The Enhanced Thermoelectric and Mechanical Performance of Polythiophene/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites with Polar Ethylene Glycol Branched-Chain Modifications.

In order to develop flexible thermoelectric materials with thermoelectric and mechanical properties, in this study, we designed and synthesized polythiophene derivatives with branched ethylene glycol polar side-chains named P3MBTEMT, which were used in combination with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to prepare composite thin films and flexible thermoelectric devices. A comparison was made with a polymer named P3(TEG)T, which has a polar alkoxy linear chain. The UV-vis results indicated that the larger steric hindrances of the branched ethylene glycol side-chain in P3MBTEMT could inhibit its self-aggregation and had a stronger interaction with the SWCNTs compared to that of P3(TEG)T, which was also confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. When the mass ratio of SWCNTs to P3MBTEMT was 9:1 (represented as P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.9), the composite film exhibited the highest thermoelectric properties with a power factor of 446.98 µW m-1 K-2, which was more than two times higher than that of P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.9 (215.08 µW m-1 K-2). The output power of the thermoelectric device with P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.9 was 2483.92 nW at 50 K, which was 1.66 times higher than that of P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.9 (1492.65 nW). Furthermore, the P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.5 showed superior mechanical properties compared to P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.5. These results indicated that the mechanical and thermoelectric performances of polymer/SWCNT composites could be significantly improved by adding polar branched side-chains to conjugated polymers. This study provided a new strategy for creating high-performing novel flexible thermoelectric materials.

BPA induces hepatotoxicity in zebrafish through oxidative stress and apoptosis pathways.

BPA is so ubiquitous that 27 million tons of BPA-containing plastic, including mineral water bottles and baby bottles, is produced worldwide each year. The potential toxicity of BPA to humans and aquatic organisms has been the subject of intense research. In this study, a zebrafish model system was used to assess BPA-mediated hepatotoxicity. Zebrafish larvae at 72-144 hpf were exposed to BPA at different concentrations (0,1, 3 and 5mg/L). For example, BPA-treated zebrafish larvae showed increased mortality, delayed uptake of nutrients in yolk sac, shortened body length, smaller liver area, abnormal expression of genes related to liver development, and pathological changes in the liver tissue. Mechanistically, BPA exposure induced excessive oxidative stress in the liver of zebrafish and increased the level of hepatocyte apoptosis in zebrafish larvae, and the antioxidant astaxanthin could rescue the BPA-mediated liver toxicity.

Electrospun fibrous membrane reinforced hydrogels with preferable mechanical and tribological performance as cartilage substitutes.

Hydrogels have attracted much attention as cartilage substitutes due to their human tissue-like characteristics. However, developing cartilage substitutes require the combination of high mechanical strength and low friction. Despite great success in tough hydrogels, this combination was hardly realized. Inspired by the natural cartilage, electrospun fibrous membrane reinforced hydrogels with superior mechanical properties and low friction coefficient were designed using electrospinning, freeze-thawing, and annealing techniques. An ordered fibrous membrane was first constructed by electrospinning, in which the tensile strength and modulus have been improved successfully. Then the PVA/PAA/GO hydrogel was modified layer-by-layer by the multilayer ordered electrospun membrane of PVA/PAA/GO. The ordered fibrous membrane significantly enhanced the mechanical strength and friction properties in a manner that mimicked the collagen fibrils in the cartilage. When the number of the membranes was 4, the mechanical properties of the fibrous membrane reinforced hydrogel is maximized, which can be compared to natural cartilage, which can achieve a tensile strength of 13.7 ± 1.5 MPa, tensile modulus of 27.5 ± 3.2 MPa, compressive strength of 12.32 ± 1.35 MPa, compressive modulus of 20.35 ± 2.50 MPa. The ordered fibrous membrane endows the hydrogel with a higher tearing energy of 39.16 ± 4.05 KJ m-2, which is the 5 times that of pure hydrogel (7.74 ± 0.86 KJ m-2). In addition, the friction coefficient of the fibrous membrane reinforced hydrogel is as low as 0.039, 2 times smaller than that of the hydrogel without addition of the fibrous membrane. Therefore, such hydrogels had excellent mechanical properties and tribological properties, which could be widely used in tissue engineering such as in cartilage replacement.

