Search

Grafting is a commonly used method for citrus propagation and transmitting 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), the putative causing agent of citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). Optimization of the grafting inoculation methods facilitates the material preparation in HLB research. Citrus buds with CLas were grafted onto healthy sour tangerine (Citrus sunki Hort. ex Tanaka) seedlings by different methods such as top grafting ('T' grafting and 'V' grafting) and side grafting (abdominal grafting). Along with the symptom observation, titers of CLas in the leaves were detected by RT-qPCR monthly. The correlation between the growth status of buds or different grafting methods and the success rate of HLB transmission were analyzed. Our results suggest that sufficient DNA could be extracted to accurately detect the CLas from even only 0.0125 g leaf midrib or branch bark. The probability of CLas transmission was higher in plants inoculated with buds in better growth conditions. The success rate of 'T' grafting was significantly higher than that of side grafting and 'V' grafting. Additionally, in terms of HLB transmission efficiency, the two-bud grafting scheme was superior to the single-bud and three-bud grafting schemes. In conclusion, the grafting combinations with the highest HLB transmission efficiency were screened to provide a methodological reference for the practice or research of grafting to obtain plant material.

Recently, increasing numbers of studies have demonstrated that transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) can be used as a potential target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. TRPA1 is expressed in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells and is involved in diverse physiological activities, such as stabilizing of cell membrane potential, maintaining cellular humoral balance, and regulating intercellular signal transduction. TRPA1 is a multi-modal cell membrane receptor that can sense different stimuli, and generate action potential signals after activation via osmotic pressure, temperature, and inflammatory factors. In this study, we introduced the latest research progress on TRPA1 in inflammatory diseases from three different aspects. First, the inflammatory factors released after inflammation interacts with TRPA1 to promote inflammatory response; second, TRPA1 regulates the function of immune cells such as macrophages and T cells, In addition, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in some inflammatory diseases. Third, we have summarized the application of antagonists and agonists targeting TRPA1 in the treatment of some inflammatory diseases.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a digestive tract malignant tumor and causes the third cancer-related mortality in the world. Aberrant expression of Ribosomal Protein L31 (RPL31) has been reported in several human cancers. The aim of this study was to explore the role and possible biological functions of RPL31 in GC. We firstly employed immunohistochemistry to examine RPL31 expression in tumor and para-cancerous tissues. By lentiviral transfection, we successfully constructed an RPL31-knockdown GC cell model and performed functional validation to reveal the effects of RPL31 on proliferation, apoptosis, cycle, migration, and tumor growth. Our data indicated that RPL31 was abundantly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines (AGS and MGC-803). In addition, RPL31 expression was positively correlated with the extent of tumor infiltrate of GC patients. Functionally, silencing RPL31 in AGS and MGC-803 cells significantly limited the ability of proliferation and migration, promoted cell apoptosis. Consistently, RPL31-knockdown GC cells inhibited the growth of xenografts in mice. Moreover, preliminary analysis on the downstream regulation mechanism revealed that RPL31 functioned as a tumor promoter through targeting JAK-STAT signaling pathway. In conclusion, inhibition of abnormally high expression of RPL31 in GC may be a potential therapeutic strategy for this disease.

Knee arthrofibrosis is one of the most serious complications of knee surgery; however, its pathogenesis is unclear, and current treatment methods have not achieved satisfactory results. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have good anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties, and studies have reported that human infrapatellar fat pad-derived MSCs (IPFSCs) have the advantages of strong proliferative and differentiating ability, ease of acquisition, and minimal harm to the donor. Increasing evidence has shown that MSCs function through their paracrine extracellular vesicles (EVs). Our study is aimed at exploring the effects of human IPFSC-derived EVs (IPFSC-EVs) on knee arthrofibrosis and the underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. In the in vivo study, injecting IPFSC-EVs into the knee joint cavity effectively reduced surgery-induced knee arthrofibrosis in rats. In the in vitro study, IPFSC-EVs were found to inhibit the proliferation of fibroblasts in the inflammatory environment. Additionally, we screened a potential IPFSC-EV molecular target, metallothionein 2A (MT2A), using RNA sequencing. We found that silencing MT2A partially reversed the inhibitory effect of IPFSC-EVs on fibroblast proliferation in the inflammatory environment. In conclusion, IPFSC-EVs inhibit the progression of knee arthrofibrosis by regulating MT2A, which inhibits fibroblast proliferation in the inflammatory environment.

Cervical lymphadenopathy as the initial presentation of metastatic prostate cancer is particularly uncommon, and easily misdiagnosed. In the current study, we describe five cases of metastatic prostate cancer in our hospital that presented with cervical lymphadenopathy as an initial symptom. The diagnosis was confirmed by needle biopsy of the suspicious lymph nodes and the serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels of all patients exceeded 100 ng/ml. The five patients were treated with hormonal therapy; four received traditional hormonal therapy, including bicalutamide and goserelin; one patient received hormonal therapy that included abiraterone and goserelin. Case 1 developed into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) after 7 months and died after 12 months. Case 2 rejected regular hormonal therapy for personal reasons and died 6 months after the initial diagnosis. Case 3 was still alive at the time of writing. Case 4 was administered with abiraterone, prednisolone and goserelin; the treatment was effective and the patient has remained symptom-free for the last 24 months. Case 5 was treated with hormonal and chemotherapy but died 8 months after diagnosis. In conclusion, any elderly male presenting with cervical lymphadenopathy should be considered the possibility of prostate cancer, especially when the needle biopsy reveals adenocarcinoma. The prognosis for patients presented with cervical lymphadenopathy as the initial presentation is usually poor. Hormone therapy based on abiraterone may yield a better response in such cases.

IntroductionFor universal SEL programs to contribute to positive learning environments, all school staff must be involved in implementing the program (CASEL, 2020). The first aim of the current study was to examined school/district- and macro-level factors associated with two approaches to SEL program implementation observed in schools: (1) classroom teachers as instructors of SEL lessons (i.e., teacher-facilitated) or (2) school counselors as instructors of SEL lessons (i.e., counselor-facilitated). A second aim was to examine the SEL provider’s perception of the context of counselor-facilitated implementation in schools.MethodsPublic elementary and middle schools in the U.S. (N = 6,657), that adopted the Second Step digital program in the 2021-22 school year, were identified as utilizing teacher- or counselor-facilitated implementation using usage records. Predictor variables, namely support for SEL (i.e., state plans to utilize federal funding for SEL programs or access to systemic SEL consultation) and state adoption of stand-along K-12 SEL standards/competencies, were obtained from publicly available data sources. To evaluate the second aim, interviews were conducted with Second Step client support staff (N = 5), each representing hundreds of schools utilizing a counselor-facilitated implementation approach.ResultsA Generalized Linear Mixed Model analysis indicated that schools in states with support for SEL (i.e., plans to utilize federal funding for SEL programs or access to systemic SEL consultation) were more likely to use teacher-facilitated implementation than schools without support (OR = 1.64, p < .01, CI = 1.15 – 2.34). Schools in states that were early adopters of stand-alone K-12 SEL standards/competencies tended to be more likely than those without K-12 SEL standards/competencies to use teacher-facilitated implementation (OR = 1.70, p = .06, CI = 1.00 – 2.95). A qualitative study involving iInterviews with Second Step staff who support hundreds of schools utilizing counselor-facilitated implementation identified other potential factors motivating counselors as facilitators, including low SEL buy-in and limited staff capacity. Although this approach has challenges, it could be a pathway to teacher-facilitated implementation over time.DiscussionTaken together, findings indicate promising strategies for the promotion of more schoolwide use of SEL programs.

