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In the last few years, enormous strides have been made for object detection and data association, which are vital subtasks for one-stage online multi-object tracking (MOT). However, the two separated submodules involved in the whole MOT pipeline are processed or optimized separately, resulting in a complex method design and requiring manual settings. In addition, few works integrate the two subtasks into a single end-to-end network to optimize the overall task. In this study, we propose an end-to-end MOT network called joint detection and association network (JDAN) that is trained and inferred in a single network. All layers in JDAN are differentiable, and can be optimized jointly to detect targets and output an association matrix for robust multi-object tracking. What’s more, we generate suitable pseudo-labels to address the data inconsistency between object detection and association. The detection and association submodules could be optimized by the composite loss function that is derived from the detection results and the generated pseudo association labels, respectively. The proposed approach is evaluated on two MOT challenge datasets, and achieves promising performance compared with classic and latest methods.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease due to the limited capacity to repair itself. There is an increasing need for novel and more effective alternatives to promote cartilage joint regeneration. Natural compounds as herbal remedies are ideal to be considered to treat OA. In order to explore the functional herbal remedy, we investigated the efficacy of herbal mixture along with bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in repairing rat cartilage tissues. Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups. A cartilage injury models by a drilling was made. The histological H&E analysis, Mankin scores and cartilage-specific markers were tested. We found that herbal mixture treatment can significantly improve the damaged cartilage compared to the control. Moreover, the combination of herbal formulation and 3D bioscaffold containing BMSCs can produce better efficacy to repair the damaged cartilages. Our data provides that herbal formulation is effective to treat damaged cartilage, and the herbal remedy along with BMSCs is most promising therapeutic effect in repairing damaged cartilage tissue, demonstrating a combinational therapeutic effect to be considered in the clinic.

The method of packing conventional proppant into fractures is used to maintain high liquid permeability. In this study, by coating a hydrophobic material on the surface of a proppant, the layer packed with this coated proppant was endowed with water-plugging and oil-permeability capacities. Moreover, several research experiments were carried out to verify the proposed method: a water plugging capacity (WPC) test of the coated proppant layer, compression and temperature resistance tests of the coated proppant (temperature range from 90 to 210 °C; pressure range from 5.9 to 91.4 MPa), and a 3D test of the oil recovery enhancement. The results show that the proppant coating has good compression resistance, and the proppant begins to break at 27.3 MPa. The upper limit of the temperature resistance of the coating is 170 °C. The WPC of the layer packed with coated proppant was still reliable during fracture, which was enhanced by at least 20% compared with that of the layer packed with a conventional proppant. The fracture packed with the coated proppant had superior working performance compared with that packed with a conventional proppant. It can reduce the flow capacity of the water phase breaking into the dominant flow passage so as to delay the rise in the water production of the oil well and prolong the duration of oil production. In this way, oil recovery could be increased by about 7.7%. In conclusion, the technology proposed in this paper has particular water-plugging and oil-permeating characteristics, with remarkable technical advantages, thus providing a new idea for the development of water control in fracture reservoirs.

The development of white adipose tissue (WAT) browning helps to protect animals from cold conditions and prevent obesity. AMPKα1 has been involved in the process of white adipocytes browning. Although Irisin plays a vital role in the browning of WAT, the detailed regulatory mechanism of Irisin inducing the browning of WAT remains unclear. Herein, we firstly investigated the potential roles of differentiation and Irisin in regulating the browning of 3T3-L1 cells. The results found that they could significantly increase the number of lipid droplets and upregulate the expression levels of UCP1, PGC-1α, PRDM16, and p-AMPKα1. Then we proved the effectiveness of the AMPKα1 signaling pathway in the process of Irisin inducing the browning of 3T3-L1 cells. Compared with si-NC, si-AMPKα1 not only decreased the number of Irisin-induced lipid droplets, but also attenuated the expression of Irisin-induced UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16 protein and mRNA levels in 3T3-L1 cells. Furthermore, the results showed that Irisin increased the positive distribution of UCP1 and PGC-1α, and upregulated the expression of UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16 at both protein and mRNA levels in WAT. Once siRNA treated mice, the facilitation of Irisin on UCP1 and PGC-1α in si-AMPKα1-injected mice was lower than that in si-NC-injected mice. Compared with si-NC, si-AMPKα1 significantly downregulated the expression of UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16 in Irisin-injected mice. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Irisin activates the AMPKα1 pathway to promote the browning of WAT by upregulating the mRNA and protein levels of UCP1, PGC-1α, and PRDM16.

