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Abstract Cortical network undergoes rewiring everyday due to learning and memory events. To investigate the trends of population adaptation in neocortex overtime, we record cellular activity of large-scale cortical populations in response to neutral environments and conditioned contexts and identify a general intrinsic cortical adaptation mechanism, naming rectified activity-dependent population plasticity (RAPP). Comparing each adjacent day, the previously activated neurons reduce activity, but remain with residual potentiation, and increase population variability in proportion to their activity during previous recall trials. RAPP predicts both the decay of context-induced activity patterns and the emergence of sparse memory traces. Simulation analysis reveal that the local inhibitory connections might account for the residual potentiation in RAPP. Intriguingly, introducing the RAPP phenomenon in the artificial neural network show promising improvement in small sample size pattern recognition tasks. Thus, RAPP represents a phenomenon of cortical adaptation, contributing to the emergence of long-lasting memory and high cognitive functions.

Congregate homeless shelters are disproportionately affected by infectious disease outbreaks. We describe enterovirus epidemiology across 23 adult and family shelters in King County, Washington, USA, during October 2019–May 2021, by using repeated cross-sectional respiratory illness and environmental surveillance and viral genome sequencing. Among 3,281 participants >3 months of age, we identified coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) in 39 adult residents (3.0% [95% CI 1.9%–4.8%] detection) across 7 shelters during October 2019–February 2020. We identified enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) in 5 adult residents in 2 shelters during October–November 2019. Of 812 environmental samples, 1 was EV-D68–positive and 5 were CVA21–positive. Other enteroviruses detected among residents, but not in environmental samples, included coxsackievirus A6/A4 in 3 children. No enteroviruses were detected during April 2020–May 2021. Phylogenetically clustered CVA21 and EV-D68 cases occurred in some shelters. Some shelters also hosted multiple CVA21 lineages.

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to report a newly developed, high‐fidelity synthetic simulator to simulate excision and primary anastomotic (EPA) bulbar urethroplasty and its clinical use for new practitioners in shortening the learning curve. Material and Methods The bulbar urethral anastomosis simulator consists of several standardized components created according to the actual size of the male patient. Interns, novice residents, and fellows inexperienced with urethral reconstruction (n = 10, 5, 5) from different medical centres were invited to participate in the training programme. Two reconstructive urology experts monitored each practice. Following the training, three kinds of validity testing were used to assess the simulator: face, content, and construct. In the intern group, the task performance in the first five training sessions and the last five training ones were compared using a self‐control approach. In the resident and fellow group, the real surgical data, including estimated blood loss, operative duration, and 6‐month post‐operative success rate of trainees after training, are plotted, which are compared with that of reconstructive urology experts (n = 5) included retrospectively to study the effectiveness of the simulator in shortening the learning curve. Results The overall mean satisfaction rate for the simulators was inspiring and evaluated by experts. In the intern group, significant improvement can be achieved through 10 training sessions (p

Abstract Background Academic paper writing holds significant importance in the education of medical students, and poses a clear challenge for those whose first language is not English. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of employing large language models, particularly ChatGPT, in improving the English academic writing skills of these students. Methods A cohort of 25 third-year medical students from China was recruited. The study consisted of two stages. Firstly, the students were asked to write a mini paper. Secondly, the students were asked to revise the mini paper using ChatGPT within two weeks. The evaluation of the mini papers focused on three key dimensions, including structure, logic, and language. The evaluation method incorporated both manual scoring and AI scoring utilizing the ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 models. Additionally, we employed a questionnaire to gather feedback on students’ experience in using ChatGPT. Results After implementing ChatGPT for writing assistance, there was a notable increase in manual scoring by 4.23 points. Similarly, AI scoring based on the ChatGPT-3.5 model showed an increase of 4.82 points, while the ChatGPT-4 model showed an increase of 3.84 points. These results highlight the potential of large language models in supporting academic writing. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between manual scoring and ChatGPT-4 scoring, indicating the potential of ChatGPT-4 to assist teachers in the grading process. Feedback from the questionnaire indicated a generally positive response from students, with 92% acknowledging an improvement in the quality of their writing, 84% noting advancements in their language skills, and 76% recognizing the contribution of ChatGPT in supporting academic research. Conclusion The study highlighted the efficacy of large language models like ChatGPT in augmenting the English academic writing proficiency of non-native speakers in medical education. Furthermore, it illustrated the potential of these models to make a contribution to the educational evaluation process, particularly in environments where English is not the primary language.

Abstract Memory engrams are a subset of learning activated neurons critical for memory recall, consolidation, extinction and separation. While the transcriptional profile of engrams after learning suggests profound neural changes underlying plasticity and memory formation, little is known about how memory engrams are selected and allocated. As epigenetic factors suppress memory formation, we developed a CRISPR screening in the hippocampus to search for factors controlling engram formation. We identified histone lysine-specific demethylase 4a (Kdm4a) as a negative regulator for engram formation. Kdm4a is downregulated after neural activation and controls the volume of mossy fiber boutons. Mechanistically, Kdm4a anchors to the exonic region of Trpm7 gene loci, causing the stalling of nascent RNAs and allowing burst transcription of Trpm7 upon the dismissal of Kdm4a. Furthermore, the YTH domain containing protein 2 (Ythdc2) recruits Kdm4a to the Trpm7 gene and stabilizes nascent RNAs. Reducing the expression of Kdm4a in the hippocampus via genetic manipulation or artificial neural activation facilitated the ability of pattern separation in rodents. Our work indicates that Kdm4a is a negative regulator of engram formation and suggests a priming state to generate a separate memory.

BackgroundThe onset and progression of diabetes mellitus (DM) is strongly linked to oxidative stress. Previous studies have highlighted the protective effects of individual dietary antioxidants against diabetes. However, the relationship between a comprehensive combination of dietary antioxidants and diabetes has rarely been examined. Therefore, this study assessed the association between various dietary antioxidant intake levels and diabetes among US adults and further investigated potential associations using the Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI).MethodsThe study employed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2011 and 2018 for cross-sectional analysis. Dietary information was obtained from two 24-h dietary recall interviews. The CDAI was calculated using intakes of six dietary antioxidants from the dietary information. Multifactorial logistic regression models were employed to investigate the association of different dietary antioxidants and CDAI with DM. The relationship between CDAI and DM was further explored using subgroup analyses and restricted cubic spline curves.ResultsA total of 7,982 subjects (mean age 47.32 ± 16.77 years; 48.50% male and 51.50% female) were included in this study. In the multivariate-adjusted single antioxidant model, vitamin C intake was significantly and negatively associated with diabetes prevalence (P for trend = 0.047), while zinc intake demonstrated a potential trend toward reduced diabetes risk (P for trend = 0.088). This association was similarly observed in the multivariate-adjusted model for the Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index (CDAI) in the female population (p = 0.046).ConclusionIntake of vitamin C was negatively associated with DM prevalence. Additionally, CDAI was found to reduce the risk of DM in the female population.

