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While the issues of childlessness and social support in old age have received considerable attention in more developed countries, the phenomenon of aging without children in China has been relatively underexplored. The existing, albeit limited, literature highlights the vulnerability of the childless elderly in China and the inadequacy of social care services, which is predominantly directed toward most impoverished groups. This study examines the care arrangements and social support mechanisms for childless older people in urban China, emphasizing the role of community-level officers in this context. Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted in 2019 with 27 childless elderly individuals and 10 community-level officers in Shanghai, the study reveals the formation of community-based substitute families. These substitute families, comprising neighbors, extended family members, and friends, provide daily assistance, emotional support, and sometimes intensive care. The establishment of these substitute families hinges on the childless individuals’ ability to navigate public and social resources, as well as the institutionalized mobilization and informal work strategies of community-level officers. We argue that the care arrangements for childless older people are significantly shaped by the state's aging-in-place elder care policy. However, the effectiveness of this policy is mediated by the informal work strategies of community-level officers and the proactive care planning by the childless elderly themselves. Our findings offer important insights for improving the current family-based elder care policies and enrich our understanding of aging without children in urban China.

MicroRNAs are crucial regulators of gene expression in maize. However, the mechanisms through which miRNAs control internode elongation remain poorly understood. This study engineered varying levels of internode elongation inhibition, revealing that dwarfing treatments diminished gibberellin levels, curtailed cell longitudinal growth, and slowed the rate of internode elongation. Comprehensive transcriptome and miRNA profiling of the internode elongation zone showed gene expression changes that paralleled the extent of the internode length reduction. We identified 543 genes and 29 miRNAs with significant correlations to internode length, predominantly within families, including miR164 and miR396. By incorporating target gene expression levels, we pinpointed nine miRNA-mRNA pairs that are significantly associated with the regulation of the internode elongation. The inhibitory effects of these miRNAs on their target genes were confirmed through dual-luciferase reporter assays. Overexpression of miR164h in maize resulted in increased internode and cell length, suggesting a novel genetic avenue for manipulating plant stature. These miRNAs may also serve as precise spatiotemporal regulators for in vitro plant development.

Lipid remodeling is crucial for cold tolerance in plants. However, the precise alternations of lipidomics during cold responses remain elusive, especially in maize (Zea maysL.). In addition, the key genes responsible for cold tolerance in maize lipid metabolism have not been identified. Here, we integrate lipidomic, transcriptomic, and genetic analysis to determine the profile of lipid remodeling caused by cold stress. We find that the homeostasis of cellular lipid metabolism is essential for maintaining cold tolerance of maize. Also, we detect 210 lipid species belonging to 13 major classes, covering phospholipids, glycerides, glycolipids, and free fatty acids. Various lipid metabolites undergo specific and selective alterations in response to cold stress, especially mono-/di-unsaturated lysophosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylinositol, as well as polyunsaturated phosphatidic acid, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, and triacylglycerol. In addition, we identify a subset of key enzymes, including ketoacyl-acyl-carrier protein synthase II (KAS II), acyl-carrier protein 2 (ACP2), male sterility33 (Ms33), and stearoyl-acyl-carrier protein desaturase 2 (SAD2) involved in glycerolipid biosynthetic pathways are positive regulators of maize cold tolerance. These results reveal a comprehensive lipidomic profile during the cold response of maize and provide genetic resources for enhancing cold tolerance in crops.