This study monitors the open/closed states of the windows in 16 residential apartments in representative cities of the hot summer and cold winter zone of China, along with outdoor air temperature, outdoor relative humidity and outdoor PM2.5 concentration in 2017, to investigate the window opening/closing behavior. Three window opening models are developed. All the models are validated by modeling a typical residential apartment to compare the predicted indoor CO2 concentration with monitored data. It is found that the window opening probability is negatively correlated to both outdoor PM2.5 concentration and outdoor relative humidity, and the probability of window opening reaches the peak value when the outdoor air temperature is 23.7 °C. In terms of season, the shortest window opening duration occurs in winter due to the cold outdoor air temperature and high outdoor PM2.5 concentration. Finally, by comparing the correlation between the measured date and simulation results of indoor CO2 concentration, this study provides an appropriate window opening model for reference.

The cultivation of Panax notoginseng has been plagued by a multitude of challenges, including recurrent diseases, suboptimal value, inadequate quality, and environmental degradation resulting from improper water and fertilizer management. To address these issues and improve the yield of P. notoginseng and its saponin content, this study endeavors to identify the optimal irrigation and fertilization levels in shaded environments in Yunnan Province in Southwest China. In this field experiment, three-year-old plants were tested to evaluate the effects of water, soluble organic fertilizers, and their combinations on plant growth, physiological parameters, yield, and saponin content. The experiment included 12 treatments with three types of irrigation (10 (W1), 15 (W2), and 20 (W3) mm), totaling 440, 660, and 880 mm, and four levels of the total amount of fertilization (F1 (60, total N 12.6, total P 5.5, and total K 10.5 kg ha−1), F2 (90, total N 18.9, total P 8.3, and total K 15.7 kg ha−1), F3 (120, total N 25.2, total P 11.0, and total K 20.9 kg ha−1), F4 (150, total N 31.5, total P 13.8, and total K 26.1 kg ha−1)). The randomized complete block design was used, with 36 plots in total and 3 replications. The study utilized the TOPSIS method to determine the most effective water and fertilizer management strategy for the growth and production of P. notoginseng. The assessment of yield, water and fertilizer productivity, and saponin content across all treatments revealed that the W3F3 treatment resulted in significant increases in the plant’s height, stem diameter, and net photosynthetic rate. Meanwhile, the W2F3 treatment exhibited the best root morphological traits. The W3F4 treatment effectively increased dry matter and transpiration. The combination of water and fertilization had a coupling effect that not only increased yield to 1400 kg ha−1 but also improved water–fertilizer productivity. The application of the W2F3 treatment resulted in a significant increase in the accumulation of active components, leading to a total P. notoginseng saponin (PNS) content of 24.94%. Moreover, the comprehensive index obtained through the TOPSIS model indicated that the W2F3 treatment outperformed other treatments. Therefore, this treatment can be considered a promising water and fertilizer model for P. notoginseng cultivation, which can enhance its yield, quality, and productivity while promoting sustainable green development.

The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) can cause severe piglet diarrhea or death in some herds. Genetic recombination and mutation facilitate the continuous evolution of the virus (PEDV), posing a great challenge for the prevention and control of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). Disease materials of piglets with PEDV vaccination failure in some areas of Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces of China were collected and examined to understand the prevalence and evolutionary characteristics of PEDV in these areas. Forty-seven suspicious disease materials from different litters on different farms were tested by multiplex PCR and screened by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. PEDV showed a positivity rate of 42.6%, infecting the small and large intestine and mesenteric lymph node tissues. The isolated strains infected Vero, PK-15 and Marc-145 multihost cells and exhibited low viral titers in all three cell types, as indicated by their growth kinetic curves. Possible putative recombination events in the isolates were identified by RDP4.0 software. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that compared with the classical vaccine strain, PEDV SX6 contains new insertion and mutations in the S region and belongs to genotype GIIa. Meanwhile, ORF3 has the complete amino acid sequence with aa80 mutated wild strains, compared to vaccine strains CV777, AJ1102, AJ1102-R and LW/L. These results will contribute to the development of new PEDV vaccines based on prevalent wild strains for the prevention and control of PED in China.

Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus of African origin. Over the past decades, USUV has spread through Europe causing mass die-offs among multiple bird species. The natural transmission cycle of USUV involves Culex spp. mosquitoes as vectors and birds as amplifying hosts. Next to birds and mosquitoes, USUV has also been isolated from multiple mammalian species, including humans, which are considered dead-end hosts. USUV isolates are phylogenetically classified into an African and European branch, subdivided into eight genetic lineages (Africa 1, 2, and 3 and Europe 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lineages). Currently, multiple African and European lineages are co-circulating in Europe. Despite increased knowledge of the epidemiology and pathogenicity of the different lineages, the effects of co-infection and transmission efficacy of the co-circulating USUV strains remain unclear. In this study, we report a comparative study between two USUV isolates as follows: a Dutch isolate (USUV-NL, Africa lineage 3) and an Italian isolate (USUV-IT, Europe lineage 2). Upon co-infection, USUV-NL was consistently outcompeted by USUV-IT in mosquito, mammalian, and avian cell lines. In mosquito cells, the fitness advantage of USUV-IT was most prominently observed in comparison to the mammalian or avian cell lines. When Culex pipiens mosquitoes were orally infected with the different isolates, no overall differences in vector competence for USUV-IT and USUV-NL were observed. However, during the in vivo co-infection assay, it was observed that USUV-NL infectivity and transmission were negatively affected by USUV-IT but not vice versa.

Intermediate mafic lava is a special oil and gas reservoir. While its internal structure is an important factor affecting the reservoir properties, the identification of facies and understanding of the relationship between facies architecture and reservoir are limited. This study evaluated the intermediate mafic lava flows of the Yingcheng Formation in the Dongling area of Songliao Basin by analyzing drilling cores, corresponding thin sections, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, as well as well-logging and seismic attributes. We also performed helium gas experiments and high-pressure mercury intrusion (HPMI) analysis to assess the physical properties and pore structure of the reservoir, respectively. The results showed that intermediate mafic lava flows develop tabular lava flow, compound lava flow, and hyaloclastite. Three facies showed present diverse well-logging and seismic responses. The intermediate mafic lava facies architecture was divided into crater-proximal facies (CF-PF), medial facies (MF), and distal facies (DF), which were characterized by their vesicles and joints and could be identified through their seismic attributes. The reservoir spaces including vesicles, amygdale inner pores, joint fissures, and dissolution pores predominantly showed oil and gas accumulation. The results of the tests of the reservoir’s physical properties showed that the reservoir quality was best in the CF-PF, which is the main target of oil and gas exploration.

L-cysteine, a component of the symmetric L-cystine, is essential in numerous biological activities. Thus, detecting cysteine rapidly, selectively, and sensitively is of tremendous interest. Herein, g-C3N4@CdS composites were employed as sensing elements in a photoelectrochemical platform for L-cysteine sensing. In this system, g-C3N4@CdS composites provided much better optoelectronic function than bare CdS materials owing to their high photon-to-current conversion efficiency and excellent anti-photocorrosion properties. The innovative photoelectrochemical sensor has a wide determination range of 5 to 190 µM, a very low detection limit of 1.56 µM, a fast response time, and good long-term stability (ca. 1 month). Without applying any separation procedures, a low concentration of CySH was successfully detected in human urine samples, which is compatible with the results of chemiluminescence.

