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ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze the awareness of influenza prevention and control and the behavioral attitudes toward the work among parents and staff in schools in Taicang City and the impact of the vaccination rate among students on influenza outbreaks in schools. The findings can provide references for the development of effective control strategies for the spread of influenza.MethodsAn anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on 10,962 students from 20 schools in Taicang City, with class as the unit of analysis. The survey investigated their awareness of influenza prevention and control, their attitudes, and the vaccination coverage.ResultsFrom January to June 2023, a total of 388 influenza outbreaks were reported in schools in Taicang City, involving 77 schools. There were 3,475 confirmed cases, with an average infection rate of 18.53%. In schools where influenza outbreaks had occurred, the incidence rate of those who received influenza vaccine was significantly lower than those who did not, and the vaccine protection rate was 28.22%. The knowledge awareness rates of “the main transmission routes of influenza” and “influenza vaccination can prevent influenza” among parents of students were 95.49 and 93.16%, respectively. The differences between schools involved in the epidemic and non-epidemic were statistically significant (p

Abstract Background CircRNAs participate in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This work aims to explore the key tumor promoting circRNA as a gene therapy target. Methods The differentially expressed gene circRNAs in HCC tumor tissues was identified by mining GSE121714 dataset. EdU staining, wound healing, transwell invasion assay, TUNEL staining and western blotting examined proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Xenograft mouse model and orthotopic transplantation tumor mouse model were constructed to verify the role of hsa_circ_001726 in growth and metastasis of HCC. The relationship among CCT2, E2F6, hsa_circ_001726, miR-671-5p and PRMT9 was identified by RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization, luciferase reporter assay and RNA Immunoprecipitation. Results Eleven differentially expressed circRNAs were found in HCC tumors. Among them, hsa_circ_001726 was highly expressed in HCC tumors and cells, which was transcribed from CCT2. As a transcription factor of CCT2, E2F6 knockdown inactivated CCT2 promoter and reduced hsa_circ_001726 expression. Moreover, hsa_circ_001726 elevated PRMT9 expression by sponging miR-671-5p, and then activated Notch signaling pathway. Additionally, hsa_circ_001726 deficiency repressed malignant phenotypes of HCC cells, including proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and apoptosis. In vivo, hsa_circ_001726 deficiency reduced tumor growth and lung metastasis of HCC in xenograft mouse models and orthotopic transplantation tumor mouse models. Conclusion Hsa_circ_001726 functioned as an oncogene in HCC, which was derived from CCT2 and regulated by E2F6. Hsa_circ_001726 elevated PRMT9 expression by sponging miR-671-5p, and then activated Notch signaling pathway, thereby accelerating malignant phenotypes of HCC. Therefore, targeting hsa_circ_001726 may be a new avenue for HCC treatment.

Abstract Background Selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR) is an extreme complication that significantly increases the risk of perinatal mortality and long-term adverse neurological outcomes in offspring, affecting approximately 15% of monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies. The lack of longitudinal cohort studies hinders the early prediction and intervention of sFGR. Methods We constructed a prospective longitudinal cohort study of sFGR, and quantified 25 key metabolites in 337 samples from maternal plasma in the first, second, and third trimester and from cord plasma. In particular, our study examined fetal growth and brain injury data from ultrasonography and used the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-third edition subscale (ASQ-3) to evaluate the long-term neurocognitive behavioral development of infants aged 2–3 years. Furthermore, we correlated metabolite levels with ultrasound data, including physical development and brain injury indicators, and ASQ-3 data using Spearman’s-based correlation tests. In addition, special combinations of differential metabolites were used to construct predictive models for the occurrence of sFGR and fetal brain injury. Results Our findings revealed various dynamic patterns for these metabolites during pregnancy and a maximum of differential metabolites between sFGR and MCDA in the second trimester (n = 8). The combination of l-phenylalanine, l-leucine, and l-isoleucine in the second trimester, which were closely related to fetal growth indicators, was highly predictive of sFGR occurrence (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.878). The combination of l-serine, l-histidine, and l-arginine in the first trimester and creatinine in the second trimester was correlated with long-term neurocognitive behavioral development and showed the capacity to identify fetal brain injury with high accuracy (AUC: 0.94). Conclusions The performance of maternal plasma metabolites from the first and second trimester is superior to those from the third trimester and cord plasma in discerning sFGR and fetal brain injury. These metabolites may serve as useful biomarkers for early prediction and promising targets for early intervention in clinical settings.

Accurate road networks are of great importance to online food delivery (OFD) services. In recent years, various data sources have been used to extract road information. Remote sensing images and Global Positioning System (GPS) trajectories can provide complementary information about roads, and the fusion of these two data sources allows to enhance the accuracy of automatic road extraction. To make full use of the information available from these two data sources, we developed a decoder fusion model based on the dilated Res-U-Net (DF-DRUNet) which fuses the remote sensing images and GPS trajectories in an efficient way to extract the road network. The DF-DRUNet model is built on two components: First, two independent dilated Res-U-Net models are used, where one model uses remote sensing images as input whilst the other model takes GPS trajectories as input. Second, we fused the decoders from the modalities based on a gated fusion module, which can help to learn the selection from these two input modalities. Based on the road extraction from the DF-DRUNet model, we also developed various refinement strategies, i.e., noise removal, skeleton extraction, topology construction, and vectorization. Numerical experiments were conducted using the DF-DRUNet model and baseline models from the real dataset of remote sensing images and GPS trajectories. The quantitative evaluation shows that the DF-DRUNet model can integrate remote sensing images and GPS trajectories effectively and achieve the highest performance of F1-score (0.857) and IoU (0.746) among all baseline fusion models. Moreover, the proposed DF-DRUNet model needs relatively fewer parameters and takes shorter training time.

Abstract Background The hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein is an established cause of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whether arginine methylation regulates ferroptosis involved in HBx-induced HCC progression has not been reported. This study aimed to explore whether HBx-regulated protein arginine methyltransferase 9 (PRMT9) mediates the involvement of ferroptosis in the development of HCC. Methods and results HBx inhibited ferroptosis through promoting PRMT9 expression in HCC cells. PRMT9 suppressed ferroptosis to accelerate HCC progression in vivo. PRMT9 targeted HSPA8 and enhanced arginine methylation of HSPA8 at R76 and R100 to regulate ferroptosis in HCC. HSPA8 overexpression altered the transcriptome profile of HepG2 cells, in particular, ferroptosis and immune-related pathways were significantly enriched by differentially expressed genes, including CD44. HSPA8 overexpression up-regulated CD44 expression and knockdown of CD44 significantly reversed the inhibition of ferroptosis caused by PRMT9 overexpression. Conclusions In conclusion, HBx/PRMT9/HSPA8/CD44 axis is a vital signal pathway regulating ferroptosis in HCC cells. This study provides new opportunities and targets for the treatment of HBV-induced HCC. Graphical Abstract

A DNA barcoding method with cytochrome C oxidase subunit I sequence (COI) was developed to identify 7 adulterated animal-derived components (including pig, cattle, sheep, chicken, duck, goose and rabbit) in edible viscera products. Samples were cleaned with physiological saline and pretreated by vacuum freeze drying before DNA extraction and amplification. PCR products were confirmed by capillary gel electrophoresis analysis system, and the cloned sequencing results were submitted to the local database (Viscera) for comparison. The universal primer set COI-A was used for the amplification, and the amount of DNA template and annealing temperature were optimized. Meanwhile, the minimum adulteration percentage of 19 edible viscera adulteration models was validated and examined. Results showed that the 5 viscera sources from 7 animal species can be completely amplified under the above conditions, the optimal DNA template volume and annealing temperature are 2 μL and 53 ℃ respectively, and the minimum detection percentage of adulterated components was 5%. The method is sensitive and reliable, which can be used for the identification of adulterated 7 animal-derived components in the edible viscera products.

BackgroundRadiotherapy plays a crucial role in the management of Cervical cancer (CC), as the development of resistance by cancer cells to radiotherapeutic interventions is a significant factor contributing to treatment failure in patients. However, the specific mechanisms that contribute to this resistance remain unclear. Currently, molecular targeted therapy, including mitochondrial genes, has emerged as a new approach in treating different types of cancers, gaining significant attention as an area of research in addressing the challenge of radiotherapy resistance in cancer.MethodsThe present study employed a rigorous screening methodology within the TCGA database to identify a cohort of patients diagnosed with CC who had received radiotherapy treatment. The control group consisted of individuals who demonstrated disease stability or progression after undergoing radiotherapy. In contrast, the treatment group consisted of patients who experienced complete or partial remission following radiotherapy. Following this, we identified and examined the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two cohorts. Subsequently, we conducted additional analyses to refine the set of excluded DEGs by employing the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and random forest techniques. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the potential correlation between the expression of core genes and the extent of immune cell infiltration in patients diagnosed with CC. The mitochondrial-associated genes were obtained from the MITOCARTA 3.0. Finally, the verification of increased expression of the mitochondrial gene TMEM38A in individuals with CC exhibiting sensitivity to radiotherapy was conducted using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry assays.ResultsThis process ultimately led to the identification of 7 crucial genes, viz., GJA3, TMEM38A, ID4, CDHR1, SLC10A4, KCNG1, and HMGCS2, which were strongly associated with radiotherapy sensitivity. The enrichment analysis has unveiled a significant association between these 7 crucial genes and prominent signaling pathways, such as the p53 signaling pathway, KRAS signaling pathway, and PI3K/AKT/MTOR pathway. By utilizing these 7 core genes, an unsupervised clustering analysis was conducted on patients with CC, resulting in the categorization of patients into three distinct molecular subtypes. In addition, a predictive model for the sensitivity of CC radiotherapy was developed using a neural network approach, utilizing the expression levels of these 7 core genes. Moreover, the CellMiner database was utilized to predict drugs that are closely linked to these 7 core genes, which could potentially act as crucial agents in overcoming radiotherapy resistance in CC.ConclusionTo summarize, the genes GJA3, TMEM38A, ID4, CDHR1, SLC10A4, KCNG1, and HMGCS2 were found to be closely correlated with the sensitivity of CC to radiotherapy. Notably, TMEM38A, a mitochondrial gene, exhibited the highest degree of correlation, indicating its potential as a crucial biomarker for the modulation of radiotherapy sensitivity in CC.

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC)、PD-1 inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKI) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on 158 unresectable HCC patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between May 2019 and October 2022. The patients were split into two groups based on the type of treatment they received: TACE combined with HAIC,PD-1 and TKI group (THPK) and TACE combined with PD-1 and TKI group (TPK). The response was evaluated using modified solid tumor Efficacy Assessment Criteria (mRECIST). Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the overall survival (OS). OS-influencing factors were identified using the Cox proportional risk regression model.ResultsFinally, 63 patients who received THPK treatment and 60 patients who had TPK treatment were included. The THPK group had higher DCR (77.78% vs. 55.00%, P=0.007) and ORR (20.63% vs. 13.34%, P=0.282) than the TPK group did. The survival analysis curve also showed that the median OS was substantially longer in the THPK group than in the TPK group (OS: 21 months vs. 14 months, P=0.039). After multivariate Cox regression-corrected analysis, extrahepatic metastases (P=0.002) and methemoglobin >400 (P=0.041) were adverse influences on OS, but the THPK group (relative to the TPK group) was an independent favorable prognostic factor for OS (P=0.027). The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the addition of HAIC therapy to TPK treatment in patients with BCLC stage C, age ≦60 years, ECOG grade 0 and lobular distribution of tumors prolonged overall survival time and improved prognosis. Except for nausea, there was no difference in the adverse events between the two groups.ConclusionIn patients with unresectable HCC, the THPK group had a longer OS and similar adverse events compared to the TPK group. In the future, TACE-HAIC in combination with targeted and immunotherapy may be a more effective therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma that cannot be surgically removed.

As a carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technology, gas diffusion electrode (GDE) based electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) can convert CO2 to valuable products, such as formate and CO. However, the electrode parameters and operational conditions need to be studied and optimised to enhance the performance and reduce the net cost of the eCO2RR process before its industrial application. In this work, a machine learning algorithm, i.e., extended adaptive hybrid functions (E-AHF) is combined with a multi-physics model for the data-driven three-objective optimisation and techno-economic analysis of the GDE-based eCO2RR process. The effects of eight design variables on the product yield (PY), CO2 conversion (CR) and specific electrical energy consumption (SEEC) of the process are analysed. The results show that the R2 of the E-AHF model for the prediction of PY, CR and SEEC are all higher than 0.96, indicating the high accuracy of the developed machine learning algorithm for the prediction of the eCO2RR process. The process performance experiences a notable improvement after optimisation and is affected by a combination of eight variables, amongst which the electrolyte concentration having the most significant impact on PY and CR. The optimal trade-off single-pass PY, CR and SEEC are 3.25×10−9 kg s−1, 0.663% and 9.95 kWh kg−1 based on flow channels with 1 cm in length, respectively. The SEEC is reduced by nearly half and PY and CR are improved more than two times after optimisation. The production cost of the GDE-based eCO2RR process was approximately $378 t−1product (CO and formate), much lower than that of traditional CO2 utilisation factories ($835 t−1product). The electricity cost accounted for more than 80% of the total cost, amounting to $318 t−1, indicating that cheaper and cleaner electricity sources would further reduce the production cost of the process, which is the key to the economics of this technology.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) greatly boosts scientific and engineering innovation. As one of the promising candidates for transiting the carbon intensive economy to zero emission future, proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells has aroused extensive attentions. The gas diffusion layer (GDL) strongly affects the water and heat management during PEM fuel cells operation, therefore multi-variable optimization, including thickness, porosity, conductivity, channel/rib widths and compression ratio, is essential for the improved cell performance. However, traditional experiment-based optimization is time consuming and economically unaffordable. To break down the obstacles to rapidly optimize GDLs, physics-based simulation and machine-learning-based surrogate modelling are integrated to build a sophisticated M5 model, in which multi-physics and multi-phase flow simulation, machine-learning-based surrogate modelling, multi-variable and multi-objects optimization are included. Two machine learning methodologies, namely response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) are compared. The M5 model is proved to be effective and efficient for GDL optimization. After optimization, the current density and standard deviation of oxygen distribution at 0.4 V are improved by 20.8% and 74.6%, respectively. Pareto front is obtained to trade off the cell performance and homogeneity of oxygen distribution, e.g., 20.5% higher current density is achieved when sacrificing the standard deviation of oxygen distribution by 26.0%.