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of a cytoplasmic male sterility line and associated maintainer line in soybean.

Introduction: Heterosis is a critical phenomenon in crop improvement. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and Restorer gene (Rf) systems are essential components for heterosis-based breeding. However, the molecular mechanism underlying CMS remains largely unclear in soybean. Methods: We integrated a morphological investigation with comparative analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic changes in pollen from the CMS line W931A and its maintainer line, W931B, at the uninucleate microspore (UM) and binucleate pollen (BP) stages. Results: Compared to W931B, which had healthy, oval pollen grains, W931A showed shrunken or degraded pollen grains with an irregularly thickened endothelium and decreased starch accumulation. Transcriptomic comparisons revealed a total of 865 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in W931A over the two stages. These genes were primarily associated with pentose and glucuronate interconversions, sphingolipid metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism. Proteomic analysis revealed 343 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), which were mainly involved in carbon metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and nitrogen metabolism. Consistently, Gene Ontology (GO) biological process terms related to pollen development were enriched among DEGs at the UM and BP stages. Notably, four genes with demonstrated roles in pollen development were differentially expressed, including AGAMOUS-LIKE 104, PROTEIN-TYROSINE-PHOSPHATASE 1, and PHOSPHOLIPASE A2. A total of 53 genes and the corresponding proteins were differentially expressed in W931A at both the UM and BP stages, and many of these were pectinesterases, polygalacturonases, peroxidases, and ATPases. Discussion: The results of this study suggest that pollen development in W931A is likely regulated through suppression of the identified DEGs and DEPs. These findings increase our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying CMS in soybean, aiding future research into soybean fertility and promoting the efficient use of heterosis for soybean improvement.

Fretting wear behavior of Inconel 718 alloy manufactured by DED and treated by UNSM.

Alloy 718 is commonly used in the maritime and aerospace industries due to its strength and durability, particularly in engine rotating components such as disks, fan blades, and high-pressure compressors. As a new type of 3D printing technology, directed energy deposition (DED) can employ lasers to melt metal powders or wires to fabricate arbitrary-shaped workpieces directly from customized data, thereby making machining more synergistic and intuitive. However, the surface properties of the DED-printed alloy 718 samples, such as surface roughness and wear resistance, are typically subpar. By introducing severe plastic deformation to the near-surface, ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) can be used as a post-processing method and results in altered properties. The uniaxial tensile test reveals that the UNSM-treated alloy 718 exhibits a higher mechanical property. Moreover, using a fretting test rig in accordance with the cylinder-on-plane agreement, a higher wear resistance for UNSM-treated alloy 718 is observed. This study employs the finite element method to fully comprehend the effect of UNSM on wear performance. The fretting wear process of Inconel 718 alloy is established using an energy-based finite element model. Considering the severe practical scenarios, the Johnson-Cook constitutive model is implemented, with the linear isotropic hardening model capturing the plastic behavior. In comparison to experimental measurements, the finite element results demonstrate unprecedented wear loss consistency with an error of less than 2%. Therefore, we conclude that the finite element model built in this study exhibits a high accuracy and can be used to analyze the effect of UNSM on fretting wear behavior. According to finite element analysis, as the normal load increases, the improvement in wear resistance induced by UNSM decreases. Given that the finite element model is based on the energy method, the effects of coefficient of friction (COF) and wear coefficient modified by UNSM are investigated separately. According to the findings, the UNSM-modified COF and wear coefficient play a significant role in determining the wear characteristics. Due to the removal of a substantial amount of material from the central area of the alloy 718 surface by wear, it is also possible to observe that severe plastic strains are primarily concentrated at the edges of the wear scars.

