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Document processing and query generation tasks in customs declaration scenarios face key challenges such as the complexity of multimodal data, adaptability to dynamic regulations, and ambiguity in query semantics. This study proposes a Retrieval-Augmented Generation system (ICCA-RAG) that addresses the core issues of processing complex customs documents and dynamically generating queries through multimodal document parsing, sparse-dense hybrid storage, and context-driven large language model generation. In terms of multimodal document parsing, the system supports comprehensive parsing of PDFs, images, tables, and text, which are uniformly transformed into semantic vectors and keyword indices for hybrid storage. By combining the retrieval and generation modules, the ICCA-RAG system achieves significant improvements in contextual relevance and generation accuracy. Compared to traditional methods, the ICCA-RAG system demonstrates a 20.1% increase in answer correctness, a 15.3% increase in answer relevancy, and an 18.7% increase in the faithfulness of generated content, with outstanding performance in noisy query scenarios. The research findings validate the ICCA-RAG system’s advancement and applicability in handling complex document processing and professional domain question-answering tasks, while also providing a transferable technical framework for other fields, such as law and healthcare.

The innate immune system plays a vital role in the inflammatory process, serving as a crucial mechanism for the body to respond to infection, cellular stress, and tissue damage. The cGAS-STING signaling pathway is pivotal in the onset and progression of various autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. By recognizing cytoplasmic DNA, this pathway initiates and regulates inflammation and antiviral responses within the innate immune system. Consequently, the regulation of the cGAS-STING pathway has become a prominent area of interest in the treatment of many diseases. Chronic inflammatory lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis, are characterized by persistent or recurrent lung inflammation and tissue damage, leading to diminished respiratory function. This paper explores the mechanism of action of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in these diseases, examines the development of STING inhibitors and nanomaterial applications, and discusses the potential clinical application prospects of targeting the cGAS-STING pathway in chronic inflammatory lung diseases.

Abstract Ripretinib, a broad‐spectrum inhibitor of the KIT and PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinases, is designated as a fourth‐line treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). It is tailored for patients resistant to imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib. As its increasing use, instances of resistance to ripretinib are becoming more frequent. Unfortunately, there are currently no scientifically mature treatment options available for patients resistant to ripretinib. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as ubiquitination, in conjunction with its interplay with other modifications, play a collective role in regulating tumor initiation and progression. However, the specific association between ubiquitination and ripretinib resistance is not reported. Through proteome–ubiquitinome sequencing, increased levels of the USP5 protein and decreased ubiquitination in ripretinib‐resistant GISTs are detected. Subsequent examination of the mass spectrometry findings validated the interaction through which TRIM21 governs USP5 expression via ubiquitination, and USP5 regulates MDH2 expression through deubiquitination, consequently fostering ripretinib resistance in GIST. Moreover, ZDHHC18 can palmitoylate MDH2, preventing its ubiquitination and further increasing its protein stability. The research underscores the correlation between posttranslational modifications, specifically ubiquitination, and drug resistance, emphasizing the potential of targeting the USP5‐MDH2 axis to counteract ripretinib resistance in GIST.

Abstract Patients with advanced gastric cancer typically face a grim prognosis. This phase 1a (dose escalation) and phase 1b (dose expansion) study investigated safety and efficacy of first-line camrelizumab plus apatinib and chemotherapy for advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. The primary endpoints included maximum tolerated dose (MTD) in phase 1a and objective response rate (ORR) across phase 1a and 1b. Phase 1a tested three dose regimens of camrelizumab, apatinib, oxaliplatin, and S-1. Dose regimen 1: camrelizumab 200 mg on day 1, apatinib 250 mg every other day, oxaliplatin 100 mg/m² on day 1, and S-1 40 mg twice a day on days 1–14. Dose regimen 2: same as dose regimen 1, but oxaliplatin 130 mg/m². Dose regimen 3: same as dose regimen 2, but apatinib 250 mg daily. Thirty-four patients were included (9 in phase 1a, 25 in phase 1b). No dose-limiting toxicities occurred so no MTD was identified. Dose 3 was set for the recommended phase 2 doses and administered in phase 1b. The confirmed ORR was 76.5% (95% CI 58.8–89.3). The median progression-free survival was 8.4 months (95% CI 5.9-not evaluable [NE]), and the median overall survival (OS) was not mature (11.6-NE). Ten patients underwent surgery after treatment and the multidisciplinary team evaluation. Among 24 patients without surgery, the median OS was 19.6 months (7.8-NE). Eighteen patients (52.9%) developed grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events. Camrelizumab plus apatinib and chemotherapy showed favorable clinical outcomes and manageable safety for untreated advanced gastric cancer (ChiCTR2000034109).

Background: Non-small cell lung Cancer (NSCLC) persists as a lethal neoplastic manifestation, exhibiting a diminished 5-year survival rate, partially attributable to chemotherapeutic resistance. This investigative endeavor aimed to elucidate the synergistic antineoplastic effects and underlying mechanisms of the SMYD2 inhibitor BAY-598 and the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DOX) in NSCLC. Methods: The human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines A549 and H460 were subjected to treatment regimens involving BAY-598 and/or DOX. Cellular viability, apoptotic events, invasive capacity, and migratory potential were evaluated through the implementation of CCK-8 assays, flow cytometric analyses, and Transwell assays, respectively. Protein expression levels were quantified via Western blot analyses. An in vivo xenograft murine model was established to assess therapeutic efficacy. Results: BAY-598 and DOX synergistically suppressed the viability, invasiveness, and migratory capabilities of NSCLC cells. Co-treatment Promoting cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Additionally, Furthermore, co-administration significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion. Mechanistic studies revealed coordinately inhibited JAK-STAT signaling upon combination treatment. In vivo study further validated the synergistic antitumor efficacy of BAY-598 and DOX against NSCLC xenografts. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that BAY-598 potentiates the anti-cancer effects of DOX in non-small cell lung cancer cells by modulating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway as a synergistic strategy. The combination holds promise as an emerging therapeutic strategy for NSCLC. Further optimization and validation are warranted to promote its translational potential.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. Diet significantly influences the incidence and progression of GC. However, the relationship between dietary intake and GC is inconsistent.Methods: A study was conducted with adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2016 to investigate possible associations between 32 dietary factors and GC. To further detect potential causal relationships between these dietary factors and the risk of GC, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. The primary method employed was the inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis, and its results were further validated by four other methods.Results: Of the 35,098 participants surveyed, 20 had a history of GC. Based on the results of weighted logistic multivariate analysis, it was observed that there was a positive correlation between total fat intake [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.01–1.17), p = 0.03] and GC as well as negative association of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) intake [OR = 0.83, 95% CI: (0.76–0.92), p < 0.001]. Further evaluations of the odds of GC across the quartiles of dietary MUFAs showed that the top quartile of total MUFA intake was associated with a lower likelihood of GC in three different models [model1: OR = 0.03, 95% CI: (0.00–0.25), p < 0.01; model2: OR = 0.04, 95% CI: (0.00–0.38), p = 0.01; model3: OR = 0.04, 95% CI: (0.00–0.40), p = 0.01]. For the MR analyses, genetic instruments were selected from the IEU Open GWAS project; IVW analysis showed that GC risk was not associated with MUFAs [OR = 0.82, 95% CI: (0.59–1.14), p = 0.23] or the ratio of MUFAs to total fatty acids [OR = 1.00, 95% CI: (0.75–1.35), p = 0.98]. Similar results were observed when using the other MR methods.Conclusion: The NHANES study revealed that consuming MUFAs was linked to a lower risk of GC, although the results of MR analyses do not provide evidence of a causal relationship. Additional research is therefore necessary to clarify these findings.

The innate immune system is the body’s natural defense system, which recognizes a wide range of microbial molecules (such as bacterial DNA and RNA) and abnormal molecules within cells (such as misplaced DNA, self-antigens) to play its role. DNA released into the cytoplasm activates the cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS)–stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway to initiate an immune response. Ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) after acute myocardial infarction refers to the phenomenon where myocardial tissue suffers further damage upon the restoration of blood flow. This issue is a significant clinical problem in the treatment of myocardial infarction, as it can diminish the effectiveness of reperfusion therapy and lead to further deterioration of cardiac function. Studies have found that the cGAS-STING signaling pathway is closely related to this phenomenon. Therefore, this review aims to describe the role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in ischemia–reperfusion injury after myocardial infarction and summarize the current development status of cGAS-STING pathway inhibitors and the application of nanomaterials to further elucidate the potential of this pathway as a therapeutic target.

This paper focuses on the finite-time tracking control problem of shield tunneling systems in the presence of constraints on the states and control input. By modeling the system based on the LuGre friction model, an effective method of tracking control in finite time is designed to overcome these actual constraints at the same time. First, the constraint on the system state is transformed into a symmetric constraint on the tracking error, and the constraint on control input is handled by designing an auxiliary differential equation. Then, radial basis function (RBF) neural networks are introduced to approximate the uncertainties. Next, using an adaptive finite-time backstepping method and choosing a logarithmic barrier Lyapunov function (BLF), a finite-time controller is designed to realize the finite-time stability of the closed-loop system. Finally, a simulation example is given to verify the correctness and validity of the theoretical results.

The spider genus Stiphropus Gerstaecker, 1873 currently includes 21 extant species that are distributed in Africa (12) and Asia (9). Four species, S. falciformus Yang, Zhu & Song, 2006, S. myrmecophilus Huang & Lin, 2020, S. ocellatus Thorell, 1887 and S. soureni Sen, 1964, are currently known from China.The mismatched female of S. falciformus is reported as a new species: S. qianlei sp. n. (♂♀). The unknown male of S. soureni Sen, 1964 is described for the first time. Photos and morphological descriptions are provided.

The theridiid spider genus Stemmops O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1894 includes 27 extant species and is distributed in America (23 spp.) and Asia (4 spp.). Three species, S. forcipus Zhu, 1998 (♂♀), S. nigrabdomenus Zhu, 1998 (♂) and S. nipponicus Yaginuma, 1969 (♂♀), are currently known from China.Two new species of Stemmops are described from China: S. atratus sp. n. (♀, Jiangsu, Zhejiang) and S. lini sp. n. (♂♀, Fujian, Zhejiang). In addition, the previously unknown female of S. nigrabdomenus Zhu, 1998 is described. Photos and morphological descriptions are provided.

Objective To explore the gender and age characteristics of Hepatitis E virus seroprevalence in Chinese voluntary blood donors by Meta-analysis, so as to evaluate the prevalence of HEV and provide reference for blood donor recruitment and HEV screening. Methods Databases such as CNKI, Wanfang Medicine and PubMed were searched by keywords or subject words, and the eligible literature were extracted for Meta-analysis of Hepatitis E virus seroprevalence by gender and age using R4.1.3 software. Results 1) A total of 15 gender related literature were obtained, of which 14 involved anti-HEV IgG, containing 38 203 males and 25 760 females, with pooled estimated positive rate of anti-HEV IgG as 24.54%[95% CI(17.32%, 32.56%)] and 19.52%[95% CI(11.71%, 28.76%)], respectively(P>0.05); 13 involved anti-HEV IgM, containing 46 125 males and 33 345 females, with pooled estimated positive rate of anti-HEV IgM as 1.16% [95% CI(0.93%, 1.40%)] and 0.84% [95% CI(0.54%, 1.20%), respectively(P>0.05); 2) A total of 12 age related literature were obtained, of which 11 involved anti-HEV IgG: 0.05). Conclusion There was a certain amount of HEV carriers among Chinese voluntary blood donors and the prevalence of HEV in different regions showed different distribution characteristics by gender and age. No difference was found in the prevalence of HEV among voluntary blood donors by gender. The past infection rates of HEV among voluntary blood donors ≥30 years old was higher than those

Objective To analyze the serological markers and RNA prevalence of HEV infection in Chinese voluntary blood donors in different regions of China, so as to provide basis for the necessity of HEV screening and the formulation of screening strategies for voluntary blood donors. Methods Databases such as CNKI, Wanfang medicine and PubMed were searched for eligible literature, and the literature data meeting the inclusion criteria were extracted for meta-analysis using R4.1.3 software. Results A total of 26 studies were included, involving 97 928, 117 831 and 82 673 cases, respectively, for anti-HEV IgG, anti-HEV IgM and HEV RNA. The pooled estimated prevalence of anti-HEV IgG, anti-HEV IgM and HEV RNA among Chinese voluntary blood donors was 23.0% [95% CI (18%, 29%)] vs 1.13% [95% CI (0.94%, 1.36%)] vs 0.028%[95%CI(0.006%, 0.059%)], and there were significant differences among different cities and regions. Conclusion The past infection rate of HEV among voluntary blood donors in China was somewhat high and with significant regional differences. The current infection rate was relatively low and had decreased compared with that in the past decade, but there was still residual risk of blood transfusion. It is necessary to pay more attention to blood HEV screening of voluntary blood donors.

Background The prognostic significance of neural invasion (NI) in gastric cancer (GC) has not been established. This study is to investigate the characteristic and prognostic value of NI in GC. Methods 592 patients who had undergone gastrectomy for GC were retrospectively analyzed. NI was defined when cancer cells infiltrated into the perineurium or neural fascicles by hematoxylin and eosin staining of surgical specimens. NI and the other clinical factors were analyzed. Results NI was detected in 270 of the 592 patients. NI was associated with tumor size, site, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, D dissection, tumor differentiation, Lauren classification, and blood vessel invasion. NI was associated with the overall survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that NI was not an independent prognostic factor for total patients, while NI independently predicted prognosis for age < 60 and lymph node metastasis negative patients by subgroup analysis. Concomitant existence of NI with tumor size ≥3cm, TNM stage III, or diffused Lauren classification independently predicted prognosis. Conclusions The frequency of NI is high in GC patients and increases with disease progression. NI is related to poor survival in GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy and provides independent prognostic value for young and lymph node metastasis negative patients.

Previous research highlighted the involvement of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor in regulating the physiology of hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells. The inhibition of the CB1 receptor via peripherally restricted CB1 receptor inverse agonist JD5037 has shown promise in inhibiting liver fibrosis in mice treated with CCl4. However, its efficacy in phospholipid transporter-deficiency-induced liver fibrosis remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of JD5037 in Mdr2−/− mice. Mdr2 (Abcb4) is a mouse ortholog of the human MDR3 (ABCB4) gene encoding for the canalicular phospholipid transporter. Genetic disruption of the Mdr2 gene in mice causes a complete absence of phosphatidylcholine from bile, leading to liver injury and fibrosis. Mdr2−/− mice develop spontaneous fibrosis during growth. JD5037 was orally administered to the mice for four weeks starting at eight weeks of age. Liver fibrosis, bile acid levels, inflammation, and injury were assessed. Additionally, JD5037 was administered to three-week-old mice to evaluate its preventive effects on fibrosis development. Our findings corroborate previous observations regarding global CB1 receptor inverse agonists. Four weeks of JD5037 treatment in eight-week-old Mdr2−/− mice with established fibrosis led to reduced body weight gains. However, contrary to expectations, JD5037 significantly exacerbated liver injury, evidenced by elevated serum ALT and ALP levels and exacerbated liver histology. Notably, JD5037-treated Mdr2−/− mice exhibited significantly heightened serum bile acid levels. Furthermore, JD5037 treatment intensified liver fibrosis, increased fibrogenic gene expression, stimulated ductular reaction, and upregulated hepatic proinflammatory cytokines. Importantly, JD5037 failed to prevent liver fibrosis formation in three-week-old Mdr2−/− mice. In summary, our study reveals the exacerbating effect of JD5037 on liver fibrosis in genetically MDR2-deficient mice. These findings underscore the need for caution in the use of peripherally restricted CB1R inverse agonists for liver fibrosis treatment, particularly in cases of dysfunctional hepatic phospholipid transporter.

Objective To analyze the status of HBV infection in blood donors reactive to jointed NAT but non-reactive to primary discriminatory tests (NRR), so as to provide suggestions and data support for subsequent studies on NRR samples. Methods HCV RNA and HIV RNA repeat differential detection, HBV DNA viral load detection and HBV pgRNA copy volume detection were performed in the plasma of 60 blood donors with negative ELISA results in routine blood screening and NRR in NAT. HBsAg, HBsAb, HBcAb, HBeAg and HBeAb serological tests were performed on the NRR samples with positivity in HBV DNA viral load and HBV pgRNA virus copy detection, so as to analyze the serological infection status and occult hepatitis B (OBI) infection. Results The HCV RNA and HIV RNA repeat discrimination results of 60 NRR samples were negative. The quantitative detection results of HBV DNA in 60 NRR samples were positive in 9 cases (15%), and the HBV DNA concentration was less than 10IU/mL. Nine cases (15%) were positive for HBV pgRNA quantitative detection, and the virus copy volume x-±SD was (289±58.25) copies/mL. Two NRR samples (3.33%) were HBV DNA positive and HBV pgRNA positive. Among the 9 HBV-DNA positive samples, the highest positive rate of HBcAb was 66.67%, and 7 (77.78%) of them were confirmed to be seropositive for OBI. Among the 9 HBV pgRNA positive samples, the copy amount of pgRNA in HBcAb positive samples was slightly higher than that in negative samples, while the copy amount of pgRNA in HBsAb and HBeAb positive samples was lower than that in corresponding negative samples. In recent 6 years, the proportion of NRR samples in the single NAT system of the center fluctuated from 0.09% to 0.13%. Conclusion HBV DNA and HBV pgRNA exist in NRR samples. HBV DNA and/or HBV pgRNA positive samples can be detected in the relevant serological infectious markers. NRR samples have a certain potential risk of OBI infection. HBV DNA detection plus HBV pgRNA can better confirm the status of virus infection in NRR and improve the safety of blood transfusion.

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells (WBG PSCs) have garnered significant research attention for their potential in tandem solar cells. However, they face challenges such as high open-circuit voltage losses and severe phase instability. These issues are primarily owing to the formation of defects, ion migration, and energy level mismatches at the interface of WBG perovskite devices. Meanwhile, inverted PSCs demonstrate superior stability potential and compatibility with tandem devices, making them the most promising application for WBG perovskite materials. Consequently, interface modulation for such devices has become imperative. In this review, from the perspective of applicability in tandem devices, we first provided a concise overview of WBG perovskite research and its efficiency progress in inverted devices. We further discussed interface carrier dynamics and the potential impact of interfaces on such device performance. Afterward, we presented a comprehensive summary of interface engineering in inverted WBG perovskite (1.60 eV–1.80 eV) solar cells. The research particularly explored both the upper and buried interfaces of WBG absorbers in the inverted PSCs, thoroughly investigating interface design strategies and outlining promising research directions. Finally, this review provides insight into the future development of interface engineering for high-performance and large-area WBG PSCs.

BackgroundRecently, the use of immunochemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (GC) has been increasing and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors combined with chemotherapy has become the first-line treatment for advanced GC. However, few studies with small sample sizes have examined this treatment regimen to assess its effectiveness and safety in the neoadjuvant treatment phase of resectable local advanced GC.Materials and methodsHerein, we systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science for clinical trials on neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (nICT) in advanced GC. The primary outcomes were effectiveness [evaluated by major pathological response (MPR) and pathological complete response (pCR)] and safety [assessed by grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and postoperative complications]. A meta-analysis of non-comparative binary results was performed to aggregate the primary outcomes. Direct comparative analysis was used to compare pooled results of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) with nICT. The outcomes emerged as risk ratios (RR).ResultsFive articles with 206 patients were included, and all of them were from the Chinese population. The pooled pCR and MPR rates were 26.5% (95% CI: 21.3%–33.3%) and 49.0% (95% CI: 42.3%–55.9%), while grade 3–4 TRAEs and post-operative complication rates were 20.0% (95% CI: 9.1%–39.8%) and 30.1% (95% CI: 23.1%–37.9%), respectively. Direct comparison showed that with the exception of grade 3–4 TRAEs and postoperative complications, all outcomes including pCR, MPR, and R0 resection rate favoured nICT to nCT.ConclusionnICT is a promising strategy for use as an advisable neoadjuvant treatment for patients with advanced GC in Chinese population. However, more phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be required to further consolidate the efficacy and safety of this regimen.

BackgroundFor gastric cancer (GC) patients with pylorus outlet obstruction (POO), whether laparoscopic surgery has advantages over open surgery remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the differences between patients with and without POO in open and laparoscopic groups and to determine the differences between laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) and open distal gastrectomy (ODG) in GC patients with POO.MethodsA total of 241 GC patients with POO who underwent distal gastrectomy at the Department of Gastric Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between 2016 and 2021 were included in this study. A total of 1,121 non-POO patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery and 948 non-POO patients who underwent open surgery from 2016 to 2021 were also enrolled in the study. We compared complication rates and hospital stays between open and laparoscopic groups.ResultsThere was no significant difference for LDG between GC patients with and without POO regarding the overall complication rates (P = 0.063), the Grade III–V complication rate (P = 0.673), and the anastomotic complication rate (P = 0.497) from 2016 to 2021. The patients with POO had longer preoperative hospital stay (P = 0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (P=0.007) compared to patients without POO. No significant difference was observed for open patients between POO and non-POO patients regarding the overall complication rate (P = 0.357), grade III–V complication rate (P = 1.000), and anastomosis-related complication rate (P = 0.766). Compared with open surgery in GC patients with POO (n = 111), the total complication rate of the LDG group was 16.2%, which was significantly lower than that of the open group (26.1%, P = 0.041). No significant differences in the Grade III–V complication rate (P = 0.574) and anastomotic complication rate (P = 0.587) were observed between laparoscopic and open groups. Patients receiving laparoscopic surgery had shorter postoperative hospital stay than open surgery (P = 0.001). More resected lymph nodes (LNs) were also observed in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.0145).ConclusionThe comorbidity of GC with POO does not increase the complication rate after laparoscopic or open distal gastrectomy. In GC patients with POO, laparoscopic surgery shows advantages over open surgery with a lower overall complication rate, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and more harvested lymph nodes. Laparoscopic surgery is a safe, feasible, and effective treatment for GC with POO.

Objective To analyze the profile, preliminary screening and laboratory test results of voluntary blood donors in the past five years, so as to provide basis for formulating the recruitment strategy, ensuring clinical blood use and improving blood safety and quality. Methods 789 570 voluntary blood donors from 2016 to 2020 were classified according to the category, and the positive rate of blood testing results was statistically analyzed. Results The proportion of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI), including HBsAg, anti-HCV, anti-T, and anti-HIV, was led by HBsAg, except for anti-TP leading in 2018. The positive rate of ELISA items and ALT tests showed statistical significance by age groups(P0.05). The positive rate of preliminary screening and laboratory testing showed differences among occupation and educational background(P0.05). The number of HIV positive males (n=228) was higher than that of females(n=3), and the proportion of workers (23.08%~40.74%) and staff (16.67%~46.67%) were large. In 2020, however, the proportion of HIV infected students increased sharply to 21.62%. Sole HBV DNA positive cases was the most (n=460), while the number of sole HIV RNA(n=3) and HCV RNA positive cases (n=6) were rather low. Conclusion Targeted recruitment strategies should be formulated according to the profile and test results of voluntary blood donors to further improve blood test ability and ensure blood safety.

Objective To evaluate the laboratory's NAT ability by analyzing the feedback reports of nucleic acid test (NAT) results of external quality assessment (EQA) of National Center for Clinic Laboratories (NCCL), so as to improve the laboratory management details and ensure blood safety. Methods The data of NCCL NAT EQA of blood screening laboratory of Tianjin Blood Center (a total of five occasions from Jan 2019 to Jun 2021) were statistically analyzed. Results From Jan 2019 to Jun 2021, the laboratory participated in EQA for five times and all the results were qualified. The test results of NAT EQA HIV RNA/HCV RNA/HBV DNA detected by R1, R2 and R4 were consistent with the reference results. R3 showed false positive results (CT value 40.46) in the single donation detection of sample No.1925 in HCV RNA. Unreported data of the laboratory was that in the first EQA in 2021, the R4 showed false positive results (CT value 35.8) in in the single donation detection of sample No.2113 in HIV RNA. Conclusion The performance of each NAT screening system in our laboratory is relatively stable except occasional false positive results influenced by every factor. Potential problems can be found and continuously improved by assaying EQA reports and the extended experimental results of EQA samples to further improve the detection ability.

The super-speed tube transport (SSTT) system is called the fifth traffic mode internationally. One of the critical technical problems for the design of SSTT system is the sealing reliability in vacuum tube structures. In this paper, an experimental study of the sealing capacity and mechanical behavior of the segmental lining is carried out, and the following conclusions are drawn. To meet the requirements of the SSTT system, the existing sealing of the concrete segment structure needs to be further strengthened. The joint spacing decreases with increasing vacuum and increases with vacuum pressure relief. There is an obvious correlation between the strain change and the vacuum pumping, which can be divided into four stages. The influence of the pressure difference and the local airflow movement on the concrete surface strain is dominant by turns at different stages. The concrete surface is suggested to be reinforce on account of the tensile strain caused by the local airflow movement of vacuum pumping is significant. The relative pressure caused by vacuum has little effect on the stress and deformation of the structure. The results of the study can help to understand the sealing capacity and mechanical behavior of the underground segmental lining in a low vacuum environment and be beneficial in choosing the appropriate structure type for the SSTT system.

Abstract Background Systemic inflammation relates to the initiation and progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW)/albumin ratio have been reported to be predictive prognostic biomarkers in ARDS patients. However, the role of monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) as a prognostic inflammatory biomarker in a variety of diseases is rarely mentioned in ARDS. In this study, we explored the relationship between MLR and disease severity in ARDS patients and compared it with other indicators associated with 28-day mortality in patients with ARDS. Methods We retrospectively included 268 patients who fulfilled the Berlin definition of ARDS and were admitted to a single institute from 2016 to 2020. Clinical characteristics and experimental test data were collected from medical records within 24 h after the ARDS diagnosis. MLR, NLR, and RDW/albumin ratio levels were calculated. The primary clinical outcome was 28-day mortality. Logistic regression analysis was used to illustrate the relationship between indicators and 28-day mortality. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the area under the curve (AUC), and propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to validate our findings. Results The median MLR values were higher for non-survivors than for survivors before and after matching (P

Abstract Recognizing and classifying multiple morphological features, such as patterns, sizes, and textures, can provide a comprehensive understanding of their variability and phenotypic evolution. Yet, quantitatively measuring complex morphological characters remains challenging. We provide a machine learning‐based pipeline (SVMorph) to consider and classify complex morphological characters in multiple organisms that have either small or large datasets. Our pipeline integrates two descriptors, histogram of oriented gradient and local binary pattern, to meet various classification needs. We also optimized feature extraction by adding image data augmentation to improve model generalizability. We tested SVMorph on two real‐world examples to demonstrate that it can be used with small training datasets and limited computational resources. Comparing with multiple CNN‐based methods and traditional techniques, we show that SVMorph is reliable and fast in texture‐based individual classification. Thus, SVMorph can be used to efficiently classify multiple morphological characters in distinct nonmodel organisms.

Demand for spare parts, which is triggered by element failure, project schedule and reliability demand, etc., is a kind of sensing data to the aftermarket service of large manufacturing enterprises. Prediction of the demand for spare parts plays a crucial role in inventory management and lifecycle quality management for the aftermarket service of large-scale manufacturing enterprises. In real-life applications, however, demand for spare parts occurs randomly and fluctuates greatly, and the demand sequence shows obvious intermittent distribution characteristics. Additionally, due to factors such as reporting mistakes made by personnel or environmental changes, the actual data of the demand for spare parts are prone to abnormal variations. It is thus hard to capture the evolutional pattern of the demand for spare parts by traditional time series forecasting methods. The reliability of prediction results is also reduced. To address these concerns, this paper proposes a tensor optimization-based robust interval prediction method of intermittent time series for the aftersales demand for spare parts. First, using the advantages of tensor decomposition to effectively mine intrinsic information from raw data, a sequence-smoothing network based on tensor decomposition and a stacked autoencoder is proposed. Tucker decomposition is applied to the hidden features of the encoder, and the obtained core tensor is reconstructed through the decoder, thus allowing us to smooth outliers in the original demand sequence. An alternating optimization algorithm is further designed to find the optimal sequence feature representation and tensor decomposition factors for the extraction of the evolutionary trend of the intermittent series. Second, an adaptive interval prediction algorithm with a dynamic update mechanism is designed to obtain point prediction values and prediction intervals for the demand sequence, thereby improving the reliability of the forecast. The proposed method is validated using the actual aftersales data from a large engineering manufacturing enterprise in China. The experimental results demonstrate that, compared with typical time series prediction methods, the proposed method can effectively grab the evolutionary trend of various intermittent series and improve the accuracy of predictions made with small-sample intermittent series. Moreover, the proposed method provides a reliable elastic prediction interval when distortion occurs in the prediction results, offering a new solution for intelligent planning decisions related to spare parts in practical maintenance.

Alcohol‐associated liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of mortality. Gut barrier dysfunction–induced bacterial translocation and endotoxin release contribute to the pathogenesis of ALD. Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is known to be beneficial on experimental ALD by reinforcing the intestinal barrier function. In this study, we aim to investigate whether the protective effects of LGG on intestinal barrier function is mediated by exosome‐like nanoparticles (ELNPs) released by LGG. Intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages were treated with LGG‐derived ELNPs (LDNPs) isolated from LGG culture. LDNPs increased tight junction protein expression in epithelial cells and protected from the lipopolysaccharide‐induced inflammatory response in macrophages. Three‐day oral application of LDNPs protected the intestine from alcohol‐induced barrier dysfunction and the liver from steatosis and injury in an animal model of ALD. Co‐administration of an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) inhibitor abolished the protective effects of LDNPs, indicating that the effects are mediated, at least in part, by intestinal AhR signaling. We further demonstrated that LDNP administration increased intestinal interleukin‐22‐Reg3 and nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2)–tight junction signaling pathways, leading to the inhibition of bacterial translocation and endotoxin release in ALD mice. This protective effect was associated with LDNP enrichment of bacterial tryptophan metabolites that are AhR agonists. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the beneficial effects of LGG and their supernatant in ALD are likely mediated by bacterial AhR ligand–enriched LDNPs that increase Reg3 and Nrf2 expression, leading to the improved barrier function. These findings provide a strategy for the treatment of ALD and other gut barrier dysfunction–associated diseases.

Background: Abnormal glycosylation of proteins has been identified in almost all types of cancers and is closely related to the cancer progression, metastasis, and survival of cancer patients. This study was to explore the values of serum tumor abnormal protein (TAP), an abnormal glycochain protein, in the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). Methods: A total of 335 GC patients were included as the study group, and another 335 subjects served as the control group. Tumor abnormal protein expression was compared between the 2 groups. Correlation analysis was used to assess the correlations of TAP with clinicopathological factors. Gastric cancer patients were divided into training set and test set at a ratio of 2:1. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses in training set were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of TAP in GC patients and explore the independent risk factors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) to establish a prognostic model, followed by testing of the model. According to the median of TAP, 335 GC patients were divided into 2 groups to plot the survival curves of OS and DFS. Results: Tumor abnormal protein expression in the study group was significantly higher than in the control group. Taking the best cut-off value of TAP (110.128 μm 2 ) as the diagnostic criteria for GC, the sensitivity and specificity of TAP were 83.58% and 97.61%, respectively, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was 0.935, which was not inferior to computed tomography (CT). Tumor abnormal protein expression was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS. The prognostic predictive value of TAP was better than that of pathological stage in GC patients. The model with TAP was effective in predicting prognosis. Conclusion: Tumor abnormal protein is an effective indicator for early screening and prognostic evaluation of GC and can also assist the clinical diagnosis and treatment of GC.

