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Introduction: Autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). However, complications such as thrombosis may occur. This study aimed to construct and validate a machine learning-based risk-prediction model for AVF thrombosis, hypothesizing that such a model can effectively predict occurrences, providing a foundation for early clinical intervention. Methods: The retrospective longitudinal study included a total of 270 patients who underwent MHD at the Hemodialysis Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between March 2021 and December 2022. During this study, baseline data and scale information of patients between March 2020 and December 2021 were collected. We recorded outcome indicators between March 2021 and December 2022 for subsequent analyses. Five machine learning models were developed (artificial neural network, logistic regression, ridge classification, random forest, and adaptive boosting). The sensitivity (recall), specificity, accuracy, and precision of each model were evaluated. The effect size of each variable was analyzed and ranked. Models were assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Results: Among the 270 included patients, 105 had AVF thrombosis (55 male and 50 female patients; age range, 29–79 years; mean age, 56.72 years; standard deviation [SDs], ±13.10 years). Conversely, 165 patients did not have AVF thrombosis (99 male and 66 female patients; age range, 23–79 years; mean age, 53.58 years; SD, ± 13.33 years). During the observation period, approximately 52.6% of patients with AVF experienced long-term complications. The most common complications associated with AVF were thrombosis (105; 38.9%), aneurysm formation (27; 10%), and excessively high output flow (10; 3.7%). Fifty-four (20%) patients with AVF required intervention because of complications associated with vascular access. The AUROC curve of the testing set was between 0.858 and 0.903. Conclusion: In this study, we developed five machine learning models to predict the risk of AVF thrombosis, providing a reference for early clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese is an essential trace element for humans, animals, and plants, but excessive amounts of manganese can cause serious harm to organisms. The biological manganese oxidation process mainly oxidizes Mn(II) through the secretion of unique manganese oxidase by manganese-oxidizing bacteria. The T1 Cu site of multicopper oxidase is the main site for substrate oxidation, and its role is to transfer electrons to TNC, where dioxygen reduction occurs. In this study, methionine (Met) No. 444 interacting with the T1Cu-coordinating amino acid in the multicopper oxidase CopA from Brevibacillus panacihumi MK-8 was mutated to phenylalanine (Phe) and leucine (Leu) by the enzyme. Based on the analysis of enzymatic properties and the structural model, the mutant protein M444F with 4.58 times the catalytic efficiency of the original protein CopA and the mutant protein M444L with 1.67 times the catalytic efficiency of the original protein CopA were obtained. The study showed that the manganese removal rate of the manganese-oxidizing engineered bacterium Rosetta-pET-copAM444L cultured for 7 days was 88.87%, which was 10.77% higher than that of the original engineered bacterium. Overall, this study provides a possibility for the application of genetic engineering in the field of biological manganese removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting polymers with good electron conductivity and rich redox functional groups have attracted considerable attention as anode materials for capacitive deionization (CDI) towards overcoming global freshwater scarcity. However, because of their intrinsically poor porosity and severe particle aggregation nature, conducting polymers used for CDI desalination suffer the disadvantage of low specific surface areas (<50 m2 g−1), sluggish ion diffusion kinetics, limited desalination capacities, and low mass loadings (∼1 mg cm−2) on electrodes. Herein, we synthesized amino group-rich conjugated microporous polytriphenylamine (m-PTPA) and for the first time demonstrated its great potential as a high-performance anion-capture electrode material in CDI applications. m-PTPA possesses reversible redox properties, predominant microporous characteristics (<2 nm diameter), and ultrahigh specific surface area (506 m2 g−1), which ensured fast ion transport within the interconnected porous network and maximized the exposure of electrochemical active sites to saline solutions. Owing to these novel features, an m-PTPA-based CDI device, with m-PTPA as the anode at a high mass loading of 8.7 mg cm−2 and activated carbon as the cathode, exhibited high gravimetric/areal/volumetric-normalized salt adsorption capacities (47.21 mg g−1, 0.41 mg cm−2, and 10.92 mg cm−3, respectively), fast adsorption rate (2.83 mg g−1 min−1), low energy consumption, and excellent cycling stability. Besides, we evaluated the competitive adsorption of some common anions existing in water and probed the mechanism for Cl− adsorption on m-PTPA. We believe that this work paves a new way for the use of conjugated microporous polymers as a new type of CDI electrode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customers' self‐congruity has been verified to be an important antecedent of their satisfaction or loyalty in terms of brand consumption. In the era of the experience economy, effects of customers' self‐congruity as well as subject norm on their attitude and behavioral intention concerning the special form of accommodation, that is, B&Bs have been seldomly studied. Therefore, this study applied self‐congruity theory with subjective norm to explain the phenomenon of increasing interests of B&Bs. As a result, first, self‐image congruity was insignificantly associated with B&B customer attitude. Second, B&B customers' functional congruity positively impacts customers' attitude and subsequential their behavioral intention. Third, customers' behavioral intention was influenced by subjective norm, that is, others' recommendation or suggestion could affect customers' behavioral intention. Collectively, the business operators and investors could develop and establish relative marketing strategies from the angles of subjective norm and functional congruity between customers and B&Bs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal oxide MnFe2O4 is considered a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries owing to its high theoretical specific capacity. However, this material has two bottleneck problems, i.e., poor conductivity and serious volume expansion during cycling. In this work, MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were successfully encapsulated in the matrix of N-doped porous carbon via a sol–gel method. As a result, the N-doped carbon matrix enhances the electronic conductivity of the composites. The special porous structure increases the contact area between the electrode material and the electrolyte and facilitates the rapid infiltration of the electrolyte. At a calcination temperature of 400 °C, the MnFe2O4/C composite shows a high initial discharge specific capacity of 1207.0 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and retains a reversible specific capacity of 1100.1 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. The simple design of metal oxide nanomaterials encapsulated in N-doped porous carbon provides a new direction for improving the electrochemical performance of electrode materials for Li-ion batteries. A brief abstract: MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were successfully encapsulated in the matrix of N-doped porous carbon via a sol–gel method. At a calcination temperature of 400 °C, the MnFe2O4/C composite shows a high initial discharge specific capacity of 1207.0 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and retains a reversible specific capacity of 1100.1 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease worldwide, with the main pathological manifestation of articular cartilage degeneration. It have been investigated that pharmacological activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) significantly alleviated cartilage degeneration by abolishing chondrocyte ferroptosis. In this work, in view of the thermal activated feature of TRPV1, Citrate‐stabilized gold nanorods (Cit‐AuNRs) is conjugated to TRPV1 monoclonal antibody (Cit‐AuNRs@Anti‐TRPV1) as a photothermal switch for TRPV1 activation in chondrocytes under near infrared (NIR) irradiation. The conjugation of TRPV1 monoclonal antibody barely affect the morphology and physicochemical properties of Cit‐AuNRs. Under NIR irradiation, Cit‐AuNRs@Anti‐TRPV1 exhibited good biocompatibility and flexible photothermal responsiveness. Intra‐articular injection of Cit‐AuNRs@Anti‐TRPV1 followed by NIR irradiation significantly activated TRPV1 and attenuated cartilage degradation by suppressing chondrocytes ferroptosis. The osteophyte formation and subchondral bone sclerosis are remarkably alleviated by NIR‐inspired Cit‐AuNRs@Anti‐TRPV1. Furthermore, the activation of TRPV1 by Cit‐AuNRs@Anti‐TRPV1 evidently improved physical activities and alleviated pain of destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM)‐induced OA mice. The study reveals Cit‐AuNRs@Anti‐TRPV1 under NIR irradiation protects chondrocytes from ferroptosis and attenuates OA progression, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated (Cas) systems are widely distributed adaptive immune systems found in prokaryotes. The process involves three main stages: adaptation, expression, and interference. While the adaptation stage has been extensively studied, there is still an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the capture, trimming, and integration of exogenous DNA. For instance, Cas4, a CRISPR‐Cas protein with endonuclease activity, is responsible for selecting and processing protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences. However, some CRISPR isoforms lack Cas4 activity, relying on other enzymes for adaptive immunity. Recently, Wang et al. presented a novel model of exogenous DNA processing in a type I‐E CRISPR system lacking Cas4 in a Nature article. This model integrates protospacer processing into CRISPR arrays through fine‐tuned synthases formed by DnaQ‐like exonuclease (DEDDh) and Cas1‐Cas2 complexes. Their study introduces a novel model, shedding new light on the evolution of CRISPR adaptive immunity. This perspective comprehensively examines the fundamental process of CRISPR adaptive immunity, detailing both the classical pathway mediated by Cas4 and the alternative pathway mediated by DEDDh. Furthermore, a thorough evaluation of Wang et al.'s work is conducted, highlighting its strengths, weaknesses, and existing research challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the often employed flow structures in vertical pumping stations is the siphon outlet pipe. It has a complicated geometric structure and internal flow field, which directly affects how effectively, safely, and steadily pumping stations operate. The entire flow conduit of the vertical axial flow pump device was adopted as the study object in order to elucidate the mechanism of the internal biased flow of the siphon outlet pipe caused by the axial flow pump under different flow conditions, and the three-dimensional unsteady flow field of the vertical axial flow pump device was numerically solved using the numerical simulation technique. Physical model tests were used to confirm the results of the numerical simulation. The findings demonstrate that there is a horizontal bias in the flow of the inlet surface and outlet surface of the elbow pipe of the siphon outlet pipe, and that when the flow rate rises, the degree of the horizontal bias in the flow gradually diminishes, and the ratio of biased flow gradually decreases. The flow in hump segment presents up-and-down flow, and when the flow rate increases, the ratios of biased flow first rises before falling. The major causes of the production of biased flow in the outlet pipe are residual velocity circulation at the guide vane's outlet, wall constraint at the elbow pipe, and flow inertia; Under various flow conditions, the morphologies of the vortex structures in the outlet pipe vary; the characteristics of the energy conversion of each part of the pump device are disclosed, with the inlet pipe having the lowest proportion of energy conversion. Under the optimal flow condition, the elbow-inlet pipe's proportion of energy conversion is only around 1.04%, and the proportions of the guide vane, 60° elbow pipe, and siphon outlet pipe's energy conversion are significant and fluctuate with time. The proportion of energy conversion in the elbow-inlet pipe and siphon outlet pipe steadily increases as flow rate rises, but the proportion in the guide vane and 60° elbow pipe drops initially before increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic cutaneous ulcers often pose considerable challenges in the healing process. These challenges stem from factors including inadequate perfusion of the ulcer's surrounding environment, persistent inflammation, tissue damage and microbial proliferation. The existing standard treatment modalities prove insufficient in fully addressing the complex pathogenesis of these ulcers. As a novel approach, researchers are exploring cellular therapies employing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers. MSCs are readily found in various tissues, including bone marrow, adipose tissue, placenta, amniotic membrane, amniotic fluid and umbilical cord. However, the optimal source of MSCs for effectively treating diabetic skin ulcers remains a topic of ongoing discussion. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of Embase, PubMed and Web of Science databases, spanning from their inception to November 2022. Subsequently, we rigorously screened the literature following predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria and evaluated the quality of the selected studies using the SYRCLE scale. Finally, the included literature underwent analysis, employing the Bayesian school of thought‐based R language. To ensure transparency and accountability, we registered this study with PROSPERO's International Systematic Review Prospective Registry, with the Registration ID: CRD42023387421. Results: We included a total of 11 articles in our analysis, all of which were randomized controlled studies involving 218 animal models. Among these studies, two utilized adipose‐derived MSCs, six employed bone marrow‐derived MSCs, one utilized amniotic membrane‐derived MSCs and three utilized umbilical cord‐derived MSCs. Our network meta‐analysis results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the healing rates of diabetic skin ulcers among MSCs derived from amniotic membrane, adipose tissue, umbilical cord and bone marrow on days 7–8, 10–12 and 12–14. Notably, according to the probability ranking table, the most effective treatment for diabetic wounds was found to be amniotic membrane‐derived MSCs. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in the efficacy of MSCs derived from amniotic membrane, adipose, umbilical cord and bone marrow in the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers during the short‐term observation period, and the probability ranking graphs indicate that amniotic membrane‐derived MSCs may be the best choice for the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practical application of AZIBs is hindered by problems such as dendrites and hydrogen evolution reactions caused by the thermodynamic instability of Zinc (Zn) metal. Modification of the Zn surface through interface engineering can effectively solve the above problems. Here, sulfonate‐derivatized graphene–boronene nanosheets (G&B‐S) composite interfacial layer is prepared to modulate the Zn plating/stripping and mitigates the side reactions with electrolyte through a simple and green electroplating method. Thanks to the electronegativity of the sulfonate groups, the G&B‐S interface promotes a dendrite‐free deposition behavior through a fast desolvation process and a uniform interfacial electric field mitigating the tip effect. Theoretical calculations and QCM‐D experiments confirmed the fast dynamic mechanism and excellent mechanical properties of the G&B‐S interfacial layer. By coupling the dynamics‐mechanics action, the G&B‐S@Zn symmetric battery is cycled for a long‐term of 1900 h at a high current density of 5 mA cm−2, with a low overpotential of ≈30 mV. Furthermore, when coupled with the LMO cathode, the LMO//G&B‐S@Zn cell also exhibits excellent performance, indicating the durability of the G&B‐S@Zn anode. Accordingly, this novel multifunctional interfacial layer offers a promising approach to significantly enhance the electrochemical performance of AZIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimal air gap thickness of PV wall in different modes (unclosed, partially-enclosed, enclosed). Based on the heat transfer models and evaluation indexes of PV wall, the electrical and thermal performances are analyzed with experimental method and COMSOL software. The experimental results show that 100 mm thickness can be selected as the optimum size for air gap. The computed results show that PV wall with a 50 mm thickness fully enclosed air gap is the best, with a daily total energy savings of 328.06 Wh/m2, but it is not obvious compared with 100 mm. Therefore, the optimal scheme in winter is to use the 50∼100 mm thickness fully enclosed air gap. The exterior surface temperature of 50 mm and 100 mm enclosed air gap are significantly higher than the bare wall. They can increase equivalent thermal resistances by 0.41 and 0.51 m2·K/W, respectively. Furthermore, the reasons for the total energy savings decreasing with the increase enclosed air gap thickness are discussed. Practical application : The results of this research can provide some guidance for the application of PV walls in similar climate regions and promote the development of building integrated photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over binary-input memoryless symmetric (BMS) channels, the performance of polar codes under successive cancellation list (SCL) decoding can approach maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm when the list size L is greater than or equal to 2 M F , where MF, known as mixing factor of code, represents the number of information bits before the last frozen bit. Recently, Yao et al. showed the upper bound of the mixing factor of decreasing monomial codes with length n = 2 m and rate R ≤ 1 2 when m is an odd number; moreover, this bound is reachable. Herein, we obtain an achievable upper bound in the case of an even number. Further, we propose a new decoding hard-decision rule beyond the last frozen bit of polar codes under BMS channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Laccase is a key enzyme in the fungal 1,8‐dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN) melanin biosynthesis pathway, which is a potential target for the control of pathogenic fungi. In our previous work, compound a2 was found with higher inhibition activity against laccase and antifungal activity than laccase inhibitor PMDD‐5Y. The introduction of hydrogen‐bonded receptors in the amino part was found to be beneficial in improving laccase inhibitory activity by target‐based‐biological rational design. In this work, the hydrogen‐bonded receptors morpholine and piperazine were introduced for structure optimization to enhancing biological activity. RESULTS: Enzyme activity tests indicated that all target compounds had inhibitory activity against laccase, and some compounds exhibited better activity against laccase than a2, it was further verified that the introduction of hydrogen‐bonded receptors in the amino portion could enhance the laccase inhibitory activity of target compounds. Most compounds showed excellent antifungal activities in vitro. Compound m14 displayed good activity against Magnaporthe oryzae both in vitro and in vivo. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the mycelium of M. oryzae treated with m14 were destroyed. Molecular docking revealed the binding mode between laccase and target compounds. CONCLUSION: Thirty‐eight compounds were synthesized and showed good inhibitory activity against laccase, the introduction of morpholine and piperazine in the amino part was beneficial to improve antifungal activity and laccase activity. Further validation of laccase as a potential target for rice blast control, while m14 can be used as a candidate compound for the control of rice blast. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of a flexible device and novel electromagnetic resonances offers new dimensions to manipulate electromagnetic waves and promises new device functionalities. In this study, we experimentally demonstrate a flexible metasurface that can support the bound state in the continuum (BIC) in the terahertz regime. The metasurface consists of toroidal dipole resonant units on top of the flexible polyimide substrate, which can support a terahertz Friedrich–Wintgen BIC resonance, and the resonance characteristics can be tuned by changing the parameters of the coupling unit among two resonant modes. The BIC resonances under different bending conditions are analyzed and compared, showing decent mechanical robustness. The sensing application is demonstrated by combining Fetal Bovine Serum with the flexible BIC metasurface. The measured minimum detectable concentration is 0.007 mg mL−1. Benefiting from the mechanical flexibility and BIC resonance characteristics, our approach can effectively manipulate terahertz waves and have potential applications in the realization of multifunctional and flexible photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten (W) is an emerging contaminant that can damage multiple systems in humans. However, studies of its effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) are limited. The monocyte count to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a composite inflammatory index of great concern in recent years, derived from lipid and cell inflammation parameters, that is used to indicate the risk of CVD. This study aimed to investigate the association between urinary W and CVD in the general population and compare the mediating effects of lipids, cell inflammatory parameters, and MHR to find a better target for intervention. We analyzed data from 9137 (≥ 20 years) participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), from 2005 to 2018. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) and survey-weighted generalized linear models (SWGLMs) were used to assess the relationship between W and CVD. Mediated analyses were used to explore lipids, cell inflammatory parameters, and MHR in the possible mediating pathways between W and CVD. In SWGLM, we found that W enhances the risk of CVD, especially congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary heart disease (CHD), and angina pectoris (AP). Women, higher age groups (≥ 55 years), and those with hypertension were vulnerable to W in the subgroup analysis. Mediation analysis showed that monocyte count (MC), white blood cell count (WBC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and MHR played a mediating role between W and CVD in proportions of 8.49%, 3.70%, 5.18%, and 12.95%, respectively. In conclusion, our study shows that urinary W can increase the risk of CVD, especially for CHF, CHD, and AP. Women, older age groups, and people with hypertension seem to be more vulnerable to W. In addition, MC, WBC, HDL, and MHR mediated the association between W and CVD, especially MHR, which suggests that we should consider it as a priority intervention target in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palatalization is a common phenomenon in the Laomian language of South-east Asia. This paper compares the phonetic bilabial, velar, and coronal consonants of Laomian and their counterparts in related languages. A phonological analysis of the evolution of palatalization in Laomian is provided from a feature geometry perspective using the frameworks of nonlinear phonology and Optimality Theory. The results show that bilabials in Laomian, like those in related languages, include only the simple palatalized form 'bilabial + glide j' without evolving into affricates. Velars, based on different functions of [i], evolve into prepalatals and 'velar + glide j' respectively. Alveolars turn into prepalatals before vowels with the [-back] feature. A limited set of words in Laomian can still be pronounced in two ways with consonants belonging to two categories, reflecting different evolutionary stages of phonetic chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) as an emerging air pollutant have received widespread attention, but research on airborne MPs at occupational sites is still limited, especially in the rubber industry. Hence, indoor air samples were collected from three production workshops and an office of a rubber factory producing automotive parts to analyze the characteristics of airborne MPs in different workplaces of this industry. We found MP contamination in all air samples from the rubber industry, and the airborne MPs at all sites mainly showed small-sized (< 100 μm) and fragmented characteristics. The abundance and source of MPs at various locations is primarily related to the manufacturing process and raw materials of the workshop. The abundance of MPs in the air was higher in workplaces where production activities are involved than in office (360 ± 61 n/m3), of which the highest abundance of airborne MPs was in the post-processing workshop (559 ± 184 n/m3). In terms of types, a total of 40 polymer types were identified. The post-processing workshop has the largest proportion of injection-molded plastic ABS, the extrusion workshop has a greater proportion of EPDM rubber than the other locations, and the refining workshop has more MPs used as adhesives, such as aromatic hydrocarbon resin (AHCR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsteady three‐dimensional numerical simulation calculation of the vertical axial flow pump device is performed based on CFD to examine the pressure pulsation and energy distribution features of the water flow within the siphon outlet conduit (SOC) under the hydraulic coupling of the pump and the flow conduit. The pressure pulsation signals (PPS) of monitoring points are decomposed using the Hilbert–Huang approach via empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and Hilbert spectrum analysis. The results show that the PPS of monitoring points of the SOC has no obvious periodicity. The low‐frequency range below 20 Hz serves as the primary frequency, and the energy ratio of the high‐frequency signal above 700 Hz is less than 1%. Under the condition of a small flow rate 0.3Qbep, there is obvious high‐frequency pulsation above 500 Hz at the inlet of the upstream section of the SOC, and there are periodic components distributed around 200 Hz. The energy of the pressure pulsation is primarily focused in the low‐frequency range below 40 Hz at the SOC outlet section. The PPS at the top and bottom monitoring points of the hump section are consistent, and the pressure pulsation energy (PPE) is mainly concentrated in the low frequency below 40 Hz. In both the big flow condition (1.2Qbep) and the optimal flow condition (1.0Qbep), the PPE of the monitoring points at the top of the hump section is distributed in the middle and low‐frequency band below 40 Hz, and the energy of monitoring points at the bottom of the hump section is concentrated in the low‐frequency band below 20 Hz, accounting for more than 70%. When the flow rate increases from 0.3Qbep to 1.2Qbep, the peak value of the pressure pulsation coefficient at the main frequency of each monitoring point at the top of the hump section changes little, and the peak value of the pressure pulsation coefficient at the main frequency of each monitoring point at the bottom increases first and then decreases. From the upstream section to the hump section of the SOC, the average frequency of each intrinsic mode function (IMF) of the PPS under different flow conditions shows an overall increasing trend. From the hump section of the SOC to its outlet, the average frequency of each IMF of the PPS decreases under the conditions of 1.0Qbep and 1.2Qbep, and there is no obvious change under the condition of 0.3Qbep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shaft tubular pump device is widely used in various water diversion projects because of its ultra-low head and large flow characteristics. Due to the tip clearance between the blade and the shroud, it is easy to cause hydraulic mechanical performance changes, induced vibration, and noise, which seriously affects the safe and stable operation of the pump. Steady and unsteady three-dimensional flow field numerical simulations of a shaft tubular pump device were carried out using computational fluid dynamics to investigate the impeller flow properties of the device under various flow conditions, including the tip clearance leakage flow (TCLF) and change rule of pressure pulsation. The TCLF, vortex morphology evolution, and pressure pulsation properties of the impeller tip clearance were analyzed. The results show that with an increase in the flow rate, the influence of the tip clearance size on the tip clearance flow decreases, the TCLF decreases, and the axial velocity of the water flow at the tip clearance increases. When the flow rate increases, the swirling strength of the tip leakage vortex decreases, and the distance between the tip leakage vortex and the suction surface of the blade increases. With the increase in flow rate, the pressure pulsation amplitude at the tip clearance increases first and then decreases. The focus of this study is to analyze the variation of tip clearance flow field and pressure pulsation under multiple working conditions, aiming to provide some help for improving the performance of the pump device and ensuring its safe operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecdysone receptor (EcR) and chitinase play a critical role in the molting stage of insect pests. Each of them is considered a promising target for the development of novel insect growth regulators (IGRs). In the present paper, a total of 24 (23 novel) hexacyclic pyrazolamide derivatives were designed and synthesized by reducing the heptacycle and inserting small flexible linkers on the basis of the previously discovered dual-target compound D-27 acting simultaneously on EcR and Ostrinia furnacalis chitinase (OfChtI). Their insecticidal activities against Plutella xylostella, Spodoptera frugiperda, and Ostrinia furnacalis larvae were evaluated. The results revealed that the insecticidal activity was not significantly enhanced when the heptacycle on the pyrazole ring was reduced to a hexacycle. However, the insertion of an additional methylene spacer between the substituted phenyl ring and the amide bond can improve the insecticidal activity. Among the derivatives, the most potent compound, 6j, exhibited promising insecticidal activities against P. xylostella and S. frugiperda. Further protein binding assays and molecular docking indicated that 6j could target both EcR and OfChtI, and is a potential lead compound for IGRs. The present work provides valuable clues for the development of new dual-target IGRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present an electrically switchable window that can dynamically transmit both visible light and infrared (IR) light. The window is based on polymer stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs), which are placed between a top plate electrode substrate and a bottom interdigitated electrode substrate. By applying a vertical alternating current electric field between the top and bottom substrates, the transmittance of the entire visible light can be adjusted. The cholesteric liquid crystals (CLC) texture will switch to a scattering focal conic state. The corresponding transmittance decreases from 90% to less than 15% in the whole visible region. The reflection bandwidth in the IR region can be tuned by applying an in-plane interdigital direct current (DC) electric field. The non-uniform distribution of the in-plane electric field will lead to helix pitch distortion of the CLC, resulting in a broadband reflection. The IR reflection bandwidth can be dynamically adjusted from 158 to 478 nm. The electric field strength can be varied to regulate both the transmittance in the visible range and the IR reflection bandwidth. After removing the electric field, both features can be restored to their initial states. This appealing feature of the window enables on-demand indoor light and heat management, making it a promising addition to the current smart windows available. This technology has considerable potential for practical applications in green buildings and automobiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a serious public health problem today, especially in middle-aged and older adults. Although the etiology of the disease has not been fully elucidated, environmental factors are increasingly not negligible. Cadmium is widely used in industrial production. The general population may be chronically exposed to low doses of cadmium. This study aimed to investigate the association between blood cadmium and depression and to explore the mediating role of aging indicators in this process. We conducted a cross-sectional study on blood cadmium (N = 7195, age ≥ 20 years) using data from the 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Aging indicators (biological and phenotypic age) are calculated by combining multiple biochemical and/or functional indicators. To determine the relationship between blood cadmium concentrations and depressive symptoms, we used weighted multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline functions and employed mediation analysis to explore the possible mediating effects of aging indicators in the process. We found a significant positive association between blood cadmium and depression with an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 (1.04,1.43). Restricted cubic spline analysis found a linear positive association between blood cadmium and depression. In the fully covariate-adjusted model, we found a positive association between blood cadmium and biological age and phenotypic age with β and 95% CI: 1.02 (0.65, 1.39) and 2.35 (1.70, 3.01), respectively. In the mediation analysis, we found that phenotypic age mediated 21.32% of the association between blood cadmium and depression. These results suggest that even exposure to low doses of cadmium can increase the risk of depression and that this process may be mediated by phenotypic aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of non‐solvating, or as‐called sparingly‐solvating, electrolytes (NSEs), is regarded as one of the most promising solutions to the obstacles to the practical applications of Li−S batteries. However, it remains a puzzle that long‐life Li−S batteries have rarely, if not never, been reported with NSEs, despite their good compatibility with Li anode. Here, we find the capacity decay of Li−S batteries in NSEs is mainly due to the accumulation of the dead Li2S at the cathode side, rather than the degradation of the anodes or electrolytes. Based on this understanding, we propose an electrochemical strategy to reactivate the accumulated Li2S and revive the dead Li−S batteries in NSEs. With such a facile approach, Li−S batteries with significantly improved cycling stability and accelerated dynamics are achieved with diglyme‐, acetonitrile‐ and 1,2‐dimethoxyethane‐based NSEs. Our finding may rebuild the confidence in exploiting non‐solvating Li−S batteries with practical competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of non‐solvating, or as‐called sparingly‐solvating, electrolytes (NSEs), is regarded as one of the most promising solutions to the obstacles to the practical applications of Li−S batteries. However, it remains a puzzle that long‐life Li−S batteries have rarely, if not never, been reported with NSEs, despite their good compatibility with Li anode. Here, we find the capacity decay of Li−S batteries in NSEs is mainly due to the accumulation of the dead Li2S at the cathode side, rather than the degradation of the anodes or electrolytes. Based on this understanding, we propose an electrochemical strategy to reactivate the accumulated Li2S and revive the dead Li−S batteries in NSEs. With such a facile approach, Li−S batteries with significantly improved cycling stability and accelerated dynamics are achieved with diglyme‐, acetonitrile‐ and 1,2‐dimethoxyethane‐based NSEs. Our finding may rebuild the confidence in exploiting non‐solvating Li−S batteries with practical competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant hydrounits are usually accompanied by multiple head-dependent forbidden zones (FZs). FZs intensify hydropower systems' head effects and affect the safe and economic operations in a deregulated market environment, especially in southwest China. This paper addresses the self-scheduling and bidding strategies of a typical hydroproducer (the Longtan hydroplant, the leading plant on the Hongshuihe River, one of the most important plants in the West-East Electricity Transmission Project in China) with irregular forbidden zones (IFZs) in a day-ahead market. Considering the impacts of crossing IFZs and the head effects, a robust optimization-based approach to maximize profits was developed to establish market-oriented strategies under asymmetric price intervals and is solved by an iterative algorithm.The complicated model with nonconvex and nonlinear features was recast into a robust mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. Finally, the optimal self-scheduling of a hydroproducer with IFZs in southwest China was used to show the effectiveness of the proposed model. The optimization results demonstrated that the proposed model can effectively incorporate the head effects and the impacts of crossing IFZs to maximize profits; furthermore, the model significantly reduced the phenomenon of crossing IFZs and provided more executable, stable, and safe generation scheduling. Additionally, the proposed model can obtain more profitable optimal bidding strategies than the model that ignores the impacts of crossing IFZs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a lesion-associated obligate anaerobic pathogen of destructive periodontal disease; it is also implicated in the progression and severity of colorectal cancer. Four genes (FN0625, FN1055, FN1220, and FN1419) of F. nucleatum are involved in producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which plays an essential role against oxidative stress. The molecular functions of Fn1419 are known, but their mechanisms remain unclear. We determined the crystal structure of Fn1419 at 2.5 Å, showing the unique conformation of the PLP-binding site when compared with L-methionine γ-lyase (MGL) proteins. Inhibitor screening for Fn1419 with L-cysteine showed that two natural compounds, gallic acid and dihydromyricetin, selectively inhibit the H2S production of Fn1419. The chemicals of gallic acid, dihydromyricetin, and its analogs containing trihydroxybenzene, were potentially responsible for the enzyme-inhibiting activity on Fn1419. Molecular docking and mutational analyses suggested that Gly112, Pro159, Val337, and Arg373 are involved in gallic acid binding and positioned close to the substrate and pyridoxal-5′-phosphate-binding site. Gallic acid has little effect on the other H2S-producing enzymes (Fn1220 and Fn1055). Overall, we proposed a molecular mechanism underlying the action of Fn1419 from F. nucleatum and found a new lead compound for inhibitor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide‐beam magnetoelectric dipole antenna with an ultralow profile of 0.01λ0 is proposed in this letter. The magnetic dipole (M‐dipole) is formed by placing a turnstile‐shaped patch above a circular ground, establishing the foundation of a thin profile. Then, a pair of crossed strips with one end shorted is introduced, exciting the electric‐dipole without affecting the radiation of M‐dipole and increasing the antenna profile. In that way, stable wide‐beam unilateral radiation in both the E‐ and H‐planes can be achieved. At the same time, a high front‐to‐back (F/B) ratio of 22 dB is obtained for the measured result. Besides, by adjusting the number and position of shorting pins, the proposed antenna shows beam steering capability, which makes it quite promising for future scanning applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A. hydrophila is an important pathogen that mainly harms aquatic animals and has exhibited resistance to a variety of antibiotics. Here, to seek an effective alternative for antibiotics, the effects of umbelliferone (UM) at sub-MICs on A. hydrophila virulence factors and the quorum-sensing system were studied. Subsequently, RNA sequencing was employed to explore the potential mechanisms for the antivirulence activity of umbelliferone. Meanwhile, the protective effect of umbelliferone on grass carp infected with A. hydrophila was studied in vivo. Our results indicated that umbelliferone could significantly inhibit A. hydrophila virulence such as hemolysis, biofilm formation, swimming and swarming motility, and their quorum-sensing signals AHL and AI-2. Transcriptomic analysis showed that umbelliferone downregulated expression levels of genes related to exotoxin, the secretory system (T2SS and T6SS), iron uptake, etc. Animal studies demonstrated that umbelliferone could significantly improve the survival of grass carps infected with A. hydrophila, reduce the bacterial load in the various tissues, and ameliorate cardiac, splenic, and hepatopancreas injury. Collectively, umbelliferone can reduce the pathogenicity of A. hydrophila and is a potential drug for treating A. hydrophila infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies suggested that ambient temperature may affect the attack of acute appendicitis. However, the identification of the quantitative effect and vulnerable populations are still unknown. The purposes of this study were to quantify the impact of daily mean temperature on the hospitalization of acute appendicitis and clarify vulnerable groups, further guide targeted prevention of acute appendicitis in Tongling. Daily data of cases and meteorological factors were collected in Tongling, China, during 2015–2019. Time stratified case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression model were used to evaluate the odds ratio (OR) of ambient temperature on hospitalizations for acute appendicitis. Stratified analyses were performed by sex, age, and marital status. The odds ratio (OR) of hospitalizations for acute appendicitis increased by 1.6% for per 1 ℃ rise in mean temperature at lag3[OR = 1.016, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.004–1.028]. In addition, our results suggest it is in the women that increased ambient temperature is more likely to contribute to acute appendicitis hospitalizations; we also found that the married are more susceptible to acute appendicitis hospitalizations due to increased ambient temperature than the unmarried; people in the 21–40 years old are more sensitive to ambient temperature than other age groups. The significant results of the differences between the subgroups indicate that the differences between the groups are all statistically significant. The elevated ambient temperatures increased the risk of hospitalizations for acute appendicitis. The females, married people, and patients aged 21–40 years old were more susceptible to ambient temperature. These findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the impact of high ambient temperature on acute appendicitis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of volleyball players' mental health training, there exists the problem of low parameter accuracy. In order to further improve the accuracy of mental health training methods, based on artificial intelligence calculation, the neural network and long and short-term memory network were used to analyze the model. Estimation algorithm was used to describe the data, and finally, the optimization model was obtained to describe the feasibility study of mental health. In addition, the relevant data were used to verify and analyze the model. The research shows that in the time update curve, with the increase of the model state, the corresponding curve on the whole first presents a fluctuating trend of different degrees. The increase of model state will make the corresponding time value gradually tend to flat. The fluctuation of the corresponding time index is obvious. Indicators corresponding to the status update curve show an obvious linear change trend with the increase in time, and the overall linear characteristics are obvious. This shows that when time is constant, the relationship between the corresponding parameter and the state value conforms to the linear law. The corresponding state index gradually increases and eventually tends to be stable. Through the analysis, it can be seen that the proportion of different indicators under the effect of artificial intelligence and the calculation results are different. The parameters show an obvious linear variation trend, indicating that the corresponding model parameters can well reflect the data changes. Finally, the accuracy of the model is verified by the method of experimental comparison. The relevant research results can provide a new model and a method for volleyball players' mental health training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, all types of electrical equipment put forward increasing requirements on the energy density of secondary rechargeable batteries. The low specific capacity of cathode material is the primary factor that restricts the energy density of Li-ion batteries. Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials have the advantages of high specific capacity, high operating voltage, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, they have the limitations of low first Coulombic efficiency and serious capacity/voltage attenuation. In this work, lithium polyacrylate (LiPAA) has been employed as a water-soluble binder in the electrode to develop a high-performance Li-rich Mn-based cathode. The effect of the LiPAA binder on voltage drop and electrochemical performance of Li[Li0.2Co0.13Ni0.13Mn0.54]O2 cathode has been examined to reveal the modification mechanism. The results show that carboxyl group (–COOH) in the LiPAA structure can form strong hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atoms in the active material, making the electrode components firmly bonded and thus maintaining the structural stability of the cathode upon cycling. Moreover, the LiPAA binder can effectively inhibit voltage drop of Li[Li0.2Co0.13Ni0.13Mn0.54]O2. The discharge voltage of the electrode decreases by only 117 mV after 50 cycles. Green water-soluble LiPAA has broad prospective applications as a binder of electrode materials of secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A label-free and ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1) gene was constructed via exonuclease III-assisted target recycling and dual enzyme-assisted signal amplification strategies. Capture DNA with a sulfhydryl group at its 3′ terminus was modified onto the surface of a bare gold electrode via an Au–S bond. Assisted DNA hybridized with basal DNA to form hybrid DNA in advance, and ORAOV1 gene hybridized continuously with such a hybrid DNA from the other terminus to construct intact double-stranded DNA. Exonuclease III digested basal DNA in such intact double-stranded DNA specifically, and both ORAOV1 gene and assisted DNA were released into solution. ORAOV1 gene induced another intact double-stranded DNA digestion for target recycling, while assisted DNA hybridized with the capture DNA to form double-stranded DNA on the modified electrode surface. Unhybridized capture DNA on the modified electrode surface was hydrolyzed by RecJf exonuclease to reduce the background electrochemical signal. The 3′ terminus of double-stranded DNA on the modified electrode surface was prolongated to be guanine-rich oligonucleotides under the catalysis of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. In the presence of K+ ions, hemin adsorbed onto guanine-rich oligonucleotides to construct a G-quadruplex/hemin complex with a large steric hindrance effect to efficiently avoid the charge transfer of the [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− probe toward the electrode surface. The electrochemical impedance value was increased significantly after the addition of ORAOV1 gene via exonuclease III-assisted target recycling and dual enzyme-assisted signal amplification strategies. The electrochemical impedance value was linearly related to the logarithmic concentration of ORAOV1 gene in the range from 0.05 fM to 20 pM, and the detection limit of ORAOV1 gene was low to 0.019 fM. This biosensor was used to detect ORAOV1 gene in complicated human saliva samples with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for HPV16 oncogene was explored. Hairpin DNA‐1, which can specifically bind with HPV16 oncogene, was fixed on the surface of gold electrode. Two hairpin DNAs underwent catalytic hairpin assembling with hairpin DNA‐1 to construct Y‐shaped DNA nanostructure, liberating HPV16 oncogene for target recycling. The 3' terminus of Y‐shaped DNA nanostructure was prolonged under the catalysis of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Methylene blue was adsorbed onto DNA nanostructure to generate characteristic differential pulse voltammetry signal. This signal was increased with the concentration of HPV16 oncogene, and the detection limit of HPV16 oncogene was as low as 0.19 fM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing frequency of extreme events caused by global climate change, the association between extreme precipitation (EP) and disease has aroused concern currently. However, no study has examined the relationship between EP and schizophrenia. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between EP and schizophrenia, and to further examine the difference between urban and rural areas. This study used quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to estimate the association between EP (≥ 95th percentile) and hospitalization for schizophrenia from 2010 to 2019 in the city of Lu'an, China. EP could significantly increase the risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia. The effect firstly appeared at lag1 [relative risk (RR): 1.056, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.003–1.110] and continued until lag17 (RR: 1.039, 95%CI: 1.004–1.075). Our research showed that EP had a significant effect on the hospitalization for schizophrenia in both urban and rural areas, and no significant difference was found (p>0.05). EP exerted more acute effects on schizophrenia living in rural areas than those in urban areas in the cold season. Further studies on the burden of schizophrenia found that patients who are male, aged ≤ 39 years or less, and living in urban areas are a priority for future warnings. We should pay more attention to the impact of EP on burden of schizophrenia, especially during the cold season, targeting those vulnerable groups, thereby implementing more accurate and timely preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scaffolds mimicking the native annulus fibrosus (AF) extracellular matrix (ECM) structure are crucial to guide the seeding cells to regenerate aligned tissue, while fabricating such a scaffold by synthetic material is challengeable. Native acellular scaffolds derived from AF tissue certainly possess the advantages of natural structure and composition. Based on previous studies, we modified decellularization procedure and especially compared two drying methods, including gradient dehydration and freeze-drying. The decellularization process can effectively remove the host cells and antigens such as α-Gal, while maintaining the original ECM including GAG and collagen I. Compared with gradient dehydration, freeze-drying not only rendered the decellularized scaffold in dry state for storage but also gave the scaffold more aligned porous structure and hydrophilicity. And, the acellular porous scaffold manifested better capacity of supporting cell ingrowth when seeded human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) or implanted in vivo. Furthermore, this optimized freeze-dried scaffold showed similar mechanical elastic modulus as native AF and demonstrated rare inflammatory granuloma and immune rejection as observed in HE staining and immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) of CD8 and MAC387 epitopes when implanted subcutaneously in vivo. To sum up, through our decellularization and freeze-drying procedure, an aligned porous three-dimensional scaffold derived from the natural AF ECM was successfully fabricated with good retention of ECM components and benign biocompatibility. It will be a promising scaffold for AF tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic helix loop helix (bHLH) transcription factor comprises one of the largest plant-specific transcriptional regulators in plant growth and development that response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Many members of bHLH play essential roles in the growth of root hair and response to drought, salt, and cold stresses. The family of bHLH genes has been found in many species; nevertheless, the barrel medic and alfalfa species still have a minute gap of bHLH new members thus far. This research aims to identify members of the bHLH family in barrel medic and alfalfa and elucidate their expression pattern level, network analysis, predictive 3D modeling and phylogenetic relationships. Here, we identified and characterized the bHLH gene family in both barrel medic and alfalfa plants and their genes expression response to drought, salinity, and cold stresses. A total of 159 MtbHLH and 133 MsbHLH genes were identified and characterized, divided into 18 subgroups and 17 subgroups, respectively. As a ubiquitous and popular method, neighbor-joining clustering was used. Based on the phylogenetic analyses, the VIII and IX subfamily and X subfamily were selected as the stress-related subfamily in these two species. The 154 MtbHLH genes were progressively distributed on the 8 chromosomes and 23 tandem duplicated genes, and 44 duplicated genes segments were detected in MtbHLH family. The analyses of gene ontology discovered the bHLH predominantly functions in protein and DNA binding in these two species. The results of Ka/Ks were < 1, which showed that the most orthologous of the bHLH gene values was found between A. thaliana and M. truncatula species. Remarkably, 7 MtbHLH and 10 MsbHLH genes were selected and validated with qRT-PCR after the treatment's samples sampled under stressed abiotic conditions. The similar expression patterns between M. truncatula and M. sativa L have demonstrated identical expression patterns level in the root, and contrasting patterns in the stems and leaves were diverse. It was highlighted that the gene expression analyses of 17 bHLH genes were up-regulated to stresses, respectively, apart from some genes that were timely trended down-regulated to control (0 h). This study provided a concise understanding of the tissue specific of bHLH gene functions in genome-wide levels under drought, salt, and cold stresses. Our analyses provide the first insights onto the M. truncatula and M. sativa L evolution that contributes to molecular breeding for improving plant yield and stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important forage legume in the world, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has high adaptability to various unfavorable climatic conditions and high biomass, and have been playing critical roles in animal husbandry and industrial applications. As α‐linolenic acid cannot be synthesized by animals, and most must be obtained from plants, the increasing of α‐linolenic acid content in alfalfa will greatly contribute to improve quality of livestock. However, the molecular mechanisms for α‐linolenic acid synthesis and accumulation in alfalfa are still limited. In this study, the importance of ω‐3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD) was demonstrated by analyzing α‐linolenic acid metabolic pathways, combined with the dynamics of accumulation of unsaturated fatty acids in alfalfa. Moreover, the FAD3.1 identified in alfalfa was located in the endoplasmic reticulum, and its expression level was consistent with the accumulation patterns of α‐linolenic acid in leaves. Heterologous expression in yeast cells proves that MsFAD3.1 was involved in the synthesis of α‐linolenic acid, and the α‐linolenic acid content in MsFAD3.1‐overexpression transgenic alfalfa lines was significantly increased. These results indicate that new alfalfa germplasm with high α‐linolenic acid content can be successfully created through biotechnology, providing a theoretical basis for further improving the quality of alfalfa and the nutritional value of dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely cultivated leguminous herb in the world. Its agricultural development has been restricted by various adverse environmental conditions, including water deficiency, high salinity, and low temperature. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) serve important roles in the regulation of plant development and stress responses. Research on the WRKY gene family has been reported for several species, but minimal information is available for alfalfa. In the present study, a total of 107 WRKY genes were identified in alfalfa and divided into 3 main groups. The classification, evolution, conserved motifs, and tissue expression were comprehensively analyzed. Meanwhile, 27 MsWRKY candidate genes that may be involved in abiotic stress were isolated through an analysis of gene expression profiles under different stresses, including cold, abscisic acid, drought, and salt treatments. Additionally, investigation of the cis-elements and potential biological functions of these genes further revealed that MsWRKY TFs may serve important roles in multiple stress resistance in alfalfa. This study provides an important foundation for future cloning and functional studies of WRKY genes in alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-specific NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC2) transcription factors (TFs) are a large gene family in plants that have been shown to play important roles in regulating many developmental processes and abiotic stress resistance. Here, a total of 113 Medicago sativa NAC (MsNAC) TFs, known as MsNAC001 to MsNAC113, were identified and divided into 15 distinct subgroups. A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the MsNAC TFs is presented, including phylogenetic relationships, membrane-bound, and conserved motifs. Fourteen MsNAC genes grouped into stress-related subgroup were isolated, and the cis-elements and potentially biological functions of these genes were further investigated. Coupled with expression analysis and qRT-PCR testing, differential expression profiles over time in response to drought and salinity treatments were observed. In transgenic yeast, overexpression of MsNAC001 and MsNAC058 increased tolerance to salt (both) and drought (MsNAC058) stresses. Our findings will provide a starting point for the functional investigation and application of this gene family for crop improvement, especially in legume species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]