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The aim of this study was to improve the quality of semen samples by using a novel double-tube (DT) method. The DT method was developed to select sperm and compared with traditional swim-up (SU) technique for 31 semen samples. Sperm DNA integrity were tested with TUNEL and SCSA. Content of antisperm antibodies (ASA) in the semen was measured by ELISA and MAR. Levels of the caspase-3 in the sperm were assessed by western blotting. After SU and DT, 15 couples and 16 couples were underwent IVF-ET. The number of RCDs, the percentage of SDF and DFI, ASA and the level of caspase-3 were significantly decreased after DT and SU ( p = .001 and p < .001). When the DT and SU compared, there were significant changes in the number of RCD, the percentage of SDF and DFI, ASA and the level of caspase-3 ( p < 0.05-0.001). There was a higher cleavage rate ( p = .017) and a lower abortion rate ( p < .05) in DT-IVF group than in SU-IVF group. DT selection yielded spermatozoa with low RCDs, DFI, ASA, and caspase-3 which would be benefit for ART.

T cells play a critical role in coronavirus diseases. How they do so in COVID-19 may be revealed by analyzing the epigenetic chromatin accessibility of cis- and trans-regulatory elements and creating transcriptomic immune profiles. We performed single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (scATAC) and single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing (seq) on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of severely ill/critical patients (SCPs) infected with COVID-19, moderate patients (MPs), and healthy volunteer controls (HCs). About 76,570 and 107,862 single cells were used, respectively, for analyzing the characteristics of chromatin accessibility and transcriptomic immune profiles by the application of scATAC-seq (nine cases) and scRNA-seq (15 cases). The scATAC-seq detected 28,535 different peaks in the three groups; among these peaks, 41.6 and 10.7% were located in the promoter and enhancer regions, respectively. Compared to HCs, among the peak-located genes in the total T cells and its subsets, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells, from SCPs and MPs were enriched with inflammatory pathways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway. The motifs of TBX21 were less accessible in the CD4+ T cells of SCPs compared with those in MPs. Furthermore, the scRNA-seq showed that the proportion of T cells, especially the CD4+ T cells, was decreased in SCPs and MPs compared with those in HCs. Transcriptomic results revealed that histone-related genes, and inflammatory genes, such as NFKBIA, S100A9, and PIK3R1, were highly expressed in the total T cells, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells, both in the cases of SCPs and MPs. In the CD4+ T cells, decreased T helper-1 (Th1) cells were observed in SCPs and MPs. In the CD8+T cells, activation markers, such as CD69 and HLA class II genes (HLA-DRA, HLA-DRB1, and HLA-DRB5), were significantly upregulated in SCPs. An integrated analysis of the data from scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq showed some consistency between the approaches. Cumulatively, we have generated a landscape of chromatin epigenetic status and transcriptomic immune profiles of T cells in patients with COVID-19. This has provided a deeper dissection of the characteristics of the T cells involved at a higher resolution than from previously obtained data merely by the scRNA-seq analysis. Our data led us to suggest that the T-cell inflammatory states accompanied with defective functions in the CD4+ T cells of SCPs may be the key factors for determining the pathogenesis of and recovery from COVID-19.

Introduction Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common organ dysfunction in sepsis, and increases the risk of unfavourable outcomes. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) is the predominant treatment for sepsis-associated AKI (SAKI). However, to date, no prospective randomised study has adequately addressed whether initiating RRT earlier will attenuate renal injury and improve the outcome of sepsis. The objective of the trial is to compare the early strategy with delayed strategy on the outcomes in patients with SAKI in the intensive care unit (ICU).Methods and analysis This is a large-scale, multicentre, randomised controlled trial about SAKI. In total, 460 patients with sepsis and evidence of AKI stage 2 of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) will be recruited and equally randomised into the early group and the delay group in a ratio of 1:1. In the early group, continuous RRT (CRRT) will be started immediately after randomisation. In the delay group, CRRT will initiated if at least one of the following criteria was met: stage 3 of KDIGO, severe hyperkalaemia, pulmonary oedema, blood urea nitrogen level higher than 112 mg/dL after randomisation. The primary outcome is overall survival in a 90-day follow-up period (90-day all-cause mortality). Other end points include 28-day, 60-day and 1-year mortality, recovery rate of renal function by day 28 and day 90, ICU and hospital length of stay, the numbers of CRRT-free days, mechanical ventilation-free days and vasopressor-free days, the rate of complications potentially related to CRRT, CRRT-related cost, and concentrations of inflammatory mediators in serum.Ethics and dissemination The trial has been approved by the Clinical Research and Application Institutional Review Board of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (2017–31-ks-01). Participants will be screened and enrolled from patients in the ICU with SAKI by clinicians, with no public advertisement for recruitment. Results will be disseminated in research journals and through conference presentations.Trial registration NCT03175328.

