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Naïve human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) provide a unique experimental platform of cell fate decisions during pre-implantation development, but their lineage potential remains incompletely characterized. As naïve hPSCs share transcriptional and epigenomic signatures with trophoblast cells, it has been proposed that the naïve state may have enhanced predisposition for differentiation along this extraembryonic lineage. Here we examined the trophoblast potential of isogenic naïve and primed hPSCs. We found that naïve hPSCs can directly give rise to human trophoblast stem cells (hTSCs) and undergo further differentiation into both extravillous and syncytiotrophoblast. In contrast, primed hPSCs do not support hTSC derivation, but give rise to non-self-renewing cytotrophoblasts in response to BMP4. Global transcriptome and chromatin accessibility analyses indicate that hTSCs derived from naïve hPSCs are similar to blastocyst-derived hTSCs and acquire features of post-implantation trophectoderm. The derivation of hTSCs from naïve hPSCs will enable elucidation of early mechanisms that govern normal human trophoblast development and associated pathologies.

Abstract Background The production of peripheral platelet is mainly regulated by thrombopoietin, which is a glycoprotein hormone predominantly synthesized in the liver. Previously, many studies have reported that there was an inverse correlation between the degree of chronic viral hepatitis and the peripheral platelet count. However, the effect of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the peripheral platelet counts remains unclear. Methods With 1303 participants from “The prevention of MS and multi-metabolic disorders in Jiangsu province of China (PMMJS)” cohort study, we investigated the associations between NAFLD and the risk of platelet counts reduction in Chinese adults. The paired-samples T test was used to explore the platelet counts changes between baseline and follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between presence of NAFLD and the risk of platelet reduction by calculating the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results After five years of follow-up, platelet counts were markedly reduced from 220.6 ± 42.22 (109/L) at baseline to 208.41 ± 40.70 (109/L) at follow-up in NAFLD group (P

With the development of the Internet of Things, smart devices are widely used. Hardware security is one key issue in the security of the Internet of Things. As the core component of the hardware, the integrated circuit must be taken seriously with its security. The pre-silicon detection methods do not require gold chips, are not affected by process noise, and are suitable for the safe detection of a very large-scale integration. Therefore, more and more researchers are paying attention to the pre-silicon detection method. In this study, we propose a machine-learning-based hardware-Trojan detection method at the gate level. First, we put forward new Trojan-net features. After that, we use the scoring mechanism of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting to set up a new effective feature set of 49 out of 56 features. Finally, the hardware-Trojan classifier was trained and detected based on the new feature set by the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain 89.84% average Recall , 86.75% average F-measure , and 99.83% average Accuracy , which is the best detection result among existing machine-learning-based hardware-Trojan detection methods.

The absence of effective gene activators in bacteria limits regulated expression programs. Here the authors design synthetic bacterial CRISPR-Cas transcriptional activators that can be used to construct multi-gene programs of activation and repression.

Summary: T helper 17 (Th17) cell development is programmed by the orphan nuclear receptor RORγt, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. Nuclear receptor-mediated transcriptional activation depends on coactivators. Here, we show that steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) critically regulates Th17 cell differentiation. Reduced incidence of experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) associated with decreased Th17 cell generation in vivo was observed in mice with SRC-3 deletion specifically in T cells. In vitro, SRC-3 deficiency did not affect TGF-β/IL-6-induced Th17 cell generation but severely impaired pathogenic Th17 differentiation induced by IL-1/IL-6/IL-23. Microarray analysis revealed that SRC-3 not only regulates IL-17A but also IL-1R1 expression. SRC-3 bound to Il17a and Il1r1 loci in a RORγt-dependent manner and was required for recruitment of the p300 acetyltransferase. Thus, SRC-3 is critical for RORγt-dependent gene expression in Th17 cell-driven autoimmune diseases. : The unique transcriptional programs in IL-1-induced inflammatory Th17 cells have remained unclear. Tanaka et al. demonstrate that SRC-3 in CD4+ T helper cells functions as a specific coactivator of RORγt, a master transcription factor of Th17 cells, by regulating IL-1-IL1R1 signaling. Keywords: steroid receptor coactivator-3, pathogenic Th17, RORγt, EAE, IL1R1, IL17A, p300

T help 17 (Th17) cells are important mediators for both protective and pathogenic immune reactions, but how their functions are regulated at the epigenetic level is not understood. Here the authors show that TRIM28, a cofactor for transcriptional regulation, is important for epigenetic activation of Th17-related gene loci during Th17 response.

