Detection of porcine parvovirus using a taqman-based real-time pcr with primers and probe designed for the NS1 gene

A TaqMan-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was devised for the detection of porcine parvovirus (PPV). Two primers and a TaqMan probe for the non-structural protein NS1 gene were designed. The detection limit was 1 × 102 DNA copies/μL, and the assay was linear in the range of 1 × 102 to 1 × 109 copies/μL. There was no cross-reaction with porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), classical swine fever virus (CSFV), or Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). The assay was specific and reproducible. In 41 clinical samples, PPV was detected in 32 samples with the real-time PCR assay and in only 11 samples with a conventional PCR assay. The real-time assay using the TaqMan-system can therefore be practically used for studying the epidemiology and management of PPV

The Analysis of the Difficult Points on Developing E-Commerce of the Western Region in China

From 1999, China started to the project of “Development of Western Region of China” and many preferential policies were issued by the central government. However, after almost 5 years, compared with eastern region, the development of infrastructure is still relatively lower. As to the development of E-commerce, the most typical phenomenon is unbalance which means that the eastern region is much faster than the western because of territorial and economic factors. So it is necessary to get a whole picture and get a clear understanding of problems of current situation of E-commerce in west part of China in order to accelerate it. In this article, the difficult points of E-commerce development in west region are discussed, such as the law issue, infrastructure, information service providers and talents people and some strategies will be given finally based on the current situation of E-commerce in west part of China

Experimental observation on beach evolution process with presence of artificial submerged sand bar and reef

For observation on the influence mechanism of environmentally and aesthetically friendly artificial submerged sand bars and reefs in a process-based way, a set of experiments was conducted in a 50 m-long flume to reproduce the cross-shore beach morphodynamic process under four irregular wave conditions. The beach behavior is characterized by the scarp (indicating erosion) and the breaker bar (indicating deposition), respectively, and the scarp location can be formulated as a linear equation regarding the natural exponential of the duration time. Overall, main conclusions are: (1) the cross-shore structure of significant wave height and set-up is mainly determined by the artificial reef (AR); (2) the cross-shore distribution of wave skewness, asymmetry, and undertow (indicating shoaling and breaking) is more affected by the artificial submerged sand bar (ASB); (3) the ASB deforms and loses its sand as it attenuates incident waves, which leads to a complex sediment transport pattern; (4) the scarp retreat is related to the beach state, which can be changed by the AR and the ASB; (5) the AR, the ASB, and their combination decrease wave attack on the beach. In conclusion, this study proves positive effects of the AR and the ASB in beach protection through their process-based influences on beach behaviors and beach states for erosive waves

Multilevel optimization of economic dispatching in active distribution network based on ADMM

With the continuous improvement of the penetration rate of renewable energy and the continuous integration of advanced network control technology and measurement equipment, the traditional distribution network is developing into an active distribution network (ADN) with the characteristics of flexible scheduling control, high user interaction, and high energy utilization. This article fully considers the economy of the overall operation of the distribution network, and proposes a hierarchical optimization economic dispatch method for active distribution networks based on the alternating direction multiplier method (ADMM). Firstly, a hierarchical optimization scheduling model of active distribution network is established with the goal of minimizing the overall operating cost of the distribution network. The alternating direction multiplier method algorithm is decomposed into upper and lower layers to solve. The upper layer is optimized with the goal of minimizing the overall operating cost of the distribution network, and the lower layer considers the distribution network. The distributed photovoltaic and energy storage units connected to the internal nodes of the network are optimized with the goal of minimizing the local energy storage operation cost and power purchase cost. The upper and lower layers, through the exchange of limited boundary information, iterate each other until the convergence conditions are met, and the optimal solution is obtained. Finally, a design example is tested to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed scheduling method

Effects of bilirubin on the development and electrical activity of neural circuits

In the past several decades, bilirubin has attracted great attention for central nervous system (CNS) toxicity in some pathological conditions with severely elevated bilirubin levels. CNS function relies on the structural and functional integrity of neural circuits, which are large and complex electrochemical networks. Neural circuits develop from the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells, followed by dendritic and axonal arborization, myelination, and synapse formation. The circuits are immature, but robustly developing, during the neonatal period. It is at the same time that physiological or pathological jaundice occurs. The present review comprehensively discusses the effects of bilirubin on the development and electrical activity of neural circuits to provide a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of bilirubin-induced acute neurotoxicity and chronic neurodevelopmental disorders

Functional group differentiation of isomeric solvents enables distinct zinc anode chemistry

Electrolytes hold the key to realizing reliable zinc (Zn) anodes. Divergent organic molecules have been proven effective in stabilizing Zn anodes; however, irrational comparisons exist due to the uncontrolled molecular weights and functional group amounts. In this work, two “isomeric molecules”: 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) and 1-methoxy-2-propanol (PM), with identical molecular weights but different functional groups, have been studied as co-solvents in electrolytes, which have delivered distinct electrochemical performance. Experimental and simulative study indicates the dipole moment induced by the hydroxyl groups in PM (higher molecular polarity than ether groups in DME) reconstructs the space charge region, enhances the concentration of Zn2+ in the vicinity of Zn anodes, and in-situ derives different solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) models and electrode–electrolyte interfaces, resulting in exceptional cycling stability. Remarkably, the Zn||Cu cell with PM worked over 2000 cycles with high Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.7%. The Zn||Zn symmetric cell cycled over 2000 h at 1 mA·cm−2, and showed excellent stability at an ultrahigh current density of 10 mA·cm−2 and capacity of 20 mAh·cm−2 over 200 h (depth of discharge, DOD of 70%). The Zn||sodium vanadate pouch cell with a high mass loading of 6.3 mg·cm−2 and a high capacity of 24 mAh demonstrates superior cyclability after 570 h. This work can be a good starting point to provide reliable guidance on electrolyte design for practical aqueous Zn batteries

A Skin Lipidomics Study Reveals the Therapeutic Effects of Tanshinones in a Rat Model of Acne

Tanshinone (TAN), a class of bioactive components in traditional Chinese medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, can enhance blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and promote wound healing. For these reasons it has been developed as a drug to treat acne. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of TAN in rats with oleic acid-induced acne and to explore its possible mechanisms of action through the identification of potential lipid biomarkers. In this study, a rat model of acne was established by applying 0.5 ml of 80% oleic acid to rats’ back skin. The potential metabolites and targets involved in the anti-acne effects of TAN were predicted using lipidomics. The results indicate that TAN has therapeutic efficacy for acne, as supported by the results of the histological analyses and biochemical index assays for interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, IL-β and tumor necrosis factor alpha. The orthogonal projection of latent structure discriminant analysis score was used to analyze the lipidomic profiles between control and acne rats. Ninety-six potential biomarkers were identified in the skin samples of the acne rats. These biomarkers were mainly related to glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism, and the regulation of their dysfunction is thought to be a possible therapeutic mechanism of action of TAN on acne

Experimental Investigation of Diagram Equilibria in the Co-Nb-Re Ternary System

Abstract(#br)In this study, the isothermal sections of the Co-Nb-Re ternary system at 1200, and 1300 °C have been experimentally determined combining the means of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The obtained experimental results showed that: (1) The Laves phase of λ3-Co2Nb (C36) was stable at 1300 °C. The temperature was beyond its stability limit in Co-Nb binary system. (2) The solubility of Re in the λ3 phase was so large that the nearest λ2-Co2Nb (C15) phase was essentially surrounded. (3) The solubility of Re in the μ-Co7Nb6 phase was 34.0 at.% at 1200 °C and 35.2 at.% at 1300 °C, respectively. (4) The liquid phase existed at 1300 °C dissolving about 4.0 at.% Re, but it was..

Altered serum human cytomegalovirus microRNA levels are common and closely associated with the inflammatory status in patients with fever

BackgroundFever has a complicated etiology, and diagnosing its causative factor is clinically challenging. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection causes various diseases. However, the clinical relevance, prevalence, and significance of HCMV microRNAs (miRNA) in association with fever remain unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the HCMV miRNA expression pattern in the serum of patients with fever and evaluate its clinical associations with occult HCMV infection status in immune disorders.MethodsWe included serum samples from 138 patients with fever and 151 age-gender-matched controls in this study. First, the serum levels of 24 HCMV miRNAs were determined using a hydrolysis probe-based stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay in the training set. The markedly altered miRNAs were verified in the validation and testing sets. The serum HCMV IgG/IgM and DNA titers in the testing cohort were also assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and RT-qPCR, respectively.ResultsThe majority of HCMV miRNAs were markedly upregulated in the serum of fever patients. We selected the five most significantly altered HCMV miRNAs: hcmv-miR-US4-3p, hcmv-miR-US29-3p, hcmv-miR-US5-2-3p, hcmv-miR-UL112-3p, and hcmv-miR-US33-3p for validation. These miRNAs were also significantly elevated in the serum of fever patients in the validation and testing sets compared with the controls. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the five miRNAs were novel potential risk factors for fever. Notably, the serum levels of four of the five confirmed HCMV miRNAs were significantly associated with blood C-reaction protein concentrations. Moreover, the five HCMV miRNA levels were closely correlated with the HCMV DNA titers in the testing cohort.ConclusionHCMV infection and activation are common in fever patients and could be novel risk factors for fever. These differentially expressed HCMV miRNAs could enable HCMV activation status monitoring in immune disorders