Field Testing Integrated Interventions for Schistosomiasis Elimination in the People\u27s Republic of China: Outcomes of a Multifactorial Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Despite significant progress, China faces the challenge of re-emerging schistosomiasis transmission in currently controlled areas due, in part, to the presence of a range of animal reservoirs, notably water buffalo and cattle, which can harbor Schistosoma japonicum infections. Environmental, ecological and social-demographic changes in China, shown to affect the distribution of oncomelanid snails, can also impact future schistosomiasis transmission. In light of their importance in the S. japonicum, lifecycle, vaccination has been proposed as a means to reduce the excretion of egg from cattle and buffalo, thereby interrupting transmission from these reservoir hosts to snails. A DNA-based vaccine (SjCTPI) our team developed showed encouraging efficacy against S. japonicum in Chinese water buffaloes. Here we report the results of a double-blind cluster randomized trial aimed at determining the impact of a combination of the SjCTPI bovine vaccine (given as a prime-boost regimen), human mass chemotherapy and snail control on the transmission of S. japonicum in 12 selected administrative villages around the Dongting Lake in Hunan province. The trial confirmed human praziquantel treatment is an effective intervention at the population level. Further, mollusciciding had an indirect ~50% efficacy in reducing human infection rates. Serology showed that the SjCTPI vaccine produced an effective antibody response in vaccinated bovines, resulting in a negative correlation with bovine egg counts observed at all post-vaccination time points. Despite these encouraging outcomes, the effect of the vaccine in preventing human infection was inconclusive. This was likely due to activities undertaken by the China National Schistosomiasis Control Program, notably the treatment, sacrifice or removal of bovines from trial villages, over which we had no control; as a result, the trial design was compromised, reducing power and contaminating outcome measures. This highlights the difficulties in undertaking field trials of this nature and magnitude, particularly over a long period, and emphasizes the importance of mathematical modeling in predicting the potential impact of control intervention measures. A transmission blocking vaccine targeting bovines for the prevention of S. japonicum with the required protective efficacy would be invaluable in tandem with other preventive intervention measures if the goal of eliminating schistosomiasis from China is to become a reality

A Coordination and Ligand Replacement Based Three-Input Colorimetric Logic Gate Sensing Platform for Melamine, Mercury Ions, and Cysteine

Discrimination of different species in various target scopes within a single sensing platform can provide many advantages such as simplicity, rapidness, and cost effectiveness. Here we design a three-input colorimetric logic gate, based on the aggregation and anti-aggregation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), for the sensing of melamine, cysteine, and Hg2+. The concept makes use of the advantages of the highly specific coordination and ligand replacement reactions between melamine, cysteine, Hg2+, and Au NPs. Different outputs are obtained with the combinational inputs in the logic gates, which can serve as a reference to discriminate different analytes within a single sensing platform. Furthermore, besides the intrinsic sensitivity and selectivity of Au NPs to melamine-like compounds, the “INH” gates of melamine/cysteine and melamine/Hg2+ in this logic system can be employed for sensitive and selective detections of cysteine and Hg2+, respectively.NRF (Natl Research Foundation, S’pore)MOE (Min. of Education, S’pore)Published versio

Investigation of Tri-Axial Stress Sensing and Measuring Technology for Tire-Pavement Contact Surface

A tri-axial stress sensor was designed to measure contact stresses in the tire–pavement contact patch. The shape and size of the sensor surface were designed considering both the asphalt pavement texture and the tire pattern. The top-down cracking mechanism was also taken into account, and the sensor was placed at the vertical crack depth. Temperature drifts and zero drifts were compensated for. The sensor had high structural strength and met the sensing requirements of specialized heavy vehicles. In a preliminary study, three sensors were fabricated and calibrated in three directions. Simulated measurements were performed using a tire–pavement surface contact test bench. Signals from the L-shaped sensor region were obtained for the upper, middle, and lower parts of the tire, and preliminary stress distributions were determined at different positions on the contact surface. This study has laid a foundation for the design and construction of a more precise test system in the future

Analysis of Contact Stresses and Rolling Resistance of Truck-Bus Tyres under Different Working Conditions

In this work, to analyse the changing characteristics of contact stresses in the tyre–pavement interface and the functional relationship between rolling resistance and the working conditions of truck-bus tyres, a three-dimensional tyre–pavement model is established and used to predict the distribution of contact stresses and rolling resistance under different working conditions of the tyre, comprising various tyre loads, inflation pressures, and velocities. Results show that the magnitude relationship between transverse and longitudinal contact stresses is related to rolling conditions, and overload and low tyre pressure are important contributors to the wear of the tyre shoulder. In addition, the proposed exponential equation presents a method that can be used to forecast rolling resistance related to the working conditions of the truck-bus tyre, and a similar method can be used to predict the rolling resistances of other types of tyres

Spectral Techniques Applied to Evaluate Pavement Friction and Surface Texture

To study texture of pavement surfaces and its effect on pavement friction, this article features a field experiment conducted on in-service pavements to characterize surface texture by spectral analysis to substantiate links to friction values. Pavement friction was measured using a Mu-meter and British pendulum tester whereas texture data was collected using a stationary laser profilometer. Texture spectra were analyzed and expressed in third octave bands. The correlation between texture spectral levels and friction values at different speeds are discussed in the paper. Results show that the texture level, including spectral band levels, can well represent texture characteristics, as texture spectral levels have a good correlation with friction coefficient, especially the texture level of texture wavelengths at 1.25-12.5 mm versus SFCsl (representing the slope of the side force coefficient (SFC) versus speed), i.e., the slope of friction versus speed. This friction parameter gives better correlations with texture parameters than friction values at different speeds, which is believed to be an effect of the drainage caused by texture in that wavelength range

Occupational Health and Safety in China: A Systematic Analysis of Research Trends and Future Perspectives

The frequent occurrence of various occupational accidents has resulted in significant casualties and occupational disease issues, which hinder economic and social development seriously. The promotion and enhancement of occupational health and safety (OHS) require greater efforts to be made to achieve sustainable economic development, particularly in developing countries. With remarkable progress and achievements that have been made in terms of OHS in China, a systematic and thorough review is needed to gain insight into the development process, current status, and research trends regarding OHS in China. Additionally, pathways for future work need to be discussed to boost the OHS development in China in the new era. Therefore, a systematic literature review is performed in this study to investigate the development of OHS in China with the help of a bibliometric analysis. Firstly, a total of 5675 publications related to OHS in China between 1979 and 2022 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and the Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD) before being refined manually. Then, the temporal distribution and journal sources of the collected publications were analyzed before the collaboration networks of the “productive institutions” and “productive authors” were discussed. Furthermore, the key research topics (e.g., disease prevention, psychological safety, occupational exposure) and dominant research methods (e.g., epidemiological methods, risk modeling) associated with OHS during different periods were identified and discussed based on the keywords and bibliographic analysis. Finally, the current needs and promising pathways for future work were discussed. It is suggested that the prevention and control of conventional and new occupational diseases, the protection of workers’ occupational health rights and interests, the development and implementation of advanced technologies for OHS, and the development of more sophisticated and efficient health and safety risk assessment models may be focused on to accelerate the development of OHS in China. This study systematically reviews the development processes, current status, and future prospects regarding OHS in China. The results of this study provide valuable insights for researchers and practitioners who are involved in the Chinese OHS development, and the promising pathways for future works are suggested to boost the OHS development in China.Safety and Security Scienc

Role of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in the Chemoresistance Modulation of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. To date, chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of CRC patients. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the major hurdles in chemotherapy for CRC, and the underlying mechanisms need to be explored. Studies have demonstrated that Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a critical role in oncogenesis and tumor development, and its function in inhibiting apoptosis could facilitate tumor chemoresistance. Recent investigations have also suggested the regulatory effects of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in response to chemotherapeutic agents in CRC. Here, we particularly focus on reviewing the evidences suggesting the mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the chemoresistance modulation of colorectal cancer