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In this study, the potato whole flour was added to wheat flour with wheat gluten was auxiliary added to make potato noodle. Three groups of the potato powder noodles with different total flour content were studied from three levels: texture characteristics, microstructure and physicochemical properties of noodles. It was found that the potato powder had a certain effect on the mechanical properties of dough, the formation and structure of gluten network, and the cooking parameters and appearance of noodles. The results showed that the overall index was the best when the total amount of the potato powder was 20% (g/g)and the amount of gluten was 0.03% (g/g). It was also found that the effect of the potato powder on dough was bidirectional. The effect of the potato starch on the dough was negative, but the polysaccharides and protein in the potato powder may have a positive effect on the dough and gluten network. At the same time,the addition of wheat gluten can improve the stability of dough and the quality of noodles.

Background: Stricture in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) carries a high risk of CD-related surgery in the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of occurrence of CD-related surgery and to determine baseline risk factors predicting subsequent surgery in this patient group. Methods: Patients registered with stricturing CD were included. All baseline and follow-up data were collected retrospectively. Patients attended the clinic for follow-up at week 14 to assess their response to infliximab (IFX). CD-related surgery was the observational endpoint. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used. Results: A total of 123 patients with stricturing CD were included in this study. The cumulative risk of CD-related surgery for years 1–5 after diagnosis was 18.0%, 26.7%, 32.6%, 40.7%, and 46.4%, respectively. Prior gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, low body mass index (BMI), and high platelet count might be risk factors for future CD-related surgery. With 97 participants treated by IFX, prior GI surgery and primary non-response (PNR) to IFX correlated with future CD-related surgery. Conclusion: Prior GI surgery, BMI, and platelet counts were related to future CD-related surgery. Patients who were PNR to IFX had a higher risk of CD-related surgery in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral overturns are the most frequent fatal accidents involving tractors. A tractor being able to travel safely on uneven or sloped terrain is still an open field of investigation. The design concept of a four-wheel-drive tractor that can traverse hilly and mountainous areas is described. The tractor's locomotion system can actively adjust its roll angle by using the attitude adjustment mechanisms equipped on the rear wheels. With double quadrangle mechanisms, the front axle can cooperate with the rear axle to adjust this tractor's attitude. This tractor can also level its body, steer, and transmit power. The principles and configurations of the two axles are presented. A mathematics/mechanical model of a tractor on lateral slopes was developed. This model considers the relationships of the ground supporting forces when the tractor adjusts its roll angle. Combining the model of specific attitude adjustment mechanisms and the above mechanics model, the lateral stability analysis associated with the active input of the attitude adjustment mechanism is conducted. The reliability of the proposed model is discussed based on a comparison of slope traversing experiments and numerical simulations. This designed tractor has potential application in the fields of hilly and mountainous terrains. The results show that posture/configuration adjustment is a positive way to enhance tractor lateral overturn stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new termite-pathogenic species, Ophiocordyceps globiperitheciata and O. longistipes, are described from Yunnan Province, China. Six-locus (ITS , nrSSU , nrLSU , tef-1α, rpb1 and rpb2) phylogenetic analyses in combination with morphological observations were employed to characterize these two species. Phylogenetically, O. globiperitheciata is most closely related to Hirsutella cryptosclerotium and O. communis, whereas O. longistipes shares a sister relationship with O. fusiformis. However, O. globiperitheciata differs from H. cryptosclerotium by parasitizing Blattodea and producing clavate, unbifurcated stromata. Ophiocordyceps globiperitheciata is distinguished from O. communis by multiple stromata, shorter asci and ascospores. Ophiocordyceps longistipes differs from O. fusiformis in producing larger stromata, perithecia, asci and ascospores, as well as smaller citriform or oval conidia. Morphological descriptions of the two new species and a dichotomous key to the 19 termite-pathogenic Ophiocordyceps species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have indicated that the invasive apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) exhibits tolerance to the salinity levels present in coastal agricultural soils, suggesting that apple snails could potentially invade salt-affected coastal agricultural areas. However, the effects of the alien snail Pomacea canaliculata invasion on coastal saline soils, such as in terms of soil properties, microbial diversity, and abundance, remain poorly understood. To fill this gap, we conducted experiments involving three salinity levels (0, 2‰, and 