The impact of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to explore this impact. For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CKNI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wan Fang database for articles between 1 January 2020 and 1 February 2023. We used the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment to evaluate the study’s quality. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed utilising the rates of severe/critical illness and death in COVID-19 patients with and without HBV infection. Eighteen studies with a total of 40,502 participants met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that compared to those without HBV infection, COVID-19 patients with HBV were at increased risk of mortality (OR = 1.65, I2 = 58%, and 95% CI 1.08–2.53) and severity (OR = 1.90, I2 = 44%, and 95% CI 1.62–2.24). The region and gender may influence the outcomes of COVID-19 patients with HBV infection, but it requires more global data to confirm. In conclusion, HBV infection is significantly linked to an increased risk of severity and mortality in COVID-19.

Breast cancer is a high-risk disease with a high mortality rate among women. Chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of breast cancer. However, chemotherapy eventually results in tumours that are resistant to drugs. In recent years, many studies have revealed that the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling is crucial for the emergence and growth of breast tumours as well as the development of drug resistance. Additionally, drugs that target this pathway can reverse drug resistance in breast cancer therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine has the properties of multi-target and tenderness. Therefore, integrating traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine into chemotherapy provides a new strategy for reversing the drug resistance of breast tumours. This paper mainly reviews the possible mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin in promoting the process of breast tumour drug resistance, and the progress of alkaloids extracted from traditional Chinese medicine in the targeting of this pathway in order to reverse the drug resistance of breast cancer.

High-power femtosecond mid-infrared (MIR) lasers are of vast importance to both fundamental research and applications. We report a high-power femtosecond master oscillator power amplifier laser system consisting of a single-mode Er:ZBLAN fiber mode-locked oscillator and pre-amplifier followed by a large-mode-area Er:ZBLAN fiber main amplifier. The main amplifier is actively cooled and bidirectionally pumped at 976 nm, generating a slope efficiency of 26.9%. Pulses of 8.12 W, 148 fs at 2.8 μm with a repetition rate of 69.65 MHz are achieved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average power ever achieved from a femtosecond MIR laser source. Such a compact ultrafast laser system is promising for a wide range of applications, such as medical surgery and material processing.

We aimed to examine the association between the quantity and quality of dietary fat in early pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. In total, 1477 singleton pregnant women were included from Sichuan Provincial Hospital for Women and Children, Southwest China. Dietary information was collected by a 3-d 24-h dietary recall. GDM was diagnosed based on the results of a 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 gestational weeks. Log-binomial models were used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% CI. The results showed that total fat intake was positively associated with GDM risk (Q4 v. Q1: RR = 1·40; 95 % CI 1·11, 1·76; P trend = 0·001). This association was also observed for the intakes of animal fat and vegetable fat. After stratified by total fat intake (< 30 %E v. ≥ 30 %E), the higher animal fat intake was associated with higher GDM risk in the high-fat group, but the moderate animal fat intake was associated with reduced risk of GDM (T2 v. T1: RR = 0·65; 95 % CI 0·45, 0·96) in the normal-fat group. Vegetable fat intake was positively associated with GDM risk in the high-fat group but not in the normal-fat group. No association between fatty acids intakes and GDM risk was found. In conclusion, total fat, animal and vegetable fat intakes were positively associated with GDM risk, respectively. Whereas when total fat intake was not excessive, higher intakes of animal and vegetable fat were likely irrelevant with increased GDM risk, even the moderate animal fat intake could be linked to lower GDM risk.

We investigated the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from patients with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV, and those diagnosed with only TB in Sichuan, China. TB isolates were obtained from January 2018 to December 2020 and subjected to drug susceptibility testing (DST) to 11 anti-TB drugs and to GeneXpert MTB/RIF testing. The overall proportion of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) isolates was 32.1% (n = 10 946). HIV testing was not universally available for outpatient TB cases, only 29.5% (3227/10 946) cases had HIV testing results. The observed proportion of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) isolates was almost double than that of the national level, with approximately 1.5% and 0.1% of the isolates being extensively drug resistant and universally drug resistant, respectively. The proportions of resistant isolates were generally higher in 2018 and 2019 than in 2020. Furthermore, the sensitivities of GeneXpert during 2018–2020 demonstrated a downward trend (80.9, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 76.8–85.0; 80.2, 95% CI 76.4–84.1 and 75.4, 95% CI 70.7–80.2, respectively). Approximately 69.0% (7557/10 946) of the TB cases with DST results were subjected to GeneXpert detection. Overall, the DR-TB status and the use of GeneXpert in Sichuan have improved, but DR-TB challenges remain. HIV testing for all TB cases is recommended.

