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Cystic echinococcosis is caused by the larval stages (hydatids) of cestode parasites belonging to the species clusterEchinococcus granulosus sensu lato, withE. granulosus sensu strictobeing the main infecting species. Hydatids are bladder-like structures that attain large sizes within various internal organs of livestock ungulates and humans. Hydatids are protected by the massive acellular laminated layer (LL), composed mainly by mucins. Parasite growth requires LL turnover, and abundant LL-derived particles are found at infection sites in infected humans, raising the question of how LL materials are dealt with by the hosts. In this article, we show thatE. granulosus sensu strictoLL mucins injected into mice are taken up by Kupffer cells, the liver macrophages exposed to the vascular space. This uptake is largely dependent on the intact mucin glycans and on Clec4F, a C-type lectin receptor which in rodents is selectively expressed in Kupffer cells. This uptake mechanism operates on mucins injected both in soluble form i.v. and in particulate form i.p. In mice harbouring intraperitoneal infections by the same species, LL mucins were found essentially only at the infection site and in the liver, where they were taken up by Kupffer cells via Clec4F. Therefore, shed LL materials circulate in the host and Kupffer cells can act as a sink for these materials even when the parasite grows in sites other than the liver.

The aim of study is to estimate the role of energy financing for energy retrofit in COVID-19, with the intervening role of green bond financing. For this, Kalman technique is applied to infer the empirical findings. It is found that energy financing is significantly dependent on green bonds, and green bonds have a significant role in energy retrofit in E-7 economies specifically. It is further found that E-7 economies gained significant rise in energy efficiency financing green bonds financing, that has supportively extended energy retrofit - before and during COVID-19 crises. It is further found significant that the E-7 nations have to put alot of money into hydro and nuclear energy for energy retrofit, with low carbon emissions. In the light of COVID-19 crises, this study offers policy recommendations for effective energy management. However, such policy recommendations are expected to finely serve the financial intermediaries and national governments of E-7 economies to better optimize energy financing through green bond financing. The novelty of the study exists in topical framework and research directions, talking about the way forwards for energy efficiency financing - which is one of the latest issue of the recent times. Hence, this research provides some empirical verifications about energy financing in COVID-19 crises for energy retrofit, and shares some suggestions for stakeholders.

This work investigates the relationship of financial development with energy efficiency and economic growth. Due to the coexistence of economic expansion, trade openness, financial development, and urbanization in Indonesia and Turkey, these two countries are considered. Johansen cointegration, error correction, and Granger causality tests are applied to validate the predicted effects of economic activity on the environment. Results show a long-term relationship of Indonesia’s CO2 emissions with five out of six macroeconomic factors, except for urbanization, which has a detrimental effect on carbon emissions. On the other hand, no cointegration across variables is found in the case of Turkey. However, unidirectional causality is observed from energy consumption and economic growth to economic growth. Furthermore, economic growth, energy consumption, and trade openness have a two-way causal effect on financial development. This work encourages Turkish and Indonesian policymakers and regulators to strengthen environmental laws. It also encourages other economies and governments to conduct similar analyses and determine the best course of action.