Respiratory immune status and microbiome in recovered COVID-19 patients revealed by metatranscriptomic analyses.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently a severe threat to global public health, and the immune response to COVID-19 infection has been widely investigated. However, the immune status and microecological changes in the respiratory systems of patients with COVID-19 after recovery have rarely been considered. We selected 72 patients with severe COVID-19 infection, 57 recovered from COVID-19 infection, and 65 with non-COVID-19 pneumonia, for metatranscriptomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Accordingly, the differentially expressed genes between the infected and other groups were enriched in the chemokine signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, phagosome, TNF signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway. We speculate that IL17RD, CD74, and TNFSF15 may serve as disease biomarkers in COVID-19. Additionally, principal coordinate analysis revealed significant differences between groups. In particular, frequent co-infections with the genera Streptococcus, Veillonella, Gemella, and Neisseria, among others, were found in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, the random forest prediction model with differential genes showed a mean area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77, and KCNK12, IL17RD, LOC100507412, PTPRT, MYO15A, MPDZ, FLRT2, SPEG, SERPINB3, and KNDC1 were identified as the most important genes distinguishing the infected group from the recovered group. Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Klebsiella michiganensis, Acinetobacter pittii, Bacillus sp. FJAT.14266, Brevundimonas naejangsanensis, Pseudopropionibacterium propionicum, Priestia megaterium, Dialister pneumosintes, Veillonella rodentium, and Pseudomonas protegens were selected as candidate microbial markers for monitoring the recovery of COVID patients. These results will facilitate the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of COVID patients recovering from severe illness.

Bilayer Hydrogels with Low Friction and High Load-Bearing Capacity by Mimicking the Oriented Hierarchical Structure of Cartilage.

Natural articular cartilages exhibit extraordinary lubricating properties and excellent load-bearing capacity based on their penetrated surface lubricated biomacromolecules and gradient-oriented hierarchical structure. Hydrogels are considered as the most promising cartilage replacement materials due to their excellent flexibility, good biocompatibility, and low friction coefficient. However, the construction of high-strength, low-friction hydrogels to mimic cartilage is still a great challenge. Here, inspired by the structure and functions of natural articular cartilage, anisotropic hydrogels with horizontal and vertical orientation structure were constructed layer by layer and bonded with each other, successfully developing a bilayer oriented heterogeneous hydrogel with a high load-bearing capacity, low friction, and excellent fatigue resistance. The bilayer hydrogel exhibited a high compressive strength of 5.21 ± 0.45 MPa and a compressive modulus of 4.06 ± 0.31 MPa due to the enhancement mechanism of the anisotropic structure within the bottom anisotropic hydrogel. Moreover, based on the synergistic effect of the high load-bearing capacity of the bottom layer and the lubrication of the surface layer, the bilayer hydrogel possesses excellent biotribological properties in hard/soft (0.032) and soft/soft (0.028) contact, which is close to that of natural cartilage. It is worth noting that the bilayer oriented heterogeneous hydrogel is able to withstand repeated loading without fatigue crack. Therefore, this work could open up a new avenue for constructing cartilage-like materials with both high strength and low friction.

Identification and mapping of genetic locus conferring resistance to multiple plant viruses in soybean.

KEY MESSAGE: A reliable locus confers broad-spectrum resistance to multiple plant viruses in soybean under field conditions. Soybean mosaic disease (SMD) can be caused by a variety of viruses, most of which have been largely overlooked in breeding programs. Effective mitigation of the adverse of SMD might result from breeding cultivars with broad-spectrum resistance. However, reports on broad-spectrum resistance to multiple virus have been limited. To catalog viral community members behind SMD, virus samples were collected from symptomatic field plots, and pathogenicity of component strains was assessed. Preliminary ELISA and PCR detection revealed that 39.58% and 66.67% of samples contained two or more virus strains, respectively. Only three soybean accessions were completely asymptomatic, while 42% exhibited moderate or severe susceptibility, indicating that co-infection of multiple virus remains a significant threat in current soybean production systems. Further, a RIL population consisting of 150 F7:9 strains derived from two soybean genotypes with contrasting reactions to virus infection was constructed and explored for significant markers and resistance genes. QTL analysis returned a reliable locus, named GmRmv, on chromosome 13. Significance of GmRmv in imparting resistance to SMD was further confirmed in NIL lines and delimited into a 157-kb interval that contains 17 annotated genes. Among these genes, three, Glyma.13G190000, Glyma.13G190300 and Glyma.13G190400, each contained LRR domains, as well as significant variation in coding sequences between resistant and susceptible parents. Hence, these three genes are considered strong candidate genes for explaining GmRmv significance. In summary, this research opens a new avenue for formulating strategies to breed soybean varieties with broad-spectrum resistance to multiple virus associated with SMD.

