Research on Channel Characteristics and Electrode Electrical Performance of Earth Current Field Information Transmission Technology.

Starting from the need for emergency rescue information transmission in tunnel engineering accidents, this article focuses on researching and solving the technical problems of information transmission between rescue personnel and trapped personnel after tunnel engineering collapse accidents, before and during the rescue process. The research objects are the information transmission channel and grounding electrode in the earth current field information transmission technology, and the electromagnetic characteristics of the earth medium and the electrical performance of the grounding electrode are studied and analyzed using the electromagnetic simulation software Maxwell based on finite element algorithm, establish a three-dimensional model based on the transmission of current field information of the ground electrode, analyze the effects of the electrode array, electrode depth, and radius on impedance. Research has shown that the impedance of the earth is related to the resistivity of the medium and is not a human-controllable factor. To reduce the contact impedance of an electric dipole antenna, one should start with the contact impedance of the earth electrode. The impedance of the transmitting end is an important factor affecting the efficiency of information transmission; parallel connection of multiple grounding electrodes, increasing the depth of grounding electrode penetration into the soil layer, and increasing the radius between grounding electrode pairs are all effective methods to reduce the contact impedance of electric dipole antennas, thereby improving information transmission capacity. To achieve wireless information transmission through the stratum, by appropriately selecting the operating frequency of electromagnetic waves, a certain distance of signal transmission can be achieved.

Bio-conversion of organic wastes towards polyhydroxyalkanoates.

The bio-manufacturing of products with substantial commercial value, particularly polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), using cost-effective carbon sources through microorganisms, has garnered heightened attention from both the scientific community and industry over the past few decades. Opting for industrial PHA production from various organic wastes, spanning industrial, agricultural, municipal, and food-based sources, emerges as a wiser choice. This strategy not only eases the burden of recycling organic waste and curbs environmental pollution but also trims down PHA production costs, rendering these materials more competitive in commercial markets. In addition, PHAs are a family of renewable, environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters with a multitude of applications. This review provides an overview of recent developments in PHA production from organic wastes. It covers the optimization of diverse metabolic pathways for producing various types of PHA from organic waste sources, pre-treatment and downstream processing for PHA using unrelated organic wastes, and challenges in industrial production of PHA using unrelated organic waste feedstocks and the challenges faced in industrial PHA production from organic wastes, along with potential solutions. Lastly, this study suggests underlying research endeavors aimed at further enhancing of the feasibility of industrial PHA production from organic wastes as an alternative to current petroleum-based plastics in the near future.

Identification of MRAP protein family as broad-spectrum GPCR modulators.

BACKGROUND: The melanocortin receptor accessory proteins (MRAP1 and MRAP2) are well-known endocrine regulators for the trafficking and signalling of all five melanocortin receptors (MC1R-MC5R). The observation of MRAP2 on regulating several non-melanocortin G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been sporadically reported, whereas other endogenous GPCR partners of the MRAP protein family are largely unknown. METHODS: Here, we performed single-cell transcriptome analysis and drew a fine GPCR blueprint and MRAPs-associated network of two major endocrine organs, the hypothalamus and adrenal gland at single-cell resolution. We also integrated multiple bulk RNA-seq profiles and single-cell datasets of human and mouse tissues, and narrowed down a list of 48 GPCRs with strong endogenous co-expression correlation with MRAPs. RESULTS: 36 and 46 metabolic-related GPCRs were consequently identified as novel interacting partners of MRAP1 or MRAP2, respectively. MRAPs exhibited protein-protein interactions and varying pharmacological properties on the surface translocation, constitutive activities and ligand-stimulated downstream signalling of these GPCRs. Knockdown of MRAP2 expression by hypothalamic administration of adeno-associated virus (AAV) packed shRNA stimulated body weight gain in mouse model. Co-injection of corticotropinreleasing factor (CRF), the agonist of corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1), suppressed feeding behaviour in a MRAP2-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study has comprehensively elucidated the complex GPCR networks in two major endocrine organs and redefined the MRAP protein family as broad-spectrum GPCR modulators. MRAP proteins not only serve as a vital endocrine pivot on the regulation of global GPCR activities in vivo that could explain the composite physiological phenotypes of the MRAP2 null murine model but also provide us with new insights of the phenotyping investigation of GPCR-MRAP functional complexes.

