Innovative applications of artificial intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges worldwide. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies hold tremendous potential for tackling key aspects of pandemic management and response. In the present review, we discuss the tremendous possibilities of AI technology in addressing the global challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we outline the multiple impacts of the current pandemic on public health, the economy, and society. Next, we focus on the innovative applications of advanced AI technologies in key areas such as COVID-19 prediction, detection, control, and drug discovery for treatment. Specifically, AI-based predictive analytics models can use clinical, epidemiological, and omics data to forecast disease spread and patient outcomes. Additionally, deep neural networks enable rapid diagnosis through medical imaging. Intelligent systems can support risk assessment, decision-making, and social sensing, thereby improving epidemic control and public health policies. Furthermore, high-throughput virtual screening enables AI to accelerate the identification of therapeutic drug candidates and opportunities for drug repurposing. Finally, we discuss future research directions for AI technology in combating COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Though promising, barriers related to model generalization, data quality, infrastructure readiness, and ethical risks must be addressed to fully translate these innovations into real-world impacts. Multidisciplinary collaboration engaging diverse expertise and stakeholders is imperative for developing robust, responsible, and human-centered AI solutions against COVID-19 and future public health emergencies.

Effects of Wuxi CDC WeChat official account article features on user engagement in health promotion.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the characteristics of subscribers to assess users' needs and analyze the features of articles published on Wuxi CDC WeChat official account (WOA) to evaluate the effectiveness of health education dissemination and guide future communication strategies. METHODS: Collect data from the WeChat official account (WOA) of the Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify factors affecting the effectiveness of health education dissemination as measured by shares and 100% reading completion rate between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify influencing features of articles associated with health education dissemination. RESULTS: By the end of 2022, our account had accumulated 891,170 subscribers, of which, 523,576 were females (58.75%), 349,856 were males (39.3%), mainly located in third-tier cities (82.59%). Age distribution peaked in the 26-35 and 36-45 age groups (43.63% and 30.6%, respectively). A total of 170 articles were included in the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that articles with a lower word count (OR = 0.999, 95% CI = 0.998 ~ 1), lower picture count (OR = 0.892, 95% CI = 0.828 ~ 0.962), dominated headlines (OR = 2.454, 95% CI = 1.234 ~ 4.879) and thematically focused on Nutrition and food-borne diseases (OR = 5.728, 95% CI = 1.778 ~ 18.458) demonstrated higher engagement, as measured by shares and 100% completion rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that future content should prioritize conciseness, optimize images, and align with subscriber interests, particularly in nutrition and food hygiene. Additionally, maintaining informative yet engaging content formats remains crucial for maximizing reach and impact.

Regioselective Hydroxylation of Unsymmetrical Ketones Using Cu, H2O2, and Imine Directing Groups via Formation of an Electrophilic Cupric Hydroperoxide Core.

Herein, we describe the regioselective functionalization of unsymmetrical ketones using imine directing groups, Cu, and H2O2. The C-H hydroxylation of the substrate-ligands derived from 2-substituted benzophenones occurred exclusively at the γ-position of the unsubstituted ring due to the formation of only one imine stereoisomer. Conversely, the imines derived from 4-substituted benzophenones produced E/Z mixtures that upon reacting with Cu and H2O2 led to two γ-C-H hydroxylation products. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, the ratio of the hydroxylation products did not depend on the ratio of the E/Z isomers but on the electrophilicity of the reactive [LCuOOH]1+. A detailed mechanistic analysis suggests a fast isomerization of the imine substrate-ligand binding the CuOOH core before the rate-determining electrophilic aromatic hydroxylation. Varying the benzophenone substituents and/or introducing electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on the 4-position of pyridine of the directing group allowed for fine-tuning of the electrophilicity of the mononuclear [LCuOOH]1+ to reach remarkable regioselectivities (up to 91:9 favoring the hydroxylation of the electron-rich arene ring). Lastly, we performed the C-H hydroxylation of alkyl aryl ketones, and like in the unsymmetrical benzophenones, the regioselectivity of the transformations (sp3 vs sp2) could be controlled by varying the electronics of the substrate and/or the directing group.

Effects of garcinol supplementation on the performance, egg quality, and intestinal health of laying hens in the late laying period.

The problem of rapid decline in egg production performance and poor egg quality is a key obstacle to improving the economic benefits of laying hens. Garcinol is an antioxidant polyphenol plant extract that has multiple physiological functions. Diets with the appropriate amount of garcinol might be able to improve the performance traits and health of late laying hens. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the utilization of garcinol in late laying hens. A total of 400 healthy 59-wk-old Tingfen No. 6 hens were randomly allocated into 4 dietary treatment groups and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 100, 300, and 500 mg/kg garcinol for 12 wk, denoted the Con, LG, MG, and HG groups, respectively. The results showed that the addition of garcinol in the diet tended to increase the egg production rate compared with that of the control group (P = 0.080), while the average egg weight was significantly lower (P < 0.05) during the whole period of the experiment. The results showed that MG group hens had higher egg quality and strengthened antioxidant capacity in their serum (P < 0.05). Moreover, the laying hens in the MG group had significantly decreased crypt depth (CD) and increased villus height (VH) in the jejunum and ileum (P < 0.05), as well as an increased ratio of VH to CD (P < 0.05) and increased expression levels of Occludin (P < 0.05) and Claudin-2 (P < 0.05) in the jejunum to improve intestinal barrier function. In addition, dietary supplementation with garcinol influenced the cecal microbiota of laying hens, which was characterized by changes in the microbial community composition, including increased abundances of Firmicutes, Romboutsia, and Ruminococcus torques. In conclusion, dietary 300 mg/kg garcinol supplementation could increase the egg production and egg quality of late laying hens, which may be attributed to the antioxidant effects of garcinol and the improvement of intestinal morphology and epithelial barrier function as well as the regulation of mucosal immune status by altering microbial composition.

Effects of different processing techniques of palm kernel cake on processing quality of pellet feed, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal microbiota of pigs.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of extrusion, fermentation, and enzymolysis of palm kernel cake on processing quality of pellet feed, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal microbiota of pigs. First, the pretreatment parameters of extrusion, enzymolysis, and fermentation of palm kernel cake were optimized. Then, PKC after three processing techniques were used to prepare pellet feed. A total of 160 crossbred piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of 28 ±â€…0.5 kg were used in an 8-wk feeding experiment. Pigs were randomly assigned to five treatments with four replicates per treatment and eight pigs per replicates. The five experimental groups were as follows: basal diet group (whole corn-soybean meal), 10% PKC group (PKC), 10% extrusion PKC group (PPKC), 10% enzymolysis PKC group (EPKC), and 10% fermented PKC group (FPKC), respectively. At the end of the experiment, four pigs from each treatment (randomly collected one pig per pen) were sacrificed by administering a pentobarbital overdose, the gut and blood samples were collected for the quantification analysis of microbiota, hematological parameters, and apparent total tract nutrient digestibility. The results showed that all three processing techniques significantly decreased the contents of crude fiber of PKC (P < 0.01), pulverization rate (P < 0.01), powder content (P < 0.01), and increased the hardness and gelatinization starch of pellet feed (P < 0.05) compared to PKC group. In addition, PPKC significantly improved the dry matter, crude protein, and ether extract content, blood indices and average daily feed intake compared to PKC group (P < 0.01), while the parameters were similar among FPKC, EPKC, and control group (P > 0.01). Furthermore, all three processing techniques significantly increased the Lactobacillus and decreased the Escherichia levels in feces or gut compared to PKC. Collectively, extrusion, fermentation, and enzymolysis of PKC had positively enhanced the pellet quality, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut microbiota, extrusion exhibited a superior feeding effect compared to fermentation and enzymolysis.

Palm kernel cake (PKC) has lower nutritional value compared with soybean meal, cottonseed meal, and rapeseed meal, but its cost advantage is great, and it has been gradually used in the ruminant feeding. Due to its high crude fiber content, the processing technique applied to the PKC has a significant impact on its effectiveness. However, the different processing techniques of PKC on pellet quality, and performance of pigs have been poorly reported. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of extrusion, fermentation, and enzymolysis pretreatment of PKC on processing quality of pellet feed, nutrient digestibility (in vivo), and intestinal microbiota of growing­finishing pigs. This study provides the optimal processing parameters of the three processing techniques, and demonstrated that PKC after processing could significantly improve the pellet quality, performance, and intestinal microbiota of growing­finishing pigs, while extrusion exhibited a superior feeding effect compared to fermentation and enzymolysis.

Effects of different processing techniques of broken rice on processing quality of pellet feed, nutrient digestibility, and gut microbiota of weaned piglets.

The present study was conducted to assess the effect of different processing techniques of broken rice on processing quality of pellet feed, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood biochemical parameters, and fecal microbiota of weaned piglets. A total of 400 crossbred piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with a mean initial body weight (BW) of 7.24 ±â€…0.52 kg were used in a 28-d experiment. Piglets were randomly distributed to one of 4 treatment and 10 replicate pens per treatment, with 10 piglets per pen. The dietary treatments were as follows: CON, corn as the main cereal type in the dietary; BR, 70% of the corn replaced by broken rice; ETBR, 70% of the corn replaced by extruded broken rice; EPBR, 70% of the corn replaced by expanded broken rice. Extruded broken rice and expanded broken rice supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) increased hardness, pellet durability index, crispness, and starch gelatinization degree. Extruded broken rice and expanded broken rice generated a higher (P < 0.05) average daily feed intake, increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain, decreased (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio, and lowered (P < 0.05) the diarrhea rate. Piglets fed extruded broken rice displayed high apparent total tract digestibility levels of dry matter (P < 0.05), gross energy (P < 0.05), crude protein (P < 0.05), and organic matter (P < 0.05). In addition, extruded broken rice and expanded broken rice supplementation had increased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium levels in gut, whereas a lower abundance of the potential pathogens Clostridium_sensu_strictio_1 and Streptococcus was observed. Dietary supplementation of extruded broken rice and expanded broken rice failed to show significant effects on blood biochemical parameters. Combined, 70% corn substituted with broken rice failed to show significant effects. Collectively, extruded broken rice and expanded broken rice supplementation had positively enhanced the pellet quality, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut microbiota of weaned piglets.

Weaned piglets represent a critical phase in animal husbandry, and with the rising demand for meat, the consumption of animal feed has surged. Corn, a vital constituent of animal feed, has been consumed at an accelerated pace. In this regard, the use of broken rice as an alternative to corn is a feasible solution. Nevertheless, due to the incomplete development of piglets' bodies, higher quality feed is necessary. The processing technique applied to the feed has a significant impact on its effectiveness. Thus, we experimented to assess the effect of different processing techniques on the feed efficiency of weaning piglets, substituting corn with broken rice, extruded broken rice, and expanded broken rice. The study results revealed that the application of extruded and expanded broken rice improved the feed pellet quality, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and gut microbiota of weaned piglets. Furthermore, extruded broken rice exhibited a superior feeding effect compared to expanded broken rice.

Enhancing the reinforcing efficiency in CNT nanocomposites via the development of pyrene-based active dispersants.

Various preforms of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), such as fibers, yarns, or buckypapers (BP), have been developed over the last few years in order to fabricate advanced nanocomposites containing a high volume fraction of the reinforcing phase. However, a homogeneous dispersion and an even isolation of CNTs during the fabrication process of many preforms such as BP is often challenging, while the poor interaction between CNTs and the matrix also limits the final performance of the nanocomposites. Herein, a new route to overcome these two challenges simultaneously has been demonstrated based on an active dispersant (noted as Py-PEI) developed through the quaternization reaction of pyrene derivatives (Py-Br) and polyethylenimine (PEI). The existence of pyrene groups leads to the formation of π-π stacking with CNTs, successfully hindering the re-aggregation of dispersed CNTs. Meanwhile, the amine groups of Py-PEI can establish covalent bonds with epoxy, leading to an enhanced load transfer efficiency between CNTs and epoxy in the composites. Systematic characterization of both fabricated BP and BP-reinforced nanocomposites have been performed, with significantly enhanced CNT dispersion stability in water together with improved mechanical performance of the as-obtained BP/epoxy nanocomposites. This study provides a new strategy in fabricating high performance nanocomposites with the ease of nanofiller dispersion and enhanced reinforcing efficiency.

C-Terminal Binding Protein 1 Modulates Cellular Redox via Feedback Regulation of MPC1 and MPC2 in Melanoma Cells.

BACKGROUND Recent studies have illustrated that the transcription co-repressor, C-terminal binding protein 1 (CtBP1), links the metabolic alterations to transcription controls in proliferation, EMT, genome stability, metabolism, and lifespan, but whether CtBP1 affects the cellular redox homeostasis is unexplored. This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of CtBP1-mediated transcription repression that contributes to the metabolic reprogramming. MATERIAL AND METHODS Knockdown of CtBP1 in both mouse MEF cells and human melanoma cells changed cell redox homeostasis. Further, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assay were performed for identification of CtBP1 downstream targets, pyruvate carrier 1 and 2 genes (MPC1 and MPC2), which contribute to redox homeostasis and are transcriptionally regulated by CtBP1. Moreover, blockage of the cellular NADH level with the glycolysis inhibitor 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose (2-DG) rescued MPC1 and MPC2 expression. MTT assay and scratch assay were performed to investigate the effect of MPC1 and MPC2 expression on malignant properties of melanoma cells. RESULTS The data demonstrated that CtBP1 directly bound to the promoters of MPC1 and MPC2 and transcriptionally repressed them, leading to increased levels of free NADH in the cytosol and nucleus, thus positively feeding back CtBP1's functions. Consequently, restoring MPC1 and MPC2 in human tumor cells decreases free NADH and inhibits melanoma cell proliferation and migration. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that MPC1 and MPC2 are principal mediators that link CtBP1-mediated transcription regulation to NADH production. The discovery of CtBP1 as an NADH regulator in addition to being an NADH sensor shows that CtBP1 is at the center of tumor metabolism and transcription control.