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Purpose: The number of families who lost their only child was over one million in 2012 in China, and it is growing rapidly every year. Without their only child, they will inevitably worry about their health and life for their later years. It is important to explore the quality of life and influencing factors of the parents.Methods: The cluster sampling method was adopted to select the participants in Wuhu city, Anhui province, central China. The generalized linear regression models were performed to analyze factors influencing EQ-VAS scores.Results: The parents with different monthly income (P = 0.001) and self-rated health status (P < 0.001) had different EQ-VAS scores. Educational level, self-rated health status, number of chronic diseases, depression and having grandchildren were significantly associated with their EQ-VAS score.Conclusion: The government should encourage public medical institutions to provide convenient health management and medical services to this vulnerable group. Priority treatment should be given to the parents who already have multiple diseases. The parents who were depressed should be given timely intervention. The government should give more financial subsidies to the parents who need to raise their grandchildren.

Background: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an effective measure for improving the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). However, the role of HIPEC in CRC patients at high risk of PC remains controversial. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of HIPEC in CRC patients at high risk of PC.Methods: We performed a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and other online databases up to July 30, 2020. The clinical data, including overall survival, disease free survival, peritoneal metastasis rate, and postoperative adverse reaction were screened and analyzed after data extraction. Risk ratios (RRs) were applied to analyze these dichotomous outcomes with a random effects model.Results: A total of 6 available clinical studies involving 603 patients were finally included. CRC patients at high risk of PC who proactively underwent HIPEC treatment showed a significantly reduced peritoneal metastasis rate (RR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21–0.83, P = 0.01; I2 = 58%) compared to the similarly high-risk in CRC patients who did not receive HIPEC treatment. However, in terms of overall survival (RR: 1.13, 95% CI: 0.97–1.33, P = 0.12; I2 = 77%), disease-free survival (RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.75–1.59, P = 0.63; I2 = 53%), progression free survival (RR: 1.85, 95% CI: 0.48–7.14, P = 0.37; I2 = 93%), and postoperative adverse reactions (RR: 0.1.07, 95% CI: 0.36–3.15, P = 0.90; I2 = 78%), there was no significant difference between the HIPEC treatment and control groups.Conclusions: Proactive HIPEC treatment did not show the expected clinical efficacy in prolonging the overall survival time, disease-free survival time, and progression-free survival time of CRC patients at high risk of PC. However, the preemptive administration of HIPEC was associated with a reduced peritoneal metastasis rate and did not cause adverse additional postoperative effects.

Background: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that began in December 2019 has posed a great threat to human health and caused a significant loss of life. In Shenzhen, 465 patients were confirmed to have COVID-19 as of August 31, 2020. In the present study, we aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Shenzhen and identify risk factors for the development of viral sepsis.Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who were confirmed to have a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen from January 11 to April 27, 2020 were included in the cohort. Clinical data were extracted and followed up to May 10, 2020, by using predesigned data collection forms.Results: A total of 422 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this study, including 97 (23%) patients with viral sepsis at hospital admission and 325 (77%) non-septic patients. Patients with sepsis were much older than those without sepsis (57 vs. 43 years, P < 0.001) and presented with more comorbidities. Septic patients showed multiple organ dysfunction and significant abnormalities in immune- and inflammation-related biomarkers, and had poorer outcomes when compared to those without sepsis. Increased levels of interleukin-6, blood urea nitrogen, and creatine kinase were associated with the development of SARS-CoV-2-induced sepsis, and an elevated production of interleukin-6 was found to be an independent risk factor for the progression to critical illness among septic COVID-19 patients.Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced sepsis is critically involved in the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 patients by characterizing both aberrant immune response and uncontrolled inflammation. The development of sepsis might contribute to multiple organ dysfunction and poor outcomes in COVID-19 patients during hospitalization.

