Composite Bridge Girders Structure Health Monitoring Based on the Distributed Fiber Sensing Textile.

Distributed structure health monitoring has been a hot research topic in recent years, and optic fiber sensors are largely developed for the advantages of high sensitivity, better spatial resolution, and small sensor size. However, the limitation of fibers in installation and reliability has become one of the major drawbacks of this technology. This paper presents a fiber optic sensing textile and a new installation method inside bridge girders to address those shortcomings in fiber sensing systems. The sensing textile was utilized to monitor strain distribution in the Grist Mill Bridge located in Maine based on Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA). A modified slider was developed to increase the efficiency of installation in the confined bridge girders. The bridge girder's strain response was successfully recorded by the sensing textile during the loading tests that involved four trucks on the bridge. The sensing textile demonstrated the capability to differentiate separated loading locations. These results demonstrate a new way of installing fiber optic sensors and the potential applications of fiber optic sensing textiles in structural health monitoring.

Structural Health Monitoring Using a New Type of Distributed Fiber Optic Smart Textiles in Combination with Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR): Taking a Pedestrian Bridge as Case Study.

Distributed fiber optic sensors (DFOS) have become a new method for continuously monitoring infrastructure status. However, the fiber's fragility and the installation's complexity are some of the main drawbacks of this monitoring approach. This paper aims to overcome this limitation by embedding a fiber optic sensor into a textile for a faster and easier installation process. To demonstrate its feasibility, the smart textile was installed on a pedestrian bridge at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In addition, dynamic strain data were collected for two different years (2021 and 2022) using Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) and compared, to determine the variability of the data after one year of installation. We determined that no significant change was observed in the response pattern, and the difference between the amplitude of both datasets was 14% (one person jumping on the bridge) and 43% (two people jumping) at the first frequency band. This result shows the proposed system's functionality after one year of installation, as well as its potential use for traffic monitoring.

Fiber Optic Sensing Textile for Strain Monitoring in Composite Substrates.

Composite polymers have become widely used in industries such as the aerospace, automobile, and civil construction industries. Continuous monitoring is essential to optimize the composite components' performance and durability. This paper describes the concept of a distributed fiber optic smart textile (DFOST) embedded into a composite panel that can be implemented during the fabrication process of bridges, planes, or vehicles without damaging the integrity of the composite. The smart textile used an embroidery method to create DFOST for easy installation between composite laminates. It also allows different layout patterns to provide two- or three-dimensional measurements. The DFOST system can then measure strain, temperature, and displacement changes, providing critical information for structural assessment. The DFOST was interrogated by using an optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). It could measure strain variation during the dynamic and static test with a spatial resolution of 2 mm and a minimum strain resolution of 10 µÏµ. This paper focuses on the study of strain measurement.

Corrigendum: Cost-utility analysis of lurasidone for the first-line treatment of schizophrenia in China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.987408.].

Cost-utility analysis of lurasidone for the first-line treatment of schizophrenia in China.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of lurasidone compared with olanzapine and risperidone in the first-line treatment of patients with schizophrenia from a Chinese healthcare system perspective. Methods: A Markov model with 6-week cycle was constructed to reflect the disease progression of schizophrenia patients in the acute and maintenance phase. Probabilities of treatment discontinuation and adverse events in the acute phase were derived from the 6-week lurasidone clinical trial and a published network meta-analysis; long-term risks of relapse and discontinuation were estimated based on the 12-month lurasidone clinical trial and other treatment comparison studies. Cost inputs were derived from published literature and Chinese official documents, supplemented by expert opinions when necessary. Utility values were taken from published literature. Costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were assessed over 15 years with a discount rate of 5% per year. Results: Over a 15-year time horizon, lurasidone yielded an improvement of 0.197 QALYs with a cost saving of CN¥12,093 (US$1,753) vs. olanzapine and an improvement of 0.116 QALYs with a cost saving of CN¥6,781 (US$983) vs. risperidone. One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated robust base-case results since all analyses yielded net monetary benefits >0 at a willingness-to-pay threshold of CN¥72,447.00 (US$10,499.57)/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses suggested that lurasidone had 99.7, 99.9, and 100% probability of being cost-effective vs. olanzapine and risperidone at the conventional decision thresholds of 1, 2, and 3 times the Chinese per capita gross domestic product [namely CN¥72,447.00 (US$10,499.57)/QALY, CN¥1,44,894.00 (US$20,999.13)/QALY, and CN¥2,17,341.00 (US$31,498.70)/QALY in 2020], respectively. Conclusion: Treatment with lurasidone was predicted to improve health outcomes and be a dominant strategy for patients with schizophrenia, compared with olanzapine and risperidone, in China.

Fiber Lateral Pressure Sensor Based on Vernier- Effect Improved Fabry-Perot Interferometer.

A fiber optic pressure sensor that can survive 2200 psi and 140 °C was developed. The sensor's pressure sensitivity was measured to be 14 times higher than bare FBG when tested inside stacks of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite fabric. The sensitivity can be further improved 6-fold through the Vernier effect. Its tiny sensing length (hundreds of microns) and uniform outer diameter (125 µm) make it a suitable candidate for real-time point pressure monitoring under harsh environments with limited space, such as in composite-forming procedures.

Endophytic Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2-Mediated Balancing between Growth and Disease Resistance in Host Rice.

Plants fine-tune the growth-defense trade-off to survive when facing pathogens. Meanwhile, plant-associated microbes, such as the endophytes inside plant tissues, can benefit plant growth and stress resilience. However, the mechanisms for the beneficial microbes to increase stress resistance with little yield penalty in host plants remain poorly understood. In the present study, we report that endophytic Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2 can form a sophisticated interaction with host rice, maintaining cellular homeostasis under pathogen-infection stress, and optimize plant growth and disease resistance in rice. Four-year field trials consistently showed that OsiSh-2 could boost host resistance to rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae while still maintaining a high yield. The integration of the proteomic, physiological, and transcriptional profiling analysis revealed that OsiSh-2 induced rice defense priming and controlled the expression of energy-consuming defense-related proteins, thus increasing the defense capability with the minimized costs of plant immunity. Meanwhile, OsiSh-2 improved the chloroplast development and optimally maintained the expression of proteins related to plant growth under pathogen stress, thus promoting the crop yield. Our results provided a representative example of an endophyte-mediated modulation of disease resistance and fitness in the host plant. The multilayer effects of OsiSh-2 implicate a promising future of using endophytic actinobacteria for disease control and crop yield promotion. IMPORTANCE Under disease stress, activation of defense response in plants often comes with the cost of a reduction in growth and yield, which is referred as the growth-defense trade-off. The microorganisms which can be recruited by plants to mitigate the growth-defense trade-off are of great value in crop breeding. Here, we reported a rice endophytic actinomycetes Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2, which can improve host performances on resistance to rice blast while still sustaining high yield in the 4-year field trials. The proteomic, physiological, and transcriptional profiling data offer insights into the molecular basis underlying the balancing between defense and growth in OsiSh-2-rice symbiont. The findings provide an example for the endophyte-mediated modulation of growth-defense trade-offs in plants and indicated the promising application of endophytic actinobacterial strains in agriculture to breed "microbe-optimized crops."

Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2-induced mitigation of Fe deficiency in rice plants.

The limited availability of nutrient Fe severely impairs the health of almost all organisms. Endophytic actinobacteria can benefit the host plant in different ways. We previously inferred that the rice (Oryza) endophytic Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2 possesses a highly efficient Fe-acquisition system. In this work, we first evaluated the effects of OsiSh-2 on the Fe-deficiency resilience of the host rice. The results demonstrated that the inoculation of OsiSh-2 considerably increased the plant biomass, Fe concentration and translocation factor, and chlorophyll content, and net leaf photosynthetic rate under Fe limiting condition. The expression of genes involved with Fe3+-reduction-related strategy in rice was up-regulated, while that involved with Fe3+-chelation-related strategy was down-regulated by OsiSh-2 treatment. Meanwhile, the OsiSh-2-rice symbiont showed enhancement of Fe3+-chelate reductase activity, total siderophore production, and acidification trend in the rhizosphere under Fe deficiency compared to plants without this endophyte. In conclusion, endophytic OsiSh-2 could protect plants against Fe-deficient stress by a sophisticated interaction with the host, including modulating Fe chelation, solubilization, reduction and translocation, ultimately leading to enhanced fitness of plant.

COVID-19 pandemic in China: Context, experience and lessons.

The first cluster of COVID-19 cases was reported in Wuhan, China on December 29th, 2019. Since then, China has experienced a pandemic of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to present the context in which the pandemic has evolved, the government's response and the pandemic's impact on public health and national economy. METHODS: A review was conducted to collect relevant data from press releases and government reports. RESULTS: COVID-19 poses a major public health threat on China with a cumulative number of cases over 89,000 (data cut-off date: August 9th, 2020). Between January and February 2020, China implemented a series of escalating policies (including a stringent nation-wide lockdown) to combat the pandemic. Therefore, it has been to a large extent limited to the Wuhan region. Social media such as WeChat and SinaWeibo played a crucial role in disseminating government information and public campaigns during the pandemic. Technologies were adopted to enable contact tracing and population travel patterns. The Chinese central government mobilized healthcare resources including healthcare personnel and medical materials to Wuhan in a highly effective way. Both central and regional governments launched financial policies to stimulate the economy, including special loans, tax extension, reduction or waiver. Nevertheless, the economy in China was significantly impacted especially during the lockdown period. CONCLUSIONS: China has responded to the COVID-19 epidemic in a highly centralized and effective way. Balancing the needs to prevent a future pandemic and to boost economic recovery remains a challenge.

The antifungal action mode of the rice endophyte Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2 as a potential biocontrol agent against the rice blast pathogen.

Microbial antagonists and their bioactive metabolites provide one of the best alternatives to chemical pesticides to control crop disease for sustainable agriculture and global food security. The rice endophyte Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2, with remarkable antagonistic activity towards the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, was reported in our previous study. The present study deciphered the possible direct interaction mode of OsiSh-2 against M. oryzae. An in vitro antibiotic assay for OsiSh-2 culture filtrate revealed strong suppression of mycelial growth, conidial germination and appressorial formation of M. oryzae. Meanwhile, severe morphological and internal abnormalities in M. oryzae hyphae were observed under a scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. Foliar treatment of rice seedlings by OsiSh-2 culture filtrate in the greenhouse and in the field showed 23.5% and 28.3% disease reduction, respectively. Correspondingly, OsiSh-2 culture filtrate could induce disorganized chitin deposition in the cell wall and lowered ergosterol content in the cell membrane of M. oryzae. Additionally, cell wall integrity pathway activation, large cell electrolytes release, reactive oxygen species accumulation and tricarboxylic acid cycle-related enzyme activity changes were found in M. oryzae. All these results suggested that the direct antagonistic activity of OsiSh-2 against M. oryzae may be attributed to damaging the integrity of the cell wall and membrane and disrupting mitochondrial function in the pathogen.

Physiological, biochemical and proteomic insight into integrated strategies of an endophytic bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia strain YG-3 response to cadmium stress.

An endophytic bacterium YG-3 with high cadmium (Cd) resistance was isolated from poplar grown in a composite mine tailing. It was identified as Burkholderia cenocepacia based on genomic, physiological and biochemical analyses. The Cd removal rate by YG-3 could reach about 60.0% in Cd aqueous solution with high concentrations of both 100 and 500 mg L-1. Meanwhile, various absorption and adsorption strategies were found in the two different Cd concentrations. The global resistance mechanisms of YG-3 were investigated in several levels, i.e., physiological observation, such as scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy; biochemical detection for active compound production and infrared spectroscopy; label-free quantitative proteomic profile analysis. The results indicated that YG-3 possesses a complex mechanism to adapt to Cd stress: (1) binding of Cd to prevent it from entering the cell by the cell wall components, as well as secreted siderophores and exopolysaccharides; (2) intracellular sequestration of Cd by metalloproteins; (3) excretion of Cd from the cell by efflux pumps; (4) alleviation of Cd toxicity by antioxidants. Our results demonstrate that endophyte YG-3 is well adjusted to largely remove Cd and has potential to cooperate with its host to improve phytoremediation efficiency in heavy metal-contaminated sites.

The Role of Iron Competition in the Antagonistic Action of the Rice Endophyte Streptomyces sporocinereus OsiSh-2 Against the Pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae.

Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae severely impacts global rice yield stability. The rice endophyte Streptomyces sporocinereus OsiSh-2, with strong antagonistic activity towards M. oryzae, has been reported in our previous study. To decipher the model of the antagonistic action of OsiSh-2 towards M. oryzae, we compared the iron-capturing abilities of these two strains. The cultivation of OsiSh-2 and a M. oryzae strain under iron-rich and iron-starved conditions showed that M. oryzae depended more on iron supplementation for growth and development than did OsiSh-2. Genomic analysis of the S. sporocinereus and M. oryzae species strains revealed that they might possess different iron acquisition strategies. The actinobacterium OsiSh-2 is likely to favor siderophore utilization compared to the fungus M. oryzae. In addition, protein annotations found that OsiSh-2 contains the highest number of the siderophore biosynthetic gene clusters among the 13 endophytic actinomycete strains and 13 antifungal actinomycete strains that we compared, indicating the prominent siderophore production potential of OsiSh-2. Additionally, we verified that OsiSh-2 could excrete considerably more siderophores than Guy11 under iron-restricted conditions and displayed greater Fe3+-reducing activity during iron-supplemental conditions. Measurements of the iron mobilization between the antagonistic OsiSh-2 and Guy11 showed that the iron concentration is higher around OsiSh-2 than around Guy11. In addition, adding iron near OsiSh-2 could decrease the antagonism of OsiSh-2 towards Guy11. Our study revealed that the antagonistic capacity displayed by OsiSh-2 towards M. oryzae was related to the competition for iron. The highly efficient iron acquisition system of OsiSh-2 may offer valuable insight for the biocontrol of rice blast.

Autophagic impairment contributes to systemic inflammation-induced dopaminergic neuron loss in the midbrain.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), inducing and accelerating dopaminergic (DA) neuron loss. Autophagy, a critical mechanism for clearing misfolded or aggregated proteins such as α-synuclein (α-SYN), may affect DA neuron survival in the midbrain. However, whether autophagy contributes to neuroinflammation-induced toxicity in DA neurons remains unknown. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg) into young (3-month-old) and aged (16-month-old) male C57BL/6J mice was observed to cause persistent neuroinflammation that was associated with a delayed and progressive loss of DA neurons and accumulation of α-SYN in the midbrain. The autophagic substrate-p62 (SQSTM1) persistently increased, whereas LC3-II and HDAC6 exhibited early increases followed by a decline. In vitro studies further demonstrated that TNF-α induced cell death in PC12 cells. Moreover, a sublethal dose of TNF-α (50 ng/ml) increased the expression of LC3-II, p62, and α-SYN, implying that TNF-α triggered autophagic impairment in cells. CONCLUSION: Neuroinflammation may cause autophagic impairment, which could in turn result in DA neuron degeneration in midbrain.

[Observations on fatigue, depression and quality of life in patients with Parkinson's disease].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the association between fatigue and depression in Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: 56 PD patients were enrolled in this study. The degree of fatigue was measured by Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Hamilton Depression Scale (24 items) was used to evaluate the degree of depression. PD Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL) were tested to evaluate the quality of life in PD patients. While other clinical information such as Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III, Hoehn-Yahr Scale and modified Webster Scale were investigated. RESULTS: The incidence of fatigue in this group is 71.4% (40/56). Score of HAMD and PDQL exhibited a significant correlation to patients' fatigue, coefficient of partial correlation was 0.451 (P < 0.01), -0.346 (P < 0.05). The incidence of fatigue in non-depressive patients was low, 27.3%. While in depressive patients, the incidence of fatigue is relatively high, for mild depression 75%, moderate depression 100%, severe depression 100% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue is a prominent symptom of depression in PD patients, sometimes independent of depression also influencing the patients' quality of life.

Dysregulation of cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE)/hydrogen sulfide pathway contributes to ox-LDL-induced inflammation in macrophage.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), mainly produced by cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) in vascular system, emerges as a novel gasotransmitter exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects. Alterations of CSE/H2S pathway may thus be involved in atherosclerosis pathogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study showed that the levels of CSE mRNA and protein expression, as well as H2S production were decreased in ox-LDL-treated macrophage. CSE overexpression reduced the ox-LDL-stimulated tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) generation in Raw264.7 and primary macrophage while CSE knockdown enhanced it. Exogenous supplementation of H2S with NaHS and Na2S also decreased the production of TNF-α and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in ox-LDL-stimulated macrophage, and alleviated the adhesion of macrophage to endothelial monolayer. Cysteine, a CSE preferential substrate for H2S biosynthesis, produced similar effects on the pro-inflammatory cytokine generation, which were reversed by CSE inhibitors PAG and BCA, respectively. Moreover, NaHS and Na2S attenuated the phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα and p65 nuclear translocation, as well as JNK activation caused by ox-LDL. The JNK inhibitor suppressed the NF-κB transcription activity in ox-LDL-treated cells. Furthermore, inhibitors of NF-κB (PDTC), ERK (U0126 and PD98059) and JNK (SP600125) partially blocked the suppression by ox-LDL on the CSE mRNA levels. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that ox-LDL may down-regulate the CSE/H2S pathway, which plays an anti-inflammatory role in ox-LDL-stimulated macrophage by suppressing JNK/NF-κB signaling. The study reveals new therapeutic strategies for atherosclerosis, based on modulating CSE/H2S pathway.