Search

Abstract Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic consumptive zoonosis, causing significant economic losses and critical public health risks. Coronin-1A is a host cytoskeleton-associated protein that is crucial for understanding the inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) to evade host innate immune clearance. However, the involvement of bovine Coronin-1A (bCoronin-1A) in M.tb infection and whether it can be manipulated so as to enhance host resistance against bovine tuberculosis remains to be seen. Here, we explored the role of bCoronin-1A in phagosome-lysosome fusion in M.tb-infected macrophages. We found that bCoronin-1A was upregulated at both the transcriptional and protein levels following M.tb infection of embryonic bovine lung (EBL) cells. Notably, bCoronin-1A was recruited to M.tb-containing phagosomes where it hindered phagosome-lysosome fusion, leading to increased intracellular mycobacterial survival. Further investigation revealed that mycobacterial lipoamide dehydrogenase C (LpdC) interacted with a single tryptophan-aspartate (WD) unit within the WD repeat domain of bCoronin-1A to sequester it on the phagosomes. The WD repeat domain mediated a decrease in intracellular calcium levels, which reduced levels of calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and its activated forms, thereby inhibiting lysosomal delivery. Overall, our findings revealed that bCoronin-1A had a critical impact on mycobacterial survival in macrophages by inhibiting calcium-mediated phagosome-lysosome fusion. This suggests that targeting bCoronin-1A as a key factor influencing mycobacterial survival may be an effective breeding strategy to develop tuberculosis-resistant dairy cows.

Abstract To evaluate the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and galactomannan (GM) testing in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and to compare mNGS with other diagnostic approaches (serum/bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)-GM and conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) including sputum smears and culture, BALF fungal culture, and bronchial brushing). In all, 237 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study, including 120 patients with IPA and 117 with non-IPA pulmonary infections treated at Henan Provincial People’s Hospital between June 2021 and February 2024. The diagnostic performance of mNGS was compared to conventional diagnostic methods including serum GM, BALF-GM, sputum smear microscopy, sputum culture, bronchial brushings, and BALF culture. The proportion of patients with underlying diseases was significantly higher in the IPA group than in the non-IPA group (P

Abstract The safety and reliability of rotating machinery hinge significantly on the proper functioning of rolling bearings. In the last few years, there have been significant advances in the algorithms for intelligent fault diagnosis of bearings. However, the vibration signals collected by machines are inevitably affected by irrelevant noise because of the complex working environments of bearings. So, an end-to-end bearing fault diagnosis method: GMSCNN, a bearing fault diagnosis method based on Gram Matrix (GM) and Multi scale Convolutional Neural Network (MSCNN), is proposed in this paper. In this method, first, GM is used to reduce the noise of the collected vibration signals; Secondly, MSCNN is used for feature extraction, and the characteristics of vibration signals at different frequencies and time scales can be captured by the convolutional kernels of different scales; thirdly, two feature enhancement branches are added, utilizing the undenoised vibration signal as input, to enrich and diversify features while enhancing the model’s expressive and generalization capabilities; Finally, the experimental analysis was conducted on two bearing datasets to indicates that the noise robustness of GMSCNN is strong.

Abstract Juvenile hormone (JH) represses insect metamorphosis and stimulates reproduction. JH titers are generally low in juveniles, drop to a nadir during metamorphosis, increase after eclosion and peak in vitellogenic phase. We found that Jhamt, a rate-limiting enzyme in JH biosynthesis, mirrors JH titer patterns in the migratory locust. Knocking down Jhamt reduced JH titers, led to precocious nymphal ecdysis, metamorphosis and impaired vitellogenesis. Jhamt is negatively regulated by miR-276 and positively by miR-182013-5p. miR-276 is abundant in late nymphal but low in adults, while miR-182013-5p shows the opposite pattern. In nymphs, miR-276 binds more to Jhamt, while in adults, miR-182013-5p dominates. Functionally, miR-276 reduced Jhamt and JH levels, shortening nymphal development and inhibiting Vg expression. Conversely, miR-182013-5p increased Jhamt and JH levels, prolonging nymphal development and enhancing Vg expression. Our findings identify miR-276 and miR-182013-5p as dual regulators in JH biosynthesis, acting as “brake” and “accelerator,” respectively. This study provides new insights into JH titer fluctuations and miRNA regulation in insect metamorphosis and reproduction.

As of May 2024, the main strains of COVID-19 caused hundreds of millions of infection cases and millions of deaths worldwide. In this study, we consider the COVID-19 epidemics with the main strains in the Chinese mainland. We study complex interactions among hosts, non-pharmaceutical interventions, and vaccinations for the main strains by a differential equation model called SVEIR. The disease transmission model incorporates two strains and protection awareness of the susceptible population. Results of this study show that the protection awareness plays a crucial role against infection of the population, and that the vaccines are effective against the circulation of the earlier strains, but ineffective for emerging strains. By using the next generation matrix method, the basic reproduction number of the SVEIR model is firstly obtained. Our analysis by Hurwitz criterion and LaSalle's invariance principle shows that the disease free-equilibrium point is locally and globally asymptotically stable when the threshold value is below one. The existences of endemic equilibrium points are also established, and the global asymptotic stabilities are analyzed using the Lyapunov function method. Further, the SVEIR model is confirmed to satisfy the principle of competitive exclusion, of which the strain with the larger value of the basic reproduction number is dominant. Numerically, the surveillance data with the Omicron strain and the XBB strain are split by the cubic spline interpolation method. The fitting curves against the surveillance data are plotted using the least-squares method from MATLAB. The results indicate that the XBB strain dominates in this study. Moreover, a global sensitivity analysis of the key parameters is performed by using of PRCC. The numerical simulations imply that combination control strategy positively impacts on the infection scale than what separate control strategy does, and that the earlier time producing protection awareness for the public creates less infection scale, further that the increment of protection awareness also reduces the infection scale. Therefore, the policymakers of the local government are suggested to concern the changes of protection awareness of the public.

Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems are often subject to strong electromagnetic interference, resulting in imaging quality degradation. However, existing image domain-based interference suppression methods are prone to image distortion and loss of texture detail information, among other difficulties. To address these problems, this paper proposes a method for suppressing active suppression interferences inspaceborne SAR images based on perceptual learning of regional feature refinement. First, an active suppression interference signal and image model is established in the spaceborne SAR image domain. Second, a high-precision interference recognition network based on regional feature perception is designed to extract the active suppression interference pattern features of the involved SAR image using an efficient channel attention mechanism, consequently resulting in effective recognition of the interference region of the SAR image. Third, a multivariate regional feature refinement interference suppression network is constructed based on the joint learning of the SAR image and suppression interference features, which are combined to form the SAR image and suppression interference pattern. A feature refinement interference suppression network is then constructed based on the joint learning of the SAR image and suppression interference feature. The network slices the SAR image into multivariate regions, and adopts multi-module collaborative processing of suppression interference features on the multivariate regions to realize refined suppression of the active suppression interference of the SAR image under complex conditions. Finally, a simulation dataset of SAR image active suppression interference is constructed, and the evaluated Sentinel-1 data are used for experimental verification and analysis. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively recognize and suppress various typical active suppression interferences in spaceborne SAR images.

