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The use of saturated coral aggregate (SCA) as practical replacement of quartz sand has been shown to effectively mitigate the autogenous shrinkage in ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC). The autogenous deformation, the compressive strength, the flexural strength, and the hydration property development of paste with different shrinkage means were tested. Three different methods were evaluated to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage: SCA, shrinkage reducing admixture (SRA), and the mixture of SCA and SRA (SRA-SCA). It was found that SCA and SRA have all the effective ways to reduce the shrinkage deformation, and SRA-SCA was the most effective in mitigating the shrinkage. The autogenous shrinkage of UHPC was restrained, when the SCA dosage was 44%, the SRA dosage was 0.8%, the SCA content was 26%, the SRA dosage was 2.4%, the SCA content was 18%, the SRA content was 2.4%, or the SCA dosage was 26%. The mechanical properties were deteriorated by the addition of SCA, while the compressive strength was still higher than 90 MPa at 28 days even though the replacement ratio of SCA was up to 50%. Furthermore, internal curing by means of SCA was proved to be a successful way to mitigate autogenous shrinkage, after the tests.

Serologic and molecular evidence indicates that peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection has emerged in goats and sheep in the Ngari region of southwestern Tibet, People's Republic of China. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that the PPRV strain from Tibet is classified as lineage 4 and is closely related to viruses currently circulating in neighboring countries of southern Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of accurate simulation model parameters of cotton straw in the conveying process causes large differences between simulation effects and actual operation, which to a certain extent limits the development of conveying devices. In this paper, Xinjiang cotton straw was used as the test material. The angle of repose of cotton straw was measured by the cylinder lifting method. The Hertz-Mindlin no-slip model was applied to simulate the angle of repose of cotton straw. Using Box-Behnken optimization research and development of key components such as the cotton straw preparation test, the regression equation of cotton straw was obtained, and the variance and interaction effect of the regression model analysis. The regression model was used to find the optimal solution in Design-Expert software with the angle of repose of 28.62º, the collision recovery coefficient between cotton straws was 0.5, the static friction factor was 0.41, and the rolling friction factor was 0.06, and the collision recovery coefficient between cotton straw and steel was 0.5, the static friction factor was 0.37, and the rolling friction factor was 0.08, with an angle of repose error of 1.04%. It shows that the contact parameters are highly reliable and can be used to propose a theoretical reference for the development of cotton straw conveying device in Xinjiang region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study evaluated the applicability of the sentence-focused framework to Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs) by examining the relative contribution of receptive/expressive noun and verb lexicon sizes to later grammatical complexity. Method: Participants were 51 Mandarin-speaking children who received cochlear implantation before 30 months of age. At 12 months after CI activation, parents were asked to endorse words that their child could understand only or understand and say using the infant version of the Early Vocabulary Inventory. At 24 months after CI activation, parents were asked to endorse the grammatical structures that their children were able to say using the Grammatical Complexity subtest in the Mandarin Communicative Development Inventory-Taiwan. Children's receptive/expressive noun and verb lexicon sizes and grammatical complexity scores were computed from these parent checklists. Results: Correlational analyses showed that children's receptive/expressive noun and verb lexicon sizes at 12 months after CI activation were all highly correlated with their grammatical complexity scores at 24 months after CI activation (ps = .52-.63, ps < .001). Regression analyses further revealed that verb lexicon sizes at 12 months after CI activation outweighed noun lexicon sizes in accounting for grammatical complexity at 24 months after CI activation. Conclusions: Our findings supported the prediction of the sentence-focused framework. Emphasizing the role of verbs in early intervention has the potential to enhance grammatical outcomes in Mandarin-speaking children with CIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cubic FeCo alloy nanoparticles (NPs) with body-centered cubic (bcc) phase were prepared using sputter based gas-condensation method. When the NPs formed long chain assemblies, the magnetic properties were quite different from that of well-dispersed NPs. Most of the well-dispersed NPs were superparamagnetic at room temperature while the long chain NP assemblies were ferromagnetic with coercivities around 765 Oe, which displayed quite different magnetic properties. The ferromagnetism of long chain NPs was from the exchange coupling between NPs, which eventually led to the transition from superparamagnetism (SPM) to superferromagetism (SFM). Zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) curves were obtained and long chain NP assemblies displayed ferromagnetism at the temperature ranging from 10 K to 400 K. Time-dependent remanent magnetic moment curves also indicated that the long chain structure had better thermal stability due to the strong exchange coupling.

