A 2 μm Wavelength Band Low-Loss Spot Size Converter Based on Trident Structure on the SOI Platform

A 2 μm wavelength band spot size converter (SSC) based on a trident structure is proposed, which is coupled to a lensed fiber with a mode field diameter of 5 μm. The cross-section of the first segment of the tapered waveguide structure in the trident structure is designed as a right-angled trapezoidal shape, which can further improve the performance of the SSC. The coupling loss of the SSC is less than 0.9 dB in the wavelength range of 1.95~2.05 μm simulated by FDTD. According to the experimental results, the lowest coupling loss of the SSC is 1.425 dB/facet at 2 μm, which is close to the simulation result. The device is compatible with the CMOS process and can provide a good reference for the development of 2 μm wavelength band integrated photonics.

Variation in placentophagy in golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) reflects nutritional constraints

Golden snub-nosed monkeys show inconsistent frequency of placentophagy between wild and captive populations, with almost all births in the wild but around half of the births in captivity accompanied by the female's consumption of placenta. This aligns with nutritional demands-driven placentophagy, as captive populations are generally under less nutritional constraints for breeding females than the wild population. Placentophagy is probably adaptive in the wild and under positive selection due to nutritional benefits to both mothers and infants.

Automotive Augmented Reality Head-Up Displays

As the next generation of in-vehicle intelligent platforms, the augmented reality heads-up display (AR-HUD) has a huge information interaction capacity, can provide drivers with auxiliary driving information, avoid the distractions caused by the lower head during the driving process, and greatly improve driving safety. However, AR-HUD systems still face great challenges in the realization of multi-plane full-color display, and they cannot truly achieve the integration of virtual information and real road conditions. To overcome these problems, many new devices and materials have been applied to AR-HUDs, and many novel systems have been developed. This study first reviews some key metrics of HUDs, investigates the structures of various picture generation units (PGUs), and finally focuses on the development status of AR-HUDs, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of existing technologies, and points out the future research directions for AR-HUDs.

Genome-wide identification of Avicennia marina aquaporins reveals their role in adaptation to intertidal habitats and their relevance to salt secretion and vivipary

Aquaporins (AQPs) regulate the transport of water and other substrates, aiding plants in adapting to stressful environments. However, the knowledge of AQPs in salt-secreting and viviparous Avicennia marina is limited. In this study, 46 AmAQPs were identified in A. marina genome, and their subcellular localisation and function in transporting H2 O2 and boron were assessed through bioinformatics analysis and yeast transformation. Through analysing their expression patterns via RNAseq and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we found that most AmAQPs were downregulated in response to salt and tidal flooding. AmPIP (1;1, 1;7, 2;8, 2;9) and AmTIP (1;5, 1;6) as salt-tolerant candidate genes may contribute to salt secretion together with Na+ /H+ antiporters. AmPIP2;1 and AmTIP1;5 were upregulated during tidal flooding and may be regulated by anaerobic-responsive element and ethylene-responsive element cis-elements, aiding in adaptation to tidal inundation. Additionally, we found that the loss of the seed desiccation and dormancy-related TIP3 gene, and the loss of the seed dormancy regulator DOG1 gene, or DOG1 protein lack heme-binding capacity, may be genetic factors contributing to vivipary. Our findings shed light on the role of AQPs in A. marina adaptation to intertidal environments and their relevance to salt secretion and vivipary.

Effect of blood flow restriction with low-load exercise on muscle damage in healthy adults: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

INTRODUCTION

Blood flow restriction (BFR) is a relatively new rehabilitative technique and low-load exercise combined with BFR (LL-BFR) can increase muscle strength and muscle mass. However, it is currently unknown whether LL-BFR causes muscle damage. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of LL-BFR on muscle damage and provide recommendations for sports training and physical exercise.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Cochrane Library and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) with a cut-off of March 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and English-language studies were selected. Two independent assessors used the PEDro scoring scale to evaluate the methodological quality and risk of bias of the included studies.

