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ObjectiveTo evaluate the risk of cardiac adverse events in patients with malignant tumors after chemotherapy by using a combination of acoustic cardiography and blood indices. MethodsA total of 171 patients with malignant tumor who received chemotherapy were included. They were divided into cardiac adverse event group and non-cardiac adverse event group in accordance with whether cardiac adverse events occurred after chemotherapy. The general data, blood indices before chemotherapy, and acoustic cardiography-related indices in the early stage (1-3 cycles) of chemotherapy of the two groups were analyzed. The possible influencing factors were determined by binary logistic regression analysis, and the nomogram was drawn. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the prediction ability of the nomogram. ResultsCardiac adverse events occurred in 44 of 171 patients with malignant tumors after chemotherapy, and the incidence of cardiac adverse events was 25.73%. Binary logistic regression results showed that age, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) before chemotherapy, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and electromechanical activation time (EMAT) at the early stage of chemotherapy were independent predictors of cardiac adverse events in chemotherapy patients. The area under the ROC curve of the nomogram was 0.768 (95%CI: 0.693-0.843, P

Abstract Background An isokinetic moment curve (IMC) pattern-damaged structure prediction model may be of considerable value in assisting the diagnosis of knee injuries in clinical scenarios. This study aimed to explore the association between irregular IMC patterns and specific structural damages in the knee, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, meniscus (MS) injury, and patellofemoral joint (PFJ) lesions, and to develop an IMC pattern-damaged structure prediction model. Methods A total of 94 subjects were enrolled in this study and underwent isokinetic testing of the knee joint (5 consecutive flexion-extension movements within the range of motion of 90°-10°, 60°/s). Qualitative analysis of the IMCs for all subjects was completed by two blinded examiners. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to investigate whether a specific abnormal curve pattern was associated with specific knee structural injuries and to test the predictive effectiveness of IMC patterns for specific structural damage in the knee. Results The results of the multinomial logistic regression revealed a significant association between the irregular IMC patterns of the knee extensors and specific structural damages (“Valley” - ACL, PFJ, and ACL + MS, “Drop” - ACL, and ACL + MS, “Shaking” - ACL, MS, PFJ, and ACL + MS). The accuracy and Macro-averaged F1 score of the predicting model were 56.1% and 0.426, respectively. Conclusion The associations between irregular IMC patterns and specific knee structural injuries were identified. However, the accuracy and Macro-averaged F1 score of the established predictive model indicated its relatively low predictive efficacy. For the development of a more accurate predictive model, it may be essential to incorporate angle-specific and/or speed-specific analyses of qualitative and quantitative data in isokinetic testing. Furthermore, the utilization of artificial intelligence image recognition technology may prove beneficial for analyzing large datasets in the future.

Abstract Background Insufficient interfragmentary compression force (IFCF) frequently leads to unstable fixation of osteoporotic lateral tibial plateau fractures (OLTPFs). A combined cancellous lag screw (CCLS) enhances IFCF; however, its effect on OLTPF fixation stability remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of CCLS on OLTPF stability using locking plate fixation (LPF). Materials and methods Twelve synthetic osteoporotic tibial bones were used to simulate OLTPFs, which were fixed using LPF, LPF-AO cancellous lag screws (LPF-AOCLS), and LPF-CCLS. Subsequently, 10,000 cyclic loadings from 30 to 400 N were performed. The initial axial stiffness (IAS), maximal axial micromotion of the lateral fragment (MAM-LF) measured every 1000 cycles, and failure load after 10,000 cycles were tested. The same three fixations for OLTPF were simulated using finite element analysis (FEA). IFCFs of 0, 225, and 300 N were applied to the LPF, LPF-AOCLS, and LPF-CCLS, respectively, with a 1000-N axial compressive force. The MAM-LF, peak von Mises stress (VMS), peak equivalent elastic strain of the lateral fragment (EES-LF), and nodes of EES-LF > 2% (considered bone destruction) were calculated. Results Biomechanical tests revealed the LPF-AOCLS and LPF-CCLS groups to be superior to the LPF group in terms of the IAS, MAM-LF, and failure load (all p 2% in the LPF were higher than those in the LPF-AOCLS and LPF-CCLS. Conclusion IFCF was shown to enhance the stability of OLTPFs using LPF. Considering overscrewing, CCLS is preferably recommended, although there were no significant differences between CCLS and AOCLS.

With the rapid development of aquaculture in China in recent decades, the country now faces environmental problems, such as high energy consumption and severe environmental pollution. The Yangtze River Basin is the most important area for freshwater aquaculture production in China, accounting for more than half of the total production. The environmental issues induced by aquaculture have received widespread consideration in this area. However, the freshwater farming-induced environmental issues in the Yangtze River Basin were rarely evaluated in prior research. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a valid tool for assessing environmental impacts and resources and is widely deployed in the industrial sector. It can quantify the impact of a product or service on different environmental indicators at various stages of the production process, thereby aiding in the identification of the best measures to reduce environmental impacts. The LCA is more effective than traditional environmental impact assessment methods; thus, it has been gradually applied in other fields, such as agriculture and aquaculture, in recent years. In aquaculture, LCA has been used to evaluate the environmental impact of various farming models or species in a laboratory setting. However, little attention has been paid to large-scale systems, such as the Yangtze River Basin. The two most important farming models in China are the pond farming model and the integrated rice-fish farming model. Among them, the integrated rice-fish farming model is regarded as environmentally friendly and an important step towards realizing the sustainable development of aquaculture in terms of the efficient utilization of water and land resources. Therefore, in this study, the environmental effects of pond farming and integrated rice-fish farming models were investigated in the Yangtze River Basin using the LCA method. A total of 20 monitoring points were established in the Yangtze River Basin, including 5 for integrated rice-fish farming and 15 for pond culture. In the integrated rice-fish farming model, the life cycle consists of two stages: Feed supply and breeding. In pond culture, the life cycle consists of three stages: Feed supply, power supply, and breeding. We analyzed the values of energy use (EU), global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and water use (WU) in the pond farming and integrated rice-fish farming models using the LCA method, assessed the contribution rate of each phase for environmental indices, and compared the environmental impact of the two farming models. In order to establish the inputs and outputs of an aquaculture system, experimental measurements and surveys were conducted to collect data. The collected data mainly included feed consumption, electricity consumption, water consumption, total phosphorus and total nitrogen emissions, and greenhouse gas (CH4 and N2O) emissions. The data were analyzed by the LCA software eBalance. In this study, the weight gain of 1 ton of aquaculture products served as the functional unit, and the results were standardized and evaluated in order to compare the environmental impacts of various impact indicators. The results showed that the standardized and weighted evaluation values of WU, EP, GWP, AP, and EU in the integrated rice-fish farming model were 11.650, 0.770, 0.141, 0.096, and 0.003, respectively, and the total environmental impact indicator was 12.660. In the pond farming model, the values of WU, EP, GWP, AP, and EU were 31.453, 1.187, 0.210, 0.174, and 0.007, respectively, and the total environmental impact indicator was 33.031. The environmental impacts of integrated rice-fish farming were lower than those of pond farming. The contribution rate analysis of the three stages of the life cycle to environmental impact showed that the contribution rates of EU, GWP, and AP in the feed supply stage were higher than those in the power supply and breeding stages. EP was primarily associated with the feed supply stage and pollutant discharge stages of the breeding process, and WU was principally concentrated on the breeding stage. Overall, the LCA results showed that the integrated rice-fish farming model had a more environmentally friendly effect than the pond farming model, which indicates that the Yangtze River Basin has considerable development potential. WU was the most influential environmental impact indicator and the main restriction factor in aquaculture; it was mainly associated with the breeding stage. Therefore, moderately increasing stocking density was an effective strategy for reducing water resource consumption and improving water resource utilization rates. In addition to WU, the main environmental impact index of the pond culture model and integrated rice-fish farming models comprised EP, followed by GWP, AP, and EU. The contribution rate analyses of the two models showed that the aquaculture-induced environmental impacts could be mitigated by improving feed production technology, establishing accurate feeding technologies, applying advanced effluent water treatment technologies, and appropriately increasing stocking density in the Yangtze River Basin. In summary, in this study, we compared the environmental impacts between the pond culture and integrated rice-fish farming models in the Yangtze River Basin using the LCA method. In addition, we analyzed the differences between environmental impacts at different production stages. These data served as a reference for the sustainable development and optimization of aquaculture in the Yangtze River Basin.

