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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a great concern since 2019. Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) may be at higher risk of COVID-19 and a more severe disease course. We examined the associations between COVID-19 and MG. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study involved 134 patients who were diagnosed with MG from June 2020 to November 2022 and followed up until April 2023. They were divided into a COVID-19 group and non-COVID-19 group. Logistic regression analysis was used to detect factors potentially associating COVID-19 with MG. Results: Of the 134 patients with MG, 108 (80.6%) had COVID-19. A higher number of comorbidities was significantly associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 (p = 0.040). A total of 103 patients (95.4%) had mild/moderate COVID-19 symptoms, and 4 patients (3.7%) were severe/critical symptoms (including 2 deaths). Higher age (p = 0.036), use of rituximab (p = 0.037), tumors other than thymoma (p = 0.031), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (p = 0.011), more comorbidities (p = 0.002), and a higher baseline MG activities of daily living (MG-ADL) score (p = 0.006) were risk factors for severe COVID-19 symptoms. The MG-ADL score increased by ≥ 2 points in 16 (15.7%) patients. Dry cough and/or expectoration (p = 0.011), use of oral corticosteroids (p = 0.033), and use of more than one kind of immunosuppressant (p = 0.017) were associated with the increase of the post-COVID-19 MG-ADL score. Conclusion: Most patients with MG have a mild course of COVID-19. However, patients with older age, many comorbidities, a high MG-ADL score, and use of a variety of immunosuppressants during COVID-19 may be more prone to severe symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration of highly efficient non-noble metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is essential for the widespread industrial utilization of fuel cells. Herein, we demonstrated a hierarchical porous catalyst (denoted as Fe-NC-Gs) using a simple stirring and one-step pyrolysis method. ZIF-8-derived N-doped carbon framework loaded on graphene oxide, on which Fe3O4 and FeS nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed. In the composite nanostructure, a high surface area (470.58 m2 g−1) and hierarchical porous structure were observed. The obtained Fe-NC-G-2 exhibits superior ORR properties. The half-wave potential (E1/2) and the limiting current density in alkaline media were up to 0.85 V and − 5.39 mA cm−2, respectively, comparable to the commercially available Pt/C. The four-electron-dominated process was exhibited in the ORR catalysis. It also manifests a better methanol tolerance and electrochemical stability during the chronoamperometry measurement in 0.1 M KOH. These results suggest that the proposed strategy provides a new pathway to construct efficient electrocatalysts for ORR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea polyphenols (TP) are natural polyphenolic compounds extracted from tea leaves that have antioxidant activity and can be applied in packaging materials to extend the shelf life of foods. In this study, quaternized xylan/polyvinyl alcohol/zinc oxide nanoparticles (QX/PVA/ZnO@Xylan) composite films doped with different proportions of TP were prepared, and the impacts of TP addition on the microstructure, physicochemical properties, and performance of the films were studied. The FTIR and XRD results showed that hydrogen bonds were formed between TP and the film matrix QX and PVA, SEM suggested that the microstructure of the films was more compact. The mechanical properties, water resistance, UV-blocking, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties of the films gradually improved with the increase of the TP. When the TP amount was more than 0.5% (w/w) in the film, the composite film shields against almost all the light in the range of 200–400 nm. The films with addition of 0.7% (w/w) TP almost inhibited the growth of over 99% of S. aureus and E. coli. Furthermore, the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the film reached more than 90% with the addition of TP at 0.7% (w/w) in the film, which had good antioxidant activity and could effectively protect the apple pulp from oxidation. The addition of TP improves the comprehensive performance of the film and can be used as a preferred material for new degradable food packaging to extend the food shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proteasome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Pf20S) is an advantageous drug target because its inhibition kills P. falciparum in multiple stages of its life cycle and synergizes with artemisinins. We recently developed a macrocyclic peptide, TDI-8304, that is highly selective for Pf20S over human proteasomes and is potent in vitro and in vivo against P. falciparum. A mutation in the Pf20S β6 subunit, A117D, confers resistance to TDI-8304, yet enhances both enzyme inhibition and anti-parasite activity of a tripeptide vinyl sulfone β2 inhibitor, WLW-vs. Here we present the high-resolution cryo-EM structures of Pf20S with TDI-8304, of human constitutive proteasome with TDI-8304, and of Pf20Sβ6A117D with WLW-vs that give insights into the species selectivity of TDI-8304, resistance to it, and the collateral sensitivity associated with resistance, including that TDI-8304 binds β2 and β5 in wild type Pf20S as well as WLW-vs binds β2 and β5 in Pf20Sβ6A117D. We further show that TDI-8304 kills P. falciparum as quickly as chloroquine and artemisinin and is active against P. cynomolgi at the liver stage. This increases interest in using these structures to facilitate the development of Pf20S inhibitors that target multiple proteasome subunits and limit the emergence of resistance. The proteasome of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf20S) is a promising multi-stage drug target. Using CryoEM Hsu et al. report the structures of parasite and human proteasome in complex with the recently developed inhibitor TDI-8304 to gain insights into its species selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global production-living-ecology space closely corresponds with sustainable development's economic, social and ecological elements. The dataset of global production–living–ecological space in this paper was generated by combining the global land cover obtained using GlobeLand30 and the population density supplied by NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center