Search

Abstract Objective To estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with tuberculosis (TB) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in China. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. After the literature was screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, STATA® version 17.0 software was used for the meta-analysis. The heterogeneity among study data was assessed using I 2 statistics. Subgroup analysis and meta-regressions were performed to further explore the source of heterogeneity. Results A total of 5241 studies were retrieved. Of these, 44 studies were found to be eligible. The pooled prevalence of HIV/TB co-infection was 6.0%. The risk factors for HIV/TB co-infection included a low CD4+ T cell count, smoking, intravenous drug use and several other sociodemographic and clinical factors. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination history was a protective factor. Conclusion A high prevalence of TB was observed among people living with HIV/AIDS in China. Low CD4+ T cell count, smoking, and intravenous drug use were the primary risk factors for HIV/TB co-infection, whereas BCG vaccination history was a protective factor. Checking for TB should be prioritized in HIV screening and healthcare access. Systematic review registration Registered on PROSPERO, Identifier: CRD42022297754.

Background: Root system architecture (RSA) is of growing interest in implementing plant improvements with belowground root traits. Modern computing technology applied to images offers new pathways forward to plant trait improvements and selection through RSA analysis (using images to discern/classify root types and traits). However, a major stumbling block to image-based RSA phenotyping is image label noise, which reduces the accuracies of models that take images as direct inputs. To address the label noise problem, this study utilized an artificial intelligence model capable of classifying the RSA of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) directly from images and coupled it with downstream label improvement methods. Images were compared with different model outputs with manual root classifications, and confident machine learning (CL) and reactive machine learning (RL) methods were tested to minimize the effects of subjective labeling to improve labeling and prediction accuracies. Results: The CL algorithm modestly improved the Random Forest model’s overall prediction accuracy of the Minnesota dataset (1%) while larger gains in accuracy were observed with the ResNet-18 model results. The ResNet-18 cross-population prediction accuracy was improved (~8% to 13%) with CL compared to the original/preprocessed datasets. Training and testing data combinations with the highest accuracies (86%) resulted from the CL- and/or RL-corrected datasets for predicting taproot RSAs. Similarly, the highest accuracies achieved for the intermediate RSA class resulted from corrected data combinations. The highest overall accuracy (~75%) using the ResNet-18 model involved CL on a pooled dataset containing images from both sample locations. Conclusions: ResNet-18 DNN prediction accuracies of alfalfa RSA image labels are increased when CL and RL are employed. By increasing the dataset to reduce overfitting while concurrently finding and correcting image label errors, it is demonstrated here that accuracy increases by as much as ~11% to 13% can be achieved with semi-automated, computer-assisted preprocessing and data cleaning (CL/RL).

Roots are essential for acquiring water and nutrients to sustain and support plant growth and anchorage. However, they have been studied less than the aboveground traits in phenotyping and plant breeding until recent decades. In modern times, root properties such as morphology and root system architecture (RSA) have been recognized as increasingly important traits for creating more and higher quality food in the “Second Green Revolution”. To address the paucity in RSA and other root research, new technologies are being investigated to fill the increasing demand to improve plants via root traits and overcome currently stagnated genetic progress in stable yields. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now a cutting-edge technology proving to be highly successful in many applications, such as crop science and genetic research to improve crop traits. A burgeoning field in crop science is the application of AI to high-resolution imagery in analyses that aim to answer questions related to crops and to better and more speedily breed desired plant traits such as RSA into new cultivars. This review is a synopsis concerning the origins, applications, challenges, and future directions of RSA research regarding image analyses using AI.

A large amount of training data is usually lacking at the beginning of system development and labeling such a large number of RGB (red, green, blue) images is laborious. Interactive recurrent annotation is beneficial to incrementally gain training images in the stream of the system development and provides an opportunity to reduce human workload. We developed a software package, ROOSTER, to integrate both labeling and prediction in a single user-friendly graphic user interface with interactive deep learning to reduce the laborious human labeling for fast development of machine vision systems. Predictions can be performed under both single-image mode and batch mode for multiple images. The prediction results can be used as the initial image labeling and manually adjusted under a single image mode. Human labeling and machine predictions are visualized on the same image. ROOSTER provides fully automatic labeling for abundantly available initial images of wheat stripe rust to gain essential predictability. The navigation of integrating prediction with labeling benefits human adjustment to iteratively improve predictability. The development of a detection system for wheat stripe rust was presented as a use case to demonstrate the efficiency of using interactive deep learning to develop machine vision systems.