The novel concept of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in Parkinson's disease (PD) refers to subjective cognitive impairment without concurrent objective cognitive deficits. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and affective correlates of SCD in de novo PD patients.A total of 139 de novo PD patients underwent comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. PD patients with SCD (PD-SCD) did not meet the diagnostic criteria for mild cognitive impairment in PD (PD-MCI) based on the Movement Disorder Society Level II Criteria and were defined by a Domain-5 Score ≥1 on the Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire. Affective symptoms were measured using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA).In de novo PD cohort, the prevalence of SCD was 28.1%. PD-SCD patients performed significantly better than PD-MCI patients on tests of five cognitive domains. The more commonly affected domains in PD-SCD patients were memory (28.2%) and attention/working memory (25.6%). Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that PD-SCD was significantly associated with both HAMD (β = 4.518, 95% CI = 0.754-8.281, p = .019) and HAMA scores (β = 4.259, 95% CI = 1.054-7.464, p = .010). Furthermore, binary logistic regression analysis revealed that higher HAMD (OR = 1.128, 95% CI = 1.019-1.249, p = .020) and HAMA scores (OR = 1.176, 95% CI = 1.030-1.343, p = .017) increased the risk of PD-SCD.Our findings suggest that SCD is highly prevalent in de novo PD patients. The presence of PD-SCD is suggestive of an underlying affective disorder.

Air duct pressure loss, especially the duct elbow, is a significant component of building air-conditioning energy consumption. Improving the airflow uniformity in the duct elbow for large prefabricated air ducts can help reduce the local resistance loss. In this paper, the influence of guide vanes on the pressure loss of elbows in the duct was investigated through experimentally validated simulation results. According to similarity theory, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results were employed to perform a parametric study to optimize the duct elbow guide vane. Different numbers, positions, and shapes of air guide vanes in the elbow were used to reduce the pressure loss and also played a crucial role in improving the uniformity of airflow in the elbow. Through CFD simulation, the optimized specifications of guide vanes in the elbow on the airflow and local pressure loss coefficients were explored. This study will provide a reference for numerical prediction and engineering application of using guide vane to minimize the local pressure loss of large prefabricated air ducts.

Wild jujube seed protein (WJSP) as one kind of functional food material has attracted much attention due to its highly nutritive and medicinal value in anti-inflammatory and improving immunomodulatory ability. However, owing to its large molecular weight and complex structure, biological activities of WJSP were greatly limited and cannot be fully utilized by the human body. Therefore, how to improve the bioavailability of WJSP and develop promising WJSP nutritious materials is a great challenge. In this work, wild jujube seed protein hydrolysates (WJSPHs) were prepared from WJSP via enzymatic hydrolysis method, and their physico-chemical properties, antioxidant activity, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity in vitro have been investigated for the first time. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatographic results indicate that WJSPHs have lower molecular weight distribution ( 5,000 Da) than WJSP. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results illustrated that random coil is the main secondary structure of WJSPHs. Antioxidant experiments indicate that WJSPHs exhibit high radicals-scavenging ability of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (94.60%), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS

Using a mouse model with macrophage stimulating 1/2 ( Mst1/2) double knockout in PDGFRα+ cells and an MST1/2 inhibitor, we demonstrated that MST1/2 acted as a negative feedback signal of transforming growth factor-β-induced fibroblast differentiation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Hippo-MST as a negative feedback signal can decrease the renal fibrosis process. This finding contributes to our understanding of the mechanism of coregulated renal remodeling after injury.

Kaplan-Meier curves for progression-free survival in subgroups.

Kaplan-Meier analyses of PFS for patients with normal and elevated ({greater than or equal to}7 pg/ml) baseline IL-6 levels.

Dynamics of IL-6 levels in the two treatment groups at different time points (A) and comparison of the IL-6 levels between the two arms at each time point (B).

