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Abstract Objectives To develop a multiparameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics approach that can accurately predict the tumor cell proliferation status of serous ovarian carcinoma (SOC). Materials and methods A total of 134 patients with SOC who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were retrospectively screened from institution A, spanning from January 2016 to March 2022. Additionally, an external validation set comprising 42 SOC patients from institution B was also included. The region of interest was determined by drawing each ovarian mass boundaries manually slice-by-slice on T2-weighted imaging fat-suppressed fast spin-echo (T2FSE) and T1 with contrast enhancement (T1CE) images using ITK-SNAP software. The handcrafted radiomic features were extracted, and then were selected using variance threshold algorithm, SelectKBest algorithm, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. The optimal radiomic scores and the clinical/radiological independent predictors were integrated as a combined model. Results Compared with the area under the curve (AUC) values of each radiomic signature of T2FSE and T1CE, respectively, the AUC value of the radiomic signature (T1CE-T2FSE) was the highest in the training set (0.999 vs. 0.965 and 0.860). The homogeneous solid component of the ovarian mass was considered the only independent predictor of tumor cell proliferation status among the clinical/radiological variables. The AUC of the radiomic–radiological model was 0.999. Conclusions The radiomic–radiological model combining radiomic scores and the homogeneous solid component of the ovarian mass can accurately predict tumor cell proliferation status of SOC which has high repeatability and may enable more targeted and effective treatment strategies. Critical relevance statement The proposed radiomic–radiological model combining radiomic scores and the homogeneous solid component of the ovarian mass can predict tumor cell proliferation status of SOC which has high repeatability and may guide individualized treatment programs. Key points • The radiomic–radiological nomogram may guide individualized treatment programs of SOC. • This radiomic–radiological nomogram showed a favorable prediction ability. • Homogeneous slightly higher signal intensity on T2FSE is vital for Ki-67. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Objectives To develop and validate a machine learning model using 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics signature and clinical features to predict the presence of micropapillary and solid (MP/S) components in lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Eight hundred and forty-six patients who underwent preoperative PET/CT with pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma were enrolled. After segmentation, 1688 radiomics features were extracted from PET/CT and selected to construct predictive models. Then, we developed a nomogram based on PET/CT radiomics integrated with clinical features. Receiver operating curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed for diagnostics assessment and test of the developed models for distinguishing patients with MP/S components from the patients without. Results PET/CT radiomics-clinical combined model could well distinguish patients with MP/S components from those without MP/S components (AUC = 0.87), which performed better than PET (AUC = 0.829, p

The stability of diabetes formula food for special medical purposes (D-FSMP) was improved by high-pressure homogenization (HPH) at different homogenization pressures (up to 70 MPa) and number of passes (up to 6 times). The process at 60 MPa/4 times was the best. Casein had the highest surface hydrophobicity in this condition. The casein–polysaccharide complexes were endowed with the smallest size (transmission electron microscopy images). The complex particles exhibited nearly neutral wettability (the three-phase contact angle was 90.89°), lower interfacial tension, and the highest emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsifying stability index (ESI). The prepared D-FSMP system exhibited the narrowest particle size distribution range, the strongest interfacial deformation resistance and the best storage stability. Therefore, an appropriate intensity of HPH could enhance the stability of D-FSMP by improving the interfacial and emulsifying properties of casein–polysaccharide complexes. This study provides practical guidance on the productions of stable D-FSMP.

At present, there have been many research articles reporting that plant-based protein Pickering particles from different sources are used to stabilize Pickering emulsions, but the reports of corresponding review articles are still far from sufficient. This study focuses on the research hotspots and related progress on plant-based protein Pickering particles in the past five years. First, the article describes the mechanism by which Pickering emulsions are stabilized by different types of plant-based protein Pickering particles. Then, the extraction, preparation, and modification methods of various plant-based protein Pickering particles are highlighted to provide a reference for the development of greener and more efficient plant-based protein Pickering particles. The article also introduces some of the most promising applications of Pickering emulsions stabilized by plant-based protein Pickering particles in the food field. Finally, the paper also discusses the potential applications and challenges of plant-based protein Pickering particles in the food industry.

