Knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward tuberculosis in high school students in Qingdao, China

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to assess the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) related to TB, and to analyze the differences among various demographic groups.

METHODOLOGY

A total of 621 students enrolled in Qingdao High School, coming from high TB burden settings. The cross-sectional study was conducted from May to July of 2022. Participants completed an online questionnaire. Differences in knowledge and practice based on participant characteristics were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank test and Kruskal-Wallis rank test. Group differences were assessed using a rank-based analysis of variance.

RESULTS

The mean percentage of correct answers for TB knowledge and practice was 82.09% and 83.25%, respectively. Grade Three students showed higher knowledge and practice scores than Grade One or Grade Two students (t = -3.9935, p = 0.0002, t = 3.4537, p = 0.0018. 8.58 vs 7.94, 8.58 vs 8.23. t = 3.4562, p = 0.0018, t = -2.8688, p = 0.0128. 1.78 vs 1.61, 1.78 vs 1.64). A significant majority (78.42%) of students expressed fear of being affected by TB. 49.28% of the students would support and help TB patients. 88.08% of participants had heard of TB, with 72.94% learning about it at school, mainly through visual aids like posters. Information was predominantly obtained from online sources (websites, microblogs, WeChat, etc.).

CONCLUSIONS

It is recommended to develop a TB curriculum for lower-grade students to enhance awareness of TB prevention through various means, including the internet and social media.

Turbulence-resistant free space optical communication via chaotic block-matching and 3D filtering

In this paper, we propose a chaotic block-matching and three-dimensional (C-BM3D) filtering algorithm to remove the noise and enhance the security in the turbulent channel of free space optical (FSO) communication. We experimentally demonstrate the performance of C-BM3D by comparing it with chaotic non-local means filtering (C-NLM), chaotic Gaussian filtering and chaotic Median filtering based on Log-normal and Gamma-Gamma turbulence models. The results show that the peak signal-to-noise ratios (PSNRs) of C-BM3D in the weak turbulence under Log-normal and Gamma-Gamma models are up to 96.2956 and 93.2853, respectively. The C-BM3D also achieves superior image similarity in Log-normal turbulent channel, with its structural similarity index measures (SSIMs) nearly equal to 1. Additionally, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of C-BM3D ranks the highest, and its bit error rate (BER) improves by at least 15 dB compared to that of the other three algorithms. The experimental results indicate that the C-BM3D can be a good candidate for the next generation of FSO communication in security and turbulence resistance.

Two-stage look-up-table-based 16QAM vector millimeter-wave signal generation and reception

We propose a two-stage look-up table (LUT) scheme for a photonic 16 quadrature-amplitude-modulation (QAM) millimeter-wave (MMW) communication system. The first-stage LUT is used at the transmitter, which can eliminate complex computational processes and adaptively adjust the precoded amplitude values to achieve optimal performance without being affected by half-wave voltage variations. We have completed a signal transmission below the hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10-3 at the baud rate of 2/4 GBaud for weak turbulence and 2 GBaud for medium turbulence free-space optics (FSO) channel transmission. The second-stage LUT is used for post-compensation at the receiver as a nonlinear scheme that records the average pattern-related distortion of the channel and mitigates transmission impairment through nonlinear post-compensation. With the help of the second-stage LUT, the sensitivity of the optical receiver is improved by 0.15 dB at a baud rate of 2 GBaud for medium turbulence FSO channel transmission. As the baud rate increases to 4 GBaud, the system's bit error ratio (BER) can reach the soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold of 4.2 × 10-2 only after applying the second-stage LUT.

A Catalytic Method to Activate Nitromethane by the Cooperation of Homo- and Heterogeneous Catalysis

The achievement of directly activating and utilizing bulk small molecules has remained a longstanding objective in the field of chemical synthesis. The present work reports a catalytic activation method for bulk chemical nitromethane (MeNO2 ). This method combines homogeneous Lewis acid with recyclable heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysis, featuring practicality, sustainability, and low cost, thus solving the inherent drawbacks of previous Nef processes where stoichiometric reductants or activators were required. By combining the advantages of both homo- and heterogeneous catalysts, this chemistry may not only offer new opportunities for the further development of MeNO2 as a nitrogen source for organic synthesis, but also promote the catalysis design in synthetic chemistry.

Protein phosphatase 1 regulates core PCP signaling

Planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling polarizes epithelial cells within the plane of an epithelium. Core PCP signaling components adopt asymmetric subcellular localizations within cells to both polarize and coordinate polarity between cells. Achieving subcellular asymmetry requires additional effectors, including some mediating post-translational modifications of core components. Identification of such proteins is challenging due to pleiotropy. We used mass spectrometry-based proximity labeling proteomics to identify such regulators in the Drosophila wing. We identified the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase1, Pp1-87B, and show that it regulates core protein polarization. Pp1-87B interacts with the core protein Van Gogh and at least one serine/threonine kinase, Dco/CKIε, that is known to regulate PCP. Pp1-87B modulates Van Gogh subcellular localization and directs its dephosphorylation in vivo. PNUTS, a Pp1 regulatory subunit, also modulates PCP. While the direct substrate(s) of Pp1-87B in control of PCP is not known, our data support the model that cycling between phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of one or more core PCP components may regulate acquisition of asymmetry. Finally, our screen serves as a resource for identifying additional regulators of PCP signaling.

An efficient and mild oxidative approach from thiols to sulfonyl derivatives with DMSO/HBr

A mild and practical method for synthesizing sulfonyl derivatives, which have a wide range of applications in pharmaceuticals, materials, and organic synthesis, was described through the oxidative functionalization of thiols with DMSO/HBr. The simple conditions, low cost and ready availability of DMSO/HBr, as well as the versatility of the transformations, make this strategy very powerful in synthesizing a variety of sulfonyl derivatives including sulfonamides, sulfonyl fluorides, sulfonyl azides, and sulfonates. Mechanistic studies revealed that DMSO served as the terminal oxidant, and HBr acted as both a nucleophile and a redox mediator to transfer the oxygen atom.

Distinct Selectivity Control in Solar-Driven Bio-Based α-Hydroxyl Acid Conversion: A Comparison of Pt Nanoparticles and Atomically Dispersed Pt on CdS

Solar-driven photocatalytic lignocellulose conversion is a promising strategy for the sustainable production of high-value chemicals, but selectivity control remains a challenging goal in this field. Here, we report efficient and selective conversion of lignocellulose-derived α-hydroxyl acids to tartaric acid derivatives, α-keto acids, and H2 using Pt-modified CdS catalysts. Pt nanoparticles on CdS selectively produce tartaric acid derivatives via C-C coupling, while atomically dispersed Pt on CdS switches product selectivity to the oxidation reaction to produce α-keto acids. The atomically dispersed Pt species stabilized by Pt-S bonds promote the activation of the hydroxyl group and thus switch product selectivity from tartaric acid derivatives to α-keto acids. A broad range of lignocellulose-derived α-hydroxyl acids was applied for preparing the corresponding tartaric acid derivatives and α-keto acids over the two Pt-modified CdS catalysts. This work highlights the unique performance of metal sulfides in coupling reactions and demonstrates a strategy for rationally tuning product selectivity by engineering the interaction between metal sulfide and cocatalyst.

Hybrid digital-analog FSO fronthaul system with channel-adaptive insertion of analog bandwidth

With the arrival of the 5th generation mobile network, the number of user devices is increasing exponentially, and thus it is necessary to expand the capacity of transmission systems. In order to further improve the system spectral efficiency on the basis of existing mobile fronthaul devices, we propose a hybrid digital-analog fronthaul transmission system with adaptive insertion of analog bandwidth, which can dynamically change the position of inserted analog bandwidth based on the state information of free space optical (FSO) channel. We consider the effects of atmospheric attenuation and turbulence on the FSO channel and derive an analytical expression for the maximum analog signal bandwidth that can be inserted into the first null of the digital signal spectrum to meet BER requirement of 3.8 × 10-3. Through a comprehensive simulation, it is verified that the analog bandwidth is obtained by this expression can exactly represent the lower bound of the simulation results under weak turbulence condition. The obtained results show that the maximum insertable analog bandwidth beyond the spectral null of the digital signal can reach 10% of the digital signal bandwidth, even in the FSO link with a transmission distance of 0.5 km and attenuation factor of 8 dB/km.

Characteristics of theory of mind impairment and its relationship with clinical symptoms and neurocognition in patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a mental disorder that can cause severe disability, including impairment of social cognition, which is considered a core feature of SCZ, and the Theory of Mind (ToM) is a core component of social cognition. Although many studies have confirmed the presence of ToM impairment in patients with SCZ, its characteristics in terms of different orders (first-order and second-order) and components remain unclear, and no studies have investigated the independent correlations between such impairment and clinical symptoms. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the characteristics of ToM impairment in patients with SCZ.

METHODS

This study included 30 patients with SCZ and 30 healthy controls who were matched for age, sex, and level of education. The clinical symptoms of the patients with SCZ were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), and the neurocognitive ability of the subjects was evaluated using the Trail Making Test, Symbol Coding Test, and Digit Span Test. The degree of ToM impairment of the subjects at different stages (first- and second-order) and for individual components was evaluated using the Yoni task. Latent profile analysis and network analysis were conducted to identify and analyze the potential ToM performance types, and independent correlations were assessed between ToM impairment and clinical symptoms.

RESULTS

The patients with SCZ exhibited significant first-order and second-order impairment (P < 0.05), and the second-order affective ToM component was mainly reflected by complex affective states (P = 0.003). The latent profile analysis revealed that ToM impairments in patients with SCZ could be classified into groups with complete, second-order, and comprehensive defects, whereas it was impossible to classify patients according to differences in the cognitive and affective ToM components. The Network analysis demonstrated that the cognitive component of ToM was associated with positive symptoms, whereas the affective ToM component was associated with negative symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Patients with SCZ exhibited differences in order levels and ToM impairments, as well as different defect types. In addition, cognitive and affective ToM components may be related to different psychotic symptoms; therefore, understanding these differences could promote the rehabilitation of patients with SCZ.

Protein phosphatase 1 regulates core PCP signaling

PCP signaling polarizes epithelial cells within the plane of an epithelium. Core PCP signaling components adopt asymmetric subcellular localizations within cells to both polarize and coordinate polarity between cells. Achieving subcellular asymmetry requires additional effectors, including some mediating post-translational modifications of core components. Identification of such proteins is challenging due to pleiotropy. We used mass spectrometry-based proximity labeling proteomics to identify such regulators in the Drosophila wing. We identified the catalytic subunit of Protein Phosphatase1, Pp1-87B, and show that it regulates core protein polarization. Pp1-87B interacts with the core protein Van Gogh and at least one Serine/Threonine kinase, Dco/CKIε, that is known to regulate PCP. Pp1-87B modulates Van Gogh subcellular localization and directs its dephosphorylation in vivo. PNUTS, a Pp1 regulatory subunit, also modulates PCP. While the direct substrate(s) of Pp1-87B in control of PCP is not known, our data support the model that cycling between phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of one or more core PCP components may regulate acquisition of asymmetry. Finally, our screen serves as a resource for identifying additional regulators of PCP signaling.

Impact of changing the prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity on cancer incidence in China from 2021 to 2050: a simulation modelling study

Background

Smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity are key cancer risk factors contributing to the cancer burden in China. We aimed to quantify the cancer burden in China associated with smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity, and estimate the potential effect for cancer prevention interventions under different scenarios.

Methods

We used a macro-simulation approach called Prevent Model to estimate for a 30-year study period (2021-2050) numbers and proportions of future avoidable cancer cases under different scenarios of reducing the prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity in Chinese adults. Cancer incidence was predicted under three scenarios: elimination, ambitious target (between elimination and manageable target) and manageable target (from national policy or global action plan). Risk factor prevalence was obtained from China Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Surveillance, and cancer incidence data were derived from the China Cancer Registry Annual Report. Relative risks were obtained from several recent large-scale studies or high-quality meta-analysis. Population data were extracted from the China Population & Employment Statistical Yearbook, China Health Statistical Yearbook and World Population Prospects.

Findings

Estimates of the avoidable cancer burden varied with different scenarios. In the theoretical maximum intervention scenario, where the prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity would be eliminated, 9.17% (males: 13.50%; females: 1.47%) of smoking-related cancer cases, 7.06% (males: 11.49%; females: 1.00%) of cancer cases related to alcohol consumption and 8.22% (males: 7.91%; females: 8.52%) of overweight/obesity-related cancer cases were estimated to be avoidable during 2021-2050. Other scenarios, with more moderate goals in the exposure prevalence of smoking, alcohol use and overweight/obesity were also found to be associated with substantial reductions in the future cancer burden.

Interpretation

Our results suggested that a substantial number of future cancer cases could be avoided in Chinese adults by reducing the prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity.

Funding

National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China; Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen.

Preventive Effect of 6-shogaol on D-galactosamine Induced Hepatotoxicity Through NF-?B/MAPK Signaling Pathway in Rats

This analysis aims to see whether 6-shogaol could protect rats against D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced Hepatotoxicity. The Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=6). Group 1 received a standard diet, Group 2 received an oral administration of 6-shogaol (20 mg/kg b.wt), Group 3 received an intraperitoneal injection of D-GalN (400 mg/kg b.wt) on 21st day, and Group 4 received an oral administration of 6-shogaol (20mg/kg b.wt) for 21 days and D-GalN (400 mg/kg b.wt) injection only on 21st day. The hepatic marker enzymes activity, lipid peroxidative markers level increased significantly and antioxidant activity/level significantly reduced in D-GalN-induced rats. 6-shogaol Pretreatment effectively improves the above changes in D-GalN-induced rats. Further, inflammatory marker expression and MAPK signaling molecules were downregulated by 6-shogaol. These findings showed that 6-shogaol exerts hepatoprotective effects via the enhanced antioxidant system and attenuated the inflammation and MAPK signaling pathway in D-GalN-induced rats.

Fasys: Visible-Light-Based Communication and Positioning Services towards Smart Cities

Visible-light-based transmission application plays an important role in various types of sensor services for the Internet of Things (IoTs). However, in big data scenarios, current visible-light-based systems cannot achieve concurrent high-speed communication, low-speed communication, and positioning. Therefore, in this article, we propose a smart visible-light-based fusion applications system, named Fasys, to solve the above problem for the big data traffic with heterogeneity. Specifically, for low-speed data services, we propose a novel linear block coding and bit interleaving mechanism, which enhances the LED positioning accuracy and recovers the lost data bits in the interframe gap (IFG). For high-speed data services with traffic possessing burstiness, an elegant statistical reliability analysis framework in regard to latency is proposed based on martingale theory. The backlog martingale process is constructed. Leveraging stopping time theory, a tight upper bound of unreliability is obtained. An arrival abstraction and traffic allocation scheme is designed, which contributes to decouple the reliability requirement as the maximum supportable arrival load. Finally, we implement our Fasys system, and extensive experimental results show that our system can achieve consistent high-precision positioning and low-BER data communication for low-speed data services. And the proposed martingale-based traffic allocation scheme can achieve the provisioning of reliability in regard to the latency for high-speed data services.

[Determination of misoprostol in workplace air by high performance liquid chromatography]

Objective: To establish a high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of misoprostol in workplace air. Methods: From February to August 2021, the misoprostol in the workplace air was collected by glass fiber filter membrane, and theeluent was separated by C18 liquid chromatography column, determined by UV detector, and quantified by external standard method. Results: The quantitative lower limit of misoprostol determination method was 0.05 μg/ml, and the lowest quantitative concentration was 1.4 μg/m(3) (calculated by collecting 75 L air sample). The concentration of misoprostol has a good linear relationship between 0.05 to 10.00 μg/ml. The relative coefficient was 0.9998. The regression equation of the standard working curve was y=495759x-45257. The range of average recovery rates were from 95.5% to 102.8%. The intra-assay precision of the method was 1.2%-4.6%, and the inter-assay precision was 2.0%-5.9%. The samples could be stored stably for 7 days at 4 ℃. Conclusion: The high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of misoprostol has high sensitivity, good specificity and simple procedure of sample pretreatment. It is suitable for the detection of misoprostol in the workplace air.

Preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion and perineural invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with 18F-FDG PET/CT radiomics analysis

AIM

To develop and validate a predictive model based on 2-[¹⁸F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) radiomics features and clinicopathological parameters to preoperatively identify microvascular invasion (MVI) and perineural invasion (PNI), which are important predictors of poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Preoperative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT images and clinicopathological parameters of 170 patients in PDAC were collected retrospectively. The whole tumour and its peritumoural variants (tumour dilated with 3, 5, and 10 mm pixels) were applied to add tumour periphery information. A feature-selection algorithm was employed to mine mono-modality and fused feature subsets, then conducted binary classification using gradient boosted decision trees.

RESULTS

For MVI prediction, the model performed best on a fused subset of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT radiomics features and two clinicopathological parameters, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 83.08%, accuracy of 78.82%, recall of 75.08%, precision of 75.5%, and F1-score of 74.59%. For PNI prediction, the model achieved best prediction results only on the subset of PET/CT radiomics features, with AUC of 94%, accuracy of 89.33%, recall of 90%, precision of 87.81%, and F1 score of 88.35%. In both models, 3 mm dilation on the tumour volume produced the best results.

CONCLUSIONS

The radiomics predictors from preoperative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging exhibited instructive predictive efficacy in the identification of MVI and PNI status preoperatively in PDAC. Peritumoural information was shown to assist in MVI and PNI predictions.

Prevalence and influencing factors of anaemia among pregnant women in rural areas of Northwestern China

OBJECTIVES

Anaemia during pregnancy is a significant public health problem that adversely impacts both the mother and foetus. However, the factors influencing maternal anaemia in deprived areas of Northwestern China have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and potential influencing factors of anaemia among expectant mothers in rural areas of Northwestern China.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 586 expectant mothers was conducted to investigate the prevalence of anaemia, prenatal healthcare coverage, dietary diversity and nutrient supplementation intake. The study population was selected from the sample areas using a random sampling method. Data were collected through a questionnaire, and haemoglobin concentrations were measured by a capillary blood test.

RESULTS

The results show that 34.8% of the study population were anaemic, with 13% having moderate-to-severe anaemia. The results of the regression analysis showed that diet was not significantly associated with haemoglobin concentrations or the prevalence of anaemia. However, regular prenatal healthcare attendance was found to be an important influencing factor for both haemoglobin concentration (β = 3.67, P = 0.002) and the prevalence of anaemia (odds ratio = 0.59, P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnant women receiving regular prenatal care were less likely to be anaemic; thus, it is essential to implement strategies to improve attendance at maternal public health services to reduce the prevalence of maternal anaemia.

First Report of Cobweb Disease in Auricularia cornea var. Li. Caused by Hypomyces mycophilus in China

Auricularia cornea var. Li. is a natural mutation strain of A. cornea which has been preferred by consumers for its white colour, good taste and pharmacological properties (Rebecca et al. 2020). In October 2021, a disease with symptoms similar to that of cobweb disease (Carrasco et al. 2017) was observed in A. cornea var. Li. in four mushroom farms in Fangshan District (115.83°E, 39.55°N), Beijing, China, infecting 20% of the fruiting bodies (Fig. 1A-D). White cottony mycelia formed typically on the casing soil and they gradually spread to the stipes and pileus, covering the whole fruiting body, which eventually died and lost commodity value. Cultures were obtained by aseptically transferring the diseased fruiting bodies onto potato dextrose agar (PDA); they were deposited in the culture collection (ID: JZBQA3) of the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, China. The colonies were floccose with aerial mycelium white. Purplish grey diffusing pigments occasionally formed on the reverse side of the plate at 25 °C (Fig. 2A-B). Conidiophores arising in aerial mycelium, indefinite in length, branches septate, each cell producing denticulate conidiogenous loci, each denticle bearing a single conidium. Conidia mostly oblong to ellipsoidal, smooth, (9.0-)9.9-17.0(-18.0)×(6.0-)6.9-10.2 μm (n = 60), 0~1 septate (Fig. 2C-E). Chlamydospores forming as lateral branches of hyphae were commonly observed, globose, ellipsoid or oblong, 14.8-22×14.7-19.6 μm, l/w = 1.0-1.3 (Fig. 2F-G). The morphological characteristics were consistent with that of Hypomyces mycophilus, whose anamorph was Cladobotryum polypori (Rogerson et al. 1993, Zeng et al. 2017). For further species identification, genomic DNA was extracted using the DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, USA). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU) genes were amplified using the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and LROR/LR5 (Bhattacharya et al. 2000), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers OP430530 and OP430531. BLAST nucleotide searches showed more than 99% homology with corresponding sequences of Hypomyces mycophilus HMAS 275554 and CBS 175.56. Phylogenetic trees based on ITS and LSU revealed that the strain JZBQA3 was grouped with H. mycophilus with high support value (Fig. 3). A in vivo pathogenicity test was performed using eight mushroom sticks with healthy fruiting bodies in triplicate. Each four sticks were sprayed with conidial suspension (108 spores/mL) of strain JZBQA3 or sterile distilled water, respectively, and maintained in an artificial climate chamber at 25-26°C. Cobweb-like characteristics were observed on the fruiting bodies treated with the JZBQA3 conidial suspension 2-3 days after inoculation, while those treated with sterile distilled water remained symptomless (Fig. 4 A-B). The same pathogen was re-isolated and confirmed from the infected fruiting bodies by integrated analysis of morphological characteristics and gene sequencing data, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Hypomyces mycophilus was first reported on Trametes versicolor in North Carolina (Rogerson et al. 1993), and is the causal agent of cobweb diseases on Auricularia heimuer (Zhang et al. 2023). To our knowledge, this is the first report of cobweb disease caused by H. mycophilus in A. cornea var. Li. This finding is a valuable contribution to the knowledge of cobweb disease development in edible fungi.

Time-aware neural ordinary differential equations for incomplete time series modeling

Internet of Things realizes the ubiquitous connection of all things, generating countless time-tagged data called time series. However, real-world time series are often plagued with missing values on account of noise or malfunctioning sensors. Existing methods for modeling such incomplete time series typically involve preprocessing steps, such as deletion or missing data imputation using statistical learning or machine learning methods. Unfortunately, these methods unavoidable destroy time information and bring error accumulation to the subsequent model. To this end, this paper introduces a novel continuous neural network architecture, named Time-aware Neural-Ordinary Differential Equations (TN-ODE), for incomplete time data modeling. The proposed method not only supports imputation missing values at arbitrary time points, but also enables multi-step prediction at desired time points. Specifically, TN-ODE employs a time-aware Long Short-Term Memory as an encoder, which effectively learns the posterior distribution from partial observed data. Additionally, the derivative of latent states is parameterized with a fully connected network, thereby enabling continuous-time latent dynamics generation. The proposed TN-ODE model is evaluated on both real-world and synthetic incomplete time-series datasets by conducting data interpolation and extrapolation tasks as well as classification task. Extensive experiments show the TN-ODE model outperforms baseline methods in terms of Mean Square Error for imputation and prediction tasks, as well as accuracy in downstream classification task.

Activation cross sections for reactions induced by 14 MeV neutrons on natural titanium

Cross sections for the neutrons around 14 MeV interaction with natural titanium were precisely measured by neutron activation and off-line measurement technique. The fast neutrons were produced by ³H(d,n)⁴He reaction and the neutron energy was obtained by using the cross section ratio method of ⁹⁰Zr(n,2n)⁸⁹Zr to ⁹³Nb(n,2n)^92mNb reactions. Experimental cross sections have been acquired for ^natTi(n,x)⁴⁶Sc, ^natTi(n,x)⁴⁷Sc, ⁵⁰Ti(n,x)⁴⁷Ca and ⁴⁸Ti(n,x)⁴⁸Sc reactions. The measured cross section data are compared with the experimental data available in the previous literature and evaluated nuclear data from the ENDF/B-VIII.0, JEFF-3.3, JENDL-5, BROND-3.1, CENDL-3.2 and FENDL-3.2b libraries. Furthermore, excitation functions for these reactions were calculated by using the theoretical model based on Talys-1.96 code with default and adjusted parameters. Within experimental error, evaluated nuclear data are mostly consistent with experimental data. The excitation function with adjusted parameters can roughly reproduce the experimental data.

Secure turbulence-resistant coherent free-space optical communications via chaotic region-optimized probabilistic constellation shaping

We propose a chaotic region-optimized probabilistic constellation shaping (CRPCS) scheme to enhance the security and the resistance to turbulence for free-space optical (FSO) communications. For this approach, a four-dimensional hyperchaotic system generates a pseudorandom sequence to rotate and encrypt the constellation. Constellation distribution of short pseudorandom sequences behaves as the law of a non-uniform character. Grouping long pseudorandom sequences and counting the characteristics of constellation distribution can realize probabilistic constellation shaping with low and fixed redundant information. We demonstrate a 56 Gbyte/s coherent FSO communication system based on log-normal and Gamma-Gamma turbulence models with a key space of 10⁷⁵. The results show that the optical receiver sensitivity is improved by 0.3-1.1 dB, and the transmission distance is also improved by 3.2%-7.0% in different shaping cases.

Assessment of healthcare quality among village clinicians in rural China: the role of internal work motivation

INTRODUCTION

The quality of primary care is important for health outcomes among residents in China. There is evidence that internal work motivation improves the quality of healthcare provided by clinicians. However, few empirical studies have examined the relationship between internal work motivation and clinical performance among village clinicians in rural China. This study was performed to evaluate healthcare quality among village clinicians, then explore its relationships with internal work motivation among those clinicians.

METHODS

We collected survey data using a standardised patient method and a structured questionnaire. We observed 225 interactions between standardised patients and village clinicians from 21 counties in three provinces. We used logistic regression models to analyse the relationships between work motivation and healthcare quality, then conducted heterogeneity analysis.

RESULTS

Healthcare quality among village clinicians was generally low. There was a significantly positive correlation between internal work motivation and healthcare quality among village clinicians (P<0.1). Additionally, the positive effect of internal work motivation on healthcare quality was strongest among clinicians who received financial incentives and had a lighter workload (fewer patients per month) [P<0.1].

CONCLUSION

Healthcare quality among village clinicians requires urgent improvement. We recommend implementing financial incentives to stimulate internal work motivation among village clinicians, thus improving their clinical performance.

Transmission of tuberculosis in an incarcerated population during the subclinical period: A cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China

Objectives

As a closed gathering place, prison is the cradle of tuberculosis (TB) outbreak. Therefore, the analysis of the prevalence rate and risk factors of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in prison will be a necessary measure to intervene in the spread of tuberculosis.

Methods

In this study, we consecutively recruited 506 adult prisoners in Qingdao to carry out this cross-sectional study. TB and LTBI were screened by IGRA, X-ray, X-pert, sputum smear and culture.

Results

A total of 17 TB, 101 LTBI and 388 HC were identified, with an infection rate of 23.32% (118/506) and a TB incidence rate of 3282/100,000 population. Age, malnutrition and inmates living with TB prisoners were risk factors for LTBI. Additionally, most TB cases (70.59%, 12/17) were subclinical tuberculosis (STB), contributing significantly to TB transmission.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that the transmission efficiency of asymptomatic patients is not essentially different from that of symptomatic patients, indicating that TB transmission occurs during the subclinical period. Our findings highlight the need to strengthen active case-finding strategies to increase TB case detection in this population.

Amino-tetrazoles synthesis from secondary amides via C-C bond nitrogenation

The development of novel methods for the preparation of amino tetrazoles is of long-standing interest for chemists due to the great importance of these compounds in chemistry and biology. Herein, we report an efficient method for the preparation of amino tetrazoles from secondary amides via selective C-C bond cleavage. Compared with traditional tedious and cumbersome approaches to amino tetrazoles, this chemistry discovered a highly efficient nitrogenation strategy with four nitrogen atoms installation into secondary amides in one-step.

Restorative Effects from Green Exposure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trials

Despite growing research on green space and health benefits, the body of evidence remains heterogeneous and unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with high evidence levels are deemed timely. We searched Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for the literature up to January 2022 and assessed bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 2.0. We calculated joint impact estimates for each green space exposure assessment technique using random and fixed effects models. Compared to non-green space situations, green space exposure was related to decreased negative feelings, such as fatigue -0.84 (95% CI: -1.15 to -0.54), and increased levels of pleasant emotions, such as vitality 0.85 (95% CI: 0.52 to 1.18). It also lowered physiological indicators, including heart rate levels, by 0.60 (95% CI: -0.90 to -0.31). Effect sizes were large and statistically significant, and the overall quality of the evidence was good. Existing RCTs on greenspace exposure pay insufficient attention to older and adolescent populations, different ethnic groups, different regions, and doses of greenspace exposure interventions. More research is needed to understand how and how much green space investment has the most restorative benefits and guide urban green space planning and renewal.

Bio-Pd(0) diverting electron from CoQ-long chain to FDH/Hase-short chain during sulfamethoxazole degradation

Microbial electron output capacity is critical for organic contaminants biodegradation. Herein, original C. freundii JH could oxidate formate in anaerobic respiration, but lack the ability to degrade sulfamethoxazole (SMX). While the incorporation of Pd(0) could effectively improve the electron output via improving the combination between flavins and c-type cytochromes (c-Cyts), increasing the activities of key enzymes (formate dehydrogenase, hydrogenase, F₀F₁-ATPases), etc. More importantly, the presence of Pd(0) caused the NADH dehydrogenase (complex I) nearly in idle, and triggered the decrease of NADH/NAD⁺ ratio and increase of H⁺-efflux transmembrane gradient, eventually resulting in the electrons diverting from CoQ-involved long respiratory chain (decreasing from 91.67% to 36.25%) to FDH/Hases-based hydrogen-producing short chain (increasing from 22.44% to 84.88%), which further intensified the electron output. Above changes effectively launched and guaranteed the high-level SMX degradation by palladized C. freundii JH, alleviating the ecotoxicity of SMX in aquatic and terrestrial environments. These conclusions provided the new view to regulate the microbial electron output behaviors.

Towards BioMnOx-mediated intra/extracellular electron shuttling for doxycycline hydrochloride metabolism in Bacillus thuringiensis

Doxycycline hydrochloride (DCH) could be continuously removed by Bacillus thuringiensis S622 with the in-situ biogenic manganese oxide (BioMnOx) via oxidizing/regenerating. The DCH removal rate was significantly increased by 3.01-fold/1.47-fold at high/low Mn loaded via the integration of biological (intracellular/extracellular electron transfer (IET/EET)) and abiotic process (BioMnOx, Mn(III) and •OH). BioMnOx accelerated IET via activating coenzyme Q to enhance electrons transfer (ET) from complex I to complex III, and as an alternative electron acceptor for respiration and provide another electron transfer transmission channel. Additionally, EET was also accelerated by stimulating to secrete flavins, cytochrome c (c-Cyt) and flavin bounded with c-Cyt (Flavins & Cyts). To our best knowledge, this is the first report about the role of BioMnOx on IET/EET during antibiotic biodegradation. These results suggested that Bacillus thuringiensis S622 incorporated with BioMnOx could adopt an alternative strategy to enhance DCH degradation, which may be of biogeochemical and technological significance.

Full-duplex transmission without an uplink light source for a millimeter-wave radio over a free-space optical system

The radio over free-space optical (RoFSO) system is a promising alternative technique for mobile fronthaul networks such as aerial base stations where fiber link is unavailable to deploy. However, the full-duplex transmission imposes challenges on the design of the RoFSO system due to the additional structural complexity when ease-of-installation is a mandatory request. The interplay between the uplink and downlink for a simplified structure has been less investigated in related works. In this paper, we propose a full-duplex RoFSO transmission system structure in which the uplink light source is physically saved. The optical center carrier of the double-sideband (DSB) modulated signal in the downlink is extracted as the light source for the uplink, and thus the system complexity is reduced. In order to mitigate the permanence degradation of uplink transmission due to the attenuated light source, channel estimation and power pre-compensation are implemented without additional training symbols by utilizing the characteristics of the channel correlation between uplink and downlink and the information independence of optical center carrier in the DSB. The proposed channel estimation algorithm is verified theoretically and experimentally. The results show that the difference between uplink and downlink channel attenuation is -0.7dB. In case of the excessive power compensation and the resulting effects, a power control mechanism is introduced to the power pre-compensation. By using the power pre-compensation mechanism, the bit error rate (BER) can reach 1.58×10^-3 and 3.8×10^-3, respectively, under the channel conditions of medium turbulence and weak turbulence. Owing to the power control mechanism, the power saving rates of downlink and uplink are up to 78% and 67%.

Discovery of 2-(furan-2-ylmethylene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide derivatives as novel inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease

The COVID-19 posed a serious threat to human life and health, and SARS-CoV-2 M^pro has been considered as an attractive drug target for the treatment of COVID-19. Herein, we report 2-(furan-2-ylmethylene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide derivatives as novel inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro developed by in-house library screening and biological evaluation. Similarity search led to the identification of compound F8–S43 with the enzymatic IC₅₀ value of 10.76 μM. Further structure-based drug design and synthetic optimization uncovered compounds F8–B6 and F8–B22 as novel non-peptidomimetic inhibitors of M^pro with IC₅₀ values of 1.57 μM and 1.55 μM, respectively. Moreover, enzymatic kinetic assay and mass spectrometry demonstrated that F8–B6 was a reversible covalent inhibitor of M^pro. Besides, F8–B6 showed low cytotoxicity with CC₅₀ values of more than 100 μM in Vero and MDCK cells. Overall, these novel SARS-CoV-2 M^pro non-peptidomimetic inhibitors provide a useful starting point for further structural optimization.

Utilisation of village clinics in Southwest China: evidence from Yunnan Province

INTRODUCTION

Primary healthcare in rural China is underutilised, especially in village clinics in Southwest China. The aim of this study was to explore any relationships among the ethnicity of the healthcare provider, the clinical competence of the healthcare provider, and the utilisation of village clinics in Southwest China.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey study involved 330 village healthcare providers from three prefectures in Yunnan Province in 2017. Multiple logistic regressions were adopted to investigate the utilisation of primary healthcare among different ethnic healthcare providers.

RESULTS

Primary healthcare utilisation was higher in village clinics where healthcare providers were Han Chinese than those where healthcare providers were ethnic minority (151 vs 101, P=0.008). The logistic regression analysis showed that clinical competence was positively associated with the utilisation of primary healthcare (odds ratio [OR]=1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.12-2.00; P=0.007) and that inadequate clinical competence of ethnic minority health workers may lead to a lag in the utilisation of primary healthcare (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.23-0.89; P=0.022).

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm differences in the utilisation of primary healthcare in rural Yunnan Province among healthcare providers of different ethnicities. Appropriate enhancements of clinical competence could be conducive to improving the utilisation of primary healthcare, especially among ethnic minority healthcare providers.

Catalytic Electrophilic Halogenation of Arenes with Electron-Withdrawing Substituents

The electrophilic halogenation of arenes is perhaps the simplest method to prepare aryl halides, which are important structural motifs in agrochemicals, materials, and pharmaceuticals. However, the nucleophilicity of arenes is weakened by the electron-withdrawing substituents, whose electrophilic halogenation reactions usually require harsh conditions and lead to limited substrate scopes and applications. Therefore, the halogenation of arenes containing electron-withdrawing groups (EWGs) and complex bioactive compounds under mild conditions has been a long-standing challenge. Herein, we describe Brønsted acid-catalyzed halogenation of arenes with electron-withdrawing substituents under mild conditions, providing an efficient protocol for aryl halides. The hydrogen bonding of Brønsted acid with the protic solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) enables this transformation and thus solves this long-standing problem.

Oxytetracycline co-metabolism with denitrification/desulfurization in SRB mediated system

Aquaculture wastewater contained a high remnant of oxytetracycline (OTC) and nitrate. In this study, OTC co-metabolized with denitrification/desulfurization was investigated in terms of kinetic analysis, pathway, microbial communities and produces analysis in sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) mediated system. Long-term acclimatization with sulfate (300 mg-S/L) could markedly accelerate the removed rate of OTC from 0.9 to 1.4 mg/g-SS/d, with the kinetic constants increasing from 0.2760 to 0.5232 d^-1, mainly via enzymes including adenosine-5'-phos-phosulfate reductase and cytochrome P450, and non-enzymatic process related to intermediates (adenosine-5'-phos-phosulfate and S⁰). Furthermore, OTC was likely detoxified by SRB enriched sludge mainly via hydrolysis, dehydration, oxidation and reduction. The denitrification process would postpone the OTC degradation via outcompeting electron donors with the desulfurization process. Redundancy analysis suggested that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (Acidithiobacillus, Ochrobactrum) were highly related to OTC degradation processes. This study provides deep insight and a new opportunity for the treatment of aquaculture wastewater containing OTC, sulfate and nitrate by SRB sludge.

Independent dual-single-sideband QPSK signal detection based on a single photodetector

The two sidebands of the independent dual-single-sideband (dual-SSB) signal can carry different information to achieve higher spectral efficiency. However, the two sidebands of the independent dual-SSB vector signal are received independently. Generally, the receiver divides the signal into two channels. For each channel, we use an optical bandpass filter (OBPF) to select the left sideband (LSB) or right sideband (RSB), respectively. Then a photodetector (PD) is used for photoelectric conversion, followed by subsequent digital signal processing (DSP). To reduce the complexity and cost of the receiver, we propose a new independent dual-SSB vector signal detection scheme based on a single PD combined with conventional DSP. An electric bandpass filter (EBPF) filters out high-frequency components after photoelectric conversion, and then the signal is quadrature demodulated and processed by the DSP algorithm. The LSB and RSB are quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulated with an initial phase difference of π/4. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme performs better bit error rate (BER). For back-to-back (BTB) transmission, the BER of 2-Gbaud independent dual-SSB vector signal (1-Gbuad RSB and 1-Gbaud LSB) can reach the hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10^-3 when the input optical power into PD is -20 dBm. For 1-km and 2-km weak turbulence free-space optical (FSO) channel transmission, the BER of 2-Gbaud independent dual-SSB vector signal can reach the HD-FEC threshold when the input optical power into PD is -18.8 and -17 dBm, respectively. For 1-km weak turbulence FSO channel transmission, the BER of 4-, 8-, and 16-Gbuad independent dual-SSB vector signal can reach the HD-FEC threshold when the input optical power into PD is -17.8, -16, and -15 dBm, respectively.

[Screening and preliminary validation of biomarkers in sputum-negative pulmonary tuberculosis based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography and transcriptomics]

Objective: To screen and perform preliminary clinical validation of biomarkers of activity based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) and transcriptomics in sputum-negative pulmonary tuberculosis lesion tissue. Methods: Nine patients with sputum-negative pulmonary tuberculosis treated surgically at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center for Thoracic Surgery from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019 were retrospectively collected as the discovery group, including four males and five females, aged 20-57 years (mean 36 years). All of the patients underwent PET-CT scanning before surgery, and the resected specimens were postoperatively classified according to preoperative PET-CT. The resected specimens were divided into areas with increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) metabolism (SUVmax>3) and areas with normal FDG metabolism (SUVmax ≤ 3) according to the preoperative PET-CT performance. After sample processing, total RNA was extracted from the tissues of different regions, and then whole gene transcriptome sequencing was performed. Bioinformatics analysis of the two sets of data was performed to discover the expression profiles of the differences in whole gene transcriptome data between the two regions and to screen for candidate biomarkers. Eighty patients with sputum-negative pulmonary tuberculosis admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2021 were retrospectively collected as the validation group, including 37 males and 43 females, aged 20-62 years, with an average age of 39 years. The validation group was divided into a group with increased SUV (n=40) and a group without lesions on CT imaging (n=40). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the protein levels of candidate biomarkers in the peripheral plasma of patients. The effect of biomarkers was assessed using subject operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Student's t-test was used to determine whether the difference in protein levels between the two groups was statistically significant. Results: Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the expression levels of C1QB, CCL19, CCL5 and HLA-DMB correlated with the metabolic activity of sputum-negative tuberculosis lesion tissue. Further screening and validation by the validation group confirmed that the difference in C1QB protein levels in the peripheral plasma of patients was statistically significant between the group with increased SUV and the group without lesions on CT imaging [(3.55±0.34) mg/L vs. (2.75±0.21) mg/L, t=4.12, P<0.001]. And the ROC curve showed that the area under the curve for C1QB protein levels was 0.731, which had potential clinical value. Conclusion: The C1QB protein level can be used to assess the activity of lesions in patients with sputum-negative tuberculosis and is a potential biomarker.

Extracellular electron transfer-dependent Cr(VI)/sulfate reduction mediated by iron sulfide nanoparticles

The slow electron transfer rate is a bottleneck to the biological wastewater treatment. This study evaluated the concomitant biotransformation and nonenzymatic reduction of Cr(VI) mediated by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB), especially for the reinforcing Cr(VI) reduction via accelerating the electron transfer by the in-situ biosynthesized iron sulfide nanoparticles (FeS NPs). The kinetic results showed that 10 mg/L Cr(VI) was completely removed by pre-cultured FeS NPs within 7 h with k_Cr(VI) of 2.6 × 10^-4 s^-1, one magnitude higher than that without FeS NPs. Despite its competing electron to postpone sulfate reduction, the reduction of Cr(VI) was markedly improved via nonenzymatic reactions by the sulfide, the product of sulfate reduction. In the reinforcing system (bio-FeS NP@SRB), the bio-FeS NPs served as an electronic bypass conduit for CoQ could significantly amplify the electron flux, and switch the Cr(VI) reduction from intracellular space to extracellular environment, which had a great detoxification effect on the microorganisms, eventually markedly promoted electron transfer extracellularly and the reduction of Cr(VI). After the long-term acclimatization, Desulfovibrio became the dominant bacteria at the genus level and accounted for the relative abundance of 32%. This study provides an alternative to use biogenic FeS NPs for Cr(VI) remediation.