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The measurements derived from damaged conditions are difficult to acquire in actual structures, which limits the applicability of supervised damage detection methods. In this study, an unsupervised damage detection method that leverages an improved generative adversarial network (IGAN) and cloud model (CM) is proposed. This method only needs the data in the healthy state of the structure for model training, which can solve the above problems. Firstly, an IGAN model is established, which uses the encoder-decoder-encoder generative network to encode, reconstruct and re-encode the structural response in healthy state. The essential features hidden in complex data are learned by minimizing the distance between the real response and the reconstructed response, and the distance between the latent vectors obtained after two different encodings. During the test phase, when unknown state data is input into the model, the differences of the latent features of the two different codes can be used to preliminarily judge whether the structure is damaged. In addition, CM theory is used to further quantify structural damage and solve the problem of damage misjudgment caused by measurement noise, model parameters, feature selection, and other uncertain factors. The effectiveness of the proposed damage detection method is verified by Phase I IASC-ASCE benchmark structure and a bridge health monitoring benchmark model. The results prove that the proposed method can accurately detect the damage that has occurred.

BackgroundWe aimed to determine whether the plasma cystatin C is a causal risk factor for cardiovascular events, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality by conducting Mendelian randomization (MR) designs.MethodsOur study included 277,057 individuals free of CVDs or cancer at baseline in the UK Biobank. The genetic scores of plasma cystatin C comprising 67 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were calculated on the basis of data from a large genome-wide association study. By stratifying the genetic score, we conducted cox regression to assess the relationship between plasma cystatin C and CVDs. In this study, linear MR analysis was used to estimate the causal association between plasma cystatin C and CVDs.ResultsObservational analyses showed that plasma cystatin C concentrations were associated with the risk of CVDs [hazard ratios (HR) per standard deviation (SD) 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.07–1.10] and CVD mortality (1.14, 1.11–1.17). Among CVDs, plasma cystatin C were associated with stroke (1.10, 1.08–1.11) and MI (1.08, 1.07–1.10). Linear MR analysis did not provide evidence of a causal association between plasma cystatin C and the risk of CVDs [odds ratio (OR) per SD 0.96, 95% CI;0.90–1.03], stroke (0.96, 0.93–1.01), MI (0.97, 0.91–1.03), and CVD mortality (0.98, 0.96–1.01), with consistent estimates from sensitivity analyses.ConclusionObservational findings indicated that higher plasma cystatin C is associated with a higher risk of CVDs; According to MR studies, there is no causal association between plasma cystatin C and the risk of CVDs and CVD mortality.

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global public health challenge. The escalation of AMR is primarily attributed to the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), often facilitated by plasmids. This underscores the critical need for a comprehensive understanding of the resistance mechanisms and transmission dynamics of these plasmids. In this study, we utilized in vitro drug sensitivity testing, conjugation transfer assays, and whole-genome sequencing to investigate the resistance mechanism of an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate, MAS152. We specifically focused on analyzing the drug-resistant plasmid pMAS152 it harbors and its potential for widespread dissemination. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that MAS152 carries a distinct IncpP-2A plasmid, pMAS152, characterized by a 44.8 kb multidrug resistance (MDR) region. This region houses a 16S rRNA methyltransferase (16S-RMTase) gene, rmtB, conferring high-level resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics. Notably, this region also contains an extended-spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) gene, blaPER-1, and an efflux pump operon, tmexCD-oprJ, which mediate resistance to β-Lactams and quinolone antibiotics, respectively. Such a combination of ARGs, unprecedented in reported plasmids, could significantly undermine the effectiveness of first-line antibiotics in treating P. aeruginosa infections. Investigation into the genetic environment of the MDR region suggests that Tn2 and IS91 elements may be instrumental in the horizontal transfer of rmtB. Additionally, a complex Class I integron with an ISCR1 structure, along with TnAs1, seems to facilitate the horizontal transfer of blaPER-1. The conjugation transfer assay, coupled with the annotation of conjugation-related genes and phylogenetic analysis, indicates that the plasmid pMAS152 functions as a conjugative plasmid, with other genus Pseudomonas species as potential hosts. Our findings provide vital insights into the resistance mechanisms and transmission potential of the XDR P. aeruginosa isolate MAS152, underlining the urgent need for novel strategies to combat the spread of AMR. This study highlights the complex interplay of genetic elements contributing to antibiotic resistance and underscores the importance of continuous surveillance of emerging ARGs in clinical isolates.

