[Effect of accurately localized mini anterolateral thigh perforator flap in repairing medium-sized skin and soft tissue defects in fingers].

Objective: To explore the effect of accurately localized mini anterolateral thigh perforator flap in repairing medium-sized skin and soft tissue defects in fingers. Methods: The study was a retrospective observational study. From December 2019 to September 2022, 15 patients with medium-sized skin and soft tissue defects who met the inclusion criteria in fingers were admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, including 12 males and 3 females, aged 23 to 62 years. After debridement, the wounds were all accompanied by exposed tendons, bones, vessels and nerves, with an area from 4.0 cm×3.0 cm to 8.0 cm×3.5 cm. Computed tomography angiography and color Doppler ultrasonography examinations were performed on both lower limbs of the patient before surgery to accurately locate the anterolateral thigh perforators. When the flap with area from 6.0 cm×3.0 cm to 11.0 cm×4.0 cm was harvested, the flap was thinned. The artery and vein perforators of the flap were anastomosed respectively with the digital artery and dorsal metacarpal vein. If there was avulsion injury, infection, or burn in the recipient area, the main arterial and veinous vessels carried by the skin flap was anastomosed with the radial artery and accompanying vein. The lateral thigh cutaneous nerve carried by the flap was anastomosed with the stump of the digital nerve. The types of perforators of the lateral thigh artery were observed during operation and compared with the location of the vessels before operation. After operation, the survival and adverse complication of the flap were closely observed. During follow-up, the skin flap color, texture, and shape were observed; the wound healing in donor area was observed. At the last follow-up, the two-point discriminative distance of the affected finger pulp was measured, and the function of the affected finger was evaluated using the trial standard for the evaluation of functions of upper limbs of Hand Surgery Society of Chinese Medical Association, and the interphalangeal joint movement of the affected finger was observed; the patients' complaints about the adverse effects of flap resection on lower limbs were recorded. Results: During the operation, it was observed that the perforators of the flaps in 11 patients were the descending branch of the lateral circumflex thigh artery, in two patients, the perforators of skin flaps were the oblique branch of the lateral thigh artery, and the perforators in another two patients were the transverse branch of the lateral circumflex thigh artery, which were consistent with the preoperative vascular localization. After operation, all flaps survived without vascular crisis and infection. The patients were followed up for 6-12 months, the flaps had excellent color, texture, and appearance; only linear scars remained on the donor wound. At the last follow-up, the two-point discrimination distance in the finger pulp was 7-11 mm; the affected finger function was rated as excellent in 6 cases, good in 6 cases, and fair in 3 cases; the flexion and extension function of the finger was not affected; two patients complained of numbness in the lateral thigh after excision of the skin flap, and the other 13 patients had no complain of adverse complaints. Conclusions: The perforating branch in lateral thigh region can be accurately located by computed tomography angiography and color Doppler ultrasonography, accurate positioning of perforators before operation can reduce the damage to the donor area during the incision of the flap, the appearance and function of the affected finger can be restored to the maximum extent by thinning the transplanted flap and rebuilding the finger sensation. Therefore, it is an effective and reliable way to repair the medium-sized skin and soft tissue defects of fingers with the mini thigh anterolateral perforator flap.

Interface thermal conductivities induced by van der Waals interactions.

The interface heat transfer of two layers induced by van der Waals (vdW) contacts is theoretically investigated, based on first-principles calculations at low temperatures. The results suggest that out-of-plane acoustic phonons with low frequencies dominate the interface thermal transport due to the vdW interaction. The interface thermal conductivity is proportional to the cubic of temperature at very low temperatures, but becomes linearly proportional to temperature as temperature increases. We show that manipulating the strain alters vdW coupling, leading to increased interfacial thermal conductivity at the interface. Our findings provide valuable insights into the interface heat transport in vdW heterostructures and support further design and optimization of electronic and optoelectronic nanodevices based on vdW contacts.

