Background: Liver abscess (LA) is a suppurated collection in the hepatic parenchyma. In Africa, liver abscesses are most often of amoebic origin, but more recently, the rate of pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA) has incre...Background: Liver abscess (LA) is a suppurated collection in the hepatic parenchyma. In Africa, liver abscesses are most often of amoebic origin, but more recently, the rate of pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA) has increased. Objective: to assess the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, biological radiological findings, and outcomes of patients with PLA and with amebic liver abscess (ALA) in order to determine the potential factors that may help improve diagnosis and treatment for LA in the context of secondary care centers with limited medical supports. Methods: Retrospective review of LA diagnosed and treated at three secondary care centers in Thiès over 11 years. Results: 61 patients, were included, 52.45% had ALA and 47.54% had PLA. Males were predominant (79.31% in PLA vs 65.63% in ALA, p = 0.2). The median age was 38 years for the PLA group vs 39 years for the ALA group (p = 0.4). In both groups, the most common symptom was right upper abdominal pain (81.97%), hepatomegaly (81.97%). The PLA group had a higher prevalence of fever (79.31% vs 46.88%, p = 0,009), chills (51.72% vs 18.75%, p = 0.007), right basi-thoracic pain (55.17% vs 28.13%, p = 0.032), and jaundice (55.17% vs 28%, p = 0.032). There was no difference in radiological features between PLA and ALA. Patients with PLA had a higher level of White blood cell (20.600 vs 15.400, p = 0.014). The most common bacteria identified in PLA were Escherichia coli (58.8%). All patients had received antibiotic therapy, which was combined with aspiration puncture (37.3%), transcutaneous drainage (43.3%), and surgery (9.0%). Seven patients had received antibiotic therapy alone and all had amoebic abscesses. Elsewhere, the occurrence of complications was higher in PLA cases (75.86% vs 37.5%, p = 0.003). The overall hospital mortality rate was 13.11%, higher in cases of PLA (24.14% vs 3.13%, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Clinical and biological features were more severe in PLA. But radiological features cannot be used to distinguish between PLA and ALA.展开更多
This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the fe...This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the feature of spatial-temporal decoupling is devised for a group of vehicles guided by a virtual leader evolving along an implicit path,which allows for a circumnavigation on multiple circles with an anticipant angular spacing.In addition,notice that it typically imposes a stringent time constraint on time-sensitive enclosing scenarios,hence an improved prescribed performance control(IPPC)using novel tighter behavior boundaries is presented to enhance transient capabilities with an ensured appointed-time convergence free from any overshoots.The significant merits are that coordinated circumnavigation along different circles can be realized via executing geometric and dynamic assignments independently with modified transient profiles.Furthermore,all variables existing in the entire system are analyzed to be convergent.Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the utility of suggested solution.展开更多
Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in Low and middle income countries, Cameroon inclusive. Surgery is the primary treatment mo...Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in Low and middle income countries, Cameroon inclusive. Surgery is the primary treatment modality when the disease is diagnosed at early stage. Radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer has not been evaluated in recent years in Cameroon. The purpose of this study is thus to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features and short term outcomes of patients who underwent surgery. Patients and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Douala Gynaeco-obstetric and Pediatric Hospital and the Douala General Hospital. Cervical cancer patients who underwent Radical hysterectomy between January 2015 and December 2020 were included. A pre-established data collection tool was used to record socio-demographic, clinical and outcomes information from patients’ files;additional outcome information was obtained from phone calls. Descriptive analysis was done using the SPSS version 26. Bivariate analysis was used to determine associations between disease and patients characteristics and occurrence of adverse postoperative outcome. P value of 0.05 was considered. Results: Sixty one patients were enrolled. Their ages ranged from 33 to 74 years with a mean age of 51.95 ± 10.29 years. Over 85% of women were married, 65.57% were unemployed and 86.88% were multiparous. Only 28% had never done cervical cancer screening. Most patients had stage IB1 to IB2 stage disease (57.1%). Less than 9% underwent radical hysterectomy and 8 of those (13.11%) suffered intraoperative complications. Twenty-five patients (40.98%) presented immediate and short term complications. There was no significant association between the disease or patients’ characteristics and adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Cervical cancer patients are relatively young in our settings and only 9% of them reach the hospital at early stage. Postoperative adverse outcomes rate is higher than that reported in the literature. Sensitization on screening and awareness of early symptoms can reverse the situation.展开更多
In this work, we investigated aroma volatiles emanated by dry roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of Cardariadraba (L.) Desv. growing wild in Tunisia and its aerial part essential oils (EOs) composition. A total...In this work, we investigated aroma volatiles emanated by dry roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of Cardariadraba (L.) Desv. growing wild in Tunisia and its aerial part essential oils (EOs) composition. A total of 37 volatileorganic compounds (96.7%–98.9%) were identified;4 esters, 4 alcohols, 7 hydrocarbons, 12 aldehydes, 5 ketones,1 lactone, 1 organosulfur compound, 2 organonitrogen compounds, and 1 acid. The hydrocarbons form the maingroup, representing 49.5%–84.6% of the total detected volatiles. The main constituent was 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethylheptane(44.5%–76.2%) reaching the highest relative percentages. Forty-two compounds were determined in thetwo fractions of EOs, representing 98.8% and 97.2% of the total oil composition, respectively. The principal componentswere hexadecanoic acid (34.6%), 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (18.3%), decanal (15.0%), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (13.2%), and n-pentacosane (13%). Micromorphological details of the leaf and stem epidermisusing light microscopy revealed polygonal cells with sinuous walls in the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces andnearly rectangular and long ones with linear and thick walls for the stem epidermis. The stomata complexes wereanisocytic in the leaf epidermis and mainly anisocytic and rarely paracytic in the stem epidermis. Non-glandulartrichomes were unbranched and long with an acute apex or short with a convex apex. The glandular ones wereidentified for the first time in this species. They were short-stalked with a large secretory head. The highest stomatalindex (17.02%) was recorded in the abaxial leaf surface. The identification of headspace volatiles and essentialoil compounds can be used to characterize this species, and the various epidermis micromorphologicalfeatures are very useful for biosystematics taxonomic studies within Brassicaceae.展开更多
Sweet potato leaf tips have high nutritional value,and exploring the differences in the metabolic profiles of leaf tips among different sweet potato varieties can provide information to improve their qualities.In this...Sweet potato leaf tips have high nutritional value,and exploring the differences in the metabolic profiles of leaf tips among different sweet potato varieties can provide information to improve their qualities.In this study,a UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS-based untargeted metabolomics method was used to evaluate the metabolites in leaf tips of 32 sweet potato varieties.Three varieties with distinct overall metabolic profiles(A01,A02,and A03),two varieties with distinct profiles of phenolic acids(A20 and A18),and three varieties with distinct profiles of flavonoids(A05,A12,and A16)were identified.In addition,a total of 163 and 29 differentially expressed metabolites correlated with the color and leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,respectively,were identified through morphological characterization.Group comparison analysis of the phenotypic traits and a metabolite-phenotypic trait correlation analysis indicated that the color differences of sweet potato leaf tips were markedly associated with flavonoids.Also,the level of polyphenols was correlated with the leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,with lobed leaf types having higher levels of polyphenols than the entire leaf types.The findings on the metabolic profiles and differentially expressed metabolites associated with the morphology of sweet potato leaf tips can provide useful information for breeding sweet potato varieties with higher nutritional value.展开更多
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)refers to the build-up of fat in the liver associated with metabolic dysfunction and has been estimated to affect a quarter of the population worldwide.Although metabolis...Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)refers to the build-up of fat in the liver associated with metabolic dysfunction and has been estimated to affect a quarter of the population worldwide.Although metabolism is highly influenced by the effects of sex hormones,studies of sex differences in the incidence and progression of MAFLD are scarce.Metabolomics represents a powerful approach to studying these differences and identifying potential biomarkers and putative mechanisms.First,metabolomics makes it possible to obtain the molecular phenotype of the individual at a given time.Second,metabolomics may be a helpful tool for classifying patients according to the severity of the disease and obtaining diagnostic biomarkers.Some studies demonstrate associations between circulating metabolites and early and established MAFLD,but little is known about how metabolites relate to and encompass sex differences in disease progression and risk management.In this review,we will discuss the epidemiological metabolomic studies for sex differences in the development and progression of MAFLD,the role of metabolic profiles in understanding mechanisms and identifying sex-dependent biomarkers,and how this evidence may help in the future management of the disease.展开更多
BACKGROUND Antinuclear antibodies(ANAs)are crucial in diagnosing autoimmune diseases,mainly systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).This study aimed to compare the performance of chemiluminescence assay(CLIA)and line immuno...BACKGROUND Antinuclear antibodies(ANAs)are crucial in diagnosing autoimmune diseases,mainly systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).This study aimed to compare the performance of chemiluminescence assay(CLIA)and line immunoassay(LIA)in detecting ANAs in patients with autoimmune diseases,evaluate their diagnostic accuracy for SLE,and develop a novel diagnostic model using CLIA-detected antibodies for SLE.Specimens from patients with autoimmune diseases and physical examination specimens were collected to parallel detect specific antibodies.Individual antibodies'diagnostic performance and a model combining multiple antibodies were assessed.The findings provide valuable insights into improving the diagnosis of SLE through innovative approaches.AIM To compare the performance of CLIA and LIA in detecting ANAs in patients with autoimmune diseases,assess their accuracy for SLE,and develop a novel diagnostic model using CLIA-detected antibodies for SLE.METHODS Specimens have been obtained from 270 patients with clinically diagnosed autoimmune disorders,as well as 130 physical examination specimens.After that,parallel detection of anti-double-stranded DNA(dsDNA)antibody,anti-histone(Histone)antibody,anti-nucleosome(Nuc)antibody,anti-Smith(Sm)antibody,anti-ribosomal P protein(Rib-P)antibody,anti-sicca syndrome A(Ro60)antibody,anti-sicca syndrome A(Ro52)antibody,anti-sicca syndrome(SSB)antibody,anticentromere protein B(Cenp-B)antibody,anti-DNA topoisomerase 1(Scl-70)antibody,anti-histidyl tRNA synthetase(Jo-1)antibody,and anti-mitochondrial M2(AMA-M2)antibody was performed using CLIA and LIA.The detection rates,compliance rates,and diagnostic performance for SLE were compared between the two methodologies,followed by developing a novel diagnostic model for SLE.RESULTS CLIA and LIA exhibited essentially comparable detection rates for anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-Histone antibody,anti-Nuc antibody,anti-Sm antibody,anti-Rib-P antibody,anti-Ro60 antibody,anti-Ro52 antibody,anti-SSB antibody,anti-Cenp-B antibody,anti-DNAScl-70 antibody,anti-Jo-1 antibody and anti-AMA-M2 antibody(P>0.05).The two methods displayed identical results for the detection of anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-Histone antibody,anti-Nuc antibody,anti-Sm antibody,anti-Ro60 antibody,anti-Ro52 antibody,anti-SSB antibody,anti-Cenp-B antibody,anti-Scl-70 antibody,and anti-AMA-M2 antibody(Kappa>0.7,P<0.05),but showed a moderate agreement for the detection of anti-Rib-P antibody and anti-Jo-1 antibody(Kappa=0.671 and 0.665;P<0.05).In addition,the diagnostic performance of these antibodies detected by both methods was similar for SLE.The diagnostic model's area under the curve values,sensitivity,and specificity,including an anti-dsDNA antibody and an anti-Ro60 antibody detected by CLIA,were 0.997,0.962,and 0.978,respectively.These values were higher than the diagnostic performance of individual antibodies.CONCLUSION CLIA and LIA demonstrated excellent overall consistency in detecting ANA profiles.A diagnostic model based on CLIA-detected antibodies can successfully contribute to developing a novel technique for detecting SLE.展开更多
The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function(EOF)coefficients.However,when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable,the adaptability of the...The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function(EOF)coefficients.However,when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable,the adaptability of the EOFs will be significantly reduced.In this study,a new set of basis functions,generated by combining the internal-wave eigenmodes with the average temperature gradient,is developed for characterizing the temperature perturbations.Temperature profiles recorded by a thermistor chain in the South China Sea in 2015 are processed and analyzed.Compared to the EOFs,the new set of basis functions has higher reconstruction accuracy and adaptability;it is also more stable in ocean regions that have internal waves.展开更多
This paper proposes a deep neural network(DNN)approach for detecting fake profiles in social networks.The DNN model is trained on a large dataset of real and fake profiles and is designed to learn complex features and...This paper proposes a deep neural network(DNN)approach for detecting fake profiles in social networks.The DNN model is trained on a large dataset of real and fake profiles and is designed to learn complex features and patterns that distinguish between the two types of profiles.In addition,the present research aims to determine the minimum set of profile data required for recognizing fake profiles on Facebook and propose the deep convolutional neural network method for fake accounts detection on social networks,which has been developed using 16 features based on content-based and profilebased features.The results demonstrated that the proposed method could detect fake profiles with an accuracy of 99.4%,equivalent to the achieved findings based on bigger data sets and more extensive profile information.The results were obtained with the minimum available profile data.In addition,in comparison with the other methods that use the same amount and kind of data,the proposed deep neural network gives an increase in accuracy of roughly 14%.The proposed model outperforms existing methods,achieving high accuracy and F1 score in identifying fake profiles.The associated findings indicate that the proposed model attained an average accuracy of 99%while considering two distinct scenarios:one with a single theme and another with a miscellaneous one.The results demonstrate the potential of DNNs in addressing the challenging problem of detecting fake profiles,which has significant implications for maintaining the authenticity and trustworthiness of online social networks.展开更多
