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We use seismic ambient noise recorded by dense ocean bottom nodes (OBNs) in the Gorgon gas field, Western Australia, to compute time‐lapse seafloor models of shear‐wave velocity. The extracted hourly cross‐correlation (CC) functions in the frequency band 0.1–1 Hz contain mainly Scholte waves with very high signal‐to‐noise ratio. We observe temporal velocity variations (dv/v) at the order of 0.1% with a peak velocity change of 0.8% averaged from all station pairs, from the conventional time‐lapse analysis with the assumption of a spatially homogeneous dv/v. With a high‐resolution reference (baseline) model from full waveform inversion of Scholte waves, we present an elastic wave equation based double‐difference inversion (EW‐DD) method, using arrival time differences between the reference and time‐lapsed Scholte waves, for mapping temporally varying dv/v in the heterogeneous subsurface. The time‐lapse velocity models reveal increasing/decreasing patterns of shear‐wave velocity in agreement with those from the conventional analysis. The velocity variation exhibits a ∼24‐hr cycling pattern, which appears to be inversely correlated with the diurnal variations in sea level height, possibly associated with dilatant effects for porous, low‐velocity shallow seafloor and rising pore pressure with higher sea level. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using dense passive seismic surveys and wave‐equation time‐lapse inversion for quantitative monitoring of subsurface property changes in the horizontal and depth domain. Plain Language Summary: Unlike seismic waves generated by earthquakes or human‐made sources, seismic ambient noise (passive seismic) is the ubiquitous background vibration of the solid Earth recorded by seismic sensors. We use seismic interferometry to extract Scholte waves at hourly intervals from ambient noise data collected by dense ocean bottom nodes. Scholte waves travel along the interface between the ocean and the seafloor. This workflow facilitates continuous passive monitoring of the seafloor, without using human‐made seismic sources. Conventional passive monitoring techniques usually assume a spatially homogeneous relative velocity changes. With this assumption, the waveform differences on the extracted Scholte waves reveal temporal variations in the velocity of shear waves up to 0.8%. The velocity variation in this study exhibits a ∼24‐hr cycling pattern, which seems inversely correlated with diurnal variations in sea level height, possibly associated with dilatant effects for porous, low‐velocity shallow seafloor and rising pore pressure with high sea level. Furthermore, we push the limits of passive monitoring with advanced wave‐equation based inversion technique, allowing us to mapping the velocity change into detailed spatial distribution. Therefore we not only infer how velocity changes in time, but also provide insights on where the velocity changes occur in 3‐D beneath the seabed. Key Points: We present a method for space‐time monitoring of subsurface velocity changes in the horizontal and depth domain using seismic ambient noiseWe compute time‐lapse images of seafloor seismic velocity and observe diurnal shear‐wave velocity changes up to 0.8%The wave‐equation based method is suitable for 4‐D subsurface passive monitoring using dense seismic arrays [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered noble metal nanomaterials (NMN) possess adjustable optical, electrical, and biocompatible properties that make them excellent tools for probing the nano‐bio‐interface. Understanding their interactions with biomolecules, cells, and tissues at the nano‐bio‐interface is crucial in designing these nanomaterials for biomedical applications. This review summarizes the structure, properties, synthesis, and passivation methods of noble metal nanoparticles, as well as the construction strategy and detection technology of the nano‐bio‐interface to provide important information about their uptake, distribution, metabolism, and degradation in vivo and in vitro. The related action mechanisms include the kinetic and thermodynamic processes of the nano‐bio‐interface, the driving forces for its formation, and the chemical reactions at the nano‐bio‐interface. By exploring the action mechanism of the nano‐bio‐interface, the antibacterial properties and cytotoxicity of NMN could be better understood, and open up more extensive biological applications. Finally, the future trends of NMNs in the biological field and the challenges encountered in realizing these technologies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing N use efficiency (NUE) is desirable in turfgrass management. Traditional definition of NUE in turfgrass is essentially the inverse of nitrogen concentration in the clippings and is often evaluated once in a growing season. In this experiment, we followed the Brenderse and Aerts' definition of NUE as the product of mean residence time (MRT) and nitrogen productivity (NP). The objective of this experiment was to identify NP changes over time in Kentucky bluegrass cultivars at different N levels under deficit irrigation. Nine Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and two hybrid bluegrass cultivars from 10 phenotypic classes were tested under N rates of 10 and 40 g m−2. Deficit irrigation at 60% of the evapotranspiration was imposed. The results showed interaction effects on NP from N level, irrigation, and cultivar. Low‐N treatment resulted in higher NP values as compared to high‐N for 'Merit' and 'Martha'. No NP difference existed between N or irrigation levels for 'Blue ghost', 'Geronimo', 'Heidi', 'Bandera', 'Impact', 'Fielder', 'Jackrabbit', and 'Park'. 