Against the backdrop of a global paper resource shortage, there is a growing need to identify fast-growing tree species capable of producing long-lasting paper. Three plant species namely
...Broussonetia kazinoki, Broussonetia papyrifera
and hybrid paper mulberry, belong to the
Broussonetia
genus, were collected from China to study their white bark suitability for pulp and papermaking. Their chemical composition revealed that the holocellulose content in
Broussonetia kazinoki
and
Broussonetia papyrifera
was more than 80%. The molecular weight distribution of several holocellulose/
α
-cellulose is observed by GPC, which allows us to better observe the changes of various components on the molecular weight. The yield, lignin, whiteness, and molecular weight of the pulps obtained by NaOH treatment were determined. Optical microscope was used to characterize the fiber length-width ratio and rigidity. Finally, the improvement of the fiber rigidity method based on the Kratky-Porod chain model makes it more theoretical and further reveals the influencing factors of fiber rigidity. This study demonstrates the high potentiality of these three species for papermaking applications.
Introduction. The etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis are complex. Blood-heat syndrome is the core pathogenesis of psoriasis. Based on theories of Chinese medicine (CM), heat-clearing and ...blood-cooling (HCBC) are the primary treatment. Very few studies have investigated the pharmacological mechanism of the CM HCBC method for treating psoriasis. This multicenter randomized controlled trial will focus on treating psoriasis blood-heat syndrome with the HCBC method using Jueyin granules (JYKL). This will be an objective and standardized evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and reproducibility of the HCBC method to obtain objective evidence meeting international standards that aim to establish a clinical standard suitable for the popular application of CM for treating psoriasis. Methods and Analysis. A five-center randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical design will be used in this study. At least 196 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either JYKL or placebo treatment approximately 30 minutes after meals in the morning and evening (one sachet per time, twice daily for 8 consecutive weeks). The study duration will be 17 weeks, including 1 week of screening, 8 weeks of intervention, and 8 weeks of follow-up. The patients will be evaluated every 2 weeks, and the measures will be compared with baseline values. The primary outcome measure will be the psoriasis lesion area severity index. We will also observe the recurrence rate, body surface area, physician global assessment, dermatology life quality index, quality of life index, visual analogue scale score, CM symptom score, combined drug use, and adverse events. This trial is registered with NCT03961230.
Named entity recognition is a practical approach to automatically identifying named entities in text and data. Towards the vast amount of data generated in our daily life, Artificial Intelligence ...(AI) with economical but powerful computing resources are inevitably becoming the most appropriate method for name entities classification. However, the results of currently popular methods may also lack the aiming super high accuracy to specific data and the interests of the subscribers. This paper proposes a named entity recognition model based on entity trigger reinforcement learning for automatic Chinese recognition. Unlike existing named entity recognition methods, the proposed method can support multiple inputs. The accuracy proof and performance evaluation show that the proposed method is provable robotic in entity categories classification and efficient in practice.
Phylogenomic studies based on plastid genome have resolved recalcitrant relationships among various plants, yet the phylogeny of Dennstaedtiaceae at the level of family and genera remains unresolved ...due to conflicting plastid genes, limited molecular data and incomplete taxon sampling of previous studies. The present study generated 30 new plastid genomes of Dennstaedtiaceae (9 genera, 29 species), which were combined with 42 publicly available plastid genomes (including 24 families, 27 genera, 42 species) to explore the evolution of Dennstaedtiaceae. In order to minimize the impact of systematic errors on the resolution of phylogenetic inference, we applied six strategies to generate 30 datasets based on CDS, intergenic spacers, and whole plastome, and two tree inference methods (maximum-likelihood, ML; and multispecies coalescent, MSC) to comprehensively analyze the plastome-scale data. Besides, the phylogenetic signal among all loci was quantified for controversial nodes using ML framework, and different topologies hypotheses among all datasets were tested. The species trees based on different datasets and methods revealed obvious conflicts at the base of the polypody ferns. The topology of the "CDS-codon-align-rm3" (CDS with the removal of the third codon) matrix was selected as the primary reference or summary tree. The final phylogenetic tree supported Dennstaedtiaceae as the sister group to eupolypods, and
was divided into four clades with full support. This robust reconstructed phylogenetic backbone establishes a framework for future studies on Dennstaedtiaceae classification, evolution and diversification. The present study suggests considering plastid phylogenomic conflict when using plastid genomes. From our results, reducing saturated genes or sites can effectively mitigate tree conflicts for distantly related taxa. Moreover, phylogenetic trees based on amino acid sequences can be used as a comparison to verify the confidence of nucleotide-based trees.
5-Formylcytosine (5fC) is identified as one of the key players in active DNA demethylation and also as an epigenetic mark in mammals, thus representing a novel attractive target to chemical ...intervention. The current study represents an attempt to develop a reversible 5fC-targeted intervention tool. A supramolecular aldehyde reactive probe was therefore introduced for selective conversion of the 5fC to 5fC-AD nucleotide. Using various methods, we demonstrate that cucurbit7uril (CB7) selectively targets the 5fC-AD nucleotide in DNA, however, the binding of CB7 to 5fC-AD does not affect the hydrogen bonding properties of natural nucleobases in duplex DNA. Importantly, CB7-driven host–guest chemistry has been applied for reversible intervention of a variety of 5fC-targeted biochemical reactions, including restriction endonuclease digestion, DNA polymerase elongation, and polymerase chain reaction. On the basis of the current study, the macrocyclic CB7 creates obstructions that, through steric hindrance, prevent the enzyme from binding to the substrate, whereas the CB7/5fC-AD host–guest interactions can be reversed by treatment with adamantanamine. Moreover, fragment- and site-specific identification of 5fC modification in DNA has been accomplished without sequence restrictions. These findings thus show promising potential of host–guest chemistry for DNA/RNA epigenetics.
