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BackgroundWhile booster vaccinations clearly reduce the risk of severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and death, the impact of boosters on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections has not been fully characterized: Doing so requires understanding their impact on asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic infections that often go unreported but nevertheless play an important role in spreading SARS-CoV-2. We sought to estimate the impact of COVID-19 booster doses on SARS-CoV-2 infections in a vaccinated population of young adults during an Omicron BA.1-predominant period.Methods and findingsWe implemented a cohort study of young adults in a college environment (Cornell University's Ithaca campus) from a period when Omicron BA.1 was the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant on campus (December 5 to December 31, 2021). Participants included 15,800 university students who completed initial vaccination series with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use, were enrolled in mandatory at-least-weekly surveillance polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and had no positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test within 90 days before the start of the study period. Robust multivariable Poisson regression with the main outcome of a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test was performed to compare those who completed their initial vaccination series and a booster dose to those without a booster dose. A total of 1,926 unique SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified in the study population. Controlling for sex, student group membership, date of completion of initial vaccination series, initial vaccine type, and temporal effect during the study period, our analysis estimates that receiving a booster dose further reduces the rate of having a PCR-detected SARS-CoV-2 infection relative to an initial vaccination series by 56% (95% confidence interval [42%, 67%], P < 0.001). While most individuals had recent booster administration before or during the study period (a limitation of our study), this result is robust to the assumed delay over which a booster dose becomes effective (varied from 1 day to 14 days). The mandatory active surveillance approach used in this study, under which 86% of the person-days in the study occurred, reduces the likelihood of outcome misclassification. Key limitations of our methodology are that we did not have an a priori protocol or statistical analysis plan because the analysis was initially done for institutional research purposes, and some analysis choices were made after observing the data.ConclusionsWe observed that boosters are effective, relative to completion of initial vaccination series, in further reducing the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a college student population during a period when Omicron BA.1 was predominant; booster vaccinations for this age group may play an important role in reducing incidence of COVID-19.

A circulator, which is a non-reciprocal device, is widely used in full-duplex systems, future communication and sensing networks, and quantum computing, and it is difficult to implement a passive topology on a chip. Based on switch-based spatio-temporal conductivity modulation, in this study, we design and implement a non-magnetic on-chip passive circulator operating at the Ku band in a 90-nm bulk CMOS technology using a 25% duty-cycle I/Q clock signal. With the virtue of the four-phase non-overlapping clock signal, the proposed circulator achieves a 3.9 dB transmitter (TX)-to-antenna (ANT) and a 4.0 dB ANT-to-receiver (RX) insertion loss with a 1-dB bandwidth of 2.7 GHz (21.4%). The TX-to-RX isolation is better than 17.2 dB, and the TX-to-ANT IIP3 and ANT-to-RX IIP3 are 19.7 dBm and 20.0 dBm, respectively, while occupying a die area of 1.55 mm × 1.15 mm. Although low-cost bulk CMOS technology is used, competitive isolation, linearity performance, and isolation bandwidth are achieved in the proposed design.

ABSTRACT: Toxic metals contamination of soil has become a serious problem in recent years. In this study, Chinese cabbage (a relatively high-accumulator of cadmium (Cd)) and cabbage (a relatively low-accumulator of Cd) were cultured in monoculture and in intercropping in the Cd-contaminated soil, to evaluate the effect of intercropping on the alteration of Cd extraction. Both the pot experiments and field experiments indicated that intercropping increased the Cd extraction by Chinese cabbage and decreased the Cd extraction by cabbage. Thus, Cd extraction was advanced while safe production was obtained. Further pot experiment was conducted to investigate the alterations of soil Cd fractions, soil pH, and soil enzyme activities to reveal their possible relationship with Cd extraction between different planting patterns. Results revealed that three individual Chinese cabbages in one intercropping pot played the same effect on alteration of these factors as six individual Chinese cabbages in one monoculture pot. The intercropping increased Cd extraction by Chinese cabbage and decreased Cd extraction by cabbage, probably by influencing mechanisms such as soil enzyme activities (especially the urease activity) in the cultivation system. Effect of intercropping on Cd accumulation is an important issue in cultivation of vegetables in potentially contaminated land.

ABSTRACTThe 20-year war in Afghanistan has had a catastrophic impact on agricultural planting and food security, but the assessment was difficult due to a lack of existing statistics. We used 30m Landsat data to extract the annual planting area and built the time series to measure the condition of agriculture, and used constant nighttime light data to quantify the impact of the war. Combined with climate, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, etc., we quantitatively analysis the impact of the war using regression model. From a time perspective, the total planting area reached peek during some period of relative pacification, but maintained a low level of planting most time. From a spatial perspective, the main planting areas shifted from east to west. Both poppy and wheat planting have a high correlation with non-natural factor, while wheat affected more by natural conditions compared with poppy. In addition, the cultivation of wheat is limited by poppy. As a verification, we collect relative history records to explain the rationality of the result of analysis. According to the result, we reveal the adverse effects of war on agricultural planting and food security in Afghanistan and provide a reference for relevant researches on war and agriculture.

Multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) utilizes multiple wavelengths to illuminate tissue, producing a series of optoacoustic images rich in spectral information. This approach offers a more comprehensive spectral profile compared to conventional optoacoustic techniques. Contrasted with single-wavelength optoacoustic images, the spectral information can be amalgamated with endogenous chromophores or exogenous dyes within biological organisms, thereby unveiling physiological, cellular, and subcellular functions. The development of eigenspectral optoacoustic tomography (eMSOT), grounded in the linear mixture model (LMM), along with its various derivative methods, facilitates label-free imaging of tissue oxygen saturation in deep-seated structures. However, the effectiveness of the LMM may diminish in the presence of multiple scattering effects or inter-substance interactions, thereby impairing the performance of the eMSOT method in heterogeneous tissues. To address this issue, we propose incorporating a nonlinear model to enhance the eMSOT technique, which we refer to as NL-eMSOT (non-linear eMSOT). This model employs the Hadamard product as a nonlinear component of the LMM, effectively characterizing the interactions between photons and both oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin within the near-infrared spectral window. This innovation resolves the nonlinear unmixing problem inherent in optoacoustic imaging. Our approach, validated through numerical simulations, phantom experiments, and in vivo studies, improves the accuracy of quantitative oxygen saturation estimation in heterogeneous tissues by accounting for inter-substance interactions. Consequently, it necessitates the consideration of more complex mixing models to adequately address nonlinear interactions.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) manufactured parts often suffer from porosity defects due to the rapid cooling and solidification processes, as well as the complex flow dynamics within the molten pool. These defects directly affect the mechanical properties of the manufactured components. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate control methods for mitigating pore defects and further improve the development of LPBF technology. This work delved into the evolution mechanism of multi pores in LPBF built AlSi10Mg and Inconel 718 alloys. A multi-physics coupled finite element model was developed based on the level-set method, incorporating heat transfer, Marangoni flow, and mass transfer associated with recoil pressure. The results clearly demonstrate that the shielding gas flow has a non-negligible effect on the pore evolution and significantly reduces the porosity in alloys with different dynamic viscosities. The pores are completely eliminated within two alloys as the shielding gas velocity is 2.0 m/s, 3.0 m/s, and 4.0 m/s, respectively. However, the escape time of pores in AlSi10Mg alloys increases dramatically as the velocity is too excessive to over 2.0 m/s, indicating the increase by 92.5 μs and 120.0 μs, respectively, when the velocity reaches 3.0 m/s and 4.0 m/s. The escape time of pores in Inconel 718 is in obvious contrast to that in AlSi10Mg alloy, meaning that the escape time decreases by 5.0 μs at 3.0 m/s and 40.0 μs at 4.0 m/s, respectively. The experimental results show that the shielding gas velocity significantly affects the porosity and mechanical properties of the components.

The application of interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitors, including secukinumab, ixekizumab, brodalumab, and bimekizumab, are associated with elevated risk of candidiasis. These medications interfere with the IL-17 pathway, which is essential for maintaining mucosal barriers and coordinating the immune response against Candida species. The observational data and clinical trials demonstrate the increased incidence of candidiasis in individuals treated with IL-17 inhibitors. Brodalumab and bimekizumab pose a greater risk than secukinumab in eliciting candidiasis, whereas the data regarding ixekizumab are equivocal. Higher doses and prolonged treatment duration of IL-17 inhibitors increase the risk of candidiasis by compromising the immune response against Candida species. Prior to prescribing IL-17 inhibitors, healthcare professionals should comprehensively evaluate patients’ medical histories and assess their risk factors. Patients should be educated on the signs and symptoms of candidiasis to facilitate early detection and intervention. Future research should focus on identifying the risk factors associated with candidiasis in patients receiving IL-17 inhibitors. Prospective studies and long-term surveillance are required to explore the impact of specific inhibitors on the incidence and severity of candidiasis and to evaluate the effectiveness of combination therapies, such as concurrent use of IL-17 inhibitors and prophylactic antifungal agents.

Laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED) utilizes a high-power laser and coaxial powder feed to rapidly fabricate high-quality components with intricate structures. However, the complex interaction between the powder stream and laser beam is not yet fully understood. Particularly, the morphological evolution of the droplets after powder melting is closely related to the quality of component formation. In this study, the dynamical mechanism of the aggregation and evolution of molten powder after laser–powder interaction was investigated. The Ti6Al4V powder flow was observed at various laser powers using a high-speed camera. Imaging of the molten droplets at approximately 50,000 frames·s−1 was conducted, depicting the aggregation of molten powder into droplets of different sizes and shapes, mainly consisting of spherical and ribbon droplets, after laser–powder interaction. A transient numerical model was established with consideration of the mutual influence of gravity, recoil pressure, and surface tension, depicting the temporal evolution of the temperature field and droplet morphology. The simulation results indicated that the balance between the surface tension, gravity, and recoil pressure determined the morphological evolution of the molten droplets. When spherical and ribbon droplets fell into the molten pool, the maximum velocities within the pool increased by 24 % and 69 %, respectively. This phenomenon reduced the stability of the molten pool to a certain extent and affected the print quality of the part. This study deepens our comprehension of the dynamic mechanisms of Ti6Al4V alloy powder melting evolution, providing invaluable insights for optimizing L-DED processes.

We consider epidemiological modeling for the design of COVID-19 interventions in university populations, which have seen significant outbreaks during the pandemic. A central challenge is sensitivity of predictions to input parameters coupled with uncertainty about these parameters. Nearly 2 y into the pandemic, parameter uncertainty remains because of changes in vaccination efficacy, viral variants, and mask mandates, and because universities’ unique characteristics hinder translation from the general population: a high fraction of young people, who have higher rates of asymptomatic infection and social contact, as well as an enhanced ability to implement behavioral and testing interventions. We describe an epidemiological model that formed the basis for Cornell University’s decision to reopen for in-person instruction in fall 2020 and supported the design of an asymptomatic screening program instituted concurrently to prevent viral spread. We demonstrate how the structure of these decisions allowed risk to be minimized despite parameter uncertainty leading to an inability to make accurate point estimates and how this generalizes to other university settings. We find that once-per-week asymptomatic screening of vaccinated undergraduate students provides substantial value against the Delta variant, even if all students are vaccinated, and that more targeted testing of the most social vaccinated students provides further value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic intragap nanostructures (PINs) have garnered intensive attention in Raman-related analysis due to their exceptional ability to enhance light–matter interactions. Although diverse synthetic strategies have been employed to create these nanostructures, the emphasis has largely been on PINs with simple configurations, which often fall short in achieving effective near-field focusing. Three-dimensional (3D) complex PINs, distinguished by their intricate networks of internal gaps and voids, are emerging as superior structures for effective light trapping. These structures facilitate the generation of hot spots and hot zones that are essential for enhanced near-field focusing. Nevertheless, the synthesis techniques for these complex structures and their specific impacts on near-field focusing are not well-documented. This review discusses the recent advancements in the synthesis of 3D complex PINs and their applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We begin by describing the foundational methods for fabricating simple PINs, followed by a discussion on the rational design strategies aimed at developing 3D complex PINs with superior near-field focusing capabilities. We also evaluate the SERS performance of various 3D complex PINs, emphasizing their advanced sensing capabilities. Lastly, we explore the future perspective of 3D complex PINs in SERS applications.

