Leech Poecilobdella manillensis protein extract ameliorated hyperuricemia by restoring gut microbiota dysregulation and affecting serum metabolites

BACKGROUND Hyperuricemia(HUA)is a public health concern that needs to be solved urgently.The lyophilized powder of Poecilobdella manillensis has been shown to significantly alleviate HUA;however,its underlying metabolic regulation remains unclear.AIM To explore the underlying mechanisms of Poecilobdella manillensis in HUA based on modulation of the gut microbiota and host metabolism.METHODS A mouse model of rapid HUA was established using a high-purine diet and potassium oxonate injections.The mice received oral drugs or saline.Additionally,16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics were performed to identify changes in the microbiome and host metabolome,respectively.The levels of uric acid transporters and epithelial tight junction proteins in the renal and intestinal tissues were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS The protein extract of Poecilobdella manillensis lyophilized powder(49 mg/kg)showed an enhanced anti-trioxypurine ability than that of allopurinol(5 mg/kg)(P<0.05).A total of nine bacterial genera were identified to be closely related to the anti-trioxypurine activity of Poecilobdella manillensis powder,which included the genera of Prevotella,Delftia,Dialister,Akkermansia,Lactococcus,Escherichia_Shigella,Enterococcus,and Bacteroides.Furthermore,22 metabolites in the serum were found to be closely related to the anti-trioxypurine activity of Poecilobdella manillensis powder,which correlated to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways of cysteine and methionine metabolism,sphingolipid metabolism,galactose metabolism,and phenylalanine,tyrosine,and tryptophan biosynthesis.Correlation analysis found that changes in the gut microbiota were significantly related to these metabolites.CONCLUSION The proteins in Poecilobdella manillensis powder were effective for HUA.Mechanistically,they are associated with improvements in gut microbiota dysbiosis and the regulation of sphingolipid and galactose metabolism.

Anti-PD1 antibody and not anti-LAG-3 antibody improves the antitumor effect of photodynamic therapy for treating metastatic breast cancer

Photodynamic therapy(PDT)has limited effects in treating metastatic breast cancer.Immune checkpoints can deplete the function of immune cells;however,the expression of immune checkpoints after PDT is unclear.This study investigates whether the limited e±cacy of PDT is due to upregulated immune checkpoints and tries to combine the PDT and immune checkpoint inhibitor to observe the e±cacy.A metastatic breast cancer model was treated by PDT mediated by hematoporphyrin derivatives(HpD-PDT).The anti-tumor effect of HpD-PDT was observed,as well as CD4þT,CD8þT and calreticulin(CRT)by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Immune checkpoints on T cells were analyzed byflow cytometry after HpD-PDT.When combining PDT with immune checkpoint inhibitors,the antitumor effect and immune effect were assessed.For HpD-PDT at 100 mW/cm2 and 40,60 and 80 J/cm2,primary tumors were suppressed and CD4þT,CD8þT and CRT were elevated;however,distant tumors couldn't be inhibited and survival could not be prolonged.Immune checkpoints on T cells,especially PD1 and LAG-3 after HpD-PDT,were upregulated,which may explain the reason for the limited HpD-PDT effect.After PDT combined with anti-PD1 antibody,but not with anti-LAG-3 antibody,both the primary and distant tumors were signi-cantly inhibited and the survival time was prolonged,additionally,CD4þT,CD8þT,IFN-þCD4þT and TNF-þCD4þT cells were signi-cantly increased compared with HpD-PDT.HpD-PDT could not combat metastatic breast cancer.PD1 and LAG-3 were upregulated after HpD-PDT.Anti-PD1 antibody,but not anti-LAG-3 antibody,could augment the antitumor effect of HpD-PDT for treating metastatic breast cancer.

