Necessity and challenges for the post-pandemic Hangzhou Asian Games: An interdisciplinary data science assessment

BackgroundThe postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games has reignited controversy over whether it is necessary and safe to hold. This study aimed to assess its necessity for Asian elite sport and the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic through joint data science research on elite sports and public health Internet big data.MethodsFor necessity, we used seven pre-pandemic Asian Games to investigate its long-term internal balance and six pre-pandemic Olympic Games to examine its contribution to the external competitiveness of Asian sport powers through bivariate Pearson correlation analyses between sport variables and holding year. For challenges, we used Johns Hopkins COVID-19 data and Tokyo 2020 Olympic data to quantify the past impact of the pandemic on elite sport by another correlation analysis between pandemic variables and the change in the weighted score of medal share (CWSMS), built a transferable linear regression model, transferred the model to Jakarta 2018 Asian Games data, and eventually forecasted the possible impact of the pandemic on the results of the Hangzhou Asian Games.ResultsThe proportion of gold medal countries in the Asian Games showed a long-term upward trend (Pearson r(7) = 0.849, p < 0.05), and the share of medals won by Asian countries showed a significant increasing process (Pearson r(6) = 0.901, p < 0.05). The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths (CND) was most significantly correlated to CWSMS (Pearson r(100) = −0.455, p < 0.001). The total Olympic model output of Asian countries was 0.0115 in Tokyo 2020 and is predicted to be 0.0093 now. The prediction of CWSMS in Hangzhou was 0.0013 for China, 0.0006 for Japan, and 0.0008 for South Korea.ConclusionWe documented that Asian Games played a significant role in the long-term balanced internal structure and the increasing global competitiveness of Asian elite sport. We proved that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the Olympic performance of countries worldwide, while the competitive performance at the Hangzhou Games would be less affected than the world average level. This study also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary data science research on large-scale sports events and public health

Zero-voltage-switching buck converter with low-voltage stress using coupled inductor

This study presents a new zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) buck converter. The proposed converter utilises a coupled inductor to implement the output filter inductor as well as the auxiliary inductor which is commonly employed to realise ZVS for switches. Additional magnetic core for the auxiliary inductor in traditional ZVS converters is eliminated and hence reduced cost is achieved. Moreover, thanks to the series connection between the input and output, the switch voltage stress in the steady state is reduced and thus the ZVS operation can be easier achieved. Then the leakage inductor current circulating in the auxiliary switch is decreased, contributing to reduced conduction losses. In particular, low-voltage rating devices with low on-state resistance can be adopted to further improve efficiency in applications with non-zero output voltage all the time, such as the battery charger. Furthermore, the reverse-recovery problem of the diode is significantly alleviated by the leakage inductor of coupled inductor. In the study, operation principle and steady-state analysis of the proposed converter are presented in detail. Meanwhile, design considerations are given to obtain circuit parameters. Finally, simulations and experiments on a 200 W prototype circuit validate the advantages and effectiveness of the proposed converter

Insecticidal Activity of the Whole Grass Extract of Typha angustifolia and its Active Component against Solenopsis invicta

In this study, the toxicity of whole grass Typha angustifolia L. extract was determined in vitro by a “water tube” method to investigate the bioactivity of T. angustifolia L. against micrergates of red imported fire ants. Results indicated that the ethanol extract exhibited toxicity against the micrergates of red imported fire ants. Mortality was 100% after the micrergates were treated with 2000 mg/mL of ethanol extract for 72 h. After 48 h of treatment, LC50 values of ethanol extract and petroleum ether fraction were 956.85 and 398.73 mg/mL, respectively. After 120 h, LC50 values of the same substances were 271.23 and 152.86 mg/mL, respectively. A bioactivity-guided fractionation and chemical investigation of petroleum ether fraction yielded an active component (compound 1). NMR spectra revealed that the structure of compound 1 corresponded to 3β-hydroxy-25-methylenecycloartan-24-ol. Compound 1 also exhibited strong toxicity against the micrergates of red imported fire ants, thereby eradicating all of the tested ants treated with 240 mg/mL for 120 h. LC50 values of compound 1 at 48 and 120 h were 316.50 and 28.52 mg/mL, respectively

Left Main Bronchus Root Prolongation to Cure 3 Patients whose Carina is Involved by Lung Cancer

