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Background: Coal mining is a hazardous industry. The purpose of the study is to identify the nature of occupational injuries and diseases among coal miners and to determine the factors that affect the rate of injury and duration of time loss from work. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using accepted workers' compensation claims data of 30,390 Australian coal miners between July 2003 and June 2017. Results: Musculoskeletal and fracture conditions accounted for approximately 60% of claims in all occupational groups. Cox regression analysis showed that older age and female gender were significant predictors of longer time off work. Injury types and occupations were associated with work time loss: mental health conditions, and machine operators and drivers had significantly longer durations of time off work. Conclusion: Future research can further address how these factors led to longer time off work so that coal industry regulators, employers, and healthcare providers can target interventions more effectively to these at-risk workers.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic pruritic inflammatory skin disease characterized by excessive inflammation and disrupted skin barrier function. Although the etiology of AD is not completely understood, clinical and basic studies suggest increasing involvement of autoantibodies against intracellular proteins. An actin remodeling protein, Flightless I (Flii), has been shown to promote development of inflammatory mediated skin conditions and impairment of skin barrier development and function. Here, we sought to determine the effect of altering Flii expression on the development of AD and its contribution to autoimmune aspects of inflammatory skin conditions. Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AD skin-like disease was induced in Flii heterozygous (Flii+/−), wild-type (Flii+/+), and Flii transgenic (FliiTg/Tg) mice by epicutaneous exposure to OVA for 3 weeks; each week was separated by 2-week resting period. Reduced Flii expression resulted in decreased disease severity and tissue inflammation as determined by histology, lymphocytic, and mast cell infiltrate and increased anti-inflammatory IL-10 cytokine levels and a marked IFN-γ Th1 response. In contrast, Flii over-expression lead to a Th2 skewed response characterized by increased pro-inflammatory TNF-α cytokine production, Th2 chemokine levels, and Th2 cell numbers. Sera from OVA-induced AD skin-like disease Flii+/− mice showed a decreased level of autoreactivity while sera from FliiTg/Tg mice counterparts showed an altered autoantibody profile with strong nuclear localization favoring development of a more severe disease. These findings demonstrate autoimmune responses in this model of OVA-induced AD-like skin disease and suggest that Flii is a novel target, whose manipulation could be a potential approach for the treatment of patients with AD.

In this article, a robust model predictive control method is investigated for settling the trajectory tracking problem of a bionic ankle–foot aided by a tensegrity mechanism. In order to achieve adaptive movement of the ankle–foot mechanism, a three-degrees-of-freedom spatial ankle–foot mechanism is designed by tensegrity, which is a spatial grid structure composed of springs and struts. Dynamic analysis is the basis of control algorithm research, and the dynamic model of the mechanism can be established by a Lagrangian equation. Then, a controller is proposed for tracking the trajectory of the ankle–foot mechanism under external disturbances. Combining rolling optimization and feedback correction, the controller can be defined as an optimization problem, by solving which the ankle–foot mechanism can be controlled to track the desired trajectory quickly. Furthermore, stability analysis is an essential part of predictive controller design, which can help to understand the operational mechanism of the control strategy. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach improves trajectory tracking accuracy and avoids mechanism movement problems caused by disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Titanium and its alloys have been widely applied in many biomedical fields because of its excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility. However, problems such as rejection, shedding and infection will occur after titanium alloy implantation due to the low biological activity of titanium alloy surface. The structures with specific functions, which can enhance osseointegration and antibacterial properties, are fabricated on the surface of titanium implants to improve the biological activity between the titanium implants and human tissues. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent developments and applications of surface functional structure in titanium and titanium alloy implants. The applications of surface functional structure on different titanium and titanium alloy implants are introduced, and their manufacturing technologies are summarized and compared. Furthermore, the fabrication of various surface functional structures used for titanium and titanium alloy implants is reviewed and analyzed in detail. Finally, the challenges affecting the development of surface functional structures applied in titanium and titanium alloy implants are outlined, and recommendations for future research are presented.

Dendrobium is a precious Chinese herbal medicine, which belongs to the genus Orchidaceae. Ancient records and modern pharmacological research show that Dendrobium has pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor, antioxidant regulating immunity and blood glucose, and anti-aging. Dendrobium contains polysaccharides, alkaloids, bibenzyl, sesquiterpenes, phenanthrene, polyphenols and other types of chemicals. Its pharmacological activity is closely related to these chemical components. For example, dendrobium extracts can achieve anti-tumor effects by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, promoting cell apoptosis and ferroptosis, or increasing cell sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. It enhances immunity by regulating immune cell activity or cytokine release. In addition, it can alleviate neurodegenerative diseases by protecting nerve cells from apoptotic damage. In recent years, research reports on biologically active compounds in Dendrobium have shown a blowout growth, which makes us realize that it is meaningful to continuously update the research progress on the components and pharmacological regulatory mechanism of this traditional Chinese medicine. By classifying the collected chemical components according to different chemical structures and summarizing their pharmacological mechanisms, we investigated the current research progress of Dendrobium and provide a more comprehensive scientific foundation for the further development and clinical transformation of Dendrobium in the future.

As one of the most typical karst landscapes globally, the karst regions in southwestern China are characterized by prominent rocky desertification and fragile ecological conditions. Consequently, exploring the spatiotemporal evolution and driving influences on ecosystem health (EH) in this region is of great significance for the improvement of ecosystems and green development. This study focuses on assessing EH in these regions from 2000 to 2020 using the “vitality-organization-recovery-service” (VORS) framework. Spatiotemporal changes in EH are analyzed through hotspot analysis, and the functional relationship between driving factors and EH is quantified using XGBoost and SHAP models. Key findings include: (1) Over the past two decades, the proportion of cities experiencing enhanced EH has generally improved in 73% of cities compared to 27% experiencing deterioration. (2) Spatial analysis reveals EH clustering in three regions. One cold spot cluster in the central north and two hot spot clusters in the southwest and southeast. (3) Urbanization level exhibits an inverse logarithmic relationship with EH. Precipitation affects EH in a cubic polynomial pattern—initial decrease, subsequent increase, and final decrease. Temperature impacts EH through a quartic polynomial function with fluctuating increases and decreases. PM2.5 shows a monotonically decreasing relationship with EH, while the normalized difference vegetation index demonstrates a monotonically increasing association. This research contributes to understanding EH dynamics in southwestern China’s karst landscapes, crucial for advancing ecosystem management and sustainable development efforts.

Abstract In order to make magnesium alloys better used in aviation, electronic information and other fields, it is necessary to improve their corrosion resistance and wave absorption properties. In this paper, a composite coating with corrosion resistance and wave absorption properties was prepared on magnesium alloy by micro-arc oxidation-organic coating technology. An organic absorbing coating with a thickness of about 40 μm was sprayed on the MAO coating containing Yb2O3 nanoparticles. Among them, the absorbing fillers in the organic coating are mainly SiO2 and α-Fe2O3. Three different mass ratios of SiO2 and α-Fe2O3 were set to 20%, 22.5% and 25%, respectively, to prepare three different MAO/SiO2@α-Fe2O3 organic composite coatings. The morphology, roughness, microstructure and chemical composition of the organic composite coating are characterized. The results show that after coating the organic composite coating, the roughness of the coating is significantly reduced, and the compactness and interlayer adhesion of the coating are significantly improved. The electrochemical test and SKPFM test of the organic composite coating were carried out. The results showed that with the increase of the mass ratio of SiO2 and α-Fe2O3, the corrosion resistance and stability of the organic composite coating increased, and the Volta potential also gradually moved up. The microwave absorbing properties of organic composite coatings were studied by vector network analyzer. The results show that the microwave absorbing properties of the coatings are positively correlated with the mass ratio of SiO2 and α-Fe2O3.

Abstract Background Wheat is one of the main grain crops in the world, and the tiller number is a key factor affecting the yield of wheat. Phosphorus is an essential element for tiller development in wheat. However, due to decreasing phosphorus content in soil, there has been increasing use of phosphorus fertilizer, while imposing risk of soil and water pollution. Hence, it is important to identify low phosphorus tolerance genes and utilize them for stress resistance breeding in wheat. Results We subjected the wheat variety Kenong 199 (KN199) to low phosphorus stress and observed a reduced tiller number. Using transcriptome analysis, we identified 1651 upregulated genes and 827 downregulated of genes after low phosphorus stress. The differentially expressed genes were found to be enriched in the enzyme activity regulation related to phosphorus, hormone signal transduction, and ion transmembrane transport. Furthermore, the transcription factor analysis revealed that TaWRKY74s were important for low phosphorus tolerance. TaWRKY74s have three alleles: TaWRKY74-A, TaWRKY74-B, and TaWRKY74-D, and they all belong to the WRKY family with conserved WRKYGQK motifs. These proteins were found to be located in the nucleus, and they were expressed in axillary meristem, shoot apical meristem(SAM), young leaves, leaf primordium, and spikelet primordium. The evolutionary tree showed that TaWRKY74s were closely related to OsWRKY74s in rice. Moreover, TaWRKY74s-RNAi transgenic plants displayed significantly fewer tillers compared to wild-type plants under normal conditions. Additionally, the tiller numebr of the RNAi transgenic plants was also significantly lower than that of the wild-type plants under low-phosphorus stress, and increased the decrease amplitude. This suggestd that TaWRKY74s are related to phosphorus response and can affect the tiller number of wheat. Conclusions The results of this research showed that TaWRKY74s were key genes in wheat response to low phosphorus stress, which might regulate wheat tiller number through abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin signal transduction pathways. This research lays the foundation for further investigating the mechanism of TaWRKY74s in the low phosphorus environments and is significant for wheat stress resistance breeding.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the interactions among three core elements of respiratory infection—pathogen, lung microbiome, and host response—and their avocation with the severity and outcomes of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in children. Methods We prospectively collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from a cohort of 41 children with MPP, including general MPP (GMPP) and complicated MPP (CMPP), followed by microbiome and transcriptomic analyses to characterize the association among pathogen, lung microbiome, and host response and correlate it with the clinical features and outcomes. Results The lung microbiome of patients with CMPP had an increased relative abundance of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and reduced alpha diversity, with 76 differentially expressed species. Host gene analysis revealed a key module associated with neutrophil function and several inflammatory response pathways. Patients with a high relative abundance of MP, manifested by a specific lung microbiome and host response type, were more prone to CMPP and had a long imaging recovery time. Conclusion Patients with CMPP have a more disrupted lung microbiome than those with GMPP. MP, lung microbiome, and host response interacts with each other and are closely related to disease severity and outcomes in children with MPP. Graphical Abstract

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides are promising candidates for sodium storage but suffering from low intrinsic electronic conductivity and limited interlayer spacing for fast electron/ion transport, which restricts their high-rate capability and cycling stability. In this work, rGO@MoSe2/NAC hierarchical architectures, consisting of conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported by hollow nanospheres that are rolled from superlattices of alternatively overlapped MoSe2 and N-doped amorphous carbon (NAC) monolayers, are synthesized as a high-performance sodium storage anode. Theoretical calculations reveal the intercalation of NAC monolayer between two adjacent MoSe2 monolayers improving electronic conductivity of MoSe2 in both surface and internal bulk to fully accelerate electron transport and enhance Na+ ​adsorption. The interoverlapped MoSe2/NAC superlattice featuring a wide interlayer expansion (72.3 ​%) of MoSe2 dramatically decreases Na+ ​diffusion barriers for fast insertion/extraction. Moreover, the hollow nanospheres and the rGO conductive network contribute to a robust hiberarchy that can well release internal stress and buffer the volume expansion, thereby enabling outstanding structural stability. Consequently, the rGO@MoSe2/NAC anode exhibits excellent high-rate capability of 194 mAh g−1 and ultralong cyclability of 12 ​000 cycles with a low capacity fading rate of 0.0038 ​% per cycle at an ultra-high current of 50 ​A ​g−1, delivering the best high-rate cycling performance to date. Remarkably, the Na3V2(PO4)3‖rGO@MoSe2/NAC full cells also present outstanding cycling stability (600 cycles) at 10C rate, which proves the great potential in fast-charging applications.

ObjectiveTo examine annual number of first registered human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases aged ≥ 50 years and its changing trend in Hubei province during 2011 – 2020 for providing evidence to the development of targeted strategies on HIV/AIDS epidemic prevention. MethodsThe data on 9 224 HIV/AIDS cases aged ≥ 50 years first registered in Hubei province during 2011 – 2020 were extracted from the Information System for AIDS Prevention and Control of China′s Disease Prevention and Control Information System and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The changing trend of annual number of the HIV/AIDS cases was analyzed with joinpoint regression model. ResultsThe 9 224 cases aged ≥ 50 years accounted for 35.04% of all the HIV/AIDS cases (n = 26 324) first registered in the province during the 10-year period. The annual number of the cases ≥ 50 years showed a significant increasing trend in the period (Z = 21.01, P < 0.001). The results of joinpoint regression analysis revealed gender- and infection route-different changing trajectories for the annual number of first registered cases aged ≥ 50 years during the period: (1) increasing from 2011 to 2017 for all the male and the female cases, with the annual percentage change (APC) of 24.68 and 23.91; (2) decreasing from 2017 to 2020 for the male cases (APC = – 1.93); (3) increasing slowly from 2017 to 2022 for the female cases (APC = 2.25); (4) increasing rapidly from 2011 to 2016 (APC = 29.31) but slowly from 2016 to 2020 (APC = 2.76) for the male cases sexually infected; (5) increasing from 2011 to 2017 (APC = 26.12) but decreasing from 2017 to 2022 (APC = – 6.34) for the male cases infected homosexually; (6) increasing obviously from 2011 to 2016 (APC = 28.77) and the increase slowing down from 2016 to 2022 (APC = 3.73) for the male cases infected heterosexually; (7) increasing from 2011 to 2017 (APC = 26.01) and the increase slowing down from 2017 to 2020 (APC = 1.47) for the female cases with sexually transmitted infection; and (8) decreasing from 2011 to 2020 for the cases with non sexually transmitted infection or unknown transmission routes (APC = – 25.66). ConclusionThe annual number of first registered HIV/AIDS cases aged ≥ 50 years increased from 2011 to 2020 in Hubei province and the majority of the cases were infected due to heterosexual transmission. The results suggest that targeted interventions should be developed for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the elderly population.

MgO@Nb2O5 composite coating was prepared on the surface of Mg–7Y alloy by micro-arc oxidation technique. The microstructure of the composite coatings was tested by scanning electron microscopy, energy spectrum analysis, X-ray diffraction and scanning kelvin probe force microscope. The hydrothermal performance and corrosion resistance of MgO@Nb2O5 composite coatings were analyzed by electrochemistry tests and laser confocal. The results showed that microspore diameter, porosity and roughness of the composite coatings were all decreased with the increasing of Nb2O5 concentration. The micro-arc oxidation composite coatings were mainly composed of MgO and Nb2O5. Compared with the micro-arc oxidation coating without Nb2O5, the corrosion voltage of the micro-arc oxidation coating with Nb2O5 was increased and the corrosion current was reduced. The corrosion resistance of Mg–7Y alloy was effectively improved by the MgO@Nb2O5 composite coatings, and the best corrosion resistance of the micro-arc oxidation coating was achieved when the Nb2O5 concentration was 2 g/L. The hydrothermal test demonstrated that the hydrothermal resistance of the coatings was significantly improved due to the addition of Nb2O5.

Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) allows the trajectory analyses of repeated N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurements during follow-up visits of pulmonary artery hypertension associated with connective tissue disease (CTD-PAH) patients. This study aimed to (1) identify trajectories of NT-proBNP changing over time, (2) explore the association between NT-proBNP trajectories and prognosis, and (3) explore the effects of baseline clinical characteristics on NT-proBNP trajectories. A retrospective, single-centred, observational study was performed on 52 CTD-PAH patients who had undergone at least three follow-up visits within 1 year from baseline. Four NT-proBNP trajectories were identified using GBTM: low stability (n = 15, 28.85%), early remission (remission within 3 months) (n = 20, 38.46%), delayed remission (remission after 6 or 9 months) (n = 11, 21.15%), and high stability (n = 6, 11.54%). The low-stability and early-remission trajectories were related to a similar positive prognosis, while the delayed-remission and high-stability trajectories were associated with a gradually worsening prognosis (p = 0.000). Intensive CTD immunotherapy (corticosteroids plus immunosuppressants) was the only factor that remained significant after least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate logistic regression, and was independently associated with a lower risk NT-proBNP trajectory (p = 0.048, odds ratio = 0.027, 95% confidence interval: 0.001–0.963), which preliminarily indicated a benefit of CTD-PAH patients undergoing intensive CTD immunotherapy.

A method was developed to identify and trace the geographic sources of Erigeron breviscapus using high-resolution mass spectrometry and chemometrics. The representative samples were collected from the geographic area of Honghe Dengzhanhua and other areas in Yunnan province and Guizhou province. The data points could be determined well using the PCA and PLS-DA diagram. A total of 46 characteristic compounds were identified from Honghe Dengzhanhua and within Guizhou province, but 37 compounds were different from Honghe Dengzhanhua and other counties in Yunnan province. Two biomarkers were found from three regions. Their structures were inferred as 8-amino-7-oxononanoic acid and 8-hydroxyquinoline, and they had the same molecular composition. This may suggest that a possible synthesis pathway can be proven in the future.

The composition and diversity of the gut microbiota are essential for the health and development of the immune system of infants. However, there is limited information on factors that influence the gut microbiota of very preterm infants. In this study, we analyzed factors that affect the gut microbiota of very preterm infants. The stool samples from 64 very preterm infants with a gestational age less than 32 weeks were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The infants were divided according to the delivery mode, antibiotic use during pregnancy, and feeding methods. The abundance of Proteobacteria was high in both cesarean (92.7%) and spontaneous (55.5%) delivery groups and then shifted to Firmicutes after the first week of birth. In addition, Proteobacteria was also the dominant phylum of infant gut microbiome for mothers with antibiotic use, with more than 50% after the first week of birth. In comparison, the dominant phylum for mothers without antibiotic use was Firmicutes. Proteobacteria level was also high in breastfeeding and mixed-feeding groups, consisting of more than 90% of the community. By contrast, Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum at the first week of birth but then shifted to Firmicutes for the formula-fed group. The alterations of gut microbiota in infants can affect their health condition during growth. This study confirmed that the different feeding types, delivery modes, and use of antibiotics during pregnancy can significantly affect the composition of the gut microbiota of very preterm infants.

ObjectiveTo examine temporal and spatial distribution patterns and influencing factors of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic among adolescents in Hubei province, and to predict prevalence trend of the epidemic for providing reference to HIV/AIDS epidemic prevention and control in the adolescents. MethodsThe data on registered HIV/AIDS incident cases aged 15 – 24 years in Hubei province from 2009 through 2019 were collected from Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention and analyzed statistically with spatial autocorrelation, geographically weighted regression, geographic detector, and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. Results The HIV/AIDS incidence among the adolescents in the province increased rapidly during the period, with an average annual growth rate of 16.2%. The HIV/AIDS epidemic was the most serious among adolescents living in the central and eastern part of Hubei province, especially in Wuhan city and its surrounding counties and the epidemic spread gradually across the province. Regions with stable high-high clustering of the epidemic were observed in urban Wuhan and its surrounding areas. The regions with high clustering of the epidemic distributed generally from northwest to southeast of the province during the period. The incidence of HIV/AIDS in the adolescents was affected by natural and social factors and there were differences in the intensity and spatial distribution of the factors including traffic network density, population density, the number of schools, number of medical and health institutions, urbanization rate, altitude, and gross domestic product per capita ranking in downward order of the effect intensity of the factor. Both the population density and the traffic network density have a positive effect on the epidemic. The interaction between influencing factors plays an important role in promoting the spread of the epidemic. When any two influencing factors interact with each other, their influence will be enhanced interactively or nonlinearly. Based on the result of ARIMA analysis, the HIV/AIDS epidemic could be more serious among the adolescents in the province during 2020 – 2023, especially in urban Wuhan and some other prefectures. ConclusionThe HIV/AIDS epidemic was spreading among adolescents in Hubei province during 2009 – 2019, suggesting that relevant education and intervention should be strengthened in the population.

