Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands in Chinese patients with multiple sclerosis: the prevalence and its association with clinical features

BackgroundCerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal band (CSF-OCB) is an established biomarker in diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS), however, there are no nationwide data on CSF-OCB prevalence and its diagnostic performance in Chinese MS patients, especially in the virtue of common standard operation procedure (SOP).MethodsWith a consensus SOP and the same isoelectric focusing system, we conducted a nationwide multi-center study on OCB status in consecutively, and recruited 483 MS patients and 880 non-MS patients, including neuro-inflammatory diseases (NID, n = 595) and non-inflammatory neurological diseases (NIND, n=285). Using a standardized case report form (CRF) to collect the clinical, radiological, immunological, and CSF data, we explored the association of CSF-OCB positivity with patient characters and the diagnostic performance of CSF-OCB in Chinese MS patients. Prospective source data collection, and retrospective data acquisition and statistical data analysis were used.Findings369 (76.4%) MS patients were OCB-positive, while 109 NID patients (18.3%) and 6 NIND patients (2.1%) were OCB-positive, respectively. Time from symptom onset to diagnosis was significantly shorter in OCB-positive than that in OCB-negative MS patients (13.2 vs 23.7 months, P=0.020). The prevalence of CSF-OCB in Chinese MS patients was significantly higher in high-latitude regions (41°-50°N)(P=0.016), and at high altitudes (>1000m)(P=0.025). The diagnostic performance of CSF-OCB differentiating MS from non-MS patients yielded a sensitivity of 76%, a specificity of 87%.InterpretationThe nationwide prevalence of CSF-OCB was 76.4% in Chinese MS patients, and demonstrated a good diagnostic performance in differentiating MS from other CNS diseases. The CSF-OCB prevalence showed a correlation with high latitude and altitude in Chinese MS patients

GA-Based Early Warning Method for Rock Burst with Microseismic and Acoustic Emission in Steeply Inclined Coal Seam

Aiming at problem of low efficacy of early warning of rock burst in coal mine, a multisystem and multiparameter integrated early warning method based on genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed. In this method, firstly, the temporal-spatial-intensity information of energy incubation process of rock burst is deeply mined, and the multidimensional precursory characteristic parameter system of rock burst is constructed. Secondly, the genetic algorithm is used to train the historical monitoring data to obtain the optimal critical value and fitness value of each precursory characteristic parameter, and then the early warning index WC of each monitoring system is calculated. Finally, the integrated rock burst early warning index IC is obtained by synthesizing the early warning index WC of each system. The value of IC corresponds to the specific rock burst risk level of the mine. This method is applied to Wudong coal mine in Xinjiang, China. Based on the actual situation of the mine, a multidimensional precursory characteristic parameter system of rock burst is constructed, which includes energy deviation (DE), frequency ratio (Fr), frequency deviation (DF), degree of dispersion (DS), and total high value of energy deviation (DH). After analyzing the rock burst danger status and risk level in the monitoring area, the early warning capability of this method is found to reach 0.896. Combining with the specific prevention and control measures corresponding to different rock burst risk levels, it can provide effective guidance for the field work

A Visual Discrimination of Existing States of Virus Capsid Protein by a Giant Molybdate Cluster

We report a unique phenomenon, the opposite color response of a giant polyoxometalate, (NH4)42[Mo132O372(CHCOO)30] (H2O)72 ([Mo132]), to the existing states of human papillomavirus (HPV) major capsid protein, L1-pentamer (L1-p), and virus-like particles (VLPs). The color responses originate from the different assembly forms between [Mo132] and the capsid protein. The latter were inspected and separated by using CsCl gradient centrifugation, and validated in detail by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. Furthermore, the intrinsic mechanisms were investigated in-depth by using XPS-based semi-quantitative analysis and well-designed peptides, revealing the critical points of L1 that determine the charge–transfer ratio between Mo(V) to Mo(VI), and consequently, the levels of [Mo132] hypochromic in different assemblies. Such a unique phenomenon is significant as it supplies a colorimetry approach to distinguish the existing states of the HPV capsid protein and would be significant in the quality assay of the HPV vaccine and existing states of other viruses in the future