Radiation-induced intestinal injury is characterized by intestinal barrier impairment. However, the therapeutic effects of probiotics for intestinal epithelial barrier repair in a mouse model of radiation-induced intestinal injury remain unclear. Previously, we isolated a strain of Bacteroides fragilis from the feces of a healthy infant and named it as B. fragilis strain ZY-312 (B. fragilis). In this study, we showed that B. fragilis can ameliorate radiation-induced intestinal injury in mice, manifested by decreased weight loss, intestinal length shortening, and intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) shedding. Moreover, we found that B. fragilis promoted IEC proliferation, stem cell regeneration, mucus secretion, and tight junction integrity by upregulating the STAT3 signaling pathway, through an experimental verification in Stat3△IEC mice (STAT3 defects in intestinal epithelial cells). Thus, the underlying protective mechanism of B. fragilis in radiation-induced intestinal injury is related to IEC proliferation, stem cell regeneration, goblet cell secretion, and tight junction repair via activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway. In addition, the therapeutic effects of B. fragilis were studied to provide new insights into its application as a functional and clinical drug for radiation-induced intestinal injury after radiotherapy.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating symptoms for Cancer-related Insomnia(CRI) patients.MethodsSeven databases were searched from the time of database establishment to 31 March 2022. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) on acupuncture intervention for CRI were collected. Literature screening and data extraction were performed independently by two researchers. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.ResultsA total of 13 articles with 1,109 participants were included. Five hundred and seventeen in the treatment group and 592 in the control group. Ten of the RCTs used the PSQI rating scale and four randomized controlled trials used the ISI rating scale, and the PSQI and ISI were analyzed together as continuous data. The results of the meta-analysis were: MD = −1.83, 95%CI = [−2.71, −0.94], P < 0.0001, indicating a significant improvement in PSQI scores in patients with CRI by acupuncture intervention; MD = 0.79, 95%CI = [−0.46, 2.03], P = 0.22. Acupuncture was not statistically significant on ISI scores for patients with CRI compared to controls, which does not yet indicate that acupuncture is effective for symptoms in patients with CRI. The results of the meta-analysis of the other 4 items using sleep disorder logs as efficacy analysis data were as follow, relative risk RR = 0.47, 95%CI = [0.33, 0.66], P < 0.0001. The difference was statistically significant, indicating that acupuncture can improve the symptoms of CRI patients compared to control group.ConclusionAcupuncture can improve the symptoms of patients with CRI to some extent, but due to the relatively small number and low quality of the included literature in this study, more high-quality clinical trials are needed as supplement the evidences in future.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

IntroductionGut microbiota plays a crucial role in the development and progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Akkermansia muciniphila was reported to inhibit inflammation-associated cancer in the intestine. The anti-NASH ability of A. muciniphila has recently been found. Thus, we were to investigate whether supplementation of A. muciniphila could prevent NASH-associated HCC.MethodsIn a model we called STAM, male C57BL/6J mice were subcutaneously injected with 200 µg streptozotocin at 4 days after birth, and fed with high-fat diet at 4 weeks of age to induce NASH-associated HCC. Faeces from mice and patients with NASH-related HCC were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing. STAM mice were orally administered either saline or A. muciniphila twice a day starting at 4 or 10 weeks of age. The effects of A. muciniphila on the immune responses were also evaluated.ResultsPatients and mice with NASH-related HCC showed significantly reduced gut A. muciniphila in comparison to healthy controls. Administration of breast milk-isolated A. muciniphila (AM06) but not feces-isolated A. muciniphila (AM02) could improve NASH severity. Interestingly, breast milk-isolated A. muciniphila treatment suppressed the progression of NASH to HCC, accompanied with an increased hepatic CXCR6+ natural killer T (NKT) cell and decreased macrophage infiltration. The antitumor ability of A. muciniphila was not evident in NKT cell-deficient mice (CD1d-/- and CXCR6-/-). In vitro, A. muciniphila promoted the killing of hepG2 cells by NKT cells.DiscussionOur study will provide the rationale for the application of A. muciniphila to treat NASH and for the prevention of its progression to HCC.

Summary: Photochemical synthesis and photocatalysis in droplet microreactors represent promising approaches to relieve the global energy and environmental crises. Here, we describe a protocol for studying microdroplet photoreaction at an individual droplet level based on in situ micro-Raman spectroscopy. We provide details of superhydrophobic substrate preparation, microdroplets generation, photoreactions performing, and data analyses. In addition, we show the operational details of preliminary scale-up tests of microdroplet photoreaction for practical application.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li et al. (2022). : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Energy internet zones, which supply and manage multiple energy kinds to customers simultaneously, attract more and more attentions for its high energy efficiency. This paper discussed the optimal weekly bidding strategy for a energy internet zone in midterm timescale. The optimal amount of bilateral contract and selling prices of multiple energy kinds can be obtained for expected profit maximization. Stochastic optimization is adopted to manage the uncertainties of electricity market prices and load demands. A energy internet zone in shanghai, China is adopted to illustrate the proposed model. The result shows that the energy internet zones prefer to supply the base load by signing bilateral contracts. The signed contracts increase with the decrease of contract prices and local photovoltaic system’s installed capacity.