To investigate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic splenectomy and portaazygous devascularization, we studied laparoscopic splenectomy and porto-azygos devascularization patients within the peri-operative period. Clinical data and curative effect are detailed alongside statistical analysis. The laparoscopic splenectomy and porto-azygos devascularization operation time was 2.56 + 0.62 hours. The intraoperative bleeding and anal exhaust time was 149.5 + 32.7ml 3.47 + 1.32 days, and the hospitalization time was 5.05 + 1.22 days. When the spleen volume was greater than or equal to 1.5 liters, the rate of open abdominal surgery increased significantly. After 1, 2, 3, and 4 years of follow-up, cumulative recurrence bleeding rates were 0, 5.20%, 9.98%, and 15.83%, respectively. Laparoscopic splenectomy and pericardial devascularization is safe, effective, and feasible, and it can be confirmed by enhanced spiral computed tomography (CT). Whether spleen volume greater than 1.5L is suited to laparoscopic surgery requires further research.

Water buffalo are less susceptible to Schistosoma japonicum infection than yellow cattle. The factors that affect such differences in susceptibility remain unknown. A Bos taurus genome-wide gene chip was used to analyze gene expression profiles in the peripheral blood of water buffalo and yellow cattle pre- and post-infection with S. japonicum. This study showed that most of the identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between water buffalo and yellow cattle pre- and post-infection were involved in immune-related processes, and the expression level of immune genes was lower in water buffalo. The unique DEGs (390) in yellow cattle were mainly associated with inflammation pathways, while the unique DEGs (2,114) in water buffalo were mainly associated with immune-related factors. The 83 common DEGs may be the essential response genes during S. japonicum infection, the highest two gene ontology (GO) functions were associated with the regulation of fibrinolysis. The pathway enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs constituted similar immune-related pathways pre- and post-infection between the two hosts. This first analysis of the transcriptional profiles of natural hosts has enabled us to gain new insights into the mechanisms that govern their susceptibility or resistance to S. japonicum infections.

BACKGROUND: Decline in oxygen uptake efficiency (OUE), especially during exercise, is found in patients with chronic heart failure. In this study we aimed to test the validity and usefulness of OUE in evaluating gas exchange abnormality of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) with gas exchange measurements in 32 patients with confirmed IPAH. All patients also had resting hemodynamic measurements and pulmonary function test (PFT). Sixteen healthy subjects, matched by age, sex, and body size were used as controls, also had CPET and PFT measurements. RESULTS: In IPAH patients, the magnitude of absolute and percentage of predicted (%pred) oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) and oxygen uptake efficiency plateau (OUEP), as well as several other CPET parameters, were strikingly worse than healthy subjects (P

To identify the pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients who develop an exercise induced venous-to-systemic shunt (EIS) by performing the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), analyse the changes of CPET measurements during exercise and compare the exercise physiology and resting pulmonary hemodynamics between shunt-PH and no-shunt-PH patients.Retrospectively, resting pulmonary function test (PFT), right heart catheterization (RHC), and CPET for clinical evaluation of 104 PH patients were studied.Considering all 104 PH patients by three investigators, 37 were early EIS+, 61 were EIS-, 3 were late EIS+, and 3 others were placed in the discordant group. PeakVO2, AT and OUES were all reduced in the shunt-PH patients compared with the no-shunt-PH subjects, whereas VE/VCO2 slope and the lowest VE/VCO2 increased. Besides, the changes and the response characteristics of the key CPET parameters at the beginning of exercise in the shunt group were notably different from those of the no shunt one. At cardiac catheterization, the shunt patients had significantly increased mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), mean right atrial pressure (mRAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), reduced cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI) compared with the no shunt ones (P

