Bioinformatics analysis of carotid vulnerable plaques associated with the SARS-CoV-2 pattern.

The rupture of carotid artery vulnerable plaque plays a critical role in ischemic stroke, and the widely spread new coronavirus in recent years plays a certain role in the development of human carotid artery vulnerable plaque, we screened out 27 differential expression genes (DEGs) of stable plaque and vulnerable plaque associated with the new coronavirus. Through the construction of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, the Cathepsin B (CTSB) and Niemann-Pick Disease Type 2 (NPC2) were identified as crucial expression genes, and further, we confirmed the validity of core gene expression in two validation sets. Additionally, we discovered a significant connection between CTSB, NPC2 and 28 different kinds of immune cells in carotid plaque tissue.

How China's digital technology development affects the environmental costs related to global value chains? Evidence from regional manufacturing sectors.

China needs to address the environmental costs to participate in global value chains (GVCs) more sustainably. Digitalization presents a potential solution to overcome information barriers and improve energy efficiency in global production networks. However, the impact of digital technology on GVC-related carbon intensity has not been systematically studied.