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Transition metal catalysts supported on topological insulators are predicted to show improved catalytic properties due to the presence of topological surface states, which may float up to the catalysts and provide robust electron transfer. However, experimental studies of surface structures and corresponding catalytic properties of transition metal/topological insulator heterostructures have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we report the structures, chemical states, and adsorption behaviors of two conventional transition metal catalysts, Pt and Pd, on the surface of Bi2Se3, a common topological insulator material. We reveal that Pt forms nanoparticles on the Bi2Se3 surface. Moreover, the interaction between Pt and surface Se is observed. Furthermore, thermal dosing of O2 onto the Pt/Bi2Se3 heterostructure leads to no oxygen adsorption. Detailed scanning tunneling microscopy study indicates that Pt transforms into PtSe2 after the thermal process, thus preventing O2 from adsorption. For another transition metal Pd, it exhibits approximate layer-island growth on Bi2Se3, and Pd–Se interaction is also observed. Our work provides significant insights into the behaviors of transition metals on top of a common topological insulator material and will assist in the future design of catalysts built with topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgNbO3 (AN)-based lead-free antiferroelectric ceramics are widely studied for their use as dielectric capacitor materials. In this study, Eu3+-doped AN ceramics were prepared and the results show that Eu3+ diffused into the AN lattice. The ceramics were formed by M1 and M2 phases coexisting at room temperature, as distinct from the M1 (M: monoclinic) phase of pure AN. Electrical properties and structural characterization showed that the antiferroelectric stability of the ceramics increases with the increase in Eu3+ levels. At room temperature, Ag0.94Eu0.02NbO3 ceramic exhibited a good energy storage density of 5.3 J/cm3 and a high efficiency of 71.9%. When the temperature rises from room temperature to 140 °C, the efficiency of the sample decreases from 80.4% to 67.1% and Wr decreases from 2.1 to 2.0 J/cm3, which indicates that the sample has good temperature stability. The time constant (t0.9) of this sample was less than 60 ns and the power density (PD) was 51.3 MW/cm3, indicating excellent charge–discharge capabilities. This novel ceramic is expected to be used as a new dielectric capacitor material for pulsed power supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates global extreme precipitation events (EPEs) during warm seasons, with a particular focus on EPEs preceded by extreme heat stress (EPE-Hs) and a comparative analysis with those not (EPE-NHs). Using reanalysis product and Earth System Model data, the spatiotemporal characteristics and temperature sensitivities of EPEs are analyzed. Results show that EPE-Hs, while less frequent, have longer duration and greater magnitude compared to EPE-NHs, particularly in high latitude regions. In the future, a significant increase is projected in the characteristics of EPE-Hs, in contrast to the stable duration and magnitude of EPE-NHs. EPE-Hs demonstrate substantially higher temperature sensitivity than EPE-NHs, especially in low latitudes. The precipitation-temperature scaling relationships diverge markedly between EPE-Hs and EPE-NHs, with notable regional variations. These insights are pivotal for crafting region-specific early warning and adaptation strategies to mitigate the risks associated with extreme precipitation under the backdrop of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton is a widely planted commercial crop in the world. Enhancing fiber yield and quality is a long-term goal for cotton breeders. Our previous work has demonstrated that fine promotion of auxin biosynthesis in ovule epidermis, by overexpressing FBP7pro::iaaM, has a significant improvement on lint yield and fiber fineness. Lately, transgenic cottons overexpressing GhROP6 variants modify mature fiber length by controlling GhPIN3a-mediated polar auxin transport in ovules. Here, this study showed that all these GhROP6-related cottons displayed unsatisfactory agronomic performance in field conditions. Yet extra auxin supply could promote their fiber development, suggesting inadequate auxin supply in the ovules. Thus, these cottons were integrated with enhanced auxin synthesis by crossing with FBP7pro::iaaM cotton. All the transgene-stacked cottons exhibited synergetic effects on cotton yield (seedcotton yield, lint yield, and lint percentage) and quality (length, strength, and micronaire). Notably, comparing to the FBP7pro::iaaM background, the transgene-stacked cotton co-expressing FBP7pro::iaaM and CA-ghrop6 (constitutively active GhROP6) exhibited a 12.6% increase in seedcotton yield and a 19.0% increase in lint yield over a three-year field trial, and simultaneously resulted in further improvement on fiber length, strength, and micronaire. Collectively, our data provide a potential strategy for genetic improvement on cotton fiber yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the fact incidence and mortality vary widely among regions, sepsis remains a major cause of morbidity and cost worldwide. The importance of the endothelial barrier in sepsis and infectious diseases is increasingly recognized; however, the underlying pathophysiology of the endothelial barrier in sepsis remains poorly understood. Areas covered: Here we review the advances in basic and clinical research for relevant papers in PubMed database. We attempt to provide an updated overview of immunological alterations in endothelial dysfunction, discussing the central role of endothelial barrier involved in sepsis to provide new predictive and therapeutic paradigm for sepsis. Expert opinion: Given its physiological and immunological functions in infectious diseases, the endothelial barrier has been dramatically altered in sepsis, suggesting that endothelial dysfunction may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Although many reliable biomarkers have been investigated to monitor endothelial activation and injury in an attempt to find diagnostic and therapeutic tools, there are no specific therapies to treat sepsis due to its complex pathophysiology. Since sepsis is initiated by both hyperinflammation and immunoparalysis occurring simultaneously, a 'one-treatment-fits-all' strategy for sepsis-induced immune injury and immunoparalysis is bound to fail, and an individualized 'precision medicine' approach is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study assessed the diagnostic value of microRNA-200 (miR-200) expression in peripheral blood-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 100 healthy volunteers (the control group) receiving physical examinations, 168 early-stage NSCLC patients (the NSCLC group), and 128 patients with benign lung nodules (the benign group). The basic and clinical data of participants were obtained, including age, sex, smoking history, carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA242), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), forced expiratory volume in 1 s, maximal voluntary ventilation, forced vital capacity, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and miR-200 expression. The correlation of miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs with CA242, CEA, and CA199 was analyzed, and the diagnostic value of peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 for early-stage NSCLC was assessed. The risk factors of early-stage NSCLC development were also determined. Results: Age, the percentage of patients with smoking history, CA242, CEA, CA199, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, and miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs were significantly higher in the NSCLC group than in the benign and control groups. Lung disease patients with high miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs comprised a higher percentage of patients with smoking history and mixed lesions and had higher CA242, CEA, CA199, and TNF-α levels than those with low miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs. In lung diseases, miR-200 expression in peripheral blood-derived EVs was significantly and positively correlated with CA242, CEA, and CA199. Peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 combined with CA242, CEA and CA199 had higher diagnostic value (area under the curve = 0.942) than single detection, along with higher specificity, and high expression of peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 was an independent risk factor for early-stage NSCLC. Conclusion: Peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 expression in patients with lung diseases is closely correlated with CA242, CEA, and CA199, and high expression of peripheral blood-derived EV miR-200 is an independent risk