Search

Purpose: Based on the perspectives of social capital, image motivation and motivation affordances, this paper explores the direct and moderation effects of different kinds of motivations (i.e. relationship-based motivation, community-based motivation and individual-based motivation) on users' continuous knowledge contributions in social question and answer (Q&A) communities. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collect the panel data of 10,193 users from a popular social Q&A community in China. Then, a negative binomial regression model is adopted to analyze the collected data. Findings: The paper demonstrates that social learning, peer recognition and knowledge seeking positively affect users' continuous contribution behaviors. However, the results also show that social exposure has the opposite effect. In addition, self-presentation is found to moderate the influence of social factors on users' continuous use behaviors, while the moderation effect of motivation affordances has no significance. Originality/value: First, this study develops a comprehensive motivation framework that helps gain deeper insights into the underlying mechanism of knowledge contribution in social Q&A communities. Second, this study conducts panel data analysis to capture the impacts of motivations over time, rather than intentions at a fixed time point. Third, the findings can help operators of social Q&A communities to optimize community norms and incentive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature is a very important parameter for an operating vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). During charging and discharging, the temperature of VRFB is constantly changing. In this paper, a self‐made 35 kW vanadium stack was charged & discharged at the current density of 100 and 120 mA cm−2 to investigate the change trend of real‐time operating temperature. The results show that the temperature decreases during charging and increases during discharging. And the average temperature of each cycle increases with continuous charge‐discharge cycles. The influences of real‐time temperature on performance of columbic efficiency (CE), voltage efficient (VE), over‐potential, capacity, energy, state of charge (SOC), and pressure loss were further investigated. The results show that the temperature fluctuation largely affects the electrochemical properties of VRFB. With the real‐time average temperature increased from 16.02 °C to 29.91 °C, the VE, capacity, energy and the SOC range of the battery increased, while the CE, the over‐potential and the average pressure loss decreased. This work not only gives data support to temperature management of VFB, but also provides direction to the engineering application of all flow batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the present study was to assess the beneficial effect of Lactobacillus plantarum GM11 (LacP GM11), screened from Sichuan traditional fermented food, in depressive rats induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Male SPF SD rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups: the control group, CUMS group and CUMS + LacP GM11 group (n = 10). The rats in the CUMS and LacP GM11 groups received CUMS stimulation for 42 d. The behavioral tests and levels of monoamine neurotransmitter, glucocorticoid hormone and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the serum and hippocampus were measured. The effects of LacP GM11 on the mRNA and protein expression of BDNF and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the hippocampus were also investigated. After supplementation for 21 d, LacP GM11 was associated with alleviation of depressive-like behavior, not anxiety-like behavior, in depressive rats. LacP GM11 increased the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and BDNF and decreased the level of cortisol (CORT) in the serum and hippocampus in depressed rats. In addition, treatment with LacP GM11 also increased the mRNA and protein expression of BDNF and CREB in the hippocampus. This work has revealed that LacP GM11 has potential beneficial effects on depression. This effect might be related to alleviating monoamine neurotransmitter deficiency, HPA axis hyperfunction and CREB-BDNF signaling pathway downregulation. This study demonstrates that LacP GM11 could be a potential therapeutic approach to treat depression and other mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhanjiang City, with an area of 37 000 hm² of mariculture, is an important production and processing base for aquatic products in Guangdong Province and even in the whole country. Conducting carbon sink accounting for mariculture bivalve and seaweed is of great significance, as it will provide data support for Zhanjiang City to conduct fishery carbon sink trading in the future and meet the national carbon neutral demand. Based on the field surveys and laboratory analysis, the key basic data of carbon sink accounting of native bivalve and seaweed in Zhanjiang was obtained in this study. And the carbon sink capacity of mariculture in Zhanjiang based on the whole life cycle carbon emissions of bivalve and seaweed were also evaluated. The results showed that the total carbon sink (measured in CO2) of mariculture bivalve and seaweed in Zhanjiang was 155 436 t in 2021, with bivalve accounting for 155 359 t and seaweed accounting for 77 t. According to the current CO2 trading price in China's blue carbon market, the economic value created by the carbon sinks of bivalve and seaweed in Zhanjiang was 16.48 million RMB. Using the comprehensive method of carbon emission in the whole life cycle assessment, the net carbon sink of the bivalve in Zhanjiang City was 135 176 t, and the seaweed was 39 t. It is evident that Zhanjiang City has a high carbon sequestration capacity in marine bivalve cultivation, which can bring significant economic benefits through emission reduction, and making an important contribution to China's climate change solutions and achieving the "dual carbon" goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a destructive disease of Stylosanthes (stylo). Combination treatment of phloretin and pterostilbene (PP) has been previously shown to effectively inhibit the conidial germination and mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides in vitro. In this study, the effects of PP treatment on the growth of C. gloeosporioides in vivo and the biocontrol mechanisms were investigated. We found that exogenous PP treatment could limit the growth of C. gloeosporioides and alleviate the damage of anthracnose in stylo. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that 565 genes were up-regulated and 239 genes were down-regulated upon PP treatment during the infection by C. gloeosporioides. The differentially expressed genes were mainly related to oxidative stress and chloroplast organization. Further physiological analysis revealed that application of PP after C. gloeosporioides inoculation significantly reduced the accumulation of O2•− level and increased the accumulation of antioxidants (glutathione, ascorbic acid and flavonoids) as well as the enzyme activity of total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase. PP also reduced the decline of chlorophyll a + b and increased the content of carotenoid in response to C. gloeosporioides infection. These results suggest that PP treatment alleviates anthracnose by improving antioxidant capacity and reducing the damage of chloroplasts, providing insights into the biocontrol mechanisms of PP on the stylo against anthracnose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil fauna play a vital role in contributing to the home-field advantage (HFA: litter decomposes faster in its natural habitat than elsewhere) during litter decomposition. Whether the presence of soil fauna affects the HFA of the decomposition of total phenols and condensed tannins, which are important components of litter, has rarely been investigated. In this study, litterbags with different mesh sizes were transplanted reciprocally, 0.04 mm (basically excluding soil fauna) and 3 mm (basically allowing all soil fauna to enter), in Lindera megaphylla and Cryptomeria fortunei forests. The results illustrated that the loss rates of total phenols and condensed tannins reached 64.07% to 84.49% and 69.67% to 88.37%, respectively, after 2 months of decomposition. Moreover, soil fauna positively contributed to the decomposition of condensed tannins in high-quality litter. After 2 months of decomposition, a significantly positive HFA (HFA index: 10.32) was found for total phenol decomposition in the coarse mesh, while a significantly negative HFA (HFA index: −1.81) was observed for condensed tannin decomposition in the fine mesh after 10 months of decomposition. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities were significantly influenced by litter types. The loss rates of total phenols and condensed tannins were significantly negatively correlated with the initial N content, P content, N/P ratio, and POD activity and were positively related to the initial C content, total phenol content, condensed tannin content, C/P ratio, and C/N ratio. Only the loss of condensed tannins was negatively correlated with PPO activity (after 2 months' decomposition). However, none of these correlations were observed after 10 months of decomposition. Our study illustrated that (1) soil fauna contributed to the decomposition of total phenols and condensed tannins but were influenced by litter type for condensed tannins. (2) The soil fauna had inconsistent effects on the HFA of total phenols and condensed tannins, possibly due to the combined regulatory effects of environmental context, litter quality, and rapid decomposition rates. In sum, the results indicated that soil fauna played an important role in the decomposition of condensed tannins and total phenols in litter, and additional studies on the effects of soil faunal abundance and class on HFA of condensed tannins and total phenols are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited solubility and stability of pea proteins hinder their utilization in liquid formulations. In this study, protein glutaminase (PG) was employed to modify pea protein isolates (PPIs) and obtain deamidated PPI with varying degrees of deamidation (DD, 10–25%). The solubility and thermal stability of these deamidated PPI samples were assessed, and a comprehensive analysis, including SDS-PAGE, zeta potential, FTIR, surface hydrophobicity, and intrinsic fluorescence, was conducted to elucidate the mechanism behind the improvement in their functional properties. The results reveal that PG modification greatly enhances the solubility and heat stability of PPI, with the most notable improvements observed at higher DD (>20%). PG modification increases the net charge of PPI, leading to the unfolding and extension of the protein structures, thus exposing more hydrophobic groups. These structural changes are particularly pronounced when DD exceeds 20%. This increased electrostatic repulsion between carboxyl groups would promote protein unfolding, enhancing interactions with water and hindering the aggregation of unfolded protein in the presence of salts at elevated temperatures (supported by high-performance size exclusion chromatography and transmission electron microscopy). Accordingly, PG-mediated deamidation shows promise in enhancing the functional properties of PPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ascertain optimal potato pretreatment strategy for potato–rice noodle processing, the effect of partial substitution of rice flour with potatoes processed by various pretreatment on rice noodle quality was determined. In this study, raw potato flour (RPF), cooked potato flour (CPF), potato pulp (PP), mashed potato (MP), and rice flour (RF) were prepared. The physicochemical and pasting properties of RF sample, RPF + RF, PP + RF, CPF + RF, and MP + RF blends were investigated relative to their noodle quality. The results indicated that compared to RF, CPF + RF, and MP + RF blends, RPF + RF and PP + RF blends exhibited a lower degree of starch damage, solubility, and breakdown viscosity, as well as higher relative crystallinity, final, and setback viscosity, which are favorable to quality of noodles. Therefore, the noodles made from RPF + RF and PP + RF showed the most desirable cooking quality and texture. In summary, high damaged starch content and excessive amylose content were detrimental to noodle making. Consequently, our research revealed that RPF/pulp (ungelatinized potato materials) blended with rice flour can be employed to produce decent potato–rice noodles. Practical Application: Cooked potato flour is main processing method of commercial potato flour and widely used in potato staple food industry. However, the results of our study show that raw potato flour and potato pulp are more suitable for processing of potato–rice noodle than cooked potato flour and mashed potato and can significantly improve the quality of rice noodle. This provides new ideas and insights for the preprocessing of raw potato in the potato staple food industry and the quality improvement of rice noodle. Highlights: The physicochemical properties of potatoes changed with various pretreatments.Excessive amylose content and starch damage were detrimental to noodle making.Partial substitution of rice flour with raw potato flour/pulp improved rice noodle quality.Raw and ungelatinized potato material is preferable for potato–rice noodle making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant tumor of bone. Macropinocytosis, a form of non-selective nutrient endocytosis, has received increasing attention as a novel target for cancer therapy, yet its role in OS cells remains obscure. Benzethonium chloride (BZN) is an FDA-approved antiseptic and bactericide with broad-spectrum anticancer effects. Here, we described that BZN suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, BZN repressed the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and the ERK1/2 activator partially neutralized the inhibitory effect of BZN on OS cells. Subsequently, we demonstrated that OS cells might employ macropinocytosis as a compensatory survival mechanism in response to BZN. Remarkably, macropinocytosis inhibitors enhanced the anti-OS effect of BZN in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our results suggest that BZN may inhibit OS cells by repressing the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and propose a potential strategy to enhance the BZN-induced inhibitory effect by suppressing macropinocytosis. Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant tumor of bone. Chemotherapy is one of the crucial approaches to prevent its metastasis and improve prognosis. Despite continuous improvements in the clinical treatment of OS, tumor resistance and metastasis remain dominant clinical challenges. Macropinocytosis, a form of non-selective nutrient endocytosis, has received increasing attention as a novel target for cancer therapy, yet its role in OS cells remains obscure. Benzethonium chloride (BZN) is an FDA-approved antiseptic and bactericide with broad-spectrum anticancer effects. Here, we described that BZN suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells in vitro and in vivo, but simultaneously promoted the massive accumulation of cytoplasmic vacuoles as well. Mechanistically, BZN repressed the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, and the ERK1/2 activator partially neutralized the inhibitory effect of BZN on OS cells. Subsequently, we demonstrated that vacuoles originated from macropinocytosis and indicated that OS cells might employ macropinocytosis as a compensatory survival mechanism in response to BZN. Remarkably, macropinocytosis inhibitors enhanced the anti-OS effect of BZN in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our results suggest that BZN may inhibit OS cells by repressing the ERK1/2 signaling pathway and propose a potential strategy to enhance the BZN-induced inhibitory effect by suppressing macropinocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A screw pile is a special-shaped pile with several advantages, including good bearing capacity, economy, and rapid construction. The calculation of the screw piles' ultimate bearing capacity in the individual bearing failure state remains controversial. To address the problems of an unclear failure mechanism and the pile–soil contact relationship in screw piles, we conducted large-scale direct shear tests using a partial amplification method. The variation law for soil stress and the failure pattern of soil around the screw teeth were analyzed. The bearing capacity of the screw shear plate with screw teeth was found to be significantly higher than that of the plane shear plate, while that of the screw pile first increased and then decreased with an increase in the screw pitch. The optimal screw pitch allowed the determination of the maximum bearing capacity. Furthermore, the optimal screw pitch was generally equal to the critical screw pitch, which distinguished the individual bearing failure from the cylindrical shearing failure. A new calculation method for the critical screw pitch and ultimate bearing capacity in the individual bearing failure state was presented, and its rationality was proved using the direct shear test results. The calculation of the critical screw pitch considers the shear strength of soil and the geometric parameters of the screw teeth, making it more widely applicable. These results can provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent design of screw piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) are associated with cardiovascular disease among mothers and offspring. This meta‐analysis was conducted to further explore the associations between maternal HDP and offspring blood pressure (BP). The authors performed a search strategy in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library from database inception to January 2022. Twenty‐four studies regarding HDP were included, with pregnancy‐associated hypertension (PAH), preeclampsia (PE), gestational hypertension (GH), and chronic hypertension included in 12, 16, 6, and 3 studies, respectively. Offspring who were exposed to HDP and PAH in utero had higher systolic BP (2.46 mm Hg, 95% CI: 1.88–3.03 mm Hg; 2.70 mm Hg 95% CI: 1.89–3.51 mm Hg) and diastolic BP (1.38 mm Hg 95% CI: 0.94–1.83 mm Hg; 1.39 mm Hg 95% CI: 0.71–2.06 mm Hg) than those birthed to normotensive mothers. The offspring exposure to PE, GH, and chronic hypertension had higher systolic BP by 1.90 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.39–2.40 mm Hg), 2.47 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.59–3.35 mm Hg), and 7.85 mm Hg (95% CI: 4.10–11.61 mm Hg), respectively, and higher diastolic BP by 0.99 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.50–1.49 mm Hg), 1.04 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.60–1.47 mm Hg), and 2.92 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.98–4.86 mm Hg), respectively. An Egger test and funnel plot confirmed no significant publication bias. In conclusion, offspring exposure to all subtypes of HDP in utero led to higher BP than no exposure. It is necessary to investigate the potential mechanisms to clarify the roles of genetic and environmental factors in these associations, which could provide insight on preventing hypertension and related cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gynecological Endocrinology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The anti-slide pile is a primary method of landslide control. The effect of the passive soil arch in front of the embedded section of piles has a significant effect on the anti-slide pile's bearing capacity. The upgraded model test scheme was used to conduct model tests with a pile spacing four times the width of the pile and a geometric scale ratio of 1:15. The anti-slide pile stress, pile bending strain, and soil stress in front of the pile were all studied in relation to the loading amount. In addition to the model test, the numerical simulation method was utilized to investigate the three-dimensional morphological change of the passive soil arch in front of the pile. The results indicated that: clearly, the side piles can eliminate the border effect. The distribution of pile bending strain along the pile after loading is referred to as a parabola. Bending failure occurred at a depth of 40 mm, approximately 0.9 m from the pile top. Under the condition that the pile spacing is four times the pile width, a passive soil arch occurs in front of the anti-slide pile's fixed part, and its development can be split into four stages: formation, development, completion, and destruction. The passive soil arches in front of the piles are generated and destroyed gradually along the buried depth, and the three-dimensional surface of the space drops gradually along the buried depth with the loading amount and advances toward the loading direction until the anti-slide pile system fails. The research findings and experiences can serve as a basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bayesian estimation of parameters in the Dirichlet mixture process of the Beta‐Liouville distribution (i.e., the infinite Beta‐Liouville mixture model) has recently gained considerable attention due to its modeling capability for proportional data. However, applying the conventional variational inference (VI) framework cannot derive an analytically tractable solution since the variational objective function cannot be explicitly calculated. In this paper, we adopt the recently proposed extended VI framework to derive the closed‐form solution by further lower bounding the original variational objective function in the VI framework. This method is capable of simultaneously determining the model's complexity and estimating the model's parameters. Moreover, due to the nature of Bayesian nonparametric approaches, it can also avoid the problems of underfitting and overfitting. Extensive experiments were conducted on both synthetic and real data, generated from two real‐world challenging applications, namely, object detection and text categorization, and its superior performance and effectiveness of the proposed method have been demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical and medical treatments are applied to pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) in the real world, while the prognosis of different therapies is uncertain. This study investigated diagnosis, real-world therapy, follow-up outcomes, and prognosis factors, aiming to deepen our understanding of PC. Methods: Patients pathologically diagnosed with PC were retrospectively reviewed and followed up. Further comparisons and subgroup analyses were conducted in surgical and nonsurgical treatment individuals. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods were used to explore the risk factors associated with treatment failure. Results: One hundred and sixty-three patients were included in this study, of whom 92 underwent surgical removal of VATS or open lung surgery (68 of them received postoperative antifungal treatment) and 71 got antifungal drugs only. Compared with nonsurgical patients, surgical patients were more immunocompetent (73 [79.3%] cases vs 33 [46.5%]), showed milder symptoms and more limited pulmonary lesions. Although they had instant treatment response owing to lesions resection, there is no significant advantage in the rate of treatment failure. Multivariable regression showed independent predictive factors associated with treatment failure were polymorphonuclear (PMN)> 6.30*109/L, albumin (Alb) < 40g/L and antifungal dosage < 400mg/d. Further analysis among patients with different immune statuses or symptoms demonstrated that sufficient antifungal dosage could reduce the rate of treatment failure. Conclusion: PC showed variable and nonspecific clinical features. PC patients with limited nodules/masses and mild symptoms often led to misdiagnosis and unnecessary lung resections. The potential risk factors including higher PMN and hypoalbuminemia could help clinicians to identify PC patients with poor treatment efficiency at an early stage. To note, sufficient antifungal dosage may improve the treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of serious gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases in newborn infants, with a high morbidity and mortality. Red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) plays a controversial and doubtful role in the treatment of NEC. In present study, we aim to analyze the association between RBCT and the deterioration of NEC. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of near-term and full-term infants with a confirmed diagnosis of Bell's stage II NEC between Jan 1, 2010 and Jan 31, 2020. The maternal and infant baseline characteristics, treatment information and laboratory test for each case were collected. The eligible subjects were divided into two groups based on receiving RBCT post NEC diagnosis or not. The propensity score was used to eliminate potential bias and baseline differences. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to adjust the propensity score and calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidential interval (CI) of RBCT for the deterioration of NEC. Results: A total of 242 infants were included in this study, 60 infants had a history of RBCT post NEC diagnosis, and 40 infants deteriorated from Bell's stage II to stage III. By adjusting the propensity score, RBCT post NEC diagnosis was associated with an increased risk for NEC deteriorating from stage II to III (adjusted OR 6.06, 95%CI 2.94–12.50, P = 0.000). Conclusions: NEC infants who required RBCT post NEC diagnosis were more likely to deteriorate from stage II to III in full-term and near-term infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of serious gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases in newborn infants, with a high morbidity and mortality. Red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) plays a controversial and doubtful role in the treatment of NEC. In present study, we aim to analyze the association between RBCT and the deterioration of NEC.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of near-term and full-term infants with a confirmed diagnosis of Bell's stage II NEC between Jan 1, 2010 and Jan 31, 2020. The maternal and infant baseline characteristics, treatment information and laboratory test for each case were collected. The eligible subjects were divided into two groups based on receiving RBCT post NEC diagnosis or not. The propensity score was used to eliminate potential bias and baseline differences. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to adjust the propensity score and calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidential interval (CI) of RBCT for the deterioration of NEC.Results: A total of 242 infants were included in this study, 60 infants had a history of RBCT post NEC diagnosis, and 40 infants deteriorated from Bell's stage II to stage III. By adjusting the propensity score, RBCT post NEC diagnosis was associated with an increased risk for NEC deteriorating from stage II to III (adjusted OR 6.06, 95%CI 2.94-12.50, P = 0.000).Conclusions: NEC infants who required RBCT post NEC diagnosis were more likely to deteriorate from stage II to III in full-term and near-term infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is one of the most common autoimmune disease (AITD) in clinical practice. It is urgent to explore the mechanism of amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction. Objective: This study aims to assess the expression levels of miR-214 and FasL in amiodarone contact type of HT, and the effect of miR-214 on cell viability and apoptosis and potential mechanism. Results: We found that miR-214 was low expressed in the tissues of amiodarone-treated thyroiditis patients. MiR-214 increased the survival rate of amiodarone-induced thyroid epithelial follicular cells and inhibited apoptosis. Mechanically, we found that miR-214 could bind to FASL and regulate MAPK signaling pathway through FASL. Conclusions: Our results suggested that miR-214 could be a potential therapeutic target for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Soil quality assessment is a critical strategy for determining optimum fertilization in intensive pomelo production. In this study, we evaluated the soil quality status and mapped the spatial distribution of 347 soil samples collected from pomelo orchards in Pinghe County, southern China. We analyzed nine chemical parameters and an altitude indicator. RESULTS: The mean soil quality index (SQI) was 0.355 in the total data set (TDS) and 0.292 in the minimum data set (MDS). Available Ca (Avail‐Ca), pH value, organic matter and altitude were selected as indicators of soil quality in the MDS. The SQI in mature orchards (>10 years) was higher than that in young orchards (<10 years), while no differences between soil types and altitude gradients were identified. We detected a significant positive correlation between the SQI based on TDS (SQITDS) and the SQI based on MDS (SQIMDS), and the spatial distribution of soil properties and SQITDS showed a uniform pattern, except for Avail‐N, Avail‐B and SQIMDS. Overall, unfavorable soil quality indicators, including rich in Avail‐P, deficient in Avail‐Ca, ‐Mg and ‐B, soil acidification and high altitude, were considered to be limiting factors for pomelo production. CONCLUSION: The soil chemical quality in pomelo orchards is generally low, indicating that integrated management by controlling acidification, reducing planting altitude, regulating fertilization and monitoring soil properties is required for sustainable pomelo production. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship trajectory in maritime surveillance videos provides crucial on-site traffic information (e.g., ship speed, traffic volume, density) to help maritime traffic situation awareness and management in the smart ship era. To that aim, many focuses are paid to track ships from maritime videos by exploring distinct visual features from maritime images, which may fail under complex maritime environment interference (occlusion, sea clutter interference, etc.). The study proposes a novel video-based ship tracking framework with the help of Multi-view learning model and data quality control procedure. First, we obtain raw ship positions from maritime images with particle filter and Multi-view learning models. Then, a data quality control procedure is implemented to suppress ship tracking outliers with the help of Kalman filter. Finally, we verify our proposed model performance on three typical maritime traffic situations (ship occlusion, sea clutter interference and small ship tracking). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by members of Colletotrichum that affect a wide range of crop plants. Strategies to improve crop resistance are needed to reduce the yield losses; and one strategy is to manipulate protein kinases that catalyze reversible phosphorylation of proteins regulating both plant immune responses and fungal pathogenesis. Hence, in this review, we present a summary of the current knowledge of protein kinase signaling pathways in plant- Colletotrichum interaction as well as the relation to a more general understanding of protein kinases that contribute to plant immunity and pathogen virulence. We highlight the potential of combining genomic resources and phosphoproteomics research to unravel the key molecular components of plant- Colletotrichum interactions. Understanding the molecular interactions between plants and Colletotrichum would not only facilitate molecular breeding of resistant cultivars but also help the development of novel strategies for controlling the anthracnose disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilevel genome typing (MGT) enables the genomic characterization of bacterial isolates and the relationships among them. The MGT system describes an isolate using multiple multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemes, referred to as levels. Thus, for a new isolate, sequence types (STs) assigned at multiple precisely defined levels can be used to type isolates at multiple resolutions. The MGT designation for isolates is stable, and the assignment is faster than the existing approaches. MGT's utility has been demonstrated in multiple species. This paper presents a publicly accessible web service called MGTdb, which enables the assignment of MGT STs to isolates, along with their storage, retrieval and analysis. The MGTdb web service enables upload of genome data as sequence reads or alleles, which are processed and assigned MGT identifiers. Additionally, any newly sequenced isolates deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's Sequence Read Archive are also regularly retrieved (currently daily), processed, assigned MGT identifiers and made publicly available in MGTdb. Interactive visualization tools are presented to assist analysis, along with capabilities to download publicly available isolates and assignments for use with external software. MGTdb is currently available for Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis and Vibrio cholerae. We demonstrate the usability of MGTdb through three case studies — to study the long-term national surveillance of S. Typhimurium, the local epidemiology and outbreaks of S. Typhimurium, and the global epidemiology of V. cholerae. Thus, MGTdb enables epidemiological and microbiological investigations at multiple levels of resolution for all publicly available isolates of these pathogens. Database URL : https://mgtdb.unsw.edu.au [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Overuse of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance are global healthcare problems. In pediatric patients with respiratory infections, viral and bacterial etiologies are challenging to distinguish, leading to irrational antibiotic use. Rapid and accurate molecular diagnostic testing methods for respiratory pathogens has been shown to facilitate effective clinical decision-making and guide antibiotic stewardship interventions in the developed regions, but its impacts on pediatric patient care in the developing countries remain unclear. Methods: In this single-center, retrospective case-control study, we compared demographics, clinical characteristics, especially microbiological findings, and antibiotic usage between pediatric patients with respiratory infection receiving FilmArray Respiratory Panel (FilmArray RP) testing and a matched routine testing control group. Our primary outcome was the duration of intravenous antibiotics treatment (DOT) during hospitalization. Results: Each group consisted of 346 children with a respiratory infection. In the FilmArray RP testing group, the DOT was shorter than that in the routine testing group (6.41 ± 3.67 days versus 7.23 ± 4.27 days; p = 0.006). More patients in the FilmArray RP testing group de-escalated antibiotic treatments within 72 hours of hospitalization (7.80%, 27/346 versus 2.60%, 9/346; p = 0.002). By contrast, fewer patients in the FilmArray RP testing group had escalated antibiotic treatments between 72 hours and seven days (7.80% versus 14.16%; p = 0.007). The cost of hospitalization was significantly lower in the FilmArray RP testing group ($ 1413.51 ± 1438.01 versus $ 1759.37 ± 1929.22; p = 0.008). Notably, the subgroup analyses revealed that the FilmArray RP test could shorten the DOT, improve early de-escalation of intravenous antibiotics within 72 hours of hospitalization, decline the escalation of intravenous antibiotics between 72 hours and seven days, and reduce the cost of hospitalization for both patient populations with or without underlying diseases. Conclusions: Molecular point-of-care testing for respiratory pathogens could help to reduce intravenous antibiotic use and health care costs of pediatric patients with respiratory infections in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal surveillance video helps officials to obtain on-site visual information on maritime traffic situations, which benefits building up the maritime transportation detection infrastructure. The previous ship detection methods focused on detecting distant small ships in maritime videos, with less attention paid to the task of ship detection from coastal surveillance video. To address this challenge, a novel framework is proposed to detect ships from coastal maritime images in three typical traffic situations in three consecutive steps. First the Canny detector is introduced to determine the potential ship edges in each maritime frame. Then, the self-adaptive Gaussian descriptor is employed to accurately rule out noisy edges. Finally, the morphology operator is developed to link the detected separated edges to connected ship contours. The model's performance is tested under three typical maritime traffic situations. The experimental results show that the proposed ship detector achieved satisfactory performance (in terms of precision, accuracy and time cost) compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms. The findings of the study offer the potential of providing real-time visual traffic information to maritime regulators, which is crucial for the development of intelligent maritime transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments need to act in time to lead citizens toward rational reactions and disclose information effectively to the public. This paper aims to understand the content published by the government and identify how citizen engagement relates to content type and emotional valence. Design/methodology/approach: The grounded theory approach was adopted and nine types of content posted by the government were observed. The data were obtained from "People's Daily", an official Sina Weibo account representing the voice of the Chinese government, from January 3 to June 22 in 2020. Findings: The analysis shows that information related to emotional support and social mobilization were the most reposted, while those mentioning immoral and illegal incidents were the most liked and commented. Also, it was found that positive posts tend to attract more likes, yet with fewer reposts than neutral posts. Originality/value: The authors adopted thematic analysis and focused on the impact of post content and valence on user participation behavior. This study expands the existing literature. The government can improve crises management capability by learning about citizen engagement behaviors on social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a life‐threatening complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). However, for several reasons, clinicians know little about Toxoplasma infection. Case presentation: We report a case of toxoplasmosis that was diagnosed by bone marrow smear and metagenomic next‐generation sequencing (mNGS) after HSCT in a boy. Additionally, we summarize the characteristics of toxoplasmosis after pediatric HSCT reported in the literature published in PubMed. Conclusion: Clinicians should increase their awareness of toxoplasmosis in children after HSCT and implement pre‐transplant screening and post‐transplant monitoring and prevention in future according to the national conditions of our country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boarding efficiency is essential for all airlines due to potential competitive financial pressure. Therefore, the turnaround time needs to be cut down for a shorter boarding time. The paper devised a feasible boarding strategy which combines the management mode decision of passenger boarding with the intelligent deployment of the operation process and will be likely to improve the efficiency of the passenger travel chain. Among which, to decrease the boarding time is an effective method. Firstly, we proposed an improved outside-in strategy, which costs shorter boarding time based on the existing outside-in strategy. However, this method requires passengers to stand in queue in advance. Secondly, we put forward a deterministic queue-ordered boarding method to improve it. Finally, we simulated and applied the strategy to a narrow-body aircraft A320 and a wide-body A380, both representative for their type of airplanes. It turns out that this strategy performs better than the current widely used method and will be able to increase boarding efficiency and thus maximize the profits of airlines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthracnose is a destructive disease that affects a wide range of crop plants especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Colletotrichum spp. are the major pathogens causing anthracnose. In this study, we collected and identified the pathogen from diseased samples of Stylosanthes, a major tropical forage crop. The ability of the pathogen to naturally infect Arabidopsis thaliana was examined. Sequence analysis of ITS, ACT, CHS, and GAPDH genes showed the pathogen to be Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato (s.l.), and this was supported further by morphological characterization of representative isolates. The disease symptoms and cellular infection process of aggressive isolates (DZ‐19 and HK‐04) and a weak isolate (CJ‐04) were compared. DZ‐19 and HK‐04 caused more severe disease symptoms on both young seedlings and adult plants of Col‐0 and Ws‐2 ecotypes compared to CJ‐04. Furthermore, the more aggressive isolates showed faster and earlier germination of conidia, formation of appressoria, and growth and development of hyphae during the infection. Genetic analysis of the defence response and expression profiling of defence marker genes demonstrated the involvement of MAP kinase, Ca2+‐dependent protein kinase, salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonic acid pathways in the resistance against anthracnose. These results suggest that the Arabidopsis–Colletotrichum gloeosporioides pathosystem should provide a valuable tool for exploring the resistance mechanisms against this pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The reviews submitted by users are the foundation of user-generated content (UGC) platforms. However, the rapid growth of users brings the problems of information overload and spotty content, which makes it necessary for UGC platforms to screen out reviews that are really helpful to users. The authors put forward in this paper the factors influencing review helpfulness voting from the perspective of review characteristics and reviewer characteristics. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses 8,953 reviews from 20 movies listed on Douban.com with variables focusing on review characteristics and reviewer characteristics that affect review helpfulness. To verify the six hypotheses proposed in the study, Stata 14 was used to perform tobit regression. Findings: Findings show that review helpfulness is significantly influenced by the length, valence, timeliness and deviation rating of the reviews. The results also underlie that a review submitted by a reviewer who has more followers and experience is more affected by review characteristics. Originality/value: Previous literature has discussed the factors that affect the helpfulness of reviews; however, the authors have established a new model that explores more comprehensive review characteristics and the moderating effect reviewer characteristics have on helpfulness. In this empirical research, the authors selected a UGC community in China as the research object. The UGC community may encourage users to write more helpful reviews by highlighting the characteristics of users. Users in return can use this to establish his/her image in the community. Future research can explore more variables related to users. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-05-2020-0186. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of structural parameters of fabric on thermal insulation properties of the coated fabric. Design/methodology/approach: The authors established a numerical model for the ablation of silicone resin-coated fabric under high heat flow, and the simulation results have been validated by quartz lamp ablation experiment. The model was used to investigate the effects of structural parameters of glass fiber fabrics on the heat transfer process of the coated fabric. Findings: The numerical values were in agreement with the experimental values. The thermal insulation of the coated glass fiber fabric was better than coated carbon fabric. Thermal insulation performance of the coated glass fiber fabrics was in order plain < 2/1 twill < 3/3 twill < 5/3 stain fabric. Increasing the warp density, from 100 to 180 ends/10 cm, the temperature of the back surface of the coated glass fiber fabric was reduced from 601°C to 553°C. Thermal insulation performance dramatically increased as yarn fineness went from 129 to 280 tex, and the temperature difference was 63°C. Research limitations/implications: In the ablation process, to simplify the calculation, the combustion reaction of silicone resin was ignored, which can be added in the future research. Originality/value: This paper provides the ablation model of the silicon-coated fabric based on the 3D geometry model to explore the influence of the structural parameters of coated glass fiber fabric on its thermal protection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human Hippo signaling pathway plays an important role in the tumorigenesis of diverse cancers and has been recognized as an attractive therapeutic target of gastric cancer. The transcriptional coactivators Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are the major downstream effectors of Hippo, which interact primarily with transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) protein through their TEAD-binding domain (TBD). Competitive disruption of the TEAD–YAP/TAZ interaction using peptide inhibitors has been exploited as a potential strategy to treat gastric cancer by regulating Hippo signaling. Here, the crystal structures of TEAD complex with YAP/TAZ TBD domain are investigated systematically at structural, energetic and dynamic levels, from which two binding hotspots are identified; they separately correspond to an α-helix and a Ω-loop of TBD domain, and contribute essentially to the complex interaction. Several linear peptide segments derived from the hotspot regions are highly flexibility and exhibit moderate or modest affinity for TEAD. The Ω-loop-derived peptides are found to have a higher affinity, which are cyclized by introducing a disulfide bridge across their two termini. Affinity assay confirms that the cyclization can considerably improve peptide affinity by 3.7–6.6-fold. Computational analysis reveals that the designed cyclic peptides exhibit a decreased flexibility and intrinsic disorder; they can roughly maintain in native active conformation out of TBD protein context, with a reduced entropy cost upon binding to TEAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of alternative isothermal amplification assays including multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) may address speed and portability limitations of real-time PCR (rt-PCR) methods for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We developed a novel SARS-CoV-2 MCDA assay and compared its speed and sensitivity to loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and rt-PCR. Two MCDA assays targeting SARS-CoV-2 N gene and ORF1ab were designed. The fastest time to detection and sensitivity of MCDA was compared to LAMP and rt-PCR using DNA standards and transcribed RNA. For the N gene, MCDA was faster than LAMP and rt-PCR by 10 and 20 min, respectively with fastest time to detection at 5.2 min. rt-PCR had the highest sensitivity with the limit of detection at 10 copies/µl compared with MCDA (100 copies/µl) and LAMP (500 copies/µl). For ORF1ab, MCDA and LAMP had similar speed with fastest time to detection at 9.7 and 8.4 min, respectively. LAMP was more sensitive for ORF1ab detection with 50 copies/µl compared to MCDA (500 copies/µl). In conclusion, different nucleic acid amplification methods provide different advantages. MCDA is the fastest nucleic acid amplification method for SARS-CoV-2 while rt-PCR is the most sensitive. These advantages should be considered when determining the most suitable nucleic acid amplification methods for different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the ablative behavior of the silicone resin-coated carbon fabric (coated fabric) that will swell significantly during ablation. Design/methodology/approach: The ablation experiments of three coated fabrics were conducted by quartz lamp radiant. Based on the experimental analysis, a numerical model was proposed for the coated fabrics to study the ablative process in term of the energy balance, mass conservation and thermal decomposition equations. Findings: Results showed that the average relative errors between the simulated temperatures and experimental values of back surfaces of coated fabric 1, 2 and 3 were 10.01, 7.53 and 7.32%, respectively. The average density of silicone resin of coated fabric 1 was reduced by 47.96%, and the closer the distance from the heated surface was, the more the density decreased. The thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity of silicone resin of coated fabric 1 increased with time. Before 50 s, each decomposition rate curve showed an inflection point, at which the silicone resin decomposed most intensely. Research limitations/implications: Based on experimental observations, the ablative behavior of the material with fixed expansion layer was simulated. In the further research, the moving expansion layer could be considered. Originality/value: This paper provides the theoretical basis to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal protection materials that will swell during ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The safety and efficacy of the TuBridge flow diverter in treating middle cerebral artery aneurysms remains unknown. In this study, we report our preliminary experience treating complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms using the TuBridge flow diverter. Methods: A prospectively maintained database of intracranial aneurysms treated with the TuBridge flow diverter was retrospectively reviewed, and patients with middle cerebral artery aneurysms were included in this study. Demographics, aneurysm features, complications, and clinical and angiographic outcomes were assessed. Evaluation of the angiographic results included occlusion grade of aneurysm (O'Kelly–Marotta grading scale), patency of jailed branch(es), and in-stent stenosis. Results: Eight patients with eight middle cerebral artery aneurysms were included in this study. The mean aneurysm size was 11.8 ± 6.8 mm. There were no procedure-related complications and there was no morbidity or mortality at a mean follow-up of 11.3 ± 3.6 months. All patients had follow-up angiograms at a mean of 7.5 ± 4.0 months after surgery. Of the eight patients, there was 1 (12.5%) O'Kelly–Marotta grading scale A, 3 (37.5%) O'Kelly–Marotta grading scale B, 1 (12.5%) O'Kelly–Marotta grading scale C, and 3 (37.5%) O'Kelly–Marotta grading scale D. Of the seven patients with jailed branch, the blood flow of jailed branch was unchanged in 4 (57.1%), decreased in 2 (28.6%), and occluded in 1 (14.3%). In-stent stenosis was mild in 2 (25%) patients and moderate in 1 (12.5%) patient. Conclusion: Midterm results suggest that endovascular treatment of middle cerebral artery aneurysms using the TuBridge flow diverter is safe and associated with good outcomes. The TuBridge flow diverter may be an option for complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms that are difficult to treat with either clipping or coiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cases of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia have been increasing recently; however, whether viral coinfection or macrolide-resistant M. infection contribute to the development of refractory M. pneumoniae pneumonia remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of viral coinfection and macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae infection on M. pneumoniae pneumonia in hospitalized children and build a model to predict a severe disease course.Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs or sputum specimens were collected from patients with community-acquired pneumonia meeting our protocol who were admitted to Shanghai Children's Medical Center from December 1, 2016, to May 31, 2019. The specimens were tested with the FilmArray Respiratory Panel, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay that detects 16 viruses, Bordetella pertussis, M. pneumoniae, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors for adenovirus coinfection and macrolide-resistant mycoplasma infection.Results: Among the 107 M. pneumoniae pneumonia patients, the coinfection rate was 56.07%, and 60 (60/107, 56.07%) patients were infected by drug-resistant M. pneumoniae. Adenovirus was the most prevalent coinfecting organism, accounting for 22.43% (24/107). The classification tree confirmed that viral coinfection was more common in patients younger than 3 years old. Adenovirus coinfection and drug-resistant M. pneumoniae infection occurred more commonly in patients with refractory M. pneumoniae pneumonia (P = 0.019; P = 0.001). A prediction model including wheezing, lung consolidation and extrapulmonary complications was used to predict adenovirus coinfection. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the prediction model was 0.795 (95% CI 0.679-0.893, P < 0.001). A prolonged fever duration after the application of macrolides for 48 h was found more commonly in patients infected by drug-resistant M. pneumoniae (P = 0.002). A fever duration longer than 7 days was an independent risk factor for drug-resistant Mycoplasma infection (OR = 3.500, 95% CI = 1.310-9.353, P = 0.012).Conclusions: The occurrence of refractory M. pneumoniae pneumonia is associated with adenovirus coinfection and infection by drug-resistant M. pneumoniae. A prediction model combining wheezing, extrapulmonary complications and lung consolidation can be used to predict adenovirus coinfection in children with M. pneumoniae pneumonia. A prolonged fever duration indicates drug-resistant M. pneumoniae infection, and a reasonable change in antibiotics is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, mathematical models for a synthesized evaluation were established according to grey relational analysis and analytic hierarchy process. The models were used to select a power dispatch scheme considering hierarchies of material consumption, electrical efficiency, exergy efficiency, and environmental benefit. Four unit dispatch schemes, i.e., proportional fair allocation dispatch, conventional economic dispatch, economic emission dispatch, and economic emission dispatch with varied weights were investigated and compared. Analytic hierarchy process decision-making approach has been employed to find the optimal Pareto solution as the best tradeoff between cost and pollutant emission. The model indicated that the economic emission dispatch was preferred as the best option and could further reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emission, followed by the economic emission dispatch with varied weights. The assessment performed serves decision makers a valuable reference for policy making in the power dispatch sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), a state of sleep disorder, is characterized by repetitive apnea, chronic hypoxia, oxygen desaturation, and hypercapnia. Previous studies have revealed that intermittent hypoxia (IH) conditions in OSAS patients elicited neuron injury (especially in the hippocampus and cortex), leading to cognitive dysfunction, a significant and extraordinary complication of OSAS patients. The repeated courses of airway collapse and obstruction in OSAS patients resulted in apnea and arousal during sleep, leading to IH and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and subsequently contributing to the development of inflammation. IH-mediated inflammation could further trigger various types of cognitive dysfunction. Many researchers have found that, besides continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment and surgery, anti-inflammatory substances might alleviate IH-induced neurocognitive dysfunction. Clarifying the role of inflammation in IH-mediated cognitive impairment is crucial for potentially valuable therapies and future research in the related domain. The objective of this article was to critically review the relationship between inflammation and cognitive deficits in OSAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: ACO is a syndrome with high prevalence. However, a pragmatic diagnostic criterion to differentiate ACO is non‐existent. We aimed to establish an effective model for screening ACO. Methods: A multicentre survey was developed to assess the clinical criteria considered important and applicable by pulmonologists for screening ACO. These experts were asked to take the surveys twice. The expert grading method, analytic hierarchy process and ROC curve were used to establish the model, which was then validated by a cross‐sectional study of 1066 patients. The GINA/GOLD document was the gold standard in assessing this model. Results: Increased variability of symptoms, paroxysmal wheezing, dyspnoea, historical diagnosis of COPD or asthma, allergic constitution, exposure to risk factors, the FEV1/FVC < 70% and a positive BDT were important for screening ACO. According to the weight of each criterion, we confirmed that patients meeting six or more of these eight criteria should be considered to have ACO. We called this Chinese screening model for ACO 'CSMA'. It differentiated patients with ACO with a sensitivity of 83.33%, while the sensitivity of clinician‐driven diagnosis had a sensitivity of only 42.73%. Conclusion: CSMA is a workable model for screening ACO and provides a simple tool for clinicians to efficiently diagnose ACO. We established a screening model for ACO. It is as effective as the GINA/GOLD document to distinguish between ACO, asthma and COPD patients but much simpler to perform. See related Editorial [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to predict the thermal insulation performance of coated carbon fiber fabric, a numerical heat transfer model under high temperature was established. The simulation results were validated by quartz lamp ablation experiment. The experimental values were in agreement with the numerical values, and the average relative error between them was 9.47%. Furthermore, the impact of structural parameters on the thermal insulation of coated carbon fiber fabrics, by using the numerical heat transfer model, was investigated. The results show that thermal insulation for the samples is in the order of plain < 2/1 twill < 3/3 twill < 5/3 stain, when using constant structure density and yarn fineness. Thermal insulation performance of the samples dramatically increases as yarn fineness goes from 3 to 12 K. Furthermore, when the structure density increases to more than 70 ends/10 cm, the thermal insulation property shows an increasing trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major constraints limiting plant growth, especially in acid soils. Stylosanthes (stylo) is a pioneer tropical legume with excellent adaptability to low P stress, but its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Results: In this study, the physiological, molecular and metabolic changes in stylo responding to phosphate (Pi) starvation were investigated. Under low P condition, the growth of stylo root was enhanced, which was attributed to the up-regulation of expansin genes participating in root growth. Metabolic profiling analysis showed that a total of 256 metabolites with differential accumulations were identified in stylo roots response to P deficiency, which mainly included flavonoids, sugars, nucleotides, amino acids, phenylpropanoids and phenylamides. P deficiency led to significant reduction in the accumulation of phosphorylated metabolites (e.g., P-containing sugars, nucleotides and cholines), suggesting that internal P utilization was enhanced in stylo roots subjected to low P stress. However, flavonoid metabolites, such as kaempferol, daidzein and their glycoside derivatives, were increased in P-deficient stylo roots. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR analysis showed that a set of genes involved in flavonoids synthesis were found to be up-regulated by Pi starvation in stylo roots. In addition, the abundances of phenolic acids and phenylamides were significantly increased in stylo roots during P deficiency. The increased accumulation of the metabolites in stylo roots, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and phenylamides, might facilitate P solubilization and cooperate with beneficial microorganisms in rhizosphere, and thus contributing to P acquisition and utilization in stylo. Conclusions: These results suggest that stylo plants cope with P deficiency by modulating root morphology, scavenging internal Pi from phosphorylated metabolites and increasing accumulation of flavonoids, phenolic acids and phenylamides. This study provides valuable insights into the complex responses and adaptive mechanisms of stylo roots to P deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Listeria monocytogenes consists of four lineages that occupy a wide variety of ecological niches. Sequence type (ST) 87 (serotype 1/2b), belonging to lineage I, is one of the most common STs isolated from food products, food associated environments and sporadic listeriosis in China. Here, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of the L. monocytogenes ST87 clone by sequencing 71 strains representing a diverse range of sources, different geographical locations and isolation years. Results: The core genome and pan genome of ST87 contained 2667 genes and 3687 genes respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on core genome SNPs divided the 71 strains into 10 clades. The clinical strains were distributed among multiple clades. Four clades contained strains from multiple geographic regions and showed high genetic diversity. The major gene content variation of ST87 genomes was due to putative prophages, with eleven hotspots of the genome that harbor prophages. All strains carry an intact CRISRP/Cas system. Two major CRISPR spacer profiles were found which were not clustered phylogenetically. A large plasmid of about 90 Kb, which carried heavy metal resistance genes, was found in 32.4% (23/71) of the strains. All ST87 strains harbored the Listeria pathogenicity island (LIPI)-4 and a unique 10-open read frame (ORF) genomic island containing a novel restriction-modification system. Conclusion: Whole genome sequence analysis of L. monocytogenes ST87 enabled a clearer understanding of the population structure and the evolutionary history of ST87 L. monocytogenes in China. The novel genetic elements identified may contribute to its virulence and adaptation to different environmental niches. Our findings will be useful for the development of effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of listeriosis caused by this prevalent clone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-level sensation seeking (HSS) has been linked to a range of risky and unhealthy behavior; however, the neural mechanisms underlying such linkage remain unclear. In the present study, we used event-related potential (ERP) with a Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) to investigate how sensation seeking modulates brain responses to sequential decision-making with variable reward/loss outcome magnitudes. Behavior data showed that decision-making behavior was significantly affected by the large compared with the small magnitude of monetary outcome in the BART for individuals with low-level sensation seeking (LSS), but not for individuals with HSS. Similarly, HSS individuals displayed no changes in feedback-related negativity (FRN) in response to negative outcomes from decision-making with large or small reward/loss magnitudes, whereas LSS individuals showed greater FRN in response to decision-making with large loss magnitude than those with small loss magnitude. In addition, FRN amplitude differences correlated with decision-making behavior changes from small to large outcome magnitude for LSS, while such correlation was not observed for HSS. These findings suggest that a high-level of sensation seeking is associated with behavioral and neural insensitivity to increased negative outcome during decision-making under uncertainty, which may lead to greater risky behavior in these individuals when facing potential loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mild hyperbilirubinemia is inversely associated with cardiometabolic diseases in adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between neonatal serum bilirubin levels and childhood hypertension. Data were obtained from the U.S. Collaborative Perinatal Project conducted at 12 U.S. medical centers from 1959 to 1965. This multicenter study recruited participants before phototherapy was routinely used, thereby excluding the influence of phototherapy. In 37,544 newborns (31,819 term and 5,725 preterm births), a generalized linear model and a logistic regression model were used to calculate the linear coefficients and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of blood pressure and hypertension at 7 years of age based on neonatal serum bilirubin levels. No significant correlation was observed between serum bilirubin at 48 hours after birth and blood pressure at the age of 7 years in the whole study population and in the subgroup of term infants. In preterm infants, a lower total serum bilirubin and unconjugated bilirubin of 3 mg/dl were associated with a higher systolic blood pressure of 62 mmHg (0.38–0.86, p <0.001) and 0.70 mmHg (0.10–1.30, p <0.05) respectively. Relative to a total serum bilirubin level <3 mg/dl among preterm infants, total serum bilirubin levels of 3–6 mg/dl (adjusted OR 1.36; 95% CI: 0.98–1.89), 6–9 mg/dl (adjusted OR 1.35; 95% CI: 0.98–1.85), 9–12 mg/dl (adjusted OR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.10–2.19), and ≥12 mg/dl (adjusted OR 1.42; 95% CI: 1.01–2.00) were associated with higher risks of hypertension. After stratifying for the subtypes of bilirubin, the associations only existed for unconjugated bilirubin. In addition, consistent findings existed when using maximum neonatal serum bilirubin as an exposure factor. Neonatal serum bilirubin levels are positively associated with childhood blood pressure/hypertension in preterm infants. Our findings may shed some light on the role of bilirubin in the prevention of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manganese (Mn), an essential element for plants, can be toxic when present in excess. Stylo (Stylosanthes) is a pioneer tropical legume with great potential for Mn tolerance, but its Mn tolerance mechanisms remain poorly understood. Results: In this study, variations in Mn tolerance were observed among nine stylo genotypes. Stylo genotype 'RY5' exhibited the highest Mn tolerance compared to the other tested genotypes, whereas 'TF2001' was a Mn-sensitive genotype. The mechanisms underlying the response of stylo to Mn toxicity were further investigated using these two genotypes with contrasting Mn tolerance. Results showed that stylo genotype RY5 exhibited Mn tolerance superior to that of genotype TF2001, showing lower reductions in leaf chlorophyll concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, photosynthetic indexes and plant dry weight under Mn toxicity. A label-free quantitative proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate the protein profiles in the leaves and roots of RY5 in response to Mn toxicity. A total of 356 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 206 proteins from leaves and 150 proteins from roots, which consisted of 71 upregulated, 62 downregulated, 127 strongly induced and 96 completely suppressed proteins. These DEPs were mainly involved in defense response, photosynthesis, carbon fixation, metabolism, cell wall modulation and signaling. The qRT-PCR analysis verified that 10 out of 12 corresponding gene transcription patterns correlated with their encoding proteins after Mn exposure. Finally, a schematic was constructed to reveal insights into the molecular processes in the leaves and roots of stylo in response to Mn toxicity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that stylo plants may cope with Mn toxicity by enhancing their defense response and phenylpropanoid pathways, adjusting photosynthesis and metabolic processes, and modulating protein synthesis and turnover. This study provides a platform for the future study of Mn tolerance mechanisms in stylo and may lead to a better understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying tropical legume adaptation to Mn toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A kind of shape-stable phase change materials (SSPCMs) was prepared by using graphene aerogel (GA) with different pore size adsorbing molten paraffin wax via vacuum impregnation. The characteristics of SSPCMs were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and TCi thermal conductivity analyzer. The SSPCMs possessed a high comprehensive performance: a high thermal conductivity of 1.432 W/m·K (more than 400% increase over pure paraffin), a good capacity of thermal energy storage (more than 200 J/g), a ability to light-to-heat energy storage and coating effect (encapsulation ratio is about 55%) due to the three-dimensional GA foam structure with functions of thermal conductivity and adsorptive property. In addition, an energy conversion from light to heat was realized with the SSPCMs. For different morphologies of GA, as pore size of GA decreases, SSPCMs' thermal conductivity and solar energy usage efficiency increases and their leakage rate reduces. This means that pore size of GA can influence the properties of SSPCMs to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]