Search

Abstract This study examined whether maternal depression is related to Early Childhood Developmental (ECD) delay among children by quantifying the mediating contribution of responsive caregiving. We used data from 1235 children (Children’s mean age = 50.4 months; 582 girls, 653 boys, 93.9% were Han), selected through convenience sampling, in 2021. 4.7% of children had ECD delay, 34.3% of mothers had depression. Children with depressed mothers were less likely to receive responsive caregiving (OR 4.35, 95% CI 2.60–7.27), and those who did not receive responsive caregiving were more likely to experience ECD delay (OR 3.89, 95% CI 1.89–8.02). Responsive caregiving partly mediated the relationship between maternal depression and ECD. Early intervention for children with depressed mothers is worthy of further investigation.

Abstract Aims Patients with HFrEF and worsening HF events (WHFE) are at particularly high risk and urgently need disease‐modifying therapy. CHART‐HF assessed treatment patterns and reasons for medication decisions among HFrEF patients with and without WHFE. Methods and results CHART‐HF collected retrospective electronic medical records of outpatients with HF and EF

Abstract Background Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, as an emerging anti-tumor treatment, has garnered extensive attention in the study of targeted therapy of multiple tumor-associated antigens in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the suppressive microenvironment and individual heterogeneity results in downregulation of these antigens in certain patients’ cancer cells. Therefore, optimizing CAR-T cell therapy for HCC is imperative. Methods In this study, we administered FGFR4-ferritin (FGFR4-HPF) nanoparticles to the alpaca and constructed a phage library of nanobodies (Nbs) derived from alpaca, following which we screened for Nbs targeting FGFR4. Then, we conducted the functional validation of Nbs. Furthermore, we developed Nb-derived CAR-T cells and evaluated their anti-tumor ability against HCC through in vitro and in vivo validation. Results Our findings demonstrated that we successfully obtained high specificity and high affinity Nbs targeting FGFR4 after screening. And the specificity of Nbs targeting FGFR4 was markedly superior to their binding to other members of the FGFR family proteins. Furthermore, the Nb-derived CAR-T cells, targeting FGFR4, exhibited significantly enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in both experiments when in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions In summary, the results of this study suggest that the CAR-T cells derived from high specificity and high affinity Nbs, targeting FGFR4, exhibited significantly enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. This is an exploration of FGFR4 in the field of Nb-derived CAR-T cell therapy for HCC, holding promise for enhancing safety and effectiveness in the clinical treatment of HCC in the future.

Abstract Concurrent heatwaves and extreme sea levels could pose a serious threat to coastal communities under climate change; however, the spatiotemporal characteristics and dynamic evolution of them along global coastline remain poorly understood. Here, we use reanalysis datasets and model projections to assess historical and future changes in global concurrent heatwaves and extreme sea levels. We find that 87.73% of coastlines experienced such concurrent extremes during 1979–2017. There is an average increase of 3.72 days in the occurrence during 1998–2017 compared to 1979–1998. A one-percentile increase in heatwave intensity is associated with a 2.07% increase in the likelihood of concurrent extremes. Global coastlines are projected to experience 38 days of concurrent extremes each year during 2025–2049 under the highest emission scenario. The weakening of geopotential height associated with a surface low-pressure system may serve as an important indicator for the occurrence of extreme sea levels during heatwaves.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) exhibits a complex interplay of host-pathogen interactions, primarily by modulating host cell death pathways to optimize its replication and spread in Neuro-2a cells. Using high-throughput RNA sequencing, we identified 2,382 upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 3,998 downregulated DEGs, indicating a intricate interaction between viral pathogenesis and host cellular responses. This research offers valuable insights into the molecular processes involved in PRV infection, highlighting the substantial inhibition of crucial cell death pathways in Neuro-2a cells, including necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis. Cells infected with PRV exhibit decreased expression of genes critical in these pathways, potentially as a mechanism to avoid host immune reactions and ensure cell survival to support ongoing viral replication. This extensive inhibition of apoptosis and metabolic alterations highlights the sophisticated tactics utilized by PRV, enhancing our comprehension of herpesvirus biology and the feasibility of creating specific antiviral treatments. This research contributes to our understanding of how viruses manipulate host cell death and presents potential opportunities for therapeutic interventions to disrupt the virus’s lifecycle.

Maple syrup is an important part of the economy in various regions of the United States. Studies on maple syrup production potential mostly use climatic factors as determinants and, therefore, fail to account for non-climatic factors. In this study, we applied a stochastic production function framework to establish a relationship between maple syrup yield and a set of climatic (temperature and tapping season length) and non-climatic determining factors, such as the number of maple trees and utilization rate of the potential number of taps. Tree characteristics, climatic, and other factors had mixed effects on syrup yield. The number of maple trees, the number of taps, and the minimum temperature had marginal negative effects on average syrup yield, while the length of the season and the maximum temperature had positive effects. A predictive model was developed and used to estimate the potential production of maple syrup under low, medium and high utilization levels in Kentucky, a likely region for maple syrup production. This model could be useful for maple syrup research, education, and extension in maple-producing states.

Unilateral auditory deprivation (UAD) results in cross-modal reorganization of the auditory cortex (AC), which can impair auditory and cognitive functions and diminish the recovery effect of cochlear implantation. Moreover, the subcortical areas provide extensive ascending projections to the AC. To date, a thorough systematic study of subcortical auditory neural plasticity has not been undertaken. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current evidence on the bidirectional remodeling of the central auditory system caused by UAD, particularly the changes in subcortical neural plasticity. Lateral changes occur in the cochlear nucleus, lateral superior olive, medial nucleus of the trapezoid body, inferior colliculus, and AC of individuals with UAD. Moreover, asymmetric neural activity becomes less prominent in the higher auditory nuclei, which may be due to cross-projection regulation of the bilateral pathway. As a result, subcortical auditory neural plasticity caused by UAD may contribute to the outcomes of cochlear implantation in patients with single-sided deafness (SSD), and the development of intervention strategies for patients with SSD is crucial. Considering that previous studies have focused predominantly on the neural plasticity of the AC, we believe that bidirectional remodeling of subcortical areas after UAD is also crucial for investigating the mechanisms of interventions.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in minimal-residual-disease (MRD) monitoring in Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Methods This study analyzed 60 Chinese MM patients. During MRD monitoring in these patients’ post-therapy, clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) rearrangements were detected via NGS using LymphoTrack assays. MRD monitoring was performed using NGS or next-generation flow cytometry (NGF), and the results were compared. Additionally, the sensitivity and reproducibility of the NGS method were assessed. Results The MRD detection range of the NGS method was 10–6–10–1, which suggested good linearity, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.985 and a limit of detection of 10–6. Intra- and inter-assay reproducibility analyses showed that NGS exhibited 100% reproducibility with low variability in clonal cells. At diagnosis, unique clones were found in 42 patients (70.0%) with clonal IGH rearrangements, which were used as clonality markers for MRD monitoring post-therapy. Comparison of NGS and NGF for MRD monitoring showed 79.1% concordance. No samples that tested MRD-positive via NGF were found negative via NGS, indicating the higher sensitivity of NGS. MRD could be detected using NGS in 6 of 7 samples before autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, and 5 of them tested negative post-transplantation. In contrast, the NGF method could detect MRD in only 1 sample pre-transplantation. Conclusion Compared with NGF, NGS exhibits higher sensitivity and reproducibility in MRD detection and can be an effective strategy for MRD monitoring in Chinese MM patients.

