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Exosomes are membrane-bound structures released by cells into the external environment that carry a significant amount of important cargo, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and lipids. They play a crucial role in intercellular communication. Parasites have complex life cycles and can release exosomes at different stages. Exosomes released by parasitic pathogens or infected cells contain parasitic nucleic acids, antigenic molecules, virulence factors, drug-resistant proteins, proteases, lipids, etc. These components can regulate host gene expression across species or modulate signaling pathways, thereby dampening or activating host immune responses, causing pathological damage, and participating in disease progression. This review focuses on the means by which parasitic exosomes modulate host immune responses, elaborates on the pathogenic mechanisms of parasites, clarifies the interactions between parasites and hosts, and provides a theoretical basis and research directions for the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addressing the issue of poor control over gas permeability during the CO2 flooding process in ultra-low permeability reservoirs, this study proposes the use of a low interfacial tension viscosity-increasing system as a substitute for water in CO2–water alternating flooding to enhance CO2 mobility control and increase oil recovery. The performance of the system was evaluated through tests of viscosity, interfacial tension, wettability, and emulsification properties, and the injection behavior and gas channeling prevention effect of the viscosity-increasing system with CO2 alternate flooding were investigated. The results indicate that the low interfacial tension viscosity-increasing fluid exhibits good thickening properties, interfacial activity, hydrophilic wettability, and oil–water emulsification performance, also demonstrating strong environmental adaptability. The CO2–low interfacial tension viscosity-increasing fluid alternate flooding shows good injectivity in ultra-low permeability cores (1.085 mD). Following water flooding in heterogeneous ultra-low permeability cores, the implementation of CO2 low interfacial tension viscosity-increasing fluid alternate flooding can lead to a 15.91% increase in overall recovery compared to water flooding, outperforming CO2 flooding and CO2–water alternating flooding. The mechanisms by which the CO2 low interfacial tension viscosity-increasing fluid enhances oil recovery include reducing interfacial tension, improving mobility ratio, altering rock surface wettability, and emulsification effects. The low interfacial tension viscosity-increasing systems demonstrate effective mobility control and oil displacement capabilities and synergistically enhance the efficiency of CO2, presenting potential application prospects in the development of CO2 flooding in ultra-low permeability reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic frequency pulse assisted TIG welding (UFP-TIG) experiments were conducted to join Inconel 690 alloy (IN690) by adding Inconel 718 alloy (IN718) as the filler. The effect of the filler on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and ductility dip cracking (DDC) susceptibility of IN690 joints were investigated. The results show that a variety of precipitates, including MC-type carbide and Laves phases, are formed in the weld zone (WZ), which are uniformly dispersed in the interdendritic region and grain boundaries (GBs). The increase in the thickness of the IN718 filler facilitates the precipitation and growth of Laves phases and MC carbides. However, the formation of Laves phases in the WZ exhibits a lower bonding force with the matrix and deteriorates the tensile strength of IN690 joints. Due to the moderate content of Laves phases in the WZ, the IN690 joint with 1.0 mm filler reaches the maximum tensile strength (627 MPa), which is about 96.5% of that of the base metal (BM). The joint with 1.0 mm filler also achieves the highest elongation (35.4%). In addition, the strain-to-fracture tests indicate that the total length of cracks in the joint with the IN718 filler decreases by 66.49% under a 3.8% strain. As a result, the addition of the IN718 filler significantly improves the mechanical properties and DDC resistance of IN690 joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a current-mode VCSEL driver (CMVD) implemented using 180 nm CMOS technology for application in short-range LiDAR sensors, in which current-steering logic is suggested to deliver modulation currents from 0.1 to 10 mApp and a bias current of 0.1 mA simultaneously to the VCSEL diode. For the simulations, the VCSEL diode is modeled with a 1.6 V forward-bias voltage and a 50 Ω series resistor. The post-layout simulations of the proposed CMVD clearly demonstrate large output pulses and eye-diagrams. Measurements of the CMVD demonstrate large output pulses, confirming the simulation results. The chip consumes a maximum of 11 mW from a 3.3 V supply, and the core occupies an area of 0.1 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems are undergoing continuous degradation due to the dual perturbation of global climate change and human activities, posing unprecedented threats and challenges to the ecosystem services they provide. To gain a deeper understanding of the spatio-temporal evolution of ecosystem service value (ESV), it is essential to accurately capture the characteristics of its spatial and temporal changes and its influencing factors. However, traditional spatio-temporal statistical methods are limited to analyzing the heterogeneity of ESV in a single temporal or spatial dimension, which fails to meet the comprehensive analysis needs for spatio-temporal heterogeneity over an extended continuum. Therefore, this paper constructs a Bayesian spatio-temporal hierarchical model to analyze the ESV heterogeneity in both temporal and spatial dimensions in Northeast China from 2000 to 2020 to accurately identify the regions with unstable fluctuations in ESV and analyze the influencing factors behind them. It aims to comprehensively and systematically reveal the intrinsic laws of spatio-temporal evolution of ESV, and provide a scientific basis for relevant decision-making. The study found a continuous fluctuating downward trend of ESV in Northeast China from 2000 to 2020, with significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Notably, the distribution of hot and cold spots is regularly concentrated, especially in the transition zone from low hills to plains, which forms an "unstable zone" of spatial and temporal fluctuations of ESV. Natural factors such as NDVI and NPP exhibit a significant positive correlation with ESV, while social factors like population density and GDP show a strong negative correlation. Compared to traditional statistical methods, the Bayesian spatio-temporal hierarchical model, with its outstanding flexibility and accuracy, provides a new perspective and way of thinking for analyzing classical spatio-temporal problems. Firstly, the model examines time and space as a whole and fully accounts for the influence of spatio-temporal interactions on ESV. Secondly, the Bayesian spatio-temporal hierarchical model meets the needs of long-term continuous ESV outcome detection, which provides us with solid support for a deeper understanding of the evolution of ESV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene has a high specific surface area and high electrical conductivity, and its addition to activated carbon electrodes should theoretically significantly improve the energy storage performance of supercapacitors. Unfortunately, such an ideal outcome is seldom verified in practical commercial supercapacitor design and production. In this paper, the oxygen-containing functional groups in graphene/activated carbon hybrids, which are prone to induce side reactions, are removed in the material synthesis stage by a special process design, and electrodes with high densities and low internal resistances are prepared by a dry process. On this basis, a carbon-coated aluminum foil collector with a full tab structure is designed and assembled with graphene/activated carbon hybrid electrodes to form a commercial supercapacitor in cylindrical configuration. The experimental tests confirmed that such supercapacitors have high capacity density, power density, low internal resistance (about 0.06 mΩ), good high-current charging/discharging characteristics, and a long lifetime, with more than 80% capacity retention after 10 W cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: A rise in intraocular pressure (IOP) and decreased retinal ganglion cells are frequent indicators of effective modeling of chronic ocular hypertension in mice. In this study, the sensitivity of the mouse model to pharmaceutical therapy to reduce intraocular tension was assessed, the model's safety was confirmed using a cytotoxicity test, and the success rate of the mouse model of ocular hypertension was assessed by assessing alterations in IOP and neurons in the ganglion cell layer. (2) Methods: A mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension was produced in this study by employing photocrosslinkable sericin hydrogel injection and LED lamp irradiation. The eyes of 25 C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to 405 nm UV light from the front for 2 min after being injected with 5 μL of sericin hydrogel in the anterior chamber of the left eye. IOP in the mice was measured daily, and IOP rises greater than 5 mmHg were considered intraocular hypertension. When the IOP was lowered, the intervention was repeated once, but the interval between treatments was at least 2 weeks. The right eyes were not treated with anything as a normal control group. Mice eyeballs were stained with HE, Ni-type, and immunofluorescence to assess the model's efficacy. Two common drugs (tafluprost eye drops and timolol eye drops) were provided for one week after four weeks of stable IOP, and IOP changes were assessed to determine the drug sensitivity of the mouse model of chronic ocular hypertension. Furthermore, CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS) was utilized to investigate the safety of the ocular hypertension model by evaluating the deleterious effects of photocrosslinkable sericin hydrogel on cells. (3) Results: Before injection, the basal IOP was (9.42 ± 1.28) mmHg (1 kPa = 7.5 mmHg) in the experimental group and (9.08 ± 1.21) in the control group. After injection, cataract occurred in one eye, corneal edema in one eye, endophthalmitis in one eye, iris incarceration in one eye, and eyeball atrophy in one eye. Five mice with complications