Immune protection of three serine protease inhibitors vaccine in mice against Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

Bioactive molecules in tick saliva are considered to be key to successful feeding and further the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Problems such as pathogen transmission and animal weight loss result in tick infestation can cause tremendous economic losses to the livestock industry. Therefore, the development of a universal tick vaccine is urgently needed.

Inserting auxeticity into graphene oxide bottom-up strategy.

Carbon-based materials that process a wide bandgap, high mechanical performance, thermal stability and adjustable characteristics are in high demand. Auxeticity is one of the factors that helps enhances the mechanical performance. Based on this concept, two stable layered carbon-based materials, namely α-CO and β-CO, are proposed.

The antimicrobial peptide Abaecin alleviates colitis in mice by regulating inflammatory signaling pathways and intestinal microbial composition.

Abaecin is a natural antimicrobial peptide (AMP) rich in proline from bees. It is an important part of the innate humoral immunity of bees and has broad-spectrum antibacterial ability. This study aimed to determine the effect of Abaecin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) -induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice and to explore its related mechanisms.

Molecular surveillance and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp. in cattle (Bos taurus) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) from Hainan island/province, China.

Anaplasmosis is a highly prevalent tick-borne intracellular bacterial disease that affects various host species globally, particularly ruminants in tropical and subtropical regions. However, information regarding the distribution and epidemiology of anaplasmosis in small and large ruminants on Hainan Isalnd is limited. To address this knowledge gap, the present study aimed to assess the occurrence of Anaplasma spp.

Epidemiological and phylogenetic investigation of Babesia spp. in dogs of Hainan Province/Island, China.

Babesiosis is a significant tick-borne disease, which is globally prevalent. Many previous research studies have discussed the presence of Babesia gibsoni, Babesia vogeli, and Babesia canis in dogs in China. In the present study, we have used distinct molecular approaches to detect the presence of Babesia spp.

Molecular Detection and Phylogenetic Characterization of spp. in Dogs from Hainan Province/Island, China.

Anaplasmosis is a serious infection which is transmitted by ticks and mosquitos. There are very few reports and studies that have been carried out to understand the prevalence, distribution, and epidemiological profile of spp. infection in dogs in Hainan province/island.

Gauging urban resilience in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic via social network analysis.

Social distancing policies and other restrictive measures have demonstrated efficacy in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these interventions have concurrently led to short- and long-term alterations in social connectedness. Comprehending the transformation in intracity social interactions is imperative for facilitating post-pandemic recovery and development.

In Silico Analysis and Immune Response of YaeT Protein Against Riemerella anatipestifer in Ducks.

Riemerella anatipestifer (RA) is one of the most harmful bacterial pathogens in waterfowl and causes enormous economic loss worldwide. Due to weak cross-immunity protection against different serotypes of RA, inactivated and attenuated vaccines are only effective for RA of specific serotypes. In this paper, outer membrane protein YaeT in RA was analyzed through bioinformatics, in vivo, and in vitro assays.

First-principles calculations of monolayered AlTe: a promising 2D donor semiconductor with ultrahigh visible light harvesting.

Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) crystals have piqued the curiosity of researchers due to their unique features and potential applications, such as catalysis and ion batteries. One essential and desirable aspect of 2D materials is that they have a large photoreactive contact surface for optical absorption. Here, a 2D crystal is proposed that possesses a moderate adjustable indirect band gap of 1.

Dysregulation of tryptophan metabolism and distortion of cell signaling after oral exposure to ethanol and Kynurenic acid.

Kynurenic acid (KYNA), an unavoidable tryptophan metabolite during fermentation is naturally blended with alcohol in all alcoholic beverages. Thus, alcohol drinking inevitably results in co-intake of KYNA. Effects of alcohol or KYNA on human health have been widely studied.

Characterization of a novel recombinant halophilic β-glucosidase of Trichoderma harzianum derived from Hainan mangrove.

Background: β-glucosidase is an important biomass-degrading enzyme and plays a vital role in generating renewable biofuels through enzymatic saccharification. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptome of Trichoderma harzianum HTASA derived from Hainan mangrove and identified a new gene encoding β-glucosidase Bgl3HB. And the biochemically characterization of β-glucosidase activity was performed.

Assessing myocardial infarction severity from the urban environment perspective in Wuhan, China.

Health inequalities are globally widespread due to the regional socioeconomic inequalities. Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading health problem causing deaths worldwide. Yet medical services for it are often inequitably distributed by region.

Surface Alloying and Improved Property of Nb on TC4 Induced by High Current Pulsed Electron Beam.

In this paper, an Nb alloying layer on a TC4 alloy was fabricated by using high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) irradiation to improve surface performance. X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM), laser surface microscope (LSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the phase composition and microstructure of the surface layer. The microhardness, wear tests and corrosion resistance were also examined.

Effect of irradiation pulses on the microstructure and phase composition of a NiCoCrAlY laser cladding coating under the action of a high-current pulsed electron beam.

To reduce the number of microcracks and pores on the surface of laser cladding layers, we used a novel, to the best of our knowledge, surface alloying method to modify the surface of a NiCoCrAlY laser cladding coating using high-current pulsed electron beam technology. The x-ray diffraction peaks of the irradiated coatings were affected by the residual stress, which caused the peaks to shift and significantly broaden. With an increase in the number of pulses, the cleaning effect of the coating surface became significant.

Structure and Functions of Bacterial Outer Membrane Protein A, A Potential Therapeutic Target for Bacterial Infection.

Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is a unique outer membrane protein which is abundantly present in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. OmpA is a transmembrane structural protein with a conserved amino acid sequence among different bacteria. This protein is involved in a number of functions like adhesion, toxicity, invasiveness, and biofilm formation in Gram-negative bacteria.

Recycling Blast Furnace Ferronickel Slag as a Replacement for Paste in Mortar: Formation of Carboaluminate, Reduction of White Portland Cement, and Increase in Strength.

Blast furnace ferronickel slag (BFFS) is generated in the production of ferronickel alloys and is used as cement replacement in concrete or mortar. The effectivity in reducing cement consumption and improving performance are limited. By referring to the paste replacement method, this work used BFFS to replace an equal volume of the white Portland cement paste to obtain greater performance enhancement.

A Spectral-Spatial-Dependent Global Learning Framework for Insufficient and Imbalanced Hyperspectral Image Classification.

Deep learning techniques have been widely applied to hyperspectral image (HSI) classification and have achieved great success. However, the deep neural network model has a large parameter space and requires a large number of labeled data. Deep learning methods for HSI classification usually follow a patchwise learning framework.

An innovative and user-friendly smartphone-assisted molecular diagnostic approach for rapid detection of canine vector-borne diseases.

Present-day diagnostic tools and technologies for canine diseases and other vector-borne parasitic diseases hardly meet the requirements of an efficient and rapid diagnostic tool, which can be suitable for use at the point-of-care in resource-limited settings. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique has been always a method of choice in the development and validation of quick, precise, and sensitive diagnostic assays for pathogen detection and to reorganize point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostics. In this study, we have demonstrated an efficient detection system for parasitic vector-borne pathogens like Ehrlichia canis and Hepatozoon canis by linking the LAMP assay to a smartphone via a simple, inexpensive, and a portable "LAMP box," All the components of the LAMP box were connected to each other wirelessly.

Amorphization and Nano-Crystallization of Ni-Nb Coating on GH3039 Alloys by High Current Pulsed Electron Beam.

In this paper, the Ni-Nb coatings were successfully prepared onto the GH3039 alloys by High current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results confirmed that the Ni-Nb layer of 10-pulsed samples exhibited partial amorphization, which was consisted of γ-Ni particles, rod-like NiNb particles and nano NiNb with 30 nm in size. After 20-pulsed irradiation, the results show that only NiNb clusters with around 3 nm in size were dispersed in fully amorphization layer.

Microstructure and Properties of Mechanical Alloying Al-Zr Coating by High Current Pulsed Electron Beam Irradiation.

The "HOPE-I" type high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) equipment was used to irradiate the pure aluminum material with Zr coating preset by ball milling to realize the alloying of a Zr-Al coating surface. The microstructure and phase analysis were conducted by XRD, SEM, and TEM. The experimental results show that after Zr alloying on the Al surface by HCPEB, a layer of 15 μm was formed on the surface of the sample, which was mainly composed of Zr and Al-Zr intermetallic compounds.

Identification of the Aedes aegypti nAChR gene family and molecular target of spinosad.

Background: Spinosad is an insecticide with unique mode of action (MOA) of disrupting nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and is efficacious against many insect species. Mutations in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α6 subunit have been identified that are associated with levels of spinosad resistance, but the molecular characterization of the nAChR gene family and a causative association between nAChR α6 and resistance to spinosad in Aedes aegypti, a primary vector of many arboviruses, have not yet been reported.

Results: In this study, we identified 10 candidate nAChR subunits in Ae.

An efficient high-welfare feeding device for assessing northern fowl mite interventions in vivo: an improved method for the identification of protective antigens/systemic acaricides/repellent effect.

The northern fowl mite (NFM), Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is an obligate hematophagous ectoparasite of domestic and wild birds, and it is an economic pest of laying hen in North America, China, India, Australia, Myanmar, and Brazil. Such an economically important pest remains neglected in many parts of the world, including Asian countries. Therefore, concerted action is required in both basic and applied research directed at the biology and control of this destructive pest.

Cathelicidin- derived PR39 protects enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 challenged mice by improving epithelial function and balancing the microbiota in the intestine.

The zoonotic enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 can disrupt intestinal epithelial barrier function and in turn leading to serious intestinal and systemic disease. PR39 could effectively inhibit the growth of Gram-negative bacteria, but there is little knowledge of its effects on intestinal barrier function and the microbiota in E. coli-challenged mice.

Oral Administration of Bovine Lactoferrin-Derived Lactoferricin (Lfcin) B Could Attenuate Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Induced Intestinal Disease through Improving Intestinal Barrier Function and Microbiota.

Lactoferricin (Lfcin) B, derived from lactoferrin in whey, has attracted considerable attention because of its multiple biological functions. Zoonotic enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 has adverse effects on intestinal epithelial barrier function, leading to serious intestinal disease. In this study, the EHEC O157:H7-induced intestinal dysfunction model was developed to investigate the effects of Lfcin B on EHEC O157:H7-induced epithelial barrier disruption and microbiota dysbiosis.