Abstract Background Striae gravidarum is a common occurrence in pregnancy and many women expect to prevent its development. At present, laser treatment has been used to improve the appearance of striae gravidarum, but the choice of laser type, treatment time, and frequency depend on the therapeutic effect. How to obtain an effective evaluation of striae gravidarum during and after treatment is very important. However, there is no unified evaluation parameter about striae gravidarum. In this paper, we studied the methodology evaluation of striae gravidarum severity. First, the laser therapeutic apparatus was selected as the experimental equipment and different striae gravidarum photos during treatment were obtained. Second, the subject evaluation parameters were chosen based on the literature research and the dermatologists’ guidance. Then, the striae gravidarum photos were divided into different groups by dermatologists based on these parameters. Finally, the objective detection parameters were designed based on the photos feature and subject evaluation parameters. Then, the objective detection parameters were used as the input of the support vector machine and the evaluation results were compared. Results Based on the subject evaluation parameters, the experimental data could be divided into mild, moderate and severe groups. The experiment results showed that the striae gravidarum severity of two randomly patients were improved before and after treatment, which verified the validity of the parameters. In addition, the chosen objective detection parameters were different among different groups. With all the objective parameters as the support vector machine input, we could achieve the best recognition rate (82.71%) in the striae gravidarum severity classification. The four parameters (color difference, average density, average width, distribution area) calculated from the photos as the input could achieve acceptable accuracy (81.69%). Conclusions The subject evaluation parameters and objective detection parameters proposed in this paper can be used to evaluate the striae gravidarum severity, which is of great significance for the construction of auxiliary diagnostic instrument for striae gravidarum treatment.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as biomarkers and regulators of cardiovascular disease. However, the expression pattern of circulating extracellular vesicle (EV)-incorporated lncRNAs in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is still poorly investigated. A human lncRNA array revealed that certain EV-lncRNAs are significantly dysregulated in CAD patients. Circulating small EVs (sEVs) from patients with (n = 30) or without (n = 30) CAD were used to quantify PUNISHER (also known as AGAP2-antisense RNA 1 [AS1]), GAS5, MALAT1, and H19 RNA levels. PUNISHER (p = 0.002) and GAS5 (p = 0.02) were significantly increased in patients with CAD, compared to non-CAD patients. Fluorescent labeling and quantitative real-time PCR of sEVs demonstrated that functional PUNISHER was transported into the recipient cells. Mechanistically, the RNA-binding protein, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK), interacts with PUNISHER, regulating its loading into sEVs. Knockdown of PUNISHER abrogated the EV-mediated effects on endothelial cell (EC) migration, proliferation, tube formation, and sprouting. Angiogenesis-related gene profiling showed that the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) RNA was significantly increased in EV recipient cells. Protein stability and RNA immunoprecipitation indicated that the PUNISHER-hnRNPK axis regulates the stability and binding of VEGFA mRNA to hnRNPK. Loss of PUNISHER in EVs abolished the EV-mediated promotion of VEGFA gene and protein expression. Intercellular transfer of EV-incorporated PUNISHER promotes a pro-angiogenic phenotype via a VEGFA-dependent mechanism.

Spatial equality of parks is a significant issue in environmental justice studies. In cities with high-density development and limited land resources, this study uses a supply-demand adjusted two-step floating catchment area model (2SFCA), paying attention to residents' subjective preferences and psychological accessibility. It assesses equality of access to urban parks from two dimensions: spatial equality and quantitative equality at a fine scale of 100 × 100 m grid resolution. The spatial equality of urban parks in Chengdu is measured under different transportation modes (walking, cycling, and driving) based on multi-source geospatial big data and machine learning approaches. The results show: (1) There were significant differences in the spatial distribution of park accessibility under different modes of transportation. The spatial distribution under walking was significantly influenced by the park itself, while the distribution of rivers significantly influenced the spatial distribution under cycling and driving; (2) Accessibility to urban parks was almost universally equal in terms of driving, relatively equal in terms of cycling, and seriously unequal in terms of walking; (3) Spatial local autocorrelation analysis shows that park accessibility tended to be significantly clustered, with little spatial variation; and (4) The supply and demand of urban parks were relatively equal. The results can help urban planners to formulate effective strategies to alleviate spatial inequality more reasonably and precisely. The applied research methods can further improve the system of scientific evaluation from a new perspective.

The complex environments and weak infrastructure constructions of hilly mountainous areas complicate the effective path planning for plant protection operations. Therefore, with the aim of improving the current status of complicated tea plant protections in hills and slopes, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multi-tea field plant protection route planning algorithm is developed in this paper and integrated with a full-coverage spraying route method for a single region. By optimizing the crossover and mutation operators of the genetic algorithm (GA), the crossover and mutation probabilities are automatically adjusted with the individual fitness and a dynamic genetic algorithm (DGA) is proposed. The iteration period and reinforcement concepts are then introduced in the pheromone update rule of the ant colony optimization (ACO) to improve the convergence accuracy and global optimization capability, and an ant colony binary iteration optimization (ACBIO) is proposed. Serial fusion is subsequently employed on the two algorithms to optimize the route planning for multi-regional operations. Simulation tests reveal that the dynamic genetic algorithm with ant colony binary iterative optimization (DGA-ACBIO) proposed in this study shortens the optimal flight range by 715.8 m, 428.3 m, 589 m, and 287.6 m compared to the dynamic genetic algorithm, ant colony binary iterative algorithm, artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), respectively, for multiple tea field scheduling route planning. Moreover, the search time is reduced by more than half compared to other bionic algorithms. The proposed algorithm maintains advantages in performance and stability when solving standard traveling salesman problems with more complex objectives, as well as the planning accuracy and search speed. In this paper, the research on the planning algorithm of plant protection route for multi-tea field scheduling helps to shorten the inter-regional scheduling range and thus reduces the cost of plant protection.

We sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Achroia grisella (Fabricius, 1794), which was 15,368 bp, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and a control region; having a base composition of A (38.7%), C (12.3%), G (7.5%), T (41.5%), G + C (19.8%), and A + T (71.2%); except for the ND1, which was initiated by the GAT codon, the other 12 PCGs were initiated by the ATN (ATT, ATA, and ATG) codon. The nine PCGs terminated with the typical TAA stop codon, whereas the remaining four genes had incomplete stop codons, which were single T. In addition, the phylogenetic relationships based on nucleotide sequences of 13 PCGs using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods showed a close relationship between Achroia grisella and Galleria mellonella.

