Development of a scintillating-fiber-based beam monitor for the coherent muon-to-electron transition experiment

The coherent muon-to-electron transition(COMET)experiment is a leading experiment for the coherent conversion of μ^(-)N→e^(-)N using a high-intensity pulsed muon beamline,produced using innovative slow-extraction techniques.Therefore,it is critical to measure the muon beam characteristics.We set up a muon beam monitor(MBM),where scintillating fibers woven in a cross shape were coupled to silicon photomultipliers to measure the spatial profile and timing structure of the extracted muon beam for the COMET.The MBM detector was tested successfully with a proton beamline at the China Spallation Neutron Source and took data with good performance in the commissioning run.The development of the MBM,including its mechanical structure,electronic readout,and beam measurement results,are discussed.

Development of in situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy

Ex situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)have inherent limitations,such as being prone to sample contamination and unstable surfaces during sample transfer from the MBE chamber.In recent years,the need for improved accuracy and reliability in measurement has driven the increasing adoption of in situ characterization techniques.These techniques,such as reflection high-energy electron diffraction,scanning tunneling microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,allow direct observation of film growth processes in real time without exposing the sample to air,hence offering insights into the growth mechanisms of epitaxial films with controlled properties.By combining multiple in situ characterization techniques with MBE,researchers can better understand film growth processes,realizing novel materials with customized properties and extensive applications.This review aims to overview the benefits and achievements of in situ characterization techniques in MBE and their applications for material science research.In addition,through further analysis of these techniques regarding their challenges and potential solutions,particularly highlighting the assistance of machine learning to correlate in situ characterization with other material information,we hope to provide a guideline for future efforts in the development of novel monitoring and control schemes for MBE growth processes with improved material properties.

Identification prognostic features related to sphingolipid metabolism and experimental validation of TRIM47 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background:The specific impact of sphingolipid metabolism on developing hepatocellular Carcinoma(HCC)remains unclear.This study aims to explore the relationship between sphingolipid metabolism and HCC prognosis,immune response,and drug sensitivity.Methods:Data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)-Hepatocellular Carcinoma(LIHC)and Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO,GSE14520 datasets).47 sphingolipid metabolism genes were obtained from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)database.After classifying HCC samples using the Non-negative Matrix Factorization(NMF)clustering method,differentially expressed genes were screened.Then,8 risk genes were obtained by univariate analysis,survival random forest reduction and lasso analysis.The expression of 8 risk genes was verified in vitro.Results:8 risk genes were used to construct the Sphingolipid score model.High-Sphingolipid score predicted poor prognosis of HCC patients.Sphingolipid score was associated with immune checkpoints(IL-1B,TLR4,TGFB1,and IL-10),immune cells(Th2,Treg,MDSC,Neutrophil,Fibroblasts and macrophage),and MAPK Cascade.In the High-Sphingolipid score group,a significantly higher proportion of patients with TP53(p53)mutations was significantly higher(56%).Furthermore,patients with a high-Sphingolipid score were predicted to have a higher sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs.In vitro validation showed that compared with normal liver cells LX-2,TRIM47,and S100A9 significantly increased in liver cancer cells Hep G2,MHCC-97H,and Hep3B2.1-7,while SLC1A7,LPCAT1,and CFHR4 significantly decreased.Silencing TRIM47 reduced the proliferation and promoted apoptosis.The levels of ceramide synthesis-related indexes(CERS1,CERS6,CERS5,and SPTLC2)increased,and the ACER3 related to catalytic hydrolysis decreased.Conclusion:We constructed a sphingolipid metabolism-related prognostic signature(Sphingolipid score)based on 8 risk genes.TRIM47 may affect the development of liver cancer by regulating the relevant indicators of ceramide synthesis and catalytic hydrolysis.