Purpose:Preclinical and retrospective studies suggested a role for metformin in sensitizing patients who have diabetes with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We therefore examined its effects in combination with gefitinib in patients without diabetes harboring EGFR mutations (EGFRm).Patients and Methods:A total of 224 patients without diabetes with treatment-naïve stage IIIB–IV EGFRm NSCLC were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive gefitinib plus either metformin or placebo. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 1 year and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), PFS, objective response rate (ORR), and safety. Serum levels of IL6 were also examined in an exploratory analysis.Results:The median duration of follow-up was 19.15 months. The estimated 1-year PFS rates were 41.2% [95% confidence interval (CI), 30.0–52.2] with gefitinib plus metformin and 42.9% (95% CI, 32.6–52.7) with gefitinib plus placebo (P = 0.6268). Median PFS (10.3 months vs. 11.4 months) and median OS (22.0 months vs. 27.5 months) were numerically lower in the metformin group, while ORRs were similar between the two arms (66% vs. 66.7%). No significant treatment group differences were detected across all subgroups with respect to PFS, including those with elevated levels of IL6. Metformin combined with gefitinib resulted in a remarkably higher incidence of diarrhea compared with the control arm (78.38% vs. 43.24%).Conclusions:Our study showed that addition of metformin resulted in nonsignificantly worse outcomes and increased toxicity and hence does not support its concurrent use with first-line EGFR-TKI therapy in patients without diabetes with EGFRm NSCLC.

Impact of the IL-6 cutoff level on progression-free survival (A) and overall survival (B).

Affected by global warming, the frequency of crop pests and diseases have increased, causing huge losses to agricultural production. To better grasp the development and trends of research on the effects of climate change on crop pests and diseases, the literature on the impact of climate change on crop pests and diseases published from 1990 to 2021 in the Web of Science (WOS) core collection database was used. This study explores the literature characteristics and hotspot evolution through the bibliometric visualization analysis software COOC, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace, with a view to identifying the changing characteristics and trends of research changes in this field. The results showed that the number of literature on the impact of climate change on crop pests and diseases increased rapidly. The main fields involved include environmental sciences, ecology, and agronomy. Papers in these fields mainly published in journals, such as PLos One, Forest Ecology and Management, and Frontiers in Plant Science. The country with the highest number of publications was the United States, followed by China and Australia. The most prolific authors in the top 20 are research scholars from China. The first author of the top 20 highly cited papers was from the United States. It was found that that current research on the impact of climate change on crop pests and diseases mainly focuses on agricultural production and food safety. Modelling and crop growth has maintained steady development. At present, research in this field mainly focuses on pest management strategies under the impact of climate change, the response of single species, and the complex ecological mechanisms behind the response. This study provides unique insights into the research field of the impact of climate change on crop pests and diseases and provides a reference direction for future research development in this field.

Since the beginning of March 2022, a new round of COVID-19 outbreaks in Shanghai has led to a sharp increase in the number of infected people. It is important to identify possible pollutant transmission routes and predict potential infection risks for infectious diseases. Therefore, this study investigated the cross-diffusion of pollutants caused by natural ventilation, including external windows and indoor ventilation windows, under three wind directions in a densely populated building environment with the CFD method. In this study, CFD building models were developed based on an actual dormitory complex and surrounding buildings under realistic wind conditions to reproduce the airflow fields and transmission paths of pollutants. This paper adopted the Wells–Riley model to assess the risk of cross-infection. The biggest risk of infection was when a source room was located on the windward side, and the risk of infection in other rooms on the same side as the source room was large in the windward direction. When pollutants were released from room 8, north wind resulted in the highest concentration of pollutants in room 28, reaching 37.8%. This paper summarizes the transmission risks related to the indoor and outdoor environments of compact buildings.

Nowadays, the impact ionization coefficient in the avalanche breakdown theory is obtained using 1-D PN junctions or SBDs, and is considered to be a constant determined by the material itself only. In this paper, the impact ionization coefficient of silicon in a 2D lateral power device is found to be no longer a constant, but instead a function of the 2D coupling effects. The impact ionization coefficient of silicon that considers the 2D depletion effects in real-world devices is proposed and extracted in this paper. The extracted impact ionization coefficient indicates that the conventional empirical impact ionization in the Fulop equation is not suitable for the analysis of 2D lateral power devices. The veracity of the proposed impact ionization coefficient is validated by the simulations obtained from TCAD tools. Considering the complexity of direct modeling, a new prediction method using deep neural networks is proposed. The prediction method demonstrates 97.67% accuracy for breakdown location prediction and less than 6% average error for the impact ionization coefficient prediction compared with the TCAD simulation.

BackgroundWhen thyroid cancer invades the trachea, tumor resection and trachea reconstruction are required. Although the traditional way of anesthesia and tracheal intubation can maintain the necessary ventilation function during the operation, tracheal intubation affects the surgical field of vision and is not conducive to the protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve beside the trachea during the operation.Case presentationExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used to replace traditional tracheal intubation in the process of resection and end-to-end anastomosis of tracheal tumors, and complete tracheal tumor resection and trachea reconstruction are achieved.ConclusionUsing ECMO for thyroid carcinoma resection, invaded trachea resection, and trachea reconstruction is safe and effective, which reduces the obstruction of endotracheal intubation on the operative field, guarantees the rapid and efficient end-to-end anastomosis in the upper trachea, and clearly avoids laryngeal recurrent nerve injury in the process of anastomosis.

Increasing energy expenditure and reducing energy intake are considered two classical methods to induce weight loss. Weight loss through physical methods instead of drugs has been a hot research topic nowadays, but how these methods function in adipose and cause weight loss in body remains unclear. In this study, we set up chronic cold exposure (CCE) and every other day fasting (EODF) as two distinct models in long-term treatment to induce weight loss. They showed their own characteristics in energy expenditure and metabolism. We demonstrated that CCE and EODF caused different types of thermogenic programs in white and brown adipose depots whether through Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), Creatine-driven or FGF21-adiponectin axis. In this study, we further explained that thermogenic mechanisms function in adipose and metabolic benefits of the stable phenotype through physical treatments used for weight loss, providing more details for the study on weight-loss models.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported as critical modulators in many diseases including preeclampsia. Since the association between lncRNA BNIP3P1 and its cognate gene BNIP3 in preeclampsia has been revealed previously, this study aimed to further explore the function and mechanism of BNIP3P1 in preeclampsia. EdU and TUNEL assays revealed that BNIP3P1 or BNIP3 overexpression inhibited trophoblast cell proliferation and enhanced cell apoptosis in preeclampsia. As suggested by western blot analysis, the protein levels of apoptotic markers in the cells were affected by BNIP3P1 or BNIP3 overexpression. The binding between miR-128-3p and BNIP3P1 (or BNIP3) was explored by luciferase reporter assays. Mechanistically, BNIP3P1 bound to miR-128-3p to upregulate BNIP3 expression by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). Importantly, BNIP3P1 was found to inactivate the mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, BNIP3P1 inhibited trophoblast cell proliferation and enhanced cell apoptosis in preeclampsia by targeting the miR-128-3p/BNIP3/mTOR signaling pathway.

Ruthenium may replace copper interconnects in next-generation very-large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits. However, interfacial bonding between Ru interconnect wires and surrounding dielectrics must be optimized to reduce thermal boundary resistance (TBR) for thermal management. In this study, various adhesion layers are employed to modify bonding at the Ru/SiO

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common gastrointestinal parasite that has a broad range of hosts, including birds, mammals, and even humans. The changes of gut bacterial communities have been demonstrated during the course of E. bieneusi. This study aimed to examine the infection status, and assess the zoonotic potential and influence of E. bieneusi on gut bacterial communities of captive foxes in Xinxiang, central China. Fecal samples were collected from 216 captive foxes, and amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene of each sample was performed by nested polymerase chain reaction. E. bieneusi was detected in 48 (22.2%) samples, and five previously reported genotypes CHN-F1 (n = 25), D (n = 18), BEB6 (n = 3), NCF2 (n = 1), and CHN-DC1 (n = 1) were identified, with CHN-F1 being the dominant genotype (25/48, 52.1%). Phylogenetic analysis further revealed that CHN-F1, D, NCF2, and CHN-DC1 genotypes belonged to the zoonotic group 1 of E. bieneusi, whereas BEB6 belonged to group 2. Moreover, sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of the V3–V4 region of 16S rRNA gene in five E. bieneusi-positive and five negative samples showed that gut microbial diversity was higher in the infected animals. In both groups, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the two most abundant phyla, but the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was lower in E. bieneusi-positive foxes (7.9:1) as compared with E. bieneusi-negative foxes (5:1). More importantly, at the phylum level, “beneficial bacteria” such as Firmicutes (1.6%) and Bacteroides (5.8%) increased, whereas “opportunistic pathogens” such as Fusobacteria (8.2%) decreased. Similarly, at the genus level, the pathogenic Clostridiaceae_Clostridium (10.0%) decreased, whereas the “beneficial bacteria” Lactococcus (6.6%) increased. These interesting phenomena warrant further investigation.

