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Purpose: Autologous osteoperiosteal transplantation (AOPT) is one of the most feasible and effective techniques for cystic osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT). However, few reports have been reported about the process of graft-host bone healing and bone articular surface reconstruction, which help us to further understand the actual situation of bone healing and modify surgical methods. Methods: The case series study retrospectively evaluated 33 osteochondral lesions in 30 patients undertaking AOPT for OLT with subchondral cysts from December 2016 to October 2021. According to CT observation, we used 4 variables to describe the bony articular repair, including the integration of the articular surface, the height of the bone filling, the status of bone union, and the appearance of bone resorption or cystic change. We also analyzed the demographic data and clinical function. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic and clinical variables. Normally distributed data were presented as mean ± SD, and non-normally distributed data were presented as median (Q1, Q3). Associations between these variables and the primary clinical outcomes were examined using t-test or one-way ANOVA test for continuous variables. Results: The patients’ mean age was (41.7 ± 14.0) years old and the mean follow-up time was (29.6 ± 17.8) months. The chondral lesion size was (14.3 ± 4.1) mm. The cyst depth was (10.9 ± 3.7) mm. Significant improvements were observed in functional outcomes (according to the numeric rating scale for pain when walking and the American orthopedic foot and ankle society score) between the preoperative and latest follow-up evaluations, from 4.2 ± 2.1 to 2.2 ± 2.0 (p 1 mm” was found in 27 grafts (81.8%), and “below the level of the adjacent articular surface, ≤ 1 mm” in a third of the grafts. Abnormal height of bone filling affected numeric rating scale score (p = 0.049) and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score (p = 0.027). Of note, bone resorption or cystic changes appeared in up to 13 autografts (39.4%). Conclusions: AOPT is an effective and acceptable technique for cystic OLT. Bone reconstruction is essential for large cystic OLT. How to get better bony articular reconstruction and avoid cyst recurrence should still be paid more attention.

As a source substitution technology that reduces pollutants emission and optimizes sinter properties, H2-rich gas injection-assisted iron ore sintering holds significant practical value. This study analyzed the adaptability of this technology to different ore blend ratios and basicity levels by comparing sintering indexes, pore structure, mineral phase composition, and metallurgical performance before and after H2-rich gas injection. The carbon emission reduction following H2-rich gas injection was calculated. The results indicate that increasing the proportion of high-silica, low-alumina ore (Ore-A) and basicity, along with H2-rich gas injection, can effectively enhance sinter yield and quality, but shrink the pore structure of sinter. Under H2-rich gas injection conditions, decreasing Ore-A ratios and increasing basicity can augment SFCA phase formation and mineral phase uniformity, thereby improving the anti-pulverization ability and reductivity of the sinter. H2-rich gas injection presents better adaptability to sintered ore with lower Ore-A ratio and basicity, which can achieve greater improvements in the sintering indexes, RDI, and RI. For a 265 m2 sinter plant producing sinter with 18 wt% Ore-A and 2.0 basicity, annual CO2 emissions can be reduced by approximately 40,000 t.

Exercise can effectively prevent and treat depression and anxiety, with gut microbiota playing a crucial role in this process. Studies have shown that exercise can influence the diversity and composition of gut microbiota, which in turn affects depression through immune, endocrine, and neural pathways in the gut-brain axis. The effectiveness of exercise varies based on its type, intensity, and duration, largely due to the different changes in gut microbiota. This article summarizes the possible mechanisms by which exercise affects gut microbiota and how gut microbiota influences depression. Additionally, we reviewed literature on the effects of exercise on depression at different intensities, types, and durations to provide a reference for future exercise-based therapies for depression.

We are far from understanding the spatial patterns of dryland soil carbon and nitrogen stocks and how they vary among different land cover types. We used data from 12,000 sites from 129 countries in global drylands to estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (STN) stocks in different land cover types, explore the factors driving their spatial distribution, and predict the trends under different climate scenarios in global drylands. SOC and STN stocks in the upper 100 cm reached 419.5 and 38.2 Pg, respectively, with the upper 0–30 cm accounting for half of them. The largest SOC stocks were found in forests, shrublands and grasslands, while STN stocks peaked in forests, bare areas and croplands. The factors driving the spatial patterns of SOC and STN varied among soil depths, with mean annual temperature, pH and aridity being the main factors driving the spatial patterns in SOC and STN density for 0–30 cm, and soil texture the strongest factor for 60–100 cm. Under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 scenario, SOC and STN stocks were predicted to decrease by 3.6 % and 4.0 %, respectively, from 2020 to 2100, whereas under the RCP 8.5 scenario, the projected decreases were 5.9 % and 6.4 % respectively. Our results indicate that if we want to accurately predict C and N accumulation, and design effective mitigation measures in terrestrial ecosystems under future climatic scenarios, we need to better explore the drivers that operate at the deeper soil depths, which also accumulate a significant amount of SOC and STN.

In order to prevent damage to the support equipment caused by rock burst, a torsion plate energy absorption member is designed to be used with hydraulic columns. Explicit dynamic simulation is used and compared with the tests. The equations of structural parameters to the mean value of the reaction force (Fmean), specific energy absorption (SEA), and mean squared deviation (σ) are constructed based on the response surface method. The structural parameters are optimized using MOPSO. The results indicate that the torsion plate exhibits excellent energy absorption characteristics. The error rate of the simulation compared to the test is less than 5%, indicating a high level of simulation accuracy. All three sets of response fitted equations have R2 above 0.97, indicating a good fit. The three evaluation indexes demonstrate a trend of increasing then decreasing as the torsion angle increases. The wall thickness is positively correlated with the influence of each parameter index, while the effect of fillet radius is reversed. The maximum relative error of the predicted value is 9.50%. After optimization, the Fmean is effectively increased by more than 78%, the SEA is increased by more than 24.72%. The σ is increased by 8.31%, the optimization effect is remarkable.

Summary: Background: Masked hypertension is associated with target organ damage (TOD) and adverse health outcomes, but whether antihypertensive treatment improves TOD in patients with masked hypertension is unproven. Methods: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at 15 Chinese hospitals, untreated outpatients aged 30–70 years with an office blood pressure (BP) of

In the growing season of 2021, a severe drought occurred in Central Asia impacting various local ecosystems and socio-economic conditions. However, there is limited research on the spatiotemporal characteristics of this drought and its effects on local vegetation. To address this gap, this study utilizes the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) to quantitatively evaluate the spatiotemporal drought characteristics, and standardized anomalies to assess drought impacts on vegetation greenness and productivity. The drought-induced reduction in vegetation greenness and production was also decomposed into environmental drivers based on a random forest model. Our findings can be summarized as follows: During the 2021 growing season, Central Asia experienced one of the most severe drought events in the past 40 years, with approximately 42.57 % of the region facing record-breaking drought conditions. Abnormally low precipitation (PRE), prolonged high temperatures (TMP) and evapotranspiration also occurred during the drought event. The drought had a significant detrimental effect on vegetation, leading to an approximately 10 % reduction in vegetation greenness and around 13 % in productivity. Soil moisture (SM) was found to be the most critical factor influencing vegetation greenness loss during drought conditions. Leaf Area Index (LAI) and SM emerged as the primary drivers for the reduction of Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Solar-Induced Fluorescence (SIF). The antecedent environmental conditions had a significant impact on the decline in vegetation greenness and productivity during the 2021 drought event, accounting for approximately 30 %–35 % and 52–69 % of the respective losses. The findings of this study highlight the importance of taking into account antecedent climate factors when studying the impacts of drought on vegetation.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Citrobacter freundii is one of the important pathogens that can cause nosocomial infections. The advent of carbapenem-resistant C. freundii complicates clinical treatment. Here, we reported the genome sequence of a carbapenem-resistant C. freundii strain carrying a novel IncC-IncFIB-IncX3 plasmid in China. Methods: The genome sequence of C. freundii CRNMS1 was obtained using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform and the long-read Nanopore sequencer. Multilocus sequence typing was identified using MLST (v.2.23.0). The identification of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and plasmid replicons was performed using the resfinder and plasmidfinder of ABRicate (v.1.0.1). Circular comparisons of plasmids were performed using the BLAST Ring Image Generator (BRIG). Results: CRNMS1 belongs to ST116 in the C. freundii MLST scheme. Thirteen ARGs were predicted in all, including blaNDM-5, which was located in a plasmid. The plasmid pblaNDM5-S1, which carried the blaNDM-5 gene, was discovered to be a novel plasmid including three plasmid replicons (IncC, IncFIB, and IncX3) as well as seven ARGs (sul1, sul2, floR, dfrA17, aadA5, qnrA1, and blaNDM-5). A total of 38 blaNDM-5-bearing C. freundii strains can be retrieved from the NCBI database. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a worldwide distribution of C. freundii strains carrying the blaNDM-5 gene, with China having the highest prevalence (39%, 15/38). However, they were distantly related to CRNMS1 with SNP differences >2545. Conclusion: In summary, we reported a novel IncC-IncFIB-IncX3 plasmid carrying blaNDM-5 in a carbapenem-resistant C. freundii strain in China. The development of such hybrid plasmids facilitates the transmission of ARGs.

Objectives: Since its discovery, blaNDM-5 has spread widely amongst Escherichia coli strains in clinical patients, causing carbapenem resistance. Here we report the complete genome sequence of an NDM-5-producing E. coli strain isolated from the faecal sample of a healthy individual in Hangzhou, China. Methods: The whole-genome sequence of E. coli CREC8 was obtained utilising both the Nanopore sequencer and the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Antimicrobial resistance genes, multilocus sequence typing, and plasmid replicons were identified using the BacWGSTdb server. The phylogenetic relationship between CREC8 and other E. coli strains was investigated using the core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) strategy. Results: The complete genome sequence of E. coli CREC8 consists of one chromosome and 7 plasmids. CREC8 belongs to ST167 according to the MLST scheme. Seven ARGs were identified, including carbapenem resistance gene blaNDM-5 which was located in an IncFIA/IncFII type plasmid. A total of 164 E. coli ST167 strains related to 25 countries across four continents can be retrieved from the NCBI database, 95 of them carrying the blaNDM gene with blaNDM-5 the most (N = 79). Phylogenetic analysis revealed a worldwide distribution of E. coli ST167 strains, with China having the highest prevalence (37%, 61/165). Conclusion: In summary, we reported a blaNDM-5-carrying E. coli ST167 strain isolated from a healthy individual in China. Such strains are more commonly isolated from hospitalised patients but are rarely isolated from healthy individuals. This indicates a further epidemic of carbapenem-resistant E. coli strains in the healthy population which needs our attention.

To further study the fatigue damage evolution law of asphalt mixture in service period, the accelerated pavement testing (APT) of graded gravel base asphalt pavement and in-situ pavement was conducted. The full-scale test road of graded gravel base asphalt pavement was built, and the mechanical response sensors and temperature sensors were embedded. The fatigue damage test of the full-scale test road was conducted at 15°C through the accelerated loading test (ALT) equipment. The mechanical responses under the repeated wheel loadings were captured by the strain sensor at the bottom of the asphalt layer, and the deflections of the pavement under different cycles of wheel load were tested by Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD). The fatigue damage model of asphalt mixture was established, and the accuracy of the model was verified by the accelerated loading fatigue test of in-situ pavement. The results show that asphalt layer bears an alternating effect of tensile and compressive strain, and when the wheel load is reduced or the driving speed increases, the tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer decreases. As an evaluation index of fatigue damage of asphalt layer, the residual modulus ratio can accurately characterize the cumulative degree of fatigue damage. The modulus of asphalt layer shows an inverse S-type curve with the repeated wheel loadings. Based on the quantitative analysis of the whole process of fatigue damage of asphalt layer, a nonlinear damage evolution model of modulus attenuation of asphalt mixture was established, which would provide a reference for the study of pavement service performance attenuation law in different climatic environments and structural compositions in the future.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Acinetobacter bereziniae has been found to cause health care–associated infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. The emergence of two carbapenemase-producing A. bereziniae strains complicates clinical management. Here, we present the genome sequence of a clinical A. bereziniae strain from China co-carrying blaOXA-301 and blaNDM-1. Methods: The genomic DNA of BZAB1 was subjected to whole-genome sequencing using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 system and assembled using SPAdes 3.13.0. Using the resfinder database of ABRicate V1.01, antimicrobial resistance genes were identified. The Snippy application was used to carry out the phylogenetic analysis. Results: The genome sequence of A. bereziniae BZAB1 consists of 122 contigs consisting of 4 596 983 bp. A total of nine antimicrobial resistance genes were predicted in BZAB1, including two carbapenemase genes: blaOXA-301 and blaNDM-1. Sixty-nine A. bereziniae strains can be retrieved from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information database, 29 of which possess the blaOXA-301 gene and five of which contain the blaNDM-1 gene. Only three strains carry both blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-301. It is worth noting that all three strains carrying both blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-301 are from China, two of which are clonally related to BZAB1. Conclusion: We report the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant A. bereziniae strain co-carrying blaOXA-301 and blaNDM-1. A. bereziniae strains carrying various beta-lactam resistance genes have been identified sporadically over the world. Our findings could help us aid in understanding the genomic insights of this pathogen. Their future prevalence must be given more consideration.

Herein, a novel dual-strengthening technology that combines the external second-phase nanoparticle addition method with the hot compression deformation tests was carried out to investigate the effects of surface-modified nanoparticles (NPs) and deformation conditions on the characteristics of inclusions and the evolution of microstructure in the micro-alloyed (MA) medium carbon steels. The results revealed that the inclusions in the steels were divided into single phase inclusions and composite phase inclusions. With the addition of NPs, Al2O3 inclusions were replaced by MgAl2O4 spinel, and the composite inclusions mainly consisted of TiN–VN, MgAl2O4–TiN and MgAl2O4–TiN–MnS inclusions, and the same types of inclusions became significantly smaller in size. According to the EDS results, some of the inclusions acted to induce ferrite nucleation, and the MgAl2O4–TiN–MnS composite inclusion was more favorable for the nucleation of acicular ferrite (AF). The deformation induced ferrite (DIF) started to form at the deformation temperature of 750 °C and the maximum stress peak in the NPs-bearing steel was 516 MPa, which was 28.4% higher than that in the original steel. The proportion of ferrite increased as the deformation temperature decreased. The dispersed NPs contributed to the ferrite nucleation and the grain refinement as the inclusion-modifying agent, which improved the material properties, and the relevant strengthening mechanisms were explained.

In order to improve the working efficiency of the electromagnetic heat storage device under high current and high frequency, the electromagnetic field finite element method is used to analyze and calculate the load circuit to make it in a suitable working state. Firstly, the circuit model of the energy storage device is built by using the field-circuit coupling method and the coil inductance is calculated. Secondly, the harmonic capacitor is analyzed and calculated, so that the load circuit works in a weak inductive state. On this basis, the variation law of loss on the inductor core and the distribution of water temperature rise flowing through the core at a certain water velocity are analyzed. A 50 kW prototype was built using the method proposed in this paper, and the experimental results show that the electro-thermal conversion efficiency of the electromagnetic thermal energy storage device reaches 93.39 %. The feasibility of the design method is proved by experiment and simulation, which has important guiding significance for the research and design of electromagnetic thermal energy storage device.

MiRNAs are edited or modified in multiple ways during their biogenesis pathways. It was reported that miRNA editing was deregulated in tumors, suggesting the potential value of miRNA editing in cancer classification. Here we extracted three types of miRNA features from 395 LUAD and control samples, including the abundances of original miRNAs, the abundances of edited miRNAs, and the editing levels of miRNA editing sites. Our results show that eight classification algorithms selected generally had better performances on combined features than on the abundances of miRNAs or editing features of miRNAs alone. One feature selection algorithm, i.e., the DFL algorithm, selected only three features, i.e., the frequencies of hsa-miR-135b-5p, hsa-miR-210-3p and hsa-mir-182_48u (an edited miRNA), from 316 training samples. Seven classification algorithms achieved 100% accuracies on these three features for 79 independent testing samples. These results indicate that the additional information of miRNA editing is useful in improving the classification of LUAD samples.

A superconducting ion-Linac (iLinac), which is supposed to work as the injector in the High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility project, is under development at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP), Chinese Academy of Sciences. The iLinac is a superconducting heavy ion linear accelerator approximately 100 meters long and contains 96 superconducting cavities in two types of 17 cyromodules. Two types of superconducting resonators (quarter-wave resonators with a frequency of 81.25 MHz and an optimal beta β = v/c = 0.07 called QWR007 and half-wave resonators with a frequency of 162.5 MHz and an optimal beta β = 0.15 called HWR015) have been investigated. The cavity design included extensive multi-parameter electromagnetic simulations and mechanical analysis，and its results are described in details. The fundamental power coupler and cavity dynamic tuner designs are also presented in this article. The prototypes are under manufacturing and expected to be ready in 2023.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is corelated with tumor-associated material (TAM), coagulation system and adipocyte tissue, but the relationships between them have been inconsistent. Our study aimed to explore the cut-off intervals of variables that are non-linearly related to ccRCC pathological T stage for providing clues to understand these discrepancies, and to effectively preoperative risk stratification. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 218 ccRCC patients with a clear pathological T stage between January 1st, 2014, and November 30th, 2021. The patients were categorized into two cohorts based on their pathological T stage: low T stage (T1 and T2) and high T stage (T3 and T4). Abdominal and perirenal fat variables were measured based on preoperative CT images. Blood biochemical indexes from the last time before surgery were also collected. The generalized sum model was used to identify cut-off intervals for nonlinear variables. Results: In specific intervals, fibrinogen levels (FIB) (2.63–4.06 g/L) and platelet (PLT) counts (>200.34 × 109/L) were significantly positively correlated with T stage, while PLT counts (

Summary: DHX15 has been implicated in RNA splicing and ribosome biogenesis, primarily functioning as an RNA helicase. To systematically assess the cellular role of DHX15, we conducted proteomic analysis to investigate the landscape of DHX15 interactome, and identified MYC as a binding partner. DHX15 co-localizes with MYC in cells and directly interacts with MYC in vitro. Importantly, DHX15 contributes to MYC protein stability at the post-translational level and independent of its RNA binding capacity. Mechanistic investigation reveals that DHX15 interferes the interaction between MYC and FBXW7, thereby preventing MYC polyubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation. Consequently, the abrogation of DHX15 drastically inhibits MYC-mediated transcriptional output. While DHX15 depletion blocks T cell development and leukemia cell survival as we recently reported, overexpression of MYC significantly rescues the phenotypic defects. These findings shed light on the essential role of DHX15 in mammalian cells and suggest that maintaining sufficient MYC expression is a significant contributor to DHX15-mediated cellular functions.

Carbendazim, a widely used fungicide in China, has been found to have reproductive toxicity and mutagenic effects. However, information on the spatial-temporal variations of carbendazim residues in food in China is limited. Here, we investigated the presence of carbendazim in China's plant-based foods from 2011 to 2020, evaluated the spatial-temporal characteristics, and assessed the associated exposure risks in the Chinese diet. The results revealed a high detection frequency of carbendazim in fruits (26.4%) and high concentrations in vegetables (∼110 mg kg−1), indicating widespread misuse of the fungicide. The acute risks of consuming certain vegetables and cereals exceeded the recommended limits by up to 12 and 5 times, respectively. Although there has been a decline in carbendazim residue levels in food since the implementation of the Chinese government's action plan for zero growth of pesticide use in 2015, some provinces still exhibited high levels of carbendazim in multiple food categories, which were positively correlated with annual pesticide application. We highlight that carbendazim contamination reflects the broader issue of pesticide use in China. It emphasizes the need for committed and targeted national policies to reduce carbendazim residues in food and suggests that such measures could also regulate the use of other pesticides, given that pesticide abuse in China is not limited to specific types. We call for the re-evaluation of maximum residue limits of carbendazim, particularly in highly consumed foods such as cereals.

Lake sediments provide a basis for ecological information that can reconstruct the history of a lake ecosystem and clarify the carbon sink process. We combined chronological information relating to sediment cores in Baiyangdian Lake with the history of human activities, to examine the influence of the natural environment and human activities on the humification of organic carbon. This analysis revealed the evolution of the ecological environment in the lake over the past 50 years. The results showed the average deposition rate of sediments to be 0.957 cm/a; with the total organic carbon and total nitrogen contents of sediments ranging from 14.32 to 333.19 g/kg and from 0.95 to 26.90 g/kg, respectively. The δ13C values ranged from −13.04 ‰ to −29.07 ‰, while the δ15N values ranged from −1.43 ‰ to 8.37 ‰. The fulvic acid carbon (FAC) content ranged from 0.52 g/kg to 14.21 g/kg, and the humic acid carbon (HAC) content ranged from 1.67 g/kg to 23.82 g/kg. The HAC/FAC value gradually increased as the sediment deepend. The results of each index in the sedimentary column, combined with the dating information, allowed us to conclude that, from 1969 to 1985, human activities had little effect on the lake, and the source of organic carbon and the humification process remained stable. During this period, the water purification function of the lake continued to improve. From 1985 to 2014, the surrounding economy developed rapidly, resulting in significant changes in the lake's ecological structure and the distribution of lake plants. Serious eutrophication occurred, leading to increased pollution Between 2014 and 2020, the lake protection measures implemented achieved initial positive results. During the period, the source of organic carbon and the humification process stabilized, eutrophication was alleviated, and the burial and fixation of organic carbon gradually reached a healthier state.

This study aimed to understand the prevalence of hyperuricemia and MetS in the United States and evaluate the potential effect of gender and ethnicity on hyperuricemia and MetS. Data was obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2018. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to investigate the association between hyperuricemia and MetS. A total of 7273 participants with an average age of 47.59 ± 16.92 years old were enrolled in our analysis. Of all the people, 1833 were diagnosed with MetS, with which 547 (29.8 %) were found with hyperuricemia. As for gender, 261 (28.3 %) females were with both Mets and hyperuricemia and this number came to 286 (31.4 %) for males.For population distribution, Non-Hispanic American white, and Hispanic American making up 61.2 % of the cohort. The logistic regression analysis showed that there was a significant association between MetS and hyperuricemia (OR = 2.608, 95 %CI: 2.281–2.982). And the relationship still existed between both males (OR = 2.172, 95 %CI: 1.829–2.579) and females (OR = 3.464, 95 %CI: 2.868–4.185); in addition, participant’s ethnicity was also found to play an important role. And the association was found either in Hispanic Americans Non-Hispanic Americans White and black or from other races. In conclusion, our study found a significant association between hyperuricemia and MetS. The higher the uric acid level, the greater risk of people getting MetS and this risk was not influenced by people’s gender and ethnicity.

CoS2 can meet the strict requirements of high probability output capacity and high energy output capacity of thermal batteries in modern weaponry thanks to its advantages of low resistivity and high thermal decomposition temperature combined with a full Li+ conductive electrolyte. Nevertheless, CoS2 has the limitations of a low voltage platform and theorical capacity. In this case, Fe and Ni are doped into the CoS2 lattice through low-temperature solid-phase sintering to synthesize Fe0.1Co0.8Ni0.1S2 with a single-phase structure. Fe0.1Co0.8Ni0.1S2 generated by the solid phase method has higher thermal stability, which can reduce the high temperature thermal shock at the immediate start of the thermal battery and assure the safety of the thermal battery in operation. Meanwhile, the mass loss of Fe0.1Co0.8Ni0.1S2 at 615 °C is only 5 %, allowing it to discharge at the maximum effective mass at the normal operating temperature(∼500 °C). Because of the synergistic action of Fe2+, Ni2+, and Co2+ in the discharge process, the discharge voltage of CoS2 increases significantly, giving CoS2 higher specific energy. The simultaneous boost in specific energy and specific capacity indicates that doping has been highly successful in modifying CoS2, making CoS2 more appropriate for the use of high current and long-life thermal cell systems.

Through the use of the material test system (MTS), bending fatigue tests are conducted in this work in order to investigate the attenuation law of fatigue performance of asphalt pavement in the end-stage of service. Response surface methodology (RSM) is used to analyze the effects of strain, frequency, and temperature on the asphalt surface layer's initial stiffness, fatigue life, phase angle, and cumulative dissipated energy when there is a 50 % reduction in the initial stiffness. Through multi-factor coupling analysis, the optimal combination is found and verified by the MTS-810 test system. Based on this, the data of the initial stiffness declining to 20 % was used for analysis on the AC-13C asphalt surface mixture of the APT full-size test road in the laboratory. At 15 °C and 10 Hz, the evolution law of the flexural stiffness, the residual stiffness, phase angle, and cumulative dissipated energy of the asphalt mixture was investigated. Analysis of the asphalt mixture's damage evolution under the single stage of loading and various strain levels revealed changes in the fatigue cracking crack. Beam specimens were made from asphalt mixture field test beams of AC-13C (laboratory accelerated pavement test road), AC-20C, and AC-25C (Ji-Qing expressway) to conduct four-point bending fatigue test (4PB). According to the constant strain fatigue prediction equation, and the residual fatigue life of prediction localized model was established. The results show that the influence of frequency and temperature on the initial stiffness and phase angle is more significant than strain, and the influence of strain on number of fatigue is more significant. The flexural stiffness of the asphalt mixture shows an obvious S-curve, and larger the tensile strain at the bottom of the asphalt layer, shorter the time needed to reach the termination condition, that is, the faster the fatigue failure occurs. When the damage termination condition is reached, under the strain level of 200–300 με, 60 % of the number of loading produce about 35–40 % damage, and the remaining 20 % of the number of loading lead to 10–20 % damage.

Summary: Cooperative AI has shown its effectiveness in solving the conundrum of cooperation. Understanding how cooperation emerges in human-agent hybrid populations is a topic of significant interest, particularly in the realm of evolutionary game theory. In this article, we scrutinize how cooperative and defective Autonomous Agents (AAs) influence human cooperation in social dilemma games with a one-shot setting. Focusing on well-mixed populations, we find that cooperative AAs have a limited impact in the prisoner’s dilemma games but facilitate cooperation in the stag hunt games. Surprisingly, defective AAs can promote complete dominance of cooperation in the snowdrift games. As the proportion of AAs increases, both cooperative and defective AAs have the potential to cause human cooperation to disappear. We then extend our investigation to consider the pairwise comparison rule and complex networks, elucidating that imitation strength and population structure are critical for the emergence of human cooperation in human-agent hybrid populations.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely distributed opportunistic pathogen that can cause a variety of infections. The emergence of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa has complicated clinical treatment. Here, we report the genome sequence of a P. aeruginosa strain co-carrying blaKPC-2, blaOXA-246, and blaOXA-486. Genetic and phylogenetic characteristics of this strain were investigated. Methods: The Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform was used to sequence the strain's genome. MLST v.2.22.1 was used to analyse the multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence genes were identified using ABRicate v.1.0.1. Phylogenetic relationship analysis was performed using snippy. Results: The genomic sequence of P. aeruginosa PA23 consists of 229 contigs with a combined length of 7 193 462 bp. It was determined that PA23 belonged to ST463 and serotype O4, which is associated with a high-risk clone. The strain was resistant to almost all antibiotics tested, except colistin. The genome contained 23 antimicrobial resistance genes, including blaKPC-2, blaOXA-246, and blaOXA-486. A total of five P. aeruginosa strains both carrying blaKPC-2, blaOXA-246, and blaOXA-486 can be retrieved from the NCBI database. All of these strains are ST463 and serotype O4. With the exception of one strain, the other strains were spread across two neighbouring Chinese provinces and were clonal related. Conclusions: In conclusion, we reported the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa ST463 strain containing 23 ARGs in China. This clone has the potential to become a dominant endemic clone in eastern China. To prevent clonal dissemination, continuous surveillance is necessary in the future.

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) co-carrying multiple carbapenemases is complicating clinical treatment. This study aimed to investigate the global dissemination trends of CRKP strains that co-carry multiple carbapenemases. The CRKP isolate KP424 co-carrying blaNDM-1 and blaKPC-2, recovered from a stool specimen, was identified by the NG-Test Carba 5 test, and the genome sequence was further determined by using Nanopore MinION and Illumina NovaSeq 6000 technologies. The genome sequences of the CRKP strains carrying multiple carbapenemase genes were further retrieved from the NCBI GenBank database. Thirteen antimicrobial resistance genes, including blaNDM-1 and blaKPC-2, have been identified in KP424, with blaNDM-1 and blaKPC-2 located on different plasmids. In total, 832 genome sequences of CRKP strains co-carrying two carbapenemase genes were retrieved from the NCBI database. Strains carrying both blaNDM and blaOXA-48-like accounted for 665 (79.9 %) of the total strains, ranking first, and those carrying both blaKPC and blaNDM accounted for 103 (12.4 %), ranking second. The prevalence of CRKP strains co-carrying two carbapenemase genes increased significantly over time, from 0.40 % in 2010 to 9.67 % in 2021. The proportion of strains carrying both blaKPC and blaNDM has also increased, from 0.00 % in 2010 to 4.40 % in 2021. The strains carrying both blaKPC and blaNDM had the highest prevalence (66.7 %, 52/78) in China, while those carrying both blaNDM and blaOXA-48-like had the highest prevalence worldwide. Multiple-carbapenemase producers pose a great threat to public health; further research on the mechanisms underlying multiple carbapenemase gene occurrence is required to prevent their global dissemination.

Escherichia coli is a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CREC), which has been frequently isolated in recent years because of the widespread use of carbapenems, poses a significant challenge to clinical anti-infection treatment. In this study, a total of 27 CREC strains were identified from a set of 795 E. coli isolates collected over a two-year period from a tertiary hospital in China. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that 17 strains carried the blaNDM-5 gene, 5 strains carried the blaNDM-1 gene, 1 strain carried the blaNDM-7 gene, and the remaining 4 strains carried the blaKPC-2 gene. All 23 NDM-producing E. coli strains were resistant to all antibiotics except tigecycline, colistin, and cefiderocol. Nine different sequence types (STs) were identified, with ST410 and ST167 being the most prevalent. All of the blaNDM genes were located on conjugatable plasmids. We identified five different plasmid replicon types ranging in size from 20 kb to 200 kb, with the IncX3-type plasmid, 46 kb in size, being a key factor in facilitating the horizontal transmission of the blaNDM gene in E. coli. The structure surrounding the blaNDM gene was relatively conserved and mainly contained the following structures: IS3000-ISAbal25-IS5-blaNDM-bleMBL-trpF-dsbC-IS26. However, the plasmid backbone structure was highly variable, which indicates that the blaNDM gene has already spread horizontally among different types of plasmids. In addition, we discovered two copies of the blaNDM-5 gene in a single plasmid (pEC29-NDM-5), with an identical structure around the gene and the complete sequence of the class 1 integron. Our findings detail the prevalence of CREC in a tertiary hospital in China, and the emergence of multiple copies of the blaNDM-5 gene on a single plasmid needs our attention.

Due to the scarcity of wild fruiting bodies, submerged fermentation of the medicinal fungus Antrodia camphorata is attracting much attention, but the production of bioactive triterpenoids is low. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the triterpenoid yield of submerged fermentation. Here, the A. camphorata mutant E3-64 was generated from strain AC16101 through random mutagenesis breeding, producing 172.8 mg triterpenoid per gram of dry mycelia. Further optimization of culture parameters resulted in a yield of 255.5 mg/g dry mycelia (i.e., an additional >1.4-fold increase), which is the highest reported yield thus far. Notably, mutant E3-64 produced 94% and 178% more of the triterpenoid components antcin A and antcamphin A, respectively, while it produced 52% and 15% less antcin B and G, respectively. Mutant E3-64 showed increased expression of key genes involved in triterpenoid biosynthesis, as well as different genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms as compared with AC16101. Triterpenoids of the E3-64 mycelia exhibited remarkably protective activity against acute CCl4-induced liver injury in mice. This study shows the potential of A. camphorata for scientific research and commercial application.

Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of lorecivivint inhibitors in the treatment of osteoarthritis through meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive literature search on lorecivivint inhibitors in osteoarthritis was performed using electronic databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CochraneLibrary up to July 30, 2022. Two reviewers independently screened, evaluated, and reviewed the eligible studies. Data analysis and processing were carried out using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: A total of six studies involving 3056 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, lorecivivint significantly increased WOMAC discomfort (0.03 mg Week 12) (MD = −0.21, 95% CI [-1.94 – 1.53]; P = 0.81), WOMAC function (0.07 mg Week 24) (MD = −1.81, 95% CI [-4.74 – 1.12]; P = 0.23) and Joint space width (0.23 mg Week 24) (MD = −1.16, 95% CI [-3.69 – 1.38]; P = 0.37). Conclusion: A new treatment method combining Wnt pathway modulators with intra-articular CLK2/DYRK1A inhibitors could be a promising therapy for treating osteoarthritis. Lorecivivint was found to significantly improve WOMAC discomfort, WOMAC function, and joint space width in osteoarthritis patients. It is anticipated to be a reliable, safe, and effective treatment option for osteoarthritis with significant therapeutic utility and potential applications.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the mechanisms of heat-induced oxidative stress in the thymus and spleen of broilers. After 28 d, 30 broilers were randomly divided into the control (25°C ± 2°C; 24 h/d) and heat-stressed (36°C ± 2°C; 8 h/d) groups; the experiment lasted for 1 wk. The broilers in each group were euthanized, and some samples were collected and analyzed at 35 d. The results showed that the birds subjected to heat stress reduced the weight (P < 0.01) and the indices of thymus (P < 0.01), the activities of T-AOC (P < 0.01) and SOD (P < 0.05) of spleen, and levels of IL-10 (P < 0.05) and the GSH-PX (P < 0.05) in thymus and spleen, and increased the IL-6 content of thymus (P < 0.05), the MDA content (P < 0.01), and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels (P < 0.01) in thymus and spleen. Moreover, the expression of the IgG gene in the thymus and spleen of heat-stressed broilers was increased (P < 0.05); however, the expression of the IgM gene in the spleen was increased (P < 0.05), with no difference (P > 0.05) in the thymus of heat-stressed broilers compared with the control. Furthermore, the relative expression of adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) in the thymus and spleen both increased (P < 0.05). The sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter-2 (SVCT-2) (P < 0.01) and mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) (P < 0.01) mRNA levels in the thymus of heat-stressed broilers increased, and the expression of ABCG2 (P < 0.05), SVCT-2 (P < 0.01), and MCU (P < 0.01) proteins in the thymus and spleen of heat-stressed broilers increased compared with the control group. This study confirmed that heat stress-induced oxidative stress in the immune organs of broilers, further reducing immune function.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are contaminants of global concern, and the inadvertent consumption of PFAA-contaminated crops may pose a threat to public health. Therefore, systematically studying their source tracing, bioaccumulation prediction and risk assessments in crops is an urgent priority. This study investigated the source apportionment and transport of PFAAs and novel fluorinated alternatives (collectively as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFASs) from factories to agricultural fields in a fluorochemical industrial region of China. Furthermore, bioaccumulation specificities and prediction of these chemicals in different vegetables were explored, followed by a comprehensive risk assessment from agricultural fields to dinner plates which considered precursor degradation. A positive matrix factorization model revealed that approximately 70 % of PFASs in agricultural soils were derived from fluorochemical manufacturing and metal processing. Alarming levels of ∑PFASs ranged 8.28–84.3 ng/g in soils and 163–7176 ng/g in vegetables. PFAS with short carbon chain or carboxylic acid group as well as branched isomers exhibited higher environmental transport potentials and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) across a range of vegetables. The BAFs of different isomers of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) decreased as the perfluoromethyl group moved further from the acid functional group. Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) showed relatively low BAFs, probably related to its ether bond with a high affinity to soil. Vegetables with fewer Casparian strips (e.g., carrot and radish), or more protein, possessed larger BAFs of PFASs. A bioaccumulation equation integrating critical parameters of PFASs, vegetables and soils, was built and corroborated with a good contamination prediction. After a total oxidizable precursors (TOP) assay, incremental perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were massively found (325–5940 ng/g) in edible vegetable parts. Besides, precursor degradation and volatilization loss of PFASs was firstly confirmed during vegetable cooking. A risk assessment based on the TOP assay was developed to assist the protection of vegetable consumers.

Objectives: The occurrence of OXA-232-producing carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has been increasing in China during the last five years. The blaOXA-232-carrying CRKP strain's clonal propagation can readily lead to nosocomial epidemics. Here, we report the genome sequence of an OXA-232 and CTX-M-15 co-producing K. pneumoniae strain isolated from a gallbladder infection in China. Methods: The genome sequence of K. pneumoniae S105 was determined using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and plasmid replicons were identified using the BacWGSTdb server. The phylogenetic relationship between S105 and other K. pneumoniae strains was analysed using the core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) strategy. Results: The genomic sequence of K. pneumoniae S105 is made up of 111 contigs with a total length of 5 748 752 bp. According to the Pasteur MLST scheme, S105 belongs to sequence type (ST) 15. Fifteen ARGs were discovered in the genome, including the beta-lactam resistance genes blaOXA-232 and blaCTX-M-15. The blaOXA-232 gene was located in a ColKP3 plasmid. KL112 was anticipated to be the capsule and lipopolysaccharide serotype. A total of 73 phylogenetically related strains were found from 19 nations across four continents; 22 of them were from China, with 21 strains harbouring the blaOXA-232 gene, and the majority of them diverged by just 6–37 cgMLST alleles. Conclusion: In summary, we reported the genomic sequencing of a K. pneumoniae ST15 clinical strain co-carrying the blaOXA-232 and blaCTX-M-15 genes. The clonal dissemination of OXA-232-producing K. pneumoniae ST15 strains in China needs our attention.

Entanglement among multiple parties is vital for practical quantum information applications. As two kinds of typical multipartite entangled state, the W and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states have attracted a lot of attention. In this paper, we propose two practical linear optical schemes for multipartite entanglement distribution in noisy channels. Using the time-bin or spatial-mode degree of freedom (DoF) encoding, the influence of the noise will be eliminated and perfect W or GHZ state can be achieved among different nodes in a deterministic way. Moreover, we construct quantum circuits, which can be implemented with current technology. These results contribute to long-distance quantum communication both in theoretical and experimental points of view.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is closely associated with dysregulation of genetic factors and microbial environment. Here, we report a susceptible role of ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) in experimental colitis and bacterial infections. USP2 is upregulated in the inflamed mucosa of IBD patients and in the colon of mice treated with dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS). Knockout or pharmacologic inhibition of USP2 promotes the proliferation of myeloid cells to activate IL-22 and IFNγ production of T cells. In addition, knockout of USP2 in myeloid cells inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines to relieve the dysregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) network and promote the gut epithelial integrity after DSS treatment. Consistently, Lyz2-Cre;Usp2fl/fl mice exhibit hyper-resistance to DSS-induced colitis and Citrobacter rodentium infections compared to Usp2fl/fl mice. These findings highlight an indispensable role of USP2 in myeloid cells to modulate T cell activation and epithelial ECM network and repair, indicating USP2 as a potential target for therapeutic intervention of IBD and bacterial infections in the gastrointestinal system.

The increase in the frequency, scale, and intensity of drought disasters due to climate change will have a substantial impact on agricultural production activities. Farmers are some of the main victims of drought disasters, and their planting behavior and awareness will affect the regional drought risk level to varying extents. In this study, crop sensitivity under the influence of planting behavior and the subjective adaptability of farmers under the influence of disaster prevention awareness were analyzed. The aim was to assess the vulnerability of farmers to drought and build a risk assessment framework. The results suggested that (1) drought intensity in the southern towns of Xinghe County was relatively high, especially in Dianzi (DZZ), Zhanggao (ZGZ), and the eastern regions of Datongyao (DTY) and Chengguan (CGZ); (2) among the common crops in Xinghe County, the average water demand of naked oats had the highest correlation with precipitation (r, 0.74), suggesting that naked oats would help ensure relatively stable crop yields under drought conditions; (3) the drought vulnerability of Xinghe County tended to decrease from southeast to northwest, with Datongyao (DTY) and Dianzi (DZZ) suffering from the highest drought vulnerability; (4) the drought risk for Xinghe County showed a pattern of high in the South and low in the North. Among them, Saiwusu (SWS) and Datongyao (DTY) were the towns with the lowest and highest drought risk at 60.98% and 52.10%, respectively. With the impact of climate change, the SPI in most areas of Xinghe County indicated a downward trend (MK trend test, p

Clinic therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory that urges for development of novel strategies. Recent studies identified ANP32A as a novel biomarker of unfavorable outcome of leukemia, which promoted leukemogenesis by increasing H3 acetylation and the expression of lipid metabolism genes. It is of great significance to investigate whether targeting ANP32A is a novel strategy for leukemia therapy. To target ANP32A, we identified a peptide that competed with ANP32A to bind to histone 3 (termed as H3-binding peptide, H3BP). Disrupting ANP32A and H3 interaction by the overexpression of H3BP-GFP fusion protein mimicked the effect of ANP32A knockdown, impaired H3 acetylation on multiple locus of target genes, reduced proliferation, and caused apoptosis in leukemia cells. Furthermore, a synthesized membrane-penetrating peptide TAT-H3BP effectively entered into leukemia cells and phenocopied such effect. In vivo, TAT-H3BP showed potent efficacy against leukemia: Intra-tumor injection of TAT-H3BP significantly reduced the volume of subcutaneous tumors in nude mice and recipient mice engrafted with TAT-H3BP-pretreated 6133/MPL W515L cells exhibited ameliorated leukemia burden and prolonged survival. Noticeably, TAT-H3BP efficiently suppressed proliferation and colony-forming unit of human primary AML cells without affecting normal cord blood cells. Our findings demonstrate that intervening the physical interaction of ANP32A with H3 impairs the oncogenicity of ANP32A and may be a promising therapeutic strategy against AML.

The use of steroid drugs such as dexamethasone in long-term treatment poses a challenge called femoral head necrosis. To reduce the destructive effects of dexamethasone, the use of herbal suppressants such as Curculigo orchioides polysaccharides (COPs) is recommended despite the ambiguities in their chemical composition and the effects of each component on the anti-necrosis activity of the femoral head. In this study, after separation of COPs through hot water–ethanol precipitation method and purification through DEAE-Sepharose fast flow column, their properties were explained by FTIR, NMR, methylation and chromatography. Moreover, the COPs biocompatibility and its inhibitory effects against dexamethasone-induced cytotoxicity were evaluated by MTT assay and gene expression on human primary osteoblasts cells. The results exhibit that the 4756 Da molecular weight COPs is generally composed of Rha, Ara, Fru, Xyl, Man, Glc, Gal, Glu A and Gal A. Also, MTT results recognized high biocompatibility of COPs and suppressive effect on dexamethasone. Also, COPs significantly reduced dexamethasone-induced intracellular levels of apoptosis and ROS. Furthermore, the use of COPs has significantly increased ALP activity, collagen content and mineralization, which are very effective in differentiating HPOS cells to repair bone tissue. Meanwhile, the gene expression outcomes indicate an increase in Bcl-2 expression gene and decrease in BAX, Caspase-9 and Caspase-3 gene expression in the presence of COPs, which are important in controlling apoptotic activity and bone regeneration. Overall, this study revealed that COPs can lead to the treatment of femoral head necrosis.

One of the common challenges in using glucocorticoid in the long term is the development of femoral head necrosis. To address this challenge, the use of glucocorticoid suppressors like plant polysaccharides has been considered. In this study, Moringa oleifera polysaccharide was isolated through hot water–ethanol precipitation method and purified by DEAE-Sepharose fast flow column. Then, they were characterized by FT-IR, NMR, methylation, and chromatography assays. The polysaccharide biocompatibility was investigated by MTT assay and its effect on osteoblasts was evaluated by controlling gene expression. Also, the effect of polysaccharide on dexamethasone-induced femoral head necrosis in rats was assessed by hydroxyproline, hexosamine and morphometric parameters. The results show that 2 Da molecular weight polysaccharide is mainly composed of Rha, Ara, Fru, Xyl, Man and Gal in the molar ratio of 1.7:2.1:3.4:5.9:5.8:1.3. Meanwhile, MTT results on osteoblasts cells showed polysaccharide biocompatibility, while significantly reducing the negative effects of glucocorticoid. Likewise, polysaccharide significantly reduced the levels of apoptosis and intracellular ROS of glucocorticoid-induced femoral necrosis. Moreover, the results of gene expression indicated a decrease in the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 genes using polysaccharide, which is very effective in preventing apoptotic activity. Also, Polysaccharide increased bone density, bone volume per tissue volume, trabecular thickness, and the hexosamine to hydroxyproline ratio in the rat serum in the presence of glucocorticoids, which are very effective in the process of femoral head necrosis. Furthermore, polysaccharide significantly increases the OCN, RUNX2 and COL-1 genes expression in cartilage tissue, which is in line with the result of morphometric parameters. Overall, this study suggests that the use of polysaccharide could result in the treatment of femoral head necrosis.

Increasing sugarcane production to meet sugar industry demands is a major challenge facing agricultural sector in a more vulnerable environment to climate change in subtropical China. Numerous studies have shown the impact of climate change on sugarcane production, but most of these studies were conducted in a plot or catchment scale without assessing the impacts at regional scale. In this paper, climatic elements of temperature, rainfall, and radiation data, simulated by 28 global climate models, were evaluated using the Taylor chart. The two greenhouse gas emission scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, were used to generate climate changes in the region. Combined with the spatial analysis method, the spatial and temporal variation of temperature, rainfall and radiation in Guangxi region from 2010 to 2100 were studied. A validated APSIM-sugarcane model was selected to simulate sugarcane yield at 22 research stations in Guangxi region under different RCP scenarios in the future, and to analyze the three research stages (2030s: 2021-2040; 2060s: 2051-2070 and 2090s: 2081-2100). The spatio-temporal changes of aboveground biomass weight (DM), sugarcane stalk and sucrose (S) yields of the years 2021-2100 were compared with those in the base years (1961-2010), and the effects of climate change on sugarcane yield were quantified. On average, the DM yields were projected to increase by 3.6 and 4.7 and 5.8 t ha−1 for RCP4.5 and 2.9, 5.4 and 8.5t ha−1 for RCP8.5 in 2030s, 2060s and 2090s as compared to 1961–2010, respectively. Similarly, the projected increase in S yields were 5.2, 7.0, and 8.3 t ha−1for RCP4.5 and 4.3, 7.2 and 10.8 t ha−1 for RCP8.5 in the respective future years in comparison with baseline years. The results showed that sugarcane yield had no significant relationship with changes in solar radiation, but the yield had significant correlations with rainfall and temperature changes. Combine changes in radiation, rainfall, temperature and elevated CO2 might be accounted for 69 and 76% changes in sugarcane DM and S yields, respectively, across the entire location. An increase in temperature caused a little increase in sugarcane yield, while an increase in rainfall increased sugarcane yields significantly, but decreased when it exceeded a certain limit. On the other hand, the S yield increased with increase in temperature at constant radiation, but decreased when the radiation exceeded a certain limit. Temperature changes only caused S yield increase when radiation and temperature increased simultaneously. The effects of temperature and rainfall on S yield were similar to those on biomass yield. The effects of radiation and rainfall on S yield showed that both rainfall and radiation increased S yields, but the amplitude was limited. Therefore, to mitigate climate change in the future, supplemental irrigation can be used to increase soil moisture content to improve sugarcane yield.

Here we described two human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients through forced expression of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and c-MYC. The hiPSC lines displayed morphology, gene expression patterns, and pluripotential differentiation potentials similar to those of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The hiPSC lines from idiopathic ASD patients might be useful to unveil the underlying mechanism of idiopathic ASD and finding its therapeutics.

In this study, we comprehensively explored graphene oxide (GO)-induced systemic immune responses and interference with hematopoiesis in mice upon GO intravenous injection. In the liver and spleen, GO led to alterations in immune components at different time points. GO exposure showed an effect on the populations of different types of hepatic macrophages. In the liver, the populations of macrophages mainly affected by GO including Kupffer cells and monocyte-derived macrophages. Stimulated hepatic inflammation led to the infiltration of platelets from the circulation into the liver and decreased peripheral platelets population at day 1. Interestingly, a decreased platelet population was observed on day 7 in the spleen. GO also led to accelerated hematopoiesis in the spleen. Therefore, the possible forced generation of more platelets and the release of mature platelets from the spleen contributed to the increased circulating platelet count on day 7. Therefore, although GO showed a low potential to induce severe inflammation in the liver and spleen, it disrupted hematopoiesis in the spleen, which contributed to fluctuations in circulating platelet counts. The interaction of GO with the immune system warrants comprehensive study for gaining better understanding.

Pomegranate extract (PE) and its polyphenols have been reported to show skin protective effects but their cytoprotective effects against methylglyoxal (MGO)-induced DNA damage and cell dysfunctions are unclear. Herein, we evaluated whether PE, punicalagin (PA), ellagic acid (EA), and urolithin A (UA), can alleviate MGO-induced DNA damage in human keratinocytes. PE (50 µg/mL) and PA (50 µM) protected DNA integrity and reduced the formation of MGO-DNA adducts and tailed DNA by 60.2 and 49.7%, respectively, in HaCaT cells. PE and PA reduced MGO-induced cytotoxicity by increasing the cell viability (by 17.5 and 15.0%) and decreasing reactive oxygen species (by 28.3 and 30.0%), respectively. PE and PA also ameliorated MGO-induced cell dysfunction by restoring cell adhesion, migration, and wound healing capacity. Findings from this study provide insights into the skin protective effects of PE and its polyphenols supporting their applications as potential bioactive ingredients for cosmeceuticals.

Summary: Extending the structural hierarchy and complexity through small-molecular self-assembly is a powerful way to obtain large discrete, functional molecular architecture. A hydrogen-bonded supramolecular organic framework (HSOF) with nanometer-size pores is constructed in a solid state with simple guanosine-monomer self-assembly. To extend the hierarchy of the G-quartet self-assembly to a higher order than that of the traditional G-quadruplex, H-bond acceptors on the C-8 position of guanosine are introduced to establish inter-quadruplex linkage via H bonding to N(2)-HB from the neighboring G-quartet. After screening different C-8 substitution groups and various synthesis conditions, HSOF-G1a’ is obtained by solvent evaporation under diluted condition. Single-crystal X-ray structure reveals that cubic repeating units formed by G8 are the supermolecule secondary building block (SBU) with large pores (d = 34 Å). To our knowledge, this is the first G-quartet self-assembly with an organized structure beyond cylindrical G-quadruplexes.

A novel electrochemical platform was designed and prepared for simultaneous determination of p-acetaminophen (AMP) and p-aminophenol (AP) by combining the excellent conductivity and electrocatalytic activities of tetraaminophenyl porphyrin functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs-CONH-TAPP) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The as-synthesized CNTs-CONH-TAPP composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The incisive oxidation current responses of AMP and AP at the modified electrode promised a sensitive and selective simultaneous determination of AMP and AP. Under optimized conditions, the peak currents were directly proportional to the concentrations of AMP and AP over the ranges of 4.5–500 μmol L−1 and 0.08–60 μmol L−1, respectively, and the limits of detection were 0.44 μmol L−1 for AMP and 0.025 μmol L−1 for AP(S/N = 3) respectively. The proposed modified electrode showed excellent selectivity, reproducibility and long-term stability and could be applied in simultaneous determination of p-acetaminophen and p-aminophenol in real samples. Keywords: Functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes, Tetraaminophenyl porphyrin, Gold nanoparticles, p-Acetaminophen, p-Aminophenol

An intramolecular-intermolecular cascade cyclization reaction via multi metal-carbene intermediates has been developed. This reaction uses catalytic amount of Nd(OTf)3, which actives both alkyne and aldehyde moieties. This protocol provides a novel strategy for the synthesis of phenanthro[9,10-b]furans. Keywords: Phenanthro[9,10-b]furan, Cyclization, Neodymium, Heterocycle, Cascade reaction

An Fe(OTf)3-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of arene-alkynes with high functional group tolerance has been reported, affording a series of phenanthrene derivatives efficiently. A low catalytic amount of Fe(OTf)3 is applied in this reaction. This transformation provides a convenient and practical method for the preparation of phenanthrenes. Keywords: Hydroarylation, Cyclization, Phenanthrene, Iron catalysis, Lewis acid