Genetically Engineered Pigs as Efficient Salivary Gland Bioreactors for Production of Therapeutically Valuable Human Nerve Growth Factor.

Farm animal salivary glands hold great potential as efficient bioreactors for production of human therapeutic proteins. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is naturally expressed in animal salivary glands and has been approved for human clinical treatment. This study aims to employ transgenic (TG) pig salivary gland as bioreactors for efficient synthesis of human NGF (hNGF). hNGF-TG pigs were generated by cloning in combination with piggyBac transposon-mediated gene transfer. These hNGF-TG pigs specifically expressed hNGF protein in their salivary glands and secreted it at high levels into saliva. Surgical and nonsurgical approaches were developed to efficiently collect saliva from hNGF-TG pigs. hNGF protein was successfully purified from collected saliva and was verified to be biologically active. In an additional step, the double-transgenic pigs, where the endogenous porcine NGF (pNGF) gene was replaced by another copy of hNGF transgene, were created by cloning combined with CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homologous recombination. These double-transgenic pigs expressed hNGF but not pNGF, thus avoiding possible "contamination" of hNGF with pNGF protein during purification. In conclusion, TG pig salivary glands can be used as robust bioreactors for a large-scale synthesis of functional hNGF or other valuable proteins. This new animal pharming method will benefit both human health and biomedicine.

Reversion of MRAP2 Protein Sequence Generates a Functional Novel Pharmacological Modulator for MC4R Signaling.

As a member of the melanocortin receptor family, melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) plays a critical role in regulating energy homeostasis and feeding behavior, and has been proven as a promising therapeutic target for treating severe obesity syndrome. Numerous studies have demonstrated that central MC4R signaling is significantly affected by melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2) in humans, mice and zebrafish. MRAP2 proteins exist as parallel or antiparallel dimers on the plasma membrane, but the structural insight of dual orientations with the pharmacological profiles has not yet been fully studied. Investigation and optimization of the conformational topology of MRAP2 are critical for the development of transmembrane allosteric modulators to treat MC4R-associated disorders. In this study, we synthesized a brand new single transmembrane protein by reversing wild-type mouse and zebrafish MRAP2 sequences and examined their dimerization, interaction and pharmacological activities on mouse and zebrafish MC4R signaling. We showed that the reversed zebrafish MRAPa exhibited an opposite function on modulating zMC4R signaling and the reversed mouse MRAP2 lost the capability for regulating MC4R trafficking but exhibited a novel function for cAMP cascades, despite proper expression and folding. Taken together, our results provided new biochemical insights on the oligomeric states and membrane orientations of MRAP2 proteins, as well as its pharmacological assistance for modulating MC4R signaling.

Determination of the Interaction and Pharmacological Modulation of MCHR1 Signaling by the C-Terminus of MRAP2 Protein.

Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), an orexigenic neuropeptide, is primarily secreted by the hypothalamus and acts on its receptor, the melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1), to regulate appetite and energy homeostasis. The Melanocortin Receptor Accessory Protein 2 (MRAP2), a small single transmembrane protein broadly expressed in multiple tissues, has been defined as a vital endocrine modulator of five melanocortin receptors (MC1R-MC5R) and several other GPCRs in the regulation of central neuronal activities and peripheral energy balance. Here, we demonstrated the interaction between MRAP2 and MCHR1 by immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescent assay and found that MRAP2 could inhibit MCHR1 signaling in vitro. A series of functional truncations of different regions further identified that the C-terminal domains of MRAP2 protein were required for the pharmacological modulation of intracellular Ca2+ coupled cascades and membrane transport. These findings elucidated the broad regulatory profile of MRAP2 protein in the central nervous system and may provide implications for the modulation of central MCHR1 function in vivo.

Functional Characterization of the Internal Symmetry of MRAP2 Antiparallel Homodimer.

The melanocortin receptors are defined as a series of vital pharmaceutical targets to regulate neuronal appetite and maintain controllable body weight for mammals and teleosts. Melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2) functions as an essential accessory player that modulates the surface translocation and binding to a variety of endogenous or synthetic hormones of central melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) signaling. MRAP2 is a single-transmembrane protein and could form a functional symmetric antiparallel homodimer topology. Here, we inverted the N-terminal, transmembrane, and C-terminal domains and generated six distinct conformational variants of the mouse MRAP2 to explore the functional orientations and the internal symmetry of MRAP2 dimers. These remolded MRAP2 mutants showed proper assembly of the antiparallel homodimer and binding to the MC4R, but slightly altered the regulatory profile on the surface expression and the ligand-stimulated cAMP cascades of MC4R. This study elucidated the importance of the orientation of each domain of the single-transmembrane protein and revealed the pharmacological properties of the internal symmetry of the antiparallel homodimer for MRAP2.

Pharmacological modulation of the cAMP signaling of two isoforms of melanocortin-3 receptor by melanocortin receptor accessory proteins in the tetrapod Xenopus laevis.

As a member of the seven-transmembrane rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, the melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) is vital for the regulation of energy homeostasis and rhythms synchronizing in mammals, and its pharmacological effect could be directly influenced by the presence of melanocortin receptor accessory proteins (MRAPs), MRAP1 and MRAP2. The tetrapod amphibian Xenopus laevis (xl) retains higher duplicated genome than extant teleosts and serves as an ideal model system for embryonic development and physiological studies. However, the melanocortin system of the Xenopus laevis has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. In this work, we performed sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree, and synteny analysis of two xlMC3Rs. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assay further confirmed the co-localization and in vitro interaction of xlMC3Rs with xlMRAPs on the plasma membrane. Our results demonstrated that xlMRAP2.L/S could improve α-MSH-stimulated xlMC3Rs signaling and suppress their surface expression. Moreover, xlMC3R.L showed a similar profile on the ligands and surface expression in the presence of xlMRAP1.L. Overall, the distinct pharmacological modulation of xlMC3R.L and xlMC3R.S by dual MRAP2 proteins elucidated the functional consistency of melanocortin system during genomic duplication of tetrapod vertebrates.

Tonalide facilitates methane production from anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

Tonalide (AHTN), a typical polycyclic musk and an emerging pollutant, was found to be enriched in waste activated sludge (WAS). However, the research of its effect on WAS anaerobic digestion was seldom available. This research therefore investigated the effect of AHTN on WAS anaerobic digestion and the underlying mechanism through batch experiments using either real WAS or synthetic wastewaters as the digestion substrates. The results indicated that when the concentration of AHTN increased from 0 to 1000 mg/kg TSS in WAS, the methane production increased linearly from 125.0 ± 2.2 to 162.9 ± 1.6 mL/g VSS, while the AHTN concentration further increased to 2000 mg/kg TSS, the methane production decreased to 146.2 ± 2.1 mL/g VSS. At the same time AHTN can facilitate the utility of volatile fatty acid (VFAs), especially acetate and propionate. It was further found that the degradation efficiency of AHTN in anaerobic digestion was 42.7%. The mechanism investigation demonstrated that AHTN can promote the solubilization, homoacetogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis processes, leading to an increase in methane production. Further analysis revealed that methanogenic archaea mainly belonged to the genera of Methanosaeta and Metheanobacterium, and their relative abundance increased accordingly with the addition of AHTN.

Pharmacological modulation of dual melanocortin-4 receptor signaling by melanocortin receptor accessory proteins in the Xenopus laevis.