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are the most common disinfection by-products in swimming pools; however, they exhibit strong cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, posing health risks. Children are more vulnerable to swimming-related health risks than adults; therefore, a rapid and accurate assessment of internal THM exposure in children swimmers is important for health risk assessment. For internal exposure measurement, collecting exhaled breath samples is more convenient, non-invasive, and easier to perform than collecting blood and urine. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a rapid, accurate, and reproducible method for determining THMs in children swimmers' exhaled breath using solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The factors influencing the pretreatment procedure, including selecting SPME fibers, extraction temperature, and time, were systematically evaluated. Under the optimized conditions, the instrumental linearity range was 1–200 ng L−1with correlation coefficients >0.998. The limit of detection for this method was 0.3–0.5 ng L−1. The recovery values ranged between 76.87 and 111.49%. Detecting THMs at three different calibration levels using this method had an intra-day precision of 1.31–5.07%, while the inter-day precision was 1.59–11.10% (n= 6). Additionally, the SPME-GC-MS method was used to detect the concentration of THMs in children swimmers' exhaled breath before and after swimming. Trichloromethane was the most abundant THM in the air around the pool and children's exhaled breath, and THM concentrations in the children swimmers' exhaled breath increased significantly after swimming. This study found no significant differences in the concentrations of THMs in the children swimmers' exhaled breath with different swimming durations or frequencies, which may be a result of the unrepresentative sample population and small sample size, and more in-depth and comprehensive studies are needed to verify this conclusion.

Plant height is an important agronomic trait that affects high-density tolerance and lodging resistance. However, the regulators and their underlying molecular mechanisms controlling plant height in maize remain understudied. Here, we report that knockout mutants of the calcium-dependent protein kinase gene ZmCPK39(ZmCPK39-KO) exhibit dramatically reduced plant height, characterized by shorter internodes and a slight decrease in node numbers. Furthermore, we identified a ZmCPK39-interacting protein, the knotted-related homeobox (ZmKnox2), and observed that plant height was also significantly reduced in a mutatortransposon-inserted mutant of ZmKnox2(ZmKnox2-Mu). Combined analysis of transcriptomic and metabonomic data indicates that multiple phytohormone signaling and photosynthesis pathways are disrupted in both ZmCPK39-KO and ZmKnox2-Mu mutants. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the function of ZmCPK39and identify potential targets for breeding lodging-resistant and high-density tolerant maize cultivars.

This article proposes a quasi-Z-source (QZS)-based modular switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive to suppress the source current ripple, minimize the torque ripple, widen the constant torque range and speed range, and enhance the system reliability. To take full advantage of the QZS unit and modular power modules, the QZS-based modular SRM converter is first constructed. Subsequently, a three-switch conduction-based current compensation mechanism is developed to deal with the torque plummet issue caused by the inherent series excitation mode. Meanwhile, a novel four-region direct instantaneous torque control strategy is proposed to further suppress torque ripple. Furthermore, a voltage regulation method based on a compensation mechanism is developed to suppress the source current ripple and provide great assistance in implementing the above-mentioned strategy more effectively. In addition, the shoot-through state can be evenly distributed among the four bridge arms, which is conducive to balance the heating dissipation of power devices for an improved service life of the power converter. To validate the feasibility and effectiveness, the experiments are carried out on a 150-W three-phase 12/8 SRM prototype.

The lack of internal polarization fields in cubic group-III nitrides makes them promising arsenic-free contenders for next-generation high-performance electronic and optoelectronic applications. In particular, cubic InxGa1–xN semiconductor alloys promise band gap tuning across and beyond the visible spectrum, from the near-ultraviolet to the near-infrared. However, realization across the complete composition range has been deemed impossible due to a miscibility gap corresponding to the amber spectral range. In this study, we use plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) to fabricate cubic InxGa1–xN films on c-GaN/AlN/3C-SiC/Si template substrates that overcome this challenge by careful adjustment of the growth conditions, conclusively closing the miscibility gap. X-ray diffraction reveals the composition, phase purity, and strain properties of the InxGa1–xN films. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals a CuPt-type ordering on the atomistic scale in highly alloyed films with x(In) ≈ 0.5. Layers with much lower and much higher indium content exhibit statistical distributions of the cations Ga and In. Notably, this CuPt-type ordering results in a spectrally narrower emission compared to that of statistically disordered zincblende materials. The emission energies of the films range from 3.24 to 0.69 eV and feature a quadratic bowing parameter of b= 2.4 eV. In contrast, the LO-like phonon modes that are observed by Raman spectroscopy exhibit a one-mode behavior and shift linearly from c-GaN to c-InN.