factor for early-stage NSCLC and is of high clinical diagnostic value for early-stage NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy is a commonly used method in the treatment of bladder cancers (BC). Radiation-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) is related to the immune response against cancers and their prognoses. Even though dendritic cells (DC) act as powerful antigen-presenting cells in the body, their precise role in this ICD process remains unclear. Accordingly, an in vitro study was undertaken to ascertain whether high-dose radiation-induced ICD of BC cells could regulate the immune response of DC. The results indicated that high-dose radiation treatments of BC cells significantly increased their levels of apoptosis, blocked their cell cycle in the G2/M phase, increased their expression of ICD-related proteins, and upregulated their secretion of CCL5 and CCL21 which control the directed migration of DC. It was also noted that expression of CD80, CD86, CCR5, and CCR7 on DC was upregulated in the medium containing the irradiated cells. In conclusion, the present findings illustrate that high-dose radiation can induce the occurrence of ICD within BC cells, concomitantly resulting in the activation of DC. Such findings could be of great significance in increasing the understanding how radiotherapy of BC may work to bring about reductions in cell activity and how these processes in turn lead to immunoregulation of the function of DC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphics processing units (GPUs) are becoming a compelling acceleration strategy for geoscience numerical models due to their powerful computing performance. In this study, AMD's heterogeneous-compute interface for portability (HIP) was implemented to port the GPU acceleration version of the piecewise parabolic method (PPM) solver (GPU-HADVPPM) from NVIDIA GPUs to China's domestic GPU-like accelerators like GPU-HADVPPM4HIP. Further, it introduced the multi-level hybrid parallelism scheme to improve the total computational performance of the HIP version of the CAMx (Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions; CAMx-HIP) model on China's domestic heterogeneous cluster. The experimental results show that the acceleration effect of GPU-HADVPPM on the different GPU accelerators is more apparent when the computing scale is more extensive, and the maximum speedup of GPU-HADVPPM on the domestic GPU-like accelerator is 28.9 × faster. The hybrid parallelism with a message passing interface (MPI) and HIP enables achieving up to a 17.2 × speedup when configuring 32 CPU cores and GPU-like accelerators on the domestic heterogeneous cluster. The OpenMP technology is introduced further to reduce the computation time of the CAMx-HIP model by 1.9 ×. More importantly, by comparing the simulation results of GPU-HADVPPM on NVIDIA GPUs and domestic GPU-like accelerators, it is found that the simulation results of GPU-HADVPPM on domestic GPU-like accelerators have less difference than the NVIDIA GPUs. Furthermore, we also show that the data transfer efficiency between CPU and GPU has a meaningful essential impact on heterogeneous computing and point out that optimizing the data transfer efficiency between CPU and GPU is one of the critical directions to improve the computing efficiency of geoscience numerical models in heterogeneous clusters in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new butylphthalide ligusticumolide H (1), together with the known butylphthalides senkyunolide I (2), senkyunolide H (3), (3 R,3′S)-3′-hydroxy-3-butylphthalide (4), (3 R)-4-hydroxy-3-butylphthalide (5) and senkyunolide C (6) was isolated from the rhizome of Ligusticum striatum DC. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses including HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and the absolute configuration of 1 was established by NMR and ECD calculations. Their effect on NO production in IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes was also evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary context, pest detection is progressively moving toward automation and intelligence. However, current pest detection algorithms still face challenges, such as lower accuracy and slower operation speed in detecting small objects. To address this issue, this study presents a crop pest target detection algorithm, GLU-YOLOv8, designed for complex scenes based on an enhanced version of You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8). The algorithm introduces the SCYLLA-IOU (SIOU) loss function, which enhances the model generalization to various pest sizes and shapes by ensuring smoothness and reducing oscillations during training. Additionally, the algorithm incorporates the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) and Locality Sensitive Kernel (LSK) attention mechanisms to boost the pest target features. A novel Gated Linear Unit CONV (GLU-CONV) is also introduced to enhance the model's perceptual and generalization capabilities while maintaining performance. Furthermore, GLU-YOLOv8 includes a small-object detection layer with a feature map size of 160 × 160 to extract more features of small-target pests, thereby improving detection accuracy and enabling more precise localization and identification of small-target pests. The study conducted a comparative analysis between the GLU-YOLOv8 model and other models, such as YOLOv8, Faster RCNN, and RetinaNet, to evaluate detection accuracy and precision. In the Scolytidae forestry pest dataset, GLU-YOLOv8 demonstrated an improvement of 8.2% in mAP@0.50 for small-target detection compared to the YOLOv8 model, with a resulting mAP@0.50 score of 97.4%. Specifically, on the IP102 dataset, GLU-YOLOv8 outperforms the YOLOv8 model with a 7.1% increase in mAP@0.50 and a 5% increase in mAP@0.50:0.95, reaching 58.7% for mAP@0.50. These findings highlight the significant enhancement in the accuracy and recognition rate of small-target detection achieved by GLU-YOLOv8, along with its efficient operational performance. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing small-target detection models for various pests and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis remains a major public health concern in China, with varying prevalence and drug resistance profiles across regions. This study explores the genetic diversity and drug-resistant profiles of MTB strains in Hinggan League, a high TB burden in Inner Mongolia, China. Methods: This population-based retrospective study, encompassing all culture-positive TB cases from Jun. 2021 to Jun. 2023 in Hinggan League. Drug resistant profiles and genetic diversity of MTB strains were assessed using phenotypic drug susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing. Risk factors associated with drug resistance were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: A total of 211 MTB strains were recovered successfully and included into final analysis. Lineage 2.2.1 (88.6%, 187/211) was the dominant sub-lineage, followed by lineage 4.5 (7.1%, 15/211) and lineage 4.4 (4.3%, 9/211). MTB strains exhibited the highest resistance rates to isoniazid (16.1%, 34/211), followed by rifampicin (10.0, 21/211). In addition, the MTB strains also showed relatively high rates of resistance against new and repurposed anti-TB drugs, with resistant rates of 2.4% (5/211) to delamanid and 1.9% (4/211) to bedaquiline. Overall, 25.6% (54/211) of MTB strains were DR-TB, and 14 MTB strains met the definition of MDR-TB, including 7 strains of simple-MDR-TB, 5 of pre-XDR-TB, and 2 of XDR-TB. Genetic analysis revealed that the dominant mutations of isoniazid-, rifampin-, ethambutol-, levofloxacin-/moxifloxacin-, and ethionamide- resistance were katG_Ser315Thr(46.4%), rpoB_Ser450Leu (47.4%), embB_Met306Val (25.0%), gyrA_Asp94Ala (40.0%), and fabG1_c15t (42.9%), respectively. Previously treated patients (AOR = 2.015, 95% CI: 1.052– 4.210) and male patients (AOR = 3.858, 95% CI: 1.416– 10.511) were identified as independent risk factors associated with DR-TB. Conclusion: Our study offers crucial insights into the genetic diversity and drug-resistant profiles of TB strains circulating in Hinggan League. These findings are valuable for DR-TB surveillance and for guiding treatment regimens and public health interventions in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactarius hatsudake Tanaka is a mycorrhizal edible mushroom with an appealing taste and rich nutrition. It is also a significant food and has medicinal value. In this study, the plantation of L. hatsudake during the harvest period was taken as the research object, and this article explores which bacteria in the soil contribute to the production and growth of L. hatsudake. The soil of the control (CK) and the soil of the mushroom-producing area [including the soil of the base of the mushroom (JT) and the mycorrhizal root soil (JG)] was collected in the plantation. The three sites' bacterial community