Measles-Associated Severe Pneumonia in a Patient with HBeAg-Negative Chronic Hepatitis B: A Case Report

Every year, approximately 800,000 people die from liver diseases associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Complications outside the liver are common, such as fungal lung infections and viral infections. These complications may be associated with poor immune function, thus making clinical treatment difficult and increasing the risk of death. Therefore, HBV-infection-related liver diseases are worthy of clinical attention and further research. We report a case of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B in which the patient received entecavir as an anti-HBV treatment after liver dysfunction. During the treatment, the patient was diagnosed with measles and severe viral pneumonia. After comprehensive treatment, including active antiviral medications and mechanical ventilation, the patient recovered and was discharged. HBV infection causes liver damage, affects immune function, and is likely to be associated with viral infections such as measles. Consequently, infections may lead to complications, such as severe viral pneumonia, that endanger patients’ lives. To decrease complications and mortality, better understanding of the disease is necessary to enable early diagnosis

Waist Circumference Might Be a Predictor of Primary Liver Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background: Waist circumference, as an indicator of central adiposity, has been identified as an important predictor of several specific cancers such as colorectal cancer and gastroesophageal cancer risk, however, a consensus regarding the association between waist circumference and primary liver cancer (PLC) risk has not been reached.Methods: A total of 104,825 males participating in the health checkup were included in the Kailuan male cohort study (2006–2015). Information on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, lifestyle, medical records, and anthropometric measures were collected. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of association between waist circumference and the risk of PLC in males.Results: During a median of 8.9 years of follow-up, 346 PLC cases were newly diagnosed in the cohort. The RCS model showed a U-shaped association between waist circumference and PLC risk (P-overall = 0.019, P-non-linear = 0.017). Overally, males with both high waist circumference (HRQ5vs.Q3 = 1.98, 95%CI: 1.39–2.82) and low waist circumference (HRQ1vs.Q3 = 1.52, 95%CI: 1.02–2.27) had an increased risk of PLC. Especially, the U-shaped association between waist circumference and PLC risk tended to be strengthened among subjects with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negativity (HRQ5vs.Q3 = 2.39, 95%CI: 1.43–3.98; HRQ1vs.Q3 = 2.27, 95%CI = 1.29–4.01).Conclusions: Waist circumference might be an independent predictor of PLC risk in males, especially for subjects with HBsAg negativity. Controlling waist circumference in an appropriate range might be an effective primary prevention to decrease PLC risk

A de novo Genome of a Chinese Radish Cultivar

AbstractHere, we report a high-quality draft genome of a Chinese radish (Raphanus sativus) cultivar. This draft contains 387.73Mb of assembled scaffolds, 83.93% of the scaffolds were anchored onto nine pseudochromosomes and 95.09% of 43 240 protein-coding genes were functionally annotated. 184.75Mb (47.65%) of repeat sequences was identified in the assembled genome. By comparative analyses of the radish genome against 10 other plant genomes, 2 275 genes in 780 gene families were found unique to R. sativus. This genome is a good reference for genomic study and of great value for genetic improvement of radish

A heterozygous moth genome provides insights into herbivory and detoxification

How an insect evolves to become a successful herbivore is of profound biological and practical importance. Herbivores are often adapted to feed on a specific group of evolutionarily and biochemically related host plants1, but the genetic and molecular bases for adaptation to plant defense compounds remain poorly understood2. We report the first whole-genome sequence of a basal lepidopteran species, Plutella xylostella, which contains 18,071 protein-coding and 1,412 unique genes with an expansion of gene families associated with perception and the detoxification of plant defense compounds. A recent expansion of retrotransposons near detoxification-related genes and a wider system used in the metabolism of plant defense compounds are shown to also be involved in the development of insecticide resistance. This work shows the genetic and molecular bases for the evolutionary success of this worldwide herbivore and offers wider insights into insect adaptation to plant feeding, as well as opening avenues for more sustainable pest management.Minsheng You … Simon W Baxter … et al

Genome of Wild Olive and the Evolution of Oil Biosynthesis

Here we present the genome sequence and annotation of the wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris), called oleaster, which is considered an ancestor of cultivated olive trees. More than 50,000 protein-coding genes were predicted, a majority of which could be anchored to 23 pseudochromosomes obtained through a newly constructed genetic map. The oleaster genome contains signatures of two Oleaceae lineage-specific paleopolyploidy events, dated at similar to 28 and similar to 59 Mya. These events contributed to the expansion and neo-functionalization of genes and gene families that play important roles in oil biosynthesis. The functional divergence of oil biosynthesis pathway genes, such as FAD2, SACPD, EAR, and ACPTE, following duplication, has been responsible for the differential accumulation of oleic and linoleic acids produced in olive compared with sesame, a closely related oil crop. Duplicated oleaster FAD2 genes are regulated by an siRNA derived from a transposable element-rich region, leading to suppressed levels of FAD2 gene expression. Additionally, neofunctionalization of members of the SACPD gene family has led to increased expression of SACPD2,3, 5, and 7, consequently resulting in an increased desaturation of steric acid. Taken together, decreased FAD2 expression and increased SACPD expression likely explain the accumulation of exceptionally high levels of oleic acid in olive. The oleaster genome thus provides important insights into the evolution of oil biosynthesis and will be a valuable resource for oil crop genomics

Research on The External Dissemination of Yao Pangwang Festival Culture Based on the Belt and Road Initiative

Yao Panwang festival culture is a characteristic cultural heritage of the Yao ethnic group It is an important part of world excellent traditional culture. The Belt and Road Initiative broadens the channels of cultural exchanges between various countries and regions, makes the exchanges between nations closer and more frequent, and provides more channels for the external dissemination of excellent national culture. This paper starts with the cultural connotation of Panwang festival, excavates the cultural communication value of Panwang festival, explores the external dissemination of Panwang festival culture based on the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to expands the international influence of national culture

An Improved Model of Variable Fuzzy Sets with Normal Membership Function for Crane Safety Evaluation

Crane safety evaluation is significant for reducing the casualties and economic losses. Various evaluation methods have been applied to evaluate crane safety. However, when index standard with respect to every level is described in terms of intervals, existing crane safety evaluation models are not ideal. Although variable fuzzy sets (VFS) method has successfully solved similar problems, its evaluation processes are rather complex complicated and tedious. In this paper, we provided an improved VFS evaluation method with normal membership function for solving crane safety problem, in which the evaluation criteria are described in terms of intervals. To demonstrate our presented method, the improved variable fuzzy sets (IVFS) method was applied to two numerical cases including an application to crane safety assessment. It is shown that our proposed method possesses the merit to simplify assessment processes of traditional VFS and can be applied to assess crane safety when criteria values are defined as interval numbers

Influence of Flushing Velocity and Flushing Frequency on the Service Life of Labyrinth-Channel Emitters

Dripline flushing is an effective way to relieve emitter clogging and extend the longevity of drip irrigation systems. This laboratory study was conducted at Kunming University of Science and Technology to evaluate the effect of three targeted flushing velocities (0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 m/s) and four flushing frequencies (no flushing, flushing daily, and flushing every three or five days) on the emitter’s service life and the particle size distribution of the sediment discharged from emitters and trapped in an emitter channel. The gradation of particle size was analyzed by a laser particle size analyzer. The experiment results suggested that flushing velocity and flushing frequency had a significant effect on the service life of emitters, and the emitter’s service life was extended by 30.40% on average under nine different flushing treatments. Flushing can effectively reduce the accumulation of sediments in the dripline and decrease the probability of coarse particles flowing into emitters and fine particles aggregating and cementing in the labyrinth channel, thus relieving the emitter clogging. Therefore, dripline flushing can effectively slow down clogging in muddy water drip irrigation system. The recommended flushing velocity should be set at 0.6 m/s, and the flushing intervals should be shortened

Land-Use Conversion Altered Topsoil Properties and Stoichiometry in a Reclaimed Coastal Agroforestry System

Reclaimed coastal areas were mostly used for agricultural purposes in the past, while land-use conversion was initiated in recent decades in eastern China. Elucidation of the effects of land-use conversion on soil properties and stoichiometry is essential for addressing climate change and ecological conservation. In this study, five land-use types in a reclaimed area were chosen to compare the differences of soil properties and stoichiometry, which comprised paddy, upland, upland-forest, forest, and vegetable garden, with a soil age of about 100 years. The results indicated that these land-use types significantly differed in soil water concentration, pH, bulk density, soil salt concentration, soil organic carbon content, total nitrogen content, and total phosphorus, as well as C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios. Positive correlations were found among soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus; and among pH, bulk density, and soil salt concentration. Total phosphorus and soil organic carbon contents were the main factors shaping the topsoil among the land-use types. Contents of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in paddy and vegetable garden soils were higher than that in upland and upland-forest soils, while bulk density, pH, and soil salt concentration showed the opposite trends. Forest soil demonstrated intermediate values for most properties. And the highest C:N occurred in the upland and vegetable garden, the highest C:P in paddy and vegetable garden, while the lowest C:N and C:P occurred in upland-forest. The highest and lowest N:P occurred in paddy and upland, respectively. The stoichiometric characteristics presented a narrow range of the ratio, and the C:N:P averaged 48:3:1 similar to the stoichiometry of average Chinese cropland soils. Rotations including legume, the use of organic fertilizers, and appropriate fertilization strategies were suggested for improving cropland management