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Trollius chinensis Bunge (TCB) is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family with medicinal and edible values. It is widely distributed and commonly used in various regions, including Asia, Europe, and North America. The main chemical components of TCB include alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and volatile oil compounds. TCB is renowned for its anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, detoxifying, and eyesight-improving properties. Its dried flowers are commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine indicated for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections, chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, influenza, and bronchitis. Modern pharmacology has demonstrated the anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and antioxidant effects of TCB. This study presents a comprehensive overview of various aspects of TCB, including herbal textual research, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, traditional uses, clinical application, and quality control, aiming to provide new ideas on the scientific application of TCB as well as the integration of modern research with traditional medicinal uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Heat shock (HSF) transcription factors are among the most important transcription factors in plants and are involved in the transcriptional regulation of various stress responses, including drought, salinity, oxidation, osmotic stress, and high light, thereby regulating growth and developmental processes. Astragalus mongholicus is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with important medicinal value and is widely used worldwide. Although the HSF gene has been reported in most species, it has not been thoroughly studied in A. mongholicus. This study not only confirmed all HSF genes genome-wide in A. mongholicus, but also conducted systematic bioinformatics analysis. At the same time, the expression patterns of AmHSF genes in different tissues of A. mongholicus and under light response were explored. These results will provide a theoretical basis for understanding the function of HSF genes. Astragalus mongholicus is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with important medicinal value and is widely used worldwide. Heat shock (HSF) transcription factors are among the most important transcription factors in plants and are involved in the transcriptional regulation of various stress responses, including drought, salinity, oxidation, osmotic stress, and high light, thereby regulating growth and developmental processes. However, the HFS gene family has not yet been identified in A. mongholicus, and little is known regarding the role of HSF genes in A. mongholicus. This study is based on whole genome analysis of A. mongholicus, identifying a total of 22 AmHSF genes and analyzing their physicochemical properties. Divided into three subgroups based on phylogenetic and gene structural characteristics, including subgroup A (12), subgroup B (9), and subgroup C (1), they are randomly distributed in 8 out of 9 chromosomes of A. mongholicus. In addition, transcriptome data and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that AmHSF was differentially transcribed in different tissues, suggesting that AmHSF gene functions may differ. Red and blue light treatment significantly affected the expression of 20 HSF genes in soilless cultivation of A. mongholicus seedlings. AmHSF3, AmHSF3, AmHSF11, AmHSF12, and AmHSF14 were upregulated after red light and blue light treatment, and these genes all had light-corresponding cis-elements, suggesting that AmHSF genes play an important role in the light response of A. mongholicus. Although the responses of soilless-cultivated A. mongholicus seedlings to red and blue light may not represent the mature stage, our results provide fundamental research for future elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of HSF in the growth and development of A. mongholicus and its response to different light conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In future space-borne gravitational wave (GW) detectors, time delay interferometry (TDI) will be utilized to reduce the overwhelming noise, including the laser frequency noise and the clock noise etc., by time shifting and recombining the data streams in post-processing. The successful operation of TDI relies on absolute inter-satellite ranging with meter-level precision. In this work, we numerically and experimentally demonstrate a strategy for inter-satellite distance measurement. The distances can be coarsely determined using the technique of arm-locking ranging with a large non-ambiguity range, and subsequently TDI can be used for precise distance measurement (TDI ranging) by finding the minimum value of the power of the residual noises. The measurement principle is introduced. We carry out the numerical simulations, and the results show millimeter-level precision. Further, we perform the experimental verifications based on the fiber link, and the distances can be measured with better than 0.05 m uncertainty, which can well satisfy the requirement of time delay interferometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in bone health is closely associated with its function in vivo, and ERβ−/− mice have been widely utilized to explore the related influences. In this study, ERβ−/− female mice were established to investigate the differential expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs) by RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq). Among these circRNAs, mmu_circ_0011379 (named Circ-Spen) exhibited high expression in ERβ−/− female mice. However, the precise mechanism by which Circ-Spen regulates bone health remained unclear. This study identified Circ-Spen as a positive regulator of mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (mBMSC) viability. The expression of Circ-Spen was markedly increased in ERβ−/− mice femurs tested by RT-qPCR. Moreover, Circ-Spen exhibited an enhanced expression during the bone formation process of mBMSCs. Qualitative experiments also demonstrated that Circ-Spen possessed a circular structure and was localized within the nucleus of mBMSCs. Functionally, it inhibited apoptosis via caspase-3, BCL-2, and BAX, while also promoting autophagy through BECN1 and P62 in mBMSCs tested by MTT assays, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Western blotting. These findings reveal the potential of targeting Circ-Spen as a promising therapeutic strategy for rejuvenating senescent mBMSCs and enhancing the efficiency of mBMSC transplantation, which lays the foundation for advancements in the field of bone therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In crustaceans, especially economic shrimp and crabs, autotomy significantly affects the survival rate and growth performance. At present, the molecular mechanism of the limb regeneration process of economic crustaceans is rarely studied. In this study, we used the pressure method to remove the pereopods of Exopalaemon carinicauda and recorded the regeneration process in detail. Moreover, regenerated pereopod tissue was sliced and stained with H.E. Microscopic observations revealed significant changes in the type and number of associated cells including outer epithelial cells, granulocytes, embryonic cells, and so on. This study performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of samples from different stages of limb regeneration and identified multiple differentially expressed genes that may be associated with crustacean growth or molting. The sequence and expression characteristics of the innexin gene were analyzed. Our study explored the morphological and molecular changes during limb regeneration of E. carinicauda, and laid a foundation for further research on molecular regulatory mechanisms. With the increase in breeding density of Exopalaemon carinicauda, appendage breakage may occur, which seriously affects survival and economic benefits. To study the limb regeneration process of E. carinicauda, we induced autotomy of the pereopods. After a period of time, wound swelling disappeared, the pigment gradually accumulated, and a tawny film subsequently formed in the wound. The healing period of the wound occurred 24 h after autotomy, and the blastema formation stage occurred 48 h after autotomy. After 4 days of cutting, the limb buds began to differentiate, grow, and expand rapidly, and this process lasted approximately 15 days. Microscopic observations revealed significant changes in the type and number of associated cells including outer epithelial cells, granulocytes, embryonic cells, columnar epidermal cells, elongated cells, and blastoma cells, during the process from limb fracture to regeneration. A comparative transcriptome analysis identified 1415 genes differentially expressed between the J0h (0 h post autotomy) and J18h (18 h post autotomy), and 3952 and 4366 differentially expressed genes for J0 and J14d (14 days post autotomy) and J18h and J14d, respectively. Some of these genes may be related to muscle growth or molting, as indicated by the presence of troponin C, chitinase, actin, innexin, and cathepsin L. As a functional gene involved in epidermal formation, the mRNA expression level of the innexin inx2 in the pereopod of E. carinicauda changed significantly in the experimental groups (p < 0.05). The results of this study contribute to existing knowledge of regeneration mechanisms in crustaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening remediation technologies through the lens of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development is crucial for contaminated land management. To better understand the applicability of remediation technologies, this paper explored their application in China based on a survey of 643 cases. By employing coupled analysis and local spatial autocorrelation methods, this study reveals the alignment between remediation technologies and pollutants, along with their spatial distribution and clustering patterns. Specifically, the four primary remediation technologies identified were cement kiln co-processing (CKCP), chemical oxidation/reduction (CO/CR), thermal desorption (TR), and solidification and stabilization (S/S), collectively accounting for over 90% of the cases. Additionally, our findings indicated significant variation in how different pollutants respond to remediation technologies, largely attributable to the characteristics of the pollutants. We observed High–High clustering patterns for CKCP, CO/CR, TR, and S/S. These were predominantly found in Jiangsu, Chongqing, Shandong, and Guizhou for CKCP and CO/CR and in Hebei, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Chongqing for CO/CR. TR exhibited a High–High clustering in Shanghai, as did S/S. This research contributes to reducing the economic and resource costs associated with the trial-and-error of screening contaminated soil remediation technologies, offering valuable scientific and technological guidance for contaminated land regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the forbidden subgraph conditions for Hamilton-connected graphs. If the degree sequence of the graph is (4 , 2 , 2 , 2 , 2) and it is connected, then it is called hourglass Γ 0 . For integers i ≥ 1 , the graph Z i is paw, which is obtained by attaching one of the vertices of the triangle to one of the end vertices of a path with a number of edges i. We show that every graph G is Hamilton-connected if G is a Γ 0 -free, K 1 , 3 -free, Z 14 -free, and a 3-connected graph. Moreover, we give an example to show the sharpness of a paw-type forbidden subgraph in a 3-connected, Hamilton-connected graph. Our focus on the Hamilton-connected problem can be applied to data center networks (DCNs). In the future, we will remove the forbidden subgraph families from our conclusions when building the network to obtain the optimal communication cost. Our result extends the result of Ryjáček and Vrána (Discrete Mathematics 344: 112350, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graph with n vertices is called an n-graph. A spanning tree with at most k leaves is referred to as a spanning k-ended tree. Spanning k-ended trees are important in various fields such as network design, graph theory, and communication networks. They provide a structured way to connect all the nodes in a network while ensuring efficient communication and minimizing unnecessary connections. In addition, they serve as fundamental components for algorithms in routing, broadcasting, and spanning tree protocols. However, determining whether a connected graph has a spanning k-ended tree or not is NP-complete. Therefore, it is important to identify sufficient conditions for the existence of such trees. The implicit-degree proposed by Zhu, Li, and Deng is an important indicator for the Hamiltonian problem and the spanning k-ended tree problem. In this article, we provide two sufficient conditions for K1,4-free connected graphs to have spanning k-ended trees for k = 2, 3. We prove the following: Let G be a K1,4-free connected n-graph. For k = 2, 3, if the implicit-degree sum of any k + 1 independent vertices of G is at least n − k + 2, then G has a spanning k-ended tree. Moreover, we give two examples to show that the lower bounds n and n − 1 are the best possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is a highly contagious, acutely infectious agent that causes immunosuppression in chickens. We expressed IBDV VP2 proteins in Escherichia coli (E. coli) to develop an effective virus-like-particles (VLPs) vaccine and evaluated its immunogenicity. Methods: The VLPs produced in E. coli were used as an immunogen mixed with a water-in-mineral-oil adjuvant (MontanideTM ISA 71 VG, ISA 71 RVG) or a white oil (7#) adjuvant. VLPs without an adjuvant, commercial subunit vaccine, inactivated vaccine, and attenuated vaccine were used as controls. These test vaccines were intramuscularly injected into 19-day-old SPF chickens, which were challenged with the IBDV virulent strain at 30 days after vaccination. Results: The adjuvants boosted antibody production, and the adjuvant groups (except white oil) produced higher antibody levels than the non-adjuvanted controls and the commercial vaccine groups. In terms of cellular immunity, the VLPs plus adjuvant combinations produced higher levels of cytokines, IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ than the controls. Conclusion: IBDV VLPs plus the ISA 71 RVG adjuvant can be used as an optimal vaccine combination for improving the immune efficacy of IBD subunit vaccines, which can protect against the virulent strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper calculates numerical solutions of an extended three-coupled Korteweg–de Vries system by the q-homotopy analysis transformation method (q-HATM), which is a hybrid of the Laplace transform and the q-homotopy analysis method. Multiple investigations inspecting planetary oceans, optical cables, and cosmic plasma have employed the KdV model, significantly contributing to its development. The uniqueness, convergence, and maximum absolute truncation error of this algorithm are demonstrated. A numerical simulation has been performed to validate the accuracy and validity of the proposed approach. With high accuracy and few algorithmic processes, this algorithm supplies a series solution in the form of a recursive relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease in upland cotton and exerts a significant effect on growth and potential productivity. This disease is mainly caused by V. dahliae Kleb. Ethylene response factor (ERF) is one of the superfamilies of transcription factors that is involved in the development and environmental adaption of crops. A total of 30 ERF.B4 group members were detected in upland cotton and divided into 6 subgroups. Gene structures, conserved motifs, and domain analysis revealed that members in each subgroup are highly conserved. Further, the 30 GhERF.B4 group members were distributed on 18 chromosomes, and 36 gene synteny relationships were found among them. GhERF.B4 genes were ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and developmental stages of cotton. Amongst them, GhERF.B4-15D was predominantly expressed in roots, and its expression was induced by V. dahliae infection. In addition, GhERF.B4-15D responded to methyl jasmonate (MeJA), methyl salicylate (MeSA), and ethylene (ET) phytohormones. It was also found that the V. dahliae resistance was enhanced due to overexpression of GhERF.B4-15D in Arabidopsis thaliana. On the contrary, interference of GhERF.B4-15D by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology decreased the V. dahliae resistance level in upland cotton. The subcellular localization experiment showed that GhERF.B4-15D was located in the nucleus. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and luciferase complementation (LUC) approaches demonstrated that GhERF.B4-15D interacted with GhDREB1B. Additionally, the V. dahliae resistance was significantly decreased in GhDREB1B knockdowns. Our results showed that GhERF.B4-15D plays a role during V. dahliae infection in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the cultivation of Marsupenaeus japonicus, there are often obvious differences in the growth within the same family under the same food, water quality, and environment, which greatly affects cultivation efficiency. To explore the molecular mechanism of this growth difference, this study used RNA-seq technology to compare the transcriptomes of M. japonicus individuals with significant growth differences from the same family. A total of 1375 differentially expressed genes were identified, of which 1109 were upregulated and 266 were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed on the differentially expressed genes, and the results showed that growth-related processes, including chitin metabolism, chitin-binding amino sugar metabolism, and antioxidant processes, including response to oxidative stress, peroxidase activity, antioxidant activity, and peroxidase activity, showed significant differences between the large-size and small-size groups. The expression levels of some differentially expressed genes, such as cuticular protein, low-density lipoprotein receptor, ecdysteroid kinase, myosin heavy chain, and apoptosis inhibitor, were verified by quantitative PCR experiments. One cuticle gene was annotated, and phylogenetic analysis showed that this sequence clustered with the penaeid cuticle genes. This study provides valuable data and a scientific basis for understanding the mechanism of growth differences in M. japonicus at the molecular-genetic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peppermint essential oil, being natural and safe, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has long been a research interest in relieving fatigue and improving exercise performance. However, the related studies report controversial results, and the mechanisms remain unclear. Here we found that inhalation of peppermint essential oil significantly extended the exhaustion time in rats subjected to 2-week weight-bearing swimming training. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a 2-week weight-loaded forced swimming regimen. Prior to each swimming session, the rats were administered peppermint essential oil via inhalation. An exhaustive swimming test was performed at the end of the protocol. Rats treated with essential oil had significantly extended time to exhaustion compared with exercised rats without essential oil treatment. In addition, treated rats also showed reduced oxidative damage induced by endurance exercise. Notably, the rats receiving two-week essential oil inhalation while not subjected to swimming training did not show improved exercise performance. The findings demonstrate that repeated inhalation of peppermint essential oil enhances the effects of endurance training and improves exercise performance partially by preventing oxidative damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus cereus, a Gram-positive bacterium, is a food contaminant that threatens the health of thousands of people around the world. Because of the continuous emergence of drug-resistant strains, the development of new classes of bactericides from natural products is of high priority. In this study, two novel cassane diterpenoids (pulchins A and B) and three known ones (3–5) were elucidated from the medicinal plant Caesaplinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. Pulchin A, with a rare "6/6/6/3" carbon skeleton, showed significant antibacterial activity against B. cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC values of 3.13 and 6.25 μM, respectively. Further investigation of its mechanism of antibacterial activity against B. cereus is also discussed in detail. The results revealed that the antibacterial activity of pulchin A against B. cereus may be caused by pulchin A interfering with bacterial cell membrane proteins, affecting membrane permeability and causing cell damage or death. Thus, pulchin A may have a potential application as an antibacterial agent in the food and agricultural industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of wood preservatives, such as chromated copper arsenate (CCA), alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), and copper azole (CA), may cause environmental pollution problems. Comparative studies on the effect of CCA-, ACQ-, and CA-treated wood on soil contamination are rarely reported, and the behavior of soil metal(loid) speciation affected by preservatives has been poorly understood. Soils under the CCA-, ACQ-, and CA-treated boardwalks were collected to investigate metal(loid) distribution and speciation at the Jiuzhaigou World Natural Heritage site. The results showed that the maximum mean concentrations of Cr, As, and Cu were found in soils under the CCA, CCA, and CCA plus CA treatments and reached 133.60, 314.90, and 266.35 mg/kg, respectively. The Cr, As, and Cu contamination in soils within a depth of above 10 cm was high for all types of boardwalks and limited in the horizontal direction, not exceeding 0.5 m. Cr, As, and Cu in soils were mainly present as residual fractions in all profiles and increased with depth. The proportion of non-residual As in soil profiles under CCA- and CCA plus CA-treatment and exchangeable Cu in CA- and CCA plus CA-treatment were significantly higher than those in the profiles under the other preservative treatments. The distribution and migration of Cr, As, and Cu within soils were influenced by the preservative treatment of trestles, in-service time of trestles, soil properties (e.g., organic matter content), geological disasters (e.g., debris flow), and elemental geochemical behavior. With the CCA treatment for trestles successively replaced by ACQ and CA treatments, the types of contaminants were reduced from a complex of Cr, As, and Cu to a single type of Cu, achieving a reduction in total metal content, toxicity, mobility, and biological effectiveness, thus reducing environmental risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naringin (Nar) is a dihydroflavonoid compound, widely found in citrus fruit and used in Chinese herbal medicine. As a phytochemical, it acts as a dietary supplement that can delay aging and prevent aging-related disease, such as obesity and diabetes. However, its exact mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the high-glucose-induced (HGI) Caenorhabditis elegans model was used to evaluate the anti-aging and anti-obesity effects of Nar. The mean lifespan and fast movement span of HGI worms were extended roughly 24% and 11%, respectively, by Nar treatment. Oil red O staining revealed a significant reduction in fat accumulation and dFP::LGG-labeled worms showed the promotion of autophagy. Additionally, whole transcriptome sequencing and gene set variation analysis suggested that Nar upregulated the lipid biosynthesis and metabolism pathways, as well as the TGF-β, Wnt and longevity signaling pathways. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified hub genes in these pathways for further analysis. Mutant worms and RNA interference were used to study mechanisms; the suppression of hlh-30, lgg-1, unc-51, pha-4, skn-1 and yap-1 disabled the fat-lowering, lifespan-prolonging, and health-promoting properties of Nar. Collectively, our findings indicate that Nar plays an important role in alleviating HGI-aging and anti-obesity effects by reducing fat accumulation and promoting autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly infectious viral pathogen that endangers the global pig industry, and no effective vaccine is available thus far. The CD2v protein is a glycoprotein on the outer envelope of ASFV, which mediates the transmission of the virus in the blood and recognition of the virus serotype, playing an important role in ASFV vaccine development and disease prevention. Here, we generated two specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 6C11 and 8F12 (subtype IgG1/kappa-type), against the ASFV CD2v extracellular domain (CD2v-ex, GenBank: MK128995.1, 1–588 bp) and characterized their specificity. Peptide scanning technology was used to identify the epitopes recognized by mAbs 6C11 and 8F12. As a result, two novel B cell epitopes, 38DINGVSWN45 and 134GTNTNIY140, were defined. Amino acid sequence alignment showed that the defined epitopes were conserved in all referenced ASFV strains from various regions of China including the highly pathogenic, epidemic strain, Georgia2007/1 (NC_044959.2), with the same noted substitutions compared to the four foreign ASFV wild-type strains. This study provides important reference values for the design and development of an ASFV vaccine and useful biological materials for the functional study of the CD2v protein by deletion analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: To inform the management of shrimp culture strategies, it is important to uncover the interaction of complex factors with shrimp behaviors in the culture environment. This study was carried out with the objective to investigate the behavioral patterns of Penaeus japonicus and the effects of the natural farming environment on its behavior. The results revealed the preference for maintaining silence for P. japonicus in their breeding environment, of which the behavior patterns were prominently influenced by the sex ratio. Light intensity is demonstrated as the most influential factor in the behavior of P. japonicus, followed by population density. In conclusion, this study provides scientific evidence for shrimp farming of significant practical value. Recent years have witnessed a tremendous development in shrimp farming around the world, which, however, has raised a variety of issues, possibly due to a lack of knowledge of shrimp behavior in farms. This study focused on the relationship between shrimp behavior and the various factors of natural farming environment through situ surveys, as distinguished from the majority of laboratory studies on shrimp behavior. In the survey, the behaviors of kuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicus) were investigated in the groups of swimming in the water, crawling on the sand, resting on the sand, and hiding in the sand, followed by the quantification of the sex ratio, water quality, density, and light intensity. The results showed the average proportions of resting, hiding, crawling, and swimming activities of 69.87%, 20.85%, 8.24%, and 1.04%, respectively, of P. japonicus. The behavior of hiding, resting, and crawling is significantly affected by the sex ratio of the shrimp (p < 0.05). The proportions of hiding behavior exhibited a negative connection with density and a positive connection with light intensity, while the proportions of resting behavior showed the opposite according to both Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The light intensity was the only factor that significantly influenced the swimming behavior, in which the probability of the swimming behavior was reduced from 48% to 5% when light intensity varied from 0 to 10 lx, as determined by the generalized linear model. It could be speculated that P. japonicus prefers a tranquil environment. Female shrimp might exhibit less aggression and more adventure compared to male shrimp. The findings suggested light intensity, followed by density, as the most crucial element influencing the behavior of P. japonicus in the culture environment. These findings will contribute to the comprehension of the behavior of P. japonicus and provide a novel perspective for the formulation of its culture management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the diffusion of remediation technologies is an attractive solution to environmental protection and urban sustainability challenges. To better understand technology diffusion, we reviewed the engineering practices of cement kiln co-processing (CKC) of contaminated soil and obtained diffusion parameters using the Bass model in three provinces of China. Our results show that CKC has been adopted for the disposal of multiple contaminants and that the optimal feed rate of contaminated soil is 4–5%. The obtained diffusion parameters can be used to analyze and predict CKC diffusion. Driving factors analysis suggest that CKC diffusion is regulation-driven and obeys the S-curve pattern. Policies at the national level shape the basic pattern of the diffusion curve, while local policies, market scales, and contaminant types produce variations in diffusion rates across provinces. Results also reveal that the co-processing quota management on contaminated soil has little impact on CKC adoption. This study provides insights into contaminated soil remediation technology diffusion and the effectiveness of environmental policy implementation at home and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change in life activities throughout a cycle of approximately 24 h is called the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm has an important impact on biological metabolism, digestion, immunity, and other physiological activities, but the circadian rhythm of crustaceans has rarely been studied. In this study, the activity of digestive enzymes (α-amylase, trypsin, and lipase) and immune enzymes (superoxide dismutase, lysozyme, and catalase), as well as the circadian rhythm of the intestinal bacterial community of Exopalaemon carinicauda, were studied. The results showed that the digestive and immune enzyme activities of E. carinicauda changed significantly (p < 0.05) at four time points throughout the day by one-way ANOVA analysis, with the highest value at 24:00 and the lowest value at 12:00. The highest values of alpha diversity and richness were observed in the 24:00 samples, which were significantly higher than those in the other groups (p < 0.05). The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) results obviously showed that the samples from the same sampling time had higher similarity in the bacterial community structure. Candidatus hepatoplasma had the highest abundance among the intestinal microorganisms at 24:00, and Marinomonas had the highest abundance at 12:00. This study contributed to the understanding of digestive enzyme activity, immune enzyme activity, and the circadian rhythm of the intestinal bacterial community structure in E. carinicauda. It will play an important role in optimizing feeding times and improving digestion and nutrient utilization for E. carinicauda. The results of this study provide a basis for further study on the physiological mechanism of diurnal variation of intestinal flora in crustaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the future space-borne gravitational wave (GW) detector, the optical transponder scheme, i.e., the phase-locking scheme, will be utilized so as to maintain the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this case, the whole constellation will share one common laser equivalently, which enables the considerable simplification of time delay interferometry (TDI) combinations. Recently, and remarkably, the unique combination of TDI and optical frequency comb (OFC) has shown a bright prospect for the future space-borne missions. When the laser frequency noise and the clock noise are synchronized using OFC as the bridge, the data streams will be reasonably simplified. However, in the optical transponder scheme, the weak-light phase-locking (WLPL) loops could bring additional noises. In this work, we analyze the phase-locking scheme with OFC and transfer characteristics of the noises including the WLPL noise. We show that the WLPL noise can be efficiently reduced by using the specific TDI combination, and the cooperation of phase-locking and frequency combs can greatly simplify the post-processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global warming, changes in extreme-precipitation events are becoming increasingly complex, and investigating the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of extreme precipitation is extremely important for scientific water-resource planning, preventing new climate risks and maintaining ecosystem balances. Based on the daily precipitation from 1960–2017 at 15 meteorological stations in the Jianghuai region, the extreme-precipitation indices were calculated. The variations in 12 extreme-precipitation indices were detected by using the Mann–Kendall test in the Jianghuai region. The periodicity of indices was examined by wavelet analysis detecting significant time sections. Through the cross wavelet transform and wavelet coherence analyses, the nonlinear connections between extreme precipitation and atmospheric circulation were explored. The results indicate significant increasing trends in the max one-day precipitation amount (Rx1day), extreme wet days (R99p), and simple precipitation intensity index (SDII). The intensity of extreme precipitation increased significantly. The variation in extreme precipitation showed different trends in different regions, with a greater likelihood of increasing extreme-precipitation intensity and frequency in the southern region compared to the central and northern regions. The period of most oscillations of the indices tend toward be on a time scale of 2–4 years and are in the 1990s. The number of heavy precipitation days (R10 mm) and number of very heavy precipitation days (R20 mm) had, mainly, periods of 5.84 years. Additionally, there were significant resonance periods between the extreme-precipitation indices and the atmospheric circulation index; however, there were obvious differences in time domains. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) had the most significant effect on the duration of extreme precipitation; Atlantic Oscillation (AO) and EASM had the most significant influence on the extreme-precipitation intensity. The results of the study can provide a scientific basis for water-resource management and disaster prevention and control in the Jianghuai region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial colonization leads to the formation of biological soil crusts (BSCs) on the surface of architecture, which causes the deterioration of construction materials. However, little information is available on the formation of BSCs on lime concrete materials of early architecture. In this study, the variances of microbial communities, physicochemical properties, and surrounding environmental factors of the lime concrete facades from the early architecture of Wuhan University were investigated. It was found that the surface of lime concrete materials was internally porous and permeable, embedded with biofilms of cyanobacteria, mosses, bacteria, and fungi. Redundancy analysis (RDA) analysis showed that the abundances of photoautotrophic microorganisms depended on light intensity and moisture content of construction materials, while that of heterotrophic microorganisms depended on total nitrogen (TN) and NO3−-N content. The deposition of total carbon (TC), NH4+-N, and total organic carbon (TOC) was mainly generated by photoautotrophic microorganisms. The lime concrete surface of early architecture allowed internal growth of microorganisms and excretion of metabolites, which promoted the biodeterioration of lime concrete materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new and ubiquitous trace organic pollutant, endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) can cause endocrine-disrupting effects on organisms even at low levels. However, little information is available on the resource and assessment of EDC risks in the water environment. The study area was selected based on the paucity of information on the pollution status of inland lakes. Wuhan has numerous and diverse types of lakes which receive micropollutants from different pathways. In this study, the spatial distribution, occurrence, quantity and ecological risks of EDCs in 12 lakes were investigated. Five EDCs, including 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (17α-EE2), estrone (E1), β-estradiol (β-E2), estriol (E3) and bisphenol A (BPA) were detected in surface waters. The distribution of EDC content in the lakes was ordered as follows: exurban zone < suburban area < urban areas. The pollution sources in remote lakes mainly included agricultural and aquaculture wastewater, while those in suburban and urban areas included domestic or industrial wastewater. Areas with higher EDC content were frequently related to agricultural activities, aquaculture water or dense populations. Water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen, pH and water temperature, were significantly related to the occurrence and distribution of EDCs in the lakes. Risk assessment demonstrated that the occurrence of EDCs posed minimum to medium risk to aquatic organisms in the lakes. The results showed that the lakes faced a threat hormone pollution though it was at lower doses and, thus, the ecological risk of EDCs should be considered in future environmental policies and decisions in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermetallic alloy ZrCo is a good material for storing tritium (T). However, ZrCo is prone to disproportionation reactions during the process of charging and discharging T. Alloying atoms are often added in ZrCo, occupying the Zr or Co site, in order to restrain disproportionation reactions. Meanwhile, T often decays into helium (He), and the purity of T seriously decreases once He escapes from ZrCo. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the influence of alloying atoms on the basic stability property of He. In this work, we perform systematical ab initio calculations to study the stability property of He in ZrCoH3 (ZrCo adsorbs the H isotope, forming ZrCoH3). The results suggest that the He atom will undergo displacements of 0.31 and 0.12 Å when it substitutes for Co and Zr, respectively. In contrast, the displacements are very large, at 0.67–1.09 Å, for He replacing H. Then, we introduce more than 20 alloying atoms in ZrCo to replace Co and Zr in order to examine the influence of alloying atoms on the stability of He at H sites. It is found that Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Ta, W, Re, and Os replacing Co can increase the substitution energy of H by the He closest to the alloying atom, whereas only Cr, Mn, Fe, Mo, Tc, Ru, Ta, W, Re, and Os replacing Co can increase the substitution energy of H by the He next closest to the alloying atom. The influence of the alloying atom substituting Zr site on the substitution energies is inconspicuous, and only Nb, Mo, Ru, Ta, and W increase the substitution energies of H by the He closest to the alloying atom. The increase in the substitution energy may suggest that these alloy atoms are conducive to fix the He atom in ZrCo and avoid the reduction in tritium purity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a switchable and dual-tunable terahertz absorber based on patterned graphene and vanadium dioxide is proposed and analyzed. By controlling the Fermi level of graphene and the temperature of vanadium dioxide, the device's function can be switched and its absorbing properties can be tuned. When the vanadium dioxide is in an insulator state, the device can be switched from near-total reflection (>97%) to ultra-broadband absorption (4.5–10.61 THz) as the Fermi level of graphene changes from 0 to 0.8 eV. When the vanadium dioxide is changed to a metal state, the device can act as a single-band absorber (when the Fermi level of graphene is 0 eV) and a dual-band absorber with peaks of 4.16 THz and 7.3 THz (when the Fermi level of graphene is 0.8 eV). Additionally, the absorber is polarization-insensitive and can maintain a stable high-absorption performance within a 55° incidence angle. The multilayered structure shows great potential for switchable and tunable high-performance terahertz devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The jujube industry plays a very important role in the agricultural industrial structure of Xinjiang, China. In recent years, the abandonment of jujube fields has gradually emerged. It is critical to inventory the abandoned land soon after it is generated to adjust agricultural production better and prevent the negative impacts from the abandonment (such as outbreaks of diseases, insect pests, and fires). High-resolution multi-temporal satellite remote sensing images can be used to identify subtle differences among crops and provide a good tool for solving this problem. In this research, both field-based and pixel-based classification approaches using field boundaries were used to estimate the percentage of abandoned jujube fields with multi-temporal high spatial resolution satellite images (Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-6) and the Random Forest algorithm. The results showed that both approaches produced good classification results and similar distributions of abandoned fields. The overall accuracy was 91.1% for the field-based classification and 90.0% for the pixel-based classification, and the Kappa was 0.866 and 0.848 for the respective classifications. The areas of abandoned land detected in the field-based and pixel-based classification maps were 806.09 ha and 828.21 ha, respectively, accounting for 8.97% and 9.11% of the study area. In addition, feature importance evaluations of the two approaches showed that the overall importance of texture features was higher than that of vegetation indices and that 31 October and 10 November were important dates for abandoned land detection. The methodology proposed in this study will be useful for identifying abandoned jujube fields and have the potential for large-scale application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the frequency band of the electromagnetic wave is regarded as an efficient way to solve the communication blackout problem. In this paper, frequency of incident wave is raised to Terahertz (THz) band and the radar cross section (RCS) of the three-dimensional conductive model is calculated and simulated based on the Runge–Kutta Exponential Time Differencing–Finite Difference Time Domain method (RKETD-FDTD). Interaction of THz wave and magnetized plasma sheath is discussed. Attenuations in incident wave frequencies of 0.34 THz and 3 GHz and different plasma densities are analyzed. The monostatic RCS is used to compare the penetration in different incident wave frequencies while the bistatic RCS is fixed on 0.34 THz to study its characteristics. The simulation result has almost the same RCS as that of the model without coating plasma when the frequency of incident wave reaches 0.34 THz. The advantages of THz wave at 0.34 THz on increasing RCS and reducing the attenuation are demonstrated from different aspects including polarizations, incident angles, magnetization and anisotropy of plasma, thickness of plasma, scan planes and inhomogeneous distribution of plasma. It can be concluded that 0.34 THz has unique advantages in increasing the radar cross section and can be applied to solve the problem of communication interruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The price–volume relationship of stocks can be impacted substantially by structural changes and market volatility. In this paper, we analyze China's stock market behavior and subsequent price–volume equation, with emphasis on two periods of market volatility and structural changes during 2007–2008 and 2015–2016. To account for the impacts of unknown volatility and time breaks, we embed the price–volume relationship into a vector autoregression (VAR) framework with structural breaks and volatility thresholds. Our results indicate that significant time-breaking effects exist and that the high-low volatility effects are substantial. Finally, in its entirety, we identify only a linear causal relationship from price to volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuruma prawn, Marsupenaeus japonicus, has the third largest annual yield among shrimp species with vital economic significance in China. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a great threat to the global shrimp farming industry and results in high mortality. Pellino, a highly conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been found to be an important modulator of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways that participate in the innate immune response and ubiquitination. In the present study, the Pellino gene from Marsupenaeus japonicus was identified. A qRT-PCR assay showed the presence of MjPellino in all the tested tissues and revealed that the transcript level of this gene was significantly upregulated in both the gills and hemocytes after challenge with WSSV and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The function of MjPellino was further verified at the protein level. The results of the three-dimensional modeling and protein–protein docking analyses and a GST pull-down assay revealed that the MjPellino protein was able to bind to the WSSV envelope protein VP26. In addition, the knockdown of MjPellino in vivo significantly decreased the expression of MjAMPs. These results suggest that MjPellino might play an important role in the immune response of kuruma prawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugar transporters of the SWEET family mediate cross membrane movement of mono- and disaccharides and play vital roles in diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes, including sink–source relationship, pathogen responses, reproductive growth, and development. However, it remains to be determined how these transporters function in non-module plants of agricultural significance, given the evolutionarily diverse traits. In this study, we combined transcriptome analysis, rapid amplification of cDNA ends-cloning (RACE-cloning), expression profiling, and heterologous functional assay to identify SWEET genes that may have potential roles during flower opening and sexual reproduction in Jasminum sambac. During the anthesis, the floral organs of J. sambac express seven SWEET homologous genes from all four clades of the family. JsSWEET9 and 2 are significantly upregulated when flowers are fully opened, up to 6- and 3-fold compared to unopened buds, respectively. The other transporters, JsSWEET1, 5, 10, and 17 are also accumulated slightly at stage associated with fragrance release, whereas only the vacuole transporter JsSWEET16 showed small decrease in transcript level after anthesis. The JsSWEET5, a clade II member, is capable to complement yeast cell uptake on most tested sugar substrates with a preference for hexoses, while the clade I transporter JsSWEET1 mediates merely galactose import when expressed in yeast. Our results provide first evidence for further investigation on sugar transport and allocation during flowering and reproductive processes in J. sambac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly infectious viral pathogen that endangers the global pig industry, and no effective vaccine is available thus far. The CD2v protein is a glycoprotein on the outer envelope of ASFV, which mediates the transmission of the virus in the blood and recognition of the virus serotype, playing an important role in ASFV vaccine development and disease prevention. Here, we generated two specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 6C11 and 8F12 (subtype IgG1/kappa-type), against the ASFV CD2v extracellular domain (CD2v-ex, GenBank: MK128995.1, 1-588 bp) and characterized their specificity. Peptide scanning technology was used to identify the epitopes recognized by mAbs 6C11 and 8F12. As a result, two novel B cell epitopes, 38 DINGVSWN 45 and 134 GTNTNIY 140 , were defined. Amino acid sequence alignment showed that the defined epitopes were conserved in all referenced ASFV strains from various regions of China including the highly pathogenic, epidemic strain, Georgia2007/1 (NC&#95;044959.2), with the same noted substitutions compared to the four foreign ASFV wild-type strains. This study provides important reference values for the design and development of an ASFV vaccine and useful biological materials for the functional study of the CD2v protein by deletion analysis.

This study employs the ADCC-GARCH approach to investigate the dynamic correlation between bitcoin and 14 major financial assets in different time-frequency dimensions over the period 2013-2021, for which the risk diversification, hedging and safe-haven properties of bitcoin for those traditional assets are further examined. The results show that, first, bitcoin is positively linked to risk assets, including stock, bond and commodity, and negatively linked to the U.S. dollar, which is a safe-haven asset, so bitcoin is closer in nature to a risk asset than a safe-haven asset. Second, the high short-term volatility and speculative nature of the bitcoin market makes its long-term correlation with other assets stronger than the short-term. Third, the positive linkage between the prices of bitcoin and risk assets increases sharply under extreme shocks (e.g., the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020). Fourth, bitcoin can hedge against the U.S. dollar, and in the long term, bitcoin can hedge against the Chinese stock market and act as a safe haven for the U.S. stock market and crude oil. However, for most other traditional assets, bitcoin is only an effective diversifier.