In 2020, a leaf spot disease of hemp (
Cannabis sativa
) was found in Wuwei, Gansu, China. In order to determine the causal agents, a total of 29
Alternaria
-like strains were collected. Based on ...morphology and phylogenetic analysis, these strains were identified as two members of
Alternaria alternata
Species Complex (AALSC), one monotypic lineage of
A. helianthiinficiens
and a new species of
Alternaria cannabina
in section
Infectoriae
. The new species was identified and illustrated here based on morphology and sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA regions (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (
gapdh
), translation elongation factor (
tef1
), RNA polymerase II subunit (
rpb2
) and plasma membrane ATPase (
ATPase
) genes. Moreover, pathogenicity tests of all four taxa showed that strains of AALSC were more aggressive to hemp leaves than the other two species.
We designed an infrared ultra-broadband metal–insulator–metal (MIM)-based absorber which is composed of a top layer with four different chromium (Cr) nano-rings, an intermediate media of aluminum ...trioxide (Al2O3), and a bottom layer of tungsten (W). By using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD), the absorption performance of the absorber was studied theoretically. The results indicate that the average absorption of the absorber can reach 94.84% in the wavelength range of 800–3000 nm. The analysis of the electric and magnetic field indicates that the ultra-broadband absorption rate results from the effect of local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). After that, the effect of structural parameters, metal and dielectric materials on the absorptivity of the absorber was also discussed. Finally, the effect of incidence angle on absorption was investigated. It was found that it is not sensitive to incidence angle; even when incidence angle is 30°, average absorptivity can reach 90%. The absorber is easy to manufacture and simple in structure, and can be applied in infrared detection and optical imaging.
To assess the cardiovascular safety of celecoxib compared to non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs or placebo.
We included randomized controlled trials of oral celecoxib compared with a ...non-selective NSAID or placebo in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. We conducted searches in EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. Study selection and data extraction were done by two authors independently. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane's risk-of-bias Tool for Randomized Trials. The effect size was presented as a risk ratio with their 95% confidence interval.
Until July 22nd, 2021, our search identified 6279 records from which, after exclusions, 21 trials were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled risk ratio for Antiplatelet Trialists Collaboration cardiovascular events for celecoxib compared with any non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs was 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.80-1.00). The pooled risk ratio for all-cause mortality for celecoxib compared with non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs was 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.66-0.98). The cardiovascular mortality rate of celecoxib was lower than non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (risk ratio: 0.75, 95% confidence interval: 0.57-0.99). There was no significant difference between celecoxib and non-selective non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs or placebo in the risk of other cardiovascular events.
Celecoxib is relatively safe in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients, independent of dose or duration. But it remains uncertain whether this would remain the same in patients treated with aspirin and patients with established cardiovascular diseases.
Reducing the risk of oil spill disasters is essential for protecting the environmentand reducing economic losses. Oil spill surveillance constitutes an important component ofoil spill disaster ...management. Advances in remote sensing technologies can help to identifyparties potentially responsible for pollution and to identify minor spills before they causewidespread damage. Due to the large number of sensors currently available for oil spillsurveillance, there is a need for a comprehensive overview and comparison of existingsensors. Specifically, this paper examines the characteristics and applications of differentsensors. A better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of oil spill surveillancesensors will improve the operational use of these sensors for oil spill response andcontingency planning. Laser fluorosensors were found to be the best available sensor for oilspill detection since they not only detect and classify oil on all surfaces but also operate ineither the day or night. For example, the Scanning Laser Environmental AirborneFluorosensor (SLEAF) sensor was identified to be a valuable tool for oil spill surveillance.However, no single sensor was able to provide all information required for oil spillcontingency planning. Hence, combinations of sensors are currently used for oil spillsurveillance. Specifically, satellite sensors are used for preliminary oil spill assessmentwhile airborne sensors are used for detailed oil spill analysis. While satellite remote sensingis not suitable for tactical oil spill planning it can provide a synoptic coverage of theaffected area.
Abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells
VSMCs) are essential for vascular remodeling. Natural compounds with diterpene chinone or phenolic acid structure from
an eminent ...medicinal herb widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China, can effectively attenuate vascular remodeling induced by vascular injury. However, it remains unknown whether
-derived miRNAs can protect VSMCs from injury by environmental stimuli. Here, we explored the role and underlying mechanisms of
-derived Sal-miR-1 and 3 in the regulation of VSMC migration and monocyte adhesion to VSMCs induced by thrombin.
