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To investigate the fast ion behavior, a fast ion D-alpha (FIDA) diagnostic system has been installed on EAST. Fast ion features can be inferred from the Doppler shifted spectrum of Balmer-alpha light from energetic hydrogenic atoms. This paper will focus on the validation of FIDA measurements performed using MHD-quiescent discharges in 2015 campaign. Two codes have been applied to calculate the Dα spectrum: one is a Monte Carlo code, Fortran 90 version FIDASIM, and the other is an analytical code, Simulation of Spectra (SOS). The predicted SOS fast-ion spectrum agrees well with the measurement; however, the level of fast-ion part from FIDASIM is lower. The discrepancy is possibly due to the difference between FIDASIM and SOS velocity distribution function. The details will be presented in the paper to primarily address comparisons of predicted and observed spectrum shapes/amplitudes.

Yanyan Liu,1– 3,* Weihua Shen,4,* Yating Sun,1,* Na Lv,1 Kaili Sun,5 Lifen Hu,1 Ying Ye,1– 3 Yufeng Gao,1– 3 Jiabin Li1– 3,5 1Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Bacterial Resistance, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Special Clinic, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Infectious Diseases, The Chaohu Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jiabin LiDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital and the Chaohu Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road No. 218, Hefei 230022, Mainland ChinaTel +86-551-62922713Fax +86-551-62922281Email lijiabin@ahmu.edu.cnObjective: The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance profiles and distribution of virulence-related genes (VRGs) among Shigella isolates in Anhui, China, and to identify the correlation between the VRGs and antimicrobial resistance.Materials and Methods: A total of 525 non-duplicate Shigella isolates (449 S. flexneri, 68 S. sonnei, 3 S. boydii, and 5 S. dysenteriae) were collected in Anhui Province, China between September 2011 and September 2015. The antimicrobial resistance of the strains was determined by the agar dilution method according to CLSI guidelines. The presence of 16 VRGs, including ipaH, ipaA-D, ial, virB, virF, set, sen, icsA, icsB, sigA, sat, pic, and sepA, was evaluated using PCR amplification and sequencing.Results: Shigella flexneri was the most abundant (85.5%), followed by S. sonnei (13.0%). The proportion of males with S. flexneri was higher than that of females (57% vs 43%; P< 0.0001). The most common resistance pattern was the combination of ampicillin, nalidixic acid, and tetracycline for S. flexneri (90.2%) and S. sonnei (94.1%). Resistance to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin was more common among S. flexneri than among S. sonnei (49.7% vs .19.1%, P< 0.0001; 30.5% vs 10.3%, P=0.001, respectively). All the isolates were positive for the ipaH gene, while the set, sat, pic, and sepA genes were not detected among the S. sonnei isolates. Except for sigA and sen, resistance to chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin was more common among VRG-positive S. flexneri than among VRG-negative S. flexneri (P< 0.05). Furthermore, resistance to ceftriaxone and ceftazidime was more frequently detected among sat- and set-positive S. flexneri than among sat- and set-negative S. flexneri (P< 0.05). However, gentamicin resistance was more prevalent among VRG-negative (ial, virF, set, sat, pic, and sepA) S. flexneri than among VRG-positive S. flexneri (P< 0.05).Conclusion: Shigella flexneri remains the predominant species in Anhui, China, and the resistance to fluoroquinolones was more widespread among S. flexneri than among S. sonnei. Shigella flexneri strains harboring specific VRGs were associated with antimicrobial resistance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the correlation between the VRGs and antimicrobial resistance in Anhui, China.Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, Shigella flexneri, Shigella sonnei, virulence-related gene, type III secretion system

