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Abstract Infection remains a major cause of mortality in individuals diagnosed with hematologic malignancies, both in children and adults. Although the range of infections affecting these patients has undergone significant changes with the widespread use of antibiotics, it is accompanied by an increasing number of drug-resistant strains. To address these concerns, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has emerged as a promising diagnostic tool for detecting pathogens responsible for infectious diseases. At the same time, this approach has gained popularity as a means to identify infection etiology in hematologic disease patients. This review article focuses on the evolution of mNGS technology and its relevance in diagnosing hematologic diseases, discussing both the existing situation for microbial infections among such patients and traditional methods for detecting those infections. To examine the efficacy of this technique for hematologic disease patients, we compare the benefits and drawbacks of its application in light of relevant literature and clinical practice.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and rumen-protected lysine (RPL) supplementation on lactation performance, amino acid (AA) balance, nitrogen (N) utilization and hindgut microbiota in dairy cows. Treatments were in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, and the main effects were CP concentration (16% vs. 18%) and RPL supplementation (with or without RPL at 40 g/cow per day). Forty cows were randomly allocated to 4 groups: low-CP diet (LP), low-CP diet plus RPL (LPL), high-CP diet (HP), high-CP diet plus RPL (HPL). The experiment was conducted for 8 weeks. Results showed that RPL increased the dry matter intake (P

Abstract Background Planning the design of a new trial comparing two treatments already in a network of trials with an a-priori plan to estimate the effect size using a network meta-analysis increases power or reduces the sample size requirements. However, when the comparison of interest is between a treatment already in the existing network (old treatment) and a treatment that hasn’t been studied previously (new treatment), the impact of leveraging information from the existing network to inform trial design has not been extensively investigated. We aim to identify the most powerful trial design for a comparison of interest between an old treatment A and a new treatment Z, given a fixed total sample size. We consider three possible designs: a two-arm trial between A and Z (’direct two-arm’), a two-arm trial between another old treatment B and Z (’indirect two-arm’), and a three-arm trial among A, B, and Z. Methods We compare the standard error of the estimated effect size between treatments A and Z for each of the three trial designs using formulas. For continuous outcomes, the direct two-arm trial always has the largest power, while for a binary outcome, the minimum variances among the three trial designs are conclusive only when $$p_A(1-p_A) \ge p_B(1-p_B)$$ p A ( 1 - p A ) ≥ p B ( 1 - p B ) . Simulation studies are conducted to demonstrate the potential for the indirect two-arm and three-arm trials to outperform the direct two-arm trial in terms of power under the condition of $$p_A(1-p_A) < p_B(1-p_B)$$ p A ( 1 - p A ) < p B ( 1 - p B ) . Results Based on the simulation results, we observe that the indirect two-arm and three-arm trials have the potential to be more powerful than a direct two-arm trial only when $$p_A(1-p_A) < p_B(1-p_B)$$ p A ( 1 - p A ) < p B ( 1 - p B ) . This power advantage is influenced by various factors, including the risk of the three treatments, the total sample size, and the standard error of the estimated effect size from the existing network meta-analysis. Conclusions The standard two-arm trial design between two treatments in the comparison of interest may not always be the most powerful design. Utilizing information from the existing network meta-analysis, incorporating an additional old treatment into the trial design through an indirect two-arm trial or a three-arm trial can increase power.

A new filler metal was developed to join the new generation weathering steel Q690qNH. Microstructural evolutions and the associated mechanical behavior of weldments were comparatively studied in hot rolled and tempered thick Q690qNH plates with initial microstructure of lath bainite and granular bainite respectively. Phase transformations in the HAZ promote the work hardening capacity of the weld jointed tempered Q690qNH (Q690T) plate and enable the joints to exhibit a different mechanical response upon the tensile loading in comparison to the weld jointed hot rolled Q690qNH (Q690R) plate. Prior austenite reconstruction was carried out to understand the crack nucleation behavior in HAZ. The plastic incompatibility between martensitic-austenitic (M-A) and bainitic ferrite leads to the nucleation of plastic micro-voids from the prior austenite grain boundary or M-A boundary. The fracture of Q690R joint is caused by coalescing micro-voids in HAZ with a strength reduction of 10%–14% that caused by the welding process. The continuous yielding behavior regarding the retained austinite in HAZ results in a competition of the plastic deformation in each subzone of the Q690T joint, of which the catastrophic fracture is dominated by the initial microstructure comprising the ferrite and the granular bainite.

The atmospheric temperatures and densities in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region are essential for studying the dynamics and climate of the middle and upper atmosphere. In this study, we present more than 9 years of mesopause temperatures and relative densities estimated by using ambipolar diffusion coefficient measurements observed by the Mengcheng meteor radar (33.4°N, 116.5°E). The intercomparison between the meteor radar and Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Sounding of the Atmosphere by Broadband Emission Radiometry (TIMED/SABER) and Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura/Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) observations indicates that the meteor radar temperatures and densities agree well with the simultaneous satellite measurements. Annual variations dominate the mesopause temperatures, with the maximum during winter and the minimum during summer. The mesopause relative densities also show annual variations, with strong maxima near the spring equinox and weak maxima before the winter solstice, and with a minimum during summer. In addition, the mesopause density exhibits a structure similar to that of the zonal wind: as the zonal wind flows eastward (westward), the mesopause density decreases (increases). At the same time, the meridional wind shows a structure similar to that of the mesopause temperature: as the meridional wind shows northward (southward) enhancements, the mesopause temperature increases (decreases). Simultaneous horizontal wind, temperature, and density observations provide multiple mesospheric parameters for investigating mesospheric dynamics and thermodynamic processes and have the potential to improve widely used empirical atmospheric models.

In this work, the hybrid micron B4C particles (m-B4Cp) and nano SiC particles (n-SiCp) reinforced 6061Al matrix composites were prepared by powder metallurgy. The synergistic effects of hybrid m-B4Cp and n-SiCp were investigated. The results showed that m-B4Cp were well dispersed in the matrix, while n-SiCp were uniformly distributed inside the grains as well as at the grain boundaries. The coupled addition of n-SiCp and m-B4Cp significantly refined the grain size of matrix from 3.60 μm to 0.91 μm. The synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SR-CT) revealed that the volume of pores increased with increase of particle content. Compared with the composites reinforced with only one type of particle, the 6061Al composites reinforced with micro and nano dual-size particles possessed higher tensile strength, while maintaining reasonable plasticity. The strengthening contributions to the yield strength improvement of 6010Al matrix composites reinforced with micro and nano dual-size particles are resulted from thermal expansion mismatch strengthening, fine grain strengthening and Orowan strengthening caused by n-SiCp.