in 2000, 2010, and 2020. The verification was carried out using the random sampling function of ArcGIS software on the basis of Google Earth sample images. The overall accuracy of the global production–living–ecological space data in 2020 was 83.94% and the Kappa coefficient was 0.81. The overall accuracy of the global production–living–ecological space data in 2010 was 87.00% and the Kappa coefficient was 0.84. The overall accuracy of the spatial data in 2000 was 86.06% and the Kappa coefficient was 0.83. The dataset fills a gap in the global production-living-ecology space database and will be an essential reference for assessing the coordinated development of sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancy globally with a pessimistic prognosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that abnormal expression of genes in the lysine-specific histone demethylase 3 (KDM3) family with epigenetic changes and dysregulation of enzymes promotes cancer progression. In this study, multiomics analyses were utilized to analyze differential expression, prognostic value, genetic alteration, protein–protein interaction, associated biological pathways and immune cell infiltration of KDM3s in patients with HCC. KDM3A-C were significantly upregulated to different extents based on pathologic and tumor grades in patients with HCC compared to normal tissue. Of note, higher KDM3A expression was associated with poor survival in HCC patients, whereas KDM3B and KDM3C were not associated with survival. Furthermore, KDM3A-B genetic alterations had significant effects on survival in patients with HCC. Analyses of the KEGG pathway and miRNAs targets of KDM3A and KDM3B in HCC may provide potential value in tumor behaviors and treatment. The differential expression of the KDM3 family has a strongly significant correlation with the infiltration of the abundance of immune cells, including B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells in HCC. This study indicates that KDM3A may have the potential to be a promising molecular target in terms of prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for HCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world. Previous studies indicated that the expression of the KDM1 genes (KDM1s), members of the amine oxidase superfamily, has prognostic value for breast and prostate cancer and malignant neuroblastoma. This study aimed to investigate the expression of KDM1s, their prognostic value, and their correlation with immune infiltration in patients with HCC.Methods: Multiomics analyses were utilized to analyze differential expression, prognostic value, genetic alteration, and immune cell infiltration of KDM1s in patients with HCC.Results: The high expression of KDM1A indicated poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival, whereas the high expression of KDM1B was significantly associated with poor OS. The genetic alterations and biological interaction network of KDM1s may provide detailed information for the dysregulated function of KDM1s in patients with HCC. KDM1-related signaling pathways and miRNA targets were explored and may provide value as therapeutic targets or tumor progression markers. The increased mRNA expression of KDM1s was significantly correlated with the infiltration of diverse immune cells in HCC.Conclusions: This data-driven study indicates that KDM1s are promising prognostic biomarkers for survival and have the potential to become novel molecular targets in HCC treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hα flare index is one of the solar activity indicators to describe the physical properties of the active regions in the solar atmosphere. Sunspot number is a representative indicator of the magnetic activity in the photosphere, which is associated with the energy supply rate to the corona. Thus, it is significant to investigate the phase relationship between Hα flare activity and sunspot activity. In the present work, monthly Hα flare index (FIm), monthly sunspot activity (sunspot numbers (Rs) and group sunspot numbers (Rg)) compiled from the Purple Mountain Observatory are used to find their phase relationship using the cross-correlation analysis. For solar cycles 20–23, there is a very pronounced time lag of about 9, 4, 4.5 and 10 months between the monthly FIm and Rs, respectively. Furthermore, there is a noticeable time lag of about 7, 8, 4.5 and 9 months between FIm and Rg for the same cycles, respectively. If we take the whole time series together, we notice that FIm has a time lag of about 4 months with regard to both Rs and Rg. The possible physical mechanisms for their observed phase lag are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data analytics applications are increasingly deployed on cloud computing infrastructures, and it is still a big challenge to pick the optimal cloud configurations in a cost-effective way. In this paper, we address this problem with a high accuracy and a low overhead. We propose Apollo, a data-driven approach that can rapidly pick the optimal cloud configurations by reusing data from similar workloads. We first classify 12 typical workloads in BigDataBench by characterizing pairwise correlations in our offline benchmarks. When a new workload comes, we run it with several small datasets to rank its key characteristics and get its similar workloads. Based on the rank, we then limit the search space of cloud configurations through a classification mechanism. At last, we leverage a hierarchical regression model to measure which cluster is more suitable and use a local search strategy to pick the optimal cloud configurations in a few extra tests. Our evaluation on 12 typical workloads in HiBench shows that compared with state-of-the-art approaches, Apollo can improve up to 30% search accuracy, while reducing as much as 50% overhead for picking the optimal cloud configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discriminating water inrush sources efficiently and accurately is necessary to control water in coal mines. We combined the improved genetic algorithm (IGA) and extreme learning machine (ELM) methods and applied this new method to the Zhaogezhuang mining area. The IGA-ELM method effectively solved the complex non-linear problems encountered in identifying water sources and proved to have several advantages over conventional methodology. The IGA for the hill-climbing method was adopted to use the weights and thresholds of the ELM, which overcame the prematurity of the traditional genetic algorithm and the instability of the ELM model. Three types of water were identified in different aquifers of the Zhaogezhuang mining area: SO4-Ca in the Laotang water, SO4·HCO3-Ca in the Ordovician limestone water, and HCO3-Ca in the fractured sandstone roof of the no. 12 and 13 coal seams. The water sample recognition was 95% accurate, which proved that the water inrush source in the Zhaogezhuang mining area was accurately identified by the IGA-ELM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of congenital scoliosis (CS) in infants based on chest–abdomen radiographs. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on infants in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary children's hospital between February 2008 and September 2019. Patients who had undergone chest–abdomen X-rays were included. All films from the enrolled patients were screened for CS. Their demographic characteristics, type, and location of the vertebral and rib anomalies, and concomitant defects of other systems were analyzed. Results: In total, 50,426 infants were enrolled; 89 (1.8‰) were diagnosed with CS, including 56 males and 33 females. There was no gender difference in CS prevalence. The visiting age of the CS patients (70 ± 98days) was significantly younger than that of the non-CS group (P < 0.05), with CS patients mainly visiting for digestive (53.9%) and respiratory symptoms (41.6%). Sixty-eight (76.4%) CS patients had main thoracic (T6–T11) vertebral malformations. Rib anomalies were documented in 27 (30.3%) patients, of which 14 had complex rib anomalies. Forty (44.9%) patients had concomitant defects of other organs, of which eight patients had two systemic abnormalities mixed. The most common extraspinal defects were imperforate anus (21, 23.6%) and congenital cardiac defects (17, 19.1%). Conclusion: The prevalence of CS in infants based on chest–abdomen X-rays in the ED was 1.8‰. Both the vertebral and rib anomalies mainly affected the main thoracic region. The spine deformities in infants with concomitant defects of other organs could be identified earlier because of early-onset symptoms, which also bring out a selection bias in our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the prevalence of bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD) and its relationship with delayed elimination communication (EC) in children. A cross-sectional study was carried out in kindergartens and primary schools in mainland China. A total of 10,166 children ranging from 4 to 10 years old were included. A total of 10,166 valid questionnaires were collected, and 409 children were diagnosed with BBD. The overall prevalence was 4.02% (409/10,166) and decreased with age, from 6.19% at age 4 to 1.96% at age 10. With the prolonged use of disposable diapers (DDs), the commencement of usage of EC in a child was significantly put off or delayed by parents, and the prevalence of BBD amongst these children increased (P < 0.001). The prevalence of BBD among children who stopped using DDs within the first 12 months and after more than 24 months was 2.79% and 4.38% respectively. Additionally, the prevalence among children who started EC within 12 months after birth and those who never engaged in EC was 1.36% and 15.71% respectively. Early introduction of EC and weaning of DD usage has a positive correlation with lower prevalence of BBD in children in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solder paste quality can be improved from microstructure and surface status of the solder powder. In this work, the micro-morphology of solder paste was observed and the particle surface condition was analyzed. Also, the conditions of corrosion and the corrosion products in different organic acid groups (activators) were analyzed. The result shows that the SnO passive film on the solder powder surface reacts with the COO– in the active agent of the solder paste. This reaction led the passivation layer to be peeled off. It also caused the change in solder powders' physical and chemical properties and made the metal boundary to be cold-welded. This is the root cause of solder paste exsiccation and deterioration. The study on the details shows that to obtain high-quality solder paste, one of the key methods is using the solder powder with ideal passivation shell structure and defect-free surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying solar filaments can help in understanding the distribution of large-scale field in the solar atmosphere and provide useful insights into the nature of the solar magnetic field. Recently, the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has collected huge volumes of data about solar filaments from several international observing stations for nearly 100 years. Designing a database, as well as establishing a networked tool for making the best of it, are necessary to provide efficient and convenient access to the data for researchers. In this study, we introduce a solar filament database, involving digital image data of nearly 45 terabytes, based on MySQL and a data management platform named database management system of hundred years of solar filament archives (http://faste.ctgu.edu.cn) that adopts Browser/Server mode and is written in the Java programming language. From this data system, users can realise multi-property query on the basis of demands, download data under multiple conditions, perform visual query for information on one single filament, view long-term data statistics of filament properties, and implement extensions and management of the database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the low accuracy and poor processing capacity of traditional power equipment image recognition methods, this paper proposes a power equipment image recognition method based on a dual-channel convolutional neural network (DC-CNN) model and random forest (RF) classification. In the aspect of feature extraction, the DC-CNN model extracts the characteristics of power equipment through two independent CNN models. In the aspect of the recognition algorithm, by referring to the advantages of the traditional machine learning method and incorporating the advantages of the RF, an RF classification method incorporating deep learning is proposed. Finally, the proposed DC-CNN model and RF classification method are used to classify images of various types of power equipment. The results show that the proposed methods can be effectively applied to the image recognition of various types of power equipment, and they greatly