RESULTS

Of the 2935 articles identified, 15 RCTs were included in this systematic review. Two studies demonstrated that LL-BFR could induce muscle damage in healthy individuals; however, two studies presented contrasting findings in the short term. Four studies found that no muscle damage occurred after LL-BFR in the long term. The remaining seven articles showed that it was unclear if LL-BFR could cause muscle damage, regardless of whether these participants were trained or not.

CONCLUSION

Although LL-BFR may induce muscle damage within 1 week, it will help gain long-term muscle strength and muscle hypertrophy. However, the lack of sufficient evidence on the effect of LL-BFR on muscle damage in clinical practice warrants additional RCTs with large sample sizes in the future.

Combined metabolome and transcriptome analysis reveals a critical role of lignin biosynthesis and lignification in stem-like pneumatophore development of the mangrove Avicennia marina

MAIN CONCLUSION

Transcriptional and metabolic regulation of lignin biosynthesis and lignification plays crucial roles in Avicennia marina pneumatophore development, facilitating its adaptation to coastal habitats. Avicennia marina is a pioneer mangrove species in coastal wetland. To cope with the periodic intertidal flooding and hypoxia environment, this species has developed a complex and extensive root system, with its most unique feature being a pneumatophore with a distinct above- and below-ground morphology and vascular structure. However, the characteristics of pneumatophore lignification remain unknown. Studies comparing the anatomy among above-ground pneumatophore, below-ground pneumatophore, and feeding root have suggested that vascular structure development in the pneumatophore is more like the development of a stem than of a root. Metabolome and transcriptome analysis illustrated that the accumulation of syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) units in the pneumatophore plays a critical role in lignification of the stem-like structure. Fourteen differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and 10 differentially expressed genes involved in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were targeted. To identify genes significantly associated with lignification, we analyzed the correlation between 14 genes and 8 metabolites and further built a co-expression network between 10 transcription factors (TFs), including 5 for each of MYB and NAC, and 23 enzyme-coding genes involved in lignin biosynthesis. 4-Coumarate-CoA ligase, shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and peroxidase were identified to be strongly correlated with these TFs. Finally, we examined 9 key candidate genes through quantitative real-time PCR to validate the reliability of transcriptome data. Together, our metabolome and transcriptome findings reveal that lignin biosynthesis and lignification regulate pneumatophore development in the mangrove species A. marina and facilitate its adaptation to coastal habitats.

Identification of DNA variants at ultra-low variant allele frequencies via Taq polymerase cleavage of wild-specific blockers

Detecting mutations related to tumors holds immense clinical significance for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the presence of highly redundant wild DNA poses a challenge for the advancement of low-copy mutant ctDNA genotyping in cancer cases. To address this, a Taqman qPCR strategy to identify rare mutations at low variant allele fractions (VAFs) has been developed. This strategy combines mutant-specific primers with wild-specific blockers. Diverging from other blocker-mediated PCRs, which rely on primer-induced strand displacement or the use of modified oligos resistant to Taq polymerase, our innovation is built upon the cleavage of specific blockers by Taq polymerase. Given its unique design, which does not hinge on strand displacement or base modification, we refer to this novel method as unmodified-blocker cleavage PCR (UBC-PCR). Multiple experiments consistently confirmed that variant distinction was improved significantly by introduction of 5' unmatched blockers into the reaction. Moreover, UBC-PCR successfully detected mutant DNA at VAFs as low as 0.01% across six different variant contexts. Multiplex UBC-PCR was also performed to identify a reference target and three mutations with a sensitivity of 0.01% VAFs in one single tube. In profiling the gene status from 12 lung cancer ctDNA samples and 22 thyroid cancer FNA DNA samples, UBC-PCR exhibited a 100% concordance rate with ddPCR and a commercial ARMS kit, respectively. Our work demonstrates that UBC-PCR can identify low-abundance variants with high sensitivity in multiplex reactions, independent of strand displacement and base modification. This strategy holds the potential to significantly impact clinical practice and precision medicine.

Mechanoluminescence and Photoluminescence Heterojunction for Superior Multimode Sensing Platform of Friction, Force, Pressure, and Temperature in Fibers and 3D-Printed Polymers

Endowing a single material with various types of luminescence, that is, exhibiting a simultaneous optical response to different stimuli, is vital in various fields. A photoluminescence (PL)- and mechanoluminescence (ML)-based multifunctional sensing platform is built by combining heterojunctioned ZnS/CaZnOS:Mn2+ mechano-photonic materials using a 3D-printing technique and fiber spinning. ML-active particles are embedded in micrometer-sized cellulose fibers for flexible optical devices capable of emitting light driven by mechanical force. Individually modified 3D-printed hard units that exhibit intense ML in response to mechanical deformation, such as impact and friction, are also fabricated. Importantly, they also allow low-pressure sensing up to ≈100 bar, a range previously inaccessible by any other optical sensing technique. Moreover, the developed optical manometer based on the PL of the materials demonstrates a superior high-pressure sensitivity of ≈6.20 nm GPa-1 . Using this sensing platform, four modes of temperature detection can be achieved: excitation-band spectral shifts, emission-band spectral shifts, bandwidth broadening, and lifetime shortening. This work supports the possibility of mass production of ML-active mechanical and optoelectronic parts integrated with scientific and industrial tools and apparatus.

Identification of BRD7 by whole-exome sequencing as a predictor for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in patients undergoing TACE

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, we aimed to identify potential predictors of intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using whole-exome sequencing (WES) in patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In A total of 51 patients, newly diagnosed with intermediate-stage HCC between January 2013 and December 2020, were enrolled. Prior to treatment, histological samples were collected for western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The predictive roles of clinical indicators and genes in patient prognosis were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Finally, the correlation between imaging features and gene signatures was examined.

RESULTS

Using WES, we identified that bromodomain-containing protein 7 (BRD7) was significantly mutated in patients with different TACE responses. No significant difference in BRD7 expression was observed between patients with and without BRD7 mutations. HCC tumors exhibited higher BRD7 than normal liver tissues. Multivariate analysis revealed that alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), BRD7 expression, and BRD7 mutations were independent risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS). In addition, Child-Pugh class, BRD7 expression, and BRD7 mutations were independent risk factors for overall survival (OS). Patients with wild-type BRD7 and high BRD7 expression had worse PFS and OS, whereas those with mutated BRD7 and low BRD7 expression exhibited the best PFS and OS. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that wash-in enhancement on computed tomography might be an independent risk factor for high BRD7 expression.

CONCLUSION

BRD7 expression may be an independent risk factor for prognosis in patients with HCC undergoing TACE. Imaging features such as wash-in enhancement are closely related to BRD7 expression.

H2 S works synergistically with rhizobia to modify photosynthetic carbon assimilation and metabolism in nitrogen-deficient soybeans

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂ S) performs a crucial role in plant development and abiotic stress responses by interacting with other signalling molecules. However, the synergistic involvement of H₂ S and rhizobia in photosynthetic carbon (C) metabolism in soybean (Glycine max) under nitrogen (N) deficiency has been largely overlooked. Therefore, we scrutinised how H₂ S drives photosynthetic C fixation, utilisation, and accumulation in soybean-rhizobia symbiotic systems. When soybeans encountered N deficiency, organ growth, grain output, and nodule N-fixation performance were considerably improved owing to H₂ S and rhizobia. Furthermore, H₂ S collaborated with rhizobia to actively govern assimilation product generation and transport, modulating C allocation, utilisation, and accumulation. Additionally, H₂ S and rhizobia profoundly affected critical enzyme activities and coding gene expressions implicated in C fixation, transport, and metabolism. Furthermore, we observed substantial effects of H₂ S and rhizobia on primary metabolism and C-N coupled metabolic networks in essential organs via C metabolic regulation. Consequently, H₂ S synergy with rhizobia inspired complex primary metabolism and C-N coupled metabolic pathways by directing the expression of key enzymes and related coding genes involved in C metabolism, stimulating effective C fixation, transport, and distribution, and ultimately improving N fixation, growth, and grain yield in soybeans.

IFIH1 was predicted as a key biomarker in primary Sjögren's syndrome based on transcriptome analysis and experimental verification in patients and mice

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the novel key genes and biological processes that may lead to primary Sjögren' s syndrome (pSS).

METHODS

We downloaded datasets about peripheral blood samples of pSS patients and healthy controls (GSE51092, GSE84844, and GSE66795) from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The weighted co-expression network analysis and differential expression analysis first were implemented. After that, protein-protein network interaction and Support Vector Machines were applied in the meantime to take intersection for key genes. Moreover, we conducted immune cell infiltration analysis to explore the relationship between the gene expression and concentration of immune cells in peripheral blood. Lastly, the expression of key genes was verified in pSS patients and murine models by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Meanwhile, correlation analysis of gene expression and disease activity was also performed.

RESULTS

Only 1 key gene, interferon induced with helicase c domain 1 (IFIH1), was identified to be both significantly up-regulated and important for the diagnosis of pSS. The increased expression of IFIH1 in peripheral blood was confirmed in data sets, patients and non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Its expression was correlated with disease activity in patients as well. In addition, the IFIH1 expression was also increased in spleen and salivary glands infiltrated with lymphocytes in NOD mice. Furthermore, immune cell infiltration analysis showed that the expression of IFIH1 was positively correlated with the proportion of memory B cells and activated dendritic cells, and negatively correlated with the proportion of macrophage M0.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, bioinformatics analyses and experimental assays were performed to provide a new insight for understanding of pSS. IFIH1 may be a new diagnostic marker or therapeutic target for pSS.

Successful rescue of fulminant myocarditis with mechanical circulatory support and immunosuppression therapy: A case report

Myocarditis is challenging to diagnose because of its various clinical manifestations. Fulminant myocarditis (FM) is a severe type of myocarditis characterized by heart failure, malignant arrhythmia, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest. Its early diagnosis and timely treatment are crucial for a positive long-term prognosis. Here we report a case of 42-year-old woman who presented with fever, chest pain, and cardiogenic shock. An initial examination showed increased myocardial enzyme levels and diffuse ST-segment elevation. Urgent coronary angiography excluded coronary artery stenosis. Echocardiography revealed decreased left ventricular systolic function. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed cardiomyocyte necrosis and interstitial inflammatory edema. The patient was diagnosed with FM and administered antiviral and anti-infective agents, glucocorticoid, immunoglobulin, and supported with temporary cardiac pacemaker and positive airway therapy, and treated with continuous renal replacement therapy. As her clinical condition deteriorated rapidly, we immediately started an intra-aortic balloon pump and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. She was discharged on day 15 and recovered normally during follow-up. The early initiation of mechanical circulatory support and immunosuppression are life-saving tools for the treatment of FM.

Combinatorial interactions between viral proteins expand the potential functional landscape of the tomato yellow leaf curl virus proteome

Viruses manipulate the cells they infect in order to replicate and spread. Due to strict size restrictions, viral genomes have reduced genetic space; how the action of the limited number of viral proteins results in the cell reprogramming observed during the infection is a long-standing question. Here, we explore the hypothesis that combinatorial interactions may expand the functional landscape of the viral proteome. We show that the proteins encoded by a plant-infecting DNA virus, the geminivirus tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), physically associate with one another in an intricate network, as detected by a number of protein-protein interaction techniques. Importantly, our results indicate that intra-viral protein-protein interactions can modify the subcellular localization of the proteins involved. Using one particular pairwise interaction, that between the virus-encoded C2 and CP proteins, as proof-of-concept, we demonstrate that the combination of viral proteins leads to novel transcriptional effects on the host cell. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of studying viral protein function in the context of the infection. We propose a model in which viral proteins might have evolved to extensively interact with other elements within the viral proteome, enlarging the potential functional landscape available to the pathogen.

Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that depend on the molecular machinery of their host cell to complete their life cycle. For this purpose, viruses co-opt host processes, modulating or redirecting them. Most viruses have small genomes, and hence limited coding capacity. During the viral invasion, virus-encoded proteins will be produced in large amounts and coexist in the infected cell, which enables physical or functional interactions among viral proteins, potentially expanding the virus-host functional interface by increasing the number of potential targets in the host cell and/or synergistically modulating the cellular environment. Examples of interactions between viral proteins have been recently documented for both animal and plant viruses; however, the hypothesis that viral proteins might have a combinatorial effect, which would lead to the acquisition of novel functions, lacks systematic experimental validation. Here, we use the geminivirus tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a plant-infecting virus with reduced proteome and causing devastating diseases in crops, to test the idea that combinatorial interactions between viral proteins exist and might underlie an expansion of the functional landscape of the viral proteome. Our results indicate that viral proteins prevalently interact with one another in the context of the infection, which can result in the acquisition of novel functions.

Interference of internal waves due to two point vortices: linear analytical solution and nonlinear interaction

In this work, we consider steady two-dimensional interfacial waves in a two-layer stratified fluid, which is induced by a vortex pair located in the lower layer of the fluids. A mathematical model based on the boundary integral equation method and the potential-flow theory is established. The linear analytical solution for the linearized model is given in the form of Cauchy integral and then asymptotic behaviour for large x is presented. The fully nonlinear model is solved by the Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov (JFNK) method numerically. Nonlinear characteristics of wave profiles are identified compared with the linear results under different vortex strengths and the distance between the vortex pair. The amplitude of steady downstream waves is found to vary periodically with respect to the distance of the vortex pair, which can be regarded as the interference between waves produced by each vortex. For equal-strength counter- and co-rotating pairs, the downstream wave heights of linear solutions can be eliminated for some special values of the distance between point vortices, namely, the destructive interference occurs. Meanwhile, the wave only exists between the vortex pair like trapped waves. So does the nonlinear counterpart for counter-rotating pairs, but it could not be diminished with any distance.

A novel concatenate feature fusion RCNN architecture for sEMG-based hand gesture recognition

Hand gesture recognition tasks based on surface electromyography (sEMG) are vital in human-computer interaction, speech detection, robot control, and rehabilitation applications. However, existing models, whether traditional machine learnings (ML) or other state-of-the-arts, are limited in the number of movements. Targeting a large number of gesture classes, more data features such as temporal information should be persisted as much as possible. In the field of sEMG-based recognitions, the recurrent convolutional neural network (RCNN) is an advanced method due to the sequential characteristic of sEMG signals. However, the invariance of the pooling layer damages important temporal information. In the all convolutional neural network (ACNN), because of the feature-mixing convolution operation, a same output can be received from completely different inputs. This paper proposes a concatenate feature fusion (CFF) strategy and a novel concatenate feature fusion recurrent convolutional neural network (CFF-RCNN). In CFF-RCNN, a max-pooling layer and a 2-stride convolutional layer are concatenated together to replace the conventional simple dimensionality reduction layer. The featurewise pooling operation serves as a signal amplitude detector without using any parameter. The feature-mixing convolution operation calculates the contextual information. Complete evaluations are made on both the accuracy and convergence speed of the CFF-RCNN. Experiments are conducted using three sEMG benchmark databases named DB1, DB2 and DB4 from the NinaPro database. With more than 50 gestures, the classification accuracies of the CFF-RCNN are 88.87% on DB1, 99.51% on DB2, and 99.29% on DB4. These accuracies are the highest compared with reported accuracies of machine learnings and other state-of-the-art methods. To achieve accuracies of 86%, 99% and 98% for the RCNN, the training time are 2353.686 s, 816.173 s and 731.771 s, respectively. However, for the CFF-RCNN to reach the same accuracies, it needs only 1727.415 s, 542.245 s and 576.734 s, corresponding to a reduction of 26.61%, 33.56% and 21.19% in training time. We concluded that the CFF-RCNN is an improved method when classifying a large number of hand gestures. The CFF strategy significantly improved model performance with higher accuracy and faster convergence as compared to traditional RCNN.

Association between livelihood capital and catastrophic health expenditure among patients with critical illness: a cross-sectional study in rural Shandong, China

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to examine the association between livelihood capital and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE).

DESIGN

Between July and August 2019, a cross-sectional study was conducted in critically ill patients.

SETTING

Shandong, China.

PARTICIPANTS

1041 households with critically ill patients from 77 villages.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

We defined expenditure as being catastrophic if a household's out-of-pocket payments were greater than or equal to 40% of their capacity to pay. Using the sustainable livelihoods framework, this study explored the associations between CHE and the various forms of livelihood capital-inclusive of human capital, natural capital, physical capital, financial capital and social capital. χ² tests, t-tests, Wilcoxon tests and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to examine these associations.

RESULTS

The incidence of CHE among households with critically ill patients was 76.37% in this study. Better livelihood capital was significantly associated with lower incidence of CHE. After controlling for confounding factors, households with healthier patients (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.96), more real estate ownership (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.67) and better economic status (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.62) were associated with a reduction in the occurrence of CHE.

CONCLUSIONS

Livelihood capital was significantly associated with CHE in rural families with critically ill patients. This association suggests that, in addition to providing health insurance to the critically ill, more attention should be paid to their ability to create and preserve livelihood capital.

De novo assembly, annotation, marker discovery, and genetic diversity of the Stipa breviflora Griseb. (Poaceae) response to grazing

Grassland is one of the most widely-distributed ecosystems on Earth and provides a variety of ecosystem services. Grasslands, however, currently suffer from severe degradation induced by human activities, overgrazing pressure and climate change. In the present study, we explored the transcriptome response of Stipa breviflora, a dominant species in the desert steppe, to grazing through transcriptome sequencing, the development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and analysis of genetic diversity. De novo assembly produced 111,018 unigenes, of which 88,164 (79.41%) unigenes were annotated. A total of 686 unigenes showed significantly different expression under grazing, including 304 and 382 that were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in the “alpha-linolenic acid metabolism” and “plant-pathogen interaction” pathways. Based on transcriptome sequencing data, we developed eight SSR molecular markers and investigated the genetic diversity of S. breviflora in grazed and ungrazed sites. We found that a relatively high level of S. breviflora genetic diversity occurred under grazing. The findings of genes that improve resistance to grazing are helpful for the restoration, conservation, and management of desert steppe.

Quantitative phase imaging of cells in a flow cytometry arrangement utilizing Michelson interferometer-based off-axis digital holographic microscopy

We combined Michelson-interferometer-based off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM) with a common flow cytometry (FCM) arrangement. Utilizing object recognition procedures and holographic autofocusing during the numerical reconstruction of the acquired off-axis holograms, sharply focused quantitative phase images of suspended cells in flow were retrieved without labeling, from which biophysical cellular features of distinct cells, such as cell radius, refractive index and dry mass, can be subsequently retrieved in an automated manner. The performance of the proposed concept was first characterized by investigations on microspheres that were utilized as test standards. Then, we analyzed two types of pancreatic tumor cells with different morphology to further verify the applicability of the proposed method for quantitative live cell imaging. The retrieved biophysical datasets from cells in flow are found in good agreement with results from comparative investigations with previously developed DHM methods under static conditions, which demonstrates the effectiveness and reliability of our approach. Our results contribute to the establishment of DHM in imaging FCM and prospect to broaden the application spectrum of FCM by providing complementary quantitative imaging as well as additional biophysical cell parameters which are not accessible in current high-throughput FCM measurements.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and neighborhood deprivation index: A spatial analysis in Zhejiang, China

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

Many studies have reported that socioeconomically disadvantaged people or people who live in deprived areas are more vulnerable to diabetes complications. However, few such studies were carried out in China. The present study examined the spatial association between the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and neighborhood deprivation in Zhejiang, China, from a spatial epidemiology perspective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Type 2 diabetes mellitus data (2012-2016) in the present study were derived from a population-based diabetes registry system maintained by Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Principal components analysis was used to combine different socioeconomic variables together into a composited Neighborhood Deprivation Index. We applied the global Moran's I and Anselin's local Moran's I statistics to explore the spatial patterns of type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence and Neighborhood Deprivation Index.

RESULTS

Type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence (Moran's I: 0.531, P < 0.001) and Neighborhood Deprivation Index (Moran's I: 0.772, P < 0.001) showed positive statistically significant global Moran's I index values, showing a tendency towards clustering. The local Moran's I analyses showed that type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence hot spots were mainly located in urban centers, and type 2 diabetes mellitus incidence cold spots appeared in the provincial capital area (Hangzhou city) and western and south-western regions of Zhejiang; the hot spots of the less deprived areas were concentrated in urban centers (except Lishui city), and the cold spots of the most deprived areas were clustered in western and south-western regions of Zhejiang.

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher in affluent areas than the deprived areas across the study period. It will be significant to focus preventive efforts on the least deprived areas.

Analysis of the regulation networks in grapevine reveals response to waterlogging stress and candidate gene-marker selection for damage severity

Owing to the climate change impacts, waterlogging is one of the most hazardous abiotic stresses to crops, which also can result in a serious reduction in the quantity and quality of grape berry and wine production during the rainy season. Therefore, the exploration of the response mechanism of grape to waterlogging is necessary, for which the analysis of the transcriptomic regulation networks of grapevine leaves in response to waterlogging stress was carried out. In this study, 12 634 genes were detected in both waterlogging stress and control grapevine plants, out of which 6837 genes were differentially expressed. A comparative analysis revealed that genes functioning in the antioxidant system, glycolysis and fermentation pathway, chlorophyll metabolism, amino acid metabolism and hormones were activated to reduce injury to grapes under the waterlogging stress. Meanwhile, genes encoding class-2 non-symbiotic haemoglobin were determined as important in waterlogging acclimation. Additionally, the expression variations of three marker genes were found to be informative and can be used to predict the viability of the grapevines subjected to waterlogging. This research not only probes the molecular mechanism underlying grapevine waterlogging tolerance but also puts forward an idea about the application of gene expression information to practical management.

Male hormones activate EphA2 to facilitate Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection: Implications for gender disparity in Kaposi's sarcoma

There is increasing consensus that males are more vulnerable than females to infection by several pathogens. However, the underlying mechanism needs further investigation. Here, it was showed that knockdown of androgen receptor (AR) expression or pre-treatment with 5α-dihydrotestosterone, the AR agonist, led to a considerably dysregulated Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection. In endothelial cells, membrane-localized AR promoted the endocytosis and nuclear trafficking of KSHV. The AR interacted with ephrin receptor A2 (EphA2) and increased its phosphorylation at residue Ser897, which was specifically upregulated upon KSHV infection. This phosphorylation resulted from the AR-mediated recruitment of Src, which resulted in the activation of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (RSK1), which directly phosphorylates EphA2 at Ser897. Finally, the EphA2-mediated entry of KSHV was abolished in a Ser897Asn EphA2 mutant. Taken together, membrane-localized AR was identified as a KSHV entry factor that cooperatively activates Src/RSK1/EphA2 signaling, which subsequently promotes KSHV infection of both endothelial and epithelial cells.

Fast multidimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition for the analysis of big spatio-temporal datasets

In this big data era, it is more urgent than ever to solve two major issues: (i) fast data transmission methods that can facilitate access to data from non-local sources and (ii) fast and efficient data analysis methods that can reveal the key information from the available data for particular purposes. Although approaches in different fields to address these two questions may differ significantly, the common part must involve data compression techniques and a fast algorithm. This paper introduces the recently developed adaptive and spatio-temporally local analysis method, namely the fast multidimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (MEEMD), for the analysis of a large spatio-temporal dataset. The original MEEMD uses ensemble empirical mode decomposition to decompose time series at each spatial grid and then pieces together the temporal-spatial evolution of climate variability and change on naturally separated timescales, which is computationally expensive. By taking advantage of the high efficiency of the expression using principal component analysis/empirical orthogonal function analysis for spatio-temporally coherent data, we design a lossy compression method for climate data to facilitate its non-local transmission. We also explain the basic principles behind the fast MEEMD through decomposing principal components instead of original grid-wise time series to speed up computation of MEEMD. Using a typical climate dataset as an example, we demonstrate that our newly designed methods can (i) compress data with a compression rate of one to two orders; and (ii) speed-up the MEEMD algorithm by one to two orders.