Background: The substantial heterogeneity of clinical symptoms and lack of reliable progression markers in Parkinson's disease (PD) present a major challenge in predicting accurate progression and prognoses. Increasing evidence indicates that each component of the neurovascular unit (NVU) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption may take part in many neurodegenerative diseases. Since some portions of CSF are eliminated along the neurovascular unit and across the BBB, disturbing the pathways may result in changes of these substances.Methods: Four hundred seventy-four participants from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study (NCT01141023) were included in the study. Thirty-six initial features, including general information, brief clinical characteristics and the current year's classical scale scores, were used to build five regression models to predict PD motor progression represented by the coming year's Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III score after redundancy removal and recursive feature elimination (RFE)-based feature selection. Then, a threshold range was added to the predicted value for more convenient model application. Finally, we evaluated the CSF and blood biomarkers' influence on the disease progression model.Results: Eight hundred forty-nine cases were included in the study. The adjusted R2 values of three different categories of regression model, linear, Bayesian and ensemble, all reached 0.75. Models of the same category shared similar feature combinations. The common features selected among the categories were the MDS-UPDRS Part III score, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Questionnaire (RBDSQ) score. It can be seen more intuitively that the model can achieve certain prediction effect through threshold range. Biomarkers had no significant impact on the progression model within the data in the study.Conclusions: By using machine learning and routinely gathered assessments from the current year, we developed multiple dynamic models to predict the following year's motor progression in the early stage of PD. These methods will allow clinicians to tailor medical management to the individual and identify at-risk patients for future clinical trials examining disease-modifying therapies.

We introduce a new concept of Hadamard well-posedness of a generalized mixed variational inequality in a Banach space. The relations between the Levitin–Polyak well-posedness and Hadamard well-posedness for a generalized mixed variational inequality are studied. The characterizations of Hadamard well-posedness for a generalized mixed variational inequality are established.

