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Abstract Although gene expression signatures offer tremendous potential in diseases diagnostic and prognostic, but massive gene expression signatures caused challenges for experimental detection and computational analysis in clinical setting. Here, we introduce a universal DNA-based molecular classifier for profiling gene expression signatures and generating immediate diagnostic outcomes. The molecular classifier begins with feature transformation, a modular and programmable strategy was used to capture relative relationships of low-concentration RNAs and convert them to general coding inputs. Then, competitive inhibition of the DNA catalytic reaction enables strict weight assignment for different inputs according to their importance, followed by summation, annihilation and reporting to accurately implement the mathematical model of the classifier. We validated the entire workflow by utilizing miRNA expression levels for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical samples with an accuracy 85.7%. The results demonstrate the molecular classifier provides a universal solution to explore the correlation between gene expression patterns and disease diagnostics, monitoring, and prognosis, and supports personalized healthcare in primary care.

ObjectivesA systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the preventive effectiveness of Helicobacter pylori eradication against metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) or dysplasia following endoscopic resection (ER) for early gastric cancer (EGC) or dysplasia.MethodsPubMed, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE were searched until 31 October 2023, and randomized controlled trials or cohort studies were peer-reviewed. The incidence of metachronous gastric lesions (MGLs) including MGC or dysplasia was compared between Helicobacter pylori persistent and negative groups, eradicated and negative groups, and eradicated and persistent groups.ResultsTotally, 21 eligible studies including 82,256 observations were analyzed. Compared to those never infected, Helicobacter pylori persistent group (RR = 1.58, 95% CI = 0.98–2.53) trended to have a higher risk of MGLs and significantly in partial subgroups, while the post-ER eradicated group (RR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.43–1.45) did not increase the risk of MGLs. Moreover, successful post-ER eradication could significantly decrease the risk of MGLs (RR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.44–0.65) compared to those persistently infected. Sensitivity analysis obtained generally consistent results, and no significant publication bias was found.ConclusionThe persistent Helicobacter pylori infection trends to increase the post-ER incidence of MGC or dysplasia, but post-ER eradication can decrease the risk correspondingly. Post-ER screening and eradication of Helicobacter pylori have preventive effectiveness on MGC, and the protocol should be recommended to all the post-ER patients.Systematic review registration: The PROSPERO registration identification was CRD42024512101.

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), and physical fitness among junior high school students in Shanghai. Methods: A nationwide offline survey was conducted in Shanghai between August and December 2023, using a purposive sampling design. A total of 403 questionnaires were administered to 10 ninth-grade classes in 10 schools in Shanghai and 372 responses were included in the final analysis. Smart-PLS 4.0, structural equation modeling techniques were employed to analyze the collected data. Results: Light physical activity (LPA) had no influence on BMI, 800/1000 m (800/1000 M), sitting forward bend (FB), standing long jump (SLJ), 50 m (50 M), or vital capacity (VC). The results of part hypothesis supported the hypothetical model and explained that BMI had a negatively influence on 50 M, 800/1000 M and SLJ, BMI had a positively influence on VC. Moderate physical activity (MPA) had a negatively influence on BMI, but vigorous physical activity (VPA) had a positively influence on BMI, they both had influence on 50 M and FB, but had no influence on 800/1000 M, SLJ, and VC. Conclusions: BMI, MPA and VPA were found as pivotal factors influencing physical fitness, MPA and VPA were found to have divergent effects on BMI. This study highlighted the multifaceted nature of the relationship between PA, BMI, and physical fitness in junior high school students in Shanghai.

Abstract DNA‐based hybrid materials have attracted much attention recently for their biocompatibility, tunable optical, and semiconducting properties. In this study, thin films fabricated using native DNA are modified to accommodate the assembled fluorescent dyes (perylene and 3‐bromoperylene), alongside the systematical evaluation of their photophysical properties and performance. Spectroscopy results reveal successful modulation of the molecular excitonic behaviour, achieve switchable single‐chromophore multi‐color emission in DNA‐surfactant‐dye thin films, with high optical transparency and thermal robustness. The nucleotide base pairs effectively suppress unfavorable intermolecular π–π stacking and aggregation (self‐association) of the chromophores, which prevents intersystem crossing and relaxation associated Rydberg type molecular clusters to form intermolecular excimers in E‐state (532, 513 nm) and Y‐state (489, 483 nm), blocking nonradiative decay. The preeminent emission observed (457, 445 nm) is attributed to the 0–1 band monomer emission. Compared to PMMA‐dye assembly, the thin film derived from DNA‐surfactant‐dye hybrid narrows the FWHM values up to 72%, displayed molarity ratio‐dependent emission color tunability from yellow‐orange (CIE 0.47, 0.34) to green (CIE 0.31, 0.21) and blue (CIE 0.17, 0.23). These findings provide a simple, all‐solution processed strategy for creating thin films using DNA‐surfactant‐dye hybrid materials with tunable optical properties suitable for biocompatible displays and data encryption.

