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Rub-impact is one of the common failures in dual-rotor systems, and seriously affects the machine's operation cost. Currently, research about this fault mainly focuses on models that gain initial excitation through rotor unbalance. Whereas, this excitation source is rarely aggravated during rotating machinery's full life period. Aiming at this issue, a Hertz impact-contact model of casing-disc-shaft dual-rotor system with rubbing fault caused by disc looseness is developed to simulate a deteriorating failure. Thus, the system vibration variation during the fault deterioration can be analyzed, and the necessary basis for prediction of the coupling faults are provided. In this model, slight unbalance provides the initial excitation amplified by disc looseness, from which the rub-impact defect is induced between the loose disc and the outer casing. Further, motion equations for this coupling fault system are derived to simulate the vibration signals. Result shows that the critical parameters significantly affect the system's vibration, and the deterioration of coupling faults takes the system from steady-state to chaotic-state. The study of this paper provides theoretical bases for the rub-impact fault tracing of dual-rotor systems, and proposes different scales to indicate the fault severity degree qualitatively and quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-surface bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SS-BiSAR) offers an additional observation angle for monostatic spaceborne SAR, making it a promising technology for high-accuracy deformation retrieval technology in local regions. Repeat-pass SS-BiSAR tomography can accurately estimate the surfaces of buildings and steep areas, effectively removing terrain phases during deformation retrieving. However, inaccuracies in the orbital ephemeris can lead to image geometry distortion, reducing image pair coherence, introducing interferometric phase errors, and consequently deteriorating tomographic precision. This paper precisely models the image geometry distortion and interferometric phase error caused by repeat-pass ephemeris error. We propose an ephemeris correction method based on the chirp-Z transform to address these issues. Furthermore, we introduce an accurate tomography model to improve 3D reconstruction accuracy. Our first SS-BiSAR tomography experiment, conducted using the Chinese Lutan-1 satellite, demonstrates that the correlation coefficient is improved by 0.16 after ephemeris error correction. Moreover, the density and precision of the tomographic point cloud are improved by 13.7% and 12.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the scaled consensus problem of second-order multi-agent systems (SOMASs) with nonlinear dynamics under fully distributed adaptive aperiodic intermittent (DAAPI) communication. Motivated by the non-reduced order approach (NROA), a novel Lyapunov function is proposed to directly analyze the scaled consensus of pure second-order MASs. By contrast with the existing results, the approach in this study avoids the double dimension problem arising from the reduced order method, which greatly alleviates the complexity of the theoretical analysis. Moreover, two new fully DAAPI communication protocols are well designed to achieve scaled consensus for leaderless and leader-following, respectively. It is worth noting that two entirely different time-varying gains are devised in the protocols to regulate the position and velocity states of the agent, respectively, which can realize more flexible and precise control to fulfill the goal of reducing the control cost. Lastly, the effectiveness of the theoretical derivation is demonstrated by two numerical examples and comparative experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been suggested that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) alters the growth trajectory of a fetus and increases the risk of abnormal birth weight. In spite of this, there is still a significant debate regarding the mode and optimal timing of diagnosing this condition. Our aim was to determine fetal growth velocity and birth biometry in pregnant women with GDM at varying risk levels. Methods: We conducted a cohort study involving 1023 pregnant women at a maternity hospital in Ma'anshan, China. All women completed an oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks' gestation. We measured fetal head circumference (HC), femoral length (FL), abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), and estimate fetal weight (EFW) by ultrasound at 17, 24, 31, and 35 weeks' gestation, respectively. Results: Overall, 5115 ultrasound scans were performed. Among both low-risk and medium–high-risk pregnant women at 17–24 weeks' gestation, GDM exposure was associated with an increase in fetal growth velocity. Neonates born to women with GDM at medium–high risk had significantly larger birth weights than those born to women without GDM, while this was not observed in women at low risk. Conclusion: In medium–high-risk pregnant women, exposure to GDM has a greater effect on the fetus, leading to abnormal fetal growth velocity that lasts beyond week 24. It is evident from our results that the effects of GDM on fetal growth differ between medium–high-risk pregnant women and low-risk pregnant women, and therefore a different screening program based on the risk factor for GDM is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination with heavy metals from industrial and mining activities poses significant environmental and public health risks, necessitating effective remediation strategies. This review examines the utilization of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. Specifically, it focuses on SRB metabolic pathways for heavy metal immobilization, interactions with other microorganisms, and integration with complementary remediation techniques such as soil amendments and phytoremediation. We explore the mechanisms of SRB action, their synergistic relationships within soil ecosystems, and the effectiveness of combined remediation approaches. Our findings indicate that SRB can effectively immobilize heavy metals by converting sulfate to sulfide, forming stable metal sulfides, thereby reducing the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including the need to optimize environmental conditions for SRB activity, address their sensitivity to acidic conditions and high heavy metal concentrations, and mitigate the risk of secondary pollution from excessive carbon sources. This study underscores the necessity for innovative and sustainable SRB-based bioremediation strategies that integrate multiple techniques to address the complex issue of heavy metal soil contamination. Such advancements are crucial for promoting green mining practices and environmental restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) faces limitations in its photocatalytic applications due to its inherently wide bandgap (2.7 eV), low utilization of visible light, and a high rate of recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Defect engineering can effectively enhance the ability of g-C3N4 photocatalysts to address environmental pollution. In this paper, g-C3N4 materials with N defects (AA-CN15) were successfully prepared by using urea as a hydrogen bond donor and ammonium acetate as a hydrogen bond acceptor. The catalyst exhibits a broader range of visible light absorption, a lower rate of photogenerated electron–hole recombination, and a larger specific surface area, thanks to the formation of N defects in the N1 (C=N–C) vacancy. The formation of N defects reduces the band gap width of AA-CN15 from 2.85 eV to 1.90 eV compared to U-CN. The degradation rate of AA-CN15 in a 30 mg/L MB solution under visible light irradiation can reach 91.4% within 100 min, which is 7.2 times higher than that of U-CN. This study addresses the limitations and drawbacks of traditional defect introduction methods, offering a novel approach for the synthesis of N defect g-C3N4 materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new pyrone derivative 11-hydroxypyrophen (1), together with pyrophen (2) and six naphtho-γ-pyrones (3–8), were obtained from the culture extract of Aspergillus niger Pas67. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Compounds 4 and 8 showed significant antibacterial activity against MRSA with minimum inhibitory concentration values (MICs) of 25 and 16 μg/mL, while compounds 1 and 2 did not display anti-MRSA activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer, the most prevalent malignancy in women, often progresses to bone metastases, especially in older individuals. Dormancy, a critical aspect of bone-metastasized breast cancer cells (BCCs), enables them to evade treatment and recur. This dormant state is regulated by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) through the secretion of various factors, including those associated with senescence. However, the specific mechanisms by which BMMSCs induce dormancy in BCCs remain unclear. To address this gap, a bone-specific senescence-accelerated murine model, SAMP6, was utilized to minimize confounding systemic age-related factors. Confirming senescence-accelerated osteoporosis, distinct BMMSC phenotypes were observed in SAMP6 mice compared to SAMR1 counterparts. Notably, SAMP6-BMMSCs exhibited premature senescence primarily due to telomerase activity loss and activation of the p21 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the effects of conditioned medium (CM) derived from SAMP6-BMMSCs versus SAMR1-BMMSCs on BCC proliferation were examined. Intriguingly, only CM from SAMP6-BMMSCs inhibited BCC proliferation by upregulating p21 expression in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings suggest that the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) of BMMSCs suppresses BCC viability by inducing p21, a pivotal cell cycle inhibitor and tumor suppressor. This highlights a heightened susceptibility of BCCs to dormancy in a senescent microenvironment, potentially contributing to the increased incidence of breast cancer bone metastasis and recurrence observed with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals (vdW) assembly of low-dimensional materials has proven the capability of creating structures with on-demand properties. It is predicted that the vdW encapsulation can induce a local high-pressure of a few GPa, which will strongly modify the structure and property of trapped materials. Here, we report on the structural collapse of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) induced by the vdW encapsulation. By simply covering CNTs with a hexagonal boron nitride flake, most of the CNTs (≈77%) convert from a tubular structure to a collapsed flat structure. Regardless of their original diameters, all the collapsed CNTs exhibit a uniform height of ≈0.7 nm, which is roughly the thickness of bilayer graphene. Such structural collapse is further confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, which shows a prominent broadening and blue shift in the Raman G-peak. The vdW encapsulation-induced collapse of CNTs is fully captured by molecular dynamics simulations of the local vdW pressure. Further near-field optical characterization reveals a metal-semiconductor transition in accompany with the CNT structural collapse. Our study provides not only a convenient approach to generate local high-pressure for fundamental research, but also a collapsed-CNT semiconductor for nanoelectronic applications. vdW assembly of low-dimensional materials has proven the capability of creating structures with on-demand properties. Here, the authors report on the structural collapse of CNTs in conjunction with a metal-semiconductor junction induced by the VdW encapsulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals encapsulation of two-dimensional materials in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) stacks is a promising way to create ultrahigh-performance electronic devices1–4. However, contemporary approaches for achieving van der Waals encapsulation, which involve artificial layer stacking using mechanical transfer techniques, are difficult to control, prone to contamination and unscalable. Here we report the transfer-free direct growth of high-quality graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) in hBN stacks. The as-grown embedded GNRs exhibit highly desirable features being ultralong (up to 0.25 mm), ultranarrow (<5 nm) and homochiral with zigzag edges. Our atomistic simulations show that the mechanism underlying the embedded growth involves ultralow GNR friction when sliding between AA′-stacked hBN layers. Using the grown structures, we demonstrate the transfer-free fabrication of embedded GNR field-effect devices that exhibit excellent performance at room temperature with mobilities of up to 4,600 cm2 V–1 s–1 and on–off ratios of up to 106. This paves the way for the bottom-up fabrication of high-performance electronic devices based on embedded layered materials.A strategy for the transfer-free direct growth of ultralong, high-quality graphene nanoribbons, which have desirable electronic properties, between layers of a boron nitride insulator is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cockayne syndrome is an inherited heterogeneous defect in transcription-coupled DNA repair (TCR) cause severe clinical syndromes, which may affect the nervous system development of infants and even lead to premature death in some cases. ERCC8 diverse critical roles in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) complex, which is one of the disease-causing genes of Cockayne syndrome. Methods and results: The mutation of ERCC8 in the patient was identified and validated using WES and Sanger sequencing. Specifically, a compound heterozygous mutation (c.454_460dupGTCTCCA p. T154Sfs*13 and c.755_759delGTTTT p.C252Yfs*3) of ERCC8 (CSA) was found, which could potentially be the genetic cause of Cockayne syndrome in the proband. Conclusion: In this study, we identified a novel heterozygous mutation of ERCC8 in a Chinese family with Cockayne syndrome, which enlarging the genetic spectrum of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Heterozygous inactivating mutations in the glucokinase (GCK) gene result in the asymptomatic fasting hyperglycemia named as GCK-MODY or MODY2. The genetic testing can effectively avoid the misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment for GCK-MODY. Methods: A total of 25 unrelated families with MODY were screened for mutations in coding region of GCK by using direct sequencing. Three different bioinformatics tools such as PolyPhen2, Mutation Taster and PROVEAN were performed to predict the function of mutant proteins. The glucose profile was recorded by continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) to evaluate the glycemic variability for the GCK-MODY patient. Results: Our study identified five GCK mutations in 24% of the families (6/25): two novel mutations (I126fs and G385A) and three already described mutations (G44S, H50fs and S383L). In silico analyses predicted that these mutations altered structural conformational changes. The values of mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE), an important index of blood glucose fluctuation in CGMS system, were 0.81 in the first 24 h and 1.61 in the second 24 h record in the patient with GCK-MODY (F3), suggesting little glucose fluctuation. Conclusion: The genetic testing is suggested to be important to differentiate GCK-MODY from other types of diabetes. CGMS might be used to screen GCK-MODY cases prior to genetic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging contaminants (ECs) are gaining global attention owing to their widespread presence and adverse effects on human health. ECs comprise numerous composite types and pose a potential threat to the growth and functional traits of species and ecosystems. Although the occurrence and fate of ECs has been extensively studied, little is known about their long-term biological effects. This review attempts to gain insights into the unhindered connections and overlaps in aquatic ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs), one of the most representative ECs, are carriers of other pollutants because of their strong adsorption capacity. They form a complex of pollutants that can be transmitted to aquatic organisms and humans through the extended food chain, increasing the concentration of pollutants by tens of thousands of times. Adsorption, interaction and transport effects of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment are also discussed. Furthermore, the current state of knowledge on the ecotoxicity of single- and two-pollutant models is presented. Herein, we discuss how aquatic organisms within complex food networks may be particularly vulnerable to harm from ECs in the presence of perturbations. This review provides an advanced understanding of the interactions and potential toxic effects of ECs on aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is mainly devoted to fixed/preassigned-time synchronization problem for a type of full complex-variable BAM neural networks (BAMNNs) by means of direct analysis method to replace the classical decomposition approach. Above all, under the framework of the complex-valued signum function and two different forms of norms, several effective complex-valued control strategies are directly developed to ensure fixed-time synchronization, and the derived criteria are less conservative than the previous related results. In addition, the preassigned-time synchronization is also considered by directly designing some complex-valued control laws with bounded control gains, in which the synchronization time can be preset arbitrarily in advance within the actual allowable range. The theoretical results are lastly supported via numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common disorder of tear secretion on the ocular surface caused by multiple factors with dry eyes as the main symptom, but until now studies focusing on relationship between local meteorological factors and ocular surface diseases in Urumqi are very limited. Besides, the effects of long-term and extreme meteorological factors on DED and the lag effect have not been fully evaluated. Electronic case information of 9970 DED outpatients from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2020, was screened and analyzed. We used a time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) to fit the effects of exposure to different meteorological factors and extreme weather on DED outpatient visits. Subgroup analyses were further performed for gender, age, and season. The results showed that exposure to extremely low mean temperature (P1:RR = 1.18), atmospheric pressure (P1:RR = 1.11), and extremely high relative humidity (P99:RR = 1.35) were the risk factors, while extremely high atmospheric pressure (P90:RR = 0.883) and extremely low humidity (P10:RR = 0.856) appeared to have a positive effect on reduced risk of DED. Relative humidity exhibited a 1-day lag effect (RR = 1.06). Increased mean temperature positively affected female DED patients (RR = 0.761) with similar effects in the cold season (RR = 0.926). However, elevated relative humidity had a negative effect on female patients (RR = 1.14). We conducted the first large sample size time-series analysis study in this major city at the farthest distance from the ocean in the world and in northwest China, confirming the association of DED outpatient visits with the remaining three meteorological factors except wind speed in Urumqi, and a larger sample size multi-center epidemiological study with a longer duration is still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Haptoglobin (Hp) is a hemoglobin-binding protein that functions as an antioxidant in human plasma. It is reported that glycemic variability (GV) plays a key role in diabetes-related complications associated with impaired glucose metabolism and oxidative stress. Here we aim to investigate whether the effect of GV on diabetic macroangiopathy depends on Hp genotype in type 2 diabetes. Methods: A number of 860 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes was genotyped and assigned to two Hp subgroups (Hp 2-2 and Hp 1 carriers). Glycemic variability (GV) was assessed by using a retrospective continuous glucose monitoring system for three consecutive days, and it was measured using the glucose coefficient of variation (%CV), which is calculated as the ratio of glucose standard deviation to glucose mean. Clinical features, history of cardiac surgery, and vascular imaging tests were utilized to diagnose macroangiopathy. We evaluated the interaction between Hp genotypes and %CV on diabetic macroangiopathy. Furthermore, serum concentration of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as a biomarker of oxidative stress. Results: Serum 8-OHdG levels were positively correlated with %CV in Hp 1 carriers (r = 0.117; p = 0.021). Patients in the highest %CV tertile were associated with a higher prevalence of diabetic macroangiopathy than those in the lowest %CV tertile in Hp 1 carriers (OR = 2.461 [95% CI, 1.183–5.121], p = 0.016), but not in those with Hp 2-2 genotype (OR = 0.540 [95% CI, 0.245–1.191], p = 0.127). A significant interactive effect of Hp genotypes and %CV on diabetic macroangiopathy was found (p interaction = 0.008). Conclusion: Hp genotype modifies the effect of GV on diabetic macroangiopathy among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some heavy metals are associated with periodontitis; whereas most of these associations have focused on individual metal, there are no specific studies on the effects of combined heavy metal exposure on periodontitis. We conducted an analysis on the association between urinary heavy metal exposure and periodontitis in participants aged 30 years and older using multiple logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). This analysis was performed on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2014. The study found that using logistic regression, the 4th quartile of urinary lead and molybdenum and the 3rd quartile of urinary strontium were positively associated with periodontitis compared to the reference quartile after adjusting for covariates. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.738 (1.069–2.826), 1.515 (1.025–2.239), and 1.498 (1.010–2.222), respectively. The 3rd and 4th quartiles of urinary cobalt were negatively associated with periodontitis, and their ORs and 95% CIs were 0.639 (0.438–0.934) and 0.571 (0.377–0.964), respectively. The BKMR model showed that urinary barium, lead, and molybdenum were positively associated with periodontitis in a range of concentrations and urinary cobalt, manganese, tin, and strontium were negatively correlated with periodontitis. Furthermore, the overall association between urinary heavy metals and periodontitis was positive. Our study provides evidence for an association between exposure to multiple urinary heavy metals and periodontitis. However, further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the specific mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a type of discrete-time fractional-order complex-valued fuzzy neural networks. First, based on symbolic functions and complex-valued theory, two new inequalities are established to study synchronization problems of networks. Secondly, two simple and original control strategies including linear feedback controller and adaptive controller which can better reduce the control cost, are designed to guarantee quasi-projective synchronization and Mittag-Leffler synchronization of the considered networks, then sufficient synchronization criteria with simplified algebraic conditions are established on the basis of our established lemmas and some inequality techniques. Finally, numerical simulations are given to check effectiveness of the proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies addressing the impact of environmental factors on TB prognosis are scarce, with only some studies examining the effect of particulate pollutants on TB mortality. Moreover, few studies have evaluated the effects of multiple gaseous pollutants and greenness exposures on newly treated TB patients on a large population scale. Methods: Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data were collected from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020 for newly treated TB patients in Anhui Province, China. Data on gaseous pollutants sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone were collected through the National Earth System Science Data Center of China. Normalized vegetation index data were obtained through NASA. The Cox proportional risk model was also applied to calculate the hazard ratios of SO2, NO2, CO, O3, and NDVI with 95% confidence intervals for mortality among newly treated TB patients. Results: Multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that for every 0.10 μg/m3 increase in SO2, the risk of death among newly treated TB patients increased by 13.2% (HR = 1.132, 95% CI: 1.045–1.1.225), for every 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2, the risk of death among newly treated TB patients increased by 11.4%, and for each 0.1 mg/m3 increase in CO, the risk of death among newly treated TB patients increased by 5.8%. For each 0.1 increase in NDVI 250m-buffer and 500m-buffer, the risk of death among newly treated TB patients decreased by 8.5% and 6.4%, respectively. The effect of gaseous pollutants on mortality decreased progressively with elevated greenness exposure when greenness exposure was grouped from low to high. Conclusion: Gaseous pollutants are a risk factor during the treatment of newly treated TB patients and greenness exposure is a protective factor. Higher greenness exposure reduces the risk of death due to exposure to gaseous pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By viewing the cosmological parameter Λ as a dynamic variable, the thermodynamics of AdS black holes has been successfully extended to the case with inclusion of the thermodynamic pressure P. In this thermodynamic state space, although one has presented many interesting physical phenomenons, the Hawking radiation with thermodynamic pressure and volume remains to unknown. In this paper, we investigate the Hawking radiation as a tunneling process from the five-dimensional neutral Gauss-Bonnet AdS black holes, where the cosmological parameter and the Gauss-Bonnet coupling parameter are not constant but viewed as dynamical variable quantities of the black holes. The results show that the tunnelling rate of emitted particles is proportional to the ratio of the initial entropy and final entropy of black hole. The exact emission spectrum thus deviates from the pure thermal spectrum, which is the same as the case that the cosmological parameter is constant. This means that the tunneling rate of particles can be obtained in the extended phase space and the tunneling process does not depend on the thermodynamic state space. Thus naturally extending the Hawking radiation framework to the extended phase space, and it’s consistent with an underlying unitary theory in the extended phase space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 20 years, China's infertility rate has risen from 3% to 12.5%–15%. Infertility has become the third largest disease following cancer and cardiovascular disease. Then, the in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) becomes more and more important in infertility treatment field. However, the reported success rate for IVT-ET is 30%–40% and costs are gradually rising. Meanwhile, to increase success rates and decrease costs, the optimal selection of the IVF-ET treatment strategy is crucial. In a clinical work, the IVF-ET treatment strategy selection is always based on the experience of the doctor without a uniform standard. To solve this important and complex problem, we proposed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based optimal treatment strategy selection system to extract implicit knowledge from clinical data for new and returning patients, by mimicking the IVF-ET process and analysing a myriad of treatment decisions. We demonstrated that the performance of the model was different in 10 AI classification algorithms. Hence, we need to select the optimal method for predicting patient pregnancy result in different IVF-ET treatment strategies. Moreover, feature ranking is determined in the proposed model to measure the importance of each patient characteristics. Therefore, better advice can be provided for individual patient characteristics, doctors can provide more valid suggestions regarding certain patient characteristics to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a type of encouraging multi-mechanistic drug for the treatment of cancer. However, attenuation of virulence, which is generally required for the development of OVs based on pathogenic viral backbones, is frequently accompanied by a compromised killing effect on tumor cells. By exploiting the property of viruses to evolve and adapt in cancer cells, we perform directed natural evolution on refractory colorectal cancer cell HCT-116 and generate a next-generation oncolytic virus M1 (NGOVM) with an increase in the oncolytic effect of up to 9690-fold. The NGOVM has a broader antitumor spectrum and a more robust oncolytic effect in a range of solid tumors. Mechanistically, two critical mutations are identified in the E2 and nsP3 genes, which accelerate the entry of M1 virus by increasing its binding to the Mxra8 receptor and antagonize antiviral responses by inhibiting the activation of PKR and STAT1 in tumor cells, respectively. Importantly, the NGOVM is well tolerated in both rodents and nonhuman primates. This study implies that directed natural evolution is a generalizable approach for developing next-generation OVs with an expanded scope of application and high safety. Compromised killing effects of oncolytic viruses due to attenuation of virulence remains a challenge. Here, the authors use a directed natural evolution approach to increase the oncolytic effect of the oncolytic virus M1 attributed to mutations in the E2 and nsP3 genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory disease of the conjunctival tissue caused by a variety of causes; despite the conjunctiva being directly exposed to the external atmospheric environment, the important role of air pollution is not fully evaluated, especially in areas with poor air quality undergoing rapid economic and industrial development. Information on 59,731 outpatient conjunctivitis visits from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2020 was obtained from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China), and data on six air pollutants including particulate matter with a median aerometric diameter of less than 10 and 2.5 mm (PM10 and PM2.5, respectively), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) from eleven standard urban background fixed air quality monitors were also recorded. A time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to fit the effect of exposure to air pollutants on the risk of conjunctivitis outpatient visits. Further subgroup analyses were conducted for gender, age, and season, as well as the type of conjunctivitis. Single and multi-pollutant models showed that exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, CO, and O3 was associated with increased risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits on the lag 0 day and various other lag days. Variations in the effect estimates on direction and magnitude were found in different subgroup analyses. We conducted the first time-series analysis with the longest duration as well as the largest sample size in Northwest China, which provides evidence that outpatient conjunctivitis visits is significantly associated with air pollution in Urumqi, China. Meanwhile, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of SO2 reduction in reducing the risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits in the Urumqi region and reaffirm the need to implement special air pollution control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns with the event-based dynamic output feedback control for the synchronization of fuzzy neural networks under mixed delay and deception attacks. A weighted sum-based dynamic event-triggered mechanism (WSDETM) is developed to save the communication resources while preserving a satisfactory system performance. A dynamic output feedback controller (DOFC) is designed to achieve exponential synchronization of fuzzy neural networks. To reduce the data traffic, both communication channels from the sensor to DOFC and DOFC to Zero-Order Holder are subject to WSDETM. Different from the traditional deception attacks modeled by Bernoulli process, we adopt the more general Markov process modeling deception attacks. By using the cone-complimentarity linearization algorithm, the DOFC and WSDETM parameters are carried out. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated with two numerical cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe wear of cemented carbide tool can lead to problems such as short tool life and poor part surface integrity. Fortunately, it has been found that the tool wear may be reduced by modifying the cutting edge microgeometry. However, there are a few studies that offer specific instructions for this modification. In addition, it is costly to realize this for machining tools through merely experiments. Therefore, in this paper, an improved approach is proposed by combining the finite-element (FE) simulation method with a user-defined wear rate model. To achieve this, a new wear rate model was proposed at first, regarding the wear mechanisms of the carbide tool during machining of Inconel 718 alloy. Then, four sets of carefully designed cutting tests and FE simulations were carried out to calibrate and verify the new model. At last, extensive FE simulations were conducted to investigate the influence of tool edge microgeometry on tool life. The simulated results indicate that the tool life increases with the increase of the form factor K within a given range. This finding on optimized tool edge was further verified by performing a group of cylindrical turning experiments. The experimental measurements reveal that the tool life has increased by 24% and 50% maximum when increasing K from 0.9 to 2.8 under the two given cutting conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjunctivitis is a common multifactorial inflammatory ocular surface disease characterized by symptoms such as congestion, edema, and increased secretion of conjunctival tissue, and the potential effects of meteorological factors as well as extreme meteorological factors on conjunctivitis and their lagging effects have not been fully evaluated. We obtained the electronic case information of 59,731 outpatients with conjunctivitis from the Ophthalmology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) for the period from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2020. Meteorological data for daily mean temperature (°C), daily relative humidity (%), daily average wind speed (m/s), and atmospheric pressure (hPa) were obtained from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service. The air pollutant data were obtained from 11 standard urban background fixed air quality monitors. A time-series analysis design and a quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with a distributed lagged nonlinear model (DLNM) were used to fit the effects of exposure to different meteorological factors and extreme weather on conjunctivitis outpatient visits. Subgroup analyses were performed on gender, age and season, and type of conjunctivitis. Univariate and multifactorial model results indicated that each 10-unit increase in mean temperature and relative humidity was associated with an increased risk of conjunctivitis outpatient visits, while each 10-unit increase in atmospheric pressure was associated with a decreased risk. The results of the extreme weather analysis suggested that extremely low levels of atmospheric pressure and relative humidity as well as extreme levels of temperature were associated with an increased risk of outpatient conjunctivitis visits, and extreme wind speeds were associated with a decreased risk. The results of the subgroup analysis suggested gender, age, and seasonal differences. We conducted the first large sample size time-series analysis in the large city furthest from the ocean in the world and confirmed for the first time that elevated mean temperature and extreme low levels of relative humidity in Urumqi were risk factors for local conjunctivitis outpatient visits, while elevated atmospheric pressure and extreme low levels of wind speed were protective factors, and there were lagged effects of temperature and atmospheric pressure. Multicenter studies with larger sample sizes are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early phase lipid accumulation is essential for liver regeneration. However, whether this acute lipid accumulation can serve as signals to direct liver regeneration rather than simply providing building blocks for cell proliferation remains unclear. Through in vivo CRISPR screening, we identify MIER1 (mesoderm induction early response 1) as a key epigenetic regulator that bridges the acute lipid accumulation and cell cycle gene expression during liver regeneration in male animals. Physiologically, liver acute lipid accumulation induces the phosphorylation of EIF2S1(eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2), which consequently attenuated Mier1 translation. MIER1 downregulation in turn promotes cell cycle gene expression and regeneration through chromatin remodeling. Importantly, the lipids-EIF2S1-MIER1 pathway is impaired in animals with chronic liver steatosis; whereas MIER1 depletion significantly improves regeneration in these animals. Taken together, our studies identify an epigenetic mechanism by which the early phase lipid redistribution from adipose tissue to liver during regeneration impacts hepatocyte proliferation, and suggest a potential strategy to boost liver regeneration. Early lipid accumulation is thought to contribute to liver regeneration through unclear functional mechanisms. Here the authors identify an epigenetic regulator, MIER1, that bridges the acute lipid accumulation and cell cycle gene transcription during liver regeneration after surgical resection in male mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some previous studies had linked air pollutants and greenness to the risk of death from tuberculosis (TB). Only a few studies had examined the effect of particulate matter (PM2.5) on the mortality of TB, and few studies had assessed the impact and interaction of multiple air pollutants and greenness on the mortality of newly treated TB patients. The study included 29,519 newly treated TB patients from three cities in Anhui province. We collected meteorological data and five pollutants data from The National Meteorological Science Center and air quality monitoring stations. Greenness data were generated by remote sensing inversion of medium-resolution satellite images. We geocoded each patient based on the residential address to calculate the average exposure to air pollutants and the average greenness exposure for each patient during treatment. The Cox proportional risk regression model was used to evaluate the effects of air pollutants and greenness on mortality in newly treated tuberculosis patients. Our results found that the higher the concentration of air pollutants in the living environment of newly treated TB patients, the greater the risk of death: HR 1.135 (95% CI: 1.123–1.147) and HR 1.333 (95% CI: 1.296–1.370) per 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5 and SO2, respectively. Greenness reduced the mortality among newly treated TB patients: HR for NDVI exposure 0.936 (95% CI: 0.925–0.947), HR for NDVI_250m exposure 0.927 (95% CI: 0.916–0.938), and HR for NDVI_500m exposure 0.919 (95% CI: 0.908–0.931). Stratifying the cohort by median greenness exposure, HRs for air pollutants were lower in the high greenness exposure group. Mortality in newly treated TB patients is influenced by air pollutants and greenness. Higher green exposure can mitigate the effects of air pollution. Improving air quality may help reduce mortality among newly treated TB patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype 3 (M3 receptor) is a G Protein-Coupled Receptor (GPCR) that mediates many important physiological functions. Currently, most M3 receptor drugs also have high affinity for other subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and produce the risk of side effects. Therefore, in order to find M3 receptor drugs with high specificity, high activity and low side effects, we established a cell model and method for efficient and sensitive screening of M3 receptor based on calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCCs), and this method is also suitable for the screening of other GPCR drugs. This screening model consists of Fischer rat thyroid follicular epithelial (FRT) cells that endogenously express M3 receptors, CaCCs, and the indicator YFP-H148Q/I152L. We verified that the model can sensitively detect changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration using fluorescence quenching kinetics experiments, confirmed the screening function of the model by applying available M3 receptor drugs, and also evaluated the good performance of the model in high-throughput screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies N-species Lotka–Volterra cooperation models with feedback controls and continuous delays. Several conditions for the global attractiveness, permanence and periodic solution of the model are obtained by applying the integral inequality techniques, comparison principle and Lyapunov–Razumikhin method. Finally, a numerical example is also carried out to validate the feasibility and practicability of our proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical and immersion tests were conducted to characterize the bio-corrosion resistance of as-extruded Mg–Ca binary alloys with submicron grain size. The microstructures were further characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electronic microscopy and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The grain size was estimated from OM and TEM images. Three samples and at least 20 images were used to evaluate the average grain size. Macro-textures of the as-extruded samples were measured via X-ray diffraction. The Mg–2Ca alloy extruded at 300 °C (2Ca-300) exhibits the lowest current density of 1.683 mA·cm−2 and corrosion rate of 22.14 g·m−2·day−1 in simulated body fluid, which is comparable with that of pure Mg. The Ca addition can reduce grain size of as-extruded Mg alloy and decrease the corrosion rate. The formed Mg2Ca phases would accelerate the local galvanic corrosion and protect the α-Mg matrix simultaneously due to the lower electrode potential. The lower defect density, finer grain size and weaker basal texture intensity contribute to the excellent bi-corrosion resistance of the 2Ca-300 alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, synchronization analysis and parameters identification issues are explored for uncertain delayed fractional-order BAM neural networks. By designing pertinent state feedback control strategies and parameters updated laws, some ample criteria are procured for ensuring the finite-time synchronization and the Mittag-Leffler synchronization of the considered networks via exploiting the Lyapunov function theory, fractional calculus theory and inequality analysis techniques, meanwhile, the settling time of finite-time synchronization is given, which relates to the initial values. Moreover, parameters identification is actualized triumphantly for uncertain or unknown parameters. Finally, numerical examples are provided to show the availability of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deformation of material leads to severe thermal–mechanical effects during metal cutting with chamfered insert. The high cutting temperature on the contact face results in the wear of the insert which is a critical issue. However, there is still a lack of a comprehensive understanding of thermal–mechanical effects, especially with respect to the presence of the tool flank wear. To address this, an analytical thermal–mechanical model is developed in this paper for the prediction of the temperature distribution with a worn insert based on a modified slip-line field approach. Firstly, an analytical slip-line field model is introduced based on material plasticity and plowing theory considering the tool flank wear. The structure of the slip-line field model, especially at the dead metal zone and the flank zone, is modified to reveal the material flow mechanism. Then, heat sources, including primary heat source, secondary heat source, tertiary heat source, and fourth heat source, are clarified to explain the heat generation phenomenon in the cutting process. In addition, a cutting temperature field model is developed to show the effect of tertiary heat source based on the imaginary heat source theory. Finally, the slip-line field geometry and temperature distribution are extracted from two-dimensional finite element simulation to verify the proposed model. And orthogonal experiments are carried out for measuring the maximum cutting temperature. The good agreement of predicted results, simulated results, and experimental results verifies the accuracy of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bars: 25 m. (e,f) The corresponding parameter of TRAP and the serum bone resorption marker detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that miR-21 deficiency blocked age-related osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. (d) Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection of the serum bone resorption marker of 3-month WT and miR-21-/- mice. miR-21 deficiency inhibited the bone resorption rate. [Extracted from the article]

Radar is an important tool for aiding in bird strike mitigation as part of overall safety management systems at civilian and military airfields. However, the diverse movement trajectories and irregular echo power fluctuations cause existing multitarget tracking algorithms to face many challenges such as detection uncertainty and maneuver uncertainty. Therefore, this paper proposes a robust tracking method focusing on target fluctuation and maneuver characteristics. Firstly, a tracking information feedback mechanism based on the fluctuation model of bird targets is established, and the measurement set in the predicted gate is reconstructed to solve the problem of track breakages caused by the echo power fluctuation. Secondly, an adaptive parameter filter model is designed to enhance maneuver adaptability. Finally, simulation and experimental data verification show that the proposed method is more adaptive to bird target characteristics and can effectively improve the tracking performance without significantly increasing computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormones (TH) regulate systemic glucose metabolism through incompletely understood mechanisms. Here, we show that improved glucose metabolism in hypothyroid mice after T3 treatment is accompanied with increased glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) production and insulin secretion, while co-treatment with a GLP-1 receptor antagonist attenuates the effects of T3 on insulin and glucose levels. By using mice lacking hepatic TH receptor β (TRβ) and a liver-specific TRβ-selective agonist, we demonstrate that TRβ-mediated hepatic TH signalling is required for both the regulation of GLP-1 production and the insulinotropic and glucose-lowering effects of T3. Moreover, administration of a liver-targeted TRβ-selective agonist increases GLP-1 and insulin levels and alleviates hyperglycemia in diet-induced obesity. Mechanistically, T3 suppresses Cyp8b1 expression, resulting in increased the levels of Farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-antagonistic bile acids, thereby potentiating GLP-1 production and insulin secretion by repressing intestinal FXR signalling. T3 correlates with both plasma GLP-1 and fecal FXR-antagonistic bile acid levels in people with normal thyroid function. Thus, our study reveals a role for hepatic TH signalling in glucose homeostasis through the regulation of GLP-1 production via bile acid-mediated FXR antagonism. Thyroid hormones regulate systemic glucose metabolism through incompletely understood mechanisms. Here the authors report that hepatic thyroid hormone receptor β mediates the effects of the thyroid hormone T3 on systemic glucose homeostasis by modulating GLP-1 levels through suppression of hepatic CYP8B1 expression and bile acid mediated inhibition of intestinal FXR signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tensile cracks significantly influence stability of mining, tunneling, and other geotechnical engineering scenarios. Discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA) is widely employed to analyze, predict, and prevent the deformation and progressive failure of such geomaterials. However, an accurate and efficient simulation of the cracking process remains a challenge, requiring appropriate fracture models. This study presents an improved DDA algorithm featuring a nonlinear cohesive zone model (CZM) designed for the intricate deformation and fragmentation analysis of geotechnical structures composed of quasi-brittle materials. Building upon fracture mechanics theory, an exponential-type CZM that accounts for both post-peak softening behaviors and nonlinear relations inherent in quasi-brittle materials is introduced. This exponential-type CZM is integrated into the original DDA method, addressing the co-edge blocks connected with cohesive springs. The ensuing unbalanced force in normal contact arising from the nonlinear cohesive spring is mitigated using a nonlinear iterative algorithm. The formulation, the implementation, and the iteration of the exponential-type CZM within the DDA framework are elucidated. Finally, the feasibility and the accuracy of the improved DDA for analyzing quasi-brittle crack propagation are demonstrated and validated by comparing several examples with experimental and numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic noise has attracted much attention as a significant and intractable public health threat. This study was designed as a systematical review to explore the association of traffic noise with different indicators of obesity, thus providing updated quantitative estimates for the pooled effect estimates of the existing literature. We conducted an extensive search for epidemiological studies that investigated the association of traffic noise with obesity in three electronic databases till February 23, 2021. We used random-effects meta-analysis to calculate the summary effect estimates for each 10-dB(A) increase in noise and compared the highest with the lowest category of noise in relation to seven obesity indicators. Meanwhile, we assessed the risk of bias and the overall quality of the evidence of each study as well as the level of evidence for each exposure–outcome pair. The initial search identified 30 studies, 13 of which were ultimately included. The meta-analysis for the highest versus the lowest category of noise exposure was generally associated with higher waist circumfluence (WC) ranging from 0.326 cm (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.078, 0.574) to 0.705 cm (95% CI = 0.071, 1.340) and higher odds of central obesity ranging from 1.055 (95% CI = 1.000, 1.109) to 1.167 (95% CI = 1.037, 1.298). When the continuous exposure (each 10 dB(A) increase in noise) was introduced, similar results were found. This study indicated positive associations of traffic noise with WC and central obesity. However, in consideration of some limitations, there is an urgent need for future studies to increase the sample size, discriminate the etiological differences in different noise and obesity indicators, and thoroughly consider socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tool wear has great impacts on tool life and cutting parameter selection in the machining process. As ceramic inserts are widely employed in efficient machining, it is of great significance to predict accurately the wear of ceramic tools. Crater wear is one of the most significant tool wear modes when turning difficult-to-cut materials at high speeds. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the forming and influence mechanisms of crater wear in Ti6Al4V turning with ceramic inserts while considering cutting temperature at the tool-chip interface. An effort is made to describe quantitatively the appearance of crater wear from the perspective of temperature distribution based on crater wear experiments under various cutting conditions. In order to obtain the cutting temperature distribution efficiently, an analytical temperature prediction model is used in this paper. Then, a prediction model for crater wear depth and width considering the influence of the maximum temperature is developed. The maximum crater wear depth and width models are validated by a series of cutting experiments, and the outcomes prove that the proposed models are practical. Additionally, the influence of various cutting parameters on crater wear is discussed. The cutting speed has the greatest impact on crater wear, followed by the feed rate. Furthermore, this research can be used to improve cutting parameters for controlling crater wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that the Vibrio vulnificus hemolysin A (VvhA) protein elicited good immune protection and could effectively control V. vulnificus infection in mice. However, its molecular mechanism remains unknown. We hypothesized that hemolysin A induces an immunoprotective response via IL-21 regulation. To demonstrate this, IL-21 expression in mice was regulated by injecting either specific antibodies or rIL-21, and the immune response was evaluated by flow cytometry. Our results suggested that IL-21 enhances immune protection by inducing a T follicular helper cell and germinal center B cell response. We used RNA-seq to explore molecular mechanisms and identified 10 upregulated and 32 downregulated genes involved in IL-21-upregulated protection. Gene Ontology analysis and pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes were also performed. Our findings indicate that IL-21 can enhance the immune protection effect of the VvhA protein and may serve as a novel strategy for enhancing the immune protection effect of protein vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine, from behavioral perspectives, the feasibility of applying group-based aerobic exercise as an adjunct to treatment aimed at improving the cognitive functions and emotions of substance use disorder (SUD) patients. Eighty-three male methamphetamine use disorder patients recruited through an isolated detoxification centers (IDCs) were assigned into either an exercise group or control group. The exercise group participated in a group-based aerobic exercise intervention involving moderate-intensity exercises for 3 months. The cognitive functions, emotions, drug cravings, and physical fitness of the patients in both groups were measured at the baseline, 1 months, 2 month, and 3 months time points. After the 3 months intervention, the exercise group exhibited significant improvements in SSRT, HAMA and BDI scores, and physical fitness scores (i.e., BMI, vital capacity, flexibility, and balance) relative to the control group. Furthermore, the exercise group exhibited significantly reduced VAS scores for craving in comparison to the control group after only 2 months of the intervention. The 3 months group-based aerobic exercise program showed beneficial effects for cognitive functions, emotions, cravings, and physical fitness among SUD patients (i.e., methamphetamine use disorder patients), and can thus be considered as a potential therapeutic candidate for addiction rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of biological studies suggest that exogenous sulfur dioxide (SO2) at a certain concentration may promote human resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the results of most relevant studies are inconsistent, and few studies have explored the relationship between SO2 exposure and tuberculosis risk at provincial level. In addition, occupational exposure has long been considered to have a certain impact on the human body, so for the first time, we discussed the differences between different occupations in the study on the relationship between air pollutant exposure and tuberculosis risk, and evaluated the impact of occupational exposure. This study aimed to explore the association between short-term SO2 exposure and the risk of outpatient visits to tuberculosis in Anhui province and 16 prefecture-level cities from 2015 to 2020. We used several models for multi-stage analysis, including distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM), Poisson generalized linear regression model, and random-effects model. The association was assessed using the 28-day cumulative lag effect RR and 95%CI for each 10-unit increase in SO2 concentration. We divided all patients into the following six occupations: Worker, Farmer, Retired people, Children and Students, Cadre and Office clerk, and Service staff (catering, business, etc.). Sex, age, and season were analyzed by subgroup. Finally, the robustness of the multi-pollutant model was tested. At provincial level, the overall effect value of SO2 was RR=0.8191 (95%CI: 07702~0.8712); after grouping all patients by occupation, the association found only among Farmers (RR = 0.7150, 95%CI: 0.6699–0.7632, lag 0–28 days) and Workers (RR = 0.8566, 95%CI: 0.7930–0.9930, lag 0–4 days) was still statistically significant. Estimates for individual cities and using random-effects models to estimate average associations showed that SO2 exposure was associated with a reduced risk of outpatient TB visits in 14 municipalities, which remained significant when aggregated (RR = 0.9030, 95%CI: 0.8730–0.9340). Analysis of patients grouped by occupation in each municipality showed that statistical significance was again observed only in the Farmer (RR = 0.8880, 95%CI: 0.8610–0.9160) and Worker (RR = 0.8250, 95%CI: 0.7290–0.9340) groups. Stratified analysis of age, sex, and season showed that the effect of SO2 exposure was greater for middle-aged people (18–64 years old) and males, and less for seasonal changes. In summary, we found that exposure to SO2 reduces the risk of outpatient visits to tuberculosis, with farmers and workers more susceptible to SO2. Gender and age had a greater impact on the risk of TB outpatient visits than seasonal variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited options and high prices have limited the application of additives in composting. The effect of applying carbonate (SRC) and biochar (BC) to composting in a 100 L reactor was evaluated to determine the carbon and nitrogen losses. Three treatments were prepared in a 3:1 ratio of layer manure mixed with cereal chaff: CK (no additive), SRC and BC. These were composted for 30 days. The results showed that both carbonate and biochar increased the average temperature of the thermophilic phase of compost. There were no significant difference in organic matter degradation and nitrogen transformation between SRC and BC treatments. SRC and BC addition did not reduce the total carbon (TC) loss, but BC addition reduced CH4-C loss by 42.9% as compared to CK. In addition, BC reduced total nitrogen (TN) loss by 16.2%, and presented the lowest loss of NH3-N and N2O-N. SRC decreased the N2O-N loss by 33.3% as compared to CK, but the difference was not statistically significant. Therefore, the potential of carbonate in reducing nitrogen loss as a new composting additive is worthy of further research to explore, especially in N2O mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thyroid hormone (TH)-controlled recruitment process of brown adipose tissue (BAT) is not fully understood. Here, we show that long-term treatment of T3, the active form of TH, increases the recruitment of thermogenic capacity in interscapular BAT of male mice through hyperplasia by promoting the TH receptor α-mediated adipocyte progenitor cell proliferation. Our single-cell analysis reveals the heterogeneous nature and hierarchical trajectory within adipocyte progenitor cells of interscapular BAT. Further analyses suggest that T3 facilitates cell state transition from a more stem-like state towards a more committed adipogenic state and promotes cell cycle progression towards a mitotic state in adipocyte progenitor cells, through mechanisms involving the action of Myc on glycolysis. Our findings elucidate the mechanisms underlying the TH action in adipocyte progenitors residing in BAT and provide a framework for better understanding of the TH effects on hyperplastic growth and adaptive thermogenesis in BAT depot at a single-cell level. Thyroid hormone (TH) action regulates brown adipose tissue thermogenic capacity through incompletely understood mechanisms. Here the authors report that T3, the active form of TH, increases thermogenic capacity via thyroid hormone receptor α-mediated hyperplasia of brown adipose tissue adipocyte progenitor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]