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Objective: To study the effect of ultrasonic treatment on the digestion characteristics and glycemic index (GI) of glutinous rice flour. Methods: With GI value as the index, the effects of four factors, including emulsion concentration, ultrasonic power, ultrasonic time and drying temperature, on the digestibility of glutinous rice flour were studied by single factor test and response surface method. The results showed that ultrasound could transform the components between starches, increase the content of resistant starch, and significantly (P

OBJECTIVE: Upper limb (UL) dysfunction rehabilitation in stroke patients is complicated in the clinic. Action observation therapy’s (AOT) impact on mirror neurons (MNs) has been observed and made applications in related brain disease treatment. Acupuncture mentioned in the present study mainly stimulates peripheral nerves for neuronal plasticity. However, the clinical effect of AOT impact on MNs and acupuncture irritate afferent nerve fibers in combination for UL motor impairment rehabilitation after stroke is still unclear. In the present study, we investigate the central and peripheral neural stimulation meanwhile for UL recovery with stroke patients. METHODS: In this clinical study, 82 stroke patients recruited with impaired UL were randomly assigned to three groups. Twenty-four cases were in the AOT group, 28 cases were in the AOT combined acupuncture treatment group, and 30 cases were in the acupuncture treatment group. All volunteers were scored for limb function through the Fugl–Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), the Action Research Arm Test, and the modified Barthel Index (BI) before and after a systematic treatment according to the groups. Meanwhile, conventional physical therapy was also implemented for all cases. RESULTS: Before the specific intervention, the scores of FMA-UE, FMA-UE, and BI with all stroke patients have no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). After the corresponding treatment, we assessed UL function again at 4 and 8 weeks. At 4 weeks, the patients with AOT showed a significant increase in BI scores compared to the acupuncture group (P < 0.05). At 8 weeks, the FMA-UE scores of the patients with AOT combined with acupuncture were significantly increased than acupuncture alone (P < 0.05). We also observed that the BI scores of the combination and the AOT group both were improved compared to the acupuncture group with significant statistical analysis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the MNs theory, we adopted AOT impact on MNs which would be a promising rehabilitation technique, especially combined with acupuncture treatment in UL recovery of stroke. Mirror therapy seems to be effective for central neuronal plasticity, but for action or AOT, there is still insufficient evidence to recommend its optimal strategy and neuromodulation mechanism. Here, research on the MNs-based AOT technique with acupuncture in UL dysfunction with stroke patients is recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.chictr.org.cn (identifier: ChiCTR2300077010).

Bulk logistics is an important part of the modern logistics system. The degree of digital transformation of bulk logistics has a significant gap compared with other logistics forms. Combined with the successful experience of digital transformation, value co-creation may become one of the key strategies to solve the problem of digital transformation of bulk logistics. This study formulates a four-party evolutionary game model to analyze the strategic choices and the stability of strategy combinations in value co-creation activities among bulk logistics enterprises and related entities and conducts numerical simulation analysis to explore the factors affecting the outcomes of the proposed game. The numerical results demonstrate that the bulk logistics enterprises and government departments are the key players in the game form that drive the success of value co-creation activities, and the additional costs required by various enterprises and the policies and financial support from government departments are key factors affecting strategic choices. Our findings can serve as a reference for bulk logistics enterprises.

Background/Aims The shortage of donor liver hinders the development of liver transplantation. This study aimed to clarify the poor outcomes of functionally marginal liver grafts (FMLs) and provide evidence for the improvement of ischemia-free liver transplantation (IFLT) after FML transplantation. Methods Propensity score matching was used to control for confounding factors. The outcomes of the control group and FML group were compared to demonstrate the negative impact of FMLs on liver transplantation patients. We compared the clinical improvements of the different surgical types. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, we conducted bioinformatic analysis based on transcriptome and single-cell profiles. Results FMLs had a significantly greater hazard ratio (HR: 1.969, P=0.018) than did other marginal livers. A worse 90-day survival (Mortality: 12.3% vs. 5.0%, P=0.007) was observed in patients who underwent FML transplantation. Patients who received FMLs had a significant improvement in overall survival after IFLT (Mortality: 10.4% vs 31.3%, P=0.006). Pyroptosis and inflammation were inhibited in patients who underwent IFLT. The infiltration of natural killer cells was lower in liver grafts from these patients. Bulk transcriptome profiles revealed a positive relationship between IL-32 and Caspase 1 (R=0.73, P=0.01) and between IL-32 and Gasdermin D (R=0.84, P=0.0012). Conclusions FML is a more important negative prognostic parameter than other marginal liver parameters. IFLT might ameliorate liver injury in FMLs by inhibiting the infiltration of NK cells, consequently leading to the abortion of IL-32, which drives pyroptosis in monocytes and macrophages.

Abstract During the standardisation process of post-quantum cryptography, NIST encourages research on side-channel analysis for candidate schemes. As the recommended lattice signature scheme, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, when implemented on hardware, has seen limited research on side-channel analysis, and current attacks are incomplete or requires a substantial quantity of traces. Therefore, we conducted a more complete analysis to investigate the leakage of an FPGA implementation of CRYSTALS-Dilithium using the Correlation Power Analysis (CPA) method, where with a minimum of 70,000 traces partial private key coefficients can be recovered. Furthermore, we optimise the attack by extracting Point-of-Interests using known information due to parallelism (named CPA-PoI) and by iteratively utilising parallel leakages (named CPA-ITR). Our experimental results show that CPA-PoI reduces the number of traces by up to 16.67%, CPA-ITR by up to 25%, and both increase the number of recovered key coefficients by up to 55.17% and 93.10% using the same number of traces. They outperfom the CPA method. As a result, it suggests that the FPGA implementation of CRYSTALS-Dilithium is more vulnerable than thought before to side-channel analysis.

The multidirectional forging (MDF) experiments of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy were performed. The effects of temperature and cumulative strain on microstructure and mechanical properties of multi-directional forged Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy were studied. The results showed that the recrystallization ratio of the alloy gradually increased with the initial forging temperature after 3 passes of MDF. Under the condition of the initial forging temperature of 500 °C, the grain size was gradually refined with increasing MDF passes, and the average grain size was refined to 1.49 μm after 12 MDF passes. With the increase in MDF passes, the maximum texture density of the alloy gradually decreased. The mechanical properties gradually increased with the MDF passes. In the first 6 MDF passes, the mechanical properties greatly increased, but after that, the increase gradually slowed down with additional MDF passes. The optimal mechanical properties were obtained after 12 MDF passes, and the tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation after fracture were 362 MPa, 294 MPa, and 14.5%, respectively.

