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Abstract Teleconnections between the tropics and the Arctic have attracted a lot of scientific interest. However, the mechanisms by which tropical synoptic-scale systems influence the variability of Arctic sea ice remain unknown. In this study, we highlight the impacts of tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) on Arctic Sea Ice Concentration (SIC) using observational evidence and climate model simulation experiments. Our findings demonstrate significant positive correlations between Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) in the WNP and SIC in the Arctic-Pacific Sector (APS), particularly when considering a 30-day lag. The TC activity over the WNP induces Rossby wave train propagation towards the Arctic, leading to anomalous cyclonic circulation over the upper troposphere of the APS. The anomalous cyclone over the Arctic, on one hand, signifies the deepening of the Arctic polar vortex and diminishes adiabatic warming over the APS, subsequently inducing cooling and drying of the lower Arctic air. This process reduces downward longwave radiation, promoting an increase in September APS SIC. On the other hand, the anomalous cyclone over the Arctic hinders the export of sea ice and local melting processes throughout the Fram Strait. These findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of tropics-Arctic teleconnections.

Abstract This study focuses on the primary synoptic‐scale patterns and precursors of extreme and non‐extreme precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Atmospheric circulation anomalies and their precursors associated with regional extreme precipitation events (REPE) demonstrate distinct precursor wave train and heightened intensity than regional non‐extreme precipitation events (non‐REPE). Specifically, REPE over the northwestern TP (NWTP) exhibits a geopotential height anomaly induced by a latitudinal propagating Rossby wave train along 40°N. In contrast, over the southeastern TP (SETP), REPE is characterized by a geopotential height anomaly caused by a northwest‐southeastward propagating Rossby wave train. The ascending motion anomalies of REPE over both NWTP and SETP are primarily attributed to the geostrophic zonal temperature advection, which is significantly stronger during REPE compared to non‐REPE. This finding provides valuable insights for forecasting summer extreme precipitation over TP.

Tropical cyclones (TCs), commonly called cyclones in the southern Indian Ocean (SIO), represent one of the most devastating disasters in the oceanfront regions of Africa. The present study explores the long-term tendency of annual mean TC genesis location in the SIO. A notable westward shift is detected in the SIO TC genesis longitude since 1979, which is linked to an increase in the TC genesis frequency in the southwestern SIO and a decrease in the TC genesis frequency in the northeastern SIO. The dipole trend pattern of the TC genesis frequency in the SIO is intimately linked to the weakening of the westerly vertical wind shear over the western SIO and the strengthening of the easterly vertical wind shear over the eastern SIO, resulting from a reduced meridional temperature gradient. The weakened meridional temperature gradient is attributed to the enhanced warming of the subtropical troposphere that is a response of atmospheric temperature to global warming. Our study implies a potential increase in the risks faced by coastal and island countries in eastern Africa.

This paper studies the interdecadal transition of interannual variability of summertime intraseasonal rainfall (SIR) over South China (SC). It is found that after the mid-1990s (1995/96), the interannual oscillation of SIR over SC has significantly enhanced. The inner connection and possible physical processes associated with the atmospheric intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) involved in the interdecadal transition of the interannual variability of SIR over SC are discussed. The results show that the “Silk Road” teleconnection wave trains distributed zonally across Eurasia from western Europe to northeastern China in the mid-to-high latitudes and the intraseasonal component of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are two major factors that control the increase of SIR interannual oscillation over SC after 1996. In the period after 1996, the low-frequency perturbation kinetic energy of the wave activity flux associated with the “Silk Road” teleconnection converges more significantly over SC. At the same time, note that the positive SIR anomaly years tend to be in the El Niño decaying phase, the eastward-propagating Kelvin waves triggered by the warm Indian ocean can promote the development of the western Pacific anticyclonic anomaly, which subsequently strengthens the WPSH effectively. The interannual variability of the WPSH east-west movement increases the low-level intraseasonal change of atmospheric circulation over SC. Low-level circulation anomalies in the low latitudes combined with the dispersion of Rossby wave energy in the mid-to-high latitudes eventually lead to an increased interannual variability of SIR over SC.

This study focuses on the interdecadal increase of summertime extreme precipitation over East China in the late 1990s and physical mechanisms behind. The results show that summer extreme precipitation over East China during 1979–2020 demonstrates an upward trend and a significant interdecadal increase occurs around 1997/1998. Since 1997, extreme precipitation anomalies turn from less than normal to more than normal, corresponding to a strong upward movement in the lower troposphere over East China. A cyclonic circulation with positive vorticity controlled by a strong southeasterly flow appears in the lower level over South China. The reasons for the interdecadal increase of summer extreme precipitation over East China are analyzed from the perspective of the abnormally strong South Asian subtropical high (SAH) and the atmospheric circulation anomalies caused by zonal sea surface temperature (SST) gradient in the tropical oceans. After 1997, positive sensible heat anomalies appear over the Tibetan Plateau in spring, which is the major factor that maintains the intensity of the SAH. Besides, the SST of the tropical oceans presents an obvious “high-low-high” zonal gradient distribution with positive sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, and negative SSTA over the Maritime Continent. The zonal SST gradient results in an anomalous downdraft and boundary layer divergence over the Maritime Continent. The tropical zonal SST gradient triggers a local Hadley circulation, and its ascending branch is located in East China. This is a circulation condition favorable for the development of extreme precipitation. In addition, since the late 1990s, the SAH has strengthened in the upper troposphere above the southeastern China. The anomalous divergence at the upper level effectively maintains the upward movement, which in turn facilitates the occurrence of extreme precipitation. As a result, the sensible heat changes in the Tibetan Plateau in spring and the tropical SST zonal gradient jointly affect summer extreme precipitation over East China, leading to the interdecadal increase of extreme precipitation in the late 1990s.