Centella asiatica, a traditional Chinese medicine belonging to the Umbelliferae family, was recorded in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Owing to its wide developmental prospects, many scholars have extensively explored C. asiatica and made significant progress in recent years. In this study, we summarize the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of C. asiatica (L.) Urban based on Google Scholar, PubMed, and CNKI databases. Triterpenes and their glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, and volatile oils occur in herbs. The pharmacological effects mainly comprise improving cognition and memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease and anti-inflammation activity. Clinical applications include the treatment of chronic kidney diseases, malignant intestinal obstruction, radiation dermatitis, precancerous lesions, chronic prostatitis, Alzheimer's disease, and other diseases. This review provides insights into the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications of C. asiatica and summarizes the shortcomings of the research in recent years to provide a reference for future research.

Lonicerae japonicae Flos (LF) is a kind of healthcare food with hepatoprotective function. This study was designed to explore the spectrum-effect relationships between UPLC fingerprints and the hepatoprotective effects of LF. Fingerprints of ten batches of LF were established by UPLC-PDA. The inhibitory levels of AST and ALT were used as pharmacological indexes, and secoxyloganin, isochlorogenic acid A and isochlorogenic acid C were screened as hepatoprotective active compounds by grey relational analysis (GRA) and partial least squares regression analysis (PLSR). Caspase-3 was obtained by network pharmacology as a key target of hepatoprotective active compounds. Molecular docking is used to explore the interaction between small molecules and proteins. This work provided a general model of the combination of UPLC-PDA and hepatoprotective effect to study the spectrum-effect relationship of LF, which can be used to considerable methods and insight for the fundamental research of the material basis of similar healthcare food.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore the application status of natural products in osteoporosis research and explore its research hotspots and future research directions by analyzing the literature in the field of natural products therapy for osteoporosis from 2000 to 2021. Method: Publications on natural products in osteoporosis research were extracted from the Web of Science core collection database. Bibliometrics package in R language, VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were used for visualization analysis. Result: From 2000 to 2021, the number of articles on natural products in osteoporosis research was 1596, and the total number of articles increased rapidly. China was the driving force in this field, and the top-contributing institution was Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Most publications were published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. While J.K. Xu and Y. Zhang were the most cited and co-cited author. Countries, research institutions and authors in different regions cooperate closely. The hot topics included osteoporosis, differentiation, expression, in vitro, cell, osteogenesis and osteogenesis were the research frontiers in recent years. Conclusion: This study conducted a bibliometric visualization analysis on the research status, research hotspots and development trend of natural products in osteoporosis for the first time. In addition, this paper also puts forward suggestions and prospects for the future development of this field, which will help researchers to open up new directions for future research in this field.

We present the results of a fourth planetary defense exercise, focused this time on the small near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 2023 DZ2 and conducted during its close approach to the Earth in 2023 March. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), with support from NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), has been coordinating planetary defense observational campaigns since 2017 to test the operational readiness of the global planetary defense capabilities. The last campaign focused on the NEA Apophis, and an outcome of that exercise was the need for a short burst campaign to replicate a real-life near-Earth object impact hazard scenario. The goal of the 2023 DZ2 campaign was to characterize the small NEA as a potential impactor and exercise the planetary defense system including observations, hypothetical risk assessment and risk prediction, and hazard communication with a short notice of just 24 hr. The entire campaign lasted about 10 days. The campaign team was divided into several working groups based on the characterization method: photometry, spectroscopy, thermal IR photometry and optical polarimetry, radar, and risk assessment. Science results from the campaign show that 2023 DZ2 has a rotation period of 6.2745 ± 0.0030 minutes; visible wavelength color photometry/spectroscopy/polarimetry and near-IR spectroscopy all point to an E-type taxonomic classification with surface composition analogous to aubrite meteorites; and radar observations show that the object has a diameter of 30 ± 10 m, consistent with the high albedo (0.49) derived from polarimetric and thermal IR observations.

BackgroundWith the development of domestic animal husbandry, the spread of brucellosis has accelerated, and the scope of the epidemic has expanded. The timely and accurate diagnosis of human brucellosis continues to challenge clinicians in endemic areas. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technology can quickly and accurately determine DNA load in samples, providing laboratory evidence for diagnosis, prognosis and management of brucellosis patients. In this study, a ddPCR method was established to accurately quantify Brucella DNA load in whole blood samples, and its diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value for human brucellosis was evaluated.MethodsAnnealing temperature, primers, and probe targeting the Brucella bcsp31 gene were optimised, and the sensitivity, specificity and repeatability of the ddPCR assay were assessed using 94 whole blood samples from 61 confirmed and 33 suspected cases. Results were compared with those of quantitative PCR (qPCR). Nine follow-up brucellosis patients were also analysed by the two methods after 2 and 6 months of treatment.ResultsOptimal primer and probe concentrations were 800 nmol/L and 400 nmol/L, respectively, and the optimal annealing temperature was 55.3 °C. The ddPCR results showed that the limit of detection was 1.87 copies per reaction, with high repeatability. The positive rates for ddPCR and qPCR were 88.5% and 75.4% among 61 serum agglutination test (SAT) positive patients. In addition, 57.6% (19/33) of suspected sero-negative samples were positive by ddPCR, but only 36.3% (12/33) were positive by qPCR. Analysis of nine post-therapy follow-up brucellosis patients revealed that the Brucella DNA load in the whole blood samples decreased after 2 and 6 months of treatment, and was slightly increased following relapse and continuous exposure.ConclusionThe ddPCR assay showed good accuracy for whole blood samples, and could be a potential diagnostic and prognostic tool for detecting Brucella.

Abstract Purpose To determine the repair of LMPR lesions would improve the ACL graft maturation. Method A total of 49 patients underwent ACL reconstruction were included in this study. Patients were furtherly sub-grouped according to the status of LMPR: intact (17), repair (16) and resected (16). Assessments performed pre- and 2 years post-operatively included patients-reported scores and arthrometer side-to-side difference. Magnetic resonance imaging was used 2 years after the surgery to compare the lateral meniscal extrusion (LME), anterior tibial subluxation of the medial compartment (ATSMC), anterior tibial subluxation of the lateral compartment (ATSLC), the difference of ATSMC and ATSLC, and signal/noise quotient (SNQ) of ACL graft. Results In LMPR resected group, it showed greater post-operative ATSMC-ATSLC difference when compared with pre-operatively (P = 0.006) and with the other 2 groups (intact: P = 0.031; repair: P = 0.048). SNQ of ACL graft was higher in LMPR resected group than those in LMPR intact (P = 0.004) and repair group (P = 0.002). The LMPR repair group showed significant reduction in LME post-operatively (P = 0.001). Post-operative measures on ATSLC-ATSMC difference (β = 0.304, P = 0.049) and LME (β = 0.492, P = 0.003) showed significant association with graft SNQ. Conclusions Transtibial repair of LMPR concomitant with ACL reconstruction restored translational stability, reduced meniscus extrusion, making it beneficial for ACL graft maturation.