It is essential to ac quire sound speed profiles(SSPs)in high-precision spatiotemporal resolution for undersea acoustic activities.However,conventional observation methods cannot obtain high-resolution SSPs.Besides,S ...It is essential to ac quire sound speed profiles(SSPs)in high-precision spatiotemporal resolution for undersea acoustic activities.However,conventional observation methods cannot obtain high-resolution SSPs.Besides,S SPs are complex and changeable in time and space,especially in coastal areas.We proposed a new space-time multigrid three-dimensional variational method with weak constraint term(referred to as STC-MG3DVar)to construct high-precision spatiotemporal resolution SSPs in coastal areas,in which sound velocity is defined as the analytical variable,and the Chen-Millero sound velocity empirical formula is introduced as a weak constraint term into the cost function of the STC-MG3DVar.The spatiotemporal correlation of sound velocity observations is taken into account in the STC-MG3DVar method,and the multi-scale information of sound velocity observations from long waves to short waves can be successively extracted.The weak constraint term can optimize sound velocity by the physical relationship between sound velocity and temperature-salinity to obtain more reasonable and accurate SSPs.To verify the accuracy of the STC-MG3DVar,SSPs observations and CTD observations(temperature observations,salinity observations)are obtained from field experiments in the northern coastal area of the Shandong Peninsula.The average root mean square error(RMSE)of the STC-MG3DVar-constructed SSPs is 0.132 m/s,and the STC-MG3DVar method can improve the SSPs construction accuracy over the space-time multigrid 3DVar without weak constraint term(ST-MG3DVar)by 10.14%and over the spatial multigrid 3DVar with weak constraint term(SC-MG3DVar)by 44.19%.With the advantage of the constraint term and the spatiotemporal correlation information,the proposed STC-MG3DVar method works better than the ST-MG3DVar and the SCMG3DVar in constructing high-precision spatiotemporal re solution SSPs.展开更多
Objective:Studies have shown that both short-term and long-term cold exposures disturb the biological process.The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of intermittent cold exposure on proteomic profi...Objective:Studies have shown that both short-term and long-term cold exposures disturb the biological process.The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of intermittent cold exposure on proteomic profiles in the hypothalamus and pituitary of female Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats.Materials and methods:The rats were exposed to-10°C in a cabin for 4 h per day,and the treatment lasted for 14 days.The comparative label-free LC-MS/MS analysis was performed to investigate the changes of proteomic profiles in the hypothalamus and pituitary.ELISA analysis was used to validate the expression of differential proteins.Results:22 differential proteins in the hypothalamus and 75 differential proteins in the pituitary were identified by the label-free proteomic analysis.Gene ontology annotation and enrichment analysis indicated that cold exposure disrupted protein phosphorylation,filopodium assembly,intracellular protein transport,peripheral nervous system neuron axonogenesis,spinal cord development,Golgi organization,positive regulation of pseudopodium assembly,and cell-cell adhesion.Three proteins(Cdc42,Ptprs,and Setd7)were down-regulated in the cold exposure group.Conclusion:The results indicate that intermittent cold exposure alters the proteomic profiles of hypothalamus and pituitary in female rats.展开更多
Background High-grain(HG)diets affect lipid metabolism in the liver and mammary tissue of dairy cows,but its effects on muscle and adipose tissue have not been wide evaluated.Thus,the aim of this study is to clarify t...Background High-grain(HG)diets affect lipid metabolism in the liver and mammary tissue of dairy cows,but its effects on muscle and adipose tissue have not been wide evaluated.Thus,the aim of this study is to clarify this issue.Methods Twelve Holstein cows were randomly divided into two groups:conventional diet group(CON,n=6)and the HG diet group(n=6).On day 7 of week 4,rumen fluid was sampled to measure pH,milk was sampled to meas-ure components,and blood was sampled to measure biochemical parameters and fatty acid composition.After the experiment,cows were slaughtered to collect muscle and adipose tissue for fatty acid composition and transcriptome analysis.Results HG feeding decreased the ruminal pH,milk’s fat content and long-chain fatty acid proportion(P<0.05)and increased the proportion of short-and medium-chain fatty acids in the milk(P<0.05)as compared with CON diets.The concentrations of blood cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the HG cows were lower than those in CON cows(P<0.05).In muscle tissue,HG feeding tended to increase the triacylglycerol(TG)concentration(P<0.10).Transcriptome analysis revealed changes in the biosynthesis of the unsaturated fatty acids pathway,the regulation of lipolysis in the adipocytes pathway,and the PPAR signalling pathway.In adipose tissue,HG feeding increased the concentration of TG and decreased the concentration of C18:1 cis9(P<0.05).At the transcrip-tome level,the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway,linoleic acid metabolism pathway,and PPAR signalling pathway were activated.Conclusion HG feeding leads to subacute rumen acidosis and a decreased milk fat content.The fatty acid profiles in the milk and plasma of dairy cows were changed by HG feeding.In muscle and adipose tissue,HG feeding increased TG concentration and up-regulated the expression of genes related to adipogenesis,while down-regulated the expression of genes related to lipid transport.These results complement our knowledge of the fatty acid composi-tion of muscle and adipose tissue in dairy cows and expand our understanding of the mechanisms by which HG diets affect lipid metabolism in muscle and adipose tissue.展开更多
This study has been conducted to analyze the chemical composition and antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiplasmodial properties of ethanol extracts of Pycnostachys erici-rosenii R.E.Fr and Leucas martinicensis (Jack.) ...This study has been conducted to analyze the chemical composition and antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiplasmodial properties of ethanol extracts of Pycnostachys erici-rosenii R.E.Fr and Leucas martinicensis (Jack.) R.Br that are not yet well known. The HPLC-DAD-MS-ESI<sup>+</sup> method was used to investigate the chemical profile, the disc diffusion and microdilution method for the antimicrobial activities, the DPPH and FRAP assays for antioxidant property and SYBR Green I-based growth inhibition assay on Pf 3D7 (CQ-sensitive) strain for antiplasmodial properties. The results indicated significant amounts of hydroxybenzoic acid, flavonol and hydroxycinnamic acid in the two species. The total polyphenols analysis gave 209.0 ± 16.1 mg GAE/100g DW for P. erici-rosenii and 175.3 ± 1.6 mg GAE/100g DW for L. martinicensis while for total flavonoids analysis 33.4 ± 1.8 mg TE/100g DW was found for P. erici-rosenii and 39.6 ± 0.6 mg TE/100g DW for L. martinicensis. Moreover, antimicrobial tests revealed 0.125 mg/mL on E. faecalis ATCC25922 for ethanol extracts P. erici-rosenii and L. martinicensis. The antioxidant assays revealed IC<sub>50</sub> 56.17 μg/mL and 78.43 μg/mL for DPPH assay, and 112.03 μM TE/100mL and 90.46 μM TE/100mL) for FRAP assay for ethanol extracts of P. erici-rosenii and L. martinicensis respectively. Finally, for Antiplasmodial activity, IC<sub>50</sub> was 4.07 μg/mL for P. erici-rosenii and 12.29 μg/mL for L. martinicensis. Therefore, the antimicrobial, the antioxidant, and the antiplasmodial results suggest that the ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of P. erici-rosenii and L. martinicensis contain compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiplasmodial properties, which can be searched in new drug discovery for treatment of infectious diseases.展开更多
Many studies on how the particle shape affects the discharge flow mainly focus on discharge rates and avalanche statistics. In this study, the effect of the particle shape on the packing fraction and velocities of par...Many studies on how the particle shape affects the discharge flow mainly focus on discharge rates and avalanche statistics. In this study, the effect of the particle shape on the packing fraction and velocities of particles in the silo discharge flow are investigated by using the discrete element method. The time-averaged packing fraction and velocity profiles through the aperture are systematically measured for superelliptical particles with different blockinesses. Increasing the particle blockiness is found to increase resistance to flow and reduce the flow rate. At an identical outlet size, larger particle blockiness leads to lower velocity and packing fraction at the outlet. The packing fraction profiles display evidently the self-similar feature that can be appropriately adjusted by fractional power law. The velocity profiles for particles with different shapes obey a uniform self-similar law that is in accord with previous experimental results, which is compatible with the hypothesis of free fall arch. To further investigate the origin of flow behaviors, the packing fraction and velocity field in the region above the orifice are computed. Based on these observations, the flow rate of superelliptical particles is calculated and in agreement with the simulated data.展开更多
Objective:To measure seasonal effects on semen quality profiles,seminal biochemical and oxidative stress attributes in fresh and liquid stored semen in monsoon and dry seasons.Methods:A total of 10 Teressa bucks(3-4 y...Objective:To measure seasonal effects on semen quality profiles,seminal biochemical and oxidative stress attributes in fresh and liquid stored semen in monsoon and dry seasons.Methods:A total of 10 Teressa bucks(3-4 years)were selected from breeding farm,ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute,Port Blair,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India.Semen samples(n=25 per season)were collected through artificial vagina method and preserved at refrigerated temperature(5℃)for 48 h using Tris citrate glucose based extender.We detected semen quality parameters[volume,mass activity,pH,sperm concentration,total motility,viability,total sperm abnormality,and plasma membrane,acrosomal and nuclear integrities],biochemical profiles[aspartate amino transferase(AST),alanine amino transferase(ALT)and total cholesterol],and oxidative stress markers[total antioxidant capacity(TAC)and malondialdehyde(MDA)]during monsoon and dry seasons.Results:Semen quality parameters significantly differed between seasons(P<0.05)and among storage periods(P<0.05).Volume,pH,mass activity,motility,viability,acrosomal,plasma membrane and nuclear integrities,and TAC were significantly higher(P<0.05).Sperm concentration,sperm abnormalities,MDA,AST,ALT and total cholesterol were significantly lower in fresh semen of monsoon than dry season(P<0.05).Motility,viability,acrosomal,plasma membrane and nuclear integrities,and TAC were significantly decreased(P<0.05)while sperm abnormality,AST,ALT,total cholesterol and MDA were significantly increased as liquid semen storage period advanced(P<0.05).Conclusions:Monsoon season has higher beneficial effects on semen quality profiles and liquid stored semen remained usable for upto 48 h.Good quality ejaculates with higher TAC and lower MDA can be cryopreserved and will be used for artificial insemination.展开更多
Lightweight curved profiles are widely utilised in the transportation industry considering the increasing need for improving aerodynamic efficiency,aesthetics and cutting emissions.In this paper,curved AZ31 Mg alloy p...Lightweight curved profiles are widely utilised in the transportation industry considering the increasing need for improving aerodynamic efficiency,aesthetics and cutting emissions.In this paper,curved AZ31 Mg alloy profiles were manufactured in one operation by a novel process,differential velocity sideways extrusion(DVSE),in which two opposed rams were used.Effects of extrusion temperature and velocity(strain rate) on curvature,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the formed profiles were examined.Profile curvature was found to be more readily controlled by the velocity ratio of the bottom ram v2to the top ram v1,whereas extrusion temperature(T=250,300,350℃)and extrusion velocity(v_(1)=0.1,1 mm/s) slightly affect curvature for a given velocity ratio.A homogeneous microstructure with equiaxed grains(~4.5 μm) resulted from dynamic recrystallisation(DRX),was observed after DVSE(v_(2)/v_(1)=1/2) at 300 ℃ and v_(1)=0.1 mm/s,where the initial billet had an average grain size of ~25 um.Increasing extrusion temperature leads to grain growth(~5 μm) at 350 ℃ and v_(1)=0.1 mm/s.DRX is incomplete at the relatively low temperature of 250℃(v_(1)=0.1 mm/s),and higher strain rate with v1=1mm/s(T=300℃),resulting in inhomogeneous bi-modal necklace pattern grains ranging in size around 1-25 μm for the former and 2-20μm for the latter.Grain refinement is attributed to DRX during the severe plastic deformation(SPD) arising in DVSE,and initiates at the prior boundaries of coarse grains in a necklace-like manner.Compared with the billet,micro-hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the profiles have been enhanced,which is compatible with grain refinement.Also,an obvious increase in tensile ductility was found.However,yield strength slightly decreases except for the complete DRXed case(300℃,v_(1)=0.1 mm/s),where a slightly higher value was found,indicating strengthening by grain refinement is greater than softening caused by texture modification.The initial billet had a strong basal texture wherein the {0002} basal plane is oriented parallel to the extrusion direction(’hard’ orientation),while DVSE results in the profiles having weak basal textures and the {0002} basal plane oriented ~5-10° to the extrusion direction(i.e.towards the orientation for easier slip).This significantly modified texture contributes to the softening of the profiles in the extrusion direction,in which tensile tests were performed,and the related elongation improvement.展开更多
Many magnetohydrodynamic stability analyses require generation of a set of equilibria with a fixed safety factor q-profile while varying other plasma parameters.A neural network(NN)-based approach is investigated that...Many magnetohydrodynamic stability analyses require generation of a set of equilibria with a fixed safety factor q-profile while varying other plasma parameters.A neural network(NN)-based approach is investigated that facilitates such a process.Both multilayer perceptron(MLP)-based NN and convolutional neural network(CNN)models are trained to map the q-profile to the plasma current density J-profile,and vice versa,while satisfying the Grad–Shafranov radial force balance constraint.When the initial target models are trained,using a database of semianalytically constructed numerical equilibria,an initial CNN with one convolutional layer is found to perform better than an initial MLP model.In particular,a trained initial CNN model can also predict the q-or J-profile for experimental tokamak equilibria.The performance of both initial target models is further improved by fine-tuning the training database,i.e.by adding realistic experimental equilibria with Gaussian noise.The fine-tuned target models,referred to as fine-tuned MLP and fine-tuned CNN,well reproduce the target q-or J-profile across multiple tokamak devices.As an important application,these NN-based equilibrium profile convertors can be utilized to provide a good initial guess for iterative equilibrium solvers,where the desired input quantity is the safety factor instead of the plasma current density.展开更多
Fano resonance is a ubiquitous phenomenon, and it is commonly interpreted as a two-channel interference of the discrete and continuous channels. The present work investigates the Fano profile from a perspective of the...Fano resonance is a ubiquitous phenomenon, and it is commonly interpreted as a two-channel interference of the discrete and continuous channels. The present work investigates the Fano profile from a perspective of the temporal evolution of the wave function. By exciting the atom with a δ pulse and calculating the evolution of the wave function, the Fano formula is deduced. The results clearly show that the Fano resonance is of a three-channel interference, which is different from the traditional understanding. The three channels are revealed as the groundcontinuum, ground-discrete-continuum, and a previously unmentioned third channel, i.e., ground-continuumdiscrete-continuum. The present three-channel interpretation can be easily generalized to other physical systems,contributing to a deeper understanding of the Fano profile.展开更多
Background: SARS-CoV-2 has circulated worldwide with dramatic consequences. In Chad, we have no data reported of variants. The aim of this study was to identify the SARS-CoV-2 variants that circulated during the epide...Background: SARS-CoV-2 has circulated worldwide with dramatic consequences. In Chad, we have no data reported of variants. The aim of this study was to identify the SARS-CoV-2 variants that circulated during the epidemic from 2020 to 2021. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out between 2020 and 2021. Samples from patients with suspected COVID-19 were tested in five laboratories in N’Djamena. One hundred quality samples of the positives were sequenced in Kinshasa using Oxford nanopore technologies minion and the Protocol Midnight SARS-CoV2. Data were processed using Excel version 16 software. Results: Of the 100 samples sequenced, 77 (77%) produced sequences, 23 (23%) did not. The genomic profiles were wild-type Wuhan and minor mutations (19A, 19B (A), 20A (B.1, B.2), 20B (AV.1), 20D (B.1.1.1 /C.36), 20C), variant of concern Alpha (20I), variant of concern Delta (21A/J), variant of interest Eta (21D), variant of concern Omicron (21K) and unclassified variant under surveillance (B.1.640). Of these variants, the maximums were detected in patients aged 26 - 35 with 30.26% and 25.26% in 36 - 45. However, 24.67% were in travelers and 75.32% in residents, 35.06% in those vaccinated against COVID-19 and 62.33% in non-vaccinates. The estimated case-fatality rate was 2.44% (107/4374). Conclusion: This work has provided preliminary data on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating during the 2020-2021 epidemics in Chad.展开更多
文摘Background: Liver abscess (LA) is a suppurated collection in the hepatic parenchyma. In Africa, liver abscesses are most often of amoebic origin, but more recently, the rate of pyogenic liver abscesses (PLA) has increased. Objective: to assess the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, biological radiological findings, and outcomes of patients with PLA and with amebic liver abscess (ALA) in order to determine the potential factors that may help improve diagnosis and treatment for LA in the context of secondary care centers with limited medical supports. Methods: Retrospective review of LA diagnosed and treated at three secondary care centers in Thiès over 11 years. Results: 61 patients, were included, 52.45% had ALA and 47.54% had PLA. Males were predominant (79.31% in PLA vs 65.63% in ALA, p = 0.2). The median age was 38 years for the PLA group vs 39 years for the ALA group (p = 0.4). In both groups, the most common symptom was right upper abdominal pain (81.97%), hepatomegaly (81.97%). The PLA group had a higher prevalence of fever (79.31% vs 46.88%, p = 0,009), chills (51.72% vs 18.75%, p = 0.007), right basi-thoracic pain (55.17% vs 28.13%, p = 0.032), and jaundice (55.17% vs 28%, p = 0.032). There was no difference in radiological features between PLA and ALA. Patients with PLA had a higher level of White blood cell (20.600 vs 15.400, p = 0.014). The most common bacteria identified in PLA were Escherichia coli (58.8%). All patients had received antibiotic therapy, which was combined with aspiration puncture (37.3%), transcutaneous drainage (43.3%), and surgery (9.0%). Seven patients had received antibiotic therapy alone and all had amoebic abscesses. Elsewhere, the occurrence of complications was higher in PLA cases (75.86% vs 37.5%, p = 0.003). The overall hospital mortality rate was 13.11%, higher in cases of PLA (24.14% vs 3.13%, p = 0.022). Conclusion: Clinical and biological features were more severe in PLA. But radiological features cannot be used to distinguish between PLA and ALA.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.62173312 and 61803348in part by the National Major Scientific Instruments Development Project under Grant No.61927807+3 种基金in part by the Program for the Innovative Talents of Higher Education Institutions of ShanxiShanxi Province Science Foundation for Excellent Youthsin part by the Shanxi"1331 Project"Key Subjects Construction(1331KSC)in part by Graduate Innovation Project of Shanxi Province under Grant No.2021Y617。
文摘This article investigates a multi-circular path-following formation control with reinforced transient profiles for nonholonomic vehicles connected by a digraph.A multi-circular formation controller endowed with the feature of spatial-temporal decoupling is devised for a group of vehicles guided by a virtual leader evolving along an implicit path,which allows for a circumnavigation on multiple circles with an anticipant angular spacing.In addition,notice that it typically imposes a stringent time constraint on time-sensitive enclosing scenarios,hence an improved prescribed performance control(IPPC)using novel tighter behavior boundaries is presented to enhance transient capabilities with an ensured appointed-time convergence free from any overshoots.The significant merits are that coordinated circumnavigation along different circles can be realized via executing geometric and dynamic assignments independently with modified transient profiles.Furthermore,all variables existing in the entire system are analyzed to be convergent.Simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the utility of suggested solution.
文摘Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer in Low and middle income countries, Cameroon inclusive. Surgery is the primary treatment modality when the disease is diagnosed at early stage. Radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer has not been evaluated in recent years in Cameroon. The purpose of this study is thus to evaluate the epidemiological and clinical features and short term outcomes of patients who underwent surgery. Patients and methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Douala Gynaeco-obstetric and Pediatric Hospital and the Douala General Hospital. Cervical cancer patients who underwent Radical hysterectomy between January 2015 and December 2020 were included. A pre-established data collection tool was used to record socio-demographic, clinical and outcomes information from patients’ files;additional outcome information was obtained from phone calls. Descriptive analysis was done using the SPSS version 26. Bivariate analysis was used to determine associations between disease and patients characteristics and occurrence of adverse postoperative outcome. P value of 0.05 was considered. Results: Sixty one patients were enrolled. Their ages ranged from 33 to 74 years with a mean age of 51.95 ± 10.29 years. Over 85% of women were married, 65.57% were unemployed and 86.88% were multiparous. Only 28% had never done cervical cancer screening. Most patients had stage IB1 to IB2 stage disease (57.1%). Less than 9% underwent radical hysterectomy and 8 of those (13.11%) suffered intraoperative complications. Twenty-five patients (40.98%) presented immediate and short term complications. There was no significant association between the disease or patients’ characteristics and adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Cervical cancer patients are relatively young in our settings and only 9% of them reach the hospital at early stage. Postoperative adverse outcomes rate is higher than that reported in the literature. Sensitization on screening and awareness of early symptoms can reverse the situation.
文摘In this work, we investigated aroma volatiles emanated by dry roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of Cardariadraba (L.) Desv. growing wild in Tunisia and its aerial part essential oils (EOs) composition. A total of 37 volatileorganic compounds (96.7%–98.9%) were identified;4 esters, 4 alcohols, 7 hydrocarbons, 12 aldehydes, 5 ketones,1 lactone, 1 organosulfur compound, 2 organonitrogen compounds, and 1 acid. The hydrocarbons form the maingroup, representing 49.5%–84.6% of the total detected volatiles. The main constituent was 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethylheptane(44.5%–76.2%) reaching the highest relative percentages. Forty-two compounds were determined in thetwo fractions of EOs, representing 98.8% and 97.2% of the total oil composition, respectively. The principal componentswere hexadecanoic acid (34.6%), 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (18.3%), decanal (15.0%), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (13.2%), and n-pentacosane (13%). Micromorphological details of the leaf and stem epidermisusing light microscopy revealed polygonal cells with sinuous walls in the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces andnearly rectangular and long ones with linear and thick walls for the stem epidermis. The stomata complexes wereanisocytic in the leaf epidermis and mainly anisocytic and rarely paracytic in the stem epidermis. Non-glandulartrichomes were unbranched and long with an acute apex or short with a convex apex. The glandular ones wereidentified for the first time in this species. They were short-stalked with a large secretory head. The highest stomatalindex (17.02%) was recorded in the abaxial leaf surface. The identification of headspace volatiles and essentialoil compounds can be used to characterize this species, and the various epidermis micromorphologicalfeatures are very useful for biosystematics taxonomic studies within Brassicaceae.
基金This work was supported by grants from the construction and operation of the Food Nutrition and Health Research Center of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,China(XTXM 202205)the earmarked fund for CARS-10Sweetpotato,and the Guangdong Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System,China(2022KJ111).
文摘Sweet potato leaf tips have high nutritional value,and exploring the differences in the metabolic profiles of leaf tips among different sweet potato varieties can provide information to improve their qualities.In this study,a UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS-based untargeted metabolomics method was used to evaluate the metabolites in leaf tips of 32 sweet potato varieties.Three varieties with distinct overall metabolic profiles(A01,A02,and A03),two varieties with distinct profiles of phenolic acids(A20 and A18),and three varieties with distinct profiles of flavonoids(A05,A12,and A16)were identified.In addition,a total of 163 and 29 differentially expressed metabolites correlated with the color and leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,respectively,were identified through morphological characterization.Group comparison analysis of the phenotypic traits and a metabolite-phenotypic trait correlation analysis indicated that the color differences of sweet potato leaf tips were markedly associated with flavonoids.Also,the level of polyphenols was correlated with the leaf shape of sweet potato leaf tips,with lobed leaf types having higher levels of polyphenols than the entire leaf types.The findings on the metabolic profiles and differentially expressed metabolites associated with the morphology of sweet potato leaf tips can provide useful information for breeding sweet potato varieties with higher nutritional value.
文摘Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)refers to the build-up of fat in the liver associated with metabolic dysfunction and has been estimated to affect a quarter of the population worldwide.Although metabolism is highly influenced by the effects of sex hormones,studies of sex differences in the incidence and progression of MAFLD are scarce.Metabolomics represents a powerful approach to studying these differences and identifying potential biomarkers and putative mechanisms.First,metabolomics makes it possible to obtain the molecular phenotype of the individual at a given time.Second,metabolomics may be a helpful tool for classifying patients according to the severity of the disease and obtaining diagnostic biomarkers.Some studies demonstrate associations between circulating metabolites and early and established MAFLD,but little is known about how metabolites relate to and encompass sex differences in disease progression and risk management.In this review,we will discuss the epidemiological metabolomic studies for sex differences in the development and progression of MAFLD,the role of metabolic profiles in understanding mechanisms and identifying sex-dependent biomarkers,and how this evidence may help in the future management of the disease.
文摘BACKGROUND Antinuclear antibodies(ANAs)are crucial in diagnosing autoimmune diseases,mainly systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).This study aimed to compare the performance of chemiluminescence assay(CLIA)and line immunoassay(LIA)in detecting ANAs in patients with autoimmune diseases,evaluate their diagnostic accuracy for SLE,and develop a novel diagnostic model using CLIA-detected antibodies for SLE.Specimens from patients with autoimmune diseases and physical examination specimens were collected to parallel detect specific antibodies.Individual antibodies'diagnostic performance and a model combining multiple antibodies were assessed.The findings provide valuable insights into improving the diagnosis of SLE through innovative approaches.AIM To compare the performance of CLIA and LIA in detecting ANAs in patients with autoimmune diseases,assess their accuracy for SLE,and develop a novel diagnostic model using CLIA-detected antibodies for SLE.METHODS Specimens have been obtained from 270 patients with clinically diagnosed autoimmune disorders,as well as 130 physical examination specimens.After that,parallel detection of anti-double-stranded DNA(dsDNA)antibody,anti-histone(Histone)antibody,anti-nucleosome(Nuc)antibody,anti-Smith(Sm)antibody,anti-ribosomal P protein(Rib-P)antibody,anti-sicca syndrome A(Ro60)antibody,anti-sicca syndrome A(Ro52)antibody,anti-sicca syndrome(SSB)antibody,anticentromere protein B(Cenp-B)antibody,anti-DNA topoisomerase 1(Scl-70)antibody,anti-histidyl tRNA synthetase(Jo-1)antibody,and anti-mitochondrial M2(AMA-M2)antibody was performed using CLIA and LIA.The detection rates,compliance rates,and diagnostic performance for SLE were compared between the two methodologies,followed by developing a novel diagnostic model for SLE.RESULTS CLIA and LIA exhibited essentially comparable detection rates for anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-Histone antibody,anti-Nuc antibody,anti-Sm antibody,anti-Rib-P antibody,anti-Ro60 antibody,anti-Ro52 antibody,anti-SSB antibody,anti-Cenp-B antibody,anti-DNAScl-70 antibody,anti-Jo-1 antibody and anti-AMA-M2 antibody(P>0.05).The two methods displayed identical results for the detection of anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-Histone antibody,anti-Nuc antibody,anti-Sm antibody,anti-Ro60 antibody,anti-Ro52 antibody,anti-SSB antibody,anti-Cenp-B antibody,anti-Scl-70 antibody,and anti-AMA-M2 antibody(Kappa>0.7,P<0.05),but showed a moderate agreement for the detection of anti-Rib-P antibody and anti-Jo-1 antibody(Kappa=0.671 and 0.665;P<0.05).In addition,the diagnostic performance of these antibodies detected by both methods was similar for SLE.The diagnostic model's area under the curve values,sensitivity,and specificity,including an anti-dsDNA antibody and an anti-Ro60 antibody detected by CLIA,were 0.997,0.962,and 0.978,respectively.These values were higher than the diagnostic performance of individual antibodies.CONCLUSION CLIA and LIA demonstrated excellent overall consistency in detecting ANA profiles.A diagnostic model based on CLIA-detected antibodies can successfully contribute to developing a novel technique for detecting SLE.
基金The Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China under contract Nos ZR2022MA051 and ZR2020MA090the Fund of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under contract No.2020M670891+1 种基金the Shandong University of Science and Technology Research Fund under contract No.2019TDJH103the Talent Introduction Plan for Youth Innovation Team in Universities of Shandong Province(Innovation Team of Satellite Positioning and Navigation).
文摘The shallow-water temperature profile is typically parameterized using a few empirical orthogonal function(EOF)coefficients.However,when the experimental area is poorly known or highly variable,the adaptability of the EOFs will be significantly reduced.In this study,a new set of basis functions,generated by combining the internal-wave eigenmodes with the average temperature gradient,is developed for characterizing the temperature perturbations.Temperature profiles recorded by a thermistor chain in the South China Sea in 2015 are processed and analyzed.Compared to the EOFs,the new set of basis functions has higher reconstruction accuracy and adaptability;it is also more stable in ocean regions that have internal waves.
文摘This paper proposes a deep neural network(DNN)approach for detecting fake profiles in social networks.The DNN model is trained on a large dataset of real and fake profiles and is designed to learn complex features and patterns that distinguish between the two types of profiles.In addition,the present research aims to determine the minimum set of profile data required for recognizing fake profiles on Facebook and propose the deep convolutional neural network method for fake accounts detection on social networks,which has been developed using 16 features based on content-based and profilebased features.The results demonstrated that the proposed method could detect fake profiles with an accuracy of 99.4%,equivalent to the achieved findings based on bigger data sets and more extensive profile information.The results were obtained with the minimum available profile data.In addition,in comparison with the other methods that use the same amount and kind of data,the proposed deep neural network gives an increase in accuracy of roughly 14%.The proposed model outperforms existing methods,achieving high accuracy and F1 score in identifying fake profiles.The associated findings indicate that the proposed model attained an average accuracy of 99%while considering two distinct scenarios:one with a single theme and another with a miscellaneous one.The results demonstrate the potential of DNNs in addressing the challenging problem of detecting fake profiles,which has significant implications for maintaining the authenticity and trustworthiness of online social networks.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41876014)the Open Project of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Oceanic Meteorology(No.2020TKLOMYB04)。
文摘It is essential to ac quire sound speed profiles(SSPs)in high-precision spatiotemporal resolution for undersea acoustic activities.However,conventional observation methods cannot obtain high-resolution SSPs.Besides,S SPs are complex and changeable in time and space,especially in coastal areas.We proposed a new space-time multigrid three-dimensional variational method with weak constraint term(referred to as STC-MG3DVar)to construct high-precision spatiotemporal resolution SSPs in coastal areas,in which sound velocity is defined as the analytical variable,and the Chen-Millero sound velocity empirical formula is introduced as a weak constraint term into the cost function of the STC-MG3DVar.The spatiotemporal correlation of sound velocity observations is taken into account in the STC-MG3DVar method,and the multi-scale information of sound velocity observations from long waves to short waves can be successively extracted.The weak constraint term can optimize sound velocity by the physical relationship between sound velocity and temperature-salinity to obtain more reasonable and accurate SSPs.To verify the accuracy of the STC-MG3DVar,SSPs observations and CTD observations(temperature observations,salinity observations)are obtained from field experiments in the northern coastal area of the Shandong Peninsula.The average root mean square error(RMSE)of the STC-MG3DVar-constructed SSPs is 0.132 m/s,and the STC-MG3DVar method can improve the SSPs construction accuracy over the space-time multigrid 3DVar without weak constraint term(ST-MG3DVar)by 10.14%and over the spatial multigrid 3DVar with weak constraint term(SC-MG3DVar)by 44.19%.With the advantage of the constraint term and the spatiotemporal correlation information,the proposed STC-MG3DVar method works better than the ST-MG3DVar and the SCMG3DVar in constructing high-precision spatiotemporal re solution SSPs.
基金the grants of Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine(BWS17J025).
文摘Objective:Studies have shown that both short-term and long-term cold exposures disturb the biological process.The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of intermittent cold exposure on proteomic profiles in the hypothalamus and pituitary of female Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats.Materials and methods:The rats were exposed to-10°C in a cabin for 4 h per day,and the treatment lasted for 14 days.The comparative label-free LC-MS/MS analysis was performed to investigate the changes of proteomic profiles in the hypothalamus and pituitary.ELISA analysis was used to validate the expression of differential proteins.Results:22 differential proteins in the hypothalamus and 75 differential proteins in the pituitary were identified by the label-free proteomic analysis.Gene ontology annotation and enrichment analysis indicated that cold exposure disrupted protein phosphorylation,filopodium assembly,intracellular protein transport,peripheral nervous system neuron axonogenesis,spinal cord development,Golgi organization,positive regulation of pseudopodium assembly,and cell-cell adhesion.Three proteins(Cdc42,Ptprs,and Setd7)were down-regulated in the cold exposure group.Conclusion:The results indicate that intermittent cold exposure alters the proteomic profiles of hypothalamus and pituitary in female rats.
基金funded by the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFD1301001)the Natural Science Foundation of China(32072755).
文摘Background High-grain(HG)diets affect lipid metabolism in the liver and mammary tissue of dairy cows,but its effects on muscle and adipose tissue have not been wide evaluated.Thus,the aim of this study is to clarify this issue.Methods Twelve Holstein cows were randomly divided into two groups:conventional diet group(CON,n=6)and the HG diet group(n=6).On day 7 of week 4,rumen fluid was sampled to measure pH,milk was sampled to meas-ure components,and blood was sampled to measure biochemical parameters and fatty acid composition.After the experiment,cows were slaughtered to collect muscle and adipose tissue for fatty acid composition and transcriptome analysis.Results HG feeding decreased the ruminal pH,milk’s fat content and long-chain fatty acid proportion(P<0.05)and increased the proportion of short-and medium-chain fatty acids in the milk(P<0.05)as compared with CON diets.The concentrations of blood cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the HG cows were lower than those in CON cows(P<0.05).In muscle tissue,HG feeding tended to increase the triacylglycerol(TG)concentration(P<0.10).Transcriptome analysis revealed changes in the biosynthesis of the unsaturated fatty acids pathway,the regulation of lipolysis in the adipocytes pathway,and the PPAR signalling pathway.In adipose tissue,HG feeding increased the concentration of TG and decreased the concentration of C18:1 cis9(P<0.05).At the transcrip-tome level,the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway,linoleic acid metabolism pathway,and PPAR signalling pathway were activated.Conclusion HG feeding leads to subacute rumen acidosis and a decreased milk fat content.The fatty acid profiles in the milk and plasma of dairy cows were changed by HG feeding.In muscle and adipose tissue,HG feeding increased TG concentration and up-regulated the expression of genes related to adipogenesis,while down-regulated the expression of genes related to lipid transport.These results complement our knowledge of the fatty acid composi-tion of muscle and adipose tissue in dairy cows and expand our understanding of the mechanisms by which HG diets affect lipid metabolism in muscle and adipose tissue.
文摘This study has been conducted to analyze the chemical composition and antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiplasmodial properties of ethanol extracts of Pycnostachys erici-rosenii R.E.Fr and Leucas martinicensis (Jack.) R.Br that are not yet well known. The HPLC-DAD-MS-ESI<sup>+</sup> method was used to investigate the chemical profile, the disc diffusion and microdilution method for the antimicrobial activities, the DPPH and FRAP assays for antioxidant property and SYBR Green I-based growth inhibition assay on Pf 3D7 (CQ-sensitive) strain for antiplasmodial properties. The results indicated significant amounts of hydroxybenzoic acid, flavonol and hydroxycinnamic acid in the two species. The total polyphenols analysis gave 209.0 ± 16.1 mg GAE/100g DW for P. erici-rosenii and 175.3 ± 1.6 mg GAE/100g DW for L. martinicensis while for total flavonoids analysis 33.4 ± 1.8 mg TE/100g DW was found for P. erici-rosenii and 39.6 ± 0.6 mg TE/100g DW for L. martinicensis. Moreover, antimicrobial tests revealed 0.125 mg/mL on E. faecalis ATCC25922 for ethanol extracts P. erici-rosenii and L. martinicensis. The antioxidant assays revealed IC<sub>50</sub> 56.17 μg/mL and 78.43 μg/mL for DPPH assay, and 112.03 μM TE/100mL and 90.46 μM TE/100mL) for FRAP assay for ethanol extracts of P. erici-rosenii and L. martinicensis respectively. Finally, for Antiplasmodial activity, IC<sub>50</sub> was 4.07 μg/mL for P. erici-rosenii and 12.29 μg/mL for L. martinicensis. Therefore, the antimicrobial, the antioxidant, and the antiplasmodial results suggest that the ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of P. erici-rosenii and L. martinicensis contain compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiplasmodial properties, which can be searched in new drug discovery for treatment of infectious diseases.
基金Project supported by the Science and Technology Program of Guizhou Province, China (Grant No. [2018]1048)。
文摘Many studies on how the particle shape affects the discharge flow mainly focus on discharge rates and avalanche statistics. In this study, the effect of the particle shape on the packing fraction and velocities of particles in the silo discharge flow are investigated by using the discrete element method. The time-averaged packing fraction and velocity profiles through the aperture are systematically measured for superelliptical particles with different blockinesses. Increasing the particle blockiness is found to increase resistance to flow and reduce the flow rate. At an identical outlet size, larger particle blockiness leads to lower velocity and packing fraction at the outlet. The packing fraction profiles display evidently the self-similar feature that can be appropriately adjusted by fractional power law. The velocity profiles for particles with different shapes obey a uniform self-similar law that is in accord with previous experimental results, which is compatible with the hypothesis of free fall arch. To further investigate the origin of flow behaviors, the packing fraction and velocity field in the region above the orifice are computed. Based on these observations, the flow rate of superelliptical particles is calculated and in agreement with the simulated data.
文摘Objective:To measure seasonal effects on semen quality profiles,seminal biochemical and oxidative stress attributes in fresh and liquid stored semen in monsoon and dry seasons.Methods:A total of 10 Teressa bucks(3-4 years)were selected from breeding farm,ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute,Port Blair,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India.Semen samples(n=25 per season)were collected through artificial vagina method and preserved at refrigerated temperature(5℃)for 48 h using Tris citrate glucose based extender.We detected semen quality parameters[volume,mass activity,pH,sperm concentration,total motility,viability,total sperm abnormality,and plasma membrane,acrosomal and nuclear integrities],biochemical profiles[aspartate amino transferase(AST),alanine amino transferase(ALT)and total cholesterol],and oxidative stress markers[total antioxidant capacity(TAC)and malondialdehyde(MDA)]during monsoon and dry seasons.Results:Semen quality parameters significantly differed between seasons(P<0.05)and among storage periods(P<0.05).Volume,pH,mass activity,motility,viability,acrosomal,plasma membrane and nuclear integrities,and TAC were significantly higher(P<0.05).Sperm concentration,sperm abnormalities,MDA,AST,ALT and total cholesterol were significantly lower in fresh semen of monsoon than dry season(P<0.05).Motility,viability,acrosomal,plasma membrane and nuclear integrities,and TAC were significantly decreased(P<0.05)while sperm abnormality,AST,ALT,total cholesterol and MDA were significantly increased as liquid semen storage period advanced(P<0.05).Conclusions:Monsoon season has higher beneficial effects on semen quality profiles and liquid stored semen remained usable for upto 48 h.Good quality ejaculates with higher TAC and lower MDA can be cryopreserved and will be used for artificial insemination.
基金financial support provided by the UK EPSRC (EP/S019111/1 and EP/R001715/1)。
文摘Lightweight curved profiles are widely utilised in the transportation industry considering the increasing need for improving aerodynamic efficiency,aesthetics and cutting emissions.In this paper,curved AZ31 Mg alloy profiles were manufactured in one operation by a novel process,differential velocity sideways extrusion(DVSE),in which two opposed rams were used.Effects of extrusion temperature and velocity(strain rate) on curvature,microstructure,and mechanical properties of the formed profiles were examined.Profile curvature was found to be more readily controlled by the velocity ratio of the bottom ram v2to the top ram v1,whereas extrusion temperature(T=250,300,350℃)and extrusion velocity(v_(1)=0.1,1 mm/s) slightly affect curvature for a given velocity ratio.A homogeneous microstructure with equiaxed grains(~4.5 μm) resulted from dynamic recrystallisation(DRX),was observed after DVSE(v_(2)/v_(1)=1/2) at 300 ℃ and v_(1)=0.1 mm/s,where the initial billet had an average grain size of ~25 um.Increasing extrusion temperature leads to grain growth(~5 μm) at 350 ℃ and v_(1)=0.1 mm/s.DRX is incomplete at the relatively low temperature of 250℃(v_(1)=0.1 mm/s),and higher strain rate with v1=1mm/s(T=300℃),resulting in inhomogeneous bi-modal necklace pattern grains ranging in size around 1-25 μm for the former and 2-20μm for the latter.Grain refinement is attributed to DRX during the severe plastic deformation(SPD) arising in DVSE,and initiates at the prior boundaries of coarse grains in a necklace-like manner.Compared with the billet,micro-hardness and ultimate tensile strength of the profiles have been enhanced,which is compatible with grain refinement.Also,an obvious increase in tensile ductility was found.However,yield strength slightly decreases except for the complete DRXed case(300℃,v_(1)=0.1 mm/s),where a slightly higher value was found,indicating strengthening by grain refinement is greater than softening caused by texture modification.The initial billet had a strong basal texture wherein the {0002} basal plane is oriented parallel to the extrusion direction(’hard’ orientation),while DVSE results in the profiles having weak basal textures and the {0002} basal plane oriented ~5-10° to the extrusion direction(i.e.towards the orientation for easier slip).This significantly modified texture contributes to the softening of the profiles in the extrusion direction,in which tensile tests were performed,and the related elongation improvement.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 12205033, 12105317, 11905022 and 11975062)Dalian Youth Science and Technology Project (No. 2022RQ039)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 3132023192)the Young Scientists Fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (No. 2023NSFSC1291)
文摘Many magnetohydrodynamic stability analyses require generation of a set of equilibria with a fixed safety factor q-profile while varying other plasma parameters.A neural network(NN)-based approach is investigated that facilitates such a process.Both multilayer perceptron(MLP)-based NN and convolutional neural network(CNN)models are trained to map the q-profile to the plasma current density J-profile,and vice versa,while satisfying the Grad–Shafranov radial force balance constraint.When the initial target models are trained,using a database of semianalytically constructed numerical equilibria,an initial CNN with one convolutional layer is found to perform better than an initial MLP model.In particular,a trained initial CNN model can also predict the q-or J-profile for experimental tokamak equilibria.The performance of both initial target models is further improved by fine-tuning the training database,i.e.by adding realistic experimental equilibria with Gaussian noise.The fine-tuned target models,referred to as fine-tuned MLP and fine-tuned CNN,well reproduce the target q-or J-profile across multiple tokamak devices.As an important application,these NN-based equilibrium profile convertors can be utilized to provide a good initial guess for iterative equilibrium solvers,where the desired input quantity is the safety factor instead of the plasma current density.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 12334010)。
文摘Fano resonance is a ubiquitous phenomenon, and it is commonly interpreted as a two-channel interference of the discrete and continuous channels. The present work investigates the Fano profile from a perspective of the temporal evolution of the wave function. By exciting the atom with a δ pulse and calculating the evolution of the wave function, the Fano formula is deduced. The results clearly show that the Fano resonance is of a three-channel interference, which is different from the traditional understanding. The three channels are revealed as the groundcontinuum, ground-discrete-continuum, and a previously unmentioned third channel, i.e., ground-continuumdiscrete-continuum. The present three-channel interpretation can be easily generalized to other physical systems,contributing to a deeper understanding of the Fano profile.
文摘Background: SARS-CoV-2 has circulated worldwide with dramatic consequences. In Chad, we have no data reported of variants. The aim of this study was to identify the SARS-CoV-2 variants that circulated during the epidemic from 2020 to 2021. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study carried out between 2020 and 2021. Samples from patients with suspected COVID-19 were tested in five laboratories in N’Djamena. One hundred quality samples of the positives were sequenced in Kinshasa using Oxford nanopore technologies minion and the Protocol Midnight SARS-CoV2. Data were processed using Excel version 16 software. Results: Of the 100 samples sequenced, 77 (77%) produced sequences, 23 (23%) did not. The genomic profiles were wild-type Wuhan and minor mutations (19A, 19B (A), 20A (B.1, B.2), 20B (AV.1), 20D (B.1.1.1 /C.36), 20C), variant of concern Alpha (20I), variant of concern Delta (21A/J), variant of interest Eta (21D), variant of concern Omicron (21K) and unclassified variant under surveillance (B.1.640). Of these variants, the maximums were detected in patients aged 26 - 35 with 30.26% and 25.26% in 36 - 45. However, 24.67% were in travelers and 75.32% in residents, 35.06% in those vaccinated against COVID-19 and 62.33% in non-vaccinates. The estimated case-fatality rate was 2.44% (107/4374). Conclusion: This work has provided preliminary data on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating during the 2020-2021 epidemics in Chad.