Bristol Bay, Alaska, is home to the largest sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) fishery in the world, harvesting an average of 25 million fish with an ex-vessel value exceeding US$100 million annually. Daily fishing effort is adaptively managed to achieve stock-specific escapement goals. Traditional methods for defining these goals relied on stock-recruitment analysis; however, this approach often ignores three fundamental sources of uncertainty: estimation error, implementation uncertainty, and time-varying recruitment dynamics. To compare escapement goal alternatives, we conducted a management strategy evaluation that simulated time-varying recruitment across production regimes and replicated the daily in-season management process. Results indicate (i) implementation uncertainty can be reasonably approximated with simple rules reflecting fishery managers' daily decision process; (ii) despite implementation uncertainty, escapement goals are likely to be realized or exceeded, on average; and (iii) management strategies targeting escapement levels estimated by traditional methods to produce maximum sustainable yield may result in lower catch and greater variability in fishing opportunity compared with a strategy with defining high and low escapement goals that are targeted depending on assessed run size, which may maximize future catch while reducing the frequency of extremely low harvests. La baie de Bristol, en Alaska, est le lieu de la plus importante peche au saumon sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) du monde, avec une production annuelle moyenne de 25 millions de poissons d'une valeur au debarquement de plus de US$100 millions. L'effort de peche journalier est gere de maniere adaptative pour permettre l'atteinte d'objectifs d'echappement propres au stock. Si les methodes traditionnelles d'etablissement de ces objectifs reposent sur l'analyse du recrutement au stock, cette approche ne tient pas compte, dans bien des cas, de trois sources fondamentales d'incertitude, a savoir l'erreur d'estimation, l'incertitude associee a la mise en reuvre et la dynamique de recrutement variable dans le temps. Afin de comparer differents objectifs d'echappement, nous avons realise une evaluation des strategies de gestion qui simule le recrutement variable dans le temps pour differents regimes de production et reproduit le processus de gestion journaliere durant la saison. Les resultats indiquent que (i) de simples regles refletant le processus decisionnel journalier des gestionnaires de la peche peuvent produire une approximation raisonnable de l'incertitude associee a la mise en reuvre, (ii) malgre l'incertitude associee a la mise en reuvre, les objectifs d'echappement sont susceptibles d'etre atteints ou depasses en moyenne et (iii) des strategies de gestion qui visent des niveaux d'echappement estimes par des methodes traditionnelles pour produire le rendement equilibre maximal peuvent se traduire par des prises plus faibles et une plus grande variabilite des possibilites de peche qu'une strategie qui comprend des objectifs d'echappement eleves et faibles utilises tour a tour selon l'effectif de la montaison evalue, ce qui pourrait maximiser les prises futures tout en reduisant la frequence de productions extremement faibles. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Fisheries management can be made more effective through systematic analysis of management alternatives, where the likelihood and relative risk of potential outcomes are quantified while accounting for both biological [...]

We develop an economically sophisticated management strategy evaluation for four sockeye salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka) fishing districts in Bristol Bay, Alaska, to evaluate whether proposed increases in escapement goals--the number of fish allowed up each river to spawn--could improve fishery outcomes for the industry and the region. Higher escapements increase average runs toward biological maximum sustainable yield, but this is driven by infrequent years of very abundant runs. Our economic model shows processors do not add capacity in response to infrequent abundant runs. Therefore, interannual variance in district-specific catch increases because years with little or no fishing become more frequent to meet higher escapement in low-run years, but industry cannot capture greater value in the high-run years. In abundant runs, processors shift available labor to focus on high-volume, lower-margin products; in very abundant years, insufficient processing capacity allows additional fish to escape. Mobile driftnet vessels that can move to rivers experiencing high runs each year benefit, but district specialists in the small boat and set-net fleets are more vulnerable to years with little or no catch.Nous developpons une evaluation de strategies de gestion economiquement complexes pour quatre districts de peche au saumon rouge (Onchorhynchus nerka) dans la baie de Bristol (Alaska) pour determiner si des augmentations proposees des objectifs d'echappement, soit le nombre de poissons qui peuvent remonter chaque cours d'eau pour frayer, pourraient ameliorer les resultats des peches pour l'industrie et la region. Un plus grand echappement accroit les migrations moyennes qui contribuent au rendement equilibre maximal biologique, mais cela est principalement le fait d'annees peu frequentes de migrations tres abondantes. Notre modele economique montre que les transformateurs ne rehaussent pas leurs capacites en reponse a des migrations abondantes peu frequentes. La variance interannuelle des prises par district augmente donc parce que les annees ou il y a peu ou pas de peche deviennent plus frequentes pour respecter les objectifs d'echappement plus eleves durant les annees de faible migration, mais l'industrie ne peut recuperer une plus-value accrue durant les annees de fortes migrations. Quand les migrations sont abondantes, les transformateurs reaffectent la main-d'reuvre disponible a des produits a grand volume, mais a faible marge beneficiaire, alors que quand les migrations sont tres abondantes, l'insuffisance de la capacite de transformation permet l'echappement d'un plus grand nombre de poissons que prevu. Les navires mobiles a filets derivants qui peuvent se deplacer vers les cours d'eau a migrations abondantes chaque annee en beneficient, mais les pecheurs qui se specialisent dans un district donne dans les flottes de petits bateaux et a filets fixes sont plus vulnerables durant les annees de prises faibles ou nulles. [Traduit par la Redaction], IntroductionThe sockeye salmon (Onchorhynchus nerka) fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska, illustrates how economic and biological objectives can lead to different harvest policy recommendations. Despite its decades-long biological success, the salmon [...]