Purposes A Knowledge Tracing Model based on Multiple Behavior Features Embedded Memory Networks (MFKT) was proposed to fully utilize the learning and forgetting features in interaction records. The MFKT model considers both learning and forgetting behaviors in the learning process. Methods First, two major features, learning and forgetting, are extracted from the interaction records, and then the extracted learning features are embedded into the memory network by scalar crossover, while the forgetting features are embedded by vector combination, which is used to enhance the learning ability of MFKT model for the students’ interaction sequences. In addition, after different students’ answers are completed, the difference in knowledge level growth is considered and a knowledge growth layer to the original memory network is added for calculating the knowledge growth obtained from students’ responses. Conclusion Experiment results on public datasets show that MFKT is more in line with real learning patterns of students and can realize more accurate tracing of students’ knowledge status.

This paper examines biosafety management in high-biosafety-risk workshops for vaccine production in China, focusing on the context of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine production. It addresses various aspects, including biosafety management, personnel, virus seed, facilities, and equipment, and compliance with relevant biosafety laws and regulations. The aim is to promote the use of high-level biosafety facilities when dealing with emerging infectious diseases.

The interaction between cis-2 bis(benzofuro)[60]fullerene derivative and NO dominated double gas molecule was studied at the 6–311G(d,p) basis set level by density functional theory B3LYP-D3 method. The geometric structures of six interaction systems were optimized, and the optimized configurations were analyzed by electronic properties, infrared chromatography and independent gradient model to reveal the essence of intermolecular interaction. The results shows that NONO2, NON2, NOCO, NOCO2 and NOHCN are co-adsorbed on the surface of the compound in physical form, and the binding energies are −77.62 kJ/mol, −24.24 kJ/mol, −27.43 kJ/mol, −39.28 kJ/mol and −36.29 kJ/mol, respectively. The van der Waals interaction between gas molecules makes the three molecular interaction system have synergistic adsorption or competitive adsorption effect. Among them, the synergistic effect of NONO2 co-adsorption system is the biggest, and there is a strong attraction between NO and NO2 molecules. Compared with the interaction system of single gas molecule with cis-2 bis(benzofuro) [60]fullerene derivative, the interaction intensity of double gas molecule with the derivative is significantly improved.

IntroductionUtilizing roughage resources is an effective approach to alleviate the shortage of corn-soybean feed and reducing the costs in the swine industry. Hezuo pig is one group of plateau type local Tibetan pig with strong tolerance to crude feeding. Nevertheless, current research on the roughage tolerance in Hezuo pigs and the microbiological mechanisms behind it is still minimally.This study explored the impact of various ratios of whole-plant silage (WPS) maize on the pH, cellulase activity, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and intestinal microbiota in Hezuo pigs.MethodsThirty-two Hezuo pigs were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8). The control group received a basal diet, while experimental groups I, II, and III were given diets with incremental additions of 5%, 10%, and 15% air-dried WPS maize, respectively, for 120 days.ResultsThe findings revealed that compared with the control group, in Group II, the pH of cecum and colon were notably decreased (p

As a new generation of transportation, electric vehicles play an important role in carbon-peak targets. The development of electric vehicles needs the support of a charging network, and improper planning of charging stations will result in a waste of resources. In order to expand the charging network of electric vehicles and give full play to the low-carbon and efficient characteristics of electric vehicles, this paper proposed a charging station planning method that considers the characteristics of carbon emission trends. This paper combined the long short-term memory (LSTM) network with the stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model to predict the carbon emission trend and quantified the correlation between the construction speed of a charging station and the evolution characteristics of carbon emission by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. A multi-stage charging station planning model was established, which captures the dynamic characteristics of the charging demand of the transportation network and determines the station deployment scheme with economic and low-carbon benefits on the spatiotemporal scale. The Pareto frontier was solved by using the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm. The model and solution algorithm were verified by the actual road network in a certain area of Shanghai. The results showed that the proposed scheme can meet the charging demand of regional electric vehicles in the future, improve the utilization rate of charging facilities, and reduce the carbon emission of transportation networks.

ABSTRACTImbalanced gut microbiota (GM) and abnormal fecal bile acid (BA) are thought to be the key factors for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we explore the influence of the GM–BA–Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) axis on IBS-D. Twenty-five IBS-D patients and fifteen healthy controls were recruited to perform BA-related metabolic and metagenomic analyses. Further, the microbiota-humanized IBS-D rat model was established by fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) to investigate the GM–BA–TGR5 axis effects on the colonic barrier and visceral hypersensitivity (VH) in IBS-D. Finally, we used chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), an important BA screened out by metabolome, to evaluate whether it affected diarrhea and VH via the TGR5 pathway. Clinical research showed that GM associated with bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity such as Bacteroides ovatus was markedly reduced in the GM of IBS-D, accompanied by elevated total and primary BA levels. Moreover, we found that CDCA not only was increased as the most important primary BA in IBS-D patients but also could induce VH through upregulating TGR5 in the colon and ileum of normal rats. TGR5 inhibitor could reverse the phenotype, depression-like behaviors, pathological change, and level of fecal BSH in a microbiota-humanized IBS-D rat model. Our findings proved that human-associated FMT could successfully induce the IBS-D rat model, and the imbalanced GM–BA–TGR5 axis may promote colonic mucosal barrier dysfunction and enhance VH in IBS-D.IMPORTANCEVisceral hypersensitivity and intestinal mucosal barrier damage are important factors that cause abnormal brain–gut interaction in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). Recently, it was found that the imbalance of the gut microbiota–bile acid axis is closely related to them. Therefore, understanding the structure and function of the gut microbiota and bile acids and the underlying mechanisms by which they shape visceral hypersensitivity and mucosal barrier damage in IBS-D is critical. An examination of intestinal feces from IBS-D patients revealed that alterations in gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism underlie IBS-D and symptom onset. We also expanded beyond existing knowledge of well-studied gut microbiota and bile acid and found that Bacteroides ovatus and chenodeoxycholic acid may be potential bacteria and bile acid involved in the pathogenesis of IBS-D. Moreover, our data integration reveals the influence of the microbiota–bile acid–TGR5 axis on barrier function and visceral hypersensitivity.