Abstract Background Chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells therapy is one of the novel immunotherapeutic approaches with significant clinical success. However, their applications are limited because of long preparation time, high cost, and interpersonal variations. Although the manufacture of universal CAR-T (U-CAR-T) cells have significantly improved, they are still not a stable and unified cell bank. Methods Here, we tried to further improve the convenience and flexibility of U-CAR-T cells by constructing novel modular universal CAR-T (MU-CAR-T) cells. For this purpose, we initially screened healthy donors and cultured their T cells to obtain a higher proportion of stem cell-like memory T (TSCM) cells, which exhibit robust self-renewal capacity, sustainability and cytotoxicity. To reduce the alloreactivity, the T cells were further edited by double knockout of the T cell receptor (TCR) and class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA-I) genes utilizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The well-growing and genetically stable universal cells carrying the CAR-moiety were then stored as a stable and unified cell bank. Subsequently, the SDcatcher/GVoptiTag system, which generate an isopeptide bond, was used to covalently connect the purified scFvs of antibody targeting different antigens to the recovered CAR-T cells. Results The resulting CAR-T cells can perform different functions by specifically targeting various cells, such as the eradication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-latenly-infected cells or elimination of T lymphoma cells, with similar efficiency as the traditional CAR-T cells did. Conclusion Taken together, our strategy allows the production of CAR-T cells more modularization, and makes the quality control and pharmaceutic manufacture of CAR-T cells more feasible.

Aiming at the practical application of Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) in underwater combat, this paper proposes a battlefield ambush scene with UUV considering ocean current. Firstly, by establishing these mathematical models of ocean current environment, target movement, and sonar detection, the probability calculation methods of single UUV searching target and multiple UUV cooperatively searching target are given respectively. Then, based on the Hybrid Quantum-behaved Particle Swarm Optimization (HQPSO) algorithm, the path with the highest target search probability is found. Finally, through simulation calculations, the influence of different UUV parameters and target parameters on the target search probability is analyzed, and the minimum number of UUVs that need to be deployed to complete the ambush task is demonstrated, and the optimal search path scheme is obtained. The method proposed in this paper provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of UUV in the future combat.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy in controlling myopia progression in children through a meta-analysis. Methods: We searched several databases including PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, WANFANG, CBM, and VIP with languages restricted to both Chinese and English. The search was conducted from the establishment of the databases to March 23, 2023. We collected randomized controlled trials and controlled experiments to evaluate changes in axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent (SE) before and after RLRL intervention. Two researchers performed literature screening and data extraction, and RevMan software (Ver 5.3) and StataMP 17.0 were used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 141 articles were retrieved, and finally, six randomized controlled trials met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 820 eyes (RLRL group: 411 eyes, control group: 409 eyes). The meta-analysis results showed that the RLRL group was significantly better than the control group in controlling AL, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (mean difference [MD] = −0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] [ - 0.28, −0.16]; P < 0.001). The RLRL group was also better than the control group in terms of SE, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (MD = 0.46, 95% CI [0.32, 0.6]; P < 0.001). Five studies reported adverse reactions in the RLRL group, and two cases stopped treatment due to the feeling of too bright light, while the others had no significant side effects in the short term. Conclusion: RLRL therapy is a safe and effective method for controlling myopia, which can inhibit the growth of AL and slow down the progression of myopia. However, further research and validation are needed to determine its treatment efficacy and course.

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is caused by clonal disorders of hematopoietic stem cells. Differentiation therapy is emerging as an important treatment modality for leukemia, given its less toxicity and wider applicable population, but the arsenal of differentiation-inducing agents is still very limited. In this study, we adapted a competitive peptide phage display platform to search for candidate peptides that could functionally induce human leukemia cell differentiation. A monoclonal phage (P6) and the corresponding peptide (pep-P6) were identified. Both l- and d-chirality of pep-P6 showed potent efficiency in inducing AML cell line differentiation, driving their morphologic maturation and upregulating the expression of macrophage markers and cytokines, including CD11b, CD14, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. In the THP-1 xenograft animal model, administration of d-pep-P6 was effective in inhibiting disease progression. Importantly, exposure to d-pep-P6 induced the differentiation of primary human leukemia cells isolated AML patients in a similar manner to the AML cell lines. Further mechanism study suggested that d-pep-P6 induced human leukemia cell differentiation by directly activating a TLR-2 signaling pathway. These findings identify a novel d-peptide that may promote leukemia differentiation therapy.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential causal relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and myopia. Methods: The study included 3,459 patients who underwent corneal refractive surgery at our institution between 2021 and 2023. Preoperative data on IOP, spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), and corneal thickness (CCT) were collected. The association between IOP and myopia was investigated through rank correlation analysis, and causal inference was examined using Mendelian randomization (MR) methods, including MR-Egger, weighted median, mode-based estimation, simple mode, and inverse variance weighted (IVW) approaches. Utilizing summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), IOP was considered as the exposure, with myopia as the outcome variable. IVW method was employed for the primary analysis, supplemented by sensitivity analyses. Results: Cross-sectional analysis revealed a non-significant association between corrected IOP (cIOP) and myopia (r = -0.019, P = 0.12). MR analysis indicated a non-significant genetic causal relationship between cIOP and myopia under the IVW method (OR = 1.001; 95 % CI [0.999–1.003], P = 0.22), a finding corroborated in replication samples (OR = 0.98; 95 % CI [0.96–1.00], P = 0.099). Conclusion: This study did not find a direct causal link between IOP and the development of myopia. These findings challenge the traditional role attributed to IOP in the progression of myopia and highlight the complex, multifactorial process of myopia development. This provides a new perspective on understanding the intricate mechanisms behind myopia progression.