Utilizing a multi-frame signal (MFS) rather than a single-frame signal (SFS) for radio frequency fingerprint authentication (RFFA) shows the advantage of higher accuracy. However, previous studies have often overlooked the associated security threats in MFS-based RFFA. In this paper, we focus on the carrier-sense multiple access with collision avoidance channel and identify a potential security threat, in that an attacker may inject a forged frame into valid traffic, making it more likely to be accepted alongside legitimate frames. To counter such a security threat, we propose an innovative design called the inter-frame-relationship protected signal (IfrPS), which enables the receiver to determine whether two consecutively received frames originate from the same transmitter to safeguard the MFS-based RFFA. To demonstrate the applicability of our proposition, we analyze and numerically evaluate two important properties: its impact on message demodulation and the accuracy gain in IfrPS-aided, MFS-based RFFA compared with the SFS-based RFFA. Our results show that the proposed scheme has a minimal impact of only −0.5 dB on message demodulation, while achieving up to 5 dB gain for RFFA accuracy.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of many human malignant tumors, including oral cancer. LncRNA can act as a gene regulator in a variety of cancers. It regulates the growth of malignant cells via many cellular signal pathways such as the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)/AKT (α-serine/threonine-protein kinase) pathway. In this review, we have analyzed the role of lncRNAs, such as lncRNA X inactive specific transcript (XIST), in oral cancer, including its effects on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and resistance to chemotherapy of oral cancer. We have also focused on the role of lncRNA XIST as the core of X chromosome inactivation. Here, we provide a brief overview of the role of many kinds of lncRNAs, including XIST, which provides a theoretical basis for the study of the role of XIST in oral cancer. Our review may provide a new direction for the study of the occurrence, development, and prognosis of oral cancer and provide a new target for its treatment.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of July 2, 2022, COVID-19 has caused more than 545 million infections and 6.3 million deaths worldwide, posing a significant threat to human health. Currently, there is still a lack of effective prevention and control strategies for the variation and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has a unique theoretical system, has treated various conditions for thousands of years. Importantly, recent studies have revealed that TCM contributed significantly to COVID-19. SanHanHuaShi (SHHS) granules, a Chinese herbal medicine, which has been included in Protocol for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (6th to 9th editions) issued by the National Health Commission of China and used to prevent and treat COVID-19 disease. A previous retrospective cohort study showed that SHHS could significantly reduce the severity of mild and moderate COVID-19. However, there is an absence of high-quality randomized controlled clinical studies to confirm the clinical effectiveness of SHHS. Therefore, a clinical study protocol and a statistical analysis plan were designed to investigate the efficacy and safety of SHHS for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This study will increase the integrity and data transparency of the clinical research process, which is of great significance for improving the practical application of SHHS granules in the future.Methods and analysis: The study was designed as a 7-day, randomized, parallel controlled, open-label, noninferiority clinical trial of positive drugs. A total of 240 patients with mild and moderate COVID-19 will be enrolled and randomly assigned to receive SanHanHuaShi granules or LianHuaQingWen granules treatment in a 1:1 ratio. Disease classification, vital signs, SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing, symptoms, medications, adverse events, and safety evaluations will be recorded at each visit. The primary outcome will be the clinical symptom recovery rate. Secondary outcomes will include the recovery time of clinical symptoms, negative conversion time of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test negative conversion rate, hospitalization time, antipyretic time, rate of conversion to severe patients, and time and rate of single symptom recovery. Adverse incidents and safety assessments will be documented. All data will be analyzed using a predetermined statistical analysis plan, including our method for imputation of missing data, primary and secondary outcome analyses, and safety outcomes.Discussion: The results of this study will provide robust evidence to confirm the effectiveness and safety of SHHS in the treatment of COVID-19.Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn. Trial number: ChiCTR2200058080. Registered on 29 March 2022.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is defined by left ventricular (or biventricular dilation) and systolic dysfunction, which eventually develops into congestive heart failure and arrhythmia. Vinculin is a membrane-associated protein, which functions to transmit contractile force. Defects in vinculin have been reported to be associated with DCM and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line (ZZUNEUi026-A) was generated from a DCM patient carrying heterozygous Vinculin mutant (c.A625 > T; p.Met209 > Leu). The cell line was derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by nonintegrative Sendai virus. ZZUNEUi026-A showed pluripotency markers and normal karyotype, and it could differentiate into three germ layers in vitro.

ObjectivesEvaluating the drug resistance (DR) profiles of LLV patients and the influencing factors of treatment effects in Jiangsu Province.MethodThe Pol gene (Reverse transcriptase and protease) was amplified and sequenced to identify the genotypes and DR profiles among LLV patients in 2021. Questionnaire survey was conducted among HIV/AIDS patients to investigate the potential influence factors of treatment effects.Results242 Pol genes were amplified from 345 specimens, and ten genotypes were detected. The DR rate was 40.5%, with 66, 86, and 14 being resistant to NRTIs, NNRTIs, and PIs, respectively. Patients treated with the 2NRTIs+PIs regimen were detected with more DR; and drug resistance was less detected in married or cohabiting patients than unmarried patients. Non-smokers were less likely to develop LLV at follow-up than smokers; patients with stage II clinical stage at diagnosis and using 2NRTIs+PIs regimen were also more likely to develop LLV at follow-up.ConclusionDrug resistance profiles in LLV patients are severe and differ in treatment regimens and marital statuses. Meanwhile, smoking history, clinical stage, and treatment regimen may influence the therapeutic effect. It is necessary to include LLV people in the free drug resistance testing program.

Human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) CRF01_AE/B recombinants are newly emerging strains that are spreading rapidly in Southern and Eastern China. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular epidemiological characteristics of HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B recombinants in Nanjing and to explore the impact of these novel strains on the immunological status. A total of 1,013 blood samples from newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected patients were collected in Nanjing from 2015 to 2019, among which 958 partial Pol sequences were sequenced successfully. We depicted the molecular epidemiological characteristics of CRF01_AE/B recombinants by the molecular evolutionary analysis, Bayesian system evolution analysis, and transmission network analysis. The generalized additive mixed model was applied to evaluate the CD4+ T-cell count change of CRF01_AE/B recombinants. The Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed to assess the time from combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation to immune reconstruction. We have identified 102 CRF01_AE/B recombinants (102/958, 10.65%) in Nanjing, including CRF67_01B (45/102, 44.12%), CRF68_01B (35/102, 34.31%), and CRF55_01B (22/102, 12.57%). According to the Bayesian phylogenetic inference, CRF55_01B had a rapid decline stage during 2017–2019, while CRF67_01B and CRF68_01B have experienced a fast growth phase during 2014–2015 and then remained stable. We have constructed 83 transmission networks, in which three larger clusters were composed of CRF67_01B and CRF68_01B. CRF01_AE/B recombinants manifested a faster decrease rate of CD4+ T-cell count than CRF_07BC but similar to CRF01_AE. The probability of achieving immune reconstruction in CRF01_AE/B recombinants was lower than CRF07_BC in the subgroup of baseline CD4+ T-cell count at cART initiation

Abstract Background The receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 with internal tandem duplications within the juxtamembrane domain (FLT3-ITD) is a poor prognostic factor; however, the prognostic significance of missense mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (FLT3-TKD) is controversial. Furthermore, the accompanying mutations and fusion genes with FLT3 mutations are unclear in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods We investigated FLT3 mutations and their correlation with other gene mutations and gene fusions through two RNA-seq based next-generation sequencing (NGS) method and prognostic impact in 207 de novo AML patients. Results FLT3-ITD mutations were positive in 58 patients (28%), and FLT3-TKD mutations were positive in 20 patients (9.7%). FLT 3-ITD was associated with a higher white blood cell count (WBC, mean 72.9 × 109/L vs. 24.2 × 109/L, P = 0.000), higher bone marrow blasts (mean 65.9% vs. 56.0%, P = 0.024), and NK-AML (normal karyotype) (64.8% vs. 48.4%, P = 0.043). NPM1 and DNMT3A mutations were enriched in FLT3-ITD (53.5% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.000; 34.6% vs. 13%, P = 0.003). However, the mutations of CEBPA were excluded in FLT3-AML (3.8% vs. 0% vs. 19.8%, P = 0.005). Mutations of Ras and TP53 were unlikely associated with FLT3-ITD (1.9% vs. 20.6%, P = 0.006; 0% vs. 6.1%, P = 0.04). The common fusion genes (> 10%) in FLT3-ITD had MLL-rearrangement and NUP98-rearrangement, while the common fusion genes in FLT3-TKD had AML1-ETO and MLL-rearrangement. Two novel fusion genes PRDM16-SKI and EFAN2-ZNF238 were identified in FLT3-ITD patients. Gene fusions and NPM1 mutation were mutually excluded in FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD patients. Their patterns of mutual exclusivity and cooperation among mutated genes suggest that additional driver genetic alterations are required and reveal two evolutionary patterns of FLT3 pathogenesis. Patients with FLT3-ITD had a lower CR (complete remission) rate, lower 3-year OS (overall survival), DFS (disease-free survival), and EFS (event-free survival) compared to FLT3 wtAML. NK-AML with FLT3-ITD had a lower 3-year OS, DFS, and EFS than those without, while FLT3-TKD did not influence the survival in whole cohort and NK-AML. Besides, we found that FLT3-ITD/TET2 bimutation defined a poor prognostic subgroup. Conclusions Our study offers deep insights into the molecular pathogenesis and biology of AML with FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD by providing the profiles of concurrent molecular alterations and the clinical impact of FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD on AML patients.

