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Abstract The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant sparked the largest wave of infections worldwide. Mainland China eased its strict COVID-19 measures in late 2022 and experienced two nationwide Omicron waves in 2023. Here, we investigated lineage distribution and virus evolution in Guangdong, China, 2022-2023 by comparing 5813 local viral genomes with the datasets from other regions of China and worldwide. Additionally, we conducted three large-scale serological surveys involving 1696 participants to measure their immune response to the BA.5 and XBB.1.9 before and after the corresponding waves. Our findings revealed the Omicron variants, mainly the BA.5.2.48 lineage, causing infections in over 90% of individuals across different age groups within a month. This rapid spread led to the establishment of widespread immunity, limiting the virus’s ability to further adaptive mutation and dissemination. While similar immune responses to BA.5 were observed across all age groups after the initial wave, children aged 3 to 11 developed a stronger cross immune response to the XBB.1.9 strain, possibly explaining their lower infection rates in the following XBB.1 wave. Reinfection with Omicron XBB.1 variant triggered a more potent neutralizing immune response among older adults. These findings highlight the impact of age-specific immune responses on viral spread in potential future waves.

Negative thermal expansion (NTE) defies the conventional wisdom of lattice dynamics and offers a novel way to control the expansion coefficient and address some challenges in modern science and technology. From an application standpoint, materials exhibiting NTE across a broad temperature range, including room temperature, are highly sought after. In this work, we propose the multi-doping strategy and prepared a series of rare-earth-based lithium oxides featuring negative thermal expansion, with the objective of adjusting their temperature range. The phase transition temperatures of these materials range from 202 K to 467 K, demonstrating a linear correlation with the average ionic radius of the rare-earth elements. By capitalizing on the synergistic effects of four rare-earth elements, we expand the full width at half maximum of the thermal expansion peak in Li(ErYHoDy)0.25O2 from 1.6 K to 14.5 K, a notable improvement of nearly tenfold is achieved. Additionally, we investigate the low-temperature magnetocaloric effects and inverse barocaloric effects within these rare-earth-based lithium oxides. Temperature- and pressure-dependent Raman scattering measurements indicate that the phase transitions and the barocaloric effects are associated with the stretching mode of the Li–O bond and the vibrational mode of the YO6 octahedron.

Abstract Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious viral illness primarily affecting children globally. A significant epidemiological transition has been noted in mainland China, characterized by a substantial increase in HFMD cases caused by non-Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) and non-Coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) enteroviruses (EVs). Our study conducts a retrospective examination of 36,461 EV-positive specimens collected from Guangdong, China, from 2013 to 2021. Epidemiological trends suggest that, following 2013, Coxsackievirus A6 (CVA6) and Coxsackievirus A10 (CVA10) have emerged as the primary etiological agents for HFMD. In stark contrast, the incidence of EV-A71 has sharply declined, nearing extinction after 2018. Notably, cases of CVA10 infection were considerably younger, with a median age of 1.8 years, compared to 2.3 years for those with EV-A71 infections, possibly indicating accumulated EV-A71-specific herd immunity among young children. Through extensive genomic sequencing and analysis, we identified the N136D mutation in the 2 A protein, contributing to a predominant subcluster within genogroup C of CVA10 circulating in Guangdong since 2017. Additionally, a high frequency of recombination events was observed in genogroup F of CVA10, suggesting that the prevalence of this lineage might be underrecognized. The dynamic landscape of EV genotypes, along with their potential to cause outbreaks, underscores the need to broaden surveillance efforts to include a more diverse spectrum of EV genotypes. Moreover, given the shifting dominance of EV genotypes, it may be prudent to re-evaluate and optimize existing vaccination strategies, which are currently focused primarily target EV-A71.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to analyze the imaging risk factors for the development of 2–3 cm ground-glass nodules (GGN) for invasive lung adenocarcinoma and to establish a nomogram prediction model to provide a reference for the pathological prediction of 2–3 cm GGN and the selection of surgical procedures.MethodsWe reviewed the demographic, imaging, and pathological information of 596 adult patients who underwent 2–3 cm GGN resection, between 2018 and 2022, in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University. Based on single factor analysis, the regression method was used to analyze multiple factors, and a nomogram prediction model for 2–3 cm GGN was established.Results(1) The risk factors for the development of 2–3 cm GGN during the invasion stage of the lung adenocarcinoma were pleural depression sign (OR = 1.687, 95%CI: 1.010–2.820), vacuole (OR = 2.334, 95%CI: 1.222–4.460), burr sign (OR = 2.617, 95%CI: 1.008–6.795), lobulated sign (OR = 3.006, 95%CI: 1.098–8.227), bronchial sign (OR = 3.134, 95%CI: 1.556–6.310), diameter of GGN (OR = 3.118, 95%CI: 1.151–8.445), and CTR (OR = 172.517, 95%CI: 48.023–619.745). (2) The 2–3 cm GGN risk prediction model was developed based on the risk factors with an AUC of 0.839; the calibration curve Y was close to the X-line, and the decision curve was drawn in the range of 0.0–1.0.ConclusionWe analyzed the risk factors for the development of 2–3 cm GGN during the invasion stage of the lung adenocarcinoma. The predictive model developed based on the above factors had some clinical significance.

BackgroundPulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is a chronic communicable disease of major public health and social concern. Although spatial-temporal analysis has been widely used to describe distribution characteristics and transmission patterns, few studies have revealed the changes in the small-scale clustering of PTB at the street level. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics and clusters of PTB at the street level in the Shenzhen municipality of China to provide a reference for PTB prevention and control. MethodsData of reported PTB cases in Shenzhen from January 2010 to December 2019 were extracted from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention to describe the epidemiological characteristics. Time-series, spatial-autocorrelation, and spatial-temporal scanning analyses were performed to identify the spatial and temporal patterns and high-risk areas at the street level. ResultsA total of 58,122 PTB cases from 2010 to 2019 were notified in Shenzhen. The annual notification rate of PTB decreased significantly from 64.97 per 100,000 population in 2010 to 43.43 per 100,000 population in 2019. PTB cases exhibited seasonal variations with peaks in late spring and summer each year. The PTB notification rate was nonrandomly distributed and spatially clustered with a Moran I value of 0.134 (P=.02). One most-likely cluster and 10 secondary clusters were detected, and the most-likely clustering area was centered at Nanshan Street of Nanshan District covering 6 streets, with the clustering time spanning from January 2010 to November 2012. ConclusionsThis study identified seasonal patterns and spatial-temporal clusters of PTB cases at the street level in the Shenzhen municipality of China. Resources should be prioritized to the identified high-risk areas for PTB prevention and control.

Abstract Background The oncology-related indices between open and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) procedures for thymic carcinomas (TCs) and thymic neuroendocrine tumors (TNETs) remain unclear. Methods Propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate Cox proportional risk models were used to evaluate the perioperative outcomes and survival rates of patients undergoing open and VATS for TCs and TNETs at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University Hospital, between 2009 and 2018. Results Of the total 126 cases of TCs and TNETs, VATS treatment was used in 39 (30.9%). Advanced age and Masaoka-Koga staging were found to be independent prognostic factors for both TCs and TNETs, through a multifactorial Cox regression analysis. There was no significant difference in survival between the VATS and open groups before and after PSM; however, the VATS group had better perioperative-related indicators. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of mortality at 30 days, mortality at 90 days, R0 resection rate, and 5-year survival rate (67.5% vs. 58.5% [P = 0.260] in the VATS group compared to the open group, in a PSM analysis of the 27 VATS and 27 open groups). Compared to the open group, the VATS group had a shorter length of hospital stay (13 days vs. 16 days, P = 0.015), a shorter level I care (0 days vs. 1 day, P = 0.016), and less intraoperative bleeding (50 mL vs. 300 mL, P

Rubbing between a blade and its coated casing is one of the main failures in aero-engine systems. This paper aims to study the effects of coated casings on rubbing-induced dynamic responses considering the flexibility of the coated casing and the flexibility of the blade. Firstly, an actual compressor blade is established by the shell element and verified by the experiment and ANSYS 19.2 software. Subsequently, a new dynamic model for the coated casing is proposed based on the laminated shell element, and the proposed dynamic model for the coated casing is verified by comparing the natural characteristics calculated by ANSYS software. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to analyze the influences of the casing model, coating parameters, and casing parameters on vibration characteristics. Finally, the results show that the coating can diminish the severity level of rubbing. Notably, the material and thickness of the coating can change the nodal diameter vibrations of the casings (NDVCs) induced by rubbing. This study provides valuable guidance for the optimization and design of blade–casing systems.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is a significant hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) etiology. The inactivated EV-A71 vaccines were approved in China in 2016. However, the seroprevalence of EV-A71 after the vaccine application and its potential association with the EV-A71 epidemic in the population are rarely studied. In this study, we analyzed the incidence of EV-A71 infection and seroepidemiology in Guangzhou City, China. From 2019 to 2021, 167,920 clinically confirmed HFMD cases were reported in Guangzhou. In 6,868 enterovirus-positive samples, Coxsackievirus A6 and Coxsackievirus A16 were dominant genotypes, and only 3 EV-A71-positive samples were detected, highlighting the deficient epidemic activity of EV-A71. Microneutralization assay was performed on 1,000 representative serum samples. Notably, the seroprevalence and geometric mean titer (GMT) decreased significantly in 2020, and that in the < 3-year age group were increased and even higher than that in 3–5-year age group in 2019 and 2021, which was contrary to our previous surveillance result and other studies in Guangzhou. Furthermore, a moderate decline of GMT level was observed following the vaccination, but the seropositive serums were still detected for 49 months after second immunization, suggesting the long-term persistence of the immunity. Our seroepidemiology study revealed relatively higher neutralizing antibody activity in the susceptible population after the EV-A71 vaccine was adopted in 2016 in Guangzhou. It may be one of the reasons for the lower epidemic activity of EV-A71 in Guangzhou from 2019 to 2021.

Background: After the adjustment of COVID-19 epidemic policy, mainland China experienced two consecutive waves of Omicron variants within a seven-month period. In Guangzhou city, as one of the most populous regions, the viral infection characteristics, molecular epidemiology, and the dynamic of population immunity are still elusive. Methods: We launched a prospective cohort study in the Guangdong Provincial CDC from December 2022 to July 2023. Fifty participants who received the same vaccination regimen and had no previous infection were recruited. Results: 90% of individuals were infected with Omicron BA.5* variants within three weeks in the first wave. Thirteen cases (28.26%) experienced infection with XBB.1* variants, occurring from 14 weeks to 21 weeks after the first wave. BA.5* infections exhibited higher viral loads in nasopharyngeal sites compared to oropharyngeal sites. Compared to BA.5* infections, the XBB.1* infections had significantly milder clinical symptoms, lower viral loads, and shorter durations of virus positivity. The infection with the BA.5* variant elicited varying levels of neutralizing antibodies against XBB.1* among different individuals, even with similar levels of BA.5* antibodies. The level of neutralizing antibodies specific to XBB.1* determined the risk of reinfection. Conclusions: The rapid large-scale infections of the Omicron variants have quickly established herd immunity among the population in mainland China. In the future of the COVID-19 epidemic, a lower infection rate but a longer duration can be expected. Given the large population size and ongoing diversified herd immunity, it remains crucial to closely monitor the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 for the emergence of new variants of concern in this region. Additionally, the timely evaluation of the immune status across different age groups is essential for informing future vaccination strategies and intervention policies.

Map matching of trajectory data has wide applications in path planning, traffic flow analysis, and intelligent driving. The process of map matching involves matching GPS trajectory points to roads in a roadway network, thereby converting a trajectory sequence into a segment sequence. However, GPS trajectories are frequently incorrectly matched during the map-matching process, leading to matching errors. Considering that few studies have focused on the causes of map-matching errors, as well as the distribution of these errors, the study aims to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics and the contributing factors that cause map-matching errors. The study employs the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) algorithm to match the trajectories and identifies the four types of map-matching errors by examining the relationship between the matched trajectories and the driving routes. The map-matching errors consist of Off-Road Error (ORE), Wrong-match on Road Error (WRE), Off-Junction Error (OJE), and Wrong-match in Junction Error (WJE). The kernel density method and multinomial logistic model are further exploited to analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of the map-matching errors. The results indicate that the occurrence of map-matching errors substantially varies in time and space, with variation significantly influenced by intersection features and road characteristics. The findings provide a better understanding of the contributing factors associated with map-matching errors and serve to improve the accuracy of map matching for commercial vehicles.

Background: The relationship between pre-eclampsia (PE) and cervical cancer (CC) has drawn more attention recently, while little is known about the shared pathogenesis of CC and PE. In the present research, we aimed to generate the shared gene network as well as the prognostic model to reveal the development of CC and PE.Methods: The transcription data of CC and PE patients were obtained and enrolled into weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) analysis. Disease-specific modules in CC and PE were determined to discover the shared genes. The expression patterns of genes at protein level were examined by HPA database. Further, LASSO penalty regression and Cox analysis were applied to create a prognostic signature based on the shared genes, with survival curves and ROC plots employed to confirm the predictive capacity. To uncover the function roles and pathways involved in signature, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted. Finally, the immune infiltration status in CC was depicted using CIBERSORT algorithms.Results: WGCNA determined three hub modules between CC and PE. A total of 117 shared genes were obtained for CC and PE and mainly enriched in cell proliferation, regulation of cell development and neuron differentiation. Then, we created a robust prognostic model based on the 10 shared genes by performing stepwise Cox analyses. Our proposed model presented a favorable ability in prognosis forecast and was correlated with the infiltration of immunocytes including B cells, macrophages and T cells. GSEA disclosed that high-risk group was involved in cancer-related pathways.Conclusion: The present project identified the shared genes to uncover the pathogenesis of CC and PE and further proposed and validated a prognostic signature to accurately forecast the clinical outcomes of CC patients.

In recent years, emergent pollutant’s accidents have occurred frequently in China, causing serious harm to the ecological environment. In this study, the impact of an accidental fire and explosion at Tianjin Port in 2015 on the atmosphere over the Bohai Sea was explored. Results showed sharp increases in the concentrations of several important components of fine particulate matter (e.g. NO3−, SO42−, NH4+, organic carbon, elemental carbon) over Beihuangcheng Island after the explosion. Among them, NO3− was most affected (about 10 days), with a maximum concentration of 16.45 μg m−3. The δ15N-NO3− ranged from −1.58‰ to +8.74‰, with an average of +2.79‰ ± 3.32‰. Influenced by the explosion, δ15N-NO3− decreased significantly, which was in accordance with the industrial processes of explosives. The δ18O-NO3− varied between +49.40‰ and +69.52‰, and showed a marked increase (+66.62‰ ± 3.92‰) in the explosion-affected period. Using Monte Carlo simulation, the •OH pathway for NO3− formation was 51.79% ± 10.94% at that time — much lower than in the regular period. The elevated dry deposition of NO3− caused by the explosion was 266.08 μmol N m−2 d−1 over the Bohai Sea — again, much higher than in the regular period. With the dry nitrogen deposition of NH4+ (42.41 μmol N m−2 d−1), the total nitrogen deposition increased by 308.49 μmol N m−2 d−1, leading to severe ecological risk. Through the inverse computation of the dry deposition flux of NO3−, the affected area over the Bohai Sea was less than 1.42 × 104 km2, which is about 20% of the total area.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have attracted more attention because of their high atmospheric concentration and toxicity in recent decades. In this study, a total of 60 PM2.5 samples were collected from Beihuangcheng Island in Bohai Sea, China, from August 2017 to March 2018 for analyzing 16 congeners of PAHs (Σ16PAHs). Sources of PAHs were apportioned by a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and the carcinogenic risk due to exposure to the PAHs was estimated by the toxicity equivalent of BaP (BaPeq). The results showed that the average concentration of Σ16PAHs was 35.3 ± 41.8 ng/m3. The maximum concentration of Σ16PAHs occurred in winter, followed by spring and autumn, and summer. The PMF modeling apportioned the PAHs into four sources, coal combustion, biomass burning, vehicle exhaust, and petroleum release, contributing 43.1%, 25.8%, 24.7%, and 6.39%, respectively. The average ΣBaPeq concentration was 2.32 ± 4.95 ng/m3 during the sampling period, and vehicle exhaust was the largest contributor. The finding indicates that more attention should be paid to reduce the emissions from coal combustion and vehicle exhaust because they were the largest contributors to the PAH concentration in PM2.5 and ΣBaPeq concentration, respectively.

Abstract Background Little research has been conducted on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the sexual intercourse habits of men who have sex with men (MSM) in crowded places, both locally and abroad. This study conducted a survey of MSM in different locales of Inner Mongolia to provide a reference for developing strategies or measures to prevent and control HIV among this understudied population. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of men aged 18 years and older at different venues popular among MSM in Inner Mongolia. Between April and July 2012, MSM volunteered to participate in this study, receive HIV/syphilis testing, and complete a questionnaire about their behavior. A total of 1611 MSM participated. Participants signed a voluntary informed consent form, completed an anonymous questionnaire and were tested for HIV and syphilis antibodies. Results Of the 1611 MSM surveyed, 6.83 and 23.65 % had HIV and syphilis, respectively, and the co-infection rate was 3.17 %. Sociodemographic factors such as age, culture, marital status, knowledge of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) transmission, and peer education significantly differed between venues (P

Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and cytosolic RIG-I-like helicases (RIG-I and MDA5) sense viral RNAs and activate innate immune signaling pathways that induce expression of interferon (IFN) through specific adaptor proteins, TIR domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-β (TRIF), and mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), respectively. Previously, we demonstrated that hepatitis A virus (HAV), a unique hepatotropic human picornavirus, disrupts RIG-I/MDA5 signaling by targeting MAVS for cleavage by 3ABC, a precursor of the sole HAV protease, 3C(pro), that is derived by auto-processing of the P3 (3ABCD) segment of the viral polyprotein. Here, we show that HAV also disrupts TLR3 signaling, inhibiting poly(I:C)-stimulated dimerization of IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3), IRF-3 translocation to the nucleus, and IFN-β promoter activation, by targeting TRIF for degradation by a distinct 3ABCD processing intermediate, the 3CD protease-polymerase precursor. TRIF is proteolytically cleaved by 3CD, but not by the mature 3C(pro) protease or the 3ABC precursor that degrades MAVS. 3CD-mediated degradation of TRIF depends on both the cysteine protease activity of 3C(pro) and downstream 3D(pol) sequence, but not 3D(pol) polymerase activity. Cleavage occurs at two non-canonical 3C(pro) recognition sequences in TRIF, and involves a hierarchical process in which primary cleavage at Gln-554 is a prerequisite for scission at Gln-190. The results of mutational studies indicate that 3D(pol) sequence modulates the substrate specificity of the upstream 3C(pro) protease when fused to it in cis in 3CD, allowing 3CD to target cleavage sites not normally recognized by 3C(pro). HAV thus disrupts both RIG-I/MDA5 and TLR3 signaling pathways through cleavage of essential adaptor proteins by two distinct protease precursors derived from the common 3ABCD polyprotein processing intermediate.