We sought to provide clinical evidence of the potential influence of ovariectomy (OVX) on intervertebral disk degeneration.We retrospectively reviewed patients with a history of OVX who visited our hospital for lower back pain. In addition, 60 age-matched patients without OVX were randomly selected as control subjects. Next, the following demographic data were recorded and compared among groups: age, body mass index, duration of OVX, history of smoking, alcohol use, hypertension, diabetes, cardiocerebrovascular disease, hyperlipemia, osteoporosis, and degenerative spondylolisthesis. Next, the severity of lumbar disk degeneration, evaluated by the modified Pfirrmann grading system, was compared between groups. Data analyses were performed with SPSS 20.0. software.A total of 15 OVX (unilateral, n = 10; bilateral, n = 5) patients were included with a mean age of 62.40 ± 10.64. The average durations of OVX were 21.33 ± 9.24 years. There existed no remarkable intergroup differences in the demographic data (P0.05). Overall, the average Pfirrmann grading scores from L1/2 to L5/S1 presented as L1/2L2/3L3/4 ≤ L5/S1 ≤ L4/5, with no marked differences between groups (P0.05). Nevertheless, OVX groups displayed a relatively higher score at each level than non-OVX group. Moreover, the scores from L3/4 to L5/S1 were higher in the bilateral OVX group relative to the unilateral OVX group while they were equal at L1/2 and L2/3.Our findings demonstrated that OVX contributed to the progression of lumbar disk degeneration to some extent, but it appeared to be a long-term event.

Purpose: To optimize the process parameters for the encapsulation of Clostridium tyrobutyricum (Ct) and to determine its in vitro characteristics.Methods: The process parameters, including the concentration of the wall and hardening material, Ct to gelatin ratio and hardening time, were studied by single factor analysis, while optimization was performed by orthogonal experimental design for the encapsulation rate of Ct.Results: Optimal conditions exhibited by orthogonal experimental design at a 92.17 % encapsulation rate with a viable count of 9.61 ± 0.06 lgCFU/g were: 6 % modified starch, 3 % sodium alginate, and 2 % CaCl2 at a Ct to gelatin ratio of 1:1 with a hardening time of 30 min. The survival rates of encapsulated Ct were higher than free Ct in simulated gastric (6.22 %) and intestinal juices (15.55 %). Reduction in viable counts of Ct at 90 °C were higher for free cells (44.76 %) than encapsulated cells (28.09 %) after 30 min of heat treatment. Correspondingly, encapsulation boosted the capacity of Ct to withstand the strong acidic conditions of the stomach and improved the storage properties of Ct.Conclusion: The results suggested that extrusion is a good technique for the encapsulation of Ct, as it enhances the viability of Ct during their transit through the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, encapsulation is favorable for Ct if planned for use in formulations where high temperature treatment is required.