The primary significance of this work is that the commercial yeast proteins particles were successfully used to characterize the high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs). The different sonication time (0,3,7,11,15 min) was used to modulate the structure and interface characteristics of yeast proteins (YPs) that as Pickering particles. Immediately afterward, the influence of YPs particles prepared at different sonication time on the rheological behavior and coalescence mechanism of HIPPEs was investigated. The results indicate that the YPs sonicated for 7 min exhibited a more relaxed molecular structures and conformation, the smallest particle size, the highest H0 and optimal amphiphilicity (the three-phase contact (θ) was 88.91°). The transition from extended to compact conformations of YPs occurred when the sonication time exceeded 7 min, resulting in an augmentation of size of YPs particles, a reduction in surface hydrophobicity (H0), and an elevation in hydrophilicity. The HIPPEs stabilized by YPs particles sonicated for 7 min exhibited the highest adsorption interface protein percentage and a more homogeneous three-dimensional (3D) protein network, resulting in the smallest droplet size and the highest storage (G′). The HIPPEs sample that stabilized by YPs particles sonicated for 15 min showed the lowest adsorption protein percentage. This caused a reduction in the thickness of its interface protein layer and an enlargement in the droplet diameter (D [3,2]). It was prone to droplet coalescence according to the equation used to evaluate the coalescence probability of droplets (Eq (2)). And the non-adsorbed YPs particles form larger aggregation structures in the continuous phase and act as “structural agents” in 3D protein network. Therefore, mechanistically, the interface protein layer formed by YPs particles sonicated 7 min contributed more to HIPPEs stability. Whereas the “structural agents” contributed more to HIPPEs stability when the sonication time exceeded 7 min. The present results shed important new light on the application of commercial YPs in the functional food fields, acting as an available and effective alternative protein.

Protein-polysaccharide composite is of great significance for the development of soluble protein recovery process. This study investigated the effects of cavitation jet (CJ) pretreatment at different time (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 s) intervals on the recovery of soy whey protein (SWP) from soy whey wastewater using chitosan (CH). In addition, the structure and properties of the SWP/CH complexes were examined. The results showed that the recovery yield of SWP reached 84.44 % when the CJ pretreatment time was 180 s, and the EAI and ESI values of the SWP/CH complex increased from 32.39 m2/g and 21 min to 48.47 m2/g and 32 min, respectively. In the CJ pretreatment process, SWP promotes the recombination with chitosan through electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond, while hydrophobic interaction is also involved. This study has guiding significance for CJ technology in the recovery and utilization of protein in industrial wastewater.

Bovine herpes virus 1 (BoHV-1) causes a wide variety of diseases in wild and domestic cattle. The most widely used method for viral identification is real-time PCR, which can only be performed in laboratories using sophisticated instruments by expert personnel. Herein, we developed an ultrasensitive time-resolved fluorescence lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (ICS) assay for detecting BoHV-1 in bovine samples using a monoclonal antibody against BoHV-1 labelled with fluorescent microspheres, which can be applied in any setting. The intact process from sample collection to final result can be achieved in 15 min. The limit of detection of the assay for BoHV-1 was 102 TCID50/100 μL. The coincidence rate of the ICS method and real-time PCR recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) was 100% for negative, 92.30% for positive, and 95.42% for total, as evaluated by the detection of 131 clinical samples. This detection method was specifically targeted to BoHV-1, not exhibiting cross-reactivity with other bovine pathogens including BoHV-5. We developed an ICS assay equipped with a portable instrument that offers a sensitive and specific platform for the rapid and reliable detection of BoHV-1 in the field. The Point-of-Care test of BoHV-1 is suitable for the screening and surveillance of BoHV-1 in dairy herds.

Strigolactones (SLs) were recently defined as a novel class of plant hormones that act as key regulators of diverse developmental processes and environmental responses. Much research has focused on SL biosynthesis and signaling in roots and shoots, but little is known about whether SLs are produced in early developing seeds and about their roles in ovule development after fertilization. This study revealed that the fertilized ovules and early developing pericarp in Xanthoceras sorbifolium produced minute amounts of two strigolactones: 5-deoxystrigol and strigol. Their content decreased in the plants with the addition of exogenous phosphate (Pi) compared to those without the Pi treatment. The exogenous application of an SL analog (GR24) and a specific inhibitor of SL biosynthesis (TIS108) affected early seed development and fruit set. In the Xanthoceras genome, we identified 69 potential homologs of genes involved in SL biological synthesis and signaling. Using RNA-seq to characterize the expression of these genes in the fertilized ovules, 37 genes were found to express differently in the fertilized ovules that were aborting compared to the normally developing ovules. A transcriptome analysis also revealed that in normally developing ovules after fertilization, 12 potential invertase genes were actively expressed. Hexoses (glucose and fructose) accumulated at high concentrations in normally developing ovules during syncytial endosperm development. In contrast, a low ratio of hexose and sucrose levels was detected in aborting ovules with a high strigolactone content. XsD14 virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) increased the hexose content in fertilized ovules and induced the proliferation of endosperm free nuclei, thereby promoting early seed development and fruit set. We propose that the crosstalk between sugar and strigolactone signals may be an important part of a system that accurately regulates the abortion of ovules after fertilization. This study is useful for understanding the mechanisms underlying ovule abortion, which will serve as a guide for genetic or chemical approaches to promote seed yield in Xanthoceras.