Purpose Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the malignant tumors responsible for high mortality and recurrence rates. Although liver transplantation (LT) is an effective treatment option for HCC, ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a contributor to HCC recurrence after LT. Moreover, prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT) is a risk factor for IRI during LT, and there is insufficient clinical evidence regarding the impact of CIT on HCC recurrence after LT. Patients and Methods This retrospective study analyzed 420 patients who underwent LT for HCC between February 2015 and November 2020 at The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. The duration of CIT was defined as the time from clamping of the donor aorta until portal reperfusion. Results A total of 133 patients (31.7%) experienced tumor recurrence after LT, and CIT > 568 min was the independent risk factor for HCC recurrence (OR, 2.406; 95% CI [1.371–4.220]; p = 0.002). Multivariate Cox’s regression analysis revealed that the recipients’ gender, exceeding Milan criteria, poor differentiation, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) ≥400 ng/ml in CIT > 568 min group were independent risk factors for disease-free survival. The peak 7-day postoperative alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (p 568 min group compared to the CIT ≤ 568 min group. Moreover, the amount of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) infusion during the operation increased (p = 0.02), and the time of mechanical ventilation postoperative was longer (p = 0.045). Conclusion An effective strategy to improve the prognosis is to reduce CIT; this strategy lowers the recurrence of HCC in patients undergoing LT, especially those within the Milan criteria.

Astragali Radix (AS) is a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine, with calycosin as its main isoflavonoid. Our previous study discovered that calycosin triggers host defense peptide (HDP) production in IPEC-J2 cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the alleviation effects of AS total flavone and AS calycosin on growth performance, intestinal immunity, and microflora in weaned piglets. Sixty-four piglets were assigned randomly to 4 treatment groups, (1) CON: the basal diet, (2) P-CON: the basal diet plus antibiotics (1 g/kg), (3) AS-TF: the basal diet plus AS total flavone at 60 mg/day per piglet, (4) AS-CA: the basal diet plus AS calycosin at 30 mg/day per piglet. Each treatment consists of 4 replicates with 4 piglets per replicate. Results showed that treatment with AS-TF and AS-CA enhanced average daily growth and average daily feed intake compared to the CON group (P < 0.01), while AS-CA significantly reduced the diarrhea rate (P < 0.05). Both AS-TF and AS-CA significantly increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) A and IgG levels, with AS-CA further boosting intestinal mucosal secretory IgA levels (P < 0.05). Histological analysis revealed improvements in the morphology of the jejunum and ileum and goblet cell count by AS-TF and AS-CA (P < 0.05). Supplementation of AS-TF and AS-CA promoted the expression of several intestinal HDPs (P < 0.05), and the effect of AS-CA was better than that of AS-TF. In addition, the AS-TF and AS-CA regulated jejunal microbial diversity and composition, with certain differential bacteria genera were showing high correlation with serum cytokines and immunoglobulin levels, suggesting that the intestinal flora affected by AS-TF and AS-CA may contribute to host immunity. Overall, AS CA and AS TF all improved growth performance and health, likely by enhancing nutrition digestibility, serum and intestinal immunity, and intestinal microbial composition. They showed the similar beneficial effect, indicating AS CA appears to be a major compound contributing to the effects of AS TF. This study demonstrated the positive effect of AS flavonoids on weaned piglets and provided a scientific reference for the efficient use of AS products.

Human brain gray matter (GM) has usually been clustered into multiple functional networks. The white matter (WM) fiber bundles are known to interconnect these networks simultaneously, engaging in numerous cognitive functions. However, the exact interconnections between GM and WM are still unclear, whether functional signals in WM rewires GM community organization remains to be explored. In this study, we divided brain functional connections into three types by using edge-centric method, including intra-GM, intra-WM and GM-WM connections, and calculated the edge community evaluation indexes for quantifying GM community engagement. The results showed that the involvement of WM significantly enhanced community entropy in the heteromodal system, while the sensory-attention system remained barely changed. In addition, delta community entropy showed a significant correlation with clinical cognitive scale. Our results suggested that WM rewired GM community organization, enhancing the community engagement of brain regions in the heteromodal system. This involvement was observed to be disrupted in disease groups. Our study revealed that considering the functional signals of GM and WM simultaneously could better understand the brain's functional organization.

Abstract The rapid and accurate identification of single‐phase earth fault is of prime concern for many scholars from industry and academia, because its fault characteristics are extremely weak while the related potential hazard is extremely severe. In this context, this paper borrows from Deep Learning and in turn innovatively puts forward a multilayer perceptron (MLP)‐based single‐phase earth fault detection model augmented with kernel principal component analysis (KPCA). First, KPCA is applied to building fault feature extraction engineering via the transformation of fault features from low‐dimensional linear indivisible space to high‐dimensional one. Second, a MLP‐based model is used for basic model reference where many optimization strategies together with dropout technique are introduced and custom‐designed in tuning this model to achieve the best detection accuracy and convergence characteristic. Numerical studies demonstrate the superiority of the proposed KPCA‐MLP‐based single‐phase earth fault detection model.

Accurate rock elastic property determination is vital for effective hydraulic fracturing, particularly Young's modulus due to its link to rock brittleness. This study integrates interdisciplinary data for better predictions of elastic modulus, combining data mining, experiments, and calibrated synthetics. We used the microstructural insights extracted from rock images for geomechanical facies analysis. Additionally, the petrophysical data and well logs were correlated with shear wave velocity (Vs) and Young's modulus. We developed a machine-learning workflow to predict Young's modulus and assess rock fracturability, considering mineral composition, geomechanics, and microstructure. Our findings indicate that artificial neural networks effectively predict Young's modulus, while K-Means clustering and hierarchical support vector machines excel in identifying rock and geomechanical facies. Utilizing Microscale thin section analysis in conjunction with fracture modeling enhances our understanding of fracture geometries and facilitates fracturability assessment. Notably, fracturability is controlled by specific geomechanical facies during initiation and propagation and influenced by continuity of geomechanical facies in small depth intervals. In conclusion, this study demonstrates data mining and machine learning potential for predicting rock properties and assessing fracturability, aiding hydraulic fracturing design optimization through diverse data and advanced methods.

Current differential protection (CDP) typically requires a reliable communications to implement the correct actions. Power-line communication (PLC) thanks to its natural advantage becomes the most preferred communication medium for the CDP service; however, it always undergoes to the deep multipath fading and the strong additive noises, which impede its deployment in the CDP. In this paper, we delicate to the performance improvement of CDP service by designing a reliable and robust PLC signal in the PLC transceiver. Firstly, a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) based OFDM signal employing frequency-hopping (FH) technique is proposed into the classic PLC, which can boost the capability of suppressing the noise and fading in PLC channel. On the basis of the multipath fading following Manfred-Klaus model, and additive noises (background noise and impulsive noise) following Bernoulli-Gaussian model, respectively, the impact of the proposed FH/OFDM PLC signal on the protection action performance is studied via the step-by-step analysis. Finally, based on the signal derivation, the mal-operation rate and refusal operation rate of CDP are evaluated by extensive simulations. The analysis and simulations reveal that the proposed CDP system can attain the superior correct actions (e.g., lower mal-operation rate and refusal operation rate), which are benefited from the reliability and robustness of the proposed FH/OFDM PLC signal, compared to the previous CDP employing classic OFDM PLC scheme.

Abstract Background N6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modification plays a critical role in various human biological processes. However, there has been no study reported to elucidate its role in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). This study was aimed to explore the expression pattern together with the potential functions of m6A regulators in hepatic IRI. Methods The gene expression data (GSE23649) of m6A regulators in human liver tissue samples before cold perfusion and within 2 h after portal vein perfusion from Gene Expression Omnibus database was analyzed. The candidate m6A regulators were screened using random forest (RF) model to predict the risk of hepatic IRI. The evaluation of infiltrating abundance of 23 immune cells was performed using single sample gene set enrichment analysis. Besides, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was carried out to validate the expression of key m6A regulators in mouse hepatic IRI model. Results The expressions of WTAP, CBLL1, RBM15, and YTHDC1 were found to be increased in liver tissues 2 h after portal vein perfusion; in contrast, the expressions of LRPPRC, FTO, METTL3, and ALKBH5 were decreased. Based on RF model, we identified eight m6A methylation regulators for the prediction of the risk of hepatic IRI. Besides, a nomogram was built to predict the probability of hepatic IRI. In addition, the levels of WTAP, ALKBH5, CBLL1, FTO, RBM15B, LRPPRC and YTHDC1 were correlated with the immune infiltration of activated CD4 T cell, activated dendritic cell (DC), immature DC, mast cell, neutrophil, plasmacytoid DC, T helper (Th) cell (type 1, 2, and 17), gamma delta T cell, T follicular helper (Tfh) cell, myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC), macrophage, natural killer cell, and regulatory Th cell. Among mouse hepatic IRI model, the mRNA level of CBLL1 and YTHDC1 was increased with statistical significance; however, the mRNA level of FTO and METTL3 was decreased among post-reperfusion liver samples compared with those in pre-reperfusion samples with statistical significance. Conclusions The m6A regulators exerted a pivotal impact on hepatic IRI. The m6A patterns that found in this study might provide novel targets and strategies for the alleviation/treatment of hepatic IRI in the future.

Abstract In the three‐phase grid‐connected current‐source inverters (CSIs), the resonance result from the AC‐side CL filter and the quality of the grid‐current waveform under the unbalanced and harmonic grid voltage conditions are two issues deserving attention. To solve the two problems, a continuous control set‐model predictive control (CCS‐MPC) method based on the optimization theory is proposed in the two‐phase synchronous coordinate frame in this paper. The constructed cost function takes grid‐connected current and output current of the inverter as control target, and obtains its optimal solution under the least‐squares method, where the optimal inverter‐side current reference is composed of inductor‐current proportional feedback, capacitor‐voltage proportional feedback, and inverter‐side current steady‐state value feedforward. The proposed method can easily realize the normal operation of three‐phase grid‐connected CSIs because the method can be determined by only one parameter under the unbalanced and distorted grids. Furthermore, in the proposed method, the proportional feedback of capacitor voltage can effectively suppress the CL filter resonance. Finally, simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

A growing number of urban dwellers are being exposed to excessively bright artificial night light induced by the development of high-intensity, high-density cities around the world. The adverse health effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) are increasingly becoming a global public health issue. Investigating the effects of built environment, especially ALAN, on public health has progressively developed into a cross-disciplinary research hotspot since the World Health Organization launched the Healthy Cities Project. Numerous studies found the links between ALAN and multiple negative health outcomes. However, to date, no review has summarized the health impacts of ALAN in China. This article systematically outlined the progress of research on the health effects of indoor and outdoor ALAN, including sleep disorders, obesity, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic diseases, cognitive function, and mental health. We pointed out the limitations of current research such as errors in exposure assessment, lack of research in developing countries, weak causal argument, and difficulty in controlling confounding factors. Future research should improve study design, conduct quantitative studies, and explore potential mechanisms, so as to provide scientific evidence for improving urban lighting planning and urban architectural design.

Abstract Single phase‐earth faults are the most frequent faults likely to occur but hard to identify in distribution system, especially in a neutral un‐effectively grounded system. To address this issue, this paper innovatively proposes a typical distribution system structure, in which it only introduces one three‐phase isolated power transformer (PT)‐based subnetwork division mode that can effectively limit the zero‐sequence current flow from other sound lines. Second, following the qualitative discussions about the effect of the proposed structures on power supply reliability and probability of bushfires caused by high impedance earth faults (HIEFs), a novel detecting judgement criterion merely using vector‐based variation via pre‐fault and post‐fault zero‐sequence voltage is mathematically formulated. In general, the proposed structure takes into account the the fault current suppression while manifesting fault feature at the same time, and in contrast with current detecting methods, vectorized form can present a wider exploring space and a higher identifying sensitivity, especially in detecting HIEFs. Numerical simulations and field tests validate the effectiveness and adaptability of the proposed detecting approach towards single phase‐earth fault identification field.

A 700 V pulsed laser was used for the surface treatment of Zircaloy-4. Phases including the treatment layer, morphology and the distributions of alloying elements of the treatment layer were detected via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results showed that the laser surface treatment (LST) layer is also α-Zr phase layer, the morphology of the treatment layer was “cauliflower-like” and the Fe-Cr precipitates in the LST layer were dissolved. The corrosion tests of the LST and the no-laser surface treatment (NLST) specimens were conducted in steam at 1100 °C using TGA (NETZSCH STA 449 F). The results showed that LST can enhance the corrosion resistance of the Zircaloy-4 in high-temperature steam. More microcracks distributed in the oxide film formed on the NLST specimen than on the LST specimen. And the volume fraction of the tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2) phase in the oxide film on the surface of the LST specimen was higher than that of NLST specimen. The main reason for this phenomena could be attributed to the dissolving Fe-Cr precipitates and higher solid solution of Fe and Cr in the laser treatment layer.

4,4-Dimethylsterols constitute a unique class of phytosterols responsible for regulating endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) functions. However, precise mechanism through which 4,4-dimethylsterols affect fat metabolism and the linkage to the ECS remain unresolved. In this study, we identified that 4,4-dimethylsterols, distinct from 4-demethseterols, act as inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolases (FAAHs) both in vivo and in vitro. Genetic ablation of FAAHs (faah-1) abolishes the effects of 4,4-dimethylsterols on fat accumulation and locomotion behavior in a Caenorhabditis elegans model. We confirmed that dietary intervention with 4,4-dimethylsterols in a high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model leads to a significant reduction in body weight (>11.28%) with improved lipid profiles in the liver and adipose tissues and increased fecal triacylglycerol excretion. Untargeted and targeted metabolomics further verified that 4,4-dimethylsterols influence unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and elevate oleoyl ethanolamine levels in the intestine. We propose a potential molecular mechanism in which 4,4-dimethylsterols engage in binding interactions with the catalytic pocket (Ser241) of FAAH-1 protein due to the shielded polarity, arising from the presence of 2 additional methyl groups (CH3). Consequently, 4,4-dimethylsterols represent an unexplored class of beneficial phytosterols that coordinate with FAAH-1 activity to reduce fat accumulation, which offers new insight into intervention strategies for treating diet-induced obesity.

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects approximately 30% of individuals globally. Both serum glucose and albumin were demonstrated to be potential markers for the development of NAFLD. We hypothesized that the risk of NAFLD may be proportional to the glucose-to-albumin ratio (GAR).MethodsBased on information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2018, it was determined that GAR was associated with an increased risk of NAFLD and liver fibrosis utilizing weighted multivariable logistic regression. Participants with a fatty liver index (FLI) over 60 were identified with NAFLD, and those with an NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) >0.676 with evidence of NAFLD were labeled with advanced hepatic fibrosis (AHF). The liver biopsy was utilized to verify the relationship between GAR and FLD in our center cohort. Mendelian randomization analysis investigated the genetic relationship between GAR and NAFLD.ResultsOf 15,534 eligible participants, 36.4% of participants were identified as NAFLD without AHF. GAR was positively correlated with the probability of NAFLD following full adjustment for possible variables (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.39–1.67). It was confirmed that patients with NAFLD and AHF had an inferior prognosis. The relationship between GAR and NFS was favorable (R = 0.46, P< 0.0001), and NAFLD patients with a higher GAR tended to develop poor survival. In our center cohort, the association between GAR and NAFLD was verified.ConclusionAmong participants without diabetes, greater GAR was linked to higher risks of NAFLD. In addition, NAFLD patients with higher GAR tended to develop liver fibrosis and adverse outcomes.

ABSTRACT Recently, the infection of fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs) in chicken flocks has caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry in China. Although immunization with Fiber protein can provide autogenous protection of FAdVs, no commercial multivalent vaccines are available for the prevention and control of FAdVs. In this study, a novel recombinant virus FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 expressing the Fiber of FAdV-8a was generated through CRISPR-Cas9 and Cre-LoxP system by using the template virus FA4-EGFP. FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 not only exhibited a similar replication capacity to the wild-type FAdV-4 in Leghorn male hepatoma (LMH) cells but was also highly attenuated to specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens. Moreover, the inoculation of FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 could induce high neutralizing antibodies and provide full protection against both FAdV-4 and FAdV-8a. All these data demonstrate that the recombinant virus FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 developed here can be used as an attenuated bivalent vaccine candidate for the prevention and control of both FAdV-4 and FAdV-8a. IMPORTANCE Epidemiological data reveal that FAdV-4 and FAdV-8a are the dominant serotypes of FAdVs in the poultry industry in China. Although three commercial inactivated vaccines against FAdV-4 have been licensed in China, the bivalent vaccine against both FAdV-4 and FAdV-8a is not available. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 and Cre-LoxP system to generate a recombinant virus FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 expressing the Fiber of FAdV-8a. Notably, FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 was highly attenuated and could provide efficient protection against both FAdV-4 and FAdV-8a in the chicken infection model, highlighting the applaudable application of FAdV4-F/8a-rF2 as a novel live-attenuated bivalent vaccine against the diseases caused by the infection of FAdV-4 and FAdV-8a.

BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies and the third most lethal cancer globally. The most reported histological subtype of CRC is colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). The zinc transport pathway is critically involved in various tumors, and its anti-tumor effect may be through improving immune function. However, the Zn transport pathway in COAD has not been reported.MethodsThe determination of Zn transport-related genes in COAD was carried out through single-cell analysis of the GSE 161277 obtained from the GEO dataset. Subsequently, a weighted co-expression network analysis of the TCGA cohort was performed. Then, the prognostic model was conducted utilizing univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis. Functional enrichment, immune microenvironment, and survival analyses were also carried out. Consensus clustering analysis was utilized to verify the validity of the prognostic model and explore the immune microenvironment. Ultimately, cell experiments, including CCK-8,transwell and scratch assays, were performed to identify the function of LRRC59 in COAD.ResultsAccording to the Zn transport-related prognostic model, the individuals with COAD in TCGA and GEO databases were classified into high- and low-risk groups. The group with low risk had a comparatively more favorable prognosis. Two groups had significant variations in the immune infiltration, MHC, and the expression of genes related to the immune checkpoint. The cell experiments indicated that the proliferation, migration, and invasion of the HCT-116, DLD-1, and RKO cell lines were considerably increased after LRRC59 knockdown. It proved that LRRC59 was indeed a protective factor for COAD.ConclusionA prognostic model for COAD was developed using zinc transport-related genes. This model can efficiently assess the immune microenvironment and prognosis of individuals with COAD. Subsequently, the function of LRRC59 in COAD was validated via cell experiments, highlighting its potential as a biomarker.

BackgroundT cell-mediated acute rejection(AR) after heart transplantation(HT) ultimately results in graft failure and is a common indication for secondary transplantation. It’s a serious threat to heart transplant recipients. This study aimed to explore the novel lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks that contributed to AR in a mouse heart transplantation model.MethodsThe donor heart from Babl/C mice was transplanted to C57BL/6 mice with heterotopic implantation to the abdominal cavity. The control group was syngeneic heart transplantation with the same kind of mice donor. The whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed to obtain differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in mouse heart allograft. The biological functions of ceRNA networks was analyzed by GO and KEGG enrichment. Differentially expressed ceRNA involved in programmed cell death were further verified with qRT-PCR testing.ResultsLots of DEmRNAs, DEmiRNAs and DElncRNAs were identified in acute rejection and control after heart transplantation, including up-regulated 4754 DEmRNAs, 1634 DElncRNAs, 182 DEmiRNAs, and down-regulated 4365 DEmRNAs, 1761 DElncRNAs, 132 DEmiRNAs. Based on the ceRNA theory, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed in allograft acute rejection response. The functional enrichment analysis indicate that the down-regulated mRNAs are mainly involved in cardiac muscle cell contraction, potassium channel activity, etc. and the up-regulated mRNAs are mainly involved in T cell differentiation and mononuclear cell migration, etc. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the down-regulated DEmRNAs were mainly enriched in adrenergic signaling, axon guidance, calcium signaling pathway, etc. The up-regulated DEmRNAs were enriched in the adhesion function, chemokine signaling pathway, apoptosis, etc. Four lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory pathways, Pvt1/miR-30c-5p/Pdgfc, 1700071M16Rik/miR-145a-3p/Pdgfc, 1700071M16Rik/miR-145a-3p/Tox, 1700071M16Rik/miR-145a-3p/Themis2, were finally validated. In addition, increased expression of PVT1, 1700071M16Rik, Tox and Themis2 may be considered as potential diagnostic gene biomarkers in AR.ConclusionWe speculated that Pvt1/miR-30c-5p/Pdgfc, 1700071M16Rik/miR-145a-3p/Pdgfc, 1700071M16Rik/miR-145a-3p/Tox and 1700071M16Rik/miR-145a-3p/Themis2 interaction pairs may serve as potential biomarkers in AR after HT.

With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, the inland ports planning is receiving more and more attention. In this work, we aim to determine the scale and function of different potential inland ports in a certain region while considering the cargo flow allocation schemes for the inland ports and seaports in cross-border trade. Unlike previous studies, we consider the dynamic interaction between local government and manufacturing enterprises in the inland port planning process. Based on this, we formulate a bilevel programming model for the considered inland port planning problem, where the upper-level focuses on the local government and the lower-level concentrates on the manufacturing enterprise. To solve the proposed model, we develop a hybrid heuristic algorithm by combining a genetic algorithm and an exact solution method. Furthermore, we conduct a case study of the inland ports planning for the Huaihai Economic Zone in China to verify the applicability of the proposed model and algorithm. The computational results demonstrate that the proposed optimization approach can effectively increase the cross-border transportation market share of inland ports within a limited investment amount and reduce the competition among these inland ports. Our case study also provides valuable management insights on inland port planning in terms of manufacturing enterprises weights, investment limit amount, scale effect, and cargo value weights.

African swine fever virus (ASFV), a large and complex cytoplasmic double-stranded DNA virus, has developed multiple strategies to evade the antiviral innate immune responses. Cytosolic DNA arising from invading ASFV is mainly detected by the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and then triggers a series of innate immune responses to prevent virus invasion. However, the immune escape mechanism of ASFV remains to be fully clarified. The pS273R of ASFV is a member of the SUMO-1-specific protease family and is crucial for valid virus replication. In this study, we identified pS273R as a suppressor of cGAS-STING pathway mediated type I interferon (IFN) production by ASFV genomic open reading frame screening. The pS273R was further confirmed as an inhibitor of IFN production as well as its downstream antiviral genes in cGAS-STING pathway. Mechanistically, pS273R greatly decreased the cGAS-STING signaling by targeting IKKε but not TBK1, and pS273R was found to disturb the interaction between IKKε and STING through its interaction with IKKε. Further, mutational analyses revealed that pS273R antagonized the cGAS-STING pathway by enzyme catalytic activity, which might affect the IKKε sumoylation state required for the interaction with STING. In summary, our results revealed for the first time that pS273R acts as an obvious negative regulator of cGAS-STING pathway by targeting IKKε via its enzymatic activity, which shows a new immune evasion mechanism of ASFV.

In order to clarify the source rock conditions and oil/gas potential of the Aixi Sag in the Yingen-Ejinaqi Basin, based on the analytical results of mudstone samples from two exploratory wells, a systematic evaluation of the source rocks was carried out in this paper, and the effective source rocks were supposed. The potential source rocks in the study area are mudstones developed in Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation (K2w), Yingen Formation (K1y), Suhongtu Formation (K1s), and the third (K1b3), second (K1b2) and first member (K1b1) of Bayingebi Formation, among which the K1b3, K1b2 and K1b1 mudstones have the highest abundance of organic matter with the kerogen types of Ⅱ-Ⅲ at mature stages of thermal evolution. Elemental geochemical and biomarker data show that the paleoclimate during the deposition of source rocks was warm and humid, the sedimentary water was mainly fresh water, and the contribution of terrestrial organic matter was dominant. The favorite sedimentary paleoenvironment conducive to organic matter enrichment is high salinity and strong reducibility, and high productivity is the main controlling factor for the enrichment of organic matter. The lowest limit of TOC content of effective source rocks is supposed to be 0.85%, and the effective source rocks are mainly developed in K1b3, K1b2 and K1b1. They are mainly distributed in considerable areas in the southern, central, northern and western subsags. The total oil and gas resources in the study area are estimated to be around 5 091.05×104 t. Combined with the evidence of active oil and gas display, it is concluded that the study area has good oil and gas exploration potential.

Recently, the infection of serotype 4 fowl adenovirus (FAdV-4) in chicken flocks has become endemic in China, which greatly threatens the sustainable development of poultry industry. The development of recombinant FAdV-4 expressing foreign genes is an efficient strategy for controlling both FAdV-4 and other important poultry pathogens. Previous reverse genetic technique for generating the recombinant fowl adenovirus is generally inefficient. In this study, a recombinant FAdV-4 expressing enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP), FA4-EGFP, was used as a template virus and directly edited fiber-2 gene to develop an efficient double-fluorescence approach to generate recombinant FAdV-4 through CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre-Loxp system. Moreover, using this strategy, a recombinant virus FAdV4-HA(H9) stably expressing the HA gene of H9N2 influenza virus was generated. Chicken infection study revealed that the recombinant virus FAdV4-HA(H9) was attenuated, and could induce haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titer against H9N2 influenza virus at early time points and inhibit the viral replication in oropharynx. All these demonstrate that the novel strategy for constructing recombinant FAdV-4 expressing foreign genes developed here paves the way for rapidly developing attenuated FAdV-4-based recombinant vaccines for fighting the diseases caused by both FAdV-4 and other pathogens.

Recently, the highly pathogenic serotype 4 fowl adenovirus (FAdV-4) and duck adenovirus 3 (DAdV-3) were outbroken and widespread, causing substantial economic losses to the duck industry. Therefore, there is an urgent need to generate a recombinant genetic engineering vaccine candidate against both FAdV-4 and DAdV-3. In this study, a novel recombinant FAdV-4 expressing the Fiber-2 protein of DAdV-3, designated as rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3, was generated based on CRISPR/Cas9 and Cre-LoxP systems. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and western blot (WB) showed that the Fiber-2 protein of DAdV-3 in rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3 was expressed successfully. Moreover, the growth curve revealed that rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3 replicated efficiently in LMH cells and even showed a stronger replication ability compared to the wild type FAdV-4. The generation of the recombinant rFAdV-4-Fiber-2/DAdV-3 provides a potential vaccine candidate against both FAdV-4 and DAdV-3.

Background Due to the lack of further studies on the influence of age factors on plantar fasciitis, this study evaluates the characteristic observation points of magnetic resonance imaging in various age cohorts of patients with plantar fasciitis to help diagnosis. Methods A retrospective analysis of 160 cases of plantar fasciitis patients and normal subjects (who have the disease unrelated to plantar fasciitis) who have undergone an MRI examination in our institution. The two groups were separately divided into young adult subjects (36 to 44 years old), middle age adult subjects (45 to 59 years old), and older adult subjects (60 to 79 years old). Data was gathered regarding plantar fascia thickness, the coronal length of the plantar fascia at the calcaneal origin, the signal intensity of plantar fascia and surrounding structures, and the presence or absence of plantar calcaneal spurs, all of which were assessed objectively by the investigators. Results There were statistical differences in the thickness of plantar fascia between two groups of three age cohorts (Older adult patients: 0.59 ± 0.09 cm; Middle age adult patients: 0.49 ± 0.09 cm; Young adult patients: 0.47 ± 0.05 cm) (all p < 0.001). In addition, there were also statistical differences in the high signal intensity changes of the plantar fascia and surrounding soft tissues between two groups of three age cohorts (all p < 0.001). In older adult plantar fasciitis patients, with regard to plantar calcaneal spur discovery, there was a statistical difference between the two groups (Chi-square = 12.799. df = 1. p < 0.001). Conclusion In plantar fasciitis cases where a diagnosis is difficult, abnormalities in the soft tissue surrounding the plantar fascia in patients of low age are noteworthy. In older adult patients, the discovery of plantar calcaneal spurs with abnormal thickening of plantar fascia deserves attention, and abnormal MRI findings are more manifest. But the final diagnosis should be based on the medical history. Level of Evidence Level 3.

BackgroundSuccinate dehydrogenase (SDH), one of the key enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, is mainly found in the mitochondria. SDH consists of four subunits encoding SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD. The biological function of SDH is significantly related to cancer progression. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors globally, whose most common histological subtype is colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). However, the correlation between SDH factors and COAD remains unclear.MethodsThe data on pan-cancer was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the prognostic ability of SDHs. The cBioPortal database reflected genetic variations of SDHs. The correlation analysis was conducted between SDHs and mitochondrial energy metabolism genes (MMGs) and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built. Consequently, Univariate and Multivariate Cox Regression Analysis on SDHs and other clinical characteristics were conducted. A nomogram was established. The ssGSEA analysis visualized the association between SDHs and immune infiltration. Immunophenoscore (IPS) explored the correlation between SDHs and immunotherapy, and the correlation between SDHs and targeted therapy was investigated through Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer. Finally, qPCR and immunohistochemistry detected SDHs’ expression.ResultsAfter assessing SDHs differential expression in pan-cancer, we found that SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD benefit COAD patients. The cBioPortal database demonstrated that SDHA was the top gene in mutation frequency rank. Correlation analysis mirrored a strong link between SDHs and MMGs. We formulated a nomogram and found that SDHB, SDHC, SDHD, and clinical characteristics correlated with COAD patients’ survival. For T helper cells, Th2 cells, and Tem, SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD were significantly enriched in the high expression group. Moreover, COAD patients with high SDHA expression were more suitable for immunotherapy. And COAD patients with different SDHs’ expression have different sensitivity to targeted drugs. Further verifying the gene and protein expression levels of SDHs, we found that the tissues were consistent with the bioinformatics analysis.ConclusionsOur study analyzed the expression and prognostic value of SDHs in COAD, explored the pathway mechanisms involved, and the immune cell correlations, indicating that SDHs might be biomarkers for COAD patients.

Measurement(s) Human Brainwave • spoken language Technology Type(s) EEG collector • audio recorder Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo Sapiens Sample Characteristic - Location China

Abstract Background Pneumonia is a common complication of influenza and closely related to mortality in influenza patients. The present study examines cytokines as predictors of the prognosis of influenza-associated pneumonia. Methods This study included 101 inpatients with influenza (64 pneumonia and 37 non-pneumonia patients). 48 cytokines were detected in the serum samples of the patients and the clinical characteristics were analyzed. The correlation between them was analyzed to identify predictive biomarkers for the prognosis of influenza-associated pneumonia. Results Seventeen patients had poor prognosis and developed pneumonia. Among patients with influenza-associated pneumonia, the levels of 8 cytokines were significantly higher in those who had a poor prognosis: interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), monocyte colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-3, Interleukin-2 receptor subunit alpha and Hepatocyte growth factor. Correlation analysis showed that the IL-6, G-CSF, M-CSF, IFN-γ, and MCP-1 levels had positive correlations with the severity of pneumonia. IL-6 and G-CSF showed a strong and positive correlation with poor prognosis in influenza-associated pneumonia patients. The combined effect of the two cytokines resulted in the largest area (0.926) under the receiver-operating characteristic curve. Conclusion The results indicate that the probability of poor prognosis in influenza patients with pneumonia is significantly increased. IL-6, G-CSF, M-CSF, IFN-γ, and MCP-1 levels had a positive correlation with the severity of pneumonia. Importantly, IL-6 and G-CSF were identified as significant predictors of the severity of influenza-associated pneumonia.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) are a superfamily of RNA-binding proteins consisting of more than 20 members. These proteins play a crucial role in various biological processes by regulating RNA splicing, transcription, and translation through their binding to RNA. In the context of muscle development and regeneration, hnRNPs are involved in a wide range of regulatory mechanisms, including alternative splicing, transcription regulation, miRNA regulation, and mRNA stability regulation. Recent studies have also suggested a potential association between hnRNPs and muscle-related diseases. In this report, we provide an overview of our current understanding of how hnRNPs regulate RNA metabolism and emphasize the significance of the key members of the hnRNP family in muscle development. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between the hnRNP family and muscle-related diseases.

Complex composition and abnormal growth state of cells and tissues in the solid tumor microenvironment often lead to high density and stiffness different from normal tissues, thus forming a solid physical barrier to prevent the penetration of nanomedicines. Charge-reversal nanomedicines are a kind of emerging smart nano-systems that can show a change of surface charge from negative to positive before and after reaching the tumor site, thus effectively enhancing tumor penetration by promoting transcytosis, while maintaining a high in vivo safety. In this review, we provide a detailed summary of the current classification of charge-reversal nanomaterials and their working mechanisms, as well as also comment on the prospects and challenges of the smart nano-systems in the direction of thoroughly solving the tumor penetration problem.

Mathematical morphology operations are widely used in image processing such as defect analysis in semiconductor manufacturing and medical image analysis. These data-intensive applications have high requirements during hardware implementation that are challenging for conventional hardware platforms such as central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs). Computation-in-memory (CIM) provides a possible solution for highly efficient morphology operations. In this study, we demonstrate the application of morphology operation with a novel memristor-based auto-detection architecture and demonstrate non-neuromorphic computation on a multi-array-based memristor system. Pixel-by-pixel logic computations with low parallelism are converted to parallel operations using memristors. Moreover, hardware-implemented computer-integrated manufacturing was used to experimentally demonstrate typical defect detection tasks in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing and medical image analysis. In addition, we developed a new implementation scheme employing a four-layer network to realize small-object detection with high parallelism. The system benchmark based on the hardware measurement results showed significant improvement in the energy efficiency by approximately 358 times and 32 times more than when a CPU and GPU were employed, respectively, exhibiting the advantage of the proposed memristor-based morphology operation.

Abstract For the dual three‐phase permanent magnet synchronous motor(dual‐PMSM), the deadtime can introduce fifth and seventh current harmonics, and they are only constrained by the small stator leakage impedance, which means even if there are only small fifth and seventh voltage harmonics, the resulting fifth and seventh current harmonics will be very large. The harmonic current will make an increment of the system loss, thus lead to an reduce of the efficiency of the speed control system. This paper proposes a harmonic current suppression strategy for dual‐PMSM based on least mean square (LMS) adaptive notch filter. This strategy suppresses the fifth and seventh harmonic currents by introducing four LMS adaptive notch filters in the subspace. The proposed algorithm has good dynamic performance and is insensitive to motor parameters that are offset within a certain range. The effectiveness of proposed method is verified by a set of comparative simulations and experiments.

In recent years, hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS) and inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) caused by serotype 4 fowl adenovirus (FAdV-4) and serotype 8b fowl adenovirus (FAdV-8b), respectively, are widely prevalent in China, causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry. Numerous studies have revealed the mechanism of the infection and pathogenesis of FAdV-4. However, little is known about the mechanism of infection with FAdV-8b. Among the major structural proteins of fowl adenoviruses, fiber is characterized by the ability to recognize and bind to cellular receptors to mediate the infection of host cells. In this study, through superinfection resistance analysis and an interfering assay, we found that Fiber-1 of FAdV-4, rather than hexon, penton, and fiber of FAdV-8b, conferred efficient superinfection resistance against the infection FAdV-8b in LMH cells. Moreover, truncation analysis depicted that the shaft and knob domains of FAdV-4 Fiber-1 were responsible for the inhibition. However, knockout of the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) in LMH cells inhibited the replication of FAdV-8b only at early time points, indicating that CAR might not be the key cell receptor for FAdV-8b. Overall, our findings give novel insights into the infection mechanism of FAdV-8b and provide a new target for the prevention and control of both FAdV-4 and FAdV-8b.

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels et Gilg is a folk herb in Zhejiang Province with anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and anti-oxidation effects. Given its pharmacological activity, T. hemsleyanum is known as New “Zhebawei” and included in the medical insurance system of Zhejiang and other provinces. Flavonoids are the most important components of T. hemsleyanum, and their contents are mainly regulated by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In this study, the total flavonoid contents, flavonoid monomer contents, and flavonoid synthesis related enzyme activities (phenylalanine ammonia–lyase, chalcone synthase, and chalcone isomerase), anti-oxidant enzyme activities (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), and biochemical indicators (malondialdehyde, free amino acid, soluble protein, and soluble sugar) in the leaves (L) and root tubers (R) of T. hemsleyanum with UV treatments were determined. Three kinds of UV radiation (UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C) and six kinds of radiation durations (15 and 30 min, 1, 2, 3, and 5 h) were used. Appropriate doses of UV-B and UV-C radiation (30 min to 3 h) induced eustress, which contributed to the accumulation of flavonoids and improve protective enzyme system activities and bioactive compound contents. Especially, certain results were observed in several special structures of the flavonoid monomer: quercetin contents in L increased by nearly 20 times, isoquercitrin contents in R increased by nearly 34 times; most of flavonoids with glycoside content, such as quercitrin (19 times), baicalin (16 times), and apigenin-7G (13 times), increased multiple times. Compared with the CK group, the flavonoid synthase activities, anti-oxidant enzyme activities, and biochemical substance contents in L and R all increased with UV treatments. This study provides a theoretical foundation for regulating flavonoids by light factors and improving the quality of T. hemsleyanum in production and medical industries.

Abstract Voltage‐controlled voltage‐source inverters (VVSIs) have been widely used in microgrids. Typically, LC filters are adopted by the VVSIs to improve the quality of the output voltage. Resonances of the LC filters that may cause oscillations to the VVSIs can be damped by well‐designed voltage controllers. However, the virtual inductance (VI) that is widely applied to improve power sharing between VVSIs will reduce the stability margin of the voltage control loop and introduce new oscillations on the LC filters even if the well‐designed voltage controllers have been used, which has not been reported in the literature. Furthermore, since the VI will introduce a cross‐coupling into the system, the conventional methods for analyzing the resonances of the LC‐filtered VVSIs cannot be used for analyzing the oscillations caused by the VI. Therefore, the stability of the LC‐filtered VVSI with the VI is investigated based on a new model proposed in this paper. Besides, to enhance the stability of the VVSI, the application of a low‐pass filter or a band‐pass filter in the VI is studied. Moreover, when connecting the VVSIs, the effects of the line impedance on the stability of the VVSIs while using the VI are investigated. Finally, simulation and experimental results have been provided, which verifies the correctness of the analysis in this paper.

AbstractDuring the unconventional reservoir development, a proper modelling of the underground fracture networks and their effects on production is crucial for reservoir development potential and realistic economic analysis. Conventionally, the complex fracture system formed by hydraulic and natural fractures is extremely difficult to capture, let alone to numerically simulate it. Most importantly, the current best solution can only rely on the knowledge of the natural fractures from the geology and geophysics team and hydraulic fractures from the engineering team. Nevertheless, this solution fails to realize the dynamic stress regime variations when fracturing jobs are done within the horizontal wellbore. In this study, a variety of data source and modelling tools is harnessed to delineate a more realistic and representative discrete fracture network (DFN). The first step is to obtain the original natural fractures already depicted from geological and geophysical information and the statistical information regarding the spatial configurations of this DFN. Next, a new set of natural fractures is generated by an in-house natural fracture generator while preserving the spatial characteristics of the original natural fractures at the same time. Then, a combined DFN of the original natural fracture and newly generated natural fractures is accomplished. This combined DFN is then intensity-calibrated by the given microseismic cloud events, especially focusing on the near-wellbore region. Then, a displacement discontinuity method- (DDM-) based in-house hydraulic fracture propagation model is used to generate hydraulic fractures with complex boundaries, honoring the fracturing job logistics from the engineering team. After this step, an ultimate and highly representative DFN can be achieved. By applying this very novel workflow, DFN characterizations of both a single-well scenario and well-pad (3 wells) scenarios have been highly successful. Statistics such as the cluster-wise hydraulic fracture half-length, height, aperture, and numbers of activated/nonactivated natural fractures can be easily presented. Through the powerful numerical method called the embedded discrete fracture model (EDFM), production simulation and stimulated reservoir volume evaluation can be seamlessly studied. Extents of 3D drainage volumes can also be plotted with ease. Overall, a holistic picture regarding the unconventional reservoir’s underground DFN can be reliably depicted, using the proposed workflow.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary protein level on the production performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and flavor of finishing pigs. Twenty-seven Duroc♂ × Bamei♀ binary cross-bred pigs (60.86 ± 2.52 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to three groups, each group has three replicates, and each replicate has three pigs. Three groups of finishing pigs were fed 16.0, 14.0, and 12.0% crude protein levels diets, and these low-protein diets were supplemented with four limiting amino acids (lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan). The results showed that the pigs fed low-protein diets increased (P < 0.05) loin eye muscle area, and reduced (P < 0.05) heart weight, lung weight. The feed-weight ratio of the 14.0% protein group was reduced (P > 0.05); Dietary protein levels significantly affected the luminance (L24h), yellowness (b45min and b24h) (P < 0.05), reduced shear stress, muscle water loss, drip loss, the levels of crude fat (P < 0.05), and increased marbling score (P < 0.05) in the muscle of finishing pigs; The low-protein diets improved PUFA/TFA, PUFA/SFA (P > 0.05), and increased hexanal, E-2-heptenal, 1-octen-3-ol, EAA/TAA in the muscle of finishing pigs (P < 0.05); The results indicated that reduced the crude protein levels of dietary by 2.0–4.0%, and supplementation with four balanced limiting amino acids had no significant effects on the production performance and slaughter performance of finishing pigs, and could effectively improve meat quality and flavor.

The full-concentrationgradient LiNi0.9Co0.083Mn0.017O2 (CG-LNCM), consisting of core Ni-rich LiNi0.93Co0.07O2, transition zone LiNi1−x−yCoxMnyO2, and outmost shell LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 was prepared by a facile co-precipitation method and high-temperature calcination. CG-LNCM was then investigated with an X-ray diffractometer, ascanning electron microscope, a transmission electron microscope, and electrochemical measurements. The results demonstrate that CG-LNCM has a lower cation mixing of Li+ and Ni2+ and larger Li+ diffusion coefficients than concentration-constant LiNi0.9Co0.083Mn0.017O2 (CC-LNCM). CG-LNCM presents a higher capacity and a better rate of capability and cyclability than CC-LNCM. CG-LNCM and CC-LNCM show initial discharge capacities of 221.2 and 212.5 mAh g−1 at 0.2C (40 mA g−1) with corresponding residual discharge capacities of 177.3 and 156.1 mAh g−1 after 80 cycles, respectively. Even at high current rates of 2C and 5C, CG-LNCM exhibits high discharge capacities of 165.1 and 149.1 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles, respectively, while the residual discharge capacities of CC-LNCM are as low as 148.8 and 117.9 mAh g−1 at 2C and 5C after 100 cycles, respectively. The significantly improved electrochemical performance of CG-LNCM is attributed to its concentration-gradient microstructure and the composition distribution of concentration-gradient LiNi0.9Co0.083Mn0.017O2. The special concentration-gradient design and the facile synthesis are favorable for massive manufacturing of high-performance Ni-rich ternary cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

Skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) can proliferate, differentiate, and self-renew, and can also participate in muscle formation and muscle injury repair. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can play an important role with the RNA binding protein and microRNAs (miRNAs) to regulate the myogenesis of bovine MuSCs, however, its molecular mechanism is still being explored. In this study, differentially expressed 301 lncRNAs were identified during the myogenic differentiation of cells based on an in vitro model of induced differentiation of bovine MuSCs using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Based on the ability of miR-206 to regulate myogenic cell differentiation, a new kind of lncRNA-lncA2B1 without protein-coding ability was found, which is expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Subsequently, lncA2B1 inhibited cell proliferation by downregulating the expression of the proliferation marker Pax7 and promoted myogenic differentiation by upregulating the expression of the differentiation marker MyHC, whose regulatory function is closely related to miR-206. By RNA pulldown/LC-MS experiments, heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 (HNRNPA2B1), and DExH-Box Helicase 9 (DHX9) were identified as common binding proteins of lncA2B1 and miR-206. Overexpression of lncA2B1 and miR-206 significantly upregulated the expression level of HNRNPA2B1. Downregulation of HNRNPA2B1 expression significantly decreased the expression level of the differentiation marker MyHC, which indicates that miR-206 and lncA2B1 regulate myogenic differentiation of bovine MuSCs by acting on HNRNPA2B1. This study screened and identified a novel lncRNA-lncA2B1, which functions with miR-206 to regulate myogenesis via the common binding proteins HNRNPA2B1. The results of this study provide a new way to explore the molecular mechanisms by which lncRNAs and miRNAs regulate muscle growth and development.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oil are affected by many factors, including temperature, time, and PAHs precursors. Phenolic compounds, as beneficial endogenous components of oil, are often associated with the inhibition of PAHs. However, studies have found that the presence of phenols may lead to increased levels of PAHs. Therefore, this study took Camellia oleifera (C. oleifera) oil as the research object, in order to study the effect of catechin in the formation of PAHs under different heating conditions. The results showed that PAH4 were generated rapidly during the lipid oxidation induction period. When the addition of catechin was >0.02%, more free radicals were quenched than generated, thus inhibiting the generation of PAH4. ESR, FT-IR, and other technologies were employed to prove that when the catechin addition was

ObjectiveTo determine the effect of laser needle-knife on vertebroarterial morphology, fibrinogen and blood viscosity in a rabbit model of cervical spondylotic arteriopathy (CSA) and the mechanism of action involved.MethodsA number of 40 healthy common grade rabbits were divided into four groups: normal control, model, acupuncture, and laser needle knife group. The normal control group does not establish a CSA rabbit model, and the other groups all establish a CSA rabbit model, but they are treated in different ways. CSA model rabbits were treated with acupuncture and moxibustion at “fengchi” and “cervical Jiaji” points, rabbits in the laser needle knife group were treated with “Jiaji” points, and the acupuncture points were punctured with the laser needle knife. The location of the acupuncture points is determined according to the acupoint map of the experimental map. The right vertebroarterial morphology before and after the treatment was analyzed by scanning electron microscope, and FIB concentration and blood viscosity were determined using the coagulation method.ResultsAfter the treatment, the capillary and micropore hyperplasia in the laser needle knife group were more evident than that in the model group. Acupuncture and laser needle knife therapy can reduce whole blood viscosity (1/s, 5/s), and that the distinction between the two treatments is not statistically evident.ConclusionAcupuncture and laser needle knife can regulate the coagulation and fibrinolysis system in CSA, stimulate capillary and micropore hyperplasia, reduce blood viscosity, and improve blood circulation, which may be one of the therapeutic mechanisms behind the laser needle knife treatment of CSA.

Currently, the outbreak of serotype 4 fowl adenovirus (FAdV-4) has spread worldwide and caused tremendous economic loss to the poultry industry. Although inactivated vaccines have been licensed against FAdV-4 in China, a rapid and efficient serological method for measuring the titer of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) specific for FAdV-4 post-infection or vaccination is rarely reported. Classical virus neutralization test (VNT) is superior in sensitivity and specificity for detecting NAbs but is either time-consuming or laborious. In this study, a recombinant virus FA4-EGFP expressing EGFP-fiber-2 fusion protein, rather than wild type (WT) FAdV-4 was used to develop a novel VNT for detecting FAdV-4 NAbs. Specificity analysis showed that the approach only reacted with the sera against FAdV-4, not with the sera against other avian pathogens tested. The novel VNT was effective in the detection of NAbs against FAdV-4 in sera from both experimentally infected and clinically vaccinated chickens, and had good linear correlation with the classical VNT. Moreover, the novel VNT not only significantly simplifies the procedure for detection of NAbs, but also shortens the timeline to 24 h in comparison with the classical VNT with 3-4 d. All these data demonstrate that the FA4-EGFP based VNT developed here provides an efficient diagnostic method for monitoring the immunological state of the vaccination or diagnosing the clinical infection of FAdV-4 in a quick and funding-saving manner.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious infectious disease. Similar to H7N9 infection, pneumonia and cytokine storm are typical clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Our previous studies found that H7N9 patients had intestinal dysbiosis. However, the relationship between the gut microbiome and COVID-19 has not been determined. This study recruited a cohort of 57 patients with either general (n = 20), severe (n = 19), or critical (n = 18) disease. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in the abundance of ten predominant intestinal bacterial groups in COVID-19 patients using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), and to establish a correlation between these bacterial groups and clinical indicators of pneumonia in these patients. The results indicated that dysbiosis occurred in COVID-19 patients and changes in the gut microbial community were associated with disease severity and hematological parameters. The abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium leptum, and Eubacterium rectale, decreased significantly, and this shift in bacterial community may help discriminate critical patients from general and severe patients. Moreover, the number of common opportunistic pathogens Enterococcus (Ec) and Enterobacteriaceae (E) increased, especially in critically ill patients with poor prognosis. The results suggest that these bacterial groups can serve as diagnostic biomarkers for COVID-19, and that the Ec/E ratio can be used to predict death in critically ill patients.

Abstract The advent of CUDA-enabled GPU makes it possible to provide cloud applications with high-performance data security services. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that GPU-based applications are also susceptible to side-channel attacks. These published work studied the side-channel vulnerabilities of GPU-based AES implementations by taking the advantage of the cache sharing among multiple threads or high parallelism of GPUs. Therefore, for GPU-based bitsliced cryptographic implementations, which are immune to the cache-based attacks referred to above, only a power analysis method based on the high-parallelism of GPUs may be effective. However, the leakage model used in the power analysis is not efficient at all in practice. In light of this, we investigate electro-magnetic (EM) side-channel vulnerabilities of a GPU-based bitsliced AES implementation from the perspective of bit-level parallelism and thread-level parallelism in order to make the best of the localization effect of EM leakage with parallelism. Specifically, we propose efficient multi-bit and multi-thread combinational analysis techniques based on the intrinsic properties of bitsliced ciphers and the effect of multi-thread parallelism of GPUs, respectively. The experimental result shows that the proposed combinational analysis methods perform better than non-combinational and intuitive ones. Our research suggests that multi-thread leakages can be used to improve attacks if the multi-thread leakages are not synchronous in the time domain.