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) based on nanowire (NW) hold significant promise for applications in fire detection, optical communication, and environmental monitoring. As optoelectronic devices evolve towards lower dimensionality, multifunctionality, and integrability, multicolor PDs have become a research hotspot in optics and electronic information. This study investigates the enhancement of detection capability in a light-trapping ZnO NW array through modification with Pt nanoparticles (NPs) via magnetron sputtering and hydrothermal synthesis. The optimized PD exhibits superior performance, achieving a responsivity of 12.49 A/W, detectivity of 4.07 × 1012 Jones, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 4.19 × 103%, respectively. In addition, the Pt NPs/ZnO NW/ZnO PD maintains spectral selectivity in the UV region. These findings show the pivotal role of Pt NPs in enhancing photodetection performance through their strong light absorption and scattering properties. This improvement is associated with localized surface plasmon resonance induced by the Pt NPs, leading to enhanced incident light and interfacial charge separation for the specialized configurations of the nanodevice. Utilizing metal NPs for device modification represents a breakthrough that positively affects the preparation of high-performance ZnO-based UV PDs.

This study simulated the effects of direct predatory pressure, indirect predatory pressure, and conspecific injury signals on sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) to determine changes in the activity of immune defense enzymes (lysozyme, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase) and antioxidant stress enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde). Samples of sea cucumber juveniles were collected at 3 h, 12 h, 72 h, and 96 h post predatory stress, and six enzymes related to immune defense and antioxidant stress were selected for activity assays, namely, lysozyme (LZM), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The results indicate that under direct predatory pressure, the activity of catalase in sea cucumbers was significantly higher than that of the control group at 3 h (P < 0.05), while the activities of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase were significantly lower at 72 h (P < 0.05). Under indirect predatory pressure, the activity of malondialdehyde in sea cucumbers was significantly higher than that of the control group at 12 h (P < 0.05), the activity of alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher at 72 and 96 h (P < 0.05), the activity of catalase was significantly lower at 72 h, and the activity of superoxide dismutase was significantly higher at 72 h (P < 0.05). Under the influence of conspecific injury signals, the activity of malondialdehyde in sea cucumbers was significantly higher than that of the control group at 12 h (P < 0.05), and the activity of superoxide dismutase was significantly higher at 96 h (P < 0.05). The sea cucumber enhanced its antioxidant capacity 3 h after facing a predator, while its immune defense mechanism was suppressed at 72 h. When facing indirect predatory pressure, the sea cucumber may have made immune and antioxidant preparations for the arrival of unknown risks. The experimental results show that predatory pressure has a significant impact on the immune and antioxidant functions of sea cucumbers, which may be related to the physiological state and environmental adaptability of the sea cucumber. This study provides a new perspective for understanding how sea cucumbers cope with predatory pressure in the natural environment and offers theoretical support for the cultivation management of sea cucumbers.

This study focuses on investigating the strength recovery of fire-damaged fly ash concrete (FAC) with a low substitution rate of 10% through post-fire curing. The chemical and microstructural changes were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and nitrogen adsorption. The findings indicate that the incorporation of fly ash slightly enhanced the strength after exposure to 400 °C; this was attributed to improved pozzolanic reactions, which were not observed at higher temperatures of 600 °C and 800 °C. Moreover, a positive effect on the recovery of compressive strength was observed due to the pozzolanic reaction. However, due to the relatively low fly ash content, depletion occurred at a later age, resulting in the inability to inhibit microstructural damage caused by the production of portlandite, thereby weakening the compressive strength. Interestingly, fly ash influenced the morphology of calcium carbonate and calcium silicate hydrate crystals, which is potentially ascribed to the role of high aluminum content acting as a crystallization-guiding agent.

A 2D topology optimization algorithm is proposed, which integrates the control of hole shape, hole number, and the minimum scale between holes through the utilization of an appearance target image. The distance between the structure and the appearance target image is defined as the hole appearance constraint. The appearance constraint is organized as inequality constraints to control the performance of the structure in an iterative optimization. Specifically, hole shapes are controlled by matching adaptable equivalent shape templates, the minimum scales between holes are controlled by a hole shrinkage strategy, and the hole number is controlled by a hole number calculation and filling method. Based on the SIMP interpolation topology optimization model, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through numerical examples.

This study investigates the microstructural evolution and its effect on the fatigue performance of a novel nickel-based powder superalloy FGH4113A (WZ-A3) after long-term aging at 760 °C and 815 °C. The results show that long-term aging both at 760 °C and 815 °C has no significant effect on the grain size and morphology of the alloy. After aging at 760 °C for up to 2020 h, the size of the γ′ phase remains unchanged, and its morphology transitions from nearly square to nearly spherical. During long-term aging at 815 °C for 440 h, γ′ phase coarsening and spheroidizing occur simultaneously. With prolonged aging time, the size and spheroidization degree of the γ′ phase further increase. During long-term aging up to 440 h at 760 °C, the dispersed granular MC and M6C carbides dissolve and re-precipitate. By 2020 h of aging, flocculent carbides precipitate and non-continuous M6C and M23C6 accumulate at grain boundaries. After long-term aging at 815 °C for 440 h, flocculent carbides begin to precipitate within the grains. By 2020 h of aging, a large amount of flocculent carbides precipitate with significant coarsening and enrichment of the grain boundary carbides. Due to the insignificant coarsening of the γ′ phase as well as the enrichment and precipitation of the grain boundary carbides, the fatigue performance of the alloy decreases slightly after long-term aging.

This article introduces the design of a robot end effector, which can perform constant force grinding on a curved surface using a brush tool without accurately measuring the geometric data of the workpiece. It uses a bidirectional cylinder and spring to create a force balance system as an additional servo degree of freedom to control the grinding brush. The system adopts impedance control method, establishes a complete electric pneumatic model, and uses PID controller to control contact force by adjusting pneumatic pressure to maintain a constant grinding force on the surface. The test results indicate that the system can perform effective rust and paint removal tasks. For paint removal, the removal rate has been proven to be 99.3% through measurement using image processing software, while for rust removal, the results are at a similar level but reliable and quantifiable measurement methods are still being studied. The end effector can be installed on most general-purpose robots for grinding and has potential application value.

IntroductionThe ancient ivories unearthed from the Sanxingdui Ruins site are valuable cultural relics, however, the microbial biodeterioration on ivories during temporary cold storage poses a great threat to their later long-term preservation.MethodsHere, the combination of high-throughput sequencing and biochemical assays was applied for the in-depth investigation of the key deteriorative microorganisms colonizing on the ivories and the tracing of their origin, as well as the assessment of the ethanol disinfection impact on the microbial communities on ivories.ResultsIt was observed that the surfaces of ivories were scattered by the fungal patches of white, dark grey, and hedge green colors during cold storage. The high-throughput sequencing results showed that the genera Mortierella (38.51%), Ilyonectria (14.43%), Penicillium (1.15%), and Aspergillus (1.09%) were the dominant fungi, while Pseudomonas (22.63%), Sphingopyxis (3.06%), and Perlucidibaca (2.92%) were the dominant bacteria on ivories. The isolated Aspergillus A-2 resulted in the highest amount of calcium releasing from the degradation of hydroxyapatite (HAP), the main component of ivory, by the organic acids produced, including oxalic acid and citric acid. The fast expectation-maximization for microbial source tracking (FEAST) analysis revealed that the majority of the fungi (57.45%) and bacteria (71.84%) colonizing on the ivories were derived from the soils surrounding ivories in the sacrifice pits, indicating soils as the primary source for the spoilage microbes growing on ivories. The dominant strains could degrade cellulose, the key components of wet cotton towels commonly applied on ivories for moisture maintenance, aiding the spoilage microbes colonizing on ivories. Notably, the ivory disinfection with 75% ethanol during the cleansing significantly decreased the relative abundance of the dominant genera of Ilyonectria, Aspergillus, and Pseudomonas, with Mortierella becoming the dominant one on ivories.DiscussionTogether, the fungi, particularly Aspergillus and Penicillium, played a significant role in the microbial biodeterioration of unearthed ancient ivories by producing the organic acids. These results may improve the control of the microbial biodeterioration and develop more efficient strategies for the long-time conservation of unearthed ancient ivories and other cultural relics.