To enable a wider utilization of co–products from beer processing and minimize the negative effect of added grain on bread quality, flavor, and other attributes, brewer’s spent grains (BSG) are processed through microwave pretreatment, and then the microwave–treated BSG (MW–BSG) is added to bread. So far, there has been no investigation on the effect of microwave–pretreated BSG on bread quality and flavor. In this study, we examined the effects of diverse microwave treatment variables on the physicochemical structure of BSG and explored the consequences of MW–BSG on the quality and flavor of bread. The results showed that soluble dietary fiber and water–soluble protein levels in MW–BSG increased significantly (144.88% and 23.35%) at a 540 W microwave power, 3 min processing time, and 1:5 material–liquid ratio of BSG to water. The proper addition of MW–BSG positively affected the bread texture properties and color, but excessive amounts led to an irregular size and distribution of the bread crumbs. The result of electronic nose and HS–SPME–GC–MS analyses showed that the addition of MW–BSG modified the odor profile of the bread. A sensory evaluation showed mean scores ranging from 6.81 to 4.41 for bread containing 0–10% MW–BSG. Consumers found a maximum level of 6% MW–BSG acceptable. This study endeavors to decrease environmental contamination caused by brewing waste by broadening the methods by which beer co–products can be utilized through an innovative approach.

Key points The MRI-based nomogram could predict the SDS occurrence in patients with SOC. The relationship between the sigmoid colon/rectum and ovarian mass accounts is critical. A preoperative nomogram provides gynecologists with an accurate and effective tool.

The effects of lipid peroxidation on rice bran protein (RBP) structure was examined through Raman Spectroscopy. 2,2’-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH), acrolein, and malondialdehyde (MDA) are chosen for lipid peroxidation. Incubation of RBP with the increasing concentration of three oxidants resulted in a gradual generation of protein carbonyl derivatives. It can be deduced from the Raman spectra that a low concentration of AAPH and acrolein both decreased the percentage of α-helix and β-sheet, which increased with MDA concentration. The Raman intensities of tryptophan residues of oxidized RBP by AAPH and acrolein, both initially increased and then decreased with oxidation concentration. After MDA treatment, the Raman intensities corresponding to Trp residues and Tyr doublet ratio of RBP were increased and then decreased, and decreased and then increased with oxidation concentration, respectively. The structural change induced by RBP oxidation with the Raman Spectroscopy can aid in refining the function of RBP characteristics and control the adjustment of the storage condition.

The protein conformation of soymilk is the key to affecting the instant solubility of soymilk flour. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cavitation jet treatment time (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 min) on the instant solubility of soymilk flour based on the conformational changes of protein in soymilk. The results showed that the cavitation jet treatment for 0–4 min significantly unfolded the protein structure of soymilk and increased the content of soluble protein, which reduced the particle size and increased the electrostatic repulsion and the viscosity of soymilk. This was beneficial for soymilk droplets fully atomized and repolymerized in the spray drying tower, forming soymilk flour particles with large size, smooth surface, and uniform distribution. When the cavitation jet treatment time was 4 min, the wettability (from 127.3 ± 2.5 s to 84.7 ± 2.1 s), dispersibility (from 70.0 ± 2.0 s to 55.7 ± 2.1 s), and solubility (from 56.54% to 78.10%) of soymilk flour were significantly improved. However, when the time of the cavitation jet treatment was extended to 8 min, the protein of soymilk aggregated and the stability of soymilk decreased, which reduced the particle size and hurt the surface characteristics of soymilk flour after spray drying. It resulted in a decrease in the instant solubility of soymilk flour. Therefore, the cavitation jet treatment with proper time increases the instant solubility of soymilk flour by improving the protein conformation of soymilk.

Accurately measuring systemic financial risk and analyzing its sources are important issues. This study focuses on the frequency dynamics of volatility connectedness in Chinese financial institutions using a spectral representation framework of generalized forecast error variance decomposition with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator vector autoregression. It assesses the volatility connectedness network using complex network analysis techniques. The data are derived from 31 publicly traded Chinese financial institutions between 4 January 2011 and 31 August 2023, encompassing the Chinese stock market crash in 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic. The frequency dynamics of the volatility connectedness results indicate that long-term connectedness peaks and cross-sectoral connectedness rises during periods of financial instability, especially in the recent bull market (2014–2015) and the 2015 Chinese stock market crash. The volatility connectedness of Chinese financial institutions declined during the COVID-19 pandemic but rose during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period. Network estimation results show that securities triggered the 2015 bull market, whereas banks were the main risk transmitters during the 2015 market crash. These results have important practical implications for supervisory authorities.

