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Abstract Background Previous studies on screen use and children’s mental health during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic focused only on the timeframe during the pandemic, on children between narrow age ranges, only among a subset of children who have previously reported COVID-related severe family economic hardship or worries, or did not distinguish between instructive versus recreational device usage. Thus, in this study, we analyzed trends, specifically related to recreational screen use, and associations with psychological well-being (PWB) in the years before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic, among a wide range of school-aged children, widely across the nation. Methods Using the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) years 2018–21, we analyzed a large random sample of school-aged children (6–17 years old) across the US (n = 88,823). We developed PWB issue scores (PWBIS) using self-reported measures relevant to this age group, and constructed regression models to assess the magnitude of the contribution of the pandemic on recreational screen use and PWB. Results The prevalence of recreational screen overuse and PWBIS increased significantly during the pandemic, compared to prior years. We also detected a notable effect of the pandemic on increased PWBIS, as well as its interaction term finding that it strengthened the association between screen time and PWBIS (p

Abstract In recent years, to improve air quality, significant efforts have been made to reduce regional aerosols including China, Europe and North America, which have potential impacts on climate. In this study, fast and slow climate responses in China to changes in domestic and foreign anthropogenic emissions of aerosols and precursors from 2013 to 2019 are investigated using the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1). Aerosol emissions changes, especially reductions in China, North America and Europe, during 2013–2019 resulted in surface air temperature increases across the Northern Hemisphere. Global aerosol changes induce a regional warming of 0.2 °C in China, equally contributed by domestic and foreign emissions changes. China’s domestic emission reductions lead to a regional average temperature rise of 0.1°C, primarily driven by rapid atmospheric adjustments over eastern China. Foreign aerosol changes, particularly reductions in North America and Europe, also contributed to a 0.1°C warming in China through slow oceanic processes. This warming in China induced by foreign aerosol changes is due to a teleconnection between the aerosol-induced anomalous regional warming in Eastern U.S.-North Atlantic Ocean-Europe and the downstream East Asian climate through anomalous wave trains propagation. The comparable influence of domestic and foreign aerosol changes on climate in China underscores the importance of international collaboration in climate mitigation endeavors.

The bearing capacity of the composite foundation would be significantly increased by the squeezing effect of soil displacement screw pile. To investigate the effect of soil displacement screw pile treatment on the large-thickness collapsible loess foundation, full-scale field tests and pore expansion theory were used to compare the physical and mechanical properties of the soil around the pile before and after soil displacement screw pile treatment. It was found that the maximum influence range of a single pile in loess foundation was 3D, and the effective influence range was 2.5D. Compared with natural foundation, the average dry density of soil between two and three piles increased by 23 % and 15 %, and the compression coefficient decreased by 57 % and 38 %, respectively, when the pile spacing was 2.0D and 2.5D. The collapsibility coefficient and self-weight collapsibility of soil between two and three piles were far less than 0.015 when the pile spacing was less than or equal to 2.5D. The soil deformation caused by compaction was mainly plastic deformation. The plastic zone radius calculated by pore expansion theory can be used to estimate the compaction range of soil displacement screw piles in large-thickness loess regions. When the pile spacing was 2D and 2.5D, compared with the natural foundation, the characteristic values of soil bearing capacity between piles increased by 60 % and 30 %, that soil displacement screw pile of plain soil composite foundation increased by 220 % and 200 %, and that of plain concrete soil displacement screw pile increases by 450 % and 400 %, respectively. It shows that a soil displacement screw pile can significantly increase the bearing capacity of a large-thickness collapsible loess foundation. When the area replacement rate was 0.145–0.23, the pile-soil stress ratio of soil displacement screw piles in large-thickness collapsible loess region ranged from 2.6 to 4.7.

Abstract Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a group of chronic diseases caused by kidney damage from multiple causes. Metabolic syndrome (MS) manifests as dysfunction of endothelial cells and chronic functional inflammatory states, and may be involved in pathological changes related to renal impairment. Based on longitudinal data analysis of the association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), proteinuria and MS in patients with CKD, this study aims to provide new ideas for the pathophysiological mechanism of CKD and a theoretical basis for the early prevention and effective intervention of MS‐related kidney damage. A total of 126 patients with CKD were divided into non‐MS group and MS group. According to the eGFR level, 126 patients with CKD were divided into G1 group, G2 group, G3a group, G3b group, G4 group and G5 group. Serum markers such as eGFR, urine protein, and triglycerides (TG) were collected. The correlation between eGFR, urine protein and MS‐related indexes was analysed, and the risk factors affecting CKD complicated by MS were analysed. In patients with CKD, the levels of urine protein, abdominal circumference, TG, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and fasting blood glucose (FPG) were increased with the course of the disease, but the levels of eGFR and high density lipoprotein (HDL‐C) were decreased (p

Abstract Software faults are costly to find and remove from programs. It is better to avoid inserting the faults in the first place. The authors identify requirements‐related faults that can arise during the transformation of formal specifications into programs, analyse each to discover its causes, and propose corresponding fault prevention methods. The approach works by analysing a specification, decomposing it into specification fragments with different levels like components, determining the correct implementation order among the components, and enabling automated code generation for the components and other low‐level specification fragments. The approach seeks to reduce the faults in programs significantly by guiding programmers to work effectively and productively. The authors evaluate the approach's performance experimentally and compare it to the performance of a fault‐prevention method with industry applications.

Gelatine (GL) is widely available as a microencapsulated material that prevents the decomposition of canthaxanthin (CX). However, there are still disadvantages such as instability, poor safety, and chromium overload. Our study aimed to determine the effects of using Lignosulfonate (LS) as a potential substitute to GL microencapsulation of CX on the productive performance, egg quality, yolk colour, and serum biochemical indicators of laying hens, as well as the optimal dosage. 1458 healthy ISA brown hens were divided into 9 treatments (162 birds in each group): basal diet containing 0 mg/kg CX (Control), basal diet containing 2 mg/kg GL-microencapsulated CX (GMC2), 4 mg/kg GL-microencapsulated CX (GMC4), 6 mg/kg GL-microencapsulated CX (GMC6), 8 mg/kg GL-microencapsulated CX (GMC8), basal diet containing 2 mg/kg LS-microencapsulated CX (LMC2), 4 mg/kg LS-microencapsulated CX (LMC4), 6 mg/kg LS-microencapsulated CX (LMC6), 8 mg/kg LS-microencapsulated CX (LMC8). The productive performance of each group was recorded daily for 4 weeks. Egg samples were collected and analysed weekly. Serum samples were taken at the end of the experimental period. The results showed that CX-containing diets had no significant effects on laying performance and egg quality (p > .05). The yolk colour level of the CX group was higher than the control group (p

