Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata, both of which are mammals of the order Chiroptera, Desmodontidae family, their diet consisting exclusively of blood. D. rotundus is the main vector and transmitter of the rabie...Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata, both of which are mammals of the order Chiroptera, Desmodontidae family, their diet consisting exclusively of blood. D. rotundus is the main vector and transmitter of the rabies virus, which affects human beings as well as several livestock species so the study of this bat species is of high importance within the fields of animal agriculture and public health. The present study describes and compares the histologic characteristics of the urinary system of two hematophagous bat species. A total of 5 bats from each species were captured in the municipalities of Progreso de Obregón, Hidalgo (D. rotundus), and Huayacocotla, Veracruz (D. ecaudata). Organs belonging to the urinary system were extracted: kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra;samples were fixed using 10% formalin and processed by the paraffin embedding technique, obtaining sections of 5 µm thickness, which in turn were stained using hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) and Gomori trichrome (GT) stains. From the obtained histologic preparations, a descriptive and comparative analysis of the structural organography of the urinary system of both species was made, and no noteworthy histological differences between samples were noted. The present research is intended to provide a framework for future studies of these species’ currently understudied microscopic anatomy.展开更多
Gingko biloba accumulates high levels of secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical value.Ginkgo calli develop a typical browning that reduces its regenerative capacity and thus its usefulness.To elucidate the browning m...Gingko biloba accumulates high levels of secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical value.Ginkgo calli develop a typical browning that reduces its regenerative capacity and thus its usefulness.To elucidate the browning mechanism,histological,transcriptomic,and metabolic alterations were compared between green and browning calli derived from immature ginkgo embryos.Histological observations revealed that browning calli had a more loosely arranged cell structure and accumulated more tannins than in green calli.Integrated metabolic and transcriptomic analyses showed that phenylpropanoid metabolism was specifi-cally activated in the browning calli,and 428 diff erentially expressed genes and 63 diff erentially abundant metabolites,including 12 fl avonoid compounds,were identifi ed in the browning calli compared to the green calli.Moreover,the expression of fl avonol synthase(FLS)and UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase(UGT)genes involved in the fl avonoid pathway was more than tenfold higher in browning calli than in green calli,thus promoting biosynthesis of fl avonol,which serves as a substrate to form glycosylated fl avonoids.Flavonoid glycosides constituted the major coloring component of the browning calli and may act in response to multiple stress conditions to delay cell death caused by browning.Our results revealed the cellular and biochemical changes in browning callus cells that accompanied changes in expression of browning-related genes,providing a scientifi c basis for improving ginkgo tissue culturability.展开更多
The myelin sheath is a lipoprotein-rich,multilayered structure capable of increasing conduction velocity in central and peripheral myelinated nerve fibers.Due to the complex structure and composition of myelin,various...The myelin sheath is a lipoprotein-rich,multilayered structure capable of increasing conduction velocity in central and peripheral myelinated nerve fibers.Due to the complex structure and composition of myelin,various histological techniques have been developed over the centuries to evaluate myelin under normal,pathological or experimental conditions.Today,methods to assess myelin integrity or content are key tools in both clinical diagnosis and neuroscience research.In this review,we provide an updated summary of the composition and structure of the myelin sheath and discuss some histological procedures,from tissue fixation and processing techniques to the most used and practical myelin histological staining methods.Considering the lipoprotein nature of myelin,the main features and technical details of the different available methods that can be used to evaluate the lipid or protein components of myelin are described,as well as the precise ultrastructural techniques.展开更多
BACKGROUND A reliable test is essential for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection,and crucial for managing H.pylori-related diseases.Serving as an excellent method for detecting H.pylori infection,histolog...BACKGROUND A reliable test is essential for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection,and crucial for managing H.pylori-related diseases.Serving as an excellent method for detecting H.pylori infection,histologic examination is a test that clinicians heavily rely on,especially when complemented with immunohistochemistry(IHC).Additionally,other diagnostic tests for H.pylori,such as the rapid urease test(CLO test)and stool antigen test(SA),are also highly sensitive and specific.Typically,the results of histology and other tests align with each other.However,on rare occasions,discrepancy between histopathology and other H.pylori diagnostic tests occurs.AIM To investigate the discordance between histology and other H.pylori tests,the underlying causes,and the impact on clinical management.METHODS Pathology reports of gastric biopsies were retrieved spanning August 2013 and July 2018.Reports were included in the study only if there were other H.pylori tests within seven days of the biopsy.These additional tests include CLO test,SA,and H.pylori culture.Concordance between histopathology and other tests was determined based on the consistency of results.In instances where histology results were negative while other tests were positive,the slides were retrieved for re-assessment,and the clinical chart was reviewed.RESULTS Of 1396 pathology reports were identified,each accompanied by one additional H.pylori test.The concordance rates in detecting H.pylori infection between biopsy and other tests did not exhibit significant differences based on the number of biopsy fragments.117 discrepant cases were identified.Only 20 cases(9 with CLO test and 11 with SA)had negative biopsy but positive results in other tests.Four cases initially stained with Warthin-Starry turned out to be positive for H.pylori with subsequent IHC staining.Among the remaining 16 true discrepant cases,10 patients were on proton pump inhibitors before the biopsy and/or other tests.Most patients underwent treatment,except for two who were untreated,and two patients who were lost to follow-up.CONCLUSION There are rare discrepant cases with negative biopsy but positive in SA or CLO test.Various factors may contribute to this inconsistency.Most patients in such cases had undergone treatment.展开更多
Rice and wheat provide nearly 40%of human calorie and protein requirements.They share a common ancestor and belong to the Poaceae(grass)family.Characterizing their genetic homology is crucial for developing new cultiv...Rice and wheat provide nearly 40%of human calorie and protein requirements.They share a common ancestor and belong to the Poaceae(grass)family.Characterizing their genetic homology is crucial for developing new cultivars with enhanced traits.Several wheat genes and gene families have been characterized based on their rice orthologs.Rice–wheat orthology can identify genetic regions that regulate similar traits in both crops.Rice–wheat comparative genomics can identify candidate wheat genes in a genomic region identified by association or QTL mapping,deduce their putative functions and biochemical pathways,and develop molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding.A knowledge of gene homology facilitates the transfer between crops of genes or genomic regions associated with desirable traits by genetic engineering,gene editing,or wide crossing.展开更多
Deterministic compartment models(CMs)and stochastic models,including stochastic CMs and agent-based models,are widely utilized in epidemic modeling.However,the relationship between CMs and their corresponding stochast...Deterministic compartment models(CMs)and stochastic models,including stochastic CMs and agent-based models,are widely utilized in epidemic modeling.However,the relationship between CMs and their corresponding stochastic models is not well understood.The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting a comparative study using the susceptible,exposed,infectious,and recovered(SEIR)model and its extended CMs from the coronavirus disease 2019 modeling literature.We demonstrated the equivalence of the numerical solution of CMs using the Euler scheme and their stochastic counterparts through theoretical analysis and simulations.Based on this equivalence,we proposed an efficient model calibration method that could replicate the exact solution of CMs in the corresponding stochastic models through parameter adjustment.The advancement in calibration techniques enhanced the accuracy of stochastic modeling in capturing the dynamics of epidemics.However,it should be noted that discrete-time stochastic models cannot perfectly reproduce the exact solution of continuous-time CMs.Additionally,we proposed a new stochastic compartment and agent mixed model as an alternative to agent-based models for large-scale population simulations with a limited number of agents.This model offered a balance between computational efficiency and accuracy.The results of this research contributed to the comparison and unification of deterministic CMs and stochastic models in epidemic modeling.Furthermore,the results had implications for the development of hybrid models that integrated the strengths of both frameworks.Overall,the present study has provided valuable epidemic modeling techniques and their practical applications for understanding and controlling the spread of infectious diseases.展开更多
This paper analyzes and compares the key factors influencing food security in two populous countries(China and India),and cate-gorizes them into three types:agricultural production,economic development and income leve...This paper analyzes and compares the key factors influencing food security in two populous countries(China and India),and cate-gorizes them into three types:agricultural production,economic development and income level,and income distribution.Using the prevalence of undernourishment as an indicator of food security,the paper empirically tests the degree of impact of various factors on food security in both countries using Tobit regression and Newey regression methods.The study finds that improving the level of economic development can significantly enhance food security in both countriesꎻreducing the Gini coefficient has a significant impact on India,but not on Chinaꎻincreasing the agricultural production per capita has a much greater effect on China than on India.Therefore,both countries should take measures that are both similar and different according to their national conditions to improve their food security level.展开更多
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) pose a significant global health challenge, necessitating accurate risk prediction for effective preventive measures. This comprehensive comparative study explores the performance of tra...Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) pose a significant global health challenge, necessitating accurate risk prediction for effective preventive measures. This comprehensive comparative study explores the performance of traditional Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) models in predicting CVD risk, utilizing a meticulously curated dataset derived from health records. Rigorous preprocessing, including normalization and outlier removal, enhances model robustness. Diverse ML models (Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbor, Decision Tree, and Gradient Boosting) are compared with a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network for DL. Evaluation metrics include accuracy, ROC AUC, computation time, and memory usage. Results identify the Gradient Boosting Classifier and LSTM as top performers, demonstrating high accuracy and ROC AUC scores. Comparative analyses highlight model strengths and limitations, contributing valuable insights for optimizing predictive strategies. This study advances predictive analytics for cardiovascular health, with implications for personalized medicine. The findings underscore the versatility of intelligent systems in addressing health challenges, emphasizing the broader applications of ML and DL in disease identification beyond cardiovascular health.展开更多
Data compression plays a key role in optimizing the use of memory storage space and also reducing latency in data transmission. In this paper, we are interested in lossless compression techniques because their perform...Data compression plays a key role in optimizing the use of memory storage space and also reducing latency in data transmission. In this paper, we are interested in lossless compression techniques because their performance is exploited with lossy compression techniques for images and videos generally using a mixed approach. To achieve our intended objective, which is to study the performance of lossless compression methods, we first carried out a literature review, a summary of which enabled us to select the most relevant, namely the following: arithmetic coding, LZW, Tunstall’s algorithm, RLE, BWT, Huffman coding and Shannon-Fano. Secondly, we designed a purposive text dataset with a repeating pattern in order to test the behavior and effectiveness of the selected compression techniques. Thirdly, we designed the compression algorithms and developed the programs (scripts) in Matlab in order to test their performance. Finally, following the tests conducted on relevant data that we constructed according to a deliberate model, the results show that these methods presented in order of performance are very satisfactory:- LZW- Arithmetic coding- Tunstall algorithm- BWT + RLELikewise, it appears that on the one hand, the performance of certain techniques relative to others is strongly linked to the sequencing and/or recurrence of symbols that make up the message, and on the other hand, to the cumulative time of encoding and decoding.展开更多
Kannemeyeriiformes were dominated tetrapods in the Middle Triassic terrestrial faunae of China.Although abundant materials of Sinokannemeyeria have been collected, their postcranial morphology information is not well ...Kannemeyeriiformes were dominated tetrapods in the Middle Triassic terrestrial faunae of China.Although abundant materials of Sinokannemeyeria have been collected, their postcranial morphology information is not well studied, especially the juveniles. This paper presents a description of an articulated Sinokannemeyeria skeleton from the Middle Triassic Ermaying Formation and reports the histological microstructure of its femur. This specimen represents a late-stage juvenile based on the histological information. For the first time, this specimen offers insights into the postcrania information of juvenile Sinokannemeyeria.展开更多
Taking construction of the online and offline integrated first-class undergraduate curriculum teaching modes of Histology and Embryology in Guangxi as an opportunity,under the guidance of student-centered teaching con...Taking construction of the online and offline integrated first-class undergraduate curriculum teaching modes of Histology and Embryology in Guangxi as an opportunity,under the guidance of student-centered teaching concept,efforts were made to innovate online and offline integrated teaching mode to overcome the shortcomings and dilemma of traditional Histology and Embryology teaching,with attention paid to the competence education in students including schematic knowledge,professional techniques,analytical thinking,and ideological and political theories,which would be of great significance for the cultivation of high-quality professionals specialized in traditional Chinese medicine.展开更多
This study presents a comparative analysis of verb-noun collocation errors made by Chinese EFL learners with different language proficiency.Linguistic data from two sub-corpora of CLEC(Chinese Learner English Corpus,G...This study presents a comparative analysis of verb-noun collocation errors made by Chinese EFL learners with different language proficiency.Linguistic data from two sub-corpora of CLEC(Chinese Learner English Corpus,Gui&Yang,1999)consist of the compositions written freely by Chinese senior high school students(ST2)and the 3rd-and 4th-year English majors of Chinese universities(ST6).The study results show that four types of verb-noun collocation errors are frequently made due to incorrect L1 translation,misuse of relative synonyms,misuse of delexical verbs,and misuse of part of speech;the number of errors decreases with the development of language proficiency,especially errors by incorrect L1 translation and relative synonyms.And for both ST2 and ST6 EFL learners,errors resulted from incorrect L1 translation account for nearly a half with the same high-frequency words.It is also found that ST6 learners’competence in collocation and synonym identification doesn’t grow with the increase of their vocabulary,as is shown in the case of overusing delexical verbs in collocation,the same error made by ST2 learners,who have a significantly weaker command of delexical verbs.Implications of the findings are also discussed with the purpose of raising the awareness of collocation pedagogy and enhancing EFL learners’collocation competence.展开更多
Azalea is a general designation of Rhododendron in the Ericaceae family.Rhododendron not only has high ornamental value but also has application value in ecological protection,medicine,and scientific research.In this ...Azalea is a general designation of Rhododendron in the Ericaceae family.Rhododendron not only has high ornamental value but also has application value in ecological protection,medicine,and scientific research.In this study,we used Illumina and PacBio sequencing to assemble and annotate the entire chloroplast genomes(cp genomes)of four Rhododendron species.The chloroplast genomes of R.concinnum,R.henanense subsp.lingbaoense,R.micranthum,and R.simsii were assembled into 207,236,208,015,207,233,and 206,912 bp,respectively.All chloroplast genomes contain eight rRNA genes,with either 88 or 89 protein-coding genes.The four cp genomes were compared and analyzed by bioinformatics,and the phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes of 26 species of Ericaceae,Actinidiaceae,and Primulaceae under Ericales was conducted.A comparison of the linear structure of cp genomes of four Rhododendron showed that there were substantial sequence similarities in coding regions,but high differences in non-coding regions.A phylogenetic analysis,based on chloroplast whole genome sequences,showed that all Rhododendron species are in the clade Ericaceae.This study provides valuable genetic information for the study of population genetics and evolutionary relationships in Rhododendron and other azalea species.展开更多
Introduction: Gastroduodenal lesions are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). They are linked to various factors including Helicobacter pylori infection (H. pylori). Few data are available in Africa on H. pylori in...Introduction: Gastroduodenal lesions are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). They are linked to various factors including Helicobacter pylori infection (H. pylori). Few data are available in Africa on H. pylori infection and chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of H. pylori infection and to describe the gastroduodenal lesions found in patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, February 1<sup>st</sup> to May 31<sup>st</sup>, 2021, at the Douala General Hospital in Cameroon. We included patients with CKD classified as stages 3 to 5 according KDIGO classification, on hemodialysis or not, who agreed to participate in the study. They were matched with a “control” population including patients with normal renal function according to sex and age (ratio 1:2). Patients on antibiotics and/or proton pump inhibitors were excluded. We collected data from CKD patients and from medical records for non-CKD group. Each patient underwent an upper digestive endoscopy and identification of H. pylori using a urease rapid test. Logistic regression was used to identify independent associations for a significance level set at p Results: We included 99 patients including 33 with CKD and 66 control patients. Among patients with CKD, the predominance was male (n = 18/33 or 54.5%). The mean age was 51.2 ± 12.8 years. Arterial hypertension was the first etiology of CKD (n = 13 or 39.4%). The prevalence of H. pylori in patients with CKD was 63.6% versus 37.9% in control patients (p-value = 0.015). The main endoscopic lesions were erosive gastropathy (n = 14 or 42.4%) and erythematous gastropathy (n = 7 or 21.2%). Patients with CKD were 5 times more likely to have H. pylori infection (OR = 5.69;CI 95% 0.14 - 0.82;p = 0.017). Factors associated with H. pylori infection were chronic kidney disease (aOR = 1.02;CI 95% 0.14 - 0.82;p = 0.017) and hemodialysis (aOR = 10;CI 95% 1.08 - 91.9;p = 0.042). Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori infection is higher in patients with CKD. Endoscopic lesions are inflammatory. Factors associated with H. pylori infection are chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis.展开更多
This article investigates the word Du(毒)in premodern Chinese medicine and culture.It highlights the paradoxical meaning of the word that served as a foundation for the therapeutic use of poisons in traditional Chines...This article investigates the word Du(毒)in premodern Chinese medicine and culture.It highlights the paradoxical meaning of the word that served as a foundation for the therapeutic use of poisons in traditional Chinese medicine.The article then situates the study in a comparative framework.By comparing the Chinese notion of Du with the Greek concept of pharmakon,it demonstrates significant similarities on the medical use of poisons in the two cultures.It further identifies a striking difference:While the European pharmacy started to separate poisons from medicines in the medieval era,poisons remained an integral part of healing repertoire throughout imperial China.The article ends with offering some cultural explanations for this divergence,and more broadly,a distinct worldview as revealed by the intimate relationship between poisons and medicines in traditional Chinese pharmacy.展开更多
Background: The safe amount of radiation permissible during fixation of neck of femur fractures has long been studied. Factors including surgeons’ experience have been highlighted. We aimed in this study to compare d...Background: The safe amount of radiation permissible during fixation of neck of femur fractures has long been studied. Factors including surgeons’ experience have been highlighted. We aimed in this study to compare different factors for quality and safety improvement. Methods: It was a retrospective study, including all patients who had undergone a standard DHS fixation between January 2018 and June 2019 for inter-trochanteric neck of femur fractures. Two groups were stratified;(Group A) had the procedure performed by a specialist non-consultant surgeon (NCG) and (Group B) by an established consultant (CG). The Dose Area Product (DAP) and the duration of radiation exposure were recorded. Results: Over a period of 18 months, 91 cases were included with a mean age of 82 years old. The mean weight was 62 kg. 42 patients had complex fractures, and 49 patients had simple fractures. 12% of patients were ASA II, 70% of cases were ASA III and 18% of the patients were ASA IV. The mean DAP for group A was 345.131 CGYCM2 (SD 273.65) and for group B 234.63 CGYCM2 (SD 165.30). The time of exposure was 8.6 sec and 13.16 sec in groups B and A respectively. Conclusion: The data collected from this study were comparable to others. The amount of radiation exposure was of difference related to the decision-making intra-operatively. Other factors were not statistically significant.展开更多
Determining the main controlling factors of earthquake-triggered geohazards is a prerequisite for studying earthquake geohazards and post-disaster emergency response.By studying these factors,the geomorphic and geolog...Determining the main controlling factors of earthquake-triggered geohazards is a prerequisite for studying earthquake geohazards and post-disaster emergency response.By studying these factors,the geomorphic and geological factors controlling the nature,condition,and distribution of earthquake-induced geohazards can be analyzed.Such insights facilitate earthquake disaster prediction and emergency response planning.The authors combined field investigations and spatial data analysis to examine geohazards induced by seismic events,examining ten earthquakes including the Wenchuan,Yushu,Lushan events,to elucidate the main control factors of seismic geohazard.The authors observed that seismic geohazard occurrence is usually affected by many factors,among which active nature of the seismogenic fault,seismic peak ground acceleration(PGA),topographic slope and geomorphic height differences,and distance from the fault zone and river system are the most important.Compared with strike-slip earthquakes,thrust earthquakes induce more high-altitude and high-speed remote landslides,which can cause great harm.Slopes of 0°–40°are prone to secondary seismic geohazards,which are mainly concentrated 0–6 km from the river system.Secondary geohazards are not only related to seismogenic fault but also influenced by the associated faults in the earthquake area.The maximum seismic PGA and secondary seismic geohazard number are positively correlated,and the horizontal and vertical ground motions play leading and promoting roles in secondary geohazard formation,respectively.Through the research,the spatial distribution of seismic geohazards is predicted,providing a basis for the formulation of emergency response plans following disasters.展开更多
Opinion Mining(OM)studies in Arabic are limited though it is one of the most extensively-spoken languages worldwide.Though the interest in OM studies in the Arabic language is growing among researchers,it needs a vast...Opinion Mining(OM)studies in Arabic are limited though it is one of the most extensively-spoken languages worldwide.Though the interest in OM studies in the Arabic language is growing among researchers,it needs a vast number of investigations due to the unique morphological principles of the language.Arabic OM studies experience multiple challenges owing to the poor existence of language sources and Arabic-specific linguistic features.The comparative OM studies in the English language are wide and novel.But,comparative OM studies in the Arabic language are yet to be established and are still in a nascent stage.The unique features of the Arabic language make it essential to expand the studies regarding the Arabic text.It contains unique featuressuchasdiacritics,elongation,inflectionandwordlength.Thecurrent study proposes a Political Optimizer with Probabilistic Neural Network-based Comparative Opinion Mining(POPNN-COM)model for the Arabic text.The proposed POPNN-COM model aims to recognize comparative and non-comparative texts in Arabic in the context of social media.Initially,the POPNN-COM model involves different levels of data pre-processing to transform the input data into a useful format.Then,the pre-processed data is fed into the PNN model for classification and recognition of the data under different class labels.At last,the PO algorithm is employed for fine-tuning the parameters involved in this model to achieve enhanced results.The proposed POPNN-COM model was experimentally validated using two standard datasets,and the outcomes established the promising performance of the proposed POPNN-COM method over other recent approaches.展开更多
Taking“Friendly Shandong”official account as an example,the relevant data of the account on the four platforms of Tiktok,Kwai,Bilibili and Little Red Book were comparatively analyzed to study the influence of short ...Taking“Friendly Shandong”official account as an example,the relevant data of the account on the four platforms of Tiktok,Kwai,Bilibili and Little Red Book were comparatively analyzed to study the influence of short video on the communication of Shandong tourism image.The research mainly included two aspects:fan persona features and interactive effects.Through comparative study,it will provide a reference for the operation team of“Friendly Shandong”official account to spread the tourism image of Shandong with different platforms.展开更多
Cultural-loaded word is one of the most popular topics in translation studies.The theory of spirit transmission and meaning conveyance provides a new way for the translation of cultural-loaded word.Based on the A Happ...Cultural-loaded word is one of the most popular topics in translation studies.The theory of spirit transmission and meaning conveyance provides a new way for the translation of cultural-loaded word.Based on the A Happy Excursion,this paper makes a comparative analysis of the translation strategies of seven English versions.This study will reveal the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign translators’translation strategies.展开更多
文摘Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata, both of which are mammals of the order Chiroptera, Desmodontidae family, their diet consisting exclusively of blood. D. rotundus is the main vector and transmitter of the rabies virus, which affects human beings as well as several livestock species so the study of this bat species is of high importance within the fields of animal agriculture and public health. The present study describes and compares the histologic characteristics of the urinary system of two hematophagous bat species. A total of 5 bats from each species were captured in the municipalities of Progreso de Obregón, Hidalgo (D. rotundus), and Huayacocotla, Veracruz (D. ecaudata). Organs belonging to the urinary system were extracted: kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra;samples were fixed using 10% formalin and processed by the paraffin embedding technique, obtaining sections of 5 µm thickness, which in turn were stained using hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) and Gomori trichrome (GT) stains. From the obtained histologic preparations, a descriptive and comparative analysis of the structural organography of the urinary system of both species was made, and no noteworthy histological differences between samples were noted. The present research is intended to provide a framework for future studies of these species’ currently understudied microscopic anatomy.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20210611)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2018M642261)+2 种基金the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(2018K197C)the Jiangsu Science and Technology Plan Project(BE2021367)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31971689).
文摘Gingko biloba accumulates high levels of secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical value.Ginkgo calli develop a typical browning that reduces its regenerative capacity and thus its usefulness.To elucidate the browning mechanism,histological,transcriptomic,and metabolic alterations were compared between green and browning calli derived from immature ginkgo embryos.Histological observations revealed that browning calli had a more loosely arranged cell structure and accumulated more tannins than in green calli.Integrated metabolic and transcriptomic analyses showed that phenylpropanoid metabolism was specifi-cally activated in the browning calli,and 428 diff erentially expressed genes and 63 diff erentially abundant metabolites,including 12 fl avonoid compounds,were identifi ed in the browning calli compared to the green calli.Moreover,the expression of fl avonol synthase(FLS)and UDP-glucuronosyl-transferase(UGT)genes involved in the fl avonoid pathway was more than tenfold higher in browning calli than in green calli,thus promoting biosynthesis of fl avonol,which serves as a substrate to form glycosylated fl avonoids.Flavonoid glycosides constituted the major coloring component of the browning calli and may act in response to multiple stress conditions to delay cell death caused by browning.Our results revealed the cellular and biochemical changes in browning callus cells that accompanied changes in expression of browning-related genes,providing a scientifi c basis for improving ginkgo tissue culturability.
基金supported by the Spanish“Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica,Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica,Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad(Instituto de Salud CarlosⅢ)”,Grant FIS PI20-0318 co-financed by“Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional ERDF-FEDER European Union”Grant P18-RT-5059“Plan Andaluz de Investigación,Desarrollo e Innovación(PAIDI 2020),Consejería de Transformación Económica,Industria,Conocimiento y Universidades,Junta de Andalucía,Espana”(all to VC)Grant PPJIA202219“Ayudas del plan propio UGR 2022,Plan propio de investigación y transferencia,Universidad de Granada,Espana”(to JCA andóDGG)。
文摘The myelin sheath is a lipoprotein-rich,multilayered structure capable of increasing conduction velocity in central and peripheral myelinated nerve fibers.Due to the complex structure and composition of myelin,various histological techniques have been developed over the centuries to evaluate myelin under normal,pathological or experimental conditions.Today,methods to assess myelin integrity or content are key tools in both clinical diagnosis and neuroscience research.In this review,we provide an updated summary of the composition and structure of the myelin sheath and discuss some histological procedures,from tissue fixation and processing techniques to the most used and practical myelin histological staining methods.Considering the lipoprotein nature of myelin,the main features and technical details of the different available methods that can be used to evaluate the lipid or protein components of myelin are described,as well as the precise ultrastructural techniques.
文摘BACKGROUND A reliable test is essential for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection,and crucial for managing H.pylori-related diseases.Serving as an excellent method for detecting H.pylori infection,histologic examination is a test that clinicians heavily rely on,especially when complemented with immunohistochemistry(IHC).Additionally,other diagnostic tests for H.pylori,such as the rapid urease test(CLO test)and stool antigen test(SA),are also highly sensitive and specific.Typically,the results of histology and other tests align with each other.However,on rare occasions,discrepancy between histopathology and other H.pylori diagnostic tests occurs.AIM To investigate the discordance between histology and other H.pylori tests,the underlying causes,and the impact on clinical management.METHODS Pathology reports of gastric biopsies were retrieved spanning August 2013 and July 2018.Reports were included in the study only if there were other H.pylori tests within seven days of the biopsy.These additional tests include CLO test,SA,and H.pylori culture.Concordance between histopathology and other tests was determined based on the consistency of results.In instances where histology results were negative while other tests were positive,the slides were retrieved for re-assessment,and the clinical chart was reviewed.RESULTS Of 1396 pathology reports were identified,each accompanied by one additional H.pylori test.The concordance rates in detecting H.pylori infection between biopsy and other tests did not exhibit significant differences based on the number of biopsy fragments.117 discrepant cases were identified.Only 20 cases(9 with CLO test and 11 with SA)had negative biopsy but positive results in other tests.Four cases initially stained with Warthin-Starry turned out to be positive for H.pylori with subsequent IHC staining.Among the remaining 16 true discrepant cases,10 patients were on proton pump inhibitors before the biopsy and/or other tests.Most patients underwent treatment,except for two who were untreated,and two patients who were lost to follow-up.CONCLUSION There are rare discrepant cases with negative biopsy but positive in SA or CLO test.Various factors may contribute to this inconsistency.Most patients in such cases had undergone treatment.
文摘Rice and wheat provide nearly 40%of human calorie and protein requirements.They share a common ancestor and belong to the Poaceae(grass)family.Characterizing their genetic homology is crucial for developing new cultivars with enhanced traits.Several wheat genes and gene families have been characterized based on their rice orthologs.Rice–wheat orthology can identify genetic regions that regulate similar traits in both crops.Rice–wheat comparative genomics can identify candidate wheat genes in a genomic region identified by association or QTL mapping,deduce their putative functions and biochemical pathways,and develop molecular markers for marker-assisted breeding.A knowledge of gene homology facilitates the transfer between crops of genes or genomic regions associated with desirable traits by genetic engineering,gene editing,or wide crossing.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.82173620 to Yang Zhao and 82041024 to Feng Chen)partially supported by the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation(Grant No.INV-006371 to Feng Chen)Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
文摘Deterministic compartment models(CMs)and stochastic models,including stochastic CMs and agent-based models,are widely utilized in epidemic modeling.However,the relationship between CMs and their corresponding stochastic models is not well understood.The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting a comparative study using the susceptible,exposed,infectious,and recovered(SEIR)model and its extended CMs from the coronavirus disease 2019 modeling literature.We demonstrated the equivalence of the numerical solution of CMs using the Euler scheme and their stochastic counterparts through theoretical analysis and simulations.Based on this equivalence,we proposed an efficient model calibration method that could replicate the exact solution of CMs in the corresponding stochastic models through parameter adjustment.The advancement in calibration techniques enhanced the accuracy of stochastic modeling in capturing the dynamics of epidemics.However,it should be noted that discrete-time stochastic models cannot perfectly reproduce the exact solution of continuous-time CMs.Additionally,we proposed a new stochastic compartment and agent mixed model as an alternative to agent-based models for large-scale population simulations with a limited number of agents.This model offered a balance between computational efficiency and accuracy.The results of this research contributed to the comparison and unification of deterministic CMs and stochastic models in epidemic modeling.Furthermore,the results had implications for the development of hybrid models that integrated the strengths of both frameworks.Overall,the present study has provided valuable epidemic modeling techniques and their practical applications for understanding and controlling the spread of infectious diseases.
基金Supported by the MOE(Ministry of Education in China)Project of Humanities and Social Sciences(19YJA790105).
文摘This paper analyzes and compares the key factors influencing food security in two populous countries(China and India),and cate-gorizes them into three types:agricultural production,economic development and income level,and income distribution.Using the prevalence of undernourishment as an indicator of food security,the paper empirically tests the degree of impact of various factors on food security in both countries using Tobit regression and Newey regression methods.The study finds that improving the level of economic development can significantly enhance food security in both countriesꎻreducing the Gini coefficient has a significant impact on India,but not on Chinaꎻincreasing the agricultural production per capita has a much greater effect on China than on India.Therefore,both countries should take measures that are both similar and different according to their national conditions to improve their food security level.
文摘Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) pose a significant global health challenge, necessitating accurate risk prediction for effective preventive measures. This comprehensive comparative study explores the performance of traditional Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) models in predicting CVD risk, utilizing a meticulously curated dataset derived from health records. Rigorous preprocessing, including normalization and outlier removal, enhances model robustness. Diverse ML models (Logistic Regression, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbor, Decision Tree, and Gradient Boosting) are compared with a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network for DL. Evaluation metrics include accuracy, ROC AUC, computation time, and memory usage. Results identify the Gradient Boosting Classifier and LSTM as top performers, demonstrating high accuracy and ROC AUC scores. Comparative analyses highlight model strengths and limitations, contributing valuable insights for optimizing predictive strategies. This study advances predictive analytics for cardiovascular health, with implications for personalized medicine. The findings underscore the versatility of intelligent systems in addressing health challenges, emphasizing the broader applications of ML and DL in disease identification beyond cardiovascular health.
文摘Data compression plays a key role in optimizing the use of memory storage space and also reducing latency in data transmission. In this paper, we are interested in lossless compression techniques because their performance is exploited with lossy compression techniques for images and videos generally using a mixed approach. To achieve our intended objective, which is to study the performance of lossless compression methods, we first carried out a literature review, a summary of which enabled us to select the most relevant, namely the following: arithmetic coding, LZW, Tunstall’s algorithm, RLE, BWT, Huffman coding and Shannon-Fano. Secondly, we designed a purposive text dataset with a repeating pattern in order to test the behavior and effectiveness of the selected compression techniques. Thirdly, we designed the compression algorithms and developed the programs (scripts) in Matlab in order to test their performance. Finally, following the tests conducted on relevant data that we constructed according to a deliberate model, the results show that these methods presented in order of performance are very satisfactory:- LZW- Arithmetic coding- Tunstall algorithm- BWT + RLELikewise, it appears that on the one hand, the performance of certain techniques relative to others is strongly linked to the sequencing and/or recurrence of symbols that make up the message, and on the other hand, to the cumulative time of encoding and decoding.
基金jointly supported by Department of Natural Resources of Shanxi Provincethe Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB26000000)。
文摘Kannemeyeriiformes were dominated tetrapods in the Middle Triassic terrestrial faunae of China.Although abundant materials of Sinokannemeyeria have been collected, their postcranial morphology information is not well studied, especially the juveniles. This paper presents a description of an articulated Sinokannemeyeria skeleton from the Middle Triassic Ermaying Formation and reports the histological microstructure of its femur. This specimen represents a late-stage juvenile based on the histological information. For the first time, this specimen offers insights into the postcrania information of juvenile Sinokannemeyeria.
基金Supported by the Project for Undergraduate Education and Teaching Reform and Research at the District Level of Guangxi (2020JGB233)the Key Project for Undergraduate Education and Teaching Reform and Research of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine (2018B07)。
文摘Taking construction of the online and offline integrated first-class undergraduate curriculum teaching modes of Histology and Embryology in Guangxi as an opportunity,under the guidance of student-centered teaching concept,efforts were made to innovate online and offline integrated teaching mode to overcome the shortcomings and dilemma of traditional Histology and Embryology teaching,with attention paid to the competence education in students including schematic knowledge,professional techniques,analytical thinking,and ideological and political theories,which would be of great significance for the cultivation of high-quality professionals specialized in traditional Chinese medicine.
文摘This study presents a comparative analysis of verb-noun collocation errors made by Chinese EFL learners with different language proficiency.Linguistic data from two sub-corpora of CLEC(Chinese Learner English Corpus,Gui&Yang,1999)consist of the compositions written freely by Chinese senior high school students(ST2)and the 3rd-and 4th-year English majors of Chinese universities(ST6).The study results show that four types of verb-noun collocation errors are frequently made due to incorrect L1 translation,misuse of relative synonyms,misuse of delexical verbs,and misuse of part of speech;the number of errors decreases with the development of language proficiency,especially errors by incorrect L1 translation and relative synonyms.And for both ST2 and ST6 EFL learners,errors resulted from incorrect L1 translation account for nearly a half with the same high-frequency words.It is also found that ST6 learners’competence in collocation and synonym identification doesn’t grow with the increase of their vocabulary,as is shown in the case of overusing delexical verbs in collocation,the same error made by ST2 learners,who have a significantly weaker command of delexical verbs.Implications of the findings are also discussed with the purpose of raising the awareness of collocation pedagogy and enhancing EFL learners’collocation competence.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant No.31870697].
文摘Azalea is a general designation of Rhododendron in the Ericaceae family.Rhododendron not only has high ornamental value but also has application value in ecological protection,medicine,and scientific research.In this study,we used Illumina and PacBio sequencing to assemble and annotate the entire chloroplast genomes(cp genomes)of four Rhododendron species.The chloroplast genomes of R.concinnum,R.henanense subsp.lingbaoense,R.micranthum,and R.simsii were assembled into 207,236,208,015,207,233,and 206,912 bp,respectively.All chloroplast genomes contain eight rRNA genes,with either 88 or 89 protein-coding genes.The four cp genomes were compared and analyzed by bioinformatics,and the phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes of 26 species of Ericaceae,Actinidiaceae,and Primulaceae under Ericales was conducted.A comparison of the linear structure of cp genomes of four Rhododendron showed that there were substantial sequence similarities in coding regions,but high differences in non-coding regions.A phylogenetic analysis,based on chloroplast whole genome sequences,showed that all Rhododendron species are in the clade Ericaceae.This study provides valuable genetic information for the study of population genetics and evolutionary relationships in Rhododendron and other azalea species.
文摘Introduction: Gastroduodenal lesions are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). They are linked to various factors including Helicobacter pylori infection (H. pylori). Few data are available in Africa on H. pylori infection and chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of H. pylori infection and to describe the gastroduodenal lesions found in patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, February 1<sup>st</sup> to May 31<sup>st</sup>, 2021, at the Douala General Hospital in Cameroon. We included patients with CKD classified as stages 3 to 5 according KDIGO classification, on hemodialysis or not, who agreed to participate in the study. They were matched with a “control” population including patients with normal renal function according to sex and age (ratio 1:2). Patients on antibiotics and/or proton pump inhibitors were excluded. We collected data from CKD patients and from medical records for non-CKD group. Each patient underwent an upper digestive endoscopy and identification of H. pylori using a urease rapid test. Logistic regression was used to identify independent associations for a significance level set at p Results: We included 99 patients including 33 with CKD and 66 control patients. Among patients with CKD, the predominance was male (n = 18/33 or 54.5%). The mean age was 51.2 ± 12.8 years. Arterial hypertension was the first etiology of CKD (n = 13 or 39.4%). The prevalence of H. pylori in patients with CKD was 63.6% versus 37.9% in control patients (p-value = 0.015). The main endoscopic lesions were erosive gastropathy (n = 14 or 42.4%) and erythematous gastropathy (n = 7 or 21.2%). Patients with CKD were 5 times more likely to have H. pylori infection (OR = 5.69;CI 95% 0.14 - 0.82;p = 0.017). Factors associated with H. pylori infection were chronic kidney disease (aOR = 1.02;CI 95% 0.14 - 0.82;p = 0.017) and hemodialysis (aOR = 10;CI 95% 1.08 - 91.9;p = 0.042). Conclusion: The prevalence of H. pylori infection is higher in patients with CKD. Endoscopic lesions are inflammatory. Factors associated with H. pylori infection are chronic kidney disease and hemodialysis.
文摘This article investigates the word Du(毒)in premodern Chinese medicine and culture.It highlights the paradoxical meaning of the word that served as a foundation for the therapeutic use of poisons in traditional Chinese medicine.The article then situates the study in a comparative framework.By comparing the Chinese notion of Du with the Greek concept of pharmakon,it demonstrates significant similarities on the medical use of poisons in the two cultures.It further identifies a striking difference:While the European pharmacy started to separate poisons from medicines in the medieval era,poisons remained an integral part of healing repertoire throughout imperial China.The article ends with offering some cultural explanations for this divergence,and more broadly,a distinct worldview as revealed by the intimate relationship between poisons and medicines in traditional Chinese pharmacy.
文摘Background: The safe amount of radiation permissible during fixation of neck of femur fractures has long been studied. Factors including surgeons’ experience have been highlighted. We aimed in this study to compare different factors for quality and safety improvement. Methods: It was a retrospective study, including all patients who had undergone a standard DHS fixation between January 2018 and June 2019 for inter-trochanteric neck of femur fractures. Two groups were stratified;(Group A) had the procedure performed by a specialist non-consultant surgeon (NCG) and (Group B) by an established consultant (CG). The Dose Area Product (DAP) and the duration of radiation exposure were recorded. Results: Over a period of 18 months, 91 cases were included with a mean age of 82 years old. The mean weight was 62 kg. 42 patients had complex fractures, and 49 patients had simple fractures. 12% of patients were ASA II, 70% of cases were ASA III and 18% of the patients were ASA IV. The mean DAP for group A was 345.131 CGYCM2 (SD 273.65) and for group B 234.63 CGYCM2 (SD 165.30). The time of exposure was 8.6 sec and 13.16 sec in groups B and A respectively. Conclusion: The data collected from this study were comparable to others. The amount of radiation exposure was of difference related to the decision-making intra-operatively. Other factors were not statistically significant.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41977258)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC1501005 and 2018YFC1504704)。
文摘Determining the main controlling factors of earthquake-triggered geohazards is a prerequisite for studying earthquake geohazards and post-disaster emergency response.By studying these factors,the geomorphic and geological factors controlling the nature,condition,and distribution of earthquake-induced geohazards can be analyzed.Such insights facilitate earthquake disaster prediction and emergency response planning.The authors combined field investigations and spatial data analysis to examine geohazards induced by seismic events,examining ten earthquakes including the Wenchuan,Yushu,Lushan events,to elucidate the main control factors of seismic geohazard.The authors observed that seismic geohazard occurrence is usually affected by many factors,among which active nature of the seismogenic fault,seismic peak ground acceleration(PGA),topographic slope and geomorphic height differences,and distance from the fault zone and river system are the most important.Compared with strike-slip earthquakes,thrust earthquakes induce more high-altitude and high-speed remote landslides,which can cause great harm.Slopes of 0°–40°are prone to secondary seismic geohazards,which are mainly concentrated 0–6 km from the river system.Secondary geohazards are not only related to seismogenic fault but also influenced by the associated faults in the earthquake area.The maximum seismic PGA and secondary seismic geohazard number are positively correlated,and the horizontal and vertical ground motions play leading and promoting roles in secondary geohazard formation,respectively.Through the research,the spatial distribution of seismic geohazards is predicted,providing a basis for the formulation of emergency response plans following disasters.
基金Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project Number(PNURSP2022R263)Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,Riyadh,Saudi ArabiaThe authors would like to thank the Deanship of Scientific Research at Umm Al-Qura University for supporting this work by Grant Code:22UQU4310373DSR56.
文摘Opinion Mining(OM)studies in Arabic are limited though it is one of the most extensively-spoken languages worldwide.Though the interest in OM studies in the Arabic language is growing among researchers,it needs a vast number of investigations due to the unique morphological principles of the language.Arabic OM studies experience multiple challenges owing to the poor existence of language sources and Arabic-specific linguistic features.The comparative OM studies in the English language are wide and novel.But,comparative OM studies in the Arabic language are yet to be established and are still in a nascent stage.The unique features of the Arabic language make it essential to expand the studies regarding the Arabic text.It contains unique featuressuchasdiacritics,elongation,inflectionandwordlength.Thecurrent study proposes a Political Optimizer with Probabilistic Neural Network-based Comparative Opinion Mining(POPNN-COM)model for the Arabic text.The proposed POPNN-COM model aims to recognize comparative and non-comparative texts in Arabic in the context of social media.Initially,the POPNN-COM model involves different levels of data pre-processing to transform the input data into a useful format.Then,the pre-processed data is fed into the PNN model for classification and recognition of the data under different class labels.At last,the PO algorithm is employed for fine-tuning the parameters involved in this model to achieve enhanced results.The proposed POPNN-COM model was experimentally validated using two standard datasets,and the outcomes established the promising performance of the proposed POPNN-COM method over other recent approaches.
基金Social Science Planning Research Project of Shandong Province(22CLYJ34)Key Project of Shandong Art Science(23QR03280040)+1 种基金Social Science Project of Tai’an City(23YB061)First-class Undergraduate Courses of Tourism Markeing of Taishan University.
文摘Taking“Friendly Shandong”official account as an example,the relevant data of the account on the four platforms of Tiktok,Kwai,Bilibili and Little Red Book were comparatively analyzed to study the influence of short video on the communication of Shandong tourism image.The research mainly included two aspects:fan persona features and interactive effects.Through comparative study,it will provide a reference for the operation team of“Friendly Shandong”official account to spread the tourism image of Shandong with different platforms.
文摘Cultural-loaded word is one of the most popular topics in translation studies.The theory of spirit transmission and meaning conveyance provides a new way for the translation of cultural-loaded word.Based on the A Happy Excursion,this paper makes a comparative analysis of the translation strategies of seven English versions.This study will reveal the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign translators’translation strategies.