This study focuses on the interdecadal transition of summer rainfall interannual variability over the Yellow-Huaihe River valley (YHRV). It is found that the interannual variability of summer rainfall over the YHRV becomes significantly weakened after the late 2000s. In the decade before the late 2000s (hereafter P1), the variance is 1.28 mm d−1 and the mean value of interannual variability is 1.49 mm d−1. In the decade after the late 2000s (P2), the variance is 0.35 mm d−1 and the mean value of interannual variability is 0.62 mm d−1. The variance and mean value of summer rainfall interannual variability have considerably decreased by 72.7% and 58.4% since the late 2000s, respectively. The reasons for the aforementioned interdecadal transition are explored. The results show that the interdecadal shift of the East Asian jet stream axis and the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) are two major factors leading to the interdecadal transition of summer rainfall interannual variability over the YHRV. The northward shift of the jet stream axis, which resembles the Pacific-Japan (PJ) pattern, suppresses the development of summer rainfall over the YHRV. The interannual oscillation of WPSH in P1 is more significant than that in P2, which is consistent with the weakened interannual variability of summer rainfall in P2. Further analysis reveals that the modulation factors responsible for the above changes are El Niño in its decaying phase in the equatorial central eastern Pacific and the warming in the Maritime continent and the western Pacific (WP) in P1. While in P2, the primary modulation factor is La Niña in its developing phase in the equatorial central eastern Pacific. As for the mechanism of the growth of summer rainfall in P1 positive years, the WP warm pool and El Niño in its decaying phase strengthen the Walker circulation in the tropical Pacific and induce Hadley circulation, whose ascending branch over the YHRV provides a favorable condition for the development of rainfall. At the same time, the northward propagation of Rossby waves in response to the above SSTA pattern suppresses convective activities over the Northwestern Pacific (NWP), which indirectly intensifies the WPSH. As a result, the PJ pattern is triggered and provides a favorable large-scale circulation condition for the growth of rainfall.

The current study concentrates on the interdecadal shift in the interannual variability of summertime precipitation (IVSP) over South China (SC). Possible causes for the interdecadal shift are explored. The IVSP on a decadal time scale presents a significant weakening after the mid-2000s. The results show that the variances of the interannual precipitation variability over the SC region between 1993 and 2004 (hereafter S1) and 2005 and 2020 (hereafter S2) are 1.40 mm d−1 and 0.58 mm d−1, respectively. The variance of the IVSP has decreased by 58.6% since the mid-2000s. The current study reveals that the reduction in the IVSP over SC after the mid-2000s is prominently attributed to the weakened impact of the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) teleconnection. Before the mid-2000s, the interannual variation of the east-west movement of the western Pacific subtropical high was more significant. The warming over the tropical central-eastern Pacific (CEP) and cooling over the western Pacific (WP) suppress the Walker cell in the tropical Pacific and induce anomalous Hadley cell with its descending branch over the WP in the wet years. The anomalies of SST and atmospheric circulation show opposite phases in the dry years. This SSTA pattern enhances the northward propagation of the EAP teleconnection through a Rossby-wave-type response, which triggers an ascending/descending branch with active/suppressed convection over the northwestern Pacific in the wet/dry years. Therefore, the cooling WP and El Niño in its developing phase provide an ideal condition for more precipitation over SC. However, the above ocean–atmosphere interactions changed after the mid-2000s. The significant SST changes in the tropical CEP and the WP weaken the EAP teleconnection and atmospheric circulation anomalies over SC, leading to a significant interdecadal reduction in the IVSP over SC after the mid-2000s.

In order to systematically study the stress correction method and hot deformation behavior of F92 stainless steel, the hot compression test was performed using a Gleeble-3500 (DSI USA, Connecticut, CT, USA) at strain rates of 0.01–10 s−1 and deformation temperatures of 750–1150 °C. First, to obtain the truest stress values from the original data, we adopted two stress correction models that did not affect each other, and the order of the two correction models was also different. Second, the adiabatic-friction-corrected stress was used as the input value of the AR model to predict the high-temperature flow behavior of F92 steel. Third, the optimal hot working parameters of F92 steel were determined via modeling and microstructure characterization. The results were as follows: The final correction values for both models were smaller than those from the original data. The stress deviation corrected by model 1 reached a maximum value of 59 MPa at 750 °C and 10 s−1. After establishing the Arrhenius (AR) model, it was determined that the accuracy of stress correction model 2 was stronger than that of model 1. Additionally, the corrected stress improved the predictive power of the AR model. The hot working range of F92 steel falls within a deformation temperature of 850 °C to 1050 °C and strain rate of 0.1 s−1 to 1 s−1. Finally, the AR model was used to describe the high-temperature flow behavior of F92 steel.

This study reveals the impacts of cumulus parameterization schemes (CPSs) on the simulation of interannual and interdecadal variations of Meiyu in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley (Yangtze Meiyu) by using a regional climate model. A multiple 55-year (1955-2009) simulation of Yangtze Meiyu is conducted using RegCM4.6 with different CPSs, including the Emanuel scheme, Kuo scheme, and Grell scheme. It is found that all the CPSs have good performances in simulating the interannual variation of Yangtze Meiyu rainfall amounts. However, a large bias is found in the simulated interdecadal variation of Yangtze Meiyu rainfall amount by the three CPSs. Because the Emanuel CPS has good performance in the simulation of both interannual and interdecadal variations of Yangtze Meiyu, its overall performance in the simulation of the total amount of Yangtze Meiyu is the best among the three CPSs. The second best CPS is the Grell scheme, and the worst is the Kuo scheme. The model convergence in simulating the distribution of Yangtze Meiyu shows an obvious characteristic of interdecadal variation. During the years with strong summer monsoon and northward rain belt, the simulated distributions of Yangtze Meiyu by the three CPSs are quite different, and the model convergence is weak. On the contrary, during the years with weak summer monsoon and southward rain belt, the simulated distributions of Yangtze Meiyu by the three CPSs are similar to each other, and the model convergence is strong. As a result, when the well-known interdecadal change happens in the late 1970s, the monsoon changes from strong to weak, whereas the model convergence changes from weak to strong.

During the summer in the western mountainous regions of China (WMR), the disasters such as mountain floods, landslides, and debris flows caused by heavy rain occur frequently, which often result in huge economic losses and many casualties. Therefore, it is of great significance to predict the precipitation accurately in these regions. In this paper, a statistical model is established to predict the precipitation in the WMR using the linear regression statistical method, in which the summer area-averaged precipitation anomaly in WMR is taken as the predictand and the prewinter Niño3 SST is taken as the predictor. The results of the return cross test for the historical years from 1979 to 2008 and independent sample return test from 2009 to 2018 show that this statistical model has a good performance in predicting the summer precipitation in the WMR, especially in the flood years. It has better skill in the prediction of WMR precipitation than the dynamical model SINTEX-F.

Abstract Background Relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) carries a dismal prognosis. CAR T cells have shown limited efficacy in AML, partially due to dysfunctional autologous T cells and the extended time for generation of patient specific CAR T cells. Allogeneic NK cell therapy is a promising alternative, but strategies to enhance efficacy and persistence may be necessary. Proteasome inhibitors (PI) induce changes in the surface proteome which may render malignant cells more vulnerable to NK mediated cytotoxicity. Here, we investigated the potential benefit of combining PIs with CAR-expressing allogeneic NK cells against AML. Methods We established the IC50 concentrations for Bortezomib and Carfilzomib against several AML cell lines. Surface expression of class-I HLA molecules and stress-associated proteins upon treatment with proteasome inhibitors was determined by multiparameter flow cytometry. Using functional in vitro assays, we explored the therapeutic synergy between pre-treatment with PIs and the anti-leukemic efficacy of NK cells with or without expression of AML-specific CAR constructs against AML cell lines and primary patient samples. Also, we investigated the tolerability and efficacy of a single PI application strategy followed by (CAR-) NK cell infusion in two different murine xenograft models of AML. Results AML cell lines and primary AML patient samples were susceptible to Bortezomib and Carfilzomib mediated cytotoxicity. Conditioned resistance to Azacitidine/Venetoclax did not confer primary resistance to PIs. Treating AML cells with PIs reduced the surface expression of class-I HLA molecules on AML cells in a time-and-dose dependent manner. Stress-associated proteins were upregulated on the transcriptional level and on the cell surface. NK cell mediated killing of AML cells was enhanced in a synergistic manner. PI pre-treatment increased effector-target cell conjugate formation and Interferon-γ secretion, resulting in enhanced NK cell activity against AML cell lines and primary samples in vitro. Expression of CD33- and CD70-specific CARs further improved the antileukemic efficacy. In vivo, Bortezomib pre-treatment followed by CAR-NK cell infusion reduced AML growth, leading to prolonged overall survival. Conclusions PIs enhance the anti-leukemic efficacy of CAR-expressing allogeneic NK cells against AML in vitro and in vivo, warranting further exploration of this combinatorial treatment within early phase clinical trials.

Commencing with the dynamic characteristic optimization of frequency regulation of wind energy storage systems， this study delves into a coordinated frequency regulation strategy between energy storage systems （ESS） and wind farms， taking into account the state of charge （SOC）. Firstly， it investigates the strategy of differential inertia support using variable-ratio speed regulation of the doubly-fed induction generator （DFIG） under varying wind speeds. Subsequently， a two-tiered coordinated control approach is employed to determine the power command to synchronize distributed energy storage with wind farm frequency regulation. Then， with the energy storage SOC as a state variable， a strategy for allocating frequency regulation power commands is proposed based on a consensus algorithm. This strategy considers the disparities in energy storage SOC and power regulation capabilities， facilitating power allocation for distributed energy storage based on SOC status. Finally， the efficacy of the proposed strategy is validated through simulation. The findings demonstrate that this strategy effectively coordinates distributed energy storage with wind farms to provide frequency response， swiftly recovering the operation mode of maximum power point tracking （MPPT） of wind turbines and thereby averting secondary frequency disturbances in the system.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to control chicken skeletal muscle growth, however, the potential function of the miR-181-5p family in chicken myogenesis remains largely unknown. Here, our study identified the two chicken (Gallus gallus; Gga) miR-181-5p family members widely expressed in various tissues, specifically miR-181a-5p and miR-181b-5p. Besides, the breast muscles of fast-growing broilers expressed higher levels of miR-181a-5p and miR-181b-5p than those of slow-growing layers. Functionally, miR-181a-5p and miR-181b-5p both promote the expression level of myogenic factors including myogenin (MyoG), myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD1), and myosin heavy chain (MyHC), meanwhile accelerating the myotube formation of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Mechanistically, miR-181a-5p and miR-181b-5p directly bind to the 3´ untranslated region (UTR) of the transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1) mRNA, further reducing the expression of TGFBR1. TGFBR1 is a key Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling transduction receptor and had a negative function in muscle cell differentiation. Furthermore, knockdown of TGFBR1 facilitated the expression of chicken myogenic factors, boosted myotube formation, and decreased the SMAD family member 2/3 (SMAD2/3) phosphorylation in chicken SMSCs. SMAD2/3 are downstream of TGF-β signaling, and miR-181a-5p and miR-181b-5p could reduce the expression of TGFBR1 to further diminish the SMAD2/3 phosphorylation. Our findings revealed that the miR-181-5p family targets TGFBR1 to break the TGF-β signaling transduction, which resulted in promoting chicken skeletal muscle development.

Graphene-based metamaterial sensors are of significant research value for detecting food preservatives at low concentrations due to their extremely high sensitivity levels. In this work, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated an anapole resonance-based graphene metasurface (An-graphene-Ms) sensor with its conductivity altered by electrostatic doping effects for detecting and differentiating between two preservatives, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, in the terahertz region. Sodium benzoate, owing to its benzene ring structure, established π–π stacking interactions between the π-electrons in the benzene ring and those in graphene, amplifying the sensing effect. The amplitude changes and phase differences of the An-graphene-Ms sensor for the sodium benzoate detection were greater than those for potassium sorbate at the same concentration. Additionally, to reveal the dependence of the resonance frequency on the time delay, the measured signals were investigated using the continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and the time-frequency combination of the metasurface sensor was performed. The 2D wavelet coefficient intensity cards are effectively constructed through CWT, which also presents a more accurate approach for distinguishing and determining the concentrations of the two preservatives.

IntroductionDue to the impact of antibody-dependent enhancement and viral variation, effective vaccines or antiviral therapies remain lacking for the dengue virus (DENV). Nucleic acid drugs, particularly Vivo-Morpholinos (MOs), have emerged as a promising avenue for antiviral treatment due to their programmability and precise targeting, as well as their safety and stability.MethodIn this study, we designed and developed 10 morpho-modified (octa-guanidine dendrimer) vivo-MO molecules that target each coding gene of DENV. Subsequently, we assessed the inhibitory impact of vivo-MOs on dengue viral RNA load utilizing qRT-PCR. Furthermore, we examined the inhibitory effect on the live virus through a plaque assay and the TCID50 assay.ResultsWe found that the vivo-3′UTR molecule targeting the 3′ untranslated region of the dengue virus exhibited the highest inhibitory rate against viral load. The vivo-3′UTR demonstrated 99% inhibition of dengue virus RNA and the inhibition of up to 98% of the live virus. Additionally, the targeted sequence was conserved among all four DENV serotypes, and treatment with 10 μM of vivo-3′UTR resulted in a reduction of viral titers for all four DENV serotypes by over 99.99%. Additionally, we revealed that pre-treatment with vivo-3′UTR had a notable preventive effect against viral infection.ConclusionThis study screened an effective vivo-MO target drug for the treatment of dengue virus infection, demonstrating low toxicity in mammalian cell lines, and proposed a novel preventive antiviral approach.

Purpose: The global cancer burden and mortality rates are increasing, with significant disparities in access to care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to identify radiology and radiation therapy needs in LMICs from the perspective of departmental and institutional leaders. Methods and Materials: A survey was developed and conducted by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Global Needs Assessment Committee and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine International Council. The survey, organized into 5 sections (Introduction, Infrastructure Needs, Education Needs, Research Needs, and General Information), was open to respondents from March 1, to August 16, 2022. Results: A total of 175 responses were received from 6 global regions: Africa (31.4%), the Americas (17.7%), the Eastern Mediterranean (14.3%), Europe (9.1%), Southeast Asia (23.4%), and the Western Pacific (4.0%). The greatest reported need was for new or updated equipment, particularly positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging technology. There was also a high demand for clinical and equipment training. Approximately 25% of institutions reported a lack of radiology-based cancer screening programs because of high health care costs and a shortage of specialized equipment. Many institutions that expressed interest in research face funding and grant challenges. Conclusions: The findings highlight critical areas where organizations can support LMICs in enhancing radiology and radiation therapy services to mitigate the growing cancer burden.

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) processes require significant human resources and expertise, creating a barrier to rapid RT deployment in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Accurate segmentation of tumor targets and organs at risk (OARs) is crucial for optimal RT. This study assessed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)-based autosegmentation of OARs in 2 LMICs. Methods and Materials: Ten patients, comprising 5 head and neck (HN) cancer patients and 5 prostate cancer patients, were randomly selected. Planning computed tomography images were subjected to autosegmentation using an Food and Drug Administration-approved AI software tool and manual segmentation by experienced radiation oncologists from 2 LMIC RT clinics. The control data, obtained from a large academic institution in the United States, consisted of contours obtained by an experienced radiation oncologist. The segmentation time, DICE similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance, and mean surface distance were evaluated. Results: AI significantly reduced segmentation time, averaging 2 minutes per patient, compared with 57 to 84 minutes for manual contouring in LMICs. Compared with the control data, the AI pelvic contours provided better agreement than did the LMIC manual contours (mean DSC of 0.834 vs 0.807 in LMIC1 and 0.844 vs 0.801 in LMIC2). For HN contours, AI provided better agreement for the majority of OAR contours than manual contours in LMIC1 (mean DSC: 0.823 vs 0.821) or LMIC2 (mean DSC: 0.792 vs 0.748). Neither the AI nor LMIC manual contours had good agreement with the control data (DSC < 0.600) for the optic nerves, chiasm, and cochlea. Conclusions: AI-based autosegmentation generates OAR contours of comparable quality to manual segmentation for both pelvic and HN cancer patients in LMICs, with substantial time savings.

ABSTRACT Globally, appetite disorders have become an increasingly prominent public health issue. While short-term appetite loss may seem relatively harmless, prolonged instances can lead to serious physical and mental damage. In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the significant role of the “microbiota-gut-brain” axis in the regulation of feeding behavior in organisms, suggesting that targeting the gut microbiota may be a novel therapeutic strategy for appetite disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms through which the gut microbiota mediates the increase in host appetite and the causal relationship between the two remain unclear. Based on this, we conducted 16S rRNA sequencing to analyze the gut microbiota of rabbits with high and low feed intake, followed by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and metabolite gavage experiments to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Our research indicates that the high feed intake group exhibited significant enrichment of the g__Bacteroides and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and intragastric administration of GABA effectively promoted the host’s feeding behavior. The underlying mechanism involves GABA derived from the gut microbiota inhibiting the secretion of satiety hormones to enhance the host’s feeding behavior. Furthermore, the results of FMT suggest that differences in gut microbiota composition may be a contributing factor to varying levels of feed intake in the host. In conclusion, these findings emphasize the role of the gut microbiota-derived GABA, in increasing host feed intake, offering a new target for the treatment of appetite disorders from the perspective of gut microbiota.IMPORTANCEThe incidence of anorexia is rapidly increasing and has become a global burden. Gut microbiota can participate in the regulation of host feeding behavior, yet the molecular mechanisms through which the gut microbiota mediates the increase in host appetite and the causal relationship between them remain unclear. In this study, we utilized 16S rRNA sequencing to investigate the composition of the gut microbiota in rabbits with varying levels of feed intake and employed fecal microbiota transplantation and gastric infusion experiments with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to elucidate the potential mechanisms involved. GABA derived from the gut microbiota can effectively enhance the host’s feeding behavior by inhibiting the secretion of satiety hormones. This discovery underscores the pivotal role of the gut microbiota in modulating host appetite, offering novel research avenues and therapeutic targets for appetite disorders.

The razor clam (Sinonovacula constricta), as one of important cultivated molluscs, holds high economic importance. Unlike other bivalve species, S. constricta exclusively spawns at night, so the endogenous regulatory mechanisms driving spawning were preliminarily investigated. To identify crucial genes/proteins that may be involved in regulating nocturnal spawning, ovarian transcriptomes and phosphoproteomes were analysed at four diurnal time points (00:00/ZT16, 06:00/ZT22, 12:00/ZT28, 18:00/ZT34) in S. constricta. Transcriptome analysis revealed 503 and 25 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) when comparing ZT16 vs ZT28 and ZT22 vs ZT34, respectively. DEGs associated with energy and substance metabolism, were predominantly overexpressed in ZT16. Notably, genes related to the circadian clock, the neuro-endocrine system, and reproduction, such as clock, timeless homolog (htim), estradiol 17-beta-dehydrogenase (hsd17b11), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor (htr), and forkhead box protein O (foxo), exhibited significant changes between the light and dark cycles (P < 0.05). Phosphoproteome analysis identified 177 differentially phosphorylated proteins at ZT16 vs ZT28, which were mainly involved in energy and substance metabolism. The association analysis showed that reproduction related proteins including FoxO were heightened phosphorylation at ZT28. Based on our findings, the circadian clock (clock, htim, etc.), neuro-endocrine system (hsd17bs, htr, gpcr, etc.), and reproduction (foxo and rptor) genes and protein phosphorylation all exhibited circadian rhythm fluctuations, suggesting that they may all be involved in nocturnal spawning of razor clams. These findings establish a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying spawning and offer valuable insights into the artificial breeding of molluscs.

Abstract Background Patients infected with Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) bacteremia in hospital have high morbidity and mortality. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of pneumonia and nonpneumonia-related AB bloodstream infections (AB BSIs) and explored the possible independent risk factors for the incidence and prognosis of pneumonia-related AB BSIs. Methods A retrospective monocentric observational study was performed. All 117 episodes of hospital-acquired AB bacteremia sorted into groups of pneumonia-related AB BSIs (n = 45) and nonpneumonia-related AB BSIs (n = 72) were eligible. Univariate/multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the independent risk factors. The primary outcome was the antibiotic susceptibility in vitro of pneumonia-related AB BSIs group. The secondary outcome was the independent risk factor for the pneumonia-related AB BSIs group. Results Among 117 patients with AB BSIs, the pneumonia-related group had a greater risk of multidrug resistant A. baumannii (MDRAB) infection (84.44%) and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) infection (80%). Polymyxin, minocycline and amikacin had relatively high susceptibility rates (> 80%) in the nonpneumonia-related group. However, in the pneumonia-related group, only polymyxin had a drug susceptibility rate of over 80%. Univariate analysis showed that survival time (day), CRAB, MDRAB, length of hospital stay prior to culture, length of ICU stay prior to culture, immunocompromised status, antibiotics used prior to culture (n > = 3 types), endotracheal tube, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, PITT, SOFA and invasive interventions (n > = 3 types) were associated with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that recent surgery (within 1 mo) [P = 0.043; 0.306 (0.098–0.962)] and invasive interventions (n > = 3 types) [P = 0.021; 0.072 (0.008–0.671)] were independent risk factors related to pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that length of ICU stay prior to culture [P = 0.009; 0.959 (0.930–0.990)] and recent surgery (within 1 mo) [P = 0.004; 0.260 (0.105–0.646)] were independent risk factors for mortality in patients with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia. The Kaplan‒Meier curve and the timing test showed that patients with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia had shorter survival time compared to those with nonpneumonia-related AB bacteremia. Conclusions Our study found that A. baumannii had a high rate of antibiotic resistance in vitro in the pneumonia-related bacteremia group, and was only sensitive to polymyxin. Recent surgery was a significantly independent predictor in patients with pneumonia-related AB bacteremia.

Background Left atrial (LA) fibrosis is a marker of atrial cardiomyopathy and has been reported to be associated with both atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke. Elucidating this relationship is clinically important as LA fibrosis could serve as a surrogate biomarker of LA cardiomyopathy. The objective of this study is to investigate the association of LA fibrosis and embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Methods and Results Following an International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews‐registered protocol, 3 blinded reviewers performed a systematic review for studies that quantified the degree of LA fibrosis in patients with ESUS as compared with healthy patients from inception to February 2024. A meta‐analysis was conducted in the mean difference. From 7 studies (705 patients), there was a significantly higher degree of LA fibrosis in patients with ESUS compared with healthy controls (MD, 5.71% [95% CI, 3.55%–7.87%], P

ObjectiveTo discover the appropriate temperature and time conditions for takeout containers using the specific migration test.MethodsThe time from ordering food to food delivery and finally food consumption was acquired from consumers through field surveys. Thereafter， the duration of the testing condition was assessed using the acquired data. Real foods were used to simulate the actual use of takeout containers， and temperature changes were recorded using an automatic recorder.ResultsBased on information from the field survey， the 2 h of food contact in takeout containers was simulated. The temperature recordings revealed that the average temperature in takeout containers ranged from 71-79 ℃.ConclusionTo analyze the specific migration volume of takeout containers， a specific migration test temperature of 100 ℃ or reflux temperature （95% ethanol） can be employed for 2 h.

ObjectiveTo study test time and temperature of specific migration tests for hot drink cup through a questionnaire and a laboratory real temperature measurement method.MethodsThe consumption habits of consumers were investigated by means of questionnaires， the estimated time of contact with food during the general actual use of the hot drink cup was obtained， and the migration time required for the specific migration quantity test of the hot drink cup was obtained. Using real food to reproduce the actual use of the hot drink cup in a simulated consumption environment， and using an automatic temperature recorder to record the temperature changes during the test， the migration temperature required for the specific migration test of the hot drink cup was obtained.ResultsAccording to the survey results of consumers’ consumption habits in a restaurant， most consumers， in the process of eating in the restaurant， had an actual contact time with a hot drink cup of 1 h. According to the temperature measurement results during the actual use of the hot drink cup， its average temperature in different conditions within 1 h was 60 ℃-66 ℃.ConclusionAccording to a questionnaire and measured temperatures， it is recommended that a specific migration test condition of 70 ℃ for 1 h is selected. This study on specified migration conditions， including duration and temperature， was conducted through investigation and measurements and can be used as a reference to relevant testing institutions and laboratories when testing dine-in hot drink cups.

Predicting cracking radius is a prerequisite for determining the holes spacing of gas extraction technology by liquid CO2 phase transition cracking and permeability improvement, which directly affects the gas extraction effect. Most existing prediction methods are based on single factor analysis. In order to grasp the influence of multiple factors on the radius of liquid CO2 phase transition cracking and effectively predict the spacing between holes, ANSYS/LS-DYNA numerical simulation software is used to carry out the research on predicting the radius of coal seam liquid CO2 phase transition cracking combing with orthogonal experiments. The numerical simulation results indicate that the order of factors affecting the radius of liquid CO2 phase transition cracking is ground stress>gas pressure>coal solidity coefficient. The cracking radius decreases with the increase of stress, and increases with the increase of gas pressure and coal solidity coefficient with a linear relationship. A multiple regression analysis is conducted on the numerical simulation results. A prediction model for the radius of liquid CO2 phase transition cracking is established based on three different coupling conditions of ground stress, gas pressure, and coal solidity coefficient. Industrial experiments are conducted on the coal mine site. Extraction boreholes are set up based on the predicted model calculation results. The pressure index method is used to test and analyze the gas extraction effect. The results show the following points. The gas pressure in the observation holes on both sides of the liquid CO2 phase transition cracking hole shows a decreasing trend with time. The farther away from the cracking hole in the initial stage of extraction, the greater the gas pressure. It is consistent with theoretical analysis and numerical simulation results. The effective cracking range of liquid CO2 phase transition is basically consistent with the predicted results. The gas volume fraction in the observation hole is 73.4% higher than that in the natural extraction hole, and the gas extraction efficiency is significantly improved.

BACKGROUND: The Youth Health Ambassador Programme (YHAP) is a health educational program aimed at empowering youths to become health ambassadors in the community through raising their health awareness and training them in primary health prevention. This study evaluates the effectiveness of YHAP in improving the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of participants in physical and mental health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study followed a single-group quasi-experimental design, with a pre- and postworkshop KAP survey. Participants were junior college (JC) and polytechnic students in Singapore enrolled in YHAP. In total, 131 responses were analyzed for changes in KAP for physical and mental health before and after the program. This article also studied the participants’ barriers to educating others, including environment factors, intrinsic factors, and receptiveness of the target audience. RESULTS: Mean scores of all six KAP domains increased from the preworkshop survey to the postworkshop survey, with significant improvements (P < 0.05) in all domains except mental health knowledge. Individually, 16 out of 29 questions in the KAP sections had a significant increment in mean score after the program (P < 0.05). Mean scores for intrinsic barriers also decreased significantly (P < 0.001) postintervention, indicating that participants were less likely to agree that intrinsic factors were a barrier to educating people around them about health postintervention. CONCLUSION: YHAP is effective in improving the KAP of physical health and the attitudes and practices of mental health JC and polytechnic students and may reduce the effect of intrinsic barriers that participants face when teaching others.

Ultra wideband (UWB) radar life detection technology has the advantages of low power consumption, good penetration, and high confidentiality. It is beneficial for improving the survival rate of trapped personnel after disasters. This paper systematically summarizes the research progress and current status of UWB radar life detection technology both domestically and internationally. According to the different forms of transmitted signals, UWB radar life detection technology is divided into continuous wave radar life detection technology and pulse wave radar life detection technology. The principles and application advantages of the two detection technologies are introduced respectively. Based on the respective features of continuous wave radar life detection technology and pulse wave radar life detection technology, this paper analyzes the key technologies of UWB radar life detection from three perspectives: detection signal transmission, echo signal preprocessing, and life signal extraction and analysis, and summarizes the research status of the three key technologies. The paper proposes prospects for the research on UWB radar life detection technology. The technology breaks through the hardware performance of life detector transceivers, improves the transmission signal bandwidth, and optimizes RF power amplification technology to increase the detection distance through walls. The technology comprehensively utilizes multiple feature extraction methods and intelligent pattern classification methods, as well as new generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing, to improve the precision of target recognition. The technology develops a human target recognition and positioning equipment based on multi input multi output radar and a high-precision distributed networked fully polarized UWB radar life detector to enhance the dimension of detection results.

Abstract Background Human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) is the leading cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS remains a global public health concern but can be effectively suppressed by life-long administration of combination antiretroviral therapy. Early detection and diagnosis are two key strategies for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Rapid and accurate point-of-care testing (POCT) provides critical tools for managing HIV-1 epidemic in high-risk areas and populations. Methods In this study, a POCT for HIV-1 RNA was developed by CRISPR-Cas13a lateral flow strip combined with reverse transcriptase recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA) technology, the results can be directly observed by naked eyes. Results Moreover, with the degenerate base-binding CRISPR-Cas13a system was introduced into the RT-RAA primer designing, the technology developed in this study can be used to test majority of HIV-1 RNA with limit of detection (LOD) 1 copy/μL, while no obvious cross-reaction with other pathogens. We evaluated this method for detecting HIV-1 RNA of clinical samples, the results showed that the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy were 91.81% (85.03- 96.19%), 100% (92.60–100%), 100% (96.41–100%), 39.14% (25.59–54.60%) and 92.22% (86.89–95.88%), respectively. The lowest viral load detectable by this method was 112copies/mL. Conclusion Above all, this method provides a point-of-care detection of HIV-1 RNA, which is stable, simple and with good sensitivity and specificity. This method has potential to be developed for promoting early diagnosis and treatment effect monitoring of HIV patients in clinical.

Objective To investigate the role and underlying mechanism of 5α-hydroxycostic acid (5α-HA) in inhibiting choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model in vitro. Methods Rat choroidal vascular endothelial cells (CECs) were randomly grouped into blank control group, model group (30 ng/mL VEGF164), 5α-HA treatment group (30 ng/mL VEGF164+100 μmol/L 5α-HA) and inhibition group (30 ng/mL VEGF164+5 μmol/L semaxanib) (n=3). CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation of CECs in each group. Cell scratch assay, Transwell assay and Matrigel tube formation assay were used to observe the proliferation, migration and tube formation of the CECs. RT-qPCR was employed to detect the mRNA expression of leakage-related factors angiopoietin 2 (Ang 2), VE-Cadherin and ZO-1. Western blotting was performed to measure the expression of p-VEGFR2, p-Tie2, p-FAK, VE-Cadherin, ZO-1 and occudin. Cell immunofluorescence assay was conducted to observe the expression of Ang 2 protein in the cells. Results CCK-8 assay showed that 5α-HA treatment inhibited the abnormal proliferation of CECs in the model group (P < 0.01). Cell scratch assay, Transwell assay and Matrigel tube formation assay displayed that 5α-HA treatment also reversed the migration and tube formation of CECs induced by VEGF164 in the model group (P < 0.01). RT-qPCR indicated that the treatment also inhibited the up-regulation of Ang 2 mRNA and the down-regulation of VE-Cadherin and ZO-1 in the model group (P < 0.01). Western blotting results showed that 5α-HA significantly reduced the protein levels of p-VEGFR2, p-Tie2 and p-FAK in the model group (P < 0.01), and up-regulated the levels of VE-Cadherin, ZO-1 and occudin (P < 0.05). The results of cell immunofluorescence showed 5α-HA reduced the expression of Ang 2 protein in the model group (P < 0.01). Conclusion 5α-HA inhibits VEGF164-induced proliferation, migration and tube formation in CECs, possibly by inhibiting the phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and Tie2 and VEGFR2/FAK signaling pathway.

To explore the role of NAC transcription factors in mung bean (Vigna ratiata), we here comprehensively analyzed VrNAC13 structure and expression patterns in the mung bean cultivar “Yulin No.1”. The nucleotide sequence of VrNAC13 (GenBank accession number xp014518431.1) was determined by cloning and sequencing the gene. A predicted transcriptional activation domain in VrNAC13 was validated with a yeast one-hybrid assay. The composition and functional characteristics of VrNAC13 were analyzed using basic bioinformatics techniques, and the expression characteristics of VrNAC13 were analyzed via quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The results showed that VrNAC13 was 1,068 bp in length and encoded a product of 355 amino acids. VrNAC13 was predicted to contain a NAM domain and to belong to the NAC transcription factor family. The protein was hydrophilic and contained several threonine phosphorylation sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that VrNAC13 was highly similar in sequence to two Arabidopsis thaliana NAC proteins; we hypothesize that VrNAC13 may perform functions in mung bean similar to those of the two closely related proteins in Arabidopsis. Promoter analysis of VrNAC13 revealed cis-acting elements predicted to respond to abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin, auxin, light, drought, low temperature, and other stressors. VrNAC13 was most highly expressed in the leaves and expressed at very low levels in the stem and root. It was experimentally determined to be induced by drought and ABA. Based on these results, VrNAC13 appears to regulate stress resistance in mung bean.