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Indoor thermal environment is usually non-uniform in buildings with passive or active radiant surfaces, and strict constraints for thermal homogeneity would increase the difficulty of system design and cause unnecessary energy consumption. In order to explore the thermal comfort response characteristics in non-uniform environments, 20 subjects were recruited in this study to participate in a thermal comfort experiment in two types of non-uniform environments. The two non-uniform environments were created by different combinations of indoor air temperature and radiant temperature. In the first non-uniform environment, all the interior surface temperatures were equal, but the radiant temperature and air temperature were not equal (ANUE). The other type was a single surface non-uniform environment where the surface temperature of one interior surface and the air temperature were not equal (SNUE). Subjects' physiological parameters were measured and subjective evaluations were obtained by questionnaires. The results showed that in thermal neutral condition, the mean skin temperature was 33.6 °C under ANUE environment, while it was 33.8°C–33.9 °C under SNUE environment. Based on the experimental results, thermal dissatisfied percentage (TDP) models for the two environments were proposed and evaluated by determination coefficient and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). According to the five different TDP levels (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%), coupling thermal comfort zone of indoor air temperature and surface temperature was classified into five hierarchies. The study has implications for the proper design of comfortable and energy saving non-uniform environments. • Non-uniform thermal environment was created by indoor air and surface temperature. • Physiological and comfort characteristics in non-uniform environment were explored. • t mst for thermoneutrality under non-uniform thermal environment was obtained. • TDP models were established for two types of non-uniform thermal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian orthoreviruses have become a global challenge to the poultry industry, causing significant economic impacts on commercial poultry. Avian reoviruses (ARVs) are resistant to heat, proteolytic enzymes, a wide range of pH values, and disinfectants, so keeping chicken farms free of ARV infections is difficult. This review focuses on the global prevalence of ARVs and associated clinical signs and symptoms. The most common signs and symptoms include tenosynovitis/arthritis, malabsorption syndrome, runting–stunting syndrome, and respiratory diseases. Moreover, this review also focused on the characterization of ARVs in genotypic clusters (I–VI) and their relation to tissue tropism or viral distribution. The prevailing strains of ARV in Africa belong to all genotypic clusters (GCs) except for GC VI, whereas all GCs are present in Asia and the Americas. In addition, all ARV strains are associated with or belong to GC I-VI in Europe. Moreover, in Oceania, only GC V and VI are prevalent. This review also showed that, regardless of the genotypic cluster, tenosynovitis/arthritis was the predominant clinical manifestation, indicating its universal occurrence across all clusters. Globally, most avian reovirus infections can be prevented by vaccination against four major strains: S1133, 1733, 2408, and 2177. Nevertheless, these vaccines may not a provide sufficient defense against field isolates. Due to the increase in the number of ARV variants, classical vaccine approaches are being developed depending on the degree of antigenic similarity between the vaccine and field strains, which determines how successful the vaccination will be. Moreover, there is a need to look more closely at the antigenic and pathogenic properties of reported ARV strains. The information acquired will aid in the selection of more effective vaccine strains in combination with biosecurity and farm management methods to prevent ARV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nSIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTKeratinocyte and fibroblast dysfunctions contribute to delayed healing of diabetic wounds. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) are key mediators of intercellular communication and are involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Recent findings suggest that sEV derived from high-glucose-treated keratinocyte (HaCaT-HG-sEV) can transport LINC01435 to inhibit tube formation and migration of HUVECs, thereby delaying wound healing. This study aimed to elucidate sEV-related communication mechanisms between keratinocytes and fibroblasts during diabetic wound healing. HaCaT-HG-sEV treatment and LINC01435 overexpression significantly decreased fibroblast collagen level and migration ability but significantly increased fibroblast autophagy. However, treatment with an autophagy inhibitor suppressed LINC01435 overexpression-induced decrease in collagen levels in fibroblasts. In diabetic mice, HaCaT-HG-sEV treatment decreased collagen levels and increased the expression of the autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1 and LC3 at the wound site, thereby delaying wound healing. Conclusively, LINC01435 in keratinocyte-derived sEV activates fibroblast autophagy and reduces fibroblast collagen synthesis, leading to impaired diabetic wound healing.Diabetic foot ulcers are a serious complication of diabetes and can lead to amputation and death. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehensively elucidate the mechanisms of delayed diabetic wound healing, with emphasis on the role of keratinocyte-derived small extracellular vesicles. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that keratinocyte-derived small extracellular vesicles suppressed diabetic wound healing, which is partly attributed to the effects of their content (LINC01435) in fibroblasts. This study suggests that LINC01435 could be targeted to regulate diabetic wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil acidity has become a major yield-limiting factor, but it is unclear which acidity indicator is the best to use for estimating crop yield changes. In this study, four pH-adjusted Ultisols derived from different parent materials were used for Chinese cabbage and wheat pot experiments. Structural equation modeling (SEM), Gompertz and linear-plateau models were used to examine main contribution of soil acidity indices and to determine their critical values. The results showed that Ca saturation had the strongest direct effect on crop biomass and thus acted as the most important factor. The critical values of Ca saturation varied slightly with crops and soils, where it was 84.6, 93.5, 95.2 and 82.9% for Ultisols derived from plate shale, Quaternary red clay, red sandstone and granite, respectively. The critical values of exchangeable Ca and Al, and Al saturation and exchangeable Al : Ca ratio (or Ca : Al ratio) were also determined as 8.21 and 0.44 cmolc kg–1, 6.37%, and 0.069 (or 14.5), respectively. In summary, our findings evidenced that critical Ca saturation has the potential to evaluate the implementation of quality improvement of acidic soils for good crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Recently, targeted therapies including PD1 (programmed cell death 1) antibodies have been used in advanced GC patients. However, identifying new biomarker for immunotherapy is still urgently needed. The objective of this study is to unveil the immune evasion mechanism of GC cells and identify new biomarkers for immune checkpoint blockade therapy in patients with GC. Methods: Coimmunoprecipitation and meRIP were performed to investigate the mechanism of immune evasion of GC cells. Cocuture system was established to evaluate the cytotoxicity of cocultured CD8+ T cells. The clinical significance of HSPA4 upregulation was analyzed by multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry staining in GC tumor tissues. Results: Histone acetylation causes HSPA4 upregulation in GC tumor tissues. HSPA4 upregulation increases the protein stability of m6A demethylase ALKBH5. ALKBH5 decreases CD58 in GC cells through m6A methylation regulation. The cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells are impaired and PD1/PDL1 axis is activated when CD8+ T cells are cocultured with HSPA4 overexpressed GC cells. HSPA4 upregulation is associated with worse 5-year overall survival of GC patients receiving only surgery. It is an independent prognosis factor for worse survival of GC patients. In GC patients receiving the combined chemotherapy with anti-PD1 immunotherapy, HSPA4 upregulation is observed in responders compared with non-responders. Conclusion: HSPA4 upregulation causes the decrease of CD58 in GC cells via HSPA4/ALKBH5/CD58 axis, followed by PD1/PDL1 activation and impairment of CD8+ T cell's cytotoxicity, finally induces immune evasion of GC cells. HSPA4 upregulation is associated with worse overall survival of GC patients with only surgery. Meanwhile, HSPA4 upregulation predicts for better response in GC patients receiving the combined immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant-specific transcription factor gene family, YABBY, plays an important role in plant development and stress response. Although YABBY genes have been identified in numerous species, a comprehensive characterization of YABBYs in tea tree and oil tea has been lacking. In this study, ten and three YABBY genes were identified in Camellia sinensis and C. oleifera, respectively. YABBY proteins could be divided into five subfamilies. Most YABBY genes in the same clade had similar structures and conserved motifs. Protein evolutionary analysis revealed that FIL/YAB3 displayed high conservation in all positions, followed by INO, YAB2, YAB5, and CRC. Specific site analysis suggested that the YABBY family was polyphyletic during the evolution. Compared to C. oleifera, two segmentally duplicated gene pairs were formed in C. sinensis during recent WGD events generated 30.69 and 45.08 Mya, respectively. Cis-acting element indicated that most YABBY genes contain box4, ARE, and MYB elements. A total of 120 SSR loci were found within CsYABBYs, consisting of six types, while 48 SSR loci were identified within CoYABBY, consisting of three types. Transcriptome results revealed that CRC and INO clades were specifically expressed in floral organs. The expression of CsYABBY10 and CsYABBY5 was significantly up-regulated under drought and salt treatments, respectively, as confirmed by qRT-PCR. CoYABBY genes were more susceptible to salt stress, as CoYABBY3 increased by about 15-fold. Furthermore, functional differentiation may have occurred in duplicated genes. These discoveries provide important information for further research on YABBYs in tea tree and oil tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon-inducible transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) is an antiviral factor that plays an important role in the host innate immune response against viruses. Previous studies have shown that IFITM3 is upregulated in various tissues and organs after avian reovirus (ARV) infection, which suggests that IFITM3 may be involved in the antiviral response after ARV infection. In this study, the chicken IFITM3 gene was cloned and analyzed bioinformatically. Then, the role of chicken IFITM3 in ARV infection was further explored. The results showed that the molecular weight of the chicken IFITM3 protein was approximately 13 kDa. This protein was found to be localized mainly in the cytoplasm, and its protein structure contained the CD225 domain. The homology analysis and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the IFITM3 genes of different species exhibited great variation during genetic evolution, and chicken IFITM3 shared the highest homology with that of Anas platyrhynchos and displayed relatively low homology with those of birds such as Anser cygnoides and Serinus canaria. An analysis of the distribution of chicken IFITM3 in tissues and organs revealed that the IFITM3 gene was expressed at its highest level in the intestine and in large quantities in immune organs, such as the bursa of Fabricius, thymus and spleen. Further studies showed that the overexpression of IFITM3 in chicken embryo fibroblasts (DF-1) could inhibit the replication of ARV, whereas the inhibition of IFITM3 expression in DF-1 cells promoted ARV replication. In addition, chicken IFITM3 may exert negative feedback regulatory effects on the expression of TBK1, IFN-γ and IRF1 during ARV infection, and it is speculated that IFITM3 may participate in the innate immune response after ARV infection by negatively regulating the expression of TBK1, IFN-γ and IRF1. The results of this study further enrich the understanding of the role and function of chicken IFITM3 in ARV infection and provide a theoretical basis for an in-depth understanding of the antiviral mechanism of host resistance to ARV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Rongshui Xiang duck was measured by PCR-based methods. Our research findings reveal that the entire mitochondrial genome of the Rongshui Xiang duck is a circular molecule consisting of 16,605 bp (GenBank accession number: KJ833587). The contents of A, T, C, and G in the mitochondrial genome were found to be 29.20%, 22.20%, 32.82% and 15.79%, respectively, similar to the majority of avian species. The complete mitochondrial genome of the Rongshui Xiang duck contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 1 control region. The characteristics of the mitochondrial genome were analyzed in detail. Our complete mitochondrial genome sequence should provide essential information for understanding phylogenetic relationships among duck mitochondrial genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Xilin small partridge duck was measured by PCR-based methods. Our research findings revealed that the entire mitochondrial genome of the Xilin small partridge duck was 16,604 bp (GenBank accession number: KJ833586). The contents of A, T, C, and G in the mitochondrial genome were 29.20%, 22.19%, 32.82% and 15.79%, respectively, which were similar to the majority of most avian species. The complete mitochondrial genome of the Xilin small partridge duck contains 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 1 control region. Components of the Xilin small partridge duck’s mitochondrial genome were similar to those of otherAnatidaein gene arrangement and composition. The complete mitochondrial genome of the Xilin small partridge duck should provide essential information for understanding phylogenetic relationships of duck mitochondrial genome. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporters, which exist widely in plants, function as crucial regulators in plant resistance to aluminum (Al) toxicity by inducing citrate efflux. However, the functions of most MATE family members in soybean (Glycine soja) remain to be elucidated. Results: Expression pattern analysis showed that GsMATE was constitutively expressed in different soybean organs, with the highest level in root compared with those in stem, leaf and cotyledon. In addition, Al stress induced expression of GsMATE in soybean. Temporal analysis indicated that GsMATE expression was greatly enhanced by increasing concentrations of aluminum [Al3+] after short exposure, reaching the high levels detected in the BW69 (Al-resistant) and the JW81 (Al-sensitive) lines of Glycine soja of wild soybean at 6 h and 8 h, respectively. Furthermore, transient GsMATE expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts showed that GsMATE protein localized to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of GsMATE on an Arabidopsis columbia-0 (Col-0) background resulted in increased Al tolerance in transgenic plants. Analysis of hematoxylin staining showed that the roots of GsMATE transgenic lines were stained less intensely than those of the wild-type exposured to the same AlCl3 concentrations. Therefore, GsMATE enhanced the resistance of transgenic plants to Al toxicity by reducing Al accumulation in Arabidopsis roots. Conclusions: In summary, our results indicate that GsMATE is responsive to aluminum stress and may participate in the regulation of sensitivity to Al toxicity in Arabidopsis. In addition, the GsMATE protein is an Al-induced citrate transporter of the MATE family and exerts an essential role in Al tolerance in Glycine soja. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used 10 × genomics single‐cell transcriptome sequencing technology to reveal the tumor immune microenvironment characteristics of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in a patient with malignant pleural effusion (MPE). A total of 8008 high‐quality cells were finally obtained for subsequent bioinformatic analysis, which were divided into 10 cell clusters further identified as B cells, T cells, myeloid cells, NK cells, and cancer cells. Such SCLC related genes as NOTCH1, MYC, TSC22D1, SOX4, BLNK, YBX3, VIM, CD8A, CD8B, and KLF6 were expressed in different degrees during differentiation of T and B cells. Different ligands and receptors between T, B and tumor cells almost interact through MHC II, IL‐16, galectin, and APP signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian reovirus (ARV) infection is prevalent in farmed poultry and causes viral arthritis and severe immunosuppression. The spleen plays a very important part in protecting hosts against infectious pathogens. In this research, transcriptome and translatome sequencing technology were combined to investigate the mechanisms of transcriptional and translational regulation in the spleen after ARV infection. On a genome-wide scale, ARV infection can significantly reduce the translation efficiency (TE) of splenic genes. Differentially expressed translational efficiency genes (DTEGs) were identified, including 15 upregulated DTEGs and 396 downregulated DTEGs. These DTEGs were mainly enriched in immune regulation signaling pathways, which indicates that ARV infection reduces the innate immune response in the spleen. In addition, combined analyses revealed that the innate immune response involves the effects of transcriptional and translational regulation. Moreover, we discovered the key gene IL4I1, the most significantly upregulated gene at both the transcriptional and translational levels. Further studies in DF1 cells showed that overexpression of IL4I1 could inhibit the replication of ARV, while inhibiting the expression of endogenous IL4I1 with siRNA promoted the replication of ARV. Overexpression of IL4I1 significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of IFN-β, LGP2, TBK1 and NF-κB; however, the expression of these genes was significantly upregulated after inhibition of IL4I1, suggesting that IL4I1 may be a negative feedback effect of innate immune signaling pathways. In addition, there may be an interaction between IL4I1 and ARV σA protein, and we speculate that the IL4I1 protein plays a regulatory role by interacting with the σA protein. This study not only provides a new perspective on the regulatory mechanisms of the innate immune response after ARV infection but also enriches the knowledge of the host defense mechanisms against ARV invasion and the outcome of ARV evasion of the host's innate immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian parvoviruses cause several enteric poultry diseases that have been increasingly diagnosed in Guangxi, China, since 2014. In this study, the whole-genome sequences of 32 strains of chicken parvovirus (ChPV) and 3 strains of turkey parvovirus (TuPV) were obtained by traditional PCR techniques. Phylogenetic analyses of 3 genes and full genome sequences were carried out, and 35 of the Guangxi ChPV/TuPV field strains were genetically different from 17 classic ChPV/TuPV reference strains. The nucleotide sequence alignment between ChPVs/TuPVs from Guangxi and other countries revealed 85.2–99.9% similarity, and the amino acid sequences showed 87.8–100% identity. The phylogenetic tree of these sequences could be divided into 6 distinct ChPV/TuPV groups. More importantly, 3 novel ChPV/TuPV groups were identified for the first time. Recombination analysis with RDP 5.0 revealed 15 recombinants in 35 ChPV/TuPV isolates. These recombination events were further confirmed by Simplot 3.5.1 analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on full genomes showed that Guangxi ChPV/TuPV strains did not cluster according to their geographic origin, and the identified Guangxi ChPV/TuPV strains differed from the reference strains. Overall, whole-genome characterizations of emerging Guangxi ChPV and TuPV field strains will provide more detailed insights into ChPV/TuPV mutations and recombination and their relationships with molecular epidemiological features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using cDNA microarray analysis, we identified cornulin (CRNN) gene was frequently downregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the present study, we investigated the role of CRNN in ESCC development. The results showed that CRNN was frequently downregulated in primary ESCCs in both mRNA level (26/56, 46.4%) and protein level (137/249, 55%), which was significantly associated with lymph node metastases (P=0.027), advanced clinical stage (P=0.039), and overall survival rate (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that the CRNN downregulation was an independent prognostic factor for ESCC. Functional studies with both in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that CRNN had strong tumor suppressive ability in ESCC cells. The tumor-suppressive mechanism of CRNN was associated with its role in cell cycle arrest at G1/S checkpoint by upregulating expressions of P21WAF1/CIP1 and Rb. Silencing CRNN expression by RNA interference could effectively inhibit its tumor suppressive effect. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that CRNN is a tumor suppressor gene that plays a critical tumor suppressive role in ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken parvovirus (ChPV), chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) and fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) are avian viruses that have emerged in recent years and have endangered the global poultry industry, causing great economic loss. In this study, a multiplex fluorescence-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (mLAMP) assay for detecting ChPV, CIAV and FAdV-4 was developed to simultaneously diagnose single and mixed infections in chickens. Three primer sets and composite probes were designed according to the conserved regions of the NS gene of ChPV, VP1 gene of CIAV and hexon gene of FAdV-4. Each composite probe was labelled with a different fluorophore, which was detached to release the fluorescence signal after amplification. The target viruses were distinguished based on the colour of the mLAMP products. The mLAMP assay was shown to be sensitive, with detection limits of 307 copies of recombinant plasmids containing the ChPV target genes, 749 copies of CIAV and 648 copies of FAdV-4. The assay exhibited good specificity and no cross-reactivity with other symptomatically related avian viruses. When used on field materials, the results of the mLAMP assay were in 100% agreement with those of the previously published PCR assay. The mLAMP assay is rapid, economical, sensitive and specific, and the results of amplification are directly observable by eye. Therefore, the mLAMP assay is a useful tool for the clinical detection of ChPV, CIAV and FAdV-4 and can be applied in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pleural effusion is a common pulmonary embolism (PE) complication, which has been documented to increase the risk of death in PE and relate to disease progression. However, the incidence of pleural effusion varies among studies and its association with PE outcome is still unclear. This study sought to determine the pooled incidence and prognostic value of pleural effusion events in patients with PE. Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPE, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, CINAHL, EBSCO, AMED, and OVID databases from the inception of each database to 7 September 2022 with a restriction on human studies, to identify studies assessing the association between pleural effusion and PE including all prospective and retrospective clinical studies. An exploratory meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. We evaluated the heterogeneity and performed subgroup analyses. Results: The final meta-analysis included 29 studies involving 13,430 PE patients. The pooled incidence of pleural effusion in PE patients was 41.2% (95% CI: 35.7–46.6%), which tended to be unilateral (pooled incidence: 60.8%, 95% CI: 45.7–75.8%) and small (pooled incidence: 85.9%, 95% CI: 82.6–89.1%). Pooled analysis using a random-effects model (I2 = 53.2%) showed that pleural effusion was associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality (RR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.53–3.15, p < 0.001, I2 = 67.1%) and in-hospital mortality (RR 2.39, 95% CI: 1.85–3.09, p < 0.001, I2 = 37.1%) in patients with PE. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis found that PE patients had a high incidence of pleural effusion, which was usually unilateral and small. Pleural effusion generally increases 30-day and in-hospital mortality in patients with PE, and it is recommended that physicians be aware of the risk of death from PE, especially when patients have pleural effusion. Further investigations focusing on PE with pleural effusion are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To detect the value of serum interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at different disease stages. 141 RA patients were randomly obtained and diagnosed in a large tertiary first-class hospital in Jiangxi Province from November 2021 to January 2022. RA was divided into 38 low activity and remission phase (low remission patients), 72 moderate activity patients, 41 high activity patients, according to the disease activity score 28 (DAS28) of RA and 70 healthy controls. IL-17 and TNF-α in serum detected by flow cytometry; DKK-1by ELISA; rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) by rate scattering turbidimetry; erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) by Widmanstat method; anti-cyclic citrullinated polypeptide antibody (Anti-CCP) by chemiluminescence. The changes among the groups were statistically analysed and evaluated their diagnostic value. ①Anti-CCP, CRP, and ESR levels in the moderate-to-high activity group were higher than controls, while IL-17, TNF-α, and DKK-1levels higher than low remission group, moderate activity group and controls (p < 0.05). ②IL-17, TNF-α and DKK-1 were positively correlated with RA disease activity, with the correlations of IL-17, TNF-α and DKK-1 all over 0.5 (p < 0.05). ③The ROC curve showed that among all indices the AUC of DKK-1 was the largest, 0. 922, and has the highest sensitivity and negative predictive value for RA, 0.965 and 0.953, respectively. The specificity and positive predictive value of TNF-α is highest, 0.918 and 0.921, respectively, combined them had the highest predictive value in moderate-to-high activity RA, with AUC of 0.968, and had the highest sensitivity of 0.965. The IL-17, TNF-α and DKK-1 levels were elevated in RA and positively correlated with disease activity, involved in the Wnt signalling pathway of inflammatory and joint destructive effects, combining them to monitor the RA disease process and biologically treat the cytokines in the pathogenesis of RA were valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a nucleic acid amplification technique that can be used to amplify target genes at a constant temperature, and it has several advantages, including convenience, specificity and sensitivity. However, due to the special interpretation methods of this technology for reaction results, all the previously reported LAMP detection methods have been restricted to identifying a single target, which limits the application of this technology. In this study, we modified conventional LAMP to include a quencher-fluorophore composite probe complementary to the F1c segment of the inner primer FIP; upon strand separation, a gain in the visible fluorescent signal was observed. The probes could be labeled with different fluorophores, showing different colors at the corresponding wavelengths. Therefore, this multiplex LAMP (mLAMP) assay can simultaneously detect 1–3 target sequences in a single LAMP reaction tube, and the results are more accurate and intuitive. In this study, we comprehensively demonstrated a single-reaction mLAMP assay for the robust detection of three cattle viruses without nonspecific amplification of other related pathogenic cattle viruses. The detection limit of this mLAMP assay was as low as 526–2477 copies/reaction for the recombinant plasmids. It is expected that this mLAMP assay can be widely used in clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wickerhamomyces anomalus is one of the most important ester-producing strains in Chinese baijiu brewing. Ethanol and lactic acid are the main metabolites produced during baijiu brewing, but their synergistic influence on the growth and ester production of W. anomalus is unclear. Therefore, in this paper, based on the contents of ethanol and lactic acid during Te-flavor baijiu brewing, the effects of different ethanol concentrations (3, 6, and 9% (v/v)) combined with 1% lactic acid on the growth and ester production of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 were studied and their influence mechanisms were analyzed by transcriptomics. The results showed that the growth of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 under the induction of lactic acid was inhibited by ethanol. Although self-repair mechanism of W. anomalus NCUF307.1 induced by lactic acid was initiated at all concentrations of ethanol, resulting in significant up-regulation of genes related to the Genetic Information Processing pathway, such as cell cycle-yeast, meiosis-yeast, DNA replication and other pathways. However, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and the inhibition of pathways associated with carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism may be the main reason for the inhibition of growth in W. anomalus NCUF307.1. In addition, 3% and 6% ethanol combined with 1% lactic acid could promote the ester production of W. anomalus NCUF307.1, which may be related to the up-regulation of EAT1 , ADH5 and TGL5 genes, while the inhibition in 9% ethanol may be related to down-regulation of ATF2 , EAT1, ADH2 , ADH5 , and TGL3 genes. • Ethanol up-regulated expression of genes related to cell cycle and meiosis pathways in W. anomalus induced by lactic acid. • Ethanol accumulated ROS and inhibited carbohydrate metabolism in W. anomalus induced by lactic acid. • Ethanol-promoted ester production in W. anomalus induced by lactic acid was related to EAT1 , ADH5 and TGL5 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The usefulness of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (sACE) for diagnosing sarcoidosis and determining the active status of sarcoidosis has been reported with varying outcomes. On the basis of the majority of published data, we conducted a meta-analysis to calculate the overall predictive accuracy of sACE in sarcoidosis disease and the active status of sarcoidosis. The inclusion of related research listed in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and other literature databases was assessed. SROC curves were generated to characterize the overall test results after data on sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were combined. Publication bias was identified using Deeks' funnel plot. Thirty-five publications with 8645 subjects met the inclusion criteria. The following are summary estimates of sACE diagnostic performance for sarcoidosis: sensitivity, 60% (95% confidence interval (CI), 52–68%); specificity, 93% (95% CI, 88–96%); PLR, 8.4 (95% CI, 5.3–13.3); NLR, 0.43 (95% CI, 0.36–0.52); and DOR, 19 (95% CI, 12–31). The area under the SROC curve (AUC) was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.80–0.87). Summary estimates for predicting the active status of sarcoidosis were as follows: sensitivity, 0.76 (95% CI, 0.61–0.87); specificity, 0.80 (95% CI, 0.64–0.90); PLR, 3.9 (95% CI, 2.1–7.3); NLR, 0.29 (95% CI, 0.17–0.49); and DOR, 13 (95% CI, 6–31). The AUC was 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82–0.88). There was no evidence of publication bias. Our meta-analysis suggests that measuring the sACE may assist in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis and predicting the active status of sarcoidosis, but the interpretation of the sACE results should be with caution. Future studies should validate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) have been widespread in poultry and wild birds throughout the world for many decades. LPAIV infections are usually asymptomatic or cause subclinical symptoms. However, the genetic reassortment of LPAIVs may generate novel viruses with increased virulence and cross-species transmission, posing potential risks to public health. To evaluate the epidemic potential and infection landscape of LPAIVs in Guangxi Province, China, we collected and analyzed throat and cloacal swab samples from chickens, ducks and geese from the live poultry markets on a regular basis from 2016 to 2019. Among the 7,567 samples, 974 (12.87%) were LPAIVs-positive, with 890 single and 84 mixed infections. Higher yearly isolation rates were observed in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, geese had the highest isolation rate, followed by ducks and chickens. Seasonally, spring had the highest isolation rate. Subtype H3, H4, H6 and H9 viruses were detected over prolonged periods, while H1 and H11 viruses were detected transiently. The predominant subtypes in chickens, ducks and geese were H9, H3, and H6, respectively. The 84 mixed infection samples contained 22 combinations. Most mixed infections involved two subtypes, with H3 + H4 as the most common combination. Our study provides important epidemiological data regarding the isolation rates, distributions of prevalent subtypes and mixed infections of LPAIVs. These results will improve our knowledge and ability to control epidemics, guide disease management strategies and provide early awareness of newly emerged AIV reassortants with pandemic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of HfO 2 /SiO 2 anti-reflection (AR) films for ultraviolet (UV) lasers was improved via low-temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). Focused on the chemical composition, optical absorption, surface scattering, and laser-resistance, the impact of precursor exposure time on PEALD SiO 2 film properties and growth temperature on PEALD SiO 2 and HfO 2 film properties were investigated respectively. When irradiated by UV laser, PEALD SiO 2 film exhibits a higher LIDT than the PEALD HfO 2 film, which is consistent with their less impurity content and lower absorption. A bilayer structure HfO 2 /SiO 2 AR film for 355 nm laser was designed and experimentally demonstrated via PEALD growth at a temperature of 150 °C. The prepared PEALD AR film shows a reflectance <0.2% at 355 nm as designed and better laser-damage resistance with a LIDT of 24.4 J/cm2 (355 nm, 7.8 ns) than the conventional e-beam deposition method. Image 1 • The HfO 2 /SiO 2 anti-reflection film for UV laser was presented via low-temperature PEALD. • The presented PEALD AR film shows better laser-damage resistance than conventional e-beam deposition method. • The impact of precursor exposure time on PEALD film properties were investigated. • The XPS measurement shows the impurity content of PEALD HfO 2 film is high, leading to a large absorption and low LIDT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The H3 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) is widespread in avian species and is frequently isolated in surveillance projects; thus, we have developed a more effective diagnostic approach of a monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based sandwich ELISA for the H3 AIV detection. First, we have produced the essential reagent of mAb against AIV H3 strains with the development of an mAb-Mouse immunization with a purified H3-subtype AIV strain and cell fusion to generate hybridoma cells. These cells were screened with hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests, and optimal cells were subcloned. We chose a hybridoma cell line that steadily secreted a specific H3-subtype AIV mAb, designated 9F12, that belongs to the IgG1 subclass and has a K-type light chain. 9F12 was shown to bind specifically to the H3-subtype AIV antigen by both immunofluorescence assay and Western blot analysis. Finally, a 9F12-based sandwich ELISA was successfully developed and used to specifically test for this antigen. The sandwich ELISA conditions were optimized, and the specificity and sensitivity were validated. The results for clinical sample detection were consistent with viral isolation. Consequently, the 9F12-based sandwich ELISA is a specific, sensitive, robust, rapid and versatile diagnostic tool for H3-subtype AIV and provides a promising strategy for effective influenza virus prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A DLAMP method was developed for simultaneous detection of MB and BHV-1 and applied to clinical samples. • The DLAMP results were visualized by the colors of fluorescent-dye-conjugated DLAMP products. • The DLAMP assay shows high specificity and sensitivity. Abstract Mycoplasma bovis (MB) and bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) are two important pathogens that cause bovine respiratory disease in the beef feedlot and dairy industries. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a duplex fluorescence-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (DLAMP) assay for simultaneous detection of MB and BHV-1. Two sets of specific primers for each pathogen were designed to target the unique sequences of the MB uvrC gene and the BHV-1 gB gene. The inner primer for BHV-1 was synthesized with the fluorophore FAM at the 5′ end to detect the BHV-1 gB gene, and the inner primer for MB was synthesized with the fluorophore CY5 at the 5′ end to detect the MB uvrC gene. The DLAMP reaction conditions were optimized for rapid and specific detection of MB and BHV-1. The DLAMP assay developed here could specifically detect MB and BHV-1 without cross-reaction with other known non-target bovine pathogens. The sensitivity of this DLAMP assay was as low as 2 × 102 copies for recombinant plasmids containing the MB and BHV-1 target genes. In a detection test of 125 clinical samples, the positive rates for MB, BHV-1 and co-infection were 44.8%, 13.6% and 1.6%, respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity of DLAMP were determined as 95%–96.6% and 100%, respectively, of those of field sample detection by the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Overall, DLAMP provides a rapid, sensitive and specific assay for the identification of MB and BHV-1 in clinical specimens and for epidemiological surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HfO 2 monolayer coatings are grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), and the effects of the thermal annealing atmosphere and temperature on the surface morphology, crystal structure, chemical composition, optical absorption, and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of the HfO 2 monolayer coatings are investigated. The experimental results show that annealing in an oxygen atmosphere is more beneficial to the decomposition of impurity compounds (carbonates and amines) and the elimination of oxygen deficiency in HfO 2 coating than in a nitrogen atmosphere. Compared to the as-deposited coating, the HfO 2 coating annealed under an oxygen atmosphere and specific temperature has lower C and N impurity contents, a better stoichiometric ratio, and thus lower absorption and higher LIDT. The highest LIDT (at 355 nm) of 6.3 J/cm2 is obtained at an annealing temperature of 700 ℃, which is approximately three times that of the as-deposited coating. We believe that this experimental result can help improve the LIDT of PEALD-grown oxide coatings or other oxide coatings containing similar impurities. • The effect of annealing on the properties of PEALD HfO 2 coatings is investigated. • The carbonates and amines in the HfO 2 coating decompose during annealing. • The oxygen-annealed HfO 2 coating has lower absorption and higher LIDT. • The oxygen-annealed HfO 2 coating shows different damage morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, Ag-modified g-C3N4 photocatalysts with different Ag loading were prepared by a facile photoreduction method. The photocatalysts prepared were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPV), respectively. The separation efficiency of photo-induced charge pairs was studied using benzoquinone (BQ) as scavenger. The activities of the photocatalysts were evaluated by decolorization of rhodamine B aqueous solution under simulated solar illumination. Compared to g-C3N4, Ag/g-C3N4 photocatalysts exhibit enhanced photocatalytic performance due to the improved separation efficiency of photo-generated charge pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plate laser beam splitter (PLBS) coatings for intensity-splitting in high-power laser applications face increasing requirements, where the challenge is to simultaneously satisfy a given transmittance (T)/reflectivity (R) intensity-splitting ratio with a certain bandwidth, and a high laser damage threshold (LIDT). Traditionally, a given T/R ratio is achieved by using a non-quarter-wave design. We propose a quarter-wave design strategy for arbitrary T/R ratios by using mixture layers with tunable refractive index (n) and optical bandgap as high- n layers. Two quarter-wave PLBS coatings based on HfO 2 –Al 2 O 3 mixture with a designed T/R ratio of 50:50 are experimentally demonstrated and compared with the traditional PLBS coating. The mixture-based PLBS coating shows good spectral performance, low surface roughness, and high LIDT. For an s -polarized 8 ns pulse laser at a wavelength of 1064 nm, a mixture-based PLBS coating design can improve LIDT by a factor of ∼ 2 with a slightly wider bandwidth. This tunable mixture-based PLBS coating design strategy provides support for the increasingly high output power of high-power laser systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high optical performance and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) of broadband hafnium oxide/silica (HfO 2 /SiO 2) dichroic coatings with high transmittance and reflectance around 532 and 1064 nm, respectively, are essential for the efficiency of a harmonic separation system. However, the transmittance of dichroic coatings tends to drop rapidly at 532 nm because of the half-wave hole effect. Moreover, an intense electric field penetrates the coating (~6 μm thick) to the substrate, thereby generating a challenge to improve the LIDT at 532 nm. In this paper, we study the methods to improve the optical performance and LIDT of HfO 2 /SiO 2 dichroic coatings prepared by electron-beam evaporation. The inhomogeneity in the growth characteristics of the HfO 2 layer is studied and considered in the design of dichroic coatings, which can improve spectral performance, especially by broadening the transmittance bandwidth around 532 nm. Additionally, the effects of the different treatment procedures, including ultrasonic cleaning, acid-solution etching, and argon-ion-beam etching, of the fused silica substrate on the LIDT of dichroic coatings are investigated by the raster-scan damage test method. We observe that the LIDT of dichroic coatings at 532 nm is limited by the surface and subsurface defects of the substrate. Etching ~200 nm of the surface of the fused silica substrate can effectively inhibit the occurrence of low-energy catastrophic growth damage. Compared with acid-solution etching, argon-ion-beam etching can yield improved substrate surface quality and increased LIDTs of dichroic coatings at 532 nm. • The refractive index inhomogeneity of the HfO 2 single layer is consistent with that of the HfO 2 layer in dichroic coatings. • HfO 2 /SiO 2 dichroic coatings considering the refractive-index inhomogeneity of HfO 2 layer inhibit the half-wave hole effect. • Laser damage at 532 nm mainly originates from the substrate subsurface defects in the redeposition (Beilby) layer. • Argon-ion-beam etching can bring better substrate surface quality and higher LIDTs of dichroic coatings at 532 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: An investigation of the diagnostic and clinical value of cell cycle-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC)., Methods: A large tertiary hospital in Jiangxi Province enrolled 80 SCLC cases, 105 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 114 cases of pulmonary nodule (PN) and 60 control cases from December 2022 to December 2023. ELISA was used to measure CDK1 levels in serum. The expression levers of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), Pro gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) and cytokeratin 19 fragment (YFRA21-1) were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay., Results: ①CDK1, ProGRP, NSE, and CA199 expressions were significantly higher in the SCLC group compared to the NSCLC, PN and Control groups (P < 0.01). ②Spearman correlation analysis showed that serum levels of CDK1, NSE, and ProGRP were associated with clinical staging and lymph node metastasis in SCLC patients (P < 0.05). ③The serum levels of CDK1, NSE, and ProGRP in patients with extensive-disease (ED) SCLC were higher than those in patients with limited-disease (LD) SCLC (P < 0.05), and the serum levels of CDK1, NSE, and ProGRP in SCLC patients with lymph node metastasis were higher than those without lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). ④Compared with the NSCLC group, the AUC of subjects diagnosed with SCLC by CDK1 was the largest and the sensitivity was the highest, 0.831 and 72.50%, the specificity of ProGRP in diagnosing SCLC is the highest, at 95.20% (P < 0.01). Compared with the PN group, CDK1 had the highest AUC, sensitivity, and specificity in diagnosing SCLC, with values of 0.93%, 88.80%, and 94.70%, respectively (P < 0.01). ⑤The combination of CDK1, ProGRP and NSE had the highest AUC and sensitivity of 0.903 and 86.30% for the diagnosis of SCLC (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: CDK1 not only plays an important role in assisting the diagnosis of SCLC but also in the differential diagnosis between SCLC and NSCLC. The combination of CDK1 and NSE and ProGRP can significantly improve the diagnostic performance and provide new ideas for the clinical diagnosis of SCLC., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Federación de Sociedades Españolas de Oncología (FESEO).)

The volatile characteristics of lemongrass essential oil (LO) have seriously hindered its further application, and encapsulation it with multilayer modified liposomes may be an effective strategy to improve this dilemma. This study selected chitosan (CH) and three anionic polymers, pectin (P) / gum arabic (GA) / carrageenan (C), as the first and second coating polymers to modify nano liposomes (NL) by layer-by-layer electrostatic deposition, obtaining three bilayer liposomes, P-CH-NL, GA-CH-NL, and C-CH-NL as high-quality stabilized carriers of LO. The bilayer liposomes showed a dense membrane structure ranging from 110 to 150 nm uniformly, with good antioxidant properties. All bilayer liposomes had good stability during 28-day storage at 4 °C, while C-CH-NL performed relatively better inferred by smaller changes of size, PDI and Zeta potential. The total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) values of fresh chicken meat and a total number of bacterial colonies (TBC) experiments showed that GA-CH-NL and C-CH-NL could better retard the increase of volatile salt base nitrogen. All bilayer liposomes could delay the time for the total bacterial count to exceed 6 log CFU/g (from 7 days to 10 / 12 days). Therefore, the bilayer liposomes P-CH-NL, GA-CH-NL, and C-CH-NL may be promising natural preservatives for food products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based pathogen or biochemical testing is the standard approach for clinical diagnosis of various meningitis. However, misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis always occur due to the shortages of unusual clinical manifestations and time-consuming shortcomings, low sensitivity, and poor specificity. Here, for the first time, we propose a simple and reliable CSF-induced SERS platform assisted with machine learning (ML) for the diagnosis and identification of various meningitis. Stable and reproducible SERS spectra are obtained within 30 s by simply mixing the colloidal silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with CSF sample, and the relative standard deviation of signal intensity is achieved as low as 2.1%. In contrast to conventional salt agglomeration agent-induced irreversible aggregation for achieving Raman enhancement, a homogeneous and dispersed colloidal solution is observed within 1 h for the mixture of Ag NPs/CSF (containing 110-140 mM chloride), contributing to excellent SERS stability and reproducibility. In addition, the interaction processes and potential enhancement mechanisms of different Ag colloids-based SERS detection induced by CSF sample or conventional NaCl agglomeration agents are studied in detail through in-situ UV-vis absorption spectra, SERS analysis, SEM and optical imaging. Finally, an ML-assisted meningitis classification model is established based on the spectral feature fusion of characteristic peaks and baseline. By using an optimized KNN algorithm, the classification accuracy of autoimmune encephalitis, novel cryptococcal meningitis, viral meningitis, or tuberculous meningitis could be reached 99%, while an accuracy value of 68.74% is achieved for baseline-corrected spectral data. The CSF-induced SERS detection has the potential to provide a new type of liquid biopsy approach in the fields of diagnosis and early detection of various cerebral ailments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Distinguish the geographical origin of the pear is important due to the increasingly valued brand protection and reducing the potential food safety risks. In this study, the profiles of stable isotopes (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 2 H, δ 18 O) and the contents of 16 elements in pear peer from four production areas were analyzed. The δ 13 C, δ 15 N, δ 2 H, δ 18 O and 12 elements were significantly different ( p  < 0.05) in the four production areas. Chemometrics analysis including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were exploited for geographical origin classification of samples. OPLS-DA analysis showed that crucial variables (δ 13 C, δ 18 O, δ 2 H, Ni, Cd, Ca, δ 15 N, Sr and Ga) are more relevant for the discrimination of the samples. OPLS-DA achieved pear origin accuracy rates of 87.76 % by combining stable isotope ratios and elemental contents. LDA had a higher accuracy rate than OPLS-DA, and the LDA analysis showed that the original discrimination rate reached to 100 %, while the cross-validated rate reached to 95.7 %. These studies indicated that this method could be used to assess the geographical discrimination of pear from different producing areas and could potentially control the fair trade of pear in fruit markets., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Microfluidic technology has emerged as a powerful tool in studying arterial thrombosis, allowing researchers to construct artificial blood vessels and replicate the hemodynamics of blood flow. This technology has led to significant advancements in understanding thrombosis and platelet adhesion and aggregation. Microfluidic models have various types and functions, and by studying the fabrication methods and working principles of microfluidic chips, applicable methods can be selected according to specific needs. The rapid development of microfluidic integrated system and modular microfluidic system makes arterial thrombosis research more diversified and automated, but its standardization still needs to be solved urgently. One key advantage of microfluidic technology is the ability to precisely control fluid flow in microchannels and to analyze platelet behavior under different shear forces and flow rates. This allows researchers to study the physiological and pathological processes of blood flow, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms of arterial thrombosis. In conclusion, microfluidic technology has revolutionized the study of arterial thrombosis by enabling the construction of artificial blood vessels and accurately reproducing hemodynamics. In the future, microfluidics will place greater emphasis on versatility and automation, holding great promise for advancing antithrombotic therapeutic and prophylactic measures.

The online monitoring of GIS equipment can be realized through detecting SF 6 decomposition gasses. Metal oxide heterojunctions are widely used as gas-sensing materials. In this study, the structural and electrical properties of In 2 O 3 -ZnO and TiO 2 -ZnO heterojunctions were analyzed based on density functional theory calculations. After heterojunction structural optimization, the electrical conductivity of these two heterojunctions was enhanced compared to each intrinsic model, and the electrical conductivity is ranked as follows: In 2 O 3 -ZnO heterojunction > TiO 2 -ZnO heterojunction. The gas-sensing response of these two heterojunctions to four SF 6 decomposition gasses, H 2 S, SO 2 , SOF 2 , and SO 2 F 2 , was investigated. For gas adsorption systems, the adsorption energy, charge transfer, density of states, charge difference density, and frontier molecular orbitals were calculated to analyze the adsorption and gas-sensing performance. For gas adsorption on the In 2 O 3 -ZnO heterojunction surface, the induced conductivity changes are in the following order: H 2 S > SO 2 F 2 > SOF 2 > SO 2 . For gas adsorption on the TiO 2 -ZnO heterojunction surface, H 2 S and SOF 2 increase conductivity, and SO 2 and SO 2 F 2 decrease conductivity.

Background: Sex steroid hormones, including testosterone and estradiol, play significant roles in various aspects of pulmonary health and diseases. However, although there were a few studies trying to link sex hormones with COPD, their effect remained limited due to small sample size and insufficient causal results. This study aims to investigate the association between sex hormones and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and evaluate causality via a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR)., Methods: Data from NHANES 2013-2016 were enrolled for the cross-sectional study. The association between sex hormones and COPD was evaluated via multivariable logistic regression. Sex-stratified analysis, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were performed to further evaluate the correlation. For MR analysis, data were collected from genome-wide association studies and FinnGen datasets. The inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) approach, along with four other approaches, was applied in the analysis. Further sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the existence of pleiotropy and heterogeneity., Results: 7,617 eligible participants were enrolled in the cross-sectional analysis. Negative associations were observed in both testosterone-COPD (OR 0.770, 95% CI 0.626, 0.948, p = 0.018) and estradiol-COPD (OR 0.794, 95% CI 0.688, 0.915, p = 0.005) relationships after covariate adjustments. However, the results from IVW-MR analysis showed that no causal relationship was observed in either the testosterone-COPD (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.53, 1.29, p = 0.407) or estradiol-COPD (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.23, 2.38, p = 0.616) relationship, which was also supported by the other four approaches (all p values > 0.05)., Conclusion: Although a significant negative association was observed between sex hormones and COPD, the results of MR analysis did not support the causality of this relationship. Our study suggested that sex hormones may indirectly rather than directly affect the development of COPD via potential covariates, which warranted further investigations., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Du et al.)

Objective: To investigate whether inflammatory indices, including the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), product of platelet and neutrophil count (PPN), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), correlate with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 2007-2018. The SII, NLR, PLR, PPN and LMR were calculated based on blood cell counts and were log2-transformed. COPD was diagnosed via a questionnaire or spirometry examination. Multivariate logistic regression, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analyses, and interaction tests were performed to evaluate the relationships., Results: 23,875 participants, including 1000 COPD patients (453 diagnosed via spirometry examination, 547 diagnosed via a questionnaire), were enrolled in this study. Positive associations were observed between SII (OR 1.231, 95 % CI 1.081,1.401), NLR (OR 1.223, 95 % CI 1.064,1.405), PLR (OR 1.325, 95 % CI 1.086,1.617), PPN (OR 1.157, 95 % CI 1.031,1.298) and COPD, while a negative association was obtained between LMR and COPD (OR 0.794, 95 % CI 0.666,0.948) after covariate adjustments. When divided COPD patients into spirometry-based and questionnaire-based, only SII (OR 1.310, 95%CI 1.122,1.529), PLR (OR 1.669, 95%CI 1.272,2.191) and PPN (OR 1.218, 95%CI 1.050,1.412) significantly correlated with spirometry-based COPD, while only NLR (OR 1.303, 95%CI 1.055,1.609) and LMR (OR 0.524, 95%CI 0.406,0.677) significantly correlated with questionnaire-based COPD after covariate adjustments., Conclusion: Significant associations are observed between different inflammation indices and COPD. Heterogeneity exists between spirometry-based and questionnaire-based COPD patients. Future studies are needed to verify the results., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

An oil-immersed transformer is a critical electrical device for power delivery. Online monitoring of transformer operation is the key to ensuring the regular operation of power systems. This paper proposes Au/ZnO, Pd/ZnO, and Pt/ZnO heterojunctions as new gas-sensitive materials and investigates their gas-sensitive performance to dissolved gases (C 2 H 4 , CO, and H 2 ) in transformer oil. Upon theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the analysis of the total density of states (TDOS), partial density of states (PDOS), molecular orbital theory, and charge deformation density reveals that Au, Pd, and Pt form heterojunctions with ZnO, which enhance the electrical conductivity of the system. Meanwhile, intrinsic ZnO is unsuitable for gas detection and adsorption, while the Au/ZnO heterojunction suits C 2 H 4 detection. In contrast, the Pd/ZnO heterojunction is suitable for H 2 detection, and the Pt/ZnO heterojunction is suitable for C 2 H 4 and CO detection. The electrical conductivity of the adsorption models is changed to varying degrees after gas adsorption. The different change rate electrical conductivity just serves as a theoretical foundation for determining the type and concentration of dissolved gases in transformer oil. The research results act as a theoretical foundation for constructing gas sensors with a ZnO-based material.

Purpose: The safety and efficacy of vaccination in people with hypertension (HTN) is important. There are currently a few data on the immunogenicity and safety of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in hypertension patients., Methods: After receiving a two-dose immunization, 94 hypertension adult patients and 74 healthy controls (HCs) in this study, the evaluation included looking at antibodies (Abs) against receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG, SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), RBD-specific B cells, and memory B cells (MBCs)., Results: There was no discernible difference in the overall adverse events (AEs) over the course of 7 or 30 days between HTN patients and HCs. HTN patients had lower frequencies of RBD-specific memory B cells and the seropositivity rates and titers of Abs compared with HCs (all, p < 0.05). HTN patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions (CCVD) have lower titers of CoV-2 NAb than in HCs. The titers of both Abs in HTN declined gradually over time., Conclusion: Inactivated COVID-19 vaccinations were safe in hypertension patients; however humoral immune was limited, especially merged CCVD and declined gradually over time., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yang, Zeng, Li, Guo and Jiang.)

Chicken parvovirus (ChPV) infection can cause runting-stunting syndrome (RSS) in chickens. There is currently no commercially available vaccine for controlling ChPV, and ChPV infection in chickens is widespread globally. The rapid detection of ChPV is crucial for promptly capturing epidemiological data on ChPV. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 1B12 and 2B2, against the ChPV NS1 protein were generated. A double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) was developed for detecting ChPV based on the mAb 1B12 and an anti-chicken polyclonal antibody against the ChPV NS1 protein. The detection limit for the ChPV recombinant pET32a-NS1 protein was approximately 31.2 ng/mL. A total of 192 throat and cloaca swab samples were analyzed for ChPV by the established DAS-ELISA and nested PCR methods. The concordance rate between the DAS-ELISA and the nested PCR method was 89.1%. The DAS-ELISA can detect the ChPV antigen without any cross-reaction with FAdV-4, FAdV-1, NDV, AIV, MS, CIAV, aMPV, EDSV, IBV, or AGV2. The method also has high repeatability, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of less than 5%. These findings indicate that the DAS-ELISA exhibits high accuracy, good sensitivity, and specificity, making it suitable for viral detection, field surveillance, and epidemiological studies.

Background: Due to its high morbidity and mortality, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a major global healthcare issue. Although there is abundant research regarding COPD, a bibliometric analysis of the literature related to mitochondria and COPD is lacking. Thus this study aimed to summarize the research status, research direction, and research hotspots of the published articles concerning COPD and mitochondria., Methods: A literature search for included publications related to COPD and mitochondria was carried out on the Web of Science Core Collection from the date of database establishment to December 15, 2022. A subsequent bibliometric and visual analysis of the included publications was conducted via Microsoft Excel, R software, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer., Results: A total of 227 published articles on COPD and mitochondria from 139 journals were included. Over the study period, the annual publication number and citation frequency in this field both showed a trend of continuous growth. The United States had the highest centrality and was the most productive country. The frequently occurring keywords were "oxidative stress", "obstructive pulmonary disease", "dysfunction", "mitochondria", "inflammation", and "cigarette smoke", among others. Recent research hotspots included autophagy, model, mitochondria, health, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Despite an abundance and variety of research, there is still relatively little academic communications between scholars and institutions., Conclusions: This bibliometric study can help researchers gain a quick overview of the research into mitochondria and COPD and thus inform novel ideas and directions for future research in this field., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-23-777/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

A series of specimens with some differences in wing patterns and male genitalia from different localities is recognized as Halpe paupera Devyatkin, 2002 by comparing the COI gene sequences. The morphological variability in male is discussed and illustrated. The intraspecific variation of the female of H. paupera walthewi Devyatkin, 2002 from the type locality is elucidated, and hence this subspecies is considered a synonym of H. paupera paupera. A distribution map and some bionomic information of the species are provided.

H5, H7 and H9 are the most important subtypes of avian influenza viruses (AIVs), and nine neuraminidase (NA) subtypes (N1-N9) of AIVs have been identified in poultry. A method that can simultaneously detect H5, H7, H9 and the nine NA subtypes of AIVs would save time and effort. In this study, 13 pairs of primers, including 12 pairs of subtype-specific primers for detecting particular subtypes (H5, H7, H9 and N1-N9) and one pair of universal primers for detecting all subtypes of AIVs, were designed and screened. The 13 pairs of primers were mixed in the same reaction, and the 13 target genes were simultaneously detected. A GeXP assay using all 13 pairs of primers to simultaneously detect H5, H7, H9 and the nine NA subtypes of AIVs was developed. The GeXP assay showed specific binding to the corresponding target genes for singlet and multiplex templates, and no cross-reactivity was observed between AIV subtypes and other related avian pathogens. Detection was observed even when only 10 2 copies of the 13 target genes were present. This study provides a high-throughput, rapid and labor-saving GeXP assay for the simultaneous rapid identification of three HA subtypes (H5, H7 and N9) and nine NA subtypes (N1-N9) of AIVs.