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Abstract Chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. Chieh-qua How.) fruit development starts post pollination. With the continuous expansion of the fruit, the soluble solid content of the fruit decreases. Because there are no reports on the early development of Chieh-qua fruit, this study compared fruit transcriptomes at 0-, 3-, and 7 day post pollination (dpp). 104,747 unigenes were assembled from clean reads and compared using six public databases for similarity searching. Compared with those of 0 dpp (C), there were differences in the expression of 12,982 and 6541 genes in the fruit tissue at 3 dpp and 7 dpp, respectively. Compared with 3 dpp (B), there were 14,314 differentially expressed genes in the fruit at 7 dpp (A). Based on the analysis of transcription factors, 213 nucleotides in the MYB superfamily were identified; among them, 94 unigenes of the MYB superfamily were differentially expressed at the three stages. In the pairwise comparison of differential expression, eight unigenes (Gene_id: TRINITY_DN32880_c1_g2, TRINITY_DN35142_c2_g2, TRINITY_DN32454_c11_g6, TRINITY_DN34105_c2_g7, TRINITY_DN32758_c3_g3, TRINITY_DN33604_c4_g10, TRINITY_DN34466_c3_g1, TRINITY_DN35924_c3_g2) were homologous to those of MYB59, MYB-GT3b, MYB18, MYB4, MYB108, MYB306, MYB340, and MYB-bHLH13. These unigenes differed significantly among the three stages. Furthermore, MYB59 and MYB18 exhibited higher expression at 7 dpp. MYB4, MYB-GT3b, MYB108, and MYB306 showed the highest expression levels in fruits at 3 dpp. In addition, MYB340 and MYB-bHLH13 showed higher expression levels during the unpollinated stage. MYB59, MYB-GT3b, MYB18, MYB4, MYB108, MYB306, MYB340, and MYB-bHLH13 may play crucial roles in Chieh-qua fruit development, defense, and blossoming. This study provides a basis for further investigation of MYB superfamily genes involved in early fruit expansion in chieh-qua.

Abstract Two-dimensional topological insulators hosting the quantum spin Hall effect have application potential in dissipationless electronics. To observe the quantum spin Hall effect at elevated temperatures, a wide band gap is indispensable to efficiently suppress bulk conduction. Yet, most candidate materials exhibit narrow or even negative band gaps. Here, via elegant control of van der Waals epitaxy, we have successfully grown monolayer ZrTe5 on a bilayer graphene/SiC substrate. The epitaxial ZrTe5 monolayer crystalizes in two allotrope isomers with different intralayer alignments of ZrTe3 prisms. Our scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy characterization unveils an intrinsic full band gap as large as 254 meV and one-dimensional edge states localized along the periphery of the ZrTe5 monolayer. First-principles calculations further confirm that the large band gap originates from strong spin−orbit coupling, and the edge states are topologically nontrivial. These findings thus provide a highly desirable material platform for the exploration of the high-temperature quantum spin Hall effect.

3D bioprinting technology, a subset of 3D printing technology, is currently witnessing widespread utilization in tissue repair and regeneration endeavors. In particular, light-based 3D bioprinting technology has garnered significant interest and favor. Central to its successful implementation lies the judicious selection of photosensitive polymers. Moreover, by fine-tuning parameters such as light irradiation time, choice of photoinitiators and crosslinkers, and their concentrations, the properties of the scaffolds can be tailored to suit the specific requirements of the targeted tissue repair sites. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview of commonly utilized bio-inks suitable for light-based 3D bioprinting, delving into the distinctive characteristics of each material. Furthermore, we delineate strategies for bio-ink selection tailored to diverse repair locations, alongside methods for optimizing printing parameters. Ultimately, we present a coherent synthesis aimed at enhancing the practical application of light-based 3D bioprinting technology in tissue engineering, while also addressing current challenges and future prospects.

Streptococcus agalactiae (S.agalactiae), also known as group B Streptococcus (GBS), is a highly infectious pathogen. Prolonged antibiotic usage leads to significant issues of antibiotic residue and resistance. Chelerythrine (CHE) is a naturally occurring benzophenidine alkaloid and chelerythrine chloride (CHEC) is its hydrochloride form with diverse biological and pharmacological activities. However, the antibacterial mechanism of CHEC against GBS remains unclear. Thus, this study aims to investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity of CHEC on GBS and elucidate its underlying mechanism. The antibacterial effect of CHEC on GBS was assessed using inhibitory zone, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays, as well as by constructing a time-kill curve. The antibacterial mechanism of CHEC was investigated through techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), measurement of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity, determination of Na+ K+, Ca2+ Mg2+—adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity, observation of membrane permeability, and analysis of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mRNA expression levels of key virulence genes. The results demonstrated that the inhibition zone diameters of CHEC against GBS were 14.32 mm, 12.67 mm, and 10.76 mm at concentrations of 2 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL, and 0.5 mg/mL, respectively. The MIC and MBC values were determined as 256 μg/mL and 512 μg/mL correspondingly. In the time-kill curve, 8 × MIC, 4 × MIC and 2 × MIC CHEC could completely kill GBS within 24 h. SEM and TEM analyses revealed significant morphological alterations in GBS cells treated with CHEC including shrinkage, collapse, and leakage of cellular fluids. Furthermore, the antibacterial mechanism underlying CHEC’s efficacy against GBS was attributed to its disruption of cell wall integrity as well as membrane permeability resulting in extracellular release of intracellular ATP, AKP, Na+ K+, Ca2+ Mg2+. Additionally CHEC could increase the ROS production leading to oxidative damage and downregulating mRNA expression levels of key virulence genes in GBS cells. In conclusion, CHEC holds potential as an antimicrobial agent against GBS and further investigations are necessary to elucidate additional molecular mechanisms.

