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Research data infrastructures form the cornerstone in both cyber and physical spaces, driving the progression of the data-intensive scientific research paradigm. This opinion paper presents an overview of global research data infrastructure, drawing insights from national roadmaps and strategic documents related to research data infrastructure. It emphasizes the pivotal role of research data infrastructures by delineating four new missions aimed at positioning them at the core of the current scientific research and communication ecosystem. The four new missions of research data infrastructures are: (1) as a pioneer, to transcend the disciplinary border and address complex, cutting-edge scientific and social challenges with problem- and data-oriented insights; (2) as an architect, to establish a digital, intelligent, flexible research and knowledge services environment; (3) as a platform, to foster the high-end academic communication; (4) as a coordinator, to balance scientific openness with ethics needs.

【Objective】 Soil aggregate is a functional unit used to describe the effect of management practices on soil physical properties and soil functions. It is dynamic and varies with various factors. In this paper, we studied its variation in response to different managements during the freezing-thawing fallow season. 【Method】 The experiment was conducted in a wheat-corn field at an irrigation area at Hongyashan in Minqin County in Shiyang River Basin. The treatments we compared were winter irrigation (for water storage) and pro-harvest tillage in autumn. In each treatment, we measured the size distribution of mechanically stable aggregates and water stable aggregates at different soil depths before and after the freezing-thawing season, respectively. 【Result】 The freezing-thawing did not show noticeable influence on macro-aggregate content and mean weight-diameter of the mechanically stable aggregates, but significantly reduced the content of water stable macro-aggregates and their mean weight diameter. The autumn tillage temporally increased large mechanically stable aggregate content and water stable aggregate content, as well as their average weight diameter, but the effect waned before the soil was frozen. The winter irrigation did not show an identifiable impact on mechanically stable large aggregates, but increased the large water-stable aggregate content and their average weight diameter. 【Conclusion】 Freezing-thawing crushed large soil large aggregates, significantly reducing the content of water-stable aggregates as a result. Winter irrigation aggravated this effect. Autumn plough increased the content of large aggregates and aggregates diameter temporally, and the effect waned and completely vanished before the soil was frozen.

Polyimide (PI) is one of the most important engineering plastics, but its stability in aqueous environments is insufficient, which limits its anti‐corrosion efficiency. In this study, a novel P(VDF‐HFP)/SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI composite coating is prepared by incorporating poly(vinylidene fluoride‐hexafluoropropylene) (P(VDF‐HFP)) and the exfoliated boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) which were highly co‐functionalized with two kinds of materials of the rosin and the soy‐maleic anhydride‐tannic acid adhesive molecules (SMT‐RS@BNNSs). The coatings are characterized in detail by using the XRD, FT‐IR, XPS, and SEM technologies. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization curve tests further evaluated the corrosion resistance of the coating. As results, the obtained P(VDF‐HFP)/SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI coating with good adhesion (grade 1) to the low‐carbon steel plate displays a larger water contact angle of 93.10° compared to blank PI (75.5°) and SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI (83.2°). The dispersed distribution and interaction of SMT‐RS@BNNSs can effectively reduce the phase separation between P(VDF‐HFP) and PI. Even after soaking in electrolyte for 15 days, the impedance modulus, corrosion current, and corrosion voltage of the P(VDF‐HFP)/SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI coating are 1.568 × 1010 Ω cm2, 4.612 × 10−12 A cm−2, and 0.325 V, respectively. These properties are superior to those of the PI and SMT‐RS@BNNSs/PI coatings. It is believed that the excellent anti‐corrosive performance of this PI‐based composite will broaden the application fields of PI materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Purpose/Significance] The study explored the relationship between scholars' scientific research cooperation and interdisciplinarity, in order to provide suggestions for scholars engaged in interdisciplinary research to improve their own cooperation modes, and evidence for optimizing cooperation strategies in the process of cultivating interdisciplinary talents. [Method/Process] Scholars are selected according to Price core author distribution theory. Based on Web of Science data, the study constructed the co-occurrence network of authors, used node degree centrality to measure the scale of cooperation, node clustering coefficient to measure the group cooperation rate, and proportion of international cooperation papers to measure the international cooperation rate; measured interdisciplinarity of scholars based on Rao-stirling. From the individual level, analyzed the relationship between scientific research cooperation and interdisciplinarity. [Result/Conclusion] Taking scholars in astrophysics as an example, the study found that the cooperation scale, group and international cooperation rate of scholars are significantly positively correlated with their interdisciplinarity. They are the factors that affect scholars' interdisciplinarity. And then infer that expansion of cooperation scale, participating in teamwork and international cooperation will all help them absorb more interdisciplinary knowledge, improve knowledge structure, and produce high-quality researches.

Scientific instruments are indispensable tools and means for scientific research, and they are important support and cornerstone of independent innovation. The development and construction of major research infrastructure has given rise to many scientific instruments and related technologies with industrial application prospects, but the transfer and transformation still have a long way to go. Based on the concept of "open science, open innovation, and open to the world", the EU has established the ATTRACT project to try to accelerate the commercialization of the detection and imaging related technologies of major science and technology infrastructure as well as to construct a sustainable open joint innovation ecosystem of scientific instruments innovation value chain, in order to develop breakthrough technologies for science and society. The study briefly analyzes the current situation of the organization of scientific instrumentation projects in China, and investigates the organization and management mode of ATTRACT project deeply, in order to provide support and reference for accelerating the transformation of advanced technologies in major research infrastructure, optimizing the allocation of scientific instrument innovation resources, and breaking through the bottleneck of high-end scientific instrument research, development and transformation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is critical in alcohol metabolism, and excessive consumption heightens the risk of hepatic damage, potentially escalating to hepatitis and cirrhosis. Jiuzao, a by-product of Baijiu production, contains a rich concentration of naturally active polysaccharides known for their antioxidative properties. This study investigated the influence of Laowuzeng Jiuzao polysaccharide (LJP) on the development of ethanol-induced alcoholic fatty liver. Zebrafish larvae served as the model organisms for examining the LJPs hepatic impact via liver phenotypic and biochemical assays. Additionally, this study evaluated the LJPs effects on gene expression associated with alcoholic fatty liver and the composition of the intestinal microbiota through transcriptomic and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing analyses, respectively. Our findings revealed that LJP markedly mitigated morphological liver damage and reduced oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in larvae. Transcriptome data indicated that LJP ameliorated hepatic fat accumulation and liver injury by enhancing gene expression involved in alcohol and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, LJP modulated the development of alcoholic fatty liver by altering the prevalence of intestinal Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes, specifically augmenting Acinetobacter while diminishing Chryseobacterium levels. Ultimately, LJP mitigated alcohol-induced hepatic injury by modulating gene expression related to ethanol metabolism, lipid metabolism, and inflammation and by orchestrating alterations in the intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermentation vessels affect the characteristics of food fermentation; however, we lack an approach to identify the biomarkers indicating fermentation. In this study, we applied metabolomics and high-throughput sequencing analysis to reveal the dynamic of metabolites and microbial communities in age-gradient fermentation vessels for baijiu production. Furthermore, we identified 64 metabolites during fermentation, and 19 metabolites significantly varied among the three vessels (p < 0.05). Moreover, the formation of these 19 metabolites were positively correlated with the core microbiota (including Aspergillus, Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, and Bacillus). In addition, ethyl lactate or ethyl acetate were identified as the biomarkers for indicating the metabolism among age-gradient fermentation vessels by BP-ANN (R2 > 0.40). Therefore, this study combined the biological analysis and predictive model to identify the biomarkers indicating metabolism in different fermentation vessels, and it also provides a potential approach to assess the profiling of food fermentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchrotron radiation light source has brought about new discoveries in a wide range from basic scientific research, technical innovation to industry fields, which is offering extreme experimental means and conditions as a kind of typically large scientific user facility, like a giant microscope. Meanwhile, several major challenges, such as high technical complexity, long construction period and cost risk, request more caution of management practices. Monitoring and evaluating the scientific and technological performance are effective solutions to optimize the operation and use of synchrotron radiation light source. This paper assessed the scientific and technological performance and impact of Advanced Photon Source (APS) in USA as an example, especially from the perspective of 68 simultaneously beamlines/endstations, which are the key components of research infrastructure and the frontier of scientific service. The main dataset was constructed based on the academic paper records allocated from the official website, including the output using APS and by the staffs of APS focusing on the establishment, development and upgrade of APS during 1985 to 2019. Each beamline was analyzed under the framework of "facilitymetrics", and the quantitative performance measures included overall trend and activity level, discipline distribution, requirements in various countries, academic impact, hot themes and main experimental approaches. Furthermore, several issues about the sustainability of large facility were discussed briefly: (1) the necessary of upgrade; (2) the challenge and alternativity from new disruptive experimental instruments and technology; (3) supporting trans-disciplines scientific research effectively; (4) international cooperation and different access demands in various countries user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced heat dissipation materials are necessary for powerful and miniaturized electronics. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an ideal material for thermal management due to its electrical insulation but thermal conductivity. However, its utilization is seriously restricted by the pulverulence, and multilayer and chemical inertness. Herein, highly functionalized BN nanosheets (BNNSs) are exfoliated by a boric acid-assisted chemo-mechanical method and show stable dispersion in various solvents. An ingenious chemical etch- and mechanical force-induced exfoliation and functionalization mechanism is proposed. Due to the existence of strong interfacial interaction between BNNSs and poly-(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a series of composite films with excellent thermal stability, low dielectric constant (2–4), negligible dissipation factor (<0.2), good machinability, and flexible bending and folding performances are prepared. The BNNSs' filling content can reach ∼90 wt %, and the BNNSs/PVA films' maximum tensile strength and modulus can be as high as ∼85.5 MPa and ∼7.6 GPa, respectively. Importantly, their in-plane thermal conductivity increases monotonously with the elevated BNNS content and temperature. The maximum thermal conductivity can reach up to 27.3 and 39.3 W·m–1·K–1 at 25 and 100 °C, respectively. Noteworthily, the BNNSs/PVA films show rapid thermal diffusion and can be readily designed as efficient heat dissipation components for integrated and intelligent electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial strains resistant to various antibiotic drugs are frequently encountered in clinical infections, and the rapid identification of drug-resistant strains is highly essential for clinical treatment. We developed a locked nucleic acid (LNA)-based quantitative real-time PCR (LNA-qPCR) method for the rapid detection of 13 antibiotic resistance genes and successfully used it to distinguish drug-resistant bacterial strains from positive blood culture samples. A sequence-specific primer-probe set was designed, and the specificity of the assays was assessed using 27 ATCC bacterial strains and 77 negative blood culture samples. No cross-reaction was identified among bacterial strains and in negative samples, indicating 100% specificity. The sensitivity of the assays was determined by spiking each bacterial strain into negative blood samples, and the detection limit was 1–10 colony forming units (CFU) per reaction. The LNA-qPCR assays were first applied to 72 clinical bacterial isolates for the identification of known drug resistance genes, and the results were verified by the direct sequencing of PCR products. Finally, the LNA-qPCR assays were used for the detection in 47 positive blood culture samples, 19 of which (40.4%) were positive for antibiotic resistance genes, showing 91.5% consistency with phenotypic susceptibility results. In conclusion, LNA-qPCR is a reliable method for the rapid detection of bacterial antibiotic resistance genes and can be used as a supplement to phenotypic susceptibility testing for the early detection of antimicrobial resistance to allow the selection of appropriate antimicrobial treatment and to prevent the spread of resistant isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Transformer networks have achieved a series of advancements in 3D point cloud semantic segmentation and shape classification. In this paper, we propose a multi-point focus transformer network for outdoor large-scale point cloud filtering. It integrates farthest point sampling and random sampling methods to extract both global and local multi-feature information from point clouds. To more accurately compute the self-attention and positional encoding of point clouds, this paper proposes a multi-point focus mechanism that uses a combination of farthest point sampling and random sampling to select multiple focal points from neighbourhoods at different scales for special focused, followed by attention computation and positional encoding for these focal points. Subsequently, an attention integration module is introduced to aggregate the self-attention and positional information from multiple focal points. Finally, the idea of inverse residual MLP was borrowed to obtain deeper level features of point clouds through extended channels. Extensive experiments were conducted on the latest OpenGF dataset for different terrain scenarios, resulting in commendable filtering accuracy. On the Test1 dataset, qualitative visual comparison and quantitative analysis were conducted with other state-of-the-art methods, and the overall accuracy (OA) could reach up to 98.12%, further verifying the effectiveness and competitiveness of the proposed multi-point focusing transformer network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]