Regular follow-up and standardized clinical treatment are recommended for atypical glandular cell patients, especially for those aged 40 years and older.

Developing selective inhibitors for Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) is a significant focus for improving the efficacy and alleviating the adverse effects in treating immune–inflammatory diseases. Herein, we report the discovery of a series of C-5 pyrazole-modified pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives as JAK1-selective inhibitors. The potential hydrogen bond between the pyrazole group and E966 in JAK1 is the key point that enhances JAK1 selectivity. These compounds exhibit 10- to 20-fold JAK1 selectivity over JAK2 in enzyme assays. Compound 12balso exhibits excellent JAK1 selectivity in Ba/F3-TEL-JAK cellular assays. Metabolism studies and the results of the hair growth model in mice indicate that compound 12bmay be a viable lead compound for the development of highly JAK1-selective inhibitors for immune and inflammatory diseases.

The nucleolus, as a main “cellular stress receptor”, is the hub of the stress response driving cancer development and has great research value in the field of organelle-targeting photothermal therapy. However, there are few studies focused on monitoring nucleolar stress response and revealing how the energy metabolism of cells regulates the nucleolar stress response during photothermal therapy. Herein, by designing a nucleolus-targeting and ATP- and photothermal-responsive plasmonic fluorescent nanoprobe (AuNRs-CDs) based on gold nanorods (AuNRs) and fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CDs), we achieved real-time fluorescence imaging of nucleus morphology while monitoring changes of ATP content at the subcellular level. We found that the green fluorescence diminished at 5 min of photothermal therapy, and the nucleolus morphology began to shrink and became smaller in cancerous HepG2 cells. In contrast, there is no significant change of green fluorescence in the nucleolar region of normal HL-7702 cells. ATP content monitoring also showed similar results. Apparently, in response to photothermal stimuli, cancerous cells produce more ATP (energy) along with obvious change in nucleolus morphology and state compared to normal cells under the hyperthermia-induced cell apoptosis. The developed AuNRs-CDs as a nucleolus imaging nanoprobe and effective photothermal agent present promising applications for nucleolar stress studies and targeted photothermal therapy.

Increasing the penetration and accumulation of antitumor drugs at the tumor site are crucial in chemotherapy. Smaller drug‐loaded nanoparticles (NPs) typically exhibit increased tumor penetration and more effective permeation through the nuclear membrane, whereas larger drug‐loaded NPs show extended retention at the tumor site. In addition, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have unlimited proliferative potential and are crucial for the onset, progression, and metastasis of cancer. Therefore, a drug‐loaded amphiphilic peptide, DDP‐ and ATRA‐loaded Pep1 (DA/Pep1), is designed that self‐assembles into spherical NPs upon the encapsulation of cis‐diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) and all‐transretinoic acid (ATRA). In an acidic environment, DA/Pep1 transforms into aggregates containing sheet‐like structures, which significantly increases drug accumulation at the tumor site, thereby increasing antitumor effects and inhibiting metastasis. Moreover, although DDP treatment can increase the number of CSCs present, ATRA can induce the differentiation of CSCs in breast cancer to increase the therapeutic effect of DDP. In conclusion, this peptide nanodelivery system that transforms in response to the acidic tumor microenvironment is an extremely promising nanoplatform that suggests a new idea for the combined treatment of tumors. After the encapsulation of cis‐diamminedichloroplatinum and all‐transretinoic acid, an amphiphilic peptide self‐assembles to form spherical nanoparticles, which target acidic fibroblast growth factor and form sheet‐like aggregates in the slightly acidic environment. This transformation increases drug accumulation at the tumor site and prolongs drug retention, thereby increasing antitumor efficacy and the inhibition of lung metastasis.