The complex interactions were performed among non-pharmaceutical interventions, vaccinations, and hosts for all epidemics in mainland China during the spread of COVID-19. Specially, the small-scale epidemic in the city described by SVEIR model was less found in the current studies. The SVEIR model with control was established to analyze the dynamical and epidemiological features of two epidemics in Jinzhou City led by Omicron variants before and after Twenty Measures. In this study, the total population (N) of Jinzhou City was divided into five compartments: the susceptible (S), the vaccinated (V), the exposed (E), the infected (I), and the recovered (R). By surveillance data and the SVEIR model, three methods (maximum likelihood method, exponential growth rate method, next generation matrix method) were governed to estimate basic reproduction number, and the results showed that an increasing tendency of basic reproduction number from Omicron BA.5.2 to Omicron BA.2.12.1. Meanwhile, the effective reproduction number for two epidemics were investigated by surveillance data, and the results showed that Jinzhou wave 1 reached the peak on November 1 and was controlled 7 days later, and that Jinzhou wave 2 reached the peak on November 28 and was controlled 5 days later. Moreover, the impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions (awareness delay, peak delay, control intensity) were discussed extensively, the variations of infection scales for Omicron variant and EG.5 variant were also discussed. Furthermore, the investigations on peaks and infection scales for two epidemics in dynamic zero-COVID policy were operated by the SVEIR model with control. The investigations on public medical requirements of Jinzhou City and Liaoning Province were analyzed by using SVEIR model without control, which provided a possible perspective on variant evolution in the future.

Abstract Metal hydrides are crucial intermediates in numerous catalytic reactions. Intensive efforts have been dedicated to constructing molecular metal hydrides, where toxic precursors and delicate mediators are usually involved. Herein, we demonstrate a facile pressure-induced methodology to generate a cost-effective heterogeneous electrocatalytic metal hydride surface for sustainable hydrogen transfer. Taking carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction as a model system and zinc (Zn), a well-known carbon monoxide (CO)-selective catalyst, as a model catalyst, we showcase a homogeneous-type hydrogen atom transfer process induced by heterogeneous hydride surfaces, enabling direct hydrogenation pathways traditionally considered “prohibited”. Specifically, the maximal Faradaic efficiency for formate is enhanced by ~fivefold to 83% under ambient conditions. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that unlike the distal hydrogenation route for CO2 to CO over pristine Zn, the Zn hydride surface enables direct hydrogenation at the carbon site of CO2 to form formate. This work provides a promising material platform for sustainable synthesis.

Abstract Acetone serves as an important solvent and building block for the chemical industry, but the current industrial synthesis of acetone is generally accompanied by the energy-intensive and costly cumene process used for phenol production. Here we propose a sustainable route for acetone synthesis via propane wet reforming at a moderate temperature of 350 oC with the use of platinum-tin nanoparticles supported on γ-aluminium oxide (PtSn/γ-Al2O3) as catalyst. We achieve an acetone productivity of 858.4 μmol/g with a selectivity of 57.8% among all carbon-based products and 99.3% among all liquid products. Detailed spectroscopic and controlled experiments reveal that the acetone is formed through a tandem catalytic process involving propene and isopropanol as intermediates. We also demonstrate facile ketone synthesis via wet reforming with the use of different alkanes (e.g., n-butane, n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, and n-octane) as substrates, proving the wide applicability of this strategy.

With industrial informatization, abundant data provides solutions for the digital design of methane-based hydrogen production. Catalytic methane decomposition (CMD) is a promising strategy for COx-free hydrogen production, with high-value carbon products generated. However, affected by various factors, the proper process parameters are challenge to be ascertained by the time-consuming experimental method. In this study, five machine learning methods were utilized for the precise prediction of methane conversion using Ni-based catalysts. Combined with SHAP method and univariate analysis method, XGBoost model with the best accuracy (with R2 = 0.894, RSME = 7.724) was selected for the exploration of the reaction impact of active phase loading, support loading, and reaction conditions in methane convention, hydrogen production, carbon yield, and carbon quality. The result shows that methane conversion rate is mainly influenced by space velocity, reaction temperature, nickel loading, and methane percentage. Copper doping significantly affects carbon yield and its quality, and there is a strong bond between Ni and Al2O3, contributing the most to the reaction. This work would provide a guidance for the efficient catalyst design and effective hydrogen production.

ABSTRACT Aim This study was to establish a scientific and sensitive index system of the biosafety incident response competence for clinical nursing staff to provide a reference for the evaluation of nurses' biosafety incident response competence. Design A modified recommendation for the conducting and reporting of Delphi studies was used to guide this study. Methods According to the literature review, preliminary biosafety incident response competence indicators for nursing staff were established, and an expert survey questionnaire was designed. The evaluation system for clinical nurses' biosafety incident response competence indicators was determined using the Delphi method. Results After two‐round Delphi survey, 28 nursing specialists from six provinces and cities around China, with expertise in three prevention research, epidemiology, military health service and biosafety incident rescue, established the index system of the biosafety incident response competence for nursing staff from April to May 2023. The final index system of the biosafety incident response competence was composed of four primary indicators, namely, biosafety incident preparedness, monitoring competence, protection ability and nursing disposal abilities; 10 secondary indicators and 49 tertiary indicators. The effective recovery rates of the two rounds of expert survey questionnaires were 93.33% and 100%, respectively. The authority coefficient, judgement coefficient and familiarity degree of Delphi experts were 0.877, 0.911 and 0.843, respectively. The Kendall's harmony coefficients of the two rounds of expert consultation were 0.301–0.384 and 0.401–0.424, respectively, with statistical significance (p

ObjectiveThis study used two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to evaluate the causal relationship between tonsillectomy and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).MethodsWe selected tonsillectomy as the exposure factor and IBS as the outcome variable, using GWAS data from the IEU Open GWAS project. Instrumental variables (IVs) were SNPs strongly correlated and independent of tonsillectomy. MR-PRESSO was used for outlier removal. IVW was the primary MR analysis method, supplemented by MR-Egger regression, WM, WME, and simple mode. Cochran's Q tests assessed heterogeneity. MR-Egger intercept tested horizontal pleiotropy. Sensitivity analysis used a leave-one-out method.ResultsThe IVW analysis indicated a positive association between genetically predicted tonsillectomy and IBS (OR = 1.682, 95% CI: 1.157–2.446, P = 0.006). Heterogeneity tests revealed the presence of heterogeneity at the SNPs (Cochran Q test, P = 3.13 × 10−5. The MR-Egger intercept test did not detect horizontal pleiotropy (egger_intercept = 0.000914, P = 0.789). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the stability of the results. All F-statistics were greater than 10, indicating the absence of weak instrument bias.ConclusionGenetics predicts a positive causal relationship between tonsillectomy and IBS, suggesting that prevention of IBS in tonsillectomy patients should be enhanced.

This research aimed to examine the effect of countercurrent ultrasound on extraction efficiency of cold brew coffee (CBC). The quality and flavor of CBC obtained by ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UE) were evaluated and compared with traditional extraction (TE). Meanwhile, the UE process was monitored in situ real-time using a near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer. The optimal UE parameters obtained by experiments were dual-frequency of 20/28 kHz, countercurrent ultrasonic treatment time of 50 min, ultrasonic power density of 320 W/L, and material-liquid ratio of 1:15. Under the optimal parameters, the total dissolved solids content (TDS) and extraction yield (EY) were 1.63 % and 20.52 %, respectively. This resulted in an 83.33 % improvement in efficiency matching the TDS and EY of a 5-h TE CBC. In comparison with the control, the contents of total polyphenols, total sugars, and total lipids after ultrasonic treatment increased by 13.79 %, 28.49 %, and 333.33 %, respectively, while the total acids content decreased by 27.81 %. HPLC and HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis showed similar non-volatile and volatile flavor components between UE and TE CBC. A quantitative partial least squares (PLS) prediction model was developed to monitor TDS and CGA levels during the UE CBC. This model demonstrated excellent calibration and prediction performance. (TDS: Rc = 0.9281; RMSECV = 0.0694; Rp = 0.9514; RMSEP = 0.0631. CGA: Rc = 0.9086; RMSECV = 0.0316; Rp = 0.9467; RMSEP = 0.0212). This study explored an efficient approach for the industrialization of CBC production and provided theoretical support for developing an intelligent control system for its process.

AbstractEmpathy in healthcare can increase the quality of medical care and contribute to developing a positive doctor-patient relationship. Balint groups employ case-based talks to investigate, reflect on, and improve the clinician-patient relationship. It has been proposed to be an effective technique for increasing clinician empathy. The study aimed to examine the influence of Balint group training on the empathy ability of first-year medical students. This study was a randomized controlled trial. 80 students majoring in clinical medicine in our school were randomly divided into Balint and non-Balint groups, with 40 students in each group. The Balint group received weekly intervention for 8 consecutive weeks, while the non-Balint group received no intervention. Both groups of students were tested for empathy with the JSE-HP scale before and after the intervention. In this study, both student participation and scale recovery rates were 100%. After the intervention, the total score of empathic and all dimensions were higher in the Balint group than before training (p

Abstract Background Radioresistance and immune escape are crucial reasons for unsatisfactory therapeutic effects of glioblastoma (GBM). Although triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) involved in forming immunosuppressive microenvironment, but the underlying mechanism and its roles in mediating cancer radioresistance remain unclear, moreover, the efficient delivery of drugs targeting TREM2 to GBM encounters serious challenges. Hence, this study aimed to elucidate the effect and mechanisms of targeted TREM2 silencing on reversing the radioresistance and immune escape of GBM aided by a glutathione-responsive biomimetic nanoparticle (NP) platform. Methods Radioresistant GBM cell lines and TREM2 stable knockdown GBM cell lines were firstly established. RNA sequencing, colony formation assay, western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and co-immunoprecipitation assay were used to detect the molecular mechanisms of TREM2 in regulating the radioresistance and immune escape of GBM. The glutathione-responsive biomimetic NP, angiopep-2 (A2)- cell membrane (CM)-NP/siTREM2/spam1, was then constructed to triply and targeted inhibit TREM2 for in vivo study. Orthotopic GBM-bearing mouse models were established to evaluate the anti-GBM effect of TREM2 inhibition, multiplex immunofluorescence assay was conducted to detect the infiltration of immune cells. Results TREM2 was a regulator in accelerating the radioresistance and immune escape of GBM through participating in DNA damage repair and forming a positive feedback loop with high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) to cascade the activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling. A2-CM-NP/siTREM2/spam1 was successfully synthesized with excellent passive targeting, active targeting and homologous targeting, and the in vivo results exhibited its remarkable anti-GBM therapeutic effect through promoting the infiltration of type 1 helper T cells and CD8+T cells, reducing the infiltration of type 2 helper T cells and regulatory T cells, repolarizing macrophages to M1-type, and decreasing the secretion of pro-tumor and immunosuppressive cytokines. Conclusions Targeting TREM2 therapy is a promising avenue for optimizing radiotherapy and immunotherapy to improve the prognosis of GBM patients.

IntroductionThe diversity of dairy products and the increasing consumption levels have led to a growing interest in goat and sheep milk, which are rich in essential nutrients and functional components. The study aims to explore the nutritional composition, growth performance, digestibility, and serum metabolic differences of milk powders from cow, goat, and sheep using LC–MS/MS-based metabolomics in rat models.MethodsSixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with whole cow, goat, and sheep milk powder samples , and their feces and urine were analyzed for fat and protein content. LC/MS analysis was conducted using a Dionex UltiMate 3000 UHPLC system coupled with a Thermo Q EXACTIVE mass spectrometer, with data processed using Wekemo Bioincloud for quality control, normalization, comparisons with the KEGG database, statistical analyses, and selection of differential metabolites.ResultsThe sheep milk powder showed highest protein and fat content level, while cow and goat milk powders separately demonstrated higher lactose and carbohydrate levels. Each milk powder had a unique mineral profile, with sheep milk powder containing the highest calcium content. All groups exhibited consistent growth in body weight and high rates of protein and fat digestibility. Metabolomics analysis revealed distinct metabolic profiles, with goat milk powder linked to steroid hormone biosynthesis and sheep milk powder associated with hormone regulation and bile acid pathways.ConclusionThis study offers valuable insights into the metabolic implications of different milk powder sources, informing dietary choices and facilitating the development of targeted public health strategies to optimize nutritional intake and promote overall well-being.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the causal effect of immune cell phenotype on GBS using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.MethodsThis study used MR to investigate the causal relationship between 731 immune cell phenotypes and GBS. We used Inverse variance weighted, Weighted median, MR Egger, Simple mode, Weighted mode for MR analysis. We also used the Cochran Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, IVW regression and MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis to assess the presence of horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity and stability, respectively.ResultsOur study revealed a causal relationship between 33 immune cell phenotypes and GBS. Twenty immunophenotypes were observed to be associated with GBS as risk factors. For example, CD20 on IgD+ CD38dim in the B cell group (OR = 1.313, 95%CI:1.042–1.654, p = 0.021), CD3 on CD4 Treg in Treg cell group (OR = 1.395, 95%CI:1.069–1.819, p = 0.014), CD3 on TD CD8br in Maturation stages of T cell group (OR = 1.486, 95%CI:1.025–2.154, p = 0.037), CD16 on CD14+ CD16+ monocyte in Monocyte group (OR = 1.285, 95%CI:1.018–1.621, p = 0.035), CD33dim HLA DR+ CD11b + %CD33dim HLA DR+ in Myeloid cell group (OR = 1.262, 95%CI:1.020–1.561, p = 0.032), HLA DR+ NK AC in TBNK cell group (OR = 1.568, 95%CI:1.100–2.237, p = 0.013). Thirteen immune phenotypes are associated with GBS as protective factors. For example, CD19 on PB/PC in the B cell group (OR = 0.577, 95%CI:0.370–0.902, p = 0.016), CD4 Treg AC in Treg cell group (OR = 0.727, 95%CI:0.538–0.983, p = 0.038), CD11c + monocyte %monocyte in cDC group (OR = 0.704, 95%CI:0.514–0.966, p = 0.030), CX3CR1 on CD14+ CD16− monocyte in Monocyte group (OR = 0.717, 95%CI:0.548–0.939, p = 0.016), Mo MDSC AC in Myeloid cell group (OR = 0.763, 95%CI:0.619–0.939, p = 0.011), CD45 on granulocyte in TBNK group (OR = 0.621, 95%CI:0.391–0.984, p = 0.042).ConclusionThe findings suggest that certain specific immune cell phenotypes, particularly B cell and Treg cell subpopulations, are causally associated with GBS, providing potential targets for the clinical treatment of GBS.

Abstract Background The Chinese government has formulated a series of policies and strengthened training of general practitioners (GPs) to support their role as “gatekeepers” of residents’ health. This study aimed to explore the core competencies of Chinese GPs and develop a competency framework in line with China’s actual conditions, which can provide a more scientific basis for the education, training, and evaluation of GPs. Methods Literature analysis and behaviour event interviews were conducted to build the competency dictionary and the initial version of the competency model. Two rounds of Delphi were performed to gain consensus on the final model. The questionnaire survey was carried out in 10 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions) of China, and GPs were invited to score the importance of each competency item. The total sample was randomly divided into two groups. One group was for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the other was for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the scale’s reliability and validity. Results The dictionary of general practitioners’ competency including 107 competency items was constructed. After two rounds of Delphi, a consensus was reached on 60 competencies in 6 domains. A total of 1917 valid questionnaires were obtained in the nationwide survey. The average importance score of all second-level indicators is 4.53 ± 0.45. The Cronbach’s α coefficient is 0.984. The results of the five factors extracted by EFA showing the 68.16% cumulative explained variance variation is considered to be consistent with the six dimensions obtained by Delphi after thorough discussion. The model fitness indexes obtained by CFA were acceptable (χ2/df = 4.909, CFI = 0.869, NFI = 0.841, RMSEA = 0.065). The values of the composite reliability (CR) of the six dimensions were all greater than 0.7 (0.943, 0.927, 0.937, 0.927, 0.943, 0.950), and the average of variance extracted (AVE) were all greater than 0.5 (0.562, 0.613, 0.649, 0.563, 0.626, 0.635). The results showed that the model has good reliability and validity. Conclusion A competency model for GPs suited to China has been developed, which may offer guidance for future training and medical licensing examinations of GPs.

Abstract In order to reduce the energy consumption of buildings, an air source heat pump assisted rooftop photovoltaic-thermal integration system is designed. The installation area of photovoltaic modules and collectors will not only affect the power side, but also affect the thermal side. Therefore, the basic architecture of the photovoltaic photothermal integration system is first established, and then the improved whale algorithm is used to optimize the photovoltaic photothermal integration system with the daily operating cost as the optimization goal. At the same time, the influence of the installation area of the photovoltaic photothermal module on the comprehensive performance of the system is analyzed, and the environmental and economic benefits of the photovoltaic photothermal system are analyzed. The results of the example show that the roof of the building has significant benefits in environmental protection and investment recovery period when the photovoltaic photothermal system with the optimal area ratio is installed on the roof of the building. The solar photovoltaic power generation system can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 147.11 t within 25 years, and the solar collector system can save 170.5 thousand yuan in 1 year. It has achieved the purpose of saving energy, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and protecting the environment.

Background: A COVID-19 outbreak in the rural areas of Shijiazhuang City was attributed to the complex interactions among vaccination, host, and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). Herein, we investigated the epidemiological characteristics of all reported symptomatic cases by picking Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province in Northern China as research objective. In addition, we established an age-group mathematical model to perform the optimal fitting and to investigate the dynamical profiles under three scenarios. Methods: All reported symptomatic cases of Shijiazhuang epidemic (January 2-February 3, 2021) were investigated in our study. The cases were classified by gender, age group and location, the distributions were analyzed by epidemiological characteristics. Furthermore, the reported data from Health Commission of Hebei Province was also analyzed by using an age-group mathematical model by two phases and three scenarios. Results: Shijiazhuang epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 wild strain was recorded with the peak 84 cases out of 868 reported symptomatic cases on January 11, 2021, which was implemented with strong NPIs by local government and referred as baseline situation in this study. The research results showed that R0 under baseline situation ranged from 4.47 to 7.72, and Rt of Gaocheng Distinct took 3.72 with 95% confidence interval from 3.23 to 4.35 on January 9, the declining tendencies of Rt under baseline situation were kept till February 3, the value of Rt reached below 1 on January 19 and remained low value up to February 3 for Gaocheng District and Shijiazhuang City during Shijiazhuang epidemic. This indicated Shijiazhuang epidemic was under control on January 19. However, if the strong NPIs were kept, but remote isolation operated on January 11 was not implemented as of February 9, then the scale of Shijiazhuang epidemic reached 9,482 cases from age group who were 60 years old and over out of 31,017 symptomatic cases. The investigation also revealed that Shijiazhuang epidemic reached 132,648 symptomatic cases for age group who were 60 years old and over (short for G2) under risk-based strategies (Scenario A), 58,048 symptomatic cases for G2 under late quarantine strategies (Scenario B) and 207,124 symptomatic cases for G2 under late quarantine double risk strategies (Scenario C), and that the corresponding transmission tendencies of Rt for three scenarios were consistently controlled on Jan 29, 2021. Compared with baseline situation, the dates for controlling Rt below 1 under three scenarios were delayed 10 days. Conclusions: Shijiazhuang epidemic was the first COVID-19 outbreak in the rural areas in Hebei Province of Northern China. The targeted interventions adopted in early 2021 were effective to halt the transmission due to the implementation of a strict and village-wide closure. However we found that age group profile and NPIs played critical rules to successfully contain Shijiazhuang epidemic, which should be considered by public health policies in rural areas of mainland China during the dynamic zero-COVID policy.

We propose and demonstrate a photonic-assisted approach for generating arbitrary microwave waveforms based on a dual-polarization dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator, offering significant advantages in terms of tunability of repetition rates and anti-dispersion capability. In order to generate diverse microwave waveforms, two sinusoidal radio frequency signals with distinct frequency relationships are applied to the dual-polarization dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator. By adjusting the power of the applied sinusoidal radio frequency signal, the power ratio between these orthogonal polarized optical sidebands can be changed, and thereby desired radio frequency waveforms can be obtained after photoelectric conversion. In our proof-of-concept experiment, we systematically varied the repetition rate of triangular, rectangular and sawtooth waveforms. Meanwhile, we calculated the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) to assess the approximation error in each waveform. The RMSEs are 0.1089, 0.2182 and 0.1185 for the triangular, rectangular and sawtooth microwave waveforms with repetition rate of 8 GHz, respectively. Furthermore, after passing through 25 km single mode fiber, the optical power decreased by approximately 5.6 dB, which verifies the anti-dispersion transmission capability of our signal generator.

Objectives This study aimed to identify long-term distinct trajectories of multimorbidity with ageing from 50 to 85 years among Chinese older adults and examine the relationship between exposure to early-life adversity (ELA; including specific types of adversity and accumulation of different adversities) and these long-term multimorbidity trajectories.Design The group-based trajectory models identified long-term multimorbidity trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between ELA and the identified multimorbidity trajectories.Setting This study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011–2018) and the 2014 Life History Survey.Participants We used data from 9112 respondents (aged 60 and above) of the 2018 wave of CHARLS.Outcome measures Each respondent’s history of chronic conditions and experiences of ELA were collected from the 2011–2018 waves of CHARLS and the 2014 Life History Survey.Results Four heterogeneous long-term trajectories of multimorbidity development were identified: ‘maintaining-low’ (19.1%), ‘low onset-rapidly increasing’ (23.3%), ‘middle onset-moderately increasing’ (41.5%) and ‘chronically-high’ (16.2%). Our findings indicated that the heterogeneity can be explained by ELA experiences. Across various types of different ELA experiences, exposure to food insufficiency (relative risk ratios from 1.372 (95% CI 1.190 to 1.582) to 1.780 (95% CI 1.472 to 2.152)) and parental quarrel/divorce (relative risk ratios from 1.181 (95% CI 1.000 to 1.394) to 1.262 (95% CI 1.038 to 1.536)) had the most prominent associations with health deterioration. The accumulation of more different ELA experiences was associated with a higher relative risk of developing more severe multimorbidity trajectories (relative risk ratio for five to seven ELAs and chronically high trajectory: 7.555, 95% CI 4.993 to 11.431).Conclusions There are heterogeneous long-term trajectories of multimorbidity in Chinese older adults, and the risk of multimorbidity associated with ELA accumulates over the lifespan. Our findings highlight the role of a supportive early-life family environment in promoting health development across the lifespan, advocating for the integration of life-course approaches to implementing health disparity interventions.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a non-invasive treatment modality for superficial skin cancers. It has the advantage of greater tolerance and providing better cosmetic outcomes than conventional treatment methods. Because of the rarity of extensive Bowen's disease located in the genital area, evidence of efficacy for therapies is mainly based on case reports and clinical experience. This report presents a case of a 32-year-old female with Bowen's disease of the vulva and perianal area with systemic lupus erythematosus successfully treated by 5-aminolaevulinic acid PDT. There was no evidence of recurrence after five-years of follow-up.

Abstract The removal of acetylene impurities remains important yet challenging to the ethylene downstream industry. Current thermocatalytic semihydrogenation processes require high temperature and excess hydrogen to guarantee complete acetylene conversion. For this reason, renewable electricity-based electrocatalytic semihydrogenation of acetylene over Cu-based catalysts is an attractive route compared to the energy-intensive thermocatalytic processes. However, active Cu electrocatalysts still face competition from side reactions and often require high overpotentials. Here, we present an undercoordinated Cu nanodots catalyst with an onset potential of −0.15 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode that can exclusively convert C2H2 to C2H4 with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of ~95.9% and high intrinsic activity in excess of −450 mA cm−2 under pure C2H2 flow. Subsequently, we successfully demonstrate simulated crude ethylene purification, continuously producing polymer-grade C2H4 with

The prediction system EpiSIX was used to study the COVID-19 epidemic in mainland China between November 2022 and January 2023, based on reported data from December 9, 2022, to January 30, 2023, released by The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on February 1, 2023. Three kinds of reported data were used for model fitting: the daily numbers of positive nucleic acid tests and deaths, and the daily number of hospital beds taken by COVID-19 patients. It was estimated that the overall infection rate was 87.54% and the overall case fatality rate was 0.078%–0.116% (median 0.100%). Assuming that a new COVID-19 epidemic outbreak would start in March or April of 2023, induced by a slightly more infectious mutant strain, we predicted a possible large rebound between September and October 2023, with a peak demand of between 800,000 and 900,000 inpatient beds. If no such new outbreak was induced by other variants, then the current COVID-19 epidemic course in mainland China would remain under control until the end of 2023. However, it is suggested that the necessary medical resources be prepared to manage possible COVID-19 epidemic emergencies in the near future, especially for the period between September and October 2023.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on July 23, 2022, their highest level of alert. This raised concerns about the management of the global monkeypox outbreak, as well as the scientific analysis and accurate prediction of the future course of the epidemic. This study used EpiSIX (an analysis and prediction system for epidemics based on a general SEIR model) to analyze the monkeypox epidemic and to forecast the major tendencies based on data from the USA CDC (https://www.cdc.gov) and the WHO (https://www.who.int/health-topics/monkeypox). The global outbreak of monkeypox started in the UK on May 2, 2022, which marked the beginning of an epidemic wave. As of October 28, 2022, the cumulative number of reported cases worldwide was 77,115, with 36 deaths. EpiSIX simulations predict that the global monkeypox epidemic will enter a low epidemic status on March 1, 2023 with the cumulative number of confirmed cases ranging from 85,000 to 124,000, and the total number of deaths ranging from 60 to 87. Our analysis revealed that the basic reproduction number (R0) of monkeypox virus (MPXV) is near to 3.1 and the percentage of asymptomatic individuals is 13.1 %–14.5 %, both of which are similar to the data for SARS. The vaccination efficiency against susceptibility (VEs) of individuals who have had monkeypox is ∼ 79 %, and the vaccination efficiency against infectiousness (VEi) of individuals who have had monkeypox is ∼ 76 %–82 %. The mean incubation period for monkeypox is 8 days. In total, 94.7 % of infected individuals develop symptoms within 20 days and recover within 2 weeks after the confirmation of symptoms. Simulation results using EpiSIX showed that ring vaccination was remarkably effective against monkeypox. Our findings confirmed that a 20-day isolation for close contacts is necessary.

There was an error in the original publication [...]

Accurate photovoltaic (PV) power generation forecasting is very important for making economic and reliable power dispatching plans. This study proposes a multi-step ahead PV power forecasting (PPF) model, which combines time-series generative adversarial networks (TimeGAN), soft dynamic time warping (DTW)-based K-medoids clustering algorithms, and a hybrid neural network model computed by a convolutional neural network (CNN) and gated recurrent units (GRU). First, a new PV power data augmentation method based on TimeGAN is proposed to realize the expansion of the historical PV power data. Second, the combination of soft-DTW and K-medoids clustering is developed to extract and distinguish the commonalities and differences between time series characteristics of PV power. Finally, a hybrid neural network model is developed to integrate CNN and GRU into a unified framework for an accurate PPF under different weather conditions. The performance of the proposed model was tested using real datasets of two PV power stations with an installed capacity of 50MW. The comparative analysis of the proposed model with five reference models confirms its superiority in terms of forecasting accuracy. For the sunny days and cloudy days, the range of root mean square error (RMSE) values are produced by the proposed model distributed in [0.927–2.523] MW and [1.781–6.173] MW respectively with respect to the multi-step ahead forecasting from 15-min up to 24-hour. The experimental results of the hybrid model proposed in this study indicate that data augmentation-based clustering method is very helpful for improving the accuracy of PV power forecasting.

Purpose – This paper aims to explore students’ work-integrated learning experience. Particularly, students’ application of knowledge and improvement of multiple skills in work-integrated learning, their influence on positive industry image change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and students’ desired career prospect were explored. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey with valid responses from 168 undergraduate students in hospitality and tourism management was conducted in four colleges/universities in Guangdong, China in 2021. PLS-SEM method was used to analyze the data. Findings – It was found that students’ multiple skills had improved through application of knowledge in work-integrated learning. Skill improvement helped form positive industry image change and shape future career prospect. However, such positive industry image change did not impact students’ career prospect directly. Originality/value – Today, work-integrated learning has become one of the most valuable opportunities for students in hospitality and tourism management to gain industry experience. However, recent literature has largely examined the negative impacts of COVID-19, whereas few studies have examined the positive aspects of work-integrated learning.

Abstract Background Abnormalities in cilia ultrastructure and function lead to a range of human phenotypes termed ciliopathies. Many tetratricopeptide repeat domain (TTC) family members have been reported to play critical roles in cilium organization and function. Results Here, we describe five unrelated family trios with multisystem ciliopathy syndromes, including situs abnormality, complex congenital heart disease, nephronophthisis or neonatal cholestasis. Through whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing confirmation, we identified compound heterozygous mutations of TTC12 and TTC21B in six affected individuals of Chinese origin. These nonsynonymous mutations affected highly conserved residues and were consistently predicted to be pathogenic. Furthermore, ex vivo cDNA amplification demonstrated that homozygous c.1464 + 2 T > C of TTC12 would cause a whole exon 16 skipping. Both mRNA and protein levels of TTC12 were significantly downregulated in the cells derived from the patient carrying TTC12 mutation c.1464 + 2 T > C by real-time qPCR and immunofluorescence assays when compared with two healthy controls. Transmission electron microscopy analysis further identified ultrastructural defects of the inner dynein arms in this patient. Finally, the effect of TTC12 deficiency on cardiac LR patterning was recapitulated by employing a morpholino-mediated knockdown of ttc12 in zebrafish. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the association between TTC12 variants and ciliopathies in a Chinese population. In addition to nephronophthisis and laterality defects, our findings demonstrated that TTC21B should also be considered a candidate gene for biliary ciliopathy, such as TTC26, which further expands the phenotypic spectrum of TTC21B deficiency in humans.

Background Prolactin (PRL) has been reported to be associated with oxidative stress, which is an important contributor leading to cell apoptosis. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the effects of PRL on cytotoxicity and oxidative stress in ovine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs). Methods Ovine ovarian GCs were treated with 0, 4, 20, 100 and 500 ng/mL of PRL. Then, the cytotoxicity, cell viability, malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of GCs were detected. Additionally, 500 ng/mL PRL was chosen as the high PRL concentration (HPC) due to its high cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. Proteomic and metabonomic were performed to examine the overall difference in proteins and metabolic pathways between C (control: 0 ng/mL PRL) and P groups (500 ng/mL PRL). Results The results indicated that GCs treated with 4 ng/mL PRL significantly decreased (P

AbstractThis study investigates whether the initiation time and intensification rate (INTRATE) of intensifying tropical cyclones (TCs) vary diurnally and how they are related to deep convection. TC intensifying events are identified and classified into slowly intensifying (SI) and rapidly intensifying (RI) events. RI events last ∼42 hr on average, much longer than SI events. More importantly, the onset of the TC intensification, especially RI, markedly peaks at 00–06 local time. However, the INTRATEs of both RI and SI events show very weak diurnal variability. The INTRATE continues to increase after RI initiation and slightly peaks in the late afternoon (at 90% significance level). Inner‐core convection of all intensifying events maximizes in the early morning, in phase with the peak initiation time. In short, our results suggest that the nocturnally enhanced inner‐core convection may play a role in triggering TC intensification (e.g., RI), but not maximizing the INTRATE.

Models based on joint detection and re-identification (ReID), which significantly increase the efficiency of online multi-object tracking (MOT) systems, are an evolution from separate detection and ReID models in the tracking-by-detection (TBD) paradigm. It is observed that these joint models are typically one-stage, while the two-stage models become obsolete because of their slow speed and low efficiency. However, the two-stage models have naive advantages over the one-stage anchor-based and anchor-free models in handling feature misalignment and occlusion, which suggests that the two-stage models, via meticulous design, could be on par with the state-of-the-art one-stage models. Following this intuition, we propose a robust and efficient two-stage joint model based on R–FCN, whose backbone and neck are fully convolutional, and the RoI-wise process only involves simple calculations. In the first stage, an adaptive sparse anchoring scheme is utilized to produce adequate, high-quality proposals to improve efficiency. To boost both detection and ReID, two key elements—feature aggregation and feature disentanglement—are taken into account. To improve robustness against occlusion, the position-sensitivity is exploited, first to estimate occlusion and then to direct the post-process for anti-occlusion. Finally, we link the model to a hierarchical association algorithm to form a complete MOT system called PSMOT. Compared to other cutting-edge systems, PSMOT achieves competitive performance while maintaining time efficiency.

The Multiple Microgrid System (MMG) facilitates synergistic complementarity among various energy sources, reduces carbon emissions, and promotes the integration of renewable energy generation. In this context, we propose a two-stage robust cooperative scheduling model for MMGs based on non-cooperative game theory and a benefit allocation mechanism. In the first stage, considering electricity price fluctuations and uncertainties in wind and solar power outputs, a robust optimization approach is applied to establish an electric energy management model for MMGs. This model enables point-to-point energy sharing among microgrids. In the second stage, addressing the benefit allocation problem for shared electric energy, we introduce a Cost Reduction Ratio Distribution (CRRD) model based on non-cooperative game theory. The generalized Nash equilibrium is utilized to determine the benefit distribution for shared electric energy. Finally, through case studies, the proposed model is validated, ensuring fair returns for each microgrid. The results indicate that the proposed model optimizes the operational states of individual microgrids, reduces operational costs for each microgrid, and lowers the overall total operational costs of the MMG system. Additionally, an investigation is conducted into the impact of electricity price uncertainty coefficients and confidence levels of wind and solar uncertainties on the operational costs of microgrids.

Thyroid hormones are formed within the precursor Thyroglobulin by a poorly understood process. Here Marechal et al. report a cryo-EM structure of native bovine Thyroglobulin with nascent thyroid hormone formed at a predicted hormone synthesis site.

Abstract Radiotherapy is an important treatment modality for lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) patients. This analysis was conducted to develop an immune-related radiosensitivity gene signature to predict the survival of LGGs patients who received radiotherapy. The clinical and RNA sequencing data of LGGs were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). Lasso regression analyses were used to construct a 21-gene signature to identify the LGGs patients who could benefit from radiotherapy. Based on this radiosensitivity signature, patients were classified into a radiosensitive (RS) group and a radioresistant (RR) group. According to the Kaplan–Meier analysis results of the TCGA dataset and the two CGGA validation datasets, the RS group had a higher overall survival rate than that of the RR group. This gene signature was RT-specific and an independent prognostic indicator. The nomogram model performed well in predicting 3-, and 5-year survival of LGGs patients after radiotherapy by this gene signature and other clinical factors (age, sex, grade, IDH mutations, 1p/19q codeletion). In summary, this signature is a powerful supplement to the prognostic factors of LGGs patients with radiotherapy and may provide an opportunity to incorporate individual tumor biology into clinical decision making in radiation oncology.

This study explores Generation Z hotel employees’ perception of and behavioral intention to use advanced information technologies (ITs) before and during COVID-19. The relationship between perception and intention moderated by COVID-19 is investigated. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and innovation diffusion theory (IDT) are integrated, and compatibility is added as an additional construct to conduct this longitudinal study. Data were collected in Hong Kong in April 2019 (pre-pandemic stage) and March 2021 (pandemic stage). Regression analysis, t-test, Cochran’s Q test, and correspondence analysis are applied. Follow-up in-person interviews are conducted to validate the results. The results reveal significant differences between the pre-pandemic and pandemic stages and the moderating effect of COVID-19 on the relationship between the perception of and behavioral intention to use advanced ITs. This study addresses the gap in hospitality research by integrating TAM and IDT to examine Generation Z hotel employees’ behavioral intention to use advanced ITs.

Abstract Acyl-CoA oxidase 2 (Acox2) is an enzyme involved in peroxisomal bile acid synthesis and branched-chain fatty acid degradation. Acox2 knockout (−/−) mice spontaneously developed liver cancer with marked lymphocytic infiltrate. Tandem-affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry analysis revealed that Acox2 interacted with methylcrotonoyl-CoA carboxylase followed by co-immunoprecipitation confirmation. Here we reported that non-histone lysine crotonylation (Kcr) levels were downregulated in Acox2 −/− mice livers. Interestingly, Kcr signals were concentrated in the nucleus of tumor cells but mostly located in the cytoplasm of adjacent normal liver cells of Acox2 −/− mice. Quantitative analysis of the global crotonylome further revealed that 54% (27/50) of downregulated non-histone Kcr sites were located in mitochondrial (11/50) and peroxisomal (17/50) enzymes including Ehhadh, Scp2, Hsd17b4, Crot, Etfa, Cpt1a, Eci1/2, Hadha, Etfdh, and Idh2. Subsequent site-directed mutagenesis and transcriptome analysis revealed that Ehhadh K572cr might have site-specific regulatory roles by downregulating TOP3B expression that lead to increased DNA damage in vitro. Our findings suggested Acox2 is a regulator of Kcr that might play critical role on hepatic metabolic homeostasis.

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic debilitating disease characterized by inflammatory demyelination of the central nervous system. Grey matter (GM) lesions have been shown to be closely related to MS motor deficits and cognitive impairment. In this study, GM lesion-related genes for diagnosis and immune status in MS were investigated. Methods Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were utilized to analyze RNA-seq data for GM lesions in MS. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were used to screen related gene modules and candidate genes. The abundance of immune cell infiltration was analyzed by the CIBERSORT algorithm. Candidate genes with strong correlation with immune cell types were determined to be hub genes. A diagnosis model of nomogram was constructed based on the hub genes. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify the biological functions of hub genes. Finally, an MS mouse model was induced to verify the expression levels of immune hub genes. Results Nine genes were identified by WGCNA, LASSO regression and PPI network. The infiltration of immune cells was significantly different between the MS and control groups. Four genes were identified as GM lesion-related hub genes. A reliable prediction model was established by nomogram and verified by calibration, decision curve analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves. GSEA indicated that the hub genes were mainly enriched in cell adhesion molecules, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, etc. Conclusions TLR9, CCL5, CXCL8 and PDGFRB were identified as potential biomarkers for GM injury in MS. The effectively predicted diagnosis model will provide guidance for therapeutic intervention of MS.

The middle segment of the Xiaojiang fault zone consists of strike-slip faults with frequent strong and medium–strong earthquakes under the joint influence of NE-trending faults and deep structural characteristics. The distribution characteristics of the deep subfaults of each branch need to be revealed. Two short-period dense array survey lines are deployed in the area. Shear wave velocity structures are obtained using ambient noise tomography. The results reveal that the faults in each branch dip nearly eastward, with strike-slip characteristics in the north‒south direction. Strong velocity lateral variation infer imply that the deformation characteristics of the upper crust may be brittle. NE faults are observed, which are characterized by typical compression. The high-velocity zone in the Songming Basin may be related to the deeper upwelling of high-velocity strata in the upper crustal flow.

BackgroundEsophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening is vital for the early diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). However, improvement in the detection rate of precancerous lesions and early ESCC with anesthesia assistance (AA) has not yet been investigated. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of AA on the detection rate of precancerous lesions and early ESCC in patients undergoing EGD screening and identify risk factors affecting the detection rate.MethodsWe reviewed patients’ electronic medical records who underwent EGD screening between May 2019 and August 2020. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received AA: those in Group A underwent EGD screening with AA, and patients in Group O underwent EGD screening without AA. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to account for differences in baseline characteristics. Detection rates of precancerous lesions and early ESCC were compared between the two groups following PSM. Binary logistic regression was used to identify risk factors affecting the detection rate.ResultsThe final analysis included 21,835 patients (Group A = 13,319, Group O = 8,516) from 28,985 patients who underwent EGD screening during the study period. Following PSM, 6009 patients remained in each group for analysis. There was no significant difference in the detection rate of precancerous lesions and early ESCC between Groups A and O (1.1% vs. 0.8%, p > 0.05). Binary logistic regression showed that age (50–59 years, 60–69 years and 70–79 years), higher endoscopist seniority, high-definition (HD) endoscopy, narrow-band imaging (NBI), and number of endoscopic images were all independent risk factors that affected the detection rate of precancerous lesions and early ESCC.ConclusionThere was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of precancerous lesions and early ESCC between patients who underwent EGD screening with and without AA. All independent risk factors that affected the detection rate of precancerous lesions and early ESCC included the following: age (50–59 years, 60–69 years and 70–79 years), higher endoscopist seniority, HD endoscopy, NBI, and number of endoscopic images. Endoscopists should consider all these factors as much as possible when performing EGD screening.

Non-negative intensity (NNI) is a quantity which avoids near-field cancellation effects in sound intensity and provides direct visualization of the surface contributions to the radiated sound power. Hence, minimizing the integration of Non-negative intensity on predefined surfaces is implemented to be the design objective of topology optimization for the constrained-layer damping design on plates in this work. Non-negative intensity can be easily computed based on the radiation modes and the particle velocity on the surfaces of interest. Regarding the radiation modes, an eigenvalue analysis for the acoustic impedance matrix is required. After evaluating the objective function, the gradients of the objective function are computed using an adjoint variable method (AVM). These gradients enable the optimization to be solved by the method of moving asymptotes (MMA). Finally, some numerical examples are presented to validate the proposed optimization approach. Numerical results show that the corner radiation properties of the plate can be suppressed by the optimization, minimizing the integration of Non-negative intensity.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound curing with various working modes and frequency combinations, including mono-, dual- and tri-frequency, on the content of NaCl and tenderness of pork loins (Longissimus dorsi). The physical qualities, myoglobin, moisture migration, distribution, and microstructure of pork were also evaluated. The results displayed that the NaCl content of samples cured by simultaneous ultrasound (100 W/L) working mode with a frequency combination of 20, 40, and 60 kHz was higher than that of other ultrasound working modes. The effect of ultrasonic brining was significantly better than the static curing when the saline solution was >35 mL. In addition, the samples cured by simultaneous ultrasound had better physical qualities, including more pickling absorptivity, less cooking loss, and lower hardness, tenderness, and chewiness value. The intensity of lightness was reduced, although redness and yellowness remained unaltered compared to static curing. The myoglobin content decreased drastically without changing the oxygenation level, and the relaxation time of T2b and T21 was delayed. The microstructure indicated that the ultrasonic treatment could promote changes in meat texture. Overall, the simultaneous ultrasound at various frequencies could efficiently accelerate NaCl penetration and improve pork quality.

Brusatol is a natural quassinoid terpenoid that shows a potential therapeutic use in treating various ailments. Recently, brusatol was shown to have anti-tumor activity and ameliorating chemoresistance or enhancing chemotherapeutic drug efficacy in vitro and in vivo cancer models, but its molecular mechanisms remained to be clarified. Here, we aim to investigate the roles of brusatol in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and its possible mechanism, especially on tumor cell glycolytic metabolism. In this study, we found that brusatol exerted significant anti-tumor effects in OSCC cells by repressing tumor cells proliferation, cycles, migration, invasion, and colony formation and inducing cell apoptosis in vitro through MTT, cell cycle, cell migration and invasion, colony formation and cell apoptosis assays. The result of metabolic assay and Seahorse XF glycolysis stress test assay showed that brusatol directly targeted glycolysis by inhibiting the extracellular acidification rate represented by a decreased glycolysis, glycolytic capacity and reserve capacity, and repressing activity of the key glycolytic enzymes pyruvate kinase and hexokinase. We also found that the expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and several important glycolysis related genes, including HIF-1α and c-Myc was downregulated by brusatol through real-time PCR. Furthermore, in vivo studies supported anti-tumor role for brusatol, demonstrating that brusatol inhibited tumor growth, angiogenesis, glycolysis metabolism and induction of apoptosis in OSCC cells nude mice xenografts. Our data clearly demonstrated the anti-tumor effects of brusatol in OSCC cells by targeting glycolytic metabolism, and it could become a promising tumor chemotherapeutic agent in oral cancer.

Tumor immunity is a cycle that begins with the release of antigens from tumor cells and ends with the destruction of tumor cells. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nonhistone protein widely present in the nucleus of mammalian cells and can be released by immune cells or tumor cells. As a proinflammatory mediator or alarm protein, the activity and function of HMGB1 are determined by the environment, binding receptors, redox status and posttranslational modifications (PTMs), and HMGB1 plays a key role in inflammation and tumor immune processes. In this review, we summarize in detail the current studies on the dual role of HMGB1 in tumor immunity, focusing mainly on immunosuppressive effects, such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), as well as antitumor immunoenhancement effects, such as immunogenic cell death (ICD). Finally, we discuss the potential and challenges of HMGB1 in antitumor immunotherapy.