Schottky infrared detectors with optically tunable barriers beyond the internal photoemission limit.

Internal photoemission is a prominent branch of the photoelectric effect and has emerged as a viable method for detecting photons with energies below the semiconductor bandgap. This breakthrough has played a significant role in accelerating the development of infrared imaging in one chip with state-of-the-art silicon techniques. However, the performance of these Schottky infrared detectors is currently hindered by the limit of internal photoemission; specifically, a low Schottky barrier height is inevitable for the detection of low-energy infrared photons.

Convolutional neural network-assisted diagnosis of midpalatal suture maturation stage in cone-beam computed tomography.

Objectives: The selection of treatment for maxillary expansion is closely related to the calcification degree of the midpalatal suture. A classification method for individual assessment of the morphology of midpalatal suture in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is useful for evaluating the calcification degree. Currently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been introduced into the field of oral and maxillofacial imaging diagnosis.

A meta-transcriptomic study of mosquito virome and blood feeding patterns at the human-animal-environment interface in Guangdong Province, China.

Mosquitoes are a formidable reservoir of viruses and important vectors of zoonotic pathogens. Blood-fed mosquitoes have been utilized to determine host infection status, overcoming the difficulties associated with sampling from human and animal populations. Comprehensive surveillance of potential pathogens at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment is currently an accredited method to provide an early warning of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases and to proactively respond to them.

P-ResUnet: Segmentation of brain tissue with Purified Residual Unet.

Brain tissue of Magnetic Resonance Imaging is precisely segmented and quantified, which aids in the diagnosis of neurological diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and multiple sclerosis. Recently, UNet-like architectures are widely used for medical image segmentation, which achieved promising performance by using the skip connection to fuse the low-level and high-level information. However, In the process of integrating the low-level and high-level information, the non-object information (noise) will be added, which reduces the accuracy of medical image segmentation.

Inhibition of Chikungunya virus early replication by intracellular nanoantibodies targeting nsP2 Epitope Rich Region.

Chikungunya fever, caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), is an Aedes mosquito-borne disease present worldwide, and millions of CHIKV infections have been reported. Treatment for CHIKV includes supportive care and anti-inflammatory medications, but there are currently no antiviral treatments or vaccines. Nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) of CHIKV is the most important functional protein mediating virus replication and amplification, making it an ideal antiviral target for CHIKV.

Electrochemical epitaxial PbTe nanowires photodetector for NIR response.

Lead telluride nanowires deposited by electrochemical atomic layers have broad application prospects in the field of photodetectors. In this work, using the method of electrochemical atomic layer deposition, we obtained different morphologies of lead telluride materials by controlling the deposition parameters, such as deposition time, temperature, and potential, and characterized them using SEM, TEM, XPS, and other techniques. A lead telluride nanowire detector with good performance was prepared.

Effects of COVID-19 Non-Pharmacological Interventions on Dengue Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have demonstrated significant positive effects on other communicable diseases. Nevertheless, the response for dengue fever has been mixed. To illustrate the real implications of NPIs on dengue transmission and to determine the effective measures for preventing and controlling dengue, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available global data to summarize the effects comprehensively.

An occupational risk of hepatitis E virus infection in the workers along the meat supply chains in Guangzhou, China.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes infections in humans and animals. HEV have been identified in pig farms, markets and swine workers, but studies with parallel observations along the poultry and pork supply chains remains limited. This study aimed to characterize HEV infection risks in workers along the meat supply chain.

Pre-Existing Cross-Reactive Antibody Responses Do Not Significantly Impact Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Neutralization.

Recent exposure to seasonal coronaviruses (sCoVs) may stimulate cross-reactive antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, previous studies have produced divergent results regarding protective or damaging immunity induced by prior sCoV exposure. It remains unknown whether pre-existing humoral immunity plays a role in vaccine-induced neutralization and antibody responses.

A Comparative Study of Associated Microbiota Between Pig Farm and Pig Slaughterhouse in Guangdong, China.

The goal of this study was to compare the microbiota in different pig-present settings in China. Bioaerosol samples from pig farms and slaughterhouses and nasal samples from pig farmers and slaughterhouse workers were collected in Guangdong, southern China. The bacterial genomic DNA was isolated and subjected to 16S sequencing.

Prevalence of human alveolar echinococcosis in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Human alveolar echinococcosis (HAE), caused by the larvae of Echinococcus multilocularis, is a severe parasitic disease that is a major public health concern. New HAE cases in China account for 91% of the global HAE burden every year. Although there are a few studies and systematic reviews (SRs) on the prevalence of HAE in China, trends in the prevalence have not been estimated.

Distribution of the COVID-19 epidemic and correlation with population emigration from Wuhan, China.

Background: The ongoing new coronavirus pneumonia (Corona Virus Disease 2019, COVID-19) outbreak is spreading in China, but it has not yet reached its peak. Five million people emigrated from Wuhan before lockdown, potentially representing a source of virus infection. Determining case distribution and its correlation with population emigration from Wuhan in the early stage of the epidemic is of great importance for early warning and for the prevention of future outbreaks.