Background and objective Patient whose carina is involved by carcinoma is difficult to treat by surgery. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of left main bronchus root prolongation to cure these patients. Methods Three patients with lung carcinoma received tumor, right upper lung and carina excision. And then the trachea and the carina was rebuilt by continuous suture, so that the left main bronchus root was extended by 3 cm, then the middle and lower lobe bronchus were sutured to the right lateral wall of the moved up eminence. Results All the patients left hospital successfully after three-week treatment, without anastomotic stoma fistula. And they got good quality of life after 30, 21 and 11 months’ follow-up, no recurrence or metabasis was found. Conclusion The left main bronchus root prolongation can preserve the left lateral wall, however, part of the tracheal mucous membrane and arteria trachealis can be protected without injury. It’s benifit for making productive cough and lowering complications after operation. The new carinal reconstruction process has definite indication, which refer to patient with normal left main bronchus root and the right inferior segment trachea involved by carcinoma

Clinical efficacy and safety of xiaoyao pill in post-stroke depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Purpose: To review the efficacy and safety of the xiaoyao pill in the treatment of post-stroke depression. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted using eligible studies found in relevant electronic databases [e.g., Embase, Baidu Scholar, Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP) in China, Chinese Biomedical Database, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure]. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata (version 12) and Review (version 5.3). Results: Eleven articles with a total of 1007 patients were included in this study. Overall, the results of the published studies show that xiaoyao pill combined with conventional drug therapy increases clinical response by 20 %. In contrast, Hamilton Depression Scale score and Scandinavian Stroke Scale score were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in xiaoyao pill treatment group than in control group. As an adjuvant therapy, xiaoyao pill reduces potential adverse reactions, suggesting that it can be used as a supplementary therapy in the management of post-stroke depression patients. Conclusion: The review and meta-analysis provide preliminarily proof that xiaoyao pill can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with post-stroke depression and has a higher safety profile than conventional drug therapy. These findings suggest that xiaoyao pill can be used as an alternative or complementary drug for the management of post-stroke depression

Membrane Contact Demulsification: A Superhydrophobic ZIF-8@rGO Membrane for Water-in-Oil Emulsion Separation

Achieving a water–oil interface imbalance has been identified as a critical factor in the demulsification of water-in-oil emulsions. However, conventional demulsifying membranes generally break the interface balance by depending on a relatively high transmembrane pressure. Here, we present a “contact demulsification” concept to naturally and quickly achieve disruption of the water–oil interface balance. For this purpose, a novel demulsifying membrane with a high flux of the organic component has been developed via the simple vacuum assembly of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) microspheres (ZGS) on a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) support, followed by immobilization processing in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) crosslinking solution. Due to the micro-nano hierarchies of the ZGS, the prepared ZIF-8@rGO@PDMS/PTFE (ZGPP) membranes feature a unique superhydrophobic surface, which results in a water–oil interface imbalance when a surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsion comes into contact with the membrane surface. Under a low transmembrane pressure of 0.15 bar (15 kPa), such membranes show an excellent separation efficiency (∼99.57%) and a high flux of 2254 L·m−2·h−1, even for surfactant-stabilized nanoscale water-in-toluene emulsions (with an average droplet size of 57 nm). This “contact demulsification” concept paves the way for developing next-generation demulsifying membranes for water-in-oil emulsion separation

The Screening of the Protective Antigens of Aeromonas hydrophila Using the Reverse Vaccinology Approach: Potential Candidates for Subunit Vaccine Development

The threat of bacterial septicemia caused by Aeromonas hydrophila infection to aquaculture growth can be prevented through vaccination, but differences among A. hydrophila strains may affect the effectiveness of non-conserved subunit vaccines or non-inactivated A. hydrophila vaccines, making the identification and development of conserved antigens crucial. In this study, a bioinformatics analysis of 4268 protein sequences encoded by the A. hydrophila J-1 strain whole genome was performed based on reverse vaccinology. The specific analysis included signal peptide prediction, transmembrane helical structure prediction, subcellular localization prediction, and antigenicity and adhesion evaluation, as well as interspecific and intraspecific homology comparison, thereby screening the 39 conserved proteins as candidate antigens for A. hydrophila vaccine. The 9 isolated A. hydrophila strains from diseased fish were categorized into 6 different molecular subtypes via enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR technology, and the coding regions of 39 identified candidate proteins were amplified via PCR and sequenced to verify their conservation in different subtypes of A. hydrophila and other Aeromonas species. In this way, conserved proteins were screened out according to the comparison results. Briefly, 16 proteins were highly conserved in different A. hydrophila subtypes, of which 2 proteins were highly conserved in Aeromonas species, which could be selected as candidate antigens for vaccines development, including type IV pilus secretin PilQ (AJE35401.1) and TolC family outer membrane protein (AJE35877.1). The present study screened the conserved antigens of A. hydrophila by using reverse vaccinology, which provided basic foundations for developing broad-spectrum protective vaccines of A. hydrophila

Molecular Characterization and Comparative Genomics of Clinical Hybrid Shiga Toxin-Producing and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC) Strains in Sweden

Hybrid E. coli pathotypes are representing emerging public health threats with enhanced virulence from different pathotypes. Hybrids of Shiga toxin-producing and enterotoxigenic E. coli (STEC/ETEC) have been reported to be associated with diarrheal disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans. Here, we identified and characterized four clinical STEC/ETEC hybrids from diarrheal patients with or without fever or abdominal pain and healthy contact in Sweden. Rare stx2 subtypes were present in STEC/ETEC hybrids. Stx2 production was detectable in stx2a and stx2e containing strains. Different copies of ETEC virulence marker, sta gene, were found in two hybrids. Three sta subtypes, namely, sta1, sta4 and sta5 were designated, with sta4 being predominant. The hybrids represented diverse and rare serotypes (O15:H16, O187:H28, O100:H30, and O136:H12). Genome-wide phylogeny revealed that these hybrids exhibited close relatedness with certain ETEC, STEC/ETEC hybrid and commensal E. coli strains, implying the potential acquisition of Stx-phages or/and ETEC virulence genes in the emergence of STEC/ETEC hybrids. Given the emergence and public health significance of hybrid pathotypes, a broader range of virulence markers should be considered in the E. coli pathotypes diagnostics, and targeted follow up of cases is suggested to better understand the hybrid infection

Small interference RNA targeting tissue factor inhibits human lung adenocarcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The human coagulation trigger tissue factor (TF) is overexpressed in several types of cancer and involved in tumor growth, vascularization, and metastasis. To explore the role of TF in biological processes of lung adenocarcinoma, we used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to silence TF in a lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 with high-level expression of TF and evaluate its antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) designed for targeting human TF was transfected into A549 cells. The expression of TF was detected by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT and clonogenic assays. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. The metastatic potential of A549 cells was determined by wound healing, the mobility and Matrigel invasion assays. Expressions of PI3K/Akt, Erk1/2, VEGF and MMP-2/-9 in transfected cells were detected by Western blot. In vivo, the effect of TF-siRNA on the growth of A549 lung adenocarcinoma xenografts in nude mice was investigated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>TF -siRNA significantly reduced the expression of TF in the mRNA and protein levels. The down-regulation of TF in A549 cells resulted in the suppression of cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis and induced cell apoptosis in dose-dependent manner. Erk MAPK, PI3K/Akt pathways as well as VEGF and MMP-2/-9 expressions were inhibited in TF-siRNA transfected cells. Moreover, intratumoral injection of siRNA targeting TF suppressed the tumor growth of A549 cells in vivo model of lung adenocarcinoma.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Down-regulation of TF using siRNA could provide a potential approach for gene therapy against lung adenocarcinoma, and the antitumor effects may be associated with inhibition of Erk MAPK, PI3K/Akt pathways.</p

Comparative Genomics of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Pediatric Patients with and without Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome from 2000 to 2016 in Finland

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Bai et al.Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection can cause mild to severe illness, such as nonbloody or bloody diarrhea, and the fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The molecular mechanism underlying the variable pathogenicity of STEC infection is not fully defined so far. Here, we performed a comparative genomics study on a large collection of clinical STEC strains collected from STEC-infected pediatric patients with and without HUS in Finland over a 16-year period, aiming to identify the bacterial genetic factors that can predict the risk to cause HUS and poor renal outcome. Of 240 STEC strains included in this study, 52 (21.7%) were from pediatric patients with HUS. Serotype O157:H7 was the main cause of HUS, and Shiga toxin gene subtype stx2a was significantly associated with HUS. Comparative genomics and pangenome-wide association studies identified a number of virulence and accessory genes overrepresented in HUS-associated STEC compared to non-HUS STEC strains, including genes encoding cytolethal distending toxins, type III secretion system effectors, adherence factors, etc. No virulence or accessory gene was significantly associated with risk factors for poor renal outcome among HUS patients assessed in this study, including need for and duration of dialysis, presence and duration of anuria, and leukocyte counts. Whole-genome phylogeny and multiple-correspondence analysis of pangenomes could not separate HUS STEC from non-HUS STEC strains, suggesting that STEC strains with diverse genetic backgrounds may independently acquire genetic elements that determine their varied pathogenicity. Our findings indicate that nonbacterial factors, i.e., characteristics of the host immunity, might affect STEC virulence and clinical outcomes.Peer reviewe