Enterogenic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia migrates to the mammary gland to induce mastitis by activating the calcium-ROS-AMPK-mTOR-autophagy pathway

Background Mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary gland that has serious economic impacts on the dairy industry and endangers food safety.Our previous study found that the body has a gut/rumen-mammary gland axis and that disturbance of the gut/rumen microbiota could result in‘gastroenterogenic mastitis'.However,the mechanism has not been fully clarified.Recently,we found that long-term feeding of a high-concentrate diet induced mastitis in dairy cows,and the abundance of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(S.maltophilia)was significantly increased in both the rumen and milk microbiota.Accordingly,we hypothesized that‘gastroenterogenic mastitis'can be induced by the migration of endogenous gut bacteria to the mammary gland.Therefore,this study investigated the mechanism by which enterogenic S.maltophilia induces mastitis.Results First,S.maltophilia was labelled with superfolder GFP and administered to mice via gavage.The results showed that treatment with S.maltophilia promoted the occurrence of mastitis and increased the permeability of the blood-milk barrier,leading to intestinal inflammation and intestinal leakage.Furthermore,tracking of ingested S.maltophilia revealed that S.maltophilia could migrate from the gut to the mammary gland and induce mastitis.Subsequently,mammary gland transcriptome analysis showed that the calcium and AMPK signalling pathways were significantly upregulated in mice treated with S.maltophilia.Then,using mouse mammary epithelial cells(MMECs),we verified that S.maltophilia induces mastitis through activation of the calcium-ROS-AMPK-mTOR-autophagy pathway.Conclusions In conclusion,the results showed that enterogenic S.maltophilia could migrate from the gut to the mammary gland via the gut-mammary axis and activate the calcium-ROS-AMPK-mTOR-autophagy pathway to induce mastitis.Targeting the gut-mammary gland axis may also be an effective method to treat mastitis.

Effects of Mn addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Mg-9Al-2Sn(wt.%)alloy

The microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Mg-9Al-2Sn-xMn(x=0,0.1,0.3 wt.%)alloys in as-cast,solution treated and aged conditions are investigated.The results reveal that Mn addition into Mg-9Al-2Sn alloy leads to the formation of Al8(Mn,Fe)5 phases,the grain refinement and the increase of discontinuous Mg17Al12 precipitates along the grain boundaries.0.1 wt.%Mn addition has an obvious effect on accelerating the aging behavior of Mg-9Al-2Sn alloy at the early aging period up to 8 h,while 0.3 wt.%Mn addition alloy has an comparable aging behavior with the Mn-free alloy.Mn addition has less influence on the fracture behavior of Mg-9Al-2Sn alloy,while the fracture pattern is mainly determined by the thermal conditions.Mg-9Al-2Sn-0.1Mn alloy has the best combination of strength and elongation when aged at 200℃ for 8 h and the yield strength,ultimate tensile strength and elongation are 154 MPa,292MPa and 5%,respectively.

Twisted and coiled bamboo artificial muscles for moisture responsive torsional and tensile actuation

Smart textiles responding to the ambient environment like temperature,humidity,and light are highly desirable to improve the comfortability and realize multifunctions.The bamboo yarn has merits like air permeability,biodegradability,and excellent heat dissipation performance,but it has not been prepared for responsive materials and smart textiles.In this paper,the moisture-responsive twisted bamboo yarns were plied to form a self-balanced torsional actuator and wrapped around a mandrel to form a coil,followed by water immersion and evaporation to fix the shape and serve as a tensile actuator.A torsional actuation of 64.4°·mm^-1 was realized for the twisted actuator in 4.2 s;a maximum elongation of 133%or contraction of 50%was achieved for a coiled tensile actuator with good cyclability.The porous structure of bamboo yarns helped improve the water absorbance speed and decrease the response time of moisture.The self-balanced two-ply physical structure and reversible generation of chemical phase after soaking in aqueous solution fixed internal stress and provided good cyclability.With the unique properties including aqueous water-induced shape fixation and moisture-induced actuation,the application of tensile actuation of bamboo yarns was demonstrated,showing promising prospects on smart textiles.

Analysis of Bubble Behavior in a Horizontal Rectangular Channel under Subcooled Flow Boiling Conditions

Experiments on subcooled flow boiling have been conducted using water in a rectangular flow channel.Similar to the coolant channel in internal combustion engines(IC engines),the flow channel in this experiment was asymmetrically heated.Bubble images were captured using a high speed camera from the side view of the channel.The experimental conditions in terms of bulk temperature,bulk velocity,pressure and heat flux ranged from 65°C–75°C,0.25 m/s–0.75 m/s,1–1.7 bar and 490 kW/m2–700 kW/m2,respectively.On the basis of these tests,a statistical analysis of the bubble size has been conducted considering a population of 1400 samples.It has been found that the mean Sauter bubble diameter increases with the decrease of subcooling,bulk velocity,pressure and increased heat flux.A modified correlation has been finally proposed to predict the mean Sauter bubble diameter under subcooled flow boiling conditions upstream of the onset of significant void,which shows good accuracy with the experimental results.

Cooperative Privacy Provisioning for Energy Harvesting Based Cognitive Multi-Relay Networks

In order to provide privacy provisioning for the secondary information,we propose an energy harvesting based secure transmission scheme for the cognitive multi-relay networks.In the proposed scheme,two secondary relays harvest energy to power the secondary transmitter and assist the secondary secure transmission without interfere the secondary transmission.Specifically,the proposed secure transmission policy is implemented into two phases.In the first phase,the secondary transmitter transmits the secrecy information and jamming signal through the power split method.After harvesting energy from a fraction of received radio-frequency signals,one secondary relay adopts the amplify-and-forward relay protocol to assist the secondary secure transmission and the other secondary relay just forwards the new designed jamming signal to protect the secondary privacy information and degrade the jamming interference at the secondary receiver.For the proposed scheme,we first analyze the average secrecy rate,the secondary secrecy outage probability,and the ergodic secrecy rate,and derive their closed-form expressions.Following the above results,we optimally allocate the transmission power such that the secrecy rate is maximized under the secrecy outage probability constraint.For the optimization problem,an AI based simulated annealing algorithm is proposed to allocate the transmit power.Numerical results are presented to validate the performance analytical results and show the performance superiority of the proposed scheme in terms of the average secrecy rate.

Stretchable electromagnetic interference shielding and antenna for wireless strain sensing by anisotropic micron-steel-wire based conductive elastomers

We prepare stretchable elastic electromagnetic interference(EMI) shielding and stretchable antenna for wireless strain sensing using an elastic composite comprising commercial steel wool as a conducting element. The prepared elastic conductor shows anisotropic electrical properties in response to the external force. In the stretchable range, the electrical resistance abnormally decreases with the increase of tensile deformation. The EMI shielding effectiveness of the elastic conductor can reach above-30 d B under 80% tensile strain. The resonance frequency of the dipole antenna prepared by the elastic conductor is linearly correlated with the tensile strain, which can be used as a wireless strain sensor. The transmission efficiency is stable at about-15 d B when stretched to 50% strain, with attenuation less than 5%. The current research provides an effective solution for stretchable EMI shielding and wireless strain sensing integrated with signal transmission by an antenna.

Assessment of the Application of Subcooled Fluid Boiling to Diesel Engines for Heat Transfer Enhancement

The increasing demand of cooling in internal combustion engines(ICE)due to engine downsizing may require a shift in the heat removal method from the traditional single phase liquid convection to the application of new technologies based on subcooled fluid boiling.Accordingly,in the present study,experiments based on subcooled flow boiling of 50/50 by volume mixture of ethylene glycol and water coolant(EG/W)in a rectangular channel heated by a cast iron block are presented.Different degrees of subcooling,velocity and pressure conditions are examined.Comparison of three empirical reference models shows that noticeable deviations occur especially when low bulk subcooling and velocity conditions are considered.On the basis of the experimental data,a modified power-type wall heat flux model is developed and its ability to represent adequately reality is tested through numerical simulations against a reference rig case and a practical diesel engine.Computational results show that this modified model can effectively be used for practical engine cooling system design.

我国上市公司高管特征对投资效率影响的实证研究—基于股权激励的调节效应

本文从公司治理机制中股权激励的调节效应角度出发,实证检验了高管背景特征影响企业投资效率的作用机制。基于委托代理理论、高层梯队理论与激励理论,选用2006年至2016年间沪深两市A股上市公司作为样本,研究发现:1)高管平均年龄、平均学历和平均任期均与企业的投资效率呈显著正相关关系。高管团队性别特征与企业投资效率没有显著关系。2)股权激励能够增强高管平均学历、平均任期和投资效率之间的关系,但对高管性别、平均年龄和企业投资效率间的关系无显著调节作用。3)区分产权性质发现,国有企业和非国有企业中股权激励对高管背景特征与企业投资效率关系的调节程度具有差异性。企业在选择高管人员时应关注高管背景特征,有侧重的优化高管团队人员构成,增加年龄大、学历高的高管人员比例,适当延长高管人员任期,并制定合理的股权激励政策,以提高企业投资效率。

Intensification of chemical separation engineering by nanostructured channels and nanofluidics: From theories to applications

With the development of manufacturing technology on the nanoscale, the precision of nano-devices is rapidly increasing with lower cost. Different from macroscale or microscale fluids, many specific phenomena and advantages are observed in nanofluidics. Devices and process involving and utilizing these phenomena play an important role in many fields in chemical engineering including separation, chemical analysis and transmission.In this article, we summarize the state-of-the-art progress in theoretical studies and manufacturing technologies on nanofluidics. Then we discuss practical applications of nanofluidics in many chemical engineering fields,especially in separation and encountering problems. Finally, we are looking forward to the future of nanofluidics and believe it will be more important in the separation process and the modern chemical industry.

Size-refinement enhanced flexibility and electrochemical performance of MXene electrodes for flexible waterproof supercapacitors

Increasing mechanical flexibility without sacrificing electrochemical performance of the electrode material is highly desired in the design of flexible electrochemical energy storage devices.In metal-related materials science,decreasing the grain size introduces more grain boundaries;this stops dislocations and crack propagation under deformation,and results in increased strength and toughness.However,such a size refinement effect has not been considered in the mechanical properties,particle stacking,wetting,and electrochemical performances of flexible supercapacitor electrodes.In this paper,MXene was used as an electrode material to study the size refinement effect of flexible supercapacitors.Size refinement improved the strength and toughness of the MXene electrodes,and this resulted in increased flexibility.Finite elemental analysis provided a theoretical understanding of size refinement-increased flexibility.Moreover,the size refinement also improved the specific surface area,electric conductance,ion transportation,and water wetting properties of the electrode,and the size refinement provided highly increased energy density and power density of the MXene supercapacitors.A highly flexible,water-proof supercapacitor was fabricated using size-refined MXene.The current study provides a new viewpoint for designing tough and flexible energy storage electrodes.The size refinement effect may also be applicable for metal ion batteries and electronic and photo devices composed of MXene and other nanoparticles.

Development of Agricultural Products Trade between China and Four South Asian Countries--An Empirical Analysis Based on Trade Competitiveness and Complementarity

For the purpose of study,based on the data provided by the United Nations Comtrade Database in 2006-2016,and using the trade competitive advantage index,trade intensity index and trade complementarity index,this paper made an empirical analysis on the development of agricultural trade between China and four South Asian countries. The results show that the scale of agricultural trade between China and the four South Asian countries was further expanded,but the growth rate was stable and the trade share declined,but the development potential of both sides has not been fully explored. Generally,China's agricultural products remain at a relatively disadvantaged position. Trade competitiveness and complementarity coexist. There is a large development potential and cooperation space for agricultural products trade between China and four South Asian countries.

Application of Eye Movement Analysis in Landscape Visual Quality Evaluation

The existing methods of landscape visual quality evaluation is mostly based on people's subjective feelings,and the objectivity and scientificity of evaluation results are insufficient.As an important means of experimental psychology,eye movement technology can show great advantages and potential in landscape visual quality evaluation.On the basis of combing and summarizing the relevant literature,based on the explanation of the technical principle of eye movement analysis,the application field,research content,technical methods and other aspects of eye movement analysis were reviewed.The application prospect of eye movement technology in landscape visual quality evaluation was explored to provide theoretical reference for the in-depth evaluation and research of landscape visual quality evaluation theory.

Prenatal Diagnosis of a Giant Epignathus in the Second Trimester and Immediate Successful Management at Birth:A Case Report

Epignathus is an extremely rare congenital oropharyngeal teratoma.Here,we report a case of epignathus without intracranial extension in a fetus.The mass was first found by ultrasonography at 22 gestational weeks.Serial ultrasound examinations and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed that the fetus had neither central nervous system involvement nor abnormal nose or tooth.The baby was delivered at 37 weeks and six days of gestation via cesarean section set up for ex-utero intrapartum treatment.The postnatal pathologic examination confirmed the presence of mature tissues predominantly containing ectopic central nervous tissue,osseous tissue,and bronchial mucosal tissue.Most cases of epignathus are associated with malformation and death.Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging prenatal assessments are very important to facilitate counseling and understand prognosis.In conclusion,the ex-utero intrapartum treatment procedure is a good approach to improve the survival of infants with epignathus.