were excluded from the experiment, and twenty mice were left. Four weeks after injection, the IOP of the experimental group was maintained at (19.7 ± 4.52) mmHg, and that of the control group was maintained at (9.92 ± 1.55) mmHg, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Before the intervention, the IOP in the experimental group was (21.7 ± 3.31) mmHg in the high IOP control group, (20.33 ± 2.00) mmHg in the tafluprost eye drops group, and (20.67 ± 3.12) mmHg in the timolol maleate eye drops group. The IOP after the intervention was (23.2 ± 1.03) mmHg, (12.7 ± 2.11) mmHg, and (10.4 ± 1.43) mmHg, respectively. Before and after the intervention, there were no significant differences in the high-IOP control group (p > 0.05), there were statistically significant differences in the timolol eye drops group (p < 0.05), and there were statistically significant differences in the tafluprost eye drops group (p < 0.05). One week after drug withdrawal, there was no significant difference in IOP among the three groups (p > 0.05). In the high-IOP group, the protein (sericin hydrogel) showed a short strips or fragmented structure in the anterior chamber, accompanied by a large number of macrophages and a small number of plasma cells. The shape of the chamber angle was normal in the blank control group. The number of retinal ganglion cells decreased significantly 8 weeks after injection of sericin hydrogel into the anterior chamber, and the difference was statistically significant compared with the blank control group (p < 0.05). After the cells were treated with photocrosslinkable sericin hydrogel, there was no significant difference in the data of the CellTiter 96® assay kit of MTS compared with the blank control group (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: A mouse model of chronic intraocular hypertension can be established successfully by injecting sericin in the anterior chamber and irradiating with ultraviolet light. The model can simulate the structural and functional changes of glaucoma and can effectively reduce IOP after the action of most antihypertensive drugs, and it is highly sensitive to drugs. Sericin has no obvious toxic effect on cells and has high safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione (GSH), a robust endogenous antioxidant, actively participates in the modulation of the redox status of cysteine residues in proteins. Previous studies have indicated that GSH can prevent β-cell failure and prediabetes caused by chronic oscillating glucose (OsG) administration. However, the precise mechanism underlying the protective effect is not well understood. Our current research reveals that GSH is capable of reversing the reduction in Nrf2 levels, as well as downstream genes Grx1 and HO-1, in the islet β-cells of rats induced by chronic OsG. In vitro experiments have further demonstrated that GSH can prevent β-cell dedifferentiation, apoptosis, and impaired insulin secretion caused by OsG. Additionally, GSH facilitates the translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus, resulting in an upregulation of Nrf2-targeted genes such as GCLC, Grx1, HO-1, and NQO1. Notably, when the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 is employed, the effects of GSH on OsG-treated β-cells are abrogated. Moreover, GSH enhances the S-glutathionylation of Keap1 at Cys273 and Cys288, but not Cys151, in OsG-treated β-cells, leading to the dissociation of Nrf2 from Keap1 and facilitating Nrf2 nuclear translocation. In conclusion, the protective role of GSH against OsG-induced β-cell failure can be partially attributed to its capacity to enhance Keap1 S-glutathionylation, thereby activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. These findings provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of β-cell failure in the context of prediabetes/diabetes, highlighting the potential of GSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of rare earth elements (REEs) from phosphogypsum (PG) is of great significance for the effective utilization of rare earth resources and enhancing the resource value of PG waste residues. This study used Aspergillus niger (A. niger) fungal culture filtrate as a leaching agent to investigate the behavior of extracting REEs from PG through direct and indirect contact methods. According to the ICP-MS results, direct leaching at a temperature of 30 °C, shaking speed of 150 rpm, and a solid–liquid ratio of 2:1, achieved an extraction rate of 74% for REEs, with the main elements being yttrium (Y), lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and neodymium (Nd). Under the same conditions, the extraction rate of REEs from phosphogypsum using an A. niger culture filtrate was 63.3% higher than that using the simulated organic acid-mixed solution prepared with the main organic acid components in the A. niger leachate. Moreover, the morphological changes observed in A. niger before and after leaching further suggest the direct involvement of A. niger's metabolic process in the extraction of REEs. When compared to using organic acids, A. niger culture filtrate exhibits higher leaching efficiency for extracting REEs from PG. Additionally, using A. niger culture filtrate is a more environmentally friendly method with the potential for industrial-scale applications than using inorganic acids for the leaching of REEs from PG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current scenario sees over 60% of primary energy being dissipated as waste heat directly into the environment, contributing significantly to energy loss and global warming. Therefore, low-grade waste heat harvesting has been long considered a critical issue. Pyroelectric (PE) materials utilize temperature oscillation to generate electricity, while thermoelectric (TE) materials convert temperature differences into electrical energy. Nanostructured PE and TE materials have recently gained prominence as promising catalysts for converting thermal energy directly into chemical energy in a green manner. This short review provides a summary and comparison of catalytic processes initiated by PE and TE effects driven by waste thermal energy. The discussion covers fundamental principles and reaction mechanisms, followed by the introduction of representative examples of PE and TE nanomaterials in various catalytic fields, including water splitting, organic synthesis, air purification, and biomedical applications. Finally, the review addresses challenges and outlines future prospects in this emerging field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the emotional needs of the elderly in urban space design has increasingly become a vital concern. This study innovatively integrates emotional theories with the design of community outdoor spaces, thereby expanding the research on emotional categorization in urban spaces. At 8 community outdoor space sites in Yi Jie Qu, China, 330 elderly residents were randomly recruited to assess their color emotional responses (CER) to the color landscapes of these spaces. Based on the Affective Circumplex Model and Japanese Color Image Theory, a Color Emotion Circumplex was constructed to visually represent the overall emotional tendencies and significant positive emotions of the elderly. The second innovation of this research lies in exploring the driving factors behind positive emotional responses of the elderly, the primary user group of community outdoor spaces. We analyzed the significant differences in CER between autumn and winter scenes, employing variance analysis, correlation, and regression to investigate the substantial effects of individual factors and color characteristics on positive CER. The study discovered that the elderly exhibit a stronger CER towards clean and healthy emotions. Notably, CER was more pronounced in autumn scenes compared to winter. Furthermore, educational level, visit frequency, and color brightness positively influenced positive CER, whereas walking time from residence and the color area ratios of blue and gray negatively impacted CER. These findings not only provide a theoretical basis for age-friendly color design in community spaces, but also offer new perspectives and practical guidance for the international community planning and design domain. Our research underscores the importance of incorporating the emotional needs of the elderly into urban space design, offering novel theoretical and practical guidance for future urban planning and community design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fuli Pb-Zn deposit is situated at the southwestern margin of the Yangtze Block in Yunnan. The deposit, which is hosted in the Permian Yangxin Formation dolomite, is a recent discovery. Our study indicates a significant presence of fluid inclusions in sphalerite from the Fuli Pb-Zn deposit, with fewer inclusions observed in dolomite and calcite. We conducted comprehensive petrographic, microthermometric, and laser Raman analyses on the inclusions within sphalerite and dolomite. Additionally, six samples of dolomite from the mineralization period were selected for H-O isotope analysis. The results of our study reveal the characteristics of ore-forming fluids and explore the mechanisms of ore formation. The study results indicate that the Fuli Pb-Zn deposit is a low- to medium-temperature hydrothermal deposit with fluid inclusions mainly composed of two-phase gas-liquid inclusions. Salinity and homogenization temperature analyses affirmed that there are two types of fluids present, one with low salinity and the other with high salinity. Laser Raman tests demonstrated the presence of CH4, N2, and CO2 in the gas phase of the inclusions. Microthermometric analyses indicated that the sphalerite ore-forming fluids consist of a multicomponent system of Mg2+ and Ca2+ enriched fluids. The features of the ore-forming fluids in the Fuli deposit arise from a blend of high-temperature, low-salinity metamorphic fluids and low-temperature, high-salinity basin brines. The basin brines in question have the potential to emanate from the Youjiang Basin. The formation of the ore is ascribed to the TSR and the mixing of fluids. The combination of these processes provided the requisite materials (SO42−), catalysts (Mg2+), and reducing agents (organic matter, CH4, and H2S) required to initiate the thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). As the TSR proceeded, it caused a shift in the pH of the fluids, thus promoting the precipitation of metal sulfides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The luminescence properties and excellent carrier transfer ability of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have attracted much attention in the field of photocatalysis. In this