Wi-CHAR: A WiFi Sensing Approach with Focus on Both Scenes and Restricted Data.

Significant strides have been made in the field of WiFi-based human activity recognition, yet recent wireless sensing methodologies still grapple with the reliance on copious amounts of data. When assessed in unfamiliar domains, the majority of models experience a decline in accuracy. To address this challenge, this study introduces Wi-CHAR, a novel few-shot learning-based cross-domain activity recognition system. Wi-CHAR is meticulously designed to tackle both the intricacies of specific sensing environments and pertinent data-related issues. Initially, Wi-CHAR employs a dynamic selection methodology for sensing devices, tailored to mitigate the diminished sensing capabilities observed in specific regions within a multi-WiFi sensor device ecosystem, thereby augmenting the fidelity of sensing data. Subsequent refinement involves the utilization of the MF-DBSCAN clustering algorithm iteratively, enabling the rectification of anomalies and enhancing the quality of subsequent behavior recognition processes. Furthermore, the Re-PN module is consistently engaged, dynamically adjusting feature prototype weights to facilitate cross-domain activity sensing in scenarios with limited sample data, effectively distinguishing between accurate and noisy data samples, thus streamlining the identification of new users and environments. The experimental results show that the average accuracy is more than 93% (five-shot) in various scenarios. Even in cases where the target domain has fewer data samples, better cross-domain results can be achieved. Notably, evaluation on publicly available datasets, WiAR and Widar 3.0, corroborates Wi-CHAR's robust performance, boasting accuracy rates of 89.7% and 92.5%, respectively. In summary, Wi-CHAR delivers recognition outcomes on par with state-of-the-art methodologies, meticulously tailored to accommodate specific sensing environments and data constraints.

Analysis of low-carbon technology innovation efficiency and its influencing factors based on triple helix theory: Evidence from new energy enterprises in China.

Background and aim: Low-carbon technology innovation(L-CTI) is an essential way to realize the socio-economic transition to a low-carbon model. However, relatively few studies have been conducted on the calculation of low-carbon technology innovation efficiency(L-CTIE) and the identification of factors influencing it. The study intends to assess the L-CTIE of new energy enterprises(L-CTI-NEEs) and to analyze its influencing factors, so as to further improve the L-CTIE capability. Methods: Using the panel data of new energy enterprises(NEEs) in 2010-2020, DEA(BCC)-Malmquist-Tobit method is constructed to static and dynamic evaluate the L-CTIE of new energy enterprises(L-CTIE-NEEs), and analyze its influencing factors with triple helix theory. Results: During the study period, the L-CTIE among NEEs was quite different, and the Malmquist index change trend had phased characteristics. From the perspective of factors influencing innovation efficiency, technology integration capacity of enterprises, support intensity of government and cooperation scale of government-enterprises-universities & research institutions play a crucial part in promoting the EEFCH, PECH and SECH of L-CTIE-NEEs, while resource conversion capacity of universities & research institutions only promotes PECH. Conclusion: According to the research results, a triple helix model of L-CTI-NEEs is constructed to enhance its L-CTIE level.

Effects of olanzapine and lithium carbonate antipsychotic agents on dopamine oxidation.

Olanzapine (OLZ) and lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) are the main drugs for treating mental disorders related to dopamine (DA). A highly conductive carbon paper sensing electrode is used to investigate the effects of OLZ and Li2CO3 on DA oxidation due to its amplification of oxidation peak currents. Different chemical properties of drugs have different effects on DA oxidation. The presence of OLZ fouling on the electrode surface due to the irreversible adsorption weakens the sensing activity and thus reduces the DA oxidation peak current. However, the fixed DA oxidation peak potential at 0.22 V indicates no interaction between them. The hydrolysis effect of Li2CO3 increases the solution pH from 7.47 to 9.73, which promotes the deprotonation of DA, leading to a 156 mV negative shift of the DA oxidation peak potential. Additionally, a 94% decrease of the DA peak current may be related to the generation of polydopamine in alkaline media.