In a real Hilbert space, let the CFPP, VIP, and HFPP denote the common fixed-point problem of countable nonexpansive operators and asymptotically nonexpansive operator, variational inequality problem, and hierarchical fixed point problem, respectively. With the help of the Mann iteration method, a subgradient extragradient approach with a linear-search process, and a hybrid deepest-descent technique, we construct two modified Mann-type subgradient extragradient rules with a linear-search process for finding a common solution of the CFPP and VIP. Under suitable assumptions, we demonstrate the strong convergence of the suggested rules to a common solution of the CFPP and VIP, which is only a solution of a certain HFPP.

Background: Information about critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China but outside of Wuhan is scarce. We aimed to describe the clinical features, treatment, and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in Guangdong Province.Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, observational study, we enrolled consecutive patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to seven ICUs in Guangdong Province. Demographic data, symptoms, laboratory findings, comorbidities, treatment, and outcomes were collected. Data were compared between patients with and without intubation.Results: A total of 45 COVID-19 patients required ICU admission in the study hospitals [mean age 56.7 ± 15.4 years, 29 males (64.4%)]. The most common symptoms at onset were fever and cough. Most patients presented with lymphopenia and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. Treatment with antiviral drugs was initiated in all patients. Thirty-six patients (80%) developed acute respiratory distress syndrome at ICU admission, and 15 (33.3%) septic shock. Twenty patients (44.4%) were intubated, and 10 (22.2%) received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The 60-day mortality was 4.4% (2 of 45).Conclusion: COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU were characterized by fever, lymphopenia, acute respiratory failure, and multiple organ dysfunction. The mortality of ICU patients in Guangdong Province was relatively low with a small sample size.

Background: The outbreak of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) poses a great challenge to global public health. New and effective intervention strategies are urgently needed to combat the disease. Methods: We conducted an open-label, non-randomized, clinical trial involving moderate COVID-19 patients according to study protocol. Patients were assigned in a 1:2 ratio to receive either aerosol inhalation treatment with IFN-κ and TFF2, every 48 h for three consecutive dosages, in addition to standard treatment (experimental group), or standard treatment alone (control group). The end point was the time to discharge from the hospital. This study is registered with chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2000030262. Findings: A total of thirty-three eligible COVID-19 patients were enrolled from February 1, 2020 to April 6, 2020, eleven were assigned to the IFN-κ plus TFF2 group, and twenty-two to the control group. Safety and efficacy were evaluated for both groups. No treatment-associated severe adverse effects (SAE) were observed in the group treated with aerosol inhalation of IFN-κ plus TFF2, and no significant differences in the safety evaluations were observed between experimental and control groups. CT imaging was performed in all patients with the median improvement time of 5.0 days (IQR 3.0–9.0) in the experimental group versus 8.5 days (IQR 3.0–17.0) in the control group (p

Tracking control, which is applied to the target mobile robots in the process of rushing toward the trainees, is one of the critical technologies in the advancement of anti-terrorist training. Considering the disadvantages of various types of traditional tracking methods, this paper proposes a novel laser ray tracking mechanism and a backstepping controller for the target mobile robot that is used in shooting ranges. The mechanism and principle of the laser ray tracking is illustrated in detail. Based on the unique structure, the light intensity distributions are measured to further locate the laser spots on the cut-ray boards. Then, the relationship between the positions of the laser spots on the cut-ray boards and the pose of the target mobile robot is demonstrated. According to the features of the tracking situation, a backstepping controller is designed to achieve the laser ray tracking. After that, the inverse kinematics of the wheeled skid-steering mobile robot is analyzed to map the linear and angular velocities of the robot to the velocities of its left wheels and right wheels. The conventional proportional–integral–derivative controller is applied in the experiments to compare with the proposed backstepping controller. The experimental results show that the proposed controller is more robust, and converges faster for the laser ray tracking.