work, we loaded the CQDs on the surface of Cu2O to enhance the visible-light property of Cu2O. Furthermore, the composite was used for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. The composite catalyst achieved high selectivity (90%) for benzaldehyde at room temperature, leveraging its visible-light-induced electron transfer properties and its photocatalytic activity for hydrogen peroxide decomposition. ·OH was shown to be the main reactive oxygen species in the selective oxidation reaction of benzyl alcohol. The formation of heterostructures of CQDs/Cu2O promoted charge carrier separation and provided a fast channel for photoinduced electron transfer. This novel material exhibited enhanced levels of activity and stability for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol. Potential applications of carbon quantum dot composites in conventional alcohol oxidation reactions are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yudong black goats (YDGs) are a local breed in southwest China that possess unique meat qualities and produce a high meat yield, making them ideal models for studying goat meat quality. Castration may decrease off-odors, significantly change metabolites and improve meat quality. Using multi-omics techniques, this study focused on Yudong black goat wethers (YDW, n = 4) and Yudong black bucks (YDB, n = 4). The findings revealed that 33 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 279 significantly changed metabolites (SCMs) influenced goat meat quality by affecting fat accumulation and lipolysis regulatory processes. Herein, several candidate genes (IGF1, TNNT2, PPP2R2C, MAPK10 and VNN1, etc.) were identified that play a role in regulating meat quality, non-castrated and castrated, alongside a series of metabolites that may serve as potential meat quality biomarkers. Lipids (triglycerides, oxidized lipids_5-iso PGF2VI, ceramide (t18:1/36:2(2OH)) and Carnitine C20:5, etc.) were significantly higher in the castrated goats. These results revealed that lipids and hydrophilic metabolites were affected by castration, which might be beneficial in terms of goat meat quality. This study aimed to investigate the differences in meat quality between uncastrated and castrated male goats and the possible molecular regulatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a pulsed electric field (PEF) on the structural and functional properties of quinoa protein isolate (QPI). The findings revealed a significant alteration in the secondary structure of QPI following PEF treatment, converting the random coil into the β-sheet, resulting in an improvement in structure orderliness and an enhancement of thermal stability. The PEF treatment led to a reduction in particle size, induced structural unfolding, and increased the surface hydrophobicity, resulting in a statistically significant enhancement in the solubility, foaming, and emulsifying properties of QPI (p < 0.05). Specifically, PEF treatment at 7.5 kV/cm for 30 pulses was identified as the optimal condition for modifying QPI. This study provides a basis for the precision and range of application of pulsed electric field treatment and offers the possibility of improving the physical and chemical properties of quinoa protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking and segmenting small targets in remote sensing videos on edge devices carries significant engineering implications. However, many semi-supervised video object segmentation (S-VOS) methods heavily rely on extensive video random-access memory (VRAM) resources, making deployment on edge devices challenging. Our goal is to develop an edge-deployable S-VOS method that can achieve high-precision tracking and segmentation by selecting a bounding box for the target object. First, a tracker is introduced to pinpoint the position of the tracked object in different frames, thereby eliminating the need to save the results of the split as other S-VOS methods do, thus avoiding an increase in VRAM usage. Second, we use two key lightweight components, correlation filters (CFs) and the Mobile Segment Anything Model (MobileSAM), to ensure the inference speed of our model. Third, a mask diffusion module is proposed that improves the accuracy and robustness of segmentation without increasing VRAM usage. We use our self-built dataset containing airplanes and vehicles to evaluate our method. The results show that on the GTX 1080 Ti, our model achieves a J&F score of 66.4% under the condition that the VRAM usage is less than 500 MB, while maintaining a processing speed of 12 frames per second (FPS). The model we propose exhibits good performance in tracking and segmenting small targets on edge devices, providing a solution for fields such as aircraft monitoring and vehicle tracking that require executing S-VOS tasks on edge devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The requirements for drilling bentonites are tightening due to ever-increasing demands for petroleum resources, coupled with cost and reaction technology constraints. In addition to raising the risk of drilling, bentonite's poor performance also raises the possibility of safety incidents and significant financial losses. Organically modified bentonites effectively reduce the consumption of drilling fluids, conserve resources, and lessen environmental effects. This paper aims to provide an overview of the several organic modification methods of bentonite for drilling fluids. It also evaluates the characteristics and application impacts of bentonite. We primarily describe the three popular modification methods represented by intercalation, coupling, and grafting. Also, this review provides the effect of molecular simulation on the investigation of structure in microconfined conditions. Through microlearning, organically modified bentonite with exceptional performance is to be further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water rights trading plays an important role in the market mechanism to optimize the allocation of water resources. This study takes Luxian county of Sichuan province as the research area. Based on the prediction of water supply and demand, this study aims to achieve minimum water shortage and maximum economic benefits for regional water distribution, and introduces a water-saving reward and water price punishment mechanism to construct a two-layer collaborative regulation model of water rights trading for water users. The self-improved elite strategy and cogenetic algorithm (NSGA II-S) are used to solve the optimization model, and the optimal allocation of water resources and water rights trading in different towns in the planning year (2025 and 2030) under different flat and dry scenarios is studied. The results show that there would be an obvious problem in the uneven distribution of water resources between supply and demand in 2025 and 2030. The overall water shortage rates in the flat and dry scenario areas in 2025 are 13.71% and 31.99%, respectively, and the overall water shortage rates in the flat and dry scenario areas in 2030 are 11.55% and 31.94%, respectively. Water rights trading can increase the economic benefit value, with the economic benefit increasing by an average of CNY 614 million in all scenarios, an average increase of 8.68%. The research results could be helpful in alleviating the contradiction between the supply and demand of regional water resources and provide a theoretical basis for optimizing water resource allocation by means of water rights trading in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an online meta-learning-based incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion (INDI) control method for quadrotors with disturbances. The quadrotor dynamic model is first transformed into linear form via an INDI control law. Since INDI largely depends on the accuracy of the control matrix, a method composed of meta-learning and adaptive control is proposed to estimate it online. The effectiveness of the proposed control framework is validated through simulation on a quadrotor with 3D wind disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of the evolution of rocky slope instability, the decay deterioration rate of cohesion c and internal friction angle φ are different, and there are also differences in the order and degree of their impact on slope stability; thus, it is of great theoretical value to propose a more practical calculation method for the reduction in slope degradation. This paper combines the Hoek–Brown criterion and an acoustic test method to estimate the mechanical parameters of slope rock mass; the correlative relationship within the double-strength parameter reduction was established by introducing advanced reduction steps (ARS), n, and correlation factor, λ, and a non-synchronous coordinated reduction (NSCR) method for the double parameters of slopes was proposed. Furthermore, methods for determining the comprehensive safety factor (CSF) of slopes during the coordinated reduction of double parameters are comparatively analyzed. The results of the application of engineering examples show that the strength of the slope rock mass is significantly reduced after several blast disturbances, and the equivalent cohesion is reduced from 1.05 MPa to 0.89 MPa, while the internal friction angle is reduced from 25.68° to 21.77°. The CSF calculated using the W. Yuan-2 method is closer to the results of the limit equilibrium method and is suitable for the calculation of the CSF of the NSCR of slopes. The slope CSFs show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase in n; FS = 3.349 when n = 50, with a relative error of only 8.1% compared to the results calculated using the limit equilibrium method. The NSCR method remediates the blindness of the traditional strength reduction method in double-parameter reduction and ensures that the reduction range of the internal friction angle is no lower than its residual strength limit value, making it practical and feasible for slope stability analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deciphering drought resistance in crops is crucial for enhancing water productivity. Previous studies have highlighted the significant role of the transcription factor SlHB8 in regulating developmental processes in tomato plants but its involvement in drought resistance remains unclear. Here, gene overexpression (SlHB8-OE) and gene knockout (slhb8) tomato plants were utilized to study the role of SlHB8 in regulating drought resistance. Our findings showed that slhb8 plants exhibited a robust resistant phenotype under drought stress conditions. The stomata of slhb8 tomato leaves displayed significant closure, effectively mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress on photosynthetic efficiency. The slhb8 plants exhibited a decrease in oxidative damage and a substantial increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. Moreover, slhb8 effectively alleviated the degree of photoinhibition and chloroplast damage caused by drought stress. SlHB8 regulates the expression of numerous genes related to photosynthesis (such as SlPSAN, SlPSAL, SlPSBP, and SlTIC62) and stress signal transduction (such as SlCIPK25, SlABA4, and SlJA2) in response to drought stress. Additionally, slhb8 plants exhibited enhanced water absorption capacity and upregulated expression of several aquaporin genes including SlPIP1;3, SlPIP2;6, SlTIP3;1, SlNIP1;2, and SlXIP1;1. Collectively, our findings suggest that SlHB8 plays a negative regulatory role in the drought resistance of tomato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural cropping intensity plays an important role in evaluating the food security and the sustainable development of agriculture. The existing indicators measuring cropping intensity include cropping frequency and multiple cropping index. As a nominal measurement, cropping frequency classifies crop patterns into single-cropping and/or double-cropping and leads to information loss. Multiple cropping index is calculated on the basis of statistical data, ignoring the spatial heterogeneity within the administrative region. Neither of these indicators can meet the requirements of precision agriculture, and new methods for fine cropping intensity mapping are still lacking. Time series remote sensing data provide vegetation phenology information and reveal temporal development of vegetation, which can be used to facilitate the fine cropping intensity mapping. In this study, a new temporal mixture analysis method is introduced to estimate the abundance level cropping intensity from time series remote sensing data. By analyzing phenological characteristics of major land-cover types in time series vegetatiosacan indices, a novel feature space was constructed by using the selected PCA components, and three unique endmembers (double-cropping, natural vegetations and water bodies) were found. Then, a linear spectral mixture analysis model was applied to decompose mixed pixels by replacing spectral data with multi-temporal data. The spatio-temporal continuous, fine resolution, abundance level cropping intensity maps were produced for the North China Plain and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley. The experiments indicate a good result at both county and pixel level validation. The method of manually delineating endmembers can well balance the accuracy and efficiency. We also found the size of the study area has little effect on the unmixing accuracy. The results demonstrated that the proposed method can model cropping intensity finely at large scale and long temporal span, at the same time with high efficiency and ease of implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percutaneous interventions are gaining rapid acceptance in cardiology and revolutionizing the treatment of structural heart disease (SHD). As new percutaneous procedures of SHD are being developed, their associated complexity and anatomical variability demand a high-resolution special understanding for intraprocedural image guidance. During the last decade, three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become one of the most accessed imaging methods for structural interventions. Although 3D-TEE can assess cardiac structures and functions in real-time, its limitations (e.g., limited field of view, image quality at a large depth, etc.) must be addressed for its universal adaptation, as well as to improve the quality of its imaging and interventions. This review aims to present the role of TEE in the intraprocedural guidance of percutaneous structural interventions. We also focus on the current and future developments required in a multimodal image integration process when using TEE to enhance the management of congenital and SHD treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence imaging (FI) in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window has emerged as a promising imaging method for cancer diagnosis because of its superior properties such as deep penetration depth and high signal-to-background ratio. Despite the superiorities of organic conjugated nanomaterials for NIR-II FI, the issues of low fluorescence quantum yield, weak metabolic capability, undefined molecular structure for conjugated polymers, weak light-harvesting ability, short emission wavelength, and high synthetic complexity for conjugated small molecules still remain to be concerned. We herein propose an oligomerization strategy by facilely adjusting the oligomerization time to balance the advantages and disadvantages between conjugated polymers and small molecules, obtaining the candidate (CO1, oligomerization time: 1 min) with the optimal NIR-II optical performance. Then the CO1 is further prepared into water-dispersed nanoparticles (CON1) via a nanoprecipitation approach. By virtue of the suitable size, excellent NIR-II optical properties, low toxicity, and strong cell-labeling ability, the CON1 is successfully employed for in vivo NIR-II imaging, permitting the real-time visualization of blood vascular system and tumors with high sensitivity and resolution. This work thus not only provides a personalized organic conjugated nano-agent for NIR-II FI, but also highlights the molecular strategy for the development of organic conjugated systems with optimal performance for bio-imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural relics and historical sites serve as carriers of cultural, historical, and artistic information. However, any damage incurred by these cultural relics can result in the loss of information, consequently impacting sustainable conservation and revitalization of the cultural heritage. Han Dynasty stone reliefs are a representative carrier of art and history during the Han Dynasty, an early stage of Chinese history. Due to the influence of materials, carving techniques, and protective measures, the conservation and revitalization of Han Dynasty stone reliefs have been significantly restricted. In this study, a systematic investigation was carried out to study the current situation and existing problems related to the protection of Han Dynasty stone reliefs. Additionally, a case study was conducted using the Wuling Ancestral Hall (Wuliang Shrine) as an example, to explore the integration of 3D digital technology as a new sustainable approach. The results show that natural weathering and conventional techniques have caused irreversible information loss. Thus, adopting a three-dimensional digital perspective is crucial when considering the information preservation and revitalization of Han Dynasty stone reliefs. To achieve this, 3D digital models of representative stone reliefs, tomb chambers, and other sculptures from the Wuliang Ancestral Hall were established. These models provide new paths for accurately recording 3D information and better utilizing cultural heritage. Faced with the challenge of preserving historical heritage and its associated information, a workflow including 3D scanning, data collection and processing, 3D modeling, visualization, and information utilization is proposed. This approach offers new approaches for sustainable conservation and revitalization of Han Dynasty stone reliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is an important pathogen that causes diarrhea in both humans and animals, thereby posing a serious threat to public health and animal agriculture. Bacillus subtilis, a probiotic, offers a novel approach to reduce the need for antibiotics and plays a crucial role in treating various intestinal diseases. We previously isolated a strain of B. subtilis HH2 from giant panda feces, which has shown multiple beneficial functions in vitro and in vivo. However, studies on the protective effect of B. subtilis on companion animals with orally administered ETEC have not been reported. Therefore, we explored the effects of B. subtilis HH2 on the fecal microbiota, intestinal barrier integrity, and non-specific immunity in beagles challenged with ETEC. Experimental results showed that B. subtilis HH2 could alleviate diarrhea caused by ETEC, improve non-specific immunity and intestinal barrier integrity, and modulate gut microbiota. Notably, more indicators are needed to determine its protective effect on beagles in future studies. This study evaluated the protective effect of Bacillus subtilis HH2 on beagles orally challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). We assessed the physiological parameters and the severity of diarrhea, as well as the changes in three serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM), plasma diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactate (D-LA), and the fecal microbiome. Feeding B. subtilis HH2 significantly reduced the severity of diarrhea after the ETEC challenge (p < 0.05) and increased serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM (p < 0.01). B. subtilis HH2 administration also reduced serum levels of DAO at 48 h after the ETEC challenge (p < 0.05), but no significant changes were observed in D-LA (p > 0.05). Oral ETEC challenge significantly reduced the richness and diversity of gut microbiota in beagles not pre-fed with B. subtilis HH2 (p < 0.05), while B. subtilis HH2 feeding and oral ETEC challenge significantly altered the gut microbiota structure of beagles (p < 0.01). Moreover, 14 days of B. subtilis HH2 feeding reduced the relative abundance of Deinococcus-Thermus in feces. This study reveals that B. subtilis HH2 alleviates diarrhea caused by ETEC, enhances non-specific immunity, reduces ETEC-induced damage to the intestinal mucosa, and regulates gut microbiota composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to design a novel mouse model of chronic photoaging. We used three different species of mice (C57BL/6J, ICR, and KM) to create a chronic photoaging model of the skin. The irradiation time was gradually increased for 40 consecutive days. The skins of the mice were removed on day 41 and subjected to staining to observe them for morphological changes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and p53 expression; superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured as well. Compared with C57BL/J mice, which showed hyperpigmentation, the irradiated skin of ICR and KM mice showed more obvious skin thickening and photoaging changes of the collagen and elastic fibers. KM mice had higher levels of inflammation, oxidative stress, and senescent cells. Compared with the 5-month-old KM mice, the photoaging changes of the 9-month-old KM mice were more pronounced, the SOD values were lower, and the MDA values were higher. In summary, KM mice have higher levels of abnormal elastic fibers, inflammation, cellular senescence, and oxidative stress than ICR mice, and are more suitable for studies related to chronic skin photoaging. C57BL/6J mice were found to be suitable for studies related to skin pigmentation due to photoaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three different types of on-chip avalanche photodiodes (APDs) realized in a TSMC 180 nm 1P6M RF CMOS process, i.e., a P+/N-well (NW) APD for its high responsivity and large bandwidth by excluding slow diffusion currents; a P+/Deep N-well (DNW) APD for its improved near-infrared (NIR) sensitivity; and a P+/NW/DNW APD for its capability to prevent premature edge breakdown and improve NIR sensitivity. Thereafter, a conventional voltage-mode optoelectronic receiver (V-OER) was realized to confirm the feasibility of the three on-chip APDs. However, the measured results of the V-OER demonstrate a very narrow dynamic range. Therefore, we propose a current-mode optoelectronic receiver (C-OER) realized in the same CMOS process for the applications of short-range LiDAR sensors, where current-conveyor input buffers are exploited to deliver the photocurrents with no significant signal loss to the following inverter cascode transimpedance amplifier, hence resulting in an extended dynamic range. The optically measured results of the C-OER with an 850 nm laser source demonstrate large output pulses. The C-OER chip consumes 47.8 mW from a 1.8 V supply and the core occupies 0.087 mm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When using selective laser sintering to print parts with thin-walled structures, the thermal action of the laser can cause thermal stresses that lead to plastic deformation, resulting in large warpage and dimensional deviations. To address this issue, this study proposes a bottom support method for selective laser sintering. The impact of lattice-type, concentric-type, and cross-type support structures with varying filling densities and thicknesses on the suppression of warpage and dimensional errors was investigated. The optimal process parameters for each support structure were then determined through optimization. The findings of this study demonstrated a reduction in Z-axis dimensional errors of the workpiece following the addition of supports. The reduction amounted to 33.809%, 86.160%, and 66.214%, respectively, compared to the original workpiece. Moreover, the corresponding warpage was reduced by 35.673%, 46.189%, and 46.059% for each respective case, showcasing an improvement in the printing precision. Therefore, the bottom support effectively reduces dimensional and shape errors in thin-walled parts printed by selective laser sintering. Specifically, the results obtained indicated that the concentric type of support is more effective in reducing dimensional errors and enhancing the shape accuracy of the printed workpiece. Conversely, the cross type of support demonstrated superior capabilities in minimizing the consumption of printing materials while still delivering satisfactory results. Thus, this study holds promise for contributing to the advancement of thin-walled part quality using selective laser sintering technology. This research can contribute to achieving greater accuracy in the fabrication of parts through 3D printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of cathodic polarization on the corrosion behavior of alkyd-resin-coated carbon steel with an artificial coating defect was researched using a wire beam electrode (WBE) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in both static and flowing simulated solutions. The microscopic morphology and chemical structure of the organic coating were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to reveal the degradation mechanisms of organic coatings under different polarization potentials. The study found that the failure process of the alkyd coating could be accelerated by cathodic polarization. After 312 h of immersion, the impedance under −1100 mV was one order of magnitude lower than that under the open-circuit potential (OCP). The coating delamination became serious with the negative shifting of polarization potential, and the delamination area ratio under −1100 mV in both static and flowing seawater rose to 23% and 14%, respectively. Interestingly, the flowing condition of the immersion solution that combined with cathodic polarization exhibited a synergistic effect, which could accelerate (in the earlier stage) and then alleviate the delamination of the coating. Furthermore, the results showed that both the diffusion of the corrosion particles and the anodic dissolution reaction of the metal could be significantly affected by cathodic polarization and the flowing condition of the solution, which provides a possible approach to gain insight into the delamination of organic coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, nitrite and molybdate-modified CaAl layered double hydroxide(CaAl-LDH) was first synthesized, and the corrosion protection mechanism of CaAl-LDH intercalated with nitrites in epoxy coatings was investigated. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was used to characterize the morphology and element composition of the synthesized powder. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to characterize the information of chemical composition, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze the structure. The SEM and XRD results indicated that the LDH structure was destroyed in the molybdate modification process, and CaMoO4 precipitates were formed. Therefore, molybdates cannot be used to be loaded in CaAl-LDH interlayer space for synthesis of an active corrosion inhibition container. The nitrite release curve and the chloride concentration decreasing curve were measured to study the anion-exchange reaction by UV-Vis spectroscopy and a home-made Ag/AgCl probe, respectively. The corrosion protection effect of the CaAl-LDH loaded with nitrites towards the carbon steel was evaluated in 0.02 M NaCl solution by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Then the powder was added in the epoxy coating with 2% addition (weight vs. epoxy resin). The coating morphology and roughness were evaluated by SEM and laser microscopy, and the corrosion protection effect was investigated by EIS in an immersion period of 21 d. The fitted coating resistance of the sample with 2% LDH intercalated with nitrites was one order of magnitude higher than that with 2% LDH, and the latter one was two orders of magnitude higher than the blank sample. Local electrochemical impedance spectra (LEIS) was used to characterize the corrosion development process in micro-corrosion sites. The corrosion product of the scratched area after salt spray exposure was analyzed by EDS and Raman spectroscopy. The corrosion protection mechanism of the CaAl-LDH loaded with nitrites was proposed based on the above experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extracted magnesium-rich calcium phosphate bioceramics from tilapia bone using a gradient thermal treatment approach and investigated their chemical and physicochemical properties. X-ray diffraction showed that tilapia fish bone-derived hydroxyapatite (FHA) was generated through the first stage of thermal processing at 600–800 °C. Using FHA as a precursor, fish bone biphasic calcium phosphate (FBCP) was produced after the second stage of thermal processing at 900–1200 °C. The beta-tricalcium phosphate content in the FBCP increased with an increasing calcination temperature. The fact that the lattice spacing of the FHA and FBCP was smaller than that of commercial hydroxyapatite (CHA) suggests that Mg-substituted calcium phosphate was produced via the gradient thermal treatment. Both the FHA and FBCP contained considerable quantities of magnesium, with the FHA having a higher concentration. In addition, the FHA and FBCP, particularly the FBCP, degraded faster than the CHA. After one day of degradation, both the FHA and FBCP released Mg2+, with cumulative amounts of 4.38 mg/L and 0.58 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the FHA and FBCP demonstrated superior bone-like apatite formation; they are non-toxic and exhibit better osteoconductive activity than the CHA. In light of our findings, bioceramics originating from tilapia bone appear to be promising in biomedical applications such as fabricating tissue engineering scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The uterus is an important organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals. The normal growth and development of ruminant uterus caruncles are crucial to maintain gestation and fetal health in goats. The aim of this study was to screen a set of candidate housekeeping genes (HKGs) in Carpra hircus uterus caruncles. Four programs and one comprehensive index were applied to assess the stability of 22 selected HKGs expression during non-pregnant and pregnancy stages. The most and least stable HKGs were used to normalize the target genes expression of SPP1, VEGFA, and PAG8. Traditional reference genes were not suitable for target gene normalization, while PPIB and EIF3K, POP4, PPIA, and SDHA showed the least variation and were recommended as the best HKGs during the nonpregnant stage and the whole stages of goat uterus caruncle tissue, respectively. This study found the suitable HKGs in uterus caruncle tissues at different stages of non-pregnancy and pregnancy. The uterus is a critical pregnancy organ for mammals. The normal growth and development of ruminant uterus caruncles are crucial to maintain gestation and fetal health in goats. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a reliable tool to study gene expression profiling for exploring the intrinsic mechanism underlying the conversion process of uterus caruncle tissue. However, the candidate housekeeping genes (HKGs) are required for normalizing the expression of function genes. In our study, 22 HKGs were selected from analyzing transcriptome data at non-pregnancy and pregnancy processes and previous reports about HKGs in goat tissues. We assessed them for expression suitability in 24 samples from uterus tissues at 15 non-pregnant days (Stage 1), early (Stage 2), and medium-later pregnant days (Stage 3). The expression stability of these genes was evaluated by using geNorm, Normfinder, Bestkeeper, and Delta Ct algorithms and, comprehensively, by ReFinder. In addition, the most and least stable HKGs were used to normalize the target genes expression of SPP1, VEGFA, and PAG8. It was found that traditional reference genes, such as ACTB and GAPDH, were not suitable for target gene normalization. In contrast, PPIB selected from RNA sequencing data and EIF3K selected from previous references showed the least variation and were recommended as the best HKGs during the nonpregnant stage and the whole stages of goat uterus caruncle tissue, respectively. It is the first time the HKGs genes in uterus during the non-pregnant day and throughout the total pregnancy have been explored. These findings found suitable HKGs in uterus caruncle tissues at various stages of non-pregnancy and pregnancy; these can be useful for gene expression studies to reveal the molecular mechanisms of uterus development in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive hydrogels feature the flexibility of soft materials plus conductive properties providing functionality for effectively sticking to the epidermis and detecting human activity signals. Their stable electrical conductivity also effectively avoids the problem of uneven distribution of solid conductive fillers inside traditional conductive hydrogels. However, the simultaneous integration of high mechanical strength, stretchability, and transparency through a simple and green fabrication method remains a great challenge. Herein, a polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (PDES) composed of choline chloride and acrylic acid was added to a biocompatible PVA matrix. The double-network hydrogels were then simply prepared by thermal polymerization and one freeze-thaw method. The introduction of the PDES significantly improved the tensile properties (1.1 MPa), ionic conductivity (2.1 S/m), and optical transparency (90%) of the PVA hydrogels. When the gel sensor was fixed to human skin, real-time monitoring of a variety of human activities could be implemented with accuracy and durability. Such a simple preparation method performed by combining a deep eutectic solvent with traditional hydrogels offers a new avenue to construct multifunctional conductive hydrogel sensors with excellent performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia volatilization (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission are the main underliers of nitrogen loss in farmlands, which can decrease nitrogen use efficiency and trigger environmental problems regarding greenhouse effects. Previous studies have regional limitations and lack universal guiding significance, as they are primarily based on individual experiments related to the effects of applying nitrogen fertilizer on maize. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis on a regional scale to investigate the overall impact of nitrogen fertilizer application on maize yield, N2O, and NH3 in Northeast China. The database included 85 studies and 1147 pairs of experimental data that were analyzed. The results showed that applying nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased maize yield, N2O emissions, and NH3 volatilization effects, and the growth rates (E) were 50.64%, 64.39%, and 69.25%, respectively. In Northeast China, the average emission factors of N2O and NH3 were 0.72% and 8.21%, respectively. The optimum nitrogen application rate for maize in Northeast China was 205 kg ha−1, resulting in 8.37% nitrogen loss (through N2O and NH3). Soil texture, alkaline nitrogen (AN) content in the soil, mean annual precipitation (MAP), nitrogen application rate, and fertilizer type were the key influential factors affecting changes in maize yield and N loss (N2O and NH3). Yield-scaled N2O and NH3 were found to be the significant emission reduction parameters that ensured maize yield. However, there was a remarkable 'seesaw effect' between yield-scaled N2O and NH3 under the same natural conditions (MAP and soil texture). Therefore, human activities such as reducing N surplus in soil, and N fertilizer application rate, along with selecting suitable fertilizer types should be given more attention to reduce yield-scaled N2O and NH3. Moreover, minimizing NH3 and N2O dual emission should be the main objective for green agriculture in Northeast China, rather than over-emphasizing on single emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut–liver axis may provide a new perspective for treating anti-tuberculosis drug-induced liver injury (ATDILI). Herein, the protective effect of Lactobacillus casei (Lc) was investigated by modulating gut microflora (GM) and the toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)–nuclear factor (NF)-κB–myeloiddifferentiationfactor 88 (MyD88) pathway. C57BL/6J mice were given three levels of Lc intragastrically for 2 h before administering isoniazid and rifampicin for 8 weeks. Blood, liver, and colon tissues, as well as cecal contents, were collected for biochemical and histological examination, as well as Western blot, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and 16S rRNA analyses. Lc intervention decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels (p < 0.05), recovered hepatic lobules, and reduced hepatocyte necrosis to alleviate liver injury induced by anti-tuberculosis drugs. Moreover, Lc also increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and Desulfovibrio and decreased Bilophila abundance, while enhancing zona occludens (ZO)-1 and claudin-1 protein expression compared with the model group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Lc pretreatment reduced the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level and downregulated NF-κB and MyD88 protein expression (p < 0.05), thus restraining pathway activation. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that Lactobacillus and Desulfovibrio were positively correlated with ZO-1 or occludin protein expression and negatively correlated with pathway protein expression. Desulfovibrio had significant negative relationships with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and LPS levels. In contrast, Bilophila had negative associations with ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1 protein expressions and positive correlations with LPS and pathway proteins. The results prove that Lactobacillus casei can enhance the intestinal barrier and change the composition of the gut microflora. Moreover, Lactobacillus casei may also inhibit TLR4–NF-κB–MyD88 pathway activation and alleviate ATDILI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of rice straw nutrient bowl tray drying, real-time detection of changes in moisture content to achieve automatic adjustment of drying factors is one of the important means to ensure its drying quality. At present, the main method for measuring the moisture content of rice straw nutrient bowl trays is the drying and weighing method. This method is not only time consuming, labor intensive, and complex to operate, but also has poor real-time performance, which cannot meet the demand for real-time detection of the moisture content in the production process of rice straw nutrient bowl trays. In this regard, a real-time moisture content detection method for rice straw nutrient bowl trays based on hyperspectral imaging technology was studied. In this study we took the rice straw nutrient bowl tray during the drying process as the research object, adopted a single factor experiment, took microwave power, hot air temperature, and hot air speed as the drying factors, and took the moisture content of the rice straw nutrient bowl tray as the drying index. The rice straw nutrient bowl tray was dried according to the designed drying conditions. When drying, we removed the rice straw nutrient bowl tray every 5 min for weighing and collected hyperspectral image data within the wavelength range of 400~1000 nm until its quality remained unchanged. A total of 204 samples were collected. Using the average spectrum of the region of interest as the sample for effective spectral information, spectral preprocessing was performed using multivariate scattering correction (MSC), standardization normal variables (SNV), and Savitzky–Golay convolution smoothing (SG) methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) and competitive adaptive reweighting (CARS) methods were adopted for the dimensionality reduction of the spectral data. Three prediction models of rice straw nutrient bowl tray moisture content, namely random forest regression (RF), particle swarm optimization support vector regression (PSO-SVR), and XGBoost model were constructed using the reduced dimension spectral data. Finally, the performance of the model was compared using the coefficient of determination (R2) and mean square error (RMSE) as evaluation indicators. The research results indicate that the PCA-PSO-SVR model established based on SG method preprocessing has the best predictive performance, with a training set decision coefficient R2C of 0.984, a training set mean square error RMSE-C of 2.775, a testing set decision coefficient R2P of 0.971, and a testing set mean square error RMSE-P of 3.448. The model therefore has a high accuracy. This study achieved rapid detection of water content in rice straw nutrition trays. This method provides a reliable theoretical basis and technical support for the rapid detection of rice straw nutrient bowl tray moisture content, and is of great significance for improving the quality of rice straw nutrient bowl trays; promoting the popularization and application of raising rice straw nutrient bowl tray seedlings and whole process mechanized planting technology system; improving soil structure; and protecting the ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classical polarimetric method has been widely used in liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) phase measurement with a simple optical setup. However, due to interference caused by LCoS cover glass reflections, the method lacks accuracy for phase uniformity measurements. This paper is aimed at mathematically analyzing the errors caused by non-ideal glass reflections and proposing procedures to reduce or eliminate such errors. The measurement is discussed in three conditions, including the ideal condition with no reflections from the LCoS cover glass, the condition with only the front reflection from the cover glass, and the condition with only the back reflection from the cover glass. It is discovered that the backward reflection makes the largest contribution to the overall measurement error, and it is the main obstacle to high-quality measurements. Several procedures, including optical alignment, LC layer thickness measurement, and phase estimation method, are proposed, making the uniformity measurement more qualitative and consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bentonite is an important component of drilling fluid, whose quality directly affects the safety and economic benefits of water-based drilling fluid. In order to effectively cope with temperature changes, the development of temperature-sensitive modified bentonite is of great significance. In this study, a temperature-sensitive modified bentonite based on NIPAM with excellent temperature sensitivity was developed through intercalation modification. The temperature-sensitive bentonite (CMC-B-NIPAM) was prepared by grafting N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) onto the surface of calcium bentonite through the dehydration condensation of silane coupling agent KH570 after the intercalation of sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC). The synthesis indexes of CMC-B and CMC-B-NIPAM were optimized by the single-factor method. CMC-B-NIPAM was characterized by XRD and FTIR. The temperature sensitivity, rheology, suspensibility, and expansion capacity of CMC-B-NIPAM dispersion were investigated. The results showed that CMC-B-NIPAM had good temperature sensitivity, and the rheological properties of its dispersion showed characteristics of steady flow and temperature thickening in the range of 40–70 °C. A molecular simulation model was established to observe the microsynthesis mechanism of temperature-sensitive modified bentonite based on NIPAM. The results of this study show that CMC-B-NIPAM drilling fluid has the function of ensuring the stability of drilling fluid flow patterns compared to traditional drilling fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alternative σ factor TcdR controls the synthesis of two major enterotoxins: TcdA and TcdB in Clostridioides difficile. Four potential TcdR-dependent promoters in the pathogenicity locus of C. difficile showed different activities. In this study, we constructed a heterologous system in Bacillus subtilis to investigate the molecular basis of TcdR-dependent promoter activity. The promoters of the two major enterotoxins showed strong TcdR-dependent activity, while the two putative TcdR-dependent promoters in the upstream region of the tcdR gene did not show detectable activity, suggesting that the autoregulation of TcdR may need other unknown factors involved. Mutation analysis indicated that the divergent -10 region is the key determinant for different activities of the TcdR-dependent promoters. Analysis of the TcdR model predicted by AlphaFold2 suggested that TcdR should be classified into group 4, i.e., extracytoplasmic function, σ70 factors. The results of this study provide the molecular basis of the TcdR-dependent promoter recognition for toxin production. This study also suggests the feasibility of the heterologous system in analyzing σ factor functions and possibly in drug development targeting these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign struma ovarii (SO) has a probability of metastasis named "peritoneal strumosis", which is extremely rare, such that the specific clinical characteristics, treatment options, and survival outcomes remain unclear. We screened three cases of peritoneal strumosis among 229 cases of SO treated in our hospital. Case 1 was a 36-year-old woman with extensive peritoneal seedings at initial presentation. The second one was a 49-year-old with trocar site implant 11 years after laparoscopic adnexectomy. Case 3 was a 45-year-old woman who had an isolated lesion at the anterior surface of the rectum after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for SO 14 years ago. These three patients underwent surgery without any adjuvant treatment and remained disease-free after 30 to 68 months. A systematic review was then conducted and another 16 cases were identified. More than half (10/19, 52.6%) of the patients had previous SO-related ovarian surgery. The median interval between prior SO-related surgery and the initial presentation of peritoneal strumosis was 10.0 years; both regional and distant metastasis, even in the liver, lung, and heart, could also be affected. Surgery was the mainstay therapy (18/19, 94.7%), in which six patients (6/19, 31.7%) were treated with total thyroidectomy (TT) followed by radioiodine (RAI) therapy. Postoperative chemotherapy was only applied in one patient, and the last one only received a diagnostic biopsy without further treatment. Recurrence was noted in two patients with a median recurrence-free survival of 12 years, where surgical excision and RAI were then performed. No death occurred after a mean follow-up of 53 months, where 12 patients achieved no evidence of disease and five were alive with the disease. Peritoneal strumosis has unpredictable biological behaviors and the crude incidence is approximately 1.3% in SO. Patients with peritoneal strumosis have excellent survival outcomes, irrespective of different treatment strategies employed. Surgery with personalized RAI should be preferred and long-term close monitoring is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network embedding is an effective way to realize the quantitative analysis of large-scale networks. However, mainstream network embedding models are limited by the manually pre-set metapaths, which leads to the unstable performance of the model. At the same time, the information from homogeneous neighbors is mostly focused in encoding the target node, while ignoring the role of heterogeneous neighbors in the node embedding. This paper proposes a new embedding model, HeMGNN, for heterogeneous networks. The framework of the HeMGNN model is divided into two modules: the metapath subgraph extraction module and the node embedding mixing module. In the metapath subgraph extraction module, HeMGNN automatically generates and filters out the metapaths related to domain mining tasks, so as to effectively avoid the excessive dependence of network embedding on artificial prior knowledge. In the node embedding mixing module, HeMGNN integrates the information of homogeneous and heterogeneous neighbors when learning the embedding of the target nodes. This makes the node vectors generated according to the HeMGNN model contain more abundant topological and semantic information provided by the heterogeneous networks. The Rich semantic information makes the node vectors achieve good performance in downstream domain mining tasks. The experimental results show that, compared to the baseline models, the average classification and clustering performance of HeMGNN has improved by up to 0.3141 and 0.2235, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The aim was to explore the interventional effect of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exercise of Tian Dan Shugan Tiaoxi on the emotions of patients with mild novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Materials and Methods: A total of 110 asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients from Hongkou Memorial Road Temporary Cabin Hospital and South Renji Hospital were selected between April 2022 and June 2022, and randomly divided into two groups: a control group and an intervention group. There were 55 participants in each group. The control group was treated with Lianhua Qingwen granules, and members of the intervention group were made to practice Tian Dan Shugan Tiaoxi (an exercise that soothes the liver and regulates emotions) every day for 5 days. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7), and the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were used to evaluate the data collected before and after the trial. Results: The incidence of anxiety and depression was high in the patients included in this study, at 73.64% and 69.09%, respectively. After intervention, the scores of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) in the two groups had decreased in comparison with those recorded before intervention (p < 0.05). The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores in the intervention group were significantly better than those of the control group (p < 0.05). The factors of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, and fear in the SCL-90 in the intervention group were significantly improved after intervention, and generally, better than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Patients infected with novel coronavirus in shelter hospitals have different degrees of emotional abnormalities. Tian Dan Shugan Tiaoxi can reduce the anxiety and depression of people with mild novel coronavirus, and it can be practiced clinically to improve the recovery rate among infected people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manipulation of single molecules has attracted extensive attention because of their promising applications in chemical, biological, medical, and materials sciences. Optical trapping of single molecules at room temperature, a critical approach to manipulating the single molecule, still faces great challenges due to the Brownian motions of molecules, weak optical gradient forces of laser, and limited characterization approaches. Here, we put forward localized surface plasmon (LSP)-assisted trapping of single molecules by utilizing scanning tunneling microscope break junction (STM-BJ) techniques, which could provide adjustable plasmonic nanogap and characterize the formation of molecular junction due to plasmonic trapping. We find that the plasmon-assisted trapping of single molecules in the nanogap, revealed by the conductance measurement, strongly depends on the molecular length and the experimental environments, i.e., plasmon could obviously promote the trapping of longer alkane-based molecules but is almost incapable of acting on shorter molecules in solutions. In contrast, the plasmon-assisted trapping of molecules can be ignored when the molecules are self-assembled (SAM) on a substrate independent of the molecular length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids are the most abundant class of secondary metabolites that are ubiquitously involved in plant development and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Flavonoid biosynthesis involves multiple channels of orchestrated molecular regulatory factors. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been demonstrated to enhance flavonoid accumulation in numerous plant species; however, the underlying molecular mechanism of MeJA-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in safflower is still not evident. In the present study, we revealed the underlying molecular basis of a putative F3′5′H gene from safflower imparting MeJA-induced flavonoid accumulation in transgenic plants. The constitutive expression of the CtF3′5′H1 gene was validated at different flowering stages, indicating their diverse transcriptional regulation through flower development in safflower. Similarly, the CtF3′5′H1-overexpressed Arabidopsis plants exhibit a higher expression level, with significantly increased anthocyanins and flavonoid content, but less proanthocyanidins than wild-type plants. In addition, transgenic plants treated with exogenous MeJA revealed the up-regulation of CtF3′5′H1 expression over different time points with significantly enhanced anthocyanin and flavonoid content as confirmed by HPLC analysis. Moreover, CtF3′5′H1- overexpressed Arabidopsis plants under methyl violet and UV-B irradiation also indicated significant increase in the expression level of CtF3′5′H1 with improved anthocyanin and flavonoid content, respectively. Noticeably, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay of CtF3′5′H1 in safflower leaves also confirmed reduced anthocyanin accumulation. However, the CtF3′5′H1 suppression in safflower leaves under MeJA elicitation demonstrated significant increase in total flavonoid content. Together, our findings confirmed that CtF3′5′H1 is likely mediating methyl jasmonate-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in transgenic plants via enhanced anthocyanin accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in FIGO stage IA G2-3 and stage IB-IC pure ovarian immature teratoma (POIT) and 15 studies with 707 patients were enrolled. Compared with surveillance, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly decreased the mortality rate (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11–0.88, p = 0.03), but not recurrence (p = 0.37), in the overall cohort. Subgroup analysis showed no statistical difference in the recurrence rate and mortality rate between patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy and surveillance in pediatric POIT, stage IA G2-3 POIT, stage IB-IC POIT, and stage IA-IC G3 POIT. Patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy appeared to have a lower risk of both recurrence (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–0.83, p = 0.03) and death (p = 0.05) in adult POIT. Surveillance in stage I POIT over IA G1 should be applied cautiously, especially in adult patients. To determine the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage IA G2-3 and stage IB-IC pure ovarian immature teratoma (POIT), we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Randomized controlled trials or cohort studies on stage IA G2-G3 or stage IB-IC POIT between 1 January 1970 and 15 December 2022 were enrolled. The recurrence rate and mortality rate were the primary outcomes, and subgroup analysis based on the tumor stage and grade was also conducted. In total, 15 studies with 707 patients were included. Compared with surveillance, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly decreased the mortality rate (RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.11–0.88, p = 0.03), but not recurrence (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.39–1.42, p = 0.37), in the overall population. Subgroup analysis showed no statistical difference in the recurrence rate and mortality rate between patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy and surveillance in pediatric POIT, stage IA G2-3 POIT, stage IB-IC POIT, and stage IA-IC G3 POIT (all with p > 0.05). However, patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy appeared to have a lower risk of both recurrence (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03–0.83, p = 0.03) and death (RR 0.04, 95% CI 0.00–1.00, p = 0.05) in adult POIT. Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly decreased the mortality rate in patients with stage I POIT and lowered the risk of recurrence in the adult subgroup. Surveillance administered in stage I POIT over IA G1 should be cautious, especially in adult patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying land comprehensive carrying capacity (LCCC) is the foundational and key requirement for determining land development planning and urban spatial development patterns of a region. However, the traditional evaluation method discounts the fuzziness and randomness of the evaluation index and its results. The cloud model combines randomness and fuzziness to reveal the correlation between randomness and fuzziness using numerical feature entropy and is used to represent the granularity of a qualitative concept. This study used the Liaoning Province as the study area, and developed a multi-dimensional evaluation index system for LCCC using a normal cloud model. Based on this, the relationship between the different elements of geological condition, resources and environment, economic scale and urban construction were studied using the coupling coordination degree model that reflected not only the system interactions but also the strengths of its degree of coordination. Our results were as follows: (1) numerical feature entropy were evaluated to determine the carrying capacity level of the land, and comprehensive land carrying capacity evaluations were conducted in terms of both quantitative results and the reliability of the results, promoting the scientific application of uncertainty theory in the field of comprehensive land evaluation as well as carrying capacity. (2) Liaoning Province's prefecture-level cities had distinctly different LCCC, demonstrating "low in the west and high in the east" spatial distribution characteristics. Cities with established economies and relatively strong infrastructures had larger comprehensive land carrying capacities. Overall, there was considerable consistency across the region, though the "low in the west and high in the east" spatial distribution characteristics affected the degree of coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The nutrient contents and rumen degradation of alfalfa hay rely highly on cultivars and grown regions. Moreover, the evaluation of alfalfa hay with respect to nutritional components in conjunction with the selection of feed resources according to local condition is necessary and essential for dairy farms to obtain an efficient and economic formula. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the variations of different alfalfa hay cultivars grown in China and the US in terms of nutritional components, ruminal degradation characteristics and feed value. The results showed that the cultivar of American Golden Empress (GE) had the greatest rumen degradation characteristics; meanwhile, the indicators of total digestible nutrients (TDN), dry matter intake (DMI), digestible dry matter (DDM), relative feed value (RFV) and relative forage quality (RFQ) of GE were better than China Zhongmu No. 1 (ZM1) and China Gongnong No. 1 (GN1) cultivars. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cultivars of alfalfa hay, including American Anderson (AA), American Golden Empress (GE), China Zhongmu No. 1 (ZM1) and China Gongnong No. 1 (GN1), on conventional nutrient composition, rumen degradation characteristics and feed value. Four healthy Holstein cows (137 ± 14 days in milk, 2.40 ± 0.50 parity) equipped with permanent ruminal cannulas were examined for the nylon-bag technique. The alfalfa hay samples were incubated in the rumen for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h according to the "gradual in/all out" schedule to detect the ruminal nutrients' degradability. Our results showed that various cultivars of alfalfa hay from different planting regions had significant differences on nutrient contents, rumen degradability and feed value. For nutritional components of alfalfa hay, the highest dry matter (DM) content was found in GE and the lowest in GN1 (p < 0.001); however, GN1 had the greatest concentration of ether extract (EE, p = 0.01), Ca (p < 0.001) and the lowest Ash (p < 0.001). Additionally, the lowest neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and highest starch contents were observed in AA and GE (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the cultivar of ZM1 represented the highest NDF, ADF and Ash contents, in conjunction with minimal CP and P concentrations (p < 0.001). In terms of rumen degradation characteristics, the effective degradation rate (ED) of DM in GE and ZM1 was significantly higher than that in AA and GN1 (p = 0.013). The NDF effective degradation was lower in ZM1 than the other three cultivars (p = 0.002), and in addition ZM1 also showed lower CP and ADF effective degradation than GE (p < 0.001). As far as feed value was concerned, the cultivar of alfalfa hay imported from the US, including AA and GE, exhibited higher relative feed value (RFV) and relative forage quality (RFQ) than Chinese alfalfa based on ZM1 and GN1 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the results suggested that the cultivar of GE exhibited greater rumen degradable characteristics and feed value, while ZM1 showed the opposite status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with high levels of intelligence are more aware of risk factors, therefore choosing a healthier lifestyle. This assumption seems reasonable, but is it true? Previous studies appear to agree and disagree. To cope with the uncertainty, we designed a mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine the causal effects of genetically proxied intelligence on alcohol-, smoking-, and physical activity (PA)-related behaviors. We obtained genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets concerning these variables from separate studies or biobanks and used inverse-variance weighted (IVW) or MR-Egger estimator to evaluate the causal effects according to an MR protocol. The MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, and funnel plots were employed for horizontal pleiotropy diagnosis. The Steiger test (with reliability test), Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO, and leave-one-out method were employed for sensitivity analysis. We found significant or potential effects of intelligence on alcohol dependence (OR = 0.749, p = 0.003), mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol (OR = 0.814, p = 0.009), smoking (OR = 0.585, p = 0.005), and smoking cessation (OR = 1.334, p = 0.001). Meanwhile, we found significant or potential effects on walking duration (B = −0.066, p < 0.001), walking frequency (B = −0.055, p = 0.031), moderate PA frequency (B = −0.131, p < 0.001), and vigorous PA frequency (B = −0.070, p = 0.001), but all in a negative direction. In conclusion, our findings reinforce some existing knowledge, indicate the complexity of the health impacts of human intelligence, and underline the value of smoking and alcohol prevention in less intelligent populations. Given the existing limitations in this study, particularly the potential reverse causality in some estimations, re-examinations are warranted in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]