Search

Fruit weight is an important agronomic trait in pepper production and is closely related to yield. At present, many quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to fruit weight have been found in pepper; however, the genes affecting fruit weight remain unknown. We analyzed the fruit weight-related quantitative traits in an intraspecific Capsicum annuum cross between the cultivated species blocky-type pepper, cv. Qiemen, and the bird pepper accession, "129-1" ( Capsicum annuum var. glatriusculum ), which was the wild progenitor of C. annuum . Using the QTL-seq combined with the linkage-based QTL mapping approach, QTL detection was performed; and two major effects of QTL related to fruit weight, qFW2.1 and qFW3.1 , were identified on chromosomes 2 and 3. The qFW2.1 maximum explained 12.28% of the phenotypic variance observed in two F 2 generations, with the maximum LOD value of 11.02, respectively; meanwhile, the qFW3.1 maximum explained 15.50% of the observed phenotypic variance in the two F 2 generations, with the maximum LOD value of 11.36, respectively. qFW2.1 was narrowed down to the 1.22 Mb region using homozygous recombinant screening from BC 2 S 2 and BC 2 S 3 populations, while qFW3.1 was narrowed down to the 4.61Mb region. According to the transcriptome results, a total of 47 and 86 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the candidate regions of qFW2.1 and qFW3.1 were identified. Further, 19 genes were selected for a qRT-PCR analysis based on sequence difference combined with the gene annotation. Finally, Capana02g002938 and Capana02g003021 are the most likely candidate genes for qFW2.1 , and Capana03g000903 may be a candidate gene for qFW3.1 . Taken together, our results identified and fine-mapped two major QTL for fruit weight in pepper that will facilitate marker-assistant breeding for the manipulation of yield in pepper.

A metal-free and Selectfluor-mediated selective oxidation reaction of benzo[ d ]isothiazol-3(2 H )-ones in aqueous media is presented. This novel strategy provides a facile, green, and efficient approach to access important benzo[ d ]isothiazol-3(2 H )-one-1-oxides with excellent yields and high tolerance to various functional groups. Furthermore, the purification of benzoisothiazol-3-one-1-oxides does not rely on column chromatography. Moreover, the preparation of saccharine derivatives has been achieved through sequential, double oxidation reactions in a one-pot aqueous media.

This study conducted dynamic triaxial tests on a typical poured asphalt concrete material of core walls in Xinjiang, exploring the dynamic characteristics of poured asphalt concrete under various confining pressures, principal stress ratios, and vibration frequencies. On this basis, the dynamic constitutive relationship of poured asphalt concrete was investigated using the Hardin-Drnevich model. The results indicate that under different confining pressures, principal stress ratios, and vibration frequencies, the variation patterns of the backbone lines of dynamic stress-strain of poured asphalt concrete are basically identical, consistent with a hyperbolic curve. The confining pressure and principal stress ratio significantly affect the backbone line of dynamic stress-strain. By comparison, frequency has a minimal effect. The changing trends of dynamic elasticity modulus and damping ratio of poured asphalt concrete under various factors are almost the same. When the material has high dynamic stress and strain, the hysteresis loop is large. When the curve of the damping ratio becomes flat, the asymptotic constant can be used as the maximum damping ratio. The relationship between the reciprocal of the dynamic elasticity modulus and the dynamic strain of poured asphalt concrete exhibits a linear distribution. Under different ratios of confining pressure to principal stress, there are large discrepancies between the calculated values from the formula and the experimental fitting values of the maximum dynamic elasticity modulus, and the maximum relative errors reach 16.65% and 18.15%, respectively. Therefore, the expression for the maximum dynamic elasticity modulus was modified, and the calculated values using the modified formula were compared with the experimental fitting values. The relative errors are significantly reduced, and the maximum relative errors are 3.02% and 2.04%, respectively, in good agreement with the fitting values of the experimental data. The findings of this article render a theoretical basis and reference for the promotion and application of poured asphalt concrete.

The detection of pathogens in medical wastewater is crucial due to the high content of pathogenic microorganisms that pose significant risks to public health and the environment. Medical wastewater, which includes waste from infectious disease and tuberculosis facilities, as well as comprehensive medical institutions, contains a variety of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Traditional detection methods like nucleic acid detection and immunological assays, while effective, are often time-consuming, expensive, and not suitable for rapid detection in underdeveloped areas. Electrochemical biosensors offer a promising alternative with advantages including simplicity, rapid response, portability, and low cost. This paper reviews the sources of pathogens in medical wastewater, highlighting specific bacteria (e.g., E. coli , Salmonella , Staphylococcus aureus ), viruses (e.g., enterovirus, respiratory viruses, hepatitis virus), parasites, and fungi. It also discusses various electrochemical biosensing techniques such as voltammetry, conductometry, impedance, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemiluminescent biosensors. These technologies facilitate the rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of pathogens, thereby supporting public health and environmental safety. Future research may should pay more attention on enhancing sensor sensitivity and specificity, developing portable and cost-effective devices, and innovating detection methods for diverse pathogens to improve public health protection and environmental monitoring.

Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that has been shown to play a role in diapause regulation. To explore the physiological and molecular mechanisms of histone deacetylase in the diapause process, LC-MS/MS analysis was used to perform TMT proteomic and metabolomic analysis on non-diapause (ND), pre-diapause (PreD), diapause (D), cold treatment (CT), and post-diapause (RD) stages of the meadow moth. A total of 5367 proteins were identified by proteomics, including 1179 differentially expressed proteins. We found 975 (602 up-regulated and 373 down-regulated), 997 (608 up-regulated and 389 down-regulated), 1119 (726 up-regulated and 393 down-regulated), 1179 (630 up-regulated and 549 down-regulated), 94 (51 up-regulated and 43 down-regulated), 111 (63 up-regulated and 48 down-regulated), 533 (243 up-regulated and 290 down-regulated), 58 (31 up-regulated and 27 down-regulated), and 516 (228 up-regulated and 288 down-regulated) proteins in ND and PreD, ND and D, ND and CT, ND and RD, PreD and D, PreD and CT, PreD and RD, D and CT, D and RD, and CT and RD stages, respectively. A total of 1255 differentially expressed metabolites were annotated by metabolomics. Through KEGG analysis and time series analysis of differentially expressed metabolites, we found that phospholipids were annotated in significantly different modules, demonstrating their important role in the diapause process of the meadow moth. Using phospholipids as an indicator for weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we analyzed the most relevant differentially expressed proteins in the module and found that ribosomal 40s and 60s subunits were the most relevant proteins for diapause. Because there have been studies that have shown that histone deacetylase is associated with the diapause of meadow moths, we believe that histone deacetylase regulates the 40s and 60s subunits of ribosomes, which in turn affects the diapause of meadow moths. This finding expands our understanding of the regulation of meadow moth diapause and provides new insights into its control mechanism.

The feasibility and performance of using calcined coal gangue (CCG) to substitute metakaolin (MK) as the precursor to prepare alkali-activated materials (AAMs) were thoroughly evaluated by conducting combined experiments of flowability test, mechanical measurement, calorimetry and microstructure analysis, etc. It was found that the increased substitution ratio of CCG to MK can increase the flowability of the prepared paste by up to 28.1% and decrease its viscosity by up to 55.8%. In addition, a prolonged setting time of up to 31.8% was found with the increased substitution amount of CCG to MK, which can be attributed to the low reactivity of CCG compared to that of MK. Lastly, even though the presence of CCG can lead to a decrease in the early compressive strength of the hardened paste, a highly recovered long-term mechanical property can be found due to the continuous reaction of CCG. All of these results prove the feasibility of using CCG as one co-blended precursor with MK to prepare alkali-activated materials.