Forecasts on transportation meteorology, such as pavement temperature, are becoming increasingly important in the face of global warming and frequent disruptions from extreme weather and climate events. In this study, we propose a pavement temperature forecast model based on stepwise regression—model output statistics (SRMOS) at the short-term timescale, using highways in Jiangsu, China, as examples. Experiments demonstrate that the SRMOS model effectively calibrates against the benchmark of the linear regression model based on surface air temperature (LRT). The SRMOS model shows a reduction in mean absolute errors by 0.7–1.6 °C, with larger magnitudes observed for larger biases in the LRT forecasts. Both forecasts exhibit higher accuracy in predicting minimum nighttime temperatures compared to maximum daytime temperatures. Additionally, it overall shows increasing biases from the north to the south, and the SRMOS superiority is greater over the south with larger initial LRT biases. Predictor importance analysis indicates that temperature, moisture, and larger-scale background are basically the key predictors in the SRMOS model for pavement temperature forecasts, of which the air temperature is the most crucial factor in the model’s construction. Although larger-scale circulation backgrounds are generally characterized by relatively low importance, their significance increases with longer lead times. The presented results demonstrate the considerable skill of the SRMOS model in predicting pavement temperatures, highlighting its potential in disaster prevention for extreme transportation meteorology events.

This paper investigates the effect on the physicochemical and functional properties of soybean protein concentrate (SPC) by using Alcalase protease and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 MPa) for the combined modification. The results showed that the degree of hydrolysis of SPC was 4.1% and the antigen protein was degraded after Alcalase hydrolysis, when the homogenization pressure (HP) was 6 0Mpa, the particle size of the SPC was the smallest, the zate potential absolute value up to 33.45 mV, the secondary structure has the lowest β-sheet content, the highest random coil content, and the highest surface hydrophobicity (H0), the size of protein fragments on the microstructure surface is the smallest, the lowest denaturation temperature (Td) and enthalpy (△H) are 72.59°C and 1.35 J/g, the highest solubility is 80.54%, and the highest water and oil holding capacities are 7.73 g/g and 6.51 g/g, respectively. The best emulsifying activity and emulsifying stability were 43.46 m2/g and 190.35 min, the most even distribution of emulsion droplets. This indicates that the HPH treatment destroys the structure of enzymatic hydrolyzed SPC, changes its physicochemical properties, and improves its functional properties. In this study, SPC was modified by HPH and enzyme combined treatment, in order to improve the functionality and application range of SPC, and provide a theoretical basis for its high-value utilization in the food field.

Based on the observational hourly precipitation data and the ERA5 reanalysis datasets, the short-term forecasts of the warm-sector heavy rainfall with warm-type shear line (WRWS) events over the coastal areas of the Yangtze–Huaihe River (YHR) are investigated in the regional business model Precision Weather Analysis and Forecasting System (PWAFS). Evaluations and diagnoses are carried out via objective estimations and composition analyses for the rainy season of 2017. Results show that the short-term forecasts of PWAFS are characterized by considerable skills for WRWS events in the coastal areas of YHR in view of the object-based diagnostic evaluation, which, however, tend to generate the rain belts with northeast shift phases and weaker intensities. Meantime, the threat score results for WRWS-associated processes show that the model forecasting skill declines sharply as the precipitation intensity increases. Moreover, composition differences of the synoptic-scale thermodynamic characteristics between observations and forecast results are diagnosed to reveal the possible mechanisms of the short-term forecast biases toward WRWS. The zonal westerlies are overestimated in the model, while the southerlies are underestimated in the lower troposphere over coastal areas of YHR, leading to the northeastward shifted shear line and the absent moisture channel associated with the East China Sea at the boundary layer. Attributed to these atmospheric circulation biases, the accumulated warm and moist energy is weaker at the boundary layer, and hence, the short-term forecasts of the rain-belt location for WRWS over the YHR coastal areas have northeast shifting phases with weaker intensities of precipitation in forecasts of the regional business model PWAFS.

