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Abstract Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a common malignancy in the hematologic system, and traditional therapy has limited efficacy for people with recurrent/refractory NHL (R/R NHL), especially for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel and effective immunotherapy strategy for R/R hematopoietic malignancies, but relapses can occur due to the loss of CAR-T cells in vivo or the loss of antigen. One strategy to avoid antigen loss after CAR-T cell therapy is to target one more antigen simultaneously. Tandem CAR targeting CD19 and CD22 has demonstrated the reliability of tandem CAR-T cell therapy for R/R B-ALL. This study explores the therapeutic potential of tandem CD19/20 CAR-T in the treatment of R/R B cell NHL. The efficacy and safety of autologous CD19/20 CAR-T cells in eleven R/R B cell NHL adult patients were evaluated in an open-label, single-arm trial. Most patients achieved complete response, exhibiting the efficacy and safety of tandem CD19/20 CAR-T cells. The TCR repertoire diversity of CAR-T cells decreased after infusion. The expanded TCR clones in vivo were mainly derived from TCR clones that had increased expression of genes associated with immune-related signaling pathways from the infusion product (IP). The kinetics of CAR-T cells in vivo were linked to an increase in the expression of genes related to immune response and cytolysis/cytotoxicity.

PurposeTo establish various radiomics models based on conventional CT scan images and enhanced CT images, explore their value in the classification of pheochromocytoma (PHEO) and lipid-poor adrenal adenoma (LPA) and screen the most parsimonious and efficient modelMethodsThe clinical and imaging data of 332 patients (352 lesions) with PHEO or LPA confirmed by surgical pathology in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were retrospectively analyzed. The region of interest (ROI) on conventional and enhanced CT images was delineated using ITK-SNAP software. Different radiomics signatures were constructed from the radiomics features extracted from conventional and enhanced CT images, and a radiomics score (Rad score) was calculated. A clinical model was established using demographic features and CT findings, while radiomics nomograms were established using multiple logistic regression analysis.The predictive efficiency of different models was evaluated using the area under curve (AUC) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The Delong test was used to evaluate whether there were statistical differences in predictive efficiency between different models.ResultsThe radiomics signature based on conventional CT images showed AUCs of 0.97 (training cohort, 95% CI: 0.95∼1.00) and 0.97 (validation cohort, 95% CI: 0.92∼1.00). The AUCs of the nomogram model based on conventional scan CT images and enhanced CT images in the training cohort and the validation cohort were 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95∼1.00) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.94~1.00) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97∼1.00) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.94∼1.00), respectively. The prediction efficiency of models based on enhanced CT images was slightly higher than that of models based on conventional CT images, but these differences were statistically insignificant(P>0.05).ConclusionsCT-based radiomics signatures and radiomics nomograms can be used to predict and identify PHEO and LPA. The model established based on conventional CT images has great identification and prediction efficiency, and it can also enable patients to avoid harm from radiation and contrast agents caused by the need for further enhancement scanning in traditional image examinations.

Increases in the virulence and survival of some pathogens in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics have been reported. However, research on the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial substances derived from traditional Chinese medicine on pathogens is still insufficient. Glabridin is a well-known active isoflavone found in licorice roots that possesses a wide range of biological activities. Therefore, in this study, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) exposed to subinhibitory concentrations of glabridin was used as the research object. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for L. monocytogenes. We investigated the impacts of subinhibitory concentrations of glabridin on the morphology, motility, biofilm formation, adherence, and survival of L. monocytogenes. The results indicated that the MIC of glabridin for L. monocytogenes was 31.25 μg/mL. At 1/8, 1/4, or 1/2 of the MIC, glabridin did not affect the growth, morphology, flagellar production, or biofilm formation of L. monocytogenes. However, subinhibitory concentrations of glabridin inhibited bacterial swimming and swarming motility and decreased the hemolytic activity of L. monocytogenes. Glabridin reduced the hemolytic activity of L. monocytogenes culture supernatants. The results also showed that subinhibitory concentrations of glabridin had no toxic effect on RAW264.7 cells but decreased the intracellular growth of L. monocytogenes in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, subinhibitory concentrations of glabridin triggered ROS production but did not induce MET formation in macrophages. In addition, glabridin did not enhance the capacity of L. monocytogenes to trigger METs or the extracellular killing of macrophages by METs. Thus, we conclude that subinhibitory concentrations of glabridin reduce L. monocytogenes motility and hemolytic activity but do not exhibit antimicrobial activity. Glabridin could be an interesting food additive as a bacteriostatic agent with anti-Listeria activity.

Single-object tracking algorithms based on Siamese full convolutional networks have attracted much attention from researchers owing to their improvement in precision and speed. Since this tracking model only learns a similarity model offline, it is not able to obtain more useful feature discrimination information to adapt to the various variations of targets in complex scenes. To improve the performance of this tracking model, we propose a Siamese network tracking algorithm that incorporates multiple attention mechanisms and an adaptive updating strategy for background features. First, a backbone feature extraction network is proposed that utilizes a small convolutional kernel to fuse jump-layer connectivity features, thereby improving the feature representation capability of the network. Second, an adaptive update strategy for background features is proposed to improve the model’s ability to discriminate between the object and background features. Third, the fusion of multiple attention mechanisms is proposed so that the model learns to focus on the channel, spatial, and coordinate features. Fourth, the response fusion operation is proposed after the inter-correlation operation to enrich the output response of the model. Finally, our algorithm is trained using the GOT-10K dataset and evaluated by testing on the object tracking benchmark datasets OTB100 and VOT2018. The test results show that compared with other algorithms, our algorithm can effectively cope with the problem of degradation of the tracking performance in complex environments, and it can further improve the tracking precision and precision under the premise of ensuring the tracking speed.

This work aims to explore the Lower Silurian shale gas and tight sandstone gas accumulation conditions in the Gongtan Syncline, southeastern Sichuan Basin. The sedimentary environment, organic geochemical characteristics, reservoir characteristics, gas content, and preservation conditions of the reservoir were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that the Wufeng–Longmaxi Formation shale formed in a deep-water shelf characterized by a large thickness (50–70 m), appropriate total organic carbon content (0.5–5.47%), high maturity (2.38%), high brittle mineral content (67.10%), and large gas content (0.71–1.64 m3/t), and the formations show the good resource potential of the shale gas. The Xintan Formation formed in a lower shore phase, and the tight sandstone is locally developed with a small thickness. The Xiaoheba Formation formed in an upper-middle shore phase, and the tight sandstone is stably distributed with large thicknesses. The porosity and permeability of the two sets of sandstone are small and some natural fractures are developed in the sandstone, but the fracture filling degree is higher. The results of well logging show that there are abnormally high values of total hydrocarbon in both the Xintan Formation and Xiaoheba Formation; this indicates that tight sandstone gas is developed in the Lower Silurian strata. A comprehensive study indicates that the Lower Silurian of the Gongtan Syncline has the geological conditions for the formation of shale gas and tight sandstone gas, which are the “Two gases” with good co-exploration prospects.