Synergistic coupling among Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5),polycarbonate and N,Ndimethylformamide enhances the electrochemical performance of PVDF-HFP-based solid electrolyte

Polymer solid electrolytes(SPEs)based on the[solvate-Li+]complex structure have promising prospects in lithium metal batteries(LMBs)due to their unique ion transport mechanism.However,the solvation structure may compromise the mechanical performance and safety,hindering practical application of SPEs.In this work,a composite solid electrolyte(CSE)is designed through the organic-inorganic syner-gistic interaction among N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF),polycarbonate(PC),and Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) in poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)(PVDF-HFP).Flame-retardant Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) nanowires provide non-flammability to the prepared CSEs,and the addition of PC improves the dispersion of Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) nanowires.Simultaneously,the organic-inorganic synergistic action of PC plasticizer and Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) nanowires pro-motes the dissociation degree of LiTFSI and reduces the crystallinity of PVDF-HFP,enabling rapid Li ion transport.Additionally,Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations confirm the coordination between Mg atoms in Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5) and N atoms in DMF,which exhibits Lewis base-like behavior attacking adjacent C-F and C-H bonds in PVDF-HFP while inducing dehydrofluorination of PVDF-HFP.Based on the syner-gistic coupling of Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5),PC,and DMF in the PVDF-HFP matrix,the prepared CSE exhibits superior ion conductivity(9.78×10^(-4) s cm^(-1)).The assembled Li symmetric cells cycle stably for 3900 h at a current density of 0.1 mA cm^(-2) without short circuit.The LFP||Li cells assembled with PDL-Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5)/PC CSEs show excellent rate capability and cycling performance,with a capacity retention of 83.3%after 1000 cycles at 0.5 C.This work provides a novel approach for the practical application of organic-inorganic Synergistic CSEs in LMBs.

Two Stages Segmentation Algorithm of Breast Tumor in DCE-MRI Based on Multi-Scale Feature and Boundary Attention Mechanism

Nuclearmagnetic resonance imaging of breasts often presents complex backgrounds.Breast tumors exhibit varying sizes,uneven intensity,and indistinct boundaries.These characteristics can lead to challenges such as low accuracy and incorrect segmentation during tumor segmentation.Thus,we propose a two-stage breast tumor segmentation method leveraging multi-scale features and boundary attention mechanisms.Initially,the breast region of interest is extracted to isolate the breast area from surrounding tissues and organs.Subsequently,we devise a fusion network incorporatingmulti-scale features and boundary attentionmechanisms for breast tumor segmentation.We incorporate multi-scale parallel dilated convolution modules into the network,enhancing its capability to segment tumors of various sizes through multi-scale convolution and novel fusion techniques.Additionally,attention and boundary detection modules are included to augment the network’s capacity to locate tumors by capturing nonlocal dependencies in both spatial and channel domains.Furthermore,a hybrid loss function with boundary weight is employed to address sample class imbalance issues and enhance the network’s boundary maintenance capability through additional loss.Themethod was evaluated using breast data from 207 patients at RuijinHospital,resulting in a 6.64%increase in Dice similarity coefficient compared to the benchmarkU-Net.Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the method over other segmentation techniques,with fewer model parameters.

陆相淡水与咸化湖盆页岩有机质差异富集机理

有机质丰度是页岩油富集的重要物质基础,是页岩油甜点预测和资源评价的关键指标.与海相沉积相比,陆相湖盆页岩层系有机质丰度变化大,非均质性强,其形成和保存受水体盐度影响更明显.因此,揭示水体性质及其影响因素是揭示陆相有机质差异富集的关键科学问题.鉴于此,本文通过对比典型淡水(鄂尔多斯盆地长7段)与咸化碱湖(准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷风城组)沉积与地球化学特征,揭示了淡水与咸化湖盆水体盐度具有动态变化的特征,淡水湖盆在有机质富集层段具有水体逐渐变咸的趋势,而咸化湖盆也具有水体变淡的特点.全球尺度上古气候的冷暖影响淡水与咸化湖盆的古生产力条件,是陆相湖盆富有机质沉积的主控因素;同时,陆相湖盆有机质多形成于缺氧含铁的水体环境,淡水湖盆咸化层段比咸化碱湖有机质保存效果更好.淡水湖盆长7段有机质水体分层不明显,火山活动等关键地质事件携带的硫酸盐会引起水体盐度发生快速变化,引起湖盆底部水体由长期铁化向硫化快速转变,利于有机质的保存;咸化碱湖玛湖凹陷风城组水体分层显著,火山或热液活动会导致底部水体盐度频繁硫化至甲烷厌氧氧化阶段,对有机质可能具有消耗作用.本研究可加深对陆相页岩油富集规律的认识,对指导页岩油勘探具有一定的理论意义.