Abstract Background Chemotherapy can significantly improve the disease‐free survival and overall survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) is frequently applied in the clinic, acting as a first‐line chemotherapy drug of advanced GC, which could be used alone or combining platinum drugs. However, its efficacy is significantly attenuated by chemoresistance, which is associated with patients’ poor survival. Recently, there is evidence suggesting that dysregulation of autophagy may contribute to drug resistance in cancer, and circular RNAs (circRNAs) also take part in chemoresistance. However, whether circRNAs participate in 5‐FU chemoresistance through autophagy remains largely unknown. Methods RNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics analysis were performed in GC. Sanger sequencing, Actinomycin D assay and RNase R assay confirmed the circular structure of circular CPM (circCPM). Various cell line models and animal models were used to explore related functions in vitro and in vivo. Quantitative Real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization, ribonucleic acid; (RNA) pulldown assays, RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assays and Luciferase reporter assays were applied to explore involved pathways. Results circCPM was up‐regulated in 5‐FU resistant GC cell lines and tissue. Moreover, high circCPM expression is positively associated with poor survival. Silencing circCPM greatly improved chemosensitivity in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, it directly binds to miR‐21‐3p in the cytoplasm and therefore increases the expression of PRKAA2, contributing to the activation of autophagy and chemoresistance. Conclusion Our results reveal that circCPM has a crucial role in regulating GC autophagy and 5‐FU resistance by targeting PRKAA2. It may function as a new theory basis for assessing the curative effect of GC and reversing 5‐FU chemoresistance.

Few data are available regarding comprehensive or quantitative assessment of fish feed considering both the environmental and feeding impacts. Aiming to fill the gap, an experimental study to investigate the effects of three fish feeds on concentrations of nutrients and crucian carp (Carassius carassius) growth was conducted in laboratory aquariums in the presence and absence of prometryn. Results showed that weight gain rates of crucian carp treated with Tong Wei (TW) feed were 106.3% and 2.0% higher than that of Zhong Shan (ZS) and Zhong Liang (ZL) feeds, a possible explanation was that the quality of protein in TW feed was highest as evidenced by the protein efficiency ratios. Meanwhile, TW feed posed relatively lighter effects on water qualities (between ZL and ZS). Prometryn significantly inhibited the growth of crucian carp and thus affected concentrations of nutrients in water indirectly. The relationships between weight gain rates of fish and concentrations of nutrients in water (R2 = 0.929–0.990) were developed. In sum, this study suggested that it is realizable to obtain better fish growth performance with lesser degrading effects on water qualities by producing and selecting appropriate feed regardless of prometryn existence, and the developed equations could be used as a basis for future studies.

Microbiome dysbiosis is strongly associated with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Recent studies on comprehensive analyses of microbiome compositional and functional changes have begun to uncover the mechanistic relation between microbiome and the pathogenesis of ALD. Importantly, targeting the microbiome has become a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of ALD. In this review, we summarize the clinical evidence of microbiome dysbiosis in ALD patients, and experimental advances in microbiome and metabolomic functional changes in animals with different species and genetic backgrounds in ALD. We also summarize the studies in humanized intestinal microbiome and fecal microbiota transplantation in mice. We introduce new developments in the studies on the role of the circulating bacterial microbiome, oral bacterial microbiome and fungal microbiome in the development of ALD. We highlight the potential mechanisms by which microbiome dysbiosis contributes to ALD, including short chain fatty acid changes, bile acid metabolism, intestinal barrier function, release of bacterial and fungal products, and inflammation. In addition, we summarize the recent developments targeting the microbiome in prevention and treatment of ALD, including dietary nutrient interference, herbal medicine, antibiotics, anti-fungal agents, probiotics, engineered bacterial therapy, fecal transplantation and oral hygiene. Although recent preclinical studies have advanced our understanding of the microbiome and ALD, clinical studies, especially prospective studies with large samples, are needed to better understand the cause-effect of microbiome dysbiosis in ALD. Identifying new precision-based strategies targeting the microbiome are expected to be developed as more effective therapies in ALD. Keywords: Microbiome, Dysbiosis, Alcoholic liver disease (ALD)

Objectives: High fructose feeding changes fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) regulation. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation reduces fructose-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of this study was to determine the role of FGF21 and underlying mechanisms in the protective effects of LGG. Methods: FGF21 knockout (KO) mice and C57BL/6 wild type (WT) mice were fed 30% fructose for 12 weeks. LGG was administered to the mice in the last 4 weeks during fructose feeding. FGF21-adiponectin (ADPN)-mediated hepatic lipogenesis and inflammation were investigated. Results: FGF21 expression was robustly increased after 5-weeks of feeding and significantly decreased after 12-weeks of feeding in fructose-induced NAFLD mice. LGG administration reversed the depressed FGF21 expression, increased adipose production of ADPN, and reduced hepatic fat accumulation and inflammation in the WT mice but not in the KO mice. Hepatic nuclear carbohydrate responsive-element binding protein (ChREBP) was increased by fructose and reduced by LGG, resulting in a reduction in the expression of lipogenic genes. The methylated form of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) C, which dephosphorylates and activates ChREBP, was upregulated by fructose and normalized by LGG. Leucine carboxyl methyltransferase-1, which methylates PP2AC, was also increased by fructose and decreased by LGG. However, those beneficial effects of LGG were blunted in the KO mice. Hepatic dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate, which inhibits PP2A, was markedly increased by LGG in the WT mice but attenuated in the KO mice. LGG decreased adipose hypertrophy and increased serum levels of ADPN, which regulates sphingosine metabolism. This beneficial effect was decreased in the KO mice. Conclusion: LGG administration increases hepatic FGF21 expression and serum ADPN concentration, resulting in a reduced ChREBP activation through dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate-mediated PP2A deactivation, and subsequently reversed fructose-induced NAFLD. Thus, our data suggest that FGF21 is required for the beneficial effects of LGG in reversal of fructose-induced NAFLD. Keywords: Fibroblast growth factor 21, Fructose, NAFLD, Probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG

Ten new species of the spider family Psilodercidae Machado, 1951 are described from tropical East Asia, including five species found in China: Sinoderces luohanensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), S. xueae Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), S. taichi Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), S. wenshanensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), S. aiensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀); three are from Laos: S. khanensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), S. phathaoensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), S. kieoensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂); and the rest are from Thailand: S. saraburiensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂), S. dewaroopensis Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). Types of all new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China.

Four new species are described in two psilodercid genera, Qiongocera Li & Li, 2017 and Relictocera Li & Li, 2017: Qiongocera luoxuan Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) from China, Relictocera wugen Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and R. sigen Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂) from Vietnam, and R. qianzi Li & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) from Thailand. These genera were previously thought to be monotypic. In addition, one species of the genus Merizocera Fage, 1912 is transferred to Relictocera: Relictocera mus (Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995), comb. nov. (♂♀). The types of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing.

Three new species of the genus Flexicrurum Tong & Li, 2007, from Hainan Island, China are described: F. wuzhishanense sp. nov. (♂♀), F. yangjiao sp. nov. (♂♀), and F. qishi sp. nov. (♂♀). A key to males of species of Flexicrurum is provided. Additionally, the female of F. minutum Tong & Li, 2007, is described for the first time. To date, the genus is endemic to Hainan Island, China. Types are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS) in Beijing.

When the tunnel boring machine (TBM) construction method is used to build tunnels, if the type of TBM is not appropriate, problems, such as low construction efficiency and increased construction cost, will easily occur. Therefore, it is necessary to build a TBM selection decision-making model to guide TBM selection. In this paper, seven evaluation indexes are selected according to engineering experience and expert suggestions, and the quantitative standards of each index are unified. The modified analytic hierarchy process (MAHP) method is used to determine the weight of each evaluation index. The technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method is adopted as the decision-making method of TBM selection. Finally, a TBM selection decision-making model is proposed based on the above methods. In order to verify the reliability of the TBM selection decision-making model proposed in this paper, we selected three projects for case verification and compared them with the previous TBM selection methods. The results show that the decision-making results of the method proposed in this paper are good. Additionally, the method proposed in this paper is more comprehensive and accurate than the previous methods. The model proposed in this paper can provide better suggestions for TBM selection in the project planning stage.

OBJECTIVES:. The aim was to evaluate the effect of dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker on the prognosis for moderate-severe pulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome in hypertension patients. DESIGN:. A retrospective, observational, multicenter cohort study. SETTING:. A total of 307 patients without propensity score matching and 186 adult inpatients with propensity score matching diagnosed with hypertension and moderate-severe pulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome in five teaching hospitals in Jiangsu province, China, from December 2015 to December 2020 were enrolled. PATIENTS:. A total of 307 patients without propensity score matching and 186 patients with propensity score matching diagnosed with hypertension and moderate-severe pulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome were included in the final analysis. INTERVENTIONS:. None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:. Demographic characteristics and clinical characteristics were recorded. The propensity score matching method was used to eliminate the difference between group with dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker and group without dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. We used univariate and multivariate regression analyses for both patients with or without propensity score matching to assess the effect of these variables on mortality. In the subset of 186 patients with propensity score matching, in-hospital mortality was 53.2%. Inpatient mortality was significantly higher in patients treated with dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker than in those not treated with dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker of patients without propensity score matching (65.4% vs 40.4%; p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis for patients without propensity score matching showed that dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (hazard ratio, 1.954; 95% CI, 1.415–2.699), lactate dehydrogenase greater than or equal to 600 U/L (hazard ratio, 3.809; 95% CI, 2.106–4.531), and lactate greater than or equal to 2 mmol/L (hazard ratio, 1.454; 95% CI, 1.041–2.029) were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Based on univariate analysis for patients with propensity score matching, dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (hazard ratio, 2.021; 95% CI, 1.333–3.064), lactate dehydrogenase greater than or equal to 600 U/L (hazard ratio, 4.379; 95% CI, 2.642–7.257), and lactate greater than or equal to 2 mmol/L (hazard ratio, 2.461; 95% CI, 1.534–3.951) were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. In contrast, patients not treated with dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker had a significant survival advantage over those treated with dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker in both patients without or with propensity score matching (p < 0.001; p = 0.001 by Kaplan-Meier analysis). CONCLUSIONS:. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, lactate dehydrogenase greater than or equal to 600 U/L, and lactate greater than or equal to 2 mmol/L at admission were independent risk factors for patients with hypertension and moderate-severe pulmonary acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Coronavirus disease identified in 2019 (COVID-19) can be complicated by the Th17 cell-mediated IL-17 proinflammatory response. We tested if thiamine can effectively lower the Th17 response in a clinical study [Proinflammatory state in alcohol use disorder patients termed as disease controls (DC)] and corroborated the results using an in vitro study. We developed an effective dose range and model for key pharmacokinetic measures with the potential of targeting the cytokine storm and neurological symptoms of COVID-19. Three-week 200 mg dose of thiamine was administered to sixteen DC patients. Eight healthy volunteers (HV) were also included in this investigation. A subsequent in vitro study was performed to validate the effectiveness of thiamine [100 mg/day equivalent (0.01 μg/ml)] treatment in lowering the Th17 proinflammatory response in a mouse macrophage cell line (RAW264.7) treated with ethanol. Based on recent publications, we compared the results of the IL-17 response from our clinical and in vitro study to those found in other proinflammatory disease conditions (metabolic conditions, septic shock, viral infections and COVID-19) and effective and safe dose ranges of thiamine. We developed a pharmacokinetic profile for thiamine dose range as a novel intervention strategy in COVID-19. DC group showed significantly elevated proinflammatory cytokines compared to HV. Thiamine-treated DC patients showed significant lowering in IL-17 and increase in the IL-22 levels. In humans, a range of 79–474 mg daily of thiamine was estimated to be effective and safe as an intervention for the COVID-19 cytokine storm. A literature review showed that several neurological symptoms of COVID-19 (∼45.5% of the severe cases) occur in other viral infections and neuroinflammatory states that may also respond to thiamine treatment. Thiamine, a very safe drug even at very high doses, could be repurposed for treating the Th17 mediated IL-17 immune storm, and the subsequent neurological symptoms observed in COVID-19. Further studies using thiamine as an intervention/prevention strategy in COVID-19 patients could identify its precise anti-inflammatory role.

The prediction of cutterhead torque of earth pressure balance (EPB) shield machine is mainly studied. First, the idea of shield tunneling stage division is proposed. The process of shield tunneling from start to stop (or pause) is divided into start-up and stationary driving stages. Using the change point detection method based on linear regression, the separation points between start-up stage and stationary driving stage are identified from the original construction data, and the datasets of the two stages are extracted, respectively. Then, for the start-up stage, the linear regression method is suggested for the cutterhead torque prediction, since there is a strong linear correlation between the key parameters such as the cutterhead torque and the thrust force. Meanwhile, for the stationary driving stage, considering the fact that the key parameters vary smoothly and show obvious inertia, the long short-term memory (LSTM) network method can be used to establish the relationship model between cutterhead torque and other key parameters, such as the thrust force. Through the test experiments of construction data in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and Dalian shield projects, the results show that the proposed segmented modeling method possesses good adaptability and the cutterhead torque prediction model has high prediction accuracy.

Three new species of Luzonacera Li & Li, 2017 are described: L. francescoballarini Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), L. lattuensis Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀) and L. peterjaegeri Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀). Prior to this study, the genus was known by two species, both from Luzon Island, Philippines. So far, the genus and all five species are endemic to Luzon Island and can be found in dry or humid caves in a dark environment.

