Search

This study aims to: (1) evaluate the concentration distribution of particulate matter in the Guangzhou metro system; (2) Compare particulate matter concentrations under different conditions, including time, season, location, subway lines, and sampling height; (3) Compare the concentrations with existing research and propose future improvement measures. The analysis showed that spatial factors were significantly correlated with the particulate matter concentration. We also identified the stratification of PM10 at various heights in both carriages and platforms, with a more notable effect observed in carriages. The PM10 average concentration at 80cm is 14 % higher than at 120cm and 13 % higher than at 150cm. We suggest mitigation measures for particulate matter in both carriage and platform environments.

Carbide tools are extensively used in the automotive, aerospace, and marine industries. However, an unsuitable tool-edge treatment can affect the cutting performance of carbide tools. In the tool-cutting process, the cutting edge radius is one of the major factors that affect the cutting force, temperature, and quality. In this study, a cutting simulation model of carbide inserts was used to analyze the effect of the cutting edge radius on the cutting performance. The cutting edge radii of the inserts were prepared using shear-thickening polishing methods, followed by cutting experiments. The accuracy of the cutting simulation model was verified through cutting experiments. The simulation results showed that under low-speed cutting conditions, the cutting force and temperature tended to increase with an increase in the cutting edge radius, and the cutting temperature was less affected by the cutting edge radius. The results of the cutting force and cutting temperature obtained from the experiment and simulation were consistent; therefore, the cutting simulation model was verified to be reliable. The results indicate that modeling cutting simulation is a promising research method for predicting the cutting performance of tools.

New cave records from monsoon regions improve the Greenland ice core chronological framework around the Heinrich Stadial 2 by an order of magnitude, suggesting a more active role of low-latitude hydroclimate in millennial-scale climate oscillations.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of one kind of human prothrombin complex concentrate in treatment of patients with hemophilia B. Methods The clinical data of 36 patients with hemophilia B treated with human prothrombin complex concentrate produced by Shenzhen Weiguang Biological Products Co. Ltd. from May 2018 to April 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and its clinical efficacy and safety were analyzed. Results A total of 35 subjects entered the full analysis set (FAS)and safety set (SS), 33 subjects entered the per protocol Set (PPS). Thirty minutes after the first infusion of FAS subjects, the activity of coagulation factor Ⅸ increased from (3.93±0.975) IU/dL to (25.61±9.337) IU/dL, and the infusion efficiency was (96.43±22.007)%. The increased value of coagulation factor Ⅱ activity was (73.25±14.874) IU/dL. The activity of coagulation factor Ⅶ was (42.79±16.847) IU/dL. The increased value of coagulation factor Ⅹ activity was (65.29±17.042) IU/dL. The increased value of coagulation factor Ⅸ activity was (21.68±9.434%) IU/dL. Twenty-four hours after the first infusion of FAS subjects, the improvement of bleeding symptoms and signs was excellent in 21 cases (60%), improved in 14 cases (40.0%), and the effective rate was 100%. The incidence of adverse reactions was 2.9%(1/35), and there was no antibody to human coagulation factor Ⅸ and new virus infection. Conclusion Infusion of human prothrombin complex concentrate produced by Shenzhen Weiguang Biological Products Co. Ltd. in the treatment of hemophilia B has significant clinical efficacy and good safety.

The pandemic has made wearing masks commonplace, prompting researchers to investigate their effects on interpersonal perception. Findings indicate masks obstruct face identification and expression recognition, with lower face cues being most affected. When judging attractiveness, masks can enhance the appeal of less attractive faces, but reduce the appeal of more attractive faces. Trust and speech perception outcomes are inconclusive. Future studies could focus on individual differences in how masks influence our perception of others.

As a BET bromodomain inhibitor, JQ1 has been proven have efficacy against a number of different cancers. In terms of male reproduction, JQ1 may be used as a new type of contraceptive, since JQ1 treatment in male mice could lead to germ cell defects and a decrease of sperm motility, moreover, this effect is reversible. However, the mechanism of JQ1 acting on gene regulation in spermatogenesis remains unclear. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on mouse testes treated with JQ1 or vehicle control to determine the transcriptional regulatory function of JQ1 in spermatogenesis at the single cell resolution. We confirmed that JQ1 treatment could increase the numbers of somatic cells and spermatocytes and decrease the numbers of spermatid cells. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed genes which were down-regulated after JQ1 injection were mainly enriched in “DNA conformation change” biological process in early developmental germ cells and “spermatid development” biological process in spermatid cells. ATAC-seq data further confirmed that JQ1 injection could change the open state of chromatin. In addition, JQ1 could change the numbers of accessible meiotic DNA double-stranded break sites and the types of transcription factor motif that functioned in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. The multi-omics analysis revealed that JQ1 had the ability to regulate gene transcription by changing chromatin conformation in mouse spermatogenesis, which would potentiate the availability of JQ1 in male contraceptive.

A substantial number of male infertility is caused by azoospermia. However, the underlying etiology and the molecular basis remain largely unknown. Through single-cell (sc)RNA sequencing, we had analyzed testis biopsy samples from two patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA) and nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). We found only somatic cells in the NOA samples and explored the transcriptional changes in Sertoli cells in response to a loss of interactions with germ cells. Moreover, we observed a germ cell population discrepancy between an OA (postvasectomy) patient and a healthy individual. We confirmed this observation in a secondary study with two datasets at GSM3526588 and GSE124263 for detailed analysis wherein the regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional level were identified. These findings thus provide valuable information on human spermatogenesis, and we also identified insightful information for further research on reproduction-related diseases.

A growing amount of research has shown associations between sexually dimorphic vocal traits and physiological conditions related to reproductive advantage. This paper presented a review of the literature on the relationship between sexually dimorphic vocal traits and sex hormones, body size, and physique. Those physiological conditions are important in reproductive success and mate selection. Regarding sex hormones, there are associations between sex-specific hormones and sexually dimorphic vocal traits; about body size, formant frequencies are more reliable predictors of human body size than pitch/fundamental frequency; with regard to the physique, there is a possible but still controversial association between human voice and strength and combat power, while pitch is more often used as a signal of aggressive intent in conflict. Future research should consider demographic, cross-cultural, cognitive interaction, and emotional motivation influences, in order to more accurately assess the relationship between voice and physiology. Moreover, neurological studies were recommended to gain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary origins and adaptive functions of voice modulation.

Abstract Background The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease is causing considerable acute risk to public health and might also have an unanticipated impact on the mental health of children and adolescents in the long run. This study collected data during the national lockdown period in China and aims to understand whether there is a clinically significant difference in anxiety, depression, and parental rearing style when comparing adolescents from Wuhan and other cities in China. This study also intends to examine whether gender, grade in school, single child status, online learning participation, parents’ involvement in COVID-19 related work, and parents being quarantined or infected due to the disease would lead to clinically significant differences in anxiety and depression. Beyond that, this study explored the pathways among the different variables in order to better understand how these factors play a part in impacting adolescents’ mental health condition. Results Results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in anxiety symptoms between participants who were from Wuhan compared to other urban areas, but not in depressive symptoms. In addition, participants’ grade level, gender, relative being infected, and study online have direct positive predictive value for depressive and anxiety symptoms, whereas location and sibling status have indirect predictive value. Having relatives who participated in COVID-19 related work only had positive direct predictive value toward depression, but not anxiety. Conclusions This study discovered several risk factors for adolescents’ depression and anxiety during the pandemic. It also called for a greater awareness of Wuhan parents’ mental wellbeing and recommended a systematic approach for mental health prevention and intervention.

In mammals, DNA methylation patterns are established by various types of DNA methyltransferases and can be stably passed on during cell division, thus creating a paradigm for epigenetic regulation that can mediate long-lasting changes in gene expression even when the initial triggering signal has disappeared. Although functional deficiency of DNMT3A, one of the methyltransferases, leads to abnormal DNA methylation patterns that result in developmental deficits in mammals, the impacts of its overexpression on tissue gene expression and DNA methylation patterns remain unclear. Here, our previously established hDNMT3A transgenic rat model and mRNA sequencing and bisulphite sequencing PCR were used to analyse the impact of hDNMT3A overexpression on tissue transcriptome and methylome, and whether the impact could be inherited intergenerationally was subsequently investigated. Our results revealed that the overexpression of hDNMT3A could induce notable gene expression variations in rat testis and brain. More importantly, 36.02% and 38.89% of these variations could be intergenerationally inherited to offspring without the transmission of the initial endogenic trigger in the brain and testis, respectively. Furthermore, we found that intergenerationally inherited DNA methylation variations in their promoters and exons could be the underlying mechanism. Compared with inheritable variations that were passively induced by environmental factors, these variations were actively induced by endogenous epigenetic modifiers. This study provided evidence for the epigenetic inheritance of endogenous factors that actively induce gene expression and DNA methylation variations; however, more studies are needed to determine the number of generations that these variations can be stably inherited.

Abstract Coronavirus Disease is impacting the entire world. As the first country that has needed to confront this disease, China has responded with unprecedented and hugely successful public health initiatives. Almost simultaneous with the awareness of the potential for widespread loss of life, the first Chinese university recognizing the likely psychological impacts of COVID-19, assembled the first university-based professional team to offer pandemic-related mental health services to the Chinese public. This paper describes the work that we provided and the challenges encountered. The challenges are described in four contexts: the organizational/systemic level, the technical perspective, the therapeutic process, and the ethical aspects. We also provide recommendations on what we can do in the short term, and future improvements that can be made.

Abstract Background China has the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population. This study assessed the discrimination experienced by LGBT individuals in China in a comprehensive way, covering discrimination perpetrated by family, media, medical services, religious communities, schools, social services, and in the workplace. Methods The current study involved a national survey of 31 provinces and autonomous regions. Discrimination was measured both in terms of heterosexual participants’ attitudes towards LGBT individuals, and LGBT participants’ self-perceived discrimination. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the difference between heterosexual participants’ attitudes towards LGBT individuals and LGBT participants’ self-perceived discrimination. Linear regression was used to investigate the association between gross domestic product per capita and discrimination. Results Among 29,125 participants, 2066 (7.1%) identified as lesbian, 9491 (32.6%) as gay, 3441 (11.8%) as bisexual, 3195 (11.0%) as transgender, and 10,932 (37.5%) as heterosexual. Heterosexual people were generally friendly towards the LGBT community with a mean score of 21.9 (SD = 2.7, total scale score = 100) and the grand averaged score of self-perceived discrimination by LGBT participants was 49.9 (SD = 2.5). Self-perceived discrimination from family and social services is particularly severe. We created a series of provincial level choropleth maps showing heterosexual participants’ acceptance towards the LGBT community, and self-perceived discrimination reported by members of the LGBT community. We found that a higher level of economic development in provinces was associated with a decrease in discrimination, and we identified that every 100 thousand RMB increase in per capita GDP lead to a 6.4% decrease in discriminatory events perpetrated by heterosexuals. Conclusions Chinese LGBT groups consistently experience discrimination in various aspects of their daily lives. The prevalence of this discrimination is associated with the economic development of the province in which it occurs. In order to reduce discrimination, it is important for future studies to discover the underlying reasons for discrimination against LGBT individuals in China.

Abstract Objectives This study aims to assess the effectiveness of delivering Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) through telecommunication with a group of adolescents who present anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak. We hypothesize that participants who are randomly assigned to receive 2–4 sessions of Solution Focused Brief Therapy would have better clinical outcomes than participants who are in the waitlist group. We additionally hypothesized that using SFBT can also change participants’ depression levels and their coping strategies in dealing with distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial design This study employs a randomized delayed crossover open label controlled trial in adolescents who are presenting anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants who meet the enrollment criteria stated below will be invited to participate in this study through telecommunication. Those accepting will be randomly allocated to the intervention group or waitlist group.

Choosing a school that can best assist children’s development has become one of the major concerns of Chinese parents. To categorize schools by where students stay after school, this paper consider boarding schools or day schools as two major school types. This study examined the relationships among emotional intelligence (EI), perceived social support (from friends and family), and resilience for 493 Chinese adolescents (male = 249, female = 244; mean age = 13.9, SD = 0.71), and investigated how school type difference impacts these relationships. This research first used a moderator analysis to investigate the effects of trait emotional intelligence on resilience by perceived social support from family and friends, respectively. Results show that social support from family was non-significant, while support from friends was significant in moderating the relationship between EI and resilience. Furthermore, a moderated moderation analysis was used to understand if moderation by school type of perceived social support differs in the effect of trait EI on resilience. Results indicated that the magnitude of the moderation by social support from friends depended on school type. For students who have lower perceived friend support, boarding school experiences provided a stronger positive relationship between trait EI and resilience than day school experience. Ways to enhance students’ perceived social support are discussed, along with the limitations of the current research and recommendations for future research.