Bayberry pomace, a nutrient-rich material abundant in dietary fiber (DF), has historically been underutilized due to a lack of thorough research. This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical and functional properties of the DF. Ultrasonic enzymatic treatment was performed to extract the total DF, which was then optimized to produce modified soluble dietary fiber (MSDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (MIDF). The optimized conditions yielded 15.14% of MSDF with a water-holding capacity (WHC) of 54.13 g/g. The DFs were evaluated for their structural, physicochemical, and functional properties. The MSDF showed a higher ( p < 0.05) WHC, oil-holding capacity (OHC), swelling capacity (SC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and glucose adsorption capacity (GAC) (about 14.15, 0.88, 1.23, 1.22, and 0.34 times) compared to the DF. Additionally, the MSDF showed strong, superior radical scavenging and blood sugar-lowering capabilities, with a more porous surface morphology. A Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy analysis indicated that enzymatic modification degraded the cellulose and hemicellulose, reducing the DF crystallinity. Overall, the results demonstrated that cellulase hydrolysis could effectively improve the physicochemical and functional properties of DF, thereby paving the way for its development into functional food products.

An optimal spatio-temporal hybrid model (STHM) based on wavelet transform (WT) is proposed to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of detecting slowly evolving faults that occur in the early stage and easily submerge with noise in complex industrial production systems. Specifically, a WT is performed to denoise the original data, thus reducing the influence of background noise. Then, a principal component analysis (PCA) and the sliding window algorithm are used to acquire the nearest neighbors in both spatial and time dimensions. Subsequently, the cumulative sum (CUSUM) and the mahalanobis distance (MD) are used to reconstruct the hybrid statistic with spatial and temporal sequences. It helps to enhance the correlation between high-frequency temporal dynamics and space and improves fault detection precision. Moreover, the kernel density estimation (KDE) method is used to estimate the upper threshold of the hybrid statistic so as to optimize the fault detection process. Finally, simulations are conducted by applying the WT-based optimal STHM in the early fault detection of the Tennessee Eastman (TE) process, with the aim of proving that the fault detection method proposed has a high fault detection rate (FDR) and a low false alarm rate (FAR), and it can improve both production safety and product quality.

Antiandrogen is part of the standard-of-care treatment option for metastatic prostate cancer. However, prostate cancers frequently relapse, and the underlying resistance mechanism remains incompletely understood. This study seeks to investigate whether long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to the resistance against the latest antiandrogen drug, darolutamide. Our RNA sequencing analysis revealed significant overexpression of LOC730101 in darolutamide-resistant cancer cells compared to the parental cells. Elevated LOC730101 levels were also observed in clinical samples of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) compared to primary prostate cancer samples. Silencing LOC730101 with siRNA significantly impaired the growth of darolutamide-resistant cells. Additional RNA sequencing analysis identified a set of genes regulated by LOC730101, including key players in the cell cycle regulatory pathway. We further demonstrated that LOC730101 promotes darolutamide resistance by competitively inhibiting microRNA miR-1-3p. Moreover, by Hi-C sequencing, we found that LOC730101 is located in a topologically associating domain (TAD) that undergoes specific gene induction in darolutamide-resistant cells. Collectively, our study demonstrates the crucial role of the lncRNA LOC730101 in darolutamide resistance and its potential as a target for overcoming antiandrogen resistance in CRPC.

The frequent occurrence of viral infections poses a serious threat to human life. Identifying effective antiviral components is urgent. In China, pearls have been important traditional medicinal ingredients since ancient times, exhibiting various therapeutic properties, including detoxification properties. In this study, a peptide, KKCH, which acts against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was derived from Pinctada fucata pearls. Molecular docking showed that it bound to the same pocket of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and cell surface target angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2). The function of KKCH was analyzed through surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays, immunofluorescence, and simulation methods using the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and live virus. The results showed that KKCH had a good affinity for ACE2 (KD = 6.24 × 10 -7 M) and could inhibit the binding of the S1 protein to ACE2 via competitive binding. As a natural peptide, KKCH inhibited the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein to the surface of human BEAS-2B and HEK293T cells. Moreover, viral experiments confirmed the antiviral activity of KKCH against both the SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudovirus and SARS-CoV-2 live virus, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values of 398.1 μM and 462.4 μM, respectively. This study provides new insights and potential avenues for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

With the integration and miniaturization of modern equipment and devices, porous polymers, containing graphene and its derivatives, with flame-retardancy have become a research hotspot. In this paper, the expanded properties and high-end applications of flame-retardant porous materials containing graphene and its derivatives were discussed. The research progress regarding graphene-based porous materials with multiple energy conversion, thermal insulation, an electromagnetic shielding property, and a high adsorption capacity were elucidated in detail. The potential applications of materials with the above-mentioned properties in firefighter clothing, fire alarm sensors, flexible electronic skin, solar energy storage, energy-saving buildings, stealth materials, and separation were summarized. The construction strategies, preparation methods, comprehensive properties, and functionalization mechanisms of these materials were analyzed. The main challenges and prospects of flame-retardant porous materials containing graphene and its derivatives with expanded properties were also proposed.

Pavement condition monitoring is an important task in road asset management and efficient abnormal pavement condition detection is critical for timely conservation management decisions. The present work introduces a mobile pavement condition monitoring approach utilizing low-cost sensor technology and machine-learning-based methodologies. Specifically, an on-board unit (OBU) embedded with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and global positioning system (GPS) is applied to collect vehicle posture data in real time. Through a comprehensive analysis of both time domain and frequency domain data features for both normal and abnormal pavement conditions, feature engineering is conducted to identify how the most important features affect abnormal pavement condition recognition. Six machine learning models are then developed to identify different types of pavement conditions. The performance of different algorithms and the significance of different features are then analyzed. Moreover, the influence of vehicle speed on pavement condition assessment is further examined and classification models for different speed intervals are developed. The results indicate that the random forest (RF) model that considers vehicle speed achieves the best performance in pavement condition monitoring. The outcomes of the present work would contribute to cost-effective pavement condition monitoring and provide an important reference for pavement maintenance sectors.

As an important part of die steels, hot-work die steels are mainly used to manufacture molds made of solid metal or high-temperature liquid metal from heating to recrystallization temperature. In view of the requirements for mechanical properties and service life for hot-work die steel, it is conducive to improve the thermal fatigue resistance, wear resistance, and oxidation resistance of hot work die steel. In this review, the main failure modes of hot-work die steel were analyzed. Four traditional methods of strengthening and toughening die steel were summarized, including optimizing alloying elements, electroslag remelting, increasing the forging ratio, and heat treatment process enhancement. A new nano-strengthening method was introduced that aimed to refine the microstructure of hot-work abrasive steel and improve its service performance by adding nanoparticles into molten steel to achieve uniform dispersion. This review provides an overview to improve the service performance and service life of hot work die steel.