Prediction of NO_(x)concentration using modular long short-term memory neural network for municipal solid waste incineration

Air pollution control poses a major problem in the implementation of municipal solid waste incineration(MSWI).Accurate prediction of nitrogen oxides(NO_(x))concentration plays an important role in efficient NO_(x)emission controlling.In this study,a modular long short-term memory(M-LSTM)network is developed to design an efficient prediction model for NO_(x)concentration.First,the fuzzy C means(FCM)algorithm is utilized to divide the task into several sub-tasks,aiming to realize the divide-and-conquer ability for complex task.Second,long short-term memory(LSTM)neural networks are applied to tackle corresponding sub-tasks,which can improve the prediction accuracy of the sub-networks.Third,a cooperative decision strategy is designed to guarantee the generalization performance during the testing or application stage.Finally,after being evaluated by a benchmark simulation,the proposed method is applied to a real MSWI process.And the experimental results demonstrate the considerable prediction ability of the M-LSTM network.

Effects of Diseases and Pests on Quality, Industry and International Trade of Tea

Starting from the effects of diseases and pests on tea quality,tea industry and export trade,the status quo and control of tea diseases and pests,assurance and traceability of tea quality safety,tea industry and export trade development are analyzed in detail,and green prevention and control measures against tea diseases and pests are put forward combined with the status quo of tea in China.

Hyperspectral Inversion Model of Available Potassium Content in Red Soil of Eucalyptus Plantation in Northern Guangxi

Soil information is the basis of soil management and precise variable fertilization. The traditional method of obtaining soil information through chemical detection of laboratory has high cost and poor timeliness, which is difficult to meet the needs of digital forestry, soil monitoring and real-time management of nutrients. Taking red soil of Eucalyptus plantation in northern Guangxi as the research object, the spectral data of samples with different soil available potassium contents were measured, and the spectral characteristics were analyzed, and the inversion model was established by using PLS method. The results showed that the spectral sensitive bands of available potassium content in red soil of the region mainly concentrated in 400-600, 1 450, 2 200 nm and so on. After the first derivative transformation, the redundant information in the original spectral data can be significantly reduced, and the correlation between spectral indexes and soil available potassium content can be improved. The full-band modeling results of R and FDR were better than those of significant bands. The optimal model was full-band-FDR-PLS, R2=0.862, and RMSE=2.718. The results of this study can be used for the application of near-earth remote sensing in Guangxi, such as soil digital mapping, precise variable fertilization and real-time monitoring of soil available potassium.

Problems and Recommendations for Export of Guizhou Tea in the Context of Rural Revitalization Strategy

As a traditional advantageous industry in Guizhou and an important export product,tea plays an important role in the rural revitalization strategy.This paper first introduces the current situation of tea industry and export in Guizhou,then analyzes the problems that arise in the export process,and finally comes up with corresponding countermeasures and recommendations for the export development of tea,hoping to provide certain guidance and reference to the development of tea industry in Guizhou Province.

多孔块体NiMo合金原位水热合成Ni−MoO_(2)异质结构以实现高效析氢反应

通过简便的粉末冶金和水热法在多孔块体NiMo合金上原位合成Ni−MoO_(2)异质结构电催化剂。场发射扫描电镜、透射电镜及X射线光电子能谱分析结果表明:经过水热处理后,制备的Ni−MoO_(2)电极具有异质结构并且在其表面同时形成一层Ni(OH)_(2)纳米片,这种异质结构和纳米片层提供丰富的界面、更多的活性中心和更大的活性比表面积。析氢反应结果表明,Ni−MoO_(2)异质结构表现出优异的催化性能,仅需41 mV的过电位即可达到10 mA/cm^(2)的电流密度,并且具有52.7 mV/dec的低Tafel斜率和在碱性介质中具有优异的稳定性。

