Numerical study of tidal effect on the water flux across the Korea/Tsushima Strait

Tremendous amounts of materials and energy are transported from the East China Sea (ECS) to the East/Japan Sea (EJS) through the Korea/Tsushima Strait (KTS). Tides undoubtedly play an important role in regulating ocean circulation on the broad continental shelf of the ECS, while the effects of tides on the water exchange between the ECS and EJS remain unclear. Using a three-dimensional Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) circulation model, we conducted numerical experiments with tides, without tides, and only barotropic tides. The results showed that the water flux across the KTS can increase by up to 13% (in summer) when excluding tides from the numerical simulation. To understand how tidal forcing regulates the KTS water flux, we performed a dynamic diagnostic analysis and revealed that the variation in sea surface height under tidal effect is the main reason for the water flux variation across the KTS. The tidal effect can adjust the sea surface height, weaken the pressure gradient and reduce the water flux across the KTS, which affect the intensity of water exchange between the ECS and EJS. The tidal effect can alter sea level difference between the Taiwan Strait and the KTS, which influences the KTS water flux. Tides can also influence the KTS water flux by altering the sea surface height through interaction with topography and stratification. We also found that tidal effect weakens the northward intrusion of the Yellow Sea Warm Current in winter and in turn enhances the water flux across the KTS according to volume conservation. These modeling results imply that tides must be considered when simulating the ocean environment of the northwestern Pacific Ocean

Mechanistic study of pre-eclampsia and macrophage-associated molecular networks: bioinformatics insights from multiple datasets

BackgroundPre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-related disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, severely affecting the health and quality of life of patients. However, the molecular mechanism of macrophages in pre-eclampsia is not well understood.MethodsIn this study, the key biomarkers during the development of pre-eclampsia were identified using bioinformatics analysis. The GSE75010 and GSE74341 datasets from the GEO database were obtained and merged for differential analysis. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was constructed based on macrophage content, and machine learning methods were employed to identify key genes. Immunoinfiltration analysis completed by the CIBERSORT method, R package “ClusterProfiler” to explore functional enrichment of these intersection genes, and potential drug predictions were conducted using the CMap database. Lastly, independent analysis of protein levels, localization, and quantitative analysis was performed on placental tissues collected from both preeclampsia patients and healthy control groups.ResultsWe identified 70 differentially expressed NETs genes and found 367 macrophage-related genes through WGCNA analysis. Machine learning identified three key genes: FNBP1L, NMUR1, and PP14571. These three key genes were significantly associated with immune cell content and enriched in multiple signaling pathways. Specifically, these genes were upregulated in PE patients. These findings establish the expression patterns of three key genes associated with M2 macrophage infiltration, providing potential targets for understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of PE. Additionally, CMap results suggested four potential drugs, including Ttnpb, Doxorubicin, Tyrphostin AG 825, and Tanespimycin, which may have the potential to reverse pre-eclampsia.ConclusionStudying the expression levels of three key genes in pre-eclampsia provides valuable insights into the prevention and treatment of this condition. We propose that these genes play a crucial role in regulating the maternal-fetal immune microenvironment in PE patients, and the pathways associated with these genes offer potential avenues for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying preeclampsia and identifying therapeutic targets. Additionally, by utilizing the Connectivity Map database, we identified drug targets like Ttnpb, Doxorubicin, Tyrphostin AG 825, and Tanespimycin as potential clinical treatments for preeclampsia

Comparative analysis of tumor biology and prognosis in mucinous and signet-ring cell colon cancers versus classical adenocarcinoma

Background: Limited information is currently available on the natural history and prognosis of two distinct histological subtypes of adenocarcinoma (AC) in the colon: mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAC) and signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the clinicopathological characteristics of colon MAC and SRCC, comparing them to classical AC, using a large cohort of cases from the United States.Methods: Patients diagnosed with colon AC, MAC, or SRCC from the SEER database between 2000 and 2018 were included in our study. Incidence trends, patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and survival were analyzed.Results: In our study, we analyzed a total of 310,813 patients with colon cancers, including 271,382 cases of classical AC, 34,750 cases of MAC, and 4,681 cases of SRCC. Over the study period, we observed a decline in the age-adjusted incidence rates of colon AC, MAC, and SRCC. Notably, the MAC and SRCC cohorts differed significantly from AC in terms of patient characteristics, tumor locations, and treatment patterns. Patients with MAC and SRCC had poorer survival outcomes compared to those with AC. Factors associated with worse survival included older age, male sex, poorly differentiated tumors, advanced stage, and the presence of MAC or SRCC histology. On the other hand, surgical intervention was associated with improved survival.Conclusion: Our study underscores the significance of recognizing the distinct features and outcomes associated with different histological subtypes of colon cancer. Further research is warranted to delve into the underlying biological traits that contribute to these differences and to develop more tailored treatment strategies

Quantum Computing for MIMO Beam Selection Problem: Model and Optical Experimental Solution

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) has gained widespread popularity in recent years due to its ability to increase data rates, improve signal quality, and provide better coverage in challenging environments. In this paper, we investigate the MIMO beam selection (MBS) problem, which is proven to be NP-hard and computationally intractable. To deal with this problem, quantum computing that can provide faster and more efficient solutions to large-scale combinatorial optimization is considered. MBS is formulated in a quadratic unbounded binary optimization form and solved with Coherent Ising Machine (CIM) physical machine. We compare the performance of our solution with two classic heuristics, simulated annealing and Tabu search. The results demonstrate an average performance improvement by a factor of 261.23 and 20.6, respectively, which shows that CIM-based solution performs significantly better in terms of selecting the optimal subset of beams. This work shows great promise for practical 5G operation and promotes the application of quantum computing in solving computationally hard problems in communication.Comment: Accepted by IEEE Globecom 202

Taste buds are not derived from neural crest in mouse, chicken, and zebrafish

Our lineage tracing studies using multiple Cre mouse lines showed a concurrent labeling of abundant taste bud cells and the underlying connective tissue with a neural crest (NC) origin, warranting a further examination on the issue of whether there is an NC derivation of taste bud cells. In this study, we mapped NC cell lineages in three different models, Sox10-iCreER(T2)/tdT mouse, GFP(+) neural fold transplantation to GFP(−) chickens, and Sox10-Cre/GFP-RFP zebrafish model. We found that in mice, Sox10-iCreER(T2) specifically labels NC cell lineages with a single dose of tamoxifen at E7.5 and that the labeled cells were widely distributed in the connective tissue of the tongue. No labeled cells were found in taste buds or the surrounding epithelium in the postnatal mice. In the GFP(+)/GFP(−) chicken chimera model, GFP(+) cells migrated extensively to the cranial region of chicken embryos ipsilateral to the surgery side but were absent in taste buds in the base of oral cavity and palate. In zebrafish, Sox10-Cre/GFP-RFP faithfully labeled known NC-derived tissues but did not label taste buds in lower jaw or the barbel. Our data, together with previous findings in axolotl, indicate that taste buds are not derived from NC cells in rodents, birds, amphibians or teleost fish

Taste buds are not derived from neural crest in mouse, chicken, and zebrafish

Our lineage tracing studies using multiple Cre mouse lines showed a concurrent labeling of abundant taste bud cells and the underlying connective tissue with a neural crest (NC) origin, warranting a further examination on the issue of whether there is an NC derivation of taste bud cells. In this study, we mapped NC cell lineages in three different models, Sox10-iCreERT2/tdT mouse, GFP+ neural fold transplantation to GFP− chickens, and Sox10-Cre/GFP-RFP zebrafish model. We found that in mice, Sox10-iCreERT2 specifically labels NC cell lineages with a single dose of tamoxifen at E7.5 and that the labeled cells were widely distributed in the connective tissue of the tongue. No labeled cells were found in taste buds or the surrounding epithelium in the postnatal mice. In the GFP+/GFP− chicken chimera model, GFP+ cells migrated extensively to the cranial region of chicken embryos ipsilateral to the surgery side but were absent in taste buds in the base of oral cavity and palate. In zebrafish, Sox10-Cre/GFP-RFP faithfully labeled known NC-derived tissues but did not label taste buds in lower jaw or the barbel. Our data, together with previous findings in axolotl, indicate that taste buds are not derived from NC cells in rodents, birds, amphibians or teleost fish.</p

Mimotope ELISA for Detection of Broad Spectrum Antibody against Avian H5N1 Influenza Virus

Science and Technology Foundation of Fujian Province [2009YZ0002]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30901077]; National High Technology Research and Development Program [2010AA022801]Background: We have raised a panel of broad spectrum neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus, which neutralize the infectivity of, and afford protection against infection by, most of the major genetic groups of the virus evolved since 1997. Peptide mimics reactive with one of these broad spectrum H5N1 neutralizing antibodies, 8H5, were identified from random phage display libraries. Method: The amino acid residues of the most reactive 12mer peptide, p125 (DTPLTTAALRLV), were randomly substituted to improve its mimicry of the natural 8H5 epitope. Result: 133 reactive peptides with unique amino acid sequences were identified from 5 sub-libraries of p125. Four residues (2,4,5.9) of the parental peptide were preserved among all the derived peptides and probably essential for 8H5 binding. These are interspersed among four other residues (1,3,8,10), which exhibit restricted substitution and probably could contribute to binding, and another four (6,7,11,12) which could be randomly substituted and probably are not essential for binding. One peptide, V-1b, derived by substituting 5 of the latter residues is the most reactive and has a binding constant of 3.16x10(-9) M, which is 38 fold higher than the affinity of the parental p125. Immunoassay produced with this peptide is specifically reactive with 8H5 but not also the other related broad spectrum H5N1 avian influenza virus neutralizing antibodies. Serum samples from 29 chickens infected with H5N1 avian influenza virus gave a positive result by this assay and those from 12 uninfected animals gave a negative test result. Conclusion: The immunoassay produced with the 12 mer peptide, V1-b, is specific for the natural 8H5 epitope and can be used for detection of antibody against the broad spectrum neutralization site of H5N1 avian influenza virus

Analysis of factors influencing the outpatient workload at Chinese health centres

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although the community health service system is now established in China, the utilisation of the community health service institutions is low due to the lack of a gate-keeping role of the primary health service providers and referrals among the three-tiered health service institutions. In addition to this, patients who can afford to pay, often seek best services in big hospitals to guarantee the quality of care. Thus, the need of guiding the patients to the community health services and increasing the utilisation of the community health service institutions is becoming an urgent problem, which hinders the future development of community health services. This study focuses on the question of how to increase the utilisation of Chinese community health centres (HCs).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional Base-line Survey of Chinese City Community Health Service System Building using the multi-staged cluster sampling was conducted to collect data from all HCs in 28 key contact cities. Relevant indicators of totally 1790 HCs were analysed. The statistical methods included ANONVA and logistic regression.</p> <p>Results and Conclusions</p> <p>The analysis suggested several key factors for increasing the outpatient workload (OW) at the HCs: establishing an adequate referral system among the different levels of the health system; enhancing the qualification of health personnel and increasing the compensation by the health insurance for services provided at HCs. Other key factors with a positive effect on the OW included: the government ownership of the HCs, the scale of the institutions, the medical equipment used, the mix of health services provided, and the women in childbearing age in the residence.</p

Effectiveness of post-COVID-19 primary care attendance in improving survival in very old patients with multimorbidity: A territory-wide target trial emulation

Objectives:  Older individuals with multimorbidity are at an elevated risk of infection and complications from COVID-19. Effectiveness of post-COVID-19 interventions or care models in reducing subsequent adverse outcomes in these individuals have rarely been examined. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of attending general outpatient within 30 days after discharge from COVID-19 on 1-year survival among older adults aged 85 years or above with multimorbidity.  Design: Retrospective cohort study emulating a randomised target trial using electronic health records. Setting We used data from the Hospital Authority and the Department of Health in Hong Kong, which provided comprehensive electronic health records, COVID-19 confirmed case data, population-based vaccination records and other individual characteristics for the study.  Participants: Adults aged 85 years or above with multimorbidity who were discharged after hospitalisation for COVID-19 between January 2020 and August 2022. Interventions Attending a general outpatient within 30 days of last COVID-19 discharge defined the exposure, compared to no outpatient visit. Main outcome measures Primary outcome was all-cause mortality within one year. Secondary outcomes included mortality from respiratory, cardiovascular and cancer causes.  Results: A total of 6183 eligible COVID-19 survivors were included in the analysis. The all-cause mortality rate following COVID-19 hospitalisation was lower in the general outpatient visit group (17.1 deaths per 100 person-year) compared with non-visit group (42.8 deaths per 100 person-year). After adjustment, primary care consultations within 30 days after discharge were associated with a significantly greater 1-year survival (difference in 1-year survival: 11.2%, 95% CI 8.1% to 14.4%). We also observed significantly better survival from respiratory diseases in the general outpatient visit group (difference in 1-year survival: 6.3%, 95% CI 3.5% to 8.9%). In a sensitivity analysis for different grace period lengths, we found that the earlier participants had a general outpatient visit after COVID-19 discharge, the better the survival.  Conclusions: Timely primary care consultations after COVID-19 hospitalisation may improve survival following COVID-19 hospitalisation among older adults aged 85 or above with multimorbidity. Expanding primary care services and implementing follow-up mechanisms are crucial to support this vulnerable population's recovery and well-being