Correlation between anxiety, depression, and social stress in young patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures

BACKGROUND Traumatic injuries,such as falling,car accidents,and crushing mostly cause spinal fractures in young and middle-aged people,and>50%of them are thoracolumbar fractures.This kind of fracture is easily combined with serious injuries to peripheral nerves and soft tissues,which causes paralysis of the lower limbs if there is no timely rehabilitation treatment.Young patients with thoracolumbar fractures find it difficult to recover after the operation,and they are prone to depression,low self-esteem,and other negative emotions.AIM To investigate the association between anxiety,depression,and social stress in young patients with thoracolumbar spine fractures and the effect on rehabilitation outcomes.METHODS This study retrospectively analyzed 100 patients admitted to the orthopedic department of Honghui Hospital,Xi’an Jiaotong University who underwent thoracolumbar spine fracture surgery from January 2022 to June 2023.The general data of the patients were assessed with the Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA),Hamilton depression scale(HAMD),life events scale,and social support rating scale(SSRS)to identify the correlation between anxiety,depression scores,and social stress and social support.The Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)was utilized to evaluate the rehabilitation outcomes of the patients and to analyze the effects of anxiety and depression scores on rehabilitation.RESULTS According to the scores of HAMD and HAMA in all patients,the prevalence of depression in patients was 39%(39/100),and the prevalence of anxiety was 49%(49/100).Patients were categorized into non-depression(n=61)and depression(n=39),non-anxiety(n=51),and anxiety(n=49)groups.Statistically significant differences in gender,occupation,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)score,and monthly family income were observed between the non-depression and depression groups(P<0.05).A significant difference in occupation and PSQI score was found between the non-anxiety and anxiety groups.Both depression(r=0.207,P=0.038)and anxiety scores(r=0.473,P<0.001)were significantly and positively correlated with negative life events.The difference in negative life event scores as well as SSRS total and item scores was statist-ically significant between patients in the non-depression and depression groups(P<0.05).The difference between the non-anxiety and anxiety groups was statistically significant(P<0.05)in the negative life event scores as well as the total SSRS scores.Additionally,JOA scores were significantly lower in both anxious and depressed patients.CONCLUSION Young patients with thoracolumbar fractures are prone to anxiety and depression.Patients’anxiety and depression are closely associated with social pressure,which reduces the life pressure of young patients with thoracolumbar fractures,enhances social support,and improves the psychology of anxiety and depression.,which affects patients’recovery.

我国公共卫生科技创新的现状与挑战

近年来,我国公共卫生领域科技创新紧密结合国家重大战略需求,形成了具有我国特色的优势学科领域,建设了若干高水平的科技创新平台和研究基地,并取得系列重大成果。但与发达国家和我国现代公共卫生体系及能力建设目标相比,特别是结合新时期健康中国建设战略需求和重大公共卫生挑战,我国在公共卫生关键科技问题的发展水平上仍存在短板,同时公共卫生科技创新也面临着某些体制机制因素的制约。本文提出了未来我国公共卫生科技创新的重点方向,并聚焦体制机制提出加强公共卫生科技创新的对策建议。

Response of leaf carbon metabolism and dry matter accumulation to density and row spacing in two rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)genotypes with differing plant architectures

