Search

Internal curing has been proven to be an efficient way to inhibit shrinkage of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Cellulose fiber (CF), which has a hydrophilic surface and lumen structure, is a suitable internal curing agent without self-volume deformation. However, studies about CF on autogenous shrinkage are limited and the shrinkage reduction mechanism is still unclear. In this study, the humidity control of CF and their effects on UHPC properties were investigated. CF increased absorption of the superplasticizer, resulted to the shorter setting time. The change of fluidity and strength of UHPC with CF was less than 5% with different CF dosage. The early autogenous shrinkage of UHPC can be divided into six stages, and in each stage, the shrinkage of UHPC with CF was reduced, especially in stage IV, the AFt intermediate product growth larger due to the absorption of superplasticizer, which offset 82.7 % of the shrinkage in maximum. The total autogenous shrinkage was reduced to 345 × 10−6 at minimum, compared to the 990 × 10−6 for the control group.

Summary Brucellosis, caused by Gram-negative Brucella, spreads in human and animal populations through contact with infected animals and products. Developing a rapid and sensitive detection technology for pathogen is crucial to reduce the risk of this disease transmitting between animal populations and to humans. We produced a monoclonal antibody LPS-6B5, which shows high affinity to LPS and limited cross-reactivity with other bacteria. Based on LPS-6B5, a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) was developed which demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity in detecting cultured B. melitensis, B. abortus and B. suis. The Gold Immunochromatographic Assay (GICA) strips exhibited the most sensitive detection limits, with a value of 7.8125 × 105 CFU/mL for Brucella melitensis, surpassing the sensitivity levels observed for Brucella abortus and Brucella suis. It is also suitable for clinical and field samples, providing a cost-effective and user-friendly alternative to traditional methods.

Skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) are critical for postnatal skeletal muscle growth and regeneration. Adiponectin plays a pivotal role in regulating muscle glucose uptake and fatty acid metabolism. However, its function in the proliferation and differentiation of chicken SMSCs remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of adiponectin on the proliferation and differentiation of in vitro cultured chicken SMSCs. Our results demonstrated that adiponectin promoted SMSCs proliferation while inhibiting myogenic differentiation and inducing adipogenic differentiation. RNA-seq analysis revealed enrichment of the MAPK signaling pathway, suggesting its potential involvement in the regulation of adiponectin on SMSCs activity. Western blot analysis revealed that adiponectin activated ERK1/2 phosphorylation and inhibited p38 phosphorylation during the process of the inhibition on myogenic differentiation in chicken SMSCs. Furthermore, suppression of ERK1/2 signaling with U0126 or activation of p38 signaling with SSK1 reversed the downregulated expression of myogenic differentiation marker MyHC, MyOD1, and MyOG induced by adiponectin. These findings validated that adiponectin impeded myogenic differentiation through activation of ERK1/2 and inhibition of p38 signaling pathways. Additionally, activation of p38 signaling pathway reduced the increased percentage of EdU-positive cells induced by adiponectin. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that adiponectin impedes myogenic differentiation of SMSCs through activating ERK1/2 and inhibiting p38 signaling pathways, while promoting proliferation by inhibiting p38 signaling pathway.

Study region: Poyang Lake region, China. Study focus: This study focuses on addressing severe summer monsoon floods in the Poyang Lake region under subtropical monsoon climate conditions. Employing the Seasonal Water Yield analysis within the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs framework to investigate and assess the impacts of subtropical monsoon climate and urban dynamics on regional flood risk. By combining simulation results with analysis of regional urban distribution, the study aims to identify sensitive changes in flood hazard characteristics. Ultimately, the research seeks to enhance regional flood resilience to address climate change and urban development challenges. New hydrological insights for the region: Upon analyzing the model simulation results, we discovered that the subtropical humid monsoon climate contributes significantly, accounting for 35.98 % of surface runoff variability during the ephemeral lake region's flood season. Rapid urbanization amplifies the negative impact of land use change on surface runoff (with a contribution rate of 26.00 %). In urban agglomeration areas, surface runoff increased by 30 mm, and the area with surface runoff production of 60–90 mm increased by 120.33 km2. Implementing proactive ecological management measures around lakes and riverbanks has mitigated flood risks across 22 administrative regions, reducing high-risk flood areas by 92.15 km². Restoration of lake flood storage capacity has significantly bolstered resilience against flood disasters.

The Poyang Lake Basin (PLB) has a long-standing history of drought, which has been intensified by global warming, posing significant risks to water security and agriculture. However, the specific patterns of drought, particularly seasonal variations, remain poorly understood, making it crucial to investigate these dynamics for effective water management and resilience planning. We employed calibrated SWAT model to simulate monthly soil moisture in five sub-basins to analyze drought characteristics across the PLB over the past six decades. A Multivariate Standardized Drought Index (MSDI) was then developed with simulated Standardized Soil Moisture Index (SSI) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) based on copula functions. We found that (1) The SWAT can simulate monthly streamflow well with NS being 0.76–0.92 for validation data over the sub-basins in the PLB. (2) The MSDI index indicated that there were more drought events during 1960–1979 and 2000–2019, highlighting a cyclical pattern of drought events in the PLB. (3) The Xiushui River Basin encountered the most extreme drought conditions since 2000, indicating the basin faced a high risk of dry conditions. Additionally, our wavelet period analysis showed an increase in drought frequency after the year 2000, with less distinct periodicity. These findings contribute to our understanding of drought dynamics in the Poyang Lake Basin and offer valuable insights for developing sustainable water resource management and climate adaptation strategies in the region.

IntroductionBrucellosis, a significant zoonotic infectious disease, poses a global health threat. Accurate and efficient diagnosis is crucial for prevention, control, and treatment of brucellosis. VirB proteins, components of the Type IV secretion system (T4SS) in Brucella, play a pivotal role in bacterial virulence and pathogenesis but have been understudied for their diagnostic potential.MethodsTandem Mass Tag (TMT) proteomics technology was utilized to identify highly expressed VirB proteins from wild-type Brucella strains. Recombinant T4SS proteins were prepared, and an indirect ELISA method was established for serological diagnosis of human brucellosis.ResultsSeven T4SS proteins (rVirB3, rVirB4, rVirB9, rBMEII0036, rVirB8, rVirB11, and rVirB10) were expressed used to construct the indirect ELISA method which showed high diagnostic accuracy. Sensitivity and specificity of the proteins exceeded 0.9100 and 0.9167, respectively, demonstrating good performance comparable to traditional LPS and Rose Bengal Ag antigens. Cross-reactivity was observed in a limited number of serum samples from febrile patients without brucellosis.ConclusionsThe study highlights the potential of VirB proteins as novel diagnostic antigens for human brucellosis. Future research can further optimize the use of VirB proteins in diagnostic assays and explore their applications in vaccine development.

IntroductionTimely and accurate diagnosis is crucial for the effective treatment and prevention of brucellosis. Current serological diagnostics, primarily based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS), suffer from cross-reactivity with other Gram-negative bacteria, which limits their specificity. Periplasmic protein 26 (BP26), a highly immunogenic antigen found in Brucella, has emerged as a promising alternative for enhancing diagnostic specificity. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (C-ELISA) utilizing monoclonal antibodies against BP26 for the diagnosis of human brucellosis, thereby providing a more accurate and specific diagnostic approach.MethodsThe study produced monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the BP26 protein through traditional mouse hybridoma technology and developed the C-ELISA method, and compared with a C-ELISA method based on LPS mAb. The detection performance was validated through the analysis of 190 human serum samples, which included 95 brucellosis serum samples and 95 negative serum samples collected by the Xuzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and a comparative analysis was conducted on the diagnostic efficacy of indirect ELISA for brucellosis using both BP26 and LPS-based methods.ResultsThe BP26 mAb based C-ELISA achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity in detecting human brucellosis, significantly outperforming the C-ELISA based LPS mAb. Furthermore, the accuracy of the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA) using BP26 protein was 98.95%, compared to an accuracy of LPS diagnosis was 99.47%. These results indicated that the BP26 mAb can effectively and accurately detected human brucellosis infections.ConclusionThis study successfully developed and evaluated a BP26 protein-based C-ELISA method for diagnosing human brucellosis, establishing a foundation for identifying alternative diagnostic antigens for brucellosis.

IntroductionBrucellosis is a widespread zoonotic disease that poses a considerable challenge to global public health. Existing diagnostic methods for this condition, such as serological assays and bacterial culture, encounter difficulties due to their limited specificity and high operational complexity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of enhanced diagnostic approaches for brucellosis.MethodsTandem mass tag (TMT) proteomic analysis was conducted on the wild-type strain Brucella abortus (B. abortus) DT21 and the vaccine strain B. abortus A19 to identify proteins with high expression levels. The proteins that exhibited high expression in the wild-type strain were selected based on the proteomic results. Subsequently, B-cell linear epitopes were predicted using multiple computational tools, including ABCpred, SVMTriP, BCPred, and Bepipred Linear Epitope Prediction 2.0. These epitopes were concatenated to construct a multiepitope fusion protein. Following prokaryotic expression and purification, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) was developed. A total of 100 positive serum samples, 96 negative serum samples, and 40 serum samples from patients infected with other pathogens were collected and analyzed using the established iELISA. Furthermore, the protein was assessed for its capability to differentiate human brucellosis from lipopolysaccharide (LPS).ResultsProteomic analysis revealed the presence of 152 proteins with high expression levels in the wild-type strains. A multiepitope fusion protein, comprising a total of 32 predicted B-cell linear epitopes, was successfully prepared. The results from the iELISA indicated that the multiepitope fusion protein exhibited exceptional diagnostic performance, evidenced by an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.9576, a sensitivity of 0.9300, and a specificity of 0.8542. In comparison to the commonly utilized LPS antigen, the fusion protein demonstrated a reduced level of cross-reactivity.ConclusionsA novel multiepitope fusion protein has been successfully developed utilizing bioinformatics and TMT proteomics technology. This fusion protein demonstrates significant potential as a diagnostic antigen for brucellosis, exhibiting high sensitivity and specificity.

ABSTRACT Mountains have been recognized as biodiversity hotspots and possess strong elevational gradients. Whether these gradients exhibit similar characteristics in the multidimensional diversity patterns across different mountain ranges is a subject of inquiry. Exploring the elevational patterns of the diversity and phylogenetic information of plant species in the different subtropical mountains is necessary. Here, we compiled the elevational patterns of plant diversity occurring in the eight subtropical mountains of China and focused on the assessment of the patterns and determinants of the multi‐dimensional diversity and phylogenetic structure in different mountains. We also detected the elevational patterns and their relationship between different groups. The results indicate two main patterns of multi‐dimensional diversity: monotonic decrease and hump‐shaped, along with the area effect on the species diversity. There is a strong positive link between the non‐native and native species of species richness, and significant differences in phylogenetic structure's elevational distribution. We did not find the same rule in the mountains that the plant species in the lowlands indicate phylogenetic overdispersion, and the species in the higher elevation regions indicate phylogenetic clustering. We found that the plants' diversity peak is related to the mountains size, and this result showed that we should pay more attention to the conservation of plant communities in the higher elevation regions for the higher mountains. This study suggested that we should take different protective measures for the subtropical mountains: the lowland regions should be paid more attention in Mt. Lushan (LS), Mt. Guanshan (GS), Mt. Huanggang (HG), and Mt. Fanjing (FJ), and the middle‐altitude regions should be of concern for other mountains. This study helps to better understand the elevational gradients of species diversity on different scales and provides supporting scientific basis for biodiversity conservation in the subtropical mountain regions.

ABSTRACT: The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis regulates egg laying through control hormones secretion in poultry. In this study, the serum hormones (12 samples per stage), serum biochemical indexes (12 samples per stage), and ovarian metabolites (8 samples per stage) of Muscovy breeder ducks were detected at prelaying stage (PT), start of laying stage (ST), high laying stage (HT), and the end of laying stage (ET). The serum hormones of Muscovy ducks were measured at 8:00, 13:00, 18:00, 23:00, and 4:00 within 1 d. The TG, TP, ALB, and GLB were significantly increased, while HDL-C was significantly decreased at ST as compared to PT (P < 0.05). Serum Na, Cl, Ca, P, and K showed significant rise at ST as compared to PT. Serum Na, Cl, Ca, and K were significantly declined, while P was significantly increased at ET as compared to HT (P < 0.05). Serum FSH, LH, PRL, E2, P4 levels peaked at ST (P < 0.05) with only FSH and LH fluctuated significantly within 1 ovulation cycle at ST (P < 0.05). Differential metabolites showed continued ovarian aging. The decline of nucleic acid metabolism occured in ST, the decline of sugar metabolism occurred in ET, and the decline of amino acid metabolism continued at all stages. Temporal expression patterns and correlation analyses indicated a high correlation between ovarian cAMP and serum reproductive hormone levels across different reproductive stages. In conclusion, this study revealed the changes in serum hormones, serum biochemical indicators, and ovarian metabolites, as well as the relationship between serum hormones and ovarian metabolites.

Inborn errors of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) result in four types of immunodeficiency disease with varying degrees of impaired STAT1 function: autosomal recessive (AR) complete STAT1 deficiency, AR partial STAT1 deficiency, autosomal dominant (AD) STAT1 deficiency, and AD STAT1 gain-of-function (STAT1-GOF). Of which, the STAT1-GOF mutations promote a clinical syndrome of immune dysregulation characterized by recurrent infections, especially chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) and Talaromyces marneffei infection and predisposition to humoral autoimmunity. STAT1-GOF mutations lead to enhanced phosphorylation of STAT1 (pSTAT1), delayed dephosphorylation, and impaired nuclear dephosphorylation. As a result, the development of T helper (Th) 17 cells is impaired, limiting the production of interleukin (IL)-17, which plays an important role in antifungal immunity. Additionally, mutations can also cause a decrease in the proportion of CD4+, CD8+, and natural killer (NK) cells. Recent research demonstrated that in the absence of overt infection, STAT-GOF mice can disrupt naïve CD4+ T cell homeostasis and promote expansion and differentiation of abnormal T-follicular helper/T-helper 1-like (Tfh/Th1-like) T cells and germinal center-like (GC-like) B cells, and thus reminds us of the complex molecular mechanism of autoimmune disease with/without fungal infection, which may further involve specific clinical treatment including antifungal and anti-autoimmunity therapies. In addition, sex and location of mutation were also associated with the clinical phenotype. Individuals with DNA binding domain (DBD) mutations had a higher prevalence of autoimmunity and aberrant B cell activation. Disrupted CD4+ T cell homeostasis occurred sooner and more robustly in females, highlighting the importance of specific treatment to normalize STAT1 expression and restore immune tolerance in patients with STAT1-GOF syndrome. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of STAT1-GOF aiming to further clarify the regulatory mechanism of cellular and humoral immune deficiency in patients with fungal infection with or without autoimmunity.