Lactobacilli comprise an important group of probiotics for both human and animals. The emerging concern regarding safety problems associated with live microbial cells is enhancing the interest in using cell components and metabolites derived from probiotic strains. Here, we define cell structural components and metabolites of probiotic bacteria as paraprobiotics and postbiotics, respectively. Paraprobiotics and postbiotics produced from Lactobacilli consist of a wide range of molecules including peptidoglycans, surface proteins, cell wall polysaccharides, secreted proteins, bacteriocins, and organic acids, which mediate positive effect on the host, such as immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, and barrier-preservation effects. In this review, we systematically summarize the paraprobiotics and postbiotics derived from Lactobacilli and their beneficial functions. We also discuss the mechanisms underlying their beneficial effects on the host, and their interaction with the host cells. This review may boost our understanding on the benefits and molecular mechanisms associated with paraprobiotics and probiotics from Lactobacilli, which may promote their applications in humans and animals.

Wheat stripe rust poses a serious threat to wheat production. An effective prediction method is important for food security. In this study, we developed a prediction model for wheat stripe rust based on vegetation indices and meteorological features. First, based on time-series Sentinel-2 remote sensing images and meteorological data, wheat phenology (jointing date) was estimated using the harmonic analysis of time-series combined with average cumulative temperature. Then, vegetation indices were extracted based on phenological information. Meteorological features were screened using correlation analysis combined with independent t-test analysis. Finally, a random forest (RF) was used to construct a prediction model for wheat stripe rust. The results showed that the RF model using the input combination (phenological information-based vegetation indices and meteorological features) produced a higher prediction accuracy and a kappa coefficient of 88.7% and 0.772, respectively. The prediction model using phenological information-based vegetation indices outperformed the prediction model using single-date image-based vegetation indices, and the overall accuracy improved from 62.9% to 78.4%. These results indicated that the method combining phenological information-based vegetation indices and meteorological features can be used for wheat stripe rust prediction. The results of the prediction model can provide guidance and suggestions for disease prevention in the study area.

Desert locust plagues can easily cause a regional food crisis and thus affect social stability. Preventive control of the disaster highlights the early detection of hopper gregarization before they form devastating swarms. However, the response of hopper band emergence to environmental fluctuation exhibits a time lag. To realize the dynamic forecast of band occurrence with optimal temporal predictors, we proposed an SVM-based model with a temporal sliding window technique by coupling multisource time-series imagery with historical locust ground survey observations from between 2000–2020. The sliding window method was based on a lagging variable importance ranking used to analyze the temporal organization of environmental indicators in band-forming sequences and eventually facilitate the early prediction of band emergence. Statistical results show that hopper bands are more likely to occur within 41–64 days after increased rainfall; soil moisture dynamics increasing by approximately 0.05 m³/m³ then decreasing may enhance the chance of observing bands after 73–80 days. While sparse vegetation areas with NDVI increasing from 0.18 to 0.25 tend to witness bands after 17–40 days. The forecast model combining the optimal time lags of these dynamic indicators with other static indicators allows for a 16-day extended outlook of band presence in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Monthly predictions from February to December 2020 display an overall accuracy of 77.46%, with an average ROC-AUC of 0.767 and a mean F-score close to 0.772. The multivariate forecast framework based on the lagging effect can realize the early warning of band presence in different spatiotemporal scenarios, supporting early decisions and response strategies for desert locust preventive management.

Interference multipath is an important factor to affect the anti-jamming performance for the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) antenna array receiver. However, interference multipath must be considered in practical application. In this paper, the antenna array model for interference multipath is analyzed, and an equivalent model for interference multipath is proposed. According to the equivalent interference multipath model, the influence of interference multipath on anti-jamming performance is analyzed from the space only processing (SOP) and space-time adaptive processing (STAP). Interference multipath can cause loss of the degree of freedom (DoF) of SOP. Through analysis of the equivalent model and STAP mechanism, it further reveals how the STAP can solve the interference multipath. The simulation experiments prove that the equivalent model is effective, and the analysis conclusion is correct. This paper also points out that the interference bandwidth is wider and more taps in STAP are required, under the same experiment conditions.