Abstract Background Recent GWAS-associated studies reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ABCB1, TGFβ1, XRCC1 genes were associated with hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, and variants of APOA4 and APOE genes were associated with and hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in US population. However, the associations of these loci with HAV or HEV infection in Chinese Han population remain unclear. Methods A total of 3082 Chinese Han persons were included in this study. Anti-HAV IgG and anti-HEV IgG were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Genotypes in ABCB1, TGFβ1, XRCC1, APOA4 and APOE SNPs were determined by TaqMan MGB technology. Results In Chinese Han population, rs1045642 C to T variation in ABCB1 was significantly associated with the decreased risk of HAV infection (P

The factors,which influence the stability of thin-wall perforated steel components are complex. Take the columns as an example,in the existing research,much attention has been paid to the continuous section,but little paper on noncontinuous one. According to the characteristics of the non continuous cross section,based on performance testing and finite element analysis of columns,with the method of BP neural network intelligent stability prediction,the stability prediction model of the columns is established. The predict results are compared with the test data,and the error is less than 2%,which is more accurate than the finite element analysis results. It is very promising that the intelligent prediction method has applied in the structure engineering.

Based on the application of the honeycomb in the square guide rail,analyzed the tandem honeycomb deformation stability by experiments. Found tandem honeycomb is prone to instability in the impact process for the effect of uneven strength of simple honeycomb and impact load deflection. Analysis shows that the plate, with low intensity or its sectional dimension is smaller than guide rail section, is difficult to prevent honeycomb instability. To improve the effect of connection on keep tandem honeycomb deformation stability, studied the relationship among plate sectional dimension, guide rail sectional dimension and plate deflection degree from the theoretical level: when the guide rail sectional dimension unchanged, the longer the length of connection plate is, the smaller the deflection angle of plate is, the smaller the friction between plate and guide rail is, the better the guiding function of connection plate is. Based on the conclusion, designed a new guiding plate, it is not only improves tandem honeycomb deformation stability, but also solves the honeycomb peeling.

The precoding-aided spatial modulation (PSM) is first characterized with respect to its secrecy performance, which shows that the PSM is a secrecy embedded communication scheme when operated in the time-division duplex mode, but experiences security risk under frequency-division duplex mode. Therefore, we extend the PSM to a secret PSM (SPSM) that is suitable for operation in any communications scenarios experiencing passive eavesdropping. In the proposed SPSM, the secrecy performance is enhanced by using a part of transmit power to interfere the eavesdropper's reception. In this paper, the secrecy performance of SPSM with discrete inputs is comprehensively investigated in terms of both bit error rate and secrecy rate and by both analysis and simulations. Relying on the asymptotic analysis, we also derive the upper and lower bounds for the error performance and secrecy rate of SPSM. Furthermore, we study the power allocation between information and interference transmission in order to maximize SPSM's secrecy performance. Our studies result in a range of expressions, which are validated by Monte Carlo simulations. Furthermore, our studies demonstrate that the analytical formulas are beneficial to the optimization of SPSM systems for maximizing its security performance.

In this paper, a general function expansion bilinear (FEB) filter with a 3-D diagonal structure is proposed to deal with the problem of saturation nonlinearity in active noise control (ANC) systems. In an ANC system, the reference microphone and/or loudspeaker may be saturated when the acoustic noise and/or the controller output exceeds the dynamic limits of electronic devices. Such saturation nonlinearity degrades the control performance of the linear and some nonlinear control filters equipped with a filtered-x least mean square (FXLMS) algorithm. In order to tackle the problem of signal saturation, we use a new nonlinear saturation ANC (NSANC) model and derive a function expansion diagonal-structure bilinear FXLMS (FEDBFXLMS) algorithm. The performance of the proposed filters equipped with the associated FEDBFXLMS algorithm is validated through the analysis of computational complexity and simulations of various nonlinearities for NSANC systems. Computer simulation results demonstrate that the proposed FEB filter can achieve significant performance improvement in reducing saturation effects in comparison with the diagonal-channel bilinear filter and the recursive second-order Volterra filter based on the FXLMS algorithm, which often outperform the conventional nonlinear Volterra and functional link artificial neural network (FLANN) filters.

