Search

Drought stress is a major limiting factor for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) growth and yield in arid and semiarid regions. This study investigates the N content in different organs and the yield impact of two droughttolerant soybean cultivars, Hei Nong44 and Hei Nong65, under varying drought intensities and re-watering at different growth stages. The results indicate that the effect of drought stress on N content varies with growth stage and organ. During the seedling and flowering stages, the ammoniacal N content in leaves and petioles of both cultivars generally decreased, with a reduction of 16.04%-21.95% during seedling stage and 6.46%-23.52% during flowering stage under severe drought (S), while it increased in stems. The nitrate N content in leaves peaked under moderate drought during the seedling stage and under severe drought during the flowering stage, increasing by 20.00% and 16.21%, 15.71% and 55.56% for 'Hei Nong44' and 'Hei Nong65', respectively, while it decreased in stems. During the pod-filling stage, ammoniacal N content increased in leaves and stems, with an increase of 20.99%-60.13% under S, while it showed a rising-then-falling trend in pods. Nitrate N content had the highest increase in leaves and stems, rising by 67.02%-69.31% under S, while it decreased in petioles with increasing drought severity. After re-watering, both cultivars showed some recovery in N content. Yield reduction was more significant during the flowering and pod-filling stages, decreasing by 17.45%-32.66% and 21.47%-35.63%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess spatiotemporal trends in, and determinants of, the acceptance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination globally, as expressed on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Methods We collected over 13 million posts on the platform regarding COVID-19 vaccination made between November 2020 and March 2022 in 90 languages. Multilingual deep learning XLM-RoBERTa models annotated all posts using an annotation framework after being finetuned on 8125 manually annotated, English-language posts. The annotation results were used to assess spatiotemporal trends in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and confidence as expressed by platform users in 135 countries and territories. We identified associations between spatiotemporal trends in vaccine acceptance and country-level characteristics and public policies by using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Findings A greater proportion of platform users in the World Health Organization's South-East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific Regions expressed vaccine acceptance than users in the rest of the world. Countries in which a greater proportion of platform users expressed vaccine acceptance had higher COVID-19 vaccine coverage rates. Trust in government was also associated with greater vaccine acceptance. Internationally, vaccine acceptance and confidence declined among platform users as: (i) vaccination eligibility was extended to adolescents; (ii) vaccine supplies became sufficient; (iii) nonpharmaceutical interventions were relaxed; and (iv) global reports on adverse events following vaccination appeared. Conclusion Social media listening could provide an effective and expeditious means of informing public health policies during pandemics, and could supplement existing public health surveillance approaches in addressing global health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain (CA-MRSA) is highly virulent and has become a major focus of public health professionals. Phenol-soluble modulins (PSM) are key factors in its increased virulence. δ-Toxin belongs to PSM family and has copious secretion in many S. aureus strains. In addition, δ-toxin exists in the S. aureus culture supernatant as both N-terminus formylated δ-toxin (fδ-toxin) and deformylated δ-toxin (dfδ-toxin) groups. Although δ-toxin has been studied for more than 70 years, its functions remain unclear. We isolated and purified PSMs from the supernatant of S. aureus MW2, and found fibrils and oligomers aggregates by Size Exclusion Chromatography. After analyzing PSM aggregates and using peptide simulations, we found that the difference in the monomer structure of fδ-toxin and dfδ-toxin might ultimately lead to differences in the aggregation ability: fδ-toxin and dfδ-toxin tend to form fibrils and oligomers respectively. Of note, we found that fδ-toxin fibrils enhanced the stability of biofilms, while dfδ-toxin oligomers promoted their dispersal. Additionally, oligomeric dfδ-toxin combined with PSMα to form a complex with enhanced functionality. Due to the different aggregation capabilities and functions of fδ-toxin and dfδ-toxin, we speculate that they may be involved in the regulation of physiological activities of S. aureus. Moreover, the dfδ-toxin oligomer not only provides a new form of complex in the study of PSMα, but also has significance as a reference in oligomer research pertaining to some human amyloid diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and effective polarization demultiplexing method is proposed based on the improved Stokes vector analysis and digital signal processor algorithm for the intensity-modulation direct-detection optical communication systems. Such a scheme could significantly simplify optical receivers with low system cost. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed method and show that only 1- and 1.7-dB power penalties are measured for 10- and 25-km transmissions compared to backto- back case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. However, whether to use pharmacological interventions in this population and which drug should be preferred are still matters of controversy. Consequently, we aimed to compare and rank antidepressants and placebo for major depressive disorder in young people.Methods: We did a network meta-analysis to identify both direct and indirect evidence from relevant trials. We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, LiLACS, regulatory agencies' websites, and international registers for published and unpublished, double-blind randomised controlled trials up to May 31, 2015, for the acute treatment of major depressive disorder in children and adolescents. We included trials of amitriptyline, citalopram, clomipramine, desipramine, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, imipramine, mirtazapine, nefazodone, nortriptyline, paroxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine. Trials recruiting participants with treatment-resistant depression, treatment duration of less than 4 weeks, or an overall sample size of less than ten patients were excluded. We extracted the relevant information from the published reports with a predefined data extraction sheet, and assessed the risk of bias with the Cochrane risk of bias tool. The primary outcomes were efficacy (change in depressive symptoms) and tolerability (discontinuations due to adverse events). We did pair-wise meta-analyses using the random-effects model and then did a random-effects network meta-analysis within a Bayesian framework. We assessed the quality of evidence contributing to each network estimate using the GRADE framework. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42015016023.Findings: We deemed 34 trials eligible, including 5260 participants and 14 antidepressant treatments. The quality of evidence was rated as very low in most comparisons. For efficacy, only fluoxetine was statistically significantly more effective than placebo (standardised mean difference -0·51, 95% credible interval [CrI] -0·99 to -0·03). In terms of tolerability, fluoxetine was also better than duloxetine (odds ratio [OR] 0·31, 95% CrI 0·13 to 0·95) and imipramine (0·23, 0·04 to 0·78). Patients given imipramine, venlafaxine, and duloxetine had more discontinuations due to adverse events than did those given placebo (5·49, 1·96 to 20·86; 3·19, 1·01 to 18·70; and 2·80, 1·20 to 9·42, respectively). In terms of heterogeneity, the global I(2) values were 33·21% for efficacy and 0% for tolerability.Interpretation: When considering the risk-benefit profile of antidepressants in the acute treatment of major depressive disorder, these drugs do not seem to offer a clear advantage for children and adolescents. Fluoxetine is probably the best option to consider when a pharmacological treatment is indicated.Funding: National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-phase fluid flow in reservoirs is present in the entire process of oil field development, and three-phase relative permeability data are crucial for reservoir engineering and numerical simulation. At the same time, carbon dioxide flooding and storage have garnered significant attention recently. The calculation of dynamic storage volumes and an in-depth understanding of three-phase flow within formations are inextricably linked to threephase relative permeability. This review is centered around the available experimental measurements, theoretical models that predict three-phase relative permeability using twophase data, and four Lattice Boltzmann method models. By analyzing the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of each method and assessing the impact of factors like saturation history, interfacial tension, rock properties, and fluid characteristics on threephase relative permeability, this paper seeks to offer a comprehensive understanding of the topic. In summary, we provide a concise overview of the prospects and challenges in advancing three-phase relative permeability, serving as a valuable reference for the field of carbon dioxide flooding and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drought is the main restricted agent for growth and development of soybean and the physiological characteristics of different parts of soybean leaves changed significantly. Methods: To explore the impacts of drought stress on the physiological characteristics of leaves in different parts of soybean, in this study, Williams 82 was used as the experimental material and drought stress was simulated by a watering nutrient solution containing 10% PEG-6000. Under different treatment time conditions, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and proline (Pro) content in different parts of soybean leaves were determined. Result: The results indicate that the SOD activity and Pro content in the upper and bottom leaves of soybean increased significantly under drought stress conditions and with the increase in drought stress time, the SOD activity in the upper and bottom leaves of soybean increased first and then declined and the content of Pro increased gradually. In general, soybean relief drought damage by increasing SOD activity and Pro content under drought stress. This study offered the theoretical foundation for exploring the mechanism of soybean drought resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current guidelines for treatment-resistant depression in adolescents remain inadequate. This study aimed to systematically review the management of treatment-resistant depression in adolescent patients. Methods: We conducted an electronic database search of PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science and PsycINFO for studies with adolescent treatment-resistant depression published up to January 2014. Treatmentresistant depression was defined as failure to respond to at least one course of psychological or pharmacological treatment for depression with an adequate dosage, duration, and appropriate compliance during the current illness episode. The Cochrane risk-of-bias method was used to assess the quality of randomized controlled trials. A meta-analysis of all active treatments was conducted. Results: Eight studies with 411 depressed adolescents that fit predetermined criteria investigated pharmacological treatments and psychotherapies. Six were open-label studies, and two were randomized controlled trials. The overall response rate for all active treatments investigated was 46% (95% CI 33 to 59; N = 411) with a moderately high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 76.1%, 95% CI = 47%-86%). When only the two randomized trials were included, the overall response rate of active treatment was 53% (95% CI = 38-67; N = 347). In these randomized trials, SSRI therapy plus CBT was significantly more effective than SSRI therapy alone, while amitriptyline was not more effective than placebo. Conclusions: Approximately half of the adolescents who presented with treatment-refractory depression responded to active treatment, which suggests that practitioners should remain persistent in managing these challenging cases. The combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy should be recommended for adolescents who present with treatment-resistant depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses service-oriented architecture (SOA), examining the need for developers to test increasing amounts of services. Frameworks which define and evaluate test-case potency are able to minimize testing effort yet maintain the effectiveness of the tests, the article indicates. Topics include service dependability and trustworthiness, the identification and elimination of overlapping test cases, and the reranking of existing test cases. Also discussed is the active contribution of users through Web 2.0.

Tetracycline is a well-known emerging contaminant which affects water environment. In this study, an electro/peroxydisulfate system catalyzed with Fe2+ loaded on granular activated carbon (EC/Fe-GAC/PS) was used to treat tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). Experimental results indicated that the removal efficiency of TCH was 86.12% by the EC/Fe-GAC/PS system. When TCH initial concentration was less than 20 mg/L, the removal efficiency of TCH was similar. The removal efficiency of TCH reached highest value when initial pH was 3, Fe-GAC concentration was 0.5 g/L and plate spacing was 9 cm, respectively. When the concentrations of PS and Na2SO4 reached 3.0 mmol/L and 25 mmol/L, respectively, the removal rate of TCH was the highest. When the current density increased to 20 mA/cm2, the degradation efficiency of TCH began to decline. When the plate spacing is 9cm, the residual amount of TCH is the lowest. In a certain range, separately increasing of PS concentration, Na2SO4 concentration, and current density would enhance the degradation efficiency of TCH. The free radical experiments showed that SO4•-played a leading role in acid conditions. According to data analysis, the reaction kinetic model of EC/Fe-GAC/PS system fitted first-order reaction kinetic model. The order of factors affected reaction efficiency was: plate spacing>current density>PS concentration>Fe-GAC concentration>Na2SO4 concentration in the EC/Fe-GAC/PS system. This study showed that the EC/Fe-GAC/PS process was an efficient, environmental friendly and feasible way to degrade the tetracycline antibiotics in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of cutting fluid wastewater is complex, containing oil and various additives. Due to different production processes, various metal particles will be mixed, which has caused great difficulties in wastewater treatment. In this study, electro-flocculation-multiphase Fenton/ultrasound system was used to treat cutting fluid organic wastewater. Firstly, the demulsification pretreatment was carried out by electroflocculation method, which achieved 97.4% CODcr removal efficiency. Afterwards, a multiphase Fenton/ultrasonic system was used for advanced treatment. By comparing the SEM results, BET results, XRD results and CODcr removal efficiency of the catalysts prepared by different supports and methods, CuO/CeO2 catalyst prepared by the deposition precipitation method was used in this experiment. The dissolution rate of copper in the catalyst CuO/CeO2 was only 1.29% after 4 hours of reaction. After 5 times of recovery, the recovery rate of the catalyst was still 95%, and the removal efficiency of CODcr was 29.8%. It proved that the catalyst CuO/CeO2 had good stability. Compared with a separate multiphase Fenton or ultrasound system, the multiphase Fenton/ultrasonic system had a better processing effect. Under the conditions of an ultrasonic frequency of 800 KHz, a reaction time of 180 min, a catalyst dosage of 1.6 g/L, a hydrogen peroxide dosage of 0.5 mol/L, and an initial pH of 8, the multiphase Fenton/ultrasonic system could achieve 65% CODcr removal efficiency. This study found that electro-flocculation-multiphase Fenton/ultrasonic system could finally achieve 99.09% CODcr removal efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ring-shaped Cohesin complex, consisting of core subunits Smc1, Smc3, Scc1, and SA2 (or its paralog SA1), topologically entraps two duplicated sister DNA molecules to establish sister chromatid cohesion in S-phase. It remains largely elusive how the Cohesin release factor Wapl binds the Cohesin complex, thereby inducing Cohesin disassociation from mitotic chromosomes to allow proper resolution and separation of sister chromatids. Here, we show that Wapl uses two structural modules containing the FGF motif and the YNARHWN motif, respectively, to simultaneously bind distinct pockets in the extensive composite interface between Scc1 and SA2. Strikingly, only when both docking modules are mutated, Wapl completely loses the ability to bind the Scc1-SA2 interface and release Cohesin, leading to erroneous chromosome segregation in mitosis. Surprisingly, Sororin, which contains a conserved FGF motif and functions as a master antagonist of Wapl in S-phase and G2-phase, does not bind the Scc1-SA2 interface. Moreover, Sgo1, the major protector of Cohesin at mitotic centromeres, can only compete with the FGF motif but not the YNARHWN motif of Wapl for binding Scc1-SA2 interface. Our data uncover the molecular mechanism by which Wapl binds Cohesin to ensure precise chromosome segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud model and D-S theory have been widely used in uncertainty reasoning. Meanwhile, modal strain energy and Inner Product Vector are also utilized as damage-sensitive features to detect structural damage. In this paper, a new structural damage identification approach is proposed based on Dempster-Shafer theory and cloud model. Cloud models were created to make uncertainty reasoning in damage structures by modal strain energy and the Inner Product Vector of acceleration. Then the results of the two methods were combined by using the Dempster-Shafer theory. Due to the classical D-S theory involves counter - intuitive behavious when the high conflicting evidences exists, the distance function was introduced to correct the conflict factor K and combine the evidences. Moreover, a model of simple beam was created to verify the feasibility and accuracy for the single-damage and the multiple-damage. The effects of noise on damage detection were investigated simultaneously. The results show that the method has strong anti-noise ability and high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterized by the accumulation of somatic mutations in blood cell lineages, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is frequent in aging and involves the expansion of mutated hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSC/Ps) that leads to an increased risk of hematologic malignancy. However, the risk factors that contribute to CHIPassociated clonal hematopoiesis (CH) are poorly understood. Obesity induces a proinflammatory state and fatty bone marrow (FBM), which may influence CHIP-associated pathologies. We analyzed exome sequencing and clinical data for 47,466 individuals with validated CHIP in the UK Biobank. CHIP was present in 5.8% of the study population and was associated with a significant increase in the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Mouse models of obesity and CHIP driven by heterozygosity of Tet2, Dnmt3a, Asxl1, and Jak2 resulted in exacerbated expansion of mutant HSC/Ps due in part to excessive inflammation. Our results show that obesity is highly associated with CHIP and that a proinflammatory state could potentiate the progression of CHIP to more significant hematologic neoplasia. The calcium channel blockers nifedipine and SKF-96365, either alone or in combination with metformin, MCC950, or anakinra (IL-1 receptor antagonist), suppressed the growth of mutant CHIP cells and partially restored normal hematopoiesis. Targeting CHIP-mutant cells with these drugs could be a potential therapeutic approach to treat CH and its associated abnormalities in individuals with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and acceptability of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) versus tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) in depressed children, adolescents, and young adults was performed. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases was conducted from 1970 to December 2013. Only clinical trials that randomly assigned one SSRI or TCA to patients aged 7 to 25 years who met the diagnostic criteria for unipolar depressive disorder were included. Primary efficacy was determined by the pooling of standardized mean differences (SMDs) calculated from the difference in the reduction in mean depression rating scale scores for the 2 antidepressants. Acceptability was determined by pooling the risk ratios (RRs) of dropouts for all reasons and for adverse effects as well as the suicide-risk outcome. Findings: Five trials with a total of 422 patients were considered to be eligible for inclusion. SSRIs were significantly more effective than TCAs in primary efficacy (SMD = -0.52; 95% CI, - 0 . 8 1 to -0.24; P = 0.0003). Patients taking SSRIs had a significantly greater response to depressive symptoms than patients taking TCAs (RR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.29; P = 0.03). On an individual SSRI basis, fluoxetine had a significantly greater efficacy than TCAs (SMD = -0.82; 95% CI, - 1 . 3 4 to -0.29; P = 0.003). On an individual TCA basis, only imipramine was not significantly worse than SSRIs (SMD = -0.27; 95% CI, - 0 . 5 6 to 0.02; P = 0.06). Significantly more patients taking TCAs discontinued treatment than patients taking SSRIs (35.8% vs 25.1%; RR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.93; P = 0.02). Implications: SSRI therapy has a superior efficacy and is better tolerated compared with TCA therapy in young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the perception, satisfaction and utilization of a home telehealth service for frail elderly people living independently in their home communities. Control group subjects continued with their usual care and intervention group subjects were able to supplement their usual care with the use of a web portal. The web portal allowed videoconferencing and electronic messaging between home care nurses and clients, ordering health-related and home care services, access to health-related information and general access to the Internet. A total of 99 eligible people (59 female, 40 male) from one urban and one rural study site agreed to participate in the study. Eighty-four subjects were active participants for nine months. There were no significant differences in perception of technology between the two groups at baseline. At 60-day follow-up, the intervention group was significantly more positive towards technology compared to their own baseline (P, 0.001) and compared to the 60-day scores for the controls (P, 0.001). The intervention group indicated that overall the telehealth service met their expectations (mean score 9 out of 10) and they would recommend it to others (mean score 9.5 out of 10). All subjects were able to use the portal without difficulty after brief instructions from the nurses. A total of 1054 videoconferences were conducted with the intervention subjects. Fifty-six of these (5%) had to be discontinued after successful connection because of technical problems. Intervention subjects made fewer emergency department visits than control subjects, more visits to the eye doctor, fewer visits in all categories of home care utilization, and lower use of transportation services. Frail elderly people are able to adopt home telehealth technologies which may enable them to maintain independent living arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we proposed a novel biosensor based on a high-density "hot spot" Au@SiO2 array substrate and rolling circle amplification (RCA) strategy for the ultrasensitive detection of CpG methyltransferase (M.SssI) activity. In the presence of M.SssI, the RCA process can be triggered, causing the augmentation of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at the tail of the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), and the ssDNA can be hybridized with numerous DNA probes labeled with Raman reporters in the next steps. Afterwards, the resultant ssDNA can be modified to the Au@SiO2 array substrate with the SERS enhancement factor of 7.49 x 106. The substrate was synthesized by using a monolayer SiO2 array to pick up the Au nanoparticle (AuNP) array and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation showed its excellent SERS effect. Particularly, the developed biosensor displayed a significant sensitivity with a broad detection range covering from 0.005 to 50 U mL-1, and the limits of detection (LODs) in PBS buffer and human serum were 2.37 x 10-4 UmL-1 and 2.51 x 10-4 UmL-1, respectively. Finally, in order to verify the feasibility of its clinical application, the serum samples of healthy subjects and breast cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer and cervical cancer patients were analyzed, and the reliability of the results was also confirmed by western blot (WB) experiments. Taking advantage of these merits, the proposed biosensor can be a very promising alternative tool for the detection of M.SssI activity, which is of vital importance in the early detection and prevention of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lung injury has several inciting etiologies ranging from trauma (contusion and hemorrhage) to ischemia reperfusion injury. Reflective of the injury, tissue and cellular injury increases proportionally with the injury stress and is an area of potential intervention to mitigate the injury. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic benefits of recombinant human MG53 (rhMG53) protein in porcine models of acute lung injury (ALI).Materials and Methods: We utilized live cell imaging to monitor the movement of MG53 in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells following mechanical injury. The in vivo efficacy of rhMG53 was evaluated in a porcine model of hemorrhagic shock/contusive lung injury. Varying doses of rhMG53 (0, 0.2, or 1 mg/kg) were administered intravenously to pigs after induction of hemorrhagic shock/contusive induced ALI. Ex vivo lung perfusion system enabled assessment of the isolated porcine lung after a warm ischemic induced injury with rhMG53 supplementation in the perfusate (1 mg/mL).Results: MG53-mediated cell membrane repair is preserved in human bronchial epithelial cells. rhMG53 mitigates lung injury in the porcine model of combined hemorrhagic shock/contusive lung injury. Ex vivo lung perfusion administration of rhMG53 reduces warm ischemia-induced injury to the isolated porcine lung.Conclusions: MG53 is an endogenous protein that circulates in the bloodstream. Therapeutic treatment with exogenous rhMG53 may be part of a strategy to restore (partially or completely) structural morphology and/or functional lung integrity. Systemic administration of rhMG53 constitutes a potential effective therapeutic means to combat ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglial activation is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Microglia are tightly and efficiently regulated by immune checkpoints, including CD200-CD200R1 and CX3CL1- CX3CR1. Understanding the involvement of these checkpoints in disease progression provides important insights into how microglial activation contributes to PD pathology. However, so far, studies have produced seemingly conflicting results. In this study, we demonstrate that CD200R1 expression is down-regulated at both early and late stage of PD model, and CX3CR1 expression is down-regulated in early stage and recovered in late stage. In primary cultured microglia, CD200R1 and CX3CR1 expressions are both directly regulated by LPS or a-synuclein, and CD200R1 expression is more sensitively regulated than CX3CR1. In addition, CD200 knockout causes an increase in proinflammatory cytokine production and microglial activation in the midbrain. Remarkably, DA neurons in the substantial nigra are degenerated in CD200-/- mice. Finally, activation of the CD200R with CD200Fc alleviates the neuroinflammation in microglia. Together, these results suggest that immune checkpoints play distinct functional roles in different stage of PD pathology, and the CD200-CD200R1 axis plays a significant role in nigrostriatal neuron viability and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has caused tremendous economic losses in the swine industry since its emergence in the late 1980s. PRRSV exploits various strategies to evade immune responses and establish chronic persistent infections. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 1, a member of the SOCS family, is a crucial intracellular negative regulator of innate immunity. In this study, it was shown that SOCS1 can be co-opted by PRRSV to evade host immune responses, facilitating viral replication. It was observed that PRRSV induced SOCS1 production in porcine alveolar macrophages, monkey-derived Marc-145 cells, and porcine-derived CRL2843-CD163 cells. SOCS1 inhibited the expression of IFN-b and IFN-stimulated genes, thereby markedly enhancing PRRSV replication. It was observed that the PRRSV N protein has the ability to upregulate SOCS1 production and that nuclear localization signal-2 (NLS-2) is essential for SOCS1 induction. Moreover, SOCS1 upregulation was dependent on p38/AP-1 and JNK/AP-1 signaling pathways rather than classical type I IFN signaling pathways. In summary, to our knowledge, the findings of this study uncovered the molecular mechanism that underlay SOCS1 induction during PRRSV infection, providing new insights into viral immune evasion and persistent infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the research conducted on Schizophrenia (SCZ) which is a devastating mental disorder poorly defined by underlying molecular mechanisms. It states that the gut microbiome can modulate brain function and behaviors through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Unmedicated and medicated patients with SCZ had a decreased microbiome diversity index and marked disturbances of gut microbial composition versus healthy controls (HCs).

Particle damage and modified layer have a great influence on the cutting surface quality of in-situ (TiB w +TiC p) /Ti composite. Therefore, the particle removal mechanism and the formation mechanism of the modified layer under different cutting conditions are discussed based on the experimental and simulation results. The cutting experiments on the in-situ (TiB w +TiC p) /Ti composite prepared by laser cladding were performed, the particle removal modes and the microstructure of the modified layer were observed and analyzed. A multi-scale interface model was established by combining first-principle calculations with a cohesive zone model, and the interface strength was determined. A cutting finite element model was developed to simulate the particle removal process and stress distribution. The results demonstrate that the particle damage is determined by the material characteristics and the plastic deformation in the subsurface. Nano-scale TiC p particles are pressed into the machined surface due to good fluidity within the matrix. Some micron-scale TiC p particles are crushed because of stress concentration. Under high cutting parameters, the pulling out of the micron-scale particles in the (TiB w +TiC p) /Ti composite is determined by the mechanical properties of the interface and matrix. The damage mode of the TiB w is a brittle shear fracture due to its whisker morphology. The modified layer produced under high cutting parameters is caused by high cutting heat, stress, and strain rate. • A multi-scale interface model was established to determine the interface strength. • TiB w whisker breaks under the action of shear stress. • The nano-scale TiC p is pressed into the surface under different cutting parameters. • Micron -scale particles are crushed and even pulled out from the surface at high cutting parameters. • Modified layer distributes in the machined surface at high cutting parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to provide an overview of psychotherapy in young anxious children (mean age, <7 years). Seven electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations, were searched. Randomized controlled trials that compared psychotherapies with control conditions were included. Efficacy (score change on an anxiety rating scale and rate of being freed from anxiety) and acceptability (discontinuations due to any event) were evaluated. Six of the total seven studies included in our study adopted cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with only one adopting behavior therapy (BT). Psychotherapy effectively reduced anxiety symptoms (standardized mean difference = -0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.08 to -0.57), and its rate of freeing patients from anxiety was high (risk ratio [RR] = 0.30; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.47). No remarkable difference for acceptability was found between the two therapy types (RR = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.25 to 1.18). Psychotherapy, both CBT and BT, benefits young anxious children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear propagation characteristics of multiwavelength optical signals in silicon waveguides are investigated for all-optical regeneration. Our experiment and simulation show that the multiwavelength regenerators based on silicon waveguides can be developed with a clock-pump scheme by properly setting the signal and pump power levels, ensuring that the Q-factor degradation induced by the Kerr nonlinear cross talk of the input signals is <1.0 dB and the clock-pump power is no more than the saturated input level related to the nonlinear loss. A three-wavelength regeneration experiment based on the clock-pump four-wave-mixing scheme was demonstrated in the silicon nanowire waveguide, and both the extinction ratio and Q-factor are improved by >3.0 dB for 12.5 Gbit∕s on–off keying signals. The feasibility of an eight-wavelength regeneration with the clock pump is also verified by simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following myocardial infarction (MI), degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) by upregulated matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) especially MMP-2 decreases tissue mechanical properties, leading to cardiac function deterioration. Attenuation of cardiac ECM degradation at the early stage of MI has the potential to preserve tissue mechanical properties, resulting in cardiac function increase. Yet the strategy for efficiently preventing cardiac ECM degradation remains to be established. Current preclinical approaches have shown limited efficacy because of low drug dosage allocated to the heart tissue, dose-limiting side effects, and cardiac fibrosis. To address these limitations, we have developed a MMP-2 inhibitor delivery system that can be specifically delivered into infarcted hearts at early stage of MI to efficiently prevent MMP-2-mediated ECM degradation. The system was based on an injectable, degradable, fast gelation and thermosensitive hydrogel, and a MMP-2 specific inhibitor, peptide CTTHWGFTLC (CTT). The use of fast gelation hydrogel allowed to completely retain CTT in the heart tissue. The system was able to release low molecular weight CTT over 4 weeks possibly due to the strong hydrogen bonding between the hydrogel and CTT. The release kinetics was modulated by amount of CTT loaded into the hydrogel, and using chondroitin sulfate and heparin that can interact with CTT and the hydrogel. Both glycosaminoglycans augmented CTT release, while heparin more greatly accelerated the release. After it was injected into the infarcted hearts for 4 weeks, the released CTT efficiently prevented cardiac ECM degradation as it not only increased tissue thickness but also preserved collagen composition similar to that in the normal heart tissue. In addition, the delivery system significantly improved cardiac function. Importantly, the delivery system did not induce cardiac fibrosis. These results demonstrate that the developed MMP-2 inhibitor delivery system has potential to efficiently reduce adverse myocardial remodeling and improve cardiac function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An increasing number of studies are reporting that ketamine could be treated as a novel antidepressant for major depressive disorder (MDD). Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to comprehensively and systematically assess the efficacy of ketamine for treating patients with MDD. Method: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies on ketamine versus placebo for treating MDD were searched up to April 2016 in medical databases (PubMed, CCTR, Web of Science, Embase, CBM-disc, and CNKI). Three treatment time points (24 and 72 h, and day 7) were chosen. Response and remission rates were the main outcomes. The random effects model was used. An intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. Results: Nine high-quality studies that included 368 patients were selected to compare the efficacy of ketamine to placebo. The therapeutic effects of ketamine at 24 and 72 h, and day 7 were found to be significantly better than placebo. Response and remission rates in the ketamine group at 24 and 72 h, and day 7 were 52.2% and 20.6%; 47.9% and 23.8%; and 39.8% and 26.2%, respectively. No significant heterogeneity existed, and the Egger's test showed no publication bias. Conclusion: These results indicated that ketamine could yield a good efficacy in the rapid treatment of MDD. Future large-scale clinical studies are needed to confirm our results and investigate the mid- and long-term efficacy of ketamine in treating MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ustilaginoidea virens is the causal agent of a serious disease of rice. To reveal the relationship between germination and the 3'-5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content from the dormant (black or green-black) and non-dormant (yellow) chlamydospore in Ustiloginoidea virens,this study adopts ultrasonic-bath method and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, for extraction cAMP content of the different color chlamydospore. The results demonstrated that, as for the freshly chlamydospores collected from the false smut balls during their germination, cAMP content of yellow chlamydospore appeared a slight growth during 0-12 h, and showed a rapid declining as the germination time extended (12-48 h) . Above all, in yellow chlamydospores, the germination rate and the content of cAMP presented a very notably negative correlation (|r|=0.861 9>r0.01=0.834), but the correlation between germination rate and content of cAMP was not obvious in black chlamydospores. The germination rate and the content of cAMP presented a notably positive correlation under different storage period (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 months) of the two color chlamydospores (the yellow of chlamydospore: |r| = 0.785 1 > r0.05 = 0.707; the black of chlamy-dospore: |r| = 0.957 9 > r0.05 = 0.707). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell membrane repair is an important aspect of physiology, and disruption of this process can result in pathophysiology in a number of different tissues, including wound healing, chronic ulcer and scarring. We have previously identified a novel tripartite motif family protein, MG53, as an essential component of the cell membrane repair machinery. Here we report the functional role of MG53 in the modulation of wound healing and scarring. Although MG53 is absent from keratinocytes and fibroblasts, remarkable defects in skin architecture and collagen overproduction are observed in mg53-/- mice, and these animals display delayed wound healing and abnormal scarring. Recombinant human MG53 (rhMG53) protein, encapsulated in a hydrogel formulation, facilitates wound healing and prevents scarring in rodent models of dermal injuries. An in vitro study shows that rhMG53 protects against acute injury to keratinocytes and facilitates the migration of fibroblasts in response to scratch wounding. During fibrotic remodeling, rhMG53 interferes with TGF-β-dependent activation of myofibroblast differentiation. The resulting down-regulation of α smooth muscle actin and extracellular matrix proteins contributes to reduced scarring. Overall, these studies establish a trifunctional role for MG53 as a facilitator of rapid injury repair, a mediator of cell migration, and a modulator of myofibroblast differentiation during wound healing. Targeting the functional interaction between MG53 and TGF-β signaling may present a potentially effective means for promoting scarless wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a debilitating psychiatric disorder and a growing global public health issue. However, the relationships between microbial infections and depression remains uncertain. A computerized literature search of Medline, ISI Web of Knowledge, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library was conducted up to May 2013, and 6362 studies were initially identified for screening. Case-control studies detected biomarker of microorganism were included. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 studies were finally included to compare the detection of 16 infectious agents in unipolar depressed patients and healthy controls with a positive incident being defined as a positive biochemical marker of microbial infection. A customized form was used for data extraction. Pooled analysis revealed that the majority of the 16 infectious agents were not significantly associated with depression. However, there were statistically significant associations between depression and infection with Borna disease virus, herpes simplex virus-1, varicella zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and Chlamydophila trachomatis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the reason why glycerin pre-treatment can accelerate the deformation fixation of compressed wood, the interaction between glycerin and wood at various temperatures was investigated in this study from stress relaxation approach. The compression stress relaxation curves of poplar ( Populus cathayana Rehd.) samples impregnated with glycerin were measured at temperatures ranging from 25 to 180°C, together with the curves of oven-dry wood at temperatures between 100 and 180°C for comparison. The activation energy was calculated according to the Eyring's absolute rate reaction theory. The results showed that temperature had very obvious effect on stress relaxation for both glycerin-treated wood (GTW) and oven-dry wood. The stress released very fast at higher temperatures. Glycerin showed an accelerating effect on stress relaxation. At temperatures exceeding 120°C, a complete relaxation of the stress could be expected. While for untreated wood, it cannot be reached until 160°C. By calculating the apparent activation energy (ΔE) of GTW at different temperatures, it is clear that two mechanisms are responsible for different temperature ranges. From 40 to 100°C, ΔE is only 8.24 kJ/mol, which corresponds to the hydrogen bonds formed between wood and glycerin molecules; from 120 to 180°C, ΔE reached 81.38 kJ/mol, which corresponds to the degradation of hemicelluloses or lignin, and during this process, new cross-linking would happen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dyestuff malachite green MG in aqueous solution can be degraded rapidly assisted by microwave irradiation (MW) in the presence of ZnFe2O4 powder. ZnFe2O4 acted as a MW as well as the catalyst for MG degradation, and could be used repeatedly. The effects of MW time, initial concentration of MG, addition amount, pH value and used times of ZnFe2O4 powder were discussed in details using UV-Vis spectra, FT-IR spectra, ion chromatography and TOC analysis technologies. The results showed that the degradation percentage of MG was nearly 100%, corresponding to 92% of TOC removal, when the mass fraction of ZnFe2O4 was 1.2%, MW 500W and the irradiation time 2 min. Additionally, the above method using ZnFe2O4 powder as catalyst combined with MW has high degradation ratios, short reaction time, low costs, no intermediates and no secondary pollution. Therefore, it may be available for the treatment of various dyestuff wastewaters on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-sized hydroxyapatite (NHA) powders were prepared from calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2•4H2O and phosphorus pentoxide using a sol-gel approach. The effects of processing parameters on the composition granularity, and morphologies of hydroxyapatite powders were investigated by thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction Fourier Transform-infrared spectroscopy, laser particle analysis and transmission electron microscopy. High purity HA powders with particle size of 30-100 nm were obtained by calcining HA gel at 600 °C. The granularity had a narrow distribution and the particles were dispersed well at 600 °C. Hydroxyapatite/poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (NHA/PLGA) composite scaffolds were prepared by thermally induced phase separation. The compressive strength and water absorption of the scaffolds were investigated. Their mechanical strength increased significantly with the addition of NHA. The composites with 25 wt.% of NRA exhibited good mechanical properties with an average compressive strength of 2.53 MPa. The hydrophilicity increased with the addition of NHA too.NHA/PLGA scaffolds could be a candidate for tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]