BACKGROUND: Water buffalo and goats are natural hosts for S. japonicum in endemic areas of China. The susceptibility of these two hosts to schistosome infection is different, as water buffalo are less conducive to S. japonicum growth and development. To identify genes that may affect schistosome development and survival, we compared gene expression profiles of schistosomes derived from these two natural hosts using high-throughput microarray technology. RESULTS: The worm recovery rate was lower and the length and width of worms from water buffalo were smaller compared to those from goats following S. japonicum infection for 7 weeks. Besides obvious morphological difference between the schistosomes derived from the two hosts, differences were also observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Microarray analysis showed differentially expressed gene patterns for parasites from the two hosts, which revealed that genes related to lipid and nucleotide metabolism, as well as protein folding, sorting, and degradation were upregulated, while others associated with signal transduction, endocrine function, development, immune function, endocytosis, and amino acid/carbohydrate/glycan metabolism were downregulated in schistosomes from water buffalo. KEGG pathway analysis deduced that the differentially expressed genes mainly involved lipid metabolism, the MAPK and ErbB signaling pathways, progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, dorso-ventral axis formation, reproduction, and endocytosis, etc. CONCLUSION: The microarray gene analysis in schistosomes derived from water buffalo and goats provide a useful platform to disclose differences determining S. japonicum host compatibility to better understand the interplay between natural hosts and parasites, and identify schistosome target genes associated with susceptibility to screen vaccine candidates.

BACKGROUND: The 10-kDa culture filtrate protein (CFP10) and 6-kDa early-secreted target antigen (ESAT-6) play important roles in mycobacterial virulence and pathogenesis through a 1:1 complex formation (CFP10/ESAT-6 protein, CE protein), which have been used in discriminating TB patients from BCG-vaccinated individuals. The B-cell epitopes of CFP10 and ESAT-6 separately have been analyzed before, however, the epitopes of the CE protein are unclear and the precise epitope in the positions 40 to 62 of ESAT-6 is still unknown. METHODS: In the present study, we searched for the B-cell epitopes of CE protein by using phage-display library biopanning with the anti-CE polyclonal antibodies. The epitopes were identified by sequence alignment, binding affinity and specificity detection, generation of polyclonal mouse sera and detection of TB patient sera. RESULTS: One linear B-cell epitope (KWDAT) consistent with the 162(nd)-166(th) sequence of CE and the 57(th)-61(st) sequence of ESAT-6 protein was selected and identified. Significantly higher titers of E5 peptide-binding antibodies were found in the sera of TB patients compared with those of healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: There was a B-cell epitope for CE and ESAT-6 protein in the position 40 to 62 of ESAT-6. E5 peptide may be useful in the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis, which need to be further confirmed by more sera samples.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterial culture and identification provide a definitive diagnosis of TB. Culture on Löwenstein-Jensen (L-J) medium is invariably delayed because of the slow growth of M. tuberculosis on L-J slants. Automated liquid culture systems are expensive. A low-cost culturing medium capable of rapidly indicating the presence of mycobacteria is needed. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel biphasic culture medium for the recovery of mycobacteria from clinical sputum specimens from suspected pulmonary tuberculosis patients. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The biphasic medium consisted of 7 ml units of L-J slant medium, 3 ml units of liquid culture medium, growth indicator and a mixture of antimicrobial agents. The decontamination sediments of sputum specimens were incubated in the biphasic culture medium at 37°C. Mycobacterial growth was determined based on the appearance of red granule sediments and the examination using acid-fast bacilli (AFB). The clinical sputum specimens were cultured in the biphasic medium, on L-J slants and in the Bactec MGIT 960 culture system. Among smear-positive specimens, the mycobacteria recovery rate of the biphasic medium was higher than that of the L-J slants (P0.05). Among smear-negative specimens, the mycobacterial recovery rate of the biphasic medium was higher than that of L-J slants (P

BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis japonica is prevalent in Asian countries and it remains a major public health problem in China. The major endemic foci are the marsh and lake regions of southern China, particularly the Dongting Lake region bordering Hunan and Hubei provinces, and the Poyang Lake region in Jiangxi province. Domestic ruminants, especially bovines, have long been considered to play a major role in the transmission of Schistosoma japonicum to humans. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A miracidial hatching technique was used to investigate the prevalence of S. japonicum infections in domestic ruminants and field feces collected from two towns located to the south and east of Dongting Lake, Hunan province, between 2005 and 2010. The overall prevalence of infection was not significantly reduced from 4.93% in 2005 to 3.64% in 2008, after which it was maintained at this level. Bovines comprised 23.5-58.2% of the total infected ruminants, while goats comprised 41.8-76.5%. Infection rates in cattle and goats were significantly higher than those found in buffalo in most study years. The prevalence in buffalo younger than three years was significantly higher than that in those aged over three years. All the positive field samples of feces were derived from bovines in Nandashan. In Matang Town, 61.22% of the positive field feces were from bovines, while the rest were from goats. The positive rates for field feces were approximately the same in April and November/October. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found that bovines and goats are major sources of S. japonicum infection in the Dongting lake region and there was age-related resistance in buffalo. Both bovines and goats should be treated equally when controlling S. japonicum infections in the Dongting lake region. It is essential to conduct an additional mass treatment in late March or early April, in addition to the original treatment scheme.

Schistosomiasis is an important global public health problem, as millions of people are at risk of acquiring this infection. An ideal method for sustainable control of schistosomiasis is using a vaccine alone or in combination with drugs. In the present study, we cloned the SjGALE gene and generated the expression product in E. coli. The expression level of SjGALE during different developmental stages of S. japonicum was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR and western blotting. Immunolocalization indicated that the protein was mainly located on the tegument of the parasite. Infection of rSjGALE-immunized mice demonstrated a 34% and 49% reduction of the mean worm burden and liver egg burden, respectively, in two independent experiments, indicating immune protection. The liver egg count from each female adult worm was significantly reduced by 63% in the two trials. The cytokine profile and IgG isotype analysis demonstrated the induction of a Th1 immune profile in response to immunization with this protein, further suggesting protection against infection. In conclusion, these findings indicated that SjGALE is a potential vaccine against S. japonicum.

Water buffalo and yellow cattle are the two of the most important natural reservoir hosts for Schistosoma japonicum in endemic areas of China, although their susceptibility differs, with water buffalo being less conducive to the growth and development of S. japonicum. Results from the current study show that the general morphology and ultrastructure of adult schistosomes derived from the two hosts also differed. Using high-throughput microarray technology, we also compared the gene expression profiles of adult schistosomes derived from the two hosts. We identified genes that were differentially expressed in worms from the two natural hosts. Further analysis revealed that genes associated with protein kinase and phosphatase, the stimulus response, and lipid and nucleotide metabolism were overexpressed, whereas genes associated with reproduction, anatomical structure morphogenesis and multifunctional motif were underexpressed in schistosomes from water buffalo. These differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in nucleotide, energy, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, transcription, transport and signaling pathway. This suggests that they are key molecules affecting the survival and development of schistosomes in different natural host species. The results of this study add to current understanding of the interplay between parasites and their natural hosts, and provide valuable information for the screening of vaccine candidates or new drug targets against schistosomiasis in the natural reservoir hosts in endemic areas.