A One Health approach has been increasingly mainstreamed by the international community, as it provides for holistic thinking in recognizing the close links and inter-dependence of the health of ...humans, animals and the environment. However, the dearth of real-world evidence has hampered application of a One Health approach in shaping policies and practice. This study proposes the development of a potential evaluation tool for One Health performance, in order to contribute to the scientific measurement of One Health approach and the identification of gaps where One Health capacity building is most urgently needed.
We describe five steps towards a global One Health index (GOHI), including (i) framework formulation; (ii) indicator selection; (iii) database building; (iv) weight determination; and (v) GOHI scores calculation. A cell-like framework for GOHI is proposed, which comprises an external drivers index (EDI), an intrinsic drivers index (IDI) and a core drivers index (CDI). We construct the indicator scheme for GOHI based on this framework after multiple rounds of panel discussions with our expert advisory committee. A fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is adopted to determine the weights for each of the indicators.
The weighted indicator scheme of GOHI comprises three first-level indicators, 13 second-level indicators, and 57 third-level indicators. According to the pilot analysis based on the data from more than 200 countries/territories the GOHI scores overall are far from ideal (the highest score of 65.0 out of a maximum score of 100), and we found considerable variations among different countries/territories (31.8-65.0). The results from the pilot analysis are consistent with the results from a literature review, which suggests that a GOHI as a potential tool for the assessment of One Health performance might be feasible.
GOHI-subject to rigorous validation-would represent the world's first evaluation tool that constructs the conceptual framework from a holistic perspective of One Health. Future application of GOHI might promote a common understanding of a strong One Health approach and provide reference for promoting effective measures to strengthen One Health capacity building. With further adaptations under various scenarios, GOHI, along with its technical protocols and databases, will be updated regularly to address current technical limitations, and capture new knowledge.
Summary Background Prophylactic treatment of individuals with latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is an essential component of tuberculosis control in some settings. In China, the prevalence ...of latent tuberculosis infection, and preventive interventions against this disease, have not been systematically studied. We aimed to assess the prevalence of latent tuberculosis and its associated risk factors in rural populations in China. Methods Between July 1, and Sept 30, 2013, we undertook a baseline survey of a population-based, multicentre, prospective cohort study of registered residents (≥5 years old) at four study sites in rural China. Eligible participants were identified by door-to-door survey with a household sampling design. We screened participants for active tuberculosis and history of tuberculosis then used a tuberculin skin test and an interferon-γ release assay (QuantiFERON QFT) to test for latent infection. We used odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs to assess variables associated with positivity of QFT and tuberculin skin tests. Findings 21 022 (90%) of 23 483 eligible participants completed a baseline survey. Age-standardised and sex-standardised rates of skin-test positivity (≥10 mm) ranged from 15% to 42%, and QFT positivity rates ranged from 13% to 20%. Rates of positivity for the tuberculin skin test and the QFT test were low in study participants younger than 20 years and gradually increased with age (p for trend <0·0001). Rates of latent tuberculosis infection were higher for men than women (p<0·0001). Overall agreement between the tuberculin skin test and the QFT test was moderate (81·06%; kappa coefficient 0·485), with skin-test-only positive results associated with the presence of BCG scar, male sex, and ages of 60 years and older, and QFT-only positive results associated with male sex and ages of 60 years and older. Interpretation On the basis of findings showing that the performance of the tuberculin skin test might be affected by various factors including BCG vaccination and age, our results suggest that the prevalence of latent tuberculosis in China might be overestimated by skin tests compared with interferon-γ release assays. Funding The National Science and Technology Major Project of China, the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China.
In this study, the persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was observed in feces, urine and water. In addition, the inactivation of SARS-CoV in wastewater ...with sodium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide was also studied. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the virus could only persist for 2 days in hospital wastewater, domestic sewage and dechlorinated tap water, while 3 days in feces, 14 days in PBS and 17 days in urine at 20
°C. However, at 4
°C, the SARS-CoV could persist for 14 days in wastewater and at least 17 days in feces or urine. SARS-CoV is more susceptible to disinfectants than
Escherichia coli and f
2 phage. Free chlorine was found to inactivate SARS-CoV better than chlorine dioxide. Free residue chlorine over 0.5
mg/L for chlorine or 2.19
mg/L for chlorine dioxide in wastewater ensures complete inactivation of SARS-CoV while it does not inactivate completely
E. coli and f
2 phage.
PDF
![Cucurbit[7]uril-Driven Host...](http://api.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/image/issn/XR4PS5YY4K/0002-7863/small "Cucurbit[7]uril-Driven Host–Guest Chemistry for Reversible Intervention of 5‑Formylcytosine-Targeted Biochemical Reactions")