ABSTRACT Filoviruses are some of the most lethal viruses in the modern world, and increasing numbers of filovirus species and genera have been discovered in recent years. Despite the potential severity of filovirus outbreaks in the human population, comparably few sensitive pan-filovirus RT-PCR assays have been described that might facilitate early detection and prevention. Here, we present a new pan-filovirus RT-PCR assay targeting the L polymerase gene for detection of all known mammalian filoviruses. We demonstrate the detection of 10 synthetic filovirus RNA templates with analytical sensitivity ranging from 178 to 3,354 copies/mL, without cross-reactivity on 10 non-filoviral human viral species. We verified assay performance on 10 inactivated filovirus isolates, yielding initial sensitivities of 0.012–44.17 TCID50/mL. We coupled this broadly reactive RT-PCR with a deep sequencing workflow that is amenable to high-throughput pooling to maximize detection and discovery potential. In summary, this pan-filovirus RT-PCR assay targets the most conserved filovirus gene, offers the widest breadth of coverage to date, and may help in the detection and discovery of novel filoviruses.IMPORTANCEFiloviruses remain some of the most mysterious viruses known to the world, with extremely high lethality rates and significant pandemic potential. Yet comparably few filovirus species and genera have been discovered to date and questions surround the definitive host species for zoonotic infections. Here, we describe a novel broadly reactive RT-PCR assay targeting the conserved L polymerase gene for high-throughput screening for filoviruses in a variety of clinical and environmental specimens. We demonstrate the assay can detect all known mammalian filoviruses and determine the sensitivity and specificity of the assay on synthetic RNA sequences, inactivated filovirus isolates, and non-filoviral species.

We developed a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model based on competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) to predict the processing factors of 54 pesticides during soybean oil processing. Characteristic variables were selected to improve the performance of the model. Four calculators were used to compute the molecular descriptors used in the model, and the model based on values computed with ChemoPy produced the best results: Rc ​= ​0.94, RMSEc ​= ​0.67, Rp ​= ​0.91, and RMSEp ​= ​0.54 for hot-pressed oil and Rc ​= ​0.93, RMSEc ​= ​0.73, Rp ​= ​0.93, and RMSEp ​= ​0.59 for cold-pressed oil. A rapid and quantitative model of processing factors was established to predict the behaviour and distribution of pesticide residues during food processing. The model was further validated using data from field-grown soybeans; it demonstrated a high correlation coefficient between predicted and measured residue concentrations (Rp ​> ​0.93, RMSEp ​

Aim To explore the association between serum folate concentration and the prevalence of elderly diastolic hypertension. This study aims to identify potential relationships that could inform further research into the mechanisms underlying hypertension management.Methods Data from six NHANES cycles (2007–2008, 2009–2010, 2011–2012, 2013–2014, 2015–2016, and 2017–2018) were analysed for individuals aged over 60. Weighted logistic regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression explored the serum folate concentration and elderly diastolic hypertension relationship.Results This study included 9,419 participants (4,734 females and 4,685 males) with a mean age of 70.0 ± 7.0 years. Among them, 360 were diagnosed with diastolic hypertension. In the fully adjusted model, there was a negative correlation between serum folate concentration and the prevalence of diastolic hypertension (OR 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52–0.82). When serum folate concentration levels were divided into quartiles (in μg/dL), the ORs for diastolic hypertension corresponding to Q2 (1.29–1.98), Q3 (1.99–3.08), and Q4 (3.09–5.56) levels compared to Q1 (0.18–1.28) were 1.41 (95% CI: 0.60–3.33), 0.48(95% CI: 0.20–1.16), and 0.35 (95% CI: 0.16–0.74), respectively, with a P for trend

AimTo explore the association between Processed red meat (PRM) consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsDietary survey, physical measurement, and blood biochemical examination were conducted on 316 patients with type 2 diabetes in Bengbu, China from May to July 2019. Possible confounding factors were identified by comparing between-group variability in the baseline table. To eliminate the effect of confounding factors, subgroup analysis was used to explore whether there were differences in the correlation between PRM intake status and the indicators in cardiovascular disease risk factors. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between PRM and the risk of abnormal levels of cardiovascular risk factors in T2DM patients. Restricted cubic spline plots were used to analyze the dose–response relationship between PRM intake and the indicators of cardiovascular disease risk factors.ResultsA total of 316 subjects were included in the study, of whom 139 (44.0%) were male and 177 (56.0%) were female. In the multiplicative interaction, there was an effect modifier for smoking (Pinteraction = 0.033) on the association between PRM intake and the risk of substandard FPG level control; sex (Pinteraction = 0.035), smoking status (Pinteraction = 0.017), and alcohol consumption (Pinteraction = 0.046) had effect modifying effects on the association between PRM intake and risk of abnormal systolic blood pressure. Sex (Pinteraction = 0.045) had an effect modifier on the association of PRM intake status with the risk of diastolic blood pressure abnormality. In addition, age had an effect modifier on the association of PRM intake status with risk of abnormal triglyceride index (Pinteraction = 0.004) and risk of abnormal HDL index (Pinteraction = 0.018). After adjusting for potential confounding variables, logistic regression showed that the OR for substandard HbA1c control in patients in the highest PRM intake group, T3 (3.4 ~ 57.2 g/d), was 1.620-fold higher than in the lowest intake, i.e., the no-intake group, T1 (0.0 ~ 0.0 g/d; OR = 2.620; 95% CI 1.198 ~ 5.732; p = 0.016). Whereas the OR for abnormal control of systolic blood pressure levels was 1.025 times higher (OR = 2.025; 95% CI 1.033 ~ 3.968; p = 0.040) in patients in the PRM low intake group T2 (0.1 ~ 3.3 g/d) than in the non-intake group T1 (0.0 ~ 0.0 g/d), the OR for substandard control of systolic blood pressure in patients in the highest group T3 (3.4 ~ 57.2 g/d) was 1.166 times higher than in the no-intake group T1 (OR = 2.166; 95% CI 1.007 ~ 4.660; p = 0.048). The OR for abnormal TG levels in patients in the highest PRM intake group T3 (3.4 ~ 57.2 g/d) was 1.095 times higher than in the no-intake group T1 (OR = 2.095; 95% CI 1.076 ~ 4.078; p = 0.030). Restricted cubic spline plots presented a nonlinear dose–response relationship between PRM intake and risk of substandard HbA1c and SBP control (P nonlinear 0.05).ConclusionPRM intake was generally low in patients with T2DM, but a nonlinear dose–response relationship between PRM intake and the risk of suboptimal control of HbA1c and SBP, with an atypical inverted U-shaped association with TC and LDL-C levels, was observed. Appropriate control of PRM intake may be important for tertiary prevention of T2DM and cardiovascular disease prevention. We need to better understand these relationships to promote improved cardiometabolism and global health.