The reed vole, Microtus fortis, is the only known mammalian host in which schistosomes of Schistosoma japonicum are unable to mature and cause significant pathogenesis. However, little is known about how Schistosoma japonicum maturation (and, therefore, the development of schistosomiasis) is prevented in M. fortis. In the present study, the ultrastructure of 10 days post infection schistosomula from BALB/c mice and M. fortis were first compared using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Electron microscopic investigations showed growth retardation and ultrastructural differences in the tegument and sub-tegumental tissues as well as in the parenchymal cells of schistosomula from M. fortis compared with those in BALB/c mice. Then, microarray analysis revealed significant differential expression between the schistosomula from the two rodents, with 3,293 down-regulated (by ≥ 2-fold) and 71 up-regulated (≥ 2 fold) genes in schistosomula from the former. The up-regulated genes included a proliferation-related gene encoding granulin (Grn) and tropomyosin. Genes that were down-regulated in schistosomula from M. fortis included apoptosis-inhibited genes encoding a baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein (SjIAP) and cytokine-induced apoptosis inhibitor (SjCIAP), genes encoding molecules involved in insulin metabolism, long-chain fatty acid metabolism, signal transduction, the transforming growth factor (TGF) pathway, the Wnt pathway and in development. TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) and PI/Annexin V-FITC assays, caspase 3/7 activity analysis, and flow cytometry revealed that the percentages of early apoptotic and late apoptotic and/or necrotic cells, as well as the level of caspase activity, in schistosomula from M. fortis were all significantly higher than in those from BALB/c mice.

More than 40 kinds of mammals in China are known to be naturally infected with Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum); Microtus fortis (M. fortis), a species of vole, is the only mammal in which the schistosomes cannot mature or cause significant pathogenic changes. In the current study, we compared the differences in pathology by Hematoxylin-eosin staining and in changes in the T cell subsets with flow cytometry as well as gene expression using genome oligonucleotide microarrays in the lung and liver, before challenge and 10 days post-infection with schistosomes in a S. japonicum-susceptible mouse model of infection, a non-susceptible rat model and the non-permissive host, M. fortis. The results demonstrated that S. japonicum promoted a more intensive immune response and more pathological lesions in M. fortis and rats than in mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining revealed that the immune effector cells involved were mainly eosinophilic granulocytes supplemented with heterophilic granulocytes and macrophages. The analysis of splenic T cell subsets showed that CD4(+) T cell subsets and the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio were increased, while the CD8(+) T cell subsets decreased remarkably in rats; whereas the CD8(+) T cell subsets were increased, but the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio was decreased significantly in mice. The analysis of the pattern of gene expression suggested that some immune-associated genes and apoptosis-inducing genes up-regulated, while some development-associated genes were down-regulated in the infected M. fortis compared to the uninfected controls; the three different hosts have different response mechanisms to schistosome infection. The results of this study will be helpful for identifying the key molecules in the immune response to S. japonicum in M. fortis and for understanding more about the underlying mechanism of the response, as well as for elucidating the interaction between S. japonicum and its hosts.

This paper examines biosafety management in high-biosafety-risk workshops for vaccine production in China, focusing on the context of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine production. It addresses various aspects, including biosafety management, personnel, virus seed, facilities, and equipment, and compliance with relevant biosafety laws and regulations. The aim is to promote the use of high-level biosafety facilities when dealing with emerging infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To compare the anesthesia effect and hemodynamics of remimazolam versus propofol in combination with remifentanil in hysteroscopic surgery. Methods A total of 60 patients who underwent elective hysteroscopic endometrial dissection due to abnormal uterine bleeding and endometrial thickening in Qingdao Municipal Hospital from April to December 2022 were randomly divided into observation group (n=30) and control group (n=30). Propofol combined with remifentanil for anesthesia induction and maintenance was given in the control group, and remimazolam combined with remifentanil for anesthesia induction and maintenance was given in the observation group. The hemodynamic indexes, anesthesia effect and adverse reactions of patients were compared between the two groups at the following 6 time points: before anesthesia induction (T1), when inserting a laryngeal mask (T2), 5 min before the start of surgery (T3), immediately after the start of surgery (T4), 5 min before removing the laryngeal mask (T5), and immediately after removing the laryngeal mask (T6). Results The mean arterial pressure at T2 T3, T4, T5 and T6 and heart rate at T2 in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P＜0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group had a longer time for disappearance of eyelash reflexes (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the anesthesia recovery time between the two groups (P＞0.05). The incidences of injection pain (0 vs 56.67%, χ2=23.721) and hypotension (23.33% vs 56.67%, χ2=6.944) in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P

