Gut microbiome and serum metabolome analyses identify Bacteroides fragilis as regulators of serotonin content and PRL secretion in broody geese

Broody behavior is regulated by hypothalamic prolactin secretion,which seriously affects egg production in poulty production.Numerous studies have provided evidence that animal behavior is governed by dynamic bidirectional communication between specific gut bacteria and their host via the brain-gut-microbiome axis.However,little research focused on how the gut microbiota influence broody behavior in poultry.In this study,Zhedong white geese in laying and brooding phases were selected.Ten differentially abundant bacteria in cecum were detected between brooding and laying geese through metagenomic analyses and 16S rRNA sequencing(P<0.05),and Bacteroides fragilis was specifically identified as a key driver species in the brooding geese.Moverover,the serum metabolites were quantified,and the 313 differentially abundant metabolites were found between the two groups of different physiological geese.They were primarily enriched in the tryptophan metabolism pathways.Pearson correlation analyses revealed there was a significant positive correlation between B.fragilis abundance and the context of 11 tryptophan metabolism-related metabolites(such as serotonin,etc.)in broody geese,which hinted that those tryptophan metabolites might be produced or driven by B.fragilis.Finally,the serum hormone levels were also measured.We found there was a positive correlation between B.fragilis abundance and content of serotonin.Besides,prolactin secreted by the pituitary gland was greater in brooding geese than that in laying geese,which was also highly correlated with B.fragilis abundance.This result implied that B.fragilis could promote the secretion of prolactin by the pituitary gland.Together,the current study findings provided the information on gut microbiota influencing broody behavior,B.fragilis produced or driven more serum serotonin,and stimulated the pituitary gland to secret more prolactin,which potentially offered a new enlightenment for the intervention of broody behavior in poultry.

Forced Inspiratory Flow Volume Curve in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSA) is a disease of obstructive apnea or hypopnea caused by a repeated partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep. The inspiratory part of the flow-volume curve (F-V curve) can be used as an auxiliary means to evaluate upper airway obstruction in adults. This study is to evaluate the ability of the F-V curve to predict the OSA and explore inspiratory indicators related to airway obstruction during sleep. Methods: There were 332 patients included in this cross-sectional study, who were accompanied by snoring, daytime sleepiness and other symptoms, with suspicion of OSA. According to the nocturnal polysomnography, the subjects were distributed into mild to moderate OSA group, severe OSA group and non-OSA group. A pulmonary function test was used to collect the subjects’ spirometry and F-V curves. Results: There was no significant difference in a variety of indices derived from the F-V curve between OSA and normal subjects, including 25% inspiratory flow rate, middle inspiratory flow rate, 75% inspiratory flow rate, peak flow rate, and forced inspiratory flow rate in the first second. The pulmonary function parameters were significantly correlated with the weight, age and sex of the subjects. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the inspiratory curve of pulmonary function cannot evaluate the upper airway abnormalities in patients with obstructive apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SILAZANE OLIGOMER CONTAINING 1,1,3,3,5,5-HEXAMETHYLCYCLOTRISILAZANE

A new silazane oligomer containing cyclotrisilazane was synthesized by KH-catalyzed dehydro-coupling reactions between diphenylsilane and 1,1,3,3,5,5-hexamethylcyclotrisilazane (D-3(N)).

Synthesis of a New Polysiloxane Containing Octaphenylcyclodisilazane

A new polysiloxane containing octaphenylctclodisilazane was synthesized from the anionic polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D-4) and 'seed solution' as initiator. which was prepared by hexamethylcyclotrisilozane (D-3) and the lithium salt of N,N'-bis(hydroxydiphenyl)tetraphenylcyclodisilazane.

High frequency of thrombocytopenia in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure treated with linezolid

BACKGROUND： Linezolid is an effective antibiotic reagent for Gram-positive bacterial infection; its most common side effect is thrombocytopenia. However, the incidence of throm- bocytopenia in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF） who underwent linezolid therapy was unclear. The present study was to evaluate the incidence of thrombocyto- penia in ACLF and non-ACLF patients treated with linezolid and the risk factors of thrombocytopenia in these patients.

HBsAg levels in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients with different immune conditions

AIM:To investigate hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)levels in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B(CHB)and different immune conditions.METHODS:HBeAg-positive CHB patients with different immune conditions were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.These patients were grouped according to the following criteria:immune-tolerant patients,IT group;patients with a mild immune response in the immune clearance phase,IC-Mild group;and patients with a dramatic immune response in the immune clearance phase and exhibiting acute on chronic liver failure(ACLF),ACLF group.All these patients had not previously received antiviral therapy and were enrolled at a pre-settled ratio of2:2:1.Serum HBsAg levels and the correlation between serum HBsAg level and serum hepatitis B virus(HBV)DNA level were evaluated in these groups.RESULTS:In total,180 HBeAg-positive CHB patients[IT group(n=72),IC-Mild group(n=72),and ACLF group(n=36)]were enrolled in this study.The median serum HBsAg levels varied among the groups(P<0.001):IT,4.86 log10IU/mL;IC-Mild,3.97 log10IU/mL;and ACLF,3.57 log10IU/mL.Serum HBsAg level showed a moderate positive correlation with serum HBV-DNA level in the IC-Mild group(r=0.60,P<0.001),but exhibited a weaker correlation in the IT(r=0.52,P<0.001)and ACLF groups(r=0.51,P=0.001).The ratio of HBsAg/HBV DNA did not differ significantly among the IT,IC-Mild,and ACLF groups(medians:0.56,0.55,and 0.56,respectively;P=0.179).CONCLUSION:Serum HBsAg levels varied significantly in HBeAg-positive patients with different immune conditions.These findings may have important implications for understanding the immune clearance of HBV in HBeAg-positive CHB patients.

Attitude Control of Multiple Rigid Bodies with Uncertainties and Disturbances

Decentralized attitude synchronization and tracking control for multiple rigid bodies are investigated in this paper. In the presence of inertia uncertainties and environmental disturbances, we propose a class of decentralized adaptive sliding mode control laws. An adaptive control strategy is adopted to reject the uncertainties and disturbances. Using the Lyapunov approach and graph theory, it is shown that the control laws can guarantee a group of rigid bodies to track the desired time-varying attitude and angular velocity while maintaining attitude synchronization with other rigid bodies in the formation. Simulation examples are provided to illustrate the feasibility and advantage of the control algorithm.

Step-by-Step Numerical Prediction of Aerodynamic Noise Generated by High Speed Trains

In this paper,the unsteady flow around a high-speed train is numerically simulated by detached eddy simulation method(DES),and the far-field noise is predicted using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings(FW-H)acoustic model.The reliability of the numerical calculation is verified by wind tunnel experiments.The superposition relationship between the far-field radiated noise of the local aerodynamic noise sources of the high-speed train and the whole noise source is analyzed.Since the aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains is derived from its different components,a stepwise calculation method is proposed to predict the aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains.The results show that the local noise sources of high-speed trains and the whole noise source conform to the principle of sound source energy superposition.Using the head,middle and tail cars of the high-speed train as noise sources,different numerical models are established to obtain the far-field radiated noise of each aerodynamic noise source.The far-field total noise of high-speed trains is predicted using sound source superposition.A step-by-step calculation of each local aerodynamic noise source is used to obtain the superimposed value of the far-field noise.This is consistent with the far-field noise of the whole train model’s aerodynamic noise.The averaged sound pressure level of the far-field longitudinal noise measurement points differs by 1.92 dBA.The step-by-step numerical prediction method of aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains can provide a reference for the numerical prediction of aerodynamic noise generated by long marshalling high-speed trains.

Numerical simulation and optimization of aerodynamic uplift force of a high-speed pantograph

Aiming at the problem that aerodynamic uplift forces of the pantograph running in the knuckle-downstream and knuckle-upstream conditions are inconsistent,and their magnitudes do not satisfy the corresponding standard, the aerodynamic uplift forces of pantographs with baffles are numerically investigated, and an optimization method to determine the baffle angle is proposed. First, the error between the aerodynamic resistances of the pantograph obtained by numerical simulation and wind tunnel test is less than 5%, which indicates the accuracy of the numerical simulation method. Second, the original pantograph and pantographs equipped with three different baffles are numerically simulated to obtain the aerodynamic forces and moments of the pantograph components.Three different angles for the baffles are-17°, 0° and 17°.Then the multibody simulation is used to calculate the aerodynamic uplift force of the pantograph, and the optimal range for the baffle angle is determined. Results show that the lift force of the baffle increases with the increment of the angle in the knuckle-downstream condition, whereas the lift force of the baffle decreases with the increment of the angle in the knuckle-upstream condition. According to the results of the aerodynamic uplift force, the optimal angle of the baffle is determined to be 4.75° when the running speed is 350 km/h, and pantograph–catenary contact forces are 128.89 N and 129.15 N under the knuckledownstream and knuckle-upstream operating conditions,respectively, which are almost equal and both meet the requirements of the standard EN50367:2012.

Ureido-modification of the resin-bound LHRH analogue with N,N'-carbonyldiimidazole

The ureido-modification of the resin-bound a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone （LHRH） analogue was investigated by CDI-activating method. The amino group at the side chain of LHRH analogue could be transformed into various substituted urea moieties in high yields. However, its terminal amino group was partially converted to a hydantoin structure due to the attack of the N atom of the adjacent amide bond.

The Growth Path of Agricultural Labor Productivity in Major Grain Producing Areas

The growth of agricultural labor productivity in major grain producing areas arises from the increase in production factors or improvement of efficiency,and is related to the sustainability of agricultural economic growth and national food security. We study the growth path of agricultural labor productivity in 13 major grain producing areas of China,and the analysis results show that from the relative endowments of land and labor in major grain producing areas,the growth rate of the output value per unit of labor is higher than that of the productivity per unit of land; in essence,this growth path of increasing the output value relying on increasing the production factor inputs is the reduction of labor,and the reduction of agricultural labor has a great elasticity of impact on the total value of agricultural production. In the case of stable future number of agricultural labor in China,the growth of agricultural labor productivity will be impossible to rely more on the increase in agricultural production factor inputs,and the growth path of agricultural economy still has to rely on the improvement of land productivity and take the efficiency-based path.

Formation of composite hydrogel of carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan/gelatin for sustained release of EGCG

Development of functional bioinspired hydrogels that have good releases control character is necessary for the application of these materials in biomedical engineering.Herein,we report a composite hydrogel prepared from several biocompatible carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan(CKGM)/gelatin(G)/tannic acid(TA)functional nano-hydroxyapatite(TA@n-HA),which has good biodegradability and pH sensitivity.The mechanism of interaction between hydrogels was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,X-ray diffraction,Scanning electron microscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis.The physico-chemical properties of CKGM/G hydrogels have been significantly improved through the incorporation of TA@n-HA within the matrix.Studies in the sustained release of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG)demonstrated that the TA@n-HA/CKGM/G hydrogels exhibit not only better pH sensitive properties,but also enhanced biocompatibility and encapsulation in comparison to the matrix devoid of TA@n-HA.Consequently,TA@n-HA/CKGM/G hydrogels using EGCG as a drug release model show the potential for drug delivery.

Expert consensus on emergency medicine procedure optimization guided by routine prevention and control strategy for COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)was declared a global public health emergency on 31 January 2020.Emergency medicine procedures in Emergency Department should be optimized to cope with the current COVID-19 pandemic by providing subspecialty services,reducing the spread of nosocomial infections,and promoting its capabilities to handle emerging diseases.Thus,the Chinese Society of Emergency Medicine and Wuhan Society of Emergency Medicine drafted this consensus together to address concerns of medical staffs who work in Emergency Department.Based on in-depth review of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment plans,literatures,as well as management approval,this consensus proposes recommendations for improving the rationalization and efficiency of emergency processes,reducing the risk of nosocomial infections,preventing hospital viral transmission,and ensuring patient safety.

A Facile Synthesis Route to 1,3-dichlorodisilazanes

A new 1,3-dichlorodisilazane, 1,3-dichloro-1,3-dimethyl-1,3-divinyldisilazane (DMDV), was prepared from the reaction of hexamethyldisilazane (MMN) and methylvinyldichlorosilane. And use the same method, 1,3-dichloro-1,1,3,3-tetraphenyldisilazane (DCTPS) was also obtained in a high yield.

Development of a prognostic signature for esophageal cancer based on a novel 7-DNA damage repair genes signature

Esophageal cancer(EC)was an aggressive malignant neoplasm characterized by high morbidity and poor prognosis.Identifying the changes in DNA damage repair genes helps to better understand the mechanisms of carcinoma progression.In this study,by comparing EC samples and normal samples,we found a total of 132 DDR expression with a significant difference.Moreover,we revealed higher expression of POLN,PALB2,ATM,PER1,TOP3B and lower expression of HMGB1,UBE2B were correlated to longer OS in EC.In addition,a prognostic risk score based on 7 DDR gene expression(POLN,HMGB1,TOP3B,PER1,UBE2B,ATM,PALB2)was constructed for the prognosis of EC.Meanwhile,EC cancer samples were divided into 3 subtypes based on 132 DDR genes expressions.Clinical profile analysis showed cluster C1 and C2 showed a similar frequency of T2,which was remarked higher than that in cluster 3.Moreover,we found the immune cell inflation levels were significantly changed in different subtypes of EC.The infiltration levels of T cell CD8+,B cell and NK cells were greatly higher in cluster 2 than that in cluster 1 and cluster 3.The results showed T cell CD4+infiltration levels were dramatically higher in cluster 1 than that in cluster 2 and cluster 3.Finally,we perform bioinformatics analysis of DEGs among 3 subtypes of EC and found DDR genes may be related to multiple signaling,such as Base excision repair,Cell cycle,Hedgehog signaling pathway,and Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis.These results showed DDR genes may serve as new target for the prognosis of EC and prediction of the potential response of immune therapy in EC.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis:Six case reports and review of literature

BACKGROUND Emphysematous pyelonephritis(EPN)is a severe acute necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma and surrounding tissues that causes the presence of gas in the renal parenchyma,collecting system,or perinephric tissue and has a poor prognosis.EPN occurs primarily in people with diabetes mellitus(DM),but can occur in those without DM when the associated renoureteral unit is obstructed.CASE SUMMARY We describe our experience with six patients who developed EPN.Five patients had DM,including one with diabetic ketoacidosis,one with multisystem involvements,including eye,lung and brain.Bilateral urolithiasis was present in one case,along with emphysematous cystitis.Unilateral kidney stones were present in one patient.One patient was an older man in poor general health.Five individuals survived and underwent surgical procedures including ureteral stent installation(Double J stent placement),percutaneous nephrostomy and perinephric abscess puncture drainage,while one died because the patient’s family chose to terminate therapy.Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli were the microorganisms implicated.CONCLUSION We conclude that EPN is a potentially fatal illness.A positive outcome necessitates early detection.Therapeutic measures should be implemented as soon as a diagnosis is made.

One-dimensional perovskite-based Li-ion battery anodes with high capacity and cycling stability

Perovskite,widely used in solar cells,has also been proven to be potential candidate for effective energy storage material.Recent progress indicates the promise of perovskite for battery applications,however,the specific capacity of the resulting lithium-ion batteries must be further increased.Here,by adjusting the dimensionality of perovskite,we fabricated high-performing one-dimensional hybrid perovskite C_(4)H_(20)N_(4)PbBr_(6) based lithium-ion batteries,with the first specific capacity as high as 1632.8 mAh g^(-1)and a stable specific capacity of 598.0 mAh g^(-1)after 50 cycles under the condition of the constant current density of 150 mA g^(-1).The stable specific capacity is 2.36 times higher than that of the three-dimensional perovskite CH_(3)NH_(3)PbBr_(3)(253.2 mAh g^(-1)),and 1.6 times higher than that of the commercialized graphite electrode(372 mAh g^(-1)).The structure difference and the associated ion diffusivity are revealed to substantially affect the specific capacity of the perovskite-based lithium-ion battery.Our study opens up new directions for the applications of hybrid perovskites in energy storage devices.

An Incremental-Selective Cooperative Relaying Scheme with Best Relay Selection in WSN80002

In wireless sensor networks, the traditional multi-relay incremental cooperative relaying (MIR) scheme could improve the system throughput over the fading channel enormously by exploiting multiple relay nodes to retransmit the copy of the source packet to the destination in turn, but increase the energy consumption and transmission delay. In order to mitigating the energy consumption and transmission delay, this paper proposes a new cooperative relaying scheme termed as incremental-selective relaying with best-relay selection (ISR), which selects the best relay node from the candidate relays to retransmit the packet to the destination only when the direct transmission between the source and the destination is not successful. Expressions of normalized throughput, normalized delay and energy efficiency for the ISR and MIR systems are derived respectively and their performances are compared through simulations. The results show that normalized throughput, normalized delay and energy efficiency for the ISR system all outperform the corresponding performances of the MIR system. Especially, there are different the optimal number of relays which can maximize the energy efficiency of system.

Concise Synthesis of Lactococcus garvieae Lipoteichoic Acids Through an Additive-Modulated Preactivation Protocol and the Immunological Studies

Lipoteichoic acids(LTAs)are macroamphiphiles composed of alditol,lipid,phosphate,and carbohydrate units.Due to their inherent complexity,it is a severe challenge to access LTAs with structural integrity from natural sources for biological or immunological evaluation.Here,we describe the first total synthesis of Lactococcus garvieae LTA(type II LTA),containing five distinct 1,2-cis gluco/galactopyranosidic linkages,via a novel additive-modulated O-glycosyl trichloroacetimidate preactivation glycosidation strategy.This strategy features(1)high glycosidation yields and excellent 1,2-cis stereoselectivities independent of the donor anomeric configuration,(2)common and inexpensive reagents as promoters and additives,(3)application to standard glycosyl imidate donors without resorting to participating protection,and(4)general application to reactive and less reactive glycosyl acceptors.Thus,via the precise stereocontrolled construction of three galactopyranosidic and two glucopyranosidic bonds on a multigram scale,a series of structurally well-defined LTA molecules were successfully assembled.Immunological evaluation of these type II synthetic LTAs showed a structure–activity relationship in the stimulation of a proinflammatory response.