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\"For all ages, [this book in the series] covers China's early history in comic form, introducing philosophies like Confucianism and Daoism, the story of the Silk Road, famous emperors like Han Wudi, and the process of China's unification\"--Provided by publisher.

High-precision permeability prediction is of great significance to tight sandstone reservoirs. However, while considerable progress has recently been made in the machine learning based prediction of reservoir permeability, the generalization of this approach is limited by weak interpretability. Hence, an interpretable XGBoost model is proposed herein based on particle swarm optimization to predict the permeability of tight sandstone reservoirs with higher accuracy and robust interpretability. The porosity and permeability of 202 core plugs and 6 logging curves (namely, the gamma-ray (GR) curve, the acoustic curve (AC), the spontaneous potential (SP) curve, the caliper (CAL) curve, the deep lateral resistivity (RILD) curve, and eight lateral resistivity (RFOC) curve) are extracted along with three derived variables (i.e., the shale content, the AC slope, and the GR slope) as data sets. Based on the data preprocessing, global and local interpretations are performed according to the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) analysis, and the redundant features in the data set are screened to identify the porosity, AC, CAL, and GR slope as the four most important features. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is then used to optimize the hyperparameters of the XGBoost model. The prediction results of the PSO-XGBoost model indicate a superior performance compared with that of the benchmark XGBoost model. In addition, the reliable application of the interpretable PSO-XGBoost model in the prediction of tight sandstone reservoir permeability is examined by comparing the results with those of two traditional mathematical regression models, five machine learning models, and three deep learning models. Thus, the interpretable PSO-XGBoost model is shown to have more advantages in permeability prediction along with the lowest root mean square error, thereby confirming the effectiveness and practicability of this method.

The 2024 Chinese hypertension guidelines has been recently issued by Chinese Hypertension League (CHL), joint with partner societies. Since the 2018 guidelines was released, amount of evidence accumulated, in favor of intensive blood pressure (BP) control. New drugs and devices, innovative concepts and new insights have been introduced into hypertension management. The hypertension control rate improved gradually in past 30 years, while the constantly increased population of hypertension and high-normal BP still brought huge burden in China. More efficient, precise and individualized strategies for BP control are needed. The new guidelines integrated the latest evidence from epidemiological studies and clinical trials, particularly included recent data from Chinese populations, together with new concept and insights of hypertension management from the globe. In brief, the 2024 Chinese hypertension guidelines insists on 140/90 mmHg as the office BP thresholds for hypertension diagnosis. Ambulatory or home BP monitoring are recommended as alternatives for diagnosis. Validated smart wearable devices are introduced for hypertension screening and monitoring. A combined BP level and CV risk -based treatment strategy is still adopted. A more aggressive BP target ( < 130/80 mmHg) is recommended for most, including those at high CV risk, if tolerable. Low-sodium and potassium-rich salt substitute and Chinese heart-healthy diet are recommended and sleep and mental health are added in addition to traditional life style changes. New drugs and more flexible combination protocols, and concise treatment algorithm are introduced. Management of hypertension in special populations are updated and specific phenotype, for instance morning and nocturnal hypertension are addressed.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as a central component of the tumor microenvironment in primary and metastatic tumors, profoundly influence the behavior of cancer cells and are involved in cancer progression through extensive interactions with cancer cells and other stromal cells. Furthermore, the innate versatility and plasticity of CAFs allow their education by cancer cells, resulting in dynamic alterations in stromal fibroblast populations in a context-dependent manner, which highlights the importance of precise assessment of CAF phenotypical and functional heterogeneity. In this review, we summarize the proposed origins and heterogeneity of CAFs as well as the molecular mechanisms regulating the diversity of CAF subpopulations. We also discuss current strategies to selectively target tumor-promoting CAFs, providing insights and perspectives for future research and clinical studies involving stromal targeting. Cancer: Reprogramming cells that support tumors Tumors reprogram nearby wound-healing cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to support their metabolism, escape the immune response and develop resistance to chemotherapy; targeting CAFs may provide therapeutic opportunities. CAFs are very diverse, and their origins and specific roles are not well understood. New genetic tools allow precise profiling of CAFs and their functions, and Dakai Yang at Jiangsu University in Zhenjiang, China, and co-workers have reviewed CAF diversity and the mechanisms by which they are generated. Although most CAFs support tumors, some CAFs fight tumors, and they can potentially be converted from one form to another. Improving our understanding of the variety of CAFs, their functions, and how they interact with tumor cells may help in identifying tumor-suppressing CAFs and in developing precision medicine treatments for various types of cancer.

Speeding up the transmission of information carried by waves is of fundamental interest for wave physics, with pivotal significance for underwater communications. To overcome the current limitations in information transfer capacity, here we propose and experimentally validate a mechanism using multipath sound twisting to realize real-time high-capacity communication free of signal-processing or sensor-scanning. The undesired channel crosstalk, conventionally reduced via time-consuming postprocessing, is virtually suppressed by using a metamaterial layer as purely-passive demultiplexer with high spatial selectivity. Furthermore, the compactness of system ensures high information density crucial for acoustics-based applications. A distinct example of complicated image transmission is experimentally demonstrated, showing as many independent channels as the path number multiplied by vortex mode number and an extremely-low bit error rate nearly 1/10 of the forward error correction limit. Our strategy opens an avenue to metamaterial-based high-capacity communication paradigm compatible with the conventional multiplexing mechanisms, with far-reaching impact on acoustics and other domains. Here, the authors demonstrate multipath twisting of acoustic waves with a thin metamaterial layer enabling high-speed transfer of information with no time-consuming post-processing or sensor scanning, showing important application potential in underwater communication.

This is the first randomised controlled trial for assessment of the immunogenicity and safety of a candidate non-replicating adenovirus type-5 (Ad5)-vectored COVID-19 vaccine, aiming to determine an appropriate dose of the candidate vaccine for an efficacy study. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial of the Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine was done in a single centre in Wuhan, China. Healthy adults aged 18 years or older, who were HIV-negative and previous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-free, were eligible to participate and were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine at a dose of 1 × 1011 viral particles per mL or 5 × 1010 viral particles per mL, or placebo. Investigators allocated participants at a ratio of 2:1:1 to receive a single injection intramuscularly in the arm. The randomisation list (block size 4) was generated by an independent statistician. Participants, investigators, and staff undertaking laboratory analyses were masked to group allocation. The primary endpoints for immunogenicity were the geometric mean titres (GMTs) of specific ELISA antibody responses to the receptor binding domain (RBD) and neutralising antibody responses at day 28. The primary endpoint for safety evaluation was the incidence of adverse reactions within 14 days. All recruited participants who received at least one dose were included in the primary and safety analyses. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04341389. 603 volunteers were recruited and screened for eligibility between April 11 and 16, 2020. 508 eligible participants (50% male; mean age 39·7 years, SD 12·5) consented to participate in the trial and were randomly assigned to receive the vaccine (1 × 1011 viral particles n=253; 5 × 1010 viral particles n=129) or placebo (n=126). In the 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles dose groups, the RBD-specific ELISA antibodies peaked at 656·5 (95% CI 575·2–749·2) and 571·0 (467·6–697·3), with seroconversion rates at 96% (95% CI 93–98) and 97% (92–99), respectively, at day 28. Both doses of the vaccine induced significant neutralising antibody responses to live SARS-CoV-2, with GMTs of 19·5 (95% CI 16·8–22·7) and 18·3 (14·4–23·3) in participants receiving 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles, respectively. Specific interferon γ enzyme-linked immunospot assay responses post vaccination were observed in 227 (90%, 95% CI 85–93) of 253 and 113 (88%, 81–92) of 129 participants in the 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles dose groups, respectively. Solicited adverse reactions were reported by 183 (72%) of 253 and 96 (74%) of 129 participants in the 1 × 1011 and 5 × 1010 viral particles dose groups, respectively. Severe adverse reactions were reported by 24 (9%) participants in the 1 × 1011 viral particles dose group and one (1%) participant in the 5 × 1010 viral particles dose group. No serious adverse reactions were documented. The Ad5-vectored COVID-19 vaccine at 5 × 1010 viral particles is safe, and induced significant immune responses in the majority of recipients after a single immunisation. National Key R&D Programme of China, National Science and Technology Major Project, and CanSino Biologics.

Background Blood pressure (BP) are uncontrolled in over 80% hypertensive population in China, indicating a compelling need for a pragmatic hypertension management strategy. The 2018 Chinese hypertension guidelines issued in 2019, after 3 years revision. During the periods, the latest United States (US) and European guidelines successively published, bringing new thoughts, wisdoms and schemes on hypertension management. This review aims to summarize the highlights of the new Chinese guidelines. Main text Despite the fact that the 2017 US hypertension guidelines changed hypertension definition from ≥140/90 mmHg to 130/80 mmHg, the Chinese hypertension guidelines did not follow suit, and maintained 140/90 mmHg as the cut-point of for diagnosis of hypertension. A combined, cardiovascular risks and BP levels-based antihypertensive treatment algorithm was introduced. Five classes of antihypertensive drugs, including β-blockers were recommended as initiation and maintenance of BP-lowering therapy. Initiating combination therapy, including single pill combination (SPC) was indicated in high-risk patients or those with grade 2 or 3 hypertension. For those with grade 1 hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg), an initial low-dose antihypertensive drugs combination treatment could be considered. Conclusions China has never stopped exploring the best strategy for improving hypertension control. Based on clinical evidence and expertise, the newest Chinese guidelines and expert consensus will be of help in guiding physicians and practitioners to provide better management of hypertension in China.

Isomerases perform biotransformations without cofactors but often cause an undesirable mixture of substrate and product due to unfavorable thermodynamic equilibria. We demonstrate the feasibility of using an engineered yeast strain harboring oxidoreductase reactions to overcome the thermodynamic limit of an isomerization reaction. Specifically, a yeast strain capable of consuming lactose intracellularly is engineered to produce tagatose from lactose through three layers of manipulations. First, GAL1 coding for galactose kinase is deleted to eliminate galactose utilization. Second, heterologous xylose reductase (XR) and galactitol dehydrogenase (GDH) are introduced into the ∆gal1 strain. Third, the expression levels of XR and GDH are adjusted to maximize tagatose production. The resulting engineered yeast produces 37.69 g/L of tagatose from lactose with a tagatose and galactose ratio of 9:1 in the reaction broth. These results suggest that in vivo oxidoreaductase reactions can be employed to replace isomerases in vitro for biotransformation. A desired product cannot be obtained at higher concentration than its equilibrium concentration when isomerases are used for biotransformation. Here, the authors engineer in vivo oxidoreductive reactions in yeast to overcome the equilibrium limitation of in vitro isomerases-based tagatose production.