Diagnostic efficacy of ACA, aß2-GP1, hs-CRP, and Hcy for cerebral infarction and their relationship with the disease severity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA), anti-ß2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aß2-GP1), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and homocysteine (Hcy) in cerebral infarction and to explore their relationship with disease severity. METHODS: Medical records of 67 cerebral infarction patients admitted from May 2020 to January 2023 and 50 healthy individuals undergoing health checkups were retrospectively analyzed. The levels of ACA, aß2-GP1, hs-CRP, and Hcy were compared, their correlation with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores was assessed, and their diagnostic efficacy across different disease severities were evaluated. A joint predictive score formula, defined as -6.054712173 + aß2-GP1*1.906727231 + Hcy*0.576221974, which combines aß2-GP1 and Hcy levels, was developed to assess the likelihood of cerebral infarction in our study population. RESULTS: The levels of ACA, aß2-GP1, hs-CRP and Hcy, and joint predictive score were significantly higher in the patient group (all P < 0.001). ROC analysis yielded AUCs of 0.887 for ACA, 0.894 for aß2-GP1, 0.899 for hs-CRP, 0.880 for Hcy, and 0.954 for the joint predictive score. Delong's test showed no statistical difference in most indicators compared to the joint predictive score (P > 0.05), except aß2-GP1 (P < 0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that aß2-GP1, Hcy, and the joint predictive score were positively correlated of with NIHSS score (all P < 0.05), while ACA and hs-CRP were not (P > 0.05). Notable differences in aß2-GP1 and the joint predictive score were observed among varying severity levels (P < 0.01), with the joint predictive score showing superior diagnostic efficacy in distinguishing between mild and moderate/severe cases (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: ACA, aß2-GP1, hs-CRP, and Hcy are effective biomarkers for diagnosing cerebral infarction, and are positively correlated with disease severity. The joint predictive score demonstrates enhanced accuracy in discerning degree of severity.

Breed-Related Differential microRNA Expression and Analysis of Colostrum and Mature Milk Exosomes in Bamei and Landrace Pigs.

Breast milk, an indispensable source of immunological and nutrient components, is essential for the growth and development of newborn mammals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are present in various tissues and body fluids and are selectively packaged inside exosomes, a type of membrane vesicle. Milk exosomes have potential regulatory effects on the growth, development, and immunity of newborn piglets. To explore the differences in milk exosomes related to the breed and milk type, we isolated exosomes from colostrum and mature milk from domestic Bamei pigs and foreign Landrace pigs by using density gradient centrifugation and then characterized them by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Furthermore, the profiles and functions of miRNAs in the two types of pig milk exosomes were investigated using miRNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis. We identified a total of 1081 known and 2311 novel miRNAs in pig milk exosomes from Bamei and Landrace pigs. These differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) are closely associated with processes such as cell signaling, cell physiology, and immune system development. Functional enrichment analysis showed that DE-miRNA target genes were significantly enriched in endocytosis, the T cell receptor signaling pathway, and the Th17 cell differentiation signaling pathway. The exosomal miRNAs in both the colostrum and mature milk of the two pig species showed significant differences. Based on related signaling pathways, we found that the colostrum of local pig breeds contained more immune-system-development-related miRNAs. This study provides new insights into the possible function of milk exosomal miRNAs in the development of the piglet immune system.

Combined Analysis of RRBS DNA Methylome and Transcriptome Reveal Novel Candidate Genes Related to Porcine Clostridium perfringens Type C-Induced Diarrhea.

Clostridium perfringens type C (Cp) is one of the principal microorganisms responsible for bacterial diarrhea in neonatal and pre-weaning piglets. To better understand the molecular effects of Cp infection, we performed a genome-wide comparison of the changes in DNA methylation and gene expression in Cp infected resistant and susceptible piglets. We characterized the pattern of changes in methylation and found 6485, 5968, and 6472 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of piglets infected with Cp in IR vs. IC, IS vs. IC, and IS vs. IR groups, respectively. These methylation changes for genes mainly involved in immune and inflammatory responses, cell adhesion, and activation of transcription factors. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses showed that the differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were associated with negative regulation of transcription, apoptotic processes, protein binding, and kinase activity. In addition, they were enriched in immunity-related pathways, such as MAPK signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Integrative analysis identified 168, 198, and 7 mRNAs showing inverse correlations between methylation and expression with Cp infection. Altered DNA methylation and expression of various genes suggested their roles and potential functional interactions upon Cp infection, 14 immune-associated mRNAs with differential methylation and transcriptional repression were identified in IS vs. IR, commonly revealing that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) LBP, TBX21, and LCN2 were likely involved in the piglets against Cp infection. The present results provide further insight into the DNA methylation epigenetic alterations of C. perfringens type C infected piglet ileum tissues, and may advance the identification of biomarkers and drug targets for predicting susceptibility to and controlling C. perfringens type C-induced piglet diarrhea.

Understanding acoustic methods for cement bond logging.

Well cementation is important for oil/gas production, underground gas storage, and CO2 storage, since it isolates the reservoir layers from aquifers to increase well integrity and reduce environmental footprint. This paper analyzes wave modes of different sonic/ultrasonic methods for cement bonding evaluation. A Two dimensional finite difference method is then used to simulate the wavefield for the ultrasonic methods in the cased-hole models. Waveforms of pulse-echo method from different interfaces in a good bonded well are analyzed. Wavefield of the pitch-catch method for free casing, partial or full bonded models with ultra-low density cement are studied. Based on the studies, the modes in different methods are considered as follows: the zero-order symmetric Leaky-Lamb mode (S0) for sonic method, the first-order symmetric Leaky-Lamb mode (S1) for the pulse-echo method, and the zero-order anti-symmetric Leaky-Lamb mode (A0) for the pitch-catch method. For the sonic method, a directional transmitter in both the azimuth and axial directions can generate energy with a large incidence angle and azimuth resolution, which can effectively generate S0 and break out the azimuth limitation of the conventional sonic method. Although combination of pulse-echo and pitch-catch methods can determine the bonding condition of the third interface for the ultra-low density cement case, the pitch-catch cannot tell the fluid annulus thickness behind casing for the partial bonded cased-hole.

Multiple seismic reflectors in Earth's lowermost mantle.

The modern view of Earth's lowermost mantle considers a D″ region of enhanced (seismologically inferred) heterogeneity bounded by the core-mantle boundary and an interface some 150-300 km above it, with the latter often attributed to the postperovskite phase transition (in MgSiO3). Seismic exploration of Earth's deep interior suggests, however, that this view needs modification. So-called ScS and SKKS waves, which probe the lowermost mantle from above and below, respectively, reveal multiple reflectors beneath Central America and East Asia, two areas known for subduction of oceanic plates deep into Earth's mantle. This observation is inconsistent with expectations from a thermal response of a single isochemical postperovskite transition, but some of the newly observed structures can be explained with postperovskite transitions in differentiated slab materials. Our results imply that the lowermost mantle is more complex than hitherto thought and that interfaces and compositional heterogeneity occur beyond the D″ region sensu stricto.