Introduction: The incidence of postoperative sepsis is continually increased, while few studies have specifically focused on the risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with the development of sepsis after surgical procedures. The present study aimed to develop a mathematical model for predicting the in-hospital mortality among patients with postoperative sepsis.Materials and Methods: Surgical patients in Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database who simultaneously fulfilled Sepsis 3.0 and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria at ICU admission were incorporated. We employed both extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and stepwise logistic regression model to predict the in-hospital mortality among patients with postoperative sepsis. Consequently, the model performance was assessed from the angles of discrimination and calibration.Results: We included 3,713 patients who fulfilled our inclusion criteria, in which 397 (10.7%) patients died during hospitalization, and 3,316 (89.3%) patients survived through discharge. Fluid-electrolyte disturbance, coagulopathy, renal replacement therapy (RRT), urine output, and cardiovascular surgery were important features related to the in-hospital mortality. The XGBoost model had a better performance in both discriminatory ability (c-statistics, 0.835 vs. 0.737 and 0.621, respectively; AUPRC, 0.418 vs. 0.280 and 0.237, respectively) and goodness of fit (visualized by calibration curve) compared to the stepwise logistic regression model and baseline model.Conclusion: XGBoost model has a better performance in predicting hospital mortality among patients with postoperative sepsis in comparison to the stepwise logistic regression model. Machine learning-based algorithm might have significant application in the development of early warning system for septic patients following major operations.

The presence of healthy gut microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of fish is important for the optimal function of gut, which plays a significant role in the host growth and health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary stress worry free (SWF®) on growth, feed utilization and disease resistance of hybrid sturgeon (Acipenser baerii x Acipenser schrenckii). Sturgeon were fed for three weeks with SWF® supplemented or basal diet. The weight gain and FCR of sturgeon fed on the diet supplemented with SWF® were significantly improved (P

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complicated disease of hematopoietic stem cell disorders. However, its pathogenesis mechanisms and therapeutic treatments still remain vague. Asperuloside (ASP) is an iridoid glycoside found in Herba Paederiae, and is a component from traditional Chinese herbal medicine. ASP has been suggested to have various pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor and anti-inflammation. In this study, we explored the effects of ASP on apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in human leukemia cells and in human primary leukemia blasts. ASP treatments selectively reduced the cell viability of human leukemia cells and primary leukemia blasts in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that ASP induced cell death via promoting the cleavage of Caspase-9, -3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), which was along with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and Cyto-c release from the mitochondria. In addition, we found that ASP significantly induced ER stress in leukemia cells by improving the protein expression levels of glucose-regulated protein of 78 kDa (GRP78), phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (p-IRE1), X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1), activating transcription factor-6 (ATF6) and cleaved Caspase-12. Moreover, ER stress suppression markedly abrogated ASP-induced apoptosis. In addition, GRP78 knockdown significantly diminished ER stress and apoptosis triggered by ASP. Importantly, co-immunoprecipitation (IP) analysis further indicated that ASP regulated the interaction between GRP78 and PERK, subsequently meditating the apoptotic cell death. In vivo leukemia xenografts finally validated ER stress and apoptosis were related to the tumor growth reduction induced by ASP. The overall survival of mice was also improved by ASP treatments, accompanied with the significantly reduced number of white blood cells and elevated red blood cells. Together, our present results showed that ASP exerted anti-leukemic effects at least partially via inducing apoptosis regulated by ER stress, and suggested that ASP might be a novel and effective therapeutic strategy for treating human leukemia.

