Ischemic stroke is one of the most disabling diseases and a leading cause of death globally. Despite advances in medical care, the global burden of stroke continues to grow, as no effective treatments to limit or reverse ischemic injury to the brain are available. However, recent preclinical findings have revealed the potential role of transient receptor potential cation 6 (TRPC6) channels as endogenous protectors of neuronal tissue. Activating TRPC6 in various cerebral ischemia models has been found to prevent neuronal death, whereas blocking TRPC6 enhances sensitivity to ischemia. Evidence has shown that Ca2+ influx through TRPC6 activates cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), an important transcription factor linked to neuronal survival. Additionally, TRPC6 activation may counter excitotoxic damage resulting from glutamate release by attenuating the activity of NMDA receptors of neurons by posttranslational means. Unresolved though, are the roles of TRPC6 channels in non-neuronal cells such as astrocytes and endothelial cells. Moreover, TRPC6 channels may have detrimental effects on the blood-brain barrier, although their exact role in neurovascular coupling requires further investigation. This review discusses evidence-based cell-specific aspects of TRPC6 in the brain to assess the potential targets for ischemic stroke management.

Single nanowires (NWs) are of great importance for optoelectronic applications, especially solar cells serving as powering nanoscale devices. However, weak off-resonant absorption can limit its light-harvesting capability. Here, we propose a single NW coated with the graded-index dual shells (DSNW). We demonstrate that with appropriate thickness and refractive index of the inner shell, the DSNW exhibits significantly enhanced light trapping compared with the bare NW (BNW), and the NW only coated with the outer shell (OSNW) and the inner shell (ISNW), which can be attributed to the optimal off-resonant absorption mode profiles due to the improved coupling between the reemitted light of the transition modes of the leak mode resonances of the Si core and the nanofocusing light from the dual shells with the graded refractive index. We found that the light absorption can be engineered via tuning the thickness and the refractive index of the inner shell, the photocurrent density is significantly enhanced by 134% (56%, 12%) in comparison with that of the BNW (OSNW, ISNW). This work advances our understanding of how to improve off-resonant absorption by applying graded dual-shell design and provides a new choice for designing high-efficiency single NW photovoltaic devices.

The humpback puffer, Tetraodon palembangensis, also known as Pao palembangensis, is a species of poisonous freshwater pufferfish mainly distributed in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia). Despite interesting biological features, such as its very inactive nature, tetrodotoxin production and body expansion mechanisms, molecular research on the humpback puffer is still rare because of the lack of a high-quality reference genome. Here, we reported a first chromosome-level genome assembly of an adult humpback puffer, of which the genome size is 362 Mb with ~1.78 Mb contig N50 and ~15.8 Mb scaffold N50s. Based on the genome, ~61.5Mb (18.11%) repeat sequences were also identified, and totally 19,925 genes were annotated, 99.20% of which could be predicted with function using protein-coding function databases. Finally, a phylogenetic tree was constructed with single-copy gene families from ten teleost fishes. The humpback puffer genome will be a valuable genomic resource to illustrate possible mechanisms of tetrodotoxin synthesis and tolerance, providing clues for future detailed studies of biological toxins.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused a global public health crisis. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 by contact is widely accepted, but the relative importance of aerosol transmission for the spread of COVID-19 is controversial. Here we characterize the distribution of SARA-CoV-2 in 123 aerosol samples, 63 masks, and 30 surface samples collected at various locations in Wuhan, China. The positive percentages of viral RNA included 21% of the aerosol samples from an intensive care unit and 39% of the masks from patients with a range of conditions. A viable virus was isolated from the surgical mask of one critically ill patient while all viral RNA positive aerosol samples were cultured negative. The SARS-CoV-2 detected in masks from patients, ambient air, and respirators from health workers compose a chain of emission, transport, and recipient of the virus. Our results indicate that masks are effective in protecting against the spread of viruses, and it is strongly recommended that people throughout the world wear masks to break the chain of virus transmission and thus protect themselves and others from SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2 causes severe pneumonia epidemics and probably originated in horseshoe bats, but the intermediate host is unknown. The interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its acceptor protein ACE2 is an important issue in determining viral host range and cross-species infection, while the binding capacity of Spike protein to ACE2 of different species is unknown. Here, we used the atomic structure model of SARS-CoV-2 and human ACE2 to assess the receptor utilization capacity of ACE2s from different species including cats, chimpanzees, dogs, cattles. Our results show, domestic cats (Felis catusc) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are more susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2 and that they can efficiently transmit the virus to previously uninfected animals that are housed with them. Especially, cats could be a choice of animal model for screening antiviral drugs or vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2.

Background: This study aimed to assess the dementia literacy (DL) level of community-dwelling adults in the four cities (Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Macau and Zhuhai) of the Greater Bay Area of China and to determine the preferred mass media for receiving dementia information. Methods: A multi-city cross-sectional study with 788 community-dwelling adults completed the survey. Dementia literacy was indirectly measured by two validated scales, 30-item Alzhiemer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and 20-item Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS). When the ADKS total score was <15 and DAS total score was <70, it was considered as ‘inadequate dementia literacy’. Participants were also asked to indicate whether they would like to receive dementia information via digital media or traditional media. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions were undertaken. Results: About one-third of the participants had inadequate dementia literacy. Those with young age or secondary education preferred to get dementia information from social media. But people living in public housing would like to get information from government or hospital websites. Middle-aged participants inclined to learn dementia from television or radio. Conclusion: It is worthy to conduct territory-wide public education in dementia and develop strategies according to their preferences in the types of mass media.

Development and deployment of wheat varieties with high yields, wide adaptability, good quality, multiple-resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and efficient response to fertilizers have greatly contributed to global wheat sustainable production. The genomic composition of key commercial wheat variety can help understand the genetic basis underlying the development of new variety and permit increased breeding efficiency. In this study, we report the chromosomal and genomic compositions of BN207, presently the leading wheat variety in the southern region of Huang-Huai River Valley, the most important wheat producing area in China through an integrated analysis using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and wheat 15 K SNP array. Our results showed that BN207 inherited 55.3% and 40.7% of its genome from its male parent BN64 and female parent ZM16, respectively, and generating 64 novel or recombined loci. Besides, we detected nine chromosomal variations in Bn207 and its parents and ten sister lines, and physically mapped two variations, the pericentric inversion of chromosome 6B, and large tandem repeat sequence block at the long arm of 5A, both had positive effects on agronomic traits, by integration of FISH and SNP loci recombination analyses. These results will provide a reference for breeding of high yield wheat varieties as BN207, and the application of founder parents BN64 and ZM16, which are being utilized frequently in wheat breeding programs in Henan Province and surrounding areas.

The details of antigen-antibody interactions and the identification of epitopes are critical for the development of monoclonal antibody drugs. Ab42 is a native human-derived anti-CFH monoclonal antibody. In this study, the interaction between antigen pCFH and antibody (Ab42) was theoretically demonstrated by molecular docking and MD simulation, combined with free energy calculation and computational alanine scanning (CAS), and key amino acids and epitopes were identified. Experimental alanine scanning (EAS) was then carried out to verify the results of the calculation, and our results indicated that Ab42 antibody forms hydrogen bonds and interacts hydrophobically with pCFH through the Tyr315, Ser100, Gly33, and Tyr53 residues on its CDR, while the main pCFH epitopes are located at the six sites of Pro441, Ile442, Asp443, Asn444, Ile447, and Thr448. In conclusion, this study has explored the mechanism of antigen-antibody interaction from both theoretical and experimental aspects, and our results have important theoretical significance for the design and development of relevant antibody drugs.

Theaflavins, the characteristic and bioactive polyphenols in black tea, possess the potential improvement effects on insulin resistance-associated metabolic abnormalities including obesity and type 2 diebetes. However, the molecular mechanisms of theaflavins improving insulin sensitivity are still not clear. In this study, we investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of theaflavins on palmitic acid-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. Theaflavins could significantly increase glucose uptake of insulin-resistant cells at noncytotoxic doses. This activity was mediated by upregulating the glucose transporter 4 protein expression, increasing the phosphorylation of IRS-1 at Ser307, and reduced the phosphor-Akt (Ser473) level. Moreover, theaflavins were found to enhance mitochondrial DNA copy number through down-regulate the PGC-1β mRNA level and up-regulate PRC mRNA expression in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. These results indicated that theaflavins could improve free fatty acid-induced hepatic insulin resistance by promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, and were promising functional food and medicines for insulin resistance-related disorders.

Puerarin (PUE) is a compound isolated from the roots of Pueraria lobata. We studied the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution kinetics of PUE in Sprague-Dawley rats following intraperitoneal administration of three concentrations. Indirect competitive ELISA based on an anti-PUE monoclonal antibody was used to determine the concentration of PUE in the blood, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and striatum. The plasma and tissue distribution kinetic characteristics following a single injection of PUE (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg) were calculated using a non-compartment model. In the high-dose (80 mg/kg) and medium-dose (40 mg/kg) groups, the kinetic profile of PUE in blood and kidney samples showed two absorption peaks, while that of the other tissues showed only one peak. In the low-dose (20 mg/kg) group, there was only one peak, irrespective of the sample type. Pharmacokinetic parameters such as the area under the curve, C_max, and T_max varied according to the administered dose. AUC and C_max values increased dose-dependently. PUE was widely distributed in areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and striatum, providing a foundation for guiding the use of PUE in the treatment of cerebral ischaemic stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.

A novel binary toxin-positive non-027, non-078 Clostridium difficile strain designated LC693 whose sequence type was ST201 was isolated from the fecal sample of a patient with severe diarrhea in China. To understand the pathogenesis basis of C. difficile ST201, this recently recovered isolate LC693 was then chosen for whole genome sequencing. The project finally generated an estimated genome size of approximately 4.07 Mbp. The genome sequence was then analyzed together with the other two ST201 strains VL-0104 and VL-0391 and compared to the epidemic 027/ST1 and 078/ST11 strains. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the ST201 strains belonged to clade 3. Genome size of the three ST201 strains ranged from 4.07 Mb~4.16 Mb, with an average GC content between 28.5%~28.9%. The ST201 genomes contained more than 40 antibiotic resistance genes and 15 of them were predicted to be associated with vancomycin-resistance, suggesting that they may have a strong antibiotic resistance. The ST201 strains contained a typical clade 3 specific PaLoc with a Tn6218 element inserted, and those genes harbored on their PaLoc that participated in the toxin expression and regulation were highly homologues to the epidemic 027 and 078 strains, with the exception of tcdC. A truncated TcdC was found in the ST201 strains, which is suggestive to have a contribution to the toxin production of the ST201 strains. In addition, the ST201 strains contained intact binary toxin coding and regulation genes, which is also proposed to contribute to the virulence. Genome comparison of the ST201 strains with the epidemic 027 and 078 strain identified 641 genes specific for the C. difficile ST201, and a number of them were predicted as fitness and virulence associated genes. The identification of those genes also contributes to the pathogenesis of the ST201 strain. To our knowledge, this is the first study that the genome sequence of C. difficile ST201 was discussed in detail, and the present study would have a contribution to understanding the pathogenesis basis of C. difficile ST201.

The accuracy of cosmic ray observation by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory Wide Field-of-view Cherenkov/fluorescence Telescope Array (LHAASO-WFCTA) is influenced by variations in aerosols in the atmosphere. The solar photometer (CE318-T) is extensively utilized within the Aerosol Robotic Network as a highly precise and reliable instrument for aerosol measurements. With this CE318-T 23, 254 sets of valid data samples in 394 days from October 2020 to October 2022 at the LHAASO site were obtained. Data analysis revealed that the baseline Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and A˚ngstro¨m Exponent (AE) at 440-870 nm (AE440−870nm) of the aerosols were calculated to be 0.03 and 1.07, respectively, suggesting that the LHAASO site is among the most pristine regions on Earth. The seasonality of the mean AOD are the order of spring &gt; summer &gt; autumn = winter. The monthly average maximum of AOD440nm occurred in April (0.11 ± 0.05) and the minimum was in December (0.03 ± 0.01). The monthly average of AE440−870nm exhibited slight variations. The seasonal characterization of aerosol types indicated that clean continental background aerosol predominated in autumn and winter, which is the optimal period for the absolute calibration of the WFCTA. Additionally, the diurnal daytime variations of AOD and AE across the four seasons are presented. Our analysis also indicates that the potential origins of aerosol over the LHAASO in four seasons were different and the atmospheric aerosols with higher AOD probably originate mainly from Northern Myanmar and Northeast India region. These results provide a baseline for comparison to the future on-site measurement of extinction coefficient profile and aerosol phase function by LHAASO-WFCTA, also enrich the valuable materials on aerosol observation in the Hengduan Mountains and Tibetan Plateau.

Several recent studies have indicated that miR-30a plays critical roles in various biological processes and diseases. However, the mechanism of miR-30a participation in the regulation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is ambiguous. Our previous study demonstrated that miR-30a may function as a novel therapeutic target for lung fibrosis by blocking mitochondrial fission, which is dependent on dynamin-related protein-1 (Drp-1). However, the regulatory mechanism between miR-30a and Drp-1 has yet to be investigated. In addition, whether miR-30a can act as a potential therapeutic has not been verified in vivo. In this study, the miR-30a expression in IPF patients was evaluated. Computational analysis and a dual luciferase reporter system assay were used to identify the target gene of miR-30a, and cell transfection was used to confirm this relationship. Ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was validated as a direct target of miR-30a, and the transfection of miR-30a mimic/inhibitor significantly reduced/increased the expression of TET1 protein. Further experiment verified that the interference on TET1(siRNA) could inhibit the hydroxymethlation of the Drp-1 promoter. Finally, miR-30a agomir was designed and applied to identify and validate the therapeutic effect of miR-30a in vivo. Our study demonstrated that miR-30a could inhibit the TET1 expression by base pairing with complementary sites in the 3′ untranslated region to regulate the hydroxymethlation of the Drp-1 promoter. Furthermore, miR-30a could act as a potential therapeutic target for IPF.

Background: Pleurotus ostreutus is one of the world’s most commonly consumed mushrooms. Cultivation of mushrooms using wood resources usually results in environmental issues of deforestation. Juncao grass Pennisetum sp, Arundo Donax, and Methodology: Miscanthus are the culture mediums used in this research which offered a composting system most particularly for a simple formulation, cheap and feasible for small farms in cultivating oyster mushrooms. Results: The present study assessed the different junco grass as a substrate for growing Pleurotus ostreatus given the enzyme activities, growth, and yields. In addition, on the other hand, Lignin peroxidase (LiP) was the most active enzyme in each culture material among the other enzyme activities expressed differently between substrate and growing stages. Fruiting bodies harvested on giant grass,Arundo donax,and miscanthus,substrate weighed 159.2g/bag,132g/bag, and 65.1g/bag on average respectively. The biological efficiency of pleurotus cultivated in three different substrates was 75.2%, 63.4%, and 28.7%, respectively. Lignin peroxidase (LiP) was the most active enzyme followed by Laccase in each substrate. At the same time, other enzyme activities were differently expressed between substrate and different developmental stages. Nutrient analysis revealed significant variations, with differences in polysaccharides, proteins, and amino acids among substrates as well as the presence of heavy metals as arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium content in all samples was within safe limits. Conclusion: Findings from this study will serve as a solid foundation for future studies aimed at characterizing different substrate responses on enzyme activity. This research provides a sustainable footprint for subsequent research promoting eco-friendly mushroom production. The obtained results indicate that Arundo donax should be a good substrate in place of giant grass, using miscanthus is not productive based on the results obtained in this research the juncao grasses offer a sustainable approach that reduces reliance on wood-based substrates and enhances environmental sustainability.

As split learning (SL) becomes popular for addressing data privacy and resource limitation issues in edge model training process, it is crucial to pre-validate whether the extensive use of wireless and computing resources in SL can achieve the expected training latency and convergence. While digital twin network (DTN) can potentially estimate network strategy performance in pre-validation environments, they are still in their infancy for SL tasks, facing challenges like unknown non-i.i.d. data distributions, inaccurate channel states, and misreport resource availability across devices. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a TransNeural algorithm for DTN pre-validation environment to estimate SL latency and convergence. First, the TransNeural algorithm integrates transformers to efficiently model data similarities between different devices, considering different data distributions and device participate sequence greatly influence SL training convergence. Second, it leverages neural network to automatically establish the complex relationships between SL latency and convergence with data distributions, wireless and computing resources, dataset sizes, and training iterations. Deviations in user reports are also accounted for in the estimation process. Simulations show that the TransNeural algorithm improves latency estimation accuracy by 13.44% and convergence estimation accuracy by 116.74% compared to traditional equation-based methods.

Iron tailings are solid waste generated after the mining of iron mines, which have caused serious damage to the surrounding ecology and environment and have attracted widespread attention. By analyzing the formation causes, main components, and environmental effect mechanisms of iron tailings, the article systematically elaborates on the degree and mechanism of the harm of iron tailings to water bodies, atmosphere, soil, and ecosystems, and evaluates its impact on human health and sustainable development of society. On this basis, specific prevention and control measures have been proposed to reduce iron tailings emissions, realize resource recycling, and restore ecosystems. Research shows that iron tailings containing heavy metals can widely pollute the environment through dissolution and migration, and have significant biological toxicity effects. The research results can provide a theoretical reference for decision-making departments to formulate scientific and reasonable iron tailings disposal and ecological protection policies. It is recommended to strengthen specific research on the infiltration of toxic and harmful components in tailings in the future, and develop efficient and stable solidification technology, and vegetation-microbial joint restoration models to further reduce the ecological and environmental risks of iron tailings.

Transplanted organs experience several episodes of ischemia and Ischemia-reperfusion. The graft injury resulting from ischemia-reperfusion (IRI) remains a significant obstacle to the successful survival of transplanted grafts. Temperature plays an important role in cellular metabolic rates since biochemical reactions are highly temperature dependent. Therefore, ischemia-triggered degradative reactions could be mitigated by lowering temperature. Whether a local hypothermia on liver before blockage of blood flow protects liver grafts against IRI has not been investigated. In this study, we applied local hypothermia to mouse donor livers for a specific duration before stopping blood flow to liver lobes, a procedure called "liver precooling." Mouse donor liver temperature in control groups was controlled at 37ºC. Subsequently, the liver donors were preserved in cold University of Wisconsin solution for various durations followed by orthotopic liver transplantation. Liver graft injury, function and inflammation were assessed at 1- and 2-days post-transplantation. Liver precooling exhibited a significant improvement in graft function, revealing more than a 47% decrease in plasma aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, coupled with a remarkable reduction of approximately 50% in liver graft histological damage compared to the control group. The protective effects of liver precooling were associated with the preservation of mitochondrial function, substantial reduction in hepatocyte cell death, and a significantly attenuated inflammatory response. A retrospective analysis of patient data revealed a close correlation between hypothermia and enhanced liver graft function. Taken together, reduction of the cellular metabolism and enzymatic activity to a minimum level before ischemia protects against IRI during transplantation.

Purpose: To simplify the application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for examination of subsurface morphology in the oral cavity and reduce barriers towards adoption of OCT as a biopsy guidance device. The aim of this work was to develop automated software tools for simplified analysis of the large volume of data collected during OCT. Methods: Imaging and corresponding histopathology were acquired in-clinic using a wide-field endoscopic OCT system. An annotated dataset (n = 294 images) from 60 patients (34 male, 26 female) was assembled to train four unique neural networks. A deep learning pipeline was built using convolutional and modified u-net models to detect the imaging field of view (network 1), detect artifacts (network 2), identify the tissue surface (network 3), and identify the presence and location of the basement membrane (network 4). Results: The area under the curve of the image and artifact detection networks was 1.00 and 0.94 respectively. The Dice similarity score for the surface and basement membrane segmentation networks was 0.98 and 0.83 respectively. Conclusion: Deep Learning (DL) techniques can identify the location and variations in the epithelial surface and basement membrane in OCT images of the oral mucosa. Segmentation results can be synthesized into accessible en face maps to allow easier visualization of changes.

Leaf mass per area (LMA) is a key structural parameter that reflects the functional traits of leaves and plays a vital role in simulating the material and energy cycle of plant ecosystems. In this study, vertical whorl-by-whorl sampling of LMA was conducted in a young Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation during the growing season at the Saihanba Forest Farm. The vertical and seasonal variations in LMA were analysed. Subsequently, a predictive model of LMA was constructed. The results revealed that the LMA varied significantly between different crown whorls and growing periods. In the vertical direction of the crown, the LMA decreased with increasing crown depth, but the range of LMA values from the tree top to the bottom was, on average, 30.4 g/m2, which was approximately 2.5 times greater in the fully expanded phase than in the early leaf-expanding phase. The LMA exhibited an allometric growth trend that increased during the leaf-expanding phase and then tended to stabilize. However, the range of LMA values throughout the growing period was, on average, 40.4 g/m2. Among the univariate models, the leaf dry matter content (LDMC) performed well (Ra2=0.45, RMSE=13.48 g/m2) in estimating the LMA. The correlation between LMA and LDMC significantly differed at different growth stages and at different vertical crown whorls. The dynamic predictive model of LMA constructed with the RDINC and DOY as independent variables was reliable in both the assessments (Ra2=0.68, RMSE=10.25 g/m2) and the validation (MAE=8.05 g/m2, FI=0.682). Dynamic simulations of crown LMA provide a basis for elucidating the mechanism of crown development and laying the foundation for the construction of an ecological process model..

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, mask-wearing has become a widespread phenomenon. Even after the pandemic, people continue to maintain the habit of wearing masks in their daily lives. While existing research has explored how mask-wearing can influence wearers’ behavior in everyday life, its effects in the workplace have received less attention. Drawing on self-perception theory, this study examined the positive effect of mask-wearing in the workplace on wearers’ voice behavior via psychological safety. An online experiment (N = 291) using a within-subject manipulation of wearing masks supported our hypotheses. This study uncovered the psychological and behavioral consequences of mask-wearing beyond its benefits in people’s health conditions and everyday life.

In volleyball, the jump serve is a fundamental and crucial skill that is one of the most commonly used serving techniques. This study aimed to examine the kinematic differences between straight line (SL) and diagonal line (DL) in volleyball jump serves by focusing on torso and attack arm joint motions. Three-dimensional coordinate data were captured using a motion capture system (200 Hz) in 14 right-handed male professional volleyball players who performed SL and DL jump serves. This result suggests that the pelvis and torso backward rotation angles during the arm-clocking phase were smaller when performing DL serves. During ball contact, the servers exhibited greater forward rotation angles of the pelvis and torso to control the upper body facing the diagonal direction of the target zone. In addition, lowering the forward tilt angle of the trunk helped the servers maintain body balance in the air and increased their wrist flexion angle, preventing the ball from flying out of bounds when performing DL. These findings highlight the importance of controlling pelvic and torso rotations in the transverse plane when adjusting for different serving lines. These insights can guide volleyball athletes and coaches in refining their serving techniques.

The microglia, displaying diverse phenotypes, play a significant regulatory role in the development, progression, and prognosis of Parkinson's disease. Research has established that glycolytic reprogramming serves as a critical regulator of inflammation initiation in pro-inflammatory macrophages. Furthermore, the modulation of glycolytic reprogramming has the potential to reverse the polarized state of these macrophages. Previous studies have shown that levetistilide A (LA), a phthalide component derived from Angelica sinensis, possesses a range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties. In our study, we have examined the impact of LA on inflammatory cytokines and glucose metabolism in microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, we explored the effects of LA on the AMPK/mTOR pathway and assessed its neuroprotective potential both in vitro and in vivo. The findings revealed that LA notably diminished the expression of M1 pro-inflammatory factors induced by LPS in microglia, while leaving M2 anti-inflammatory factor expression unaltered. Additionally, it reduced ROS production and suppressed IκB-α phosphorylation levels as well as NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Notably, LA exhibited the ability to reverse microglial glucose metabolism reprogramming and modulate the phosphorylation levels of AMPK/mTOR. In vivo experiments further corroborated these findings, demonstrating that LA mitigated the death of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons and reduced microglia activation in the ventral SNpc brain region of the midbrain and the striatum. In summary, LA exhibited neuroprotective benefits by modulating the polarization state of microglia and altering glucose metabolism, highlighting its therapeutic potential.

Rice production in the Anhui province is threatened by fungal diseases. We obtained twenty-five fungal isolates from rice and wild-rice leaves showing leaf spot disease collected along the Yangtze River. A phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF1-α), and beta tubulin (TUB2) sequences revealed that one isolate (SS-2-JB-1B) grouped with Nigrospora shaerica, one (QY) with Nigrospora chinensis, twenty-two with Ngrospora oryzae, and one strain (QY-2) grouped in its own clade, related to but clearly different from N. oryzae. Nineteen tested isolates including sixteen strains from the N. oryzae clade and the three isolates of the other three clades, caused disease on detached rice leaves. The three isolates that did not belong to N. oryzae were also able to cause disease on rice seedlings, suggesting that they were rice pathogens. Isolate QY-2 differed from the other isolates in terms of colony mor-phology, cell-size, and susceptibility to fungicides, indicating that this isolate represents a new species that we named Nigrospora anhuiensis. Our analysis showed that N. sphaerica, N. chinensis, and the new species N. anhuiensis can cause rice leaf spot disease in the field. This research pro-vides new knowledge for understanding rice leaf spot disease.

Pleione is a genus of Orchidaceae and is one of the major sources of Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones (PCsP). It contains many constituents, such as phenanthrene, bibenzyl, glycoside, flavonoid and so on, which have plenty of bioactivities, including anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, lowering glycemic levels and other pharma cological activities. In order to further utilize the edible and medicinal functions of Pleione, and clarify its medicinal active ingredients, this review systematically summarizes the constituents and pharmacological effects of Pleione, which will provide a theoretical foundation for the clinical application and new drug development．

The role of land surface temperature (LST) is of utmost importance in multiple academic disciplines such as climatology, hydrology, ecology, and meteorology. Until to now, many methods have been proposed to estimate LST from satellite thermal infrared data. The Thermal Infrared Sensor (IRS) on the Chinese ZY1-02E satellite is a pivotal instrument employed for gathering thermal infrared (TIR) data of land surfaces. The objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of a single-channel approach based on water vapor scaling (WVS) for deriving LST from ZY1-02E IRS data because of its wide spectrum range, i.e., 7~12μm, affected strongly by both atmospheric water vapor and ozone. Three study areas, namely Baotou, Heihe River Basin, and Yantai-sea sites, were selected as validation sites to evaluate the LST inversion accuracy. This evaluation was also conducted by cross-comparison between the retrieved LST and MODIS LST product. The results revealed that the WVS-based method exhibited an average bias of 0.63K and an RMSE of 1.62K compared to the in-situ LSTs. The WVS-based method demonstrated reasonable accuracy through cross-validation with the MODIS LST product, with an average bias of 0.77K and RMSE of 2.0K. These findings provide that the WVS-based method is effective to estimate LST from ZY1-02E IRS data.

Abstract: Female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD) is a series of conditions caused by the displacement or dysfunction of the patient's pelvic organs due to defects, injuries, and deterioration of the pelvic floor supportive structures, with stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse being the most common. The mechanism of pelvic floor dysfunction is complex and not yet fully understood, and is often related to one or more functional abnormalities of muscles, connective tissues, fascia, nerves and blood vessels. Specialized clinicians are often unable to cover the comprehensive medical professional information of various specialties such as gynecology and obstetrics, urology, anus and intestines, imaging, etc., and the systematic and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of the disease will be limited. The application of artificial intelligence concepts in the medical field not only improves the diagnostic efficiency of physicians, but also provides reference and basis for the development of comprehensive treatment programs. This article follows and draws on the diagnosis and treatment process of pelvic floor dysfunction recommended in various guidelines, incorporates physical therapy techniques into the conventional non-surgical treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, provides guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction, and briefly introduces the clinical application and value of pelvic floor intelligent diagnosis and treatment in pelvic floor dysfunction.

