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Proxy records of the oxygen isotope ratio of 18O/16O of past precipitation (δ18Op) have played an important role in revealing past hydroclimatic changes, on the basis of global observed relationships between monthly precipitation δ18Op and both precipitation amount and temperature only of a few years as reported by Dansgaard in 1964. It is therefore crucial to systematically re-evaluate the relationships using modern instrumental data. We analysed monthly and annual mean correlations from 108 global stations over the past about 60 years. Consistent with previously reported results, monthly δ18Op values in the high latitudes (≥60°) show a significant positive correlation with temperature (referred to as ‘temperature effect’) and a negative trend with precipitation amount in the low latitudes (≤20°) (‘amount effect’). However, these correlations do not hold for true for yearly mean data for more than three-quarters of the stations evaluated. This indicates that the relationships between the different temporal resolutions could be more complicated than previously thought. For the related natural archives, such as ice cores, sediments, and carbonates, further careful evaluation is required to establish the robustness of their paleoclimatic implications.

The traditional shallow tillage method reduces soil quality and affects the efficiency of agricultural production. Using conventional rotary tillage (12 cm) as the control, Yunyan 87 as the test variety, and paddy soil as the test site, we studied the effects of deep tillage (subsoiling 30 cm) on soil nutrients, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) growth. The results showed that deep tillage increased the content of organic carbon, available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) in the 20–40 cm soil layer. The AMF community was also affected by deep tillage. Glomus, the dominant genus in both groups, increased significantly in soil after deep tillage. The AMF colonization rate was lower than that of conventional rotary tillage. Deep tillage was beneficial for tobacco growth in the middle and late stages. The root growth and nutrient content of the tobacco plants increased. Deep tillage significantly improved the output value of tobacco plants. Deep tillage is conducive to improving soil fertility, promoting the vigorous growth of roots, reducing the dependence of tobacco on AMF, and promoting the high quality and yield of tobacco in the drylands of Hunan.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) and surrounding areas contain the largest number of glaciers outside the polar regions. The region affects downstream water supply and food security, thereby directly influencing one-third of the world’s population. The lakes in the central TP expanded rapidly in recent decades, which has attracted growing attention. Glacier meltwater was considered as a major component in the water balance of TP lakes, although few studies quantified its contribution. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool to trace hydrologic circulation, while its interpretation in paleoclimate records has been controversial. To bridge the gap between hydrologic and paleoclimatic studies, we performed a hydrologic and isotopic mass balance model to simulate the lake level change of Linggo Co in the central TP. The model was forced by the meteorological data, calibrated through observed lake level changes, and validated by oxygen isotope compositions (δ18O) of lake water. Our results indicated that glacier meltwater contributed 73.94% of the inflow water to Linggo Co before 1993 but decreased thereafter. Increasing glacier meltwater together with positive water balance (precipitation/evaporation) in the catchment contributed to the rapid expansion of Linggo Co after the mid-1990s. Lake water δ18O in Linggo Co was more sensitive to changes in the precipitation amount and precipitation δ18O than temperature. Our findings could shed light on the usage of δ18O proxy in future paleoclimate research on the TP.

The investigation of water resource carrying capacity (WRCC) in oasis cities in Northwest China is useful for guiding the sustainable development of arid regions. To quantify the WRCC of Shihezi, an oasis city in the Manas River Basin (MRB), Northwest China, a total of 21 indicators from three subsystems were selected to construct an evaluation index system based on the theory of the water resource–socio-economic–ecological complex system. Our study utilized a combination of the CRITIC method and the entropy weight method to determine the synthesis weight, the GRA-TOPSIS approach to comprehensively evaluate the WRCC, and the obstacle degree model to identify its main obstacle factors. Our results showed that the WRCC of Shihezi showed an increasing trend from 2011 to 2020, with the compositive index increasing from 0.3454 to 0.5210. The carrying capacities of the ecological environment and socio-economic subsystems were generally on the rise, but the rate of change was relatively gentle from 2017 to 2020. The carrying capacity index of the water resource subsystem dropped significantly from year to year from 2016 to 2020. The irrigation coverage rate, the proportion of agricultural water, water consumption per 10,000 CNY of GDP, the modulus of water production, water resource development and its utilization ratio, the water supply modulus, and the proportion of ecological water were the seven most significant obstacles. Our findings could serve as scientific references for enhancing WRCC and promoting the sustainable development of oasis cities in arid regions.