Shengjue Xiao,1,* Linyun Zhang,1,2,* Qi Wu,1,* Yue Hu,3 Xiaotong Wang,1 Qinyuan Pan,1 Ailin Liu,1 Qiaozhi Liu,1 Jie Liu,1 Hong Zhu,1 Yufei Zhou,4,5 Defeng Pan1 1Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, The People’s Hospital of Suzhou New District, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of General Practice, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 221004, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200030, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Defeng PanDepartment of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 Huaihai West Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 516-83262017Email xzdefengpan@xzhmu.edu.cnObjective: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most effective treatments for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the need for postoperative revascularization remains a major problem in PCI. This study was to develop and validate a nomogram for prediction of revascularization after PCI in patients with ACS.Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted using data from 1083 patients who underwent PCI (≥ 6 months) at a single center from June 2013 to December 2019. They were divided into training (70%; n = 758) and validation (30%; n = 325) sets. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to establish a predictive model represented by a nomogram. The nomogram was developed and evaluated based on discrimination, calibration, and clinical efficacy using the concordance statistic (C-statistic), calibration plot and decision curve analysis (DCA), respectively.Results: The nomogram was comprised of ten variables: follow-up time (odds ratio (OR): 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00– 1.03), history of diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.25– 2.69), serum creatinine level on admission (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.98– 1.00), serum uric acid level on admission (OR: 1.005; 95% CI: 1.002– 1.007), lipoprotein-a level on admission (OR: 1.0021; 95% CI: 1.0013– 1.0029), low density lipoprotein cholesterol level on re-admission (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 0.10– 0.47), the presence of chronic total occlusion (OR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.93– 5.80), the presence of multivessel disease (OR: 4.48; 95% CI: 2.85– 7.28), the presence of calcified lesions (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.11– 2.39), and the presence of bifurcation lesions (OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.20– 2.77). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values for the training and validation sets were 0.765 (95% CI: 0.732– 0.799) and 0.791 (95% CI: 0.742– 0.830), respectively. The calibration plots showed good agreement between prediction and observation in both the training and validation sets. DCA also demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful.Conclusion: We developed an easy-to-use nomogram model to predict the risk of revascularization after PCI in patients with ACS. The nomogram may provide useful assessment of risk for subsequent treatment of ACS patients undergoing PCI.Keywords: acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous coronary intervention, revascularization, nomogram, prediction model

A scalable manufacturing protocol is developed to prepare polymer-based solvent-free all-solid flexible energy storage devices based on a two-roll mill and adapted rubber mixing technology. The as-prepared solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) consisting of commercial poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted natural rubber (MG

microRNA (miRNA/miR)-30a, a tumor-associated miRNA, has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of different types of human cancer. Thyroid cancer is a common endocrine malignancy, of which papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) accounts for ~80-90% of all TC. However, the effect of miR-30a in PTC is yet to be fully elucidated. The TPC-1 human PTC cell line, as well as the normal human thyroid cell line (HT-ori3), were utilized in the current study. The PTC cell line was transfected with a miR-30a mimic. Subsequently, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the expression of miR-30a and E2F transcription factor 7 (E2F7). Cell proliferation was assessed via a MTT assay and transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to detect the migration and invasion of PTC cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was also utilized to clarify the association between miR-30a and E2F7. The results of the current study revealed that miR-30a was significantly downregulated in TPC-1 cells compared with HT-ori3 cells and that the expression of E2F7 was significantly upregulated in PTC cells. The upregulation of miR-30a also inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of PTC cells. Furthermore, the luciferase assay revealed that miR-30a binds to the 3'-UTR of E2F7. Additionally, the overexpression of miR-30a decreased E2F7 levels in TPC-1 cells. These results indicate that miR-30a functions as a tumor suppressor in PTC by direct targeting E2F7 and that miR-30a may be a novel therapeutic target for patients with PTC.

In this study, fresh mangos were packed using a custom-made antimicrobial film coated with sustained-release chlorine dioxide microcapsules. We then compared physical and chemical indexes, such as weight loss rate, firmness, chromatic aberrations, soluble solids, vitamin C, titratable acid, and other nutritional indicators, to examine changes in the mango and film during storage. Our findings revealed that control mango showed loss of edible value and commercial value after 21 days of storage, and the chlorine dioxide microcapsule antibacterial film group still retains food value and commercial value. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images of the used film showed that the polylactic acid film was smooth and flat, whereas cross-sections of the antimicrobial film showed that the film was covered with voids due to deliberate release of chlorine dioxide gas during the packaging process. Thus, the antibacterial film exhibited erosion and degradation. These findings provided important insights into the use of antimicrobial films for the packaging of fruits during storage, which is essential for promoting the application of solid chlorine dioxide antimicrobial film in packaging preservation.

To maintain the quality of postharvest fruits continuously and meet the health requirements of consumers, a high barrier and long-lasting antibacterial polylactic acid film as packaging material was developed in this study. Polylactic acid-based antibacterial films incorporated with Cinnamaldehyde inclusions were used to achieve long-lasting antibacterial activity and improve the barrier properties. Cinnamaldehyde inclusions were prepared via the inclusion method and used as a sustained-release antibacterial agent and reinforcement to be incorporated into polylactic acid-based films within a concentration range of 0–30 wt%. The FT-IR spectrum demonstrated that the Cinnamaldehyde inclusions was physically interacting with PLA. The XRD results showed that the cinnamaldehyde inclusions at a concentration of 10 wt% enhanced the crystallinity of the antibacterial film. The oxygen and water vapor barrier properties of the film were respectively 14.29% and 12.38% higher than those of a pure PLA film. The tensile strength of the antibacterial film increased by 20%. And the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes was 100%. The release rate of cinnamaldehyde of the antibacterial film was slow and varied smoothly for 20 d.

In this study, a novel chlorine dioxide (ClO2) microcapsule with a performance of moisture-triggered release was fabricated followed by the mixing with polylactic acid (PLA) for the preparation of an antibacterial packaging film. ClO2 microcapsules were first prepared by encapsulating stable ClO2 solution (NaClO2 as the main component) in a PLA shell, and the resulting microcapsules together with tartaric acid were applied as antibacterial components for antimicrobial PLA film using solvent casting method. The impact of ClO2 microcapsules on the antimicrobial effectiveness, oxygen and water vapor barrier properties, mechanical behavior, and thermal stability of PLA films was investigated. The results showed that the addition of ClO2 microcapsules at a concentration of 20% imparted PLA films excellent antimicrobial properties with a growth inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus by 4.95 log CFU/mL and the antibacterial rate was 99%. Furthermore, the tensile strength of the films with ClO2 microcapsules at a concentration of 20% was 21.20 MPa, which was 19% higher than that of the PLA film without microcapsules. The oxygen and water vapor transmission rates reached 2800 cm3 m−2 24 h−1 and 20.00 g m−2 24 h−1, respectively, and the barrier properties were improved by 20 and 36.14%. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the generated film was stable before 193 °C. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed a good compatibility between the ClO2 microcapsules and the PLA matrix, and the emerged voids indicated the generation of ClO2 and its release from the antimicrobial film. An obvious sustained release of ClO2 from the antimicrobial film completed until 240 h. The release behavior fitted the logistic model, and the release mechanism followed the S model. This study may provide a feasible approach for the development of food packaging materials with efficient antibacterial activity and sustained-release performance.

The implementation of the “second child policy” and the influx of large numbers of people have led to an increase in the population of Zhejiang Province in China, placing pressure on the environment, health care, and education. In this context, this study intends to use the possibility-satisfaction (P-S) model to predict the population carrying capacity of Zhejiang Province from 2020 to 2025. This prediction system comprises economic, social, resource, and environmental systems. The following conclusions are drawn: the maximum population carrying capacity of Zhejiang in 2025 is 62 million. According to the current population development trend, the population of Zhejiang Province in 2025 will still be within the carrying capacity range. The population carrying capacity of the social system is the weakest.

Type II diabetes-induced ischemic injuries are known to lead to the rapid degeneration of the kidneys as a result of chronic renal failure. Chronic renal failure is a condition, which typically manifests with symptoms including cardiovascular system and left ventricular hypertrophy, atherosclerosis as well as arterial and aortic stiffness. Resveratrol is a multifunctional compound that has been reported to produce beneficial outcomes for patients with type-II diabetes due to prevention of oxidative stress and apoptosis. However, the beneficial effects of resveratrol in chronic renal failure and the underlying mechanisms have remained to be fully elucidated. The present study investigated the therapeutic effects of resveratrol in mice with chronic renal failure induced by type-II diabetes and assessed the mechanism of action. Oxidative stress, apoptosis and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the renal cells of the model mice were assessed. Changes in inflammatory factors renal cells from experimental mice as well as insulin resistance were also analyzed. Morphological changes and immunocytes in renal cells were determined by immunostaining. The results demonstrated that resveratrol treatment decreased the apoptotic rate of renal cells from experimental mice. Oxidative stress also improved in renal cells, as indicated by inhibition of superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal levels. In addition, insulin resistance was improved after an 8-week treatment with resveratrol. Inflammatory factors were decreased and factors promoting kidney function were increased after resveratrol treatment. Furthermore, morphological changes were observed to be ameliorated, indicating the therapeutic efficacy of resveratrol. In addition, immunocyte precipitation in renal cells was markedly decreased in resveratrol-treated mice. Importantly, the AMPK signaling pathway was found to be involved in the beneficial effect of resveratrol on the model mice. In conclusion, the present study suggested that resveratrol may be an ideal agent for the treatment of chronic renal failure induced by type-II diabetes through regulation of the AMPK signaling pathway, which should be further investigated in clinical trials.

Camellia sinensis synthesizes and emits a large variety of volatile phenylpropanoids and benzenoids (VPB). To investigate the enzymes involved in the formation of these VPB compounds, a new C. sinensis short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (CsSDR) was isolated, cloned, sequenced, and functionally characterized. The complete open reading frame of CsSDR contains 996 nucleotides with a calculated protein molecular mass of 34.5 kDa. The CsSDR recombinant protein produced in Escherichia coli exhibited dehydrogenase-reductase activity towards several major VPB compounds in C. sinensis flowers with a strong preference for NADP/NADPH co-factors, and showed affinity for (R)/(S)-1-phenylethanol (1PE), phenylacetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and benzyl alcohol, and no affinity for acetophenone (AP) and 2-phenylethanol. CsSDR showed the highest catalytic efficiency towards (R)/(S)-1PE. Furthermore, the transient expression analysis in Nicotiana benthamiana plants validated that CsSDR could convert 1PE to AP in plants. CsSDR transcript level was not significantly affected by floral development and some jasmonic acid-related environmental stress, and CsSDR transcript accumulation was detected in most floral tissues such as receptacle and anther, which were main storage locations of VPB compounds. Our results indicate that CsSDR is expressed in C. sinensis flowers and is likely to contribute to a number of floral VPB compounds including the 1PE derivative AP.

In this work, some multilayer coatings (two-layer, four-layer or six-layer) based on pullulan and chitosan for protecting papayas were prepared by the layer-by-layer technique. The papayas were coated by immersion and stored at 25 &deg, C, 50% relative humidity or up to 14 days. Uncoated and monolayer-coated papayas were used as controls. The pullulan/chitosan coatings decreased the papaya weight loss, softening, color change (b*, &Delta, E), and pH, retarded the fall of titratable acidity and vitamin C, and maintained respiratory rate and soluble solid contents. Sensory quality evaluation demonstrated that pullulan/chitosan coatings effectively preserved papaya flavor and overall acceptance. In general, the four-layer coatings provided the best fruit preservation. In conclusion, multilayer pullulan/chitosan coatings are efficient in maintaining the post-harvest quality and prolonging the shelf life of fresh papaya.

Objective The prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) depends on the stage of the disease at diagnosis. Unfortunately, at diagnosis, most of patients have locally advanced, non-metastatic stage III or IVa disease. The study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicities of cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil combined with concurrent radiotherapy for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Vapor−liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for the associating ternary system propanal + propanol + propanoic acid and three constituent binary systems were determined at different liquid phase compositions using a novel pump ebulliometer at 101.325 kPa. The vapor-phase compositions of these binary systems were calculated from Tpx according to the function of molar excess Gibbs energy by the Barker’s method. Moreover, the experimental T, x data are used to estimate Wilson, nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL), Margules, van Laar, and universal quasichemical activity coefficient (UNIQUAC) model parameters from regression, and these parameters in turn are used to calculate vapor-phase compositions. The activity coefficients of the solution were correlated with the Wilson, NRTL, Margules, van Laar, and UNIQUAC models through the fit of the least-squares method. The VLE data of the ternary system were well-predicted from these binary interaction parameters of Wilson, NRTL, Margules, van Laar, and UNIQUAC model parameters wit...

Vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for the strongly associating ternary system methanol + ethanoic acid + propanoic acid and three constituent binary systems: methanol + ethanoic acid, methanol + propanoic acid, and ethanoic acid + propanoic acid have been determined by different liquid-phase compositions using a novel pump ebulliometer at 101.3 kPa. The vapor-phase compositions y of these binary systems had been calculated from T-p-x according to the Q function of molar excess Gibbs energy by the indirect method. The experimental T-x data are used to estimate Wilson, nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL), Margules, and van Laar model parameters, and these parameters in turn are used to calculate vapor-phase compositions y. The activity coefficients of the solution were correlated with its composition by the Wilson, NRTL, Margules, and van Laar models through the least-squares method. The VLE data of the ternary system were well-predicted from these binary interaction parameters of the Wilson, NRTL, Margules, and van Laar model parameters without any additional adjustment to build the thermodynamic model of VLE for the ternary system and obtain the vapor-phase compositions y and the calculated bubble points. The calculated bubble points with the model parameters of activity coefficients were in good agreement with the experimental data.

It was generally thought that aroma of oolong tea resulted from hydrolysis of glycosidically bound volatiles (GBVs). In this study, most GBVs showed no reduction during the oolong tea manufacturing process. β-Glycosidases either at protein or gene level were not activated during the manufacturing process. Subcellular localization of β-primeverosidase provided evidence that β-primeverosidase was located in the leaf cell wall. The cell wall remained intact during the enzyme-active manufacturing process. After the leaf cell disruption, GBV content was reduced. These findings reveal that, during the enzyme-active process of oolong tea, nondisruption of the leaf cell walls resulted in impossibility of interaction of GBVs and β-glycosidases. Indole, jasmine lactone, and trans-nerolidol were characteristic volatiles produced from the manufacturing process. Interestingly, the contents of the three volatiles was reduced after the leaf cell disruption, suggesting that mechanical damage with the cell disruption, which is similar to black tea manufacturing, did not induce accumulation of the three volatiles. In addition, 11 volatiles with flavor dilution factor ≥4(4) were identified as relatively potent odorants in the oolong tea. These results suggest that enzymatic hydrolysis of GBVs was not involved in the formation of volatiles of oolong tea, and some characteristic volatiles with potent odorants were produced from the manufacturing process.

For the manipulator which is used to execute maintenance tasks in the Tokamak reactor, solving the problem of collision-free path planning is the premise. This paper introduced the Single-RRT and Bi-RRT algorithms then used BiRRT algorithm to make the path planning for the motion of a redundant manipulator in the vacuum chamber, finally made a Matlab simulation analysis. The result shows that RRT algorithm can effectively achieve the purpose of collision-free path planning, and using Bi-RRT can reduce the number of searches and invalid search points compared with Single-RRT. The better path can be obtained and used in the actual control by means of multiple searches and replacements. Keywords-redundant manipulator; path planning; RRT algorithm; Tokamak

Background Lymphangioma of the soft tissue is not uncommon. However, as far as the authors know, intraspinal lymphangioma is clinically rare and very few cases have been reported previously. Methods Two patients who had backache and acratia of the lower limbs and difficulty in relieving themselves were examined by plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging before surgery. Treatment consisted of the usual technique of surgical resection of the tumor microscopically. Histological examination of the resected material confirmed the diagnosis. Postoperative follow-up assessment was performed by magnetic resonance imaging. Results Intraspinal lymphangioma is very rare clinically and its cause remains controversial. Magnetic resonance imaging can obtain precise position fixing, but it is hard to make preoperative qualitative determination. The most effective treatment of intraspinal lymphangioma is to excise it totally. Conclusions The clinical appearance of intraspinal lymphangioma has no character. Magnetic resonance imaging is important in diagnosing it. The most effective treatment of intraspinal lymphangioma is to excise it totally. Further observation is recommended because of the possibility of local recurrence.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine (GEM) and carboplatin (CBP) used as induction regimen in the treatment of elderly patients with locally advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Inflation forecasting plays an important role in monetary policy and daily life. This study focuses on developing an inflation support vector regression (SVR) model to forecast CPI. Money gap and CPI historical data are utilized to perform forecasts. Furthermore, grid search method is applied to select the parameters of SVR. In addition, this study examines the feasibility of applying SVR in inflation forecasting by comparing it with back-propagation neural network and linear regression. The result shows SVR provides a promising alternative to inflation prediction.