BackgroundVasopressin is an efficient remedy for septic shock patients as its great capacity in promoting hemodynamic stabilization. The aim of current systematic review and meta-analysis is to compare the clinical efficiency of vasopressin or its analogs with sole catecholamines on patients with septic shock.MethodsA systematic search of Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed online databases was performed up to 30 Oct 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials comparing use of vasopressin or its analogs (e.g., terlipressin, selepressin) with administration of catecholamines alone.ResultsWe included 23 RCTs with 4,225 patients in the current study. Compared with solely use of catecholamines, administration of vasopressin or its analogs was not associated with reduced 28-day or 30-day mortality among patients with septic shock [RR=0.94 (95% CI, 0.87–1.01), P=0.08, I2 = 0%]. The result of primary endpoint remained unchanged after conducting sensitivity analysis. Despite a significantly higher risk of digital ischemia in patients receiving vasopressin or its analogs [RR=2.65 (95% CI, 1.26–5.56), P < 0.01, I2 = 48%], there was no statistical significance in the pooled estimate for other secondary outcomes, including total adverse events, arrhythmia, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiac arrest, acute mesenteric ischemia, ICU/hospital length of stay, and mechanical ventilation (MV) duration.ConclusionsThe administration of vasopressin or its analogs was not associated with reduced 28-day or 30-day mortality among patients with septic shock, while an increased incidence of digital ischemia should be noted in patients receiving agonists for vasopressin receptors.

Background: Delirium is a commonly found comorbidity in hospitalized patients and is associated with adverse outcomes. Melatonin is an endogenous hormone that exerts multiple biological effects, mainly in regulating diurnal rhythms and in inflammatory process and immune responses. We aimed to assess the efficacy of exogenous melatonergics in the prevention of delirium.Methods: We conducted a search to identify relevant randomized controlled studies (RCTs) in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases that had been published up to December 2019. Hospitalized adult patients administered melatonergics were included. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of delirium. The secondary outcome measure was the length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU-LOS). The pooled effects were analyzed as the risk ratio (RR) for delirium incidence, weighted mean difference (WMD) for ICU-LOS, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: Nine RCTs with 1,210 patients were included. The forest plots showed that melatonergics were associated with a decreasing incidence of delirium (RR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.30–0.85; I2 = 70%; p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in ICU-LOS (WMD, −0.08; 95% CI, −0.19–0.03; I2 = 0; p = 0.17).Conclusion: Administration of exogenous melatonergics to hospitalized patients seems to be associated with a decreasing incidence of delirium.PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019138863.

ObjectivesWe employed a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess benefits and risks of a threshold of haemoglobin level below 7 g/dL versus liberal transfusion strategy among critically ill patients, and even patients with septic shock.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesWe performed systematical searches for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the Cochrane Library, EMBASE and PubMed databases up to 1 September 2019.Eligibility criteriaRCTs among adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients comparing 7 g/dL as restrictive strategy with liberal transfusion were incorporated.Data extraction and synthesisThe clinical outcomes, including short-term mortality, length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay, myocardial infarction (MI) and ischaemic events, were screened and analysed after data collection. We applied odds ratios (ORs) to analyse dichotomous outcomes and standardised mean differences (SMDs) to analyse continuous outcomes with fixed or random effects models based on heterogeneity evaluation for each outcome.ResultsEight RCTs with 3415 patients were included. Compared with a more liberal threshold, a red blood cell (RBC) transfusion threshold

A multispan continuous 3D bridge model is established on the basis of OpenSees platform, and 160 mainshock-aftershock (MA) sequences are constructed in accordance with the bridge site to study their influence on the seismic vulnerability of bridges. The seismic vulnerability of bridge piers, bearings, and abutments subjected to MA sequences is investigated. The influence of MA sequences on the seismic vulnerability of the bridge system is also analysed using first- and second-order boundary estimation methods. Results show that the seismic response and exceedance probability of the bridge components and system subjected to MA sequences are significantly increased compared with those under the consideration of mainshock only. The second-order boundary estimation method based on component correlation coefficient can significantly reduce the upper and lower limit widths of the vulnerability curves and improve the accuracy. Under the same peak ground acceleration (PGA) and damage state, the exceedance probability of the bridge system is higher than that of any component in the system. The exceedance probability under different damage states of the bridge components and system increases with the PGA. For any given PGA, the exceedance probability decreases with the increase in severity of damage state.

Abstract Objectives Anti‐PD‐1 immune checkpoint blockade represents the onset of a new era in cancer immunotherapy. However, robust predictors are necessary for screening patients with immune checkpoint‐responsive oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods We obtained biopsy samples from an ESCC patient with mixed responses. The expression of CD4, CD8, CD68, PD‐L1, RBPJL and IL‐16 was analysed by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation with prognostic value was obtained from the GEPIA portal. T‐cell functions were examined by flow cytometry, MTS and transwell assays. The secreted cytokines were identified using an Inflammation Array Kit. The concentration of soluble IFN‐γ was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical benefit of RBPJL was examined in a PBMC xenograft mouse model. Results The patient had an exceptional clinical response with shrinkage of the primary oesophageal and lung metastatic lesions as well as enlargement of liver metastatic lesions after toripalimab monotherapy. Four liver‐specific gene mutations were identified. RBPJL showed better response to toripalimab in the PBMC cell‐derived xenograft (CDX) ESCC model. Conditional medium from RBPJL overexpression induced chemotaxis and proliferation of T lymphocytes, as well as Th2/Th1 differentiation through the RBPJL‐NF‐κB‐IL‐16 axis in vitro. These functions were all inhibited by the p.P476S mutation of RBPJL (RBPJL (p.P476S)). Conclusions We report for the first time that RBPJL (p.P476S) promotes tumor growth in ESCC and inhibits the efficacy of anti‐PD‐1 therapy through blunting T‐cell responses. Our findings provide a potential new predictor for evaluating the efficacy of anti‐PD‐1 therapy in ESCC patients.

Abstract Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by intraneuronal Lewy Body (LB) aggregates composed of misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-syn). The spread of misfolded α-syn follows a typical pattern: starting in the olfactory bulb (OB) and the gut, this pathology is followed by the progressive invasion of misfolded α-syn to the posterior part of the brain. It is unknown whether the administration of human mutant alpha-synuclein (hm-α-syn, a human mutation which occurs in familial PD) into the OB of rats would trigger similar α-syn propagation and subsequently cause pathological changes in broader brain fields associated to PD and establish an animal model of prodromal PD. Methods hm-α-syn was overexpressed in the OB of rats with an AAV injection. Then motor and non-motor symptoms of the SD rats were tested in different behavioral tasks following the AAV injection. In follow-up studies, pathological mechanisms of α-syn spread were explored at the histological, biochemical and micro-structure levels. Results The experimental results indicated that hm-α-syn was overexpressed in the OB 3 weeks after the AAV injection. 1) overexpression of the Hm-α-syn in the OB by the AAV injection could transfer to wider adjacent fields beyond the monosynaptic scope. 2) The number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells body and fibers was decreased in the substantia nigra (SN) 12 weeks after AAV injection. This was consistent with decreased levels of the DA neurotransmitter. Importantly, behavioral dysfunctions were found that included olfactory impairment after 3 weeks, motor ability impairment and decreased muscular coordination on a rotarod 6 weeks after the AAV injection.3) The morphological level studies found that the Golgi staining revealed the number of neuronal branches and synapses in the OB, prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (Hip) and striatum caudate putamen (CPU) were decreased. 4) phosphorylated α-syn, at Ser-129 (pSer129), was found to be increased in hm-α-syn injected animals in comparison to controls that overexpressed GFP alone, which was also found in the most of LB stained by the thioflavine S (ThS) in the SN field. 5) A marker of autophagy (LC3B) was increased in serval fields, which was colacolizated with a marker of apoptosis in the SN field. Conclusions These results demonstrate that expression of exogenous mutant α-syn in the OB induces pathological changes in the sensitive brain fields by transferring pathogenic α-syn to adjacent fields. This method may be useful for establishing an animal model of prodromal PD.

Background: The growth rate of centenarians was unusually rapid in recent decades, ushering in an era of longevity. This study aims to explore the difference between centenarians and non-centenarians using quantitative research, and to scientifically guide residents to develop the correct lifestyle and health care ways.Methods: From October 2013 to August 2017. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 271 centenarians and 570 non-centenarians by using a questionnaire to assess longevity and health issues which was developed for the needs of the study, who came from 29 counties and districts in 11 cities of Zhejiang province, China. Two hundred and fifty-five valid questionnaires were returned, with an effective response rate of 94.1%. Meanwhile, data of 526 non-centenarians from Zhejiang province was collected as a control group, with an effective response rate of 92.3%.Results: The prevalence rates of tumor, stomach and duodenal ulcer, diabetes, bronchial asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis among centenarians were all lower than those among non-centenarians. The oral health of centenarians is better than that of non-centenarians. The consumption of coarse cereals, pasta, other staple foods and fruits among centenarians was higher than that of non-centenarians. The percentage of centenarians who smoke or engage in recreational activities every day was lower than that of non-centenarians.Conclusions: We should give full play to the role of preventive medicine and health management to safeguard the health of residents. Pay attention to oral health, and develop the good habit of loving teeth. The diet should be rich and varied, and increase the intake of grains and fruits. Give up smoking, limit alcohol, spirit-preserving with calming, follow the law of scientific regimen.

Abstract Accurate risk stratification for patients with stage II/III colon cancer is pivotal for postoperative treatment decisions. Here, we aimed to identify and validate a circRNA‐based signature that could improve postoperative prognostic stratification for these patients. In current retrospective analysis, we included 667 patients with R0 resected stage II/III colon cancer. Using RNA‐seq analysis of 20 paired frozen tissues collected postoperation, we profiled differential circRNA expression between patients with and without recurrence, followed by quantitative validation. With clinical information, we generated a four‐circRNA‐based cirScore to classify patients into high‐risk and low‐risk groups in the training cohort. The patients with high cirScores in the training cohort had a shorter disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) than patients with low cirScores. The prognostic capacity of the classifier was validated in the internal and external cohorts. Loss‐of‐function assays indicated that the selected circRNAs played functional roles in colon cancer progression. Overall, our four‐circRNA‐based classifier is a reliable prognostic tool for postoperative disease recurrence in patients with stage II/III colon cancer.

Abstract The recent development of phasor measurement technique opens the way for real-time post-disturbance transient stability assessment (TSA). Following a disturbance, since the transient instability can occur very fast, there is an urgent need for fast TSA with sufficient accuracy. This paper first identifies the tradeoff relationship between the accuracy and speed in post-disturbance TSA, and then proposes an optimal self-adaptive TSA method to optimally balance such tradeoff. It uses ensemble learning and credible decision-making rule to progressively predict the post-disturbance transient stability status, and models a multi-objective optimization problem to search for the optimal balance between TSA accuracy and speed. With such optimally balanced TSA performance, the TSA decision can be made as fast as possible while maintaining an acceptable level of accuracy. The proposed method is tested on New England 10-machine 39-bus system, and the simulation results verify its high efficacy.

Abstract Recent studies have suggested that the regulation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) or transplanting of exogenous nerve cells are the newest and most promising methods for the treatment of dementia and other neurological diseases. The special location and limited number of endogenous NSCs, however, restrict their clinical application. The success in directional differentiation of exogenous stem cells from other tissue sources into neural cells has provided a novel source for NSCs. Study on the relative mechanisms is still at the preliminary stage. Currently the induction methods include: 1) cell growth factor induction; 2) chemical induction; 3) combined growth factor-chemical induction; or 4) other induction methods such as traumatic brain tissue homogenate, gene transfection, traditional Chinese medicine, and coculture induction. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as a natural medium under physiological conditions, contains a variety of progrowth peptide factors that can promote the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into neural cells through the corresponding receptors on the cell surface. This suggests that CSF can not only nourish the nerve cells, but also become an effective and suitable inducer to increase the yield of NSCs. However, some other studies believed that CSF contained certain inhibitory components against the differentiation of primary stem cells into mature neural cells. Based on the above background, here we review the relative literature on the influence of the CSF on stem cells in order to provide a more comprehensive reference for the wide clinical application of NSCs in the future.