BackgroundThe tumor growth rate and tumor volume doubling time are crucial parameters in diagnosing and managing lung lesions. Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a unique and highly malignant subtype of lung cancer, with limited documentation on its growth feature. This article aims to address the gap in knowledge regarding a PSC’s growth patterns by describing the characteristics of a confirmed case using computed tomography, thereby enhancing the understanding of this rare disease.Case presentationA 79-year-old man was transferred to our center presenting with a mild cough, blood-tinged sputum, and a malignant nodule in the left upper lobe. Chest CT revealed a solid nodule in the left upper lobe. A follow-up CT ten days later showed a significant increase in the size of the nodule, accompanied by ground-glass opacity in the surrounding lung. The rapid preoperative growth of the nodule suggested a non-neoplastic lesion, and intraoperative frozen pathology also considered the possibility of tuberculosis. Subsequently, a left upper apical-posterior segment (S1 + 2) resection was performed. Postoperative tumor pathology confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma with extensive giant cell carcinoma and necrosis. Immunohistochemistry indicated approximately 60% PD-L1 positive and genetic testing revealed a MET mutation. The patient was discharged with oral crizotinib targeted therapy, and his condition remained stable postoperatively. The patient is currently undergoing regular follow-up at our hospital, with no evidence of distant metastasis or recurrence.ConclusionPulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma can exhibit rapid tumor growth on imaging, and PSC should be considered in the differential diagnosis for lesions that present with a fast growth rate. Timely and appropriate treatment for PSC may lead to a good prognosis.

This study investigated the instability mechanisms within the blade-tip region of a transonic compressor. The variations in these mechanisms were explored under different operating conditions using methods such as spectral analysis and vortex identification. The results and analysis enhance the comprehension of self-excited unsteadiness in axial compressors, identifying its initiation characteristics and prevalence under different operational conditions. The regular occurrence of self-excited pulsations in transonic rotors was confirmed, especially when the flow rates fall blow specific levels, causing spontaneous pulsations within the tip region that are notably different from the blade-passing frequency. The findings highlight the crucial influence of interactions between separation flow, leakage flow, and shock waves in generating these pulsations. The effects of clearance size on flow structure intensity were also categorized, revealing three distinct self-excited unsteadiness mechanisms. These range from pulsations caused by shock–boundary-layer separation at small clearance sizes to those induced by interactions between leakage flow and shock waves at larger clearances, and finally to pulsations initiated directly by the clearance vortices at significantly larger clearances. This detailed analysis provides valuable insights into the dynamics of self-excited unsteadiness, supporting the advancement of the design and performance optimization of compressors.

During the operation of an active clearance control (ACC) system of a turbine, the aerodynamic performance of the intake grille indirectly influences its control. To improve the performance, an aerodynamic optimization method is proposed, consisting of parameterization, an optimization algorithm, and a fitness evaluation. During parameterization, its geometry is represented by seven geometric variables. A modified social spider algorithm is used as the optimization algorithm. To evaluate the aerodynamic performance of the grille, a special fitness function is adopted, obtained using an adaptive topological multi-layer feedforward artificial neural network. To verify the feasibility of this method, experiments and numerical calculations are carried out on the original and optimized intake grilles. The results show that the average intake flow rate and average total pressure recovery coefficient of the optimized grille have increased by 17.3% and 4.9%, respectively.

Ischemic heart disease invariably leads to devastating damage to human health. Nicotinamide ribose (NR), as one of the precursors of NAD+ synthesis, has been discovered to exert a protective role in various neurological and cardiovascular disorders. Our findings demonstrated that pretreatment with 200 mg/kg NR for 3 h significantly reduced myocardial infarct area, decreased levels of CK-MB and LDH in serum, and improved cardiac function in the rats during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Meanwhile, 0.5 mM NR also effectively increased the viability and decreased the LDH release of H9c2 cells during OGD/R. We had provided evidence that NR pretreatment could decrease mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production and MDA content, and enhance SOD activity, thereby mitigating mitochondrial damage and inhibiting apoptosis during myocardial I/R injury. Further investigations revealed that NR increased NAD+ content and upregulated SIRT3 protein expression in myocardium. Through using of SIRT3 small interfering RNA and the SIRT3 deacetylase activity inhibitor 3-TYP, we had confirmed that the cardioprotective effect of NR on cardiomyocytes was largely dependent on the inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative stress via SIRT3-SOD2 axis. Overall, our study suggested that exogenous supplementation with NR mitigated mitochondrial damage and inhibited apoptosis during myocardial I/R injury by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress via SIRT3-SOD2-mtROS pathway.

Accurate monitoring of irrigation areas is of great significance to ensure national food security and rational utilization of water resources. The low resolution of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Landsat data makes the monitoring accuracy insufficient for actual demand. Thus, this paper proposes a method of extracting the irrigated area in arid regions based on Sentinel-2 long time-series imagery to realize the accurate monitoring of irrigation areas. In this paper, a typical irrigation area in the arid region of Northwest China–Xinjiang Santun River is selected as the study area. The long time series Sentinel-2 remote sensing data are used to classify the land use of the irrigation area. The random forest, CART decision tree, and support vector machine algorithms are used to combine the field collection of the typical irrigation point and non-irrigated sample points. The irrigation area is extracted by calculating the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Optimized Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (OSAVI) time series data as the classification parameters. The results show that (1) the irrigated area of the dryland irrigation region can be effectively extracted using the SAVI time-series data through an object-oriented approach combined with the random forest algorithm. (2) The extracted irrigated areas were 44,417, 42,915, 43,411, 48,908, and 47,900 hm2 from 2019 to 2023, and the overall accuracies of the confusion matrix validation were 94.34%, 90.22%, 92.03%, 93.23%, and 94.63%, with kappa coefficients of 0.9011, 0.8887, 0.8967, 0.9009, and 0.9265, respectively. The errors of the irrigated area compared with the statistical data were all within 5%, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the method in extracting the irrigated area. This method provides a reference for extracting irrigated areas in arid zones.

Background: The prevalence of breast cancer (BRCA), which is common among women, is on the rise. This study applied network pharmacology to explore the potential mechanism of action of herba sarcandrae in BRCA and construct a prognostic signature composed of inflammation-related genes. Methods: The active ingredients of herba sarcandrae were screened using the SymMap, TCMID, and TCMSP platforms, and the molecular targets were determined in the UniProt database. The “drug-active compound-potential target” network was established with Cytoscape 3.7.2. The molecular targets were subjected to disease ontology, gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) analyses. AutoDock software was used for molecular docking. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to inflammation were obtained from the BRCA Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In the training cohort, the univariate Cox regression model was applied to preliminarily screen prognostic genes. A multigene signature was built by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model, followed by validation through Kaplan‒Meier, Cox, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Results: Forty-one active compounds were identified, and 265 therapeutic targets for herba sarcandrae were predicted. GO enrichment results revealed significant enrichment of biological processes, such as response to xenobiotic stimuli, response to nutrient levels, and response to lipopolysaccharide. KEGG analysis revealed significant enrichment of pathways such as AGE-RAGE and chemical carcinogenesis receptor activation signaling pathways. In addition, the herbs Marc-Andre and rutin were shown to mediate BRCA cell proliferation and apoptosis via the interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway. Sixteen inflammatory signatures, including BST2, GPR132, IL12B, IL18, IL1R1, IL2RB, IRF1, and others, were constructed, and the risk score was found to be a strong independent prognostic factor for overall survival in BRCA patients. The 16-inflammation signature was associated with several clinical features (age, clinical stage, T, and N classifications) and could reflect immune cell infiltration in tumor microenvironments with different immune cells. Conclusions: Herba sarcandrae and rutin were shown to mediate BRCA cell proliferation and apoptosis via the IRF1/STAT3/PD-L1 pathway, and the 16-member inflammatory signature might be a novel biomarker for predicting BRCA patient prognosis, providing more accurate guidance for clinical treatment prognosis evaluation and having important reference value for individualized treatment selection.

Inspired by “crimped” collagen fiber, which induce a low-level load region within the hierarchical structures of ligaments and tendons, this study introduces a braiding technology aiming at characterizing nonlinear mechanical behavior. Samples of the developed artificial ligament with a multilayer braided structure were fabricated and tested. Alterations in the number of braiding layers, wales, and courses significantly affect the mechanical properties of the artificial ligaments. Specifically, the toe length exhibited an increase of up to 104.58 %, while the linear stiffness exhibited variations concomitant with changes in these parameters. Additionally, a mathematical model to describe the relationship between the toe length and linear stiffness was developed based on the braiding parameters and material properties of the fibers. Alternative fibers were employed and tested to demonstrate a consistency with the mathematical model. The correlation coefficients were calculated as 0.9644 for the toe length and 0.9203 for the linear stiffness. Lastly, this study mimics the mechanical behavior of the human medial collateral ligament (MCL) by integrating the artificial ligament into a bio-fidelity knee model with a joint stiffness of 1.77 Nm/deg, resulting in a high degree of similarity with human knee in valgus-varus, further affirming the utility and applicability of this study.

BackgroundIn the previous research, the Disability Assessment Scale based on ICF had been constructed for LTC insurance in China. To apply this scale in further studies, it is essential to establish assessment standards for disability levels.ObjectiveTo establish standardized disability classification criteria and identify the disability statuses and levels in older people.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study, in which 1,610 older individuals in 15 long-term care institutions in China were assessed by the disability assessment scale based on ICF. Cluster analysis was used for classification of the disability levels. Mean (SD) and median (IQR) were used to describe the scores for each item and each dimension.ResultsThe total scores of the disability assessment scale were classified into six disability levels. The overall disability level of the 1,610 participants was moderate-to-severe. The disability in the dimension of “self-care ability and activity” was the most obvious and severe.ConclusionThe Disability Assessment Scale is capable of identifying disability statuses and levels of older people, and it can serve as a valuable tool for investigating the disabilities among old people and for conducting cross-national comparisons of disability levels.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission is largely driven by heterogeneous dynamics at a local scale, leaving local health departments to design interventions with limited information. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes sampled between February 2020 and March 2022 jointly with epidemiological and cell phone mobility data to investigate fine scale spatiotemporal SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in King County, Washington, a diverse, metropolitan US county. We applied an approximate structured coalescent approach to model transmission within and between North King County and South King County alongside the rate of outside introductions into the county. Our phylodynamic analyses reveal that following stay-at-home orders, the epidemic trajectories of North and South King County began to diverge. We find that South King County consistently had more reported and estimated cases, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and longer persistence of local viral transmission when compared to North King County, where viral importations from outside drove a larger proportion of new cases. Using mobility and demographic data, we also find that South King County experienced a more modest and less sustained reduction in mobility following stay-at-home orders than North King County, while also bearing more socioeconomic inequities that might contribute to a disproportionate burden of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Overall, our findings suggest a role for local-scale phylodynamics in understanding the heterogeneous transmission landscape.

Objective The Early Cambrian superlarge rare earth-rich phosphate deposit in Xinhua, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province, is a typical marine sedimentary deposit. There have long been controversial on the mineralisation environment and mineralisation mechanism. Methods In this paper, the sedimentary environment and formation mechanism of the phosphorus-bearing rock series in the Gezhongwu Formation are verified, through the study of the microscopic characteristics of phosphorus-bearing rock series rocks or ores and the evidence of elemental geochemistry. Results This study reveal the regular changes in the structure of phosphorite from the bottom up of the phosphorous-bearing rock series: the grain sizes decreasing; the interstitial materials between grains vary from bright dolomite cement to micritic matrix, such as siliceous and collophanite, followed by bright dolomite cement and finally micrite collophanite and siliceous. The cementation mode has mainly converted from pore cementation to pore-based cementation, and the supports change from grain to grain-matrix supports. Moreover, the single layers of the rocks become thinner and darker, and the development of staggered bedding was decreased. Conclusion These characteristics reflect that the sedimentary environment of the phosphorus-bearing rock series is a subtidal zone with strong hydrodynamic forces, and of the upper section has sedimentary depths higher and hydrodynamic conditions slightly weaker than those of the lower section. The significant negative Ce anomalies (δCe between 0.32-0.39) and low Ni/Co (0.98-6.07) and V/Cr ratios (0.57-12.50) of the phosphorus-bearing rock series show that the sedimentary water had oxidation characteristics similar to those of a modern marine environment. The lower 103·Sr/Ca(2.00-3.38) and 1/Σ(Al2O3+TiO2) ratios (0.57-3.45) indicate that the ancient water depth was generally shallow, but the relative depth changed frequently. The distribution characteristics of Fe, Cu and Ba contents indicate that the palaeoproductivity of carbonate in the lower section is higher than that in the upper section. In the palaeoenvironment where various conditions are coupled, the phosphorite was finally enriched and formed by precipitation-stirring-subdivision-cementation-solidification.