ABSTRACTChloroflexota bacteria are abundant and globally distributed in various deep-sea ecosystems. It has been reported based on metagenomics data that two deep-sea Chloroflexota lineages (the SAR202 group and Dehalococcoidia class) have the potential to drive sulfur cycling. However, the absence of cultured Chloroflexota representatives is a significant bottleneck toward understanding their contribution to the deep-sea sulfur cycling. In this study, we find that Phototrophicus methaneseepsis ZRK33 isolated from deep-sea sediment has a heterotrophic lifestyle and can assimilate sulfate and thiosulfate. Using combined physiological, genomic, proteomic, and in situ transcriptomic methods, we find that strain ZRK33 can perform assimilatory sulfate reduction in both laboratory and deep-sea conditions. Metabolism of sulfate or thiosulfate by strain ZRK33 significantly promotes the transport and degradation of various macromolecules and thereby stimulates the energy production. In addition, metagenomic results show that genes associated with assimilatory and dissimilatory sulfate reduction are ubiquitously distributed in the metagenome-assembled genomes of Chloroflexota members derived from deep-sea sediments. Metatranscriptomic results also show that the expression levels of related genes are upregulated, strongly suggesting that Chloroflexota bacteria may play undocumented roles in deep-sea sulfur cycling.IMPORTANCEThe cycling of sulfur is one of Earth's major biogeochemical processes and is closely related to the energy metabolism of microorganisms living in the deep-sea cold seep and hydrothermal vents. To date, some of the members of Chloroflexota are proposed to play a previously unrecognized role in sulfur cycling. However, the sulfur metabolic characteristics of deep-sea Chloroflexota bacteria have never been reported, and remain to be verified in cultured deep-sea representatives. Here, we show that the deep-sea Chloroflexota bacterium ZRK33 can perform sulfate assimilation in both laboratory and deep-sea conditions, which expands our knowledge of the sulfur metabolic potential of deep-sea Chloroflexota bacteria. We also show that the genes associated with assimilatory and dissimilatory sulfate reduction ubiquitously distribute in the deep-sea Chloroflexota members, providing hints to the roles of Chloroflexota bacteria in deep-sea sulfur biogeochemical cycling.

Abstract Construction of biomimetic models for structural color evolution not only gives new photonic phenomena but also provide cues for biological morphogenesis. Here, a novel confined self‐assembly method is proposed for the generation of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC)‐based cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) microbubbles. The assembly process relies on the combination of droplet microfluidics, solvent extraction, and a volume confined environment. The as‐prepared HPC structural color microbubbles have a transparent shell, an orderly arranged cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) middle layer, and an innermost bubble core. The size of the microbubble, shell thickness, and the color of the CLC layer can be adjusted by altering the microfluidic parameters. Intriguingly, benefited from the compartmentalization effect provided by droplet microfluidics, microbubbles with multiple cores of different color combinations are generated under precise control. The self‐assembled CLCs microbubbles have bright structural color, suspending ability, and good temperature‐sensitive characteristics, making them ideal underwater sensors. The present confined assembly approach will shed light on creating novel photonic structures and the HPC microbubble will find widespread applications in multifunctional sensing, optical display, and other related fields are believed.

Purpose: To evaluate the change in corneal biomechanics in patients with postoperative ectasia risk when combining two common laser vision correction procedures (tPRK and FS-LASIK) with cross-linking (in tPRK Xtra and FS-LASIK Xtra).Methods: The study included 143 eyes of 143 myopic, astigmatic patients that were divided into non-cross-linked refractive surgery groups (non-Xtra groups, tPRK and FS-LASIK) and cross-linked groups (Xtra groups, tPRK Xtra and FS-LASIK Xtra) according to an ectasia risk scoring system. The eyes were subjected to measurements including the stress-strain index (SSI), the stiffness parameter at first applanation (SP-A1), the integrated inverse radius (IIR), the deformation amplitude at apex (DA), and the ratio of deformation amplitude between apex and 2 mm from apex (DARatio2mm). The measurements were taken preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively (pos1m, pos3m, and pos6m). Posterior demarcation line depth from the endothelium (PDLD) and from the ablation surface (DLA) were recorded at pos1m.Results: SP-A1 significantly decreased, while IIR, deformation amplitude, and DARatio2mm increased significantly postoperatively in all four groups (p < 0.01)—all denoting stiffness decreases. In the FS-LASIK group, the changes in IIR, DA, and DARatio2mm were 32.7 ± 15.1%, 12.9 ± 7.1%, and 27.2 ± 12.0% respectively, which were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to 20.1 ± 12.8%, 6.4 ± 8.2%, and 19.7 ± 10.4% in the FS-LASIK Xtra group. In the tPRK group, the change in IIR was 27.3 ± 15.5%, significantly larger than 16.9 ± 13.4% in the tPRK Xtra group. The changes of SSI were minimal in the tPRK (−1.5 ± 21.7%, p = 1.000), tPRK Xtra (8.4 ± 17.9%, p = 0.053), and FS-LASIK Xtra (5.6 ± 12.7%, p = 0.634) groups, but was significant in the FS-LASIK group (−12.1 ± 7.9%, p < 0.01). After correcting for baseline biomechanical metrics, preoperative bIOP and the change in central corneal thickness (△CCT) from pre to pos6m, the changes in the IIR in both FS-LASIK and tPRK groups, as well as DA, DARatio2mm and SSI in the FS-LASIK group remained statistically greater than their corresponding Xtra groups (all p < 0.05). Most importantly, after correcting for these covariates, the changes in DARatio2mm in the FS-LASIK Xtra became statistically smaller than in the tPRK Xtra (p = 0.017).Conclusion: The statistical analysis results indicate that tPRK Xtra and FS-LASIK Xtra effectively reduced the biomechanical losses caused by refractive surgery (tPRK and FS-LASIK). The decrease in corneal overall stiffness was greater in FS-LASIK than in tPRK, and the biomechanical enhancement of CXL was also higher following LASIK than after tPRK.

Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) is a severe pathogen threatening the safety of agriculture and food. This study aimed to explore the antifungal efficacies of several plant-derived natural compounds (vanillin and its derivatives) against the growth of F. graminearum and investigate the antifungal mechanism of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (HMB), the strongest one. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of HMB in inhibiting mycelial growth was 200 μg/mL. HMB at MIC damaged cell membranes by increasing the permeability by about 6-fold (p

Abstract The requirement of the half-bridge LLC resonant converter with a wide input voltage range is becoming higher in photovoltaic applications because of its simple structure and low switching loss. Conventional frequency modulation (FM) requires a wide switching frequency range and a high-quality factor circuit design, leading to reduced efficiency and large component volumes at light loads. To solve the problems, a high-efficiency control strategy using adaptive pulse-width and frequency modulation (APWFM) is proposed. APWFM adjusts the gain by changing the switching frequency and duty cycle simultaneously. When the output power is below the reference value, the switching frequency decreases linearly as the output power decreases, and the duty cycle is simultaneously modulated to achieve constant output voltage, so the switching frequency variation range is smaller than FM. This results in improved light or medium load efficiency in a limited frequency range while keeping a small volume of magnetic components. Also, the proposed control strategy is realized with primary-side regulation (PSR) to eliminate the optocoupler and simplify the control circuit. Experimental results demonstrate a significant improvement in efficiency at medium and light loads compared to FM, and the average efficiency is improved by 5% based on low cost and simple operation.

In this paper, we consider weighted digraphs and prove that homotopic morphisms between weighted digraphs induce the identical homomorphisms on weighted path homology groups with field coefficients.

Electron beam welding (EBW) is suitable for joining titanium alloys. However, the utilization of EBW leads to an uneven microstructure within the weldment due to the rapid solidification and non-uniform temperature gradients, which results in the formation of coarse columnar β grains, ghost α phases, and metastable martensite α/α′ phases, decreasing the mechanical properties. Post-welded heat treatment (PWHT) is a practical method of enhancing mechanical properties by changing the phase composition and grain size. PWHT can promote decomposition and recrystallization of the metastable martensite α/α′ phase in the fusion zone (FZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ), creating dense nanoscale acicular α phases to build α+β colonies. As the holding time and temperature increase, the thickness and spacing of the acicular α phases increase. The increase in acicular α phases thickness and spacing has a more significant impact on the nanohardness but a lesser effect on the microhardness. Optimal PWHT is 630 °C for 2 h, followed by air cooling, which promotes the precipitation of dense nanoscale acicular α phases in the columnar β grains and ghost α phases, resulting in fine-grain strengthening effect, thereby greatly enhancing the mechanical properties of the welded joint with a tensile strength of 1053.8 MPa, an elongation of 14.33%, and a fracture at the base metal (BM). Moreover, due to the formation of dense nanoscale acicular α phases, more grain boundaries are generated, which hinder the dislocation movement, so that the localized strain in the FZ and HAZ is much lower than that in the BM.

Abstract The Chinese government relaxed the Zero-COVID policy on Dec 15, 2022, and reopened the border on Jan 8, 2023. Therefore, COVID prevention in China is facing new challenges. Though there are plenty of prior studies on COVID, none is regarding the predictions on daily confirmed cases, and medical resources needs after China reopens its borders. To fill this gap, this study innovates a combination of the Erdos Renyl network, modified computational model $$SEIRS$$ SEIRS , and python code instead of only mathematical formulas or computer simulations in the previous studies. The research background in this study is Shanghai, a representative city in China. Therefore, the results in this study also demonstrate the situation in other regions of China. According to the population distribution and migration characteristics, we divided Shanghai into six epidemic research areas. We built a COVID spread model of the Erodos Renyl network. And then, we use python code to simulate COVID spread based on modified $$SEIRS$$ SEIRS model. The results demonstrate that the second and third waves will occur in July–September and Oct-Dec, respectively. At the peak of the epidemic in 2023, the daily confirmed cases will be 340,000, and the cumulative death will be about 31,500. Moreover, 74,000 hospital beds and 3,700 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds will be occupied in Shanghai. Therefore, Shanghai faces a shortage of medical resources. In this simulation, daily confirmed cases predictions significantly rely on transmission, migration, and waning immunity rate. The study builds a mixed-effect model to verify further the three parameters' effect on the new confirmed cases. The results demonstrate that migration and waning immunity rates are two significant parameters in COVID spread and daily confirmed cases. This study offers theoretical evidence for the government to prevent COVID after China opened its borders.

Abstract We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the protective roles of boron (B) against trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-induced hepatotoxicity by assessing TCA exposure in vivo and exploring the potential mechanisms by which B protects against TCA-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro. For the in vivo study, we evaluated TCA-induced hepatotoxicity in adult male B6C3F1 mice exposed to 25, 50, 125, and 500 mg/kg/day of TCA, respectively, for 21 days. We found that the mice’s liver weight was significantly increased, and that there were changes in hepatic histopathology, particularly in mice treated with the highest dosage (500 mg/kg/day). TCA also increased the hepatic oxidoreductase activity of medium-chain and long-chain acyl-coenzyme A (CoA), which are biomarkers of peroxisome proliferation, in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, we established a TCA-induced HepG2 cell model of oxidative damage to estimate the cytotoxicity and determine the positive effects of B administration in vitro. We found that B administration significantly reduced oxidative stress by attenuating the production of TCA-induced reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. B also significantly downregulated the concentrations of certain cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and transforming growth factor-beta, which are predominantly associated with the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. In addition, B significantly upregulated phospho-p38 levels and downregulated Bax and p21 levels in the cytoplasm and downregulated p38 and p21 levels in the nucleus. Taken together, our findings suggest that the protective role of B against TCA-induced hepatotoxicity primarily involves alleviation of oxidative damage and cell apoptosis caused by TCA and might be mediated via the p38 MAPK pathway.

Abstract The evolution of excitons from 2D to 3D is of great importance in photo-physics, yet the layer-dependent exciton polarizability hasn’t been investigated in 2D semiconductors. Here, we determine the exciton polarizabilities for 3- to 11-layer black phosphorus—a direct bandgap semiconductor regardless of the thickness—through frequency-resolved photocurrent measurements on dual-gate devices and unveil the carrier screening effect in relatively thicker samples. By taking advantage of the broadband photocurrent spectra, we are also able to reveal the exciton response for higher-index subbands under the gate electrical field. Surprisingly, dark excitons are brightened with intensity even stronger than the allowed transitions above certain electrical field. Our study not only sheds light on the exciton evolution with sample thickness, but also paves a way for optoelectronic applications of few-layer BP in modulators, tunable photodetectors, emitters and lasers.

N-glycans in many proteins are of great concern because of their strong association with food allergies. Triticum aestivum (bread wheat), a major food crop, is known as one of the “Big Eight” allergenic groups. However, little research has been done about N-glycans in wheat glycoproteins. In this study, a soluble wheat glycoprotein was purified from wheat and further identified as globulin-1 S allele (GSA). The wheat GSA displayed significant IgE-binding activity. Moreover, one N-glycosylation site and 6 kinds of N-glycans were identified by mass spectrometry, including 3 high mannose types and 3 complex types. Furthermore, the IgE-binding activity of wheat GSA is proved to be reduced by the removal of N-glycan, thermal treatment (temperatures > 80 °C), and strong acidic treatment (pH 3.0). These findings would provide a better understanding of the effects of N-glycosylation, thermal treatment, and acidic treatment on the molecular characteristics of GSA, and further provide new insights into the development of hypoallergenic wheat products.

Abstract Despite an alarming increase in the prevalence of hypertension among Chinese young adults, longitudinal studies investigating factors that affect the maintenance of normal blood pressure (BP) in this population are lacking. Our study aimed to address this knowledge gap. A total of 7100 participants from the Kailuan Study who had normal BP and were aged

Abstract Accurately predicting the brain responses to various stimuli poses a significant challenge in neuroscience. Despite recent breakthroughs in neural encoding using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in fMRI studies, there remain critical gaps between the computational rules of traditional artificial neurons and real biological neurons. To address this issue, a spiking CNN (SCNN)-based framework is presented in this study to achieve neural encoding in a more biologically plausible manner. The framework utilizes unsupervised SCNN to extract visual features of image stimuli and employs a receptive field-based regression algorithm to predict fMRI responses from the SCNN features. Experimental results on handwritten characters, handwritten digits and natural images demonstrate that the proposed approach can achieve remarkably good encoding performance and can be utilized for “brain reading” tasks such as image reconstruction and identification. This work suggests that SNN can serve as a promising tool for neural encoding.

Abstract Naturally existing in-plane hyperbolic polaritons and the associated optical topological transitions, which avoid the nano-structuring to achieve hyperbolicity, can outperform their counterparts in artificial metasurfaces. Such plasmon polaritons are rare, but experimentally revealed recently in WTe2 van der Waals thin films. Different from phonon polaritons, hyperbolic plasmon polaritons originate from the interplay of free carrier Drude response and interband transitions, which promise good intrinsic tunability. However, tunable in-plane hyperbolic plasmon polariton and its optical topological transition of the isofrequency contours to the elliptic topology in a natural material have not been realized. Here we demonstrate the tuning of the optical topological transition through Mo doping and temperature. The optical topological transition energy is tuned over a wide range, with frequencies ranging from 429 cm−1 (23.3 microns) for pure WTe2 to 270 cm−1 (37.0 microns) at the 50% Mo-doping level at 10 K. Moreover, the temperature-induced blueshift of the optical topological transition energy is also revealed, enabling active and reversible tuning. Surprisingly, the localized surface plasmon resonance in skew ribbons shows unusual polarization dependence, accurately manifesting its topology, which renders a reliable means to track the topology with far-field techniques. Our results open an avenue for reconfigurable photonic devices capable of plasmon polariton steering, such as canaling, focusing, and routing, and pave the way for low-symmetry plasmonic nanophotonics based on anisotropic natural materials.

This paper introduces a novel plasmon refractive index nanosensor structure based on Fano resonance. The structure comprises a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) waveguide with an inverted rectangular cavity and a circle minus a small internal circle plus a rectangular cavity (CMSICPRC). This study employs the finite element method (FEM) to analyze the sensing characteristics of the structure. The results demonstrate that the geometrical parameters of specific structures exert a considerable influence on the sensing characteristics. Simulated experimental data show that the maximum sensitivity of this structure is 3240 nm/RIU, with a figure of merit (FOM) of 52.25. Additionally, the sensor can be used in biology, for example, to detect the concentration of hemoglobin in blood. The sensitivity of the sensor in this application, according to our calculations, can be 0.82 nm∙g/L.

From an engineering standpoint, investigating the effects of rotation speed and fulvic acid concentration on the development of secondary high-iron minerals is crucial for treating acid mine drainage. The Fe2+ oxidation mechanism by Acidithiobacillus (A.) ferrooxidans to synthesise secondary high-iron minerals was examined in this study using shaking flask tests under various conditions: fulvic acid concentrations of 0, 0.2, or 0.4 g/L and rotation speeds of 180 r/min or 100 r/min. The pH, Fe2+ oxidation rate, total iron precipitation rate, secondary high-iron mineral functional groups and ore equivalent indicators were also investigated. The results demonstrated that at a fulvic acid concentration of 0 g/L, the pH decreased from 2.5 to 2.17 at 180 r/min. At 0.2 g/L, it decreased from 2.5 to 2.05. Finally, at 0.4 g/L, it decreased from 2.5 to 2.07. Fe2+ was completely oxidised after 48 h, and the final total iron precipitation rate ranged from 26.2% to 33.4%. The synthesised secondary high-iron minerals were uniformly dispersed in the solution. When the rotation speed was 100 r/min, the pH reduced from 2.5 to 2.25 at a fulvic acid concentration of 0 g/L, from 2.5 to 2.14 at 0.2 g/L, and from 2.5 to 2.19 at 0.4 g/L. Notably, Fe2+ was completely oxidised within 72 h. The experiment’s final iron precipitation rate ranged from 23.6 to 29.6%. The synthesised secondary high-iron minerals were blocky and adhered to the bottom of the shaking flask. In summary, at a rotation speed of 180 r/min or 100 r/min, the Fe2+ oxidation rate and total iron precipitation rate of the experimental group with a fulvic acid concentration of 0.2 g/L were higher than those of the control group and the experimental group with a fulvic acid concentration of 0.4 g/L. A fulvic acid concentration of 0.2 g/L enhanced the activity of A. ferrooxidans. The minerals obtained from these experiments were characterised and identified as schwertmannite and jarosite.

MYB transcription factors (TFs) play vital roles in plant growth, development, and response to adversity. Although the MYB gene family has been studied in many plant species, there is still little known about the function of R2R3 MYB TFs in sweet potato in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, an R2R3 MYB gene, IbMYB330 was isolated from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). IbMYB330 was ectopically expressed in tobacco and the functional characterization was performed by overexpression in transgenic plants. The IbMYB330 protein has a 268 amino acid sequence and contains two highly conserved MYB domains. The molecular weight and isoelectric point of IbMYB330 are 29.24 kD and 9.12, respectively. The expression of IbMYB330 in sweet potato is tissue-specific, and levels in the root were significantly higher than that in the leaf and stem. It showed that the expression of IbMYB330 was strongly induced by PEG-6000, NaCl, and H2O2. Ectopic expression of IbMYB330 led to increased transcript levels of stress-related genes such as SOD, POD, APX, and P5CS. Moreover, compared to the wild-type (WT), transgenic tobacco overexpression of IbMYB330 enhanced the tolerance to drought and salt stress treatment as CAT activity, POD activity, proline content, and protein content in transgenic tobacco had increased, while MDA content had decreased. Taken together, our study demonstrated that IbMYB330 plays a role in enhancing the resistance of sweet potato to stresses. These findings lay the groundwork for future research on the R2R3-MYB genes of sweet potato and indicates that IbMYB330 may be a candidate gene for improving abiotic stress tolerance in crops.

Owing to the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, obesity has emerged as a significant global public health concern. To gain enhanced control over obesity, we examined the effects of type 2 resistant starch (RS2) and its promoted microbial-derived metabolite, indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), on hepatic steatosis, antioxidant activity, and gut microbiota in obese mice. Neither RS2 nor low-dose IPA (20 mg kg−1) exhibited a reduction in body weight or improved glucose and lipid metabolism in post-obesity state mice continuously fed the high-fat diet (HFD). However, both interventions improved hepatic steatosis, with RS2 being more effective in all measured parameters, potentially due to changes in gut microbiota and metabolites not solely attributed to IPA. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed increased serum IPA levels in both RS2 and IPA groups, which positively correlated with Bifidobacterium and Clostridium. Moreover, RS2 exhibited a more significant restoration of gut dysbiosis by promoting the abundance of health-promoting bacteria including Faecalibaculum and Bifidobacterium. These findings suggest that the regulatory role of RS2 on tryptophan metabolism only partially explains its prebiotic activity. Future studies should consider increasing the dose of IPA and combining RS2 and IPA to explore their potential interventions in obesity.

mRNA vaccines are entering a period of rapid development. However, their synthesis is still plagued by challenges related to mRNA impurities and fragments (incomplete mRNA). Most impurities of mRNA products transcribed in vitro are mRNA fragments. Only full-length mRNA transcripts containing both a 5′-cap and a 3′-poly(A) structure are viable for in vivo expression. Therefore, RNA fragments are the primary product-related impurities that significantly hinder mRNA efficacy and must be effectively controlled; these species are believed to originate from either mRNA hydrolysis or premature transcriptional termination. In the manufacturing of commercial mRNA vaccines, T7 RNA polymerase-catalyzed in vitro transcription (IVT) synthesis is a well-established method for synthesizing long RNA transcripts. This study identified a pivotal domain on the T7 RNA polymerase that is associated with erroneous mRNA release. By leveraging the advantageous properties of a T7 RNA polymerase mutant and precisely optimized IVT process parameters, we successfully achieved an mRNA integrity exceeding 91%, thereby further unlocking the immense potential of mRNA therapeutics.

Pointing error is a critical performance metric for vehicle-mounted single-photon ranging theodolites (VSRTs). Achieving high-precision pointing through processing and adjustment can incur significant costs. In this study, we propose a cost-effective digital correction method based on a piecewise linear regression model to mitigate this issue. Firstly, we introduce the structure of a VSRT and conduct a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing its pointing error. Subsequently, we develop a physically meaningful piecewise linear regression model that is both physically meaningful and capable of accurately estimating the pointing error. We then calculate and evaluate the regression equation to ensure its effectiveness. Finally, we successfully apply the proposed method to correct the pointing error. The efficacy of our approach has been substantiated through dynamic accuracy testing of a 450 mm optical aperture VSRT. The findings illustrate that our regression model diminishes the root mean square (RMS) value of VSRT’s pointing error from 17″ to below 5″. Following correction utilizing this regression model, the pointing error of VSRT can be notably enhanced to the arc-second precision level.

The small intestine is important to the digestion and absorption of rumen undegradable nutrients, as well as the barrier functionality and immunological responses in ruminants. Oxidative stress induces a spectrum of pathophysiological symptoms and nutritional deficits, causing various gastrointestinal ailments. Previous studies have shown that nicotinamide (NAM) has antioxidant properties, but the potential mechanism has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of NAM on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury in bovine intestinal epithelial cells (BIECs) and its potential mechanism. The results showed that NAM increased the cell viability and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in BIECs challenged by H2O2. The NAM exhibited increased expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase 2, and tight junction proteins. The expression of autophagy-related proteins was increased in BIECs challenged by H2O2, and NAM significantly decreased the expression of autophagy-related proteins. When an autophagy-specific inhibitor was used, the oxidative injury in BIECs was not alleviated by NAM, and the T-AOC and the release of LDH were not affected. Collectively, these results indicated that NAM could alleviate oxidative injury in BIECs by enhancing antioxidant capacity and increasing the expression of tight junction proteins, and autophagy played a crucial role in the alleviation.

NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) has been suggested as an environmentally friendly solid-state refrigerant that is expected to replace the traditional vapor compression technology. However, its various refrigeration indicators still need to be further explored and enhanced. Nanocrystalline NiTi SMA has significant advantages in terms of elastocaloric effect (eCE) and cyclic stability compared with traditional coarse-grained NiTi SMA. In this work, the influence of aspect ratio (L/W, where L and W are the gauge length and width of the samples, respectively) on the eCE and its cyclic stability of nanocrystalline NiTi SMA was investigated experimentally. The in-situ cyclic tensile tests were performed to observe the axial strain field and temperature field on the surface of the specimens with different aspect ratios. Some microscopic observations were also carried out to clarify the internal mechanism. The experimental results show that as the aspect ratio decreases, the adiabatic temperature change ΔTad (elasocaloric cooling capacity) of the nanocrystalline NiTi SMA gradually decreases, while the coefficient of the performance of material (COPmat) increases, and the cyclic stability of eCE was enhanced. However, the dependence of eCE and its cyclic stability on the aspect ratio is gradually weakened when L/W > 4. The eCE and its cyclic stability of nanocrystalline NiTi SMA are not related to the dislocation slipping but rather attributed to the cyclically accumulated residual martensite. This work can provide valuable reference for designing efficient and reliable nanocrystalline NiTi SMA based solid-state refrigeration devices.

Abstract Background Acute exposure to seizurogenic organophosphate (OP) nerve agents (OPNA) such as diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) or soman (GD), at high concentrations, induce immediate status epilepticus (SE), reactive gliosis, neurodegeneration, and epileptogenesis as a consequence. Medical countermeasures (MCMs—atropine, oximes, benzodiazepines), if administered in 20 min of continuous convulsive seizures. 1400W significantly reduced GD-induced motor and cognitive dysfunction; nitrooxidative stress (nitrite, ROS; increased GSH: GSSG); proinflammatory cytokines in the serum and some in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); epileptiform spikes and spontaneously recurring seizures (SRS) in males; reactive gliosis (GFAP + C3 and IBA1 + CD68-positive glia) as a measure of neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration (especially parvalbumin-positive neurons) in some brain regions. Conclusion These findings demonstrate the long-term disease-modifying effects of a glial-targeted iNOS inhibitor, 1400W, in a rat GD model by modulating reactive gliosis, neurodegeneration (parvalbumin-positive neurons), and neuronal hyperexcitability.

Abstract Background Folliculogenesis is a complex network of interacting cellular signals between somatic cells and oocytes. Many components in ovarian follicular fluid (FF) dynamically change during folliculogenesis and play a positive role in oocyte maturation. Previous studies have reported that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) promotes cumulus cell expansion, oocyte nuclear maturation, and in vitro maturation of oocytes. Results Initially, the expression of LPA was raised in matured FF significantly (P

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is recognized for its antioxidant property, as a kind of natural phenolic-rich ingredient. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present a class of heat-driven hazards in foods, especially the processed meat. In this study, the effect of coriander root and leaf extract on the formation and inhibition of PAH8 in roasted duck wings was firstly investigated. Coriander root extract (CRE) and coriander leaf extract (CLE) with five concentration groups (200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 mg/L) were prepared respectively to marinate the duck wings. CRE marinade exhibited greater inhibitory effect on PAH8 formation in roasted duck wings that ranged from 65.0 %–87.4 %. The electron spin resonance study indicated a significantly positive correlation between PAH8 and free radical level, suggesting the participation of radicals in PAHs formation. Also, it was speculated that the inhibitory effect on PAH8 was related to the phenolic compounds identified in coriander marinades. CRE made greater inhibitory effect on the formation of PAH8 and could be considered as a kind of natural source to mitigate PAHs in heat-processed meat products.

Abstract Background Given the serious consequences of depression and the lack of information about it during the crucially developmental period from the National College Entrance Exam (CEE, i.e., Chinese gaokao) to college, this study aimed to estimate the cumulative incidence, prevalence, age of onset, correlates, and service use of depressive disorders (DDs) among youth who passed the CEE and were enrolled at Hunan Normal University in China. Methods A two-stage cross-sectional epidemiological survey of DDs was conducted from October to December, 2017 among 6,922 incoming college students (98.5% effective response, N = 6,818, 71.4% female, age range: 16–25 years, mean age = 18.6). Using a stratified sampling method based on the risk of depression, 926 participants (mean age = 18.5, 75.2% female) were selected and subsequently interviewed with the Kiddie–Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia–Present and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL). Results The sex-adjusted 9-month (i.e., 3 months pre-CEE, 3 months after CEE, and 3 months post-matriculation) incidence of new-onset DDs was 2.3% (standard error [S.E.] 0.3%), and the sex-adjusted 1-month, 6-month and lifetime prevalence were 0.7 (S.E. 0.3%), 1.7 (S.E. 0.2%) and 7.5% (S.E. 1.3%), respectively. The median age of onset was 17 (interquartile range: 16–18) years. Critically, over one-third (36.5%, S.E. 0.6) of depressed youth had their new onset during the 9-month period. The risk factors for depression included having mothers with higher education, experiencing major life events, being female, and experiencing parental divorce or death. The adjusted lifetime treatment rate was 8.7%. Conclusion The 9-month incidence of new-onset depression from gaokao to college among the youth sample in China is similar to the global annual incidence (3.0%), but the 1-month and lifetime prevalence are significantly lower than the global point (7.2%) and lifetime prevalence (19%). These findings suggest a high proportion of new-onset depression during the CEE to college among the sample youth in China. The risk of depression is associated with familial and stress correlates. Low treatment is a serious concern. Emphasis on early prevention and available treatment for adolescent and young adult depression is a critical need in China.

Abstract Circular RNA HIPK3 (circHIPK3) mediates the progression of multiple cancers, including bladder cancer, by regulating cell migration, autophagy and epithelial mesenchymal transition. However, the mechanism by which circHIPK3 regulates autophagy in bladder cancer cells remains unclear. Autophagy is a common self-protection mechanism in eukaryotic cells and is essential for cell survival and death regulation. However, it is unclear whether circHIPK3 affects the level of autophagy in bladder cancer through binding proteins, and the potential regulatory mechanism is unknown. Here, we found that circHIPK3 levels were significantly lower and autophagy-related proteins were significantly upregulated in bladder cancer cells and tissues compared to normal controls. CircHIPK3 downregulation promoted bladder cancer cell proliferation, while circHIPK3 overexpression inhibited proliferation. CircHIPK3 overexpression significantly suppressed autophagy in bladder cancer cells. Overexpression of circHIPK3 did not affect VCP protein expression but inhibited the VCP/Beclin 1 interaction. VCP also stabilized Beclin 1 and promoted autophagy in bladder cancer cells by downregulating ataxin-3. Thus, circHIPK3 may play an important role in bladder cancer by inhibiting VCP-mediated autophagy.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an overwhelming and incurable disabling condition, for which increasing forms of multifunctional biomaterials are being tested, but with limited progression. The promising material should be able to fill SCI-induced cavities and direct the growth of new neurons, with effective drug loading to improve the local micro-organism environment and promote neural tissue regeneration. In this study, a double crosslinked biomimetic composite hydrogel comprised of acellularized spinal cord matrix (ASCM) and gelatin-acrylated-β-cyclodextrin-polyethene glycol diacrylate (designated G-CD-PEGDA) hydrogel, loaded with WAY-316606 to activate canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and reinforced by a bundle of three-dimensionally printed aligned polycaprolactone (PCL) microfibers, was constructed. The G-CD-PEGDA component endowed the composite hydrogel with a dynamic structure with a self-healing capability which enabled cell migration, while the ASCM component promoted neural cell affinity and proliferation. The diffusion of WAY-316606 could recruit endogenous neural stem cells and improve neuronal differentiation. The aligned PCL microfibers guided neurite elongation in the longitudinal direction. Animal behavior studies further showed that the composite hydrogel could significantly recover the motor function of rats after SCI. This study provides a proficient approach to produce a multifunctional system with desirable physiological, chemical, and topographical cues for treating patients with SCI.

Abstract Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the common malignant tumors that seriously threaten women's health, and there is a lack of clinical prognostic predictors, while m5c and lncRNA have been shown to be predictive of multiple cancers, including OC. Therefore, our goal was to construct a risk model for OC based on m5c-related lncRNA.340 m5c-related lncRNA were identified and a novel risk model of OC ground on nine m5C-related lncRNA was constructed using LASSO-COX regression analysis. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed there was a significant difference in prognosis between risk groups. We established a nomogram which was a good predictor of overall survival. In addition, GSEA was enriched in multiple pathways and immune function analysis suggested that immune infiltration varies depending on the risk group. In vitro experiments show that AC005562.1, a key lncRNA of the risk model, is highly expressed in OC cells and promotes OC cell proliferation. Finally, we further explored the potential biological markers of m5c-related lncRNA in OC with WGCNA analysis and established a ceRNA network. In conclusion,we have developed a reliable m5c-related prediction model and performed systematic validation and exploration of various aspects. These results can be used for the assessment of OC prognosis and the discovery of novel biomarkers.

Distributed power access to the distribution network acceleration, if you can not deal with the relationship between grid operation, grid current balance, energy storage, and other constraints, will significantly reduce the efficiency of grid operation. In this paper, we first model photovoltaic power generation and wind power generation among distributed power sources and summarize the decision-making objectives and constraints according to the impact of distributed power sources on the distribution network voltage, network loss, and other aspects. The traditional particle swarm algorithm is improved and used to construct an optimization model for a distributed power access scheme with active management. Then, the model is compared with the traditional particle swarm algorithm and the NSGA algorithm to verify the effectiveness of the improvement. It is found that the improved PSO algorithms GD and SP in this paper are 0.0042 and 0.0192 in the ZDT1 function test, which is lower than 0.0139 and 0.0652 of NSGA and much lower than 0.0863 and 0.3992 of the basic PSO. In the arithmetic calculations of the model designed in this paper, the DG operation, network loss, power purchase, sewage, and cost are respectively 1,527,100 yuan, 159,800 yuan, 4,792,500 yuan, and 168,300 yuan, totaling 6,647,700,000 yuan, which is much lower in cost than the non-actively managed, non-installed distributed power model. This study provides new ideas and methods for the multi-objective optimization problem of high penetration rate distributed power supply access to distribution networks.

In this paper, a robust greedy algorithm is applied to select the node with the highest weight value for fault observation in distribution networks. Except for the first observation node, the weights of the remaining nodes are calculated based on the results of the last observation node. The scheduling cycle is divided into several consecutive periods, and the network operation structure is observed for each period, which is gradually merged to finally obtain a set of solution schemes that satisfy the constraints on the number of switching actions for dynamic reconfiguration collaboration. The results show that the line fault system measurability is all in the 81.8%-100% interval. The method in this paper can directly locate 64.3% of the line faults in the 10kV distribution network, which can significantly reduce the number of traveling wave-locating devices, lower the investment cost, and reduce the fault locating error. It has a certain degree of adaptability in the case of the line N-1. Network operation observation can be found that the highest load-interval in a day is from 5:00 to 18:00. Using the method of this paper reduces 1 division period compared with the traditional method, reconfigures the structure to reduce the number of switching actions, and reduces the network loss from 812.06kW·h to 805.69kW·h.

Aggregated diagnostic data collected over time from swine production systems is an important data source to investigate swine productivity and health, especially when combined with records concerning the pre-weaning and post-weaning phases of production. The combination of multiple data streams collected over the lifetime of the pigs is the essence of the whole-herd epidemiological investigation. This approach is particularly valuable for investigating the multifaceted and ever-changing factors contributing to wean-to-finish (W2F) swine mortality. The objective of this study was to use a retrospective dataset (“master table”) containing information on 1,742 groups of pigs marketed over time to identify the major risk factors associated with W2F mortality. The master table was built by combining historical breed-to-market performance and health data with disease diagnostic records (Dx Codes) from marketed groups of growing pigs. After building the master table, univariate analyses were conducted to screen for risk factors to be included in the initial multivariable model. After a stepwise backward model selection approach, 5 variables and 2 interactions remained in the final model. Notably, the diagnosis variable significantly associated with W2F mortality was porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Closeouts with clinical signs suggestive of Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli infection were also associated with higher W2F mortality. Source sow farm factors that remained significantly associated with W2F mortality were the sow farm PRRS status, average weaning age, and the average pre-weaning mortality. After testing for the possible interactions in the final model, two interactions were significantly associated with wean-to-finish pig mortality: (1) sow farm PRRS status and a laboratory diagnosis of PRRSV and (2) average weaning age and a laboratory diagnosis of PRRS. Closeouts originating from PRRS epidemic or PRRS negative sow farms, when diagnosed with PRRS in the growing phase, had the highest W2F mortality rates. Likewise, PRRS diagnosis in the growing phase was an important factor in mortality, regardless of the average weaning age of the closeouts. Overall, this study demonstrated the utility of a whole-herd approach when analyzing diagnostic information along with breeding-to-market productivity and health information, to measure the major risk factors associated with W2F mortality in specified time frames and pig populations.

Neutrophils are important inflammatory effector cells that protect against foreign invasion but also cause self-harm. Numerous neutrophils infiltrate the lungs in acute respiratory distress syndrome/acute lung injury (ARDS/ALI) patients. However, the exact impact of neutrophil infiltration on ARDS's onset and progression remains unclear. To investigate this, we analyzed two ARDS-related datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus public database and discovered an association between CD177, a neutrophil-specific surface protein, and ARDS progression. We used quantitative flow cytometry to assess CD177+ neutrophils in the peripheral blood of clinical ARDS patients versus healthy controls, finding a significant increase in CD177+ neutrophils percentage among total neutrophils in ARDS patients. This finding was further confirmed in ALI mouse models. Subsequent animal experiments showed that anti-CD177 effectively reduces pulmonary edema, neutrophil infiltration, and inflammatory cytokine release, along with a decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels. We also established an in vitro co-culture system to mimic neutrophil and lung epithelial cell interactions. In the anti-CD177 group, we observed decreased expression of NLRP3, caspase 1, PAD4, MPO, and ROS, along with a reduction in certain inflammatory cytokines. These results indicate a crucial role for the CD177 gene in ARDS's development and progression. Inhibiting CD177 may help mitigate excessive activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, ROS, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), thus alleviating ARDS.

ObjectiveNeurofilament light chain (Nf-L) has been used to detect neuroaxonal damage in the brain caused by physical injury or disease. The purpose of this study was to determine if serum Nf-L could be used as a biomarker for pre-symptomatic detection of scrapie in sheep.MethodsFour sheep with prion protein genotype AVQQ were intranasally inoculated with the classical scrapie strain x124. Blood was collected every 4 weeks until 44 weeks post-inoculation, at which point weekly collection commenced. Serum was analyzed using single molecule array (Quanterix SR-X) to evaluate Nf-L concentrations.ResultsScrapie was confirmed in each sheep by testing homogenized brainstem at the level of the obex with a commercially available enzyme immunoassay. Increased serum Nf-L concentrations were identified above the determined cutoff during the last tenth of the respective incubation period for each sheep. Throughout the time course study, PrPSc accumulation was not detected antemortem by immunohistochemistry in rectal tissue at any timepoint for any sheep. RT-QuIC results were inconsistently positive throughout the timepoints tested for each sheep; however, each sheep had at least one timepoint detected positive. When assessing serum Nf-L utility using receiver operator characteristic curves against different clinical parameters, such as asymptomatic and symptomatic (pruritus or neurologic signs), results showed that Nf-L was most useful at being an indicator of disease only late in disease progression when neurologic signs were present.ConclusionSerum Nf-L concentrations in the cohort of sheep increased as disease progressed; however, serum Nf-L did not increase during the presymptomatic window. The levels increased substantially throughout the final 10% of the animals' scrapie incubation period when other clinical signs were present. Serum Nf-L is not a reliable biomarker for pre-clinical detection of scrapie.

Planctomycetes bacteria are ubiquitously distributed across various biospheres and play key roles in global element cycles. However, few deep-sea Planctomycetes members have been cultivated, limiting our understanding of Planctomycetes in the deep biosphere. Here, we have successfully cultured a novel strain of Planctomycetes (strain ZRK32) from a deep-sea cold seep sediment. Our genomic, physiological, and phylogenetic analyses indicate that strain ZRK32 is a novel species, which we propose be named: Poriferisphaera heterotrophicis. We show that strain ZRK32 replicates using a budding mode of division. Based on the combined results from growth assays and transcriptomic analyses, we found that rich nutrients, or supplementation with NO3- or NH4+ promoted the growth of strain ZRK32 by facilitating energy production through the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas glycolysis pathway. Moreover, supplementation with NO3- or NH4+ induced strain ZRK32 to release a bacteriophage in a chronic manner, without host cell lysis. This bacteriophage then enabled strain ZRK32, and another marine bacterium that we studied, to metabolize nitrogen through the function of auxiliary metabolic genes. Overall, these findings expand our understanding of deep-sea Planctomycetes bacteria, while highlighting their ability to metabolize nitrogen when reprogrammed by chronic viruses.