Benzoin is a pathologic exudation produced by plants of the family Styrax. It is secreted by traumatic resin ducts after injury, which are derived from parenchymal cells in secondary xylem by schizolysigeny. Some 63 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from this resin, including balsamic acid esters, lignans and terpenoids. It has a long history of applications, including as incense along with olibanum, a flavor enhancer in the food industry, materials in the daily chemistry industry as well as therapeutic uses. Up to now, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have been widely used in qualitative and quantitative analysis of benzoin. Other technologies, including near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR), proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), have also been used to distinguish different resins. Herein, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the production process, phytochemistry, traditional uses and quality control of benzoin and looks to the future for promoting its further research and applications.

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (D. citri) is an insect vector of phloem-limited ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiatus’ (CLas), the presumed pathogen of citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). Recently, our lab has preliminarily found it acquired and transmitted Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), which was previously suggested to be vectored by species of aphids. However, the influences of one of the pathogens on the acquisition and transmission efficiency of the other pathogen remain unknown. In this study, CLas and CTV acquisition and transmission by D. citri at different development stages under field and laboratory conditions were determined. CTV could be detected from the nymphs, adults, and honeydew of D. citri but not from the eggs and exuviates of them. CLas in plants might inhibit CTV acquisition by D. citri as lower CTV–positive rates and CTV titers were detected in D. citri collected from HLB-affected trees compared to those from CLas–free trees. D. citri were more likely to obtain CTV than CLas from host plants co-infected with the two pathogens. Intriguingly, CTV in D. citri facilitated the acquisition and transmission of CLas, but CLas carried by D. citri had no significant effect on the transmission of CTV by the same vector. Molecular detection and microscopy methods confirmed the enrichment of CTV in the midgut after a 72-h acquisition access period. Collectively, these results raise essential scientific questions for further research on the molecular mechanism of pathogen transmission by D. citri and provide new ideas for the comprehensive prevention and control of HLB and CTV.

Sanghuang, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb obtained from numerous related fungal species in the genus Sanghuangporus, contains many bioactive substances that display a variety of beneficial pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, antitumor, and antidiabetic. We collected wild fruiting bodies from various Chinese localities, obtained nine pure sanghuang strains (termed S1 to S9), cultured the strains by solid-state fermentation, extracted and purified sanghuang flavonoids (termed SHFs) from mycelia, and analyzed their antioxidant abilities and α-amylase inhibitory (α-AI) activities. SHFs from strains S2, S6, S7, and S9 displayed strong DPPH radical scavenging abilities and iron reducing abilities, while SHFs from S1, S3, S5, and S8 had strong α-AI activities. SHF components were analyzed by HPLC in combination with a Chinese medicine fingerprint similarity evaluation system and statistical analyses. SHFs from the nine strains showed high fingerprint similarity. Fifteen peaks in the chromatograms (termed 1–15) were subjected to cluster analysis, which revealed that differences in SHF composition were related to geographic origin and host species. The strains with strong antioxidant activities had relatively large peak 5 and peak 9 areas, while those with strong α-AI activities had relatively large peak 13 areas. Such variation in SHF activities is attributable to differences in their components. Our findings indicate that careful selection of SHFs based on these activities will strengthen their potential development as antioxidant and antidiabetic agents.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most harmful bacterial disease in citrus production in the world, and has been seriously ravaging the citrus groves of South China since the 1930s. The surveillance of the epidemiological characteristics of HLB is of utmost priority for citrus production in this region. In order to explore the effects of disease control measures, analyses on the space–time statistical features of the HLB epidemic, from 2019 to 2021, within six orchards in the Guangdong province are presented. Overall, the number of citrus plants in the orchards usually slightly decreased year by year. The reduction was mainly related to the level of plant susceptibility, which is correlated with citrus varieties. The maximum disease severity (incidence and race increment) was correlated with the awareness of this disease and the management intensity applied by the manager. A higher disease index was found in the conventional management orchards than in the comprehensive prevention and control orchards. Proper insect-protective screen houses can effectively prevent the epidemic of HLB, without affecting the fruit quality, and can also aid with higher yields. A high correlation was found between the geometry and topography of orchards and the HLB epidemic due to the wind direction from May to September and the Asia citrus psyllid activity characteristics. For flat orchards, the incidence of HLB in the north and entrance areas was higher than that in the southwest. In the mountain area, the incidence of the windward side in the south was higher than that of the leeward side in the north. Diseased trees tended to have an edge effect in the grove, whereas the trees of the same disease scale were found clustered in their distribution. These results allow a better understanding of HLB epidemiology and provide guidance for the early warning of HLB in new groves in areas that are severely affected by this disease. Furthermore, they also provide a scientific basis for the comprehensive prevention and control of HLB in old groves.

Abstract Effective nutrient transport and appropriate mechanical stimulation play important roles in production of tissue-engineered bone grafts. In this study, an experimental set-up for magnetic-driven dynamic culture of cells was designed to mimic the microenvironment of the bone tissue. Here, its ability to contribute to osteogenic differentiation was investigated by inoculating human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) on magnetic scaffolds. The cytocompatibility of the developed magnetic scaffolds was verified for HUMSCs. Magnetic scaffolds seeded with HUMSCs were exposed to magnetic fields. The results showed that magnetic fields did not affect cell activity and promoted HUMSCs osteogenic differentiation. The magnetic scaffolds were magnetically driven for dynamic culture in the experimental set-up to evaluate the influence of HUMSCs osteoblast differentiation. The results indicated that magnetic-driven dynamic culture increased cell alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (p

Kinetic-scale magnetic holes (KSMHs) are structures characterized by a significant magnetic depression with a length scale on the order of the proton gyroradius. These structures have been investigated in recent studies in near-Earth space, and found to be closely related to energy conversion and particle acceleration, wave-particle interactions, magnetic reconnection, and turbulence at the kinetic-scale. However, there are still several major issues of the KSMHs that need further study — including (a) the source of these structures (locally generated in near-Earth space, or carried by the solar wind), (b) the environmental conditions leading to their generation, and (c) their spatio-temporal characteristics. In this study, KSMHs in near-Earth space are investigated statistically using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. Approximately 200,000 events were observed from September 2015 to March 2020. Occurrence rates of such structures in the solar wind, magnetosheath, and magnetotail were obtained. We find that KSMHs occur in the magnetosheath at rates far above their occurrence in the solar wind. This indicates that most of the structures are generated locally in the magnetosheath, rather than advected with the solar wind. Moreover, KSMHs occur in the downstream region of the quasi-parallel shock at rates significantly higher than in the downstream region of the quasi-perpendicular shock, indicating a relationship with the turbulent plasma environment. Close to the magnetopause, we find that the depths of KSMHs decrease as their temporal-scale increases. We also find that the spatial-scales of the KSMHs near the subsolar magnetosheath are smaller than those in the flanks. Furthermore, their global distribution shows a significant dawn-dusk asymmetry (duskside dominating) in the magnetotail.

Energy internet zones integrate various distribution generators and energy kinds together as whole to satisfy consumers’ different energy requirements. It can achieve higher energy efficiency, but suffers various uncertainties, like renewable power and energy demands. Because the time scope is several years, the uncertainties are difficult to precisely obtained. Thus, this paper adopted a interval optimal planning strategy for energy internet zones. The uncertainties are modeled by interval numbers. The planning strategy determines the optimal configuration and optimize the energy internet zone’s cost intervals. The interval numbers’ ordering is defined by decision maker’s degree of pessimism for risk aversion. A case study is Shanghai is adopted to illustrate the proposed model can minimize the energy internet zone’s possible cost intervals and manage risk.

BackgroundThe study of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related knowledge, attitude, and sex education status of Jiangsu freshmen was conducted, which can provide data support directionally for the prevention work of HIV/AIDS among this population.MethodsMale students (4,006) and female students (4,279) were selected from 20 universities or colleges in the Jiangsu province. The knowledge, attitudes, and sex education of freshmen were conducted with an online questionnaire. The log-binomial regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of HIV/AIDS knowledge. In addition, a structural equation model was used to analyze students' health needs that affect knowledge awareness and knowledge mastery.ResultsThe overall awareness rate of AIDS knowledge was 87.4%. The students in undergraduate colleges (OR = 2.523, 95% CI=2.223~2.864) and independent colleges (OR = 1.389, 95%CI = 1.172~1.646) were more likely to have a higher awareness compared with the students in junior colleges. In this study, 2,011 freshmen approved of premarital behavior, 4,921 freshmen insisted on using condoms when having sex, and 8,138 freshmen were willing to take HIV antibody test when they suspected they were infected. In total, 4,703 freshmen believed that sexual health education was necessary for colleges and universities, and most of them (57.2%) hoped that sex education in schools should be improved. The direct effect of sex education on knowledge awareness and attitude is 0.15 and 0.58. The mediation effect test found that the pass ability knowledge path of sex education indirectly affected sexual attitudes (0.05).ConclusionThe awareness rate of HIV/AIDS among Jiangsu freshmen has not reached the national standard. Health education has a significant positive effect on knowledge awareness and attitude; however, students' needs in terms of time, place, and degree of sex education have not been met in time. It is necessary to strengthen the HIV/AIDS health education of college students in multiple ways.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heterogeneous myocardial disease. MYBPC3 variants are the leading cause of HCM. In the present study, a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line ZZUNEUi025-A was generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a male HCM patient with c. 772+1G > A in MYBPC3 gene. This cell line expressed pluripotency markers, had normal male karyotype and could differentiate into three germ layers in vitro.

Dysregulation of the epigenetic enzyme-mediated transcription of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes is closely associated with the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of tumors. Based on the reversibility of epigenetic mechanisms, small-molecule compounds that target epigenetic regulation have become promising therapeutics. These compounds target epigenetic regulatory enzymes, including DNA methylases, histone modifiers (methylation and acetylation), enzymes that specifically recognize post-translational modifications, chromatin-remodeling enzymes, and post-transcriptional regulators. Few compounds have been used in clinical trials and exhibit certain therapeutic effects. Herein, we summarize the classification and therapeutic roles of compounds that target epigenetic regulatory enzymes in cancer treatment. Finally, we highlight how the natural compounds berberine and ginsenosides can target epigenetic regulatory enzymes to treat cancer.

Abstract Background Critically ill patients diagnosed with COVID-19 may develop a pro-thrombotic state that places them at a dramatically increased lethal risk. Although platelet activation is critical for thrombosis and is responsible for the thrombotic events and cardiovascular complications, the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods Using platelets from healthy volunteers, non-COVID-19 and COVID-19 patients, as well as wild-type and hACE2 transgenic mice, we evaluated the changes in platelet and coagulation parameters in COVID-19 patients. We investigated ACE2 expression and direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 virus on platelets by RT-PCR, flow cytometry, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and platelet functional studies in vitro, FeCl3-induced thrombus formation in vivo, and thrombus formation under flow conditions ex vivo. Results We demonstrated that COVID-19 patients present with increased mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet hyperactivity, which correlated with a decrease in overall platelet count. Detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the blood stream was associated with platelet hyperactivity in critically ill patients. Platelets expressed ACE2, a host cell receptor for SARS-CoV-2, and TMPRSS2, a serine protease for Spike protein priming. SARS-CoV-2 and its Spike protein directly enhanced platelet activation such as platelet aggregation, PAC-1 binding, CD62P expression, α granule secretion, dense granule release, platelet spreading, and clot retraction in vitro, and thereby Spike protein enhanced thrombosis formation in wild-type mice transfused with hACE2 transgenic platelets, but this was not observed in animals transfused with wild-type platelets in vivo. Further, we provided evidence suggesting that the MAPK pathway, downstream of ACE2, mediates the potentiating role of SARS-CoV-2 on platelet activation, and that platelet ACE2 expression decreases following SARS-COV-2 stimulation. SARS-CoV-2 and its Spike protein directly stimulated platelets to facilitate the release of coagulation factors, the secretion of inflammatory factors, and the formation of leukocyte–platelet aggregates. Recombinant human ACE2 protein and anti-Spike monoclonal antibody could inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein-induced platelet activation. Conclusions Our findings uncovered a novel function of SARS-CoV-2 on platelet activation via binding of Spike to ACE2. SARS-CoV-2-induced platelet activation may participate in thrombus formation and inflammatory responses in COVID-19 patients.

Abstract Objective To assess the anti-tumor activity and side effects of different dosages of paclitaxel (albumin binding type) (hereinafter referred to as nab-P) combined with Apatinib (hereinafter referred to as AP) in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell line and xenograft models. Methods SKOV-3/DDP cell line was selected as the research object in cytology experiment. Firstly, we divided it into three groups for experiments to explore the individual effects of nab-P and AP. a): Control group, blank control, no drug intervention; b): nab-P group, nab-P 40 μmol/l; c): AP group, AP 50 μmol/l (Drug doses were IC-50 values that detected by MTT assay). Apoptosis related protein (Bax, bcl-2), vascular related protein(p-VEGFR-2), invasion related protein (MMP-2) expression were detected by Western blot and Cellular immunofluorescence, the invasion ability of tumor cells were detected by Transwell and Cell scratch test. Based on these dates, secondly, establishing different doses of nab-P combined with Ap to explore the curative effect of combination therapy. a): Control group, blank control, no drug intervention; b): Group-1, nab-P 5 μmol/l + AP 10 μmol/l, c): Group-2, nab-P 4.5 μmol/l + AP 10 μmol/l, d): Group-3, nab-P 4 μmol/l + AP 10 μmol/l, e): nab-P group, nab-P 5 μmol/l, f): AP group, AP 10 μmol/l (MTT assay). The combination index was analyzed by Compusyn software, Western blot, Immunofluescence, Transwell and Cell scratch test also were also chose to observe of inhibition effect. Thirdly, we used xenograft models to verify the results of cytological experiments. Tumor-forming BALB/c female nude mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, a): Control group, no drug intervention, only saline injection, b): nab-P 20 mg/kg + AP 150 mg/kg, c): nab-P 18 mg/kg + AP 150 mg/kg, d): nab-P 16 mg/kg + AP 150 mg/kg (The doses were guided by the pharmaceutical manufacturers). The tumor growth curve was analyzed during the experiment. And the apoptosis related protein (Bax, bcl-2), angiogenesis related protein (CD31, p-VEGFR-2) and invasion related protein (MMP-2) were observed by Western blot, Immunofluescence and Immunohistochemistry to analysis the ant-tumor effects. The quality of life in nude mice were observed to analysed the drug-induced side effects. Result In the separate medication section, (1) The IC-50 value of nab-P was 45.53 ± 4.06 μmol/l, while the AP was 50.66 ± 4.96 umol/L (48 h). (2) The expressions of bcl-2 (nab-P group, AP group), p-VEGFR-2 (AP group), MMP-2(nab-P group, AP group) were higher than Control group, while Bax (nab-P group, AP group) lower (P