Rhodobryum giganteum (Bryaceae, Bryophyta), a rare medicinal bryophyte, is valued for its cardiovascular therapeutic properties in traditional Chinese medicine. This study presents the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of R. giganteum , including its assembly and annotation. The circular chloroplast genome of R. giganteum is 124,315 bp in length, displaying a typical quadripartite structure with 128 genes: 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. Analyses of codon usage bias, repetitive sequences, and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) revealed an A/U-ending codon preference, 96 repetitive sequences, and 385 SSRs in the R. giganteum chloroplast genome. Nucleotide diversity analysis identified 10 high mutational hotspots. Ka/Ks ratio analysis suggested potential positive selection in rpl20 , rps18 , petG , and psbM genes. Phylogenetic analysis of whole chloroplast genomes from 38 moss species positioned R. giganteum within Bryales, closely related to Rhodobryum laxelimbatum . This study augments the chloroplast genomic data for Bryales and provides a foundation for molecular marker development and genetic diversity analyses in medicinal bryophytes.

HIV drug resistance compromises the ability of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to suppress viral replication, resulting in treatment failure. This study investigates the prevalence of pre-treatment drug resistance (PDR) in newly diagnosed individuals in a prosperous city (Wenzhou) in Southeastern China. A cross-sectional investigation was carried out among 473 newly diagnosed ART-naive HIV-1-infected individuals between January and December 2022. The protease-reverse transcriptase (PR-RT) region and integrase (IN) region of HIV-1 were amplified by two separately nested PCRs, followed by sequencing. Drug resistance mutations (DRMs) and drug resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs) and integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) were analyzed. The PDR prevalence was 6.5% [95% CI: 4.4-9.1] for any anti-retroviral drug, 0.9% [95% CI: 0.3-2.3] for NRTIs, 4.1% [95% CI: 2.5-6.5] for NNRTIs, 1.8% [95% CI: 0.8-3.6] for PIs and 0.5% [95% CI: 0.1-1.8] for INSTIs. According to the subtyping results of the PR-RT region, 11 different subtypes and 31 unique recombinant forms (URFs) were found. CRF07&#95;BC was the dominant subtype (53.7%, 233/434), followed by CRF01&#95;AE (25.3%, 110/434). V179D (1.6%) and K103N (1.4%) were the most predominant types of NNRTI DRMs. Q58E (1.2%) and M184V (0.7%) were the most frequent PI DRMs and NRTI DRMs, respectively. The INSTI-related DRMs Y143S (causes high-level resistance to RAL) and G163K (causes low-level resistance to EVG and RAL) were found in one patient each. Given the relatively high PDR prevalence of NNRTI (4.1%), non-NNRTI-based ART may be preferred in the future. It is recommended to include genotypic resistance testing before starting ART in regions where feasible.

Generally, rejuvenators are used to supply missing components of aged asphalt, reverse the aging process, and are widely used in asphalt maintenance and recycling. However, compared with traditional rejuvenators, bio-oil rejuvenators are environmentally friendly, economical and efficient. This study looks into the effect of the three different bio-oils, namely sunflower oil, soybean oil, and palm oil, on the physical properties, rheological properties and chemical components of aged asphalt at different dosages. The asphalt physical properties and Dynamic Shear Rheological (DSR) test results show that with the increase in bio-oil, the physical properties and rheological properties of rejuvenated asphalt are close to those of virgin asphalt, but the high-temperature rutting resistance needs to be further improved. The results of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) show that the carbonyl and sulfoxide indices of rejuvenated asphalt are much lower than those of aged asphalt. Moreover, the rejuvenation efficiency of aged asphalt mixed with sunflower oil is better than that with soybean oil and palm oil at the same dosage.

The spline teeth fracture of separator plates in wet multi-plate clutches compromises driving safety and the vehicle's lifespan. Tooth fracture is mainly caused by stress concentration at the tooth root and uneven circumferential load distribution. This paper considers parameters such as torque, teeth count, tooth profile, and misalignment errors, establishing the corresponding finite element (FE) model to analyze the impact of the above-mentioned parameters on the strength of the separator plates. Analysis under even and biased load circumstances demonstrated that an optimum tooth count and profile can significantly increase the strength of the separator plates, offering advice for the optimized design of wet multi-plate clutch separator plates.

Due to the low impedance matching caused by the high dielectric permittivity of graphene, the strong absorption of electromagnetic waves by graphene/polymer nanocomposites is challenging. In this paper, an analytical model for microwave absorption based on Maxwell's equation and the effective medium theory, considering the interface effect, was constructed to explore the effect of the gradient distribution of graphene in the polymer matrix on its microwave absorption performance. The outcome indicated that the impedance of the composites matched well with the air, and its attenuation ability for electromagnetic waves was obviously improved as the graphene concentration was distributed in a gradient form. For instance, when the thickness of the material is 10 mm, based on the optimal concentration of the homogeneous composites being 0.7 wt%, the graphene concentration range of the gradient composites is set to 0.7-0.9 wt% and distributed in three gradient forms of linear, parabolic, and 0.5 power. The results show that the microwave absorption performance is significantly improved compared with the homogeneous composites. Among them, the effective bandwidth on the 0.5 power distribution is 5.2 GHz, 0.5 GHz higher than that of the homogeneous composites. The minimum reflection loss (RL) is as low as -54.7 dB, which is 26.26 dB lower than that of the homogeneous composites. This paper contributes to the design and application of gradient absorbing structures.

A promising method was established for the determination of nine halobenzoquinones (HBQs) in potable water by membrane solid-phase extraction (MSPE) pretreatment and the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. A 500 mL water sample was taken for enrichment by the SDB-RPS membrane, which was previously activated by methanol and ultrapure water. The sample was eluted with methanol and re-dissolved with the initial mobile phase after nitrogen blowing. Then, it was detected in negative ion mode using the working curve, and HBQs were quantified by the external standard method. The linearity was satisfactory in the concentration range of 4-1000 ng/L, with correlation coefficients of 0.9963~0.9994. The recoveries were 73.5~126.6% at three spiked levels, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 6.8~15.5%. The limits of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) values were 0.1~0.7 ng/L. The results demonstrate that the MSPE-LC-MS method is reliable, rapid, and sensitive for the simultaneous analysis of nine HBPs in potable water.

Tortula atrovirens (Sm.) Lindb. is an important component of biological soil crusts and possesses an extraordinary tolerance against desiccation in dryland habitats. However, knowledge of the organelle genome of this desiccation-tolerant (DT) moss is still lacking. Here, we assembled the first reported Tortula organelle genome and conducted a comprehensive analysis within the Pottiaceae family. T. atrovirens exhibited the second largest chloroplast genome (129,646 bp) within the Pottiaceae, whereas its mitogenome (105,877 bp) and those of other mosses were smaller in size compared to other land plants. The chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of T. atrovirens were characterized by the expansion of IR boundaries and the absence of homologous recombination-mediated by large repeats. A total of 57 RNA editing sites were detected through mapping RNA-seq data. Moreover, the gene content and order were highly conserved among the Pottiaceae organelle genomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that bryophytes are paraphyletic, with their three lineages (hornworts, mosses, and liverworts) and vascular plants forming successive sister clades. Timmiella anomala is clearly separated from the monophyletic Pottiaceae, and T. atrovirens is closely related to Syntrichia filaris within the Pottioideae. In addition, we detected four hypervariable regions for candidate-molecular markers. Our findings provide valuable insights into the organelle genomes of T. atrovirens and the evolutionary relationships within the Pottiaceae family, facilitating future discovery of DT genetic resources from bryophytes.

Avian leukosis virus (ALV) is an avian oncogenic retrovirus that can impair immunological function, stunt growth and decrease egg production in avian flocks. The capsid protein (P27) is an attractive candidate for ALV diagnostics. In the present study, a new hybridoma cell (1F8) stably secreting an anti-P27 monoclonal antibody (mAb) was developed. The mAb exhibited a high affinity constant (Ka) of 8.65 × 10 6.0 L/mol, and it could be used for the detection of ALV-A/B/J/K strains. Moreover, a total of eight truncated recombinant proteins and five synthetic polypeptides were utilized for the identification of the B-cell epitopes present on P27. The results revealed that 218 IIKYVLDRQK 227 was the minimal epitope recognized by 1F8, which had never been reported before. Additionally, the epitopes could strongly react with different ALV subgroup's specific positive serum and had a complete homology among all the ALV subgroups strains. Finally, a new sandwich ELISA method was created for the detection of ALV antigens, demonstrating increased sensitivity compared to a commercially available ELISA kit. These results offer essential knowledge for further characterizing the antigenic composition of ALV P27 and will facilitate the development of diagnostic reagents for ALV.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes 6.4 million cases of tuberculosis and claims 1.6 million lives annually. Mycobacterial adhesion, invasion of host cells, and subsequent intracellular survival are crucial for the infection and dissemination process, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying these phenomena remain poorly understood. This study created a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) transposon library using a MycomarT7 phage carrying a Himar1 Mariner transposon to identify genes related to mycobacteria adhesion and invasion. Using adhesion and invasion model screening, we found that the mutant strain B2909 lacked adhesion and invasion abilities because of an inactive fadD18 gene, which encodes a fatty-acyl CoA ligase, although the specific function of this gene remains unclear. To investigate the role of FadD18, we constructed a complementary strain and observed that fadD18 expression enhanced the colony size and promoted the formation of a stronger cord-like structure; FadD18 expression also inhibited BCG growth and reduced BCG intracellular survival in macrophages. Furthermore, FadD18 expression elevated levels of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in infected macrophages by stimulating the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Overall, the FadD18 plays a key role in the adhesion and invasion abilities of mycobacteria while modulating the intracellular survival of BCG by influencing the production of proinflammatory cytokines.

To elucidate the atomic mechanisms of the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of silicon carbide (SiC), molecular dynamics simulations based on a reactive force field were used to study the sliding process of silica (SiO 2 ) abrasive particles on SiC substrates in an aqueous H 2 O 2 solution. During the CMP process, the formation of Si-O-Si interfacial bridge bonds and the insertion of O atoms at the surface can lead to the breakage of Si-C bonds and even the complete removal of SiC atoms. Furthermore, the removal of C atoms is more difficult than the removal of Si atoms. It is found that the removal of Si atoms largely influences the removal of C atoms. The removal of Si atoms can destroy the lattice structure of the substrate surface, leading the neighboring C atoms to be bumped or even completely removed. Our research shows that the material removal during SiC CMP is a comprehensive result of different atomic-level removal mechanisms, where the formation of Si-O-Si interfacial bridge bonds is widespread throughout the SiC polishing process. The Si-O-Si interfacial bridge bonds are the main removal mechanisms for SiC atoms. This study provides a new idea for improving the SiC removal process and studying the mechanism during CMP.

In this study, juvenile crayfish hatched from the same population were cultured in different growing environments: pond ( D 1 ), paddy field ( D 2 ), and aquaculture barrel ( D 3 ), and fed for 60 days. Crayfishes were selected randomly, females and males, 50 tails each from six groups (D1-♀, D1-♂, D2-♀, D2-♂, D3-♀, D3-♂) to measure the following morphological traits: full length ( X 1 ), body length ( X 2 ), chelicerae length ( X 3 ), chelicerae weight ( X 4 ), cephalothorax length ( X 5 ), cephalothorax width ( X 6 ), cephalothorax height ( X 7 ), eye spacing ( X 8 ), caudal peduncle length ( X 9 ), and caudal peduncle weight ( X 10 ). We found that the coefficient of variation (CV) of X 4 was the largest in each culture mode, and males (28.58%~38.67%) were larger than females (37.76%~66.74%). The CV of X 4 of crayfish cultured in D 1 and D 2 was larger than that of D 3 . All traits except X 8 were positively correlated with body weight ( p < 0.05). After pathway analysis, we found that X 4 , X 5 , X 7 , and X 10 were significantly correlated with the body weight of D1-♀; the equation was Y D1-♀ = -29.803 + 1.249 X 4 + 0.505 X 5 + 0.701 X 7 + 1.483 X 10 ( R 2 = 0.947). However, X 2 , X 4 , and X 6 were significantly correlated with the body weight of D1-♂; the equation was Y D1-♂ = -40.881 + 0.39 X 2 + 0.845 X 4 + 1.142 X 6 ( R 2 = 0.927). In D2-♀, X 1 , X 4 , X 5 , and X 10 were significantly correlated with body weight; the equation was Y D2-♀ = -12.248 + 0.088 X 1 + 1.098 X 4 + 0.275 X 5 + 0.904 X 10 ( R 2 = 0.977). X 4 and X 5 played a major role in the body weight of D2-♂ with the equation: Y D2-♂ = -24.871 + 1.177 X 4 + 0.902 X 5 ( R 2 = 0.973). X 3 and X 10 mainly contributed to the body weight of D3-♀ with the equation: Y D3-♀ = -22.476 + 0.432 X 3 + 3.153 X 10 ( R 2 = 0.976). X 1 and X 4 mainly contributed to the body weight of D3-♂ with the equation: Y D3-♂ = -34.434 + 0.363 X 1 + 0.669 X 4 ( R 2 = 0.918). Comparing the pathway analysis with the gray relation analysis, we could conclude that the traits most correlated with body weight in D1-♀ were X 10 and X 7 ; in D1-♂, X 6 ; in D2-♀, X 10 , X 1 , and X 5 ; in D2-♂, X 5 ; in D3-♀, X 10 ; and in D3-♂, X 4 and X 1 .

Sheep and goat may become carriers of some zoonotic diseases. They are important livestock and experimental model animals for human beings. The fast and accurate identification of genetic materials originating from sheep and goat can prevent and inhibit the spread of some zoonotic diseases, monitor market product quality, and maintain the stability of animal husbandry and food industries. This study proposed a methodology for identifying sheep and goat common specific sites from a genome-wide perspective. A total of 150 specific sites were selected from three data sources, including the coding sequences of single copy genes from nine species (sheep, goat, cow, pig, dog, horse, human, mouse, and chicken), the dbSNPs for these species, and human 100-way alignment data. These 150 sites exhibited low intraspecific heterogeneity in the resequencing data of 1450 samples from five species (sheep, goat, cow, pig, and chicken) and high interspecific divergence in the human 100-way alignment data after quality control. The results were proven to be reliable at the data level. Using the process proposed in this study, specific sites of other species can be screened, and genome-level species identification can be performed using the screened sites.

Although lipophilic shellfish toxins (LSTs) pose a significant threat to the health of seafood consumers, their systematic investigation and risk assessment remain scarce. The goals of this study were as follows: (1) analyze LST levels in commercially available shellfish in Zhejiang province, China, and determine factors influencing LST distribution; (2) assess the acute dietary risk of exposure to LSTs for local consumers during the red tide period; (3) explore potential health risks of LSTs in humans; and (4) study the acute risks of simultaneous dietary exposure to LSTs and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs). A total of 546 shellfish samples were collected. LSTs were detected in 89 samples (16.3%) at concentrations below the regulatory limits. Mussels were the main shellfish species contaminated with LSTs. Spatial variations were observed in the yessotoxin group. Acute exposure to LSTs based on multiple scenarios was low. The minimum tolerable exposure durations for LSTs calculated using the mean and the 95th percentile of consumption data were 19.7 and 4.9 years, respectively. Our findings showed that Zhejiang province residents are at a low risk of combined exposure to LSTs and PSTs; however, the risk may be higher for children under 6 years of age in the extreme scenario.

Small extracellular vesicles were shown to have similar functional roles to their parent cells without the defect of potential tumorigenicity, which made them a great candidate for regenerative medicine. The last twenty years have witnessed the rapid development of research on small extracellular vesicles. In this paper, we employed a scientometric synthesis method to conduct a retrospective analysis of small extracellular vesicles in the field of bone-related diseases. The overall background analysis consisted the visualization of the countries, institutions, journals, and authors involved in research. The current status of the research direction and future trends were presented through the analysis of references and keywords, which showed that engineering strategies, mesenchymal stem cell derived exosomes, and cartilage damage were the most concerning topics, and scaffold, osteoarthritis, platelet-rich plasma, and senescence were the future trends. We also discussed the current problems and challenges in practical applications, including the in-sight mechanisms, the building of relevant animal models, and the problems in clinical trials. By using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, the presented data avoided subjective selectivity and tendency well, which made the conclusion more reliable and comprehensive. We hope that the findings can provide new perspectives for researchers to understand the evolution of this field over time and to search for novel research directions.

The aim of this study is the fabrication of unprecedented neuroelectrodes, replete with exceptional biological and electrical attributes. Commencing with the synthesis of polyethylene glycol and polyethyleneimine-modified iron oxide nanoparticles, the grafting of Dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine was embarked upon to generate DMPC-SPION nanoparticles. Subsequently, the deposition of DMPC-SPIONs onto a nickel-chromium alloy electrode facilitated the inception of an innovative neuroelectrode-DMPC-SPION. A meticulous characterization of DMPC-SPIONs ensued, encompassing zeta potential, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. Evaluations pertaining to hemolysis and cytotoxicity were conducted to ascertain the biocompatibility and biosafety of DMPC-SPIONs. Ultimately, a comprehensive assessment of the biocompatibility, electrochemical properties, and electrophysiological signal acquisition capabilities of DMPC-SPION neuroelectrodes was undertaken. These findings conclusively affirm the exemplary biocompatibility, electrochemical capabilities, and outstanding capability in recording electrical signals of DMPC-SPION neuroelectrodes, with an astounding 91.4% augmentation in electrode charge and a noteworthy 13% decline in impedance, with peak potentials reaching as high as 171 μV and an impressive signal-to-noise ratio of 15.92. Intriguingly, the novel DMPC-SPION neuroelectrodes herald an innovative pathway towards injury repair as well as the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders.

Pasteurella multocida , a zoonotic pathogen that produces a 146-kDa modular toxin (PMT), causes progressive atrophic rhinitis with severe turbinate bone degradation in pigs. However, its mechanism of cytotoxicity remains unclear. In this study, we expressed PMT, purified it in a prokaryotic expression system, and found that it killed PK15 cells. The host factor CXCL8 was significantly upregulated among the differentially expressed genes in a transcriptome sequencing analysis and qPCR verification. We constructed a CXCL8-knockout cell line with a CRISPR/Cas9 system and found that CXCL8 knockout significantly increased resistance to PMT-induced cell apoptosis. CXCL8 knockout impaired the cleavage efficiency of apoptosis-related proteins, including Caspase3, Caspase8, and PARP1, as demonstrated with Western blot. In conclusion, these findings establish that CXCL8 facilitates PMT-induced PK15 cell death, which involves apoptotic pathways; this observation documents that CXCL8 plays a key role in PMT-induced PK15 cell death.

Persistent HPV infections may cause cervical and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN and VaIN). Traditional methods might destroy the structure and function of the cervix. 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is a non-invasive targeted therapy. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ALA-PDT for CIN and VaIN and the clearance of HPV. A retrospective study of 303 patients who confirmed CIN or VaIN and received ALA-PDT was conducted. All the patients were followed up at six and twelve months after treatment and then annually thereafter. The effect was evaluated through HPV genotyping, a cytology test, and colposcopy-directed biopsy if necessary. After ALA-PDT, the remission rates for CIN 2, CIN 3, VaIN 2, and VaIN 3 were 90.6%, 88.5%, 87.3%, and 77.8%. For CIN 1, the remission rate at the six-month follow-up was 93.1%. The total HPV clearance rates were 72.5% at the six-month follow-up and 85.7% at the 12-month follow-up. The most common adverse event was vaginal discharge. No severe adverse effect was observed. ALA-PDT is an effective and safe treatment for all grades of CIN and VaIN and is helpful in clearing HPV with minimal side effects. This treatment may not influence fertility and delivery.

Abnormal melanogenesis can lead to hyperpigmentation. Tyrosinase (TYR), a key rate-limiting enzyme in melanin production, is an important therapeutic target for these disorders. We investigated the TYR inhibitory activity of hydrolysates extracted from the muscle tissue of Takifugu flavidus (TFMH). We used computer-aided virtual screening to identify a novel peptide that potently inhibited melanin synthesis, simulated its binding mode to TYR, and evaluated functional efficacy in vitro and in vivo. TFMH inhibited the diphenolase activities of mTYR, reducing TYR substrate binding activity and effectively inhibiting melanin synthesis. TFMH indirectly reduced cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation in vitro by downregulating melanocortin 1 receptor expression, thereby inhibiting expression of the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor, further decreasing TYR, tyrosinase related protein 1, and dopachrome tautomerase expression and ultimately impeding melanin synthesis. In zebrafish, TFMH significantly reduced black spot formation. TFMH (200 μg/mL) decreased zebrafish TYR activity by 43% and melanin content by 52%. Molecular dynamics simulations over 100 ns revealed that the FGFRSP (T-6) peptide stably binds mushroom TYR via hydrogen bonds and ionic interactions. T-6 (400 μmol/L) reduced melanin content in B16F10 melanoma cells by 71% and TYR activity by 79%. In zebrafish, T-6 (200 μmol/L) inhibited melanin production by 64%. TFMH and T-6 exhibit good potential for the development of natural skin-whitening cosmetic products.

Myocardial infarction (MI), including ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) and non-ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI), is still a leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolomics technology was used to explore differential metabolites (DMs) as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of STEMI and NSTEMI. In the study, 2531 metabolites, including 1925 DMs, were discovered. In the selected 27 DMs, 14 were successfully verified in a new cohort, and the AUC values were all above 0.8. There were 10 in STEMI group, namely L-aspartic acid, L-acetylcarnitine, acetylglycine, decanoylcarnitine, hydroxyphenyllactic acid, ferulic acid, itaconic acid, lauroylcarnitine, myristoylcarnitine, and cis-4-hydroxy-D-proline, and 5 in NSTEMI group, namely L-aspartic acid, arachidonic acid, palmitoleic acid, D-aspartic acid, and palmitelaidic acid. These 14 DMs may be developed as biomarkers for the early diagnosis of MI with high sensitivity and specificity. These findings have particularly important clinical significance for NSTEMI patients because these patients have no typical ECG changes.

The ability to inhibit conflicting information is pivotal in the dynamic and high-speed context of fast-ball sports. However, the behavioral and electrophysiological characteristics underlying the cognitive inhibition processes associated with table tennis expertise remain unexplored. This study aims to bridge these research gaps by utilizing the color-word Stroop task and the spatial Stroop task alongside event-related potential (ERP) measurements to investigate domain-general and domain-specific cognitive inhibition among table tennis athletes. The study involved a total of 40 participants, including 20 table tennis athletes (11 males and 9 females; mean age 20.75 years) and 20 nonathletes (9 males and 11 females; mean age 19.80 years). The group differences in the Stroop effect on behavioral outcomes and ERP amplitudes were compared within each task, respectively. In the color-word Stroop tasks, athletes exhibited smaller incongruent-related negative potential amplitudes (N inc ; 300-400 ms; p = 0.036) and a diminished Stroop effect on late sustained potential amplitudes (LSP; 500-650 ms; p = 0.028) than nonathletes, although no significant differences were observed in behavioral outcomes ( p > 0.05). Conversely, in the spatial Stroop tasks, athletes not only responded more swiftly but also exhibited reduced Stroop effects on both LSP amplitudes (350-500 ms; p = 0.004) and reaction times ( p = 0.002) relative to nonathletes. These findings suggest that table tennis athletes excel in cognitive inhibition in the context of both domain-general and domain-specific tasks, particularly exhibiting enhanced performance in tasks that are closely aligned with the demands of their sport. Our results support the neural efficiency hypothesis and improve our understanding of the interactions between cognitive functions and table tennis expertise.

The accidental initiation of explosives under mechanical loads has caused numerous catastrophic events. Therefore, the dynamic damage behavior of confined polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) must be assessed to improve their practical applicability. In this study, polymer-bonded sugar (PBS) materials were prepared using a novel agglomerate to develop a PBX substitute material with enhanced experimental safety. The mechanical properties of the PBS shell were evaluated using a dynamic compression test, which revealed that the compression response of the shell was affected by the strain rate. A low-velocity impact experiment was performed to investigate the dynamic damage and load transfer characteristics of the PBX substitute. A constitutive model was developed to characterize the mechanical response of PBS subjected to high strain rates, and implementing this model in ABAQUS ensured successful prediction of the damage evolution process associated with PBS. Simulation results indicated that the PBS specimen was primarily damaged around its center while sliding friction was dominant near the center during pressure application. Notably, different stress states result in distinct crack growth velocity histories along the axial direction, with the damage ratio progressively decreasing toward regions closer to the impact surface.

An abnormal level of dopamine (DA), a kind of neurotransmitter, correlates with a series of diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Willis-Ekbom disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. Hence, it is imperative to achieve a precise, rapid detection method in clinical medicine. In this study, we synthesized nanocomposite carbon aerogels (CAs) doped with iron and iron carbide, based on algae residue-derived biomass materials, using Fe(NO 3 ) 3 as the iron source. The modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for DA detection, denoted as CAs-Fe/GCE, was prepared through surface modification with this composite material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed the successful doping of iron into the as-prepared CAs. Additionally, the electrochemical behavior of DA on the modified electrode surface was investigated and the results demonstrate that the addition of the CAs-Fe promoted the electron transfer rate, thereby enhancing their sensing performance. The fabricated electrochemical DA biosensor exhibits an accurate detection of DA in the concentration within the range of 0.01~200 µM, with a detection limit of 0.0033 µM. Furthermore, the proposed biosensor is validated in real samples, showing its high applicability for the detection of DA in beverages.

The HER2-positive subtype accounts for approximately one-fifth of all breast cancers. Insensitivity and development of acquired resistance to targeted therapies in some patients contribute to their poor prognosis. HER2 overexpression is associated with metabolic reprogramming, facilitating cancer cell growth and survival. Novel liver X receptor (LXR) ligand GAC0001E5 (1E5) has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation by disrupting glutaminolysis and inducing oxidative stress. In this study, HER2-positive breast cancer cells were treated with 1E5 to determine their potential inhibitory effects and mechanisms of action in HER2-positive breast cancers. Similar to previous observations in other cancer types, 1E5 treatments inhibited LXR activity, expression, and cancer cell proliferation. Expression of fatty acid synthesis genes, including fatty acid synthase ( FASN ), was downregulated following 1E5 treatment, and results from co-treatment experiments with an FASN inhibitor suggest that the same pathway is targeted by 1E5. Treatments with 1E5 disrupted glutaminolysis and resulted in increased oxidative stress. Strikingly, HER2 transcript and protein levels were both significantly downregulated by 1E5. Taken together, these findings indicate the therapeutic potential of targeting HER2 overexpression and associated metabolic reprogramming via the modulation of LXR in HER2-positive breast cancers.

Different levels of EspP2 expression are seen in strains of Glaesserella parasuis with high and low pathogenicity. As a potential virulence factor for G. parasuis , the pathogenic mechanism of EspP2 in infection of host cells is not clear. To begin to elucidate the effect of EspP2 on virulence, we used G. parasuis SC1401 in its wild-type form and SC1401, which was made EspP2 -deficient. We demonstrated that EspP2 causes up-regulation of claudin-1 and occludin expression, thereby promoting the adhesion of G. parasuis to host cells; EspP2 -deficiency resulted in significantly reduced adhesion of G. parasuis to cells. Transcriptome sequencing analysis of EspP2-treated PK15 cells revealed that the Rap1 signaling pathway is stimulated by EspP2. Blocking this pathway diminished occludin expression and adhesion. These results indicated that EspP2 regulates the adhesion of Glaesserella parasuis via Rap1 signaling pathway.

Carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 ) has gained considerable attention and has been regarded as an ideal candidate for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. However, its photocatalytic efficiency is still unsatisfactory due to the rapid recombination rate of photo-generated carriers and restricted surface area with few active sites. Herein, we successfully synthesized a single-atom Pt cocatalyst-loaded photocatalyst by utilizing the anchoring effect of carbon dots (CDs) on C 3 N 4 . The introduction of CDs onto the porous C 3 N 4 matrix can greatly enhance the specific surface area of C 3 N 4 to provide more surface-active sites, increase light absorption capabilities, as well as improve the charge separation efficiency. Notably, the functional groups of CDs can efficiently anchor the single-atom Pt, thus improving the atomic utilization efficiency of Pt cocatalysts. A strong interaction is formed via the connection of Pt-N bonds, which enhances the efficiency of photogenerated electron separation. This unique structure remarkably improves its H 2 evolution performance under visible light irradiation with a rate of 15.09 mmol h -1 g -1 . This work provides a new approach to constructing efficient photocatalysts by using CDs for sustainable hydrogen generation, offering a practical approach to utilizing solar energy for clean fuel production.

Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and its gingipain proteases contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis through yet unclear mechanisms. Cellular secretion of small extracellular vesicles or exosomes (EXO) increases with aging as part of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). We have shown that EXO isolated from Pg-infected dendritic cells contain gingipains and other Pg antigens and transmit senescence to bystander gingival cells, inducing alveolar bone loss in mice in vivo. Here, EXO were isolated from the gingiva of mice and humans with/without periodontitis (PD) to determine their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vitro and in vivo. PD was induced by Pg oral gavage for 6 weeks in C57B6 mice. EXO isolated from the gingiva or brain of donor Pg-infected (PD EXO) or control animals (Con EXO) were characterized by NTA, Western blot, and TEM. Gingival PD EXO or Con EXO were labeled and injected into the gingiva of uninfected WT mouse model. EXO biodistribution in brains was tracked by an in vivo imaging system (IVIS) and confocal microscopy. The effect of human PD EXO on BBB integrity and permeability was examined using TEER and FITC dextran assays in a human in vitro 3D model of the BBB. Pg antigens (RGP and Mfa-1) were detected in EXO derived from gingival and brain tissues of donor Pg-infected mice. Orally injected PD EXO from donor mice penetrated the brains of recipient uninfected mice and colocalized with hippocampal microglial cells. IL-1β and IL-6 were expressed in human PD EXO and not in Con EXO. Human PD EXO promoted BBB permeability and penetrated the BBB in vitro. This is the first demonstration that microbial-induced EXO in the oral cavity can disseminate, cross the BBB, and may contribute to AD pathogenesis.

Lysozyme, a common antimicrobial agent, is widely used in the food, biopharmaceutical, chemical, and medicine fields. Rapid and effective isolation of lysozymes is an everlasting topic. In this work, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer nanofibrous membranes with a gradient porous structure used for lysozyme adsorption were prepared through layer-by-layer nanofiber wet-laying and a cost-efficient ultraviolet (UV)-assisted graft-modification method, where benzophenone was used as an initiator and 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid as a modifying monomer. As indicated in the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectric energy spectrometer (XPS) investigation, sulfonic acid groups were introduced on the surface of the modified nanofibrous membrane, which possessed the ability to adsorb lysozyme. Compared with membranes with homogenous porous structures, membranes with a gradient porous structure present higher static (335 mg/g) and dynamic adsorption capacities (216.3 mg/g). Meanwhile, the adsorption capacity remained high after five cycles of the adsorption-desorption process. The results can be attributed to the gradient porous structure rather than the highest porosity and specific surface area. This suggests that the membrane with comprehensive separation performance can be designed from the view of the transmembrane porous structure, which is of significance for the development of next-generation advanced chromatographic membranes.

In order to investigate the durability of fiber-reinforced polymer composites in hygrothermal environments, hygrothermal accelerate aging tests, for 360 days at 70 °C, RH70%; 70 °C, RH85%; 85 °C, RH70%; and 85 °C, RH85% and natural storage for 2 years in Guangzhou, China, were carried out for composite laminates. Then, the moisture absorption and interlaminar shear strength were measured. The hygrothermal damage mechanism of the composite was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FSEM). A dual stress storage life prediction model and the equivalent relationship between natural storage and hygrothermal acceleration were established. The results show that the order of moisture absorption rates, moisture absorption contents, and the severity effect order on the interlaminar shear strength is RH85%; 85 °C > 70 °C; RH85% > 85 °C; RH70% > 70 °C; and RH70%. The time to achieve an effective moisture absorption balance is opposite to this. The moisture absorption rate meets Fick's law before the effective moisture absorption balance, and then shows a linear trend. The interlayer shear strength still decreases exponentially with aging, which is mainly caused by the resin plasticization and interface weakening. Hygrothermal accelerated aging for 13.4831 days at 85 °C; RH85% is equivalent to that for one-year actual storage in Guangzhou. According to the failure criterion of shear strength decreasing to 77%, the storage life of T700/epoxy in Guangzhou is 14.4661 years.

(1) Background: Various 3D printers are available for dental practice; however, a comprehensive accuracy evaluation method to effectively guide practitioners is lacking. This in vitro study aimed to propose an optimized method to evaluate the spatial trueness of a 3D-printed dental model made of photopolymer resin based on a special structurized dental model, and provide the preliminary evaluation results of six 3D printers. (2) Methods: A structurized dental model comprising several geometrical configurations was designed based on dental crown and arch measurement data reported in previous studies. Ninety-six feature sizes can be directly measured on this original model with minimized manual measurement errors. Six types of photo-curing 3D printers, including Objet30 Pro using the Polyjet technique, Projet 3510 HD Plus using the Multijet technique, Perfactory DDP and DLP 800d using the DLP technique, Form2 and Form3 using the SLA technique, and each printer's respective 3D-printable dental model materials, were used to fabricate one set of physical models each. Regarding the feature sizes of the simulated dental crowns and dental arches, linear measurements were recorded. The scanned digital models were compared with the design data, and 3D form errors (including overall 3D deviation; flatness, parallelism, and perpendicularity errors) were measured. (3) Results: The lowest overall 3D deviation, flatness, parallelism, and perpendicularity errors were noted for the models printed using the Objet30 Pro (overall value: 45 μm), Form3 (0.061 ± 0.019 mm), Objet30 Pro (0.138 ± 0.068°), and Projet 3510 HD Plus (0.095 ± 0.070°), respectively. In color difference maps, different deformation patterns were observed in the printed models. The feature size proved most accurate for the Objet30 Pro fabricated models (occlusal plane error: 0.02 ± 0.36%, occlusogingival direction error: -0.06 ± 0.09%). (4) Conclusions: The authors investigated a novel evaluation approach for the spatial trueness of a 3D-printed dental model made of photopolymer resin based on a structurized dental model. This method can objectively and comprehensively evaluate the spatial trueness of 3D-printed dental models and has a good repeatability and generalizability.

We have recently reported that transcription factor Runx3 is required for pulmonary generation of CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that play a crucial role in the clearance of influenza A virus (IAV). To understand the underlying mechanisms, we determined the effects of Runx3 knockout (KO) on CD8 + T cell local expansion and phenotypes using an inducible general Runx3 KO mouse model. We found that in contrast to the lungs, Runx3 general KO promoted enlargement of lung-draining mediastinal lymph node (mLN) and enhanced CD8 + and CD4 + T cell expansion during H1N1 IAV infection. We further found that Runx3 deficiency greatly inhibited core 2 O-glycosylation of selectin ligand CD43 on activated CD8 + T cells but minimally affected the cell surface expression of CD43, activation markers (CD44 and CD69) and cell adhesion molecules (CD11a and CD54). Runx3 KO had a minor effect on lung effector CD8 + T cell death by IAV infection. Our findings indicate that Runx3 differently regulates CD8 + T cell expansion in mLNs and lungs by H1N1 IAV infection. Runx3 is required for CD43 core 2 O-glycosylation on activated CD8 + T cells, and the involved Runx3 signal pathway may mediate CD8 + T cell phenotype for pulmonary generation of CTLs.

Many efforts have been taken in recent years to push atomic gravimeters toward practical applications. We demonstrate an atomic gravimeter named NIM-AGRb2 that is transportable and suitable for high-precision gravity measurements. Constraint-structured active vibration isolation (CS-AVI) is used to reduce the ground vibration noise. The constraint structure in CS-AVI ensures that the isolation platform only has vertical translation, with all other degrees of freedom (DoFs) being constrained. Therefore, the stability of active vibration isolation is enhanced. With the implementation of CS-AVI, the sensitivity of NIM-AGRb2 reached as low as 20.5 μGal/Hz 1/2 . The short-term sensitivity could be further reduced to 10.8 μGal/Hz 1/2 in a seismologic observation station. Moreover, we evaluated the system noise of the gravimeter, and the results were consistent with our observations.

Bone tumors, particularly osteosarcoma, are prevalent among children and adolescents. This ailment has emerged as the second most frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in adolescents. Conventional treatment methods comprise extensive surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Consequently, the management of bone tumors and bone regeneration poses significant clinical challenges. Photothermal tumor therapy has attracted considerable attention owing to its minimal invasiveness and high selectivity. However, key challenges have limited its widespread clinical use. Enhancing the tumor specificity of photosensitizers through targeting or localized activation holds potential for better outcomes with fewer adverse effects. Combinations with chemotherapies or immunotherapies also present avenues for improvement. In this review, we provide an overview of the most recent strategies aimed at overcoming the limitations of photothermal therapy (PTT), along with current research directions in the context of bone tumors, including (1) target strategies, (2) photothermal therapy combined with multiple therapies (immunotherapies, chemotherapies, and chemodynamic therapies, magnetic, and photodynamic therapies), and (3) bifunctional scaffolds for photothermal therapy and bone regeneration. We delve into the pros and cons of these combination methods and explore current research focal points. Lastly, we address the challenges and prospects of photothermal combination therapy.

It is currently a challenge to accurately predict the deformation and fracture behavior of metal parts in automobile crashes. Many studies have shown that the deformation and fracture behavior of materials are significantly affected by the stress state during automobile crashes with complex stress state characteristics. In order to further promote the application of die-cast magnesium alloys in automobiles, it is particularly important to study the material deformation and fracture behavior of die-cast magnesium alloys. In this paper, the mechanical properties of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy sheet under four stress states (shear, tension, R10 notch tension, and cupping) were designed and tested. Based on the von Mises isotropic constitutive model and Swift weighted Hockett-Sherby hardening model, the plastic constitutive model of die-cast magnesium alloy was established. Based on the plastic model and the fracture model (JC, MMC, and DIEM) considering the influence of three stress states, the deformation and fracture behavior of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy front-end members in three-point bending were predicted by experiments and finite element simulation. The experimental results show that the deformation mode and loading-displacement curve trend of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy front members are the same, the crack initiation point and crack initiation time are the same, and the crack shape is similar. The results show that the complex stress state constitutive model parameters and the DIEM fracture model obtained in this paper can accurately predict the deformation and fracture failure behavior of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy sheet.

The selection and breeding of good meat rabbit breeds are fundamental to their industrial development, and genomic selection (GS) can employ genomic information to make up for the shortcomings of traditional phenotype-based breeding methods. For the practical implementation of GS in meat rabbit breeding, it is necessary to assess different marker densities and GS models. Here, we obtained low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (lcWGS) data from 1515 meat rabbits (including parent herd and half-sibling offspring). The specific objectives were (1) to derive a baseline for heritability estimates and genomic predictions based on randomly selected marker densities and (2) to assess the accuracy of genomic predictions for single- and multiple-trait linear mixed models. We found that a marker density of 50 K can be used as a baseline for heritability estimation and genomic prediction. For GS, the multi-trait genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) model results in more accurate predictions for virtually all traits compared to the single-trait model, with improvements greater than 15% for all of them, which may be attributed to the use of information on genetically related traits. In addition, we discovered a positive correlation between the performance of the multi-trait GBLUP and the genetic correlation between the traits. We anticipate that this approach will provide solutions for GS, as well as optimize breeding programs, in meat rabbits.

Domestication has shaped the diverse characteristics of rabbits, including coat color, fur structure, body size, and various physiological traits. Utilizing whole-genome resequencing (DNBSEQ-T7), we analyzed the genetic diversity, population structure, and genomic selection across 180 rabbits from 17 distinct breeds to uncover the genetic basis of these traits. We conducted whole-genome sequencing on 17 rabbit breeds, identifying 17,430,184 high-quality SNPs and analyzing genomic diversity, patterns of genomic variation, population structure, and selection signatures related to coat color, coat structure, long hair, body size, reproductive capacity, and disease resistance. Through PCA and NJ tree analyses, distinct clusters emerged among Chinese indigenous rabbits, suggesting varied origins and domestication histories. Selective sweep testing pinpointed regions and genes linked to domestication and key morphological and economic traits, including those affecting coat color ( TYR , ASIP ), structure ( LIPH ), body size ( INSIG2 , GLI3 ), fertility ( EDNRA , SRD5A2 ), heat stress adaptation ( PLCB1 ), and immune response ( SEC31A , CD86 , LAP3 ). Our study identified key genomic signatures of selection related to traits such as coat color, fur structure, body size, and fertility; these findings highlight the genetic basis underlying phenotypic diversification in rabbits and have implications for breeding programs aiming to improve productive, reproductive, and adaptive traits. The detected genomic signatures of selection also provide insights into rabbit domestication and can aid conservation efforts for indigenous breeds.

The impacts of various aggregate particle sizes and cement contents on the internal structure of pervious concrete were investigated. Accordingly, test blocks with different aggregate particle sizes and cement contents were dissected and photographed. Subsequently, the captured images were processed using the ImageJ software (1.53i) to analyze the profiles of the test blocks and identify the internal mesoscopic parameters of the pervious concrete. This study discusses the relationship between microscopic parameters and macroscopic factors based on experimental results. It also fits functional equations linking the permeability coefficient with pore parameters, matrix parameters, and compressive strength. The results indicated that, as the aggregate size increased, the internal pore diameter of the pervious concrete increased, whereas the total area and width of the cement matrix decreased. This resulted in a low permeability coefficient and high compressive strength of the test block. Increasing the cement content in pervious concrete reduced the porosity and increased the width and area of the internal matrix. Consequently, the permeability coefficient decreased, and the compressive strength of the test block increased.

In recent years, computer vision has witnessed remarkable advancements in image classification, specifically in the domains of fully convolutional neural networks (FCNs) and self-attention mechanisms. Nevertheless, both approaches exhibit certain limitations. FCNs tend to prioritize local information, potentially overlooking crucial global contexts, whereas self-attention mechanisms are computationally intensive despite their adaptability. In order to surmount these challenges, this paper proposes cross-and-diagonal networks (CDNet), innovative network architecture that adeptly captures global information in images while preserving local details in a more computationally efficient manner. CDNet achieves this by establishing long-range relationships between pixels within an image, enabling the indirect acquisition of contextual information. This inventive indirect self-attention mechanism significantly enhances the network's capacity. In CDNet, a new attention mechanism named "cross and diagonal attention" is proposed. This mechanism adopts an indirect approach by integrating two distinct components, cross attention and diagonal attention. By computing attention in different directions, specifically vertical and diagonal, CDNet effectively establishes remote dependencies among pixels, resulting in improved performance in image classification tasks. Experimental results highlight several advantages of CDNet. Firstly, it introduces an indirect self-attention mechanism that can be effortlessly integrated as a module into any convolutional neural network (CNN). Additionally, the computational cost of the self-attention mechanism has been effectively reduced, resulting in improved overall computational efficiency. Lastly, CDNet attains state-of-the-art performance on three benchmark datasets for similar types of image classification networks. In essence, CDNet addresses the constraints of conventional approaches and provides an efficient and effective solution for capturing global context in image classification tasks.