Objective A set of black rock series rich in organic matter developed in the Yangtze Plate of China in the Early Cambrian. Methods To explore the main controlling factors affecting the enrichment of organic matter, the samples of the Niutitang Formation in Bahuang, Tongren Guizhou Province were tested for total organic carbon (TOC), major, trace and rare earth elements. Results The results show that the organic carbon content of the black rock series show a trend of high→low→high from bottom→lower middle→upper. The redox indexes Ni/Co, V/Cr, V/(V+Ni) and U/Th and the index Mo/TOC for determining the retention degree of water in the basin indicate that the carbonaceous shale and polymetallic element shale rich in organic matter at the bottom and upper part of the Niutitang Formation are formed in oxygen-poor to anoxic, medium to strong limited retention environments. The lower middle phosphate rock layer is formed in oxygen-poor to oxygen-rich, medium retention sedimentary environment. The δCe shows that the study area experienced a process of transgression regression in the Early Cambrian. Babio reveals the high paleoproductivity at the bottom and upper part of the Niutitang Formation and the medium to high paleoproductivity at the lower-middle part. The Ti/Al indicates weak terrigenous input as a whole. Rare earth distribution mode, δEu anomaly and La/Yb-REE diagram show that the phosphorus ore bed and metal-rich shale are affected by hydrothermal activity, which brings rich nutrients and reducing sedimentary environment for the enrichment of organic matter in metal rich shale. The phosphorus ore bed was formed in the period of sea level rise, and the upwelling of ocean currents led to the oxygenation of the sedimentary environment, which was not conducive to the preservation of organic matter. Therefore, the content of organic matter in the lower middle phosphorus-bearing formation is low. Conclusion The key factor restricting the enrichment of organic matter in the black rock series of the Niutitang Formation is the generally reducing and retained sedimentary environment, and the medium-high paleoproductivity is an important basis for the enrichment of organic matter. Hydrothermal activity creates favorable conditions for the enrichment of organic matter in local strata (polymetallic enrichment layer), and terrigenous clastic input has little impact on the enrichment of organic matter. The rise in sea level is an unfavorable factor for the enrichment of organic matter. It is the "comprehensive model" under the joint action of multiple factors that control the enrichment of organic matter in the black rock series of the Niutitang Formation.

It is still controversial whether glue can be used for mesh fixation in laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. The aim of this meta-analysis was used to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of glue mesh fixation in laparoscopic tension-free inguinal hernia repair. The PubMed database, EMBASE database and Cochrane Library were searched to collect published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on laparoscopic tension-free inguinal hernia repair with glue mesh fixation. Sixteen RCTs and 2409 patients with inguinal hernia were included. The meta-analysis showed that compared with the mechanical mesh fixation group(MMFG), the glue mesh fixation group(GMFG) had significantly reduced incidences of chronic pain[relative risk (RR) = 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.28,0.57), P

The 143 A.D. west Gangu earthquake is documented to have occurred in the West Qinling area, which is located on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Initial limited historical records suggest the earthquake took place along the West Qinling fault (WQLF) in the western region of Gangu County. However, the absence of corresponding geological and geomorphological evidence has posed a considerable challenge in accurately quantifying parameters such as the precise location, magnitude, and seismogenic fault segment in earlier investigations. In this study, a comprehensive examination of multiple residual surface rupture zones within the macroseismic zone of this earthquake enabled the determination of the seismogenic structure, magnitude, and rupture zone scale through diverse methodologies, which include field geological investigations, chronology testing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) aerial surveying, and interpretation of landslides along the fault zone. The results reveal that the seismogenic structure of this seismic event is associated with the Zhangxian fault segment of the WQLF, also marked by a dense distribution of large landslides from Zhangxian to Yuanyangzhen. The epicenter was identified at the eastern end of the Zhangxian fault segment of the WQLF. Furthermore, the magnitude of the 143 A.D. west Gangu earthquake is estimated to be approximately Ms 7–7.3, with the residual surface rupture zone intermittently extending over about 22 km and a maximum horizontal dislocation along the rupture zone of 2.8 ± 0.5 m. This detailed investigation contributes foundational insights for further evaluating the seismic risk across various segments of the WQLF.

Abstract The hypothalamus is critical for regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and response to stress. Adverse childhood experience (ACE) can affect brain structure, which may contribute to development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after subsequent adult trauma. It is unclear, however, if ACE history is particularly associated with aspects of hypothalamic structure which contribute to development of PTSD. To address this issue, the present study longitudinally assessed hypothalamic volumes and their associations with ACE and early post-trauma stress symptoms in subjects who did or did not develop PTSD during 12 months after adult trauma. 109 subjects (18–60 years, F/M = 75/34) completed the PTSD Checklist (PCL) questionnaire for post-trauma stress symptoms, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) for ACE assessment, and an initial MRI brain scan for hypothalamic volume measurement, within 2 weeks after adult trauma. At post-trauma 12 months, subjects underwent a subsequent PTSD diagnosis interview using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), and a follow-up MRI scan. Left and right hypothalamus volumes at 2 weeks after adult trauma negatively correlated with CTQ scores. Right hypothalamus volume at this early time mediated an association between ACE and PTSD symptoms 12 months later. Right hypothalamus volumes also remained persistently smaller from 2 weeks to 12 months after trauma in survivors who developed PTSD. These results suggest that smaller right hypothalamus volume may be related to ACE history in ways that contribute to PTSD development after trauma in adulthood.

Abstract Background Parental liver transplantation (PLT) improves long-term survival rates in paediatric hepatic failure patients; however, the mechanism of PLT-induced postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) is unclear. Methods A total of 133 paediatric patients undergoing PLT were included. Serum levels of NET components, including circulating free DNA (cfDNA), DNA-histone complex, and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA complex, were detected. The occurrence of PPCs post-PLT, prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay and death within one year were recorded as the primary and secondary outcomes. Results The overall rate of PPCs in the hospital was 47.4%. High levels of serum cfDNA, DNA-histone complexes and MPO-DNA complexes were associated with an increased risk of PPCs (for cfDNA, OR 2.24; for DNA-histone complex, OR 1.64; and for MPO-DNA, OR 1.94), prolonged ICU stay (OR 1.98, 4.26 and 3.69, respectively), and death within one year (OR 1.53, 2.65 and 1.85, respectively). The area under the curve of NET components for the prediction of PPCs was 0.843 for cfDNA, 0.813 for DNA-histone complexes, and 0.906 for MPO-DNA complexes. During the one-year follow-up, the death rate was higher in patients with PPCs than in patients without PPCs (14.3% vs. 2.9%, P = 0.001). Conclusions High serum levels of NET components are associated with an increased incidence of PPCs and death within one year in paediatric patients undergoing PLT. Serum levels of NET components serve as a biomarker for post-PLT PPCs and a prognostic indicator.

Finite element method (FEM) based model of broaching Inconel 718 was established to optimize an asymmetrical cutting-edge by the commercial software AdvantEdge in this paper. The asymmetrical cutting-edge form by two circles was proposed. The power-law (P-L) material constitutive model, including strain hardening, strain rate hardening and thermal softening was developed by split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) test and high-temperature Vickers hardness test. The parameters of thermal properties were measured by laser flash diffusivity apparatus. The friction model between TiN (The outer layer coating material of the tool) and Inconel 718 was obtained by ball on disc friction test. The simulated and experimental results have been compared comprehensively in the items of chip formation and tool wear width. The results showed that the simulated results were consistent with the experimental results. The average errors of chip curl radius, chip thickness, wear width of rake face and flank face were 7.68%, 3.56%, 13.64% and 12.24%, respectively, which proved the accuracy of the simulation model. Then the optimal asymmetrical cutting-edge of broach were obtained through orthogonal test based on the accurate FEM model. The rise per tooth of the optimal broach tool is 0.04 mm/tooth, the rake angle is 13°, the circle radius R1 is 0.13 mm, and the circle radius R2 is 0.02 mm.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe disease characterized by a pulmonary inflammatory response and oxidative stress. Triptolide has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Herein, we present triptolide-loaded mesenchymal stem cell–derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) as a multifunctional biomimetic delivery system (Tri-Exos) for targeting injured lung tissue. The therapeutic effect of Tri-Exos on ALI was evaluated by measuring inflammatory cytokines content, the expression of myeloperoxidase (MPO), the number of immune cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Subsequently, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to assess the expression levels of critical proteins in the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) signaling pathway, autophagy pathway, apoptosis, and MAPK signaling pathway. The experimental results showed that LPS significantly increased pathological damage, secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress in lung tissue. However, treatment with Tri-Exos significantly alleviated this series of pathological changes. Tri-Exos significantly upregulated the expression of Nrf-2 signaling pathway–related proteins, autophagy, and apoptosis and inhibited the expression of MAPK signaling pathway-related proteins in the ALI model. Our study showed that Tri-Exos exerted a therapeutic effect on LPS-induced ALI by regulating the Nrf-2 signaling pathway–dependent autophagy and MAPK signaling pathway.

BackgroundPoor dietary structure plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes and is closely associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. Thus, the objective of this systematic review was to assess the impact of dietary interventions on improving gut microbiota and metabolic levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.ResultsTwelve studies met the inclusion criteria. In comparison to baseline measurements, the high-fiber diet produced substantial reductions in FBG (mean difference −1.15 mmol/L; 95% CI, −2.24 to −0.05; I2 = 94%; P = 0.04), HbA1c (mean difference −0.99%; 95% CI, −1.93 to −0.03; I2 = 89%; P = 0.04), and total cholesterol (mean difference −0.95 mmol/L; 95% CI, −1.57 to −0.33; I2 = 77%; P = 0.003); the high–fat and low–carbohydrate diet led to a significant reduction in HbA1c (mean difference −0.98; 95% CI, −1.50 to −0.46; I2 = 0%; P = 0.0002). Within the experimental group (intervention diets), total cholesterol (mean difference −0.69 mmol/L; 95% CI, −1.27 to −0.10; I2 = 52%; P = 0.02) and LDL-C (mean difference −0.45 mmol/L; 95% CI, −0.68 to −0.22; I2 = 0%; P < 0.0001) experienced significant reductions in comparison to the control group (recommended diets for type 2 diabetes). However, no statistically significant differences emerged in the case of FBG, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and HDL-C between the experimental and control groups. The high dietary fiber diet triggered an augmented presence of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria in the intestines of individuals with T2DM. In addition, the high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet resulted in a notable decrease in Bacteroides abundance while simultaneously increasing the relative abundance of Eubacterium. Compared to a specific dietary pattern, personalized diets appear to result in the production of a greater variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut, leading to more effective blood glucose control in T2D patients.ConclusionDietary interventions hold promise for enhancing metabolic profiles in individuals with T2D through modulation of the gut microbiota. Tailored dietary regimens appear to be more effective than standard diets in improving glucose metabolism. However, given the limited and highly heterogeneous nature of the current sample size, further well-designed and controlled intervention studies are warranted in the future.

In order to increase the stalling margin of a compressor under different inlet conditions, especially under inlet distortion conditions, a new coupled casing processing structure is proposed in this paper. The new structure combines the characteristics of traditional circumferential slot and axial slot casing treatments. First, based on numerical simulation results of the simplified calculation model, a control variable method is used to design the coupled casing treatment and an effective casing treatment scheme (CCTF) is obtained. Then, experiments and multistage full-channel numerical simulations are used to study the effect of CCTF on the compressor performance under uniform and distorted inlet conditions. The stability expansion effect and the mechanism of the structure under inlet distortion conditions are analyzed in detail. The results show that the jet in CCTF obstructs the main flow and causes additional mixing loss, but inhibits the expansion and crushing of the leakage vortex, thus increasing the stall margin of the compressor. Under near-stall conditions, the tail-circumferential groove provides about 64.8% of the flow rate, which improves the stability expansion capability of the casing treatment. When there is distortion at the inlet, CCTF can still effectively improve the stability.

Background: Recent advances in data-driven computational approaches have been helpful in devising tools to objectively diagnose psychiatric disorders. However, current machine learning studies limited to small homogeneous samples, different methodologies, and different imaging collection protocols, limit the ability to directly compare and generalize their results. Here we aimed to classify individuals with PTSD versus controls and assess the generalizability using a large heterogeneous brain datasets from the ENIGMA-PGC PTSD Working group. Methods: We analyzed brain MRI data from 3,477 structural-MRI; 2,495 resting state-fMRI; and 1,952 diffusion-MRI. First, we identified the brain features that best distinguish individuals with PTSD from controls using traditional machine learning methods. Second, we assessed the utility of the denoising variational autoencoder (DVAE) and evaluated its classification performance. Third, we assessed the generalizability and reproducibility of both models using leave-one-site-out cross-validation procedure for each modality. Results: We found lower performance in classifying PTSD vs. controls with data from over 20 sites (60 % test AUC for s-MRI, 59 % for rs-fMRI and 56 % for d-MRI), as compared to other studies run on single-site data. The performance increased when classifying PTSD from HC without trauma history in each modality (75 % AUC). The classification performance remained intact when applying the DVAE framework, which reduced the number of features. Finally, we found that the DVAE framework achieved better generalization to unseen datasets compared with the traditional machine learning frameworks, albeit performance was slightly above chance. Conclusion: These results have the potential to provide a baseline classification performance for PTSD when using large scale neuroimaging datasets. Our findings show that the control group used can heavily affect classification performance. The DVAE framework provided better generalizability for the multi-site data. This may be more significant in clinical practice since the neuroimaging-based diagnostic DVAE classification models are much less site-specific, rendering them more generalizable.

ObjectiveTo verify the reliability and rationality of the National Disability Rating Criteria for the Elderly with Long-term Care – Trial Edition using hierarchical model. MethodsUsing complex sampling method and a self-designed questionnaire, we conducted face-to-face interview and onsite assessment among 9 577 long-term caretakers aged 60 years and above in urban nursing facilities in 23 cities of 12 provincial level administrative divisions across various geographical areas in China during March 2022. The collected data were analyzed with analytic hierarchy process, rank sum ratio method and paired Chi-square test to comprehensively evaluate the long-term caretakers' disability degrees and to compare the evaluations with those based on the national criteria. ResultsFor the 9 577 valid participants averagely aged 81.43 ± 8.46 years, 80.0% were assessed as having disability and 47.0% as having moderate and severe disability. A four-level hierarchical model was established based on the regression equation (weighted rank-sum ratio [WRSR] = – 0.5679 + 0.2097 × probit) obtained with analytic hierarchy process and rank sum ratio method. Paired comparison with the original hierarchical model, the Kappa value of the analysis was 0.540 (P < 0.001) and the value of McNemar-Bowker test was 3 376.471 (P < 0.001). There were some differences between the two hierarchical models, and the overall coincidence rate between the two models was 63.6% although there were some differences. Of all the elderly long-term caretakers, 566 (5.9%) were assessed as having severe disability based on combined evaluation with the two hierarchical models; whereas, of all the long-term caretakers assessed as having moderate disability using the hierarchical model established in the study, 30.1% were assessed as having severe disability according to the evaluation with the National Disability Rating Criteria. ConclusionBased on the analysis using the hierarchical model established in the study, there are some defects in the original hierarchical model adopted by the National Disability Rating Criteria and further researches are needed to address the issue.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between dietary intake of folate and niacin and diabetes risk in Chinese adults. Methods This is a cross-sectional study. Demographic and anthropometric data along with information on dietary intake of vitamins were collected, and eligible participants were recruited to complete the questionnaire. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between dietary intake of vitamins and diabetes risk, with adjustment for potential confounders. Non-linear dose-response relationships between dietary intake of folate and niacin and diabetes risk were also evaluated using adjusted restricted cubic splines. Results Of the 3106 eligible participants, 15.9% had diabetes. Median folate was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls (32.030 vs. 27.600 gμ), while median niacin was significantly lower (7.000 vs. 7.900 mg). After controlling for potential confounders, binary logistic regression analysis showed that each unit increase in folate intake was associated with a 1.002-fold increase in the risk of developing diabetes (odds ratio (OR) = 1.002; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.000–1.004; P = 0.022), while each unit increase in niacin intake was associated with a 3.5% reduction in diabetes risk (OR = 0.965; 95% CI 0.944–0.986; P = 0.001). The plots of restricted cubic splines presented an atypical inverted U-shaped association between dietary intake of folate and diabetes risk. Conclusions Diabetic patients had a low intake of vitamins, especially the B vitamins. Dietary intake of folate and niacin tended to be independently associated with the risk of diabetes. Nevertheless, this study is observational and a large-scale randomized controlled trial is yet to be conducted, which will add to the evidence of the study results.

This study presents an in-depth investigation into the intersection of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and green building practices within China’s rapidly evolving construction industry. As China intensifies its efforts to mitigate environmental impacts and promote sustainable growth, the integration of BIM into green building practices emerges as a crucial area of study. A qualitative research method was adopted in this research. In the first step, utilizing semi-structured interviews with a diverse array of industry professionals, this research provides nuanced insights into the current state and prospects of BIM in the green building landscape. Secondly, thematic analysis is used to formalize the views and points from interviewees. Finally, a novel conceptual framework is proposed, addressing these challenges through technological innovation, supportive policies, cultural and educational reform, economic incentives, and collaborative dynamics. This study contributes a systematic approach to amalgamate BIM with sustainable construction, offering insights for industry professionals and policymakers to promote environmentally conscious building practices in China.

The urban renewal (UR) process involves various stakeholders and related activities, and the various risks arising from this endeavor can affect these stakeholders. Additionally, the impact of adverse factors such as policy discontinuity and inequitable distribution of benefits among stakeholders can easily result in collective tensions or conflicts, as well as the gradual emergence of potential social frictions and confrontations. These social risks (SRs) not only impede the smooth execution of urban renewal projects but also pose challenges to social harmony and stability. Hence, to mitigate and control the SRs in the UR process (URSRs) and ensure the successful implementation of effective and sustainable UR projects, it is of paramount importance to gain a comprehensive understanding of the occurrence and evolution mechanisms of these SRs. Although existing studies have touched upon the influence of stakeholder conflicts on URSRs, there remains a lack of systematic examination of the evolution mechanisms of these risks from the perspective of stakeholder theory. The resulting fragmented and specialized comprehension of URSRs has hindered the effectiveness of risk governance strategies. This study adopts stakeholder theory to analyze the potential sources of risk throughout the entire UR process. By considering the conflicts of interests among stakeholders, a systematic analysis of the evolution mechanisms of URSRs is explored and targeted governance recommendations for URSRs are proposed.

This paper introduces a developed multi-sensor integrated system comprising a thermal infrared camera, an RGB camera, and a LiDAR sensor, mounted on a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This system is applied to the inspection tasks of levee engineering, enabling the real-time, rapid, all-day, all-round, and non-contact acquisition of multi-source data for levee structures and their surrounding environments. Our aim is to address the inefficiencies, high costs, limited data diversity, and potential safety hazards associated with traditional methods, particularly concerning the structural safety of dam bodies. In the preprocessing stage of multi-source data, techniques such as thermal infrared data enhancement and multi-source data alignment are employed to enhance data quality and consistency. Subsequently, a multi-level approach to detecting and screening suspected risk areas is implemented, facilitating the rapid localization of potential hazard zones and assisting in assessing the urgency of addressing these concerns. The reliability of the developed multi-sensor equipment and the multi-level suspected hazard detection algorithm is validated through on-site levee engineering inspections conducted during flood disasters. The application reliably detects and locates suspected hazards, significantly reducing the time and resource costs associated with levee inspections. Moreover, it mitigates safety risks for personnel engaged in levee inspections. Therefore, this method provides reliable data support and technical services for levee inspection, hazard identification, flood control, and disaster reduction.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on people worldwide. Previous studies have shown that fear learning, extinction, recall, and contextual information processing involve the activation of emotion and sensory brain systems, which can be modified. However, it remains unclear whether brain functions associated with these processes have been altered over the pandemic period.MethodsWe compared pre- and peri-pandemic brain activation during a fear-associated learning task (FALT) using previously collected data. The participants were divided into two groups: the pandemic group (n = 16), who completed a baseline FALT before the pandemic and repeated the task during the pandemic, and the non-pandemic group (n = 77), who completed both sessions before the pandemic began.ResultsCompared with the non-pandemic group, the pandemic group exhibited significant decreases in brain activation from baseline to follow-up assessments, including activation in the brainstem during early fear learning, the posterior thalamus/hippocampus during late extinction, and the occipital pole during late recall phases for contextual processing. Furthermore, activations associated with retrieving safety cues were reduced in the posterior cingulate, premotor, and calcarine cortices during the early recall phase, and activations associated with retrieving dangerous cues decreased in the occipital pole during the late recall phase. Additionally, correlations between decreased activation and elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms were observed.ConclusionThese findings suggest that activations associated with processing low arousal contextual information, safety cues, and extinguished fear cues decreased during the pandemic. These changes in brain activation may have contributed to the increase in mental health disturbances observed during this time.

Abstract With the skyrocketing need for low-latency services on the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and elastic cross-layer resource provisioning, multi-access edge computing (MEC) is considered a high-potent solution, which evolves from cloud and grid computing to meet the above needs in IoV scenarios. Instead of considering single-point and monolithic IoV tasks, in this paper, we consider the IoV applications to be with structural properties and the supporting environment to be with a hybrid cloud-edge architecture. We develop a scheduling method that offloads tasks to the eNode or cloud according to their estimations of latest starting time. Simulative results clearly demonstrate that our method beat existing solutions in terms of average completion time, average waiting time, and in-time completion rate.

We conducted a genomic analysis of monkeypox virus sequences collected early in the 2022 outbreak, during July–August , in Washington, USA. Using 109 viral genomes, we found low overall genetic diversity, multiple introductions into the state, ongoing community transmission, and potential for co-infections by multiple strains.

To determine the epidemiology of human parainfluenza virus in homeless shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed data and sequences from respiratory specimens collected in 23 shelters in Washington, USA, during 2019–2021. Two clusters in children were genetically similar by shelter of origin. Shelter-specific interventions are needed to reduce these infections.

ABSTRACT Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a pathogen of major public health importance that is largely incurable once a chronic infection is established. Only humans and great apes are fully permissive to HBV infection, and this species restriction has impacted HBV research by limiting the utility of small animal models. To combat HBV species restrictions and enable more in vivo studies, liver-humanized mouse models have been developed that are permissive to HBV infection and replication. Unfortunately, these models can be difficult to establish and are expensive commercially, which has limited their academic use. As an alternative mouse model to study HBV, we evaluated liver-humanized NSG-PiZ mice and showed that they are fully permissive to HBV. HBV selectively replicates in human hepatocytes within chimeric livers, and HBV-positive (HBV+) mice secrete infectious virions and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) into blood while also harboring covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). HBV+ mice develop chronic infections lasting at least 169 days, which should enable the study of new curative therapies targeting chronic HBV, and respond to entecavir therapy. Furthermore, HBV+ human hepatocytes in NSG-PiZ mice can be transduced by AAV3b and AAV.LK03 vectors, which should enable the study of gene therapies that target HBV. In summary, our data demonstrate that liver-humanized NSG-PiZ mice can be used as a robust and cost-effective alternative to existing chronic hepatitis B (CHB) models and may enable more academic research labs to study HBV disease pathogenesis and antiviral therapy. IMPORTANCE Liver-humanized mouse models have become the gold standard for the in vivo study of hepatitis B virus (HBV), yet their complexity and cost have prohibited widespread use of existing models in research. Here, we show that the NSG-PiZ liver-humanized mouse model, which is relatively inexpensive and simple to establish, can support chronic HBV infection. Infected mice are fully permissive to hepatitis B, supporting both active replication and spread, and can be used to study novel antiviral therapies. This model is a viable and cost-effective alternative to other liver-humanized mouse models that are used to study HBV.

In order to compare the differences in dehydration efficiency and quality of mango under different osmotic methods in summer (30 ℃) and winter (20 ℃) production environments, this paper explored the effects of SSD and LOD on the dehydration efficiency and quality of sugar-stained mango by taking the water loss rate, solid gain rate, effective diffusion coefficient of water, diffusion coefficient of soluble solids, retention rate of VC and total phenols, and tri-state water conversion as the indexes. The results showed that the dehydration efficiency and nutrient retention rate of solid osmotic were higher than those of liquid osmotic. After 48 h of sugaring, the maximum water loss rate and solid gain rate of SSD40 (sucrose:mangos (w/w) 4:10) were 49% and 5.11% at ambient temperature of 20 ℃, and the retention rates of VC and total phenols of SSD20 (sucrose:mangos (w/w) 2:10) were 47.43% and 43.66%. At ambient temperature of 30 ℃, the maximum water loss rate and solid gIain rate of SSD40 were 57.41% and 6.36%, and the maximum retention rates of VC and total phenols of SSD20 were 43.79% and 42.43%. The permeation process changed the binding state of water in mango samples, and the water with high degree of freedom migrated to the direction of low degree of freedom. The results of this study will provide a theoretical reference for the application of solid penetrating pretreatment technology for dried fruit products.

Abstract Background There is a growing interest in minimally invasive left atrial appendage closure therapies. However, for successful catheter surgery, it is necessary to achieve high-quality postoperative recovery. The aim of the study is to comparison of neuromuscular blockade and reversal using cisatricurium and neostigmine with rocuronium and sugamadex on the quality of recovery from general anaesthesia for percutaneous closure of left atria appendage. Methods Eighty-four patients who received percutaneous LAAC were randomly placed into two groups, general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation with either propofol-remifentanil-cisatracurium-neostigmine (group C) or propofol-remifentanil-rocuronium-sugammadex (group S). The QoR-40 questionnaire was used to assess recovery quality 6 h after surgery, and the time of spontaneous respiration, the time of consciousness recovery, the time of extubation, the duration in the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU), and the adverse events after awakening were collected. Results Compared with the group C, the group S demonstrated significantly higher individual QoR-40 dimension scores, a significantly shorter recovery time for spontaneous respiration and consciousness, time of extubation, and duration in the PACU, and a lower incidence of transient hypoxemia, agitation, nausea and vomiting and urinary retention. There was a non-significant trend for the length of stay in the hospital in both groups. Conclusions General anesthesia and endotracheal intubation with propofol-remifentanil-rocuronium-sugammadex provided better quality of recovery, shorter anaesthesia duration, and lower incidence of hypoxemia and agitation. Neuromuscular blockade and reversal using rocuronium and sugamadex is better than with cisatricurium and neostigmine on the quality of recovery from general anaesthesia for percutaneous closure of left atria appendage. Trial registration: chictr.org, ChiCTR2000031857. Registered on April 12, 2020.