A Pickering emulsion was prepared using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and a cinnamaldehyde (CA)/β-CD composite as emulsifiers and corn oil, camellia oil, lard oil, and fish oil as oil phases. It was confirmed that Pickering emulsions prepared with β-CD and CA/β-CD had good storage stability. The rheological experiments showed that all emulsions had G′ values higher than G″, thus confirming their gel properties. The results of temperature scanning rheology experiments revealed that the Pickering emulsion prepared with β-CD and CA/β-CD composites had high stability, in the range of 20–65 °C. The chewing properties of Pickering emulsions prepared by β-CD and corn oil, camellia oil, lard, and herring oil were 8.02 ± 0.24 N, 7.94 ± 0.16 N, 36.41 ± 1.25 N, and 5.17 ± 0.13 N, respectively. The chewing properties of Pickering emulsions made with the CA/β-CD composite and corn oil, camellia oil, lard, and herring oil were 2.51 ± 0.05 N, 2.56 ± 0.05 N, 22.67 ± 1.70 N, 3.83 ± 0.29 N, respectively. The texture properties confirmed that the CA/β-CD-composite-stabilized-emulsion had superior palatability. After 28 days at 50 °C, malondialdehyde (MDA) was detected in the emulsion. Compared with the β-CD and CA + β-CD emulsion, the CA/β-CD composite emulsion had the lowest content of MDA (182.23 ± 8.93 nmol/kg). The in vitro digestion results showed that the free fatty acid (FFA) release rates of the CA/β-CD composite emulsion (87.49 ± 3.40%) were higher than those of the β-CD emulsion (74.32 ± 2.11%). This strategy provides ideas for expanding the application range of emulsifier particles and developing food-grade Pickering emulsions with antioxidant capacity.

Native soy protein isolate (N-SPI) has a low denaturation point and low solubility, limiting its industrial application. The influence of different industrial modification methods (heat (H), alkaline (A), glycosylation (G), and oxidation (O)) on the structure of SPI, the properties of the gel, and the gel properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) in myofibril protein (MP) was evaluated. The study found that four industrial modifications did not influence the subunit composition of SPI. However, the four industrial modifications altered SPI’s secondary structure and disulfide bond conformation content. A-SPI exhibits the highest surface hydrophobicity and I850/830 ratio but the lowest thermal stability. G-SPI exhibits the highest disulfide bond content and the best gel properties. Compared with MP gel, the addition of H-SPI, A-SPI, G-SPI, and O-SPI components significantly improved the properties of the gel. Additionally, MP-ASPI gel exhibits the best properties and microstructure. Overall, the four industrial modification effects may impact SPI’s structure and gel properties in different ways. A-SPI could be a potential functionality-enhanced soy protein ingredient in comminuted meat products. The present study results will provide a theoretical basis for the industrialized production of SPI.

Problems with silver carp protein (SCP) include a strong fishy odor, low gel strength of SCP surimi, and susceptibility to gel degradation. The objective of this study was to improve the gel quality of SCP. The effects of the addition of native soy protein isolate (SPI) and SPI subjected to papain-restricted hydrolysis on the gel characteristics and structural features of SCP were studied. The β-sheet structures in SPI increased after papain treatment. SPI treated with papain was crosslinked with SCP using glutamine transaminase (TG) to form a composite gel. Compared with the control, the addition of modified SPI increased the hardness, springiness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and water-holding capacity (WHC) of the protein gel (p < 0.05). In particular, the effects were most significant when the degree of SPI hydrolysis (DH) was 0.5% (i.e., gel sample M-2). The molecular force results demonstrated that hydrogen bonding, disulfide bonding, and hydrophobic association are important molecular forces in gel formation. The addition of the modified SPI increases the number of hydrogen bonds and the disulfide bonds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the papain modifications allowed the formation of a composite gel with a complex, continuous, and uniform gel structure. However, the control of the DH is important as additional enzymatic hydrolysis of SPI decreased TG crosslinking. Overall, modified SPI has the potential to improve SCP gel texture and WHC.

The impacts of industrial phosphorylation on the structural changes, microstructure, functional, and rheological features of soybean protein isolate (SPI) were spotlighted. The findings implied that the spatial structure and functional features of the SPI changed significantly after treatment with the two phosphates. Sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) promoted aggregation of SPI with a larger particle size; sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) modified SPI with smaller particle size. SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) results showed insignificant alterations in the structure of SPI subunits. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and endogenous fluorescence noted a decline in α-helix quantity, an amplification in β-fold quantity, and an increase in protein stretching and disorder, indicating that phosphorylation treatment fluctuated the spatial structure of the SPI. Functional characterization studies showed that the solubility and emulsion properties of the SPI increased to varying degrees after phosphorylation, with a maximum solubility of 94.64% for SHMP-SPI and 97.09% for STP-SPI. Emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsifying steadiness index (ESI) results for STP-SPI were better than those for SHMP-SPI. Rheological results showed that the modulus of G’ and G″ increased and the emulsion exhibited significant elastic behavior. This affords a theoretical core for expanding the industrial production applications of soybean isolates in the food and various industries.