Owing to its inherent non-trivial geometry, the unique structural motif of the recently discovered kagome topological superconductor AV

This paper puts forward a new soft soil reinforcement technology—microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) technology—which considers the problem of dredger fill soft-soil reinforcement in Dalian Taiping Bay. In this paper, the calcium carbonate content (CCC) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of microbial solidified dredger fill (MSDF) samples were determined using laboratory experiments. The microstructure and chemical composition of MSDF samples were studied by SEM–EDS and XRD. The failure and reinforcement mechanism of MSDF under different experimental conditions (ambient temperature, cementation solution concentration, and clay content) were investigated. The results showed that there was a certain residual strength after the peak strength of MSDF. With the increase of ambient temperature, the number of microorganisms increased, but the activities of urease, CCC, and UCS decreased. The UCS and CCC increased with the increase of cementation solution concentration, while they first increased and then decreased with the increase of clay content. The clay content enhanced the compactness of MSDF samples but reduced the soil permeability and weakened the mineralization. There were significant differences in the morphology of microbial-induced precipitation caused by different concentrations of cementation solution.

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of locking plates versus interlocking intramedullary nails in the treatment of proximal humerus fractures to provide clinical data support and theoretical guidance. Methods Patients with proximal humerus fracture from the Third hospital of Shijiazhuang city and Third hospital of Hebei medical university and from January 2017 to June 2019 were selected, included and divided into the locking plate group and the interlocking intramedullary nail group according to the intervention received. Information pertaining to the perioperative period (operation time, hospital stay, blood loss, etc.) of patients in both groups was collected. VAS pain scores, shoulder activity Constant-Murley scores and postoperative complications were documented. The perioperative data of the two groups were compared, and P Results A total of 64 patients were enrolled, including 36 patients in the locking plate group, with a mean age of 61.3 ± 13.9 years, while the mean age of the interlocking intramedullary nail group was 65.6 ± 11.2 years. There was no statistical difference in gender, affected side, injury mechanism and Neer classification between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, the average operation time of the locking plate group was shorter than that of the interlocking nail group (84.9 ± 11.7 vs. 102.6 ± 22.1 min, P = 0.00), and the intraoperative blood loss of the locking plate group (137.4 ± 16.8 ml) was higher than that of the interlocking nail group (72.5 ± 10.5 ml, P = 0.00). There was no significant difference in the VAS score and Constant-Murley score between these two groups at the final follow-up. Conclusion Interlocking intramedullary nails are more minimally invasive than locking plates, but fracture reduction and fixation take longer. There was no significant difference in pain and shoulder function scores between the two internal fixation strategies for the treatment of proximal humerus fracture.

One-pot wet chemistry strategy via an ultrasonic hydrothermal in situ procedure has been applied to construct a serial of monoclinic Cu-coupled rugby-shaped hierarchical BiVO4 sosoloids with diverse Cu coupling amount. The SEM and TEM images indicate that the coupled copper content had no effect on the crystalline phase of bismuth vanadate, but it had an important effect on its morphology, which changed from seed shape to rugby shape. As demonstrated by XRD and XPS analysis, it was found parts of Cu2+ doped into the BiVO4 monoclinic lattice to make it self-assemble into a rugby-shaped solid solution and another part of Cu loaded on the surface of BiVO4 sosoloids. Under visible light illumination (>420 nm), as-obtained 1.5% Cu-BiVO4 sosoloid had a degradation rate reached 99% for RhB within 50 min, and its photodegradation activity was 5.6 times higher than that of pure BiVO4. and remained above 96% after 5 cycles. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of xCu-BiVO4 sosoloids may be mainly attributed to the superior Cu-coupled rugby-shaped BiVO4 sosoloid microstructures with large specific surface area. During the ultrasonic hydrothermal process, the doping Cu2+ can effectively replace V5+ ions to form a virtual energy level accompanied by V4+, which can become a trapping center and capture the excitation electrons on the conduction band. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of copper can effectively expand the range of visible light response. On the other hand, d orbital electrons of Cu can quickly transfer to the BiVO4 conduction band according to Fermi energy level, so as to promote the interfacial charge transfer process, thus inhibiting the recombination of photo-generated carriers and improving the photocatalytic activity. Based on the synergetic effects of components in degradation of organic contaminants, this study provides a promising photocatalytic material driven by visible light for environmental remediation and protection.