Due to the high efficiency and high performance of permanent magnet synchronous motors are used in various industries, such as aerospace. The main problem of achieving optimal performance control of PM synchronous motors is the heavy burden of control algorithms and large current pulsation. Due to the advantages of simple model predictive control algorithm and no need to set any control parameters, it is applied to the performance control of PM synchronous motors. The mid-point clamped three-level inverter is widely used because of its simple structure and versatility. However, the PM synchronous motor is susceptible to external load disturbances and internal parameter disturbances with large variations, and current harmonics and rotational arterial distance are difficult to control. In order to effectively solve the problem of disturbance disturbances, this paper proposes a functional disturbance observer (FDOB) based on the disturbance observer (DOB), which has the advantages of low order and handling more kinds of disturbances. In this paper, model predictive control and midpoint clamped three-level inverter are used. Compared with the traditional PI control method, the proposed functional disturbance observer plus model prediction control strategy can effectively reduce the disturbance perturbation of the motor, perform disturbance compensation, improve the motor speed response speed, improve the output current quality, enhance the system robustness and other advantages.

A kind of bolt element was introduced into the self-developed parallel computing system of strata motion (based on the combined Lagrangian-discrete element method) applicable for modeling the transformation from the continuum medium to the discontinuum medium or the further evolution of the discontinuum medium, reflecting axial and shear deformations, and formed a bolt module. A bolt element is composed of two bolt nodes and a component between them. The essence of the bolt element is that in each overlay the position of a bolt node relative to the sub-element remains unchanged. A quadrilateral element is divided into two pairs of triangular sub-elements in two ways. Each is called an overlay. The control loop of the system was executed serially on the CPU and the compute-intensive tasks were off-loaded to the GPU. The bolt module is executed in parallel with other modules to obtain a higher computational efficiency. Evolution of the axial force of the bolt element at different positions was investigated through the pull-out test. Results show that the axial forces of bolt elements within a certain distance away from the drawing end rise in an oscillation mode as the displacement increases in the drawing end, which is explained from the view of the action of the surrounding rock on the bolt. The present distribution of the axial force of the bolt was compared with the theoretical solution based on the Mindlin’s solution of the displacement to check the correctness. In order to investigate the supporting effects of bolt elements, a mechanical model was established by taking a track roadway in the Juye Mine as the background, the deformation-cracking-motion processes of surrounding rocks of the roadway with bolt supports and without were obtained. Results show that the bolt elements have a good effect in preventing the deformation of surrounding rocks of the roadway, controlling the developments of cracks, and improving stress distributions. It is due to the fact that the increase of the confining pressure of surrounding rocks within the lengths of bolts leads to the increase of the bearing capacity of surrounding rocks. The present results with bolt supports are more realistic than those of the traditional continuous method, which is due to the fact that obvious cracks between the rock elements in the failure zone near the roadway occur, causing a certain expansion of surrounding rocks.

Abstract A smooth and secure spatial path planning algorithm that integrates the improved ant colony optimization with the corrective connected spatial search strategy is proposed, aiming at heavy heading switching pressure of autonomous underwater vehicles sailing in complex marine environment. On the one hand, to overcome the low-dimensional search domain and inaccurate spatial communication information in traditional spatial path planning, the spatial connectivity adjacency domain search strategy is designed based on grid environment model. On the other hand, to alleviate heading switching pressure due to large path steering angles and redundant path turning points, the heuristic functions and pheromone update criterion based on ant colony optimization are introduced to improve the solution quality of smooth paths. The simulation results show that the space search strategy can improve the success probability of safe path planning without reducing the scope of explorable free space. Additionally, the simulations demonstrate that the improved ant colony optimization using the spatial search strategy can guarantee the shortest path with lowest tortuous degree and fewest turning times in the same grid environment.

With deepening of rural revitalization strategy, rural infrastructure construction plays an important role in local economic development and living environment governance. Based on the mediation model, this paper takes case study of 285 cities in China from 2017 to 2022 as samples, constructs the explanatory variable, the explained variable and the mediator variable by entropy method, empirically analyzes the impact of rural infrastructure construction on rural living environment governance and rural economic development, as well as the mediation role played by rural living environment governance. It is found that there is a significant positive impact between rural infrastructure construction and rural economic development, and rural infrastructure construction can promote economic development through rural living environment governance. Further analysis show that the impact of rural infrastructure construction on rural economic development presents heterogeneity, and the impacts of rural infrastructure construction on local economic development and on local economic development through living environment governance in the eastern and central China is stronger than that in the western China. After controlling a series of variables related to rural infrastructure construction, and performing endogeneity tests and robustness tests such as tail-shrinkage regression and principal component analysis, the regression results are still robust. This paper firstly provides scientific empirical evidence for the hypothesis that rural infrastructure construction promotes local economic development through rural living environment governance, and secondly confirms the necessity of strengthening rural infrastructure construction in China to promote rural revitalization, providing a policy basis for scientific decision-making, and finally finds an important way out to solve the problem of unbalanced economic development in rural areas to some extent.

Abstract In this study, four varieties of rice were cultivated on the same farmland under same conditions and for same duration. However, their lodging resistance was found to be obviously different from each other. Herein, three key factors that highly influenced the lodging resistance were identified. First, in terms of morphological trait, in contrast to the generally believed theory that the overall thickness of the fresh culm wall governs the strength, the thickness of the depressed region of the dried basal culm wall largely determined the mechanical properties by acting as the weak link. This depressed region represents the vulnerable part with high syneresis rate. Second, the culm and its carbon framework exhibited sufficient strength and rigidity for both support and stability of the rice stem. The constraint of high lodging resistance of rice plants is attributed to the culm flexibility. Furthermore, the results of the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy corroborate that the most amorphous part and the highest-fraction free volume in the culm carbon framework were found for samples that exhibited high lodging resistance. This result confirmed the significant influence of the culm flexibility on lodging resistance. Third, a higher level of nitrogen element content in the basal culm can benefit its growth and development, which may contribute to an increase in lodging resistance of rice plants.

Collagen is a promising biomaterial with excellent biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and good biodegradability. However, the poor mechanical properties of regenerated collagen fibers, which are susceptible to thermal denaturation and rapid degradation, remain a substantial challenge. In this work, aspartic acid (Asp) was incorporated to improve the performance of collagen fibers. The self-assembly behavior of collagen molecules in the presence of Asp was investigated, and the structure and properties of the collagen/Asp composite fibers were discussed. Their results showed that there are strong molecular interactions between the negatively charged Asp and the positively charged collagen molecules in acidic conditions. The mechanical properties and thermal stability of composite fibers are significantly improved compared with those of pure collagen fibers. Electrostatic interactions are the main factors affecting the self-assembly structure of collagen molecules, the alignment of collagen microfibrils, and the mechanical and thermal performances of composite fibers. This work provides a simple and environmentally friendly pathway to generate collagen-based fiber materials with better properties and has the potential to be used in a variety of biomedical applications.