Background: The functional movement screen (FMS) has been used to identify deficiencies in neuromuscular capabilities and balance among athletes. However, its effectiveness in detecting movement anomalies within the population afflicted by knee osteoarthritis (KOA), particularly through the application of a family-oriented objective assessment technique, remains unexplored. The objective of this study is to investigate the sensitivity of the FMS and daily activities in identifying kinematic abnormalities in KOA people employing a markerless motion capture system.Methods: A total of 45 persons, presenting various Kellgren–Lawrence grades of KOA, along with 15 healthy controls, completed five tasks of the FMS (deep squat, hurdle step, and in-line lunge) and daily activities (walking and sit-to-stand), which were recorded using the markerless motion capture system. The kinematic waveforms and discrete parameters were subjected to comparative analysis.Results: Notably, the FMS exhibited greater sensitivity compared to daily activities, with knee flexion, trunk sagittal, and trunk frontal angles during in-line lunge emerging as the most responsive indicators.Conclusion: The knee flexion, trunk sagittal, and trunk frontal angles during in-line lunge assessed via the markerless motion capture technique hold promise as potential indicators for the objective assessment of KOA.

Abstract µ-Conotoxin GIIIB (µ-CTX GIIIB) is a polypeptide containing three disulfide bridges, produced by the sea snail Conus geographus. This study was aimed to explored the cytotoxic effects of µ-CTX GIIIB on mouse skeletal musculoblast (Sol8). Sol8 cells were exposed to ouabain and veratridine to establish the cell injury model, and then treated with µ-CTX GIIIB. CCK-8 was adopted to evaluate the cytotoxicity of µ-CTX GIIIB. Then, proteomics and transcriptome were conducted, and the explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) affected by µ-CTX GIIIB were found. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis was used to investigate the affected signaling pathways. µ-CTX GIIIB increased the cell survival rate of injured Sol8 cells. We found and identified 1,663 DEGs and 444 DEPs influenced by µ-CTX GIIIB. 106 pairs of correlated DEGs and DEPs were selected by combining transcriptome and proteome data. The results of KEGG and GO analysis showed that µ-CTX GIIB affected the cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage and repair, lipid metabolism and other biological processes of Sol8 cells. µ-CTX GIIIB could affected cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair, and activation of tumor factors, with potential carcinogenic effects. Our results provide an important basis for the study of in vitro toxicity, the mechanism of toxicity and injury prevention by µ-CTX GIIIB.

The effect of clay structure on the piezocone penetration test results and its mechanism are not very clear, the structured Cam-clay model is firstly program-implemented in the ABAQUS software. Then, the numerical model of piezocone penetration into structured clay is established, and the effect of clay structure on piezocone penetration test results is analyzed through numerical simulation. The numerical calculation results show that (1) the clay structure causes the increase of deviatoric stress of the soils surrounding the cone tip, and the maximum deviatoric stress appears at the lower right at some distance from the cone tip due to the structural damage of the soils near the cone tip. (2) The larger the parameter \begin{document}$p\text{'}_{ {\rm{yi}}} $\end{document} representing structural strength is, the larger the cone tip resistance qc, and the larger the parameter w representing structural damage speed, the smaller the qc value. (3) The larger the \begin{document}$p\text{'}_{ {\rm{yi}}} $\end{document} value is, the larger the excess pore water pressure u when the penetration stops, and the larger the w value is, the smaller the u value when the penetration stops. (4) The value of the empirical cone factor Nkt decreases obviously with the increasing \begin{document}$p\text{'}_{ {\rm{yi}}} $\end{document}, and decreases slightly with the increasing w . Therefore, the structural strength of clay and its damage will obviously affect the measurement results of the piezocone penetration test, and the empirical cone factor Nkt considering the structural effect should be used to estimate the undrained shear strength su of the structural clay based on the cone resistance qc, otherwise, the su of the structural clay will be underestimated. The research results can provide reference for the analysis and application of piezocone penetration test results.

In the past few decades, organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has attracted numerous researchers and broadly applied in various fields. Unlike conventional nanofiltration, OSN always faced a broad spectrum of solvents including polar solvents and non-polar solvents. Among those recently developed OSN membranes in lab-scale or widely used commercial membranes, researchers preferred to explore intrinsic materials or introduce nanomaterials into membranes to fabricate OSN membranes. However, the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface towards filtration performance was often ignored, which was the key factor in conventional aqueous nanofiltration. The influence of surface hydrophilicity on OSN performance was not studied systematically and thoroughly. Generally speaking, the hydrophilic OSN membranes performed well in the polar solvents while the hydrophobic OSN membranes work well in the non-polar solvent. Many review papers reviewed the basics, problems of the membranes, up-to-date studies, and applications at various levels. In this review, we have focused on the relationship between the surface hydrophilicity of OSN membranes and OSN performances. The history, theory, and mechanism of the OSN process were first recapped, followed by summarizing representative OSN research classified by surface hydrophilicity and types of membrane, which recent OSN research with its contact angles and filtration performance were listed. Finally, from the industrialization perspective, the application progress of hydrophilic and hydrophobic OSN membranes was introduced. We started with history and theory, presented many research and application cases of hydrophilic and hydrophobic OSN membranes, and discussed anticipated progress in the OSN field. Also, we pointed out some future research directions on the hydrophilicity of OSN membranes to deeply develop the effect made by membrane hydrophilicity on OSN performance for future considerations and stepping forward of the OSN industry.

Integrating solar energy into the combined energy supply of surface water source heat pump systems is expected to reduce the electricity consumption and carbon emissions. In this paper, a solar-surface water source heat pump system model is established to maximize system performance and save economic cost. In order to find the optimal operation scheme, an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm (iAOA) is proposed. This algorithm integrates elite opposition-based and nonlinear acceleration functions to solve the model. The effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm is verified by applying it to a SWSHP district energy system in the central area of Xiangtan city. Experimental results demonstrate that incorporating solar energy into the SWSHP district energy system can improve system performance and reduce operational costs. In comparison with several other optimization algorithms, this algorithm has a faster convergence speed and a higher convergence accuracy. Therefore, it is considered an effective method for solving solar-surface water source heat pump district energy systems.

ABSTRACTSince May 2022, human mpox cases have increased unexpectedly in non-endemic countries. The first imported case of human mpox in Hong Kong was reported in September 2022. Here we report the isolation and identification of MPXV from the vesicle swabs of this patient. In this research, the vesicle swabs were inoculated in Vero and Vero E6 cells. In addition to observing cytopathic effects (CPEs) in Vero or Vero E6 cells, the isolated virus was identified as mpox virus (MPXV) using quantitative Real-Time PCR (RT–PCR), transmission electron microscopy, and high-throughput sequencing. The experiment also assessed the cross-protective efficacy of sera from the smallpox vaccinated population and preliminarily assessed the inhibitory effect of anti-smallpox virus drugs against MPXV. CPEs can be observed on Vero E6 cells at 24 h and Vero cells at 48 h. The virus particles could be observed by transmission electron microscope, showing typical orthopoxvirus morphology. In addition, F3L and ATI genes which from MPXV A39R, B2R, HA genes which from orthopoxvirus were confirmed by conventional PCR and Sanger sequencing. The next generation sequencing (NGS) suggests that the MPXV strain belongs to B.1 branch of the West African linage, and has a high identity with the sequence of the 2022 ongoing outbreak. PRNT50 results showed that 26.7% of sera from individuals born before 1981 who had been immunized with smallpox were positive, but no MPXV-neutralizing antibodies were found in sera from individuals born later. All four anti-smallpox virus drugs evaluated demonstrated inhibition of mpox virus.

Abstract Aims Patients with liver disease may exhibit higher infection rates and mortality rates from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) than healthy individuals, and vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is an effective prevention strategy. This meta‐analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and post‐liver transplantation (LT). Methods The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched. A random‐effects model meta‐analysis was used to determine the seropositivity rates of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies, odds ratio (OR) compared with healthy controls (HC), risk ratio (RR) between the booster and standard vaccination regimen, and the rate of adverse reactions (ADR). Results In the standard vaccination regimen analysis, 17 controlled articles were included for effectiveness analysis, and six articles for ADR analysis. The pooled seropositivity rates of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies in patients with CLD and post‐LT were 93.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 89.0%–97.6%) and 69.1% (95% CI: 63.0%–75.3%), respectively. Both rates were lower than those in HC (p

Berberine, a natural alkaloid found abundantly in various medicinal plants, exhibits antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and lipid metabolism-regulatory properties. Nonetheless, its protective effects and the molecular mechanisms underlying liver injury in fish have not been fully elucidated. The aims of this study were to investigate the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and lipid metabolism-regulating effects of berberine against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced liver damage and to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Tilapia were fed diets containing two doses of berberine (50 and 100 mg/kg diet) alongside high fat for 60 days. The results showed that berberine treatments (50 and/or 100 mg/kg) significantly reduced elevated aminotransferases, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in the plasma. In the liver, berberine treatments significantly increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (pparα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (cpt-1) genes, leading to a reduction in lipid accumulation. Meanwhile, berberine treatment suppressed lipid peroxidation formation and enhanced antioxidant capacity. Berberine upregulated the mRNA levels of erythroid 2-related factor 2 (nrf2) and its downstream genes including heme oxygenase 1 (ho-1) and glutathione-S-transferase (gstα). Additionally, berberine attenuated the inflammation by inhibiting the expression of toll-like receptor 2 (tlr2), myeloid differential protein-88 (myd88), relb, and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (il-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (tnf-α), and il-8. In summary, this study suggested that berberine offers protection against HFD-induced liver damage in tilapia via regulating lipid metabolism, antioxidant status, and immune response. This protective effect may be attributed to the modulation of the Nrf2, TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB, and PPARα signaling pathways.

Integrated rice-fish farming has emerged as a novel agricultural production pattern to address global food security challenges. Aiming to determine the optimal, scientifically sound, and sustainable stocking density of red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) in an integrated rice-crayfish farming system, we employed Illumina high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to evaluate the impact of different stocking densities of red claw crayfish on the composition, diversity, function, and co-occurrence network patterns of soil bacterial communities. The high stocking density of red claw crayfish reduced the diversity and evenness of the soil bacterial community during the mid-culture stage. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi emerged as the most prevalent phyla throughout the experimental period. Low stocking densities initially boosted the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in the paddy soil, while high densities did so during the middle and final stages. There were 90 distinct functional groups identified across all the paddy soil samples, with chemoheterotrophy and aerobic chemoheterotrophy being the most abundant. Low stocking densities initially favored these functional groups, whereas high densities enhanced their relative abundances in the later stages of cultivation. Medium stocking density of red claw crayfish led to a more complex bacterial community during the mid- and final culture stages. The experimental period showed significant correlations with soil bacterial communities, with total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations emerging as primary factors contributing to the alterations in soil bacterial communities. In summary, our findings demonstrated that integrated rice-crayfish farming significantly impacted the soil microbiomes and environmental factors at varying stocking densities. Our study contributed to theoretical insights into the profound impact of integrated rice-crayfish farming with various stocking densities on bacterial communities in paddy soils.

The aim of this study was to assess the regional differences of Procambarus clarkii through analyzing gut microbiota in specimens from different areas in China. The P. clarkii were collected from ten integrated rice–crayfish farming systems locating across ten major producing areas as follows: Feixi (FX), Suqian (SQ), Yangzhou (YZ), Xuyi (XY), Qianjiang (QJ), Jianli (JL), Honghu (HH), Yueyang (YY), Changsha (CS), and Nanxian (NX). The composition of gut microbiota was assessed by analyzing 16S rRNA sequences. The PCoA results indicated significant differences in microbial community composition among the ten areas (R = 0.999, p = 0.001). The intestinal microbial diversity in P. clarkii cultured in rice fields from YY and CS exceeded that of other regions, with NX displaying the least diversity. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria were most abundant in HH, while Firmicutes showed increased relative abundances in FX and SQ, contrasted by lower relative abundances of Bacteroidetes in these areas. At the genus level, Ralstonia, Amedibacillus, Bacteroides, Anaerorhabdus, and Dysgonomonas were the dominant bacteria. The bacterial co-occurrence networks analysis revealed that the community structures in locations FX, SQ, XY, HH, and NX were comparatively simplistic, whereas those in the YZ, QJ, JL, YY, and CS regions displayed as more complex. In summary, the diversity and relative abundance of intestinal bacteria exhibits regional variability. These findings can offer theoretical data for evaluating the quality of P. clarkii aquaculture.

In this study, qualitative and quantitative analyses of phenolic compounds in the maize germinating seed embryo, radicle, and germ were performed at 0, 48, and 96 h post-germination, followed by the evaluation of their hypoglycemic activity. The results revealed the accumulation of 80 phenolics in different parts of germinated maize, of which 47, 48, and 53 were present in the seed embryo, radicle, and germ. After germination 22, 26, and 34 polyphenols were found to differential accumulate in the seed embryo, radicle, and germ. At 96 h post-germination, the content of monomeric phenols in the germ was higher than that in the radicle and seed embryo. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of polyphenols in the germ towards α-glucosidase and α-amylase was higher than that in the radicle and seed embryo. These results indicate that germination can effectively improve the type and content of phenolic compounds in different parts of maize.

Background: Enhancing knee protection for individuals who are overweight and obese is crucial. Cushioning insoles may improve knee biomechanics and play a significant protective role. However, the impact of insoles with varying cushioning properties on knee joints in individuals with different body mass index (BMI) categories remains unknown. Our aim was to investigate the biomechanical effects of insoles with different cushioning properties on knee joints across different BMI grades.Methods: Gravity-driven impact tests were used to characterize the cushioning properties of three types of Artificial Cartilage Foam (ACF18, 28, and 38) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) insoles. Knee joint sagittal, coronal, and vertical axis angles and moments were collected from healthy-weight (BMI 18.5–23.9 kg/m2, n = 15), overweight (BMI 24.0–27.9 kg/m2, n = 16), and obese (BMI ≥28.0 kg/m2, n = 15) individuals randomly assigned four different insoles during a drop jump. The Kruskal–Wallis test and mixed model repeated measures analysis of variance were used to compare differences among cushioning and biomechanical data across various insoles, respectively.Results: ACF showed higher cushioning than EVA, and ACF38 was the highest among the three types of ACF (all p < 0.001). During the drop jump, the knee flexion angles and moments of the ACF insoles were lower than those of the EVA insoles, the knee adduction angles of the ACF18 and ACF28 insoles were lower than those of the EVA insoles, and ACF18 insoles increased the first cushion time (all p < 0.05) for all participants in whom biomechanical variables demonstrated no interactions between insoles and BMI. Regarding the BMI-dependent biomechanical variables, compared with the EVA insoles, ACF28 insoles decreased the knee flexion angle and ACF38 insoles decreased the knee adduction and rotation moment in the healthy-weight group; ACF18 insoles decreased the knee flexion angle and ACF38 insoles decreased the knee moment in the overweight group; ACF28 insoles decreased the knee flexion and adduction moment, and ACF38 insoles decreased the knee flexion angle and rotation moment in the obese group (all p < 0.05).Conclusion: Insoles with higher cushioning properties could improve knee biomechanics and provide better knee joint protection in people across different BMI ranges.

Abstract Background To evaluate the possibilty of preventing recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (RVH) after vitrectomy in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients with unabsorbed vitreous hemorrhage (VH) by intravitreal injection of viscoelastic agent (VA) at the end of the surgery and compared its effect with triamcinolone acetonide (TA). Methods This was a pilot prospective, observational study. PDR patients with VH who underwent vitrectomy were assigned to 3 groups according to the tamponade applicated at the end of the surgery, including VA group (intravitreally injected 1 ml VA if the retina was prone to bleed during the operation), TA group (intravitreally injected 2 mg TA when there was much exudates), or balanced salt solution (BSS) group (no tamponade). Then postoperative follow-up was performed routinely until 6 months after surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of RVH, secondary outcome were the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and introcular pressure (IOP). Cataract formation and other complication were also assessed. Results A total of 68 eyes, from 68 patients, were included. 18,18,32 eyes were enrolled in the VA group, TA group and BSS group, respectively. The integral incidence of RVH after vitrectomy was 5.6%, 5.6% and 12.5% respectively (P = 0.602). There was no early RVH in VA or TA group, whereas 3 early RVHs were identified in BSS group, however there was no significant difference (P = 0.171). Every group had one late RVH case. In all groups, final BCVA showed significant improvement compared to baseline. BCVA at any postoperative visit showed no significant differences among 3 groups. Mean IOP was higher 1 week after surgery in VA group compared with the other groups; however, in other times the differences were not significant. No cataract formation and other complication was noted in 3 groups. Conclusion Intravitreal injection of VA or TA at the end of vitrectomy for PDR patients with unabsorbed VH tend to reduce the incidence of early RVH after vitrectomy similarly. As VA was preferred to applicate in the eyes that were prone to bleed, intravitreal injection of VA at the end of vitrectomy might be a promising method for preventing RVH in PDR patients.

Abstract The immunity of patients who recover from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be long lasting but persist at a lower level. Thus, recovered patients still need to be vaccinated to prevent reinfection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or its mutated variants. Here, we report that the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine can stimulate immunity in recovered patients to maintain high levels of anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) and anti-nucleocapsid protein (NP) antibody titers within 9 months, and high neutralizing activity against the prototype, Delta, and Omicron strains was observed. Nevertheless, the antibody response decreased over time, and the Omicron variant exhibited more pronounced resistance to neutralization than the prototype and Delta strains. Moreover, the intensity of the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell response was also increased in recovered patients who received COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, the repeated antigen exposure provided by inactivated COVID-19 vaccination greatly boosted both the potency and breadth of the humoral and cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, effectively protecting recovered individuals from reinfection by circulating SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

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Flexible sensors are becoming the focus of research because they are very vital for intelligent products, real-time data monitoring, and recording. The flat silk cocoon (FSC), as a special form of cocoon, has all the advantages of silk, which is an excellent biomass carbon-based material and a good choice for preparing flexible sensors. In this work, a flexible piezoresistive sensor was successfully prepared by encapsulating carbonized flat silk cocoons (CFSCs) using an elastic matrix polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The sensing performance of the material is 0.01 kPa−1, and the monitoring range can reach 680.57 kPa. It is proved that the sensor can detect human motion and has excellent durability (>800 cycles). In addition, a sensor array for a keyboard based on CFSCs was explored. The sensor has a low production cost and a simple preparation process, and it is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Thus, it may have potential applications in wearable devices and human–computer interactions.

Proanthocyanidins (Pros), a natural polyphenolic compound found in grape seed and other plants, have received significant attention as additives in animal feed. However, the specific mechanism by which Pros affect fish health remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential effects of dietary Pro on common carp by evaluating biochemical parameters and multi-omics analysis. The results showed that Pro supplementation improved antioxidant capacity and the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 and n-6) and several bioactive compounds. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that dietary Pro caused an upregulation of the sphingolipid catabolic process and the lysosome pathway, while simultaneously downregulating intestinal cholesterol absorption and the PPAR signaling pathway in the intestines. Compared to the normal control (NC) group, the Pro group exhibited higher diversity in intestinal microbiota and an increased relative abundance of Cetobacterium and Pirellula. Furthermore, the Pro group had a lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and a decreased relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria. Collectively, dietary Pro improved antioxidant ability, muscle nutrients, and the diversity and composition of intestinal microbiota. The regulation of lipid metabolism and improvement in muscle nutrients were linked with changes in the intestinal microbiota.

This study tried to explore the ground movement induced by triple stacked tunneling (TST) with different construction sequences. A case study in Tianjin, China was used to investigate the ground movement during the TST (upper tunneling (UT)). For this, a modified Peck formula was proposed to predict the surface settlement induced by TST. Next, three sets of finite element analyses (FEA) were used to compare the effects of construction sequences (i.e. UT, middle tunneling (MT), and lower tunneling (LT)) on vertical and lateral ground displacements. The results of Tianjin case and UT reveal that compared to a Gaussian distribution for a single tunnel, the surface settlement curve of triple stacked tunnels is a bimodal distribution. It seems that the proposed modified Peck formula can effectively predict the surface settlement induced by TST. The results of the three sets of FEA demonstrate that the construction sequence has a significant influence on the ground movement. Among the three construction sequences, the largest lateral displacement is observed in the MT and the smallest one in UT. The existing tunnel has an inhibitory effect on the vertical displacement. The maximum value of the lateral displacement occurs at the depth of the new tunnel in each construction sequence.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused many deaths and contributed to a tremendous public health concern worldwide since 2020. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binds to the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a receptor. The challenge of different nonhuman primate (NHP) species by SARS-CoV-2 virus demonstrated different effects on virus replication and disease pathology. This study characterizes differences between host ACE2 sequences of three NHP species: Macaca mulatta, Macaca fascicularis, and Chlorocebus sabaeus. In addition, the binding affinity between the ACE2 ectodomain and the SARS-CoV-2 S receptor-binding domain (RBD) was analyzed. Variation of ACE2 sequence among NHP species and the binding affinity may account for different susceptibility and responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Bacillus spp. have gained increasing recognition as an option to use as antimicrobial growth promoters, which are characterized by producing various enzymes and antimicrobial compounds. The present study was undertaken to screen and evaluate a Bacillus strain with the multi-enzyme production property for poultry production. LB-Y-1, screened from the intestines of healthy animals, was revealed to be a Bacillus velezensis by the morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization. The strain was screened out by a specific screening program, possessed excellent multi-enzyme production potential, including protease, cellulase, and phytase. Moreover, the strain also exhibited amylolytic and lipolytic activity in vitro. The dietary LB-Y-1 supplementation improved growth performance and tibia mineralization in chicken broilers, and increased serum albumin and serum total protein at 21 days of age (p

In this work, we used admittance spectroscopy to accurately characterize the defect energy distribution of defects in the absorption layer of a CuIn1−xGaxSe2 (CIGSe) solar cell. We found that the dark current of the CIGSe cell decreased by an order of magnitude, and its ideality factor dropped from 2.16 to 1.85 after annealing. The capacitance of the CIGSe solar cell before annealing was higher than that after annealing under reverse bias. Moreover, a higher free carrier concentration was found in the absorption layer of the cell before annealing. The results of our tests show that the built-in electric voltages of the CIGSe cell before and after annealing were 0.52 and 0.64 V, respectively. After annealing, the activation energy of defects in the absorption layer decreased, and their concentration remained almost constant, as measured by admittance spectroscopy. The decrease of the defect activation energy indicated a corresponding decrease in the Shockley–Read–Hall recombination probability of defects in the present cell; hence, the increase of the open circuit voltage and parallel resistance of the CIGSe solar cells after annealing resulted in improved performance.

Red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus has emerged as a highly significant and suitable species to be raised in integrated rice–aquatic animal farming systems. To optimize an integrated aquaculture and agriculture (IAA) system and ensure sustainable utilization and development of land resources, an IAA system combining rice cultivation with red claw crayfish culture was implemented to assess the impacts of rice–red claw crayfish co-culturing on the dynamics and assembly of bacterial communities in paddy soils. We established two experimental groups, each with eight replicates. We utilized 16S rRNA Illumina high-throughput sequencing to access the bacterial community composition and assembly in paddy soils. Red claw crayfish C. quadricarinatus cultivation did not significantly affect the alpha diversity of the bacterial community in the paddy field, but it obviously increased the relative abundances of the phyla Acidobacteriota and Pseudomonadota involved in organic matter degradation and nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon cycling. Red claw crayfish cultivation could lead to more complex bacterial communities, increased bacterial resistance to disturbances, the promotion of niche differentiation, and increased competition intensity between bacterial communities during the mid-cultivation period. Nitrogen emerged as a critical factor influencing the bacterial community composition in paddy soil during the culture period, and the red claw crayfish cultivation affected the bacterial community by altering the ammonia concentration in the paddy soil. As the culture progressed, the assembly of the bacterial community in the paddy soil was predominantly driven by stochastic processes, and red claw crayfish cultivation accelerated the evolution of the bacterial community assembly towards a stochastic process. Our study offers valuable insights into the dynamic changes occurring in the composition and assembly of bacterial communities in paddy soils in response to red claw crayfish cultivation.

The snail Bellamya purificata is recognized as a potential bio-remediation species, and is commonly employed in polyculture to enhance resource utilization efficiency and realize culture environment regulation. In order to enrich the microbiome studies on elucidating the ecological effects of snail B. purificata farming, we assessed the effect of B. purificata farming activities, at varying stocking densities, on the algal and fungal communities in sediment. Four experimental groups were established in our study, each corresponding to a different stocking density: 0, 234.38, 468.75, and 937.5 g/m2, represented as CON, LD, MD, and HD, respectively. High-throughput sequencing based on ITS and 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes was employed to analyze the variations in algal and fungal communities under B. purificata farming activities at different stocking densities. B. purificata farming activities had no significant effect on the alpha diversities of fungal and algal communities, but significantly altered the compositions of fungal and algal communities in sediments, especially B. purificata farming activity at low stocking density. B. purificata farming activities at low stocking density could significantly increase the relative abundances of fungal genera Paraconiothyrium and Penicillium compared with the CON group. The promoting effect diminished with increasing density. B. purificata farming activities at low or medium stocking density also could enhance the relative abundances of algal genera Microchloropsis, Scenedesmus, and Auxenochlorella. Hence, B. purificata farming activity at low stocking density might be the optimum density to enhance resource utilization efficiency and minimize environmental pollution.

Aiming at the evaluation of the shielding effectiveness (SE) of materials against high-intensity electromagnetic pulse (EMP), the shielding mechanism in the frequency domain is investigated, and the factors that determine SE such as conductivity, thickness of material, and test frequency are analyzed. The attenuated waves of solid and perforated plate materials irradiated by EMP are simulated in CST. The results show that the two materials exhibit low-pass and high-pass filtering characteristics, respectively, which lead to a big difference in the transmitted waves (rise time and pulse width). Based on this, a time domain SE test method using coaxial flange is proposed which can obtain the incident and the transmitted and reflected waves, and the time domain SE of graphenes with different thicknesses (80, 100, 200, and 300 μm) are measured. The characteristics of the reflected and transmitted waves are analyzed in detail, and the change regulations comply with the theoretical shielding model well. The peak value SE and energy density SE, respectively, are calculated. Furthermore, the frequency domain SE can be obtained through the Fourier transform, so the method has a wide application in material SE performance evaluation against high-intensity EMP.

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Abstract Background visual expertise and experience modulate evoked brain activity in response to training-related stimuli. However, few studies have considered how the visual experience is represented in the resting state brain activity. This study tried to investigate the way visual experience, i.e., visual recognition expertise, modulates baseline brain neuronal activity in the resting state using the model of radiologists. Methods The amplitude of low-frequency (

The unprecedented rate of metro construction has led to a highly complex network of metro lines. Tunnels are being overlapped to an ever-increasing degree. This paper investigates the deformation response of double-track overlapped tunnels in Tianjin, China using finite element analysis (FEA) and field monitoring, considering the attributes of different tunneling forms. With respect to the upper tunneling, the results of the FEA and field monitoring showed that the maximum vertical displacements of the ground surface during the tail passage were 2.06 mm, 2.25 mm and 2.39 mm obtained by the FEA, field monitoring and Peck calculation, respectively; the heaves on the vertical displacement curve were observed at 8 m (1.25D, where D is the diameter of the tunnel) away from the center of the tunnel and the curve at both sides was asymmetrical. Furthermore, the crown and bottom produce approximately 0.38 mm and 1.26 mm of contraction, respectively. The results of the FEA of the upper and lower sections demonstrated that the tunneling form has an obvious influence on the deformation response of the double-track overlapped tunnel. Compared with the upper tunneling, the lower tunneling exerted significantly less influence on the deformation response, which manifested as a smaller displacement of the strata and deformation of the existing tunnel. The results of this study on overlapped tunnels can provide a reference for similar projects in the future.

Organellar transport is carefully regulated, and endolysosome localized ARL8 is important for kinesin recruitment and anterograde movement. Here, the authors show that RUFY3 and RUFY4 promote retrograde transport of endolysosomes by mediating interaction of ARL8 with dynein-dynactin.

In this letter, a vibrating intrinsic reverberation chamber (VIRC) working in mode tuning is designed and fabricated; the designed RC is made of a highly electrically conductive silver fabric. A stepper motor is used to tune the cavity surface step by step along its normal direction, and an RC with vibrating wall is realized. The corresponding relationship between the vibrating amplitude and frequency of use is calculated. A test system is developed and the performance of VIRC is experimentally verified. Measurement results show that the measured E-field samples follow a Rician distribution, and the standard deviation of the space E-field is less than 3 dB, which meets the requirements of statistical uniformity tolerance in IEC 61000-4-21.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the profile of cytokine changes during the combination therapy with pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFN-α) and its relationship with HBsAg loss in nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs)-suppressed chronic hepatitis B patients.MethodsSeventy-six patients with chronic hepatitis B with HBsAg less than 1,500 IU/ml and HBV DNA negative after receiving ≥ 1-year NAs therapy were enrolled. Eighteen patients continued to take NAs monotherapy (the NAs group), and 58 patients received combination therapy with NAs and PEG-IFN-α (the Add-on group). The levels of IFNG, IL1B, IL1RN, IL2, IL4, IL6, IL10, IL12A, IL17A, CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL8, CXCL10, TNF, and CSF2 in peripheral blood during treatment were detected.ResultsAt week 48, 0.00% (0/18) in the NAs group and 25.86% (15/58) in the Add-on group achieved HBsAg loss. During 48 weeks of combined treatment, there was a transitory increase in the levels of ALT, IL1RN, IL2, and CCL2. Compared to the NAs group, CXCL8 and CXCL10 in the Add-on group remain higher after rising, yet CCL3 showed a continuously increasing trend. Mild and early increases in IL1B, CCL3, IL17A, IL2, IL4, IL6, and CXCL8 were associated with HBsAg loss or decrease >1 log, while sustained high levels of CCL5 and CXCL10 were associated with poor responses to Add-on therapy at week 48.ConclusionsThe serum cytokine change profile is closely related to the response to the combination therapy with PEG-IFN-α and NAs, and may help to reveal the mechanism of functional cure and discover new immunological predictors and new therapeutic targets.

The local Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) has been demonstrated to exist in a wide range of tissues and organs, In the female reproductive system, it is mainly found in the ovary, uterus and placenta. The RAS system is made up of a series of active substances and enzymes, in addition to the circulating endocrine renin-angiotensin system. The active peptides Angiotensin II (Ang II) and Angiotensin (1-7) (Ang-(1-7)), in particular, appear to have distinct activities in the local RAS system, which also controls blood pressure and electrolytes. Therefore, in addition to these features, angiotensin and its receptors in the reproductive system seemingly get involved in reproductive processes, such as follicle growth and development, as well as physiological functions of the placenta and uterus. In addition, changes in local RAS components may induce reproductive diseases as well as pathological states such as cancer. In most tissues, Ang II and Ang- (1-7) seem to maintain antagonistic effects, but this conclusion is not always true in the reproductive system, where they play similar functions in some physiological and pathological roles. This review investigated how Ang II, Ang- (1-7) and their receptors were expressed, localized, and active in the female reproductive system. This review also summarized their effects on follicle development, uterine and placental physiological functions. The changes of local RAS components in a series of reproductive system diseases including infertility related diseases and cancer and their influence on the occurrence and development of diseases were elucidated. This article reviews the physiological and pathological roles of Ang II and Ang- (1-7) in female reproductive system,a very intricate system of tissue factors that operate as agonists and antagonists was found. Besides, the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting components of this system may be a research direction in future.

ObjectiveWe aim to explore the effects of follicular output rate (FORT) on cumulative clinical pregnancy rate (CCPR) and cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients with different characteristics undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.MethodsThis retrospective study analyzed 454 patients with PCOS undergoing their first IVF cycle at our center from January 2016 to December 2020. FORT was calculated as pre-ovulatory follicle count (PFC) × 100/antral follicle count (AFC). Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between FORT and CCPR and CLBR. Curve fitting and threshold effect analyses were established to find nonlinear relationships. Effect modification in different subgroups were examined by stratification analyses.ResultsBased on the FORT values, individuals were classified into the following three groups: low-FORT group, middle-FORT group and high-FORT group. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that FORT was an independent factor affecting the CCPR and CLBR significantly (OR = 1.015, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.030 and OR = 1.010, 95% CI:1.001, 1.020). Curve fitting and threshold effect analyses showed that the CCPR and CLBR had a positive correlation with FORT when the FORT was less than 70% (OR = 1.039, 95% CI: 1.013, 1.065 and OR = 1.024, 95% CI: 1.004, 1.044). Stratification analyses showed that the CLBR increased by 1.3% with each additional unit of FORT for patients with hyperandrogenic manifestations (OR = 1.013, 95% CI: 1.001, 1.025). Compared with the low-FORT group, in the high-FORT group, CCPR increased 1.251 times for patients with polycystic ovarian morphology, while CCPR and CLBR increased 1.891 times and 0.99 times for those with ovulation disorder, respectively (OR = 2.251, 95% CI: 1.008, 5.028 and OR = 2.891, 95% CI: 1.332, 6.323 and OR = 1.990, 95% CI: 1.133, 3.494).ConclusionIn patients with PCOS, cumulative IVF outcomes have a positive correlation with FORT when the FORT is less than 70%. For PCOS patients with polycystic ovarian morphology, ovulation disorder or hyperandrogenic manifestations, a high FORT could be conductive to achieving better pregnancy outcomes.

Cancer and neurodegeneration which are responsible for million deaths worldwide, have urgent requests for drug administration with little to no side-effects. Current designs of drug-delivery, however, are constrained by either treatment effectiveness caused by imprecise control of drug-concentrations, or treatment-related toxicities caused by drugs-themselves or drug-carrier-systems, as well as the safety and feasibility. In this study, on account of the penetration ability through tissues of near-infrared (nIR) lights and the nIR-absorption ability of graphene oxide (GO), the GO-based milli-capsule is constructed, with controlled drug release ability by photomechanical deformation and wireless nIR manipulation. When radiation powers increasing from 0.1 to 0.5 W, drug dosages are in the range of 0 μg (0 drop) to 225 μg (five drops). The cytotoxicity of GO-based capsules in vitro is evaluated by embedded GO as drugs and released GO in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). When the capsules irradiated under 0.5 W and released different amounts of GO-drops in ccRCC, GO-concentrations increase from 0 to 80 μg∙mL−1 and the proportions of apoptotic cells increase 2.85 times, which proves milli-capsules inhibit ccRCC cells proliferation in a GO-concentration-dependent manner by accurate GO-dosing control. Other drugs such as siRNA furnishing an additional practicability-proof for neurodegeneration therapy.

ObjectivesTo investigate the effect and its mechanisms of different antiviral agents on the immunogenicity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).MethodsA total of 125 patients with CHB receiving nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) monotherapy or combined with Peg-interferon-alpha (Peg-IFNα) therapy and 29 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Adverse reactions (ADRs) and levels of neutralizing antibody (NAb), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and peripheral cytokines post-vaccination were analyzed.ResultsAll ADRs were tolerable in CHB patients. Overall, no significant difference was observed in the antibody levels between patients and HCs after two doses of vaccination. An inverse correlation between NAb, IgG titers and the days after two doses was found in non-IFN group but not in IFN group. Correspondingly, peripheral interferon-γ levels were significantly higher in IFN group than in non-IFN group. After a booster dose, NAb and IgG antibodies were maintained at high levels in NA-treated patients.ConclusionPeg-interferon-alpha-based therapy may be beneficial for maintaining the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in CHB patients, which may be related to the high levels of IFN-γ induced by Peg-IFNα therapy. A booster dose can effectively recall the robust and long-lasting immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) is an economic freshwater shrimp with great commercial potential. However, the suitable stocking density of C. quadricarinatus is still unclear in integrated rice–crayfish farming system. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of stocking density on growth performance, mitophagy, endocytosis and metabolism of C. quadricarinatus. The C. quadricarinatus was reared at low density (LD, 35.73 g/m2), middle density (MD, 71.46 g/m2) and high density (HD, 107.19 g/m2) in an integrated rice–crayfish farming system. After 90 days of farming, the growth performance of C. quadricarinatus significantly decreased in the MD and HD groups relative to that in the LD group. The HD treatment caused oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation at the end of the experiment in hepatopancreas. Transcriptome analysis showed that there were 1,531 DEGs (differently expressed genes) between the LD group and HD group, including 1,028 upregulated genes and 503 downregulated genes. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in endocytosis and mitophagy pathways. Meanwhile, four lipid metabolism pathways, including biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid biosynthesis, glycerolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism, exhibited an upregulated tendency in the HD group. In conclusion, our data showed that when the stocking density reached up to 207.15 g/m2 in HD group, the growth performance of C. quadricarinatus was significantly inhibited in this system. Meanwhile, the data indicated that C. quadricarinatus may respond to the stressful condition via activating antioxidant defense system, endocytosis, mitophagy and metabolism-related pathways in hepatopancreas.

Endogenous water pollution and excessive nitrogen in ponds have always been prominent problems threatening aquaculture. To solve this problem, a 70-day indoor simulation experiment was conducted. The snail Bellamya purificata was stocked at four different densities: 0, 15, 30, and 60 individuals/tank, represented as CON (control), LD (low density), MD (medium density), and HD (high density), respectively, to investigate the effects of B. purificata on the nitrogen occurrence forms and bacterial communities in the sediment. At the end of the experiment, the nitrate concentration was significantly higher, while the total nitrogen content was significantly lower in the MD group than in the other three groups. Ammonia monooxygenase activity was significantly lower in the CON group than in the other three groups, and hydroxylamine oxidase activity was significantly higher in the HD group than in the other three groups. The CON and MD groups showed the highest and lowest values in nitrate reductase activity, respectively. The hydroxylamine reductase activity decreased significantly with increasing density. Through 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) high-throughput sequencing, significantly affected bacterial communities by B. purificata were found. Alpha diversity results showed that, a significantly lower Shannon index was observed in the MD group than in the other three groups. The LD and MD groups showed the highest and lowest Chao1 index values, respectively. Phyla Nitrospinae and family Nitrosomonadaceae were significantly enriched in the HD and MD groups, respectively. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated a significant correlation between differential bacterial taxa and TN content. Predicted functional analysis based on FAPROTAX (Functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa) database showed that functional groups aerobic ammonia oxidation and aerobic nitrite oxidation were significantly enriched in the MD group. Overall, B. purificata significantly altered the bacterial community composition, increased hydroxylamine oxidase and ammonia monooxygenase activities, enhanced the bacterial nitrification process, and promoted the transformation of total nitrogen to nitrate. Moreover, B. purificata stocked at 30 and 60 individuals/tank appeared to have a significant promotion effect on the bacterial community and nitrogen occurrence forms in the sediment. Hence, co-culturing B. purificata may be a feasible and effective ecological restoration method to alleviate excess nitrogen and reduce water eutrophication.

A plethora of environmental risk factors has been persistently implicated in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), including metal/metalloids. This study aimed to examine potential associations between cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) metal/metalloids and ALS risks. CSF concentrations of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) in ALS (spinal- and bulbar-onset) patients and controls were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results from this study revealed marked differences between control, spinal-onset, and bulbar-onset groups. We report that Cu levels were lower in the ALS and spinal-onset groups compared to the control group. Ni level were higher in the spinal-onset group compared to the control and bulbar-onset groups. In addition, associations between CSF metal/metalloid levels with disease severity, sex, and serum triglycerides were also examined to broach the potential relevance of neurotoxic metal/metalloids in ALS disease heterogeneity.

The energy consumption in buildings is increasing, then, a new global multiple-objective optimization method for zero-energy buildings with the comprehensive assessment method is used in this study. The applied optimization design methods for renewable energy systems are the multiple-objective optimization by Enhanced Archimedes Optimization Algorithm (EAOA) on the original design for energy costs and energy optimal models. The Hybrid Gray Multiple-Level Comprehensive Assessment Method (HGMLCAM) is utilized to the optimal model including the solar energy use efficacy, energy conservation, economic and social factors. By the selected decision based on the global optimal model, the best solution is presented. For designing the practical building, the defined solution can be useful for the architects and decision-makers. Consequently, a multiple-objective design for a building located in Shanghai, in China, is studied. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the presented method is efficient to make decisions.

Drones have important uses such as relief, photography, military purposes. However, designing an efficient propulsion system for the drone that can ensure its reliability and flight endurance is a major challenge. Relying on an all-electric propulsion system can enhance flight endurance and improve drone performance. In this article, two types of fuel cells, proton-exchange membrane fuel cell and solid oxide fuel cell have been considered (individually) to supply the power consumption of the drone. In addition, a battery is embedded in parallel with the fuel cell in the propulsion system. To evaluate the performance of the drone, two constraint and mission analyzes have been established to determine the power consumption of the drone during various flight modes and weight distribution of the drone. Then a comparison on the drone’s performance with respect to the electrochemical behavior of both fuel cells is provided. Finally, the performance of fuel cells in propulsion system based on the International Standard Atmosphere model is discussed. Results revealed that the solid oxide fuel cell and proton-exchange membrane fuel cell can generate 82.1 and 162.7 W of electrical power respectively. In addition, drone needs about 1.46 kW of electrical power. The flight endurance and total weight of the drone are equal to 6.8 h and 6.3 kg, respectively. It was also found that the required area of the solid oxide fuel cell is approximately 98% less than the proton-exchange membrane fuel cell to provide the total electricity consumption of the drone. Furthermore, the effect of increasing cruise speed on drone’s net weight is more remarkable compared to power consumption.