Interleukins (ILs) are vital in regulating the immune system, enabling to combat fungal diseases like candidiasis effectively. Their inhibition may cause enhanced susceptibility to infection. IL inhibitors have been employed to control autoimmune diseases and inhibitors of IL-17 and IL-23, for example, have been associated with an elevated risk of Candida infection. Thus, applying IL inhibitors might impact an individual’s susceptibility to Candida infections. Variations in the severity of Candida infections have been observed between individuals with different IL inhibitors, necessitating careful consideration of their specific risk profiles. IL-1 inhibitors (anakinra, canakinumab, and rilonacept), IL-2 inhibitors (daclizumab, and basiliximab), and IL-4 inhibitors (dupilumab) have rarely been associated with Candida infection. In contrast, tocilizumab, an inhibitor of IL-6, has demonstrated an elevated risk in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment, as evidenced by a 6.9% prevalence of candidemia among patients using the drug. Furthermore, the incidence of Candida infections appeared to be higher in patients exposed to IL-17 inhibitors than in those exposed to IL-23 inhibitors. Therefore, healthcare practitioners must maintain awareness of the risk of candidiasis associated with using of IL inhibitors before prescribing them. Future prospective studies need to exhaustively investigate candidiasis and its associated risk factors in patients receiving IL inhibitors. Implementing enduring surveillance methods is crucial to ensure IL inhibitors safe and efficient utilization of in clinical settings.

In an era where technology increasingly blurs the boundaries between humans and machines, artifacts have become crucial mediums for critically examining the technological, social, and ethical dimensions of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI). This study explores artifacts as a key yet underutilized medium for speculation in the evolving field of HCI from a systemic perspective. While artifacts increasingly enable HCI to move beyond optimizing user experiences towards critically and collaboratively envisioning futures, perspectives comprehensively examining artifacts across the speculative design process and their impacts remain limited. Through a literature review of 53 speculative artifacts within the scope of HCI, this research elucidates the roles of artifacts across intention, making, and impact. Four categories of speculative artifacts emerged—Reflective, Exploratory, Interventional, and Heuristic—demonstrating how artifacts employ material, ambiguous, functional, and provocative forms to shape experiences, behaviors, and social norms. This study highlights the need for HCI to increasingly recognize the capacity of artifacts to support critical, sustained, participatory speculation by providing tangible representations of alternative futures. Speculative artifacts thus serve as powerful mediums to engage in societal discourse around the ethics and values of emerging technologies and to envision and enact responsible innovation. The materialization of alternative futures through artifacts allows researchers to reimagine socio-technological relationships, pushing design into inclusive, controversial spaces where diverse stakeholders can collaboratively shape desired and undesired futures.

Overcrowding and stampedes may occur in public places with the gathering of crowds. To mitigate and prevent risk, the accident mechanism and methods for monitoring and evaluating crowd-gathering risk were investigated. Related studies are reviewed and summarized in this paper. The evolution process of crowd-gathering risk and precipitating factors were explained systematically. Risk monitoring methods are classified into three types according to the key technologies adopted. Articles exploring risk evaluation methods for crowd gathering are outlined, and the three main paradigms were formed. Finally, the shortcomings and future research points are summarized to promote more in-depth and comprehensive studies on crowd-gathering risk, develop monitoring technologies, and build an integrated system of risk management.

Autonomous radiation source detection has long been studied for radiation emergencies. Compared to conventional data-driven or path planning methods, deep reinforcement learning shows a strong capacity in source detection while still lacking the generalized ability to the geometry in unknown environments. In this work, the detection task is decomposed into two subtasks: exploration and localization. A hierarchical control policy (HC) is proposed to perform the subtasks at different stages. The low-level controller learns how to execute the individual subtasks by deep reinforcement learning, and the high-level controller determines which subtasks should be executed at the current stage. In experimental tests under different geometrical conditions, HC achieves the best performance among the autonomous decision policies. The robustness and generalized ability of the hierarchy have been demonstrated.

The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation method is commonly used for large-scale computational engineering problems. However, it usually leads to higher computational costs. The deep learning method has gained significant attention in recent years. However, the traditional methods fail to achieve high-precision pixel-level predictions. They are difficult to predict more detailed, multi-scale features of complex engineering. This study proposes a novel deep U-shaped network-long short term memory (U-Net-LSTM) framework for the rapid time-sequenced hydrodynamic prediction of the SUBOFF. First, a novel framework composed of a deep U-shaped network, two LSTM layers, and a skip connection part is proposed for time-sequenced hydrodynamics prediction. Second, the CFD simulation results of the SUBOFF AFF-8 are validated by referring to published experimental data. Finally, three types of AFF-8 motions are investigated to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed framework in detail. The results demonstrate that the predicted outputs agree well with the CFD simulation results, show good stability and ability to predict additional future results. Compared with the traditional hybrid convolutional neural network-LSTM (CNN-LSTM) framework, the mean square error and mean absolute error are reduced by almost one order of magnitude and two orders of magnitude, respectively, showing that the proposed framework is highly competitive. The GPU cost utilized for running the deep U-Net-LSTM is only 0.33 s for each result, making it possible to achieve real-time prediction. In addition, the computation costs are reduced by six orders of magnitude compared with those in the CFD method.