Objective This retrospective study aimed to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) through the Wiltse approach (W‐TLIF) vs minimally invasive microendoscopy‐assisted transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (ME‐TLIF) in single‐segment lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods A retrospective study was conducted to study the differences in specific clinical outcomes between single‐segment LDH patients receiving W‐TLIF and ME‐TLIF. Single‐segment LDH patients admitted to the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from March 2015 to June 2018 were included. All the participants were divided into the ME‐TLIF group or the W‐TLIF group according to their TLIF surgery types. Demographic characteristics, the visual analog score (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale, blood loss volume, postoperative drainage, ambulated time, initial postoperative back pain, hospitalization duration, expenses, and improvement rates of patients in the two groups were collected for analysis. Radiographic fusion was ultimately assessed via the Bridwell interbody fusion grading system. All selected patients with TLIF were followed up for 1 year. Results Fifty‐seven patients were selected, with 26 in the ME‐TLIF group and 31 in the W‐TLIF group, both of whom were followed up for 1 year. The mean age of the included patients was 53.75 ± 9.313 years, and the sex ratio was indiscrimination. There was no significant difference in demographic data or operating time between the two groups prior to surgery. The blood loss volume (ME‐TLIF: 228.5 vs W‐TLIF: 681.3), postoperative drainage (ME‐TLIF:82.1 ± 23.5 vs W‐TLIF: 345.8 ± 65.2), initial postoperative back pain (ME‐TLIF: VAS_3 days: 1.96 ± 0.60 VAS_7 days: 1.73 ± 0.53, W‐TLIF: VAS_3 days: 2.48 ± 0.51 VAS_7 days: 1.87 ± 0.43), and hospitalization duration (ME‐TLIF: 9.04 vs. W‐TLIF: 11.29) were all significantly lower in the ME‐TILF group (p 0.05). The fusion rates of the two groups showed no notable difference (p > 0.05), while the X‐ray exposure time in the ME‐TLIF group was significantly longer than in the W‐TLIF group (p

Bored piles comprise an advanced pile foundation technology that has the advantages of high bearing capacity, fast construction speed, stable construction technology, and no noise or mud pollution. To study the applicability of bored piles to collapsible loess sites, the compaction effect and load-bearing characteristics of bored piles before and after immersion were studied via a full-scale field test combined with the theory of hole expansion. The results indicate that when the pile spacing is 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5 m, the average dry density of the soil between piles increases by 23.8%, 18.5%, and 3.1%, respectively, compared with that of untreated foundation soil. When bored piles are used to treat deep collapsible loess foundations, the reasonable pile spacing to eliminate the collapsibility of the loess foundation is 2.5 times the pile diameter. It is feasible to estimate the effective compaction range using the pore expansion theory, and the effective compaction coefficients of similar sites are given. The positive friction of bored piles in the collapsible loess area is more than 95.5 kPa, which increases by more than 48.5% compared with that of non-extruded piles. Therefore, the bearing capacity of a single pile is significantly improved, and it is an effective treatment method for collapsible loess areas. Under immersion, the pile side negative friction did not change significantly with a pile diameter of approximately 27 kPa, and the increase was approximately 14% compared with that of non-extruded piles. Consequently, to avoid the adverse effects of negative friction resistance on the bearing capacity of pile foundations and to fully utilize the technical advantages of bored piles, it is necessary to eliminate or partially eliminate site collapsibility before applying bored piles. The results can provide experimental support and theoretical guidance for the popularization and application of screw–squeeze piles in deep, collapsible loess areas.

In recent years, there have been significant advancements in the research of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV). However, several limitations and challenges still exist. For instance, researchers face constraints regarding experimental conditions and the feasibility of sample acquisition for studying SFTSV. To enhance the quality and comprehensiveness of SFTSV research, we opted to employ PMA-induced THP-1 cells as a model for SFTSV infection. Multiple time points of SFTSV infection were designed to capture the dynamic nature of the virus–host interaction. Through a comprehensive analysis utilizing various bioinformatics approaches, including diverse clustering methods, MUfzz analysis, and LASSO/Cox machine learning, we performed dynamic analysis and identified key genes associated with SFTSV infection at the host cell transcriptomic level. Notably, successful clustering was achieved for samples infected at different time points, leading to the identification of two important genes, PHGDH and NLRP12. And these findings may provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of SFTSV and contribute to our understanding of host–virus interactions.

Both Orthohantaviruses (HV) and Whenzhou Mammarenaviruses (WENV) are rodents borne viruses, allowing them to spread simultaneously in the same area and infect humans. To explore the potential threat of HV and WENV to public health safety, an environmental and laboratory investigation was conducted in 2020–2021, in Jiangxi province, China. A total of 461 small mammals of 7 species and paired sera from 43 suspected HFRS cases were collected from Jiangxi Province, China. Viral genomic RNA and specific antibodies against HV and WENV were detected to evaluate the epidemic situation of the two viruses. Hantaan virus (HTNV), seoul virus (SEOV) and WENV RNA were detected in the lungs of the captured mammals, which resulted 4.1% and 7.4% of HV and WENV RNA positive respectively. Co-infections of WENV and SEOV were detected from Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus and Rattus flavipectus with an overall co-infection rate of 0.65%. The detection rates of antibodies in the blood against HV and WENV were 11.9% (55/461), and 13.2% (61/461) respectively. The prevalence of viral infection and viral genetic characters varied among the selected areas. In the paired sera of 43 suspected HFRS cases, 38 were with HV infection, 11 were with WENV IgG, and 7 with a 4-fold or more of WENV IgG titer elevation. These results revealed the fact of the co-circulating and coinfection of HV and WENV in the same area at the same time, which might impact on public health safety.

Abstract The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs), especially the latest Omicron, have exhibited severe antibody evasion. Broadly neutralizing antibodies with high potency against Omicron are urgently needed for understanding the working mechanisms and developing therapeutic agents. In this study, we characterized the previously reported F61, which was isolated from convalescent patients infected with prototype SARS-CoV-2, as a broadly neutralizing antibody against all VOCs including Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4 sublineages by utilizing antigen binding and cell infection assays. We also identified and characterized another broadly neutralizing antibody D2 with epitope distinct from that of F61. More importantly, we showed that a combination of F61 with D2 exhibited synergy in neutralization and protecting mice from SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants. Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) structures of the spike-F61 and spike-D2 binary complexes revealed the distinct epitopes of F61 and D2 at atomic level and the structural basis for neutralization. Cryo-EM structure of the Omicron-spike-F61-D2 ternary complex provides further structural insights into the synergy between F61 and D2. These results collectively indicated F61 and F61-D2 cocktail as promising therapeutic antibodies for combating SARS-CoV-2 variants including diverse Omicron sublineages.

Helicobacter pylori infection is a prevalent infectious disease, associated with many gastric diseases, including gastritis, gastric ulcer, and gastric cancer. To reveal the characteristics of the gastric microbiome in patients infected with H. pylori, we performed metagenomic shotgun sequencing of stomach swab samples from 96 patients and then conducted metagenomic association analyses between alterations in the gastric microbiome and H. pylori infection status. The overall composition of the gastric microbiota in H. pylori‐infected individuals was distinctly different from the negative controls; H. pylori became the dominant species after colonizing the human stomach and significantly decreased the α‐diversity of the gastric community (P 0.05, Wilcoxon rank‐sum test). This study revealed alterations in gastric microbial taxa and function associated with HPI in the Chinese population, which provides an insight into gastric microbial interactions and their potential role in the pathological process of gastric diseases.

The interpretation of the sedimentary paleogeographic environment of the Lower Permian Shanxi Formation (P1s) coal strata in the southeastern Ordos Basin remains a subject of significant debate. In this paper, based on detrital zircon U–Pb source analysis, paleosalinity assessment, the sandstone modal composition, and other methods, we analyzed the P1s source system and constructed a model of the sedimentary evolution. The findings reveal that the primary source of the clastic materials in the study area stems from a mixed-source within the recycling orogenic belt. During the deposition period, the Shanxi Formation developed two predominant material source systems: one in the north, primarily linked to the Paleo-Yinshan Fold Orogenic Belt (YFOB), and the other in the south, originating from the North Qinling Orogenic Belt (NQinOB). These two major source systems converged in the Yichuan–Fuxian area. From the early stages of the Shanxi Formation period (Shan1), there was a regional retreat of the sea in the area. The seawater receded in a southeastward direction, leading to a gradual reduction in the paleosalinity and Sr/Ba-ratio variability during the Shan1 period. The influence of the seawater diminished, transitioning into a deltaic depositional system. This shift towards a terrestrial lakeshore basin reached its full development during the Lower Xiashihezi period. This study concludes that the Shanxi Formation in this area represents the evolution of a deltaic depositional system originating from a shallow sea shelf. This evolution can be divided into three major stages: remnants of the shallow sea shelf, barrier island–lagoon–littoral, and deltaic deposition. Within this framework, the shoreline underwent frequent lateral migration, influencing a broad range of characteristics. In the vertical direction, numerous alternating sets of sandstone bodies and mudstone, shale, and coal beds formed, creating a significant relationship between coal hydrocarbon sources and reservoirs. This study also establishes the stratigraphic-sequence framework of the basin for this period. These results hold great importance for the expansion of natural gas exploration and development efforts.

Severe Fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a highly fatal viral infectious disease that poses a significant threat to public health. Currently, the phase and pathogenesis of SFTS are not well understood, and there are no specific vaccines or effective treatment available. Therefore, it is crucial to identify biomarkers for diagnosing acute SFTS, which has a high mortality rate. In this study, we conducted differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis and WGCNA module analysis on the GSE144358 dataset, comparing the acute phase of SFTSV-infected patients with healthy individuals. Through the LASSO–Cox and random forest algorithms, a total of 2128 genes were analyzed, leading to the identification of four genes: ADIPOR1, CENPO, E2F2, and H2AC17. The GSEA analysis of these four genes demonstrated a significant correlation with immune cell function and cell cycle, aligning with the functional enrichment findings of DEGs. Furthermore, we also utilized CIBERSORT to analyze the immune cell infiltration and its correlation with characteristic genes. The results indicate that the combination of ADIPOR1, CENPO, E2F2, and H2AC17 genes has the potential as characteristic genes for diagnosing and studying the acute phase of SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection.

A high-quality genome for the parasitic tapeworm, Echinococcus granulosus, provides further insight into the EG95 vaccine target for cystic echinococcosis.

Abstract Background Molecular markers are essential to identify Echinococcus species and genotypes in areas with multiple Echinococcus species to understand their epidemiology and pathology. Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is one of the areas worst hit by echinococcosis. However, molecular epidemiology is still missing among echinococcosis patients in TAR. This research explored the Echinococcus species and genotypes infecting humans in TAR and the population diversity and the possible origin of G1 in TAR. Methods Cyst samples were collected in one echinococcosis-designated hospital in TAR. Echinococcus species and genotypes were identified through a maximum-likelihood approach with near-complete/complete mtDNA using IQ-TREE. Phylogenetic networks were built with PopART, and the phylogeographical diffusion pattern was identified using a Bayesian discrete phylogeographic method. Results Using phylogenetic trees made with near-complete/complete mtDNA obtained from 92 cysts from TAR patients, the Echinococcus species and genotypes infecting humans in TAR were identified as Echinococcus granulosus (s.s.) G1 (81, 88.04%), accounting for the majority, followed by G6 of the E. canadensis cluster (6, 6.52%), E. granulosus (s.s.) G3 (3, 3.26%), and E. multilocularis (2, 2.17%). An expansion trend and a possible recent bottleneck event were confirmed among the G1 samples in TAR. Adding the other near-complete mtDNA of G1 samples globally from the literature, we identified the possible phylogeographic origin of the G1 samples in TAR as Turkey. Conclusions Using near-complete/complete mtDNA sequences of Echinococcus spp. obtained from echinococcosis patients, a variety of Echinococcus species and genotypes infecting humans throughout TAR were identified. As far as we know, this is the first comprehensive molecular investigation of Echinococcus species and genotypes infecting humans throughout TAR. We identified, for the first time to our knowledge, the possible origin of the G1 in TAR. We also enriched the long mtDNA database of Echinococcus spp. and added two complete E. multilocularis mtDNA sequences from human patients. These findings will improve our knowledge of echinococcosis, help to refine the targeted echinococcosis control measures, and serve as a valuable baseline for monitoring the Echinococcus species and genotypes mutations and trends of the Echinococcus spp. population in TAR. Graphical Abstract

The installation of a superlift device on the telescopic boom of a crane is the main method to improve the stress condition of the telescopic boom and to effectively improve the lifting performance of the crane. However, there is a lack of an effective and accurate numerical method to solve the critical force of a crane telescopic boom with a superlift device. Therefore, the telescopic boom with a superlift device is reasonably simplified as a stepped column and double cable model. Based on the longitudinal and transverse bending theory, the differential equations of the deflection of the n-stepped column with double cables model are established, the buckling characteristic equation and its recurrence formula of the n-stepped column with double cables model are derived, and the combined superlift equations are established. The Levenberg–Marquardt optimization algorithm is used to solve the critical force and length coefficient. A large amount of data were compared and analyzed between the numerical solution results and the ANSYS finite element simulation results. The error result analysis proved the correctness of the deduced buckling characteristic equation and its derived formula and the accuracy of the numerical solution. The numerical solution method in this paper can be used to calculate the critical force and length coefficient under any number of boom sections, boom section length, sectional moment of inertia, cable length, and included angle between the two cables of the telescopic boom with a superlift device. The numerical solution method can provide a technical support for the structural design of a telescopic boom with a superlift device in practical projects.

Purpose To compare the surgical outcomes of modified expansive open-door laminoplasty (EOL) (C4-C6) and traditional EOL (C3-C7) in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods One hundred and two CSM patients were retrospectively recruited from Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between March 2012 and December 2019. Seventy-one patients with CSM underwent modified EOL, and 31 patients underwent traditional EOL. The primary endpoint was axial symptoms. Results Patients who underwent modified EOL had a significantly lower incidence of axial symptoms (odds ratio: 0.273; 95% confidence interval: 0.184-0.691; p = .002). The length of hospital stay ( p = .263), and intraoperative blood loss ( p = .402) were not significantly different between the groups. Significantly more postoperative drainage was observed in patients who underwent modified EOL ( p < .001), while the cost of hospitalization in patients treated with traditional EOL was higher ( p = .011). There were significant differences between modified and traditional EOL for the changes in range of motion ( p < .001), modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score ( p = .001), and the Nurick grade ( p = .014), while the changes of visual analogue scale ( p = .250), and the neck disability index ( p = .134) were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion This study found modified EOL may decrease the incidence of axial symptoms in patients with CSM compared to traditional EOL.

Stratospheric intrusion (SI) is an important source of tropospheric ozone (O3). Here, we used the online coupled Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model to simulate a typical SI event that occurred over eastern China on 15–19 July 2016 and investigate the impacts of SI on near-surface O3 pollution. The results show that the large-scale circulation of SI was characterized by a deep trough over central China and South Asia high and Western Pacific Subtropical high located to the east and west of the deep trough, respectively. With the evolution of the deep trough, the strong downdrafts behind the trough lead to O3-rich air injected into the lower troposphere across eastern China. By using a tracer tagging method in WRF-Chem, we quantified the SI contributed up to 6.5 ppb to the surface O3 concentration. According to the integrated process rate analyses, which were employed to quantify the contribution of different physical/chemical processes to O3, the advection process dominated variations in troposphere O3 with positive contribution ranging from 0.1 to 13.8 ppb h−1. As altitude decreases, the contribution of advection diminishes as the intensity of the SI gradually weakens. Although the vertical advection contributed limited O3 that directly reached the ground, we revealed that the SI has significant impact on near-surface O3 over a large territory of eastern China through regional transport by horizontal advection process. Below 691 m, the positive contribution of horizontal advection to O3 ranges from 1.6 to 13.4 ppb h−1. This study highlights the natural effect of SI on summertime O3 pollution in eastern China and will help the development of a future O3 pollution alert system.

The Clean Air Plan has been active in China since 2013 to mitigate severe PM2.5 pollution. In this study, we applied the air quality model WRF-Chem to simulate PM2.5 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China in 2017, with the aim of assessing the air quality improvement and its associated health burden in the final year of the Clean Air Plan. To better describe the fate of various PM2.5 compositions, we updated the chemical mechanisms in the model beforehand, including heterogeneous sulfate reactions, aqueous secondary organic aerosol (SOA) uptake, and volatility basis set (VBS) based SOA production. Both the observation and simulation results agreed that the stringent clear air action effectively reduced the PM2.5 pollution levels by ∼ 30 %. The primary PM2.5 (−6 ∼ − 16 % yr−1) showed a more significant decreasing trend than the secondary PM2.5 (−2 ∼ − 8 % yr−1), which was mainly caused by the directivity of the clear air actions and the worsening ozone pollution in the recent years. The inconsistent decreasing trends of PM2.5 components subsequently led to an increasing proportion of secondary PM2.5. Nitrate particles, higher in the central and western YRD region, have replaced sulfate and have become the largest component of secondary inorganic aerosols year-round, except in summer, when strong ammonium nitrate evaporation occurs. In addition, SOA remains an important component (21 ∼ 22 %) especially in summer, most of which is produced from the oxidation and ageing of semi/intermediate volatile organic compounds (S/IVOC). Furthermore, we quantified the associated health impacts and found that the Clean Air Plan has largely reduced premature mortality due to PM2.5 exposure in the YRD region from 399.1 thousand to 295.7 thousand. Our study highlights the benefits of the Clean Air Plan and suggests that subsequent PM2.5 improvement should be geared more towards controlling secondary pollutants.

BackgroundChikungunya virus (CHIKV) reemerged and caused millions of human infections since 2004. The disease could be established, when the virus has been introduced to areas where the appropriate vectors are endemic. The differential diagnosis of CHIKV infection varies based on place of residence, travel history, and exposures. Serological tests are commonly used to diagnose CHIKV infection, but their availability and assessments of the performance of the diagnostics have been limited.ObjectivesTo develop and evaluate antibodies detection methods for chikungunya diagnosis and serological investigation.MethodsRecombinant E2 protein based IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Mac-ELISA) and double antigen sandwich ELISA (Das-ELISA) for detection of antibodies to Chikungunya virus were developed and evaluated. The repeatability was evaluated by testing of three reference sera at single dilutions in triplicated for 5 times. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and agreement of the MAC-ELISA and Das-ELISA were obtained by comparing the detection results of 225 serum samples (45 positive; 180 negative) with a real-time RT-PCR assay and an IFA commercial tests manufactured by Euroimmun.ResultsThe established ELISA assays were standardized by determining the optimal concentrations of the key reagents. The coefficient values of repeat testing were within 10% and 20% for intraassay and interassay precision, respectively. A sensitivity of 60.0% and 52.5%, a specificity of 96.2% and 96.8%, and an accuracy of 89.8% and 88.9% were obtained for the Mac-ELISA and Das-ELISA, respectively, when compared to a CHIKV qRT-PCR method. And a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 97.5% and 99.5%, and an accuracy of 97.8% and 99.6% were yielded respectively when using the IIFT as a reference method, which showed a highly consistence to the commercial IIFT assay with a Kappa value greater than 0.90.ConclusionsThe Mac-ELISA and Das-ELISA based on recombinant E2 protein of CHIKV were developed and standardized, which could detect IgM or total antibodies against CHIKV in 2-3 hours with acceptable sensitivities and specificities. These assays can be used for laboratory diagnosis and serological investigation of CHIKV infections to evaluate the risk of CHIKV transmission.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by a novel identified bunyavirus SFTS virus (SFTSV), was an emerging viral infectious disease that was firstly reported in China. There are no licensed vaccines and therapeutics against SFTSV currently. B-Propiolactone (BPL) inactivated whole virions of SFTSV strain AH12 were prepared as experimental vaccine in different antigen dose with or without Al(OH)3 adjuvant. The experimental SFTS vaccine was a satisfying immunogen, which could efficiently trigger the development of high levels of SFTSV NP-specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies against SFTSV Strain HB29 in BALB/c and C57/BL6 mice, and could induce SFTS virus-specific cellular immune responses to a certain extent. A single dose of vaccine was immunogenically insufficient in BALB/c mice; the second and third dose resulted in significant boost in antibody response. The use of Al(OH)3 adjuvant resulted in higher antibody titers. The mediate-dose of vaccine could induce as high and equivalent level of antibody titer as that of high-dose. The experimental SFTS vaccine in mediate- and high antigen dose with adjuvant resulted in solid protection of C57/BL6 mice against wild-type SFTSV challenge with markedly accelerated virus clearance from blood and spleen compared with controls. The experimental SFTS vaccine prepared in this study could efficiently elicit virus specific humoral and cellular immune responses in both BALB/c and C57/BL6 mice, and could protect C57/BL6 mice against SFTS virus challenge. These results supplied evidence that inactivated vaccine was a promising vaccine candidate for the prevention of SFTSV infection.

In the summer of 2020, China experienced record rainfall and flooding. Here, the authors investigate the connection between the rainfall and the abrupt decrease in emissions due to Covid-19 and find that the emission decrease may have contributed to the rainfall.

Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the microbial composition of the respiratory tract and other infected tissues as well as their possible pathogenic contributions to varying degrees of disease severity in COVID-19 patients remain unclear. Between 27 January and 26 February 2020, serial clinical specimens (sputum, nasal and throat swab, anal swab and feces) were collected from a cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including 8 mildly and 15 severely ill patients in Guangdong province, China. Total RNA was extracted and ultra-deep metatranscriptomic sequencing was performed in combination with laboratory diagnostic assays. We identified distinct signatures of microbial dysbiosis among severely ill COVID-19 patients on broad spectrum antimicrobial therapy. Co-detection of other human respiratory viruses (including human alphaherpesvirus 1, rhinovirus B, and human orthopneumovirus) was demonstrated in 30.8% (4/13) of the severely ill patients, but not in any of the mildly affected patients. Notably, the predominant respiratory microbial taxa of severely ill patients were Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), Staphylococcus epidermidis, or Mycoplasma spp. (including M. hominis and M. orale). The presence of the former two bacterial taxa was also confirmed by clinical cultures of respiratory specimens (expectorated sputum or nasal secretions) in 23.1% (3/13) of the severe cases. Finally, a time-dependent, secondary infection of B. cenocepacia with expressions of multiple virulence genes was demonstrated in one severely ill patient, which might accelerate his disease deterioration and death occurring one month after ICU admission. Our findings point to SARS-CoV-2-related microbial dysbiosis and various antibiotic-resistant respiratory microbes/pathogens in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in relation to disease severity. Detection and tracking strategies are needed to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance, improve the treatment regimen and clinical outcomes of hospitalized, severely ill COVID-19 patients.

SFTS virus (SFTSV) is a novel bunyavirus, which was discovered as the etiological agent of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in China in 2009, and was now prevalent in at least 25 provinces in China. SFTS was subsequently identified in South Korea and Japan in 2012. To explore the molecular evolution and genetic characteristics of this newly identified pathogen, we reported 72 whole genome sequences of SFTSV, and built a dataset of SFTSV genome sequences containing 292 L-segment, 302 M-segment and 502 S-segment. We clearly divided SFTSV into six genotypes, Genotype A-F. It was found that genotype F was the dominant epidemic genotype of Japan, South Korea, and Zhejiang province of China. The coalescent analysis supported that SFTSV originated in the early 18th century from Zhejiang province, and Genotype F was the most primitive one. Henan, Hubei, and Anhui provinces which are located in Dabie Mountain area were mainly epidemic of Genotype A, which emerged relatively late but distributed widely. A total of 37 recombination events were identified, making SFTSV with a high recombination frequency (L segment 5.1%, M segment 3.6%, S segment 0.8%) among negative-strand segmented RNA viruses. It was identified that 19 reassortant strains belonged to 12 reassortment forms of SFTSV genome containing 6 newly identified forms. The reassortment virus and recombination in tick were both found for the first time. We also found many of genotype-specific mutation sites, 7 of which could be considered as potential molecular marker for genotype classification. This study promoted a more comprehensive understanding of the phylogeny and origin, and the genetic diversity of SFTSV, and it could help the studies of other newly discovered tick-borne bunyavirus as reference data and research ideas.

Abstract High rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been reported among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Importantly, CVD, as one of the comorbidities, could also increase the risks of the severity of COVID-19. Here we identified phospholipase A2 group VII (PLA2G7), a well-studied CVD biomarker, as a hub gene in COVID-19 though an integrated hypothesis-free genomic analysis on nasal swabs (n = 486) from patients with COVID-19. PLA2G7 was further found to be predominantly expressed by proinflammatory macrophages in lungs emerging with progression of COVID-19. In the validation stage, RNA level of PLA2G7 was identified in nasal swabs from both COVID-19 and pneumonia patients, other than health individuals. The positive rate of PLA2G7 were correlated with not only viral loads but also severity of pneumonia in non-COVID-19 patients. Serum protein levels of PLA2G7 were found to be elevated and beyond the normal limit in COVID-19 patients, especially among those re-positive patients. We identified and validated PLA2G7, a biomarker for CVD, was abnormally enhanced in COVID-19 at both nucleotide and protein aspects. These findings provided indications into the prevalence of cardiovascular involvements seen in patients with COVID-19. PLA2G7 could be a potential prognostic and therapeutic target in COVID-19.

Abstract Background Since early February 2021, the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, has infected over 104 million people with more than 2 million deaths according to official reports. The key to understanding the biology and virus-host interactions of SARS-CoV-2 requires the knowledge of mutation and evolution of this virus at both inter- and intra-host levels. However, despite quite a few polymorphic sites identified among SARS-CoV-2 populations, intra-host variant spectra and their evolutionary dynamics remain mostly unknown. Methods Using high-throughput sequencing of metatranscriptomic and hybrid captured libraries, we characterized consensus genomes and intra-host single nucleotide variations (iSNVs) of serial samples collected from eight patients with COVID-19. The distribution of iSNVs along the SARS-CoV-2 genome was analyzed and co-occurring iSNVs among COVID-19 patients were identified. We also compared the evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 population in the respiratory tract (RT) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Results The 32 consensus genomes revealed the co-existence of different genotypes within the same patient. We further identified 40 intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs). Most (30/40) iSNVs presented in a single patient, while ten iSNVs were found in at least two patients or identical to consensus variants. Comparing allele frequencies of the iSNVs revealed a clear genetic differentiation between intra-host populations from the respiratory tract (RT) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT), mostly driven by bottleneck events during intra-host migrations. Compared to RT populations, the GIT populations showed a better maintenance and rapid development of viral genetic diversity following the suspected intra-host bottlenecks. Conclusions Our findings here illustrate the intra-host bottlenecks and evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in different anatomic sites and may provide new insights to understand the virus-host interactions of coronaviruses and other RNA viruses.

Abstract Gallbladder cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the biliary system and is characterized by difficulty to diagnose in early stages, a high degree of malignancy, and poor prognosis. Finding new drugs may improve the prognosis for this dismal cancer. Herein, we investigated the potential application of pterostilbene (PTS) against gallbladder cancer in vivo and in vitro. PTS potently inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion of gallbladder cancer cells. Moreover, PTS also had a function of inducing apoptosis in vitro. Meanwhile, PTS reversed EMT with a correlated inhibition of PI3K/Akt activation. Tumor xenograft models showed that PTS inhibited tumor growth and had low toxicity in vivo, which were consistent with the in vitro data. These findings indicate that PTS arrests cell growth through inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling and is a potential drug for the therapy of gallbladder cancer.

Electromagnetic waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) can improve the spectral efficiency of communication systems by multiplexing a number of OAM modes. However, since being not able to perform water-filling power allocation and adaptive modulation for each sub-channel like closed-loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, the traditional orthogonal multi-mode OAM multiplexing system usually has poor bit error rate (BER) performance due to the inherent large divergence angle of high-order orthogonal OAM beams. Therefore, in this article we propose a non-orthogonal OAM (NO-OAM) multi-mode multiplexing scheme based on uniform circular array (UCA), which regulates the divergence angles of all non-orthogonal OAM beams to be the same, circumventing the problem that large beam divergence of high-order orthogonal OAM modes results in low received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the receive UCA with a fixed aperture. Mathematical analysis and numerical simulations show that in contrast to the existing uniform concentric circular array (UCCA) beam adjustment scheme, the proposed NO-OAM scheme has slightly better beam adjustment effect but with only one UCA. Moreover, in contrast to the traditional orthogonal OAM multi-mode transmission, the proposed NO-OAM multi-mode multiplexing scheme has asymptotically equivalent channel capacity and much lower BER.

Adsorption and diffusion are the key factors affecting coalbed methane (CBM) accumulation, resource assessment and production prediction. To study the adsorption and diffusion mechanism of Fukang low-rank coal at the microscopic level, samples of Fukang low-rank coal were collected, and the elemental composition, carbon type distribution and functional group type of the Fukang low-rank coal structure were determined by elemental analysis (Ea), Fourier-transform interferometric radiometer (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) experiments to construct a 2D molecular structure of the coal and a 3D macromolecular structure model. The adsorption and diffusion characteristics of methane were researched by giant regular Monte Carlo (GCMC) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods. The results showed that the excess adsorption amount of methane increased and then decreased with the increase in pressure. The diffusion of methane showed two stages with increasing pressure: a sharp decrease in the diffusion coefficient from 0.5 to 5.0 MPa and a slow decrease in the diffusion coefficient from 5.0 to 15.0 MPa. The lower the pressure, the larger the effective radius of the CH4 and C atoms, and the higher the temperature, the more pronounced the diffusion and the larger the effective radius.

Central heating in North China produces severe air pollution, although the need for heating may be reduced by rising temperatures associated with climate change. The regional trend of mean heating length (HL) for North China was −0.32 d per year during 1961–2019. Compared with the 2010–2015 mean values, the start and end dates for central heating in the North China Plain (NCP) during 2050–2055 will delayed by 9 d and advanced by 12 d, respectively, under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5–8.5 (SSP5-85), and by 5 and 8 d under the carbon-neutral (CN) scenario, based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 model simulations. Here we propose a flexible heating policy (FHP), such that HL is determined strictly by temperature, and the associated air pollution benefit of shortening HL are examined by a global 3D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem. The study focused on the year 2019 with the current goal of elimination of severe PM _2.5 pollution, and with the minimum HL estimated to provide up to a 24% reduction in severe PM _2.5 pollution (daily mean PM _2.5 > 150 μ g m ^−3 ) over the NCP during periods of FHP implementation. For future CN policies, the NCP can achieve great air quality improvements by 2050, with more than 60% of days throughout the heating season with daily PM _2.5 concentrations of 100 μ g m ^−3 still occurring frequently by 2050. Our results highlight that FHPs may effectively reduce severe PM _2.5 pollution, and China’s carbon neutrality goals will play critical roles in mitigating air pollution and prolonged heating welfare during future heating season.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common biliary tract malignancy with a dismal prognosis. The development of new drugs may help to improve prognosis. This study found that fangchinoline, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, inhibited the proliferation and clone formation of GBC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Hoechst staining, TUNEL assays, and flow cytometry demonstrated that fangchinoline effectively induced apoptosis in GBC cells. Further studies found that an anti-apoptotic pathway, the PI3K/Akt/XIAP axis, was significantly inhibited in GBC cells after treating with fangchinoline. Finally, we confirmed that fangchinoline restrained xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Our findings indicate that fangchinoline can be considered a potential drug for GBC treatment.

Abstract Background COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) has caused a major epidemic worldwide; however, much is yet to be known about the epidemiology and evolution of the virus partly due to the scarcity of full-length SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) genomes reported. One reason is that the challenges underneath sequencing SARS-CoV-2 directly from clinical samples have not been completely tackled, i.e., sequencing samples with low viral load often results in insufficient viral reads for analyses. Methods We applied a novel multiplex PCR amplicon (amplicon)-based and hybrid capture (capture)-based sequencing, as well as ultra-high-throughput metatranscriptomic (meta) sequencing in retrieving complete genomes, inter-individual and intra-individual variations of SARS-CoV-2 from serials dilutions of a cultured isolate, and eight clinical samples covering a range of sample types and viral loads. We also examined and compared the sensitivity, accuracy, and other characteristics of these approaches in a comprehensive manner. Results We demonstrated that both amplicon and capture methods efficiently enriched SARS-CoV-2 content from clinical samples, while the enrichment efficiency of amplicon outran that of capture in more challenging samples. We found that capture was not as accurate as meta and amplicon in identifying between-sample variations, whereas amplicon method was not as accurate as the other two in investigating within-sample variations, suggesting amplicon sequencing was not suitable for studying virus-host interactions and viral transmission that heavily rely on intra-host dynamics. We illustrated that meta uncovered rich genetic information in the clinical samples besides SARS-CoV-2, providing references for clinical diagnostics and therapeutics. Taken all factors above and cost-effectiveness into consideration, we proposed guidance for how to choose sequencing strategy for SARS-CoV-2 under different situations. Conclusions This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first work systematically investigating inter- and intra-individual variations of SARS-CoV-2 using amplicon- and capture-based whole-genome sequencing, as well as the first comparative study among multiple approaches. Our work offers practical solutions for genome sequencing and analyses of SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viruses.

Abstract Background To investigate the efficacy and safety of aerosol inhalation of recombinant human interferon α1b (IFNα1b) injection for noninfluenza viral pneumonia. Methods One hundred sixty-four patients with noninfluenza viral pneumonia were divided into IFNα1b and control groups. The IFNα1b group received routine treatment + aerosol inhalation of recombinant human IFNα1b injection (50 μg × 2 injections, bid). The control group received routine treatment + IFN analog (two injections, bid). Overall response rate (ORR) of five kinds clinical symptoms. Further outcomes were daily average score and the response rate of each of the symptoms above. Results A total of 163 patients were included in the full analysis set (FAS) and 151 patients were included in the per-protocol set (PPS). After 7 days of treatment, ORR of clinical symptoms was higher in IFNα1b group than that in control group for both the FAS and PPS. Moreover, after 7 days of treatment, the daily score of three efficacy indexes including expectoration, respiratory rate, and pulmonary rales were improved. The ORRs for expectoration and pulmonary rales were higher in the IFNα1b group than in the control group (P 0.05). The incidence of adverse events was 6.5% (n = 5) in IFNα1b group and 3.5% (n = 3) in control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion Aerosol inhalation of recombinant human IFNα1b is safe and it can improve the clinical symptoms of noninfluenza viral pneumonia.

In this paper, finite-time consensus control method is presented for a robot nonlinear multi-agent system. To achieve the goal of finite-time consensus control in the presence of input saturation as well as external disturbance, a new adaptive-terminal sliding mode control method has been proposed. The adaptive method is used to handle an external disturbance with unknown bound, while the terminal sliding mode makes it possible to achieve finite-time consensus and reduce settling and reaching times. In the proposed method, the resulting control signals are always below the saturation range, and of course the external disturbance is estimated in a limited time. The simulation results on nonlinear multi-agent robot system show the optimal performance of the proposed method.

Here, we report the identification of Histoplasma causing an unexplained disease cluster in Matthews Ridge, Guyana. In March 2019, 14 employees of Chongqing Bosai Mining Company, China, working in a manganese mining of Guyana, had unexplained fever, and two of them died. We obtained lung and brain tissues as well as the blood samples from the two deceased cases (patient No. 1 and 2), and bronchoscopy lavages and cerebrospinal fluid samples from one severe case (patient No. 3), respectively. All samples were tested by pathological examination, high-throughput sequencing, and real-time PCR. Pathological detection showed the presence of spore-like structures in the lung tissue of patient No. 1, indicating a fungal infection in this patient. Nanopore sequencing identified the existing of H. capsulatum in the lung tissue sample within 13 h. Next-generation sequencing identified specific fragments of H. capsulatum in all of the samples tested (lung, brain and blood serum from the deceased cases, and plasma from the severe case). Real-time PCR assays did not reveal any viral infection related to transmission from bat feces. We conclude that H. capsulatum was the causative pathogen of this disease cluster based on epidemiologic, clinical, pathological and nucleic acid evidence.

Zhengzhou is located at the dividing point of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, which is the core area of the origin of early Chinese civilization. Studying the influence of the ancient Yellow River distributary on the aggregation of early sites is conducive to understanding the interaction between the water environment and early humans. It will provide strong support for the systematic protection and overall display and utilization of heritage. This research is based on the data of the ancient Yellow River distributary, lakes and swamps, and early settlements. This research adopted a GIS spatial quantitative analysis method to identify early settlements. The early sites in the distributary area of the ancient Yellow River were identified from the aspects of kernel density and cluster complexity. The study analyzed the influence of the evolution of lakes and swamps on the aggregation of sites, and the distance relationship between different levels of settlements and lakes and swamps. The results show that: (1) From the Peiligang period to the Xia and Shang Dynasties, early settlements aggregated in multi-center bands along the west ancient Yellow River distributary. Moreover, the Xingyang–Guangwu trough area was an aggregation area with a large quantity and high degree of complexity. (2) From the Yangshao period to the Xia and Shang Dynasties, the settlement presented the characteristics of distributions around lakes and swamps. From a spatial perspective, the distribution of a centric zone around the Xingyang–Guangwu trough lake and swamp in the west moved to the Xingze lake in the east.

Hantavirus causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, thus posing a major threat to human health in Jiangxi Province, China. Both Hantaan virus (HTNV) and Seoul virus (SEOV) have been found to be endemic in the province. Rodents were trapped from Gaoan Anyi and Tonggu counties in Jiangxi Province in 2020–2021. Hantavirus specific antibodies in the blood and RNA in the lung samples from the captured mammals were detected and analyzed. A total of 889 small mammals from seven species were collected. Positive detection was observed for hantavirus antibodies in 9.8% (87/889), SEOV RNA in 1% (9/889) and HTNV RNA in 2.6% (23/889). The difference in detection rates between regions was significant. Phylogenetic analysis of the obtained partial sequences of M and S segments revealed that two distinct genotypes of HTNV and three genotypes of SEOV were co-circulating in the captured mammals, with a regionally specific distribution. Multiple distinct genotypes of hantavirus are co-circulating in the province. Further studies in broader areas remain needed to reveal the diversity of hantaviruses.

Spindle stiffness is one of the most critical indicators for evaluating and measuring the service performance of spindles. The traditional static stiffness indexes only involve static analysis and rarely focus on the study of spindle-carrying capacity under operating conditions. In this paper, the explicit solution approach is used to develop a mechanical model of the spindle’s axial operating stiffness. This model was then used to explore the influence of rotational speed on the softening and hardening features of the spindle axial operating stiffness, and experimental verification was carried out. According to studies, the speed of a fixed-position preload spindle can lead its operating stiffness to exhibit a “stiffness-hardening” feature. However, when the axial displacement of the spindle is small, the operating stiffness curve of the spindle displays a noticeable “fluctuation” phenomenon for low-speed spindles. Furthermore, the speed-induced preload has a significant impact on the test results when testing spindle axial operating stiffness.

Abstract Background Echinococcus tapeworms cause a severe helminthic zoonosis called echinococcosis. The genus comprises various species and genotypes, of which E. granulosus (sensu stricto) represents a significant global public health and socioeconomic burden. Mitochondrial (mt) genomes have provided useful genetic markers to explore the nature and extent of genetic diversity within Echinococcus and have underpinned phylogenetic and population structure analyses of this genus. Our recent work indicated a sequence gap (> 1 kb) in the mt genomes of E. granulosus genotype G1, which could not be determined by PCR-based Sanger sequencing. The aim of the present study was to define the complete mt genome, irrespective of structural complexities, using a long-read sequencing method. Methods We extracted high molecular weight genomic DNA from protoscoleces from a single cyst of E. granulosus genotype G1 from a sheep from Australia using a conventional method and sequenced it using PacBio Sequel (long-read) technology, complemented by BGISEQ-500 short-read sequencing. Sequence data obtained were assembled using a recently-developed workflow. Results We assembled a complete mt genome sequence of 17,675 bp, which is > 4 kb larger than the complete mt genomes known for E. granulosus genotype G1. This assembly includes a previously-elusive tandem repeat region, which is 4417 bp long and consists of ten near-identical 441–445 bp repeat units, each harbouring a 184 bp non-coding region and adjacent regions. We also identified a short non-coding region of 183 bp, which includes an inverted repeat. Conclusions We report what we consider to be the first complete mt genome of E. granulosus genotype G1 and characterise all repeat regions in this genome. The numbers, sizes, sequences and functions of tandem repeat regions remain to be studied in different isolates of genotype G1 and in other genotypes and species. The discovery of such ‘new’ repeat elements in the mt genome of genotype G1 by PacBio sequencing raises a question about the completeness of some published genomes of taeniid cestodes assembled from conventional or short-read sequence datasets. This study shows that long-read sequencing readily overcomes the challenges of assembling repeat elements to achieve improved genomes.

Abstract Background Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a newly identified severe infectious disease caused by SFTS phlebovirus (SFTSV). SFTS monitoring has been carried out since 2010 in mainland China. We analysed the detection results of SFTSV RNA and antibody in SFTS surveillance cases to provide basic data for SFTS diagnosis. Methods This study was conducted in Shandong Province. Sera of SFTS surveillance cases were collected to detect SFTSV RNA and antibody by real-time RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Detection rates were calculated. SPSS 18.0 (Chicago, IL, USA) was used for statistical analysis to compare the detection rates of SFTSV RNA and antibodies among different sera groups. Results A total of 374 SFTS surveillance cases were enrolled. Overall, 93.3% (349/374) of the sera samples were collected within 2 weeks after onset, and 6.7% (25/374) were collected between 15 days and 45 days. Of these, 183 (48.9%) were positive for SFTSV RNA. The SFTSV RNA-positive rate peaked (52.2%) in samples collected ≤7 days after onset and then showed a decreasing trend. The detection rate of SFTSV-specific IgM antibody was 30.5% (46/151) and was highest in samples collected between 8 and 14 days (43.3%, 26/60). The positive rate of SFTSV-specific IgG antibody (17.9%, 27/151) showed an increasing trend with the specimen collection time. In total, 74.8% (113/151) of sera samples had the same SFTSV RNA and IgM antibody detection results. However, 23.2% (29/125) of SFTSV RNA-negative cases were IgM antibody-positive, and 8.6% (9/105) of IgM antibody-negative cases were SFTSV RNA-positive. Conclusions SFTSV RNA detection was preferred for SFTSV infection during disease surveillance. For highly suspected SFTS cases, IgM antibody is suggested to make a comprehensive judgement.

Abstract We evaluate the ability of the latest generation atmospheric general circulation model from State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (namely, FAMIL2) in simulating some key characteristics (genesis location, track, number, and intensity) of tropical cyclones (TCs) in terms of their climatology and seasonal to interannual variability. A standard 1° × 1° atmospheric model intercomparison project experiment is carried out for the period 1979–2002, and the last 20 years of outputs are used for analysis. The same period from International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) is used as the observation for comparison purposes. The evaluations focus on TC activity at the global scale as well as in the three key regions of the northern Indian Ocean (NIO), western Pacific (WP) and northern Atlantic (NA). With respect to the simulated TC climatology, FAMIL2 shows notable ability in correctly reproducing the main characteristics of the genesis locations, tracks, and numbers of TC, particularly over the key regions of TC activity in the Northern Hemisphere; whereas, it underestimates the intensities of TC, as is the case with many state‐of‐the‐art climate models operating at a medium resolution. On seasonal‐to‐interannual time scales, meanwhile, FAMIL2 successfully reproduces the seasonal cycles of TC numbers over the NIO and WP regions, the former being characterized by double TC peaks (in May and October) and the latter by a maximum peak season in August. However, the model only captures these features approximately. For the simulated interannual variability of TC activity, the correlation coefficients of 20‐year TC numbers between FAMIL2 and IBTrACS are 0.22, 0.51 (95% confidence interval), and 0.49 (95% confidence interval) for the NIO, WP, and NA, respectively. We also examine the possible reasons behind the performance of FAMIL2 by investigating its subseasonal signs related to the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) and convectively coupled equatorial waves. The TC genesis potential index is employed to investigate the possible impacts of the large‐scale dynamic fields on the simulation of TC activity. Finally, the biases of simulated TC activity, as well as possible solutions for these biases, are discussed with respect to the horizontal resolution of the model. A TC forecasting case study is introduced as a first step in applying FAMIL2 to a TC forecasting system.

Ultra-dense heterogeneous networks, as a novel network architecture in the fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G), promise ubiquitous connectivity and smooth experience, which take advantage of multiple radio access technologies (RATs), such as WiFi, UMTS, LTE, and WiMAX. However, the dense environment of multi-RATs challenges the network selection because of the more frequent and complex decision process along with increased complexity. Introducing artificial intelligence to ultra-dense heterogeneous networks can improve the way we address network selection today, and can execute efficient and intelligent network selection. Whereas, there still exist difficulties to be noted. On one hand, the contradiction between real-time communications and time-consuming learning is exacerbated, which can result in slow convergence. On the other hand, the black-box learning mode suffers from oscillation due to the diversity of multi-RATs, which can result in arbitrary convergence. In this paper, we propose a model-driven framework with a joint off-line and on-line way, which is able to achieve fast and optimal network selection through an alliance of machine learning and game theory. Further, we implement a distributed algorithm at the user side based on the proposed framework, which can reduce the number of frequent switching, increase the possibility of gainful switching, and provide the individual service. The simulation results confirm the performance of the algorithm in accelerating convergence rate, boosting user experience, and improving resource utilization.

The network function virtualization (NFV) enables the virtual network functions (VNFs) to run as software components upon a virtualization system hosted in a cloud. Recently, due to its high flexibility and elasticity in terms of network services and functions deploying, NFV has been considered as one of the key enabling techniques of the fifth-generation (5G) wireless systems. Moreover, the creation of the core network functions is the key to the implementation of 5G. Currently, there are extensive studies researching into how to deploy cooperatively VNFs over a federated cloud for multiple cloud providers (CPs) to create the 5G Core. These studies have a critical assumption that each CP participating in the cooperation is fully informed of all the information about other CPs. However, the assumption may not hold in practice. Since CPs adopt diverse virtualization technologies (e.g., XEN, KVM, or containers), the cost to create an instance of one VNF for each CP may be different. Moreover, the cost information is private and will not be shared with each other. Consequently, it is difficult for each CP to determine whether to cooperate with others and the way of cooperation. Therefore, in this paper, we utilize the Bayesian coalition formation game (BCFG) to tackle this challenging situation with the unknown information about CPs and formulate the optimal coalition that can deploy cooperatively each VNFs of 5G Core. Specifically, we address the optimal number of VNF instances to instantiate, the number of virtual resources for each instance, and the placement decision in a specific CP over a federated cloud. We propose a BCFG-based non-myopic and full negotiation approach for the creation of the virtual 5G Core network functions. Simulation results demonstrate the comprehensive performance of the proposed method in terms of convergence properties and the profits that each participating CP can obtain.

The frequency response characteristics of the hydraulic shaking table show the same as that of a two degree of freedom (DOF) resonance system due to the structural flexibility of the hydraulic shaking table. The hydraulic shaking system induces an anti-resonant peak during the working frequency band, which substantially reduces band width of the shaking table. The frequency response influence factor like mass, stiffness, and damping of the reaction wall are studied in this paper. The feed-forward control strategy is proposed in shaking system, which eliminates the effect of zero points at the anti-resonant peak and poles nearly the imaginary axis, broadens the bandwidth, and improves the control precision of the system. The notch filter is used to reduce the magnitude of resonant peak at the nature frequency of servo valve. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm properly compensates the effect of structural flexibility and improves the bandwidth of the shaking system.

In this paper, we investigate the topological interference management (TIM) for MIMO interference broadcast channels (IBC) under the fixed topology, where only topology information is needed to cancel the inter-cell interference (ICI). For the single user case, where the MIMO IBC network is reduced to the MIMO interference channel (IC) networks, we propose one novel TIM scheme by exploiting the solution to the corresponding SISO IC TIM based on topology information. And also, we present one theorem to characterize the achievable degrees of freedom (DoFs). For the multiple user case, assuming that each BS not only knows topology information but also knows the channel state information at transmitters (CSIT) within its own cell, we propose two novel TIM schemes, i.e., the virtual user compression-based scheme and the virtual base station extension-based scheme. For each scheme, we design transceivers to cancel both the ICI only based on the topology information by exploiting the solution to the corresponding SISO IC TIM and the multiple user interference (MUI) within its own cell based on the CSIT. Furthermore, we present one theorem to characterize the achievable DoF, respectively. Moreover, we prove that the DoF achieved by the virtual base station extension-based scheme is higher than or equal to that achieved by the virtual user compression-based scheme. Hence, the achievable DoF of MIMO IBC TIM is lower bounded by the optimal DoF attainable for the base station extension scheme. Furthermore, the numerical results show that our schemes can achieve significant performance gain against the traditional interference avoidance scheme.

The emergence of the novel human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causes a global COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Here, we have characterized and compared viral populations of SARS-CoV-2 among COVID-19 patients within and across households. Our work showed an active viral replication activity in the human respiratory tract and the co-existence of genetically distinct viruses within the same host. The inter-host comparison among viral populations further revealed a narrow transmission bottleneck between patients from the same households, suggesting a dominated role of stochastic dynamics in both inter-host and intra-host evolutions.

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of Chinese wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) and Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) extract (WAE) on the antioxidant capacity of Tibetan pig liver, and discussed the regulatory effect of WAE on the liver antioxidant mechanism. Twelve healthy 120-day-old Tibetan black pigs (35±2 kg) were divided randomly into two groups. The WAE group was fed a basal diet supplemented with 1% WAE for 90 days. The control group was fed the same diet, but without the WAE. We found that liver superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) activity (P0.05). Transcriptome sequencing analysis detected 106 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to oxidative stress. GO enrichment analysis showed these DEGs were involved in the positive regulation of reactive oxygen metabolism and biosynthesis, process regulation, and regulation of the oxidative stress response. KEGG Pathway enrichment analysis showed they were enriched in the PI3K-Akt, AMPK, Rap1, and peroxisome signaling pathways. The expression levels of key peroxisome biosynthesis genes (e.g., PEX3 and PEX11B) and key antioxidant genes (e.g., CAT and SOD1) were significantly higher in the WAE group than in the control group. The PRDX1 and PRDX5 content also was significantly higher in the WAE group. This study showed that the WAE regulated the antioxidant and anti-stress ability of Tibetan pig liver through a "peroxisome antioxidant-oxidant stress" signaling pathway.