Abstract Lung cancer is a commonly diagnosed disease worldwide, with non‐small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) accounting for ≈ 85% of cases. Cigarette smoke is an environmental exposure promoting progression of NSCLC, but its role is poorly understood. This study reports that smoking‐induced accumulation of M2‐type tumor‐associated macrophages (M2‐TAMs) surrounding NSCLC tissues promotes malignancy. Specifically, extracellular vesicles (EVs) from cigarette smoke extract (CSE)‐induced M2 macrophages promoted malignancy of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. circEML4 in EVs from CSE‐induced M2 macrophages is transported to NSCLC cells, where it reduced the distribution of ALKBH5 in the nucleus by interacting with Human AlkB homolog H5 (ALKBH5), resulting in elevated N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modifications. m6A‐seq and RNA‐seq revealed suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2)‐mediated activation of the Janus kinase‐signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK‐STAT) pathway by regulating m6A modification of SOCS2 via ALKBH5. Down‐regulation of circEML4 in EVs from CSE‐induced M2 macrophages reversed EVs‐enhanced tumorigenicity and metastasis in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, this study found that smoking patients showed an increase in circEML4‐positive M2‐TAMs. These results indicate that smoking‐induced M2‐TAMs via circEML4 in EVs promote the NSCLC progression through ALKBH5‐regulated m6A modification of SOCS2. This study also reveals that circEML4 in EVs from TAMs acts as a diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC, especially for patients with smoking history.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been suitably synthesized by reduction of silver ion (Ag ^+ ) using carbon dots (CDs) as a reducing agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizing agent. The purpose of this study was to clarify the efficiency of reducing agent (CDs) for the synthesis of AgNPs. The CDs and AgNPs have been characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were also used to characterize CDs. The particle size of CDs and AgNPs was determined by Dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results showed that the CDs with particle size of 4.6 nm could be efficiently reduce silver ion at a sufficient ratio of CDs/silver ion to be 100 ml 1 mM ^−1 . The average size of AgNPs was 41 nm. The results of DLS measurement showed that the Zeta potential of AgNPs was −18, 8 mV. In addition, the duration of 60 min was needed to reduce silver ion completely at ambient temperature. The as-synthesized AgNPs may have a potential for antibacterial application and the other purposes as well namely catalysis, biosensor, electromagnetic coating...

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is representative of gram-positive bacteria. Sanguinarine chloride hydrate (SGCH) is the hydrochloride form of sanguinarine (SG), one of the main extracts of Macleaya cordata (M. cordata). There are few reports on its antibacterial mechanism against SA. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the in vitro antibacterial activity and mechanism of SGCH against SA. The inhibitory zone, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were measured, and the bactericidal activity curve was plotted. In addition, the micromorphology, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity, Na+K+, Ca2+Mg2+-adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) were observed and detected. The results showed that the inhibitory zone of SGCH against SA was judged as medium-sensitive; the MIC and MBC were 128 and 256 μg/mL, respectively; in the bactericidal activity curve, SGCH with 8 × MIC could completely kill SA within 24 h. SGCH was able to interfere with the integrity and permeability of the SA cell wall and membrane, as confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, the increase in extracellular AKP and Na+ K+, Ca2+ Mg2+-ATP activities as well as the fluorescein diacetate (FDA) staining experiment results. Moreover, a high concentration of SGCH could induce SA to produce large amounts of ROS. In summary, these findings revealed that SGCH has a preferable antibacterial effect on SA, providing an experimental and theoretical basis for using SG as an antibiotic substitute in animal husbandry and for the clinical control and treatment of diseases caused by SA.

The growing significance of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics in diverse medical applications, such as cancer, infectious diseases, and genetic disorders, highlighted the need for efficient and safe delivery systems. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have shown great promise for mRNA delivery, but challenges such as toxicity and immunogenicity still remain to be addressed. In this study, we aimed to compare the performance of polyplex nanomicelles, our original cationic polymer-based carrier, and LNPs in various aspects, including delivery efficiency, organ toxicity, muscle damage, immune reaction, and pain. Our results showed that nanomicelles (PEG-PAsp(DET)) and LNPs (SM-102) exhibited distinct characteristics, with the former demonstrating relatively sustained protein production and reduced inflammation, making them suitable for therapeutic purposes. On the other hand, LNPs displayed desirable properties for vaccines, such as rapid mRNA expression and potent immune response. Taken together, these results suggest the different potentials of nanomicelles and LNPs, supporting further optimization of mRNA delivery systems tailored for specific purposes.

In the present paper, resonance characteristics of the vapor bubble oscillating in an acoustic field are investigated analytically. The analytical solution of the non-dimensional perturbation of the instantaneous bubble radius during the transient process in the initial oscillation stage is explicitly obtained and physically analyzed at the resonance situation based on the Laplace transform method. And the typical oscillation behaviors obtained from the analytical solution are thoroughly exhibited and analyzed in the time and frequency domains. In addition, the corresponding oscillation behaviors at the non-resonance situation are also investigated for the purpose of comparisons. Through our investigation, several essential conclusions can be drawn as follows: (1) The analytical solution of the non-dimensional perturbation of the instantaneous bubble radius can be divided into four terms according to the physical meaning. Among them, it is the term related to the acoustic field that causes the progressively violent bubble oscillation. (2) The vapor bubble with a smaller equilibrium radius could respond faster and more significantly to the acoustic field during the oscillation. (3) The bubble oscillation characteristics always exhibit significant differences at the resonance and non-resonance situations in both the time and frequency domains, even if the difference between the natural frequency of the oscillating vapor bubble and the angular frequency of the acoustic field is greatly small.