Biological yield indicates the potential for increasing yield.Leaf carbon metabolism plays an important role in the biomass accumulation of rapeseed(Brassica napus L.).Field experiments with the hybrid HZ62(with a conventional plant architecture)grown in 2016–2017,and HZ62 and accession 1301(with a compact plant architecture)grown in 2017–2018 were conducted to characterize the physiological and proteomic responses of leaf photosynthetic carbon metabolism to density and row spacing configurations.The densities were set at 15×10;ha^(-1)(D1),30×10^(4)ha^(-1)(D2),and 45×10^(4)ha^(-1)(D3)(main plot),with row spacings of 15 cm(R15),25 cm(R25),and 35 cm(R35)(subplot).Individual and plant population biomass accumulation was greatest at R25,R15,and R15 for D1,D2,and D3,respectively,for both genotypes.In comparison with D1 R25,the individual aboveground biomass of HZ62 decreased by60.2%,whereas the population biomass increased by 31.9%,and the individual biomass of genotype1301 decreased by 54.0%and the population biomass increased by 53.9%at D3 R15.Leaf carbon metabolic enzymes varied between genotypes at flowering stage.In contrast to D1 R25,at D3 R15 the activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase(Rubisco)and sucrose phosphate synthase(SPS)and the contents of starch,sucrose and soluble sugars in leaves were significantly decreased in HZ62 and increased in genotype 1301.The activities of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase(FBPase)decreased,in consistency with the abundance of fructose-bisphosphate aldolase in HZ62.In contrast,sucrose synthase(Su Sy)activity appeared to decrease in both genotypes,but a significant increase in abundance of a protein with sucrose synthase was found in the 1301 genotype by proteomic analysis.With increased density and reduced row spacing,the expression of most key proteins involved in carbon metabolism was elevated,and enzyme activity and carbon assimilate content were increased in 1301,whereas HZ62 showed the opposite trend,indicating that the compact plant type can accumulate more population biomass with denser planting.

Effects of dietary tryptophan and stocking density on the performance,meat quality,and metabolic status of broilers

Background： Highly automated cage-rearing systems are becoming increasingly popular in China. However, a high stocking density can cause oxidative stress and decrease broiler performance. The tryptophan （TRP） derivative 5-hydroxytryptophan （5-HT） has been shown to preserve membrane fluidity in birds suffering from oxidative stress Therefore, this experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietan/TRP supplementation on performance, breast meat quality and oxidative stress in broilers reared in cages with a high or low stocking density. Methods： Female Arbor Acres broilers （25-d-old, n = 144） were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatments. The birds were fed a diet based on corn, soybean meal, cottonseed meal and corn gluten meal containing either 0.18 or 0.27% TRP and were housed with stocking densities of 11 or 15.4 birds/m2 in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment. Broiler performance was evaluated from d 25 to 42. Eight birds from each treatment were slaughtered on d 42 and plasma and breast muscle samples were collected to measure biochemical indices. Results： A higher stocking density tended to be associated with reduced weight gain （P 〈 0.10）, and significantly increased plasma glutamic-pyruvic transaminase （GPT） activity （P 〈 0.001）. Increased dietary TRP significantly reduced the activities of lactic dehydrogenase and GPT while increasing total cholesterol in the plasma （P 〈 0.01）, reducing drip loss of breast muscle （P 〈 0.10） and improving feed efficiency （P 〈 0.10）. Conclusions： An increase in dietary TRP, ].S-fold higher than the standard supplementation level, can alleviate oxidative stress as well as improve welfare and feed efficiency in broilers reared in cages with a high stocking density.

Effect of Galla chinensis on the remineralization of two bovine root lesions morphous in vitro

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of Galla chinensis compounds on the remineralization of two artificial root lesions morphous in vitro. Sixty bovine dentine blocks were divided into two groups and individually treated with two levels of demineralization solutions to form erosive and subsurface artificial carious lesions in vitro. Each group was then divided into three subgroups, each of which were treated with a remineralization solution （positive control）, deionized water （negative control）, or 4 000 mg-L-1 aqueous solutions of Galla chinensis extract. The dentine blocks were then subjected to a pH-cycling regime for 7 days. During the first 4 days, the daily cycle included 21-h deal and 3-h demineralization applications. The dentine blocks were dealt with the entire day during the remaining 3 days. Two specimens from each of the treatment groups were selected and observed under a polarized light microscope. Data collected using a laser scanning confocal microscope were computerized and analyzed. Galla chinensis extract clearly enhanced the remineralization of both erosive lesion and subsurface lesion patterns in the specimens （P〈0.05）. The level of remineralization of the erosive lesion by Galla chinensis extract was lower than that of the subsurface lesion （P〈0.05）. In addition, the remineralization of the subsurface lesion by Galla chinensis extract was higher than that of the remineralization solution （P〈0.05）. No significant difference between the remineralization of erosive lesions by Galla chinensis extract and the remineralization solution was observed （P〉0.05）. So Galla chinensis extract has the potential to improve the remineralization of artificial root lesions under dynamic pH-cyclic conditions, indicating its potential use as a natural remineralization medicine.