When a TBM carries out tunnelling in complex strata, there is often low tunnelling efficiency and an increase in tunnelling costs due to the improper selection of tunnelling parameters, the wrong estimation of geological conditions, or adverse geology, so it is necessary to evaluate the tunnelling adaptability of TBM construction. In this paper, based on hydraulic engineering in Xinjiang, 11 evaluation indexes of TBM tunnelling adaptability are determined by comprehensively considering the influence of tunnelling parameters, geological conditions, and adverse geological factors on TBM tunnelling adaptability. After that, the membership function of each evaluation index is determined by referring to the existing research results and fuzzy mathematics method, and the weight of each evaluation index is determined and adjusted by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP)–entropy weight (EW) method. Finally, the adaptability evaluation method and evaluation model of TBM tunnelling are put forward. The TBM tunnelling adaptability evaluation model proposed in this paper is verified by relying on the actual situation of three interval tunnels in the project, and good effects are obtained. This study can provide a reference for the evaluation of TBM tunnelling adaptability in similar strata.

Spiders of the genus Althepus Thorell, 1898 are found throughout Southeast Asia, notable for their long walking legs. Ten new species are reported in this paper from China, Indonesia, Laos and Myanmar: A. chengmenensis Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. cheni Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. gouci Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. hongguangi Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. phousalao Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. qianhuang Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. qingyuani Li & Li, sp. n. (♀), A. sepakuensis Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀), A. xuae Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀) and A. yizhuang Li & Li, sp. n. (♂♀). These species were found in cave entrances and among tree-buttresses, indicating the spiders have a preference for dark and moist environments. All types are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China (IZCAS).

Alcohol consumption and obesity are known risk factors of steatohepatitis. Here, we report that the deficiency of CRAMP (cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide—gene name: Camp) is protective against a high-fat diet (HFD) plus acute alcohol (HFDE)-induced liver injury. HFDE markedly induced liver injury and steatosis in WT mice, which were attenuated in Camp–/– mice. Neutrophil infiltration was lessened in the liver of Camp–/– mice. HFDE feeding dramatically increased epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) mass and induced adipocyte hypertrophy in WT mice, whereas these effects were attenuated by the deletion of Camp. Furthermore, Camp–/– mice had significantly increased eWAT lipolysis, evidenced by up-regulated expression of lipolytic enzymes, adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). The depletion of Camp also increased uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent thermogenesis in the brown adipose tissue (BAT) of mice. HFDE fed Camp–/– mice had elevated protein levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in the eWAT, with an increased adiponectin production, which had been shown to alleviate hepatic fat deposition and inflammation. Collectively, we have demonstrated that Camp–/– mice are protected against HFD plus alcohol-induced liver injury and steatosis through FGF21/adiponectin regulation. Targeting CRAMP could be an effective approach for prevention/treatment of high-fat diet plus alcohol consumption-induced steatohepatitis.

Background: Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), as one of the ligands of endothelial receptor Tie2, is known to be significant for vessel maturation and stabilization after birth. Previous studies showed the relationship between Ang-2 level and the risk of mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, the link between circulating Ang-2 and the risk of mortality in patients with ARDS varied in different investigations. Results: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available cohort studies regarding the association between baseline circulating Ang-2 and mortality in patients with ARDS. Among the 10 eligible studies, pooled odds ratio (OR) showed that high Ang-2 level contributed to ARDS mortality [OR = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30–1.89, I 2 = 76.2%]. Stratified analysis revealed that higher circulating Ang-2 was related to a 30% higher risk in the high-quality scores group (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.33–2.68, I 2 = 62.4%). The I 2 of the bad compliance group decreased from 76.2% to 8.5%, which suggested that compliance is a significant source of heterogeneity. This association may be blunted by potential bias, although the results was not meaningfully changed by omitting only one study at a time. Further subgroup analysis and meta-regression support that compliance of patients also affects the results significantly, compared with the publication year, follow-up duration, the samples, or population characteristics. Conclusion: Participants with higher baseline Ang-2 were at a higher risk for future risk of mortality in patients with ARDS. Higher circulating Ang-2 levels could independently predict the risk of mortality in patients with ARDS. However, further large scale prospective cohorts or even interventional studies are warranted to evaluate the diagnostic power of Ang-2 and its causative role on ARDS outcome. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to the world. Whether there is an association between lifestyle behaviors and the acquisition of COVID-19 remains unclear.MethodsIn this case-control study, we recruited 105 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection as a case group from the Wuhan Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China). For each case two control subjects were recruited. Participants were randomly selected from communities in Wuhan and matched for sex, age (± 2yrs), and pre-existing comorbidities (hypertension and diabetes).ResultsA total of 105 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and 210 controls were included. Compared with control group, the case group had higher proportions of lack of sleep (30.5% vs. 14.8%, P = 0.001) and increased physical activities (56.2% vs. 32.9%, P < 0.001). And patients in the case group were more likely to have alopecia (28.6% vs. 10.0%, P < 0.001) than people from the control group. Overall, we found that lack of sleep [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-2.39)], physical activities (≥ 5 times a week) (adjusted OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.39-3.02) and alopecia (adjusted OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.13-2.66) were independent risk factors for COVID-19 infection. Conversely, low-dose alcohol intake (ConclusionsIndividual lifestyle behaviors and health status can affect the occurrence of COVID-19.

To determine the mechanism and strength characteristics of solidification of silt by a permeable polyurethane grouting material, the effects of polymer content, soil moisture, and immersion time on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the silt have been studied. The results showed that the permeable polymer grouting material can significantly improve the performance of silt: (1) A higher amount of polymer produced a greater strength in the solidified soil. (2) The strength of the solidified soil increased as the immersion time was increased. (3) Moisture in the soil was not conducive to improving the strength of the solidified soil. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) have proven that polyurethane does not react with the silt, but they could improve the strength of the silt through physical action. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to find that polymers can reduce soil porosity, and the addition of polyurethane improved the strength of the silt mainly through adhesion, wrapping, filling, and bridging.

Despite extensive research, alcohol remains one of the most common causes of liver disease in the United States. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) encompasses a broad spectrum of disorders, including steatosis, steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis. Although many agents and approaches have been tested in patients with ALD and in animals with experimental ALD in the past, there is still no FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved therapy for any stage of ALD. With the increasing recognition of the importance of gut microbiota in the onset and development of a variety of diseases, the potential use of probiotics in ALD is receiving increasing investigative and clinical attention. In this review, we summarize recent studies on probiotic intervention in the prevention and treatment of ALD in experimental animal models and patients. Potential mechanisms underlying the probiotic function are also discussed.