Porcine circovirus type 4 (PCV4) is an emerging etiological agent which was first detected in 2019. The nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) of PCV4 Cap protein and its binding host cellular proteins are still not elucidated. In the present study, we discovered a distinct novel NoLS of PCV4 Cap, which bound to the nucleolar phosphoprotein nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1). The NoLS of PCV4 Cap and serine-48 residue at the N-terminal oligomerization domain of NPM1 were necessary for PCV4 Cap/NPM1 interaction. Furthermore, the charge property of serine residue at position 48 of the NPM1 was crucial for its oligomerization and interaction with PCV4 Cap. In summary, our findings show for the first time that the PCV4 Cap NoLS and the NPM1 oligomerization determine the interaction of Cap/NPM1.

Marek’s disease virus (MDV) infection results in Marek’s disease (MD) in chickens, a lymphoproliferative and oncogenic deadly disease, leading to severe economic losses. The spleen and bursa are the most important lymphoid and major target organs for MDV replication. The immune response elicited by MDV replication in the spleen and bursa is critical for the formation of latent MDV infection and reactivation. However, the mechanism of the host immune response induced by MDV in these key lymphoid organs during the latent and reactivation infection phases is not well understood. In the study, we focused on the replication dynamics of a vaccine MDV strain MDV/CVI988 and a very virulent MDV strain MDV/RB1B in the spleen and bursa in the latent and reactivation infection phases (7–28 days post-inoculation [dpi]), as well as the expression of some previously characterized immune-related molecules. The results showed that the replication ability of MDV/RB1B was significantly stronger than that of MDV/CVI988 within 28 days post-infection, and the replication levels of both MDV strains in the spleen were significantly higher than those in the bursa. During the latent and reactivation phase of MDV infection (7–28 dpi), the transcriptional upregulation of chicken IL-1β, IL6, IL-8L1 IFN-γ and PML in the spleen and bursa induced by MDV/RB1B infection was overall stronger than that of MDV/CVI988. However, compared to MDV/RB1Binfection, MDV/CVI988 infection resulted in a more effective transcriptional activation of CCL4 in the latent infection phase (7–14 dpi), which may be a characteristic distinguishing MDV vaccine strain from the very virulent strain.

Against the backdrop of intensified global warming, extreme weather events such as dense fog, low visibility, heavy precipitation, and extreme temperatures have been increased and enhanced to a great extent. They are likely to pose severe threats to the operation of urban transportation and associated services, which has drawn much attention in recent decades. However, there are still plenty of issues to be resolved in improving the emergency meteorological services and developing targeted urban transportation meteorological services in modern cities. The present review briefly illustrates the current cutting-edge developments and trends in the field of urban transportation meteorology in China, including the establishment of observation networks and experiments and the development of early warning and prediction technologies, as well as the related meteorological commercial services. Meanwhile, reflections and discussions are provided in terms of the state-of-the-art observation channels and methods and the application of numerical model forecasts and artificial intelligence. With the advantages of various advanced technologies from multiple aspects, researchers could further expand explorations on urban transportation meteorological observations, forecasts, early warnings, and services. Associated theoretical studies and practical investigations are also to be carried out to provide solid scientific foundations for urban transportation disaster prevention and mitigation, for implementing the action of meteorological guarantees, and for the construction of a high-quality smart society.

Pavement temperature is the main factor determining road icing, and accurate and timely pavement temperature prediction is of significant importance to regional traffic safety management and preventive maintenance. The prediction of pavement temperature at the micro-scale has been a challenge to be tackled. To solve this problem, a bidirectional extended short-term memory network model based on the attention mechanism (Att-BiLSTM) was proposed to improve the prediction performance by using the time series features of pavement temperature and meteorological factors. Pavement temperature data and climatic data were collected from a road weather station in Yunnan, China. The results show that the MAE, MSE, and MAPE of the proposed Att-BiLSTM model were 0.330, 0.339, and 10.1%, respectively, which were better than the other baseline models. It was shown that 93.4% of the predicted values had an error less than 1 °C, and 82.1% had an error less than 0.5 °C, indicating that the proposed Att-BiLSTM model enables significant performance improvement. In addition, this paper quantified and analyzed the effects of parameters such as the size of the sliding window, the number of hidden layer neurons, and the optimizer on the performance of the prediction model.

