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As the primary variable load of bridges, vehicle load is an important parameter for bridge health monitoring. However, traditional Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) systems and the commonly used method of placing sensors on the bridge are challenging to apply in load monitoring for many small and medium-sized bridges. Therefore, this paper proposes a bridge vehicle load identification method based on traffic surveillance video data. Leveraging the surveillance video data on the bridge, without introducing additional hardware devices, the displacement of target points is detected through sub-pixel level image detection algorithms, enabling non-contact measurement of bridge structural response through imaging. A spatiotemporal relationship model of structural displacement, vehicle load, and load distribution is established to solve for vehicle load. Finally, model bridge tests under various loading conditions and engineering practice experiments are conducted to validate the feasibility of the method. The results of the model bridge tests show that the structural displacement measured using traffic video measurement has a deviation of less than 10% compared to the measurements obtained using contact displacement sensors (LVDT), and it can accurately reflect the displacement characteristics of the structure. The results of the field tests demonstrate that the average estimation deviation for heavy vehicle loads ranging from 12 to 18 tons is approximately 18%, meeting the engineering requirements. The proposed method can provide load statistical information for the extensive health monitoring of small and medium-sized bridges and offer a new technical pathway for obtaining bridge load information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This retrospective study assessed the efficacy and safety of ketogenic diet therapies in children with epilepsy caused by SLC2A1 genetic mutations and glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome. Methods: Pediatric patients with epilepsy symptoms admitted to our medical center between January 2017 and October 2021 were included if they presented with an SLC2A1 genetic mutation on whole-exome sequencing. We analyzed the patients' convulsions and treatment with antiepileptic drugs. The patients were followed up at different time periods after ketogenic diet therapies. Results: Six patients with SLC2A1 mutations were included in this study. The patients had seizures of different types and frequencies, and they took antiepileptic drugs to relieve their symptoms. They were then treated with a ketogenic diet for at least four months. We analyzed epilepsy control rates at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after ketogenic diet treatment. All patients were seizure-free within a month of receiving the diet therapy. All patients were followed up for six months, three were followed up for 12 months after the treatment, and there was no recurrence of epilepsy during this period. After antiepileptic drug withdrawal, none of the patients experienced seizure relapse when receiving ketogenic diet treatment alone. No severe adverse events occurred during the therapy. Conclusions: Ketogenic diet therapy is very effective and safe for the treatment of epilepsy caused by SLC2A1 mutations. Therefore, patients with glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome caused by SLC2A1 mutations should begin ketogenic diet treatment as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of neuroimmune crosstalk and the involvement of neurotransmitters in inflammation and bone health has illustrated their significance in joint-related conditions. One important mode of cell-to-cell communication in the synovial fluid (SF) is through extracellular vesicles (EVs) carrying microRNAs (miRNAs). The role of neurotransmitter receptors in the pathogenesis of inflammatory joint diseases, and whether there are specific miRNAs regulating differentially expressed HTR2A, contributing to the inflammatory processes and bone metabolism is unclear. Expression of neurotransmitter receptors and their correlated inflammatory molecules were identified in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) synovium from a scRNA-seq dataset. Immunohistochemistry staining of synovial tissue (ST) from RA and OA patients was performed for validation. Expression of miRNAs targeting HTR2A carried by SF EVs was screened in low- and high-grade inflammation RA from a public dataset and validated by qPCR. HTR2A reduction by target miRNAs was verified by miRNAs mimics transfection into RA fibroblasts. HTR2A was found to be highly expressed in fibroblasts derived from RA synovial tissue. Its expression showed a positive correlation with the degree of inflammation observed. 5 miRNAs targeting HTR2A were decreased in RA SF EVs compared to OA, three of which, miR-214-3p, miR-3120-5p and miR-615-3p, mainly derived from monocytes in the SF, were validated as regulators of HTR2A expression. The findings suggest that fibroblast HTR2A may play a contributory role in inflammation and the pathogenesis of RA. Additionally, targeting miRNAs that act upon HTR2A could present novel therapeutic strategies for alleviating inflammation in RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the economy and information services, there is an increasing demand for indoor positioning. However, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals face difficulties in penetrating buildings, making indoor positioning challenging. As a complementary solution to outdoor GNSS signals, pseudolites have shown promising results in various scenarios, and have become one of the research hotspots in the field of indoor positioning. Previous studies on indoor positioning with pseudolites have focused on issues such as initial position determination and carrier phase ambiguity resolution. However, most of these studies have remained in the research stage due to data post-processing and complex calculations. To overcome the limitations associated with the aforementioned factors, this paper proposes a real-time indoor positioning method that utilizes only a smartphone equipped with a built-in GNSS chip. By effectively obtaining pseudolite signal information, the smartphone establishes a simple model based on the distance and received power between the pseudolite and the smartphone. Kalman filtering is employed to mitigate the effects of multipath and occlusion. This simple and low-complexity model enables fast estimation of the user's distance from the pseudolite, thereby facilitating indoor positioning services. In this paper, the effectiveness and low complexity of the method are verified through data collection and experiments in the actual scene of the underground garage. The valuation results show that the root mean square error (RMSE) of its navigation and positioning is better than 3 m, which can meet the needs of daily life applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are gaining global attention owing to their widespread presence and adverse effects on human health. ECs comprise numerous composite types and pose a potential threat to the growth and functional traits of species and ecosystems. Although the occurrence and fate of ECs has been extensively studied, little is known about their long-term biological effects. This review attempts to gain insights into the unhindered connections and overlaps in aquatic ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs), one of the most representative ECs, are carriers of other pollutants because of their strong adsorption capacity. They form a complex of pollutants that can be transmitted to aquatic organisms and humans through the extended food chain, increasing the concentration of pollutants by tens of thousands of times. Adsorption, interaction and transport effects of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment are also discussed. Furthermore, the current state of