Litsea, a non-monophyletic group of the tribe Laureae (Lauraceae), plays important roles in the tropical and subtropical forests of Asia, Australia, Central and North America, and the islands of the Pacific. However, intergeneric relationships between Litsea and Laurus, Lindera, Parasassafras and Sinosassafras of the tribe Laureae remain unresolved. In this study, we present phylogenetic analyses of seven newly sequenced Litsea plastomes, together with 47 Laureae plastomes obtained from public databases, representing six genera of the Laureae. Our results highlight two highly supported monophyletic groups of Litsea taxa. One is composed of 16 Litsea taxa and two Lindera taxa. The 18 plastomes of these taxa were further compared for their gene structure, codon usage, contraction and expansion of inverted repeats, sequence repeats, divergence hotspots, and gene evolution. The complete plastome size of newly sequenced taxa varied between 152,377 bp (Litsea auriculata) and 154,117 bp (Litsea pierrei). Seven of the 16 Litsea plastomes have a pair of insertions in the IRa (trnL-trnH) and IRb (ycf2) regions. The 18 plastomes of Litsea and Lindera taxa exhibit similar gene features, codon usage, oligonucleotide repeats, and inverted repeat dynamics. The codons with the highest frequency among these taxa favored A/T endings and each of these plastomes had nine divergence hotspots, which are located in the same regions. We also identified six protein coding genes (accD, ndhJ, rbcL, rpoC2, ycf1 and ycf2) under positive selection in Litsea; these genes may play important roles in adaptation of Litsea species to various environments.

Background: The application of vedolizumab (VDZ) subcutaneous (SC) formulation has brought more convenience and hope to patients with moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) in the coronavirus disease 2019 context. Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate all previous studies that used VDZ SC formulation for maintenance therapy in patients with IBD. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources and Methods: The search was conducted using the subject and free terms related to ‘Vedolizumab’, ‘Subcutaneous’, and ‘IBD’, in Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and at ClinicalTrials.gov databases between 2008 and 2022. The methodological quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, respectively. The endpoints included efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity. Results: A total of 60 studies and 2 completed clinical registry trials were retrieved, of which 3 RCTs with high methodological quality, and 3 cohort studies with large heterogeneity were included in the meta-analysis. In the RCT study design, patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) under different conditions after treated with VDZ SC were significantly distinct than those for placebo (PBO) in clinical remission, endoscopic remission, and biochemical remission. In Crohn’s disease (CD), the aforementioned parameters were slightly higher than those for PBO, but there was not statistically significant in endoscopic remission and the efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor-naive patients. The clinical remission, endoscopic remission, and biochemical remission in patients with UC after VDZ SC treatment were similar to those after intravenous (IV) treatment. The risk ratios in patients experiencing adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs after VDZ SC and PBO treatments were 86% and 89% in UC, and 96% and 80% in CD, respectively. Compared with IV, safety was not statistically different. The risk of developing anti-VDZ antibody after VDZ SC treatment was only 20% of that after PBO in patients with UC, but it was 9.38 times in CD. Conclusion: VDZ SC treatment maintained the clinical efficacy of IV induction in patients with IBD without increasing the safety risk, and the efficacy was more pronounced in patients with UC. Immunogenicity might be a potential factor for the decrease in efficacy rate in patients with IBD. Registration: INPLASY 2022120115

