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Abstract Background This study aims to analyze the efficacy of metformin on carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods A literature search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 2023 was conducted. Then, after studies selection and data extraction, the mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate metformin efficacy in CIMT and FMD for PCOS patients. Heterogeneity was investigated through subgroup and sensitivity analysis. The protocol of our study has been registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024497239). Results A total of 12 studies with 248 patients were included. CIMT was lower in the endpoint group (after metformin) compared with the baseline group (before metformin) (MD = -0.11, 95% CI = -0.21 to -0.01, p = 0.04). FMD was higher in the endpoint group compared with the baseline group (MD = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.85 to 4.66, p

Whey protein is an important food ingredient, but it is also considered a major food allergen. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ultrasound pretreatment on the structure, IgE binding capacity, functional properties and biological activity of whey protein isolate (WPI) hydrolysates (WPH), including WPI hydrolyzed by a combination of enzymes from Bromelain and ProteAXH (BA-WPI) and WPI hydrolyzed by a combination of enzymes from Papain W-40 and ProteAXH (PA-WPI). The IgE binding capacity of BA-WPI and PA-WPI was reduced to 40.28% and 30.17%, respectively, due to disruption/exposure/shielding of conformational and linear epitopes. The IgE binding capacity of sonicated WPI was increased, but ultrasound pretreatment further reduced the IgE binding capacity of the hydrolysates to 32.89% and 28.04%. This is due to the fact that ultrasound pretreatment leads to conformational changes including increased α-helix and β-sheet structure, exposure of aromatic amino acids, surface hydrophobicity, and increased sulfhydryl content, which increases the accessibility of allergenic epitopes to WPI by the enzyme. Multispectral and LC-MS/MS results further indicated that ultrasound pretreatment altered the conformational and primary structural changes of the hydrolysates. The thermograms showed that ultrasound pretreatment mainly altered the epitope spectra of β-lactoglobulin hydrolysates, while it had less effect on the epitope spectra of α-lactalbumin hydrolysates. Additionally, ultrasound pretreatment significantly improved the foaming properties, antioxidant activity, and α-glucosidase inhibition of the hydrolysates without impairing the solubility and emulsification properties of the hydrolysates. Therefore, ultrasound pretreatment is a feasible method to reduce the allergenicity of WPH and to improve their functional properties and bioactivity. Notably, ultrasonic pretreatment improved the effectiveness and efficiency of WPI hydrolysis, which is a feasible method to produce high-quality protein feedstock in a green, efficient, and economical way.

Abstract Recent studies have revealed that numerous lncRNAs can translate proteins under specific conditions, performing diverse biological functions, thus termed coding lncRNAs. Their comprehensive landscape, however, remains elusive due to this field's preliminary and dispersed nature. This study introduces codLncScape, a framework for coding lncRNA exploration consisting of codLncDB, codLncFlow, codLncWeb, and codLncNLP. Specifically, it contains a manually compiled knowledge base, codLncDB, encompassing 353 coding lncRNA entries validated by experiments. Building upon codLncDB, codLncFlow investigates the expression characteristics of these lncRNAs and their diagnostic potential in the pan‐cancer context, alongside their association with spermatogenesis. Furthermore, codLncWeb emerges as a platform for storing, browsing, and accessing knowledge concerning coding lncRNAs within various programming environments. Finally, codLncNLP serves as a knowledge‐mining tool to enhance the timely content inclusion and updates within codLncDB. In summary, this study offers a well‐functioning, content‐rich ecosystem for coding lncRNA research, aiming to accelerate systematic studies in this field.

Abstract Postbiotics have received increasing interest for their storage stability and safety compared to probiotics, as well as their potential functionality. In this study, edible Lactobacillus plantarum J26 postbiotics (J26P) were prepared by spray drying using skimmed milk as the medium, and 1113 compounds were identified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cholesterol lowering effect of J26P on hypercholesterolemic mice induced by a high‐fat and high‐cholesterol diet (HCD). The results suggest that J26P significantly alleviated weight gain and appetite reduction in HCD mice. J26P also improved serum and liver biochemical parameters at various levels, including lower total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) in the serum, and TC, TG, LDL‐C, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and glutamic‐pyruvic transaminase in the liver, and increase high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol in the serum and liver. Moreover, liver histopathologic examinations revealed that J26P significantly inhibited fat accumulation and degeneration in hypercholesterolemic mice and increased the expression of liver uncoupling protein 1. Furthermore, the J26P intervention effectively promoted the reduction of cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic mice via the LXRα‐CYP7A1‐bile acid‐excretion pathway, which was corroborated by the increased fecal total cholesterol and fecal total bile acid levels. This work provided a theoretical basis for the industrial development of postbiotics and the alleviation of hypercholesterolemia and its complications.

