A Novel Prophylaxis Strategy Using Ecotin as A Promising Adjuvant for Fc-RBD Fusion Protein Vaccine of SARS-CoV-2Yakun Sun#, Rui Zheng#, Deyu Li#,Yitai Fang#, Liangyan Zhang, Xiaolan Yang, Wenjing Yu, Yeqing Tu, Dan Lu, Deyan Luo*, Hui Wang*Department of Infection Immunity&Defense, State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, ChinaCorrespondence to:Dr. Hui Wangwanghui_dyx@hotmail.com20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, ChinaTel: +86 10 66948532; Fax: +86 10 66948532Dr Deyan Luoldy612@126.com20 Dongda Street, Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, ChinaTel: +86 10 66948549; Fax: +86 10 66948532#These authors contributed equally to this article.

A document by Chenqing Zheng. Click on the document to view its contents.

For the first time, the 2022 CASP (Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction) community experiment included a section on computing multiple conformations for protein and RNA structures. There was full or partial success in reproducing the ensembles for four of the nine targets, an encouraging result. For protein structures, enhanced sampling with variations of the AlphaFold2 deep learning method was by far the most effective approach. One substantial conformational change caused by a single mutation across a complex interface was accurately reproduced. In two other assembly modeling cases, methods succeeded in sampling conformations near to the experimental ones even though environmental factors were not included in the calculations. An experimentally derived flexibility ensemble allowed a single accurate RNA structure model to be identified. Difficulties included how to handle sparse or low-resolution experimental data and the current lack of effective methods for modeling RNA/protein complexes. However, these and other obstacles appear addressable.

Aim: Natural transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi occurs when infected hematophagous deposit feces contaminated with metacyclic trypomastigotes on injured skin or mucosa. To study the inflammatory response at the inoculation site, dissemination of parasites, Th cell subtypes at the local lymph nodes and myocarditis mice were exposed to Triatoma dimidiata naturally contaminated with Trypanosoma cruzi. Methods and results: Mice were intradermal inoculated with T. dimidiata feces containing metacyclic trypomastigotes or were previously immunized with feces without metacyclic trypomastigotes and analyzed from 15 minutes to 3 months after inoculation. Parasites remained at the inoculation site until 20 days after inoculation but disappeared early in pre-immunized mice that presented with edema and collagen fragmentation as early as 15 minutes after being challenged with metacyclic trypomastigotes. The Th2 subpopulation dominated in the first week in mice infected with feces containing metacyclic trypomastigotes, whereas Th1 and Th17 populations dominated in the challenged mice population. Similarly in heart tissue, intense myocarditis and remodeling, with faster clearance of amastigotes was observed in mice previously immunized with Triatoma dimidiata feces. Furthermore, immune cell-types, Th1 and Th17, predominated after 20 days post-infection in all experimental groups. Conclusions: Previous exposure with Triatoma dimidiata feces prior to infection with metacyclic trypomastigotes favors parasitic dissemination and early induction of Th1 and Th17 subpopulations with lower parasitism in heart tissue but does not ameliorate inflammation and tissue damage which is accompanied with Th1/Th17 and Treg profile.

The radiofrequency (RF) shimming circuit consisting of power splitters and phase shifters is a well-recognized way to solve the inhomogeneity of the RF field in ultrahigh field MRI. However, phase shifters made of standard transmission lines are too large to be suitable for the RF shimming circuit. In this work, we propose miniaturized phase shifters based on the capacitor-loaded transmission line (CLTL), in which the physical size could be well reduced without sacrificing RF performance. A complete theoretical analysis was provided, and the proposed design was validated by electromagnetic simulation and bench test. The fabricated phase shifters have miniaturized sizes and exhibit low insertion loss.

This paper investigates the unbalanced magnetic force(UMF) produced by angular eccentricity in magnetic screw. The principle of eccentricity is briefly outlined and an analytical expression that can be used to predict UMF of a magnetic screw is established. A 3D magnetic screw model with helically magnetized PMs has been built and simulated in ANSYS Maxwell with different angular eccentricities. Comparing the FE simulation and analytical calculation results, there is a certain difference in the UMF of the magnetic screw, which is also caused by the asymmetry of the magnetic screw structure. It has been shown that compared to the linear tubular PM motor with the same thrust force capability, the magnetic screw has a much small UMF, which greatly simplifies the mechanical design of the magnetic screw.

Consider general minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) robust adaptive beamforming problems based on the optimal estimation for both the desired signal steering vector and the interference-plus-noise covariance (INC) matrix. The optimal robust adaptive beamformer design problem is an array output power maximization problem, subject to three constraints on the steering vector, namely, a (convex or nonconvex) quadratic constraint ensuring that the direction-of-arrival (DOA) of the desired signal is separated from the DOA region of all linear combinations of the interference steering vectors, a double-sided norm constraint, and a similarity constraint; as well as a ball constraint on the INC matrix, which is centered at a given data sample covariance matrix. To tackle the nonconvex problem, a new tightened semidefinite relaxation (SDR) approach is proposed to output a globally optimal solution; otherwise, a sequential convex approximation (SCA) method is established to return a locally optimal solution. The simulation results show that the MVDR robust adaptive beamformers based on the optimal estimation for the steering vector and the INC matrix have better performance (in terms of, e.g., the array output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio) than the existing MVDR robust adaptive beamformers by the steering vector estimation only.

Cellulose-based flexible transparent electrodes (FTEs) with stable electronic properties were prepared using agricultural waste corn straw cellulose as the raw material. The preparation process employed a single-coating method that is expected to achieve a roll-to-roll process. The FTEs exhibited a transmittance of 86.17% at 550 nm (including the substrate) and a sheet resistance of 45.35 Ω/sq. Moreover, analysis of the SEM surface morphology revealed that silver nanowires (AgNWs) were uniformly embedded within the cellulose, demonstrating high stability, flexibility, and absence of aggregation defects. Additionally, the FTEs displayed excellent electrical stability, with a resistance variation of less than 3% under bending, folding, and after 1,000 bending cycles. Therefore, cellulose-based FTEs hold significant prospects for the high-value utilization of straw cellulose and wide application in flexible electronic devices.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that numerous animal species are capable of goal-directed navigation using environmental information for dead reckoning. The stable magnetic field of the earth provides important information for the migration of animals over long distances. Inspired by the goal-directed navigation of animals, a novel Geomagnetic Navigation with Temporal Attention-based Data-Driven Dead Reckoning (Attention-DR) method for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) is presented in this article, which only utilizes the inclination angle (I) and the declination angle (D) of the Geomagnetic Field (GF) for underwater navigation without any prior knowledge of the geographical location or geographic map. This article proposes a Temporal Attention-based Long Short-Term Memory (TA-LSTM) neural network by combining history, GF information, and location in time series to achieve the optimization heading angle of underwater dead reckoning. Due to its ability to adjust the utilization weights of local and global temporal information in the path, TA-LSTM possesses the capability to continually update neural network model parameters through a data-driven process during the navigation process. This enables the Attention-DR to achieve efficient navigation in regions without prior magnetic maps and overcome navigation failures caused by magnetic field anomalies. The simulation outcomes confirm the efficiency, precision, and practicability of the proposed algorithm.

Introduction The global burden of blindness is unequally distributed and affects rural areas to a greater extent. The World Health Organisation has specified task-shifting and increasing human resources for eye health as two strategies to improve access to eye care in under-served areas. It is unknown whether factors contributing to the successful task-shifting of mid-level eye care providers, and factors that lead to their successful recruitment and/or retention in under-served areas are similar or complementary. Methods A literature review was undertaken focussing on Ghana and Scotland: two countries that have implemented task-shifting in eye care. Results Four main areas were highlighted that must be addressed for task-shifting and recruitment/retention of eye care workers to be successful: training, incentivising to work in the right areas, motivation to stay, and the means of productivity. Discussion Incentives are effective in both task-shifting and recruitment/retention but both financial and non-financial incentives should be carefully considered, including at the student stage. Incentives should be given for trainers as well as trainees. Task-shifted clinicians are motivated to remain through clear career progression, learning opportunities, good relationships with colleagues and management, and suitable remuneration for the increased responsibility. The ability to meet the actual need of the population is important and requires the legal ability to prescribe medication. Adequate resources like equipment and consumables are required to maintain motivation. Conclusion Factors leading to successful task-shifting and recruitment/retention of eye care workers in under-served areas are similar. Designing strategies to improve these should evaluate context-specific motivational factors.

Rivers play an important role in human production and life. On the one hand, rivers provide water for human production and life. On the other hand, when the river has too much water, it will bring flood disasters to human beings. Therefore, the prediction of river runoff is particularly important. Accurate runoff prediction can not only provide basic data for the allocation and operation of water resources, but also provide reference for flood control and waterlogging control of the basin. The formation process of runoff is affected by rainfall, underlying surface, human activities and other factors. The improvement of runoff prediction accuracy has always been a difficult problem in the hydrological field. Because the runoff is affected by many factors and contains a lot of noise, the prediction accuracy will be reduced by using the data containing noise. EEMD is a good tool to separate signal and noise. This method is used to preprocess the runoff series, decompose the runoff series into multiple IMF intrinsic modulus, and then use the ANFIS algorithm with strong nonlinear approximation ability to predict each IMF function, and then reconstruct the predicted data to improve the prediction accuracy of runoff. By comparison, the prediction accuracy of EEMD-ANFIS model is about 34% higher than that of ANFIS model.

The microstructure of a continuously cast break out of low carbon steel has been studied using optical microscopy; SEM/EDS and EBSD analysis techniques. The microstructure was studied in both longitudinal and transverse directions using optical microscopy. SEM and EBSD studies were carried out on two different locations in one sample piece and the resulting room temperature grains were found to be mostly BCC α- ferrite phase. Their orientations (using Euler angles) were determined. No meaningful amount of FCC phase was indexed after two patterns indexed on the two locations of the sample piece of the sample piece. The FCC comprised approximately 0.02% to 0.08% of the total patterns indexed. EBSD maps for the two locations, along with pole figures and grain size charts were calculated for the BCC phase. Volume fraction of the phase was estimated. Reconstruction of the Prior Austenite Grain Boundary was made from the alpha grains data using AztecWave software (AZtecCrystal). Only a small amount of the prior austenite grain boundaries was determined suggesting that the size of the parent grains were significantly larger than the map area in each case

The thermal structure of subduction zones is fundamental to our understanding of the physical and chemical processes that occur at active convergent plate margins. These include magma generation and related arc volcanism, shallow and deep seismicity, and metamorphic reactions that can release fluids. Computational models can predict the thermal structure to great numerical precision when models are fully described but this does not guarantee accuracy or applicability. In a trio of companion papers the construction of thermal subduction zone models, their use in subduction zone studies, and their link to geophysical and geochemical observations is explored. In this part II the finite element techniques that can be used to predict thermal structure are discussed in an introductory fashion along with their verification and validation.

Global warming has caused changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources and affected the water environment. Land use change is mainly influenced by human activities, which is also one of the reasons for the water environment problems have become increasingly serious. The Yongding River basin is important water connotation area and ecological barrier in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China. The basin has been affected by human activities and climate change, there are problems such as significant reduction in runoff and serious water pollution. To study the effects of climate change and land use on runoff and water quality, this paper simulates runoff and water quality by the Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN(HSPF) model, then studied the changes of runoff and water quality under different land use and climate scenarios. The results show that: the HSPF model has good applicability in the Yongding River basin, the Relative Error (Re) of runoff and water quality simulation is within 10%, the Nash Coefficient (NSE) and Correlation Coefficient (R) are above 0.6. The simulation results of different land use scenarios show that the expansion of construction land has a facilitating effect on runoff and also leads to the increase of pollutant concentrations in river; forest and grassland inhibit the generation of runoff, while having a purifying effect on water quality. The simulation results of different climate scenarios show that the rainfall rising has a positive effect on runoff generation and water quality improvement and the temperature rising has a negative effect on runoff generation and water quality improvement. At the same time, the “evaporation paradox” also affects the runoff change. In the integrated scenario, simulation results show that the land use and climate change influence the changes in runoff and water quality, but the influence mechanism is not a simple superposition.

A document by Naazmin Chandrani. Click on the document to view its contents.

Corynebacterium spp. have emerged as opportunistic pathogens, with increasing reports of isolation from patients with mild and severe infections. Corynebacterial isolates were found expressing multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotypes in most cases. In the present work, we report the isolation of an MDR C. glucuronolyticum strain from the human urogenital tract. In addition, we provide comprehensive genomic data of the isolate that was first identified by mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and had its antimicrobial susceptibility profile determined by the disc diffusion method. Genomic analyses were applied to confirm the species identification and predict genes involved in the virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and CRISPR-Cas systems. C. glucuronolyticum isolate exhibited resistance to benzylpenicillin, clindamycin, and tetracycline. Two virulence (mprA and tlyC) and several antimicrobial genes, including those related to tetracycline and lincosamides, were found in the genome. Additionally, the Type I-E CRISPR-Cas system was detected. Although C. glucuronolyticum has been isolated from patients with human infections, mostly male patients with genitourinary tract infections, its pathogenic potential is unclear. Presently, the clinical resolution only occurred with antimicrobial treatment considering our results, reinforcing that the antimicrobial susceptibility profile should be performed in cases of infection caused by Corynebacterium spp., especially in the face of the emergence of MDR isolates. Moreover, our data revealed putative virulence and antimicrobial resistance factors, which should be better characterized to understand the pathogenicity potential of C. glucuronolyticum for the genitourinary tract.

Shobith Suresh*

The establishment of in vitro models plays a vital role in understanding and investigating pulmonary fibrosis (PF) at the cellular and molecular levels. In this paper, we conduct a literature review and provide an analysis of various cellular models used in scientific experiments, along with their applications in understanding the pathogenesis of PF. Our studies indicate that a comprehensive understanding of PF should not be based on a single cell type or organ, but on a multi-organ, multi-level, and multi-perspective approach. Primary cells demonstrate superior cell growth characteristics and gene expression profiles. However, challenges such as limited availability, difficulties in maintenance, inability for continuous propagation, and susceptibility to phenotype loss over time significantly restrict their utility in scientific research. On the other hand, replacement cell lines can be easily obtained, cultured, and continuously propagated, but their phenotypic characteristics are somewhat different compared to primary cells. In vitro co-culture models offer a more practical and precise means to elucidate the intricate interactions between cells, tissues, and organs. Therefore, when constructing pathology models of PF, researchers should carefully consider the advantages, limitations, and relevant mechanisms associated with different cell models for selection according to the research objectives.

In this paper, we focus on the global well-posedness of solutions to three-dimensional incompressible Boussinesq equations with temperature-dependent viscosity under the smallness assumption of initial velocity fields $u_0$ in the critical space $\dot_{B}_{3,1}^0$. The key ingredients here lie in the decomposition of the velocity fields and the regularity theory of the Stokes system, which are crucial to get rid of the smallness restricition of the initial temperature $ heta_0$. In addition, we mention that the improved decay estimates in time is also necessary.

Blunt abdominal trauma in pregnant woman complicated by intestinal ischaemia: A case reportRunning title: A case of intestinal ischaemia after blunt abdominal trauma in pregnancy

Aim: We aimed to assess the impact at the global level of physical anthropogenic disturbances on the dominant mycorrhizal types in ecosystems and how this mechanism can potentially lead to lasting plant community changes. Location: Globally distributed study regions Time Period: 2007-2018 Taxa studied: Plants and mycorrhizal fungi Methods: We used a database of coordinated plant community surveys following mountain roads from 894 plots in 11 mountain regions across the globe in combination with a database of mycorrhizal-plant associations in order to estimate the relative abundance of mycorrhizal types in natural and disturbed environments. Results: Our findings show that roadside disturbance promotes the cover of plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This effect is especially strong in colder mountain environments and in mountain regions where plant communities are dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EcM) or ericoid-mycorrhizal (ErM) associations. Furthermore, non-native plant species, which we confirmed to be mostly AM plants, are more successful in environments dominated by AM associations. Main Conclusions: These biogeographical patterns suggest that changes in mycorrhizal types are a crucial factor in the worldwide impact of anthropogenic disturbances on mountain ecosystems by promoting AM-dominated systems and potentially weakening biotic resistance against non-native species invasion. Restoration efforts in mountain ecosystems will have to contend with changes in the fundamental make-up of EcM- and ErM plant communities induced by roadside disturbance.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to detect the incidence of anatomical variations of sphenoid sinus and its association with the extent of disease using Modified Lund Mackay staging system. METHOD: Cross sectional study . SETTING: A tertiary care centre. PARTICIPANTS: 201 patients with history of chronic rhinosinusitis attended the outpatient department of otorhinolaryngology were subjected for CT-paranasal sinus from November 2016 to May 2018. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CT paranasal sinus was performed 16 slice CT machine .The radiological findings of sphenoid were characterized by Modified Lund-Mackay staging system and the points were awarded on both sides separately. RESULTS: The mean age of study were 37.6(SD=11.4). Regarding the incidence of anatomical variations in sphenoid sinus observations were hypoplasia(right-0.5%,left-2.5%),agenesis(right-0.5%),pneumatization of pterygoid process(right-49.3%,left-40.3%),pneumatization of anterior clinoid process(right-27.4%,left-15.9%),pneumatization of greater wing of sphenoid(right-5%,left-4.5%),protrusion (right-3.5%,left-1%) and dehiscence (right-1.5%,left-2.5%) of internal carotid artery, protrusion (right-3.5%,left-3%) and dehiscence (right-4%,left-4%) of optic nerve,protrusion (right-4%,left-4%) and dehiscence (right-1%,left-1%) of maxillary nerve, protrusion (right-37.3%,left-33.3%) and dehiscence (right-1.5%,left-1.5%) of vidian canal,onodi cell(right-7%,left-7%),conchal(right-0.5%,left-0.5%),sellar(right-85.1%,left-82.1%),presellar (right-6%,left-4%), postsellar(right-7.5%,left-5.5%) and intersphenoid septum – absent(1.5%),single(77.6%),accessory (right-16.9%%,left-4.5%). There was statistically significant association between pneumatization of pterygoid, anterior clinoid, greater wing of sphenoid, protrusion of vidian canal and sphenoid sinusitis. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to know the variations of sphenoid sinus and care should be observed to avoid complications during surgery on patients carrying these variations. KEYWORDS: anatomical variations; chronic rhinosinusitis ; sphenoid sinus ; CT paranasal sinus ; modified Lund Mackay staging  .

Background: Attachment theory has served as an influential framework for understanding psychopathology, partly due to reliable assessment methodology. The influence of insecure attachment on attitudes towards the body and the impact this might have for the development of psychopathology is however less well elucidated. Method: 123 adolescents (35 with borderline personality disorder or BPD, 25 with other personality disorders or OPD and 63 comprising a healthy control group) were interviewed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Mirror Interview (MI). The MI questions respondents about how they feel about their bodies, as they look in the mirror Results: The AAIs from the BPD group were predominantly insecure-preoccupied and unresolved. Adolescents with PD but particularly BPD had significantly greater issues with negative body representations (NBR) than the control group. Insecure attachment and unresolved attachment status were significantly linked to NBR. Regression results revealed a low loving relationship with fathers, high involving anger with father, low coherence of mind & passive speech uniquely predicted 61% of variance in NBR. Conclusion: Unfavorable attachment experiences may give rise to negative body images and influence the development of psychopathology, especially BPD.

Anxiety disorders pose significant challenges to individuals’ emotional well-being and daily functioning. This article explores the therapeutic potential of Expressive Arts Therapy (EAT) in reducing anxiety and enhancing coping skills among individuals with anxiety disorders. EAT combines multiple creative modalities, such as visual arts, music, and movement, to facilitate emotional expression and healing. Drawing on theoretical foundations and empirical evidence, we examine the role of expressive arts in providing a safe and nonverbal outlet for anxiety-related emotions. Furthermore, we explore how creative techniques within EAT foster stress reduction and promote adaptive coping strategies. The article also emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic alliance and mindfulness integration in enhancing the effectiveness of EAT interventions. Case studies illustrate the application of EAT for anxiety relief, shedding light on its clinical outcomes. The comprehensive understanding of EAT’s potential in mitigating anxiety disorders, as presented in this article, calls for further research and advocacy to promote the integration of expressive arts into anxiety treatment protocols.