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The approval of oncolytic viruses as antigen‐agnostic cancer vaccines provides a paradigm shift for immunotherapy. However, a delicate balance between safety and immunogenicity whether native or engineered oncolytic viruses remains elusive and further compounded by oncolysis‐induced immunosuppression. To address these dilemmas, the de novo design and synthesis of oncolytic viruses‐inspired nanoplatform are proposed by emulating desirable nanostructure and bioactivity for effective cancer immunotherapy. Initially, the influence of MoOx nanoparticles with varying physical morphologies on siRNA transfection are explored, wherein the virus‐inspired MoOx nanoparticles with spiky surfaces (Spi‐MoOx) are well positioned to serve as siRNA vectors to present the highest transfection efficacy. Given the preexisting immune suppression, defect engineering is incorporated into Spi‐MoOx through Mn dopants (Spi‐Mn/MoOx), in an effort to participate in tumor adaptation to hypoxia and maximize the oncolytic potency, while retaining favorable safety profiles. More importantly, the engineered oncolytic viruses hold considerable promise to function as a universal platform that enables any gene to be modulated precisely, allowing the selective activation of various pathways. Collectively, the study offers insights into the biomimetic synthesis and bioactivity of biological system through manipulating the physicochemical cues, while carrying significant implications to propel artificial oncolytic agents from the laboratory to clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare insurance fraud has become a major problem worldwide in recent decades, resulting in significant financial losses for every affected country. Traditional fraud detection methods, however, often fall short as they primarily focus on analyzing data from the current period, thereby neglecting valuable historical information. In our study, we introduce a novel approach inspired by the financial concept of "credit" to detect fraudulent activities in various domains, such as healthcare insurance, credit card, and online retail transactions. Our approach aims to build a credit evaluation model (CEM) that can distinguish between fraudulent and normal activities by analyzing their historical records. We acknowledge that numerous fraud detection methods have been proposed, but they often struggle to detect edge cases, which limits their practical effectiveness. To address this challenge, our proposed CEM employs a time interval-aware long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm to assist fraud detection. Furthermore, we propose an innovative approach that transforms traditional binary classification into a multi-classification problem, which improves the model's ability to handle diverse fraudulent activities. We conducted experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed approach and model, comparing them against baseline algorithms and recently proposed methods. The results indicate that our approach outperforms the others, demonstrating its potential for practical use in detecting fraudulent activities across various domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this project was to investigate the relationship between prepregnancy body mass index (ppBMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), and pregnancy outcomes in women with twin pregnancies. Methods: A prospective cohort of 369 women with dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies was recruited from 2016 to 2020. According to ppBMI using Chinese BMI classifications, they were categorized into the underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal (BMI 18.5–23.9 kg/m2), and overweight and obese (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2) groups. In each ppBMI group, they were divided into two subgroups based on the presence or absence of the complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), and small for gestational age (SGA). The outcomes including GDM, HDP, and SGA were compared among three ppBMI groups, and the associations of GWG with these outcomes within each ppBMI category were analyzed. Results: Twin‐pregnant women with overweight and obesity were at increased risks of HDP (aOR = 4.417 [95% CI = 1.826–9.415]) and SGA (2.288 [1.102–4.751]), whereas underweight women were prone to deliver SGA newborns (2.466 [1.157–5.254]). Women with GDM gained less weight during pregnancy than those without GDM within each ppBMI category. For overweight and obese women, greater GWG increased the incidence of HDP (1.235 [1.016–1.500]) and decreased the risk of SGA (0.818 [0.702–0.953]). Conclusions: Both ppBMI and GWG in twin‐pregnant women were strongly associated with HDP and SGA, but not GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural killer (NK) cells are regarded as the host's first line of defense against viral infection. Moreover, the involvement of NK cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been documented. However, the specific mechanism and biological changes of NK cells in COPD development have not been determined. In this study, we extracted NK cells from the peripheral blood of 18 COPD patients who were recovering from an acute exacerbation and 45 healthy donors (HDs), then we labeled NK cells with different antibodies and analyzed with flow cytometry. The data showed that the frequencies of total NK cells in the peripheral blood of COPD patients were lower compared with HDs. Moreover, the inhibitory receptors on NK cells expressed higher levels and the expression of activating receptors were generally low. Importantly, both the expression levels of CD96 in NK cells and the frequencies of CD96+ NK cells were significantly upregulated in COPD patients. These findings suggest that surface receptor CD96 from NK cells may be a risk factor in the evolution of COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a correlation between different types of ventricular septal defects (VSD) and chromosomal abnormalities in the low-risk setting of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and to evaluate the prognosis of fetuses with varying types of VSD.Cases of pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis due to fetal VSD were collected by Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology from May 2017 to May 2022. Exclusions were made for those without NIPT, with high-risk NIPT results, genetic disorders, and those lost to follow-up. Data collected included ultrasound classification of VSD, prenatal NIPT results, copy-number variations (CNVs) results, and neonatal outcomes.The prevalence of pathogenic CNVs was investigated in 74 cases of VSDs. Of these cases, 45 were isolated VSDs (9 muscular and 36 non-muscular) and 29 were non-isolated VSDs (10 with intracardiac and 19 with extra-cardiac structural anomalies). The results revealed that the incidence of pathogenic CNVs was lower in isolated VSDs compared to non-isolated VSDs in a low-risk NIPT condition (χ2 = 9.344, P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pathogenic CNVs between VSDs with intracardiac and extra-cardiac structural anomalies (P = 0.541). Moreover, VSDs associated with intracardiac structural anomalies had the highest rate of surgical intervention.When NIPT is low-risk and VSD is isolated, the likelihood of fetal chromosomal defects is not increased. However, if there are intra- or extra-cardiac structural abnormalities present alongside VSD, the possibility of pathogenic CNV is considerably greater, necessitating invasive prenatal diagnosis. Isolated muscular VSDs usually do not require surgery, which can be used as a basis for prenatal counseling regarding fetal VSD.Methods: The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a correlation between different types of ventricular septal defects (VSD) and chromosomal abnormalities in the low-risk setting of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and to evaluate the prognosis of fetuses with varying types of VSD.Cases of pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis due to fetal VSD were collected by Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology from May 2017 to May 2022. Exclusions were made for those without NIPT, with high-risk NIPT results, genetic disorders, and those lost to follow-up. Data collected included ultrasound classification of VSD, prenatal NIPT results, copy-number variations (CNVs) results, and neonatal outcomes.The prevalence of pathogenic CNVs was investigated in 74 cases of VSDs. Of these cases, 45 were isolated VSDs (9 muscular and 36 non-muscular) and 29 were non-isolated VSDs (10 with intracardiac and 19 with extra-cardiac structural anomalies). The results revealed that the incidence of pathogenic CNVs was lower in isolated VSDs compared to non-isolated VSDs in a low-risk NIPT condition (χ2 = 9.344, P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pathogenic CNVs between VSDs with intracardiac and extra-cardiac structural anomalies (P = 0.541). Moreover, VSDs associated with intracardiac structural anomalies had the highest rate of surgical intervention.When NIPT is low-risk and VSD is isolated, the likelihood of fetal chromosomal defects is not increased. However, if there are intra- or extra-cardiac structural abnormalities present alongside VSD, the possibility of pathogenic CNV is considerably greater, necessitating invasive prenatal diagnosis. Isolated muscular VSDs usually do not require surgery, which can be used as a basis for prenatal counseling regarding fetal VSD.Results: The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a correlation between different types of ventricular septal defects (VSD) and chromosomal abnormalities in the low-risk setting of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and to evaluate the prognosis of fetuses with varying types of VSD.Cases of pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis due to fetal VSD were collected by Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology from May 2017 to May 2022. Exclusions were made for those without NIPT, with high-risk NIPT results, genetic disorders, and those lost to follow-up. Data collected included ultrasound classification of VSD, prenatal NIPT results, copy-number variations (CNVs) results, and neonatal outcomes.The prevalence of pathogenic CNVs was investigated in 74 cases of VSDs. Of these cases, 45 were isolated VSDs (9 muscular and 36 non-muscular) and 29 were non-isolated VSDs (10 with intracardiac and 19 with extra-cardiac structural anomalies). The results revealed that the incidence of pathogenic CNVs was lower in isolated VSDs compared to non-isolated VSDs in a low-risk NIPT condition (χ2 = 9.344, P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pathogenic CNVs between VSDs with intracardiac and extra-cardiac structural anomalies (P = 0.541). Moreover, VSDs associated with intracardiac structural anomalies had the highest rate of surgical intervention.When NIPT is low-risk and VSD is isolated, the likelihood of fetal chromosomal defects is not increased. However, if there are intra- or extra-cardiac structural abnormalities present alongside VSD, the possibility of pathogenic CNV is considerably greater, necessitating invasive prenatal diagnosis. Isolated muscular VSDs usually do not require surgery, which can be used as a basis for prenatal counseling regarding fetal VSD.Conclusion: The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a correlation between different types of ventricular septal defects (VSD) and chromosomal abnormalities in the low-risk setting of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and to evaluate the prognosis of fetuses with varying types of VSD.Cases of pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis due to fetal VSD were collected by Tianjin Central Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology from May 2017 to May 2022. Exclusions were made for those without NIPT, with high-risk NIPT results, genetic disorders, and those lost to follow-up. Data collected included ultrasound classification of VSD, prenatal NIPT results, copy-number variations (CNVs) results, and neonatal outcomes.The prevalence of pathogenic CNVs was investigated in 74 cases of VSDs. Of these cases, 45 were isolated VSDs (9 muscular and 36 non-muscular) and 29 were non-isolated VSDs (10 with intracardiac and 19 with extra-cardiac structural anomalies). The results revealed that the incidence of pathogenic CNVs was lower in isolated VSDs compared to non-isolated VSDs in a low-risk NIPT condition (χ2 = 9.344, P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pathogenic CNVs between VSDs with intracardiac and extra-cardiac structural anomalies (P = 0.541). Moreover, VSDs associated with intracardiac structural anomalies had the highest rate of surgical intervention.When NIPT is low-risk and VSD is isolated, the likelihood of fetal chromosomal defects is not increased. However, if there are intra- or extra-cardiac structural abnormalities present alongside VSD, the possibility of pathogenic CNV is considerably greater, necessitating invasive prenatal diagnosis. Isolated muscular VSDs usually do not require surgery, which can be used as a basis for prenatal counseling regarding fetal VSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic C (SOC) plays an important role in soil quality. Thus, it is of great significance to know the spatial distribution characteristics of SOC. Environmental variables, such as natural predictors, remote sensing (RS) variables, and digital soil mapping approaches have been widely used in SOC prediction. However, it is still challenging to determine which methods and variables are effective to map SOC in farmland. In this study, we compare the performance of three machine learning models, including random forest, Cubist, and the support vector machine model for the prediction of SOC contents using RS variables, topographic variables, climate variables, soil property variables, and spatial position variables as environmental covariates. The recursive feature elimination (RFE) technique was used to select optimal variables. Of the 130 sampling sites of the cultivated layer that were collected in Shanggao county, 70% of the data were used for training and 30% for validation. Prediction accuracy and uncertainty was quantified using the bootstrap approach with 100 iterations. The performance of the model was verified by the mean absolute error, RMSE, R2, and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC); the SD was used as a measure of prediction uncertainty. Results showed that the Cubist model combined with the RFE method (Cubist_RFE) had a mean R2, RMSE, and SD of.84, 2.39 g kg–1, and 0.73 g kg–1, respectively, which showed the highest prediction accuracy and the lowest uncertainty. The soil property variables (soil alkaline hydrolysis N and pH) and RS variables (soil adjusted vegetation index, enhanced vegetation index, and band7 of Sentinel‐2) were the controlling factors of SOC prediction. Thus, the results indicate the potential of the Cubist model in SOC prediction, and the combination of the optical and radar RS data is a viable way for predicting SOC. Core Ideas: The prediction accuracy of three machine learning models for the SOC prediction was explored.The performance of optical, radar imagery, and other covariates in SOC mapping was investigated.Soil property variables and remote sensing variables predominantly control the SOC prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies significantly impact on manufacturing firms as they innovate their business processes in response to rapidly changing environments. Therefore, the proper use of digital technology to promote innovative behavior has become an important topic in research. However, few studies have examined how firm-level digital transformation affects individual-level innovative behavior. Drawing on the minority dissent perspective, we explored the mechanism by which digital transformation affects innovative behavior. Surveying 540 participants from Chinese manufacturing firms revealed that firm-level digital transformation was significantly correlated with both cross-functional minority dissent and individual-level innovative behavior. Moreover, minority dissent played a partial mediating role in the relationship between digital transformation and innovative behavior. This study sheds new light on how firm-level digital transformation can determine individual-level innovative behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional methods for characterizing friction in mechanical systems can be challenging, and the fitting accuracy often proves unsatisfactory. In contrast to conventional friction identification and numerical fitting approaches, we explore friction by analytically determining the normal forces emerging at contact surfaces. The associated joints are modeled as dual-mass systems with elastic transmission elements, which account for the effects of viscous damping and friction. When a joint experiences a constraint, the corresponding constraint force is computed as the solution to the Udwadia-Kalaba (U-K) equation. Employing a normal force, a closed-form expression for the friction torque is derived using the Stribeck friction model. This expression encompasses the magnitude at any instant of time without the need for auxiliary variables. A comparison between experimental and simulation results demonstrates that the friction analysis method proposed offers a reasonable and effective description. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evolutionary game theory is used to study the dynamic behaviors in WEEE recycling. • Fund Relief Policy can motivate the producers' green innovation behavior. • Fund Relief Policy can to some extent alleviate the government financial pressure. In an effort to regulate waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling, the Chinese government has issued China-WEEE regulations and a fund policy. In accordance with the 2012 fund policy, the government collects funds from producers and subsidizes recycling enterprises. However, this policy has encountered difficulties. The 2016 White Paper on WEEE Recycling, Treatment and Reuse states that while the funds collected from producers were 2.61 billion Yuan, the subsidies provided to recycling enterprises were 4.714 billion Yuan, which is a gap of 2.104 billion Yuan. In addition, this policy did not incentivize producers to invest in WEEE recycling. Our paper aims to answering the following questions: (1) What is the impact of the current WEEE processing fund policy? (2) How can producers' green innovation in WEEE recycling be promoted? We use evolutionary game theory to investigate the strategies used by producers and recyclers and explore their evolutionary behaviors under two policies: the 2012 fund policy (the current policy) and the Fund Relief Policy (a newly designed policy). The results indicate that the Fund Relief Policy can motivate producers' green innovation behavior, improve the profitability of recyclers, and alleviate the financial pressure on government to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functionalized graphene (G-MA) was prepared by a facile wet ball milling strategy, which achieved exfoliation and functionalization of graphite simultaneously. The G-MA showed excellent dispersion in water and polar solvents. Thus, a G-MA coating was prepared from G-MA in mixed solvents (H2O–ethanol) without binder or surfactant. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the G-MA coating exhibited a smooth and flat surface. The G-MA coating showed a conductivity of 769 S m−1 at room temperature, and a big increase could be found at 2000 S m−1 after thermal treatment under 200 °C for 2 h, indicating the restoration of the conjugated structure via the reverse Diels–Alder reaction. This synthetic method of functionalized graphene offers a powerful strategy for the reversible modification of the graphene electronic properties, which may expand their usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the influence of competitive adsorption and the change of charge transfer for simultaneous adsorption removal of SO2, NO, and Hg0 over graphene were investigated using density functional theory method. The results showed that all the adsorptive effect of SO2, NO, and Hg0 were caused by physical interaction. The adsorptive energy of SO2 was the highest, and the adsorptive energy of Hg0 was the lowest. SO2 could be preferentially adsorbed and removed. NO/SO2 and Hg0 had the mutual promotion effect for simultaneous adsorption over graphene surface. SO2 and NO had the mutual inhibition effect for simultaneous adsorption over graphene surface. Compared with single molecular adsorption, the adsorption type of bi-molecular adsorption did not change. However, the simultaneous adsorption changed the adsorption type of Hg0 + SO2 + NO to chemical adsorption due to the interaction among Hg0, SO2, and NO. As such, this study provides a theoretical insight for future application and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembling a viral replicase on host intracellular membranes is a common strategy for viral replication of almost all of the positive-strand RNA viruses. Understanding how the key modules of the replicase are involved in the replicase assembly may provide insights into the pathway of the replicase assembly. Herein, by using HCV as a model, we dissect the roles of the amphipathic helix (AH) of NS5A, a key repilcase component, in the viral replicase assembly. The results show that the AH is dispensable for membrane anchoring of NS5A. Instead, AH plays a dual role in the viral replicase assembly: positions a replicase module properly for efficient polyprotein processing and participates in protein-protein interactions within the replicase. This property of AH may serve as an attractive direct anti-viral target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overabundance of endocrine disruptors (EDs), such as steroid estrogens, in the natural environment disrupts hormone synthesis in aquatic organisms. Livestock and wastewater outflows contribute measurable quantities of steroid estrogens into the environment where they are picked up and transported via surface runoff and feedlot effluents into water matrices. E1, E2β, E2α, E3 and EE2 are the most prevalent estrogens in these environmental systems. Estrogens in soils and water undergo several concurrent attenuation processes including sorption to particles, biotransformation, photo-transformation, and plant uptake. This review summarizes current studies on the attenuation and transport of steroid estrogens with a focus on estrogen attenuation and transport modeling. The authors use this information to synthesize appropriate strategies for reducing estrogenicity in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capabilities of conductive ink with both excellent conductivity and flexibility properties are extremely important for the construction of next-generation flexible electronic devices. However, the development of an appropriate ink possessing high conductivity and good dispersity remains a big challenge for ink-jet printing. Here, an original synthesis method of surfactant-free carbon black@graphene (CB@rGO) conductive ink is reported via freeze-drying process and reduction in p-phenylenediamine. The CB@rGO ink unambiguously displays a well-defined and smooth morphology, extremely the CB@rGO conductive particles showing good stability in many solvents. The CB@rGO film exhibited outstanding flexibility which is showed by the durable conductivity after bending 1000 times. Furthermore, it has an excellent conductivity of 714 ± 90 S m−1, and these data increased to 5091 ± 200 S m−1 after the high temperature post-processing increased by 198% compared to the traditional rGO film. Notably, the absence of surfactant in conductive fillers' dispersing process contributed to the high conductivity of CB@rGO ink compared with the traditional ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mirror milling method applied in the machining of thin-walled workpieces can effectively reduce machining deformation and improve machining quality. However, it is challenging to model the collaborative relationship between the positions and orientations of dual-robot end effectors due to the coupled effects of multiple constraints. To address this issue, we propose a streamlined and adaptable system dynamics modeling technique based on the Udwadia-Kalaba (U-K) method that innovates and optimizes in terms of constraint extraction, transformation, and introduction. Firstly, based on the principle of similarity, we establish the unconstrained dynamic model of the system using the Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) convention, Jacobian matrix, and Lagrangian equation. Simultaneously, in conjunction with the geometric constraints of the workpiece, the orientation and position cooperation constraints of the dual-robot end effectors are extracted and transformed based on the constraint-following theory. This transformation is applicable to general cases of varying curvature and thickness, resulting in an easily manageable form concerning four-point trajectory constraints. By integrating the unconstrained dynamic equation with the standardized constraint equation via the U-K method, we can construct the dynamic equation of the system under multiple-source constraints. Lastly, by employing SolidWorks and MATLAB for a joint simulation, we create a visual dynamic model of the system. The feasibility of the modeling method, in terms of cooperation, is demonstrated by processing a cylindrical thin-walled shell as the workpiece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of essential oils (EOs) as an alternative for synthetic pesticides in agricultural production is severely limited because of their instability, high volatility, and water insolubility. Nanoencapsulation of EOs is an important strategy to overcome these limitations. In view of this, this study aimed to develop chitosan-thymol nanoparticle (NCS-Thy) with pH-responsive which can be used as an intelligent botanical fungicide to control Botrytis cinerea. The NCS-Thy nanoparticle was prepared by ionic crosslinking method with the loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of 29.87% and 41.92%, respectively. The synthesized NCS-Thy nanoparticle was further characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis, transmission electron microscopy observation, and dynamic lights scattering. The results of release kinetics and antifungal activity of NCS-Thy under different pH conditions were determined. The results showed that the NCS-Thy nanoparticle had excellent pH-responsiveness and can release more thymol under acidic conditions formed by B. cinerea , thereby achieving higher antifungal effects. Therefore, compared with unencapsulated thymol, the NCS-Thy nanoparticle had higher antifungal activity against B. cinerea in vitro. In addition, both the protective and curative efficacies of detached leaf test and pot experiment were significantly higher than those of unencapsulated thymol. Among them, the protective efficacy of NCS-Thy in the pot experiment was 78.73%, which was significantly higher than that of unencapsulated thymol with 61.13%. Therefore, the pH-responsive chitosan-thymol nano-preparation had a promising prospect of application in practical management of gray mold as an intelligent botanical fungicide. [Display omitted] • The pH-responsive chitosan-thymol nanoparticle (NCS-Thy) was prepared and characterized. • Acidic condition formed by Botrytis cinerea can trigger the release of thymol from NCS-Thy. • NCS-Thy had higher antifungal activity than unencapsulated thymol. • NCS-Thy showed potent antifungal activity against B. cinerea both in vitro and in vivo. • NCS-Thy has promising application prospects as an intelligent botanical fungicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) infection can activate NF-κB pathway in porcine intestinal epithelial cells and result in severe inflammation. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are not translated into proteins and play an important role in many biological and pathological processes such as inflammation, viral infection, and mitochondrial damage. However, whether ncRNAs participate in TGEV-induced inflammation in porcine intestinal epithelial cells is largely unknown. Results: In this study, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was used to analyze the profiles of mRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs in Mock- and TGEV-infected intestinal porcine epithelial cell-jejunum 2 (IPEC-J2) cell line. A total of 523 mRNAs, 65 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 123 circular RNAs (circRNAs) were differentially expressed. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed differentially expressed mRNAs were linked to inflammation-related pathways, including NF-κB, Toll-like receptor, NOD-like receptor, Jak-STAT, TNF, and RIG-I-like receptor pathways. The interactions among mRNA, miRNA, and circRNA were analyzed. The data showed that ssc_circ_009380 and miR-22 might have interaction relationship. Dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-22 directly bound to ssc_circ_009380. We also observed that overexpression of miR-22 led to a reduction of p-IκB-α and accumulation of p65 in nucleus in TGEV-infected IPEC-J2 cells. In contrast, inhibition of miR-22 had the opposite effects. Moreover, silencing of ssc_circ_009380 inhibited accumulation of p65 in nucleus and phosphorylation of IκB-α. Conclusions: The data revealed that differentially expressed mRNAs and ncRNAs were primarily enriched in inflammation-related pathways and ssc_circ_009380 promoted activation of NF-κB pathway by binding miR-22 during TGEV-induced inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the influence of a high efficient halogen-free phenylphosphonic amide flame retardant (FP1) to epoxy resin (brand name RTM6) on the rheological, mechanical and water absorption properties of the carbon fiber/RTM6 epoxy composite (CFR). With a 8 wt% loading FP1 in RMT6, the processing of CFR/FP1 was able to use the equal condition with that of CFR since the viscosity of RTM6 was maintained at a similar level in the minimum viscosity temperature region. The addition of FP1 showed negligible impacts on the interlayer share strength (ILSS) and in-plane share strength (IPSS) of CFR. The interfacial strength between RTM6 matrix and carbon fiber was decreased due to the impact of FP1 on cross-linking density and polarity of RTM6. The flame retardant efficiency of FP1 showed difference in presence of carbon fiber or not in RTM6. RTM6/FP1 (8 wt%) had a LOI value of 38%, achieved a V-0 rating at thickness of 3.2 mm in UL 94 test and showed 60% reduction in peak of heat release rate. RTM6/carbon fiber/FP1 (8 wt%) had a LOI of 43%, while it showed reduced performance in UL 94 and cone calorimeter tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Live attenuated anticoccidial vaccines have made a significant contribution to the control of chicken coccidiosis. The commercial live attenuated anticoccidial vaccines containing Eimeria parasites attenuated by serial passage in chicken embryos or by selection for precocity have limitations. The use of transgenic lines of Eimeria yielded promising results in vaccine research, and the feasibility of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editing in E. tenella has been reported. The advances in genetic manipulation on Eimeria parasites contribute to revolution of live attenuated anticoccidial vaccines, but there are several challenges. Chicken coccidiosis, caused by infection with single or multiple Eimeria species, results in significant economic losses to the global poultry industry. Over the past decades, considerable efforts have been made to generate attenuated Eimeria strains, and the use of live attenuated anticoccidial vaccines for disease prevention has achieved tremendous success. In this review, we evaluate the advantages and limitations of the methods of attenuation as well as attenuated Eimeria strains in a historical perspective. Also, we summarize the recent exciting research advances in transient/stable transfection systems and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editing developed for Eimeria parasites, and discuss trends and challenges of developing live attenuated anticoccidial vaccines based on transgenesis and genome editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fuzzy approach to the optimal control design for a kind of uncertain flexible joint manipulator is proposed. The system contains mismatched uncertainty which is described by fuzzy set theory and is assumed to be bounded. By implanting a fictitious control and transforming the system with new state variables, an adaptive robust controller is designed to guarantee the uniform boundedness and uniform ultimate boundedness of the transformed system. The proposed control is only based on the existence of the uncertainty bound and is not if–then heuristic rules‐based. Furthermore, the performance of the original system is also proven theoretically. By applying D ‐operation, the optimal design problem associated with the control can then be solved by minimising a constrained performance index. The performance index, which is based on the fuzzy information, includes average fuzzy system performance and control effort. The resulting control design is systematic and is able to assure the deterministic performance as well as the fuzzy performance. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the authors' conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hormones excreted by livestock metabolisms often enter surface water through feces and urine and can potentially cause adverse impacts to aquatic biota. This study involved a modeling analysis of 17β-estradiol (E2), a prevalent estrogen, in the South River watershed located in Augusta County, Virginia from 2013 to 2015. Cattle manure, poultry litter, biosolids, septic systems, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were considered as sources of E2 in this study. The EPA's BASINS modeling framework was configured to track the fate and transport of E2. The first-order kinetics and the wash-off model were adopted to characterize the attenuation and the transport of E2. The modeling results indicated that the flow rate was a major input affecting the simulated E2 levels in the water. During storm events, E2 on the land surface was transported into the rivers by the surface runoff and the E2 released into streams was diluted by the high water flow. Variations of the simulated E2 concentrations in the South River depended on the relative magnitudes of the loads from point and nonpoint sources. Modeling results showed that E2 levels in the South River were below the lowest observable effect level (LOEL) for fish. However, the practices of storing manure before land application and fencing off rivers to keep cattle out of the water are encouraged to prevent the potential for high E2 levels in streams receiving feedlot runoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the control design of artificial swarm systems with emphasis on four characteristics. First, the agent is made of mechanical components. As a result, the motion of each agent is subject to physical laws that govern mechanical systems. Second, both nonlinearity and uncertainty of the mechanical system are taken into consideration. Third, the ideal agent kinematic performance is treated as a desired d’Alembert constraint. This in turn suggests a creative way of embedding the constraint into the control design. Fourth, two types of adaptive robust control schemes are designed. They both contain leakage and dead-zone. However, one design suggests a trade-off between the amount of leakage and the size of dead-zone, in exchange for a simplified dead-zone structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, flame-retardant glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites (FGRE) were successfully prepared via adding a novel phenylphosphonate-based flame retardant, N, N '-diamyl- p -phenylphosphonicdiamide (P-MA) into GRE. FGRE12 showed high LOI value of 33%. Meanwhile, FGRE12 passed V-0 rating in UL 94 test and the peak of heating release rate (pHRR) decreased by 54% in comparison with that of GRE. The flame-retardant efficiency of P-MA in GRE was compared with that in epoxy matrix (EP). Moreover, the influences of P-MA on mechanical and thermal stability properties of GRE were studied systemically. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) studied the influence of P-MA on viscoelasticity of GRE. Fiber push-in test and three-point-bending test were used to evaluate the influence of P-MA on the EP matrix/fiber interface strength and interlamilnar shear strength, respectively. In addition, nanoindentation test was used to study the hardness and Young's modulus of EP matrix. The above results showed that the addition of P-MA did not affect the hardness of epoxy matrix and interfacial strength (epoxy matrix/glass fiber). The influence of P-MA on thermal stability of GRE was studied by thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA). These results would be very important in designing new generation multifunctional epoxy-based composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the impact of inclusion complex (IC) between β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and N, N′-diamyl-p-phenylphosphonicdiamide (P-MA) on the thermal stability and flame retardancy of epoxy resin (EP). IC was synthesized via inclusion process and characterized by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDS). 1 H NMR was used to identify the mole ratio of β-CD/P-MA in IC, shown that their mole ratio was 1:0.5. The inclusion complex (IC) was proposed to be a char promoter in EP via a combination of the properties of b-CD and P-MA during the combustion. By incorporating the IC, the flame retardancy of EP was expected to be improved. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal stability of IC was better than those of P-MA and physical mixture of β-CD and P-MA (PM). The impact of IC and PM on thermal stability and flame retardancy in EP were studied by TGA, limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL 94 and cone calorimeter tests. The heat and smoke releases of EP/IC were suppressed compared with those of EP and EP/PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triptolide, an important representative active compound of Tripterygium wilfordii , is hopeful to be developed into modern drug. However, the content of triptolide in natural plants is very low, which seriously restricts its development in the pharmaceutical industry. As a perennial woody vine, research on the genetic transformation of T. wilfordii is challenging and slow, which limits the process of improving triptolide content through biotechnology. In this study, the concentrations and combinations of growth regulators for T. wilfordii callus induction and regeneration were firstly optimized. The 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (1 mg/L) was efficient to induce callus formation from leaf explants, while 2.0 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine with 0.1 mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid had the best effect on regeneration from callus. Subsequently, the effect of different concentrations of screening agent (kanamycin or hygromycin B) on callus induction rate was determined. Then, Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated genetic transformation was established and validated by two different plant expression vectors, pCambia1301 and pJCV53, corresponding to β-glucuronidase histochemical assay and monomeric red fluorescent protein fluorescence detection, respectively. It took 3–4 months from A. tumefaciens infection to complete transgenic plant regeneration. Based on this transformation system of T. wilfordii , the overexpression of miltiradiene synthase gene (TwMS) was performed. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the expression levels of TwMS were highly up regulated in the transgenic plants compared with control line. The detection of high-performance liquid chromatography showed that overexpression of TwMS resulted in a 1.20–1.51-fold increase of triptolide in the transgenic lines. These results indicated that this efficient A. tumefaciens mediated genetic transformation provides a useful tool for future T. wilfordii genetic engineering studies to enhance the accumulation of triptolide in this economically important medicinal plant. [Display omitted] • Efficient A. tumefaciens transformation system of T. wilfordii was established. • Positive transgenic plants could be successfully obtained within 3–4 months. • Overexpression of TwMS resulted in a 1.20–1.51-fold increase of triptolide. • A useful method for genetic engineering to enhance triptolide content was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first study to develop an HSPF modeling framework to simulate three estrogens with interconversion. • The modeling framework can be used to characterize the temporal and spatial variation of estrogens in streams. • The modeling framework can help to investigate the factors leading to high estrogen levels, evaluate the potential health risks to aquatic animals, and determine the best management practices for estrogens. The risks associated with estrogens in detectable concentrations in the aquatic environment underscore the need to best manage the release of estrogenic compounds. Modeling work can effectively help to understand the variation of estrogens in the natural water bodies at low costs. This study developed a modeling framework based on the Hydrological Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) code to simulate the fate and transport of three dominant estrogens, estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2β), and 17α -estradiol (E2α) in surface water by integrating their excretion, transport, interconversion, and attenuation processes. This work focused on estrogens from sewage systems, failing septic systems, grazing animals, and manure land application. The developed modeling framework was applied to the Redwood River Watershed in Minnesota to model the in-stream estradiol equivalents (EEQs). The modeled EEQs were comparable to the values measured at three sampling sites along the Redwood River in 2007. The modeling results indicate that wastewater treatment plant discharges elevate estrogen levels on dry days, and surface runoff caused by storms or snow melting after the manure land application and/or cattle grazing can drastically spike EEQs levels, suggesting the application of buffer stripes and manure storage/composting for estrogen control. The case study shows that the modeling framework can be used to characterize the temporal and spatial variation of estrogens in streams, evaluate their risk to aquatic animals, and determine the best management practices for estrogen control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel poly (lactic acid) (PLA) composite with low flammability based on N,N′-diallyl-phenylphosphoricdiamide (PO-AA) and PLA was developed via traditional melt compounding. PO-AA exhibited high efficiency on reducing the ease of ignition of PLA without scarifying the mechanical and thermal properties of PLA. Only 1 wt% of PO-AA containing PLA composite passed V-0 rating with 3.2 mm (thickness of the specimen), while 2 wt% of PO-AA addition made PLA passed V-0 rating with thickness of 1.6 mm. The improvement also performed on increased limiting oxygen index (LOI) of PLA composites. The melting and crystallization behavior of PLA and PLA/PO-AA composites were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Meanwhile, thermal stability and thermal decomposition kinetics were studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, the evolved gaseous products of PLA and PLA/PO-AA (1 wt%) were characterized by TGA coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA–FTIR) test. Finally, the impact of PO-AA on viscoelastic and tensile properties was investigated by dynamic oscillatory shear measurement and tensile test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic on campus, universities in outbreak areas in China can implement closed-loop management. Objects: This study aimed to explore the relationship between mindfulness and mental health of college students under closed-loop management. Measures: 11,939 college students from a university in Changsha, China participated in the online survey during the closed-loop management period. The Chinese version of Perceived Stress Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Cognitive Reappraisal, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder questionnaire, and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire were administered to the college students. Results: We found that mindfulness was negative association with mental health during the closed-loop management period. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mental health. Cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between mindfulness and perceived stress. Specifically, when the level of mindfulness is the same, individuals with more cognitive reappraisal tend to experience a less perceived stress. Conclusion: The results of this study are of great significance to improve the mental health of college students during closed-loop management period. • Research conducted during closed-loop management period in universities • A large sample of 11,542 college students • Anxiety and depression levels were higher during the closed-loop management period. • The mediating role of perceived stress between mindfulness and mental health • The moderating role of cognitive reappraisal between mindfulness and perceived stress [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Organic moiety and confined cages of MIL-101(Cr) improve Pd dispersion. [•] Highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles with uniform size in the cages of MIL-101(Cr). [•] Optimal Pd/MIL-101(Cr) much superior to Pd/C in terms of activity and stability. [•] Development of highly efficient Pd/MIL-101(Cr) catalysts in the hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] TGEV infection induced ROS accumulation. [•] ROS accumulation is involved in TGEV-induced mitochondrial integrity impairment. [•] ROS is associated with p53 activation and apoptosis occurrence in TGEV-infected cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The query and storage of data is very important in wireless sensor networks (WSN). It is mainly used to solve how to effectively manage the distributed data in the monitored area with extremely limited resources. Recent advances in technology have made the number of the sensing modules in one sensor develop from single to multiple. The existing storage scheme for one-dimensional data is not suitable for the multidimensional data or costs too much energy. We proposed a kind of data storage scheme supporting multidimensional query inspired by K-D tree. The scheme can effectively store the high-dimensional similar data to the same piece of two-dimensional area. It can quickly fix the storage area of the event by analyzing the query condition and then fetch back the query result. Meanwhile the scheme has a certain degree of robustness to packet loss and node failure. Finally the experiment on the platform of Matlab showed that our scheme has some advantages compared with the existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Effective diagnosis of damage levels is important for condition based preventive maintenance of gearboxes. One special characteristic of damage levels is the inherent ordinal information among different levels. Retaining the ordinal information is therefore important for diagnosing damage levels. Classification, a machine learning technique, has been widely adopted for automated diagnosis of gear faults. However, classification cannot keep the ordinal information because the damage levels are treated as nominal variables. This paper employs ordinal ranking, another machine learning technique, to preserve the ordinal information in automated diagnosis of damage levels. As to ordinal ranking, feature selection is important. However, most existing feature selection methods are for classification, which are not suitable for ordinal ranking. This paper designs a feature selection method for ordinal ranking based on correlation coefficients. A diagnosis approach based on ordinal ranking and the proposed feature selection method is then introduced. This method is tested on diagnosis of artificially created surface damage levels of planet gear teeth in a planetary gearbox. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed diagnosis approach. The advantages of using ordinal ranking for diagnosing gear damage levels are also demonstrated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Early assessment of machinery health condition is of paramount importance today. A sensor network with sensors in multiple directions and locations is usually employed for monitoring the condition of rotating machinery. Extraction of health condition information from these sensors for effective fault detection and fault tracking is always challenging. Empirical mode decomposition (EMD) is an advanced signal processing technology that has been widely used for this purpose. Standard EMD has the limitation in that it works only for a single real-valued signal. When dealing with data from multiple sensors and multiple health conditions, standard EMD faces two problems. First, because of the local and self-adaptive nature of standard EMD, the decomposition of signals from different sources may not match in either number or frequency content. Second, it may not be possible to express the joint information between different sensors. The present study proposes a method of extracting fault information by employing multivariate EMD and full spectrum. Multivariate EMD can overcome the limitations of standard EMD when dealing with data from multiple sources. It is used to extract the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) embedded in raw multivariate signals. A criterion based on mutual information is proposed for selecting a sensitive IMF. A full spectral feature is then extracted from the selected fault-sensitive IMF to capture the joint information between signals measured from two orthogonal directions. The proposed method is first explained using simple simulated data, and then is tested for the condition monitoring of rotating machinery applications. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through monitoring damage on the vane trailing edge of an impeller and rotor-stator rub in an experimental rotor rig. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Candida albicans ALS family has eight genetic loci, each encoding a large glycoprotein. Als protein function is discussed most frequently in terms of adhesion to host and abiotic surfaces. Analyses of C. albicans strain WO-1 indicated variation within the ALS1 locus compared with other isolates such as SC5314. Investigation revealed a recombination between the contiguous ALS5 and ALS1 loci to generate a new coding region, named ALS51, because it encodes the 5′ domain of ALS5 fused in-frame to the tandem repeat region and 3′ domain of ALS1. ALS51 was detected in 11 isolates (4.6%) from a collection of 239 C. albicans strains of diverse origin and clade assignment. The 12 ALS51-positive strains identified in this study represented three different ALS family genotypes with respect to the presence and copy number of ALS51, ALS5 and ALS1. ALS51 transcription was detected by real-time reverse-transcription-PCR in WO-1. Although the cell-surface abundance of Als51 on WO-1 and Als5 on SC5314 was too low to visualize by indirect immunofluorescence using an anti-Als5 monoclonal antibody, both proteins were observed on Western blots of β-1,6-glucanase-digested C. albicans cell walls. Characterization of ALS51 illustrates one of the recombination mechanisms that generate diversity within C. albicans gene families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new molecularly imprinted stir bar was prepared using nicosulfuron, a sulfonylurea herbicide, as a template. To achieve the selective and direct extraction of a target analyte from aqueous samples, several main parameters, including extraction time, pH value and contents of inorganic salt in the sample matrix, were investigated. Competitive sorption experiments showed that using six sulfonylureas as substrates the imprinted stir bar gave high selectivity and imprinted effect on the template nicosulfuron in comparison with the non-imprinted stir bar. Evidence was also presented by the scanning electronic microscopic images of the imprinted and non-imprinted stir bars. This resulted in a combined imprinted stir bar–HPLC-UV method allowing the determination of trace nicosulfuron from the sample matrix. Based on a signal to noise ratio of 3, the detection limits were 0.75nM for the tap water and 12.0nmolkg−1 for the soil. The method showed good recoveries and precision, 93.4% (RSD 1.5%, n =3) for 100mL of tap water spiked with 2.0nmol and 81.3% (RSD 2.6%, n =3) for 10g of soil spiked with 0.80nmol, suggesting that the imprinted stir bar can be successfully applied to the preconcentration of nicosulfuron in real samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• miR-885-3p was up-regulated in response to TGEV-induced inflammation. • miR-885-3p inhibits TNF-α production via inhibiting NF-κB pathway. • Bcl-10 is the direct target gene of miR-885-3p. • TGEV-ORF3b upregulates miR-885-3p and downregulates Bcl-10 expression. Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) is an acute viral disease and characterized as severe acute inflammation response that leads to diarrhea, vomiting, and high lethality of piglets. Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), a member of coronavirus, is the pathogen of TGE. We previously found NF-κB pathway was activated and 65 miRNAs were changed in response to inflammation caused by TGEV in cell line porcine intestinal epithelial cells-jejunum 2 (IPEC-J2). Bioinformatics results showed that these altered miRNAs were relevant to inflammation. In this study, the candidate targets of differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were predicted and analyzed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Based on the results of KEGG analysis, miR-885-3p might participate in regulating activation of NF-κB pathway and TNF pathway. To study the function of miR-885-3p, miR-885-3p mimics and inhibitors were artificially synthesized and respectively used for overexpression and silence of miR-885-3p in cells. Our results showed that miR-885-3p inhibited NF-κB signaling pathway and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production. B-cell CLL/lymphoma 10 (Bcl-10) was identified as the target of miR-885-3p, and promoted NF-κB pathway activation and TNF-α production. It was found that TGEV open reading frame 3b (TGEV-ORF3b) suppressed Bcl-10 expression, activation of NF-κB pathway, and TNF-α production by uniquely up-regulated miR-885-3p expression. Overall, the results indicated that TGEV-ORF3b counteracted NF-κB pathway and TNF-α via regulating miR-885-3p and Bcl-10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) infections can in rare cases persist and cause lesions that may progress to cervical cancer. Cells in the lesions are not permissive for virus production, nor are cervical cancer cells. The intracellular environment is such that it prevents production of the highly immunogenic, viral structural proteins L1 and L2. One may speculate that inhibition of L1 and L2 expression is a prerequisite for persistence and cancer progression. We have therefore investigated how expression of HPV-16 L1 is regulated. We found that the only splice site in the HPV-16 late region, which is used to produce L1 mRNAs, is under control of a splicing enhancer located in the 17 nucleotides immediately downstream of the splice site. However, the function of this enhancer in cervical cancer cells is largely overshadowed by multiple splicing silencers in the late region which bind to hnRNP A1. High levels of hnRNP A1 therefore inhibit HPV-16 L1 expression. Immunohistological analysis of cervical epithelia revealed that hnRNP A1 is expressed primarily in the lower layers of the epithelium. hnRNP A1 is undetectable in terminally differentiated cells that can express HPV-16 late genes, which supports the conclusion that high levels of hnRNP A1 inhibit HPV-16 L1 expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Candida albicans ALS (agglutinin-like sequence) gene family encodes eight cell-surface glycoproteins, some of which function in adhesion to host surfaces. ALS genes have a central tandem repeat-encoding domain comprised entirely of head-to-tail copies of a conserved 108-bp sequence. The number of copies of the tandemly repeated sequence varies between C. albicans strains and often between alleles within the same strain. Because ALS alleles can encode different-sized proteins that may have different functional characteristics, defining the range of allelic variability is important. Genomic DNA from C. albicans strains representing the major genetic clades was PCR amplified to determine the number of tandemly repeated sequence copies within the ALS5 and ALS6 central domain. ALS5 alleles had 2–10 tandem repeat sequence copies (mean=4.82 copies) while ALS6 alleles had 2–8 copies (mean=4.00 copies). Despite this variability, tandem repeat copy number was stable in C. albicans strains passaged for 3000 generations. Prevalent alleles and allelic distributions varied among the clades for ALS5 and ALS6. Overall, ALS6 exhibited less variability than ALS5. ALS5 deletions can occur naturally in C. albicans via direct repeats flanking the ALS5 locus. Deletion of both ALS5 alleles was associated particularly with clades III and SA. ALS5 exhibited allelic polymorphisms in the coding region 5′ of the tandem repeats; some alleles resembled ALS1, suggesting recombination between these contiguous loci. Natural deletion of ALS5 and the sequence variation within its coding region suggest relaxed selective pressure on this locus, and that Als5p function may be dispensable in C. albicans or redundant within the Als family. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Here we have tested the inhibitory activity of the late untranslated region (UTR) of nine different human papillomavirus (HPV) types representing three different genera and six different species. These HPVs include both low-risk and high-risk types. We found that the late UTR of the various HPVs all displayed inhibitory activity, although they inhibited gene expression to various extent. The late UTR from the two distantly related HPV types 1 and 16, which are two different species that belong to different genera, each interacted with a 55kDa protein. This protein cross-linked specifically to both HPV-1 and HPV-16 late UTR, although it bound more strongly to HPV-16 than to HPV-1, which correlated with the higher inhibitory activity of the HPV-16 late UTR. Mutagenesis experiments revealed that inactivation of two UGUUUGU motifs in the HPV-16 late UTR or two UAUUUAU motifs in the HPV-1 late UTR resulted in loss of binding of p55. In summary, these results demonstrate that the presence inhibitory elements encoding PuU3–5Pu-motifs in the HPV late UTR is a conserved property of different HPV types, species and genera, and suggest that these elements play an important role in the viral life cycle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The ALS (agglutinin-like sequence) gene family of Candida albicans encodes eight cell-surface glycoproteins, some of which are involved in adherence to host surfaces. A mutational analysis of each ALS gene is currently being performed to deduce the functions of the encoded proteins and to better understand the role of these proteins in C. albicans biology and pathogenesis. This paper describes construction of an als3/als3 mutant and comparison of its phenotype to an als1/als1 strain. Efforts to disrupt ALS3 indicated that the gene could be deleted in two transformation steps, suggesting that the gene is encoded by a single locus and that the ALS3-like locus, ALS8, does not exist. Strains lacking ALS3 or ALS1 did not exhibit a defect in germ tube formation when grown in RPMI 1640 medium, but the als1/als1 mutant formed significantly fewer germ tubes in Lee medium. Analysis of ALS3 and ALS1 promoter activity using green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter strains and flow cytometry showed that when cells are placed into medium that promotes germ tube formation, ALS1 is transcribed prior to ALS3. Comparison of the mutant strains in adhesion assays showed that the als3/als3 strain was defective in adhesion to both human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and buccal epithelial cells (BEC), but not to fibronectin-coated plastic plates. In contrast, the als1/als1 strain showed decreased adherence to HUVEC, but adherence to BEC and fibronectin were the same as wild-type controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional ring signature algorithms suffer from large signature data capacity and low speed of signature and verification during collective signing. In this work, we propose a representative ring signature algorithm based on smart contracts. By collecting the opinions of the signatory based on multiparty secure computation, the proposed technique protects the privacy of the signatory during the data interaction process in the consortium chain. Moreover, the proposed method uses smart contracts to organize the signature process and formulate a signature strategy of "one encryption per signature" to prevent signature forgery. It uses the Hyperledger Fabric framework as the signature test platform of the consortium chain to perform the experiments. We compare the results of the proposed method with the ECC ring signature scheme. The experimental results show that in the worst case, the signature volume of the proposed method decreases by more than two times, and the signature speed and verification speed increase by more than three times. Therefore, in the collective signature scenario of transaction verification in the consortium chain, the proposed method is verified to be innovative and practical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal agglutinin-like sequence (Als) cell-surface glycoproteins, best characterized in Candida albicans, mediate adhesive and aggregative interactions with host cells, other microbes, and abiotic surfaces. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for each C. albicans Als protein are valuable reagents for gaining insight into Als protein localization and function. This manuscript describes development and validation of MAbs specific for C. albicans Als2, as well as for C. albicans Als9-1 and Als9-2, two protein variants produced from the ALS9 locus. Native C. albicans ALS9 expression levels were not sufficiently high to produce detectable Als9 protein on the wild-type cell surface so MAb validation required production of overexpression strains, each featuring one of the two ALS9 alleles. An anti-Als2 MAb was raised against an N-glycosylated form of the protein immunogen, as well as an Endoglycosidase H-treated immunogen. The MAb raised against the N-glycosylated immunogen proved superior and immunolabeled C. albicans yeast cells and germ tubes, and the surface of Candida dubliniensis and Candida tropicalis yeasts. Als2 was visible on C. albicans yeast cells recovered from a murine model of oral candidiasis, demonstrating Als2 production both in vivo and in vitro. These new MAbs add to the collection of anti-Als MAbs that are powerful tools to better understand the role of Als proteins in C. albicans biology and pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become a growing trend for the development of antibacterial fabrics of high effectiveness and durability without affecting their intrinsic wearability. Herein, a new antibacterial agent (AgNPs@HTCS) was prepared by grafting of natural hinokitiol (HT) onto chitosan (CS) via Mannich reaction, and then coordination of nano‑silver (AgNPs) via in-situ reduction. AgNPs@HTCS was applied for the construction of durable antibacterial fabrics. Results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration values of AgNPs@HTCS against S. aureus and E. coli reached 1.74 μg/mL and 5.28 μg/mL, respectively. AgNPs@HTCS solution at very low concentration of 0.25 g/L could impart antibacterial ratio above 99% against S. aureus and E. coli for cotton, silk, linen, and polyester fabrics. After 25 repeated washing recycles, the antibacterial ratios of the treated fabrics still retained higher than 95%. Compared with the untreated fabric, the handle, whiteness, and breaking strength of the antibacterial fabric had little change, and even the hydrophilcity improved to certain extent. The antibacterial fabric treated by AgNPs@HTCS was safe and had great application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the role of thrombospondin motifs 9 (ADAMTS9) in preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM). ADAMTS9 levels were measured in amnion cells from 24 patients of different groups (preterm vs. full-term birth, with vs. without PROM). ADAMTS9 was suppressed in human amnioblasts to investigate its effects on embryonic membrane cells and inflammation-induced cell damage. Pregnant mouse models were used to assess whether inflammation regulates ADAMTS9 by upregulating TNF-α and IL-6, contributing to the preterm birth occurrence. We found that ADAMTS9 protein and gene expression levels significantly differed among various groups (pPROM > full-term PROM > preterm non-PROM > full-term non-PROM). After ADAMTS9 suppression in human amnioblast WISH cells, TNF-α- and IL-6-induced apoptosis was decreased. In addition, TNF-α, IL-6, and ADAMTS9 protein and gene expression levels were increased in the embryos of mice treated with LPS compared with controls. In agreement, the rate of preterm birth was higher in the LPS group compared with controls. Taken together, these in vitro and in vivo findings suggest that TNF-α and IL-6 secreted by macrophages during inflammation regulate ADAMTS9 and induce pPROM. • ADAMTS9 expression levels significantly differed：pPROM > full-term PROM > preterm non-PROM > full-term non-PROM. • After ADAMTS9 suppression in human amnioblast WISH cells, TNF-α and IL-6-induced apoptosis was decreased. • TNF-α, IL-6, and ADAMTS9 expression levels were increased in mice embryos treated with LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) infection can cause acute inflammation. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in a number of biological process including inflammation response. However, whether lncRNAs participate in TGEV-induced inflammation in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPECs) is largely unknown. Results: In this study, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was used to analyze the profiles of lncRNAs in Mock and TGEV-infected porcine intestinal epithelial cell-jejunum 2 (IPEC-J2) cell line. A total of 106 lncRNAs were differentially expressed. Many differentially expressed lncRNAs act as elements to competitively attach microRNAs (miRNAs) which target to messenger RNA (mRNAs) to mediate expression of genes that related to toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) pathways. Functional analysis of the binding proteins and the up/down-stream genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs revealed that lncRNAs were principally related to inflammatory response. Meanwhile, we found that the differentially expressed lncRNA TCONS_00058367 might lead to a reduction of phosphorylation of transcription factor p65 (p-p65) in TGEV-infected IPEC-J2 cells by negatively regulating its antisense gene promyelocytic leukemia (PML). Conclusions: The data showed that differentially expressed lncRNAs might be involved in inflammatory response induced by TGEV through acting as miRNA sponges, regulating their up/down-stream genes, or directly binding proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies have confirmed that Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBRV) infection induces mitochondrial damage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNA molecules, which are involved in various biological processes and pathological changes associated with mitochondrial damage. It is currently unclear whether miRNAs participate in IBRV-induced mitochondrial damage in Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. Results: In the present study, we used high-throughput sequencing technology, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis to screen for mitochondria-related miRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). In total, 279 differentially expressed miRNAs and 832 differentially expressed mRNAs were identified in 6 hours (IBRV1) versus 24 hours (IBRV2) after IBRV infection in MDBK cells. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that 42 differentially expressed mRNAs and 348 target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were correlated with mitochondrial damage, and the miRNA-mitochondria-related target genes regulatory network was constructed to elucidate their potential regulatory relationships. Among the 10 differentially expressed miRNAs, 8 showed expression patterns consistent with the high-throughput sequencing results. Functional validation results showed that overexpression of miR-10a and miR-182 aggravated mitochondrial damage, while inhibition of miR-10a and miR-182 alleviated mitochondrial damage. Conclusions: This study not only revealed the expression changes of miRNAs and mRNAs in IBRV-infected MDBK cells, but also revealed possible biological regulatory relationship between them. MiR-10a and miR-182 may have the potential to be developed as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of IBRV. Together, Together, these data and analyses provide additional insights into the roles of miRNA and mRNA in IBRV-induced mitochondria damage [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an optimal robust constraint-following control is proposed for the underactuated vehicle path tracking problem. First, an underactuated dynamic model is established according to Udwadia–Kalaba (UK) equation, and the system uncertainty is decomposed into matching and mismatching portions based on the system geometric characteristics. The mismatching uncertainty is orthogonal to task space; thus, its influence on system stability is eliminated. Second, the diffeomorphism method is used to creatively set inequality and equality constraints into new equality constraints, and a robust control method for front steering vehicles with parameter-tunable is proposed. Third, an optimal design scheme is proposed for the tunable parameters to minimize the comprehensive index of system performance and control cost. Carsim-Simulink co-simulation shows the effectiveness of the proposed optimal robust control. This article creatively solves the problem of optimal robust control for path tracking of multi-constrained underactuated vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common problems during pregnancy. Lack of international consistent diagnostic procedures has limit improvement of current therapeutic effectiveness. Here, we aimed to screen potential gene biomarkers that might play vital roles in GDM progression for assistance of its diagnostic and treatment. Methods: Gene expression profiles in four GDM placentae at first trimester, four GDM placentae at second trimester, and four normal placentae were obtained from the publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) indicated two gene modules, that is, black and brown module, that was significantly positively and negatively correlated with GDM progression time points, respectively. Additionally, a significant positive correlation between module membership (MM) and degree in protein–protein interaction network of brown module genes was observed. Results: KIF2C, CENPE, CCNA2, AURKB, MAD2L1, CCNB2, CDC20, PLK1, CCNB1, and CDK1 all have degree larger than 50 and MM larger than 0.9, so they might be valuable biomarkers in GDM. Gene set enrichment analysis inferred tight relations between carbohydrate metabolism or steroid biosynthesis‐related processes and GDM progression. Conclusions: All in all, our study should provide several novel references for GDM diagnosis and therapeutic. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed along with protein–protein interaction analysis to identify potential biomarkers for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Several genes including KIF2C, CENPE, CCNA2, and so on should play vital roles in GDM progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difficulties of in vitro culture and genetic manipulation of Eimeria tenella have hindered the screening of virulence factors in this parasite. In this study, the E. tenella rhoptry protein 30 (EtROP30) was expressed in Toxoplasma gondii (RH∆Ku80-EtROP30), and its effect on the proliferation and virulence of parasites was investigated. The results revealed that the expression of EtROP30 had no impact on the invasion and egress processes. However, the RH∆Ku80-EtROP30 strain formed larger plaques compared to the RH∆Ku80, indicating that the EtROP30 expression promotes T. gondii proliferation. Furthermore, the RH∆Ku80-EtROP30 strain exhibited greater pathogenicity, resulting in earlier mortality and shorter overall survival time compared to RH∆Ku80. These results imply that EtROP30 expression facilitates parasite intracellular proliferation and virulence in mice, suggesting that EtROP30 might be a candidate virulence factor of E. tenella. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]