structure and soil diversity were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology, and a molecular ecological network was built. Soil bacteria in the L. hatsudake plantation had 28 tribes, 74 classes, 161 orders, 264 families, 498 genera, and 546 species. The dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, and the dominant genera were Burkholderia_Caballeronia_Paraburkholderia, Acidothermus, Bradyrhizobium, Candidatus_Xiphinematobacter, and Granulicella. The α-diversity of soil bacteria in JT was significantly lower than that in JG and CK, and the β-diversity in JT samples was significantly different from that in JG and CK samples. The size and complexity of the constructed network were smaller in JT samples than in JG and CK samples, and the stability was higher in JT samples than in JG and CK samples. The positive correlation between species in JT samples was dominant. The potential mycorrhizal helper bacteria (MHB) species of L. hatsudake was determined using correlation and differential group analysis. The results support future research on mycorrhizal synthesis, plantation management, and the function of microorganisms in the soil rhizosphere of L. hatsudake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this prospective study, the diagnosis accuracy of nanopore sequencing-based Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) detection was determined through examining bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples from pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) -suspected patients. Compared the diagnostic performance of nanopore sequencing, mycobacterial growth indicator tube (MGIT) culture and Xpert MTB/rifampin resistance (MTB/RIF) assays. Methods: Specimens collected from suspected PTB cases across China from September 2021 to April 2022 were tested then assay diagnostic accuracy rates were compared. Results: Among the 111 suspected PTB cases that were ultimately diagnosed as PTB, the diagnostic rate of nanopore sequencing was statistically significant different from other assays (P < 0.05). Fleiss' kappa values of 0.219 and 0.303 indicated fair consistency levels between MTB detection results obtained using nanopore sequencing versus other assays, respectively. Respective PTB diagnostic sensitivity rates of MGIT culture, Xpert MTB/RIF and nanopore sequencing of 36.11%, 40.28% and 83.33% indicated superior sensitivity of nanopore sequencing. Analysis of area under the curve (AUC), Youden's index and accuracy values and the negative predictive value (NPV) indicated superior MTB detection performance for nanopore sequencing (with Xpert MTB/RIF ranking second), while the PTB diagnostic accuracy rate of nanopore sequencing exceeded corresponding rates of the other methods. Conclusions: In comparison with MGIT culture and Xpert MTB/RIF assays, BALF's nanopore sequencing provided superior MTB detection sensitivity and thus is suitable for testing of sputum-scarce suspected PTB cases. However, negative results obtained using these assays should be confirmed based on additional evidence before ruling out a PTB diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordinated efforts to reduce haze and carbon emissions are important in promoting global climate governance and sustainable development. In this paper, based on prefecture-level data of China from 2005 to 2019, we investigate the impact of environmental regulatory intensity on the emissions of the concentration of PM2.5 and carbon dioxide (CO2). The research indicates that environmental regulation facilitates synergistic governance for PM2.5 reduction and carbon mitigation. Green technological advancement emerges as the primary mechanism through which environmental regulation achieves haze reduction and carbon mitigation. This conclusion remains robust after a series of robustness tests. Furthermore, the results from quantile regression reveal that the haze reduction and carbon mitigation effects of environmental regulation are subject to certain conditional dependencies. Environmental regulation exhibits a significant negative impact on carbon emissions across various quantile points. However, their influence on different quantile levels of PM2.5 concentration displays an asymmetric pattern. Finally, threshold regression findings suggest that there is no significant threshold effect of environmental regulation on CO2 emissions, but there are dual threshold effects on the PM2.5 concentration. Therefore, it is recommended that local governments judiciously implement environmental regulatory intensity, establish interregional policies for haze reduction and carbon mitigation, and fully harness the driving force of green technology to promote a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Metronomic capecitabine used as an adjuvant therapy improves survival in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). This therapeutic approach may also contribute to improving immune function, consequently enhancing overall therapeutic efficacy. Aim: We aimed to evaluate the effect of metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy on immune function and survival in cases of LA-NPC. Subjects and methods: 28 patients with LA-NPC were enrolled in the study and equally assigned to two groups of 14 each: experimental and control group. The experimental group received induction chemotherapy + concurrent chemotherapy + adjuvant chemotherapy as well as oral capecitabine at a dose of 650 mg/m² of body surface area twice daily for 1 year, with the option to discontinue in case of intolerance. The control group did not receive additional chemotherapy or targeted drugs after the induction chemotherapy + concurrent chemoradiotherapy; however, they were followed up regularly. Changes in immune function and survival were compared between the two groups. Results: The median follow-up time was 43.5 months. One year after adjuvant chemotherapy, the experimental group showed higher levels of CD8 + cells, CD28 + CD8 + cells, and activated CD8 + cells compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The CD4/CD8 ratio and proportion of monocyte-derived dendritic cells were also higher in the experimental group than in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P ≥ 0.05). Comparisons of 3-year overall survival, local-regional recurrence-free survival, progression-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival between the two groups showed percentages of 92.9% vs. 78.6%, 92.9% vs. 92.9%, 78.6% vs. 71.4%, and 85.7% vs. 0.78 0.6% respectively, but these differences were not significant (P > 0 0.05). Conclusion: Metronomic capecitabine chemotherapy was observed to induce an immunomodulatory effect in LA-NPC. Trial registration: NCT02958111, date of registration 04-11-2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollow structures with a hierarchical architecture and multi-composition have attracted extensive interest because of their fascinating physicochemical properties as well as wide applications. To improve the efficiency of overall water splitting, highly active and stable electrocatalysts are highly desirable. A novel high-efficiency oxygen defect based hierarchical hollow nanosheet-based-nanosphere Co–NiMoO4-HNS electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution was arranged by doping Co on a Ni-MoEG yolk/shell nanosphere. Co–NiMoO4-HNS has a greater hydrophilicity and smaller band gap than that of NiMoO4-CS. Post OER characterization indicates that the main active phase of the Co2–NiMoO4-HNS catalysts toward the OER are amorphous Ni3+, Co3+, and H–O and the high-valent Mo (+6) can make nickel and cobalt better maintain Ni3+ and Co3+ sites. Remarkably, this hierarchical hollow Co2–NiMoO4-HNS catalyst exhibits a favorable catalytic performance toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a receivable overpotential of 270 mV achieving a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 65 mV dec−1. In expansion, as an electrocatalyst, Co2–NiMo4-HNS appeared to have a great long-term steadiness in the electrolyte. This work may give a broad hypothetical and specialized background for plans of cost-effective bifunctional electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary periodic paralysis (PPP) is an inherited disorders of ion channel dysfunction characterized by recurrent episodes of flaccid muscle weakness, which can classified as hypokalemic (HypoPP), normokalemic (NormoPP), or hyperkalemic (HyperPP) according to the potassium level during the paralytic attacks. However, PPP is charactered by remarkable clinical and genetic heterogeneity, and the diagnosis of suspected patients is based on the characteristic clinical presentation then confirmed by genetic testing. At present, there are only limited cohort studies on PPP in the Chinese population. Results: We included 37 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PPP. Eleven (29.7%) patients were tested using a specific gene panel and 26 (70.3%) by the whole-exome sequencing (WES). Twenty-two cases had a genetic variant identified, representing a diagnostic rate of 59.5% (22/37). All the identified mutations were either in the SCN4A or the CACNA1S gene. The overall detection rate was comparable between the panel (54.5%: 6/11) and WES (61.5%: 16/26). The remaining patients unresolved through panel sequencing were further analyzed by WES, without the detection of any mutation. The novel atypical splicing variant c.2020-5G > A affects the normal splicing of the SCN4A mRNA, which was confirmed by minigene splicing assay. Among 21 patients with HypoPP, 15 patients were classified as HypoPP-2 with SCN4A variants, and 6 HypoPP-1 patients had CACNA1S variants. Conclusions: Our results suggest that SCN4A alleles are the main cause in our cohort, with the remainder caused by CACNA1S alleles, which are the predominant cause in Europe and the United States. Additionally, this study identified 3 novel SCN4A and 2 novel CACNA1S variants, broadening the mutation spectrum of genes associated with PPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Orchidaceae is one of the largest groups of angiosperms, and most species have high economic value and scientific research value due to their ornamental and medicinal properties. In China, Chinese Cymbidium is a popular ornamental orchid with high economic value and a long history. However, to date, no detailed information on the mitochondrial genome of any species of Chinese Cymbidium has been published. Results: Here, we present the complete assembly and annotation of the mitochondrial genome of Cymbidium ensifolium (L.) Sw. The mitogenome of C. ensifolium was 560,647 bp in length and consisted of 19 circular subgenomes ranging in size from 21,995 bp to 48,212 bp. The genome encoded 35 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNAs, 3 rRNAs, and 3405 ORFs. Repeat sequence analysis and prediction of RNA editing sites revealed a total of 915 dispersed repeats, 162 simple repeats, 45 tandem repeats, and 530 RNA editing sites. Analysis of codon usage showed a preference for codons ending in A/T. Interorganellar DNA transfer was identified in 13 of the 19 chromosomes, with plastid-derived DNA fragments representing 6.81% of the C. ensifolium mitochondrial genome. The homologous fragments of the mitochondrial genome and nuclear genome were also analysed. Comparative analysis showed that the GC content was conserved, but the size, structure, and gene content of the mitogenomes varied greatly among plants with multichromosomal mitogenome structure. Phylogenetic analysis based on the mitogenomes reflected the evolutionary and taxonomic statuses of C. ensifolium. Interestingly, compared with the mitogenomes of Cymbidium lancifolium Hook. and Cymbidium macrorhizon Lindl., the mitogenome of C. ensifolium lost 8 ribosomal protein-coding genes. Conclusion: In this study, we assembled and annotated the mitogenome of C. ensifolium and compared it with the mitogenomes of other Liliidae and plants with multichromosomal mitogenome structures. Our findings enrich the mitochondrial genome database of orchid plants and reveal the rapid structural evolution of Cymbidium mitochondrial genomes, highlighting the potential for mitochondrial genes to help decipher plant evolutionary history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling capacitance between the line and the transducer cannot be ignored when making non‐contact voltage measurements on low‐voltage three‐phase power lines. This leads to an increase in the number of unknown capacitances, and the number of correlatable response voltage equations is less than the number of unknown coupling capacitances. In this paper, a simplified decoupling method is proposed based on the characteristics of triangular three‐phase lines erected in distribution areas. Firstly, the equivalent circuit measured by the voltage sensing mechanism during three‐phase operation is established, and the three‐phase line response voltage equation is derived. Secondly, this paper proposes a three‐phase line response voltage decoupling algorithm after designing the decoupling matrix. Then, this paper uses the least squares method to solve the coefficients in the equations. Finally, the three‐phase voltage fluctuations of the actual low‐voltage stations are simulated by simulation. The measured sensor voltage values are substituted into the algorithm to invert and calculate the three‐phase line voltage. The three‐phase phase error is less than 2°. The amplitude error is less than 1.77%. The experiment verifies the stability and accuracy of the proposed decoupling method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper virus (CDV) can cause fatal infections in giant pandas. Vaccination is crucial to prevent CDV infection in giant pandas. In this study, two bacterium-like particle vaccines F3-GEM and H4-GEM displaying the trimeric F protein or tetrameric H protein of CDV were constructed based on the Gram-positive enhanced-matrix protein anchor (GEM-PA) surface display system. Electron microscopy and Western blot results revealed that the F or H protein was successfully anchored on the surface of GEM particles. Furthermore, one more bacterium-like particle vaccine F3 and H4-GEM was also designed, a mixture consisting of F3-GEM and H4-GEM at a ratio of 1:1. To evaluate the effect of the three vaccines, mice were immunized with F3-GEM, H4-GEM or F3 and H4-GEM. It was found that the level of IgG-specific antibodies and neutralizing antibodies in the F3 and H4-GEM group was higher than the other two groups. Additionally, F3 and H4-GEM also increased the secretion of Th1-related and Th2-related cytokines. Moreover, F3 and H4-GEM induce IgG and neutralizing antibodies' response in dogs. Conclusions: In summary, F3 and H4-GEM can provoke better immune responses to CDV in mice and dogs. The bacterium-like particle vaccine F3 and H4-GEM might be a potential vaccine candidate for giant pandas against CDV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector, as a source and a sink of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is critical for achieving carbon neutrality. Many academic journals have published papers on land use carbon emission or sink (LUCES), but LUCES reviews are relatively rare, which poses great challenges in accurately understanding the research progress and future prospects. This work analyzes the research characteristics, hotspots and future perspectives of LUCES research by using a bibliometric analysis (such as DDA, VOSviewer, CiteSpace software) and a review based on the data (6115 scientific papers) during 1991–2023 from the Web of Science (WoS) platform. We found that (1) over the past 33 years, it first presented a steady growth, then fluctuating growth, and finally a rapid growth trend in the yearly number of publications in LUCES research. The USA (17.31%), China (14.96%), and the UK (7.37%) occupy a dominant position in this research field. (2) The related LUCES research is interdisciplinary, which mainly cover science and technology, meteorology and atmospheric sciences, geology, and environmental sciences and ecology disciplines. (3) The research hotspot analysis on LUCES shows that these articles mostly covered the follow three aspects: ecosystem services, climate change, and carbon neutrality. (4) A review of the past LUCES literature suggests that it is mainly focused on exploring the forefront issues in terms of the definition and boundaries, evaluation method and influencing factors, etc. This work suggests that further research could explore the main scientific problems on quantification of land-based carbon neutrality, quantitative analysis of the impact mechanisms, as well as interdisciplinary research and collaborative governance needed for carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This review was implemented to examine the impact of bone metastasis on the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Methods: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and Embase databases up to 4th September 2022. Multivariable adjusted data were pooled in a random-effects model. Results: 13 studies were included. On a combined analysis of 10 studies, it was noted that bony metastasis was associated with poor overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs (HR: 1.55 95% CI 1.24, 1.94 I2 = 69% p = 0.001). Meta-analysis of seven studies showed that bony metastasis was not associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs (HR: 1.31 95% CI 0.85, 2.01 I2 = 85% p = 0.22). Meta-regression analysis using the moderator's age, male gender, smoking history, squamous histology, and ICI as 1st line therapy for the outcome OS was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The presence of bone metastasis is a predictor of poor OS in NSCLC treated with ICIs. However, PFS does not seem to be influenced by the presence of bone metastasis. Clinicians should prioritize the management of NSCLC patients with bone metastasis and explore the use of combination therapies to achieve optimal results. Further studies taking into account different combination therapies for such patients would strengthen the evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy resin (EP) has attracted considerable attention in packaging, electronic devices, aerospace, and coatings fields owing to its remarkable chemical and physical performance. However, the inherent flammable performance and unfavorable brittle nature seriously restricted its application in sophisticated industry. Herein, an efficient reactive 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO)‐based flame retardant (DB‐DAD) was prepared by a facile "one‐pot" method. Due to their synergistic gas‐phase and solid‐phase flame‐retardant effects, DB‐DAD modified EP composites (EP/DB‐DAD composite) easily achieved UL‐94 V‐0 ratings, and an EP/DB‐DAD composite with a 0.32 wt% phosphorus content had an excellent (30.2%) limiting oxygen index. In addition, the amounts of heat and smoke decreased by 28.1% and 24.8%, respectively. Due to the introduction of long and flexible aliphatic chains, the EP/DB‐DAD composites exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties, the flexural and tensile toughness of EP/6% DB‐DAD were 82.5% and 62.2% higher than those of neat EP, respectively. Furthermore, EP/DB‐DAD composite showed good transparency (>85%) and favorable UV shielding performance. The EP/DB‐DAD composite with good comprehensive performance is extremely promising to accelerate EP application in high‐tech industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper centers its attention on an anisotropic area-preserving flow with the goal of establishing the existence of smooth solutions to the even, planar logarithmic Minkowski problem by the asymptotic behavior of this flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiYGeO4 phosphors doped with Dy3+ and Eu3+ ions were synthesized using the solid phase method, and their color characteristics were adjustable. The bandgap value of LiYGeO4 calculated by diffuse reflection data is very close to the theoretical value of 3.669 eV, indicating that LiYGeO4 is an ideal candidate for doped rare earth activated ions. The analysis of the emission spectra and fluorescence attenuation curves of Dy3+ and Eu3+ co-doped LiYGeO4 phosphors revealed a clear energy transfer process: energy transfer from Dy3+ to Eu3+. Analysis of emission spectra and fluorescence attenuation curves revealed a transfer of energy from Dy3+ to Eu3+. This transfer mechanism is attributed to the dipole–dipole interactions. In addition, by constantly adjusting the doping levels of Dy3+ and Eu3+, a warm white phosphor with a color temperature of 3881 K was obtained. Finally, the emission intensity of the LiYGeO4:0.015Dy3+,0.02Eu3+ phosphor at 423 K was 86%, indicating that the phosphor has excellent thermal stability and 40% internal quantum efficiency, which proves the potential application of the LiYGeO4 phosphor in white light-emitting diodes (w-LEDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using full configuration interaction (FCI) and multi‐reference configuration interaction methods (MRCI), reliable geometrical and energetic references for Bn (n = 1–4) clusters were established. The accuracy of the computed results was confirmed by comparison with available experimental data. Benchmark calculations indicated that B97D3, B97D, VSXC, HCTH407, BP86 and CCSD(T) methods provided reasonable results for structural parameters, with mean absolute error (MAEs) within 0.020 Å. Among the tested density functional theory (DFT) methods, the VSXC functional showed the best performance in predicting the relative energies of B1B4 with a MAE of 12.8 kJ mol−1. Besides, B1B95, B971, TPSS, B3LYP, and BLYP functionals exhibited reasonable performance with MAE values of less than 15.0 kJ mol−1. T1 diagnostic values between 0.035 and 0.109 at the CCSD(T) level revealed strong correlations in B2B4 clusters, highlighting the need for caution in using CCSD(T) as an energy reference for small boron clusters. The methods of CCSDT, CCSDT(Q) and CCSDT[Q], which incorporate three‐electron and four‐electron excitations, effectively improved the accuracy of the energy calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The properties of Lactarius hatsudake strains were evaluated to screen high-quality strains of L. hatsudake for mycorrhizal seedling inoculation and to improve the yield of L. hatudake plantations. [Method] Ten L . hatsudake strains ( JH1, JH2, JH4, JH5, JH7, JH8, JH10, JH11, JH12 and JH13) were inoculated into PDA and BAF media to determine strain growth vigor (mycelial growth rate and mycelial biomass). The mycorrhizal synthesis ability (mycorrhizal number, mycorrhizal infestation rate and mycorrhizalisation rate) and host plant growth (seedling height, main root length, ground diameter and dry weight) were measured by inoculating L. hatsudake strains on seedlings of Pinus massoniana after 210 d. Correlation analysis and subordinate function method were used for evaluate trains comprehensively. [Result] ➀ Among the 10 strains, JH1 had the fastest mycelial growth rate of 3.17 mm/d on PDA solid culture, and JH5 had the largest mycelial biomass of 3.28 g/L on BAF liquid culture. ➁ All strains were able to synthesize ectomycorrhiza with P. massoniana and mycorrhizal forms were variable. When the seedlings of P. massoniana were inoculated with JH5 strain, average number of mycorrhizae, mycorrhizalization rate and mycorrhizal infestation rate were 45.65, 90.67% and 79.60%, showing significantly higher ability to synthesize mycorrhiza than other strains. ➂ Seedlings of P. massoniana inoculated with different L. hatsudake strains performed differently in terms of seedling height, main root length, ground diameter and dry weight. Seedlings with JH4 performed best in terms of seedling height, main root length and dry weight, which were 24.45%, 16.72% and 53.33% higher than the control, respectively. Seedlings inoculated with JH5 performed best in terms of ground diameter, which was 5.19% higher than to the control. ➃ Correlation analysis showed that mycelial biomass was significantly and positively correlated with mycorrhizal rate and dry weight of mycorrhizal seedlings (P<0.01). Mycorrhizal number was significantly and positively correlated with mycorrhizal rate and ground diameter of mycorrhial seedlings (P<0.01). ➄ The comprehensive evaluation showed that JH5 was the best strain for cultivating mycorrhizal seedlings, while JH4 and JH7 were superior strains. [Conclusion] With better mycelial growth vigor and mycorrhizal seedling quality, JH5 was screened as excellent L. hatsudake strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional reconstruction of forest ecological environment by low-altitude remote sensing photography from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) provides a powerful basis for the fine surveying of forest resources and forest management. A stereo vision system, D-SLAM, is proposed to realize simultaneous localization and dense mapping for UAVs in complex forest ecological environments. The system takes binocular images as input and 3D dense maps as target outputs, while the 3D sparse maps and the camera poses can be obtained. The tracking thread utilizes temporal clue to match sparse map points for zero-drift localization. The relative motion amount and data association between frames are used as constraints for new keyframes selection, and the binocular image spatial clue compensation strategy is proposed to increase the robustness of the algorithm tracking. The dense mapping thread uses Linear Attention Network (LANet) to predict reliable disparity maps in ill-posed regions, which are transformed to depth maps for constructing dense point cloud maps. Evaluations of three datasets, EuRoC, KITTI and Forest, show that the proposed system can run at 30 ordinary frames and 3 keyframes per second with Forest, with a high localization accuracy of several centimeters for Root Mean Squared Absolute Trajectory Error (RMS ATE) on EuRoC and a Relative Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) with two average values of 0.64 and 0.2 for trel and Rrel with KITTI, outperforming most mainstream models in terms of tracking accuracy and robustness. Moreover, the advantage of dense mapping compensates for the shortcomings of sparse mapping in most Smultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) systems and the proposed system meets the requirements of real-time localization and dense mapping in the complex ecological environment of forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the toxicity and clinical efficacy of TL (docetaxel + lobaplatin) induction chemotherapy combined with lobaplatin concurrent chemoradiotherapy and TPF (docetaxel + cisplatin + 5-fluorouracil) induction chemotherapy combined with cisplatin concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Methods and patients: In total, 128 patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer were prospectively enrolled between August 2016 and April 2021. They were randomly divided into trial group and control group, all using chronological dosage mode. The trial group used TL regimen induction chemotherapy combined with lobaplatin concurrent chemoradiotherapy; the control group used TPF regimen induction chemotherapy and cisplatin concurrent chemotherapy. The endpoints were adverse events and survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years. Results: Median follow-up was 42 months (20–71 months). (1) Adverse events: During induction chemotherapy, compared with TPF group, grade 3–4 leukocytes and neutrophils, diarrhea, 1–2 hyperbilirubinemia, nausea / vomiting, oral mucositis, fatigue, anorexia, hyponatremia were significantly lower in TL group (p<0. 05): 6% vs. 35%, 14% vs. 53%, 0% vs. 6%, 15% vs. 40%, 9% vs. 56%, 0% vs. 10%, 3% vs. 13%, 2% vs. 23%, 15% vs. 74%. During chemoradiotherapy, the incidence of hyponatremia, hypokalaemia and grade 1–2 nausea was significantly lower in the TL group (p<0. 05), with 24% vs. 69%, 20% vs. 65% and 24% vs. 44%, respectively. However, more grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia were observed in the TL group (15% vs. 3%, p<0. 05). (2) There was no significant difference in the recent objective response rate (ORR) between patients with TL group and TPF group (p=0.961). (3) There was no statistical difference in 1, 3 and 5 years OS between TL group and TPF group, respectively, (71.0% vs. 67.5%, p=0.573), (56.6% vs. 56.9%, p=0.814), (52.5% vs. 52.9%, p=0.841); 1, 3 and 5 years PFS are: (63.4% vs. 64.0%, p=0.883), (51.1% vs. 54.0%, p=0.705) and (47.3% vs. 45.9%, p=0.887), None of them were significantly different. Multivariate analysis of COX regression showed that T stage (p=0.01) and surgery (p=0.046) were independent factors affecting PFS and OS, respectively. OS subgroup analysis shows that people receiving the TL regimen in postoperative and nodal stage N1 and N2 patients tended to survive longer than those receiving the TPF regimen. Conclusion: Patients with postoperative, N1 or N2 stage locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) may have more significant clinical benefits when treated with TL regimen. TL regimen has advantages in reducing toxic side effects and can be used as one of the first-line treatment options. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (No. NCT03117257). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperlipidemia (HLP) is a metabolic disorder caused by abnormal lipid metabolism. Recently, the prevalence of HLP caused by poor dietary habits in the population has been increasing year by year. In addition, lipid-lowering drugs currently in clinical use have shown significant improvement in blood lipid levels, but are accompanied by certain side effects. However, bioactive marine substances have been shown to possess a variety of physiological activities such as hypoglycemic, antioxidant, antithrombotic and effects on blood pressure. Therefore, the hypolipidemic efficacy of marine bioactive substances with complex and diverse structures has also attracted attention. This paper focuses on the therapeutic role of marine-derived polysaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, and bioactive peptides in HLP, and briefly discusses the main mechanisms by which these substances exert their hypolipidemic activity in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the aircraft skin is assembled by riveted structural parts, and the riveted holes are prone to cracks due to stress concentration, so it is urgent to carry out non-destructive testing research on aircraft riveted components. In this paper, a planar remote-field eddy current focusing detection probe was designed to study the hidden defects around the holes of aircraft riveted components, and a 3D simulation model was established for the detection of hidden defects in aircraft riveted components. The structural parameters of the focused remote-field eddy current probe were optimized by combining simulation and experiment, and the planar remote-field eddy current focusing detection test was carried out. The simulation and results showed that: When the inclination angle of the excitation coil is 10° and the coil spacing is 0 mm, the optimized focused remote-field eddy current probe can effectively detect the defect in length × width × depth of 10 mm × 0.2 mm × 1 mm under the buried depth of 9 mm. When the buried depth of the defect is 6–9 mm, the focused remote-field eddy current probe has a better detection capability than the non-focused remote-field eddy current probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study is a retrospective analysis of the prenatal genetic diagnosis results of 1408 foetuses at high risk of DMD/BMD to provide information for clinical genetic counselling. Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe neuromuscular disorder characterized by skeletal and cardiac muscle weakness. With the deepening of disease research, some treatments have been applied in clinics. Therefore, early and accurate prenatal diagnosis can inform pregnancy choices for high-risk families. Methods: A total of 1316 unrelated DMD/BMD families with confirmed genetic diagnoses were recruited from the Genetic and Prenatal Diagnosis Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Prenatal diagnosis of 1408 high-risk foetuses was performed by MLPA and Sanger sequencing combined with STR linkage analysis for all families. Results: Among the 1316 families, large deletions, duplications, and small variants of the DMD gene accounted for 70.4% (927/1316), 8.2% (108/1316), and 21.4% (281/1316), respectively. Among 1316 mothers, 863 (65.6%) were carriers, and 453 (34.4%) were not carriers. The rate of de novo variants was 34.4% (453/1316) in our study. In addition, gonadal mosaicism was observed in 11 pregnant females. Prenatal diagnosis was provided for 1408 high-risk foetuses; 282 foetuses were identified as male patients, 219 foetuses were female carriers, and the remainder had normal genetics. The results of prenatal diagnosis were consistent with the results of follow-up. Conclusions: Accurate and rapid prenatal diagnosis can be achieved using MLPA, Sanger sequencing, and STR linkage analysis. Furthermore, germline mosaicism in DMD should not be ignored; considering this, a prenatal diagnosis for all pregnant women with a family history of DMD/BMD regardless of whether they carried disease-causing variants is proposed. Genetic counselling and targeted prenatal diagnosis will continue to be a cornerstone of DMD/BMD family management in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe butanol toxicity to the metabolism of solventogenic clostridia significantly impede the application of fermentative butanol as a biofuel. Liquid–liquid extraction is an efficient method to reduce the butanol toxicity by in-situ removing it in the extractant phase. Butanol mass transfer into extractant phase in static acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) extractive fermentation with biodiesel as the extractant could be enhanced by adding a tiny amount of surfactant such as tween-80. In the case of corn-based ABE extractive fermentation by Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 using biodiesel originated from waste cooking oil as extractant, addition of 0.14% (w/v) tween-80 could increase butanol production in biodiesel and total solvents production by 21% and 17%, respectively, compared to those of control under non-surfactant existence. Furthermore, a mathematical model was developed to elucidate the mechanism of enhanced ABE extractive fermentation performance. The results indicated that the mass transfer improvement was obtained by effectively altering the physical properties of the self-generated bubbles during ABE extractive fermentation, such as reducing bubble size and extending its retention time in extractant phase, etc. Overall, this study provided an efficient approach for enhancing biobutanol production by integration of bioprocess optimization and model interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important proxy for investigating past fire activities, charcoal is often used to explore the characteristics of fire distribution and its relationships with vegetation, climate, and human activities. Research into the spatial distribution and environmental determinants for charcoal, however, is still limited. In this study, we identified and counted charcoal from topsoil samples covering the Tibetan Plateau using the pollen methodology, and investigated its relationships with vegetation net primary production (NPP), elevation, climate (precipitation, mean temperature of the coldest month and warmest month) and human population by boosted regression trees (BRT). Results reveal that the concentration of