Signal-Based Intelligent Hydraulic Fault Diagnosis Methods: Review and Prospects

Hydraulic systems have the characteristics of strong fault concealment,powerful nonlinear time-varying signals,and a complex vibration transmission mechanism;hence,diagnosis of these systems is a challenge.To provide accurate diagnosis results automatically,numerous studies have been carried out.Among them,signal-based methods are commonly used,which employ signal processing techniques based on the state signal used for extracting features,and further input the features into the classifier for fault recognition.However,their main deficiencies include the following:(1)The features are manually designed and thus may have a lack of objectivity.(2)For signal processing,feature extraction and pattern recognition are conducted using independent models,which cannot be jointly optimized globally.(3)The machine learning algorithms adopted by these methods have a shallow architecture,which limits their capacity to deeply mine the essential features of a fault.As a breakthrough in artificial intelligence,deep learning holds the potential to overcome such deficiencies.Based on deep learning,deep neural networks(DNNs)can automatically learn the complex nonlinear relations implied in a signal,can be globally optimized,and can obtain the high-level features of multi-dimensional data.In this paper,the main technology used in an intelligent fault diagnosis and the current research status of hydraulic system fault diagnosis are summarized and analyzed.The significant prospect of applying deep learning in the field of intelligent fault diagnosis is presented,and the main ideas,methods,and principles of several typical DNNs are described and summarized.The commonality between a fault diagnosis and other issues regarding typical pattern recognition are analyzed,and research ideas for applying DNNs for hydraulic fault diagnosis are proposed.Meanwhile,the research advantages and development trend of DNNs(both domestically and overseas)as applied to an intelligent fault diagnosis are reviewed.Furthermore,the fault characteristics of a complex hydraulic system are summarized and discussed,and the key problems and possible research ideas of applying DNNs to an intelligent hydraulic fault diagnosis are presented and comprehensively analyzed.

Mitomycin C induces apoptosis in human epidural scar fibroblasts after surgical decompression for spinal cord injury

Numerous studies have shown that topical application of mitomycin C after surgical decompression effectively reduces scar adhesion. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of mitomycin C on the proliferation and apoptosis of human epidural scar fibroblasts. Human epidural scar fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of mitomycin C （1, 5, 10, 20, 40 μg/mL） for 12, 24 and 48 hours. Mitomycin C suppressed the growth of these cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mitomycin C upregulated the expression levels of Fas, DR4, DR5, cleaved caspase-8/9, Bax, Bim and cleaved caspase-3 proteins, and it downregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. In addition, inhibitors of caspase-8 and caspase-9 （Z-IETD-FMK and Z-LEHD-FMK, respectively） did not fully inhibit mitomycin C-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, mitomycin C induced endoplasmic reticulum stress by increasing the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78, CAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP） and caspase 4 in a dose-dependent manner. Salubrinal significantly inhibited the mitomycin C-induced cell viability loss and apoptosis, and these effects were accompanied by a reduction in CHOP expression. Our results support the hypothesis that mitomycin C induces human epidural scar fibroblast apoptosis, at least in part, via the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Hepatitis B virus-persistent infection and innate immunity defect: Cell-related or virus-related?

The outcomes of hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection are closely related to the age at which infection was acquired. Infection acquired in adult life tends to be selflimited, in contrast to perinatal acquirement, for which chronic persistence of the HBV is a general outcome. Innate immunity plays an indispensable role in early virus infection, facilitating virus clearance. However, it has been reported that HBV is under-recognized and poorly eliminated by the innate immune system in the early stages of infection, possibly explaining the long-lasting persistence of viremia afterwards. Furthermore, due to the existence of covalently closed circular DNA, chronic HBV clearance is very difficult, even when patients are given interferon-α and nucleotide/nucleoside analogs for antiviral therapy. The mechanism by which HBV evades innate immune recognition and establishes persistent infection remains a subject of debate. Besides, some researchers are becoming more interested in how to eradicate chronic HBV infection by restoring or boosting innate immunity. This review aimed to summarize the current knowledge on how intrahepatocyte signaling pathways and innate immune cells act after the onset of HBV infection and how these actions are related to the persistence of HBV. We anticipate the insights presented herein to be helpful for future development of novel immune therapeutic strategies to fight HBV infection.