Abstract Background We estimated the predictive effects of ART-related perceptions on the actual ART uptake behavior among ART naïve PLWH stratified by different time of HIV diagnosis under the new strategy. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted among ART naïve PLWH in Guangzhou, China from June 2016 to June 2017. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the predictive effects of ART-related perceptions on ART initiation among PLWH stratified by different timepoint of HIV diagnosis (i.e., before or after the update of the new treatment policy). Results Among 411 participants, 150 and 261 were diagnosed before (pre-scaleup group) and after (post-scaleup group) the implementation of the new strategy, respectively. The ART initiation rate in the post-scaleup group (88.9%) was higher than that in the pre-scaleup group (73.3%) (p 0.05). Conclusions The ART initiation rate was high particularly among participants who diagnosed after the new treatment strategy. The important role of the time of HIV diagnosis on ART initiation identified in this study suggested that future implementation interventions may consider to modify the ART-related perceptions for HIV patients who diagnosed before the implementation of the new ART strategy, while expand the accessibility of ART service for those who diagnosed after the implementation of the new strategy.

In the present paper, the laser-induced cavitation bubble dynamics near a fixed spherical particle is comprehensively investigated based on the Weiss theorem, the Kelvin impulse theory and the high-speed photography experiment. Firstly, the applicability range of the theoretical model in the time and the space is statistically obtained based on sufficient experimental results. Then, the in-depth theoretical analysis is carried out in terms of the liquid flow field and the bubble Kelvin impulse with the corresponding experimental results as the reasonable support. In addition, the theoretical prediction model of the bubble movement is established and experimentally fitted from the analytic expression of the Kelvin impulse. Through our research, it is found that: (1) the applicability range of the Kelvin impulse theory for the bubble near the spherical particle is approximately the dimensionless distance between the bubble and particle (γ) greater than 0.50. (2) The effect of the particle on the liquid velocity between the bubble and the particle is mainly manifested in the form of the image bubble, which always causes the liquid velocity in this region to be significantly lower than other surrounding regions. (3) The average movement velocity of the bubble centroid can be reasonably predicted by establishing a directly proportional function between the Kelvin impulse and the velocity with the relationship constant (α) equal to 3.57×10−6 ± 1.63×10−7 kg.

The research on cavitation bubbles within droplets has gradually become one of the advanced topics in the field of confined fluid domains, which is closely related to the industry fields. However, the research on the relationship between cavitation bubbles collapsing within droplet and droplet splash dynamics is still in its infancy. Here, the high-speed photography experimental platform of cavitation bubbles within droplets was built to investigate the influences of the eccentricities of bubbles within droplets on the phenomenon. The concluding remarks are given as follows. (1) With the change in eccentricity, the droplet splash morphology can be divided into three cases: scattering, trident, and composite splashes respectively. Moreover, the movement trend of the bubble wall can be divided into three categories: spherical, fabiform, and ellipsoidal. (2) The height of the main peak of the droplet splash and the distribution law of the splash angle could be changed by the eccentricity. (3) The bubble collapse time of the droplet is significantly affected by the eccentricity.

Abstract Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most serious microvascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Delta-like ligand-4 (DLL4) maintains the normal physiological microenvironment of the retina. However, the relationship between the level of DLL4 and the severity of DR remains unclear. Methods We retrospectively analyzed serum DLL4 levels and other laboratory and clinical data in 94 T2DM patients (35 patients without DR [NDR], 32 with non-proliferative DR [NPDR], 27 with proliferative DR [PDR]), and 30 healthy controls. Results The serum DLL4 level was significantly greater in the NDR group (43.38 ± 16.23 pg/mL), NPDR group (56.57 ± 25.89 pg/mL), and PDR group (74.97 ± 25.28 pg/mL) than in the healthy controls (29.9 ± 8.92 pg/mL; all p

To investigate the significance of thrombelastography (TEG) in patients who have lung adenocarcinoma in situ (LAIS) complicated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), 120 subjects were enrolled: 40 with LAIS, 40 with LAIS and T2D (LAIS + T2D), and 40 healthy controls (HCs). Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships of TEG with indicators of T2D. The LAIS + T2D group had lower reaction time (R), rate of clot formation (K), estimated percentage of lysis (EPL), and lysis after 30 min (LY30), but higher maximum amplitude (MA), angle (α), and coagulation index (CI) than other group. Compared with the HC group, the LAIS group had lower R, K, EPL, and LY30, but higher MA, α, and CI. In LAIS + T2D group, R and LY30 had negatively correlations with fasting blood glucose (FBG) and triglycerides (TGs); α and MA had positive correlations with FBG and TG; K had negative correlations with FBG; EPL had negative correlations with FBG and low-density lipoprotein (LDL); and CI had positive correlations with FBG and LDL. TEG may be a useful indicator of blood coagulation dysfunction in these patients rather the healthy individuals.

ABSTRACT Although the phosphorothioate (PT) modification, in which the nonbridging oxygen in the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone is replaced by sulfur, has been reported to play versatile roles in multiple cellular processes, very little data have been obtained to define the role of PT in epigenetic regulation. In this study, we report that the PT system in Salmonella enterica serovar Cerro 87 is involved in the transcriptional regulation of the torCAD operon encoding the trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) respiration machinery that enables the use of TMAO as a terminal electron acceptor for respiration when oxygen is not available. In vitro, PT enhanced the binding of the transcriptional activator of the torCAD operon, namely, TorR, to its DNA substrate (tor boxes). However, in vivo, the PT modification protein complex DndCDE downregulated torCAD transcription through competing with the binding of TorR to the tor boxes. The altered expression of torCAD caused by PT modification proteins affected cell growth that relied on TMAO respiration. To our knowledge, this is the first report supporting that PT proteins participate in transcriptional regulation, showing a new function of PT systems. IMPORTANCE Since the initial discovery of DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification systems in Streptomyces lividans in the 1980s, explorations of the biological functions of DNA PT systems have advanced and yielded a number of important findings. However, the functions of PT systems, especially in genetic regulation, remain largely unknown. In this study, we report a case in which the PT system participates in the transcriptional regulation of the torCAD operon in Salmonella enterica serovar Cerro 87. While the PT modification enhanced the binding of TorR, the torCAD operon transcriptional activator, to its DNA substrate in vitro, we found that the PT modification protein complex DndCDE directly competed with TorR binding in vivo and subsequently repressed the expression of torCAD and attenuated cell growth that relied on TMAO respiration. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the characteristics of the PT chemical structure and broaden our understanding of the mechanisms by which PT regulates gene expression.

The innate immune response can be activated by infection via different routes. Zebrafish provide a useful infection model for studying inflammation and the innate immune response. We investigated the genes and signaling pathways activated by static immersion and caudal vein microinjection infection using transcriptome profiling and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to compare the innate immune response in 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) zebrafish larvae infected by Vibrio parahaemolyticus Vp13 strain. The median lethal dose (LD50) values at 96 h following immersion and microinjection were 3.63 × 107 CFU/mL and 5.76 × 102 CFU/nL, respectively. An innate immune response was initiated after 2 h of incubation with the respective LD50 for each infection method. Six hundred and two genes in the immersion group and 359 genes in the microinjection group were activated and differentially expressed post-infection. Sixty-three Gene Ontology (GO) terms and four Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were significantly enriched in the immersion group, compared with only three GO terms and no KEGG pathways in the microinjection group. Two genes, tnfb and ccl20a.3, were significantly up-regulated in both groups. We speculated that immersion infection may affect initial dorsal determination, cytochromes, and fatty acid-binding proteins, as well as inflammation, while microinjection infection may mainly directly affect the immune response. Infection with doses > LD50 (1.09 × 109 CFU/mL and 1.09 × 103 CFU/nL by immersion and microinjection, respectively) caused more significant up-regulation of il11a, tnfa, tnfb, il1b, ccl34a.4, ccl20a.3, irak3, cxcl18b, and ccl35.1, suggesting that in addition to the classical innate immunity genes tnfa, tnfb, il1b, and il6, the genes il11a, ccl34a.4, ccl20a.3, cxcl18b, and ccl35.1 were also important for defending against Vp13 infection. These findings highlight the genes involved in the responses of zebrafish to Vp13 infection via different routes and doses, and thus provide the basis for further analyses of immune response signaling pathways.

About 10 major crops basically feed the world. In fact, there are still a large number of plants that have not been fully explored and utilized because they have been ignored by the market and research. The expansion of food sources in various countries plays an important role in maintaining food security and nutrition security in the world. Miwu is the aerial part of the medicinal plant Rhizoma Chuanxiong belonging to a traditional local characteristic food raw material. Its edible value is still little known. Through textual research, component determination, literature survey, field research, and SWOT analysis, this paper has a comprehensive understanding of Miwu’s diet history, chemical components, safety risks, and industrial development status. It is found that Miwu has been eaten for 800 years, is rich in nutrients and active ingredients, and has no acute toxicity. In addition, the current industrial development of Miwu has significant advantages and many challenges. To sum up, Miwu is a potentially underutilized food raw material. This paper also provides countermeasures for the industrialized development of Miwu, which will provide a milestone reference for the future utilization and development of Miwu.

Abstract Background We generated a mouse model of primary microglial dysfunction by deleting two negative immune regulatory genes, Cx3cr1 and Socs3 (in LysM+ cells). This study aimed to understand how primary microglial dysfunction impacts retinal neurons during aging. Methods The LysMCre-Socs3 fl/fl Cx3cr1 gfp/gfp double knockout (DKO), LysMCre-Socs3 fl/fl , Cx3cr1 gfp/gfp and Socs3 fl/fl mice were maintained up to 12 months. Eyes were collected and processed for immunohistochemistry of IBA-1, cone arrestin, secretagogin, PKCα and GABA. Brain microglia from DKO and WT mice were stimulated with LPS + IFN-γ or IL-4. The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, IL-12p40, IL-23p19, CCL2, CCL5, CXCL2, IL-10, CD206 and Arg1 were examined by qRT-PCR and protein production was measured by Luminex assay. Retinal explants from C57BL/6 J mice were co-cultured with microglia from DKO or WT mice for 24 h, after which the number of cone arrestin+ cells in retinal flatmount were quantified. Results In 3–5 month old mice, the number of microglia in retinal ganglion cell layer (GCL) and inner plexiform layer (IPL) were comparable in all strains of mice. The DKO mice had a significantly higher number of microglia in the outer plexiform layer (OPL) but significantly lower numbers of cone arrestin+, secretagogin+ and GABA+ cells compared to Socs3 fl/fl and single KO mice. During aging, 57% of the DKO mice died before 12 months old. The 10–12 months old DKO mice had significantly higher numbers of microglia in GCL/IPL and OPL than age-matched Socs3 fl/fl and single KO mice. The aged DKO mice developed retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) dysmorphology accompanied by subretinal microglial accumulation. The number of photoreceptors, bipolar cells (Secretagogin+ or PKCα+) and GABA+ amacrine cells was significantly lower in aged DKO mice compared to age-matched Socs3 fl/fl and single KO mice. Microglia from DKO mice showed significantly higher levels of phagocytic activity and produced higher levels of TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, CCL5, CXCL2 and CXCL10 compared to microglia from Socs3 fl/fl mice. Co-culture of retinal explants with LPS + IFN-γ or IL-4 pre-treated DKO microglia significantly reduced cone photoreceptor survival. Conclusions The LysMCre-Socs3 fl/fl Cx3cr1 gfp/gfp DKO mice displayed primary microglial dysfunction and developed age-related retinal microgliopathy characterized by aggragated microglial activation and multiple retinal neuronal and RPE degeneration. Trial registration Not applicable. The article does not contain any results from human participants.

Improving the accessibility of ions in the electrodes of electrochemical energy storage devices is vital for charge storage and rate performance. Here, the authors report a new type of MXene-carbon nanotube composite electrode that maximizes ion accessibility, resulting in high rate performance at low temperatures.