Sources of particulate organic matter in the Chukchi and Siberian shelves: clues from carbon and nitrogen isotopes

The stable isotopic composition(δ13C andδ15N)and carbon/nitrogen ratio(C/N)of particulate organic matter(POM)in the Chukchi and East Siberian shelves from July to September,2016 were measured to evaluate the spatial variability and origin of POM.Theδ13CPOC values were in the range of−29.5‰to−17.5‰with an average of−25.9‰±2.0‰,and theδ15NPN values ranged from 3.9‰to 13.1‰with an average of 8.0‰±1.6‰.The C/N ratios in the East Siberian shelf were generally higher than those in the Chukchi shelf,while theδ13C andδ15N values were just the opposite.Abnormally low C/N ratios(<4),lowδ13CPOC(almost−28‰)and highδ15NPN(>10‰)values were observed in the Wrangel Island polynya,which was attributed to the early bloom of small phytoplankton.The contributions of terrestrial POM,bloom-produced POM and non-bloom marine POM were estimated using a three end-member mixing model.The spatial distribution of terrestrial POM showed a high fraction in the East Siberian shelf and decreased eastward,indicating the influence of Russian rivers.The distribution of non-bloom marine POM showed a high fraction in the Chukchi shelf with the highest fraction occurring in the Bering Strait and decreased westward,suggesting the stimulation of biological production by the Pacific inflow in the Chukchi shelf.The fractions of bloom-produced POM were highest in the winter polynya and gradually decreased toward the periphery.A negative relationship between the bloom-produced POM and the sea ice meltwater inventory was observed,indicating that the net sea ice loss promotes early bloom in the polynya.Given the high fraction of bloom-produced POM,the early bloom of phytoplankton in the polynyas may play an important role on marine production and POM export in the Arctic shelves.

Cell multiplication, apoptosis and p-Akt protein expression of bone mesenchymal stem cells of rat under hypoxia environment

Objective ：To elucidate whether cell multiplication, apoptosis, glucose intake and p-Akt protein expression of bone Mesenchyreal Stem Cells（MSCs） of rats is influenced by a hypoxic environment ex vivo. Methods ：Passage 3 of bone marrow MSCs taken from Wistar rats,were cultured in a culturing chamber with 94%N2,1%O2,5%CO2 at 37℃. At different hypoxia time points ,0,0.5, 1,4 and 8 h, glucose uptake was assayed by using radiation isotope ^3H-G, Apoptotic Rate（AR） and dead rate（DR） were analyzed by flow cytometry（FCM） after Annexin V/PI staining, cell multiplication（by MTr methods） and p-Akt protein by immunocytochemistry and western blot. Results ：Assay for CD29^± ,CD44^± ,CD71^± ,CD34^-, Tn T^±（after 5-azacytidine agent inducing） and ALP^±（after bone differentiation agent inducing） suggested these bone-derived cells were MSCs. The ^3H-G intaking ratio （CPM/ flask value：157 ± 11,110 ± 11,107 ± 13,103 ± 10,100 ± 9 and 98 ± 10） of MSCs at different hypoxia time points, significantly decreased compared to that of normoxia（P 〈 0.01） and tended to descend slowly with hypoxia time duration, for which there was no statistical significance（P 〉 0.05）. The AR（0.09 ± 2.03%,12.9 ± 1.72%,13.7 ± 2.26%,13.8 ± 3.01%,14.1 ± 2.78% and 14.7 ± 4.01% at 0,0.5,1,4 and 8 h,respectively,P 〈 0.01） and DR （0.04, ± 1.79% ,0.93 ± 1.85% ,3.11 ± 2.14% ,4.09 ± 2.36% ,4.72 ± 2.05% and 4.91 ± 3.72% at 0,0.5,1,4 and 8 h, respectively, P 〈 0.05） at different hypoxia time points significantly increased compared to those time in normoxia; The AR further went up with time （P 〈 0.05）, however there was no statistical significance （P 〉 0.05） for the DR. Optical absorption value of MTr methods at different hypoxia time points significantly decreased compared to those with a corresponding normoxia time （P 〈 0.01） and degraded with time （in an hypoxic environment -P 〈 0.01）. IOD of p-Akt protein of MSCs at different hypoxia time points significantly increased （0.367 ± 0.031,0.556 ± 0.023,0.579 ± 0.013, 0.660 ± 0.024, 0.685 ± 0.039 and 0.685 ± 0.011, respectively） compared to their equivalents in normoxia （P〈0.05）, however, there was no statistical significance （P 〉 0.05） for different hypoxia time points. Hypoxia may result in ultramicrostructure changes, such as defluvium of Microvilli, apoptotic body, ＂margination＂ and so on and are further aggravated with hypoxia time stretching. Conclusion： Hypoxia may lead to a depression of MSCs intaldng glucose, creep of cell multiplication, upregulation of p-Akt protein and apoptosis of MSCs ex vivo.

Hepcidin contributes to Swedish mutant APP-induced osteoclastogenesis and trabecular bone loss

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease(AD)often have lower bone mass than healthy individuals.However,the mechanisms underlying this change remain elusive.Previously,we found that Tg2576 mice,an AD animal model that ubiquitously expresses Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein(APPswe),shows osteoporotic changes,reduced bone formation,and increased bone resorption.To understand how bone deficits develop in Tg2576 mice,we used a multiplex antibody array to screen for serum proteins that are altered in Tg2576 mice and identified hepcidin,a master regulator of iron homeostasis.We further investigated hepcidin’s function in bone homeostasis and found that hepcidin levels were increased not only in the serum but also in the liver,muscle,and osteoblast(OB)lineage cells in Tg2576 mice at both the mRNA and protein levels.We then generated mice selectively expressing hepcidin in hepatocytes or OB lineage cells,which showed trabecular bone loss and increased osteoclast(OC)-mediated bone resorption.Further cell studies suggested that hepcidin increased OC precursor proliferation and differentiation by downregulating ferroportin(FPN)expression and increasing intracellular iron levels.In OB lineage cells,APPswe enhanced hepcidin expression by inducing ER stress and increasing OC formation,in part through hepcidin.Together,these results suggest that increased hepcidin expression in hepatocytes and OB lineage cells in Tg2576 mice contributes to enhanced osteoclastogenesis and trabecular bone loss,identifying the hepcidin-FPN-iron axis as a potential therapeutic target to prevent AD-associated bone loss.

Energetic electron detection packages on board Chinese navigation satellites in MEO

Energetic electron measurements and spacecraft charging are of great significance for theoretical research in space physics and space weather applications.In this paper,the energetic electron detection package(EEDP)deployed on three Chinese navigation satellites in medium Earth orbit(MEO)is reviewed.The instrument was developed by the space science payload team led by Peking University.The EEDP includes a pinhole medium-energy electron spectrometer(MES),a high-energy electron detector(HED)based onΔE-E telescope technology,and a deep dielectric charging monitor(DDCM).The MES measures the energy spectra of 50−600 keV electrons from nine directions with a 180°×30°field of view(FOV).The HED measures the energy spectrum of 0.5−3.0 MeV electrons from one direction with a 30°cone-angle FOV.The ground test and calibration results indicate that these three sensors exhibit excellent performance.Preliminary observations show that the electron spectra measured by the MES and HED are in good agreement with the results from the magnetic electron-ion spectrometer(MagEIS)of the Van Allen Probes spacecraft,with an average relative deviation of 27.3%for the energy spectra.The charging currents and voltages measured by the DDCM during storms are consistent with the highenergy electron observations of the HED,demonstrating the effectiveness of the DDCM.The observations of the EEDP on board the three MEO satellites can provide important support for theoretical research on the radiation belts and the applications related to space weather.