Eggs are rich in nutrients and contain a lot of protein. Although eggs have proved to accelerate the growth of C2C12 cells, the regulatory and mechanism of fertilized egg yolk extract (FEYE) on skeletal muscle development and fat metabolism remains unclearly. The mice were treated with FEYE by gavage for 24 d, we found that FEYE can inhibit the expression of skeletal muscle atrophy genes such as MSTN and Murf-1, and up-regulate the expression levels of MYOD, MYOG and Irisin. In addition, the treatment of FEYE induced UCP1 and PGC1α high expression in WAT, thereby causing WAT browning reaction. In order to confirm the composition of FEYE, we performed protein full spectrum identification (LC MS/MS) analysis and found the most enriched component is vitellogenin 2 (VTG2). Therefore, we added the recombinant protein VTG2 to C2C12 cells and found that VTG2 promoted the proliferation and differentiation of C2C12 cells. After that, we further proved that VTG2 inhibited the expression of MSTN and improved the expression of MYOD and Irisin. Finally, the dual luciferase test proved that VTG2 directly inhibited the transcriptional activity of MSTN. Our results conclude that FEYE inhibits the expression of MSTN in muscle tissues by delivering VTG2, thereby promoting skeletal muscle development, and can also promote the expression level of FNDC5 in serum. Then, FNDC5 acts on the fat through the serum, stimulating the browning reaction of white adipocytes. Therefore, VTG2 can be used to stop muscle consumption, improve skeletal muscle aging, and prevent obesity.

The widespread fungal toxin Aflatoxin B

Background Postoperative lung cancer patients belong to the high-risk group for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The standardized preventive measures for perioperative VTE in lung cancer are not perfect, especially for the prevention and treatment of catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) caused by carried central venous catheters (CVCs) in lung cancer surgery. Patients and methods This study included 460 patients with lung cancer undergoing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in our center from July 2020 to June 2021. Patients were randomized into two groups, and intraoperatively-placed CVCs would be carried to discharge. During hospitalization, the control group was treated with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), and the experimental group with LMWH + intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC). Vascular ultrasound was performed at three time points which included before surgery, before discharge, and one month after discharge. The incidence of VTE between the two groups was studied by the Log-binomial regression model. Results CRT occurred in 71.7% of the experimental group and 79.7% of the control group. The multivariate regression showed that the risk of developing CRT in the experimental group was lower than in the control group (Adjusted RR = 0.889 [95%CI0.799–0.989], p = 0.031), with no heterogeneity in subgroups (P for Interaction > 0.05). Moreover, the fibrinogen of patients in the experimental group was lower than control group at follow-up (P = 0.019). Conclusion IPC reduced the incidence of CRT during hospitalization in lung cancer patients after surgery. Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000034511.

When skeletal muscle is damaged, satellite cells (SCs) are activated to proliferate rapidly and fuse with the damaged muscle fibers to form new muscle fibers, thereby promoting muscle growth and remodeling and repair of trauma. Exosomes from differentiating human skeletal muscle cells trigger myogenesis of stem cells and provide biochemical cues for skeletal muscle regeneration. Therefore, we hypothesized that, when muscles are injured, myoblast-derived exosomes may regulate muscle repair and regeneration. Here, we investigated the underlying mechanism by applying C2C12-derived exosomes to injured mouse skeletal muscles. The expression levels of skeletal muscle regeneration factors paired box 7 and lipid-promoting factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ were upregulated, whereas the expression levels of fibrosis factors collagen-1 and α-smooth muscle actin decreased. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was elevated after applying C2C12-derived exosomes to SCs. Application of C2C12-derived exosomes to fibro-adipogenic progenitors resulted in an increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ expression and adipogenesis capacity, whereas α-smooth muscle actin expression and fibrosis capacity decreased. Analysis of the transcriptome and proteome of SCs after treatment with exosomes showed the involvement of multiple biological processes, including proliferation and differentiation of SCs, muscle regeneration, skeletal muscle atrophy, and the inflammatory response after muscle injury. Hence, our data suggest that C2C12-derived exosomes can promote the regeneration of skeletal muscle fibers, accelerate the production of fat from damaged muscles, inhibit the fibrosis of damaged muscles, and accelerate injury repair, which is related to exosome-mediated regulation of the proliferation of SCs, differentiation of fibro-adipogenic progenitors, and modulation of SC mRNA expression and protein formation and decomposition.

In this Letter, we propose a single-beam nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR) magnetometer with a multipass