This work evaluated the practicability and economy of the enhanced weathering (EW)-based CO2 capture in series packed bubble column (S-PBC) contactors operated with different process configurations and conditions. The S-PBC contactors are designed to fully use the advantages of abundant seawater and highly efficient freshwater through a holistic M4 model, including multi-physics, machine learning, multi-variable and multi-objective optimisation. An economic analysis is then performed to investigate the cost of different S-PBC configurations. A data-driven surrogate model based on a novel machine learning algorithm, extended adaptive hybrid functions (E-AHF), is implemented and trained by the data generated by the physics-based models. GA and NSGA-II are applied to perform single- and multi-objective optimisation to achieve maximum CO2 capture rate (CR) and minimum energy consumption (EC) with the optimal values of eight design variables. The R2 for the prediction of CR and EC is higher than 0.96 and the relative errors are lower than 5%. The M4 model has proven to be an efficient way to perform multi-variable and multi-objective optimisation, that significantly reduces computational time and resources while maintaining high prediction accuracy. The trade-off of the maximum CR and minimum EC is presented by the Pareto front, with the optimal values of 0.1014 kg h−1 for CR and 6.1855 MJ kg−1CO2 for EC. The calculated net cost of the most promising S-PBC configuration is around 400 $ t−1CO2, which is about 100 $ t−1CO2 lower than the net cost of current direct air capture (DAC), but compromised by slower CO2 capture rate.

Underground coal mines belong to the GNSS-denied environment, and the Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS) has a significant advantage in the precise positioning of equipment in this environment because of its operation without requiring interaction with external information and strong anti-interference capabilities. Nonetheless, the vibrations of the installation platform adversely affect the positioning accuracy of SINS. This article focuses on the monorail crane in coal mines as the subject of research, developing a dynamic model for the motion unit consisting of the “track + drive unit + driver’s cab”, while analyzing the relationship between track roughness conditions and the vibration excitation of this unit. Subsequently, utilizing the dynamic model, the study calculated the angular and linear vibration characteristics and formulated models to address coning error and sculling error specific to the SINS in this vibration condition. Lastly, by employing a multi-sample compensation algorithm, this article compensated for positioning errors in the SINS caused by track roughness-induced vibrations during uniform straight-line motion of the motion unit, thus achieving optimal positioning information for the monorail crane. The simulation results demonstrated that employing a four-sample compensation algorithm reduces the coning error in SINS positioning calculations by a minimum of 50% and decreases the sculling error by at least 31%, satisfying the positioning accuracy requirements for precise parking of the monorail crane during the transportation phase, while establishing the foundation for autonomous precise positioning and integrated navigation of underground track transport equipment in coal mines.

Abstract Background Femur-tibia angle (FTA) and patella-tibia angle (PTA) are two MRI measurements that reflect the rotation of the knee joint. The purposes of this study were to assess whether FTA and PTA are associated with ACL tear and to explore their roles in ACL tear diagnosis. Methods FTA, PTA, ACL angle and anterior tibial subluxation were compared between the two matched groups: ACL tear group and control group (each n = 20). Diagnostic performance was evaluated in a consecutive 120-patient cohort who underwent MR imaging of the knee and subsequently had arthroscopy. Different measurements were assessed by area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results FTA and PTA increased significantly in ACL tears group when compared to the control group (4.79 and 7.36 degrees, respectively, p

The effect of ZnO on phase composition, microstructure, thermal and dielectric properties of AlN ceramics was studied. The X-ray diffraction indicated that ZnAl2O4 and ZnO phases were detected in samples. With 0.5 wt% ZnO added, the thermal conductivity of AlN sample increased to 193.7 W/m·K. Whereas, the thermal conductivity dropped sharply due to excess ZnO. Moreover, the addition of ZnO increased the permittivity and altered the relaxation mechanism of AlN ceramics. The fitting data and activation energy from impedance spectroscopy revealed the variation of defect mechanisms in samples. The addition of 0.5 wt% ZnO reduced the concentration of aluminum vacancy in AlN grains to improve thermal conductivity. Nevertheless, excess ZnO dissolved into the AlN lattice and created additional defects, causing the decrease in thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity for AlN ceramics. Overall, suitable addition of ZnO can effectively increase the thermal conductivity and alter the dielectric properties of AlN ceramics.

Developing an efficient and economical journey plan in multimodal transportation networks is of significant and fast-growing importance, but it is still an annoying experience for a traveler. This paper aims to find the journey plan at a combined cross-border and inter-regional level when visiting a sequence of cities while utilizing several transport modes to reduce travel costs and planning time. We study a traveling itinerary problem in a scheduled multimodal transportation network with constraints on both arcs and nodes as a new extension of the shortest path problem. We formulate a 0-1 integer linear programming model for the traveling itinerary problem and develop an exact algorithm that finds a combined cross-border and inter-regional low costs journey plan. We present case studies based on real-world transport data to illustrate the usefulness and computational efficiency of the proposed approaches. We compare the results with the previously proposed approach to demonstrate the benefits of multimodal journeys. Finally, we compare the results with the solution obtained by the general-purpose 0-1 integer linear programming solver to evaluate the computational time.

Roadheader is important large equipment in coal mining. The roadheader has a higher failure rate due to its harsh working environment and high working intensity. In this paper, we proposed a fault diagnosis method based on reference manifold (RM) learning by using the vibration signals of roadheader in the actual production process. First, health and fault vibration signals were extracted from a large number of field data. The abovementioned signals were analyzed by time domain and wavelet packet energy analysis and got the characteristic parameters of the signal which can form the characteristic parameter sets. RM method can reduce the dimension of the characteristic parameters, and the projection of different characteristic parameters was obtained. Finally, the health parameters and fault parameters of different characteristic parameters were segmented by linear discriminant analysis (LDA). It could get the different segment area range of characteristic parameters for health signals and fault signals. This method provides a set of fault analysis ideas and methods for equipment working under complex working conditions and improves the theoretical basis for fault type analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009695.].

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) processing is the summary of long-term clinical experience, processing can change the property, taste and meridian of TCM, achieve the purpose of reducing toxicity and increasing efficiency, to ensure the safety of clinical medication. This paper summarizes the research advance of salt processing in recent years from the aspects of the types of excipients, salt processing methods, salt processing purpose and the influence of salt process on the chemical composition, pharmacodynamic effect and in vivo behavior of TCM, and analyzes and discusses the shortcomings of the current research, so as to provide ideas for the further research and development of salt processing of TCM. The literatures were classified and summarized by consulting the scientific database (such as SciFinder Scholar, CNKI, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, etc.), Chinese herbal classics and Chinese Pharmacopoeia and so on. The results show that salt processing is helpful to introduce drugs into the kidney channel and enhance the effect of nourishing Yin and falling fire. The pharmacological effect, chemical composition and in vivo behavior of TCM will change after salt processing. In the future, we should strengthen the research on standardizing the dosage of excipients, the quality standard after processing, the relationship between the change of chemical composition after salt processing and the enhancement of pharmacological efficacy, so as to deeply explain the principle of salt processing, and further improve and optimize the salt making process. By combing the influence of the of salt processing of TCM and analyzed the current problems, we hope to provide guidance for the in-depth study of the salt processing mechanism of TCM and the inheritance and innovation of TCM processing technology.

Summary: Background: There are currently limited systemic treatment options for patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours (NETS) and the efficacy of existing treatments is sub-optimal. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil/potassium capsules (S-1)/Temozolomide with or without thalidomide for the treatment of NETS (STEM trial). Methods: A randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 2 trial conducted at eight hospitals in China. Adults (≥18 years) with unresectable/metastatic, pancreatic or non-pancreatic NETS, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) PS of 0–1, and progression on ≤2 previous therapies were randomised (1:1, using hierarchical block randomization with block length 4, stratified by pancreatic/non-pancreatic disease to receive S-1 40–60 mg orally twice daily on days 1–14 plus temozolomide 200 mg orally daily on days 10–14 in a 21-day cycle OR S-1 and temozolomide plus thalidomide orally nightly (100 mg on days 1–7, 200 mg on days 8–14, and 300 mg from day 15), until disease progression, death, intolerable toxicity, withdrawal of informed consent or at the investigator's discretion. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST 1.1 in an intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who received treatment. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03204019 (pancreatic group) and NCT03204032 (non-pancreatic group). Findings: Between March 23, 2017 and November 16, 2020, 187 patients were screened and 140 were randomly assigned to S-1/temozolomide plus thalidomide (n = 69) or S-1/temozolomide (n =71). After a median follow-up of 12·1 months (IQR: 8·4–16·6), the ORR was comparable in the S-1/temozolomide plus thalidomide and S-1/temozolomide groups 26·1% [95% CI 17·2–37·5] versus 25·4% [95% CI 16·7–36·6]; odds ratio: 1·03 [95% CI 0·48–2·22]; P = 0·9381). In the S-1/temozolomide plus thalidomide group, the most common grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse event was fatigue (2/68, 3%), and in the control group were thrombocytopenia and diarrhea (both 1/71, 2%). There were no treatment-related deaths in either group. Interpretation: S-1/temozolomide with or without thalidomide leads to a comparable treatment response in patients with advanced/metastatic NETS. Funding: This work was supported by CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS,2021-I2M-1-066, 2017-I2M-4-002, 2021-I2M-1-019, 2017-I2M-1-001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81972311, 82141127, 31970794,), the State Key Project on Infection Diseases of China (2017ZX10201021-007-003), the Non-profit Central Research Institute Fund of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019PT310026), Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (SZSM202011010), and the State Key Laboratory Special fund from the Ministry of Science (2060204).

Today, in the field of malware detection, the expanding limitations of traditional detection methods and the increasing accuracy of detection methods designed on the basis of artificial intelligence algorithms are driving research findings in this area in favour of the latter. Therefore, we propose a novel malware detection model in this paper. This model combines a grey-scale image representation of malware with an autoencoder network in a deep learning model, analyses the feasibility of the grey-scale image approach of malware based on the reconstruction error of the autoencoder, and uses the dimensionality reduction features of the autoencoder to achieve the classification of malware from benign software. The proposed detection model achieved an accuracy of 96% and a stable F-score of about 96% by using the Android-side dataset we collected, which outperformed some traditional machine learning detection algorithms.

Antioxidant activities of five essential oils (cinnamon, thyme, clove, lavender and peppermint oils) and their major components (eugenol, thymol, linalool, and menthol) were evaluated on scavenging DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl) free radicals, inhibiting polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation in fish oil emulsion (FOE), and reducing oxidative stress in human red blood cells (RBC). The essential oils from cinnamon, thyme, clove and their main components, eugenol and thymol, exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in the FOE and RBC systems. It was found that the antioxidant activity of essential oils was positively correlated to the content of eugenol and thymol, while lavender and peppermint oils and their main components, linalool and menthol, had very low antioxidant activity. Compared with scavenging DPPH free radical activity, the antioxidant activity in FOE and RBC systems could better reflect the actual antioxidant potential of essential oil in preventing lipid oxidation and reducing oxidative stress in biological system.

Abstract Background When performing femoral reconstruction in patients with Crowe type IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), anatomical deformity presents many technical challenges to orthopedic surgeons. The false acetabulum is suggested to influence load transmission and femoral development. The aim of this study was to describe the morphological features of dysplastic femurs in Crowe type IV DDH and further evaluate the potential effect of the false acetabulum on morphological features and medullary canal of Crowe type IV femurs. Methods We analyzed preoperative computed tomography scans from 45 patients with 51 hips (25 hips without false acetabulum in the IVa group and 26 hips with false acetabulum in the IVb group) who were diagnosed with Crowe type IV DDH and 30 normal hips in our hospital between January 2009 and January 2019. Three-dimensional reconstruction was performed using Mimics software, and the coronal femoral plane was determined to evaluate the following parameters: dislocation height, dislocation ratio, height of the femoral head (FH), height of the greater trochanter (GT), GT–FH height discrepancy, height of the isthmus, neck-shaft angle, femoral offset and anteversion of the femoral neck. The mediolateral (ML) width, anterolateral (AP) width and diameter of medullary canal of the proximal femur were measured on the axial sections. Further, canal flare index (CFI), metaphyseal-CFI and diaphyseal-CFI were also calculated. Results Compared with the normal femurs, the Crowe type IV DDH femurs had a higher femoral head, larger GT–FH height discrepancy, larger femoral neck anteversion, higher isthmus position and smaller femoral offset. Dislocation height and dislocation rate were significantly larger in the IVa DDH group (65.34 ± 9.83 mm vs. 52.24 ± 11.42 mm). Further, the IVb femurs had a significantly lower isthmus position, larger neck-shaft angle and smaller femoral neck anteversion than IVa femurs. The ML, AP canal widths and the diameter of medullary canal in both DDH groups were significantly smaller than the normal group. Dimensional parameters of IVa femurs were also narrower than IVb femurs in most sections, but with no difference at the level of isthmus. According to the CFIs, the variation of proximal medullary canal in IVb femurs was mainly located in the diaphyseal region, while that in IVa femurs was located in the whole proximal femur. Conclusions High dislocated femurs are associated with more anteverted femoral neck, smaller femoral offset and narrower medullary canal. Without stimulation of the false acetabulum, IVa DDH femurs were associated with higher dislocation and notably narrower medullary canal, whose variation of medullary canal was located in the whole proximal femur.

Nowadays, the growth of traffic congestion and emissions has led to the emergence of an innovative and sustainable transportation service, called dynamic vanpooling. The main aim of this study is to identify factors affecting the travel behavior of passengers due to the introduction of dynamic vanpooling in the transportation system. A web-based mode choice survey was designed and implemented for this scope. The stated-preference experiments offered respondents binary hypothetical scenarios with an ordered choice between dynamic vanpool and the conventional modes of transport, private car and public transportation. In-vehicle travel time, total travel cost and walking and waiting time or searching time for parking varies across the choice scenarios. An ordered probit model, a multinomial logit model and two binary logit models were specified. The model estimation results indicate that respondents who are aged between 26 and 35 years old, commute with PT or are members of bike-sharing services were significantly more likely to choose dynamic vanpool or PT than private car. Moreover, respondents who are worried about climate change and are willing to spend more for environmentally friendly products are significantly more likely to use dynamic vanpool in comparison with private cars. Finally, to indicate the model estimation results for dynamic vanpool, the value of in-vehicle travel time is found to be 12.2€ per hour (13.4€ for Munich subsample).

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a number of bacteria in the genus Brucella. In animals, classical Brucella species naturally affiliate with mammals in which they cause epididymitis and orchitis in males and abortion storms in pregnant females. Because Brucella proliferates to a vast number of free organisms in the fetal organs and fluids, abortion plays a key mechanism in disease spread in nature. B. melitensis, B. suis, and B. abortus construct the three most severe zoonotic species and their role in human brucellosis stems from their association with domesticated farm animals in which they strive and transmit the disease. Here we review the relevant literature on genus Brucella, vaccination and diagnostic approaches. Meanwhile, the prevention and control programs based on the combination of vaccination coverage of the population with differentiating serological diagnosis of the infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) and herd clearance by a test and cull strategy using validated serological tests were discussed.

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos has been used as a tea and medicine for more than 1,500 years. It has the functions of clearing heat, detoxification, and is often used to treat carbuncle, furuncle, throat arthralgia, erysipelas, heat-toxic blood dysentery, febrile fever. This paper summarizes the botany, ethnopharmacology, chemical composition and pharmacological action of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from 1986 to 2022, and looks forward to the future research direction of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos. At present, the components isolated from Lonicerae Japonicae Flos include essential oils, organic acids, flavonoids, iridoids, saponins and other compounds. It has the effects of anti-inflammation, anti-virus, anti-bacteria, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, protect liver and galltesticles, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, anti-thrombosis, anti-allergy, immune regulation and so on. It is often used in clinical treatment of diarrhea, hematochezia, febrile disease, exogenous wind-heat, and cold, swelling and toxin of carbuncle, sore throat and so on. The comprehensive evaluation of the quality of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and the understanding of multi-target network pharmacology also need to be studied. As a kind of health food with high value, LJF is worthy of further promotion and development.

Rickettsia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia belonging to the order Rickettsiales are causative agents of tick-borne diseases in humans. During 2021, 434 ticks including Rhipicephalus microplus and R. haemaphysaloides were collected from three sampling sites in Yunnan Province, Southwest China, and analyzed for the presence of these bacteria. Nine bacterial species were identified, including two Rickettsia spp., three Anaplasma spp., and four Ehrlichia spp., some of which are potential human pathogens. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis on 16S rRNA, gltA, groEL, ompA, ompB, and sca4 genes indicated the presence of a novel spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) named “Candidatus Rickettsia shennongii” in six of the 38 R. haemaphysaloides ticks from two locations, Dehong Autonomous Prefecture and Honghe City. Another SFGR species, Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis was detected in ticks from all three sites, with an overall positive rate of 62.67%. Three other human pathogenic species, Anaplasma ovis (1.38%, 6/434), Ehrlichia canis (16.36%, 71/434), and E. chaffeensis (0.23%, 1/434) were detected in these ticks and characterized. Moreover, Ehrlichia sp. (4.84%, 21/434), E. minasensis (7.37%, 32/434), A. marginale (6.91%, 30/434), and Cadidatus Anaplasma boleense (1.15%, 5/434) were detected in R. microplus ticks, for which pathogenicity to humans remains to be determined. The results reveal the remarkable diversity of Rickettsiales bacteria in ticks from Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The high infection rate of some human pathogenic bacteria in ticks may indicate potential infection risk in humans, and it highlights the need for surveillance in local populations.

ObjectivesSpinal cord injury (SCI) remodels the brain structure and alters brain function. To identify specific changes in brain gray matter volume (GMV) and white matter volume (WMV) following SCI, we conducted a voxel-based meta-analysis of whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies.MethodsWe performed a comprehensive literature search on VBM studies that compared SCI patients and healthy controls in PubMed, Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure from 1980 to April 2022. Then, we conducted a voxel-based meta-analysis using seed-based d mapping with permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI). Meta-regression analysis was performed to identify the effects of clinical characteristics.ResultsOur study collected 20 studies with 22 GMV datasets and 15 WMV datasets, including 410 patients and 406 healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, SCI patients showed significant GMV loss in the left insula and bilateral thalamus and significant WMV loss in the bilateral corticospinal tract (CST). Additionally, a higher motor score and pinprick score were positively related to greater GMV in the right postcentral gyrus, whereas a positive relationship was observed between the light touch score and the bilateral postcentral gyrus.ConclusionAtrophy in the thalamus and bilateral CST suggest that SCI may trigger neurodegeneration changes in the sensory and motor pathways. Furthermore, atrophy of the left insula may indicate depression and neuropathic pain in SCI patients. These indicators of structural abnormalities could serve as neuroimaging biomarkers for evaluating the prognosis and treatment effect, as well as for monitoring disease progression. The application of neuroimaging biomarkers in the brain for SCI may also lead to personalized treatment strategies.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021279716, identifier: CRD42021279716.

The paper describes an optical telescope system and control software for robotic observation of space debris. The telescope has a main aperture of 355 mm, adopts the optical design scheme of primary focus with a large field of view, and is equipped with a highly sensitive 4 K sCMOS camera to achieve a large field of view of 2.6° × 2.6°. The telescope is equipped with an environmental monitoring system and a highly reliable dome to ensure the safe operation of the telescope. The control software of the telescope consists of two parts. One part is deployed locally to comprehensively schedule the robotic operation of various equipment of the telescope system, and the other part is deployed remotely to realize the functions of equipment status monitoring, networking scheduling, remote control, and data management. At present, four telescopes have been deployed in Korla, Xinjiang, China to form a telescope array, basically realizing the remote “unattended” observation of space debris.

Abstract Background Strength recovery of injured knee is an important parameter for patients who want to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Comparison of muscle strength between anatomical and non-anatomical ACLR has not been reported. Purpose To evaluate the difference between anatomical and non-anatomical single-bundle ACLR in hamstring and quadriceps strength and clinical outcomes. Methods Patients received unilateral primary single-bundle hamstring ACLR between January 2017 to January 2018 were recruited in this study. Patients were divided into anatomical reconstruction group (AR group) and non-anatomical reconstruction group (NAR group) according to femoral tunnel aperture position. The hamstring and quadriceps isokinetic strength including peak extension torque, peak flexion torque and H/Q ratio were measured at an angular velocity of 180°/s and 60°/s using an isokinetic dynamometer. The isometric extension and flexion torques were also measured. Hamstring and quadriceps strength were measured preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Knee stability including Lachman test, pivot-shift test, and KT-1000 measurement and subjective knee function including International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Lysholm scores were evaluated during the follow-up. Results Seventy-two patients with an average follow-up of 30.4 months (range, 24–35 months) were included in this study. Thirty-three were in AR group and 39 in NAR group. The peak knee flexion torque was significant higher in AR group at 180°/s and 60°/s (P

IntroductionPre-eclampsia is the second leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The controversy for the association of vitamin E with pre-eclampsia has raged unabated for two decades. We aimed to determine the association of vitamin E level in the first trimester and the gestational change with pre-eclampsia.Materials and MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted among singleton pregnant women aged 15–49 years at 137 hospitals in China. Serum vitamin E concentrations in the first trimester and at pre-eclampsia assessment time were uniformly quantified in a laboratory by high performance liquid chromatography. Logistic regression models with restricted cubic splines were performed to reveal a non-linear association of vitamin E concentrations in the first trimester and the gestational change with pre-eclampsia.ResultsWe included 73 317 participants (47.8% aged 25–29 years) and 2.28% were diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. Higher risk was observed in those with lower concentration in the first trimester and greater gestational decrease, with a range from 0.81 to 80.60%. A non-linear L-shaped association was observed between vitamin E concentrations in the first trimester and pre-eclampsia, suggesting a threshold at 7.3 mg/L and a ceiling effect: the risk saw a steep rise when the concentrations in the first trimester were < 7.3 mg/L but was relatively flat beyond the inflection point. Sharply increased pre-eclampsia risk was also found in those with gestational vitamin E decrease after accounting for the baseline status in the first trimester. However, gestational vitamin E increase was associated with decreased pre-eclampsia risk when the baseline concentrations were < 7.3 mg/L but did not confer additional benefits when it was above the threshold.ConclusionWe demonstrated alarmingly high pre-eclampsia risk in women with vitamin E concentrations of < 7.3 mg/L in the first trimester and gestational vitamin E decrease. These findings underscore the need to supplement vitamin E among pregnant women with low baseline status.

Glechomae Herba (GH) has been widely used in the treatment of urolithiasis, especially kidney stones, in China and Southeast Asia. Pharmacological studies have suggested that the antioxidant property of GH contributes to its anticalculus effect. CaSR is one of the main locations of kidney stones, and the mechanism of action of CaSR inhibitors in the treatment of kidney stones is similar to that of GH. However, until now, the antiurolithic chemical compounds in GH and their interaction with CaSR remain unknown. In our study, we revealed the interaction between the active compounds in GH and the active compounds in CaSR inhibitors by using spectrum-effect relationship analysis, pharmacodynamics, and molecular docking techniques. The results showed ten common peaks from the fingerprints of GH extracts from different regions. Pharmacological experiments showed that GH could significantly treat renal tissue lesions. Chlorogenic acid (CA), rosmarinic acid (RA), P5, luteolin, apigenin, and P9 were screened after the analysis of spectrum-effect relationships. In vitro validation experiments showed that all the screened compounds had inhibitory effects on the development of kidney stones in our model. The molecular docking results showed that the above compounds could be docked with CaSR in a natural state, and the docking score was less than 7. This work constructs a general model for the combination of UPLC-QDA and antiurolithic drugs, studies the spectrum-effect relationship of GH, and provides a new possibility for the development of new antiurolithic drugs.

The increasing amount of space debris poses a major threat to the security of space assets. The timely acquisition of space debris orbital data through observations is essential. We established a mathematical model of optical satellite constellations for space debris observation, designed a high-quality constellation configuration, and designed a space debris tracking observation scheduling algorithm. These tools can realize the efficient networking of space debris from a large number of optical satellite observation facilities. We designed a constellation consisting of more than 20 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, mainly dedicated to the observation of LEO space objects. According to the observation scheduling method, the satellite constellation can track and observe more than 93% of the targets every day, increase the frequency of orbital data updates, and provide support for the realization of orbital space debris cataloguing. Designing optical satellite constellations to observe space debris can help realize the advance perception of dangerous collisions, timely detect dangerous space events, make key observations about high-risk targets, greatly reduce the false alarm rate of collisions, and provide observational data support for space collisions.

Seasonal freeze–thaw environments are one of the key factors that aggravate the mechanical strength decay of excavated and unloaded rock masses on reservoir banks in cold areas. To study the time-dependent mechanical properties of an excavated and unloaded rock mass on a bank slope under freeze–thaw action, triaxial unloading tests were carried out on sandstone, freeze–thaw tests simulating freezing strength were conducted, and triaxial creep tests were implemented with graded incremental loading on unloaded specimens subjected to freeze–thaw action. The test results showed that the total deformation of the unloaded specimens is significantly increased compared with the conventional specimens, and the lateral direction is more likely to produce creep behaviour than the axial direction. The level of confining pressure determines the level of creep deformation of unloaded specimens and affects the variation law of creep rate. The creep behaviour of the unloaded specimens is aggravated by freeze–thaw action and, the longer the freezing period, the larger the creep strain share, and the creep rate increases significantly. The creep damage pattern of the unloaded specimens subjected to freeze–thaw action is mainly manifested as shear damage, and the creep process intensifies the derivation of tension-type cracks in the specimens. The higher the confining pressure of the unloaded specimen, the more obvious the plastic characteristics and the weaker the brittle characteristics during creep failure. The freeze–thaw action significantly reduces the long-term strength of the unloaded specimen, which is approximately 50~55% of the instantaneous strength. The long-term strength decays significantly with an increasing freezing period, and the research results can provide a theoretical reference for the evaluation of the long-term stability of excavated and unloaded rock masses in cold areas.

Abstract Background The prevalence of human brucellosis in Qinghai Province of China has been increasing rapidly, with confirmed cases distributed across 31 counties. However, the epidemiology of brucellosis transmission has not been fully elucidated. To characterize the infecting strains isolated from humans, multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based approaches were employed. Methods Strains were isolated from two males blood cultures that were confirmed Brucella melitensis positive following biotyping and MLVA. Genomic DNA was extracted from these two strains, and whole-genome sequencing was performed. Next, SNP-based phylogenetic analysis was performed to compare the two strains to 94 B. melitensis strains (complete genome and draft genome) retrieved from online databases. Results The two Brucella isolates were identified as B. melitensis biovar 3 (QH2019001 and QH2019005) following conventional biotyping and were found to have differences in their variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) using MLVA-16. Phylogenetic examination assigned the 96 strains to five genotype groups, with QH2019001 and QH2019005 assigned to the same group, but different subgroups. Moreover, the QH2019005 strain was assigned to a new subgenotype, IIj, within genotype II. These findings were then combined to determine the geographic origin of the two Brucella strains. Conclusions Utilizing a whole-genome SNP-based approach enabled differences between the two B. melitensis strains to be more clearly resolved, and facilitated the elucidation of their different evolutionary histories. This approach also revealed that QH2019005 is a member of a new subgenotype (IIj) with an ancient origin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Abstract Background Brucellosis is an infectious-allergic zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Early diagnosis is the key to preventing, treating, and controlling brucellosis. Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPA) is a new immunoassay for relatively rapid and accurate detection of antibodies or antigens based on antigen–antibody interaction. However, there is no report on FPA-based detection of human brucellosis in China. Therefore, this study is to evaluate the value of FPA for the diagnosis of human brucellosis in China. Methods We recruited 320 suspected brucellosis cases who had the clinical symptoms and epidemiological risk factors between January and December, 2019. According to China Guideline for Human Brucellosis Diagnosis, the Rose Bengal test (RBT) was used for the screening test, and the serum agglutination test (SAT) was used as the confirmatory test. Brucellosis was confirmed only if the results of both tests were positive. Additionally, FPA and enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) were compared with SAT, and their sensitivity, specificity, coincidence rate and consistency coefficient (Kappa value) as diagnostic tests were analyzed individually and in combination. The optimal cut-off value of FPA was also determined using the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The optimum cut-off value of FPA was determined to be 88.5 millipolarization (mP) units, with a sensitivity of 94.5% and specificity of 100.0%. Additionally, the coincidence rate with the SAT test was 96.6%, and the Kappa value (0.9) showed excellent consistency. The sensitivity and specificity of FPA and ELISA combined were higher at 98.0% and 100.0% respectively. Conclusions When the cut-off value of FPA test is set at 88.5 mP, it has high value for the diagnosis of brucellosis. Additionally, when FPA and ELISA are combined, the sensitivity of diagnosis is significantly improved. Thus, FPA may have potential in the future as a diagnostic method for human brucellosis in China. Graphic abstract

Abstract. Lung cancer is a malignant tumor characterized by a rapid proliferation rate, less survivability, high mortality, and metastatic potential. This review focuses on updated research about the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an adjuvant therapy to lung cancer treatment and the mechanisms of TCM effect on lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. We summarized the recent 5 years of different research progress on clinical applications and antitumor mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of lung cancer. As a potent adjuvant therapy, TCM could enhance conventional treatments (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and epidermal growth factor receptors [EGFRs] tyrosine kinase inhibitors [TKIs]) effects as well as provide synergistic effects, enhance chemotherapy drugs chemosensitivity, reverse drug resistance, reduce adverse reactions and toxicity, relieve patients’ pain and improve quality of life (QOL). After treating with TCM, lung cancer cells will induce apoptosis and/or autophagy, suppress metastasis, impact immune reaction, and therapeutic effect of EGFR-TKIs. Therefore, TCM is a promisingly potent adjuvant therapy in the treatment of lung cancer and its multiple mechanisms are worthy of an in-depth study.

Brucella utilizes diverse virulence factors to modulate the infectious cycle and lifestyle associated with eukaryotic hosts. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) play an important role in the establishment of persistent infections of Brucella, but its mechanism in host cell to interfere with the host"s specific signaling pathway related to the elimination of Brucella is still not clear. LpsA, a glycosyl transferase, involves in the biosynthesis of LPS, and may aff ect the intracellular survival of Brucella. This study aimed to investigate the eff ects of lpsA on pyroptosis in Brucella-infected macrophage cells. We constructed the lpsA mutant strain (M5-90ΔlpsA) and the complementary strain (M5-90ΔlpsA-C) of Brucella melitensis strain M5-90 infected mouse macrophages to detect pyroptosis. We found that the inactivation of the lpsA gene weakened the ability of LPS gains access to cytosol during Brucella mutant infections, and reduced the survival of Brucella. Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR assays showed that the mRNA and protein levels of caspase-11 and NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 in M5-90ΔlpsA group were higher than those observed in M5-90 group. These results indicated M5-90ΔlpsA promoted the pyroptosis of RAW264.7 cells (a mouse macrophage cell line) after Brucella infection. The finding reveals that Brucella lpsA plays a partial role in innate immunity and infl ammatory response by inhibiting the LPS-induced atypical pyroptosis pathway.

Abstract Background Evidence concerning the long-term impact of Covid-19 in pregnancy on mother’s psychological disorder and infant’s developmental delay is unknown. Methods This study is a longitudinal single-arm cohort study conducted in China between May 1 and July 31, 2020. Seventy-two pregnant patients with Covid-19 participated in follow-up surveys until 3 months after giving birth (57 cases) or having abortion (15 cases). We collected data from medical records regarding Covid-19, delivery or abortion, testing results of maternal and neonatal specimens, and questionnaires of quarantine, mother–baby separation, feeding, and measuring of mothers’ mental disorders and infants’ neurobehavioral disorders. Results All cases infected in the first trimester and 1/3 of cases infected in the second trimester had an abortion to terminate the pregnancy. 22.2% of pregnant patients were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression at 3 months after delivery or induced abortion. Among 57 live births, only one neonate was positive of nucleic acid testing for throat swab, but negative in repeated tests subsequently. The median duration of mother–baby separation was 35 days (interquartile range 16 to 52 days). After the termination of maternal quarantine, 49.1% of mothers chose to prolong the mother–baby separation (median 8 days; IQR 5 to 23 days). The breastfeeding rate was 8.8% at 1 week after birth, 19.3% at the age of 1 month, and 36.8% at the age of 3 months, respectively. The proportion of “monitoring” and “risk” in the social–emotional developmental domain at the age of 3 months was 22.7% and 63.6%, respectively. After the adjustment of preterm, neonatal sex, admitted to NICU, and the mother’s Covid-19 condition, the negative associations were significantly identified (p

The Earth close approach of near-Earth asteroid 2005 LW3 on 2022 November 23 represented a good opportunity for a second observing campaign to test the timing accuracy of astrometric observation. With 82 participating stations, the International Asteroid Warning Network collected 1046 observations of 2005 LW3 around the time of the close approach. Compared to the previous timing campaign targeting 2019 XS, some individual observers were able to significantly improve the accuracy of their reported observation times. In particular, U.S. surveys achieved good timing performance. However, no broad, systematic improvement was achieved compared to the previous campaign, with an overall negative bias persisting among the different observers. The calibration of observing times and the mitigation of timing errors should be important future considerations for observers and orbit computers, respectively.

Traditional Chinese medicine considers Lonicerae japonicae flos to have antibacterial detoxification, liver protection, and gallbladder protection. At present, studies have proven that Lonicerae japonicae flos has a good therapeutic effect on liver injury. Therefore, to confirm the clinical applicability of Lonicerae japonicae flos in the treatment of liver injury, we were the first to compare the pharmacokinetics of an oral ethanol extract of Lonicerae japonicae flos in normal rats and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury model rats. A method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 3-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, protocatechuic acid, Sweroside, and Secoxyloganin in rat plasma by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The results show that the method is reliable and reproducible and can be used for quantitative determination of biological samples. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed that the area under the concentration–time curve of eight compounds in the model group was significantly increased. The results showed that the total absorption of the active components of Lonicerae japonicae flos in the blood increased, the clearance rate slowed down, and the bioavailability of Lonicerae japonicae flos increased in liver injury diseases.

The quality of excavated and unloaded rock masses on steep and high slopes in cold regions is prone to deterioration, which in turn affects the long-term stability and safety of excavated slopes. Based on a triaxial unloading-damage test of sandstone, the unloading quantity was used to analyze the evolution law of unloading damage; a freeze-thaw cycle test of the unloaded-damaged samples was carried out, and it was found that the average change in porosity and the reloading peak strength damage rate after freeze-thaw increased with the increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles, and the porosity change characteristics were independent of the value of the confining pressure at the time of the unloading damage. An exponential decay model was used, and based on the average change in porosity after freeze-thaw, a freeze-thaw strength decay model that can take into account the effect of confining pressure was established, and its ability to predict the strength decay of unloaded-damaged rock samples after freeze-thaw was verified by experimental data. The research results provide a reference for the evaluation of freeze-thaw degradation of unloaded rock masses during slope excavation in cold regions.