Synthetic data as an investigative tool in hypertension and renal diseases research

There is a growing body of clinical research on the utility of synthetic data derivatives,an emerging research tool in medicine.In nephrology,clinicians can use machine learning and artificial intelligence as powerful aids in their clinical decision-making while also preserving patient privacy.This is especially important given the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease,renal oncology,and hypertension worldwide.However,there remains a need to create a framework for guidance regarding how to better utilize synthetic data as a practical application in this research.

Plant-based vaccines against viral hepatitis: A panoptic review

The traditional vaccines against hepatitis have been instrumental in reducing the incidence of some types of viral hepatitis;however,the need for cost-effective,easily distributable,and needle-free vaccine alternatives has led to the exploration of plant-based vaccines.Plant-based techniques offer a promising avenue for producing viral hepatitis vaccines due to their low-cost cultivation,scalability,and the potential for oral administration.This review highlights the successful expression of hepatitis B surface antigens in plants and the subsequent formation of virus-like particles,which have shown immunogenicity in preclinical and clinical trials.The challenges such as achieving sufficient antigen expression levels,ensuring consistent dosing,and navigating regulatory frameworks,are addressed.The review considers the potential of plant-based vaccines to meet the demands of rapid vaccine deployment in response to outbreaks and their role in global immunization strategies,particularly in resource-limited settings.This review underscores the significant strides made in plant molecular farming and the potential of plant-based vaccines to complement existing immunization methods against viral hepatitis.

Therapeutic tumor vaccines-a rising star to benefit cancer patients

Malignant tumors are still a worldwide threat to human health.Tumor treatment strategies are constantly evolving,and the advent of tumor immunotherapy has brought up hope to many types of tumors,especially for those that are refractory to conventional therapies including surgery,radiotherapy,and chemotherapy.Tumor vaccines can initiate or amplify an anti-tumor immune response in tumor patients through active immunization,and therefore occupy an important position in tumor immunotherapy.The main types of tumor vaccines include tumor cell vaccines,dendritic cell vaccines,polypeptide vaccines and nucleic acid vaccines.Due to factors such as poor antigen selection and suppressive tumor microenvironment,earliest tumor vaccines on clinical trials failed to achieve satisfactory clinical effects.However,with the development of second-generation genome sequencing technologies and bioinformatics tools,it is possible to predict neoantigens generated by tumor-specific mutations and therefore prepare personalized vaccines.This article summarizes the global efforts in developing tumor vaccines and highlights several representative tumor vaccines in each category.

Synthetic polymers:A review of applications in drilling fluids

With the growth of deep drilling and the complexity of the well profile,the requirements for a more complete and efficient exploitation of productive formations increase,which increases the risk of various complications.Currently,reagents based on modified natural polymers(which are naturally occurring compounds)and synthetic polymers(SPs)which are polymeric compounds created industrially,are widely used to prevent emerging complications in the drilling process.However,compared to modified natural polymers,SPs form a family of high-molecular-weight compounds that are fully synthesized by undergoing chemical polymerization reactions.SPs provide substantial flexibility in their design.Moreover,their size and chemical composition can be adjusted to provide properties for nearly all the functional objectives of drilling fluids.They can be classified based on chemical ingredients,type of reaction,and their responses to heating.However,some of SPs,due to their structural characteristics,have a high cost,a poor temperature and salt resistance in drilling fluids,and degradation begins when the temperature reaches 130℃.These drawbacks prevent SP use in some medium and deep wells.Thus,this review addresses the historical development,the characteristics,manufacturing methods,classification,and the applications of SPs in drilling fluids.The contributions of SPs as additives to drilling fluids to enhance rheology,filtrate generation,carrying of cuttings,fluid lubricity,and clay/shale stability are explained in detail.The mechanisms,impacts,and advances achieved when SPs are added to drilling fluids are also described.The typical challenges encountered by SPs when deployed in drilling fluids and their advantages and drawbacks are also discussed.Economic issues also impact the applications of SPs in drilling fluids.Consequently,the cost of the most relevant SPs,and the monomers used in their synthesis,are assessed.Environmental impacts of SPs when deployed in drilling fluids,and their manufacturing processes are identified,together with advances in SP-treatment methods aimed at reducing those impacts.Recommendations for required future research addressing SP property and performance gaps are provided.