Introduction: Understanding how endocrine progenitors commit to a β-cell lineage during human fetal development is necessary for the design of in vitro β-cell differentiation protocols. Previous research has determined that high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity is necessary for the development and survival of β-cells. The purpose of the current study is to assess the endocrine lineage commitment of ALDHhi/CD133+ human fetal pancreatic cells and determine their potential for forming a pool of endocrine cell precursors. Methods: Human fetal pancreata (18-22 weeks) were dissociated to a single cell suspension, labeled for ALDH and CD133, and sorted into double positive (ALDHhi/CD133+) and double negative (ALDHlo/CD133-) populations using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Sorted populations were then cultured for an extended period to assess their phenotypic stability and then characterized using immunofluorescence staining and qRT-PCR to quantify various transcription factors and cellular markers indicative of endocrine cell commitment. Results: Fluorescence-activated cell sorting yielded a larger population of double positive cells than double negative cells. Expression of ALDH and endocrine-specific transcription factors was not detected in either cell population after extended cell culture. Both of the expanded populations were positive for vimentin, Ki-67, CK19, SOX9 and β-catenin, with no significant differences in expression levels. Conclusions: Our preliminary results indicate that neither population is capable of maintaining expression of ALDH or endocrine-specific markers after extended culture. Further studies should assess each population's capacity for forming islet-like cell clusters to further characterize any underlying differences in endocrine lineage commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CIs) demonstrated early lexical composition similar to their hearing peers who were at the same vocabulary level and the extent to which children with CIs were sensitive to linguistic and conceptual properties when developing early lexicon. Method: Participants were 77 Mandarin-speaking children with CIs who received CIs before 30 months of age. Their expressive vocabulary was documented using the Infant Checklist of the Early Vocabulary Inventory for Mandarin Chinese 9 or 12 months after CI activation. Percent social words, common nouns, predicates (verbs, adjectives), and closed-class words in total vocabulary were computed for children at different vocabulary levels. Common nouns and verbs were further coded for their word class (noun, verb), word frequency, word length, and imageability to predict how likely a given noun or verb would be produced by children with CIs. Results: Like children with typical hearing, social words were the most dominant category when vocabulary size in children with CIs was smaller than 20 words; common nouns became the most dominant category when the vocabulary size reached 21 words. The difference in percent common nouns and percent predicates (i.e., noun bias) was similar in children with CIs and their hearing peers. In addition, verbs, common words, monosyllabic words, and more imageable words were more likely to be produced by children with CIs than their counterparts. Conclusions: Mandarin children with CIs showed language-specific patterns in early lexical composition like their hearing peers. They were able to use multiple linguistic and conceptual cues when approaching early expressive vocabulary despite perceptual and processing constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate vocabulary development in Mandarin-speaking children with bilateral cochlear implants (CIs), bimodal stimulation (CI plus hearing aids [HAs]), or unilateral CIs during the first year after CI activation. Method: Participants included 23 children with simultaneous bilateral CIs, 23 children with bimodal stimulation, and 15 children with unilateral CIs. They all received CIs before 30 months of age. Parents were asked to endorse words that their child could understand only or understand and say using the Early Vocabulary Inventory for Mandarin Chinese at the day of CI activation and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after CI activation. Receptive and expressive vocabulary sizes were computed. Results: Growth curve analysis revealed that children with simultaneous bilateral CIs demonstrated faster growth of receptive vocabulary than those with bimodal stimulation, followed by those with unilateral CIs. Moreover, children with simultaneous bilateral CIs reached the 100-word mark for receptive vocabulary earlier than children with bimodal stimulation, followed by those with unilateral CIs. There were no significant differences among the three groups in expressive vocabulary. Conclusions: Bilateral CIs have an advantage over bimodal stimulation in early receptive vocabulary development in Mandarin, a tone language. HA usage is still recommended for those who receive one CI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses about the Glutamine constitutes an essential source of both carbon and nitrogen for numerous biosynthetic processes. It mentions about the first and rate-limiting step of glutaminolysis involves the generation of glutamate from glutamine, catalyzed by glutaminase-1 (GLS1). It discusses how shortages of glutamine result in reductions in GLS1.