Semiconductor lasers with a wavelength of 2 µm, composed of antimonide materials, find important applications in trace gas detection, laser medicine, and free-space optical communication, among others. In this paper, a more suitable microlens shape for 2 µm gallium antimonide semiconductor lasers is designed. Based on the fiber coupling efficiency model, the parameters of the designed slanting wedge-shaped microlens fiber are optimized to improve laser beam quality. The large tangent angle on both sides of the slanted, wedge-shaped microlens fiber is calculated using Snell’s law, and the fiber core diameter and small wedge angle are determined through space fiber coupling experiments. After packaging the fiber coupling module with the chip, the laser output beam exhibits good overall symmetry in the spot with a uniform intensity distribution. The maximum output power is approximately 210 mW, demonstrating good power stability.

Archaeocyaths are a group of extinct filter feeders that flourished in the early Cambrian period and occupied an important position in the evolution of basal fauna and the early marine ecosystem. However, the detailed morphological and anatomical information of this group are still unclear due to insufficient fossil material and limited experimental analyses. Here, we report exquisitely preserved phosphatized archaeocyathan fossil cups, ca. 515 million years old, from the top of the Shuijingtuo Formation (Series 2, Stage 3) and the Xiannüdong Formation (Series 2, Stage 3) of the Yangtze Platform, South China. Detailed observation of their external morphology via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) analysis revealed detailed information of their internal structure. They have a typical double-walled cup, with the perforated inner and outer walls concentrically distributed, but the structure between the two walls differs. The inverted cone-shaped cups have radially distributed septa between the walls. Perforated septa connect the two walls. The low and columnar cups have canals between the two walls, forming the network. These pores and cavities constitute an important component of the water current system (pumping and filtering water with a network of canals and chambers) and influence the process of filtration in the cup. In comparison to traditional thin-section analysis, the combination of SEM and Micro-CT analysis on phosphatized archaeocyaths presented in this study further explored the detailed internal structure and finely reconstructed the microscopic overall morphology and anatomy, which provide important information to help us understand the systematic taxonomy, anatomy, and morphology of archaeocyaths during the Cambrian period.

Background: Post-infarction chronic heart failure is the most common type of heart failure. Patients with chronic heart failure show elevated morbidity and mortality with limited evidence-based therapies. Phosphoproteomic and proteomic analysis can provide insights regarding molecular mechanisms underlying post-infarction chronic heart failure and explore new therapeutic approaches.Methods and results: Global quantitative phosphoproteomic and proteomic analysis of left ventricular tissues from post-infarction chronic heart failure rats were performed. A total of 33 differentially expressed phosphorylated proteins (DPPs) and 129 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that DPPs were enriched mostly in nucleocytoplasmic transport and mRNA surveillance pathway. Bclaf1 Ser658 was identified after construction of Protein-Protein Interaction Network and intersection with Thanatos Apoptosis Database. Predicted Upstream Kinases of DPPs based on kinase-substrate enrichment analysis (KSEA) app showed 13 kinases enhanced in heart failure. Proteomic analysis showed marked changes in protein expression related to cardiac contractility and metabolism.Conclusion: The present study marked phosphoproteomics and proteomics changes in post-infarction chronic heart failure. Bclaf1 Ser658 might play a critical role in apoptosis in heart failure. PRKAA1, PRKACA, and PAK1 might serve as potential therapeutic targets for post-infarction chronic heart failure.

BackgroundDisorders of consciousness (DoC) commonly occurs secondary to severe neurological injury. A considerable volume of research has explored the effectiveness of different non-invasive neuromodulation therapy (NINT) on awaking therapy, however, equivocal findings were reported.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to systematically investigate the effectiveness on level of consciousness of different NINT in patients with DoC and explore optimal stimulation parameters and characteristics of patients.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane central register of controlled trials were searched from their inception through November 2022. Randomized controlled trials, that investigated effectiveness on level of consciousness of NINT, were included. Mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was evaluated as effect size. Risk of bias was assessed with revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.ResultsA total of 15 randomized controlled trials with 345 patients were included. Meta-analysis was performed on 13 out of 15 reviewed trials indicating that transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and median nerve stimulation (MNS) all had a small but significant effect (MD 0.71 [95% CI 0.28, 1.13]; MD 1.51 [95% CI 0.87, 2.15]; MD 3.20 [95%CI: 1.45, 4.96]) on level of consciousness. Subgroup analyses revealed that patients with traumatic brain injury, higher initial level of consciousness (minimally conscious state), and shorter duration of prolonged DoC (subacute phase of DoC) reserved better awaking ability after tDCS. TMS also showed encouraging awaking effect when stimulation was applied on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with prolonged DoC.ConclusiontDCS and TMS appear to be effective interventions for improving level of consciousness of patients with prolonged DoC. Subgroup analyses identified the key parameters required to enhance the effects of tDCS and TMS on level of consciousness. Etiology of DoC, initial level of consciousness, and phase of DoC could act as significant characteristics of patients related to the effectiveness of tDCS. Stimulation site could act as significant stimulation parameter related to the effectiveness of TMS. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of MNS in clinical practice to improve level of consciousness in patients with coma.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=337780, identifier: CRD42022337780.

PurposeThis study investigated the functional outcomes of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) after physiological ischemic training (PIT), identified the optimal PIT protocol, evaluated its cardioprotective effects and explored the underlying neural mechanisms.MethodsPatients with CHF were randomly divided into experimental group (n = 25, PIT intervention + regular treatment) and control group (n = 25, regular treatment). The outcomes included the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiopulmonary parameters. LVEF and cardiac biomarkers in CHF rats after various PIT treatments (different in intensity, frequency, and course of treatment) were measured to identify the optimal PIT protocol. The effect of PIT on cardiomyocyte programmed cell death was investigated by western blot, flow cytometry and fluorescent staining. The neural mechanism involved in PIT-induced cardioprotective effect was assessed by stimulation of the vagus nerve and muscarinic M2 receptor in CHF rats.ResultsLVEF and VO2max increased while BNP decreased in patients subjected to PIT. The optimal PIT protocol in CHF rats was composed of five cycles of 5 min ischemia followed by 5 min reperfusion on remote limbs for 8 weeks. LVEF and cardiac biomarker levels were significantly improved, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis was inhibited. However, these cardioprotective effects disappeared after subjecting CHF rats to vagotomy or muscarinic M2 receptor inhibition.ConclusionPIT improved functional outcomes in CHF patients. The optimal PIT protocol required appropriate intensity, reasonable frequency, and adequate treatment course. Under these conditions, improvement of cardiac function in CHF was confirmed through cardiomyocyte apoptosis reduction and vagus nerve activation.

Multiple freeze–thaw (F–T) treatments could change a protein structure and affect its physicochemical activities. In this work, soy protein isolate (SPI) was subjected to multiple F–T treatments, and the changes in its physicochemical and functional properties were investigated. The three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that F–T treatments changed the structure of SPI, including an increase in surface hydrophobicity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that SPI underwent denaturation, unfolding and aggregation due to the interchange of sulfhydryl-disulfide bonds and the exposure of hydrophobic groups. Correspondingly, the particle size of SPI increased significantly and the protein precipitation rate also increased from 16.69%/25.33% to 52.52%/55.79% after nine F–T treatments. The F–T treated SPI had a higher antioxidant capacity. Results indicate that F–T treatments may be used as a strategy to ameliorate preparation methods and improve functional characteristics of SPI, and suggest that multiple F–T treatment is an alternative way to recover soy proteins.

Abstract Background Boerhaave’s syndrome is the spontaneous rupture of the esophagus, which requires early diagnosis and treatment. Symptoms may vary, and diagnosis can be challenging. Case presentation Case 1: A 54-year-old Chinese man presented to us with sudden-onset epigastric pain radiating to the back following hematemesis. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a full-thickness rupture of the esophageal wall. Subsequent computed tomography showed frank pneumomediastinum and heterogeneous pleural effusion. Immediately, esophageal perforation repair operation and jejunostomy were performed. The postoperative period was uneventful, and he was discharged. Case 2: A 62-year-old Chinese man was admitted to the emergency department with thoracic dull pain and chest distress. Chest computed tomography scan showed pneumomediastinum and large left-sided pleural effusion. Esophagus fistula was confirmed by contrast esophagography. Then, we performed thoracotomy to repair the esophageal tear as well as to debride and irrigate the left pleural space. His postoperative period was uneventful, with no leakage or stricture. Case 3: The patient was a 69-year-old Chinese male presenting with severe retrosternal and upper abdominal pain following an episode of forceful vomiting. Thoracic computed tomography scan revealed a rupture in the left distal part of the esophagus, a pneumomediastinum, and left-sided pleural effusions. Conservative treatment failed to improve disease conditions. Open thoracic surgery was performed with debridement and drainage of the mediastinum and the pleural cavity, after which he made a slow but full recovery. Conclusions We highlight that early diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment are essential for optimum outcome in patients with esophageal rupture. We emphasize the importance of critical care support, particularly in the early stages of management.

Background: A novel braided nasal stent is an effective alternative to nasal packing after septoplasty that can be used to manage the mucosal flap after septoplasty and expand the nasal cavity. This study aimed to investigate the influence of design parameters on the mechanical properties of the nasal stent for optimal performance.Methods: A braided nasal stent modeling method was proposed and 27 stent models with a range of different geometric parameters were built. The compression behavior and bending behavior of these stent models were numerically analyzed using a finite element method (FEM). The orthogonal test was used as an optimization method, and the optimized design variables of the stent with improved performance were obtained based on range analysis and weight grade method.Results: The reaction force and bending stiffness of the braided stent increased with the wire diameter, braiding density, and external stent diameter, while wire diameter resulted as the most important determining parameter. The external stent diameter had the greatest influence on the elongation deformation. The influence of design parameters on von-Mises stress distribution of bent stent models was visualized. The stent model with geometrical parameters of 25 mm external diameter, 30° braiding angle, and 0.13 mm wire diameter (A3B3C3) had a greater reaction force but a considerably smaller bending stiffness, which was the optimal combination of parameters.Conclusion: Firstly, among the three design parameters of braided stent models, wire diameter resulted as the most important parameter determining the reaction force and bending stiffness. Secondly, the external stent diameter significantly influenced the elongation deformation during the compression simulation. Finally, 25 mm external diameter, 30° braiding angle, and 0.13 mm wire diameter (A3B3C3) was the optimal combination of stent parameters according to the orthogonal test results.

