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Precipitation and incoming water are the key contributing factors to local flooding events, and analyzing the intra-annual distribution and change characteristics of precipitation and incoming water will be beneficial to the understanding of flooding contributing factors in this region. In this paper, the characteristics of intra-annual distribution of precipitation and incoming water and the synchronization of their changes in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin (LYRB) from 1980 to 2020 are studied using the concentration degree and concentration period as quantitative indicators. The results are as follows: 1) the maximum precipitation occurs earlier in the year, while maximum incoming water occurs with little variation in timing but significant variation in total volume; 2) the concentration degree of both precipitation and incoming water show a slowly decreasing trend. The concentration period of precipitation is slightly advanced, and that of incoming water is significantly delayed; 3) the occurrence time and concentration period of the incoming water peak during 2010–2020 lagged behind that of precipitation, which played a role in suppressing the occurrence of floods in the LYRB. This study can provide a scientific basis for the future supply and demand of water resources in the LYRB for safe use.

In this study, a pH-responsive polycaprolactone (PCL)–copper peroxide (CuO2) composite antibacterial coating was developed by suspension flame spraying. The successful synthesis of CuO2 nanoparticles and fabrication of the PCL-CuO2 composite coatings were confirmed by microstructural and chemical analysis. The composite coatings were structurally homogeneous, with the chemical properties of PCL well maintained. The acidic environment was found to effectively accelerate the dissociation of CuO2, allowing the simultaneous release of Cu2+ and H2O2. Antimicrobial tests clearly revealed the enhanced antibacterial properties of the PCL-CuO2 composite coating against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus under acidic conditions, with a bactericidal effect of over 99.99%. This study presents a promising approach for constructing pH-responsive antimicrobial coatings for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection shortly after vaccination on vaccine‐induced immunity is unknown, which is also one of the concerns for some vaccinees during the pandemic. Here, based on a cohort of individuals who encountered BA.5 infection within 8 days after receiving the fourth dose of a bivalent mRNA vaccine, preceded by three doses of inactivated vaccines, we show that booster mRNA vaccination provided 48% protection efficacy against symptomatic infections. At Day 7 postvaccination, the level of neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) against WT and BA.5 strains in the uninfected group trended higher than those in the symptomatic infection group. Moreover, there were greater variations in Nabs levels and a significant decrease in virus‐specific CD4+ T cell response observed in the symptomatic infection group. However, symptomatic BA.5 infection significantly increased Nab levels against XBB.1.9.1 and BA.5 (symptomatic > asymptomatic > uninfected group) at Day 10 and resulted in a more gradual decrease in Nabs against BA.5 compared to the uninfected group at Day 90. Our data suggest that BA.5 infection might hinder the early generation of Nabs and the recall of the CD4+ T cell response but strengthens the Nab and virus‐specific T cell response in the later phase. Our data confirmed that infection can enhance host immunity regardless of the short interval between vaccination and infection and alleviate concerns about infections shortly after vaccination, which provides valuable guidance for developing future vaccine administration strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird sex chromosomes play a unique role in sex-determination, and affect the sexual morphology and behavior of bird species. Core waterbirds, a major clade of birds, share the common characteristics of being sexually monomorphic and having lower levels of inter-sexual conflict, yet their sex chromosome evolution remains poorly understood. Here, by we analyse of a chromosome-level assembly of a female crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), a typical core waterbird. We identify neo-sex chromosomes resulting from fusion of microchromosomes with ancient sex chromosomes. These fusion events likely occurred following the divergence of Threskiornithidae and Ardeidae. The neo-W chromosome of the crested ibis exhibits the characteristics of slow degradation, which is reflected in its retention of abundant gametologous genes. Neo-W chromosome genes display an apparent ovary-biased gene expression, which is largely driven by genes that are retained on the crested ibis W chromosome but lost in other bird species. These results provide new insights into the evolutionary history and expression patterns for the sex chromosomes of bird species. The evolutionary trajectory of avian sex chromosomes may be more intricate than previously understood. In this study, sequencing and analysis of the neo-sex chromosomes and genome of the Crested Ibis suggests a multidirectional evolution of sex chromosomes in core waterbirds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of hepatitis E vaccination strategies in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Methods: Based on the societal perspective, the cost‐effectiveness of three hepatitis E vaccination strategies—vaccination without screening, screening‐based vaccination, and no vaccination—among CHB patients was evaluated using a decision tree–Markov model, and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated. Values for treatment costs and health utilities were estimated from a prior investigation on disease burden, and values for transition probabilities and vaccination‐related costs were obtained from previous studies and government agencies. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for assessing model uncertainties. Results: It was estimated that CHB patients superinfected with hepatitis E virus (HEV) incurred significantly longer disease course, higher economic burden, and more health loss compared to those with HEV infection alone (all p < 0.05). The ICERs of vaccination without screening and screening‐based vaccination compared to no vaccination were 41,843.01 yuan/quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) and 29,147.32 yuan/QALY, respectively, both lower than China's per‐capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018. The screening‐based vaccination reduced the cost and gained more QALYs than vaccination without screening. One‐way sensitivity analyses revealed that vaccine price, vaccine protection rate, and decay rate of vaccine protection had the greatest impact on the cost‐effectiveness analysis. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses confirmed the base‐case results, and if the willingness‐to‐pay value reached per‐capita GDP, the probability that screening‐based vaccination would be cost‐effective was approaching 100%. Conclusions: The disease burden in CHB patients superinfected with HEV is relatively heavy in China, and the screening‐based hepatitis E vaccination strategy for CHB patients is the most cost‐effective option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study explores the impact of gut microbiota on body metabolites and the growth rate of sea cucumber seedlings. Methods and results A comprehensive analysis using metabolomics and microbiomics was conducted to ascertain the gut microbiota and body metabolites in sea cucumber seedlings exhibiting varying growth rates. Distinct changes in the intestinal flora were observed in correlation with different growth rates of sea cucumber seedlings. The microbial communities of faster-growing seedlings exhibited greater diversity and evenness of taxa. For example, the abundance of genera Rhodococcus, Woeseia, Lysobacter, Desulfuromonadia_Sva1033 , and Flavobacteriaceae_NS5_marine_group was more than 24 times higher in the fast-growing group compared to the slow-growing group. Metabolomics analysis revealed an association between high growth rates of cucumber seedlings and discrepancies in metabolites, such as amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. Isorenieratene, possibly synthesized by Rhodococcus , was more than 2.5 times more abundant in the fast-growing group than the slow-growing group. Slow-growing seedlings showed considerable enrichment of environmental pollutants, such as antibiotics and drugs, while their colonies were devoid of bacteria capable of degrading such pollutants. In addition, significant differences were observed between groups in the biosynthesis of amino acids, metabolism of arginine and proline, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and metabolism of linoleic acid. Moreover, significant correlations between the microbial genera and sea cucumber metabolites were identified through correlation analysis. Conclusions Significant differences exist in the gut microbiota and metabolite composition among seedlings with varying growth rates. Microbes residing in the gut have the potential to influence the growth of seedlings through modulation of their metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a subtle and progressive onset and is the most common type of dementia. However, its etiology and pathogenesis have not yet been fully elucidated. The common pathological manifestations of AD include extraneuronal β-amyloid deposition (Aβ), intraneuronal tau protein phosphorylation leading to the formation of 'neurofibrillary tangles' (NFTs), neuroinflammation, progressive loss of brain neurons/synapses, and glucose metabolism disorders. Current treatment approaches for AD primarily focus on the 'Aβ cascade hypothesis and abnormal aggregation of hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins', but have shown limited efficacy. Therefore, there is an ongoing need to identify more effective treatment targets for AD. The central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory response plays a key role in the occurrence and development of AD. Neuroinflammation is an immune response activated by glial cells in the CNS that usually occurs in response to stimuli such as nerve injury, infection and toxins or in response to autoimmunity. Neuroinflammation ranks as the third most prominent pathological feature in AD, following Aβ and NFTs. In recent years, the focus on the role of neuroinflammation and microglia in AD has increased due to the advancements in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and sequencing technology. Furthermore, research has validated the pivotal role of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in the progression of AD. Therefore, this article reviews the latest research progress on the role of neuroinflammation triggered by microglia in AD in recent years, aiming to provide a new theoretical basis for further exploring the role of neuroinflammation in the process of AD occurrence and development., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Yan et al.)

Background and Objectives: Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus disease (CAEBV) is a proliferative disease of EBV + T or natural killer (NK) cells with an unclear pathogenesis. This study aimed to examine the frequency and exhaustion levels of lymphocyte subsets in patients with CAEBV to further investigate the pathogenesis., Methods: Using flow cytometry, we detected the frequency, expression levels of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and EBV infection status of peripheral T subsets and NK cells in patients with CAEBV and healthy individuals., Results: 24 patients and 15 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Patients showed notably higher expression levels of PD-1 and PD-L1 in peripheral T subsets and NK cells compared to healthy individuals (P < 0.05). EBV + lymphocytes exhibited significantly higher PD-L1 expression levels than EBV - lymphocytes. Additionally, the frequency of effector memory T (Tem) cells was significantly increased in patients, and the PD-L1 expression level was positively correlated with the EBV load. Besides, helper T cell 2 (Th2) immune bias, also favoring EBV amplification, was found in patients, including increased Th2 cell frequency, enhanced response capacity, and elevated serum levels of associated cytokines. The distribution and PD-1 expression levels of peripheral T subsets returned to normal in patients who responded to PD-1 blockade therapy., Conclusions: The up-regulation of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway of peripheral T and NK cells and Th2 immune predominance jointly promoted EBV replication and the development of CAEBV. PD-1 blockade therapy reduced the PD-1 expression level of lymphocytes and helped normalize the distribution of the T subsets., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of Interest.