Multidimensional solitons are prevalent in numerous research fields. In orientationally ordered soft matter system, three-dimensional director solitons exemplify the localized distortion of molecular orientation. However, their precise manipulation remains challenging due to unpredictable and uncontrolled generation. Here, we utilize preimposed programmable photopatterning in nematics to control the kinetics of director solitons. This enables both unidirectional and bidirectional generation at specific locations and times, confinement within micron-scaled patterns of diverse shapes, and directed propagation along predefined trajectories. A focused dynamical model provides insight into the origins of these solitons and aligns closely with experimental observations, underscoring the pivotal role of anchoring conditions in soliton manipulation. Our findings pave the way for diverse fundamental research avenues and promising applications, including microcargo transportation and optical information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 are critical pathogenic factors for type 2 inflammation-related allergic diseases, sharing the mutual receptor subunit IL-4Rα. However, it was ineffective for certain type 2 inflammation diseases by targeting IL-4, IL-13 ligand alone or both in clinical studies. The work presented herein aimed to evaluate the preclinical efficacy and pharmacokinetics profile of a novel monoclonal antibody against IL-4Rα, SHR-1819, as a promising therapy for type 2 inflammation diseases. Methods: SHR-1819 was generated through immunization by C57BL/6 mice with recombinant hIL-4Rα protein, followed by humanization and affinity maturation. Then, its binding properties with IL-4Rα were determined using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and ELISA. In vitro inhibitory effects of SHR-1819 were assessed on hIL-4-/hIL-13-induced cell proliferation and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) signaling activation. In vivo efficacy of SHR-1819 was evaluated in several type 2 inflammatory diseases models, including asthma, atopic dermatitis (AD), and allergic rhinitis (AR) by using hIL-4/hIL-4Rα transgenic mice. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of SHR-1819 were characterized. Results: SHR-1819 showed high binding affinity to human IL-4Rα and effectively blocked IL-4Rα at sub-nanomolar concentration. In vitro assays indicated that SHR-1819 significantly inhibited TF-1 cell proliferation and STAT6 activation induced by hIL-4/hIL-13. In the asthma model, SHR-1819 could reduce airway hyperresponsiveness, decrease serum IgE levels, and alleviated inflammatory lung cell infiltration. In the AD model, SHR-1819 could significantly alleviate inflammatory and skin symptoms. In the AR model, it could remarkably decrease the frequencies of nasal rubbing and sneezing, and inflammatory cell infiltration in nasal tissues. These in vivo efficacy studies demonstrated the therapeutic potential of SHR-1819 in preclinical disease models. Moreover, subcutaneous administration of SHR-1819 exhibited favorable bioavailability in mice. Conclusion: The results supported SHR-1819 as a promising preclinical candidate for the treatment of type 2 inflammatory diseases, including asthma, AD and AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown atypicalities in structural brain changes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while a noticeable discrepancy in their results indicates the necessity of conducting further researches. Methods The current study investigated the atypical structural brain features of autistic individuals who aged 6–30 years old. A total of 52 autistic individuals and 50 age-, gender-, and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched typically developing (TD) individuals were included in this study, and were assigned into three based cohorts: childhood (6–12 years old), adolescence (13–18 years old), and adulthood (19–30 years old). Analyses of whole-brain volume and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on the sMRI data were conducted. Results No significant difference was found in the volumes of whole-brain, gray matter, and white matter between the autism and TD groups in the three age-based cohorts. For VBM analyses, the volumes of gray matter in the right superior temporal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (6–12 years old) were smaller than those in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the left inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (13–18 years old) was larger than that in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the right middle occipital gyrus in the autism group (19–30 years old) was larger than that in the TD group, and the gray matter volume in the left posterior cingulate gyrus in the autism group was smaller than that in the TD group. Conclusion Autistic individuals showed different atypical regional gray matter volumetric changes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood compared to their TD peers, indicating that it is essential to consider developmental stages of the brain when exploring brain structural atypicalities in autism.

Abstract Alfalfa is the most widely cultivated forage legume, with approximately 30 million hectares planted worldwide. Genetic improvements in alfalfa have been highly successful in developing cultivars with exceptional winter hardiness and disease resistance traits. However, genetic improvements have been limited for complex economically important traits such as biomass. One of the major bottlenecks is the labor-intensive phenotyping burden for biomass selection. In this study, we employed two alfalfa fields to pave a path to overcome the challenge by using UAV images with fully automatic field plot segmentation for high-throughput phenotyping. The first field was used to develop the prediction model and the second field to validate the predictions. The first and second fields had 808 and 1025 plots, respectively. The first field had three harvests with biomass measured in May, July, and September of 2019. The second had one harvest with biomass measured in September of 2019. These two fields were imaged one day before harvesting with a DJI Phantom 4 pro UAV carrying an additional Sentera multispectral camera. Alfalfa plot images were extracted by GRID software to quantify vegetative area based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The prediction model developed from the first field explained 50–70% (R Square) of biomass variation in the second field by incorporating four features from UAV images: vegetative area, plant height, Normalized Green–Red Difference Index, and Normalized Difference Red Edge Index. This result suggests that UAV-based, high-throughput phenotyping could be used to improve the efficiency of the biomass selection process in alfalfa breeding programs.

The tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) has long been proposed as a suitable alternative to non-human primates (NHPs) in biomedical and laboratory research due to its close evolutionary relationship with primates. In recent years, significant advances have facilitated tree shrew studies, including the determination of the tree shrew genome, genetic manipulation using spermatogonial stem cells, viral vector-mediated gene delivery, and mapping of the tree shrew brain atlas. However, the limited availability of tree shrews globally remains a substantial challenge in the field. Additionally, determining the key questions best answered using tree shrews constitutes another difficulty. Tree shrew models have historically been used to study hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, myopia, and psychosocial stress-induced depression, with more recent studies focusing on developing animal models for infectious and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite these efforts, the impact of tree shrew models has not yet matched that of rodent or NHP models in biomedical research. This review summarizes the prominent advancements in tree shrew research and reflects on the key biological questions addressed using this model. We emphasize that intensive dedication and robust international collaboration are essential for achieving breakthroughs in tree shrew studies. The use of tree shrews as a unique resource is expected to gain considerable attention with the application of advanced techniques and the development of viable animal models, meeting the increasing demands of life science and biomedical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effects of 12-week weight-bearing dance aerobics (WBDA) on muscle morphology, strength and functional fitness in older women. Methods: This controlled study recruited 37 female participants (66.31y ± 3.83) and divided them into intervention and control groups according to willingness. The intervention group received 90-min WBDA thrice a week for 12 weeks, while the control group maintained normal activities. The groups were then compared by measuring muscle thickness, fiber length and pennation angle by ultrasound, muscle strength using an isokinetic multi-joint module and functional fitness, such as 2-min step test, 30-s chair stand, chair sit-and-reach, TUG and single-legged closed-eyed standing test. The morphology, strength, and functional fitness were compared using ANCOVA or Mann-Whitney U test to study the effects of 12 weeks WBDA. Results: Among all recruited participants, 33 completed all tests. After 12 weeks, the thickness of the vastus intermedius (F = 17.85, P < 0.01) and quadriceps (F = 15.62, P < 0.01) was significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control group, along with a significant increase in the torque/weight of the knee flexor muscles (F = 4.47, P = 0.04). Similarly, the intervention group revealed a significant improvement in the single-legged closed-eyed standing test (z = −2.16, P = 0.03) compared to the control group. Conclusion: The study concluded that compared to the non-exercising control group, 12-week WBDA was shown to thicken vastus intermedius, increase muscle strength, and improve physical function in older women. In addition, this study provides a reference exercise program for older women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context Fruit of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. (Acanthaceae) is used as a Chinese herb. Studies have found that it contains marinoid J, a novel phenylethanoid glycoside (PG) compound, but its neuroprotective functions are largely unknown. Objective This study evaluated the effects of marinoid J on vascular dementia (VD) and determined its potential mechanisms of action. Materials and methods The VD model was established by the ligation of the bilateral common carotid artery in Sprague–Dawley rats, who received daily intragastrically administration of saline, marinoid J (125 or 500 mg/kg body weight/d), or oxiracetam (250 mg/kg body weight/d) for 14 days (20 rats in each group). The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to evaluate cognitive performance. The hippocampus was subjected to histological and proteomic analyses. Results Marinoid J shortened the escape latency of VD rats (31.07 ± 3.74 s, p

AbstractThe most commonly used publication metrics for individual researchers are the total number of publications, the total number of citations, and Hirsch’s h-index. Each of these is cumulative, and hence increases throughout a researcher’s career, making it less suitable for evaluation of junior researchers or assessing recent impact. Most other author-level measures in the literature share this cumulative property. By contrast, we aim to study noncumulative measures that answer the question “In terms of citation impact, what have you done lately?” We single out six measures from the rather sparse literature, including Hirsch’s m-index, a time-scaled version of the h-index. We introduce new measures based on the idea of “citation acceleration.” After presenting several axioms for noncumulative measures, we conclude that one of our new measures has much better theoretical justification. We present a small-scale study of its performance on real data and conclude that it shows substantial promise for future use.