甲状腺特异性抗体联合抗米勒管激素对促甲状腺激素正常的多囊卵巢综合征不孕患者妊娠结局的预测价值

目的探讨甲状腺特异性抗体联合抗米勒管激素(AMH)对促甲状腺激素(TSH)正常的多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)不孕患者妊娠结局的预测价值。方法选取2020年9月—2021年9月上海儿童医学中心三亚市妇女儿童医院收治的TSH正常的PCOS不孕患者72例为研究对象,根据是否妊娠分为妊娠组21例和未妊娠组51例。比较两组的一般资料及甲状腺特异性抗体 [甲状腺过氧化物酶抗体(TPOAb)、甲状腺球蛋白抗体(TGAb)及AMH水平];采用多因素Logistic回归分析妊娠结局的影响因素;绘制ROC曲线分析甲状腺特异性抗体联合AMH对妊娠结局的预测效能。结果两组的年龄、BMI、PCOS病程、不孕年限、家族史、TSH水平、性激素水平比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);妊娠组PCOS病情程度等级分布优于未妊娠组(P<0.05);妊娠组TPOAb、TGAb、AMH水平低于未妊娠组(P<0.05)。经多因素Logistic回归分析,PCOS病情程度[OR=3.422(95%CI:1.287,9.098)]、TPOAb[OR=3.932(95%CI:1.765,8.758)]、TGAb[OR=3.884(95%CI:1.903,7.926)]、AMH[OR=5.695(95%CI:2.879,11.265)]均为妊娠结局的影响因素(P<0.05)。经ROC分析显示,TPOAb、TGAb、AMH预测妊娠结局的截断值分别为77.89 IU/mL、17.38 IU/L、5.90 ng/mL,敏感性分别为80.95%(95%CI:0.574,0.937)、76.19%(95%CI:0.525,0.909)、52.38%(95%CI:0.303,0.736),特异性分别为72.55%(95%CI:0.580,0.837)、78.43%(95%CI:0.643,0.882)、98.04%(95%CI:0.882,0.999),AUC分别为0.823(95%CI:0.715,0.903)、0.824(95%CI:0.717,0.904)、0.753(95%CI:0.637,0.847);联合预测的敏感性为95.24%(95%CI:0.741,0.998)、特异性为94.12%(95%CI:0.828,0.985),AUC为0.955(95%CI:0.879,0.990)。结论甲状腺特异性抗体、AMH水平对TSH正常PCOS不孕患者妊娠结局具有一定预测价值,可为临床诊治提供重要参考。

Quantitative differentiation of malignant and benign thyroid nodules with multi-parameter diffusion-weighted imaging

BACKGROUND The value of conventional magnetic resonance imaging in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules is limited;however,the value of multi-parameter diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)in the quantitative evaluation of thyroid nodules has not been well determined.AIM To determine the utility of multi-parametric DWI including mono-exponential,biexponential,stretched exponential,and kurtosis models for the differentiation of thyroid lesions.METHODS Seventy-nine patients(62 with benign and 17 with malignant nodules)underwent multi-b value diffusion-weighted imaging of the thyroid.Multiple DWI parameters were obtained for statistical analysis.RESULTS Good agreement was found for diffusion parameters of thyroid nodules.Malignant lesions displayed lower diffusion parameters including apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC),the true diffusion coefficient(D),the perfusion fraction(f),the distributed diffusion coefficient(DDC),the intravoxel water diffusion heterogeneity(α)and kurtosis model-derived ADC(Dapp),and higher apparent diffusional kurtosis(Kapp)than benign entities(all P<0.01),except for the pseudodiffusion coefficient(D*)(P>0.05).The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the ADC(0 and 1000)was not significantly different from that of the ADC(0 and 2000),ADC(0 to 2000),ADC(0 to 1000),D,DDC,Dapp and Kapp(all P>0.05),but was significantly higher than the AUC of D*,f andα(all P<0.05)for differentiating benign from malignant lesions.CONCLUSION Multiple DWI parameters including ADC,D,f,DDC,α,Dapp and Kapp could discriminate benign and malignant thyroid nodules.The metrics including D,DDC,Dapp and Kapp provide additional information with similar diagnostic performance of ADC,combination of these metrics may contribute to differentiate benign and malignant thyroid nodules.The ADC calculated with higher b values may not lead to improved diagnostic performance.

Positional and expressive alteration of prohibitin during the induced differentiation of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells

AIM: To explore the existence and distribution of prohibitin (PHB) in nuclear matrix and its co-localization with products of some related genes during the differentiation of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells. METHODS: The nuclear matrix of the SMMC-7721 cells cultured with or without 5 × 10-3 mmol/L hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) was selectively extracted. Western blot was used to analyze the expression of PHB in nuclear matrix; immunofl uorescence microscope observation was used to analyze the distribution of PHB in cell. LCSM was used to observe the co-localization of PHB with products of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. RESULTS: Western blot analysis showed that PHB existed in the composition of nuclear matrix proteins and was down-regulated by HMBA treatment. Immunofluorescence observation revealed that PHB existed in the nuclear matrix, and its distribution regions and expression levels were altered after HMBA treatment. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed the co-localization between PHB and theproducts of oncogenes or tumor repression genes including c-fos, c-myc, p53 and Rb and its alteration of distributive area in the cells treated by HMBA. CONCLUSION: These data confirm that PHB is a nuclear matrix protein, which is located in the nuclear matrix, and the distribution and expression of PHB and its relation with associated genes may play signifi cant roles during the differentiation of SMMC-7721 cells.

Alreration of nuclear matrix-intermediate filament system and differential expression of nuclear matrix proteins during human hepatocarcinoma cell differentiation

AIM:To investigate the association between the configurational and compositional changes of nuclear matrix and the differentiation of carcinoma cells. METHODS: Cells cultured with or without 5 x 10"3 mmol/L of hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA) on Nickel grids were treated by selective extraction and prepared for whole mount observation under electron microscopy. The samples were examined under transmission electron microscope. Nuclear matrix proteins were selectively extracted and subjected to subcellular proteomics study. The protein expression patterns were analyzed by PDQuest software. Spots of differentially expressed nuclear matrix proteins were excised and subjected to in situ digestion with trypsin. The peptides were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Data were submitted for database searching using Mascot tool (www.matrixscience.com). RESULTS: The nuclear matrix (NM) and intermediate filament (IF) in SMMC-7721 hepatocarcinoma cells were found relatively sparse and arranged irregularly. The nuclear lamina was non-uniform,and two kinds of filaments were not tightly connected. After induction for differentiation by HMBA,the NM-IF filaments were concentrated and distributed uniformly. The heterogeneous population of filaments,including highly branched utrathin filaments could also be seen in the regular meshwork. The connection between the two kinds of filaments and the relatively thin,condensed and sharply demarcated lamina composed of intermediate-sized filaments was relatively fastened. Meanwhile,21 NM proteins changed remarkably during SMMC-7721 cell differentiation. Four proteins,i.e. mutant Pyst1,hypothetical protein,nucleophosminl,and LBP were downregulated,whereas four other proteins,eIF6,p44 subunit,(3-tubulin,and SIN3B were upregulated with the last one,SR2/ASF found only in the differentiated SMMC-7721 cells. CONCLUSION: The induced differentiation of SMMC-7721 cells by HMBA is accompanied by the configurational changes of nuclear matrix-intermediate filament (NM-IF) system and the compositional changes of nuclear matrix protein expression. These changes may be important morphological or functional indications of the cancer cell reversion.

Ultra-low V_(pp)and high-modulation-depth InP-based electro-optic microring modulator

A modulator is an essential building block in the integrated photonics,connecting the electrical with optical signals.The microring modulator gains much attention because of the small footprint,low drive voltage and high extinction ratio.An ultra-low V_(pp)and high-modulation-depth indium phosphide-based racetrack microring modulator is demonstrated in this paper.The proposed device mainly comprises one racetrack microring,incorporating a semiconductor amplifier,and coupling with a bus waveguide through a multimode interference coupler.Traveling wave electrodes are employed to supply bidirectional bias ports,terminating with a 50-Ω impedance.The on/off extinction ratio of the microring reaches 43.3 dB due to the delicately tuning of the gain.An 11 mV V_(pp),a maximum 42.5 dB modulation depth and a 6.6 GHz bandwidth are realized,respectively.This proposed microring modulator could enrich the functionalities and designability of the fundamental integrated devices.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Hengyang,Hunan Province,China

BACKGROUND In December 2019,an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)was first identified in Wuhan,China.The characteristics of COVID-19 patients treated in local hospitals in Wuhan are not fully representative of patients outside Wuhan.Therefore,it is highly essential to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in areas outside Wuhan or Hubei Province.To date,a limited number of studies have concentrated on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients with different genders,clinical classification,and with or without basic diseases.AIM To study the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Hengyang(China)and provide a reliable reference for the prevention and control of COVID-19.METHODS From January 16 to March 2,2020,a total of 48 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Hengyang,and those cases were included in this study.The diagnostic criteria,clinical classification,and discharge standard related to COVID-19 were in line with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia(Trial Version 7)released by National Health Commission and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in pharyngeal swab specimens was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.All the data were imported into the excel worksheet and statistically analyzed by using SPSS 25.0 software.RESULTS A total of 48 cases of COVID-19 were collected,of which 1 was mild,38 were moderate,and 9 were severe.It was unveiled that there were 31(64.6%)male patients and 17(35.4%)female patients,with a female-to-male ratio of 1.82:1.The range of age of patients with COVID-19 was dominantly 30-49 years old[25(52.1%)of 48],followed by those aged over 60 years old[11(22.9%)].Besides,29.2%(14 of 48)of patients had basic diseases,and 57.2%(8 of 14)of patients with basic diseases were aged over 60 years old.The occupations of 48 COVID-19 patients were mainly farmers working in agricultural production[15(31.5%)of 48],rural migrant workers from Hengyang to Wuhan[15(31.5%)],and service workers operating in the service sector[8(16.7%)].The mean latent period was 6.86±3.57 d,and the median was 7[interquartile range(IQR):4-9]d.The mean time from onset of symptoms to the first physician visit was 3.38±2.98(95%CI:2.58-9.18)d,with a median of 2(IQR:1-5)d,and the mean time from hospital admission to confirmed diagnosis was 2.29±2.11(95%CI:1.18-6.42)d,with a median of 2(IQR:1-3)d.The main symptoms were fever[43(89.6%)of 48],cough and expectoration[41(85.4%)],fatigue[22(45.8%)],and chills[22(45.8%)].Other symptoms included poor appetite[13(27.1%)],sore throat[9(18.8%)],dyspnea[9(18.8%)],diarrhea[7(14.6%)],dizziness[5(10.4%)],headache[5(10.4%)],muscle pain[5(10.4%)],nausea and vomiting[4(8.3%)],hemoptysis[4(8.3%)],and runny nose[1(2.1%)].The numbers of peripheral blood leukocytes,lymphocytes,and eosinophils were significantly reduced in the majority of the patients.The levels of C-reactive protein,fibrinogen,blood glucose,lactate dehydrogenase,Ddimer,alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),gamma-glutamyl transferase(γ-GT),myoglobin(MB),and creatine kinase(CK)were increased in 64.6%,44.7%,43.2%,37.0%,29.5%,22.9%,20.8%,21.6%,13.6%,and 12.8%of patients,respectively.The incidence of ALT elevation in male patients was remarkably higher than that in females(P<0.01),while the incidences of AST,CK,and blood glucose elevations in severe patients were remarkably higher than those in moderate patients(P<0.05,respectively).Except for the mild patients,chest computed tomography showed characteristic pulmonary lesions.All the patients received antiviral drugs,38(79.2%)accepted traditional Chinese medicine,and 2(4.2%)received treatment of human umbilical-cord mesenchymal stem cells.On March 2,2020,48 patients with COVID-19 were all cured and discharged.CONCLUSION Based on our results,patients with COVID-19 often have multiple organ dysfunction or damage.The incidences of ALT elevation in males,and AST,CK,and blood glucose elevations in severe patients are remarkably higher.