Background: Based on available data from randomized clinical trials, patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and worsening HF events (WHFE) have substantial disease burden and poor outcomes. WHFE clinical outcome data in non-clinical trial patients, more representative of the US clinical practice, has not been demonstrated. Methods and results: CHART-HF collected data from two complementary, non-clinical trial cohort with HFrEF (LVEF

Abstract Background Tardive dyskinesia (TD) has a multidimensional impact on patients with TD and, as importantly, their caregivers. An online survey was developed and administered to assess patient and caregiver burden of TD. Survey participants were unpaid caregivers for patients with diagnoses of TD and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and/or major depressive disorder. Overall, 162 caregivers rated the 7-day impact of TD on the physical, psychological, and social functioning of patients and the impact of TD on these domains in their own lives and in their professional lives. Results Across physical, psychological, and social domains, most caregivers (82.7%) reported that TD had severe impact on the cared-for patients, and 23.5% reported severe impact of TD in their own lives. Caregivers experienced 46.4% activity impairment, and caregivers who were employed (n = 136) experienced 49.5% overall work impairment because of TD-related caregiving. Conclusions These results suggest that TD imposes substantial burden for both caregivers and patients.

Ferritin, an iron storage protein, is ubiquitously distributed across diverse life forms, fulfilling crucial roles encompassing iron retention, conversion, orchestration of cellular iron metabolism, and safeguarding cells against oxidative harm. Noteworthy attributes of ferritin include its innate amenability to facile modification, scalable mass production, as well as exceptional stability and safety. In addition, ferritin boasts unique physicochemical properties, including pH responsiveness, resilience to elevated temperatures, and resistance to a myriad of denaturing agents. Therefore, ferritin serves as the substrate for creating nanomaterials typified by uniform particle dimensions and exceptional biocompatibility. Comprising 24 subunits, each ferritin nanocage demonstrates self-assembly capabilities, culminating in the formation of nanostructures akin to intricate cages. Recent years have witnessed the ascendance of ferritin-based self-assembled nanoparticles, owing to their distinctive physicochemical traits, which confer substantial advantages and wide-ranging applications within the biomedical domain. Ferritin is highly appealing as a carrier for delivering drug molecules and antigen proteins due to its distinctive structural and biochemical properties. This review aims to highlight recent advances in the use of self-assembled ferritin as a novel carrier for antigen delivery and vaccine development, discussing the molecular mechanisms underlying its action, and presenting it as a promising and effective strategy for the future of vaccine development.

MET protooncogene (MET) alterations are known driver oncogenes in NSCLC. Since the identification of MET as a potential therapeutic target, extensive clinical trials have been performed. As a result, MET-targeted therapies, including MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and MET antibody–drug conjugates now play important roles in the standard treatment of MET-altered NSCLC; they have considerably improved the outcomes of patients with tumors that harbor MET oncogenic drivers. Although clinical agents are currently available and numerous other options are in development, particular challenges in the field require attention. For example, the therapeutic efficacy of each drug remains unsatisfactory, and concomitantly, the resistance mechanisms are not fully understood. Thus, there is an urgent need for optimal drug sequencing and combinations, along with a thorough understanding of treatment resistance. In this review, we describe the current landscape of pertinent clinical trials focusing on MET-targeted strategies and discuss future developmental directions in this rapidly expanding field.

Wrist splint is a device for immobilising the wrist to facilitate the healing of wrist injury. However, conventional splint designing strategies lack consideration of biomechanical interaction with wrist joints, resulting in mechanical failure of splints or causing patient injuries. A novel design and optimisation method of customised functional wrist splints is needed clinically. In this study, we proposed a splint design method combining topology optimisation and additive manufacturing, based on the biomechanical analysis, to enable advanced customisation regarding functionality, comfort and ventilation. Three prototypes were fabricated via fused filament fabrication (FFF) horizontal printing, FFF vertical printing, and powder bed fusion (PBF). Finite element analysis was used to simulate the displacements of splints under the maximum loading provided by patients, with the results validated by physical tests. The stiffness and functionality of splints fabricated by different techniques were evaluated and compared. The results demonstrate that the developed splint is compatible with patients' functional and biomechanical needs, limiting 95.7% sagittal movement, 89.8% coronal movement, and 18.7% maximum grip strength. Moreover, among the three manufacturing methods, FFF vertical printing is recommended for general clinical use considering the safety, functionality, surface quality and cost.

The controller design and parameter tuning of the hydraulic turbine governing system are critical for ensuring stability and safety of operation. In this study, we propose a novel design of fractional-order PID plus second-order derivative (FOPID2D) controller design for the HTGS system. In addition, we develop a modified strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm II (MSPEA2) to optimize the design parameters with multiple objectives. By combining fractional calculus and second-order derivative, the FOPID2D controller offers enhanced control flexibility compared to conventional PID controller. To achieve the Pareto-front, we employ the proposed MSPEA2 method as an optimizer, which is further improved using a Uniform–Cauchy–Gaussian hybrid mutation strategy. We demonstrate its numerical quality and diversity superiority over the conventional method through test function results. The designed FOPID2D controller, along with PID, fractional-order PID, and PID plus second-order derivative controllers, is employed in the load disturbance experiments of the hydraulic turbine governing system. Consequently, the control effect of the proposed FOPID2D controller is validated by comparison with other controllers.

Using Nafion212 membrane and TEOS solution as raw materials, Nafion212/SiO2 composite membranes were prepared. In the in situ sol-gel reaction process, a series of Nafion/SiO2 composite membranes were prepared by varying the reaction temperature and reaction time. The effects of different modification schemes on Nafion/SiO2 composite membranes were studied using SEM, EDS, TEM, TGA, XRD, and mechanical tensile experiments, among other methods. The results show that Nafion/SiO2 composite membranes prepared at 3°C exhibit a well-separated phase structure and excellent water retention properties, with a water uptake of 29.23% and a swelling ratio of 24.25%. These membranes also demonstrate outstanding physical and chemical performance, with a maximum tensile stress of 13.6 MPa and an elongation at a break of 270%. At 110°C, the proton conductivity of the Nafion/SiO2 composite membrane reaches 0.172 S/cm, meeting the requirements for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