The surveillance of four mosquito-borne diseases in international travelers arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China, 2016-2017.

Background: Little comprehensive analysis combining epidemiological and clinical data has been done with mosquito-borne diseases imported into Guangzhou by air travelers.

Methods: We screened international travelers (body temperature >36.5 °C) arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, and recorded their epidemiological and clinical information.

MicroRNA-486 as a Biomarker for Early Diagnosis and Recurrence of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Early diagnosis is essential for improvements of prognosis and survival of the patients. Currently, there is no effective biomarker available in clinical settings for early detection of lung cancer.

ATP-binding cassette transporters and sterol O-acyltransferases interact at membrane microdomains to modulate sterol uptake and esterification.

A key component of eukaryotic lipid homeostasis is the esterification of sterols with fatty acids by sterol O-acyltransferases (SOATs). The esterification reactions are allosterically activated by their sterol substrates, the majority of which accumulate at the plasma membrane. We demonstrate that in yeast, sterol transport from the plasma membrane to the site of esterification is associated with the physical interaction of the major SOAT, acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT)-related enzyme (Are)2p, with 2 plasma membrane ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters: Aus1p and Pdr11p.

A preliminary analysis of microRNA as potential clinical biomarker for schizophrenia.

MicroRNAs (miRNA, miR) have been implicated as promising blood-based biomarkers for schizophrenia patients. This study aimed to clinically validate miRNA as potential schizophrenia biomarkers. Plasma levels of 10 miRNAs were analyzed using qPCR in a cohort of 61 schizophrenia patients and 62 normal controls, as well as 25 patients particularly selected for a six-week antipsychotic treatment course.

Aberrant microRNA expression in peripheral plasma and mononuclear cells as specific blood-based biomarkers in schizophrenia patients.

Findings from multiple studies on microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling in schizophrenia patients have produced conflicting results. In order to investigate miRNA as specific biomarkers in the peripheral plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of schizophrenia patients, expression levels of the nine most frequently reported schizophrenia-associated miRNA (miR-30e, miR-34a, miR-181b, miR-195, miR-346, miR-432, miR-7, miR-132 and miR-212) were examined in the peripheral plasma and PBMC in 25 schizophrenia patients and 13 healthy controls using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We observed significantly increased expressions of miR-132, miR-195, miR-30e and miR-7 in plasma samples (p<0.

Differential expression of microRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as specific biomarker for major depressive disorder patients.

Currently, diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) are based on the patients' description of symptoms, mental status examinations, and clinical behavioral observations, which increases the chance of misdiagnosis. There is a serious need to find a practical biomarker for the proper diagnosis of MDD. This study aimed to explore the possibility of microRNA (miRNA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as specific blood-based biomarker for MDD patients.

Overexpression of EMMPRIN isoform 2 is associated with head and neck cancer metastasis.

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN), a plasma membrane protein of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily, has been reported to promote cancer cell invasion and metastasis in several human malignancies. However, the roles of the different EMMPRIN isoforms and their associated mechanisms in head and neck cancer progression remain unknown. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we found that EMMPRIN isoform 2 (EMMPRIN-2) was the only isoform that was overexpressed in both head and neck cancer tissues and cell lines and that it was associated with head and neck cancer metastasis.

A preliminary analysis of association between the down-regulation of microRNA-181b expression and symptomatology improvement in schizophrenia patients before and after antipsychotic treatment.

Despite the growing evidences on the relation of altered expression of miRNAs and schizophrenia, most schizophrenia subjects have an extensive antipsychotic treatment history and the pharmacological effects on miRNA expression are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the change of plasma microRNA-181b level and improvement of symptomatology before and after six-week antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients, and explore their association. A total of 20 schizophrenia patients absent of antipsychotics and 20 age-and gender-matched normal controls were enrolled, and tested for 9 schizophrenia-associated microRNA (miR-30e, miR-34a, miR-181b, miR-195, miR-346, miR-432, miR-7, miR-132 and miR-212) expression levels in plasma using quantitative RT-PCR and for symptomatology improvement using Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) before and after treatment (olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone and risperidone) for the patients only.

Protective effect of fluvastatin on influenza virus infection.

Statins are 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and have pleiotropic effects. It has been suggested that statins may be a potential treatment during the next influenza pandemic. In a previous study we found that a statin/caffeine combination protects BALB/c mice against Influenza A, subtypes haemagglutinin type 5 and neuraminidase type 1 (H5N1), H3N2 and H1N1 infection.

Prediction of H7N9 epidemic in China.

Background: In March 2013, human cases of infection with a novel A (H7N9) influenza virus emerged in China. The epidemic spread quickly and as of 6 May 2013, there were 129 confirmed cases. The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiology of the confirmed cases, determine the impacts of bird migration and temperature changes on the H7N9 epidemic, predict the future trends of the epidemic, explore the response patterns of the government and propose preventive suggestions.