Lessons Learned from the Tragedy during the 100 km Ultramarathon Race in Baiyin,Gansu Province on 22 May 2021

Twenty-one runners died of hypothermia during the 100 km Ultramarathon Mountain race in Baiyin,Gansu Province on 22 May 2021.The hypothermia was caused by a combination of low temperatures,precipitation,and high winds associated with a typical large-scale cold front passing by the race site that morning.Based on historical hourly records of 13 meteorological surface stations over the past six years,temperature(3.0°C)and apparent temperature(−5.1°C)at 1200 LST as well as gust wind speed(11.2 m s^(−1))at 1100 LST on the day of the tragedy were found to be within the top or bottom 5th percentile for the month of May.The precipitation was only moderate at this time,but when temperature lower than 3.0°C,gust wind speed greater than 11.2 m s^(−1),and precipitation greater than 0.1 mm for any adjacent three hours were combined together,1200 LST 22 May fell within the top 0.1%of cases.The European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasting model produced reasonably good forecasts of the low temperature and high wind one day and seven days before the event,respectfully.Based on this study,lessons that can be learned from this tragedy are summarized from an academic perspective:Hazard and impact forecasts of high-impact weather events should be developed to increase the value of weather forecasts.Probability forecasts should be issued by government weather agencies and communicated well to the public.And more importantly,knowledge of how to evaluate the impact of weather should be delivered to the public in the future.We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the people who lost their lives in this tragedy,including 21 runners and one officer.May our efforts honor those who lost their lives by highlighting the value of weather forecasting and calling for greater action in the future.

Alteration of fecal microbiome and metabolome by mung bean coat improves diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice

Dysbiosis of gut microbiota and its derived metabolites has been linked to the occurrence and development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Our previous study has demonstrated that mung bean coat(MBC)might be mainly responsible for the beneficial effects of whole mung bean on high fat diet(HFD)-induced metabolic disorders.To investigate whether MBC,which is rich in dietary fiber and phytochemicals,can protect against HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in mice via targeting gut microbiota and its metabolites,we conducted this study.Results showed that MBC could effectively alleviative the obese phenotype,reduce the lipid accumulation and insulin resistance,and improve the hepatic oxidative stress and inflammatory response.Furthermore,MBC significantly prevented the HFD-induced changes in the structure and composition of gut microbiota,characterized by promoting the bloom of Akkermansia,Lachnospiraceae_NK4 A136_group,and norank_f_Muribaculaceae,and along with the elevated short-chain fatty acids concentrations.Non-targeted metabolomic analysis indicated a metabolism disorder that was obviously improved by MBC via regulating sphingolipid metabolism andα-linolenic acid metabolism.These findings suggested that MBC could improve hepatic steatosis through manipulating the crosstalk between gut microbiota and its metabolites.

Local stress field inverted for a shale gas play based on focal mechanisms determined from the joint source scanning algorithm

The joint source scanning algorithm(SSA)scans locations and focal mechanisms of microseismic events simultaneously.Compared to the traditional source scanning algorithm,it yields much more events with extra information of focal mechanisms.The availability of more events and focal mechanisms make it possible to invert for a 2D gridded stress field.As a byproduct of hydrofracturing monitoring,the method offers a new way to extract stress field as a substitute to other more expensive technologies.This method is applied to a hydraulic fracturing dataset collected from one shale gas production field in the southeast of the Sichuan basin.A damped stress inversion is conducted to obtain a 2D stress field.five hydraulic-fracturing induced fractures can be determined from the result.The events associated with these fractures generally have relatively low stacked energy and are limited to the depth of horizontal well.One existing fault(possibly associated with the axis of the central Sichuan uplift)is also determined and the events associated with the existing fault generally have higher stacked energy and are more densely populated.The existing fault may also serve as a structural boundary where the rocks to the NW side are easier to be fractured while events on the other side are sparse with low stacked energy.The existing fault also divides the stress field into two regimes:the maximum compressional stress field to the NW and SE of the fault line are dominantly in NW-SE and N-S directions,respectively.