Carnivore protoparvovirus-1, feline parvovirus (FPV), and canine parvovirus (CPV) continue to spread in companion animals all over the world. As a result, FPV and CPV underwent host-to-host transfer in carnivorous wild-animal hosts. Here, a total of 82 fecal samples of suspected cat FPV infections were collected from Henan Province from 2020 to 2022. The previously published full-length sequence primers of VP2 and NS1 genes were used to amplify the targeted genes of these samples, and the complete gene sequences of 11 VP2 and 21 NS1 samples were obtained and analyzed. Analysis showed that the amino acid homology of the VP2 and NS1 genes of these isolates was 96.1–100% and 97.6–100%, respectively. The phylogenetic results showed that the VP2 and NS1 genes of the local isolates were mainly concentrated in the G1 subgroup, while the vaccine strains were distributed in the G3 subgroup. Finally, F81 cells were inoculated with the local endemic isolate Luoyang-01 (FPV-LY strain for short) for virus amplification, purification, and titer determination, and the pathogenesis of FPV-LY was detected. After five generations of blind transmission in F81 cells, cells infected with FPV-LY displayed characteristic morphological changes, including a round, threadlike, and wrinkled appearance, indicative of viral infection. The virus titer associated with this cytopathic effect (CPE) was measured at 1.5 × 106 TCID50/mL. Subsequent animal regression tests confirmed that the virus titer of the PFV-LY isolate remained at 1.5 × 106 TCID50/mL, indicating its highly pathogenic nature. Cats exposed to the virus exhibited typical clinical symptoms and pathological changes, ultimately succumbing to the infection. These results suggest that the gene mutation rate of FPV is increasing, resulting in a complex pattern of gene evolution in terms of host preference, geographical selection, and novel genetic variants. The data also indicate that continuous molecular epidemiological surveillance is required to understand the genetic diversity of FPV isolates.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most malignant tumors in digestive system due to its highly invasive and metastatic properties. At present, conventional treatment strategies for PC show the limited clinical efficacy. Therefore, novel effective therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Here, we report a case of complete remission of advanced PC induced by claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy. The patient was a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma 2 years ago, and he experienced tumor recurrence and multiple metastases after pancreaticoduodenectomy and multi-line chemotherapies, including liver, peritoneum, and cervical lymph node metastases. Then, the patient was referred to our department for further treatment of metastatic PC, and he was enrolled in a clinical trial of claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy. After lymphodepleting chemotherapy, the patient received claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell infusion at a dose of 1.2 × 106 cells/kg on November 21, 2022. During CAR-T cell therapy, the patient experienced grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and gastric mucosa injury, which were controlled by tocilizumab and conventional symptomatic and supportive treatment. The patient achieved a complete response (CR) 1 month after claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, and remained in clinical remission for 8 months. Unfortunately, the patient experienced claudin18.2-negative relapse in July, 2023. Despite antigen-negative relapse after claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell infusion, the patient achieved sustained remission for 8 months, which indicates that claudin18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy is an extremely effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of advanced PC.

ObjectiveWhile growing psychological health issues among pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic have been clearly validated, most research was conducted in countries with relatively lax quarantine measures. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of prenatal depression among pre-, peak-, and post-COVID-19 in Beijing, the region with a stringent response policy in China. We also explore predictors of prenatal depression throughout the outbreak.MethodsWe investigated prenatal depression among 742 pregnant women who received antenatal checkups in Beijing from March 28, 2019 to May 07, 2021 using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and associative demographic, pregnancy-related, and psychosocial characteristics were measured. The phase was divided into pre-, peak-, and post-COVID-19 in light of the trajectory of COVID-19. Pearson's Chi-square test was used after the examination of confounders homogeneity. The bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was conducted to explore predictors.ResultsThe pooled prevalence of prenatal depression was 11.9% throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Rates at different phases were 10.6%, 15.2%, and 11.1% respectively and no significant difference was observed. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that history of mental illness, number of boy-preference from both pregnant women and husband's family, social support, occupation, and living space were independent predictors of prenatal depression in Beijing.ConclusionOur data suggested that the impact of this pandemic on prenatal depression in Beijing appears to be not significant, which will strengthen confidence in adhering to current policy for decision-makers and provide important guidance for the development of major outbreak control and management policies in the future. Our findings may also provide a more efficient measure to identify high-risk pregnant women for professionals and help raise gender equity awareness of pregnant women and their husbands' families. Future studies should focus on the value of targeted care and family relations on the mental health of pregnant women.

IntroductionVitamin K deficiency may elevate the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), whereas it lacks validation for pediatric populations and has uncertain dose recommendations. In this context, we hypothesized that serum vitamin K levels are associated with MSD in preschool children, and the widely used vitamin A and vitamin D supplements may mediate these associations based on potential mechanisms, which expects to provide guidance for future practice.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Sichuan province in southwestern China, from January 2021 to May 2022. Serum levels of vitamin K1/K2 and 25(OH)D were determined using the high-performance liquid chromatography method, and the diagnosis of MSD was executed by clinicians. Overall and stratified logistic regression analysis based on categorized 25(OH)D levels were conducted to assess association between serum vitamin K levels and MSD prevalence after adjusting for confounders. Mediation analysis was further performed and vitamin A and D supplementation was regressed as the mediator.ResultsA total of 6,368 children aged 0–6 years old were enrolled. MSD was identified in 1179 (18.51%) of the children, while 5,189 (81.49%) of them did not present such disorder. After adjusting confounders, a significant difference was found in serum vitamin K1 level between children in MSD and Non-MSD group (OR = 0.802, 95%CI 0.745–0.864). No significant difference was found in serum vitamin K2 level between the two groups (OR = 0.975, 95%CI 0.753–1.261). The association between vitamin K1 level and MSD prevalence was partly (36.8%) mediated by vitamin A and D supplementation.ConclusionsA low serum vitamin K1 level is connected with an increased risk of MSD among children, highlighting that vitamin A and D supplementation is a helpful intervention to prevent MSD in children with vitamin K deficiency.

In this study, a pilot-scale pipeline reactor and refined total chloramine decay model were employed to study the effects of the highly corrosive pipe wall and three kinds of disinfectant constituents on the chlorine decay behavior. The bulk decay coefficient, kbulk for NaClO, NaClO + NH3·H2O, and NaClO + (NH4)2SO4 were 0.011, 0.004, and 0.004 h−1, respectively. By resorting to the refined total chloramine decay model, the comprehensive wall decay coefficient kwall appeared in the ascending order of NaClO, NaClO + NH3·H2O, and NaClO + (NH4)2SO4. The remarkable contribution of the aged cast iron pipe wall to overall total chlorine residual decay was manifested by the ratio, kwall/kbulk. The pipe wall-induced decay was related to microbe consumption and electrochemical corrosion as indicated by variations in total organic carbon (TOC), NO2−-N, NO3−-N, and Fe residual. The larger kwall for NaClO + NH3·H2O (0.720 h−1) relative to NaClO (0.465 h−1) was mainly attributed to enhanced nitrifier-mediated microbe consumption. The largest kwall for NaClO + (NH4)2SO4 (0.864 h−1) was due to the further promoted microorganism regrowth and metabolization as evidenced by the SO42- declining behaviors. On this basis, it was suggested to minimize extra inorganic salt introduction into treated water to constrain microbial development in drinking water distribution system (DWDS). Temporal-free chlorine disinfection was also recommended for the chloraminated DWDS before the critical temperature. HIGHLIGHTS The new refined total chloramine decay model could well simulate total chlorine residual (TCR) decay behavior and give calibrated kwall.; TCR decay in aged cast iron (CI) pipe is caused by Fe-related corrosion and biotic consumption.; Minimize inorganic salt introduction is recommended to maintain the TCR level in DWDS.;