In recent years, the positioning technology for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been developed rapidly. However, there are still challenges in terms of improving the computational efficiency, accuracy, and robustness of the algorithm for applications in fast flight with UAV. In this paper, we present a novel positioning system of UAV based on IMA-GPS (inertial measurement unit array - global positioning system) three-layer data fusion, which effectively solves the positioning problem of UAV. The first layer is the distributed filtering layer, the unscented Kalman filter serves as the local filter to process the measurements generated by each IMU in the IMA. The second layer is the IMA compensation fusion layer, the data of GPS is introduced to compensate for the deviation of the navigation results calculated by each IMU. The third layer is the GPS-IMA joint optimization layer, where the outputs of the IMA and GPS are fused to obtain the attitude, speed, and position. Simulation results show that the proposed method can realize an integrated navigation system which has low cost, high accuracy, and high computational speed, so that the performance of the UAV positioning system will be improved greatly.

The injection of a significant amount of wind power tends to increase the difficulty of the grid frequency control. Therefore, wind farm (WF) has to have the ability to participate in system frequency support. However, during the frequency control process in a large WF, individual wind generators may prone to instability due to possible over-deceleration. In addition, the deeply-intertwined cyber physical power system (CPPS) has gradually replaced the traditional grid due to the development of information and communication technology. However, CPPS also introduces cyber uncertainties that have a significant negative impact on the real-time control of power system. To address above issues, this paper considering possible cyber uncertainty, and proposes a grouping-based hierarchical frequency support scheme for WF. In the proposed scheme, the variable speed wind turbines (VSWTs) are clustered into several groups, according to their wind profiles at first, by dispatching the same control commands to the VSWTs belonging to the same group. As a result, the number of the VSWTs and control variables reduces significantly. Then, a hierarchical control scheme based on virtual inertial control is proposed with consideration of possible cyber uncertainty. The top-layer controller determines whether cyber uncertainty exists, and calculates power increment based on frequency deviation and cyber uncertainty. The bottom-layer controller coordinates the power increment distribution on the basis of ensuring the safe operation of all VSWTs. By do this, it is expected to achieve not only optimal frequency response but also wind generator stability. The effectiveness of proposed scheme is verified on a simulation platform built using MATLAB.

BackgroundIt is a critical challenge to diagnose leptomeningeal metastasis (LM), given its technical difficulty and the lack of typical symptoms. The existing gold standard of diagnosing LM is to use positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology, which consumes significantly more time to classify cells under a microscope.ObjectiveThis study aims to establish a deep learning model to classify cancer cells in CSF, thus facilitating doctors to achieve an accurate and fast diagnosis of LM in an early stage.MethodThe cerebrospinal fluid laboratory of Xijing Hospital provides 53,255 cells from 90 LM patients in the research. We used two deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) models to classify cells in the CSF. A five-way cell classification model (CNN1) consists of lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes, and cancer cells. A four-way cancer cell classification model (CNN2) consists of lung cancer cells, gastric cancer cells, breast cancer cells, and pancreatic cancer cells. Here, the CNN models were constructed by Resnet-inception-V2. We evaluated the performance of the proposed models on two external datasets and compared them with the results from 42 doctors of various levels of experience in the human-machine tests. Furthermore, we develop a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software to generate cytology diagnosis reports in the research rapidly.ResultsWith respect to the validation set, the mean average precision (mAP) of CNN1 is over 95% and that of CNN2 is close to 80%. Hence, the proposed deep learning model effectively classifies cells in CSF to facilitate the screening of cancer cells. In the human-machine tests, the accuracy of CNN1 is similar to the results from experts, with higher accuracy than doctors in other levels. Moreover, the overall accuracy of CNN2 is 10% higher than that of experts, with a time consumption of only one-third of that consumed by an expert. Using the CAD software saves 90% working time of cytologists.ConclusionA deep learning method has been developed to assist the LM diagnosis with high accuracy and low time consumption effectively. Thanks to labeled data and step-by-step training, our proposed method can successfully classify cancer cells in the CSF to assist LM diagnosis early. In addition, this unique research can predict cancer’s primary source of LM, which relies on cytomorphologic features without immunohistochemistry. Our results show that deep learning can be widely used in medical images to classify cerebrospinal fluid cells. For complex cancer classification tasks, the accuracy of the proposed method is significantly higher than that of specialist doctors, and its performance is better than that of junior doctors and interns. The application of CNNs and CAD software may ultimately aid in expediting the diagnosis and overcoming the shortage of experienced cytologists, thereby facilitating earlier treatment and improving the prognosis of LM.

Intracranial hypertension is a serious threat to the health of neurosurgical patients. At present, there is a lack of a safe and effective technology to monitor intracranial pressure (ICP) accurately and nondestructively. In this paper, based on near infrared technology, the continuous nondestructive monitoring of ICP change caused by brain edema was studied. The rat brain edema models were constructed by lipopolysaccharide. The ICP monitor and the self-made near infrared tissue parameter measuring instrument were used to monitor the invasive intracranial pressure and the reduced scattering coefficient of brain tissue during the brain edema development. The results showed that there was a negative correlation between the reduced scattering coefficient (690nm and 834nm) and ICP, and then the mathematical model was established. The experimental results promoted the development of nondestructive ICP monitoring based on near infrared technology.

Fast and accurate cerebrospinal fluid cytology is the key to the diagnosis of many central nervous system diseases. However, in actual clinical work, cytological counting and classification of cerebrospinal fluid are often time-consuming and prone to human error. In this report, we have developed a deep neural network (DNN) for cell counting and classification of cerebrospinal fluid cytology. The May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) stained image is annotated and input into the DNN network. The main cell types include lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and red blood cells. In clinical practice, the use of DNN is compared with the results of expert examinations in the professional cerebrospinal fluid room of a First-line 3A Hospital. The results show that the report produced by the DNN network is more accurate, with an accuracy of 95% and a reduction in turnaround time by 86%. This study shows the feasibility of applying DNN to clinical cerebrospinal fluid cytology.

