BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1 associates with and is required for cysteine protease RESPONSE TO DEHYDRATION 19-mediated disease resistance in Arabidopsis

The receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1 (BSK1) interacts with pattern recognition receptor (PRR) FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2) and positively regulates plant innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the molecular components involved in BSK1-mediated immune signaling remain largely unknown. To further explore the molecular mechanism underlying BSK1-mediated disease resistance, we screened two cysteine proteases, RESPONSE TO DEHYDRATION 19 (RD19) and RD19-LIKE 2 (RDL2), as BSK1-binding partners. Overexpression of RD19, but not RDL2, displayed an autoimmune phenotype, presenting programmed cell death and enhanced resistance to multiple pathogens. Interestingly, RD19-mediated immune activation depends on BSK1, as knockout of BSK1 in RD19-overexpressing plants rescued their autoimmunity and abolished the increased resistance. Furthermore, we found that BSK1 plays a positive role in maintaining RD19 protein abundance in Arabidopsis. Our results provide new insights into BSK1-mediated immune signaling and reveal a potential mechanism by which BSK1 stabilizes RD19 to promote effective immune output.

Development and field evaluation of a novel sugar bait device for controlling residential vector mosquitoes in Zhejiang Province, China

Background

Mosquito-borne diseases pose serious public health threats in Zhejiang Province, China, and vector control is believed to be the primary method for reducing transmission. Due to severe resistance problems, effective and sustainable methods without chemical insecticides are urgently required to control mosquito vectors. Attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) are newly developed methods to control mosquitoes in recent decades with the core element sugar bait, which was invented according to the sugar-feeding behavior of mosquitoes. In this study, we developed a Novel Sugar Bait Device (NSBD) trap by combining sugar bait and physical adhesive capture technology. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the NSBD trap on controlling mosquitoes in residential environments and to identify the optimal sugar solution concentration in the sugar bait of the NSBD for real use.

Methods

Four residential villages in Ningbo City with similar geographic environments and mosquito densities were selected for field trials in 2022. One village (site 1) was designated as the control group, and three villages (sites 2-4) served as the test groups to assess the effectiveness of NSBD traps with different sugar solution concentrations (6, 8, and 10%) in the sugar bait. Larval and adult mosquito densities were monitored monthly before and semi-monthly after the trials using the CDC light trap and larval pipette method.

Results

Before the trials, we monitored mosquito density for 3 months to confirm the baseline mosquito density among the four sites, and no statistical differences in adult and larval mosquitoes were found (adult, F = 3.047, p > 0.05; larvae, F = 0.436, p > 0.05). After the trials, all NCBD traps effectively controlled larval and adult mosquito densities, with the highest standard decrease rates of larval and adult mosquito densities at 57.80 and 86.31%, respectively, observed in site 4. The most suitable sugar solution concentration in the sugar bait was 10%.

Conclusion

NSBD traps effectively controlled mosquitoes in residential environments during field trials. Without the use of insecticides, this may be a promising choice for mosquito vector control to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

Compatible camouflage for dual-band guided-laser radar and infrared via a metamaterial perfect absorber

Laser-guided detector and infrared detection have attracted increasing attention in a wide range of research fields, including multispectral detection, radiative cooling, and thermal management. Previously reported absorbers presented shortcomings of lacking either tunability or compatibility. In this study, a metamaterial perfect absorber based on a Helmholtz resonator and fractal structure is proposed, which realizes tunable perfect absorptivity (α 1.06μ m >0.99,α 10.6μ m >0.99) of guided-laser radar dual operating bands (1.06 µm and 10.6 µm) and a low infrared average emissivity (ε¯3-5μ m =0.03,ε¯8-14μ m =0.31) in two atmospheric windows for compatible camouflage. The proposed perfect absorber provides a dynamically tunable absorptivity without structural changes and can be applied to optical communication, military stealth or protection, and electromagnetic detection.

NUA positively regulates plant immunity by coordination with ESD4 to deSUMOylate TPR1 in Arabidopsis

Nuclear pore complex (NPC) is composed of multiple nucleoporins (Nups). A plethora of studies have highlighted the significance of NPC in plant immunity. However, the specific roles of individual Nups are poorly understood. NUCLEAR PORE ANCHOR (NUA) is a component of NPC. Loss of NUA leads to an increase in SUMO conjugates and pleiotropic developmental defects in Arabidopsis thaliana. Herein, we revealed that NUA is required for plant defense against multiple pathogens. NUCLEAR PORE ANCHOR associates with the transcriptional corepressor TOPLESS-RELATED1 (TPR1) and contributes to TPR1 deSUMOylation. Significantly, NUA-interacting protein EARLY IN SHORT DAYS 4 (ESD4), a SUMO protease, specifically deSUMOylates TPR1. It has been previously established that the SUMO E3 ligase SAP AND MIZ1 DOMAIN-CONTAINING LIGASE 1 (SIZ1)-mediated SUMOylation of TPR1 represses the immune-related function of TPR1. Consistent with this notion, the hyper-SUMOylated TPR1 in nua-3 leads to upregulated expression of TPR1 target genes and compromised TPR1-mediated disease resistance. Taken together, our work uncovers a mechanism by which NUA positively regulates plant defense responses by coordination with ESD4 to deSUMOylate TPR1. Our findings, together with previous studies, reveal a regulatory module in which SIZ1 and NUA/ESD4 control the homeostasis of TPR1 SUMOylation to maintain proper immune output.

[Correlation of carbon dioxide derived parameters during cardiopulmonary bypass with acute kidney injury after pediatric cardiac surgery]

Objective: To explore the correlation of the ratio of venous-arterial carbon dioxide (CO2) tension difference to arterial-venous O2 content difference (Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2) and venous-arterial CO2 gradient (Pv-aCO2) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with acute kidney injury (AKI) after pediatric cardiac surgery. Methods: The clinical data of children (1 month ≤ age ≤ 3 years old) who underwent open heart surgery under CPB in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from March 2021 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All paired blood gases of the children during CPB (the sampling time interval of arterial and venous blood was within 10 minutes) were collected. According to the Failure, Loss, End-Stage Renal Disease (pRIFLE) diagnostic criteria, the children were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of postoperative AKI in pediatric cardiac surgery. Results: A total of 213 children were enrolled (101 males and 112 females), aged 12(6, 24) months, and 84 of them (39.4%) developed AKI. Three children died in AKI group, with a mortality of 3.6%. There were no deaths in non-AKI group. The incidence of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) was higher in AKI group [29.8% (25/84) vs 7.0% (9/129), P<0.001]. In addition, compared with the non-AKI group, children in AKI group had longer recovery time [15 (6, 78) h vs 6 (3, 19) h, P<0.001], mechanical ventilation time [17 (7, 97) h vs 6 (4, 20) h, P<0.001], intensive care unit (ICU) stay [6 (4, 11) d vs 3 (2, 5) d, P<0.001], and hospital stay [12 (9, 18) d vs 9 (8, 11) d, P<0.001]. A total of 317 arterial and venous blood gas pairs from 30 (n=207), 60 (n=75) and 90 min (n=35) after aortic clamping were included in the analysis. Univariate analysis showed that Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 (P=0.015) at 30 min after aortic clamping, Pv-aCO2 (P=0.041) and Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 (P=0.014) at 60 min after aortic clamping, peak Pv-aCO2 (P=0.009), peak Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 (P<0.001) and the average value of Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 (P=0.001) were higher in AKI group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that longer duration of CPB (OR=1.013, 95%CI: 1.003-1.023, P=0.012), higher peak Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 (OR=1.337, 95%CI: 1.037-1.723, P=0.025) were risk factors for AKI. Conclusion: The occurrence of AKI after pediatric cardiac surgery is related to the short-term adverse clinical prognosis, and longer duration of CPB and higher peak Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2 are independent risk factors for AKI.

Occlusal Force Maintains Alveolar Bone Homeostasis via Type H Angiogenesis

Physiologically, teeth and periodontal tissues are exposed to occlusal forces throughout their lifetime. Following occlusal unloading, unbalanced bone remodeling manifests as a net alveolar bone (AB) loss. This phenomenon is termed alveolar bone disuse osteoporosis (ABDO), the underlying mechanism of which remains unclear. Type H vessels, a novel capillary subtype tightly coupled with osteogenesis, reportedly have a role in skeletal remodeling; however, their role in ABDO is not well studied. In the present study, we aimed to explore the pathogenesis of and therapies for ABDO. The study revealed that type H endothelium highly positive for CD31 and endomucin was identified in the periodontal ligament (PDL) but rarely in the AB of the mice. In hypofunctional PDL, the density of type H vasculature and coupled osterix+ (OSX+) osteoprogenitors declined significantly. In addition, the angiogenic factor Slit guidance ligand 3 (SLIT3) was downregulated in the disused PDL, and periodontal injection of the recombinant SLIT3 protein partially ameliorated type H vessel dysfunction and AB loss in ABDO mice. With regard to the molecular mechanism, a mechanosensory signaling circuit, PIEZO1/Ca2+/HIF-1α/SLIT3, was validated by applying cyclic compression to 3-dimensional-cultured PDL cells using the Flexcell FX-5000 compression system. In summary, PDL plays a pivotal role in mechanotransduction by translating physical forces into the intracellular signaling axis PIEZO1/Ca2+/HIF-1α/SLIT3, which promotes type H angiogenesis and OSX+ cell-related osteogenensis, thereby contributing to AB homeostasis. Our findings advance the understanding of PDL in AB disorders. Further therapies targeting SLIT3 may provide new insights into preventing bone loss in ABDO.

[Progress in clinical research on potential therapeutic drugs for acute-on-chronic liver failure]

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), has a high mortality rate and a poor prognosis. Currently, the only effective treatment for ACLF is liver transplantation. However, the number of patients who can successfully undergo liver transplantation is limited due to the rapid progression of ACLF, the occurrence of serious complications, and a dearth of liver donors. The available drug treatment indication expansion and pathogenesis exploration are expected to delay the progression of ACLF, reduce complications, and provide patients with opportunities for liver transplantation by improving portal vein pressure, inhibiting excessive inflammatory response, correcting energy metabolism disorders, reducing oxidative stress, resisting hepatic cell apoptosis, and promoting liver regeneration.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the human-baited double net traps and BG traps compared with the human landing catches for collecting outdoor Aedes albopictus in China

Dengue fever is one of the biggest threats to public health in China, causing huge disease burden and economic loss. Aedes-mosquito surveillance could be a cornerstone for predicting the risk of Aedes-borne diseases and evaluating the effect of vector management during diseases outbreaks. The human landing catch (HLC) method is regarded as the "gold standard" for catching Aedes mosquitoes, but it potentially exposes field professionals to vectors of known or unknown pathogens. Human-baited double net (HDN) was recommended to replace HLC for emergency monitoring in China when Aedes-borne diseases break out, but it had been reported with low efficiency for capturing Aedes mosquitoes. In this study, we compared HLC with HDN and BG traps for field Aedes albopictus monitoring, with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of HDN replacing HLC and finding an effective and safe alternative to the HLC for monitoring Aedes albopictus. Six sites in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China, were chosen to conduct outdoor HLC, HDN, and BG trap catches from June to October 2021. The tests were performed 3 h apart: 8:30-9:30 AM, 16:30-17:30 PM, and 17:30-18:30 PM. A total of 2330 adult mosquitoes were collected, and Aedes albopictus was the most abundant species in all three catches with 848(98.95%), 559(97.39%) and 867 (96.44%) caught in HLC, HDN and BG traps respectively. Compared to HLC, HDN collected significantly less Ae. albopictus and Ae. albopictus females per trapping period (P < 0.001, P < 0.001), whereas no statistical differences were found between the HLC and BG trap (P = 0.970, P > 0.05). Statistically significant positive spatial correlations for Ae. albopictus sampling was found between HLC and HDN traps (r = 0.543, P < 0.001) and HLC and BG traps (r = 0.658, P < 0.001). In conclusion, both the BG trap and HDN have a significant positive spatial correlation with HLC, making them safer alternatives to HLC for Ae. albopictus monitoring in China. However, with better a sampling efficiency, being less labor intensive, and no human-baited attraction bias, the BG trap could be a better choice than the HDN trap.

Efficacy and Safety of High-Dose Vitamin C Combined with Total Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (HCCSC R02 Study)

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Forpatients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), the standard treatment is fluoropyrimidine (FU) -based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) combined with curative surgery. The CAO/ARO/AIO-04 trial and FORWARC trial reported that the addition of oxaliplatin to FU -based NCRT contributed to improve pathologic complete response (pCR), nevertheless, increased the acute therapeutic toxicity. Some studies showed that vitamin C (VitC) had potential benefits on anti-tumor therapy and anti-inflammatory response. Therefore, we conducted this HCCSC R02 study to explore the efficacy and safety of adding a high-dose intravenous VitC to mFOLFOX6/XELOX -based NCRT in LARC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

HCCSCR02 study was designed as a prospective, single-center phase II trial, which including pts aged 18-75 years with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma, distance from anus ≤12cm. The enrollment criteria included: staged with MRI as cT3/cT4 or cN1/2, or mesorectal fascia involvement (MRF+), or difficult to preserve the anus. Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme(G6PD) deficiency were excluded. Pelvic intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was given in 45-50.4Gy/25-28 fractions. Concurrently, two cycles of chemotherapy (mFOLFOX6 or XELOX) were administered during IMRT, as well as intravenous VitC (24g) delivered daily after the end of each radiation therapy. Additional 2-3 cycles of mFOLFOX6 / XELOX were adopted between the completion of radiotherapy and surgery. The primary endpoint was pCR rate. The secondary endpoints included radiation-related toxicities, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). This study is still recruiting.

RESULTS

From May 15, 2021 to Feb 8, 2023, 19 pts were recruited and finished all the scheduled NCRT, of which the proportion of cT4, cT3, cN2, cN1 were 31.6%, 63.2%, 52.6%, 36.8%, respectively. In addition, 10 pts (52.6%) were diagnosed as MRF+ initially, and 8 pts (42.1%) had a lower primary tumor(≤5cm) who were considered difficult for anal preservation before NCRT. All subjects enrolled were confirmed to be proficient mismatch repair (pMMR). As a result, 18 pts underwent a total mesorectal excision (TME) all with R0-resection, and 8 pts were evaluated as pCR (44.4%, 8/18, confidence interval: 0.246-0.663), 11 as major pathological response rate (MPR) (61.6%, 11/18), respectively. The anus preservation rate in patients with lower diseases was 87.5% (7/8). One case accepted a watch-and-wait strategy because of clinical complete response (cCR). Overall, grade 3 toxicities were observed in 4 pts, including 3 leucopenia (15.8%, 3/19), 2 neutropenia (10.5%, 2/19) and 1 diarrhea (5.3%, 1/19). No grade 4 adverse event was observed.

CONCLUSION

The addition of high-dose VitC to the mFOLFOX6/XELOX-based NCRT in LARC showed a promising pCR, well tolerance, particularly low rate of diarrhea, thus warrants further investigation.

CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION

NCT04801511.

Investigating the prognostic value of constructing disulfidptosis-related gene models for lung adenocarcinoma patients

OBJECTIVE

Disulfidptosis is a novel mode of cell death, a programmed mode of intracellular disulfide accumulation due to solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)-mediated abnormalities in the cell membrane cystine transport system. Numerous studies have confirmed the prominent role played by SLC7A11 in tumors, but the involvement of SLC7A11 as an important mediator of disulfidptosis in the death process of lung adenocarcinoma cells remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We obtained 4,107 SLC7A11-related genes and analyzed them using a total of 1,040 lung adenocarcinoma transcriptome sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort and GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) cohort and 991 relevant clinical data. First, we screened for differential genes and identified molecular subtypes for assessing characteristic differences between lung adenocarcinoma subtypes under the influence of SLC7A11-associated genes. Then, risk score models were constructed to assess the prognosis, immune infiltration, tumor microenvironment, and drug treatment effects in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Finally, we also analyzed the distribution of cell types and expression of characteristic genes within the tumor using a single-cell database. In addition, relevant drug sensitivities were predicted.

RESULTS

We screened 956 genes with significant differences and identified 2 molecular subtypes and found significant differences in their prognosis and that subtype B had a significantly better survival prognosis than subtype A. In addition, we found that pathways associated with cell proliferation division and DNA repair were enriched in the high-risk type A samples. Finally, we constructed a robust risk-scoring system, and our risk analysis revealed a general reduction of various immune cell components and tumor stromal components in the immune microenvironment of high-risk lung adenocarcinoma and a distinct immune infiltration pattern of immune cells, which was associated with a lower survival rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Our comprehensive analysis of SLC7A11-related genes suggests that disulfidptosis has a potential value in the tumor microenvironment, immunity, clinical outcome, and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma. These findings may increase our understanding of disulfidptosis as a novel cell death paradigm and provide ideas for assessing the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Parallel neurodegenerative phenotypes in sporadic Parkinson's disease fibroblasts and midbrain dopamine neurons

Understanding the mechanisms causing Parkinson's disease (PD) is vital to the development of much needed early diagnostics and therapeutics for this debilitating condition. Here, we report cellular and molecular alterations in skin fibroblasts of late-onset sporadic PD subjects, that were recapitulated in matched induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, reprogrammed from the same fibroblasts. Specific changes in growth, morphology, reactive oxygen species levels, mitochondrial function, and autophagy, were seen in both the PD fibroblasts and DA neurons, as compared to their respective controls. Additionally, significant alterations in alpha synuclein expression and electrical activity were also noted in the PD DA neurons. Interestingly, although the fibroblast and neuronal phenotypes were similar to each other, they differed in their nature and scale. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed potential novel associations between various clinical measures of the PD subjects and the different fibroblast and neuronal data. In essence, these findings encapsulate spontaneous, in-tandem, disease-related phenotypes in both sporadic PD fibroblasts and iPSC-based DA neurons, from the same patient, and generates an innovative model to investigate PD mechanisms with a view towards rational disease stratification and precision treatments.

Corrigendum: Analysis of a super-transmission of SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant BA.5.2 in the outdoor night market

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1153303.].

Characterization of a retroreflector array for 320-GHz interferometer system in Heliotron J

A retroreflector array, composed of a cluster of small retroreflectors, is experimentally studied for application to a Michelson-type interferometer system in the fusion plasma experiment. Such a new-type reflector has the potential to be a vital and effective tool at a spatially limited location, such as on the vacuum chamber wall of plasma experimental devices. To investigate the effect of retroreflector array on the reflected beam properties, a tabletop experiment is performed with the retroreflector array composed of 4 mm corner-cube retroreflectors and with a 320-GHz (λ ∼ 0.937 mm) submillimeter wave source. An imaging camera is utilized to measure the submillimeter wave beam profile and is scanned perpendicularly to the beam propagation direction if necessary. The experimental result exhibits a diffraction effect on the reflected beam, resulting in the emergence of discrete peaks on the reflected beam profile, as predicted in the past numerical study; however, the most reflected beam power converges on the one reflected into the incident direction, resulting from a property as a retroreflector. Furthermore, the dependence of the reflected beam on the incident beam angle is characterized while fixing the detector position, and the retroreflection beam intensity is found to vary due to the diffraction effect. Such an undesired variation of beam intensity induced by the diffraction can be suppressed with a focusing lens placed in front of the detector in the practical application to an interferometer.

Analysis of a super-transmission of SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant BA.5.2 in the outdoor night market

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, and mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 continues. The new strain has become more transmissible. The role of aerosol transmission in the pandemic deserves great attention.

Methods

In this observational study, we collected data from market customers and stallholders who had been exposed to the virus in the Qingkou night market on July 31 and were subsequently infected. We analyzed the possible infection zones of secondary cases and aerosol suspension time in ambient air. We described and analyzed the characteristics of the secondary cases and the transmission routes for customers.

Results

The point source outbreak of COVID-19 in Qingkou night market contained a cluster of 131 secondary cases. In a less-enclosed place like the Qingkou night market, aerosols with BA.5.2 strain released by patients could suspend in ambient air up to 1 h 39 min and still be contagious.

Conclusion

Aerosols with viruses can spread over a relatively long distance and stay in ambient air for a long time in a less enclosed space, but shorter than that under experimental conditions. Therefore, the aerosol suspension time must be considered when identifying and tracing close contact in outbreak investigations.

Identifying the Common Cell-Free DNA Biomarkers across Seven Major Cancer Types

Blood-based detection of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a non-invasive and easily accessible method for early cancer detection. Despite the extensive utility of cfDNA, there are still many challenges to developing clinical biomarkers. For example, cfDNA with genetic alterations often composes a small portion of the DNA circulating in plasma, which can be confounded by cfDNA contributed by normal cells. Therefore, filtering out the potential false-positive cfDNA mutations from healthy populations will be important for cancer-based biomarkers. Additionally, many low-frequency genetic alterations are easily overlooked in a small number of cfDNA-based cancer tests. We hypothesize that the combination of diverse types of cancer studies on cfDNA will provide us with a new perspective on the identification of low-frequency genetic variants across cancer types for promoting early diagnosis. By building a standardized computational pipeline for 1358 cfDNA samples across seven cancer types, we prioritized 129 shard genetic variants in the major cancer types. Further functional analysis of the 129 variants found that they are mainly enriched in ribosome pathways such as cotranslational protein targeting the membrane, some of which are tumour suppressors, oncogenes, and genes related to cancer initiation. In summary, our integrative analysis revealed the important roles of ribosome proteins as common biomarkers in early cancer diagnosis.

The priority for prevention and control of infectious diseases: Reform of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control - Occasioned by "the WHO chief declares end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency"

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed that infectious diseases will present a significant worldwide threat for a long time in the future. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDCs) worldwide have developed for nearly 80 years to fight against infectious disease and protect public health. However, at the advent of the 21th century, the responsibility for prevention and control of infectious diseases has gradually been marginalized in the CDC system. The COVID-19 pandemic has also provided a glimpse into the overburdened operational process and inadequate personnel reserve of the current system of CDCs. In addition, a long-term multisectoral joint mechanism has not been created for sharing information and cooperation to facilitate public health. Reform of the system of CDCs or public health is very necessary. A global prevention and control system should be envisioned and implemented worldwide, and vertical management should be implemented throughout all levels of CDCs to improve their structure and administrative status. The WHO should expand its scope of responsibilities, especially with regard to mechanisms for joint prevention and control of infectious diseases, to substantially implement the "One Health" concept. The International Health Regulations (IHR) and relevant laws and regulations should enshrine the CDC's authority in administration and policy-making to deal with outbreaks or pandemics of infectious diseases.

[Analysis of the impact of health management measures for entry personnel on imported Dengue fever in Guangdong Province, 2020-2022]

Objective: To explore the impact of health management measures for entry personnel (entry management measures) against COVID-19 on the epidemiological characteristics of imported Dengue fever in Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2022. Methods: Data of imported Dengue fever from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2022, mosquito density surveillance from 2016 to 2021, and international airline passengers and Dengue fever annual reported cases from 2011 to 2021 in Guangdong were collected. Comparative analysis was conducted to explore changes in the epidemic characteristics of imported Dengue fever before the implementation of entry management measures (from January 1, 2016 to March 20, 2020) and after the implementation (from March 21, 2020 to August 31, 2022). Results: From March 21, 2020, to August 31, 2022, a total of 52 cases of imported Dengue fever cases were reported, with an imported risk intensity of 0.12, which were lower than those before implementation of entry management measures (1 828, 5.29). No significant differences were found in the characteristics of imported cases before and after implementation of entry management measures, including seasonality, sex, age, career, and imported countries (all P>0.05). 59.62% (31/52) of cases were found at the centralized isolation sites and 38.46% (20/52) at the entry ports. However, before implementation of entry management measures, 95.08% (1 738/1 828) of cases were found in hospitals. Among 51 cases who had provided entry dates, 82.35% (42/51) and 98.04% (50/51) of cases were found within seven days and fourteen days after entry, slightly higher than before implementation [(72.69%(362/498) and 97.59% (486/498)]. There was significant difference between the monthly mean values of Aedes mosquito larval density (Bretto index) from 2020 to 2021 and those from 2016 to 2019 (Z=2.83, P=0.005). There is a strong positive correlation between the annual international airline passengers volume in Guangdong from 2011 to 2021 and the annual imported Dengue fever cases (r=0.94, P<0.001), and a positive correlation also existed between the international passenger volume and the annual indigenous Dengue fever cases (r=0.72, P=0.013). Conclusions: In Guangdong, the entry management measures of centralized isolation for fourteen days after entry from abroad had been implemented, and most imported Dengue fever cases were found within fourteen days after entry. The risk of local transmission caused by imported cases has reduced significantly.

Will a large complex system be productive?

While the relationship between food web complexity and stability has been well documented, how complexity affects productivity remains elusive. In this study, we combine food web theory and a data set of 149 aquatic food webs to investigate the effect of complexity (i.e. species richness, connectance, and average interaction strength) on ecosystem productivity. We find that more complex ecosystems tend to be more productive, although different facets of complexity have contrasting effects. A higher species richness and/or average interaction strength increases productivity, whereas a higher connectance often decreases it. These patterns hold not only between realized complexity and productivity, but also characterize responses of productivity to simulated declines of complexity. Our model also predicts a negative association between productivity and stability along gradients of complexity. Empirical analyses support our predictions on positive complexity-productivity relationships and negative productivity-stability relationships. Our study provides a step forward towards reconciling ecosystem complexity, productivity and stability.

Interactions between arsenic migration and CH4 emission in a soil bioelectrochemical system under the effect of zero-valent iron

Dissimilatory soil arsenic (As) reduction and release are driven by microbial extracellular electron transfer (EET), while reverse EET mediates soil methane (CH₄) emission. Nevertheless, the detailed biogeochemical mechanisms underlying the tight links between soil As migration and methanogenesis are unclear. This study used a bioelectrochemical-based system (BES) to explore the potential effects of zero-valent iron (ZVI) addition on "As migration-CH₄ emission" interactions from chemical and microbiological perspectives. Voltage and ZVI amendment experiments showed that dissolved As was efficiently immobilized with increased CH₄ production in the soil BES, As release and CH₄ production exhibited a high negative exponential correlation, and reductive As dissolution could be entirely inhibited in the methanogenic stage. Gene quantification and bacterial community analysis showed that in contrast to applied voltage, ZVI changed the spatial heterogeneity of the distribution of electroactive microorganisms in the BES, significantly decreasing the relative abundance of arrA and dissimilatory As/Fe-reducing bacteria (e.g., Geobacter) while increasing the abundance of aceticlastic methanogens (Methanosaeta), which then dominated CH₄ production and As immobilization after ZVI incorporation. In addition to biogeochemical activities, coprecipitation with ferric (iron) contributed 77-93% dissolved As removal under ZVI addition. This study will enhance our knowledge of the processes and microorganisms controlling soil As migration and CH₄ emission.

[Clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of patients with lung metastasis of stage Ⅰa~Ⅲb cervical cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of lung metastasis in patients with cervical cancer after treatment. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 191 patients with lung metastasis of stage Ⅰa-Ⅲb cervical cancer (FIGO 2009 stage) treated in Sichuan Cancer Hospital from January 2007 to December 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan Meier method and Log rank test were used for survival analysis, and Cox regression model was used for prognostic factors analysis. Results: Among 191 patients with lung metastasis of cervical cancer, pulmonary metastasis was found in 134 patients (70.2%) during follow-up examination, and 57 patients (29.8%) had clinical symptoms (cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, and fever). The time from the initial treatment of cervical cancer to the discovery of lung metastasis was 1-144 months in the whole group, with a median time of 19 months. Univariate analysis of the prognosis of lung metastasis after treatment of cervical cancer showed that the diameter of cervical tumor, lymph node metastasis, positive surgical margin, disease-free interval after treatment of cervical cancer, whether it is accompanied by other metastasis, the number, location and maximum diameter of lung metastasis, and the treatment method after lung metastasis are related to the prognosis of patients with lung metastasis of cervical cancer. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of lung metastases and other site metastases in addition to lung metastases were independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients with lung metastases of cervical cancer (P<0.05). Conclusions: For patients with cervical cancer, attention should be paid to chest CT examination during follow-up to guard against the possibility of lung metastasis after treatment. Besides lung metastasis, other site metastasis and the number of lung metastasis are independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients with lung metastasis of cervical cancer. For patients with lung metastasis after treatment of cervical cancer, surgical treatment is an effective treatment. It is necessary to strictly grasp the surgical indications, and some patients can achieve long-term survival. For patients with lung metastasis of cervical cancer who are not suitable for resection of lung metastasis, the remedial treatment of chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy is still a recommended choice.

Effects of climate and plant functional types on forest above-ground biomass accumulation

BACKGROUND

Forest above-ground biomass (AGB) accumulation is widely considered an important tool for mitigating climate change. However, the general pattern of forest AGB accumulation associated with age and climate gradients across various forest functional types at a global scale have remained unclear. In this study, we compiled a global AGB data set and applied a Bayesian statistical model to reveal the age-related dynamics of forest AGB accumulation, and to quantify the effects of mean annual temperature and annual precipitation on the initial AGB accumulation rate and on the saturated AGB characterizing the limit to AGB accumulation.

RESULTS

The results of the study suggest that mean annual temperature has a significant positive effect on the initial AGB accumulation rate in needleleaf evergreen forest, and a negative effect in broadleaf deciduous forest; whereas annual precipitation has a positive effect in broadleaf deciduous forest, and negative effect in broadleaf evergreen forest. The positive effect of mean annual temperature on the saturated AGB in broadleaf evergreen forest is greater than in broadleaf deciduous forest; annual precipitation has a greater negative effect on the saturated AGB in deciduous forests than in evergreen forests. Additionally, the difference of AGB accumulation rate across four forest functional types is closely correlated with the forest development stage at a given climate.

CONCLUSIONS

The contrasting responses of AGB accumulation rate to mean annual temperature and precipitation across four forest functional types emphasizes the importance of incorporating the complexity of forest types into the models which are used in planning climate change mitigation. This study also highlights the high potential for further AGB growth in existing evergreen forests.

For COVID-19, what are the priorities of normalized prevention and control strategies?

The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the world for three years. Most countries have adjusted policies and strategies in response to the burden of COVID-19. The severity of COVID-19 seems to be diminishing as the case fatality rate has declined and the number of vaccinated people has increased markedly. Given the large population worldwide, we need to pay attention to the continuing COVID-19 burden. Globally, the number of cases remains at a certain level, and the number of cases is still increasing in China. We also need to deal with shortages of medical resources, antipyretics, and home nursing facilities. SARS-CoV-2 will coexist with humans for a long time, and predicting viral mutations and pandemic trends will be difficult. The reform of the whole public health system is imperative. A comprehensive surveillance system should be created to determine the proportion of various pathogens and to guard against mixed infections of respiratory infectious diseases. A comprehensive response mechanism, including preventive measures and medical treatments, should be created as soon as possible to monitor the status of the epidemic and to deal with the long-term health burden of SARS-CoV-2.

Evidence of Antineutrinos from Distant Reactors Using Pure Water at SNO

The SNO+ Collaboration reports the first evidence of reactor antineutrinos in a Cherenkov detector. The nearest nuclear reactors are located 240 km away in Ontario, Canada. This analysis uses events with energies lower than in any previous analysis with a large water Cherenkov detector. Two analytical methods are used to distinguish reactor antineutrinos from background events in 190 days of data and yield consistent evidence for antineutrinos with a combined significance of 3.5σ.

Hierarchical porous biochar from kelp: Insight into self-template effect and highly efficient removal of methylene blue from water

Biochar is known to efficiently remove dyes especially for biochar with hierarchical pores and partial N-species. Here, a facile pyrolysis is used to yield N-doped biochar from kelp without additives, showing surface areas of 771 m2/g as temperature up to 1000 °C and hierarchical small-sized mesopores (2-4 nm) and wide meso-macropores (8-60 nm). A possible self-template mechanism from inorganics is proposed to form hierarchical pore architecture in biochar and used for methylene blue (MB) removal. Biochar pyrolyzed at 1000 °C is found to be efficient for MB removal with uptake of 379.8 mg/g under ambient conditions, one of the largest ever recorded uptakes for other biochar without activation, owing to synergistic effects of high surface areas, mesopores, and graphitized N-species. These results confirm that a facile pyrolysis for transformation of kelp into efficient dyes adsorbent is a cost-effective process for economic and environmental protection.

Comparison between the stem and leaf photosynthetic productivity in Eucalyptus urophylla plantations with different age

We developed a more realistic modeling framework by integrating stem photosynthesis into the canopy carbon assimilation model to compare the photosynthetic productivity between the stem and leaf of Eucalyptus urophylla plantations. Stems of Eucalyptus species with smooth outer bark have photosynthetic green tissue that can recycle internal stem CO₂. However, the potential contribution of stem photosynthesis to forest productivity has not previously been adequately quantified, and we also do not know how it compares to leaf photosynthetic productivity. To assist in addressing this knowledge gap, we conducted field surveys in Eucalyptus urophylla plantations of different ages and developed a more realistic modeling framework by integrating stem photosynthesis into the existing canopy carbon assimilation model. We calculated the proportion of tree stems shaded by neighboring tree trunks based on Poisson spatial point process. Under the stand density of 2000 trees per hectare, the light absorption area of tree trunks of 2-year-old and 7-year-old E. urophylla plantations were 0.11 (± 0.15) and 0.35 (± 0.12) m² stem m^-2 land, the stem photosynthetic productivity (GPP_stem) was 0.72 (± 0.45) and 1.81 (± 1.12) mol C m^-2 month^-1, and the ratios of GPP_stem to leaf photosynthetic productivity (GPP_leaf) were 5.10 and 8.17% for 2- and 7-year-old plantations, respectively. Overall, this study presents the feasibility of incorporating stem photosynthesis into the productivity prediction of E. urophylla plantations by developing the stem light absorption model.

Parallel Neurodegenerative Phenotypes in Sporadic Parkinson's Disease Fibroblasts and Midbrain Dopamine Neurons

Understanding the mechanisms causing Parkinson's disease (PD) is vital to the development of much needed early diagnostics and therapeutics for this debilitating condition. Here, we report cellular and molecular alterations in skin fibroblasts of late-onset sporadic PD subjects, that were recapitulated in matched induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, reprogrammed from the same fibroblasts. Specific changes in growth, morphology, reactive oxygen species levels, mitochondrial function, and autophagy, were seen in both the PD fibroblasts and DA neurons, as compared to their respective controls. Additionally, significant alterations in alpha synuclein expression and electrical activity were also noted in the PD DA neurons. Interestingly, although the fibroblast and neuronal phenotypes were similar to each other, they also differed in their nature and scale. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed novel associations between various clinical measures of the PD subjects and the different fibroblast and neuronal data. In essence, these findings encapsulate spontaneous, in-tandem, disease-related phenotypes in both sporadic PD fibroblasts and iPSC-based DA neurons, from the same patient, and generates an innovative model to investigate PD mechanisms with a view towards rational disease stratification and precision treatments.

Cu-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophilic Coupling of α-Diazoesters with O-Benzoyl Hydroxylamines for the Synthesis of Unnatural N-Alkyl α-Amino Acid Derivatives

We describe a Cu-catalyzed cross-electrophilic coupling reaction for synthesizing α-amino acid derivatives from α-diazoesters with O-benzoyl hydroxylamines with Cu(OAc)₂ as the catalyst and polymethylhydrosilane (PMHS) as the hydride reagent. Excellent functional group compatibilities were demonstrated. With ethyl 2-diazo-3-oxobutanoate as the precursor, a Cu-acetoacetate complex has been characterized by ESI-MS analysis. Results from the radical trap experiments are consistent with the intermediacy of nitrogen-centered radicals. This strategy offers a simple and inexpensive synthesis of α-amino acid derivatives.

A size-constrained feeding-niche model distinguishes predation patterns between aquatic and terrestrial food webs

Understanding the formation of feeding links provides insights into processes underlying food webs. Generally, predators feed on prey within a certain body-size range, but a systematic quantification of such feeding niches is lacking. We developed a size-constrained feeding-niche (SCFN) model and parameterized it with information on both realized and non-realized feeding links in 72 aquatic and 65 terrestrial food webs. Our analyses revealed profound differences in feeding niches between aquatic and terrestrial predators and variation along a temperature gradient. Specifically, the predator-prey body-size ratio and the range in prey sizes increase with the size of aquatic predators, whereas they are nearly constant across gradients in terrestrial predator size. Overall, our SCFN model well reproduces the feeding relationships and predation architecture across 137 natural food webs (including 3878 species and 136,839 realized links). Our results illuminate the organisation of natural food webs and enables novel trait-based and environment-explicit modelling approaches.

As(III) oxidation and kinetic analysis by Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans-loaded electrospinning activated carbon fiber biofilms

In this study, an integrated and assembled recyclable biofilm material was prepared by loading Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans (H. arsenicoxydans) onto electrospun biomass-activated carbon nanofibers (denoted as H. arsenicoxydans-BACFs films). The H. arsenicoxydans-BACFs biofilms showed an approximately 50% increase in As(III) removal rate for 50 mg/L during a 48-h incubation. Furthermore, the biofilms demonstrated satisfactory biocompatibility, ideal catalytic As(III) oxidation and excellent recyclability in cyclic reactions (at least 5 runs). The improved catalytic efficiency is mainly due to a large amount of biomass accumulation and biofilms formation on the surface of the BACF films. More important, the BACF films as an electron transport medium from an oxidized state to a reduced state promote the electron transfer of As(III) oxidation of H. arsenicoxydans. The dual factors can synergistically promote As(III) oxidation efficiency. The oxidation process of As(III) in the H. arsenicoxydans-BACFs composite biofilm reactor was more in line with the first-order kinetic equation, and the oxidation rate of As(III) by H. arsenicoxydans-BACF_0.4 was the fastest. The H. arsenicoxydans-BACF films outperformed conventional catalytic materials and could represent biomaterials for the remediation of As(III)-contaminated wastewater.

Practice of integrated vector surveillance of arthropod vectors, pathogens and reservoir hosts to monitor the occurrence of tropical vector-borne diseases in 2020 in Zhejiang Province, China

BACKGROUND

Vector-borne diseases have become one of the most serious local public health threats. Monitoring and controlling vectors are important means of controlling vector-borne diseases. However, traditional vector surveillance systems in China mainly monitor vector density, making its early-warning effect on vector-borne diseases weak. In this study, we applied an integrated surveillance system of multiple arthropod vectors and reservoir host containing ecology, etiology, and drug resistance monitoring to obtain better knowledge on vector populations and provide early warning of suspicious vector-borne infectious disease occurrence.

METHODS

An ecology surveillance of mosquitoes, rodents, ticks, and chigger mites, a pathogen infection survey on mosquitoes and rodents, and a drug resistance survey on Aedes albopictus were conducted in 12 cities in Zhejiang Province in 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 15,645 adult mosquitoes were collected at a density of 19.8 mosquitoes per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light trap. Culex tritaeniorhynchus (72.76%) was the most abundant species. The Breteau index of Ae. albopictus was 13.11. The rodent density was 0.91 rodents per hundred traps; the most abundant species was Rattus norvegicus (33.73%). The densities of dissociate and ectoparasitic ticks were 0.79 ticks per hundred meters and 0.97 ticks per animal, respectively. The most abundant tick species was Haemaphysalis longicornis (56.38%). The density of chigger mites was 14.11 per rodent; two species were identified, with the most abundant species being Walchia spp. mite (68.35%). No flavivirus or alphavirus was found in mosquito etiology monitoring, whereas the positivity rates of hantavirus, the pathogenic bacteria Leptospira spp., Orientia tsutsugamushi, and Bartonella spp. detected in rodent etiology monitoring were 1.86, 7.36, 0.35 and 7.05%, respectively. Field populations of Ae. albopictus in Zhejiang Province were widely resistant to pyrethroids but sensitive to most insecticides tested, including organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides.

CONCLUSION

Integrated surveillance systems on multiple arthropod vectors (mosquitoes, ticks, mites) and animal reservoirs (rodents) can provide important information for the prevention and control of epidemic emergencies.

Development and initial results of 320 GHz interferometer system in Heliotron J

A new 320 GHz solid-state source interferometer is installed in the Heliotron J helical device to explore the physics of high-density plasmas (ne > 2-3 × 10¹⁹ m^-3, typically) realized with advanced fueling techniques. This interferometry system is of the Michelson type and is based on the heterodyne principle, with two independent solid-state sources that can deliver an output power of up to 50 mW. A high time resolution measurement of <1 µs can be derived by tuning the frequency of one source in the frequency range of 312-324 GHz on the new system, which can realize the fluctuation measurement. We successfully measured the line-averaged electron density in high-density plasma experiments. The measured density agreed well with a microwave interferometer measurement using a different viewing chord, demonstrating that the new system can be used for routine diagnostics of electron density in Heliotron J.

Direct Measurement of Resonances in ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C Relevant to νp-Process Nucleosynthesis

We have performed the first direct measurement of two resonances of the ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C reaction with unknown strengths using an intense radioactive ^{7}Be beam and the DRAGON recoil separator. We report on the first measurement of the 1155 and 1110 keV resonance strengths of 1.73±0.25(stat)±0.40(syst)  eV and 125_{-25}^{+27}(stat)±15(syst)  meV, respectively. The present results have reduced the uncertainty in the ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C reaction rate to ∼9.4%-10.7% over T=1.5-3  GK, which is relevant for nucleosynthesis in the neutrino-driven outflows of core-collapse supernovae (νp process). We find no effect of the new, constrained reaction rate on νp-process nucleosynthesis.

Human activities have reduced plant diversity in eastern China over the last two millennia

Understanding the history and regional singularities of human impact on vegetation is key to developing strategies for sustainable ecosystem management. In this study, fossil and modern pollen datasets from China are employed to investigate temporal changes in pollen composition, analogue quality, and pollen diversity during the Holocene. Anthropogenic disturbance and vegetation's responses are also assessed. Results reveal that pollen assemblages from non-forest communities fail to provide evidence of human impact for the western part of China (annual precipitation less than 400 mm and/or elevation more than 3000 m.a.s.l.), as inferred from the stable quality of modern analogues, principal components, and diversity of species and communities throughout the Holocene. For the eastern part of China, the proportion of fossil pollen spectra with good modern analogues increases from ca. 50% to ca. 80% during the last 2 millennia, indicating an enhanced intensity of anthropogenic disturbance on vegetation. This disturbance has caused the pollen spectra to become taxonomically less diverse over space (reduced abundances of arboreal taxa and increased abundances of herbaceous taxa), highlighting a reduced south-north differentiation and divergence from past vegetation between regions in the eastern part of China. We recommend that care is taken in eastern China when basing the development of ecosystem management strategies on vegetation changes in the region during the last 2000 years, since humans have significantly disturbed the vegetation during this period.

Tunable Infrared Detection, Radiative Cooling and Infrared-Laser Compatible Camouflage Based on a Multifunctional Nanostructure with Phase-Change Material

The nanostructure composed of nanomaterials and subwavelength units offers flexible design freedom and outstanding advantages over conventional devices. In this paper, a multifunctional nanostructure with phase-change material (PCM) is proposed to achieve tunable infrared detection, radiation cooling and infrared (IR)-laser compatible camouflage. The structure is very simple and is modified from the classic metal-dielectric-metal (MIM) multilayer film structure. We innovatively composed the top layer of metals with slits, and introduced a non-volatile PCM Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) for selective absorption/radiation regulation. According to the simulation results, wide-angle and polarization-insensitive dual-band infrared detection is realized in the four-layer structure. The transformation from infrared detection to infrared stealth is realized in the five-layer structure, and laser stealth is realized in the atmospheric window by electromagnetic absorption. Moreover, better radiation cooling is realized in the non-atmospheric window. The proposed device can achieve more than a 50% laser absorption rate at 10.6 μm while ensuring an average infrared emissivity below 20%. Compared with previous works, our proposed multifunctional nanostructures can realize multiple applications with a compact structure only by changing the temperature. Such ultra-thin, integratable and multifunctional nanostructures have great application prospects extending to various fields such as electromagnetic shielding, optical communication and sensing.

[Effects of menopause on depressive and anxiety symptoms in community women in Beijing]

Objective: To determine the effects of menopausal stage, age and other associated risk factors on symptoms of anxiety and depression among women in a community in Beijing. Methods: This study was a community-based prospective cohort. Participants who had transitioned through natural menopause, completed two or more depressive and anxiety symptoms evaluations, aged 35 to 64 years, and did not use hormone therapy were selected from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital aging longitudinal cohort of women in midlife to this analysis. The primary outcome variables were depressive and anxiety symptoms, assessed by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). The generalized estimation equation was used in the statistical analysis. Results: Followed up from 2006 to 2014, 430 women and 2 533 HADS assessments were retained in the cohort. Depressive symptoms were more common than anxiety symptoms during all menopausal stages. The incidences of depressive and anxiety symptoms were 14.5% (19/191) and 3.1% (4/191) in the premenopausal -3 stage, respectively. The incidence increased in both menopausal transition and postmenopausal stage, with the highest incidence in the +1c stage [20.6% (155/751) and 8.8% (66/751), respectively]. However, these differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Depressive symptoms were highest in the ≥60-<65 age group [20.8% (74/355)], and anxiety symptoms were highest in the ≥50-<55 age group [8.2% (62/754)]; but there were no statistical significances between different age groups and depressive and anxiety symptoms (all P>0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that high body mass index, low education status, and poor health status were independently associated with depressive symptoms (all P<0.05), and that poor health status, trouble falling asleep, and early awakening were independently associated with anxiety symptoms (all P<0.01). Conclusions: Depressive and anxiety symptoms are more common during menopausal transition and postmenopausal stage compared with reproductive stage. Depressive symptoms are more common than anxiety symptoms. To screen and assess depressive and anxiety symptoms in perimenopausal women is essential, especially for women with high risk factors.

Characterizing genetic transmission networks among newly diagnosed HIV-1 infected individuals in eastern China: 2012-2016

We aimed to elucidate the characteristics of HIV molecular epidemiology and identify transmission hubs in eastern China using genetic transmission network and lineage analyses. HIV-TRACE was used to infer putative relationships. Across the range of epidemiologically-plausible genetic distance (GD) thresholds (0.1-2.0%), a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the optimal threshold, generating the maximum number of transmission clusters and providing reliable resolution without merging different small clusters into a single large cluster. Characteristics of genetically linked individuals were analyzed using logistic regression. Assortativity (shared characteristics) analysis was performed to infer shared attributes between putative partners. 1,993 persons living with HIV-1 were enrolled. The determined GD thresholds within subtypes CRF07_BC, CRF01_AE, and B were 0.5%, 1.2%, and 1.7%, respectively, and 826 of 1,993 (41.4%) sequences were linked with at least one other sequence, forming 188 transmission clusters of 2-80 sequences. Clustering rates for the main subtypes CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC, and B were 50.9% (523/1027), 34.2% (256/749), and 32.1% (25/78), respectively. Median cluster sizes of these subtypes were 2 (2-52, n = 523), 2 (2-80, n = 256), and 3 (2-6, n = 25), respectively. Subtypes in individuals diagnosed and residing in Hangzhou city (OR = 1.423, 95% CI: 1.168-1.734) and men who have sex with men (MSM) were more likely to cluster. Assortativity analysis revealed individuals were more likely to be genetically linked to individuals from the same age group (AIage = 0.090, P<0.001) and the same area of residency in Zhejiang (AIcity = 0.078, P<0.001). Additionally, students living with HIV were more likely to be linked with students than show a random distribution (AI student = 0.740, P<0.01). These results highlight the importance of Hangzhou City in the regional epidemic and show that MSM comprise the population rapidly transmitting HIV in Zhejiang Province. We also provide a molecular epidemiology framework for improving our understanding of HIV transmission dynamics in eastern China.

An outer membrane photosensitized Geobacter sulfurreducens-CdS biohybrid for redox transformation of Cr(VI) and tetracycline

Microbe-photocatalyst biohybrids, integrating the optimal attributes of whole-cell catalysts and nanometer photocatalysts, have emerged as a promising strategy for environment-associated applications. However, few such biohybrids have been tested for complex pollution systems. Herein, we constructed an outer membrane photosensitized Geobacter sulfurreducens (G. sulfurreducens)-CdS biohybrid, which enabled to generate stronger photocurrent in response to irradiation and meanwhile achieved an significant promotion for the redox transformation of Cr(VI) and tetracycline compared with that of bare G. sulfurreducens or CdS counterparts. Further analysis revealed that the outer membrane played a significant role in photoelectron transfer. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) tests demonstrated that CdS enhanced the catalytic activity of C-type cytochromes on the outer membrane under irradiation, resulting in the increase of electron-hole pairs separation efficiency. The possible degradation pathway of tetracycline was proposed based on determined intermediates, whose toxicities were well evaluated. Importantly, the toxicity of the final detected intermediates was apparently decreased. Overall, this work aims to explore the working mechanisms of the novel G. sulfurreducens-CdS biohybrid system and opens up a new avenue to purifying combined wastewater by microbe-photocatalyst biohybrids.

Tunable mid-infrared selective emitter based on inverse design metasurface for infrared stealth with thermal management

Infrared (IR) stealth with thermal management is highly desirable in military applications and astronomy. However, developing selective IR emitters with properties suitable for IR stealth and thermal management is challenging. In this study, we present the theoretical framework for a selective emitter based on an inverse-designed metasurface for IR stealth with thermal management. The emitter comprises an inverse-designed gold grating, a Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) dielectric layer, and a gold reflective layer. The hat-like function, which describes an ideal thermal selective emitter, is involved in the inverse design algorithm. The emitter exhibits high performance in IR stealth with thermal management, with the low emissivity (ɛ_{3-5 µm} =0.17; ɛ_{8-14 µm} =0.16) for dual-band atmospheric transmission windows and high emissivity (ɛ_{5-8 µm} =0.85) for non-atmospheric windows. Moreover, the proposed selective emitter can realize tunable control of thermal radiation in the wavelength range of 3-14 µm by changing the crystallization fraction of GST. In addition, the polarization-insensitive structure supports strong selective emission at large angles (60°). Thus, the selective emitter has potential for IR stealth, thermal imaging, and mid-infrared multifunctional equipment.

BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1 modulates MAP KINASE15 phosphorylation to confer powdery mildew resistance in Arabidopsis

Perception of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by plant cell surface-localized pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) triggers the first line of plant innate immunity. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1 (BSK1) physically associates with PRR FLAGELLIN SENSING2 and plays an important role in defense against multiple pathogens. However, how BSK1 transduces signals to activate downstream immune responses remains elusive. Previously, through whole-genome phosphorylation analysis using mass spectrometry, we showed that phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) MPK15 was affected in the bsk1 mutant compared with the wild-type plants. Here, we demonstrated that MPK15 is important for powdery mildew fungal resistance. PAMPs and fungal pathogens significantly induced the phosphorylation of MPK15 Ser-511, a key phosphorylation site critical for the functions of MPK15 in powdery mildew resistance. BSK1 physically associates with MPK15 and is required for basal and pathogen-induced MPK15 Ser-511 phosphorylation, which contributes to BSK1-mediated fungal resistance. Taken together, our data identified MPK15 as a player in plant defense against powdery mildew fungi and showed that BSK1 promotes fungal resistance in part by enhancing MPK15 Ser-511 phosphorylation. These results uncovered a mechanism of BSK1-mediated disease resistance and provided new insight into the role of MAPK phosphorylation in plant immunity.

[Analysis on characteristics and influencing factors of COVID-19 confirmed cases with viral nucleic acid re-positive after discharge in Guangdong Province]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of COVID-19 confirmed cases with viral nucleic acid re-positive in anal and/or throat swabs after discharge during the domestic imported epidemic stage in Guangdong Province in early 2020. Methods: The COVID-19 confirmed cases with the onset time before March 1, 2020 in Guangdong Province were collected to analyze the demographic data, epidemiological characteristics, and specimen collection and testing data after discharge. Logistic regression model was used for influencing factors analysis of re-positive cases. Results: A total of 1 286 COVID-19 confirmed cases were included, the M(Q₁,Q₃) of age was 44(32,58)years, 617 cases were male, 224 cases were re-positive in anal and/or throat swabs with the re-positive rate 17.42%. The M(Q₁,Q₃) of age of re-positive cases was 35(23, 50) years, which was younger than that of re-negative cases age was those 46(33, 59) years (P<0.001). With the increase of age, re-positive rate decreased (χ²_trend=52.73, P<0.001). 85.27% (191/224) of re-positive cases were found in 14 d after discharge, the duration time of re-positive status was 13(7, 24) d, and 81.69% (183/224) of re-positive cases were re-tested negative in 28 d after re-positive date. No fever and other symptoms had been observed among re-positive cases during the whole follow-up. No secondary infectious cases had been found among close contacts after 14 d of centralized isolation and sampling screening. Univariate logistic regression model analysis revealed that the influencing factors of the re-positive cases included age, occupation, clusters, clinical types, and admission time. Multivariate logistic regression model analysis revealed that age was an independent risk factor. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 viral nucleic acid re-positive is found in COVID-19 confirmed cases after discharge in Guangdong Province. Most re-positive cases are confirmed among 14 d after discharge and re-test to negative among 28 d after re-positive date. Age is an risk factor for re-positive cases after discharge.

Synthesis, characterization and anticancer activities of Zn2+, Cu2+, Co2+ and Ni2+ complexes involving chiral amino alcohols

A new type of coordination complexes related with the first transition metal and chiral amino alcohols can effectively fight against the human tumour cell line A549 with an IC50 value of 17.71 μM.

From SARS to the Omicron variant of COVID-19: China's policy adjustments and changes to prevent and control infectious diseases

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest public health crisis in a century. Since it was initially reported in 2019, the duration and intensity of its impacts are still in serious question around the world, and it is about to enter its third year. The first public health revolution failed to achieve its ultimate targets, as previously contained infectious diseases seem to have returned, and new infectious diseases continue to emerge. The prevention and control of infectious diseases is still a public health priority worldwide. After SARS, China adjusted a series of its infectious disease policies. In order to ensure the effectiveness and implementation of prevention and control interventions, the government should integrate the concept of public health. Perhaps we need a global public health system at the government level to fight the potential threat of infectious disease. This system could include multifaceted strategies, not just specific prevention and control interventions, and it could also be a comprehensive system to ensure unimpeded communication and cooperation as well as sustainable development.

Effects of anode/cathode electroactive microorganisms on arsenic removal with organic/inorganic carbon supplied

This study reports the effects of an external voltage (0 V, 0.4 V and 0.9 V) on soil arsenic (As) release and sequestration when amended with organic carbon (NaAc) and inorganic carbon (NaHCO₃), respectively, in a soil bioelectrochemistry system (BES). The results demonstrated that although an external voltage had no effect on the As removal capacity in an oligotrophic environment fueled with NaHCO_3, 93.6% of As(III) in the supernatant was removed at 0.9 V with an NaAc amendment. Interestingly, the content of As detected on the electrodes was higher than that removed from the supernatant, implying a continuous release of soil As under external voltages and rapid adsorption onto the electrodes, especially the cathode. In addition, the species of As on the cathode were similar to those in the supernatant (the As(III)/As(V) ratio was approximately 3:1), indicating that the removal capacity was independent of preoxidation. From the viewpoint of electroactive microorganisms (EABs), the relative abundances of the arrA gene and Geobacter genus were specifically enriched at the anode, thus signifying stimulation of the reduction and release of soil As in the anode region. By comparison, Bacillus was particularly abundant at the cathode, which could contribute to the oxidation and sequestration of As in the cathode region. Additionally, specific extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) secreted by EABs could combine with As, which was followed by electrostatic attraction to the cathode under the effect of an electric field. Furthermore, the formation of secondary minerals and coprecipitation in the presence of iron (Fe) may have also contributed to As removal from solution. The insights from this study will enable us to further understand the biogeochemical cycle of soil As and to explore the feasibility of in situ As bioremediation techniques, combining the aspects of microbial and physicochemical processes in soil bioelectrochemical systems.