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A new species, Astragalus liuaiminii Z. Z. Yang & Q. R. Liu (Fabaceae), is described and illustrated from Xinjiang Province, China. The new species is close to A. wenquanensis S. B. Ho, but differs from the latter by leaves having a single leaflet (vs. 3–5 leaflets), and inflorescences with 1–2 flowers (vs. inflorescences with 5–7 flowers). It is also similar to A. monophyllus Maxim in leaf shape, but differs by its calyx expanding to become saccate and totally enveloping the pod (vs. calyx tubular, and ruptured by pod after flowering).

Classical Swine Fever (CSF), caused by the Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV), inflicts significant economic losses on the global pig industry. A key factor in the challenge of eradicating this virus is its ability to evade the host's innate immune response, leading to persistent infections. In our study, we elucidate the molecular mechanism through which CSFV exploits m6A modifications to circumvent host immune surveillance, thus facilitating its proliferation. We initially discovered that m6A modifications were elevated both in vivo and in vitro upon CSFV infection, particularly noting an increase in the expression of the methyltransferase METTL14. CSFV non-structural protein 5B was found to hijack HRD1, the E3 ubiquitin ligase for METTL14, preventing METTL14 degradation. MeRIP-seq analysis further revealed that METTL14 specifically targeted and methylated TLRs, notably TLR4. METTL14-mediated regulation of TLR4 degradation, facilitated by YTHDF2, led to the accelerated mRNA decay of TLR4. Consequently, TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling, a crucial component of the innate immune response, is suppressed by CSFV. Collectively, these data effectively highlight the viral evasion tactics, shedding light on potential antiviral strategies targeting METTL14 to curb CSFV infection.

African Swine Fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), has inflicted significant economic losses on the pig industry in China. The key to mitigating its impact lies in accurate screening and strict biosecurity measures. In this regard, the development of colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strips (CGITS) has proven to be an effective method for detecting ASFV antibodies. These test strips are based on the ASFV p30 recombinant protein and corresponding monoclonal antibodies. The design of the test strip incorporates a high-concentration colloidal gold-labeled p30 recombinant protein as the detection sensor, utilizing Staphylococcal Protein A (SPA) as the test line (T line), and p30 monoclonal antibody as the control line (C line). The sensitivity and specificity of the test strip were evaluated after optimizing the labeling concentration, pH, and protein dosage. The research findings revealed that the optimal colloidal gold labeling concentration was 0.05 %, the optimal pH was 8.4, and the optimal protein dosage was 10 μg/mL. Under these conditions, the CGITS demonstrated a detection limit of 1:512 dilution of ASFV standard positive serum, without exhibiting cross-reactivity with antibodies against other viral pathogens. Furthermore, the test strips remained stable for up to 20 days when stored at 50 °C and 4 °C. Comparatively, the CGITS outperformed commercial ELISA kits, displaying a sensitivity of 90.9 % and a specificity of 96.2 %. Subsequently, 108 clinical sera were tested to assess its performance. The data showed that the coincidence rate between the CGITS and ELISA was 93.5 %. In conclusion, the rapid colloidal gold test strip provides an efficient and reliable screening tool for on-site clinical detection of ASF in China. Its accuracy, stability, and simplicity make it a valuable asset in combating the spread of ASF and limiting its impact on the pig industry.

Similar materials play an important role in model testing. In order to meet the demand for similar materials in modeling tests, such as those on coal mining, coal system rocky similar materials were formulated using yellow sand as a coarse aggregate, heavy calcium carbonate as a fine aggregate, and cement and gypsum as binders. Based on the orthogonal experimental design method, four influencing factors, namely the aggregate–binder ratio, heavy calcium carbonate content, cement–gypsum ratio, and moisture content, were selected. Each factor was designed at five levels. Through weighing, uniaxial compression, Brazilian splitting, and variable-angle plate shear tests on 225 specimens under 25 different ratios, five physico-mechanical property indicators of the material, including density, compressive strength, tensile strength, cohesion, and internal friction angle, were obtained under different ratios. The test results indicate that the similar materials formulated with the above raw materials had a wide range of mechanical properties, which met the simulation needs of different types of coal rocks, such as main coking coal, anthracite, shale, etc., in the similar model test. Range analysis was adopted to analyze the sensitivities to each factor, which showed that the density and internal friction angle of similar materials are mainly controlled by the aggregate–binder ratio; the cement–gypsum ratio mainly controls the compressive strength, tensile strength, and cohesion of the material. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to analyze the sensitivities to each factor, which showed that the aggregate–binder ratio had a highly significant effect on the density of the material, the cement–gypsum ratio had a highly significant effect on the compressive and tensile strength of the material, the cement–gypsum ratio had a significant effect on the cohesion and density of the material, and the moisture content had a significant effect on the compressive strength of the material. The remaining factors did not significantly affect the material parameters. The results of this study can provide some reference for the selection of coal system rocky similar materials in subsequent physical modeling tests.