[Analysis of the complete genome characterization of 11 human astrovirus strains in Shandong Province].

Objective: To study the complete genome characterization of Human Astrovirus (HAstV) in Shandong Province. Methods: Stool samples from acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance in Shandong Province from 2020 to 2022 were collected, and HAstV nucleic acid was examined by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was conducted for the positive samples to obtain complete genome sequences and identify the genotype. Homology comparison and phylogenetic analysis were performed by using BioEdit and Mega software. Results: A total of 667 samples were examined by qPCR, of which 14 were HAstV-positive (2.1%), including HAstV-1 (n=6), MLB1 (n=6), MLB2 (n=1), and VA2 (n=1). The complete genome sequences were obtained from 11 samples. The six HAstV-1 sequences of this study had 98.2% to 99.9% nt similarities with each other and 87.6% to 98.6% with those from other regions. The four MLB1 sequences of this study had 99.1% to 99.9% nt similarities with each other and 92.2% to 99.4% with those from other regions. The VA2 sequence of this study had 96.0% to 96.3% nt similarities with those from other regions. Phylogenetic analysis based on ORF2 region showed that the local HAstV-1 sequences were most closely related to Japanese strains, and had distinct topology with phylogenies based on ORF1a and ORF1b regions. Conclusion: The complete genome sequences of 11 HAstV strains are obtained, and the VA2 complete genome is found.

[Short-term efficacy and safety observation of standardized mite allergen extract rush subcutaneous immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis: a prospective study].

Objective: To conduct a comparative analysis of the efficacy, safety, and cytokine changes associated with three distinct dose escalation regimens of allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT), and to provide valuable insights into the implementation of safer and more effective accelerated immunotherapy in clinical practice. Methods: A prospective study of subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) was conducted at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, involving patients with allergic rhinitis visited from 2019 to 2022. Participants were allocated to one of three treatment groups based on their preferences: conventional immunotherapy (CIT, 23 cases), cluster immunotherapy (CLIT, 25 cases), or rush immunotherapy (RIT, 18 cases). The RIT group received a single subcutaneous injection of 150 mg of omalizumab one week before commencing treatment. Subjective evaluation indices, including the Combined Symptom and Medication Score (CSMS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and single symptom score, were recorded alongside objective evaluation indices (e.g., sIgE, tIgE, Th1/2 and Th17 cytokines) and adverse reactions. Assessments were conducted at baseline, and at 1, 7, and 15 weeks after treatment. SPSS 22.0 software was used for data processing and analysis. Results: The study included a total of 66 patients, comprising 37 males and 29 females, who completed the treatment regimen. In all three groups, CSMS and VAS scores showed significant reductions at 1, 7, and 15 weeks post-treatment (all P<0.05). Notably, the RIT group demonstrated a significantly lower VAS score (4.33±0.94) compared to the CIT (9.48±1.37) and CLIT (9.44±1.33) groups at 1 week post-treatment (P<0.05). Additionally, the RIT group (0.62±0.23) exhibited a lower CSMS score than the CIT (1.54±0.21) and CLIT (1.06±0.22) groups at 15 weeks post-treatment (P<0.05). Furthermore, at the point of reaching the maintenance dose, the RIT group (0.61±0.20) demonstrated superior improvement in nasal itching symptoms compared to the CIT (1.78±0.38) and CLIT groups (1.56±0.32), with P<0.05. The incidence of local adverse reactions in the RIT group (36/11.76%) was lower than that in the CIT (69/20.00%) and CLIT groups (62/16.53%), with P<0.05. Notably, none of the three groups reported grade 3/4 systemic adverse reactions, and there was no statistically significant difference in systemic adverse reactions among the three groups. Following treatment, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-17, sIgE, sIgE/tIgE, and Eos% exhibited varying degrees of decrease in all three groups, whereas IL-10, TNF, and IFN-γ did not show significant changes. Conclusions: All three distinct dose escalation regimens of SCIT demonstrated substantial clinical efficacy. Of note, the approach of combining a single injection of omalizumab with RIT significantly improved early-stage efficacy and exhibited the advantages of safety, effectiveness, and convenience, establishing it as a reliable immunotherapy method.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict poor short-term response to recombinant human growth hormone treatment in children with growth disorders.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a clinical predictive model for predicting the likelihood of a poor therapeutic response during the first year of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment in children with growth disorders. METHODS: A total of 627 pediatric patients with growth disorders (GHD, ISS, TS, SGA) from The LG Growth Study cohort were evaluated. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were utilized to investigate the association between predictors and the risk of poor rhGH response. Variables were selected using LASSO regression, and multivariate logistics regression models were established. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curves (CIC) were used to assess the predictive model's accuracy and clinical value. The predictive accuracy of the model was validated on the testing set. RESULTS: Two predictive models containing 8 baseline predictors (diagnosis, age, height SDS, bone age minus chronological age, rhGH dosage, distance from mid-parental height in SDS, weight SDS, IGF-1 SDS) and 1 post-treatment predictor (height SDS gain at 6 months) were constructed by multivariate logistic regression analyses. The nomogram was built based on the multivariate predictive model and showed good discrimination and model fit effects in both the training set and the testing set. DCA and CIC analyses presented good clinical usability. CONCLUSION: The clinical predictive model for predicting the probability of poor short-term response of rhGH treatment in pediatric patients with growth disorders is useful and can assist physicians in making clinical decisions.

[Analysis on the infection source of the first local cluster epidemic caused by the VOC/Gamma variant of SARS-CoV-2 in China].

Objective: To investigate a SARS-CoV-2 epidemic reported in Rongcheng City, Weihai, Shandong Province. Methods: The SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positive patients and their close contacts were investigated, and the whole genome sequencing and genetic evolution analysis of 9 variant viruses were carried out. An infection source investigation and analysis were carried out from two sources of home and abroad, and three aspects of human, material and environment. Results: A total of 15 asymptomatic infections were reported in this epidemic, including 13 cases as employees of workshop of aquatic products processing company, with an infection rate of 21.67% (13/60). Two cases were infected people's neighbors in the same village (conjugal relation). The first six positive persons were processing workers engaged in the first process of removing squid viscera in the workshop of the company. The nucleic acid Ct value of the first time were concentrated between 15 and 29, suggesting that the virus load was high, which was suspected to be caused by one-time homologous exposure. The whole genome sequence of 9 SARS-CoV-2 strains was highly homologous, belonging to VOC/Gamma (Lineage P.1.15). No highly homologous sequences were found from previous native and imported cases in China. It was highly homologous with the six virus sequences sampled from May 5 to 26, 2021 uploaded by Chile. The infection source investigation showed that the company had used the squid raw materials captured in the ocean near Chile and Argentina from May to June 2021 over the last 14 days. Many samples of raw materials, products and their outer packages in the inventory were tested positive for nucleic acid. Conclusion: This epidemic is the first local epidemic caused by the VOC/Gamma of SARS-CoV-2 in China. It is speculated that the VOC/Gamma, which was prevalent in South America from May to June 2021, could be imported into China through frozen squid.

[Basic immunization of vaccines is fundamental, and booster immunization is the guarantee: Booster immunization and its public health value].

Booster immunization is the following vaccination after a period of vaccine primary immunization schedule in order to maintain immunity against a certain pathogen. In this article, the immunological mechanism of booster immunization is elaborated, and the effectiveness and public health value of booster immunization for common vaccines is discussed. Subsequently, three hot issues of general concern in booster immunization are addressed, and the public health viewpoint that "Primary immunization of vaccines is fundamental, and booster immunization is the guarantee" is emphasized, so as to raise awareness of the importance and necessity of booster immunization as well as to provide scientific evidences for vaccine immunization practice.

[A multicenter epidemiological study of acute bacterial meningitis in children].

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum ß-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ2=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.

[Genetic characteristics of varicella zoster virus in Shandong province from 2020 to 2021].

Objective: To investigate the genetic characteristics of varicella zoster virus (VZV) in Shandong province from 2020 to 2021. Methods: From April 2020 to December 2021, 85 herpes fluid samples from suspected varicella patients in Shandong province were collected. The qPCR was used to detect viral DNA and screen suspected samples. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ORF22 fragment and ORF38 fragment in positive samples were examined via PCR and Sanger sequencing to identify the viral genotypes. Four SNPs of ORF38 and ORF62 were examined to identify the vaccine and wild-type strains. The sequences were analyzed with Sequencher and MEGA7 software, using the VZV reference strain sequences from GenBank. Results: In the 85 samples suspected of varicella, 80 were VZV positive and wild-type strains belonging to Clade 2. Compared with clade 2 representative strains, the nucleotide and amino acid similarities of ORF22 fragment were 99.5%-100% and 98.5%-100%, respectively. SD20-1, SD20-5, SD20-6, SD20-8, SD20-9, SD20-10, SD20-11, SD20-12, SD20-13, SD20-30 and SD20-31 had a A➝G nucleotide mutation at 37990, causing amino acid change from glutamine to arginine. SD21-1 had a C➝A nucleotide mutation at 38059, causing threonine to asparagine during coding. Conclusions: From 2020 to 2021, all VZV strains in Shandong province are the wild-type strains belonging to Clade 2.

[Experimental study of dopamine ameliorating the inflammatory damage of olfactory bulb in mice with allergic rhinitis].

Objective: To investigate the effects of dopamine on olfactory function and inflammatory injury of olfactory bulb in mice with allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: AR mouse model was established by using ovalbumin (OVA), and the mice were divided into two groups: olfactory dysfunction (OD) group and without OD group through buried food pellet test (BFPT). The OD mice were randomly divided into 2 groups, and OVA combined with dopamine (3, 6, 9 and 12 days, respectively) or OVA combined with an equal amount of PBS (the same treatment time) was administered nasally. The olfactory function of mice was evaluated by BFPT. The number of eosinophils and goblet cells in the nasal mucosa were detected by HE and PAS staining. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of olfactory marker protein (OMP) in olfactory epithelium, the important rate-limiting enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) of dopamine, and the marker proteins glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and CD11b of glial cell in the olfactory bulb. TUNEL staining was used to detect the damage of the olfactory bulb. SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: AR mice with OD had AR pathological characteristics. Compared with AR mice without OD, the expression of OMP in olfactory epithelium of AR mice with OD was reduced (F=26.09, P<0.05), the expression of GFAP and CD11b in the olfactory bulb was increased (F value was 38.95 and 71.71, respectively, both P<0.05), and the expression of TH in the olfactory bulb was decreased (F=77.00, P<0.05). Nasal administration of dopamine could shorten the time of food globule detection in mice to a certain extent, down-regulate the expression of GFAP and CD11b in the olfactory bulb (F value was 6.55 and 46.11, respectively, both P<0.05), and reduce the number of apoptotic cells in the olfactory bulb (F=25.64, P<0.05). But dopamine had no significant effect on the number of eosinophils and goblet cells in nasal mucosa (F value was 36.26 and 19.38, respectively, both P>0.05), and had no significant effect on the expression of OMP in the olfactory epithelium (F=55.27, P>0.05). Conclusion: Dopamine can improve olfactory function in mice with AR to a certain extent, possibly because of inhibiting the activation of glial cells in olfactory bulb and reducing the apoptotic injury of olfactory bulb cells.

[Characteristic analysis of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with advanced stage chronic liver disease: a community population-based cross-sectional study in Heping District, Shenyang City (CHESS-LN 2101)].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and independent risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and advanced chronic liver disease among the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) population in the Shenyang community, so as to provide evidence for the prevention and control of T2DM combined with NAFLD. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2021. 644 T2DM cases from 13 communities in Heping District, Shenyang City were selected. All the surveyed subjects underwent physical examination (measurements of height, body mass index, neck circumference, waist circumference, abdominal circumference, hip circumference, and blood pressure), infection screening (excluding hepatitis B and C, AIDS, and syphilis), random fingertip blood glucose, controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and liver stiffness measurement (LSM). The study subjects were divided into the non-advanced chronic liver disease group and the advanced chronic liver disease group according to whether the LSM value was greater than 10 kPa. Cirrhotic portal hypertension development was indicated in patients with LSM ≥ 15 kPa. The comparison of multiple mean values among the sample groups was performed by analysis of variance when the normal distribution was met. Results: In the T2DM community population, there were 401 cases (62.27%) combined with NAFLD, 63 cases (9.78%) combined with advanced chronic liver disease, and 14 cases (2.17%) combined with portal hypertension. There were 581 cases in the non-advanced chronic liver disease group and 63 cases (9.78%) in the advanced chronic liver disease group (LSM ≥10 kPa), including 49 cases (7.61%) with 10 kPa≤LSM<15 kPa, 11 cases (1.71%) with 15 kPa ≤LSM<25 kPa, and 3 cases (0.47%) with LSM ≥ 25 kPa. Age, body mass, body mass index, neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-height ratio, systolic blood pressure, and CAP were all statistically different between the non-advanced chronic liver disease group and the advanced chronic liver disease group (F=-1.983,-2.598,-4.091,-2.062,-3.909, -4.581,-4.295,-2.474, and -5.191, respectively; P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in terms of whether or not there was combined cerebrovascular disease (2=4.632, P=0.031); however, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of lifestyle, diabetes complications, and other complications (P>0.05). Conclusion: Patients with T2DM have a higher prevalence of NAFLD (62.27%) than those with advanced chronic liver disease (9.78%). 2.17% of T2DM cases in the community may not have had early diagnosis and early intervention, and they might have been combined with cirrhotic portal hypertension. So, the management of these patients should be strengthened.

[The expression and significance of TRPM8 among chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps].

Objective: To compare the expression and difference of melastatin-related transient receptor potential 8(TRPM8) among chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyps and normal mucosa tissues. And to explore the significant expression of TRPM8 among CRSwNP. Methods: Fifty-one patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from February 2019 to January 2020 were recruited, including 33 males and 18 females, aged from 14 to 65 years old (34.55±1.689).Immunohistochemistry was used to detected the expression of TRPM8 protein among CRSsNP(17),CRSwNP (17) and control tissuses(17). In addition, the correlation between the expression of TRPM8 protein in CRSwNP patients and preoperative CT Lund-Mackay scores and preoperative VAS scores and sinonasal outcome test-20 scores was analyzed, respectively. The primary human nasal epithelial cells were cultured in vitro and the expression of TRPM8 was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. The tissue in control group, chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) group and the CRSwNP group were collected and grinded into tissue homogenized. The expression of TRPM8 protein was detected by western blotting after 24 h stimulation after homogenate was added into the medium of RPMI 2650 and primary nasal epithelial cells. Results: Compared with the control, the expression of TRPM8 was significantly up-regulated in nasal polyps (t=6.852, P<0.05). TRPM8 was mainly expressed in epithelial cells. The expression of TRPM8 in the epithelial cells of CRSsNP had no difference with the control group (t=1.980, P>0.05). In addition, the expression of TRPM8 in CRSwNP patients was positively correlated with the preoperative CT Lund-Mackay scores and VAS scores and SNOT-20 scores (r=0.512, P<0.05;r=0.853, P<0.01;r=0.814, P<0.01). After cultured primary epithelial cells in vitro, the expression level of TRPM8 in epithelial cells derived from nasal polyp was significantly higher than that in control group (t=8.845, P<0.05). By adding the homogenization of control and CRSsNP and CRSwNP tissues, the expression of TRPM8 in RPMI 2650 cells and primary nasal epithelial cells was changed and that was significantly increased after adding the homogenization of the group of CRSwNP. Conclusion: TRPM8 is highly expressed in nasal polyps epithelial cells, suggesting that TRPM8 may be involved in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps regulated by nasal epithelial cells.

Substrate dependent terahertz magneto-optical properties of monolayer WS2.

Terahertz (THz) magneto-optical (MO) properties of monolayer (ML) tungsten disulfide (WS2), placed on different substrates and subjected to external magnetic fields, are studied using THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS). We find that the THz MO conductivity exhibits a nearly linear response in a weak magnetic field, while a distinctly nonlinear/oscillating behavior is found in strong magnetic fields owing to strong substrate-induced random impurity scattering and interactions. The THz MO response of ML WS2 depends sensitively on the choice of the substrates, which we trace back to electronic localization and the impact of the substrates on the Landau level (LL) spectrum. Our results provide an in-depth understanding of the THz MO properties of ML WS2/substrate systems, especially the effect of substrates, which can be utilized to realize atomically thin THz MO nano-devices.

[Study of R2* value to evaluate regulation of liver regeneration by hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury after partial hepatectomy in rabbits].

Objective: To investigate the effect of R2* value on the evaluation of different degrees of hepatic warm ischemia-reperfusion injury (WIRI) and liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rabbits. Methods: Thirty healthy adult male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into five groups. Hepatic caudal lobectomy was performed in both the control and the warm ischemia time-dependent variation group. After reperfusion, routine MRI and BOLD MRI scans were performed for each group at 6 h, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d and 30 d, respectively, and then R2* value and liver regeneration rate (LRR) were measured and calculated. After 30 days of scanning, the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), myeloperoxidase (MPO), tumor necrosis factor - α (TNF - α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected in frozen rabbit liver tissues, and the pathological sections were collected. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate the changes of R2* value, LRR and its influencing factors at different follow-up time and warm ischemia time in each group. Pearson's or Spearman's correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of R2* value with LRR and various biochemical indexes. Results: The interaction between different follow-up time and warm ischemia time (F = 24.600, P < 0.001) and the single effect of the both on the R2* value had statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The interaction of different follow-up time and different warm ischemia time had no effect on LRR, and the difference was not statistically significant (F = 0.925, P = 0.528), but the difference in the main effect of the both on LRR was statistically significant (P < 0.05). At the same follow-up time, except for the 40-min ischemia group, the R2* values ​​were significantly positively correlated with LRR (3, 7, 14, 30 days after operation, r = 0.510, 0.681, 0.612, 0.541 respectively, P < 0.05). At the same warm ischemia time, the R2* value were significantly negatively correlated with LRR (3, 7, 14, 30 and 40 days after operation, r = - 0.800, -0.852, -0.893, -0.648, -0.853, respectively, P < 0.05). There was no correlation between R2 * value and biochemical indexes at 30 days after operation (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The R2* value may be used for noninvasive and quantitative evaluation of microstructural changes of WIRI and affect liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rabbits. A certain degree of WIRI (≤30 min) after partial hepatectomy can promote liver regeneration in rabbits. Furthermore, as the warm ischemia time prolongs, the promoting effect becomes more pronounced, and if the warm ischemic time exceeds 30 minutes, the promoting effect is significantly reduced.

Continuous detection of norovirus and astrovirus in wastewater in a coastal city of China in 2014-2016.

Norovirus (NoV) and human astrovirus (HAstV) are important causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in children and adults. They are comprised of multiple genotypes and attention should be paid to genotype changes or emergence of new genetic variants. To study the prevalence and diversity of NoV GI, GII, and HAstV circulating in eastern China, we conducted a three-year environmental surveillance in a coastal city of Yantai. Thirty-six sewage samples were collected, processed, and examined for the presence of viral genomes by PCR. The results showed that NoV GI, GII, and HAstV were detected in all 36 samples. Six NoV GI genotypes, 11 NoV GII genotypes, and 5 HAstV serotypes were identified; GI.6, GII.17, and HAstV-5 were the most prevalent types, respectively. Persistent existence of NoV GII.17 Kawasaki 308 variant was observed during whole study period. Phylogenetic analysis reflected multiple transmission lineages in local population for both viruses. Our results reflect continuous presence of enteric viruses in sewage, improve our understanding on their molecular epidemiology, and demonstrate surveillance on sewage is an effective approach in understanding the local circulation of enteric viruses.

Vibrio harveyi isolated from marine aquaculture species in eastern China and virulence to the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea).

AIMS: Diseases of maricultured species caused by Vibrio harveyi are increasing in China and other regions. This study examined the genetic diversity, antimicrobial susceptibility, plasmid profiles and virulence potential of the V. harveyi isolated from marine organisms farmed in two provinces in eastern China between 2014 and 2019. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 54 V. harveyi were obtained from seven marine species. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR fingerprinting revealed substantial genetic heterogeneity among the V. harveyi isolates. There was no significant correlation between ERIC-PCR genotypes and host origins or fish farms. All the isolates were resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin, and 79·6% to kanamycin. We found that 61·1% of the V. harveyi isolates had plasmid(s) and there were 14 different plasmid profiles. Most isolates from fish hosts (76·5%) contained plasmids; however, 75% of isolates from nonfish hosts lacked plasmids. Experimental infection results showed that isolates with plasmid(s) were more virulent to large yellow croaker than isolates lacking plasmids (P < 0·05). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that V. harveyi isolates obtained from animals farmed in the coastal region of east China were genetically diverse. Our results suggest that the virulence of various V. harveyi strains to fish is associated with the plasmids they carry. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: More than 50% of the V. harveyi isolates carried one to 11 plasmids. The plasmid-borne traits of V. harveyi strains might be important for host adaptation and virulence, but they were not associated with susceptibility to the tested antibiotics.

70 mJ nonlinear compression and scaling route for an Yb amplifier using large-core hollow fibers.

In this Letter, we investigate the energy-scaling rules of hollow-core fiber (HCF)-based nonlinear pulse propagation and compression merged with high-energy Yb-laser technology, in a regime where the effects such as plasma disturbance, optical damages, and setup size become important limiting parameters. As a demonstration, 70 mJ 230 fs pulses from a high-energy Yb laser amplifier were compressed down to 40 mJ 25 fs by using a 2.8-m-long stretched HCF with a core diameter of 1 mm, resulting in a record peak power of 1.3 TW. This work presents a critical advance of a high-energy pulse (hundreds of mJ level) nonlinear interactions platform based on high energy sub-ps Yb technology with considerable applications, including driving intense THz, X-ray pulses, Wakefield acceleration, parametric wave mixing and ultraviolet generation, and tunable long-wavelength generation via enhanced Raman scattering.

Genomic characteristics of four different geese populations in China.

It is well known that many Chinese goose breeds differ substantially in economic performance, but the genetic changes involved are still poorly understood. This study sequenced 35 individuals from four goose breeds namely Shitou, Zhedong White, Taihu, and Zi with an average sequencing depth of 10× for each individual. Among these populations, SNPs were identified, which clustered the individuals into four distinct genetic groups in accordance with the four breeds. Genomic comparisons among the four goose breeds revealed many candidate genes, as well as pathways that may be associated with meat yield in Shitou geese and laying traits in Zi geese. These findings will enable a better understanding of the artificial selection history of Chinese local geese and provide a valuable resource for future research on the breeding of geese for the economic traits of meat and egg production.