In view of high oil viscosity at high temperatures, slow steam chamber expansion rate, low oil rate, and low oil/steam ratio of domestic super heavy oil blocks developed with dual-horizontal well steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), the solvent-aided oil viscosity reduction tests were carried out, based on which the analytical equations and similarity laws of solvent-expanded SAGD (ES-SAGD) were deduced. The large 2-D ES-SAGD scaled physical simulation experiments were conducted to compare the SAGD performances of the conventional steam and two formulas of solvent-steam system. The experimental results show that the light hydrocarbon solvents have good viscosity reduction effects to oil, and the oil reduction ratio can reach 96.5% by adding 5% N-hexane at 50 °C. Moreover, adding light hydrocarbon solvent (10% in the experiments) into the steam can bring the oil viscosity reduction effect of solvent and high temperature steam into play, speed up the lateral steam chamber expansion rate, increase the oil drainage rate and enhance the oil recovery degree. Adding 1% of xylene into the steam-solvent system can dissolve the asphalt to reduce asphalt precipitation, reduce the porous flow resistance and further enhance the oil recovery factor. The ES-SAGD recovery by reusing the solvents can realize replacement of the steam with small amount of solvents. Although currently higher in cost, the technology has the advantages of higher oil drainage rate, reduced production period, and enhanced oil recovery. The ES-SAGD theoretical model by modifying the SAGD model based on the oil viscosity reduction characteristics of solvents has been validated by the experiments and can be applied in ES-SAGD production predictions.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to explore the association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and the variants of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) genes in a Chinese population of type 2 diabetes, in total and in patients of different glycemic status separately. Methods This case-control study included a total of 3107 participants from two datasets, among which 662 were DR patients (21.31%). Eighteen tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of UCP1, UCP2, and UCP3 were selected as genetic markers. TaqMan probes, Sequenom MassARRAY MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry platform and Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array were used for genotyping. Online SHEsis software was used for association analysis. Bonferroni correction was used for multiple comparisons correction. Results Three SNPs of UCP1: rs7688743 (A allele, OR = 1.192, p = 0.013), rs3811787 (T allele, OR = 0.863, p = 0.023), and rs10011540 (G allele, OR = 1.368, p = 0.004) showed association with DR after the adjustment of glucose, but only rs10011540 was marginally significantly associated with DR when Bonferroni correction was strictly applied (padj = 0.048). In patients with uncontrolled glucose, rs7688743 (A allele, p = 0.012, OR = 1.309), rs10011540 (G allele, p = 0.033, OR = 1.432), and rs3811787 (T allele, p = 0.022, OR = 0.811) were associated with DR, while in participants with well controlled glucose, the rs2734827 of UCP3 was associated with DR (A allele, p = 0.017, OR = 0.532). Rs3811787 of UCP1 showed a protective effect to sight threatening DR (T allele, p = 0.007, OR = 0.490), and the association existed after the adjustment for environmental factors and the correction. In patients with uncontrolled glucose, the rs3811787 of UCP1 (T allele, p = 0.017, OR = 0.467) and the rs591758 of UCP3 (C allele, p = 0.026, OR = 0.103) were associated with STDR. While in those with well controlled glucose, only the rs7688743 of UCP1 showed a protective effect (A allele, p = 0.024, OR = 0.049). None of the associations remain significant when Bonferroni correction was strictly applied (all p

Previous studies on the technique for using the remaining oil are incomplete and inaccurate according to the position of the interlayer of the Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technique, and comparative studies of infilled horizontal wells are lacking. In this study, the SAGD well pair in the superheavy oil reservoir in the Z block in the Xinjiang Oilfield, China, was taken as an example. According to the reservoir’s geological parameters and production parameters, a typical well group geological model was created for the first time. The model divided the well groups in block Z into three categories according to the position of the interlayer, the production degree of the horizontal section, the oil recovery ratio, and the available degree of reserve control. According to the geological classification results, different typical well groups without an interlayer, with an interlayer located above the steam injection well, and with an interlayer located between the well pairs were classified and analyzed using numerical simulations. This was the first time the infilled horizontal well technique was compared with the infilled vertical well-assisted SAGD technique. In addition, the steam chamber connection law of the infilled vertical well-assisted SAGD was clarified. The results show that for reservoirs without an interlayer, the use of infilled horizontal well-assisted SAGD could speed up the lateral connection of the steam chambers and reduce the residual oil saturation. For reservoirs with a low production degree in the horizontal section and that are affected by an interlayer, an infilled vertical injector could be used with the assisted SAGD technique to increase the oil recovery by 5%–13%. The results of this study provided strong guidance for the next step in using enhanced oil recovery techniques to achieve traditional SAGD production from superheavy oil reservoirs with an interlayer.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic disease, which progresses slowly from early to late stages over many years. Inflammation critically contributes to the pathogenesis of AMD. Here, we investigated the therapeutic potential of minocycline in a chronic model of AMD (i.e., the LysMCre-Socs3fl/flCx3cr1gfp/gfp double knockout [DKO] mice). Five-month-old DKO and wild type (WT) (Socs3fl/fl) mice were gavage fed with minocycline (25 mg/kg daily) or vehicle (distilled water) for 3 months. At the end of the treatment, visual function and retinal changes were examined clinically (using electroretinography, fundus photograph and optic coherence tomography) and immunohistologically. Three months of minocycline treatment did not affect the body weight, behaviour and general health of WT and DKO mice. Minocycline treatment enhanced the a-/b-wave aptitudes and increased retinal thickness in both WT and DKO. DKO mouse retina expressed higher levels of Il1b, CD68 and CD86 and had mild microglial activation, and decreased numbers of arrestin+ photoreceptors, PKCα+ and secretagogin+ bipolar cells compared to WT mouse retina. Minocycline treatment reduced microglial activation and rescued retinal neuronal loss in DKO mice. Our results suggest that long-term minocycline treatment is safe and effective in controlling microglial activation and preserving visual function in chronic models of AMD.

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) provides microphysiological conditions on a microfluidic chip, which makes up for the shortcomings of traditional in vitro cellular culture models and animal models. It has broad application prospects in drug development and screening, toxicological mechanism research, and precision medicine. A large amount of data could be generated through its applications, including image data, measurement data from sensors, ~omics data, etc. A database with proper architecture is required to help scholars in this field design experiments, organize inputted data, perform analysis, and promote the future development of novel OOC systems. In this review, we overview existing OOC databases that have been developed, including the BioSystics Analytics Platform (BAP) developed by the University of Pittsburgh, which supports study design as well as data uploading, storage, visualization, analysis, etc., and the organ-on-a-chip database (Ocdb) developed by Southeast University, which has collected a large amount of literature and patents as well as relevant toxicological and pharmaceutical data and provides other major functions. We used examples to overview how the BAP database has contributed to the development and applications of OOC technology in the United States for the MPS consortium and how the Ocdb has supported researchers in the Chinese Organoid and Organs-On-A-Chip society. Lastly, the characteristics, advantages, and limitations of these two databases were discussed.

Abstract Background The early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people living with HIV (PLWH) benefits both individuals and societies. However, little is known about the intention to initiate ART among PLWH in China in the context of a scaling-up of treatment or how the recommendations of healthcare workers affect this intention. Methods A total of 451 ART-naïve PLWH were recruited from communities in Guangzhou, China for this study. Data were collected by trained physicians via face-to-face interviews. Logistic regression models were fitted for the data analyses. Results Of the participants, 93.8% were male, 72.7% were infected via homosexual behaviour and 68.5% reported an intention to initiate ART. In the latter category, 77.8, 41.9 and 20.0% of respondents received strong recommendations to initiate ART from healthcare workers at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), community healthcare centres and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders, depression, anxiety and strong recommendations from healthcare workers at the CDC and NGOs correlated significantly with ART intention. In the adjusted final hierarchical logistic regression model, the duration of infection [multivariate odds ratio (ORm) = 0.30, p

The development of steam chamber can be used to evaluate steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) performance. The velocity of steam chamber expanding is the key parameter for evaluating the development of steam chamber. Based on SAGD technology theory and heat transfer theory, two calculation model methods, observation well temperature method and steam chamber edge method for estimating the horizontal expanding velocity of steam chamber, were presented. Through analyzing the monitoring data and numerical simulation results of a typical super heavy oil block developed by SAGD in Fengcheng oilfield in Xinjiang, NW China, the development patterns of steam chamber and temperature variation law in the observation well at different stages are determined. The observed temperature data was used to calculate steam chamber expanding velocity. The calculated chamber velocity at different time was applied to predict the temperature distribution of oil drainage zone at the edge of steam chamber and SAGD oil rate. The results indicate that temperature function of high temperature zone in the observation well temperature curve has a linear relationship with measuring depth. The characteristic section can be used to calculate key parameters such as the angle of the drainage interface, expanding edge and velocity of steam chamber. The field production data verify that the results of the two proposed methods of steam chamber growth are reliable and practical, which can provide theoretical support for the efficient development of SAGD. Key Words: steam-assisted gravity drainage, observation well temperature, steam chamber, steam chamber expanding velocity, oil drainage zone

Abstract Background Uncontrolled microglial activation contributes to the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have shown that proinflammatory microglia are powered by glycolysis, which relays on high levels of glucose uptake. This study aimed to understand how glucose uptake is facilitated in active microglia and whether microglial activation can be controlled by restricting glucose uptake. Methods Primary murine brain microglia, BV2 cells and the newly established microglial cell line B6M7 were treated with LPS (100 ng/ml) + IFNγ (100 ng/ml) or IL-4 (20 ng/ml) for 24 h. The expression of glucose transporters (GLUTs) was examined by PCR and Western blot. Glucose uptake by microglia was inhibited using the GLUT1-specific inhibitor STF31. The metabolic profiles were tested using the Glycolysis Stress Test and Mito Stress Test Kits using the Seahorse XFe96 Analyser. Inflammatory gene expression was examined by real-time RT-PCR and protein secretion by cytokine beads array. The effect of STF31 on microglial activation and neurodegeneraion was further tested in a mouse model of light-induced retinal degeneration. Results The mRNA and protein of GLUT1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13 were detected in microglia. The expression level of GLUT1 was the highest among all GLUTs detected. LPS + IFNγ treatment further increased GLUT1 expression. STF31 dose-dependently reduced glucose uptake and suppressed Extracellular Acidification Rate (ECAR) in naïve, M(LPS + IFNγ) and M(IL-4) microglia. The treatment also prevented the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines including TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, and CCL2 in M(LPS + IFNγ) microglia. Interestingly, the Oxygen Consumption Rates (OCR) was increased in M(LPS + IFNγ) microglia but reduced in M(IL-4) microglia by STF31 treatment. Intraperitoneal injection of STF31 reduced light-induced microglial activation and retinal degeneration. Conclusion Glucose uptake in microglia is facilitated predominately by GLUT1, particularly under inflammatory conditions. Targeting GLUT1 could be an effective approach to control neuroinflammation.

Accumulating evidence has elucidated the biological function of lncRNAs in various tumors. FGD5 antisense RNA 1 (FGD5-AS1) is identified as a significant tumor regulator in malignancies. Up to now, the detailed function of FGD5-AS1 in cervical cancer and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain uninvestigated. Bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) can play critical roles in immune response, and the roles of BST2 in cervical cancer was explored currently. The level of FGD5-AS1 and BST2 was detected by qRT-PCR in cervical cancer cells. FGD5-AS1 and BST2 expression was significantly upregulated in cervical cancer cells. Then, the decrease of FGD5-AS1 greatly repressed cervical cancer cell growth in vitro. In addition, FGD5-AS1 silencing repressed BST2 expression and suppressed M2 macrophage polarization. Mechanistically, we confirmed that FGD5-AS1 sponged miR-129-5p to reduce its inhibition on BST2. Furthermore, lack of BST2 depressed cervical cancer cell growth, while inducing apoptosis. Loss of BST2 induced M1 macrophage polarization while blocking M2 macrophage polarization. For another, we demonstrated that FGD5-AS1-triggered M2 macrophage polarization was remarkably reversed by miR-129-5p via suppressing BST2. In conclusion, FGD5-AS1 induced M2 macrophage polarization via sponging miR-129-5p and modulating BST2, thus contributing to cervical cancer development. Our findings revealed FGD5-AS1/miR-129-5p/BST2 as a new potential target for cervical cancer.

The dataset presented here supports the research paper entitled “A calculator to quantify cover crop effects on soil health and productivity”. Soil health (sometimes used synonymously with soil quality) is a concept that describes soil as a living system to sustain plants, animals, and human. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, along with their interactions, are required to quantify soil health. The use of cover crops in agricultural rotations may enhance soil health, yet there has been little progress in understanding how external factors such as climate, soil type, and agronomic practices affect soil and cash crop responses. In response, this dataset compiles measurements from 281 studies and provides an analysis of field-measured changes in 38 soil health indicators due to cover crop usage. Environmental and background indicators were also compiled to assess how climatic and management practices affect soil and cash crop responses to cover crops, with specific categories including climate type (tropical, arid, temperate, and continental), soil texture (coarse, medium, and fine), cover crop type (legume, grass, multi-species mixture, and other), and cash crop type (corn, soybean, wheat, vegetable, corn-soybean rotation, corn-soybean-wheat rotation, and other). An unbalanced analysis of variation was used to determine the hierarchy of most to least important factors that affected responsiveness of each soil health indicator. Based on the hierarchy structure, a soil health calculator was then developed to quantify the response of 13 parameters – erosion, runoff, weed suppression, soil aggregate stability, leaching, infiltration, microbial biomass carbon, soil bulk density, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen, microbial biomass nitrogen, cash crop yield, and saturated hydraulic conductivity – to cover crops. The presented data in the calculator report the mean change in parameter values based on all combinations of climate, soil texture, cover crop type, and cash crop type. Keywords: Soil health, Soil quality, Cover crop, Conservation management, Agriculture

Aims. Obesity is highly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The TIM3/galectin-9 pathway plays an important role in immune tolerance. Herein, we aimed to investigate the expression of TIM3 and galectin-9 in peripheral blood and to evaluate their clinical significance in patients with obesity and obesity-related T2DM. Methods. We performed flow cytometry on peripheral blood samples from healthy donors (HC), patients with simple obesity (OB), and patients with obesity comorbid T2DM (OD). The expression of TIM3 on CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells was determined. The level of galectin-9 in plasma was detected by ELISA. Results. We demonstrated the enhancement of TIM3 on CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells in the OB group when compared with healthy controls, while it was decreased significantly in the OD group. The TIM3+CD8+ T cells of the OB group were positively correlated with risk factors including BMI, body fat rate, and hipline. The concentration of galectin-9 of the OD group in plasma was significantly higher than that of healthy donors and the OB group. Moreover, the level of galectin-9 of the OD group was positively correlated with fasting insulin and C-peptide, which were two clinical features that represented pancreatic islet function in T2DM. Conclusions. Our results suggested that TIM3 and galectin-9 may be potential biomarkers related to the pathogenesis of obesity-related T2DM.

DNA methylation and H3K9 dimethylation are two linked epigenetic marks of silenced chromatin in plants that depend on the activity of CMT3/2 and SUVH4/5/6. Here the authors identify AGDP1 as an H3K9me2-binding protein required for heterochromatic non-CG DNA methylation, H3K9 dimethylation, and transcriptional silencing.

Background. To study the effectiveness of exenatide with metformin and sequential treatment with exenatide and glargine added to metformin and their influence on insulin sensitivity and adipose distribution. Methods. 20 newly diagnosed obese type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled, and 2-month washout treatment of metformin, 6-month exenatide treatment, and 6-month glargine treatment were administrated sequentially accompanied with previous metformin. Glucolipid metabolic parameters were compared among groups. Adipose distribution was quantified with computerized tomography according to anatomy, dividing into visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), adding up to total adipose tissue (TAT). Results. The 6-month exenatide treatment dramatically ameliorated the glucose and lipid profile, improved insulin sensitivity, and mainly decreased VAT and also the ratio of VAT/SAT (RVS). The following 6-month glargine treatment increased VAT. The whole 12-month sequential treatment with exenatide and glargine added to metformin basically improved the insulin sensitivity and glucolipid control though VAT rebounded at the end, however without deteriorating the other parameters. Conclusion. Exenatide is an ideal treatment for obese type 2 diabetic patients in the aspect of adipose tissue distribution. Sequential treatment of exenatide and glargine could be an alternative for low-income patients who cannot afford GLP-1 agonist for long time. This trial is registered with ChiCTR-OOC-17013679.

It is a common understanding that the localization accuracy can be improved by indoor maps and inertial sensors. However, there is a lack of concrete and generic solutions that combine these two features together and practically demonstrate its validity. This article aims to provide such a solution based on the mainstream fingerprint-based indoor localization approach. First, we introduce the theorem called reference points placement , which gives a theoretical guide to place reference points. Second, we design a Wi-Fi signal propagation-based cluster algorithm to reduce the amount of computation. The paper gives a parameter called reliability to overcome the skewing of inertial sensors. Then we also present Kalman filter and Markov chain to predict the system status. The system is able to provide high-accuracy real-time tracking by integrating indoor map and inertial sensors with Wi-Fi signal strength. Finally, the proposed work is evaluated and compared with the previous Wi-Fi indoor localization systems. In addition, the effect of inertial sensors’ reliability is also discussed. Results are drawn from a campus office building which is about 80 m×140 m with 57 access points.

To report calculated crystalline lens power and describe the distribution of ocular biometry and its association with refractive error in older Chinese adults.Random clustering sampling was used to identify adults aged 50 years and above in Xuhui and Baoshan districts of Shanghai. Refraction was determined by subjective refraction that achieved the best corrected vision based on monocular measurement. Ocular biometry was measured by IOL Master. The crystalline lens power of right eyes was calculated using modified Bennett-Rabbetts formula.We analyzed 6099 normal phakic right eyes. The mean crystalline lens power was 20.34 ± 2.24D (range: 13.40-36.08). Lens power, spherical equivalent, and anterior chamber depth changed linearly with age; however, axial length, corneal power and AL/CR ratio did not vary with age. The overall prevalence of hyperopia, myopia, and high myopia was 48.48% (95% CI: 47.23%-49.74%), 22.82% (95% CI: 21.77%-23.88%), and 4.57% (95% CI: 4.05-5.10), respectively. The prevalence of hyperopia increased linearly with age while lens power decreased with age. In multivariate models, refractive error was strongly correlated with axial length, lens power, corneal power, and anterior chamber depth; refractive error was slightly correlated with best corrected visual acuity, age and sex.Lens power, hyperopia, and spherical equivalent changed linearly with age; Moreover, the continuous loss of lens power produced hyperopic shifts in refraction in subjects aged more than 50 years.

The emergency rescue refers to all the artificial interventions that aim to reduce the occurrence of and damages by the emergencies directly or indirectly. Its role is to act immediately to prevent damage to life,property or environment. Emergency rescue is the critical and direct stage in the emergency management process. Disasters and crises have the nature of the sudden urgency, complexity, severity, and decide the characteristics of emergency rescue operations are urgent, difficult, dangerous and hard. The essay comes up with research framework of professional rescue: the emergency organization and command of multi-forces on strategy-battle-tactics level, the risk analysis of multi-disasters events and the risk management and control of rescue, the standardization of rescue skills and equipments and professional training, and the information platform combining application system, database and the preliminary analysis of main sources.