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The compositions of water extract (WE) and crude theabrownin (TB) extract from ripe Pu-erh tea prepared by controlled fermentation were analyzed by Curie point pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their regulatory effects on obesity in rats were investigated. SD rats were divided into four groups, namely normal diet, high-fat diet, WE and TB. After gavage for 16 weeks, growth indexes, and serum biochemical indexes, oxidative stress and inflammation indexes were analyzed, and histopathological examination of liver tissues was performed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and oil red O staining. Results showed that theabrownin, protein and polysaccharide accounted for a large proportion in WE and crude TB. There were significant differences in the contents of catechin and its derivatives such as gallic acid (GA), epicatechin (EC) and epicatechin gallate (EGCG) between WE and crude TB extract (P < 0.05). The contents of the alkaloids caffeine and theobromine in WE were significantly higher than those in TB (P < 0.05). Seven and 12 compounds were shared by the Curie-point pyrolysis products of WE and TB at 380 and 600 ℃, respectively. In the four samples, the number of phenolic compounds was largest, and caffeine was the most abundant compound. Compared with the high-fat model group, the body mass and Lee’s index of the rats from the WE and TB groups significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and so did the levels of serum triglyceride (TG), serum fasting blood glucose (FBG), liver triglyceride and cholesterol (TC) ( P < 0.05), Moreover, fat accumulation was reduced, the levels of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were lowered significantly (P < 0.05). These findings indicate increased antioxidant activity and decreased inflammatory factor levels. Furthermore, histological observations of liver sections showed reduction in steatosis, the number of adipocytes and lipid droplet aggregation. To sum up, the compositions of WE and TB were significantly different; however, both showed a positive effect on mass loss and blood lipid reduction. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the deep processing of tea resources and the development of functional products.

Abstract Background NUP98 rearrangements (NUP98-r) are rare but overrepresented mutations in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. NUP98-r is often associated with chemotherapy resistance and a particularly poor prognosis. Therefore, characterizing pediatric AML with NUP98-r to identify aberrations is critically important. Methods Here, we retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features, genomic and transcriptomic landscapes, treatments, and outcomes of pediatric patients with AML. Results Nine patients with NUP98-r mutations were identified in our cohort of 142 patients. Ten mutated genes were detected in patients with NUP98-r. The frequency of FLT3-ITD mutations differed significantly between the groups harboring NUP98-r and those without NUP98-r (P = 0.035). Unsupervised hierarchical clustering via RNA sequencing data from 21 AML patients revealed that NUP98-r samples clustered together, strongly suggesting a distinct subtype. Compared with that in the non-NUP98-r fusion and no fusion groups, CMAHP expression was significantly upregulated in the NUP98-r samples (P

Glubam-concrete composite (BCC) structure is a construction technique where glue-laminated bamboo beam is connected to an upper concrete slab using different types of connectors. The long-term behavior and creep mechanism of BCC system are very complex due to different time-dependent behavior of three components. This paper performed a series long-term push-out tests on four types of connections under static load. The tests lasted for a period of seven months in uncontrolled sheltered indoor condition. Important results such as the relative slip-time curves are presented in order to characterize time-dependent behavior of connectors. Furthermore creep coefficient constitutive models are provided for predicting the long-term behavior of connections.

When a shale oil reservoir contains a mass of clay minerals, the salinity of formation water can reach up to 4.786×103 mol·m−3 and the formation water and low salinity fracturing fluid create significant osmotic pressure during the fracturing process. To investigate the effect of osmotic pressure on the imbibition effect, a two-dimensional, oil-water, two-phase, discrete fracture network model was established. This model comprehensively considers osmotic pressure and capillary force. Additionally, a series of studies were carried out to explore the influence of osmotic pressure, capillary force, shut-in time, salt concentration, membrane efficiency, and the proportion of branch fracture area on the imbibition effect in shale oil reservoirs during fracturing fluid pumping and shut-in. The results show that: (1) Filtration is mainly influenced by pressure difference, capillary force, and osmotic pressure, and pressure difference is the key control mechanism of filtration. (2) The shut-in time has a great influence on the imbibition effect of fracturing fluid. The imbibition amount in the first 15 d can reach 80% of the total imbibition amount when the well is shut in for 50 d, leading to the shut-in pressure spreading to the fracturing interval on either side. (3) Osmotic pressure takes longer to reach equilibrium than diffusion pressure. Osmotic pressure takes 50 d to shut in the well and make the salinity near the fracture reach 600 mol·m−3 when the salinity of local layer water is 4.786×103 mol·m−3. (4) As pressure difference is the main factor that affects the imbibition effect and the effect of shale film efficiency on seepage pressure diffusion is weak, the extent of imbibition increases by only 4% when the shale film efficiency increases from 5% to 30%. (5) Water saturation is controlled using hydraulic fractures through small spacing during shut-in, and the influence of branch fractures on water saturation is limited in intensive volume fracturing to horizontal wells.

Land subsidence caused by human engineering activities is a serious problem worldwide. We selected Qian'an County as the study area to explore the evolution of land subsidence and predict its deformation trend. This study utilized synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) technology to process 64 Sentinel-1 data covering the area, and high-precision and high-resolution surface deformation data from January 2017 to December 2021 were obtained to analyze the deformation characteristics and evolution of land subsidence. Then, land subsidence was predicted using the intelligence neural network theory, machine learning methods, time-series prediction models, dynamic data processing techniques, and engineering geology of ground subsidence. This study developed three time-series prediction models: a support vector regression (SVR), a Holt Exponential Smoothing (Holt) model, and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) models. A time-series prediction analysis was conducted using the surface deformation data of the subsidence funnel area of Zhouzi Village, Qian'an County. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the three models were compared and analyzed. The results show that the three developed time-series data prediction models can effectively capture the time-series-related characteristics of surface deformation in the study area. The SVR and Holt models are suitable for analyzing fewer external interference factors and shorter periods, while the MLP model has high accuracy and universality, making it suitable for predicting both short-term and long-term surface deformation. Ultimately, our results are valuable for further research on land subsidence prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple diseases, such as cancer and neural degeneration diseases, are related with the latent infection of DNA viruses. However, it is still difficult to clean up the latent DNA viruses and new anti-viral strategies are critical for disease treatment. Here, we screen a pool of small chemical molecules and identify UNC0379, an inhibitor for histone H4K20 methyltransferase SETD8, as an effective inhibitor for multiple DNA viruses. UNC0379 not only enhances the expression of anti-viral genes in THP-1 cells, but also repress DNA virus replication in multiple cell lines with defects in cGAS pathway. We prove that SETD8 promotes DNA virus replication in a manner dependent on its enzyme activity. Our results further indicated that SETD8 is required for PCNA stability, one factor critical for viral DNA replication. Viral infection stimulates the interaction between SETD8 and PCNA and thus enhances PCNA stability and viral DNA replication. Taken together, our study reveals a new mechanism for regulating viral DNA replication and provides a potential strategy for treatment of diseases related with DNA viruses.

Skiing technique and performance improvements are crucial for athletes and enthusiasts alike. This study presents SnowMotion, a digital human motion training assistance platform that addresses the key challenges of reliability, real-time analysis, usability, and cost in current motion monitoring techniques for skiing. SnowMotion utilizes wearable sensors fixed at five key positions on the skier's body to achieve high-precision kinematic data monitoring. The monitored data are processed and analyzed in real time through the SnowMotion app, generating a panoramic digital human image and reproducing the skiing motion. Validation tests demonstrated high motion capture accuracy (cc > 0.95) and reliability compared to the Vicon system, with a mean error of 5.033 and a root-mean-square error of less than 12.50 for typical skiing movements. SnowMotion provides new ideas for technical advancement and training innovation in alpine skiing, enabling coaches and athletes to analyze movement details, identify deficiencies, and develop targeted training plans. The system is expected to contribute to popularization, training, and competition in alpine skiing, injecting new vitality into this challenging sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]