A novel two-dimensional (2D) solid composite polymer electrolyte (SPE) was synthesized by co-assembling ionic liquid crystals [1-hexadecyl-3-methyl tetrafluoroborate ([C16mim]BF4)] and polycationic liquids [1-(hexyl methacrylate)-3-butyimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (PMOBIm-BF4)] along with the imidazolium moieties using a flexible spacer. Ionic liquid crystals were used to induce ion-conductive 2D pathways in the ionic liquid cationic polymer, and polymer cationic ionic liquids acted as ion-conductive media for lithium-ion batteries. Owing to its excellent thermal stability, non-inflammability, and high ionic conductivity, the PMPC0.5 electrolyte containing 3/1/0.5 ratio of polyMOBIm-BF4/PEGDA/[C16mim]BF4 exhibited anenhanced lithium-storage performance within a wide electrochemical window of up to 4.2 V vs. Li+/Li, and high ionic conductivity of 7.14 × 10−5 and 2.17 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 25 and 95 °C, respectively. The assembling ability of ionic liquid crystals can not only develop lamella structure and ordered channel for improved Li-ion transportation, but also could show efficient enhancement for ionic conductivity of the polyionic liquid. The Li/SPE/LiFePO4 coin cells using the PMPC0.5 as electrolyte delivered a specific capacity of 136.7 mAh g−1 in the first cycle and118.9 mAh g−1 in the 40th cycle at a rate of 0.1C.

The compressive densification strain of honeycomb paperboard is one of the important parameters which affect the energy absorption property of honeycomb paperboard. The in-plane bearing mechanism of honeycomb paperboard in plastic zone was analyzed based on compression tests of the single row and multi-rows of honeycomb paperboard. The result indicates that the core layer plays a supporting role in resisting the buckling of the face layer. The double inner folds are formed in machine direction and the symmetrical inner folds are formed in cross direction in a honeycomb core. The core single wall and the face layer play a critical role in the load bearing in machine direction, and the core double walls, core single wall, and face layer all play critical roles in the load bearing in cross direction. On this basis, the evaluation equation of the compressive densification strain was obtained based on the energy absorption efficiency method and geometric scale effect, which are verified so that the experiment and test results are in good agreement.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111215.].

The optical phase conjugation (OPC) process is thoughtfully investigated in a nonlinear bidirectional semiconductor optical amplifier subsystem (SOA), demonstrating the conjugation conversion through the two ports of the SOA, simultaneously. The spectral responses, the nonlinear power curves and the quality optimization of the conjugated are discussed through the simulation in nonlinear bidirectional configuration. The experimental investigation of the polarization-insensitive SOA further confirms the OPC behavior in the bidirectional operation, achieving the error-free conjugation conversion with an output optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of up to 16 dB. The nonlinear bidirectional SOA configuration tested in the system relaxes the requirement of the conventional four-wave mixing (FWM), enabling the OPC conversion with the signal regeneration in only one unit.

Objectives: Although injury of myocardium after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been reported, the mechanism and effect of exogenous phosphocreatine (PCr) supplementation on the injury are yet to be elucidated. Biomarkers, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and variations in white blood cells for inflammation, and serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) for myocardial injury are examined. Methods: A total of 105 patients undergoing PCI were included and randomly divided into two groups: control (treated with routine hydration therapy) and PCr (treated with additional intravenous infusion of exogenous PCr). The serum levels of biomarkers were detected at administration and 4, 12, 24, and 48 h after PCI, with natural logarithmic (loge) transformation of data when modeling assumptions were not fulfilled. Results: The level of loge-transformed IL-6 increased in both groups, especially at 12 and 24 h after the operation, and that of PCr group was less than the control group at 48 h. The content of loge-transformed cTnI was significantly increased in both groups, while that of the PCr group was markedly lower than the control group at all time points after PCI. Moreover, the ratio of neutrophils was elevated at all time points after PCI, while that of the PCr group was lower at 48 h, and the variations in the ratio of lymphocytes showed opposite results. Conclusions: Exogenous phosphocreatine reduces stent implantation, triggers inflammation manifested as decreased serum levels of IL-6 and the aggregation of neutrophils, and protects the myocardium of the patients undergoing PCI. These findings provided the potential mechanism and treatment for myocardial injury associated with PCI.

Cephalcia chuxiongica Xiao is one of the most dangerous defoliators of Pinus yunnanensis and other pine species in Yunnan province, resulting in serious losses. Its distinguishing characteristics are the females’ aggregation oviposition and larvae’s aggregation feeding. In order to explore the mechanism of aggregation oviposition in this sawfly, preliminary olfactory bioassay was conducted in laboratory. In in-cage choice tests, on average vast majority gravid females selected the shoots that had been loaded and oviposited by a ‘pioneer’ female. In one-choice tests in laboratory by a Y-tube olfactometer, the gravid females were attracted by the odors of eggs-carrying shoots (PE), shoots with one delivering female and her eggs (PGE), needles’ extract (NE), and fresh eggs’ eluent (EL); the virgin females were attracted by odors of fresh needles (P), PE, PGE, and NE, but repelled by odors of virgin and gravid females. In two-choice tests, the odors were tested in pairs for gravid females. When compared with odors of gravid females (G) or P, gravid females showed significantly more tendency to odors of PE or PGE. When given odors EL vs. NE, gravid females preferred the odors of NE, but they did not make obvious selection between G vs. P, and PE vs. PGE. Based on the results, our conjectures were: (1) Delivery female, as a pioneer, can summon her conspecific gravid females to aggregate in the same pine shoot; (2) Pine needles’ odors were attractive for both the virgin and gravid females; (3) Gravid females could be attracted by odors released by the pioneer gravid females; (4) The olfactory sensation of the females may be changed by mating.

Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) has recently been rapidly adopted in the molecular diagnosis of cancer, but it still faces some obstacles. In this study, 665 lung adenocarcinoma samples (558 TKI‐naive and 107 TKI‐relapsed samples) were interrogated using NGS, and the challenges and possible solutions of subjecting appropriate tissue samples to NGS testing were explored. The results showed that lower frequencies of HER2/BRAF/PIK3CA and acquired EGFR T790M mutations were observed in biopsy samples with

Leaf color: Golden secrets of Ginkgo biloba Studying a mutant variety of the popular ornamental tree Ginkgo biloba reveals insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling gold and yellow coloration in plant leaves. Biao Jin at Yangzhou University, China, and colleagues, compared the cell biology, physiology and gene activity of a gold-leafed mutant form of the tree and the normal green-leafed form. The golden mutant has fewer and smaller chloroplasts—the green bodies within cells that capture light energy during photosynthesis. These chloroplasts also have several disrupted internal structures. The levels of key pigment molecules, including chlorophylls, carotenoids and flavonoids are also altered in the mutant leaves. The most significant factor producing the golden coloration is an increased level of carotenoids relative to chlorophylls. Understanding the factors controlling leaf coloration might help horticulturists to manipulate this characteristic of ornamental trees and shrubs.

We demonstrate an optically tunable mode-locked fiber laser using long-period fiber grating (LPFG) coated with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The multi-walled CNTs can absorb light to convert it into thermal energy, and the resonance wavelength of the grating can be easily turned by varying the external modulated light power. This multi-walled CNT coated LPFG-based all-optical fast and efficient spectrum tunable filter enables continuous tuning of the central wavelength of the laser by manipulating the loss of the mode-locked laser, ensuring the stability of the mode-locking state. In the absence of modulated light on multi-walled CNTs, the soliton laser could generate 890 fs pulses at 1546.7 nm with a spectrum bandwidth of 3.26 nm and a signal-to-noise ratio of 73.1 dB. Through adjustment of the pump power of the modulation light on multi-walled CNTs, the mode-locked fiber laser can be continuously tuned from 1546.71 to 1563.15 nm. The response time of the optically tunable system was measured to be in the order of hundreds of milliseconds. The presented optical tuning filter shows great potential in the fiber laser system, offering a repeatable, straightforward, and rapidly responsive laser tuning technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabies, a fatal viral zoonotic disease, has become a public health concern in Sarawak, Malaysia. Despite pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis being available, there has been limited progress in developing treatments for rabies, emphasising the pressing need for productive solutions. We present a laboratory-confirmed human rabies case in which the patient survived without neurological sequelae after receiving intrathecal rabies immunoglobulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to explore the potential application of the functional indigenous grass Carotae fructus in livestock production, investigate the influence of inclusion ratios of Carotae fructus on the in vitro digestive characteristics of pasture. A single-factor completely randomized design was employed, with Carotae fructus added at proportions of 0, 4%, 8%, and 12% to four types of aboveground mixed pasture: Elymus sibiricus, Agropyron cristatum, Elymus nutans, and Medicago sativa. The results showed that after 72 h of fermentation, compared to the group without Carotae fructus, the addition of 4% Carotae fructus increased the IVDMD of Elymus sibiricus by 19.92% (P<0.05). Compared to the group without Carotae fructus, the addition of 8% Carotae fructus increased the IVDMD of Agropyron cristatum, Elymus nutans, and Medicago sativa by 16.76%, 16.35%, and 1.83%, respectively (P<0.05). The study indicates that Carotae fructus, as a functional indigenous grass, can be used as a roughage for ruminants, improving the digestibility when added at a dosage of 4% to 8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The male and female gametes of higher plants are immobile, but compatible gametes can recognize, attach, and fuse to fulfill fertilization and start embryogenesis after sperm cells are released from the pollen tube. The two fusions of egg and central cells with two sperm cells are controlled by accurate regulation mechanisms that ensure one-to-one gamete fusion. Many of the molecules involved in this process remain unknown, especially the egg cell proteins that are responsible for sperm-egg recognition, attachment, and fusion. The cytoplasm of sperm cells can trigger egg activation without the fusion of male and female gamete nuclei, suggesting that a gene controlling egg division is suppressed in the absence of fertilization. Fertilization in higher plants induces structural, physiological, and molecular biological changes in the fused egg, which are collectively known as egg activation. This review focuses on the early changes that occur in the fused egg of higher plants before fusion of the nuclei of male and female gametes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The kidney is vulnerable to hypoxia-induced injury. One of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon is cell apoptosis triggered by hypoxia-inducible factor-1- α (HIF-1α) activation. MicroRNA-210 (miR-210) is known to be induced by HIF-1α and can regulate various pathological processes, but its role in hypoxic kidney injury remains unclear. Here, in both rat systemic hypoxia and local kidney hypoxia models, we found miR-210 levels were upregulated significantly in injured kidney, especially in renal tubular cells. A similar increase was observed in hypoxia-treated human renal tubular HK-2 cells. We also verified that miR-210 can directly suppress HIF-1α expression by targeting the 3′ untranslated region of HIF-1α mRNA in HK-2 cells in severe hypoxia. Accordingly, miR-210 overexpression caused significant inhibition of the HIF-1α pathway and attenuated apoptosis caused by hypoxia, while miR-210 knockdown exerted the opposite effect. Taken together, our findings verify that miR-210 is involved in the molecular response in hypoxic kidney lesions in vivo and attenuates hypoxia-induced renal tubular cell apoptosis by targeting HIF-1α directly and suppressing HIF-1α pathway activation in vitro.

The formation of dissipative cavity solitons in microresonators provides an efficient process for ultrashort pulse synthesis and mode-locking of Kerr frequency combs. However, as dissipative cavity solitons arise spontaneously from a continuous-wave pump, deterministically controlling the number of intracavity solitons remains challenging to date. In this paper, we propose an efficient yet easy way to access single cavity soliton formation in microresonators via inverse-Kelly sideband generation in Kerr comb spectrum. Our method only requires fixed-speed unidirectional pump frequency sweeping to achieve single soliton state, avoiding complex pump scanning trajectory and high frequency pump modulation. Moreover, we report on the determinacy of single-soliton generation using the proposed method; statistic analysis shows that excellent determinacy as high as 98.7% is achieved.