Background: Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIR) following a stroke results in secondary damage and is a leading cause of adult disability. The present study aimed to identify hub genes and networks in CIR to explore potential therapeutic agents for its treatment. Methods: Differentially expressed genes based on the GSE23163 dataset were identified, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to explore co-expression modules associated with CIR. Hub genes were identified by intersecting immune gene profiles, differentially expressed genes, and modular genes. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, and transcription factor-microRNA-gene regulatory network analyses were then conducted in selected crucial modules. Subsequently, their expression levels in animal models were verified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Finally, potential drug molecules were screened for, and molecular docking simulations were performed to identify potential therapeutic targets. Results: Seven hub genes—namely, Ccl3, Ccl4, Ccl7, Cxcl1, Hspa1a, Cd14, and Socs3—were identified. Furthermore, we established a protein interaction network using the STRING database and found that the core genes selected through the cytohubba plugin remained consistent. Animal experiments showed that at the transcriptional level, all seven genes showed significant differences (p < 0.001, fold change vs sham, 5–200). At the translational level, however, only Ccl3, Ccl4, Ccl7, Hspa1a, and Socs3 showed significant differences, while Cxcl1 and Cd14 did not. Nifedipine, with the highest predicted score, was identified as a therapeutic agent and successfully docked with the protein encoded by the hub genes. Conclusions: The expression of Ccl3, Ccl4, Ccl7, Hspa1a, and Socs3 was significantly different in CIR tissues compared to normal tissues both at the transcriptional and translational levels. Systems biology approaches indicated that these could be possible CIR marker genes, providing a stepping stone for further experimental studies.

Improved designs for underwater manipulators are becoming increasingly important due to their utility in academic and industrial applications. In this work, an experiment was conducted in conjunction with a numerical simulation to investigate the hydrodynamic performance and structural reliability of the proposed foldable arm during the unfolding process at various movement velocities. A large-scale geometric model of the foldable arm with a single degree of freedom (DOF) was constructed. The distribution of the flow field, the movement stability and the equivalent stress of the foldable arm were quantitatively analyzed with a designed tank experiment and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Simulation results show that the maximum deviation of the resistance and torque is 8.04% and 5.73%, respectively, compared with the experimental results of static postures. Comparison results prove the reliability of the numerical model. The results of transient simulation demonstrate that the optimal speed of the foldable arm is 3 Kn and the pressure distribution on the surface of foldable arm is relatively regular. Furthermore, a fluid–structure interaction (FSI) validation study of the foldable arm was presented. For the coupling between the fluid and structural mechanics domains, a nonmatching discretization approach was adopted. The results show that the directional deformation (Z axis) of the foldable arm is less than 0.50 mm. The proposed foldable arm has a large angle of rotation and high stability compared to the existing manipulators.

Abstract Background Previous studies have shown the effect of MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphism on stroke risk. But the results of published studies remained inconclusive and controversial. So we conducted a meta-analysis to accurately estimate the potential association between MTHFR A1298C gene polymorphism and stroke susceptibility. Methods A systematic literature search on Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and WanFang electronic database identified 40 articles including 5725 cases and 8655 controls. Strength of association was evaluated by pooled odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI) and p value. Funnel plots and Begger’s regression test were applied for testing the publication bias. Statistical analysis of all data was performed by Stata 12.0. Results The meta-analysis results indicated a significant relationship between MTHFR gene A1298C polymorphisms and stoke risk under the C allelic genetic model (OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.07–1.32, p = 0.001), dominant genetic model (OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.06–1.33, p = 0.004) and recessive genetic model (OR = 1.43, 95%CI =1.15–1.77, p = 0.001). In subgroup analysis, we discovered obvious correlation in three genetic model of Asian, stroke type, adult by ethnicity, population, stroke type, source of control and case size. Additionally, in studies of control from hospital and case size equal 100, obvious correlation was also found in the three genetic model. Conclusions Our meta-analysis results indicated that there was evidence to support the correlation between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and stroke susceptibility, especially in adults and ischemic stroke.

ObjectivesFor the ship structures subjected to pulse loading such as explosion or slamming, research on the "saturated impulse" phenomenon shows that designing hull structures with maximum loading amplitude and total impulse is unreasonable. Hence, exploring the application of saturated impulse in engineering is necessary.MethodsThe concept and development of the saturation phenomenon are first summarized. Then, taking a cabin internal explosion as a typical example, the loading curve and structural response characteristics are analyzed by FEM. Following that, the complex blast loadings are equivalent to the rectangular pressure pulse loadings of the saturated equivalent method, and the response of structures under the equivalent loadings are calculated by theoretical and numerical methods.Results The results show that the saturated impulse phenomenon exists in a wide array of cabin explosions due to the existence of quasi-static overpressure. In practical engineering problems, the explosion loading will produce large plastic deformation (usually more than 10 times the plate thickness), with an error of less than 10% between the analysis results and the numerical simulation results, by using the equivalent method based on saturated impulse.ConclusionsBy studying the cabin internal explosion saturation phenomenon, the results of the plastic dynamic response of the structure can be given more accurately, and repeated complex nonlinear numerical calculations can be reduced in structural optimization, so as to carry out the anti-impact design of the hull structure more effectively.

A small skeletal fossil assemblage is described for the first time from the bioclastic limestone interbeds of the siltstone-dominated Guojiaba Formation, southern Shaanxi, China. The carbonate-hosted fossils include brachiopods (Eohadrotreta zhujiahensis, Eohadrotreta zhenbaensis, Spinobolus sp., Kuangshanotreta malungensis, Kyrshabaktella sp., Lingulellotreta yuanshanensis, Eoobolus incipiens, and Eoobolus sp.), sphenothallids (Sphenothallus sp.), archaeocyaths (Robustocyathus sp. and Yukonocyathus sp.), bradoriids (Kunmingella douvillei), chancelloriids sclerites (Onychia sp., Allonnia sp., Diminia sp., Archiasterella pentactina, and Chancelloria cf. eros), echinoderm plates, fragments of trilobites (Eoredlichia sp.), and hyolithelminths. The discovery of archaeocyaths in the Guojiaba Formation significantly extends their stratigraphic range in South China from the early Tsanglangpuian at least to the late Chiungchussuan. Thus, the Guojiaba Formation now represents the lowest known stratigraphic horizon where archaeocyath fossils have been found in the southern Shaanxi area. The overall assemblage is most comparable, in terms of composition, to Small skeletal fossil (SSF) assemblages from the early Cambrian Chengjiang fauna recovered from the Yu’anshan Formation in eastern Yunnan Province. The existing position that the Guojiaba Formation is correlated with Stage 3 in Cambrian Series 2 is strongly upheld based on the fossil assemblage recovered in this study.

Hardgrounds are surfaces of synsedimentarily cemented carbonate beds that form at or near the seafloor. They are concentrated in particular periods of the geological record and their presence is closely linked to main climatic and biological events. For example, it has been proposed that early lithification of carbonate sediments facilitated the substantial increase of biodiversity during the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Thus, identification of hardgrounds forms an integral component in documenting both geological and evolutionary events in the early Palaeozoic. Recognition of hardgrounds, including early Palaeozoic examples, is often not straightforward, usually because they lack encrustations and/or bioeroded grains and clasts. Due to the homogeneous texture of micrite, often bioeroded grains and clasts are hard to find and thus cannot be used for hardground identification. Hiatal surfaces, due to omission, are frequently associated with the development of hard substrate. Hiatal surfaces and hardgrounds are often characterised by occurrences of attached organisms, encrustations, truncation and signs of bioerosion. Borings are key evidence in investigations of hardground development. The unequivocal identification of borings is done through identification of the crosscutting relationship between the proposed boring and a hard substrate such as lithoclasts and/or shells. However, morphological criteria are difficult to use when trying to identify borings or burrows in a homogeneous substrate. Bioeroded hardgrounds and burrows with a micrite halo/lining are subjects to fracturing and reworking, resulting in accumulations of intraclasts in flat-pebble conglomerates (FPC). The recognition of borings and broken burrows with a halo can be challenging in FPC. Using trace fossils preserved in situ and in FPC in the late Cambrian carbonates of North China, we established a set of criteria for distinguishing borings from burrows with a halo in FPC. Features such as the relative volume of burrows and borings versus the host pebble and the number of traces per pebble, the cross-cutting relationship with laminae of different colour, and the presence of pyrite or glauconite encrustations can all be used for the recognition of borings. However, examination of the crosscutting relationship and encrustation are not sufficient on their own. Our results suggest caution by defining borings in FPC, particularly as synsedimentary deformation of burrows with a halo in the late Cambrian FPC can create structures similar to borings.

Abstract With exquisite design and unique style, the painted sculptures of Tutang Buddha and two attendants Buddha in Jingyin Temple are precious cultural heritages of China. The sculpture of Tutang Buddha, which was carved from a mound and painted by ancient craftsmen, was rarely found in ancient China. However, due to natural and human factors, the sculptures were severely damaged. Obviously, they require urgent and appropriate protection and restoration. In this study, samples taken from the sculptures were analysed through multiple analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and granulometry. The analysis results enable us to infer the techniques used by the craftsmen in making the sculptures and provide a reliable evidence for the conservation and future protection of these and similar sculptures.

Abstract Background Liao ning virus (LNV) is a member of the genus Seadornavirus, family Reoviridae and has been isolated from kinds of vectors in Asia and Australia. However, there are no systematic studies describe the molecular genetic evolution and migration of LNVs. With the development of bioinformatics, viral genetic data combining the information of virus isolation time and locations could be integrated to infer the virus evolution and spread in nature. Methods Here, a phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis using Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations was conducted on the LNVs isolated from a variety of vectors during 1990–2014 to identify the evolution and migration patterns of LNVs. Results The results demonstrated that the LNV could be divided into 3 genotypes, of which genotype 1 mainly composed of LNVs isolated from Australia during 1990 to 2014 and the original LNV strain (LNV-NE97–31) isolated from Liaoning province in northern China in 1997, genotype 2 comprised of the isolates all from Xinjiang province in western China and genotype 3 consisted the isolates from Qinghai and Shanxi province of central China. LNVs emerged about 272 years ago and gradually evolved into three lineages in the order genotype 1, genotype 2 and genotype 3. Following phylogeographic analysis, it shows genotype 1 LNVs transmitted from Australia (113°E-153°E,10°S-42°S) to Liaoning province (118°E-125°E,38°N-43°N) in Northeast Asian continent then further spread across the central part of China to western China (75°E-95°E,35°N-50°N). Conclusion LNVs were initially isolated from Liaoning province of China in the Northeast Asia, however, the present study revealed that LNVs were first appeared in Australia in the South Pacific region and transmitted to mainland China then rapidly spread across China and evolved three different genotypes. The above results suggested that LNV had the characteristics of long-distance transmission and there were great genetic diversity existed in the LNV population. Notably, current information of 80 strains of LNVs are limited. It is of great importance to strengthen the surveillance of LNVs to explore its real origin in nature and monitoring of the LNVs’ population variation and maintain vigilance to avoid LNV breaking through the species barrier and further clarify its relationship to human and animal infection.

Accurate and timely crop mapping is crucial for environment assessment, food security and agricultural production. However, for the areas with high landscape heterogeneity and frequent cloudy and rainy weather, the insufficient high-quality satellite images limit the accuracy of crop classification. The recently launched Chinese GF-6 wide field-of-view camera (WFV) with a revisit cycle of 4-day and spatial resolution of 16-meter shows great potential for agricultural monitoring. In this study, Qianjiang City characterized by complex agricultural landscapes was selected as the research area to assess the potential of GF-6 data in identifying crop types. Firstly, the pairwise and global separability were calculated to analyze the effect of different spectral-temporal features of GF-6 images on crop classification. A total of 255 spectral-temporal features derived from 15 GF-6 tiles were then used to perform random forest classification. Furthermore, the classification results were evaluated based on 671 field samples and then compared the accuracy between GF-6 data and Sentinel-2 or Landsat-8 data. In addition, the earliest identifiable time of crop types was also determined by iteratively using all available GF-6 data during each time period. The results suggested that the overall accuracy (OA) of all available GF-6 images was 91.55%, which was significantly higher than that of Landsat-8 data (OA = 85.97%) and was slightly lower than that of Sentinel-2 data (OA = 93.10%). The newly added red-edge bands (0.69 ∼ 0.73 μm, 0.73 ∼ 0.77 μm) and their derivative vegetation indices were important spectral features, and the period from mid-March to early-April was the best temporal window for crop identification in our research area. Moreover, late July was the earliest crop identifiable time with overall accuracy of 90% for the first time of the year. These results indicated the great potential of GF-6 images for classifying crop types in the areas with complex cropping system and fragmented agricultural landscapes, particularly when integrating other satellite data with comparable spatial resolution (e.g. Chinese GF-1 data and Sentinel-2 data).

Adhesion is thought to increase host-bacterial interactions, thus enabling health benefits to the host. Production of exopolysaccharides increases the chance of probiotic survival in the gastrointestinal tract and promotes adhesion to the epithelium; In our previous research, LBP can be used as potential prebiotics. Therefore we hypothesize that LBP supported the adhesion of Lactobacillus spp. After adding LBP, the result showed that LBP promoted the adhesion of 7 Lactobacillus strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM had the maximum adhesion rate ranging from 6.2 ± 1.16 to 25.5 ± 1.80 CFU/cell. Specifically, the components of LBP were analyzed by gas chromatography, We found that the similarity of polysaccharide components mainly promoted adhesion. After adding antibiotics, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LP-39 was affected; LBP was then added to revert from 5.0 ± 0.63 to 6.5 ± 0.67 CFU/cell. These findings suggest that LBP is potential prebiotics and can enhance the adhesion of Lactobacillus to Caco-2 cells.

Objectives: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is hypothesized to play a role in the regulation of pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). This study was designed to compare m6A-tagged transcript profiles to identify mRNA-specific changes on pathophysiological variations after MI.Methods: N6-methyladenosine methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were interacted to select m6A-modified mRNAs with samples collected from sham operated and MI rat models. m6A methylation regulated mRNAs were interacted with apoptosis/angiogenesis related genes in GeneCards. Afterwards, MeRIP-quantitative real-time PCR (MeRIP-qRT-PCR) was performed to measure m6A methylation level of hub mRNAs. m6A methylation variation was tested under different oxygen concentration or hypoxic duration in H9c2 cells and HUVECs. In addition, Western blot and qRT-PCR were employed to detect expression of hub mRNAs and relevant protein level. Flow cytometry and Tunel assay were conducted to assess apoptotic level. CCK-8, EdU, and tube formation assay were performed to measure cell proliferation and tube formation ability.Results: Upregulation of Mettl3 was firstly observed in vivo and in vitro, followed by upregulation of m6A methylation level. A total of 567 significantly changed m6A methylation peaks were identified, including 276 upregulated and 291 downregulated peaks. A total of 576 mRNAs were upregulated and 78 were downregulated. According to combined analysis of MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq, we identified 26 significantly hypermethylated and downregulated mRNAs. Based on qRT-PCR and interactive analysis, Hadh, Kcnn1, and Tet1 were preliminarily identified as hub mRNAs associated with apoptosis/angiogenesis. MeRIP-qRT-PCR assay confirmed the results from MeRIP-seq. With the inhibition of Mettl3 in H9c2 cells and HUVECs, downregulated m6A methylation level of total RNA and upregulated expression of hub mRNAs were observed. Increased m6A level was verified in the gradient context in terms of prolonged hypoxic duration and decreased oxygen concentration. Under simulated hypoxia, roles of Kcnn1 and Tet1 in angiogenesis and Hadh, Tet1, and Kcnn1 in apoptosis were further confirmed with our validation experiments.Conclusion: Roles of m6A-modified mRNA transcripts in the context of MI were preliminarily verified. In the context of m6A methylation, three hub mRNAs were validated to impact the process of apoptosis/angiogenesis. Our study provided theoretical basis and innovative targets for treatment of MI and paved the way for future investigations aiming at exploring upstream epigenetic mechanisms of pathogenesis after MI.

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are components of bacterial membranes in terrestrial soils, which are widely used in paleoenvironmental reconstruction in global terrestrial soils and marine sediments. In marine sediments, the mixed sources of brGDGTs complicate the applications of brGDGT-related indicators in reconstructing terrestrial environments. In this study, we reported the spatial distribution of brGDGT-related indicators (MBTʹ 5ME, CBTʹ 5ME, #Ringstetra, and IIIa/IIa) in surface sediments from the East China Sea (ECS). MBTʹ 5ME and CBTʹ 5ME showed a stepped trend from the inner shelf to the outer shelf, and #Ringstetra and ∑IIIa/∑IIa values in sediments of the ECS are distinct compared with those in the catchment soils, suggesting marine in situ production of brGDGTs. We also examined the existence of marine in situ brGDGTs and quantitatively determined the contributions of terrestrial and in situ production of brGDGTs. This study reported mixed sources of soil-derived brGDGTs were dominant, and marine in situ brGDGTs were overprinted. Our results indicate that there were predominantly marine in situ brGDGTs (avg. 60.5 ± 5.5%) in the outer shelf due to the weak riverine transportation and were characterized by high #Ringstetra and IIIa/IIa.