Non-volatile 2 × 2 optical switch using multimode interference in an Sb2Se3-loaded waveguide.

We propose a non-volatile 2 × 2 photonic switch based on multimode interference in an Sb2Se3-loaded waveguide. The different modal symmetries of the TE0 and TE1 modes supported in the multimode region change their propagation constants distinctly upon the Sb2Se3 phase transition. Through careful optical design and FDTD optimization of the multimode waveguide dimensions, efficient switching is achieved despite the modest index contrast of Sb2Se3 relative to Ge2Sb2Te5. The fabricated optical switch demonstrates favorable characteristics, including low insertion loss of ∼1 dB, a compact length of ∼27 µm, and small cross talk below -15 dB across a 35 nm bandwidth. Such non-volatile and broadband components will be critical for future high-density programmable photonic-integrated circuits for optical communications and signal processing.

High-Q chalcogenide racetrack resonators based on the multimode waveguide.

We propose and demonstrate a high quality (Q) factor racetrack resonator based on uniform multimode waveguides in high-index contrast chalcogenide glass film. Our design features two carefully designed multimode waveguide bends based on modified Euler curves, which enable a compact 180° bend and reduce the chip footprint. A multimode straight waveguide directional coupler is utilized to couple the fundamental mode without exciting higher-order modes in the racetrack. The fabricated micro-racetrack resonator shows a record-high intrinsic Q of 1.31×106 for selenide-based devices, with a relatively low waveguide propagation loss of only 0.38 dB/cm. Our proposed design has potential applications in power-efficient nonlinear photonics.

Molecular Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi Infection in Wild Rodents From Six Provinces in China.

Enterocytozoon (E.) bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. are the most important zoonotic enteric pathogens associated with diarrheal diseases in animals and humans. However, it is still not known whether E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. are carried by wild rodents in Shanxi, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Inner Mongolia, China. In the present study, a total of 536 feces samples were collected from Rattus (R.) norvegicus, Mus musculus, Spermophilus (S.) dauricus, and Lasiopodomys brandti in six provinces of China, and were detected by PCR amplification of the SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium spp. and ITS gene of E. bieneusi from June 2017 to November 2020. Among 536 wild rodents, 62 (11.6%) and 18 (3.4%) samples were detected as E. bieneusi- and Cryptosporidium spp.-positive, respectively. Differential prevalence rates of E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. were found in different regions. E. bieneusi was more prevalent in R. norvegicus, whereas Cryptosporidium spp. was more frequently identified in S. dauricus. Sequence analysis indicated that three known Cryptosporidium species/genotypes (Cryptosporidium viatorum, Cryptosporidium felis, and Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype II/III) and two uncertain Cryptosporidium species (Cryptosporidium sp. novel1 and Cryptosporidium sp. novel2) were present in the investigated wild rodents. Meanwhile, 5 known E. bieneusi genotypes (XJP-II, EbpC, EbpA, D, and NCF7) and 11 novel E. bieneusi genotypes (ZJR1 to ZJR7, GXM1, HLJC1, HLJC2, and SDR1) were also observed. This is the first report for existence of E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents in Shanxi, Guangxi, Zhejiang, and Shandong, China. The present study also demonstrated the existence of E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. in S. dauricus worldwide for the first time. This study not only provided the basic data for the distribution of E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium genotypes/species, but also expanded the host range of the two parasites. Moreover, the zoonotic E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium species/genotypes were identified in the present study, suggesting wild rodents are a potential source of human infections.

Integrating Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation Deciphers the Mechanism of Guizhi Fuling Wan against Adenomyosis.

AIM: This study aimed to predict the key targets and endocrine mechanisms of Guizhi Fuling Wan (GZFLW) in treating adenomyosis (AM) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiment verification. METHODS: The related ingredients and targets of GZFLW in treating AM were screened out using TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, SwissTargetPrediction, and PubChem Database. Then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and the network of compound-hub targets were constructed. At the same time, the key targets were uploaded to the Metascape Database for KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. After that, the molecular docking technology of the main active components and hub targets was performed. Furthermore, animal experiments were used to verify the results of network pharmacology analysis. RESULTS: A total of 55 active ingredients of GZFLW and 44 overlapping targets of GZFLW in treating AM were obtained. After screening, 25 hub targets were collected, including ESR1, EGF, and EGFR. Then, the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis results indicated that the endocrine therapeutic mechanism of GZFLW against AM is mainly associated with the estrogen signaling pathway, endocrine resistance, and an EGFR tyrosine kinase signaling pathway. Then, molecular docking showed that the significant compounds of GZFLW had a strong binding ability with ERα and EGFR. More importantly, the animal experiments confirmed that the GZFLW could downregulate the abnormal infiltration of the endometrial epithelium into the myometrium and had no interference with the normal sexual cycle. This effect may be directly related to intervening the local estrogen signaling pathway of the endometrial myometrial interface (EMI). It may also be associated with the myometrium cells' estrogen resistance via GPER/EGFR signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The endocrine mechanism of GZFLW in treating AM was explored based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments, which provided a theoretical basis for the clinical application of GZFLW.

Molecular Characterization of Blastocystis from Beef Cattle in Northeastern China.

Blastocystis is a common unicellular protist that lives in the intestines of humans and animals. Blastocystis infection and subtypes in cattle have been reported in several regions. However, the information of Blastocystis infection in cattle in China is still largely scant. To assess the prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in beef cattle in China, 803 fecal samples were collected from beef cattle farms in four cities of Northeast China, and were subjected to an analysis based on small subunit rRNA gene fragment. The overall prevalence of Blastocystis in beef cattle was 2.11% (17/803), with 2.15% in preweaning calves, 1.9% in postweaning calves, and 3.85% in breeding cattle, but absence in adult cattle (p > 0.05). Moreover, five Blastocystis subtypes were identified (ST10, ST21, ST23, ST25, and ST26), among which ST10 and ST26 subtypes were dominant subtypes in beef cattle. Mixed infections were detected in three specimens (ST10/ST25, ST10/ST23/ST25, and ST10/ST26). This is the first report showing Blastocystis infection in beef cattle in Northeast China. In addition, a variety of Blastocystis subtypes are reported in cattle in China for the first time. These results will benefit for better understanding the epidemiology and public health implications of Blastocystis.

Detection of Point Prevalence and Assemblages of Giardia spp. in Dairy Calves and Sika Deer, Northeast China.

Giardia lamblia (syn Giardia duodenalis) is an important protozoan parasite that can cause enterocyte damage and loss of brush border of the epithelial cells in the intestine, resulting in shortening of microvilli and altered epithelial barrier function. Many animals have been detected as the hosts of the G. lamblia. However, the information on the epidemiology and molecular detection of G. lamblia in dairy calves and sika deer in northeastern China is limited. To investigate the prevalence and genotypes of dairy calves and sika deer in northeastern China, a total of 321 fecal samples from dairy calves in Heilongjiang Province and 818 fecal samples from sika deer in four provinces (Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province, Liaoning Province, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) in China were conducted by PCR methods, between September 2017 and April 2018. The overall prevalence of G. lamblia in dairy calves in Heilongjiang Province and sika deer in the four provinces was 4.98% (16/321) and 0.61% (5/818), respectively. In this study, the point prevalence of Giardia spp. in different factor groups was dissimilar. A total of 16 Giardia spp. positive samples in dairy calves were identified as assemblage E based on the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi), ß-giardine (bg), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) genes. Furthermore, two positive samples of assemblage A and three positive samples of assemblage E were identified with gdh and bg genes in the sika deer. Assemblage A was zoonotic genotype of G. lamblia, and assemblage E was identified as the predominant assemblage in dairy calves and sika deer. This study reported the prevalence and genotypes of G. lamblia in dairy calves in Heilongjiang Province and sika deer in four provinces in China. These results provided basic information to understand the epidemiology of G. lamblia in dairy calves and sika deer in China.

Utilizing network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore the underlying mechanism of Guizhi Fuling Wan in treating endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Guizhi Fuling Wan (GZFLW) is a widely used classical Chinese herbal formulae prescribed for the treatment of endometriosis (EMs). This study aimed to predict the key targets and mechanisms of GZFLW in the treatment of EMs by network pharmacology and molecular docking. METHODS: Firstly, related compounds and targets of GZFLW were identified through the TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM and CASC database. Then, the EMs target database was built by GeneCards. The overlapping targets between GZFLW and EMs were screened out, and then data of the PPI network was obtained by the STRING Database to analyze the interrelationship of these targets. Furthermore, a topological analysis was performed to screen the hub targets. After that, molecular docking technology was used to confirm the binding degree of the main active compounds and hub targets. Finally, the DAVID database and Metascape database were used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. RESULTS: A total of 89 GZFLW compounds and 284 targets were collected. One hundred one matching targets were picked out as the correlative targets of GZFLW in treating EMs. Among these, 25 significant hub targets were recognized by the PPI network. Coincidently, molecular docking simulation indicated that the hub targets had a good bonding activity with most active compounds (69.71%). Furthermore, 116 items, including the inflammatory reaction, RNA polymerase, DNA transcription, growth factor activity, and steroid-binding, were selected by GO enrichment analysis. Moreover, the KEGG enrichment analysis results included 100 pathways focused on the AGE-RAGE pathway, HIF pathway, PI3K Akt pathway, MAPK pathway, and TP53 pathway, which exposed the potential mechanisms of GZFLW in treating EMs. Also, the MTT colorimetric assay indicated that the cell proliferation could be inhibited by GZFLW. Compared with the control group, the protein levels of P53, BAX, and caspase3 in the drug groups were all increased in Western blotting results. The results of flow cytometry showed that the percentage of apoptotic cells in the GZFLW group was significantly higher than that in the control group. CONCLUSION: Through the exploration of network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, GZFLW has a therapeutic effect on EMs through multi-target mechanism. This study provided a good foundation for further experimental research.

An extended hierarchical ordered probit model robust to heteroskedastic vignette perceptions with an application to functional limitation assessment.

To improve interpersonal comparability of self-reported measures, anchoring vignettes are increasingly collected in surveys and modeled as the hierarchical ordered probit (HOPIT) model. This paper-based on the idea of psychological distance-relaxes the assumption of vignette equivalence in the HOPIT by allowing for heteroscedasticity in respondents' perceptions of vignettes. Particularly, we assume that respondents who are more similar to a vignette are more familiar with the condition described and therefore are capable of forming a more precise perception of the vignette. We show evidence in favor of this extended HOPIT through Monte Carlo simulations and an application concerning self-reported vision difficulty from the WHO Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE).

Geochemical behavior and potential health risk of heavy metals in basalt-derived agricultural soil and crops: A case study from Xuyi County, eastern China.

Basalt-derived agricultural soil is widely distributed around the world and is extensively used as a medium to plant many kinds of crops. Weathering of basalt can release heavy metals into the soils and may cause health risks via the food chain. However, the geochemical behavior and the potential human health risks of heavy metals remain poorly understood in these agro-systems. In this study, basalt bedrock, paired topsoil and crops (wheat and rice) samples were collected from a basaltic area located in Xuyi County, eastern China. Concentrations and bioavailability of heavy metals in the basalt-topsoil-crop system were measured to determine their geochemical behavior during the weathering and transfer processes as well as their potential risk to human health. Our results showed that basalt and topsoil were characterized by high levels of Ni, Cr and Zn. Topsoil and crop grains were highly polluted by Ni, and Ni accumulated more readily in rice grains than in wheat grains. Nickel, a high-risk metal in topsoil was mainly derived from the basalt bedrock, and its enrichment in topsoil was significantly related to the Fe oxide content of the soils. The accumulation of Ni in crop grains was mainly controlled by soil pH, and the 0.01 M CaCl2 extractable Ni was a good indicator in predicting Ni accumulation in crop grains. Risk analysis revealed that there are significant health risks to local inhabitants if rice grains contaminated with heavy metals are ingested. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the flow of heavy metals in a basalt-topsoil-crop-human system that focuses on geochemical behavior and human health risk. This study will aid the strategic design of evaluation and remediation protocols for basaltic soil.

Brucellosis seroprevalence in dairy cattle in China during 2008-2018: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Brucellosis remains one of the most common zoonotic diseases globally with more than a half million human cases reported annually. The Brucella reservoir associated with livestock brucellosis poses a significant threat to public health, and awareness of the seroprevalence and spatial distribution of livestock brucellosis is valuable for the prevention and control of diseases caused by Brucella, especially human brucellosis. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the seroprevalence of brucellosis in dairy cattle in China. We retrieved 88 studies related to the seroprevalence of brucellosis in dairy cattle in China in which samples were harvested between 2008 and 2018. The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis reveal that the overall seroprevalence of brucellosis in dairy cattle herds in China was 1.9% during the selected period, rising from 1.6% in 2008-2012 to 2.6% in 2013-2018. In Northern China, where the traditional agropastoral areas with more developed animal breeding industry are located, the brucellosis seroprevalence was >10%. In contrast, the seroprevalence of brucellosis in Southern China reached only 5.5%. At the provincial level, the highest brucellosis seroprevalence in dairy cattle was estimated at >30% in Jilin province, followed by Shanxi, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Guizhou, each with a prevalence of 10-20%. Additionally, the seroprevalence of brucellosis in some local areas was >30% or even >50%, indicating that Brucella infection was highly endemic in dairy herds in China. Our data may facilitate the prevention and control of brucellosis in domestic animals in China. Further epidemiological surveillance and the administration of a comprehensive monitoring program to determine the risk factors associated with brucellosis incidence in humans and domestic animals are recommended to refine brucellosis control strategies.

Dynamic Friction Performance of a Pneumatic Cylinder with Al2O3 Film on Cylinder Surface.

A friction force system is proposed for accurately measuring friction force and motion properties produced by reciprocating motion of piston in a pneumatic cylinder. In this study, the proposed system is used to measure the effects of lubricating greases of different viscosities on the friction properties of pneumatic cylinder, and improvement of stick-slip motion for the cylinder bore by anodizing processes. A servo motor-driven ball screw is used to drive the pneumatic cylinder to be tested and to measure the change in friction force of the pneumatic cylinder. Experimental results show, that under similar test conditions, the lubricating grease with viscosity VG100 is best suited for measuring reciprocating motion of the piston of pneumatic cylinder. The wear experiment showed that, in the Al2O3 film obtained at a preset voltage 40 V in the anodic process, the friction coefficient and hardness decreased by 55% and increased by 274% respectively, thus achieving a good tribology and wear resistance. Additionally, the amplitude variation in the friction force of the pneumatic cylinder wall that received the anodizing treatment was substantially reduced. Additionally, the stick-slip motion of the pneumatic cylinder during low-speed motion was substantially improved.