T cell lymphoma (TCL) is a highly heterogeneous group of diseases with a poor prognosis and low 5-year overall survival rate. The current therapeutic regimens have relatively low efficacy rates. Clinical studies of single-target chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy in T lymphocytes require large and multiple infusions, increasing the risks and cost of treatment; therefore, optimizing targeted therapy is a way to improve overall prognosis. Despite significant advances in bispecific CAR-T cell therapy to avoid antigen escape in treatment of B cell lymphoma, applying this strategy to TCL requires further investigation. Here, we constructed an alpaca nanobody (Nb) phage library and generated high-affinity and -specificity Nbs targeting CD30 and CD5, respectively. Based on multiple rounds of screening, bispecific NbCD30-CD5-CAR T cells were constructed, and their superior anti-tumor effect against TCL was validated in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrated that Nb-derived bispecific CAR-T cells significantly improved anti-tumor efficacy in TCL treatment compared with single-target CAR-T cells and bispecific single chain variable fragment (scFv)-derived CAR-T cells. Because Nbs are smaller and less immunogenic, the synergistic effect of Nb-based bispecific CAR-T cells may improve their safety and efficacy in future clinical applications.

Remote sensing image classification plays a crucial role in the field of remote sensing interpretation. With the exponential growth of multi-source remote sensing data, accurately extracting target features and comprehending target attributes from complex images significantly impacts classification accuracy. To address these challenges, we propose a Canny edge-enhanced multi-level attention feature fusion network (CAF) for remote sensing image classification. The original image is specifically inputted into a convolutional network for the extraction of global features, while increasing the depth of the convolutional layer facilitates feature extraction at various levels. Additionally, to emphasize detailed target features, we employ the Canny operator for edge information extraction and utilize a convolution layer to capture deep edge features. Finally, by leveraging the Attentional Feature Fusion (AFF) network, we fuse global and detailed features to obtain more discriminative representations for scene classification tasks. The performance of our proposed method (CAF) is evaluated through experiments conducted across three openly accessible datasets for classifying scenes in remote sensing images: NWPU-RESISC45, UCM, and MSTAR. The experimental findings indicate that our approach based on incorporating edge detail information outperforms methods relying solely on global feature-based classifications.

The continuously evolving PRRSV has been plaguing pig farms worldwide for over 30 years, with conventional vaccines suffering from insufficient protection and biosecurity risks. To address these challenges, we identified 10 PRRSV-specific CTL epitopes through enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT) and constructed a multi-epitope peptide (PTE) by linking them in tandem. This PTE was then fused with a modified porcine Fc molecule to create the recombinant protein pFc-PTE. Our findings indicate that pFc-PTE effectively stimulates PRRSV-infected specific splenic lymphocytes to secrete high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and is predicted to be non-toxic and non-allergenic. Compared to PTE alone, pFc-PTE not only induced a comparable cellular immune response in mice but also extended the duration of the immune response to at least 10 weeks post-immunization. Additionally, pFc-PTE predominantly induced a Th1 immune response, suggesting its potential advantage in enhancing cellular immunity. Consequently, pFc-PTE holds promise as a novel, safe, and potent candidate vaccine for PRRSV and may also provide new perspectives for vaccine design against other viral diseases.

High-performance Cu catalysts were developed for the selective hydrogenation of γ-butyrolactone (GBL) to 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Among the various catalysts prepared by ammonia evaporation (AE) and impregnation (IM) methods with silica or MFI zeolite supports, the 5% Cu-SiO2-AE catalyst was the best one. It exhibited 95% selectivity for BDO and 71% conversion of GBL after 2–8 h reaction at 200 °C and 4 MPa H2, with high stability in five-cycle runs. Comprehensive characterizations showed that the AE method favored generating nano Cu particles with an average size of 2.9 nm on the 5% Cu-SiO2-AE catalyst. The silica support derived from a sol demonstrated an advantage over the MFI zeolite in the preparation of a highly dispersed and stable Cu catalyst, in view of its anti-sintering and robust composition of Cu0, Cu+, and Cu2+ in the cycling operation. The reaction pathways for GBL to BDO over the Cu catalysts were found to commonly involve reversible reactions of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, along with subsequent dehydration to form THF. The high performance of the Cu catalysts in the conversion of GBL to BDO was attributed to the high dispersion of Cu, the presence of stable active sites, and fewer strong acid sites in the catalyst.

Social support is a significant environmental factor predicting academic burnout, but the underlying mechanism of structural relationship between these two variables needs further verification. Students’ perceived social support in the higher education environment is mainly from their teachers and peers. Taking 352 non-English undergraduates as respondents, this article explored the relationship between EFL learners’ perceived support from their teachers and peers, interaction engagement and academic burnout. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were employed to analyze the data collected through an online questionnaire survey. The research results showed that (1) Social support is negatively correlated with academic burnout; (2) Interaction engagement has a negative association with burnout; (3) Social support has a direct positive effect on interaction engagement; (4) Social support, mediated by interaction engagement, has an indirect effect on academic burnout. Understanding the above-mentioned mechanism that learners’ perceived support and interaction engagement influence academic burnout may be helpful for lessening academic burnout and improving performance in EFL leaning.

Smart implants are increasingly used to treat various diseases, track patient status, and restore tissue and organ function. These devices support internal organs, actively stimulate nerves, and monitor essential functions. With continuous monitoring or stimulation, patient observation quality and subsequent treatment can be improved. Additionally, using biodegradable and entirely excreted implant materials eliminates the need for surgical removal, providing a patient-friendly solution. In this review, we classify smart implants and discuss the latest prototypes, materials, and technologies employed in their creation. Our focus lies in exploring medical devices beyond replacing an organ or tissue and incorporating new functionality through sensors and electronic circuits. We also examine the advantages, opportunities, and challenges of creating implantable devices that preserve all critical functions. By presenting an in-depth overview of the current state-of-the-art smart implants, we shed light on persistent issues and limitations while discussing potential avenues for future advancements in materials used for these devices.

Abstract Because of the rapid mutation and high airborne transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2, a universal vaccine preventing the infection in the upper respiratory tract is particularly urgent. Here, a mosaic receptor‐binding domain (RBD) nanoparticle (NP) vaccine is developed, which induces more RBD‐targeted type IV neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and exhibits broad cross‐protective activity against multiple SARS‐CoV‐2 sublineages including the newly‐emerged BF.7, BQ.1, XBB. As several T‐cell‐reactive epitopes, which are highly conserved in sarbecoviruses, are displayed on the NP surface, it also provokes potent and cross‐reactive cellular immune responses in the respiratory tissue. Through intranasal delivery, it elicits robust mucosal immune responses and full protection without any adjuvants. Therefore, this intranasal mosaic NP vaccine can be further developed as a pan‐sarbecovirus vaccine to block the viral entrance from the upper respiratory tract.

The African swine fever virus is a virulent and communicable viral disease that can be transmitted by infected swine, contaminated pork products, or soft tick vectors. Nonstructural proteins encoded by ASFV regulate viral replication, transcription, and evasion. However, the mechanisms underlying the host response to ASFV infection remain incompletely understood. In order to enhance comprehension of the biology and molecular mechanisms at distinct time intervals (6, 12, 24 h) post infection, transcriptome analyses were executed to discern differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ASFV and mock-infected PAMs. The transcriptomic analysis unveiled a total of 1,677, 2,122, and 2,945 upregulated DEGs and 933, 1,148, and 1,422 downregulated DEGs in ASFV- and mock-infected groups at 6, 12, and 24 h.p.i.. The results of the transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that the infection of ASFV significantly stimulated host metabolism pathways while concurrently inhibiting the expression of various immune responses and cell death pathways. Our study offers crucial mechanistic insights into the comprehension of ASFV viral pathogenesis and the multifaceted host immune responses. The genes that were dysregulated may serve as potential candidates for further exploration of anti-ASFV strategies.

Ovine babesiosis caused by Babesia ovis is an economically significant disease. Recently, a few B. ovis-specific proteins, including recombinant B. ovis secreted antigen-1 (rBoSA1), have been identified. Immunological analyses revealed that rBoSA1 resides within the cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes and exhibits robust antigenic properties for detecting anti-B. ovis antibodies. This protein is released into the bloodstream during the parasite’s development. It would be possible to diagnose active infections by detecting this secretory protein. For this purpose, a rBoSA1-specific polyclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA was optimized in this study. Blood samples taken from the naturally (n: 100) and experimentally (n: 15) infected sheep were analyzed for the presence of native BoSA1. The results showed that native BoSA1 was detectable in 98% of naturally infected animals. There was a positive correlation between parasitemia level in microscopy and protein density in sandwich ELISA. Experimentally infected animals showed positive reactions from the first or second day of inoculations. However, experimental infections carried out by Rhipicephalus bursa ticks revealed the native BoSA1 was detectable from the 7th day of tick attachment when the parasite began to be seen microscopically. Sandwich ELISA was sensitive enough to detect rBoSA1 protein at a 1.52 ng/ml concentration. Additionally, no serological cross-reactivity was observed between animals infected with various piroplasm species, including Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. caballi, B. canis, B. gibsoni, Theileria equi, and T. annulata. Taken collectively, the findings show that the rBoSA1-specific polyclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA can be successfully used to diagnose clinical B. ovis infections in sheep at the early stage.

IntroductionMalaria and Babesiosis are acute zoonotic disease that caused by infection with the parasite in the phylum Apicomplexa. Severe anemia and thrombocytopenia are the most common hematological complication of malaria and babesiosis. However, the mechanisms involved have not been elucidated, and only a few researches focus on the possible role of anti-erythrocyte and anti-platelet antibodies.MethodsIn this study, the Plasmodium yoelii, P. chabaudi, Babesia microti and B. rodhaini infected SCID and ICR mice. The parasitemia, survival rate, platelet count, anti-platelet antibodies, and the level of IFN-γ and interleukin (IL) -10 was tested after infection. Furthermore, the P. yoelii, P. chabaudi, B. rodhaini and B. microti infected ICR mice were treated with artesunate and diminaze, the development of the anti-erythrocyte and anti-platelet antibodies in chronic stage were examined. At last, the murine red blood cell and platelet membrane proteins probed with auto-antibodies induced by P. yoelii, P. chabaudi, B. rodhaini, and B. microti infection were characterized by proteomic analysis.Results and discussionThe high anti-platelet and anti-erythrocyte antibodies were detected in ICR mice after P. yoelii, P. chabaudi, B. rodhaini, and B. microti infection. Actin of murine erythrocyte and platelet is a common auto-antigen in Plasmodium and Babesia spp. infected mice. Our findings indicate that anti-erythrocyte and anti-platelet autoantibodies contribute to thrombocytopenia and anemia associated with Plasmodium spp. and Babesia spp. infection. This study will help to understand the mechanisms of malaria and babesiosis-related thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia.

The elevated accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and tea (Camellia sinensis L.) grown in agricultural soils may lead to a variety of adverse health effects. This study collected and analyzed crop samples along with paired rhizosphere soil samples from 61 sites in Cd-contaminated regions in Anhui Province, China. The findings revealed that both the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) and soil solution were capable of effectively predicting Cd contents in crops. Conventional chemical extraction methods were inappropriate to evaluate the bioavailability of Cd. However, the effective concentrations (CE) corrected by the DGT-induced fluxes in soils (DIFS) model exhibited the strongest correlation with crop Cd contents. Except for CE, various measurement methods yielded better results for predicting Cd bioavailability in tea compared to rice. Pearson’s correlation analysis and the random forest (RF) model identified the key influencing factors controlling Cd uptake by rice and tea, including pH, soil texture, and contents of zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) in soils, which antagonize Cd. To reduce the potential health risk from rice and tea, the application of soil liming and/or Se-oxidizing bacteria was expected to be an effective management strategy.

Abstract COVID-19 is identified as a zoonotic disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which also can cross-transmit to many animals but not mice. Genetic modifications of SARS-CoV-2 or mice enable the mice susceptible to viral infection. Although neither is the natural situation, they are currently utilized to establish mouse infection models. Here we report a direct contact transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351 in wild-type mice. The SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.351) replicated efficiently and induced significant pathological changes in lungs and tracheas, accompanied by elevated proinflammatory cytokines in the lungs and sera. Mechanistically, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.351) spike protein turned to a high binding affinity to mouse angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (mACE2), allowing the mice highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.351) infection. Our work suggests that SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.351) expands the host range and therefore increases its transmission route without adapted mutation. As the wild house mice live with human populations quite closely, this possible transmission route could be potentially risky. In addition, because SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.351) is one of the major epidemic strains and the mACE2 in laboratory-used mice is naturally expressed and regulated, the SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.351)/mice could be a much convenient animal model system to study COVID-19 pathogenesis and evaluate antiviral inhibitors and vaccines.

Abstract Change detection (CD) is a fundamental yet challenging problem, which aims at detecting changed object in two observations. Recent CD methods are designed based on the off‐the‐shelf semantic segmentation network architectures, which is not optimal for extracting and using change‐related features. In this paper, a novel CD network architecture is proposed, including change‐related feature extraction, cross feature enhancement, and multi‐level supervision. Absolute difference of the features of different convolutional layers is first computed from a Unet‐like network for two observations. The features are partitioned into high‐ and low‐level features according to their functionalities. Then the high‐ and low‐level features are recurrently refined by cross feature enhancement to increase the representational ability of the features. The network learns change‐related features with multi‐level supervisions. The final CD result can be obtained by fusing multiple predictions. Experimental results on three CD benchmark datasets indicate the superiority of the authors' method when compared with six state‐of‐the‐art deep learning‐based CD methods.

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can integrate viral DNA into host cell chromosomes to establish a long-term stable latent reservoir, which is a major obstacle to cure HIV-1 infection. The characteristics of the HIV-1 latent reservoir have not been fully understood. Here, we identified 126 upregulated plasma membrane proteins in HIV-1 latently infected cells by a label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The higher levels of CD98 expression in multiple HIV-1 latently infected cell lines and primary CD4+ T cells compared to uninfected cells were further confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) and flow cytometry analyses. In addition, CD98high CD4+ T cells displayed hyper-permissiveness to HIV-1 infection and possessed distinct immune phenotypic profiles associated with Th17 and peripheral follicular T helper (pTFH) characteristics. Notably, the CD98high resting memory CD4+ T cells harbored significantly higher cell-associated viral RNA and intact provirus than CD98low counterparts in HIV-1-infected individuals receiving combined antiretroviral therapy. Furthermore, CD98high CD4+ T cells exhibited a robust proliferative capacity and significantly contributed to the clonal expansion of the HIV-1 latent reservoir. Our study demonstrates that CD98 can be used as a novel biomarker of HIV-1 latently infected cells to indicate the effect of various strategies to reduce the viral reservoir. IMPORTANCE Identification of cellular biomarkers is the crucial challenge to eradicate the HIV-1 latent reservoir. In our study, we identified CD98 as a novel plasma membrane biomarker for HIV-1 permissiveness and latent infection. Importantly, CD98high CD4+ T cells exhibited a hyper-permissiveness to HIV-1 infection and significantly contributed to the clonal expansion of the HIV-1 latent reservoir. CD98 could be targeted to develop therapeutic strategies to reduce the HIV-1 latent reservoir in further research.

Introduction Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects more than half of the patients with heart failure. HFpEF and sarcopenia can interact with each other and contribute to reduced physiological function and increased mortality in elderly patients. Resistance training (RT) or resistance exercise rehabilitation (RER) may have benefits for elderly HFpEF patients with sarcopenia. Whey protein supplementation (WPS) may increase the effects of exercise on strength and muscle mass, in addition to promoting heart function and quality of life (QoL). However, studies are needed to evaluate effects of RER and WPS in patients with HFpEF with sarcopenia.Methods and analysis This is a prospective, randomised, controlled clinical trial in which patients with HFpEF with sarcopenia will be randomly allocated to three groups, control, RT and RT+WP. Participants in all groups will receive basic intervention including standard medicine treatment, home-based aerobic exercise and basic nutritional intervention. The RT group will undergo resistance exercise programmes, and the RT+WP group will receive daily WPS apart from resistance exercise. The study variables will be evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks. Primary outcome measure is the change of 6 min walking distance. Secondary outcomes include parameters of muscle status, cardiac function, nutritional status, QoL and major adverse cardiovascular events. The primary efficacy analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle.Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by Ethics Committee of China-Japan Friendship Hospital for Clinical Research (No. 2022-KY-003). The results of this study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences.Trial registration number ChiCTR2200061069.

Abstract Background Herbs are an important part of the forest ecosystem, and their diversity and biomass can reflect the restoration of vegetation after forest thinning disturbances. Based on the near-mature secondary coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Jilin Province Forestry Experimental Zone, this study analyzed seasonal changes of species diversity and biomass of the understory herb layer after different intensities of thinning. Results The results showed that although the composition of herbaceous species and the ranking of importance values were affected by thinning intensity, they were mainly determined by seasonal changes. Across the entire growing season, the species with the highest importance values in thinning treatments included Carex pilosa, Aegopodium alpestre, Meehania urticifolia, and Filipendula palmata, which dominated the herb layer of the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest. The number of species, Margalef index, Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index all had their highest values in May, and gradually decreased with months. Pielou index was roughly inverted “N” throughout the growing season. Thinning did not increase the species diversity. Thinning can promote the total biomass, above- and below-ground biomass. The number of plants per unit area and coverage were related to the total biomass, above- and below-ground biomass. The average height had a significantly positive correlation with herb biomass in May but not in July. However, it exerted a significantly negative correlation with herb biomass in September. The biomass in the same month increased with increasing thinning intensity. Total herb biomass, above- and below-ground biomass showed positive correlations with Shannon-Winner index, Simpson index and Pielou evenness index in May. Conclusions Thinning mainly changed the light environment in the forest, which would improve the plant diversity and biomass of herb layer in a short time. And different thinning intensity had different effects on the diversity of understory herb layer. The findings provide theoretical basis and reference for reasonable thinning and tending in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests.

Abstract Background Occupational class is an integral part of socioeconomic status. The studies focused on the occupational difference in ischemic stroke outcome in a Chinese population are limited. We aimed to investigate the associations between occupational class and the prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke in China. Methods We included 1484 ischemic stroke participants (mean age: 63.42 ± 11.26 years) from the prospective cohort study: Infectious Factors, Inflammatory Markers and Prognosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke (IIPAIS). Occupational class was categorized into white-collar workers, blue-collar workers and farmers in our study. Study outcomes were cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality within 12 months after ischemic stroke onset. We applied Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate the associations between the occupational class and study outcomes after ischemic stroke. Results Within 12 months after ischemic stroke, there were 106 (7.5%) cardiovascular events and 69 (4.9%) all-cause deaths. The Kaplan–Meier plots showed that white-collar workers had highest risk of cardiovascular events after 12-month follow-up (Log-rank P = 0.02). Multivariate adjusted hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of farmers versus white-collar workers was 0.43(0.20–0.91) for cardiovascular events. No significant difference showed in blue-collar workers versus white-collar workers, with fully adjusted hazard ratio 0.62(95% CIs, 0.23–1.67). Conclusions Compared with white-collar workers, farmers are associated with less risk of cardiovascular events at 12 months after ischemic stroke, while there are no significant differences in blue-collar workers.

Mesoscale eddies are ubiquitous in global oceans yielding significant impacts on marine life. As a short-lived pelagic squid species, the population of neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) is extremely sensitive to changes in ambient oceanic variables. However, a comprehensive understanding of how mesoscale eddies affect the O. bartramii population in the Northwest Pacific Ocean is still lacking. In this study, a 10-year squid fisheries dataset with eddy tracking and high-resolution reanalysis ocean reanalysis data was used to evaluate the impact of mesoscale eddies and their induced changes in environmental conditions on the abundance and habitat distribution of O. bartramii in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. A weighted-based habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed with three crucial environmental factors: sea surface temperature (SST), seawater temperature at 50-m depth (T50m), and chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a). During years with an unstable Kuroshio Extension (KE) state, the abundance of O. bartramii was significantly higher in anticyclonic eddies (AEs) than that in cyclonic eddies (CEs). This difference was well explained by the distribution pattern of suitable habitats in eddies derived from the HSI model. Enlarged ranges of the preferred SST, T50m, and Chl-a for O. bartramii within AEs were the main causes of more squids occurring inside the warm-core eddies, whereas highly productive CEs matching with unfavorable thermal conditions tended to form unsuitable habitats for O. bartramii. Our findings suggest that with an unstable KE background, suitable thermal conditions combined with favorable foraging conditions within AEs were the main drivers that yielded the high abundance of O. bartramii in the warm eddies.

Para-xylene (PX) is an important material for the production of polyester fibers and resins; it is widely used in fuel and medical fields. To alleviate the low strength and unsatisfactory mass-transfer performance of conventional catalysts during xylene isomerization, a combined-structure catalyst is fabricated using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. In this study, a catalyst ink formulation and preparation method suitable for 3D printing is designed, and a wet ball-milling process is adopted to improve the stability of the ink during 3D printing. The mass-transfer performance of the structured catalysts are investigated via computational fluid dynamics simulation; thus, combined-structure catalysts with high diffusivity and high specific surface area are realized. Compressive strength tests and xylene isomerization reaction experiments are conducted on the three-dimensionally printed catalysts and extrudates. Compared with the extrudates, the three-dimensionally printed catalyst exhibits higher mechanical strength and better catalytic performance. Among the structured catalysts, the combined linear-staggered/wave-vertical (LS/WV) catalyst demonstrates the best overall performance with a PX concentration in xylene of 22.89% and a high ethylbenzene conversion of 36.70%, which is approximately 21.68% higher than the extrudates.

Objective To understand factors guiding overactive bladder (OAB) therapy selection and experience with combination therapy (antimuscarinics and beta-3 agonists). Methods Cross-sectional surveys of OAB patients and OAB-treating physicians in the USA were conducted. Patients receiving monotherapy with antimuscarinics were categorized by OAB treatment history: monotherapy only; third-line procedures (e.g., onabotulinumtoxinA injections) and combination therapy; third-line therapy only; and combination therapy only. The patient survey assessed therapy choice drivers and barriers, treatment satisfaction and sociodemographic/clinical characteristics. The physician survey assessed drivers of and barriers to OAB treatment choices. Results Of 200 patients, 86.5% reported involvement in treatment decision-making; doctor’s recommendation was the most frequently considered factor (84.4%). Most patients (71%) were unaware of combination therapy. The primary reason why those patients aware of combination therapy had not used it (N = 43/200; 21%) was physician recommendation of other treatments (69.8%). For physicians (N = 50), the most frequently considered factors when prescribing OAB treatment were effectiveness (92.0%) and side effects (84.0%); 70% prescribed combination therapy, primarily for symptom severity (82.9%). The main reasons for not prescribing combination therapy were cost/insurance coverage (80%) and lack of information (53.3%). Conclusions Shared decision-making guided treatment decisions; the main considerations were treatment safety and efficacy.

Abstract The SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta (B.1.617.2) strain is a variant of concern (VOC) that has become the dominant strain worldwide in 2021. Its transmission capacity is approximately twice that of the original strain, with a shorter incubation period and higher viral load during infection. Importantly, the breakthrough infections of the Delta variant have continued to emerge in the first‐generation vaccine recipients. There is thus an urgent need to develop a novel vaccine with SARS‐CoV‐2 variants as the major target. Here, receptor binding domain (RBD)‐conjugated nanoparticle vaccines targeting the Delta variant, as well as the early and Beta/Gamma strains, are developed. Under both a single‐dose and a prime‐boost strategy, these RBD‐conjugated nanoparticle vaccines induce the abundant neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and significantly protect hACE2 mice from infection by the authentic SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta strain, as well as the early and Beta strains. Furthermore, the elicitation of the robust production of broader cross‐protective NAbs against almost all the notable SARS‐CoV‐2 variants including the Omicron variant in rhesus macaques by the third re‐boost with trivalent vaccines is found. These results suggest that RBD‐based monovalent or multivalent nanoparticle vaccines provide a promising second‐generation vaccine strategy for SARS‐CoV‐2 variants.

Background: The effect of resistance exercise on the autonomic nervous system of patients with hypertension has not been identified.Objective: To explore a suitable resistance training method for hypertension patients to regulate blood pressure (BP) and autonomic nervous system function.Method: Forty-five hypertension patients aged between 55 and 70 years were randomly equally divided into three groups: the high-intensity resistance exercise (HE) group, the low-intensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction (LE-BFR) group, and the low-intensity resistance exercise (LE) group. All patients performed quadriceps femoris resistance exercise. The exercise intensity of HE, LE-BFR and LE group was 65, 30 and 30% of one repetition maximum (1RM), respectively. The LE-BFR group used pressure cuffs to provide 130% of systolic pressure to the patient’s thighs during resistance exercise. The training program was 20 times/min/set with a 1-min break after each set, and was conducted five sets/day and 3 days/week, lasting for 12 weeks. The heart rate (HR), BP, root-mean-square of difference-value of adjacent RR intervals (RMSSD), low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) were evaluated before and after the first training and the last training.Result: Significant differences in HR were observed in both recovery states after the first and last training (p < 0.01). After 12 weeks of training, the recovery speed of HR in the LE-BFR group increased significantly (p < 0.01). The systolic blood pressures in the HE and LE-BFR group were significantly reduced (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01), and the differences among groups were significant (p < 0.01). In the last recovery state, the RMSSD of the LE group was significantly lower than that in the first recovery state (p < 0.01). The LF/HF ratios of the HE and LE groups in the resting and recovery states were increased significantly (all p < 0.01). LF/HF ratios in the LE-BFR group in the resting and recovery state were decreased significantly (both p < 0.01).Conclusion: Compared to HE and LE, LE-BFR could effectively decrease systolic pressure and regulate the autonomic nervous system function in hypertension patients.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is the pathogen of pseudorabies (PR), which belongs to the alpha herpesvirus subfamily with a double stranded DNA genome encoding approximately 70 proteins. PRV has many non-essential regions for replication, has a strong capacity to accommodate foreign genes, and more areas for genetic modification. PRV is an ideal vaccine vector, and multivalent live virus-vectored vaccines can be developed using the gene-deleted PRV. The immune system continues to be stimulated by the gene-deleted PRVs and maintain a long immunity lasting more than 4 months. Here, we provide a brief overview of the biology of PRV, recombinant PRV construction methodology, the technology platform for efficiently constructing recombinant PRV, and the applications of recombinant PRV in vaccine development. This review summarizes the latest information on PRV usage in vaccine development against swine infectious diseases, and it offers novel perspectives for advancing preventive medicine through vaccinology.

