Characteristics, Influence, Prevention, and Control Measures of the Mpox Infodemic: Scoping Review of Infodemiology Studies.

BACKGROUND: The mpox pandemic has caused widespread public concern around the world. The spread of misinformation through the internet and social media could lead to an infodemic that poses challenges to mpox control. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to summarize mpox-related infodemiology studies to determine the characteristics, influence, prevention, and control measures of the mpox infodemic and propose prospects for future research. METHODS: The scoping review was conducted based on a structured 5-step methodological framework. A comprehensive search for mpox-related infodemiology studies was performed using PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus, with searches completed by April 30, 2024. After study selection and data extraction, the main topics of the mpox infodemic were categorized and summarized in 4 aspects, including a trend analysis of online information search volume, content topics of mpox-related online posts and comments, emotional and sentiment characteristics of online content, and prevention and control measures for the mpox infodemic. RESULTS: A total of 1607 articles were retrieved from the databases according to the keywords, and 61 studies were included in the final analysis. After the World Health Organization's declaration of an mpox public health emergency of international concern in July 2022, the number of related studies began growing rapidly. Google was the most widely used search engine platform (9/61, 15%), and Twitter was the most used social media app (32/61, 52%) for researchers. Researchers from 33 countries were concerned about mpox infodemic-related topics. Among them, the top 3 countries for article publication were the United States (27 studies), India (9 studies), and the United Kingdom (7 studies). Studies of online information search trends showed that mpox-related online search volume skyrocketed at the beginning of the mpox outbreak, especially when the World Health Organization provided important declarations. There was a large amount of misinformation with negative sentiment and discriminatory and hostile content against gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. Given the characteristics of the mpox infodemic, the studies provided several positive prevention and control measures, including the timely and active publishing of professional, high-quality, and easy-to-understand information online; strengthening surveillance and early warning for the infodemic based on internet data; and taking measures to protect key populations from the harm of the mpox infodemic. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive summary of evidence from previous mpox infodemiology studies is valuable for understanding the characteristics of the mpox infodemic and for formulating prevention and control measures. It is essential for researchers and policy makers to establish prediction and early warning approaches and targeted intervention methods for dealing with the mpox infodemic in the future.

The effects of impurities in carbide slag on the morphological evolution of CaCO3 during carbonation.

Carbide slag (CS) is a kind of solid waste generated by the hydrolysis of calcium carbide for acetylene production. Its major component is Ca(OH)2, which shows great potential in CO2 mineralization to produce CaCO3. However, the types of impurities in CS and their mechanisms for inducing the morphological evolution of CaCO3 are still unclear. In this work, the influence of impurities in CS on the morphology evolution of CaCO3 was investigated. The following impurities were identified in the CS: Al2O3, MgO, Fe2O3, SiO2 and CaCO3. Ca(OH)2 was used to study the influence of impurities (Al2O3 and Fe2O3) on the evolution of CaCO3 morphology during CS carbonation. Calcite (CaCO3) was the carbonation product produced during CS carbonation under varying conditions. The morphology of calcite was changed from cubic to rod-shaped, with increasing solid-liquid ratios. Moreover, rod-shaped calcite was converted into irregular particles with increasing CO2 flow rate and stirring speed. Rod-shaped calcite (CaCO3) was formed by CS carbonation at a solid-liquid ratio of 10:100 under a stirring speed of 600 rpm and a CO2 flow rate of 200 ml/min; and spherical calcite was generated during Ca(OH)2 carbonation under the same conditions. Al2O3 impurities had negligible effects on spherical CaCO3 during Ca(OH)2 carbonation. In contrast, rod-shaped CaCO3 was generated by adding 0.13 wt% Fe2O3 particles, similar to the content of Fe2O3 in CS. Rod-shaped calcite was converted into particulate calcite with increasing Fe2O3 content. The surface wettability and surface negative charge of Fe2O3 appeared to be responsible for the formation of rod-shaped CaCO3. This study enhances our understanding and utilization of CS and CO2 reduction and the fabrication of high-value rod-shaped CaCO3.

Mathematical models and analysis tools for risk assessment of unnatural epidemics: a scoping review.

Predicting, issuing early warnings, and assessing risks associated with unnatural epidemics (UEs) present significant challenges. These tasks also represent key areas of focus within the field of prevention and control research for UEs. A scoping review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase, from inception to 31 December 2023. Sixty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Two types of models (data-driven and mechanistic-based models) and a class of analysis tools for risk assessment of UEs were identified. The validation part of models involved calibration, improvement, and comparison. Three surveillance systems (event-based, indicator-based, and hybrid) were reported for monitoring UEs. In the current study, mathematical models and analysis tools suggest a distinction between natural epidemics and UEs in selecting model parameters and warning thresholds. Future research should consider combining a mechanistic-based model with a data-driven model and learning to pursue time-varying, high-precision risk assessment capabilities.

The application of large language models in medicine: A scoping review.

This study systematically reviewed the application of large language models (LLMs) in medicine, analyzing 550 selected studies from a vast literature search. LLMs like ChatGPT transformed healthcare by enhancing diagnostics, medical writing, education, and project management. They assisted in drafting medical documents, creating training simulations, and streamlining research processes. Despite their growing utility in assisted diagnosis and improving doctor-patient communication, challenges persisted, including limitations in contextual understanding and the risk of over-reliance. The surge in LLM-related research indicated a focus on medical writing, diagnostics, and patient communication, but highlighted the need for careful integration, considering validation, ethical concerns, and the balance with traditional medical practice. Future research directions suggested a focus on multimodal LLMs, deeper algorithmic understanding, and ensuring responsible, effective use in healthcare.

Risk Prediction for Sudden Cardiac Death in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Identification of SCD risk is important in the general population from a public health perspective. The objective is to summarize and appraise the available prediction models for the risk of SCD among the general population. Methods: Data were obtained searching six electronic databases and reporting prediction models of SCD risk in the general population. Studies with duplicate cohorts and missing information were excluded from the meta-analysis. Results: Out of 8,407 studies identified, fifteen studies were included in the systematic review, while five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was used in thirteen studies (96.67%). Study locations were limited to Europe and the United States. Our pooled meta-analyses included four predictors: diabetes mellitus (ES = 2.69, 95%CI: 1.93, 3.76), QRS duration (ES = 1.16, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.26), spatial QRS-T angle (ES = 1.46, 95%CI: 1.27, 1.69) and factional shortening (ES = 1.37, 95%CI: 1.15, 1.64). Conclusion: Risk prediction model may be useful as an adjunct for risk stratification strategies for SCD in the general population. Further studies among people except for white participants and more accessible factors are necessary to explore.

Insect α-Amylases and Their Application in Pest Management.

Amylase is an indispensable hydrolase in insect growth and development. Its varied enzymatic parameters cause insects to have strong stress resistance. Amylase gene replication is a very common phenomenon in insects, and different copies of amylase genes enable changes in its location and function. In addition, the classification, structure, and interaction between insect amylase inhibitors and amylases have also invoked the attention of researchers. Some plant-derived amylase inhibitors have inhibitory activities against insect amylases and even mammalian amylases. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have clarified the effects of pesticides on the amylase activity of target and non-target pests, which provides a theoretical basis for exploring safe and efficient pesticides, while the exact lethal mechanisms and safety in field applications remain unclear. Here, we summarize the most recent advances in insect amylase studies, including its sequence and characteristics and the regulation of amylase inhibitors (α-AIs). Importantly, the application of amylases as the nanocide trigger, RNAi, or other kinds of pesticide targets will be discussed. A comprehensive foundation will be provided for applying insect amylases to the development of new-generation insect management tools and improving the specificity, stability, and safety of pesticides.

First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Gray Mold on Tea (Camellia sinensis) in China.

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is an important economic crop cultivated in China. In March 2019, leaf blight symptoms were observed on tea trees (C. sinensis cv. Fuding-dabaicha) in Enshi City (30º02'66" S, 109º01'56" W), Hubei Province (Fig. 1A). The disease occurred on the senescent flowers and mature leaves. The average disease incidence was approximately 10% of plants in the surveyed 30 ha tea garden. Initial symptoms consisted of brown lesions, which expanded and became covered with gray mold, followed by abscission. To identify the pathogen, 20 symptomatic leaves were collected and 0.5 cm2 diseased leaf pieces were excised and surface sterilized by immersion in 1.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 2 min, and rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water. The leaf pieces were allowed to dry, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates, and incubated at 20°C under 12h fluorescent light. The fungus formed gray to grayish brown colonies (Fig. 1B) and produced conidia after 1 week. The isolate was purified by single spore isolation. The conidia were one-celled, ellipsoid or ovoid, almost colorless, with a size range of 5.3 to 10.24 × 5.2 to 8.1 µm (n = 50) (Fig. 1C). The sclerotia produced in culture were black, round or irregular in shape and 1.3 to 2.2 × 2.0 to 3.3 mm (average 1.8 × 2.3 mm) in size. Morphological characteristics of these isolates matched the description of Botrytis spp. (Hong et al. 2001). Representative isolate LCHM was selected for molecular identification based on DNA sequencing of the ITS region of rDNA and three nuclear protein-coding genes (G3PDH, HSP60 and RPB2) (Staats et al. 2005). BLAST analysis showed that isolate LCHM (GenBank Acc. Nos. MN448502, MN448500, MN433708 and MN448501 for ITS, G3PDH, HSP60 and RPB2, respectively) shared 99 to 100% identity with B. cinerea (GenBank Acc. Nos. MH316147.1, MG846500.1, MG846504.1 and MG846510.1, respectively), which suggested that isolate LCHM belongs to B. cinerea. This identification was further confirmed by phylogenetic analysis based on combined DNA sequence data of G3PDH, HSP60 and RPB2 (Fig. 2). For the pathogenicity test, needle-wounded, attached leaves on 1-year-old C. sinensis cv. Fuding-dabaicha plants were inoculated with mycelial plugs (6 mm diameter from 2-day-old PDA cultures) or a conidial suspension (20 µL, 1×106 conidia/ml in half strength potato dextrose broth) of isolate LCHM on three plants per treatment (six leaves). The control treatments were also wounded, but only treated with agar plugs or half strength PDB. All inoculated plants and controls were incubated in a growth chamber (20°C, 90 ± 10% RH). Leaves inoculated with mycelial plugs, whether wounded or not, showed brown necrotic lesions around the agar plugs after 2 days (Fig. 1D, E), whereas conidial inoculations of wound sites showed necrotic lesions after 6 days (Fig. 1 F, G). Non-wounded leaves inoculated with conidia and all the control treatments remained symptomless. B. cinerea was reisolated from the inoculated leaves and isolates were morphologically similar to the original cultures. Gray mold of C. sinensis caused by B. cinerea has been recorded in Japan, Turkey, and Brazil (Hamaya 1981, Aziz and Harun 2010, Pereira and Mio, 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of gray mold caused by B. cinerea on C. sinensis in China. B. cinerea may cause economic losses of tea, therefore, more surveys in other tea-growing regions should be done to specifically search for this disease.

Epidemiological characteristics and factors influencing hospitalization burden among trauma patients: a retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE: This investigation aimed to understand the epidemiological characteristics and hospitalization burden and its possible influencing factors of patients with different injury mechanisms. METHODS: All trauma patients admitted via the emergency department at a trauma center from November 1, 2020, to April 30, 2022, were identified. The hospitalization burden, including the number of hospitalizations, deaths and in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and medical costs, was calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors influencing the hospitalization burden of trauma. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the predictive value of the multivariate model. RESULTS: 16 485 trauma patients with 16 552 hospitalizations were included, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 1.269‰, median LOS of 7 days, and median hospitalization costs of 54 725.28 CNY. The median age was 52 years. 62.54% were hospitalized due to falls. The upper and lower extremities were the most common injury regions. There are differences between the demographic, injury, and hospitalization characteristics and factors influencing hospitalization burden across injury mechanisms, but there were also common influencing factors. Injury region, surgery, transfusion, and ICU treatment are influential factors for prolonged LOS. Age, injury region, surgery, and transfusion were influential factors for high hospitalization costs. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided primary evidence on the hospitalization burden of trauma. Considering demographics, injury and hospitalization characteristics as additional discriminators could further intervene in LOS and medical costs. Targeted efforts to use more early prevention measures could potentially lower future hospitalization burden.

Unveiling the role of bZIP transcription factors CREB and CEBP in detoxification metabolism of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) superfamily is a crucial group of xenobiotics in insects. However, little is known about the function of CAAT enhancer binding proteins (CEBP) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in Nilaparvata lugens. In the present study, NlCEBP and NlCREB were cloned and identified. Quantitative polymerase real-time chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed the expression of NlCEBP and NlCREB was significantly induced after chemical insecticides exposure. Silencing of NlCEBP and NlCREB increased the susceptibility of N. lugens to insecticides, and the detoxification enzyme activities were also significantly decreased. In addition, comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that 174 genes were significantly co-down-regulated after interfering with the two transcription factors. GO analysis showed that co-down-regulated genes are mostly related to energy transport and metabolic functions indicating the potential regulatory role of NlCEBP and NlCREB in detoxification metabolism. Our research shed lights on the functional roles of transcription factors NlCEBP and NlCREB in the detoxification metabolism of N. lugens, providing a theoretical basis for pest management and comprehensive control of this pest and increasing our understanding of insect toxicology.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A data-driven visualization of collaboration, frontier identification, and future trends.

One of the main causes of death is out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), which has a poor prognosis and poor neurological outcomes. This phenomenon has attracted increasing attention. However, there is still no published bibliometric analysis of OHCA. This bibliometric analysis of publications on OHCA aimed to visualize the current status of research, determine the frontiers of research, and identify future trends. Publications on OHCA were downloaded from the web of science database. The data elements included year, countries/territories, institutions, authors, journals, research areas, citations of publications, etc. Joinpoint regression and exponential models were used to identify and predict the trend of publications, respectively. Knowledge domain maps were applied to conduct contribution and collaboration, cooccurrence, cocitation, and coupled analyses. Timeline and burst detection analysis were used to identify the frontiers in the field. A total of 3 219 publications on OHCA were found from 1998 to 2022 (average annual percentage change = 16.7; 95% CI 14.4, 19.1). It was estimated that 859 articles and reviews would be published in 2025. The following research hotpots were identified: statement, epidemiology, clinical care, factors influencing prognosis and emergency medical services. The research frontier identification revealed that 7 categories were classified, including therapeutic hypothermia, emergency medical services, airway management, myocardial infarction, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, stroke foundation and trial. The burst detection analysis revealed that percutaneous coronary intervention, neurologic outcome, COVID-19 and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation are issues that should be given continual attention in the future. This bibliometric analysis may reflect the current status and future frontiers of OHCA research.

Temporal Trend and Research Focus of Injury Burden from 1998 to 2022: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: Injury is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide. It is a major contributor to the overall burden of disease. This study aimed to analyze the temporal trend, research focus and future direction of research related to injury burden. Methods: Publications on injury burden published between January 1998 and September 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) through topic advanced search strategy. Microsoft Excel, RStudio, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were used to extract, integrate, and visualize bibliometric information. Results: A total of 2916 articles and 783 reviews were identified. The number of publications on injury burden showed a steady upward trend. The United States of America (USA) (n=1628) and the University of Washington (n=1036) were the most productive country and institution. High-income countries started research in this domain earlier, while research in low- and middle-income countries began in recent years. Lancet was the most influential journal. Public, environmental occupational health, general medicine and neurology were the predominant research domains. Based on keyword co-occurrence analysis, the research focus was divided into five clusters: injury epidemiology and prevention, studies related to the global burden of disease (GBD), risk factors for injury, clinical management of injury, and injury outcome assessment and economic burden. Conclusion: The burden of injury has drawn increasing attention from various perspectives over the years. The research field on injury burden is also becoming more and more extensive. However, there are some gaps among different countries or regions, and more attention needs to be paid to low and middle-income countries.

Associations of Traumatic Injury with Abnormal Glucose Metabolism: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Empirical data on the association between traumatic injury and abnormal glucose metabolism risk is limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between traumatic injury and abnormal glucose metabolism. Patients and Methods: This study included 153,162 participants in the Kailuan Study from 2006 to 2013. Participants with abnormal glucose metabolism at baseline were excluded. All participants were monitored every two years until December 31, 2019. During follow-up, 1915 subjects with a first traumatic injury (defined as a physical injury caused by an external force) were identified. For each subject with traumatic injury, one control subject was randomly selected and matched for age (± 3 years) and sex. A total of 3830 subjects were included in the final analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between traumatic injury and the subsequent risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. Results: During a median follow-up of 6.91 (3.57-9.41) years, 990 abnormal glucose metabolism events occurred. After adjustment for demographics, lifestyle behaviors, and traditional risk factors, those who had traumatic injury compared to controls were 32% more likely to develop any abnormal glucose metabolism (hazard ratio [HR] 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.16-1.49), including impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.12-1.48) and diabetes (HR 1.37; 95% CI 1.10-1.70). The risks for abnormal glucose metabolism, IFG, and diabetes in subjects with moderate-severe injury were higher than in subjects with mild injury for the 1-year follow-up period, while the association was not significantly different by injury severity for the whole follow-up period. Conclusion: Traumatic injury was associated with an increased risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. However, the risks of outcome events decreased as the follow-up period extended. Improved short- and long-term prevention and management strategies for controlling glucose are needed for individuals with traumatic injury.

Association of Traumatic Injury and Incident Myocardial Infarction and Stroke: A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Several studies have linked traumatic injury and cardiovascular disease. However, few studies have investigated the associations between traumatic injury and cardiovascular disease subtypes. We aimed to prospectively examine the association between traumatic injury and the risk of incident myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke. Methods: This study was based on a prospective cohort study that included 13,973 patients who had been hospitalized for traumatic injuries from 1980 to 2020. We randomly selected 4 uninjured participants from the cohort study for each patient as controls matched by age ( ± 3 years) and sex. All participants were free of MI and stroke at enrollment. Cox regression was used to examine the association between traumatic injury and incident MI and stroke. Results: During a median follow-up period of 13.5 years, 1032 cases of MI and 4068 cases of stroke were recorded. After multivariable adjustment, relative to controls, patients with severe injury had the highest hazard ratio (HR) for MI (HR = 1.93; 95% CI: 1.26-2.96) and stroke (HR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.25-2.05). The HRs of MI and stroke were 0.97 (0.81-1.17) and 1.11 (1.02-1.21) for patients with mild injury and 1.28 (0.97-1.69) and 1.22 (1.06 to 1.41) for patients with moderate injury. Additionally, patients with older age at injury and chest injury had a higher HR for MI and stroke (p-interaction < 0.05). Conclusions: Traumatic injury appears to be associated with an increased risk of incident MI and stroke. Therefore, early screening and prevention of MI and stroke following a traumatic injury are needed.

[Tendency analysis of incidence and mortality of mechanical injuries among Chinese residents from 1990 to 2019].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the tendency of incidence and mortality of mechanical injuries among Chinese residents from 1990 through 2019 and to estimate the age-period-cohort effect. METHODS: Based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database, the incidence and mortality data of mechanical injuries among Chinese residents from 1990 to 2019 were extracted. The trends of age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized death rate (ASDR) of mechanical injuries among Chinese residents by gender was analyzed using the joinpoint regression model, and the annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were calculated. The age-period-cohort model was used to quantitatively assess the effects of age, period, and cohort on ASIR and ASDR for mechanical injuries. RESULTS: (1) Overall tendency: from 1990 to 2019, the ASIR of mechanical injuries showed an increasing trend (540.95/100 000 in 1990 vs. 815.34/100 000 in 2019), and the ASDR first increased slightly and then decreased (2.62/100 000 in 1990 vs. 2.87/100 000 in 2005 vs. 1.77/100 000 in 2019) among Chinese residents. During the observation period, ASIR and ASDR for mechanical injuries of male were higher than female. (2) Joinpoint regression model analysis showed that the ASIR of mechanical injuries had a fluctuating trend of increasing first and then decreasing and then rising rapidly among Chinese residents from 1990 to 2019 (AAPC = 1.42%, t = 9.59, P < 0.001). The ASIR of the Chinese male showed a slight decrease and then continued to increase (AAPC = 1.47%, t = 8.72, P < 0.001), while the ASIR of the Chinese female showed a rapid rising at first, then rapidly declining and then rising again (AAPC = 1.31%, t = 12.11, P < 0.001). From 1990 to 2019, the ASDR of mechanical injuries showed a fluctuating downward trend of first decreasing, then increasing, and then rapidly decreasing among Chinese residents (AAPC = -1.39%, t = -6.72, P < 0.001). The decrease rate of ASDR among male was as same as that among all population (AAPC = -1.44%, t = -7.29, P < 0.001), but the decrease rate of ASDR in female was relatively slow (AAPC = -1.08%, t = -4.54, P < 0.001). (3) Age-period-cohort model analysis showed that, with the increase of age, the risk of mechanical injuries among the overall population, male and female in China increased, then decreased, and then increased rapidly. The first small peak was at the age of 45-49 years old in male and 65-69 years old in female. The overall death risk showed an increasing trend with age, with a slowly increasing trend before 75 years old, and a sudden increase after 75 years old. The peak age of death risk was between 90 and 94 years. In terms of period effect, the risk of mechanical injuries showed a gradually increasing trend with time among the overall population, male, and female in China, and the risk of death showed a trend of decreasing first and then rapidly increasing and then decreasing. In terms of cohort effect, the risk of mechanical injuries among the overall population, male, and female in China showed a gradual upward trend with the increase in the birth year, and the risk of death showed an M-shaped trend. CONCLUSIONS: From 1990 to 2019, the incidence of mechanical injuries showed an increasing trend, and the mortality increased first and then decreased. Although the disease burden has improved, it is still high. More attention needs to be paid to the prevention and control of mechanical injuries, especially in the young population.

First report of Alternaria alternata causing leaf yellow spot on Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) in Laifeng, China.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a highly important commercial crop in China, which is widely cultivated for its medicinal and nutritional qualities. Fengtou ginger is a variety mainly grown in Central China. From June to September of 2021, leaf yellow spot symptoms were observed on ginger plants var. Fengtou in commercial fields, localized in Laifeng county (29.37゜N, 109.31゜E), Hubei Province, China. Early symptoms were small yellow spots (approximately 0.2 cm) on leaves, but these spots gradually expanded, and the middle turn brown. The incidence of yellow spot on plants was 15% to 35%. To identify the causal agent of the disease, 15 symptomatic leaves were collected on from plants in the field. From each ginger leaf, small fragments (2 to 4 mm) were cut from the margin of the lesions and surface disinfected with 75% ethanol and 2% sodium hypochlorite for 30 s and 60 s, respectively, and rinsed three times with sterile water (Zhong et al. 2022). The disinfected small fragments were placed on Rose Bengal Agar medium at 25 ℃. After 3 to 5 days of incubation, a total of 11 isolates from leaf samples were obtained, of which 8 showed a radial mycelial growth that was grayish and then darkened. Conidiophores were brown and branched. Conidia were multicellular, obclavate to obpyriform within 9.1-22.6 µm (average 14.3 µm) in length and 6.0-13.5 µm (average 7.9 µm) in width (n=30). The isolates were identified as Alternaria sp. according to their morphological characteristics (Simmons 2007). For further molecular identification, genomic DNAs of two representative isolates (isolate 1 and isolate 4) were extracted and amplificated using a set of primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), RPB2-5F/RPB2-7R (Liu et al. 1999) and gpd1/gpd2 (Berbee et al. 1999), for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-rDNA region, partial RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RPB2), and Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GADPH), respectively. The sequences were submitted to GenBank with submission Nos. OM701795 and OM701794 for ITS-rDNA; OM864662 and OM864663 for RPB2; OM864664 and OM864665 for the GADPH gene. A BLAST analysis in GenBank showed 100% identity with A. alternata for ITS (GenBank No. MN907440), RPB2 (GenBank No. KP057228) and GADPH (GenBank No. MK637444), respectively. A pathogenicity test was performed on potted healthy plants of ginger var. Fengtou of 2.5-month-old in a greenhouse. A total of five plants were sprayed with a conidial suspension (105 spores/mL) of each isolate on leaves until runoff (3 to 5 ml per plant) occurred. Five plants were sprayed with sterile water. The plants were grown in a greenhouse at 25 ℃. Eight days after inoculation, the symptoms similar to diseased leaves in the field appeared on the inoculated leaves, while the controls remained healthy. The fugus re-isolated from infected tissues was morphologically and molecularly identical to the original isolates of A. alternata, which fulfill the Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. alternata causing yellow spot on ginger in China. The work will be beneficial to develop effective management methods for preventing and treating this disease and avoid yield and economic loss of ginger in China.

Downhill running induced DNA damage enhances mitochondrial membrane permeability by facilitating ER-mitochondria signaling.

To observe whether downhill running can lead to DNA damage in skeletal muscle cells and changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability and to explore whether the DNA damage caused by downhill running can lead to changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability by regulating the components of the endoplasmic reticulum mitochondrial coupling structure (MAM). A total of 48 male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (C, n = 8) and a motor group (E, n = 40). Rats in Group E were further divided into 0 h (E0), 12 h (E12), 24 h (E24), 48 h (E48) and 72 h (E72) after prescribed exercise, with 8 rats in each group. At each time point, flounder muscle was collected under general anaesthesia. The DNA oxidative damage marker 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression levels of the DNA damage-related protein p53 in the nucleus and the EI24 protein and reep1 protein in whole cells were detected by Western blot. The colocalization coefficients of the endoplasmic reticulum protein EI24 and the mitochondrial protein Vdac2 were determined by immunofluorescence double staining, and the concentration of Ca2+ in skeletal muscle mitochondria was detected by a fluorescent probe. Finally, the opening of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (mPTP) was detected by immunofluorescence. Twelve hours after downhill running, the mitochondrial membrane permeability of the mPTP opened the most (P < 0.05), the content of 8-OHdG in skeletal muscle peaked (P < 0.05), and the levels of the regulatory protein p53, mitochondrial Ca2+, and the EI24 and reep1 proteins peaked (P < 0.01). Moreover, the colocalization coefficients of EI24 and Vdac2 and the Mandes coefficients of the two proteins increased first and then recovered 72 h after exercise (P < 0.05). (1) Downhill running can lead to DNA damage in skeletal muscle cells, overload of mitochondrial Ca2+ and large opening of membrane permeability transformation pores. (2) The DNA damage caused by downhill running may result in p53 promoting the transcriptional activation of reep1 and EI24, enhancing the interaction between EI24 and Vdac2, and then leading to an increase in Ca2+ in skeletal muscle mitochondria and the opening of membrane permeability transition pores.

The oncogene ABL1 regulates the inflammatory response of innate immunity via mediating TRAF6 ubiquitination.

The oncogene ABL1 plays an important role in various cancers, while its roles remain unclear in pneumonia. This study aims to investigate the roles of ABL1 in pneumonia and the underlying mechanisms. RNA sequencing was used to determine the expressions of multiple kinases in the PBMCs. A series of overexpression and knockout cell lines were constructed. Besides, an intranasal lung infection mouse model was pre-treated with asciminb. ELISAs and qPCR were used to determine the levels of target genes. In addition, STRING Interaction Network and Immunoblotting assays were used to determine the interaction between target proteins. An elevation in ABL1 was observed in the infant with Ecoli pneumonia. ABL1 was positively correlated to the levels of inflammatory cytokines and the activation of the NF-kB pathways. In vivo data demonstrated that the inhibition of ABL1 suppressed the inflammatory cytokines, reduced the lung bacterial burden, and ameliorated the lung injury score. ABL1 inhibited the phosphorylation of IκBα and p38 and regulated the ubiquitination of TRAF6. ABL1 regulates the inflammatory response in pneumonia in part by the regulation of MAPK and NF-κB pathways and TRAF6 ubiquitination.

Establishing a Multidisciplinary Framework for an Emergency Food Supply System Using a Modified Delphi Approach.

A scientific food emergency supply system is helpful for assuring food supplies continuity, improving response efficiency, and reducing disaster losses. However, the framework for a food emergency supply system is currently an understudied area in emergency management post-disaster. In this study, a comprehensive literature review of major databases was performed to identify potential indicators for the emergency food supply system, followed by a two-round modified Delphi with a multidisciplinary expert panel (n = 17) to verify the proposed framework. The effective response rate of questionnaires ranged from 94.4% (17/18) to 100% (17/17) and the authority coefficient of experts was 0.88, indicating high positivity and reliability of the experts. Furthermore, the p-values of Kendall's W were < 0.01 and the Cronbach's α were > 0.7 for all domains and indicators, indicating a high reliability and validity for the proposed framework. Finally, a consensus was reached on all eight domains and 81 indicators. In conclusion, this study introduced and verified a multidisciplinary framework for the food emergency supply system, which could provide a theoretical basis for emergency responders to make corresponding commands and decisions post-disaster.

Review on visualization technology in simulation training system for major natural disasters.

Major natural disasters have occurred frequently in the last few years, resulting in increased loss of life and economic damage. Most emergency responders do not have first-hand experience with major natural disasters, and thus, there is an urgent need for pre-disaster training. Due to the scenes unreality of traditional emergency drills, the failure to appeal to the target audience and the novel coronavirus pandemic, people are forced to maintain safe social distancing. Therefore, it is difficult to carry out transregional or transnational emergency drills in many countries under the lockdown. There is an increasing demand for simulation training systems that use virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality visualization technologies to simulate major natural disasters. The simulation training system related to natural disasters provides a new way for popular emergency avoidance science education and emergency rescue personnel to master work responsibilities and improve emergency response capabilities. However, to our knowledge, there is no overview of the simulation training system for major natural disasters. Hence, this paper uncovers the visualization techniques commonly used in simulation training systems, and compares, analyses and summarizes the architecture and functions of the existing simulation training systems for different emergency phases of common natural disasters. In addition, the limitations of the existing simulation training system in practical applications and future development directions are discussed to provide reference for relevant researchers to better understand the modern simulation training system.