Lemon, as an important cash crop with rich nutritional value, holds significant cultivation importance and market demand worldwide. However, lemon diseases seriously impact the quality and yield of lemons, necessitating their early detection for effective control. This paper addresses this need by collecting a dataset of lemon diseases, consisting of 726 images captured under varying light levels, growth stages, shooting distances and disease conditions. Through cropping high-resolution images, the dataset is expanded to 2022 images, comprising 4441 healthy lemons and 718 diseased lemons, with approximately 1–6 targets per image. Then, we propose a novel model lemon surface disease YOLO (LSD-YOLO), which integrates Switchable Atrous Convolution (SAConv) and Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM), along with the design of C2f-SAC and the addition of a small-target detection layer to enhance the extraction of key features and the fusion of features at different scales. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed LSD-YOLO achieves an accuracy of 90.62% on the collected datasets, with mAP@50–95 reaching 80.84%. Compared with the original YOLOv8n model, both mAP@50 and mAP@50–95 metrics are enhanced. Therefore, the LSD-YOLO model proposed in this study provides a more accurate recognition of healthy and diseased lemons, contributing effectively to solving the lemon disease detection problem.

Abstract Purpose To compare the efficacy and safety of infliximab with that of adalimumab in the treatment of non-infectious uveitis (NIU). Methods We searched for relevant studies in the PubMed, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library databases, Grey Matters, Grey Literature Report, OpenGrey, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang databases up to September 2022. The incidences of complete remission of inflammation, response to therapy, adverse events and corticosteroid-sparing effect were evaluated. Results Eleven clinical trials covering 1459 NIU patients were included. Complete remission of inflammation after therapy was achieved in 161 (37.5%) patients in the infliximab group and 151 (39.6%) patients in the adalimumab group. These two groups were not significantly different (P = 0.37). Four studies reported response to anti-TNF therapy involving 449 patients, of whom 241/272 (88.6%) treated with infliximab and 153/177 (86.4%) treated with adalimumab achieved partial or complete remission of inflammation. No significant difference was observed between the two cohorts in terms of response to therapy (P = 0.86). There was no significant difference between infliximab and adalimumab with regard to corticosteroid-sparing effect (P = 0.58). The pooled effect size (P = 0.001) showed a statistically significant difference, with the incidence of adverse events being 17.91% for infliximab and 12.12% for adalimumab. Conclusion Our systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 studies suggests that infliximab and adalimumab have similar therapeutic efficacy and corticosteroid-sparing effect in patients with NIU. However, adalimumab has a marginal advantage over infliximab in terms of adverse events. Large-scale RCTs with a longer follow-up are required to further evaluate these two anti-TNF-α agents in patients with NIU.

Nucleic acids are widely recognized as the most evolved information processing soft material, possessing intrinsic efficiency in transferring and harvesting photon, electron, and energy. Recent developments in semiconductor synthetic biology and nanophotonics have spurred significant research efforts toward modifying and modulating nucleic acid assemblies. Given the rapid advances in using carbon-based hybrid materials for renewable energy, information technology–biotechnology fusion, and medicine, this review highlights recent research on nucleic acid-assembled hybrid materials, their design rationale, and performance modulation according to various application scenarios. Bridging the gap between molecular functionalization and material engineering, this review aims to provide a systematic analysis for researchers, engineers, and end-users to make informed decisions promptly.

This paper focuses on a fixed-time prescribed performance-based Fault-tolerant controller that guarantees the global performance for the Trajectory tracking control of the air cushion vehicle (ACV). In the presence of faults, time-varying parameters and environmental disturbances, the proposed control system in this paper has good robustness and control performance. Firstly, an integrated observer for disturbances and faults is proposed to suppress all uncertainties in the system. Then a novel prescribed performance function is designed that does not need to be constrained by the initial value of the target errors while ensuring that it has fixed-time convergence performance. Global prescribed performance control has the advantage of separating the error initial conditions from the prescribed performance function. At the same time, combined with the global sliding mode control method, the fast convergence and robustness of the whole system are guaranteed. Finally, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of the control system.