Physiological modulation of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) signaling by MRAP2 proteins plays an indispensable role in appetite control and energy homeostasis in the central nervous system. Great interspecies differences of the interaction and regulation of melanocortin receptors by MRAP protein family have been reported in several diploid vertebrates but never been investigated in the tetrapod amphibian Xenopus laevis. Here, we performed phylogenetic and synteny-based analyses to explore the evolutionary aspects of dual copies of X. laevis MC4R (xlMC4R) and MRAP2 (xlMRAP2) proteins. Our data showed that xlMRAPs directly interacted with xlMC4Rs on the cell surface as a functional antiparallel dimeric topology and pharmacological studies suggested a homology specific regulatory pattern of the melanocortin system in X. laevis.

Development and validation of a model for hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in entecavir-treated patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Achieving hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion is a satisfactory endpoint during antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to develop and validate a novel scoring system to predict HBeAg seroconversion during entecavir (ETV) treatment. A total of 526 patients with HBeAg-positive CHB treated with ETV for at least 1 year were randomly assigned to the training and validation cohorts. Baseline parameters including hepatitis B virus DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb), and alanine aminotransferase level were quantified. Patients who achieved HBeAg seroconversion were compared with those without HBeAg seroconversion. A prediction model was established to predict HBeAg seroconversion during ETV treatment. After a median follow up of 2.67 years, 93 (36.0%) and 87 (32.5%) patients in the training and validation cohorts developed HBeAg seroconversion. A prediction score composed of age, HBsAg and HBcAb quantification was derived. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve at 5 years of this prediction score were 0.70 and 0.72 in the training and validation cohorts. By using the dual cutoff values of 0.28 and 0.58, the model was endowed with high sensitivity and specificity to exclude or identify patients developing HBeAg seroconversion (90.3% sensitivity and 90.2% specificity in the training cohort as well as 92.8% sensitivity and 84.4% specificity in the validation cohort, respectively). A novel prediction score that uses baseline clinical variables was developed and validated. The score accurately estimates the probabilities of developing HBeAg seroconversion at 5-years ETV therapy in patients with CHB.

Longitudinal Change of Body Mass Index Is Associated With Alanine Aminotransferase Elevation After Complete Viral Suppression in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about cause and intervention for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation after complete viral suppression in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, patients with CHB who were treated with nucleos(t)ide analogs and maintained undetectable levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for at least 6 months were enrolled. Patients were followed up at 6-month intervals, and anthropometric, biochemical, and virological assessments were performed. RESULTS: Of 1965 patients with median follow-up of 18.36 months, one third of patients experienced ALT elevation. Baseline high body mass index ([BMI] defined as ≥25 kg/m2), younger age, and liver cirrhosis independently increased the risk of longitudinal ALT elevation. At the end of follow-up, 89 (4.8%) patients reverted to low BMI, and 92 (5.0%) developed to high BMI. Compared with persistent high BMI, reversion to low BMI reduced the risk of ALT elevation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.77); compared with persistent low BMI, onset of high BMI increased the risk of ALT elevation (aOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.02-3.11). CONCLUSIONS: High BMI is an independent predictor for ALT elevation after complete HBV DNA suppression. Improvement of BMI may have a beneficial effect on ALT normalization and even long-term outcomes.

[The application of cone-beam computed tomography and nine partition method on alveolar bone for locating the unerupted teeth].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and nine partition method on alveolar bone for locating the relative orientation of the unerupted teeth. METHODS: 125 bone unerupted teeth of 99 cases were collected. The bone unerupted teeth zones were scaned by CBCT. The dental corona and root apex of these bone unerupted teeth were classified by the new nine partition method. RESULTS: In 125 bone unerupted teeth, 107 teeth located in maxilla, 18 teeth located in mandible. More frequent appearances (35.6%) in the alveolar bone were inner-middle and outer-superior. The representation of 125 bone unerupted teeth seen in surgery was the same with that of the CBCT before exodontia. The accurate rate of diagnosis was 100%. CONCLUSION: CBCT is the most accurate and effective methods to determine the authentic orientation of the bone unerupted teeth. The nine partition method of alveolar bone has clinical value of accurate authentic orientation of the bone unerupted teeth in oral and maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics.