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Cervical cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Microbes and hosts form a mutually beneficial symbiosis relationship, and various parts of the host body are microbial habitats. Microbes can trigger inflammation in certain parts of the host body, contributing to cervical cancer development. This article reviews the relationship between cervicovaginal microbes, inflammation and cervical cancer, and discusses the effect of some key cervical microbes on cervical cancer. Finally, probiotic therapy and immunotherapy are summarized.

Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are important causes of infection in children. However, without a comprehensive and persistent surveillance, the epidemiology and clinical features of HPeV infection remain ambiguous. We performed a hospital-based surveillance study among three groups of pediatric patients with acute respiratory infection (Group 1), acute diarrhea (Group 2), and hand, foot and mouth disease (Group 3) in Chongqing, China, from 2009 to 2015. Among 10,212 tested patients, 707 (6.92%) were positive for HPeV, with the positive rates differing significantly among three groups (Group 1, 3.43%; Group 2, 14.94%; Group 3, 3.55%; P < 0.001). The co-infection with other pathogens was detected in 75.2% (531/707) of HPeV-positive patients. Significant negative interaction between HPeV and Parainfluenza virus (PIV) (P = 0.046, OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.34–0.98) and positive interactions between HPeV and Enterovirus (EV) (P = 0.015, OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.23–4.73) were identified. Among 707 HPeV-positive patients, 592 (83.73%) were successfully sequenced, and 10 genotypes were identified, with HPeV1 (n = 396), HPeV4 (n = 86), and HPeV3 (n = 46) as the most frequently seen. The proportion of genotypes differed among three groups (P < 0.001), with HPeV1 and HPeV4 overrepresented in Group 2 and HPeV6 overrepresented in Group 3. The spatial patterns of HPeV genotypes disclosed more close clustering of the currently sequenced strains than those from other countries/regions, although they were indeed mixed. Three main genotypes (HPeV1, HPeV3, and HPeV4) had shown distinct seasonal peaks, highlighting a bi-annual cycle of all HpeV and two genotypes (HPeV 1 and HPeV 4) with peaks in odd-numbered years and with peaks in even-numbered years HPeV3. Significantly higher HPeV1 viral loads were associated with severe diarrhea in Group 2 (P = 0.044), while associated with HPeV single infection than HPeV-EV coinfection among HFMD patients (P = 0.001). It’s concluded that HPeV infection was correlated with wide clinical spectrum in pediatric patients with a high variety of genotypes determined. Still no clinical significance can be confirmed, which warranted more molecular surveillance in the future.

Background The natural history of disease in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remained obscure during the early pandemic. Aim Our objective was to estimate epidemiological parameters of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and assess the relative infectivity of the incubation period. Methods We estimated the distributions of four epidemiological parameters of SARS-CoV-2 transmission using a large database of COVID-19 cases and potential transmission pairs of cases, and assessed their heterogeneity by demographics, epidemic phase and geographical region. We further calculated the time of peak infectivity and quantified the proportion of secondary infections during the incubation period. Results The median incubation period was 7.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.9‒7.5) days. The median serial and generation intervals were similar, 4.7 (95% CI: 4.2‒5.3) and 4.6 (95% CI: 4.2‒5.1) days, respectively. Paediatric cases Conclusion The high infectivity during the incubation period led to short generation and serial intervals, necessitating aggressive control measures such as early case finding and quarantine of close contacts.

Car manufacturers have been motivated to apply semi-active engine mounts to ensure superior performance in vibration attenuation during idle condition and better ability to isolate vibration which is generated by engine unbalanced force at high frequencies. This paper develops a non-linear lumped parameter model of semi-active engine mounts with air spring that focuses on the non-linearity of the rubber diaphragm and the air chamber. Then, the main rubber dynamic stiffness parameters are identified through experimental approaches with a novel-designed test rig. Other parameters including effective pumping area, main rubber spring bulge stiffness, fluid channel inertia and resistance, rubber diaphragm, and air-chamber parameters are attained through finite element analysis (FEA). Supported by the identified lumped parameters, the non-linear mathematical model could be simulated. In addition, the dynamic characteristics of the semi-active engine mount are tested through the original test rig. Therefore, comparing with the tested dynamic characteristics, the simulation result can validate the developed model and thus facilitate the structure design of the semi-active engine mount.

Acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) tends to cause the over-activation of inflammatory response and disruption of blood brain barrier (BBB), associating with long-term cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI), as a suppressor in the angiogenesis specifically by inducing apoptosis in proliferating endothelial cells, has been applied to different diseases, especially the tumors. But rare study had been done in the field of brain injury. So in this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms associated with VEGI-induced neuroprotection following CNS injury in mice TBI models. We demonstrated that the VEGI treatment reduced the contusion brain tissue loss, the permeation of inflammatory cells (MPO(+)) and the activation of microglia (Iba-1(+)). The treatment up-regulated the tight junction proteins (CLN5, ZO-1 and OCLN), which are vital importance for the integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB), the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) cell survival factors, while down-regulated the expression of TLR4, NF-κB and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, iNOS). The treatment also decreased the expression of reactive astrocytes (GFAP(+)), as well as the VEGF, and lowered the permeability of Evens Blue (EB). These findings suggested that the VEGI-treatment could alleviate the post-traumatic excessive inflammatory response, and maintain the stability of blood vessels, remitting the secondary brain damage.

Walking is an effective way of locomotion for the robot system; especially for the Hexapod robots, walking offers a better robustness for its redundancy of limbs. In order to enhance the adaptability of walking on unstructured terrain, a hexapod robot leg structure with the sensing ability has been developed. This structure is equipped with the 3-D force sensor at the tibia and the torque sensors at the first and second joint. The compliance control has been adopted to control the force of the foot end, and by combining with the real-time parameter estimation algorithm, the shape and stiffness can be updated to make the robot adapt to the mutative terrain better. Thus, the self-adaptively active compliance control for the hexapod robot leg has been realized, and the effectiveness of the controller has been verified through virtual simulation.

Introduction Cognitive deficits associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) reduce patient quality of life. However, to date, there have been no effective treatments for TBI-associated cognitive deficits. In this study, we aimed to determine whether electrical stimulation (ES) improves cognitive deficits in TBI rats. Methods Rats were randomly divided into three groups: the Sham control group, electrical stimulation group (ES group), and No electrical stimulation control group (N-ES group). Following fluid percussion injury, the rats in the ES group received ES treatment for 3 weeks. Potent cognitive function-relevant factors, including the escape latency, time percentage in the goal quadrant, and numbers of CD34+ cells, von Willebrand Factor+ (vWF+) vessels, and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), were subsequently assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) test, immunohistochemical staining, and flow cytometry. Results Compared with the rats in the N-ES group, the rats in the ES group exhibited a shorter escape latency on day 3 (p = .025), day 4 (p = .011), and day 5 (p = .003), as well as a higher time percentage in the goal quadrant (p = .025) in the MWM test. After 3 weeks of ES, there were increased numbers of CD34+ cells (p = .008) and vWF+ vessels (p = .000) in the hippocampus of injured brain tissue in the ES group compared with those in the N-ES group. Moreover, ES also significantly increased the number of EPCs in the peripheral blood from days 3 to 21 after TBI in the ES group (p

Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a leading cause of disability and death among young people in China. Unfortunately, no specific pharmacological agents to block the progression of secondary brain injury have been approved for clinical treatment. Recently, neuroprotective effects of erythropoietin (EPO) have been demonstrated in addition to its principal function in erythropoiesis, and hence it is viewed as a potential drug for TBI. In this study, we have investigated the neuroprotective effects of EPO associated with immune/inflammatory modulation in a mouse experimental TBI model. Methods EPO (5000 U/kg body weight, i.p.) was injected at 1 hr, 1, 2, and 3 days after TBI, and its effect on cognitive function, brain edema, immune/inflammatory cells including regulatory T cells (Tregs), neutrophils, CD3+ T cells, and microglia, cytokines including interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were evaluated at different time points after treatment. Results EPO treatment significantly decreased brain edema and improved cognitive function when compared to Saline-treated mice (p