The rapid economic development that the Hotan Oasis in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China has undergone in recent years may face some challenges in its ecological environment. Therefore, an analysis of the spatiotemporal changes in ecological environment of the Hotan Oasis is important for its sustainable development. First, we constructed an improved remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI) in 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and implemented change detection for their spatial distribution. Second, we performed a spatial autocorrelation analysis on RSEI distribution map and used land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) data to analyze the reasons of RSEI changes. Finally, we investigated the applicability of improved RSEI to arid area. The results showed that mean of RSEI rose from 0.41 to 0.50, showing a slight upward trend. During the 30-a period, 2.66% of the regions improved significantly, 10.74% improved moderately and 32.21% improved slightly, respectively. The global Moran’s Iwere 0.891, 0.889, 0.847 and 0.777 for 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, respectively, and the local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) distribution map showed that the high-high cluster was mainly distributed in the central part of the Hotan Oasis, and the low-low cluster was mainly distributed in the outer edge of the oasis. RSEI at the periphery of the oasis changes from low to high with time, with the fragmentation of RSEI distribution within the oasis increasing. Its distribution and changes are predominantly driven by anthropologic factors, including the expansion of artificial oasis into the desert, the replacement of desert ecosystems by farmland ecosystems, and the increase in the distribution of impervious surfaces. The improved RSEI can reflect the eco-environmental quality effectively of the oasis in arid area with relatively high applicability. The high efficiency exhibited with this approach makes it convenient for rapid, high frequency and macroscopic monitoring of eco-environmental quality in study area.

Vegetation growth status is an important indicator of ecological security. The Tarim River Basin is located in the inland arid region of Northwest China and has a highly fragile ecological environment. Assessing the vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) of the Tarim River Basin can provide insights into the vegetation growth variations in the region. Therefore, based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform, we studied the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin (except for the eastern Gobi and Kumutag deserts) from 2001 to 2020 and analyzed the correlations between vegetation NPP and meteorological factors (air temperature and precipitation) using the Sen slope estimation method, coefficient of variation, and rescaled range analysis method. In terms of temporal characteristics, vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin showed an overall fluctuating upward trend from 2001 to 2020, with the smallest value of 118.99 g C/(m2·a) in 2001 and the largest value of 155.07 g C/(m2·a) in 2017. Regarding the spatial characteristics, vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin showed a downward trend from northwest to southeast along the outer edge of the study area. The annual average value of vegetation NPP was 133.35 g C/(m2·a), and the area with annual average vegetation NPP values greater than 100.00 g C/(m2·a) was 82,638.75 km2, accounting for 57.76% of the basin. The future trend of vegetation NPP was dominated by anti-continuity characteristic; the percentage of the area with anti-continuity characteristic was 63.57%. The area with a significant positive correlation between vegetation NPP and air temperature accounted for 53.74% of the regions that passed the significance test, while the area with a significant positive correlation between vegetation NPP and precipitation occupied 98.68% of the regions that passed the significance test. Hence, the effect of precipitation on vegetation NPP was greater than that of air temperature. The results of this study improve the understanding on the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation NPP in the Tarim River Basin and the impact of meteorological factors on vegetation NPP.

Appropriate root system architecture (RSA) can improve maize yields in densely planted fields, but little is known about its genetic basis in maize. Here we performed root phenotyping of 14,301 field-grown plants from an association mapping panel to study the genetic architecture of maize RSA. A genome-wide association study identified 81 high-confidence RSA-associated candidate genes and revealed that 28 (24.3%) of known root-related genes were selected during maize domestication and improvement. We found that modern maize breeding has selected for a steeply angled root system. Favourable alleles related to steep root system angle have continuously accumulated over the course of modern breeding, and our data pinpoint the root-related genes that have been selected in different breeding eras. We confirm that two auxin-related genes, ZmRSA3.1and ZmRSA3.2, contribute to the regulation of root angle and depth in maize. Our genome-wide identification of RSA-associated genes provides new strategies and genetic resources for breeding maize suitable for high-density planting.

