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The centerpiece of many research projects is evaluating the structural performance of the concrete-filled steel tubes (CFSTs). When these structural elements are employed as flexural members, some parts of the concrete infill are subjected to tension, and consequently the concrete is cracked so that the confinement effect is reduced. Therefore, the application of tendons and modification of the CFST configuration are deployed to improve the serviceability of the CFST beams. A non-linear finite element (FE) model considering the effects of the material and geometrical non-linearity and initial imperfection is developed. Concurrently, an analytical model based on the plastic stress distribution method (PSDM) is proposed to compare the results. In addition, a probabilistic assessment along with the uncertainty quantification is conducted to calculate the reliability indices and the sensitivity of the beams to the variation of the input variables. The results of the study demonstrate that the implemented measures considerably enhance the moment capacity and serviceability performance of the CFST beams. Moreover, the sensitivity analyses show the significance of the variables on the model output with different steel yield stress values and the importance is ordered as the steel tube width followed by the steel tube thickness and the concrete strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to develop low‐cost techniques for culturing seahorses in extensive shrimp ponds to foster a legal and more sustainable production chain to meet market demand for traditional Chinese medicine. In the present article, the results of two‐year experiments of seahorse culture in cages and extensive shrimp ponds are reported. We found that juveniles of the lined seahorse survived in cages and ponds very well, and the juvenile survival generally was >70% during the experimental periods. The survival and growth of the juveniles were similar to or even better than that reported in indoor tank culture. Additionally, the lined seahorse survived well (>60%) at temperatures up to 34.6°C which is the highest recorded temperature for the species in the field. For large ponds of >5 ha, cage culture may be a better way. For small ponds of <0.3 ha, culturing the seahorse in a pond is recommended. A 1000 m2 pond could support around 7000 of the juveniles of the lined seahorse. In conclusion, culturing the lined seahorse in an extensive shrimp pond is technically feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two‐factorial experiment (temperature with three levels: 23°C, 25.5°C and 28°C; diet with four kinds: live Artemia sp., copepods, live Artemia sp. + copepods and frozen Neomysis awatschensis [FNA]) was carried out to evaluate the effects of different temperatures and diets on biochemistry in the juvenile lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) for thirty days. The juveniles (n = 1260, body height: 5.1 ± 0.48 cm, initial wet weight: 0.42 ± 0.14 g) were distributed in 36 experimental aquaria (35 individuals each). Each treatment had 3 replicates. On day 30, the seahorses were vacuum freeze‐dried at −56°C before chemical analysis. Amino acids, fatty acids, Se, Zn, nucleosides, and nucleotides were measured in the present study. The results show that temperature, diet, and their interaction significantly affected all components. The content of amino acids and fatty acids in the juveniles fed FNA at 23°C was the highest. The content of Zn in the juveniles fed FNA at 23°C, and the content of Se fed Artemia sp. + copepod at 25.5°C were the highest, respectively. The content of uracil, adenine, and thymidine in the juveniles at 23°C was significantly lower than those treatments at 25.5°C and 28°C. The levels of uracil, guanine, cytosine, uridine, and guanosine at 28°C were significantly higher than those at 23°C or 25.5°C when fed Artemia sp. + copepod. The juveniles fed Artemia sp. + copepod and Artemia sp. at 28°C has the highest comprehensive scores of nucleoside and nucleotide. In conclusion, FNA is the best feed to improve the content of amino acids, fatty acids, and Zn at 23°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the global prevalence of COVID‐19 and the constant emergence of viral variants, boosters for COVID‐19 vaccines to enhance antibody titers in human bodies will become an inevitable trend. However, there is a lack of data on antibody levels and the protective effects of booster injections. This study monitored and analyzed the antibody potency and the antibody responses induced by the booster injection in the subjects who received three vaccine doses. The study was conducted in a multicenter collaboration and recruited 360 healthy adults aged 20–74. Participants received the first, second, and booster doses of inactivated Sinopharm/BBIBP COVID‐19 vaccine at 0, 1, and 7 months. Vaccine‐induced virus‐specific antibody levels (SARS‐COV‐2‐IgA/IgM/IgG) were monitored at multiple time points, surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT), and the spatial distribution and proportion of immune cells and markers were analyzed using the CyTOF method before vaccination and a month after the second dose. The titers of SARS‐CoV‐2‐IgA/IgM/IgG and neutralizing antibodies increased to a high level in the first month after receiving the second dose of vaccine and declined slowly after that. The antibody levels of SARS‐CoV‐2‐IgG and sVNT were significantly increased at 0.5 months after the induction of the booster (p < 0.05). Despite a downward trend, the antibody levels were still high in the following 6 months. The B cell concentration (in humoral sample) a month after the second injection was significantly reduced compared to that before the vaccine injection (p < 0.05). The proportion of the C01 cell cluster was significantly decreased compared with that before vaccine injection (p < 0.05). Individual cell surface markers showed distinctions in spatial distribution but were not significantly different. This study has shown that serum antibody titer levels will decrease with time by monitoring and analyzing the antibody efficacy and the antibody reaction caused by the booster injection of healthy people who received the whole vaccination (completed three injections). Still, the significant peak of the antibody titer levels after booster highlights the recall immune response. It can maintain a high concentration of antibody levels for a long time, which signifies that the protection ability has been enhanced following the injection of booster immunization. Additionally, CyTOF data shows the active production of antibodies and the change in the immunity environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The inactivated Sinopharm/BBIBP COVID‐19 vaccine has been widely used in the world and has joined the COVAX vaccine supply program for developing countries. It is also well adapted for usage in low‐ and middle‐income nations due to their low storage requirements. Objective: This study aims to report on the kinetics, durability, and neutralizing ability of the induced immunity of the BBIBP vaccine, and the intensified antibody response elicited by the booster. Methods: A total of 353 healthy adult participants, aged 20–74 years, were recruited in this multicenter study. A standard dose of the BBIBP vaccine was administered (Month 0), followed by a second standard dose (Month 1), and a booster dose (after Month 7). Vaccine‐induced virus‐specific antibody levels (SARS‐CoV‐2‐IgA/IgM/IgG), conventional virus neutralization test (cVNT), pseudovirus neutralization test (pVNT), and surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) were monitored over multiple time points. Results: Neutralizing titers induced by the two doses of inactivated vaccine for COVID‐19 peaked at Month 2 and declined to 33.89% at Month 6. Following the booster dose, elevated levels of antibodies were induced for IgA, IgG, and neutralizing antibodies, with neutralizing titer reaching 13.2 times that of before the booster. Conclusion: By monitoring the antibody titer levels postvaccination, this study has shown that serum antibody levels will decrease over time, but a notable spike in antibody levels postbooster highlights the anamnestic immune response. This signifies that the protection capability has increased following the injection of booster immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The road network serves as one of the most fundamental infrastructure systems for the society but is at risk from different types of disruptions. Due to the variety and unpredictability of disruptions, the road network has stochastic behavior, which refers to the state change of the network. In this paper, we propose an approach based on percolation theory to study the stochastic behavior of road networks impacted by disruptions. Two performance metrics, network connectivity and network efficiency, are defined to quantify the behavior of road networks. Instead of relying on detailed network structure, the proposed percolation theory-based approach uses only basic topology information, such as the distribution of node degrees and link capacities, which makes it suitable for large-scale networks. It is found that the efficiency of a disruption-impacted road network is the product of global connectivity, local connectivity, and connectivity strength. Validation by a real-world case shows that this new approach provides detailed and accurate evaluation of the behavior of disruption-impacted road networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levels of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) after vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be detected using a variety of methods. A critical challenge is how to apply simple and accurate methods to assess vaccine effect. In a population inoculated with three doses of the inactivated Sinopharm/BBIBP vaccine, we assessed the performance of chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) in its implementation to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) specific antibodies, as well as the antibody kinetics of healthcare workers throughout the course of vaccination. The antibody levels of NAb, the receptor-binding-domain (RBD) antibodies and IgG peaked one month after the second and remained at a relatively high level for over three months after the booster injection, while IgM and IgA levels remained consistently low throughout the course of vaccination. The production of high-level neutralizing antibodies is more likely when the inoculation interval between the first two doses is within the range of one to two months, and that between the first and booster dose is within 230 days. CLIA showed excellent consistency and correlation between NAb, RBD, and IgG antibodies with the cytopathic effect (CPE) conventional virus neutralization test (VNT). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off levels of NAb, RBD and IgG were 61.77 AU/ml, 37.86 AU/ml and 4.64 AU/ml, with sensitivity of 0.833, 0.796 and 0.944, and specificity of 0.768, 0.750 and 0.625, respectively, which can be utilized as reliable indicators of COVID-19 vaccination immunity detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: male-only care; mating attractiveness; partner preference; pregnancy experience; seahorse; sexual selection EN male-only care mating attractiveness partner preference pregnancy experience seahorse sexual selection 106 108 3 03/29/23 20230201 NES 230201 Male-only parental care, where the male is the sole carer of his offspring, is a rare strategy in most animals. Male-only care, mating attractiveness, pregnancy experience, partner preference, seahorse, sexual selection Experiment 1 tested female preference for 2 unfamiliar males, of which one was a virgin male with no pregnancy experience, and the other one was a mated male with pregnancy experience. [Extracted from the article]

Aims: Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is one of the most common craniofacial anomalies, causing significant functional and psychological burden to the patients. This study aimed to identify the genetic cause of VWS in a Chinese family. Methods: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed to screen for pathogenic mutations. Various Bioinformatics tools were used to assess the pathogenicity of the variants. Cosegregation analysis of the candidate variant was carried out. Interpretation of variants was performed according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. Results: A novel frameshift duplication c.373_374dupAA (p.Asn125Lys fs*43) was identified in exon 4 of the interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene in all 3 affected members, which were not found in unaffected family members. The novel mutation leads to a frameshift and a premature stop codon which caused putative truncated protein. Protein alignment indicated high evolutionary conservation of the p.N125 residue, and this mutation was predicted by online tools to be damaging and deleterious. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the novel mutation c.373_374dupAA (p.Asn125Lysfs*43) in the IRF6 gene corresponds to the VWS in this family. The discovery of this pathogenic variant enriches the genotypic spectrum of IRF6 gene and contributes to genetic diagnosis and counseling of families with VWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The midgut microbial community composition, structure, and function of field-collected mosquitoes may provide a way to exploit microbial function for mosquito-borne disease control. However, it is unclear how adult mosquitoes acquire their microbiome, how the microbiome affects life history traits and how the microbiome influences community structure. We analyzed the composition of 501 midgut bacterial communities from field-collected adult female mosquitoes, including Aedes albopictus , Aedes galloisi , Culex pallidothorax , Culex pipiens, Culex gelidus , and Armigeres subalbatus , across eight habitats using the HiSeq 4000 system and the V3−V4 hyper-variable region of 16S rRNA gene. After quality filtering and rarefaction, a total of 1421 operational taxonomic units, belonging to 29 phyla, 44 families, and 43 genera were identified. Proteobacteria (75.67%) were the most common phylum, followed by Firmicutes (10.38%), Bacteroidetes (6.87%), Thermi (4.60%), and Actinobacteria (1.58%). The genera Rickettsiaceae (33.00%), Enterobacteriaceae (20.27%), Enterococcaceae (7.49%), Aeromonadaceae (7.00%), Thermaceae (4.52%), and Moraxellaceae (4.31%) were dominant in the samples analyzed and accounted for 76.59% of the total genera. We characterized the midgut bacterial communities of six mosquito species in Hainan province, China. The gut bacterial communities were different in composition and abundance, among locations, for all mosquito species. There were significant differences in the gut microbial composition between some species and substantial variation in the gut microbiota between individuals of the same mosquito species. There was a marked variation in different mosquito gut microbiota within the same location. These results might be useful in the identification of microbial communities that could be exploited for disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]