Tropical deforestation drivers are complex and can change rapidly in periods of profound societal transformation, such as those during a pandemic. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred illegal, opportunistic forest clearing in tropical countries, threatening forest ecosystems and their resident human communities. A total of 9583 km2 of deforestation alerts from Global Land Analysis & Discovery (GLAD) were detected across the global tropics during the first month following the implementation of confinement measures of local governments to reduce COVID-19 spread, which is nearly double that of 2019 (4732 km2). We present a conceptual framework linking tropical deforestation and the current pandemic. Zoonotic diseases, public health, economy, agriculture, and forests may all be reciprocally linked in complex positive and negative feedback loops with overarching consequences. We highlight the emerging threats to nature and society resulting from this complex reciprocal interplay and possible policy interventions that could minimize these threats.

ABSTRACTClassical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a member of the genus Pestivirus in the Flaviviridae family. To date, the host factors required for CSFV entry remain poorly characterized. To identify the functional membrane protein(s) involved in CSFV infection, we analyzed the transcriptomic data from previous studies describing gene expression profiles for CSFV, and found twelve novel candidate proteins. One of these proteins, MERTK, significantly reduced CSFV protein expression by RNA interference screening using a recombinant CSFV that contains a luciferase reporter to measure CSFV protein expression. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that either anti-MERTK antibodies or soluble MERTK ectodomain could reduce CSFV infection in PK-15 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, MERTK interacted with the E2 protein of CSFV and facilitated virus entry. After virus entry, MERTK downregulates of mRNA expression of IFN-β and promotes CSFV infection. Interestingly, the soluble MERTK ectodomain could also reduce the infection of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), another pestivirus. Taken together, our results suggested that MERTK is a CSFV entry factor that synergistically dampens innate immune responses in PK-15 cells and is also involved in BVDV infection.

The chemical compounds and the antioxidant capacity in thinned young and ripe fruit of 7 Chinese peach and nectarine varieties were investigated. Neochlorogenic acid, catechin and chlorogenic acid were the dominant antioxidants in thinned young fruit, which were 6.4–20.7-fold, 3.3–14.2-fold, and 4.1–11.4-fold higher than ripe fruit, respectively. In addition, the sugar composition of the thinned young fruit was different from that of the ripe fruit. Sucrose displayed a markedly negative correlation with the antioxidant capacity, while glucose, fructose and sorbitol did not. Malic acid and quinic acid were the major organic acids in the thinned young fruit and were positively correlated with the antioxidant capacity. Aspartic acid and glutamic acid were the main amino acids in thinned and ripe fruit. Lysine, alanine, threonine, glycine, tyrosine, and serine were significantly correlated with the antioxidant capacities, and the correlations decreased in turn. While proline and histidine showed no marked correlation with the antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant capacity of the peaches and nectarines evaluated in terms of the DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activities and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were 1.3–11.2-fold higher in thinned young fruit than ripe fruit. In addition, the chemical composition, namely, the levels of polyphenols and sucrose, could distinguish the thinned young fruit from the ripe fruit for both peaches and nectarines.

During the commissioning process of ”first injection of crude oil after water injection”, due to the density difference between crude oil and water, the oil pressure on the left side of the ”U” section is less than the right hydraulic pressure, and the running process of the oil head is stagnated in a hilly oil pipeline with high elevation difference. Concerning this problem, solution of discharging pressure by using relief valve in valve station nearby oil–water interfacial point is proposed in this paper. According to the actual data, gas–liquid flow in a gas-cap empty process of a big drop and hilly oil pipeline was numerically investigated by dynamic multiphase simulation software OLGA. Simulation data in terms of flow rate, pressure and leakage were compared under different leaking apertures. The simulation results show that the general pressure variation tendencies at the vent, bottom point or top and low elbows show no connection with vent diameters but its final fluctuation that the smaller the diameter is, the more intensive the fluctuation gets.. And as for the emptying of a big drop and hilly pipeline, appropriate increase of leaking aperture can improve the drainage ratio (leakage/general capacity of the pipeline) and drainage rate, but excessive aperture will cause severe negative pressure and breakage cavity which foster the likelihood of close water-surge and damage to the pipe safety. Keywords: Big drop, Oil pipeline, U-type, Water discharge, Leaking aperture

Camera traps are widely used in wildlife surveys and biodiversity monitoring. Depending on its triggering mechanism, a large number of images or videos are sometimes accumulated. Some literature has proposed the application of deep learning techniques to automatically identify wildlife in camera trap imagery, which can significantly reduce manual work and speed up analysis processes. However, there are few studies validating and comparing the applicability of different models for object detection in real field monitoring scenarios. In this study, we firstly constructed a wildlife image dataset of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park (NTLNP dataset). Furthermore, we evaluated the recognition performance of three currently mainstream object detection architectures and compared the performance of training models on day and night data separately versus together. In this experiment, we selected YOLOv5 series models (anchor-based one-stage), Cascade R-CNN under feature extractor HRNet32 (anchor-based two-stage), and FCOS under feature extractors ResNet50 and ResNet101 (anchor-free one-stage). The experimental results showed that performance of the object detection models of the day-night joint training is satisfying. Specifically, the average result of our models was 0.98 mAP (mean average precision) in the animal image detection and 88% accuracy in the animal video classification. One-stage YOLOv5m achieved the best recognition accuracy. With the help of AI technology, ecologists can extract information from masses of imagery potentially quickly and efficiently, saving much time.