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) is a widely used treatment for a variety of hematopoietic disorders, and also provides a valuable platform for investigating the development of donor‐derived immune cells in recipients post‐HSCT. The immune system remodels from the donor to the recipient during allo‐HSCT. However, little is known about the cell profile alterations as donor homeostasis rebalances to recipient homeostasis following HSCT. Here, multi‐omics technology is applied at both the single cell and bulk sample levels, as well as spectrum flow cytometry and fluorescent transgenic mouse models, to dissect the dynamics of the rebalanced homeostatic immune system in recipients after allo‐HSCT. The data reveal that all immune subpopulations observed in donors are successfully restored in recipients, though with varying levels of abundance. The remodeling of immune homeostasis exhibits different patterns in HLA‐matched and haploidentical HSCT, highlighting distinct biases in T cell reconstitution from the central and peripheral pathways. Furthermore, ZNF683 is critical for maintaining the persistence and quiescence of CD8 T‐cell in haploidentical HSCT. The research can serve as a foundation for developing novel strategies to induce immune tolerance.

To investigate the influence mechanism of the annealing treatment on the intermolecular action of waxy crude oil, this study selected the molecular models of oil, wax, resin and asphaltene, and constructed the model system to imitate instead of the waxy crude oils by using the Materials Studio software, and revealed the influence mechanism of annealing treatment. Three main findings were made: 1) The basic molecular unit structure is the premise of phase transformation, and the different annealing times are the main factors affecting the phase transformation. 2) After annealing treatment, the conformation of molecular chain gradually changes from the initial straight chain to the curly state, and the change is most obvious at the lowest energy; in terms of system energy, the changes of Eval, Enon-bond and Etotal of the three oil samples all increase in different extent during the whole thermal process. 3) In terms of the radial distribution function (RDF) between the identical types of molecules and heterogeneous molecules of waxy crude oil, the accumulation of asphaltenes plays a leading role in the annealing process of waxy crude oil system, and the van der Waals force is the main force.

Abstract Background Homework is a common educational task given to students around the world. It demands mental exertion, but staying focused can be challenging, especially for K‐12 students. Too much homework can increase their cognitive load and mental fatigue, leading to decreased motivation and performance. This can cause boredom with homework and learning. To lessen their load and make homework more effective, it is important to establish the connection between homework duration and academic achievement. Objectives To evaluate the relationship between homework time and academic performance among K‐12 students. Search Methods On November 5, 2021, we retrieved articles from a variety sources. Firstly, we searched 10 electronic databases for related publications, including Academic Search Premier, APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, Business Source Premier, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Journal Storage (JSTOR), Learning and Technology Library (LearnTechLib), OCLC FirstSearch, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science), and Teacher Reference Center. We also searched two publisher platforms: ScienceDirect and Taylor & Francis Online Database. Secondly, we consulted five educational organization website such as, American Educational Research Association, Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Education Endowment Foundation, European Educational Research Association, What Works Clearinghouse, and the Open Grey database for unpublished studies. We then searched Open Dissertations and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global databases to locate the relevant dissertations and theses. Additionally, we hand‐searched seven educational journals to identify unpublished documents, reports, and potential studies not indexed in the databases. Lastly, we searched Campbell Library to identify relevant reviews and primary (and nearly eligible studies) in these reviews. We also searched Google Scholar for related studies and checked the citations of eligible studies as well as their bibliographies. Selection Criteria Studies with the following criteria were included: − Population: K‐12 school students with no disabilities or not attending special education schools; − Intervention: Homework assigned regularly by schoolteachers to students to complete during non‐school hours; − Comparison: Different time spent on the homework; − Outcomes: Academic performance was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were academic motivation and the quality of homework; − Study design: Treatment‐control group design or comparison group design studies. Data Collection and Analysis We reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full texts of the retrieved records. Our team extracted and coded all relevant information from the studies that met our inclusion criteria. To evaluate the risk of bias, we used the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for randomized controlled trials and ROBINS‐I for non‐randomized controlled trials. A random‐effect meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the effect of homework on academic achievement as compared to no homework. A funnel plot, trim‐and‐fill method and Egger's test were used to test for any publication bias. Due to the insufficient data on homework duration and academic achievement, we analyzed these data using qualitative synthesis. Main Results Eleven publications were identified that examined the relationship between homework duration and academic outcomes using an experimental design. Based on their focus, we categorized them into two groups: comparisons of homework with no homework and comparison of homework with less homework. There were 10 articles with 14 independent reports that compared academic performance between students who did homework and those who did not. Overall, the meta‐analysis revealed that the students who did homework had better academic performance than that those who did not (n = 14; g = 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.24–0.66; Q = 454.30, I2 = 71.30%, τ2 = 0.11), especially in arithmetic computation (n = 5; g = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.17–0.75; Q = 13.03, I2 = 69.29%, τ2 = 0.07) and arithmetic problems solving (n = 6; g = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02–0.33; Q = 6.87, I2 = 27.17%, τ2 = 0.01), but not in arithmetic concepts (n = 3, g = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.22–0.18; Q = 1.46, I2 = 0.00%, τ2 = 0.00). Two experiments explored the effectiveness of homework moderated by homework time. In Koch (1965), the effects of long daily homework (20–30 min) and short daily homework (10–15 min) were compared. The authors found that achievement in arithmetic concepts was higher with long homework assignments every day. Recently, Dolean and Lervag (2021) confirmed the effect of homework on writing skills, and their findings were consistent with those of Koch (1965), who found that increasing time spent on homework was associated with greater writing achievement (average 20 min each time). Authors' Conclusions Homework could be used as a supplement to enhance the academic performance of primary school students. However, the optimal amount of time they should dedicate each day to homework to achieve the best results remains uncertain. More high‐quality experiments are needed to determine the ideal homework duration for these students. Furthermore, additional research is required to understand the impact of homework on secondary school students.

Abstract Understanding of infection dynamics is important for public health measures against monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection. Herein, samples from multiple body sites and environmental fomites of 77 acute MPXV infections (HIV co-infection: N = 42) were collected every two to three days and used for detection of MPXV DNA, surface protein specific antibodies and neutralizing titers. Skin lesions show 100% positivity rate of MPXV DNA, followed by rectum (88.16%), saliva (83.78%) and oropharynx (78.95%). Positivity rate of oropharynx decreases rapidly after 7 days post symptom onset (d.p.o), while the rectum and saliva maintain a positivity rate similar to skin lesions. Viral dynamics are similar among skin lesions, saliva and oropharynx, with a peak at about 6 d.p.o. In contrast, viral levels in the rectum peak at the beginning of symptom onset and decrease rapidly thereafter. 52.66% of environmental fomite swabs are positive for MPXV DNA, with highest positivity rate (69.89%) from air-conditioning air outlets. High seropositivity against A29L (100%) and H3L (94.74%) are detected, while a correlation between IgG endpoint titers and neutralizing titers is only found for A29L. Most indexes are similar between HIV and Non-HIV participants, while HIV and rectitis are associated with higher viral loads in rectum.

Oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steels are considered as most promising structural materials for fusion reactors and other advanced nuclear systems due to its excellent irradiation resistance under high dose irradiations. However, the extreme complex synergistic effect between transmuted helium/hydrogen and displacement damage which most seriously affects the structure and mechanical properties of ODS-RAFM steels is very difficult to understand, especially the role of hydrogen still remains unclear. Taking advantage of very sensitive to small vacancy clusters of Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) method, we conducted irradiation defect study on ODS-RAFM, RAFM and its corresponding model alloy Fe–9Cr and α-Fe to investigate their anti-swelling properties at the early stage of irradiation with hydrogen-helium synergism and the mechanism. Three distinct irradiation schemes including (1) single Fe ion beam, (2) simultaneous Fe and He (named Fe + He) ion beam, (3) subsequent H ion injection after Fe + He (named Fe + He/H) ion beam irradiation were performed. Hydrogen-helium synergistic effects on vacancy evolution within these steels were explored combining the first-principles calculation. The implantation of He was observed to significantly increase defect concentration among all four steels, while H exhibited interestingly complexity on affecting the evolution of helium bubbles. The H post-injection increased defect concentration obviously in the materials with abundant sinks, but improved poorly in ones with rare sinks. Through the systematic study of the interactions between H, He, and vacancies, it was revealed that even at the early irradiation stage, ODS-RAFM steels has already exhibited excellent irradiation resistance compared to other alloys across three irradiation schemes.

Vegetation is a fundamental component of terrestrial ecosystems, and accurately assessing the effects of seasonal climate variations, extreme weather events, and land use changes on vegetation dynamics is crucial. The Ganjiang River Basin (GRB), a key region for water conservation and recharge in southeastern China, has experienced significant land use changes and variable climate in the past. However, comprehensive evaluations of how these changes have impacted vegetation remain limited. To address this gap, we used machine learning models (random forest and XGBoost) to assess the impact of seasonal and extreme climate variables, land cover, topography, soil properties, atmospheric CO2, and night-time light intensity on vegetation dynamics. We found that the annual mean NDVI showed a slight increase from 1990 to 1999 but has decreased significantly over the last 8 years. XGBoost was better than the RF model in simulating the NDVI when using all five types of data source (R2 = 0.85; RMSE = 0.04). The most critical factors influencing the NDVI were forest and cropland ratio, followed by soil organic carbon content, elevation, cation exchange capacity, night-time light intensity, and CO2 concentration. Spring minimum temperature was the most important seasonal climate variable. Both linear and nonlinear relationships were identified between these variables and the NDVI, with most variables exhibiting threshold effects. These findings underscore the need to develop and implement effective land management strategies to enhance vegetation health and promote ecological balance in the region.

Amidst the rapid advancement of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and the burgeoning field of Multimodal Learning Analytics (MMLA), this study employs spatial positioning technology as a case study to investigate the potential of multimodal data in assessing children's social development. This study combines the spatial positioning data of preschool children collected during free play sessions in natural educational settings and the spatial metrics constructed based on observational studies to establish and validate a sociometric status Decision Tree classification model. The findings suggest that the model can overall accurately identify children with three distinct sociometric statuses, albeit with some variability in efficacy across different sociometric groups and age groups. Notably, the model demonstrates a high hitting rate in identifying the potentially neglected children, providing valuable support for educators in understanding and fostering children's developmental needs. This study also highlights the advantages of emerging technology and multimodal data application in child development assessment.

Background and objectivesLactose intolerance and coeliac disease are common clinical nutrient malabsorption disorders, with an unclear pathogenesis and limited therapeutic options. It is widely believed that the gut microbiota plays an important role in many digestive disorders, but its role in lactose intolerance and coeliac disease is not yet clear. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between gut microbiota and lactose intolerance and coeliac disease.Materials and methodsThis study utilized the genome-wide association study database to investigate the association between gut microbiota and lactose intolerance and coeliac disease using Mendelian randomization (MR). The robustness of our findings was confirmed through subsequent analyses including Cochrane’s Q statistic, MR-Egger Intercept Regression, MR-PRESSO Global Test and Leave-one-out methods.ResultsBy employing the inverse variance weighted method, we identified that family Veillonellaceae, genus Oxalobacter and Senegalimassilia were protective against lactose intolerance, whereas genus Anaerotruncus, Eubacterium rectale group and Ruminococcus2 were found to be risk factors for lactose intolerance. Regarding coeliac disease, class Bacilli and Gammaproteobacteria, family FamilyXIII and Veillonellaceae, genus Eisenbergiella, Lachnoclostridium, RuminococcaceaeUCG014 and Ruminococcus2 were identified as protective factors, while class Betaproteobacteria, genus Eubacterium xylanophilum group and Blautia were risk factors. Furthermore, reverse the MR analysis did not reveal any evidence of a causal relationship between lactose intolerance or coeliac disease and the bacteria identified in our study.ConclusionThis study provides novel insights into exploring the role of gut microbiota in lactose intolerance and coeliac disease; however, further experiments investigations are required to elucidate the specific underlying mechanisms.

Abstract Background Depressive symptoms are frequently observed in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The role of depressive symptoms on cirrhosis has not been fully noticed in PBC. We aimed to establish a risk model for cirrhosis that took depressive symptoms into account. Methods Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 17‐item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD‐17). HAMD‐17 score was analyzed in relation to clinical parameters. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso)‐logistic regression and decision tree models were used to explore the effect of depressive symptoms on cirrhosis. Results The rate of depressive symptom in patients with PBC (n = 162) was higher than in healthy controls (n = 180) (52.5% vs. 16.1%; p

ABTRACT: Hatchability could be quite different among individuals of indigenous chicken breed which might be affected by the egg quality. In this study, hatchability was individually recorded among 800 forty-wk-old Huainan partridge chickens. The chickens were then divided into high and low hatchability groups (HH and LH group) with 50 birds in each group. Egg quality was further determined in the 2 groups. Eight birds from each group were selected for slaughtering and tissue, responsible for egg formation, collection for structure observation by staining and candidate gene expression by transcriptome analysis. The hatchability in HH was 100% and 61.18% in LH. The eggshell thickness and shell strength were significantly lower, while the albumen height and Haugh unit were significantly higher in HH group than those in LH group (P < 0.05). The magnum weight and index, and the expression of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 9 (GALNT9), which responsible for thick albumen synthesis, in HH group were also significantly higher than that of LH group (P < 0.05). Compared with the LH group, there were 702 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HH group, of which 402 were up-regulated and 300 were down-regulated. Candidate genes of calbindin 1 (CALB1) and solute carrier family 26 member 9 (SLC26A9), which regulate calcium signaling pathway so as to affect Ca2+ transportation, exhibited significant high and low expression, respectively, in HH group compared to those in LH group (P < 0.05). Therefore, indigenous chicken with high expression of GALNT9 in magnum to form thick albumen to provide more protein for embryo, while high CALB1 and low expression of SLC26A9 to decrease Ca2+ transportation so as to form a thinner eggshell and provide better gas exchange during embryo development.

Abstract Background As a vital type of noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in plant growth and development and stress response. However, little is known about the biological roles of circRNAs in regulating the stability of male fertility restoration for cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) conditioned by Gossypium harknessii cytoplasm (CMS-D2) cotton under high-temperature (HT) stress. Results In this study, RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on pollen grains of isonuclear alloplasmic near-isogenic restorer lines NH [N(Rf 1 rf 1 )] and SH [S(Rf 1 rf 1 )] with obvious differences in fertility stability under HT stress at two environments. A total of 967 circRNAs were identified, with 250 differentially expressed under HT stress. We confirmed the back-splicing sites of eight selected circRNAs using divergent primers and Sanger sequencing. Tissue-specific expression patterns of five differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) were also verified by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. Functional enrichment and metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the parental genes of DECs were significantly enriched in fertility-related biological processes such as pollen tube guidance and cell wall organization, as well as the Pentose and glucuronate interconversions, Steroid biosynthesis, and N-Glycan biosynthesis pathways. Moreover, we also constructed a putative circRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network consisting of 21 DECs, eight predicted circRNA-binding miRNAs, and their corresponding 22 mRNA targets, especially the two ceRNA modules circRNA346-miR159a-MYB33 and circRNA484-miR319e-MYB33, which might play important biological roles in regulating pollen fertility stability of cotton CMS-D2 restorer line under HT stress. Conclusions Through systematic analysis of the abundance, characteristics and expression patterns of circRNAs, as well as the potential functions of their parent genes, our findings suggested that circRNAs and their mediated ceRNA networks acted vital biological roles in cotton pollen development, and might be also essential regulators for fertility stability of CMS-D2 restorer line under heat stress. This study will open a new door for further unlocking complex regulatory mechanisms underpinning the fertility restoration stability for CMS-D2 in cotton.

Abstract Aspergillus flavus is a ubiquitous saprophyte and opportunistic fungal pathogen with worldwide distribution, which causes diseases commonly in agricultural commodities and seriously threatens food security and human health. In this study, we try to reveal the mechanisms of A. flavus infection in grain from the perspective of apparent changes in physicochemical properties, microscopic structure, and ultrastructural changes at transcriptome–metabolomics levels. The results showed that the A. flavus infection included the preinfection (1–3 days) and postinfection period (4–7 days). The downregulated expression of creA promoted the cellulase expression and initiated infection. The metabolite oleic acid promoted infection as a nutrient carbon source and energy source. Then the entry of acetate units into the aflatoxin synthesis pathway was inhibited, whereas aflH, hypD, and hypB were significantly upregulated (p

Abstract Anther development and pollen fertility of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) conditioned by Gossypium harknessii cytoplasm (CMS-D2) restorer lines are susceptible to continuous high-temperature (HT) stress in summer, which seriously hinders the large-scale application of "three-line" hybrids in production. Here, integrated small RNA, transcriptome, degradome, and hormone profiling was performed to explore the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating fertility stability in mature pollens of isonuclear alloplasmic near-isogenic restorer lines NH and SH under HT stress at two environments. A total of 211 known and 248 novel miRNAs were identified, of which 159 were differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). Additionally, 45 DEMs in 39 miRNA clusters (PmCs) were also identified, and most highly expressed miRNAs were significantly induced in SH under extreme HT, especially four MIR482 and six MIR6300 family miRNAs. PmC28 was located in the fine-mapped interval of the Rf 1 gene and contained two DEMs, gra-miR482_L-2R + 2 and gma-miR2118a-3p_R + 1_1ss18TG. Transcriptome sequencing identified 6281 differentially expressed genes, of which heat shock protein (HSP)-related genes, such as HSP70, HSP22, HSP18.5-C, HSP18.2 and HSP17.3-B, presented significantly reduced expression levels in SH under HT stress. Through integrating multi-omics data, we constructed a comprehensive molecular network of miRNA–mRNA–gene-KEGG containing 35 pairs of miRNA/target genes involved in regulating the pollen development in response to HT, among which the mtr-miR167a_R + 1, tcc-miR167c and ghr-miR390a, tcc-miR396c_L-1 and ghr-MIR169b-p3_1ss6AG regulated the pollen fertility by influencing ARF8 responsible for the auxin signal transduction, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and the sugar and lipid metabolism and transport pathways, respectively. Further combination with hormone analysis revealed that HT-induced jasmonic acid signaling could activate the expression of downstream auxin synthesis-related genes and cause excessive auxin accumulation, followed by a cascade of auxin signal transduction, ultimately resulting in pollen abortion. The results provide a new understanding of how heat-responsive miRNAs regulate the stability of fertility restoration for CMS-D2 cotton under heat stress.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to analyze the possible causes of changes in cardiac function and investigate the feasibility of clinical assessment of gastrointestinal cancer in patients with or without acute kidney injury (AKI) assessed using a non-invasive impedance cardiography (ICG, Bioz. Cardio Dynamics, USA) to identify independent risk factors. Methods Patients admitted to the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China, between May 1, 2019, and February 15, 2022, were included in this study. A total of 51 patients with gastrointestinal cancer (31 men and 20 women, mean age 61.1 ± 10.9 years) with or without AKI were evaluated for ICG. A total of 19 patients underwent ultrasound cardiography (UCG) and ICG evaluations. Result There was a significant positive correlation between cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), stroke volume (SV), left cardiac work index (LCWI), and ejection fraction (EF) measured using UCG and ICG. The relationship was observed between COICG and COUCG (r = 0.707, P = 0.001), CIICG and CIUCG (r = 0.718, P = 0.001), SVICG and SVUCG (r = 0.837, P

Abstract Background The prevalence of frailty among candidates and recipients of kidney transplantation (KT) is well-established, yet the impact of frailty on clinical outcomes following KT remains uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis to comprehensively assess the aforementioned relationship. Methods The present study conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify relevant observational studies that compared mortality risk and other clinical outcomes of KT recipients with and without frailty. Two authors independently conducted data collection, literature searching, and statistical analysis. The results were synthesized using a heterogeneity-incorporating random-effects model. Results In this meta-analysis, 6279 patients from 13 cohort studies were included, and 1435 patients (22.9%) were with frailty before KT. There were higher mortality rates among frail patients at admission, compared to those without frailty (risk ratio [RR]: 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.57 to 2.47, p

BackgroundCell phone addiction presents a widespread and severe physical and mental health concern, now recognized as a global public health issue. Among medical college students, the issue of poor sleep quality has become particularly prevalent. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cell phone addiction and sleep disturbance in a population of medical college students, exploring the potential mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating impact of gender.MethodsA random cluster sampling method was employed to survey 5,048 students from four medical colleges in Jiangsu Province, China, utilizing the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for data collection. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro version 4.1. To assess mediation, Model 4 of the PROCESS macro was utilized, while Model 15 was employed to investigate the moderating effect of gender.ResultsThe results revealed a significant positive correlation between cell phone addiction and sleep disturbance, with psychological resilience found to partially mediate this relationship. Moreover, gender was observed to significantly moderate the impact of cell phone addiction on sleep disturbance. Specifically, bootstrap analysis indicated a significant interaction between cell phone addiction and gender (Coeff. = -0.0215, P< 0.001), with a stronger relationship found in males (simple slope = 0.0616, t = 16.66, P< 0.001) compared to females (simple slope = 0.0401, t = 9.51, P< 0.001).ConclusionUltimately, psychological resilience was identified as a partial mediator between cell phone addiction and sleep disturbance in medical students from Jiangsu Province, with gender playing a significant moderating role in this association.

Coronary microvascular disease (CMVD) is common in patients with cardiovascular risk factors and is linked to an elevated risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Although modern medicine has made significant strides in researching CMVD, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms due to its complex and somewhat cryptic etiology. This greatly impedes the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CMVD. The primary pathological mechanisms of CMVD are structural abnormalities and/or dysfunction of coronary microvascular endothelial cells. The development of CMVD may also involve a variety of inflammatory factors through the endothelial cell injury pathway. This paper first reviews the correlation between the inflammatory response and CMVD, then summarizes the possible mechanisms of inflammatory response in CMVD, and finally categorizes the drugs used to treat CMVD based on their effect on the inflammatory response. We hope that this paper draws attention to CMVD and provides novel ideas for potential therapeutic strategies based on the inflammatory response.

Photocatalysis is considered as the promising energy conversion way to resolve the issues of energy crisis and environmental pollution. As the key point of the photocatalysis, the photocatalyst determines the final conversion efficiency from solar, therefore, the composition and photoelectronic nature of which deserve to be valued. Halogen often affects immensely the intrinsic electron configuration of the matrix because of electrophilic property, and thus its topic has attracted lots of attention for photocatalytic application. In this review, halogen-contained organic porous semiconductors are discussed in detailed. Firstly, the role of halogens in photocatalysis based on organic porous semiconductors are categorized. Then, the way to introduce the halogens into organic porous semiconductors and their applications in photocatalysis are reviewed. At last, the outlooks are given at the end of this paper. This review would bring new insights into the non-metal doping engineering for improving the photocatalytic performance of organic semiconductors.

V-4Cr-4Ti was irradiated by He+ and subsequent V/self-ions at 773 K to simulate the effect of the damages generated under near-service conditions on irradiation hardening. Microstructure observation and hardness test were carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoindentation testing. Microstructure analysis showed that bubbles, dislocation loops and precipitates were produced whether samples were irradiated by He+ or He+/V+. Edge dislocation was observed by high-resolution images. The nanoindentation results showed that hardening appeared after irradiation, and hardness increment after He+ irradiation is 4.41 GPa, 6.2 GPa for He+/V+. Meanwhile, based on damage characterization, the irradiation hardening was also analyzed using the dispersion barrier hardening model (DBH), which showed that the main cause of hardening was dislocation loops. In addition, the deviation was discussed between the hardness increment obtained by nanoindentation testing and that calculated based on DBH.

Abstract Mobile wireless sensor network (MWSN) adapts to the requirements of mobility of civil and military network devices and has received a lot of attention. Designing an efficient, low‐energy, and fault‐tolerant routing protocol for the frequently changing topology of highly mobile MWSNs is challenging. Most routing protocols today only support the movement of sensor nodes or only sink. This paper proposes a Multiple Mobile Sinks Coverage Maximization based hierarchical routing protocol for mobile wireless sensor networks (MMSCM), which allows sensor nodes and sinks to move simultaneously. The MMSCM divides the monitoring area into virtual grids and deploys a movable sink in each grid cell. Sink selects the appropriate next hop for each cluster head in the area to build an optimal routing forest and collects data from all routing tree root nodes at a uniform speed along the specified path with maximum coverage. Simulation results show that, compared with current advanced routing algorithms, the MMSCM protocol can better solve the network delay problem and improve data throughput while extending the network life cycle, which is more suitable for time‐sensitive application scenarios.

This paper sketches the history and the author’s involvement in the development of narrative medicine in China. It also describes “narrative medicine with Chinese characteristics,” explaining why narrative medicine is regarded as a tool to materialize the medical humanities in clinical practice, and detailing the features of narrative medicine in China. The features include the wide acceptance of the “22334 model” of narrative medicine, and borrowing theories and practice from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Finally, the author argues that the medical humanities should be given a “Class-A discipline” status, and narrative medicine should be a class-B discipline under the medical humanities.

Raising attentions have focused on how to alleviate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from orchard system while simultaneously increase fruit production. Microalgae-based biofertilizer represents a promising resource for improving soil fertility and higher productivity. However, the effects of microalgae application more especially live microalgae on GHG emissions are understudied. In this study, fruit yield and quality, GHG emissions, as well as soil organic carbon and nitrogen fractions were examined in a hawthorn orchard, under the effects of live microalgae-based biofertilizer applied at three doses and two modes. Compared with conventional fertilization, microalgae improved hawthorn yield by 15.7%-29.6% with a maximal increment at medium dose by root application, and significantly increased soluble and reducing sugars contents at high dose. While microalgae did not increase GHG emissions except for nitrous oxide at high dose by root application, instead it significantly increased methane uptake by 1.5-2.3 times in root application. In addition, microalgae showed an increasing trend in soil organic carbon content, and significantly increased the contents of soil dissolved organic carbon and microbial biomass carbon, as well as soil ammonium nitrogen and dissolved organic nitrogen at medium dose with root application. Overall, the results indicated that the live microalgae could be used as a green biofertilizer for improving fruit yield without increasing GHG emissions intensity and the comprehensive greenhouse effect, in particular at medium dose with root application. We presume that if lowering chemical fertilizer rates, application of the live microalgae-based biofertilizer may help to reduce nitrous oxide emissions without compromising fruit yield and quality.

Abstract This is the protocol for an evidence and gap map. The objectives are as follows: To map available randomized control trials, economic evaluations, and systematic reviews that assess the effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of non‐pharmacological interventions for older people with a diagnosis of depression and identify any existing gaps in the evidence that can inform future research.

Abstract Background Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) have made remarkable breakthroughs in cancer treatment, but the efficacy is still limited for solid tumors due to tumor antigen heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment. The restrained treatment efficacy prompted us to seek new potential therapeutic methods. Methods In this study, we conducted a small molecule compound library screen in a human BC cell line to identify whether certain drugs contribute to CAR T cell killing. Signaling pathways of tumor cells and T cells affected by the screened drugs were predicted via RNA sequencing. Among them, the antitumor activities of JK184 in combination with CAR T cells or ICBs were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results We selected three small molecule drugs from a compound library, among which JK184 directly induces tumor cell apoptosis by inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway, modulates B7-H3 CAR T cells to an effector memory phenotype, and promotes B7-H3 CAR T cells cytokine secretion in vitro. In addition, our data suggested that JK184 exerts antitumor activities and strongly synergizes with B7-H3 CAR T cells or ICBs in vivo. Mechanistically, JK184 enhances B7-H3 CAR T cells infiltrating in xenograft mouse models. Moreover, JK184 combined with ICB markedly reshaped the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing effector T cells infiltration and inflammation cytokine secretion, inhibiting the recruitment of MDSCs and the transition of M2-type macrophages in an immunocompetent mouse model. Conclusion These data show that JK184 may be a potential adjutant in combination with CAR T cells or ICB therapy.

ABSTRACT: Dietary metabolizable energy (ME) level could offer a well production performance through maintaining lipid homeostasis in poultry. In this study, a total of 540 geese (450 females and 90 males) at 64 wk of age with similar body weight (4,600 ± 382) were randomly divided into 5 groups with 3 replicates in each group and 30 females and 6 males (1♂:5♀) in each replicate. After 2 wk adaptation, the 5 groups were designed to provide diet with ME intakes of 9.65, 10.05, 10.70, 11.45, and 11.75 MJ/kg, respectively, according to production requirement. Body weight, egg production, hatchability, blood lipid, and fat deposition were recorded after 6 wk feeding. The expression of lipid synthesis-related genes, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Geese fed with high ME diet of 11.75 MJ/kg caused an increased liver and abdominal fat weight and low hatchability of set eggs. The ovarian weight and oviduct length were higher in geese fed dietary energy of 10.7 MJ/kg as compared to the 9.65 MJ/kg groups, whereas no significant difference was observed in geese fed dietary energy of 10.05 MJ/kg. Dietary energy level did not change the concentration of serum lipids at the late egg laying stage. The LPL expression exhibited linear and quadratic effect in response to dietary ME. The FASN expression showed quadratic effect and a relatively higher expression was exhibited in 10.05 and 11.45 MJ/kg than that of the 9.65 and 10.70 MJ/kg ME groups. According to the productivity, reproductive performance, and fat deposition, dietary ME of 10.13 to 10.28 MJ/kg could be suggested for breeding geese at their late laying stage.

This work aims at exploring the irradiation resistance of oxide-dispersion-strengthened reduced-activation ferritic/martensitic (ODS-RAFM) steel prepared by a rapid and cost-efficient method, wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). WAAM ODS-RAFM steel and RAFM steel were prepared using flux cored wires with and without addition of Y2O3, respectively. Both specimens were irradiated with 2.5 MeV Fe ions at 450 °C to a fluence of 1.84 × 1016 ions cm−2, corresponding to a peak damage dose of 20 dpa. The microstructure, hardness and defect structure of WAAM ODS-RAFM steel before and after irradiation were investigated and compared with RAFM steel. It is found that nano-Y2Ti2O7 particles with a high number density (∼10 nm, 1022/m3) are formed in WAAM ODS-RAFM steel, which pin grain boundary and dislocations motion, thus rendering a stable matrix structure after irradiation. The particle size of the stable nano-Y2Ti2O7 slightly increases to ∼ 15 nm while its number density is still high (1022/m3) after irradiation. The grain boundaries, dislocations and nano-Y2Ti2O7 interfaces act as defect sinks to absorb irradiation-induced defects such as self-interstitial atoms and vacancies. Therefore, small dislocation loops (3.6 nm) are found to be the main irradiation defects while no voids are observed. As a result of the inhibited formation and growth of defects, the irradiation hardening is insignificant (ΔH0 = 0.16 GPa), showing great promises of WAAM ODS-RAFM steel as structural components in future fusion reactors.

This paper aims to identify Poria cocos polysaccharides (PCPs) as a potential feed additive used for swine production; thus, we explored the effects of different dietary inclusion levels of PCP on growth performance, immunity, and cecal microflora composition in weaned piglets. For this, a total of 120 28-day-old Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire weaned piglets (8.51 ± 0.19 kg; 28 ± 1 days of age) were randomly allocated to five groups that were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% PCP, respectively, for 42 days. The results indicated that the average daily gain (ADG) and gain/feed ratio were higher in the PCP treatment groups than in the control group, with a linear effect. The serum concentrations of IgG, IgA, IL-2, IFN-γ, the number of CD4+ T cells, and the CD4+-to-CD8+ T-cell ratio (CD4+/CD8+) were increased, while the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased in the PCP supplementation groups compared with those in the control group. Furthermore, the cytokine mRNA expression levels exhibited a similar trend in the spleen. PCP supplementation also reduced the abundance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella and enhanced that of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in the cecum. In summary, dietary PCP inclusion exerted positive effects on the growth performance, immunity, and cecal microbiota of piglets and showed potential for use as a feed additive for improving the health of weaned piglets, with 0.1% being the optimal dosage.

Viral infection-induced cell death has long been considered as a double-edged sword in the inhibition or exacerbation of viral infections. Patients with severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are characterized by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and cytokine storm, which may result from SARS-CoV-2-induced cell death. Previous studies have observed enhanced ROS level and signs of ferroptosis in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells or specimens of patients with COVID-19, but the exact mechanism is not clear yet. Here, we find SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a sensitizes cells to ferroptosis via Keap1-NRF2 axis. SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a promotes the degradation of NRF2 through recruiting Keap1, thereby attenuating cellular resistance to oxidative stress and facilitated cells to ferroptotic cell death. Our study uncovers that SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a functions as a positive regulator of ferroptosis, which might explain SARS-CoV-2-induced damage in multiple organs in COVID-19 patients and imply the potential of ferroptosis inhibition in COVID-19 treatment.

Gelation of waxy crude oil is the source of its complex macroscopic rheological properties, while the rheological properties of waxy crude oil are the important basic data for pipeline transportation.Herein, two models of waxy crude oil system were established based on the macroscopic experimental data, and the molecular dynamics simulation was carried out using the Materials Studio software. In this way, the microscopic mechanism for gelation process of waxy crude oil was studied from the prospective of molecular dynamics. According to the results, the simulated condensation point value of crude oil is consistent with the experimental value through the judgment based on the density and diffusion coefficient. The sudden change of diffusion coefficient of wax crystal molecules and the deviation of mean square displacement are significantly reduced due to the formation of spatial network structure during crude oil gelation. By characterizing the change of microstructure of crude oil during gelationwith the radial distribution function, it is found that the peak value of radial distribution function between the same types of molecular increases gradually, and the largest degree of aggregation between wax crystals occurs at the condensation point. So, wax crystal molecule is the main factor that affects the condensation point of waxy crude oil. Generally, the research resultscouldprovide a basic theory for the acquisition of basic data concerning the pipeline transportation technology of waxy crude oil.

Abstract Background The utilization of heterosis has greatly improved the productivity of cotton worldwide. However, a major constraint for the large-scale promotion of F1 hybrid cotton is artificial emasculation and pollination. This study proposed the potential utilization of F2 hybrids to improve upland cotton production through a comparative evaluation of hybrid generations. Results Eight upland cotton varieties were analyzed and crosses were made according to NCII incomplete diallel cross-breeding design in two cotton belts of China. Variance analysis revealed significant differences in agronomic, yield, and fiber quality in both generations and environments. The broad-sense heritability of agronomic and yield traits was relatively higher than quality traits. Furthermore, the narrow-sense heritability of some traits was higher in F2 than in the F1 generation in both cotton belts. Overall, parental lines Zhong901, ZB, L28, and Z98 were observed with maximum combining ability while combinations with strong special combining ability were ZB × DT, L28 × Z98, and ZB × 851. The yield traits heterosis was predominant in both generations. However, the level of heterosis was altered with trait, hybrid combination, generation, and environment. Interestingly, L28 × Z98 performed outstandingly in Anyang. Its lint yield (LY) was 24.2% higher in F1 and 11.6% in F2 than that of the control Ruiza 816. The performance of SJ48 × Z98 was excellent in Aral which showed 36.5% higher LY in F1 and 10.9% in F2 than control CCRI 49. Further results revealed most hybrid combinations had shown a low level of heterosis for agronomic and fiber quality traits in both generations. Comparatively, ZB × DT and L28 × Z98 showed hybrid vigor for multiple traits in both generations and cotton belts. It is feasible to screen strong heterosis hybrid combinations with fine fiber in early generations. In the two environments, the correlation of some traits showed the same trend, and the correlation degree of Anyang site was higher than that of Aral site, and the correlation of some traits showed the opposite trend. According to the performance of strong heterosis hybrid combinations in different environments, the plant type, yield and fiber traits associated with them can be improved according to the correlation. Conclusions Through comparative analysis of variance, combining ability, and heterosis in F1 and F2 hybrids in different cotton belts, this study proposed the potential utilization of F2 hybrids to improve upland cotton productivity in China.

In the present study, different intensities of UV-A were applied to compare their effects on growth, bioactive compounds and hypoglycemia-related enzyme activities in broccoli and radish sprouts. The growth of sprouts was decreased after UV-A irradiation. A total of 12 W of UV-A irradiation resulted in the highest content of anthocyanin, chlorophyll, polyphenol and ascorbic acid in broccoli and radish sprouts. The highest soluble sugar content was recorded in sprouts under 8 W of UV-A irradiation, while no significant difference was obtained in soluble protein content among different UV-A intensities. Furthermore, 12 W of UV-A irradiation induced the highest glucosinolate accumulation, especially glucoraphanin and glucoraphenin in broccoli and radish sprouts, respectively; thus, it enhanced sulforaphane and sulforaphene formation. The α-amylase, α-glucosidase and pancrelipase inhibitory rates of two kinds of sprouts were enhanced significantly after UV-A irradiation, indicating UV-A-irradiation-treated broccoli and radish sprouts have new prospects as hypoglycemic functional foods.

Abstract Background Around the world, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Lung adenocarcinomas are among the most common diagnosed forms of lung cancer, whose overall survival has not improved significantly, which makes finding an effective therapeutic target vital. Transcobalamin (TCN1) is a vitamin B12-binding protein which regulates cobalamin homeostasis. In tumor tissues, TCN1 is expressed highly, and its expression is correlated with cancer aggressiveness and poor prognosis according to recent studies and bioinformatic analyses. However, its effect on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is unknown. Methods We evaluated whether TCN1 shows diagnostic and prognostic value in LUAD using bioinformatic analysis. In particular, various databases and analysis tools were used to determine TCN1’s relationship with LUAD, including TCGA, GTEx, GEO, STRING, and TISIDB. Results As compared to normal lung tissue, the level of TCN1 expression in LUAD tissues was significantly higher (P < 0.001). TCN1 also had a good ability to distinguish lung adenocarcinoma from non-lung adenocarcinoma samples [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.788]. According to univariate Cox statistics, high expression levels of TCN1 correlate with poor overall survival (OS) in LUAD (P < 0.001). Moreover, based on a multivariate Cox analysis, TCN1 expression was independently correlated with OS (P = 0.011). GO/KEGG and GSEA indicated enrichment in epidermal cell differentiation (P < 0.0005), keratinocyte differentiation (P < 0.0005), neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction (P < 0.0005), epithelial–mesenchymal transition (P = 0.029, FDR = 0.023) and TNFA signaling via NFKB (P = 0.029, FDR = 0.023). Furthermore, TCN1 is associated with immune infiltration based on an analysis of immune cell infiltration. Conclusions In summary, TCN1 could be used as a prognostic and diagnostic biomarker and provide deeper perspectives for the development of therapies and prognostic markers in LUAD.

Abstract Introduction Individual variability of rivaroxaban was observed in clinical application. This study aimed to identify genetic variants associated with the variability of pharmacodynamics and bleeding risk of rivaroxbaban in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Materials and Methods From June 2017, and July 2019, this study enrolled 257 patients with NVAF receiving rivaroxaban. Pharmacodynamics was assessed by determining anti‐Factor Xa (anti‐FXa) level 3 h after rivaroxaban administration as peak concentration. Whole‐exome sequencing was performed to detected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study was registered (NCT03161496). Results The bleeding events within 12 months were significantly related to the peak anti‐FXa level (p = .027). SUSD3 rs76292544 was associated with 12‐month bleeding events (odds ratio [OR]: 4.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.17–8.14, p = 6.43×10−5). Five SNPs including NCMAP rs4553122 (p = 2.29×10−5), PRF1 rs885821 (p = 7.02×10−5), PRKAG2 rs12703159 (p = 7.97×10−5), PRKAG2 rs13224758 (p = 8.70×10−5), and POU2F3 rs2298579 (p = 8.24×10−5) were associated with peak anti‐FXa level. Genetic variants of 52 SNPs from 36 genes including GOT2 rs14221 and MMP13 rs640198 were potentially related to 12‐month bleeding events caused by rivaroxaban's efficacy. Conclusions Peak anti‐FXa level was associated with risk of bleeding events in patients with NVAF receiving rivaroxaban. SUSD3 rs76292544 was suggestively associated with 12‐month bleeding events and five SNPs (NCMAP rs4553122, PRF1 rs885821, PRKAG2 rs12703159, rs13224758 and POU2F3 rs2298579) were suggestively associated with peak anti‐FXa level.

Abstract This is the protocol for a Campbell evidence and gap map. The objective of the map is to map available systematic reviews on the effectiveness of treatments for depressive disorders among adults. Specifically, this EGM includes studies on the effectiveness of treatments across a range of outcome domains.

Microgrids are the main building blocks of future smart grids. They provide a promising solution for integrating renewable energy sources and distributed power generation into the power grids. The high penetration of renewable energy sources and their intermittent nature have brought about significant challenges to the control and operation of microgrids. In recent years, an enormous amount of research has been conducted on microgrid dynamics, stability analysis, power management, and control. However, there has been limited effort to integrate cutting-edge technologies into classrooms and laboratories. Many academic institutions face special challenges in establishing microgrid laboratories because of the rapid development of technology, cost, and space requirements, as well as daily and seasonal variations in renewable energy sources. Virtual and remote laboratories have become widely accepted for conducting experiments in higher education. A virtual laboratory is particularly suitable for renewable energy-based microgrids to overcome cost, space, and time restrictions. In this study, a web-based virtual laboratory for microgrids with renewable energy sources was designed and used for renewable energy education. The virtual laboratory was developed using NI® LabVIEW, Microsoft®.Net Core, and MATLAB/Simulink®. Innovative courseware was developed around the virtual laboratory and used in several engineering technology courses to teach topics including solar and wind power, data acquisition, DC-DC converters, battery management, and microgrids. The evaluation showed that the virtual laboratory greatly increased students’ awareness, interest, and knowledge of renewable energy. It provides an interactive and convenient tool to engage students to experiment with renewable energy and microgrids.

Emergency response has an important impact on the mitigation of the domino effects. However, consequence analysis of the domino effect often ignores emergency response due to its complexity and uncertainty. In this paper, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is adopted to evaluate the reliability of emergency response process. On this basis, using Bayesian Network (BN) model, the domino effect under the influence of emergency response is modeled. Based on the total duration of the above-mentioned emergency response process to determine the consequences of domino effect under the action of safety barriers. The application of the approach has been demonstrated by an illustrative case study. The results show that the probability of domino effect is reduced by an order of magnitude when active barriers, passive barriers and emergency response are considered together. This work can provide relevant basis for formulating safety protection measures in chemical process industry.