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) is the primary causative agent responsible for the hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS) in chickens, leading to considerable economic losses to stakeholders. Although the pathogenesis of FAdV-4 infection has gained attention, the underlying molecular mechanism is still unknown. Here, we showed that the ectopic expression of gga-miR-30c-5p in leghorn male hepatocellular (LMH) cells enhanced apoptosis in FAdV-4-infected LMH cells by directly targeting the myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), facilitating viral replication. On the contrary, the inhibition of endogenous gga-miR-30c-5p markedly suppressed apoptosis and viral replication in LMH cells. Importantly, the overexpression of Mcl-1 inhibited gga-miR-30c-5p or FAdV-4-induced apoptosis in LMH cells, reducing FAdV-4 replication, while the knockdown of Mcl-1 by RNAi enhanced apoptosis in LMH cells. Furthermore, transfection of LMH cells with gga-miR-30c-5p mimics enhanced FAdV-4-induced apoptosis associated with increased cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. Thus, gga-miR-30c-5p enhances FAdV-4-induced apoptosis by directly targeting Mcl-1, a cellular anti-apoptotic protein, facilitating FAdV-4 replication in host cells. These findings could help to unravel the mechanism of how a host responds against FAdV-4 infection at an RNA level.

An extensive understanding of the interactions between host cellular and viral proteins provides clues for studying novel antiviral strategies. Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) and type 4 (PCV4) have recently been identified as viruses that can potentially damage the swine industry. Herein, 401 putative PCV3 Cap-binding and 484 putative PCV4 Cap-binding proteins were characterized using co-immunoprecipitation and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both PCV3 and PCV4 Caps shared 278 identical interacting proteins, but some putative interacting proteins (123 for PCV3 Cap and 206 for PCV4 Cap) differed. A protein–protein interaction network was constructed, and according to gene ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database analyses, both PCV3 Cap- and PCV4 Cap-binding proteins participated mainly in ribosome biogenesis, nucleic acid binding, and ATP-dependent RNA helicase activities. Verification assays of eight putative interacting proteins indicated that nucleophosmin-1, nucleolin, DEAD-box RNA helicase 21, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1, YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1, and Y-box binding protein 1 bound directly to both PCV3 and PCV4 Caps, but ring finger protein 2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 did not. Therefore, the interaction network provided helpful information to support further research into the underlying mechanisms of PCV3 and PCV4 infection.

The development of graphene oxide–based heterogeneous materials with an economical and environmentally–friendly manner has the potential to facilitate many important organic transformations but proves to have few relevant reported reactions. Herein, we explore the synergistic role of catalytic systems driven by graphene oxide and visible light that form nucleophilic alkoxyl radical intermediates, which enable an anti-Markovnikov addition exclusively to the terminal alkenes, and then the produced benzyl radicals are subsequently added with N–methylquinoxalones. This photoinduced cascade radical difunctionalization of olefins offers a concise and applicable protocol for constructing alkoxyl–substituted N–methylquinoxalones.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding small RNAs that play important roles in the regulation of various biological processes including cell development and differentiation, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, immunoregulation and viral infections. Avian immunosuppressive diseases refer to those avian diseases caused by pathogens that target and damage the immune organs or cells of the host, increasing susceptibility to other microbial infections and the risk of failure in subsequent vaccination against other diseases. As such, once a disease with an immunosuppressive feature occurs in flocks, it would be difficult for the stakeholders to have an optimal economic income. Infectious bursal disease (IBD), avian leukemia (AL), Marek’s disease (MD), chicken infectious anemia (CIA), reticuloendotheliosis (RE) and avian reovirus infection are on the top list of commonly-seen avian diseases with a feature of immunosuppression, posing an unmeasurable threat to the poultry industry across the globe. Understanding the pathogenesis of avian immunosuppressive disease is the basis for disease prevention and control. miRNAs have been shown to be involved in host response to pathogenic infections in chickens, including regulation of immunity, tumorigenesis, cell proliferation and viral replication. Here we summarize current knowledge on the roles of miRNAs in avian response to viral infection and pathogenesis of avian immunosuppressive diseases, in particular, MD, AL, IBD and RE.

In the early December 2013, dense fog involving heavy pollutants lasted for 9 days in the Yancheng area. The characteristics, formation, and lasting mechanisms of this persistent fog were analyzed based on observational data at the Sheyang site, reanalysis data, and final analysis data from NCEP/NCAR, combining with the weather background and meteorological and physical variable fields. Results include that (1) the fog process was characterized by long duration, low visibility, and high pollutants concentration, (2) the atmospheric general circulation contributed to the sustainability and development of the heavily polluted fog, (3) deep inversion was the key thermal factor causing the heavily polluted fog, (4) the fog exhibited obvious outbreaks with good visibility weather turned to severe fog several times, and (5) the weak cold air invasion and radiative cooling were the triggering factors to the sudden enhancement of the fog.