improve the recognition rate of power equipment images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic trace minerals (OTMs) have the potential to replace inorganic trace minerals (ITMs), but the degree to which the dietary levels can be reduced is not well defined. This study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing of ITMs with lower levels of OTMs on growth performance, blood parameters, antioxidant status, and immune indexes in weaned piglets. The experiment was conducted in a subtropical city in Guangdong Province in South China (subtropical climate) from July to September 2018. A total of 600 pigs with an average initial BW of 8.90 kg were allotted by gender and weight to 5 treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment. Experimental treatments: (A) Control group (a basal diet with iron, copper, manganese, and zinc from sulfates and sodium selenite providing commercially utilized levels in China of 150, 25, 40, 150, and 0.5 mg/kg, respectively). (B) 1/2 ITM group (inorganic trace minerals providing 1/2 control group levels). (C) 1/2 OTM group (1/2 control group trace mineral levels with manganese, iron, zinc, and selenium from Sel-Plex® and Cu from Bioplex®). (D) 1/3 ITM group (1/3 control group trace mineral levels from inorganic forms). (E) 1/3 OTM group (1/3 control group trace mineral levels from organic forms). The results suggest no significant effects of trace mineral sources or levels, on average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) among different treatments during the entire experiment. The level of zinc in serum was significantly decreased in the 1/3 ITM group. The 1/3 OTM group had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) immunoglobulin G (IgG) level in serum. Fecal mineral excretion decreased significantly (P < 0.05) when decreased dietary levels of trace minerals were included at 1/2 and 1/3 levels regardless of sources. Fecal concentrations of zinc excretion were lower (P < 0.05) with 1/2 OTM supplementation than 1/2 ITMs. The present study shows that replacing high doses of ITMs with low concentrations (1/3) of OTMs does not adversely affect the growth performance of piglets. At low levels, total replacement of ITMs with OTMs improved IgG and reduced fecal excretion of copper, zinc, iron, and manganese, thereby mitigating environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial characterization and regional differences of water use in China's coal mines were investigated based on a high spatial resolution mine site dataset, and their spatial synergic relationships with energy consumption were explored using a geographic weighted regression model. There were significant and obvious regional differences in water use in coal production. Most coal-related water withdrawal occurs in Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Anhui, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia provinces, accounting for ≈ 73% of the nation's total energy-related water withdrawal. The cities of Erdos, HulunBuir, Yulin, Shuozhou, and Changzhi have the largest coal-related water consumption, ≈ 36% of the nation's total, while large coal-related wastewater discharges are mostly concentrated in Shaanxi, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and Inner Mongolia provinces, and sporadically in Guizhou Province. There was a considerable positive correlation between consumptive water use and energy consumption in coal production. This study provides a spatially integrated technology to coordinate regional energy and water plans, identify regions suffering the most severe impacts, and can serve as a reference for the transition of coal resource-type cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bcl-xl, Bax2, and NF-κB are well-known to be involved in anti-apoptosis response. Although Bcl-xl has been reported in fish, the NF-κB-mediated regulatory mechanism and anti-apoptotic function are still unclear. Here, we cloned and characterized the full-length cDNA sequence of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) Bcl-xl (CiBcl-xl) and its promoter region sequence. The full-length cDNA of CiBcl-xl is 2836 bp with an ORF of 627 bp encoding a polypeptide of 208 amino acids. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that CiBcl-xl shared high homology with Dario rerio Bcl-xl (DrBcl-xl). After stimulation with Poly I:C, the expression of CiBcl-xl in CIK cells and various tested tissues of grass carp were significantly upregulated. To further understand the transcriptional control of fish Bcl-xl induced by NF-κB, CiC-rel and Cip65 were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 and purified by affinity chromatography with the Ni-NTA His-Bind resin. In vitro, gel mobility shift assays demonstrated the high affinity of CiC-rel and Cip65 with CiBcl-xl promoter. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that CiC-rel and Cip65 activated CiBcl-xl promoter. Also, knockdown of CiC-rel and Cip65 reduced the expression of Bcl-xl. Therefore, similar to those of mammals, fish C-rel and p65 can upregulate the transcription of Bcl-xl. In addition, we found that overexpression of CiBcl-xl in CIK cells increased the cell activity and inhibited cell apoptosis, while overexpression of Bax2 promoted cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, co-transfection of CiBcl-xl and CiBax2 into cells can ease up apoptotic rate. To further investigate the molecular basis of synergistic effect of Bcl-xl and Bax2, we showed that Bcl-xl and Bax2 interacted with each other. The results suggested that Bcl-xl executed its anti-apoptotic function by binding to and inhibiting the pro-apoptotic activity of Bax2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of wastewater is discharged in the course of preventing and controlling water inrush in China's coal mines. We investigated the role of mine water in coal production and associated ground subsidence problems at the prefecture-level, and analyzed their spatial characterization and regional differences using coal mine production data. The results indicate that ≈ 5310 million m3 of such mine water were produced in China in 2018. Five clusters of coal mine water production were identified; spatial analysis suggests that the cities in these areas should pay more attention to mine water reuse and comprehensive control of ground subsidence to alleviate water resource pressures and aid the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mine Water & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigated the effects of replacement of inorganic trace minerals (ITMs) by organic trace minerals (OTMs) on tissue mineral retention and fecal excretion in "Zhen Ning" yellow feather broiler breeders. Six hundred hens (initial BW: 1.70 ± 0.07 kg) aged 40 weeks were randomly divided into five treatments, with four replicates of 30 broiler breeders each. Experimental treatments were as follows: (1) ITM (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Se providing commercially recommended concentrations), (2) L-ITM (50% of the ITM, except for Se), (3) VL-OTM (37.5% of the ITM, except for Se), (4) L-OTM (equivalent to L-ITM), and (5) OTM (62.5% of the ITM, except for Se). The duration of the study was 10 weeks including 2 weeks for adaptation. Compared with the L-ITM treatment, high-level supplementation of minerals in ITM and OTM increased the concentration of serum Mn and Se, pectoral Fe and pancreas Cu, and Fe (P < 0.05). Birds fed with OTM dietary exhibited comparable mineral retention in muscle compared with ITM. Differences were observed between L-ITM and L-OTM in serum Mn and Se, pectoral Fe, Zn, and Se, and heart Se with L-OTM retaining higher mineral concentrations than L-ITM (P < 0.05). L-OTM retained identical concentration with ITM treatment, except for the pancreatic Fe. All three organic diets reduced the Zn in excreta compared with the two inorganic diets (P < 0.05). This study indicates that replacement of dietary ITMs by OTMs improved mineral deposition in tissues and reduced fecal mineral excretion in broiler breeders under the conditions of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeking alternatives to the depleting fish oil are crucial for marine fish aquaculture, which is currently dependent on fish oil as the primary source of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs). Five isonitrogenous (46% crude protein) and isolipidic (16% crude lipid) feed diets (FO, ISO2.9, ISO4.8, ISO6.7, ISO8.6) were formulated by partially replacing fish oil with microalgae Isochrysis galbana. These diets were fed to triplicate tanks of Trachinotus ovatus (mean initial weight 1.92 g) for 80 days. This work demonstrates that a moderate inclusion (around 4.5-5.0 wt%, equivalent to the replacement of 24-26 wt% fish oil) of I. galbana biomass in fish diet improves fish growth performance, lipid deposition and enhances total n-3 fatty acids, DHA, and EPA contents in neutral and polar lipids (PLs) of fish muscle and liver of T. ovatus. The results disclosed in this study suggest that I. galbana microalgae represents a potential high-quality substitute for fish-based ingredients in aquaculture feeds, which can be a promising sustainable solution to resolve the depleting fish oil resource in a cost-effective manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virion escaping of hepatitis B virus from human hepatocyte is mediated by the recognition and interaction of viral large envelope protein with human hepatocyte receptor γ2-adaptin. In this work, a structure-based rational strategy was described to design peptide inhibitors serving as the interaction disruptors between the preS1 domain of hepatitis B virus large envelope protein and the EAR domain of γ2-adaptin. The binding site of preS1 to γ2-EAR was extracted from the crystal structure of preS1 in complex with EAR as a short preS1 phage peptide that can extendedly bind on the β-sheet surface of γ2-EAR domain. Computational modeling revealed a systematic amino acid preference profile for the domain-peptide interaction, which was then employed to guide an optimization protocol for improving the biological activity of preS1 peptide. A number of potential hits were obtained from the evolution, and four were measured in vitro to have a comparable or higher affinity as compared to the native preS1 peptide. Potent peptide ligands were structurally optimized according to alanine-scanning mutagenesis and complex structural analysis, resulting in the strongest binder with domain-binding affinity at micromolar level. It is revealed that a potent γ2-EAR-binding peptide (8-mer sequence XXXXXXXX) can be divided into three regions; the region 1 contains residues X and X that should be occupied by negatively charged amino acids such as Glu and Asp, the region 2 covers residues X, X, and X that directly contact a hydrophobic pocket on γ2-EAR surface, and the region 3 corresponds to residue X that prefers polar amino acids and is able to form hydrogen bond. In addition, the N-terminal and C-terminal residues X and X only play a marginal role in the domain-peptide binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae poses a major threat to rice production worldwide. Utilization of resistance is the most effective and economic means to control the disease. An elite maintainer line Yixiang1B (Y1B) has been widely exploited in three-line hybrid rice breeding. However, it remains unclear which blast resistance gene or genes contribute to its resistant phenotype. In this work, we found that a novel functional Pid2 allele is critical for the Y1B's resistance against rice blast pathogen. First, we confirmed that Y1B is resistant to a number of M. oryzae isolates, with a resistance frequency of 65%. Then, we exploited expression-based approach to genotype the cloned rice blast resistance genes. Transcripts from Pid2, Pid3, Pib, Pi36, Pi5 and Pia were readily detected in Y1B upon M. oryzae infection. Sequencing analyses detected many SNPs in these genes, except that Pib had no substitution and Pid2 contained two tandem base-pair mutations at the nucleotide positions 1997 and 1998 leading to the H666R substitution. Knocking-down Pid2_Y1B via RNAi in Y1B resulted in susceptibility. In contrast, over-expression of Pid2_Y1B in a blast-susceptible accession led to enhanced resistance to M. oryzae. Therefore, Pid2_Y1B is the main contributor to the rice blast resistance in Y1B. Taken together, we identified a functional resistance allele of Pid2 that can be utilized as a resource in rice blast resistant breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mine Water & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A total of 180 crossbred pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Large White; BW = 47.1 ± 4.8 kg) were used to investigate the effects of totally replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITMs) by organically bound trace minerals (OTMs) on growth performance, tissue mineral status, liver antioxidant enzyme activities, and fecal mineral excretion in grower-finisher pigs. A randomized complete block design with three treatments and six replicates ( n = 10 pigs per pen) was used in this 69-day, 2-phase feeding trial. Experimental treatments were as follows: (1) a basal diet without trace mineral supplementation, (2) basal + ITMs (Fe, Mn, and Zn from sulfates, Cu oxychloride, and sodium selenite providing commercially recommended levels in China at 125, 22.5, 117.5, 30, and 0.3 mg/kg, respectively), and 3) basal + OTMs (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu from Bioplex and Se as Sel-Plex (Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY) providing levels identical to ITMs). No significant differences ( P > 0.05) were observed in ADG, ADFI, or G:F among the treatments during the entire grower-finisher period. Supplementation with minerals, regardless of source, increased ( P < 0.05) the Fe, Cu, and Se levels in the plasma; Fe and Zn levels in the liver; and Se levels in heart. Furthermore, compared with ITM group, the concentration of Zn and Se in the liver and heart, and Se in plasma and longissimus muscle were greater ( P < 0.05) in OTM group. Hepatic Cu/Zn-SOD and ALP activities were increased ( P < 0.05) when either ITMs or OTMs were supplemented. Pigs supplemented with OTMs displayed greater activities of Cu/Zn-SOD, ALP, and GSH-Px in the liver compared to pigs supplemented with ITMs. Dietary mineral supplementation to pig diets greatly increased ( P < 0.05) fecal mineral (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Se) excretion in both grower and finisher phases. Fecal concentrations of Zn, Cu, and Se excretion were lower ( P < 0.05) with OTMs supplementation than that in pigs fed diets containing ITMs. These results indicate that use of organic trace minerals, as well as no trace mineral supplementation, did not influence pig growth performance. Totally replacing ITMs by equivalent levels of OTMs could improve hepatic Cu/Zn-SOD, ALP, and GSH-Px activities and reduce fecal Mn, Cu, and Se excretion for grower-finisher pigs when supplemented at commercially recommended levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

l-Glutamine (Gln) is an essential amino acid for intestinal growth and integrity. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully known. In the present study, porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-1) were used to test the hypothesis that autophagy is induced by Gln deprivation and inhibited by Gln supplementation. After a 2-day period of growth in normal medium, IPEC-1 cells were transferred to a Gln-free custom-made DMEM. Cell numbers, the distribution of autophagosomes, the abundance of the protein for an autophagy marker LC3B, as well as abundances of the mTOR and MAPK proteins during an 8-h period were determined. Furthermore, the rescue effect of 5 mM Gln was evaluated. Our results showed that Gln deprivation reduced the cell number, while enhancing the accumulation of autophagosomes and the expression of LC3B-II in IPEC-1 cells within 8 h. The concentrations of Glu, Asp, Cit, Arg, Leu, Ile, Val, Ala, β-Ala, Orn, Phe, Met and Ser in the culture medium were altered by Gln deprivation. Further analysis revealed that Gln deficiency inactivated, but Gln supplementation activated, the mTOR and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways. Collectively, our findings support the notion that Gln deficiency induces autophagy and disturbs amino acid metabolism in intestinal epithelial cells, as well as attenuated their mTOR and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways to inhibit protein synthesis and cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of amino acids in milk protein reveals a relatively low content of glycine. This study was conducted with young pigs to test the hypothesis that milk-fed neonates require dietary glycine supplementation for maximal growth. Fourteen-day-old piglets were allotted randomly into one of four treatments (15 piglets/treatment), representing supplementation with 0, 0.5, 1 or 2 % glycine (dry matter basis) to a liquid milk replacer. Food was provided to piglets every 8 h (3 times/day) for 2 weeks. Milk intake (32.0-32.5 g dry matter/kg body weight per day) did not differ between control and glycine-supplemented piglets. Compared with control piglets, dietary supplementation with 0.5, 1 and 2 % glycine increased ( P < 0.05) plasma concentrations of glycine and serine, daily weight gain, and body weight without affecting body composition, while reducing plasma concentrations of ammonia, urea, and glutamine, in a dose-dependent manner. Dietary supplementation with 0.5, 1 and 2 % glycine enhanced ( P < 0.05) small-intestinal villus height, glycine transport (measured using Ussing chambers), mRNA levels for GLYT1, and anti-oxidative capacity (indicated by increased concentrations of reduced glutathione and a decreased ratio of oxidized glutathione to reduced glutathione). These novel results indicate, for the first time, that glycine is a nutritionally essential amino acid for maximal protein accretion in milk-fed piglets. The findings not only enhance understanding of protein nutrition, but also have important implications for designing improved formulas to feed human infants, particularly low birth weight and preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is one of the most common concerns in human obstetrics and domestic animal production. It is usually caused by placental insufficiency, which decreases fetal uptake of nutrients (especially amino acids) from the placenta. Amino acids are not only building blocks for protein but also key regulators of metabolic pathways in fetoplacental development. The enhanced demands of amino acids by the developing conceptus must be met via active transport systems across the placenta as normal pregnancy advances. Growing evidence indicates that IUGR is associated with a reduction in placental amino acid transport capacity and metabolic pathways within the embryonic/fetal development. The positive relationships between amino acid concentrations in circulating maternal blood and placental amino acid transport into fetus encourage designing new therapies to prevent or treat IUGR by enhancing amino acid availability in maternal diets or maternal circulation. Despite the positive effects of available dietary interventions, nutritional therapy for IUGR is still in its infancy. Based on understanding of the underlying mechanisms whereby amino acids promote fetal growth and of their dietary requirements by IUGR, supplementation with functional amino acids (e.g., arginine and glutamine) hold great promise for preventing fetal growth restriction and improving health and growth of IUGR offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the background of the current world facing an energy crisis, and human beings puzzled by the problems of environment and resources, developing clean energy sources becomes the inevitable choice to deal with a climate change and an energy shortage. A global ocean wave energy resource was reanalyzed by using ERA-40 wave reanalysis data 1957-2002 from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). An effective significant wave height is defined in the development of wave energy resources (short as effective SWH), and the total potential of wave energy is exploratively calculated. Synthetically considering a wave energy density, a wave energy level probability, the frequency of the effective SWH, the stability and long-term trend of wave energy density, a swell index and a wave energy storage, global ocean wave energy resources were reanalyzed and regionalized, providing reference to the development of wave energy resources such as wave power plant location, seawater desalination, heating, pumping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a retrospective, case-control study to evaluate whether the urine flow acceleration (UFA, mL/s) is superior to maximum uroflow (Qmax, mL/s) in diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this study, a total of 50 men with BPH (age: 58±12.5 years) and 50 controls (age: 59±13.0 years) were included. A pressure-flow study was used to determine the presence of BOO according to the recommendations of Incontinence Control Society (ICS). The results showed that the UFA and Qmax in BPH group were much lower than those in the control group [(2.05±0.85) vs. (4.60±1.25) mL/s and (8.50±1.05) vs. (13.00±3.35) mL/s] ( P<0.001). According to the criteria (UFA<2.05 mL/s, Qmax<10 mL/s), the sensitivity and specificity of UFA vs. Qmax in diagnosing BOO were 88%, 75% vs. 81%, 63%. UFA vs. Omax, when compared with the results of P-Q chart (the kappa values in corresponding analysis), was 0.55 vs. 0.35. The prostate volume, post void residual and detrusor pressure at Qmax between the two groups were 28.6±9.8 vs. 24.2±7.6 mL, 60.4±1.4 vs. 21.3±2.5 mL and 56.6±8.3 vs. 21.7±6.1 cmHO, respectively ( P<0.05). It was concluded that the UFA is a useful urodynamic parameter, and is superior to Qmax in diagnosing BOO in patients with BPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 70 % of Tianjin city's water supply comes from groundwater. As water demand increases, this reliance on groundwater has caused serious geological problems, such as seawater intrusion. The third aquifer is the main water supply aquifer for Tianjin city. According to supply conditions, water abundance, exploitation conditions, and water quality of the third aquifer, the type of ecological environment system, protection targets and requirements, the present situation of groundwater exploitation and utilization, the groundwater exploitation demand, and utilization for regional water resources allocation as well as national overall scheme about reasonable exploitation, utilization and protection of groundwater resource, groundwater in Tianjin has been divided into seven function areas. After analysis of influencing factors, like water abundance, exploitation intensity and well density, risk factors have been classified using AHP and GIS. Then the comprehensive evaluation model of groundwater exploitation and utilization risks was built. Using this model, the exploitation and utilization risks of the third aquifer in years 2015, 2020, and 2030 have been forecasted. The results show that the risk grade of this aquifer in 2015 is higher than now, while lower in 2020 and 2030. But the risk grade of the 3rd and 4th aquifer increases, since the water yield of this aquifer must still meet a certain amount to support the basic demand of this city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends and completes the discussion by Xing et al. (Canonical dual solutions to the quadratic programming over a quadratic constraint, submitted) about the quadratic programming over one quadratic constraint (QP1QC). In particular, we relax the assumption to cover more general cases when the two matrices from the objective and the constraint functions can be simultaneously diagonalizable via congruence. Under such an assumption, the nonconvex (QP1QC) problem can be solved through a dual approach with no duality gap. This is unusual for general nonconvex programming but we can explain by showing that (QP1QC) is indeed equivalent to a linearly constrained convex problem, which happens to be dual of the dual of itself. Another type of hidden convexity can be also found in the boundarification technique developed in Xing et al. (Canonical dual solutions to the quadratic programming over a quadratic constraint, submitted). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To reduce X-ray radiation injury, we investigated the relation between projection positions and X-ray radiation doses when a coronary sinus mapping electrode was placed. Methods: There were 400 patients in whom a coronary sinus mapping electrode was placed for intracardiac electrophysiologic examination or radio-frequency catheter ablation in our hospital between 1 June 2008 and 31 May 2011. The doctors who placed the coronary sinus mapping electrode and the projection positions including posteroanterior, left anterior oblique 45°, and right anterior oblique 30° projection positions were randomly selected. X-ray doses were recorded when the coronary sinus mapping electrode was placed, and then, these were compared between the three projection positions. Results: The X-ray dose was significantly lower in the right anterior oblique 30° projection position (50.01 ± 11.38 mGy) than in the posteroanterior projection position (68.05 ± 18.85 mGy, q = 12.924, p = 0.000) and the left anterior oblique 45° projection position (71.66 ± 16.95 mGy, q = 15.214, p = 0.000). There were no statistical significances in X-ray doses between the posteroanterior and the left anterior oblique 45° projection positions ( p = 0.066) and different operators ( p = 0.985). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, we suggest that in placing the coronary sinus mapping electrode, the right anterior oblique 30° projection position should be first adopted because it can allow the electrode to be easily placed and reduce the X-ray radiation dose as much as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flat geotubes are widely used for coastal structures such as seawalls, breakwaters and sightseeing groins, etc.. However, the understanding of the stable mechanism involved in the wave-structure interactions should be deepened, and one of the important work is to clarify the stress state of the structure under the wave action. In this article, wave force acting on coastal structures made of flat geotube is experimentally investigated. The required drag, inertia and lift coefficients are especially analyzed from the results of hydraulic model experiments specially designed for geotube structure. Several types of structures made of flat geotubes under wave action have been tested in order to understand the stress state of the geotube fixed to force transducer within different structures. Experimental results show that the wave-induced forces on the instrumented geotube are markedly influenced by wave elements. Meanwhile, the magnitude of horizontal force of adjoining geotube is different at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptide deformylase (PDF) is considered an attractive target for screening novel antibiotics. The PDF from Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are representative of the gram-negative species type of PDF (type I PDF) and the gram-positive species type of PDF (type II PDF), respectively. They could be used for screening broad-spectrum antibiotics. Herein, we cloned the def gene by PCR, inserted it into plasmid pET-22b-def, and transformed the plasmid into E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells, then the cells were induced by IPTG to express PDF. E. coli Ni-PDF was extracted and purified by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. S. aureus PDFs were extracted and purified using the MagExtractor kit. The nickel form of S. aureus PDF was obtained by adding NiCl to all reagents used for purification. Iron-enriched S. aureus PDF was obtained by adding FeCl to the growth medium for E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells and adding FeCl and catalase to all reagents used for purification. The activities of PDFs were analyzed, compared, and grouped according to the experimental conditions that produced optimal activity, and we used actinonin as an inhibitor of PDF and calculated the IC value. We obtained high expression of E. coli and S. aureus PDF with high activity and stability. The function of PDFs was inhibited by actinonin in a dose-dependent manner. Results may be helpful for future mechanistic investigations of PDF as well as high-throughput screening for other PDF inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of pentapeptide PLNPK on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice, and to study the inhibitory effect of PLNPK on activation of T cells in vivo. Methods: Murine SLE-like chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was induced. After treatment with PLNPK (100, 200, 400 μg/kg per day) for 70 days, serum blood urea nitrogen, creatine, total cholesterol, triglyeride and albumin were tested, and serum levels of anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibodies were detected by ELISA. The pathological damage and IgG deposition in the kidney were identified. Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced T lymphocyte proliferation in SLE mice was also tested. Results: PLNPK can reduce serum blood urea nitrogen, creatine, total cholesterol, triglyeride, and elevate serum albumin, and reduce levels of anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibodies in the murine SLE model. Pathological damage and IgG deposition in the kidney were reduced in the PLNPK-treated group. PLNPK inhibited T lymphocyte infiltration in kidney tissues and ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation in SLE mice. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that PLNPK can suppress T cell function and reduce the production of autoantibodies, and may be a feasible and effective therapy in the SLE model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new video coding system based on wavelet transform and its rate control scheme over ATM networks. First, three dimensional wavelet transform is performed for the original image sequence, and an extension of set partitioning in hierarchical trees algorithm is employed to quantize the wavelet coefficients. Then, the output rate of the coder is controlled at group of frame scale, ensuring that it conforms to the parameters of a leaky bucket controller. Several leaky buckets with different sizes are discussed too. Simulation shows the efficiency of this codec and the effectiveness of the proposed rate control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the power reconfiguration in Taiwan. Victory of Chen Shui-bian in the presidential election; Impact of the political change on its relations with China; Evolution of the country's political parties.

Pufferfish are ideal models for vertebrate chromosome evolution studies. The yellowbelly pufferfish, Takifugu flavidus, is an important marine fish species in the aquaculture industry and ecology of East Asia. The chromosome assembly of the species could facilitate the study of chromosome evolution and functional gene mapping. To this end, 44, 27 and 50 Gb reads were generated for genome assembly using Illumina, PacBio and Hi-C sequencing technologies, respectively. More than 13 Gb full-length transcripts were sequenced on the PacBio platform. A 366 Mb genome was obtained with the contig of 4.4 Mb and scaffold N50 length of 15.7 Mb. 266 contigs were reliably assembled into 22 chromosomes, representing 95.9% of the total genome. A total of 29,416 protein-coding genes were predicted and 28,071 genes were functionally annotated. More than 97.7% of the BUSCO genes were successfully detected in the genome. The genome resource in this work will be used for the conservation and population genetics of the yellowbelly pufferfish, as well as in vertebrate chromosome evolution studies. Measurement(s) whole genome sequencing assay • transcription profiling assay • sequence_assembly • sequence annotation Technology Type(s) DNA sequencing • RNA sequencing assay • genome assembly • bioinformatics analysis Sample Characteristic - Organism Takifugu flavidus Sample Characteristic - Environment aquatic environment Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.10008740 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]