• The deletion of EP153R and EP402R occurred in 4 naturally attenuated strains, which is still a point of concern in the epidemic process of ASFV. • All the differential genes of naturally attenuated strains were found in regions with low GC content. • The evolution of MGF110 family genes was identified by analysis of two naturally attenuated ASFV strains from Portugal. • Some tandem repeat sequence plays an important role in the evolution of genotype I rather than genotype II naturally attenuated strains. It has been reported that there were several "mutant isolated in the field " of African swine fever virus (ASFV) since ASFV was reported, which may be the result of the continuous adaptation and evolution of ASFV. The emergence of ASFV field mutants may lead to chronic or asymptomatic "atypical clinical symptoms" in pigs and hinder the development of porcine industry. Here we analyzed the published ASFV "field attenuated strain" gene sequences and reviewed the genetic differences between field attenuated and virulent ASFV strains, hoping for providing a reference for the scientific prevention and control of ASF and the development of new vaccines. In this study we found the deletion of EP153R and EP402R occurred in 4 field attenuated strains, and all the differential genes of field attenuated strains mainly range in regions with low GC content. The evolution of MGF110 family genes was identified by analysis of two field attenuated ASFV strains from Portugal. We also found that some tandem repeat sequence plays an important role in the evolution of strains of NH/P68 and OURT 88/3 but not in strains Estonia 2014, HuB20 and Pig/Heilongjiang/HRB1/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of mitomycin C induction to 114 genetically diverse Streptococcus agalactiae strains generated 36 phage suspensions. On electron microscopy of the phage suspensions, it was possible to assign the phages to the Siphoviridae family, with three different morphotypes (A, B, and C). Phage genetic diversity was evaluated by a PCR-based multilocus typing method targeting key modules located in the packaging, structural, host lysis, lysogeny, replication, and transcriptional regulation clusters and in the integrase genes and by DNA digestion with EcoRI, HindIII, and ClaI. Thirty-three phages clustering in six distantly related molecular phage groups (I to VI) were identified. Each molecular group was morphotype specific except for morphotype A phages, which were found in five of the six phage groups. The various phage groups defined on the basis of molecular group and morphotype had specific lytic activities, suggesting that each recognized particular host cell targets and had particular lytic mechanisms. Comparison of the characteristics of lysogenic and propagating strains showed no difference in the serotype or clonal complex (CC) identified by multilocus sequence typing. However, all the lysogenic CC17 and CC19 strains presented catabolic losses due to a lack of catabolic decay of DL-alpha-glycerol-phosphate substrates (CC17) and of alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate (CC19). Moreover, the phages from CC17 lysogenic strains displayed lytic replication in bacterial hosts from all S. agalactiae phylogenetic lineages other than CC23, whereas phages obtained from non-CC17 lysogenic strains lysed bacteria of similar evolutionary origin. Our findings suggest that the adaptive evolution of S. agalactiae exposed the bacteria of this species to various phage-mediated horizontal gene transfers, which may have affected the fitness of the more virulent clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]