Raman spectroscopy is critically evaluated to establish the limits to which it may be used to detect changes in protein conformation upon extrusion. Rice bran protein (RBP) extruded with different temperatures (100, 120, 140, and 160°C, labeled as ERBP-) was considered. DSC showed that extrusion at 100°C increased TD of RBP but decreased its ΔH, while, after extrusion treatment at 120°C, RBP completely denatured. A progressive increase in unordered structure and a general decrease in α-helix structure and β-sheet structure of extruded RBP were observed from Raman study. Meanwhile the content of unordered structure increased up to 140°C and then decreased at 160°C, while the trend of α-helix and β-sheet content was opposite, which was contributed to the composite effect of formation of some more protein aggregation and protein denaturation. Extrusion generally induced a significant decrease in Trp band near 760 cm−1 but an increase at 160°C. No significant difference was observed in Tyr doublet ratios between controlled RBP samples and extruded RBP below 160°C, whereas Tyr doublet ratios of extruded RBP decreased at 160°C. Intensity of the band assigned to CHn bending decreased progressively and then increased as extrusion temperature increased, indicating changes in microenvironment and polarity.

Avian reovirus (ARV) causes viral arthritis, chronic respiratory diseases, retarded growth, and malabsorption syndrome. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally by silencing or degrading their targets, thus playing important roles in the host response to pathogenic infection. However, the role of miRNAs in host response to ARV infection is still not clear. In this study, we show that ARV infection markedly increased gga-miR-30c-5p expression in DF-1 cells and that transfection of cells with gga-miR-30c-5p inhibited ARV replication while knockdown of endogenous gga-miR-30c-5p enhanced viral growth in cells. Importantly, we identified the autophagy related 5 (ATG5), an important proautophagic protein, as a bona fide target of gga-miR-30c-5p. Transfection of DF-1 cells with gga-miR-30c-5p markedly reduced ATG5 expression accompanied with reduced conversion of ARV-induced-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 II (LC3-II) from LC3-I, an indicator of autophagy in host cell, while knockdown of endogenous gga-miR-30c-5p enhanced ATG5 expression as well as ARV-induced conversion of LC3-II, facilitating viral growth in cells. Furthermore, knockdown of ATG5 by RNA interference (RNAi) or treatment of cells with autophagy inhibitors (3-MA and wortmannin) markedly reduced ARV-induced LC3-II and syncytium formation, suppressing viral growth in cells, while overexpression of ATG5 increased ARV-induced LC3-II and syncytium formation, promoting viral growth in cells. Thus, gga-miR-30c-5p suppressed viral replication by inhibition of ARV-induced autophagy via targeting ATG5. These findings unraveled the mechanism of how host cells combat against ARV infection by self-encoded small RNA and furthered our understanding of the role of microRNAs in host response to pathogenic infection. IMPORTANCE Avian reovirus (ARV) is an important poultry pathogen causing viral arthritis, chronic respiratory diseases, and retarded growth, leading to considerable economic losses to the poultry industry across the globe. Elucidation of the pathogenesis of ARV infection is crucial to guiding the development of novel vaccines or drugs for the effective control of these diseases. Here, we investigated the role of miRNAs in host response to ARV infection. We found that infection of host cells by ARV remarkably upregulated gga-miR-30c-5p expression. Importantly, gga-miR-30c-5p suppressed ARV replication by inhibition of ARV-induced autophagy via targeting autophagy related 5 (ATG5) accompanied by suppression of virus-induced syncytium formation, thus serving as an important antivirus factor in host response against ARV infection. These findings will further our understanding of how host cells combat against ARV infection by self-encoded small RNAs and may be used as a potential target for intervening ARV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many Chinese elderly increasingly face the serious problem of the "empty nest" phenomenon. The elderly living independently, also called empty-nest elderly, refers to elderly people living alone whose children left home. However few studies concerned about the subjective well-being (SWB) of the elderly living independently. Methods This study employs The Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH) to explore the SWB of the elderly living independently in rural areas of Wenzhou, a relatively developed region in China. 536 sampled are randomly selected. Results The results indicate that participants obtained low scores in positive affect, positive experience, and the total SWB score, but high scores in negative affect and negative experience. Age, low education, poor health condition and little income were found to be negatively correlated with SWB. The SWB score of the elderly living with a spouse is higher than those who divorced or lost their spouse and the score of women is lower than that of men. In addition, the survey revealed that children's support has a positive influence on the SWB of the rural elderly living independently. Conclusions The elderly living independently in rural Wenzhou, China have unfavorable SWB. Poor socio-economic statuses are negative impact factors. But the children's support can help to improve. Special attention is needed to those with lower socio-economic status and less children's support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]