The real-time monitoring of food freshness in refrigerators is of significant importance in detecting potential food spoiling and preventing serious health issues. One method that is commonly reported and has received substantial attention is the discrimination of food freshness by the tracking of volatile molecules. Nevertheless, the ambient environment of low temperature (normally below 4^oC) and high humidity (90% R.H.) as well as poor selectivity in sensing gas species remain the challenge. In this research, an integrated smart gas-tracking device is designed and fabricated. By applying pump voltage on the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) membrane, the oxygen concentration in the testing chamber can be manually tailored. Due to the working principle of the sensor following the mixed potential behavior, distinct differences in sensitivity and selectivity are observed for the sensor that operated at different oxygen concentrations. Typically, the sensor gives satisfactory selectivity to H₂S, NH₃, and C₂H₅OH at the oxygen concentrations of 10%, 30%, and 40%, respectively. In addition, an acceptable response/recovery rate (within 24 s) is also confirmed. Finally, a refrigerator prototype that includes the smart gas sensor is built, and satisfactory performance in discriminating food freshness status of fresh or semi-fresh is verified for the proposed refrigerator prototype. In conclusion, these aforementioned promising results suggest that the proposed integrated smart gas sensor could be a potential candidate for alarming food spoilage.

The development of using mitochondrial transplantation in medical therapy are currently discussed. According to the endosymbiotic theory, the movement of mitochondria between different cells is possible. Therefore, an idea of transferring the mitochondria purified from the cells with a limited lifespan to shorten the lifespan of immortal cancer cells was generated. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) is a kind of primary cell with a limited lifespan. In the present study, the mitochondria purified from HUVEC were applied to alter the malignance of B16F10 melanoma cell. In the comparison of the basic function of mitochondria, HUVEC mitochondria exhibited a higher mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), while the lower levels in ATP, mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA) and mitochondrial protein (mt-protein) as compared to melanoma B16F10. After transplanted the B16F10 with HUVEC mitochondria, the migration, invasion, and the proteins involved in cancer stemness were decreased, however, the proteins involved in cell proliferation, such as cyclin D1 and cyclin E1 were increased. In addition, the levels of ATP, mt-DNA and mt-protein of B16F10 were also reduced. As for the dynamics of mitochondria, the reduced expressions of DRP1 and LC3 II revealed that transferred mitochondria can attenuate the mitophagy of B16F10. In mice, inoculated the B16F10 carrying the transplanted HUVEC mitochondria resulted in the larger size of tumor, which is corresponded to the higher levels of cyclin D1 and E1. Interestingly, the lower expressions of N-cadherin, α-SMA and MMP-9 reveled the tumor were decreased in mesenchymal characteristics. Therefore, despite the HUVEC mitochondria did not inhibit the proliferation of B16F10, the metastatic characteristic was reduced.

Background: Chronic neurologic diseases are common sequelae of COVID. They severely impact the quality of life and increase the burden on healthcare systems. The long COVID neurological symptoms are due to the robust replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the nasal neuroepithelial cells, leading to neuroinvasion and inflammation of the central nerve system (CNS). Currently used medications and vaccines do not inhibit the robust SARS-CoV-2 replication in the nasal epithelial cells. EGCG-palmitate (EC16), a multifunctional compound, has the potential to become a novel intranasal-delivered drug for minimizing post-COVID neurologic symptoms. Method: EC16-containing formulations were developed and tested in vitro against human β coronavirus OC43 (CoV-OC43) using a TCID50 assay following three test protocols differing in exposure sequence. Results: EC16 formulations in normal saline, phosphate buffered saline, and cell culture medium were found to effectively inhibit human β-coronavirus infection (&gt;99.99%) after a 30-min contact. A single 10-min application to cells after infection (i.e., without direct contact with the virus) resulted in &gt;99% inhibition of viral replication. Conclusion: With its antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties, EC16 in nasal formulations could be further developed for clinical applications to COVID-19 patients for minimizing long COVID neurological symptoms.

We present a novel passive satellite remote sensing approach for observing the three-dimensional distribution of aerosols emitted from wildfires. This method, called AEROS5P, retrieves vertical profiles of aerosol extinction from measurements of the TROPOMI satellite sensor onboard the Sentinel 5 Precursor mission. It uses a Tikhonov-Phillips regularization which iteratively fits cloud-free near-infrared and visible selected reflectances to simultaneously adjust the vertical distribution and abundance of aerosols. The information on the altitude of the aerosol layers is provided by TROPOMI measurements of the reflectance spectra at the oxygen A-band near 760 nm. In the present paper, we use this new approach for observing the daily evolution of the three-dimensional distribution of biomass burning aerosols emitted by Australian wildfires on 20-24 December 2019. Aerosol optical depths (AOD) derived by vertical integration of the aerosol extinction profiles retrieved by AEROS5P are compared with MODIS, VIIRS and AERONET coincident observations. They show a good agreement in the horizontal distribution of biomass burning aerosols, with a correlation coefficient of 0.86 and a mean absolute error of 0.2 with respect to VIIRS. A fair agreement is found between coincident transects of vertical profiles of biomass burning aerosols derived from AEROS5P and from the CALIOP spaceborne lidar. The mean altitude of these aerosols derived from these two measurements show a good agreement, with a small mean bias (185 m) and a correlation coefficient of 0.83. Moreover, AEROS5P observations reveal the height of injection of the biomass burning aerosols in 3D. The highest injection heights during the period of analysis are coincident with the largest fire radiative power derived from MODIS. Consistency is also found with respect to the vertical stability of the atmosphere.

This study reports results of focus groups with school nurses and teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools to explore their perceptions of child and adolescent oral health. Participants included 14 school nurses and 15 teachers (83% Female; 31% Hispanic, 21% White, 21% Asian, 14% African American, and 13% Others). Respondents were recruited from Los Angeles County schools and scheduled by school level for six one-hour focus groups, using Zoom. Audio recordings were transcribed, reviewed, and saved with anonymization of speaker identities. NVivo software was used to facilitate content analysis and identify key themes. The nurses’ rate of “Oral Health Education” comments statistically exceeded that of teachers, while teachers had higher rates for “Parental Involvement” and “Mutual Perception” “Need for Care” was perceived to be more prevalent in immigrants to the United States based on student behaviors and complaints. “Access to Care” was seen as primarily the nurse’s role. Strong relationships between community clinics and schools were viewed by some as integral to students achieving good oral health. The results suggest dimensions and questions important to item development for oral health surveys of children and parents to address screening, management, program assessment, and policy planning.

Metandienone and methyltestosterone are orally active anabolic-androgenic steroids with a 17α-methyl structure that are prohibited in sports but are frequently detected in anti-doping analysis. After the previously reported detection of long-term metabolites with a 17ξ-hydroxymethyl-17ξ-methyl-18-nor-5ξ-androst-13-en-3ξ-ol structure in the chlorinated metandienone analog dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (“Oral Turinabol”), in this study we investigated the formation of similar metabolites of metandienone and 17α-methyltestosterone with a rearranged D-ring and a fully reduced A-ring. Using a semi-targeted approach including synthesis of reference compounds, two diastereomeric substances, viz. 17α-hydroxymethyl-17β-methyl-18-nor-5β-androst-13-en-3α-ol and its 5α-analog, were identified following an administration of methyltestosterone. In post-administration urines of metandienone, only the 5β-metabolite was detected. Additionally, 3α,5β-tetrahydro-epi-methyltestosterone was identified in the urines of both administrations besides the classical metabolites included in the screening procedures. Besides their applicability for anti-doping analysis, the results provide new insights on the metabolism of 17α-methyl steroids with respect to the order of reductions in the A-ring, the participation of different enzymes, and alterations of the D-ring.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been widely used in melanoma, but to identify melanoma patients with survival benefit from ICI is still a big challenge. There is an urgent need for prognostic signatures improving the prediction of immunotherapy responses of cancer patients. We used data from EMBL-EBI database and analyzed RNA-seq information and clinical profiles in melanoma. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify the key module, then nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) was conducted to cluster patients into two different cluster and compared them regarding overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Subsequently, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between different clusters were identified, and their function and pathway annotation were performed. 91 melanoma biopsies with complete survival information were included in our analyses and we first identified the key module (magenta) by WGCNA, then identified nine prognostic lncRNAs (ENSG00000258869, ENSG00000179840, ENSG00000206344, ENSG00000226777, ENSG00000205018, ENSG00000204261, ENSG00000163597, ENSG00000197536, and ENSG00000263069) signature that predicted for OS and PFS in patients treated with ICI by NMF. Finally, enrichment analysis showed that the functions of DEGs between two consensus clusters were mainly related to the immune process and treatment. In summary, the nine lncRNAs signature is a novel effective predictor for OS and PFS in melanoma patients treated with ICI.

The first case of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since then, COVID-19 has quickly spread out to all provinces in China and over 150 countries or territories in the world. With the first level response to public health emergencies (FLRPHE) launched over the country, the outbreak of COVID-19 in China is achieving under control in China. We develop a mathematical model based on epidemiology of COVID-19, incorporating the isolation of healthy people, confirmed cases and close contacts. We calculate the basic reproduction numbers 2.5 in China (excluding Hubei province) and 2.9 in Hubei province with the initial time on January 30 which show the severe infectivity of COVID-19, and verify that the current isolation method effectively contains the transmission of COVID-19. Under the isolation of healthy people, confirmed cases and close contacts, we find a noteworthy phenomenon that is the potential second epidemic of COVID-19, and estimate the peak time and value and the cumulative number of cases. Simulations show that the isolation of close contacts tracked measure can efficiently contain the transmission of the potential second epidemic of COVID-19. With isolation of all susceptible people or all infected people or both, there is no potential second epidemic of COVID-19. Furthermore, resumption of work and study can increase the transmission risk of the potential second epidemic of COVID-19.

Cordycepin is an extract from the insect fungus Cordyceps. militaris, which is a traditional medicine with various biological function. In previous studies, cordycepin had been reported with excellent anti-obesity effect, but the mechanism is unclear. A large quantity of evidences showed that prolactin plays an important part in body weight regulation, hyperprolactinemia can promote appetite and accelerate fat deposition. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanism of the anti-obesity effect of cordycepin by reducing prolactin release via an adenosine A₁ receptor. In vivo, obese rats model was induced by high fat diet for 5 weeks, the serum and liver lipids coupling with serum prolactin were reduced by treatment of cordycepin, the results suggested that cordycepin is a potential drug for therapying obesity which could be related with prolactin. In vitro, cordycepin could inhibit prolactin secretion in GH₃ cells via upregulating the expression of adenosine A₁ receptor, the inhibition effect could be blocked by an antagonist of adenosine receptor A1 DPDPX, prolactin induced the upregulation of lipogenesis genes PRLR, and P-JAK2 in 3T3-L1 cells. Intriguingly, cordycepin would down-regulate the expression of prolactin receptor (PRLR). Thus, we concluded that cordycepin modulate body weight by reducing prolactin release via an adenosine A₁ receptor.

Many clinical research datasets have a large percentage of missing values that directly impacts their usefulness in yielding high accuracy classifiers when used for training in supervised machine learning. While missing value imputation methods have been shown to work well with smaller percentages of missing values, their ability to impute sparse clinical research data can be problem specific. We previously attempted to learn quantitative guidelines for ordering cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during the evaluation for pediatric cardiomyopathy, but missing data significantly reduced our usable sample size. In this work, we sought to determine if increasing the usable sample size through imputation would allow us to learn better guidelines. We first review several machine learning methods for estimating missing data. Then, we apply four popular methods (mean imputation, decision tree, k-nearest neighbors, and self-organizing maps) to a clinical research dataset of pediatric patients undergoing evaluation for cardiomyopathy. Using Bayesian Rule Learning (BRL) to learn ruleset models, we compared the performance of imputation-augmented models versus unaugmented models. We found that all four imputation-augmented models performed similarly to unaugmented models. While imputation did not improve performance, it did provide evidence for the robustness of our learned models.

This paper presents a piezoresistive pressure sensor with a shield layer for improved stability. Compared with the conventional piezoresistive pressure sensors, p-type piezoresistors are covered by an n-type shield layer, which is formed by ion implantation. The proposed pressure sensors have been successfully fabricated by bulk micromachining techniques. The impact of electrical field on piezoresistors is studied by simulation. The temperature drift of the pressure sensor has been investigated by both simulation and experimental measurement. Characteristics of developed pressure sensors are tested from -40 C to 125 C. A sensitivity of 0.022 mV/V/KPa and a maximum non-linearity of 0.085% FS are measured for the fabricated sensor in a pressure range of 1 MPa. The temperature coefficients of resistance of shielded piezoresistors are found to be smaller than those of un-shielded ones. It is demonstrated that the shield layer is able to reduce the drift caused by electrical field and ambient temperature variation.

Conductive hydrogels combine the properties of both hydrogels and electrical conductivity, making them soft, flexible, and biocompatible. These properties enable them to conform to irregular surfaces, stretch and bend without losing their electrical conductivity, and interface with biological systems. Conductive hydrogels can be utilized as conductive traces, electrodes, or as a matrix for flexible electronics. Exciting applications in sensors, tissue engineering and human-machine interaction have been demonstrated worldwide. This review comprehensively covers the progress in this field, focusing on several main aspects: functional materials, performance improvement strategies, and wearable applications in human-related areas. Furthermore, the major approaches and challenges for improving their mechanical properties, conductivity, and long-term stability are systematically summarized.

This investigation explores the potential of enhancing aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) through the introduction of a novel cathode material, NH4V4O10 (NVO), combined with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT), it was hypothesized that the incorpora-tion of rGO would increase the interlayer spacing of NVO and diminish the charge transfer in-teractions, thus promoting enhanced diffusion of Zn2+ ions. These theoretical predictions were substantiated by experimental data acquired from hydrothermal synthesis, which indicated a marked increase in interlayer spacing. Significantly, the NVO-rGO composite exhibits remarkable cyclic durability, maintaining 95% of its initial specific capacity of 507 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at a current density of 5 A g−1. The electrochemical performance of NVO-rGO not only surpasses that of pristine NVO but also outperforms the majority of existing vanadium oxide cathode materials reported in the literature. This study underscores the effective integration of theoretical insights and experimental validation, contributing to the advancement of high-performance energy storage technologies.

Infill well location optimization poses significant challenges due to its complexity and time-consuming nature. Currently, determining the scope of infill wells relies heavily on field engineers' experience, often using single indices such as remaining oil saturation or abundance of remaining oil reserves to evaluate the potential of remaining oil. However, this approach lacks effectiveness in guiding the precise tapping of remaining oil in ultra-high water cut reservoirs. To address this, our study comprehensively considers factors influencing the recoverable potential of remaining oil in such reservoirs. We characterize differences in reservoir heterogeneity, the scale of recoverable remaining oil reserves, water flooding conditions, and oil-water flow capacity to construct a quantitative evaluation index system for the recoverable potential of remaining oil. Recognizing the varying degrees of influence of different indices on the recoverable potential of remaining oil, we determine the objective weight of each evaluation index by combining an accelerated genetic algorithm with the projection pursuit model. This approach enables the construction of a recoverable potential index for remaining oil and forms a quantitative evaluation method for the recoverable potential of remaining oil in ultra-high water cut reservoirs. Subsequently, we establish a mathematical model for infill well location optimization, integrating and optimizing infill well location coordinates, well length, well inclination angle, and azimuth angle. Using the main layer sand body of an oilfield in Bohai as a case study, we conducted evaluations of remaining oil potential and infill well location optimization. Results demonstrate that the assessment of remaining oil potential comprehensively characterizes the influence of reservoir physical properties and oil-water diversion capacity on remaining oil potential across different regional positions. This evaluation can effectively guide the determination of infill well location ranges based on the evaluation results. Furthermore, further optimization of infill well locations can effectively enhance reservoir development outcomes.

Myocardial fibrosis is a pivotal pathophysiological step of various cardiovascular diseases, which eventually leads to heart failure and death. Cardiac fibroblasts activation and subsequently differentiate into myofibroblasts are pivotal pathophysiological step in myocardial fibrosis. Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) directly interacts with α-smooth muscle actin (ACTA2) and participate in fibrosis regulation. Allosteric inhibitor of PGAM1 could attenuates fibrosis through break the interaction of PGAM1 and ACTA2. In this study, we aimed to screen and identify novel ligand of PGAM1 in natural product library. Firstly, various natural products were screened via DARTS assay and Carthamus tinctorius L. was identified as a target pool for molecular docking. Then, in silico screening assay identified baicalein as a novel ligand. In addition, baicalein could directly bind to the PGAM1 protein with a KD value of 34.6 μM. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed that baicalin and PGAM1 interactions were stable. These findings indicate that PGAM1 is a direct pharmacological target of baicalein. Immunoblot analysis further demonstrated that baicalin inhibits the activation of fibroblasts in vitro. Finally, the anti-myocardial fibrosis effect of baicalein was verified in vivo. Taken together, our findings suggest that baicalein is a novel PGAM1 templates for developing new therapeutics against myocardial fibrosis.

Neurologic symptoms associated with Long COVID result from the persistent infection of SARS-CoV-2 in the nasal neuroepithelial cells, leading to inflammation in the central nervous sys-tem (CNS). As of today, there is no evidence that vaccines or medications can clear the persistent viral infection in the olfactory mucosa. Recently published clinical data demonstrate that only 5% of Long COVID anosmia patients have fully recovered during the past 2 years and 10.4% of COVID patients are still symptomatic 18 months post infection. Our group demonstrated that ep-igallocatechin-3-gallate-monopalmitate (EC16m) nanoformulations possess strong antiviral activ-ity against human coronavirus, suggesting this green tea-derived compound in nanoparticle for-mulations could be developed as an intranasally delivered new drug targeting the persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as inflammation and oxidative stress in the CNS, leading to resto-ration of neurologic functions. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the mucociliary safety of the EC16m nasal nanoformulations and the efficacy against human coronavirus. Meth-ods: nanoparticle size and Zeta potential were measured using the ZetaView Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis system; mucociliary safety was determined using MucilAir Human Nasal Epi-thelium Model; contact antiviral activity and post-infection inhibition against OC43 viral strain were assessed by TCID50 assay for cytopathic effect on MRC-5 cells. Results: the saline-based EC16 mucoadhesive nanoformulations containing 0.005 to 0.02% w/v EC16m have no significant difference in comparison to saline (0.9% NaCl) on tissue integrity, cytotoxicity, and cilia beat fre-quency. A 5-minute contact inactivated 99.9% of the β-coronavirus OC43. OC43 viral replication was inhibited by >99% after infected MAR-5 cells were treated with one of the formulations. Con-clusion: the saline-based novel EC16m mucoadhesive nasal nanoformulations rapidly inactivated human coronavirus with mucociliary safety measurements comparable to saline, a solution widely used for nasal applications.

Addressing the issue of low bonding strength in Ti/Mg laminated composites due to interfacial oxidation, this study employs a differential temperature rolling method using longitudinal induction heating to fabricate Ti/Mg composite plates. The entire process is conducted under an argon gas protective atmosphere, which prevents interfacial oxidation while achieving uniform deformation. The effects of reduction on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the composite plates are thoroughly investigated. Results indicate that as the reduction increases, the bonding strength gradually increases, mainly attributed to the increased mechanical interlocking area and a broader element diffusion layer. This corresponds to a transition from brittle to ductile fracture at the microscopic tensile-shear fracture surface. When the reduction reaches 47.5%, the Ti/Mg interfacial strength reaches 63 MPa, which is approximately a 20% improvement compared to the bonded strength with previous oxidation at the interface. Notably, at a low reduction of 17.5%, the bonding strength is significantly enhanced by about 1 time. Additionally, it is found that a strong bonded interface at high reduction is beneficial in hindering the propagation of interfacial cracks during tensile testing, enhancing the ability of the Ti/Mg composite plates to resist interfacial delamination.

The rock joint fissure slope in cold regions is prone to deformation and failure problems such as relaxation, tension and collapse under freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles. Based on the ideology of clean production and promoting the structural integrity of geotechnical projects in cold areas, this study designed and prepared aeolian-sand (AS) to replace part of river sand as a filling mortar material by taking advantage of the low cost and easy availability of AS. Investigations were carried out to determine the impact of varying proportions of AS in mortar on the microstructure and shear properties of the mortar-rock interface under F-T cycles. Therefore, F-T cycle testing, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) testing and shear testing were carried out on grout with different proportions of AS. The results show that the right proportion of AS replacement could enhance the shear deformation resistance and F-T resistance of the mortar-rock interface, and 30% proportion is the optimal proportion. By increasing of F-T cycles, the three types of specimens showed different degrees of particle spalling, shedding and cracking. The slurry-rock interface layer in the A (0%) group exhibited the most severe F-T deterioration, while the B (15%) group showed a lesser degree, and the C (30%) group performed the best. T2 spectrum curve and total spectrum area change law from the microscopic point of view to verify the 30% AS proportion mortar-rock interface F-T resistance is the strongest, followed by 15% AS proportion mortar, the weakest is ordinary mortar. The degradation of the mortar-rock bond is primarily due to the conversion of solid to liquid phases and the movement of internal water caused by fluctuating temperatures. The extent of F-T deterioration in the slurry-rock interface layer is greatly affected by the varying proportions of AS. The shear strength and shear stiffness of specific proportion of AS decreased with the increase of F-T cycles. For same F-T cycles, the shear strength and shear stiffness of group C (30%) were the highest, followed by group B (15%) and group A (0%). The grout material not only reinforces the F-T joint fissure slope, but also reduces the cost of grout reinforcement and promotes the clean production of geotechnical structures.

Shape-shifting polymers are widely used in various fields such as intelligent switches, soft robots and sensors, which require both multiple stimulus response functions and qualified mechanical strength. In this study, a novel near infrared light (NIR) responsible shape-shifting hydrogel system was designed and fabricated, through embedding vinylsilane modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into particle-double network (P-DN) hydrogels by micellar copolymerization. The dispersed brittle Poly(sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonate) (PNaAMPS) network of the microgels can serves as sacrificial bonds to toughen the hydrogels, and the CNTs endow it NIR photothermal conversion ability. The results show that the CNTs embedded P-DN hydrogels present excellent mechanical strength, i. e. fracture strength of 312 kPa and fracture strain of 357%. Moreover, an asymmetric bilayer hydrogel, where the active layer contains CNTs, can achieve 0°–110° bending deformation within 10 min under NIR irradiation and can realise complex deformation movement. This study provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the design and manufacture of photoresponsive soft actuators.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area (QTPA) features a unique environment that has witnessed the selective breeding of diverse breeds of domestic livestock, exhibiting remarkable adaptability. Nevertheless, Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. represent tick-borne bacterial pathogens that pose a global threat and have substantial impacts on both human and animal health, as well as on the economy of animal husbandry within the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau area. In this study, a total of 428 samples were systematically collected from 20 distinct areas within the Qinghai plateau. The samples included 62 ticks and 366 blood samples obtained from diverse animal species, to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. The prevalence of infection in this study was determined as follows: Anaplasma bovis accounted for 16.4% (70/428), A. capra for 4.7% (20/428), A. ovis for 5.8% (25/428), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato for 6.3% (27/428), Coxiella burnetii for 0.7% (3/428), and Rickettsia spp. for 0.5% (2/428). Notably, no cases of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections were observed in this study. The findings revealed an elevated presence of these pathogens in Tibetan sheep and goats, with no infections detected in yaks, Bactrian camels, donkeys, and horses. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation of tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting goats, cattle, horses, and donkeys within the Qinghai plateau of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area. Consequently, our findings contribute valuable insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. within China.

LR004 is a novel chimeric (human/mouse) monoclonal antibody developed for the treatment of advanced colorectal carcinoma with detectable epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. We aimed to investigate the preclinical pharmacokinetics (PK) and in vivo biodistribution of LR004. The PK profiles of LR004 were initially established in rhesus monkeys. Subsequently, 125I radionuclide-labeled LR004 was developed and its binding activity to the EGFR antigen were evaluated. Furthermore, the biodistribution, autoradiography, and NanoSPECT/CT of 125I-LR004 in xenograft mice bearing A431 tumors were examined. The PK data revealed a prolonged half-life and nonlinear PK characteristics of LR004 within the dose range of 6–54 mg/kg. The radiochemical purity of 125I-LR004 was approximately 98.54%, and iodination of LR004 did not affect its specific binding activity to the EGFR antigen. In a classical biodistribution study, 125I-LR004 exhibited higher uptake in highly perfused organs than in poorly perfused organs. Prolonged retention properties of 125I-LR004 in tumors were observed at 4 and 10 days. Autoradiography and NanoSPECT/CT confirmed the significant accumulation and sustained retention of 125I-LR004 at the tumor site in xenograft mice. These findings demonstrated the adequate tumor targeting capabilities of 125I-LR004 in EGFR-positive tumors, which may improve dosing strategies and future drug development.

porous silicon-based photodetectors have attracted more researches due to their high luminous efficiency, good stability and low cost. In this paper, a PbS quantum dots/porous silicon hybrid structure has been fabricated. The PbS quantum dots (QDs) partly infiltrated into the porous silicon (PSi) layer and partly deposited on its surface, which could increase the absorption of near-infrared wavelength range and extend the light absorption in silicon for wavelengths longer than 1100 nm. After that, A metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) device is fabricated and its response spectrum could extend to the 1200 nm at -3 V. As a silicon-based photodetector (PD), one can envision its role for operation from visible light to short-wavelength infrared range.

A fluorescent probe, N'-((3-methyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-4, 5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl) methylene)-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbohydrazide (MPMC), was synthesized and characterized. Characterizations of the synthetic MPMC were conducted by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) spectroscopy and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR). The fluorescence emission behaviors of probe MPMC towards diverse metal ions were detected and the probe exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity towards Cu2+ over other metal ions via quenching of its fluorescence. Furthermore, the existence of other metal actions made no difference on the fluorescence intensity of the MPMC-Cu2+ system apparently, that is, MPMC displayed a good anti-interference ability. Job’s plot of MPMC and copper ions indicated the detection limit was 15.16 nM (R2=0.9612) for the assayed actions, with a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 for MPMC and Cu2+. Additionally, the color of MPMC probe solution changed from nearly colorless to yellow in the presence of Cu2+ in visible light, which the color change could be observed by the naked eye. Similarly, the color resolved bright yellow into blue in ultraviolet light. Also reusability studies indicated that MPMC probe was reusable. The pH effect of probe MPMC to Cu2+ had a broad range of pH detection 4.0 to 11.0. The response time of MPMC probe for determining Cu2+ was within 1 min. The recognition of Cu2+ by MPMC performed on pre-treated paper under sunlight and UV light both had a distinct colour change. Thus, the solid-state method for detecting Cu2+ with the naked-eye, was both economical and convenient.

Chronic pain is a significant health problem worldwide. Recent evidence has suggested that dysfunctional states of the ventral hippocampus, including decreased neuronal excitability and connectivity with other brain regions, parallel pain chronicity and persistent nociceptive hypersensitivity in humans and rodents, respectively. But the molecular mechanisms underlying hippocampal modulation of pain remain poorly elucidated. In this study, we used ex vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recording, immunofluorescence staining and behavioral tests to examine whether hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels 2 (HCN2) in the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) were involved in regulating nociceptive perception and CFA-induced inflammatory pain in mice. Reduced sag potential and firing rate of action potentials were observed in vCA1 pyramidal neurons from CFA-injected mice. Moreover, the expression of HCN2, but not HCN1, in vCA1 decreased in mice injected with CFA. HCN2 knockdown in vCA1 pyramidal neurons induced thermal hypersensitivity, whereas over-expression of HCN2 alleviated thermal hyperalgesia induced by intraplantar injection of CFA in mice. Our findings suggests that HCN2 in the vCA1 plays an active role in pain modulation and could be a promising target for the treatment of chronic pain.

Quantitative differential phase contrast (qDPC) imaging has become an important method of optical measurement and life science research in microscopy because of its high reconstruction resolution and non-invasive, high-contrast and quantitative imaging of biological samples. Despite the continuous development of the principle and algorithm, the frame rate of the existing qDPC algorithm is still much lower than that of camera acquisition, so it is hardly applied to real-time image the fast-moving biological samples. In this paper, based on color-coded multiplexing strategy, a compact real-time quantitative phase imaging system is designed to realize multi-mode imaging. The system employs a programmable LED array to illuminate directly, and the phase reconstruction algorithm is deployed in the graphics processing unit (GPU) of the laptop to accelerate the calculation. The system can achieve high-speed quantitative phase imaging of non-stained biological samples, and the frame rate can reach 60fps. The device has the advantages of compact structure, low cost and portability. Thus, it is suitable for mobile medical applications.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons (CSF-N) located in the surface of both brain ventricles and the central canal (cc) in the spinal cord. The cc and CSF maintain a proliferative niche for neural progenitor cells and play a vital role in development of the brain. The CSF circulates in the ventricles and the subarachnoid spaces with the CSF rhythmic flow: cardiac pulsation and respiratory fluctuation. A new concept of CSF motion may be contrary to the classical one that the direction of CSF motion may vary in direction and may be dynamic in its location. The CSF pressure may also depend on the body position. Moderate music-making has been considered a potential approach for rehabilitative and restorative therapy of brain dysfunctions. Recently, we find that the CSF-Ns are present in both the interior CFS in the cc and also exterior CSF around the surface of the spinal cord. We hypothesize that CSF-N as mechanical sensors in the spinal cord could sense motion of the spinal cord. The myodural bridge is a ligament connecting a pair of deep, upper-neck muscles to the dura mater, which envelops the arachnoid mater and contains the CSF surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. We figure out the term “CSF-static compartment” and classify CSF storage location as rostral pool and caudal pool to demonstrate our hypothesis. We presume that the somatic body movement with music-making and rehabilitation-based interventions would orchestrate the CSF motion with head movement, myodural bridge stretching and puling as well as spinal bending.

While pioglitazone reduces insulin resistance and hepatic gluconeogenesis effectively in patients with T2DM, these benefits remained controversial in patients with ESRD. We compared MACCEs and mortality (overall, infection-related, and MACCE-related) of pioglitazone to that of DPP4-inhibitors in patients with T2DM and ESRD. From Taiwan’s national health insurance database, 647 pioglitazone users and 6080 DPP4-inhibitors users between April 1st, 2006 and December 31th, 2016 were followed from the 91th date after the ESRD certification till study outcomes, independently; withdraw from the NHI program, death, or Dec. 31th, 2017. After weighting, risks of MACCEs (10.48% vs 12.62% per person-years, [HR]: 0.85, 95% [CI]: 0.729–0.985) and all-cause mortality (12.86% vs 13.22% per person-years, [HR]: 0.88, 95% [CI]: 0.771–0.995) are significantly lower in pioglitazone group. Subgroup analysis found lower MACCEs risk in the pioglitazone users without insulin therapy (6.44% vs 10.04% [HR]: 0.59, 95% [CI]: 0.42–0.82) and lower MACCEs related death (2.76% vs 3.84% [HR]: 0.61, 95% [CI]: 0.40–0.95) in the pioglitazone group with dyslipidemia, when comparing with DPP4-inhibitors users. Pioglitazone is associated with lower all-cause mortality and MACCEs in diabetic patients with ESRD, compared to DPP4-inhibitors. These benefits were further significant in the non-insulin users and patients with dyslipidemia.

With the development of higher voltage power grid, the high and low voltage parallel loops are emerging, which lead to energy losses, even threaten the security and stability of power system. The multi-infeed HVDC configurations widely appearing in AC/DC interconnected power system make this situation even worse. Aimed at energy saving and system security, a decision optimization method for power grid operating condition with high and low voltage parallel loops is proposed in this paper. Firstly, considering hub substation distribution and power grid structure, parallel loop opening schemes are generated with GN algorithm. Then, candidate opening schemes are preliminarily selected from all these generated schemes based on a filtering index. Finally, with the influence on power system security, stability and operation economy in consideration, an evaluation model for candidate opening schemes is founded based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP). And a fuzzy evaluation algorithm is used to find the optimal scheme. Simulation results of New England 39-bus system and an actual power system validate the effectiveness and superiority of this proposed method.

Coal gasification with carbon dioxide is a process for generating clean gaseous fuels and relieving greenhouse effect. Zhundong coal has high alkali and alkali earth metals (AAEMs) content, medium volatile and low ash in nature. Isothermal CO₂ gasification of char derived from Zhundong coal (R-char) and char from acid washing R-char (AR-char) are performed in thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA). The effect of AAEMs is investigated on the gasification behavior in the range of temperatures 1073 K to 1273 K. The carbon conversion increases rapidly with increasing reaction temperature and CO₂ concentration. R-char has high gasification rate and carbon conversion compared with AR-char. The accuracy of the free-model approach for calculating activation energy at different conversions is validated by compared with different kinetic models (volume reaction model, distributed activation energy model). Moreover, R-char gasification with CO₂ shows a compensation effect as the Arrhenius parameters (EA and k0) increase or decrease simultaneously.

A high step-up DC-to-DC converter that integrates an isolated transformer and a switched-clamp capacitor is presented in this study. The voltage stress of the main power switch should be clamped to 1/4 V by using the turn ratio and switched-clamp capacitor of an isolated transformer to achieve a high voltage gain. In addition, a passive clamp circuit is employed reduce voltage stress on the main power switch. The energy of the leakage inductor can be recycled by the clamp capacitor because of the passive clamp circuit, thereby improving the power converter efficiency. The converter consists of one isolated transformer, one main switch, three capacitors, and four diodes. Operating principle and steady-state analyses are also discussed. Finally, a 24-V-input voltage to 200-V-output voltage and a 150 W output power prototype converter are fabricated in the laboratory. The maximum efficiency of the converter is 95.1 at 60 W.

As an active device, air source heat pumps (ASHP) are widely used for heating and cooling in buildings. However, in cold regions, their efficiency decreases, and frost formation becomes a significant issue during winter. This paper proposes a new scheme that couples air source heat pumps with passive heating. By using software simulations and mathematical models, the new scheme is compared to traditional ASHP systems to analyze its heating performance in rural homes during winter in China’s cold regions. According to the simulation and calculation analysis, on the coldest day of winter, the coupling scheme can provide approximately 99.41kWh of heat to the interior, surpassing the 86.67kWh required to maintain an indoor temperature of 20℃. The system’s power consumption is 36.96 kWh, which is 66.88% lower than that of traditional heat pump heating. The study shows that a coupled system of air source heat pumps and passive heating has better heating performance in cold regions. By incorporating phase change materials and heat storage media to address the shortage of solar energy at night, the system can meet the heating needs throughout the entire day.

Cymbidium faberi Rolfe is one of the traditional Chinese orchids with important ornamental value, and the cultivation of Cymbidium faberi Rolfe mutant strains with different appearances is essential to increase its economic value, but at present, the acquisition of Cymbidium faberi Rolfe mutant strains basically relies on natural mutation.The objectives of this research were to mutagenize Cymbidium faberi Rolfe protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) and shoots in vitro using sodium azide (NaN3), and to screen and evaluate mutants in mutagenized Cymbidium faberi Rolfe seedlings using morphological characteristics.Cymbidium faberi Rolfe PLBs and shoots were used as mutagenic materials, and co-cultivated in induced shoots growth medium with the addition of 0.0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 mg/L and 0.0 (control), 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, and 10.0 mg/L NaN3 to induce the mutations, and the mortality rates of the PLBs and shoots were increased with the increase of the NaN3 concentration.At 14 d of co-cultivation, PLBs and shoots were most efficiently mutagenized with 1.5 mg/L and 4.0 mg/L NaN3, respectively.After the explants were cultured for 3 months, changes in leaf and flower morphology were observed in some mutants: shorter and thicker leaves, shorter node length, reduced height, and mid-translucent leaves compared with controls; and some Cymbidium faberi Rolfe bloomed prematurely, with single flowers with large, thick petal sepals and small inflorescences, and colours include light green throughout, and a few with purple stamens.This suggests that NaN3 can effectively mutagenise Cymbidium faberi Rolfe PLBs and shoots to satisfy people's demand for Cymbidium faberi Rolfe's ornamental properties while increasing its economic value.

It is challenging to precisely measure the slow interseismic crustal deformation rate from SAR data. The long-wavelength orbital errors, owing to the uncertainties in satellite orbit vectors, commonly exist in SAR interferograms, which degrade the precision of the InSAR products and become the main barrier of extracting interseismic tectonic deformation. In this study, we propose a novel temporal network orbital correction method that is able to isolate the far-fault tectonic deformation from the mixed long-wavelength signals based on its spatio-temporal characteristic. The proposed approach is straightforward in methodology but could effectively separate the subtle tectonic deformation from glaring orbital errors without ancillary data. Both synthetic data and real Sentinel-1 SAR images are used to validate the reliability and effectiveness of this method. The derived InSAR velocity fields clearly present the predominant left-lateral strike-slip motions of the Tuosuo Lake segment of the Kunlun fault in western China. The fault-parallel velocity differences of 5-6 mm/yr across the fault between areas ~50 km away from the fault trace are addressed. The proposed method presents significantly different performance from traditional quadratic approximate method in the far-field. Through the implementation of the proposed method, the RMSE between the LOSGPS and our derived descending InSAR LOS is reduced to less than one-third of the previous study, suggesting its potential to enhance the availability of InSAR technology for interseismic crustal deformation measurement.

Recommendation systems are crucial in navigating the vast digital market. However, user data’s dynamic and non-stationary nature often hinders their efficacy. Traditional models struggle to adapt to the evolving preferences and behaviours inherent in user interaction data, posing a significant challenge for accurate prediction and personalisation. Addressing this, we propose a novel theoretical framework, the Non-stationary Transformer, designed to capture and leverage the temporal dynamics within data effectively. This approach enhances the traditional transformer architecture by introducing mechanisms accounting for non-stationary elements, offering a robust and adaptable solution for recommendation systems. Our experimental analysis, encompassing deep learning and reinforcement learning paradigms, demonstrates the framework’s superiority over benchmark models. The empirical results confirm the efficacy of our proposed framework, which not only provides significant performance enhancements, approximately 8% in Logloss reduction and up to 2% increase in F1 score but also underscores its potential applicability across accumulative reward scenarios. These findings advocate adopting Non-stationary Transformer models to tackle the complexities of today’s recommendation tasks.

The search of DNA polymorphisms useful for the genetic improvement of dairy farm animals lasts more than 40 years with relevant findings in cattle for milk traits, where the best combination of alleles for dairy processing have been found in casein genes and in the DGAT1. Nowadays, similar results are not reached yet in river buffaloes despite advanced genomic technologies and accurate phenotype records are available. The aim of the present study was to investigate and validate in a larger buffalo population the effect on six milk traits of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the CSN1S1, CSN3, SCD and LPL genes, previously reported to be associated with or affect dairy traits in smaller populations often belonging to one farm. A total of 800 buffaloes were genotyped. Daily milk yield (dMY, kg), protein yield (dPY, kg) and fat yields (dFY, kg), fat and protein contents (dFP, % and dPP, %), somatic cell count (SCC, 103cell/ml) and urea (mg/dl) were individually recorded in each month for the whole lactation from 2010 to 2021. A total of 15,742 individual milk test day records (2,496 lactations) were available on 680 buffalo cows with 3.6±1.7 parity (from 1 to 13) and 6.1±1.2 test day records per lactation on average. Three out four SNP in CSN1S1, CSN3 and LPL were associated with at least one of analyzed traits. In particular, the CSN1S1 (AJ005430:c.578C&gt;T) gave favorable associations with all yield traits (dMY, p=0.022; dPY, p=0.014 ; dFY, p=0.029) and SCS (p=0.032), whereas the CSN3 (HQ677596: c.536C&gt;T) positively associated with SCS (p=0.005) and milk urea (p=0.04). Favorable effect on dMY (p=0.028), dFP (p=0.027) and dPP (p=0.050) were observed for the LPL. Conversely, SCD did not show any association with milk traits. This is the first example of confirmation study carried out in the Mediterranean river buffalo for genes of economic interest in dairy field and it represents a very important indication for the preselection of young bulls destined to breeding programs in the view of a more sustainable dairy production.

Compared to the southern Tibetan Plateau, the northern part has been regarded as relatively lacking geothermal resources. However, there is no lack of natural hot springs exposed in beads along large-scale fracture systems, and research on them is currently limited to individual hot springs or geothermal systems. This paper focuses on the Wahongshan-Wenquan Fracture Zone (WWFZ), analyzes the formation of five hydrothermal activity zones along the fracture zone in terms of differences in the hydrochemical and isotopic composition of the hot water, and then explores the hydrothermal control of hot springs in the zone by the fracture. The results show that the main Fractures of WWFZ is the regional heat-control structures, and the fracture system formed by a small number of near-north-south and near-east-west fractures transversal to it provides a favorable channel for deep hydrothermal convective circulation. Ice and snow melt water from the Ngola Shan Mountains, with an average elevation of more than 4,500 meters above sea level, infiltrates along the fractures and is heated by deep circulation to form deep geothermal reservoirs. There is no detectable contribution of mantle source heat to the hot spring gases, and the heat source is mainly natural heat conduction warming, but the "Low-Velocity body (LVB)" in the middle and lower crust of the area may be the primary heat source of the high geothermal background in the area. The hydrochemical components of the hot springs in the area show a certain regularity, and the main ionic components, TDS and water temperature, tend to increase away from the main rupture, reflecting the controlling effect of the WWF on the hydrothermal transport in the area. In the future, the geothermal work in this area should focus on the hydrothermal control properties of different levels, the nature of fractures in the area, and the thermal contribution of LVB in the middle and lower crust.

Despite the partial disclosure of driving scenario knowledge graphs, they still fail to meet the comprehensive needs of intelligent connected vehicles for driving knowledge. Current issues include the high complexity of pattern layer construction, insufficient accuracy of information extraction and fusion, and limited performance of knowledge reasoning models. To address these challenges, a hybrid knowledge graph method was adopted in the construction of the Driving Scenario Knowledge Graph (DSKG). Firstly, core concepts in the field were systematically sorted and classified, laying the foundation for the construction of a multi-level classified knowledge graph top-level ontology. Subsequently, by deeply exploring and analyzing the Traffic Genome data, 34 entities and 51 relations were extracted and integrated with the ontology layer, achieving the expansion and updating of the knowledge graph. Then, in terms of knowledge reasoning models, an analysis of the training results of the TransE, Complex, Distmult, and Rotate models in the entity linking prediction task of DSKG revealed that the Distmult model performed the best in metrics such as hit rate, making it more suitable for inference in DSKG. Finally, a standardized and widely applicable Driving Scenario Knowledge Graph was proposed. The DSKG and related materials have been publicly released for use by industry and academia.

In recent decades, as eutrophication in inland and coastal waters (ICWs) has increased due to anthropogenic activities and global warming, so has the need for timely monitoring. Compared with traditional sampling and laboratory analysis methods, satellite remote sensing technology can provide macro-scale, low-cost, and near real-time water quality monitoring services. The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), integrated onboard the Communication Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) from the Republic of Korea, was the first geostationary ocean color observation satellite and was operational from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2021. Over ten years, GOCI has observed oceans, coastal waters, and inland waters within its 2,500 km×2,500 km target area centered on the Korean Peninsula. The most attractive feature of GOCI, compared with other commonly used watercolor sensors, was its high temporal resolution (1h, eight times daily from 0 UTC to 7 UTC), providing the opportunity to monitor the quality of ICWs, where optical properties can change rapidly throughout the day. This systematic review aims to comprehensively review GOCI features and applications in ICWs, analyzing progress in atmospheric correction algorithms and water quality monitoring. Analyzing 123 articles from the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) through a bibliometric quantitative approach, we examined GOCI’s strength and performance with different processing methods. These articles reveal that GOCI played an essential role in monitoring the ecological health of ICWs in its observation area in East Asia. GOCI has led the way to a new era of geostationary ocean satellites, providing new technical means for monitoring water quality in oceans, coastal zones, and inland lakes. We also discuss the challenges encountered by geostationary satellites in monitoring water quality and provide suggestions for improvements.

In the application domain, accurate word sense identification is crucial for improving the performance of machine translation, information retrieval and end-to-end communication tasks. However, word polysemy is a major obstacle to accurate semantic identification. Therefore, word semantic disambiguation has always been one of the key challenges in natural language processing and has attracted the attention of a large number of researchers. This research proposes an innovative disambiguation algorithm based on the large-scale Bert model and the Polly encoder framework, and introduces WordNet as a benchmark for word semantic. By exploiting the ability of the pre-trained model to extract and learn semantic information, and using a specially designed forward propagation algorithm and loss function to fine-tune the large-scale Bert model, the model has high Accuracy and robustness. In this research, several experiments were conducted on the Semcor 3.0 semantic dataset. The experimental results show that the model proposed in this research shows excellent performance on the Semcor test set, with an Accuracy of 86.1% and an F1 score of 0.847, which is a significant improvement over the traditional model.

Road cracks significantly affect the serviceability and safety of roadways, especially in mountainous terrain. Traditional inspection methods, such as manual detection, are excessively time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inefficient. Additionally, multi-function detection vehicles equipped with various sensors are expensive and not suitable for mountainous roads due to poor conditions. To address these challenges, this study proposes a customized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) inspection system designed for automatic crack detection. The system focuses on enhancing autonomous capabilities in mountainous terrains by incorporating embedded algorithms for route planning, autonomous navigation, and automatic crack detection. The slide window method is proposed to enhance the autonomous navigation of UAV flights by generating path planning in mountainous roads. This method compensates for GPS/IMU positioning errors, particularly in GPS-denied or GPS-drift scenarios. Moreover, the YOLOv8 algorithm is introduced to conduct autonomous crack detection from UAV imagery in the offboard module. To validate our UAV inspection system's performance, we conducted several experiments to assess its accuracy, robustness, and efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate that our UAS inspection system accurately estimates the flight trajectory along the mountainous road for autonomous navigation. Furthermore, the experimental detection results also demonstrate that the YOLOv8 algorithm achieves higher recognition accuracy compared to the YOLOv5, and YOLOv7-tiny algorithms, exceeding 3.1%,and 6.8% of mAP, respectively. In summary, the UAV inspection system proposed in this study can provide a useful tool and technological guidance for the regular inspection of mountainous roads.

Recent research has highlighted associations between sleep and microbial taxa and pathways. However, the causal effect of these associations remains unknown. To investigate this, we performed a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using summary statistics of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from 412 gut microbiome traits (N = 7,738) and GWAS studies from seven sleep-associated traits (N = 345,552 to 386577). We employed multiple MR methods to assess causality, with Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) as the primary method. We further applied Cochran’s Q statistical analysis, MR-Egger intercept, and MR-PRESSO for heterogeneity and pleiotropy assessment, alongside a Bonferroni correction ((P

Multi-rotor drones, a kind of unmanned equipment which is widely used in military, commercial consumption and other fields, has been developed very rapidly in recent years. However, their short flight time has hindered the expansion of their application range. This can be addressed by utilizing hydrogen fuel cells, which exhibit high energy density, strong adaptability to ambient temperature, and no pollution emissions, as the power source. Accordingly, the application of hydrogen fuel cells as the power source in multi-rotor drones is a promising technology that has attracted significant research attention. This paper summarizes the development process of hydrogen fuel cell mul-ti-rotor drones and analyzes the key obstacles that need to be addressed for the further development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones, including structural lightweight, hydrogen storage methods, energy management strategies. Additionally, prospects for the future development of hydrogen fuel cell multi-rotor drones are presented.

This study aimed to examine the association of blood triglyceride levels with fasting blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevalence in Chinese adults with normal triglyceride levels (<1.7 mmol/L), using linear regression and binary logistic regression, respectively. This cross-sectional study included 16,706 Chinese adults, among which 1,067 had T2D. Triglycerides were positively associated with fasting plasma glucose after multivariate adjustment (β=0.034, P<0.001). One natural log unit increase in blood triglycerides was associated with a 61% higher multivari-ate-adjusted risk of T2D (odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-2.17; P=0.002). The positive associations remained when participants who were treated with lipid-lowering or an-ti-diabetic drugs were excluded. The optimal cut-off of triglycerides for T2D was 1.09 mmol/L (obtained using Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis). Participants with triglycerides of ≥1.09 mmol/L had a 28% higher risk of T2D (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.53; P=0.006) compared to those with triglycerides below the cut-off. In conclusion, this study showed that, in people with normal triglyceride levels, triglycerides at the upper normal range correlated with increased T2D diagnosis risk, with an optimal cut-off of 1.09 mmol/L. Therefore, adults with high “normal” triglyceride levels (1.09-1.69 mmol/L) may need to be closely monitored for the development of T2D.

Soil microbiome plays key role in plant health. Native soil microbiome inoculation, metagenomic profiling and high-throughput cultivation require efficient microbe extraction. The sonication and oscillation are most common methods to extract soil microbiome. However, the extraction efficiency of those methods has barely been investigated. Here, we compared the culturable microbe numbers, community structures and alpha diversities among the methods including sonication, oscillation, centrifugation and their processing time. The results showed that, sonication significantly increases culturable colony number compare with oscillation and centrifugation factors. Furthermore, sonication strategy shows a main factor influence extraction efficiency, but increased sonication time can recovery this impact. Finally, processing times of extraction show a significant negative relationship with α diversity among extracted microbiota. In conclusion, sonication is a main factor for enrich in-suit microbiota, and increased extraction time significantly decrease α diversity of extracted microbiota. These results can provide insights into the isolation and utilization of microorganism source.

Through long-term Rayleigh lidar observations during 2010-2022, atmospheric gravity wave (AGW) activities in the middle atmosphere (30–65 km) are statistically investigated at Haikou (110.3°E, 19.9°N) in China. In total, 827 quasi-monochromatic AGW events are identified from the lidar dataset, and the vertical wavelength, observed wave period, and vertical propagation direction of dominant waves are extracted for each AGW event by analyzing the power spectra of wave-induced temperature perturbations. It is revealed that 81.7% of all AGW events were associated with upward-propagating waves, and the proportion of upward-propagating AGWs reached a maximum in autumn and a minimum in winter. The most common vertical wavelengths and wave periods were 6–11 km and 4–10 hours, respectively. In particular, 68 AGW events associated with simultaneous upward and downward propagating waves were observed by lidar, corresponding to 8.2% of the events. The occurrence of such special AGW phenomena is qualitatively discussed, and multiple formation mechanisms may exist. Comparisons are made with previously reported lidar observation results, and the statistical features of AGW activity in the low-latitude middle atmosphere may vary over a relatively wide range depending on the location and altitude. However, a majority of AGWs propagate upward in the middle atmosphere.

Forest-grass intercropping patterns of protected cultivation has been widely used to increase productivity and sustainability in modern agriculture. However, there have been few studies of wolfberry (L. barbarum) intercropping and it is cultivated mostly by clean tillage. This paper takes 10 kinds of wolfberry-forage intercropping patterns, compares the effects of different planting modes on the growth, yield, photosynthetic characteristics, nutritional quality, and the degree of occurrence of diseases and pests, which aims to make clear the effects of wolfberry-forage intercropping patterns on wolfberry. The results showed that different intercropping combinations had different effects on wolfberry. The overall effect of Wolfberry-forage intercropping patterns on the growth of wolfberry were promote the photosynthetic characteristics. Ryegrass could increase the branch number, Lvyuan 5 and mangel increase branch length; Mangel, clover, sweet sorghum, ryegrass and stipas could reduce the damage of powdery mildew by 69%, and alfalfa, stipa and ryegrass could reduce the occurrence of aphids by 67% (P<0.05). Intercropping could increase carotenoids, flavonoids and ascorbic acid contents to improve wolfberry quality by 21%, 53% and 127%, respectively (P<0.05). Among all the performances, wolfberry-mangel intercropping has absolute advantages in promoting wolfberry yield and quality increase. Therefore the best patterns of wolfberry-mangel, wolfberry-ryegrass, wolfberry-alfalfa and wolfberry-clover were chosen.

Background: A prognostic index validated for the outcomes of advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is still lacking. We therefore developed an ovarian neoadjuvant chemotherapy prognostic index (ONCPI) to enhance predictive accuracy. Methods: We analyzed clinicopathologic feature of advanced HGSOC patients receiving platinum-based NACT. Blood inflammatory composite markers were calculated and binary-transformed by optimal cutoffs. The omental hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides were selected for the assessment of chemotherapy response score (CRS). Logistic regression analyses and Cox proportional hazard regression model were utilized to develop a prognostic index. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that CRS and neutrophils-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are independent risk factors for platinum-chemotherapy response. Meanwhile, Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis revealed that CRS score was significantly correlated with PFS and OS, and NLR-high patients was associated with poor OS. We further developed an ONCPI model based on the CRS score and NLR level. Survival analysis suggested that patients with score 0 and 1 of ONCPI were significantly associated with improved PFS and OS. Conclusions: The ONCPI score emerges as a significant prognostic marker for predicting NACT outcomes in advanced HGSOC patients. Its integration into clinical practice and risk-stratified trial design is conceivable.

Objective: To study the factors affecting the time of umbilical cord shedding in premature infants.Methods: A total of 151 premature infants who were born in the obstetrics department of a Class III hospital in Hefei from November 2020 to June 2021 were selected as subjects. All premature infants and their families met the complete inclusion criteria. A total of 33 related factors from 3 aspects, including the birth situation of premature infants, the condition of premature infants in hospital and the condition of pregnant mothers, were collected for univariate analysis and multiple Logistic regression analysis. The relevant factors affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants were screened through the univariate analysis results, and the main factors affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants were screened through the multiple Logistic regression analysis results.it was found that the weight, gestural age, admission age, whether the premature infants were combined with NRDS, the use of antibiotics, the duration in the warm box, the initial temperature in the warm box, the duration of light therapy, the degree of Apgar for 1 minute, the maternal education level had an effect on the time of umbilical cord shedding of premature infants (P < 0.05). Through Logistic multiple regression analysis, it was screened that the duration of premature infants in the incubator was the main factor affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Factors such as premature infants' weight, gestural age, admission age, whether they are combined with NRDS, antibiotic use, duration in the incubator, initial temperature in the incubator, duration of phototherapy, Apgar level of 1 minute, and maternal education level will affect the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants. Among them, duration in the incubator is the main factor affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants.

A common spinal condition, spondylolisthesis is the presence of a relative back or forth displacement between the upper and lower vertebra due to one vertebra being oriented away from the smooth curvature of a normal spine. Aging-related illnesses such as degenerative spondylolisthesis are especially burdensome on social welfare and health-care systems in an aging society, especially radiologists and clinical physicians. Therefore, we proposed a computer aided diagnosis algorithm, named LumbarNet, for vertebral slippage detection on clinical X-ray images. Collaborating with i) a P-grade, ii) a piecewise slope detection scheme, and iii) a dynamic shift detection routine, LumbarNet was thus specialized for analyzing complex structural patterns in lumbar spine X-ray images and outcompeted other U-Net based methods. Extensive experiments on lumbar spine X-ray images in standard clinical practices showed that LumbarNet achieved a mean intersection over union value of 0.88 in vertebral region detection and an accuracy of 88.83% in vertebral slippage detection.

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor. More than 40% of patients with OSA have poor prognoses. We aimed to discover a biomarker for patient stratification and therapeutic targets for these high-risk patients. Using Single Sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and univariate Cox analysis, six hallmarks were identified as significant prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Three were selected to construct a multivariate Cox model. Then, WGCNA, univariate Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analyses, and multivariate Cox analyses were combined to filter promising candidates and establish a seven-gene signature to predict OS, whose prognostic value was validated internally and externally. Subsequently, Differential Expression Analysis was conducted between high- and low-risk patients, and the Robust Rank Aggregation algorithm was used to determine the robust DEGs. Metascape was used to perform pathway and process enrichment analyses as well as construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Finally, RPS28 was identified as an independent risk factor by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression, which was preliminarily validated as a promising therapeutic target by using RNA interference. In conclusion, we might contribute to optimizing risk stratification and an excellent therapeutic target for high-risk patients with OSA.

Skeletal muscle atrophy is one of the major side effects of high dose or sustained usage of glucocorticoids. Pyroptosis is a novel form of pro-inflammatory programmed cell death that may contribute to skeletal muscle injury. Trimetazidine, a well-known anti-anginal agent, can also improve skeletal muscle performance both in human and mice. We here showed that dexamethasone induced atrophy, evidenced by the increase of muscle atrophy F-box (Atrogin-1) and muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF1) expression , and the decrease of myotube diameter in C2C12 myotubes. Dexamethasone also induced pyroptosis, indicated by upregulated pyroptosis-related protein NLRP3, Caspase-1 and GSDMD. Knockdown of NLRP3 or GSDMD attenuated dexamethasone-induced myotube pyroptosis and atrophy. Trimetazidine administration ameliorated dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, trimetazidine improved exercise tolerance, as evidenced by increased running distance and running time, as well as increased skeletal muscle mass in dexamethasone-treated mice. Mechanically, trimetazidine could reverse dexamethasone-induced activation of pyroptosis both in C2C12 myotubes and in mice. Taken together, our present study demonstrated that NLRP3/GSDMD pathway-mediated pyroptosis was involved in dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy. Trimetazidine could partially alleviate dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy, and increase the diameter of C2C12 myotubes via inhibiting pyroptosis. Thus, trimetazidine might be a potential therapeutic compound for the prevention of muscle atrophy in glucocorticoid-treated patients.

Background: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has spread globally with more than 80,000 people infected, and nearly 3000 patients died. Currently, we are in an urgent need for effective treatment strategy to control the clinical deterioration of COVID-19 patients. Methods: The clinical data of 10 COVID-19 patients receiving short-term moderate-dose corticosteroid (160mg/d) plus immunoglobulin (20g/d) were studied in the North Yard of The First Hospital of Changsha, Hunan from January 17^th to February 27^th, 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, radiological findings were analyzed. Results: After treatment with combination of low-dose corticosteroid (40-80mg/d) and immunoglobulin (10g/d), patients’ lymphocyte count (0.88±0.34 vs 0.59±0.18, P<0.05), oxygenation index including SPO₂ (94.90±2.51 vs 90.50±5.91, P<0.05) and PaO₂/FiO₂ (321.36±136.91 vs 129.30±64.97, P<0.05) were significantly lower than pre-treatment, and CT showed that the pulmonary lesion deteriorated in all patients. While after treatment of short-term moderate-dose corticosteroid plus immunoglobulin, patients’ APACHE Ⅱ score (9.10±6.15 vs 5.50±9.01, P<0.05), body temperature (37.59±1.16 vs 36.46±0.25, P<0.05), lymphocyte count (0.59±0.18 vs 1.36±0.51, P<0.05), Lactate dehydrogenase (419.24±251.31 vs 257.40±177.88, P<0.05), and C-reactive protein (49.94±26.21 vs 14.58±15.25, P<0.05) significantly improved compared with post-treatment with low-dose therapy. In addition, oxygenation index including SPO₂ (90.50±5.91 vs 97.50±1.18, P<0.05), PaO₂ (60.47±14.53 vs 99.07±34.31, P<0.05), and PaO₂/FiO₂ (129.30±64.97 vs 340.86±146.72, P<0.05) significant improved. Furthermore, CT showed that pulmonary lesions obviously improved in 7 patients. After systematic therapy, 4 out of 10 COVID-19 patients recovered and discharged. Conclusions: Short-term moderate-dose corticosteroid plus immunoglobulin is effective for reversing the continued deterioration of COVID-19 patients who failed to respond to the low-dose therapy. Funding: This work was supported by the Innovative Major Emergency Project Funding against the New Coronavirus Pneumonia in Hunan Province (Dr. Ji-Yang Liu, number 2020SK3014; Dr. Yuan-Lin Xie, number 2020SK3013).

A case-crossover study examined how PM_2.5 from Asian Dust Storms (ADS) affects the number of emergency room (ER) admissions for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and respiratory diseases (RDs). Our data indicated that PM_2.5 concentration from ADS was highly correlated with ER visits for CVDs and RDs. The odds ratios (OR) increased by 2.92 (95% CI: 1.22-5.08) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.30-2.91) per increase 10 µg/m³ in PM_2.5 levels, for CVDs and RDs, respectively. A 10 µg/m³ increase in PM_2.5 from ADSs was significantly associated with increase in ER visits for CVDs among those 65 years of age and older (an increase of 2.77 in OR) and for females (an increase of 3.09 in OR). In contrast, PM_2.5 levels had a significant impact on RD ER visits among those under 65 years of age (OR=1.77). The risk of ER visits for CVDs increased on the day when the ADS occurred in Taiwan and the day after (lag 0 and lag 1); the corresponding risk increase for RDs only increased on the fifth day after the ADS (lag 5). In Taiwan’s late winter and spring, the severity of ER visits for CVDs and RDs increases. Environmental protection agencies should employ an early warning system for ADS to reduce high-risk groups’ exposure to PM_2.5.

The oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is a new member in the family of heat pipes, and it has great potential applications in energy conservation. However, the fluid flow and heat transfer in the OHP as well as the fundamental effects of inner diameter on them have not been fully understood, which are essential to the design and optimization of the OHP in real applications. Therefore, by combining the high-speed visualization method and infrared thermal imaging technique, the fluid flow and thermal performance in the OHPs with inner diameters of 1, 2 and 3 mm are presented and analyzed. The results indicate that three fluid flow motions, including small oscillation, bulk oscillation and circulation, coexist or, respectively, exist alone with the increasing heating load under different inner diameters, with three flow patterns occurring in the OHPs, viz. bubbly flow, slug flow and annular flow. These fluid flow motions are closely correlated with the heat and mass transfer performance in the OHPs, which can be reflected by the characteristics of infrared thermal images of condensers. The decrease in the inner diameter increases the frictional flow resistance and capillary instability while restricting the nucleate boiling in OHPs, which leads to a smaller proportion of bubbly flow, a larger proportion of short slug flow, a poorer thermal performance, and easier dry-out of working fluid. In addition, when compared with the 2 mm OHP, the increasing role of gravity induces the thermosyphon effect and weakens the 'bubble pumping' action, which results in a little smaller and bigger thermal resistances of 3 mm OHP under small and bulk oscillation of working fluid, respectively.

The static formation temperature (SFT) is required to determine the thermophysical properties and production parameters in geothermal and oil reservoirs. However, the SFT is not easy to be obtained by both experimental and physical methods. In this paper, a mathematical approach to predicting SFT based on a new model describing the relationship between bottom hole temperature (BHT) and shut-in time was proposed. The unknown coefficients of the model were derived from least squares fit by Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Besides, the ability to predict SFT based on a few BHT data (such as first 3, 4, or 5 ones of a data set) was evaluated. The accuracy of the proposed method to predict SFT was testified with a deviation percentage less than ±4% and high values of regression coefficient R² (>0.98). The proposed method could be used as a practical tool to predict SFT in both geothermal and oil wells.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is not only the biomarker of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and expression activity in hepatocytes, but also contributes to viral specific T cell exhaustion and HBV persistent infection. Therefore, anti-HBV therapies targeting HBsAg to achieve HBsAg loss are key approaches for HBV functional cure. In this study, we found that YZH-106, a rupestonic acid derivative, inhibited HBsAg secretion and viral replication. Further investigation demonstrated that YZH-106 promoted the lysosomal degradation of viral L- and M-HBs proteins. Mechanistic study by Biacore and docking analysis revealed that YZH-106 bound directly to PreS2 domain of L- and M-HBsAg, thereby blocking their entry to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and promoting their degradation in cytoplasm. Our work thereby provide basis for design of novel compound therapy to target HBsAg against HBV infection.

Background: Long COVID, characterized by a persistent symptom spectrum following SARS-CoV-2 infection, poses significant health, social, and economic challenges. This review aims to consolidate knowledge on its epidemiology, clinical features, and underlying mechanisms to guide global responses; Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review, analyzing peer-reviewed articles and reports to gather comprehensive data on long COVID’s epidemiology, symptomatology, and management approaches; Results: Our analysis revealed a wide array of long COVID symptoms and risk factors, with notable demographic variability. The current understanding of its pathophysiology suggests a multifactorial origin yet remains partially understood. Emerging diagnostic criteria and potential therapeutic strategies were identified, highlighting advancements in long COVID management.; Conclusion: This review highlights the multifaceted nature of long COVID, revealing a broad spectrum of symptoms, diverse risk factors, and the complex interplay of physiological mechanisms underpinning the condition. Long COVID symptoms and disorders will continue to weigh on healthcare systems in years to come. Ad-dressing long COVID requires a holistic management strategy that integrates clinical care, social support, and policy initiatives. The findings underscore the need for increased international cooperation in research and health planning to address the complex challenges of long COVID. There is a call for continued refinement of diagnostic and treatment modalities, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to manage the ongoing and evolving impacts of the condition.

Three-dimensional V₂O₅ hollow structures have been prepared through a simple synthesis strategy combining solvothermal treatment and a subsequent thermal annealing. The V₂O₅ materials are composed of microspheres 2–3 μm in diameter and with a distinct hollow interior. The as-synthesized V₂O₅ hollow microspheres, when evaluated as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, can deliver a specific capacity as high as 273 mAh·g⁻¹ at 0.2 C. Benefiting from the hollow structures that afford fast electrolyte transport and volume accommodation, the V₂O₅ cathode also exhibits a superior rate capability and excellent cycling stability. The good Li-ion storage performance demonstrates the great potential of this unique V₂O₅ hollow material as a high-performance cathode for lithium-ion batteries.

Low-energy cosmic rays (LECRs) play a crucial role in the formation of planetary systems, and detecting and reconstructing the properties of early LECRs is essential for understanding the mechanisms of planetary system formation. Given that LECRs interact with the surrounding medium to produce nuclear de-excitation line emissions with energy mainly within 0.1–10 MeV, which are unaffected by stellar wind modulation, these gamma-ray emissions can accurately reflect the properties of LECRs. This study introduces an innovative method for using gamma-ray emissions to infer LECR properties. We employed the Parker transport equation to simulate the propagation and spectral evolution of LECRs in a protoplanetary disk and calculated the characteristic gamma-ray emissions resulting from interactions between LECRs and disk material. These gamma-ray emissions encapsulate the spectral information of LECRs, providing a powerful tool to reconstruct the cosmic ray environment at that time. This method, supported by further theoretical developments and observations, will fundamentally enhance our understanding of the impact of CRs on the origin and evolution of planetary systems and address significant scientific questions regarding the cosmic ray environment at the origin of life.

As the understanding of natural gas hydrates as a vast potential resource deepens, their importance as a future clean energy source becomes increasingly evident. However, natural gas hydrates tend to secondary generation during extraction and transportation, leading to safety issues such as pipeline blockages. Consequently, developing new and efficient natural gas hydrate inhibitors has become a focal point in hydrate research. Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors (KHIs) offer an effective solution by disrupting the nucleation and growth processes of hydrates without altering their thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. This paper systematically reviews the latest research progress and development trends of KHIs for natural gas hydrates, covering their development history, classification, and inhibition mechanisms. It particularly focuses on the chemical properties, inhibition effects, and mechanisms of polymer inhibitors such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap). Studies indicate that these polymer inhibitors provide an economical and efficient solution due to their low dosage and environmental friendliness. Additionally, this paper explores the environmental impact and biodegradability of these inhibitors, offering guidance for future research, including the development, optimization, and environmental assessment of new inhibitors. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing research, this work aims to provide a theoretical foundation and technical reference for the commercial development of natural gas hydrates, promoting their safe and efficient use as a clean energy resource.

Signal preprocessing and feature extraction are two important and necessary steps of data analysis. In signal analysis, typically these two steps are implemented through multiple algorithms. Moreover, the significant parameters in most algorithms are set empirically. We have developed an algorithm that can preserve and highlight characteristic waveforms while attenuating non-feature waveforms. The parameters in the algorithm are set through difference analysis. We have conducted experiments on both clinical and open-source ECG data, obtaining effective test results.

The current design of irrigation and fertilization systems often depends on a single index, leading to irrational systems due to the lack of a comprehensive multi-index evaluation. The aim of this study is to optimize the irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer application levels of spring maize using the TOPSIS method, in order to achieve a balance between growth characteristics, yield, water use efficiency, and soil nitrogen content. In the typical semi-arid region of Northeast China, through precise control experiments from 2022 to 2023, we adopted a two factor quadratic saturation D-optimal design method to study the effects of different irrigation amounts (145.40, 271.70, 348.20, 436.20 mm) and nitrogen fertilizer application amounts (34.80, 185.90, 277.40, 382.80 kg·hm-2) on spring maize. Results indicate that increasing both irrigation and nitrogen application rates can enhance dry matter accumulation by 15.17% to 32.70%. The impact of irrigation and fertilization on the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of spring maize was found to be greater for irrigation amount than nitrogen application, particularly at 9:00 am and 13:00 pm, and slightly less so at 11:00 am and 15:00 pm. Concurrently, there was a significant increase in total nitrogen (TN1 by 20.85% for 0-20 cm soil layer, TN2 by 33.33% for 20-40 cm soil layer) and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AHN1 by 14.65% for 0-20 cm, AHN2 by 28.86% for 20-40 cm). Yields improved by 12.02% to 44.09%, and water use efficiency (WUE) saw an increase ranging from 20.08% to 140.07%. The optimal water and fertilizer management mode for spring maize SBDI (shallow buried drip irrigation) in semi-arid areas was determined through comprehensive analysis using TOPSIS entropy weight method. When the irrigation amount is 436.20 mm and the nitrogen fertilizer application amount is 277.40 kg·hm-2, it can significantly promote the accumulation of dry matter, yield, water use efficiency, photosynthetic characteristics, and soil nitrogen content of spring maize. This study provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of SBDI water fertilizer coupling technology for spring maize.

The objective of this study was to investigate the umami characteristics of soy sauce using electronic tongue evaluation and amino acid composition and Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. The soy sauce peptides were isolated from soy sauce using XAD-16 macroporous resin combined with ethanol solution. Results showed that the soy sauce peptide fraction eluted by 60% ethanol (SS-60%) exhibited a prominent umami taste and the umami scores were highly positively correlated with the amino acid nitrogen contents of soy sauces. The umami scores of SS-60% were significantly positively correlated with the contents of free amino acids. Especially, Phe showed the highest positive correlation with the umami scores. In addition, five characteristic ion peaks with m/z at 499, 561, 643, 649, and 855 were identified in the peptide mass fingerprinting. Therefore, this study provides new insights into the umami characteristics for the flavor evaluation and reality identification of soy sauce.

Although the spanwise periodicity within the gap between two tandem circular cylinders has been observed by some researchers, there is a lack of systematic study on the properties of this pe-riodicity. For the spanwise periodicity within the gap, this study aims to ascertain its characteris-tics, its influences on the flow field, and its variation trend with increasing spacing ratio. By nu-merically simulating the flow around two tandem circular cylinders with a diameter ratio of d/D=0.6 and seventeen spacing ratios (L/D=1.00~6.00) at Re=3900, this study shows four flow re-gimes: Reattachment Flow (L/D=1.00~3.15), Bi-stable Flow (L/D=3.24), Intermittent Lock-in Co-shedding (L/D= 3.30~3.50) and Subharmonic Lock-in Co-shedding (L/D=4.00~6.00). Further, de-pending on the spanwise periodicity length of the time-averaged flow structures (i.e. Pz) within the gap, Reattachment Flow is, for the first time, subdivided into three new sub-flow regimes: Small-scale Periodic Reattachment (L/D=1.00~1.50, Pz/D=(0, 4]), Large-scale Periodic Reattachment (L/D=2.00~2.25, Pz/D>4) and Non-periodic Reattachment (L/D=2.50~3.15, no spanwise periodicity). The formation mechanisms are elaborated by analyzing the combined effect of both the L/D value and the spanwise-averaged time-averaged reattachment angle of the downstream cylinder. Moreover, this study proves that the newly-defined Small-scale Periodic Reattachment and Large-scale Periodic Reattachment are responsible for the pronounced asymmetry of the flow along the transverse direction within the gap. In addition, detailed flow properties and statistical pa-rameters are provided for each flow regime, such as velocity, vorticity, force coefficient, separa-tion/reattachment angle, Strouhal number and Q-criterion.

Probiotics have emerged as a prominent alternative to antibiotics in antimicrobial-free broiler farming. To assess the effect of the probiotics Sphingomonas sp. Z392 isolated and identified by this this laboratory on broiler growth, we conducted a study to examine the changes in broiler body weight, EPI, intestinal histological structure and gut microbiota. The results showed that supplementation of broiler drinking water with 4 × 105 CFU/mL of Sphingomonas resulted in an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae, Aminobacterium, Oribacterium, Christensenellaceae, Faecalibacterium, Barnesiella, Ruminococcus, Parabacteroides, Phascolarctobacterium, Butyricicoccaceae, and Caproiciproducens, which were reported to be positively correlated with the digestion and absorption of broiler chickens. The relative abundance was increased of Odoribacter, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, and Rikenellaceae, which were reported to be negatively correlated with the occurrence of intestinal diseases. The relative abundance was decreased of Campylobacter, Shigella Castellani, Bilophila, Campylobacter, Clostridia, and Anaerotruncus, which were reported positively correlated with the occurrence of intestinal diseases. At the same time, it was increased in the integrity of small intestinal villus morphology, the number of goblet cells in small intestinal epithelial cells, the health of mitochondria in the cytoplasm of jejunal villous epithelial cells, and the number of lysosomes in the cytoplasm of goblet cells in small intestinal epithelium, ileal villous epithelial cells, mitochondria in the cytoplasm of large intestinal villous epithelial cells, the VH/CD of the ileum, digestive, absorption, and defense capabilities. Especially the final weight was increased by 4.33% and the EPI increased by 10.10%. Therefore, the supplementation of broiler drinking water with Sphingomonas generated better economic benefits for the broiler chickens.

Reducing CO2 emissions is urgently needed to slow down the impacts of climate change. CO2 capture using an amine solution has been developed and implemented on pilot and commercial scales. However, amine scrubbing, in particular, produces a lot of degraded solvent as waste and is energy intensive. Solid sorbents have been called to overcome those drawbacks. In this work, waste biomass-derived carbon materials were developed and tested for CO2 capture and conversion. Advanced thermal chemical processes i.e. hydrothermal and pyrolysis were applied to produce materials from agri-food waste such as soybean and okara. It was found that the number of functional groups (-C=O and -OH) in activated carbon appears in the synthesized materials, implying the generation of surface oxygenated groups. Preliminary results showed that the synthesized activated carbons are obtained with good yields, and a relatively high surface area, which may be applied as CO2 adsorption materials to solve the CO2 emission problems.

To facilitate the promotion and application of the whole process engineering consulting (WPEC) model, the transmission mechanism of influencing factors in WPEC's promotion and application is investigated. It identifies and categorizes the influencing factors within the framework of "external environment-project factors-stakeholders", systematically organizing and summarizing ten primary categories and thirty-eight secondary influencing factors of WPEC's promotion and ap-plication. Utilizing the complex network analysis method, a network of influencing factors in the promotion and application of WPEC is constructed. The network is then converted into three binary networks based on weight, which are subjected to structural analysis and motif analysis. On this basis, the transmission mechanism of influencing factors in WPEC's promotion and applica-tion and its causations are explored.

Melanin is extensively distributed in organisms and believed to be synthetized by tyrosinase (TYR), leading to aberrant coloring and skin conditions when over-produced. Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.) flowers contain large amounts of bioactive substances currently few studied on their suppressive capabilities to melanin synthesis. Its isolate product (LFP) was obtained by ethanol solution extraction and resin purification, of which the inhibitory mechanism on TYR activity was elaborated by enzyme kinetics and multi-spectroscopy determinations and the impact on related proteins’ expression in mouse melanoma B16 cells was analyzed with Western blotting. HPLC-MS analysis indicated that LFP was identified into 137 compounds, with 12 including flavonoids (quercetin, isorhamnoin, p-coumaric acid, etc.), cinnamic acid and its derivatives as well as benzene and its derivatives owning TYR inhibitory activities. LFP inhibited TYR activity in a concentration-dependent manner with its IC50 value being 2.8 mg/mL and an anti-competitive mechanism involved altering the enzyme's conformation. LFP reduced the expression of TYR, TRP1, and TRP2 in melanoma B16 cells, hence inhibiting the synthesis of melanin. Considered collectively, LFP would be a viable option for treating hyperpigmentation caused by tyrosinase, providing a theoretical basis for the value-added utilization of loquat flower resource in beauty and aging related functional products.

In this paper, the mechanism of combined process of ion beam sputtering (IBS) and HF acid etching on the chemical structure defects of fused silica and its laser damage resistance perfor-mance were investigated. During the removal process of surface material, the sputtering effect causes lattice atoms to detach from their original positions, forming a large number of unsaturated structures on silica surface, which improves the chemical activity of Si and O atoms, accelerates the chemical reaction process between surface atoms and water molecules, increases the content of hydroxyl (OH-) groups in the shallow layer, and enhances the photothermal weak absorption intensity. However, the presence of OH- groups reduces the bonding strength of Si-O, destroys the spatial network structure of silica bulk, and reduces the mechanical strength of silica surface, resulting in a decrease in its laser damage resistance performance. The paper reveals for the first time the mechanism of IBS to change the structure characteristics of silica material, accelerate the surface hydroxylation process, and thereby reduces the laser damage resistance performance. This work provides technical guidance for effectively suppressing chemical structure defects on silica surface and improving laser damage resistance performance of optical components under high-flux laser irradiation.

Alpinia oxyphylla is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, with a medicinal history of more than 1,700 years. Ring leaf blight (RLB) disease, caused by pestalotioid species, is an important disease of A. oxyphylla, seriously affecting the yield and quality of fruits. The causal agent of RLB disease has not been systematically identified and characterized so far. In this study, thirty-six pestalotioid strains were isolated from the leaves and stems of A. oxyphylla collected from 6 cities of Hainan province, China. Based on multi-locus phylogeny (ITS, tef-1α and tub2) and morphological characteristics analyses, seventeen species belonging to three genera (Neopestalotiopsis, Pestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis) were identified and six new species (N. baotingensis, N. oblatespora, N. olivaceous, N. oxyphylla, N. wuzhishanensis and N. yongxunensis) were described. Pathogenicity tests revealed that strains of Neopestalotiopsis species caused more severe ring leaf blight on A. oxyphylla than strains of Pestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis under wounded inoculation conditions.

Supramolecular solvent (SUPRAS) has received increasing interest as an innovative, efficient, and green solvent for the effective extraction and separation of bioactive compounds from natural resources. However, studies on the use of SUPRAS for the extraction of phenolic components from plants, which are highly valued in food products due to their excellent antioxidant capacity, are still lacking. The present study developed a green ultrasound-assisted and efficient SU-PRAS method to simultaneously determine three phenolic acids in Prunella vulgaris by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the experimental parameters were optimized in detail. The efficiency and antioxidant properties of the phenolic compounds obtained by different extraction methods were also compared. Under the optimal conditions, the extraction efficiency of SUPRAS, prepared with octanoic acid reverse micelles dispersed in ethanol-water, was substantially higher than conventional organic reagents. Moreover, this SUPRAS method also showed more significant antioxidant capacities. The confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images presented the spherical droplet structure of SUPRAS (A well-defined circle), which coincided with the position of the fluorescence position of phenolic acids. The phenolic acids were encapsulated in the vesicles by the SUPRAS droplets, which indicated the efficient extraction capacities of SUPRAS for the target compounds. Finally, combined with the CLSM method, the mechanism of the proposed method was further clarified, and the superior extraction performance of SUPRAS was theoretically demonstrated through molecular dynamics simulations. In comparison with conventional methods, the higher extraction efficiency of SUPRAS can be illustrated by the larger solvent contact surface area, more types of hydrogen bonds between extractants and supramolecular solvents, and stronger and more stable interaction forces. The results of the theoretical studies are in rational agreement with the experimental outcome.

Preventing the rebound of black and odorous water bodies is critical for improving the ecological environment of water bodies. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of in-situ improvement of sediment microenvironment by nitrate in tailwater of wastewater treatment plants combined with aerobic denitrifying bacteria under low-DO regulation (TailN+CFM+LDO). On the 60th day of remediation, the dissolved oxygen and oxidation-reduction potential in the overlying water increased to 5.6 mg/L and 300 mV, respectively, the acid volatile sulfide in the sediment decreased by 70.4%, and the organic matter in the sediment was reduced by 62.7%, in which the HFOM was degraded from 105 g/kg to 56 g/kg, and the potential risk of water reverting to black and odorous conditions significantly decreased. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the relative abundance of electroactive bacteria Thiobacillus and Pseudomonas with denitrification capacity was found to be significantly higher in the TailN+CFM+LDO group than in the other remediation groups. Functional prediction of 16S sequencing results indicated that both the quantity and activity of critical microbial enzymes involved in nitrification and denitrification processes could enhance in the TailN+CFM+LDO group. These results improved our understanding of the improvement of the sediment microenvironment and could thus facilitate its application.

The level of development of the innovation factor plays a crucial role in supporting the high-quality development of China's economy. To advance the development of regional innovation factor allocation efficiency along the Belt and Road. This article introduces the super-efficiency SBM-DEA-Malmquist model for the static and dynamic analysis of innovation factor allocation efficiency in 17 provinces along the Belt and Road from 2012 to 2021. The Moran index model analyzes the spatial correlation. The results show that: (1) The overall innovation factor allocation efficiency along the Belt and Road is not high, and there are obvious differences among different regions. The eastern region is the highest compared to other regions. (2) According to the efficiency decomposition results, pure technical efficiency is the main reason for the low innovation factor allocation efficiency. (3) Through the Malmquist index and decomposition index, it is found that pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency are key factors in improving technical efficiency. (4) The analysis of spatial correlation reveals a strong spatial agglomeration feature among the provinces along the Belt and Road. The innovation factor allocation efficiency is mainly manifested in the L-L type. Finally, according to the analysis results, suggestions and policies are put forward to improve the innovation factor allocation efficiency in the regions along the Belt and Road.

Tungsten carbide (WC) was well known as a wear-resistant material. Iron-based pow-der was suitable for remanufacturing of cast iron engine parts. To improve the wear resistance of the remanufactured iron-based cast iron engine parts, WC-Co was intro-duced into iron-based powders to prepare composite coatings for cast iron engine components. In this work, FeAlC-x(WC-Co) composite coatings were prepared by plasma transfer arc on compacted graphite cast iron. The influences of WC-Co con-tents in the Fe-AlC-x(WC-Co) composite coatings on the microstructure and properties of the composite coatings were investigated. The composite coatings contained γ-Fe, α-Fe, WC and Fe3W3C mainly. The microhardness of FeAlC-x(WC-Co) composite coatings had the highest hardness of 814 HV0.2, the-lowest coefficient of 0.5 and the lest wear mass loss of 1.3mg when the weight content of WC-Co in the composite coating was 20wt%. As compared with the FeAlC coating, FeAlC-x(WC-Co) composite coating achieved the effect of reducing friction and wear resistance simultaneously, which resulted from the self-lubricating effect of graphite and high wear-resistance of carbides in the claddings.