Predictive modeling for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with abdominal malignancies using synthetic minority oversampling technique

BACKGROUND Postoperative delirium,particularly prevalent in elderly patients after abdominal cancer surgery,presents significant challenges in clinical management.AIM To develop a synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)-based model for predicting postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal cancer patients.METHODS In this retrospective cohort study,we analyzed data from 611 elderly patients who underwent abdominal malignant tumor surgery at our hospital between September 2020 and October 2022.The incidence of postoperative delirium was recorded for 7 d post-surgery.Patients were divided into delirium and non-delirium groups based on the occurrence of postoperative delirium or not.A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors and develop a predictive model for postoperative delirium.The SMOTE technique was applied to enhance the model by oversampling the delirium cases.The model’s predictive accuracy was then validated.RESULTS In our study involving 611 elderly patients with abdominal malignant tumors,multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant risk factors for postoperative delirium.These included the Charlson comorbidity index,American Society of Anesthesiologists classification,history of cerebrovascular disease,surgical duration,perioperative blood transfusion,and postoperative pain score.The incidence rate of postoperative delirium in our study was 22.91%.The original predictive model(P1)exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.862.In comparison,the SMOTE-based logistic early warning model(P2),which utilized the SMOTE oversampling algorithm,showed a slightly lower but comparable area under the curve of 0.856,suggesting no significant difference in performance between the two predictive approaches.CONCLUSION This study confirms that the SMOTE-enhanced predictive model for postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal tumor patients shows performance equivalent to that of traditional methods,effectively addressing data imbalance.

Advances in Zika virus vaccines and therapeutics:A systematic review

Zika virus(ZIKV)is the causative agent of a viral infection that causes neurological complications in newborns and adults worldwide.Its wide transmission route and alarming spread rates are of great concern to the scientific community.Numerous trials have been conducted to develop treatment options for ZIKV infection.This review highlights the latest developments in the fields of vaccinology and pharmaceuticals developments for ZIKV infection.A systematic and comprehensive approach was used to gather relevant and up-to-date data so that inferences could be made about the gaps in therapeutic development.The results indicate that several therapeutic interventions are being tested against ZIKV infection,such as DNA vaccines,subunit vaccines,live-attenuated vaccines,virus-vector-based vaccines,inactivated vaccines,virus-like particles,and mRNA-based vaccines.In addition,approved anti-ZIKV drugs that can reduce the global burden are discussed.Although many vaccine candidates for ZIKV are at different stages of development,none of them have received Food and Drug Authority approval for use up to now.The issue of side effects associated with these drugs in vulnerable newborns and pregnant women is a major obstacle in the therapeutic pathway.

Modulated-ISRJ rejection using online dictionary learning for synthetic aperture radar imagery

In electromagnetic countermeasures circumstances,synthetic aperture radar(SAR)imagery usually suffers from severe quality degradation from modulated interrupt sampling repeater jamming(MISRJ),which usually owes considerable coherence with the SAR transmission waveform together with periodical modulation patterns.This paper develops an MISRJ suppression algorithm for SAR imagery with online dictionary learning.In the algorithm,the jamming modulation temporal properties are exploited with extracting and sorting MISRJ slices using fast-time autocorrelation.Online dictionary learning is followed to separate real signals from jamming slices.Under the learned representation,time-varying MISRJs are suppressed effectively.Both simulated and real-measured SAR data are also used to confirm advantages in suppressing time-varying MISRJs over traditional methods.

Recent advances on vaccines against malaria: A review

This review aims to summarize the currently viable vaccine strategies including the approved vaccines and the those in trials for next-generation malaria vaccines.Data on malaria vaccine development was collected through a comprehensive review.The literature search was performed using databases including Google Scholar,PubMed,NIH,and Web of Science.Various novel approaches of vaccination are being developed,including those based on radiation-attenuated strategies,monoclonal antibodies,targeted immunogenic peptides,RNA and DNA vaccines,nanoparticle-based vaccines,protein-based vaccination protocols,and whole organism-based vaccination strategies.Trials on RTS,S have entered phase Ⅲtesting,and those based on blood-stage vaccines and vaccines to interrupt malarial transmission have advanced to higher stages of trials.Mathematical modeling,combined drug and vaccine strategies,mass drug administration,polyvalent vaccine formulations,and targeted vaccination campaigns is playing an important role in malarial prevention.Furthermore,assessing coverage,accessibility,acceptability,deployment,compilation,and adherence to specific vaccination strategies in endemic regions is essential for vaccination drives against malaria.

Rotavirus, Norovirus and Astrovirus in Children Aged 0 - 5 Years: Evolution of Prevalence over 10 Years (2013-2023) Following the Introduction of Rotavirus Vaccines in Burkina Faso

Rotaviruses, noroviruses, and astroviruses are responsible for gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old. The objective of our study was to estimate the evolution of prevalence of rotavirus, norovirus and astrovirus infections in children aged 0 to 5 years with gastroenteritis, after the introduction of rotavirus vaccines in Burkina Faso. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and December 2023, collecting 100 stool samples from children with gastroenteritis at Saint Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou and the Charles De Gaulle University Paediatric Hospital. Noroviruses and astroviruses were detected using multiplex real-time PCR with a Sacace biotechnology detection kit. Data analysis was performed with Stata statistical software, version 16.0. The prevalence of norovirus infections was 14% and astrovirus infections were 9%. Rotavirus infections were found at prevalence of 15%. The age group most affected by norovirus and astrovirus infections was 0 - 12 months, with respective prevalence rates of 73.34% and 55.56%. The most frequently observed clinical signs in children infected with astrovirus were fever (77.78%), diarrhea (55.56%), and vomiting (44.44%). The introduction of rotavirus vaccines has reduced rotavirus-related infections. However, this has not significantly impacted the prevalence of norovirus and astrovirus infections in Burkina Faso.

Advances in Research on Synthetic Microbial Communities

The synthetic microbial community is a synthetic microbial system co-cultured with multiple species, which has the characteristics of clear composition and strong controllability. Compared with a single colony, it can achieve more complex functions and adapt to the changing environment more easily, so as to meet a wide range of needs. In this paper, the contents and concepts of microbial community and synthetic microbial community are briefly introduced, the principles that should be followed in the construction of microbial community are expounded, the methods and mathematical models used in the construction of synthetic microbial community are introduced, and the applications of synthetic microbial community in various fields are summarized. Finally, the challenges in the research of synthetic microbial communities are briefly described.

Preparation of a high-performance synthetic pitch from aromatic hydrocarbons containing N/Cl

The preparation of a synthetic pitch from aromatic monomers could easily regulate structure orientation at the molecu-lar level,which would be useful in fabrication.An isotropic synthetic pitch was prepared by a chlorine-and/or nitrogen-induced sub-stitution polymerization reaction method using aromatic hydrocarbon precursors containing Cl and N,which for this study were chloromethyl naphthalene and quinoline.This method was verified by investigating the structural changes under different synthesis conditions,and the synthesis mechanism induced by aromatics containing Cl was also probed.The result shows that the pyridinic N in quinoline contains a lone pair of electrons,and is an effective active site to induce the polymerization reaction by coupling with aromatic hydrocarbons containing Cl.The reaction between such free radicals causes strong homopolymerization and oligomeriza-tion.A higher reaction temperature and longer reaction time significantly increased the degree of polymerization and thus increased the softening point of the pitch.A linear molecular structure was formed by the Cl substitution reaction,which produced a highly spinnable pitch with a softening point of 258.6℃,and carbon fibers with a tensile strength of 1163.82 MPa were obtained.This study provides a relatively simple and safe method for the preparation of high-quality spinnable pitch.

In-phase and out-of-phase spin pumping effects in Py/Ru/Pysynthetic antiferromagnetic structures

The spin pumping effect in magnetic heterostructures and multilayers is a highly effective method for the generationand transmission of spin currents. In the increasingly prominent synthetic antiferromagnetic structures, the two ferromagneticlayers demonstrate in-phase and out-of-phase states, corresponding to acoustic and optical precession modes. Withinthis context, our study explores the spin pumping effect in Py/Ru/Py synthetic antiferromagnetic structures across differentmodes. The heightened magnetic damping resulting from the spin pumping effect in the in-phase state initially decreaseswith increasing Py thickness before stabilizing. Conversely, in the out-of-phase state, the amplified damping exceeds thatof the in-phase state, suggesting a greater spin relaxation within this configuration, which demonstrates sensitivity to alterationsin static exchange interactions. These findings contribute to advancing the application of synthetic antiferromagneticstructures in magnonic devices.

Developing a highly scalable synthetic strategy for 5-amino-4-nitrobenzo[1,2-c:3,4-c']bis([1,2,5]oxadiazole)1,b-dioxide(CL-18)and investigating the influence of crystal engineering and positional isomerization on its safety and laser ignition performance

5-amino-4-nitrobenzo[1,2-c:3,4-c']bis([1,2,5]oxadiazole)1,6-dioxide(CL-18)exhibits significant potential as an initiating explosive.However,its current synthesis process remains non-scalable due to low yields and safety risks.In this study,we have developed a simple and safe synthetic route for CL-18.It was synthesized from 3,5-dihaloanisole in a four-step reaction with an overall yield exceeding 60%,surpassing all reported yields in the literature.Subsequently,recrystallization of CL-18 was successfully achieved by carefully selecting appropriate solvents and antisolvents to reduce its mechanical sensitivity.Ultimately,when DMF-ethanol was employed as the recrystallization solvent system,satisfactory product yield(>90%)and reduced mechanical sensitivity(IS=15 J;FS=216 N)were obtained.Additionally,CL-18 is derived from the rearrangement of oxygen atoms on i-CL-18 furoxan,and a comparative analysis of their physicochemical properties was conducted.The thermal stability of both compounds is similar,with onset decomposition temperatures recorded at 186 and 182℃respectively.Similarly,they exhibit 5 s breaking point temperatures of 236 and 237℃.Additionally,we present novel insights into the positional-isomerization-laser-ignition performance of CL-18 and its isomer i-CL-18 using laser irradiation for the first time.Remarkably,our findings demonstrate that i-CL-18 exhibits enhanced laser sensitivity,as it can be directly ignited by a 1064 nm wavelength laser,whereas CL-18 lacks this characteristic.

Synthetic Aperture Positioning: A Review

Obtaining precise position of interested emitters passively has wide applications in both civilian and military fields.Different from traditional parameter measurement and direct position determination(DPD)method,recently a new passive localization method based on synthetic aper-ture technique,named synthetic aperture positioning(SAP),has been proposed.The method com-pensates for the nonlinear phase produced by relative motion between the moving platform and the emitter,achieving coherent summation of intercepted signals.The SAP can obtain high-resolution and high-precision localization results at a low signal-to-noise ratio.This paper summarizes the research progress of SAP,including localization principles,spaceborne applications,and application scope analysis.Besides,the possible future outlook of SAP is considered.

New food sources and production systems:a comparison of international regulations and China’s advancements in novel foods with synthetic biology

The global shift towards sustainable food systems has sparked innovations in food sources and production systems,including cell-based meat,plant-based food products,precision fermentation,and 3D food printing.These advancements pose regulatory challenges and opportunities,with China emerging as a critical player in adopting and regulating new food technologies.This review explores the international landscape of new food sources and production systems(NFPS),focusing on China’s role and regulatory approaches compared to global practices.Through this comparative analysis,we aim to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on food safety regulation,offering insights and recommendations for policymakers,industry stakeholders,and researchers engaged in the global food system’s evolution.This comprehensive overview underscores the dynamic nature of regulatory frameworks governing NFPS,highlighting the international efforts to ensure food safety,consumer protection,and the sustainable evolution of the food industry.

Life-threatening constrictive pericarditis accompanied by synthetic cannabinoid use:A case report and literature review

Rationale:Synthetic cannabinoids are increasingly used as recreational drugs and have been associated with adverse cardiovascular effects.However,reports of synthetic cannabinoids accompanied by constrictive pericarditis are limited.Patient’s concern:A 28-year-old male with a history of synthetic cannabinoid(Bonzai)abuse presented with chest discomfort,dyspnea,and lower extremity edema.Investigations revealed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction,elevated inflammatory markers,low electrocardiogram voltages,and atrial fibrillation.Diagnosis:Chest spiral computerized tomography scan and chest X-ray demonstrated pericardial calcification.Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and right heart catheterization were done to confirm the possibility of constrictive pericarditis.Based on the patient’s addiction history and exclusion of rheumatologic and infectious causes,it was supposed that constrictive pericarditis and cardiomyopathy may be accompanied by synthetic cannabinoid use.Interventions:The patient received standard medical therapy,including loop diuretics for cardiomyopathy and constrictive pericarditis.Catheter ablation was recommended for his rhythm control,and he was planned for close monitoring of clinical and echocardiographic response and evaluation of the need for surgical pericardiectomy in the future.Outcomes:After 6 months follow-up,echocardiographic exam revealed no significant improvement in ventricular function.However,due to the high surgical risk,the patient’s poor compliance,and the continuation of drug abuse,he was not a good candidate for surgery according to our heart team’s decision.Lessons:Synthetic cannabinoids can trigger constrictive pericarditis,and clinicians should consider them when evaluating patients with compatible symptoms and exposure history.Further research on the cardiovascular effects of synthetic cannabinoids is needed and public education on potential harms is warranted.

