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In this paper, we introduce the local polynomial entropies and mul-tifractal spectra associated with Poincaré recurrences. By using characteristics of a dynamical system we establish an exact formula on multifractal spectrum of local polynomial entropies for recurrence time. Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 54H20, 37B20, 37B40.

A novel reactive flame retardant based on L-cysteines containing P, N and S flame retardant elements was synthesized and used to improve the flame resistance of a density board made of poplar wood. The outcomes demonstrated the excellent flame retardancy and catalytic carbon formation of the poplar density board treated with the flame retardant. The thermogravimetric infrared coupler (TG-FTIR) test and thermal cracking gas mass spectrometer (Py-GC-MS) test both revealed that the flame retardant modified the thermal decomposition pathway of the wood, forming many residues and producing only a small amount of combustible gas. The ultimate oxygen index (LOI) of poplar density board treated with 20% cysteine-based flame retardant was as high as 60.9%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the surface of the treated wood powder was rough and that the wood powder particles were interconnected by the flame retardant. This suggests that the flame-retardant molecules have a bridging effect on the inner structure of the density board. Moreover, the cone calorimetry (CONE) experiments showed that with the flame retardant treatment, there was significant reduction of total heat release (THR) and heat release rate (HRR) of the density board. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the cysteine-based flame retardant.

Brucella-caused brucellosis is one of the most widespread worldwide zoonoses. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Brucella, which functions as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), is an important virulence factor that elicits protective antibodies. Per of B. melitensis is involved in the biosynthesis of the O-side chain of LPS. Autophagy is a crucial element of the innate immune response against intracellular pathogens including Brucella. In this study, we observed that autophagy was inhibited in RAW264.7 cells infected with Brucella melitensis ∆per. And, a high-throughput array-based screen and qRT-PCR validation were performed to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in RAW264.7 cells infected with B. melitensis M5-90 ∆per. The results suggested that mmu-miR-146a-5p, mmu-miR-155-5p, mmu-miR-146b-5p, and mmu-miR-3473a were upregulated and mmu-miR-30c-5p was downregulated. During B. melitensis M5-90 ∆per infection, the increased expression of miR-146b-5p inhibited the autophagy activation in RAW264.7 cells. Using a bioinformatics approach, Tbc1d14 was predicted to be a potential target of miR-146b-5p. The results of a luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-146b-5p directly targeted the 3′-UTR of Tbc1d14, and the interaction between miR-146b-5p and the 3′-UTR of Tbc1d14 was sequence-specific. High-throughput RNA-Seq-based screening was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in Tbc1d14-expressing RAW264.7 cells, and these were validated by qRT-PCR. Among the differentially expressed genes, four autophagy associated genes, IFNγ-inducible p47 GTPase 1 (IIGP1), nuclear receptor binding protein 2 (Nrbp2), transformation related protein 53 inducible nuclear protein 1 (Trp53inp1), and immunity-related GTPase family M member 1 (Irgm1), were obtained. Our findings provide important insights into the functional mechanism of LPS of B. melitensis.

The epidemic has driven Internet technology recruitment, analyzed the challenges and opportunities faced by “cloud recruitment”, and expected to provide a direction for the sound development of “cloud recruitment”.

Rationale: Chyle fistula is a rare but troublesome complication of neck dissection. Topical application of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mannose sensitive hemagglutinin (PA-MSHA) injection has been reported as a novel, viable, and effective approach in the treatment of chyle fistula following neck dissection. However, there have been no reports regarding the treatment of chyle fistula using ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous injection of PA-MSHA. Patient concerns: We describe 2 patients with thyroid cancer who developed chyle fistula following neck dissection, which remained unresolved despite the use of conservative treatment. Diagnoses: Both the patients were diagnosed with chyle fistula by laboratory testing, which showed that drainage fluid triglyceride concentration was >100 mg/dL. Interventions: When conservative treatment failed, a 2 mL undiluted PA-MSHA preparation was percutaneously injected at the effusion site of the left supraclavicular area under US guidance with aseptic technique. Concomitantly, the drainage tube was clamped for at least 30 minutes. Outcomes: Chyle fistula in both patients were successfully resolved with this technique within 2 or 4 days, without notable side effects. Lessons: US-guided percutaneous injection of PA-MSHA is a simple and effective method to treat chyle fistula following neck dissection, which may serve as a useful addition to the medical treatment for cervical chyle fistula.

Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Brucella species and represents a serious threat to both human and animal health. Omp25 is an important immunogenic and protective antigen in Brucella species; however, the functional mechanism of Omp25 in macrophages has not yet been elucidated. Here, we constructed a Brucella melitensis omp25 deletion mutant (M5-90-Δ omp25) and performed microRNA (miRNA) profiling of infected RAW264.7 cells. Eight differentially expressed miRNAs ( mmu-miR-146a-5p, mmu-miR-155-5p, mmu-miR-3473a, mmu-miR-149-3p, mmu-miR-671-5p, mmu-miR-1224-5p, mmu-miR-1895, and mmu-miR-5126) were identified, with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis confirming the up-regulation of mmu-miR-146-a-5p and mmu-miR-155-5p and down-regulation of mmu-miR-149-3p and mmu-miR-5126. mRNA profiling of B. melitensis M5-90-Δo mp25-infected RAW264.7 cells identified 967 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (fold change ≥ 2). Among these, we focused on genes that were predicted by TargetScan, miRanda, and PicTar to be the potential targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs. The results suggested that 17 separate genes are potentially targeted by mmu-miR-149-3p, with one of these genes, Tbr1, also targeted by mmu-miR-5126. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the up-regulation of nine of the predicted target genes. Our findings provide important information about the functional molecules in host cells, including miRNA and their target genes, affected by Omp25 from Brucella. This information is particularly valuable for the prophylaxis and treatment of brucellosis.

Melioidosis is a severe and fatal tropical zoonosis, which is triggered byBurkholderia pseudomallei. To better understand the host’s response to infection ofB. pseudomallei, an RNA-Seq technology was used to confirm differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RAW264.7 cells infected withB. pseudomallei. In total, 4668 DEGs were identified across three time points (4, 8, and 11 hours after infection). Short Time-Series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis revealed the temporal gene expression profiles and identified seven significant patterns in a total of 26 profiles. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was utilized to confirm significantly enriched immune process-associated pathways, and 10 DEGs, includingCcl9, Ifnb1, Tnfα, Ptgs2, Tnfaip3, Zbp1, Ccl5, Ifi202b, Nfkbia,andNfkbie, were mapped to eight immune process-associated pathways. Subsequent quantitative real-time PCR assays confirmed that the 10 DEGs were all upregulated during infection. Overall, the results showed thatB. pseudomalleiinfection can initiate a time-series upregulation of immune process-associated DEGs in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The discovery of this article helps us better understand the biological function of the immune process-associated genes duringB. pseudomalleiinfection and may aid in the development of prophylaxis and treatment protocols for melioidosis.

Brucella-caused brucellosis is one of the most widespread worldwide zoonoses. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Brucella, which functions as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), is an important virulence factor that elicits protective antibodies. Per of B. melitensis is involved in the biosynthesis of the O-side chain of LPS. Autophagy is a crucial element of the innate immune response against intracellular pathogens including Brucella. In this study, we observed that autophagy was inhibited in RAW264.7 cells infected with Brucella melitensis ∆per. And, a high-throughput array-based screen and qRT-PCR validation were performed to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in RAW264.7 cells infected with B. melitensis M5-90 ∆per. The results suggested that mmu-miR-146a-5p, mmu-miR-155-5p, mmu-miR-146b-5p, and mmu-miR-3473a were upregulated and mmu-miR-30c-5p was downregulated. During B. melitensis M5-90 ∆per infection, the increased expression of miR-146b-5p inhibited the autophagy activation in RAW264.7 cells. Using a bioinformatics approach, Tbc1d14 was predicted to be a potential target of miR-146b-5p. The results of a luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-146b-5p directly targeted the 3′-UTR of Tbc1d14, and the interaction between miR-146b-5p and the 3′-UTR of Tbc1d14 was sequence-specific. High-throughput RNA-Seq-based screening was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in Tbc1d14-expressing RAW264.7 cells, and these were validated by qRT-PCR. Among the differentially expressed genes, four autophagy associated genes, IFNγ-inducible p47 GTPase 1 (IIGP1), nuclear receptor binding protein 2 (Nrbp2), transformation related protein 53 inducible nuclear protein 1 (Trp53inp1), and immunity-related GTPase family M member 1 (Irgm1), were obtained. Our findings provide important insights into the functional mechanism of LPS of B. melitensis.

Supplemental material for Alterations of microRNAs and their predicted targeting mRNAs expression in RAW264.7 macrophages infected with Omp25 mutant Brucella melitensis by Huapei Zhu, Hanwei Jiao, Xin Nie, Baobao Li, Kailian Xu, Feng Pang, Ruiyong Cao, Shu Zhu, Xiaojian Yang, Zhenxing Zhang, Dongmei Peng, Yaying Li, Guohua Li, Haifeng Huang, Chuangfu Chen, Li Du and Fengyang Wang in Innate Immunity

Innate recognition of Brucella spp. is a key step in the activation of inflammation. CD14 binds PAMPs and is involved in LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine release. Previously we showed that knock down of CD14 in RAW264.7 macrophages disrupted Brucella–host interactions. However, its effect on the macrophage microRNA (miRNA) expression profile, especially after stimulation by Brucella infection, is still unclear. To identify miRNAs involved in the macrophage response to Brucella infection, we performed miRNA expression profiling of CD14 knock-down RAW264.7 (224.3) macrophages infected with Brucella melitensis, and demonstrated, for the first time, that CD14 knock down significantly up-regulated the expression of mmu-miR-199a-3p and mmu-miR-183-5p in these conditions. These miRNAs have a well-characterized association with the target genes involved in immune response, inflammatory response, innate immune response, apoptosis processes, anti-apoptosis, cytokine production and cytokine-mediated signaling pathways. Among the 104 inflammation-related candidate target genes of mmu-miR-199a-3p and mmu-miR-183-5p in the 224.3+ B. melitensis group cells, the expression of the Cbl-b, a potential target of mmu-miR-199a-3p, was confirmed to be down-regulated using qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Our findings suggest that CD14 functions in the Brucella–host interaction may be through altered miRNA expression, and regulation of Cbl-b proteins.

