Elevated Exhaustion Levels of NK and CD8 T Cells as Indicators for Progression and Prognosis of COVID-19 Disease.

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induced Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed a global threat to public health. The immune system is crucial in defending and eliminating the virus and infected cells. However, immune dysregulation may result in the rapid progression of COVID-19.

Effects of wheat flour particle size on physicochemical properties and quality of noodles.

The effect of particle size on the physicochemical and noodle quality of wheat flours was investigated. Granular wheat flour was ground by adjusting the distance between the rolls (0.02, 0.

Hepatoprotective effect of gentiopicroside in combination with leflunomide and/or methotrexate in arthritic rats.

Aims: This study aimed to examine whether gentiopicroside (GPS) could exert hepatoprotective effects on leflunomide (LEF)- and/or methotrexate (MTX)-treated arthritic rats through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant pathways.

Main Methods: We observed the external symptoms of joints, analysed serum indicators, measured haematological parameters and mRNA levels, and performed HE staining.

Key Findings: LEF and/or MTX combined with GPS ameliorated oxidative stress by increasing the mRNA levels of the antioxidant gene Nrf2, GCLC, HO-1, and NQO1, increasing the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT), reducing the oxidant substance malondialdehyde (MDA), reducing the inflammatory response by decreasing the mRNA levels of NF-κB, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inhibiting the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-6, IL-1β and reducing C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as alleviating the external symptoms of arthritis.

Embryo biopsy and perinatal outcomes of singleton pregnancies: an analysis of 16,246 frozen embryo transfer cycles reported in the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinical Outcomes Reporting System.

Background: Preimplantation genetic testing is commonly performed by removing cells from the trophectoderm, the outer layer of the blastocyst, which subsequently forms the placenta. Because preimplantation genetic testing removes the cells that are destined to form the placenta, it is possible that preimplantation genetic testing could be associated with an increased risk for adverse outcomes associated with abnormal placentation. Despite the increasing utilization of preimplantation genetic testing, few studies have investigated the perinatal outcomes, with published studies yielding contradictory findings and using small sample sizes.

CircTET1 Inhibits Retinoblastoma Progression via Targeting miR-492 and miR-494-3p through Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway.

: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a frequent intraocular malignancy in children. Circular RNA (circRNA) plays an essential role in regulating the occurrence and development of tumors. This study aimed at investigating the function and molecular basis of hsa_circ_0093996 (circTET1) in RB.

A Novel Active Contour Model for Noisy Image Segmentation based on Adaptive Fractional Order Differentiation.

The images used in various practices are often disturbed by noise, such as Gaussian noise, speckled noise, and salt and pepper noise. Images with noise are one of the challenges for segmentation, since the noise may cause inaccurate segmented results. To cope with the effect of noise on images during segmentation, a novel active contour model is proposed in this paper.

Clinical effectiveness of Er,Cr:YSGG lasers in non-surgical treatment of chronic periodontitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

The meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate all the available pieces of evidence concerning the clinical effectiveness of Er,Cr:YSGG lasers (erbium, chromium, yttrium scandium gallium garnet laser) in the non-surgical treatment of patients with chronic periodontitis, and provide guidance for clinicians about the application of Er,Cr:YSGG lasers during the process of non-surgical periodontal treatments. The meta-analysis was conducted with data extracted from 16 randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) that compare Er,Cr:YSGG lasers adjunct/substitute to scaling and root planing (SRP) with SRP alone for the treatment of chronic periodontitis published in English or Chinese from January 2000 to January 2020. The weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were counted for probing depth (PD) reduction, clinical attachment level (CAL) gain, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score.

A General Model to Explain Repeated Turnovers of Sex Determination in the Salicaceae.

Dioecy, the presence of separate sexes on distinct individuals, has evolved repeatedly in multiple plant lineages. However, the specific mechanisms by which sex systems evolve and their commonalities among plant species remain poorly understood. With both XY and ZW sex systems, the family Salicaceae provides a system to uncover the evolutionary forces driving sex chromosome turnovers.

Decoding Pigeon Behavior Outcomes during Goal-directed Decision Task by WSR Functional Network Analysis.

It is a hot research direction to reveal the working mechanism of brain by measuring the connection characteristics of brain function network. In this paper, to decode pigeon behavior outcomes in goal-directed decision task, an experiment based on plus maze was designed and the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) of the pigeon was selected as the target brain region. The local field potential (LFP) signals in the waiting area (WA) and turning area (TA) were recorded when the pigeons performed the goal-directed tasks.

Association study of genetic variants at TTC32-WDR35 gene cluster with coronary artery disease in Chinese Han population.

Background: TTC32-WDR35 gene cluster has been genome-wide significantly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the common variants in this region contributing to CAD risk remain elusive.

Methods: We performed a case-control study enrolling 935 CAD cases and 935 age-sex-frequency-matched controls from unrelated southwest Chinese Han population.

Reduction of Aflatoxin B in Corn by Water-Assisted Microwaves Treatment and Its Effects on Corn Quality.

Aflatoxin B (AFB) is one of the most commonly found mycotoxin in corn, which is highly toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic for the health of humans and animals. In order to reduce the AFB in corn, corn kernels were processed with Water-assisted Microwaves Treatment (WMT) and the feasibility of WMT processing on AFB reduction and its effects on corn quality were analyzed. Increasing the treatment time and microwave power could increase the reduction of AFB, and the maximum reduction rate could reach 58.

Novel SFTSV Phylogeny Reveals New Reassortment Events and Migration Routes.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), the causative agent of a febrile human disease, was first identified from central and eastern provinces in China, and later in Japan and South Korea. Hubei Province is one of the major SFTS epidemic areas in the central part of China. This study reported the isolation of 11 new SFTSV strains from patients in Hubei Province collected in 2017.

The efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture against urinary incontinence after stroke: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is still a persistent challenge in many stroke survivors, affecting the quality of life and emotional being of these individuals. Numerous studies have demonstrated the curative effect of electroacupuncture on post-stroke incontinence, however they were mired with questionable quality and inconsistencies in safety and efficacy. Therefore, the main objective of this meta-analysis is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture against urinary incontinence after stroke, with a view of providing more reliable evidence-based solutions for UI.

gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel cellulose- and xylan-degrading member of the family isolated from a hot spring.

Two anaerobic bacteria, designated strains SYSU GA16112 and SYSU GA16107, were isolated from a hot spring in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, south-west PR China. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains SYSU GA16112 and SYSU GA16107 belong to the family . Cells of strains SYSU GA16112 and SYSU GA16107 were Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and non-motile.

Association between ambient ozone pollution and mortality from a spectrum of causes in Guangzhou, China.

Ambient ozone (O) has emerged as an important public health issue worldwide. Previous studies found an association between O and cardiorespiratory mortality. However, evidence was limited regarding the risk of O on mortality from other diseases.

Dual-layer achromatic metalens design with an effective Abbe number.

Planar achromatic metalenses with a thickness of the order of wavelength have attracted much attention for their potential applications in ultra-compact optical devices. However, realizing single-layer achromatic metalenses across a wide bandwidth requires that the corresponding meta-atoms have complex cross-sections for correct phase profile and dispersion compensation. Herein, we introduce an effective Abbe number and use lens maker equations to design a dual-layer achromatic metalens in which we compensate the dispersion by using a plano-convex liked metalens combined with a plano-concave liked metalens.

The Role of Hp-NCL Network in Goal-Directed Routing Information Encoding of Bird: A Review.

Goal-directed navigation is a crucial behavior for the survival of animals, especially for the birds having extraordinary spatial navigation ability. In the studies of the neural mechanism of the goal-directed behavior, especially involving the information encoding mechanism of the route, the hippocampus (Hp) and nidopallium caudalle (NCL) of the avian brain are the famous regions that play important roles. Therefore, they have been widely concerned and a series of studies surrounding them have increased our understandings of the navigation mechanism of birds in recent years.

GDF11 replenishment protects against hypoxia-mediated apoptosis in cardiomyocytes by regulating autophagy.

GDF11 has been reported to play a critical role in rejuvenating hypertrophy heart, skeletal muscle, and blood vessel regeneration in aged mice. Whether GDF11 can regulate autophagy in cardiomyocytes remains largely unknown. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of GDF11 on cardiomyocyte autophagy induced by hypoxia, in addition to the underlying mechanisms.

Ethanol infusion into the vein of Marshall for recurrent perimitral atrial tachycardia after catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background: Catheter ablation of perimitral atrial tachycardia (PMAT) is challenging. Epicardial conduction of the Marshall bundle (MB) across the mitral isthmus (MI) remains an important cause of recurrent tachycardia. The role of ethanol infusion into the vein of Marshall (EI-VOM) for PMAT has not been fully elucidated.

Isolation of Clostridium from Yunnan-Tibet hot springs and description of Clostridium thermarum sp. nov. with lignocellulosic ethanol production.

Lignocellulose is considered a major source of renewable energy that serve as an alternative to the fossil fuels. Members of the genus Clostridium are some of the many microorganisms that have the ability to degrade lignocellulose efficiently to sugar, which can be further converted to biofuel. In this study, we isolated twelve Clostridium strains from hot spring samples of Yunnan and Tibet, of which isolates SYSU GA15002 and SYSU GA17076 showed low 16S rRNA gene sequence identity profiles to any of the validly named Clostridium strains (<94.

Left-sided accessory pathways successfully ablated from the aortomitral continuity region: distinctive atrial activation patterns and anatomic concerns.

Aims: Accessory pathways (APs) successfully ablated at the aortomitral continuity (AMC) were sporadically reported but relevant data are very limited. We aimed to describe the electrophysiological characteristics of AMC-AP and the related anatomy.

Methods And Results: This study involved eight (male/female = 3/5, mean age 42.

Sprouty2 Inhibits Migration and Invasion of Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis by Down-regulating ATF2 Expression and Phosphorylation.

Activating transcription factor 2(ATF2), a transcription factor belonging to the AP-1 family, plays an important role in inflammation. However, its biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain unclear. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to identify the expression of ATF2 and Sprouty2(SPRY2) in RA synovial tissues.

Time trends and other sources of variation in Helicobacter pylori infection in mainland China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is a carcinogen that causes a huge burden of gastric cancer in China. We aimed to evaluate the temporal trends and other sources of variation of H pylori infection in adults from mainland China.

Materials And Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases for articles published from January 1983 to June 2020.

Effects of dietary n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids levels on growth, lipid metabolism and innate immunity in juvenile golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus).

To investigate the effects of dietary n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) levels on growth, lipid metabolism and innate immunity in juvenile golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus, a marine carnivorous teleost, a total of 450 fish (average body weight: 14.84 g) were randomly distributed into 18 cages at sea, each dietary group with three cages and respectively fed six diets (D1-D6) with 2.30% (D1), 0.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the role of a peptide derived from CRYAB on the CoCl-induced hypoxic HL-1 cardiomyocytes.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a life-threatening disease that often results in heart failure. CRYAB, a small heat shock protein, has been shown to have cardioprotective effects against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in AMI. Previously, we purified a peptide derived from CRYAB (LEDQFFGEH), which we named PDFC.