This paper proposes a commutative flow technology of drip irrigation in a looped pipe network. Switching the flow direction of the drip irrigation pipe can improve the flow velocity in the lateral, consequently washing up the sediment deposited in the lateral and flow channel of the emitter. Thus, this technology can reduce sediment deposition and prevent blockage of the drip irrigation pipe. To verify the effectiveness of the commutative flow technology, the drip irrigation experiment was conducted, and the unidirectional flow technology experiment was the control. At the end of the tests, the emitter average relative discharge (Dra) of the commutative and unidirectional flow drip irrigation pipes decreased to 92.8 and 62.9%, the emitter blocking rate was 7.7 and 35.9%, respectively; the total amount of sediment deposited in the commutative flow lateral was 37.5% of that in the unidirectional flow lateral. Compared with the unidirectional flow technology, the commutative flow technology could significantly mitigate the decline rate of flow discharge, and effectively reduce the emitter blockage rate and the lateral sediment amount. Thus, the application of the commutative flow technology in the drip irrigation field pipe network can improve irrigation quality and promote the development of muddy water drip irrigation. HIGHLIGHTS Commutative flow technology changes the flow direction and velocity of drip irrigation pipes.; Large sediment particles settle at the front of the drip irrigation pipe causing emitter blockage.; Small sediment particles settle at the second half of the drip irrigation pipe causing lateral deposition.; Commutative flow technology can promote the applying and development of muddy water drip irrigation.;

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a catastrophic ophthalmic emergency that severely impairs a patient’s visual function, often reducing visual acuity to counting fingers or worse. Progress in CRAO research has provided new information regarding its epidemiological characteristics and led to useful assessments through various ophthalmic examinations. Additional insights about CRAO have been gained through studies of its pathophysiological mechanisms, improving intervention timing and enhancing patient prognosis. Treatment for CRAO has evolved, particularly with assistance from surgical instruments and surgical robots. Although surgical treatment is now possible, this option is not widely recognized by ophthalmologists. Conservative therapies have limited benefits compared with the natural course of disease. Recently, pars plana vitrectomy plus endovascular surgery has received considerable interest among ophthalmologists because of its potential efficacy in the treatment of CRAO. Considering the inconsistencies in rationale and efficacy of CRAO treatment modalities, it is important to distinguish between treatment effects and the natural courses of various CRAO subclasses. This narrative review explores progress in CRAO epidemiology, pathophysiology, ophthalmic examination, and treatment.

Public hospitals in China are working to build an integrated online–offline healthcare system that combines telehealth and traditional healthcare to better serve patients. This study aims to explore Chinese patients’ preferences for online versus offline outpatient follow-up visits after the COVID-19 pandemic and to inform healthcare providers in designing optimal service delivery programmes. A discrete choice experiment was designed to elicit respondents’ stated preferences. A total of 311 valid respondents were recruited. Analysis of the full sample showed that respondents preferred traditional, offline outpatient follow-up visits. Nevertheless, a class of respondents was identified who preferred online outpatient follow-up visits. Our results show that Chinese patients are currently generally cautious about online outpatient follow-up visits since there is proportion of potentially targeted patients who stated a preference for online visits while the overall preference is still offline, in-person follow-up visits. Online outpatient follow-up visits could be attractive alternatives to traditional visits if they could meet potential users’ preferences for shorter waiting time for appointments, lower service cost, and continuity of follow-up visits. This study also suggests that it is necessary and worthwhile for healthcare providers to further explore the optimal integration of telehealth services with traditional healthcare.

