This paper retrospectively analysed the prevalence of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP) in some parts of China. Between January 2013 and December 2019, we collected 4,145 respiratory samples, including pharyngeal swabs and alveolar lavage fluid. The highest PCR-positive rate of M. pneumoniae was 74.5% in Beijing, the highest resistance rate was 100% in Shanghai, and Gansu was the lowest with 20%. The highest PCR-positive rate of M. pneumoniae was 74.5% in 2013, and the highest MRMP was 97.4% in 2019; the PCR-positive rate of M. pneumoniae for adults in Beijing was 17.9% and the MRMP was 10.48%. Among the children diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the PCR-positive and macrolide-resistant rates of M. pneumoniae were both higher in the severe ones. A2063G in domain V of 23S rRNA was the major macrolide-resistant mutation, accounting for more than 90%. The MIC values of all MRMP to erythromycin and azithromycin were ≥ 64 μg/ml, and the MICs of tetracycline and levofloxacin were ≤ 0.5 μg/ml and ≤ 1 μg/ml, respectively. The macrolide resistance varied in different regions and years. Among inpatients, the macrolide-resistant rate was higher in severe pneumonia. A2063G was the common mutation, and we found no resistance to tetracycline and levofloxacin.

Gut microbiome changed dramatically during pregnancy and played important roles in metabolic status and reproductive endocrinology in mammals. However, investigating the functional microbiota and metabolites to improve the reproductive performance and understanding the host–microbiota interaction are still arduous tasks. This study aims to reveal the dominant strains and metabolites that improve the reproductive performance. We analyzed the fecal microbiota composition and metabolic status of higher yield Chinese pig breed Meishan (MS) sows and lower yield but widespread raised hybrid pig breed Landrace × Yorkshire (L × Y) sows on days 28 and 100 of gestation. Results showed that MS sows had higher litter sizes and steroid hormone level but lower short-chain fatty acid level in feces. Fecal metabolomic analysis revealed that MS sows showed a different metabolic status compared with L × Y sows both at early and late pregnancy, which enriched with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, bile secretion, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and plant secondary metabolite biosynthesis. In addition, 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer sequencing indicated that MS sows showed different structures of microbiota community and exhibited an increased bacterial α-diversity but non-differential fungal α-diversity than L × Y sows. Moreover, we found that the litter sizes and bacteria including Sphaerochaeta, Solibacillus, Oscillospira, Escherichia–Shigella, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, dgA-11_gut_group, and Bacteroides, as well as fungi including Penicillium, Fusarium, Microascus, Elutherascus, and Heydenia both have positive association to the significant metabolites at the early pregnancy. Our findings revealed significant correlation between reproductive performance and gut microbiome and provided microbial and metabolic perspective to improve litter sizes and steroid hormones of sows.

Epidemiologic research has increasingly acknowledged the importance of developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) and suggests that prior exposures can be transferred across generations. Multigenerational cohorts are crucial to verify the intergenerational inheritance among human subjects. We carried out this scoping review aims to summarize multigenerational cohort studies’ characteristics, issues, and implications and hence provide evidence to the DOHaD and intergenerational inheritance. We adopted a comprehensive search strategy to identify multigenerational cohorts, searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from the inception of each dataset to June 20th, 2022, to retrieve relevant articles. After screening, 28 unique multigenerational cohort studies were identified. We classified all studies into four types: population-based cohort extended three-generation cohort, birth cohort extended three-generation cohort, three-generation cohort, and integrated birth and three-generation cohort. Most cohorts (n = 15, 53%) were categorized as birth cohort extended three-generation studies. The sample size of included cohorts varied from 41 to 167,729. The study duration ranged from two years to 31 years. Most cohorts had common exposures, including socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, and grandparents’ and parents’ health and risk behaviors over the life course. These studies usually investigated intergenerational inheritance of diseases as the outcomes, most frequently, obesity, child health, and cardiovascular diseases. We also found that most multigenerational studies aim to disentangle genetic, lifestyle, and environmental contributions to the DOHaD across generations. We call for more research on large multigenerational well-characterized cohorts, up to four or even more generations, and more studies from low- and middle-income countries.

BOUT++ turbulence simulations were performed to investigate the impact of turbulence spreading on the edge localized mode (ELM) size and divertor heat flux width $({\lambda _q})$ broadening in small ELM regimes. This study is motivated by EAST experiments. BOUT++ linear simulations of a pedestal radial electric field (Er) scan show that the dominant toroidal number mode (n) shifts from high-n to low-n, with a narrow mode spectrum, and the maximum linear growth rate increases as the pedestal Er well deepens. The nonlinear simulations show that as the net E × B pedestal flow increases, the pressure fluctuation level and its inward penetration beyond the top of the pedestal both increase. This leads to a transition from small ELMs to large ELMs. Both inward and outward turbulence spreading are sensitive to the scrape-off-layer (SOL) plasma profiles. The inward turbulence spreading increases for the steep SOL profiles, leading to increasing pedestal energy loss in the small ELM regime. The SOL width $({\lambda _q})$ is significantly broadened progressing from the ELM-free to small ELM regime, due to the onset of strong radial turbulent transport. The extent of the SOL width $({\lambda _q})$ broadening depends strongly on outward turbulence spreading. The fluctuation energy intensity flux ${\varGamma _\varepsilon }$ at the separatrix can be enhanced by increasing either pedestal Er flow shear or local SOL pressure gradient. The ${\lambda _q}$ is broadened as the fluctuation energy intensity flux ${\varGamma _\varepsilon }$ at the last close flux surface (LCFS) increases. Local SOL E × B flow shear will restrain outward turbulence spreading and the associated heat flux width broadening. Operating in H-mode with small ELMs has the potential to solve two critical problems: reducing the ELM size and broadening the SOL width.

The Righi–Leduc heat flux generated by the self-generated magnetic field in the ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability driven by a laser irradiating thin targets is studied through two-dimensional extended-magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The perturbation structure gets into a low magnetization state though the peak strength of the self-generated magnetic field could reach hundreds of teslas. The Righi–Leduc effect plays an essential impact both in the linear and nonlinear stages, and it deflects the total heat flux towards the spike base. Compared to the case without the self-generated magnetic field included, less heat flux is concentrated at the spike tip, finally mitigating the ablative stabilization and leading to an increase in the velocity of the spike tip. It is shown that the linear growth rate is increased by about 10% and the amplitude during the nonlinear stage is increased by even more than 10% due to the feedback of the magnetic field, respectively. Our results reveal the importance of Righi–Leduc heat flux to the growth of the instability and promote deep understanding of the instability evolution together with the self-generated magnetic field, especially during the acceleration stage in inertial confinement fusion.

Spermatogenesis is a developmental process driven by interactions between germ cells and Sertoli cells. This process depends on appropriate gene expression, which might be regulated by transcription factors. This study focused on Rreb1, a zinc finger transcription factor, and explored its function and molecular mechanisms in spermatogenesis in a mouse model. Our results showed that RREB1 was predominantly expressed in the Sertoli cells of the testis. The decreased expression of RREB1 following injection of siRNA caused impaired Sertoli cell development, which was characterized using a defective blood–testis barrier structure and decreased expression of Sertoli cell functional maturity markers; its essential trigger might be SMAD3 destabilization. The decreased expression of RREB1 in mature Sertoli cells influenced the cell structure and function, which resulted in abnormal spermatogenesis, manifested as oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, and we believe RREB1 plays this role by regulating the transcription of Fshr and Wt1. RREB1 has been reported to activate Fshr transcription, and we demonstrated that the knockdown of Rreb1 caused a reduction in follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in the testis, which could be the cause of the increased sperm malformation. Furthermore, we confirmed that RREB1 directly activates Wt1 promoter activity, and RREB1 downregulation induced the decreased expression of Wt1 and its downstream polarity-associated genes Par6b and E-cadherin, which caused increased germ-cell death and reduced sperm number and motility. In conclusion, RREB1 is a key transcription factor essential for Sertoli cell development and function and is required for normal spermatogenesis.

Direct numerical simulations are performed to study temporal variations of the wall shear stresses and flow dynamics in the turbulent pulsatile pipe flow. The mechanisms, responsible for the paradoxical phenomenon for which the amplitude of the oscillating wall shear stress in the turbulent flow is smaller than that in the laminar flow for the same pulsation conditions, are investigated. It is shown that the delayed response of turbulence in the buffer layer generates a large magnitude of the radial gradient of the Reynolds shear stress near the wall, which counteracts the effect of the oscillating pressure gradient on the change of the streamwise velocity and hence reduces the amplitude of the wall shear stress. Such a delayed response consists of two processes: the delayed development of near-wall streaks and the subsequent energy redistribution from the streamwise velocity fluctuation to the other two co-existing components. This is a dynamical manifestation of the viscoelasticity of turbulent eddies. As the frequency is reduced, the variation of the friction Reynolds number results in a phase-wise variation of the time scale and intensity of the turbulence response, causing the hysteresis of the wall shear stress. Such a phase asymmetry is amplified by the increase of the pulsation amplitude. An examination of the energy spectra reveals that the near-wall streaks are stretched in the streamwise direction during the acceleration phase, and then break up into small-scale structures in the deceleration phase, accompanied by the enhanced dissipation that transforms the turbulent kinetic energy into heat.

Childhood maltreatment is an established risk factor for psychopathology. However, it remains unclear how childhood traumatic events relate to mental health problems and how the brain is involved. This study examined the serial mediation effect of brain morphological alterations and emotion-/reward-related functions on linking the relationship from maltreatment to depression. We recruited 156 healthy adolescents and young adults and an additional sample of 31 adolescents with major depressive disorder for assessment of childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, cognitive reappraisal and anticipatory/consummatory pleasure. Structural MRI data were acquired to identify maltreatment-related cortical and subcortical morphological differences. The mediation models suggested that emotional maltreatment of abuse and neglect, was respectively associated with increased gray matter volume in the ventral striatum and greater thickness in the middle cingulate cortex. These structural alterations were further related to reduced anticipatory pleasure and disrupted cognitive reappraisal, which contributed to more severe depressive symptoms among healthy individuals. The above mediating effects were not replicated in our clinical group partly due to the small sample size. Preventative interventions can target emotional and reward systems to foster resilience and reduce the likelihood of future psychiatric disorders among individuals with a history of maltreatment.

Here, we report the generation of MeV alpha-particles from H-11B fusion initiated by laser-accelerated boron ions. Boron ions with maximum energy of 6 MeV and fluence of 109/MeV/sr@5 MeV were generated from 60 nm-thick self-supporting boron nanofoils irradiated by 1 J femtosecond pulses at an intensity of 1019 W/cm2. By bombarding secondary hydrogenous targets with the boron ions, 3 × 105/sr alpha-particles from H-11B fusion were registered, which is consistent with the theoretical yield calculated from the measured boron energy spectra. Our results demonstrated an alternative way toward ultrashort MeV alpha-particle sources employing compact femtosecond lasers. The ion acceleration and product measurement scheme are referential for the studies on the ion stopping power and cross section of the H-11B reaction in solid or plasma.

In the absence of the necessary valley topography, karst depressions are sometimes used to construct conventional impoundments in order to contain tailings. Leakage is a primary concern for such impoundments. The purpose of the current study was to determine the characteristics and barrier performance of laterite mantling karst depressions, using, as an example, the Wujiwatang (WJWT) tailings impoundment, located in the Gejiu mining area, southwestern China. The geotechnical-hydrogeological properties, geochemistry, mineral compositions, and particle shapes of the laterite were investigated by geotechnical techniques, chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the laterite contained poorly sorted particles that covered a wide spectrum of grain sizes (<5 mm to <50 nm), and was unexpectedly categorized as silty clay or silt with a high liquid limit. The continuous gradation and small D90 value helped the laterite achieve saturated hydraulic conductivities in the range of <10–6 cm/s required for impoundment liners. The laterite beneath the tailings impoundment was finer-grained and had a lower permeability than that of the laterite on the depression walls within the same depression. Geochemically and mineralogically, the laterite was classified as true laterite and its major mineralogical constituents were gibbsite and goethite with chlorite occurring in trace amounts. The laterite was dominated by subspherolitic–spherolitic cohesionless grains (concretions) made up of Al, Fe, Ti, and Mn oxides and hydroxides. The laterite did not have plasticity indices in the clay range. Fortunately, slopewash prior to tailings containment selectively transported the finer oxide concretions to the depression floor, creating a natural low-permeability barrier for the WJWT tailings impoundment. This is undoubtedly important for the planning and design of future karst depression-type tailings impoundments around the world.

The efficient separation of hexane isomers from the light naphtha fraction is a significant challenge in the petrochemical industry. 5A zeolite adsorbent is used commercially to sieve alkane isomers. In this study, 5A zeolites were synthesized using a low-cost natural clay mineral precursor, i.e. palygorskite (PAL), with the addition of crystallization directing agent (CDA). By varying the mass ratio of CDA/deionized water, 5A zeolites were obtained as CDA-5%, CDA-7.5%, and CDA-10%. All products were submicron particles with an average particle size of 400–800 nm. A sieving test of CDA-induced 5A zeolites was carried out on hexane adsorbates including n-hexane (nHEX), 2-methylpentane (2MP), and 3-methylpentane (3MP). According to vapor-phase batch adsorption experiments, a significant equilibrium amount (0.149 g/g) of nHEX and only 0.0321 g/g 2MP and 0.0416 g/g 3MP were adsorbed on the 5A zeolite product with CDA-5%. The dynamic adsorption performance of 5A zeolite (CDA-5%) was evaluated by breakthrough curves of binary mixtures of nHEX/2MP and nHEX/3MP. Palygorskite 5A (PAL 5A) zeolite achieved maximum dynamic adsorption capacities of nHEX (0.16 g/g in both cases) at 200°C and 1.2 MPa total pressure. This work provided an economic alternative for the synthesis of 5A zeolites using natural clay minerals instead of chemical raw materials.

Objectives. Accumulating evidence indicates that the expression and/or variants of several genes play an essential role in the progress of colorectal cancer (CRC). The current study is a meta-analysis undertaken to estimate the prognosis and survival associated with CTNNB1/β-catenin, APC, Wnt, SMAD3/4, TP53, and Cyclin D1 genes among CRC patients. Methods. The authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Science Direct for relevant reports published between 2000 and 2020 and analyzed them to determine any relationship between the (immunohistochemically/sequencing-detected) gene expression and variants of the selected genes and the survival of CRC patients. Results. The analysis included 34,074 patients from 64 studies. To evaluate association, hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated for overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS), with a 95% confidence interval (CIs). Pooled results showed that β-catenin overexpression, APC mutation, SMAD-3 or 4 loss of expression, TP53 mutations, and Cyclin D1 expression were associated with shorter OS. β-Catenin overexpression (HR: 0.137 (95% CI: 0.131–0.406)), loss of expression of SMAD3 or 4 (HR: 0.449 (95% CI: 0.146–0.753)), the mutations of TP53 (HR: 0.179 (95% CI: 0.126–0.485)), and Cyclin D1 expression (HR: 0.485 (95% CI: 0.772–0.198)) also presented risk for shorter DFS. Conclusions. The present meta-analysis indicates that overexpression or underexpression and variants of CTNNB1/β-catenin, APC, SMAD3/4, TP53, and Cyclin D1 genes potentially acted as unfavorable biomarkers for the prognosis of CRC. The Wnt gene was not associated with prognosis.

Chlorite is a layered silicate mineral group of importance in geology, agriculture, and in the processing of mineral resources. A more detailed analysis of the surface charge of chlorite minerals is important in order to improve our fundamental understanding of such particle structures and their behavior in suspension. In this study, the anisotropic surface charging of chlorite has been established using Atomic Force Microscopy surface-force measurements with a silicon nitride tip. The surface-charge densities and surface potentials at the chlorite basal-plane surfaces and edge surface were obtained by fitting force curves with the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theoretical model. The results show that at pH 5.6, 8.0, and 9.0 the chlorite mica-like face is negatively charged with the isoelectric point (IEP) less than pH 5.6. In contrast, the chlorite brucite-like face is positively charged in this pH range and the IEP is greater than pH 9.0. The surface charging of the chlorite edge surface was found to be pH-dependent with the IEP occurring at pH 8.5, which is slightly greater than the edge surfaces of talc and muscovite due to the larger content of magnesium hydroxide at the chlorite edge surface. Findings from the present research are expected to provide a fundamental foundation for the analysis of industrial requirements, e.g. collector adsorption, slime coating, and particle interactions in the area of mineral-processing technology.