Binjie Fu1 ,* Liangbo Hu2 ,* Fajin Lv,1 Junhao Huang,2 Wangjia Li,1 Yu Ouyang,1 Zhigang Chu1 1Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhigang ChuDepartment of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1# Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 18723032809Fax +86 23 68811487Email chuzg0815@163.comPurpose: To determine whether new pulmonary lesions will develop in COVID-19 patients with negative initial chest CT findings and to investigate their CT features and outcome during treatment.Patients and Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from 29 patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction testing but negative by initial chest CT from January 22 to February 17, 2020. Clinical manifestations, laboratory indicators, and follow-up CT data were evaluated.Results: Among 317 confirmed COVID-19 patients, 29 (9.1%) (mean ± SD, 38.5 ± 20.5 years; 12 women) with negative initial chest CT findings were evaluated. New pulmonary lesions developed in 10 (34.5%) patients on follow-up CT. Mean time from onset of new lesions to initial CT was 5.8 ± 3.0 days (range: 2– 12 days). New lesions (mean involved lobes and segments: 2.5 ± 1.6 [range: 1– 5] and 4.5 ± 4.5 [range: 1– 13]) were mainly spherical/patchy ground-glass opacities frequently located in the left lower lobe (9, 90.0%). Among the 10 patients, lesions in 6 (60.0%) indicated progression after occurrence, and those in 10 (100.0%) indicated significant absorption on latest CT. When new lesions developed, 6 (60.0%) patients developed new symptoms or had aggravated symptoms and 3 (30.0%) had decreased lymphocyte count. Patients with worsening symptoms had higher involvement of lung segments (mean: 6.5 ± 5.0, range: 1– 13) than asymptomatic patients (mean: 1.5 ± 0.6, range: 1– 2) (P = 0.057).Conclusion: In COVID-19 patients with negative initial chest CT findings, new pulmonary lesions may develop during treatment. Repeat CT is necessary for monitoring the disease, especially when patients have worsening symptoms or laboratory indicators.Keywords: coronavirus disease 2019, SARS-CoV-2, follow-up, CT imaging

Gaohong Di,1 Chengkun Xia,1 Shanglong Yao,1 Xiangdong Chen,1 Zhilin Wu,1 Ling Hu,2 Jie Wang1 1Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Tianyou Hospital, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jie Wang; Chengkun Xia Department of Anesthesiology of Wuhan Union Hospital, No. 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Hankou, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/ Fax +86 27-85726834Email gatogiratorio@gmail.com; xiayulong_2001@163.comBackground: The rapid spread of COVID-19 has expanded into a pandemic, for which the main containment strategies to reduce transmission are social distancing and isolation of ill persons. Thousands of medical staff have been infected worldwide. Coronavirus testing kits have been in short supply, and early diagnostic reagents did not have high sensitivity. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients requiring emergency surgery in a COVID-19 outbreak area.Methods: We assessed medical data regarding all patients who underwent emergency surgery at the main campus of Wuhan Union Hospital from January 23, 2020, to February 15, 2020. We classified patients based on suspicion of COVID-19 infection (suspected vs not suspected) before they were admitted to the operating room. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the data. Outcomes included the incidence of confirmed COVID-19 infection and length of stay, which were followed until March 25, 2020.Results: Among the 88 emergency patients included in this study, the mean age was 37 years. Twenty-five patients presented with abnormalities observed on chest CT scans and 16 presented with fever. The median wait time for surgery was one day. The median preparation time and median time until short orientation memory concentration test (SOMCT) recovery from anesthesia were 44.0 min and 23.0 min, respectively. The median postoperative length of stay was five days. Compared with patients not suspected of COVID-19 infection, six patients were confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 in the suspected group. No health care workers were infected during this study period.Conclusion: Simple identification using temperature screening of patients, respiratory symptoms, and chest CT scans before being admitted for emergency surgery was rapid and effective. Shortened contact times might reduce the risk of infection. Additional investigations with larger samples and improved designs are needed to confirm these observations.Keywords: COVID-19, emergency, cross-infection