Plant–rodent interactions after a heavy snowfall decrease plant regeneration and soil carbon emission in an old-growth forest

Background:Climate extremes are likely to become more common in the future and are expected to change ecosystem processes and functions.As important consumers of seeds in forests,rodents are likely to affect forest regeneration following an extreme weather event.In April 2015,we began a field experiment after an extreme snowfall event in January 2015 in a primary forest that was>300 years old.The heavy snow broke many tree limbs,which presumably reduced the numbers of seeds produced.Two treatments(rodent exclusion and rodent access)were established in the forest,in which rodent exclusion were achieved by placing stainlessness nets around the plot borders.Plant abundance,plant species richness,soil properties,soil microbial community composition,basal and substrate-induced respiration were determined in December 2017.Results:Plant abundance and species richness significantly increased,but soil microbial biomass decreased with rodent exclusion.Urease activity and soil basal respiration also significantly decreased with rodent exclusion.Most other soil properties,however,were unaffected by rodent exclusion.The relative effects of multiple predictors of basal respiration were mainly explained by the composition of the soil microbial community.Conclusions:After a heavy snowfall in an old-growth forest,exclusion of rodents increased plant regeneration and reduced microbial biomass and soil basal respiration.The main factor associated with the reduction in soil basal respiration was the change in the composition of the soil microbial community.These findings suggest that after a heavy snowfall,rodents may interfere with forest regeneration by directly reducing plant diversity and abundance but may enhance carbon retention by indirectly altering the soil microbial community.

Heterogeneous integration of InP HEMTs on quartz wafer using BCB bonding technology

Heterogeneous integrated InP high electron mobility transistors(HEMTs)on quartz wafers are fabricated successfully by using a reverse-grown InP epitaxial structure and benzocyclobutene(BCB)bonding technology.The channel of the new device is In_(0.7)Ga_(0.3)As,and the gate length is 100 nm.A maximum extrinsic transconductance gm,max of 855.5 mS/mm and a maximum drain current of 536.5 mA/mm are obtained.The current gain cutoff frequency is as high as 262 GHz and the maximum oscillation frequency reaches 288 GHz.In addition,a small signal equivalent circuit model of heterogeneous integration of InP HEMTs on quartz wafer is built to characterize device performance.

Warm ischemia time and elevated serum uric acid are associated with metabolic syndrome after liver transplantation with donation after cardiac death

AIM To describe the prevalence of posttransplant metabolic syndrome(PTMS) after donation after cardiac death(DCD) liver transplantation(LT) and the pre-and postoperative risk factors.METHODS One hundred and forty-seven subjects who underwent DCD LT from January 2012 to February 2016 were enrolled in this study. The demographics and the clinical characteristics of pre-and post-transplantation were collected for both recipients and donors. PTMS was defined according to the 2004 Adult Treatment Panel-Ⅲ criteria. All subjects were followed monthly for the initial 6 mo after discharge, and then, every 3 mo for 2 years. The subjects were followed every 6 mo or as required after 2 years post-LT.RESULTS The prevalence of PTMS after DCD donor orthotopic LT was 20/147(13.6%). Recipient's body mass index(P = 0.024), warm ischemia time(WIT)(P = 0.045), and posttransplant hyperuricemia(P = 0.001) were significantly associated with PTMS. The change in serum uric acid levels in PTMS patients was significantly higher than that in non-PTMS patients(P < 0.001). After the 1 s t mo, the level of serum uric acid of PTMS patients rose continually over a period, while it was unaltered in non-PTMS patients. After transplantation, the level of serum uric acid in PTMS patients was not associated with renal function.CONCLUSION PTMS could occur at early stage after DCD LT with growing morbidity with the passage of time. WIT and post-LT hyperuricemia are associated with the prevalence of PTMS. An increased serum uric acid level is highly associated with PTMS and could act as a serum marker in this disease.

On the symplectic superposition method for free vibration of rectangular thin plates with mixed boundary constraints on an edge

A novel symplectic superposition method has been proposed and developed for plate and shell problems in recent years.The method has yielded many new analytic solutions due to its rigorousness.In this study,the first endeavor is made to further developed the symplectic superposition method for the free vibration of rectangular thin plates with mixed boundary constraints on an edge.The Hamiltonian system-based governing equation is first introduced such that the mathematical techniques in the symplectic space are applied.The solution procedure incorporates separation of variables,symplectic eigen solution and superposition.The analytic solution of an original problem is finally obtained by a set of equations via the equivalence to the superposition of some elaborated subproblems.The natural frequency and mode shape results for representative plates with both clamped and simply supported boundary constraints imposed on the same edge are reported for benchmark use.The present method can be extended to more challenging problems that cannot be solved by conventional analytic methods.

Effects of dietary phosphorous supplementation on laying performance,egg quality,bone health and immune responses of laying hens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide

Background: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient to maintain poultry health and performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary phosphorus levels on egg production, egg quality, bone health, immune responses of laying hens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide.Methods: Three hundred laying hens at 28 wk were randomly divided into 2 dietary treatments with 10 replicates of 15 birds. The wheat-soybean based diets contained either 0.12% or 0.4% non-phytate phosphorus(NPP). At 32 wk of age, all the birds of each dietary treatment were injected into the abdomen with 1.5 mg/kg body weight(BW) of either LPS or saline once a day at 24-h intervals for continuous 9 d. The performance of laying hens was evaluated for 9 d. The eggs after the fifth injection were collected to value the egg quality. Three hours after the first injection, blood was collected to measure serum metabolite and immune response associated parameters.Three hours after the fifth injection, the hens were euthanized to obtain tibia, cecal tonsils and jejunum.Results: Compared with saline-injected hens, LPS-injected hens had lower feed intake and egg production(P < 0.05).Eggshell thickness, strength, albumin height and Haugh unit were significantly increased in LPS-injected hens compared with saline-injected hens(P < 0.05). Furthermore, laying hens challenged with LPS had lower villious height/crypt depth ration than those received saline. Serum calcium, phosphorus and SOD activities significantly decreased in the LPS-injected hens compared with the control(P < 0.05). LPS up-regulated expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 in cecum, and serum concentration of MDA, IL-1β and IL-6(P < 0.05), whereas 0.40% dietary non-phytate phosphorus supplementation significantly increased(P < 0.05) villi height/crypt depth ratio, decreased(P < 0.05) serum MDA and IFN-γ concentration compared with the 0.12% non-phytate phosphorus group.Conclusion: In summary, this study demonstrates that 0.40% dietary non-phytate phosphorus supplementation significantly increased calcium and phosphorus levels of eggshell, increased villi height/crypt depth ratio, decreased serum MDA and IFN-γ concentration compared with the 0.12% non-phytate phosphorus groups. The results indicate that high level of dietary non-phytate phosphorus exerts a potential effect in alleviating systemic inflammation of LPSchallenged laying hens.

Aviation multi-station collaborative detecting based on time-frequency correlation of data-link

As an important application research topic of the intelligent aviation multi-station, collaborative detecting must overcome the problem of scouting measurement with status of 'fragmentation', and the NP-hardness problem of matching association between target and measurement in the process of scouting to data-link, which has complicated technical architecture of network construction. In this paper, taking advantage of cooperation mechanism on signal level in the aviation multi-station sympathetic network, a method of obtaining target time difference of arrival (TDOA) measurement using multi-station collaborative detecting based on time-frequency association is proposed. The method can not only achieve matching between target and its measurement, but also obtain TDOA measurement by further evolutionary transaction through refreshing sequential pulse time of arrival (TOA) measurement matrix for matching and correlating. Simulation results show that the accuracy of TDOA measurement has significant superiority over TOA, and detection probability of false TDOA measurement introduced by noise and fake measurement can be reduced effectively.