Convolutional neural networks have been widely applied in many low level vision tasks. In this paper, we propose a video super-resolution (SR) method named enhanced video SR network with residual blocks (EVSR). The proposed EVSR fully exploits spatio-temporal information and can implicitly capture motion relations between consecutive frames. Therefore, unlike conventional methods to video SR, EVSR does not require an explicit motion compensation process. In addition, residual learning framework exhibits excellence in convergence rate and performance improvement. Based on this, residual blocks and long skip-connection with dimension adjustment layer are proposed to predict high-frequency details. Extensive experiments validate the superiority of our approach over state-of-the-art algorithms.

Abstract In this study, we investigated the secretion mechanism of the hyper-secretion signal peptide-lacking β-xylosidase PtXyl43, a non-classically secreted protein, from the fungus Paecilomyces thermophila in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). PtXyl43 secretion is a two-step process, and the second step is accompanied by cell periplasmic leakage, indicating that PtXyl43 secretion is the result of semi-specific secretion. Homology modeling of PtXyl43 suggested that PtXyl43 had a canonical GH43 family β-xylosidase structure containing five blades. Seventeen blade deletions or circular mutants were designed to identify the conformational motif(s) involved in secretion. These mutants were expressed as recombinant, codon-optimized proteins in E. coli. Notably, only mutants containing blades 2–4 were effectively secreted. Blades 2–4 are necessary for secretion, but it appears that blade 1 or 5 must be present to maintain the structure of blades 2–4. Simultaneous deletion of blades 1 and 5 dramatically reduces excretion. The covalent and sequential linking of blades of 2, 3 and 4 are important for the excretion of mutants, as separate blades of 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 abolishes excretion. Fusion with PtXyl43 promotes the excretion of GFP from the periplasm to the extracellular milieu, which suggested that PtXyl43 had the potential to carry proteins. This study provides new insights into secretory mechanism of secretable signal peptide-lacking proteins in E. coli. To our knowledge, this is the first to definitively identify the conformational determinants for secretion of a signal peptide-lacking GH43 family β-xylosidase. This finding also has application potential for the secretion of recombinant proteins.

Wheat stripe rust has a severe impact on wheat yield and quality. An effective prediction method is necessary for food security. In this study, we extract the optimal vegetation indices (VIs) sensitive to stripe rust at different time-periods, and develop a wheat stripe rust prediction model with satellite images to realize the multi-temporal prediction. First, VIs related to stripe rust stress are extracted as candidate features for disease prediction from time series Sentinel-2 images. Then, the optimal VI combinations are selected using sequential forward selection (SFS). Finally, the occurrence of wheat stripe rust in different time-periods is predicted using the support vector machine (SVM) method. The results of the features selected demonstrate that, before the jointing period, the optimal VIs are related to the biomass, pigment, and moisture of wheat. After the jointing period, the red-edge VIs related to the crop health status play important roles. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of the prediction model, which is based on SVM, is generally higher than those of the k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and back-propagation neural network (BPNN) methods. The SVM method is more suitable for time series predictions of wheat stripe rust. The model obtained accuracy based on the optimal VI combinations and the SVM increased over time; the highest accuracy was 86.2%. These results indicate that the prediction model can provide guidance and suggestions for early disease prevention of the study site, and the method combines time series Sentinel-2 images and the SVM, which can be used to predict wheat stripe rust.