Astragali Radix, derived from the roots of Astragalus mongholicus, is a traditional Chinese medicine containing flavonoids and saponins as its key ingredients. With a shortage in the wild sources of the herbal plant, it is especially important to explore a cultivation mode for A. mongholicus for medicinal purposes. Cutting, a physical environmental stress method, was used in this study with the objective of improving the quality of this herbal legume. We found that cutting of the top 1/3 of the aboveground part of A. mongholicus during the fruiting period resulted in a significant increase in the content of flavonoids and saponins, as well as in root growth, including length, diameter, and dry weight. Furthermore, the leaves were sampled and analyzed using a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis approach at five different time points after the treatment. Sixteen differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids were identified; these were found to stimulate the synthesis of flavonoids such as formononetin and calycosin–7–O–β–D–glucoside. Moreover, we identified 10 DEGs that were associated with the biosynthesis of saponins, including astragaloside IV and soyasaponin I, and found that they only regulated the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway. These findings provide new insights into cultivating high-quality A. mongholicus, which could potentially alleviate the scarcity of this valuable medicinal plant.

Objective: This study aimed to increase the diversity of surimi products and promote the industrialized production of high-quality traditional food. Methods: Using frozen surimi and chicken breast as raw materials, double-protein vermicelli was prepared by extrusion molding. The effects of raw material composition on the quality of double-protein vermicelli were studied by measuring its holding capacity, pulping value, color, stretch, texture and sensory evaluation. Results: The optimal mixing ratio of surimi and chicken was 8∶2, and the optimal amount of water was 20%. The tensile strength, tensile deformation and total sensory scores of the dual protein fish filaments prepared under this condition were increased by 23.84%, 28.13% and 17.39%, respectively, compared with the shredded fish without chicken. When 30% potato starch was added, the tensile strength and tensile deformation of dual-protein filaments reached the maximum values, which were 4.47 N/cm2 and 3.27 mm/mm, respectively, and the water holding capacity was better (73.27%) with lower pulp value (10.45%). When 3.5% salt was added, the water holding capacity, tensile strength, tensile deformation, elasticity and adhesiveness of dual-protein filaments all reached the maximum values, which were 68.62%, 4.94 N/cm2, 4.97 mm/mm, 6.48 N and 4.63 N, respectively. Conclusion: The mixing ratio of surimi and chicken was 8∶2, with the water content of 20%, the potato starch of 30%, and the salt of 3.5%, the quality of fish-chicken dual-protein vermicelli was optimum.

Abstract Small extracellular vesicles (SEVs) are extracellular vesicles containing DNA, RNA, and proteins and are involved in intercellular communication and function, playing an essential role in the growth and metastasis of tumors. SEVs are present in various body fluids and can be isolated and extracted from blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. Under both physiological and pathological conditions, SEVs can be released by some cells, such as immune, stem, and tumor cells, in a cytosolic manner. SEVs secreted by tumor cells are called tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) because of their origin in the corresponding parent cells. Glioma is the most common intracranial tumor, accounting for approximately half of the primary intracranial tumors, and is characterized by insidious onset, high morbidity, and high mortality rate. Complete removal of tumor tissues by surgery is difficult. Chemotherapy can improve the survival quality of patients to a certain extent; however, gliomas are prone to chemoresistance, which seriously affects the prognosis of patients. In recent years, TEXs have played a vital role in the occurrence, development, associated immune response, chemotherapy resistance, radiation therapy resistance, and metastasis of glioma. This article reviews the role of TEXs in glioma progression, drug resistance, and clinical diagnosis.

This study aimed to explore whether stroke prevention strategies differ for men and women. Data used were from China Kadoorie Biobank. According to the China-PAR Project model, a predicted 10-year stroke risk of ≥7% is defined as a high stroke risk. The effects of risk factor control and medication use as primary and secondary stroke prevention strategies were assessed, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to assess the sex-specific differences in the primary and secondary stroke prevention practices. Of the 512,715 participants (59.0% women), 218,972 (57.4% women) had a high risk of stroke and 8884 (44.7% women) had an established stroke. Of high-risk participants, women were considerably less likely than men to receive antiplatelets (odds ratio [OR], 0.80; [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.72–0.89]), antihypertensives (0.46[0.44–0.48]), and antidiabetics (0.65[0.60–0.70]). Meanwhile, stroke women were significantly less likely to receive antiplatelets (0.75[0.65–0.85]) but more likely to receive antidiabetics (1.56 [1.34–1.82]) than their male counterparts. Besides, differences were found in risk factor control between women and men. Sex-specific differences in stroke prevention strategies are prevalent in China. Effective prevention requires the implementation of better overall nationwide strategies and special emphasis on women.

Termites are social insects that live in the soil or in decaying wood, where exposure to pathogens should be common. However, these pathogens rarely cause mortality in established colonies. In addition to social immunity, the gut symbionts of termites are expected to assist in protecting their hosts, though the specific contributions are unclear. In this study, we examined this hypothesis in Odontotermes formosanus, a fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae, by 1) disrupting its gut microbiota with the antibiotic kanamycin, 2) challenging O. formosanus with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii, and finally 3) sequencing the resultant gut transcriptomes. As a result, 142531 transcripts and 73608 unigenes were obtained, and unigenes were annotated following NR, NT, KO, Swiss-Prot, PFAM, GO, and KOG databases. Among them, a total of 3,814 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between M. robertsii infected termites with or without antibiotics treatment. Given the lack of annotated genes in O. formosanus transcriptomes, we examined the expression profiles of the top 20 most significantly differentially expressed genes using qRT-PCR. Several of these genes, including APOA2, Calpain-5, and Hsp70, were downregulated in termites exposed to both antibiotics and pathogen but upregulated in those exposed only to the pathogen, suggesting that gut microbiota might buffer/facilitate their hosts against infection by finetuning physiological and biochemical processes, including innate immunity, protein folding, and ATP synthesis. Overall, our combined results imply that stabilization of gut microbiota can assist termites in maintaining physiological and biochemical homeostasis when foreign pathogenic fungi invade.

BackgroundWe aimed to estimate the burden of nutritional deficiency according to sex and age in countries with a low sociodemographic index (SDI).MethodsFollowing the methods of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019, estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to determine trends in the age-standardized rates of incidence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of nutritional deficiency and its main subcategories from 1990 to 2019 in low-SDI countries.FindingsFrom 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence and DALY rates of nutritional deficiency showed decreasing trends, with EAPCs of −0.90 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06 to −0.75] and −3.20 (95% CI, −3.29 to −3.10), respectively, in low-SDI countries. In 2019, of the subcategories analyzed, vitamin A deficiency had the highest age-standardized incidence rate and protein–energy malnutrition had the highest age-standardized DALY rate. From 1990 to 2019, the greatest decrease in the age-standardized incidence rate was observed for vitamin A deficiency and the greatest decrease in the age-standardized DALY rate was observed for protein–energy malnutrition. At the national level, from 1990 to 2019, the greatest increase in the age-standardized incidence rate of overall nutritional deficiency was observed in males in Afghanistan (EAPC: 0.28; 95% CI, 0.07 to 0.49). Of the age groups analyzed, the highest incidence and DALY rates of overall nutritional deficiency and dietary iron deficiency were observed in children aged 1–4 years.InterpretationThe age-standardized incidence and DALY rates of nutritional deficiency decreased significantly from 1990 to 2019, especially for vitamin A deficiency and protein–energy malnutrition. Overall nutritional deficiency and dietary iron deficiency occurred primarily in children aged 1–4 years.