According to the soil particles data, DEM elevation, slope, distance to river, distance along river, land use, and soil type for 95 typical sampling profiles along the Tarim river mainstream, the generalized linear models (GLMs) and generalized additive models (GAMs) are used to identify the spatial variability pattern of soil particles on the watershed scale and associated driving forces. The results show that the drainage basin sand, silt and clay content along the Tarim river mainstream all present moderate variability. The spatial pattern of soil particles is mainly subjected to the influence of gravity, hydrodynamic force, soil parent material and human activities. Modeling results show that the GAMs performs better than GLMs in regard to the explanation of total deviation. The contribution degree of GAMs for total deviation is 44.19 % (sand), 38.68 % (silt) and 37.46 % (clay). This major influence factors of soil particles distribution are land use, hydrodynamic force, soil type and terrain. The study has provided a way to explore aspects of spatial heterogeneity and to discover how spatial pattern controls the distribution of the soil particles.

Groundwater is widely recognized as the most significant water resource for irrigation and drinking purposes in the extremely-arid inland river region. However, land use is a major force altering the hydrological processes over a range of temporal and spatial scales. Therefore, understanding the interaction between land use and groundwater processes will definitely contribute to formulate a regional sustainable development strategy and recognize the impact of land use on the groundwater flow regime in the Tailan River basin. A numerical simulation of groundwater level for the inland river basin and scenario analysis under land use using FEFLOW is presented. Spatial data of the regional land use were processed using GIS, and the effects of land use on groundwater level were simulated. The amount of irrigation water and pumped groundwater have the most remarkable influences on groundwater level as main source/sink factors. Their variations were simulated according to the irrigation systems with different crops. Other factors including percolation and evapotranspiration of precipitation and condensed water jointly exerted influences on groundwater level. Changes to farmlands had the greatest impact on Tailan River basin for groundwater level, and unused land and Gobi had the least impact on groundwater level. Groundwater level maintained a decreasing trend in the irrigated zone, and increasing groundwater pumping would further intensify the water shortage in Tailan river basin. This coupled effects resulted from land use and extensive groundwater pumping were considered as the major human-induced factors influencing the groundwater system in the extremely-arid inland river basins. The results can provide useful support for land use. Understanding hydrological processes at the watershed level is essential in land use and water resource planning and management, and the proposed approach can be used as a management and planning tool for evaluating the local and overall impacts of land use management on the surface and groundwater flow regimes.

Hepatitis E virus- (HEV-) mediated hepatitis has become a global public health problem. An important regulatory protein of HEV, ORF3, influences multiple signal pathways in host cells. In this study, to investigate the function of ORF3 from the swine form of HEV (SHEV), high-throughput RNA-Seq-based screening was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes in ORF3-expressing HepG2 cells. The results were validated with quantitative real-time PCR and gene ontology was employed to assign differentially expressed genes to functional categories. The results indicated that, in the established ORF3-expressing HepG2 cells, the mRNA levels of CLDN6, YLPM1, APOC3, NLRP1, SCARA3, FGA, FGG, FGB, and FREM1 were upregulated, whereas the mRNA levels of SLC2A3, DKK1, BPIFB2, and PTGR1 were downregulated. The deregulated expression of CLDN6 and FREM1 might contribute to changes in integral membrane protein and basement membrane protein expression, expression changes for NLRP1 might affect the apoptosis of HepG2 cells, and the altered expression of APOC3, SCARA3, and DKK1 may affect lipid metabolism in HepG2 cells. In conclusion, ORF3 plays a functional role in virus-cell interactions by affecting the expression of integral membrane protein and basement membrane proteins and by altering the process of apoptosis and lipid metabolism in host cells. These findings provide important insight into the pathogenic mechanism of HEV.

The status of the Chinese paper-cut is not optimistic. How to use the latest technology and information technology to strengthen protection of this non-material cultural heritage and its cultural existence style, which is currently the focus of our research group. We find out the most basic element symbols of paper-cut from large quantities of images, and build the paper-cut basic elements database, the paper-cut commonly used symbols database, the paper-cut images database, lay a solid foundation for innovative forms & content of paper-cut. At the same time, we probe into composition of paper-cut art design system and its function from the system design ideas and structures and how to use it to lay a good foundation for the establishment of the CAD system.