microscopic charcoal, macroscopic charcoal, and total charcoal all increase from south-west to north-east, which is consistent with the trend that the population density on the Tibetan Plateau is high in the east and low in the west, suggesting that an increase in human activity is likely to promote the occurrence of fire. The BRT modeling reveals that NPP, elevation, and mean temperature of the coldest month are important factors for total charcoal concentration on the Tibetan Plateau, and the frequency and intensity of fires further increase with increasing vegetation biomass, decreasing elevation, and decreasing mean temperature of the coldest month. The spatial variation characteristics of charcoal from topsoil on the Tibetan Plateau not only reflect well the spatial fire situation in the region, but also have a good indicative significance for vegetation, climate, and human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the dynamics of vegetation is an essential basis to know how to protect ecological environments and to help predict any changes in trend. Because of its fragile alpine ecosystem, the Tibetan Plateau is a particularly suitable area for studying vegetation changes and their driving factors. In this study, we present a high-resolution pollen record covering the last two centuries extracted from Gongzhu Co on the western Tibetan Plateau. Alpine steppe is the predominant vegetation type in the surrounding area throughout the past 250 years with stable vegetation composition and abundance, as revealed by pollen spectra dominated by Artemisia, Ranunculaceae, Cyperaceae, and Poaceae. Detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) of the pollen data reveals low turnover in compositional species (0.41 SD), suggesting that the vegetation in the Gongzhu catchment had no significant temporal change, despite climate change and population increases in recent decades. We additionally ran DCCA on ten other pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau with high temporal resolution (1–20 years) covering recent centuries, and the results also show that compositional species turnover (0.15–0.81 SD) is relatively low, suggesting that the vegetation stability may have prevailed across the Tibetan Plateau during recent centuries. More high-resolution pollen records and high taxonomic-resolution palaeo-vegetation records (such as sedaDNA), however, are needed to confirm the vegetation stability on the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide, as an abundant and nontoxic C1 resource, can be extensively applied to produce C1 building blocks via direct and indirect routes. On account of the stable electronic structure and high activation energy of CO2, the most challenging problem of CO2 conversion is the rational design of low‐cost and efficient catalysts with attractive performance. Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) with atomically dispersed metal atoms, strong metal–support interaction, and tunable/unsaturated coordination environment offer a potential choice by achieving maximum atomic utilization and lowering the CO2 activation barrier. Furthermore, the geometric and electronic structure of SACs can be easily regulated by tuning the coordination environment of single atoms, which significantly affects their catalytic performance. In this review, therefore, a comprehensive review of thermocatalytic CO2 conversion to C1 chemicals over SACs is presented. Specifically, the physiochemical and electronic properties, synthesis methods, and characterization technologies are introduced. Thereafter, an overview of catalytic performance and mechanism of SACs is described during thermocatalytic CO2 conversion to C1 chemicals. Finally, the main limitations of current studies on CO2 conversion to C1 chemicals over SACs are summarized, and simultaneouslyperspectives on the future are proposed, in order to provide a guidance for decarbonizing the industries and cycling greenhouse gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a natural green additive, gallic acid has been widely used in food production. However, it can inhibit the physiological metabolism of Escherichia coli, which severely limits the ability and efficiency of gallic acid production. To explore the adaptation mechanism of E. coli under gallic acid stress and further explore the target of genetic modification, the effects of gallic acid stress on the fermentation characteristics of E. coli W3110 ATCC (82057) were investigated by cell biomass and cell morphometry. Moreover, transcriptome analysis was used to analyze the gene transcription level of E. coli W3110 ATCC (82057) to explore effects of gallic acid stress on important essential physiological processes. The results showed that under high concentration of gallic acid, the biomass of E. coli W3110 ATCC (82057) decreased significantly and the cells showed irregular morphology. Transcriptome analysis showed that E. coli W3110 ATCC (82057) improved its adaptive capacity through three strategies. First, genes of bamD, ompC, and ompF encoding outer membrane protein BamD, OmpC, and OmpC were decreased 5-, 31.1- and 8.1-fold, respectively, under gallic acid stress compared to the control, leading to the reduction of gallic acid absorption. Moreover, genes (mdtA, mdtB, mdtC, mdtD, mdtE, and mdtF) related to MdtABC multidrug efflux system and multidrug efflux pump MdtEF were up-regulated by1.0–53.0 folds, respectively, and genes (aaeA, aaeB, and aaeX) related to AaeAB efflux system were up-regulated by 8.0–13.3 folds, respectively, which contributed to the excretion of gallic acid. In addition, genes of acid fitness island also were up-regulated by different degrees under the stress of an acidic environment to maintain the stability of the intracellular environment. In conclusion, E. coli W3110 ATCC (82057) would enhance its tolerance to gallic acid by reducing absorption, increasing excretion, and maintaining intracellular environment stability. This study provides research ideas for the construction of engineered strains with high gallic acid yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar can be applied to diverse natural and engineered anaerobic systems. Biochar plays biogeochemical roles during its production, storage, and environmental dynamics, one of which is related to the global methane flux governed by methanotrophs and methanogens. Our understanding of relevant mechanisms is currently limited to the roles of biochar in methanotrophic growth, but less is known about the roles of biochar in methanogenic growth. Here, we demonstrated that biochar enhanced the methanogenic growth of a model methanogen, Methanosarcina acetivorans, and the role of biochar as an electron acceptor during methanogenic growth was confirmed, which is referred to as biochar-respiratory growth. The biochar-respiratory growth of M. acetivorans promoted the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) with augmented electron transfer capabilities, and the removal of EPS significantly attenuated extracellular electron transfer. Identification and quantification of prosthetic cofactors for EPS suggest an important role of flavin and F420 in extracellular electron transfer. Transcriptomic analysis provided additional insights into the biochar-respiratory growth of M. acetivorans, showing that there was a positive response in transcriptional regulation to the favorable growth environment provided by biochar, which stimulated global methanogenesis. Our results shed more light on the in situ roles of biochar in the ecophysiology of methanogens in diverse anaerobic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of large-scale pig farming has brought about a surge in viral diseases with high morbidity rates and diverse manifestations. This widespread occurrence of multiple viral diseases in pig farms has inflicted severe economic losses on the global swine industry. Consequently, there is an urgent need for eco-friendly and efficient antiviral drugs that can effectively combat viruses and prevent diseases such as PEDV, PRRSV, PRV, and other viral infections. To this end, we conducted a study on the antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of eleven different Chinese herbal extracts (CHE) against PRV. In vitro testing of several extracts, namely, Echinacea, Ilex purpurea Hassk, Ganoderma lucidum Kars, Taraxacum mongolicum, and Ilex rotunda Thunb, exhibited remarkable inhibition of PRV infection without causing any cytotoxic effects. Specifically, their antiviral selectivity indexes were significantly higher, with values ranging from 6- to 144-fold. The antiviral efficacy of five CHEs was evaluated against other RNA viruses, including PRRSV and PEDV. The extracts showed substantial inhibition of PEDV and PRRSV proliferation. Echinacea and Ilex purpurea Hassk extracts exhibited the highest virus inhibitory effects. To understand the antiviral mechanisms underlying their potent activity, a time-of-addition experiment was conducted. The results indicated that these extracts effectively targeted the early infection and postinfection stages of PRV, PEDV, and PRRSV. The study found that the Chinese herbal extracts, Echinacea and Ilex purpurea Hassk, had both direct and indirect effects on virus particles and cellular targets, demonstrating broad-spectrum antiviral activity against multiple clinical strains of PRV and PEDV. These findings provide a strong foundation for the development of herbal medicines to prevent and treat infections caused by PRV, PEDV and PRRSV in the swine industry. The identified extracts show great promise for the formulation of effective and environmentally friendly antiviral interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concrete is among the most widely used structural materials in buildings and bridges all over the world. During their service life, concrete structures may inevitably display cracks due to long-term fatigue loads, leading to the degradation of structural integrity. Thus, it is very important to detect cracks and their growth in concrete structures using an automated structural health monitoring system. In this paper, experimental research on crack detection and imaging of concrete structures by using sensing skin and electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is presented. Carbon ink is screen-printed on the surface of concrete as a conductive material to form sensing skins. With these sensing skins, when cracks occur on or near the surface, it breaks the continuity of the sensing skins and significantly reduces conductivity in cracking areas. Then, after exciting small currents in sensing skins and measuring related voltage data, an inverse analysis based on total variation (TV) regularization is adopted to reconstruct tomographic images showing conductivity changes in sensing skins, to detect the occurrence and growth of cracks. The effectiveness of conductive sensing skins and our related crack detection method is validated in experimental studies on a concrete beam subjected to fatigue tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell identification and analysis play a crucial role in many biology‐ and health‐related applications. The internal and surface structures of a cell are complex and many of the features are sub‐micron in scale. Well‐resolved images of these features cannot be obtained using optical microscopy. Previous studies have reported that the single‐cell angular laser‐light scattering patterns (ALSP) can be used for label‐free cell identification and analysis. The ALSP can be affected by cell properties and the wavelength of the probing laser. Two cell properties, cell surface roughness and the number of mitochondria, are investigated in this study. The effects of probing laser wavelengths (blue, green, and red) and the directions of scattered light collection (forward, side, and backward) are studied to determine the optimum conditions for distinguishing the two cell properties. Machine learning (ML) analysis has been applied to ALSP obtained from numerical simulations. The results of ML analysis show that the backward scattering is the best direction for characterizing the surface roughness, while the forward scattering is the best direction for differentiating the number of mitochondria. The laser light having red or green wavelength is found to perform better than that having the blue wavelength in differentiating the surface roughness and the number of mitochondria. This study provides important insights into the effects of probing laser wavelength on gaining information about cells from their ALSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic cells (DCs) can mediate immune responses or immune tolerance depending on their immunophenotype and functional status. Remodeling of DCs' immune functions can develop proper therapeutic regimens for different immune-mediated diseases. In the immunopathology of autoimmune diseases (ADs), activated DCs notably promote effector T-cell polarization and exacerbate the disease. Recent evidence indicates that metformin can attenuate the clinical symptoms of ADs due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Whether and how the therapeutic effects of metformin on ADs are associated with DCs remain unknown. In this study, metformin was added to a culture system of LPS-induced DC maturation. The results revealed that metformin shifted DC into a tolerant phenotype, resulting in reduced surface expression of MHC-II, costimulatory molecules and CCR7, decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ), increased level of IL-10, upregulated immunomodulatory molecules (ICOSL and PD-L) and an enhanced capacity to promote regulatory T-cell (Treg) differentiation. Further results demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory effects of metformin in vivo were closely related to remodeling the immunophenotype of DCs. Mechanistically, metformin could mediate the metabolic reprogramming of DCs through FoxO3a signaling pathways, including disturbing the balance of fatty acid synthesis (FAS) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO), increasing glycolysis but inhibiting the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TAC) and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), which resulted in the accumulation of fatty acids (FAs) and lactic acid, as well as low anabolism in DCs. Our findings indicated that metformin could induce tolerance in DCs by reprogramming their metabolic patterns and play anti-inflammatory roles in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we proposed a new model controlling the quantum entropy in a four-level quantum system via optical vortex structure light. The four-wave mixing (FWM) processes in the medium cause it to become phase-dependent. Therefore, the degree of entanglement (DEM) can be controlled via relative phase between applied lights when the deriving light becomes plane wave. However, for optical vortex of the deriving light, the spatial control of the DEM is possible via orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light. Our findings may have potential applications in the OAM-dependent devices in quantum information science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer attention is a significant feature in the horizontal cross-loading of EU countries when there are many uncertainties in the decision-making. Taking the case of the 28-EU countries' interactive media attention during China's second Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) forum in April 2019, this paper explores the two questions of who pays attention to whose action to the BRI, and what are the determinants of the peer attentions? The measurements from the network analysis identify the positions and roles of EU countries in the attention network. The gravity model further examines the determinants on different levels of peer attention flows. The findings suggest that the peer attention network the EU countries formulate is a core-periphery structure where big powers and forerunners construct the core and connect other big power and peripheral countries from the nearby to the far-reaching. Substantively, this paper contributes to the literature on the horizontal interaction of countries in response to China's engagement. Methodologically, the network analysis is an innovative method to study how a country receives the influence imposed by a single country, by a cluster of countries and the peer attention network as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabricating wood‐plastic composites (WPCs) using recycled plastic and wasted biomass materials is one of the effective approaches to alleviate the global energy crisis and reduce carbon emission. However, the unsatisfactory mechanical properties and fire safety hazards significantly limit the application of WPCs. Herein, recycled high density polyethylene (R‐PE), bean dregs and intumesce flame retardant (IFR) were melt‐blended into flame‐retardant WPC by mechanochemical crosslinking. The results show that the as‐prepared WPC within 22 wt% IFR achieves a satisfactory UL‐94 V‐0 rating and a limiting oxygen index of 31.0%, exhibiting a 40%, 27.6%, and 16.4% reduction in peak heat release rate, total heat release and total smoke production respectively compared to controlled WPC. The results also revealed an unexpected improvement in the mechanical performance of WPCs using the strategy (elevation of 73.6% in the elastic modulus and 75.9% in the breaking elongation, respectively), which can be attributed to the improved interfacial compatibility between R‐PE, bean dregs and IFR. This work offers an innovative and feasible approach for fabrication of high‐performance fire‐retardant WPC based on recycling waste plastics and agriculture wastes, and contributing to the circular economy and sustainability in accordance with the greening strategy in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]