5‰, w/w), coupled with varying snail densities (0, 5, and 10 snails per box), applied to agricultural soil. We analyzed soil chemical properties, enzyme activities, and bacterial communities. The findings revealed that heightened soil salinity increased soil electrical conductivity (EC) (exceeding 1312.67 μS cm−1). Under saline conditions, snail treatments significantly increased the soil organic matter (SOM) content from 15.82 mg kg−1 to 18.69 mg kg−1, and concurrently diminished the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from 47.45 mg kg−1 to 34.60 mg kg−1. Both snail and salinity treatments resulted in ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) accumulation, while nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) concentrations remained low in salt-affected soils. A notable positive correlation existed between the EC and the activities of hydroxylamine reductase (HR) and peroxidase (POD), where HR exhibited a positive correlation with NH4+-N, and POD displayed a negative correlation with NO3−-N. Salinity substantially decreased the diversity and altered the composition of soil bacterial community, with the phyla Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes adapting to salt-affected soil environment and proliferating. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that snails exerted a direct influence on soil-available nitrogen (including NO3−-N and NH4+-N), while salinity impacted available nitrogen by modulating soil enzyme activities and bacterial communities. Our findings provide insights into how soil responds to the concurrent impacts of snail invasion and soil salinization, establishing some references for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is rich in coal resources, but complex hydrogeological conditions lead to difficulties in coal mining, including coal mine collapses, roof and water damage, and other accidents that occur frequently, resulting in many casualties and property losses. The use of coal mine hole detection technology to detect and analyze the internal environment of the coal mines in advance helps to reduce safety hazards and prevent coal mine accidents; however, the operation of existing coal mine hole detection technology is cumbersome, difficult to control, and encounters problems due to an insufficient depth of jacking. This paper designs a new type of small robot for mine hole detection. Firstly, we analyzed the function and structural design of the mine hole detection robot, designed a variable diameter function according to the characteristics of narrow and uneven mine holes in coal mines, and analyzed the mechanics of the critical parts using theoretical calculations. Secondly, using three-dimensional modeling software (Solidworks 2019), we established a structural model of the small robot for mine hole detection. After that, we designed a hardware circuit and control program for the robot and emphasized the safety design of the circuit, considering the presence of water and gas inside the coal mine. Finally, to verify the feasibility of the design program, the basic parameters and function tests of the mine hole-detection small robot were carried out. The experimental results show that the developed mine hole-detection small robot can adapt to working hole diameters from 65 mm to 100 mm and has a maximum working power of only 12 W and a maximum crawling speed of 3.96 m/min. The maximum crawling slope reaches 90°, which can meet existing mine hole inspection needs. This research provides theoretical and design guidance for developing mine hole-detection robots with substantial engineering practical reference values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracheobronchial Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) infections among non-HIV-infected patients are rare. To improve understanding, we analysed the clinical features, immune mechanisms, treatment, and prognosis. Data on hospitalized patients with tracheobronchial T. marneffei infections from September 2013 to May 2022 were collected. The clinical and imaging features were analysed. Nineteen patients were enrolled, with a median age of 52 years (45–62 years). The most common symptoms were cough, expectoration, fever, weight loss, and anaemia. The total white blood cell and neutrophil counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and globulin were increased, and the serum albumin levels were decreased. Chest CT manifestations included patchy shadows, masses, obstructive atelectasis, cavities, pleural effusion, and hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The fibreoptic bronchoscopy findings included masses, polyps or nodules with mucosal oedema, hypertrophic bulges, lumen stenosis or obstruction, and purulent secretions. T. marneffei infection was confirmed in 10 patients by positive culture, in five by both culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), in two by mNGS, in one by culture and pathology and in 1 by histopathology. BALF (15/19, 78.9%) had the highest culture positive rate, followed by sputum (3/19), bronchial mucosa (1/1), lung biopsy (1/2); 36.8% of the patients were coinfected with other pathogens. For induction therapy, 7, 6, 2, and 4 patients received voriconazole, amphotericin B, voriconazole combined with amphotericin B, and fluconazole therapy, respectively, and 26.3% received treatment combined with nebulization and/or administration of amphotericin B under fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Four patients were treated for underlying diseases or coinfection, 31.6% were cured, 42.1% improved, and 26.3% died. T. marneffei infection is common in the tracheobronchial airway tissue or secretions, and bronchoscopy has important diagnostic and treatment value. Antifungal therapy, including systemic therapy, involves triazoles and amphotericin administration, and aerosol inhalation and administration of amphotericin B under bronchoscopy are important. T. marneffei infection involving the tracheobronchial region in airway tissue or secretions is high, and bronchoscopy has important value in diagnosing and treating these patients The use of triazoles and amphotericin and the aerosol inhalation and instillation of amphotericin B under bronchoscopy are essential to antifungal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ligand-based drug design methods are thought to require large experimental datasets to become useful for virtual screening. In this work, we propose a computational strategy to design novel inhibitors of coronavirus main protease, Mpro. The pipeline integrates publicly available screening and binding affinity data in a two-stage machine-learning model using the recent MACAW embeddings. Once trained, the model can be deployed to rapidly screen large libraries of molecules in silico. Several hundred thousand compounds were virtually screened and 10 of them were selected for experimental testing. From these 10 compounds, 8 showed a clear inhibitory effect on recombinant Mpro, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values (IC50) in the range 0.18–18.82 μM. Cellular assays were also conducted to evaluate cytotoxic, haemolytic, and antiviral properties. A promising lead compound against coronavirus Mpro was identified with dose-dependent inhibition of virus infectivity and minimal toxicity on human MRC-5 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isopropanol is one of the most important chemical raw materials and organic solvents, but a large amount of isopropanol will do harm to human health. Therefore, it is essential to monitor isopropanol. In this work, high-performance isopropanol gas sensors were fabricated with SnO2 molecularly imprinted polymers (SnO2 MIPs). All the samples were characterized for performance evaluation. The results show that with molecular imprinting (MI) modification, gas sensors based on SnO2 MIPs have better gas sensing performance for isopropanol compared with pure SnO2. Especially, when the molar ratio of methacrylic acid (MAA) to isopropanol was 6:10, excellent gas sensing performance was achieved. At the optimum working temperature of 300 °C, the response of this sensor to isopropanol of 500 ppm was 33.87, and the response and recovery times were 10 s and 3 s, respectively. In addition, it is proven that MI modification could significantly improve the selectivity of gas sensors to the target gas due to the specific recognition sites. Therefore, SnO2 MIPs with the molar ratio of MAA to isopropanol of 6:10 would be a promising isopropanol sensing material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant panda (GP) was the most endangered species in China, and gut microbiota plays a vital role in host health. To determine the differences of the gut microbiota among the male, female and pregnant GPs, a comparative analysis of gut microbiota in GPs was carried out by 16S rRNA and ITS high-throughput sequencing. In 16S rRNA sequencing, 435 OTUs, 17 phyla and 182 genera were totally detected. Firmicutes (53.6%) was the predominant phylum followed by Proteobacteria (37.8%) and Fusobacteria (7.1%). Escherichia/Shigella (35.9%) was the most prevalent genus followed by Streptococcus (25.9%) and Clostridium (11.1%). In ITS sequencing, 920 OTUs, 6 phyla and 322 genera were also detected. Ascomycota (71.3%) was the predominant phylum followed by Basidiomycota (28.4%) and Zygomycota (0.15%). Purpureocillium (4.4%) was the most prevalent genus followed by Cladosporium (2.5%) and Pezicula (2.4%). Comparative analysis indicated that the male GPs harbor a higher abundance of phylum Firmicutes than female GPs with the contribution from genus Streptococcus. Meanwhile, the female GPs harbor a higher abundance of phylum Proteobacteria than male GPs with the contribution from genus Escherichia/ Shigella. In addition, the shift in bacteria from female to pregnant GPs indicated that phylum Firmicutes increased significantly with the contribution from Clostridium in the gut, which may provide an opportunity to study possible associations with low reproduction of the GPs.

Decision-makers (DMs) will face severe challenges when selecting an optimal alternative for an emergency response over multiple time periods. The aim of this paper is to develop a novel dynamic emergency decision-making method with probabilistic hesitant fuzzy information for handling emergencies. First, an approach based on the GM(1,1) model for predicting the decision-making information at the next stage is proposed. Second, a new probabilistic hesitant fuzzy distance measure based on the hesitant degree of the probabilistic hesitant fuzzy element is put forward, and a mathematical programming model to determine the stage weights is established. What is more, the closeness degree between each alternative and the ideal alternative is calculated, and the emergency alternatives are ranked on the strength of the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution method. Moreover, a practical example is used to verify the feasibility and rationality of the proposed method.