Microsatellites have significantly impacted space missions by offering advanced technology at a low cost. This study introduces an attitude determination and control algorithm for agile whiskbroom scanning maneuvers in microsatellites to enable wide-swath target detection for low-Earth-orbit microsatellites. First, an angular velocity calculation model for agile whiskbroom scanning is established. A methodology has been developed to calculate the maximum available time for whiskbroom scanning from one side of the sub-satellite point to the other while ensuring the seamless joining of adjacent strips to avoid missing targets. Thereafter, a gyro- and magnetometer-based cubature Kalman filter is put forward for microsatellite attitude estimation. Furthermore, for attitude control, a hybrid manipulation law capable of preventing singularities and escaping singularity surfaces is designed to ensure high-precision torque output from the control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) used as actuators. The benefits of the linear sliding mode and fast terminal sliding mode are integrated, and a non-singular sliding surface is designed, yielding a non-singular fast terminal sliding mode attitude control algorithm for tracking the desired trajectory. This algorithm effectively suppresses chattering and enhances dynamic performance without using a switching term. A semi-physical simulation experiment system is also conducted on the ground to validate the proposed algorithm’s high-precision tracking of the planned whiskbroom scanning path. The experimental results demonstrate an attitude angle control accuracy of 4 × 10−2 degrees and angular velocity control accuracy of 0.01°/s and thus the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

The proliferation of antibiotic usage has precipitated the emergence of drug-resistant variants of bacteria, thereby augmenting their capacity to withstand pharmaceutical interventions. Among these variants, Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii), prevalent in powdered infant formula (PIF), poses a grave threat to the well-being of infants. Presently, global contamination by C. sakazakii is being observed. Consequently, research endeavors have been initiated to explore the strain’s drug resistance capabilities, alterations in virulence levels, and resistance mechanisms. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the resistance mechanisms and virulence levels of C. sakazakii induced by five distinct antibiotics, while concurrently conducting transcriptomic analyses. Compared to the susceptible strains prior to induction, the drug-resistant strains exhibited differential gene expression, resulting in modifications in the activity of relevant enzymes and biofilm secretion. Transcriptomic studies have shown that the expression of glutathione S-transferase and other genes were significantly upregulated after induction, leading to a notable enhancement in biofilm formation ability, alongside the existence of antibiotic resistance mechanisms associated with efflux pumps, cationic antimicrobial peptides, and biofilm formation pathways. These alterations significantly influence the strain’s resistance profile.

BackgroundCatheter ablation is frequently used to manage recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) resistant to drug therapy, with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) as a key tactic. Pulsed field ablation (PFA) has emerged as an innovative technology for PVI but poses challenges for redo procedures.Case presentationWe report on a 73-year-old female patient who experienced recurrent AF after initial successful PVI using a novel PFA technology and subsequently underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation during a repeat intervention. The reconnection of pulmonary veins was discovered primarily in the anterior region of the right superior PV and the superior portion of the left superior PV. An anatomically-based segmental approach and larger circumferential PVI, followed by additional linear ablations at non-PV trigger sites, proved decisive in preventing further recurrence of atrial tachycardia.ConclusionWhile PFA exhibits promise as a secure and efficient modality for PVI, it necessitates excellent contact quality to ensure lasting results. For patients experiencing AF recurrences post-PFI, expanded strategies incorporating both comprehensive PVI and linear ablations at targeted non-PV sites might enhance treatment outcomes.

The formula of food for special medical purpose has a direct impact on physicochemical stability, especially in hot climes and high temperature transport storage environments. An accelerated test (50 °C for 7 weeks) was used to analyze the mechanism of the physicochemical instability of formula A with lactose and maltodextrin, and formula B with maltodextrin. Deep dents and wrinkles were observed on the surface of the formula B, and more fat globules covered the surface of formula A particles after storage for a long time. Significantly higher amounts of furosine and Nε-carboxymethl-l-lysine (CML) were formed and the loss of available lysine was greater in formula A than in formula B. No significant difference was observed in lipid oxidation indicators between the two formulas. The results of this research demonstrated lactose was more active than maltodextrin and led to physicochemical instability.

Abstract Background CXC chemokine ligand 3 (CXCL3) is a member of CXC-type chemokine family that is identified as a major regulator in immune and inflammation responses. Recently, numerous evidence indicated that CXCL3 is broadly expressed in various human tumor types, and it is also known to play a critical role in mediating tumor development and progression. However, the expression profile of CXCL3 and the exact molecular mechanism behind the role of CXCL3 in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) has not been fully elucidated. Methods The expression and clinical significance of CXCL3 mRNA and protein in the tissues from COAD patients were estimated using bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry assays. The expression and roles of exogenous administration or overexpression of CXCL3 in HT-29 and SW480 COAD cells were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. Mechanically, CXCL3-induced malignant behaviors were elucidated using western blotting assay and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERk1/2) inhibitor PD98059. Results The cancer genome atlas (TCGA)-COAD data analysis revealed that CXCL3 mRNA is highly expressed and has high clinical diagnostic accuracy in COAD. Increased expression of CXCL3 mRNA was associated with patient’s clinical stage, race, gender, age, histological subtype, nodal mestastasis and tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutation status. Similarly, immunohistochemistry assay also exhibited that CXCL3 protein in COAD tissues was significantly up-regulated. Gene expression associated assay implied that CXC chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) and CXC chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) were markedly correlated with CXCL3 in COAD. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that cyclin B1 (CCNB1), mitotic arrest deficient 2 like 1 (MAD2L1), H2A family member Z (H2AFZ) and CXCL2 may be the important protein molecules involved in CXCL3-related tumor biology. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis revealed that CXCL3 was mainly enriched in the cell cycle, DNA replication, NOD-like receptors, NOTCH and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) Signal pathways. In vitro, exogenous administration or overexpression of CXCL3 resulted in increased malignant behaviors of HT-29 and SW480 cells, and down-regulation of CXCL3 expression inhibited the malignant behaviors of these tumor cells. In addition, overexpression of CXCL3 affected the expression of genes related to extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, including ERK1/2, p-ERK, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and Cyclin D1. Finally, CXCL3-induced malignant behaviors in HT-29 and SW480 cells were obviously attenuated following treatment with ERK inhibitor PD98059. Conclusion CXCL3 is upregulated in COAD and plays a crucial role in the control of malignant behaviors of tumor cells, which indicated its involvement in the pathogenesis of COAD.

Milk is rich in many nutrients, including protein, lipids, carbohydrates, etc. Every 100 g of milk contains 3 g of protein, including mainly whey protein and casein. β-casein accounts for 24%~28% of total milk protein, and it mainly consists of two genotypes: A1 and A2. A1β-casein produces β-casein-7 after digestion, which can cause digestive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other adverse effects in humans. A2β-casein produces less or no β-casein-7 and has beneficial effects in gastrointestinal digestion, improving antioxidant function and lowering cholesterol concentration. This paper reviews the effects of β-casein genotypes after digestion in humans and discusses the probiotic functions of A2β-casein and its effects on human health. Moreover, the research progress of A2β-casein dairy products is described from the application of β-casein genotypes in dairy products to provide guidance for future research on the function of A2β-casein in dairy products.

Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare chronic purulent granulomatous disease, which can be easily misdiagnosed as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and other diseases. However, diagnosis relies on histopathological evidence, and early diagnosis is conducive to the patient's recovery. In this study, a case of a 70-year-old man with a soft tissue density mass at the right lower lung was studied, with initial chest CT suggesting lung cancer, pulmonary actinomycosis was confirmed by subsequent pathological biopsy of lung tissues eventually. The patient responded well to antibiotics treatment. This paper is to explore the clinical characteristics of the disease, providing insight into the disease, and its diagnosis and treatment.

To investigate how casein hydrolysate affected the physicochemical properties and microbiological diversity of the glutinous rice dough (natural fermentation and yeast fermentation), we analyzed its fermentation properties, carbohydrate, protein degradation, texture, and bacterial composition. According to the findings, casein hydrolysate increased the total LAB number, as well as organic acid content, in naturally fermented and yeast fermented glutinous rice dough by 3.59 and 8.19%, respectively, and reduced the fermentation time by at least 2 h. Meanwhile, casein hydrolysate enhanced the content of reducing sugars by 4.46 and 13.53% and increased protease activity by 29.9 and 27.7%. In addition, casein hydrolysate accelerated protein breakdown and regulated the hardness of the dough to improve the texture. Casein hydrolysate enriched the bacterial richness and diversity of dough. After adding casein hydrolysate, it promoted the growth of Pediococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus. According to the Spearman correlation analysis, environmental factors (pH, lactic acid, acetic acid, reducing sugar content, and protease activity) exhibited the major driver for the abundance of bacterial species (Spearman correlation coefficient: −0.71 to 0.78). As a potential food additive, casein hydrolysate can improve the fermentation and quality of glutinous rice dough, increase consumer acceptance of cereal foods, and give consumers healthier options.

Type 2 diabetes often presents with reproductive disorders, including reduced male and female fertility. Here they show that diabetes disrupts the APLN signaling axis in the testes and that spermatogenesis can be restored through treatment with an APLN antagonist.

The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of A2 β-casein (β-CN) in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. Experiments conducted in vitro revealed that A2 β-CN digestive products have potent immunostimulatory activities. Animal studies demonstrated that A2 β-CN improved the immunological organ index reduction trend caused by cyclophosphamide, reduced the pathological damage to the spleen tissue in immunosuppressed mice, increased the release of IL-17A, IgG, and IgA, and reduced the production of IL-4. By regulating the relative abundance of advantageous bacteria like Oscillospira, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacteria and harmful bacteria like Coprococcus and Desulfovibrionaceae, A2 β-CN improved gut microbiota disorders in immunosuppressed mice. Moreover, A2 β-CN promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids and increased the diversity of the gut microbiota. Therefore, ingestion of A2 β-CN is beneficial to the host’s immune system and gut health. These findings provide insights for the future application of A2 β-CN-related dairy products.

This paper addresses the issue of agile attitude maneuver control for low-Earth-orbit satellites during short arc segments for multi-target observations. Specifically, a configuration design for Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) and a hybrid control law are provided. The control law is adept at avoiding singularities and escaping singular planes. Subsequently, an optimal time-based attitude maneuver path-planning method is presented, rooted in the relationship between Euler angles/axis and quaternions. Furthermore, a novel satellite attitude maneuver controller is developed based on a piecewise power-reaching law for variable structure sliding mode control. The paper theoretically demonstrates that the proposed piecewise power reaching law possesses two favorable properties regarding convergence time. On the other hand, the designed reaching law maintains continuity at all stages, theoretically eliminating buffeting. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed controller achieves an Euler angle control precision of ±0.03° and angular velocity accuracy of ±0.15°/s, fulfilling the demands of multi-objective observational tasks. Compared to conventional power reaching law controllers, the convergence time is reduced by 3 s, and Euler angle accuracy is improved by 70%. This underscores the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