Abstract Background The confirmed cases in the current outbreak of Monkeypox are predominantly identified in the networks of men who have sex with men (MSM). The preexisting antibodies may profoundly impact the transmission of monkeypox virus (MPXV), however the current-day prevalence of antibodies against MPXV among gay men is not well characterized. Methods A cohort of gay men (n = 326) and a cohort of the general adult population (n = 295) were enrolled in this study. Binding antibodies responses against MPXV/vaccinia and neutralizing antibody responses against vaccinia virus (Tiantan strain) were measured. The antibody responses of these two cohorts were then compared, as well as the responses of individuals born before and in/after 1981 (when the smallpox vaccination ceased in China). Finally, the correlation between the anti-MPXV antibody responses and the anti-vaccinia antibody responses, and the associations between preexisting anti-orthopoxvirus antibody responses and the diagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the MSM cohort were analyzed separately. Results Our data showed that binding antibodies against MPXV H3, A29, A35, E8, B6, M1 proteins and vaccinia whole-virus lysate could be detected in individuals born both before and in/after 1981, of which the prevalence of anti-vaccinia binding antibodies was significantly higher among individuals born before 1981 in the general population cohort. Moreover, we unexpectedly found that the positive rates of binding antibody responses against MPXV H3, A29, A35, E8 and M1 proteins were significantly lower among individuals of the MSM cohort born in/after 1981, but the positive rates of anti-MPXV B6 and anti-vaccinia neutralizing antibody responses were significantly higher among these individuals compared to those of age-matched participants in the general population cohort. Additionally, we demonstrated that the positive and negative rates of anti-MPXV antibody responses were associated with the anti-vaccinia antibody responses among individuals born before 1981 in the general population cohort, but no significant association was observed among individuals born in/after 1981 in both cohorts. The positive rates of both the binding and the neutralizing antibody responses were comparable between individuals with and without diagnosed STIs in the MSM cohort. Conclusions Anti-MPXV and anti-vaccinia antibodies could be readily detected in an MSM cohort and a general population cohort. And a higher level of anti-vaccinia neutralizing antibody responses was observed among individuals who did not get vaccinated against smallpox in the MSM cohort compared to age-matched individuals in the general population cohort.

The traction motor is a crucial component of high-speed electric multiple units, and its operational reliability is directly impacted by the temperature increase in the bearings. To accurately predict and simulate the temperature change process of traction motor bearings during operation, a fluid–solid–thermal simulation analysis model of grease-lubricated deep groove ball bearings was constructed. This model aimed to simulate the temperature rise of the bearing and the grease flow process, which was validated through experiments. The results from the simulation analysis and tests indicate that the temperature in the contact zone between the bearing rolling element and the raceway, as well as the ring temperature, initially increases to a peak and then gradually decreases, eventually stabilizing once the bearing’s heat generation power and heat transfer power reach equilibrium. Furthermore, the established fluid–solid–thermal coupling simulation analysis model can accurately predict the amount of grease required for effective lubrication in the bearing cavity, which stabilizes along with the bearing temperature. The findings of this research can serve as a theoretical foundation and technical support for monitoring the health status of high-speed EMU traction motor bearings.