Abstract Background Alternative splicing (AS) is an important mechanism of posttranscriptional modification and dynamically regulates multiple physiological processes in plants, including fruit ripening. However, little is known about alternative splicing during fruit development in fleshy fruits. Results We studied the alternative splicing at the immature and ripe stages during fruit development in cucumber, melon, papaya and peach. We found that 14.96–17.48% of multiexon genes exhibited alternative splicing. Intron retention was not always the most frequent event, indicating that the alternative splicing pattern during different developmental process differs. Alternative splicing was significantly more prevalent at the ripe stage than at the immature stage in cucumber and melon, while the opposite trend was shown in papaya and peach, implying that developmental stages adopt different alternative splicing strategies for their specific functions. Some genes involved in fruit ripening underwent stage-specific alternative splicing, indicating that alternative splicing regulates fruits ripening. Conserved alternative splicing events did not appear to be stage-specific. Clustering fruit developmental stages across the four species based on alternative splicing profiles resulted in species-specific clustering, suggesting that diversification of alternative splicing contributes to lineage-specific evolution in fleshy fruits. Conclusions We obtained high quality transcriptomes and alternative splicing events during fruit development across the four species. Dynamics and nonconserved alternative splicing were discovered. The candidate stage-specific AS genes involved in fruit ripening will provide valuable insight into the roles of alternative splicing during the developmental processes of fleshy fruits.

IntroductionAfrican Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly infectious disease of pigs, caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). The lack of vaccines and drugs makes strict disinfection practices to be one of the main measurements to curb the transmission of ASF. Therefore, it is important to assess if all viruses are inactivated after disinfection or after long time exposure in their natural conditions. Currently, the infectivity of ASFV is determined by virus isolation and culture in a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory. However, BSL-3 laboratories are not readily available, need skilled expertise and may be time consuming.MethodsIn this study, a Triton X-100 assisted PMAxx-qPCR method was developed for rapid assessment of infectious ASFV in samples. PMAxx, an improved version of propidium monoazide (PMA), can covalently cross-link with naked ASFV-DNA or DNA inside inactivated ASFV virions under assistance of 0.1% (v/v) TritonX-100, but not with ASFV-DNA inside live virions. Formation of PMAxx-DNA conjugates prevents PCR amplification, leaving only infectious virions to be detected. Under optimum conditions, the limit of detection of the PMAxx-qPCR assay was 2.32log10HAD50/mL of infectious ASFV. Testing different samples showed that the PMAxx-qPCR assay was effective to evaluate intact ASFV virions after treatment by heat or chemical disinfectants and in simulated samples such as swine tissue homogenate, swine saliva swabs, and environmental swabs. However, whole-blood and saliva need to be diluted before testing because they may inhibit the PCR reaction or the cross-linking of PMAxx with DNA.ConclusionThe Triton X-100 assisted PMAxx-qPCR assay took less than 3 h from sample to result, offering an easier and faster way for assessing infectious ASFV in samples from places like pig farms and pork markets.

Background: Considering the remarkable heterogeneity of biological features of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the current clinical classification that only relies on classic clinicopathological features is in urgent need of improvement. Herein, we aimed to conduct DNA methylation modification patterns in RCC. Methods: We retrospectively curated multiple RCC cohorts, comprising TCGA-KIRC, TCGA-KICH, TCGA-KIRP, and E-MTAB-1980. DNA methylation modification patterns were proposed with an unsupervised clustering algorithm based on 20 DNA methylation regulators. Immunological features were characterized using tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immunomodulators. Sensitivity to immuno- or targeted therapy was estimated with submap and Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC). DNA methylation score (DMS) was developed with principal component analysis. Results: Three DNA methylation modification patterns were conducted across RCC patients, namely C1, C2 and C3. Among them, C3 displayed the most remarkable survival advantage. The three patterns presented in agreement with immune phenotypes: immune-desert, immune-excluded, and immune-inflamed, respectively. These patterns displayed distinct responses to anti-PD-1 and targeted drugs. DMS enabled the quantification of DNA methylation status individually as an alternative tool for prognostic estimation. Conclusions: The DNA methylation molecular patterns we proposed are an innovative complement to the traditional classification of RCC, which might contribute to precision medicine.

In this study, the characteristic patterns of ferroptosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) were systematically investigated with the interactions between ferroptosis and the tumor microenvironment (TME). On the mRNA expression profiles of 57 ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs), three ferroptosis patterns were constructed, with distinct prognosis and immune cell infiltrations (especially T cells and dendritic cells). The high ferroptosis scores were characterized by poorer prognosis, increased T cell infiltration, higher immune and stromal scores, elevated tumor mutation burden, and enhanced response to anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy. Meanwhile, the low ferroptosis scores were distinctly associated with enhanced tumor purity and amino acid and fatty acid metabolism pathways. Following validation, the ferroptosis score was an independent and effective prognostic factor. Collectively, ferroptosis could be involved in the diverse and complex TME. Evaluation of the ferroptosis patterns may heighten the comprehension about immune infiltrations in the TME, assisting oncologists to generate individualized immunotherapeutic strategies.