Objectives: To describe a rare case of infratemporal phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT), a “nonphosphaturic” variant in the infratemporal skull base, in a 5-year-old boy. Methods: This was a retrospective study of the patient's clinical and biochemical features, computed tomography (CT), maxillofacial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histopathology as well as surgical treatment and follow-up. Results: The boy suffered from a right preauricular mass and ipsilateral hearing loss. Temporal bone CT and maxillofacial MRI demonstrated a circumscribed infratemporal skull base lesion. Histomorphologically, the lesion demonstrated typical microscopic features of PMTs and was positive for vimentin, smooth muscle actin, and FGF-23. However, there was no clinical or biochemical evidence of tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO), and ultimately a diagnosis of a “nonphosphaturic” variant of PMTs was made. No postoperative recurrence was observed during follow-up. Conclusions: PMTs are rare and have a low incidence among children. They are histologically distinctive tumors associated with phosphaturia and TIO. So-called “nonphosphaturic” variants, occurring without known phosphaturia, are even rarer. Pathologists and clinicians need to be aware of the presence of a PMT with an absence of osteomalacia symptoms. Wide surgical resection and long-term follow-up are necessary. Intraoperative functional and aesthetic concerns should be emphasized as well, particularly in pediatric patients.

Shiraiaceae is an important family in Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes), which includes medical fungi and plant pathogens. Two hypocrellin-producing taxa, Shiraia bambusicola and a novel genus Rubroshiraia gen. nov., typified by Rubroshiraia bambusae are treated in this article. Maximum likelihood analysis, generated via RAxML (GTR+G model), using a combined SSU, LSU, TEF1 and RPB2 sequence dataset, shows that Rubroshiraia is close to Shiraia and belongs to the family Shiraiaceae. Descriptions, illustrations and a taxonomic key are provided for the genera in Shiraiaceae. Rubroshiraia morphologically differs from Shiraia in having small and dark ascostromata and filiform ascospores. Production of the ascostromatal metabolites, hypocrellin A and B, were examined by HPLC and spectrophotometer. The content of hypocrellin A and B of specimen HKAS 102255 (R. bambusae) is twice that produced by HKAS 102253 (S. bambusicola). To clarify the relationship between R. bambusae and Hypocrella bambusae, type material of the latter was examined and provided the illustration.

BACKGROUND The Shijiaowei uranium deposit (No.339 deposit) in the Eastern Guidong granite complex of Nanling region, is one of the large type deposits in the Xiazhuang uranium ore field. Uraninite, the main ore mineral of the Shijiaowei deposit, is the ideal mineral for geochronology. Previous studies show that the uranium mineralize ages of Shijiaowei deposit is 38-138Ma acquired by ID-TIMS and EMPA. OBJECTIVES To provide new insight for uranium metallogenic mechanism and background of the Shijiaowei deposit by a new reliable uranium mineralization age determination method. METHODS In situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating method was used to constrain the formation age of uraninite from the Shijiaowei deposit. RESULTS The 206Pb/238U age of uraninite was 52.46-56.89Ma with the weighted average age of 54.68±0.53Ma (MSWD=1.19, n=18). The in situ U-Pb dating of the uraninite avoids the influence of mineral inclusions, secondary changes and micro-cracks on dating. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, the in situ U-Pb isotopic age of the uraninite determined by LA-ICP-MS represents the ore-forming age of the deposit. The ore-forming age (about 55Ma) is consistent with the main metallogenic period (about 50Ma) of the South China granite-type uranium deposit, indicating that the uranium mineralization of the Shijiao ore deposit is closely related to fault tectonic activity induced by the local extension of the lithosphere in South China.

Background: Although many prognostic single-gene (SG) lists have been identified in cancer research, application of these features is hampered due to poor robustness and performance on independent datasets. Pathway-based approaches have thus emerged which embed biological knowledge to yield reproducible features. Methods: Pathifier estimates pathways deregulation score (PDS) to represent the extent of pathway deregulation based on expression data, and most of its applications treat pathways as independent without addressing the effect of gene overlap between pathway pairs which we refer to as crosstalk. Here, we propose a novel procedure based on Pathifier methodology, which for the first time has been utilized with crosstalk accommodated to identify disease-specific features to predict prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Findings: With the cohort (N = 355) of HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), cross validation (CV) revealed that PDSs identified were more robust and accurate than the SG features by deep learning (DL)-based approach. When validated on external HCC datasets, these features outperformed the SGs consistently. Interpretation: On average, we provide 10.2% improvement of prediction accuracy. Importantly, governing genes in these features provide valuable insight into the cancer hallmarks of HCC. We develop an R package PATHcrosstalk (available from GitHub https://github.com/fabotao/PATHcrosstalk) with which users can discover pathways of interest with crosstalk effect considered. Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Overall survival, Pathway-based, Deep learning, Crosstalk, Biomarker

Using four satellite data sets (TOMS/SBUV, OMI, MLS, and HALOE), we analyze the seasonal variations of the total column ozone (TCO) and its zonal deviation (TCO*), and reveal the vertical structure of the Ozone Low (OV) over the Asian continent. Our principal findings are: (1) The TCO over the Asian continent reaches its maximum in the spring and its minimum in the autumn. The Ozone Low exists from May to September. (2) The Ozone Low has two negative cores, located in the lower and the upper stratosphere. The lower core is near 30 hPa in the winter and 70 hPa in the other seasons. The upper core varies from 10 hPa to 1 hPa among the four seasons. (3) The position of the Ozone Low in the lower and the upper stratosphere over the Asian continent shows seasonal variability.

We studied the effects of the stationary and transient transport of ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) on the ozone valley over the Tibetan Plateau (OVTP) in summer using the daily ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset for the time period 1979–2016. We used the Lorenz circulation decomposition method to separate the stationary and transient transport of ozone into terms related to either the mean flow or eddies. The decrease in the total ozone concentration in summer is associated with the transport of ozone, which, in turn, reinforces the OVTP. The zonal (meridional) transport of ozone, which combines stationary and transient transport, strengthens (weakens) the ozone valley. The stationary zonal (meridional) transport of ozone strengthens (weakens) the ozone valley. The transient zonal (meridional) transport of ozone weakens (strengthens) the ozone valley, but this effect is weaker than that of stationary transport. The mean flow has the dominant role, especially in the stationary component. The effect of eddies on the zonal transient transport of ozone is as strong as that of the mean flow. For stationary transport, the zonal deviation of ozone transported by the zonal mean flow in the zonal (meridional) direction C(O3∗¯ [u]¯)(C(O3∗¯ [v]¯)) dominates total zonal (meridional) change of ozone C(O3¯ u¯)(C(O3¯ v¯)), which strengthens (weakens) the ozone valley. The transient transport of the zonal mean ozone by eddies (C([O3]′u∗′¯)), the zonal deviation of ozone by the zonal mean flow (C(O3∗′[u]′¯)) and the zonal deviation of ozone by eddies (C(O3∗′u∗′¯)) all have a strong effect on the ozone valley. By contrast, the transient transport of the zonal mean ozone by eddies in the meridional direction (C([O3]′v∗′¯)) has a much weaker and the smallest effect. Both the zonal deviation of ozone by the zonal mean flow and by eddies in the meridional direction (C(O3∗′[v]′¯) and C(O3∗′v∗′¯)) have major roles in transient meridional transport, but their roles are the opposite of each other. The contributions of stationary and transient transport to zonal transport are consistent, whereas their contributions to meridional transport are the opposite of each other. The influence of transient transport on the formation and maintenance of OVTP is not negligible.

Oligopeptide transporter 1 (Pept1) is located on the brush border membrane of the intestinal epithelium and plays an important role in dipeptide and tripeptide absorption from protein digestion. In this study, we cloned and characterized the cDNA sequence of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) from Ctenopharyngodon idella. The expression patterns of JAK2 in various tissues and developmental stages were characterized by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The mRNA expression levels of JAK2 and Pept1 regulated by leptin in the intestine were also analyzed in vitro and in vivo. The cDNA sequence of JAK2 is 3378 bp in length, and the mRNA of JAK2 was broadly expressed in all tissues and embryonic stages of C. idella analyzed. In addition, we found that leptin regulated expression of JAK2 and Pept1 in the intestine; Pept1 expression was down-regulated by the JAK2 inhibitor AG490 in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, luciferase experiments showed that overexpression of the JAK2 gene significantly upregulated the activity of the Pept1 5′ regulatory sequence in C. idella. In conclusion, these results may help in elucidating the regulatory effect of the leptin-mediated JAK2 pathway on intestinal Pept1 expression in C. idella and the molecular mechanism of peptide transport by the intestinal transporter Pept1 in fishes.

In this study, the physiological values of volumes of plasma, cells, total blood and the F blood factors were identified in 24 adult tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri; 12 male and 12 female; average BW of 123.9±19.19 g). The two-compartment model method of Evans Blue dye was used to obtain the plasma volume and the venous hematocrit was measured by microhematocrit method. To establish the relationship between body weight (BW) and blood volume of tree shrews, We performed linear fitting for these two datasets. Results were analyzed according to gender and weight (120g). Statistical significance was assessed using the unpaired student t test and one-way ANOVA. The average volumes per 100g body weight of plasma, red blood cell (RBC) and total blood were 5.42±0.543, 3.24±0.445, and 8.66±0.680ml respectively. The mean body hematocrit, cardiac hematocrit, jugular vein hematocrit, femoral vein hematocrit, and tail vein hematocrit was 37.43±4.096, 39.72±3.219, 43.04±4.717, 40.84±3.041, and 38.71±3.442% respectively. The F cardiac was 0.94±0.072, F jugular vein 0.88±0.118, F femoral vein 0.92±0.111, and the F tail vein 0.97±0.117. Blood volume (ml) was 85.89103×BW (kg). This is the first study to provide the parameters of plasma volume, cell volume, total blood volume and F factor and a baseline for future research on blood physiology of tree shrews.

Utilizing underground coal gasification cavities for carbon capture and sequestration provides a potentially economic and sustainable solution to a vexing environmental and energy problem. The thermal influence on creep properties and long-term permeability evolution around the underground gasification chamber is a key issue in UCG-CCS operation in containing fugitive emissions. We complete multi-step loading and unloading creep tests with permeability measurement at confining stresses of 30 MPa on pre-cracked sandstone specimens thermally heat-treated to 250, 500, 750 and 1000 °C. Observations indicate a critical threshold temperature of 500 °C required to initiate thermally-induced cracks with subsequent strength reduction occurring at 750 °C. Comparison of histories of creep, visco-elastic and visco-plastic strains highlight the existence of a strain jump at a certain deviatoric stress level—where the intervening rock bridge between the twin starter-cracks is eliminated. As the deviatoric stress level increases, the visco-plastic strains make up an important composition of total creep strain, especially for specimens pre-treated at higher temperatures, and the development of the visco-plastic strain leads to the time-dependent failure of the rock. The thermal pre-treatment produces thermal cracks with their closure resulting in increased instantaneous elastic strains and instantaneous plastic strains. With increasing stress ratio, the steady-state creep rates increase slowly before the failure stress ratio but rise suddenly over the final stress ratio to failure. However, the pre-treatment temperature has no clear and apparent influence on steady creep strain rates. Rock specimens subject to higher pre-treatment temperatures exhibit higher permeabilities. The pre-existing cracks close under compression with a coplanar shear crack propagating from the starter-cracks and ultimately linking these formerly separate cracks. In addition, it is clear that the specimens pre-treated at higher temperatures accommodate greater damage.

In the Changqing Oilfield in northwest China, when traditional petroleum exploitation encounters forestry reserves or water source protection areas, sectorial well-factory design is proposed. The most distinct feature of a sectorial well-factory is the deviation of the well from the minimum horizontal principal stress, resulting in hydraulic fracture deflection after the initiation, along with possible well interference (i.e., fracture hit) and fracture coalescence in the oblique wells. Four indexes describing well deflection are then proposed according to fracture morphology. Several fracturing designs, including stage arrangement, fracturing sequences, and fracturing techniques are applied to study the feasibility of the sectorial well-factory design. The results show that the “gradual” or “sparse” stage arrangement, large injection rate, and simultaneous multifracture treatment can help to optimize the fracture morphology and stimulation design. However, the subsequent stress shadowing effect usually adversely affects the fracturing of adjacent wells. With a small initial horizontal stress difference, large injection rate and staggered stage arrangement can achieve ideal stimulation performance. Our results can provide a guidance for optimizing stimulation design in unconventional well-factory while taking into account environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]