knowledge on the ecotoxicity of single- and two-pollutant models is presented. Herein, we discuss how aquatic organisms within complex food networks may be particularly vulnerable to harm from ECs in the presence of perturbations. This review provides an advanced understanding of the interactions and potential toxic effects of ECs on aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal diseases globally, leading to chronic disability and poor prognosis. One of the approaches for optimizing OA treatment is to find early effective diagnostic biomarkers. The contribution of microRNAs (miRNAs) in OA progression is now being increasingly recognized. This review provides a comprehensive summary on studies reporting the expression profiling of miRNAs in OA and associated signaling pathways. We performed a systematic search of the Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane library databases. This systematic review is reported according to the PRISMA checklist. Studies which identified miRNAs with aberrant expression compared to controls during OA progression were included, and a meta-analysis was performed. Results from the random effects model were provided as log10 odds ratios (logORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the accuracy of the results. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on tissue source. The target genes of miRNAs identified in this study were extracted from the MiRWalk database, and these target genes were enriched in Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. A total of 191 studies reporting 162 miRNAs were included in our meta-analysis. Among them, 36 miRNAs distributed across 96 studies were expressed in the same direction in at least two studies (13 up-regulated and 23 down-regulated). Subgroup analysis of tissue source revealed that the highest number of studies was conducted using articular cartilage, where the most up-regulated miRNAs were miR-146a-5p (logOR 7.355; P < 0.001) and miR-34a-5p (logOR 6.955; P < 0.001), and the most down-regulated miRNAs were miR-127-5p (logOR 6.586; P < 0.001) and miR-140-5p (logOR 6.373; P < 0.001). Enrichment analysis of 752 downstream target genes of all identified miRNAs was performed, and the regulatory relationships among them were displayed. Mesenchymal stem cells and transforming growth factor-β were found to be the most important downstream effectors regulated by miRNA in OA. This study highlighted the importance of miRNA signaling in OA progression and identified a number of prominent miRNAs including miR-146a-5p, miR-34a-5p, miR-127-5p, and miR-140-5p which might be considered as potential biomarkers for OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective soil particle size composition can more realistically reflect the particle size sorting process of erosion. To reveal the individual contributions of rainfall intensity and slope to splash erosion, and to distinguish the enrichment ratio of each size and the critical size in splash, loessial soil collected on the Loess Plateau in May 2019 was tested under different rainfall intensities (60, 84, 108, 132, 156 mm h−1) and slopes (0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°). The results demonstrated that 99% of splash mass was concentrated in 0–0.4 m. Rainfall intensity was the major factor for splash according to the raindrop generation mode by rainfall simulator nozzles. The contributions of rainfall intensity to splash erosion were 82.72% and 93.24%, respectively in upslope and downslope direction. The mass percentages of effective clay and effective silt were positively correlated with rainfall intensity, while the mass percentages of effective very fine sand and effective fine sand were negatively correlated with rainfall intensity. Opposite to effective very fine sand, the mass percentages of effective clay significantly decreased with increasing distance. Rainfall intensity had significant effects on enrichment ratios, positively for effective clay and effective silt and negatively for effective very fine sand and effective fine sand. The critical effective particle size in splash for loessial soil was 50 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past few years have provided important insights into the genetic architecture of systemic autoimmunity through aggregation of findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing studies. In the prototypic systemic autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), monogenic disease accounts for a small fraction of cases but has been instrumental in the elucidation of disease mechanisms. Defects in the clearance or digestion of extracellular or intracellular DNA or RNA lead to increased sensing of nucleic acids, which can break B cell tolerance and induce the production of type I interferons leading to tissue damage. Current data suggest that multiple GWAS SLE risk alleles act in concert with rare functional variants to promote SLE development. Moreover, introduction of orthologous variant alleles into mice has revealed that pathogenic X-linked dominant and recessive SLE can be caused by novel variants in TLR7 and SAT1, respectively. Such bespoke models of disease help to unravel pathogenic pathways and can be used to test targeted therapies. Cell type-specific expression data revealed that most GWAS SLE risk genes are highly expressed in age-associated B cells (ABCs), which supports the view that ABCs produce lupus autoantibodies and contribute to end-organ damage by persisting in inflamed tissues, including the kidneys. ABCs have thus emerged as key targets of promising precision therapeutics. This Review examines insights from genetic studies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), including observations from reports of monogenic SLE, as well as the role of common and rare variants. The authors also discuss age-associated B cells, as the integration of genetic, epigenetic and transcriptomic data suggests a key role for these cells in SLE. Key points: Monogenic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) commonly results from defects in degradation or increased sensing of nucleic acids and have led to the development of in vivo models of disease and mechanistic exploration of pathogenesis. The study of high frequency and variably penetrant common variants must be integrated with the study of low frequency, highly penetrant rare, ultra-rare and novel variants to clarify the genetic contribution to disease. Common variants identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) highlight a role for complement, immune complex handling, endosomal Toll-like receptors, type I interferon signalling, B cell tolerance and B cell receptor signalling pathways in SLE. The use of online transcriptomic databases to integrate GWAS data highlighted an increased expression of SLE-associated genes in age-associated B cells (ABCs). ABCs are expanded peripherally in patients with SLE, especially in those with lupus nephritis, and in the kidney during episodes of lupus nephritis. Therapeutic regimens that target CD19+ B cells are highly effective at depletion of ABCs, which express high levels of CD19, and had a promising effect in a small study of patients with refractory SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Diagnosis of lupus nephritis (LN) is a complex process, which usually requires renal biopsy. We aim to establish a machine learning pipeline to help diagnosis of LN. Methods: A cohort of 681 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients without LN and 786 SLE patients with LN was established, and a total of 95 clinical, laboratory data and 17 meteorological indicators were collected. After tenfold cross-validation, the patients were divided into training set and test set. The features selected by collective feature selection method of mutual information (MI) and multisurf were used to construct the models of logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, naive Bayes, support vector machine (SVM), light gradient boosting (LGB), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and artificial neural network (ANN), the models were compared and verified in post-analysis. Results: Collective feature selection method screens out antistreptolysin (ASO), retinol binding protein (RBP), lupus anticoagulant 1 (LA1), LA2, proteinuria and other features, and the hyperparameter optimized XGB (ROC: AUC = 0.995; PRC: AUC = 1.000, APS = 1.000; balance accuracy: 0.990) has the best performance, followed by LGB (ROC: AUC = 0.992; PRC: AUC = 0.997, APS = 0.977; balance accuracy: 0.957). The worst performance is naive Bayes model (ROC: AUC = 0.799; PRC: AUC = 0.822, APS = 0.823; balance accuracy: 0.693). In the composite feature importance bar plots, ASO, RF, Up/Ucr, and other features play important roles in LN. Conclusion: We developed and validated a new and simple machine learning pathway for diagnosis of LN, especially the XGB model based on ASO, LA1, LA2, proteinuria, and other features screened out by collective feature selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin (IgG) glycosylation affects the effector functions of IgG in a myriad of biological processes and has been closely associated with numerous autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), thus underlining the pathogenic role of glycosylation aberration in autoimmunity. This study aims to explore the relationship between IgG sialylation patterns and lupus pregnancy. Relative to that in serum samples from the control cohort, IgG sialylation level was aberrantly downregulated in serum samples from the SLE cohort at four stages (from preconception to the third trimester of pregnancy) and was significantly associated with lupus activity and fetal loss during lupus pregnancy. The type I interferon signature of pregnant patients with SLE was negatively correlated with the level of IgG sialylation. The lack of sialylation dampened the ability of IgG to suppress the functions of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). RNA-seq analysis further revealed that the expression of genes associated with the spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) signaling pathway significantly differed between IgG- and deSia-IgG-treated pDCs. This finding was confirmed by the attenuation of the ability to phosphorylate SYK and BLNK in deSia-IgG. Finally, the coculture of pDCs isolated from pregnant patients with SLE with IgG/deSia-IgG demonstrated the sialylation-dependent anti-inflammatory function of IgG. Our findings suggested that IgG influences lupus activity through regulating pDCs function via the modulation of the SYK pathway in a sialic acid-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have attempted to reduce the effect of observation errors on Global Navigation Satellite Systems positioning through empirical error models. However, due to the complex spatiotemporal characteristics of observation errors, the effects of these errors cannot be eliminated, resulting in the unmodeled error in the positioning results. Although many studies have been carried out on unmodeled error mitigation, most of which only focus on positioning model optimization and fail to make use of historical observation data. We explore the relationship between unmodeled error and observation features and develop a new data-driven approach based on machine learning. Historical observations of a specific station are used to predict the unmodeled error of a positioning model. Time–frequency analysis is used to evaluate the prediction results. The feasibility of applying the method to the precise point positioning (PPP) kinematic positioning is verified by using IGS station data. It is clear from the findings that the data-driven model can effectively predict the unmodeled errors in GNSS positioning, especially in low-frequency components. In addition, the influencing factors of the method are explored in detail and the relevant settings are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-organ autoimmune disorder with a prominent genetic component. Individuals of Asian-Ancestry (AsA) disproportionately experience more severe SLE compared to individuals of European-Ancestry (EA), including increased renal involvement and tissue damage. However, the mechanisms underlying elevated severity in the AsA population remain unclear. Here, we utilized available gene expression data and genotype data based on all non-HLA SNP associations in EA and AsA SLE patients detected using the Immunochip genotyping array. We identified 2778 ancestry-specific and 327 trans-ancestry SLE-risk polymorphisms. Genetic associations were examined using connectivity mapping and gene signatures based on predicted biological pathways and were used to interrogate gene expression datasets. SLE-associated pathways in AsA patients included elevated oxidative stress, altered metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction, whereas SLE-associated pathways in EA patients included a robust interferon response (type I and II) related to enhanced cytosolic nucleic acid sensing and signaling. An independent dataset derived from summary genome-wide association data in an AsA cohort was interrogated and identified similar molecular pathways. Finally, gene expression data from AsA SLE patients corroborated the molecular pathways predicted by SNP associations. Identifying ancestry-related molecular pathways predicted by genetic SLE risk may help to disentangle the population differences in clinical severity that impact AsA and EA individuals with SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of pediatric cases of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant has increased. Here, we describe the clinical characteristics of children in a tertiary children's medical center in Shanghai. Methods: A total of 676 pediatric coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases caused by the Omicron variant who were admitted to the Shanghai Children's Medical Center from March 28 to April 30, 2022 were enrolled in this single-center, prospective, observational real-world study. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics, especially COVID-19 vaccine status, were assessed. Results: Children of all ages appeared susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, with no significant difference between sexes. A high SARS-CoV-2 viral load upon admission was associated with leukocytopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia (P = 0.003, P = 0.021, and P = 0.017, respectively) but not with physical symptoms or radiographic chest abnormalities. Univariable linear regression models indicated that comorbidities (P = 0.001) were associated with a longer time until viral clearance, and increasing age (P < 0.001) and two doses of COVID-19 vaccine (P = 0.001) were associated with a shorter time to viral clearance. Multivariable analysis revealed an independent effect of comorbidities (P < 0.001) and age (P = 0.003). The interaction effect between age and comorbidity showed that the negative association between age and time to virus clearance remained significant only in patients without underlying diseases (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study describes the clinical characteristics of children infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and calls for additional studies to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of vaccination against COVID-19 in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5-positive dermatomyositis (MDA5+ DM) is an autoimmune condition associated with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and high mortality. The aetiology and pathogenesis of MDA5+ DM are still largely unknown. Here we describe the immune signatures of MDA5+ DM via single-cell RNA sequencing, flow cytometry and multiplex immunohistochemistry in peripheral B and T cells and in affected lung tissue samples from one patient. We find strong peripheral antibody-secreting cell and CD8+ T cell responses as cellular immune hallmarks, and over-stimulated type I interferon signaling and associated metabolic reprogramming as molecular immune signature in MDA5+ DM. High frequency of circulating ISG15+ CD8+ T cells at baseline predicts poor one-year survival in MDA5+ DM patients. In affected lungs, we find profuse immune cells infiltration, which likely contributes to the pro-fibrotic response via type I interferon production. The importance of type I interferons in MDA5+ DM pathology is further emphasized by our observation in a retrospective cohort of MDA5+ DM patients that combined calcineurin and Janus kinase inhibitor therapy show superior efficacy to calcineurin inhibitor monotherapy. In summary, this study reveals key immune-pathogenic features of MDA5+ DM and provides a potential basis for future tailored therapies. Anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5-positive dermatomyositis is a severe autoimmune disease with largely unknown aetiology. Here authors identify the key immune cell types that contribute to the disease phenotype and implicate type I interferons signalling in the patho-mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-enzyme cascade catalytic system (Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD) was prepared by co-immobilizing cellulase (CEL) and glucose oxidase (GOD) on a nanocomposite (Cu-rGO-Fe3O4) to efficiently catalyze the conversion of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to gluconic acid. A layer-by-layer strategy was used by adding polyethyleneimine (PEI) to allow the upper enzyme layer to attach to the lower neighboring layer, increasing the loading capacity of the support. The loading capability of CEL and GOD on Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD were 55.034 mg g−1 and 12.4 mg g−1, respectively. The specific activity of CEL on Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL was 74.3 U·g−1, and that of immobilized CEL after cross-linking PEI was 25.45 U·g−1, which could retain 34.253% of the enzyme activity. The specific activity of GOD on Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD was 30.9 U·g−1. The carrier Cu-rGO-Fe3O4 has peroxidase-like activity, which can timely remove harmful H2O2 to the enzyme, thereby improving the yield of gluconic acid and the stability of biocatalysts. The yield of gluconic acid with Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD reached 96.04% within 2 h, higher than the control systems for comparison. In addition, the Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD maintained 82.61% of catalytic activity even after undergoing seven cycles of reaction. The dual-enzyme catalytic systems had shallow temperature and pH optima of 40 °C and 4.5. Such a chemoenzymatic cascade system provides a new strategy for the conversion from CMC to gluconic acid in one-step.Enzymatic conversion of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) to gluconic acid.Graphical Abstract: A dual-enzyme cascade catalytic system (Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD) was prepared by co-immobilizing cellulase (CEL) and glucose oxidase (GOD) on a nanocomposite (Cu-rGO-Fe3O4) to efficiently catalyze the conversion of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to gluconic acid. A layer-by-layer strategy was used by adding polyethyleneimine (PEI) to allow the upper enzyme layer to attach to the lower neighboring layer, increasing the loading capacity of the support. The loading capability of CEL and GOD on Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD were 55.034 mg g−1 and 12.4 mg g−1, respectively. The specific activity of CEL on Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL was 74.3 U·g−1, and that of immobilized CEL after cross-linking PEI was 25.45 U·g−1, which could retain 34.253% of the enzyme activity. The specific activity of GOD on Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD was 30.9 U·g−1. The carrier Cu-rGO-Fe3O4 has peroxidase-like activity, which can timely remove harmful H2O2 to the enzyme, thereby improving the yield of gluconic acid and the stability of biocatalysts. The yield of gluconic acid with Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD reached 96.04% within 2 h, higher than the control systems for comparison. In addition, the Cu-rGO-Fe3O4-GA-CEL-PEI-GOD maintained 82.61% of catalytic activity even after undergoing seven cycles of reaction. The dual-enzyme catalytic systems had shallow temperature and pH optima of 40 °C and 4.5. Such a chemoenzymatic cascade system provides a new strategy for the conversion from CMC to gluconic acid in one-step.Enzymatic conversion of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) to gluconic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-frequency global navigation satellite system (GNSS) observations are of great significance for structural health monitoring. At present, most studies on high-frequency GNSS observations focus on displacement extraction, while there are few studies on vibration detection. The purpose of this research is to explore a vertical vibration detection method based on high-frequency GNSS observations. The principle of GNSS kinematic positioning is presented, and a vibration detection method based on high-frequency GNSS observations is proposed. A stationary state model and a vibration state model are designed to represent the vibration state and static state of the structure. We introduce the interactive multiple-model Kalman filter to detect vibrations through model probabilities automatically. To reduce the influence of the trend term caused by unmodeled errors, we preprocess original positioning results by a moving average. To reduce the false alarm rate caused by local disturbance, a hold-on mechanism is proposed. Only when the number of the hold-on epoch is greater than the preset hold-on parameter, it is considered that vibration has occurred. Then, the detected epoch and corresponding displacement are further analyzed and processed. Simulation and field experiments were carried out to verify the proposed method. The results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the method for vertical vibration detection. Therefore, this study should be of value to practitioners wishing to implement an early warning system based on high-frequency GNSS observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome editing through adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors is a promising gene therapy strategy for various diseases, especially genetic disorders. However, homologous recombination (HR) efficiency is extremely low in adult animal models. We assumed that increasing AAV transduction efficiency could increase genome editing activity, especially HR efficiency, for in vivo gene therapy. Firstly, a mouse phenylketonuria (PKU) model carrying a pathogenic R408W mutation in phenylalanine hydroxylase (Pah) was generated. Through co-delivery of the general AAV receptor (AAVR), we found that AAVR could dramatically increase AAV transduction efficiency in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, co-delivery of SaCas9/sgRNA/donor templates with AAVR via AAV8 vectors increased indel rate over 2-fold and HR rate over 15-fold for the correction of the single mutation in PahR408W mice. Moreover, AAVR co-injection successfully increased the site-specific insertion rate of a 1.4 kb Pah cDNA by 11-fold, bringing the HR rate up to 7.3% without detectable global off-target effects. Insertion of Pah cDNA significantly decreased the Phe level and ameliorated PKU symptoms. This study demonstrates a novel strategy to dramatically increase AAV transduction which substantially enhanced in vivo genome editing efficiency in adult animal models, showing clinical potential for both conventional and genome editing-based gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: The exact pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear. Accumulating finds have indicated the roles of the non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) acting as novel epigenetic regulatory elements in the dysfunction of the immune system in SLE. This review will introduce recent studies on how ncRNAs are involved in the development of SLE. Recent Findings: Recent advances in ncRNAs biology have greatly expanded our understanding of epigenetic regulation of immune responses and inflammation, and increasing evidence suggests ncRNAs are important players in SLE development. Identifications of abnormal expression patterns of ncRNAs and relevant biological impacts in lupus patients have revealed their potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for SLE. Summary: The dysregulation of ncRNAs contributes to the immunopathogenesis of SLE. Clarifying the functions and mechanisms of SLE-associated ncRNAs provides new opportunities for disease biomarkers and targeted therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study of various metal-insulator transition (MIT) associated phases of VO2, including metallic R phase and insulating phases (T, M1, M2), is required to uncover the physics of MIT and trigger their promising applications. Here, through an oxide inhibitor-assisted stoichiometry engineering, we show that all the insulating phases can be selectively stabilized in single-crystalline VO2 beams at room temperature. The stoichiometry engineering strategy also provides precise spatial control of the phase configurations in as-grown VO2 beams at the submicron-scale, introducing a fresh concept of phase transition route devices. For instance, the combination of different phase transition routes at the two sides of VO2 beams gives birth to a family of single-crystalline VO2 actuators with highly improved performance and functional diversity. This work provides a substantial understanding of the stoichiometry-temperature phase diagram and a stoichiometry engineering strategy for the effective phase management of VO2. Control of the phases associated with the metal-insulator transition in VO2 underpins its applications as a phase change material. Here, the authors report phase management by means of oxide inhibitor-assisted growth and present high-performance VO2 actuators based on asymmetric phase transition routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a novel discovered regulated cell death pattern, ferroptosis has been associated with the development of Parkinson's disease (PD) and has attracted widespread attention. Nevertheless, the relationship between ferroptosis and PD pathogenesis is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effect of iron overload on dopaminergic (DA) neurons and its correlation with ferroptosis. Here we use nerve growth factor (NGF) induced PC12 cells which are derived from pheochromocytoma of the rat adrenal to establish a classical PD in vitro model. We found significantly decreased cell viability in NGF-PC12 cell under ammonium ferric citrate (FAC) administration. Moreover, excessive intracellular iron ions induced the increase of (reactive oxygen species) ROS release as well as the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12-NGF cells. In addition, we also found that overloaded iron can activate cell apoptosis and ferroptosis pathways, which led to cell death. Furthermore, MPP-induced PD cells were characterized by mitochondrial shrinkage, decreased expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and ferritin heavy chain (FTH1), and increased divalent metal transporter (DMT1) and transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) expression level. In contrast, Lip-1 and DFO increased the expression level of GPX4 and FTH1 compared to MPP-induced PD cell. In conclusion, we indicated that overloaded intracellular iron contributes to neurons death via apoptosis and ferroptosis pathways, while DFO, an iron chelator, can inhibit ferroptosis in order to protect the neurons in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the advances made in the management of pregnancies in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes is still higher than that in the general population. In the last few years, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were proven to be detrimental in both autoimmune diseases and placental injury. We investigated whether NETs could be detected in the placentas of pregnant individuals with SLE and explored the relationship between NETs and decidual natural killer cells (dNKs), which comprise the majority of immune cells at the maternal–fetal interface, using clinical samples and animal models. In this study, we found that the infiltration of NETs and dNKs, especially CD56+CD16+ NK cells, was significantly increased in pregnant individuals with SLE with placental insufficiency. In the murine models of SLE, the number of dNKs was significantly decreased due to the decreased formation of NETs affected by Ly6G. Moreover, the histopathological placental injury was reduced, with a remarkable increase in fetal birth weight. This study shows that NETs may contribute to immunological disorder in the placenta and the pathological changes in pregnancies with SLE, which provides a research basis for further explorations of the mechanism of SLE in placental impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two POM-based copper coordination polymers constituted by Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs), [Cu2 (SiW12O40)2 (Fbtx)3 (H2O)4]n (1) and {[Cu2 (SiW12O40) (Fbtx)2 (H2O)2.75]·4.5H2O}n (2) (Fbtx = 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-1,4-bis (1,2,4-triazole-1-ylmethyl)benenze) have been hydrothermally synthesized by the same precursor at different pH values and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, element analyses and IR. Both of them have two-dimensional coordination layers constructed by bidentate SiW12O404− anions and bridging Fbtx ligands, in which complex 1 exhibits a 2D + 2D → 2D interpenetrated network with sql topology, while complex 2 features a binodal 3,5-connected network bearing new topology with a Schläfli symbol of {44;66}{62;10}. Additionally, the thermal stability, fluorescent properties and photocatalytic properties of complexes 1 and 2 have also been investigated. The results indicate that complexes 1 and 2 can serve as recyclable heterogeneous photocatalysts and show good catalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B under UV irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (VIT_02s0109g00250) and copper amine oxidase (VIT_17s0000g09100) played essential roles in contributing to the total soluble solid and total anthocyanin variations induced by bud sport in grape berries. Taste and color, which are important organoleptic qualities of grape berry, undergo rapid and substantial changes during development and ripening. In this study, we used two cultivars ‘Summer Black’ and its bud sport ‘Nantaihutezao’ to explore and identify differentially expressed genes associated with total soluble solid and anthocyanin during developmental stages using RNA-Seq. Overall, substantial differences in expression were observed across berry development between the two cultivars. 5388 genes were detected by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) associated with the total soluble solid (TSS) and anthocyanin contents variations. Several of these genes were significantly enriched in the phenylalanine metabolism pathway; two hub genes 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (VIT_02s0109g00250) and copper amine oxidase (VIT_17s0000g09100) played the most essential roles in relating to the total soluble solid and total anthocyanin variations induced by bud sport through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment and co-expression network analysis. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanism responsible for the bud sport phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multipath effect is one of the main errors in precise global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning. Although there are many GNSS multipath mitigation models available, each model has some limitations. We discuss the problem of mitigating low-frequency multipath in a specific site from the coordinate domain. At present, sidereal filtering is one of the most commonly used methods, in which the repetition period of multipath has to be estimated before multipath mitigation. However, in such a method, the maneuver of the satellite orbit and the long ephemeris update interval will cause inaccurate estimation of the repetition period. We propose a variation of the sidereal filtering method based on window matching. In that method, the window of coordinate time series formed by the current epoch and several previous epochs is used as the query window, and the matched window is searched in the time series of the previous day. The degree of similarity between windows is evaluated by similarity measures. Based on the coordinate point pairs in the matching window, multipath mitigation of the current epoch is performed by an affine transformation. The effects of different similarity measures in window matching are explored, and an early and late matching algorithm is proposed to solve the ambiguous problem of multiple matching sequences in integer-valued similarity metrics. Two sets of short baseline data were collected by different types of receivers in harsh environments to validate the method. The results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method for site-specific real-time multipath mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of Review: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in immune abnormalities and organ damage of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Current findings have indicated potential clinical applications of miRNAs for combating SLE. Here, we review recent evidence which support the notions that miRNAs can be novel biomarkers and therapeutic agents for SLE. Recent Findings: Following years of the studies of the expression patterns of miRNAs in both peripheral blood cells and body fluids, such as plasma and urine, several miRNAs or miRNA combinations have been associated with disease activity and specific organ damage. In depth analysis reveals complex and multiple roles of certain miRNAs in the pathogenesis of SLE. Manipulating miRNA expression shows in vivo therapeutic effects in lupus mouse models. Summary: MiRNAs contribute to the immune disorders and organ damage in SLE. MiRNA based biomarkers and therapies have the potential to be viable options for the treatment of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a mangrove rhizosphere soil-derived fungus strain I Penicillium javanicum i HK1-23 was selected to be chemically investigated because its extracts showed antibacterial activity and had an interesting HPLC-UV profile. Indole diterpenes are a class of fungal natural products possessing an indole nucleus connected to a cyclized diterpene unit, produced by a variety of fungi including I Aspergillus i , I Penicillium i , and I Dichotomomyces i [[12]]. The results (Table 1) demonstrate that most of the isolated indole diterpenes show weak or no activity against these pathogenic bacteria except for emindole SB ( B 4 b ), which displayed selectivity toward I S. aureus i ATCC 33591 (MIC = 6.25 g/mL). The results (Table 2) reveal that the indole diterpene emindole SB ( B 4 b ) exhibits antifungal activities against four tested crop pathogens, especially strong activity against I G. graminis i , while polyketide penialidin A ( B 9 b ) only showed weak antifungal activities against I G. graminis i and I A. alternata i . [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Due to lack of comprehensive evaluation for various detection methods for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in Chinese population, we evaluate the diagnostic performance of 12 established analysis methods in Chinese patients having granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Methods: Sera were collected from 209 patients with GPA or MPA and 243 diseases controls from 15 centers. Twelve different reagents were employed for C-ANCA, P-ANCA, myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA, and proteinase 3(PR3)-ANCA detection. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of each method were analyzed. Results: The accuracy of the two indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and two line immunoassay (LIA) was 0.838 and 0.874, 0.869, and 0.862, respectively. The accuracy of the eight quantitative antigen-specific immunoassays was varied from 0.867 to 0.967. The sensitivity of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) was 0.770 and 0.761 for the two IIF, 0.727 and 0.718 for the two LIAs, respectively. For the eight quantitative antigen-specific immunoassays, the sensitivity varied from 0.79 to 0.967. The specificity was 0.897 and 0.971 for the two IIF, 0.992 and 0.988 for the two LIAs, respectively. For the eight quantitative antigen-specific immunoassays, the specificity of AAV varied from 0.963 to 0.983. Conclusion: For Chinese patients suspected of having GPA and MPA, both the first-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-quality antigen-specific immunoassay can be used to detect MPO-ANCA and PR3-ANCA alone, without the combined detection with IIF to have good diagnostic performance. The chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) seems to be a method worth recommending. Key points • Quantitative antigen-specific immunoassays can be used to detect MPO-ANCA and PR3-ANCA without IIF in Chinese. • CLIA has the maximum AUC value and the minimum LR (−) value, which seems to be a method worth recommending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasions of introduced plants are considered among the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Aquatic habitats suffer invasion more frequently and extensively than do terrestrial habitats. Although the role of roots in plant anchoring and support is important, previous studies have focused much attention on the morphological traits of above-ground parts, with relatively less attention given to the root structures of aquatic plants. In this study, we aimed to compare differences in root morphological and structural traits between introduced and native plants in response to different substrates. We hypothesized that introduced aquatic plants have an advantage over native plants with regard to root trait values and plasticity. A total of six aquatic plants were used: Two invasive and one exotic noninvasive species were paired with their native counterparts according to life form (amphibious emergent, submerged and floating-leaved) and cultivated in substrates of clay, a clay/sand mixture (v:v = 1:1) or sand. Root morphological traits, topological indices and root relative distance plasticity indices were quantified. The results indicated that different substrates have various effects on the root traits of these six aquatic plants; the introduced plants generally exhibited higher plasticity than did their native counterparts of the same life form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between loess soil-based sediment transport capacity and the most well-known and extensively used shear stress and unit stream power for different steep slopes. This study also determined the suitability of shear stress- and unit stream power-based transport capacity functions for rill flow on non-erodible bed. Materials and methods: Loess soil was collected from Ansai County, which is located in a typical loessial region in China's Loess Plateau. The median diameter of the loess soil was 0.04 mm. The experiment was conducted in a rill flume with a soil-feeding hopper. The slope gradients in this study ranged from 10.51 to 38.39%, and the flow discharges per unit width varied from 1.11 × 10 to 3.78 × 10 m s. The sediment transport capacity was measured for each combination. Results and discussion: Results showed that T can be effectively described by the power function shear stress-based equations for various slope gradients with R > 0.94 and P < 0.01. Shear stress was a good predictor of T for different slope gradients with the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE) from 0.94 to 0.99. Moreover, shear stress was better in predicting T when the slope gradient was above 21.26%. T can be efficiently described by the power function unit stream power-based equations for various slope gradients with R > 0.95 and P < 0.01. Unit stream power was a good predictor of T for different slope gradients with NSE that ranged from 0.95 to 0.99. The unit stream power predicted T better when the slope gradient was above 26.79%. Unit stream power was more satisfied than shear stress for predicting T under different slope gradients. The unit stream power-based LISEM, which was multiplied by 0.62 (i.e., the correction coefficient), predicted well the sediment transport capacity of the rill flow in our experiment, where NSE = 0.93. The shear stress-based Zhang model, which was multiplied by the correction coefficient of 0.77, adequately predicted the sediment transport capacity of rill flow in our experiment, where NSE = 0.81. Conclusions: By performing the controlled rill flume experiments, this study showed that shear stress and unit stream power strongly influenced T for certain slope gradients under non-erodible conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivities of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and R2* mapping in clinical diagnoses of Parkinson's disease (PD). QSM images and R2* maps from 29 patients with PD and 25 healthy controls were obtained on a clinical 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system using a three-dimensional multi-echo gradient-echo sequence. Two-tailed t tests and receiver operating characteristic curves analyses were applied to the mean values of QSM and R2* of the two groups. In the PD group, a two-tailed Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlations between MRI measures (susceptibility and R2* values) and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-III (UPDRS-III) score. In the substantia nigra (SN), a significant difference between patients with PD and healthy controls was found on QSM (154.80 ± 43.36 vs. 127.50 ± 21.05 ppb, P = 0.006) but not on R2* mapping. The receiver operating characteristic curves showed that QSM was more sensitive than R2* mapping to distinguish PD patients from healthy controls, with areas under the curve equal to 0.68 and 0.51, respectively. The UPDRS-III motor scores did not correlate with mean susceptibility or R2* values in the PD group. In conclusion, QSM is a more accurate and sensitive method than R2* mapping to detect the pathologic changes in the SN of patients with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to verify the performances of Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) rill erosion equation using loess material by investigating the variations of soil detachment rate with sediment load by rill flow, quantifying the response of soil detachment rate to sediment load, and comprehensively examining WEPP rill erosion equation, so as to provide scientific basis for the application of WEPP model on the loess plateau and to sufficiently understand the response of soil detachment rate to sediment load. Materials and methods: The experiment was conducted in a rill flume with a soil-feeding hopper and was specifically designed to isolate the effect of sediment load on detachment rate. Loess material was collected from a typical hilly region of the Loess Plateau, Ansai, Shaanxi, China. The test soil was quantitatively fed into rill flow by a soil-feeding hopper to produce different sediment loads. Seven unit flow discharges (1.11, 1.56, 2.00, 2.44, 2.89, 3.33, and 3.78 × 10 m s) were combined with six slopes (10.51, 15.84, 21.26, 26.79, 32.49, and 38.39 %). The sediment transport capacity was measured for each combination. The detachment rate was measured for each combination under seven sediment loads, which were 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100 % of the sediment transport capacity. Results and discussion: Soil detachment rate decreased with the increase of sediment load. Levels of sediment load in 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90, and 100 % reduced detachment rate in rates of 0, 18.93, 36.36, 56.28, 70.15, 83.42, and 92.19 %, respectively. The response relationship of detachment rate to sediment load by rill flow was described well by a negative linear equation ( R range from 0.8489 to 0.9982, P < 0.01), and the vertical and horizontal intercepts of the linear equation represented the detachment and transport capacities, respectively ( R = 0.9955, NSE = 0.9788 for D ; R = 0.9957, NSE = 0.9635 for T ), as expressed by the WEPP rill erosion equation. The WEPP rill erosion equation predicted the soil detachment rate very well ( R = 0.9667, NSE = 0.9611). Conclusions: Sediment load transported by rill flow has a negative influence on soil detachment rate in rills. Introducing sediment load as a factor in model equation of detachment is essential for developing an accepted erosion model. The WEPP rill erosion equation could correctly reflect the response relationship of detachment rate to sediment load in this flume experiment and has a good applicability to loess material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process is one of the most economical and sustainable methods for phosphorus removal from wastewater. However, the performance of EBPR can be affected by available carbon sources types in the wastewater that may induce different functional microbial communities in the process. Glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) and polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) are commonly found by coexisting in the EBPR process. Predominance of GAO population may lead to EBPR failure due to the competition on carbon source with PAO without contributing phosphorus removal. Carbon sources indeed play an important role in alteration of PAOs and GAOs in EBPR processes. Various types of carbon sources have been investigated for EBPR performance. Certain carbon sources tend to enrich specific groups of GAOs and/or PAOs. This review summarizes the types of carbon sources applied in EBPR systems and highlights the roles of these carbon sources in PAO and GAO competition. Both single (e.g., acetate, propionate, glucose, ethanol, and amino acid) and complex carbon sources (e.g., yeast extract, peptone, and mixed carbon sources) are discussed in this review. Meanwhile, the environmental friendly and economical carbon sources that are derived from waste materials, such as crude glycerol and wasted sludge, are also discussed and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) causes an immunosuppressive and oncogenic disease in chickens and other birds. In this study, based on an infectious clone of REV, named HLJR0901, a recombinant virus containing the enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene was constructed by inserting the EGFP expression cassette downstream of the 3′ terminus of the viral env gene. An EGFP-tagged REV that stably expresses EGFP was rescued. This visible recombinant REV could contribute to the further understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in the replication and pathogenicity of REV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of immune disorders is growing parallel with practices associated with westernization, such as dietary changes, increased use of antibiotics, or elevated rates of Cesarean section. These practices can significantly impact the gut microbiota, the collection of bacteria residing in the human gastrointestinal tract, and subsequently disrupt the delicate balance existing between commensal flora and host immune responses. Restoring this balance by modifying the microbiota has thus emerged as a promising therapeutic approach. Here, we discuss the interaction between gut commensals and immunity, along with the potential of different interventions on the microbiota as treatment for inflammatory and allergic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As BiVO is one of the most popular visible-light-responding photocatalysts, it has been widely used for visible-light-driven water splitting and environmental purification. However, the typical photocatalytic activity of unmodified BiVO for the degradation of organic pollutants is still not impressive. To address this limitation, we studied FeO-modified porous BiVO nanoplates. Compared with unmodified BiVO, the FeO-modified porous BiVO nanoplates showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities in decomposing both dye and colorless pollutant models, such as rhodamine B (RhB) and phenol, respectively. The pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants for the degradation of RhB and phenol on FeO-modified BiVO porous nanoplates are 27 and 31 times larger than that of pristine BiVO, respectively. We also found that the FeO may act as an efficient non-precious metal co-catalyst, which is responsible for the excellent photocatalytic activity of FeO/BiVO. Graphical Abstract: FeO, as a cheap and efficient co-catalyst, could greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity of BiVO porous nanoplates in decomposing organic pollutants.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors influencing the incidence of common complications (pneumothorax and pulmonary hemorrhage) of CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of lumps near pulmonary hilum were investigated. CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of lumps near pulmonary hilum was performed on 48 patients. The complications of pneumothorax and pneumorrhagia as well as the contributing factors were analyzed statistically. The major complications associated with CT-guided needle biopsy included pneumothorax (13 cases, 27.1%) and pulmonary hemorrhage (14 cases, 20.24%). χ test revealed that pneumothorax was associated with the lesion size and depth of needle penetration, and pulmonary hemorrhage with the depth of needle penetration and needle retention time with a significant P value. Pneumothorax was observed in 7 cases (17.5%) out of 40 cases with diameter of mass greater than 3 cm, and in 6 cases (60%) out of 10 cases with depth of needle penetration greater than 4 cm. Additionally, pulmonary hemorrhage was identified in 12 cases (41.4%) out of 29 cases with needle retention time longer than 15 min, and pulmonary hemorrhage in 7 cases (70%) out of 10 cases with depth of needle penetration greater than 4 cm. CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of lumps near pulmonary hilum is safe and effective. The key factors to prevent the complications include correct evaluation of lesion size, depth of needle penetration and the needle retention time before the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between renal histopathological features and chest computed tomography (CT) findings in lupus nephritis (LN) patients. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and chest thin-section CT findings of 152 patients with an established diagnosis of LN based on renal biopsy and 93 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients without LN between April 2009 and March 2012. The 64-detector row CT images were retrospectively evaluated by an experienced thoracic radiologist without knowledge of the patients' clinical information except that all patients had SLE. Lupus nephritis patients have a significantly higher incidence of lung/plural disease than those without LN (61.8 versus 44.0 %, p < 0.05). The patients in LN group were more prone to ground glass opacity, interlobular septal thickening, reticular opacities, pleural effusions, and consolidation on CT images than in non-LN group ( p < 0.05). Class I, class III, and class IV lupus nephritis were associated with traction bronchiectasis, ground glass opacity, and pleural effusions, respectively ( p < 0.05). The presence of cord on chest CT scans was significantly associated with renal interstitial lesion and interstitial inflammation/fibrosis ( p < 0.05). Ground glass opacity and reticular opacities on chest CT scans were also related to renal hyaline thrombi ( p < 0.05). There was a significant association between pleural effusions and cellular/fibrous crescents, interstitial lesion, or interstitial inflammation/fibrosis ( p < 0.05). It was shown that hyaline thrombi in renal biopsy was an independent risk factor of the presence of ground glass opacity on CTs with logistic regression analysis (Wald = 4.124, p = 0.042). LN patients were more likely to suffer from lung/pleural disease. The patients with hyaline thrombi in renal biopsy were more prone to have ground glass opacity on CTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 27 strains of electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) were rapidly isolated and their capabilities of extracellular electron transfer were identified using a photometric method based on WO nanoclusters. These strains caused color change of WO from white to blue in a 24-well agar plate within 40 h. Most of the isolated EAB strains belonged to the genera of Aeromonas and Shewanella. One isolate, Pantoea agglomerans S5-44, was identified as an EAB that can utilize acetate as the carbon source to produce electricity and reduce azo dyes under anaerobic conditions. The results confirmed the capability of P. agglomerans S5-44 for extracellular electron transfer. The isolation of this acetate-utilizing, facultative EBA reveals the metabolic diversity of environmental bacteria. Such strains have great potential for environmental applications, especially at interfaces of aerobic and anaerobic environments, where acetate is the main available carbon source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High level of acetaldehyde produced by yeast in beer industry, especially in China, is still an important issue. To obtain a brewing strain with low acetaldehyde, a novel approach, based on domestication by disulfiram-ethanol plates, was developed. A mutant D-A-14 with lower acetaldehyde was obtained with UV mutagenesis. Through longtime domestication, the mutant D-A-14 produced 60.57 % less (2.20 mg/L) than the Wt strain MA12. Besides, the ratio of higher alcohols to esters in beer fermented by the mutant D-A-14 (3.7) was lower than that of MA12 (5.8), which exhibited harmonious flavor. For further study, DNA microarray technique was exploited to analyze the changes in genes involved in metabolism between the Wt and mutant. The data of DNA microarray were consistent with the decrease in acetaldehyde, organic acids, and the ratio of higher alcohols to esters of mutant D-A-14. Therefore, the newly screened strain has the potential to be applied in the brewing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syngas fermentation is a promising route for resource recovery. Acetate is an important industrial chemical product and also an attractive precursor for liquid biofuels production. This study demonstrated high fraction acetate production from syngas (H 2 and CO 2) in a hollow-fiber membrane biofilm reactor, in which the hydrogen utilizing efficiency reached 100 % during the operational period. The maximum concentration of acetate in batch mode was 12.5 g/L, while the acetate concentration in continuous mode with a hydraulic retention time of 9 days was 3.6 ± 0.1 g/L. Since butyrate concentration was rather low and below 0.1 g/L, the acetate fraction was higher than 99 % in both batch and continuous modes. Microbial community analysis showed that the biofilm was dominated by Clostridium spp., such as Clostridium ljungdahlii and Clostridium drakei, the percentage of which was 70.5 %. This study demonstrates a potential technology for the in situ utilization of syngas and valuable chemical production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]