In this paper, a temperature-insensitive ferrofluid (FF)-clad microfiber Bragg Grating (MF-BG) magnetic field sensor is proposed. Through optimizing the diameter of MF-BG, we can effectively suppress its thermal property. The experimental research results show that when the diameter of MF-BG is ~2.94 μm, its reflection spectrum shift owing to ambient temperature change can be substantially small within the range of 20–80 °C. The thermal stable sensor has a magnetic field sensitivity of 0.667 pm/Gs with a linearity of more than 0.985 at 20 °C.

Antrodia cinnamomea, a rare medicinal fungus endemic to Taiwan, contains numerous active components and displays strong antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects. We isolated and purified a novel A. cinnamomea active protein (termed ACAP) from liquid fermentation mycelia and evaluated its antitumor activity. A homogeneous protein-eluted fraction was obtained by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography, and ACAP was identified based on the antitumor activity screening of this fraction. An in vitro assay of three tumor cell lines (HeLa, Hep G2, and Hepa 1-6) revealed significant antiproliferative effects of ACAP at low concentrations, with IC50 values of 13.10, 10.70, and 18.69 µg/mL, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis showed that ACAP induced late apoptosis of Hep G2 cells. The apoptosis rate of 50 µg/mL ACAP-treated cells (60%) was significantly (p < 0.01) more than that of the control. A Western blotting assay of apoptotic pathway proteins showed that ACAP significantly upregulated p53 and downregulated caspase-3 expression levels. Our findings indicate that ACAP has strong antitumor activity and the potential for development as a therapeutic agent and/or functional food.

Optimal and efficient immunization of large networks remains a challenging task. Many theories and approaches have been suggested, however most of them require complete knowledge of the underlying network structure. Here, we study a targeted immunization strategy that incorporates the fact that there is often limited knowledge on the network structure. Previous work has suggested ‘acquaintance’ immunization, where rather than selecting a random individual to immunize, an individual is selected and then one of their acquaintances is immunized. Here, we generalize acquaintance immunization to the case where rather than selecting a random acquaintance, we examine the degrees of n acquaintances and immunize the one with the highest degree. We develop and solve an analytic framework for this model and verify our model with extensive numerical simulations. We determine the critical percolation threshold p _c and the size of the giant component, $P_\infty$ , for arbitrary degree distributions. We also consider our immunization strategy on real-world networks and determine the variation of p _c with increasing n . We find that our new approach improves on both acquaintance immunization and random immunization using limited knowledge.

We propose a new spectral super-resolution technique combined with a Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) and an interferometric hyperspectral imager. To overcome the limitation of the maximal optical path difference (OPD) on the spectral resolution, the object spectrum is periodically modulated based on the FPI, and an optical Fourier transform of the modulated spectrum information is performed using a double-beam interferometer to obtain an interferogram. Drawing on the concept of nonlinear structured light microscopy, the displacement of the high-frequency interference information in the interferogram after adding the FPI is analyzed to restore the high-frequency interference information and improve the spectral resolution. The optical system has a compact structure with little impact on complexity, spectral range, or luminous flux. Our simulation results show that this method can realize multicomponent joint-interference imaging to obtain spectral super-resolution information. The effects of the FPI’s reflectance and interval are analyzed, and the reflectance needs to be within 20~80% and the interval must be as close as possible to the maximum optical range of the interferometer. Compared with previous, related innovations, this innovation has the advantages of higher system stability, higher data utilization, and better suitability for interferometric imaging spectrometers.

An accurate quantification in the separation of the relative contributions of climate change and human activities on grassland dynamics is crucial for controlling grassland degradation. Here, we investigated grassland dynamics in China by using net primary productivity (NPP) as an evaluation indicator from 1982 to 2016. We calculated the human-induced grassland NPP (HNPP) by subtracting the potential NPP (PNPP) from the actual NPP (ANPP) to distinguish the climatic and anthropogenic effects on grassland NPP changes across different time scales. Results indicated that the change in grassland ANPP resulted from different dominated factors in the two periods of 1982–1999 and 2000–2016. An obvious increase of grassland ANPP was observed from 1982 to 1999, which mainly due to a slight increasing trend in grassland PNPP driven by a humid-warm climate and a slight decrease in grassland HNPP from weak human activities. An overall increase in ANPP (69.576%) over its decrease portion (30.424%) was observed from 1982 to 1999. Human activities-induced ANPP increase mainly occurred in Shaanxi, Qinghai and Gansu Provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region for the grassland types of Alpine subalpine meadow, Meadow and Slope grassland. Climate-dominated decrease mainly occurred in Shanxi, Shaanxi and Heilongjiang, especially for Plain and Slope grassland. However, an overall decreasing trend of grassland ANPP was observed from 2000 to 2016, mainly attributed to a decreasing trend in grassland HNPP by human intervention and a warm-dry climate-induced negative effect on grassland growth. Overall, the grassland underwent a decrease than increase in ANPP (58.826% vs 41.174%) during 2000–2016; the contributions of climate factors to grassland ANPP increase was relatively greater than that of human factors in Xinjiang, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia. Human activities-dominated ANPP decrease occupied 23.913%, obviously higher than the decrease dominated by climate change (9.248%), which mainly occurred in Alpine subalpine meadow, Desert grassland and Alpine subalpine grassland. Overall, these findings seem to demonstrate that there are great differences in the temporal and spatial effects of climate change and human activities on different regions and different grassland types in China before and after 1999, and contribute to providing location guidance for future grassland restoration. Meanwhile, this study is expected to improve the understanding of the driving mechanisms of grassland dynamics, and provide support for scientifically evaluating and adjusting ecological restoration policies in China.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a nonischaemic heart muscle disease with structural and functional myocardial abnormalities. TTN truncating mutations are a common cause of DCM, occurring in ∼25% of familial cases of DCM and in 18% of sporadic cases. In this study, we generated a human induced pluripotent stem cell line ZZUNEUi023-A from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a Kazakh DCM patient with the p. Arg26562Ter (c. 79684C>T) mutation in TTN using non-integrative Sendai virus. This cell line expressed pluripotency markers, showed normal male karyotype and could differentiate into all three germ layers in vitro.

Electrocatalysis is at the heart of many significant chemical transformation processes and advanced clean energy technologies. Traditional noble/transition metal oxides are widely used as electrocatalysts; however, they often suffer from intrinsic disadvantages, including low atom utilization, small surface area, and unfavorable tunability. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), as a new family of catalytic materials, are attracting extensive attention due to their unique physicochemical properties. The tremendous pristine MOF‐based materials are created using various synthetic approaches and further used for important energy conversions. Herein, a systematic overview on the unique merits and the state‐of‐the‐art design of MOF‐based electrocatalysts is offered. This review also presents recent advances in the development of various pristine MOFs and MOF‐based host–guest composite catalysts for electrocatalysis (i.e., oxygen reduction reaction, hydrogen oxidation reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, and CO2 reduction reaction) and discusses the future challenges and opportunities in this emerging field.