In order to increase a nonlinear system’s state estimate precision, an iterated orthogonal simplex cubature Kalman filter (IOSCKF) is presented in this study for target tracking. The Gaussian-weighted integral is decomposed into a spherical integral and a radial integral, which are approximated using the spherical simplex-radial rule and second-order Gauss–Laguerre quadrature rule, respectively, and result in the novel simplex cubature rule. To decrease the high-order error terms, cubature points with appropriate weights are taken from the cubature rule and processed using the provided orthogonal matrix. The structure supporting the nonlinear Kalman filter incorporates the altered points and weights and the calculation steps; from this, the updated time and measurement can be inferred. The Gauss–Newton iteration is employed repeatedly to adjust the measurement update until the termination condition is met and the IOSCKF is attained. The proposed algorithms are applied in target tracking, including CV target tracking and spacecraft orbit tracking, and the simulation results reveal that the IOSCKF can achieve higher accuracy compared to the CKF, SCKF, and OSCKF. In spacecraft orbit tracking simulation, compared with the SCKF, the position tracking accuracy and velocity tracking accuracy of the OSCKF are increased by 2.21% and 1.94%, respectively, which indicates that the orthogonal transformation can improve the tracking accuracy. Furthermore, compared with the OSCKF, the position tracking accuracy and velocity tracking accuracy of the IOSCKF are increased by 2.71% and 2.97%, respectively, which indicates that the tracking accuracy can be effectively improved by introducing iterative calculation into the measurement equation, thus verifying the effectiveness of the method presented in this paper.

We investigated the spin–orbit torque (SOT) and unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance (USMR) in Pt/CoFe/Ta trilayer as well as Pt/CoFe and CoFe/Ta bilayers with in-plane magnetic anisotropy by performing transverse and longitudinal second harmonic resistance measurements. Compared to the two bilayers, we found that the trilayer exhibits enhanced SOT and USMR due to the opposite spin Hall angles of Pt and Ta, which work together to enhance the spin accumulation in the trilayer. Furthermore, we found that thermal annealing has a significant influence on the magnitude and sign of the SOT and USMR in the Pt/CoFe/Ta trilayers. Specifically, we observed that both the damping-like SOT and USMR of the trilayer decrease as the annealing temperature increases, and they even change signs at an annealing temperature between 235 and 265 °C. In contrast, the sign change of the SOT and USMR upon annealing is absent in the Pt/CoFe and CoFe/Ta bilayers. These findings suggest that the sign of the SOT and USMR in the Pt/CoFe/Ta trilayer can be easily manipulated by using an appropriate thermal annealing treatment, which has important implications for the development of novel spintronic devices.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) carries the genetic information necessary for the synthesis of RNA and proteins; it is a biological macromolecule essential for the development and proper functioning of living organisms and is composed of nucleobases, deoxyribose, and phosphate. The four nucleobases in DNA are adenine (AD), guanine (GU), thymine (TY), and cytosine (CY). Abnormal concentrations of these four nucleobases in an organism have a significant impact on disease diagnosis. Therefore, the qualitative and quantitative detection of these DNA nucleobases in organisms is helpful to diagnose certain diseases. In this work, we report the simultaneous determination of purine (AD, GU) and pyrimidine (TY, CY) nucleobases in DNA using laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD) with electron ionization (EI)/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS). The purine (MW 120 Da) samples were used as model compounds to assess the sensitivity and quantitative performance of the instrument. Its limits of detection assessed using the LIAD/EI/MS method were ∼0.5–1.2 pg under optimal conditions, and their calibration curves exhibited good linearity (R2 = 0.98). The LIAD/TOFMS was successfully applied in the simultaneous detection of AD, GU, TY, and CY in real DNA samples. The advantage of this technique is simple, fast, and without complex pre-treatment processes. In addition, a quartz-enhanced LIAD (QE-LIAD) source was used to improve the signal strength. The desorption for complex biomolecules shows that the QE-LIAD is still a “gentle” desorption source.

In order to meet the diversified rehabilitation needs of people, it is necessary to design a product for the active rehabilitation of patients. Existing rehabilitation chairs use intelligent massage, which can cause problems such as large massage areas, inability to massage locally, large chair size, and inability to meet the continuous use of the damaged parts. In this paper, the modular design method and multi-layer evaluation method are used to solve the problems related to rehabilitation chairs. The authors use the questionnaire survey method and the functional technology matrix method to determine the functional requirements of the rehabilitation chair, and then use the multilevel evaluation methods, including the AHP method, entropy weight method, and grey correlation analysis, to optimize the functional solutions of the rehabilitation chair, and finally obtain a chair for the rehabilitation of patients with upper and lower limb disorders. Problems such as the generalization of rehabilitation scope and non-durable use of components were solved, and the purpose of active exercise was achieved. This study verifies that the use of the multilevel decision evaluation method can effectively improve the efficiency of program decision-making and provides a theoretical and practical basis for the design of similar products.

Ultra-high temperature sterilized milk (UHT) is a popular dairy product known for its long shelf life and convenience. However, protein gel aging and fat quality defects like creaming and flavor deterioration may arise during storage. These problems are primarily caused by thermostable enzymes produced by psychrotrophic bacteria. In this study, four representative psychrotrophic bacteria strains which can produce thermostable enzymes were selected to contaminate UHT milk artificially. After 11, 11, 13, and 17 weeks of storage, the milk samples, which were contaminated with Pseudomonas fluorescens, Chryseobacterium carnipullorum, Lactococcus raffinolactis and Acinetobacter guillouiae, respectively, demonstrated notable whey separation. The investigation included analyzing the protein and fat content in the upper and bottom layers of the milk, as well as examining the particle size, Zeta potential, and pH in four sample groups, indicating that the stability of UHT milk decreases over time. Moreover, the spoiled milk samples exhibited a bitter taste, with the dominant odor being attributed to ketones and acids. The metabolomics analysis revealed that three key metabolic pathways, namely ABC transporters, butanoate metabolism, and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, were found to be involved in the production of thermostable enzymes by psychrotrophic bacteria. These enzymes greatly impact the taste and nutrient content of UHT milk. This finding provides a theoretical basis for further investigation into the mechanism of spoilage.