Zhao Wu, 1 Jinke Li, 2 Yi Zhang, 2 Lina Hu, 3 Xue Peng 2 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xue PengDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital and Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, No. 20 3rd Section, South Renmin Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-13880487168Email pengxuesnow19@126.comBackground: The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signalling pathways are currently regarded as co-regulators of the occurrence of cervical cancer. However, the detailed mechanism of CFTR- and NF-κB-mediated effects in cervical cancer remains to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which CFTR and NF-κB influence the development of cervical cancer.Patients and Methods: CFTR ΔF508 mutation and CFTR promoter methylation were detected in cervical tissue samples. NF-κB p65 and IκBα protein levels were tested in HeLa cells with CFTR overexpression and knockdown by Western blotting. The effects of CFTR on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were examined in HeLa cells by WST-1 and soft agar assays, cell wound scratch assay, and Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by using GeneMANIA. GeneCoDis3 was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analysis on genes in the PPI network.Results: CFTR mutation and CFTR promoter methylation were not associated with the occurrence of cervical cancer. NF-κB p65 protein levels were decreased in CFTR overexpression lines and increased in CFTR knockdown lines, and IκBα levels were affected in the opposite manner, indicating that CFTR inhibited the NF-κB signalling pathway. CFTR also regulated the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of cervical cancer cells. When CFTR was overexpressed, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability were decreased. There were 20 genes that interacted with CFTR. KEGG pathway analysis showed enrichment in the gastric acid secretion, chemokine signalling, bile secretion and apoptosis pathways.Conclusion: CFTR plays an important role in cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion by inhibiting the NF-κB signalling pathway in cervical cancer.Keywords: cervical cancer, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, nuclear factor κB, signalling pathway

Linjun Hu,1,* Qinxin Zhao,2,* Hongsong Bai,1 Chengming Xie,1 Xingli Shan,1 Dehu Lu,1 Yonghai Chen,1 Dongdong Han,1 Zejun Xiao,2 Jun Tian,2 Dong Wang,2 Xingang Bi,2 Nianzeng Xing2 1Department of Urology, Cancer Hospital of HuanXing Chaoyang District Beijing, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Urology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Nianzeng XingDepartment of Urology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 17, Panjiayuan South Li, Beijing, Chaoyang 100021, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail xingnianzeng@hotmail.comPurpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hormonal and synchronous docetaxel plus prednisone (DocP) in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC).Methods: One hundred fifty-one cases with high-burden mHSPC diagnosed at 1 single center from January 2014 to August 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 85 cases received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) within 3 months, along with 6 cycles of docetaxel + prednisone (treatment group), whereas 66 received ADT alone (control group). The primary end point was the median overall survival (OS), while the secondary outcomes included prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival (PFS), radiographic PFS, and the proportion of PSA falling to 0.2 ng/mL.Results: A total of 151 patients were included and followed up for a median of 34 months in this study. The median OS time in the treatment group was unavailable, but it was remarkably longer than that of the control group (P< 0.001). In addition, the PFS of PSA in the treatment group and control group was 17.9 months and 9.2 months, respectively (P< 0.001). Meanwhile, the radiographic PFS was 43 months in the treatment group and 19.8 months in the control group, respectively (P< 0.001). The proportions of PSA falling to 0.2 ng/mL were 53.7% and 23.3%, respectively (P< 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of ≥ 3 toxic side effects between these 2 groups (P=0. 21).Conclusion: ADT combined with 6 cycles of docetaxel + prednisone chemotherapy benefits patients diagnosed with high-burden mHSPC in terms of the OS, PFS of PSA and radiographic, and the ratio of PSA falling to 0.2 ng/mL.Keywords: androgen-deprivation therapy; ADT, docetaxel, high-burden, metastatic hormone-sensitive, prostate cancer;PCa

U.S. national and regional emissions of HFC-134a are derived for 20082012 based on atmospheric observations from ground and aircraft sites across the U.S. and a newly developed regional inverse model. Synthetic data experiments were first conducted to optimize the model assimilation design and to assess model-data mismatch errors and prior flux error covariances computed using a maximumlikelihood estimation technique. The synthetic data experiments also tested the sensitivity of derived national and regional emissions to a range of assumed prior emissions, with the goal of designing a system that was minimally reliant on the prior. We then explored the influence of additional sources of error in inversions with actual observations, such as those associated with background mole fractions and transport uncertainties. Estimated emissions of HFC-134a range from 52 to 61 Gg yr-1 for the contiguous U.S. during 20082012 for inversions using air transport from Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model driven by the 12km resolution meteorogical data from North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM12) and all tested combinations of prior emissions and background mole fractions. Estimated emissions for 20082010 were 20% lower when specifying alternative transport from Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model driven by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) meteorology. Our estimates (for HYSPLIT-NAM12) are consistent with annual emissions reported by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the full study interval. The results suggest a 1020% drop in U.S. national HFC-134a emission in 2009 coincident with a reduction in transportation-related fossil fuel CO2 emissions, perhaps related to the economic recession. All inversions show seasonal variation in national HFC-134a emissions in all years, with summer emissions greater than winter emissions by 2050%.

To investigate the fast ion behavior, a fast ion D-alpha (FIDA) diagnostic system has been planned and is presently under development on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. The greatest challenges for the design of a FIDA diagnostic are its extremely low intensity levels, which are usually significantly below the continuum radiation level and several orders of magnitude below the bulk-ion thermal charge-exchange feature. Moreover, an overlaying Motional Stark Effect (MSE) feature in exactly the same wavelength range can interfere. The simulation of spectra code is used here to guide the design and evaluate the diagnostic performance. The details for the parameters of design and hardware are presented.

We report on the production and characterization of liquid scintillators for the detection of electron antineutrinos by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment. A 185 tons of gadolinium-loaded (0.1% by mass) liquid scintillator (Gd-LS) and a 200 tons of unloaded liquid scintillator (LS) were successfully produced from a linear-alkylbenzene (LAB) solvent in 6 months. The scintillator properties, the production and purification systems, and the quality assurance and control (QA/QC) procedures are described. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Cell fates are determined by specific transcriptional programs. Here we provide evidence that the transcriptional coactivator, Mediator 1 (Med1), is essential for the cell fate determination of ectodermal epithelia. Conditional deletion of Med1 in vivo con

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is a promising technique for isolating bioactive compounds from plant materials, as ultrasound disrupts cell walls through mechanical effects, and facilitates the release of cellular constituents. Despite its growing popularity, the efficiency of UAE for extracting limonin from citrus peels, particularly Wenling Gaocheng, remains understudied. In the present work, we systematically explored the influence of various operational parameters on the yield of limonin using UAE. The limonin content was quantified using a Waters 2695 HPLC system coupled with a Waters 2487 UV detector. The effects of six parameters on the UAE of limonin from Wenling Gaocheng peels was examined through single-factor experiments. We observed that the limonin yield first increased and then decreased with decreasing particle size. The yield also increased as the solvent/material ratio increased, but the rate of increase decreased. Among the tested solvent concentrations, 70% ethanol was found to be the most effective. The yield significantly improved with increasing ultrasonic intensity up to 0.2556 W/cm² before decreasing sharply. Between 20 and 70°C, the yield fluctuated slightly, and a gradual improvement was observed with longer extraction times. These findings provided valuable insights for future commercialisation of UAE to extract limonin from citrus peels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Immunosuppressed recipients of liver transplantation (LT) are more likely to develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may have an increased risk of developing worse outcomes. Aim To assess the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in LT recipients. Design Adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who underwent LT between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2022 were included and categorized into two groups according to their use of UDCA. Methods The prevalence and severity of COVID-19 among transplantation patients between the UDCA and non-UDCA groups were estimated and compared. Results Among the 897 LT patients who met the inclusion criteria, infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 78.4%, and the rate of severe illness was 5.1% from January 2022 to January 2023 in China. In the multivariate analysis, only UDCA treatment (P  = 0.006) was found to be a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infection. After propensity score matching, the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the UDCA group was lower than that in the non-UDCA group (74.1% vs. 84.6%, P  = 0.002). This rate was further reduced to 62.1% (P  = 0.002) when the oral administration dose was >15 mg/kg/day. There was no difference in the rates of severe COVID-19 illness, ICU admission, or ventilation rate or length of hospital stay with or without UDCA treatment (all P  > 0.05). Conclusions The use of UDCA in LT patients significantly reduced the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and showed a dose-dependent protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]