The Upper Cibolo Creek (UCC) karst watershed in Central Texas, USA, represents a portion of the drainage area that supplies water to the recharge zone for the Edwards Aquifer. However, the surface water-groundwater interactions along the UCC are not well quantified, and the hydraulic interactions are important for water budget and water quality of the aquifer. In this study, we investigated the evolution of hydrochemical and isotopic signatures (δ18O, δ2H and d-excess) from precipitation, surface water to groundwater in the UCC watershed from 2017 to 2019, and investigated surface water-groundwater interactions using samples from 14 creeks/spring sites. Factor analysis for the observed parameters demonstrates that changes in water hydrochemistry are primarily controlled by human activity, precipitation input, and water-rock interaction. Hierarchical clustering analysis of temporal isotope variations confirms that significant surface water-groundwater interactions occur in the UCC watershed. We identified relationships between nitrate concentrations at creek/spring sites and land-use conditions, and nitrate input sources were determined utilizing the dual-isotope analyses (δ15N and δ18O) of nitrate. This study provides capacity for a more precise assessment of water resources and water quality in Central Texas.

The stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in precipitation provide a useful reference for the study of hydrological processes, but concerns have been raised regarding the established patterns in their variations in a monsoon climate zone. In this study, stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) of 539 daily precipitation samples from seven hydrometeorological stations in the Beijing area were used to investigate short-term isotopic variations and the controlling factors at a region with a monsoon climate. The δ18O in the precipitation increases from the northwest to the south, which is controlled by the monsoon from the south and continental moisture from the northwest. Consistently, both the high δ18O values and low deuterium excess values from May to September reveal the impact of the monsoon. The amount effect is significant during the monsoon season. In contrast, the T effect is significant, with a gradient of 0.4‰ per °C during the non-monsoon season. A Rayleigh distillation model indicates that the moisture source and residual vapor fraction are the two most important factors in controlling the δ18O patterns in precipitation in a monsoon region, independent of temperature. The result of this study is helpful for the understanding of the regional atmospheric water cycle.

The Edwards Aquifer (EA) in Central Texas provides water supply for over two million people and contains springs that are hydrologically and ecologically important to the region. The residence time of groundwater in the EA ranges from a few days to many thousands of years, since water in the aquifer is contained and transported within both matrix porosity and large conduits. In this study, stable isotopes of water from five springs are investigated for tracing the origin of water and hydrological processes in the EA system during 2017–2019. There is a quick response of the isotopic signals measured at these springs to changes in the isotopic compositions of precipitation. By utilizing an isotope mixing model, we have identified sources of water for these springs with a bi-modal distribution of groundwater supply in the EA: water supplied from deep groundwater with a longer residence time (an average of 67%) and supplemental epikarst interflow with a shorter residence time (an average of 33%). The evolution of hydrochemical water types from HCO3–Ca to HCO3·Cl–Ca·Mg along the EA flowpaths indicates that inputs from epikarst interflow are greater in springs within the artesian zone than the springs within the contributing zone. HIGHLIGHTS Stable isotope tracers were utilized to understand the origins of spring water and hydrological processes in the Edwards Aquifer.; There is a quick response for isotopic signals in spring water to changes in the isotopic compositions of precipitation.; There is elevated input from epikarst interflow for spring water balance in the artesian zone than the contributing zone.

Precise simulations of hydrological processes under the influence of climate change and human activities have special significance in arid basins. During the past 60 years, the annual average temperature and precipitation at the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains have increased at the rates of 0.035 °C/year and 0.881 mm/year, respectively. Rising temperatures will change the temporal and spatial distributions and forms of precipitation, accelerate glacier retreat, melt snow on high mountains, cause the degeneration of frozen soil, and change the runoff composition in the Tianshan area. In this work, the CMADS (China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Dataset for the SWAT model) was combined with the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model to simulate runoff in the upper reaches of the Jing River and Bo River Basins in the Tianshan area. The results were as follows. (1) On the monthly scale, the average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficients of the calibration period in the Wenquan and Jinghe–Shankou hydrological stations were 0.79 and 0.87, respectively, and the NSE coefficients of validation period were 0.71 and 0.82, respectively. On the daily scale, the NSE coefficients of the two hydrological stations were between 0.69 and 0.77. The simulation results were considered to be ideal on the monthly and daily scales. (2) Under different climate scenarios and land-use patterns, the cultivated land in the basin leads to the reduction of runoff, and the grassland and woodland stabilise the river flood season. Lakes and wetlands, which can reduce the flow in the flood season and provide water for rivers in the dry season, are very important for runoff regulation. Compared with the traditional meteorological stations, CMADS demonstrates good representativeness and reliability in the Jinghe River and Bohe River Basins under different climate and land-use scenarios, greatly improving the runoff simulation ability. HIGHLIGHTS The hydrological simulation by the CMADS + SWAT model has a higher accuracy than the OBS + SWAT model.; Increasing temperatures and precipitation significantly increased positive runoff. Increasing arable lands and decreasing the total water area will reduce the runoff.; Reducing the grass, woodland, and shrub forest area will lead to the runoff in the flood season becoming more concentrated.

The Manas River Basin (MRB), Northwest China, is an arid basin dependent on irrigation for agriculture, and human activities are believed to be the primary factor affecting the groundwater level fluctuations in this basin. Such fluctuations can have a significant adverse impact on the social economy, agricultural development, and natural environment of that region. This raises concerns regarding the sustainability of groundwater use. In this study, we used ArcGIS spatial interpolation and contrast coefficient variance analysis to analyse groundwater level, land-use change, and water resource consumption patterns from 2012 to 2019 in the plains of the MRB. The aim was to determine the main factors influencing the groundwater level and to provide a scientific basis for the rational development, utilisation, and management of water resources in this area. During the study period, the groundwater level decreased, increased, and then fluctuated with a gradually slowing downward trend; the decline ranged from −17.82 to −11.67 m during 2012–2019. Within a given year, groundwater levels declined from March/April to August/September, then rose from August/September to March/April, within a range of 0.29–19.05 m. Primary factors influencing the groundwater level included human activities (e.g., changes in land use, river regulation, irrigation, and groundwater exploitation) and natural causes (e.g., climate and weather anomalies). Human activities were the primary factors affecting groundwater level, especially land-use change and water resource consumption. These results provide a theoretical basis for the rational exploitation of groundwater and the optimisation of water resource management in this region.

Microscale electrochemical energy storage devices, e.g., micro-supercapacitors (MSCs), possessing tailored performance and diversified form factors of lightweight, miniaturization, flexibility and exceptional integration are highly necessary for the smart power sources-unitized electronics. Despite the great progress, the fabrication of MSCs combining high integration with high volumetric performance remains largely unsolved. Herein, we develop a simple, fast and scalable strategy to fabricate graphene based highly integrated MSCs by a new effective continuous centrifugal coating technique. Notably, the resulting highly conductive graphene films can act as not only patterned microelectrodes but also metal-free current collectors and interconnects, endowing modular MSCs with high integrity, remarkable flexibility, tailored voltage and capacitance output, and outstanding performance uniformity. More importantly, the strong centrifugal force and shear force generated in continuous centrifugal coating process lead to graphene films with high alignment, compactness and packing density, contributing to excellent volumetric capacitance of ~31.8 F cm−3 and volumetric energy density of ~2.8 mWh cm−3, exceeding most reported integrated MSCs. Therefore, our work paves a novel way for simple and scalable fabrication of integrated MSCs and offers promising opportunities as standalone microscale power sources for new-generation electronics.

Both δ O in groundwater and speleothem are inherited from precipitation δ O, however, stalagmite δ O and groundwater δ O do not simultaneously agree with each other in the monsoon regions, especially in the late Pleistocene. The reason remains unclear due to the complex stable isotope systematics in the monsoon affected regions with their controlling factors as well as the possible different recharge dynamics of groundwater and drip water. In this study, we have collected 539 daily precipitation samples throughout 2015 from seven monitoring stations in Beijing, in the northern margin of the East Asian summer monsoon region. Stable isotopes (δ O and δ H) of these precipitation samples are investigated for the controlling factors of precipitation isotopes, e.g., moisture source, temperature (T), and precipitation amount (P) effects. The δ O values in the precipitation decrease from the south to the northwest, which is controlled by the monsoon from the south and continental moisture from the northwest. Consistently, the precipitation exhibits an apparent seasonal variation in δ O values. The P effect is significant during the monsoon season, especially when the precipitation events are greater than 5 mm and single moisture source is considered. In contrast, the T effect is significant, with a gradient of 0.4‰ per °C during the non-monsoon season. A Rayleigh distillation model indicates that the moisture source and residual vapor fraction are the two most important factors controlling the δ O precipitation patterns in a monsoon region, independent of temperature. Isotopes in groundwater in the late Pleistocene exhibit a significant T effect, implying that the monsoon might not reach Beijing when the groundwater was formed at that time. Furthermore, we highlighted the different recharge mechanisms of groundwater and drip water: lateral flow and direct vertical infiltration make diverse contributions of non-monsoon precipitations to the groundwater and drip water respectively, resulting in that speleothem δ O differ from groundwater δ O in the late Pleistocene.

Degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) is an age-related spinal disease. It is an important cause of low back pain, lower limb pain and intermittent claudication, which seriously affects the quality of life of middle-aged and elderly people.This article aims to study the changes in serum oestrogen levels in postmenopausal women with DLS and its relationship.One hundred and sixty-eight postmenopausal women diagnosed with DLS (DLS group) and 140 healthy postmenopausal women (control group) were recruited.Lumbar spinal bone mineral density (LSBMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and a chemiluminescence immunoassay analyser was used to detect serum β-oestradiol (E2) levels. The severity of lower back pain was assessed by the visual analogue scale score and dysfunction was evaluated by Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The quality of life was evaluated by Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Diagnostic efficiency was evaluated by the receiver-operating characteristics curve (ROC).LSBMD and the level of E2 in the serum in DLS patients were significantly reduced when compared with the control group. The levels of E2 in the serum of postmenopausal women are reliable for predicting DLS revealed by ROC (p .001). Serum E2 levels were negatively correlated with Cobb angle, VAS and ODI and were positively correlated with LSBMD and SF-36 scores.In postmenopausal women, serum E2 levels in DLS patients are significantly reduced and low levels of E2 are associated with lower bone density and poorer quality of life.

The widespread occurrence of snow-ice formation on the pack ice plays a critical role in the mass balance of Antarctic sea ice. The stable isotope composition, ice texture and salinity of eight ice cores, obtained from the Amundsen Sea during the Oden Southern Ocean 2010/11 expedition from late December 2010 to January 2011, were investigated to illustrate the snow-ice growth process and its contribution to sea-ice development. Most previous research has utilized δ18O as an index tracer to determine the percentages of core length that contain meteoric water, i.e. snow ice. However, this standard practice of snow-ice identification might be biased due to normally low-resolution isotopic measurements and mixing/diffusion processes between the snow ice and underlying ice layers. Snow-ice contributions in these ice cores based instead on an updated isotope mixing model are also presented. Depth profiles of ice texture and salinity are described to serve as representations of the structures of these ice cores. Our isotope mixing model produced an average of 15.9% snow-ice contribution for pack ice in the Amundsen Sea, and meteoric water occupying 40% of snow-ice mass for all ice stations. These results are compared to previous investigations of snow-ice occurrence around Antarctica.

As a member of the integrin family, integrin α3β1 (ITGA3) has been linked to intercellular communication and serves an important role in the signaling among cells and the extracellular matrix. MicroRNA (miR)‑199a‑5p has been demonstrated to be related to the pathogenesis and progression of multiple malignant diseases. However, the biological functions of miR‑199a‑5p and ITGA3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) have rarely been reported. The aim of the present study was to explore the roles of miR‑199a‑5p and ITGA3 in CRC. Immunohistochemistry staining and western blotting were applied to detect the protein expression of ITGA3 in CRC tissues and cells. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was performed to investigate the expression of miR‑199a‑5p and ITGA3 mRNA. HCT‑116 cells were transfected with miR‑199a‑5p mimics, mimics control, short hairpin RNA targeting ITGA3, or pcDNA‑ITGA3 for the functional experiments. Dual luciferase reporter assay was applied to confirm whether miR‑199a‑5p targeted the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of ITGA3. The MTT, Transwell and wound healing assays were used to evaluate the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRC cells. Immunofluorescence assay was used to monitor the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarker expression. The results demonstrated downregulation of miR‑199a‑5p and upregulation of ITGA3 in CRC tissues and cell lines. miR‑199a‑5p mimics and knockdown of ITGA3 suppressed the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRC cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR‑199a‑5p targeted the 3'UTR of the ITGA3 transcript, and overexpression of ITGA3 reversed the tumor‑suppressive effects of miR‑199a‑5p elevation. In addition, the immunofluorescence assay suggested that miR‑199a‑5p mimics suppressed the EMT of CRC cells, whereas the overexpression of ITGA3 restored this effect. In conclusion, miR‑199a‑5p may act as a tumor suppressor by targeting and negatively regulating ITGA3 in CRC.

Kaolinite layers were exfoliated as single sheets and admixed with cellulose fibers, forming an advanced exfoliated kaolinite/cellulose fiber (EXK/CF) composite, which was characterized as a promising carrier for the oxaliplatin (OL) drug to induce safety as well as the therapeutic effect. The EXK/CF composite exhibited promising loading capacity and achieved an experimental value of 670 mg/g and an expected theoretical value of 704.4 mg/g. The loading behavior of OL using the EXK/CF composite followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and the Langmuir equilibrium model, achieving an adsorption energy of 7.7 kJ/mol. This suggested physisorption and homogeneous loading behavior of the OL molecules in a monolayer form. The release profile of OL from EXK/CF continued for about 100 h with maximum release percentages of 86.4 and 95.2% in the phosphate and acetate buffers, respectively. The determined diffusion exponent from the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model suggested non-Fickian transport behavior of the OL molecules and releasing behavior controlled by erosion as well as diffusion mechanisms. Regarding the cytotoxic effect, the EXK/CF composite has a high safety impact on the normal colorectal cells (CCD-18Co) and higher toxic impacts on the colorectal cancer cell (HCT116) than the free oxaliplatin drug.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3Δ9,12,15) and γ-linolenic acid \ (GLA, 18:3Δ6,9,12) are important trienoic fatty acids, which are beneficial for human health in their own right, or as precursors for the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. ALA and GLA in seed oil are synthesized from linoleic acid (LA, 18:2Δ9,12) by the microsomal ω-3 fatty acid desaturase (FAD3) and Δ6 desaturase (D6D), respectively. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seed oil composition was modified by transforming with an FAD3 gene from Brassica napus and a D6D gene from Echium plantagineum, resulting in approximately 30% ALA and 20% GLA, respectively. The total oil content in transgenic seeds remained unaltered relative to parental seeds. Despite the use of a seed-specific promoter for transgene expression, low levels of GLA and increased levels of ALA were found in non-seed cotton tissues. At low temperature, the germinating cottonseeds containing the linolenic acid isomers elongated faster than the untransformed controls. ALA-producing lines also showed higher photosynthetic rates at cooler temperature and better fiber quality compared to both untransformed controls and GLA-producing lines. The oxidative stability of the novel cottonseed oils was assessed, providing guidance for potential food, pharmaceutical and industrial applications of these oils.

Three-dimensional (3D) TiO2 hollow structures have attracted much attention due to their unique properties. However, the large bandgap of (3.2 eV) results in the fact that anatase TiO2 photocatalyst can only be excited by UV light, which only accounts for 3–5% of the solar energy. On considering that nobel metallatic nanomaterials can harvest visible light due to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, in this paper, three kinds of Au nanoparticles with different morphologies, namely Au nanospheres (Au-NSs), Au nanorods (Au-NRs) and Au nanopentogons (Au-NPs) were prepared and used as photosensitizers to modified TiO2 hollow nanoboxes (TiO2-HNBs), aiming to explore high efficient visible-light-responsive photocatalyst. The photoreacitivty of Au/TiO2-HNBs was evaluated by photoctalytic oxidation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and NO under visible irradiation (λ > 420 nm). It was found that the visible photoreactivity of TiO2-HNBs was greatly enhanced after modified with Au nanoparticles, and TiO2-HNBs loaded with Au-NRs exhibit the highest visible photocatalytic activity towards both RhB degradation and NO oxidation. Upon visible irradiation, SPR effect induces the production of hot electrons from the Au nanoparticles, which can further transfer to the conduction band of TiO2-HNBs to produce superoxide radicals (·O2−), resulting in an efficient separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. The photoreactivity of Au-NRs/TiO2-HNBs towards RhB degradation almost keeps unchanged even after recycling used for 5 times, indicating that it is promising to be use in practical applications. Keywords: Au, TiO2, Hollow nanobox, Surface plasmon resonance, Photocatalysis

Tropical cyclones produce rainfall with extremely negative isotope values (δ18O and δ2H), but the controls on isotopic fractionation during tropical cyclones are poorly understood. Here we studied the isotopic composition of rainfall at sites across central Texas during Hurricane Harvey (2017) to better understand these processes. Rainfall δ18O trend towards more negative values as a result of Rayleigh distillation of precipitation-generating airmasses as they travel towards the center of the storm. Superimposed on these gradual changes are abrupt isotopic shifts with exceptionally low deuterium excess values. These appear to be controlled by microphysical processes associated with the passage of spiral rainbands over the sampling locations. Isotope-enabled climate modeling suggests that it may be possible to identify the signature of tropical cyclones from annually resolved isotopic proxy records, but will depend on the size of the storm and the proximity of the site to the core of the storm system.

Experimental studies on reinforcing aeolian sand with cement and fiber are lacking, and the interface mechanism and splitting characteristics thus remain unclear. Herein, the interface mechanism and splitting characteristics of fiber-reinforced, cement-solidified, aeolian sand were experimentally assessed to investigate whether glass fiber exhibits better properties as a reinforcing agent than traditional fiber-free cement-solidified aeolian sand, and whether aeolian sand is applicable as a base material in geotechnical engineering. The splitting experiments involved the use of fiber-reinforced, cement-solidified aeolian sand samples that were differentiated based on the mixing schemes used to formulate them. Based on the strengthening control technology effects on the structural performance of the fiber-reinforced, cement aeolian, sand-mixed matrix material, the internal physical and chemical mechanisms of structural performance evolution were revealed and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy images. The experimental results show that the splitting strength of the sample reaches its maximum value at a combination of 6 mm glass fiber, 3‰ fiber, and 10% cement contents. In fiber-reinforced cement-solidified aeolian sand, cement hydrate forms more needle-shaped crystal products. The crystals adhere to the fiber surfaces that interweave with each other to form a porous and dense network. Although this improves the bonding force between the fiber and aeolian sand particles, the fibers are prone to fracture and slippage during the splitting process. The three-dimensional network structure formed by overlapping fibers is critical for the improvement of the splitting strength. The study’s findings will serve as benchmarks to achieve additional improvements in glass fiber-reinforced cement-solidified aeolian sand.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life-threatening clinical condition associated with critically ill patients, and the construction of potential microRNA (miRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory networks will help to fully elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. First, we screened fifteen upregulated differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and six downregulated DE-miRNAs from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, the predicted target genes of the upregulated and downregulated DE-miRNAs were identified from the miRNet database. Subsequently, differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) were identified from the GEO database and subjected to combined analysis with the predicted DE-miRNA target genes. Eleven target genes of the upregulated DE-miRNAs and one target gene of the downregulated DE-miRNAs were screened out. To further validate the prediction results, we randomly selected a dataset for subsequent analysis and found some accurate potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes, including mmu-mir-7b-5p-Gria1, mmu-mir-486a-5p-Shc4 and mmu-mir-486b-5p-Shc4 pairs. Finally, mir-7b and its target gene Gria1 and mir-486b and its target gene Shc4 were further validated in a bleomycin-induced ALI mouse model. We established a potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of ALI in mice, which may provide a basis for basic and clinical research on ALI and advance the available treatment options.

The traditional shallow tillage method reduces soil quality and affects the efficiency of agricultural production. Using conventional rotary tillage (12 cm) as the control, Yunyan 87 as the test variety, and paddy soil as the test site, we studied the effects of deep tillage (subsoiling 30 cm) on soil nutrients, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and tobacco (

Clarifying the water uptake patterns and competition among riparian plants under different ecological water conveyance conditions is crucial for the stability of the riparian ecosystem in arid areas. Here, we have utilized the Bayesian isotope mixing model to quantify the plant water sources for two typical riparian plants (Tamarix ramosissima and Phragmites australis) along the Manas River in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The water competition relationship between these two typical riparian plants is evaluated using the proportional similarity index (PSI). Our findings demonstrated the following: (1) The climate in the study area is dry and strongly evaporative, and the slope and intercept of the local meteoric water line are smaller than the global meteoric water line. The interconversion between surface water and groundwater occurred mainly in the upper reaches of the river. (2) At the sample site with the long-term ecological water conveyance, the water uptake pattern for typical riparian plants is predominantly shallow soil water or the uniform use of potential water sources. Among them, the utilization rate of shallow soil water reached 30.7 ± 12.6%. At sample sites with intermittent ecological water conveyance and the non-ecological water conveyance sample site, the growth of T. ramosissima and P. australis primarily uses deep soil water and groundwater, with mean values of 34.5 ± 5.1% and 32.2 ± 1.9%, respectively. (3) The water competition between plants at the intermittent ecological water conveyance and non-ecological water conveyance sample sites was more intense. However, the long-term ecological water conveyance effectively reduced water competition among plants. Our results will provide basic theoretical support for maintaining the stability of the Manas River riparian ecosystem and determining environmental flows.

Low back pain (LBP) is seriously harmful to human health and produces heavy economic burden. And most scholars hold that intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the primary cause of LBP. With the study of IDD, aberrant expression of gene has become an important pathogenic factor of IDD. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as a kind of noncoding RNA (ncRNA), participate in the regulation of genetic transcription and translation and further affect the expression of inflammatory cytokine, metabolism of extracellular matrix (ECM), the proliferation and apoptosis of cells, etc. Therefore, maybe it will become a new therapeutic target for IDD. At present, our understanding of the mechanism of circRNAs in IDD is limited. The purpose of this review is to summarize the mechanism and related signaling pathways of circRNAs in IDD reported in the past. Particularly, the roles of circRNAs in inflammation, ECM metabolism, and apoptosis are emphasized.

Background Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most common endocrine malignancy worldwide. The incidence of TC is high and increasing worldwide due to continuous improvements in diagnostic technology. Therefore, identifying accurate prognostic predictions to stratify TC patients is important. Methods Raw data were downloaded from the TCGA database, and pairwise comparisons were applied to identify differentially expressed immune-related lncRNA (DEirlncRNA) pairs. Then, we used univariate Cox regression analysis and a modified Lasso algorithm on these pairs to construct a risk assessment model for TC. We further used qRT‒PCR analysis to validate the expression levels of irlncRNAs in the model. Next, TC patients were assigned to high- and low-risk groups based on the optimal cutoff score of the model for the 1-year ROC curve. We evaluated the signature in terms of prognostic independence, predictive value, immune cell infiltration, immune status, ICI-related molecules, and small-molecule inhibitor efficacy. Results We identified 14 DEirlncRNA pairs as the novel predictive signature. In addition, the qRT‒PCR results were consistent with the bioinformatics results obtained from the TCGA dataset. The high-risk group had a significantly poorer prognosis than the low-risk group. Cox regression analysis revealed that this immune-related signature could predict prognosis independently and reliably for TC. With the CIBERSORT algorithm, we found an association between the signature and immune cell infiltration. Additionally, immune status was significantly higher in low-risk groups. Several immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-related molecules, such as PD-1 and PD-L1, showed a negative correlation with the high-risk group. We further discovered that our new signature was correlated with the clinical response to small-molecule inhibitors, such as sunitinib. Conclusions We have constructed a prognostic immune-related lncRNA signature that can predict TC patient survival without considering the technical bias of different platforms, and this signature also sheds light on TC’s overall prognosis and novel clinical treatments, such as ICB therapy and small molecular inhibitors.

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetS) has a potential connection with thyroid disease, but its relationship with thyroid nodules (TNs) is still controversial. This study aims to clarify the relationship between MetS and TNs, and this relationship in the subgroup of gender.MethodsThe recent nationwide cross-sectional study called Thyroid Disorders, Iodine Status, and Diabetes Epidemiological survey provided the newest data on the relationship between MetS and TNs from China and included 56,729 subjects. We also researched related literature in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE until Oct 30, 2020, in order to perform a meta-analysis. The relevant articles were examined, and the eligible studies were included to assess the association between MetS and TNs.ResultsThe meta-analysis included 15 studies (involving 468,845 subjects). Of these, 14 studies were from the databases, and one study was this cross-sectional data. The meta-analysis showed that TNs were associated with a higher prevalence of MetS (OR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.44–2.45) and the components of MetS, including central obesity (OR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.15–1.72), hypertriglyceridemia (OR=1.13, 95% CI: 1.10–1.15), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterolemia (OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.02–1.20), abnormal blood pressure (OR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.62–1.75), and hyperglycemia (OR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.46–1.74). Central obesity displayed gender differences, being a risk factor in males (OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.02–1.86) but not in females (OR=1.47, 95% CI: 0.97–2.23).ConclusionTNs were indeed associated with a higher prevalence of MetS. In addition, its component diseases, such as central obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, abnormal blood pressure, and hyperglycemia, were also associated with TNs. Females with MetS or its components had a higher risk of suffering from TNs than males.