A method to predict rockburst using temporal trend test and its application

Rockbursts have become a significant hazard in underground mining, underscoring the need for a robust early warning model to ensure safety management. This study presents a novel approach for rockburst prediction, integrating the Mann-Kendall trend test (MKT) and multi-indices fusion to enable real-time and quantitative assessment of rockburst hazards. The methodology employed in this study involves the development of a comprehensive precursory index library for rockbursts. The MKT is then applied to analyze the real-time trend of each index, with adherence to rockburst characterization laws serving as the warning criterion. By employing a confusion matrix, the warning effectiveness of each index is assessed, enabling index preference determination. Ultimately, the integrated rockburst hazard index Q is derived through data fusion. The results demonstrate that the proposed model achieves a warning effectiveness of 0.563 for Q, surpassing the performance of any individual index. Moreover, the model's adaptability and scalability are enhanced through periodic updates driven by actual field monitoring data, making it suitable for complex underground working environments. By providing an efficient and accurate basis for decision-making, the proposed model holds great potential for the prevention and control of rockbursts. It offers a valuable tool for enhancing safety measures in underground mining operations

Methane Production by Facultative Anaerobic Wood-Rot Fungi via a New Halomethane-Dependent Pathway

The greenhouse gas methane (CH4) is of pivotal importance for Earth’s climate system and as a human energy source. A significant fraction of this CH4 is produced by anaerobic Archaea. Here, we describe the first CH4 production by facultative anaerobic wood-rot fungi during growth on hydroxylated/carboxylated aromatic compounds, including lignin and lignite. The amount of CH4 produced by fungi is positively correlated with the amount of CH3Cl produced during the rapid growth period of the fungus. Biochemical, genetic, and stable isotopic tracer analyses reveal the existence of a novel halomethane-dependent fungal CH4 production pathway during the degradation of phenol and benzoic acid monomers and polymers and utilization of cyclic sugars. Even though this halomethane-dependent pathway may only play a side role in anaerobic fungal activity, it could represent a globally significant, previously overlooked source of biogenic CH4 in natural ecosystems. IMPORTANCE Here, we demonstrate that wood-rot fungi produce methane anaerobically without the involvement of methanogenic archaea via a new, halomethane-dependent pathway. These findings of an anaerobic fungal methane formation pathway open another avenue in methane research and will further assist with current efforts in the identification of the processes involved and their ecological implications.ISSN:2165-049

CD38 deficiency alleviates Ang II-induced vascular remodeling by inhibiting small extracellular vesicle-mediated vascular smooth muscle cell senescence in mice

Abstract CD38 is the main enzyme for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) degradation in mammalian cells. Decreased NAD levels are closely related to metabolic syndromes and aging-related diseases. Our study showed that CD38 deficiency significantly alleviated angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced vascular remodeling in mice, as shown by decreased blood pressures; reduced vascular media thickness, media-to-lumen ratio, and collagen deposition; and restored elastin expression. However, our bone marrow transplantation assay showed that CD38 deficiency in lymphocytes led to lack of protection against Ang II-induced vascular remodeling, suggesting that the effects of CD38 on Ang II-induced vascular remodeling might rely primarily on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), not lymphocytes. In addition, we observed that CD38 deficiency or NAD supplementation remarkably mitigated Ang II-induced vascular senescence by suppressing the biogenesis, secretion, and internalization of senescence-associated small extracellular vesicles (SA-sEVs), which facilitated the senescence of neighboring non-damaged VSMCs. Furthermore, we found that the protective effects of CD38 deficiency on VSMC senescence were related to restoration of lysosome dysfunction, particularly with respect to the maintenance of sirtuin-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis and activation of the mitochondria–lysosomal axis in VSMCs. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that CD38 and its associated intracellular NAD decline are critical for Ang II-induced VSMC senescence and vascular remodeling