Microstructure evolution of the joints formed by Ag-6.6 mol% Cu brazing BaCo0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-δ (BCFN) ceramic after long-term heat treatment in different atmospheres was revealed. After heat treatment in air, the layered structure in the original interfacial reaction layer disappears, accompanied by the aggregation and growth of the interfacial products. The thickness of the reaction layer increased first and then stabilized. Under the action of the concentration gradient, the residual copper oxide diffused along the pores of BCFN matrix and continued to react with the matrix until it exhausted. The types of interfacial products remained unchanged, which were Ba2Cu2O5 and Co-Cu-O (solid solution). However, serious decomposition of interfacial products (Ba2Cu2O5) occurred due to the low oxygen partial pressure after heat treatment in argon, resulting in the formation of holes and cracks. Part of cobalt precipitated from the BCFN matrix and formed a cobalt-rich phase at the junction of Ag-Cu alloy and interfacial reaction zone. Results showed that the joint microstructure is unstable at high temperature. Controlling the amount of the interfacial products formed during brazing is key to improving the stability of the joint, which provides a theoretical support for further optimizing the sealing quality of membrane components.

Stem cells have been confirmed to be involved in the occurrence and development of diabetic retinopathy; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used Citespace software to visually analyze 552 articles exploring the stem cell-based treatment of diabetic retinopathy over the past 20 years, which were included in the Web of Science Core Collection. We found the following: (1) a co-citation analysis of the references cited by all 552 articles indicated 15 clusters. In cluster #0, representing the stem cell field, some highly cited landmark studies emerged between 2009–2013. For example, endothelial progenitor cells and diabetic retinopathy gradually received the full attention of scholars, in terms of their relationship and therapeutic prospects. Some researchers also verified the potential of adipose-derived stem cells to differentiate into stable retinal perivascular cells, using a variety of animal models of retinal vascular disease. All of these achievements provided references for the subsequent stem cell research. (2) An analysis of popular keywords among the 552 articles revealed that, during the past 20 years, a relative increase in basic research articles examining stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy was observed. The contents of these articles primarily involved the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular regeneration, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response. (3) A burst analysis of keywords used in the 552 articles indicated that genetic and cytological research regarding the promotion of angiogenesis was an issue of concern from 2001 to 2012, including several studies addressing the expression of various growth factor genes; from 2014 to 2020, mouse models of diabetic retinopathy were recognized as mature animal models, and the most recent research has focused on macular degeneration, macular edema, neurodegeneration, and inflammatory changes in diabetic animal models. (4) Globally, the current authoritative studies have focused on basic research towards the stem cell treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Existing clinical studies are of low quality and have insufficient evidence levels, and their findings have not yet been widely accepted in clinical practice. Major challenges during stem cell transplantation remain, including stem cell heterogeneity, cell delivery, and the effective homing of stem cells to damaged tissue. However, clinical trials examining potential stem cell-based treatments of diabetic retinopathy, including the use of pluripotent stem cells, retinal pigment epithelial cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and endothelial progenitor cells, are currently ongoing, and high-quality clinical evidence is likely to appear in the future, to promote clinical transformation.

A novel donor–acceptor–donor (D-A-D) type compound containing pyrazine as the acceptor and triphenylamine as the donor has been designed and synthesized. The photophysical properties and biocompatibility of this probe, namely (OMeTPA)2-Pyr for live cell imaging were systematically investigated, with observed large Stokes shifts, high photostability, and low cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that (OMeTPA)2-Pyr could permeate live cell membranes for labeling. The proposed mechanism of this probe was the binding and shafting through membrane integral transport proteins by electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. These salient and novel findings can facilitate the strategic design of new pyrazine-fused charge-neutral molecular platforms as fluorescent probes, for long-term in situ dynamic monitoring in live cells.

In this study, an E. coli whole-cell microarray assay was used to evaluate the impact of sucralose (SUC) on 110 selected genes under different exposure concentrations. Furthermore, toxicity caused by SUC under five disinfection processes was explored. Our results revealed detailed transcriptional information for gaining insights into the toxicity mechanism. SUC at lower concentrations tends to induce more protein response, whereas greater DNA damage occurs at higher concentrations. In addition, SUC could induce changes in the expression of various genes, with the DNA damage exhibiting an obvious concentration dependence. As the exposure concentration of SUC increases, stress is transformed from a single-type level to the entire system, which could enhance cellular ability to resist damage and survive. Exposure–recovery tests show that long-term exposure (24 h) to SUC causes irreversible damage, and at SUC concentrations of 103–104 mg/L, short-term exposure (2 h) exerts the same effect. Furthermore, SUC toxicity is enhanced on disinfection, with ultraviolet light causing particularly serious DNA damage.

Abstract Background The prevalence of daily cigarette smoking has dropped to 10% in Hong Kong (HK) in 2017, however, smoking still kills 5700 persons per year. Studies suggest that abstinence rates are higher with combined NRT than single NRT, although local data on safety and benefits of combined NRT are lacking. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of combined NRT with single NRT among HK Chinese. Methods This is a one-year, two-arm, parallel randomised trial. Five hundred sixty smokers, who smoked ≥10 cigarettes/day for ≥1 year, were randomized to combined and single NRT. Combined NRT group received counseling and nicotine patch & gum. Single NRT group received counselling and nicotine patch. Primary outcome was abstinence rate measured as self-reported 7-day point prevalence with CO validated at 52 weeks. Secondary outcomes included smoking abstinence rates at 4, 12, & 26 weeks. Crude odds ratio and p-value were reported from logistic regression without adjustment; for trend analysis, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and p-value were reported from Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) (controlling for time). All AORs were adjusted for age, sex, baseline CO and clusters. Results Abstinence rates at 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks were all higher in the combined NRT group (35.8, 21.9, 16.8, 20.1%) compared with the single NRT group (28, 16.8, 11.2, 14.3%). At 4 weeks, combined NRT group was more likely to quit smoking (OR 1.43, 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.05) than the single NRT group. From GEE analysis, combined NRT group had a significantly higher abstinence rate (23.6%) than the single NRT group (17.6%) across repeated measures at all-time points. Combined NRT group was more likely to quit smoking (OR 1.43, 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.77). No significant difference in the side effect profile was detected between groups. Conclusions Smokers given 8 weeks of combined NRT were more likely to quit smoking at 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks compared with single NRT. Combined NRT was as well tolerated as single NRT and it should be further promoted in our community. Trial registration NCT03836560 from ClinicalTrial.gov, 9 Feb 2019.

Abstract Background Direct-acting antivirals have been used for decompensated cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the benefits in Chinese patients with decompensated cirrhosis are unclear. Methods Thirty patients with HCV infection and decompensated cirrhosis were administered sofosbuvir-containing regimens at our hospital between April and December 2015. The efficacy and safety of the treatments was determined by sustained virological response at week 12 (SVR 12), change of liver function and adverse events. Results The cohort included 13 treatment-experienced and 17 treatment-naïve patients. A total of 27 patients (90%) achieved SVR 12. No baseline characteristics (sex, age, treatment-experience, genotype, viral load, liver function or splenectomy) was association with achievement of SVR 12. Patients achieved SVR 12 had significantly improved liver function by post-treatment week 12 (P

Abstract Apicomplexan parasites predominantly generate ATP and lactic acid through glycolysis and anaerobic glucose metabolism, incorporating CO2 into glycolysis via a stage-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) mechanism. Although the role of PEPC in plant and bacterial carbon fixation is well documented, its function within Babesia remains largely unexplored. This study employs reverse genetics to probe the biological role of PEPC in Babesia gibsoni, noting its conservation across similar protozoa, suggesting a pivotal and conserved biological function. Western blotting and immunofluorescence (IFA) experiments using the BgPEPC-3 × Flag strain revealed that the BgPEPC protein has a molecular weight of 105 kDa and localizes predominantly to the cytoplasm. Attempts to knock out the PEPC gene in BgPEPC-3 × Flag strains failed under standard media conditions, succeeded only with the addition of 5 mM malate, an upstream metabolite of oxaloacetic acid (OAA). In addition to malate, the downstream metabolite of OAA can also partially compensate for the phenotypic defects caused by PEPC deficiency. This intervention alleviated severe growth deficits, underscoring the critical role of aspartate in the parasite lifecycle. Moreover, metabolic inhibitors such as L-cycloserine and triazamidine, which target aspartate aminotransferase and mitochondrial functions, respectively, demonstrated increased efficacy against BgPEPC knockout strains. The lack of a compensatory response to malic acid supplementation underscores the integral role of BgPEPC in intermediary carbon metabolism and its necessity in providing aspartate as a precursor to pyrimidine synthesis. Collectively, these findings suggest that PEPC could be a potential target for future drug development against B. gibsoni infections. Graphical Abstract

We demonstrate optoelectronic devices implemented on suspended p-n junction InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) for the further monolithic integration of an optical source, a waveguide, and a photodetector on the same GaN-on-silicon wafer. The fabricated suspended membrane device exhibits selectable functionalities either for efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or sensitive photodetectors. Typical current-voltage (I-V) characteristics are obtained for the device operated under the LED mode, and the emitted light intensity is effectively modulated by the applied voltage. Lateral in-plane propagation of emitted light in a suspended membrane is experimentally presented. The simulation results show that the thickness-dependent optical performance can be tuned by back wafer thinning for epitaxial films. The device operated under the photodetector mode exhibits a static photocurrent on-off ratio ηs of 2.25 × 105 at a 1-V bias voltage with the illumination power of 690 μW and the wavelength of 450 nm. The photocurrent also shows a rectangular pulse response of the same duration as a 1-s rectangular illumination pulse at a 0-V bias voltage with the illumination power of 1 mW. The temporal photocurrent on-off ratio ηt is around 1.01 × 105. This paper opens a promising way to realize the monolithic integration of a LED, a waveguide, and a photodetector on a GaN-on-silicon platform.

We propose a free-standing membrane light-emitting diode (LED) on a GaN-on-silicon platform. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation is used to investigate thickness-dependent performance of a free-standing membrane LED. The simulation results show that the light extraction efficiency is increased, and a directed emission pattern is obtained in free-standing membrane LEDs, which are experimentally implemented by removing the silicon substrate and back wafer thinning of the epitaxial layer. The light extraction efficiency and current-voltage (I-V) performance of membrane LEDs is increased in comparison with LEDs with silicon substrate.

Hereditary hearing loss is characterized by a high degree of genetic heterogeneity. Mutations in the TMPRSS3 (transmembrane protease, serine 3) gene cause prelingual (DFNB10) or postlingual (DFNB8) deafness. In our previous study, three pathogenic mutations in TMPRSS3 were identified in one Chinese family. To evaluate the importance of TMPRSS3 mutations in recessive deafness among the Chinese, we screened 150 autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (ARNSHL) families and identified 6 that carried seven causative TMPRSS3 mutations, including five novel mutations (c.809T>A, c.1151T>G, c.1204G>A, c.1244T>C, and c.1250G>A) and two previously reported mutations (c.323-6G>A and c.916G>A). Each of the five novel mutations was classified as severe, by both age of onset and severity of hearing loss. Together with our previous study, six families were found to share one pathogenic mutation (c.916G>A, p.Ala306Thr). To determine whether this mutation arose from a common ancestor, we analyzed six short tandem repeat (STR) markers spanning the TMPRSS3 gene. In four families, we observed linkage disequilibrium between p.Ala306Thr and STR markers. Our results indicate that mutations in TMPRSS3 account for about 4.6% (7/151) of Chinese ARNSHL cases lacking mutations in SLC26A4 or GJB2 and that the recurrent TMPRSS3 mutation p.Ala306Thr is likely to be a founder mutation.

To achieve the rational development and utilization of water resources in energy development bases and sustainable economic and social development, research is conducted on the control method of water resource consumption in energy development bases based on the law of energy-water correlation. Using Internet of Things technology to collect water resource consumption data from energy development bases, based on the results of data collection, taking Shanxi Coal Development Base as the research area, based on the objective relationship between energy and water, a multiregion input-output model and linear programming model are established, with objective functions and constraints set to achieve water resource consumption control in energy development bases. Under the dual constraint scenario of energy con-servation and water conservation, the optimization effect of the industrial structure of the water resource carrying capacity level in the research area is explored. The outcomes show that the water resource in the research area can bear 1,949.58 billion Yuan for 22.0336 million people. The water resources holding capacity is at the general level. Based on the limitations of energy consumption, raising the share of the mining sector and decreasing the share of the industrial and commercial service sectors can minimize the overall consumption of energy and water resources while ensuring the growth of the local economy. Reducing the extent of agricultural expansion supports both water conservation and regional economic growth because water resource consumption is constrained. A clear difference in the production and utilization effect of energy resource per unit will result from the direction difference in structural adjustment of the mining industry, which is based on the dual restrictions of energy-water resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]