Key protein identification by integrating protein complex information and multi-biological features

Identifying key proteins based on protein-protein interaction networks has emerged as a prominent area of research in bioinformatics. However, current methods exhibit certain limitations, such as the omission of subcellular localization information and the disregard for the impact of topological structure noise on the reliability of key protein identification. Moreover, the influence of proteins outside a complex but interacting with proteins inside the complex on complex participation tends to be overlooked. Addressing these shortcomings, this paper presents a novel method for key protein identification that integrates protein complex information with multiple biological features. This approach offers a comprehensive evaluation of protein importance by considering subcellular localization centrality, topological centrality weighted by gene ontology (GO) similarity and complex participation centrality. Experimental results, including traditional statistical metrics, jackknife methodology metric and key protein overlap or difference, demonstrate that the proposed method not only achieves higher accuracy in identifying key proteins compared to nine classical methods but also exhibits robustness across diverse protein-protein interaction networks

Mode conversion enables optical pulling force in photonic crystal waveguides

We propose a robust scheme to achieve optical pulling force using the guiding modes supported in a hollow core double-mode photonic crystal waveguide instead of the structured optical beams in free space investigated earlier. The waveguide under consideration supports both the 0th order mode with a larger forward momentum and the 1st order mode with a smaller forward momentum. When the 1st order mode is launched, the scattering by the object inside the waveguide results in the conversion from the 1st order mode to the 0th order mode, thus creating the optical pulling force according to the conservation of linear momentum. We present the quantitative agreement between the results derived from the mode conversion analysis and those from rigorous simulation using the finite-difference in the time-domain numerical method. Importantly, the optical pulling scheme presented here is robust and broadband with naturally occurred lateral equilibriums and has a long manipulation range. Flexibilities of the current configuration make it valuable for the optical force tailoring and optical manipulation operation, especially in microfluidic channel systems

Insulin pump therapy with automated insulin suspension in response to hypoglycemia: reduction in nocturnal hypoglycemia in those at greatest risk.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a sensor-augmented insulin pump with a low glucose suspend (LGS) feature that automatically suspends basal insulin delivery for up to 2 h in response to sensor-detected hypoglycemia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The LGS feature of the Paradigm Veo insulin pump (Medtronic, Inc., Northridge, CA) was tested for 3 weeks in 31 adults with type 1 diabetes. RESULTS: There were 166 episodes of LGS: 66% of daytime LGS episodes were terminated within 10 min, and 20 episodes lasted the maximum 2 h. LGS use was associated with reduced nocturnal duration ≤2.2 mmol/L in those in the highest quartile of nocturnal hypoglycemia at baseline (median 46.2 vs. 1.8 min/day, P = 0.02 [LGS-OFF vs. LGS-ON]). Median sensor glucose was 3.9 mmol/L after 2-h LGS and 8.2 mmol/L at 2 h after basal restart. CONCLUSIONS: Use of an insulin pump with LGS was associated with reduced nocturnal hypoglycemia in those at greatest risk and was well accepted by patients

Features of immune response during antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Host immune response is a double-edged sword and participates in liver injury and viral control in patients with HBV infection. Antiviral therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues and interferon may improve prognosis through regulating host immune response. This article describes the role of host immune response in chronic HBV infection and its features during antiviral therapy and emphasizes the importance of host immune reconstruction in sustained control of HBV infection

ROCK DRILLING WITH ABRASIVE SUSPENSION SWIRLING JET AND EFFECTS OF ADDITIVE POLYACRYLAMIDE

ABSTRACT Rock drilling experiments with an Abrasive Suspension Swirling Jet (ASSJ) have been carried out under submergence. Results show that the ASSJ can improve rock drilling with 2.2 times increase in drilling-hole diameter and with 4-5 times increase in rock removal volume when compared with non-swirling jet drilling of rock under identical conditions. And with higher PAM concentration added to the fluid, the ASSJ can significantly increase drilling depth, especially when drilling at longer standoff distance. It is also shown that the mechanism of ASSJ drilling at medium pressure on hard rocks is the overall breakage of rock grains and the binding material, in which jetting abrasive particles play dominant roles. The bottom hole shape of rock drilling with the ASSJ under submergence looks like "V". The higher rock drilling efficiency of the ASSJ results from the swirling of the jet. Organized and Sponsored by the WaterJet Technology Associatio

Cutting Force Prediction Models by FEA and RSM When Machining X56 Steel with Single Diamond Grit

In the field of underwater emergency maintenance, submarine pipeline cutting is generally performed by a diamond wire saw. The process, in essence, involves diamond grits distributed on the surface of the beads cutting X56 pipeline steel bit by bit at high speed. To find the effect of the different parameters (cutting speed, coefficient of friction and depth of cut) on cutting force, the finite element (FEA) method and response surface method (RSM) were adopted to obtain cutting force prediction models. The former was based on 64 simulations; the latter was designed according to DoE (Design of Experiments). Confirmation experiments were executed to validate the regression models. The results indicate that most of the prediction errors were within 10%, which were acceptable in engineering. Based on variance analyses of the RSM models, it could be concluded that the depth of the cut played the most important role in determining the cutting force and coefficient the of friction was less influential. Despite making little direct contribution to the cutting force, the cutting speed is not supposed to be high for reducing the coefficient of friction. The cutting force models are instructive in manufacturing the diamond beads by determining the protrusion height of the diamond grits and the future planning of the cutting parameters

Engineering Ternary Copper-Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheets as High-performance Electrocatalysts toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The rational design and development of the low-cost and effective electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are essential in the storage and conversion of clean and renewable energy sources. Herein, a ternary copper-cobalt sulfide nanosheets electrocatalysts (denoted as CuCoS/CC) for electrochemical water oxidation has been synthesized on carbon cloth (CC) via the sulfuration of CuCo-based precursors. The obtained CuCoS/CC reveals excellent electrocatalytic performance toward OER in 1.0 M KOH. It exhibits a particularly low overpotential of 276 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2, and a small Tafel slope (58 mV decade−1), which is superior to the current commercialized noble-metal electrocatalysts, such as IrO2. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Cu and Co atoms and sulfidation, electrons transport and ions diffusion are significantly enhanced with the increase of active sites, thus the kinetic process of OER reaction is boosted. Our studies will serve as guidelines in the innovative design of non-noble metal electrocatalysts and their application in electrochemical water splittin

Causal associations between chronic hepatitis B and COVID-19 in East Asian populations

Abstract Background The relationship between chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been inconsistent in traditional observational studies. Methods We explored the total causal and direct causal associations between CHB and the three COVID-19 outcomes using univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, respectively. Genome-wide association study datasets for CHB and COVID-19 were obtained from the Japan Biobank and the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, respectively. Results Univariate MR analysis showed that CHB increased the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07, P = 3.39E−03), hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.06–1.13, P = 7.31E−08), and severe COVID-19 (OR = 1.16, 95%CI 1.08–1.26, P = 1.43E−04). A series of subsequent sensitivity analyses ensured the stability and reliability of these results. In multivariable MR analyses adjusting for type 2 diabetes, body mass index, basophil count, and smoking, genetically related CHB is still positively associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.11, P = 1.44E−03) and hospitalized COVID-19 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.16, P = 5.13E−07). However, the causal link between CHB and severe COVID-19 was attenuated after adjustment for the above variables. In addition, the MR analysis did not support the causal effect of COVID-19 on CHB. Conclusions This study provides evidence that CHB increases COVID-19 susceptibility and severity among individuals of East Asian ancestry