Based on the structure, working principle, and working conditions of conductance water cut sensor, it is revealed that the early failure of the metal electrode of the sensor is due to the comprehensive influence of well fluid erosion, electrochemical corrosion, and oil pollution during its long-term service in the downhole. A technology for electrode surface treatment is proposed using boron-doped diamond (BDD) films to improve the service performance of the modified electrode. The hot wire chemical vapor deposition method was adopted to fabricate BDD film, the boron doping concentration and deposition time were optimized, and fluorination treatment was applied to improve the wear resistance, electrochemical corrosion resistance, and oleophobic property of the BDD film comprehensively. The results showed that BDD film with boron doping concentration of 6×10-3 exhibited high wear resistance and good electrochemical corrosion resistance, and endowed the modified electrode with superior erosion resistance and corrosion resistance. The friction coefficient and wear rate of BDD modified electrode were 92% and 78% lower than those of Invar alloy, also, the low-frequency impedance modulus value of the modified electrode was higher than 1×104 Ω·cm2. The BDD film prepared with a deposition time of 8 h had a favorable micro-nano structure owing to small grain size and uniform distribution. Such morphology was conducive to enhancing the oleophobic performance of the modified electrode, and its contact angle in the simulated well fluid was high to 102°. The engineering applicability of BDD film modified electrode under simulated working conditions indicated that, the modified electrode had excellent comprehensive performances of erosion resistance, electrochemical corrosion resistance and oil adhesion resistance, and can realize the long-term stable operation of the conductance water cut sensor under harsh downhole conditions.

Abstract Background Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain ZM10, a typical enterotropic avirulent vaccine strain, has been widely used in China for chickens against Newcastle disease. To elucidate its enterotropic mechanism and develop recombiant multivalent vaccines based on it, the reverse genetics system for NDV ZM10 is an indispensable platform. Results A full-length cDNA clone of NDV ZM10 and three supporting plasmids were constructed using the ligation-independent cloning method. Recombinant NDV rZM10 was successfully rescued after these plasmids were co-transfected into BHK-21 cells. Besides, the recombinant virus rZM10-RFP encoding the red fluorescent protein was generated by inserting the RFP gene into the full-length clone of NDV between the P and M genes. These rescued viruses were genetically and biologically identical to the parental strain and showed similar growth kinetics. Conclusion The recovery system of NDV ZM10 strain was established, and can be used as a foundation for research on the enterotropic mechanism and development of multivalent vaccines against viral diseases of livestock and poultry.

Abstract Background About 68% of women aged 18–44 years have experienced cyclic mastalgia (CM), which occurs during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when elevated hormone levels induce greater breast gland thickness. CM has a moderate-to-severe impact on a woman’s quality of life. Prior research has suggested that acupuncture may be beneficial for breast pain relief. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of manual acupuncture (MA) in the treatment of CM compared with that of sham acupuncture (SA). Methods This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. A total of 108 eligible CM patients will be randomly assigned to either MA (n = 54) or SA (n = 54) group using a 1:1 ratio and a stratified, blocked randomization. Acupuncture will be performed two weeks prior to menstruation and discontinued when menses begins. In both the MA and SA group, participants will be given acupuncture three times per week for 2 weeks per menstrual cycle for three consecutive menstrual cycles, encompassing a total of 18 sessions. The primary outcome will be the change in the average daily Breast Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS-BP) over the first two weeks of menstruation from baseline to endpoints. The number of nominal days of breast pain (NDBP) two weeks before menstruation, World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Scale-Short Form scores, global patient assessment, breast glandular-section thickness, and breast-duct width three days before menstruation will also be measured as secondary outcomes. Discussion This prospective randomized trial will help evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in treating CM. The results of this study will provide evidence of the therapeutic effectiveness of acupuncture on CM. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05408377 , registered on June 7, 2022.

Ocular venous air embolism(OVAE)is a rare and fatal complication in vitrectomy. Due to the proximity of the surgical site to the heart and its level above the heart, OVAE may be the most severe complication in the venous air embolism(VAE)caused by surgery. With the development of vitrectomy, perfusion cannulas in the suture-free state may slide outward, and the perfused gas can enter the suprachoroidal space, which results in tearing of the vortex veins. Choroidal vascular wounds resulting from trauma and endoresection of choroidal melanoma can expose directly in the perfused gas during vitreous cavity gas-liquid exchange. This makes it possible that the pressurized gas enters the circulatory system through the torn vortex veins or the anomalous choroidal venous openings, which leads to OVAE. Nowadays, the definition, pathogenesis, clinical presentation and prevention of OVAE are being refined. However, most vitreoretinal surgeons and anesthesiologists are still unaware of this iatrogenic complication. It will be helpful to detect this complication early and make emergency management in time by increasing the awareness of OVAE and develop effective prevention strategies. The prevention and control principles of OVAE can be continuously optimized by the combination of clinical and laboratory studies. It will be conducive to the establishment and improvement of emergency treatment and preventive measures of OVAE to fully understand the pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of OVAE, to pay attention to the characteristics of secondary lesions of OVAE, and to attach importance to multi-disciplinary cooperation.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a well-studied herpesvirus, has been implicated in malignancies derived from breast, colorectal muscle, brain, and other cancers. Intricate host-virus interactions are responsible for the cascade of events that have the potential to result in the transformed phenotype of normal cells. The HCMV genome contains oncogenes that may initiate these types of cancers, and although the primary HCMV infection is usually asymptomatic, the virus remains in the body in a latent or persistent form. Viral reactivation causes severe health issues in immune-compromised individuals, including cancer patients, organ transplants, and AIDS patients. This review focuses on the immunologic mechanisms and molecular mechanisms of HCMV-induced carcinogenesis, methods of HCMV treatment, and other studies. Studies show that HCMV DNA and virus-specific antibodies are present in many types of cancers, implicating HCMV as an important player in cancer progression. Importantly, many clinical trials have been initiated to exploit HCMV as a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer, particularly in immunotherapy strategies in the treatment of breast cancer and glioblastoma patients. Taken together, these findings support a link between HCMV infections and cellular growth that develops into cancer. More importantly, HCMV is the leading cause of birth defects in newborns, and infection with HCMV is responsible for abortions in pregnant women.

Abstract For the first time, a configurable NbOx memristor is achieved that can be configured as an artificial synapse or neuron after fabrication by controlling the forming compliance current (FCC). When the FCC ≤ 2 mA, the memristors exhibit the resistive‐switching (RS) property, enabling multiple types of synaptic plasticity, including short‐term potentiation, paired‐pulse facilitation, short‐term memory, and long‐term memory. When the FCC ≥ 3 mA, the memristors can be electroformed and exhibit the threshold switching (TS) property with excellent endurance (>1012), thus achieving various biological neuron characteristics, such as threshold‐triggering, strength‐modulation of spike frequency, and leaky integrate‐and‐fire. This enables the successful implementation of a spiking Pavlov's dog that employs the spikes as information carrier by connecting an RS NbOx memristor as artificial synapse and a TS memristor as artificial neuron in series. Furthermore, a fully NbOx memristors‐based single‐layer spiking neural network is simulated. It is first found that, due to the forgetting property of synapse, the recognition accuracy for the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology handwritten digits is increased from 85.49% to 91.45%. This study provides a solid foundation for the development of neuromorphic machines based on the principles of the human brain.