The E3 Ligase GmPUB21 Negatively Regulates Drought and Salinity Stress Response in Soybean.

E3-ubiquitin ligases are known to confer abiotic stress responses in plants. In the present study, GmPUB21, a novel U-box E3-ubiquitin ligase-encoding gene, was isolated from soybean and functionally characterized. The expression of GmPUB21, which possesses E3-ubiquitin ligase activity, was found to be significantly up-regulated by drought, salinity, and ABA treatments. The fusion protein GmPUB21-GFP was localized in the cytoplasm, nucleus, and plasma membrane. Transgenic lines of the Nicotiana benthamiana over-expressing GmPUB21 showed more sensitive to osmotic, salinity stress and ABA in seed germination and inhibited mannitol/NaCl-mediated stomatal closure. Moreover, higher reactive oxygen species accumulation was observed in GmPUB21 overexpressing plants after drought and salinity treatment than in wild-type (WT) plants. Contrarily, silencing of GmPUB21 in soybean plants significantly enhanced the tolerance to drought and salinity stresses. Collectively, our results revealed that GmPUB21 negatively regulates the drought and salinity tolerance by increasing the stomatal density and aperture via the ABA signaling pathway. These findings improved our understanding of the role of GmPUB21 under drought and salinity stresses in soybean.

Predicting asymptomatic neurosyphilis using peripheral blood indicators.

BACKGROUND: The high misdiagnosis rate of asymptomatic neurosyphilis (ANS) has long challenged infectious disease clinicians. We aim to develop a model for diagnosing ANS in asymptomatic syphilis (AS) patients without CSF indicators. RESULTS: 277 AS patients with HIV-negative and underwent lumbar puncture were enrolled in this horizontal study.The area under the curve for predicting ANS by CSF leukocytes and protein was 0.643 and 0.675 [95% CI, 0.583-0.699VS.0.616-0.729]. Through LRM, the AUC increased to 0.806 [95% CI, 0.732-0.832], and the Youden's index was 0.430. If the score is ≤ 0.159, ANS can be excluded with a predictive value of 92.9%; we can identify ANS while the score is over 0.819, with a predictive value of 91.7% and a specificity of 99.25%. This study showed that the LRM can diagnose ANS in AS patients effectively. CONCLUSION: Given a large number of misdiagnosis ANS patients and CSF results' insufficiency, the model is more practical. Our research will help clinicians track suspected syphilis, especially those who cannot accept the CSF test.

Structural variation of mitochondrial genomes sheds light on evolutionary history of soybeans.

The architecture and genetic diversity of mitogenome (mtDNA) are largely unknown in cultivated soybean (Glycine max), which is domesticated from the wild progenitor, Glycine soja, 5000 years ago. Here, we de novo assembled the mitogenome of the cultivar 'Williams 82' (Wm82_mtDNA) with Illumina PE300 deep sequencing data, and verified it with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analyses. Wm82_mtDNA maps as two autonomous circular chromosomes (370 871-bp Chr-m1 and 62 661-bp Chr-m2). Its structure is extensively divergent from that of the mono-chromosomal mitogenome reported in the landrace 'Aiganhuang' (AGH_mtDNA). Synteny analysis showed that the structural variations (SVs) between two genomes are mainly attributed to ectopic and illegitimate recombination. Moreover, Wm82_mtDNA and AGH_mtDNA each possess six and four specific regions, which are absent in their counterparts and likely result from differential sequence-loss events. Mitogenome SV was further studied in 39 wild and 182 cultivated soybean accessions distributed world-widely with PCR/Southern analyses or a comparable in silico analysis. The results classified both wild and cultivated soybeans into five cytoplasmic groups, named as GSa-GSe and G1-G5; 'Williams 82' and 'Aiganhuang' belong to G1 and G5, respectively. Notably, except for members in GSe and G5, all accessions carry a bi-chromosomal mitogenome with a common Chr-m2. Phylogenetic analyses based on mtDNA structures and chloroplast gene sequences both inferred that G1-G3, representing >90% of cultigens, likely inherited cytoplasm from the ancestor of domestic soybean, while G4 and G5 likely inherited cytoplasm from wild soybeans carrying GSa- and GSe-like cytoplasm through interspecific hybridization, offering new insights into soybean cultivation history.