To further reduce the toxicity of heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge (SS), organic acid (oxalic acid, citric acid, acetic acid) washing was used before co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) with pinewood. The results showed the total concentrations of six HMs (As, Cu, Ni, Cr, Mn, and Zn) in hydrochar produced at 230 °C decreased obviously during co-HTC. More importantly, F1 + F2 fractions of Ni, Cr, Mn, and Zn were also lowered. With the pretreatment of citric acid, the hydrochar from co-HTC exhibited the lowest potential ecological risk among all simples. Compared with the hydrochar produced from SS, the coalification degree, higher heating values (5.61–6.19 MJ/kg), and combustion behavior of the hydrochar derived from co-HTC were upgraded and improved. These findings offered a viable technology that could lower the bioavailability of HMs and realize the energy value of SS.

Brain tissues that are severely damaged by traumatic brain injury (TBI) is hardly regenerated, which leads to a cavity or a repair with glial scarring. Stem-cell therapy is one viable option to treat TBI-caused brain tissue damage, whose use is, whereas, limited by the low survival rate and differentiation efficiency of stem cells. To approach this problem, we developed an injectable hydrogel using imidazole groups-modified gelatin methacrylate (GelMA-imid). In addition, polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles were used as carrier for stromal-cell derived factor-1 (SDF-1α). GelMA-imid hydrogel loaded with PDA@SDF-1α nanoparticles and human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs) were injected into the damaged area in an in-vivocryogenic injury model in rats. The hydrogel had low module and its average pore size was 204.61 ± 41.41 nm, which were suitable for the migration, proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. In-vitrocell scratch and differentiation assays showed that the imidazole groups and SDF-1α could promote the migration of hAMSCs to injury site and their differentiation into nerve cells. The highest amount of nissl body was detected in the group of GelMA-imid/SDF-1α/hAMSCs hydrogel in the in-vivomodel. Additionally, histological analysis showed that GelMA-imid/SDF-1α/hAMSCs hydrogel could facilitate the regeneration of regenerate endogenous nerve cells. In summary, the GelMA-imid/SDF-1α/hAMSCs hydrogel promoted homing and differentiation of hAMSCs into nerve cells, and showed great application potential for the physiological recovery of TBI.

A chemical approach to the deposition of thin films on solid surfaces is highly desirable but prone to affect the final properties of the film. To better understand the origin of these complications, the initial stages of the atomic layer deposition of titania films on silica mesoporous materials were characterized. Adsorption–desorption measurements indicated that the films grow in a layer-by-layer fashion, as desired, but initially exhibit surprisingly low densities, about one-quarter of that of bulk titanium oxide. Electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV/visible, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy data pointed to the amorphous nature of the first monolayers, and EXAFS and 29Si CP/MAS NMR results to an initial growth via the formation of individual tetrahedral Ti–oxide units on isolated Si–OH surface groups with unusually long Ti–O bonds. Density functional theory calculations were used to propose a mechanism where the film growth starts at the nucleation centers to form an open 2D structure.

In the present study, the root zone of Canna flaccidaSalisb. was selected as the biological component. We found that the adsorption rate of formaldehyde (FA) by C. flaccidawas initially low, before increasing substantially. 13CNMR analysis indicated that C. flaccidacan metabolize H13CHO and the major metabolic products were organic acid and amino acids. On this basis, we had designed a suspended growth bioreactor (SGB) to remove FA. An SGB was tested under a series of different conditions and the results showed that FA removal efficiency was strongly influenced by water volume, root zone weight, and gas flow rate. More than 52% of the FA was removed in 1 h and the maximum elimination capacity reached 35.112 mg m−3h−1. After 24 h, no FA remained in the SGB. Running for 15 days, the concentration of FA in the lab space decreased from 1.12 to 0.82 mg m−3, and the concentration of FA in the SGB reached a low level. These results confirmed that SGB is an effective way to remove FA.

Maize (Zea mays), which is a vital source of food, feed, and energy feedstock globally, has significant potential for higher yields. However, environmental stress conditions, including drought and salt stress, severely restrict maize plant growth and development, leading to great yield losses. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) function in biotic and abiotic stress responses in the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), but their roles in abiotic stress responses in maize are not entirely understood. In this study, we determine that the LRR-RLK ZmMIK2, a homolog of the Arabidopsis LRR-RK MALE DISCOVERER 1 (MDIS1)- INTERACTING RECEPTOR LIKE KINASE 2 (MIK2), functions in resistance to both drought and salt stress in maize. Zmmik2plants exhibit enhanced resistance to both stresses, whereas overexpressing ZmMIK2confers the opposite phenotypes. Furthermore, we identify C2-DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN 1 (ZmC2DP1), which interacts with the intracellular region of ZmMIK2. Notably, that region of ZmMIK2 mediates the phosphorylation of ZmC2DP1, likely by increasing its stability. Both ZmMIK2and ZmC2DP1are mainly expressed in roots. As with ZmMIK2, knockout of ZmC2DP1enhanced resistance to both drought and salt stress. We conclude that ZmMIK2–ZmC2DP1 act as a negative regulatory module in maize drought- and salt-stress responses.

Retinal neovascular disease is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness globally. It occurs when abnormal new blood vessels form in the retina. In this study, we utilized tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs) as vehicles to load quercetin (QUE), a small-molecule flavonoid, forming a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nanocomplex, tFNAs-QUE. Our data show this nanocomplex inhibits pathological neovascularization, reduces the area of retinal nonperfusion area, protects retinal neurons, and preserves the visual function. Further, we discovered that tFNAs-QUE selectively upregulates the AKT/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, which can suppress pathological vascular growth and exert antioxidative effects. Therefore, this study presents a promising small-molecule-loading mechanism for the treatment of ischemic retinal diseases.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of eyestalk ablation on growth, feeding behavior, circadian movement activity, and circadian gene expression in the abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Abalones were divided into two groups: eyestalk-ablated (EA) and control (C), and were cultured for 60 days. Results showed that the EA group exhibited significantly higher growth rates in body weight compared to the C group. However, the EA group also had a higher mortality rate, indicating the negative consequences of eyestalk ablation. The feeding rate was significantly higher in the EA group, especially during nocturnal feeding, suggesting that eyestalk ablation may specifically affect nocturnal feeding behavior in abalone. Both EA and C groups displayed rhythmic oscillations in movement activity, with no significant differences in mesor and amplitude. Nevertheless, the peak of populational movement proportion in the EA group occurred approximately 2 h earlier than that in the C group. Transcriptome analysis identified 417 circadian genes, with the most significant enrichment found in the growth-related thyroid hormone signaling pathway. The expression of five core clock genes (clock, cry, rho, tipin, per) exhibited significant circadian rhythms in H. discus hannai, while their rhythmic oscillation significance was weaker in the EA group, except for the tipintranscript. These findings reveal that eyestalk ablation affects growth, feeding and locomotor behavior, and clock gene expression in abalone, providing valuable insights for understanding the circadian regulatory mechanisms and physiological ecological adaptations of abalone. However, due to its harmful effects on animal welfare and the limited promotion of growth, this technology is not advocated for use in aquaculture practices.

Amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a protein conformational disease. AL amyloidosis results from aggregation of misfolded proteins that are deposited in tissues as amyloid fibrils. Diagnosis of AL amyloidosis can be challenging due to its low incidence and clinical complexity. Therapy requires a risk-adapted approach involving dose reductions and schedule modifications of chemotherapy regimens along with close monitoring of hematologic and organ responses. We herein describe a patient whose condition was diagnosed as systemic AL amyloidosis and presented with splenic rupture as the initial symptom. Congo red staining of the kidney biopsy was positive. The normal structure of the liver and spleen had been replaced by amyloid deposition. The chemotherapy strategy involved a combination of bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone.