured by a wireless sensor network (WSN) grid, traditional Kriging methods with auxiliary variables, such as Co-kriging and Kriging with external drift (KED), cannot achieve satisfactory results because of the heterogeneity of soil moisture and its low correlation with the auxiliary variables. This study developed an Extended Kriging method to interpolate with the aid of remote sensing images. The underlying idea is to extend the traditional Kriging by introducing spectral variables, and operating on spatial and spectral combined space. The algorithm has been applied to WSN-measured soil moisture data in HiWATER campaign to generate daily maps from 10 June to 15 July 2012. For comparison, three traditional Kriging methods are applied: Ordinary Kriging (OK), which used WSN data only, Co-kriging and KED, both of which integrated remote sensing data as covariate. Visual inspections indicate that the result from Extended Kriging shows more spatial details than that of OK, Co-kriging, and KED. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of Extended Kriging was found to be the smallest among the four interpolation results. This indicates that the proposed method has advantages in combining remote sensing information and ground measurements in soil moisture interpolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hirame rhabdovirus virus (HIRRV) is a rhabdovirus that causes acute hemorrhage disease in fish culture, resulting in a great economic loss in parts of Asia and Europe. Methods: In this study, we isolated a virus strain named as CNPo2015 from cultured Japanese flounder inS handong province, China. Cell isolation, electron microscopic observation, RT-PCR detection and phylogenetic analysis were used for virus identification. Further, artificial infection experiment was conducted forvirulencet esting. Results: The gross signs included abdominal distension, fin reddening and yellow ascitic fluid in the abdomina cavity. Histopathological examination revealed marked cell degeneration and necrosis in the kidney. The tissue homogenates inducedobvious cytopathic effects in EPC, FHM and FG cell lines. Electron microscopic observation showed the virus had a bullet-like shapewith a capsule membrane. RT-PCR and sequencing analysis revealed that CNPo2015 belonged to the HIRRV with high sequence identitytoHIRRV isolates. Infection experiment confirmed that the HIRRV CNPo2015 strain was virulent to flounder juveniles with a LD50 valueof 1.0 × 105.9 TCID50/fish. Conclusion: In conclusion, we described the first isolation and characterization of a HIRRV from Japanese flounder in China. This will provide a candidate material for further research on the infection mechanism and preventive strategies of HIRRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huaier aqueous extract, the main active constituent of Huaier proteoglycan, has antihepatocarcinoma activity in experimental and clinical settings. However, the potential and associated antihepatoma mechanisms of Huaier extract are not yet fully understood. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the inhibitory proliferation effect of Huaier extract on apoptosis and cycle of HepG2 and Bel-7402 cells. Our data demonstrated that incubation with Huaier extract resulted in a marked decrease in cell viability dose- dependently. Flow cytometric analysis showed that a 48 h treatment of Huaier extract caused cell apoptosis. Typical apoptotic nucleus alterations were observed with fluorescence microscope after Hoechst staining. Immunoblot analysis further demonstrated that Huaier extract activated caspase 3 and PARP. Additionally, Huaier extract inhibited the activity of p-ERK, p-p38, and p-JNK in terms of MAPK. Furthermore, Huaier extract induced HCC cells arrest in S phase and decreased the cycle related protein expression of β-catenin and cyclin D1. Studies with JNK specific inhibitor, SP600125, showed that Huaier extract induced S phase arrest and decreased β-catenin and cyclin D1 expression via JNK signaling pathway. In conclusion, we verify that Huaier extract causes cell apoptosis and induces hepatocellular carcinoma cells arrest in S phase via JNK pathway, which advances our understanding on the molecular mechanisms of Huaier extract in hepatocarcinoma management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the graphene growth mechanism at the atomic-scale is of great importance for achieving high quality graphene. However, the lack of direct experimental observation and density functional theory (DFT) verification hinders a comprehensive understanding of the structure of the carbon clusters and evolution of the graphene growth on surface. Here, we report an in-situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM) study of the elementary process of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene growth via thermal decomposition of methane on Cu(110), including the formation of monodispersed carbon clusters at the initial stage, the graphene nucleation and the ripening of graphene islands to form continuous graphene film. STM measurement, supported by DFT calculations, suggests that the carbon clusters on the surface are C2H5. It is found that graphene layers can be joined by different domains, with a relative misorientation of 30°. These graphene layers can be decoupled from Cu(110) through low temperature thermal cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a spatially resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) investigation of reversibly switchable dipolar vanadyl phthalocyanine (VOPc) on graphite by using low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. VOPc molecule can be switched between O-up and O-down configurations by changing the polarity of the pulse voltage applied to the tip, actuated by the inelastic tunneling electrons. The spatially resolved STS measurements allow the identification of the electronic structures of VOPc with different dipole orientation. The present approach provides geometry images and electronic characterization of a molecular switch on surface spontaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider deformed nuclei within an effective theory that exploits the small ratio between rotational and vibrational excitations. For even-even nuclei, the effective theory predicts small changes in the rotational constants of bands built on multi-phonon excitations that are linear in the number of excited phonons. In 166,168Er, this explains the main variations of the rotational constants of the two-phonon γ vibrational bands. In 232Th, the effective theory correctly explains the trend that the rotational constants decrease with increasing spin of the bandhead. We also study the effective theory for deformed odd nuclei. Here, time-odd terms enter the Lagrangian and generate effective magnetic forces that yield the high level densities observed in such nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the debate in China on whether state-owned enterprises expand at the expense of private enterprise. The Chinese government denies the expansion of state-owned enterprises. Most academics and journalists contend that the economic figures regarding the production value and growth rate of private sector are not reliable. It is found that state firms expand into competitive industries as the state refuses to let private businesses enter key industries.

In this paper we investigate the mass defect and other gravitational effects in noncommutative Schwarzschild space-time obtained by considering particles as smeared objects. The effects of space-time noncommutativity on mass defect of a test particle and a homogeneous spherical shell are calculated. The NC corrections to gravitational redshift, and light-speed in Schwarzschild field are briefly discussed. The results show that the NC corrections have weakening action on these gravitational effects comparing with those in commutative cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author mentions that, since China's initiation of economic reforms, agricultural development has been delayed behind overall economic growth and the income gap between farmers and urbanites has increased. The author reports that this is due to the fact that rural land rights have never been clarified or protected and there is a dual structure of governance dividing urban and rural household registration. The author discusses the party plenum of 2008 which acknowledged the contradiction in the urban-rural dualist structure.

Background: Although laparoscopic surgery has been available for a long time and laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been performed universally, it is still not clear whether open appendectomy (OA) or laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is the most appropriate surgical approach to acute appendicitis. The purpose of this work is to compare the therapeutic effects and safety of laparoscopic and conventional "open" appendectomy by means of a meta-analysis. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed of all randomized controlled trials published in English that compared LA and OA in adults and children between 1990 and 2009. Calculations were made of the effect sizes of: operating time, postoperative length of hospital stay, postoperative pain, return to normal activity, resumption of diet, complications rates, and conversion to open surgery. The effect sizes were then pooled by a fixed or randomeffects model. Results: Forty-four randomized controlled trials with 5292 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Operating time was 12.35 min longer for LA (95% CI: 7.99 to 16.72, p < 0.00001). Hospital stay after LA was 0.60 days shorter (95% CI: -0.85 to -0.36, p < 0.00001). Patients returned to their normal activity 4.52 days earlier after LA (95% CI: -5.95 to -3.10, p < 0.00001), and resumed their diet 0.34 days earlier(95% CI: -0.46 to -0.21, p < 0.00001). Pain after LA on the first postoperative day was significantly less (p = 0.008). The overall conversion rate from LA to OA was 9.51%. With regard to the rate of complications, wound infection after LA was definitely reduced (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.59, p < 0.00001), while postoperative ileus was not significantly reduced(OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.57 to 1.47, p = 0.71). However, intra-abdominal abscess (IAA), intraoperative bleeding and urinary tract infection (UIT) after LA, occurred slightly more frequently(OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.43, p = 0.05; OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.54 to 4.48, p = 0.41; OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 0.58 to 5.29, p = 0.32). Conclusion: LA provides considerable benefits over OA, including a shorter length of hospital stay, less postoperative pain, earlier postoperative recovery, and a lower complication rate. Furthermore, over the study period it was obvious that there had been a trend toward fewer differences in operating time for the two procedures. Although LA was associated with a slight increase in the incidence of IAA, intraoperative bleeding and UIT, it is a safe procedure. It may be that the widespread use of LA is due to its better therapeutic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current therapeutic antibodies, at least some, possess the capacity to induce immune tolerance in experimental models with allo-grafts or autoimmune diseases. Clinical application of humanized or chimeric antibodies to treat graft rejection or autoimmune diseases is presently underway. It is now becoming clear that immune tolerance can be acquired in some cases due to the action of regulatory T cells (Tregs), especially CD4+CD25+ Tregs. In addition to their inhibition on immune response, some antibodies could promote tolerance induction in organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases essentially through the induction of Tregs. In this manuscript, we review the recent progress on the effects of therapeutic antibodies on the development, phenotypic changes and functions of CD4+CD25+ Tregs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERK2, a prototypic member of the MAPK family, plays a central role in regulating cell growth and differentiation. MKP3, an ERK2-specific phosphatase, terminates ERK2 signaling. To understand the molecular basis of ERK2 recognition by MKP3, we carried out hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments to map the interaction surfaces between the two proteins. The results show that the exquisite specificity of MKP3 for ERK2 is governed by two distinctive protein-protein interactions. To increase the ‘effective concentration’ of the interacting molecules, the kinase interaction motif in MKP3 (64RRLQKGNLPVR74) and an MKP3-specific segment (101NSSDWNE107) bind the common docking site in ERK2 defined by residues in L16, L5, β7-β8, and αd-L8-αe, located opposite the kinase active site. In addition to this ‘tethering’ effect, additional interactions between the 364FTAP367 sequence in MKP3 and the ERK2 substrate-binding site, formed by residues in the activation lip and the P+ 1 site (β9-αf loop), L13 (αfαg loop), and the MAPK insert (L14-α1L14-α2L14), are essential for allosteric activation of MKP3 and formation of a productive complex whereby the MKP3 catalytic site is correctly juxtaposed to carry out the dephosphorylation of phospho-Thr183/phospho-Tyr185 in ERK2. This bipartite protein-protein interaction model may be applicable to the recognition of other MAPKs by their cognate regulators and substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases control gene expression in response to extracellular stimuli and exhibit exquisite specificity for their cognate regulators and substrates. We performed a structure-based mutational analysis of ERK2 to identify surface areas that are important for recognition of its interacting proteins. We show that binding and activation of MKP3 by ERK2 involve two distinct protein-protein interaction sites in ERK2. Thus, the common docking (CD) site composed of Glu-79, Tyr-126, Arg-133, Asp-160, Tyr-314, Asp-316, and Asp-319 are important for high affinity MKP3 binding but not essential for ERK2-induced MKP3 activation. MKP3 activation requires residues Tyr-111, Thr-116, Leu-119, Lys-149, Arg-189, Trp-190, Glu-218, Arg-223, Lys229, and His-230 in the ERK2 substrate-binding region, located distal to the common docking site. Interestingly, many of the residues important for MKP3 recognition are also used for Elk1 binding and phosphorylation. In addition to the shared residues, there are also residues that are unique to each target recognition. There is eridence indicating that the CD site and the substratebinding region defined here are also utilized for MEK1 recognition, and indeed, we demonstrate that the binding of MKP3, Elk1, and MEK1 to ERK2 is mutually exclusive. Taken together, our data suggest that the efficiency and fidelity of ERK2 signaling is achieved by a bipartite recognition process. In this model, one part of the ERK2-binding proteins (e.g. the kinase interaction motif sequence) docks to the CD site located on the back side of the ERK2 catalytic pocket for high affinity association, whereas the interaction of the substrateobinding region with another structural element (e.g. the FXFP motif in MKP3 and Elk1) may not only stabilize binding but also provide contacts crucial for modulating the activity and/or specificity of ERK2 target molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel bat H17N10 and H18N11 influenza A viruses (IAVs) are incapable of reassortment with conventional IAVs during co-infection. To date, the underlying mechanisms that inhibit bat and conventional IAV reassortment remain poorly understood. Herein, we used the bat influenza M gene in the PR8 H1N1 virus genetic background to determine the molecular basis that restricts reassortment of segment 7. Our results showed that NEP and M1 from bat H17N10 and H18N11 can interact with PR8 M1 and NEP, resulting in mediating PR8 viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) nuclear export and formation of virus-like particles with single vRNP. Further studies demonstrated that the incompatible packaging signals (PSs) of H17N10 or H18N11 M segment led to the failure to rescue recombinant viruses in the PR8 genetic background. Recombinant PR8 viruses (rPR8psH18M and rPR8psH17M) containing bat influenza M coding region flanked with the PR8 M PSs were rescued but displayed lower replication in contrast to the parental PR8 virus, which is due to a low efficiency of recombinant virus uncoating correlating with the functions of the bat M2. Our studies reveal molecular mechanisms of the M gene that hinder reassortment between bat and conventional IAVs, which will help to understand the biology of novel bat IAVs. IMPORTANCE Reassortment is one of the mechanisms in fast evolution of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and responsible for generating pandemic strains. To date, why novel bat IAVs are incapable of reassorting with conventional IAVs remains completely understood. Here, we attempted to rescue recombinant PR8 viruses with M segment from bat IAVs to understand the molecular mechanisms in hindering their reassortment. Results showed that bat influenza NEP and M1 have similar functions as respective counterparts of PR8 to medicating viral ribonucleoprotein nuclear export. Moreover, the incompatible packaging signals of M genes from bat and conventional IAVs and impaired bat M2 functions are the major reasons to hinder their reassortment. Recombinant PR8 viruses with bat influenza M open reading frames were generated but showed attenuation, which correlated with the functions of the bat M2 protein. Our studies provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms that restrict reassortment between bat and conventional IAVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A digital direct phase-shift control (DDPSC) method based on the phase-shifted full-bridge LLC (PSFB-LLC) converter is presented. This work combines DDPSC with the conventional linear control to obtain a hybrid control strategy that has the advantages of linear control and DDPSC control. The strategy is easy to realize and has good dynamic responses. The PSFB-LLC circuit structure is simple and works in the fixed frequency mode, which is beneficial to magnetic component design; it can realize the ZVS of the switch and the ZCS of the rectifier diode in a wide load range. In this work, the PSFB-LLC converter resonator is analyzed in detail, and the concrete realization scheme of the hybrid control strategy is provided by analyzing the state-plane trajectory and the time-domain model. Finally, a 3 kW prototype is developed, and the feasibility and effectiveness of the DDPSC controller and the hybrid strategy are verified by experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulating the morphology and protonic acid doping of polyaniline (PANI) is significant for optimizing its NH3-sensing. Herein, tetra-β-carboxyphthalocyanine cobalt(II) (TcPcCo) acted as the dopant and structure-directing agent simultaneously to fabricate the uniform fibrous network-like PANI (PANI-TcPcCo hybrids) by a one-step polymerization at low temperature. During the reaction process, the protonic acid groups in TcPcCo not only induced the aniline monomers polymerizing into one-dimensional nanofibers (consist of both solid and hollow cylinders) with abundant tiny protuberances on the surface but also successfully doped into PANI. The resulting PANI-TcPcCo hybrids displayed the enhancement in terms of the good conductivity, the large gas adsorption capacity, and the unobstructed channels for the electron and gas transport. The central metal atoms of TcPcCo present the strong and selective affinity to NH3. Meanwhile, the deep-seated conversion of PANI's molecular structure after exposure in NH3 could occur due to the presence of TcPcCo. Thus, the PANI-2.5TcPcCo sensor showed the excellent NH3-sensing performance at room temperature, including an ultrahigh and fast response (802.7% and ~17.0 s for 100 ppm of NH3), a very low detection limit of 10 ppb (about 5000 parts of human olfaction limit of detection, 55 ppm), and superior NH3-sensing stability and selectivity. The strategy developed here provides a reliable and valid way to synthesize functional PANI-based hybrids with unique morphology and appropriate doping, which are able to be extended to other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather events, such as extreme cold events (ECEs), are occurring more frequently due to climate change and variability. The ECEs have severe impacts on people's lives and the economy. In this study, we used observational data for the period 1978-2020 from three national meteorological stations and forty-nine automatic weather stations located in the Tianjin Binhai New Area (TBNA), China, to analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of ECEs and evaluate their impacts on population and economy. Our results indicate that the annual extreme minimum temperature showed a slight upward trend in the TBNA during the past 43 years. Extreme minimum temperatures were higher in the central part (-15 to -19°C) and lower in the northern and southern parts of the TBNA (-19 to -23°C). The cumulative decreases in temperature were higher in the west and lower in the east. ECEs were most frequent in autumn, followed by winter, and least frequent in summer. The months with the most ECEs were October and November. The ECEs lasted longer in the southern part of the TBNA and were shorter in the central and northern parts. The ECEs lasted, on average, approximately 15 days in the south and 7-10 days in most other areas. Places in the TBNA at a high risk of experiencing the ECEs include Gulin subdistrict and other areas in the central part of the TBNA, whereas Zhongtang town and other places in the southern TBNA are low-risk areas. In terms of the impact of ECEs on populations, the central parts of the TBNA such as Hangzhou subdistrict and the northern parts of the TBNA such as Hangu subdistrict are areas of moderate risk; most others are low-risk areas. In terms of the impact of ECEs on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), central parts of the TBNA such as Hujiayuan subdistrict are moderate-risk areas while most others are low-risk areas. Our findings serve as a basis for decision-making and provide a reference for local governments to mitigate the negative impacts of ECEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus membrane protein is a major component of the viral envelope and plays a central role in the viral life cycle. Studies of the coronavirus membrane protein (M) have mainly focused on its role in viral assembly and budding, but whether M protein is involved in the initial stage of viral replication remains unclear. In this study, eight proteins in transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV)-infected cells coimmunoprecipitated with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against M protein in PK-15 cells, heat shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70), and clathrin were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Further studies demonstrated that HSC70 and TGEV M colocalized on the cell surface in early stages of TGEV infection; specifically, HSC70 bound M protein through its substratebinding domain (SBD) and preincubation of TGEV with anti-M serum to block the interaction of M and HSC70 reduced the internalization of TGEV, thus demonstrating that the M-HSC70 interaction mediates the internalization of TGEV. Remarkably, the process of internalization was dependent on clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) in PK-15 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the ATPase activity of HSC70 reduced the efficiency of CME. Collectively, our results indicated that HSC70 is a newly identified host factor involved in TGEV infection. Taken together, our findings clearly illustrate a novel role for TGEV M protein in the viral life cycle and present a unique strategy used by HSC70 to promote TGEV infection in which the interaction with M protein directs viral internalization. These studies provide new insights into the life cycle of coronaviruses. IMPORTANCE TGEV is the causative agent of porcine diarrhea, a viral disease that economically affects the pig industry in many countries. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying viral replication remain incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence of a previously undescribed role of M protein in viral replication during early stages. We also identified HSC70 as a new host factor affecting TGEV infection. We demonstrate that the interaction between M and HSC70 directs TGEV internalization in a manner dependent on CME, thus revealing a novel mechanism for TGEV replication. We believe that this study may change our understanding of the first steps of infection of cells with coronavirus. This study should facilitate the development of anti-TGEV therapeutic agents by targeting the host factors and may provide a new strategy for the control of porcine diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum oxides have been widely investigated for their broad applications ranging from electronics to energy storage. Photodetectors based on molybdenum trioxide (MoO3), however, were seldom reported owing to their low conductivity and weak photoresponse. Herein we report a photodetector based on single MoO3 nanobelt with wide visible spectrum response by introducing substantial gap states via H2 annealing. The pristine MoO3 nanobelt possessed low electrical conductance and no photoresponse for nearly all visible lights. The H2 annealing can significantly improve the conductance of MoO3 nanobelt, and result in a good photodetector with wide visible spectrum response. Under illumination of 680 nm light, the photodetector exhibited high responsivity of ~56 A/W and external quantum efficiency of ~10200%. As corroborated by in situ ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations, such strong wide spectrum photoresponse arises from the largely enriched gap states in the MoO3 nanobelt after H2 annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene growth on metal films via chemical vapor deposition (CVI)) represents one of the most promising methods for graphene production. The realization of the wafer scale production of single crystalline graphene films requires an atomic scale understanding of the growth mechanism and the growth intermediates of CVI) graphene on metal films. Here, we use in situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (LT-STM) to reveal the graphene growth intermediates at different stages via thermal decomposition of methane on Cu(111). We clearly demonstrate that various carbon clusters, including carbon dimers, carbon rectangles, and 'zigzag' and 'armchair'-like carbon chains, are the actual growth intermediates prior to the graphene formation. Upon the saturation of these carbon clusters, they can transform into defective graphene possessing pseudoperiodic corrugations and vacancies. These vacancy-defects can only be effectively healed in the presence of methane via high temperature annealing at 800 °C and result in the formation of vacancy-free monolayer graphene on Cu(111). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although previous studies have revealed gender-related differences in executive function in internet gaming disorder (IGD), neural mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear, especially in terms of brain networks. Methods: Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 78 subjects with IGD (39 males, 20.8 ± 2.16 years old) and 72 with recreational game use (RGU) (39 males, 21.5 ± 2.56 years old). By utilizing graph theory, we calculated participation coefficients among brain network modules for all participants and analyzed the diagnostic-group-by-gender interactions. We further explored possible causal relationships between networks through spectral dynamic causal modeling (spDCM) to assess differences in between-network connections. Results: Compared to males with RGU, males with IGD demonstrated reduced modular segregation of the frontal-parietal network (FPN). Male IGD subjects also showed increased connections between the FPN and cingulo-opercular network (CON); however, these differences were not found in female subjects. Further spDCM analysis indicated that the causal influence from CON to FPN in male IGD subjects was enhanced relative to that of RGU males, while this influence was relatively reduced in females with IGD. Conclusions: These results suggest poor modular segmentation of the FPN and abnormal FPN/CON connections in males with IGD, suggesting a mechanism for male vulnerability to IGD. An increased "bottom-up" effect from the CON to FPN in male IGD subjects could reflect dysfunction between the brain networks. Different mechanisms may underlie in IGD, suggesting that different interventions may be optimal in males and females with IGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an economically important enteropathogen of swine with worldwide distribution. PDCoV primarily infects the small intestine instead of the large intestine in vivo. However, the underlying mechanism of PDCoV tropism to different intestinal segments remains poorly understood as a result of the lack of a suitable in vitro intestinal model that recapitulates the cellular diversity and complex functions of the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we established the PDCoV infection model of crypt-derived enteroids from different intestinal segments. Enteroids were susceptible to PDCoV and multiple types of different functional intestinal epithelia were infected by PDCoV in vitro and in vivo. We further found that PDCoV favorably infected the jejunum and ileum, and restrictedly replicated in the duodenum and colon. Mechanistically, enteroids from different intestinal regions displayed a distinct gene expression profile, and the differential expression of primary viral receptor host aminopeptidase N (APN) instead of the IFN responses determined the susceptibility of different intestinal segments to PDCoV although PDCoV substantially elicited antiviral genes production in enteroids after infection. Additional studies showed that PDCoV infection significantly induced the expression of type I and γ IFNs at the late stage of infection, and exogenous IFN inhibited PDCoV replication in enteroids. Hence, our results provide critical inputs to further dissect the molecular mechanisms of PDCoV-host interactions and pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers sufficient conditions for the Miller-Madow estimator and the jackknife estimator of entropy to have respective asymptotic normalities on countably infinite alphabets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Interleukin-35 (IL-35) is a recently discovered cytokine that exhibits potent immunosuppressive functions. However, the role of IL-35 in islet transplant rejection remains to be elucidated. In this study, we isolated islet cells of BALB/c mouse and purified CD4+ T cell subsets of a C57BL/6 mouse. The model for islet transplantation was established in vitro by co-culture of the islet cells and CD4+ T cells. IL-35 (20 ng/ml) was administered every other day. Following co-culture, the islet function and Treg/Th17 ratio were analyzed on days 1, 3, and 5. Furthermore, the Th17/Treg ratio was modulated (1:0–2), and the function of islet cells as well as proliferation of Th17 cells were analyzed. T cell sorting was performed using the magnetic bead sorting method; Treg and Th17 count using flow cytometry; cell proliferation detection using the carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) method, and islet function test using the sugar stimulation test. Results showed that Th17 counts increased in the co-culture system. However, after administration of IL-35, the number of Treg cells increased significantly compared to that in the control group (50.7% of total CD4+ T cells on day 5 in IL-35 group vs. 9.5% in control group) whereas the proliferation rate of Th17 cells was significantly inhibited (0.3% in IL-35 group vs. 7.2% in control group on day 5). Reducing the Th17/Treg ratio significantly improved the function of transplanted islets. Treg inhibited Th17 proliferation and IL-35 enhanced this inhibitory effect. IL-35 mitigates the function of murine transplanted islet cells via regulation of the Treg/Th17 ratio. This might serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for in-vivo islet transplant rejection and T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with endoscopy, it is expected that noninvasive, rapid detection of colorectal cancer can be performed in vivo in the future. In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectra were collected from 88 endoscopic biopsy colorectal tissue samples (41 colitis and 47 cancers). A new method, viz., entropy weight local-hyperplane k-nearest-neighbor (EWHK), which is an improved version of K-local hyperplane distance nearest-neighbor (HKNN), is proposed for tissue classification. In order to avoid limiting high dimensions and small values of the nearest neighbor, the new EWHK method calculates feature weights based on information entropy. The average results of the random classification showed that the EWHK classifier for differentiating cancer from colitis samples produced a sensitivity of 81.38% and a specificity of 92.69%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid, efficient, and economic method for the isolation and purification of islets has been pursued by numerous islet-related researchers. In this study, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of our developed patented method with those of commonly used conventional methods (Ficoll-400, 1077, and handpicking methods). Cell viability was assayed using Trypan blue, cell purity and yield were assayed using diphenylthiocarbazone, and islet function was assayed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-glucose stimulation testing 4 days after cultivation. The results showed that our islet isolation and purification method required 12 ± 3 min, which was significantly shorter than the time required in Ficoll-400, 1077, and HPU groups (34 ± 3, 41 ± 4, and 30 ± 4 min, respectively; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in islet viability among the four groups. The islet purity, function, yield, and cost of our method were superior to those of the Ficoll-400 and 1077 methods, but inferior to the handpicking method. However, the handpicking method may cause wrist injury and visual impairment in researchers during large-scale islet isolation (>1000 islets). In summary, the MCT method is a rapid, efficient, and economic method for isolating and purifying murine islet cell clumps. This method overcomes some of the shortcomings of conventional methods, showing a relatively higher quality and yield of islets within a shorter duration at a lower cost. Therefore, the current method provides researchers with an alternative option for islet isolation and should be widely generalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport of intensity equation (TIE) is a powerful tool for phase retrieval and quantitative phase imaging, which requires intensity measurements only at axially closely spaced planes without a separate reference beam. It does not require coherent illumination and works well on conventional bright-field microscopes. The quantitative phase reconstructed by TIE gives valuable information that has been encoded in the complex wave field by passage through a sample of interest. Such information may provide tremendous flexibility to emulate various microscopy modalities computationally without requiring specialized hardware components. We develop a requisite theory to describe such a hybrid computational multimodal imaging system, which yields quantitative phase, Zernike phase contrast, differential interference contrast, and light field moment imaging, simultaneously. It makes the various observations for biomedical samples easy. Then we give the experimental demonstration of these ideas by time-lapse imaging of live HeLa cell mitosis. Experimental results verify that a tunable lens-based TIE system, combined with the appropriate postprocessing algorithm, can achieve a variety of promising imaging modalities in parallel with the quantitative phase images for the dynamic study of cellular processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the modern technologies in polar-region monitoring, the remote sensing technology that can instantaneously form large-scale images has become much more important in helping acquire parameters such as the freezing and melting of ice as well as the surface temperature, which can be used in the research of global climate change, Antarctic ice sheet responses, and cap formation and evolution. However, the acquirement of those parameters is impacted remarkably by the climate and satellite transit time which makes it almost impossible to have timely and continuous observation data. In this research, a wireless sensor-based online monitoring platform (WSOOP) for the extreme polar environment is applied to obtain a long-term series of data which is site-specific and continuous in time. Those data are compared and validated with the data from a weather station at Zhongshan Station Antarctica and the result shows an obvious correlation. Then those data are used to validate the remote sensing products of the freezing and melting of ice and the surface temperature and the result also indicated a similar correlation. The experiment in Antarctica has proven that WSOOP is an effective system to validate remotely sensed data in the polar region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quick and accurate acquisition of crop growth parameters on a large scale is important for agricultural management and food security. The combination of photographic and wireless sensor network (WSN) techniques can be used to collect agricultural information, such as leaf area index (LAI), over long distances and in real time. Such acquisition not only provides farmers with photographs of crops and suggestions for farmland management, but also the collected quantitative parameters, such as LAI, can be used to support large scale research in ecology, hydrology, remote sensing, etc. The present research developed a Leaf Area Index Sensor (LAIS) to continuously monitor the growth of crops in several sampling points, and applied 3G/WIFI communication technology to remotely collect (and remotely setup and upgrade) crop photos in real-time. Then the crop photos are automatically processed and LAI is estimated based on the improved leaf area index of Lang and Xiang (LAILX) algorithm in LAIS. The research also constructed a database of images and other information relating to crop management. The leaf length and width method (LAILLW) can accurately measure LAI through direct field harvest. The LAIS has been tested in several exemplary applications, and validation with LAI from LAILLW. The LAI acquired by LAIS had been proved reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblasts are an integral component of stroma and important source of growth factors and extracellular matrix (ECM). They play a prominent role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and in wound healing and tumor growth. Notch signaling regulates biological function in a variety of cells. To elucidate the physiological function of Notch signaling in fibroblasts, we ablated Notch1 in mouse (Notch1Flox/Flox) embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). Notch1-deficient (Notch12/2) MEFs displayed faster growth and motility rate compared to Notch1Flox/Flox MEFs. Such phenotypic changes, however, were reversible by reconstitution of Notch1 activation via overexpression of the intracellular domain of Notch1 (NICD1) in Notch1-deficient MEFs. In contrast, constitutive activation of Notch1 signaling by introducing NICD1 into primary human dermal fibroblasts (FF2441), which caused pan-Notch activation, inhibited cell growth and motility, whereas cellular inhibition was relievable when the Notch activation was countered with dominant-negative mutant of Master-mind like 1 (DN-MAML-1). Functionally, "Notch-activated" stromal fibroblasts could inhibit tumor cell growth/invasion. Moreover, Notch activation induced expression of Wnt-induced secreted proteins-1 (WISP-1/CCN4) in FF2441 cells while deletion of Notch1 in MEFs resulted in an opposite effect. Notably, WISP-1 suppressed fibroblast proliferation, and was responsible for mediating Notch1's inhibitory effect since siRNA-mediated blockade of WISP-1 expression could relieve cell growth inhibition. Notch1- induced WISP-1 expression appeared to be Wnt11-dependent, but Wnt1-independent. Blockade of Wnt11 expression resulted in decreased WISP-1 expression and liberated Notch-induced cell growth inhibition. These findings indicated that inhibition of fibroblast proliferation by Notch pathway activation is mediated, at least in part, through regulating Wnt1- independent, but Wnt11-dependent WISP-1 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We implement the entanglement harvesting protocol, in which two Unruh–DeWitt detectors become entangled through local interactions with a quantum field, for the first time in the vicinity of a black hole. Our study, focusing on the BTZ black hole, reveals that black holes inhibit entanglement harvesting. For two detectors with fixed proper separation along the radial direction, we demonstrate that the entanglement harvested rapidly falls to zero as the detectors move closer to the horizon. This effect is a combination of black hole radiation and gravitational redshift, both generic properties of horizons, suggesting it is a general result for black holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcineurin is a widely expressed and highly conserved Ser/Thr phosphatase. Calcineurin is inhibited by the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine A (CsA) or tacrolimus (FK506). The critical role of CsA/FK506 as an immunosuppressant following transplantation surgery provides a strong incentive to understand the phosphatase calcineurin. Here we uncover a novel regulatory pathway for cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling by the phosphatase calcineurin which is also evolutionarily conserved in Caenorhabditis elegans. We found that calcineurin binds directly to and inhibits the proteosomal degradation of cAMP-hydrolyzing phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D). We show that ubiquitin conjugation and proteosomal degradation of PDE4D are controlled by a cullin 1-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase complex upon dual phosphorylation by casein kinase 1 (CK1) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) in a phosphodegron motif. Our findings identify a novel signaling process governing G-protein-coupled cAMP signal transduction--opposing actions of the phosphatase calcineurin and the CK1/GSK3β protein kinases on the phosphodegron-dependent degradation of PDE4D. This novel signaling system also provides unique functional insights into the complications elicited by CsA in transplant patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]