This paper investigates the shock-induced instability of the interfaces between gases and dense granular media with finite length via the coarse-grained compressible computational fluid dynamics–discrete parcel method. Despite generating a typical spike-bubble structure reminiscent of the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI), the shock-driven granular instability (SDGI) is governed by fundamentally different mechanisms. Unlike the RMI arising from baroclinic vorticity deposition on the interface, the SDGI is closely associated with the interfacial and bulk granular dynamics, which evolve with the transient coupling between particles and gases. Consequently, the SDGI follows a growth law distinctly different from that of the RMI, namely a semilinear slow regime followed by an exponentially expedited regime and a quadratic asymptotic regime. We further establish the instability criteria of the SDGI for granular media with infinite and finite lengths, which do not exist in the RMI. A scaling growth law of the SDGI for dense granular media with finite length is derived by normalizing the time with the rarefaction propagation time, which successfully collapses the data from cases with varying shock strength, particle column length and particle volume fraction and ought to hold for granular media with varying particle parameters. The effect of the initial perturbation magnitude can be properly considered in the scaling growth law by incorporating it into the length normalization.

Different from developed countries, there is a paucity of research examining how the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diets relate to lipids in less-developed ethnic minority regions (LEMR). A total of 83 081 participants from seven ethnic groups were retrieved from the baseline data of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort study, which was conducted in less-developed Southwest China between May 2018 and September 2019. Multivariable linear regression models were then used to examine the associations of the DASH and alternative Mediterranean diet (AMED) scores, assessed by modified DASH score and AMED, as well as their components with total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, TAG and TC/HDL-cholesterol. The DASH scores were negatively associated with TC, HDL-cholesterol and TAG. Comparing the highest quintiles with the lowest DASH scores, TC decreased 0·0708 (95 % CI −0·0923, −0·0493) mmol/l, HDL-cholesterol decreased 0·0380 (95 % CI −0·0462, −0·0299) mmol/l and TAG decreased 0·0668 (95 % CI −0·0994, −0·0341) mmol/l. The AMED scores were negatively associated with TC, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Comparing the highest quintiles with the lowest AMED scores, TC decreased 0·0816 (95 % CI −0·1035, −0·0597) mmol/l, LDL-cholesterol decreased 0·0297 (95 % CI −0·0477, −0·0118) mmol/l and HDL-cholesterol decreased 0·0275 (95 % CI −0·0358, −0·0192) mmol/l. Although both the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet were negatively associated with blood lipids, those associations showed different patterns in LEMR, particularly for TAG and HDL-cholesterol.

Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata is one of the most serious insect pests to a large number of nightshades and cucurbits. RNA interference (RNAi) triggered by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) offers a reduced risk approach to control the beetle. Identification of amenable target genes and determination of appropriate life stage for dsRNA treatment are two critical steps in order to improve RNAi efficiency. In the present paper, we identified three vATPase genes, namely HvvATPaseC, HvvATPaseE and HvvATPaseH. We found that the three transcripts were widely expressed in the eggs, first- to fourth-instar larvae, prepupae, pupae and adults. They were abundantly transcribed in the hindgut and Malpighian tubules, in contrast to the epidermis and fat body. Three days' ingestion of dsvATPaseC, dsvATPaseE and dsvATPaseH by the fourth-instar larvae significantly decreased corresponding transcript level by 90.1, 88.9 and 97.2%, greatly reduced larval fresh weight by 28.0, 29.9 and 28.0%, and caused 66.7, 100 and 78.7% larval lethality respectively. Comparably, 3 days' exposure of the third-instar larvae to dsvATPaseC significantly reduced HvvATPaseC mRNA level by 89.5%, decreased approximately 80% of the larval fresh weight, and killed 100% of the treated larvae. Therefore, the three vATPase genes, especially HvvATPaseE, are potential amenable target genes and young larvae are more susceptible to dsRNA. Our findings will enable the development of the dsRNA-based pesticide to control H. vigintioctopunctata.

The use of a submerged inlet is advantageous in modern aircrafts because of its low drag resistance, small radar cross section and ease of maintenance. Although it is well known that the forebody boundary layer deteriorates the aerodynamic performance of a submerged inlet, the level of impact has not yet been fully quantified. To quantify the forebody boundary-layer effect, a submerged diverter was designed to remove a portion of the low-energy boundary flow. The flow pattern and aerodynamic performance of a submerged inlet, with and without the diverter, were investigated by wind-tunnel experimentation and numerical simulations. The effects of mass flow, free stream speed, angle-of-attack and sideslip angle on the aerodynamic characteristics of the inlet with and without the submerged diverter were studied, over an operating envelope of M0 = 0.3 ∼ 0.6, $\alpha$ = –6$^{\circ}$ ∼ 8$^{\circ}$ and $\beta$ = 0$^{\circ}$ ∼ 4$^{\circ}$. The results indicate that both the total pressure loss and the circumferential distortion can be significantly reduced with the removal of the forebody boundary-layer low-energy flow. Meanwhile, the main mechanisms for losses in the submerged inlet were also analysed.

We aimed to examine the association between low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) scores during the first trimester and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk in a Chinese population. A total of 1455 women were included in 2017. Dietary information during the first trimester was collected by 24-h dietary recalls for 3 d. The overall, animal and plant LCD scores, which indicated adherence to different low-carbohydrate dietary patterns, were calculated. GDM was diagnosed based on the results of a 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks gestation. Log-binomial models were used to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI. The results showed that the multivariable-adjusted RR of GDM from the lowest to the highest quartiles of the overall LCD score were 1·00 (reference), 1·15 (95 % CI 0·92, 1·42), 1·30 (95 % CI 1·06, 1·60) and 1·24 (95 % CI 1·01, 1·52) (P = 0·026 for trend). Multivariable-adjusted RR (95 % CI) of GDM from the lowest to the highest quartiles of the animal LCD score were 1·00 (reference), 1·20 (95 % CI 0·96, 1·50), 1·41 (95 % CI 1·14, 1·73) and 1·29 (95 % CI 1·04, 1·59) (P = 0·002 for trend). After additional adjustment for gestational weight gain before GDM diagnosis, the association of the overall LCD score with GDM risk was non-significant, while the association of animal LCD score with GDM risk remained significant. In conclusion, a low-carbohydrate dietary pattern characterised by high animal fat and protein during the first trimester is associated with an increased risk of GDM in Chinese women.

A novel 3-R(RRR)R+R (R as revolute joint) hybrid antenna mechanism (HAM) is proposed for noncircular polarized antenna. First, its mobility characteristic is analyzed. Besides, its kinematics is deduced, and the velocity and acceleration are obtained. Afterward, its dynamic model is established. The actuation torques of each actuation joint are obtained. Its actuation torques are verified by mathematical model analysis and dynamic simulation. Furthermore, its workspace is also presented. Finally, the motion characteristics experimental results show that the 3-R(RRR)R+R HAM can carry out the azimuth and pitch motion. This research work serves as a fundamental theoretical basis for its further application.

We report on environmentally stable long-cavity ultrashort erbium-doped fiber lasers, which self-start mode-locking at quite low thresholds by using spectrally filtered and phase-biased nonlinear amplifying long-loop mirrors. By employing 100-m polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) in the nonlinear loop, the fundamental repetition rate reaches 1.84 MHz and no practical limitation is found to further decrease the repetition rate. The filter used in the long loop not only suppresses Kelly sidebands of the solitons, but also eliminates the amplified spontaneous emission which exists widely in low-repetition-rate ultrafast fiber lasers. The bandwidth of the filter is optimized by using a numerical model. The laser emits approximately 3-ps pulses with an energy of 17.4 pJ, which is further boosted to $1.5~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{J}$ by using a fiber amplifier.

Underground Nuclear Astrophysics in China (JUNA) will take the advantage of the ultra-low background in Jinping underground lab. High current accelerator with an ECR source and detectors were commissioned. JUNA plans to study directly a number of nuclear reactions important to hydrostatic stellar evolution at their relevant stellar energies. At the first period, JUNA aims at the direct measurements of 25Mg(p,γ)26 Al, 19F(p,α) 16 O, 13C(α, n) 16O and 12C(α,γ) 16O near the Gamow window. The current progress of JUNA will be given.

With the development of remote sensing and geostatistical technology, complex environmental variables are increasingly easily quantified and applied in modelling soil organic carbon (SOC). However, this emphasizes data redundancy and multicollinearity problems adding to the difficulty in selecting dominant influential auxiliary variables and uncertainty in estimating SOC stocks. The current paper considers the spatial characteristics of SOC density (SOCD) to construct prediction models of SOCD on the basis of reducing the data dimensionality and complexity using the principal component analysis (PCA) method. A total of 260 topsoil samples were collected from Chahe town, China. Eight environmental variables (elevation, aspect, slope, normalized difference vegetation index, normalized difference moisture index, nearest distance to construction area and road, and land use degree comprehensive index) were pre-analysed by PCA and then extracted as the main principal component variables to construct prediction models. Two geostatistical approaches (ordinary kriging and ordinary co-kriging) and two regression approaches (ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression (GWR)) were used to estimate SOCD. Results showed that PCA played an important role in reducing the redundancy and multicollinearity of the auxiliary variables and GWR achieved the highest prediction accuracy in these four models. GWR considered not only the spatial characteristics of SOCD but also the related valuable information of the auxiliary attributes. In summary, PCA-GWR is a promising spatial method used here to predict SOC stocks.