IntroductionWith the rapid aging population, the mental health of older adults is paid more and more attention. Anxiety is a common mental health illness in older adults. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the current situation of anxiety and its factors among the elderly in China.MethodsBased on the data from 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a total of 10,982 respondents aged 60 and above were selected. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale was used to assess the anxiety. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of anxiety. Random forest was established to rank the importance of each influencing factors.ResultsThe results showed that the prevalence of anxiety among the elderly was 11.24%. Anxiety was mainly associated with 14 factors from five aspects: sociodemographic characteristics, health status, psychological state, social trust and social participation, among which loneliness related to psychological status was the most important factor.DiscussionThe revelation of this study is that the present situation of anxiety among the elderly cannot be ignored, and it is necessary to take measures to prevent and control it from many aspects.

The full-term developmental profile of male germ cells remains undefined. Here, the authors use single-cell sequencing to investigate the transcriptome landscapes of mouse male germ cells throughout development and find several critical regulators for prenatal cell-fate determination.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry has been widely used as an emerging technology for the rapid identification of microorganisms. Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii) is a food-borne pathogen of particular importance to the powdered infant formula (PIF) processing environment due to its high lethality in infants. However, the traditional solid spotting detection method of pretreating samples for MALDI-TOF MS leads only to qualitative detection of C. sakazakii. We developed a new, low-cost, robust liquid spotting pretreatment method and used a response surface methodology to optimize its parameters. The applicability, accuracy, and quantitative potential were measured for different types of samples. The optimal parameters of this method were as follows: a volume of 70% formic acid of 25 μL, treatment with ultrasound at 350 W for 3 min, and a volume of acetonitrile added of 75 μL. These conditions led to the highest identification score for C. sakazakii (1926.42 ± 48.497). This method was found to detect bacteria accurately and reproducibly. When 70 strains of C. sakazakii isolates were analyzed with this method, the identification accuracy was 100%. The detection limit of C. sakazakii in environmental and PIF samples was 4.1 × 101 cfu/mL and 2.72 × 103 cfu/mL, respectively.

Cronobacter spp. is a food-borne pathogenic microorganism that can cause serious diseases such as meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing colitis in infants and young children. Powdered infant formula (PIF) is one of the main contamination routes, in which the processing environment is an important source of pollution. In this investigation, 35 Cronobacter strains isolated from PIF and its processing environment were identified and typed by 16S rRNA sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) technology. A total of 35 sequence types were obtained, and three new sequence types were isolated for the first time. The antibiotic resistance was analyzed, showing that all isolates were resistant to erythromycin but sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Multi-drug resistant strains accounted for 68.57% of the total, among which Cronobacter strains with the strongest drug resistance reached 13 multiple drug resistance. Combined with transcriptomics, 77 differentially expressed genes related to drug resistance were identified. The metabolic pathways were deeply excavated, and under the stimulation of antibiotic conditions, Cronobacter strains can activate the multidrug efflux system by regulating the expression of chemotaxis-related genes, thus, secreting more drug efflux proteins to enhance drug resistance. The study of drug resistance of Cronobacter and its mechanism has important public health significance for the rational selection of existing antibacterial drugs, the development of new antibacterial drugs to reduce the occurrence of bacterial resistance, and the control and treatment of infections caused by Cronobacter.

In this paper, a novel wide-beam microstrip patch array antenna is proposed for automotive radar applications. Different from the regular wide-beam antenna, which is designed to achieve the wide-beam unit radiation performance, the proposed array antenna introduces the coupled-mode technology of the microstrip antenna to design an inclined unit radiation beam. The array elements are arranged alternately and in opposite phases so that the unit radiation beams alternately point to two sides of the array. The wide-beam feature and the high gain performance are realized simultaneously by the array characteristics. The excellent beamwidth and antenna gain performance enable enormous application potential in automotive radar. An 8-unit prototype working at 24 GHz is designed and fabricated for automotive radar applications. Measured results show that the special design scheme extends the horizontal-plane half-power beamwidth (HPBW) to 140°, and the maximum antenna gain is over 10.5 dBi.

To alleviate the pressure of energy utilization of buildings, more attention was focused on the utilization of GWSHP (groundwater source heat pump) systems. However, there have been many debates on feasibility. This paper is to study the suitability and feasibility of GWSHP systems in different climate zones. A simulation model of a GWSHP system is established based on TRNSYS software in the severe cold climate zones A and B, cold climate zones, hot summer and cold winter climate zones, and the hot summer and warm winter climate zones. Simultaneously, the reliability and energy-saving benefits of GWSHP systems in typical residential buildings situated in different climate zones are deeply analyzed. Results reveal that the operating performance of GWSHP systems is considered as the best in the climate zones that need both heating and cooling loads for residential buildings. In contrast, the energy-saving benefits of the GWSHP system in typical residential buildings are deemed to be higher in the cold climate zones and severe cold climate zones. Overall, compared with the ASHP, the economy of the system is generally better based on economic analysis.

We have studied annealing-induced oxygen migration at CoFe/MgO and CoFe/HfO2 interfaces and its effect on the magnetic anisotropy of Ta/CoFe/MgO (HfO2) films. Through x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we found that the Fe–O bonds exist at both CoFe/MgO and CoFe/HfO2 interfaces at the as-deposited state due to the oxidation of interfacial Fe atoms during the deposition of the MgO and HfO2 layers. After annealing, the amount of the Fe–O bonds at the CoFe/MgO interface decreases, whereas at the CoFe/HfO2 interface, it increases, indicating that the oxygen atoms migrate from Fe–O bonds to MgO layers at the CoFe/MgO interface, whereas they migrate from the HfO2 layer to Fe–O bonds at the CoFe/HfO2 interface. Correspondingly, the magnetic anisotropy energy decreases in the Ta/CoFe/MgO film but increases in the Ta/CoFe/HfO2 film after annealing. We attributed these results to interfacial Fe 3d–O 2p orbital hybridization modulated by different oxygen migration behaviors. Our results may improve the understanding of the oxygen migration effect on magnetic anisotropy and anomalous Hall sensitivity in ferromagnet/oxide heterostructures.

Optical fiber sensors are used for partial discharge detection in many applications due their advantage of strong anti-electromagnetic interference capability. Multi-point distributed partial discharge detection and location are important for electrical equipment. In this paper, a distributed partial discharge location and detection scheme based on optical fiber Rayleigh backscattering light interference is experimentally demonstrated. At the same time, the location and extraction algorithm is used to demodulate the partial discharge signal; furthermore, the high-pass filter is used to reduce the system low-frequency noise and environment noise. It is clear that the proposed system can detect a partial discharge signal generated by metal needle sensitivity, and the detectable frequency range is 0–2.5 kHz. We carried out 10 locating tests for two sensing units, the experimental results show that the maximum location error is 1.0 m, and the maximum standard deviation is 0.3795. At same time, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of sensing unit 1 and sensing unit 2 are greatly improved after demodulation, which are 39.7 and 38.8, respectively. This provides a new method for a multipoint-distributed optical fiber sensor used for detecting and locating a long-distance electrical equipment partial discharge signal.

Severe retroperitoneal haemorrhage after retrograde pyelogram (RPG) is rare and has not been reported in the literature. One of the few indications for performing RPG in end-stage kidneys is evaluation of the upper urinary tract for malignancy. We present a rare case of massive retroperitoneal haemorrhage in a 58-year-old man, with a history of deceased donor kidney transplantation for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), following bilateral RPG for the evaluation of urothelial cancer. The bleeding was successfully stopped with renal artery angioembolisation. This case demonstrates the importance of exercising extra caution when performing endoscopic procedures in patients with ESKD and keeping the intrarenal pressure as low as possible.

Background: Laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy is the current epitome of living kidney donation surgery. We review our experience in living-donor nephrectomies over the last 19 years, transitioning from open surgery to hand-assisted laparoscopy to full laparoscopic techniques. Methods: We retrospectively identified all living-donor nephrectomies performed at our institution from 1976 to 2018. The donors were categorised according to surgical techniques: open (ODN), hand-assisted laparoscopy (HALDN) and full laparoscopy (LDN). We reviewed changes in donor demographics over the years. Surgical outcomes between groups were compared from 2000 to 2018. We also compared the outcomes of LDN between different time periods to evaluate our learning curve. Results: A total of 214 living-donor nephrectomies were performed between 2000 and 2018. The majority were left sided (93%) and had single renal artery anatomy (90%). There were 22 ODN, 20 HALDN and 163 LDN cases. The mean operating time was 84±43, 151±32 and 179±37 minutes for ODN, HALDN and LDN, respectively ( p

To further improve the detection sensitivity of surface-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SENLIBS), the number of repeating sample preparations in a fixed area was increased. The trace elements in an aqueous solution were quantitatively analyzed successfully. The results showed that the spectral intensities were strengthened. The limit of detection (LoD) values of Cu, Pb, Cr, and Cd were reduced from 0.072~0.36 to 0.027~0.057 μg/mL by increasing the number of repeating sample preparations from 1 to 8. This demonstrated that quantitative analytical sensitivity of SENLIBS could be improved by repeating sample preparations without increasing the cost of equipment.

As a new type of earth observation satellite approach, video satellites can continuously monitor an area of the Earth and acquire dynamic and abundant information by utilizing video imaging. Hence, video satellites can afford to track various objects of interest on the Earth's surface. Inspired by the capabilities of video satellites, this paper presents a novel method to track fast-moving objects in satellite videos based on the kernelized correlation filter (KCF) embedded with multi-feature fusion and motion trajectory compensation. The contributions of the suggested algorithm are multifold. First, a multi-feature fusion strategy is proposed to describe an object comprehensively, which is challenging for the single-feature approach. Second, a subpixel positioning method is developed to calculate the object’s position and overcome the poor tracking accuracy difficulties caused by inaccurate object localization. Third, introducing an adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) enables compensation and correction of the KCF tracker results and reduces the object’s bounding box drift, solving the moving object occlusion problem. Based on the correlation filtering tracking framework, combined with the above improvement strategies, our algorithm improves the tracking accuracy by at least 17% on average and the success rate by at least 18% on average compared to the KCF algorithm. Hence, our method effectively solves poor object tracking accuracy caused by complex backgrounds and object occlusion. The experimental results utilize satellite videos from the Jilin-1 satellite constellation and highlight the proposed algorithm's appealing tracking results against current state-of-the-art trackers regarding success rate, precision, and robustness metrics.

Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a globally distributed foodborne pathogen, which can lead to outbreaks of foodborne infectious diseases. It is essential to guarantee food safety by timely and correct detection of S. Typhimurium. In this investigation, an original fluorescence aptasensor was constructed to detect S. Typhimurium rapidly and sensitively. Through the coupling of magnetic beads, aptamer, and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), a fluorescence quenching system with a “sandwich structure” was established. The aptamer acted as a link, and its specific binding to S. Typhimurium could release AuNPs from the system. Meanwhile, fluorescent DNA-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) were synthesized. The fluorescence intensity changes caused by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer between DNA-AgNCs and AuNPs were utilized to detect S. Typhimurium. The purposed aptasensor exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity with a linear response to S. Typhimurium, ranging from 3.7 × 102 to 3.7 × 105 cfu/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) was estimated to be 98 cfu/mL within 2 h 10 min. In addition, this method showed excellent application for detection of S. Typhimurium in artificially contaminated milk, with LOD reaching 3.4 × 102 cfu/mL. Therefore, the developed fluorescence aptasensor has great potential to identify S. Typhimurium in foodstuffs.

Abstract Cronobacter species previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii poses high risks to neonates and infants. In this work a rapid detection method was developed which combined loop-mediated isothermal amplification with lateral flow assay for detection of Cronobacter species in powdered infant formula. The fast amplification reaction without betaine was established and capable of performing DNA replication within 25 min. Based on the novel probe-free labeling methods, we established a lateral flow assay to capture the specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification amplicons which were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate and biotin. And the final detection time of this system was within 40 min. The false positive results of the lateral flow assay induced by primer dimer tagged with fluorescein isothiocyanate and biotin were eliminated by Taq single strand DNA binding protein (4 ng/μL). Simultaneously, the efficiency of the fast loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay was achieved. By injection of Taq SSB into the amplification assay as a replacement for betaine, the novel probe-free method could detect Cronobacter species with high specificity and sensitivity at the detection limit in PIF of 101 cfu/g. Our overall strategy has excellent potential in the rapid diagnosis of Cronobacter species label-free by integrating loop-mediated isothermal amplification and lateral flow assay.

The network traffic sequence has the complex characters, such as mutability, chaos, timeliness, and nonlinearity, which bring many difficulties to network traffic prediction. In order to deal with these complex characters and improve the prediction accuracy, a new network traffic prediction method based on improved echo state network is proposed in this paper. First, to deal with its mutability and chaos, a network traffic denoising algorithm based on local preserving projection is proposed to denoise the raw network traffic sequence. Second, to handle its timeliness and nonlinearity, a network traffic prediction model based on echo state network with double loop reservoir structure is constructed, which takes both the denoised network traffic sequence and the raw network traffic sequence as input. Finally, the proposed method is simulated using two actual network traffic datasets, and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve better performance on network traffic prediction compared with other similar methods.

Probiotics can prevent obesity and related metabolic complications. In our study, the protective effect and molecular mechanism of Lactobacillus rhamnosus JL1 (separated from the feces of healthy infants) on high-fat diet mice were investigated. After 10 weeks of dietary intervention with L. rhamnosus JL1 intervention, the body weight of the JL1 group (23.78 g) was significantly lower than that of the HFD group (26.59 g, p < 0.05) and the liver index was reduced. Serum biochemical analysis showed that the TC, TG and LDL-C contents of JL1 group mice were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Histological images of the mice livers showed that the degree of lipid action and damage of hepatic cells were improved. L. rhamnosus JL1 activated the AMPK pathway, and reduced the gene expression of PPAR-γ, LXR-α and SREBP-1C. In addition, the protein expression of PPAR-γ and LXR-α were reduced. After dietary intervention with L. rhamnosus JL1, the concentration of acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid were increased significantly, especially the concentration of butyric acid, which was 63.16% higher than that of the HFD group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study provided a theoretical reference for the development and application of probiotics derived from healthy infant feces in health products and functional foods.

In this paper, a novel and ultrasensitive lateral flow assay (LFA) based on aptamer–magnetic separation, and multifold Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) was developed for visual detecting Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). The method realized magnetic enrichment and signal transduction via magnetic separation and achieved signal amplification through hybridizing AuNPs–capture probes and AuNPs–amplification probes to form multifold AuNPs. Two different thiolated single-strand DNA (ssDNA) on the AuNPs–capture probe played different roles. One was combined with the AuNPs–amplification probe on the conjugate pad to achieve enhanced signals. The other was connected to transduction ssDNA1 released by aptamer–magnetic capture of S. Typhimurium, and captured by the T-line, forming a positive signal. This method had an excellent linear relationship ranging from 8.6 × 102 CFU/mL to 8.6 × 107 CFU/mL with the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 8.6 × 100 CFU/mL in pure culture. In actual samples, the visual LOD was 4.1 × 102 CFU/mL, which did not carry out nucleic acid amplification and pre-enrichment, increasing three orders of magnitudes than unenhanced assays with single–dose AuNPs and no magnetic separation. Furthermore, the system showed high specificity, having no reaction with other nontarget strains. This visual signal amplificated system would be a potential platform for ultrasensitive monitoring S. Typhimurium in milk samples.

Lectins exist widely in marine bioresources such as bacteria, algae, invertebrate animals and fishes. Some purified marine lectins have been found to elicit cytotoxicity to cancer cells. However, there are few reports describing the cytotoxic effect of marine lectins on cancer cells through virus-mediated gene delivery. We show here that a replication-deficient adenovirus-carrying gene encoding Haliotis discus discus sialic acid binding lectin (Ad.FLAG-HddSBL) suppressed cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis, as compared to the control virus Ad.FLAG. A down-regulated level of anti-apoptosis factor Bcl-2 was suggested to be responsible for the apoptosis induced by Ad.FLAG-HddSBL infection. Further subcellular localization studies revealed that HddSBL distributed in cell membrane, ER, and the nucleus, but not in mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. In contrast, a previously reported mannose-binding lectin Pinellia pedatisecta agglutinin entered the nucleus as well, but did not distribute in inner membrane systems, suggesting differed intracellular sialylation and mannosylation, which may provide different targets for lectin binding. Further cancer-specific controlling of HddSBL expression and animal studies may help to provide insights into a novel way of anti-cancer marine lectin gene therapy. Lectins may provide a reservoir of anti-cancer genes.

The street thermal environment is important for thermal comfort, urban climate and pollutant dispersion. A 24-h vehicle traverse study was conducted over the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong in summer, with each measurement period consisting of 2–3 full days. The data covered a total of 158 loops in 198 h along the route on sunny days. The measured data were averaged by three methods (direct average, FFT filter and interpolated by the piecewise cubic Hermite interpolation). The average street air temperatures were found to be 1–3 °C higher than those recorded at nearby fixed weather stations. The street warming phenomenon observed in the study has substantial implications as usually urban heat island (UHI) intensity is estimated from measurement at fixed weather stations, and therefore the UHI intensity in the built areas of the city may have been underestimated. This significant difference is of interest for studies on outdoor air temperature, thermal comfort, urban environment and pollutant dispersion. The differences were simulated by an improved one-dimensional temperature model (ZERO-CAT) using different urban morphology parameters. The model can correct the underestimation of street air temperature. Further sensitivity studies show that the building arrangement in the daytime and nighttime plays different roles for air temperature in the street. City designers can choose different parameters based on their purpose.

Pinelliapedatisecta agglutinin (PPA) has previously been used in labeling fractions of myeloid leukemia cells in our laboratory. We report here that a bacterial expressed recombinant PPA domain b tagged with soluble coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (sCAR-PPAb) preferentially recognized drug resistant cancer cells K562/ADR and H460/5Fu, as compared to their parental cell lines. Pretreatment of K562/ADR cells with sCAR-PPAb significantly enhanced phagocytosis of K562/ADR by macrophages in vivo. Meanwhile, in a K562/ADR xenograft model, intratumoral injection of sCAR-PPAb induced macrophage infiltration and phagocytosis. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry and Western blot identified the membrane target of PPA on K562/ADR as sarcolemmal membrane associated protein (SLMAP). An antibody against SLMAP significantly promoted the phagocytosis of K562/ADR by macrophages in vitro. These findings suggest that PPA not only could be developed into a novel agent that can detect drug resistant cancer cells and predict chemotherapy outcome, but also it has potential value in immunotherapy against drug resistant cancer cells through inducing the tumoricidal activity of macrophages.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a severe viral disease in pigs, causing great economic losses worldwide each year. The causative agent of the disease, PRRS virus (PRRSV), is a member of the family Arteriviridae. Here we report our investigation of the unparalleled large-scale outbreaks of an originally unknown, but so-called "high fever" disease in China in 2006 with the essence of PRRS, which spread to more than 10 provinces (autonomous cities or regions) and affected over 2,000,000 pigs with about 400,000 fatal cases. Different from the typical PRRS, numerous adult sows were also infected by the "high fever" disease. This atypical PRRS pandemic was initially identified as a hog cholera-like disease manifesting neurological symptoms (e.g., shivering), high fever (40-42 degrees C), erythematous blanching rash, etc. Autopsies combined with immunological analyses clearly showed that multiple organs were infected by highly pathogenic PRRSVs with severe pathological changes observed. Whole-genome analysis of the isolated viruses revealed that these PRRSV isolates are grouped into Type II and are highly homologous to HB-1, a Chinese strain of PRRSV (96.5% nucleotide identity). More importantly, we observed a unique molecular hallmark in these viral isolates, namely a discontinuous deletion of 30 amino acids in nonstructural protein 2 (NSP2). Taken together, this is the first comprehensive report documenting the 2006 epidemic of atypical PRRS outbreak in China and identifying the 30 amino-acid deletion in NSP2, a novel determining factor for virulence which may be implicated in the high pathogenicity of PRRSV, and will stimulate further study by using the infectious cDNA clone technique.

The farmland in the southwestern mountainous areas of China is mostly hilly terrain with multiple obstacles, and traditional manual spraying operations are time-consuming and laborious. The use of agricultural plant protection unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can reduce the problem of high manual operation costs. To solve the problem of optimizing the spraying operation path of plant protection UAVs, this study focused on the complex agricultural environment in the southwestern mountainous areas of China. First, a 2D agricultural map model with multiple obstacles was constructed using MATLAB. Second, the optimization requirements for job paths were analyzed, and a path optimization model based on the grid graph method was studied, aiming to shorten the total flight distance and reduce the number of paths. By applying the genetic algorithm, efficient optimization of the spraying path of plant protection UAV was carried out. Simulation verification showed that the optimized path significantly shortened the flight distance, accelerated convergence speed, and effectively avoided local repeated paths, thereby greatly improving the spraying efficiency of plant protection UAV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]