A mouse model for intimal hyperplasia was established by the ligation of carotid artery and the injured carotid arteries were in situ-transfected with Sal-miR-1 and 3 using F-127 pluronic gel. The vascular protective effects of Sal-miR-1 and 3 were assessed via analysis of intimal hyperplasia with pathological morphology. VSMC migration and adhesion were analyzed by the wound healing, transwell membrane assays, and time-lapse imaging experiment. Using loss- and gain-of-function approaches, Sal-miR-1 and 3 regulation of OTUD7B/KLF4/NMHC IIA axis was investigated by using luciferase assay, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, western blotting, etc.
derived Sal-miR-1 and 3 can enter the mouse body after intragastric administration, and significantly suppress intimal hyperplasia induced by carotid artery ligation. In cultured VSMCs, these two miRNAs inhibit thrombin-induced the migration of VSMCs and monocyte adhesion to VSMCs. Mechanistically, Sal-miR-1 and 3 abrogate OTUD7B upregulation by thrombin via binding to the different sites of the OTUD7B 3'UTR. Most importantly, OTUD7B downregulation by Sal-miR-1 and 3 attenuates KLF4 protein levels via decreasing its deubiquitylation, whereas decreased KLF4 relieves its repression of transcription of NMHC IIA gene and thus increases NMHC IIA expression levels. Further, increased NMHC IIA represses VSMC migration and monocyte adhesion to VSMCs via maintaining the contractile phenotype of VSMCs.
Our studies not only found the novel bioactive components from
but also clarified the molecular mechanism underlying Sal-miR-1 and 3 inhibition of VSMC migration and monocyte adhesion to VSMCs. These results add important knowledge to the pharmacological actions and bioactive components of
. Sal-miR-1 and 3-regulated OTUD7B/KLF4/NMHC IIA axis may represent a therapeutic target for vascular remodeling.
Myostatin (
) is a major negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass and initiates multiple metabolic changes. The deletion of the
gene in mice leads to reduced mitochondrial functions. However, the ...underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate myostatin-knockout (
-KO) mice via pronuclear microinjection.
-KO mice exhibited significantly larger skeletal muscles. Meanwhile,
knockout regulated the organ weights of mice. Moreover, we found that
knockout reduced the basal metabolic rate, muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, activities of mitochondrial respiration chain complexes, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) cycle, and thermogenesis. Mechanistically, expressions of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (pAMPK) were down-regulated, while peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) acetylation modification increased in the
-KO mice. Skeletal muscle cells from
-KO and WT were treated with AMPK activator 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAR), and the AMPK inhibitor Compound C, respectively. Compared with the wild-type (WT) group, Compound C treatment further down-regulated the expression or activity of pAMPK, SIRT1, citrate synthase (CS), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDHm), and α-ketoglutarate acid dehydrogenase (α-KGDH) in
-KO mice, while
knockout inhibited the AICAR activation effect. Therefore,
knockout affects mitochondrial function by inhibiting the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC1α signaling pathway. The present study reveals a new mechanism for
knockout in regulating energy homeostasis.
In Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning, observation precisions are frequently impacted by the site-specific unmodeled errors, especially for the code observations that are widely ...used by smart phones and vehicles in urban environments. The site-specific unmodeled errors mainly refer to the multipath and other space loss caused by the signal propagation (e.g., non-line-of-sight reception). As usual, the observation precisions are estimated by the weighting function in a stochastic model. Only once the realistic weighting function is applied can we obtain the precise positioning results. Unfortunately, the existing weighting schemes do not fully take these site-specific unmodeled effects into account. Specifically, the traditional weighting models indirectly and partly reflect, or even simply ignore, these unmodeled effects. In this paper, we propose a real-time adaptive weighting model to mitigate the site-specific unmodeled errors of code observations. This unmodeled-error-weighted model takes full advantages of satellite elevation angle and carrier-to-noise power density ratio (C/N0). In detail, elevation is taken as a fundamental part of the proposed model, then C/N0 is applied to estimate the precision of site-specific unmodeled errors. The principle of the second part is that the measured C/N0 will deviate from the nominal values when the signal distortions are severe. Specifically, the template functions of C/N0 and its precision, which can estimate the nominal values, are applied to adaptively adjust the precision of site-specific unmodeled errors. The proposed method is tested in single-point positioning (SPP) and code real-time differenced (RTD) positioning by static and kinematic datasets. Results indicate that the adaptive model is superior to the equal-weight, elevation and C/N0 models. Compared with these traditional approaches, the accuracy of SPP and RTD solutions are improved by 35.1% and 17.6% on average in the dense high-rise building group, as well as 11.4% and 11.9% on average in the urban-forested area. This demonstrates the benefit to code-based positioning brought by a real-time adaptive weighting model as it can mitigate the impacts of site-specific unmodeled errors and improve the positioning accuracy.
Background
To describe sonographic characteristics of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTBL) in children, clinical information, and sonograms of 348 lymph nodes (LNs) from 57 children with CTBL ...were retrospectively analyzed in this study.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and sonograms of 348 LNs from 31 boys and 26 girls with CTBL, who were confirmed by pathology or laboratory examination, at the Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital between June 2014 and December 2020. The age of the children ranged from 1 to 14 years (average 7.1 ± 2.9 years).
Results
Night sweats, fatigue and loss of appetite were the most common clinical symptoms observed in children with CTBL. Unilateral LN involvements were common. Occasionally, CTBL was found in healthy children with no symptoms. On sonography, the hilus was absent or unclear in all LNs. The short-to-long axis (S/L) ratio was ≥ 0.5, and the edges were unclear in most LNs. Other accompanying findings included necrosis (47.4%), an echogenic thin layer (36.8%), surrounding soft-tissue edema (38.5%), multiple intra-nodal strong echo (28.2%), sinus (22.7%) and abscess formation (6.9%). The Doppler ultrasound showed that the majority of vascularity patterns of CTBL were capsular or peripheral (33.3%).
Conclusions
Ultrasound is a recommended examination method for children from different age groups with cervical lymphadenitis. The ultrasonic signs of hilus absence, S/L ratio ≥ 0.5, unclear edge, necrosis, echogenic thin layer, strong echoes and capsular or peripheral vascularity may aid in the diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis.
Glycine betaine (GB) plays a crucial role in plants responding to abiotic stresses. Studying the physiological response of cotton seedlings to exogenous GB under salt stress provides a reference for ...the application of GB to improve the resistance of cotton seedlings under salt stress. The purpose of this research is to examine the impacts of foliar-applied GB on leaf stomatal structure and characteristics, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and plant growth indicators of Gossypium hirsutum L. under NaCl stress conditions.
Under the salinity of 150 mM, the four concentrations of GB are 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 mM, and the control (CK) was GB-untreated non-saline. Salt stress negatively affected leaf stomata as well as gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence and decreased plant growth parameters of cotton seedlings. The treatment with 5 mM GB significantly increased the evolution of photosynthetic rate (P
), transpiration rate (T
), intracellular CO
concentration (C
) and stomatal conductance (g
) compared to the GB-untreated saline treatment. The Exogenous foliar-applied GB has sustainably decreased the carboxylation efficiency (P
/C
) and water use efficiency (WUE). The concentration of 5 mM GB leads to a significant improvement of leaf stomatal characteristics. The leaf gas exchange attributes correlated positively with stomatal density (SD), stomatal length (SL) and stomatal with (SW).
The overall results suggested that exogenous foliar supplementation with GB can effectively alleviate the damage of salt stress to cotton seedlings. The effect of applying 5 mM GB could be an optional choice for protecting cotton seedlings from NaCl stress through promoting the stomatal functions, photosynthetic activities and growth characteristics.
•Dealing with the relationship between land use and groundwater and protect the ecological environment.•Broken rock mass, cracks and water inrush can be blocked and reinforced by grouting.•Developing ...accurate quantitative models for the hydration of cement and predict the properties of grouting materials.•The adsorption processes of different functional groups on the surface of cement hydration products were explored by DFT calculations.•The mechanism of the cement hydration reaction and the influence of cement-based admixtures was revealed.
Complex geological problems caused by natural environment have emerged constantly, causing serious damage to the land use and groundwater ecological environment in the western region. How to deal with the relationship between the above factors and ecological environment protection is a new research topic at present. Broken rock mass, cracks and water inrush during construction can be blocked and reinforced by grouting to achieve environmental protection. Therefore, to develop accurate quantitative models for the hydration of cement and predict the properties of grouting materials plays a crucial role during the protection process. In this study, the hydration product Ca(OH)2 is taken as an example, and the adsorption processes of different functional groups on the surface of Ca(OH)2 were investigated using DFT. The adsorption energy of the (101) surface was −0.38 Ha in sulfonic group, the lowest on different crystal planes of Ca(OH)2, while the adsorption energy of different functional groups is sulfonic group > carboxyl group > amide group > benzene ring. The adsorption energy was the lowest when the hydroxyl and carboxyl ratio was 1:1, suggesting that the adsorption energy and hydration performance in different ratios of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups will also be discrepant. After the adsorption of functional groups with Ca(OH)2, the electron clouds and orbitals rearranged, new characteristic peaks of the s orbital were present in the vicinity of −15 eV, −13 eV, and −10 eV, respectively. Since the relationship between functional groups and cement hydration process of chemical admixtures was explored, the mechanism of the cement hydration reaction and the influence of cement-based admixtures was revealed from an electronic view, also to extract the key influencing factors for the grouting and develop accurate quantitative models to predict and tackle various geo-environmental hazards.
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