SARS-CoV-2 immunity in animal models

The COVID-19 pandemic,which was caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),has become a worldwide health crisis due to its transmissibility.SARS-CoV-2 infection results in severe respiratory illness and can lead to significant complications in affected individuals.These complications encompass symptoms such as coughing,respiratory distress,fever,infectious shock,acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS),and even multiple-organ failure.Animal models serve as crucial tools for investigating pathogenic mechanisms,immune responses,immune escape mechanisms,antiviral drug development,and vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.Currently,various animal models for SARS-CoV-2 infection,such as nonhuman primates(NHPs),ferrets,hamsters,and many different mouse models,have been developed.Each model possesses distinctive features and applications.In this review,we elucidate the immune response elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients and provide an overview of the characteristics of various animal models mainly used for SARS-CoV-2 infection,as well as the corresponding immune responses and applications of these models.A comparative analysis of transcriptomic alterations in the lungs from different animal models revealed that the K18-hACE2 and mouse-adapted virus mouse models exhibited the highest similarity with the deceased COVID-19 patients.Finally,we highlighted the current gaps in related research between animal model studies and clinical investigations,underscoring lingering scientific questions that demand further clarification.

TRIM33 plays a critical role in regulating dendritic cell differentiation and homeostasis by modulating Irf8 and Bcl2l11 transcription

The development of distinct dendritic cell(DC)subsets,namely,plasmacytoid DCs(pDCs)and conventional DC subsets(cDC1s and cDC2s),is controlled by specific transcription factors.IRF8 is essential for the fate specification of cDC1s.However,how the expression of Irf8 is regulated is not fully understood.In this study,we identified TRIM33 as a critical regulator of DC differentiation and maintenance.TRIM33 deletion in Trim33fl/fl Cre-ERT2 mice significantly impaired DC differentiation from hematopoietic progenitors at different developmental stages.TRIM33 deficiency downregulated the expression of multiple genes associated with DC differentiation in these progenitors.TRIM33 promoted the transcription of Irf8 to facilitate the differentiation of cDC1s by maintaining adequate CDK9 and Ser2 phosphorylated RNA polymerase II(S2 Pol II)levels at Irf8 gene sites.Moreover,TRIM33 prevented the apoptosis of DCs and progenitors by directly suppressing the PU.1-mediated transcription of Bcl2l11,thereby maintaining DC homeostasis.Taken together,our findings identified TRIM33 as a novel and crucial regulator of DC differentiation and maintenance through the modulation of Irf8 and Bcl2l11 expression.The finding that TRIM33 functions as a critical regulator of both DC differentiation and survival provides potential benefits for devising DC-based immune interventions and therapies.

SACOL站冰云微物理特性的反演

冰云是全球分布范围最广的云类型之一,对地气系统的辐射收支有重要作用.本文利用兰州大学半干旱气候与环境监测站(SACOL)Ka波段毫米波云雷达(KAZR)2013年8月至2014年7月的观测数据,结合微脉冲激光雷达(MPL)观测数据,分别使用传统经验算法、考虑温度订正的反演算法和KAZR-MPL联合反演算法,反演了冰云的冰水含量和有效粒径两个微物理量,形成了云微物理量的反演数据产品.在此基础上对SACOL站上空云微观特性进行了统计分析,并进一步结合Fu-Liou辐射传输模式,模拟了冰云在大气层顶处对长短波辐射通量的影响,与CERES卫星观测的辐射通量值进行比较,用以评估不同冰云微物理量的差异对辐射所造成的影响.结果发现:SACOL站冰云主要出现在2~14 km的范围内,在7 km处出现频率最高,达到13.02%;3种云微物理方法反演的冰水含量相差不大,均呈现单峰型分布,概率密度最大处的冰水含量集中在10-3g/m^3左右,而有效粒径的谱分布呈现出较大差异,KAZR-MPL反演算法模拟的冰晶粒径普遍偏大,也正是由于这种差异,造成了对大气层顶的短波辐射通量模拟的偏差.而各种算法对于大气层顶出射的长波辐射模拟效果远好于对短波的模拟,平均误差为5.04%,相关系数均大于0.6,而模拟效果较差的部分,主要存在于光学厚度较薄的个例当中.

Role of Notch signaling in regulating innate immunity and inflammation in health and disease

The Notch signaling pathway is conserved from Drosophila to mammals and is critically involved in developmental processes. In the immune system, it has been established that Notch signaling regulates multiple steps of T and B cell development in both central and peripheral lymphoid organs. Relative to the well documented role of Notch signaling in lymphocyte development, less is known about its role in regulating myeloid lineage development and function, especially in the context of acute and chronic inflammation. In this review article, we will describe the evidence accumulated during the recent years to support a key regulatory role of the Notch pathway in innate immune and inflammatory responses and discuss the potential implications of such regulation for pathogenesis and therapy of inflammatory disorders.

Metal-organic framework-derived Ni/ZnO nano-sponges with delicate surface vacancies as anode materials for high-performance supercapacitors

Ni/ZnO nano-sponges have been successfully synthesized through optimized annealing of Ni/Zn-based organic framework (Ni/Zn-MOF). The annealed MOF provides the stable carbon structure with 3D interconnection and prevents structural collapse during the charging and discharging process. The annealing causes the incorporation of intrinsic Ni^(3+) in the surface of NiO nanoparticles, providing more reaction active sites. The oxygen vacancies in ZnO and heterostructure interfaces between NiO and ZnO promote the charge transformation. Based on the aforementioned advantages, the Ni/ZnO nanocomposites exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performances for supercapacitors. The specific capacitance can reach to 807 F·g^(−1) at 1 A·g^(−1) in the studied electrodes. After 5,000 cycles at 10 A·g^(−1), the cyclic stability remains excellent at 86% of the initial capacitance. Moreover, the as-prepared asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits a high energy density of 30.6 W·h·kg^(−1) at power density of 398 W·kg^(−1). This study is expected to provide new insights into exploring the potential mechanism of catalyst action.

TMEM43-S358L mutation enhances NF-κBTGFp signal cascade in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy(ARVD/C)is a genetic cardiac muscle disease that accounts for approximately 30%sudden cardiac death in young adults.The Ser358Leu mutation of transmembrane protein 43(TMEM43)was commonly identified in the patients of highly lethal and fully penetrant ARVD subtype,ARVD5.Here,we generated TMEM43 S358L mouse to explore the underlying mechanism.This mouse strain showed the classic patholo.gies of ARVD patients,including structural abnormalities and cardiac fibrofatty.TMEM43 S358L mutation led to hyper-activated nuclear factor kB(NFkB)activation in heart tissues and primary cardiomy.ocyte cells.Importantly,this hyper activation of NF-κB directly drove the expression of pro-fibrotic gene,transforming growth factor beta(TGFβ),and enhanced downstream signal,indicating that TMEM43 S358L mutation up-regulates NF-κB-TGFβ signal cascade during ARVD cardiac fibrosis.Our study partially reveals the regulatory mechanism of ARVD development.

Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine patterns in 324 cases with hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure:a prospective,cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVE： To determine the distribution of Tradi- tional Chinese Medicine （TCM） patterns in hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure （HB-ACLF） in different stages for guiding clinical prescriptions and treatments. METHODS： A prospective, cross-sectional survey method was used in this study. A total of 324 cases with HB-ACLF in China were involved. RESULTS： The general frequency of TCM patterns in HB-ACLF were as follows： Heat Toxin Stagnation Pattern （134/324, 41.36%）, Damp-heat Obstruction Pattern （66/324, 20.37% ）, Yong Qi Deficiency Pat- tern （52/324, 16.05%）, and Liver and Kidney Yin De- ficiency Pattern （26/324, 8.02%）. In the early stage of HB-ACLE there was a remarkably higher percent- age of excessive patterns than those in the middle and late stage. The incidence of Heat Toxin Stagna- tion reached 58.57% （82/140） in the early stage, while it was 33.96% （36/106） in the middle stage and 20.51% （16/78） in the late stage. In the early stage of HB-ACLF, excessive patterns, such as the Heat Toxin Stagnation Pattern, were more preva- lent than those in the middle and late stages （P〈a＇= 0.003）. However, in the late stage of HB-ACLE defi- cient patterns, such as the Yang Qi Deficiency Pat- tern, were more prevalent than those in the early and middle stages. The Yang Qi Deficiency Pattern had a higher rate of 41.03% （32/78） in the late stage compared with that of 20.75% （22/106） in the middle stage and 8.57% （12/140, P〈a＇ =0.003） in the early stage. The distribution of the other pat- terns was not significant between the three stages （P〉0.003）. CONCLUSIONS： There are four major patterns of HI3-ACLF, including the Heat Toxin Stagnation Pat- tern, the Damp-heat Obstruction Pattern, the Yang Qi Deficiency Pattern, and the Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency Pattern. The Heat Toxin Stagnation and Yang Qi Deficiency Patterns are the representative patterns in the early and late stages of HB-ACLF. In the middle stage of HB-ACLF, the TCM patterns vary in a complicated manner, with no significant differ- ence among the patterns. Treatment for HB-ACLF should vary with the different representative pat- terns in the early and late stages.