'Rhythm' showed lower NP values in high‐N combined with full irrigation compared to other treatments. In general, increasing N levels resulted in lower NP, but higher nitrate reductase activity (NaR) and higher net photosynthesis. No N by irrigation interaction effect was detected for effective quantum yield or NaR. In conclusion, leaf‐level NP was shown to be an effective parameter for in‐season monitoring of the above‐ground NUE of Kentucky bluegrass, which provided more dynamic information than clipping yields or a one‐time NUE calculation based on traditional definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psocodean species are emerging as significant sanitary and stored‐product pests, posing threats to human health and global food security. Out of an estimated 10 000 species, the whole genome sequences of only 4 species have been published. Genomic resources are crucial for establishing effective pest control and enhancing our understanding of the evolution of psocodean species. In this study, we employed Illumina and PacBio sequencing along with Hi‐C scaffolding techniques to generate a chromosome‐level genome assembly for the parthenogenetic booklouse Liposcelis bostrychophila. The assembled genome of this booklouse measures 291.67 Mb in length and comprises 9 chromosomes. Notably, the genome of L. bostrychophila exhibits a high level of heterozygosity and features a distinctive nonhomologous chromosome. This heterozygous characteristic of the parthenogenetic booklouse genome may arise from high mutation rates, based on genomic variations analysis across multiple generations. Our analysis revealed significantly expanded gene families, primarily associated with the detoxification and feeding habits of L. bostrychophila. These include integument esterases (ESTs), ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter genes and gustatory receptors (GRs). The high‐quality genome sequence of L. bostrychophila provides valuable resources for further study on the molecular mechanisms of stress resistance. It enables researchers to identify crucial functional genes and facilitates research on the population genetics, evolution and phylogeny of booklice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to comprehensively explore the nutrition and gait of AD patients at different stages and the relationship between them. Methods: A total of 85 AD patients were consecutively enrolled in this cross‐sectional study and divided into the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (AD‐MCI) and the dementia due to AD (AD‐D) groups. Demographic information, nutritional status, and gait performance were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between nutritional status and gait performance was subsequently analyzed by Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses. Results: The AD‐D group had lower scores on Mini‐Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and MNAm scales, lower levels of urea nitrogen, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in blood, and higher homocysteine level than those in the AD‐MCI group (all p < 0.05). The AD‐D group had slower step speed, shorter step length, and shorter stride length than those in the AD‐MCI group (all p < 0.05). AD patients with decreased scores of MNA and MNAm scales, and declined levels of urea nitrogen and vitamin B12 in blood had reduced gait speed and gait cadence, and prolonged step length time and stride length time, whereas homocysteine showed the almost opposite results (all p < 0.05). In the AD‐MCI group, the score of scale was negatively correlated with the coefficient of variation (CV) of stride length, and the folic acid level was negatively correlated with the CV of stride length and cadence (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: AD patients at the dementia stage had worse nutritional status and gait performance than those at the MCI stage, which was associated with worse global cognition and activities of daily living. Poorer nutritional status was associated with higher gait variability in patients at the MCI stage and with poorer gait performance in patients at the dementia stage. Early identification and intervention of patients with nutritional risk or malnutrition may improve gait performance, thus reducing the risk of falling and cognitive decline, as well as the mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore the roles of apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 on the neuropathology and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Methods: AD patients were divided into the APOE ε4 carrier and the APOE ε4 non‐carrier groups according to APOE genotype. Demographic information, cognitive function, the levels of neuropathological proteins and neuroinflammatory factors in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were compared between the two groups, and their correlations were subsequently analyzed. Results: β amyloid protein (Aβ)1–42 level from the APOE ε4 carrier group was significantly lower than that from the non‐carrier group (p = 0.023), which was associated with worse cognitive function. The nitric oxide (NO) level was significantly elevated in the APOE ε4 carrier group compared to the non‐carrier group (p = 0.016), which was significantly and positively correlated with the Trail Making Test (TMT)‐A‐time (r = 0.21, p = 0.026) and TMT‐B‐time (r = 0.38, p < 0.01). Conclusion: APOE ε4 is associated with poorer cognition, particularly the early symptoms of memory, language, and attention. APOE ε4 is associated with lower Aβ1–42 level, and the more numbers of APOE ε4 are carried, the lower level of Aβ1–42 is measured. APOE ε4 is associated with elevated NO level, which is linked to the impaired attention and executive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat is fundamental for facilitating various life activities in animals, for instance, snakes procure essential energy for survival and reproduction by selecting ambush microhabitats. While there has been extensive research on the selection of microhabitat for feeding in terrestrial and aquatic snakes, little is known about arboreal snakes. In the present study, we analyzed the ambush microhabitat preferences of Viridovipera stejnegeri, a widely distributed Asian pitviper in China, conducted association analysis between snake microhabitat and prey microhabitat and abundance to determine the ro5le of microhabitat selection in feeding. Employing random forest analysis and habitat selection functions, we further constructed a predictive framework for assessing the probability of ambush site selection by V. stejnegeri. Our results revealed that V. stejnegeri exhibited a distinct microhabitat preference for ambush prey. Among the 13 environmental factors assessed, V. stejnegeri showed pronounced preferences towards 12 of these factors, including climatic factors, geographical factors, and vegetation factors. Furthermore, although the preferences of V. stejnegeri overlapped substantially with those of its prey across multiple habitat factors, food abundance shows no significant association with various habitat factors of V. stejnegeri, and does not have significant predictive effect on habitat selection of V. stejnegeri. Therefore, we infer that V. stejnegeri does not preferentially select microhabitats with the highest food abundance, which does not support the hypothesis that "snakes select habitats based on the spatial distribution of prey abundance." By analyzing the characteristics of vegetation, geography, and climate, we conclude that V. stejnegeri tends to choose microhabitats with better ambush conditions to increase attack success rate, thereby achieving the optimal feeding success rate at the microhabitat scale, which is in line with the predictions of optimal foraging theory. This study provides new insights into the predation ecology and habitat selection of snakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several phylogeographic studies of Asian snakes have been conducted, most have focused on pitvipers, with non‐venomous snakes, such as colubrids or natricids, remaining poorly studied. The Chinese keelback water snake (Trimerodytes percarinatus Boulenger) is a widespread, semiaquatic, non‐venomous species occurring in China and southeastern Asia. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, we explored the population genetic structure, genetic diversity, and evolutionary history of this species. MtDNA‐based phylogenetic analysis showed that T. percarinatus was composed of five highly supported and geographically structured lineages. SNP‐based phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis consistently revealed four distinct, geographically non‐overlapping lineages, which was different from the mtDNA‐based analysis in topology. Estimation of divergence dates and ancestral area of origin suggest that T. percarinatus originated ~12.68 million years ago (95% highest posterior density: 10.36–15.96 Mya) in a region covering southwestern China and Vietnam. Intraspecific divergence may have been triggered by the Qinghai‐Xizang Plateau uplift. Population demographics and ecological niche modeling indicated that the effective population size fluctuated during 0.5 Mya and 0.002 Mya. Based on the data collected here, we also comment on the intraspecific taxonomy of T. percarinatus and question the validity of the subspecies T. p. suriki. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several phylogeographic studies of Asian snakes have been conducted, most have focused on pitvipers, with non‐venomous snakes, such as colubrids or natricids, remaining poorly studied. The Chinese keelback water snake (Trimerodytes percarinatus Boulenger) is a widespread, semiaquatic, non‐venomous species occurring in China and southeastern Asia. Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data, we explored the population genetic structure, genetic diversity, and evolutionary history of this species. MtDNA‐based phylogenetic analysis showed that T. percarinatus was composed of five highly supported and geographically structured lineages. SNP‐based phylogenetic analysis, principal component analysis, and population structure analysis consistently revealed four distinct, geographically non‐overlapping lineages, which was different from the mtDNA‐based analysis in topology. Estimation of divergence dates and ancestral area of origin suggest that T. percarinatus originated ~12.68 million years ago (95% highest posterior density: 10.36–15.96 Mya) in a region covering southwestern China and Vietnam. Intraspecific divergence may have been triggered by the Qinghai‐Xizang Plateau uplift. Population demographics and ecological niche modeling indicated that the effective population size fluctuated during 0.5 Mya and 0.002 Mya. Based on the data collected here, we also comment on the intraspecific taxonomy of T. percarinatus and question the validity of the subspecies T. p. suriki. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]