The occurrence,inheritance,and segregation of complex genomic structural variation in synthetic Brassica napus

"Synthetic"allopolyploids recreated by interspecific hybridization play an important role in providing novel genomic variation for crop improvement.Such synthetic allopolyploids often undergo rapid genomic structural variation(SV).However,how such SV arises,is inherited and fixed,and how it affects important traits,has rarely been comprehensively and quantitively studied in advanced generation synthetic lines.A better understanding of these processes will aid breeders in knowing how to best utilize synthetic allopolyploids in breeding programs.Here,we analyzed three genetic mapping populations(735 DH lines)derived from crosses between advanced synthetic and conventional Brassica napus(rapeseed)lines,using whole-genome sequencing to determine genome composition.We observed high tolerance of large structural variants,particularly toward the telomeres,and preferential selection for balanced homoeologous exchanges(duplication/deletion events between the A and C genomes resulting in retention of gene/chromosome dosage between homoeologous chromosome pairs),including stable events involving whole chromosomes("pseudoeuploidy").Given the experimental design(all three populations shared a common parent),we were able to observe that parental SV was regularly inherited,showed genetic hitchhiking effects on segregation,and was one of the major factors inducing adjacent novel and larger SV.Surprisingly,novel SV occurred at low frequencies with no significant impacts on observed fertility and yield-related traits in the advanced generation synthetic lines.However,incorporating genome-wide SV in linkage mapping explained significantly more genetic variance for traits.Our results provide a framework for detecting and understanding the occurrence and inheritance of genomic SV in breeding programs,and support the use of synthetic parents as an important source of novel trait variation.

High-Precision DOA Estimation Method Based on Synthetic Aperture Technique

The existing direction-of-arrival(DOA)estimation methods only utilize the current received signals,which are susceptible to noise.In this paper,a method for DOA estimation based on a motion platform is proposed to achieve high-precision DOA estimation by utilizing past and present signals.The concept of synthetic aperture is introduced to construct a linear DOA estima-tion model.A DOA fine-tuning method based on the linear model is proposed to eliminate the lin-ear DOA variation,achieving a non-coherent accumulation of DOA estimations.Moreover,the baseband modulation and the phase modulation caused by the range history are compensated to achieve the coherent accumulation of all the DOA estimations.Simulation results show that the proposed method can significantly improve the DOA estimated accuracy at low signal-to-noise ratios(SNR).

A synthetic diagnostics platform for microwave imaging diagnostics in tokamaks

Interpreting experimental diagnostics data in tokamaks,while considering non-ideal effects,is challenging due to the complexity of plasmas.To address this challenge,a general synthetic diagnostics(GSD)platform has been established that facilitates microwave imaging reflectometry and electron cyclotron emission imaging.This platform utilizes plasma profiles as input and incorporates the finite-difference time domain,ray tracing and the radiative transfer equation to calculate the propagation of plasma spontaneous radiation and the external electromagnetic field in plasmas.Benchmark tests for classical cases have been conducted to verify the accuracy of every core module in the GSD platform.Finally,2D imaging of a typical electron temperature distribution is reproduced by this platform and the results are consistent with the given real experimental data.This platform also has the potential to be extended to 3D electromagnetic field simulations and other microwave diagnostics such as cross-polarization scattering.

Exploration on Teaching Reform of Synthetic Biology Course Based on the New Engineering Concept

Synthetic biology is a new frontier of life science,which aims to design,transform and even synthesize organisms with engineering design concept.Doing a good job in the teaching of"synthetic biology"is of great significance to the cultivation and reserve of biotechnology professionals in China,and also has an important impact on students' employment competitiveness.Under the background of"new engineering",the course reform of"synthetic biology"was carried out in terms of the construction of teaching staff,teaching methods,students' participation and the innovation of course content,and specific reform suggestions were put forward,hoping to effectively promote the sustainable development of"synthetic biology"and effectively improve the quality of education.