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-019-1114-2.

Modulating retro-reflector (MRR), originally introduced to support laser communication, relieves most of the weight, power, and pointing requirements to the ground station. In this paper, a plug-and-play measurement device independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) scheme with MRR is proposed not only to eliminate detector side channels and allow an untrusted satellite relay between two users, but also to simplify the requirements set-ups in practical flexible moving scenarios. The plug-and-play architecture compensates for the polarization drift during the transmission to provide superior performance in implementing the MDI-QKD on a free-space channel, and the MRR device is adopted to relax the requirements on both communication terminals. A double-pass correlated turbulent channel model is presented to investigate the complex and unstable channel characteristics caused by the atmospheric turbulence. Furthermore, the security of the modified MDI-QKD scheme is analyzed under some classical attacks and the simulation results indicate the feasibility under the situation that the system performance deteriorates with the increase of fading correlation coefficient and the turbulence intensity, which provides a meaningful step towards an MDI-QKD based on the moving platforms to join a dynamic quantum network with untrusted relays.

The highly ordered porous anodic alumina was prepared by anodic oxidation technology, after being treated by AC phosphoric pore broadening, the Cu-Ni nano composite particles were deposited into anodic alumina pores by AC frequency with 50Hz in different voltages, different time and different temperatures. The spectra result shows that the coating prepared under the conditions of voltage is 12V, time is 600s, temperature is 25℃ has good solar absorption performance, the absorptivity is 0.91, emissivity is 0.18, quality factor is 4.9. The SEM and XRD analysis show that CuAl2O4/Cu-Ni composite nanorods were deposited on the surface of the composite oxide coating. After heat treatment at 600℃, the solar absorption and infrared emission of target coating have a small fluctuation and the thermal stability of the coating system is greatly improved. The existing of CuAl2O4 limits the diffusion of metal particles under high temperature environment at the interface, which prevents the Cu/Ni from being oxidized.

In this paper, we develop generalized hierarchical Bayesian ANOVA, to assist experimental researchers in the behavioral and social sciences in the analysis of experiments with within- and between-subjects factors. The method alleviates several limitations of classical ANOVA, still commonly employed in those fields of research. An accompanying R Package for BANOVA is developed. It offers statistical routines and several easy-to-use functions for estimation of hierarchical Bayesian ANOVA models that are tailored to the analysis of experimental research. MCMC simulation is used to simulate posterior samples of the parameters of each model specified by the user. The core program is written in R and JAGS. After preparing the data in the required format, users simply select an appropriate model, and can estimate it without any advanced coding being required. The main aim of the R package is to offer freely accessible resources for hierarchical Bayesian ANOVA analysis, which makes it easy to use for applied researchers.

The molecular mechanisms that govern differential T cell development into pro-inflammatory Th17 vs. regulatory T (Treg) cells remain unclear. Here, we show that selective deletion of CREB in T cells or Th17 cells impaired Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and in vivo, and led to resistance to autoimmune diseases. Mechanistically, CREB, activated by CD3-PKC-ϴ signaling, plays a key role in regulating Th17 cell differentiation, at least in part through directly binding to the Il17-Il17f gene locus. Unexpectedly, although dispensable for FOXP3 expression and for the homeostasis and suppressive function of thymus-derived Treg cells, CREB negatively regulates the survival of TGF-β-induced Treg cells, and deletion of CREB resulted in increased FOXP3+ Treg cells in the intestine and protection in a colitis model. Thus, CREB is critical in autoimmune diseases by promoting Th17 cell and inhibiting de novo Treg cell generation.

Th17 cells are potent mediators in autoimmune diseases, and RORγt is required for their development. Recent studies have shown that RORγt+ Treg cells in the gut regulate intestinal inflammation by inhibiting effector T cell function. In the current study, we report that RORγt+ Treg cells were also found in lymph nodes following immunization. Not only distinct from intestinal RORγt+ Treg cells in their transcriptomes, peripheral RORγt+ Treg cells were derived from Foxp3+ thymic Treg cells in an antigen-specific manner. Development of these RORγt+ Treg cells, coined T regulatory 17 (Tr17) cells, depended on IL-6/Stat3 signaling. Tr17 cells showed suppressive activity against antigen-specific effector T cells in vitro. In addition, Tr17 cells efficiently inhibited myelin-specific Th17-cell-mediated CNS auto-inflammation in a passive EAE model. Collectively, our study demonstrates that Tr17 cells are effector Treg cells that potentially restrict autoimmunity.

Background and Aim: In the evolving pedagogical landscape, the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) approach has garnered attention for its student-centric model and clear educational outcomes. University in Shaanxi Province recognizes the need for an integrative basketball teaching model to harmonize with this paradigm shift. This study endeavors to design a basketball teaching model for Xi'an University students, underpinning the OBE concept. Materials and Methods: Employing a combination of interviews, questionnaires, and specialized software packages, data were collected from a population comprising 45 teachers and 5,000 first-year students, with a selected sample of 370 students and 45 teachers. The research process encompassed a thorough examination of the current teaching model, followed by the utilization of the Delphi technique and focus groups to conceptualize the OBE framework for basketball teaching. Results: Analysis revealed the need for a comprehensive basketball teaching model in higher education. The proposed OBE model integrates 4 primary elements (Basketball Theory, Basketball Skills, and Physical, and Social Adaptability), further divided into 12 secondary and 34 tertiary elements. Each segment is tailored to specific outcome objectives, emphasizing cognitive understanding, skill mastery, physical fitness, and social adaptation. Conclusion: The proposed OBE basketball teaching model offers a holistic approach to basketball education, integrating both sport-specific and life-oriented skills. By aligning with China's national development goals and the principles of education, this model stands poised to revolutionize basketball education in Xi'an, setting a benchmark for other provinces.

Polarization encoding has been extensively used in quantum key distribution (QKD) implementations along free-space links. However, the calculation model to characterize channel transmittance and quantum bit error rate (QBER) for free-space QKD has not been systematically studied. As a result, it is often assumed that misalignment error is equal to a fixed value, which is not theoretically rigorous. In this paper, we investigate the depolarization and rotation of the signal beams resulting from spatially-dependent polarization effects of the use of curved optics in an off-axis configuration, where decoherence can be characterized by the Huygens–Fresnel principle and the cross-spectral density matrix (CSDM). The transmittance and misalignment error in a practical free-space QKD can thus be estimated using the method. Furthermore, the numerical simulations clearly show that the polarization effect caused by turbulence can be effectively mitigated when maintaining good beam coherence properties.

There is a wealth of information in real-world social networks. In addition to the topology information, the vertices or edges of a social network often have attributes, with many of the overlapping vertices belonging to several communities simultaneously. It is challenging to fully utilize the additional attribute information to detect overlapping communities. In this paper, we first propose an overlapping community detection algorithm based on an augmented attribute graph. An improved weight adjustment strategy for attributes is embedded in the algorithm to help detect overlapping communities more accurately. Second, we enhance the algorithm to automatically determine the number of communities by a node-density-based fuzzy k-medoids process. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithms can effectively detect overlapping communities with fewer parameters compared to the baseline methods.

Abstract Background To determine the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and related presence of mutations in quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) genes and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) among Shigella flexneri isolates obtained from Jiangsu Province, China. Methods A total of 400 Shigella flexneri clinical isolates collected during 2012–2015 were identified by biochemical and serological methods, and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was evaluated using the disc-diffusion method. PCR and DNA sequencing were accomplished to identify mutations in gyrA, gyrB, parC and parE, and the presence of qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, qnrS, qepA and aac(6′)-Ib-cr genes were also detected. Results Of all the Shigella flexneri, 75.8% were resistant to nalidixic acid, and 37.0% were categorized as norfloxacin resistant. Overall, 75.5% of isolates possessed gyrA mutations (Ser83Leu, Asp87Gly/Asn and His211Tyr), while 84.3% had parC mutations (Ser80Ile, Ala81Pho, Gln91His and Ser129Pro). The most prevalent point mutations in gyrA and parC were Ser83Leu (75.5%, 302/400) and Ser80Ile (74.5%, 298/400), relatively. Besides, the Gln517Arg alternation in gyrB was detected in 13 S. flexneri isolates and no mutations were identified in parE. PMQR determinations of qnrB, qnrS and aac(6′)-Ib-cr were detected among 16 strains (4.0%). Conclusions The results presented here show that fluoroquinolone resistance in these clinical isolates result from mutations in chromosome, besides, despite the low prevalence of PMQR determinants in Jiangsu, it is essential to continue surveillance PMQR determinants in this area.