Development of an Inactivated Avian Influenza Virus Vaccine against Circulating H9N2 in Chickens and Ducks.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H9N2 is the most widespread AIV in poultry worldwide, causing great economic losses in the global poultry industry. Chickens and ducks are the major hosts and play essential roles in the transmission and evolution of H9N2 AIV. Vaccines are considered an effective strategy for fighting H9N2 infection. However, due to the differences in immune responses to infection, vaccines against H9N2 AIV suitable for use in both chickens and ducks have not been well studied. This study developed an inactivated H9N2 vaccine based on a duck-origin H9N2 AIV and assessed its effectiveness in the laboratory. The results showed that the inactivated H9N2 vaccine elicited significant haemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies in both chickens and ducks. Virus challenge experiments revealed that immunization with this vaccine significantly blocked virus shedding after infection by both homogenous and heterologous H9N2 viruses. The vaccine was efficacious in chicken and duck flocks under normal field conditions. We also found that egg-yolk antibodies were produced by laying birds immunized with the inactivated vaccine, and high levels of maternal antibodies were detected in the serum of the offspring. Taken together, our study showed that this inactivated H9N2 vaccine could be extremely favourable for the prevention of H9N2 in both chickens and ducks.

Recent strategies for electrochemical sensing detection of miRNAs in lung cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) associated with lung cancer are diversifying. MiR-21, Let-7, and miR-141 are common diagnostic targets. Some new lung cancer miRNAs, such as miR-25, miR-145, and miR-126, have received increasing attention. Although various techniques are available for the analysis of lung cancer miRNAs, electrochemistry has been recognized for its high sensitivity, low cost, and rapid response. However, how to realize the signal amplification is one of the most important contents in the design of electrochemical biosensors. Herein, we mainly introduce the amplification strategy based on enzyme-free amplification and signal conversion, including non-linear HCR, catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA), electrochemiluminescence (ECL), and Faraday cage. Furthermore, new progress has emerged in the fields of nanomaterials, low oxidation potential, and simultaneous detection of multiple targets. Finally, we summarize some new challenges that electrochemical techniques may encounter in the future, such as improving single-base discrimination ability, shortening electrochemical detection time, and providing real body fluid samples assay.

An IgY Effectively Prevents Goslings from Virulent GAstV Infection.

Goose astrovirus (GAstV) leads to viscera and joints urate deposition in 1- to 20-day-old goslings, with a mortality rate of up to 50%, posing a severe threat to entire colonies; however, there is no efficient prevention and control method for GAstV infection. This study describes a prophylactic anti-GAstV strategy based on the specific immunoglobulin Y (IgY) from egg yolk. The specific IgY was produced by 22-week-old laying hens intramuscularly immunized with the inactivated GAstV three consecutive times, with 2-week intervals. The egg yolk was collected weekly after the immunization and the anti-GAstV IgY titer was monitored using an agar gel immune diffusion assay (AGID). The results revealed that the AGID titer began to increase on day 7, reached a peak on day 49, and remained at a high level until day 77 after the first immunization. The specific IgY was prepared from the combinations of egg yolk from day 49 to day 77 through PEG-6000 precipitation. Animal experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of prevention and treatment. The result of the minimum prophylactic dose of the IgY showed that the protection rate was 90.9% when 2.5 mg was administrated. Results of the prevention and the treatment experiments showed prevention and cure rates of over 80% when yolk antibody was administered in the early stages of the GAstV infection. These results suggested that the specific IgY obtained from immunized hens with the inactivated GAstV could be a novel strategy for preventing and treating GAstV infection.

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) plays important role in tembusu virus infection.

Tembusu virus (TMUV) is an avian-origined flavivirus that is prevalent in ducks and geese. TMUV causes reduced egg production and neurological problems, resulting in profound economic losses to the waterfowl industry. In the viral life cycle, cellular factors are required for viral entry, replication, assembly, release and so on. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is reported to be involved in the replication of multiple viruses. In this study, we explored the roles of HSP70 in the TMUV life cycle. The results showed that TMUV infection induced HSP70 expression starting 12 h post-infection. An HSP70 inhibitor reduced TMUV viral RNA production and the number of virus particles, whereas an HSP70 activator enhanced the amount of viral RNA and virions that released from the cells. Further analysis revealed that HSP70 played important roles in the postentry stages of the TMUV life cycle, including viral replication, assembly and release. We also found that inhibition of HSP70 expression significantly reduced TMUV-induced apoptosis. Additionally, incubation of TMUV particles with an anti-HSP70 antibody significantly reduced viral infectivity, suggesting an association between HSP70 and TMUV particles. These results implicate HSP70 in the life cycle of TMUV, and therefore, targeting HSP70 may be a strategy for developing an anti-TMUV therapy.

Transcriptome analysis reveals new insight of duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV)-infected DF-1 cells.

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a newly emerging pathogenic flavivirus that has caused huge economic losses to the duck industry in China since 2010. Moreover, the infection has spread rapidly, resulted in a potential public health concern. To improve our understanding of the host cellular responses to virus infection and the pathogenesis of DTMUV infection, we used RNA-Seq to detect the gene changes in DF-1 cells infected and mock-infected with DTMUV. A total of 663 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in DTMUV-infected compared with mock-infected DF-1 cells at 24 h post-infection (hpi), among which 590 were up regulated and 73 were down regulated. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that the DEGs were mainly involved in cellular process, immune system processes, metabolic processes, and signal-organism process. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly involved in several signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor signaling, Jak-STAT signaling, RIG-I-like receptor signaling and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Moreover, some selected DEGs were further confirmed by real-time PCR and the results were consistent with the sequencing data. To our knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the transcriptomic change in DF-1 cells following DTMUV infection. We believe that our research provides useful information in better understanding the host response to DTMUV infection and the inherent mechanism of DTMUV replication and pathogenicity.

Analysis of the microRNA expression profiles of chicken dendritic cells in response to H9N2 avian influenza virus infection.

MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a key role in virus-host interactions. Here, we employed deep sequencing technology to determine cellular miRNA expression profiles in chicken dendritic cells infected with H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV). A total of 66 known and 36 novel miRNAs were differently expressed upon H9N2 infection, including 72 up-regulated and 30 down-regulated miRNAs. Functional analysis showed that the predicted targets of these miRNAs were significantly enriched in several pathways including endocytosis, notch, lysosome, p53, RIG-I-like and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways. These data provide valuable information for further investigating the roles of miRNA in AIV pathogenesis and host defense response.

Peptide inhibitors of tembusu virus infection derived from the envelope protein.

The outbreak and spread of Tembusu virus (TMUV) has caused very large losses in the waterfowl-breeding industry since 2010. The viral envelope (E) protein, the principal surface protein of viral particles, plays a vital role in viral entry and fusion. In this study, two peptides derived from domain II (DII) and the stem of the TMUV envelope protein, TP1 and TP2, respectively, were tested for their antiviral activity. TP1 and TP2 inhibited TMUV infection in BHK-21 cells, and their 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were 14.19 mg/L and 7.64 mg/L, respectively. Viral inhibition assays in different cell lines of avian origin showed that the inhibitory effects of TP1 and TP2 are not cell type dependent. Moreover, TP2 also exhibited inhibitory activity against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection. The two peptides inhibited antibody-mediated TMUV infection of duck peripheral blood lymphocytes. Co-immunoprecipitation assays and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) indicated that both peptides interact with the surface of the TMUV virion. RNase digestion assays confirmed the release of viral RNA following incubation with TP1, while incubation with TP1 or TP2 interfered with the binding between TMUV and cells. Taken together, these results show that TP1 and TP2 may be developed into antiviral treatments against TMUV infection.

Tembusu virus enters BHK-21 cells through a cholesterol-dependent and clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway.

Tembusu virus (TMUV) is a newly emerging flavivirus and has caused significant economic loss to the poultry industry in China. To date, the entry of TMUV into host cells remains poorly understood. Here, the mechanism of TMUV entry into BHK-21 cells was investigated. The depletion of cellular cholesterol by methyl-ß-cyclodextrin led to a significant decline in the titers and RNA levels of the infectious TMUV. This reduction was restored by supplementation of exogenous cholesterol. Membrane cholesterol depletion mainly blocked viral internalization but not attachment. However, viral infection was unaffected by genistein treatment or caveolin-1 silencing by small interfering RNA. In addition, clathrin-mediated endocytosis might be utilized in TMUV entry given that the viral infection was inhibited by knockdown of clathrin heavy chain and treatment of chlorpromazine (CPZ). Moreover, the number of internalized virus particles decreased under CPZ treatment. Dynasore inhibited TMUV entry suggesting a role for dynamin. Our results reveal that TMUV entry into BHK-21 cells is dependent on cholesterol, clathrin and dynamin but not caveolae.

Global gene expression analysis data of chicken dendritic cells infected with H9N2 avian influenza virus.

This data article reports the global gene expression analysis data of chicken DCs infected with H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) compared with mock infection. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the data of GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis for DEGs were reported here. In addition, some of these DEGs associated with innate immune response and antigen presentation were also verified by qPCR. The replication of H9N2 AIV in DCs, and the viability kinetic of DCs during H9N2 AIV infection, and the primers for qPCR were also reported in this data article. The data presented here was used on the research article entitled "Transcriptomic profile of chicken bone marrow-derive dendritic cells in response to H9N2 avianinfluenza A virus".

Transcriptomic profile of chicken bone marrow-derive dendritic cells in response to H9N2 avian influenza A virus.

Avian influenza subtype H9N2 infection is a mild but highly contagious disease that is associated with a decrease in the efficacy of vaccine interventions, and an increase in susceptibility to secondary infections in poultry. However, the immune evasion mechanism of H9N2 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in chickens is poorly understood. Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune cells of major importance, involved in innate immune responses against viruses, but also in the setting of adaptive immune response due to their high ability to present viral antigen. Therefore, in the present study we used high-throughput RNA-sequencing technology at the transcriptome level to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between chicken DCs infected with H9N2 virus and mock-infected DCs. We identified 4151 upregulated DEGs and 2138 downregulated DEGs. Further enrichment analysis showed that the upregulated DEGs were enriched in the biological processes mainly involved in signal transduction, transmembrane transport, and innate immune/inflammatory responses. In contrast, the downregulated DEGs were associated with the biological processes mainly including metabolic process, and MHC class I antigen processing and presentation. In addition, 49 of these immune-related DEGs were validated by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Collectively, these data suggest that H9N2 virus infection may enhance the signal transduction, and innate immune responses in chicken DCs, but impair their metabolic functions and antigen-presenting responses, which provide helpful insight into the pathogenesis of H9N2 AIVs in chickens and managing this infection in poultry farms.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is necessary for the replication of duck Tembusu virus.

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) is a newly emerging pathogenic flavivirus that has caused massive economic losses to the duck industry in China. The cellular factors required for DTMUV replication have been poorly studied. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), the major intracellular proteolytic pathway, mediates diverse cellular processes, including endocytosis and signal transduction, which may be involved in the entry of virus. In the present study, we explored the interplay between DTMUV replication and the UPS in BHK-21 cells and found that treatment with proteasome inhibitor (MG132 and lactacystin) significantly decreased the DTMUV progency at the early infection stage. We further revealed that inhibition of the UPS mainly occurs on the level of viral protein expression and RNA transcription. In addition, using specific siRNAs targeting ubiquitin reduces the production of viral progeny. In the presence of MG132 the staining for the envelope protein of DTMUV was dramatically reduced in comparison with the untreated control cells. Overall, our observations reveal an important role of the UPS in multiple steps of the DTMUV infection cycle and identify the UPS as a potential drug target to modulate the impact of DTMUV infection.

The unfolded protein response induced by Tembusu virus infection.

BACKGROUND: Tembusu virus (TMUV), classified in the genus Flavivirus, causes reduced egg production and neurological problems in poultry. Flavivirus replication depends on the host endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and induces ER stress that leads to activation of the cellular unfolded protein response (UPR), an important signalling pathway that regulates many biological functions involved in viral pathogenesis and innate immunity. However, the mechanism of TMUV-induced UPR activation remains unclear. RESULTS: In this study, we systematically investigated the three UPR pathways in TMUV-infected BHK-21 cells. Our results showed that expression of glucose-related protein 78 (GRP78) and GRP94 was upregulated during the course of TMUV infection. We then demonstrated that TMUV activated the PERK pathway in the early stage of infection, resulting in upregulation of ATF4, GADD34 and CHOP, with CHOP induction leading to caspase-3 activation. We also found the IRE1 pathway to be activated, leading to splicing of X box binding protein 1 (XBP1) mRNA and enhanced expression of p58IPK. Finally, we observed increased expression of ATF6 and activity of ER stress-response elements, suggesting stimulation of the ATF6 pathway. In addition, ATF6 pathway activation correlated with the induction of downstream chaperones calnexin, calreticulin, ERp57 and PDI. UPR activity was also observed by the marked elevation in GRP78 and sXBP1 levels in TMUV-infected DF-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that TMUV infection-induced ER stress activates three branches of the UPR, and these results lay the foundation for elucidating the pathogenesis of TMUV and understanding the inherent mechanism of TMUV infection as well as the host response.

Identification and immunogenic evaluation of T cell epitopes based on tembusu virus envelope protein in ducks.

Newly emerging tembusu virus (TMUV) is a severe threat to poultry industry and causes huge economic losses. Humoral and cell-mediated immunity are both play vital roles in TMUV infection. Up to now, there has been no report on identification of T cell epitopes of the TMUV. In this work, we identified T cell epitopes within TMUV envelope (E) protein using synthesized peptides predicted in silico. A total of ten peptides could stimulate TMUV-specific T cells in murine ELISPOT and duck lymphocyte proliferation assay. Subsequently, DNA vaccine containing these T cell epitopes was constructed (pVAX-T) and the expression of multiepitope protein was confirmed by transfection of BHK-21 cells in vitro. Ducks were administrated intramusclarly to evaluated the immunologic effect of pVAX-T. In ducks immunized with pVAX-T, antibody against TMUV was undetectable, but the expression level of cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ) was upregulated both in peripheral blood lymphocytes and spleen. Furthermore, TMUV challenge revealed that cell-mediated immune response sitmulated by pVAX-T contributed to protection against TMUV infection. The identification of these T cell epitopes will contribute to designing epitope vaccine for preventing infection of TMUV and possibly provide the basis for further studies on cell-mediate immune response activated by TMUV.

Screening and identification of B-cell epitopes within envelope protein of tembusu virus.

BACKGROUND: Tembusu virus is a newly emerging flavivirus that caused egg-drop syndrome in ducks in China. TMUV envelope protein is a major structural protein locates at the surface of tembusu virus particle. During tembusu virus infection, envelope protein plays a pivotal role in induction of neutralizing antibody. However, B cell epitopes within envelope protein have not been well studied. METHOD: A series of 13 peptides derived from E protein of tembusu virus were synthesized and screened by Dot blot with tembusu virus-positive duck serum. Potential B-cell epitopes were respectively fused with GST tag and expressed in E. coli. The immunogenicity and protective efficiency of epitopes were assessed in ducks. RESULTS: Dot blot assay identified the peptides P21 (amino acids 301-329), P23 (amino acids 369-387), P27 (amino acids 464-471) and P28 (amino acids 482-496) as potential B-cell epitopes within the envelope protein of tembusu virus. Immunization of prokaryotically expressed epitopes elicited specific antibodies in ducks and the specific antibody elicited by P21, P27 and P28 could neutralized tembusu virus. In addition, protective test suggested that P21 and P27 could completely protect immunized ducks from TMUV challenge. CONCLUSION: Four potential B cell epiotpes within tembusu virus envelope protein were identified and analyzed in vitro and in vivo. It was demonstrated that two of them (P21 and P27) could elicit neutralizing antibodies in ducks and offer complete protection against tembusu virus challenge. This findings will contribute to the development of epitope vaccine for tembusu virus prevention.

Identification of Glucose-Regulated Protein 78 (GRP78) as a Receptor in BHK-21 Cells for Duck Tembusu Virus Infection.

Since 2010, outbreak and spread of tembusu virus (TMUV) caused huge losses to the breeding industry of waterfowl in several provinces of China. In this study, we identify the glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) as a receptor in BHK-21 cells for duck TMUV infection. Using cell membrane from BHK-21 cells, a TMUV-binding protein of approximately 70 kDa was observed by viral overlay protein binding assay (VOPBA). LC-MS/MS analysis and co-immunoprecipitation identified GRP78 as a protein interacting with TMUV. Antibody against GRP78 inhibited the binding of TMUV to the cell surface of BHK-21 cells. Indirect immunofluorescence studies showed the colocalization of GRP78 with TMUV in virus-infected BHK-21 cells. We found that GRP78 over-expression increased TMUV infection, whereas GRP78 knockdown by using a specific small interfering RNA inhibited TMUV infection in BHK-21 cells. Taken together, our results indicate that GRP78 is a novel host factor involved in TMUV entry.

Identification of determinants that mediate binding between Tembusu virus and the cellular receptor heat shock protein A9.

Heat shock protein A9 (HSPA9), a member of the heat shock protein family, is a putative receptor for Tembusu virus (TMUV). By using Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation assays, E protein domains I and II were identified as the functional domains that facilitate HSPA9 binding. Twenty-five overlapping peptides covering domain I and domain II sequences were synthesized and analyzed by using an HSPA9 binding assay. Two peptides showed the capability of binding to HSPA9. Dot blot assay of truncated peptides indicated that amino acid residues 19 to 22 and 245 to 252 of E protein constitute the minimal motifs required for TMUV binding to HSPA9. Importantly, peptides harboring those two minimal motifs could effectively inhibit TMUV infection. Our results provide insight into TMUV-receptor interaction, thereby creating opportunities for elucidating the mechanism of TMUV entry.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and expression of duck 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase-like gene.

2'-5'-Oligoadenylate synthetase-like protein (OASL) is an interferon-inducible antiviral protein that exerts antiviral effects through the RNase L- or retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-dependent signalling pathway. In this study, we identified and cloned the OASL gene (named duOASL) from healthy adult Cherry Valley ducks. Full-length duOASL cDNA (1630bp) encoded a 504-amino acid polypeptide containing three conserved domains, namely, nucleotidyltransferase domain, 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase domain, and two ubiquitin-like repeats. DuOASL mRNA expression was quantified by performing quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results of qRT-PCR showed that duOASL was broadly expressed in all examined tissues, with the highest mRNA expression in the large intestine. Antiviral activity of duOASL was measured by determining its effect on Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) replication in vitro. We found that duOASL overexpression slightly inhibited DTMUV replication, whereas duOASL knockdown by using a specific small interfering RNA increased DTMUV replication in DF-1 cells. Thus, we successfully cloned and characterized the antiviral protein duOASL from Cherry Valley ducks and found that it exerted antiviral effects against DTMUV. These results provide a solid foundation for performing further studies to determine the mechanism underlying the antiviral effect of duOASL at the cellular level.