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ABSTRACTBackground There is a lack of synthesis of literature to determine hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) strategies for hepatitis B virus (HBV) supported by quality evidence. We aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of HepB strategies among people with different characteristics.Research design and methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for meta-analyses comparing the efficacy and safety of HepB up to July 2023.Results Twenty-one meta-analyses comparing 83 associations were included, with 16 high quality, 4 moderate, and 1 low quality assessed by AMSTAR 2. Highly suggestive evidence supports HepB booster and HepB with 1018 adjuvant (HBsAg-1018) for improved seroprotection, and targeted and universal HepB vaccination reduced HBV infection Suggestive evidence indicated that targeted vaccination decreased the rate of hepatitis B surface antibody positivity and booster doses increased seroprotection in people aged 10–20. Weak evidence suggests potential local/systemic reaction risk with nucleotide analogs or HBsAg-1018. Convincing evidence shows HLA-DPB1*04:01 and DPB1*04:02 increased, while DPB1*05:01 decreased, hepatitis B antibody response. Obesity may reduce HepB seroprotection, as highly suggested.Conclusion Targeted vaccination could effectively reduce HBV infection, and adjuvant and booster vaccinations enhance seroprotection without significant reaction. Factors such as obesity and genetic polymorphisms may affect the efficacy.

This umbrella review was conducted aiming to assess the association between genetic variations and the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) by collecting and evaluating available systematic reviews and meta-analysis results. We evaluated the methodological quality using the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2.0, estimated the summary effect size by using the random effects model and calculated the 95% prediction intervals (PIs). Evidence from the included meta-analyses was graded according to established criteria as follows: convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or not significant. This umbrella review included 32 meta-analyses of 52 candidate SNPs. The 12 selected meta-analyses were rated as “high,” 2 studies were rated as “moderate,” 11 studies were graded as “low,” and the remaining 7 studies were graded as “critically low” in terms of methodological quality. Carriers of specific genotypes and alleles of the transcription Factor 7-like 2 C/T (TCF7L2 C/T) polymorphism (rs7903146, p < 0.001) might be more susceptible to the occurrence of DR in the homozygous and recessive models, and these associations were supported by “convincing” evidence. Significant associations were also found between interleukin-6 (IL-6) -174 G/C (rs1800795; p < 0.05) or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms (rs2010963, rs699947, rs1570360, rs2010963, rs699947, rs2146323; all p values

A better understanding of the distribution of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) plumes is of great importance to groundwater pollution remediation and control. However, the efficiency of surrogate models in simulating the transport is still not well addressed. Selecting a leakage problem as an example, 50 sets of random permeability distributions are generated using the Monte Carlo method, and a numerical model is used to obtain benchmark data of NAPL transport. Four machine learning methods are employed to simulate dense NAPL transport under point leakage sources across spatiotemporal scales. The validation of the models demonstrate that the random forest model can also effectively capture the spatial-temporal distribution of the plume in heterogeneous aquifers, with a maximum mean absolute error and root mean square error smaller than 5.55 × 10−4 and 5.88 × 10−5, respectively. Meanwhile, the multiple phase outcome from the random forest model fits well with the numerical results under the scenarios of linear leakage sources and light NAPL transport. The total time consumed in the computation is reduced by over 150 times after using the surrogate models. The results suggest that surrogate models can provide a promising way to understand NAPL transport in heterogeneous aquifers. HIGHLIGHTS Numerical solutions provided the NAPL transport benchmark dataset under different scenarios.; Four ML models were trained to capture DNAPL transport across the spatial-temporal scales.; The RF model had the best performance in reproducing multiphase transport in terms of both the accuracy and calculation efficiency.; Surrogate models provided promising applicability to quickly and effectively evaluate NAPL transport.;

ObjectiveTo utilize radiomics analysis on dual-energy CT images of the pancreas to establish a quantitative imaging biomarker for type 2 diabetes mellitus.Materials and methodsIn this retrospective study, 78 participants (45 with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 33 without) underwent a dual energy CT exam. Pancreas regions were segmented automatically using a deep learning algorithm. From these regions, radiomics features were extracted. Additionally, 24 clinical features were collected for each patient. Both radiomics and clinical features were then selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) technique and then build classifies with random forest (RF), support vector machines (SVM) and Logistic. Three models were built: one using radiomics features, one using clinical features, and a combined model.ResultsSeven radiomic features were selected from the segmented pancreas regions, while eight clinical features were chosen from a pool of 24 using the LASSO method. These features were used to build a combined model, and its performance was evaluated using five-fold cross-validation. The best classifier type is Logistic and the reported area under the curve (AUC) values on the test dataset were 0.887 (0.73–1), 0.881 (0.715–1), and 0.922 (0.804–1) for the respective models.ConclusionRadiomics analysis of the pancreas on dual-energy CT images offers potential as a quantitative imaging biomarker in the detection of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The study analyzes the current state of research, frontiers, and trends in tolerance studies in multicultural contexts. The Web of Science Core Collection database was used to retrieve relevant literature from 2000 to 2022. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were employed to analyze keywords through co-occurrence networks, co-polymerization classes, and burst terms, with a corresponding visual atlas created for analysis. A total of 705 valid articles were included. The results revealed that Maykel Verkuyten authored the highest number of articles ( n = 12). The United States contributed the highest number of articles ( n = 376, 53.33%). The Interpersonal Journal of Intercultural Relations published the most articles ( n = 38, 5.39%). The most highly cited author was Shelly P. Harrell ( n = 876) in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry . The keyword with the highest frequency, surpassing 200 mentions, was “prejudice” ( n = 205). The top three keywords in terms of centrality were “culture” ( n = 0.13), “attitude” ( n = 0.12), and “discrimination” ( n = 0.11). Major research topics and hotspots in the field of Tolerance in Multicultural Contexts included the Color-blind perspective, Prejudice reduction practices, Tolerance education, and Ethnicity. The study highlights a growing interest in the effectiveness of education as an intervention to reduce prejudice among young people. Further research in this domain should combined the Internet and transcend the confines of prejudice.

Neurotoxic astrocytes are a promising therapeutic target for the attenuation of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Low-density lipoprotein receptor, a classic cholesterol regulatory receptor, has been found to inhibit NLR family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in neurons following ischemic stroke and to suppress the activation of microglia and astrocytes in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. However, little is known about the effects of low-density lipoprotein receptor on astrocytic activation in ischemic stroke. To address this issue in the present study, we examined the mechanisms by which low-density lipoprotein receptor regulates astrocytic polarization in ischemic stroke models. First, we examined low-density lipoprotein receptor expression in astrocytes via immunofluorescence staining and western blotting analysis. We observed significant downregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor following middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion and oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation. Second, we induced the astrocyte-specific overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor using astrocyte-specific adeno-associated virus. Low-density lipoprotein receptor overexpression in astrocytes improved neurological outcomes in middle cerebral artery occlusion mice and reversed neurotoxic astrocytes to create a neuroprotective phenotype. Finally, we found that the overexpression of low-density lipoprotein receptor inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation in oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injured astrocytes and that the addition of nigericin, an NLRP3 agonist, restored the neurotoxic astrocyte phenotype. These findings suggest that low-density lipoprotein receptor could inhibit the NLRP3-meidiated neurotoxic polarization of astrocytes and that increasing low-density lipoprotein receptor in astrocytes might represent a novel strategy for treating cerebral ischemic stroke.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in diabetes complicated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pneumonia. Materials and Methods: This study included 584 patients (359 males and 225 females), aged between 60~99 years old (mean, (76±9) years), with positive chest computed tomography (CT) findings and diagnosed with COVID-19 in our hospital from December 14, 2022, to January 10, 2023. Of these, 225 patients were diabetic and 359 were non-diabetic. The features of the chest HRCT from patients with diabetes mellitus complicated with COVID-19 and those without diabetes mellitus complicated with COVID-19 were compared. Moreover, 363 patients in the acute stage of COVID-19 (defined as the time interval between onset and CT examination

Abstract Biological membranes often play important functional roles in biomimetic drug delivery systems. We discover that the circulation time and targeting capability of biological membrane coated nanovehicles can be significantly improved by reducing cholesterol level in the coating membrane. A proof-of-concept system using cholesterol-reduced and PD-1-overexpressed T cell membrane to deliver a photothermal agent and a STING agonist is thus fabricated. Comparing with normal membrane, this engineered membrane increases tumor accumulation by ~2-fold. In a melanoma model in male mice, tumors are eliminated with no recurrence in >80% mice after intravenous injection and laser irradiation; while in a colon cancer model in male mice, ~40% mice are cured without laser irradiation. Data suggest that the engineered membranes escape immune surveillance to avoid blood clearance while keeping functional surface molecules exposed. In summary, we develop a simple, effective, safe and widely-applicable biological membrane modification strategy. This “subtractive” strategy displays some advantages and is worth further development.

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic inflammatory disorder that usually affects joints. It was found that roburic acid (RBA), an ingredient from anti-RA herb Gentiana macrophylla Pall., displayed strong anti-inflammatory activity. However, its medical application is limited by its hydrophobicity, lack of targeting capability and unclear functional mechanism. Here, we constructed a pH responsive dual-target drug delivery system hitchhiking RBA (RBA-NPs) that targeted both CD44 and folate receptors, and investigated its pharmacological mechanism. In rat RA model, the nanocarriers effectively delivered RBA to inflammatory sites and significantly enhanced the therapeutic outcomes compared with free RBA, as well as strongly reducing inflammatory cytokine levels and promoting tissue repair. Following analysis revealed that M1 macrophages in the joints were reprogrammed to M2 phenotype by RBA. Since the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophages play important roles in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing excessive inflammation in RA, this reprogramming is likely responsible for the anti-RA effect. Furthermore, we revealed that RBA-NPs drove M1-to-M2 phenotypic switch by down-regulating the glycolysis level via blocking ERK/HIF-1α/GLUT1 pathway. Thus, our work not only developed a targeting delivery system that remarkably improved the anti-RA efficiency of RBA, but also identified a potential molecular target to reversely reprogram macrophages though energy metabolism regulation.

Dynamic monitoring and evaluation of vegetation ecological quality (VEQ) is indispensable for ecological environment management and sustainable development. Single-indicator methods that have been widely used may cause biased results due to neglect of the variety of vegetation ecological elements. We developed the vegetation ecological quality index (VEQI) by coupling vegetation structure (vegetation cover) and function (carbon sequestration, water conservation, soil retention, and biodiversity maintenance) indicators. The changing characteristics of VEQ and the relative contribution of driving factors in the ecological protection redline areas in Sichuan Province (EPRA), China, from 2000 to 2021 were explored using VEQI, Sen’s slope, Mann-Kendall test, Hurst index, and residual analysis based on the XGBoost (Extreme gradient boosting regressor). The results showed that the VEQ in the EPRA has improved over the 22-year study period, but this trend may be unsustainable in the future. Temperature was the most influential climate factor. And human activities were the dominant factor with a relative contribution of 78.57% to VEQ changes. This study provides ideas for assessing ecological restoration in other regions, and can provide guidance for ecosystem management and conservation.

Abstract Multispectral remote sensing images are a very important data source, but its acquisition process is often affected by haze weather and other factors, resulting in the decline of image quality, blurred details and poor visual effect, which seriously affect their application and interpretation. To reduce the impact of haze on multispectral remote sensing image and improve the image clarity and the use value, a new haze removal method based on rolling deep learning and Retinex theory (RDLRT) was proposed here. It uses the rolling deep learning theory to realize the preliminary removal of image haze, and then calculates the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR) value of the processed image, which is used to judge whether the obtained image is a stage effect image (SEI). Then, on the one hand, the SEI image is processed for colour saturation and brightness; on the other hand, the Retinex theory is used to further filter the haze of the SEI image. Finally, the results of the two processing are fused, and it is used as the restored image after removing the haze. A series of validation experiments were carried out with true multispectral remote sensing images, outdoor colour images and different methods, and good experimental results were obtained. The purpose of removing image haze and improving image quality is achieved. Through the comparison of these experiments, it is concluded that the RDLRT algorithm proposed in this paper can not only effectively remove haze in images, but also maintain good details and colour of the image, which has some popularization values for image pre‐processing and restoration.

Ship target detection is an important application of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging remote sensing in ocean monitoring and management. However, SAR imaging is a form of coherence imaging, meaning that there is a large amount of speckle noise in each SAR image. This seriously affects the detection of an SAR image ship target when the fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering method is used, resulting in numerous errors and incomplete detection. It is also associated with a slow detection speed, which easily falls into the local minima. To overcome these issues, a new method based on block thumbnail particle swarm optimization clustering (BTPSOC) was proposed for SAR image ship target detection. The BTPSOC algorithm uses block thumbnails to segment the main pixels, which improves the resistance to noise interference and segmentation accuracy, enhances the ability to process different types of SAR images, and reduces the runtime. When particle swarm optimization (PSO) technology is used to optimize the FCM clustering center, global optimization is achieved, the clustering performance is improved, the risk of falling into the local minima is overcome, and the stability is improved. The SAR images from two datasets containing ship targets were used in verification experiments. The experimental results show that the BTPSOC algorithm can effectively detect the ship target in SAR images and that it maintains good integrity with regard to the detailed information from the target region. At the same time, experiments comparing the deep convolution neural network (CNN) and constant false alarm rate (CFAR) were conducted.

Abstract To solve the problem that the traditional hyperspectral image classification method cannot effectively distinguish the boundary of objects with a single scale feature, which leads to low classification accuracy, this paper introduces the idea of guided filtering into hyperspectral image classification, and then proposes a multi-scale guided feature extraction and classification (MGFEC) algorithm for hyperspectral images. Firstly, the principal component analysis theory is used to reduce the dimension of hyperspectral image data. Then, guided filtering algorithm is used to achieve multi-scale spatial structure extraction of hyperspectral image by setting different sizes of filtering windows, so as to retain more edge details. Finally, the extracted multi-scale features are input into the support vector machine classifier for classification. Several practical hyperspectral image datasets were used to verify the experiment, and compared with other spectral feature extraction algorithms. The experimental results show that the multi-scale features extracted by the MGFEC algorithm proposed in this paper are more accurate than those extracted by only using spectral information, which leads to the improvement of the final classification accuracy. This fully shows that the proposed method is not only effective, but also suitable for processing different hyperspectral image data.

Abstract Background Anti-inflammatory approaches are emerging as a new strategy for the treatment of depressive disorders. Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1), a major component of Panax ginseng, can inhibit inflammatory cascade and alleviate depressive-like behaviors. Microglia can promote or inhibit adult hippocampal neurogenesis according to their functional phenotypes. Here, we examine whether GRb1 may exert antidepressant effects by promoting a pro-neurogenic phenotype of microglia and thereby increasing neurogenesis. Methods The antidepressant effects of GRb1 or the licensed antidepressant imipramine (IMI) were assessed in chronic mild stress (CMS)-exposed male mice. The depressive-like behaviors of mice were evaluated by sucrose preference test, forced swimming test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). The microglial phenotypes were identified by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine expression and morphological properties, analyzed by RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. The effect of GRb1-treated microglia on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo and in vitro was detected using immunofluorescence staining. Results Behavioral assessment indicated that GRb1 or IMI treatment alleviated depressive-like behaviors in CMS-exposed mice. Immunofluorescence examination demonstrated that GRb1 induced a pro-neurogenic phenotype of microglia via activating PPARγ in vivo and in vitro, which were effectively reversed by the PPARγ inhibitor GW9662. In addition, GRb1-treated microglia increased the proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor cells. Conclusions These findings demonstrated that GRb1 alleviated depressive-like behaviors of CMS-exposed male mice mainly through PPARγ-mediated microglial activation and improvement of adult hippocampus neurogenesis.

In recent decades, Moso bamboo has been largely increasing in the subtropical area of China, raising ecological concerns about its invasion into other native forest ecosystems. One concern is whether the invasion of Moso bamboo significantly simplifies forest community composition and structure and declines biomass. This study adopted the space-for-time method to investigate a secondary coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (SF) being invaded by an adjacent Moso bamboo forest (MB) in the Wuxie forest reserve, Zhejiang Province. Three plots were established in each SF, MB, and transitional forest. The results showed that the species composition and species dominance of the arborous layer changed significantly (P < 0.05), which was indicated by the significantly decreased species richness (Margalef index, Shannon–Wiener index, and Simpson index) and evenness (Pielou evenness index). In contrast, the species richness of the shrub and herbaceous layers had two divergent indications (increasing or unchanged), and the evenness remained unchanged. The total and arborous-layer aboveground biomass of the forest community has had no noticeable change (P < 0.05). However, the biomass of the shrub and herbaceous layers showed an increasing trend (shrub significant but herbaceous not), but they only occupied a small proportion (∼1%) of the total biomass. Finally, the aboveground biomass and the diversity index had no significant correlation in each layer and overall stands. We hope that the findings could provide a theoretical basis for the invasion mechanism and ecological consequences of the Moso bamboo invasion.

Our laboratory previously reported that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) differentially activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in growing and quiescent human endothelial cells, which represent the dysfunctional and healthy states in vivo, respectively. Since endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity differs between healthy and dysfunctional endothelial cells, and p38 MAPK reportedly regulates both the activity and expression of eNOS, we hypothesized that the beneficial actions of DHA on endothelial cells are due to eNOS activation by p38 MAPK. The contribution of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase (MSK), a p38 MAPK substrate, was also investigated. Growing and quiescent EA.hy926 cells, prepared on Matrigel®-coated plates, were incubated with inhibitors of p38MAPK or MSK before adding DHA. eNOS phosphorylation and levels were quantified by Western blotting. Treatment with 20 µM DHA activated eNOS in both growth states whereas 125 µM DHA suppressed eNOS activation in growing cells. Quiescent cells had higher basal levels of eNOS than growing cells, while 125 µM DHA decreased eNOS levels in both growth states. p38 MAPK inhibition enhanced eNOS activation in quiescent cells but suppressed it in growing cells. Interestingly, 125 µM DHA counteracted these effects of p38 MAPK inhibition in both growth states. MSK was required for eNOS activation in both growth states, but it only mediated eNOS activation by DHA in quiescent cells. MSK thus affects eNOS via a pathway independent of p38MAPK. Quiescent cells were also more resistant to the apoptosis-inducing effect of 125 µM DHA compared to growing cells. The growth state-dependent regulation of p38MAPK and eNOS by DHA provides novel insight into the molecular mechanisms by which DHA influences endothelial cell function.

Zhongyong, a central theme of Confucian thought, refers to the “doctrine of the mean,” or the idea that moderation in all things is the optimal path. Despite considerable interest in the relationship between zhongyong and creativity, especially in China, studies of this relationship have not yielded consistent results. Based on a review of the literature, we hypothesized that this inconsistency arises from the dual nature of zhongyong itself, which has both a positive side, promoting creativity, and a negative side, inhibiting creativity. We also hypothesized that the negative side of zhongyong takes the form of excessive zhongyong. Indeed, the observations that every coin has two sides and that too much of a good thing is as bad as too little are core principles of zhongyong in traditional Chinese culture. To test these hypotheses, we conducted two empirical studies (measuring explicit and implicit zhongyong personality, respectively) to examine the relationships between positive and negative zhongyong and creativity (measured in terms of creative personality, divergent thinking, and convergent thinking). The results of both studies revealed an interaction between positive zhongyong and negative zhongyong, indicating that only a moderate level of zhongyong is conducive to creativity; both deficiency and excess are harmful. We discuss the implications of these results, suggesting that a zhongyong approach can help to clarify non-linear relationships between things, and recommending to re-assess the creativity of Chinese culture from a neutral and objective outlook. This paper deepens understanding of zhongyong and offers clear insights into creativity from an in-depth cultural perspective.

The remote sensing imaging detection technology is an important means to effectively monitor and manage urban environment and resources, and remote sensing images are an important data source of smart city and digital city. The existence of haze has a serious impact on the quality of optical remote sensing image acquisition, resulting in remote sensing image blurred, detail information loss, contrast decreased and color distortion. To reduce the impact of haze and give full play to the value of remote sensing images, a new urban remote sensing haze removal (URSHR) algorithm is proposed in this paper, which combines the image phase consistency feature, multi-scale Retinax theory and histogram characteristic. In URSHR method, firstly the image haze is removed by using multi-scale Retinex theory and histogram characteristic, and then the detail information of the image is enhanced by using the phase consistency features, finally they are fused with the multi-scale wavelet transform. It achieves the purpose of both removing haze and enhancing geometric detail information. The many verification experiments were carried out by using real urban remote sensing image data, and good results were obtained. This shows that the new algorithm is a feasible and effective for urban remote sensing image haze removal, and it has good application and promotion value.

Ship target detection in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is an important application field. Due to the existence of sea clutter, especially the SAR imaging in huge wave area, SAR images contain a lot of complex noise, which brings great challenges to the effective detection of ship targets in SAR images. Although the deep semantic segmentation network has been widely used in the detection of ship targets in recent years, the global information of the image cannot be fully utilized. To solve this problem, a new convolutional neural network (CNN) method based on wavelet and attention mechanism was proposed in this paper, called the WA-CNN algorithm. The new method uses the U-Net structure to construct the network, which not only effectively reduces the depth of the network structure, but also significantly improves the complexity of the network. The basic network of WA-CNN algorithm consists of encoder and decoder. Dual tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) is introduced into the pooling layer of the encoder to smooth the speckle noise in SAR images, which is beneficial to preserve the contour structure and detail information of the target in the feature image. The attention mechanism theory is added into the decoder to obtain the global information of the ship target. Two public SAR image datasets were used to verify the proposed method, and good experimental results were obtained. This shows that the method proposed in this article is effective and feasible.

Halobenzoquinones (HBQs) are emerging and widespread disinfection byproducts (DBPs), but their toxicological mechanisms to aquatic organisms remain elusive. Herein, we evaluated oxidative stress, cardiac toxicity, and cerebral toxicity after 2, 6-dichloro-1, 4-benzoquinone (2,6-DCBQ) exposure in zebrafish. Adult zebrafish were respectively exposed to 0.25, 0.5, and 1 μM 2,6-DCBQ for 96 h. The mortality rate of 2,6-DCBQ (1 μM) was 10%, while the LC50 value was 1.532 μM. Besides, 2,6-DCBQ exposure caused irregularity and elimination of myocardial fiber in the heart, and the pyknosis of nuclears and the agglutination of chromatin in the brain. We measured the 2,6-DCBQ-induced oxidative stresses in the heart and brain. Additionally, the glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were significantly inhibited. To better understand the potential toxicity of 2,6-DCBQ, transcriptomic analysis was performed in the control and 1 μM group after 96 h exposure. As a result, 545 and 1228 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the heart and brain, respectively. GO analysis revealed that these DEGs were primarily enriched in blood vessel development, vasculature development, and oxidoreductase activity in the heart; response to stimulus, nervous system development, and oxidoreductase activity in the brain. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs were mainly enriched in VEGF signaling pathway and vascular smooth muscle contraction pathway in the heart; neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway in the brain. These findings exposed the underlying toxicity mechanism of 2,6-DCBQ exposure on zebrafish cardiovascular and brain systems.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a target of interest for both COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease management. Even though lower ACE2 levels may be beneficial in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, maintaining the ACE1/ACE2 balance is also crucial for cardiovascular health. So far, reports describing conditions capable of altering ACE2 protein levels, especially via dietary components, are limited. In this study, the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFA) on the protein levels of ACE1 and ACE2 in rodent tissues, human endothelial and kidney cell lines, and human plasma were examined. The ability of n3-PUFA to affect the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus into cells was also tested. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and in some cases eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), but not α-linoleic acid (ALA), reduced both ACE1 and ACE2 (non-glycosylated p100 and glycosylated p130 forms) in the heart, aorta, and kidneys of obese rats, as well as in human EA.hy926 endothelial and HEK293 kidney cells. Dietary supplementation with either DHA or ALA had no effect on plasma soluble ACE2 levels in humans. However, treatment of HEK293 cells with 80 and 125 µM DHA for 16 h inhibited the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. These results strongly suggest that DHA treatment may reduce the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells via a mechanism involving a decrease in the absolute level of ACE2 protein as well as its glycosylation. Our findings warrant further evaluation of long-chain n3-PUFA supplements as a novel option for restricting SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in the general population.

Optical imaging remote sensing technology is an important technical means to obtain information of ground objects, but it is restricted by bad weather such as clouds, rain, and haze. In haze weather condition, optical images often have poor contrast and blurred details, which has a great impact on subsequent applications and interpretation. If the acquired images are processed, not only their quality can be improved, but also their visual effect and utilization value can be improved, so as to reduce the impact brought by haze. In general, the haze is removed from the view of image processing. In this paper, through in-depth analysis and study of existing algorithms and characteristics of optical remote sensing images, a new idea is proposed to solve this problem from the view of combination of image content and auxiliary information. Furthermore, a new haze removal algorithm is proposed based on the Retinex multi-scale model and the histogram characteristics of remote sensing images. Because the new method combines multi-scale model (MSM) and histogram characteristics (HC), it is referred to as MSMHC algorithm in this paper. The advantage of the new method is that the content and type of image are considered in the whole process, and then two processing schemes are set for haze removal. In the test experiments, one hundred groups of image data were used to carry out comparative experiments. At the same time, single-scale Retinex (SSR) algorithm, multi-scale Retinex (MSR) algorithm, dark channel priori (DCP) method, brightness preserving dynamic fuzzy histogram equalization (BPDFHE) algorithm, histogram equalization (HE) method, and homomorphic filter (HF) algorithm were used for comparative experiments with the MSMHC method. Five parameters, including standard deviation (SD), information entropy (IE), peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), and image contrast (IC), were used to quantitatively evaluate the test results. The experimental results and the parameter values showed that the MSMHC algorithm could not only effectively remove haze from remote sensing images, obtain high contrast and high definition images, but also have better generalization ability.

Red blood cell-derived extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs) are vesicles naturally produced by red blood cells and play multiple roles such as acting as cell-to-cell communication messengers in both normal physiological and diseased states. RBCEVs are highly promising delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents such as biomolecules and nucleic acids as they are easy to source, safe, and versatile. RBCEVs autonomously target the liver and pass the blood–brain barrier into the brain, which is highly valuable for the treatment of liver and brain diseases. RBCEVs can be modified by various functional units, including various functional molecules and nanoparticles, to improve their active targeting capabilities for tumors or other sites. Moreover, the RBCEV level is significantly shifted in many diseased states; hence, they can also serve as important biomarkers for disease diagnoses. It is clear that RBCEVs have considerable potential in multiple medical applications. In this review, we briefly introduce the biological roles of RBCEVs, presented interesting advances in RBCEV applications, and discuss several challenges that need to be addressed for their clinical translation.

Objective. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the peripheral mechanisms of chrono-acupuncture by observing acupuncture at different time points affecting relative proteins to regulate the cytoskeleton of fibroblasts differently. Methods. A total of 108 male SD rats (180–220 g) that have basic pain threshold within 3–10 s were selected and randomly divided into group A (n = 72) and control group (n = 36). After the succession of modeling with CFA injection, the rats in group A were randomly divided into model group and acupuncture group, each group containing 36 rats. Then according to the different treatment time, each group was randomly classified into 6 subgroups (ZT0, ZT4, ZT8, ZT12, ZT16, and ZT20), each subgroup containing 6 rats (n = 6). On the second day of successful modeling, the rats in the acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment at the corresponding time point, while the control group and the model group were only tied up at the corresponding time point without any treatments. Methods of operation: use 0.5-inch needles, puncture the rats’ “Zusanli” on the affected limb, with Twirling manipulation for a minute after every five minutes; the treatment lasts thirty minutes in total. After 7 days of treatments, the skin and subcutaneous tissue of rats’ acupoint area of “Zusanli” on the affected limb were taken and then stained by immunofluorescence double staining method to observe the expression of the fibroblast cytoskeleton F-actin and β-tubulin under the LSCM while using western blot to observe the expression of P38MAPK/P-P38MAPK. Results. The expression of the cytoskeleton F-actin and β-tubulin at acupoint area in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than that in the control and model group. The effect of acupuncture on the restructure of the fibroblast cytoskeleton is different at different time points, the most effective time point was at ZT12 while the least at ZT16. Acupuncture can decrease the high expression of P-P38MAPK/P38MAPK in the model group, and the effect has time differences. The expression of P-P38MAPK/P38MAPK increased more significantly at ZT16 than ZT12. Conclusion. The remodeling difference of fibroblast cytoskeleton after receiving acupuncture treatment could be one of the peripheral bases of the chrono-acupuncture.

A case-control study was used to explore the association between the methylation status in the promoter regions of the cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 genes and the diseases of cervical precancerous lesions (CPL) and cervical cancer (CC) in a Southern Chinese population, and to further explore their interaction effects with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and environmental factors in these diseases. The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, and this study was performed in 97 healthy controls, 75 patients with CPL and 33 patients with CC, while each participant has read and signed the informed consent forms before enrolment. The promoter methylation status genes were detected from the bisulfite-treated DNA by the bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) technique, which was carried out using MethPrimer. The cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 promoter methylation levels in CPL (CPLcGAS = 35.40%, CPLMAVS = 24.26%, and CPLTRAF3 = 96.76%) were significantly higher than those in the control (ControlcGAS = 31.87%, ControlMAVS = 21.16%, and ControlTRAF3 = 96.26%, PcGAS< 0.001, PMAVS< 0.001, and PTRAF3 = 0.001); however, there was no significant differences between the CC and control. In the logistic regression model with adjusted covariates, compared with the individuals whose cGAS methylation levels were less than or equal to 31.87%, the women with the levels more than 31.87% increased the risk of CPL by 2.49 times (ORa = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.31-4.75, Pa = 0.006). The women with MAVS methylation levels above 21.16% were 1.97 times more likely to have CPL than the those with the levels less than 21.16% (ORa = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.06–3.69, Pa = 0.033). A synergistic interaction was found between hrHPV and gene promoter methylation levels of cGAS and MAVS in CPL; however, no potential interaction was observed in CC. The promoter methylation levels in cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 genes are higher in CPL than in control, indicating that hypermethylation might be an early event in the progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The interaction between the promoter methylation levels in cGAS and MAVS genes and hrHPV infection might play a role in the development of CPL.

Graphene shows great promise for gas separation applications, but obtaining large membranes that are free of cracks and tears remains highly challenging. Here, the authors realize monolayer, crack-free, millimeter-scale graphene membranes that exhibit selective gas permeation solely thanks to their intrinsic defects

Land-use change is an important contributor to atmospheric carbon emissions. Taking Jinhua city in eastern China as an example, this study analyzed the effects on carbon emissions by land-use changes from 2005 to 2018. Then, carbon emissions that will be produced in Jinhua in 2030 were predicted based on the land-use pattern predicted by the CA-Markov model. Finally, a low-carbon optimized land-use pattern more consistent with the law of urban development was proposed based on the prediction and planning model used in this study. The results show that (1) from 2005 to 2018, the area of land used for construction in Jinhua continued to increase, while woodland and cultivated land areas decreased. Carbon emissions from land use rose at a high rate. By 2018, carbon emissions had increased by 1.9 times compared to 2015. (2) During the 2010–2015 period, the total concentration of carbon emissions decreased due to decreases in both the rate of growth in construction land and the rate of decline in a woodland area, as well as an adjustment of the energy structure and the use of polluting fertilizer and pesticide treatments. (3) The carbon emissions produced with an optimal land-use pattern in 2030 are predicted to reduce by 19%. The acreage of woodland in Jinhua’s middle basin occupied by construction land and cultivated land is predicted to reduce. The additional construction land will be concentrated around the main axis of the Jinhua-Yiwu metropolitan area and will exhibit a characteristic ribbon-form with more distinct clusters. The optimized land-use pattern is more conducive to carbon reduction and more in line with the strategy of regional development in the study area. The results of this study can be used as technical support to optimize the land-use spatial pattern and reduce urban land’s contribution to carbon emissions.

The present work was designed to investigate the changes in the phenolic composition and antioxidant activities of native and fermented Prinsepia utilis Royle seeds during a simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro. Results revealed that Prinsepia utilis Royle seeds contained high phenolic content and exhibited good antioxidant activities. Gastrointestinal (GI) digestion could significantly increase the bioaccessibility of phenolics and the antioxidant activity of the native seeds. These parameters could be further increased by fungal fermentation during GI digestion compared with those of the native seed. A total of 19 phenolics were identified and quantified. Among these phenolics, vanillic acid hexoside, protocatechuic acid, primeveroside salicylic acid, and rutin were the predominant ones. The present results indicated that fermentation remarkably affected the bioaccessibility of phenolics and the bioactivities of food during GI digestion and might help maximize the potential applications of native and fermented P. utilis Royle seeds.

Abstract The Simpson Golabi Behmel Syndrome (SGBS) pre-adipocyte cell strain is widely considered to be a representative in vitro model of human white pre-adipocytes. A recent study suggested that SGBS adipocytes exhibit an unexpected transient brown phenotype. Here, we comprehensively examined key differences between SGBS adipocytes and primary human white subcutaneous (PHWSC) adipocytes. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction and metabolic pathways were the top two KEGG pathways significantly enriched in SGBS adipocytes, which included positively enriched mitochondrial respiration and oxidation pathways. Compared to PHWSC adipocytes, SGBS adipocytes showed not only greater induction of adipogenic gene expression during differentiation but also increased levels of UCP1 mRNA and protein expression. Functionally, SGBS adipocytes displayed higher ISO-induced basal leak respiration and overall oxygen consumption rate, along with increased triglyceride accumulation and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. In conclusion, we confirmed that SGBS adipocytes, which are considered of white adipose tissue origin can shift towards a brown/beige adipocyte phenotype. These differences indicate SGBS cells may help to identify mechanisms leading to browning, and inform our understanding for the use of SGBS vis-à-vis primary human subcutaneous adipocytes as a human white adipocyte model, guiding the selection of appropriate cell models in future metabolic research.

Cooking loss, texture properties, and color of comminuted beef when prepared with breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) flour or other flour sources was evaluated using 2 separate studies. Flour sources tested in these studies (against a negative control with no added flour) were breadfruit flour, soy flour, corn flour, wheat flour, and tapioca flour. Study 1: Finely minced, comminuted beef batters (extra lean beef targeted to 97% lean and 3% fat, salt, and ice/water) prepared with inclusion levels of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% flour were evaluated for cooking loss and texture. Cooking loss was reduced (P < 0.05) in comminuted beef prepared with breadfruit flour compared with those not prepared with flour and cooking loss decreased as breadfruit flour inclusion level increased (Linear P < 0.01). Hardness was not different (P = 0.49) in comminuted beef prepared with breadfruit flour compared with soy flour, and was much less (P < 0.01) compared with the 3 other flour sources at each inclusion level. Study 2: Comminuted beef (lean beef targeted to 90% lean and 10% fat, salt, and ice/water) with inclusion levels of 0, 2.5, and 5% flour were formed into patties and were evaluated for color over a simulated retail display period. Redness values (a*) of comminuted beef prepared with breadfruit flour were the greatest (P < 0.05) during the 7-d simulated retail display compared with all other treatments, including control samples with no flour. Overall, the results indicated that breadfruit flour could be effectively used as an ingredient in comminuted beef to produce similar texture as observed with soy flour, while actually improving redness values beyond that of other flour sources.

Objective: To explore the association between the methylation levels in the promoter regions of the NLRP3, AIM2, and ASC genes and T2DM and its vascular complications in a Southern Han Chinese population and further analyze their interaction and mediating effects with environmental factors in T2DM.Methods: A case-control study was used to determine the association between population characteristics, the methylation level in the promoter region of the NLRP3, AIM2, and ASC genes and T2DM and vascular complications. A mediating effect among genes-environment-T2DM and the interaction of gene-gene or gene-environment factors was explored.Results: In the logistic regression model with adjusted covariants, healthy people with lower total methylation levels in the AIM2 promoter region exhibited a 2.29-fold [OR: 2.29 (1.28~6.66), P = 0.011] increased risk of developing T2DM compared with higher-methylation individuals. T2DM patients without any vascular complications who had lower methylation levels (

Curtain walls are widely used in the epidermis of buildings. At present, the unit curtain wall system production frame is mainly aluminum profile. But taking into account the weak aluminum strength and soft characteristics, the existing curtain wall often ensure the frame carrying capacity by increasing the amount of aluminum per unit area, which makes the high curtain wall costs. At the same time, the nodes of its production process are complex and require higher functions of production equipment. In this paper, a unit curtain wall system of steel-aluminum combination is proposed, which has the characteristics of simple construction, processing and installation, consisting of three key technologies including new steel-aluminum material combined with keel frame technology, glass curtain wall installation technology and cross-stitch node waterproofing technology. The system (1) in the construction, the integration of the concept of just soft. The unit structure of “steel column and aluminum profile” plays an advantage of high steel structure strength to ensure carrying capacity. In addition, the aluminum profile is fully plastic and the shape can be controlled. (2) In the production mode, the unit curtain wall is prefabricated by factory flow watering, and the processes are independent of each other, which is convenient for organizing processing equipment. (3) In the installation, the roof ring track and hoist are used to lift the unit plate, which avoids adverse shaking and rotation, reduces the risk of high-altitude operation and shortens the duration. This technology is of great reference significance to the construction of curtain wall of high rise buildings.

The objective was to modify functional properties of breadfruit flours using twin-screw extrusion and test the physicochemical properties of the extruded flours. Extruded breadfruit flours were produced with twin-screw extrusion using different last barrel temperature (80 °C or 120 °C) and feed moisture content (17% or 30%). These conditions resulted in four extruded flours with different mechanical (specific mechanical energy, SME) and thermal (melt temperature) energies. At temperatures below the gelatinization of the native starch (

The objective of this study was to compare the compositional and functional properties of tropical flour sources (two breadfruit flours (type A and type B) and a banana flour) with a more traditional flour source (wheat flour). Macro-nutrient composition, pH, water and oil holding capacity, bulk density, particle size, solubility, swelling power, pasting properties, and thermodynamics (gelatinization and retrogradation) were determined. All flours evaluated were similar in their composition with high levels of carbohydrates (greater than 82.52 g/100 g on a dry-matter basis), with most of the carbohydrate content comprised of starch (greater than 67.02 g/100 g). The tropical fruit flours had greater (p < 0.05) water holding capacity than wheat flour. Breadfruit flour B had the lowest (p < 0.05) bulk density, while banana flour had the greatest (p < 0.05) bulk density. The swelling power of the tropical flours was greater (p < 0.05) than the wheat flour. The viscosity of the tropical flours was higher than wheat flour but decreased significantly when temperature was held at 130 °C. These results indicated that the two breadfruit flours and banana flour have great potential for application in processed food products, and have similar compositional attributes to a more traditional flour.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has recently experienced unprecedented development. Among many other areas, it has been widely applied in blood station management, automatic supermarket checkout, and logistics. In the application of RFID for large-scale passive tags, tag collision is inevitable owing to the non-cooperation mechanism among tags. Therefore, a tag anti-collision method is a key factor affecting the identification efficiency. In this paper, we propose a tag anti-collision method based on Aloha technology for RFID. It estimates the number of remaining tags using the secant iteration method. To achieve optimal identification efficiency, it adaptively and dynamically adjusts the lengths of the subsequent frames according to the principle that the length of a frame should be the same as the number of tags to be identified. For pseudo-solutions of tag population estimation while using secant iteration, we present an elimination method by two probing frames. The simulation results show that the estimation precision of our method can reach above 97%. Thus, it can meet the requirement of the tag anti-collision estimation accuracy. Its global throughput is obviously superior to the Q algorithm adopted by the current international standard, and it is close to the ideal system. It consequently outperforms existing schemes.

It is known that the macronutrient content of a meal has different impacts on the postprandial satiety and appetite hormonal responses. Whether obesity interacts with such nutrient-dependent responses is not well characterized. We examined the postprandial appetite and satiety hormonal responses after a high-protein (HP), high-carbohydrate (HC), or high-fat (HF) mixed meal. This was a randomized cross-over study of 9 lean insulin-sensitive (mean±SEM HOMA-IR 0.83±0.10) and 9 obese insulin-resistant (HOMA-IR 4.34±0.41) young (age 21-40 years), normoglycaemic Chinese men. We measured fasting and postprandial plasma concentration of glucose, insulin, active glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), total peptide-YY (PYY), and acyl-ghrelin in response to HP, HF, or HC meals. Overall postprandial plasma insulin response was more robust in the lean compared to obese subjects. The postprandial GLP-1 response after HF or HP meal was higher than HC meal in both lean and obese subjects. In obese subjects, HF meal induced higher response in postprandial PYY compared to HC meal. HP and HF meals also suppressed ghrelin greater compared to HC meal in the obese than lean subjects. In conclusion, a high-protein or high-fat meal induces a more favorable postprandial satiety and appetite hormonal response than a high-carbohydrate meal in obese insulin-resistant subjects.

Dengue is an arthropod-borne infectious disease caused by dengue virus (DENV) infection and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Approximately 50–100 million people are infected with DENV each year, resulting in a high economic burden on both governments and individuals. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize information regarding the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and serotype distribution and risk factors for global dengue outbreaks occurring from 1990 to 2015. We searched the PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases through December 2016 using the term “dengue outbreak.” In total, 3,853 studies were identified, of which 243 studies describing 262 dengue outbreaks met our inclusion criteria. The majority of outbreak-associated dengue cases were reported in the Western Pacific Region, particularly after the year 2010; these cases were primarily identified in China, Singapore and Malaysia. The pooled mean age of dengue-infected individuals was 30.1 years; of the included patients, 54.5% were male, 23.2% had DHF, 62.0% had secondary infections, and 1.3% died. The mean age of dengue patients reported after 2010 was older than that of patients reported before 2010 (34.0 vs. 27.2 years); however, the proportions of patients who had DHF, had secondary infections and died significantly decreased after 2010. Fever, malaise, headache, and asthenia were the most frequently reported clinical symptoms and signs among dengue patients. In addition, among the identified clinical symptoms and signs, positive tourniquet test (OR = 4.86), ascites (OR = 13.91) and shock (OR = 308.09) were identified as the best predictors of dengue infection, DHF and mortality, respectively (both P < 0.05). The main risk factors for dengue infection, DHF and mortality were living with uncovered water container (OR = 1.65), suffering from hypotension (OR = 6.18) and suffering from diabetes mellitus (OR = 2.53), respectively (all P < 0.05). The serotype distribution varied with time and across WHO regions. Overall, co-infections were reported in 47.7% of the evaluated outbreaks, and the highest pooled mortality rate (2.0%) was identified in DENV-2 dominated outbreaks. Our study emphasizes the necessity of implementing programs focused on targeted prevention, early identification, and effective treatment.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is a crucial medication employed in the treatment of various cancers, and its limited solubility has been a persistent clinical hurdle. Ionic liquids (ILs), considered as "green solvents", possess remarkable attributes such as exceptional miscibility, tailorable properties, and versatility. These properties have ushered in a revolution in the realm of biomedicine, particularly in addressing the solubility challenges of poorly soluble drugs. In this work, low-toxicity diimidazolium based ILs were introduced into a PTX dissolution system for the first time. Compared to mono-imidazolium based ILs, diimidazolium based ILs exhibited lower in vitro cytotoxicity and the substitution of Cremophor EL (CrEL) with biocompatible [C10(MIM)2][Br]2 and water resulted in lower cytotoxicity at a certain concentration. Furthermore, [C10(MIM)2][Br]2 could effectively improve the solubility of PTX, and this enhancement was strongly correlated with the length of the carbon chain in the cation and the IL concentration. Significantly, the [C10(MIM)2][Br]2-based dissolution system demonstrated the capability to attain a PTX content that is on par with the widely used commercial drug Taxol. Besides, the [C10(MIM)2][Br]2-PTX complex displayed excellent physical stability for a long period of time, with no significant change of PTX concentration in the solution. Additionally, various interactions existed between [C10(MIM)2][Br]2 and PTX, encompassing hydrophobic interactions, p-p stacking, CH-p interactions, and hydrogen bonds. The results indicated that the diimidazolium based IL system showed promise as a biocompatible platform for the delivery of PTX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) present with a number of premature aging phenotypes, including DNA damage accumulation, and many of them die of cardiovascular complications. Although vascular pathologies have been reported, whether HGPS patients exhibit cardiac dysfunction and its underlying mechanism is unclear, rendering limited options for treating HGPS-related cardiomyopathy. In this study, we reported a cardiac atrophy phenotype in the LmnaG609G/G609G mice (hereafter, HGPS mice). Using a GFP-based reporter system, we demonstrated that the efficiency of nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) declined by 50% in HGPS cardiomyocytes in vivo, due to the attenuated interaction between ?H2AX and Progerin, the causative factor of HGPS. As a result, genomic instability in cardiomyocytes led to an increase of CHK2 protein level, promoting the LKB1-AMPKa interaction and AMPKa phosphorylation, which further led to the activation of FOXO3A-mediated transcription of atrophy-related genes. Moreover, inhibiting AMPK enlarged cardiomyocyte sizes both in vitro and in vivo. Most importantly, our proof-of-concept study indicated that isoproterenol treatment significantly reduced AMPKa and FOXO3A phosphorylation in the heart, attenuated the atrophy phenotype, and extended the mean lifespan of HGPS mice by ~21%, implying that targeting cardiac atrophy may be an approach to HGPS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]