Background & Aims: Despite a prominent association, chronic intestinal barrier loss is insufficient to induce disease in human subjects or experimental animals. We hypothesized that compensatory mucosal immune activation might protect individuals with increased intestinal permeability from disease. We used a model in which intestinal barrier loss is triggered by intestinal epithelial-specific expression of constitutively active myosin light chain kinase (CA-MLCK). Here we asked whether constitutive tight junction barrier loss impacts susceptibility to enteric pathogens. Methods: Acute or chronic Toxoplasma gondii or Salmonella typhimurium infection was assessed in CA-MLCK transgenic or wild-type mice. Germ-free mice or those lacking specific immune cell populations were used to investigate the effect of microbial-activated immunity on pathogen translocation in the context of increased intestinal permeability. Results: Acute T gondii and S typhimurium translocation across the epithelial barrier was reduced in CA-MLCK mice. This protection was due to enhanced mucosal immune activation that required CD4+ T cells and interleukin 17A but not immunoglobulin A. The protective mucosal immune activation in CA-MLCK mice depended on segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), because protection against early SÂ typhimurium invasion was lost in germ-free CA-MLCK mice but could be restored by conventionalization with SFB-containing, not SFB-deficient, microbiota. In contrast, chronic S typhimurium infection was more severe in CA-MLCK mice, suggesting that despite activation of protective mucosal immunity, barrier defects ultimately result in enhanced disease progression. Conclusions: Increased epithelial tight junction permeability synergizes with commensal bacteria to promote intestinal CD4+ T-cell expansion and interleukin 17A production that limits enteric pathogen invasion. Keywords: Barrier Function, Tight Junction, Microbiota, CD4 T Cell, Mucosal Immunity, Salmonella

Abstract Background Occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is an important risk factor of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Type 1 interferon (IFN) signaling-related miRNAs were significantly associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, the characteristics of serum IFN signaling-related miRNAs in OBI remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the expression levels of serum IFN signaling-related miRNAs in OBI and to evaluate their potential values for OBI diagnosis. Methods Twenty serum samples for training test (10 healthy controls and 10 OBI patients) and 438 validation serum samples from healthy controls, asymptomatic HBsAg carriers (ASC), and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and OBI patients were collected. Expression levels of 32 IFN signaling-related miRNAs were analyzed in training and validation sets of samples using RT-qPCR. Results Among 32 IFN signaling-related miRNAs, decreased miR-122 levels and increased miR-130a levels were detected in training OBI samples. Furthermore, the results from validation test showed that the mean serum miR-122 and miR-130a level was 2.28 ± 0.96 and 3.11 ± 0.93 in OBI subjects, respectively. Compared to the healthy controls, ASC and CHB patients, miR-122 levels were significantly downregulated, while miR-130a levels were significantly upregulated in OBI patients. ROC analysis indicated that miR-122 + miR-130a could differentiate OBI from healthy controls, ASC, and CHB (≥ 0.87 of AUC). Conclusions Our study suggested that decreased serum miR-122 level and increased miR-130a level were significantly associated with OBI. Moreover, a combination of miR-122 and miR-130a could be served as a potential marker for OBI diagnosis.

Objective: Hepatitis B vaccine is regarded as the most effective method for the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, several factors such as age, body mass index and immunocompetent state have been reported to be associated with reduced immunization responses. The present commentary was aimed to discuss the influences of obesity on the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccines. Data sources: Available peer-reviewed literatures, practice guidelines, and statistics published on hepatitis B vaccine in obesity between 1973 and 2015. Conclusions: Obesity was significantly associated with non-response to hepatitis B vaccine immunization. The risk of nonresponsiveness of hepatitis B vaccine among obese people increased with BMI. Moreover, the obesity might lead to an increased risk of HBV vaccine-escape mutations. The mechanism responsible for decreased immunization responses in obesity included leptin-induced systemic and B cell intrinsic inflammation, impaired T cell responses and lymphocyte division and proliferation. Therefore, more studies should be performed to analyze the influences of obesity on the immunogenicity of hepatitis B vaccines to improve the immunoprotecive effect of hepatitis B vaccines in future.