A cell wall-localized NLR confers resistance to Soybean mosaic virus by recognizing viral-encoded cylindrical inclusion protein.

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) causes severe yield losses and seed quality reduction in soybean (Glycine max) production worldwide. Rsc4 from cultivar Dabaima is a dominant genetic locus for SMV resistance, and its mapping interval contains three nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat-containing (NLR) candidates (Rsc4-1, Rsc4-2, and Rsc4-3). The NLR-type resistant proteins were considered as important intracellular pathogen sensors in the previous studies. In this study, based on transient expression assay in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, we found that the longest transcript of Rsc4-3 is sufficient to confer resistance to SMV, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing of Rsc4-3 in resistant cultivar Dabaima compromised the resistance. Interestingly, Rsc4-3 encodes a cell-wall-localized NLR-type resistant protein. We found that the internal polypeptide region responsible for apoplastic targeting of Rsc4-3 and the putative palmitoylation sites on the N terminus are essential for the resistance. Furthermore, we showed that viral-encoded cylindrical inclusion (CI) protein partially localizes to the cell wall and can interact with Rsc4-3. Virus-driven or transient expression of CI protein of avirulent SMV strains is enough to induce resistance response in the presence of Rsc4-3, suggesting that CI is the avirulent gene for Rsc4-3-mediated resistance. Taken together, our work identified a unique NLR that recognizes plant virus in the apoplast, and provided a simple and effective method for identifying resistant genes against SMV infection.

In Situ Implanting of Single Tungsten Sites into Defective UiO-66(Zr) by Solvent-Free Route for Efficient Oxidative Desulfurization at Room Temperature.

Design of single-site catalysts with catalytic sites at atomic-scale and high atom utilization, provides new opportunities to gain superior catalytic performance for targeted reactions. In this contribution, we report a one-pot green approach for in situ implanting of single tungsten sites (up to 12.7 wt.%) onto the nodes of defective UiO-66(Zr) structure via forming Zr-O-W bonds under solvent-free condition. The catalysts displayed extraordinary activity for the oxidative removal of sulfur compounds (1000 ppm S) at room temperature within 30 min. The turnover frequency (TOF) value can reach 44.0 h-1 at 30 °C, which is 109.0, 12.3 and 1.2 times higher than that of pristine UiO-66(Zr), WO3 , and WCl6 (homogeneous catalyst). Theoretical and experimental studies show that the anchored W sites can react with oxidant readily and generate WVI -peroxo intermediates that determine the reaction activity. Our work not only manifests the application of SSCs in the field of desulfurization of fuel oil but also opens a new solvent-free avenue for fabricating MOFs based SSCs.

Adapting to Changing Labor Productivity as a Result of Intensified Heat Stress in a Changing Climate.

The intensification of heat stress reduces the labor capacity and hence poses a threat to socio-economic development. The reliable projection of the changing climate and the development of sound adaptation strategies are thus desired for adapting to the decreasing labor productivity under climate change. In this study, an optimization modeling approach coupled with dynamical downscaling is proposed to design the optimal adaptation strategies for improving labor productivity under heat stress in China. The future changes in heat stress represented by the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) are projected with a spatial resolution of 25 × 25 km by a regional climate model (RCM) through the dynamical downscaling of its driving global climate model (GCM). Uncertain information such as system costs, environmental costs, and subsidies are also incorporated into the optimization process to provide reliable decision alternatives for improving labor productivity. Results indicate that the intensification of WBGT is overestimated by the GCM compared to the RCM. Such an overestimation can lead to more losses in working hours derived from the GCM than those from the RCM regardless of climate scenarios. Nevertheless, the overestimated heat stress does not alter the regional measures taken to adapt to decreasing labor productivity. Compared to inland regions, the monsoon-affected regions tend to improve labor productivity by applying air conditioning rather than working overtime due to the cost differences. Consequently, decision-makers need to optimally make a balance between working overtime and air conditioning measures to meet sustainable development goals.

New Coating TENG with Antiwear and Healing Functions for Energy Harvesting.

In view of the limitations of practical applications of current triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), a new type of coating TENGs with antiwear and healing properties have been fabricated to collect the large-scale dissipative energy in the environment. To enhance the triboelectrification performance of the coating TENG, mesoporous silica filled with perfluorooctylethanol is added to the acrylate resin material, in addition to improving the antiwear properties of the frictional coating. The result shows that when the mesoporous silica is used as a carrier and perfluorooctylethanol is loaded, the short-circuit current (Isc) and output voltage (Vo) of the coating TENG reach as high as 10 µA and 220 V, respectively, which are 4-5 times higher than those of pure acrylate. More importantly, the coefficient of friction of the new coating decreases from 0.11 to 0.04 with the wear volume reducing by approximately 89%, indicating a better friction-reducing property of the coating for long-term working. As a new coating material based on the traditional acrylic resin, it can be widely sprayed onto various walls, metals, and hulls as protection coating as well as power-generation coating. Interestingly, when the coating is damaged due to long-term aging or external mechanical forces, it can restore its triboelectric performance by encapsulating the repair agent within the pore structure of silica. Owing to the large-area fabrication, low cost, high output performance, and antiwear properties, the new coating TENGs have promising potential for practical applications in energy-harvesting, self-energy supplies, and self-powered sensors.

Identification and fine-mapping of a genetic locus underlying soybean tolerance to SMV infections.

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is a major pathogen causing yield loss. Developing soybean plants tolerant or resistant to SMV is important for mitigating the adverse effects of the viral infection. However, most studies have focused on the resistance to normal SMV strains. Thus, investigations of the resistance or tolerance to the novel recombinant SMV strain have been limited. To address the threat of the recombinant SMV, two soybean parent genotypes with contrasting reactions to the recombinant SMV and 211 F9:11 recombinant inbred lines were evaluated under artificial inoculation conditions. The JD12 plants are resistant to the recombinant SMV, whereas HT is highly tolerant, but still susceptible. Genetic analyses suggested that the resistance of JD12 is controlled by a single dominant gene and the tolerance is a quantitative trait. The QTL mapping results revealed one QTL (qTsmv-13) for resistance and two QTLs (qTsmv-2 and qTsmv-3) for tolerance. A comparison between known resistance genes and the QTLs identified in this study suggested that qTsmv-13 and qTsmv-2 may correspond to Rsv1 and Rsv4, respectively, whereas qTsmv-3 represents a newly identified QTL for SMV tolerance. We further delimited qTsmv-3 to an interval of approximately 86 kb with a map-based cloning strategy. Only two of five candidate genes, Glyma.03G00550 and Glyma.03G00570, varied between the parents. Additionally, Glyma.03G00550, which is a multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter gene, is the likely candidate gene for qTsmv-3. In summary, our research opens a new avenue for formulating strategies to breed soybean varieties tolerant to SMV.

Urban heat island: Aerodynamics or imperviousness?

More than half of the world's population now live in cities, which are known to be heat islands. While daytime urban heat islands (UHIs) are traditionally thought to be the consequence of less evaporative cooling in cities, recent work sparks new debate, showing that geographic variations of daytime UHI intensity were largely explained by variations in the efficiency with which urban and rural areas convect heat from the land surface to the lower atmosphere. Here, we reconcile this debate by demonstrating that the difference between the recent finding and the traditional paradigm can be explained by the difference in the attribution methods. Using a new attribution method, we find that spatial variations of daytime UHI intensity are more controlled by variations in the capacity of urban and rural areas to evaporate water, suggesting that strategies enhancing the evaporation capability such as green infrastructure are effective ways to mitigate urban heat.