The reverse genetics system of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has provided investigators with a powerful approach to understand viral molecular biology and vaccine development. It has been impressively improved with modified strategies since its first report, but it still poses some challenges. Most noteworthy, the genome complexity and length made full-length error-free cDNA assembly the most challenging and time-consuming step of NDV rescue. In the present study, we report a rapid full-length NDV genome construction with only a two-step ligation-independent cloning (LIC) strategy, which could be applied to distinct genotypes. In this approach, the genome of NDV was divided into two segments, and the cDNA clones were generated by RT-PCR followed by LIC. Subsequently, the infectious NDVs were rescued by co-transfection of the full-length cDNA clones and supporting plasmids expressing the NP, P, and L proteins of NDV in BHK-21 cells. Compared with the conventional cloning approaches, the two-step cloning method drastically reduced the number of cloning steps and saved researchers a substantial amount of time for constructing NDV infectious clones, thus enabling a rapid rescue of different genotypes of NDVs in a matter of weeks. Therefore, this two-step LIC cloning strategy may have an application to the rapid development of NDV-vectored vaccines against emerging animal diseases and the generation of different genotypes of recombinant NDVs for cancer therapy.

CD24 is a GPI anchored cell surface glycoprotein whose function as a co-stimulatory molecule has been implicated. However, the function of CD24 on antigen presenting cells during T cell responses is not well understood. Here we show that in the CD24-deficient host, adoptively transferred CD4+ T cells undergo inefficient expansion and have accelerated cell death in lymph nodes, which results in insufficient priming of T cells. Insufficient expansion of T cells in the CD24-deficient host was not due to host anti-CD24 response by NK, T and B lymphocytes. Transgenic expression of CD24 on DC in CD24-/- mice restored T cell accumulation and survival in draining lymph nodes. Consistent with these findings, MHC II tetramer staining also revealed that an antigen-specific polyclonal T cell response was reduced in lymph nodes of CD24-/- mice. Taken together, we have revealed a novel role of CD24 on DC in optimal T cell priming in lymph nodes. These data suggest that CD24 blockade should lower unwanted T cell responses such as those in autoimmune diseases.

Holothurians of the family Psychropotidae are widely distributed but remain the least studied deep-sea holothurians. On an expedition to the Western Pacific, six psychropotid specimens were collected by the Jiaolong Human Operated Vehicle (HOV). Through morphological examination, four of them were identified as a new species, Benthodytes jiaolongi sp. nov., which was characterized as having minute papillae, a narrow brim, and a terminal anus; and the ossicles were rods and primary crosses. The remaining two specimens were identified as Psychropotes verrucicaudatus Xiao, Gong, Kou & Li, 2019, first recorded at the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The phylogenetic analysis showed that B. jiaolongi sp. nov. and P. verrucicaudatus were embedded in the clades Benthodytes and Psycheotrephes, respectively, and that Benthodytes was paraphyletic. The new species clustered with Benthodytes sanguinolenta and was separated from the clade containing the other Benthodytes species.

This study unravels an important daytime Cl2 source in the extra-polar atmosphere and shows that photolysis of particle nitrate at high acidity produced unprecedented levels of Cl2, boosting the oxidative power and air pollutants like O3.

The Upper Ordovician Wufeng to Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation has a good material basis for marine shale gas development, and the structural preservation condition is the key factor to control the rich and integrated shale gas reservoirs in the Wuxi area of Chongqing City, China. Based on the seismic-structural interpretation data, combined with the regional structural background and drilling effect, the structural deformation characteristics and shale gas structural preservation conditions are comprehensively analyzed in the study area. The Wuxi area is located at the structural junction of the Sichuan Basin and southern Dabashan along with strong structural deformations. Seven rows of NW to near EW structural belts are mainly developed. The fold styles and fault development degrees of different structural belts are different, and the difference in the structural preservation conditions of shale gas is also obvious. The study results reveal that the shale gas structure preservation conditions of the Wufeng−Longmaxi Formation in the Wuxi area are overall poor and only locally better. The structure preservation conditions for shale gas enrichment and accumulation are divided into four grades, such as the good Class I area, the general Class II area, the poor Class III area, and the very poor Class IV area. Among them, the Heiloumen structural zone and Huangcaoping buried structural zone nearby the Sichuan Basin have good preservation conditions and are classified as the good Class I preservation area. The macroscopic preservation type of shale gas in the Wufeng−Longmaxi Formation of the Wuxi area belongs to the complex structural preservation of the basin margin. Three structural preservation modes of shale gas in the study area have also been confirmed, including the lost destruction type, lost residual type, and trap preservation type. The trap preservation type is more conducive to the preservation of shale gas, which is the most favorable structural mode for shale gas exploration.

Abstract Background We prospectively examined the association between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in China and updated the evidence through a comprehensive meta-analysis of prospective studies worldwide. Methods Our original analyses were based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The primary exposure of interest was SUA at baseline, and the main outcome was incident CKD. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between SUA levels and incident CKD. A meta-analysis was performed to pool our effect estimate and those from other cohort studies. Results During a 4-year follow-up, 180 participants developed incident CKD. Participants in the highest SUA quartile were 2.73 times as likely to develop incident CKD compared to those in the lowest quartile (multivariable-adjusted OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.65–4.50). Each 1 mg/dL increment in the SUA levels was associated with a 49% increased risk of incident CKD (multivariable-adjusted OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.28–1.74). In the meta-analysis of 30 cohort studies (including the current study), pooled relative risks (95% CIs) of incident CKD were 1.15 (1.10–1.21) for SUA each 1 mg/dL increment, 1.22 (1.14–1.30) for the highest versus lowest SUA group, and 1.17 (1.12–1.23) for hyperuricemia versus no hyperuricemia. Conclusions Baseline SUA levels were associated with higher risk of incident CKD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults, and this positive association was confirmed in the meta-analysis of multiple cohort studies. Our findings may imply that SUA levels need to be routinely monitored for future CKD risk.

Rapid hemostasis in incompressible wounds using cellulose sponge, coupled with environmentally friendly and low-cost preparation, remains a challenge. Herein, cellulose sponges loaded with chitosan with abundant rich pore structure and high water absorption capacity were prepared with cellulose carbamate by using gas foaming method. Animal experiments showed that the blood loss and hemostasis time can be significantly shortened from 225 s to 39 s by the plug the incompressible wound using adaptable composite sponges. Scanning electron microscope results showed that the chitosan formed a porous network structure on the surface and between the pores of the cellulose sponge. An obvious inhibitory effects of composite sponge on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus could effectively reduce wound infection. And the rapid shape recovery ability of the composite sponge was beneficial to sealing the bleeding wound quickly. The results of in vitro hemolytic activity, cytotoxicity and live-dead cell staining showed the composite hemostatic sponges have excellent biocompatibility. In particular, the preparation of cellulose sponge by microwave-assisted method can effectively improve the environmental pollution and cumbersome steps caused by current industrial production. It is expected to be used for rapid hemostasis of non-compressible hemorrhagic wounds.

Background: NLRP3 inflammasome has been of great interest in the field of neurological diseases. To visualize the research hotspots and evolutionary trends in this area, we collected the relevant articles in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2010 to 2022 and analyzed them using CiteSpace software.Methods: We performed a systematic search of the literature within the Web of Science Core Collection database using the strategy described below: TS = NLRP3 inflammasome AND TS = neurological diseases OR TS = neurological disorder OR TS = brain disorder OR TS = brain injury OR TS = central nervous system disease OR TS = CNS disease OR TS = central nervous system disorder OR TS = CNS disorder AND Language = English from 2010 to 2022. The type of literature was limited to articles and reviews. The data were processed using CiteSpace software (version 5.8. R3).Results: A total of 1,217 literature from 67 countries/regions and 337 research institutions was retrieved. Publications in this area have increased rapidly since 2013. China presents the highest number of published articles, but the United States has a higher centrality and h-index. The top five most published institutions and authors are from China, Zhejiang University and Li Y ranking first, respectively. Of the ten most cited articles, Prof. Heneka MT and colleagues accounted for three of them. In terms of the co-occurrence keyword diagram, the five most frequent keywords are “nlrp3 inflammasome”, “activation”, “oxidative stress”, “expression”, and “alzheimers disease”.Conclusion: The research of NLRP3 inflammasome in neurological disorders is overall developing well. Chinese scholars contributed the most significant number of articles, while researchers from developed countries presented more influential papers. The importance of NLRP3 inflammasome in neurological diseases is widely appreciated, and the mechanism is under study. Moreover, NLRP3 inflammasome is emerging as a promising therapeutic target in treating neurological disorders. However, despite decades of research, our understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome in central nervous system diseases is still lacking. More and more profound research is needed in the future.

Abstract Background To prospectively examine the associations of baseline serum uric acid (SUA) and SUA changes with incident metabolic syndrome (MetS) and update the evidence through a meta-analysis. Methods Our analyses were based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study from 2011–2012 to 2015–2016. The exposures were baseline SUA and SUA changes, and the outcome was incident MetS assessed in 2015–2016. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize evidence from all cohort studies on the same topic. Results Of 3779 participants (47.2% men; mean age: 59.5 years) without MetS, 452 participants developed MetS after a follow-up of 4 years. Compared to the lowest quartiles, the adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for MetS were 1.08 (0.77–1.50), 1.32 (0.95–1.82), and 1.55 (1.12–2.16) for three higher quartiles of baseline SUA, and 1.23 (0.89–1.71), 1.39 (1.00–1.93), and 1.89 (1.38–2.58) for three higher quartiles of SUA changes. Each increment of 1 mg/dL of baseline SUA level was associated with 19% higher odds of MetS (adjusted OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.07–1.33). In the meta-analysis of 24 cohort studies among 140,913 participants, the pooled relative risk (95% CI) was 1.32 (1.25–1.40) for the highest versus lowest SUA category, and 1.15 (1.09–1.21) for each 1 mg/dL increase in the SUA level. Conclusions Both baseline SUA and longitudinal SUA changes were positively associated with risk of MetS among middle-aged and elderly Chinese, which was supported by findings from a comprehensive meta-analysis across multiple populations. SUA levels might need to be monitored closely for subsequent risk of MetS in clinical practice.

Abstract Background Following health insurance reforms, China’s health care system has made great progress. However, there are still huge differences between the urban and rural health insurance systems. For rural-to-urban migrant workers, there may be differences in the use of urban and rural health insurance to improve their health status. This study aimed to determine whether any disparities exist in the relationship between urban and rural health insurance and the self-rated health (SRH) of migrant workers in Southwest China from the perspective of urban and rural segmentation. Methods Using cross-sectional survey data on Southwest China in 2016, a representative data sample drawn from 8507 migrant workers was analysed. An ordinary least squares (OLS) model and instrumental variable (IV) estimation were used to analyse the relationship between urban and rural health insurance and the SRH of migrant workers. Results Using the IV method to control the endogeneity problems associated with health insurance, this study found that there are differences in the relationship between urban and rural health insurance and the SRH of migrant workers. Urban health insurance is associated with significant improvements in the SRH of migrant workers. Compared with the NRCMS, participating in urban health insurance, including urban employee basic medical insurance (UEBMI) and urban resident basic medical insurance (URBMI), increases the likelihood of migrant workers having better SRH. Conclusions There are disparities in the relationship between urban and rural health insurance and the SRH of migrant workers in China. Compared to rural health insurance, urban health insurance has a more positive correlation with the health of migrant workers. Our study shows that it is necessary to integrate urban and rural health insurance to promote social equity.

The efficient activation and utilization of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in PMS-based advanced oxidation processes is a high-priority target for the removal of organic contaminants. This work introduces a water vortex-driven piezoelectric effect from few-odd-layered MoS2 into the PMS activation to remove benzotriazole (BTR) and other organic contaminants from the water. Approximately 91.1% of BTR can be removed by the MoS2 piezo-activated PMS process with a reaction rate constant of 0.428 min−1, which is 2.09 times faster than the sum of the individual MoS2, water vortex, and piezocatalysis rates. Meanwhile, the PMS utilization efficiency reached 0.0147 in the water vortex-driven piezo-activation system, which is 3.97 times that of the sum from the vortex/PMS and MoS2/PMS systems. These results demonstrate that the presence of MoS2 under a water vortex can trigger a piezoelectric potential and generate abundant free electrons to activate PMS to generate various active species for degradation of organic contaminants.

Abstract Background Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is an important infectious disease pathogen that can survive and replicate in macrophages. Glycolysis is essential for immune responses against S. Typhimurium infection in macrophages, and is also associated with apoptosis. S. Typhimurium secreted effector K3 (SseK3) was recently identified as a novel translated and secreted protein. However, there is no study about the role of sseK3 in the relationship between apoptosis and glycolysis in cells infected with S. Typhimurium. It is unclear whether this protein exerts a significant role in the progress of apoptosis and glycolysis in S. Typhimurium-infected macrophages. Results Macrophages were infected with S. Typhimurium SL1344 wild-type (WT), ΔsseK3 mutant or sseK3-complemented strain, and the effects of sseK3 on apoptosis and glycolysis were determined. The adherence and invasion in the ΔsseK3 mutant group were similar to that in the WT and sseK3-complemented groups, indicating that SseK3 was not essential for the adherence and invasion of S. Typhimurium in macrophages. However, the percentage of apoptosis in the ΔsseK3 mutant group was much lower than that in the WT and sseK3-complemented groups. Caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 enzyme activity in the ΔsseK3 mutant group were significantly lower than in the WT group and sseK3-complemented groups, indicating that sseK3 could improve the caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 enzyme activity. We also found that there were no significant differences in pyruvic acid levels between the three groups, but the lactic acid level in the ΔsseK3 mutant group was much lower than that in the WT and sseK3-complemented groups. The ATP levels in the ΔsseK3 mutant group were remarkably higher than those in the WT and sseK3-complemented groups. These indicated that the sseK3 enhanced the level of glycolysis in macrophages infected by S. Typhimurium. Conclusions S. Typhimurium sseK3 is likely involved in promoting macrophage apoptosis and modulating glycolysis in macrophages. Our results could improve our understanding of the relationship between apoptosis and glycolysis in macrophages induced by S. Typhimurium sseK3.

Abstract Background Marek’s disease (MD) is caused by the oncogenic Marek’s disease virus (MDV), and is a highly contagious avian infection with a complex underlying pathology that involves lymphoproliferative neoplasm formation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in most cancers. The gga-miR-155 is downregulated in the MDV-infected chicken tissues or lymphocyte lines, although its exact role in tumorigenesis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of gga-miR-155 on the proliferation, apoptosis and invasiveness of an MDV-transformed lymphocyte line MSB1 and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Results The expression level of gga-miR-155 was manipulated in MSB1 cells using specific mimics and inhibitors. While overexpression of gga-miR-155 increased proliferation, decreased the proportion of G1 phase cells relative to that in S and G2 phases, reduced apoptosis rates and increased invasiveness. However, its downregulation had the opposite effects. Furthermore, gga-miR-155 directly targeted the RORA gene and downregulated its expression in the MSB1 cells. Conclusion The gga-miR-155 promotes the proliferation and invasiveness of the MDV-transformed lymphocyte line MSB1 and inhibits apoptosis by targeting the RORA gene.

A Ka-band high-power waveguide wide-slit antenna array with high efficiency and high-power capacity is proposed in this paper. The antenna uses a waveguide vertical transition structure as a part of the feed network, which improves the compactness and power capacity of the antenna. A 2 × 8 antenna array was simulated, fabricated by 3D printed technology, and measured. The measured reflection coefficient is less than −10 dB in the range of 30.4–30.9 GHz, the tested gain at 30.8 GHz is 25.8 dB, and the corresponding aperture efficiency is larger than 80%. This antenna can be applied in high-power millimeter-wave systems.

Listeria monocytogenes has been shown to exhibit antitumor effects. However, the mechanism remains unclear. Autophagy is a cellular catabolic process that mediates the degradation of unfolded proteins and damaged organelles in the cytosol, which is a double-edged sword in tumorigenesis and treatment outcome. Tumor cells display lower levels of basal autophagic activity than normal cells. This study examined the role and molecular mechanism of autophagy in the antitumor effects induced by LM, as well as the combined antitumor effect of LM and the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ). We investigated LM-induced autophagy in B16F10 melanoma cells by real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, Western blotting, and transmission electron microscopy and found that autophagic markers were increased following the infection of tumor cells with LM. The autophagy pathway in B16F10 cells was blocked with the pharmacological autophagy inhibitor chloroquine, which led to a significant increase in intracellular bacterial multiplication in tumor cells. The combination of CQ and LM enhanced LM-mediated cancer cell death and apoptosis compared with LM infection alone. Furthermore, the combination of LM and CQ significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of mice in vivo, which was associated with the increased colonization and accumulation of LM and induced more cell apoptosis in primary tumors. The data indicated that the inhibition of autophagy by CQ enhanced LM-mediated antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo and provided a novel strategy to improving the anticancer efficacy of bacterial treatment.

China has yielded huge commercial production from the marine organic-rich shale but shows a slow exploration process in the lacustrine organic-rich shale. Multiple lacustrine shales in the Lower Jurassic of the eastern Sichuan Basin, rich in organic matters, are potential targets for shale hydrocarbon exploration and development. An investigation of the Dongyuemiao member, Lower Jurassic, was firstly conducted utilizing the macroscopic and microscopic analyses on outcrops and drilling cores to reveal the characteristics of sedimentary subfacies, mineral compositions, organic matter content and types, thermal maturity level, and reservoir quality. The dark shales in the Dongyuemiao member can be grouped into four general categories: shore, shallow, semi-deep, and deep lacustrine shales. The semi-deep and deep lacustrine shales generally have higher values in thickness (>20 m), average total organic carbon (TOC) content (>1.5 wt.%), and average porosity (>2%) relative to shore and shallow lacustrine shales. All four categories of shales primarily consist of type II kerogen and have thermal maturity levels exceeding the vitrinite reflectance value of 0.9–1.0% (or the Tmax of ∼440°C). Thermally powered pore generation generally promoted the pore system as indicated by the positive correlation between porosity and Tmax. Notably, the semi-deep lacustrine shale in the vicinity of the Qiyueshan Fault Zone shows abnormally high porosity and low oil saturation index (OSI) at Tmax>∼465°C potentially due to the promoted hydrocarbon expulsion through multiscale fractures. Except for the vicinity of the Qiyueshan Fault Zone, the semi-deep and deep lacustrine shales generally show the better exploration prospect relative to the shore and shallow lacustrine shales. Additionally, the high content of clay minerals (>40 wt%) reduced the brittleness of the semi-deep and deep lacustrine shales which may challenge the artificial hydraulic fracturing.

ObjectiveTo establish a radiomics signature and a nomogram model based on enhanced CT images to predict the Ki-67 index of lung cancer.MethodsFrom January 2014 to December 2018, 282 patients with lung cancer who had undergone enhanced CT scans and Ki-67 examination within 2 weeks were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed. The clinical data of the patients were collected, such as age, sex, smoking history, maximum tumor diameter and serum tumor markers. Our primary cohort was randomly divided into a training group (n=197) and a validation group (n=85) at a 7:3 ratio. A Ki-67 index ≤ 40% indicated low expression, and a Ki-67 index > 40% indicated high expression. In total, 396 radiomics features were extracted using AK software. Feature reduction and selection were performed using the lasso regression model. Logistic regression analysis was used to establish a multivariate predictive model to identify high and low Ki-67 expression in lung cancer. A nomogram integrating the radiomics score was established based on multiple logistic regression analysis. Area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the prediction efficiency of the radiomics signature and nomogram.ResultsThe AUC,sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the radiomics signature in the training and validation groups were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.82~0.93),79.2%,84.3%,81.2% and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78~0.94),74.6%,88.1%,79.8%, respectively. A nomogram combining radiomics features and clinical risk factors (smoking history and NSE) was developed. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 0.87 (95% CI: 0.80~0.95), 75.0%, 90.2% and 83.5% in the validation group, respectively.ConclusionThe radiomics signature and nomogram based on enhanced CT images provide a way to predict the Ki-67 expression level in lung cancer.

Lossless data compression is a crucial and computing-intensive application in data-centric scenarios. To reduce the CPU overhead, FPGA-based accelerators have been proposed to offload compression workloads. However, most existing schemes have the problem of an imbalanced resource utilization and a poor practicability. In this paper, we propose HybriDC, an adaptive resource-efficient CPU-FPGA heterogeneous acceleration system for lossless data compression. Leveraging complementary advantages of the heterogeneous architecture, HybriDC provides a universal end-to-end compression acceleration framework with application compatibility and performance scalability. To optimize the hardware compression kernel design, we build a performance–resource model of the compression algorithm taking into account the design goal, compression performance, available resources, etc. According to the deduced resource-balanced design principle, the compression algorithm parameters are fine-tuned, which reduces 32% of the block RAM usage of the LZ4 kernel. In the parallel compression kernel implementation, a memory-efficient parallel hash table with an extra checksum is proposed, which supports parallel processing and improves the compression ratio without extra memory. We develop an LZ4-based HybriDC system prototype and evaluate it in detail. Our LZ4 compression kernel achieves state-of-the-art memory efficiency, 2.5–4× better than existing designs with comparable compression ratios. The evaluation of total resource utilization and end-to-end throughput demonstrates the excellent scalability of HybriDC. In power efficiency, the four-kernel HybriDC prototype achieves a threefold advantage over the standard LZ4 algorithm.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of psychological interventions on healthcare providers (HCP) with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to their necessary exposure in life-threatening pandemic.Methods: We performed a systematic research on Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central, PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, ProQuest PTSD Pubs ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, and other gray databases by January 2021. Randomized controlled trials involving therapeutic interventions for HCP with PTSD were included. The primary outcome was PTSD symptom severity. Summary standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using inverse variance meta-analysis with fixed effects. Risks of bias were assessed using Cochrane methods.Results: Among 773 citations, this review includes six studies, randomizing 810 participants. A meta-analysis of the effect of interventions compared to placebo showed a significant reduction of PTSD symptom severity: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Brief (CBT-B) (M = 27.80, 95% CI: 17.12, 38.48), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Long (CBT-L) (M = 26.50, 95% CI: 15.75, 37.25), and Mindfulness-Based Stretching and Deep Breathing Exercise (MBX) (M = 17.2, 95% CI: 6.57, 27.83). CBT-L and CBT-B also showed a significant effect on depression severity.Conclusions: The most effective and feasible treatment option for HCP with PTSD is still unclear, but CBT and MBX have displayed the most significant effects based on current limited evidence. Future research in this area—preferably large robust randomized controlled trials—is much needed.

Abstract Background Salmonella enterica is regarded as a major public health threat worldwide. Salmonella secretes the novel translocated effector protein K2 (SseK2), but it is unclear whether this protein plays a significant role in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium virulence. Results A ΔsseK2 mutant of S. Typhimurium exhibited similar growth curves, adhesion and invasive ability compared with wild-type (WT) bacteria. However, deletion of sseK2 rendered Salmonella deficient in biofilm formation and the early proliferative capacity of the ΔsseK2 mutant was significantly lower than that of the WT strain. In vivo, the LD50 (median lethal dose) of the ΔsseK2 mutant strain was increased 1.62 × 103-fold compared with the WT strain. In addition, vaccinating mice with the ΔsseK2 mutant protected them against challenge with a lethal dose of the WT strain. The ability of the ΔsseK2 mutant strain to induce systemic infection was highly attenuated compared with the WT strain, and the bacterial load in the animals’ internal organs was lower when they were infected with the ΔsseK2 mutant strain than when they were infected with the WT strain. Conclusions We conclude that sseK2 is a virulence-associated gene that plays a vital role in Salmonella virulence.

Abstract Background Diabetes is often accompanied by dyslipidemia. Lipid control is very important in the management of diabetes. There are limited real world data on the lipid control in diabetic inpatients in southwest China. Methods An observational study was conducted to assess the characteristics of lipid profiles and lipid control. Diabetic patients from February 2009 to December 2013 at West China Hospital of Sichuan University were identified. Results A total of 56,784 inpatients were included and 85.9% of them had at least one lipid panel. The proportions of inpatients with optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (

A W-band slot array antenna based on a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) for microwave power transmission (MPT) is proposed in this paper. By size optimization, the transition from the rectifier element to the antenna is limited to a small size. It realizes a compact arrangement of the radiating slots, which not only improves the aperture efficiency of the antenna but also makes it easy to integrate into a large-scale array. For antenna testing, a coplanar waveguide–SIW–rectangular waveguide transition structure is added at the end of the antenna, and an antenna with this transition structure is processed by PCB printing technology and measured. The measured reflection coefficient is less than −10 dB at 90–96 GHz, the aperture efficiency is greater than 60% at 93.5–94.5 GHz, the maximum gain is 13.2 dB at 93.5 GHz, and the aperture efficiency is 79%. The test results of the antenna show that the antenna has a good performance and can be applied to the MPT system as a rectenna.

Abstract Trichinellosis is one of the most serious foodborne parasitic zoonosis with worldwide distribution, and it is necessary to develop a vaccine to interrupt transmission from animals to humans. Trichinella spiralis adult-specific DNase II-1 (TsDNase II) were identified by immunoproteomics in surface or excretory/secretory proteins of adult worms (AW) and intestinal infective larvae (IIL). The aim of this study was to investigate the systemic, mucosal responses and immune protection elicited by oral vaccination with TsDNase II DNA vaccine delivered by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain⊿cyaSL1344. Oral vaccination with TsDNase II DNA vaccine triggered an obvious mucosal sIgA response and a systemic IgG response in mice, and IgG1 was predominant. Th1 (IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4, 10) cytokines were distinctly increased in the spleen and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) cells of vaccinated mice. An indirect immunofluorescent test revealed that native TsDNase II is present at the cuticle of this nematode after the 2nd molting, further confirming that TsDNase II is adult-specific and expressed at AW and pre-adult stages. Oral immunization of mice with TsDNase II exhibited a 53.85% reduction in AW and a 59.26% reduction in ML after larval challenge. The in vitro NBL production of adult females from TsDNase II-vaccinated mice was also reduced in comparison with pcDNA3.1 or the PBS control group (P

A novel carbon quantum dots decorated n-n type CeO2/SrFe12O19 (CQDs/CeO2/SrFe12O19) magnetic separation photocatalyst was successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal method and gamma-ray assisted polyacrylamide gel method combined with low temperature sintering technology. To study the feasibility of CQDs/CeO2/SrFe12O19 magnetic separation photocatalyst as an adsorbent and photocatalyst to remove methylene blue (MB) dye, a series of heterostructure construction, adsorption and photocatalytic experiments were carried out. When compared with pristine CeO2, CQDs/CeO2 or SrFe12O19/CeO2, the CQDs/CeO2/SrFe12O19 magnetic separation photocatalyst exhibit a higher efficiency towards adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of MB dye molecule under simulated sunlight irradiation. The present work suggests that the CQDs/CeO2/SrFe12O19 magnetic separation photocatalyst have rapid magnetic separation, simple synthetic process, high optical absorption coefficient, excellent adsorption capacity, high photocatalytic activity, higher stability and reusability, which shows potential application for removing the organic pollutants in wastewater.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if baicalein and chlorogenic acid could inhibit the inflammatory responses induced by and protect against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) in chicken embryonic eggs. Nine-day-old embryonated chicken eggs were randomly divided into 3 groups of 50 eggs per group: 1) treatment with varying concentrations of baicalein, 2) treatment with varying concentrations of chlorogenic acid, or 3) left untreated as a control. Forty-eight hours after hatching, each group was inoculated with a very virulent IBDV isolate, and the survival of the embryo was monitored daily until the embryonic livers were collected 72 h after inoculation. After IBDV infection, the viral loads in the embryonic livers were evaluated using qRT-PCR, and the hepatic content of inflammatory mediators, such as histamine, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), were examined. Significant antiviral potential was demonstrated at concentrations of 108 and 215 μg/egg of baicalein and chlorogenic acid, respectively. We observed a concentration-dependent response in the antiviral properties of these chemicals. Treating the embryos with baicalein and chlorogenic acid significantly reduced histamine production. Moreover, pretreatment with baicalein and chlorogenic acid significantly inhibited NF-κB activation, and this inhibited the subsequent production of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the context of IBDV infection. These findings suggest that baicalein and chlorogenic acid have anti-IBDV properties, and they may be useful in the prevention of inflammation-related diseases.

The Longmaxi and Niutitang Formations are typical shale reservoirs in southeastern Chongqing. Since the Paleozoic, southeastern Chongqing has experienced multistage tectonic movement and diagenesis, resulting in the formation of a large number of natural fractures. In shale reservoirs, fractures not only provide seepage channels for oil and gas migration but also play an important role in the oil and gas reservoir space. Natural fractures provide a flow path from source rock to reservoir during oil filling and connect hydraulic fractures, matrix pores, and boreholes during production. Therefore, identifying the main factors that control the development of natural fractures in the Longmaxi and Niutitang Formations in southeastern Chongqing has a guiding significance for the efficient development of shale reservoirs in this area. By considering the Longmaxi and Niutitang Formation shales as case studies, using field outcrops, drilling cores, and other data, and conducting X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis as well as total organic carbon (TOC) measurements, the quantitative parameter characteristics and main factors that control the development of natural fractures in reservoir shales were examined in detail. The results obtained showed that there are three types of fractures in the lower Paleozoic shale in southeastern Chongqing, which are structural, diagenetic, and abnormal high-pressure fractures. Among them, the fractures in the Longmaxi Formation shale, which are relatively abundant, predominantly consist of low-angle and high-angle inclined fractures, while the Niutitang Formation predominantly consists of high-angle fractures. Additionally, the investigation of fracture size and fracture density, as well as correlation analyses, showed that the fractures of the Lower Paleozoic shale are predominantly micro fractures that play a key role in improving reservoir seepage. It was also noted that the development of fractures is affected by several factors, including tectonic stress, mineral composition, organic carbon content, and rock thickness. The degree of fracture development was found to be positively correlated with brittle mineral and quartz contents, and high organic matter contents also significantly favored the formation micro fractures.

Abstract Trichinellosis is a worldwide important food-borne zoonosis caused mainly by ingesting raw or undercooked pork infected with Trichinella spiralis larvae. The development of vaccine is needed for preventing swine from Trichinella infection to ensure pork safety. Previous studies showed that T. spiralis serine protease 1.2 (TsSP1.2) is a vaccine candidate against Trichinella infection. In this study, the complete TsSP1.2 cDNA sequences were cloned into pcDNA3.1, and the rTsSP1.2 DNA was transformed into attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain ΔcyaSL1344. Oral vaccination of mice with Salmonella-delivered rTsSP1.2 DNA vaccine induced an obvious intestinal mucosal IgA response and a systemic Th1/Th2 immune response; the vaccinated mice showed a 33.45% reduction of intestinal adult worms and 71.84% reduction of muscle larvae after T. spiralis larval challenge. The protection might be due to the rTsSP1.2-induced production of specific anti-TsSP1.2 sIgA, IgG, IgG1/IgG2a, and secretion of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10, which protected intestinal mucosa from the parasite invasion, inhibited worm development and reduced female fecundity. The results indicate that the attenuated Salmonella-delivered rTsSP1.2 DNA vaccine offers a prospective strategy for the prevention and control of animal Trichinella infection.

Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 (WHSC1) is a histone 3 lysine 36 (H3K36) specific methyltransferase that is frequently deleted in Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS). Whsc1 is also found mutated in a subgroup of B-cell derived malignant diseases by genomic translocation or point mutation, both of which resulted in hyperactivity of WHSC1 mediated H3K36 methylation and uncontrolled cell proliferation, suggesting that whsc1 functions as an oncogene. However, here we provided evidences to show that whsc1 also has tumor suppressor functions. We used zebrafish as an in vivo model and generated homozygous whsc1 mutant lines via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) technology. Then western-blot (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) were performed to analysis the expression level of H3K36Me2 and H3K36Me3, and we identified the diseased tissue via hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining, IF staining or immunohistochemistry (IHC). Whsc1 lose-of-function led to significant decrease in di- and tri-methylation of H3K36. A series of WHS related phenotypes were found in whsc1−/− zebrafish, including growth retardation, neural development defects and heart failure. In addition, loss of function of whsc1 led to defects in the development of swim bladder, possibly through the dis-regulation of key genes in swim bladder organogenesis and inhibition of progenitor cell differentiation, which was correlated with its expression in this organ during embryonic development. At later stage, these whsc1−/− zebrafishes are inclined to grow tumors in the swim bladder. Our work suggested that whsc1 may function as a tumor suppressor by governing progenitor cell differentiation.

Aiming at the noise suppression of switched reluctance machine (SRM), the two-step commutation control method is improved. Combining this with pulse width modulation (PWM), the optimisation problem of the switching angle is studied and analysed and given a method to determine the turn-on angle, the zero-voltage turn-off angle and the turn-off angle of the negative bus voltage online. The control method is verified by MATLAB/Simulink simulation and experimental prototype platform. The results show that this method is simple and effective. It can achieve variable angle control, and can reduce the operating noise of the motor under different speed and load conditions. It has a high application value in the field of switched reluctance motor-type electric vehicle development.

Prostate epithelial basal cells are highly plastic in their luminal differentiation capability. Basal stem cells actively produce luminal cells during organogenesis, but become restricted in the adult prostate unless receiving oncogenic or inflammatory stimuli. Given that the number of luminal cells increases relative to basal cells through development and that equilibrium is reached in the adulthood, we hypothesize that a negative-feedback mechanism exists to inhibit basal-to-luminal differentiation. We provide evidence supporting this hypothesis by comparing murine prostatic growth in a tissue reconstitution assay with cell recombinants of different basal-to-luminal ratios. Additionally, in organoid culture, hybrid organoids derived from adjacent basal and luminal cells showed reduced basal stem cell activities, suggesting contact inhibition. Importantly, removal of adult luminal cells in vivo via either an inducible Cre/loxP-Dre/rox dual-lineage-tracing system or orthotopic trypsin injection led to robust reactivation of basal stem cell activities, which acts independent of androgen. These data illustrate the prostate organ as a distinctive paradigm where cell contact from differentiated daughter cells restricts adult stem cell multipotency to maintain the steady-state epithelial architecture.

In recent years, there has been widespread concern that misinformation on social media is damaging societies and democratic institutions. In response, social media platforms have announced actions to limit the spread of false content. We measure trends in the diffusion of content from 569 fake news websites and 9540 fake news stories on Facebook and Twitter between January 2015 and July 2018. User interactions with false content rose steadily on both Facebook and Twitter through the end of 2016. Since then, however, interactions with false content have fallen sharply on Facebook while continuing to rise on Twitter, with the ratio of Facebook engagements to Twitter shares decreasing by 60%. In comparison, interactions with other news, business, or culture sites have followed similar trends on both platforms. Our results suggest that the relative magnitude of the misinformation problem on Facebook has declined since its peak.