Benzoxaboroles have been shown to be active against different pathogens. Here, the authors show that the benzoxaborole AN3661 inhibitsPlasmodium falciparum in vitroand in mouse models, and identify a homologue of a mammalian cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor as a drug target.

Wilms' tumors (WT), which accountfor 6% of all childhood cancers, arise from dysregulated differentiation of nephrogenic progenitor cells from embryonic kidneys. Though there is an improvement in the prognosis of WT, still 10% of patients with WT die due to recurrence. Thus more effective treatment approaches are necessary. We previously characterized the inflammatory microenvironment in human WT and observed the robust expression of COX-2. The aim of this study was to extend our studies to analyze the role of COX-2 pathway components in WT progression using a mouse model of WT. Herein, COX-2 pathway components such as COX-2, HIF1-α, p-ERK1/2, and p-STAT3 were upregulated in mouse and human tumor tissues. In our RPPA analysis, COX-2 was up-regulated in M15 cells after Wt1 gene was knocked down. Flow cytometry analysis showed the increased infiltration of immune suppressive inflammatory cells such as pDC's and Treg cells in tumors. The chemotactic chemokines responsible for the infiltration of these cells were also induced in CCR5 and CXCR4 dependent manner respectively. The immunosuppressive cytokines IL-10, TGF-β, and TNF-α were also up-regulated. Furthermore, more pronounced Th2 and Treg induced cytokine response was observed than Th1 response in tumors. Basing on all these evidences it is speculated that COX-2 pathway may be a beneficial target for the treatment of WT. It may be most effective as an adjuvant therapy together with other inhibitors. Thus, our current study provides a good rationale for initiating animal studies to confirm the efficacy of COX-2 inhibitors in decreasing tumor cell growth in vivo.

Abstract Metastasis is the leading cause of death in breast cancer patients. However, the mechanisms underlying metastasis are not well understood and there is no effective treatment in the clinic. Here, we demonstrate that in MMTV-PyMT, a highly malignant spontaneous breast tumor model, IL-25 (also called IL-17E) was expressed by tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells and macrophages. An IL-25 neutralization antibody, while not affecting primary tumor growth, substantially reduced lung metastasis. Inhibition of IL-25 resulted in decreased type 2 T cells and macrophages in the primary tumor microenvironments, both reported to enhance breast tumor invasion and subsequent metastasis to the lung. Taken together, our data suggest IL-25 blockade as a novel treatment for metastatic breast tumor.

Objective To study and analyze the effect of applying the knowledge, attitude/belief, and practice (KAP) nursing mode in caring for patients who receive fixed orthodontic treatment. Methods A total of 112 patients who re⁃ ceived orthodontic treatment were selected as study subjects. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 56 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with conventional oral care, while those in the observation group were treated with the KAP nursing mode. The patients􀆳 awareness of the disease, treatment compliance, and orthodontic complications were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment with the KAP nursing mode, the disease cognition score was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Patient compliance was better in the observation group than in the control group throughout the treatment. Pa⁃ tients in the observation group were more able to return to the hospital on time than those in the control group. The orth⁃ odontic plaque index (OPI) of patients in the observation group decreased during the treatment. The OPI of patients in the observation group was significantly lower than that of patients in the control group at 6 months (t＝2.344) and 12 months (t＝3.721) after the start of the treatment (P < 0.05), and the incidence of orthodontic complications in the observation group was 7.1% (4/56), significantly lower than that in the control group (26.9% (15/56); c2＝9.728, P < 0.05). Conclu⁃ sion Application of the KAP nursing mode can effectively reduce the incidence of complications in patients with fixed orthodontics, improve the oral health of patients, and positively affect orthodontic treatment.

We report functional genomics studies of a CYP74 rubber particle protein from Parthenium argentatum, commonly called guayule. Previously identified as an allene oxide synthase (AOS), this CYP74 constitutes the most abundant protein found in guayule rubber particles. Transgenic guayule lines with AOS gene expression down-regulated by RNAi (AOSi) exhibited strong phenotypes that included agricultural traits conducive to enhancing rubber yield. AOSi lines had higher leaf and stem biomass, thicker stembark tissues, increased stem branching and improved net photosynthetic rate. Importantly, the rubber content was significantly increased in AOSi lines compared to the wild-type (WT), vector control and AOS overexpressing (AOSoe) lines, when grown in controlled environments both in tissue-culture media and in greenhouse/growth chambers. Rubber particles from AOSi plants consistently had less AOS particle-associated protein, and lower activity (for conversion of 13-HPOT to allene oxide). Yet plants with downregulated AOS showed higher rubber transferase enzyme activity. The increase in biomass in AOSi lines was associated with not only increases in the rate of photosynthesis and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), in the cold, but also in the content of the phytohormone SA, along with a decrease in JA, GAs, and ABA. The increase in biosynthetic activity and rubber content could further result from the negative regulation of AOS expression by high levels of salicylic acid in AOSi lines and when introduced exogenously. It is apparent that AOS in guayule plays a pivotal role in rubber production and plant growth.

Owing to the particular distribution of energy and load, the high-voltage direct current transmission system has been greatly developed in China. A number of areas have formed the multi-infeed direct current (MIDC) transmission systems. In MIDC transmission systems, the electrical distance between the inverter stations is close and the coupling effect is strong, therefore, the interaction influence of harmonics is complex. In order to analyse this complex interaction influence, this study first introduces the influence factors multi-infeed influence factors of power (MIIF-Pd) and multi-infeed total harmonic voltage distortion (MITHDu), which are used to describe the interaction influence degree of harmonics between inverter stations. Then based on the Shanghai power grid, a simulation model of the MIDC transmission systems was built in PSCAD/EMTDC, and the interaction influence degree of harmonics in MIDC transmission systems was studied in the case of large disturbance and small disturbance exists in the inverter stations. The results show that the interaction influence of harmonics between inverter stations is related to the electrical distance, the style of disturbance, transmission power and so on. Meanwhile, the disturbance on a commutation bus mainly leads to the increase of the harmonic distortion rate in this inverter station, and has less influence on the other stations.

BackgroundMore than 11 million people were estimated to be infected by Schistosoma japonicum in China before the 1950s. However, seldom studies have been conducted to evaluate the longitudinal effects of previous schistosome infection (PSI). We aimed to investigate the association between PSI and hyperuricemia in China.MethodsFrom February 2013 to October 2013, 3,517 Chinese subjects (908 persons with PSI and 2,609 persons without PSI) were recruited from a prospective cohort study of "135". After two years, 113 and 462 participants had developed hyperuricemia in the persons with and without PSI, respectively. Multivariable logistic models were used to estimate Relative Ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for hyperuricemia.ResultsThe PSI participants had a decreased risk of hyperuricemia compared with those without PSI [adjusted RR (95%CI): 0.73 (0.55, 0.97)]. Within the PSI group, higher level of fasting plasma glucose was significantly associated with the reduced incidence of hyperuricemia in PSI population (RR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26-0.63). For females, hypertension, increased levels of serum creatinine and triglycerides were the risk factors for incident hyperuricemia in the PSI group.ConclusionsOur results suggest that PSI is significantly associated with the lower incidence of hyperuricemia. Moreover, elevated fasting plasma glucose might prevent the onset of hyperuricemia in PSI population.

Eomes, a T-box transcription factor, is known important for both function and homeostasis of effector and memory T cells, but was recently also implicated in CD8+ T cell exhaustion. However, whether and how Eomes might regulate effector functions or exhaustion of CD8+ T cells, especially in the tumor setting, is unknown. Here we first show, as tumor progressed, Eomes expression was elevated in tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells, especially in PD-1+Tim-3+ exhausted CD8+ T cells. Complete loss of Eomes in T cells resulted in impaired development of anti-tumor CTLs, whereas deletion of one allele of Eomes in T cells decreased development of exhausted CD8+ T cells, which offered better tumor control. Integrative analysis of RNAseq and ChIPseq of Eomes-overexpressing T cells revealed that high levels of Eomes expression directly controlled expression of T cell exhaustion genes, such as Havcr2. In addition, Eomes might compete with T-bet binding to regulatory genomic loci to antagonize T-bet functions. Collectively, Eomes exerts bimodal functions in CD8+ T cells in tumor.

Summary: Emphysema results in destruction of alveolar walls and enlargement of lung airspaces and has been shown to develop during helminth infections through IL-4R-independent mechanisms. We examined whether interleukin 17A (IL-17A) may instead modulate development of emphysematous pathology in mice infected with the helminth parasite Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. We found that transient elevations in IL-17A shortly after helminth infection triggered subsequent emphysema that destroyed alveolar structures. Furthermore, lung B cells, activated through IL-4R signaling, inhibited early onset of emphysematous pathology. IL-10 and other regulatory cytokines typically associated with B regulatory cell function did not play a major role in this response. Instead, at early stages of the response, B cells produced high levels of the tissue-protective protein, Resistin-like molecule α (RELMα), which then downregulated IL-17A expression. These studies show that transient elevations in IL-17A trigger emphysema and reveal a helminth-induced immune regulatory mechanism that controls IL-17A and the severity of emphysema. : Emphysema causes pathology that can compromise lung function, and mechanisms for reducing disease severity remain unclear. Using a helminth model, Chen et al. show that type 2 immune response triggers lung B cells to produce RELMα, which then downregulates IL-17 production in the lung to limit emphysema. Keywords: emphysema, IL-17, B lymphocytes, RELMα, helminth

Acute graft-vs.-host disease (aGVHD) is one of the major complications and results in high mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). IL-17C is involved in many inflammatory immune disorders. However, the role of IL-17C in aGVHD remains unknown. Here we demonstrated that IL-17C deficiency in the graft significantly promoted alloreactive T cell responses and induced aggravated aGVHD compared with wildtype donors in a fully MHC-mismatched allo-HSCT model. In contrast, IL-17C overexpression ameliorated aGVHD. IL-17C deficiency increased intestinal epithelial permeability and elevated inflammatory cytokine production, leading to an enhanced aGVHD progression. Tregs was reduced in recipients of IL-17C−/− graft, whilst restored after IL-17C overexpression. Decreased Treg differentiation was abrogated after neutralizing IFN-γ, but not IL-6. Moreover, depletion of Tregs diminished the protective effect of IL-17C. Of note, patients with low IL-17C expression displayed higher aGVHD incidence together with poor overall survival, thereby IL-17C could be an independent risk factor for aGVHD development. Our results are the first demonstrating the protective role of IL-17C in aGVHD by promoting intestinal barrier functions and Treg differentiation in a MHC fully mismatched murine aGVHD model. IL-17C may serve as a novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for aGVHD.

The measurement-device-independent (MDI) quantum key distribution (QKD) is considered to be an alternative to overcome the currently trusted satellite paradigm. However, the feasibility of the space-based MDI-QKD remains unclear in terms of the factors: the high-loss uplink between a ground station and a satellite, the limited duration when two ground stations are simultaneously visible, as well as the rigorous requirements for the two-photon interference when performing the Bell-state measurement. In this paper, we present a feasibility assessment of space-based MDI-QKD based on the Micius satellite. Integrated with the orbital dynamics model and atmosphere channel model, a framework is presented to explore the whole parameters space including orbit height, elevation angle, apertures of transceiver and atmospheric turbulence intensity to give the considerations for improving key rates and subsequently provide a relevant parameter tradeoff for the implementation of space-based MDI-QKD. We further investigate the heart of MDI-QKD, the two-photon interference considerations such as the frequency calibration and time synchronization technology against Doppler shift, and the way of performing the intensity optimization method in the dynamic and asymmetric channels. Our work can be used as a pathfinder to support decisions involving as the selection of the future quantum communication satellite missions.

The plasma-assisted method was used to synthesize silver nanoparticles, and the growth process of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) was monitored in real time by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption spectroscopy. The effect of additives on the synthesis of Ag-NPs was verified. It is found that the addition of isopropanol and glucose can increase the plasmon resonance absorption intensity of the reaction solution, and promote the synthesis of Ag-NPs. In the plasma-assisted method, the additives can effectively improve the synthesis efficiency of Ag-NPs, which has great inspiration for the synthesis of other metal nanoparticles.