A Polymorphism Within the 3'UTR of NLRP3 is Associated with Susceptibility for Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Population.

Stroke was regarded as a severe disorder with high morbidity and high mortality worldwide, ischemic stroke (IS) accounts for 85 to 90 % of new increased stroke cases. Partial mechanisms were elucidated by genetic factors including genomic instability such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Previous reports demonstrated that inflammation was involved in IS, NLRP3 [nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3], acting as a specific inflammatory gene, however, its function and influence on IS was not well clarified. In this study, a case-control study including 1102 IS patients and 1610 healthy controls was conducted to investigate the association between IS susceptibility with a SNP (rs10754558) in 3'UTR of NLRP3. Logistic regression analysis showed that the heterozygote and the homozygote GG confer a significantly increased risk of CRC after controlling for other covariates (adjusted OR = 1.52, 95 % C.I. 1.19-1.97, P = 0.002; adjusted OR = 2.22, 95 % C.I. 2.18-3.67, P < 0.001, respectively). Carriage of G allele was associated with a greatly increased risk of developing the disease (OR = 1.69, 95 % C.I. 1.31-1.83, P < 0.001). Stratification analysis found that hypertension had interaction with rs10754558 to modulate IS risk. Further in vitro assay revealed that rs10754558 can affect mRNA level of NLRP3, suggesting its possible functional significance. Our data suggested that genetic polymorphisms in NLRP3 may influence IS risk in Chinese population. Replication of our studies in other populations and further functional studies are required for complete comprehension of the roles of NLRP3 polymorphisms in IS risk.

[Changes of lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of patients with hepatitis C].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with hepatitis C. METHODS: A total of 219 patients with hepatitis C and 66 healthy individuals served as normal controls were enrolled in the study. The proportions of T-lymphocytes (CD45(+)CD3(+), CD45(+)CD3(+)CD4(+), CD45(+)CD3(+)CD8(+)), B-lymphocytes (CD45(+)CD3(-)CD19(+)), NK-lymphocyte (CD45(+)CD3(-)CD16(+)56(+)) in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The count of peripheral lymphocyte subsets of patients with hepatitis C decreased from the stage of chronic infection to decompensated cirrhosis. The numbers of CD4(+), CD8(+)and NK lymphocytes of patients with chronic hepatitis C were significantly lower than those in healthy individuals (P<0.05). In the early and decompensated stage of hepatic cirrhosis, the numbers of lymphocyte subsets of patients were significantly lower than those in patients with chronic hepatitis C (P<0.01), and they were significantly lower in decompensated cirrhosis than in early cirrhosis (P<0.01). The proportion of B lymphocyte and CD4/CD8 ratio of patients increased from chronic infection to decompensated cirrhosis. Compared with chronic infection, the proportion of B lymphocyte and CD4/CD8 ratio in early and decompensated cirrhosis increased significantly (P<0.01 or P<0.05), while the proportion of NK lymphocyte was significantly reduced (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: From the stage of chronic infection to decompensated cirrhosis, patients with hepatitis C were found with the decreased numbers of CD4(+)T, CD8(+) T and NK lymphocytes, and the increased proportion of B lymphocyte and CD4/CD8 ratio.

[Dynamic analysis of the lymphocyte subsets in HCV children with different genotypes during treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the changes of lymphocyte subsets in HCV children with different genotypes during treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin. METHODS: The genotype of 45 HCV infected children were identified by real time PCR. The lymphocyte subsets were dynamically detected by BD FACSCalibur flow cytometer with four color MultiTEST IMK Kit during the treatment. RESULTS: For the children with 1b genotype, after 24 weeks, the CD4+ T cells were higher than pre-treatment (P < 0.05). For the children with 2a genotype, after 12 weeks and after 24 weeks, the CD3+ T cells and CD4+ T cells significantly increased while the NK cells decreased than pre-treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The lymphocyte subsets of HCV children with 2a genotype were different from 1b genotype during trentment with pegylated interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin.